 The Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 1, Section 16 This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For further information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Section 16 of Volume 1 of the Book of a Thousand Nights and a Night, translated by Sir Richard Burton When it was the 23rd night, said she, It hath reached me, O auspicious king, that the hunchbacked groom spake to the bride's father, saying, Alla curse him who was the cause of this my case. Then said the wasir to him, up and out of this place, Am I mad, cried the groom, that I should go with thee, without leave of the effete whose last words to me were, When the sun rises, arise and go thy gate. So hath the sun risen or no, for I dare not budge from this place till then. Ask the wasir, who brought thee hither? And he answered, I came here yesterday night for a call of nature and to do what none can do for me. When low a mouse came out of the water and squeaked at me and swelled and waxed gross till it was big as a buffalo and spoke to me words that entered my ears. Then he left me here and went away, Alla curse the bride and him who married me to her. The wasir walked up to him and lifted his head out of the cesspool hole and he fared forth running for dear life and hardly crediting that the sun had risen and repaired to the sultan to whom he told all that had befallen him with the effete. But the wasir returned to the bride's private chamber, saw troubled in spirit about her and said to her, Oh my daughter, explain this strange matter to me. Quoth she, it is simply this, the bridegroom to whom they displayed me yesterday eve, lay with me all night and took my virginity and I am with child by him. He is my husband, and if thou believe me not, there are his turban, twisted as it was, lying on the settle, and his dagger and his trousers beneath the bed with the something I what not what, wrapped up in them. When her father heard this he entered the private chamber and found the turban which had been left there by Badradiin Hassan, his brother's son, and he took it in hand and turned it over saying, This is the turban worn by wasirs, save that it is of mausole stuff. So he opened it, and finding what seemed to be an amulet sewn up in the fez, he unsewed the lining and took it out. Then he lifted up the trousers, wherein was the purse of the thousand gold pieces and opening that also found in it a written paper. This he read, and it was the sale receipt of the Jew in the name of Badradiin Hassan, son of Nur-A-Din Ali, the Egyptian, and the thousand dinars were also there. No sooner had Shamsaddin read this than he cried out with a loud cry and fell to the ground fainting, and as soon as he revived and understood the gist of the matter he marveled and said, There is no God but thee God who almighty is over all things. No is thou, O my daughter, who it was that became the husband of thy virginity? No, answered she, and he said, Verily, he is the son of my brother, thy cousin, and this thousand dinars is thy dowry. Praise be to Allah, and would I what how this matter came about? Then opened he the amulet which was sewn up and found therein a paper in the handwriting of his deceased brother, Nur-A-Din the Egyptian, father of Badradiin Hassan. And when he saw the handwriting he kissed it again and again, and he wept and wailed over his dead brother and improvised these lines. I see their traces, and with pain I melt, and on their Wailam homes I weep and yearn, and him I pray who dealt this parting blow some day he dayn about safe a safe return. When he ceased versifying he read the scroll and found in it recorded the dates of his brother's marriage with the daughter of the Wazir of Basura and of his going into her and her conception and the birth of Badradiin Hassan and all his brother's history and doings up to his dying day. So he marveled much and shook with joy and comparing the dates with his own marriage and going into his wife and the birth of their daughter, Sittal Husn, he found that they perfectly agreed. So he took the document and repairing with it to the Sultan, acquainted him with what had passed from first to last, were at the king marvelled and commanded the case to be at once recorded. The Wazir abode that day expecting to see his brother's son, but he came not and he waited a second day, a third day and so on to the seventh day without any tidings of him. So he said, By Allah, I will do a deed such as none have ever done before me. And he took reed, pen and ink and drew upon a sheet of paper the plan of the whole house showing whereabouts was the private chamber with the curtain in such a place and the furniture in such another and so on with all that was in the room. Then he folded up the sketch and causing all the furniture to be collected. He took Badradiin's garments the turban and fares and robe and purse and carried the whole to his house and locked them up against the coming of his nephew, Badradiin Hassan the son of his lost brother with an iron padlock on which he set his seal. As for the Wazir's daughter when her tale of months was fulfilled she bare a son like the full moon the image of his father in beauty and loveliness and fair proportions and perfect grace. They cut his navel string and called his eyelids to strengthen his eyes and gave him over to the nurses and nursery governesses naming him Ajeeb the wonderful. His day was as a month and his month was as a year and when seven years had passed over him his grandfather sent him to school in joining the master to teach him Quran reading to educate him well. He remained at the school four years till he began to bully his school fellows and abuse them and bash them and thrash them and say who among you is like me I am the son of the Wazir of Egypt. At last the boys came in a body to the monitor of what hard usage they will want to have from Ajeeb and he said to them I will tell you somewhat you may do to him so that he shall leave off coming to the school and it is this when he enters tomorrow sit she down about him and say some one of you to some other by Allah none shall play with us at this game except he tell us the names of his mama and his papa for he who knows not the names of his mother and his father is a bastard a son of adultery and he shall not play with us when the morning dawn the boys came to school Ajeeb being one of them and all flocked around him saying we will play a game wherein none can join save he can tell the name of his mama and his papa they all cried by Allah good then caught one of them my name is Majid and my mammy's name is Alawiyah and my daddy's is Zadeen another spoke in light guys and yet a third till Ajeeb's turn came and he said my name is Ajeeb my mother's is Siddal Hozn and my father's Shamsadeen the Wazir of Cairo by Allah cried they the Wazir is not thy true father Ajeeb answered the Wazir is my father in very deed then the boys all laughed and clapped their hands at him saying he does not know who is his papa get out from among us for none shall play with us except he know his father's name thereupon they dispersed from around him and laughed him to scorn so his breast was straightened and well night choked with tears and hurt feelings then said the monitor to him we know that the Wazir is thy grandfather the father of thy mother said da Hozn and not thy father as for thy father neither dost thou know him nor yet do we for the Sultan married thy mother to the hunchbacked horse groom but the jinnie came and slept with her and thou hast no known father leave then comparing thyself too advantageously with the little ones of the school till thou know that thou hast a lawful father for until then thou wilt pass for a child of adultery amongst them cease thou that not even a huckster's son knoweth his own sire thy grandfather is the Wazir of Egypt but as for thy father we watch him not and we say indeed that thou hast none so return to thy sound senses when Ajeeb heard these insulting words from the monitor and the school boys and understood the reproach they put upon him he went out and ran at once to his mother to complain but he was crying so bitterly that his tears prevented his speech for a while when she heard his sobs and saw his tears her heart burned as though with fire for him and she said oh my son why dost thou weep Allah keep the tears from thine eyes tell me what hath betided thee so he told her all that he heard from the boys and from the monitor and ended with asking and who oh my mother is my father she answered thy father is the Wazir of Egypt but he said do not lie to me the Wazir is thy father not mine who then is my father except thou tell me the very truth I will kill myself with this hanger when his mother heard him speak of his father she wept remembering her cousin and her bridal night with him and all that occurred thereon and then and she repeated these couplets love in my heart they lit and went their ways and all I loved to furthest lands withdrew and when they left me sufferance also left and when we parted patience bad adieu they fled and flying with my joys they fled in very consistency my spirit flew they made my eyelids flow with severance tears and to the parting pang these drops adieu and when I longed to see reunion day my groans prolonging sore for Ruth I sue then in my heart of hearts their shapes I trace and love and longing care and carc renew oh ye whose names cling round me like a cloak whose love yet closer than a shirt I drew beloved ones how long this hard despite how long this severance and this coy shy flight then she wailed and shrieked aloud and her son did the light and behold in came the wazir whose heart burnt within him at the sight of their lamentations and he said what makes you weep so the lady of beauty acquainted him with what had happened between her son and the school boys and he also wept calling to mind his brother and what had passed between them and what had betided his daughter and how he had failed to find out what mystery there was in the matter then he rose at once and repairing to the audience hall went straight to the king and told his tale and craved his permission to travel