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-TO THE PURE ALL THINGS ARE PURE"
(Paris omnia pura)
— Arab Proverb,
**NinD« corrotta mente intese mai saoamente parole."
—*' Decameron " — conclutitm.
** Enibnif, posaitqne meam Lacretia librnm
Sed coram Bru to. Brute I recede/ leget."
—AfarticU,
** If iealx est de ris qoe de larmes etcripre,
Pour ce que rire est le propre des bommet."
— Rabklais.
"Tbe pleasure w« derive from perusing tbe ThoHsand-and>One
Storiee makes oa regret that we possess only a comparatively small
part o< tbaee tsvlj enchanting fictions."
— CaiCRTOM's "Hisioty of AreMa^
L
^
-^ Si^b> ^ *r > \ '
e^-
j:jO ^-^f'^'^'s^
^s
PLAIN AND LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE
ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS, NOW
ENTITULED
THE BOOK OF THE
®ft0ttfi5anlr j^igftts? ana a 3,v^X
WITH INTRODUCTION EXPLANATORY NOTES ON THE
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF MOSLEM MEN AND A
TERMINAL ESSAY UPON THE HISTORY OF THE
NIGHTS
VOLUME VI.
BY
RICHARD F. BURTON
M^y^
PRINTED BY THE BURTON CLUB FOR PRIVATE
SUBSCRIBERS ONLY
f J 77/5
\'' '
This edition, issued by The Burton
Club, is limited to one thousand sets,
of which this is
Number /^?/
I INSCRIBE THIS VOLUME
TO MY OLD AND VALUED CORRESPONDENT,
IN WHOSE DEBT I AM DEEP,
PROFESSOR ALOYS SPRENGER
(op heidelbekc),
ARABIST. PHILOSOPHER AND FRIEND,
R. F. BURTON.
CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH VOLUME.
SINDBAD THE SEAMAN AND SINDBAD THE LANDSMAN
(Lane, Vol. III., Chapt. XXI I., Story of Es Sindbad of the Sea and
Es Sindbad of the Land. pp. 1-78.^
a. The First Vo"?age of Sindbad the Seaman .
b. The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
€. The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman .
d. The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
€> The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman .
/. The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman .
g. The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman (according
version of the Calcutta Edition) .....
THE CITY OF BRASS
(Lane, Vol. III., Chapt. XXIII. Story of the City of Brass, pp. 118
to the
152
THE CRAFT AND MALICE OF WOMAN ....
(Lane, Vol. Ill,, Chapt. XXI., Abstr'act of the Story of the King and h
Son and the Damsel and the Seven Wezeers. pp. 158-183.^
a. The King and His Wazir's Wife .
b. The Confectioner, his Wife, and the Parrot
c. The Fuller and His Son .....
d. The Rake's Trick against the Chaste Wife
PAGS
I
4
14
22
34
48
58
68
78
83
129
13^
»34
135
viii Contents.
t. Ths Miser and the Loaves of Bread 137
/. The Lady and her Two Lovers 138
g. The King's Son and the Ogress 13^
A, The Drop of Honev . . * 142
t. The Woman who made Her Husband Sift Dust .... 143
J. The Enchanted Spring •145
k. The Wazir's Son and the Hammam-keeper's Wife . . .150
/. The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband 152
m. The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl . . .156
n. The Man who Never Laughed during the rest of his Days . 160
o. The Kino's Son and the Merchant's Wife 167
/. The Page who feigned to know the Speech of Birds . . 169
q. The Lady and her Five Suitors 172
r. The Three Wishes, or the Man who longed to see the Night
of Power 180
s. The Stolen Necklace ,,182
/. The Two Pigeons . . , 183
u. Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma .... 184
V. The House with the Belvedere .188
w. The King's Son and the Ifrit's Mistress 199
jr. The Sandal- Wood Merchant and the Sharpers . . .202
y. The Debauchee and the Three-Year-Old Child . . . 208
t. The Stolen Purse 209
aa. The Fox and the Folk .211
JUDAR AND HIS BRETHREN 213
(Lane, Vol. 11/., Chapt. XXII'., Story of Joodar. pp. 183-233.^
THE HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB . . .257
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night.
SINDBAD THE SEAMAN' AND SINDBAD THE
LANDSMAN.
There lived In the city of Baghdad, during the reign of the Com-
mander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, a man named Sindbad
the Hammil,^ one in poor case who bore burdens on his head for
hire. It happened to him one day of great heat that whilst he was
carrying a heavy load, he became exceeding weary and sweated
profusely, the heat and the weight alike oppressing him. Pre-
sently, as he was passing the gate of a merchant's house, before
which the ground was swept and watered, and there the air was
temperate, he sighted a broad bench beside the door ; so he set his
load thereon, to take rest and smell the air, And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Noto toj^tn It teas t^e Jibe l^untiretr antr ^ti^^tB-s^brntlj Wt'ott,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Hammal set his load upon the bench to take rest and smell the
air, there came out upon him from the court-door a pleasant
breeze and a delicious fragrance. He sat down on the edge of the
bench, and at once heard from within the melodious sound of lutes
and other stringed instruments, and mirth-exciting voices singing
and reciting, together with the song of birds warbling and glorify-
ing Almighty Allah in various tunes and tongues ; turtles, mock-
ing-birds, merles, nightingales, cushats and stone-curlews,^ whereat
* Lane (vol. iii. i) calls our old friend " Es-Sindibad of the Sea," and Benfey
derives the name from the Sanskrit " Siddhapati" = lord of sages. The etymology (in
Heb. Sandabar and in Greek Syntipas) is still uncertain, although the term often occurs
in Arab stories ; and some look upon it as a mere corruption of " Bidpai " (Bidyapati).
The derivation offered by Hole (Remarks on the Arabian Nights' Entertainments, by
Richard Hole, LL.D. London, Cadell, 1797) from the Persian abad (a region) is im-
possible. It is, however, not a little curious that this purely Persian word (» a "habi-
tation ") should be found in Indian names as early as Alexander's day, e.g. the " Dachiiia
bades" of the Periplus is " Dakhshin-abad," the Sanskr. being '* Dakshitiapatha."
* A porter like the famous Armenians of Constantinople. Some edits, call him *' Al-
Hindibad."
^ Arab. "Karawan" (Charadrius cedicnemus, Linn.) : its shrill note is admired by
Egyptians and bated by sportsmen.
VOL. VI. A
2 Alf Laylah iva Lay la h.
he marvelled in himself and was moved to mighty joy and solace.
Then he went up to the gate and saw within a great flower-garden
wherein were pages and black slaves and such a train of servants
and attendants and so forth as is found only with Kings and
Sultans ; and his nostrils were greeted with the savoury odours of
all manner meats rich and delicate, and delicious and generous
wines. So he raised his eyes heavenwards and said, " Glory to
Thee, O Lord, O Creator and Provider, who providest whomso
Thou wilt without count or stint ! O mine Holy One, I cry Thee
pardon for all sins and turn to Thee repenting of all offences ! O
Lord, there is no gainsaying Thee in Thine ordinance and Thy
dominion, neither wilt Thou be questioned of that Thou dost, for
Thou indeed over all things art Almighty ! Extolled be Thy
perfection : whom Thou wilt Thou makest poor and whom Thou
wilt Thou makest rich ! Whom Thou wilt Thou exaltest and
whom Thou wilt Thou abasest and there is no god but Thou I
How mighty is Thy majesty and how enduring Thy dominion and
how excellent Thy government ! Verily, Thou favourest whom
Thou wilt of Thy servants, whereby the owner of this place
abideth in all joyance of life and delighteth himself with pleasant
scents and delicious meats and exquisite wines of all kinds. For
indeed Thou appointest unto Thy creatures that which Thou wilt
and that which Thou hast foreordained unto them ; wherefore are
some weary and others are at rest and some enjoy fair fortune and
affluence, whilst others suffer the extreme of travail and misery,
even as I do." And he fell to reciting : —
How many by my labours, that evermore endure, o All goods of life enjoy
and in cooly shade recline ?
Each mom that dawns I wake in travail and in woe, o And strange is my con*
dition and my burden gars me pine :
Many others are in luck and from miseries are free, e And Fortune never loads
them with loads the like o' mine :
They live their happy days in all solace and delight; o Eat, drink and dwell in
honour 'mid the noble and the digne :
All living things were made of a little drop of sperm, o Thine origin is mine
and my provenance is thine ;
Yet the difference and distance 'twixt the twain of us are far o As the difference
of savour 'twixt vinegar and wine :
But at Thee, O God All-wise ! I venture not to rail o Whose onlinance is just
and whose justice cannot fail.
When Sindbad the Porter had made an end of reciting his verses^
Sindbad the Seaman and Sindbad the Landsman. 3
he bore up his burden and was about to fare on, when there came
' forth to him from the gate a Httle foot-page, fair of face and
shapely of shape and dainty of dress who caught him by the hand
saying, " Come in and speak with my lord, for he calleth for thee."
The Porter would have excused himself to the page but the lad
would take no refusal ; so he left his load with the doorkeeper in
the vestibule and followed the boy into the house, which he found
to be a goodly mansion, radiant and full of majesty, till he brought
him to a grand sitting-room wherein he saw a company of nobles
and great lords, seated at tables garnished with all manner of
flowers and sweet-scented herbs, besides great plenty of dainty
viands and fruits dried and fresh and confections and wines of the
choicest vintages. There also were instruments of music and
mirth and lovely slave-girls playing and singing. All the company
was ranged according to rank ; and in the highest place sat a man
of worshipful and noble aspect whose beard-sides hoariness had
stricken ; and he was stately of stature and fair of favour, agreeable
of aspect and full of gravity and dignity and majesty. So Sindbad
the Porter was confounded at that which he beheld and said in
himself, " By Allah, this must be either a piece of Paradise or
some King's palace ! " Then he saluted the company with much
respect praying for their prosperity, and kissing the ground before
them, stood with his head bowed down in humble attitude.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Porter, after kissing ground between their hands, stood with
his head bowed down in humble attitude. The master of the
house bade him draw near and be seated and bespoke him kindly,
bidding him welcome. Then he set before him various kinds of
viands, rich and delicate and delicious, and the Porter, after saying
his Bismillah, fell to and ate his fill, after which he exclaimed,
" Praised be Allah whatso be our case ! ^ " and, washing his hands,
' This ejaculation, still popular, averts the evil eye. In describing Sindbad the
Seainan the Arab writer seems to repeat what one reads of Marco Polo returned to
Venice.
4 A If Lay I ah wa Lay I ah.
returned thanks to the company for his entertamment. Quoth the
host, " Thou art welcome and thy day is a blessed. But what is
thy name and calling?" Quoth the other, "O my lord, my name
is Sindbad the Hammal, and I carry folk's goods on my head for
hire." The house-master smiled and rejoined, " Know, O Porter
that thy name is even as mine, for I am Sindbad the Seaman ; and
now, O Porter, I would have thee let me hear the couplets thou
recitedst at the gate anon.'* The Porter was abashed and replied,
" Allah upon thee ! Excuse me, for toil and travail and lack of
luck when the hand is empty, teach a man ill manners and boorish
ways." Said the host, " Be not ashamed ; thou art become my
brother ; but repeat to me the verses, for they pleased me whenas
I heard thee recite them at the gate. Hereupon the Porter re-
peated the couplets and they delighted the merchant, who said
to him : — Know, O Hammal, that my story is a wonderful one, and
thou shalt hear all that befel me and all 1 underwent ere I rose to
this state of prosperity and became the lord of this place wherein
thou seest me ; for I came not to this high estate save after travail
sore and perils galore, and how much toil and trouble have I not
suffered in days of yore ! I have made seven voyages, by each of
which hangeth a marvellous tale, such as confoundeth the reason,
and all this came to pass by doom of fortune and fate ; for from
what destiny doth write there is neither refuge nor flight. Know,
then, good my lords (continued he) that I am about to relate the
FIRST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD RIGHT THE SEAMAN}
My father was a merchant, one of the notables of my native place,
a monied man and ample of means, who died whilst I was yet a
child, leaving me much wealth in money and lands and farm-
houses. When I grew up, I laid hands on the whole and ate of
the best and drank freely and wore rich clothes and lived lavishly,
companioning and consorting with youths of my own age, and
considering that this course of life would continue for ever and kci
no change. Thus did I for a long time, but at last I awoke fron
my heedlessness and, returning to my senses, I found my wealth
' Our old friend must not be confounded with the eponym of the " Sindibad-naraah ;"
the Persian book of Siridbad the Sage. See Night dlxxviiL
The First Voyage of Sindbad hight the Seaman. S
had become unwealth and my condition ill-conditioned and all 1
once hent had left my hand. And recovering my reason I was
stricken with dismay and confusion and bethought me of a saying
of our lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace !), which I
had heard aforetime from my father, " Three things are better than
other three ; the day of death is better than the day of birth, a live
dog is better than a dead lion and the grave is better than Want."^
Then I got together my remains of estates and property and sold
all, even my clothes, for three thousand dirhams, with which I
resolved to travel to foreign parts, remembering the saying of
the poet : —
By means of toil man shall scale the height ; * Who to fame aspires mustn't
sleep o' night :
Who seeketh pearl in the deep must dive, * Winning weal and wealth by
his main and might :
And who seeketh Fame without toil and strife * Th' impossible seeketh and
wasteth life.
So taking heart I bought me goods, merchandise and all needed
for a voyage and, impatient to be at sea, I embarked, with a com-
pany of merchants, on board a ship bound for Bassorah. There
we again embarked and sailed many days and nights, and we
passed from isle to isle and sea to sea and shore to shore, buying
and selling and bartering everywhere the ship touched, and con-
tinued our course till we came to an island as it were a garth
of the gardens of Paradise, Here the captain cast anchor and
making fast to the shore, put out the landing planks. So all
on board landed and made furnaces^ and lighting fires therein,
busied themselves in various ways, some cooking and some
washing, whilst other some walked about the island for solace,
and the crew fell to eating and drinking and playing and sporting.
I was one of the walkers but, as we were thus engaged, behold the
master who was standing on the gunwale cried out to us at the
top of his voice, saying, " Ho there I passengers, run for your lives
and hasten back to the ship and leave your gear and save your-
' The first and second are from Eccles. chapts. vii. i, and ix. 4. The Bui. Edit,
reads for the third, " The grave is better than the palace." None are from Solomon,
but Easterns do not " verify quotations."
^ Arab. " Kanun " ; a furnace, a brasier before noticed (vol. v., p. 272) ; here a pot
full of charcoal sunk in the ground, or a little hearth of clay shaped like a horseshoe
and opening down wind.
6 A If Lay/ah wa Laylah.
selves from destruction, Allah perserve you ! For this island
whereon ye stand is no true island, but a great fish stationary
a-middlemost of the sea, whereon the sand hath settled and trees
have sprung up of old time, so that it is become like unto an
island ;' but, when ye lighted fires on it, it felt the heat and
moved ; and in a moment it will sink with you into the sea and ye
will all be drowned. So leave your gear and seek your safety
ere ye die!" And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
2<roto tufjcn It foas tijc $'M p>untjrclJ anb ^Ijittg-nintf) Nigljt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
ship-master cried to the passengers, " Leave your gear and seek
safety, ere ye die ; " all who heard him left gear and goods, clothes
w^ashed and unwashed, fire pots and brass cooking-pots, and fled
back to the ship for their lives, and some reached it while others
(amongst whom was I) did not, for suddenly the island shook and
sank into the abysses of the deep, with all that were thereon, and
the dashing sea surged over it with clashing waves. I sank with
the others down, down into the deep, but Almighty Allah pre-
served me from drowning and threw in my way a great wooden
tub of those that had served the ship's company for tubbing. I
gripped it for the sweetness of life and, bestriding it like one
riding, paddled with my feet like oars, whilst the waves tossed me
as in sport right and left. Meanwhile the captain made sail and
departed with those who had reached the ship, regardless of the
drowning and the drowned ; and I ceased not following the vessel
with my eyes, till she was hid from sight and I made sure of death.
Darkness closed in ujDon me while in this plight and the winds and
waves bore mc on all that night and the next day, till the tub
' TIicsc fisli-islands arc common in the Classics, f.,^. the Pristis of Pliny (xvii. 4),
which Olaiis Magnus transfers to the I'allie (xxi. 6) ami makes timid as the whales of
Ner.rchus. C. J. Solinus {Plinii Si/i:id) say>, "Indica niaria liala.nas liahent ultra
spatia (iiiati'.or jii^cnim." Sec also IlMcliart's Ilierozoiccm (i. 50) for Job's Lcviallian
(xli. 16-17). llcncc I'oiardo (Orl. Iiii/ani, lih. iv.) bonowLd his n)ai;i^al whale and
Milt' in (I'.L. i.) his Leviathan deemed an island. A lia>kii:g w!ia!e would readily
S',:.%;r-L the Kr.iki.'ii and Cetus m Olv,;-, Ma^^nus (xxi. 25}. Al-Ka/.v.iiii".-; famous treati.ic
OK the "W.-ndrrs of the Wfiild" (Ajaib al-Ma!;!ilul;al) tells the same tale of the
•' Sulahfah" tortoise, the colossochelys, for which see Night dL
J. he First Voyage of Sindbad hight the Seaman. J
brought to with me under the lee of a lofty island, with trees over-
hanging the tide. I caught hold of a branch and by its aid
clambered up on to the land, after coming nigh upon death ; but
when I reached the shore, I found my legs cramped and numbed
and my feet bore traces of the nibbling of fish upon their soles ;
withal I had felt nothing for excess of anguish and fatigue. I
threw myself down on the island ground, like a dead man, and
drowned in desolation swooned away, nor did I return to my senses
till next morning, when the sun rose and revived me. But I found
my feet swollen, so made shift to move by shuffling on my breech
and crawling on my knees, for in that island were found store
of fruits and springs of sweet water. I ate of the fruits which
strengthened me ; and thus I abode days and nights, till my life
seemed to return and my spirits began to revive and I was better
able to move about. So, after due consideration, I fell to exploring
the island and diverting myself with gazing upon all things that
Allah Almighty had created there ; and rested under the trees
from one of which I cut me a staff to lean upon. One day as I
walked along the marge, I caught sight of some object in the dis-
tance and thought it a wild beast or one of the monster-creatures
of the sea ; but, as I drew near it, looking hard the while, I saw
that it was a noble mare, tethered on the beach. Presently I went
up to her, but she cried out against me with a great cry, so that
I trembled for fear and turned to go away, when there came forth
a man from under the earth and followed me, crying out and
saying, " Who and whence art thou, and what caused thee to
come hither .-* " " O my lord," answered I, " I am in very sooth,
a waif, a stranger, and was left to drown with sundry others by
the ship we voyaged in ; ^ but Allah graciously sent me a wooden
tub ; so I saved myself thereon and it floated with me, till the
waves cast me up on this island." When he heard this, he took
my hand and saying, " Come with ane," carried me into a great
Sardab, or underground chamber, which was spacious as a saloon.
He made me sit down at its upper end ; then he brought me some-
what of food and, being anhungered, I ate till I was satisfied and
refreshed ; and v/hen he had put me at mine ease he questioned
me of myself, and I told him all that had befallen me from first
' Sindbad does not say that he was a shipwrecked man, being a model in the matter
of " travellers' tales," i.e. be always tells the truth when an untruth would not sorve
him.
8 Alf Lay I ah wa Laylah.
to last ; and, as he wondered at my adventure, I said, " By Allah,
O my lord, excuse me ; I have told thee the truth of my case and
the accident which betided me ; and now I desire that thou tell
me who thou art and why thou abidest here under the earth and
why thou hast tethered yonder mare on the brink of the sea."
Answered he, " Know, that I am one of the several who are
stationed in different parts of this island, and we are of the grooms
of King Mihrjdn' and under our hand are all his horses. Every
month, about new-moon tide we bring hither our best mares which
have never been covered, and picket them on the sea-shore and
hide ourselves in this place under the ground, so that none may
espy us. Presently, the stallions of the sea scent the mares and
come up out of the water and seeing no one, leap the mares and
do their will of them. When they have covered them, they try to
drag them away with them, but cannot, by reason of the leg-ropes ;
so they cry out at them and butt at them and kick them, which
we hearing, know that the stallions have dismounted ; so we run
out and shout at them, whereupon they are startled and return in
fear to the sea. Then the mares conceive by them and bear colts
and fillies worth a mint of money, nor is their like to be found on
earth's face. This is the time of the coming forth of the sea-
stallions ; and Inshallah I I will bear thee to King Mihrjan "
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
* Lane (iii. 83) would make tins a corruption of the Hindu " Mahardj " = great Rajah:
but it is the name of the great autumnal fete of the Guebres ; a term composed of two
good old Persian words •' Mihr " (the sun, whence "Mithras") and " jAn " =: life.
As will presently appear, in the days of the Just King Anushirwan, the Persians possessed
Southern Arabia and East Africa south of Cape Guardafui (Jird Hafun.) On the other
hand, supposing the word to be a corruption of Maharaj, Sindbad may allude to the
famous Narsinga kingdom in Mid-south India whose capital was Vijaya-nagar ; or to
any great Indian Rajah even he of Kachch (Cutch), famous in Moslem story as the
Balhara (Ballaba Rais, who founded the Ballabhi era ; or the Zamorin of Camoens,
the Samdry Rajah of Malabar). For Mahrage, or Mihrage, see Renaudol's " Two
Mohammedan Travellers of the Ninth Century." In the account of Ceylon by Wolf
(EngUsh Transl. p. 168) it adjoins the " Ilhas deCavalos" (of wild horses) to wliich
the Dutch merchants sent their brood-mares. Sir W. Jones (Description of Asia,
chapt. ii.) makes the Arabian island Soborma or Mahraj = Borneo.
TIu First Voyage of Sindbad hight the Seaman.
:^oto tDfjen it toas ti)e Jpibe f^unlJrtti anti JFortiEtf) tSTigtlt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Syce' said to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King
Mihrjan and show thee our country. And know that hadst thou
not happened on us thou hadst perished miserably and none had
known of thee : but I will be the means of the saving of thy life
and of thy return to thine own land." I called down blessings on
him and thanked him for his kindness and courtesy ; and, while
we were yet talking, behold, the stallion came up out of the sea ;
and, giving a great cry, sprang upon the mare and covered her.
When he had done his will of her, he dismounted and would have
carried her away with him, but could not by reason of the tether.
She kicked and cried out at him, whereupon the groom took a
sword and target ^ and ran out of the underground saloon, smiting
the buckler with the blade and calling to his company, who came
up shouting and brandishing spears ; and the stallion took fright
at them and plunging into the sea, like a buffalo, disappeared under
the waves. ^ After this we sat awhile, till the rest of the grooms
came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their fellow-
Syce, questioned me of my case and I repeated my story to them.
Thereupon they drew near me and spreading the table, ate and
invited me to eat ; so I ate with them, after which they took horse
and mounting me on one of the mares, set out with me and fared
on without ceasing, till we came to the capital city of King Mihr-
jan, and going in to him acquainted him with my story. Then
he sent for me, and when they set me before him and salams had
been exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome and wishing me
long life bade me tell him my tale. So I related to him all that
' Arab. " Sais "; the well-known Anglo- Indian word for a groom or rather a " horse-
l;eeper."
^ Arab. "Darakah"; whence our word.
3 The myth of mares being impregnated by the wind was known to the Classics of
Europe; and the " sea-stallion " may have arisen from the Arab practice of picketing
mare asses to be covered by the wild ass. Colonel J. D. Watson of the Bombay Army
suggests to me that Sindbad was wrecked at the mouth of the Ran of Kachch (Catch)
and v/as carried in a boat to one of the Islands there formed during the rains am'i where
the wild ass {Eqmis Onager, Khar-gadh, in Pers. Gor-khar') still breeds- Thi? would
explain the "stallions of the sea" and v.-e find traces of I'^c ess blcod in the true
Kathiawar horse, with his dun colour, barred legs and dorsal stripe.
10 Alf Lay I ah wa LayJah.
I had seen and all that had befallen me from first to last, whereat
he marvelled and said to me, " By Allah, O my son, thou hast
indeed been miraculously preserved ! Were not the term of thy
life a long one, thou hadst not escaped from these straits ; but
praised be Allah for safety! " Then he spoke cheerily to me and
entreated mc with kindness and consideration : moreover, he made
me his agent for the port and registrar of all ships that entered
the harbour. I attended him regularly, to receive his command-
ments, and he favoured me and did me all manner of kindness
and invested me with costly and splendid robes. Indeed, I was
high in credit with him, as an intercessor for the folk and an
intermediary between them and him, when they wanted aught of
him. I abode thus a great while and, as often as I passed through
the city to the port, I questioned the merchants and travellers
and sailors of the city of Baghdad ; so haply I might hear of an
occasion to return to my native land, but could find none who
knew it or knew any who resorted thither. At this I was chagrined,
for I was weary of long strangerhood ; and my disappointment
endured for a time till one day, going in to King Mihrjan, I found
with him a company of Indians. I saluted them and they returned
my salam ; and politely welcomed me and asked me of my country.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Noto h3f)cn it tons tfte Jpt'be fi^untJteti anli jfott5--first Nig|)t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
Sindbab the Seaman said : — When they asked me of my country
I questioned them of theirs and they told me that they were of
various castes, some being called Shakiriyah* who are the noblest
of their castes and neither oppress nor offer violence to any, and
others Brahmans, a folk who abstain from wine, but live in delight
and solace and merriment and own camels and horses and cattle.
Moreover, they told me that the people of India are divided into
two-and-scvcnty castes, and I marvelled at this with exceeding
' The second or warrior caste (Kslia(riya), popularly supposed to have been annihilated
by Battle-axe Kama (I'arashu Rama) ; but several tribes of Rajjnits and other races
claim tlie honouiaLIe ^enealoj^y. Colonel Watson would explain the word hy
" Shal.liayat " or noble Kaihis (Kathiawar-men). or by "Shikari," the professional
hunter here acting as stable-groom.
The First Voyage of Sindbad hight the Seaman. 1 1
marvel. Amongst other things that I saw in King Mihrjan's
dominions was an island called Kisil,^ wherein all night is heard
the beating of drums and tabrets ; but we were told by the neigh-
bouring islanders and by travellers that the inhabitants are people
of diligence and judgment.^ In this sea I saw also a fish two
hundred cubits long and the fishermen fear it ; so they strike
together pieces of wood and put it to flight.^ I also saw another
fish, with a head like that of an owl, besides many other wonders
and rarities, which it would be tedious to recount. I occupied my-
self thus in visiting the islands till, one day, as I stood in the port,
with a staff in my hand, according to my custom, behold, a great
ship, wherein were many merchants, came sailing for the harbour.
When it reached the small inner port where ships anchor under
the city, the master furled his sails and making fast to the shore,
put out the landing-planks, whereupon the crew fell to breaking
bulk and landing cargo whilst I stood by, taking written note of
them. They were long in bringing the goods ashore so I asked
the master, " Is there aught left in thy ship?"; and he answered,
" O my lord, there are divers bales of merchandise in the hold,
whose owner was drowned from amongst us at one of the islands
on our course; so his goods remained in our charge byway of trust
and we purpose to sell them and note their price, that we may
convey it to his people in the city of Baghdad, the Home of
Peace." " What was the merchant's name ? " quoth I, and quoth
he, "Sindbad the Seaman ;" whereupon I straitly considered him
and knowing him, cried out to him with a great cry, saying, " O
captain, I am that Sindbad the Seaman who travelled with other
merchants ; and when the fish heaved and thou calledst to us
^ In Bui. Edit. " Kabil." Lane (iii. 88) supposes it to be the "Bartail" of Al-
Kazwini near Borneo and quotes the Spaniard B. L. de Argensola (History of the
Moluccas)' who places near Banda a desert island, Poelsatton, infamous for cries,
whistlings, roarings and dreadful apparitions, suggesting that it was peopled by devils
(Stevens, vol. i., p. i68).
^ Some texts substitute for this last phrase, "And the sailors say that Al-Dajjal is
there." He is a manner of Moslem Antichrist, the Man of Sin per excellentiam, who
will come in the latter days and lay waste the earth, leading 70,000 Jews, till encountered
and slain by Jesus at the gate of Lud. Sale's Essay, sect. 4.
^ Also from Al-Kazwini : it is an exaggerated description of the whale still common off
the East African Coast. My crew was dreadfully frightened by one between Bcrberah
and Aden. Nearchus scared av/ay the whales in the Persian Gulf by trumpets (Slrabo,
lib. XV.). The owl-faced fish is unknown to me : it may perhaps be a seal or a manatee.
Hole <;^ys that Father Martini, the Jesuit (seventeenth century), placed in the Canton
Scs. nn " animal with the head of a bird and the tail of a fish," — a parrot-beak? -
12 A If Lay /ah wa Laylah.
some saved themselves and others sank, I being one of them. But
Allah Almighty threw in my way a great tub of wood, of those the
crew had used to wash withal, and the winds and waves carried me
to this island, where by Allah's grace, I fell in with King Mihrjan's
grooms and they brought me hither to the King their master.
When I told him my story, he entreated me with favour and made
me his harbour-master, and I have prospered in his service and
found acceptance with him. These bales, therefore are mine, the
goods which God hath given me." And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Xoto tDl)cn It tuas tf)e Jpi'bc J^unlmli nnb jport5--SfConti Ni^t,
She continued, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sindbad the Seaman said to the captain, "These bales are mine,
the goods which Allah hath given me," the other exclaimed,
"There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great ! Verily, there is neither conscience nor good
faith left among men ! " said I, '' O Rais/ what mean these words,
seeing that I have told thee my case ? " And he answered,
" Because thou hcardest me say that I had with me goods whose
owner was drowned, thou thinkest to take them without right ;
but this is forbidden by law to thee, for we saw him drown before
our eyes, together with many other passengers, nor was one of
them saved. So how canst thou pretend that thou art the owner
of the goods ? " " O captain." said I, " listen to my story and give
heed to my words, and my truth will be manifest to thee; for
lying and leasing are the letter-marks of the hypocrites." Then
I recounted to him all that had befallen me since I sailed from
Baghdad with him to the time when we came to the fish-island
where we were nearly drowned ; and I reminded him of certain
matters which had passed between us ; whereupon both he and the
merchants were certified of the truth of my story and recognized
me and gave me joy of my deliverance, saying, '* By Allah, we
thought not that thou hadst escaped drowning ! But the Lord
hath granted thee new life." Then they delivered my bales to me,
and I found my name written thereon, nor was aught thereof
lacking. So I opened them and making up a present for King
' Tlie caplain or maslcr (not owner) of a ship.
The First Voyage of Sindbad hight the Seaman. 13'
Mlhrjan of the finest and costliest of the contents, caused the
sailors carry it up to the palace, where I went in to the King
and laid my present at his feet, acquainting him with what had
happened, especially concerning the ship and my goods ; whereat
he wondered with exceeding wonder and the truth of all that I
had told him was made manifest to him. His affection for me
redoubled after that and he showed me exceeding honour and be-
stowed on me a great present in return for mine. Then I sold my
bales and what other matters I owned making a great profit on them,
and bought me other goods and gear of the growth and fashion of
the island-city. When the merchants were about to start on their
homeward voyage, I embarked on board the ship all that I pos-
sessed, and going in to the King, thanked him for all his favours and
friendship and craved his leave to return to my own land and
friends. He farewelled me and bestowed on me great store of
the country-stuffs and produce ; and I took leave of him and
embarked. Then we set sail and fared on nights and days, by
the permission of Allah Almighty ; and Fortune served us and
Fate favoured us, so that we arrived in safety at Bassorah-city
where I landed rejoiced at my safe return to my natal soil. After
a short stay, I set out for Baghdad, the House of Peace, with store
of goods and commodities of great prfce. Reaching the city in
due time, I went straight to my own quarter and entered my
house where all my friends and kinsfolk came to greet me. Then
I bought me eunuchs and concubines, servants and negro slaves
till I had a large establishment, and I bought me houses, and lands
and gardens, till I was richer and in better case than before, and
returned to enjoy the society of my friends and familiars more
assiduously than ever, forgetting all I had suffered of fatigue and
hardship and strangerhood and every peril of travel ; and I applied
myself to all manner joys and solaces and delights, eating the
daintiest viands and drinking the deliciousest wines ; and my
wealth allowed this state of things to endure. This, then, is the
story of my first voyage, and to-morrow, Inshallah ! I will tell you
the tale of the second of my seven voyages. (Saith he who telleth
the tale). Then Sindbad the Seaman made Sindbad the Lands-
man sup with him and bade him give an hundred gold pieces,
saying, " Thou hast cheered us with thy company this day."' The
' The kindly Moslem feeling, shown to a namesake, however bumble.
14 A If Lay /ah loa Laylah.
Porter thanked him and, taking the gift, went his way, pondering
that which he had heard and marvelling mightily at what things
betide mankind. He passed the night in his own place and with
early morning repaired to the abode of Sindbad the Seaman, who
received him with honour and seated him by his side. As soon as
the rest of the company was assembled, he set meat and drink
before them and, when they had well eaten and drunken and were
merry and in cheerful case, he took up his discourse and recounted
to them in these words the narrative of
THE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN
Know, O my brother, that I was living a most comfortable and
enjoyable life, in all solace and delight, as I told you yesterday,
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
:Nrofo tol)cn it luas tj^e j?ibc |L^untir£lr nnti Jportgabirti "^i^i,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sindbad the Seaman's guests were all gathered together he thus
bespake them : — I was living a most enjoyable life until one day
my mind became possessed with the thought of travelling about
the world of men and seeing their cities and islands ; and a longing
seized me to traffic and to make money by trade. Upon this
resolve I took a great store of cash and, buying goods and gear
fit for travel, bound them up in bales. Then I went down to the
river-bank, where I found a noble ship and brand-new about to
sail, equipped with sails of fine cloth and well manned and pro-
vided ; so I took passage in her, with a number of other merchants,
and after embarking our goods we weighed anchor the same day.
Right fair was our voyage and we sailed from place to place and
from isle to isle ; and whenever we anchored we met a crowd of
merchants and notables and customers, and we took to buying and
selling and bartering. At last Destiny brought us to an island,
fair and verdant, in trees abundant, with yellow-ripe fruits luxuriant,
and flowers fragrant and birds warbling soft descant ; and stiv.ims
cr}btalline and radiant; but no sign of man showed to the descrier,
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. J 5
no, not a blower of the fire.^ The captain made fast with us to
this island, and the merchants and sailors landed and walked
about, enjoying the shade of the trees and the song of the birds,
that chanted the praises of the One, the Victorious, and marvelling
at the works of the Omnipotent King.^ I landed with the rest ;
and, sitting down by a spring of sweet water that welled up
among the trees, took out some vivers I had with me and ate of
that which Allah Almighty had allotted unto me. And so sweet
was the zephyr and so fragrant were the flowers, that presently 1
waxed drowsy and, lying down in that place, was soon drowned in
sleep. When I awoke, I found myself alone, for the ship had
'sailed and left me behind, nor had one of the merchants or
sailors bethought himself of me. I searched the island right and
left, but found neither man nor Jinn, whereat I was beyond measure
troubled and my gall was like to burst for stress of chagrin and
anguish and concern, because I was left quite alone, without aught
of worldly gear or meat or drink, weary and heart-broken. So
I gave myself up for lost and said, " Not always doth the crock
escape the shock. I was saved the first time by finding one who
brought me from the desert island to an inhabited place, but now
there is no hope for me. Then I fell to weeping and wailing and
gave myself up to an access of rage, blaming myself for having
again ventured upon the perils and hardships of voyage, whenas
I was at my ease in mine own house in mine own land, taking my
pleasure with good meat and good drink and good clothes and
lacking nothing, neither money nor goods. And I repented me of
having left Baghdad, and this the more after all the travails and
dangers I had undergone in my first voyage, wherein I had so
narrowly escaped destruction, and exclaimed " Verily we are
Allah's and unto Him we are returning !" I was indeed even as
one mad and Jinn-struck and presently I rose and walked about
the island, right and left and every whither, unable for trouble to
sit or tarry in any one place. Then I climbed a tall tree and
looked in all directions, but saw nothing save sky and sea and
trees and birds and isles and sands. However, after a while my
eager glances fell upon some great white thing, afar off in the
^^
^ A popular phrase to express utter desolation,
^ The literature of all peoples contains this physiological perversion. Birds do not
sing hymns ; the song of the male is simply to call the female and when the pairing-
season ends all are dumb.
l6 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
interior of the island ; so I came down from the tree and made
for that which I had seen ; and behold, it was a huge white dome
rising high in air and of vast compass, I walked all around it,
but found no door thereto, nor could I muster strength or nimble-
ness by reason of its exceeding smoothness and slipperiness. So
I marked the spot where I stood and went round about the dome
to measure its circumference which I found fifty good paces.
And as I stood, casting about how to gain an entrance the day
being near its fall and the sun being near the horizon, behold, the
sun was suddenly hidden from me and the air became dull and
dark. Methought a cloud had come over the sun, but it was the
season of summer ; so I marvelled at this and lifting my head
looked steadfastly at the sky, when I saw that the cloud was none
other than an enormous bird, of gigantic girth and inordinately
wide of wing which, as it flew through the air, veiled the sun and
hid it from the island. At this sight my wonder redoubled and I
remembered a story And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nofo foben it toas t^ jpi'De l^untrrrt antJ jpott2--fouttj[) Xfg^t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued in these words : — My wonder redoubled
and I remembered a story I had heard aforetime of pilgrims and
travellers, how in a certain island dwelleth a huge bird, called the
" Rukh "* which feedeth its young on elephants ; and I was certi-
' The older "roc." The word is Persian, with many meanings, e.g. a cheek (Lalla
'• Rookh "); a "rook** (hero) at chess ; a rhinoceros, etc. The fable world-wide of the
liiundcrvogel is, as usual, founded upon fact : man remembers and combines but docs not
create. The Egyptian Bennu (Ti-bennu = phoenix) may have been a reminiscence of
gigantic perodactyls and other winged monsters. From the Nile the legend fabled by
these Oriental " putters out or five for one " overspread the world and gave birth to the
Eorosh of the Zend, whence the Pers. " Simurgh " (= the " thirty-fowl-like "), the
" Bar Yuchre " of the Rabbis, the"Garuda" of the Hindus; the " Ankd" ("long-
neck") of the Arabs; the Haihilinga bird, of Buddhagosha's Parables, which had the
strength of five elephants ; the Kerkcs of the Turks ; the Gryps of the Greeks ; the
Russian "Norka"; the sacred dragon of the Chinese; the Japanese " Pheng " and
•• Kirni "; the " wise and ancient Bird " which sits upon the ash-tree yggdrasil, and the
dragons, griffins, basilisks, etc. of the Middle Ages. A second basis wanting only a
superstructure of exaggeration (M. Polo's Ruch had wing-feathers twelve paces long)
would be the hure birds but lately killed out. Sindbad may allu>'e to the /Epvornufcof
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 17
fied that the dome which caught my sight was none other than a
Rukh's egg. As I looked and wondered at the marvellous works
of the Almighty, the bird alighted on the dome and brooded over
it with its wings covering it and its legs stretched out behind it on
the ground, and in this posture it fell asleep, glory be to Him who
sleepeth not! When I saw this, I arose and, unwinding my turband
from my head, doubled it and twisted it into a rope, with which I
girt my middle and bound my waist fast to the legs of the Rukh,
saying in myself, " Peradventure, this bird may carry me to a land
of cities and inhabitants, and that will be better than abiding in
this desert island." I passed the night watching and fearing to
sleep, lest the bird should fly away with me unawares; and, as soon
as the dawn broke and morn shone, the Rukh rose off its tgg and
spreading its wings with a great cry flew up into the air dragging
me with it ; nor ceased it to soar and to tower till I thought it had
reached the limit of the firmament ; after which it descended, earth-
wards, little by little, till it lighted on the top of a high hill. As
soon as I found myself on the hard ground, I made haste to unbind
myself, quaking for fear of the bird, though it took no heed of me
nor even felt me ; and, loosing my turband from its feet, I made
off with my best speed. Presently, I saw it catch up in its huge
claws something from the earth and rise with it high in air, and
observing it narrowly I saw it to be a serpent big of bulk and
gigantic of girth, wherewith it flew away clean out of sight. I
marvelled at this and faring forwards found myself on a peak over-
looking a valley, exceeding great and wide and deep, and bounc'ed
by vast mountains that spired high in air : none could descry their
summits, for the excess of their height, nor was any able to climb
up thereto. When I saw this, I blamed myself for that which I
had done and said, " Would Heaven I had tarried in the island !
Madagascar, a gigantic ostrich whose egg contains 2.35 gallons. The late Herr Hilde-
brand discovered on the African coast, facing Madagascar, traces of another huge bird.
Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. 854) notices the Avium Avis Ruch and taking the pulli was
followed by lapidation on the part of the parent bird. A Persian illustration in Lane
(iii. 90) shows the Rukh carrying off three elephants in beak and pounces with the pro-
portions of a hawk and field mice : and the Rukh hawking at an elephant is a favourite
Persian subject. It is possible that the " Twelve Knights of the Round Table " were the
twelve Rukhs of Persian story. We need not go, with Faber, to the Cherubim which
guarded the Paradise-gate. The curious reader will consult Dr. H. H. Wilson's Essays,
edited by my learned correspondent, Dr. Rost, Librarian of the India House, vol. i.
pp. 192-3.
VOL. VI.
l8 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
It was better than this wild desert ; for there I had at least fruits
to eat and water to drink, and here are neither trees nor fruits nor
streams. But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in
Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! Verily, as often as I am quit of
one peril, I fall into a worse danger and a more grievous." How-
ever, I took courage and walking along the Wady found that
its soil was of diamond, the stone wherewith they pierce minerals
and precious stones and porcelain and the onyx, for that it is a
dense stone and a dure, whereon neither iron nor hardhead hath
effect, neither can we cut off aught therefrom nor break it, save by
means of leadstone.' Moreover, the valley swarmed with snakes
and vipers, each big as a palm tree, that would have made but one
gulp of an elephant ; and they came out by night, hiding during
the day, lest the Rukhs and eagles pounce on them and tear them
to pieces, as was their wont, why I wot not. And I repented of
what I had done and said, " By Allah, I have made haste to bring
destruction upon myself!" The day began to wane as I went,
along and I looked about for a place where I might pass the night,
being in fear of the serpents ; and I took no thought of meat and
drink in my concern for my life. Presently, I caught sight of a
cave nearhand, with a narrow doorway ; so I entered and seeing a
great stone close to tlie mouth. I rolled it up and stopped the
entrance_, saying to myself, " I am safe here for the night ; and as
soon as it is day, I will go forth and see what destiny will do."
Then I looked within the cave and saw at the upper end a great
serpent brooding on her eggs, at which my flesh quaked and my
hair stood on end ; but I raised my eyes to Heaven and, com-
' It is not easy to explain this passage unless it be a garbled allusion to the steel-plate
of the diamond-cutter. Nor can we account for the wide diffusion of this talc of perils
unless to enhance the value of the gem. Diamonds occur in alluvial lands mostly open
and comparatively level, as in India, the Brazil and the Cape. Archbishop Epiphanius
o( Salamis (ob. A.D. 403) tells this story about the jacinth or ruby (Epiphanii Opera, a
Pctaio, Culonia: 16S2) ; and it was transferred to the diamond by Marco Polo (iii. 29,
" of Eagles bring up diamonds") and Nicolo de Conti, whose " mountain Albenigaras "
must be \'ijayanagar in the kingdom of Golconda. Major Rennel places the famous
mines of Fauna or Purna in a mountain-tract of more than 200 miles square to the
south-west of the Jumna. Al-Kazwmi locates the "Chaos" in the "\'alley of
the Moon among<;t the mountains of Serendib" (Ceylon); the Chinese tell the same
tale in the camjtaigiis of Hulaku ; and it is known in Armenia. Col. ^'ule (M. P.
ii. 349) suggests that all the^e are ramifications of the legend tuM by llcroth/ius con-
cerning the Arabs and their cinnamon (iii. 3). But whence did Herodotus borrow the
tale?
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 19
mitting my case to fate and lot, abode all that night without sleep
till daybreak, when I rolled back the stone from the mouth of the
cave and went forth, staggering like a drunken man and giddy
with watching and fear and hunger. As in this sore case I walked
along the valley, behold, there fell down before me a slaughtered
beast ; but I saw no one, whereat I marvelled with great marvel
and presently remembered a story I had heard aforetime of traders
and pilgrims and travellers ; how the mountains where are the
diamonds are full of perils and terrors, nor can any fare through
them ; but the merchants who traffic in diamonds have a device by
which they obtain them, that is to say, they take a sheep and
slaughter and skin it and cut it in pieces and cast them down from
'the mountain-tops into the valley-sole, where the meat being fresh
and sticky with blood, some of the gems cleave to it. There they
leave it till mid-day, when the eagles and vultures swoop down
upon it and carry it in their claws to the mountain-summits,
whereupon the merchants come and shout at them and scare them
away from the meat. Then they come and, taking the diamonds
which they find sticking to it, go their ways with them and leave
the meat to the birds and beasts ; nor can any come at the
diamonds but by this device And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nolo tol^en it tuas tj^c §M ?i^unt(rfti antj jportg-fiftfj Ij^x^x,
She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sind-
bad the Seaman continued his relation of what befel him in the
Mountain of Diamonds, and informed them that the merchants
cannot come at the diamonds save by the device aforesaid. So,
when I saw the slaughtered beast fall (he pursued) and bethought
me of the story, I went up to it and filled my pockets and shawl-
girdle and turband and the folds of my clothes with the choicest
diamonds ; and, as I was thus engaged, down fell before me another
great piece of meat. Then with my unrolled turband and lying
on my back, I set the bit on my breast so that I was hidden by
the meat, which was thus raised above the ground Hardly had I
gripped it, when an eagle swooped down upon the flesh and,
seizing it with his talons, flew up with it high in air and me cling-
ing thereto, and ceased not its flight till it alighted on the head of
one of the mountains where, dropping the carcass he fell to rending
20 Alf Laylah wa Laylak
It ; but, behold, there arose behind him a great noise of shouting
and clattering of wood, whereat the bird took fright and flew away.
Then I loosed off myself the meat, with clothes daubed with blood
therefrom, and stood up by its side ; whereupon up came the
merchant, who had cried out at the eagle, and seeing me standing
there, bespoke me not, but was affrighted at me and shook with
fear. However, he went up to the carcass and turning it over,
found no diamonds sticking to it, whereat he gave a great cry and
exclaimed, "Harrow, my disappointment! There is no Majesty
and there is no Might save in Allah with whom we seek refuge
from Satan the stoned ! " And he bemoaned himself and beat
hand upon hand, saying, " Alas, the pity of it ! How cometh
this ? " Then I went up to him and he said to me, *' Who art
thou and what causeth thee to come hither ? " And I, " Fear not,
I am a man and a good man and a merchant. My story is a
•wondrous and my adventures marvellous and the manner of my
coming hither is prodigious. So be of good cheer, thou shalt
receive of me what shall rejoice thee, for I have with me great
plenty of diamonds and I will give thee thereof what shall suffice
thee ; for each is better than aught thou couldst get otherwise. So
fear nothing." The man rejoiced thereat and thanked and blessed
me; then we talked together till the other merchants, hearing me'
in discourse with their fellow, came up and saluted me; for each
of them had thrown down his piece of meat. And as I went off
with them I told them my whole story, how I had suffered hard-
ships at sea and the fashion of my reaching the valley. But I
gave the owner of the meat a number of the stones I had by me,
so they all wished me joy of my escape, saying, " By Allah a new
life hath been decreed to thee, for none ever reached yonder
valley and came off thence alive before thee ; but praised be Allah
for thy safety ! " \Vc passed the night together in a safe and
pleasant place, beyond measure rejoiced at my deliverance from
the Valley of Serpents and my arrival in an inhabited land ; and
on the morrow we set out and journeyed over the mighty range
of mountains, seeing many serpents in the valley, till wc came to
.a fair great island, wherein was a garden of huge cam jhor trees
under each of which an hundred men might take shelter. When
the folk have a mind to get camphor, they bore into the upper
part of the bole with a long iron ; whereupon the licjuid camphor,
which is the sap of the tree, flowcth out and lliey catch it in
vessels, where it concretcth like gum ; but, after this, the tree
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 2(
dieth and becometh firewood.^ Moreover, there is in this island a
kind of wild beast, called " Rhinoceros," ^ that pastureth as do
steers and buffalos with us ; but it is a huge brute, bigger of body
than the camel and like it feedeth upon the leaves and twigs of
trees. It is a remarkable animal with a great and thick horn, ten
cubits long, amiddleward its head ; wherein, when cleft in twain,
is the hkeness of a man. Voyagers and pilgrims and travellers
declare that this beast called " Karkadan " will carry off a great
elephant on its horn and graze about the island and the sea-coast
therewith and take no heed of it, till the elephant dieth and its fat,
melting in the sun, runneth down into the rhinoceros's eyes and
blindeth him, so that he lieth down on the shore. Then comes
the bird Rukh and carrieth off both the rhinoceros and that which
is on its horn to feed its young withal. Moreover, I saw in this
island many kinds of oxen and buffaloes, whose like are not found
in our country. Here I sold some of the diamonds which I had
by me for gold dinars and silver dirhams and bartered others for
the produce of the country ; and, loading them upon beasts of
burden, fared on with the merchants from valley to valley and
town to town, buying and selling and viewing foreign countries
and the works and creatures of Allah, till we came to Bassorah-
city, where we abode a few days, after which I continued m/
journey to Baghdad. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
' Sindbad correctly describes the primitive way of extracting camphor, a drug un-
known to the Greeks and Romans, introduced by the Arabs and ruined in reputation by
M. Raspail. The best Laurus Camphora grows in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and
Borneo : although Marsden (Marco Polo) declares that the tree is not found South of
the Equator. In the Calc. Edit, of two hundred Nights the camphor-island (or penin-
sula) is called " Al-Rihah" which is the Arab name for Jericho-town.
^ In Bui. Edit. Kazkazan Calc. Karkaddan and others Karkand and Karkadan ;
the word being Persian, Karg or Kargadan ; the Kaprd^vvov of .^lian (Hist. Anim.
xvi. 2l). The length of the horn (greatly exaggerated) shows that the white species is
raeant ; and it supplies only walking-sticks. Cups are made of the black horn (a
bundle of fibres) which, like Venetian glass, sweat at the touch of poison. A section of
the horn is supposed to show white lines iii the figure of a man, and sundry likenesses of
birds ; but these I never saw. The rhinoceros gives splendid sport and the African is
perhaps the most dangerous of noble game. It has served to explain away and abolish
the unicorn among the Scientists of Europe But Central Africa with one voice assures
us that a horse-like animal with a single erectile horn on the forehead exists. The
late Dr. Baikic, of Niger fame, thoroughly believed in it and those curious on the
subject will read about Abu Karn (Father of a Horn) in Preface (pp. xvi.-xviii.) of
the Voyage au Darfour, by Mohammed ibn Omar al-Tounsy (Al-Tunisi), Paris,
Duprat, 1845.
22 Alf Laylah wa Lay/ah.
iloto tof)cn It foas t|)e jpibe fDun^trt anti Jpotty'Sixtt iltg!)t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sindbad the Seaman returned from his travel to Baghdad, the
House of Peace, he arrived at home with great store of diamonds
and money and goods. (Continued he) " I foregathered with my
friends and relations and gave alms and largesse and bestowed
curious gifts and made presents to all my friends and companions.
Then I betook myself to eating well and drinking well and wear-
ing fine clothes and making merry with my fellows, and forgot all
my sufferings in the pleasures of return to the solace and delight
of life, with light heart and broadened breast. And every one
who heard of my return came and questioned me of my adven-
tures and of foreign countries, and I related to them all that had
befallen me, and the much I had suffered, whereat they wondered
and gave me joy of my safe return. This, then, is the end of the
story of my second voyage; and to-morrow, Inshallah! I will tell
you what befel me in my third voyage." The company marvelled
at his story and supped with him ; after which he ordered an
hundred dinars of gold to be given to the Porter, who took the
sum with many thanks and blessings (which he stinted not even
when he reached home) and went his way, wondering at what he
had heard. Next morning as soon as day came in its sheen and
■shone, he rose and praying the dawn-prayer, repaired to the house
of Sindbad the Seaman, even as he had bidden him, and went in
and gave him good-morrow» The merchant welcomed him and
made him sit with him, till the rest of the company arrived ; and
when they had well eaten and drunken and were merry with joy
and jollity, their host began by saying: — Hearken, O my brothers,
to what I am about to tell you ; for it is even more wondrous than
what you have already heard ; but Allah alone kenneth what
things His Omniscience concealed from man ! And listen to
THE THIRD VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN.
As I told you yesterday, I returned from my second voyage over-
joyed at my safety and with great increase of wealth, Allah having
requited me all that I had wasted and lost, and I abode awhile in
'Baghdad-city savouring the utmost ease and prosperity and com-
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman, 23
fort and happiness, till the carnal man was once more seized with
longing for travel and diversion and adventure, and yearned after
traffic and lucre and emolument, for that the human heart is natu-
rally prone to evil. So making up my mind I laid in great plenty
of goods suitable for a sea-voyage and repairing to Bassorah, went
down to the shore and found there a fine ship ready to sail, with
a full crew and a numerous company of merchants, men of worth
and substance; faith, piety and consideration. I embarked with
them and we set sail on the blessing of Allah Almighty and on
His aidance and His favour to bring our voyage to a safe and
prosperous issue and already we congratulated one another on our
good fortune and boon voyage. We fared on from sea to sea and
from island to island and city to city, in all delight and content-
ment, buying and selling wherever we touched, and taking our
solace and our pleasure, till one day when, as we sailed athwart
the dashing sea, swollen with clashing billows, behold, the master
(who stood on the gunwale examining the ocean in all directions)
cried out with a great cry, and buffeted his face and pluckt out
his beard and rent his raiment, and bade furl the sail and cast the
anchors. So we said to him, "O Rais, what is the matter.?"
" Know, O my brethren (Allah preserve you !), that the wind hath
gotten the better of us and hath driven us out of our course into
mid-ocean, and destiny, for our ill luck, hath brought us to the
Mountain of the Zughb, a hairy folk like apes,^ among whom no
man ever fell and came forth alive ; and my heart presageth that
we all be dead men." Hardly had the master made an end of his
speech when the apes were upon us. They surrounded the ship
on all sides swarming like locusts and crowding the shore. They
were the most frightful of wild creatures, covered with black hair
like felt, foul of favour and small of stature, being but four spans
high, yellow-eyed and black-faced ; none knoweth their language
' Ibn al-Wardi mentions an " Isle of Apes " in the Sea of China and Al-Idrlsi places
it two days' sail from Sukutra (Dwipa Sukhatra, Socotra). It is a popular error to
explain the Homeric and Herodotean legend of the Pygmies by anthropoid apes. The
Pygmy fable (Pygmaei Spithamai = i cubit = 3 spans) was, as usual, based upon fact,
as the explorations of late years have proved : the dwarfs are homuncuii of various tribes,
the Akka, Doko, Tiki-Tiki, Wambilikimo (" two-cubit men "), the stunted race that share
the central regions of Intertropical Africa with the abnormally tall peoples who speak
dialects of the Great South African tongue, miscalled the " Bantu." Hole makes the
Pygmies '• monkeys," a word we have borrowed from the Italians (monichio a mono 53S
ape) and quotes Ptolemy, N^aot tm ^aTvpwv (Ape-islands) East of Snnda.
24 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
nor what they are, and they shun the company of men. We feared
to slay them or strike them or drive them away, because of their
inconceivable multitude ; lest, if we hurt one, the rest fall on us and
slay us, for numbers prevail over courage ; so we let them do their
will, albeit we feared they would plunder our goods and gear.
They swarmed up the cables and gnawed them asunder, and on
like wise they did with all the ropes of the ship, so that it fell off
from the wind and stranded upon their mountainous coast. Then
they laid hands on all the merchants and crew, and landing us on
the island, made off with the ship and its cargo and went their
ways, we wot not whither. We were thus left on the island, eating
of its fruits and pot-herbs and drinking of its streams till, one day,
we espied in its midst what seemed an inhabited house. So we
made for it as fast as our feet could carry us and behold, it was a
castle strong and tall, compassed about with a lofty wall, and
having a two-leaved gate of ebony-wood both of which leaves open
stood. We entered and found within a space wide and bare like a
great square, round which stood many high doors open thrown, and
at the farther end a long bench of stone and brasiers, with cooking
gear hanging thereon and about it great plenty of bones ; but we
saw no one and marvelled thereat with exceeding wonder. Then
we sat down in the courtyard a little while and presently falling
asleep, slept from the forenoon till sundown, when lo ! the earth
trembled under our feet and the air rumbled with a terrible tone.
Then there came down upon us, from the top of the castle, a huge
creature in the likeness of a man, black of colour, tall and big of
bulk, as he were a great date-tree, with eyes like coals of fire and
eyC-tecth like boar's tusks and a vast big gape like the mouth of a
well. Moreover, he had long loose lips like camel's, hanging down
upon his breast, and ears like two Jarms^ falling over his shoulder-
blades and the nails of his hands were like the claws of a lion.^
When we saw this frightful giant, we were like to faint and every
moment increased our fear and terror; and we became as dead
' A kind of barge (Arab. Barijah, plur. Bawarij) used on the Nilcof sub-pyriform shape
when seen in bird's eye. Lane translates "ears like two mortars" from the Calc.
Edit.
* This giant is distinctly Polyphemus ; but the East had giants and Cyclopes of her
own (Ilierozoicon ii. 845). The Ajaib al-Hind (chapt. cxxii.) makes Polyphemus copu-
late with the sheep. Sir John Mandeville (if such person ever existed) mentions men
fifty feet high in the Indian Islands ; and Al-Kazwini and Al-Idrisi transfer them to the
Sea of China, a Botany Bay lor monsters in general.
1 he Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 25
men for excess of horror and affright. And Shahrazad per*
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
iEoto t»I)en it foas x\% ^'M l^untiretJ anU jportg-scbcntf) Nig{)t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman continued : — When we saw this frightful giant we were
struck with exceeding terror and horror. And after trampling
upon the earth, he sat awhile on the bench ; then he arose and
coming to us seized me by the arm choosing me out from among
my comrades the merchants. He took me up in his hand and
turning me over felt me, as a butcher feeleth a sheep he is about to
slaughter, and I but a little mouthful in his hands ; but finding me
lean and fleshless for stress of toil and trouble and weariness, let
me go and took up another, whom in like manner he turned over
and felt and let go ; nor did he cease to feel and turn over the rest
of us, one after another, till he came to the master of the ship.
Now he was a sturdy, stout, broad-shouldered wight, fat and in
full vigour ; so he pleased the giant, who seized him, as a butcher
seizeth a beast, and throwing him down, set his foot on his neck
and brake it ; after which he fetched a long spit and thrusting it
up his backside, brought it forth of the crown of his head. Then,
lighting a fierce fire, he set over it the spit with the Rais thereon,
and turned it over the coals, till the flesh was roasted, when he
took the spit off the fire and set it like a Kabab-stick before him.
Then he tare the body, limb from limb, as one jointeth a chicken
and, rending the flesh with his nails, fell to eating of it and gnawing
the bones, till there was nothing left but some of these, which he
threw on one side of the wall. This done, he sat for a while ; then
he lay down on the stone-bench and fell asleep, snarking and
snoring like the gurgling of a lamb or a cow with its throat cut ;
nor did he awake till morning, when he rose and fared forth and
■went his ways. As soon as we were certified that he was gone,
we began to talk with one another, weeping and bemoaning our-
selves for the risk we ran, and saying, " Would Heaven we had
been drowned in the sea or that the apes had eaten us ! That
were better than to be roasted over the coals ; by Allah, this is a
vile, foul death ! But whatso the Lord willeth must come to pass
and there is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Him, the
Glorious, the Great ! We shall assuredly pen'sh miserably and
26 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
none will know of us ; as there is no escape for us from this place."
Then wc arose and roamed about the island, hoping that haply we
might find a place to hide us in or a means of flight, for indeed
death was a light matter to us, provided we were not roasted over
the fire^ and eaten. However, we could find no hiding-place and
the evening overtook us ; so, of the excess of our terror, we re-
turned to the castle and sat down awhile. Presently, the earth
trembled under our feet and the black ogre came up to us and
turning us over, felt one after other, till he found a man to his
liking, whom he took and served as he had done the captain,
killing and roasting and eating him : after which he lay down on
the bench ^ and slept all night, snarking and snoring like a beast
with its throat cut, till daybreak, when he arose and went out as
before. Then we drew together and conversed and said one to
other, " By Allah, we had better throw ourselves into the sea and
be drowned than die roasted ; for this is an abominable death ! "
Quoth one of us, " Hear ye my words ! let us cast about to kill
him, and be at peace from the grief of him and rid the Moslems of his
barbarity and tyranny." Then said I, " Hear me, O my brothers ;
if there is nothing for it but to slay him, let us carry some of this
firewood and planks down to the sea-shore and make us a boat
wherein, if we succeed in slaughtering him, we may either embark
and let the waters carry us whither Allah willeth, or else abide here
till some ship pass, when we will take passage in it. If we fail to
kill him, we will embark in the boat and put out to sea ; and if we
be drowned, we shall at least escape being roasted over a kitchen
fire with sliced wcasands ; whilst, if we escape, we escape, and if
we be drowned, we die martyrs," " By Allah," said they all, " this
rede is a right ;" and we agreed upon this, and set about carrying
it out. So we haled down to the beach the pieces of wood which
lay about the bench ; and, making a boat, moored it to the strand,
after which we stowed therein somewhat of victual and returned to
' Fire is forbidden as a punishment amongst Moslems, the idea being that it should
be reserved for the next world. Hence the sailors fear the roasting more than the eating :
with ours it would probably be the reverse. The Persian insult " I'idar-sokhtah " =:
(son of a) burnt father, is well known. I have noted the advisability of burning the
Moslem's corpse uudcr certain circumstances : otherwise the murderer may come to be
Canonised.
^ Arab. " Mastabah " =: the bench or form of masonry before noticed. In olden
Europe benches were much more used than chairs, these being articles of luxury. So
King Home " sett him abenche ;" and hence our " King's Bench " (Court).
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 27
the castle. As soon as evening fell the earth trembled under our
feet and in came the blackamoor upon us, snarling like a dog about
to bite. He came up to us and feeling us and turning us over one
by one, took one of us and did with him as he had done before and
ate him, after which he lay down on the bench and snored and
snorted like thunder. As soon as we were assured that he slept,
we arose and taking two iron spits of those standing there, heated
them in the fiercest of the fire, till they were red-hot, like burning
coals, when we gripped fast hold of them and going up to the
giant, as he lay snoring on the bench, thrust them into his eyes and
pressed upon them, all of us, with our united might, so that his eye-
balls burst and he became stone blind. Thereupon he cried with a
great cry, whereat our hearts trembled, and springing up from the
bench, he fell a-groping after us, blind-fold. We fled from him
right and left and he saw us not, for his sight was altogether blent X
but we were in terrible fear of him and made sure we were dead
men despairing of escape. Then he found the door, feeling for it
with his hands and went out roaring aloud ; and behold, the earth
shook under us, for the noise of his roaring, and we quaked for*
fear. As he quitted the castle we followed him and betook
ourselves to the place where we had moored our boat, saying to
one another, " If this accursed abide absent till the going down of
the sun and come not to the castle, we shall know that he is dead ;
and if he come back, we will embark in the boat and paddle till we
escape, committing our affair to Allah." But, as we spoke, behold,
up came the blackamoor with other two as they were Ghuls,
fouler and more frightful than he, with eyes like red-hot coals ;
which when we saw, we hurried into the boat and casting off the
moorings paddled away and pushed out to sea.' As soon as the
ogres caught sight of us, they cried out at us and running down
to the sea-shore, fell a-pelting us with rocks, whereof some fell
amongst us and others fell into the sea. We paddled with all our
might till we were beyond their reach, but the most part of
us were slain by the rock-throwing, and the winds and waves
sported with us and carried us into the midst of the dashing sea,
swollen with billows clashing. We knew not whither we went and
my fellows died one after another, till there remained but three,
' This is from the Bresl. Edit. vol. iv. 32 : the Calc. Edit, gives only an abstract and
in the Bui. Edit, the Ogre returned "accompanied by a female, greater than he and
more hideous." We cannot accept Mistress Polyphemus.
28 A If Laylah wa Laylah,
myself and two others ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Noto tDf)cn It toas \^z jpibe fl^un^retJ anlj JortBsefgtt]^ Nigfet,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman thus continued : — Most part of us were slain by the rock-
throwing and only three of us remained on board the boat for, as
often as one died, we threw him into the sea. We were sore
exhausted for stress of hunger, but we took courage and heartened
one another and worked for dear life and paddled with main and
might, till the winds cast us upon an island, as we were dead men
for fatigue and fear and famine. We landed on the island and
walked about it for a while, finding that it abounded in trees and
streams and birds ; and we ate of the fruits and rejoiced in our
escape from the black and our deliverance from the perils of the
sea ; and thus we did till nightfall, when we lay down and fell
asleep for excess of fatigue. But we had hardly closed our eyes
before we were aroused by a hissing sound, like the sough of wind,
and awaking, saw a serpent like a dragon, a seld-seen sight, of
monstrous make and belly of enormous bulk which lay in a circle
around us. Presently it reared its head and, seizing one of my
companions, swallowed him up to his shoulders ; then it gulped
down the rest of him, and we heard his ribs crack in its belly.
Presently it went its way, and we abode in sore amazement and
grief for our comrade and mortal fear for ourselves, saying, " By
Allah, this is a marvellous thing ! Each kind of death that
threateneth us is more terrible than the last. We were rejoicing
in our escape from the black ogre and our deliverance from the
perils of the sea ; but now we have fallen into that which is worse.
There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah ! By
the Almighty, we have escaped from the blackamoor and from
drowning : but how shall we escape from this abominable and
vipcrish monster } " Then we walked about the island, eating of
its fruits and drinking of its streams till dusk, when we climbed up
into a high tree and went to sleep there, I being on the topmost
bough. As soon as it was dark niglit, up came the serpent, looking
right and left ; and, making for the tree whereon we were, cliiiibed
up to my comrade and swallowed him down to his shoulders
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 29
Then it coiled about the bole * with him, whilst I, who could not
take my eyes off the sight, heard his bones crack in its belly, and
it swallowed him whole, after which it slid down from the tree.
When the day broke and the light showed me that the serpent was
gone, I came down, as I were a dead man for stress of fear and
anguish, and thought to cast myself into the sea and be at rest
from the woes of the world ; but could not bring myself to this, for
verily life is dear. So I took five pieces of wood, broad and long,
and bound one crosswise to the soles of my feet and others in like
fashion on my right and left sides and over my breast ; and the
broadest and largest I bound across my head and made them fast
with ropes. Then I lay down on the ground on my back, so that
I was completely fenced in by the pieces of wood, which enclosed
me like a bier.^ So as soon as it was dark, up came the serpent.
as usual, and made towards me, but could not get at me to swallow
me for the wood that fenced me in. So it wriggled round me on
every side, whilst I looked on, like one dead by reason of my
terror ; and every now and then it would glide away and come
back ; but as often as it tried to come at me, it was hindered by
the pieces of wood wherewith I had bound myself on every side.
