 Volume 1 of the Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, translated by Richard Burton. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Kalinda. The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, Section 10. The Third Calender's Tale No, O my lady, that I also am a king and the son of a king, and my name is Ajib, son of Qazib. When my father died, I succeeded him, and I ruled and did justice and dealt fairly by all my leges. I delighted in sea trips, for my capital stood on the shore, before which the ocean stretched far and wide. And near at hand were many great islands with sconces and garrisons in the midst of the main. My fleet numbered fifty merchantmen, and as many yachts for pleasant, and in hundred and fifty sail, ready fitted for holy war with the unbelievers. It fortune'd that I had a mind to enjoy myself on the islands aforesaid. So I took ship with my people in ten keel, and carrying with me a month's fiddle, I set out on a twenty days voyage. But one night a headwind struck us, and the sea rose against us with huge waves, and the billows sorely buffeted us, and a dense darkness settled round us. We gave ourselves up for lost, and I said, Whoso in dangereth his days, in and he escape, deserveeth no praise. Then we prayed to Allah and besought him, but the storm blasts ceased not to blow against us, nor the surges to strike us, till morning broke, when the gale fell. And the seas sank to mirrory stillness, and the sun shone upon us kindly clear. Presently we made an island where we landed, and cooked somewhat of food, and ate heartily, and took our rest for a couple of days. Then we set out again, and sailed other twenty days, the seas broadening and the land shrinking. Presently the current ran counter to us, and we found ourselves in strange waters, where the captain had lost his reckoning, and was wholly bewildered in this sea. So said we to the lookout man, Get thee to the mast head, and keep thine eyes open. He swarmed up the mast, and looked out, and cried aloud, Oh, rice! I aspired to starboard something dark, very like a fish, floating on the face of the sea, and to larboard there was a loom in the midst of the main, now black and now bright. When the captain heard the lookout's words, he dashed his turban on the deck, and plucked out his beard, and beat his face, saying, Good news indeed, we be all dead men, not one of us can be saved. And he fell to weeping, and all of us wept for his weeping, and also for our lives. And I said, Oh, captain, tell us what it is the lookout saw. Oh, my prince answered he, know that we lost our course in the night of the storm, which was followed on the morrow by a two days calm, during which we made no way, and we have gone astray eleven days reckoning from that night, with narrow wind to bring us back to our true course. Tomorrow by the end of the day we shall come to a mountain of black stone, high as the magnet mountain. For thither the currents carry us willy-nilly. As soon as we are under its lee, the ship's sides will open, and every nail in plank will fly out and cleave fast to the mountain, for that almighty Allah hath gifted the lodestone with a mysterious virtue and a love for iron, by reason whereof all which is iron traveleth towards it. And on this mountain is much iron, how much none knoweth save the most high, from the many vessels which have been lost there since the days of yore. The bright spot upon its summit is a dome of yellow Latin from Andalusia, vaulted upon ten columns, and on its crown is a horseman who rideth a horse of brass, and holdeth in hand a lance of Latin, and there hangeth on his bosom a tablet of lead, graven with names and talismans. And he presently added, And, O king, none destroyeth folk save the rider on that steed, nor will the eager manseed be dispelled till he fall from his horse. Then, O my lady, the captain wept with exceeding weeping, and we all made sure of death-dome, and each and every one of us farewell'd his friend, and charged him with his last will and testament in case he might be saved. We slept not that night, and in the morning we found ourselves much nearer the lodestone mountain, whither the waters crave us with a violent send. When the ships were close under its lee they opened, and the nails flew out, and all the iron in them sought the magnet mountain and cloveed to it like a network, so that by the end of the day we were all struggling in the waves round about the mountain. Some of us were saved, but more were drowned, and even those who had escaped knew not one another, so stupefied were they by the beating of the billows and the raving of the winds. As for me, O my lady, Allah, be his name exalted, preserved my life that I might suffer what so he willed to me of hardship, misfortune, and calamity, for I scrambled upon a plank from one of the ships, and the wind and waters threw it at the feet of the mountain. There I found a practicable path leading by steps, carving out of the rock to the summit, and I called on the name of Allah Almighty, and Charizard perceived the dawn of the day and ceased to say her permitted say. When it was the fifteenth night, she continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that the third calendar said to the lady, the rest of the party sitting fast bound and the slaves standing with swords drawn over their heads. And after calling on the names of Almighty Allah and passionately beseeching him, I breasted the ascent clinging to the steps and notches hewn in the stone and mounted little by little. And the Lord stilled the wind and aided me in the ascent so that I succeeded in reaching the summit. There I found no resting place save the dome which I entered, joying with exceeding joy at my escape, and made the wuzhu ablution and prayed a tubao prayer, a thanksgiving to God for my preservation. Then I fell asleep under the dome and heard in my dream a mysterious voice saying, O son of Kazib, when thou wakest from thy sleep, dig under thy feet and thou shalt find a bow of brass and three leaden arrows inscribed with talismans and carats. Take the bow and shoot the arrows of the horsemen on the dome top and free mankind from this sore calamity. When thou hast shot him, he shall fall into the sea and the horse will also drop at thy feet, then bury it in the place of the bow. This done, the mane will swell and rise till it is level with the mountain head, and there will appear on it a skiff carrying a man of Latin. Other than he thou shalt have shot, holding in his hand a pair of paddles. He will come to thee and do thou embark with him, but beware of saying Bismillah or of otherwise naming Allah Almighty. He will row thee for a space of ten days till he bring thee to certain islands called the Islands of Safety, and thenst thou shalt easily reach a port and find those who will convey thee to thy native land, and all this shall be fulfilled to thee so thou call not on the name of Allah. Then I started up from my sleep enjoying gladness and hastening to do the bidding of the mysterious voice, found the bow and arrows, and shot at the horsemen and tumbled him into the mane, whilst the horse dropped at my feet, so I took it and buried it. Presently the sea surged up and rose till it reached the top of the mountain, nor had I longed to wait ere I saw a skiff in the offing coming towards me. I gave thanks to Allah, and when the skiff came up to me I saw therein a man of brass with a tablet of leather on his breast, inscribed with talismans and carats, and I embarked without uttering a word. The boatman rode on with me through the first day, and the second, and the third, in all ten whole days, till I caught sight of the Islands of Safety, whereat I joyed with exceeding joy, and for stress of gladness claimed, Allah, Allah, in the name of Allah, there is no God but the God and Allah is Almighty. Thereupon the skiff forthwith I upset and cast me upon the sea, then it ridded and sank deep into the depths. Now I am a fair swimmer, so I swam the whole day till nightfall when my forearms and shoulders were numbed with fatigue and I felt like to die, so I testified to my faith expecting not but death. The sea was still surging under the violence of the winds, and presently there came a billow like a hillock, and bearing me up high in air threw me with a long cast on dry land, that his will might be fulfilled. I crawled up the beach and doffing my raiment, rung it out to dry and spread it in the sunshine. Then I lay me down and slept the whole night. As soon as it was day, I donned my clothes and rose to look whether I should walk. Presently I came to a thicket of low trees and making a cast round it, found that the spot whereon I stood was an islet, a mere home, girt on all sides by the ocean, whereupon I said to myself, what so freeth me from one great calamity casteth me into a greater. But while I was pondering my case and longing for death, behold, I saw afar off a ship making for the island, so I clawed my tree and hid myself among the branches. Presently the ship anchored and landed ten slaves, black-a-morse, bearing iron hose and baskets who walked on till they reached the middle of the island. Here they dug deep into the ground until they uncovered a plate of metal which they lifted, thereby opening a trapped door. After this they returned to the ship and then sprout bread and flour, honey and fruits, clarified butter, leather bottles containing liquors and many household stuff, also furniture, table-service and mirrors, rugs, carpets, and in fact all needed to furnish a dwelling, and they kept going to and fro and descending by the trapped door till they had transported into the dwelling all that was in the ship. After this the slaves again went on board and brought back with them garments and became an old, old man of whom very little was left for time had dealt hardly and harshly with him and all that remained of him was a bone wrapped in a rag of blue stuff through which the winds whistled west and east as saith the poet of him, time gars me trouble ah how sore the bulk while time in pride of strength cloth ever stalk time was I walked nor ever felt tired, now am I tired, albeit I never walk. And the shake, held by the hand, a youth cast in beauty's mold, all elegance and perfect grace, so fair that his comeliness deserved to be proverbial, for he was as a green bow or the tender young of the row, ravishing every heart with his loveliness and subduing every soul with his coquetry and amorous ways. It was of him the poet spake when he said, beauty they brought with him to make compare but beauty hung her head in shame and care quoth they, oh beauty hast thou seen his like? and beauty cried, his like? not anywhere. They stinted not their going, oh my lady, till all went down by the trap door and did not reappear for an hour or rather more, at the end of which time the slaves and the old man came up without the youth and replacing the iron plate and carefully closing the door slab as it was before, they returned to the ship and made sail and were lost to my