eastward to the city of Basora and ask after his brother's son furthermore he besought the sultan to write for him letters patent authorizing him to seize upon Badradiin his nephew and son-in-law wheresoever he might find him and he wept before the king who had pity on him and wrote royal autographs to his deputies in all climes and countries and cities where at the wazir rejoiced and prayed for blessings on him then taking leave of his sovereign he returned to his house where he equipped himself and his daughter and his adopted child with all things meet for a long march and set out and travelled the first day and the third and so forth till he arrived at Damascus city he found it a fair place abounding in trees and streams even as the poet said of it when I knighted and dade in Damascus town times swear such another he ne'er should view and careless we slept under wing of night till dappled mourn and her smiles renew and dew drops on branch in their beauty hung like pearls to be dropped when the Zephyr blew and the lake was the page where birds read and note and the clouds set points to what breezes wrote the wazir encamped on the open space called Alhasa and after pitching tents said to his servants a halt here for two days so they went into the city upon their several occasions this to sell and this to buy this to go to the Hamam and that to visit the mosque of the Banu Umayya the Omiadis whose like is not in this world Ijeb also went with his attendant eunuch for solace and diversion to the city and the servant followed with a quarter staff of almond wood so heavy that if he struck a camel there with the beast would never rise again when the people of Damascus saw Ijeb's beauty and brilliancy and perfect grace and symmetry for he was a marvel of comeliness and winning loveliness softer than the cool breeze of the north sweeter than limpid waters to a man in drought and pleasenter than the health for which sick man's sewith a mighty many followed him whilst others ran on before and sat down on the road until he should come up that they might gaze on him till as destiny had decreed the eunuch stopped at the top of Ijeb's father Badradeen Hassan now his beard had grown long and thick and his wits had ripened during the 12 years which had passed over him and the cook and ex rogue having died the so called Hassan of Basura had succeeded to his goods and shop for that he had been formally adopted before the Qazi and witnesses when his son and the eunuch stepped before him he gazed on Ijeb seeing how very beautiful he was his heart fluttered and throbbed and blood drew to blood and natural affection spake out and his bowels yearned over him he had just dressed a conserve of pomegranate grains with sugar and heaven implanted love wrought within him so he called to his son Ijeb and said oh my lord oh thou who has gotten the mastery of my heart and my very vitals and to whom my bowels yearn say me wilt thou enter my house and solace my soul by eating of my meat then his eyes streamed with tears which he could not stay for he bethought him of what he had been and what he had become when Ijeb heard his father's words his heart also yearned him woods and he looked at the eunuch and said to him of a truth oh my good God my heart yearns to this cook he is as one that hath a son far away from him so let us enter and gladden his heart by tasting of his hospitality for chance for our so doing Allah may reunite me with my father when the eunuch heard these words he cried a fine thing this by Allah shall the sons of wazirs be seen eating in a common cook shop indeed I keep off the folk from thee with this quarter staff lest they even look upon thee and dare not suffer thee to enter this shop at all when Hassan of Basura heard this speech he marveled and turned to the eunuch with tears pouring down his cheeks and Ijeb said verily my heart loves him but he answered leave this talk thou shall not go in there upon the father turned to the eunuch and said oh worthy sir why wilt thou not gladden my soul by entering my shop oh thou who art like a chestnut dark without but white of heart within oh thou of the like of whom a certain poet said the eunuch burst out a laughing and asked said what speak out by Allah and be quick about it so Hassan of Basura began reciting these couplets if not master of manners or ought but discreet in the household of kings no trust could he take and then for the harem what eunuch is he the angels would serve for his service's sake the eunuch marveled and was pleased at these words so he took Ijeb by the hand and went into the cook's shop where upon Hassan of Basura ladled into a saucer some conserved of pomegranate grains wonderfully good dressed with almonds and sugar saying you have honoured me with your company eat then and health and happiness to you there upon Ijeb said to his father sit thee down and eat with us so Pachance Allah may unite us with him we long for quoth Hassan oh my son hast thou then been afflicted in my tender years with parting from those thou lovest quoth Ijeb even so oh uncle mine my heart burns for the loss of a beloved one who is none other than my father and indeed I come forth I and my grandfather to circle and search the world for him oh the pity of it and how I long to meet him then he wept with exceeding sorrow for his own bereavement which recalled to him his long separation from dear friends and from his mother and the eunuch was moved to pity for him then they ate together till they were satisfied and Ijeb and the slave rose and left the shop here at Hassan of Basura it felt as though his soul had departed his body and had gone with them for he could not lose sight of the boy during the twinkling of an eye albeit he knew not that Ijeb was his son so he locked up his shop and hastened after them and he walked so fast that he came up with them before they had gone out of the western gate the eunuch turned and asked him what ails thee and Badr ad-Din answered when you went from me my soul had gone with you and as I had business without the city gate I purposed to bear you company till my matter was ordered and so returned the eunuch was angered and said to Ijeb this is just what I feared we ate that unlucky mouthful which we are bound to respect and here is the fellow following us from place to place for the vulgar are ever the vulgar Ijeb turning and seeing the cook just behind him was wroth and his face reddened with rage and he said to the servant let him walk the highway of the Muslims and he walked off to our tents and find that he still follows us we will send him about his business with a flea in his ear then he bowed his head and walked on the eunuch walking behind him but Hassan of Basura followed them to the plain Al-Hassa and as they drew near the tents they turned round and saw him close on their heels so Ijeb was very angry fearing that the eunuch might tell his grandfather what had happened his indignation was the hotter for apprehension lest any say that after he had entered a cook shop the cook had followed him so he turned and looked at Hassan of Basura and found his eyes fixed on his own for the father had become a body without a soul and it seemed to Ijeb that his eye was a treacherous eye or that he was some lewd fellow so his rage redoubled and stooping down he took up a stone weighing half a pound and threw it at his father it struck him on the forehead cutting it open from eyebrow to eyebrow and causing the blood to stream down and Hassan fell to the ground in a swoon whilst Ijeb and the eunuch made for the tents when the father came to himself he wiped away the blood and tore off a strip from his turban and bound up his head blaming himself the while and saying I wronged the lad by shutting up my shop and following so that he thought I was some evil minded fellow he returned into his place where he busied himself with the soul of his sweetmeats and he yearned after his mother at Basura and wept over her and broke out repeating unjust it were to bid the world be just and blame her not she ne'er was made for justice take what she gives thee leave all grief aside for now to fare and then to foul her lusties so Hassan of Basura set himself steadily to sell his sweetmeats but the wazir his uncle halted in Damascus three days and then marched upon Emesa and passing through that town he made inquiry there and at every place where he rested thence he fared on by way of Hamma and Aleppo and thence to Diyar Bakr and Maridin and Mosul still inquiring till he arrived at Basura city here as soon as he had secured a lodging he presented himself before the Sultan who entreated him with high honour and the respect due to his rank and asked the cause of his coming the wazir acquainted him with his history and told him that the minister Nuraddin was his brother whereupon the Sultan exclaimed Allah have mercy upon him and added my good Sahib he was my wazir for fifteen years and I loved him exceedingly then he died leaving a son who abode only a single month after his father's death since which time he has disappeared and we could gain no tidings of him but his mother who is the daughter of my former minister is still among us when the wazir Shamsaddin heard that his nephew's mother was alive and well he rejoiced and said oh king I much desire to meet her the king on the instant gave him leave to visit her so he betook himself to the mansion of his brother Nuraddin and cast sorrowful glances on all things in and around it and kissed the threshold then he betought him of his brother Nuraddin Ali and how he had died in a strange land far from kith and kin and friends and he wept and repeated these lines I wonder mid these walls my lilas walls and kissing this and other wall I roam it is not the walls or roof my heart so loves but those who in this house had made their home then he passed through the gate into a courtyard and found a vaulted doorway builded of hardest cyanite inlaid with sundry kinds of multi-coloured marble into this he walked and wandered about the house and throwing many a glance around saw the name of his brother Nuraddin written in gold wash upon the walls so he went up to the inscription and