 The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 1, Section 13 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, translated by Richard Burton Volume 1, Section 13 When it was the 19th night, she continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that the Caliph commanded this story and those of the sister and the Calendars to be recorded in the archives and be sat in the royal muniment chambers. Then he asked the eldest lady, the mistress of the house, No, it's thou the whereabouts of the Ephrita, who spelled thy sisters. And she answered, O commander of the faithful, she gave me a ringlet of her hair, saying, When as thou wouldst see me, burn a couple of these hairs, and I will be with thee forthright, even though I were beyond Caucasus mountain. Quoth the Caliph, bring me hither the hair. So she brought it, and he threw the whole lock upon the fire. As soon as the odour of the burning hair dispred itself, the palace shook and trembled, and all present heard a rumbling and rolling of thunder, and a noise as of wings, and lo! the jinnia, who had been a serpent, stood in the Caliph's presence. Now she was a Muslimah, so she saluted him and said, Peace be with thee, O vicar of Allah. Where too he replied, and with thee also be peace, and the mercy of Allah and his blessing. Then she continued, Know that this damsel sowed for me the seed of kindness, wherefore I cannot enough requite her, in that she delivered me from death and destroyed my enemy. Now I had seen how her sisters dealt with her, and felt myself bound to avenge her on them. At first I was minded to slay them, but I feared it would be grievous to her, so I transformed them to bitches. But if thou desire their release, O commander of the faithful, I will release them to pleasure thee and her, for I am of the Muslims. Quoth the Caliph, release them, and after we will look into the affair of the beaten lady, and consider her case carefully, and if the truth of her story be evidenced, I will exact retaliation from him who wronged her. Said the Ephrita, O commander of the faithful, I will forthwith release them, and will discover to thee the man who did that deed by this lady, and wronged her, and took her property, and he is the nearest of all men to thee. So saying, she took a cup of water, and muttered a spell over it, and uttered words there was no understanding. Then she sprinkled some of the water over the faces of the two bitches, saying, Return to your former human shape, whereupon they were restored to their natural forms, and fell to praising their Creator. Then said the Ephrita, O commander of the faithful, of a truth he who scourged this lady with rods is thy son, Alamin, brother of Alma Amun, for he had heard of her beauty and loveliness, and he played a lover's stratagem with her, and married her according to the law, and committed the crime, such as it is, of scourging her. Yet indeed he is not to be blamed for beating her, for he laid a condition on her, and swore her by a solemn oath not to do a certain thing. However, she was false to her vow, and he was minded to put her to death, but he feared Almighty Allah, and contented himself with scourging her, as thou hast seen, and with sending her back to her own place. Such is the story of the second lady, and the Lord knoweth all. When the Caliph heard these words of the Ephrita, and knew who had beaten the damsel, he marveled with mighty marvel, and said, Praise be to Allah the Most High, the Almighty, who hath shown his exceeding mercy towards me, enabling me to deliver these two damsels in sorcery and torture, and vouchsafing to let me know the secret of this lady's history, and now by Allah we will do a deed which shall be recorded of us after we are no more. Then he summoned his son, Alameen, and questioned him of the story of the second lady, the Portress, and he told it in the face of truth, whereupon the Caliph bad call into presence the Khazis and their witnesses, and the three Calendars, and the first lady with her sister's German, who had been ensorcelled, and he married the three to the three Calendars, whom he knew to be princes and sons of kings, and he appointed them Chamberlains about his person, assigning to them stipends and allowances and all that they required, and lodging them in his palace at Baghdad. He returned the beaten lady to his son, Alameen, renewing the marriage contract between them, and gave her great wealth and bad rebuild the house fairer than it was before. As for himself, he took to wife the procuratrix and laid with her that night, and next day he set apart for her an apartment in his Surallu with handmaidens for her service and a fixed daily allowance, and the people marveled at their Caliph's generosity and natural beneficence and princely wisdom. Nor did he forget to send all these histories to be recorded in his annals. When Chathrazad ceased speaking, Dunyazad exclaimed, O my own sister, by Allah in very sooth, this is a right pleasant tale, and a delectable. Never was heard the like of it, but Prithee, tell me now another story to while away what yet remaineth of the waking hours of this our night. She replied, with love and gladness, if the king give me leave, and he said, tell thy tale, and tell it quickly. So she began in these words. They relate, O king of the age and lord of the time and of these days, that the Caliph Harun Arashid summoned his wazir Ja'afar one night and said to him, I desire to go down into the city and question the common folk concerning the conduct of those charged with its governance and those of whom they complain we will depose from office and those whom they command we will promote. So the Caliph went down with Ja'afar and the eunuch Masrur to the town and walked about the streets and markets and as they were threading a narrow alley they came upon a very old man with a fishing net and crate to carry small fish on his head and in his hand a staff and as he walked at a leisurely pace he repeated these lines If they take me to porn with my lore in my pouch with my volumes to read and my ink case to write for one day's provision they never could pledge me as likely on doomsday to draw bill at sight. How poorly indeed doth it fare with a poor with his pauper existence and beggarly plight in summer he faileth provision to find in winter the firepots his only delight the street dogs with bite and with bark to him rise and each lozzle receives him with bark and with bite if he lift up his voice and complain of his wrong none pities or heats him however he's right and when sorrows and evils like these he must brave his happiest homestead were down in the grave When the Caliph heard his verses he said to Ja'afar and notes his verses for surely they point to his necessities Then he accosted him and asked, O sheikh, what be thine occupation? And the poor man answered O my lord, I am a fisherman with a family to keep and I have been out between midday and this time and not a thing hath Allah made my portion wherewithal to feed my family I cannot even porn myself to buy them a supper and I hate and disgust my life and I hanker after death Kwatha Caliph, say me wilt thou return with us to Tigris Bank and cast thy net on my luck and whatsoever turneth up I will buy of thee for an hundred gold pieces The man rejoiced when he heard these words and said on my head be it I will go back with you and returning with them river-woods made a cast and waited a while Then he hauled in the rope and dragged the net ashore and there appeared in it a chest padlocked and heavy The Caliph examined it and lifted it, finding it weighty so he gave the fisherman two hundred dinars and sent him about his business whilst Masrur, aided by the Caliph carried the chest to the palace and set it down and lighted the candles Jaafar and Masrur then broke it open and found therein a basket of palm leaves corded with red-wasted This they cut open and saw within it a piece of carpet which they lifted out and under it was a woman's mantilla folded in four which they pulled out and at the bottom of the chest they came upon a young lady fair as a silver ingot slain and cut into nineteen pieces When the Caliph looked upon her he cried, Alas! and tears ran down his cheeks and turning to Jaafar he said O dog of Wazir's shall folk be murdered in our reign and be cast into the river to be a burden and a responsibility for us on the day of doom By Allah! we must avenge this woman on her murderer and he shall be made die the worst of deaths and presently he added Now as surely as we are descended from the sons of Abbas if thou bring us not him who slew her that we do her justice on him I will hang thee at the gate of my palace thee and forty of thy kith and kin by thy side and the Caliph was wroth with exceeding rage Quoth Jaafar grant me three days delay and Quoth the Caliph we grant thee this So Jaafar went from before him and returned to his own house full of sorrow and saying to himself how shall I find him who murdered this damsel that I may bring him before the Caliph if I bring other than the murderer it will be laid to my charge by the Lord in very sooth I what not what to do he kept his house three days and on the fourth day the Caliph sent one of the chamberlings for him and as he came into the presence asked him where is the murderer of the damsel to which answered Jaafar O commander of the faithful am I inspector of murdered folk that I should ken who killed her the Caliph was furious at his answer and bad hang him before the palace gate and commanded that a crier cry through the streets of Baghdad whoso would see the hanging of Jaafar the barma key wazir of the caliph with forty of the barmesides his cousins and kinsmen before the palace gate let him come and let him look the people flocked out from all the quarters of the city to witness the execution of Jaafar and his kinsmen not knowing the cause then they set up the gallows and made Jaafar and the others stand underneath in readiness for execution but whilst every eye was looking for the caliph's signal and the crowd wept for Jaafar and his cousins of the barmesides lo and behold a young man fair of face and neat of dress Jaafar like the moon reigning light with eyes black and bright and brow flower white and cheeks red as rose and young down where the beard grows and a mole like a grain of ambergris pushed his way through the people till he stood immediately before the wazir and said to him safety to thee from this straight prince of the emirs and asylum of the poor I am the man who slew the woman you found in the chest so hang me for her and do her justice on me when Jaafar heard the youth's confession he rejoiced at his own deliverance but grieved and sorrowed for