sight. When they turned away to depart I came down from the tree and going to the place I had seen them fill up scraped off and removed the earth and in patience possessed my soul till I cleared the whole of it away. Then appeared the trap door which was of wood in shape and size like a millstone and when I lifted it up it disclosed a winding staircase of stone. At this I marveled and descending the steps till I reached the last found a fair hall spread with various kinds of carpets and silkstuffs wherein a youth was sitting upon a raised couch and leaning back on a round cushion with a fan in his hand and nosegaze and posies of sweet scented herbs and flowers before him but he was alone and not a soul near him in the great vault. When he saw me he turned pale but I saluted him courteously and said set thy mind at ease and calm my fears no harm shall come near thee I am a man like thyself and the son of a king to boot whom the decrees of destiny have sent to bear thee company and cheer thee in loneliness but now tell me what is thy story and what causes thee to dwell thus in solitude under the ground when he was assured that I was of his kind and no genie he rejoiced and his fine color returned and making me draw near to him he said oh my brother my story is a strange story and is this my father is a merchant jeweler possessed of great wealth who hath white and black slaves and camels and trafficking with the most distant cities but he was not blessed with a child not even one now on a certain night he dreamed a dream that he should be favored with a son who would be short-lived so the morning dawned on my father bringing him woe and weeping on the following night my mother conceived and my father noted down the date of her becoming pregnant time being fulfilled she bare me where at my father rejoiced for that he had been blessed with the issue near the end of his days then he assembled the astrologers and astronomers who knew the places of the planets and the wizards and wise ones of the time and the men learned in horoscopes and nativities and they drew out my birth scheme and said to my father thy son shall live to fifteen years but in his fifteenth there is a sinister aspect and he safely tidied over he shall attain a great age and the cause that threateneth him is this in the sea of peril standeth the mountain magnetite on whose summit is a horseman of yellow Latin seated on a horse also of brass and bearing on his breast a tablet of lead fifty days after this rider shall fall from his steed, thy son will die and his slayer will be he who shoots down the horseman a prince named Ajib son of king Kazeeb my father grieved with exceeding grief to hear these words but reared me in tenderest fashion excellently well until my fifteenth year was told ten days ago news came to him that the horseman had fallen into the sea and he who shot him down was named Ajib son of king Kazeeb my father thereupon whipped bitter tears at the need of parting with me and became like one possessed of a genie however being in mortal fear for me he built me this place under the earth and stocking it with all required for the few days still remaining he brought me hither in a ship and left me here ten are already past and when the forty shall have gone by without danger to me he will come and take me away for he hath done all this only in fear of prince Ajib such then is my story and the cause of my loneliness when I heard this history I marveled and said in my mind I am the prince Ajib who hath done all this but as Allah is with me I will surely not slay him so said I to him oh my lord far from thee be this hurt and harm and then please Allah suffer kark nor care nor ought disquietude for I will tarry with thee and serve thee as a servant and then wind my ways and after having borne thee company during the forty days I will go with thee to thy home where thou shalt give me an escort of some of thy mamalooks with whom I may journey back to my own city and the almighty shall requite thee for me he was glad to hear these words when I rose and lighted a large wax candle and trimmed the ramps and the three lanterns and I set on meat and drink and sweet meats we ate and drank and sat talking over various matters till the greater part of the night was gone when he lay down to rest and I covered him up and went to sleep myself next morning I arose and warmed a little water and then lifted him gently so as to awake him and brought him in the warm water wherewith he washed his face and said to me heaven requite thee for me with every blessing oh youth by Allah if I get quit of this danger whose name is Ajib bin Qazib I will make my father reward thee and send thee home healthy and wealthy and if I die then my blessing be upon thee I answered may the day never dawn on which evil shall betide thee and may Allah make my last day before thy last day then I set before him somewhat of food and we ate and I got ready perfumes for fumigating the hall wherewith he was pleased moreover I made him a mankala cloth and we played and ate sweetmeats and we played again and took our pleasure till nightfall when I rose and lighted the lamps and set before him somewhat to eat and sat telling him stories till the hours of darkness were far spent then he lay down to rest and I covered him up and rested also and thus I continued to do oh my lady for days and nights and affection for him took root in my heart and my sorrow was eased and I said to myself the astrologers lied when they predicted a plane by Ajib bin Qazib by Allah I will not slay him I ceased not ministering to him and conversing and carousing with him and telling him all manner of tales for thirty-nine days on the fortieth night the youth rejoiced and said oh my brother Alhamdo Lila praise be to Allah who hath preserved me from death and this is by thy blessing and the blessing of thy coming to me and I pray God that he restore thee and I would thou warm me some water for the guzzle ablution and do thou kindly bathe me and change my clothes I replied with love and gladness and I heated water in plenty and carrying it into him washed his body all over the washing of health with meal of lupins and rubbed him well and changed his clothes and spread him a high bed whereon he lay down to rest being drowsy after bathing then he said oh my brother cut me up a watermelon into the storeroom and bringing out a fine watermelon I found there set it on a platter and laid it before him saying oh my master hath thou not a knife here it is answered he over my head upon the high shelf so I got up in haste and taking the knife drew it from its sheath but my foot slipped in stepping down and I fell heavily upon the youth holding in my hand the knife which hastened to fulfill what had been written on the day that decided the destinies of man and buried itself as if planted he died on the instant when I saw that he was slain and knew that I had slain him Moghre myself I cried out with an exceeding loud and bitter cry and beat my face and rent my raiment and said verily we be Allahs and unto him we be returning oh Muslims oh folk feign of Allah there remain for this youth but one day of the forty dangerous days which the astrologers and the learned had foretold for him and the predestined death of this beautiful one was to be at my hand what heaven I had not tried to cut the watermelon what dire misfortune is this I must bear fife or loathe what a disaster what an affliction oh Allah mine I implore thy pardon and declare to thee my innocence of his death but what God willeth let that come to pass and Shah Razaad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased to say her permitted say when it was the sixteenth night she said and thus reached me oh suspicious king that Ajib thus continued his tale to the lady when I was certified that I had slain him I arose and ascending the stairs replaced the trap door and covered it with the earth as before then I looked out seawards and saw the ship cleaving the waters and making for the island wherefore I was afeared and said the moment they come and see the youth done to death they will note was I who slew him and will slay me without respite so I climbed up into a high tree and saw the youth among its leaves and hardly had I done so when the ship anchored and the slaves landed with the ancient man the youth's father and made direct for the place and when they removed the earth they were surprised to see it soft then they raised the trap door and went down and found the youth lying at full length clothed in fair new garments with a face beaming after the bath and the knife deep in his heart at the sight they shrieked and wept however whilst a swoon came over the shake so that the slaves deemed him dead unable to survive his son at last they wrapped the slain youth in his clothes and carried him up and laid him on the ground covering him with a shroud of silk whilst they were making for the ship the old man revived and gazing on his son who was stretched out fell on the ground and strewed dust over his head and smote his face and plucked out his beard and his weeping redoubled as he thought of his murdered son and went away once more after a while a slave went and fetched a strip of silk whereupon they laid the old man and sat down at his head all this took place and I was on the tree above them watching everything that came to pass and my heart became horny before my head waxed gray for the hard lot which was mine and for the distress and anguish I had undergone and I fell to reciting how many a joy by Allah's will hath fled the gaping sight of wisest head how many a sadness shall begin the day yet grow right gladsome ere the day is sped how many a wheel trips on the heels of ill causing the mourner's heart with joy to thrill but the old man, oh my lady ceased not from his swoon till near sunset when he came to himself and looking upon his dead son he recalled what had happened and how what he had dreaded had come to pass and he beat his face and head racked as my heart by parting from my friends and two reels ever from my eyelids flow with them went forth my hopes ah, well away what shift remaineth me to say or do would I had never looked upon their sight what shift, fair sirs, when paths air-strain or grow what charm shall calm my pangs when this wise burn longings of love which in my vitals glow would I had trod with them the road of death they fell as twain this parting blow Allah, I pray the truthful show me wroth and mix our lives nor part them evermore how blessed were we as death one roof we dwelt conjoined in joys nor wrecking out of woe till fortune shot us with the severance shaft ah, who shall patient bear such parting throw and dart of death struck down amid the tribe the ages pearl that mourn saw brightest show aside the while his case took speech and said would heaven my son death moat his doom for slow which be the readiest road with thee to meet my son for whom I would my soul bestow if son I call him no the sun cloth set if moon I call him wane the moons ah, no oh sad miss chance of