kissed it and wept and thought of how he had been separated from his brother and had now lost him forever and he recited these couplets I ask of you from every rising sun and each I ask when flasheth leavenlight when I pass my nights in passion pain yet near I plain me of my painful plight my love if longer last this parting throw little by little shall it waste my sprite and thou wouldst bless these iron with sight of thee one day on earth I crave none other sight think not another could possess my mind nor length nor breadth for other love I find then he walked on till he came to the apartment of his brother's widow the mother of Badradin Hassan the Egyptian now from the time of her son's disappearance she had never ceased weeping and wailing through the light hours and the dark and when the years grew longsome with her she built for him a tomb of marble in the midst of the saloon and there used to weep for him day and night never sleeping saved thereby when the wazir drew near her apartment he heard her voice and stood behind the door while she addressed the sepulcher in verse and said answer by Allah sepulcher are all his beauties gone hath changed the power to blight his charms that beauties paragon thou art not earth though sepulcher thou art not sky to me how comes it then in thee I see conjoint the branch and moon while she was bemoaning herself after this fashion behold the wazir went into her and saluted her and informed her that he was her husband's brother and telling her all that had passed between them laid open before her the whole story how her son Badradiin Hassan had spent a whole night with his daughter full ten years ago but had disappeared in the morning and he ended with saying my daughter conceived by thy son and bear a male child who is now with me and he is thy son and thy son's son by my daughter when she heard the tidings that her boy Badradiin was still alive and saw her brother-in-law she rose up to him and threw herself at his feet and kissed them reciting these lines Allah be good to him that gives glad tidings of thy steps in very sooth for better news mine ears would never sue were he content with worn out robe upon his back I'd throw a heart to piece his rent and torn when heard the word adieu then the wazir sent for Ajib and his grandmother stood up and fell on his neck and wept but Shamsaddin said to her this is no time for weeping this is the time to get thee ready for travelling with us to the land of Egypt happily Allah will reunite me and thee with thy son and my nephew replied she hearkening and obedience and rising at once collected her baggage and treasures and her jewels and equipped herself and her slave girls for the march whilst the wazir went to take his leave of the Sultan of Basura who sent by him presents and rarities for the soldan of Egypt then he set out at once upon his homeward march and journeyed till he came to Damascus city where he alighted in the usual place and pitched tents and said to his suite we will halt a send night here to buy presents and rare things for the soldan now Ajib thought him of the past so he said to the eunuch I want a little diversion come let us go down to the great bazaar of Damascus and see what hath become of the cook whose sweetmeats we ate and whose head we broke for indeed he was kind to us and we entreated him scurvially the eunuch answered hearing is obeying so they went forth from the tents and the tie of blood drew Ajib towards his father and forthwith they passed through the gateway Ba Bal Faradis height and entered the city and ceased not walking through the streets till they reached the cook shop where they found Hassan of Basura standing at the door it was near the time of mid-afternoon prayer and it so fortune that he had just dressed a confection of pomegranate grains when the twain drew near to him and Ajib saw him his heart yearned towards him and noticing the scar of the blow which time had darkened on his brow he said to him peace beyond thee, O man know that my heart is with thee but when Badraddin looked upon his son his vitals yearned and his heart fluttered and he hung his head earthwards and sought to make his tongue give utterance to his words but he could not then he raised his head humbly and suppliant wise towards his boy and repeated these couplets I longed for my beloved but when I saw his face I held my tongue and stood with downcast eye and hung my head in dread and would have hid my love but do what so I would hidden it would not lie volumes of plates I had prepared reproach and blame but when we met no single word remembered I and then said he to them heal my broken heart and eat of my sweet meat for by Allah I cannot look at thee my heart flutters indeed I should not have followed thee the other day but that I was beside myself by Allah answered Ajeeb thou dost indeed love us we ate in thy house a mouthful when we were here before and thou mayest us repent of it for that thou followedst us and wouldst have disgraced us so now we will not eat ought with thee save on condition that thou make oath not to go out after us or dog us otherwise we will not visit thee again during our present stay for we shall halt a week here whilst my grandfather buys certain presents for the king I promise you this so Ajeeb and the eunuch entered the shop and his father set before them a saucer full of conserve of pomegranate grains said Ajeeb sit thee down and eat with us so happily shall Allah dispel our sorrows Hassan the basourite was joyful and sat down and ate with them but his eyes kept gazing fixedly on Ajeeb's face for his very heart and vitals clove to him and at last the boy said to him did I not tell thee thou art a most noious doted so do stint thy staring in my face but when Hassan of Basoura heard his son's words he repeated these lines thou hast some art the hearts of men to clip close veiled far hidden mystery dark and deep oh thou whose beauties sham the lustrous moon wherewith the saffron mourn fears rivalship thy beauty is a shrine shall near decay whose signs shall grow until they all outstrip must I be thirst burnt by that eden brow and die of pine to taste that kausar lip Hassan kept putting morsels into Ajeeb's mouth at one time and at another time did the same by the eunuch and they yet till they were satisfied and could no more then all rose up and the cook poured water on their hands and loosing a silken waist shawl dried them and sprinkled them with rose water from a casting bottle he had by him then he went out and presently returned with a guglet of sherbet flavoured with rose water presented with musk and cooled with snow and he set this before them saying complete your kindness to me so Ajeeb took the guglet and drank and passed it to the eunuch and it went round to their stomachs were full and they were surfited with a meal larger than they want then they went away and made haste in walking till they reached the tents and Ajeeb went into his grandmother who kissed him and thinking of Hassan grown aloud and wept and recited these lines I still had hoped to see thee and enjoy thy sight for in thine absence life has lost its kindly light I swear my vitals what none other love but thine by Allah who can read the secrets of the sprite then she asked Ajeeb oh my son where has thou been? and he answered in Damascus city whereupon she rose and set before him a bit of scone and a saucer of conserve of pomegranate grains which was too little sweetened and she said to the eunuch sit down with thy master said the servant to himself by Allah we have no mind to eat I cannot bear the smell of bread but he sat down and so did Ajeeb though his stomach was full of what he had eaten already and drunken nevertheless he took a bit of the bread and dipped it in the pomegranate conserve and then he shifted to eat it but he found it too little sweetened for he was cloyed and surfited so he said what be this wild beast stuff oh my son cried his grandmother thus thou find fault with my cookery I cook this myself and none can cook it as nicely as I can save thy father Badradin Hassan by Allah oh my lady Ajeeb answered this dish is nasty stuff now in the city of Basoura a cook who so dresseth pomegranate grains that the very smell opened it away to the heart and the taste would make a full man long to eat and as for this mess compared with his it is not worth either much or little when his grandmother heard his words she waxed Roth with exceeding Roth and looked at the servant and Shahrazaad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased to say her permitted say End of section 16 the book of a thousand nights and a night volume 1 section 17 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 17 when it was the 24th night she said it hath reached me, o auspicious king that when Ajeeb's grandmother heard his words she waxed Roth and looked at the servant and said woe to thee dost thou spoil my son and dost take him into common cook shops the eunuch was frightened and denied saying we did not go into the shop we only passed by it by Allah cried Ajeeb but we did go in and we ate till it came out of our nostrils and the dish was better than thy dish then his grandmother rose and went and told her brother-in-law who was incensed against the eunuch and sending for him asked him why did thou take my son into a cook shop and the eunuch being frightened answered we did not go in but Ajeeb said we did go inside and ate conserve of pomegranate grains till we were full and the cook gave us to drink of iced and sugared sherbet that this the wazir's indignation redoubled and he questioned the castrato but as he still denied the wazir said to him if thou speak sooth sit down and eat before us so he came forward and tried to eat but could not eat and threw away the mouthful crying oh my lord I am surfited since yesterday by this the wazir was certified that he had eaten at the cooks and bade the slaves throw him which they did then they came down on him with a rib basting which burnt him till he cried for mercy and helped from Allah saying oh my master beat me no more and I will tell thee the truth whereupon the wazir stopped the bastinado and said now speak