the fair youth and whilst they were yet talking behold another man well stricken in years pressed forward through the people and thrust his way amid the populace till he came to Jaafar and the youth whom he saluted saying who thou the wazir and prince son's peer believe not the words of this youth of assurity none murdered the damsel but I take her reek on me this moment for and thou do not thus I will require it of thee before almighty Allah then quoth the young man oh wazir this is an old man in his dotage who what if not what so he sayeth ever and I am he who murdered her so do thou avenge her on me quoth the old man oh my son thou art young and desirous the joys of the world and I am old and weary and surfited with the world I will offer my life as a ransom for thee and for the wazir and his cousins no one murdered the damsel but I so Allah upon thee make haste to hang me for no life is left in me now that hers is gone the wazir marvelled much at all this strangeness and taking the young man and the old man carried them before the caliph where after kissing the ground seven times between his hands he said oh commander of the faithful I bring thee the murderer of the damsel where is he? asked the caliph and jatafar answered this young man sayeth I am the murderer and this old man the lie sayeth I am the murderer and behold here are the twain standing before thee the caliph looked at the old man and the young man and asked which of you killed the girl the young man replied no one slew her save I and the old man answered indeed none killed her but myself then said the caliph to jatafar take the twain and hang them both but jatafar rejoined since one of them was the murderer to hang the other were mere injustice by him who raised the firmament and disbred the earth like a carpet cried the youth I am he who slew the damsel and he went on to describe the manner of her murder and the basket, the mantilla and the bit of carpet in fact all that the caliph had found upon her so the caliph was certified that the young man was the murderer where at he wandered and asked him what was the cause of thy wrongfully doing this damsel to die and what made thee confess the murder without the bastinado and what brought thee here to yield up thy life and what made thee say do her reek upon me the youth answered no oh commander of the faithful that this woman was my wife and the mother of my children also my first cousin and the daughter of my paternal uncle this old man who is my father's own brother when I married her she was a maid and Allah blessed me with three male children by her she loved me and served me and I saw no evil in her for I also loved her with fondest love now on the first day of this month she fell ill with grievous sickness and I fetched in physicians to her but recovery came to her little by little and when I wished her to go to the hamam bath she said there is something I long for before I go to the bath and I long for it with an exceeding longing to hear is to comply said I and what is it I have a queasy craving for an apple to smell it and bite a bit of it I replied had thou a thousand longings I would try to satisfy them so I went on the instant into the city and sought for apples but could find none yet had they cost a gold piece each would I have bought them I was vexed at this and went home and said oh daughter of my uncle by Allah I can find none she was distressed being yet very weakly and her weakness increased greatly on her that night and I felt anxious and alarmed on her account as soon as morning dawned I went out again and made the round of the gardens one by one I found no apples anywhere at last there met me an old gardener of whom I asked about them and he answered oh my son this fruit is a rarity with us and is not now to be found saving the gardener of the commander of the faithful at Basura where the gardener keepeth it for the caliph's eating I returned to my house troubled by my ill success and my love for my wife and my affection moved me to undertake the journey so I got me ready and set out and travelled 15 days and nights going and coming and brought her 3 apples which I bought from the gardener for 3 dinars but when I went into my wife and set them before her she took no pleasure in them and let them lie by her side for her weakness and fever had increased on her and her malady lasted without abating her health so I left my house and be taking me to my shop sat there buying and selling and about midday behold a great ugly black slave long as a lance and broad as a bench passed by my shop holding in hand one of the 3 apples wherewith he was playing quoth I oh my good slave tell me whence thou tookest that apple that I may get the like of it my mistress for I had been absent and on my return I found her lying ill with 3 apples by her side and she said to me my horned whittle of a husband made a journey for them to Basora and bought them for 3 dinars so I ate and drank with her and took this one from her when I heard such words from the slave oh commander of the faithful the world grew black before my face and I arose and locked up my shop and went home beside myself for excess of rage I looked for the apples and finding only 2 of the 3 asked my wife oh my cousin where is the 3rd apple and raising her head languidly she answered I want not oh son of my uncle where it is gone this convinced me that the slave had spoken the truth so I took a knife and coming behind her got upon her breast without a word said and cut her throat then I hewed off her head and her limbs in pieces and wrapping her in her mantilla and a rag of carpet hurriedly sewed up the hole which I set in her chest and locking it tight loaded it on my he-mule and threw it into the Tigris with my own hands so Allah upon thee oh commander of the faithful make haste to hang me for when I had thrown her into the river and none knew aught of it as I went back home I found my eldest son crying and yet he knew nought of what I had done with his mother I asked him what hath made thee weep my boy and he answered I took one of the 3 apples which were by my mammy and went down into the lane to play with my brethren when behold a big long black slave went had styled this quoth I my father travelled far for it and brought it from Basura for my mother who was ill and 2 other apples for which he paid 3 duckets he took no heed of my words and I asked for the apple a second and a third time but he cuffed me and kicked me and went off with it I was afraid lest my mother should swinge me on account of the apple so for fear of her I went with my brother outside the city and stayed there till evening closed in upon us and indeed I'm in fear of her and now by Allah or my father say nothing to her of this or it may add to her ailment when I heard what my child said I knew that the slave was he who had foully slandered my wife the daughter of my uncle and was certified that I had slain her wrongfully so I wept with exceeding weeping and presently this old man my paternal uncle and her father came in and I told him what had happened and he sat down by my side and wept and we ceased not weeping till midnight we have kept up mourning for her these last five days and we lamented her in the deepest sorrow for that she was unjustly done to die this came from the gratuitous lying of the slave the blackamore and this was the manner of my killing her so I conjure thee conjure thee by the honour of thine ancestors make haste to kill me and do her justice upon me as there is no living for me after her the caliph marveled at his words and said by Allah the young man is excusable I will hang none but the accursed slave and I will do a deed which shall comfort the ill at ease and suffering and which shall please the all glorious king and Shahrazaad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased saying her permitted say when it was the twentieth night she said it hath reached me, O auspicious king that the caliph swore he would hang none but the slave for the youth was excusable then he turned to jatafar and said to him bring before me this accursed slave who was the sole cause of this calamity and if thou bring him not before me within three days thou shalt be slain in his stead so jatafar fared forth weeping and saying two deaths have already beset me nor shall the crock come off safe from every shock in this matter craft and cunning are of no avail but he who preserved my life the first time can preserve it a second time by Allah I will not leave my house during the three days of life which remain to me and let the truth whose perfection be praised do enus he will so he kept his house three days and on the fourth day he summoned the qazis and legal witnesses and made his last will and testament and took leave of his children weeping presently in came a messenger from the caliph and said to him the commander of the faithful is in the most violent rage that can be and he sendeth to seek thee and he sweareth that the day shall certainly not pass without thy being hanged and lest the slave be forthcoming when jatafar heard this he wept and his children and slaves and all who were in the house wept with him after he had bidden a dew to everybody except his youngest daughter he proceeded to farewell her for he loved this wee one who was a beautiful child more than all his other children and he pressed her to his breast he kissed her and wept bitterly at parting from her when he felt something round inside the bosom of her dress and asked her oh my little maid what is in thy bosom pocket oh my father she replied it is an apple with the name of our lord the caliph written upon it raihan our slave brought it me four days ago and would not let me have it till I gave him two dinars for it when jatafar heard speak of the slave and the apple he was mad and put his hand into his child's pocket and drew out the apple and knew it and rejoiced saying oh ready dispeller of trouble then he bade them bring the slave and said to him fire upon thee raihan whence had his thou this apple by Allah o my master he replied thou a lie may get a man once off yet may truth get him off and well off again and again not steal this apple from thy palace nor from the gardens of the commander of the faithful the fact is that five days ago as I was walking along one of the alleys of this city I saw some little ones at play and this apple in hand of one of them so I snatched it from him and beat him and he cried and said oh youth this apple is my mother's and she is ill she told my father how she longed for an apple so he travelled to basura and bought her three apples for three gold pieces and I took one of them to play with all he wept again but I paid no heed to