It ceased not to beset me thus from sundown till dawn, but when
the light of day shone upon the beast it made off, in the utmost
fury and extreme disappointment. Then I put out my hand and
unbound myself, well-nigh down among the dead men for fear
and suffering; and went down to the island-shore, whence a ship
afar off in the midst of the waves suddenly struck my sight. So
I tore off a great branch of a tree and made signs with it to the
crew, shouting out the while ; which when the ship's company saw
they said to one another, " We must stand in and see what this
^ This is from Al-Kazwini, who makes the serpent "wind itself round a tree or a
rock, and thus break to pieces the bones of the breast in its belly."
^ "Like a closet," in the Calc. Edit. The serpent is an exaggeration of the python
which grows to an enormous size. Monstrous Ophidia are mentioned in sober history,
e.g. that which delayed the army of Regulus. Dr. de Lacerda, a sober and sensible
Brazilian traveller, mentions his servants sitting down upon a tree-trunk in the Captaincy
of Sam Paulo (Brasil), wliich began to move and proved to be a huge snake. F. M.
Pinto (the Sindbad of Portugal though not so respectable) when in Sumatra takes refuge
in a tree from " tigers, crocodiles, copped adders and serpents which slay men with
their breath." Father Lobo in Tigre (chapt. x.) was nearly killed by the poison-breath
of a huge snake, and healed himself with a bezoar carried ad hoc. Maffceus makes the
breath of crocodiles suavissimus, but that of the Malabar serpents and vipers " adco
teter ac noxius ut afflatu ipso necare perhibeantur."
30 Alf Laylah iva Laylah.
is ; peradventurc 'tis a man." So they made for the island and
presently heard my cries, whereupon they took me on board and
questioned mc of my case. I told them all my adventures from
first to last, whereat they marvelled mightily and covered my
shame * with some of their clothes. Moreover, they set before me
somewhat of food and I ate my fill and I drank cold sweet water
and was mightily refreshed ; and Allah Almighty quickened me
after I was virtually dead. So I praised the Most Highest and
thanked Him for His favours and exceeding mercies, and my heart
revived in me after utter despair, till meseemed as if all I had
suffered were but a dream I had dreamed. We sailed on with a
fair wind the Almighty sent us till we came to an island, called
Al-Salahitah,- which aboundeth in sandal-wood when the captain
cast anchor, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Noto tof)tn It teas tj^c jpfbe J^untirelJ anti jportg^ntnib KtgtJt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued : — And when we had cast anchor, the
merchants and the sailors landed with their goods to sell and to
buy. Then the captain turned to me and said, " Hark'ee, thou art
a stranger and a pauper and tellest us that thou hast undergone
frightful hardships ; wherefore I have a mind to benefit thee with
somewhat that may further thee to thy native land, so thou wilt
ever bless me and pray for me." "So be it," answered I ; "thou
shalt have my prayers." Quoth he, " Know then that there was
with us a man, a traveller, whom we lost, and we know not if he
be alive or dead, for we had no news of him ; so I purpose to
commit his bales of goods to thy charge, that thou mayst sell them
in this island. A part of the proceeds we will give thee as an
equivalent for thy pains and service, and the rest we will keep till
we return to Baghdad, where wc will enquire for his family and
' Ar.ib. " Aurat " : the word has been borrowed by the Hindostani jargun, and means
a woir.an, a wife.
' So in Al-Idrisi .-ind Lant^lcs : the Eros. Edit, has " Al-Kalasitah "; and A!-Kazwini
" Al-Saiaiiiit." The lattir notes in it a ixtrifying spri!i<^ wliicli Camoens (The
Lus. X. ic.',\ places in .Si;".da, j.t-. Java-Miiicr of .M. I'^Io. Some read S..labat-1 imor,
one of the Moluccas famed for sanders, cloves, cinnamon, etc. (Furchas ii. ijSj.)
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seama7i. 31
deliver it to them, together with the unsold goods. Say me then,
wilt thou undertake the charge and land and sell them as other
merchants do ? " I replied " Hearkening and obedience to thee,
0 my lord ; and great is thy kindness to me," and thahked hira ;
whereupon he bade the sailors and porters bear the bales in question
ashore and commit them to my charge. The ship's scribe asked
him, " O master, what bales are ^hese and what merchant's name
shall I write upon them ? " ; ana he answered, " Write on them
the name of Sindbad the Seaman, him who was with us in the
ship and whom we lost at the Rukh's island, and of whom we have
no tidings ; for we mean this stranger to sell them ; and we will
give him a part of the price for his pains and keep the rest till we
return to Baghdad where, if we find the owner we will make it
over to him, and if not, to his family.'* And the clerk said, " Thy
words are apposite and thy rede is right." Now when I heard
the captain give orders for the bales to be inscribed with my name,
1 said to myself, " By Allah, I am Sindbad the Seaman ! " So
I armed myself with courage and patience and waited till all the
merchants had landed and were gathered together, talking and
chaffering about buying and selling ; then I went up to the captain
and asked him, *' O my lord, knowest thou what manner of man
was this Sindbad, whose goods thou hast committed to me for
sale ? "; and he answered, " I know of him naught save that he
was a man from Baghdad-city, Sindbad hight the Seaman, who
was drowned with many others when we lay anchored at such an
island and I have heard nothing of him since then." At this I
cried out with a great cry and said, " O captain, whom Allah keep !
know that I am that Sindbad the Seaman and that I was not
drowned, but when thou easiest anchor at the island, I landed
with the rest of the merchants and crew ; and I sat down in a
pleasant place by myself and ate somewhat of food I had with
me and enjoyed myself till I became drowsy and was drowned
in sleep ; and when I awoke, I found no ship and none near me.
These goods are my goods and these bales are my bales ; and all
the merchants who fetch jewels from the Valley of Diamonds saw
me there and will bear me witness that I am the very Sindbad the
Seaman ; for I related to them everything that had befallen me
and told them how you forgot me and left me sleeping on the
island, and that betided me which betided me." When the pas-
sengers and crew heard my words, they gathered about me and
some of them believed me and others disbelieved ; but presently,
32 Alf Lay I ah wa Laylah.
behold, one of the merchants, hearing me mention the Valley of
Diamonds, came up to me and said to them, " Hear what I say,
good people ! When I related to you the most wonderful thing
in my travels, and I told you that, at the time we cast down our
slaughtered animals into the Valley of Serpents (I casting with
the rest as was my wont), there came up a man hanging to mine,
ye believed me not and gave me the lie." " Yes," quoth they,
" thou didst tell us some such tale, but we had no call to credit
thee." He resumed, " Now this is the very man, by token that
he gave me diamonds of great value, and high price whose like
are not to be found, requiting me more than would have come up
sticking to my quarter of meat ; and I companied with him to
Bassorah-city, where he took leave of us and went on to his native
stead, whilst we returned to our own land. This is he ; and he told
us his name, Sindbad the Seaman, and how the ship left him on
the desert island. And know ye that Allah hath sent him hither,
so might the truth of my story be made manifest to you. More-
over, these are his goods for, when he first foregathered with us,
he told us of them ; and the truth of his words is patent." Hearing
the merchant's speech the captain came up to me and considered
me straitly awhile, after which he said, " What was the mark on
thy bales ? " " Thus and thus," answered I, and reminded him of
somewhat that had passed between him and me, when I shipped
with him from Bassorah. Thereupon he was convinced that I was
indeed Sindbad the Seaman and took me round the neck and
gave me joy of my safety, saying, " By Allah, O my lord, thy case
is indeed wondrous and thy tale marvellous; but lauded be Allah
who hath brought thee and me together again, and who hath
restored to thee thy goods and gear ! " And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
/loto tDfjcn ft fcoas i^t J[p(fae ^^unlJrcti anlJ jpiftict]^ ilt'ott,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman thus continued: — "Alhamdolillah !" quoth the cap-
tain, " lauded be Allah who hath restored unto thee thy goods and
gear." Then I disposed of my merchandise to the best of my
skill, and profited largely on them whereat I rejoiced with exceed-
ing joy and congratulated myself on my safety and the recovery
of my goods. VV^e ceased not to buy and sell at the several islands
The Third Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 33
till we came to the land of Hind, where we bought cloves and
ginger and all manner spices ; and thence we fared on to the land
of Sind, where also we bought and sold. In these Indian seas, I
saw wonders without number or count, amongst others a fish like
a cow which bringeth forth its young and suckleth them like
human beings ; and of its skin bucklers are made.^ There were
eke fishes like asses and camels ^ and tortoises twenty cubits wide.^
And I saw also a bird that cometh out of a sea-shell and layeth
eggs and hatcheth her chicks on the surface of the water, never
coming up from the sea to the land.* Then we set sail again
with a fair wind and the blessing of Almighty Allah ; and, after a
prosperous voyage, arrived safe and sound at Bassorah. Here I
abode a few days and presently returned to Baghdad where I went
at once to my quarter and my house and saluted my family and
familiars and friends. I had gained on this voyage what was
beyond count and reckoning, so I gave alms and largesse and clad
the widow and the orphan, by way of thanksgiving for my happy
return, and fell to feasting and making merry with my companions
' Evidently the hippopotamus (Pliny, viii. 25 ; ix. 3 and xxiii. II). It can hardly be
the Mulaccan Tapir, as shields are not made of the hide. Hole suggests the buffalo
which found its way to Egypt from India vid Persia ; but this would not be a speciosum
miraculum.
^ The ass-headed fish is from Pliny (ix. cap. 3) : all those tales are founded upon the
manatee (whose dorsal protuberance may have suggested the camel), the seal and the
dugong or sea-calf. I have noticed (Zanzibar i. 205) legends of ichthyological marvels
current on the East African seaboard ; and even the monsters of the Scottish waters are
not all known : witness the mysterious " brigdie." See Bochart De Cetis i. 7 ; and
Purchas iii. 930.
^ The colossal tortoise is noticed by iElian (De Nat. Animal, xvi. 17), by Strabo
(Lib. XV.), by Pliny (ix. 10) and Diodorus Siculus (iv. i) who had heard of a tribe of
Chelonophagi. ^^Elian makes them 16 cubits long near Taprobane and serving as house-
roofs ; and others turn the shell into boats and coracles. A colossochelys was first
found on the Scwalik Hills by Dr. Falconer and Major (afterwards Sir Proby) Cantley.
In 1867 M. Emile Blanchard exhibited to the Academic des Sciences a monster crab
from Japan 1.20 metres long (or 2.50 including legs) ; and other travellers have reported
4 metres. These crustaceae seem never to cease growing and attain great dimensions
under favourable circumstances, i.e. when not troubled by man.
* Lane suggests (iii. 97), and with some probability, that the "bird" was a nautilus ;
but the wild traditions concerning the barnacle-goose may perhaps have been the base ol
the fable. The albatross also was long supposed never to touch land. Possibly the
barnacle, like the barometz or Tartarean lamb, may be a survivor of the day
when the animal and vegetable kingdoms had not yet branched off into different
directions.
VOL. VI. C
34 Alf Laylah iva Laylah.
and intimates and forgot, while eating well and drinking well and
dressing well, everything that had befallen me and all the perils
and hardships I had suffered. These, then, are the most admirable
things I sighted on my third voyage, and to-morrow, an it be the
will of Allah, you shall come to me and I will relate the adventures
of my fourth voyage, which is still more wonderful than those you
have already heard. (Saith he who telleth the tale), Then Sindbad
the Seaman bade give Sindbad the Landsman an hundred golden
dinars as of wont and called for food. So they spread the tables
and the company ate the night-meal and went their ways, mar-
velling at the tale they had heard. The Porter after taking his
gold passed the night in his own house, also wondering at what
his namesake the Seaman had told him, and as soon as day broke
and the morning showed with its sheen and shone, he rose and
praying the dawn-prayer betook himself to Sindbad the Seaman,
who returned his salute and received him with an open breast and
cheerful favour and made him sit with him till the rest of the
company arrived, when he caused set on food and they ate and
drank and made merry. Then Sindbad the Seaman bespake them
and related to them the narrative of
THE FOURTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN.
Know, O my brethren that after my return from my third voyage
and foregathering with my friends, and forgetting all my perils
and hardships in the enjoyment of ease and comfort and repose, I
was visited one day by a company of merchants who sat down
with me and talked of foreign travel and traffic, till the old bad
man within me yearned to go with them and enjoy the sight of
strange countries, and I longed for the society of the various races
of mankind and for traffic and profit. So I resolved to travel with
them and buying the necessaries for a long voyage, and great store
of costly goods, more than ever before, transported them from
Baghdad to Bassorah where I took ship with the merchants in
question, who were of the chief of the town. Wc set out, trusting
in the blessing of Almighty Allah ; and with a favouring breeze
and the best conditions we sailed from island to island and sea to
TPie Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 35
sea, till, one day, there arose against us a contrary wind and the
captain cast out his anchors and brought the ship to a standstill,
fearing lest she should founder in mid-ocean. Then we all fell to
prayer and humbling ourselves before the Most High ; but, as we
were thus engaged there smote us a furious squall which tore the
sails to rags and tatters : the anchor-cable parted and, the ship
foundering, we were cast into the sea, goods and all. I kept my-
self afloat by swimming half the day, till, when I had given myself
up for lost, the Almighty threw in my way one of the planks of
the ship, whereon I and some others of the merchants scrambled.
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
tKTofo \a^m ft teas tl)e Jpifae f^untireli anli jpiftg=first Ntg^t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued as follows : — And when the ship foundered
I scrambled on to a plank with some others of the merchants and,
mounting it as we would a horse, paddled with our feet in the sea.
We abode thus a day and a night, the wind and waves helping us
on, and on the second day shortly before the mid-time between
sunrise and noon ^ the breeze freshened and the sea wrought and
the rising waves cast us upon an island, well-nigh dead bodies for
weariness and want of sleep, cold and hunger and fear and thirst.
We walked about the shore and found abundance of herbs, whereof
we ate enough to keep breath in body and to stay our failing
spirits, then lay down and slept till morning hard by the sea.
And when morning came with its sheen and shone, we arose and
walked about the island to the right and left, till we came in sight
of an inhabited house afar off. So we made towards it, and ceased
not walking till we reached the door thereof when lo ! a number
of naked men issued from it and without saluting us or a word
said, laid hold of us masterfully and carried us to their king, who
signed us to sit. So we sat down and they set food before us such
^ Arab. "Zahwah," also meaning a luncheon. The five daily prayers made all
Moslems take strict account of time, and their nomenclature of its division is ex-
tensive.
36 'Alf Laylak wa Laylah.
as we knew not^ and whose like we had never seen in all our lives.
My companions ate of it, for stress of hunger, but my stomach
revolted from it and I would not eat ; and my refraining from it
■was, by Allah's favour, the cause of my being alive till now : for
no sooner had my comrades tasted of it than their reason fled and
their condition changed and they began to devour it like madmen
possessed of an evil spirit. Then the savages gave them to drink
of cocoa-nut oil and anointed them therewith ; and straightway
after drinking thereof, their eyes turned into their heads and they
fell to eating greedily, against their wont. When I saw this, I was
confounded and concerned for them, nor was I less anxious about
myself, for fear of the naked folk. So I watched them narrowly,
and it was not long before I discovered them to be a tribe of
Magian cannibals whose King was a Ghul.^ All who came to their
country or whoso they caught in their valleys or on their roads
they brought to this King and fed them upon that food and
anointed them with that oil, whereupon their stomachs dilated that
they might cat largely, whilst their reason fled and they lost the
power of thought and became idiots. Then they stuffed them with
cocoa-nut oil and the aforesaid food, till they became fat and gross,
when they slaughtered them by cutting their throats and roasted
them for the King's eating ; but, as for the savages themselves,
they ate human flesh raw.^ When I saw this, I was sore dismayed
' This is the "insane herb." Davis, who visited Sumatra in 1599 (Purchas i. 120)
speaks "of a kind of seed, whereof a little being eaten, maketh a man to turn foole, all
things seeming to him to be metamorphosed." Linschoten's " Dutroa " was a poppy-like
bud containing small kernels like melons which stamped and administered as a drink
make a man "as if he were foolish, or out of his wits." This is Father Lobo's
" Vanguini " of the Cafres, called by the Portuguese dutro {Datura Stramonium) still used
by dishonest confectioners. It may be Dampier's Ganga (Ganjah) or Bang (Bhang)
which he justly describes as acting differently " according to different constitutions; for
some it stupefies, others it makes sleepy, others merry and some quite mad." (Harris,
Collect, ii. 900). Dr. Fryer also mentions Duty, Bung and Post, the Poust of Bernier,
an infusion of poppy-seed.
* Arab. " Ghul," here an ogre, a cannibal. I cannot but regard the " Ghul of the
waste " as an embodiment of the natural fear and horror which a man feels when he faces
a really dangerous desert. As regards cannibalism, Al-Islam's religion of common sense
freely allows it when necessary to save life, and unlike our mawkish modern sensibility,
never blames those who
n Alimentis talibus usi
Produxcre animos.
' For Cannibals, see the Massagetnc of Herod (i.), the Padaci of India (iii.), and the
EsscJoncs near Ma^otis (iv.) ; Strabo (lib. iv.) of the Luci ; Pomponius Mela (iii. 7) and
TJ'ie Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 37
for myself and my comrades, who were now become so stupefied
that they knew not what was done with them and the naked folk
committed them to one who used every day to lead them out and
pasture them on the island like cattle. And they wandered
amongst the trees and rested at will, thus waxing very fat. As for
me, I wasted away and became sickly for fear and hunger and my
flesh shrivelled on my bones ; which when the savages saw, they
left me alone and took no thought of me and so far forgot me that
one day I gave them the slip and walking out of their place made
for the beach which was distant and there espied a very old man
seated on a high place, girt by the waters. I looked at him and
knew him for the herdsman, who had charge of pasturing my
fellows, and with him were many others in like case. As soon as
he saw me, he knew me to be in possession of my reason and not
afflicted like the rest whom he was pasturing ; so signed to me
from afar, as who should say, *' Turn back and take the right-hand
road, for that will lead thee into the King's highway." So I turned
back, as he bade me, and followed the right-hand road, now run-
ning for fear and then walking leisurely to rest me, till I was out
of the old man's sight. By this time, the sun had gone down and
the darkness set in ; so I sat down to rest and would have slept,
but sleep came not to me that night, for stress of fear and famine
and fatigue. When the night was half spent, I rose and walked
on, till the day broke in all its beauty and the sun rose over the
heads of the lofty hills and athwart the low gravelly plains. Now
I was weary and hungry and thirsty ; so I ate my fill of herbs and
grasses that grew in the island and kept life in body and stayed
my stomach, after which I set out again and fared on all that day
and the next night, staying my greed with roots and herbs ; nor
St. Jerome (ad Jovinum) of Scoti. M. Polo locates them in Dragvia, a kingdom of
Sumatra (iii. 17), and in Angaman (the Andamanian Isles ?), possibly the ten Maniolai
which Ptolemy (vii.), confusing with the Nicobars, places on the Eastern side of the Bay
of Bengal ; and thence derives the Heraklian stone (magnet) which attracts the iron of
ships (See Serapion, De Magnete, fol. 6, Edit, of 1479, and Brown's Vulgar Errors, p. 74,
6th Edit.). Mandeville finds his cannibals in Lamaray (Sumatra) and Barthema in the
*' Isle of Gyava" (Java). Ibn Al-Wardi and Al-Kazwini notice them in the Isle Saksar,
in the Sea of the Zanj (Zanzibar): the name is corrupted Persian "Sag-Sar" (Dogs'-
Jieads) hence the dog-descended race of Camoens in Pegu (The Lus. x. 122). The Bresl.
Edit. (iv. 52) calls them " Khawarij "=: certain sectarians in Eastern Arabia. Needless
to say that cocoa-nut oil would have no stupefying effect unless mixed with opium or
datura, hemp or henbane. "^
A if Laylah zua Laylah.
did I cease walking for seven days and their nights, till the morn
of the eighth day, when I caught sight of a faint object in the
distance. So I made towards it, though my heart quaked for
all I had suffered first and last, and behold it was a company
of men gathering pepper-grains.' As soon as they saw me, they
hastened up to me and surrounding me on all sides, said to me,
" Who art thou and whence come } " I replied, " Know, O folk,
that I am a poor stranger," and acquainted them with my case
and all the hardships and perils I had suffered And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
i^ofo to!)cn it toas t|)e jpibe |[:]untireb antj jp{ftB»S£Conli £li%%
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued : — And the men gathering pepper in the
island questioned me of my case, when I acquainted them with all
the hardships and perils I had suffered and how I had fled from the
savages; whereat they marvelled and gave me joy of my safety,
saying, " By Allah, this is wonderful ! But how didst thou escape
from these blacks who swarm in the island and devour all who fall
in with them ; nor is any safe from them, nor can any get out of
their clutches.-*" And after I had told them the fate of my com-
panions, they made me sit by them, till they got quit of their
work ; and fetched me somewhat of good food, which I ate, for I
was hungry, and rested awhile, after which they took ship with mc
and carrying mc to their island-home brought me before their
King, who returned rny salute and received me honourably and
questioned me of my case. 1 told him all that had befallen mc,
from the day of my leaving Baghdad-city, whereupon he wondered
with great wonder at my adventures, he and his courtiers, atv!
bade me sit by him ; then he called for food and I ate with ]v- \
what sufficed me and washed my hands and returned thanks io
Almighty Allah for all I lis favours praising Him and glorifying
Him. Then I left the King and walked for solace about the cit}',
' lilack ]>ci)pcr is produced in the Ciciancsc l)ut wo must go south to fir.<l the " Bilad
al-Filfil " (home of pepper) i.e. Malahar. The exorbitant prices dem.mded by Venice
for this spice led directly to the di^^overy of The Cape route by llu- foituguese ; as ihe
"Grains of I'aradise ' (An'oaium Uranum Patadisi) induced the English to explore the
West African CoaiU
' Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman, 39
«fhich I found wealthy and populous, abounding in market-streets
well stocked with food and merchandise and full of buyers and
sellers. So I rejoiced at having reached so pleasant a place and
took my ease there after my fatigues ; and I made friends with the
townsfolk, nor was it long before I became more in honour and
favour with them and their King than any of the chief men of the
realm. Now I saw that all the citizens, great and small, rode fine
horses, high-priced and thorough-bred, without saddles or housings,
whereat I wondered and said to the King, "Wherefore, O my lord,
dost thou not ride with a saddle ? Therein is ease for the rider
and increase of power." . "What is a saddle .^" asked he : "I never
saw nor used such a thing in all my life ; " and I answered, " With
thy permission I will make thee a saddle, that thou mayest ride on
it and see the comfort thereof." And quoth he, " Do so." So
quoth I to him, " Furnish me with some wood," which being
brought, I sought me a clever carpenter and sitting by him showed
him how to make the saddle-tree, portraying for him the fashion
thereof in ink on the wood. Then I took wool and teased it and
made felt of it, and, covering the saddle-tree with leather, stuffed it
and polished it and attached the girth and stirrup leathers ; after
which I fetched a blacksmith and described to him the fashion of
the stirrups and bridle-bit. So he forged a fine pair of stirrups and
a bit, and filed them smooth and tinned^ them. Moreover, I made
fast to them fringes of silk and fitted bridle-leathers to the bit.
Then I fetched one of the best of the royal horses and saddling
and bridling him, hung the stirrups to the saddle and led him to
the King. The thing took his fancy and he thanked me ; then he
mounted and rejoiced greatly in the saddle and rewarded me
handsomely for my work. When the King's Wazir saw the saddle,
he asked of me one like it and I made it for him, Furthermore,
all the grandees and officers of state came for saddles to me ; so I
fell to making saddles (having taught the craft to the carpenter
and blacksmith), and selling them to all who sought, till I amassed
great wealth and became in high honour and great favour with the
King and his household and grandees. I abode thus till, one day,
as I was sitting with the King in all respect and contentment, he
' Arab. "Kazdi'r." Sansk. "Kaslir." Gr. "Kassiteron." Lat. "Cassitei'os,'' evidently
derived from one root. The Heb. is " Badih," a substitute, an alloy. "Tanakah'' is
the vulg. Arab, word, a congener of the Assyrian " Anaku,"and " Kala i" is the corrupt
Arab, term used in India.
40 Alf Lay la h wa Laylah.
said to me, " Know thou, O such an one, thou art become one of
us, dear as a brother, and we hold thee in such regard and affection
that we cannot part with thee nor suffer thee to leave our city;
wherefore I desire of thee obedience in a certain matter, and I will
not have thee gainsay me." Answered I, " O King, what is it thou
desircst of me ? Far be it from me to gainsay thee in aught, for I am
indebted to thee for many favours and bounties and much kindness,
and (praised be Allah !) I am become one of thy servants." Quoth
he, " I have a mind to marry thee to a fair, clever and agreeable wife
who is wealthy as she is beautiful ; so thou mayst be naturalised
and domiciled with us : I will lodge thee with me in my palace ;
wherefore oppose me not neither cross me in this." When I heard
these words I was ashamed and held my peace nor could make
him any answer,^ by reason of my much bashfulness before him.
Asked he, "Why dost thou not reply to mc, O my son ?"; and I
answered, saying, " O my master, it is thine to command, O King
of the age ! " So he summoned the Kazi and the witnesses and
married me straightway to a lady of a noble tree and high pedi-
gree ; wealthy in moneys and means ; the flower of an ancient race ;
of surpassing beauty and grace, and the owner of farms and estates
and many a dwelling-place. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
i2oto tol)cn it tons tlje Jpibc |t)unlJrcti nntr jpiftii=ttirti ilifiDt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbab the
Seaman continued in these words: — Now after the King my master
had married me to this choice wife, he also gave me a great and
goodly house standing alone, together with slaves and officers, and
assigned mc pay and allowances. So I became in all ease and con-
tentment and delight and forgot everything which had befallen mc
of weariness and trouble and hardship; for I loved my wife witli
fondest love and she loved me no less, and we were as one ant!
abode in the utmost comfort of life and in its happiness. And I
said in myself, "When I return to my native land, I will carry her
with mc." But whatso is predestined to a man, that needs must
be, and none knoweth what shall bcfal him. We lived thus a
' Our Arabian Ulysses had pr.)l)al;ly left a I'onddpc or two at home and findsa Calyi'.so
in I .is Ogygia. His modesty at the mention of womankind is notablf.
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sea7nan. 41
great while, till Almighty Allah bereft one of my neighbours of his
wife. Now he was a gossip of mine ; so hearing the cry of the
keeners I went in to condole with him on his loss and found him
in very ill plight, full of trouble and weary of soul and mind. I
condoled with him and comforted him, saying, " Mourn not for thy
wife who hath now found the mercy of Allah ; the Lord will surely
give thee a better in her stead and thy name shall be great and thy
life shall be long in the land, Inshallah!"^ But he wept bitter
tears and replied, " O my friend, how can I marry another wife
and how shall Allah replace her to me with a better than she,
whenas I have but one day left to live ? " " O my brother," said I,
*' return to thy senses and announce not the glad tidings of thine
own death, for thou art well, sound and in good case." " By thy
life, O my friend," rejoined he, " to-morrow thou wilt lose me and
wilt never see me again till the Day of Resurrection." I asked,
" How so ? " and he answered, " This very day they bury my
wife, and they bury me with her in one tomb ; for it is the custom
with us, if the wife die first, to bury the husband alive with her
and in like manner the wife, if the husband die first; so that
neither may enjoy life after losing his or her mate." " By Allah,"
cried I, " this is a most vile, lewd custom and not to be endured of
any !" Meanwhile, behold, the most part of the townsfolk came
in and fell to condoling with my gossip for his wife and for him-
self. Presently they laid the dead woman out, as was their wont ;
and, setting her on a bier, carried her and her husband without the
city, till they came to a place in the side of a mountain at the end
of the island by the sea ; and here they raised a great rock and
discovered the mouth of a stone-rivetted pit or well,^ leading
down into a vast underground cavern that ran beneath the moun-
tain. Into this pit they threw the corpse, then tying a rope of
palm-fibres under the husband's armpits, they let him down into
the cavern, and with him a great pitcher of fresh water and seven
scones by way of viaticum.^ When he came to the bottom, he
loosed himself from the rope and they drew it up ; and, stopping
the mouth of the pit with the great stone, they returned to the
' These are the commonplaces of Moslem consolation on such occasions : the artistic
part is their contrast with the unfortunate widower's prospect.
^ Lit. " a margin of stone, like the curb-stone of a well."
^ I am not aware that this vivisepulture of the widower is the custom of any race ,
but the fable would be readily suggested by the Sati (Suttee)-rite of the Hindus. Simple
vivisepulture was and is practised by many people.
42 Alf Laylah lua Laylah.
city, leaving my friend in the cavern with his dead wife. When I
saw this, I said to myself, " By Allah, this fashion of death is more
grievous than the first !" And I went in to the King and said to
him, "O my lord, why do ye bury the quick with the dead?"
Quoth he, " It hath been the custom, thou must know, of our
forbears and our olden Kings from time immemorial, if the
husband die first, to bury his wife with him, and the like with
the wife, so we may not sever them, alive or dead." I asked,
" O King of the age, if the wife of a foreigner like myself die
am.ong you, deal ye with him as with yonder man?"; and he
answered, " Assuredly, we do with him even as thou hast seen."
When I heard this, my gall-bladder was like to burst, for the
violence of my dismay and concern for myself: my wit became
dazed ; I felt as if in a vile dungeon ; and hated their society ; for
I went about in fear lest my wife should die before me and they
bury me alive with her. However, after a while, I comforted
myself, saying, " Haply I shall predecease her, or shall have
returned to my own land before she die, for none knoweth which
shall go first and which shall go last." Then I applied myself to
diverting my mind from this thought with various occupations ;
but it was not long before my wife sickened and complained and
took to her pillow and fared after a few days to the mercy of
Allah ; and the King and the rest of the folk came, as was their
wont, to condole with me and her family and to console us for
her loss and not less to condole with me for myself. ■ Then the
women washed her and arraying her in her richest raiment and
golden ornaments, necklaces and jewellery, laid her on the bier
and bore her to the mountain aforesaid, where they lifted the cover
of the i)it and cast her in ; after which all my intimates and ac-
quaintances and my wife's kith and kin came round me, to farewell
me in my lifetime and console me for my own death, whilst I cried
out among them, saying, "Almighty Allah never made it lawful to
bury the quick with the dead !" I am a stranger, not one of your
kind ; and I cannot abear your custom, and had I known it I
never would have wedded among you !" They heard me not and
jjaid no heed to my words, but laying hold of me, bound me by
fcjrce and let me down into the cavern, with a large gugglet of
sweet water and seven cakes of bread, according to their custom.
When I came to the bottom, they called out to me to cast myself
loose from the cords, but 1 refused to do so ; so they threw them
dovvn on mc and, closing the mouth of the pit with the stones
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 43
aforesaid, went their ways, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
NohJ fa)|)cn It foas \\^z .-fpifae l^untreU anli jpiftg=iourtD Niglbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued : — When they left me in the cavern with
my dead wife and, closing the mouth of the pit, went their ways,
I looked about me and found myself in a vast cave full of dead
bodies, that exhaled a fulsome and loathsome smell and the air
was heavy with the groans of the dying. Thereupon I fell to
blaming myself for what I had done, saying, "By Allah, I deserve
all that hath befallen me and all that shall befal me ! What curse
was upon me to take a wife in this city ? There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! As often
as I say, I have escaped from one calamity, I fall into a worse.
By Allah, this is an abominable death to die ! Would Heaven
I had died a decent death and been washed and shrouded like
a man and a Moslem. Would I had been drowned at sea
or perished in the mountains ! It were better than to die this
miserable death !" And on such wise I kept blaming my own
folly and greed of gain in that black hole, knowing not night from
day; and I ceased not to ban the Foul Fiend and to bless the
Almighty Friend. Then I threw myself down on the bones of the
dead and lay there, imploring Allah's help and in the violence of
my despair, invoking death which came not to me, till the fire
of hunger burned my stomach and thirst set my throat aflame
when I sat up and feeling for the bread, ate a morsel and
upon it swallowed a mouthful of water. After this, the worst
night I ever knew, I arose, and exploring the cavern, found that
it extended a long way with hollows in its sides ; and its floor
was strewn with dead bodies and rotten bones, that had lain there
from olden time. So I made myself a place in a cavity of the
cavern, afar from the corpses lately thrown down and there slept.
I abode thus a long while, till my provision v/as like to give
out ; and yet I ate not save once every day or second day ;
nor did I drink more than an occasional draught, for fear my
victual should fail me before my death ; and I said to myself,
" Eat little and drink little ; belike the Lord shall vouchsafe
deliverance to thee !" One day, as I sat thus, pondering my case
44. A If Laylah wa Laylah.
and bethinking me how I should do, when my bread and water
should be exhausted, behold, the stone that covered the opening
was suddenly rolled away and the light streamed down upon mc;
Quoth I, " I wonder what is the matter : haply they have brought
another corpse." Then I espied folk standing about the mouth
of the pit, who presently let down a dead man and a live wo-
man, weeping and bemoaning herself, and with her an ampler
supply of bread and water than usual.' I saw her and she was a
beautiful woman ; but she saw me not ; and they closed up the
opening and went away. Then I took the leg-bone of a dead man
and, going up to the woman, smote her on the crown of the head ;
and she cried one cry and fell down in a swoon. I smote her
a second and a third time, till she was dead, when I laid hands on
her bread and water and found on her great plenty of ornaments
and rich apparel, necklaces, jewels and gold trinkets j^ for it was
their custom to bury women in all their finery. I carried the
vivers to my sleeping place in the cavern-side and ate and drank
of them sparingly, no more than sufficed to keep the life in me, lest
the provaunt come speedily to an end and I perish of hunger and
thirst. Yet did I never wholly lose hope in Almighty Allah. I
abode thus a great while, killing all the live folk they let down into
the cavern and taking their provisions of meat and drink ; till
one day, as I slept, I was awakened by something scratching and
burrowing among the bodies in a corner of the cave and said,
" What can this be .■' " fearing wolves or hyaenas. So I sprang up
and seizing the leg-bone aforesaid, made for the noise. As soon as
the thing was ware of me, it fled from me into the inward of the
cavern, and lo ! it was a wild beast. However, I followed it to the
further end, till I saw afar off a point of light not bigger than a
star, now appearing and then disappearing. So I made for it, and
as I drew near, it grew larger and brighter, till I was certified that
it was a crevice in the rock, leading to the open country ; and I
said to myself, "There must be some reason for this opening:
either it is the mouth of a second pit, such as that by which they
let mc down, or else it is a natural fissure in the stonery. So I
bethought me awhile and nearing the light, found that it came
• Because she was weaker than a man. The Brcsl. Edit however, has " a gugglet of
water and five scones."
* The confession is made with true Eastern sang-froid and probably none of the
hearers " disajiproved " of \\\^: murders whiLh iaved tlic speaker's life.
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman, 45
from a breach in the back side of the mountain, which the wild
beasts had enlarged by burrowing, that they might enter and
devour the dead and freely go to and fro. When I saw this, my
spirits revived and hope came back to me and I made sure of life,
after having died a death. So I went on, as in a dream, and
making shift to scramble through the breach found myself on the
slope of a high mountain, overlooking the salt sea and cutting off
all access thereto from the island, so that none could come at that
part of the beach from the city.^ I praised my Lord and thanked
Him, rejoicing greatly and heartening myself with the prospect of
deliverance ; then I returned through the crack to the cavern and
brought out all the food and water I had saved up and donned
some of the dead folk's clothes over my own ; after which I
gathered together all the collars and necklaces of pearls and jewels
and trinkets of gold and silver set with precious stones and other
ornaments and valuables I could find upon the corpses ; and,
making them into bundles with the grave clothes and raiment of
the dead, carried them out to the back of the mountain facing the
sea-shore, where I established myself, purposing to wait there till
it should please Almighty Allah to send me relief by means of
some passing ship. I visited the cavern daily and as often as I
found folk buried alive there, I killed them all indifferently,
men and women, and took their victual and valuables and trans-
ported them to my seat on the sea-shore. Thus I abode a long
while And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Nob) toljcn it teas tbe Jpibc l^untfrctJ anti Jftftg-fiftlb Kigl^t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman continued : — And after carrying all my victuals and valu-
ables from the cavern to the coast I abode a long while by the sea,
pondering my case, till one day I caught sight of a ship passing in
the midst of the clashing sea, swollen with dashing billows. So I
took a piece of a white shroud I had with me and, tying it to a
* This tale is evidently taken from the escape of Aristomenes the Messenian from the
pit into which he had been thrown, a fox being his guide. The Arabs in an early day
were eager students of Greek literature. Hole (p. 140) noted the coincidence.
4^ Alf Laylah wa Lay la h.
staff, ran along the sca-shorc, making signals therewith and calling
to the people in the ship, till they espied me and hearing my
shouts, sent a boat to fetch me ofif. When it drew near, the crew
called out to me, saying, " Who art thou and how camest thou to be
on this mountain, whereon never saw we any in our born days ? " I
answered, " I am a gentleman ' and a merchant, who hath been
wrecked and saved myself on one of the planks of the ship, with
some of my goods ; and by the blessing of the Almighty and the
decrees of Destiny and my own strength and skill, after much toil
and moil I have landed with my gear in this place where I awaited
some passing ship to take me off." So they took me in their boat
together with the bundles I had made of the jewels and valuables
from the cavern, tied up in clothes and shrouds, and rowed back
with me to the ship, where the captain said to me, *' How camest
thou, O man, to yonder place on yonder mountain behind which
lieth a great city ? All my life I have sailed these seas and
passed to and fro hard by these heights ; yet never saw I here any
living thing save wild beasts and birds." I repeated to him the
story I had told the sailors,^ but acquainted him with nothing of
that which had befallen me in the city and the cavern, lest there
should be any of the islandry in the ship. Then I took out some
of the best pearls I had with me and offered them to the captain,
saying, " O my lord, thou hast been the means of saving me off
this mountain. I have no ready money ; but take this from me in
requital of thy kindness and good offices." But he refused to
accept it of me, saying, " When we find a shipwrecked man on the
sea-shore or on an island, we take him up and give him meat and
drink, and if he be naked we clothe him ; nor take we aught from
him ; nay, when we reach a port of safety, we set him ashore with
a present of our own money and entreat him kindly and charitably,
for the love of Allah the Most High." So I prayed that his life be
long in the land and rejoiced in my escape, trusting to be delivered
from my stress and to forget my past mishaps ; for every time I
remembered being let down into the cave with my dead wife I
shuddered in iiorror. Then we pursued our voyage and sailed
from island to island and sea to sea, till we arrived at the Island of
' Brcsl. YA\X. " Khwajah,** our " Howajec," meaning a schoolmaster, a man of
letter-;, a gentleman.
^ And he does repeat at full length what the hearers must have known right, v, ell. I
abridge.
' The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 47
the Bell, which containeth a city two days' journey In extent,
whence after a six days' run we reached the Island Kala, hard by
the land of Hind.^ This place is governed by a potent and
puissant King and it produceth excellent camphor and an abun-
dance of the Indian rattan : here also is a lead mine. At last by
the decree of Allah, we arrived in safety at Bassorah-town where
I tarried a i^w days, then went on to Baghdad-city, and, finding
my quarter, entered my house with lively pleasure. There I fore-
gathered with my family and friends, who rejoiced in my happy
return and gave me joy of my safety. I laid up in my storehouses
all the goods I had brought with me, and gave alms and largesse to
Fakirs and beggars and clothed the widow and the orphan. Then
I gave myself up to pleasure and enjoyment, returning to my old
merry mode of life. Such, then, be the most marvellous adventures
'of my fourth voyage, but to-morrow if you will kindly come to me,
' will tell you that which befel me in my fifth voyage, which was
/et rarer and more marvellous than those which forewent it. And
thou, O my brother Sindbad the Landsman, shalt sup with me as
thou art wont. (Saith he who telleth the tale). When Sindbad
the Seaman had made an end of his story, he called for supper ;
so they spread the table and the guests ate the evening meal ; after
which he gave the Porter an hundred dinars as usual, and he and
the rest of the company went their ways, glad at heart and mar-
velling at the tales they had heard, for that each story was more
extraordinary than that which forewent it. The porter Sindbad
passed the night in his own house, in all joy and cheer and wonder-
ment ; and, as soon as morning came with its sheen and shone, he
prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to the house of Sindbad the
Seaman, who welcomed him and bade him sit with him till the
rest of the company arrived, when they ate and drank and made
merry and the talk went round amongst them. Presently, their host
began the narrative of the fifth voyage And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
' Island of the Bell (Arab. " Nakus " = a wooden gong used by Christians but for-
bidden to Moslems). "Kala" is wiitten " Kela," " Kullah " and a variety of ways.
Baron Walckenaer places it at Keydah in the Malay peninsula opposite Sumatra.
Renaudot identifies it with Calabar, *' somewhere about the point of Malabar."
48 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Note fo!)cn (t toas tf)e jpibe l^unUreb anii Jpiftfi^sixt^ Nigbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the host
began in these words the narrative of
THE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN.
Know, O my brothers, that when I had been awhile on shore after
my fourth voyage ; and when, in my comfort and pleasures and
merry-makings and in my rejoicing over my large gains and profits,
I had forgotten all I had endured of perils and sufferings, the
carnal man was again seized with the longing to travel and to
see foreign countries and islands. ^ Accordingly I bought costly
merchandise suited to my purpose and, making it up into bales,
repaired to Bassorah, where I walked about the river-quay till I
found a fine tall ship, newly builded with gear unused and fitted
ready for sea. She pleased me ; so I bought her and, embarking
my goods in her, hired a master and crew, over whom I set certain
of my slaves and servants as inspectors. A number of merchants
also brought their outfits and paid me freight and passage-money ;
then, after reciting the Fatihah we set sail over Allah's pool in all
joy and cheer, promising ourselves a prosperous voyage and much
profit. We sailed from city to city and from island to island and
from sea to sea viewing the cities and countries by which we passed,
and selling and buying in not a few till one day we came to a
great uninhabited island, deserted and desolate, whereon was a
white dome of biggest bulk half buried in the sands. The mer-
chants landed to examine this dome, leaving me in the ship; and
when they drew near, behold, it was a huge Rukh's egg. They
fell a-bcating it with stones, knowing not what it was, and presently
broke it open, whereupon much water ran out of it and the young
■Rukh appeared within. So they pulled it forth of the shell and
cut its throat and took of it great store of meat. Now I was in
the ship and knew not what they did ; but presently one of thei
' Islands, because /\jab cosmographcrs love to place their spcciosa miracula in such
places.
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 4y
passengers came up to me and said, " O my lord, come and look
at the egg that we thought to be a dome." So I looked and seeing
the merchants beating it with stones, called out to them, " Stop,
stop ! do not meddle with that egg, or the bird Rukh will come
out and break our ship and destroy us." ^ But they paid no heed
to me and gave not over smiting upon the egg, when behold, the
day grew dark and dun and the sun was hidden from us, as if
some great cloud had passed over the firmament.^ So we raised
our eyes and saw that what we took for a cloud was the Rukh
poised between us and the sun, and it was his wings that darkened
the day. When he came and saw his Qgg broken, he cried a loud
cry, whereupon his mate came flying up and they both began
circling about the ship, crying out at us with voices louder than
thunder. I called to the Rais and crew, " Put out to sea and seek
safety in flight, before we be all destroyed." So the merchants
came on board and we cast off and made haste from the island to
gain the open sea. When the Rukhs saw this, they flew off and we
crowded all sail on the ship, thinking to get out of their country ;
but presently the two re-appeared and flew after us and stood over
us, each carrying in its claws a huge boulder which it had brought
from the mountains. As soon as the he-Rukh came up with us,
he let fall upon us the rock he held in his pounces ; but the master
put about ship, so that the rock missed her by some small matter
and plunged into the waves with such violence, that the ship pitched
high and then sank into the trough of the sea and the bottom of
the ocean appeared to us. Then the she-Rukh let fall her rock,
which was bigger than that of her mate, and as Destiny had decreed,
it fell on the poop of the ship and crushed it, the rudder flying into
twenty pieces ; whereupon the vessel foundered and all and every-
thing on board were cast into the main*^ As for me I struggled
for sweet life, till Almighty Allah threw in my way one of the
* Like the companions of Ulysses who ate the sacred oxen (Od. xii).
^ So the enormous kingfisher of Lucian's True History (lib. ii.).
^ This tale is borrowed from Ibn Al-Wardi, who adds that the greybeards awoke in
the morning after eating the young Rukh with black hair which never turned white.
The same legend is recounted by Al-Dimiri (ob. A.H. 808 = 1405-6) who was trans-
lated into Latin by Bochart (Hierozoicon ii. p. 854) and quoted by Hole and Lane
(iii. 103). An excellent study of Marco Polo's Rukh was made by my learned friend
the late Prof. G. G. Bianconi of Bologna," DeU'Uccello Rue," Bologna, Gamberini, 186S.
Prof. Bianconi predicted that other giant birds would be found in Madagascar on the
East African Coast opposite ; but he died before bearing of Hildebrand's discovery.
VOL. VL ~ P
50 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
planks of the ship, to which I clung and bestriding it, fell a-paddling
with my feet. Now the ship had gone down hard by an island in
the midst of the main and the winds and waves bore me on till, by
permission of the Most High, they cast me up on the shore of the
island, at the last gasp for toil and distress and half dead with
hunger and thirst. So I landed more like a corpse than a live
man and throwing myself down on the beach, lay there awhile,
till I began to revive and recover spirits, when I walked about the
island and found it as it were one of the garths and gardens of
Paradise. Its trees, in abundance dight, bore ripe-yellow fruit for
freight ; its streams ran clear and bright ; its flowers were fair to
scent and to sight and its birds warbled with delight the praises of
Him to whom belong permanence and all-might. So I ate my fill
of the fruits and slaked my thirst with the water of tlie streams
till I could no more and I returned thanks to the Most High and
glorified Him ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
:tCotD bijen it toas tf)e jpibe fl^untirctr antr J[piftj)-scbcnt]^ Nig!)t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued : — So when I escaped drowning and reached
the island which afforded me fruit to eat and water to drink, I
returned thanks to the Most High and glorified Him ; after which
I sat till nightfall, hearing no voice and seeing none inhabitant.
Then I lay down, wcll-nigh dead for travail and trouble and terror,
and slept without surcease till morning, when I arose and walked
about under the trees, till I came to the channel of a draw-well fed
by a spring of running water, by which well sat an old man of
venerable aspect, girt about with a waist-cloth ^ made of the fibre
of palm-fronds.2 Quoth I to myself, " Haply this Shaykh is of
those who were wrecked in the ship and hath made his way to this
island." So I drew near to him and saluted him, and he returned
my salam by signs, but spoke not ; and I said to him, " O nuncle
' Arab. " Izar," the earliest garb of Eastern man ; and, as such preserved in tlie
Meccan pilgrimage. The "waist-cloth" is cither lucked in or kept in place by a
giidle.
* Arab. "Lif," a succedaneum for the unclean sponge, not unknown in the "Turkish
Baths " of London.
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman.. 5 1
mine, what causeth thee to sit here?" He shook his head and
moaned and signed to me with his hand as who should say, " Take
me on thy shoulders and carry me to the other side of the well-
channel." And quoth I in my mind, ** I will deal kindly with him
and do what he desireth ; it may be I shall win me a reward in
Heaven for he may be a paralytic." So I took him on my back
and carrying him to the place whereat he pointed, said to him,
" Dismount at thy leisure." But he would not get off my back
and wound his legs about my neck. I looked at them and seeing
that they were like a buffalo's hide for blackness and roughness,^
was affrighted and would have cast him off; but he clung to me
and gripped my neck with his legs, till I was well-nigh choked, the
world grew black in my sight and I fell senseless to the ground
like one dead. But he still kept his seat and raising his legs
drummed with his heels and beat harder than palm-rods my back
and shoulders, till he forced me to rise for excess of pain. Then
he signed to me with his hand to carry him hither and thither
among the trees which bore the best fruits ; and if ever I refused
to do his bidding or loitered or took my leisure he beat me with
his feet more grievously than if I had been beaten with whips.
He ceased not to signal with his hand wherever he was minded to
go ; so I carried him about the island, like a captive slave, and he
bepissed and conskited my shoulders and back, dismounting not
night nor day ; and whenas he wished to sleep he wound his legs
about my neck and leaned back and slept awhile, then arose and
beat me ; whereupon I sprang up in haste, unable to gainsay him
because of the pain he inflicted on me. And indeed I blamed
myself and sore repented me of having taken compassion on him
* The Persians have a Plinian monster called " Tasmeh-pa " = Strap-legs without
bones. The "Old Man" is not an ourang-outang nor an Ifrit as in Sayf al-Muluk,
Night dcclxxi., but a jocose exaggeration of a custom prevailing in parts of Asia and
especially in the African interior where the Tsetse-fly prevents the breeding of burden-
beasts. Ibn Batutah tells us that in Malabar everything was borne upon men's backs.
In Central Africa the kinglet rides a slave, and on ceremonious occasions mounts his
Prime Minister. I have often been reduced to this style of conveyance and found man
the worst imaginable riding : there is no hold and the sharpness of the shoulder-ridge
soon makes the legs ache intolerably. The classicists of course find the Shaykh of the
Sea in the Tritons and Nereus, and Bochart (Hiero. ii. 858, 880) notices the homo
aquaticus, Senex Judseus and Senex Marinus. Hole (p. 151) suggests the inevitable
ouran-outan (man o' wood), one of " our humiliating copyists," and quotes " Destiny"
in Scarron's comical romance (Part ii. chapt. i) and "Jealousy" enfolding Rinaldo
(O.F. Ub. 42).
$2 ' A If Laylah wa Lay I ah.
and continued in this condition, suffering fatigue not to be de-
scribed, till I said to myself, " I wrought him a weal and he
requited me with my ill; by Allah, never more will I do any man
a service so long as I live ! " And again and again I besought the
Most High that I might die, for stress of weariness and misery ;
and thus I abode a long while till, one day, I came with him to a
place wherein was abundance of gourds, many of them dry. So I
took a great dry gourd and, cutting open the head, scooped out
the inside and cleaned it ; after which I gathered grapes from a
vine which grew hard by and squeezed them into the gourd, till it
was full of the juice. Then I stopped up the mouth and set it in
the sun, where I left it for some days, until it became strong wine ;
and every day I used to drink of it, to comfort and sustain me
under my fatigues with that froward and obstinate fiend ; and as
often as I drank myself drunk, I forgot my troubles and took new
heart. One day he saw me drinking and signed to me with his
hand, as who should say, " What is that ?" Quoth I, " It is an
excellent cordial, which cheereth the heart and reviveth the spirits."
Then, being heated with wine, I ran and danced with him among
the trees, clapping my hands and singing and making merry ; and
I staggered under him by design. When he saw this, he signed to
me to give him the gourd that he might drink, and I feared him
and gave it him. So he took it and, draining it to the dregs, cast
it on the ground, whereupon he grew frolicsome and began to
clap hands and jig to and fro on my shoulders and he made water
upon me so copiously that all my dress was drenched. But pre-
sently the fumes of the wine rising to his head, he became help-
lessly drunk and his side-muscles and limbs relaxed and he
swayed to and fro on my back. When I saw that he had lost his
senses for drunkenness, I put my hand to his legs and, loosing
them from my neck, stooped down well-nigh to the ground and
threw him at full length And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
iaofo tol^en it foas if)E ipibe l^luntrttr antj JpiftDcCtgfjtf) iligljt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman continued :— So I threw the devil off my shoulders, hardly
crediting my deliverance from him and fearing lest he should shake
off his drunkenness and do me a mischief. Then I took up a great
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. Sj
stone from among the trees and coming up to him smote him
therewith on the head with all my might and crushed in his skull
as he lay dead drunk. Thereupon his flesh and fat and blood
being in a pulp, he died and went to his deserts, The Fire, no
mercy of Allah be upon him ! I then returned, with a heart at
ease, to my former station on the sea-shore and abode in that
island many days, eating of its fruits and drinking of its waters
and keeping a look-out for passing ships ; till one day, as I sat on
the beach, recalling all that had befallen me and saying," I wonder
if Allah will save me alive and restore me to my home and family
and friends ! " behold, a ship was making for the island through
the dashing sea and clashing waves. Presently, it cast anchor and
the passengers landed ; so I made for them, and when they saw me
all hastened up to me and gathering round me questioned me of
my case and how I came thither. I told them all that had betided
me, whereat they marvelled with exceeding marvel and said, " He
who rode on thy shoulder is called the * Shaykh al-Bahr ' or Old
Man of the Sea,' and none ever felt his legs on neck and came off
alive but thou ; and those who die under him he eateth : so praised
be Allah for thy safety ! " Then they set somewhat of food before
me, whereof I ate my fill, and gave me somewhat of clothes
wherewith I clad myself anew and covered my nakedness ; after
which they took me up into the ship, and we sailed days and
nights, till fate brought us to a place called the City of Apes,
builded with lofty houses, all of which gave upon the sea and it
had a single gate studded and strengthened with iron nails. Now
every night, as soon as it is dusk the dwellers in this city use to
come forth of the gates and, putting out to sea in boats and
ships, pass the night upon the waters in their fear lest the apes
should come down on them from the mountains. Hearing this I
was sore troubled remembering what I had before suffered from
the ape-kind. Presently I landed to solace myself in the city, but
meanwhile the ship set sail without me and I repented of having
* More literally " The Chief of the Sea (-Coast)," Shaykh being here a chief rather
than an elder (eoldermann, alderman). So the " Old Man of the Mounfain," famous in
crusading days, was the Chief who lived on the Nusayriyah or Ansari range, a northern
prolongation of the Libanus. Our " old man " of the text may have been suggested by
the Koranic commentators on chapt. vi. When an Infidel rises from the grave, a
hideous figure meets him and says. Why wonderest thou at my loathsomeness ? I am
thine Evil Deeds : thou didst ride upon me in the world and no«» r will ride upon thee
(suitmg tbf ^''tion to the words).
54 ^If Lay la It wa Lay I ah.
gone ashore, and calling to mind my companions and what had
befallen me with the apes, first and after, sat down and fell
a-wecping and lamenting. Presently one of the townsfolk accosted
me and said to me, " O my lord, meseemeth thou art a stranger to
these parts ? " " Yes," answered I, " I am indeed a stranger and a
poor one, who came hither in a ship which cast anchor here, and
I landed to visit the town ; but when I would have gone on board
again, I found they had sailed without me." Quoth he, " Come
and embark with us, for if thou lie the night in the city, the apes
will destroy thee." " Hearkening and obedience," replied I, and
rising, straightway embarked with him in one of the boats, where-
upon they pushed off from shore and anchoring a mile or so from
the land, there passed the night. At daybreak, they rowed back
to the city and landing, went each about his business. Thus they
did every night, for if any tarried in the town by night the apes
came down on him and slew him. As soon as it was day, the
apes left the place and ate of the fruits of the gardens, then went
back to the mountains and slept there till nightfall, when they
again came down upon the city.* Now this place was in the
farthest part of the country of the blacks, and one of the strangest
things that befel me during my sojourn in the city was on this
wise. One of the company with whom I passed the night in the
boat, asked me, " O my lord, thou art apparently a stranger in
these parts ; hast thou any craft whereat thou canst work } "\ and
I answered, " By Allah, O my brother, I have no trade nor know I
any handicraft, for I was a merchant and a man of money and
substance and had a ship of my own, laden with great store of
' In parts of West Africa and especially in Gorilla-land there are many stories of
women and children being carried off by apes, and all believe that the former bear issue
to them. It is certain that the anthropoid ape is lustfully excited by the presence of
women and I have related how at Cairo (1856) a huge cynocephalus would have raped
a girl had it not been bayonetted. Voung ladies who visited the Dcmidoff Gardens and
menagerie al Florence were often scandalised by the vicious exposure of the baboons'
parti-coloured persons. The female monkey equally solicits the attentions of man and
I heard in India from my late friend, Mirza Ali Akbar of Bombay, that to his knowledge
connection had taken place. Whether there would be issue and whether such issue
would be viable are still disputed points: the produce would add another difficulty to
the pseudo-science called psychology, as such mule would have only half a soul and issue
by a congener would have a quarter-soul. A traveller well known to me once proposed
to breed pithecoid men who might be useful as hewers of wood and drawers of water :
his idea was to put the highest races of apes to the lowest of humanity. I never heard
what became of his " breeding stables."
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 55
goods and merchandise; but it foundered at sea and all were
drowned excepting me who saved myself on a piece of plank
which Allah vouchsafed to me of His favour." Upon this he
brought me a cotton bag and giving it to me, said, '* Take this
bag and fill it with pebbles from the beach and go forth with a
company of the townsfolk to whom I will give a charge respecting
thee. Do as they do and belike thou shalt gain what may further
thy return voyage to thy native land." Then he carried me to the
beach, where I filled my bag with pebbles large and small, and
presently we saw a company of folk issue from the town, each
bearing a bag like mine, filled with pebbles. To these he com-
mitted me, commending me to their care, and saying, " This man
is a stranger, so take him with you and teach him how to gather,
that he may get his daily bread, and you will earn your reward
and recompense in Heaven." " On our head and eyes be it ! "
answered they and bidding me welcome, fared on with me till we
came to a spacious Wady, full of lofty trees with trunks so smooth
that none might climb them. Now sleeping under these trees
were many apes, which when they saw us rose and fled from us
and swarmed up among the branches ; whereupon my companions
began to pelt them with what they had in their bags, and the apes
fell to plucking of the fruit of the trees and casting them at the
folk. I looked at the fruits they cast at us and found them to be
Indian ^ or cocoa nuts ; so I chose out a great tree, full of apes,
and going up to it, began to pelt them with stones, and they in
return pelted me with nuts, which I collected, as did the rest ; so
that even before I had made an end of my bagful of pebbles, I
had gotten great plenty of nuts ; and as soon as my companions
had in like manner gotten as many nuts as they could carry, we
returned to the city, where we arrived at the fag-end of day. Then
I went in to the kindly man who had brought me in company
with the nut-gatherers and gave him all I had gotten, thanking
him for his kindness ; but he would not accept them, saying, " Sell
them and make profit by the price ; and presently he added (giving
me the key of a closet in his house) " Store thy nuts in this safe
place and go thou forth every morning and gather them as thou
^ Arab. "Jauz al-Hindi": our word cocoa is from the Port. "Coco,'" meaning a
"bug" (bugbear) in allusion to its caricature of the human face, hair, eyes and
mouth. I may here note that a cocoa-tree is easily climbed with a bit of rope or %
handkerchief.
56 Alf Laytak wa Laylah.
hast done to-day, and choose out the worst for sale and supplying
thyself; but lay up the rest here, so haply thou mayst collect
enough to serve thee for thy return home." " Allah requite thee 1 "
answered I and did as he advised me, going out daily with the
cocoa-nut gatherers, who commended me to one another and
showed me the best-stocked trees.^ Thus did I for some time, till
I had laid up great store of excellent nuts, besides a large sum of
money, the price of those I had sold. I became thus at my ease
and bought all I saw and had a mind to, and passed my time
pleasantly greatly enjoying my stay in the city, till, as I stood on
the beach, one day, a great ship steering through the heart of the
sea presently cast anchor by the shore and landed a company of
merchants, who proceeded to sell and buy and barter their goods
for cocoa-nuts and other commodities. Then I went to my friend
and told him of the coming of the ship and how I had a
mind to return to my own country ; and he said, " 'Tis for thee
to decide." So I thanked him for his bounties and took leave of
him ; then, going to the captain of the ship, I agreed with him for
my passage and embarked my cocoa-nuts and what else I pos-
sessed. We weighed anchor And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo tofim it toas tjbe S'\^^ l^untrrctr antf J[piftg-nmtf) Kfgbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued : — So I left the City of the Apes and em-
barked my cocoa-nuts and what else I possessed. We weighed
anchor the same day and sailed from island to island and sea to sea ;
and whenever we stopped, I sold and traded with my cocoa-nuts,
and the Lord requited me more than I erst had and lost. Amongst
other places, we came to an island abounding in cloves ^ and cinna-
mon and pepper ; and the country people told me that by the side
of each pepper-bunch groweth a great leaf which shadcth it from
the sun and casteth the water off it in the wet season ; but, when
the rain ceaseth the leaf turneth over and droopeth down by the
' Tomb-pictures in Egypt show tame monkeys gathering fruits and Grossier (Descrip-
tion of China, quoted by Hole and Lane) mentions a similar mode of harvesting tea by
irritating the monkeys of the Middle Kingdom.
* Bresl. Edit. Cloves and cinnamon in those days grew in widely distant places.
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 57
side of the bunch.' Here I took in great store of pepper and
cloves and cinnamon, in exchange for cocoa-nuts, and we passed
thence to the Island of Al-Usirat,^ whence cometh the Comorin
aloes- wood and thence to another island, five days' journey in
length, where grows the Chinese lign-aloes, which is better than the
Comorin ; but the people of this island^ are fouler of condition
and religion than those of the other, for that they love fornication
and wine-bibbing, and know not prayer nor call to prayer. Thence
we came to the pearl-fisheries, and I gave the divers some of my
cocoa-nuts and said to them, " Dive for my luck and lot ! " They
did so and brought up from the deep bight^ great store of large
and priceless pearls ; and they said to me, "By Allah, O my master,
thy luck is a lucky ! " Then we sailed on, with the blessing of
Allah (whose name be exalted !} ; and ceased not sailing till we
arrived safely at Bassorah. There I abode a little and then went on
to Baghdad, where I entered my quarter and found my house and
foregathered with my family and saluted my friends who gave me
joy of my safe return, and I laid up all my goods and valuables
in my storehouses. Then I distributed alms and largesse and
clothed the widow and the orphan and made presents to my
relations and comrades ; for the Lord had requited me fourfold
that I had lost. After which I returned to my old merry way of
life and forgot all I had suffered in the great profit and gain I had
made. Such, then, is the history of my fifth voyage and its
wonderments, and now to supper ; and to-morrow, come again and
I will tell you what befel me in my sixth voyage ; for it was still
more wonderful than this. (Saith he who telleth the tale). Then
he called for food ; and the servants spread the table, and
when they had eaten the evening-meal, he bade give Sindbad the
^ In pepper-plantations it is usual to set bananas {Musa Faradisiacd) for shading the
rcung shrubs which bear bunches like ivy-fruit, not pods.
■^ The Bresl. Edit, has " Al-Ma'arat." Langles calls it the Island of Al-Kamari. See
Lane, iii. 86.
3 Insula, pro peninsula. " Comorin " is a corrupt, of " Kanya " (=Virgo, the goddess
Durgd) and " Kumari " (a maid, a princess) ; from a temple of Shiva's wife : henc<
Ptolemy's Kwpu aKpov and near it to the N. East Ko/xapLa aKpov Kal ttoAis,
" Promontorium Cori quod Comorini caput insulae vocant," says Maffseus (Hist. Indie.
i. p. i6). In the text " Al 'ud " refers to the eagle-wood (Aloekylon Agallochum) so called
because spotted like the bird's plume. That of Champa (Cochin-China, mentioned by
Camoens, The Lus. x. 129) is still famous.
* Arab. " Birkat " = tank, pool, reach, bight. Hence Birkat Far'aun ia the Suez
Gulf (Pilgrimage i. 297).
f
5^ Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
porter an hundred golden dinars and the Landsman returned home
and lay him down to sleep, much marvelling at all he had heard.
Next morning, as soon as it was light, he prayed the dawn-prayer ;
and, after blessing Mohammed the Cream of all creatures, betook
himself to the house of Sindbad the Seaman and wished him a
good day. The merchant bade him sit and talked with him, till
the rest of the company arrived. Then the servants spread the
table and when they had well eaten and drunken and were mirth-
ful and merry, Sindbad the Seaman began in these words the
narrative of
THE SIXTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN,
Know, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that I
abode some time, after my return from my fifth voyage, in great
solace and satisfaction and mirth and merriment, joyance and
enjoyment ; and I forgot what I had suffered, seeing the great
gain and profit I had made till, one day, as I sat making merry
and enjoying myself with my friends, there came in to me a com-
pany of merchants whose case told tales of travel, and talked with
me of voyage and adventure and greatness of pelf and lucre.
Hereupon I remembered the days of my return from abroad, and
my joy at once more seeing my native land and foregathering with
my family and friends ; and my soul yearned for travel and traffic.
So compelled by Fate and Fortune I resolved to undertake another
voyage ; and, buyfng me fine and costly merchandise meet for
foreign trade, made it up into bales, with which I journeyed from
Baghdad to Bassorah. Here I found a great ship ready, for sea
and full of merchants and notables, who had with them goods of
price ; so I embarked my bales therein. And we left Bassorah in
safety and good spirits under the safeguard of the King, the
Preserver. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Xolu lufjen it tons tlje ^(pibe |DiintjrclJ nnti ^utietfj Xi'abt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbat'
the Seaman continued :— And after embarking my bales and
Icavin'y Bassorah in safety and good spirits, we continued our
The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 59
voyage from place to place and from city to city, buying and
selling and profiting and diverting ourselves with the sight of
countries where strange folk dwell. And Fortune and the voyage
smiled upon us, till one day, as we went along, behold, the captain
suddenly cried with a great cry and cast his turband on the deck.
Then he buffeted his face like a woman and plucked out his beard
and fell down in the waist of the ship well nigh fainting for stress
of grief and rage, and crying, " Oh and alas for the ruin of my
house and the orphanship of my poor children !" So all the mer-
chants and sailors came round about him and asked him, " O
master, what is the matter ? "; for the light had become night
before their sight. And he answered, saying, " Know, O folk, that
we have wandered from our course and left the sea whose ways we
wot, and come into a sea whose ways I know not ; and unless
Allah vouchsafe us a means of escape, we are all dead men ; where-
fore pray ye to the Most High, that He deliver us from this strait.
Haply amongst you is one righteous whose prayers the Lord will
accept." Then he arose and clomb the mast to see an there were
any escape from that strait ; and he would have loosed the sails ;
but the wind redoubled upon the ship and whirled her round thrice
and drave her backwards; whereupon her rudder brake and she
fell off towards a high mountain. With this the captain came
down from the mast, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is no
Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ; nor can man prevent
that which is fore-ordained of fate ! By Allah, we are fallen on a
place of sure destruction, and there is no way of escape for us, nor
can any of us be saved ! " Then we all fell a-weeping over ourselves
and bidding one another farewell for that our days were come to
an end, and we had lost all hopes of life. Presently the ship struck
the mountain and broke up, and all and everything on board of
her were plunged into the sea. Some of the merchants were
drowned and others made shift to reach the shore and save them-
selves upon the mountain ; I amongst the number, and when we
got ashore, we found a great island, or rather peninsula^ whose
base was strewn with wreckage of crafts and goods and gear cast
up by the sea from broken ships whose passengers had been
drowned ; and the quantity confounded compt and calculation.