thou sooth quoth the eunuch know then that we did enter the shop of a cook while he was dressing conserve of pomegranate grains and he set some of it before us by Allah I never ate in my life it's like nor tasted ought nastier than this stuff which is now before us Badradin Hassan's mother was angry at this and said needs thou must go back to the cook bring me a saucer of conserved pomegranate grains from that which is in his shop and show it to thy master that he may say which be the better and the nicer mine or his said the unsext I will so on the instant she gave him a saucer and a half dinar and he returned to the shop and said to the cook oh shaykh of all cooks we have laid a wazir concerning thy cookery in my lord's house for they have conserved pomegranate grains there also so give me this half dinar's worth and look to it for I have eaten a full meal of stick on account of thy cookery and so do not let me eat ought more thereof Hassan of Basura laughed and answered by Allah none can dress this dish as it should be dressed save myself and my mother and she at this time is in a far country then he ladled out a saucer full and finishing it off with mask and rose water put it in a cloth which he sealed and gave it to the eunuch who hastened back with it no sooner had Badradiin Hassan's mother tasted it and perceived its fine flavour and the excellence of the cookery than she knew who had dressed it and she screamed and fell down fainting the wazir sorely started sprinkled rose water upon her and after a time she recovered and said if my son be yet of this world none dressed this conserve of pomegranate grains but he and this cook is my very son Badradiin Hassan there is no doubt of it nor can there be any mistake for only I and he knew how to prepare it and I taught him when the wazir heard her words he joyed with exceeding joy and said all the longing of me for a sight of my brother's son I wonder if the days will ever unite us with him yet it is to almighty Allah alone that we look for bringing about this meeting then he rose without stay or delay and going to his sweet said to them be off some fifty of you with sticks and staves to the cook shop and demolish it then pinion his arms behind him with his own turban saying it was thou madeest that foul mess of pomegranate grains and drag him here perforce but without doing him any harm and they replied it is well then the wazir rode off without losing an instant to the palace and foregathering with the viceroy of Damascus showed him the sultan's orders after careful perusal he kissed the letter and placing it upon his head said to his visitor who is this offender of thine quoth the wazir a man who is a cook so the viceroy at once sent his apparatus to the shop which they found demolished and everything in it broken to pieces for whilst the wazir was riding to the palace his men had done his bidding then they awaited his return from the audience and Hassan of Basura who was their prisoner kept saying I wonder what they have found in the conserve of pomegranate grains to bring things to this pass when the wazir returned to them after his visit to the viceroy who had given him formal permission to take up his debtor and depart with him on entering the tents he called for the cook they brought him forward pinioned with his turban and when Badradiin Hassan saw his uncle he wept with excessive weeping and said oh my lord what is my offence against thee art thou the man who dressed that conserve of pomegranate grains asked the wazir and he answered yes didst thou find it ought to call for the cutting off of my head quoth the wazir that were the least of thy deserts quoth the cook oh my lord will thou not tell me my crime and what I lift the conserve of pomegranate grains presently replied the wazir and called aloud to his men bring hither the camels so they struck the tents and by the wazir's orders the servants took Badradiin Hassan and set him in a chest which they padlocked and put on a camel then they departed and stinted not journeying till nightfall when they halted and ate some vitil and took Badradiin Hassan out of his chest and gave him a meal and locked him up again they set out once more and travelled till they reached Kimra where they took him out of the box and brought him before the wazir who asked him art thou he who dressed that conserve of pomegranate grains and the wazir said feta him so they fetaed him and returned him to the chest and fared on again till they reached Cairo and lighted at the quarter called Ar-Raidaniya then the wazir gave order to take Badradiin Hassan out of the chest and sent for a carpenter and said to him make me a cross of wood for this fellow cried Badradiin Hassan and what will thou do with it and the wazir replied I mean to crucify thee thereon and nail thee there too and parade thee all about the city and why will thou use me after this fashion because of thy villainous cookery of conserved pomegranate grains how durst thou dress it and sell it lacking pepper and for that it lacked pepper will thou do all this to me is it not enough that thou has broken my shop and smashed my gear and boxed me up in a chest and today too little pepper this is a crime which can be expiated only upon the cross then Badradiin Hassan marvelled and fell a morning for his life whereupon the wazir asked him of what think is thou and he answered him of maggoty heads like thine for and thou had one ounce of sense thou hadst not treated me thus quoth the wazir it is our duty to punish thee but thou do the like again quoth Badradiin Hassan of a truth my offence were over punished by the least of what thou has already done to me and Allah damn all conserved pomegranate grains and cursed the hour when I cooked it and would I had died ere this but the wazir rejoined there is no help for it I must crucify a man who sells conserved pomegranate grains lacking pepper all this time the carpenter was shaping the wood and Badradiin looked on and thus they did till night when his uncle took him and clapped him into the chest saying the thing shall be done tomorrow then he waited until he knew Badradiin Hassan to be asleep when he mounted and taking the chest up before him entered the city and rode on to his own house where he alighted and said to his daughter praise be Allah be with thy husband the son of thine uncle up now and order the house as it was on thy bridal night so the servants arose and lit the candles and the wazir took out his plan of the nuptial chamber and directed them what to do till they had set everything in its stead so that whoever saw it would have no doubt but that it was the very night of the marriage then he bade them put down Badradiin Hassan's turbaned on the settle as he had hesitated it with his own hand and in light manner his bagged trousers and the purse which were under the mattress and told his daughter to undress herself and go to bed in the private chamber as on her wedding night adding when the son of thine uncle comes into the say to him thou hast loitered while going to the privy and call him to lie by thy side and keep him in converse till daybreak when we will explain the whole matter to him then he bade take Badradiin Hassan out of the chest after loosing the fetters from his feet and stripping off all that was on him save the fine shirt of blue silk in which he had slept on his wedding night so that he was well-nigh naked and trouserless all this was done whilst he was sleeping on utterly unconscious then by doom of destiny Badradiin Hassan turned over and awoke finding himself in a lighted vestibule said to himself surely I am in the mazes of some dream so he rose and went on a little to an inner door and looked in and lo he was in the very chamber wherein the bride had been displayed to him and there he saw the bridal alcove and the saddle and his turban and all his clothes when he saw this he was confounded and kept advancing with one foot and retiring with the other am I sleeping or waking but he began rubbing his forehead and saying, friended he was thoroughly astounded by Allah verily this is the chamber of the bride who was displayed before me where am I then I was surely but now in a box whilst he was talking with himself said to al-khurs suddenly lifted the corner of the chamber curtain and said oh my lord wilt thou not come in indeed thou hast loitered long in the water closet when he heard her words and saw her face he burst out laughing and said of a truth this is a very nightmare among dreams then he went in sighing and pondered what had come to pass with him and was perplexed about his case and his affair became yet more obscure to him when he saw his turban and bag trousers and when feeling the pocket he found the purse containing the thousand gold pieces so he stood still and muttered Allah is all knowing assuredly I am dreaming a wild waking dream then said the lady of beauty to him what ails thee to look puzzled and perplexed adding that was the very different man during the first of the night he laughed and asked her how long have I been away from thee and she answered him Allah preserve thee and his holy name be about thee thou didst but go out an hour ago on occasion and return are thy wits clean gone when Badradiin Hassan heard this he laughed and said that was spoken truth but when I went out from thee I forgot myself a while in the draught house and dreamt that I was a cook at Damascus and abode there ten years and there came to me a boy who was of the sons of the great and with him a eunuch here he passed his hand over his forehead and feeling the scar cried Allah or my lady it must have been truth for he struck my forehead with a stone and cut it open from eyebrow to eyebrow and here is the mark so it must have been on wake then he added but perhaps I dreamt it when we fell asleep I and thou in each other's arms for me seems it was as though I'd travelled to Damascus without tabushan trousers and set up as a cook there then he was perplexed and considered for a while and said by Allah I also fancied that I dressed a conserve of pomegranate grains and put too little pepper in it by Allah I must have slept in the numericent and have