what he said and carried it off and brought it here and my little lady bought it of me for two dinars of gold and this is the whole story when jafar heard his words he marveled that the murder of the damsel and all this misery should have been caused by his slave he grieved for the relation of the slave to himself while rejoicing over his own deliverance and he repeated these lines if ill be tied thee through thy slave make him forthright thy sacrifice and many serviles thou shalt find but life comes once and never twice then he took the slave's hand and leading him to the caliph related the story from first to last and the caliph marveled with extreme astonishment and laughed till he fell on his back and ordered that the story be recorded and be made public amongst the people but jafar said marvel not o commander of the faithful at this adventure for it is not more wondrous than the history of the wazir Nur ad-Din Ali of Egypt and his brother Shams ad-Din Muhammad quoth the caliph out with it but what can be stranger than this story and jafar answered o commander of the faithful I will not tell it thee save on condition that thou pardon my slave and the caliph rejoined if it be indeed more wondrous than that of the three apples I grant thee his blood and if not I would surely slay thy slave so jafar began in these words the tale of Nur ad-Din and his son no o commander of the faithful that in times of yore the land of Egypt was ruled by a sultan endowed with justice and generosity one who loved the pious poor and accompanied with the olima and learned men and he had a wazir a wise and unexperienced well versed in affairs and in the art of government this minister who was a very old man had two sons as they were two moons never man saw the like of them for beauty and grace the elder called Shams ad-Din Muhammad and the younger Nur ad-Din Ali but the younger excelled the elder in seemliness and pleasing semblance so that folk heard his fame in far countries and men flocked to Egypt for the purpose of seeing him in course of time their father the wazir died and was deeply regretted and mourned by the sultan who sent for his two sons and investing them with dresses of honour said to them let not your hearts be troubled for ye shall stand in your father's stead and be joint ministers of Egypt at this they rejoiced and kissed the ground before him and performed the ceremonial mourning for their father during a full month after which time they entered upon the wazirat and the power passed into their hands as it had been in the hands of their father each doing duty for a week at a time they lived under the same roof and their word was won and whenever the sultan desired to travel they took it by turns to be in attendance on him it fortune one night that the sultan purposed setting out on a journey next morning and the elder whose turn it was to accompany him was sitting conversing with his brother and said to him oh my brother it is my wish that we both marry I and thou two sisters and go into our wives on one and the same night do oh my brother as thou desirest the younger replied for right is thy wrecking and surely I will comply with thee in what so thou sayest so they agreed upon this and quothed Shamsadin if Allah decree that we marry two damsels and go into them on the same night and they shall conceive on their bride nights and bear children to us on the same day and by Allah's will thy wife bear thee a son and my wife bear me a daughter let us wed them either to other for they will be cousins quothed Nooraddin oh my brother Shamsadin what dower wilt thou require from my son for thy daughter quothed Shamsadin I will take three thousand dinars and three pleasure gardens and three farms and it would not be seemly that the youth make contract for less than this when Nooraddin heard such demand he said what manner of dower is this thou wouldst impose upon my son what is thou not that we are brothers and both by Allah's grace was years and equal in office it behoveth thee to offer thy daughter to my son without marriage settlement or if one need be it should represent a mere nominal value by way of show to the world for thou knowest that the masculine is worthier than the feminine and my son is a male and our memory will be preserved by him not by thy daughter but what said Shamsadin is she to have and Nooraddin continued through her we shall not be remembered among the Emmys of the earth but I see thou wouldst do with me according to the saying and thou wouldst bluff off a buyer ask him a high price and hire or as did a man who they say went to a friend and asked something of him being in necessity and was answered Bismillah in the name of Allah I will do all what thou require but come to morrow whereupon the other replied in this verse when he who is asked a favour saith to morrow the wise man wots to his vein to beg or borrow and shamsadin I see thee fail in respect to me by making thy son of more account than my daughter and tis plain that thine understanding is of the meanest and that thou lackest manners thou remindest me of thy partnership in the wazirut when I admitted thee to share with me only in pity for thee and not wishing to mortify thee and that thou mightest help me as a manner of assistant by Allah I will never marry my daughter to thy son no, not for her weight in gold when Nura deen heard his brother's words he waxed Roth and said and I too I will never never marry my son to thy daughter no, not to keep from my lips the cup of death Shamsadin replied I would not accept him as a husband for her and he is not worth a pairing of her nail were I not about to travel I would make an example of thee however when I return thou shalt see and I will show thee how I can assert my dignity and vindicate my honour but Allah doeth what so he willeth when Nura deen heard this speech from his brother he was filled with fury and lost his wits for rage but he hid what he felt and held his peace and each of the brothers passed the night in a place far apart wild with Roth against the other as soon as morning dawn the Sultan fared forth in state and crossed over from Cairo to Jiza and made for the pyramids accompanied by the Wazir Shamsadin whose turn of duty it was whilst his brother Nura deen who passed the night in sore rage rose with the light and prayed the dawn prayer then he betook himself to his treasury and taking a small pair of saddle bags filled them with gold and he called to mind his brother's threats and the contempt wherewith he had treated him and he repeated these couplets travel and thou shalt find new friends for old ones left behind toil for the sweets of human life by toil and moil are found the stay at home no honour wins nor ought attains but want so leave thy place of birth and wander all the world around I've seen and very oft I've seen how standing water stinks and only flowing sweetens it and trotting makes it sound and were the moon forever full and near to wax or wane man would not strain his watchful eyes to see its gladsome round except the lion leave his lair he near would fell his game except the arrow leave the bow near had it reached its bound and gold dust is dust the while it lies untraveled in the mine and allows wood mere fuel is upon its native ground and gold shall win his highest worth when from his goal ungold and allows sent to foreign parts grows costlier than gold when he ended his verse he bade one of his pages saddle him his newbie and mermule with her padded sail now she was a dapple grey and her ears like reed-pens and legs like columns and a back high and strong as a dome building on pillars her saddle was of gold cloth and her stirrups of Indian steel and her housing of Ispahan velvet she had trappings which would serve the Khosroys and she was like a bride adorned for her wedding night moreover he bade lay on her back a piece of silk for a seat and a prayer-carpet under which he wags. When this was done he said to his pages and slaves I purpose going forth a pleasuring outside the city on the road to Kalyub town and I shall lie three nights abroad so let none of you follow me for there is something straighteneth my breast. Then he mounted the mule in haste and taking with him some Provant for the way, set out from Cairo and faced the open and uncultivated country and found it. About noontide he entered Bilbaiz city where he dismounted and stayed a while to rest himself and his mule and ate some of his vitil. He bought at Bilbaiz all he wanted for himself and forage for his mule and then fared on the way of the waste. Towards nightfall he entered a town called Sa'adiyah where he alighted and took out somewhat of his viaticum and ate. He took a sip of silk on the sand and set the saddlebags under his head and slapped in the open air for he was still overcome with anger. End of section 13 of the Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night Volume 1 Hello, listeners. This is Volume 1 of the Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night translated by Richard Burden. 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 Priya, India The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night Section 14 When the morning dawned he mounted and rode onwards till he reached the holy city Jerusalem and then he made a lepo where he dismounted at one of the caravan series and about three days to rest himself and the mule and to smell the air. Then, being determined to travel afar and Allah having written safety in his fate he set out again wending without voting whither he was going and having fallen in with certain couriers he stinted not travelling till he had reached Bazaara city albeit he knew not what the place was. It was dark night when he alighted at the Khan so he spread out his prayer carpet and took down the saddle bags from the back of his mule and gave her with her furniture in charge of the doorkeeper that he might walk her about. The man took her and did as he was bid. Now it so happened that the Vazir of Bazaara a man short in ears was sitting at the lattice window of his palace opposite the Khan and he saw the porter walking the mule up and down. He was struck by her trappings of price and thought her a nice beast fit for the ridings of Vazir's or even the royalties and the more he looked the more he was perplexed till at last he said to one of his pages bring hither your doorkeeper the page went and returned to the Vazir with the porter who kissed the ground between his hands and the minister asked him who is the owner of yonder mule and what manner of man is he and he answered oh my lord the owner of this mule is a calmly young man of pleasant manners withal grave and dignified and doubtless one of the sons of the