' Probably Cape Comorin ; to judge from the river, but the text names Saranclib
(Ceylon Island) famous for gems. This was noticed by Marco rolo, iii. cap. 19; iiad
ancient authors relate the same of " Taprobane."
60 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
So I climbed the cliffs into the inward of the isle and walked on
inland, till I came to a stream of sweet water, that welled up at the
nearest foot of the mountains and disappeared in the earth under
the range of hills on the opposite side. But all the other pas-
sengers went over the mountains to the inner tracts ; and, dis-
persing hither and thither, were confounded at what they saw and
became like madmen at the sight of the wealth and treasures
wherewith the shores were strewn. As for me I looked into the
bed of the stream aforesaid and saw therein great plenty of rubies,
and great royal pearls ■ and all kinds of jewels and precious stones
which were as gravel in the bed of the rivulets that ran through
the fields, and the sands sparkled and glittered with gems and
precious ores. Moreover we found in the island abundance of
the finest lign-alocs, both Chinese and Comorin ; and there also
is a spring of crude ambergris ^ which floweth like wax or gum
over the stream-banks, for the great heat of the sun, and runneth
down to the sea-shore, where the monsters of the deep come up
and swallowing it, return into the sea. But it burneth in their
bellies ; so they cast it up again and it congealeth on the surface
of the water, whereby its colour and quantities are changed ; and
at last, the waves cast it ashore, and the travellers and merchants
who know it, collect it and sell it. But as to the raw ambergris
which is not swallowed, it floweth over the channel and congealeth
on the banks and when the sun shineth on it, it raelteth and
scenteth the whole valley with a musk-like fragrance : then, when
the sun ceascth from it, it congealeth again. But none can get to
this place where is the crude ambergris, because of the mountains
• I need liardly trouble the reader vilh a note cri pearl-fisheries : the descriptions of
traveller:, are continuous from the days of Pliny (ix. 35), Solinus (cap. 56) and Mateo
Polo (iii. 23) Maximilian of Transylvania, in his narrative of Magellan's voyage
(Novus Orbis, p. 532) says that the Celebes produce pearls big as turtle-doves' eggs;
and the King of Porne (i'orneo) had two unions as great as goose's eggs. Pigafclta (in
Purcha) reduces this to hen's eggs and Sir Thomas Herbert to dove's eggs.
• .Ai lb. "Anbar" pronounced " Ambar ;" wherein I would derive "Ambrosia."
Aniberj.;ris was long supposed to be a fossil, a vegetable which grew upon the sea-
bottom or rose in sjirings ; or a " substance produced in the water like naphtha or
bitumen " (1} : now it is known to be the egcsta of a whale. It is found in
lumps weighing several ])0und5 upon the Zanzibar Coast and is sold at a high
price, bemg held a potent aphrodisiac. A sni.ill hollow is drilled in the bottom of
the cup ant! tlic coffee is poured upon the bit of ambergris it contains ; when the olea-
ginous matter shows in dots amidst the " Kaymagh " (coffee-cream), the bubl 'v froth
which fl(jats upon the surface and which an expert " coffee servant " distribute . /.:al!y
among the g\iests. Argensola mentions in Ceylon, "springs of liquid bitumen thicker
than our oil and sonic of pure bali.un."
TJu Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. Or
which enclose the island on all sides and which foot of man cannot
ascend.' We continued thus to explore the island, marvelling at
the wonderful works of Allah and the riches we found there, but
sore troubled for our own case, and dismayed at our prospects.
Now we had picked up on the beach some small matter of victual
from the wreck and husbanded it carefully, eating but once every
day or two, in our fear lest it should fail us and we die miserably
of famine and affright. Moreover, we were weak for colic brought
on by sea-sickness and low diet, and my companions deceased,
one after other, till there was but a small company of us left.
Each that died we washed and shrouded in some of the clothes
and linen cast ashore by the tides ; and after a little, the rest of
my fellows perished, one by one, till I had buried the last of the
party and abode alone on the island, with but a little provision
left, I who was wont to have so much. And I wept over myself,
saying, " Would Heaven I had died before my companions and
they had washed me and buried me ! It had been better than I
should perish and none wash me and shroud me and bury me.
But there is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
iSo&j fo]^£n ft foas tfie Jibe f^untrrflr anU ^ixtB=first iaigbt,
She said, Ijt hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sind-
bad the Seaman continued in these words : — Now after I had
buried the last of my party and abode alone on the island,
I arose and dug me a deep grave on the sea-shore, saying
to myself, " Whenas I grow weak and know that death cometh
to me, I will cast myself into the grave and die there, so the
wind may drift the sand over me and cover me and I be
buried therein."^ Then I fell to reproaching myself for my
little wit in leaving my native land and betaking me again to
' The tale-teller forgets that Sindbad and his companions have just ascended it ; but
this inconsequence is a characteristic of the Eastern Saga. I may note that the description
of ambergris in the text tells us admirably well what it is not.
2 This custom is alluded to by Lane (Mod. Egypt, ch. xv.) : it is the rule of pilgrims
to Meccah when too ill to walk or ride (Pilgrimage i. iSo). Hence all men carry their
shrouds : mine, after being dipped in the Holy Water of Zemzem, was stolen from me
by the rascally Somal of Berberah.
62 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
travel, after all I had suffered during my first five voyages, and
when I had not made a single one without suffering more horrible
perils and more terrible hardships than in its forerunner and
having no hope of escape from my present stress ; and I repented
me of my folly and bemoaned myself, especially as I had no need
of money, seeing that I had enough and more than enough and
could not spend what I had, no, nor a half of it in all my life.
However, after a while Allah sent me a thought and I said to
myself, " By God, needs must this stream have an end as well as
a beginning ; ergo an issue somewhere, and belike its course may
lead to some inhabited place ; so my best plan is to make me a
little boat' big enough to sit in, and carry it and launching it on
the river, embark therein and drop down the stream. If I escape,
I escape, by Clod's leave ; and if I perish, better die in the river
than here." Then, sighing for myself, I set to work collecting
a number of pieces of Chinese and Comorin aloes-wood and
I bound them together with ropes from the wreckage ; then I
chose out from the broken up ships straight planks of even size
and fixed them firmly upon the aloes-wood, making me a boat-
raft a little narrower than the channel of the stream ; and I tied
it tightly and firmly as though it were nailed. Then I loaded it
with the goods, precious ores and jewels : and the union pearls
which were like gravel and the best of the ambergris crude and
pure, together with what I had collected on the island and what
was left me of victual and wild herbs. Lastly I lashed a piece
of wood on either side, to serve me as oars ; and launched it, and
embarking, did according to the saying of the poet : —
Fly, fly with life whenas evils threat ; o Leave the house to tell of its builder's
fate !
Land after land shalt thou seek and find o But no other life on thy wish shall
wait :
Fret not thy soul in thy thoughts o' night ; o All woes shall end or sooner or
late.
Whoso is born in one land to die, o There and only there shall gang his
gait :
Nor trust great things to another wight, » Soul hath only soul for confederate.'
My boat-raft drifted with the stream, I pondering the issue of my
affair ; and the drifting ceased not till I came to the place where
' Arab. " Fulk ;" some Edits, read *' Kalak " and " Ramaz" (^ a raft).
* T"b.c>e lines occur in modified form in Night xi.
- he Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 63
it disappeared beneath the mountain. I rowed my conveyance
into the place which was intensely dark; and the current carried
the raft with it down the underground channel.^ The thin stream
bore me on through a narrow tunnel where the raft touched either
side and my head rubbed against the roof, return therefrom being
impossible. Then I blamed myself for having thus risked my life,
and said, " If this passage grow any straiter, the raft will hardly
pass, and I cannot turn back ; so I shall invitably perish miserably
in this place." And 1 threw myself down upon my face on the
raft, by reason of the narrowness of the channel, whilst the stream
ceased not to carry me along, knowing not night from day, for the
excess of the gloom which encompassed me about and my terror
and concern for myself lest I should perish. And in such condi-
tion my course continued down the channel which now grew wider
and then straiter till, sore aweary by reason of the darkness which
could be felt, I fell asleep, as I lay prone on the raft, and I slept
knowing not an the time were long or short. When I awoke at last,
I found myself in the light of Heaven and opening my eyes I saw
myself in a broad of the stream and the raft moored to an island in
the midst of a number of Indians and Abyssinians. As soon as
these blackamoors - saw that I was awake, they came up to me and
bespoke me in their speech ; but I understood not what they said
and thought that this was a dream and a vision which had betided
me for stress of concern and chagrin.? But I was delighted at my
escape from the river. When they saw I understood them not and
made them no answer, one of them came forward and said to me in
Arabic, " Peace be with thee, O my brother ! Who art thou and
whence faredst thou hither } How camest thou into this river and
what manner of land lies behind yonder mountains, for never
knew we any one make his way thence to us ? " Quoth I, " And
' These underground rivers (whicli Dr. Livingstone derided) are familar to every
geographer from Spenser's "Mole" to the Poika of Adelberg and the Timavo near
Trieste. Hence "Peter Wilkins" borrowed his cavern which led him to Grandevolet.
I have some experience of Sindbad's sorrows, having once attempted to descend the Poika
on foot. The Classics had the Alpheus (Pliny v. 31 ; and Seneca, Nat. Quje. vi.), and
the Tigris-Euphrates supposed to flow underground ; and the Mediaevals knew the Abana
of Damascus and the Zenderud of Isfahan.
^ Abyssinians can hardly be called "blackamoors," but the arrogance of the white
skin shows itself in Easterns [e.g. Turks and Brahmans) as much as, if not more than,
amongst Europeans. Southern India at the time it was explored by Vasoo da Gatna w-
crowded with Abyssinian slaves imported by the Arabs.
64 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
upon thee be peace and the ruth of Allah and his blessing ! Who
are ye and what country is this ? " " O my brother," answered he,
" we are husbandmen and tillers of the soil, who came out to
water our fields and plantations ; and, finding thee asleep on this
raft, laid hold of it and made it fast by us, against thou shouldst
awake at thy leisure. So tell us how thou earnest hither ? " I
answered, " For Allah's sake, O my lord, ere I speak give me some-
what to eat, for I am starving, and after ask me what thou
wilt." So he hastened to fetch me food and I ate my fill, till
I was refreshed and my fear was calmed by a good belly-full
and my life returned to me. Then I rendered thanks to the
Most High for mercies great and small, glad to be out of the
river and rejoicing to be amongst them, and I told them all my
adventures from first to last, especially my troubles in the narrow
channel. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Xofco foljcn it tons \\% Jfibc li^untirtlr anb ^ixtg^secontr Xigbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman continued : — When I landed and found myself amongst
the Indians and Abyssinians and had taken some rest, they con-
sulted among themselves and said to one another, " There is
no help for it but we carry him with us and present him to our
King, that he may acquaint him with his adventures." So they
took me, together with the raft-boat and its lading of monies and
merchandise ; jewels, minerals and golden gear, and brought me
to their King, who was King of Sarandib,' telling him what had
happened ; whereupon he saluted me and bade me welcome
Then he questioned me of my condition and adventures tlirough
the man who had spoken Arabic and I repeated to him my story
from beginning to end, whereat he marvelled exceedingly and gave
me joy of my deliverance ; after which I arose and fetched from
' "Sarandib" and "Ceylon" (the Taprobanc of Ptolemy and Diodorus Siculus)
derive from the Pali '' Sihalam " (not the Sansk. " Sinhala ") shortened to Silam and
Ham in old Tamul. Van der Tunk would find it in the Malay " Pulo Selam " r= Isle of
Gems (the Ratna-dwipa or Jewel I^Ic of the Hindus and the Jazirat al- Yakut or Ruby-
Inland of the Arabi) ; and the learned Colonel \\\\c (Marco Polo ii. 296) remarks that
we have adopted many Malayan names, c.i;. Pej^u, China and Japan. Sarandib is clearly
" Sclan-dwipa," vv-hich ManUcville reduced to " Silha."
The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 6<
the raft great store of precious ores and jewels and ambergris and
lign-aloes and presented them to the King, who accepted them and
entreated me with the utmost honour, appointing me a lodging in
his own palace. So I consorted with the chief of the islanders, and
they paid me the utmost respect. And I quitted not the royal
palace. Now the Island Sarandib lieth under the equinoctial line,
its night and day both numbering twelve hours. It measureth
eighty leagues long by a breadth of thirty and its width is
bounded by a lofty mountain ^ and a deep valley. The mountain
is conspicious from a distance of three days and it containeth
many kinds of rubies and other minerals, and spice-trees of all
sorts. The surface is covered with emery wherewith gems are cut
and fashioned ; diamonds are in its rivers and pearls are in its
valleys. I ascended that mountain and solaced myself with a view
of its marvels which are indescribable and afterwards I returned to
the King.2 Thereupon, all the travellers and merchants who came
to the place questioned me of the affairs of my native land and of
the Caliph Harun al-Rashid and his rule and I told them of him
and of that wherefor he was renowned, and they praised him
because of this ; whilst I in turn questioned them of the manners
and customs of their own countries and got the knowledge I
desired. One day, the King himself asked me of the fashions and
form of government of my country, and I acquainted him with the
circumstance of the Caliph's sway in the city of Baghdad and the
justice of his rule. The King marvelled at my account of his
appointments and said, " By Allah, the Caliph's ordinances are
indeed wise and his fashions of praiseworthy guise and thou hast
made me love him by what thou tellest me ; wherefore I have
a mind to make him a present and send it by thee." Quoth I,
** Hearkening and obedience, O my lord ; I will bear thy gift to
him and inform him that thou art his sincere lover and true
friend." Then I abode with the King in great honour and regard
and consideration for a long while till, one day, as I sat in his
palace, I heard news of a company of merchants, that were fitting
out a ship for Bassorah, and said to myself, " I cannot do better
' This is the well-known Adam's Peak, the Jabal al-Ramun of the Arabs where Adam
fell when cast out of Eden in the lowest or lunar sphere. Eve fell at Jeddah (a modern
myth) and the unhappy pair met at Mount Arafat [i.e. recognition) near Meccah. Thus
their fall was a fall indeed. (Pilgrimage iii. 259).
' He is the Alcinous of our Arabian Odyssy.
VOL. VI. > T
66 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
than voyage with these men." So I rose without stay or delay
and kissed the King's hand and acquainted him with my longing
to set out with the merchants, for that I pined after my people
and mine own land. Quoth he, " Thou art thine own master ; yet,
if it be thy will to abide with us, on our head and eyes be it, for
thou gladdenest us with thy company." " By Allah, O my lord,"
answered I, '* thou hast indeed overwhelmed me with thy favours
and well-doings ; but I weary for a sight of my friends and family
and native country." When he heard this, he summoned the
merchants in question and commended me to their care, paying
my freight and passage-money. Then he bestowed on me great
riches from his treasuries and charged me with a magnificent
present for the Caliph Harun al-Rashid. Moreover he gave me
a sealed letter, saying, " Carry this with thine own hand to the
Commander of the Faithful and give him many salutations from
us ! " " Hearing and obedience," I replied. The missive was
written on the skin of the Khawi^ (which is finer than lamb-
parchment and of yellow colour), with ink of ultramarine and the
contents were as follows. " Peace be with thee from the King of
Al-Hind, before whom are a thousand elephants and upon whose
palace-crenelles are a thousand jewels. But after (laud to the
Lord and praises to His Prophet !) : we send thee a trifling gift
which be thou pleased to accept. Thou art to us a brother and
a sincere friend ; and great is the love we bear for thee in heart ;
favour us therefore with a reply. The gift besittcth not thy dignity:
but we beg of thee, O our brother, graciously to accept it and peace
be with thee." And the present was a cup of ruby a span high^
the inside of which was adorned with precious pearls ; and a bed
covered with the skin of the serpent which swalloweth the elephant,
which skin hath spots each like a dinar and whoso sittcth upon
it never sickcneth ; ^ and an hundred thousand miskals of Indian
' This word is not in the dictionaries ; Hole (p. 192) and Lane understand it to mean
the hog-dccr ; but why, one cannot imagine. The animal is neither "beauliful" nor
" uncommon" and most men of my day have shot dozens in the Sind-Shikargahs.
^ M. Polo speaks of a ruby in Seilan (Ceylon) a pnim long and three fmgcrs thick:
William of Tyre mentions a ruby weighing twelve Egyptian drams (Gibbon ii. 123), and
Mandeville makes the King of Mammcra wear about his neck a " rubye orier*" one
foot long by five fingers large.
• The fable is from Al-Ka'zw,h' and Ibn Al-Wardi who place thescrjKnt (an animal
gacred to ^l^sculapius, Pliny, xxix. 4) "in the sea of Zanj " {i.e. Zanzibar). \x\ thc"garrow
hili.i " of N. Eastern Bengal the skin of the snake Burrawar (?) is held to cure i)ain (AsiaU
Res. vol. iii.).
The Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Seat nan. 67
lign-aloes and a slave-girl like a shining moon.^ Then I took leave
of him and of all my intimates and acquaintances in the island and
embarked with the mercliants aforesaid. We sailed with a fair
wind, committing ourselves to the care of Allah (be He extolled
and exalted !) and by His permission arrived at Bassorah, where
I passed a few days and nights equipping myself and packing up;
my bales. ^^Chen I went on to Baghdad-city, the House of Peace,^
>vhere I sought an audience of the Caliph and laid the King's'
presents before him. He asked me whence they came and I said
to him, " By Allah, O Commander of the Faithful, I know not thej
name of the city nor the way thither ! " He then asked me, " O
Sindbad, is this true which the King writeth.?"; and I answered,
after kissing the ground, " O my lord, I saw in his kingdom much'
more than he hath written in his letter. For state processions a
throne is set for him upon a huge elephant, eleven cubits high :
and upon this he sitteth having his great lords and officers and
guests standing in two ranks, on his right hand and on his left.
At his head is a man hending in hand a golden javelin and behind
him another with a great mace of gold whose head is an emerald '
a span long and as thick as a man's thumb. And when he
mounteth horse there mount with him a thousand horsemen clad
in gold brocade and silk ; and as the King proceedeth a man
precedeth him, crying, This is the King of great dignity, of high
authority ! And he continueth to repeat his praises in words I
remember not, saying at the end of his panegyric, This is the
King owning the crown whose like nor Solomon nor the Mihraj^
ever possessed. Then he is silent and one behind him proclaimeth,
saying, He will die ! Again I say he will die ! ; and the other
addeth. Extolled be the perfection of the Living who dieth not ! ^
Moreover by reason of his justice and ordinance and intelh'gence,
there is no Kazi in his city, and all his lieges distinguish between
Truth and Falsehood." Quoth the Caliph, " How great is this
' For " Emerald," Hole (p. 177) would read emery or adamantine spai.
2 Evidently Maharaj = Great Rajah, Rajah in Chief, an Hindu title common to the
three potentates before alluded to, the Narsinga, Balhara or Samiry.
3 This is probably classical. So the page said to Philip of Macedon every morning,
•' Remember, Philip, thou art mortal " ; also the slave in the Roman Triumph,
Respice post te : hominem te esse memento !
And the djang Severus, "Urnlet, soon shalt thou enclose what hardly awhole world
could contain." But the custom may also have been Indian : the contrast of external
pomp with the real vanity of human life suggests itself to all.
6S ^ Alf Laylah wa Lay la h.
King ! His letter hath shown me this ; and as for the mightiness
of his dominion thou hast told us what thou hast eye-witnessed.
By Allah, he hath been endowed with wisdom as with wide rule."
Then I related to the Commander of the Faithful all that had
befallen me in my last voyage ; at which he wondered exceedingly
and bade his historians record my story and store it up in his
treasuries, for the edification of all who might see it. Then he
conferred on me exceeding great favours, and I repaired to my
quarter and entered my home, where I warehoused all my goods
and possessions. Presently, my friends came to me and I dis-
tributed presents among my family and gave alms and largesse ;
after which I yielded myself to joyance and enjoyment, mirth
and merry-making, and forgot all that I had suffered. Such, then,
O my brothers, is the history of what befel me in my sixth voyage,
and to-morrow, Inshallah ! I will tell you the story of my seventh
and last voyage, which is still more wondrous and marvellous than
that of the first six. (Saith he who telleth the tale). Then he bade
lay the table, and the company supped with him ; after which he
gave the Porter an hundred dinars, as of wont, and they all went
their ways, marvelling beyond measure at that which they had
heard. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Noto lufjcn it toas t!)e jpibe |L^untJrctr nntJ ^ixtg^ijirti Xigtt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Sindbad the Seaman had related the history of what befel
him in his sixth voyage, and all the company had dispersed,
Sindbad the Landsman went home and slept as of wont. Next
day he rose and prayed the dawn-prayer and repaired to his
namesake's house where, after the company was all assembled,
the host bec^an to relate
THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN.
Know, O company, that after my return from my sixth voyage,
which brought me abundant profit, I resumed my former life in
all possible joyance and enjoyment and mirth and making merry
dav and night ; and I tarried some time in this solace and satis-
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 69
faction till my soul began once more to long to sail the seas and
see foreign countries and company with merchants and hear new
things. So having made up my mind, I packed up in bales a
quantity of precious stuffs suited for sea-trade and repaired with
them from Baghdad-city to Bassorah-town, where I found a ship
ready for sea, and in her a company of considerable merchants. I
shipped with them and becoming friends, we set forth on our venture,
in health and safety ; and sailed with a fair wind, till we came to a
city called Madinatal-Si'n ; but after we had left it, as we fared on
in all cheer and confidence, devising of traffic and travel, behold,
there sprang up a violent head-wind and a tempest of rain fell on
us and drenched us and our goods. So we covered the bales with
our cloaks and garments and drugget and canvas, lest they be
spoiled by the rain, and betook ourselves to prayer and suppli-
cation to Almighty Allah and humbled ourselves before Him for
deliverance from the peril that was upon us. But the captain
arose and tightening his girdle tucked up his skirts and, after
taking refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned, clomb to the
mast-head, whence he looked out right and left and gazing at the
passengers and crew fell to buffeting his face and plucking out his
beard. So we cried to him, "O Rais, what is the matter?"; and
he replied saying, " Seek ye deliverance of the Most High from
the strait into which we have fallen and bemoan yourselves and
take leave of one another ; for know that the wind hath gotten the
mastery of us and hath driven us into the uttermost of the seas of
the world." Then he came down from the mast-head and opening
his sea-chest, pulled out a bag of blue cotton, from which he took
a powder like ashes. This he set in a saucer wetted with a little
water and, after waiting a short time, smelt and tasted it ; and then
^le took out of the chest a booklet, wherein he read awhile and said
weeping, " Know, O ye passengers, that in this book is a mar-
vellous matter, denoting that whoso comxth hither shall surely die,
without hope of escape ; for that this ocean is called the Sea of the
Clime of the King, wherein is the sepulchre of our lord Solomon,
son of David (on both be peace !) and therein are serpents of vast
bulk and fearsome aspect : and what ship soever cometh to these
climes there riseth to her a g'reat fish ^ out of the sea and swalloweth
her JD with all and everything on board her." Hearing these
' Arab. "'Hut"; a term applied to Jonah's whale and to monsters of the deep,
"Samak" beinEi the common fishes.
70 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
words from the captain great was our wonder, but hardly had he
made an end of speaking, when the ship was lifted out of the water
and let fall again and we applied to praying the death-prayer* and
committing our souls to Allah. Presently we heard a terrible great
cry like the loud-pealing thunder, whereat we were terror-struck and
became as dead men, giving ourselves up for lost. Then behold,
there came up to us a huge fish, as big as a tall mountain, at whose
sight we became wild for affright and, weeping sore, made ready
for death, marvelling at its vast size and gruesome semblance ;
when lo ! a second fish made its appearance than which we had
seen naught more monstrous. So we bemoaned ourselves of our
lives and farewelled one another ; but suddenly up came a third
fish bigger than the two first ; whereupon we lost the power of
thought and reason and were stupefied for the excess of our fear
and horror. Then the three fish began circling round about the
ship and the third and biggest opened his mouth to swallow it,
and we looked into its mouth and behold, it was wider than the
gate of a city and its throat was like a long valley. So we besought
the Almighty and called for succour upon His Apostle (on whom
be blessing and peace !), when suddenly a violent squall of wind
arose and smote the ship, which rose out of the water and settled
upon a great reef, the haunt of sea-monsters, where it broke up
and fell asunder into planks and all and everything on board were
plunged into the sea. As for me, I tore off all my clothes but my
gown and swam a little way, till I happened upon one of the ship's
planks whereto I clung and bestrode it like a horse, whilst the
winds and the waters sported with me and the waves carried me
up and cast me down ; and 1 was in most piteous plight for fear
and distress and hunger and thirst. Then I reproached myself
for what I had done and my soul was weary after a life of ease
and comfort ; and I said to myself, " O Sindbad, O Seaman, thou
repentest not and yet thou art ever suffering hardships and travails;
yet wilt thou not renounce sea-travel ; or, an thou say,' I renounce,'
thou liest in thy renouncement. Endure then with patience that
which thou sufferest, for verily tliou dcscrvest all that betideth
thee ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
' Usually a Iwu-buw prayer.
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 71
Nofo fol^cn It foas tfte jpibe ?^untrretr antr ^ixtg-fourtD Nigfjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman continued : — But when I had bestridden the plank,
quoth I to myself, " Thou deservest all that betideth thee. All
this is decreed to me of Allah (whose name be exalted !), to turn
me from my greed of gain, whence ariseth all that I endure, for I
have wealth galore." Then I returned to my senses and said, " In
very sooth, this time I repent to the Most High, with a sincere
repentance, of my lust for gain and venture ; and never will I again
name travel with tongue nor in thought." And I ceased not to
humble myself before Almighty Allah and weep and bewail myself,
recalling my former estate of solace and satisfaction and mirth and
merriment and joyance ; and thus I abode two days, at the end of
which time I came to a great island abounding in trees and streams.
There I landed and ate of the fruits of the island and drank of its
waters, till I was refreshed and my life returned to me and my
strength and spirits were restored and I recited : —
Oft when thy case shows knotty and tangled skein, e Fate downs from Heaven
and straightens every ply :
In patience keep thy soul till clear thy lot o For He who ties the knot
can eke untie.
Then I walked about, till I found on the further side, a great river
of sweet water, running with a strong current ; whereupon I called
to mind the boat-raft I had made aforetime and said to myself,
" Needs must I make another ; haply I may free me from this
strait. If I escape, I have my desire and I vow to Allah Almighty
to forswear travel; and if I perish I shall be at peace and shall
rest from toil and moil." So I rose up and gathered together great
store of pieces of wood from the trees (which were all of the finest
sanders-wood, whose like is not albe I knew it not), and made shift
to twist creepers and tree-twigs into a kind of rope, with which I
bound the billets together and so contrived a raft. Then saying,
" An I be saved, 'tis of God's grace," I embarked thereon and
committed myself to the current, and it bore me on for the first
day and the second and the third after leaving the island ; whilst
I lay in the raft, eating not and drinking, when I was athirst, of
the water of the river, till I was weak and giddy as a chicken; for
"J 2 A If Lay la h wa Layhih.
stress of fatigue and famine and fear. At the end of this time
I came to a high mountain, vvhereunder ran the river ; which when
I saw, I feared for my life by reason of the straitness I had suffered
in my former journey, and I would fain have stayed the raft and
landed on the mountain-side; but the current overpowered mc and
drew it into the subterranean passage like an archway ; whereupon
I gave myself up for lost and said, " There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!" However,
after a little, the raft glided into open air and I saw before me a
wide valley, whcreinto the river fell with a noise like the rolling of
thunder and a swiftness as the rushing of the wind. I held on to
the raft, for fear of falling off it, whilst the waves tossed mc right
and left ; and the craft continued to descend with the current nor
could I avail to stop it nor turn it shorewards, till it stopped with
me at a great and goodly city, grandly edified and containing much
people. And when the townsfolk saw me on the raft, dropping
down with the current, they threw me out ropes which I had not
strength enough to hold ; then they tossed a net over the craft and
drew it ashore with me, whereupon I fell to the ground amidst
them, as I were a dead man, for stress of fear and hunger and lack
of sleep. After a while, there came up to mc out of the crowd an
old man of reverend aspect, well stricken in years, who welcomed
me and threw over mc abundance of handsome clothes, wherewith
I covered my nakedness. Then he carried me to the Hammam-
bath and brought me cordial sherbets and delicious perfumes ;
moreover, when I came out, he bore me to his house, where his
people made much of me and, seating mc in a pleasant place, set
rich food before me, whereof I ate my fill and returned thanks to
God the Most High for my deliverance. Thereupon his pages
fetched mc hot water, and I washed my hands, and his handmaids
brought me silken napkins, with which I dried them and wiped
my mouth. Also the Shaykh set apart for me an apartment in a
part of his house and charged his pages and slave-girls to wait
upon mc and do my will and supply my wants. They were
assiduous in my scr\-ice, and I abode with him in the guest-
chamber three da)'s, taking my ease of good eating and good
drinking and good scents till life returned to me and my terrors
subsided and my heart was calmed and my mind was eased. On
the fourth day the Shaykh, my host, came in to me and said,
*' Thou checrest us with thy compan)-, O my son, and praised be
Allah for thy safetv ! Say : wilt thou now come down with me to
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 73
the beach and the bazar and sell thy goods and take their price ?
Belike thou mayst buy thee wherewithal to traffic. I have ordered
my servants to remove thy stock-in-trade from the sea and they
have piled it on the shore." I was silent awhile and said to my-
self, " What mean these words and what goods have I .'' '* Then
said he, "O my son, be not troubled nor careful, but come with
me to the market and if any offer for thy goods what price con-
tenteth thee, take it ; but, an thou be not satisfied, I will lay them
up for thee in my warehouse, against a fitting occasion for sale."
So I bethought me of my case and said to myself, " Do his bidding
and see what are these goods ! "; and I said to him, " O my nuncle
the Shaykh, I hear and I obey; I may not gainsay thee in aught
for Allah's blessing is on all thou dost." Accordingly he guided
me to the market-street, where I found that he had taken in pieces
the raft which carried me and which was of sandal-wood and I
heard the broker crying it for sale. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Note tof)en it toas t|)c jpibe f^unUrelr anij ^ixtg^fiftt) Niofjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman thus resumed his tale : — I found that the Shaykh had
taken to pieces my raft which lay on the beach and the broker was
crying the sandal-wood for sale. Then the merchants came and
opened the gate of bidding for the wood and bid against one
another till its price reached a thousand dinars, when they left
bidding and my host said to me, " Hear, O my son, this is the cur-
rent price of thy goods in hard times like these : wilt thou sell
them for this or shall I lay them up for thee in my storehouses, till
such time as prices rise?" "O my lord," answered I, "the busi-
ness is in thy hands : do as thou wilt." Then asked he, " Wilt
thou sell the wood to me, O my son, for an hundred gold pieces
over and above what the merchants have bidden for it ? " and I
answered, " Yes : I have sold it to thee for monies received." ^ So
he bade his servants transport the wood to his storehouses and,
carrying me back to his house, seated me and counted out to me
the purchase money ; after which he laid it in bags and setting
' This is the recognised formula of Moslem sales.
74 ^V Laylak wa Laylak.
them in a privy place, locked them up with an iron padlock and
gave me its key. Some days after this, the Shaykh said to me,
" O my son, I have somewhat to propose to thee, wherein I trust
thou wilt do my bidding." Quoth I, "What is it.?" Quoth he,
" I am a very old man and have no son ; but I have a daughter
who is young in years and fair of favour and endowed with
abounding wealth and beauty. Now I have a mind to marry her
to thee, that thou mayst abide with her in this our country, and I
will make thee master of all I have in hand for I am an old man
and thou shalt stand in my stead." I was silent for shame and
made him no answer, whereupon he continued, " Do my desire in
this, O my son, for I wish but thy weal ; and if thou wilt but do
as I say, thou shalt have her at once and be as my son ; and all
that is under my hand or that cometh to me shall be thine. If
thou have a mind to traffic and travel to thy native land, none
shall hinder thee, and thy property will be at thy sole disposal ; so
do as thou wilt." " By Allah, O my uncle," replied I, " thou art
become to me even as my father, and I am a stranger and have
undergone many hardships : while for stress of that which I have
suffered naught of judgment or knowledge is left to me. It is for
thee, therefore, to decide what I shall do." Hereupon he sent his
servants for the Kazi and the witnesses and married me to his
daughter making for us a noble marriage-feast^ and high festival.
When I went in to her, I found her perfect in beauty and loveli-
ness and symmetry and grace, clad in rich raiment and covered
with a profusion of ornaments and necklaces and other trinkets of
gold and silver and precious stones, worth a mint of money, a price
none could pay. She pleased me and we loved each other ; and I
abode with her in all solace and delight of life, till her father was
taken to the mercy of Allah Almighty. So we shrouded him and
buried him, and I laid hands on the whole of his property and all
his servants and slaves became mine. Moreover, the merchants
installed me in his office, for he was their Shaykh and their Chief;
and none of them purchased aught but with his knowledge and by
his leave. And now his rank passed on to me. When I became
acquainted with the townsfolk, I found that at the beginning of
each month they were transformed, in that their faces changed and
they became like unto birds and tiiey put forth wings wherewith they
' Arab. " Walimah"; like our wedding-breakfast but a much more ceremonious and
important affair.
V
■-v:
.ui»vU
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman. 75
flew unto the upper regions of the firmament and none remained
in the city save the women and children ; and I said in my mind,
** When the first of the month cometh, I will ask one of them to
carry me with them, whither they go." So when the time came
and their complexion changed and their forms altered, I went in
to one of the townsfolk and said to him, " Allah upon thee ! carry
me with thee, that I might divert myself with the rest and return
with you." " This may not be," answered he ; but I ceased not to
solicit him and I importuned him till he consented. Then I went
out in his company, without telling any of my family ^ or servants
or friends, and he took me on his back and flew up with me so
high in air, that I heard the angels glorifying God in the heavenly
dome, whereat I wondered and exclaimed, " Praised be Allah !
Extolled be the perfection of Allah!" Hardly had I made an
end of pronouncing the Tasbfh — praised be Allah ! — when there
came out a fire from heaven and all but consumed the company ;
whereupon they fled from it and descended with curses upon me
and, casting me down on a high mountain, went away, exceeding
wroth with me, and left me there alone. As I found myself in
this plight, I repented of what I had done and reproached myself
for having undertaken that for which I was unable, saying, " There
is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious,
the Great ! No sooner am I delivered from one affliction than I
fall into a worse." And I continued in this case knowing not
whither I should go, when lo ! there came up two young men, as
they were moons, each using as a staff a rod of red gold. So I
approached them and saluted them ; and when they returned my
salam, I said to them, "Allah upon you twain; who are ye and
what are ye ? " Quoth they, " We are of the servants of the Most
High Allah, abiding in this mountain ;" and, giving me a rod of
red gold they had with them, went their ways and left me. I
walked on along the mountain-ridge staying my steps with the
staff and pondering the case of the two youths, when behold, a
serpent came forth from under the mountain, with a man in her ^
jaws, whom she had swallowed even to below his navel, and he
was crying out and saying, "Whoso delivereth me, Allah will
^ i.e. his wife (euphemistically). I remember an Italian lady being much hurt when a
Maltese said to her " Mia moglie — con rispetto parlando" (my wife, saving your pre-
sence.) " What," she cried, " he speaks of his wife as if he would of the sweepings ! "
^ The serpent in Arabic is mostly feminine.
76 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
deliver him from all adversity ! " So I went up to the serpent
and smote her on the head with the golden staff, whereupon she
cast the man forth of her mouth. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
INfotD folbcn it tons ti)e Jpibc fl'Juntrrcti anU ^ixtg^stxtf) Ni'gbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad
the Seaman thus continued : — When I smote the serpent on the
head with my golden staff she cast the man forth of her mouth.
Then I smote her a second time, and she turned and fled ; where-
upon he came up to me and said, " Since my deliverance from
yonder serpent hath been at thy hands I will never leave thee, and
thou shalt be my comrade on this mountain." "And welcome,"
answered I ; so we fared on along the mountain, till we fell in
with a company of folk, and I looked and saw amongst them the
very man who had carried me and cast me down there. I went
up to him and spake him fair, excusing myself to him and saying,
•• O my comrade, it is not thus that friend should deal with friend."
Quoth he, " It was thou who well-nigh destroyed us by thy
Tasbih and thy glorifying God on my back." Quoth I, " Pardon
me, for I had no knowledge of this matter ; but, if thou wilt take
me with thee, I swear not to say a word." So he relented and
consented to carry me with him, but he made an express condition
that, so long as I abode on his back, I should abstain from pro-
nouncing the Tasbih or otherwise glorifying God. Then I gave
the wand of gold to him whom I had delivered from the serpent
and bade him farewell, and my friend took me on his back and
flew with me as before, till he brought me to the city and set me
down in my own house. My wife came to meet me and saluting
me gave me joy of my safety and then said, " Beware of going
forth hereafter with yonder folk, neither consort with them, for
they are brethren of the devils, and know not how to mention
the name of Allah Almighty ; neither worship they Him." "And
how did thy father with them .-* " asked I ; and she answered, " My
father was not of them, neither did he as they ; and as now he is
dead mcthinks thou hadst better sell all we have and with the
price buy merciiandise and journey to thine own country and
people, and I with thee ; for I care not to tarry in this city, my
father and my mother being dead." So I sold all the Shakyh's
Diopert}- piecemeal, and looked for one who should be journeying
The Seventh Voyage of Sindbad the Seaman 77
thence to Bassorah that I might join myself to him. And while
thus doing I heard of a company of townsfolk who had a mind
to make the voyage, but could not find them a ship ; so they
bought wood and built them a great ship wherein I took passage
with them, and paid them all the hire. Then we embarked, I and
my wife, with all our moveables, leaving our houses and domains
and so forth, and set sail, and ceased not sailing from island to
island and from sea to sea, with a fair wind and a favouring, till
we arrived at Bassorah safe and sound. I made no stay there,
but freighted another vessel and, transferring my goods to her,
set out forthright for Baghdad-city, where I arrived in safety, and
entering my quarter and repairing to my house, foregathered with
my family and friends and familiars and laid up my goods in my
warehouses. When my people who, reckoning the period of my
absence on this my seventh voyage, had found it to be seven and
twenty years, and had given up all hope of me, heard of my return,
they came to welcome me and to give me joy of my safety ; and I
related to them all that had befallen me ; whereat they mar-
velled with exceeding marvel. Then I forswore travel and vowed
to Allah the Most High I would venture no more by land or sea,
for that this seventh and last voyage had surfeited me of travel
and adventure ; and I thanked the Lord (be He praised and
glorified !), and blessed Him for having restored me to my kith
and kin and country and home. " Consider, therefore, O Sindbad,
0 Landsman," continued Sindbad the Seaman, "what sufferings I
have undergone and what perils and hardships I have endured
before coming to my present state." "Allah upon thee, O my
Lord ! " answered Sindbad the Landsman, "pardon me the wrong
1 did thee." ^ And they ceased not from friendship and fellowship,
abiding in all cheer and pleasures and solace of life, till there
came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of
Societies, and the Shatterer of palaces and the Caterer for Ceme-
teries to wit, the Cup of Death, and glory be to the Living One
who dieth not ! " 2
' i.e. in envying his wealth, with the risk of the evil eye.
^ I subjoin a translation of the Seventh Voyage from the Calc. Edit, of the two
hundred Nights which differs in essential points from the above. All respecting Sindbad
the Seaman has an especTai interest. In one point this world-famous tale is badly
ordered. The most exciting adventures are the earliest and the falling off of the interest
has a somewhat depressing effect. The Rukh, the Ogre and the Old Man o' the Sea
should come last.
AiJ LaylaH wa Layiak,
THE SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SEAMAN
(According to the version of the Calcutta Edition).
Knoiv, O my brothers and friends and companions all, that
when I left voyaging and commercing, I said in myself, " Sufficjth
mc that hath befallen me ;" and I spent my time in soiac. and
Sindbad the Seaman and Sindbad the Landsman. 79
pleasure. One day as I sat at home there came a knock at the door,
and when the porter opened a page entered and said, " The Caliph
biddeth thee to him." I went with him to the King's majesty and
kissed ground and saluted him ; whereupon he welcomed me and
entreated me with honour and said, " O Sindbad, I have an
occasion for thee : wilt thou do it "i " So I kissed his hand and
asked him, saying, " O my lord, what occasion hath the master for
the slave } "; whereto he answered me, " I am minded that thou
travel to the King of Sarandib and carry to him our writ and
our gift, for that he hath sent to us a present and a letter. I
trembled at these words and rejoined, "By Allah the Omnipotent,
O my lord, I have taken a loathing to wayfare, and when I hear
the words * Voyage ' or ' Travel,' my limbs tremble for what hath
befallen me of hardships and horrors. Indeed I have no desire
whatever for this ; more by token as I have bound myself by oath
not to quit Baghdad." Then I informed the Caliph of all I had
passed through from first to last, and he marvelled with exceeding
marvel and said, " By the Almighty, O Sindbad, from ages of old
such mishaps as happened to thee were never known to happen to
any, and thou dost only right never even to talk of travel. For
our sake, however, thou wilt go this time and carry our present and
our letter to him of Sarandib ; and Inshallah — by God's leave ! —
thou shalt return quickly ; and on this wise we shall be under no
obligation to the said King." I replied that I heard and obeyed,
being unable to oppose his command, so he gave me the gifts and
the missive with money to pay my way and I kissed hands and
left the presence. Then I dropped down from Baghdad to the
Gulf, and with other merchants embarked, and our ship sailed
before a fair wind many days and nights till, by Allah's aid, we
reached the island of Sarandib. As soon as we had made fast we
landed and I took the present and the letter ; and, going in with
them to the King, kissed ground before him. When he saw me,
he said, "Well come, O Sindbad! By Allah Omnipotent we were
longing to see thee, and glory be to God who hath again shown us
thy face ! " Then taking me by the hand he made me sit by his
side, rejoicing, and he welcomed me with familiar kindness again
and entreated me as a friend. After this he began to converse
with me and courteously addressed me and asked, " What was the
cause of thy coming to us, O Sindbad ? " So after kissing his
hand and thanking him I answered, " O my lord, I have brought
So AIJ Lay /ah zua Laylah.
thee a present from my master, the Cah'ph Harun AI-Rashid ; "
and offered him the present and the letter which he read and at
which he rejoiced with passing joy. The present consisted of a
mare worth ten thousand ducats, bearing a golden saddle set with
jewels; a book; a sumptuous suit of clothes and an hundred
different kinds of white Cairene cloths and silks of Suez,* Cufa and
Alexandria; Greek carpets and an hundred maunds^ weight ol
linen and raw silk. Moreover there was a wondrous rarety, a
marvellous cup of crystal middlemost of which was the figure of a
lion faced by a kneeling man grasping a bow with arrow drawn to
the very head, together with the food-tray ^ of Sulayman the son
of David (on whom be peace!). The missive ran as follows: —
Peace from King Al-Rashid, the aided of Allah (who hath vouch-
safed to him and his forefathers noble rank and wide-spread glory),
be on the fortunate Sultan. But after. Thy letter came to our
hands and we rejoiced thereat ; and we have sent the book
entituled " Delight of the Intelligent and for Friends the Rare
Present,"'* together with sundry curiosities suitable for Kings ; so
do thou favour us by accepting them : and peace be with thee !
Then the King lavished upon me much wealth and entreated me
with all honour ; so I prayed for him and thanked him for his
munificence. Some days after I craved his leave to depart, but
could not obtain it except by great pressing, whereupon I fare-
welled him and fared forth from his city, with merchants and other
companions, homewards-bound without any desire for travel or
trade. We continued voyaging and coasting along many islands ;
but, when we were half-way, we were surrounded by a number of
canoes, wherein were men like devils armed with bows and arrows,
swords and daggers ; habited in mail-coats and other armoury.
They fell upon us and wounded and slew all who opposed them ;
then, having captured the ship and her contents, carried us to
an island, where they sold us at the meanest price. Now I was
' Arab. Al-Suways : this successor of ancient Arsinoc was, according to local tradition,
founded by a Santon from Al-Sus in Marocco who called it after his name " Little Sus "
(the wormlct).
* Arab. " Mann,'' a weight varying from two to six pounds: even this common term
is not found in the tables of Lane's Mod. Egyptians, Appendix B. The " Maund " is
a well-known Anglo-Indian weight.
* This article is not mentioned elsewhere in The Nights.
* Apparently a fancy title.
Sindbad the Seaman and Sindbad the Landsman. 8i
bought by a wealthy man who, taking me to his house, gave me
meat and drink and clothing and treated me in the friendliest
manner ; so I was heartened and I rested a little. One day he
asked me, " Dost thou know any art or craft ? " and I answered
him, " O my lord, I am a merchant and know nothing but trade
and traffic." "Dost thou know," rejoined he, " how to use bow
and arrow } " " Yes," replied I, " I know that much." Thereupon
he brought me a bow and arrows and mounted me behind him
upon an elephant : then he set out as night was well nigh over
and, passing through a forest of huge growths, came to a tall and
sturdy tree up which he made me climb. Then he gave me the
bow and arrows, saying, " Sit here now, and when the elephants
troop hither in early morning, shoot at them ; belike thou wilt hit
one ; and, if he fall, come and tell me." With this he left me.
I hid myself in the tree being in sore terror and trembled till the
sun arose ; and, when the elephants appeared and wandered about
among the trees, I shot my arrows at them and continued till
I had shot down one of them. In the evening I reported my
success to my master who was delighted in me and entreated me
with high honour ; and next morning he removed the slain
elephant. In this wise I continued, every morning shooting an
elephant which my master would remove till, one day, as I was
perched in hiding on the tree there came on suddenly and un-
expectedly an innumerable host of elephants whose screaming
and trumpeting were such that I imagined the earth trembled
under them. All surrounded my tree, whose circumference was
some fifty cubits,^ and one enormous monster came up to it
and winding his trunk round the bole haled it up by the roots,
and dashed it to the ground. I fell down fainting amongst the
beasts when the monster elephant wound his trunk about me
and, setting me on his back, went off with me, the others ac-
companying us. He carried me still unconscious till he reached
the place for which he was making, when he rolled me off his
back and presently went his ways followed by the others. So
I rested a little ; and, when my terror had subsided^ I looked
about me and I found myself among the bones of elephants,
whereby I concluded that this was their burial-place, and that
* The island is evidently Ceylon long famed for elephants and the tree is the well
known " Banyan " (Ficus Indica). According to Linschoten and Wolf, the elephants
of all lands do reverence and honour to those of Ceylon.
VOL VI. F
83 A If Lay la h lua Laylah.
the monster elephant had led me thither on account of the
tusks.* So I arose and walked a whole day and night till I
arrived at the house of my master, who saw my colour changed
by stress of affright and famine. He rejoiced in my return and
said to me, "By Allah, thou hast made my heart sore! I went
when thou wast missing and found the tree torn up, and
thought that the elephants had slain thee. Tell me how it was
with thee." I acquainted him with all that had betided me ;
whereat he wondered greatly, and rejoiced and at last asked
me, "Dost thou know the place?"; whereto I answered, "Yes,"
O my master ! ' So we mounted an elephant and fared until we
came to the spot ; and, when my master beheld the heaps of
tusks, he rejoiced greatly ; then carrying away as many as he
wanted he returned with me home. After this, he entreated me
with increased favour and said, " O my son, thou hast shown
us the way to great gain, wherefore Allah requite thee ! Thou
art freed for the Almighty's sake and before His face ! The
elephants used to destroy many of us on account of our hunt-
ing them for their ivories and sorivellos ; but Allah hath pre-
served thee from them, and thou hast profited us by the heaps
to which thou hast led us." " O my master," replied I, '* God
free thy neck from the fire ! And do thou grant me, O my
master, thy gracious leave to return to my own country."
" Yes " quoth he, " thou shalt have that permission. But we
have a yearly fair, when merchants come to us from various
quarters to buy up these ivories. The time is drawing near ;
and, when they shall have done their business, I will send thee
under their charge and will give thee wherewithal to reach thy
home." So 1 blessed and thanked him and remained with him,
treated with respect and honour, for some days, when the mer-
chants came as he had foretold, and bought and sold and
bartered ; and when they had made their preparations to return,
my master came to me and said, " Rise and get thee ready to
' " Tusks " noi "teeth" which are not valued. As Hole remarks, the elephants of
Pliny and Sindbad are equally conscious of the value of ivory. Pliny (viii. 3) quotes
Herodotus aix)ut the buying of ivories and relates how elephants, when hunted, break
their " cornua " (as Juba called them) against a tree trunk by way of ransom. /Lilian,
Plutarch, and Philostratus speak of the linguistic intelligence and religious worship of the
" half-reason with the hand," which the Hindus term " Hathf " =: unimanus. Finally,
Topsell's Gesner (p. 152) makes elephants bury their tusks, " which commonly drop out
every tenth year-"' In Arabian literature the elephant is always connected witH India.
The City of Brass, 83
travel with the traders en route to thy country." They had
bought a number of tusks which they had bound together in
loads and were embarking them when my master sent me with
them, paying for my passage and setthng all, my debts ; besides
which he gave me a large present in goods. We set out and
voyaged from island to island till we had crossed the sea and
landed on the shores of the Persian Gulf, when the merchants
brought out and sold their stores : I also sold what I had at
a high profit ; and I bought some of the prettiest things in the
place for presents and beautiful rareties and everything else I
wanted. I likewise bought for myself a beast and we fared
forth and crossed the deserts from country to country till I
reached Baghdad. Here I went in to the Caliph and, after
saluting him and kissing hands, informed him of all that had
befallen me ; whereupon he rejoiced in my safety and thanked
Almighty Allah ; and he bade my story be written in letters
of gold. I then entered my house and met my family and
brethren : and such is the end of the history that happened ta
me during my seven voyages. Praise be to Allah, the One^
the Creator, the Maker of all things in Heaven and Earth!
Now when Shahrazad had ended her story of the two Sindbads,
Dinarzad exclaimed, " O my sister, how pleasant is thy tale
and how tasteful ! How sweet and how grateful !" She replied,
" And what is this compared with that I could tell thee to-
morrow night .^" Quoth the King, "What may it be?" And she
said : — It is a tale touchincf
THE CITY OF BRASS.'
It is related that there was, in tide of yore and in times and years
long gone before, at Damascus of Syria, a Caliph known as Abd
al-Malik bin Marwan, the fifth of the Ommiade house. As this
Commander of the Faithful was seated one day in his palace,
conversing with his Sultans and Kings and the Grandees of his
empire, the talk turned upon the legends of past peoples and
This is a true "City of Brass. (Nuhas asfar rz yellow copper), as we learn in
Night dcclxxii. It is situated in the "Maghrib " (Mauritania), the region of magic and
mystery ; and the idea was probably suggested by the grand Roman ruins which rise
abruptly from what has become a sandy waste. Compare with this tale " The City of
Brass " (Night cclxxii). In Egypt Nuhas is vulg. pronounced Nihas.
84 Alf Lay /ah nja Lay I ah.
the traditions of our Lord Solomon, David's son (on the twain be
peace !), and on that which Allah Almighty had bestowed on him
of lordship and dominion over men and Jinn and birds and beasts
and reptiles and the wind and other created things ; and quoth
the Caliph, " Of a truth we hear from those who forewent us that
the Lord (extolled and exalted be He !) vouchsafed unto none the
like of that which He vouchsafed unto our lord Solomon and that
he attained unto that whereto never attained other than he, in that
he was wont to imprison Jinns and Marids and Satans in cucur-
bites of copper and to stop them with lead and seaF them with
his ring." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
iioh) fol^cn it fcoas tlje jpfbe IL^unbrcti anO ^atg^scbcntf) iiigbt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Caliph Abd al-Malik bin Marwan sat conversing with his
Grandees concerning our lord Solomon, and these noted what
Allah had bestowed upon him of lordship and dominion, quoth
the Commander of the Faithful, " Indeed he attained unto that
whereto never attained other than he, in that he was wont to im-
prison Jinns and Marids and Satans in cucurbites of copper and
stop them with lead and seal them with his ring." Then said
Talib bin Sahl (who was a seeker after treasures and had books
that discovered to him hoards and wealth hidden under the earth),
"O Commander of the Faithful, — Allah make thy dominion to
endure and exalt thy dignity here and hereafter ! — my father told
me of my grandfather, that he once took ship with a company,
intending for the island of Sikiiiyah or Sicily, and sailed until
there arose against them a contrary wind, which drove them froi^'
their course and brought them, after a month, to a great mountain
in one of the lands of Allah the I\Iost High, but where that land
was ihcy wot not. Quoth ni)' grandfatlier : — This was in the
darkness of the night and as soon as it was day, there came forth
to us, from the ca\-cs of the mountain, folk black of colour and
naked of bocl\', as they were wild beasts, understanding not one
word of what was addrei>scd to them ; nor was there any of them
' The Brc-I. Iviit. arl.h that the >eal-iinL; ua-. of st.inipud >;<.)ne and iron, copper
an'! lead. I h.uc ODiiJAed copiously fmin its vul. vi. pp. 313. l:-s«j.
The City of Brass. ^.
who knew Arabic, save their King who was of their own kind
When he saw the ship, he came down to it with a company of his
followers and saluting us, bade us welcome and questioned us of
our case and our faith. We told him all concerning ourselves and
he said, Be of good cheer for no harm shall befal you. And
when we, in turn, asked them of their faith, we found that each
was of one of the many creeds prevailing before the preaching of
Al-Islam and the mission of Mohammed, whom may Allah bless
and keep ! So my shipmates remarked, We wot not what thou
sayest. •«■ Then quoth the King, No Adam-son hath ever come
to our land before you : but fear not, and rejoice in the assurance
of safety and of return to your own country. Then he enter-
tained us three days, feeding us on the flesh of birds and wild
beasts and fishes, than which they had no other meat ; and, on the
fourth day, he carried us down to the beach, that we might divert
ourselves by looking upon the fisher-folk. There we saw a man
casting his net to catch fish, and presently he pulled them up and
behold, in them was a cucurbite of copper, stopped with lead and
sealed with the signet of Solomon, son of David, on whom be
peace ! He brought the vessel to land and broke it open, when
there came forth a smoke, which rose a-twisting blue to the zenith,
and we heard a horrible voice, saying, I repent ! I repent ! Par-
don, O Prophet of Allah ! I will never return to that which I did
aforetime. Then the smoke became a terrible Giant frightful of
form, whose head was level with the mountain-tops, and he
vanished from our sight, whilst our hearts were well-nigh torn out
for terror ; but the blacks thought nothing of it. Then we returned
to the King and questioned him of the matter ; whereupon quoth
he, Know that this was one of the J inns whom Solomon, son of
David, being wroth with them, shut up in these vessels and cast
into the sea, after stopping the mouths with melted lead. Our
fishermen ofttimes, in casting their nets, bring up such bottles,
which being broken open, there come forth of them Jinnis who,
deeming that Solomon is still alive and can pardon them, make
their submission to him and say, I repent, O Prophet of Allah ! "
The Caliph marvelled at Talib's story and said, " Glory be to God !
Verily, to Solomon was given a mighty dominion." Now Al-
Nabighah al-Zubyani'^ was present, and he said, " Talib hath
' As this was a well-known pre-Islamilic bard, his appearance here is decidedly
anachronistic, probably by intention.
ii6 A If Laylah zca Laylah.
spoken soothly as is proven by the saying of the All-wise, the
Primaeval One : —
And Solomon, when Allah to hin-. said, o ' Rise, be thou Caliph, rule with
righteous sway :
Honour obedience for obeying thee ; o And who rebels imprison him for
aye '
Wherefore he used to put them in copper-bottles and cast them
into the sea." The poet's words seemed good to the Caliph, and
he said, " By Allah, I long to look upon some of these Solomonic
vessels, which must be a warning to whoso will be warned." " O
Commander of the Faithful," replied Talib, *' it is in thy power to
do so, without stirring abroad. Send to thy brother Abd al-Azi'z
bin Marwan, so he may write to Musa bin Nusayr,' governor of
the Maghrib or Morocco, bidding him take horse thence to the
mountains whereof I spoke and fetch thee therefrom as many of
such cucurbites as thou hast a mind to; for those mountains adjoin
the frontiers of his province." The Caliph approved his counsel
and said " Thou hast spoken sooth, O Talib, and I desire that,
touching this matter, thou be my messenger to Musa bin Nusayr ;
wherefore thou shalt have the White Flag ^ and all thou hast a
mind to of monies and honour and so forth ; and I will care for
thy family during thine absence." " With love and gladness, O
Commander of the Faithful!" answered Talib "Go, with the
blessing of Allah and His aid," quoth the Caliph, and bade write
a letter to his brother, Abd al-Aziz, his viceroy in Egypt, and
another to Musa bin Nusayr, his viceroy in North-Western Africa,
bidding him go himself in quest of the Solomonic bottles, leaving
his son to govern in his stead. Moreover, he charged him to engage
guides and to spare neither men nor money, nor to be remiss in
the matter as he would take no excuse. Then he scaled the two
letters and committed them to Talib bin Sahl, bidding him ad-
vance the royal ensigns before him and make his utmost speed ,
and he gave him treasure and horsemen and footmen, to further
him on his way, and made provision for the wants of his household
' The first Moslem conqueror of Spain whose lieutenant, Tank, the gallant and un-
fortunate, named Gibraltar (Jabal al-Tarik).
* The colours of the Banii Umayyah (Ommiade) Caliphs were white ; of the Banu
Abbas (Abbasides) black, and of the Fatimitcs green. Carrying the royal flag denoted
the generalissimo or plenipotentiary.
, The City of Brass. .. 87
G
during his absence. So Talib set out and arrived in due course
at Cairo.' And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
BM tD!)cn tt toa& tf)c Jpibe i^^unlireti anti ^iitLi-cifibtf) i^tgibt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Talib bin
Sahi set out with his escort and crossed the desert country between
Syria and Egypt, where the Governor came out to meet him and
entreated him and his company with high honour whilst they
tarried with him. Then he gave them a guide to bring them to
the Sa'i'd or Upper Egypt, where the Emir Musa had his abiding-
place ; and when the son of Nusayr heard of Talib's coming, he
went forth to meet him and rejoiced in him. Talib gave him the
Caliph's letter, and he took it reverently and, laying it on his
head, cried, " I hear and I obey the Prince of the Faithful."
Then he deemed it best to assemble his chief officers and when all
were present he acquainted them with the contents of the Caliph's
letter and sought counsel of them how he should act. " O Emir,"
answered they, " if thou seek one who shall guide thee to the place
summon the Shaykh 'Abd al-Samad, ibn 'Abd al-Kuddus, al-
Samudi ;^ for he is a man of varied knowledge, who hath travelled
much and knoweth by experience all the seas and wastes and wolds
and countries of the world and the inhabitants and wonders
thereof; wherefore send thou for him and he will surely guide thee
to thy desire." So Musa sent for him, and behold, he was a very
ancient man shot in years and broken down with lapse of days.
The Emir saluted him and said, " O Shaykh Abd al-Samad, our
lord the Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan,
hath commanded me thus and thus. I have small knowledge of
' i.e. Old Cairo, or Fustat : the present Cairo was then a Coptic village founded on an
old Egyptian settlement called Lui-Tkeshroma, to which belonged the tanks on the hill
and the great well, Bir Yusuf, absurdly attributed to Joseph the Patriarch. Lui is evj- ^
dently the origin of Levi and means a high priest (Brugsh ii. 130) and his son's name was
Roma.
^ I cannot but suspect that this is a clerical error for " Al-Samanhudi," a native of
Samanhud (Wilkinson's " Semenood ") in the Delta on the Damietta branch, the old
Sebennylus (in Coptic Jem-nuti = Jem the God), a town which has produced many
disimguished men in Moslem times. But there is also a Samhud lying a few miles dowa
stream from Denderah and, as its mounds prove, it is an ancient site.
88 A If Laylak zva Laylah.
the land Wherein is that which the Cahph desircth ; but it is told
me that tiiou knowcst it well and the ways thither. Wilt thou,
therefore, go with me and help me to accomplish the Caliph's
need ? So it please Allah the Most High, thy trouble and travail
shall not go waste." Replied the Shaykh, " I hear and obey the
bidding of the Commander of the Faithful ; but know, O Emir,
that the road thither is long and difficult and the ways few."
" How far is it ? " asked Musa, and the Shaykh answered, " It is a
journey of two years and some months going and the like return-
ing ; and the way is full of hardships and terrors and things
wondrous and marvellous. Now thou art a champion of the Faith '
and our country is hard by that of the enemy ; and peradventure
the Nazarenes may come out upon us in thine absence ; wherefore
it behoveth thee to leave one to rule thy government in thy stead."
" It is well," answered the Emir and appointed his son Hariin
Governor during his absence, requiring the troops to take the oath
of fealty to him and bidding them obey him in all he should com-
mand. And they heard his words and promised obedience. Now
this Harun was a man of great prowess and a renowned warrior
and a doughty knight, and the Shaykh Abd al-Samad feigned to
him that the place they sought was distant but four months' jour-
ney along the shore of the sea, with camping-places all the way,
adjoining one another, and grass and springs, adding, "Allah will
assuredly make the matter easy to us through thy blessing, O
Lieutenant of tlie Commander of the Faithful ! " Quoth the Emir
Musa, " Knowest thou if any of the Kings have trodden this land
before us ? "; and quoth the Shaykh, " Yes, it belonged aforetime
to Darius the Greek, King of Alexandria." But he said to Musa
privil}-, " O Emir, take with thee a thousand camels laden with
victual and store of gugglets."- The Emir asked, "And what
shall we do with these?"; and the Shaykh answered, "On our
way is the desert of Ka}-rawan or Cyrene, the which is a wist
wold four days' journey long, and lacketh water; nor therein doth
sound of voice ever sound nor is soul at any time to be seen.
Moreover, there bloweth the Simoon ^ and other hot winds called
' Egypt Imd not then been conquercil from the Christians.
^ Arab. " Kiz.'in fukka'a," i.e. tiiin anJ slii^htiy porous earthenware jars used for
Fukka'a, a fermented drink, made of barley or raisins.
2 I retain this venerable blunder: the right form is Samum, from Samm, the r.;i^on-
wind.
The City of Brass. 89
Al-Juwayb, which dry up the water-skins ; but if the water be in
gugglets, no harm can come to it." " Right," said Musa and
sending to Alexandria, let bring thence great plenty of gugglets
Then he took with him his Wazir and two thousand cavalry, clad
in mail cap-a-pie and set out, without other to guide them but
Abd al-Samad who forewent them, riding on his hackney. The
party fared on diligently, now passing through inhabited lands,
then ruins and anon traversing frightful wolds and thirsty wastes
and then mountains which spired high in air ; nor did they leave
journeying a whole year's space till, one morning, when the day
broke, after they had travelled all night, behold, the Shaykh found
himself in a land he knew not and said, " There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! " Quoth
the Emir, " What is to do, O Shaykh ? "; and he answered, saying.
" By the Lord of the Ka'abah, we have wandered from our road ! "
"How Cometh that?" asked Musa, and Abd al-Samad replied,
■ The stars were overclouded and I could not guide myself by
them." " Where on God's earth are we now?" asked the Emir,
and the Shaykh answered, '' I know not ; for I never set eyes on
this land till this moment." Said Musa, " Guide us back to the
place where we went astray "; but the other, " I know it no more."
Then Musa, " Let us push on ; haply Allah will guide us to it or
direct us aright of His power." So they fared on till the hour of
noon-prayer, when they came to a fair champaign, and wide and
level and smooth as it were the sea when calm, and presently there
appeared to them, on the horizon some great thing, high and black,
in whose midst was as it were smoke rising to the confines of the
sky. They made for this, and stayed not in their course till they
drew near thereto, when, lo ! it was a high castle, firm of foundations
and great and gruesome, as it were a towering mountain, builded
all of black stone, with frowning crenelles and a door of gleaming
China steel, that dazzled the eyes and dazed the wits. Round
about it were a thousand steps and that which appeared afar off
as it were smoke was a central dome of lead an hundred cubits
high. When the Emir saw this, he marvelled thereat with exceed-
ing marvel and how this place was void of inhabitants; and the
Shaykh, after he had certified himself thereof, said, " There is no
god but the God and Mohammed is the Apostle of God ! " Quoth
Musa, " I hear thee praise the Lord and hallow Him, and meseemeth
thou rejoicest." " O Emir," answered Abd al-Samad, " Rejoice, for
Allah (extolled and exalted be He !) hath delivered us from the
90 A If Laylah wa Laylah,
frightful wolds and thirsty wastes." " How knowest thou that ? "
said Musa, and the other, " I know it for that my father told me
of my grandfather that he said : — We were once journeying in this
land and, straying from the road, we came to this palace and thence
to the City of Brass ; between which and the place thou seekest is
two full months' travel ; but thou must take to the sea-shore and
leave it not, for there be watering-places and wells and camping-
grounds established by King Zii al-Karnayn Iskandar who, when
he went to the conquest of Mauritania, found by the way thirsty
deserts and wastes and wilds and dug therein water-pits and built
cisterns." Quoth Musa, " Allah rejoice thee with good news ! " and
quoth the Shaykh, " Come, let us go look upon yonder palace and
its marvels, for it is an admonition to whoso will be admonished."
So the Emir went up to the palace, with the Shaykh and his
officers, and coming to the gate, found it open. Now this gate
was builded with lofty columns and porticoes whose walls and
ceilings were inlaid with gold and silver and precious stones ; and
there led up to it flights of steps, among which were two wide
stairs of coloured marble, never was seen their like ; and over the
doorway was a tablet whereon were graven letters of gold in the
old ancient Ionian character. " O Emir," asked the Shaykh,
"shall I read .^''; and Musa answered, "Read and God bless
thee ! ; for all that betideth us in this journey dependeth upon thy
blessing." So the Shaykh, who was a very learned man and versed
in all tongues and characters, went up to the tablet and read
whatso was thereon and it was verse like this : —
The signs that here their mighty works portray o Warn us that all must tread
the self-same way :
O thou who standest in this stead to hear o Tidings of folk, whose power hath
passed for aye.
Enter this palace-gate and ask the news o Of greatness fallen into dust and
clay :
Death has destroyed them and dispersed their might o And in the dust they
lost their rich display ;
As had they only set their burdens down o To rest awhile, and then had rode
away.
When the Emir Musa heard these couplets, he wept till he lost his
senses and said, " There is no god but tJie God, the Living, the
Eternal, who ccaseth not ! " Then he entered the palace and was
confounded at its beauty and the goodliness of its construction.