seen the whole thing in a dream but how long was that dream Allah upon thee said said and what more soest thou so he related all to her and presently said by Allah had I not woke up they would have nailed me to a cross of wood and more asked she and he answered for putting too little pepper in the conserve of pomegranate grains and me seemed they demolished my shop and dashed to pieces my pots and pans destroyed all my stuff and put me in a box they then sent for the carpenter to fashion a cross for me and would have crucified me thereon now alhamdulillah thanks be to Allah for that all this happened to me in sleep and not on wake and he asked him to her bosom and he her to his then he thought again and said by Allah it could not be saved while I was awake truly I know not what to think of it then he lay him down and all the night he was bewildered about his case now saying I was dreaming and then saying I was awake till morning when his uncle Shamsaddin the wazir came to him and saluted him when Badraddin Hassan saw him he said by Allah are thou not he who bad bind my hands behind me and smash my shop and nail me to a cross on a matter of conserved pomegranate grains because the dish lacked a sufficiency of pepper whereupon the wazir said to him no oh my son that truth hath shown it so fast and the concealed hath been revealed thou art the son of my brother and I did all this with thee to certify myself that thou wasst indeed he who went in unto my daughter that night I could not be sure of this till I saw that thou newest the chamber and thy turban and thy trousers and thy gold and the papers in thy writing and in that of thy father my brother for I had never seen the afore that and newly not now as to thy mother I have prevailed upon her to come with me from Basura so saying he threw himself on his nephew's breast and he kept for joy and Badr ad-din Hassan hearing these words from his uncle marvelled with exceeding marvel and fell on his neck and also shed tears for excessive delight then said the wazir to him oh my son the sole cause of all this is what passed between me and thy sire and all that had occurred to part them lastly the wazir sent for Ajib and when his father saw him he cried it is he who struck me with the stone what the wazir this is thy son and Badr ad-din Hassan threw himself upon his boy and began repeating long have I wept to a severance ban and bane long from mine eyelids, terials rail and rain and vowed I if time reunion bring my tongue from name of severance I'll restrain joy hath all come me dressed that I from joy's revulsion to shed tears and feign ye are so trained to tears oh iron of me you weep with pleasure as you weep with pain when he had ended his verse his mother came in and threw herself upon him and began reciting when we met we complained our hearts were sore rung but plaint is not pleasant from messenger's tongue when she wept and related to him what had befallen her since his departure and he told her what he had suffered and they thanked Allah Almighty for their reunion two days after his arrival the wazir shamsad went into the sultan and kissing the ground between his hands greeted him with the greeting due to kings the sultan rejoiced at his return and his face brightened and placing him hard by his side he asked him to relate all he had seen in his wayfaring and what so had betided him in his going and coming so the wazir told him all that had passed from first to last and the sultan said thanks be to Allah for thy victory and the winning of thy wish and thy safe return to thy children and thy people and now I needs must see the son of thy brother Hassan of Basura so bring him to the audience hall shamsad deen replied thy slave shall stand in thy presence tomorrow in shala if it be god's will then he saluted him and returning to his own house informed his nephew of the sultan's desire to see him where to replied Hassan while on the basuraite the slave is obedient to the orders of his lord and the result was that next day he accompanied his uncle shamsad deen and after saluting the sultan and doing him reverence in most ceremonious obeisance and with most courtly obsequiousness he began improvising these verses the first in rank to kiss the ground shall deen before you and all ends and aims attain you are honours found and all that hope of you shall gain more honour than hope hope to gain the sultan smiled and signed to him to sit down so he took a seat close to his uncle shamsad deen and the king asked him his name quath baddra deen Hassan the minister of thy slaves is known as Hassan the basuraite who is instant in prayer for thee day and night the sultan was pleased at his words and being minded to test his learning and prove his good breeding asked him thus thou remember any verses in praise of the mole on the cheek he answered I do! and began reciting when I think of my love and our parting smart my groans go forth and my tears upstart he is a mole that reminds me in colour and charms of the black of the eye and the grain of the heart the king admired and praised the two couplets and said to him quote something else Allah bless thy sire and may thy tongue never tire that cheek mole spot they evened with a grain of musk nor did they hear the simile strain nay marvel at the face comprising all beauty nor falling short by single grain the king shook with pleasure and said to him say more Allah bless thy days so he began oh you whose mole on cheek enthroned recalls a dot of musk upon a stone of ruby grant me your favours be not stone at heart, core of my heart whose only sustenance you be quoth the king fair comparison or Hassan thou has spoken excellently well and has proved thyself accomplished in every accomplishment now explain to me how many meanings be there in the Arabic language for the word khul or mole he replied Allah keep the king seven and fifty and some by tradition say fifty said the sultan thou sayest sooth presently adding has thou knowledge as to the points of excellence in beauty yes answered Badradiin Khasam beauty consisted in brightness of face, clearness of complexion, shapeliness of nose, gentleness of eyes sweetness of mouth, cleverness of speech, slenderness of shape and seamliness of all attributes but the acme of beauty is in the hair and indeed a shirab the hijazi hath brought together all these items in his doggerel verse of the Mita Rajaz and it is this say thou to skin be soft to face be fair and gaze nor shall they blame how so thou stare fine nose in beauty's list is high esteemed nor less an eye full bright and debonair each did they well to lord the lovely lips which in the sleep of me will never spare a winning tongue, a statua tall and straight a seemly union of gifts rarest rare but beauty's acme in the hair one views it so hear my strain and with some few excuse it the sultan was captivated by his converse and regarding him as a friend asked what meaning is there in the sore shuray is foxier than the fox and he answered no, oh king, whom almighty Allah keep that the legist, shuray was want during the days of the plague to make a visitation to Anna Jaff and whenever he stood up to pray there came a fox which would plant himself facing him and which by mimicking his movements distracted him from his devotions now when this became longsome to him one day he doffed his shirt and set it upon a cane and shook out the sleeves then placing his turban on the top and girding its middle with a shawl he stuck it up in the place where he used to pray presently up trotted the fox according to his custom and stood over against the figure whereupon shuray came up behind him and took him hence the saith, shuray foxier than the fox when the sultan heard Badradin Khasan's explanation he said to his uncle Shamsadin truly this the son of thy brother is perfect in courtly breeding and I do not think that his light can be found in Cairo but this Khasan arose and kissed the ground before him and sat down again as a mamaluk should sit before his master when the sultan had thus assured himself of his courtly breeding and bearing and his knowledge of the liberal arts and ballet he joyed with exceeding joy and invested him with a splendid robe of honour and promoted him to an office whereby he might better his condition then Badradin Khasan arose and kissing the ground before the king wished him continuance of glory and asked leave to retire with his uncle the wazir Shamsadin the sultan gave him leave and he issued forth and the two returned home where food was set before them and they ate what Allah had given them after finishing his meal Khasan repaired to the sitting chamber of his wife the lady of beauty and told her what had passed between him and the sultan whereupon quoth she he cannot fail to make the a cup companion and give the largesse in excess and load thee with favours and bounties so shalt thou by Allah's blessing disbread like the greater light the rays of thy perfection wherever thou be on shore or on sea said he to her I purposed to recite a kassida an ode in his praise that he may redouble in affection for me thou art right in thine intent she answered so gather thy wits together and weigh thy words and I shall surely see my husband favoured thereupon Khasan shut himself up and composed these couplets on a solid base and abounding in inner grace and copied them out in a handwriting of the nicest taste they are as follows mine is a chief who reached most haught estate treading the pathways of the good and great his justice makes all regions safe and sure and against throw would foes bars every gate bold lion, hero, saint in if you call seraph or sovereign he with all may rate the poorest supplicant rich from him returns all words to praise him were inadequate he to the day of peace his saffron mourn and murky night in furious warfare's bait bow neath his gifts our necks and by his deeds as king in the halls he joys his state Allah increase for us his term of years and from his lot avert all risks and fears when he had finished transcribing the lions he dispatched them in charge of one of his uncle's slaves to the sultan who perused them and his fancy was pleased so that he read them