merchants. When the Vazir heard the doorkeeper's words he arose forthright and mounting his hose out to the Khan and went in to Nuraldin who seeing the minister making toward him rose to his feet and advanced to meet him and saluted him the Vazir welcomed him to Bazora and dismounting embraced him and made him sit down by his side and said oh my son whence come as though and what does though seek oh my lord Nuraldin replied I have come from the Cairo city of which my father was Bailam Vazir but he had been removed to the grace of Allah and he informed him of all that had befallen him from beginning to end adding I am resolved never to return home before I have seen all the cities and countries of the world when the Vazir heard this he said to him oh my son harken not to the voice of passion lest it cast thee into the pit for indeed many regions be waste places and I fear for thee the turns of time then he let load the saddle bags and the silk and prayer carpets on the mule and carried Nuraldin to his own house where he lodged him in a pleasant place and entreated him honourably and made much of him for he inclined to love him with exceeding love after a while he said to him oh my son here am I left a man in years no male children but Allah had blessed me with a daughter who even had thee in beauty and I have rejected all her many suitors men of rank and substance but affection for thee had entered into my heart say me then will thou be to her a husband if thou accept this I will go up with thee to the Sultan of Bazora and will tell him that thou art my nephew the son of my brother and bring thee to be I appointed Vazir in my place that I may keep the house for by Allah oh my son I am stricken in years and a weary when Nuraldin heard the Vazir's words he bowed his head in modesty and said to here is to obey at this the Vazir rejoiced and bade his servants prepare a feast and decorate the great assembly hall wherein they were wont to celebrate the marriages of emirs and grandies then he assembled his friends and the notables of the rain and the merchants of Bazora and when all stood before him he said to them I had a brother who was Vazir in the land of Egypt and Allah almighty blessed him with two sons wills to me as well he avowed he had given a daughter my brother charged me to marry my daughter to one of his sons where to I assented and when my daughter was of aged marry I gave her to one of his sons the young man now present to whom I purpose marrying her drawing up the contract and celebrating the night of unveiling with due ceremony for he is nearer and dearer to me than a stranger and after the wedding if he please he shall abide with me or if he desire to travel I will forward him and his wife to his father's home here at one and all replied right is directing and they all looked at the bridegroom and were pleased with him so the Vazir sent for the Qazi and legal witnesses and they wrote out the marriage contract after which the slaves perfumed the guests with incense and served them with sherbet of sugar and sprinkled rose water on them and all went their ways then the Vazir bade his servants take Nur al-Din to the hamam bath and send him a suit of the best of his own a special raiment and napkins and towelry and all else that was required after the bath when he came out and donned the dress he was even as the full moon on the fourteenth night and he mounted his mule and stayed not till he reached the Vazir's palace there he dismounted and went to the minister and kissed his hands and the Vazir bade him welcome and sherazad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased to say her permitted say when it was the twenty first night it had reached me o auspicious king that the Vazir stood up to him and welcoming him said arise and go into the wife this night and on the morrow I'll carry thee to the Sultan and pray Allah bless thee with all manners of will so Nur al-Din left him and went into his wife the Vazir's daughter thus far concerning him but as regards his eldest brother Shamsaldin he was absent with the Sultan and when he returned from his journey he found not his brother and he asked of his servants and slaves who answered on the day of thy departure with the Sultan thy brother mounted his mule fully comparisoned as for state procession saying I am going to its Calyphtown and I shall be absent one day or at most two days for my breast is straightened and let none of you follow me then he fared forth and from that time to this we have heard no tidings of him Shamsaldin was greatly troubled at the sudden disappearance of his brother and grieved with exceeding grief at the loss and said to himself this is only because I chided and abraded him the night before my departure with the Sultan happily his feelings were hurt and he fared forth a travelling but I must send after him then he went into the Sultan and acquainted him with what had happened and wrote letters and dispatches which he sent by running footmen to its deputies in every province but during the 20 days of his brother's absence Nur al-Din had travelled and had reached Bazaara so after diligent search the messengers failed to come at any news of him and returned thereupon Shamsaldin despaired of finding his brother and said indeed I went beyond all bounds in what I said to him with reference to the marriage of our children would that I had not done so this all cometh of my lack of wit and wand of caution soon after this he sought in marriage the daughter of a Kyreen merchant and drew up the marriage contract and went into her and it's so chance that on the very same night when Shamsaldin went to his wife Nur al-Din also went to his wife the daughter of the Vazir of Bazaara this being in accordance with the will of Almairiyala that he might deal the decrease of destiny to his creatures furthermore it was as the two brothers had said for their two wives became pregnant by them on the same night and both were brought to bed on the same day the wife of Shamsaldin Vazir of Egypt of a daughter never in Kyro was seen a fairer and the wife of Nur al-Din none more beautiful was ever seen in his time as one of the poets said concerning the like of him that jerry hair that glossy bro my slender waisted youth of thine can darkness round creation though or make it brightly shine the dusky mould that faintly shows upon his cheek ah blame it not the tulip flower never blows and darkened by its spot as another also said his scent was musk and his cheek was rose his teeth are pearls and his lips drop wine his form is a brand and his hips a hill his hair is night and his face moonshine they named the boy Badraldin Hasan and his grandfather the Vazir of Bazaara rejoiced in him and on the seventh day after his birth made entertainments and spread banquets which would befit the birth of the king's sons and heirs then he took Nur al-Din and went up with him to the Sultan and his son-in-law when he came before the presence of the king kissed the ground between his hands and repeated these verses for he was ready of speech firm of sprite and good in heart as he was goodly informed the world's best choice long be thy lord my lord and last while darkness dawn overlap although who may kiss when we greet thy gifts the world to dance and timed his palms to clap then the Sultan rose up to honour them and thanking Nur al-Din for his fine compliment asked the Vazir who may be this young man and the minister answered this is my brother's son and related his tale from first to last quote the Sultan how comes he to be thy nephew and we have never heard speak of him quote the minister O our lord the Sultan I had a brother who was the vazir of the land of Egypt and he died leaving two sons whereof the elder had taken his father's place and the younger whom the siest came to me I had sworn I would not marry my daughter to anyone but to him so when he came I married him to her now he is young and I am old my hearing is dulled and my judgment is easily fooled wherefore I would source it our lord the Sultan to set him in my stead for he is my brother's son and my daughter's husband and he is fit for the vazirat being a man of good counsel and ready contrivance the Sultan looked at Nur al-Din and liked him so he established him in office and formally appointed him presenting him with a splendid dress of honour and a she-mule from his private stud and assigning to him salt stipends and supplies Nur al-Din kissed the Sultan's hand and went home he and his father-in-law joined with exceeding joy and saying all this followeth on the heels of the boy Hassan's birth next day he presented himself before the king on the ground began repeating grow thy wheel and thy welfare day by day and thy luck prevail over the envious spite and never cease thy days to be white as day and thy form and day to be black as night the Sultan bade him to be seated on the vazir seat so he sat down and applied himself to the business of his office and went into the cases of fleets and their suits and was informed of ministers while the Sultan watched him and wondered at his wit and good sense judgment and insight wherefore he loved him and took him into intimacy when the divine was dismissed Nur al-Din returned to his house and related what had passed to his father-in-law who rejoiced and thence forward Nur al-Din ceased not so to administer the vazirate that the Sultan would not be parted day and increased his type and supplies until his means were ample and he became the owner of ships that made trading voyages at its command as well as of ma'am lux and black more slaves and he laid out many estates and set up Persian wheels and planted gardens when his son Hassan was four years of age the old vazir deceased and he made for his father-in-law a sumptuous funeral ceremony where he was laid in the dust then he occupied himself with the education of this son and when the boy waxed strong and came to the age of seven he brought him a fakir a doctor of law and religion to teach him in his own house and charged him to give him a good education and instruct him in politeness and manners so the tutor made the boy read and retain all varieties of useful knowledge after he had spent some years in learning the Quran by heart and he ceased not to grow in beauty and stature and symmetry even as said the poet in his face sky shines the fullest moon in his cheeks and money glows the sun he so conquered beauty that he had won all charms of humanity one by one the professor brought him up in his father's palace teaching him reading, writing and ciphering theology and well as letters his grandfather the old wazir had bequeathed to him the whole of his property when he was but four years of age now