He diverted himself awhile by viewing the pictures and images
The City of Brass. 9 1
therein, till he came to another door, over which also were written
verses, and said to the Shaykh, " Come read me these ! " So he
advanced and read as follows : —
Under these domes how many a company o Halted of old and fared withouten
stay :
See thou what might displays on other wights o Time with his shifts which
could such lords waylay :
They shared together what they gathered o And left their joys and fared to
Death-decay :
What joys they joyed ! what food they ate ! and now o In dust they're eaten,
for the worm a prey.
At this the Emir Musa wept bitter tears; and the world waxed
yellow before his eyes and he said, " Verily, we were created for
a mighty matter ! " ^ Then they proceeded to explore the palace
and found it desert and void of living thing, its courts desolate and
dwelling-places waste laid. In the midst stood a lofty pavilion
with a dome rising high in air, and about it were four hundred
tombs, builded of yellow marble. The Emir drew near unto these
and behold, amongst them was a great tomb, wide and long ; and
at its head stood a tablet of white marble, whereon were graven
these couplets : —
How oft have I fought ! and how many have slain ! o How much have I wit-
nessed of blessing and bane !
How much have I eaten ! how much have I drunk ! o How oft have I heark-
ened to singing-girl's strain !
How much have I bidden ! how oft have forbid ! o How many a castle and
castellain
I have sieged and have searched, and the cloistered maids o In the depths of
its walls for my captives were ta'en !
But of ignorance sinned I to win me the meeds o Which won proved naught
and brought nothing of gain :
Then reckon thy reck'ning, O man, and be wise o Ere the goblet of death and
of doom thou shalt drain ;
For yet but a little the dust on thy head o They shall strew, and thy life shall
go down to the dead.
The Emir and his companions wept ; then, drawing near unto the
pavilion, they saw that it had eight doors of sandal-wood, studded
with nails of gold and stars of silver and inlaid with all manner
precious stones. On the first door were written these verses : —
^ i.e. for worship and to prepare for futurity.
92 A If Lay I ah wa Lay/ah.
What I left, I left it not for nobility of soul, o But through sentence and decree
that to every man are dight.
What while I lived happy, with a temper haught and high, o My hoarding-
place defending like a lion in the fight,
I took no rest, and greed of gain forbad me give a grain o Of mustard-seed to
save from the fires of Hell my sprite,
Until stricken on a day, as with arrow, by decree o Of the Maker, the Fashioner,
the Lord of Might and Right.
When my death was appointed, my life I could not keep o By the many of my
stratagems, my cunning and my sleight :
My troops I had collected availed me not, and none o Of my friends and of
my neighbours had power to mend my plight :
Through my life I was wearied in journeying to death o In stress or in solace,
in joyance or despight :
So when money-bags arc bloated, and dinar unto dinar o Thou addest, all may
leave thee with fleeting of the night :
And the driver of a camel and the digger of a grave* o Are what thine heirs
shall bring ere the morning dawneth bright :
And on Judgment Day alone shalt thou stand before thy Lord, o Overladen
with thy sins and thy crimes and thine affright :
Let the world not seduce thee with lurings, but behold o What measure to thy
family and neighbours it hath doled.
When Musa heard these verses, he wept with such weeping that
he swooned away ; then, coming to himself, he entered the
paviHon and saw therein a long tomb, awesome to look upon,
whereon was a tablet of China steel and Shakyh Abd al-Samad
drew near it and read this inscription : "In the name of Ever-
lasting Allah, the Never-beginning, the Never-ending; in the
name of Allah who begetteth not nor is He begot and unto whom
the like is not; in the name of Allah the Lord of Majesty and
Might ; in the name of the Living One who to death is never
dight ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
ilofo h)|)cn it hjas ti)e Jpibc IQuntircti antr ^ixtn--nmtf) iltQf)!,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shaykh
Abd al-Samad, having read the aforesaid, also found the follow-
ing : — O thou who comest to this place, take warning by that
' Tbe camel carries the Badawi's corpse to the cemetery which is often distant
to dream of a camel is an omen of death.
The City of Brass. 93
which thou seest of the accidents of Time and the vicissitudes of
Fortune and be not deluded by the world and its pomps and
vanities and fallacies and falsehoods and vain allurements, for that
it is flattering, deceitful and treacherous, and the things thereof are
but a loan to us which it will borrow back from all borrowers. It
is like unto the dreams of the dreamer and the sleep-visions of
the sleeper or as the mirage of the desert, which the thirsty take
for water ; ^ and Satan maketh it fair for men even unto death.
These are the ways of the world ; wherefore put not thou thy
trust therein neither incline thereto, for it bewrayeth him who
leaneth upon it and who committeth himself thereunto in his
affairs. Fall not thou into its snares neither take hold upon its
skirts, but be warned by my example. I possessed four thou-
sand bay horses and a haughty palace, and I had to wife a thou-
sand daughters of kings, high-bosomed maids, as they were
moons : I was blessed with a thousand sons as they were fierce
lions, and I abode a thousand years, glad of heart and mind, and
I amassed treasures beyond the competence of all the Kings of
the regions of the earth, deeming that delight would still endure
to me. But there fell on me unawares the Destroyer of delights
and the Sunderer of societies, the Desolator of domiciles and the
Spoiler of inhabited spots, the Murtherer of great and small, babes
and children and mothers, he who hath no ruth on the poor for
his poverty, or fe'areth the King for all his bidding or forbidding.
Verily, we abode safe and secure in this palace, till there de-
scended upon us the judgement of the Lord of the Three Worlds,
Lord of the Heavens, and Lord of the Earths, the vengeance of
the Manifest Truth ^ overtook us, when there died of us every
day two, till a great company of us had perished. When I saw
that destruction had entered our dwellings and had homed with
us and in the sea of deaths had drowned us, I summoned a writer
and bade him indite these verses and instances and admonitions,
the which I let grave, with rule and compass, on these doors and
tablets and tombs. Now I had an army of a thousand thousand
bridles, men of warrior mien with forearms strong and keen, armed
' Koran xxiv. 39. The word "Sarab" (mirage) is found in Isaiah (xxxv. 7) where
the passage should be rendered "And the mirage (sharab) shall become a lake " (not,
"and the parched ground shall become a pool"). The Hindus prettily call it
*' Mrigatrishna " = the thirst of the deer.
^ A name of Allah.
94 ^if Lay la h wa Laylah.
with spears and mail-coats sheen and swords that gleam ; so I
bade them don their long-hanging hauberks and gird on their
biting blades and mount their high-mettled steeds and level their
dreadful lances ; and whenas there fell on us the doom of the
Lord of heaven and earth, I said to them, " Ho, all ye soldiers
and troopers, can ye avail to ward off that which is fallen on me
from the Omnipotent King ? " But troopers and soldiers availed
not unto this and said, " How shall we battle with Him to whom
no chamberlain barreth access, the Lord of the door which hath
no doorkeeper ? " Then quoth I to them, " Bring me my trea-
sures." Now I had in my treasuries a thousand cisterns in each
of which were a thousand quintals * of red gold and the like of
white silver, besides pearls and jewels of all kinds and other
things of price, beyond the attainment of the kings of the earth.
So they did that and when they had laid all the treasure in my
presence, I said to them, " Can ye ransom me with ail this trea-
sure or buy me one day of life therewith ? " But they could not !
So they resigned themselves to fore-ordained Fate and fortune
and I submitted to the judgement of Allah, enduring patiently
that which he decreed unto me of affliction, till He took my soul
and made me to dwell in my grave. And if thou ask of my name,
I am Kush, the son of Shaddad son of Ad the Greater. And
upon the tablets were engraved these lines : —
An thou uouldst know my name, whose day is done o With shifts of time and
changes 'neath the sun.
Know I am Shadddd's son, who ruled mankind o And o'er all earth upheld
dominion !
All stubborn peoples abject were to me ; o And Shdm to Cairo and to Adnan-
wone ; *
I reigned in glory conquenng many kings ; o And peoples feared my mischief
every one.
Yea, tribes and armies in my hand I saw ; o The world all dreaded mc, both
friends and fone.
When I took horse, I viewed my numbered troops, o Bridles on neighing
steeds a million.
And I had wealth that none could tell or count, o Against misfortune trea-
suring all I won ;
' Arab. " Kintar "' =: a hundredweight (;.^. loo lbs. ), about 98^ lbs. avoir. Hence
the French quintal :i.\n\ its congeners (Litlrc)
* i.e. "from Sham (Syria) to (the land oQ Adnan, ancestor of the Naturalized Arabs
that is, to Arabia.
The City of Brass. 95
Fain had I bought my life with all my wealth, o And for a moment's space my
death to shun ;
But God would naught save what His purpose willed ; o So from my brethren
cut I 'bode alone ;
And Death, that sunders- man, exchanged my lot * To pauper hut from
grandeur's mansion,
When found I all mine actions gone and past o Wherefor I'm pledged ' and by
my sin undone.
Then fear, O man, who by a brink dost range, o The turns of Fortune and the
chance of Change.
The Emir Musa was hurt to his heart and loathed his Hfe for
what he saw of the slaughtering-places of the folk ; and, as they
went about the highways and byeways of the palace, viewing its
sitting-chambers and pleasaunces, behold they came upon a table
of yellow onyx, upborne on four feet of juniper- wood,^ and thereon
these words graven : — " At this table have eaten a thousand kings
blind of the right eye and a thousand blind of the left and yet
other thousand sound of both eyes, all of whom have departed the
world and have taken up their sojourn in the tombs and the
catacombs." All this the Emir wrote down and left the palace,
carrying off with him naught save the table aforesaid. Then he
fared on with his host three days' space, under the guidance of the
Shaykh Abd al-Samad, till they came to a high hill, whereon stood
a horseman of brass. In his hand he held a lance with a broad
head, in brightness like blinding leven, whereon was graven : — " O
thou that comest unto me, if thou know not the way to the City
of Brass, rub the hand of this rider and he will turn round and
presently stop. Then take the direction whereto he faceth and
fare fearless, for it will bring thee, without hardship, to the city
aforesaid." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
* Koran 111. 21. "Every man is given in pledge for that which he shall have
wrought."
'■^ There is a constant clerical confusion in the texts between " Arar " (Juniperus
Oxycedrus used by the Greeks for the images of their gods) and " Marmar " marble
or alabaster, in the Tahnud " Marmora " = marble, evidently from ftap/xapos =: bril-
liant, the brilliant stone.
96 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Xob) lubtn It luas t!jc Jfibc |LJuntrreli anti ^cbenticti^ Xigf)!,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Emir Musa rubbed the horseman's hand he revolved like the
dazzling lightning, and stopped facing in a direction other than
that wherein they were journeying. So they took the road to
which he pointed (which was the right way) and, finding it a
beaten track, fared on through their days and nights till they had
covered a wide tract of country. Then they came upon a pillar of
black stone like a furnace-chimney wherein was one sunken up to
his armpits. He had two great wings and four arms, two of them
like the arms of the sons of Adam and other two as they were
lion's paws, with claws of iron, and he was black and tall and
frightful of aspect, with hair like horses' tails and eyes like blazing
coals, slit upright in his face. Moreover, he had in the middle of
his forehead a third eye, as it were that of a lynx, from which flew
sparks of fire, and he cried out saying, " Glory to my Lord, who hath
adjudged unto me this grievous torment and sore punishment
until the Day of Doom ! " When the folk saw him, they lost their
reason for affright and turned to flee; so the Emir Musa asked the
Shaykh Abd al-Samad, " What is this?"; and he answered, "I
know not."' Whereupon quoth Musa, " Draw near and question
him of his condition ; haply he will discover to thee his case."
" Allah assain thee, Emir! Indeed, I am afraid of him ;" replied
the Shaykh ; but the Emir rejoined, saying, *' Fear not ; he is
hindered from thee and from all others by that wherein he is." So
Abd al-Samad drew near to the pillar and said to him which was
therein, " O creature, what is thy name and what art thou and how
earnest thou here in this fashion?" "I am an Ifrit of the Jinn,"
replied he, " by name Dahish, son of Al-A'amash,' and am con-
fined here by the All-might, prisoned here by the Providence and
punishctl by the judgement of Allah, till it pleases Him, to whom
belong Might and Majesty, to release me," Then said Musa, "Ask
him why he is in durance of this column ? " So the Shaykh asked
him of this, and the Ifrit replied, saying : — Verily my tale is
wondrous and my case marvellous, and it is this. One of the
' These Ifritical n;\incs are chosen for thrir biznrrerit-. " AI-Dahish " =r the Amazed ;
and " Al- A'ainash " ^ one with weak eyes always watering.
The City of Brass. 9^
sons of Iblis had an idol of red carnelian, whereof I was guardian,
and there served it a King of the Kings of the sea, a Prince of
puissant power and prow of prowess, over-ruling a thousand
thousand warriors of the Jann who smote with swords before
him and answered his summons in time of need. All these were
under my commandment and obeyed my behest, being each and
every rebels against Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace !
And I used to enter the belly of the idol and thence bid and
forbid them. Now this King's daughter loved the idol and was
frequent in prostration to it and assiduous in its service ; and she
was the fairest woman of her "lay, accomplished in beauty and
loveliness, elegance and grace.- She was described unto Solomon
and he sent to her father, saying, " Give me thy daughter to wife
and break thine idol of carnelian and testify saying, There is no
god but t/ie God and Solomon is the Prophet of Allah ! , an thou
do this, our due shall be thy due and thy debt shall be our debt ;
but, if thou refuse, make ready to answer the summons of the
Lord and don thy grave-gear, for I will come upon thee with an
irresistible host, which shall fill the waste places of earth and make
thee as yesterday that is passed away and hath no return for aye."
When this message reached the King, he waxed insolent and
rebellious, pride-full and contumacious and he cried to his Wazirs,
" What say ye of this ? Know ye that Solomon son of David hath
sent requiring me to give him my daughter to wife, and break
my idol of carnelian and enter his faith !" And they replied, "O
mighty King, how shall Solomon do thus with thee .-* Even could
he come at thee in the midst of this vast ocean, he could not
prevail against thee, for the Marids of the Jann will fight on thy
side and thou wilt ask succour of thine idol whom thou servest,
and he will help thee and give thee victory over him. So thou
wouldst do well to consult on this matter thy Lord," (meaning the,
idol aforesaid) "and hear what he saith. If he say. Fight him,
fight him, and if not, not." So the King went in without stay or
delay to his idol and offered up sacrifices and slaughtered victims ;
after which he fell down before him, prostrate and weeping, and
repeated these verses : —
" O my Lord, well I weet thy puissant hand : • Sulaym^n would break thee and
see thee bann'd.
0 my Lord, to crave succour here I stand ♦ Command and I bow to thy high
command ! "
VOL. VL G
9t A If Laytak wa Laylah.
Then I (continued the Ifrit addressing the Shaykh and those
about him), of my ignorance and want of wit and recklessness
of the commandment of Solomon and lack of knowledge anent
his power, entered the belly of the idol and made answer as
follows : —
** As for me, of him I feel naught affright ; * For my lore and my wisdom are
infinite :
If he wish for warfare I'll show him fight « And out of his body I'll tear his
sprite ! "
When the King heard my boastful reply, he hardened his heart
and resolved to wage war upon the Prophet and to offer him
battle ; wherefore he beat the messenger with a grievous beating
and returned a foul answer to Solomon, threatening him and
saying, " Of a truth, thy soul hath suggested to thee a vain thing ;
dost thou menace me with mendacious words ? But gird thyself
for battle ; for, an thou come not to me, I will assuredly come to
thee." So the messenger returned to Solomon and told him all
that had passed and whatso had befallen him, which when the
Prophetheard, he raged like Doomsday and addressed himself to
the fray and levied armies of men and Jann and birds and reptiles.
He commanded his Wazir Al-Dimiryat, King of the Jann, to
gather together the Marids of the Jinn from all parts, and he
collected for him six hundred thousand thousand of devils.^ More^
over, by his order, his Wazir Asaf bin Barkhiyd levied him an
army of men, to the number of a thousand thousand or more
These all he furnished with arms and armour and mounting, with
his host, upon his carpet, took flight through air, while the beasts
fared under him and the birds flew overhead, till he lighted down
on the island of the refractory King and encompassed it about,
filling earth with his hosts. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Xofo fcoljcn It tnas t!)e Jpfue |D«utirclr anU ^cbcntn>fitst XiQf)t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Ifrit
continued : — So when Solomon the prophet (with whom be peace!)
' The Arabs have no word for million ; so Messer Marco Miglione could not have
learned it from them. On the other hand the Hindus have more quadrillions than
modern Europe.
The City of Brass. 99
lighted down with his host on the island he sent to our King, say-
ing, " Behold, I am come : defend thy life against that which is
fallen upon thee> or else make thy submission to me and confess
my apostleship and give me thy daughter to lawful wife and break
thine idol and worship the one God, the alone Worshipful ; and
testify, thou and thine, and say, There is no God but the God, and
Solomon is the Apostle of Allah !^ This if thou do, thou shalt
have pardon and peace ; but if not, it will avail thee nothing to
fortify thyself in this island, for Allah (extolled and exalted be
He !) hath bidden the Wind obey me ; so I will bid it bear me to
thee on my carpet and make thee a warning and an example
to deter others." But the King made answer to his messenger,
saying, " It may not on any wise be as he requireth of me ; so tell
him I come forth to him." With this reply the messenger returned
to Solomon, who thereupon gathered together all the Jinn that
were under his hand, to the number of a thousand thousand, and
added to them other than they of Marids and Satans from the
islands of the sea and the tops of the. mountains and, drawing
them up on parade, opened his armouries and distributed to them
arms and armour. Then the Prophet drew out his host in battle
array, dividing the beasts into two bodies, one on the right wing
of the men and the other on the left, and bidding them tear the
enemies' horses in sunder. Furthermore, he ordered the birds
which were in the island to hover over their heads and, whenas the
assault should be made, that they should swoop down and tear out
the foe's eyes with their beaks and buffet their faces with their
wings; and they answered, saying, "We hear and v/e obey Allah
and thee, O Prophet of Allah ! " Then Solomon seated himself
on a throne of alabaster, studded with precious stones and plated
with red gold ; and, commanding the wind to bear him aloft, set
his Wazir Asaf bin Barkhiya^ and the kings of mankind on his
right and his Wazir Al-Dimiryat and the kings of the Jinn on his
left, arraying the beasts and vipers and serpents in the van. There-
upon they all set on us together, and we gave them battle two days
over a vast plain ; but, on the third day, disaster befel us, and the
^ This formula, according to Moslems, would begin with the beginning " There is no
ilah but Allah and Adam is the Apostle (rasulrrione sent, a messenger; not nabi =
prophet) of Allah." And so on with Noah^ Moses, David (not Solomon as a rule) and
Jesus to Mohammed.
^ This son of Barachia has been noticed before. The text embroiaers the Koraaic
chapter No. xxvii.
lOO Alf Laylak iva Lay/ah.
judgment of Allah the Most High was executed upon us. Now
the first to charge upon them were I and my troops, and I said to
my companions, "Abide in your places, whilst I sally forth to
them and provoke Al-Dimiryat to combat singular." And behold,
he came forth to the duello as he were a vast mountain, with his
fires flaming and his smoke spireing, and shot at me a falling star
of fire ; but I swerved from it and it missed me. Then I cast at
him in my turn, a flame of fire, and it smote him ; but his shaft ^
overcame my fire and he cried out at me so terrible a cry that
meseemed the skies were fallen flat upon me, and the mountains
trembled at his voice. Then he commanded his hosts to charge ;
accordingly they rushed on us and we rushed on them, each crying
out upon other, and battle reared its crest rising in volumes and
smoke ascending in columns and hearts well nigh cleaving. The
birds and the flying Jinn fought in the air and the beasts and
men and the foot-faring Jann in the dust and I fought with Al-
Dimiryat, till I was aweary and he not less so. At last, I grew
weak and turned to flee from him, whereupon my companions and
tribesmen likewise took to flight and my hosts were put to the rout,
and Solomon cried out, saying, "Take yonder furious tyrant, the
accursed, the infamous !" Then man fell upon man and Jinn upon
Jinn and the armies of the Prophet charged down upon us, with
the wild beasts and lions on their right hand and on their left,
rending our horses and tearing our men ; whilst the birds hovered
over-head in air pecking out our eyes with their claws and beaks
and beating our faces with their wings, and the serpents struck us
with their fangs, till the most of our folk lay prone upon the face
of the earth, like the trunks of date-trees. Thus defeat befcl our
King and we became a spoil unto Solomon. As to me, I fled from
before Al-Dimiryat ; but he followed me three months' journey, till
I fell down for weariness and he overtook me, and pouncing upon
me, made me prisoner. Quoth I, " By the virtue of Him who hath
exalted thee and abased me, spare me and bring me into the
presence of Solomon, on whom be peace ! " So he carried me
before Solomon, who received me after the foulest fashion and
' The Bresl. Edit. (vi. 371) reads " Samm-hu "^ his poison, prob. a clerical error for
" Sahmhu"=his shaft. It was a duel with the " Shihdb" or falling stars, the meteors
which are popularly supposed, I have said, to be the arrows shot by the angels against
devils and evil spirits when they approach too near Heaven in order to overhear divine
secrets.
The City of Brass. lOI
bade bring this pillar and hollow it out. Then he set me herein
and chained me and sealed me with his signet-ring, and Al-
Dimiryat bore me to this place wherein thou seest me. Moreover,
he charged a great angel to guard me, and this pilUar is my prison
until Judgment-day.^ And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Xoto tnben it fcoag ifje Jpibe l^unbretJ antr gbcbentg-seconli ij^x^Ky
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Jinni who was prisoned in the pillar had told them his tale, from
first to last, the folk marvelled at his story and at the frightfulness
of his favour, and the Emir Musa said, " There is no God but
the God ! Soothly was Solomon gifted with a mighty dominion."
Then said the Shaykh Abd al-Samad to the Jinni, " Ho there ! I
would fain ask thee of a thing, whereof do thou inform us." "Ask
what thou wilt," answered the Ifrit Dahish and the Shaykh said,
*' Are there hereabouts any of the Ifrits imprisoned in bottles of
brass from the time of Solomon (on whom be peace !) .-' " " Yes,"
replied the Jinni ; *' there be such in the sea of Al-Karkar^ on the
shores whereof dwell a people of the lineage of Noah (on whom be
peace !) ; for their country was not reached by the Deluge and
they are cut off there from the other sons of Adam." Quoth Abd
al-Samad, "And which is the way to the City of Brass and the
place wherein are the cucurbites of Solomon, and what distance
lieth between us and it "i " Quoth the Ifrit, " It is near at hand,"
and directed them in the way thither. So they left him and fared
forward till there appeared to them afar off a great blackness and
therein two fires facing each other, and the Emir Musa asked the
Shaykh, " What is yonder vast blackness and its twin fires ? "; and
the guide answered, " Rejoice O Emir, for this is the City of Brass,
as it is described in the Book of Hidden Treasures which I have
by me. Its walls are of black stone and it hath two towers of
Andalusian brass,'^ which appear to the beholder in the distance as
they were twin fires, and hence is it named the City of Brass."
Then they fared on without ceasing till they drew near the city
and behold, it was as it were a piece of a mountain or a mass of
' A fancy sea from the Lat. •'Career" (?).
* Andalusian ■=. Spanish, the Vandal-land, a term accepted by the Moslem inVader.
102 Alf Laylah wa Lay la h.
iron cast in a mould and impenetrable for the height of its walls
and bulwarks ; while nothing could be more beautiful than its
buildings and its ordinance. So they dismounted down and
sought for an entrance, but saw none neither found any trace of
opening in the walls, albeit there were five-and-twenty portals to
the city, but none of them was visible from without. Then quoth
the Emir, " O Shaykh, I see to this city no sign of any gate ;" and
quoth he, " O Emir, thus is it described in my Book of Hidden
Treasures ; it hath five-and-twenty portals ; but none thereof may
be opened save from within the city." Asked Musa, " And how
shall we do to enter the city and view its wonders ? " and Talib
son of Sahl, his Wazir, answered, " Allah assain the Emir ! let us
rest here two or three days and, God willing, we will make shift
to come within the walls." Then said Musa to one of his men,
" Mount thy camel and ride round about the city, so haply thou
may light upon a gate or a place somewhat lower than this
fronting us, or Inshallah ! a breach whereby we can enter."
Accordingly he mounted his beast, taking water and victuals with
him, and rode round the city two days and two nights, without
drawing rein to rest, but found the wall thereof as it were one
block, without breach or way of ingress ; and on the third day, he
came again in sight of his companions, dazed and amazed at what
he had seen of the extent and loftiness of the place, and said, " O
Emir, the easiest place of access is this where you have alighted."
Then Musa took Talib and Abd al-Samad and ascended the
highest hill which overlooked the city. When they reached the
top, they beheld beneath them a city, never saw eyes a greater or a
goodlier, with dwelling-places and mansions of towering height,
and palaces and pavilions and domes gleaming gloriously bright
and sconces and bulwarks of strength infinite ; and its streams
were a-flowing and flowers a-blowing and fruits a-glowing. It was
a city with gates impregnable ; but void and still, without a voice
or a cheering inhabitant. The owl hooted in its quarters ; the bird
skimmed circling over its squares and the raven croaked in its
great thoroughfares weeping and bewailing the dwellers who erst
made it their dwelling.' The Emir stood awhile, marvelling and
' This fine description will remind the traveller of the old Haurani towns deserted
since the sixth century, which a silly writer niiscalled the " Giant Cities of Bashan." I
have nevci seen anything weirder than a moonlight night in one of these strong places
whose masonry is perfect as when first built, the snowy light pouring on the jet-black
basalt and the breeze sighing and the jackal wailing in the desert around.
The City of Brass. 103
sorrowing for the desolation of the city and saying, " Glory to Him
whom nor ages nor changes nor times can blight, Him who created
all things of His Might ! " Presently, he chanced to look aside and
caught sight of seven tablets of white marble afar off. So he drew
near them and finding inscriptions graven thereon, called the
Shaykh and bade him read these. Accordingly .he came forward
and, examining the inscriptions, found that they contained matter
of admonition and warning and instances and restraint to those of
understanding. On the first tablet was inscribed, in the ancient
Greek character: " O son of Adam, how heedless art thou of that
which is before thee ! Verily, thy years and months and days
have diverted thee therefrom. Knowest thou not that the cup
of death is filled for thy bane which in a little while to the dregs
thou shalt drain .-* Look to thy doom ere thou enter thy tomb.
Where be the Kings who held dominion over the lands and abased
Allah's servants and built these palaces and had armies under their
commands } By Allah, the Destroyer of delights and the Severer
of societies and the Devastator of dwelling-places came down upon
them and transported them from the spaciousness of their palaces
to the staitness of their burial-places." And at the foot of the
tablet were written the following verses : —
" Where are the Kings earth-peopling, where are they ? o The built and peopled
left they e'er and aye !
They're tombed yet pledged to actions past away o And after death upon them
came decay.
Where are their troops ? They failed to ward and guard ! o Where are the
wealth and hoards in treasuries lay ?
Th' Empyrean's Lord surprised them with one word, o Nor wealth nor refuge
could their doom delay ! "
When the Emir heard this, he cried out and the tears ran down his
cheeks and he exclaimed, " By Allah, from the world abstaining
is the wisest course and the sole assaining ! " And he called for
pen-case and paper and wrote down what was graven on the first
tablet. Then he drew near the second tablet and found these
words graven thereon, " O son of Adam, what hath seduced thee
from the service of the Ancient of Days and made thee forget
that one day thou must defray the debt of death ? Wottest thou
not that it is a transient dwelling wherein for none there is
abiding ; and yet thou takest thought unto the world and cleavest
fast thereto ? Where be the kings who Irak peopled and the four
104 -^^f Laylah wa Lay /ah.
quarters of the globe possessed ? Where be they who abode in
Ispahan and the land of Khorasan ? The voice of the Summoncr
of Death summoned them and they answered him, and the
Herald of Destruction hailed them and they replied, Here are we !
Verily, that which they builded and fortified profited them
Daught ; neither did what they had gathered and provided avail
for their defence." And at the foot of the tablet were graven
the following verses ;—
Where be the men who built and fortified » High places never man
their like espied ?
In fear of Fate they levied troops and hosts, * Availing naught when came
the time and tide,
Where be the Kisr.^s homed in strongest walls ? » As though they ne'er had
been from home they hied !
The Emir Musa wept and exclaimed, " By Allah, we are indeed
created for a grave matter ! " Then he copied the inscription
and passed on to the third tablet, And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Koto toljcn It toas tfje jpibe Itjunljrcti nntj ^cbcnt|i--t!jfrli Ni'gbt,
She said, It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that the Emir
Musa passed on to the third tablet, whereon was written, " O son
of Adam, the things of this world thou lovest and prizcst and the
hest of thy Lord thou spurncst and dcspiscst All the days of
thy life pass by and thou art content thus to aby. Make ready
thy viaticum against the day appointed for thee to sec and prepare
to answer the Lord of every creature that be ! " And at the foot
were written these verses : —
Where is the wi<;Iit who peopled in the past * Iliiid-land and Sind ; and
there the tyrant played ?
Who Zanj ' and Habasli bound beneath liis yoke, * And Nubia curbed and low
its puissance laid.
Look not for news of wliat is in his grave. * Ah, he is far who can thy
vision aid !
The stroke of death fell on him sharp and sure ; » Nor saved him palace, nor
the lands he swayed.
' "Zanj," I have said, is the Arab, form of the Persian "Zang-bar" (= Black-land),
our Zanzibar. Those who woul J know more of the etymology will consult my " Zan-
zibar," etc., chapt. i.
The City of Brass. 105
At this Musa wept with sore weeping and, going on to the fourth
tablet, he read inscribed thereon, " O son of Adam, how long shall
thy Lord bear with thee and thou every day sunken in the sea of
thy folly ? Hath it then been stablished unto thee that some day
thou shalt not die ? O son of Adam, let not the deceits of thy
days and nights and times and hours delude thee with their
delights ; but remember that death lieth ready for thee ambushing,
fain on thy shoulders to spring, nor doth a day pass but he
morneth with thee in the morning and nighteth with thee by
night. Beware, then, of his onslaught and make provision there-
against. As was with me, so it is with thee ; thou wastest thy whole
life and squanderest the joys in which thy days are rife. Hearken,
therefore, to my words and put thy trust in the Lord of Lords ;
for in the world there is no stability ; it is but as a spider's web
to thee." And at the foot of the tablet were written these
couplets : —
Where is the man who did those labours ply * And based and built and
reared these walls on high ?
Where be the castles' lords ? Who therein dwelt * Fared forth and left them
in decay to lie.
All are entombed, in pledge against the day * When every sin shall show
to every eye.
None but the Lord Most High endurance hath, * Whose Might and Majesty
shall never die.
When the Emir read this, he swooned away and presently coming
to himself marvelled exceedingly and wrote it down. Then he
drew near the fifth tablet and behold, thereon was graven, " O
son of Adam, what is it that distracteth thee from obedience of
thy Creator and the Author of thy being, Him who reared thee
whcnas thou wast a little one, and fed thee whenas thou wast
full-grown ? Thou art ungrateful for His bounty, albeit He
watcheth over thee with His favours, letting down the curtain of
His protection over thee. Needs must there be for thee an hour
bitterer than aloes and hotter than live coals. Provide thee, there-
fore, against it ; for who shall sweeten its gall or quench its fires .-*
Bethink thee who forewent thee of peoples and heroes and take
warning by them, ere thou perish." And at the foot of the tablet
were graven these couplets : —
Where be the Earth-kings who from where they 'bode, * Sped and to grave-
yards with their hoardings yode :
I06 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Erst on their mounting-days there hadst beheld » Hosts that concealed the
ground whereon they rode :
How many a king they humbled in their day! * How many a host they
led and laid on load !
But from th'Empyrcan's Lord in haste there came * One word, and joy waxed
grief ere morning glowed.
The Emir marvelled at this and wrote it down ; after which he
passed on to the sixth tablet and behold, was inscribed thereon,
" O son of Adam, think not that safety will endure for ever and
aye, seeing that death is sealed to thy head alway. Where be
thy fatlwrs, where be thy brethren, where thy friends and dear
ones ? They have all gone to the dust of the tombs and presented
themselves before the Glorious, the Forgiving, as if they had never
eaten nor drunken, and they are a pledge for that which they
have earned. So look to thyself, ere thy tomb come upon thee."
And at the foot of the tablet were these couplets : —
Where be the Kings who ruled the Franks of old .-* » Where be the King who
peopled Tingis-wold '?
Their works are written in a book which He, » The One, th' All-father
shall as witness hold.
At this the Emir Musa marvelled and wrote it down, saying,
" There is no god but the God I Indeed, how goodly were these
folk ! " Then he went up to the seventh tablet and behold,
thereon was written, " Glory to Him who fore-ordaineth death to
all He crcatcth, the Living One, who dieth not ! O son of Adam,
let not thy days and their delights delude thee, neither thine hours
and the dcliccs of their time, and know that death to thee comcth
and upon thy shoulder sitteth. Beware, then, of his assault and
make ready for his onslaught. As it was with me, so it is with
thee ; thou wastest the sweet of thy life and the joyance of thine
hours. Give ear, then, to my rede and put thy trust in the Lord
of Lords and know that in the world is no stability, but it is as it
were a spider's web to thee and all that is therein shall die and
cease to be. Where is he who laid the foundation of Amid ^ and
' Arab. " Tanjah " z::Straho Ttyyi? '-leiivation uncertain), Tingitania, Tangiers. But
why the terminal .r ?
* Or Amidah, by the Turks called "Kara (black) Anud " from the colour of tho
stones; and the Arabs " Diyar-bakr " (Diarbckir), a name which ihcy also give to the
whole province — Mesopotamia.
The City of Brass. I07
builded it and builded Farikfn^ and exalted it ? Where be the
peoples of the strong places ? Whenas them they had inhabited,
after their might into the tombs they descended. They have
been carried off by death and we shall in like manner be afflicted
by doom. None abideth save Allah the Most High, for He is
Allah the Forgiving One." The Emir Musa wept and copied all
this, and indeed the world was belittled in his eyes. Then he
descended the hill and rejoined his host, with whom he passed
the rest of the day, casting about for a means of access to the
city. And he said to his Wazir Talib bin Sahl and to the chief
officers about hini, " How shall we contrive to enter this city and
view its marvels ? : haply we shall find therein wherewithal to win
the favour of the Commander of the Faithful." " Allah prolong
the Emir's fortune ! " replied Talib, " let us make a ladder and
mount the wall therewith, so peradventure we may come at the
gate from within." Quoth the Emir, " This is what occurred to
my thought also, and admirable is the advice ! " Then he called
for carpenters and blacksmiths and bade them fashion wood and
build a ladder plated and banded with iron. So they made a
strong ladder and many men wrought at it a whole month. Then
all the company laid hold of it and set it up against the wall,
and it reached the top as truly as if it had been built for it before
that time. The Emir marvelled and said, " The blessing of Allah
be upon you. It seems as though ye had taken the measure of
the mure, so excellent is your work.'* Then said he to his men,
*' Which of you will mount the ladder and walk along the wall
and cast about for a way of descending into the city, so to see
how the case stands and let us know how we may open the
gate "i " Whereupon quoth one of them, " I will go up, O Emir,
and descend and open to you "; and Musa answered, saying,
"Go and the blessing of Allah go with thee!" So the man
mounted the ladder ; but, when he came to the top of the wall,
he stood up and gazed fixedly down into the city, then clapped
his hands and crying out, at the top of his voice. " By Allah, thou
art fair ! " cast himself down into the place, and Musa cried, " By
Allah, he is a dead man ! " But another came up to him and said,
*' O Emir, this was a madman and doubtless his madness got the
better of him and destroyed him. I will go up and open the gate
• Mayyafarikin, an episcopal city in Diyar-bakr : the natives are called Fariki ; hence
the abbreviation in the teJit.
I08 Alf Laylah wa Laylah>
to you, if it be the will of Allah the Most High." "Go up,"
replied Musa, "and Allah be with thee! But beware lest thou
lose thy head, even as did thy comrade." Then the man mounted
the ladder, but no sooner had he reached the top of the wall than
he laughed aloud, saying, " Well done ! well done I "; and rlapping
palms cast himself down into the city and died forthright When
the Emir saw this, he said, " An such be the action of a reason-
able man, what is that of the madman ? If all our men do on
this wise, we shall have none left and shall fail of our errand and
that of the Commander of the Faithful. Get ye ready for the
march : verily we have no concern with this city." But a third
one of the company said, " Haply another may be steadier than
they." So a third mounted the wall and a fourth and a fifth and
all cried out and cast themselves down, even as did the first ; nor
did they leave to do thus, till a dozen had perished in like
fashion. Then the Shaykh Abd al-Samad came forward and
heartened himself and said, " This affair is reserved to none other
than myself ; for the experienced is not like the inexperienced."
Quoth the Emir, " Indeed thou shalt not do that nor will I have
thee go up : an thou perish, we shall all be cut off to the last man
since thou art our guide." But he answered, saying, " Peradven-
ture, that which we seek may be accomplished at my hands, by
the grace of God Most High ! " So the folk all agreed to let him
mount the ladder, and he arose and heartening himself, said, " In
the name of Allah, the Compassionating, the Compassionate ! **
and mounted the ladder, calling on the name of the Lord and
reciting the Verses of Safety.* When he reached the top of the
wall, he clapped his hands and gazed fixedly down into the city ;
whereupon the folk below cried out to him with one accord, saying,
** O Shaykh Abd al-Samad, for the Lord's sake, cast not thyself
down ! "; and they added, " Verily we arc Allah's and unto Him
we are returning ! If the Shaykh fall, we are dead men one and
all." Then he laughed beyond all measure and sat a long hour,
reciting the names of Allah Almighty and repeating the Verses
of Safety ; then he rose and cried out at the top of his voice,
saying, " O Emir, have no fear ; no hurt shall betide you, for
' Arab. " Ayat al-Najdt," certain Koranic verses which act as talismans, such as,
"And wherefore should we not put our trust in Allah?" (xiv. 15); "Say thou,
* Naught shall bcfal us save what Allah hath decreed for us.'" (ix. 51), and sundry
others.
The City of Brass. rop
Allah (to whom belong Might and Majesty !) hath averted from
me the wiles and malice of Satan, by the blessing of the words,
' In the name of Allah the Compassionating the Compassionate !' "
Asked Musa, " What didst thou see, O Shaykh ? "; and Abd al-
Samad answered, " I saw ten maidens, as they were Houris of
Heaven calling to me with their hands " And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Koto fottn It teas tftc Jpibe l^unUtetf anlr ^ebcntg^fourif) Htgfjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Shaykh Abd al-Samad answered, " I saw ten maidens like Houris
of Heaven,^ and they calling and signing^ : — Come hither to us ;
and meseemed there was below me a lake of water. So I thought
to throw myself down, when behold, I espied my twelve com-
panions lying dead ; so I restrained myself and recited somewhat
of Allah's Book, whereupon He dispelled from me the damsels'
witchlike wiles and malicious guiles and they disappeared. And
doubtless this was an enchantment devised by the people of the
city, to repel any who should seek to gaze upon or to enter the
place. And it hath succeeded in slaying our companions." Then
he walked on along the wall, till he came to the two towers of
brass aforesaid and saw therein two gates of gold, without pad-
locks or visible means of opening. Hereat he paused as long as
Allah pleased^ and gazed about him awhile, till he espied in the
middle of one of the gates, a horseman of brass with hand out-
stretched as if pointing, and in his palm was somewhat written.
So he went up to it and read these words, " O thou who
comest to this place, an thou Wouldst enter turn the pin in
my navel twelve times and the gate will open. Accordingly,
he examined the horseman and finding in his navel a pin
of gold, firm-set and fast fixed, he turned it twelve times,
whereupon the horseman revolved like the blinding lightning
* These were the " Brides of the Treasure," alluded to in the story of Hasan of
Bassorah and elsewhere.
^ Arab. " Isharah," which may also mean beckoning. Easterns reverse our process :
we wave hand or finger towards ourselves ; they towards the object ; and our fashion
represents to them, Go away !
^ i.e. musing a long time and a longsome.
no Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
and the gate swung open with a noise like thunder. He entered
and found himself in a long passage,' which brought him down
some steps into a guard-room furnished with goodly wooden
benches, whereon sat men dead, over whose heads hung fine
shields and keen blades and bent bows and shafts ready notched
Thence, he came to the main gate of the city ; and, finding it
secured with iron bars and curiously wrought locks and bolts
and chains and other fastenings of wood and metal, said to
himself, " Belike the keys are with yonder dead folk." So he
turned back to the guard-room and seeing amongst the dead
an old man seated upon a high wooden bench, who seemed the
chiefcst of them, said in his mind, " Who knows but they are
with this Shaykh } Doubtless he was the warder of the city,
and these others were under his hand." So he went up to him
and lifting his gown, behold, the keys were hanging to his girdle ;
whereat he joyed with exceeding joy and was like to fly for
gladness. Then he took them and going up to the portal, undid
the padlocks and drew back the bolts and bars, whereupon the
great leaves flew open with a crash like the pealing thunder by
reason of its greatness and terriblcness. At this he cried out,
saying, " AUaho Akbar — God is most great ! " And the folk with-
out answered him with the same words, rejoicing and thanking
him for his deed. The Emir Musa also was delighted at the
Shaykh's safety and the opening of the city-gate, and the troops
all pressed forward to enter ; but Musa cried out to them, saying,
" O folk, if we all go in at once we shall not be safe from some
ill-chance which may betide us. Let half enter and other half tarry
without." So he pushed forwards with half his men, bearing their
weapons of war, and finding their comrades lying dead, they
buried them ; and they saw the doorkeepers and eunuchs and
chamberlains and officers reclining on couches of silk and all
were corpses. Then they fared on till they came to the chief
market-place, full of lofty buildings whereof none overpassed the
others, and found all its shops open, with the scales hung out
and the brazen vessels ordered and the caravanserais full of all
'Arab. " Dihliz " from the Persian. This is tlic long dark p.iSNngc which le.ids to
the inner or main gate of an Eastern city, and which is built up l)cforc a siege. It is
usually furnished with MastaLah-benches of wooil and maionry, and forms a favourite
lounge in hot weather. Hence Lot and Mcses sat and stood in -the gate, and hcic man
speaks with his enemies.
p^i^^
The. City of Brass, ill
manner' goods ; and they beheld the merchants sitting on the
shop-boards dead, with shrivelled skin and rotted bones, a warn-
ing to those who can take warning ; and here they saw four
separate markets all replete with wealth. Then they left the
great bazar and went on till they came to the ■ silk market,
where they found silks and brocades, orfrayed with red gold
and diapered with white silver upon all manner of colours, and
the owners lying dead upon mats of scented goats' leather, and
looking as if they would speak ; after which they traversed the
market-street of pearls and rubies and other jewels and came to
that of the schrofifs and money-changers, whom they saw sitting
dead upon carpets of raw silk and dyed stuffs in shops full of
gold and silver. Thence they passed to the perfumers' bazar
where they found the shops filled with drugs of all kinds and
bladders of musk and ambergris and Nadd-scent and camphor
and other perfumes, in vessels of ivory and ebony and Khalanj-
wood and Andalusian copper, the which is equal in value to
gold ; and various kinds of rattan and Indian cane ; but the
shopkeepers all lay dead nor was there with them aught of
food. And hard by this drug-market they came upon a palace,
imposingly edified and magnificently decorated ; so they entered
and found therein banners displayed and drawn sword-blades
and strung bows and bucklers hanging by chains of gold and
silver and helmets gilded with red gold. In the vestibules stood
benches of ivory, plated with glittering gold and covered with
silken stuffs, whereon lay men, whose skin had dried up on their
bones ; the fool had deemed them sleeping ; but, for lack of food,
they had perished and tasted the cup of death.. Now when the
Emir Musa saw this, he stood still, glorifying Allah the Most
High and hallowing Him and contemplating the beauty of the
palace and the massiveness of its masonry and fair perfection of
its ordinance, for it was builded after the goodliest and stablest
fashion and the most part of its adornment was of green ^ lapis-
* The names of colours are as loosely used by the Arabs as by the Classics of Europe ;
for instance, a light grey is called a " blue or a green horse." Much nonsense has been
written upon the colours in Homer by men who imagine that the semi-civilised determine
tints as we do. They see them but they do not name them, having no occasion for the
words. As I have noticed, however, the Arabs have a complete terminology for the
varieties of horse-hues. In our day we have witnessed the birth of colours, oamed by
the dozen, because required by women's dress-
112 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
lazuli ; and on the inner door, which stood open, were written in
characters of gold and ultramarine, these couplets : —
Consider thou, O man, what these places to thee showed o And be upon thy
guard ere thou travel the same road :
And prepare thee good provision some day may serve thy turn o For each
dweller in the house needs must yede wi' those who yode
Consider how this people their palaces adorned o And in dust have been
pledged for the seed of acts they sowed :
They built but their building availed them not, and hoards o Nor saved their
lives nor day of Destiny forslowed :
How often did they hope for what things were undecreed. o And passed unto
their tombs before Hope the bounty showed :
And from high and awful state all a-sudden they were sent o To the straiiness
of the grave and oh ! base is their abode :
Then came to them a Crier after burial and cried, o What booted thrones or
crowns or the gold to you bestowed :
Where now are gone the faces hid by curtain and by veil, o Whose charms
were told in proverbs, those beauties k-la-mode ?
The tombs aloud reply to the questioners and cry, o " Death's canker and
decay those rosy cheeks corrode ! "
Long time they ate and drank, but their joyaunce had a term ; o And the eater
eke was eaten, and was eaten by the worm.
When the Emir read this, he wept, till he was like to swoon away,
' And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
Koto fcof)cn tt tnas X\z Jpibe |i^untJrcK anb 5t>cbentB=fift!) Kigfif,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Emir
wept till he was like to swoon away, and bade write down the
verses, after which he passed on into the inner palace and came to
a vast hall, at each of whose four corners stood a pavilion lofty
and spacious, washed with gold and silver and painted in various
colours. In the heart of the hall was a great jctting-fountain of
alabaster, surmounted by a canopy of brocade, and in each pavilion
was a sitting-place and each place had its richly-wrought fountain
and tank paved with marble and streams flowing in channels along
the floor and meeting in a great and grand cistern of many-coloured
marbles. Quoth the Emir to the Shaykh Abd al-Samad, " Come,
let us visit yonder pavilion ! " So they entered the first and found
it full of gold and silver and pearls and jacinths and other precious
The City of Brass. 113
stones and metals, besides chests filled with brocades, red and yellow
and white. Then they repaired to the second pavilion, and, opening
a closet there, found it full of arms and armour, such as gilded
helmets and Davidean^ hauberks and Hindi swords and Arabian
spears and Chorasmian ^ maces and other gear of fight and fray.
Thence they passed to the third pavilion, wherein they saw closets
padlocked and covered with curtains wrought with all manner of
embroidery. They opened one of these and found it full of
weapons curiously adorned with open work and with gold and
silver damascene and jewels. Then they entered the fourth pavi-
lion, and opening one of the closets there, beheld in it great store
of eating and drinking vessels of gold and silver, with platters of
crystal and goblets set with fine pearls and cups of carnelian and
so forth. So they all fell to taking that which suited their tastes
and each of the soldiers carried off what he could. When they
left the pavilions, they saw in the midst of the palace a door of
teak-wood marquetried with ivory and ebony and plated with glit-
tering gold, over which hung a silken curtain purfled with all
maner of embroideries ; and on this door were locks of white silver,
that opened by artifice without a key. The Shaykh Abd al-Samad
went valiantly up thereto and by the aid of his knowledge and
skill opened the locks, whereupon the door admitted them into a
corridor paved with marble and hung with veil-like ^ tapestries em-
broidered with figures of all manner beasts and birds, whose bodies
were of red gold and white silver and their eyes of pearls and
rubies, amazing all who looked upon them. Passing onwards they
came to a saloon builded all of polished marble, inlaid with jewels,
which seemed to the beholder as though the floor were flowing
water'* and whoso walked thereon slipped. The Emir bade the
Shaykh strew somewhat upon it, that they might walk over it ;
which being done, they made shift to fare forwards till they came
* For David's miracles of metallurgy see vol. i. 286.
* Arab. " Khwarazm," the land of the Chorasmioi, who are mentioned by Herodotus
(iii. 93) and a host of classical geographers. They place it in Sogdiana (hod. Sughd)
and it corresponds with the Khiva country.
^ Arab. " Eurka'," usually applied to a woman's face- veil and hence to the covering
of the Ka'abah, which is the " Bride of Meccah."
* Alluding to the trick played upon Bilkis by Solomon who had heard that her legs
were hairy like those of an ass : he laid down a pavement of glass over flowing water in
which fish were swimming and thus she raised her skirts as she approached him and he
saw that the report was true. Hence, as I have said, the depilatory (Koran xxvii.).
VOL. VI. H
114 A i/ Lay la k wa Laylah.
to a great domed pavilion of stone, gilded with red gold and
crowned with a cupola of alabaster, about which were set lattice-
windows carved and jewelled with rods of emerald,' beyond the
competence of any King. Under this dome was a canopy of bro-
cade, reposing upon pillars of red gold and wrought with figures of
birds whose feet were of smaragd, and beneath each bird was a
network of fresh-hued pearls. The canopy was spread above a
jetting fountain of ivory and carnelian, plated with glittering gold
and thereby stood a couch set with pearls and rubies and other
jewels and beside the couch a pillar of gold. On the capital of the
column stood a bird fashioned of red rubies and holding in his
bill a pearl which shone like a star ; and on the couch lay a damsel,
as she were the lucident sun, eyes never saw a fairer. She wore a
tight-fitting body-robe of fine pearls, with a crown of red gold on
her head, filleted with gems, and on her forehead were two great
jewels, whose light was as the light of the sun. On her breast she
wore a jewelled amulet, filled with musk and ambergris and worth
the empire of the Caesars ; and around her neck hung a collar of
rubies and great pearls, hollowed and filled with odoriferous musk.
And it seemed as if she gazed on them to the right and to the
left. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
flofo fcafjcn it tuas tbc jfibc ?Dunt)rcti nnli ^cbcntp-sixti) i^ligbt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel
seemed to be gazing at the folk to the right and to the left. The
Emir Musa marvelled at her exceeding beauty and was confounded
at the blackness of her hair and the redness of her checks, which
made the beholder deem her alive and not dead, and said to her,
" Peace be with thee, O damsel ! " But Talib ibn Sahl said to
him, " Allah preserve thee, O Emir, verily this damsel is dead and
there is no life in her ; so how shall she return thy salam .-* " ;
adding, "Indeed, she is but a corpse embalmed with exceeding
art; her eyes were taken out after her death and quicksilver set
under them, after which they were restored to their sockets.
Wherefore they glisten and when the air moveth the lashes, she
' I untlcrstand the curiously carved windows cut in arabesque-work of marble (India)
or basalt (ihe Hauran) and provided with small panes of glass set in emeralds where tia»
foil would be used by the vulgar.
The City of Brass. 1 1 5
seemeth to wink and it appeareth to the beholder as though she
looked at him, for all she is dead." At this the Emir marvelled
beyond measure and said, "Glory be to God who subjugateth
His creatures to the dominion of Death ! " Now the couch on
which the damsel lay, had steps, and thereon stood two statues
of Andalusian copper representing slaves, one white and the
other black. The first held a mace of steel ' and the second a
sword of watered steel which dazzled the eye ; and between
them, on one of the steps of the couch, lay a golden tablet,
whereon were written, in characters of white silver, the follow-
ing words : " In the name of God, the Compassionating, the Com-
passionate ! Praise be to Allah, the Creator of mankind ; and
He is the Lord of Lords, the Causer of Causes ! In the name of
Allah, the Never-beginning, the Everlasting, the Ordainer of Fate
and Fortune ! O son of Adam ! what hath befooled thee in this
long esperance? What hath unminded thee of the Death-day's
mischance ? Knowest thou not that Death calleth for thee and
hasteneth to seize upon the soul of thee ? Be ready, therefore, for
the way and provide thee for thy departure from the world ; for,
assuredly, thou shalt leave it without delay. Where is Adam, first
of humanity ? Where is Noah with his progeny .' Where be the
Kings of Hind and Irak-plain and they who over earth's widest
regions reign ? Where do the Amalekites abide and the giants and
tyrants of olden tide ? Indeed, the dwelling-places are void of
them and they have departed from kindred and home. Where be
the Kings of Arab and Ajem ? They are dead, all of them, and
gone and are become rotten bones. Where be the lords so high
in stead ? They are all done dead. Where are Kora and Haman }
Where is Shaddad son of Ad ? Where be Canaan and Zu'l-
Autad,2 Lord of the Stakes ? By Allah, the Reaper of lives hath
' Arab. "Bulad" from the Pers. "Pulad." Hence the name of the famous Druzc
family "Jumblat,"a corruption of "Jan-pulad" = Life o' Steel.
^ Pharaoh, so called in Koran (xxxviii. ii) because he tortured men by fastening them
to four stakes driven into the ground. Sale translates "the contriver of the stakes"
and adds, " Some understand the word figuratively, of the firm establishment of Pha-
raoh's kingdom, because the Arabs fix their tents with stakes ; but they may possibly
intend that prince's obstinacy and hardness of heart." I may note that in " Tasawwuf,"
or Moslem Gnosticism, Pharaoh represents, like Prometheus and Job, the typical creature
who upholds his own dignity and rights in presence and despight of the Creator. Sahib
the Siifi declares that the secret of man's soul {j.e. its emanation) was first revealed when
Pharaoh declared himself god ; and Al-Ghazali sees in his claim the most noble aspira-
tion to the divine, innate in the human spirit (Dabistan, voL iii.).
1 16 Alf Lay! ah wa Laylah.
reaped them and made void the lands of them. Did they provide
them against the Day of Resurrection or make ready to answer
the Lord of men ? O thou, if thou know me not, I will acquaint
thee with my name : I am Tadmurah,* daughter of the Kings of
the Amalekitcs, of those who held dominion over the lands in
equity and brought low the necks of humanity. I possessed that
which never King possessed and was righteous in my rule and
did justice among my lieges; yea, I gave gifts and largesse and
freed bondsmen and bondswomen. Thus lived I many years in
all ease and delight of life, till Death knocked at my door and to
me and to my folk befel calamities galore ; and it was on this
wise. There betided us seven successive years of drought, wherein
no drop of rain fell on us from the skies and no green thing
sprouted for us on the face of earth.^ So we ate what was with us
of victual, then we fell upon the cattle and devoured them, until
nothing was left. Thereupon I let bring my treasures and meted
them with measures and sent out trusty men to buy food. They
circuited all the lands in quest thereof and left no city unsought,
but found it not to be bought and returned to us with the treasure
after a long absence ; and gave us to know that they could not
succeed in bartering fine pearls for poor wheat, bushel for bushel,
weight for weight. So, when we despaired of succour, we dis-
played all our riches and things of price and, shutting the gates
of the city and its strong places, resigned ourselves to the deme
of our Lord and committed our case to our King. Then we all
died,^ as thou seest us, and left what we had buildcd and all we
had hoarded. This, then, is our story, and after the substance
naught abideth but the trace." Then they looked at the foot of
the tablet and read these couplets : —
0 child of Adam, let not hope make mock and flyte at thee, o From all thy
hands have treasured, removi^d thou shalt be ;
1 see thou covctest the world and fleeting worldly charms, o And races past
and gone have done the same as thou I sec.
Lawful and lawless wealth they got ; but all their hoarded store, o Their term
accomplished, naught delayed of Destiny's decree.
' In the Calc. Edit. "Tnrmuz, son of i\c dau;;l!ter," etc. According to the Arabs,
Tadmur (P.ilmyra) was bu'lt Ijy Queen Tadnnurdi. daughter of Hassan bin Uzaynah.
' It is only by some such dreUj;l:t that I can account for the survival of those mar-
vellous Ha'.irani cities in the great valley S. E. of Damascus.
' So Moses described his own death and burial.
The City of Brass. '"■' 1 1 7
Armies they led and puissant men and gained them gold galore ; Then left
their wealth and palaces by Fate compelled to flee,
To straitness of the grave-yard and humble bed of dust o Whence, pledged for
every word and deed, they never more win free :
As a company of travellers had unloaded in the night o At house that lacketh
food nor is o'erfain of company :
Whose owner saith, 'O folk, there be no lodging here for you ;' o So packed
they who had erst unpacked and far^d hurriedly :
Misliking much the march, nor the journey nor the halt o Had aught of
pleasant chances or had aught of goodly gree.
Then prepare thou good provision for to-morrow's journey stored, o Naught
but righteous honest life shall avail thee with the Lord !
And the Emfr Musa wept as he read, " By Allah, the fear of the
Lord is the best of all property, the pillar of certainty and the
sole sure stay. Verily, Death is the truth manifest and the sure
behest, and therein, O thou, is the goal and return-place evident.
Take warning, therefore, by those who to the dust did wend and
hastened on the way of the predestined end. Seest thou not that
hoary hairs summon thee to the tomb and that the whiteness of
thy locks maketh moan of thy doom ? Wherefore be thou on
the wake ready for thy departure and thine account to make. O
son of Adam, what hath hardened thy heart in mode abhorred ?
What hath seduced thee from the service of thy Lord .-' Where
be the peoples of old time? They are a warning to whoso will
be warned ! Where be the Kings of Al-Si'n and the lords of
majestic mien .-* Where is Shaddad bin Ad and whatso he built
and he stablished ? Where is Nimrod who revolted against
Allah and defied Him ? "Where is Pharaoh who rebelled against
God and denied Him ? Death followed hard upon the trail of
them all, and laid them low sparing neither great nor small, male
nor female ; and the Reaper of Mankind cut them off, yea, by
Him who maketh night to return upon day! Know, O thou who
comest to this place, that she whom thou seest here was not
deluded by the world and its frail delights, for it is faithless,
perfidious, a house of ruin, vain and treacherous ; and salutary
to the creature is the remembrance of his sins ; wherefore she
feared her Lord and made fair her dealings and provided herself
with provaunt against the appointed marching-day. Whoso
cometh to our city and Allah vouchsafeth him competence to
enter it, let him take of the treasure all he can, but touch not
Il8 Alf Laylah zua Laylah.
aught that Is on my body, for it is the covering of my shame '
and the outfit for the last journey ; wherefore let him fear Allah
and despoil naught thereof; else will he destroy his own self.
This have I set forth to him for a warning from me and a solemn
trust to be ; wherewith, peace be with ye and I pray Allah to
keep you from sickness and calamity." And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
tKTolu fof)cn it foas tf)e Jpibe ^'JuntjrttJ ani) ^cbcntB^stbcntf) Nifiljt,
She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Emir Musa read this, he wept with exceeding weeping till he
swooned away and presently coming to himself, wrote down all
he had seen and was admonished by all he had witnessed. Then
he said to his men, " Fetch the camels and load them with these
treasures and vases and jewels." "O Emir," asked Talib, "shall
we leave our damsel with what is upon her, things which have no
equal and whose like is not to be found and more perfect than
aught else thou takcst ; nor couldst thou find a goodlier offering
wherewithal to propitiate the favour of the Commander of the
Faithful ? " But Musa answered, " O man, hcardest thou not
what the Lady saith on this tablet? "More by token that she
giveth it in trust to us who are no traitors." "And shall wc,"
rejoined the Wazir Talib, " because of these words, leave all these
riches and jewels, seeing that she is dead ? What should she do
with these that are the adornments of the world and the orna-
ment of the worldling, seeing that one garment of cotton would
suffice for her covering ? We have more right to them than she."
So saying he mounted the steps of the couch between the pillars,
but when he came within reach of the two slaves, lo ! the macc-
bearcr smote him on the back and the other struck him with the
sword he held in his hand and lopped off his head, and he dropped
down dead. Quoth the Emir, " Allah have no mercy on thy
resting-place ! Indeed there was enough in these treasures ; and
greed of gain assuredly dcgradcth a man." Then he bade admit
' A man's " aurat " (sham.e) cxtco'ls from the navel (included) to his knees ; a
woman's from the top of the head to the tips of her toes. I have before noticed the
Hindostanl application of the word.
The City of Brass. 1 19
the troops ; so they entered and loaded the camels with those
treasures and precious ores ; after which they went forth and the
Emir commanded them to shut the gate as before. They fared
on along the sea-shore a whole month, till they came in sight
of a high mountain overlooking the sea and full of caves, wherein
dwelt a tribe of blacks, clad in hides, with burnooses also of hide
and speaking an unknown tongue. When they saw the troops they
were startled like shying steeds and fled into the caverns, whilst
their women and children stood at the cave-doors, looking on the
strangers. "O Shaykh Abd al-Samad," asked the Emir, "what
are these folk t " and he answered, " They are those whom we seek
for the Commander of the Faithful." So they dismounted and
setting down their loads, pitched their tents ; whereupon, almost
before they had done, down came the King of the blacks from the
mountain and drew near the camp. Now he understood the
Arabic tongue ; so, when he came to the Emir he saluted him with
the salam and Musa returned his greeting and entreated him with
honour. Then quoth he to the Emir, "Are ye men or Jinn?"
" Well, we are men," quoth Musa ; " but doubtless ye are Jinn, to
judge by your dwelling apart in this mountain which is cut off
from mankind, and by your inordinate bulk." *' Nay," rejoined
the black ; " we also are children of Adam, of the lineage of Ham,
son of Noah (with whom be peace !), and this sea is known as
Al-Karkar." Asked Musa, " O King, what is your religion and
what worship ye ? " ; and he answered, saying, " We worship the
God of the heavens and our religion is that of Mohammed, whom
Allah bless and preserve ! " " And how came ye by the knowledge
of this," questioned the Emir, "seeing that no prophet was inspired
to visit this country ?" " Know, Emir," replied the King, " that
there appeared to us wliilere from out the sea a man, from whom
issued a light that illumined the horizons and he cried out, in a
voice which was heard of men far and near, saying : — O children of
Ham, reverence to Him who seeth and is not seen and say ye.
There is no god but i/ie God, and Mohammed is the messenger of
God ! And he added : — I am Abu al-Abbds al-Khizr. Before
this we were wont to worship one another, but he summoned us to
the service of the Lord of all creatures ; and he taught us to repeat
these words. There is no god save tke God alone, who hath for
partner none, and His is the kingdom and His is the praise. He
giveth life and death and He over all things is Almighty.. Nor
I20 A If Laylah tt/a Laylah.
do we draw near unto Allah (be He exalted and extolled !) except
with these words, for we know none other ; but every eve before
Friday! we see a light upon the face of earth and we hear a voice
saying, Holy and glorious, Lord of the Angels and the Spirit !
What He willeth is, and what He willeth not, is not. Every boon
is of His grace and there is neither Majesty nor is there Might
save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great ! " But ye," quoth the
King, "who and what are ye and what bringeth you to this land ?"
Quoth Musa, " We are officers of the Soverign of Al-Islam, the
Commander of the Faithful, Abd al-Malik bin Marwan, who hath
heard tell of the lord Solomon, son of David (on whom be peace !)
and of that which the Mbst High bestowed upon him of supreme
dominion ; how he held sway over Jinn and beast and bird and
was wont when he was wroth with one of the Marids, to shut him
in a cucurbite of brass and, stopping its mouth on him with lead,
whereon he impressed his seal-ring, to cast him into the sea of
Al-Karkar. Now we have heard tell that this sea is nigh your
land ; so the Commander of the Faithful hath sent us hither, to
bring him some of these cucurbites, that he may look thereon and
solace himself with their sight. Such, then, is our case and what
we seek of thee, O King, and we desire that thou further us in the
accomplishment of our errand commanded by the Commander of
the Faithful." "With love and gladness," replied the black King,
and carrying them to the guest-house, entreated them with the
utmost honour and furnished them with all they needed, feeding
them upon fish. They abode thus three days, when he bade his
divers fetch from out the sea some of the vessels of Solomon. So
they dived and brought up twelve cucurbites, whereat the Emir
and the Shaykh and all the company rejoiced in the accomplish-
ment of the Caliph's need. Then Musa gave the King of the
blacks many and great gifts ; and he, in turn, made him a present
' Arab. "Jum'.-ih" ( = the .isscmMy) so called hecause the General Resurrection will
take place on that day and it witnessed the creation of Adam. Both these reasons are
evidently after-thoughts ; as the Jews received a divine order to keep Saturday, and the
Christians, at their own sweet will, transferred the weekly rest-day to Sunday, wherefore
the Moslem preferred Friday. Sabbatarianism, however, is unknown to Al- Islam and
business is interrupted, by Koranic order (Ixii. 9-10), only during congregational prayers
in the Mosque. The most a Mohammedan does is not to work or travel till after public
service. But the Moslem hardly wants a " day of rest ; " whereas a Christian, especially
in the desperately dull routine of daily life and toil, without a gleam of light to break the
darl<ncss of his civilised and most unhappy existence, distinctly requires it.
The City of Brass. 1 2 1
of the wonders of the deep, being fishes in human form,' saying
" Your entertainment these three days hath been of the meat
of these fish." Quoth the Emir, " Needs must we carry some of
these to the Caliph, for the sight of them will please him more
than the cucurbites of Solomon." Then they took leave of the
black King and, setting out on their homeward journey, travelled
till they came to Damascus, where Musa went in to the Com-
mander of the Faithful and told him all that he had sighted and
heard of verses and legends and instances, together with the
manner of the death of Talib bin Sahl ; and the Caliph said,
" Would I had been with you, that I might have seen what you
saw ! " Then he took the brazen vessels and opened them, cucur-
bite after cucurbite, whereupon the devils came forth of them,
saying, " We repent, O Prophet of Allah !. Never again will we
return to the like of this thing ; no never ! " And the Caliph
marvelled at this. As for the daughters of the deep presented to
them by the black King, they made them cisterns of planks, full of
water, and laid them therein; but they died of the great heat.
Then the Caliph sent for the spoils of the Brazen City and divided
them among the Faithful, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
jBoto toj^cn it toas tf)e §M l^untreti anti ^cbfntg-figfjtK) iEi'stlt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Caliph
marvelled much at the cucurbites and their contents ; then he sent
for the spoils and divided them among the Faithful, saying,
" Never gave Allah unto any the like of that which he bestowed
upon Solomon David-son ! " Thereupon the Emir Musa sought
leave of him to appoint his son Governor of the Province in his
stead, that he might betake himself to the Holy City of Jerusalem,
there to worship Allah. So the Commander of the Faithful
invested his son Harun with the government and Musa repaired
to the Glorious and Holy City, where he died. This, then, is all
that hath come down to us of the story of the City of Brass, and
' Mankind, which sees itself everywhere and in everything, must create its own
analogues in all the elements, air (Sylphs), fire (Jinns), water (Mermen and Mermaids)
and earth (Kobolds). These merwomen were of course seals or manatees, as the wild
women of Hanno were gorillas.
141 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
God Is All-knowing ! Now (continued Shahrazad) I have
another tale to tell anent the
CRAFT AND MALICE OF WOMEN,' OR THE TALE OF
THE KING, HIS SON, HIS CONCUBINE
AND THE SEVEN WAZIRS.