to those present and all praised them with the highest praise thereupon he sent for the writer to the chamber and said to him thou art from this day forth my boon companion and I appoint to thee a monthly sold of a thousand dirhams over and above that I bestowed on thee a foretime so Hassan rose and kissing the ground before the king several times prayed for the continuance of his greatness and glory and length of life and strength thus Badraddin Hassan the basaurite high in honour and his fame flew forth to many regions and he abode in all comfort and solace and delight of life with his uncle and his own folk till death overtook him when the caliph Haroun Arashid heard this story from the mouth of his wazir Jaffa the barmeside he marveled much and said it behoves that these stories be written in letters of liquid gold then he set the slave at liberty and assigned to the youth who had slain his wife such a monthly stipend as suffice to make his life easy he also gave him a concubine from amongst his own slave girls and the young man became one of his cup companions yet this story continued Shahrazad is in no wise stranger than the tale of the tailor and the hunchback and the Jew and the Reeve and the Nazarene and what betided them of the king and what may that be so Shahrazad began in these words the hunchback's tale it hath reached me o auspicious king that they had dwelt during times of yore and years and ages long gone before in a certain city of china a tailor who was an open handed man that loved pleasuring and merrymaking and who was wont he and his wife to solace themselves from time to time with public diversions and amusements one day they went out with the first of the light and were returning in the evening when they fell in with a hunchback whose semblance would draw a laugh from care and dispel the horrors of despair so they went up to enjoy looking at him and invited him to go home with them and converse and carouse with them that night he consented and accompanied them afoot to their home whereupon the tailor fared forth to the bazaar night having just set in and bought a fried fish and bread and lemons and dry sweet meats for dessert and set the vitals before the hunchback and they ate presently the tailor's wife took a great fid of fish and gave it in a gobbit to the gobo stopping his mouth with her hand and saying by Allah thou must down with it at a single gulp and I will not give thee time to chew it so he bolted it and therein was a stiff bone which stuck in his gullet and his hour being come he died and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased saying her permitted say and of section 17 of the book of a thousand nights and a night volume 1 the book of a thousand nights and a night volume 1 section 18 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 18 when it was the 25th night she said it hath reached me, O auspicious king, that when the tailor's wife gave the hunchback that mouthful of fish which ended his term of days he died on the instant seeing this the tailor cried aloud there is no majesty and there is no might save in Allah alas that this poor wretch should have died in so foolish fashion at our hands and the woman rejoined why this idle talk asked thou not heard his saying who said why then waste I my time in grief until I find no friend to bear my weight of woe how sleep upon a fire that flames unquenched upon the flames to rest were hardy now asked her husband and what shall I do with him and she answered rise and take him in thine arms and spread a silken kerchief over him then I will fare forth with thee following me this very night and if thou meet any one say this is my son and his mother and I are carrying him to the doctor that he may look at him so he rose and taking the hunchback in his arms bore him along the streets preceded by his wife who kept crying O my son, Allah keep thee what part paineth thee and where hath this smallpox attacked thee so all who saw them said tis a child sick of smallpox they went along asking for the physician's house till folk directed them to that of a leech which was a Jew they knocked at the door and there came down to them a black slave girl who opened and seeing a man bearing a babe and a woman with him said to them what is the matter we have a little one with us answered the tailor's wife and we wish to show him to the physician so take this quarter dinar and give it to thy master and let him come down and see my son who is sore sick the girl went up to tell her master whereupon the tailor's wife walked into the vestibule and said to her husband leave the hunchback here and let us fly for our lives so the tailor carried the dead man to the top of the stairs and propped him up right against the wall and ran away he and his wife meanwhile the girl went into the Jew and said to him at the door are a man and a woman with a sick child and they have given me a quarter dinar for thee that thou mayest go down and look at the little one and prescribe for it as soon as the Jew saw the quarter dinar he rejoiced and rose quickly in his greed of gain and went forth hurriedly in the dark but hardly had he made a step and he stumbled on the corpse and threw it over when it rolled to the bottom of the staircase so he cried out to the girl to hurry up with the light and she brought it whereupon he went down and examining the hunchback found that he was stone dead so he cried out oh for Estras, oh for Moses oh for Aaron, oh for Joshua son of Nun oh the ten commandments I have stumbled against the sick one I have fallen downstairs and he is dead how shall I get this man I have killed out of my house oh by the hooves of the ass of Estras then he took up the body and carrying it into the house told his wife what had happened and she said to him why dost thou sit still if thou keep him here till daybreak we shall both lose our lives let us carry him to the terrace roof and throw him over into the house of our neighbour Muslim, for if he abide there a night the dogs will come down on him from the adjoining terraces and eat him up now his neighbour was a reave the controller of the sultan's kitchen and was wont to bring back great store of oil and fat and broken meats but the cats and rats used to eat it or if the dogs sent it a fat sheep's tail they would come down from the nearest roofs and tear at it and on this wise he had already damaged much of what he brought home so the Jew and his wife carried the hunchback up to the roof and letting him down by his hands and feet through the wind-shaft into the reave's house propped him up against the wall and went their ways hardly had they done this when the reave who had been passing an evening with his friends hearing a recitation of the Quran came home and opened the door and going up with a lighted candle found a son of Adam standing in the corner under the ventilator when he saw this he said, wha! by Allah very good for Sooth he who robeth my stuff is none other than a man then he turned to the hunchback and said so, tis thou that steelest the meat and the fat I thought it was the cats and dogs and I kill the cats and dogs of the quarter and sin against them by killing them and all the while tis thou cometh down from the house terrace through the wind-shaft but I will avenge myself upon thee with my own hand so he snatched up a heavy hammer and set upon him and smote him full on the breast and he fell down then he examined him and finding that he was dead cried out in horror thinking that he had killed him and said there is no majesty and there is no might save in Allah the glorious the great and he feared for his life and added Allah cursed the oil and the meat and the grease and the sheep's tails to boot how hath fate given this man his creatus at my hand then he looked at the body and seeing it was that of a gobo said was it not enough for thee to be a hunchback but thou must likewise be a thief and prig, flesh and fat O thou valour, dain to veil me with thy curtain of concealment so he took him up on his shoulders and went forth with him from his house about the latter end of the night carried him to the nearest end of the bazaar where he set him up on his feet against the wall of a shop at the head of a dark lane and left him and went away after a while up came a Nazarene the sultan's broker who much bemused with liquor was purposing for the hamam bath as his drunkenness whispered in his ear verily the call to matins his nigh he came plodding along and staggering about till he drew near the hunchback and squatted down to make water over against him when he happened to glance around and saw a man standing against the wall now some person had snatched off the Christians turbaned in the first of the night so when he saw the hunchback hard by he fancied that he also meant to steal his headdress there upon he clenched his fist felling him to the ground and called aloud to the watchmen of the bazaar and came down on the body in his drunken fury and kept on belaboring and throttling the corpse presently the charlie came up and finding a Nazarene kneeling on a muslim and frapping him asked what harm had this one done and the broker answered the fellow meant to snatch off my turbaned get up from him quoth the watchmen so he arose and the charlie went up to the hunchback and finding him dead exclaimed by Allah, good indeed a christian killing a muhammitan then he seized the broker and tying his hands behind his back carried him to the governor's house and all the while the Nazarene kept saying to himself oh messiah, oh virgin how came I to kill this fellow and in what a hurry he must have been to depart this life when he died of a single blow presently as his drunkenness fled came dollar in its stead so the broker and the body were kept in the governor's palace till morning morrowed when the wally came out and gave order to hang the supposed murderer and commanded the executioner make proclamation of the sentence forthwith they set up a gallows under which they made the Nazarene stand and the torch bearer, who was hangman threw the rope round his neck and passed one end through the pulley and was about to hoist him up when lo the reeve who