during all the time of his earliest youth he had never left the house till on a certain day his father the wazir noor al-deen clad him in his best clothes and mounting him on a she-mule of the finest went up with him to the Sultan the king gazed at Badr al-Din Hassan and marvelled at his comeliness and loved him as for the city folk when he first passed before them with his father they marvelled at his exceeding beauty and sat down on the road expecting his return that they might look for their fill on his beauty and loveliness and symmetry and perfect grace even as the poet said in these verses as the sage watched the stars the semblance clear of a fair youth on scroll he saw appear those jetty locks canopus over him through and tinged his temple curls a musky hue Maas dyed his ruddy cheek and from his eyes the archer star his glittering arrow flies his wit from Hermes came and so has care the half-seen star that dimly haunts the bear kept off all evil eyes that threaten and ensnare the sage stood maize to see such fortunes meet and Luna kissed the earth beneath his feet and they blessed him aloud as he passed and called upon Almighty Allah to bless him the Sultan entreated the lad with a special favor and said to his father O Vazir though must needs bring him daily to my presence whereupon he replied I hear and I obey then the Vazir returned home with his son and ceased not to carry him to court till he reached the age of twenty at that time the minister sickened and senting for Badraldin Hassan said to him no my son that the world of the present is but a house of mortality while that of the future is a house of eternity I wish before I die to bequeath the certain charges and do the take heed of what I say and incline the heart to my words then he gave him last instructions as to the properest way of dealing with his neighbors and the due management of his affairs after which he called to mind his brother and his home and his native land and wept over his separation from those he at first loved then he wiped away his tears and turning to his son said to him before I proceed o my son to my last charges and injunctions know that I have a brother and though has an uncle Shamsaldin Hyde the Vazir of Cairo which whom I parted leaving him against his will now take the a sheet of paper and write upon it what so I say to thee Badraldin took a fair leave and set about doing his father's bidding and he wrote thereon a full account of what had happened to his sire first and last the dates of his arrival at Bazaara and of his foregathering with the Vazir of his marriage of his going into the minister's daughter and of the birth of his son brief his life of four tears from the date of his dispute with his brother adding the words and this is written at my dictation and may Almighty Allah be with him when I am gone then he folded the paper and sealed it and said O Hassan, O my son keep this paper with all care for it will enable thee to establish thine origin and rank and lineage and if anything contrary before thee set out for Cairo and ask for thine uncle and show him this paper and say to him that I died a stranger far from my own people and full of yearning to see him and them so Badr al-Din Hassan took the document and folded it and wrapping it up in a piece of wax cloth of his skull cap and wound his slight turban round it and he felt weeping over his father and at parting with him and he but a boy then noor al-Din lapsed into a swoon the forerunner of death but presently recovering himself he said O Hassan, O my son bequeath to thee five last behests the first behest is be over intimate with none nor frequent any nor be family and with any so shall thou be saved from his mischief for security lieth in seclusion of thought and a certain retirement from the society of thy fellows and I have heard it said by a poet in this world there is none thou mayst count upon to befriend thy case so live for thyself nursing hope of none such counts will I give thee you know take heed the second behest is O my son deal harshly with none lest fortune with thee deal hardly for the fortune of this world is one day with thee and another day against thee and all worldly goods are but alone to be repaid and I have heard a poet say take thought nor has to win the thing though willed have wrath on man for wrath though mayst require no hand is there but Allah's hand is higher no tyrant but shall rue worst tyrant's ire the third behest is learn to be silent in society and let thine own faults distract thine attention from the faults of other men for it is said in silence dwelleth safety I have heard the lines that tell us reserves a jewel silence's safety is when as though speakest many a word withhold for an of silence though repent thee once of speech though shall repent times manifold the fourth behest O my son is beware of wine bebing for wine is the head of all fowardness and a fine wind of human wits so shun and again I say shun mixing strong liquor for I have heard a poet say from wine turn and whoso wine cups will becoming one of those who deem it ill wine drive at man to miss salvation way and opes the gateway wide to sins that kill the fifth behest O my son is keep thy wealth and it ill keep thee guard thy money and ill guard thee and waste not thy substance lest happily though come to want and must fare a begging from the meanest of mankind save thy darhams and deem them the sovereign self for the wounds of the world and here again I have heard that one of the poet say when fails my wealth no friend will deem befriend when wealth abounds all friends ship tender how many friends lend aid my wealth to spend but friends to lack of wealth no friendship render on this wise nooraldeen sees not to counsel his son Badraldeen Hassan till his hour came and sighing one sobbing sigh his life went forth then the voice of mourning and keening rose high in his house and the sultan and all the grandees grieved for him and buried him but his son sees not lamenting his loss for two months during which he never mounted host nor attended the divan nor presented himself before the sultan at last the king being wrought with him established his stead one of the chamberlains and made him wazir giving orders to seize and set seals on all nooraldeen's houses and goods and domains wazir went forth with the mighty posay of chamberlains and people of the divan and watchmen and a host of idlers to do this and to seize Badraldeen Hassan and to carry him before the king who would deal with him as he deemed fit now there was among the crowd of followers a mam look of the diseased wazir who when he heard this order urged his horse and rode at full speed to the house of Badraldeen Hassan for he could not endure to see the ruin of his old master's son he found him sitting at the gate with head hung down and sorrowing as was his wound for the loss of his father so he dismounted and kissing his hand said to him oh my lord and son of my lord hastier ruin come and lay waste when Hassan heard this he trembled and asked what may be the matter and the man answered and the mountain is angered with thee and has issued a warrant against thee and he will come at heart upon my track so flee with thy life at these words Hassan's heart flamed with the fire of bale and his rose red cheek turned pale and he said to the mam look oh my brother is there time for me to go in and get me some worldly gear which may stand me instead during my strangerhood but the slave replied oh my lord up at once and save thyself and leave this house while it is yet time and he quoted these lines escape with thy life if oppression be tied thee and let the house of its builders fate country for country though will find if though seek it life for life never early or late it is strange mentioned dwell in the house of abjection when the plane of God's earth is so wide and so great at these words of the mam look Badraldin covered his head with a skirt of his garment and went forth on foot till he stood outside of the city where he heard folk saying the Sultan Hassan his new wasi to the house of old wasir now no more to seal his property and cease his son Badraldin Hassan and take him before the presence that he may put him to death and all cried alas for his beauty and his loveliness when he heard this he fled forth at Hazard knowing not wither he was going and gave not over hurrying onward still destiny draw him to his father's tomb so he entered the cemetery and threading his way through the graves at last he reached the sepulcher where he sat down and let fall from his head the skirt of his long robe which was made of brocade with their gold embroidered hem whereon were work these couplets although whose forehead like the radiant east tells of the stars of heaven and bound tears dews endure thine honour to the latest day and time thy grow of glory never refuse why he was sitting by his father's tomb behold there came to him a Jew as he wear a shroff a money changer with a pair of saddle bags containing much gold who accosted him and kissing his hand saying wither bound oh my lord tis late in the day and though art clad but lightly and I read signs of trouble in thy face I was sleeping within this very hour and said Hassan when my father appeared to me and chid me for not having visited his tomb so I awoke trembling and came here the forthright lest the day should go by without my visiting him which would have been grievous to me oh my lord rejoin the Jew thy father had many merchant men at sea and some of them are now due it is my wish to buy off thee the cargo of the first ship that cometh into port with this thousand dinars of gold I consented quoth Hassan whereupon the Jew took out a bag of gold and counted out a thousand sequins which he gave to Hassan the son of Wazir saying write me a letter of sale so Hassan took a pen and paper and wrote these words in duplicate the writer Hassan Badraldin son of Wazir Nooraldin had to Isaac the Jew all the cargo of the first of his father's ships with cometh into port for a thousand dinars and he had received the prize in advance and after he had taken one copy the Jew put it in his pouch and went away but Hassan fell a weeping as he thought of the dignity and prosperity which had erst been his and he began residing this house my lady since you left is now a home no more for me not neighbors since you left prove kind and neighborly the friends where I took to heart alas no more to me is friend and even Luna's self displayed lunacy left and by your going left the world a waste a wolf and lies a gloomy murk upon the face of hill and lee oh may the raven bird whose cry are hapless parting croaked find never a nasty home and ex shed all his plumory