There was, in days of yore and in ages and times long gone
before, a puissant King among the Kings of China, the crown of
crowned heads, who ruled over many men of war and vassals with
wisdom and justice, might and majesty ; equitable to his Ryots,
liberal to his lieges and dearly beloved by the hearts of his sub-
jects. He was wealthy as he was powerful, but he had grown
old without being blessed with a son, and this caused him sore
affliction. He could only brood over the cutting off of his seed
and the oblivion that would bury his name and the passing of
his realm into the stranger's hands. So he secluded himself
in his palace, never going in and out or rising and taking rest
till the lieges lost all tidings of him and were sore perplexed
and began to talk about their King. Some said, " He's dead";
others said, " No, he's not"; but all resolved to find a ruler who
could reign over them and carry out the customs of government.
At last, utterly despairing of male issue, he sought the intercession
of the Prophet (whom Allah bless and keep !) with the Most
High and implored Him, by the glory of His Prophets and
Saints and Martyrs and others of the Faithful who were accept-
able to Heaven that he would grant him a son, to be the coolth
of his eyes and heir to the kingdom after him. Then he rose
forthright and, withdrawing to his sitting-saloon, sent for his wife
' Here be^jins the Sindibad-namah, the origin of Dolopathos (thirteenth century by the
Trouv^rc Harbers) ; of the "Seven Sages" (John Holland in 1575) ; the " Seven Wise
Masters " and a host of minor romances. The Persian Sindibad-Xamah assumed its
present shape in A.D. 1375 : Piofessor Falconer printed an abstract of it in the Orient.
Journ. (xxxv. and xxxvi. 1841), and Mr. W. A. Cloiiston reissued the " Book ■ '
Sindibad," with useful notes in 1SS4. An abstract of the Persian work is found in a..
edits, of The Nights ; but ihcy differ greatly, especially that in the Bresl. Edit. xii. pp.
237-377, from which I Ijorrow the introduction. According to Hanizah Isfahan! (ch. xli.)
the Reguli who succeeded to Alexander the Great and preceded Sapor caused some
seventy books to be composed, amongst which were the Liber .Maruc, Liber Barsinas,
Liber Sindibad, Liber Sliimas, etc, etc., etc.
The Craft and Malice of Women. 123
who was the daughter of his uncle. Now this Queen was of sur-
passing beauty and loveliness, the fairest of all his wives and the
dearest to him as she was the nearest : and to boot a woman
of excellent wit and passing judgement. She found the King
dejected and sorrowful, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted ; so she
kissed ground between his hands and said, " O King, may my life
ransom thy life ! may Time never prove thy foe, nor the shifts of
Fortune prevail over thee ; may Allah grant thee every joy and
ward off from thee all annoy ! How is it I see thee brooding over
thy case and tormented by the displeasures of memory ?" He
replied, " Thou wottest well that I am a man now shotten in years,
who hath never been blessed with a son, a sight to cool his eyes ;
so I know that my kingdom shall pass away to the stranger in
blood and my name and memory will be blotted out amongst
men. 'Tis this causeth me to grieve with excessive grief" "Allah
do away with thy sorrows," quoth she : " long ere this day a
thought struck me ; and yearning for issue arose in my heart
even as in thine. One night I dreamed a dream and a voice
said to me: — The King thy husband pineth for progeny: if a
daughter be vouchsafed to him, she will be the ruin of his
realm ; if a son, the youth will undergo much trouble and
annoy but he will pass through it without loss of life. Such a
son can be conceived by thee and thee only and the time of
thy conception is when the moon conjoineth with Gemini ! I
woke from my dream, but after what I heard that voice declare
I refrained from breeding and would not consent to bear chil-
dren."'"There is no help for it but that I have a son, Inshallah,
— God willing!" cried the King. Thereupon she soothed and
consoled him till he forgot his sorrows and went forth amongst
the lieges and sat, as of wont, upon his throne of estate. All
rejoiced to see him once more and especially the Lords of his
realm. Now when the conjunction of the moon and Gemini took
place, the King knew his wife carnally and, by order of Allah
Almighty she became pregnant. Presently she- announced the
glad tidings to her husband and led her usual hfe until her nine
months of pregnancy were completed and she bare a male child
whose face was as the rondure of the moon on its fourteenth
night The lieges of the realm congratulated one another there-
anent and the King commanded an assembly of his Olema and
philosophers, astrologers and horoscopists, whom he thus ad-
dressed, " I desire you to forecast the fortune of my son and
124 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
to determine his ascendant ' and whatever is shown by his
nativity." They replied " 'Tis well, in Allah's name, let us do
so I" and cast his nativity with all diligence. After ascertaining
his ascendant, they pronounced judgement in these words, " We
sec his lot favourable and his life viable and durable ; save that
a danger awaiteth his youth." The father was sorely concerned
at this saying, when they added " But, O King, he shall escape
from it nor shall aught of injury accrue to him !" Hereupon the
King cast aside all cark and care and robed the wizards and
dismissed them with splendid honoraria ; and he resigned himself
to the will of Heaven and acknowledged that the decrees of
Destiny may not be countervailed. He committed his boy to
wet nurses and dry nurses, handmaids and eunuchs, leaving
him to grow and fill out in the Harim till he reached the
age of seven. Then he addressed letters to his Viceroys and
Governors in every clime and by their means gathered together
Olema and philosophers and doctors of law and religion, from
all countries, to a number of three hundred and three score. He
held an especial assembly for them and, when all were in presence,
he bade them draw near him and be at their ease while he sent for
the food-trays and all ate their sufficiency. And when the banquet
ended and the wizards had taken seats in their several degrees^
the King asked them, "Wot ye wherefore I have gathered ye to-
gether?" ; whereto all answered, " Wc wot not, O King !" He con-
tinued, " It is my wish that you select from amongst you fifty men,
and from these fifty ten, and from these ten one, that he may teach
my son omnem rem scibilem ; for whenas I see the youth perfect
in all science, I will share my dignity with the Prince and make
him partner with me in my possessions." " Know, O King," they
replied, " that among us none is more learned or more excellent
than Al-Sindibad,'^ hight the Sage, who woncth in thy capital
' KiiscMus Dc I'rxp. Evang. iii. 4, quotes Proplicsy concerning tlie I'gyiJlian
bcliif in tliu Lords of tlic Ascendant whose names arc given \v tciis 'aA/xci (.;^taKois :
in these " Aimenichiaka " wc have the first ahuanac, as the first newsjaper in the
Roman " .'\cta iJiurna."
- " Al-Mas'udi,'' the " Herodotus of the Arabs," thus notices Sindibad tlie Sage (in his
Muruj etc., written about .'\.D. 934). " During the reign of Kuriish (Cyrus) lived ."M-
Sindibad who wrote the Seven Wazirs, etc." Al-Va'akubi had also named him circ.
A.D. SSo. For notes on the name Sindibad, see Sindbad the Seaman, Niglit dxxxvi.
1 neer] not enter into the history of the " Seven Sages," a book c\idently older '.I'th The
Nights in present form ; but refer the reader to Mr. Cloustoii, of whom mure ir: .1 iuture
page.
The Craft and Malice of Women. 125
under thy protection. If such be thy design, summon him and
bid him do thy will." The King acted upon their advice and the
Sage, standing in the presence, expressed his loyal sentiments with
his salutation, whereupon his Sovereign bade him draw nigh and
thus raised his rank, saying, " I would have thee to know, O Sage,
that I summoned this assembly of the learned and bade them
choose me out a man to teach my son all knowledge ; when they
selected thee without dissenting thought or voice. If, then, thou
feel capable of what they claimed for thee, come thou to the task
and understand that a man's son and heir is the very fruit of his
vitals and core of his heart and liver. My desire of thee is thine
instruction of him ; and to happy issue Allah guideth!" The
King then sent for his son and committed him to Al-Sindibad
conditioning the Sage to finish his education in three years. He
did accordingly but, at the end of that time, the young Prince
had learned nothing, his mind being wholly occupied with play
and disport ; and when summoned and examined by his sire,
behold, his knowledge was as nil. Thereupon the King turned
his attention to the learned once more and bade them elect a tutor
for his youth ; so they asked, " And what hath his governor, Al-
Sindibad, been doing ?" and when the King answered, " He hath
taught my son naught ;" the Olema and philosophers and high
officers summoned the instructor and said to him, " O Sage,
what prevented thee from teaching the King's son during this
length of days .?" " O wise men," he replied, " the Prince's
mind is wholly occupied with disport and play ; yet, an the
King will make with me three conditions and keep to them,
I will teach him in seven months what he would not learn
(nor indeed could any other lesson him) within seven years." " I
hearken to thee," quoth the King, " and I submit myself to thy
conditions ; " and quoth Al-Sindibad, " Hear from me, Sire, and
bear in mind these three sayings, whereof the first is : — Do not to
others what thou wouldest not they do unto thee ;^ and second : —
Do naught hastily without consulting the experienced ; and
thirdly : — Where thou hast power show pity.^ In teaching this
* Evidently borrowed frpm the Christians, although the latter borrowed from writers
of the most remote antiquity. Yet the saying is the basis of all morality and in few
words contains the highest human wisdom.
^ It is curious to compare the dry and business-like tone of the Arab style with the
rhetorical luxuriance of the Persian : p. 10 of Mr. Clouston's "Book of Sindibad.""
126 ■ A// Laylah wa Laylah,
lad I require no more of thee but to accept these three dictes and
adhere thereto." Cried the King, " Bear ye witness against me,
O all ye here assembled, that I stand firm by these conditions ! ";
and caused a proccs verbal to be drawn up with his personal
security and the testimony of his courtiers. Thereupon the Sage,
taking the Prince's hand, led him to his place, and the King sent
them all requisites of provaunt and kitchen-batteries, carpets and
other furniture. Moreover the tutor bade build a house whose
walls he lined with the whitest stucco painted over with ceruse,'
and, lastly, he delineated thereon all the objects concerning which
he proposed to lecture his pupil. When the place was duly fur-
nished, he took the lad's hand and installed him in the apartment
which was amply furnished with belly-timber ; and, after stab-
lishing him therein, went forth and fastened the door with seven
padlocks. Nor did he visit the Prince save every third day when
he lessoned him on the knowledge to be extracted from the
wall-pictures and renewed his provision of meat and drink, after
which he left him again to solitude. So whenever the youth was
straitened in breast by the tedium and ennui of loneliness, he
applied himself diligently to his object-lessons and mastered all
the deductions thcrcform. His governor seeing this turned his
mind into other channel and taught him the inner meanings of the
external objects ; and in a little time the pupil mastered every
requisite. Then the Sage took him from the house and taught him
cavalaricc and Jcri'd play and archery. When the pupil had
thoroughly mastered these arts, the tutor sent to the King inform-
ing him that the Prince was perfect and complete in all things
required to figure favourably amongst his peers. Herat the King
rejoiced ; and, summoning his Wazirs and Lords of estate to be
present at the examination, commanded the Sage to send his son
into the presence. Thereupon Al-Sindibad consulted his pupil's
horoscope and found it barred by an inauspicious conjunction
which would last seven da)'s ; so, in sore affright for the youth's
life, he said, " Look into thy nativity-scheme." The Prince did so
and, recognising the potent, feared for himself and presently asked
the Sage, saying, " What dost thou bid me do ? " " I i:)id thee,"
he answered, *' remain silent and speak not a word during this
' In the text " Isfid.ij," the I'crs. Ispcd (dr Safcil) :il), lit. rr white water, ceruse used
for women's faces sugf^e^tinf; our "Ago of Bismuth,'' Blanc Rusati, Crcnic de rimpera-
trice, Pcrlinc, Opaline, Milk of Beauty, etc., etc., etc
The Craft and Malice of Women. 127
se'nnight ; even though thy sire slay thee with scourging. An thou
pass safely through this period, thou shalt win to high rank and
succeed to thy sire's reiga ; but an things go otherwise then the
behest is with Allah from the beginning to the end thereof."
Quoth the pupil, " Thou art in fault, O preceptor, and thou hast
shown undue haste in sending that message to the King before
looking into my horoscope. Hadst thou delayed till the week had
passed all had been well." Quoth the tutor, " O my son, what was
to be was ; and the sole defaulter therein was my delight in thy
scholarship. But now be firm in thy resolve ; rely upon Allah
Almighty and determine not to utter a single word." Thereupon
the Prince fared for the presence and was met by the Wazirs who
led him to his father. The King accosted him and addressed him
but he answered not ; and sought speech of him but he spake not.
Whereupon the courtiers were astounded and the monarch, sore
concerned for his son, summoned Al-Sindibad. But the tutor so
hid himself that none could hit upon his trace nor gain tidings of
him ; and folk said, " He was ashamed to appear before the King s
majesty and the courtiers." Under these conditions the Sovereign
heard some of those present saying, " Send the lad to the Serraglio
where he will talk with the women and soon set aside this bashful-
ness ;" and, approving their counsel, gave orders accordingly. So
the Prince was led into the palace, which was compassed about by
a running stream whose banks were planted with all manner of
fruit-trees and sweet-smelling flowers. Moreover, in this palace
were forty chambers and in every chamber ten slave-girls, each
skilled in some instrument of music, so that whenever one of them
played, the palace danced to her melodious strains. Here the
Prince passed one night; but, on the following morning, the King's
favourite concubine happened to cast eyes upon his beauty and
loveliness, his symmetrical stature, his brilliancy and his perfect
grace, and love gat hold of her heart and she was ravished with,
his charms.^ So she went up to him and threw herself upon him,
* Commentators compare this incident with the biblical story of Joseph and Potiphar's
wife and with the old Egyptian romance and fairy tale of the brothers Anapon and Satoa
dating from the fourteenth century, the days of Pharaoh Ramses Miamun (who built
Pi-tum and Ramses) at whose court Moses or Osarsiph is supposed to have been reared
(Cambridge Essays 1S58). The incident would often occur, e. g. Phsedra-cum-Hippoly-
tus; Fausta-cum-Crispus and Lucinian ; Asoka's wife and Kunala, etc., etc. Such
things happen in every-day life, and the situation has recommended itself to the folk*
lore of all peoples.
128 A If Laylah tea Laylah.
but he made her no response ; whereupon, being dazed by hii
beauty, she cried out to him and required him of himself and
importuned him ; then she again threw herself upon him and
clasped him to her bosom kissing him and saying, " O King's son,
grant me thy favours and I will set thee in thy father's stead ; I
will give him to drink of poison, so he may die and thou shalt
enjoy his realm and wealth." When the Prince heard these words,
he was sore enraged against her and said to her by signs, " O
accursed one, so it please Almighty Allah, I will assuredly requite
tbcc this thy deed, whenas I can speak ; for I will go forth to my
faihcr and will tell him, and he shall kill thee." So signing, he
arose in rage, and went out from her chamber ; whereat she feared
for herself. Thereupon she buffeted her face and rent her raiment
and tare her hair and bared her head, then went in to the King
and cast herself at his feet, weeping and wailing. When he saw
her in this plight, he was sore concerned and asked her, " What
aileth thee, O damsel } How is it with thy lord, my son t Is he not
well.'*"; and she answered, "O King, this thy son, whom thy
courtiers avouch to be dumb, required me of myself and I repelled
him, whereupon he did with me as thou seest and would have slain
me ; so I fled from him, nor will I ever return to him, nor to the
palace again, no, never again ! " When the King heard this, he
was wroth with exceeding wrath and, calling his seven Wazirs,
bade them put the Prince tip death. However, they said one to
other, "If we do the King's commandment, he will surely repent
of having ordered his son's death, for he is passing dear to him
and this child came not to him save after despair; and he will
round upon us and blame us, saying : — Why did ye not contrive to
dissuade me from slaying him .•* " So they took counsel together,
to turn him from his purpose, and the chief Wazir said, " I will
warrant you from the King's mischief this day." Then he went
in to the presence and prostrating himself craved leave to speak.
The King gave him permission, and he said, " O King, though
thou hadst a thousand sons, yet were it no light matter to thee
to put one of them to death, on the report of a woman, be she
true or be she false ; and belike this is a lie and a trick of her
against thy son ; for indeed, O King, I have heard tell great plenty
of stories of the malice, the craft and perfidy of women." Quoth
the King, " Tell me somewhat of that which hath come to thy
knowledge thereof." And the Wazir answered, saying: — Yes;
there hath reached me, O King, a tale entituled
The King and his Wazir's Wife. 129
THE KING AND HIS WAZIR'S WIFE}
There was once a King of the Kings, a potent man and a proud,
who was devoted to the love of women and one day being in the
privacy of his palace, he espied a beautiful woman on the terrace-
roof of her house and could not contain himself from falling
consumedly in love with her.^ He asked his folk to whom the
house and the damsel belonged and they said, " This is the dwell-
ing of the Wazir such an one and she is his wife." So he called
the Minister in question and despatched him on an errand to a
distant part of the kingdom, where he was to collect information
and to return ; but, as soon as he obeyed and was gone, the King
contrived by a trick to gain access to his house and his spouse.
When the Wazir's wife saw him, she knew him and springing up,
kissed his hands and feet and welcomed him. Then she stood
afar off, busying herself in his service, and said to him, " O our
lord, what is the cause of thy gracious coming .'' Such an honour
is not for the like of me." Quoth he, " The cause of it is that love
of thee and desire thee-wards have moved me to this. Where-
upon she kissed ground before him a second time and said, " By
Allah, O our lord, indeed I am not worthy to be the handmaid
of one of the King's servants ; whence then have I the great good
fortune to be in such high honour and favour with thee .'"' Then
the King put out his hand to her intending to enjoy her person,
when she said," This thing shall not escape us ; but take patience,
O my King, and abide with thy handmaid all this day, that she
may make ready for thee somewhat to eat and drink." So the
' Another version of this tale is given in the Bresl. Edit. (vol. viii. pp. 273-8 :
Night 675-6). It is the " Story of the King and the Virtuous Wife" in the Book of
Sindibad. In the versions Arabic and Greek (Synlipas) the King forgets his ring ; in
the Hebrew Mishle Sandabar his staff, and his sandals in the old Spanish Libro de los
Engannos et los Asayamientos de las Mugeres.
^ One might fancy that this is Biblical, Bathsheba and Uriah. But such " villanies"
must often have occurred in the East, at different times and places, without requiring
direct derivation. The learned Prof. H. H. Wilson was mistaken in supposing that
these fictions" originate in the feeling which has always pervaded the East unfavourable
to the dignity of women." They belong to a certain stage of civilisation when the sexes
are at war with each other.; and they characterise chivalrous Europe as well as misogy-
nous Asia ; witness Jankins, clerk of Oxenforde ; while /Esop's fable of the Lion and
'.lie Man also explains their frequency.
VOL. VI.
130 Alf Laylah wa Lay lab.
King sat down on his Minister's couch and she went in haste and
brought him a book wherein he might read, whilst she made ready
the food. He took the book and, beginning to read, found therein
moral instances and exhortations, such as restrained him from
adultery and broke his courage to commit sin and crime. After
awhile, she returned and set before him some ninety dishes of
different kinds and colours, and he ate a mouthful of each and
found that, while the number was many, the taste of them was
one. At this, he marvelled with exceeding marvel and said to
her, " O damsel, I see these meats to be manifold and various, but
the taste of them is simple and the same." " Allah prosper the
King ! " replied she, " this is a parable I have set for thee, that
thou mayst be admonished thereby," He asked, " And what is
its meaning ?"; and she answered, "Allah amend the case of our
lord the King ! ; in thy palace are ninety concubines of various
colours, but their taste is one." ' When the King heard this, he
was ashamed and rising hastily, went out, without offering her any
affront and returned to his palace; but, in his haste and confusion,
he forgot his signet-ring and left it under the cushion where he
had been sitting and albeit he remembered it he was ashamed to
send for it. Now hardly had he reached home when the Wazir
returned and, presenting himself before the King, kissed the ground
and made his report to him of the state of the province in question.
' The European form of the tale is " Toujours perdiix," a sentence often quoted but
sel(lon) understood. It is the reproach of M. TAbhe when the Count (proprietor of the
pretty Countess) made him eat partridge ever)- day for a month ; on which the Abhc says,
" Alway paitridge is too much of a good thing!" Upon this text the Count speaks
A correspondent mentions that it was told by Horace Walpolc concerning the Confessor
of a French King who reproved him for conjugal infidelities. The degraded Trench
(for "toujours de la perdrix " or " des pcrdrix ") suggests a foreign origin. Another
friend refers me to No. x. of the '' Cent Nouvelles Xouvelles " (compiled in A.D. 1432
for the amusement of the Dauphin, afterwards Louis XI.) whose chief personage "un
grand seigneur du Royaulme d'Angletcrrc," is lectured upon fidelity by the lord's
mignon, a "jeune et gracicux gentil homme de son hostel." Here the partridge became
pastes d'anguille. Possibly Scott refers to it in Kedgauntlet (chapt. iv.) ; " One must
be very fund of partridge to accept it when thrown in one's face." Did not Voltaae
complain at Potsdam of "toujours perdrix" and make it one of his grievance^? A
similar story is that of the chaplain who, weary of th'" ^ame diet, uttered "grace" as
follows : —
Rabbits hot, rabbits cold,
Rabbits tender, and rabbits tough,
Ral'bits young, and rabbits old —
I thank the Lord I've had enough.
And I as cordially thank my kind correspondents.
The King and his Wazir's Wife. 13*
Then he repaired to his own house and sat down on his couch and
chancing to put his hand under the cushion, behold, he found the
King's seal-ring. So he knew it and taking the matter to heart,
held aloof in great grief from his wife for a whole year, not going
in unto her nor even speaking to her, whilst she knew not the
reason of his anger. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo tDl)En it teas \%z Jpibe l^untireU nntr ^cbcntjj-nintlb Nig!)!,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Wazir
held aloof from his wife, whilst she knew not the cause of his
wrath. At last, being weary of the longsome neglect, she sent for
her sire and told him the case ; whereupon quoth he, " I will
complain of him to the King, at some time when he is in the
presence." So, one day, he went in to the King and, finding the
Wazir and the Kazi of the army before him,* conrplained thus
saying, " Almighty Allah amend the King's case ! I had a fair
flower-garden, which I planted with mine own hand and thereon
spent my substance till it bare fruit ; and its fruitage was ripe for
plucking, when I gave it to this thy Wazir, who ate of it what
seemed good to him, then deserted it and watered it not, so that
its bloom wilted and withered and its sheen departed and its state
changed." Then said the Wazir, " O my King, this man saith
sooth. I did indeed care for and guard the garden and kept it in
good condition and ate thereof, till one day I went thither and I
saw the trail of the lion there, wherefore I feared for my life and
withdrew from the garden." The King understood him that the
trail of the lion meant his own seal-ring, which he had forgotten
in the woman's house ; so he said, " Return, O Wazir, to thy
flower-garden and fear nothing, for the lion came not near it. It
hath reached me that he went thither; but, by the honour of my
fathers and forefathers, he offered it no hurt." " Hearkening and
obedience," answered the Minister and, returning home sent for
his wife and made his peace with her and thenceforth put faitli
in her chastity. This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir),
for no other purpose save to let thee know how great is their craft
The great legal authority of the realm.
13^' Alf Loylah wa Layiah.
and how precipitancy bequeatheth repentance.' And I have also
heard the following
STORY OF THE CONFECTIONER, HIS WIFE, AND THE
PARROT
Once upon a time there dwelt in Egypt a confectioner who had a
wife famed for beauty and loveliness ; and a parrot which, as
occasion required, did the office of watchman and guard, bell and
spy, and flapped her wings did she but hear a fly buzzing about
the sugar. This parrot caused abundant trouble to the wife,
always telling her husband what took place in his absence. Now
one evening, before going out to visit certain friends, the con-
fectioner gave the bird strict injunctions to watch all night and
bade his wife make all fast, as he should not return until morning.
Hardly had he left the door than the woman went for her old
lover, who returned with her and they passed the night together
in mirth and merriment, while the parrot observed all. Betimes
in the morning the lover fared forth and the husband, returning,
was informed by the parrot of what had taken place ; whereupon he
hastened to his wife's room and beat her with a painful beating. She
thought in herself, " Who could have informed against me .-* " and she
asked a woman that was in her confidence whether it was she.
The woman protested by the worlds visible and invisible that
she had not betrayed her mistress ; but informed her that on the
morning of his return home, the husband had stood some time
before the cage listening to the parrot's talk. When the wife heard
this, she resolved to contrive the destruction of the bird. Some
days after, the husband was again invited to the house of a friend
' In all editions the Wazir here tells the Tale of the Merchant's Wife and the Tarioi
which, following Lane, I have transferred to vol. i. p. 52. But not to break the
tradition I here introduce the Persian version of the story from the " Book of Simlibad."
In addition to the details given in the note to vol. i., 52 ; I may quote the two talking-
birds left to watch over his young wife by Rajah Rasalu (son of Shalivahana the great
Indian monarch circ. A.D. 81), who is to the Punjab what Rusiam is to Persia and
Antar to Arabia. In the "Seven Wise Masters'' the parrot becomes a magpie and
Mr. Clouston, in some clever papers on " Popular Tales and Fictions " contributed to the
Glasgow Evening limes (1SS4), compares it with the history, in the Gcsta Romanorum,
of the Adulteress, the Abigail, and the Three Cocks, two of which crowed during the con-
gress of the lady and her lover. All these evidently belong to the Sindibad cycle.
The Confectioner^ his Wife and the Parrot. 1 33
where he was to pass the night ; and, before departing, he enjoined
the parrot with the same injunctions as before; wherefore his
heart was free from care, for he had his spy at home The wife
and her confidante then planned how they might destroy the
credit of the parrot with the master. For this purpose they re-
solved to counterfeit a storm ; and this they did by placing over
the parrot's head a hand-mill (which the lover worked by pouring
water upon a piece of hide), by waving a fan and by suddenly
uncovering a candle hid under a dish. Thus did they raise such
a tempest of rain and lightning, that the parrot was drenched and
half-drowned in a deluge. Now rolled the thunder, then flashed
the lightning; that from the noise of the hand-mill, this from the
reflection of the candle ; when thought the parrot to herself, "In
very sooth the Flood hath come on, such an one as belike Noah
himself never witnessed." So saying she buried her head under
her wing, a prey to terror. The husband, on his return, hastened
to the parrot to ask what had happened during his absence ; and
the bird answered that she found it impossible to describe the
deluge and tempest of the last night ; and that years would be
required to explain the uproar of the hurricane and storm. When
the shopkeeper heard the parrot talk of last night's deluge, he
said : " Surely, O bird, thou art gone clean daft ! Where was
there, even in a dream, rain or lightning last night.'' Thou hast
utterly ruined my house and ancient family. My wife is the most
virtuous woman of the age and all thine accusations of her are
lies." So in his wrath he dashed the cage upon the ground, tore
off the parrot's head, and threw it from the window. Presently
his friend, coming to call upon him, saw the parrot in this condi-
tion with head torn off, and without wings or plumage. Being
informed of the circumstances he suspected some trick on the part
of the woman, and said to the husband, " When your wife leaves
home to go to the Hammam-bath, compel her confidante to dis-
close the secret." So as soon as his wife went out, the husband
entered his Harim and insisted on the woman telling him the
truth. She recounted the whole story and the husband now
bitterly repented having killed the parrot, of whose innocence he
had proof This I tell thee, O King (continued the Wazir), that
thou mayst know how great are the craft and malice of women
and that to act in haste leadeth to repent at leisure. So the King
turned from slaying his son : but, next day, the favourite came. in
to him and, kissing the ground before him, said, " O King, vvhy
134 ^^^f Lay I ah wa Laylah.
dost thou delay to do me justice ? Indeed, the Kings have heard
that thou commandest a thing and thy Wazir countermandeth it.
Now the obedience of Kings is in the fulfilment of their com-
mandments, and every one knows thy justice and equity: so do
thou justice for me on the Prince. I also have heard tell a tale
concerning
THE FULLER AND HIS SON.
There was once a man which was a fuller, and he used every
day to go forth to the Tigris-bank a-cleaning clothes ; and his
son was wont to go with him that he might swim whilst his
father was fulling, nor was he forbidden from this. One day, as
the boy was swimming,^ he was taken with cramp in the forearms
and sank, whereupon the fuller plunged into the water and caught
hold of him ; but the boy clung about him and pulled him down
and so father and son were both drowned. Thus it is with thee,
0 King. Except thou prevent thy son and do me justice on him,
1 fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he." And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
iioto tDf)£n it teas tlje Jptbe |l^untitetr anlK ^tgttictf) i^igbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
favourite had told her tale of the Fuller and his son, she ended
with, " I fear lest both of you sink together, thou and he. More-
over," continued she, " for an instance of the malice of men, I
have heard tell a tale concernincr
' In Ihe (lays of the Caliph Al-Mustakfi hi 'llah (A. H. 333 = 944) the youth of
I Baghdad studied swimming and it is said that they could swim holding chafing-dishes
upon which were cookii)g-|)ots and keep afloat till the meat was dressed. The story is
thatof "Tiie Washerman and his Son who were drowned in the Nile," of the Book
of Sindibad.
The Rakes 2 rick against the Chaste Wife. 1 35
THE RAKE'S TRICK AGAINST THE CHASTE WIFE.,
A CERTAIN man loved a beautiful and lovely woman, a model of
charms and grace, married to a man whom she loved and who
loved her. Moreover, she was virtuous and chaste, like unto me,
and her rake of a lover found no way to her ; so when his patience
was at an end, he devised a device to win his will. Now the
husband had a young man, whom he had brought up in his house
and who was in high trust with him as his steward. So the rake
addressed himself to the youth and ceased not msinuating himself
into his favour by presents and fair words and deeds, till he be-
came more obedient to him than the hand to the mouth and did
whatever he ordered him. One day, he said to him, " Harkye,
such an one; wilt thou not bring me into the family dwelling-place
some time when the lady is gone out .'* " " Yes," answered the
young steward ; so, when his master was at the shop and his
mistress gone forth to the Hammam, he took his friend by the
hand and, bringing him into the house, showed him the sitting-
rooms and all that was therein. Now the lover was determined
to play a trick upon the woman ; so he took the white of an egg
which he had brought with him in a vessel, and spilt it on the
merchant's bedding, unseen by the young man ; after which he
returned thanks and leaving the house went his way. In an hour
or so the merchant came home ; and, going to the bed to rest
himself, found thereon something wet. So he took it up in his
hand and looked at it and deemed it man's seed ; whereat he
stared at the young man with eyes of wrath, and asked him,
"Where is thy mistress?"; and he answered, " She is gone forth,
to the Hammam and will return forthright after she has made her
ablutions."* When the man heard this, his suspicion concerning
the semen was confirmed ; and he waxed furious and said, " Go at
once and bring her back." The steward accordingly fetched her
and when she came before her husband, the jealous man sprang
upon her and beat her a grievous beating; then, binding her arms
behind her, offered to cut her throat with a knife ; but she cried
out to the neighbours, who came to her, and she said to them,
*' This my man hath beaten me unjustly and without cause and is
' Her going to ihe bath suggested that she was fresh from coition.
136 Alf Laylah wa Laylah,
minded to kHl me, though I know not what is mine offence." So
they rose up and asked him, " Why hast thou dealt thus by her ? "
And he answered, " She is divorced." Quoth they, " Thou hast
no right to maltreat her; either divorce her or use her kindly, for
we know her prudence and purity and chastity. Indeed, she hath
been our neighbour this long time and we wot no evil of her,"
Quoth he, " When I came home, I found on my bed seed like
human sperm, and I know not the meaning of this." Upon this
a little boy, one of those present, came forward and said, " Show it
to me, nuncle mine! " When he saw it, he smelt it and, calling
for fire and a frying-pan, he took the white of egg and cooked it so
that it became solid. Then he ate of it and made the husband and
the others taste of it, and they were certified that it was white of
^SS- So the husband was convinced that he had sinned against
his wife's innocence, she being clear of all offence, and the neigh-
bours made peace between them after the divorce, and he prayed
her pardon and presented her with an hundred gold pieces. And
so the wicked lover's cunning trick came to naught. And know,
O King, that this is an instance of the malice of men and their
perfidy. When the King heard this, he bade his son be slain ; but
on the next day the second Wazir came forward for intercession
and kissed ground in prostration. Whereupon the King said,
" Raise thy head : prostration must be made to Allah only."^ So
the ]\Iinister rose from before him and said, "O King, hasten not
to slay thy son, for he was not granted to his mother by the
Almighty but after despair, nor didst thou e.xpect such good
luck ; and we hope that he will live to become a guerdon to
thy reign and a guardian of thy good. Wherefore, have patience,
O King; belike he will offer a fit excuse; and, if thou make
haste to slay him, thou wilt surely repent, even as the merchant-
wight repented." Asked the King, " And how was it with the
merchant, O Wazir } " ; and the Wazir answered : — O King, I have
heard a talc of
' Taken from the life of the Kpyptian Mameluke Sultan (No. viii. regn. A.H. .S25 =:
A.D. 1421) who would not suffer his subjects to prostrate themselves or kiss the ground
before him. See D'Herbclot for details.
The Miser and the Loaves of Bread. 1 37
THE MISER AND THE LOA VES OF BREAD.
There was once a merchant, who was a niggard and miserly in
his eating and drinking. One day, he went on a journey to a cer-
tain town and as he walked in the market-streets, behold, he met
an old trot with two scones of bread which looked sound and fair.
He asked her, " Are these for sale ? "; and she answered, " Yes ! "
So he beat her down and bought them at the lowest price and
took them home to his lodging, where he ate them that day.
When morning morrowed, he returned to the same place and,
finding the old woman there with other two scones, bought these
also ; and thus he ceased not during twenty-five days' space when
the old wife disappeared. He made enquiry for her, but could
hear no tidings of her, till, one day as he was walking about the
high streets, he chanced upon her : so he accosted her and, after
the usual salutation and with much praise and politeness, asked
why she had disappeared from the market and ceased to supply
the two cakes of bread ? Hearing this, at first she evaded giving
him a reply; but he conjured her to tell him her case; so she
said, " Hear my excuse, O my lord, which is that I was attending
upon a man who had a corroding ulcer on his spine, and his doctor
bade us knead flour with butter into a plaster and lay it on the
place of pain, where it abode all night. In the morning, I used to
take that flour and turn it into dough and make it into two scones,
which I cooked and sold to thee or to another ; but presently the
rnan died and I was cut off from making cakes."* When the
merchant heard this, he repented whenas repentance availed him
naught, saying, " Verily, we are Allah's and verily unto Him we
are returning! There is no Majesty and there is no Might save
in Him, the Glorious, the Great!" And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Xoto toben it toas tf)C Jpfbe l^untircti anii Ictgbtg-first Xi'gfjt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
old trot told the merchant the provenance of the scones, he cried,
' This nauseous Joe Miller has often been told in the hospitals of LondOiT and Paris.
\\ is as old as the Hitopadesa.
138 A!f Laylah wa Lay I ah.
" There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the
Glorious, the Great !" And he repeated the saying of the Most
High, "Whatever evil falleth to thee it is from thyself;"' and
vomited till he fell sick and repented whenas repentance availed
him naught. Moreover, O King (continued the second Wazir),
I have heard tell, of the malice of women, a tale of
THE LADY AND HER TWO LOVERS.
Once upon a time there was a man, who was sword-bearer to one
of the Kings, and he loved a damsel of the common sort. One
day, he sent his page to her with a message, as of wont between
them, and the lad sat down with her and toyed with her. She
inclined to him and pressed him to her breast and groped him and
kissed him whereupon he sought carnal connection of her and
she consented ; but, as the two were thus, lo ! the youth's master
knocked at the door So she pushed the page through a trap-
door into an underground chamber there and opened the door to
his lord, who entered bending sword in hand and sat down upon
her bed. Then she came up to him and sported and toyed with
him, kissing him and pressing him to her bosom, and he took her
and lay with her. Presently, her husband knocked at the door
and the gallant asked her, " Who is that .'"; whereto she answered,
" My husband." Quoth he, " How shall I do .'" Quoth she,
" Draw thy sword and stand in the vestibule and abuse me and
revile mc ; and when my husband comes in to thee, do thou go
forth and wend thy ways." He did as she bade him ; and, when
the husband entered, he saw the King's sword-bearer standing with
naked brand in hand, abusing and threatening his wife ; but, when
the lover saw him, he was ashamed and sheathing his scymitar,
went forth the house. Said the man to his wife, " What means
this.''"; and she replied, " O man, how blessed is the hour of thy
coming ! Thou hast saved a True Believer from slaughter, and it
happed after this fashion. I was on the house-terrace, spinning,^
' Koran iv. Si, "All is from .Miah ; " but the evil which befals m.Tnkind, though
ordered by All.ih, is yet the consequence of their own wickedness (I add, which wicked-
ness was created by Allafi.
- ''"he Brcsl. Edit. (xii. 266) says" bathing."
The Kings Son and ffu Ogress. 139
when be^ld, there came up to me a youth, distracted and panting
for feaf of death, fleeing from yonder man, who followed upon him
as hard as he could with his drawn sword. The young man fell
down before me, and kissed my hands and feet, saying, " O Pro-
tector, of thy mercy, save me from him who would slay me
wrongously ! " So I hid him in that underground chamber of
ours and presently in came yonder man to me, naked brand in
hand, demanding the youth. But I denied him to him, where-
upon he fell to abusing and threatening me as thou sawest. And
praised be Allah who sent thee to me, for I was distraught and
had none to deliver me ! " " Well hast thou done, O woman 1 "
answered the husband. " Thy reward is with Allah the Almighty,
and may He abundantly requite thy good deed ! " Then he went
to the trap door and called to the page, saying, " Come forth and
fear not ; no harm shall befal thee." So he came out, trembling
for fear, and the husband said, " Be of good cheer : none shall
hurt thee ; " condoling with him on what had befallen him ; whilst
the page called down blessings on his head. Then they both went
forth, nor was that Cornuto nor was the page aware of that which
the woman had contrived. " This, then, O King," said the Wazir,
*' is one of the tricks of women ; so beware lest thou rely upon their
words." The King was persuaded and turned from putting his
son to death ; but, on the third day, the favourite came in to him
and, kissing the ground before him, cried, " O King, do me justice
on thy son and be not turned from thy purpose by thy Ministers'
prate, for there is no good in wicked Wazirs, and be not as the
King of Baghdad, who relied on the word of a certain wicked
counsellor of his." Quoth he, " And how was that ? " Quoth she : —
There hath been told me, O auspicious and well-advised King, a
tale of
THE KING'S SON AND THE OGRESS.^
A CERTAIN King had a son, whom he loved and favoured "with
exceeding favour, over all his other children ; and this son said to
him one day, " O my father, I have a mind to fare a-coursing and
' This tale is much like that told in the Fifth Night (vol. i. 54). It is the story of the
Prince and the Lamia in the Book of Sindibad wherein it is given with Persian rhetoric
and diftuseness.
140 A If Lay la h wa Lay/ah.
a-hunting." So the King bade furnish him and commanded one of
his Wazirs to bear him company and do all the service he needed
during his trip. The Minister accordingly took everything that
was necessary for the journey and they set out with a retinue of
eunuchs and officers and pages, and rode on, sporting as they
went, Hill they came to a green and wcll-grasscd champaign
abounding in pasture and water and game. Here the Prince
turned to the Minister and told him that the place pleased hitn
and he purposed to halt there. So they set down in that site and
they loosed the falcons and lynxes and dogs and caught great
plenty of game, whereat they rejoiced and abode there some days,
in all joyance of life and its delight. Then the King's son gave
the signal for departure ; but, as they went along, a beautiful
gazelle, as if the sun rose shining from between her horns, that
had strayed from her mate, sprang up before the Prince, where-
upon his soul longed to make prize of her and he coveted her. So
he said to the VVazir, " I have a mind to follow that gazelle ;" and
the Minister replied, " Do what seenieth good to thee." There-
upon the Prince rode single-handeo after the gazelle, till he lost
sight of his companions, and chased her all that day till dusk,
when she took refuge in a bit of rocky ground' and darkness
closed in upon him. Then he would have turned back, but knew
not the way ; whereat he was sore concerned and said, " There is
no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the
(jreat 1 " He sat his mare all night till morning dawned, in quest
of relief, but found none ; and, when the day appeared, he fared
on at hazard fearful, famished, thirsty, and knowing not whither
to wend till it was noon and the sun beat down upon him with
burning heat. By that time he came in sight of a great city, with
massive base and lofty bulwarks ; but it was ruined and desolate,
nor was there any live thing therein save owl and raven. As he
stood among the buildings, marvelling at their ordinance, lo ! his
eyes fell on a daiTiscl, )oung, beautiful and lovely, sitting under
one of the city walls wailing and weeping copious tears. So he
drew nigh to her and asked, " Who art thou and who brought thee
' Arab " Wa'ar " =: mcky, hilly, trce-lcss ground unfit for ndmg. 1 have noicd that
the three Heb. words " Year "' (<•.<,'. Kiryalh-Vearim = City of forest), "Chorcsh " (now
Hir?h, a scrub), and " Pardt's " [-rapaZuao'i a cl)ase, a hunting-park oppu-cd to Ktjiro'i. an
orthardl arc pre cr\^'d iri .Vrab'C and are intelligible in Pakbtinc (Unexplored Syria,
i. 207)
The Kings Son and the Ogress. 141
hither?" She answered, " I am called Bint al-Tamimah, daughter
of Al-Tiyakh, King of the Gray Country. I went out one day to
obey a call of nature,' when an Ifrit of the Jinn snatched me up
and soared with me between heaven and earth ; but as he flew
there fell on him a shooting-star in the form of a flame of fire and
burned him, and I dropped here, where these three days I have
hungered and thirsted ; but when I saw thee I longed for life."
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
^NotD fo|)en It foas? ti)e Jfi'be l^unbreU anli (JBiglbtfi'SeconlJ Ki'abt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince,
when addressed by the daughter of King Al-Tiyakh who said to
him, " When I saw thee I longed for life," was smitten with ruth
and grief for her and took her up on his courser's crupper, saying,
" Be of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear ; for, if
Allah (extolled and exalted be He !) restore me to my people and
family, I will send thee back to thine own folk." Then he rode
on, praying for deliverance, and presently the damsel said to him,
"O King's son, set^me down, that I may do an occasion under
this wall." So he drew bridle and she alighted. He waited for
her a long while as she hid herself behind the wall: and she came
forth, with the foulest of favours ; which when he saw, his hair
stood on end and he quaked for fear of her and he turned deadly
pale. Then she sprang up on his steed, behind him, wearing the
most loathly of aspects, and presently she said to him, "O King's
son, what ails thee that I see thee troubled and thy favour
changed .-* " " I have bethought me of somewhat that troubles
me." " Seek aid against it of thy father's troops and his braves."
** He whom I fear careth naught for troops, neither can braves
affright him." " Aid thyself against him with thy father's monies
and treasures." " He whom I fear will not be satisfied with
wealth." " Ye hold that ye have in Heaven a God who seeth
and is not seen and is Omipotent and Onmiscient." "Yes, we
have none but Him,' " Then pray thou to Him ; haply He will
deliver thee from me thine enemy ! " So the King's son raised
his eyes to heaven and began to pray with his whole heart, saying,
' The privy and ihe bath are favourite haunts of the Jinns.
142 A If Laylah iva Laylah.
*' O my God, I implore Thy succour against that which troubleth
me." Then he pointed to her with his hand, and she fell to the
ground, burnt black as charred coal. Therewith he thanked Allah
and praised Him and ceased not to fare forwards ; and the
Almighty (extolled and exalted be He !) of His grace made the
way easy to him and guided him into the right road, so that he
reached his own land and came upon his father's capital, after he
had despaired of life. Now all this befel by the contrivance of
the Wazir, who travelled with him, to the end that he might cause
him to perish on the way ; but Almighty Allah succoured him.
" And this " (said the damsel) " have I told thee, O King, that
thou mayst know that wicked Wazirs deal not honestly by nor
counsel with sincere intent their Kings ; wherefore be thou wise
and ware of them in this matter." The King gave ear to her
speech and bade put his son to death ; but the third Wazir came
in and said to his brother Ministers, " I will warrant you from the
King's mischief this day •" and, going in to him, kissed the ground
between his hands and said, " O King, I am thy true counsellor
and solicitous for thee and for thine estate, and indeed I rede thee
the best of rede ; it is that thou hasten not to slay thy son, the
coolth of thine eyes and the fruit of thy vitals. Haply his sin is
but a slight slip, which this damsel hath made great to thee ; and
indeed I have heard tell that the people of two villages once
destroyed one another, because of a drop of honey." Asked the
King, " How was that ?"; and the Wazir answered, saying: — Know,
O King, that I have heard this story anent
THE DROP OF HONEY}
A CERTAIN hunter used to chase wild beasts in wold, and one day
he came upon a grotto in the mountains, where he found a hollow
full of bees' honey. So he took somewhat thereof in a water-skin
he had with him and, throwing it over his shoulder, carried it to
' Arab history is full of petty wars caused by trifles. In I'^gypt the clans Sa'ad and
Hardm and in Syria the Kays and Yaman (which remain to the present day) were as
pugnacious as Highland Catcrans. The tale bears some likeness to the accumula-
tive nursery rhymes in "The House that Jack Built," and "The Old Woman and
the Crooked Sixpence ;" which find their indirect original in an allegorical Taimudic
hymn.
The Woman who made her Husband Sift Dust. 143
the city, followed by a hunting dog which was dear to him. He
stopped at the shop of an oilman and offered him the honey for
sale and he bought it. Then he emptied it out of the skin, that
he might see it, and in the act a drop fell to the ground, where-
upon the flies flocked to it and a bird swooped down upon the
flies. Now the oilman had a cat, which sprang upon the bird,
and the huntsman's dog, seeing the cat, sprang upon it and slew
it ; whereupon the oilman sprang upon the dog and slew it, and
the huntsman in turn sprang upon the oilman and slew him. Now
the oilman was of one village and the huntsman of another ; and
when the people of the two places heard what had passed, they
took up arms and weapons and rose one on other in wrath and the
two lines met; nor did the sword leave to play amongst them, till
there died of them much people, none knoweth their number save
Almighty Allah. And amongst other stories of the malice of
women (continued the Wazir) I have heard tell, O King, one
concerning
THE WOMAN WHO MADE HER HUSBAND SIFT DUST>
A MAN once gave his wafe a dirham to buy rice ; so she took it
and went to the rice- seller, who gave her the rice and began to
jest with her and ogle her, for she was dowered with beauty and
loveliness, saying, " Rice is not good but with sugar which if thou
wilt have, come in with me for an hour." So, saying, " Give me
sugar," she went in with him into his shop and he won his will of
her and said to his slave, " Weigh her out a dirham's worth of
sugar." But he made the slave a privy sign, and the boy, taking;
the napkin, in which was the rice, emptied it out and put in earth!
and dust in its stead, and for the sugar set stones, after which he
again knotted up the napkin and left it by her. His object, in
doing this, was that she should come to him a second time ; so,
when she went forth of the shop, he gave her the napkin and she
took it, thinking to have in it rice and sugar, and ganged her gait ;
but when she returned home and, setting it before her husband,
went for a cooking-pot. he found in it earth and stones. So, as
' This is "The Story of the Old Man who sent his Young Wife to the Maiket to buy
Rice," told with Persian reflections ia the "Book of Sindibad.''
144 ^If Laylah wa Laylah.
soon as she came back bringing- the pot, he said to her, " Did I
tell thee I had aught to build, that thou bringest me earth and
stones?" When she saw this, she knew that the rice-seller's slave
had tricked her ; so she said to her husband, " O man, in my
trouble of mind for what hath befallen me, I went to fetch the
sieve and brought the cooking-pot." "What hath troubled thee?"
asked he; and she answered, "O husband, I dropped the dirham
thou gavest me in the market-street and was ashamed to search
for it before the folk ; yet I grudged to lose the silver, so I
gathered up the earth from the place where it fell and brought it
away, thinking to sift it at home. Wherefore I went to fetch the
sieve, but brought the cooking-pot instead." Then she fetched
the sieve and gave it to her husband, saying, " Do thou sift it ; for
thine eyes are sharper than mine." Accordingly he sat, sifting the
clay, till his face and beard were covered with dust ; and he dis-
covered not her trick, neither knew what had befallen her. *' This
then, O King," said the Wazir, " is an instance of the malice of
women, and consider the saying of Allah Almighty : — Surely the
cunning of you (women) is great ! ^ And again : — Indeed, the
malice of Satan is weak in comparison with the malice of
women." 2 The King gave ear to his Wazir's speech and was
persuaded thereby and was satisfied by what he cited to him of
the signs of AUah^ ; and the lights of good counsel arose and
shone in the firmament of his understanding and he turned from
his purpose of slaying his son. But on the fourth day, the fa-
vourite came in to him weeping and wailing and, kissing the
ground before him, said, "O auspicious King, and lord of good
rede, I have made plainly manifest to tlice my grievance and thou
hast dealt unjustly by me and hast forborne to avenge me on him
who hath wronged me, because he is thy son and the darling of
thy heart ; but Allah (extolled and exalted be He !) will presently
succour me against him, even as He succoured the King's son
against his father's Wazir." ''And how was that.-*" asked the
King ; and she answered : — I have heard tell, O King, a talc of
' Koran xii. 28. Tiic uonis were spoken hy Potiphar to Joseph.
' Koran iv. 78. A mis-quotation, the words are, "Fight therefore against the friends
of Satr.n, for the cr.ift <>{ SaMn shall be weak."
3 i.£. Koranic versets.
Tke Enchanted Spring. 145
THE ENCHANTED SPRING.^
There was once in times gone by a King who had one son and
none other ; and, when the Prince grew up to man's estate, he
contracted him in marriage to another King's daughter. Now the
damsel was a model of beauty and grace and her uncle's son had
sought her in wedlock of her sire, but she would none of him. So,
when he knew that she was to be married to another, envy and
jealousy gat hold of him and he bethought himself and sent a
noble present to the Wazir of the bridegroom's father and much
treasure, desiring him to use craft for slaying the Prince or con-
trive to make him leave his intent of espousing the girl and
adding, " O Wazir, indeed jealousy moveth me to this for she is
my cousin."^ The Wazir accepted the present and sent an answer,
saying, " Be of good cheer and of eyes cool and clear, for I will
do all that thou wishest," Presently, the bride's father wrote to
the Prince, bidding him to his capital, that he might go in to his
daughter ; whereupon the King his father gave him leave to wend
his way thither, sending with him the bribed Wazir and a thou-
sand horse, besides presents and litters, tents and pavilions. The
Minister set out with the Prince, plotting the while in his heart
to do him a mischief; and when they came into the desert, he
called to mind a certain spring of running water in the mountains
there, called Al-Zahra,^ whereof whosoever drank from a man
became a woman. So he called a halt of the troops near the
fountain and presently mounting steed again, said to the Prince,
" Hast thou a mind to go with me and look upon a spring of
water near hand .-' " The Prince mounted, knowing not what
should befal him in the future,^ and they rode on, unattended by
' In the Book of Sindibad this is the " Story of the Prince who went out to hunt and
■he stratagem which the Wazir practised on him."
^ I have noted that it is a dire affront to an Arab if his first cousin marry any save
himself without his formal leave.
^ i.e. the flowery, the splendid ; an epithet of Fatimah, the daughter of the Apostle
" the bright blooming." Fatimah is an old Arab name of good omen, "the weaner:"
in Egypt it becomes Fattiimah (an incrementative = " great weaner") ; and so Aminah,
Khadijah and Naf isah on the banks of the Nile are "barbarised to Ammunah, Khaddiigah
and Naffusah.
* i.e. his coming misfortune, the phiase being euphemistic.
VOL VI. K
14^ Alf Laylah wa LaylaK
any, and without stopping till they came to the spring. The
Prince being thirsty said to the Wazir, "O Minister, I am suffering
from drouth," and the other answered, " Get thee down and drink
of this spring!" So he alighted and washed his hands and
drank, when behold, he straightway became a woman. As soon
as he knew what had befallen him, he cried out and wept till he
fainted away, and the Wazir came up to him as if to learn what
had befallen him and cried, "What aileth thee?" So he told
him what had happened, and the Minister feigned to condole with
him and weep for his affliction, saying, " Allah Almighty be thy
refuge in thine affliction ! How came this calamity upon thee
and this great misfortune to betide thee, and we carrying thee
with joy and gladness, that thou mightest go in to the King's
daughter ? Verily, now I know not whether we shall go to her or
not ; but the rede^ is thine. What dost thou command me to
do ? " Quoth the Prince, " Go back to my sire and tell him what
hath betided me, for I will not stir hence till this matter be
removed from me or I die in my regret." So he wrote a letter to
his father, telling him what had happened, and the Wazir took it
and set out on his return to the city, leaving what troops he had
with the Prince and inwardly exulting for the success of his plot.
As soon as he reached the King's capital, he went in to him and,
telling him what had passed, delivered the letter. The King
mourned for his son with sore mourning and sent for the wise
men and masters of esoteric science, that they might discover and
explain to him this thing which had befallen his son, but none
could give him an answer. Then the Wazir wrote to the lady's
cousin, conveying to him the glad news of the Prince's misfortune,
and he when he read the letter rejoiced with great joy and thought
to marry the Princess and answered the IMinister sending him
rich presents and great store of treasure and thanking him ex-
ceedingly. Meanwhile, the Prince abode by the stream three
days and three nights, eating not nor drinking and committing
himself, in his strait, unto Allah (extolled and exalted be He !)
who disappointcth not whoso rclieth on him. On the fourth
night, lo! there came to him a cavalier on a bright-bay steed*
' Arab. Ray: in theology it means "private judgment " and Rayi (act. partic.) is a
Rationalist. The Hana/i School is called " Ashdb al-Ray " because it allows more
liberty of thought than the other three orthodox.
2 The angels in Al-Islam ride piebalds.
The Enchanted Spring. 147
with a crown on his head, as he were of the sons of the Kings,
and said to him, " Who brought thee hither, O youth ? " The
Prince told him his mishap, how he was wending to his wedding,
and how the Wazir had led him to a spring whereof he drank
and incurred what had occurred ; and as he spoke his speech was
broken by tears. Having heard him the horseman pitied his case
and said, "It was thy father's Wazir who cast thee into this
strait, for no man alive save he knoweth of this spring ; " pre-
sently adding, " Mount thee behind me and come with me to my
dwelling, for thou art my guest this night." Acquaint me who
thou art ere I fare with thee," quoth the Prince ; and quoth the
other, " I am a King's son of the Jann, as thou a King's son
of mankind ; so be of good cheer and keep thine eyes clear of
tear, for I will surely do away thy cark and care ; and this is a
slight thing unto me." So the Prince mounted him behind the
stranger, and they rode on, leaving the troops, from the first of
the day till midnight, when the King's son of the Jinn asked the
Prince, '* Knowest thou how many days' march we have covered
in this time.'" "Not I." "We have come a full year's journey
for a diligent horseman." The Prince marvelled at this and said,
" How shall I do to return to my people } " " That is not thine
affair, but my business. As soon as thou art quit of thy com-
plaint, thou shalt return to thy people in less than the twinkling
of an eye ; for that is an easy matter to me." When the Prince
heard these words he was ready to fly for excess of joy ; it
seemed to him as he were in the imbroglio of a dream and he
exclaimed, "Glory be to Him who can restore the unhappy to
happiness ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Prince
of the Jinn said to the Prince of mankind, " When thou art quit of
thy complaint, thou shalt return to thy folk in less than the
twinkling of an eye ; " and the King's son rejoiced. They fared
on all that night till the morning morrowed when lo ! they found
themselves in a green and smiling country, full of trees spireing
and birds quiring and garths fruit-growing and palaces high-
showing and waters a-flowing and odoriferous flowers a-blowing.
148 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Here the King's son of the Jinn ah'ghted from his steed and,
bidding the Prince do the like, took him by the hand and carried
him into one of the palaces, where he found a great King and
puissant Sultan ; and abode with him all that day eating and
drinking, till nightfall. Then the King's son of the Jinn mounted
his courser and taking the Prince up behind him, fared on swiftly
through the murks and glooms until morning, when lo, they
found themselves in a dark land and a desert, full of black rocks
and stones, as it were a piece of Hell ; and the Prince asked the
Jinni, "What is the name of this land?" Answered the other,
" It is called the Black Country, and belongs to one of the Kings
of the Jinn, by name Zu'l Janahayn, against whom none of the
other Kings may prevail, neither may any enter his dominions
save by his permit ; so tarry thou here, whilst I go ask leave." So
saying, he went away and, returning after awhile, they fared on
again, till they ended at a spring of water welling forth of a black
rock, and the King's son of the Jinn said to the King's son of
men, " Alight ! " He dismounted and the other cried, " Drink of
this water ! " So he drank of the spring without stay or delay ;
and, no sooner had he done so than, by grace of Allah, he became
a man as before. At this he joyed with exceeding joy and asked
the Jinni, " O my brother, how is this spring called .'' " Answered
the other, " It is called the Women's Spring, for that no woman
drinkcth thereof but she bccometh a man : wherefore do thou praise
Allah the Most High and thank Him for thy restoration and
mount." So the Prince prostrated himself in gratitude to the
Almighty, after which he mounted again and they fared on dili-
gently all that day, till they returned to the Jinni's home, where
the Prince passed the night in all solace of life. They spent the
next day in eating and drinking till nii;htfall, when the King's son
of the Jinn asked the Prince, " Hast thou a mind to return to thy
people this very night?" "Yes," he answered ; "for indeed I
long for them." Then the Jinni called one of his father's slaves,
Rajiz' higlit, and said to him," Take this young man mounted on
thy shoulders, and let not the day dawn ere he be with his father-
in-law and his wife." Replied the slave. '* Hearkening and obedi-
ence, and with love and gladness, and upon my head and c) cs ! '*
then, withdrawing awhile, re-appcared in the form of an Ifrit.
' In ibeBresl. Edit. "Zajir" (xii. 286).
The Enchanted Spring. » 1 49
When the Prince saw this, he lost his senses for affright, but the
Jinni said to him, "Fear not; no harm shall befal thee. Mount
thy horse and leap him on to the Ifrit's shoulders." " Nay,"
answered he, " I will leave my horse with thee and bestride his
shoulders myself." So he bestrode the Ifrit's shoulders and,
when the Jinni cried, " Close thine eyes, O my lord, and be not a
craven ! " he strengthened his heart and shut his eyes. Thereupon
the Ifrit rose with him into the air and ceased not to fly between
sky and earth, whilst the Prince was unconscious, nor was the
last third of the night come before he lighted down with him
on the terrace-roof of his father-in-law's palace. Then said the
Ifrit, "Dismount and open thine eyes; for this is the palace
of thy father-in-law and his daughter." So he came down
and the Ifrit flew away and left him on the roof of the palace.
When the day broke and the Prince recovered from his troubles,
he descended into the palace and as his father-in-law caught
sight of him, he came to meet him and marvelled to see him
descend from the roof of the palace, saying, " We see folk enter
by the doors ; but thou comest from the skies." Quoth the
Prince, " Whatso Allah (may He be extolled and exalted !) willeth
that cometh to pass." And he told him all that had befallen him,
from first to last, whereat the King marvelled and rejoiced in
his safety ; and, as soon as the sun rose, bade his Wazir make
ready splendid bride-feasts. So did he and they held the marriage
festival : after which the Prince went in unto his bride and abode
with her two months, then departed with her for his father's capital.
As for the damsel's cousin, he died forthright of envy and jealousy.
When the Prince and his bride drew near his father s city, the
King came out to meet them with his troops and Wazirs, and so
Allah (blessed and exalted be He ! ) enabled the Prince to prevail
against his bride's cousin and his father's Minister. "And I pray
the Almighty" (added the damsel) " to aid thee against thy Wazirs,
O King, and I beseech thee to do me justice on thy son ! " When
the King heard this, he bade put his son to death ; And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nob lt3f)cn it toas tl)c Jpibc |i^uni)vcij anb IBtgfjt^i-fourtf) ISTigTjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
favourite had told her tale to the King she said, " I beseech thee
150 Alf Laylah wa Lay I ah.
to do me justice by putting thy son to death." Now this was the
fourth day, so the fourth Wazir entered and, kissing the ground
before him, said, " Allah stablish and protect the King ! O
King, be deliberate in doing this thou art resolved upon, for the
wise man doth naught till he hath considered the issue thereof,
and the proverb saith : — Whoso looketh not to his actions' end,
hath not the world to friend ; and whoso acteth without considera-
tion, there befalleth him what befel the Hammam-keeper with his
wife." " And what betided him ? " asked the King. And the
Wazir answered : — I have heard tell, O King, a tale of the
WAZIR'S SON AND THE HAMMAM-KEEPER' S WIFE}
There was once a bath-keeper, to whom resorted the notables of
the folk and head men, and one day there came in to him a hand-
some youth of the sons of Wazirs who was fat and bulky of body.
So he stood to serve him and when the young man put off his
clolhes,^ he saw not his yard, for that it was hidden between his
thighs, by reason of the excess of his fat, and there appeared
thereof but what was like unto a filbert.^ At this the bath-keeper
fell a-lamenting and smiting hand upon hand, which when the
youth saw, he said to him, " What ails thee, O bath-keeper, to
lament thus ? " And he answered, saying, " O my lord, my lamen-
tation is for thee, because thou art in sore straits, for all thy fair
fortune and goodliness and exceeding comeliness, seeing thou hast
naught wherewithal to do and receive delight, like unto other men."
Quoth the youth, " Thou sayst sooth, but thou mindest me of some-
what I had forgotten.'" " What is that .'* " asked the bath-keeper,
and the youth answered, " Take this gold piece and fetch me a
pretty woman, that I may prove my nature on her." So he took
the money and betaking himself to his wife, said to her, " O
' This is the " King's Son and the Merchant's Wife " of the Hitopadcsa (chapt. i.)
transferred to all the Prakrit versions of India. It is the Story of the Balh-kecper who
conducted his Wife lo the Son of the King of Kannj in the Book of Sindibad.
* The pious Caliph Al-Muktadi bi Aniri 'llah (A. II. 467 = A.D. 1075) was obliged
to forbid men entering the baths of Baghdad without drawers.
* This peculiarity is not uncommon amongst the so-called Aryan and Semitic races,
while to the African it is all but unknown. Women highly prizs a conformation whicli-
(as the prostitute described it^ is always " either in his belly or i- •i.:-;l-."
The Wazir's Son and the Hammam-Keeper s Wife. i$i
woman, there is come to me in the bath a young man of the sons
of the Wazirs, as he were the moon- on the fullest night ; but he
hath no prickle like other men, for that which he hath is but some
small matter like unto a filbert. I lamented over his youth and he
gave me this dinar and asked me to fetch him a woman on whom
he might approve himself. Now thou art worthier of the money
than another, and from this no harm shall betide us, for I will pro-
tect thee. So do thou sit with him awhile and laugh at him and
take this dinar from him." So the good wife took the dinar and
rising, adorned herself and donned the richest of her raiment.
Now she was the fairest woman of her time. Then she went out
with her husband and he carried her in to the Wazir's son in a
privy place. When she came in to him, she looked at him and
finding him a handsome youth, fair of favour as he were the moon
at full, was confounded at his beauty and loveliness ; and on like
wise his heart and wit were amazed at the first sight of her and
the sweetness of her smile. So he rose forthright and locking
the door, took the damsel in his arms and pressed her to his
bosom and they embraced, whereupon the young man's yard
swelled and rose on end, as it were that of a jackass, and he
rode upon her breast and futtered her, whilst she sobbed and
sighed and writhed and wriggled under him. Now the bath-
keeper was standing behind the door, awaiting what should
betide between them, and he began. to call her saying, " O Umm
Abdillah, enough ! Come out, for the day is long upon thy
sucking child." Quoth the youth, "Go forth to thy boy and
come back ;" but quoth she, " If I go forth from thee, my soul
will depart my body ; as regards the child, so I must either leave
him to die of weeping or let him be reared an orphan, without a
mother." So she ceased not to abide with him till he had done
his desire of her ten times running, while her husband stood at
the door, calling her and crying out and weeping and imploring
succour. But none came to aid him and he ceased not to do
thus, saying, " I will slay myself !" ; till at last, finding no way
of access to his wife, and being distraught with rage and jeailousy,
to hear sighing and murmuring and breathing hard under the
young man, he went up to the top of the bath and, casting him-
self down therefrom, died. " Moreover, O King " (continued the
Wazir), " there hath reached me another story of the malice of
women." "What is that?" asked the King, and the Wazir
said : — Know, O King, that it is anent
152 Alf Laylah wa Lay la h.
THE WIFE'S DEVICE TO CHEAT HER HUSBAND.