thee oh doom of days thy place none other love shall ever know thy sire distracted sees thee but despairs by wit or wisdom fate to overthrow some evil eye this day hath cast its spell and foul befall him as it foul befall then he sobbed a single sob and his soul fled his flesh the slaves shrieked aloud alas our lord and showered dust on their heads and redoubled their weeping and wailing presently they carried their dead master to the ship side by side with his dead son and having transported all the stuff from the dwelling to the vessel set sail and disappeared from mine eyes I descended from the tree and raising the trap door went down into the underground dwelling where everything reminded me of the youth and I looked upon the poor remains of him and began repeating these verses their tracks I see and pine with pain and pang and on deserted hearths I weep and yarn and him I pray who doomed them depart some day vouchsafe the boon then oh my lady I went up again by the trap door and every day I used to wander round about the island and every night I returned to the underground hall thus I lived for a month till at last looking at the western side of the island I observed that every day the tides ebbed leaving shallow water for which the flow did not compensate and by the end of the month the sea showed dry land in that direction at this I rejoiced making certain of my safety so I arose and fording what little was left of the water got me to the mainland where I fell in with great heaps of loose sand in which even a camel's hoof would sink up to the knee however I emboldened my soul and wading through the sand behold a fire shone from afar burning with a brazing light so I made for it hoping happily to find sucker and broke out into these verses be like fortune may her bridle turn and time bring wheel although he's jealous height forward my hopes and further all my needs and past ills with present wheels were quite and when I drew near the fire aforesaid low it was a palace with gates of copper burnished red which when the rising sun shone thereon gleamed and glistened from afar showing what had seemed to me a fire I rejoiced in the site and sat down over against the gate but I was hardly settled in my seat before there met me ten young men with loads insumptuous gear and all were blind of the left eye which appeared as plucked out they were accompanied by a shake an old old man and much I marveled at their appearance and they're all being blind of the same eye when they saw me they saluted me with the salam and asked me of my case and my history whereupon I related to them all what had befallen me and what full measure of misfortune was mine marvelling at my tail they took me to the mansion they saw ranged round the hall ten couches each with its blue bedding and coverlet of blue stuff and a middlemost stood a smaller couch furnished like them with blue and nothing else as we entered each of the youths took his seat on his own couch and the old man seated himself upon the smaller one in the middle saying to me oh youth, sit thee down on the floor and ask not of our case nor of the loss of our eyes presently he rose up and set before each young man some meat in a charger and drink in a large maser treating me in like manner and after that they sat questioning me concerning my adventures and what had betided me and I kept telling them my tale till the night was far spent then said the young man oh our shake, will not thou set before us our ordinary the time has come he replied, with love and gladness and rose and entering a closet disappeared but presently returned bearing on his head ten trays each covered with a strip of blue stuff he set a tray before each youth and lighting ten wax candles he stuck one upon each tray and drew off the covers and low under them was not but ashes and powdered charcoal and kettle soot then all the young men tucked up their sleeves to the elbows and fell a weeping and a wailing and then they blackened their faces and smeared their clothes and buffeted their brows and beat their breasts continually exclaiming we were sitting at our ease they ceased not to do this till dawn drew nigh when the old man rose and heated water for them and they washed their faces and donned other and clean clothes now when I saw this, oh my lady for very wonderment my senses left me and my wits went wild and heart and head were full of thought till I forgot what had betided me and I could not keep silence feeling I feign must speak out and question them of these strangenesses so I said to them I have been hearted and frolicsome thanks be to Allah you be all sound and sane yet actions such as these befit none but mad men or those possessed of an evil spirit I conjure you by all that is dearest to you why stint ye to tell me your history and the cause of your losing your eyes and your blackening your faces with ashes and soot hereupon they turned to me and said oh young man, harken not to the youth tide suggestion and question us no questions then they slept and I with them and when they awoke the old man brought us somewhat of food and after we had eaten and the plates and goblets had been removed they sat conversing till nightfall when the old man rose and lit the wax candles and lamps and set meat and drink before us after we had eaten and drunken we sat conversing and carousing in companionage till the noon of night when they said to the old man bring us our ordinary for the hour of sleep is at hand and I have seen the stories of soot and ashes and they did as they had done on the proceeding night nor more nor less I abode with them after this fashion for the space of a month during which time they used to blacken their faces with ashes every night and to wash and change their raiment when the mourn was young and I but marveled the more and my scruples and curiosity increased to such a point that I had to forego even food and drink at last I lost command of myself and I said oh young man will you not relieve my trouble and acquaint me with the reason of thus blackening your faces and the meaning of your words we were sitting at our ease but our forwardness brought us unease quoth they to our better to keep these things secret still I was bewildered by their doings to the point of abstaining from eating and drinking and at last holy losing patience quoth I to them there is no help for it you must acquaint me with what is the reason of these doings we kept our secret only for thy good to gratify thee will bring down evil upon me and thou wilt become a monocular even as we are I repeated there is no help for it and if you will not let me leave you and return to my own people and be at rest from seeing these things for the proverb saith better ye bide and I take my leave for what I sees not heart shall never grieve there upon they said to me remember oh youth that should ill befall thee we will not again harbour thee nor suffer thee to abide amongst us and bringing a ram they slaughtered it and skinned it lastly they gave me a knife saying take this skin and stretch thyself upon it and we will sew it around thee presently there shall come to thee a certain bird height rook that will catch thee up in his pounces and tower high in air and then set thee down on a mountain when thou feelest he is no longer flying rip open the pelt with this blade and come out of it be scarred and we'll fly away and leave thee free after this fair for half a day and the march will place thee at a palace wondrous fair to behold towering high in the air and build it of kalanj line of loaves and sandalwood plated with red gold and studded with all manner emeralds and costly gems fit for seal rings enter it and thou shalt win to thy wish for we have all entered that palace and such is the cause of our losing our eyes and our blackening our faces were we now to tell thee our stories it would take too long a time where each and every of us lost his left eye by an adventure of his own I rejoiced at their words and they did with me as they said and the bird rook bore me off and set me down on the mountain then I came out of the skin and walked on till I reached the palace end of section 10 of the book of a thousand nights and a night recording by kalinda in raymond new hampshire on november 18th 2007 volume 1 of the book of a thousand nights and a night translated by Richard Burton this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by kalinda the book of a thousand nights and a night section 11 the door stood open as I entered and found myself in a spacious and goodly hall wide exceedingly even as a horse course I found it where on hundred chambers with doors of sandal and aloes wood plated with red gold and furnished with silver rings by way of knockers at the head or upper end of the hall I saw 40 damsels sumptuously dressed and ornamented and one and all as bright as moons none could ever tire of gazing upon them and all so lovely that the most ascetic devotee on seeing them would become their slave and obey their will when they saw me the whole bevy came up to me and said welcome and welcome and good cheer to thee oh our lord this whole month have we been expecting thee praised be Allah who have sent us one who is worthy of us even as we are worthy of him then they made me sit down upon a high divan and said to me this day thou art our lord and master and we are thy servants and thy handmaids so order us as thou wilt and I marveled at their case presently one of them arose and set meat before me and I ate and they ate with me whilst others warmed water and washed my hands and feet and changed my clothes and others made ready sherbet and gave us to drink and all gathered around me being full of joy and gladness at my coming then they sat down and conversed with me till nightfall when five of them arose different herbs and fruits fresh and dried and confections and profusion at last they brought out a fine wine service with rich old wine and we sat down to drink and some sang songs and others played the lute and sultry and recorders and other instruments and the bowl went merrily around hereupon such gladness possessed me that I forgot the sorrows of the world one and all and said this is indeed life completing I enjoyed their company till the time came for rest and our heads were all warm with wine when they said oh our lord choose from amongst us her who shall be thy bedfellow this night and not lie with thee again till forty days be past so I chose a girl fair of face and perfect in shape with eyes coal edged by nature's hand hair long and jet black with slightly parted teeth those was as if she were some limber graceful branchlet or the slender stalk of sweet basil to amaze and to bewilder men's fancy even as the poet said of such a one to even her with greeny bow or vein fool he who finds her beauties in the row when hath the row those lively lovely limbs or honeydews those lips alone bestow those iron soul piercing iron which slay with love which bind the victim by their shafts laid low my heart to second childhood they beguiled no wonder love's