at length my patience fails me and this absence wastes my flesh how many avail by severance rent our eyes our doom ah shall I ever sight again our fair past nights of year and shall a single house become a home for me once more then he wept with exceeding weeping and night came upon him so he leaned his head against his father's grave and sleep overcame him glory to him who sleepeth not he sees not slumbering till the moon rose when his head slipped from off the tomb and he lay on his back with limbs outstretched his face shining bright in the moonlight now the symmetry was haunted day and night by jinns who were of the true believers and presently came out a genia who seeing hasn't asleep marvelled at his beauty and loveliness and cried glory to God this youth can be none other than one of the Walden of Paradise then she flew firmament warts to circle it as was her custom and met an ifrit on the wing who saluted her and she said to him whence come as though from Cairo he replied will thou come to me and look upon the beauty of a youth who sleepeth in yawned a burial place she asked and he answered I will so they flew till they lighted at the tomb and she showed him the youth and said now to this though ever in thy born days see ought like this the ifrit looked upon him and exclaimed praise be to him that hath no equal but oh my sister shall I tell thee what I have seen this day ask she what is that and he answered I have seen the counterpart of this youth in the land of Egypt she is the daughter of the Vazir Shamsaldeen and she is a model of beauty and loveliness of fairest favor and formous form and light with symmetry and perfect grace when she had reached the age of 19 the Sultan of Egypt heard of her and sending for the Vazir her father said to him hear me O Vazir it hath reached my ear that though has a daughter and I wish to demand her of thee in marriage the Vazir replied O our lord the Sultan Dain accept my excuses and take compassion on my sorrows for though knowest that my brother who was partner with me in the Vazirat disappeared from amongst as many years ago and we what not where he is now the cause of his departure was that one night as we were sitting together and talking of wives and children to come we had words on the matter and he went off in high dudgeon but I swore that I would marry my daughter to nun saved to the son of my brother on the day her mother gave her birth which was nigh upon 19 years ago I have lately heard that my brother died at Vazora where he married the daughter of the Vazir and that she bear him a son and I will not marry my daughter but to him in honour of my brother's memory I recorded the date of my marriage and the conception of my wife and the birth of my daughter and from her horoscope I find that her name is conjoined with that of her cousin and there are damsels in foison for our lord the sultan the king hearing his minister's answer and refusal waxed truth with exceeding wrath and cried when the like of me asked a girl in marriage of the like of thee he conferred an honour and though rejected me and put at me off with cold excuses now by the life of my head I will marry her to the meanest of my men in spite of the nose of thee there was in the palace a horse groom which was a gobo with a bunch to his breast and a hunch to his back and the sultan sent for him and married him to the daughter of the Vazir, leave for lord and had ordered a pompous marriage precision for him and that he go into his bride this very night I have now just flown hither from Cairo where I left the hunchback at the door of the Hamambath emits the sultan's white slaves who were waving lighted flombo about him as for the minister's daughter she's sitting among her nurses and entire women weeping and wailing for they have forbidden her father to come near her never have I seen oh my sister more hideous being than this hunchback while as the young lady is the likeest of all folk to this young man albeit even fairer than he and Sharazat perceived the dawn of the day and seized her permitted say end of section 14 of the book of a thousand nights and a night recording by Priya for LibriVox volume one 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 if you are a volunteer please visit LibriVox.org the book of a thousand nights and a night section 15 when it was the 22nd night she said it has reached me oh auspicious king that when the jinnie narrated to the jinnieah how the king had caused the wedding contract to be drawn up between the hunchback groom and the lovely and how she was the fairest of created things and even more beautiful than this youth the jinnieah cried at him the liest this youth is handsomer than any one of his day the ifrit gave her the lie again adding by Allah oh my sister the damsel I speak of is fairer than this yet none but he deserved her for they resemble each other like brother and sister and cousins and well away how she is wasted upon that hunchback then said she oh my brother let us get under him and lift him up and carry him to Cairo that we may compare him with the damsel of whom thou speakest and so determine whether of the twain is the faireer to here is to obey replied he thou speakest to the point the writer wrecking than this of thine and I myself will carry him so he raised him from the ground and flew with him like a bird soaring in upper air the ifritah keeping close by his side at equal speed till he alighted with him in the city of Cairo and set him down on a stone bench and woke him up he roused himself and finding that he was no longer at his father's tomb in Basara city he looked right and left and saw that he was in a strange place and he would have cried out but the ifrit gave him a cuff which persuaded him to keep silence then he brought him rich raiment and clothed him therein and giving him a lighted flambeau said know that I have brought the hither meaning to do thee a good turn for the love of Allah so take this torch and mingle with the people at the hamam door and walk on with them without stopping till thou reach the house of the wedding festival then go boldly forward and enter the great saloon and fear none but take thy stand at the right hand of the hunchback bridegroom and as often as any of the nurses and tire women and singing girls come up to thee put thy hand into thy pocket which thou wilt find filled with gold take it out and throw it to them and spare not for as often as thou thrustest fingers in pouch thou shalt find it full of coin give largesse by hands full and fear nothing but set thy trust upon him who created thee for this is not by thine own strength but by that of Allah almighty that his decrees may take effect upon his creatures when Badr al-Din Hassan heard these words from the ifrit he said to himself would heaven I knew what all this means and what is the cause of such kindness however he mingled with the people and lighting his flambo moved on with the bridal procession till he came to the bath where he found the hunchback already on horseback then he pushed his way in among the crowd a veritable beauty of a man in the finest apparel wearing tarbush and turban and a long-sleeved robe purpled with gold and as often as the singing women stopped for the people to give them largesse he thrust his hand into his pocket and finding it full of gold took out a handful and threw it on the tambourine till he had filled it with gold pieces for the music girls and the tire women the singers were amazed by his bounty and the people marveled at his beauty and loveliness and the splendor of his dress he ceased not to do thus till he reached the mansion of the wazir who was his uncle where the chamberlains drove back the people and forbade them to go forward but the singing girls and the tire women said by Allah we will not enter unless this young man enter with us for he hath given us length life with his largesse and we will not display the bride unless he be present therewith they carried him into the bridal hall and made him sit down defying the evil glances of the hunchback bridegroom the wives of the amirs and wazirs and chamberlains and courtiers all stood in double line each holding a massy serge ready-lighted all wore thin face veils and the two rose right and left extended from the bride's throne to the head of the hall adjoining the chamber whence she was to come forth when the ladies saw Bader al-Din Hassan and noted his beauty and loveliness and his face that shone like the new moon their hearts inclined to him and the singing girls said to all that were present know that this beauty crossed our hands with naught but red gold so be not cherry to do him womanly service and comply with all he says no matter what he asked so all the women crowded around Hassan with their torches and gazed upon his loveliness and envied him his beauty and one and all would gladly have lain on his bosom an hour or rather a year their hearts were so troubled that they let fall their veils from before their faces and said happy she who belongeth to this youth or to whom he belongeth and they called down curses on the crooked groom and on him who was the cause of his marriage to the girl beauty and as often as they blessed Bader al-Din Hassan they damned the hunchback saying verily this youth and none else deserveeth our bride ah well away for such a lovely one with this hideous Quasimodo Allah's curse light on his head and on the sultan who commanded the marriage then the singing girls beat their tabrets and lululud with joy announcing the appearing of the bride and the wazir's daughter came in surrounded by her tire women who had made her goodly to look upon for they had perfumed her and incensed her and adorned her hair and they had robed her in raiment and ornaments befitting the mighty chasroes kings the most notable part of her dress was a loose robe and over her other garments it was diapered in red gold with figures of wild beasts and birds whose eyes and beaks were of gems and claws of red woobies and green barrel and her neck was graced with a necklace of yamini work worth thousands of gold pieces whose bezels were great round jewels of sorts the like of which was never owned by Kaiser or by Toba King and the bride was as the full moon when it fullest on fourteenth night and as she paced into the hall she was like one of the hurries of heaven praise be to him who created her in such splendor of beauty the ladies encompassed her as the white contains the black of the eye they clustering like stars whilst she shone among them like the moon when it eats up the clouds now barter Aldin Hassan of Basara was sitting in full gaze of the folk when the bride came forward with her graceful swaying and swimming gate and