There was once a woman who had no equal in her day for
beauty and loveliness and grace and perfection ; and a certain
lewd youth and an obscene setting eyes on her, fell in love with
her and loved her with exceeding passion, but she was chaste and
inclined not to adultery. It chanced one day that her husband
vent on a journey to a certain town, whereupon the young man fell
to sending to her many times a day ; but she made him no reply
At last, he resorted to an old woman, who dwelt hard by, and
after saluting her he sat down and complained to her of his suffer-
ings for love of the woman and his longing to enjoy her. Quoth
she, " I will warrant thee this ; no harm shall befal thee, for I will
surely bring thee to thy desire, Inshallah, — an it please Allah the
Most High!" At these words he gave her a dinar and went his
way. When the morning morrowed she appeared before the
woman and, renewing an old acquaintance with her, fell to visit-
ing her daily, eating the undertime with her and the evening
meal and carrying away food for her children. Moreover, she
used to sport and jest with her, till the wife became corrupted *
and could not endure an hour without her company. Now she
was wont, when she left the lady's house, to take bread and fat
wherewith she mixed a little pepper and to feed a bitch, that was
in tliat quarter ; and thus she did day by day, till the bitch
became fond of her and followed her wherever she went. One
day she took a cake of dough and, putting therein an overdose of
pepper, gave it to the bitch to eat, whereupon the beast's eyes
began to shed tears, for the heat of the pepper, and she followed
the old woman, weeping. When the lady saw this, she was
amazed and asked the ancient, " O my mother, what ails this
bitch to weep .'' " Answered she, " Learn, O my heart's love, that
hers is a strange story. Know that she was once a close friend of
mine, a lovely and accomplished young lady, a model of come-
' Easterns, I have said, are perfectly aware of the fact tliat women corrupt women
much more than men do. The talc is the " Story of the Libertine Husband" in the
Book of Sindil)afl ; blended with the " Story of the Go-between and the Bitch" in the
Book of Sindibafl. It is related in the " Disciplina Clericalis " of Alphonsus (A.D. i io6) ;
tlio fabliau of La viiillc qui scJuisit la jcune fillc ; tlie Gesta Romanorum (thirteenth
century) and the "Cunning Siddhikari " in the Katha-Sarit-Sagara-
The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband. 153
liness and perfect grace, A young Nazarene of the quarter fell
in love with her and his passion and pining increased on him,
till he took to his pillow, and he sent to her times manifold,
begging her to have compassion on him and show him mercy,
but she refused, albeit I gave her good counsel, saying : — O my
daughter, have pity on him and be kind and consent to all he
wisheth. She gave no heed to my advice, until, the young
man's patience failing him, he complained at last to one of his
friends, who cast an enchantment on her and changed her human
shape into canine form. When she saw what transformation had
befallen her and that there was none to pity her case save myself,
she came to my house and began to fawn on me and buss my
hands and feet and whine and shed tears, till I recognised her
and said to her: — How often did I not warn thee?; but my
advice profited thee naught." And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Koto bjljen it fcoas tf)e jptbc |^untj«l( nnti 1SiQDti)=fiftf) INfffibt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old
trot related to the young lady the tale of the bitch and recounted
the case in her cunning and deceit, with the view to gain her
consent and said to her, " When the enchanted beast came to me
and wept I reminded her: — How often did I not warn thee ? ; but
my advice profited thee naught. However, O my daughter, seeing
her misery, I had compassion on her case and kept her by me ;
and as often as she bethinketh herself of her former estate, she
weepeth thus, in pity for herself." When the lady heard this, she
was taken with great alarm and said, " O my mother, by Allah,
thou affrightest me with this thy story." " Why so } " asked the old
woman. Answered the lady, " Because a certain handsome young
man fell in love with me and hath sent many times to me, but
hitherto I have repelled him ; and now I fear lest there befal me
the like of what befel this bitch." " O my daughter," rejoined the
old woman, look thou to what I counsel thee and beware of
crossing me, for I am in great fear for thee. If thou know not
his abiding-place, describe his semblance to me, that I may fetch
him to thee, and let not any one's heart be angered against
thee." So the lady described him to her, and she showed not to
know him and said, " When I go out, I will ask after him." But
154 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
when she left the lady, she went straight to the young man and
said to him, " Be of good cheer, for I have played with the girl's
wits ; so to-morrow at noon wait thou at the head of the street,
till I come and carry thee to her house, where thou shalt take
thine ease with her the rest of the day and all night long." At
this the young man rejoiced with exceeding joy and gave her two
dinars, saying, "When I have won my wish of her, I will give thee
ten gold pieces." Then she returned to the lady and said to her,
" I have seen him and spoken with him on this matter. I found
him exceeding wroth with thee and minded to do thee a harm,
but I plied him with fair words till he agreed to come to-morrow
at the time of the call to noon-prayer." When the lady heard
this she rejoiced exceedingly and said, " O my mother, if he keep
his promise, I will give thee ten dinars." Quoth the old woman,
" Look to his coming from none but from me." When the next
morn morrowed she said to the lady, " Make ready the early meal
and forget not the wine and adorn thyself and don thy richest
dress and decoration, whilst I go and fetch him to thee." So she
clad herself in her finest finery and prepared food, whilst the old
woman went out to look for the young man, who came not. So
she went around searching for him, but could come by no news of
him, and she said to herself, "What is to be done? Shall the
food and drink she hath gotten ready be wasted and I lose the
gold pieces she promised me ? Indeed, I will not allow my cunning
contrivance to come to naught, but will look her out another man
and carry him to her." So she walked about the highways till
her eyes fell on a pretty fellow, young and distinguished-looking,
to whom the folk bowed and who bore in his face the traces of
travel. She went up to him and saluting him, asked, " Hast thou
a mind to meat and drink and a girl adorned and ready ?"
Answered he, "Where is this to be had?" "At home, in my
house," rejoined she and carrying him to his own house, knocked
at the door. The lady opened to them and ran in again, to make
an end of her dressing and perfuming ; whilst the wicked old
woman brought the man, who was the husband and house-master,
into the saloon and made him sit down congratulating herself on
her cunning contrivance. Presently in walked the lath', who no
sooner set eyes on her husband sitting by the old trot than she
knew him and guessed how the case stood ; neverthclcs.s, she was
not taken aback and without stay or delay bethought her of a
c'jvicc to hoodwink him. So she pulled off her outer boot and
The Wife's Device to Cheat her Husband. 155
crfed at her husband, " Is this how thou keepest the contract
between us ? How canst thou betray me and deal thus with me ?
Know that, when I heard of thy coming, I sent this old woman
to try thee and she hath made thee fall into that against which I
warned thee : so now I am certified of thine affair and that thou
hast broken faith with me. I thought thee chaste and pure till I
saw thee, with my own eyes, in this old woman's company and
knew that thou didst frequent loose baggagesv" So saying, she
fell to beating him with her slipper about the head, and crying
out, " Divorce me ! Divorce me ! "; whilst he excused himself and
swore to her, by Allah the Most High, that he had never in his
life been untrue to her nor had done aught of that whereof she
suspected him. But she stinted not to weep and scream and bash
him, crying out and saying, "Come to my help, O Moslems ! ";
till he laid hold of her mouth with his hand and she bit it.
Moreover, he humbled himself to her and kissed her hands and
feet, whilst she would not be appeased and continued to cuff
him. At last, she winked at the old woman to come and hold
her hand from him. So she came up to her and kissed her hands
and feet, till she made peace between them and they sat down
together ; whereupon the husband began to kiss her hands, saying,
"Allah Almighty requite thee with all good, for that thou hast
delivered me from her ! " And the old woman marvelled at the
wife's cunning and ready wit. "This, then, O King" (said the
Wazir) " is one of many instances of the craft and malice and
perfidy of women." When the King heard this story, he was
persuaded by it and turned from his purpose to slay his son ;
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
:Nrob3 tofjcn It toas t^e jpib£ l^unlrrctr anb 1Sig!)tg-si.xtb tNTtgl^t,
She said, it hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
fourth Wazir had told his tale, the King turned from his purpose
to slay his son ; but, on the fifth day, the damsel came in to him
bending a bowl of poison in hand, calling on Heaven for help and
buffeting her cheeks and face, and said to him, " O King, either
thou shalt do me justice and avenge me on thy son, or I will
drink up this poison-cup and die, and the sin of my blood shall
be on thy head at the Day of Doom. These thy Ministers accuse
156 Alf Lay 1 ah wa Laylah.
me of malice and perfidy, but there be none in the world more
perfidious than men. Hast thou not heard the story of the
Goldsmith and the Cashmere* singing-girl ?" *' What befel the
twain, O damsel ?" asked the King ; and she answered, say-
ing : — There hath come to my knowledge, O august King, a
tale of
THE GOLDSMITH AND THE CASHMERE SINGING-GIRL.
There lived once, in a city of Persia a goldsmith who delighted
in women and in drinking wine. One day, being in the house of
one of his intimates, he saw painted on the wall the figure of a
lutanist, a beautiful damsel, beholder never beheld a fairer or a
more pleasant. He looked at the picture again and again,
marvelling at its beauty, and fell so desperately in love with it,
that he sickened for passion and came near to die. It chanced
that one of his friends came to visit him and sitting down by his
side, asked how he did and what ailed him, whereto the goldsmith
answered, " O my brother, that which ails me is love, and it befel
on this wise. I saw the figure of a woman painted on the house-
wall of my brother such an one and became enamoured of it."
Hereupon the other fell to blaming him and said, " This was of
thy lack of wit ; how couldst thou fall in love with a painted
figure on a wall, that can neither harm nor profit, that seeth not
neither hearcth, that neither taketh nor withholdeth.*' Said the
sick man, " He who painted yonder picture never could have
limned it save after the likeness of some beautiful woman.''
" Haply," rejoined his friend, " he painted it from imagination."
•' In any case," replied the goldsmith, " Here am I dying for love
of the picture, and if tiiere live the original thereof in the world,
I pray Allah Most High to protect my life till I see her." When
those who were present went out, they asked for the painter of the
' The Kashmir people, men and women, have a very bad name in Eastern tales, the
f(;rmer for treachery and the latter for unchastity. A Persian distich says :
If folk be scarce as food in dearth ne'er let three lots come near ye :
First Sindi, second Jat, and third a rascally Kashmecree.
The women have fair skins and handsome features but, like all living in thit zone,
Persians, Sindis, AfLjhan?, etc., their bosoms fall after the first child and beCo...c like
udders. This is not the case with Hindu wajnen, Rajputs, Marathis, etc.
The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl, 157
picture and, finding that he had travelled to another town, wrote
him a letter, complaining of their comrade's case and enquiring
whether he had drawn the figure of his own inventive talents or
copied it from a living model ; to which he replied, " I painted it
after a certain singing-girl belonging to one of the Wazirs in
the city of Cashmere in the land of Hind. When the goldsmith
heard this, he left Persia for Cashmere-city, where he arrived after
much travail. He tarried awhile there till one day he went and
clapped up an acquaintance with a certain of the citizens who was
a druggist, a fellow of a sharp wit, keen, crafty ; and, being one
even-tide in company with him, asked him of their King and his
polity ; to which the other answered, saying, " Well, our King is
just and righteous in his governance, equitable to his lieges and
beneficent to his commons and abhorreth nothing in the world
save sorcerers ; but, whenever a sorcerer or sorceress falls into his
hands, he casteth them into a pit without the city and there leaveth
them in hunger to die." Then he questioned him of the King's
Wazirs, and the druggist told him of each Minister, his fashion
and condition, till the talk came round to the singing-girl and he
told him, " She belongeth to such a Wazir." The goldsmith took
note of the Minister's abiding place and waited some days, till he
had devised a device to his desire ; and one night of rain and
thunder and stormy winds, he provided himself with thieves'
tackle and repaired to the house of the Wazir who owned the
damsel. Here he hanged a rope-ladder with grappling-irons to
the battlements and climbed up to the terrace-roof of the palace.
Thence he descended to the inner court and, making his way into
the Harim, found all the slave-girls lying asleep, each on her own
couch ; and amongst them reclining on a couch of alabaster and
covered with a coverlet of cloth of gold a damsel, as she were the
moon rising on a fourteenth night. At her head stood a candle
of ambergris, and at her feet another, each in a candlestick of
glittering gold, her brilliancy dimming them both ; and under her
pillow lay a casket of silver, wherein were her jewels. He raised
the coverlet and drawing near her, considered her straitly, and
behold, it was the lutanist whom he desired and of whom he was
come in quest. So he took out a knife and wounded her in the
back parts, a palpable outer wound, whereupon she awoke \'c\
terror ; but, when she saw him, she was afraid to cry out, thinking
he came to steal her goods. So she said to him, " Take the box
and what is therein, but slay me not, for I am in thy protection
IS8 Alf Laylah wa Lay la h.
and under thy safe-guard* and my death will profit thee nothing."
Accordingly, he took the box and went away. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
tNToto fofien it teas tjbf S'^^^ |tluntireti anti 15fQ!)tn=scbcntb ^^igbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the goldsmith had entered the Wazir's palace he wounded the
damsel slightly in the back parts and, taking the box which
contained her jewels, wended his way. And when morning
morrowed he donned clothes after the fashion of men of learning
and doctors of the law and, taking the jewel-case went in there-
with to the King of the city, before whom he kissed the ground
and said to him, " O King, I am a devout man ; withal a loyal
well-wisher to thee and come hither a pilgrim to thy court from
the land of Khorasan, attracted by the report of thy just govern-
ance and righteous dealing with thy subjects and minded to be
under thy standard. I reached this city at the last of the day
and finding the gate locked and barred, threw me down to sleep
without the walls; but, as I lay betwixt sleep and wake, behold, I
saw four women come up ; one riding on a broom-stick, another
on a wine-jar, a third on an oven-peel and a fourth on a black
bitch,^ and I knew that they were witches making for thy city.
One of them came up to me and kicked me with her foot and
beat me with a fox's tail she had in her hand, hurting me
grievously, whereat I was wroth and smote her with a knife I had
with me, wounding her in the back parts, as she turned to flee
from me. When she felt the wound, she fled before me and in
her flight let drop this casket, which I picked up and opening,
found these costly jewels therein. So do thou take it, for I have-
no need thereof, being a wanderer in the mountains,^ who hath
rejected the world from my heart and renounced it and all that is
in it, seeking only the face of Allah the Most High." Then he
set the casket before the King and fared forth. The King opened
the box and emptying out all the trinkets it contained, fell to
' By these words she appealed to his honour.
^ These vehicles suggest derivation from European witchery. In the Brcsl. Edit,
(xii. 304) one of the women rides a " Miknasah " or broom.
3 i.e. a recluse who avoids society.
The Goldsmith and the Cashmere Singing-Girl. 159
turning them over with his hand, till he chanced upon a necklace
whereof he had made gift to the Wazir to whom the girl belonged.
Seeing this, he called the Minister in question and said to him,
" This is the necklace I gave thee ? " He knew it at first sight
and answered, " It is ; and I gave it to a singing girl of mine."
Quoth the King, " Fetch that girl to me forthwith." So he fetched
her to him, and he said, " Uncover her back parts and see if there
be a wound therein or no." The Wazir accordingly bared her
backside and finding a knife-wound there, said, " Yes, O my lord,
there is a wound." Then said the King, " This is the witch of
whom the devotee told me, and there can be no doubt of it," and
bade cast her into the witches' well. So they carried her thither
at once. As soon as it was night and the goldsmith knew that
his plot had succeeded, he repaired to the pit, taking with him a
purse of a thousand dinars, and, entering into converse with the
warder, sat talking with him till a third part of the night was
passed, when he broached the matter to him, saying, " Know, O
my brother, that this girl is innocent of that they lay to her charge
and that it was I brought this calamity upon her." Then he told
him the whole story, first and last, adding, " Take, O my brother,
this purse of a thousand dinars and give me the damsel, that I
may carry her to my own land, for these gold pieces will profit
thee more than keeping her in prison ; moreover Allah will requite
thee for us, and we too will both ofier up prayers for thy prosperity
and safety." When the warder heard this story, he marvelled with
exceeding marvel at that device and its success ; then taking the
money, he delivered the girl to the goldsmith, conditioning that
he should not abide one hour with her in the city. Thereupon the
goldsmith took the girl and fared on with her, without ceasing,
till he reached his own country and so he won his wish. " See,
then, O King" (said the damsel), "the malice of men and their
wiles. Now thy Wazirs hinder thee from doing me justice on
thy son ; but to-morrow we shall stand, both thou and I, before
the Just Judge, and He shall do me justice on thee, O King.*
When the King heard this, he commanded to put his son to
death ; but the fifth Wazir came in to him and kissing the ground
before him, said, *' O mighty King, delay and hasten not to slay
thy son : speed will oftentimes repentance breed ; and I fear for
thee lest thou repent, even as did the man who never laughed for
the rest of his days." " And how was that, O Wazir ? " asked the
King. Quoth he :— I have heard tell, O King, this tale concerning
l6o Alf Lay la h wa Laylah,
niE MAN WHO NEVER LAUGHED DURING THE REST
OE HIS DAYS.
There was once a man who was rich in lands and houses and
monies and goods, eunuchs and slaves, and he died and went to
the mercy of Allah the Most High ; leaving a young son, who,
when he grew up, gave himself to feasting and carousing and
hearing music and singing and the loud laughter of parasites ;
and he wasted his substance in gifts and prodigality till he had
squandered all the money his father left him And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Xoh3 tofjcn it tons tijc Jpfbc ^"^untircli nnti i£(gl)tj)-cigbti) Xigljt,
She said, It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that the young
man, when he had squandered all the money his father had left
him and naught thereof remained to him, betook himself to selling
his slaves and handmaids, lands and houses and spent the proceeds
on like wise, till he was reduced to beggary and must needs labou
for his living. He abode thus a year's space, at the end of which
time he was sitting one day under a wall, awaiting who should hire
him when behold, there came up to him an old man of comely
aspect and apparel and saluted him. The young man asked, " O
uncle, hast thou known me aforetime ? " and the other answered,
" Not so, O my son, I know thee not at all, at all ; but I see the
trace of gentle breeding on thee despite thy present case." " O
uncle," rejoined the poor man, "needs must Fate and Fortune be
accomplished ; but, O uncle, O bright of blee, hast thou any oc-
casion wherein thou wouldst employ me?'' Said the other, "I
wish, O my son, to employ thee in a slight matter." " What is
it?" quoth the young man, and quoth the stranger, "We arc
eleven old men in one house, but we have none to serve us ; so
an thou wilt stay and take service with us, thou shalt have food
and clothing to thy heart's content, besides what cometh to thcc
of coin and other good ; and haply Allah will restore thee thy
fortune by our means." Replied the youth, "Hearkening and
obedience ! " " But I have a contlition to impose on thee." " What
is that ?" " O my son, it is that thou keep our secret in what thou
The Man who never Laughed during the Rest of his Days. l6l
seest us do, and if thou see us weep, that thou question us not of
the cause of our weeping." " It is well, O uncle ; " " Come with
me, O my son, with the blessing of Allah Almighty." So he
followed him to the bath, where the old man caused cleanse his
body of the crusted dirt, after which he sent one to fetch a hand-
some garment of linen and clad him therein. Then he carried
him to his company which was in his domicile and the youth
found a house lofty and spacious and strongly builded, wherein
were sitting-chambers facing one another ; and saloons, in each
one a fountain of water, with the birds warbling over it, and
windows on every side, giving upon a fair garden within the
house. The old man brought him into one of the parlours, which
was variegated with many-coloured marbles, the ceiling thereof
being decorated with ultramarine and glowing gold ; and the floor
bespread with silken carpets. Here he found ten Shayks in
mourning apparel, seated one opposite other, weeping and wailing.
He marvelled at their case and purposed to ask the reason, when
he remembered the condition and held his peace. Then he who
had brought him delivered to him a chest containing thirty thou-
sand dinars and said to him, " O my son, spend freely from this
chest what is fitting for our entertainment and thine own ; and be
thou faithful and remember that wherewith I charged thee." " I
hear and I obey," answered he and served them days and nights,
till one of them died, whereupon his fellows washed him and
shrouded him and buried him in a garden behind the house ^ nor
did death cease to take them, one after other, till there remained
but the Shaykh who had hired the youth for service. Then the
two men, old and young, dwelt together in that house alone for
years and years, nor was there with them a third save Allah the
Most High, till the elder fell sick ; and when the younger despaired
of his life, he went up to him and condoling with him, said, " O
nuncle mine, I have waited upon you twelve years and have not
failed of my duties a single hour, but have been loyal and faithful
to you and served you with my might and main." " Yes, O my
son," answered the old man, " thou hast served us well until all my
comrades are gone to the mercy of Allah (to whom belong honour
and glory !) and needs must I die also." " O my lord," said the
other, " thou art in danger of death and I would fain have thee
^ " Consecrated ground " is happily unknown to Moslems.
VOL. VL L
1 62 Alf Laylah wa Lay la k.
acquaint me with the cause of your weeping and waih'ng and of
your unceasing mourning and lamentation and regrets." " O my
son/' answered the old man, " it concerns thee not to know this,
so importune me not of what I may not do : for I have vowed to
Almighty Allah that I would acquaint none of His creatures with
this, lest he be afflicted with what befel me and my comrades. If,
then, thou desire to be delivered from that into which we fell, look
thou open not yonder door,"' and pointed to a certain part of the
house ; " but, if thou have a mind to suffer what we have suffered,
then open it and thou shalt learn the cause of that thou hast seen
us do ; and whenas thou knowest it, thou shalt repent what time
repentance will avail thee not." And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
:Nroto fcobcn It foas x\^t J[ptbe f^unlirclj antJ 1Eigf)tB-nfnt]b Nigtt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the sur-
viving Shaykh of the ten said to the youth, " Beware how thou
open yonder door or thou shalt repent what time repentance will
avail thee not." Then his sickness grew on him and he accom-
plished his term and departed life to the presence of his Lord ;
and the young man washed him with his own hands and shrouded
him and buried him by the side of his comrades ; after which he
abode alone in the place and took possession of whatsoever was
therein. Withal he was uneasy and troubled concerning the case
of the old men, till, one day, as he sat pondering the words of his
dead master and his injunction not to open the door, he sudden!}'
bethought himself to go and look for it. So he rose up and
repaired to the part whither the dead man had pointed and sought
till, in a dark unfrequented corner, he found a little door, over
which the spider had spun her webs and which was fastened 'vith
four padlocks of steel. Seeing this he recalled the old man's
warning and restrained himself and went away ; and he held aloof
from it seven days, whilst all the time his heart prompted him to
open it. On the eighth day his curiosity got the better of him and
he said, " Come what will, needs must I open the door and see
what will happen to me therefrom. Nothing can avert what is
fated and fore-ordained of Allah the Most High; nor doth aught
• This incident occurs in the " Third Kalandar's Talc." See vol. i , 157 ; and note to
p. 145-
'il^ie Man who never Laughed during the Rest of hu Days. i6y
befal but by His will.'* So saying, he rose and broke the padlocks'
and opening the door saw a narrow passage, which he followed for
some three hours when lo ! he came out on the shore of a vast
ocean ^ and fared on along the beach, marvelling at this main,
whereof he had no knowledge and turning right and left. Presently,
a great eagle swooped down upon him from the lift and seizing
him in its talons, flew away with him betwixt heaven and earth,
till it came to an island in the midst of the sea, where it cast him
down and flew away. The youth was dazed and knew not whither
he should wend, but after a few days as he sat pondering his case,
he caught sight of the sails of a ship in the middlemost of the
main, as it were a star in the sky ; and his heart clave to it, so
haply his deliverance might be therein. He continued gazing at
the ship, until it drew nigh, when he saw that it was a foyst builded
all of ivory and ebony, inlaid with glistening gold made fast by
nails of steel, with oars of sandal and lign-aloes. In it were ten
damsels, high-bosomed maids, as they were moons; and when
they saw him, they came ashore to him and kissed his hands, say-
ing, " Thou art the King, the Bridegroom ! " Then there accosted
him a young lady, as she were the sun shining in sky serene
bearing in hand a silken napkin, wherein were a royal robe and a
crown of gold set with all manner rubies and pearls. She threw
the robe over him and set the crown upon his head, after which the
damsels bore him on their arms to the foyst, where he found all
kinds of silken carpets and hangings of various colours. Then
they spread the sails and stretched out into mid-ocean. Quoth the
young man : — Indeed, when they put to sea with me, meseemed it
was a dream and I knew not whither they were wending with
me. Presently, we drew near to land, and I saw the shore full of
troops none knoweth their number save Allah (extolled and
exalted be He !) and all were magnificently arrayed and clad in
complete steel. As soon as the vessel had made fast to the land,
they brought me five marked^ horses of noble breeds, housed and
* The Mac. Edit, has " Nahr " = river.
^ i.e. marked with the V\^asm or tribal sign to show their blood. The subject of Wasm
is extensive and highly interesting, for many of these brands date doubtless from prehis-
toric ages. For instance, some of the great Anazah nation (not tribe) uses a circlet, the
initial of their name (an Ayn-letter), which thus shows the eye from which it was formed.
I have given some specimens of Wasm in The Land of Midian (i. 320) where, as amongst
the " Sinailic " Badawin, various kinds of crosses are preserved long after the death and
burial of Christianity.
1 64 A If Laylah zua LaylaJi.
saddled witb. gold, inlaid with all manner pearls and high-priced
bezel stones. I chose out one of them and mounted it, whilst they
led the four others before me. Then they raised the banners and
the standards over my head, whilst the troops ranged themselves
right and left, and we set out, with drums beating and cymbals
clashing, and rode on ; whilst I debated in myself whether I were
in sleep or on wake; and we never ceased faring, I believing not in
that my estate, but taking all this for the imbroglio of a dream,
till we drew near to the green mead, full of palaces and gardens
and trees and streams and blooms and birds chanting the praises
of Allah the One, the Victorious. Hereupon, behold, an army
sallied out from amid the palaces and gardens, as it were the
torrent when it poureth down,* and the host overflowed the mead.
These troops halted at a little distance from me and presently
there rode forth from amongst them a King, preceded by some of
his chief officers on foot. When he came up to the young man
(saith the tale-teller) he dismounted also, and the two saluted each
other after the goodliest fashion. Then sard the King, " Come
with us, for thou art my guest." So they took horse again and
rode on stirrup touching stirrup in great and stately procession,
conversing as they went, till they came to the royal palace, where
they alighted together. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
KfotD fol^en it baas tfje jpib£ IQuntjrcti anij Ninctict!) Nigbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the two rode
together in stately procession till they entered the palace, when the
King taking the young man by 'the hand, led him into a domed
room followed by his suite, and making him sit down on a throne
of gold, seated himself beside him. Then he unbound the swathe
from his lower face ; and behold, the King was a young lady, like
the splendid sun shining in the sheeny sky, perfect in beauty and
loveliness, brilliancy and grace, arrogance ^ and all perfection. The
youth looked upon this singular blessing and embodied boon and
' i.e. from the heights. The " Sayl " is a dangerous feature in Arabia as in Southern
India, where many ofTiccrs have lost their lives by trying to swim it.
*Arab. "'Ujb." I use arrogance in the Spanish sense of "arroganle," gay and
gallant.
The Man who never Laughed during the Rest of his Days. 165
was lost in wonder at her charms and comeliness and seemlihead
and at the splendour and affluence he saw about him, when she said
" Know, O King, that I am the Queen of this land and that all the
troops thou hast seen, whether horse or foot, are women, there is
no man amongst them ; for in this our state the men delve and sow
and ear and occupy themselves with the tillage of the earth and
the building of towns and other mechanical crafts and useful arts,
whilst the women govern and fill the great offices of state and bear
arms." At this the youth marvelled with e;xceeding marvel and,
as they were in discourse, behold, in came the Wazir who was
a tall gray-haired old woman of venerable semblance and majestic
aspect, and it was told him that this was the Minister. Quoth the
Queen to her, " Bring us the Kazi and witnesses." So she went
out to do this, and the Queen, turning to him, conversed with him
in friendly fashion, and enforced herself to reassure his awe of her
and do away his shame with speech blander than the zephyr,
saying, "Art thou content to be to me baron and I to thee feme }"
Thereupon he arose and would have kissed ground between her
hands, but she forbade him and he replied, saying, " O my lady, I
am the least of thy slaves who serve thee." " Seest thou all these
servants and soldiers and riches and hoards and treasures .''" asked
she, and he answered, " Yes ! " Quoth she, " All these are at thy
commandment to dispose of them and give and bestow as seemeth
good to thee." Then she pointed to a closed door and said,
" All these things are at thy disposal, save yonder door ; that
shalt thou not open, and if thou open it thou shalt repent when
repentance will avail thee naught. So beware ! and again I say,
beware ! " Hardly had she made an end of speaking when the
Waziress entered followed by the Kazi and witnesses, all old
women, with their hair streaming over their shoulders and of
reverend and majestic presence ; and the Queen bade them
draw up the contract of marriage between herself and the young
man. Accordingly, they performed the marriage-ceremony and
the Queen made a great bride-feast, to which she bade all the
troops ; and after they had eaten and drunken, he v/ent in unto
his bride and found her a maid virginal. So he did away her
hymen and abode with her seven years in all joyance and solace
and delight of life, till, one day of the days, he bethought himself
of the forbidden door and said in himself, " Except there were
therein treasures greater and grander than any I have seen, she
had not forbidden me therefrom." So he rose and opened the
1 66 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
door, when, lo ! behind it was the very bird which had brought
him from the sea-shore to the island, and it said to him, *' No
welcome to a face that shall never prosper ! " When he saw it
and heard what it said, he fled from it ; but it followed him and
seizing him in its talons, flew with him an hour's journey betwixt
heaven and earth, till it set him down in the place whence it had
first carried him off and flew away. When he came to his senses,
he remembered his late estate, great, grand and glorious, and the
troops which rode before him and his lordly rule and all the
honour and fair fortune he had lost and fell to weeping and
wailing.* He abode two months on the sea-shore, where the
bird had set him down, hoping yet to return to his wife, till, as
he sat one night wakeful, mourning and musing, behold, he heard
one speaking, albeit he saw no one, and saying, " How great were
the delights ! Alas, far from thee is the return of that which is
past ! " When he heard this, he redoubled in his regrets and
despaired of recovering his wife and his fair estate that was ; so
he returned, weary and broken-hearted, to the house where he had
dwelt with the old men and knew that they had fared even as he
and that this was the cause of their shedding tears and lamenting
their lot; wherefore he ever after held them excused. Then, being
overcome with chagrin and concern, he took to his chamber and
gave himself up to mourning and lamentation ; and he ceased not
crying and complaining and left eating and drinking and pleasant
scents and merriment ; nor did he laugh once till the day of his
death, when they buried him beside the Shaykhs. "See, then, O
King," continued the Wazir " what comcth of precipitance ; verily,
it is unpraiseworthy and bequcatheth repentance ; and in this I
give thee true advice and loyal counsel." When the King heard
tiiis story, he turned from slaying his son ; And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Kolu luljcn it tons tlje §M |i:juntircti anli Xinctp-first Nigbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King heard this story he turned from slaying his son ; but, on the
sixth day, the favourite came in to him bending a naked knife in
hand, and said to him, *' Know, O my lord, that except thou
In this rechaiilTc Paul Pry escapes without losing an eye.
The King's Son and the Merchant's Wife. 167
hearken to my complaint and protect thy right and thine honour
against these thy Ministers, who are banded together against me,
to do me wrong, I will kill myself with this knife, and my blood
will testify against thee on the Day of Doom. Indeed, they pre-
tend that women are full of tricks and malice and perfidy ; and
they design thereby to defeat me of my due and hinder the
King from doing me justice ; but, behold, I will prove to thee
that men are more perfidious than women by the story of a
King among the Kings and how he gained access to the wife
of a certain merchant." " And what passed between them } "
asked the King, and she answered : — I have heard tell, O august
King, a tale of
THE KING'S SON AND THE MERCHANT'S WIFE.
A CERTAIN merchant, who was addicted to jealousy, had a wife
that was a model of beauty and loveliness ; and of the excess of
his fear and jealousy of her, he would not abide with her in any
town, but built her a pavilion without the city, apart from all other
buildings. And he raised its height and strengthened its doors and
provided them with curious locks ; and when he had occasion to go
into the city, he locked the doors and hung the keys about his
neck/ One day, when the merchant was abroad, the King's son
of that city came forth, to take his pleasure and solace in the open
country without the walls, and seeing the solitary pavilion, stood
still to examine it for a long while. At last he caught sight of a
charming lady looking and leaning out of one of the windows,^ and
being smitten with amazement at her grace and charms, cast about
for a means of getting to her, but could find none. So he called up
one of his pages, who brought him ink-case^ and paper and wrote
her a letter, setting forth his condition for love of her. Then he set
' Eastern tale-tellers always harp upon this theme, the cunning precautions taken hu-
mankind and their utter confusion by "Fate and Fortune." In such matters the West
remarks, *' Ce que femme veut, Dieu veut."
^ As favourite an occupation in Oriental lands as in Southern Europe and the Brazil,
where the Quinta or country villa must be built by the road-side to please the mristress.
^ The ink-case would contain the pens ; hence called in India Kalamddn =: reed
(pen) box, I have advised travellers to prefer the strong Egyptian article of brass to the
Persian, which is of wood or papier-mache, prettily varnished, but not to wear it in
the waist-belt, as this is a sign of being a scribe (Pilgrimage i. 353).
1 68 A If Laytak wa Laylah.
it on the pile-point of an arrow and shot it at the pavilion, and it
fell in the garden, where the lady was then walking with her
maidens. She said to one of the girls," Hasten and bring me yon
letter," for she could read writing ;' and, when she had read it and
understood what he said in it of his love and passion, yearning and
longing, she wrote him a merciful reply, to the effect that she was
smitten with a yet fiercer desire for him ; and then threw the letter
down to him from one of the windows of the pavilion. When he
saw her, he picked up the reply and after reading it, came under
the window and said to her, " Let me down a thread, that I may
send thee this key ; which do thou take and keep by thee." So
she let down a thread and he tied the key to it.^ Then he went
away and repairing to one of his father's Wazirs, complained to
him of his passion for the lady and that he could not live without
her ; and the Minister said, " And how dost thou bid me contrive ? "
Quoth the Prince, *' I would have thee set me in a chest ^ and com-
mit it to the merchant, feigning to him that it is thine and desiring
him to keep it for thee in his country-house some days, that I may
have my will of her; then do thou demand it back from him."
The Wazir answered, " With love and gladness." So the Prince
returned to his palace and fixing the padlock, the key whereof he
had given the lady, on a chest he had by him, entered therein.
Then the Wazir locked it upon him and setting it on a mule,
carried it to the pavilion of the merchant, who, seeing the Minister,
came forth to him and kissed his hands, saying, " Belike our lord the
Wazir hath some need or business which we may have the pleasure
and honour of accomplishing for him ?" Quoth the Minister, " I
would have thee set this chest in the safest and best place within
thy house and keep it till I seek it of thee." So the merchant
made the porters carry it inside and set it down in one of his store-
closets, after which he went out on business. As soon as he was
• The vulgar Eastern idea is that women are quite knowing enough without learning to
read and write : and at all events they sliould not be taught anything beyond rcadir.,,
the Koran, or some clearly-written book. The contrast with modern Europe is great ;
greater still in Anglo-America of our day, and greatest with the new sects which propose
•' biunes" and " bisexuals " and " women robed with the sun."
^ In the Bresl. Edit, the Prince ties a key to a second arrow and shoots it into the
pavilion.
'' The '•box-trick" has often been played with success, by Lord Byron amongst a
host of others. The readiness with which the Wazir enters into the scheme is charac-
teristic of oriental servility : an honest Moslem should at least put m a remonstrance.
Tke Page ivho Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds. 169
gone, his wife arose and went up to the chest and unlocked it with
the key the King's son had given her, whereupon there came forth
a youth like the moon. When she saw him, she donned her richest
raiment and carried him to her sitting-saloon, where they abode
seven days, eating and drinking and making merry : and as often
as her husband came home, she put the Prince back into the chest
and locked it upon him. One day the King asked for his son and
the Wazir hurried off to the merchant's place of business and
sought of him the chest. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Koto fof)0n ft toas tfjc jpitjc l^unHrcti anlj KimtBsscconlr N{gf)t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
the Wazir reached the merchant's counting-house he asked for the
box. The man accordingly repaired in haste to his pavilion, con-
trary to his custom and knocked at the door. When his wife was
ware of him, she hurried the Prince back into the chest, but, in her
confusion, forgot to lock it. The merchant bade the porters take
it up and carry it to his house in the town. So they took up the
box by the lid, whereupon it flew open and lo ! the Prince was
lying within. When the merchant saw him and knew him for the
King's son, he went out to the Wazir and said to him, " Go in,
thou, and take the King's son ; for none of us may lay hands on
him." So the Minister went in and taking the Prince, went away
with him. As soon as they were gone, the merchant put away his
wife and swore that he would never marry again. And, continued
the damsel, I have heard tell, also, O King, a tale of
THE PAGE WHO FEIGNED TO KNOW THE SPEECH
OF BIRDS}
A CERTAIN man of rank once entered the slave-market and saw
a page being cried for sale ; so he bought him and carrying him
home, said to his wife, "Take good care of him." The lad abode
' This story appears familiar, but I have not found it easy to trace. In " The Book c
Sindibad " (p. 83) it is apparently represented by a lacuna. In the Squire's Tale of
Chaucer Canace's ring enables the wearer to understand bird-language, not merely tc
pretend as does the slave-boy in the text.
170 Alf Laylah wa Laylah,
there for a while till, one day, the man said to his wife, "Go forth
to-morrow to the garden and take thy solace therein and amuse
thyself and enjoy thyself." And she replied, " With love and glad-
less I " Now when the page heard this, he made ready in secret
meat and drink and fruits and dessert, and sallied forth with them
privily that night to the garden, where he laid the meat under one
tree, the wine under another and the fruit and conserves under a
third, in the way his mistress must pass. When morning mor-
rowed the husband bade him accompany the lady to that garden
carrying with him all the provisions required for the day ; so she
took horse and riding thither with him, dismounted and entered.
Presently, as they were walking about, a crow croaked,^ and the
page said, " Thou sayst sooth ;" whereupon his mistress asked
him, " Dost thou know what the crow said t "; and he answered,
" Yes, O my lady, he said. Under yonder tree is meat ; go and eat
it." So she said, " I see thou really dost understand them ;" then
she went up to the tree and, finding a dish of meat ready dressed,
was assured that the youth told the truth and marvelled with ex-
ceeding marvel. They ate of the meat and walked about awhile,
taking their pleasure in the garden, till the crow croaked a second
time, and the page again replied, " Thou sayst sooth." " What
said he } " quoth the lady, and quoth the page, " O my lady, he
saith that under such a tree are a gugglet of water flavoured with
musk and a pitcher of old wine." So she went up with him to the
tree and, finding the wine and water there, redoubled in wonder-
ment and the page was magnified in her eyes. They sat down and
drank, then arose and walked in another part of the garden. Pre-
sently the crow croaked again and the page said, "Thou sayst sooth."
Said the lady, " What saith he now ? " and the page replied, " He
saith that under yonder tree are fruits, fresh and dried." So they
went thither and found all as he said and sat down and ate. Then
they walked about again till the crow croaked a fourth time,
whercuj)on the page took up a stone and threw it at him. Quoth
she, " What said he, that thou shouldst stone him ? " " O my
lady," answered he, " he said what I cannot tell thee." " Say on,"
' The crow is an ill-oincncd bird in Al-Isl.ini and in Eastern Christendom. " Tho
crow o( cr.rsed life and foul odciir," s.iys the I'ook of Kaiilah and Dimna (p. 44). The
Hindus .ire its only protectors, and in this m.itter they follow suit with the Gucbrcs. 1
may note that the word belongs to the days before "Aryan" and "Semitic" speech
had parted; we find it in Heb. Oreb ; Arab. Ghurab ; Lat. Coivus ; Engl. Crow, etc
The Page who Feigned to Know the Speech of Birds. 171
rejoined she, " and be not abashed in my presence, for there is
naught between me and thee." But he ceased not to say, " No,"
and she to press him to speak, till at last she conjured him to tell
her, and he answered, " The crow said to me : — Do with thy lady
€ven as doth her husband." When she heard his words she
laughed till she fell backward and said, " This is a light matter,
and I may not gainsay thee therein." So saying, she went up to
a tree and, spreading the carpet under it, lay down, and called to
him to come and do her need, when, lo ! her husband, who had
followed them unawares and saw this, called out to the page,
saying, " Harkye, boy ! What ails thy mistress to lie there, weep-
ing } " Answered the page, " O my lord, she fell off the tree and
was killed ; ^ and none but Allah (be He extolled and exalted !)
restored her to thee. Wherefore she lay down awhile to recover
herself by rest." When the lady saw her husband standing by her
head, she rose and made a show of weakness and pain, saying,
** O my back ! O my sides ! Come to my help, O my friends ! I
shall never survive this." So her husband was deceived and said
to the page, " Fetch thy mistress's horse and set her thereon."
Then he carried her home, the boy holding one stirrup and the man
the other and saying, "Allah vouchsafe thee ease and recovery!"
" These then, O King," (said the damsel) " are some instances of
the craft of men and their perfidy ; wherefore let not thy Wazirs
turn thee from succouring me and doing me justice." Then she
wept, and when the King saw her weeping (for she was the dearest
to him of all his slave-girls) he once more commanded to put his
son to death ; but the sixth Minister entered and kissing ground
before him, said, " May the Almighty advance the King ! Verily
I am a loyal counsellor to thee, in that I counsel thee to deal
deliberately in the matter of thy son;" And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
iiofo toten it foas tj^e jpibe l^unbtelj antJ NmetB=t|)irtf .ptg'ot,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the sixth
W^azir said, " O King, deal deliberately in the matter of thy son ;
for falsehood is as smoke and fact is built on base which shall not
be broken; yea, and the light of sooth dispelleth the night of
^ Again in the Hibernian sense of being " kilt."
1/2 A If Laylah wa Lay /ah.
untruth. Know that the perfidy of women is great, even as saith
Allah the Most High in His Holy Book, " Verily, the malice of
you is great." ' And indeed a tale hath reached me that a certain
woman befooled the Chiefs of the State on such wise as never did
any before her." Asked the King, " And how was that } " And
the Wazir answered : — I have heard tell a tale, O King, as follows
concerning
THE LADY AND HER FLVE SUITORS.-^
A WOMAN of the daughters of the merchants was married to a man
who was a great traveller. It chanced once that he set out for a
far country and was absent so long that his wife, for pure ennui,
fell in love with a handsome young man of the sons of the mer-
chants, and they loved each other with exceeding love. One day,
the youth quarrelled with another man, who lodged a complaint
against him with the Chief of Police, and he cast him into prison.
When the news came to the merchant's wife his mistress, she well-
• Quoted in Night dlxxxii. ; said by Kilfir or Itfir (Potiphar) when his wife (Rail
or Zulaykha) charged Joseph with attempting her chastity and he saw that the youth's
garment was whole in front and rent in rear (Koran, chapt. xii.).
* This witty tale, ending somewhat grossly here, has over-wandered the world. First
we find it in the Katha (S. S.) where Upakosha, the merry wife of Varanichi, disrobes her
suitors, a family priest, a commander of the guard and the prince's tutor, under plea
of the bath and stows them away in baskets which suggest Falstaff's "buck-basket."
In Miss Stokes' "Indian Fairy Talcs " the fair wife of an absent merchant plays a similar
notable prank upon the Kotwal, the Wazir, the Kazi and the King ; and akin to this is
the exploit of Temal Ramakistnan, the Madrasi Tyl Eulenspicgcl and Scogin who by
means of a lady saves his life from the Rajah and the High Priest. Mr. G. II. Damant
(pp. 357-360 of the " Indbn Antiquary " of 1S73) relates the " Tale of the Touchstone,"
a legend of Dinahpur, wherein a woman " sells " her four admirers. In the Persian
Tales ascribed to the Dervish " Moklcs " (Mukhlis) of Isfahan, the lady Aruya tricks
and exposes a Kazi, a doctor and a governor. Boccaccio (viii. i) has the story of a lady
who shut up her gallant in a chc^t with her husband's sanction ; and a similar talc
(ix. l) of Rinuccio and Alexander with the corpse of Scannaileo (Throkh-god). Hence
a Lydgate (circ. A.D. 1430) derived the plot of his metrical lale of tlie " Lady Prioress
and her Three Sisters" ; which was modified in the Xetlicrlandish version by the intro-
duction of the Long Wapper, a Flemish RoMn ("lOodfclIow. l-'ullowcd in I-^nglish the
metrical tale of " The Wright's Chaste Wife,'" by Adam of Cobham (edited by Mr.
Furnivall from a MS. of circ. .'V.D. 1460) where the victims are a lord, a steward and
a proctor. Sec also " Tlie Master-Maid " in Dr. (now .Sir George) Dascnt's " Popular
Tales from the Nor>c." Mr. Clouston, who gives these det.uls more fully, mentions a
similar Scottish story concerning a lascivious monk and the chaste wife of a miller.
The Lady and her Five Suitors. 173
nigh lost her wits ; then she arose and donning her richest clothes
repaired to the house of the Chief of Police. She saluted him
and presented a written petition to this purport : — " He thou hast
clapped in jail is my brother, such and such, who fell out with
such an one ; and those who testified against him bore false
witness. He hath been wrongfully imprisoned, and I have none
other to come in to me nor to provide for my support ; therefore
I beseech thee of thy grace to release him." When the magistrate
had read the paper, he cast his eyes on her and fell in love with
her forthright ; so he said to her, " Go into the house, till I bring
him before me ; then I will send for thee and thou shalt take him,"
" O my lord," replied she, *' I have none to protect me save Al-
mighty Allah ! : I am a stranger and may not enter any man's
abode." Quoth the Wali, " I will not let him go, except thou
come to my home and I take my will of thee." Rejoined she,
" If it must be so, thou must needs come to my lodging and sit
and sleep the siesta and rest the whole day there," " And where
is thy abode .'' " asked he ; and she answered, " In such a place,"
and appointed him for such a time. Then she went out from him,
leaving his heart taken with love of her, and she repaired to the
Kazi of the city, to whom she said, " O our lord the Kazi ! " He
exclaimed, " Yes ! " and she continued, " Look into my case, and
thy reward be with Allah the Most High ! " Quoth he, " Who
hath wronged thee ? " and quoth she, " O my lord, I have a brother
and I have none but that one, and it is on his account that I come
to thee ; because the Wali hath imprisoned him for a criminal and
men have borne false witness against him that he is a wrong-doer ;
and I beseech thee to intercede for him with the Chief of Police,"
When the Kazi looked on her, he fell in love with her forthright
and said to her, " Enter the house and rest awhile with my hand-
maids whilst I send to the Wali to release thy brother. If I knew
the money-fine which is upon him, I would pay it out of my own
purse, so I may have my desire of thee, for thou pleasest me with
thy sweet speech." Quoth she, " If thou, O my lord, do thus, we
must not blame others." Quoth he, " An thou wilt not come in,
wend thy Vv^ays." Then said she, " An thou wilt have it so, O our
lord, it will be privier and better in my place than in thine, for
here are slave-girls and eunuchs and goers-in and comers-out, and
indeed I am a woman who wotteth naught of this fashion ; but
need compelleth." Asked the Kazi, " And where is thy house ? ";
and she answered, " In such a place," and appointed him for tlie
174 ^If Lay/ah 2ua Laylah.
same day and time as the Chief of Police. Then she went out
from him to the Wazir, to whom she preferred her petition for the
release from prison of her brother who was absokitely necessary to
her : but he also required her of herself, saying, " Suffer me to
have my will of thee and I will set thy brother free." Quoth she,
*' An thou wilt have it so, be it in my house, for there it will be
privier both for me and for thee. It is not far distant and thou
knowest that which behoveth us women of cleanliness and adorn-
ment." Asked he, "Where is thy house .'' " "In such a place,"
answered she and appointed him for the same time as the two
others. Then she went out from him to the King of the city and
told him her story and sought of him her brother's release. " Who
imprisoned him .'* " enquired he ; and she replied, " 'Twas thy
Chief of Police." When the King heard her speech, it transpierced
his heart with the arrows of love and he bade her enter the palace
with him, that he might send to the Kazi and release her brother.
Quoth she, " O King, this thing is easy to thee, whether I will or
nill ; and if the King will indeed have this of me, it is of my good
fortune ; but, if he come to my house, he will do me the more
honour by setting step therein, even as saith the poet : —
O my friends, have ye seen or have ye heard o Of his visit whose virtues I
hold so high ?
Quoth the King, " We will not cross thee in this." So she
appointed him for the same time as the three others, and told
him where her house was. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Note fof)cn it foas tf)c jpibc |L}untirclJ antJ Xfnctp-fourtf) Xi'gljt,
She said, It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that the woman
told the King where her house was and appointed him for the
same time as ihc Wali, the Kazi and tiie Wazir. Then she left
him and betaking herself to a man which was a carpenter, said to
him, " I would have thee make me a cabinet witii four compart-
ments one above other, each with its door for locking up. Let
me know thy hire and I will give it thee." Replied he, " My
price will be four dinars ; but, O noble lady and well-protc ' d, if
thou wilt vouchsafe me thy favours, I will ask nothing of tiiee."
The Lady and her Five Suitors. 175
Rejoined she, "An there be no help but that thou have it so, then
make thou five compartments with their padlocks;" and she
appointed him to bring it exactly on the day required. Said he,
" It is well ; sit down, O my lady, and I will make it for thee
forthright, and after I will come to thee at my leisure." So she
sat down by him, whilst he fell to work on the cabinet, and when
he had made an end of it she chose to see it at once carried home
and set up in the sitting-chamber. Then she took four gowns
and carried them to the dyer, who dyed them each of a different
colour ; after which she applied herself to making ready meat and
drink ; fruits, flowers and perfumes. Now when the appointed
trysting day came, she donned her costliest dress and adorned
herself and scented herself, then spread the sitting-room with
various kinds of rich carpets and sat down to await who should
come. . And behold, the Kazi was the first to appear, devancing
the rest, and when she saw him, she rose to her feet and kissed
the ground before him ; then, taking him by the hand, made him
sit down by her on the couch and lay with him and fell to jesting
and toying with him. By and by, he would have her do his
desire, but she said, " O my lord, doff thy clothes and turband and
assume this yellow cassock and this head-kerchief,^ whilst I bring
thee meat and drink ; and after thou shalt win thy will." So
saying, she took his clothes and turband and clad him in the
cassock and the kerchief; but hardly had she done this, when lo !
there came a knocking at the door. Asked he, " Who is that
rapping at the door .'*" and she answered, " My husband." Quoth
the Kazi, " What is to be done, and where shall I go ? " Quoth
she, " Fear nothing, I will hide thee in this cabinet ; " and he,
" Do as seemeth good to thee." So she took him by the hand
and pushing him into the lowest compartment, locked the door
upon him. Then she went to the house-door, where she found
the Wali ; so she bussed ground before him and taking his hand
brought him into the saloon, where she made him sit down and
said to him, " O my lord, this house is thy house ; this place is thy
place, and I am thy handmaid : thou shalt pass all this day with
' When Easterns sit down to a drinking bout, which means to get drunk as speedily
and pleasantly as possible, they put off dresses of dull colours and robe themselves in
clothes supplied by the host, of the brightest he may have, especially yellow, green, and
red of different shades. So the lady's proceeding was not likely to breed suspicion ;
although her tastes were somewhat fantastic and like Miss Julia's — peculiar.
17^ A If Laylak wa Laylah.
me ; wherefore do thou doff thy clothes and don this red gown,
for it is a sleeping gown." So she took away his clothes and
made him assume the red gown and set on his head an old
patched rag she had by her ; after which she sat by him on the
divan and she sported with him while he toyed with her awhile,
till he put out his hand to her. Whereupon she said to him, " O
our lord, this day is thy day and none shall share in it with thee ;
but first, of thy favour and benevolence, write me an order for my
brother's release from gaol that my heart may be at ease."
Quoth he, " Hearkening and obedience : on my head and eyes be
it ! " ; and wrote a letter to his treasurer, saying : — " As soon as
this communication shall reach thee, do thou set such an one free,
without stay or delay ; neither answer the bearer a word." Then
he sealed it and she took it from him, after which she began
to toy again with him on the divan when, behold, some one
knocked at the door. He asked, " Who is that } " and she
answered, " My husband." ** What shall I do } " said he, and she,
" Enter this cabinet, till I send him away and return to thee." So
she clapped him into the second compartment from the bottom
and padlocked the door on him ; and meanwhile the Kazi heard
all they said. Then she went to the house-door and opened it,
whereupon lo ! the Wazir entered. She bussed the ground before
him and received him with all honour and worship, saying, " O
my lord, thou exaltest us by thy coming to our house ; Allah never
deprive us of the light of thy countenance ! " Then she seated
him on the divan and said to him, " O my lord, doff thy heavy
dress and turband and don these lighter vestments." So he put
off his clothes and turband and she clad him in a blue cassock and
a tall red bonnet, and said to him, " Erst thy garb was that of the
Wazirate; so leave it to its own time and don this light gown,
which is better fitted for carousing and making merry and sleep."
Thereupon she began to play with him and he with her, and he
would have done his desire of her ; but she put him off, saying.
*' O my lord, this shall not fail us." As they were talking there
came a knocking at the door, and the Wazir asked her, "Who i.;
that?": to which she answered, "My husband." Quoth he,
'What is to be done?" Quoth she, " Enter this cabinet, till I get
rid of him and come back to thee and fear thou nothing." So she
put him in the third compartment and locked the door on him,
after which she went out and opened the house-door when lo and
behold ! in came the King. As soon as she saw him she kissed
The Lady and her Five Suitors. 177
ground before him, and taking him by the hand, led him into the
saloon and seated him on the divan at the upper end. Then said
she to him, " Verily, O King, thou dost us high honour, and if we
brought thee to gift the world and all that therein is, it would not
be worth a single one of thy steps us-wards." And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King entered the lady's house she said to him, " Had we brought
thee to gift the world and all which is therein, it would not be
worth a single one of thy steps us-wards." And when he had
taken his seat upon the divan she said, " Give me leave to speak
one word." " Say what thou wilt," answered he, and she said,
**0 my lord, take thine ease and doff thy dress and turband."
Now his clothes were worth a thousand dinars ; and when he put
them off she clad him in a patched gown, worth at the very most
ten dirhams, and fell to talking and jesting with him ; all this
while the folk in the cabinet hearing everything that passed, but
not daring to say a word. Presently, the King put his hand to
her neck and sought to do his desire of her ; when she said,
" This thing shall not fail us, but I had first promised myself to
entertain thee in this sitting-chamber, and I have that which shall
content thee." Now as they were speaking, some one knocked at
the door and he asked her, " Who is that ? " " My husband,"
answered she, and he, " Make him go away of his own good will,
or I will fare forth to him and send him away perforce." Replied
she, " Nay, O my lord, have patience till I send him away by my
skilful contrivance." " And I, how shall I do ! " enquired the
King ; whereupon she took him by the hand and making him
enter the fourth compartment of the cabinet, locked it upon him.
Then she went out and opened the house door when behold, the
carpenter entered and- saluted her. Quoth she, " What manner
of thing is this cabinet thou hast made me ? " " What aileth it,
O my lady ? " asked he, and she answered, " The top compartment
is too strait." Rejoined he, " Not so ; " and she, " Go in thyself
and see ; it is not wide enough for thee." Quoth he, " It is wide
enough for four, " and entered the fifth compartment, whereupon
VOL. VI. M
178 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
she locked the door on him. Then she took the letter of the Chief
of Police and carried it to the treasurer who, having read and
understood it, kissed it and delivered her lover to her. She told
him all she had done and he said, " And how shall we act now ? "
She answered, " We will remove hence to another city, for after
this work there is no tarrying for us here." So the twain packed
up what goods they had and, loading them on camels, set out
forthright for another city. Meanwhile, the five abode each in his
compartment of the cabinet without eating or drinking three whole
days, during which time they held their water until at last the
carpenter could retain his no longer ; so he staled on the King's
head, and the King urined on the Wazir's head, and the Wazir
piddled on the Wali and the Wali pissed on the head of the Kazi ;
whereupon the Judge cried out and said, " What nastiness ' is this }
Doth not what strait we are in suffice us, but you must make
water upon us ? " The Chief of Police recognised the Kazi's voice
and answered, saying aloud, " Allah increase thy reward, O Kazi I"
And when the Kazi heard him, he knew him for the Wali, Then
the Chief of Police lifted up his voice and said, " What means this
nastiness .<*" and the Wazir answered, saying, "Allah increase thy
reward, O Wali !" whereupon he knew him to be the Minister.
Then the Wazir lifted up his voice and said, "What means this
nastiness .-' " But when the King heard and recognised his
Minister's voice, he held his peace and concealed his affair.
Then said the Wazir, " May God damn ^ this woman for her
dealing with us ! She hath brought hither all the Chief Officers of
the state, except the King." Quoth the King, " Hold your peace,
for I was the first to fall into the toils of this lewd strumpet."
Whereat cried the carpenter, " And I, what have I done .'* I made
her a cabinet for four gold pieces, and when I came to seek my
hire, she tricked me into entering this compartment and locked
the door on me." And they fell to talking with one another,
diverting the King and doing away his chagrin. Presently the
' Arab. " Naj.isah," meaning anything unclean which requires ablution before prayer.
Unfortnnatcly mucus is not of the number, so tlie common Moslem is very offensive in
the matter of nose.
^ Here the word " la'an " is used which most Moslems express by some euphemism.
The vulgar Egyptian says " Na'al " (S<iprc and Saf'risii for Sacri and Sacrisiic) ; the
Hindostani express it " 1 send him the three letters" — 1dm, ayn and nun.
The Lady and her Five Suitors. 179
neighbours came up to the house and, seeing it deserted, said one
to other, " But yesterday our neighbour, the wife of such an one,
was in it ; but now no sound is to be heard therein nor is soul to
be seen. Let us break open the doors and see how the case
stands, lest it come to the ears of the Wali or the King and we be
cast into prison and regret not doing this thing before." So they
broke open the doors and entered the saloon, where they saw
a large wooden cabinet and heard men within groaning for
hunger and thirst. Then said one of them, " Is there a Jinni in
this cabinet ? " and his fellow, " Let us heap fuel about it and burn
it with fire." When the Kazi heard this, he bawled out to them,
" Do it not ! " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
tNToto foften it toas t|)e Jpibc l^untireti antJ ^NfinttB-sixt!) ^iQfjt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
neighbours proposed to heap fuel about the cabinet and to burn it
the Kazi bawled out to them, " Do it not ! " And they said
to one another, " Verily the Jinn make believe to be mortals and
speak with men's voices." Thereupon the Kazi repeated some-
what of the Sublime Koran and said to the neighbours, " Draw
near to the cabinet wherein we are." So they drew near, and he
said, " I am so and so the Kazi, and ye are such an one and such
an one, and we are here a company." Quoth the neighbours,
" Who brought you here ? " And he told them the whole case
from beginning to end. Then they fetched a carpenter, who
opened the five doors and let out Kazi, Wazir, Wali, King and
carpenter in their queer disguises ; and each, when he saw how the
others were accoutred, fell a-laughing at them. Now she had
taken away all their clothes ; so every one of them sent to his
people for fresh clothes and put them on and went out, covering
himself therewith from the sight of the folk. Consider, therefore,
O our lord the King (said the Wazir), what a trick this woman
played off upon the folk ! And I have heard tell also a tale of
i8o Alf Laylah zua Laylak.
THE THREE WISHES,' OR THE MAN WHO LONGED
TO SEE THE NIGHT OF POWER.
A CERTAIN man had longed all his life to look upon the Night of
Po\ver,2 and one night it befel that he gazed at the sky and saw
tlic angels, and Heaven's gates thrown open ; and he beheld all
things prostrating themselves before their Lord, each in its several
stead. So he said to his wife, " Harkye, such an one, verily Allah
hath shown me the Night of Power, and it hath been proclaimed
to me, from the invisible world, that three prayers will be granted
unto me ; so I consult thee for counsel as to what shall I ask."
Ouoth she, " O man, the perfection of man and his delight is in his
prickle ; therefore do thou pray Allah to greaten thy yard and
magnify it." So he lifted up his hands to heaven and said, " O
* The Mac. Edit, is here very concise ; better the Bresl. Edit. (xii. 326). Here we
have the Eastern form of the Three Wishes which dates from the earliest ages and which
amongst us has been degraded to a matter of " black pudding." It is the grossest and
most brutal satire on the sex, suggesting that a woman would prefer an additional inch of
penis to anything this world or the next can offer her. In the Book of Sindibad it is the
story of the Peri and Religious Man ; his learning the Great Name; and his consulting
with his wife. See also La Fontaine's " Trois Souhaits," Prior's " Ladle," and " Les
quatre Souhaits de Snint-Martin."
^ Arab. " Laylat al-Kadr " = Night of Power or of Divine Decrees. It is "better
than a thousand months " (Koran xcvii. 3), but unhappily the exact time is not known
although all agree that it is one of the last ten in Ramazan. The latter when named by
Kilab ibn Murr.ih, ancestor of Mohammed, about two centuries before Al-Islam, corres-
ponded with July-August and took its name from " Ramza '' or intense heat. But the
Prophet, in the tenth Hijrah year, most unwisely forbade "Nasy" =: triennial intercala-
tion (Koran ix. 36) and thus the lunar month went round all the seasons. On the Night
of Power the Koran was sent down from the Preserved Tablet by Allah's throne, to the
first or lunar Heaven whence Gabriel brou^jht it for opporlunest revelation to the Apostle
(Koran xcvii.). Also during this niglit all Divine Decrees for the ensuing year are taken
from the Tablet and arc given to the angels for execution whilst, the gates of Heaven
being open, prayer (as in the text) is sure of success. This mass of absurdity has
engendered a host of superstitions everywhere varying. Lane (Mod. Egypt, chapt. xxv.)
describes how sonic of the Faithful keep tasting a cup of salt water which should become
sweet in the Night of Nights. In (Moslem) India not only the sea becomes sweet, but
all the vegetable creation bows down before Allah. The exact time is knosvn only to
Prophets; but the pious sit throi:gh the Night of Ramazan 27th (our 26th) praying and
burning incense-pastilles. In Stambul this is officially held to be the Nii;lit of I'ower.
So in medi.tval Europe on Christmas Eve the cattle worshipped God in their stalls and
I have met peasants in France and Italy who firmly believed that brute beasts on that
ni.i:ht not only speak but predict the events of the coming year.
The Three Wishes iSt
Allah, greater! my yard and magnify It." Hardly had he spoken
when his tool became as big as a column and he could neither
sit nor stand nor move about nor even stir from his stead ; and
when he would have carnally known his wife, she fled before him
from place to place. So he said to her, " O accursed woman,
what is to be done.? This is thy list, by reason of thy lust/*
She replied, " No, by Allah, I did not ask for this length and
huge bulk, for which the gate of a street were too strait. Pray
Heaven to make it less." So he raised his eyes to Heaven and
said, "O Allah, rid me of this thing and deliver me therefrom."
And immediately his prickle disappeared altogether and he
became clean smooth. When his wife saw this, she said, " I have
no occasion for thee, now thou are become pegless as a eunuch,
shaven and shorn ;" and he answered her, saying, " All this comes
of thine ill-omened counsel and thine imbecile judgment. I had
three prayers accepted of Allah, wherewith I might have gotten
me my good, both in this world and in the next, and now two
wishes are gone in pure waste, by thy lewd will, and there
remaineth but one." Quoth she, ** Pray Allah the Most High to
restore thee thy yard as it was." So he prayed to his Lord and his
prickle was restored to its first estate. Thus the man lost his three
wishes by the ill counsel and lack of wit in the woman ; " And
this, O King " (said the Wazlr), " have I told thee, that thou
mightest be certified of the thoughtlessness of women and their
inconsequence and silliness and see what cometh of hearkening
to their counsel. Wherefore be not persuaded by them to slay
thy son, thy heart's core, who shall cause thy remembrance
to survive thee." The King gave ear to his Minister's words
and forebore to put his son to death ; but, on the seventh day,
the damsel came in, shrieking, and after lighting a great fire
in the King's presence, made as she would cast herself therein ;
whereupon they laid hands on her and brought her before him.
He asked her, " Why hast thou done this t "; and she answered,
" Except thou do me justice on thy son, I will cast myself into
this very fire and accuse thee of this on the Day of Resurrection,
for I am a-weary of my life, and before coming into thy presence
I wrote my last will and testament and gave alms of my goods
and resolved upon death. And thou wilt repent with all repent-
ance, even as did the King of having punished the pious woman
who kept the Hammam." Quoth the King, " How was that ? "
and quoth she : — I have heard tell, O King, this tale concerning
1 82 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
THE STOLEN NECKLACE.
There was once a devotee, a recluse, a woman who had devoted
herself to religion. Now she used to resort to a certain King's
palace,' whose dwellers were blessed by her presence and she was
held of them in high honour. One day she entered that palace
according to her custom and sat down beside the King's wife.
Presently the Queen gave her a necklace, worth a thousand
dinars, saying, " Keep this for me, O woman, whilst I go to the
Hammam." So she entered the bath, which was in the palace,
and the pious woman remaining in the place where the Queen
was and awaiting her return laid the necklace on the prayer-
carpet and stood up to pray. As she was thus engaged, there
came a magpie ^ which snatched up the necklace, while she went
out to obey a call of nature and carrying it off, hid it inside a
crevice in a corner of the palace-walls. When the Queen came
out of the bath, she sought the necklace of the recluse, who also
searched for it, but found it not nor could light on any trace of
it ; so she said to the King's wife, " By Allah, O my daughter,
none hath been with me. When thou gavest me the necklace,
I laid it on the prayer-carpet, and I know not if one of the
servants saw it and took it without my heed, whilst I was engaged
in prayer. Almighty Allah only knoweth what is come of it ! "
When the King heard what had happened, he bade his Queen
put the bath-woman to the question by fire and grievous blows,
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying
her permitted say.
' Hence the misfortune bcfcl her : the pious especially avoid temporal palaces.
^ This is our talc of" The Maid and the Magpie ;" the Mac. Edit, does not specify
the " Tayr " (any bird) but the Brcsl. Edit, has Ak'ak, a pie. The true Magpie (C
Pica) called Buzarai (?) and Zaghzaghan Abu Massah (=: the Sweeper, from its tail) is
found on the Libanus and Anti-Libanus (Unexplored Syria ii. 77-143), but I never saw it
in other parts of Syria or in Arabia. It is completely ignored by the Reverend Mr.
Tristram in his painfully superficial book "The Natural History of the Bible,'
published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (or rather Ignorance),
London, 1873.
The Two Pigeons, i8j
iSofo foi)cn It tons tte jpibe l^unbwtf anti iSinetg^sebentlb iEtgl^t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King bade his Queen question the bath-woman with fire and
grievous blows, they tortured her with all manner tortures, but
could not bring her to confess or to accuse any. Then he com-
manded to cast her into prison and manacle and fetter her ; and
they did as he bade. One day, after this, as the King sat in the
inner court of his palace, with the Queen by his side and water
flowing around him, he saw the pie fly into a crevice in a corner
of the wall and pull out the necklace, whereupon he cried out to
a damsel who was with him, and she caught the bird and took
the necklace from it. By this the King knew that the pious
bath-woman had been wronged and repented of that he had done
with her. So he sent for her to the presence and fell to kissing
her head and with many tears sought pardon of her. Moreover, he
commanded much treasure to be given to her, but she refused
and would none of it. However, she forgave him and went away,
swearing never again to enter any one's house. So she betook
herself to wandering in the mountains and valleys and worshipped
God until she died, and Almighty Allah have mercy upon her !
And for an instance of the malice of the male sex (continued the
damsel), I have heard, O King, tell this tale of
THE TWO PIGEONS}
A PAIR of pigeons once stored up wheat and barley in their nest
during the winter, and when the summer came, the grain shrivelled
and became less; so the male pigeon said to his wife, "Thou
hast eaten of this grain." Replied she, " No, by Allah, I have
never touched it ! " But he believed not her words and beat her
with his wings and pecked her with his bill, till he killed her.
When the cold season returned, the corn swelled out and became
as before, whereupon he knew that he had slain his wife wrong
• This is " The Story of the Two Partridges," told at great length in the Book of
Sindibad. See De Sacy's text in the Kalilah wa Damnah, quoted in the " Book of
Kalilah and Damnah " (p. 306).
184 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
ously and wickedly, and he repented whenas repentance availed
him naught. Then he lay down by her side, mourning over her
and weeping for grief, and left meat and drink, till he fell sick
and died. " But " (added the damsel), " I know a story of the
malice of men more extraordinary than either of tliese." Quoth
the King, " Let us hear what thou hast to tell ;" and quoth she : —
I have heard tell, O King, this
STORY OF PRINCE BEHRAM AND THE PRINCESS
AL-DATMA.