was passing by saw the broker about to be hanged and making his way through the people cried out to the executioner hold, hold I am he who killed the hunchback asked the governor what made thee kill him and he answered I went home last night and there found this man who had come down the ventilator to steal my property so I smote him with a hammer on the breast and he died forthright then I took him up and carried him to the bazaar and set him up against the wall in such a place near such a lane adding is it not enough for me to have killed a muslim without also killing a christian so hang none other but me when the governor heard these words he released the broker and said to the torch bearer a stone confession so he loosed the cord from the nazarene's neck and threw it round that of the reeve and making him stand under the gallows tree was about to string him up when behold the jewish physician pushed through the people and shouted to the executioner hold, hold it was I and none else killed the hunchback last night I was sitting at home when a man and a woman knocked at the door carrying this gobo who was sick and her hand made a quarter dinar bidding her hand me the fee and tell me to come down and see him while she was gone the man and the woman brought him into the house and setting him on the stairs went away and presently I came down and not seeing him for I was in the dark stumbled over him and he fell to the foot of the staircase and died on the moment then we took him up I and my wife and carried him onto the top terrace of this reeve being next door to mine we let the body down through the ventilator when he came home and found the hunchback in his house he fancied he was a thief and struck him with a hammer so that he fell to the ground and our neighbour made certain that he had slain him now is it not enough for me to have killed one muslim unwittingly without burdening myself with taking the life of another muslim wittingly when the governor heard this he said to the hangman set free the reeve and hang the Jew thereupon the torchbearer took him and slung the cord around his neck when behold the tailor pushed through the people and shouted to the executioner hold hold it was I and none else killed the hunchback and this was the fashion thereof I had been out of pleasuring yesterday and coming back to supper fell in with this gobo who was drunk and drumming away from the restily to his tambourine so I accosted him and carried him to my house and bought a fish and we sat down to eat presently my wife took a fit of fish and making a gobbit of it crammed it into his mouth but some of it went down the wrong way or stuck in his gullet and he died on the instant so we lifted him up I and my wife and carried him to the Jew's house where the slave girl came down to the door to us and I said to her tell thy master that there are a man and a woman and a sick person for thee to see I gave her a quarter dinar and she went up to tell her master and whilst she was gone I carried the hunchback to the head of the staircase and propped him up against the wall and went off with my wife when the Jew came down he stumbled over him and thought that he had killed him then he asked the Jew is this the truth and the Jew answered yes thereupon the tailor turned to the governor and said leave go the Jew and hang me when the governor heard the tailor's tale he marveled at the matter of this hunchback and exclaimed verily this is an adventure which should be recorded in books then he said to the hangman let the Jew go and hang the tailor on his own confession the executioner took the tailor and put the rope around his neck and said I'm tired of such slow work we bring out this one and change him for that other and no one is hanged after all now the hunchback in question was, they relate Jester to the Sultan of China who could not bear him out of his sight so when the fellow got drunk and did not make his appearance that night or the next day till noon the Sultan asked some of his courtiers about him and they answered oh our lord the governor hath come upon him dead and hath ordered his murderer to be hanged but as the hangman was about to hoist him up there came a second and a third and a fourth and each one said it is I and none else killed the hunchback and each gave a full and circumstantial account of the manner of the Jester being killed when the King heard this he cried aloud to the Chamberlain in waiting go down to the governor and bring me all four of them so the Chamberlain went down at once to the place of execution where he found the torchbearer on the point of hanging the tailor and shouted to him hold, hold then he gave the King's command to the governor who took the tailor, the Jew the Nazarene and the Reeve the hunchback's body being born on men's shoulders and went up with one and all of them to the King when he came into the presence he kissed the ground and acquainted the ruler with the whole story which it is needless to relate for, as they say there is no avail in a thrice-told tale the Sultan hearing it marvelled and was moved to Murth and commanded the story to be written in letters of liquid gold saying to those present did ye ever hear a more wondrous tale than that of my hunchback thereupon the Nazarene broker came forward and said oh king of the age with thy leave I will tell thee a thing which happened to myself and which is still more wondrous and marvellous and pleasurable and delectable than the tale of the hunchback what the king tell us what thou hast to say so he began in these words the Nazarene broker's story oh king of the age I came to this thy country with merchandise and destiny stayed me here with you but my place of birth was Cairo in Egypt where I also was brought up for I am one of the cots and my father was a broker before me when I came to man's estate he departed this life and I succeeded to his business one day as I was sitting in my shop behold there came up to me a youth handsome as could be wearing sumptuous raiment and riding a fine ass when he saw me he saluted me and I stood up to do him honour then he took out a kerchief containing a sample of sesame and asked how much is this worth per adab where too I answered a hundred dirhams quoth he take porters and gauges and meatsmen and come tomorrow to the Khan al-Jawit where they will find me then he fared forth leaving me with the sample of sesame in his kerchief and I went the round of my customers and ascertained that every adab would fetch a hundred and twenty dirhams next day I took four meatsmen and walked with them to the Khan where I found him awaiting me as soon as he saw me he rose and opened his magazine when we measured the grain till the store was empty and we found the contents fifty adabs making five thousand pieces of silver then said he let ten dirhams on every adab be thy brokerage so take the price and keep in deposit four thousand and five hundred dirhams for me and when I have made an end of selling the other wares in my warehouses I will come to thee and receive the amount I will well replied I facing his hand went away having made that day a profit of a thousand dirhams he was absent a month at the end of which he came to me and asked where be the dirhams I rose and saluted him and answered to him wilt thou not eat somewhat in my house but he refused with the remark get the monies ready and I will presently return and take them then he rode away so I brought out the dirhams and sat down to await him but he stayed away for another month when he came back and said to me where be the dirhams I rose and saluting him asked wilt thou not eat something in my house but he again refused adding get me the monies ready and I will presently return and take them then he rode off so I brought out the dirhams and sat down to await his return but he stayed away from me a third month and I said verily this young man is liberality in incarnate form at the end of the month he came up riding a mere mule and wearing a suit of sumptuous raiment he was as the moon on the night of fullness and he seemed as if fresh from the baths with his cheeks rosy bright and his brow flower white and a mould spot like a grain of ambergris lighting the sight even as was said of such and one by the poet full moon with sun in single mansion in brightest sheen and fortune rose and shone with happy splendour changing every sprite hailed to what girdens prayer with blissful boon their charms and grace have gained perfection's height all hearts have conquered and all wits have won lord to the lord for work so wonderstrange and what the almighty wills his hand hath done when I saw him I rose to him and invoking blessings on him asked oh my lord wilt thou not take thy monies wence the hurry quoth he wait till I've made an end of my business and then I will come and take them again he rode away and I said to myself my Allah when he comes next time needs must I make him my guest for I have traded with his dear hums and have gotten large gains thereby at the end of the year he came again habited in a suit of clothes more sumptuous than the former and when I conjured him by the evangel to a light at my house and eat of my guest food he said I consent on condition that what thou expendest on me shall be my monies still in thy hand I answered so be it and made him sit down whilst I got ready what was needful of meat and drink and else besides and set the tray before him with the invitation Bismillah then he drew near the tray and put out his left hand and ate with me and I marveled at his not using the right hand when we had done eating I poured water on his hand and gave him with to wipe it upon this we sat down to converse after I had set before him some sweet meats and I said to him oh my master pretty relieve me by telling me why thou eatest with thy left hand perchance something alith thy other hand when he heard my words he repeated these verses dear friend ask not what burneth in my breast lest thou see fiery pangs I never saw wills not my heart to harbour Salma instead of Lila's love but need hath near a law and he put out his right arm from his sleeve and behold the hand was cut off a wrist