her hunchback groom stood up to meet and receive her she however turned away from the white and walked forward till she stood before her cousin Hassan the son of her uncle where at the people laughed but when the wedding guests saw her thus attracted toward barter Aldin they made a mighty clamor and the singing women shouted their loudest where upon he put his hand into his pocket and pulling out a handful of gold cast it into their tambourines and the girls rejoiced and said could we win our wish this bride were thine at this he smiled and the folk came round him flambo in hand like the eyeball round the pupil while the Gabo bridegroom was left sitting alone much like a fearless baboon for every time they lighted a candle for him it went out willy nilly so he was left in darkness and silence and looking at not but himself when barter Aldin Hassan saw the bridegroom sitting lonesome in the dark and all the wedding guests with their flambo and wax candles crowding around himself he was bewildered and marveled much but when he looked at his cousin his uncle he rejoiced and felt an inward delight he longed to greet her and gazed intently on her face which was radiant with light and brilliancy then the tire women took off her veil and displayed her in the first bridal dress which was of scarlet satin and Hassan had a view of her which dazzled his sight and dazed his wits as she moved to and fro with graceful gait and she turned the heads of all the guests women as well as men for she was even as saith the surpassing poet a sun on wand in knoll of sand she showed clad in her cramoisey huge chemisette of her lips honeydew she gave me drink and with her rosy cheeks quenched fire she set then they changed that dress and displayed her in a robe of azure and she reappeared like the full moon when it riseth over the horizon with her cold black hair and cheeks delicately fair and teeth shown in sweet smiling and breasts firm rising and crowning sides of the softest and waist of the roundest and in this second suit she was as a certain master of high conceits saith of the like of her she came apparel'd in an azure vest ultra marine as skies are decked and night I viewed the unparalleled sight which showed my eyes a moon of summer on a winter night then they changed that suit for another and veiling her face and the luxuriance of her hair loosed her love locks so dark so long that their darkness and length outvide the darkest nights and she shot through all hearts with the magical shaft of her eye babes they displayed her in the third dress and she was, as said of her the sayer veiling her cheeks with hair a morn she comes and I her mischiefs with the cloud compare saying thou vellest morn with night ah no, quoth she I shroud full moon with darkling air then they displayed her in the fourth bridal dress and she came forward shining like the rising sun and swaying to and fro with lovesome grace and supple ease like a gazelle fawn and she clave all hearts with the arrows of her eyelashes even as saith one who described a charmer like her the son of beauty she to sight appears and lovely coy she mocks all loveliness and when he fronts her favor and her smile a morn the son of day in clouds must dress then she came forth in the fifth dress a very light of loveliness like a wand of waving willow or a gazelle of the thirsty wold those locks which stung like scorpions along her cheeks were bent and her neck was bowed and her hips quivered as she went as saith one of the poets describing her in verse she comes like fullest moon on happy night taper of waste with shape of magic might she hath an eye whose glances quell mankind and ruby on her cheeks reflects his light and veils her hips the blackness of her hair her sides are silk and soft the while the heart mere rock behind that surface lurks from sight from the fringed curtains of her eye she shoots shafts which at farthest range on mark a light when round her neck or waist I throw my arms her breasts repel me with their hardened height ah how her beauty all excels ah how that shape is the graceful waving bow then they adorn her with the sixth toilette a dress which was green and now she shamed her slender straightness the nut brown spear her radiant face dimmed the brightest beams of full moon and she outdid the bending branches in gentle movement and flexible grace her loveliness exalted the beauties of earth's four quarters and she broke men's hearts with the significance of her semblance for she was even a sayeth one of the poets in these lines a damsel twas the tirer's art had decked with snares and sleight and robed and raised as though the sun from her had borrowed light she came before us wondrous clad in shemmy set of green as veiled by its leafy screen pomegranate hides from sight and when he said how call us thou the manner of thy dress? she answered us in pleasant way with double meaning died we call this garment crev-cur and rightly is at height for many a heart with this we broke and conquered many a sprite then they displayed her in the seventh dress colored between safflower and saffron even as one of the poets sayeth in vest of saffron pale and safflower red musked sandaled amber grease she came to front rise cried her youth go forth and show thyself sit said her hips we cannot bear the brunt and when I craved about her beauty said do, do, and said her pretty shame don't, don't thus they displayed the bride in the toilets before Hassan al-basri wholly neglecting the Gabo who sat moping alone and when she opened her eyes she said O Allah make this man my good man and deliver me from the evil of this hunchback groom as soon as they had made an end of this part of the ceremony they dismissed the wedding guests who went forth women children and all and none remained save Hassan in the hunchback whilst the tire women led the bride into an inner room to change her garb and gear and get her ready for the bridegroom thereupon Quasimodo came up to Badr al-Din Hassan and said O my lord, thou hast cheered us this night with thy good company and overwhelmed us with thy kindness and courtesy but now why not get the up and go Bismallah he answered and rising he went forth by the door where the ifrit met him and said stay in thy stead, O Badr al-Din and when the hunchback goes out to the closet of ease go in without losing time and seat thyself in the alcove and when the bride comes say to her tis I am thy husband for the king devised this trick only fearing for thee the evil eye he whom thou sawest is but a cice a groom one of our stablemen then walk boldly up to her and unveil her face for jealousy hath taken us of this matter while Hassan was still talking with the ifrit, behold the groom fared forth from the hall and entering the closet of ease sat down on the stool hardly had he done this when the ifrit came out of the tank where in the water was in semblance of a mouse and squeaked out, zeek quote the hunchback what else thee and the mouse grew and grew till it became a cold black cat and catterwalled meow, meow then it grew still more and more till it became a dog and barked out, ow, ow when the bridegroom saw this he was frightened and exclaimed out with thee, oh, unlucky one but the dog grew and swelled till it became an ascolt that braided and snorted in his face hulk, hulk whereupon the hunchback quaked and cried, come to my aid, oh, people of the house but behold the ascolt grew and became big as a buffalo and walled the way before him and spake with the voice of him saying woe to thee, oh, thou bunchback thou stinkard oh, thou filthiest of grooms hearing this the groom was seized with a colic and he sat down on the jakes in his clothes with teeth chattering and knocking together quote the ifrit is the world so straight to thee thou findest none to marry save my lady love but as he was silent the ifrit continued answer me, or I will do thee dwell in the dust by Allah, replied the Gabbo oh, king of the buffaloes, this is no fault of mine, for they forced me to wed her and verily I want not that she had a lover among the buffaloes but now I repent first before Allah and then before thee said the ifrit to him I swear to thee that a thou fair forth from this place or thou utter a word before sunrise I assuredly will ring thy neck when the sun rises when thy went and nevermore return to this house so saying the ifrit took up the Gabbo of bridegroom and set him head downwards and feet upwards in the slit of the privy and said to him I will leave thee here but I shall be on the lookout for thee till sunrise and if thou stir before then I will seize thee by the feet and dash out thy brains against the wall so look out for thy life thus far concerning the hunchback but as regards Badr al-Din Hasan of Basora he left the Gabbo and the ifrit changling and wrangling and going into the house sat him down in the very middle of the alcove and behold in came the bride an old woman who stood at the door and said O father of uprightness arise and take what God giveth thee then the old woman went away and the bride sit al-Husun or the lady of beauty height entered the inner part of the alcove broken hearted and saying in herself by Allah I will never yield my person to him not even were he to take my life but as he came to the further end she saw Badr al-Din Hasan and she said dearling are thou still sitting here by Allah I was wishing that thou werent my bridegroom or at least that thou and the hunchbacked horsegroom were partners in me he replied O beautiful lady how should the cise have access to thee and how should he share in thee with me then quoth she who is my husband, thou or he sit al-Husun rejoined Hasan we have not done this for mere fun but only as a device to ward off the evil eye from thee for when the tire women and singers and wedding guests saw thy beauty being displayed to me they feared fascination and thy father hired the horsegroom for ten dinars and a parenger of meat to take the evil eye off us and now he hath received his hire and gone his gate when the lady of beauty heard these words she smiled and rejoiced and laughed a pleasant laugh then she whispered him by the Lord thou hast quenched a fire which tortured me and now by Allah O my little dark-haired darling take me to thee and press me to thy bosom then she began singing by Allah set thy foot upon my soul since long, long years for this alone I long and whispered tale of love in ear of me to me to sweeter than the sweetest song no other youth upon my heart shall lie so do it often dear and do it long then she stripped off her outer gear and she threw open her chemise from the neck downwards and showed her parts gemital and all the grandeur of her hips when Badr al-Din saw the glorious