There was once a King's daughter, who had no equal in her
time for beauty and loveliness and symmetrical stature and grace,
brilliancy, amorous lace and the art of ravishing the wits of the
masculine race and her name was Al-Datmd. She used to boast,
** Indeed there is none like me in this age." Nor was there one
more accomplished than she in horsemanship and martial exercises
and all that behovcth a cavalier. So all the Kings' sons sought
her to wife ; but she would take none of them, saying, " No man
shall marry me except he overcome me at lunge of lance and
stroke of sword in fair field and patent plain. If any can do this,
I will willingly wed him ; but, if I overcome him, I will take his
horse and clothes and arms and write with fire upon his forehead :
— This is the freed man of Al-Datma." Now the sons of the
Kings flocked to her from every quarter far and near, and she
overcame them and put them to shame, stripping them of their
arms and branding them with fire. Presently the son of a King
of the Kings of the Persians, by name Bchram ibn Triji, heard
of her and journeyed from afar to her father's court, bringing
with him men and horses and great store of wealtli and royal
treasures. When he drew near the city, he sent her parent a
rich present and the King came out to meet him and honoured
him with the utmost honour. Then the King's son sent a message
to him by his Wazir, demanding his daughter's hand in marriage ;
but the King answered, saying, " O my son, as regards my daughter
Al-Datma, I have no power over her, for she hath sworn by her
soul to marry none except he overcome her in the listed field.
Quoth the Prince, I journeyed hither from my father's court witl;
no other object but this ; I came here to woo and for thine
Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma. 185
alliance to sue ; " quoth the King, " Thou shalt meet her to-
morrow." So next day he sent to bid his daughter who, making
ready for battle, donned her harness of war, and the folk, hearing
of the coming joust, flocked from all sides to the field. Presently
the Princess rode into the lists, armed cap-a-pie and belted and
with vizor down, and the Persian King's son came out single-
handed to meet her, equipped at all points after the fairest of
fashions. Then they drove at each other and fought a great while,
wheeling and falsing, advancing and retreating, till the Princess,
finding in him such courage and cavalarice as she had seen in
none else, began to fear for herself lest he put her to shame
before the bystanders and knew that he would assuredly over-
come her. So she resolved to trick him and, raising her vizor, lo !
her face appeared more brilliant than the full moon, which when
he saw, he was confounded by her beauty and his strength failed
and his spirit faltered. When she perceived this, she fell upon
him at unawares in his moment of weakness, and tare him from
his saddle, and he became in her hands as he were a sparrow in
the clutches of an eagle, knowing not what was done with him
for amazement and confusion. So she took his steed and clothes
and armour and, branding him with fire, let him wend his ways.
When he recovered from his stupor, he abode several days without
meat or drink or sleep for despite and love of the girl which had
taken hold upon his heart. Then he sent a letter by certain of
his slaves to his father, advising him that he could not return home
till he had won his will of the Princess or died for want of her.
When his sire got the letter, he was sore concerned for his son
and would have succoured him by sending troops and soldiers ;
but his Wazirs dissuaded him from this and exhorted him to
patience ; so he committed his affair to Almighty Allah. Mean-
while, the Prince cast about for a means of coming to his desire ;
and presently, disguising himself as a decrepit old man, with s
white beard over his own black beard repaired to a garden of the
Princess wherein she used to walk most of her days. Here he
sought out the gardener and said to him, " I am a stranger from
a far country and from my youth upwards I have been a gardener,
and in the grafting of trees and the culture of fruits and flowers
and care of the vine none is more skilled than I." When the
gardener heard this, he rejoiced in him with exceeding joy and
carried him into the garden, where he commended him to his
underlings and the Prince betook himself to the service of the
1 86 Alf Laylah wa Laylah
garden and the tending of the trees and the bettering of their
fruits and improving the Persian water-wheels and disposing the
irrigation-channels. One day, as he was thus employed, lo ! he
saw some slaves enter the garden, leading mules laden with carpets
and vessels, and asked them the meaning of this, to which they
answered, " The Princess is minded to take her pleasure." When
he heard these words he hastened to his lodging and, fetching
some of the jewels and ornaments he had brought with him from
home, sat down in the garden and spread somewhat of them out
before him, shaking and making a show of extreme old age
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
Nob) h)!)en it teas tf)e Jpibe |tjuntirctf antJ NinEtji-cigTjtl) XiQljt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the son of
the Persian King, after disguising himself as an old man shottcn in
years and taking a seat in the garden, spread out somewhat of the
jewels and ornaments before him and made a show of shaking and
trembling as if for decrepitude and the weakness of extreme senility.
After an hour or so a company of damsels and eunuchs entered
with the Princess in their midst, as she were the moon among the
stars, and dispersed about the garden, plucking the fruits and
diverting themselves. Presently they espied a man sitting under
one of the trees ; and, making towards him (who was the Prince),
found him a very old man, whose hands and feet trembled for
decrepitude, and before him store of precious jewels and royal
ornaments. So they marvelled at his case and asked him what
he did there with the jewels; when he answered, "With these
trinkets I would fain buy me to wife one of you." They laughed
together at him and said, " If one of us marry thee, what wilt
thou do with her } " Said he, " I will give her one kiss and
divorce her." Then quoth the Princess, " I give thee this damsel
to wife." So he rose and coming up to her, leaning on a staff
and shivering and staggering, kissed her and gave her the jewels
and ornaments ; whereat she rejoiced and they, laughing at
him, went their way. Next day, they came again to the garden,
and finding him seated in the same place, with more jewels
and ornaments than before spread in front of him, asked him,
'' O Shaykh, what wilt thou do with this jewellery?"; and he
Prince Behram and the Princess Al-Datma. 187
answered, saying, " I wish therewith to take one of you to wife
even as yesterday." So the Princess said, *' I marry thee to this
damsel ; " and he came up to her and kissed her and gave her
the jewels, and they all went their ways. But, seeing such gene-
rosity to her handmaids, the Princess said in herself, " I have more
right to all these fine things than these baggages, and no harm
can betide me.'* So when morningi morrowed she went down
from her chamber singly into the garden, in the habit of one of
her damsels, and presenting herself privily before the Prince, said
to him, " O Shaykh, the King's daughter hath sent me to thee,
that thou mayst marry me." He looked at her and knew her ; so
he answered, " With love and gladness," and gave her jewels and
ornaments of the finest and costliest. Then he rose to kiss her,
and she off her guard and fearing nothing but, when he came up
to her, he suddenly laid hold of her with a strong hand and
instantly throwing her down, on the ground abated her maiden-
head.^ Then he pulled the beard from his face and said to her,
"Dost thou not know me?" Asked she, "Who art thou.? "and
he answered, " I am Behram, the King's son of Persia, who have
changed my favour and am become a stranger to my people and
estate for thy sake and have lavished my treasures for thy love."
So she rose from under him in silence and answered not his
address nor spake a word of reply to him, being dazed for what
had befallen her and seeing nothing better than to be silent, for
fear of shame ; and she bethought herself and said, " If I kill
myself it will be useless and if I do him die, his death will profit
me naught ;" and presently added, " Nothing will serve me but
that I elope with him to his own country." Then she gathered
together her monies and treasures and sent to him, acquainting
him therewith, to the intent that he also might equip himself with
his wealth and needs ; and they agreed upon a night on which to
depart. So, at the appointed time, they mounted race-horses and
set out under cover of the gloom, nor did morning morrow till
they had traversed a great distance ; and they ceased not faring
forwards till they drew near his father's capital in the land of the
Persians. When the King heard of his son's coming, he rode out
to meet him with his troops and rejoiced in him with exceeding
' This extremely wilful young person had rendered rape excusable. The same treat-
ment is much called for by certain heroines of modern fiction — let me mention Princess
Napraxine.
1 88 Alf Laylah wa^Lhylah.
joy. Then, after a few days, he sent the Princess's father a
splendid present, and a letter to the effect that his daughter was
with him and demanding her wedding equipage. Al-Datma's
father came out to meet the messengers with the greatest glad-
ness (for that he had deemed his daughter lost and had grieved
sore for her loss) ; after which he made bride-feasts and, summon-
ing the Kazi and the witnesses, let draw up the marriage-contract
between his daughter and the Prince of Persia. He invested the
envoys with robes of honour, then he made ready her equipage
and despatched it to her ; and Prince Behram abode with her till
death sundered their union. See therefore, O King (continued the
favourite), the malice of men in their dealing with women. As
for me, I will not go back from my due till I die. So the King
once more commanded to put his son to death ; but the seventh
Wazir came in to him and kissing the ground before him, said, " O
King, have patience with me whilst I speak these words of good
counsel to thee ; how many patient and slow-moving men unto
their hope attain, and how many who are precipitate fall into
shameful state ! Now I have seen how this damsel hath profli-
gately excited the King by lies to horrible and unnatural cruelties;
but I his Mameluke, whom he hath overwhelmed with his favours
and bounties, do proffer him true and loyal rede ; for that I, O
King, know of the malice of women that which none knoweth
save myself; and in particular there hath reached me, on this
subject, the story of the old woman and the son of the merchant
with its warning instances." Asked the King, " A.nd what fell out
between them, O Wazir .-* " and the seventh Wazir answered : — I
have heard tell, O King, the tale of
THE HOUSE WITH THE BELVEDERE}
A WEALTHY merchant had a son who was very dear to him and
who said to him one day, " O my father, I have a boon to beg of
thee." Quoth the merchant, *' O my son, what is it, that I may
give it thee and bring thee to thy desire, though it were the light
of mine eyes." Quoth the youth, " Give me money, that I may
' The Story of tne Hidden Robe, in the Book of Sindibad ; where it is tol. ..-ih all
manner of Persian embcUishmcnls.
The House with the Belvedere. 1 89
journey with the merchants to the city of Baghdad and see its
sights and sail on the Tigris and look upon the palace of the
Caliphs^ ; for the sons of the merchants have described these
things to me and I long to see them for myself." Said the
father, " O my child, O my little son, how can I endure to part
from thee ? " But the youth replied, " I have said my say and
there is no help for it but I journey to Baghdad with thy consent
or e'en without it : such a longing for its sight hath fallen upon
me as can only be assuaged by the going thither." And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
Nofo foj^m It toas tf)c S'x^i l^untwti anln NinctB=nmtf) Nigfjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the mer-
chant's son said to his sire, " There is no help for it but that I
journey to Baghdad." Now when the father saw that there was no
help for it, he provided his son with goods to the value of thirty
thousand gold pieces and sent him with certain merchants in
■whom he trusted, committing him to their charge. Then he took
leave of the youth, who journeyed with his friends the merchants
till they reached Baghdad, the House of Peace, where he entered
the market and hired him a house, so handsome and delectable
and spacious and elegant that on seeing it he well-nigh lost his
wits for admiration ; for therein were pavilions facing one another,
with floors of coloured marbles and ceilings inlaid with gold and
lapis lazuli, and its gardens were full of warbling birds. So he
asked the door-keeper^ what was its monthly rent, and he replied,
*' Ten dinars." Quoth the young man, " Speakest thou soothly or
dost thou but jest with me t " ■ Quoth the porter, " By Allah, I
' Now turned into Government offices for local administration ; a "Tribunal of Com-
merce," etc.
^ Arab. "Bawwab," a personage as important as the old French concierge and a man
of trust who has charge of the keys and with letting vacant rooms. In Egypt the
Berber from the Upper Nile is the favourite Suisse ; being held more honest or rather
less rascally than the usual Egyptian. These Berbers, however, are true barbarians,
overfond of Biizah (the beer of Osiris) and not unfrequently dangerous. They are sup-
posed by Moslems to descend from the old Syrians expelled by Joshua. For the
favourite chaff against them, eating the dog (not the puppy-pie), see Pilgrimage i. 93.
They are the "Paddies" of Egypt to whom all kinds of bulls and blunders are
attributed.
190 A If Laylah wa Laylak.
speak naught but the truth, for none who taketh up his abode in
this house lodgeth in it more than a week ^ or two." " And how
is that ? " quoth the youth ; and quoth the porter, " O my son,
whoso dwelleth in this house cometh not forth of it, except sick
or dead, wherefore it is known amongst all the folk of Baghdad,
so that none offereth to inhabit it, and thus cometh it that its rent
is fallen so low." Hearing this the young merchant marvelled with
exceeding marvel and said, " Needs must there be some reason for
this sickening and perishing." However after considering awhile
and seeking refuge with Allah from Satan the Stoned, he rented
the house and took up his abode there. Then he put away appre-
hension from his thought and busied himself with selling and
buying ; and some days passed by without any such ill case
befalling him in the house, as the door-keeper had mentioned.
One day as he sat upon the bench before his door, there came
up a grizzled crone, as she were a snake speckled white and
black, calling aloud on the name of Allah, magnifying Him
inordinately and, at the same time, putting away the stones
and other obstacles from the path.^ Seeing the youth sitting
there, she looked at him and marvelled at his case ; where-
upon quoth he to her, " O woman, dost thou know me or
am I like any thou knowest.?" When she heard him speak,
she toddled up to him and saluting him with the salam, asked,
" How long hast thou dwelt in this house ? " Answered he,
" Two months, O my mother ; " and she said, " It was hereat I
marvelled; for I, O my son, know thee not, neither dost thou
know me, nor yet art thou like unto any one I know ; but I mar-
velled for that none other than thou hath taken up his abode in
' Arab. " Juma'ali," which means cither Friday or a week. In pre-Moslem times it
was called Al-Arubah (the other week-days being Shiyar or Saturday, Bawal, Bahan,
Jabar, Dabar and Famunis or Thursday). Juma'ah, literally = " .Meeting " or Congre-
gation (-day), was made to represent the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday
because on that day Allali ended the work of creation ; it was also the date of
Mohammed's entering Al-Medinah. According to Al-Hayz.awi, it was called Assembly-
day because Ka'ab ibn Lowa, one of the Pn^phet's ancestors, used to gather the people
bcfi^rc him on Fri lays. Moslems arc not forbidden to do secular work after the con-
grcgation::l prayers at tlie hour when they must " hasten to the commemoration of Allah
and leave inerchandi.'iing '' (Koran, chai4. Ixii. 9).
^ This is done only by the vi-iy pious : if t!icy see a bit of bread they kiss it, place it
upon their heads an i iiv;.o-,:t it upon a wall or some place where it will not be trodden
on. She also removed the stones lesl haply they prove stumbling-blocks to some
Moslem foot.
The House with the Belvedere. 19 1
this house but hath gone forth from it, dead or dying, saving thee
alone. Doubtless, O my son, thou hast perilled thy young years ;
but I suppose thou hast not gone up to the upper story neither
looked out from the belvedere there." So saying, she went her
way and he fell a-pondering her words and said to himself, " I
have not gone up to the top of the house ; nor did I know that
there was a belvedere there." Then he arose forthright and goin^r
in, searched the by-ways of the house till he espied, in a wall-/
corner among the trees, a narrow door between whose posts ^ the
spider had woven her webs, and said in himself, " Haply the
spider hath not webbed over the door, but because death and
doom is within." However, he heartened himself with the saying
of God the Most High, "Say, nothing shall befal us but what
Allah hath written for us;"^ and opening the door, ascended a
narrow flight of stairs, till he came to the terrace-roof, where he
found a belvedere, in which he sat down to rest and solace himself
with the view. Presently, he caught sight of a fine house and a
well-cared for hard by, surmounted by a lofty belvedere, over-
looking the whole of Baghdad, in which sat a damsel fair as a
Houri. Her beauty took possession of his whole heart and made
away with his reason, bequeathing to him the pains and patience
of Job and the grief and weeping of Jacob. And as he looked at
her and considered her curiously, an object to enamour an ascetic
and make a devotee lovesick, fire was lighted in his vitals and he
cried, " Folk say that whoso taketh up his abode in this house
dieth or sickeneth. An this be so, yon damsel is assuredly the
cause. Would Heaven I knew how I shall win free of this affair,
for my wits are clean gone ! " Then he descended from the ter-
race, pondering his case, and sat down in the house, but being
unable to rest, he went out and took his seat at the door, absorbed
in melancholy thought when, behold, up came the old woman
a-foot, praising and magnifying Allah as she went. When he saw
her, he rose and accosting her with a courteous salam and wishes
for her life being prolonged said to her, " O my mother, I was
healthy and hearty till thou madest mention to me of the door
leading to the belvedere ; so I opened it and ascending to the top
* Arab. " Ashjar," which may mean either the door-posts or the wooden bolts. Lane
(iii. 174) translates it "among the trees" — in a room !
^ Koran (ix. 51), when Mohammed reproaches the unbelievers for not accompanying
him to victory or martyrdom.
192 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
of the house, saw thence what stole away my senses ; and now
methinks I am a lost man, and I know no physician for mc but
thyself." When she heard this, she laughed and said, " No harm
shall befal thee Inshallah — so Allah please ! " Whereupon he
rose and went into the house and coming back with an hundred
dinars in his sleeve, said to her, " Take this, O my mother, and
deal with me the dealing of lords with slaves and succour me
quickly for, if I die, a claim for my blood will meet thee on the
Day of Doom." Answered she, " With love and gladness ; but,
O my son, I expect thou lend me thine aid in some small matter,
whereby hangs the winning of thy wish." Quoth he, "What
wouldst thou have me do, O my mother .-' " Quoth she, " Go to
the silk-market and enquire for the shop of Abu al-Fath bin
Kayddm. Sit thee down on his counter and salute him and say
to him, " Give me the face-veil ^ thou hast by thee orfrayed with
gold : " for he hath none handsomer in his shop. Then buy it of
him, O my son, at his own price however high and keep it till I
come to thee to-morrow, Allah Almighty willing." So saying,
she went away and he passed the night upon live coals of the
Ghazd"-wood. Next morning he took a thousand ducats in his
pocket and repairing to the silk-market, sought out the shop of
Abu al-Fath to whom he was directed by one of the merchants
He found him a man of dignified aspect, surrounded by pages,
eunuchs and attendants ; for he was a merchant of great wealth
and consideration befriended by the Caliph ; and of the blessings
v.hich Allah the Most High had bestowed upon him was the
damsel who had ravished the young man's heart. She was his
wife and had not her match for beauty, nor was her like to be
found with any of the sons of the Kings. The young man
saluted him and Abu al-Fath returned his salam and bade him
be seated. So he sat down by him and said to him, " O mer-
chant, I wish to look at such a face-veil." Accordingly he bade
* Arab. " Kina'," a true veil, not the " Burka'" or "nose-bag" with the peep-
holes. It is opposed lo the "Tarkah " or " head-veil." Europeans inveigh against
the veil which represents the loup of Louis Quatorze's day: it is on the contrary
the most coquettish of contrivances, hiding coarse skins, fleshy noses, wide mouths
and vanishing chins; and showing only lustrous and liquid black eyes. Moreover
a pretty wotnan, when she wishes, will always let you sec something under the veil.
(PilgriiTn2:e i. 337).
^ A yellow-fiowercd artcmisia or absinthe whose wood burns like holm-oak. (Unex-
plored Syria ii. 43). See vol. ii. 24 for further details.
The House with the Belvedere. 193
his slave bring him a bundle of silk from the inner shop and
opening it, brought out a number of veils, whose beauty amazed
the youth. Among them was the veil he sought ; so he bought
it for fifty gold pieces and bore it home well pleased. And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
iBoh) tofim It teas t^e ^ix l^unUrelrtf) Ntgfjt,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the youth
after buying the veil of the merchant bore it home; but hardly
had he reached the house when lo ! up came the old woman. He
rose to her and gave her his purchase when she bade him bring a
live coal, with which she burnt one of the corners of the veil, then
folded it up as before and, repairing to Abu al-Fath's house,
knocked at the door. Asked the damsel, " Who is there ? " ; and
she answered, " I, such an one." Now the damsel knew her for a
friend of her mother so, when she heard her voice, she came out
and opening the door to her, said, " What brought thee here, O
my mother ? My mamma hath left me and gone to her own
house." Replied the old woman, " O my daughter, I know thy
mother is not with thee, for I have been with her in her home, and
I come not to thee, but because I fear to pass the hour of prayer ;
wherefore I desire to make my Wuzu-ablution with thee, for I
know thou art clean and thy house pure." ^ The damsel admitted
the old trot who saluted her and called down blessings upon her.
Then she took the ewer and went into the wash-house, where she
made her ablutions and prayed in a place there. Presently, she
came out again and said to the damsel, " O my daughter, I suspect
thy handmaidens have been in yonder place and defiled it ; so do
thou show me another place where I may pray, for the prayer I
have prayed I account null and void." Thereupon the damsel
took her by the hand and said to her, " O my mother, come and
pray on my carpet, where my husband sits." So she stood there
and prayed and worshipped, bowed and prostrated ; and presently,
' The Farz or obligatory prayers, I have noted, must be recited (if necessary) in the
most impure place; not so the other orisons. Hence the use of the " Sajjddah " or
prayer-rug, a.» article too well known to require description.
VOL. VI. N
194 ^^f Laylah wa Laylah.
she took tlie damsel unawares and made shift to sh'p the veil
under the cushion, unseen of her. Then she blessed her and went
her ways. Now as the day was closing Abu al-Fath came home
and sat down upon the carpet, whilst his wife brought him food
and he ate of it his sufficiency and washed his hands ; after which
he leant back upon the cushion. Presently, he caught sight of a
corner of the veil protruding from under the cushion ; so he pulled
it out and considered it straitly, when, knowing it for that he had
sold to the young man, he at once suspected his wife of unchastity.
Thereupon he called her and said, " Whence hadst thou this veil ? "
And she swore an oath to him, saying, *' None hath come to me
but thou." The merchant was silent for fear of scandal, and said
to himself, " If I open up this chapter, I shall be put to shame
before all Baghdad ;" for he was one of the intimates of the Caliph
and so he could do nothing save hold his peace. So he asked no
questions, but said to his wife, whose name was Mahzi'yah, " It
hath reached me that thy mother lieth ill of heart-ache ^ and all
the women are with her, weeping over her; wherefore I order thee
to go to her." Accordingly, she repaired to her mother's house
and found her in the best of health ; and she asked her daughter,
" What brings thee here at this hour } " So she told her what her
husband had said and sat with her awhile ; when behold, up came
porters, who brought her clothes from her husband's house, and
transporting all her paraphernalia and what not else belonged to
her of goods and vessels, deposited them in her mother's lodging.
When the mother saw this, she said to her daughter, " Tell me
what hath passed between thee and thy husband, to bring about
this." But she swore to her that she knew not the cause thereof
and that there had befallen nothing between them to call for this
conduct. Quoth her mother, " Needs must there be a cause for
this." And she answered, saying, " I know of none, and after this,
with Almighty Allah be it to make provision ! " Whereupon her
mother fell a-wecping and lamented her daughter's separation
from the like of this man, by reason of his sufficiency and fortune
and the greatness of his rank and dignity. On this wise things
abode some days, after which the curst, ill-omened old woman,
whose name was Miryam the Koranist,^ paid a visit to Mahziyah
' Auglid ^ stomach-ache, a colic.
* Arab. Al-Hafizah which has two meanings. Properly it signifies the third order of
Traditionists out of a total of five, or those who know 300,000 traditions and their
The House with the Belvedere. 195
in her mother's house and saluted her cordially, saying, " What alls
thee, O my daughter, O my darling ? Indeed, thou hast troubled
my mind." Then she went in to her mother and said to her, "O
my sister, what is this business about thy daughter and her hus-
band ? It hath reached me that he hath divorced her ! What
hath she done to call for this ? " Quoth the mother, " Belike her
husband will return to her by the blessed influence of thy prayers,
O Hafizah ; so do thou pray for her, O my sister, for thou art a
day-faster and a night-prayer." Then the three fell to talking
together and the old woman said to the damsel, " O my daughter,
grieve not for, if Allah please, I will make peace between thee and
thy husband before many days." Then she left them and going
to the young merchant, said to him, ** Get ready a handsome
entertainment for us, for I will bring her to thee this very night."
So he sprang up and went forth and provided all that was fitting
of meat and drink and so forth, then sat down to await the twain ;
whilst the old woman returned to the girl's mother and said to her,
" O my sister, we have a splendid bride-feast to-night ; so let thy
daughter go with me, that she may divert herself and make merry
with us and throw off her cark and care, and forget the ruin of her
home. I will bring her back to thee even as I took her away."
The mother dressed her daughter in her finest dress and costliest
jewels and accompanied her to the door, where she commended
her to the old woman's charge, saying, *' 'Ware lest thou let any of
Almighty Allah's creatures look upon her, for thou knowest her
husband's rank with the Caliph ; and do not tarry, but bring her
back to me as soon as possible." The old woman carried the girl
to the young man's house which she entered, thinking it the place
where the wedding was to be held : but as soon as she came into
the sitting-saloon And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
ascriptions. Popularly "one who can recite the Koran by rote." There are six great
Traditionists whose words are held to be prime authorities ; (l) Al-Bokhari ; (2) Muslim ;
and these are entitled Al-Sahihayn, The (two true) authorities. After them (3) Al-
Tirmidi; and (4) Abu Daud : these four being the authors of the "Four Sunan;" the
others are (5) Al-Nasai and (6) Ibn Majah (see Jarrett's Al-Siyuti pp. 2, 6; and, for
modern Arab studies, Pilgrimage i. 154 et seq.)
ig6 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Nob) foj&en it teas t|)e %\i l^unlirEti anli Jpirst Nfgljt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that as soon as
the damsel entered the sitting-saloon, the youth sprang up to her
and flung his arms round her neck and kissed her hands and feet.
She was confounded at his loveliness, as well as at the beauty of
the place and the profusion of meat and drink, flowers and per-
fumes that she saw therein, and deemed all was a dream. When
the old woman saw her amazement, she said to her, " The name of
Allah be upon thee, O my daughter ! Fear not ; I am here sitting
with thee and will not leave thee for a moment. Thou art worthy
of him and he is worthy of thee." So the damsel sat down shame-
fast and in great confusion ; but the young man jested and toyed
with her and entertained her with laughable stories and loving
verses, till her breast broadened and she became at her ease.
Then she ate and drank and growing warm with wine, took the
lute and sang these couplets : —
My friend who went hath returned once more ; o Oh, the welcome light that
such beauty shows !
And but for the fear of those arrowy eyes, o From his lovely cheek I
had culled the rose.
And when the youth saw that she to his beauty did incline he
waxt drunken without wine and his life was a. light matter to him
compared with his love.' Presently the old woman went out and
left them alone together to enjoy their loves till the next morning,
when she went into them and gave them both good morrow * and
asked the damsel, " How hast thou passed the night, O my lady?"
Answered the girl, " Right well, thanks to thy adroitness and the
excellence of thy going-between ^" Then said the old woman,
" Up, let us go back to thy mother." At these words the young
man pulled out an hundred sequins and gave them to her, saying,
" Take this and leave her with me to-night." So she left them
' Lane (iii. 176) marries the amorous couple, thus making the story highly proper and
robbing it of all its point.
' Arab. "Sabbahat," i.e. Sabbah-ak' Allah bi'l khayr = Allah give thee good
morning : still the popular phrase.
' Arab. "Ta'risak," with the implied hint of her being a " Mu'arrisah " or she-
pander. The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 356) bluntly says " Kiyddatak "—thy pimping.
The House with the Belvedere 1 97
and repaired to the girl's mother, to whom quoth she, " Thy
daughter saluteth thee, and the bride's mother hath sworn her to
abide with her this night." Replied the mother, " O my sister,
bear her my salam, and, if it please and amuse the girl, there is no
harm in her staying the night ; so let her do this and divert herself
and come back to me at her leisure, for all I fear for her is chagrin
on account of an angry husband." The old woman ceased not to
make excuse after excuse to the girl's mother and to put off cheat
upon cheat upon her, till Mahziyah had tarried seven days with
the young man, of whom she took an hundred dinars each day for
herself; while he enjoyed all the solace of life and coition. But
at the end of this time, the girl's mother said to her, " Bring
my daughter back to me forthright ; for I am uneasy about her,
because she hath been so long absent, and I misdoubt me of
this." So the old woman went out saying, " Woe to thee ! shall
such words be spoken to the like of me ? "; and, going to the young
man's house, took the girl by the hand and carried her away
(leaving him lying asleep on his bed, for he was drunken with
wine) to her mother. She received her with pleasure and glad-
ness and seeing her in redoubled beauty and brilliancy rejoiced in
her with exceeding joy, saying, " O my daughter, my heart was
troubled about thee and in my uneasiness I offended against this
my sister the Koranist with a speech that wounded her." Replied
Mahziyah, " Rise and kiss her hands and feet, for she hath been
to me as a servant in my hour of need, and if thou do it not thou
art no mamma of mine, nor am I thy girl." So the mother went
up at once to the old woman and made her peace with her.
Meanwhile, the young man recovered from his drunkenness and
missed the damsel, but congratulated himself on having enjoyed
his desire. Presently Miryam the old Koranist came in to him
and saluted him, saying, " What thinkest thou of my feat ? "
Quoth he,." Excellently well conceived and contrived of thee was
that same." Then quoth she, " Come, let us mend what we have
marred and restore this girl to her husband, for we have been the
cause of their separation and it is unrighteous.'* Asked he, " How
shall I do ? " and she answered, " Go to Abu al- Path's shop and
salute him and sit down by him, till thou seest me pass by, when
do thou rise in haste and catch hold of my dress and abuse me
and threaten me, demanding of me the veil. And do thou say to
the merchant : — Thou knowest, O my lord, the face-veil I bought
of thee for fifty dinars ? It so chanced that my handmaid put it
198 Alf Laylah wa Laylak,
on and burnt a corner of it by accident ; so she gave it to this old
woman, who tooi< it, promising to get it fine-drawn^ and return it,
and went away, nor have I seen her from that day to this." " With
joy and good will," replied the young man, and rising forthright,
walked to the shop of the silk merchant, with whom he sat awhile
till behold, the old woman passed telling her beads on a rosary she
held in hand ; whereupon he sprang up and laying hold of her
dress began to abuse and rail at her, whilst she answered him with
fair words, saying, " Indeed, my son, thou art excusable," So the
people of the bazar flocked round the two, saying, *' What is the
matter ? " and he replied, " O folk, I bought of this merchant a
veil for fifty dinars and gave it to my slave-girl, who wore it awhile,
then sat down to fumigate it with perfume. Presently a spark flew
out of the censer and, lighting on the edge of the veil, burnt a
hole in it. So we committed it to this pestilent old woman, that
she might give it to who should fine-draw it and return it to us ;
but from that time we have never set eyes on her again till this
day." Answered the old woman, " This young man speaks sooth.
I had the veil from him, but I took it with me into one of the
houses where I am wont to visit and forgot it there, nor do 1 know
where I left it ; and, being a poor woman, I feared its owner and
dared not face him." Now the girl's husband was listening to all
they said, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Xoh3 tD|)cn tt toas tf)e ^i.v |L^untiretj anb ^econb Xigf)t,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
young man seized the old woman and spoke to her of the veil as
she had primed him, the girl's husband was listening to all they
said, from beginning to end, and when he heard the tale which the
crafty old woman had contrived with the young man, he rose to
his feet and said, " Allah Almighty ! I crave pardon of the Omni-
potent One for my sins and for what my heart suspected ! " And
he praised the Lord who had discovered to him the truth. Then
he accosted the old woman and said to her, " Dost thou use to visit
^ Arab." Rafw ": tlic '' Rafu-gar" or fine-drawer in India, who does this artistic style
of darning, is famed for skill.
The King's Son and the Ifrifs Mistress. 1 99
us ? " ' Replied she, " O my son, I visit you and other than you,
for the sake of alms ; but from that day to this, none hath given
me news of the veil.'* Asked the merchant, *' Hast thou enquired
at my house ? " and she answered, " O my lord, I did indeed go to
thy house and ask ; but they told me that the person of the house^
had been divorced by the merchant ; so I went away and asked no
farther; nor have I enquired of anybody else until this day."
Hereupon the merchant turned to the young man and said, " Let
the old woman go her way ; for the veil is with me." So saying
he brought it out from the shop and gave it to the fine-drawer
before all present. Then he betook himself to his wife and, giving
her somewhat of money, took her to himself again, after making
abundance of excuses to her and asking pardon of Allah, because
he knew not what the old woman had done. (Said the Wazir),
This then, O King, is an instance of the malice of women and for
another to the same purport, I have heard tell the following tale
anent
THE KING'S SON AND THE I FRITS MISTRESS?
A CERTAIN King's son was once walking alone for his pleasure,
when he came to a green meadow, abounding in trees laden with
fruit and birds singing on the boughs, and a river running athwart
it. The place pleased him ; so he sat down there and taking out
some dried fruits he had brought with him, began to eat, when lo f
he espied a great smoke rising up to heaven and, taking fright,
he climbed up into a tree and hid himself among the branches.
Thence he saw an Ifrit rise out of the midst of the stream bearing
on his head a chest of marble, secured by a padlock. He set down
the chest on the meadow-sward and opened it and there came forth
a damsel of mortal race like the sun shining in the sheeny sky.
After seating her he solaced himself by gazing on her awhile, then
laid his head in her lap and fell asleep, whereupon she lifted up
his head and laying it on the chest, rose and walked about. Pre-
• The question sounds strange to Europeans, but in the Moslem East a man knows
nothing, except by hearsay, of the women who visit his wife.
'^ Arab. " Ahl al-bayt," so as not rudely to say " wife."
^ This is a mere abstract of the tale told in the Introduction (vol. i. 10-12). Here,
however, the rings are about eighty ; there the number varfes from ninety to five hundred
and seventy.
20O A If Laylah wa Laylak,
sently, she chanced to raise her eyes to the tree wherein was the
Prince, and seeing him, signed to him to come down. He refused,
but she swore to him, saying, " Except thou come down and do as
I bid thee, I will wake the I frit and point thee out to him, when
he will staightway kill thee." The King's son fearing she would do
as she said, came down, whereupon she kissed his hands and feet and
besought him to do her need. To this he consented and, when he
had satisfied her wants, she said to him, " Give me this seal-ring
I see on thy finger." So he gave her his signet and she set it in
a silken kerchief she had with her, wherein were more than four-
score others. When the Prince saw this, he asked her, '^ What dost
thou with all these rings."*"; and she answered, " In very sooth
this Ifrit carried me off from my father's palace and shut me in
this box, which he beareth about on his head wherever he gocth,
with the keys about him ; and he hardly leaveth me one moment
alone of the excess of his jealousy over me, and hindereth me
from what I desire. When I saw this, I swore that I would deny
my last favours to no man whatsoever, and these rings thoii seest
are after the tale of the men who have had me ; for after coition I
took from each a seal-ring and laid it in this kerchief." Then she
added, " And now go thy ways, that I may look for another than
thyself, for the Ifrit will not awake yet awhile." Hardly crediting
what he had heard, the Prince returned to his father's palace, but
the King knew naught of the damsel's malice (for she feared not
this and took no count thereof), and seeing that his son had lost
his ring, he bade put him to death.' Then he rose from his place
and entered his palace ; but his Wazirs came in to him and pre-
vailed with him to abandon his purpose. The same niglit, the
King sent for all of them and thanked them for having dissuaded
him from slaying his son ; and the Prince also thanked them, say-
ing, " It was well done of you to counsel my father to let mc live
and Inshallah ! I will soon requite you abundantly." Then he
related to them how he had lost the ring, and they offered up
prayers for his long life and advancement and withdrew. " Sec
then, O King," (said the Wazir), " the malice of women and what
they do unto men." The King hearkened to the Minister's coun-
sel and agam countermanded his order to slay his son. Next
morning, it being the eighth day, as the King sat in his audience-
chamber in the midst of his Grandees and Emirs and Wazirs and
' The father suspected the son of intriguing with one of his own women.
The King's Son and the Ifrifs Mistress. 201
Olema, the Prince entered, with his hand in that of his governor,
Al-Sindibad, and praised his father and his Ministers and lords
and divines in the most eloquent words and thanked them for
having saved his life ; so that all who were present wondered at
his eloquence and fluency of speech. His father rejoiced in him
with exceeding, all-surpassing joy, and calling him to him, kissed
him between the eyes. Then he called his preceptor, Al-Sindibad,
and asked him why his son had kept silence these seven days, to
which he replied, " O our lord, the truth is, it was I who enjoined
him to this, in my fear for him of death : I knew this from the day
of his birth; and, when I took his nativity, I found it written in the
stars that, if he should speak during this period, he would surely
die ; but now the danger is over, by the King's fortune." At this
the King was glad and said to his Wazirs, " If I had killed my
son, would the fault have fallen on me or the damsel or on the
preceptor, Al-Sindibad ? " But all present refrained from replying,
and Al-Sindibad said to the Prince," Answer thou, O my son,"
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Al-Sindibad said, " Answer thou, O my son," the Prince replied,
" I have heard tell that a merchant at whose house certain
guests once alighted sent his slave-girl to the market to buy a
jar of clotted milk.^ So she bought it and set out on her return
home ; but on the way there passed over her a kite, holding
and squeezing a serpent in its claws, and a drop of the serpent's
venom fell into the milk-jar, unknown of the girl. So, when she
* Arab, and Heb. " Laban " (opp. to " laban-halib," or simply " halib " = fresh
milk), milk artificially soured, the Dahin of India, the Kisaina of the Slavs and our
Corstophine cream. But in The Nights, contrary to modern popular usage, " Laban" is
also applied to fiesh milk. The soured form is universally in the East eaten with rice
and enters into the Salatah or cucumber-salad. I have noted elsewhere that all the
Galactophagijthe nomades who live on milk, use it in the soured never in the fresh form.
The Badawi have curious prejudices about it : it is a disgrace to sell it (though not to
exchange it), and '' Labban," or " milk-vendor," is an insult. The Bralini and Beloch
nomades have the same pundonor possibly learnt from the Arabs (Pilgrimage i. 363).
For Tgt (Akit), Mahir, Sanbah, Jamldah and other lactal preparations, see ibid \.. 2,62
202 A If Laylak wa Laylak,
came back, the merchant took the milk from her and drank of it,
he and his guests ; but hardly had it settled in their stomachs
when they all died,' Now consider, O King, whose was the fault
in this matter ? " Thereupon some present said, " It was the fault
of the company who drank the milk without examining it.'" And
other some, " That of the girl, who left the jar without cover."
But Al-Sindibad asked the Prince, " What sayest thou, O my
son ? " Answered he, " I say that the folk err ; it was neither the
fault of the damsel nor of the company, for their appointed hour
was come, their divinely-decreed provision was exhausted and
Allah had fore-ordained them to die thus."^ When the courtiers
heard this, they marvelled greatly and lifted up their voices,
blessing the King's son, and saying, " O our lord, thou hast made
a reply sans peur, and thou art the sagest man of thine age sans
reproche.^* " Indeed, I am no sage," answered the Prince ; " the
blind Shaykh and the son of three years and the son of five years
were wiser than I." Said the bystanders, " O youth, tell us the
stories of these three who were wiser than thou art, O youth."
Answered he : — With all my heart. I have heard tell this tale
concerning
THE SANDAL-WOOD MERCHANT AND THE SHARPERS?
There once lived an exceeding rich merchant, who was a great
traveller and who visited all manner of places. One day, being
minded to journey to a certain city, he asked those who came
thence, saying, "What kind of goods brought most profit there ? "
and they answered, " Chanders-wood ; for it selleth at a high
* I need hardly say that the poison would have been utterly harmless, unless there had
been an abrasion of the skin. The slave-girl is blamed for carrying the jar uncovered
because thus it would attract the evil eye. In the Book of Sindibad the tale appears as
the Story of the Poi5<:)ned Guests ; and the bird is a stork.
^ The Prince expresses the pure and still popular Moslem feeling; and yet the learned
and experienced Mr. Redhouse would confuse this alisolute Predestination with Provi-
dence. A friend tells me that the idea of absolute Kate in The Nights makes her feel as
if the world were a jail.
' In the Book of Sindibad this is the Story of the Sandal-wood Merchant and the
Advice of the Blind Old Man. Mr. Clouston (p. 163) quotes a Talmudic joke which is
akin to the Shaykh's advice and a reply of Tyl Eulenspiegel, the arch-rogue, which has
«lso a family resemblance.
The Sandal- Wood Merchant and the ^narpers. 203
price." So he laid out all his money in sandal and set out for
that city ; and arriving there at close of day, behold, he met an
old woman driving her sheep. Quoth she to him, " Who art
thou, O man ? " and quoth he, "I am a stranger, a merchant."
" Beware of the townsfolk," said she, " for they are cheats, rascals,
robbers who love nothing more than imposing on the foreigner
that they may get the better of him and devour his substance.
Indeed I give thee good counsel." Then she left him and on the
morrow there met him one of the citizens who saluted him and
asked him, " O my lord, whence comest thou ? " Answered the
merchant, " From such a place." "And what merchandise hast
thou brought with thee ? " enquired the other ; and replied he,
" Chanders-wood, for it is high of price with you." Quoth the
townsman, " He blundered who told thee that ; for we burn
nothing under our cooking-pots save sandal-wood, whose worth
with us is but that of fuel." When the merchant heard this he
sighed and repented and stood balanced between belief and
unbelief. Then he alighted at one of the khans of the city ,
and, when it was night, he saw a merchant make fire of chan-
ders-wood under his cooking-pot. Now this was the man who
had spoken with him and this proceeding was a trick of his.
When the townsman saw the merchant looking at him, he asked,
" Wilt thou sell me thy sandal-wood for a measure' of whatever
thy soul shall desire .-* " " I sell it to thee," answered the mer-
chant ; and the buyer transported all the wood to his own house
and stored it up there ; whilst the seller purposed to take an
equal quantity of gold for it. Next morning the merchant, who
was a blue-eyed man, went out to walk in the city but, as he
went along, one of the townsfolk, who was blue-eyed and one
eyed to boot, caught hold of him, saying, " Thou art he who stole
my eye and I will never let thee go."^ The merchant deniec'
this, saying, " I never stole it : the thing is impossible." Where
upon the folk, collected round them and besought the one-eye
man to grant him till the morrow, that he might give him the
• Arab. " Sa'a," a measure of corn, etc., to be given in alms. The Kamus makes it
=:four mudds (each being 1/3 lbs.) ; the people understand by it four times the measure
of a man's two open hands.
- i.e. till thou restore my eye to me. This style of prothesis without apodosis is very
common in Arabic and should be preserved in translation, as it adds a naivete to the
style. We find it io Genesis iii. 2, " And now lest he put forth his hand," etc.
204 ^^f Laylah wa Laylah.
price of his eye. So the merchant procured one to be surety for
him, and they let him go. Now his sandal had been rent in the
struggle with the one-eyed man ; so he stopped at a cobbler's stall
and gave it to him, saying, " Mend it and thou shalt have of me
what shall content thee." Then he went on, till he came to some
people sitting at play of forfeits and sat down with them, to divert
his cark and care. They invited him to play with them and he
did so ; but they practised on him and overcoming him, offered
him his choice,' either to drink up the sea or disburse all the money
he had. "Have patience with me till to-morrow," said he, and
they granted him the delay he sought ; whereupon he went away,
sore concerned for what had bctided him and knowing not how
he should do, and sat down in a solitary place heart-heavy, care-
full, thought-opprest. And behold, the old woman passed by and
seeing him thus, said to him, *' Pcradventure the townsfolk have
gotten the better of thee, for I see thee troubled at that which hath
befallen thee : recount to me what aileth thee." So he told her
all that had passed from first to last, and she said, " As for him
who diddled thee in the matter of the chanders-wood, thou must
know that with us it is worth ten gold pieces a pound. But I will
give thee a rede, whereby I trust thou shalt deliver thyself; and
it is this. Go to such and such a gate whereby lives a blind
Shaykh, a cripple, who is knowing, wise as a wizard and expe-
rienced ; and all resort to him and ask him what they require,
when he counsels them what will be for their advantage ; for he
is versed in craft ^ and magic and trickery. Now he is a sharper
and the sharpers resort to him by night ; therefore, I repeat, go
thou to his lodging and hide thyself from thine adversaries, so
thou mayst hear what they say, unseen of them ; for he tclleth
them which party got the better and which got the worse ; and
haply thou shalt learn from them some plan which may avail to
deliver thee from them." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
* They were playing at Murih.in.ih, like children amongst us. It is also called
" IluVm wa Kiza " ■=. order and consent. The penalty is usually something ridiculous,
but here it was villainous.
^ Every Moslem c.ipit.il h.is a ".Shaykh of the thieves" who hulds rc:;a!nr levees and
who will return stolen articles for a consideration; and this has lasted since the days
of Diodorus Siculus (Pilgrimage i. 9I).
The Sandal- Wood Merchant and the Sharpers. 205
Noto fofjen It foas ti)c Sbix l^unbtcti antJ jpourt]^ J^i8l)t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the old
woman said to the merchant, " Go this night to that expert who
is frequented by the townsfoll< and hide thine identity : haply
shalt thou hear from him some plea which shall deliver thee from
thine adversaries," So he went to the place she mentioned and
hid himself albeit he took seat near the blind man. Before long,
up came the Shaykh's company who were wont to choose him
for their judge : they saluted the oldster and one another and sat
down round him, whereupon the merchant recognised his four
adversaries. The Chief set somewhat of food before them and
they ate ; then each began to tell what had befallen him during
his day, and amongst the rest came forward he of the chanders-
wood and told the Shaykh how he had bought of one man sandal
below its price, and had agreed to pay for it a Sd'a or measure of
whatever the seller should desire.' Quoth the old man, "Thine
opponent hath the better of thee." Asked the other, " How can
that be ? "; and the Shaykh answered, " What if he say, I will take
the measure full of gold or silver, wilt thou give it to him ? "
"Yes," replied the other, " I will give it to him and still be the
gainer." And the Shaykh answered, "And if he say, I will take
the measure full of fleas,^ half male and half female, what wilt
thou do .'' " So the sharper knew that he was worsted Then
came forward the one-eyed man and said, "" O Shaykh, I met
to-day a blue-eyed man, a stranger to the town ; so I picked a
quarrel with him and caught hold of him, saying : — 'Twas thou
robbedst me of my eye ; nor did I let him go, till some became
surety for him that he sh6uld return to me to-morrow and satisfy
me for my eye." Quoth the oldster, " If he will he may have
* This was not the condition ; but I have left the text as it is characteristic of the
writer's inconsequence.
^ The idea would readily occur in Egypt where the pulex is still a plague although
the Sultan is said to hold his court at Tiberias. " Male and female" says the rogue,
otherwise it would be easy to fill a bushel with fleas. The insect was unknown to older
India according to some and was introduced by strangers. This immigration is quite
possible. In 1863 the jigger (P. penetrans) was not found in Western Africa ; when I
returned there in 1882 it had passed over from the Brazil and had become naturalised
on the equatorial African seaboard. The Arabs call shrimps and prawns " sea-fleas "
(barguth al-bahr) showing an inland race. (See Pilgrimage i. 322.)
2o6 A If Laylah iva Laylak.
the better cA thee and thou the worse." " How so ? " asked the
sharper ; and the Chief said, " He may say to thee, Pluck out
thine eye, and 1 will pluck out one of mine ; then we will weigh
them both, and if thine eye be of the same weight as mine, thou
sayest sooth in what thou avouchest. So wilt thou owe him the
legal price of his eye and be stone blind, whilst he will still see
with his other eye." So the sharper knew that the merchant
might baffle him with such plea. Then came the cobbler ; and
said, " O Shaykh, a man brought me his sandal-shoe to-day,
saying, Mend this ; and I asked him. What wage wilt thou give
me ? ; when he answered. Thou shalt have of me what will content
thee. Now nothing will content me but all the wealth he hath.'*
Quoth the oldster, " An he will, he may take his sandal from thee
and give thee nothing." " How so ? " quoth the cobbler, and
quoth the Shaykh, " He has but to say to thee, The Sultan's
enemies are put to the rout ; his foes are waxed weak and his
children and helpers are multiplied. Art thou content or no ?
If thou say, I am content,* he will take his sandal and go away ;
and if thou say, I am not content, he will take his sandal and beat
thee therewith over the face and neck." So the cobbler owned
himself worsted. Then came forward the gamester and said, " O
Shaykh, I played at forfeits with a man to-day and beat him and
quoth I to him : — If thou drink the sea I will give thee all my
wealth ; and if not I will take all that is thine." Replied the
Chief, " An he will he may worst thee." " How so .<*" asked the
sharper, and the Shaykh answered, " He hath but to say. Hold
for me the mouth of the sea in thine hand and ^wo. it me and
I will drink it. But thou wilt not be able to do this ; so he will
baffle thee with this plea." When the merchant heard this, he
knew how it behoved him to deal with his adversaries. Then
the sharpers left the Shaykh and the merchant returned to his
lodging. Now when morning morrowed, the gamester came to
him and summoned him to drink the sea ; so he said to him,
" Hold for me its mouth and I will drink it up." Whereupon
he confessed himself beaten and redeemed his forfeit by paying
• Submission to the Sultan and the tidings of his well-being should content every
Eastern subject. But, as Oriental history shows, the form of government is a Despotism
tempered by assassination. And under no rule is man .«.ocial!y freer and his condition
Contrasts strangely with the grinding social tyranny which characterises every :.ioJe of
democracy or constitutionalism, i.e. political equality.
The Sandal' Wood Merchant and the Sharpers. 207
an hundred gold pieces. Then came the cobbler and sought of
him what should content him. Quoth the merchant, " Our lord
the Sultan hath overcome his foes and hath destroyed his enemies
and his children are multiplied. Art thou content or no ?" " I
am content," replied the cobbler and, giving up the shoe * without
wage, went away. Next came the one-eyed man and demanded
the legal price of his eye. Said the merchant, " Pluck out thine
eye, and I will pluck out mine ; then we will weigh them, and
if they are equal in weight, I will acknowledge thy truth, and
pay thee the price of thine eye ; but, if they differ, thou liest
and I will sue thee for the price of mine eye." Quoth the one-
eyed man, "Grant me time ;" but the merchant answered,. saying,
" I am a stranger and grant time to none, nor will I part from thee
till thou pay." So the sharper ransomed his eye by paying him
an hundred ducats and went away. Last of all came the buyer
of the chanders-wood and said, " Take the price of thy ware."
Asked the merchant, "What wilt thou give me.?"; and the other
answered, " We agreed for a Sa'a-measure of whatever thou
shouldst desire ; so, if thou wilt, take it full of gold and silver."
" Not I," rejoined the merchant, " Not I ! nothing shall serve me
but I must have it full of fleas, half male and half female." Said
the sharper, " I can do nothing of the kind ;" and, confessing him-
self beaten, returned him his sandal-wood and redeemed himself
from him with an hundred sequins, to be off his bargain. Then
the merchant sold the chanders-wood at his own price and, quitting
that city of sharpers, returned to his own land — And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
:Nrofo tDf)m (t toas tbc Six l^unUretr anti ^xVH^ Wifljbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
merchant had sold his chanders-wood and had taken the money
he quitted that city and returned to his own land. Then the
Prince continued, " But this is not more wondrous than the tale of
the three-year-old child." " What may that be ? " asked the King,
and the Prince answered : — I have heard tell this .tale of
• Here the text has "Markub" = a shoe; elsewhere "Na'al" =a sandal,
especially with wooden sole. In classical Arabia, however, " Na'al " may be a shoe,
a horse-shoe (iron-plate, not ritn like ours). The Bresl. Edit, has " Wata," any
foot gear.
2o8 Alf Laylah wa Laylah
THE DEBAUCHEE AND THE THREE-YEAR-OLD CHILD.
Know, O King that a certain profligate man, who was addicted to
the sex, once heard of a beautiful and lovely woman who dwelt in
a city other than his own. So he journeyed thither, taking with
him a present, and wrote her a note, setting forth all that he
suffered of love-longing and desire for her and how his passion for
her had driven him to forsake his native land and come to her
and he ended by praying for an assignation. She gave him leave
to visit her and, as he entered her abode, she stood up and received
him with all honour and worship, kissing his hands and enter-
taining him with the best entertainment of meat and drink. Now
she had a little son, but three years old, whom she left and busied
herself in cooking rice.^ Presently the man said to her, " Come, let
us go and lie together ;" but she replied, " My son is sitting looking
at us." Quoth the man, " He is a little child, understanding not
neither knowing how to speak." Quoth the woman, " Thou wouldst
not say thus, an thou knew his intelligence." When the boy saw
that the rice was done, he wept with bitter weeping and his mother
said to him, " What gars thee weep, O my son ? " " Ladle me out
some rice," answered he, " and put clarified butter in it." So she
ladled him out somewhat of rice and put butter therein ; and the
child ate a little, then began to weep again. Quoth she, *' What
ails thee now, O my son ? "; and quoth he, " O mother mine, I
want some sugar with my rice." At this said the man, who was an-
angered, " Thou art none other than a curst child." " Curst thy-
self, by Allah," answered the boy, " seeing thou weariest thyself
and journeyest from city to city, in quest of adultery. As for me,
I wept because 1 had somewhat in my eye, and my tears brought
it ought ; and now I have eaten rice with butter and sugar and
am content; so which is the curst of us twain.!*" Xhe man was
confounded at this rebuke from a little child and forthright grace
entered him and he was reclaimed. Wherefore he laid not a
finger on the woman, but went out from her and returned to bis
' Water-melons (batayikh) says the Mac. Edit, a misprint for Aruz or rice. Water-
melons are served up raw cut into square mouthfuls, to be eaten with rice amd meat.
They serve excellently well to keep the palate clean and cool.
The Stolen Purse. 209
own country, where he lived a contrite life till he died. As for
the story of the five-year-old child (continued the Prince), I have
heard tell, O King, the following anent
THE STOLEN PURSE.
Four merchants once owned in common a thousand gold pieces ;
so they laid them mingled together in one purse and set out to
buy merchandise therewith. They happened as they wended their
way on a beautiful garden ; so they left the purse with a woman
who had care of the garden, saying to her, " Mind thee, thou shalt
not give it back save when all four of us in person demand it of
thee." She agreed to this and they entered and strolled awhile
about the garden-walks and ate and drank and made merry, after
"which one of them said to the others, " I have with me scented
fuller's-earth ; come, let us wash our heads therewith in this
running water." Quoth another, " We lack a comb ; " and a
third, " Let us ask the keeper ; belike she hath a comb." There-
upon one of them arose and accosting the care-taker, said to her,
" Give me the purse." Said she, " Not until ye be all present or
thy fellows bid me give it thee." Then he called to his com-
panions (who could see him but not hear him) saying, " She will
not give it me ; " and they said to her, " Give it him," thinking he
meant the comb. So she gave him the purse and he took it and -
made off as fast as he could. When the three others were weary
of waiting, they went to the keeper and asked her, " Why wilt
thou not give him the comb.?" Answered she, " He demanded
naught of me save the purse, and I gave not that same but with
your consent, and he went his way with it." When they heard
her words they buffeted their faces and, laying hands upon her,
said, " We authorized thee only to give him the comb ; " and she
rejoined, " He named not a comb to me." Then they seized her
and haled her before the .Kazi, to whom they related their claim
and he condemned her to make good the purse and bound over
sundry of her debtors to answer for her. And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn o^ day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
210 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
i^oh) luDcn it tons tfjc ^\t |L^unlircli nnH ^ixtf) ifiigjbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Kazi
condemned the care-taker to make good the purse and bound over
sundry of her debtors to answer for her. So she went forth,
confounded and knowing not her way out of the difficulty. Pre-
sently she met a five-year-old boy who, seeing her troubled, said
to her, "What ails thee, O my mother .>" But she gave him no
answer, contemning him because of his tender age, and he
repeated his question a second time and a third time till, at
last, she told him all that had passed,^ not forgetting the condition
that she was to keep the purse until all four had demanded
it of her. Said the boy, " Give me a dirham to buy sweet-
meats withal and I will tell thee how thou mayst acquit thyself."
So she gave him a silver and said to him, " What hast thou to
say } " Quoth he, " Return to the Kazi, and say to him, It was
agreed between myself and them that I should not give them the
purse, except all four of them were present. Let them all four
come and I will give them the purse, as was agreed." So she
went back to the Kazi and said to him as the boy had counselled ;
and he asked the merchants, " Was it thus agreed between you
and this woman .?"; and they answered, "Yes." Quoth the Kazi,
" Then bring me your comrade and take the purse." So they
went in quest of their fellow, whilst the keeper came off scot-free
and went her way without let or hindrance. And Allah is
Omniscient! 2 When the King and his Wazir and those present
• The text recounts the whole story over again — more than European patience can
bear
^ The usual formula wlien telling an improhabic tale. But here it is hardly called
for: the same story is told (on weak authority) of the Alewife, the Three Graziers and
Attorney-General Nay (temp. James II. 1577-1634) when five years old (Journ. Asiat.
Soc. N.S. XXX. 2S0). The same feat had been credited to Thomas Egerton, Lord Chan-
cellor in A.D. 1540-1617 (Chalmers, Biographical Dictionary xxiii. 267-6S). But the
story had already found its way into the popular jest-books such as "Tales and Quick
Answers, %ery Mery and I'kasant to Rede" (1530); "Jacke of Dover's Quest of
Inquirie for the Foole of all Fooles" (1604) under the title " The Foole of Westchester ",
and in "Witty and Entertaining Exploits of (Icorge Buchanan, commonly called the
King's Eool." The liankcrhard Rogers (in Italy) was told a similar story concerning a
widow of the Lambcrtini Ik/usc (xiv'" century). Thomas Wright (Introduction to the
Seven Sages) says he had met the tale in Latin (xiii"'-xiv"' centuries) and a variant in the
"Nouvco'ix Contcs a rire (Amsterdam 1737), under the title "Jngement Subtil du Due
Story of the Fox and the Folk. 2 1 1
In the assembly heard the Prince's words they said to his father,
" O our lord the King, in very sooth thy son is the most accom-
plished man of his time ; " and they called down blessings upon
the King and the Prince. Then the King strained his son to his
bosom and kissed him between the eyes and questioned him of
what had passed between the favourite and himself; and the
Prince sware to him, by Almighty Allah and by His Holy
Prophet that it was she who had required him of love which he
refused, adding, " Moreover, she promised me that she would give
thee poison to drink and kill thee, so should the kingship be
mine ; whereupon I waxed wroth and signed to her ; — O ac-
cursed one, whenas I can speak I will requite thee ! So she
feared me and did what she did." The King believed his words
and sending for the favourite said to those present, " How shall we
put this damsel to death ? " Some counselled him to cut out her
tongue and other some to burn it with fire ; but, when she came
before the King, she said to him, " My case with thee is like unto
naught save the tale of the fox and the folk." " How so "i " asked
he ; and she said : — I have heard, O King, tell a
STORY OF THE FOX AND THE FOLK>
A FOX once made his way into a city by the wall and, entering a
currier's store-house, played havoc with all therein and spoiled the
d'Ossone centre Deux Marchands." Its origin is evidently the old Sindibad-namah
translated from Syriac into Greek ("Syntipas," xi"» century); into Hebrew (Mishle
Sandabar, xii'*" century), and from the Arabian version into old Castilian, " Libro de los
Engannos et los Asayamientos de las Mugeres" (A.D. 1255), whereof a translation is
appended to Professor Comparetti's " Ricerche intorne al Libro di Sindibad," trans-
lated by Mr. H. C, Coote for the Folk-Lore Society. The Persian metrical form (an
elaboration of one much older) dates from 1375 ; and gave rise to a host of imitations
such as the Turkish Tales of the Forty Wazirs and the Canarese " Katha Manjari,"
where four persons contend about a purse. See also Gladwin's " Persian Moonshee,"
No. vi. of " Pleasing Stories;" and Mr. Clouston's paper, "The Lost Purse," in the
Clasgoiu Evening Times. All are the Eastern form of Gavarni's " Enfants Terribles,"
showing the portentous precocity for which some children (infant phenomena, calculating
boys, etc. etc.) have been famous.
' From the Bresl. Edit. xii. 38 1. The Sa'lab or Abu Hosayn (Father of the Fortlet)
is the fox, in Marocco Akkab : Talib Yusuf and Wa'wi are the jackal. Arabs have
not preserved "Jakal" from the Heb. Shu'al and Persian Shaghal (not Shagul) as th«
Rev. Mr. Tristram misinforms his readers (Nat. Hist, p. 85).
2 12 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
skins for the owner. One day, the currier set a trap for him and
taking him, beat him with the hides, till he fell down senseless,
whereupon the man deeming him to be dead, cast him out into
the road by the city-gate. Presently, an old woman who was
walking by, seeing the fox said, " This is a fox whose eye, hung
about a child's neck, is salutary against weeping." So she pluckt
out his right eye and went away. Then passed a boy, who. said,
" What docs this tail on this fox } "; and cut off his brush. After
a while, up came a man and saying, " This is a fox whose gall
cleareth away film and dimness from the eyes, if they be anointed
therewith like kohl," took out his knife to slit up the fox's paunch.
But Reynard said in himself, " We bore with the plucking out of
the eye and the cutting off of the tail ; but, as for the slitting of
the paunch, there is no putting up with that ! " So saying, he
sprang up and made off through the gate of the city, hardly
believing in his escape. Quoth the King, " I excuse her, and in
my son's hands be her doom. If he will, let him torture her, and
if he will, let him kill her." Quoth the Prince, " Pardon is better
than vengeance and mercy is of the quality of the noble ; " and
the King repeated, " 'Tis for thee to decide, O my son." So the
Prince set her free, saying, " Depart from our neighbourhood and
Allah pardon what is past ! " Therewith the King rose from his
throne of estate and seating his son thereon, crowned him with his
crown and bade the Grandees of his realm swear fealty and com-
manded them do homage to him. And he said, " O folk, indeed,
I am stricken in years and desire to withdraw apart and devote
myself only to the service of my Lord ; and I call you to witness
that I divest myself of the kingly dignity, even as I have divested
myself of my crown and set it on my son's head." So the troops
and officers swore fealty to the Prince, and his father gave himself
up to the worship of his Lord nor stinted from this, whilst his son
abode in his kingship, doing justice and riglitcousncss ; and his
power was magnified and his sultanate strengthened and he abode
in all delight and solace of life, till there came to him the Cer-
tainty.
Judar and his Brethren. 213
JUDARi AND HIS BRETHREN.
There was once a man and a merchant named Omar and he had
for issue three sons, the eldest called Salim, the youngest Judar,
and the cadet Sali'm. He reared them all till they came to man's
estate, but the youngest he loved more than his brothers, who,
seeing this, waxed jealous of Judar and hated him. Now when
their father, who was a man shotten in years, saw that his two
eldest sons hated their brother, he feared lest after his death
trouble should befal him from them. So he assembled a com-
pany of his kinsfolk, together with divers men of learning and
property-distributors of the Kazi's court, and bidding bring all his
monies and cloth, said to them, " O folk, divide ye this money and
stuff into four portions according to the law." They did so, and
he gave one part to each of his sons and kept the fourth himself,
saying, " This was my good and I have divided it among them in
my lifetime ; and this that I have kept shall be for my wife, their
mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas she
shall be a widow." And Shahrazad perceived the daw;i of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
Xofco fa)!)£n it foas tjbc ^ix |^unlir£ti antJ ^£btntS tNTigljt,
She said, It bath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
merchant had divided his money and stuff into four portions, he
said, " This share shall be for my wife, their mother, wherewithal
to provide for her subsistence whenas she shall be a widow." A
little while after this he died, and neither of the two elder brothers
was content with his share,^ but sought more of Judar, saying, " Our
father's wealth is in thy hands." So he appealed to the judges ;
and the Moslems who had been present at the partition came and
bore witness of that which they knew, wherefore the judge forbade
* The name is old and classical Arabic : in Antar the young Amazon Jaydd was called
Judar in public (Story of Tayda and Khalid). It is also, as will be seen, the name of a
quarter in Cairo, and men are often called after such places, f.^. Al-Jubni from the Siik
al-Jubn in Damascus. The story is exceedingly Egyptian and the style abounds in
Cairene vulgarisms ; especially in the Bresl. Edit. ix. 311.
^ Kad the merchant left his property to be divided after his death and aot made a
will, the widow would have had only one-eighth instead of a fourth.
214 -^tf Laylah wa Lay la h.
them from one another ; but Judar and his brothers wasted much
money in bribes to him. After this, the twain left him awhile ;
presently, however, they began again to plot against him and he
appealed a second time to the magistrate, who once more decided
in his favour ; but all three lost much money which went to the
judges. Nevertheless Salim and Sali'm forbore not to seek his
hurt and to carry the case from court to court,' he and they losing
till they had given all their good for food to the oppressors and
they became poor, all three. Then the two elder brothers went to
their mother and flouted her and beat her, and seizing her money
drave her away. So she betook herself to her son Judar and told
him how his brothers had dealt with her and fell to cursing the
twain Said he, " O my mother, do not curse them, for Allah will
requite each of them according to his deed. But, O mother mine,
see, I am become poor, and so are my brethren, for strife occa-
sioneth loss ruin-rife, and we have striven amain, and fought, I and
they, before the judges, and it hath profited us naught : nay, we
have wasted all our father left us and are disgraced among the folk
by reason of our testimony one against other. Shall I then con-
tend with them anew on thine account and shall we appeal to the
judges ? This may not be ! Rather do thou take up thine abode
with me, and the scone I eat I will share with thee. Do thou pray
for me and Allah will give me the means of thine alimony. Leave
them to receive of the Almighty the recompense of their deed,
and console thyself with the saying of the poet who said : —
If a fool oppress thee bear patiently ; o And from Time expect thy revenge to
see :
Shun tyranny ; for if mount oppressed o A mount, 'twould be shattered by
tyranny.
And he soothed and comforted her till she consented and took up
her dwelling with him. Then he gat him a net and went a-fishing
every day in the river or the banks about Bulak and old Cairo or
some other place in which there was water ; and one day he would
earn ten coppers,- another twenty and another thirty, which he
' Lit. " from tyrant to tyr.-int," i.e. from official toofiicial, Al-Zalamah, the " tyranny "
of popular parLince.
- The coin is omitted in the text l)ut it is evidently the " Nusf "or half-dirham. Lane
(iii. 235), noting that the dinar is worth 170 "nusfs"in this talc, thinks iliat it was
written (or copied ?) after the Osmanh Conquest of Egypt. Unfortunately he cannot
tell the precise period when the value of the small change fell so low.
Judar and his Brethren. 215
spent upon his mother and himself, and they ate well and drank
well. But, as for his brothers, they plied no craft and neither sold
nor bought ; misery and ruin and overwhelming calamity entered
their houses and they wasted that which they had taken from their
mother and became of the wretched naked beggars. So at times
they would come to their mother, humbling themselves before
her exceedingly and complaining to her of hunger ; and she (a
mother's heart being pitiful) would give them some mouldy, sour-
smelling bread or, if there were any meat cooked the day before,
she would say to them, " Eat it quick and go ere your brother
come ; for 'twould be grievous to him and he would harden his
heart against me, and ye would disgrace me with him." So they
would eat in haste and go. One day among days they came in to
their mother, and she set cooked meat and bread before them. As
they were eating, behold, in came their brother Judar, at whose
sight the parent was put to shame and confusion, fearing lest he
should be wroth with her ; and she bowed her face earthwards
abashed before her son. But he smiled in their faces, saying,
" Welcome, O my brothers ! A blessed day ! ' How comes it
that ye visit me this blessed day ? " Then he embraced them both
and entreated them lovingly, saying to them, " I thought not that
ye would have left me desolate by your absence nor that ye would
have forborne to come and visit me and your mother." Said they,
" By Allah, O our brother, we longed sore for thee and naught
withheld us but abashment because of what befel between us and
thee ; but indeed we have repented much. 'Twas Satan's doing,
the curse of Allah the Most High be upon him.! And now we
have no blessing but thyself and our mother." And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Xoto h3f)cn it toas tf)c ^ix l^untirel) ant( lEigtti) Xigfjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Judar
entered his place and saw his brothers, he welcomed them both,
saying, " And I have no blessing but you twain." And his mother
exclaimed, " Allah whiten thy face, and increase thy prosperity, for
thou art the most generous of us all, O my son ! " Then he said
" Welcome to you both ! Abide with me ; for the Lord is bounti-
' Arab. " Yaum mubarak ! " still a popular exclamation.