sick man again is child and I repeated to her the maker's words who said none other charms but thine shall greet mine eyes nor other image can my heart surprise thy love my lady captives all my thoughts and on that love I'll die and I'll arise so I lay with her that night none fairer I ever knew and when it was morning the damsels carried me to the hamam bath and bathed me and robed me in fairest apparel then they served up food and we ate and drank and the cup went round till nightfall when I chose from among them one fairer form and face soft-sided and a model of grace such in one as the poet described when he said on her fair bosom caskets twain I scanned with musk seals lovers to withstand with airy glances stand on guard her eyes whose shafts would shoot who dares put forth a hand with her I spent a most goodly night and to be brief oh my mistress I remained with them in all solace and delight of life eating and drinking conversing and carousing and every night lying with one or other of them but at the head of the new year they came to me in tears and bad me farewell weeping and crying out to me where at I wondered and said what may be the matter verily you break my heart they exclaimed what heaven we had never known thee for though we have companies with many yet never saw we a pleasanter than thou or a more courteous and they wept again but tell me more clearly asked I what causes this weeping which make if my gallbladder like to burst and they answered oh our lord and master and thou and thou only are the cause of our tears if thou harken to us we need never be parted and if thou harken not we part forever but our hearts tell us that thou will not listen to our words and this is the cause of our tears and cries tell me how the case standeth no oh our lord that we are the daughters of kings who have met here and have lived together for years and once in every year we are perforce absent for forty days afterwards we return and abide here for the rest of the twelve months eating and drinking and taking our pleasure and enjoying delights we are about to depart according to our custom and we fear lest after we be gone thou contrair our charge and disobey our injunctions here now we commit to thee the keys of the palace which containth forty chambers and thou mayest open of these thirty and nine but beware and we conjure thee by Allah and by the lives of us open the fortieth door for therein is that which shall separate us forever quoth I assuredly I will not open it if it contain the cause of severance from you then one among them came up to me and falling on my neck wept and recited these verses if time unite us after absent while the world harsh frowning on our lot shall smile and if thy semblance dain adorn mine eyes I'll pardon time past wrongs while and I recited the following when drew she near to bid adieu with heart unstrong while care and longing on that day her bosom rung wet pearls she wept and mine like red carnelians rolled and joined in sad revere around her neck they hung when I saw her weeping I said by Allah I will never open that fortieth door never and no wise and I bat her farewell thereupon all departed flying away like birds signalling with their hands farewells as they went and leaving me alone in the palace when evening drew near I opened the door of the first chamber and entering it found myself in a place like one of the pleasantest of paradise it was a garden with trees of freshest green and ripe fruits of yellow sheen and its birds were singing clear and keen and rails ran wimpling through the fair terrain the sight and sounds brought solace to my sprite and I walked among the trees and I smelt the breath of the flowers on the breeze and heard the birdies sing their melodies hymning the one the almighty in sweetest litanies and I looked upon the apple whose hue is parcel red and parcel yellow as said the poet apple whose hue combines in union mellow my fairs red cheek her hapless lovers yellow then I looked upon the quints and inhaled its fragrance which to shame musk and ambergris even as the poet hath said quints every taste conjoins in her are found gifts which for queen of fruits the quints have crowned her taste is wine her scent the waft of musk pure gold her hue her shape the moons fair round then I looked upon the pear whose tastes surpassed sherbet and sugar and the apricot whose beauty striked the eye with admiration for a polished ruby then I went out of the place and locked the door as it was before when it was the morrow I opened the second door and entering found myself in a spacious plain set with tall date palms and watered by a running stream whose banks were shrubbed with bushes of rose and jasmine while privet and eglentine ox-eye violet and lily narcissus oregon and the winter jilly flower carpeted the borders the breeze swept over these sweet smelling growths diffusing their delicious odors right and left perfuming the world and filling my soul with delight after taking my pleasure there a while I went from it and having closed the door as it was before opened the third door wherein I saw a high open hall pargetted with party-colored marbles and pietra dora of price and other precious stones and hung with cages of sandalwood and eaglewood full of birds music such as the thousand voiced and the kushat, the murl, the turtle dove and the nubian ring dove my heart was filled with pleasure thereby my grief was dispelled and I slept in that aviary taldan then I unlocked the door of the fourth chamber and therein found a grand saloon with forty smaller chambers giving upon it all their doors stood open so I entered and found them full of pearls and jacins and barrels and emeralds and corals and all manner precious gems and jewels such as tongue of man may not describe my thought was stunned at the sight and I said to myself these be things me thinks united which could not be found safe in the treasuries of a king of kings nor could the monarchs of the world have collected the like of these and my heart dilated and my sorrows ceased now verily am I the monarch of the age since by Allah's grace this enormous wealth is mine and I have forty damsels under my hand nor is there any to claim them save myself then I gave not over opening place after place until nine and thirty days were passed and in that time I had entered every chamber except that one whose door the princesses had charged me not to open but my thoughts on my mistress ever ran on that forbidden fortieth and Satan urged me to open it for my own undoing nor had I patience to forbear I was granted of the tristing time but a single day so I stood before the chamber aforesaid and after a moment's hesitation opened the door which was plated with red gold and entered I was met by a perfume whose like I had never before smelt and so sharp and subtle was the odor that it made my senses drunken as with a strong line and I fell to the ground in a fainting fit which lasted a full hour when I came to myself I strengthened my heart and entering found myself in a chamber whose floor was bespread with saffron and blazing with light from branched candelabra of gold and lamps fed with costly oils which diffused the scent of musk and ambergris I saw also two great censors each big as a mazer bowl flaming with lime aloes, nad perfume ambergris and honeyed scents and the place was full of their fragrance presently oh my lady I aspired a noble steed black as the mercs of night when murkiest standing ready saddle and unbridled and his saddle was of red gold before two mangers one of clear crystal wherein was husked sesame and the other also of crystal containing water of the rose scented with musk when I saw this I marveled and said to myself doubtless in this animal must be some wondrous mystery and Satan cousined me so I led him without the palace I trusted him but he would not stir from his place so I hammered his sides with my heels but he moved not and then I took the rain whip and struck him with all when he felt the blow he knade a nay with a sound like deafening thunder and opening a pair of wings flew up with me in the firmament of heaven far beyond the eyesight of man after a full hour of flight he descended and alighted on a terrace roof and shaking me off his back lashed me on the face with his tail and gouged out my left eye causing it to roll along my cheek then he flew away I went down from the terrace and found myself again amongst the ten one-eyed youths sitting upon their ten couches with blue covers and they cried out when they saw me no welcome to thee nor ought of good cheer we all lived of lives the happiest and we ate and drank of the best upon brocades and claws of gold we took rest and we slept with our heads on beauty's breast but we could not await one day to gain the delights of a year Quoth I behold I have become one like unto you and now I would have you bring me a tray full of blackness wear with to blacken my face and receive me into your society No, by Allah, Quoth they thou shalt not sojourn with us and now get be hence so they drove me away finding them reject me thus I foresaw that matters would go hard with me the many miseries which destiny had written upon my forehead and I fared forth from among them heavy-hearted and tearful-eyed repeating to myself these words I was sitting at my knees but my forwardness brought me to unease then I shaved beard and moustachios and eyebrows renouncing the world and wandering calendar garb about Allah's earth and the almighty decreed safety for me till I arrived at Baghdad which was on the evening of this very night here I met these two other calendars standing bewildered so I saluted them saying I am a stranger and they answered and we likewise be strangers by the freak of fortune we were like to thee three calendars and three monoculars all blind of the left eye such are my lady is the cause of the shearing of my beard and the manner of my losing an eye said the lady to him rub thy head and wind thy ways but he answered by Allah I will not go until I hear the stories of these others then the lady turning towards the Caliph and Jafar and Mazwar said to them do ye also give an account of yourselves you men whereupon Jafar stood forth and told her what he had told the portraits as they were entering the house and when she heard the story of there being merchants and Mosul men who would outrun the watch their lives each for each sake and now away with you all so they all went out and when they were in the street quote the Caliph to the calendars oh company wither go ye now seeing that the morning hath not yet dawned quote they by Allah our lord we know not where to go come and pass the rest of the night with us said the Caliph and turning to Jafar take them home with thee and tomorrow bring them to my presence that we may chronicle their adventures Jafar did as the Caliph bade him and the commander of the faithful returned to his palace but sleep gave no sign of visiting him that night and he lay awake pondering the mishaps of the three calendar princes and impatient to know the