sight his desires were roused and he arose and doft her clothes and wrapping up in his bag trousers the purse of gold which he had taken from the Jew and which contained the thousand dinars he laid it under the edge of the bedding then he took off his turban and set it upon the settle atop of his other clothes remaining in his skull cap and fine shirt of blue silk laced with gold whereupon the lady of beauty drew him to her and he did likewise then he took her to his embrace and set her legs round his waist and point blank that cannon placed where it battered down the bulwark of maiden head and layeth it waste and unthritten and a filly by all men save himself unwritten and he abated her virginity and had joyance of her youth in his virility and presently he withdrew sword from sheath and then returned to the fray right-eath and when the battle in the siege had finished some 15 assaults he had furnished and she conceived by him that very night then he laid his hand under her head and she did the same and they embraced and fell asleep in each other's arms as a certain poet said of such lovers in these couplets visit thy lover spurn what envy told no envious churl shall smile and love and soul merciful Allah made no fairer sight than coupled lovers single couch doth hold breast pressing breast rubbed in joys their own with pillowed forearms cast in finest mold and when heart speaks to heart with tongue of love folk who would part them hammer steel ice cold if a fair friend thou find who cleaves to thee live for that friend that friend in heart and fold oh ye who blame for love us lover kind say can ye minister to disease this much concerning Bader al-hasan and sit al-husan his cousin but as regards the ifrit as soon as he saw the twain asleep he said to the ifritah arise slip thee under the youth and let us carry him back to his place ere dawn overtake us for the day is near hand there upon she came forward and getting under him as he lay asleep took him up clad only in his fine blue shirt leaving the rest of his garments and seized not flying and the ifrit vying with her in flight till the dawn advised them that it had come upon the midway and the mezzan began his call from the minaret hast ye to salvation hast ye to salvation then Allah suffered his angelic host to shoot down the ifrit with a shooting star so he was consumed but the ifritah escaped and she descended with Bader al-Din at the place where the ifrit was burnt and did not carry him back to Basura fearing lest he come to harm now by the order of him who predestineth all things they alighted at Damascus of Syria and the ifritah set down her burden at one of the city gates and flew away when day arose the doors were opened the folks who came forth saw a handsome youth with no other raiment but his blue shirt of gold embroidered silk and skullcap lying upon the ground drowned in sleep after the hard labor of the night which had not suffered him to take his rest so the folk looking at him said oh, her luck with whom this one spent the night but would he had waited to don his garments quoth another a sorry lot are the sons of great families happily he but now came forth of the tavern on some occasion of his own and his wine flew to his head whereby he hath missed the place he was making for and strayed till he came to the gate of the city and finding it shut lay him down and to bye-bye as the people were bandying guesses about him suddenly the morning breeze blew upon Badar al-Din and raising his shirt to his middle showed a stomach and navel with something below it and legs and thighs clear as crystal and smooth as cream cried the people by Allah he is a pretty fellow and at the cry Badar al-Din awoke and found himself lying at a city gate with a crowd gathered around him at this he greatly marveled and asked am I, O good folk and what causeth you thus to gather round me and what have I had to do with you and they answered we found the lying here asleep during the call to dawn prayer and this is all we know of the matter but where did this thou lie last night by Allah O good people replied he I lay last night in Cairo said somebody thou hast surely been eating and another he's a fool and a third he is a citree and a fourth asked him art thou out of thy mind thou sleepest in Cairo and thou wakest in the morning at the gate of Damascus city cried he by Allah my good people one and all I lie not to you indeed I lay last night in the land of Egypt quote one well well and quote another ho ho and a third so so and a fourth cried this youth is mad is possessed of the jinny so they clapped hands at him and said to one another alas the pity of it for his youth by Allah a mad man and madness is no respecter of persons then they said to him collect thy wits and return to thy reason how couldst thou be in Basari yesterday and Cairo yesterday night and with all awake in Damascus this morning but he persisted indeed I was a bridegroom in Cairo last night be like thou has been dreaming rejoined they and sauced all this in thy sleep so Hasan took thought for a while and said to them by Allah this is no dream nor vision like doth it seem I certainly was in Cairo where they displayed the bride before me in presence of a third person the hunchback groom who is sitting hard by by Allah oh my brother this be no dream and if it were a dream where is the bag of gold I bore with me and where are my turban and my robe and my trousers then he rose and entered the city threading its highways and bazaar streets and the people pressed upon him and jeered at him crying out mad man mad man till he beside himself with rage took refuge in a cook's shop now that cook had been a trifle too clever that is a rogue and a thief but Allah had made him repent and turned from his evil ways and opened a cook's shop and all the people of Damascus stood in fear of his boldness and his mischief so when the crowd saw the youth enter his shop they dispersed being afraid of him and went their ways the cook looked at Bader al-Din and noting his beauty and loveliness fell in love with him forthright and said whence comest thou oh youth tell me at once thy tale for thou art become dearer to me than my soul so Hasan recounted to him all that had be fallen him from beginning to end but in repetition there is no fruition and the cook said oh my lord Bader al-Din doubtless thou knowest that this case is wondrous and this story marvelous therefore oh my son hide what hath be tidied thee till Allah dispel what ills be thine and tarry with me here the meanwhile for I have no child and I will adopt thee Bader al-Din replied be it as thou wilt oh my uncle whereupon the cook went to the bazaar and bought him a fine suit of clothes and made him don it then fared with him to the kazi and formally declared that he was his son so Bader al-Din Hasan became known in Damascus city as the cook's son and he sat with him in the shop to take the silver and on this wise he sojourned there for a time thus far concerning him but as regards his cousin the lady of beauty when mourning dawn she awoke and mist Bader al-Din Hasan from her side but she thought that he had gone to the privy and she sat expecting him for an hour or so when behold entered her father Shams al-Din Muhammad wazir of Egypt now he was disconsolate by reason of what had fallen him through the sultan who had entreated him harshly and had married his daughter by force to the lowest of his menials and he too a lump of a groom bunch-backed with all and he said to himself I will slay this daughter of mine if of her own free will she have yielded her person to this accursed Carl so he came to the door of the bride's private chamber and said oh sit al-Husun she answered him here am I, here am I oh my lord and came out unsteady of gate after the pains and pleasures of the night and she kissed his hand her face showing redoubled brightness and beauty for having lain in the arms of that gazelle her cousin when her father the wazir saw her in such case he asked her oh thou accursed art thou rejoicing because of this horse groom and sit al-Husun smiled sweetly and answered by Allah don't ridicule me enough of what passed yesterday when folk laughed at me and evened me with that groom-fella who is not worthy to bring my husband's shoes or slippers nay who is not worth the pairing of my husband's nails by the lord never in my life have I nighted a night so sweet as yesterday night so don't mock me by reminding me of the Gabbo when her parent heard her words he was filled with fury and his eyes glared and stared so that little of them showed save the whites and he cried fire upon thee what words are these? it was the hunchbacked horse groom who passed the night with thee Allah upon thee replied the lady of beauty do not worry me about the Gabbo Allah damn his father and leave jesting with me for this groom was only hired by a parringer of meat and he took his wage and went his way as for me I entered the bridal chamber where I found my true bridegroom sitting after the singer-women had displayed him to me the same who had crossed their hands with red gold till every pauper that was present waxed wealthy and I passed the night on the breast of my bunny man a most lively darling with his black eyes and eyebrows when her parent heard these words the light before his face became night and he cried out at her saying oh thou whore what is this thou tellest me where be thy wits oh my father she rejoined thou breakest my heart enough for thee that thou has been so hard upon me indeed my husband who took my virginity is but just now gone to the draft house and I feel that I have conceived by him the wazir rose in much marvel and entered the privy where he found the hunchback groom with his head in the hole and his heels in the air at this site he was confounded and said this is none other than he the rascal hunchback so he called to him oh hunchback the gobo grunted out and spoke to him so the wazir shouted at him and said speak out or I'll strike off thy pait with this sword then quote the hunchback by Allah O shake of the effreets ever since thou setest me in this place I have not lifted my head so Allah upon thee take pity and entreat me kindly when the wazir heard this he asked what is this thou sayest thy guide's father and no effreet enough for thee that thou hast well now done me die answered quazimodo now go thy ways before he come upon thee who hath served me thus could ye not marry me to any save the lady love of buffaloes and the beloved of effreets Allah curse her and curse him who married me to her and was the cause of this my case and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say end of section 15 of the book of a thousand nights and a night