without a fist I was astounded at this but he said marvel not and think not that I ate with my left hand for conceit and insolence but from necessity and the cutting off my right hand was caused by an adventure of the strangest asked I and what caused it and he answered know that I am of the sons of Baghdad and my father was of notables of that city when I came to Mansi state I heard the pilgrims and wayfarers travellers and merchants talk of the land of Egypt and their words sank deep into my mind till my parent died when I took a large sum of money I finished myself for trade with stuffs of Baghdad and Mosul and packing them up in bails set out on my wanderings and Allah decreed me safety till I entered this your city then he wept and began repeating the blearide scapes the pit where in the link side fall a word the wise man slays and saves the natural the muslim fails of food the kafir feasts in hall what art or act is man's God's will obligeth all now when he had ended his verse he said so I entered Cairo and took off my loads and stored my stuffs in the Khan al-Mas then I gave the servant a few silvers wherewith to buy me some food and lay down to sleep a while when I awoke I went to the street called Bain al-Khazrain between the two palaces I recently returned and rested my night in the Khan when it was morning I opened a bail and took out some stuff saying to myself I will be off and go through some of the bazaars and see the state of the market so I loaded the stuff on some of my slaves and fared forth till I reached the Qaisariya or exchange of jaharkas where the brokers who knew of my coming came to meet me they took the stuffs and cried them but could not get the prime cost of them I was vexed at this however the shaykh of the brokers said to me oh my lord I will tell thee how thou mayest make a profit of thy goods thou shouldest do as the merchants do and sell thy merchandise at credit for a fixed period on a contract drawn up by a notary and duly witnessed and employ a shroff to take thy dues every Monday and Thursday so shout thou gain two dirhams more for every one and thou shalt solace and divert thyself by seeing Cairo and the Nile both I this is sound advice and carried the brokers to the khan they took my stuffs and went with them on change where I sold them well taking bonds for the value these bonds I deposited with a shroff a banker who gave me a receipt with which I returned to the khan here I stayed a whole month breaking my fast with a cup of wine and making my meals on pigeon's meat, mutton and sweet meats till the time came when my receipts began to fall due so every Monday and Thursday I used to go on change and sit in the shop of one or other of the merchants whilst the notary and money changer went round to recover the monies from the traders till after the time of mid-afternoon prayer when they brought me the amount and I counted it in the bags returned with them to the khan on a certain day which happened to be a Monday I went to the hamam and then back to my khan and sitting in my own room broke my fast with a cup of wine after which I slept a little when I awoke I ate a chicken and perfuming my person repaired to the shop of a merchant Hight Badradina Bost or the gardener who welcomed me and we sat talking a while till the bazaar should open Presently behold up came a lady of stately figure wearing a headdress of the most magnificent perfumed with the sweetest of scents and walking with graceful swaying gait and seeing me she raised her mantilla allowing me a glimpse of her beautiful black eyes she saluted Badradine who returned her salutation and stood up and talked with her the moment I heard her speak the love of her got hold of my heart Presently she said to Badradine hast thou by thee a cut piece of stuff woven with thread of pure gold so he brought out to her a piece from those he had bought of me and sold it to her for 1200 dirhams when she said I will take the piece home with me and send thee its price that is impossible oh my lady the merchant replied for here is the owner of the stuff and I owe him a share of profit fire upon thee she cried do I not use to take from thee entire rolls of costly stuff and give thee a greater profit than thou expectest and send thee the money yes rejoined he but I stand in pressing need of the price this very day hereupon she took up the piece and threw it back upon his lap saying out on thee Allah can found the tribe of you who estimates nothing at the right value and she turned to go I felt my very soul going with her so I stood up and stayed her saying I conjure thee by the lord oh my lady favor me by retracing thy gracious steps she turned back with a smile and said for thy sake I return and took a seat opposite me in the shop then quoth I to Badradine what is the price they asked thee for the piece and quoth he 1100 dirhams I rejoined the odd hundred shall be thy profit bring me a sheet of paper and I will write thee a discharge for it then I wrote him a receipt in my own handwriting and gave the piece to the lady saying take it away with thee and if thou wilt bring me its price next bazaar day or better still bring me with good answered she and make thee my husband and lord and master of all I have and Allah favored her prayer I saw the gates of paradise swing open before me and said oh my lady let this piece of stuff be now thine and another like it is ready for thee only let me have one look at thy face so she raised her veil and I saw her face the sight of which bequeathed to me thousand sighs and my heart was so captivated by her love that I was no longer ruler of my reason then she let fall her face veil and taking out the piece of stuff said oh my lord make me not desolate by thine absence and turned away and disappeared from my sight I remained sitting on change till past the hour of afternoon prayer lost to the world by the love she mastered me and the violence of my passion compelled me to make inquiries concerning her of the merchant who answered me this is a lady and a rich she is the daughter of a certain emir who lately died and left her a large fortune then I took leave of him and returned home to the khan where they set supper before me but I could not eat for thinking of her and when I lay down to sleep sleep came not near me so I watched till morning when I arose and donned a change of raiment and drank a cup of wine and after breaking my fast on some slight matter I went to the merchant's shop where I saluted him and sat down by him presently up came the lady as usual followed by a slave girl and wearing a dress more sumptuous than before and she saluted me without noticing and said in fluent graceful speech never heard I voice softer or sweeter send one with me to take the thousand and two hundred dirhams the price of the peace why this hurry asked I and she answered may we never lose thee and handed me the money then I sat talking with her and presently I signed to her in dumb show whereby she understood that I longed to enjoy her person and she rose up in haste with a show of displeasure my heart clung to her and I went forth from the bazaar and followed on her track as I was walking suddenly a black slave girl stopped me and said oh my master come speak with my mistress at this I was surprised and replied there is none who knows me here but she rejoined oh my lord how soon has thou forgotten her my lady is the same who was this day at the shop of such a merchant then I went with her to the shroffs where I found the lady who drew me to her side and said oh my beloved thine image is firmly stamped upon my fancy and love of thee hath gotten hold of my heart from the hour I first saw thee nor sleep nor food nor drink hath given me aught of pleasure I replied the double of that suffering is mine and my state dispenseth me from complaint then said she oh my beloved at thy house or at mine I am a stranger here and have no place of reception save the chan so, by thy favour it shall be at thy house so be it but this is Friday night and nothing can be done till tomorrow after public prayers go to the mosque and pray then mount thine ass and when there look out for the mansion of Annaki Barak popularly known as Abu-Shih the syndic for I live there so do not delay as I shall be expecting thee I rejoiced with still greater joy at this and took leave of her and returned to my chan where I passed a sleepless night hardly was I assured that morning had dawn when I rose changed my dress perfumed myself with essences and sweet scents and taking fifty dinars in a kerchief went from the chan mass to the Zawilah gate where I mounted an ass and said to its owner take me to the habaniya so he set off with me and brought up in the twinkling of an eye at a street known as Darba Munkari where I said to him go in and ask for the syndic's mansion he was absent a while and then returned and said go thou before me to the house quathai adding come back with the earliest light and bring me home and he answered in Allah's name whereupon I gave him a quarter dinar of gold and he took it and went his ways then I knocked at the door and out came two white slave girls both young high bosomed virgins as they were moons and said to me enter for our mistress is expecting thee and she hath not slept the night long for her delight in thee I passed through the vestibule into a saloon with seven doors floored with party-coloured marbles and furnished with curtains and hangings of coloured silks the ceiling was cloisonnay with gold and cornest with inscriptions emblazoned in lapis lazuli and the walls were stuccoed with salty gypsum which mirrored the beholder's face around the saloon were lattice windows overlooking a garden full of all manner of fruits whose streams were railing and riffling and whose birds were trilling and shrilling and in the heart of the hall was a jetting fountain at whose corners stood birds fashioned in red gold crusted with pearls and gems and spouting water crystal clear when I entered and took a seat and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of the day and ceased saying her permitted say End of section 18 of the book of a thousand nights and a night Volume 1