history of the ladies and the two black bitches no sooner had morning dawned than he went forth and sat upon the throne of his sovereignty and turning to Jafar after all his grandies and officers of state were gathered together he said bring me the three ladies and the two bitches and the three calendars so Jafar fared forth and brought them all before him and the ladies were veiled then the minister turned to them and said in the Caliph's name we pardon you your maltreatment of us and your want of courtesy in consideration of the kindness which forewent it and for that ye knew us not now however I would have you to know that ye stand in the presence of the fifth of the sons of Abbas Haroon al-Rashid brother of Caliph Musa al-Hadi son of al-Mansur son of Muhammad the brother of al-Safa bin Muhammad who was the first of the royal house speak ye therefore before him the truth and the whole truth when the ladies heard Jafar's words touching the commander of the faithful the eldest came forward and said oh prince of true believers my story is one in which were it graven with needle gravers upon the eye corners were a warner for whoso would be warned an example for whoso can take profit from example and Chair Azad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased to say her permitted say when it was the seventeenth night she said it hath reached me oh auspicious king that she stood forth before the commander of the faithful and began to tell the eldest lady's tale verily a strange tale is mine and is this yon two black bitches are my eldest sisters by one mother and father and these two others she who berth upon her the signs of stripes and the third are procuratrix are my sisters by another mother when my father died each took her share of the heritage and after a while my mother also deceased leaving me and my sisters germin three thousands dinars so each daughter received her portion of a thousand dinars and I the same I'll be the youngest in due course of time my sisters married with the usual festivities and lived with their husbands who bought merchandise with their wives monies and set out on their travels together thus they threw me off my brothers in law were absent with their wives five years during which period they spent all the money they had and becoming bankrupt deserted my sisters in foreign parts amid stranger folk after five years my eldest sister returned to me in beggars gear with her clothes and rags and tatters and a dirty old mantilla and truly she was in the foulest and sorryest plight at first sight I did not know my own sister but presently I recognized her and said what state is this oh our sister she replied words cannot undo the done and the reed of destiny hath run through what Allah decreed then I sent her to the bath and dressed her in a suit of my own and boiled for her a bullion and brought her some good wine and said to her oh my sister thou art the eldest who still standest to us and as for the inheritance which came to me as to you twain Allah hath blessed it and prospered it to me with increase and my circumstances are easy for I have made much money by spinning and cleaning silk and I and you will share my wealth alike I entreated her with all kindliness and she abode with me for a whole year during which our thoughts and fancies were always full of our other sister shortly after she too came home and said to me oh our sister we desire to marry again for indeed we have not patience to drag on our days without husbands and to lead the lives of widows bewitched and I replied oh eyes of me you have hitherto seen scanty wheel in wedlock for nowadays good men and truer become rarities and curiosities and I said oh our sister we desire to marry again for indeed we have not patience to drag on our days without husbands and to become rarities and curiosities nor do I deem your projects advisable as you have already made trial of matrimony and have failed but they would not accept my advice and married without my consent nevertheless I gave them outfit and dowries out of my money and they fared forth with their mates in a mighty little time their husbands played them false and taking whatever they could lay hands upon levented and left them in the lurch there upon they came to me ashamed in the case and made their excuses to me saying pardon our fault and be not wrothed with us for although there are younger in years yet art thou older in wit henceforth we will never make mention of marriage so take us back as thy handmaidens that we may eat our mouthful quoth I welcome to you oh my sisters there is not dearer to me than you and I took them in and redoubled my kindness to them we cease not to live after this loving fashion when I resolved to sell my wares abroad and first to fit me a conveyance for basora so I equipped a large ship and loaded her with merchandise and valuable goods for traffic and with provont and all needful for a voyage I said to my sisters will ye abide at home whilst I travel or would ye prefer to accompany me on the voyage we will travel with thee answered they for we cannot bear to be parted from thee so I divided my monies into two parts one to accompany me and the other to be left in charge of a trusty person for as I said to myself happily some accident may happen to the ship and yet we remain alive in which case we shall find on our return what may stand us in good stead I took my two sisters and we went of voyaging some days and nights but the master was careless enough to miss his course and the ship went astray with us and entered a sea other than the sea we sought for a time we knew not of this and the wind blew fair for us ten days after which the lookout man went aloft to see about him and cried good news then he came down rejoicing and said I have seen what seemeth to be a city as to our pigeon here at we rejoiced and ere an hour of the day had passed the building showed plain in the offing and we asked the captain what is the name of yonder city and he answered by Allah I know it not for I never sawed before and never sailed these seas in my life but since our troubles have ended in safety remains for you only to land there with your merchandise and if you find selling profitable sell and make your market of what it is there and if not we will rest here two days and provision ourselves and fare away so we entered the port and the captain went uptown and was absent a while after which he returned to us and said arise go up into the city and marvel at the works of Allah with his creatures and pray to be preserved from his righteous wrath so we landed and going up into the city saw at the gate building stabs in hand but when we drew near them, behold they had been translated by the anger of Allah and had become stones then we entered the city and found all therein turned into black stones and stone not an inhabited house appeared to the aspire nor was there a blower of fire we were awestruck at the site and threaded the market streets where we found the goods and gold and silver left lying in their places and we were glad and said there was some mystery in all this then we dispersed about the thoroughfares and each busied himself with collecting the wealth and money and rich stuffs taking scanty heed of friend or comrade as for myself I went up to the castle which was strongly fortified and entering the king's palace by its gate of red gold found all the best sell of gold and silver and the king himself seated in the midst of his chamberlands and nebobs and amirs and wasirs all clad in raiment which confounded man's art I drew nearer and saw him sitting on a throne encrusted and inlaid with pearls and gems and his robes were of gold cloth adorned with jewels of every kind each one flashing like a star around him stood fifty mamalooks white slaves clothed in silks of diverse sorts holding their drawn swords in their hands but when I drew nearer to them low all were black stones my understanding was confounded at the site but I walked on and entered the great hall of the harem whose walls I found hung with tapestries of gold striped silk and spread with silk and carpets embroidered with golden cowers here I saw the queen lying at full length arrayed in robes with fresh young pearls on her head was a diadem set with many sorts of gems each fit for a ring and around her neck hung collars and necklaces all her raiment and her ornaments were in natural state but she had been turned into a black stone by Allah's wrath presently I aspired an open door for which I made straight and found leading to it a flight of seven steps so I walked up and came upon a place pargetted with marble and spread and hung with goldworked carpets and tapestry a middle most of which stood a throne of juniper wood inlaid with pearls and precious stones and set with the bosses of emeralds in the further wall was an alcove whose curtains strung with pearls were let down and I saw a light issuing there from so I drew near and perceived that the light came from a precious stone as big as an ostrich egg set at the upper end of the alcove upon a little chrysalophantine couch of ivory and gold and this jewel, blazing like the sun cast its rays wide inside the couch also was spread with all manner of silk and stuffs amazing the gazer with their richness and beauty I marveled much at all this especially when seeing in that place candles ready lighted and I said in my mind needs must someone have lighted these candles then I went forth and came to the kitchen and thence to the buttery and the king's treasure chambers and continued to explore the palace and to pace from place to place I forgot myself in my awe and marvel at these matters and I was drowned in thought till the night came on then I would have gone forth but knowing not the gate I lost my way into the alcove with the lighted candles directed me and sat down upon the couch and wrapping myself in a coverlet after I had repeated somewhat from the Quran I would have slept but could not for restlessness possessed me when night was at its noon I heard a voice chanting the Quran in sweetest accents but the tone thereof was weak so I rose glad to hear the silence broken until I reached a closet whose door stood ajar then peeping through a chink I considered the place and lo it was an oratory wherein was a prayer niche with two wax candles burning and lamps hanging from the ceiling in it too was spread a prayer carpet whereupon sat a youth fair to see and before him on its stand was a copy of the Quran from which he was reading I marveled to see him alone alive amongst the people of the city and entering saluted him whereupon he raised his eyes and returned my salam Quote I truth of what thou readest in Allah's holy book I conjure thee to answer my question he looked upon me with a smile and said oh handmaid of Allah first tell me the cause of thy coming hither and I in turn will tell what hath befallen both me and the people of the city and what was the reason of my escaping their doom so I told him my story where at he wondered and I questioned him of the people of the city when he replied have patience with me for a while and reverently closing the holy book he laid it up in a satin bag then he seated me by his side and I looked at him and behold he was as the moon at its full fairer face and rarer form soft sided and slight of well proportioned height and cheeks smoothly bright and diffusing light in brief a sweet a sugar stick even as saith the poet of the like of him in these couplets that night the astrologer a scheme of planets drew and lo a graceful shape of youth appeared in view Saturn had stained his locks with Saturninus jet and spots of nut-brown musk on rosy side face blue Mars tinctured either cheek with tinct of marshal red sagittal shots from eyelid sagittarius through dowered from mercury with bright mercurial wet bore off the bear what all man's evil glances grew amazed stood astrophil when lauded low the moon at full to bust the earth and of a truth all of the most high had robed him in the raiment of perfect grace and had purpled and fringed it with a cheek all beauty and loveliness even as the poet saith of such a one by his eyelids shedding perfume and his fine slim waist I swear by the shooting of his shafts barbed with sorcery passing rare by the softness of his sides and glances lingering light and brow of dazzling day-tide ray and night within his hair by his eyebrows which deny to who look upon them rest now bidding, now forbidding ever-dealing joy and care by the rose that decks his cheek and the myrtle of its moss by jasunths sped it in his lips and pearl his smile lays bare by his graceful bending neck and the curving of his breast whose polished surface bare those granados lovely pair by his heavy hips that quiver as he passeth in his pride where he resteth with that waist which is slim beyond compare by the satin of his skin by that fine uncelled sprite by the beauty that containeth all things bright and debonair by that ever-open hand by the candor of his tongue by noble blood and high degree whereof his hope and air musk from him borrows muskiness she loveth to exhale and all the air of ambergris from him the air the sun me thinks the broad bright sun before my love would pale and songs his splendor would appear a pairing of his nail I glanced at him with one glance of eyes which caused me a thousand sighs and my heart was at once taken captive wise so I asked him oh my lord and my love tell me what whereof I questioned thee and he answered hearing his obeying made of Allah that the city was the capital of my father who is the king thou sawest on the throne transfigured by Allah's wrath to a black stone and the queen thou foundest in the alcove is my mother they and all the people of the city were magians who fire adored in lieu of the omnipotent lord and were want to swear by low and heat and shade and light and the spheres revolving day and night my father had narrow sun till he was blessed with me near the last of his days and he reared me till I grew up and prosperity anticipated me in all things now it's so fortunate that there was with us an old woman well stricken in years a muslima who inwardly believing in Allah and his apostle conformed outwardly with the religion of my people and my father placed through confidence in her for that he knew her to be trustworthy and virtuous and he treated her with ever increasing kindness believing her to be of his own belief so when I was well now I grown up my father committed me to her charge saying take him and educate him and teach him the rules of our faith let him have the best instructions and cease not thy fostering care of him so she took me and taught me the tenets of all Islam with the divine ordinances of the wuzwa ablution and the five daily prayers and she made me learn the Quran by rote often repeating serve none save Allah almighty when I had mastered this much of knowledge she said to me oh my son keep this matter concealed from thy sire and reveal not to him lest he slay thee so I hid it from him and I abode on this wise for a term of days when the old woman died and the people of the city redoubled in their impiety and arrogance and the error of their ways one day while they were as want behold they heard a loud and terrible sound and a crier crying out with a voice like roaring thunder so every ear could hear far and near oh folk of the city leave ye your fire worshipping and adore Allah the all compassionate king at this fear and terror fell upon the citizens and they crowded to my father he being the king of the city and asked him what is this awesome voice we have heard for it had confounded us with the excess of its terror and he answered let not a voice fright you nor shake your steadfast sprite nor turn your back from the faith which is right their hearts inclined to his words and they ceased not to worship the fire and they persisted in rebellion for a full year from the time they heard the first voice and on the anniversary came a second cry and a third at the head of the third year each year once still they persisted in their malpractices till one day at break of dawn judgment and the wrath of heaven descended upon them with all suddenness and by the visitation of Allah all were metamorphosed into black stones they and their beasts and their cattle and none were saved save myself who at the time was engaged in my devotions from that day to this I am in the case thou seest constant in prayer and fasting and reading and reciting the Quran but I am indeed grown weary by reason of my loneliness having none to bear me company then said I to him for in very sooth he had won my heart and was the lord of my life and soul oh youth I need to Baghdad city and visit the olayma and men learn it in the law and doctors of divinity and get the increase of wisdom and understanding and theology and know that she who standeth in thy presence will be thy handmaid I'll be at she behead of her family and mistress over men and eunuchs and servants and slaves indeed my life was no life before it fell in with their youth I have here a ship laden with merchandise and in very truth I might come to the knowledge of these matters for it was faded that we should meet and I cease not to persuade him and speak with him fair and use every art till he consented and sheherazade perceived the dawn of the day and ceased to say her permitted say end of section 11 of the book of a thousand nights and a night recording by kalinda in raymond new hampshire on november 20th 2007 the book of a thousand nights and a night volume 1 section 12 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 12 when it was the 18th night when it was the 18th night she continued it hath reached me oh auspicious king that the lady ceased not persuading with soft speech the youth to depart with her till he consented and said yes she slept that night lying at his feet and hardly knowing where she was for excess of joy as soon as the next morning dawned she pursued addressing the caliph I arose and we entered the treasuries and took thence whatever was light in weight and great in worth then we went down side by side from the castle to the city where we were met by the captain and my sisters and slaves who had been seeking for me when they saw me they rejoiced and asked what had stayed me and I told them all I had seen and related to them the story of the young prince and the transformation wherewith the citizens had been justly visited here at all marvelled but when my two sisters these two bitches oh commander of the faithful saw me by the side of my young lover they jealoused me on his account and were wroth and plotted mischief against me we awaited a fair wind and went on board rejoicing and ready to fly for joy by reasons of the goods we had gotten but my own greatest joints was in the youth and we waited a while till the wind blew fair for us and then we set sail and fared forth now as we sat talking my sisters asked me and what will thou do with this handsome young man and I answered I purposed to make him my husband then I turned to him and said oh my lord I have that to propose to thee wherein thou must not cross me and this it is to thee reach Baghdad my native city I offer thee my life as thy handmaiden in holy matrimony and thou shalt be to me barren and I will be femme to thee he answered I hear and I obey thou art my lady and my mistress and what so thou doest I will not gain say then I turned to my sisters and said this is my gain I content me with this youth and those who have gotten of my property let them keep it as their gain with my good will thou sayest and doest well answered the twain but they imagined mischief against me we ceased not spooning before a fair wind till we had exchanged the sea of peril for the seas of safety and in a few days we made Basura city whose buildings loomed clear before us as evening fell but after we had retired to rest and were sound asleep my two sisters arose and took me up bed and all and threw me into the sea they did the same with the young prince who as he could not swim sank and was drowned and Allah enrolled him in the noble army of martyrs as for me would heaven I had been drowned with him but Allah deemed that I should be of the saved so when I awoke and found myself in the sea and saw the ship making off like a dash of lightning he threw in my way a piece of timber which I bestrided and the waves tossed me to and fro till they cast me upon an island coast a high land and an uninhabited I landed and walked about the island the rest of the night and when the morning dawned I saw a rough track barely fit for a child of Adam to trade leading to what proved a shallow ford connecting island and mainland as soon as the sun had risen I spread my garments to dry in its rays and ate of the fruits of the island and drank of its waters then I set out along the foot track and ceased not walking till I reached the mainland now when they remained between me and the city but a two hours journey behold a great serpent the bigness of a date palm came fleeing towards me in all haste gliding along now to the right then to the left till she was close upon me whilst her tongue lolled groundwards a span long and swept the dust as she went she was pursued by a dragon who was not longer than two lances and of slender build about the bulk of a spear and although her terror lent her speed and she kept wriggling from side to side he overtook her and seized her by the tail where at her tears streamed down her tongue was thrust out in her agony I took pity on her and picking up a stone and calling upon Allah for aid threw it at the dragon's head with such force that he died then and there and the serpent opening a pair of wings flew into the lift and disappeared from before my eyes I sat down marveling over that adventure but I was weary and drowsiness overcoming me I slept for a while when I awoke I found a jet black damsel sitting at my feet shampooing them and by her side stood two black bitches my sisters oh commander of the faithful I was ashamed before her and sitting up asked her oh my sister who and what art thou and she answered how soon has thou forgotten me I am she for whom thou wroughtest a good deed and so dist the seed of gratitude and slewist her foe for I am the serpent whom by Allah's adence thou didst just now deliver from the dragon I am a jinnia and he was a jinn who hated me and none saved my life from him save thou as soon as thou freedest me from him I flew on the wind to the ship whence thy sisters threw thee and removed all that was therein to thy house then I ordered my attendant the seeds to sink the ship and I transformed thy two sisters into these black bitches for I know all that hath passed between them and thee but as for the youth of a truth he is drowned so saying she flew up with me and the bitches and presently set us down on the terrace roof of my house wherein I found ready stored the whole of what property was in my ship nor was ought of it missing now continued the serpent that was I swear by all engraver on the seal ring of Solomon with whom be peace unless thou deal to each of these bitches 300 stripes every day I will come and imprison thee forever under the earth I answered harkening and obedience and away she flew but before going she again charged me saying I again swear by him I made the two seas flow and this be my second oath if thou gain say me I will come and transform thee like thy sisters since then I have never failed O commander of the faithful to beat them with that number of blows till their blood flows with my tears I pitying them the while and well they want that their being scourged is no fault of mine and they accept my excuses and this is my tale and my history the caliph marvelled at her adventures and then signed to Jaafar who said to the second lady the fortress and thou how cameest thou by the welts and wheels upon thy body so she began the tale of the fortress no O commander of the faithful that I had a father who after fulfilling his time deceased and left me a great store of wealth I remained single for a short time and presently married one of the richest of his day I abode with him a year when he also died and my share of his property amounted to 80,000 dinars in gold according to the holy law of inheritance thus I became passing rich and my reputation spread far and wide for I had made me ten changes of raiment each worth a thousand dinars one day as I was sitting at home behold they came into me an old woman with lantern jaws and cheeks sucked in and eyes rucked up and eyebrows scant and scald and head bare and bald and teeth broken by time and mauled and back bending and neck nape nodding and face blotched and room running and hair like a snake black and white speckled in complexion of very fright even as Seyeth the poet of the like of her ill omened hag and shriven be her sins nor mercy visit her on dying bed thousand heads strongest hemiuls would her guiles despite their bolting lead with spider thread and as Seyeth another a hag to whom the unlawful lawfulist and witchcraft wisdom in her sight are grown as if making brat a demon maid a whorish woman and a pimping crone when the old woman entered she salamed to me and kissing the ground before me said I have at home an orphaned daughter and this night are her wedding and her displaying we be poor folks and strangers in this city knowing none inhabitant and we are broken hearted so do thou earn for thyself by being present at her displaying and when the ladies of this city shall hear that thou art to make act of presence they also will present themselves so shall thou comfort her affliction for she is so bruised in spirit and she hath none to look to save Allah the Most High then she wept and kissed my feet reciting these couplets thy presence bringeth us a grace we own before thy wintsome face and work thou absent near and one could stand instead or take thy place so pity got hold on me and compassion and I said hearing is consenting and please Allah I will do somewhat more for her nor shall she be shown to her bridegroom save in my raiment and ornaments and jewellery at this the old woman rejoiced and bowed her head to my feet and kissed them saying Allah require the wheel and comfort thy heart even as thou hast comforted mine but oh my lady do not trouble thyself to do me this service at this hour be thou ready by supper time when I will come and fetch thee so saying she kissed my hand and went her ways I set about stringing my pearls and donning my brocade and making my toilette and fortune had in womb for me when suddenly the old woman stood before me simpering and smiling till she showed every tooth stump and quoth she oh my mistress the city madams have arrived and when I apprised them that they are promised to be present they were glad and they are now awaiting thee and looking eagerly for thy coming and for the honour of meeting thee so I threw on my mantilla and making the old crone walk before me and my handmaidens behind me I faired till we came to a street well watered and swept neat whether winnowing breeze blue cool and sweet here we were stopped by a gate arched over with a dome of marble stone firmly seated on solidest foundation and leading to a palace whose walls from earth rose tall and proud and whose pinnacle was crowned by the clouds and over the doorway were writ these mountains I am the wone where mirth shall ever smile the home of giants through my lasting while and mid my court a fountain jets and flows nor tears nor troubles shall that fountain defile the merge with royal almonds bloom his diet myrtle, Narcissus flower and camomile arrived at the gate before which hung a black curtain and it was open to us when we entered and found a vestibule spread with carpets and hung around with lamps or a light and wax candles in candelabra adorned with pendants of precious gems and noble oars we passed on through this passage till we entered a saloon whose like for grandeur and beauty is not to be found in this world it was hung and carpeted with silk and stuffs and was illuminated with branched sconces and tapers ranged in double row an avenue abutting on the upper or noble end of the saloon where stood a couch of juniper wood encrusted with pearls and gems and surmounted by a balderkin with mosquito curtains of satin looped up with margaritas and hardly had we taken note of this when there came forth from the balderkin a young lady and I looked o commander of the faithful upon a face and form more perfect than the moon when fullest with a favour brighter than the dawn gleaming with saffron-hued light even as the poet sang when he said thou pacest the palace a marvel sight a bride for Kisra's or Kaisa's night wantons the rose on thy rosy cheek O cheek as the blood of the dragon bright slim waisted languorous sleepy-eyed with charms which promise all love and the tire which had tires thy tiara'd brow is a night of woe and a mourn's glad light the fair young girl came down from the estrade and said to me welcome and welcome and good cheer to my sister the dearly beloved, the illustrious and a thousand greetings then she recited these couplets and but the house could know who cometh to adrejois the very dust whereon thy foot was placed and with the tongue of circumstance the walls would say welcome and hail to one with generous gifts and grace then she sat down and said to me O my sister, I have a brother who hath had sight of thee at sundry wedding-feasts and festive seasons he is a youth handsomer than I and he hath fallen desperately in love with thee and honored in thee all beauty and perfection and he hath given silver to this old woman that she might visit thee and she hath contrived on this wise to foregather us twain he hath heard that thou art one of the nobles of thy tribe nor is he ought less in his and, being desirous to ally his lot with thy lot he hath practised this device to bring me in company with thee for he is feigned to marry thee his apostle and in what is lawful and right there is no shame when I heard these words and saw myself fairly entrapped in the house I said, hearing is consenting she was delighted at this and clapped her hands whereupon a door opened and out of it came a young man blooming in the prime of life exquisitely dressed a model of beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace with gentle winning manners and eye browsed like a bended bow and shaft on cord and eyes which bewitched all hearts with sorcery lawful in the sight of the Lord even as sayeth some rhymeer describing the like of him his face as the face of the young moon shines and fortune stamps him with pearls for signs and Allah favour him who said blessed be his beauty for the Lord's decree who cast and shaped a thing so bright of blee all gifts of beauty he conjoins in one lost in his love is all humanity for beauty's self inscribed on his brow I testify there be no good but he when I looked at him my heart inclined to him and loved him and he sat by my side and clapped her hands and behold a side door opened and out of it came the kazi with his four assessors as witnesses and they saluted us and sitting down drew up and wrote out the marriage contract between me and the youth and retired then he turned to me and said be our night blessed presently adding oh my lady I have a condition to lay on thee quoth I whereupon he arose and fetching a copy of the holy book presented it to me saying swear hereon thou wilt never look at any other than myself nor incline thy body or thy heart to him I swore readily enough to this and he joyed with exceeding joy and embraced me round the neck while love for him possessed my whole heart then they set the table before us and we ate and drank till we were satisfied but I was dying for the coming of the night and when night did come he led me to the bride chamber and slept with me on the bed and continued to kiss and embrace me till the morning such a night I had never seen in my dreams I lived with him a life of happiness and delight for a full month at the end of which I asked his leave to go on foot to the bazaar and buy me certainly special stuffs and he gave me permission so I donned my mantilla and taking with me the old woman and a slave girl I went to the khan of the silk-merses where I seated myself in the shop front of a young merchant whom the old woman recommended saying to me this youth's father died when he was a boy and left him a great store of wealth he hath by him a mighty fine stock of goods and thou wilt find what thou seekest with him for none in the bazaar better stuffs than he then she said to him show this lady the most costly stuffs thou hast by thee and he replied harkening and obedience then she whispered me say a civil word to him but I replied I am pledged to address no man save my lord and as she began to sound his praise I said sharply to her we want nought of thy sweet speeches our wish is to buy of him wherever we need and return home so he brought me all I sought and I offered him his money but he refused to take it saying let it be a gift offered to my guest this day then quoth I to the old woman if he will not take the money give him back his stuff by Allah cried he not a thing will I take from thee I sell it not for gold or silver but I give it all as a gift for a single kiss precious to me than everything the shop containeth ask the old woman what will the kiss profit thee and turning to me whispered oh my daughter thou hearest what this young fellow saith what harm will it do thee if he get a kiss from thee and thou getest what thou seekest at that price replied I take refuge with Allah from such action no is thou not that I am bound now whisked just let him kiss thee and neither speak to him nor lean over him so shall thou keep thine oath and thy silver and no harm whatever shall befall thee and she ceased not to persuade me and importune me and make light of the matter till evil entered into my mind and I put my head in the poke and declaring I would near consent consented so I veiled my eyes and tear between me and the people passing and he put his mouth to my cheek under the veil but while kissing me he bit me so hard a bite that it tore the flesh from my cheek and blood flowed fast and faintness came over me the old woman caught me in her arms and when I came to myself I found the shop shut and her sorrowing over me and saying thank Allah for reverting what might have been worse then she said to me come take heart and let us go home before the matter become public and thou be dishonoured and when thou art safe inside the house faint sickness and lie down and cover thyself up and I will bring the powders and plasters to cure this bite with all and thy wound will be healed at the latest in three days so after a while I arose and I was in extreme distress and terror came full upon me but I went on little by little till I reached the house when I pleaded illness and lay me down when it was night my husband came into me and said what hath befallen thee oh my darling in this excursion of thine and I replied I am not well my head acheth badly then he lighted a candle and drew near me and looked hard at me and asked what is that wound I see on thy cheek and in the tenderest part too and I answered when I went out today with thy leave to buy stuffs a camel laden with firewood jostled me and one of the pieces tore my veil and wounded my cheek as thou seeest for indeed the ways of this city are straight tomorrow cried he I will go complain to the governor so shall he jibbit every fuel cellar in Baghdad Allah upon thee said I burden not thy soul with such a sin against any man the fact is I was riding on an ass and it stumbled throwing me to the ground and my cheek lighted upon a stick or a bit of glass and got this wound then said he tomorrow I will go up to Jafar the barmakhi and tell him the story so shall he kill every donkey boy in Baghdad wouldst thou destroy all these men because of my wound said I when this which befell me was by the decree of Allah and his destiny but he answered there is no help for it and springing to his feet plied me with words and pressed me till I was perplexed and frightened and I stuttered and stammered and my speech waxed thick and I said this is a mere accident by decree of Allah then O commander of the faithful cast my case and said thou has been false to thine oath he at once cried out with a loud cry whereupon a door opened and in came seven black slaves whom he commanded to drag me from my bed and throw me down in the middle of the room furthermore he ordered one of them to pinion my elbows and squat upon my head and a second to sit upon my knees and secure my feet and drawing his sword he gave it to a third and said strike her O Sa'ad and cut her in twain and let each one take half and cast it into the Tigris that the fish may eat her for such is the retribution due to those who violate their vows and are unfaithful to their love and he redoubled in wrath and recited these couplets and there be one who shares with me her love I'd strangle love though life by love were slain saying O soul death were the nobler choice for ill is love when shared twixed partners twain then he repeated to the slave smite her O Sa'ad and when the slave who was sitting upon me made sure of the command he bent down to me and said O my mistress repeat the profession of faith and bethink thee if there be anything thou wouldst have done for me this is the last hour of thy life O good slave said I wait but a little while and get off my head that I may charge thee with my last injunctions then I raised my head and saw the state I was in how I had fallen from high degree into lowest disgrace and into death after life and such life and how I had brought my punishment on myself by my own sin whereupon the tears streamed from my eyes and I wept with exceeding weeping but he looked on me with eyes of wrath and began repeating tell her who turneth from our love to work it injury sore and taketh her a fine new love the old love tossing o'er we cry enough o thee ere thou enough of us shall cry what past between us suffice and happily something more when I heard this O commander of the faithful I wept and looked at him and began repeating these cuplets to severance you doom my love and all unmoved remain my tears or lids you sleepless make and sleep while I complain you make firm friendship rain between my eyes and insomny yet can my heart forget you not tears can I restrain you made me swear with many an oath my troth to hold for eye but when you rained my bosom's lord you wrought me traitor bane I loved you like a silly child who what's not what is love then spare the learner let her not be by the master slain by Allah's name I pray you right when I am dead and gone upon my tomb this died of love whose senses love had tain then happily one shall pass that way who far of love hath felt and treading on a lover's heart with ruth and woe shall melt when I ended my verses tears came again but the poetry and the weeping only added fury to his fury and he recited to us not satiety bad me leave the darling of my soul but that she sinned a mortal sin which clips me in its clip she sought to let another share the love between us tain but my true faith of unity refused partnership when he ceased reciting I wept again and prayed his pardon and humbled myself before him and spoke him softly saying to myself I will work on him with words so happily he will refrain from slaying me even though he take all I have so I complained of my sufferings and began to repeat these couplets now by thy life and work thou just my life thou hadst not tain but who can break the severance law which parteth lovers to aim thou lodest me with heavy weight of longing love when I can hardly bear my shemizet for weakness and for pain I marvel not to see my life and soul in ruin lane much to see my frame such severance pangs sustain when I ended my verse I wept again and he looked at me and reviled me in abusive language repeating these couplets thou wasst all taken up with love of other man not me to as thine to show me severance face to as only mine to see I'll leave thee for that first thou word of me to take thy leave hear that parting blow thou borest so patiently in as thou sortest other love so other love I'll seek and make the crime of murdering love thine own atrocity when he had ended his verses he again cried out to the slave cut her in half and free us from her for we have no profit of her so the slave drew near me O commander of the faithful and I ceased bandying verses and made sure of death and despairing of life committed my affairs to almighty Allah when behold the old woman rushed in and threw herself at my husband's feet and kissed them and wept and said O my son by the rites of my fosterage and by my long service to thee I conjure thee pardon this young lady for indeed she had done nothing deserving such doom thou art a very young man to take thy door for it is said who so slayeth shall be slain as for this wanton since thou deemest her such drive her out from thy doors from thy love and from thy heart and she ceased not to weep and importune him till he relanted and said I pardon her but needs must I set on her my mark which shall show upon her all my life then he bade the slaves and threw me out at full length after stripping me of all my clothes and when the slaves had so sat upon me that I could not move he fetched in a rod of quince tree and came down with it upon my body and continued beating me on the back and sides till I lost consciousness from excessive pain and I despaired of life then he commanded the slaves to take me away as soon as it was dark together with the old woman and threw them away and throw me upon the floor of the house wherein I dwelt before my marriage they did their lords bidding and cast me down in my old home and went their ways I did not revive from my swoon till dawn appeared when I applied myself to the dressing of my wounds with ointments and other medicaments and I medicined myself but my sides and ribs still showed signs of the rod as thou hast seen I lay in weekly case and confined to my bed for four months before I was able to rise and health returned to me at the end of that time I went to the house where all this had happened and found it of ruin the street had been pulled down and long and rubbish heaps rose where the building erst was nor could I learn how this had come about then I betook myself to this my sister on my father's side and found her with these two black bitches I saluted her and told her what had betided me and the whole of my story and she said oh my sister who is safe from the despite of time and secure thanks be to Allah who has brought thee off safely and she began to say such is the world so bear a patient heart when riches leave thee and when friends depart then she told me her own story and what had happened to her with her two sisters and how matters had ended so we abode together and the subject of marriage was never on our tongues for all these years after a while we were joined by our other sister the procuratrix who goeth out every morning and bithe all we require for the day and night and we continued in such condition till this last night in the morning our sister went out as usual to make her market and then befell us what befell from bringing the porter into the house and admitting these three calendarm in we entreated them kindly and honorably and a quarter of the night had not passed air, three grave and respectable merchants from Mosul joined us and told us their adventures we sat talking with them but on one condition we violated whereupon we treated them as sorted with their breach of promise and made them repeat the account they had given of themselves they did our bidding and we forgave their offence so they departed from us and this morning we were unexpectedly summoned to thy presence and such is our story the caliph wondered at her words and bade the tale be recorded and chronicled and laid up in his muniment chambers and Shatrasad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased saying her permitted say End of section 12 of the book of a thousand nights and a night, volume 1