2i6 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
ful and good aboundcth with me." So he made peace with them,
and they supped and nightcd with him ; and next morning, after
they had broken their fast, Judar shouldered his net and went out,
trusting in The Opener' whilst the two others also went forth and
were absent till midday, when they returned and their mother set
the noon-meal before them. At nightfall Judar came home, bear-
ing meat and greens, and they abode on this wise a month's space,
Judar catching fish and selling it and spending their price on his
mother and his brothers, and these eating and frolicking till, one
day, it chanced he went down to the river-bank and throwing his
net, brought it up empty. He cast it a second time, but again it
came up empty and he said in himself, " No fish in this place ! "
So he removed to another and threw the net there, but without
avail. And he ceased not to remove from place to place till night-
fall, but caught not a single sprat ^ and said to himself, "Wonderful!
Hath the fish fled the river or what .^ " Then he shouldered the
net and made for home, chagrined, concerned, feeling for his mother
and brothers and knowing not how he should feed them that
night. Presently, he came to a baker's oven and saw the folk
crowding for bread, with silver in their hands, whilst the baker
took no note of them. So he stood there sighing, and the baker
said to him," Welcome to thee, O Judar! Dost thou want bread .'*"
But he was silent and the baker continued, " An thou have no
dirhams, take thy sufficiency and thou shalt get credit." So Judar
said, " Give me ten coppers' worth of bread and take this net in
pledge." Rejoined the baker, " Nay, my poor fellow, the net is
thy gate of earning thy livelihood, and if I take it from thee, I
shall close up against thee the door of thy subsistence. Take thee
ten Nusfs' worth of bread and take these other ten, and to-morrow
bring me fish for the twenty." " On my head and eyes be it ! "
quoth Judar and took the bread and money saying, " To-morrow
the Lord will dispel the trouble of my case and will provide me
the means of acquittance." Then he bought meat and vegetables
and carried them home to his mother, who cooked them and they
supped and went to bed. Next morning he arose at daybreak
and took the net, and his mother said to him, " Sit down and
' t.e. of the dour of daily bread.
^ Arab. "Sirah," a small fish differently described (De hacy, " Relation de I'Egypte
par Abd-allatif," pp. 2']'6 — 2'6'6 : Lane, Nij^hts iii. 234). It is not found in Sonnini's
Judar and his Brethren. 21/
break thy fast." But he said, " Do thou and my brothers break-
fast," and went down to the river about Bulak where he ceased
not to cast once, twice, thrice ; and to shift about all day, without
aught falling to him, till the hour of mid-afternoon prayer, when
he shouldered his net and went away sore dejected. His way led
him perforce by the booth of the baker who, when he saw him,
counted out to him the loaves and the money, saying, " Come,
take it and go ; an it be not to-day, 'twill be to-morrow." Judar
would have excused himself, but the baker said to him, " Go !
There needeth no excuse ; an thou had netted aught, it would be
with thee ; so seeing thee empty-handed, I knew thou hadst
gotten naught ; and if to-morrow thou have no better luck, come
and take bread and be not abashed, for I will give thee credit."
So Judar took the bread and money and went home. On the
third day also he sallied forth and fished from tank to tank until
the time of afternoon-prayer, but caught nothing ; so he went to
the baker and took the bread and silver as usual. On this wise
he did seven days running, till he became disheartened and said
in himself, " To-day I go to the Lake Karun."^ So he went thither
and was about to cast his net, when there came up to him unawares
a Maghrabi, a Moor, clad in splendid attire and riding a she-mule
with a pair of gold-embrol'dered saddle-bags on her back and all
her trappings also orfrayed. The Moor alighted and said to him,
*•' Peace be upon thee, O Judar, O son of Omar ! " " And on thee
likewise be peace, O my lord the pilgrim ! " replied the fisherman.
Quoth the Maghrabi, "O Judar, I have need of thee and, given
thou obey me, thou shalt get great good and shalt be my com-
panion and manage my affairs for me." Quoth Judar, "O my
lord, tell me what is in thy mind and I will obey thee, without
demur." Said the Moor, " Repeat the Fatihah, the Opening
Chapter of the Koran. "^ So he recited it with him and the Moor
bringing out a silken cord, said to Judar, " Pinion my elbows
behind me with this cord, as fast as fast can be, and cast me into
the lake ; then wait a little while ; and, if thou see me put forth
my hands above the water, raising them high ere my body show,
^ A tank or lakelet in the southern parts of Cairo, long ago filled up ; Von Hammer
believes it inherited the name of the old Charon's Lake of Memphis, over which corpses
were ferried.
^ Thus making the agreement a kind of religious covenant ; as Catholics would recite
a Pater or an Ave Maria.
2l8 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
cast thy net over me and drag me out in haste ; but if thou see
me come up feet foremost, then know that I am dead ; in which
case do thou leave me and take the mule and saddle-bags and
carry them to the merchants' bazar, where thou wilt find a Jew
by name Shamdyah. Give him the mule and he will give thee an
hundred dinars, which do thou take and go thy ways and keep the
matter secret with all secrecy." So Judar tied his arms tightly
behind his back and he kept saying, " Tie tighter." Then said he,
" Push me till I fall into the lake : " so he pushed him in and he
sank. Judar stood waiting some time till, behold, the Moor's feet
appeared above the water, whereupon he knew that he was dead.
So he left him and drove the mule to the bazar, where seated on a
stool at the door of his storehouse he saw the Jew who spying the
mule, cried, " In very sooth the man hath perished," adding, *' and
naught undid him but covetise." Then he took the mule from
Judar and gave him an hundred dinars, charging him to keep the
matter secret. So Judar went and bought what bread he needed,
saying to the baker, " Take this gold piece ! "; and the man
summed up what was due to him and said, " I still owe thee two
days' bread " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Noto foi)m it tuas tl^e ^ix |L^unliwti anti :Kfmtf) Nigbt,
She continued. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar,
when the baker after summing up what was due to him said, " I
still owe thee two days' bread," replied, '' Good," and went on to
the butcher, to whom he gave a gold piece and took meat, saying,
*' Keep the rest cf the dinar on account." Then he bought veget-
ables and going home, found his brothers importuning their mother
for victual, whilst she cried, " Have patience till your brother come
home, for I have naught." So he went in to them and said, " Take
and eat ;" and they fell on the food like cannibals. Then he gave
his mother the rest of his gold saying, " If my brothers come to
thee, give them wherewithal to buy food and eat in my absence,"
He slept well that night and next morning he took his net and
going down to Lake Karun stood there and was about to cast his
net, when behold, there came up to him a second Maghribi, riding:
on a she-mule more handsomely accoutred than he of the day
before and having with him a pair of saddlc-bags of which each
Judar and his Brethren. 219
pocket contained a casket, '* Peace be with thee, O Judar ! " said
the Moor : " And with thee be peace, O my lord, the pilgrim ! "
replied Judar. Asked the Moor, " Did there come to thee yester-
day a Moor riding on a mule like this of mine ? " Hereat Judar
was alarmed and answered, " I saw none," fearing lest the other
say, " Whither went he ? " and if he replied, " He was drowned in
the lake," that haply he should charge him with having drowned
him ; wherefore he could not but deny. Rejoined the Moor,
" Harkye, O unhappy !' this was my brother, who is gone before
me." Judar persisted, " I know naught of him." Then the Moor
enquired, " Didst thou not bind his arms behind him and throw
him into the lake, and did he not say to thee : — If my hands ap-
pear above the water first, cast thy net over me and drag me out in
haste ; but, if my feet show first, know that I am dead and carry
the mule to the Jew Shamayah, who shall give thee an hundred
dinars." Quoth Judar, " Since thou knowest all this why and
wherefore dost thou question me ? "; and quoth the Moor, *' I
would have thee do with me as thou didst with my brother."
Then he gave him a silken cord, saying, " Bind my hands behind
me and throw me in, and if I fare as did my brother, take the
mule to the Jew and he will give thee other hundred dinars."
Said Judar, " Come on ;" so he came and he bound him and
pushed him into the lake, where he sank. Then Judar sat watch-
ing and after awhile, his feet appeared above the water and the
fisher said, " He is dead and damned ! Inshallah, may Maghribis
come to me every day, and I will pinion them and push them in
and they shall die ; and I will content me with an hundred dinars
for each dead man." Then he took the mule to the Jew, who
seeing him asked, " The other is dead ? " Answered Judar, " May
thy head live ! "; and the Jew said, " This is the reward of the
covetous ! " Then he took the mule and gave Judar an hundred
dinars, with which he returned to his mother." " O my son," said
she, " whence hast thou this ? " So he told her, and she said, " Go
not again to Lake Karun, indeed I fear for thee from the Moors."
Said he, " O my mother, I do but cast them in by their own wish,
and what am I to do ? This craft bringeth me an hundred dinars
a day and I return speedily ; wherefore, by Allah, I will not leave
^ Arab. " Ya miskin " = O poor devil ; mesquin, meschino, words evidently derived
from the East.
220 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
going to Lake Karun, till the trace of the Maghdribah • is cut off
and not one of them is left." So, on the morrow which was the
third day, he went down to the lake and stood there, till there
came up a third Moor, riding on a mule with saddle-bags and still
more richly accoutred than the first two, who said to him, " Peace
be with thee, O Judar, O son of Omar ! " And the fisherman
saying in himself, " How comes it that they all know me ? "
returned his salute. Asked the Maghribi, " Have any Moors
passed by here } " " Two," answered Judar. " Whither went
they ? " enquired the Moor, and Judar replied, '* I pinioned their
hands behind them and cast them into the lake, where they were
drowned, and the same fate is in store for thee." The Moor
laughed and rejoined, saying, " O unhappy ! every life hath its
term appointed." Then he alighted and gave the fisherman the
silken cord, saying, " Do with me, O Judar, as thou didst witli
them." Said Judar, " Put thy hands behind thy back, that I may
pinion thee, for I am in haste, and time flies." So he put his
hands behind him and Judar tied him up and cast him in. Then
he waited awhile ; presently the Moor thrust both hands forth of
the water and called out to him, saying, " Ho, good fellow, cast
out thy net ! " So Judar threw the net over him and drew him
ashore, and lo ! in each hand he held a fish as red as coral. Quoth
the Moor, " Bring me the two caskets that are in the saddle-bags."
So Judar brought them and opened them to him, and he laid in
each casket a fish and shut them up. Then he pressed Judar to
his bosom and kissed him on the right check and the left, saying,
" Allah save thee from all stress ! By the Almighty, hadst thou
not cast the net over me and pulled me out, I should have kept
hold of these two fishes till I sank and was drowned, for I could
not get ashore of myself." Quoth Judar, " O my lord the pilgrim,
Allah upon thee, tell me the true history of the two drowned men
and the truth anent these two fishes and the Jew." And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted
say.
' Phir. of Maghribi, a Western man, a Moor. I have already derived the word
through the Lat. " Maurus " from Maghribiyiin. Europeans being unable to pronounce
the Ghayn (or gh like the modern Cairenes) would turn it into " Ma'ariyvni." They
are mostly of the Maliki school (for which see Sale) and are famous as magicians and
treasure-fmders. Amongst the suite of the lale Amir Abd al-Kadir, who lived many
years and died in Damascus, I found several men profoundly versed in Easlern sp^.tualisni
and occultism.
Judar and his Brethren. 22 1
Nofo foben It foas tjbe ^i)c l^unlrreti anlr ^tntjb Nigijt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Judar asked the Maghribi, saying, " Prithee tell me first of the
drowned men," the Maghribi answered : — Know, O Judar, that
these drowned men were my two brothers, by name Abd al-Salam
and Abd al-Ahad. My own name is Abd al-Samad, and the Jew
also is our brother ; his name is Abd al-Rahim and he is no Jew,
but a true believer of the Maliki school. Our father, whose name
was Abd al-Wadud,^ taught us magic and the art of solving
mysteries and bringing hoards to light, and we applied ourselves
thereto, till we compelled the Ifrits and Marids of the Jinn to do
us service. By-and-by, our sire died and left us much wealth, and
we divided amongst us his treasures and talismans, till we came to
the books, when we fell out over a volume called " The Fables
of the Ancients," whose like is not in the world, nor can its price
be paid of any, nor is its value to be evened with gold and jewels ;
for in it are particulars of all the hidden hoards of the earth and
the solution of every secret. Our father was wont to make use of
this book, of which we had some small matter by heart, and each
of us desired to possess it, that he might acquaint himself with
what was therein. Now when we fell out there was in our com-
pany an old man by name Cohen Al-Abtan,- who had reared our
sire and taught him divination and gramarye, and he said to us,
*' Bring me the book." So we gave it him and he continued : — Ye
are my son's sons, and it may not be that I should wrong any of
you. So whoso is minded to have the volume, let him address
himself to achieve the treasure of Al-ShamardaP and bring me the
celestial planisphere and the Kohl-phial and the seal-ring and the
sword. For the ring hath a Marid that serveth it called Al-Ra'ad
al-Kasif;^ and whoso hath possession thereof, neither King nor
Sultan may prevail against him ; and \i he will, he may therewith
make himself master of the earth, in all the length and breadth
thereof. As for the brand, if its bearer draw it and brandish it
' The names are respectively, Slave of the Salvation; of the One (Godj ; of the
Eternal ; of the Compassionate ; and of the Loving.
^ i.e. " the most profound" ; the root is that of " Batini," a gnostic, a reprobate-
^ i.e. the Tall One.
* The loud-pealing or (ear-) breaking Thunder.
222 A If Laylah iva Laylah.
against an army, the army will be put to the rout ; and if he say the
while, " Slay yonder host," there will come forth of that sword
lightning and fire, that will kill the whole many. As for the
planisphere, its possessor hath only to turn its face toward any
country, cast or west, with whose sight he hath a mind to solace
himself, and therein he will see that country and its people, as they
were between his hands and he sitting in his place ; and if he be
wroth with a city and have a mind to burn it, he hath but to face
the planisphere towards the sun's disc, saying, " Let such a city be
burnt," and that city will be consumed with fire. As for the Kohl-
phial, whoso pencilleth his eyes therefrom, he shall espy all the
treasures of the earth. And I make this condition with you which
is that whoso faileth to hit upon the hoards shall forfeit his right ;
and that none save he who shall achieve the treasure and bring
me the four precious things which be therein shall have any claim
to take this book. So we all agreed to this condition, and he
continued, " O my sons, know that the treasure of Al-Shamardal
is under the commandment of the sons of the Red King, and your
father told me that he had himself essayed to open the treasure,
but could not ; for the sons of the Red King fled from him into
the land of Egypt and took refuge in a lake there, called Lake
Karun, whither he pursued them, but could not prevail over them,
by reason of their stealing into that lake, which was guarded by a
spell." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Xoh) tufjcn ft tons t!jc ^ix |L)untircU nnti 131cbcnti) Xig!)t,
She said, It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that when the
Cohen Al-Abtan had told the youths this much, he continued his
tale as follows, " So your father returned empty-handed and
unable to win to his wish ; and after failing he complained to me
of his ill-success, whereupon I drew him an astrological figure
and found that the treasure could be achieved only by means of a
young fisherman of Cairo, hight Judar bin Omar, the place of
foregathering with whom was at Lake Karun, for that he should
be the means of capturing the sons of the Red King and that the
charm would not be dissolved, save if he slioukl bind the hands of
the trcasurc-scckcr behind him and cast him into the lake, there to do
battle with the sons of the Red King. And he whose lot it was to
Judar and his Brethren. 225
succeed would lay hands upon them ; but, if it were not destined
to him he should perish and his feet appear above water. As
for him who was successful, his hands would show first, whereupon
it behoved that Judar should cast the net over him and draw him
ashore.'* Now quoth my brothers Abd al-Salam and Abd al-
Ahad, " We will wend and make trial, although we perish ; " and
quoth I, " And I also will go ; " but my brother Abd al-Rahim (he
whom thou sawest in the habit of a Jew) said, " I have no mind to
this." Thereupon we agreed with him that he should repair to
Cairo in the disguise of a Jewish merchant, so that, if one of us
perished in the lake, he might take his mule and saddle-bags and
give the bearer an hundred dinars. The first that came to thee
the sons of the Red King slew, and so did they with my second
brother; but against me they could not prevail and I laid hands on
them. Cried Judar, "And where is thy catch?" Asked the
Moor, " Didst thou not see me shut them in the caskets } " " Those
were fishes," said Judar. " Nay," answered the Maghribi, " they
are Ifrits in the guise of fish. But, O Judar," continued he, " thou
must know that the treasure can be opened only by thy means : so
say, wilt thou do my bidding and go with me to the city Fez and
Mequinez^ where we will open the treasure ? ; and after I will give
thee what thou wilt and thou shalt ever be my brother in the bond
of Allah and return to thy family with a joyful heart." Said
Judar, "O my lord the pilgrim, I have on my neck a mother and
two brothers," And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Xofo tof)tn It toas tf)e ^ix f^untrrctr antr ^fodft^ '^\.^)\y
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar
said to the Maghribi, " I have on my neck a mother and two
brothers, whose provider I am ; and if I go with thee, who shall
give them bread to eat t '* Replied the Moor, " This is an idle
excuse ! if it be but a matter of expenditure, I will give thee a
^ Arab. " Fds and Miknas " which the writer evidently regards as one city. "Fas"
means a hatchet, from the tradition of one having been found, says Ibn Sa'i'd, when
digging the base under the founder Idris bin Idris (A.D. 808). His sword was placed
on the pinnacle of the minaret built by the Imam Abu Ahmad bin Abi Bakr enclosed in
a golden etui studded with pearls and precious stones. From the local pronunciation
" Fes " is derived the red cap of the nearer Moslem East (see Iba Batutah p. 230).
224 ^If Laylah wa Laylah.
thousand ducats for thy mother, wherewith she may provide her-
self till thou come back: and indeed thou shalt return before the
end of four months." So when Judar heard mention of the
thousand dinars, he said, " Here with them, O Pilgrim^ and I am
thy man ;" and the Moor, pulling out the money, gave it to him,
whereupon he carried it to his mother and told her what had
passed between them, saying, " Take these thousand dinars and
expend of them upon thyself and my brothers, whilst I journey to
Marocco with the Moor, for I shall be absent four months, and
great good will betide me ; so bless me, O my mother !" An-
swered she, " O my son, thou desolatest me and I fear for thee."
^' O my mother," rejoined he, " no harm can befal him who is in
Allah's keeping, and the Maghribi is a man of worth ;" and he went
on to praise his condition to her. Quoth she, " Allah incline his
heart to thee ! Go with him, O my son ; perad venture, he will
give thee somewhat." So he took leave of his mother and rejoined
the Moor Abd al-Samad, who asked him, " Hast thou consulted
thy mother.^" "Yes," answered Judar; "and she blessed me."
" Then mount behind me," said the Maghribi. So Judar mounted
the mule's crupper and they rode on from noon till the time of
mid-afternoon prayer, when the fisherman was an-hungered ; but
seeing no victual with the Moor, said to him, " O my lord the
pilgrim, belike thou hast forgotten to bring us aught to eat by the
way.''" Asked the Moor, "Art thou hungry?" and Judar an-
swered, "Yes." So Abd al-Samad alighted and made Judar alii^ht
and take down the saddle-bags^ ; then he said to him, " What wilt
thou have, O my brother?" "Anything." "Allah upon thcc,
tell me what thou hast a mind to." " Bread and cheese." " O
my poor fellow ! bread and cheese besit thee not ; wish for some-
thing good." " Just now everything is good to mc." " Dost thou
like nice browned chicken?" 'Yes ! " "Dost thou like rice and
honey .'' " "Yes ! " And the Moor went on to ask him if he liked
this dish and that dish till he had named four-and-twcnty kinds of
meats ; and Judar thought to himself, " lie must be daft! Where
arc all these dainties to come from, seeing he hath neither cook
nor kitchen } But I'll say to him, 'Tis enough ! " So he cried,
"That will do: thou makcst me long for all these meats, and I
see nothing." Quoth the I\Ioor, " Thou art welcome, O Judar!"
and, putting his hand into the saddle-bags, pulled out a golden
' Arab. " Al-Khurj,"' wlicncc the Span. Las Alforjas.
Judar and his Brethren. 2125
dish containing two hot browned chickens. Then he thrust his
hand a second time and drew out a golden dish, full of kabobs* ;
nor did he stint taking out dishes from saddle-bags, till he had
brought forth the whole of the four-and-twenty kinds he had
named, whilst Judar looked on. Theff said the Moor, " Fall to,
poor fellow !", and Judar said to him, " O my lord, thou earnest in
yonder saddle-bags kitchen and kitcheners ! " The Moor laughed
and replied, " These are magical saddle-bags and have a servant,
who would bring us a thousand dishes an hour, if we called for
them," Quoth Judar, " By Allah, a meat thing in saddle-bags ! "
Then they ate their fill and threw away what was left ; after which
the Moor replaced the empty dishes in the saddle-bags and putting
in his hand, drew out an ewer. They drank and making the
Wuzu-ablution, prayed the mid-afternoon prayer ; after which Abd
al-Samad replaced the ewer and the two caskets in the saddle-
bags and throwing them over the mule's back, mounted and cried,
" Up with thee and let us be off," presently adding, " O Judar,
knowest thou how far we have come since we left Cairo ? " " Not
I, by Allah," replied he, and Abd al-Samad, " We have come a
whole month's journey." Asked Judar, " And how is that ">. "; and
the Moor answered, " Know, O Judar, that this mule under us is a
Marid of the Jinn who every day performeth a year's journey;
but, for thy sake, she hath gone an easier pace." Then they 3et
out again and fared on westwards till nightfall, when they halted
and the Maghribi brought out supper from the saddle-bags, and in
like manner, in the morning, he took forth wherewithal to break
their fast. So they rode on four days, journeying till midnight
and then alighting and sleeping until morning, when they fared on
again ; and all that Judar had a mind to, he sought of the Moor,
who brought it out of the saddle-bags. On the fifth day, they
arrived at Fez and Mequinez and entered the city, where all who
met the Maghribi saluted him and kissed his hands ; and he con-
tinued riding through the streets, till he came to a certain door,
at which he knocked, whereupon it opened and out came a girl
' Arab. " Kabab," mutton or lamb cut into small squares and grilled upon skewers :
it is the roast meat of the nearer East where, as in the West, men have not learned to
cook meat so as to preserve all its flavour. This is found in the " Asa'o " of the Argen-
tine Gaucho who broils the flesh while still quivering and before the fibre has time to
set. Hence it is perfectly tender, if the animal be young, and it has a " meaty " taste
half lost by keeping.
VOL. VI. P
226 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
like the moon, to whom said he, *' O my daughter, O Rahmah,'
open us the upper chamber." " On my head and eyes, O my
papa ! " replied she and went in, swaying her hips to and fro with
a graceful and swimming gait like a thirsting gazelle, movements
that ravished Judar's reason, and he said, " This is none other than
a King's daughter." So she opened the upper chamber, and the
Moor, taking the saddle-bags from the mule's back, said, " Go, and
God bless thee ! " when lo ! the earth clove asunder and swallow-
ing the mule, closed up again as before. And Judar said, " O
Protector ! praised be Allah, who hath kept us in safety on her
back ! " Quoth the Maghribi, " Marvel not, O Judar. I told thee
that the mule was an Ifrit ; but come with us into the upper cham-
ber." So they went up into it, and Judar was amazed at the pro-
fusion of rich furniture and pendants of gold and silver and jewels
and other rare and precious things which he saw there. As soon
as they were seated, the Moor bade Rahmah bring him a certain
bundle ^ and opening it, drew out a dress worth a thousand dinars,
which he gave to Judar, saying, " Don this dress, O Judar, and
welcome to thee!" So Judar put it on and became a fair en-
sample of the Kings of the West. Then the Maghribi laid the
saddle-bags before him, and, putting in his hand, pulled out dish
after dish, till they had before them a tray of forty kinds of meat,
when he said to Judar, " Come near, O my master ! eat and excuse
us " And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
Noto fotcn it tons tbc ^I'l ftJuntirctJ anti ©ftirtccnt]^ ^■igi)t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Maghribi having served up in the pavilion a tray of forty kinds
of meat, said to Judar, " Come near, O my master, and excuse us
for that we know not what meats thou dcsircst ; but tell us what
thou hast a mind to, and wc will set it before thee without delay."
Replied Judar, " By Allah, O my lord the pilgrim, I love all kinds
of meat and unlove none ; so ask me not of aught, but bring ail
* Equivalent to our puritanical " Mercy."
' Arab. " Bukjah," from the Persian Bukcheh : a favourite way of k(?cping fine
clothes in the Fast is to lay ihetn folded in a piece of rough long-cloth with pepper and
spices to drive away moths.
i i
Judar and his Brethren. 227
that cometh to thy thought, for save eating to do I have nought."
After this he tarried twenty days with the Moor, who clad him in new
clothes every day, and all this time they ate from the saddle-bags ;
for the Maghribi bought neither meat nor bread nor aught else, nor
cooked, but brought everything out of the bags, even to various
sorts of fruit. On the twenty-first day, he said, " O Judar, up
with thee ; this is the day appointed for opening the hoard of Al-
Shamardal." So he rose and they went afoot ^ without the city,
where they found two slaves, each holding a she-mule. The Moor
mounted one beast and Judar the other, and they ceased not riding
till noon, when they came to a stream of running water, on whose
banks Abd al-Samad alighted saying, " Dismount, O Judar 1 "
Then he signed with his hand to the slaves and said, "To it!"
So they took the mules and going each his own way, were absent
awhile, after which they returned, one bearing a tent, which he
pitched, and the other carpets, which he spread in the tent and
laid mattrasses, pillows and cushions therearound. Then one of
them brought the caskets containing the two fishes ; and another
fetched the saddle-bags ; whereupon the Maghribi arose and said,
"Come, O Judar ! " So Judar followed him into the tent and sat
down beside him ; and he brought out dishes of meat from the
saddle-bags and they ate the undurn meal. Then the Moor took
the two caskets and conjured over them both, whereupon there
came from within voices that said, " Adsumus, at thy service, O
diviner of the world ! Have mercy upon us ! " and called aloud for
aid. But he ceased not to repeat conjurations and they to call for
help, till the two caskets flew in sunder, the fragments flying about,
and there came forth two men, with pinioned hands saying,
" Quarter, O diviner of the world ! What wilt thou with us } "
Quoth he, " My will is to burn you both with fire, except ye make
a covenant with me, to open to me the treasure of Al-Shamardal."
Quoth they, " We promise this to thee, and we will open the trea-
sure to thee, so thou produce to us Judar bin Omar, the fisherman,
for the hoard may not be opened but by his means, nor can any
enter therein save Judar." Cried the Maghribi, " Him of whom
ye speak, I have brought, and he is here, listening to you and
' This is always specified, for respectable men go out of town on horse-back, never
on " foot-back," as our friends the Boers say. I have seen a Syrian put to sore shame
when compelled by politeness to walk with me, and every acquaintance he met ad-
dressed him, " Anta Zalamah ! " — What ! afoot !
228 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
looking at you." Thereupon they covenanted with him to open
the treasure to him, and he released them. Then he brought out
a hollow wand and tablets of red carnelian which he laid on the
rod ; and after this he took a chafing-dish and setting charcoal
thereon, blew one breath into it and it kindled forthwith. Pre-
sently he brought incense and said, " O Judar, I am now about to
begin the necessary conjurations and fumigations, and when I
have once begun, I may not speak, or the charm will be naught ;
so I will teach thee first what thou must do to win thy wish."
" Teach me," quoth Judar. " Know," quoth the Moor, " that when
I have recited the spell and thrown on the incense, the water, will
dry up from the river's bed and discover to thee, a golden door,
the bigness of the city-gate, with two rings of metal thereon ;
whereupon do thou go down to the door and knock a light knock
and wait awhile ; then knock a second time a knock louder than
the first and wait another while ; after which give three knocks in
rapid succession, and thou wilt hear a voice ask : — Who knocketh
at the door of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets }
Do thou answer: — I am Judar the fisherman son of Omar : and
the door will open and there will come forth a figure with a brand
in hand who will say to thee : If thou be that man, stretch forth
thy neck, that I may strike off thy head. Then do thou stretch
forth thy neck and fear not ; for, when he lifts his hand and smites
thee with the sword, he will fall down before thee, and in a little
thou wilt see him a body sans soul ; and the stroke shall not hurt
thee nor shall any harm befal thee ; but, if thou gainsay him, he
will slay thee. When thou hast undone his enchantment by obe-
dience, enter and go on till thou see another door, at which do
thou knock, and there will come forth to thee a horseman riding
a marc with a lance on his shoulder and say to thee : — What
bringcth thcc hither, where none may enter ne man ne Jinni.^
And he will shake his lance at thee. Bare thy breast to him
and he will smite thee and fall down forthright and thou shalt
sec him a body without a soul; but if thou cross him he will
kill thee. Then go on to the third door, whence there will come
forth to thee a man with a bow and arrows in his hand and take
aim at thee. Bare thy breast to him and he will shoot at thee and
fall down before thcc, a body without a soul ; but if thou oppose
him, he will kill thee. Then go on to the fourth door " And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her per-
mitted say.
Judar and his Brethren. 229
Noh3 tDl)£n a teas t!)£ ^ix l^untireH anlr jTourttentf) tNfiglbt,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Maghribi said to Judar, " Go on to the fourth door and knock and it
shall be opened to thee, when there will come forth to thee a lion
huge of bulk which will rush upon thee, opening his mouth and
showing he hath a mind to devour thee. Have no fear of him,
neither flee from him : but when he cometh to thee, give him thy
hand and he will bite at it and* fall down straightway, nor shall
aught of hurt betide thee. Then enter the fifth door, where thou
shalt find a black slave, who will say to thee, Who art thou? Say, I
am Judar ! and he will answer, If thou be that man, open the sixth
door. Then do thou go up to the door and say, O Isa, tell Musa
to open the door ; whereupon the door will fly open and thou
wilt see two dragons, one on the left hand and another on the
right, which will open their mouths and fly at thee, both at once.
Do thou put forth to them both hands and they will bite each a
hand and fall down dead ; but an thou resist them, they will slay
thee. Then go on to the seventh door and knock, whereupon there
will come forth to thee thy mother and say : — Welcome, O my
son ! Come, that I may greet thee ! But do thou reply, Hold ofif
from me and doff thy dress. And she will make answer: — O
my son, I am thy mother and I have a claim upon thee for
suckling thee and for rearing thee : how then wouldst thou strip
me naked } Then do thou say. Except thou put off thy clothes,
I will kill thee ! and look to thy right where thou wilt see a sword
hanging up. Take it and draw it upon her, saying, Strip ! where-
upon she will wheedle thee and humble herself to thee ; but have
thou no ruth on her nor be beguiled, and as often as she putteth
off aught, say to her. Off with the lave ; nor do thou cease to
threaten her with death, till she doff all that is upon her and fall
down, whereupon the enchantment will be dissolved and the
charms undone, and thou wilt be safe as to thy life. Then enter
the hall of the treasure, where thou wilt see the gold lying in
heaps ; but pay no heed to aught thereof, but look to a closet
at the upper end of the hall, where thou wilt see a curtain
drawn. Draw back the curtain and thou wilt descry the en-
chanter, Al-Shamardal, lying upon a couch of gold, with some-
thing at his head round and shining like the moon, which is the
230 A If Laylah zva Laylah.
celestial planisphere. He is baldrick'd with the sword* ; on his
finger is the ring and about his neck hangs a chain, to which
hangs the Kohl-phial. Bring me the four talismans, and beware
lest thou forget aught of that which I have told thee, or thou wilt
repent and there will be fear for thee." And he repeated his
directions a second and a third and a fourth time, till Judar said,
" I have them by heart : but who may face all these enchantments
that thou namest and endure against these mighty terrors ? "
Replied the Moor, "O Judar, fear not, for they are semblances
without life ;" and he went on to hearten him, till he said, " I put
my trust in Allah." Then Abd al-Samad threw perfumes on the
chafing-dish, and addressed himself to reciting conjurations for a
time when, behold, the water disappeared and uncovered the river-
bed and discovered the door of the treasure, whereupon Judar
went down to the door and knocked. Therewith he heard a voice
saying, " Who knocketh at the door of the treasure, unknowing
how to solve the secrets ? " Quoth he, " I am Judar son of Omar ;"
whereupon the door opened and there came forth a figure with a
drawn sword, who said to him, " Stretch forth thy neck." So he
stretched forth his neck and the species smote him and fell down,
lifeless. Then he went on to the second door and did the like, nor
did he cease to do thus, till he had undone the enchantments of the
first six doors and came to tne seventh door, whence there issued
forth to him his mother, saying, " I salute thee, O my son ! " He
asked, "What art thou ?", and she answered, " O my son, I am thy
mother who bare thee nine months and suckled thee and reared
thee." Quoth he, " Put off thy clothes." Quoth she, " Thou art
my son, how wouldst thou strip me naked ? " But he said " Strip,
or I will strike off thy head with this sword ;" and he stretched
out his hand to the brand and drew it upon her saying, " Except
thou strip, I will slay thee." Then the strife became long
between them and as often as he redoubled on her his threats, she
put off somewhat of her clothes and he said to her, " Doff the rest,"
' This tale, includin<:; the Enchanted Sword wliich slays whole armies, was adopted in
Europe :is we sec in Straparola (iv. 3), and llie "Water of Life" wliich tlic Grimms
found in Ilesse, etc., "Gammer Grcthel's German Popular Stories," Edgar Taylor,
J;- lis, 1S7S ; and now published in fuller form as "Grimm's Household Talcs,' by
^'rs. Hunt, with Introduction by A. Lang, 2 vols. 8vo, 1SS4. It is curious that so
I'jn^ and carj.ing a critic, who will condescend to notice a misprint in another's
book, rdiouM lay himself open to general animadversion by such a rambling farrago
of haif-digested knowledge as that which composes Mr. Andrew Lang's Introduction.
\
Judar and his Brethren. 231
with many menaces ; while she removed each article slowly and
kept saying, " O my son, thou hast disappointed my fosterage of
thee," till she had nothing left but her petticoat-trousers. Then
said she, "O my son, is thy heart stone ? Wilt thou dishonour me
by discovering my shame ? Indeed, this is unlawful, O my son ! "
And he answered, " Thou sayest sooth ; put not off thy trousers."
At once, as he uttered these words, she cried out, " He hath made
default ; beat him ! " Whereupon there fell upon him blows like
rain-drops and the servants of the treasure flocked to him and
dealt him a tunding which he forgot not in all his days; after
which they thrust him forth and threw him down without the
treasure and the hoard-doors closed of themselves, whilst the
waters of the river returned to their bed. And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Koto tof)cn It toas tj^e ^ix l^untiitU antj jpiftcentib Nfal^t,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
servants of the treasure beat Judar and cast him out and the hoard-
doors closed of themselves, whilst the river-waters returned to their
bed, Abd al-Samad the Maghribi took Judar up in haste and
repeated conjurations over him, till he came to his senses but still
dazed as with drink, when he asked him, " What hast thou done, O
wretch } " Answered Judar, " O my brother, I undid all the
opposing enchantments, till I came to my mother and there befel
between her and myself a long contention. But I made her doff
her clothes, O my brother, till but her trousers remained upon her
and she said to me. Do not dishonour me ; for to discover one's
shame is forbidden. So I left her her trousers out of pity, and
behold, she cried out and said, He hath made default ; beat him !
Whereupon there came out upon me folk, whence I know not, and
tunding me with a belabouring which was a Sister of Death, thrust
me forth ; nor do I know what befel me after this." Quoth the
Moor, " Did I not warn thee not to swerve from my directions ?
Verily, thou hast injured me and hast injured thyself: for if thou
hadst made her take off her petticoat-trousers, we had won to our
wish ; but now thou must abide with me till this day next year."
Then he cried out to the two slaves, who struck the tent forthright
and loaded it on the beasts ; then they were absent awhile and
presently returned with the two mules ; and the twain mounted
2^2 Alf Laylah wa Laylali.
and rode back to the city of Fez, where Judar tarried with the
Maghribi, eating well and drinking well and donning a grand dress
every day, till the year was ended and the anniversary day
dawned. Then the Moor said to him, " Come with me, for this
is the appointed day." And Judar said, " 'Tis well." So the
Maghribi carried him without the city, where they found the two
slaves with the mules, and rode on till they reached the river.
Here the slaves pitched the tent and furnished it ; and the Moor
brought forth the tray of food and they ate the morning meal ;
after which Abd al-Samad brought out the wand and the tablets
as before and, kindling the fire in the chafing-dish, made ready the
incense. Then said he, " O Judar, I wish to renew my charge to
thee." "O my lord the pilgrim," replied he, " if I have forgotten
the bastinado, I have forgotten the injunctions,'" Asked the Moor,
" Dost thou indeed remember them .•' " and he answered, " Yes."
Quoth the Moor, " Keep thy wits, and think not that the woman
is thy very mother ; nay, she is but an enchantment in her sem-
blance, whose purpose is to find thee defaulting. Thou camest off
alive the first time ; but, an thou trip this time, they will slay thee."
Quoth Judar, " If I slip this time, I deserve to be burnt of them.'*
Then Abd al-Samad cast the perfumes into the fire and recited the
conjurations, till the river dried up ; whereupon Judar descended
and knocked. The door opened and he entered and undid the
several enchantments, till he came to the seventh door and the
semblance of his mother appeared before him, saying, " Welcome,^
O my son ! " But he said to her, " How am I thy son, O accursed }
Strip ! " And she began to wheedle him and put off garment
after garment, till only her trousers remained ; and he said to her,
" Strip, O accursed ! " So she put off her trousers and became
a body without a soul. Then he entered the hall of the treasures,
where he saw gold lying in heaps, but paid no heed to it and
passed on to the closet at the upper end, where he saw the
enchanter Al-Shamardal lying on a couch of gold, baldrick'd with
the sword, with the ring on his finger, the Kohl-phial on his
breast and the celestial planisphere hanging over his head. So
he loosed the sword and taking the ring, the Kohl-phial and the
planisphere, went forth, when behold, a band of music sounded
' These retorts of Judar arc exactly what a sharp Egyptian Fellah would say on such
occasions.
^ Arab. " Salamat," plar. of Salam, a favourite Egyptian welcome-
Judar and his Brethren. 233
for him and the servants of the treasure cried out, saying, " Mayest
thou be assained with that thou hast gained, O Judar ! " Nor did
the music leave sounding, till he came forth of the treasure to the
Maghribi, who gave up his conjurations and fumigations and rose
up and embraced him and saluted him. Then Judar made over
to him the four hoarded talismans, and he took them and cried
out to the slaves, who carrried away the tent and brought the
mules. So they mounted and returned to Fez-city, where the
Moor fetched the saddle-bags and brought forth dish after dish
of meat, till the tray was full, and said, " O my brother, O Judar,
eat ! " So he ate till he was satisfied, when the Moor emptied
what remained of the meats and other dishes and returned the
empty platters to the saddle-bags. Then quoth he, " O Judar,
thou hast left home and native land on our account and thou
hast accomplished our dearest desire ; wherefore thou hast a right
to require a reward of us. Ask, therefore, what thou wilt, it is
Almighty Allah who giveth unto thee by our means.' Ask thy
will and be not ashamed, for thou art deserving." " O my lord,"
quoth Judar, " I ask first of Allah the Most High and then of
thee, that thou give me yonder saddle-bags." So the Maghribi
called for them and gave them to him, saying, " Take them, for
they are thy due ; and, if thou hadst asked of me aught else
instead, I had given it to thee. Eat from them, thou and thy
family ; but, my poor fellow, these will not profit thee, save by
way of provaunt, and thou hast wearied thyself with us and we
promised to send thee home rejoicing. So we will join to these
other saddle-bags, full of gold and gems, and forward thee back
to thy native land, where thou shalt become a gentleman and a
merchant and clothe thyself and thy family ; nor shalt thou want
ready money for thine expenditure. And know that the manner
' This sentence expresses a Moslem idea which greatly puzzles strangers. Arabic has
no equivalent of our " Thank you " (Kassara 'Hah Khayr-ak being a mere blessing —
Allah increase thy weal !), nor can Al-Islam express gratitude save by a periphrase.
The Moslem acknowledges a favour by blessing the donor and by wishing him increase
of prosperity. " May thy shadow never be less ! " means, Mayest thou always extend
to me thy shelter and protection. I have noticed this before but it merits repetition.
Strangers, and especially Enghshmen, are very positive and very much mistaken upon
a point, which all who have to do with Egyptians and Arabs ought thoroughly to
understand. Old dwellers in the East know that the theory of ingratitude in no way
interferes with the sense of gratitude innate in man (and beast) and that the "lively
sense of favours to come," is as quick in Orient-land as in Europe.
234 ^^f Laylah wa Lay 1 ah.
of using our gift is on this wise. Put thy hand therein and say : —
O servant of these saddle-bags, I conjure thee by the virtue of the
Mighty Names which have power over thee, bring me such a dish !
And he will bring thee whatsoever thou askest, though thou
shouldst call for a thousand different dishes a day." So saying,
he filled him a second pair of saddle-bags half with gold and half
with gems and precious stones ; and, sending for a slave and a
mule, said to him, " Mount this mule, and the slave shall go before
thee and show thee the way, till thou come to the door of thy
house, where do thou take the two pair of saddle-bags and give
him the mule, that he may bring it back. But admit none into
thy secret; and so we commend thee to Allah!" "May the
Almighty increase thy good ! " replied Judar and, laying the two
pairs of saddle-bags on the mule's back, mounted and set forth.
The slave went on before him and the mule followed him all that
day and night, and on the morrow he entered Cairo by the Gate
of Victory,* where he saw his mother seated, saying, " Alms, for
the love of Allah ! " At this sight he well-nigh lost his wits and
alighting, threw himself upon her : and when she saw him she
wept. Then he mounted her on the mule and walked by her
stirrup,^ till they came to the house, where he set her down and,
taking the saddle-bags, left the she-mule to the slave, who led her
away and returned with her to his master, for that both slave and
mule were devils. As for Judar, it was grievous to him that his
mother should beg ; so, when they were in the house, he asked
her, " O my mother, are my brothers well ? "; and she answered,
" They are both well." Quoth he, " Why dost thou beg by the
wayside .'* " Quoth she, " Because I am hungry, O my son," and
he, " Before I went away, I gave thee an hundred dinars one day,
the like the next and a thousand on the day of my departure."
" O my son, they cheated me and took the money from me,
saying : — We will buy goods with it. Then they drove me away,
and I fell to begging by the wayside, for stress of hunger." " O
my mother, no harm shall bcfal thee, now I am come ; so have
no concern, for tliesc saddle-bags are full of gold and gems, and
' Outside this noble gale, the liab al-Nasr, there is a great cemetery wherein, by the
by, lies Burckhardt, my predecessor as a Hajj to Meccah and Al-Medinah. Hence
many beggars are always found squatting in its ncighbourhooil.
' Friends sometimes walk alongside the rider holding the stirrup in sign of affection
and respect, especially to the returning pilgrim.
Judar and his Brethren. 235
good aboundeth with me." " Verily, thou art blessed, O my son !
Allah accept of thee and increase thee of His bounties ! Go,
O my son, fetch us some victual, for I slept not last night for
excess of hunger, having gone to bed supperless." " Welcome to
thee, O my mother ! Call for what thou wilt to eat, and I will
set it before thee this moment ; for I have no occasion to buy
from the market, nor need I any to cook." "O my son, I see
naught with thee." " I have with me in these saddle-bags all
manner of meats." " O my son, whatever is ready will serve to
stay hunger." " True, when there is no choice, men are content
with the smallest thing ; but where there is plenty, they like to
eat what is good : and I have abundance ; so call for what thou
hast a mind to." " O my son, give me some hot bread and a slice
of cheese." " O my mother, this befitteth not thy condition."
** Then give me to eat of that which besitteth my case, for thou
knowest it." " O my mother," rejoined he, " what suit thine
estate are browned meat and roast chicken and peppered rice and
it becometh thy rank to eat of sausages and stuffed cucumbers
and stuffed lamb and stuffed ribs of mutton and vermicelli with
broken almonds and nuts and honey and sugar and fritters and
almond cakes." But she thought he was laughing at her and
making mock of her; so she said to him, " Yauh ! Yauh!^ what
is come to thee ? Dost thou dream or art thou daft .'' " Asked
he, '^Why deemest thou that I am mad?" and she answered,
*' Because thou namest to me all manner rich dishes. Who can
avail unto their price, and who knoweth how to dress them .<* "
Quoth he, " By my life ! thou shalt eat of all that I have named
to thee, and that at once ; " and quoth she, *' I see nothing ; " and
he, " Bring me the saddle-bags." So she fetched them and feeling
them, found them empty. However, she laid them before him
and he thrust in his hand and pulled out dish after dish, till he
had set before her all he had named. Whereupon asked she, " O
my son, the saddle-bags are small and moreover they were empty;
yet hast thou taken thereout all these dishes. Where then were
they all } "; and he answered, " O my mother, know that these
' Equivalent to our Alas ! It is woman's word never used by men ; and foreigners
must be most careful of this distinction under pain of incurring something worse than
ridicule. I remember an officer in the Bombay Army who, having learned Hindostani
from women, always spoke of himself in the feminine and hugely scandalised the
Sepoys,
236 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
saddle-bags, which the Moor gave me, are enchanted and they
have a servant whom, if one desire aught, he hath but to adjure
by the Names which command him, saying, ** O servant of these
saddle-bags, bring me such a dish ! and he will bring it." Quoth
his mother, "And may I put out my hand and ask of him ? "
Quoth he, " Do so." So she stretched out her hand and said,
" O servant of the saddle-bags, by the virtue of the Names which
command thee, bring me stuffed ribs." Then she thrust in her
hand and found a dish containing delicate stuffed ribs of lamb.
So she took it out, and called for bread and what else she had a
mind to : after which Judar said to her, " O my mother, when thou
hast made an end of eating, empty what is left of the food into
dishes other than these, and restore the empty platters to the
saddle-bags carefully." So she arose and laid them up in a safe
place. " And look, O mother mine, that thou keep this secret,"
added he ; " and whenever thou hast a mind to aught, take it
forth of the saddle-bags and give alms and feed my brothers,
whether I be present or absent." Then he fell to eating with her
and behold, while they were thus occupied, in came his two
brothers, whom a son of the quarter* had apprised of his return,
saying, " Your brother is come back, riding on a she-mule, with a
slave before him, and wearing a dress that hath not its like." So
they said to each other, " Would to Heaven we had not evilly
entreated our mother ! There is no hope but that she will surely
tcU him how we did by her, and then, oh our disgrace with him ! "
But one of the twain said, "Our mother is soft-hearted, and if she
tell him, our brother is yet tenderer over us than she ; and, given
wc excuse ourselves to him, he will accept our excuse." So they
went in to him and he rose to them and saluting them with the
friendliest salutation, bade them sit down and cat. So they ate
till they were satisfied, for they were weak with hunger ; after
which Judar said to them, " O my brothers, take what is left and
distribute it to the poor and needy." " O brother," replied they,
"let us keep it to sup withal." But he answered, *'When supper-
time cometh, ye shall have more than this." So they took the
rest of the victual and going out, gave it to every poor man who
passed by them, saying, " Take and eat," till nothing was left.
Then they brought back the dishes and Judar said to his mother.
' i.e. a neighbour. The " quarters" of a town in the East arc often on the worst of
terms. See Pilgrimage.
Judar and his Brethren. 237
" Put them in the saddle-bags." And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Noto hjjen it hias tjbc Sb^x ^untirelr antj IbtxtMnff) Ntflj^t,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar,
when his brethren had finished their under-meal, said to his
mother, " Put back the platters in the saddle-bags." And when
it was eventide, he entered the saloon and took forth of the saddle-
bags a table of forty dishes ; after which he went up to the upper
room and, sitting down between his brothers, said to his mother,
"Bring the supper."^ So she went down to the saloon and, finding
there the dishes ready, laid the tray and brought up the forty
dishes, one after other. Then they ate the evening meal, and
when they had done, Judar said to his brothers, "Take and feed
the poor and needy." So they took what was left and gave alms
thereof, and presently he brought forth to them sweetmeats,
whereof they ate, and what was left he bade them give to the
neighbours. On the morrow, they brake their fast after the same
fashion, and thus they fared ten days, at the end of which time
quoth Sdlim to Salfm, ** How cometh it that our brother setteth
before us a banquet in the morning, a banquet at noon, and a
banquet at sundown, besides sweetmeats late at night, and all that
is left he giveth to the poor .? Verily, this is the fashion of Sultans.
Yet we never see him buy aught, and he hath neither kitchener
nor kitchen, nor doth he light a fire. Whence hath he this great
plenty } Hast thou not a mind to discover the cause of all
this } " Quoth Sali'm, " By Allah, I know not : but knowest thou
any who will tell us the truth of the case ? " Quoth Sdlim,
" None will tell us save our mother." So they laid a plot and
repairing to their mother one day, in their brother's absence, said
to her, " O our mother, we are hungry." Replied she, " Rejoice,
for ye shall presently be satisfied ; " and going into the saloon,
sought of the servant of the saddle-bags hot meats, which she took
out and set before her sons. " O our mother," cried they, " this
meat is hot ; yet hast thou not cooked, neither kindled a fire,"
' In the patriarchal stage of society the mother waits upon her adult sons. Even in
Dalmatia 1 found, in many old-fashioned houses, the ladies of the family waiting upon
the guests. Very pleasant, but somewhat startling at first.
2^8 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Quoth she, " It comcth from the saddle-bags ; " and quoth they,
"What manner of thing be these saddle-bags?" She answered,
" They are enchanted ; and the required is produced by the
charm :" she then told her sons their virtue, enjoining them to
secrecy. Said they, *' The secret shall be kept, O our mother ,
but teach us the manner of this." So she taught them the fashion
thereof and they fell to putting their hands into the saddle-bags
and taking forth whatever they had a mind to. But Judar knew
naught of this. Then quoth Salim privily to Sali'm, " O my
brother, how long shall we abide with Judar servant-wise and eat
of his alms ? Shall we not contrive to get the saddle-bags from
him and make off with them .^ " "And how shall we makeshift
to do this?" "We will sell him to the galleys." "How shall
we do that ? " " Wc two will go to the Rai's, the Chief Captain of
the Sea of Suez and bid him to an entertaiment, with two of his
company. What I say to Judar do thou confirm, and at the
end of the night I will show thee what I will do." So they
agreed upon the sale of their brother and going to the Captain's
quarters said to him, " O Rais, wc have come to thee on an
errand that will please thee." " Good," answered he ; and they
continued, " We two are brethren, and we have a third brother,
a lewd fellow and good-for-nothing. When our father died, he
left us some money, which we shared amongst us, and he took
his part of the inheritance and wasted it in frowardncss and
debauchery, till he was reduced to poverty, when he came upon
us and cited us before the magistrates, avouching that we had
taken his good and that of his father, and we disputed the matter
before the judges and lost the money. Then he waited awhile
and attacked us a second time, until he brought us to beggary ;
nor will he desist from us, and we are utterly weary of him •
wherefore we would have thee buy him of us." Quoth the
Captain, " Can ye cast about with him and bring him to me
here ? If so, I will pack him off to sea forthright." Quoth they
" We cannot manage to bring him here ; but be thou our guest
this night and bring with thee two of thy men, not one more ; and
when he is asleep, we will aid one another to fall upon him, wc
five, and seize and gag him. Then shalt thou carry him forth the
house, under cover of the night, and after do thou with him as
thou wilt." Rejoined the Captain, " With all my heart ! Will ye
sell him for forty dinars } " and they, " Yes, come after nightfall to
Judar and his Brethren. 239
such a street, by such a mosque, and thou shalt find one of us
awaiting thee." And he replied, " Now be off." Then they
repaired to Judar and waited awhile, after which Salim went up
to him and kissed his hand. Quoth Judar, " What ails thee, O
my brother } " And he made answer, saying-, " Know that I have
a friend, who hath many a time bidden me to his house in thine
absence and hath ever hospitably entreated me, and I owe him a
thousand kindnesses, as my brother here wotteth. I met him to-
day and he invited me to his house, but I said to him : — I cannot
leave my brother Judar. Quoth he, Bring him with thee ; and
quoth I : — He will not consent to that ; but if ye will be my
guests, thou and thy brothers^ ***** (for his brothers were
sitting with him) ; and I invited them thinking that they would
refuse. But he accepted my invitation for all of them, saying.
Look for me at the gate of the little mosque,^ and I will come to
thee, I and my brothers. And now I fear they will come and am
ashamed before thee. So wilt thou hearten my heart and enter-
tain them this night, for thy good is abundant, O my brother }
Or if thou consent not, give me leave to take them into the neigh-
bours' houses." Replied Judar, " Why shouldst thou carry them
into the neighbours' houses } Is our house then so strait or have
we not wherewith to give them supper ? Shame on thee to
consult me ! Thou hast but to call for what thou needest and
have rich viands and sweetmeats and to spare. Whenever thou
bringest home folk in my absence, ask thy mother, and she will
set before thee victual more than enough. Go and fetch them ;
blessings have descended upon us through such guests." So
Sahm kissed his hand and going forth, sat at the gate of the
little mosque till after sundown, when the Captain and his men
came up to him, and he carried them to the house. When Judar
saw them he bade them welcome and seated them and made
friends of them, knowing not what the future had in store for
him at their hands. Then he called to his mother for supper,
and she fell to taking dishes out of the saddle-bags, whilst
he said, " Bring such and such meats," till she had set forty
different dishes before them. They ate their sufficiency and the
tray was taken away, the sailors thinking the while that this liberal
^ Here the apodosis would be " We can all sup together."
^ Arab. " Zawiyah" (= oratory), which is to a Masjid what a chapel is to a church.
240 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
entertainment came from Salim. When a third part of the night
was past, Judar set sweetmeats before them and Sdh'm served
them, whilst his two brothers sat with the guests, till they sought
to sleep. Accordingly Judar lay down and the others with him,
who waited till he was asleep, when they fell upon him together
and gagging and pinioning him, before he was awake, carried him
forth of the house,* under cover of the night, And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Xofo fojicn ft foas t^e Sbw |i?unl5reti anlJ ^ebcntcentf) Xi'gljt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that they seized
Judar and carrying him forth of the house under cover of the
night, at once packed him off to Suez, where they shackled him
and set him to work as a galley-slave ; and he ceased not to serve
thus in silence a whole year.^ So far concerning Judar; but as
for his brothers, they went in next morning to his mother and said
to her, " O our mother, our brother Judar is not awake." Said
she, " Do ye wake him." Asked they, " Where lieth he?" and
she answered, " With the guests." They rejoined, " Haply he
went away with them whilst we slept, O mother. It would seem
that he had tasted of strangerhood and yearned to get at hidden
hoards ; for we heard him at talk with the Moors, and they said to
him. We will take thee with us and open the treasure to thee."
She enquired, " Hath he then been in company with Moors ? ;"
and they replied, saying, " Were they not our guests yester-
night .^ " And she, "Most like he hath gone with them, but
Allah will direct him on the right way ; for there is a blessing
upon him and he will surely come back with great good." But
she wept, for it was grievous to her to be parted from her son.
Then said they to her, "O accursed woman, dost thou love Judar
with all this love, whilst as for us, whether we be absent or present,
thou neither joyest in us nor sorrowest for us ? Are we not thy
sons, even as Judar is thy son?" She said, " Ye are indeed my
sons : but ye are reprobates who deserve no favour of mc, for since
' Arab. " Kasr," prop, a palace : so the Tuscan peasant speaks of his " palazzo."
* This sale of a free-born Moslem was mere felony. But many centuries late
Englishmen used to be sold and sent to the plantations in America.
Judar and his Brethren. 24 1
your father's death I have never seen any good in you ; whilst as
for Judar, I have had abundant good of him and he hath heartened
my heart and entreated me with honour ; wherefore it behoveth
me to weep for him, because of his kindness to me and to you."
When they heard this, they abused her and beat her ; after which
they sought for the saddle-bags, till they found the two pairs
and took the enchanted one and all the gold from one pouch
and jewels from the other of the unenchanted, saying, " This was
our father's good." Said their mother, " Not so, by Allah ! ; it
belongeth to your brother Judar, who brought it from the land of
the Magharibah." Said they, " Thou liest, it was our father's
property ; and we will dispose of it, as we please." Then they
divided the gold and jewels between them ; but a brabble arose
between them concerning the enchanted saddle-bags, Salim saying,
" I will have them ; " and Sali'm, saying, ** I will take them ; " and
they came to high words. Then said she, " O my sons, ye have
divided the gold and the jewels, but this may not be divided, nor
can its value be made up in money ; and if it be cut in twain, its
spell will be voided ; so leave it with me and I will give you to
eat from it at all times and be content to take a morsel with you.
If ye allow me aught to clothe me, 'twill be of your bounty, and
each of you shall traffic with the folk for himself Ye are my
sons and I am your mother ; wherefore let us abide as we are,
lest your brother come back and we be disgraced." But they
accepted not her words and passed the night, wrangling with each
other. Now it chanced that a Janissary' of the King's guards was
a guest in the house adjoining Judar's and heard them through the
open window. So he looked out and listening, heard all the angry
words that passed between them and saw the division of the spoil.
Next morning he presented himself before the King of Egypt,
whose name was Shams al-Daulah,^ and told him all he had heard,
whereupon he sent for Judar's brothers and put them to the ques-
tion, till they confessed; and he took the two pairs of saddle-
bags from them and clapped them in prison, appointing a sufficient
' Arab. " Kawwas," lit. an archer, suggesting les archers de la Sainte Hermandade.
In former days it denoted a sergeant, an apparitor, an officer who executed magisterial
orders. In modern Egypt he became a policeman (Pilgrimage i. 29). As " Cavass" he
appears in gorgeous uniform and sword, an orderly attached to public offices and
Consulates.
^ A purely imaginary King.
VOL. VI. Q
242 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
daily allowance to their mother. Now as regards Judar, he abode
a whole year in service at Suez, till one day, being in a ship bound
on a voyage over the sea, a wind arose against them and cast the
vessel upon a rock projecting from a mountain, where she broke
up and all on board were drowned and none gat ashore save
Judar. As soon as he landed he fared on inland, till he reached
an encampment of Badawi, who questioned him of his case, and
he told them he had been a sailor.^ Now there was in camp a
merchant, a native of Jiddah, who took pity on him and said to
him, *' Wilt thou take service with me, O Egyptian, and I will
clothe thee and carry thee with me to Jiddah?" So Judar took
service with him and companied him to Jiddah, where he showed
him much favour. After awhile, his master the merchant set out
on a pilgrimage to Meccah, taking Judar with him, and when they
reached the city, the Cairene repaired to the Haram temple, to
circumambulate the Ka'abah. As he was making the prescribed
circuits,^ he suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad the Moor doing
the like ; And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Xoto foj^cn It tuns t!)C ^ix |tjuntjrcti nnU ISiglitccntl) ^igbt,
She said, It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that Judar, as he
was making the circuits, suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad
also circumambulating ; and when the Maghribi caught sight of
him, he saluted him and asked him of his state ; whereupon Judar
wept and told him all that had befallen him. So the Moor carried
him to his lodging and entreated him with honour, clothing him in
a dress of which the like was not, and saying to him, " Thou hast
seen the end of thine ills, O Judar." Then he drew out for him a
gcomantic figure, which showed what had befallen Salim and
Sali'm and said to Judar, "Such and such things have befallen thy
brothers and they are now in the King of Egypt's prison ; but
thou art right welcome to abide with me and acomplish thine
* The Brcsl. Edit. (ix. 370) here and elsewhere uses the word "Nutiya" ■=■ Nauta,
for the common Bahrfyah or Malkili.
2 Arab. " Tawaf," the name given to the sets (Ashwat) of seven circuits with the left
shoulder presented to the Holy House; that is walking *' widdcrshins" or "ngainst the
sun " ("with the sun" being like the movement of a watch). For the requisites of this
rite see Pilgrimage iii. 234.
Judar and his Brethren. 243
ordinances of pilgrimage and all shall be well." Replied Judar,
" O my lord, let me go and take leave of the merchant with whom
I am and after I will come back to thee." " Dost thou owe
money } " asked the Moor, and he answered, " No." Said Abd
al-Samad, " Go thou and take leave of him and come back forth-
right, for bread hath claims of its own from the ingenuous." So
Judar returned to the merchant and farewelled him, saying, "I
have fallen in with my brother."^ " Go bring him here," said the
merchant, " and we will make him an entertainment." But Judar
answered, saying, " He hath no need of that ; for he is a man of
wealth and hath many servants." Then the merchant gave Judar
twenty dinars, saying, '^ Acquit me of responsibility "j^ and he
bade him adieu and went forth from him. Presently, he saw a
poor man, so he gave him the twenty ducats and returned to the
Moor, with whom he abode till they had accomplished the pil-
grimage-rites when Abd al-Samad gave him the seal-ring, that he
had taken from the treasure of Al-Shamardal, saying, " This ring
will win thee thy wish, for it enchanteth and hath a servant, by
name Al-Ra'ad al-Kasif ; so whatever thou hast a mind to of the
wants of this world,* rub this ring and its servant will appear and
do all thou biddest him." Then he rubbed the ring before him,
whereupon the Jinni appeared, saying, "Adsum, O my lord! Ask
what thou wilt and it shall be given thee. Hast thou a mind to
people a ruined city or ruin a populous one ? to slay a king or to
rout a host ? " " O Ra'ad," said Abd al-Samad, " this is become
thy lord ; do thou serve him faithfully." Then he dismissed hira
and said to Judar, *' Rub the ring and the servant will appear ;
and do thou command him to do whatever thou desirest, for he
will not gainsay thee. Now go to thine own country and take
care of the ring, for by means of it thou wilt baffle thine enemies ;
and be not ignorant of its puissance." " O my lord," quoth Judar,
" with thy leave, I will set out homewards." Quoth the Maghribi,
" Summon the Jinni and mount upon his back ; and if thou say to
him : — Bring me to my native city this very day, he will not
disobey thy commandment." So he took leave of Moor Abd al-
Samad and rubbed the ring, whereupon Al-Ra'ad presented hira-
•1 Arab. " Akh " ; brofher has a wide signification amongst Moslems and may be used
to and of any of the Saving Faith.
- Said by the master when dismissing a servant and meaning, " I have not failed in
my duty to thee ! " The answer is, " Allah acquit thee thereof ! "
244 ^^f Lajlah wa Laylah,
self, saying, " Adsum ; ask and it shall be given to thee." Said
Judar, " Carry mc to Cairo this day ; " and he replied, " Thy will
be done ; " and, taking him on his back, flew with him from noon
till midnight, when he set him down in the courtyard of his
mother's house and disappeared. Judar went in to his mother,
who rose weeping, and greeted him fondly, and told him how the
King had beaten his brothers and cast them into goal and taken
the two pairs of saddle-bags ; which when he heard, it was no
light matter to him and he said to her, " Grieve not for the past ;
I will show thee what I can do and bring my brothers hither forth-
right." So he rubbed the ring, whereupon its servant appeared,
saying, " Here am I ! Ask and thou shalt have." Quoth Judar,
" I bid thee bring me my two brothers from the prison of the
King." So the Jinni sank into the earth and came not up but in
the midst of the gaol where Silim and Sali'm lay in piteous plight
and sore sorrow for the plagues of prison,' so that they wished for
death, and one of them said to the other, " By Allah, O my brother,
affliction is longsome upon us ! How long shall we abide in this
prison } Death would be relief." As he spoke, behold, the earth
clove in sunder and out came Al-Ra'ad, who took both up and
plunged with them into the earth. They swooned away for excess
of fear, and when they recovered, they found themselves in their
mother's house and saw Judar seated by her side. Quoth he, " I
salute you, O my brothers ! you have cheered me by your pre-
sence." And they bowed their heads and burst into tears. Then
said he, " Weep not, for it was Satan and covetise that led you to
do thus. How could you sell me ? But I comfort myself with the
thought of Joseph, whose brothers did with him even more than
ye did with mc, because they cast him into the pit." And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
' A Moslem prison is like those of Europe a century ago ; to think of it gives goose-
flesh. Easterns laugh at our idea of penitentiary and the Arabs of liombay call it " Al-
Bistan" (the Garden) because the court contains a few trees and shrubs. And with them
a garden always suggests an idea of Paradise. There are indeed only two efficacious
forms of punishment all the world over, corporal for the poor and fines for the rich, the
latter being the severer form.
Jiidar and his Brethren. ,. 245
Koto foj^en it foas t!)e §bix f^untrrcU anti Kinttetntl) tNTigf)!,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judaf
said to his brothers, " How could you do with me thus ? But
repent unto Allah and crave pardon of Him, and He will forgive
you both, for He is the Most Forgiving, the Merciful. As for me,
I pardon you and welcome you : no harm shall befal you. Then
he comforted them and set their hearts at ease and related to them
all he had suffered, till he fell in with Shaykh Abd al-Samad, and
told them also of the seal-ring. They replied, " O our brother,
forgive us this time ; and, if we return to our old ways, do with us
as thou wilt." Quoth he, " No harm shall befal you ; but tell me
what the King did with you." Quoth they, " He beat us and
threatened us with death and took the two pairs of saddle-bags
from us." "Will he not care? "^ said Judar, and rubbed the ring,
whereupon Al-Ra'ad appeared. When his brothers saw him, they
were affrighted and thought Judar would bid him slay them ; so
they fled to their mother, crying, " O our mother, we throw our-
selves on thy generosity ; do thou intercede for us, O our mother !"
And she said to them, " O my sons, fear nothing ! " Then said
Judar to the servant, " I command thee to bring me all that is in
the King's treasury of goods and such ; let nothing remain and
fetch the two pairs of saddle-bags he took from my brothers." " I
hear and I obey," replied Al-Ra'ad ; and, disappearing straight-
way gathered together all he found in the treasury and returned
with the two pairs of saddle-bags and the deposits therein and laid
them before Judar, saying, " O my lord, I have left nothing in the
treasury." Judar gave the treasure to his mother bidding her keep
it and laying the enchanted saddle-bags before him, said to the
Jinni, "I command thee to build me this night a lofty palace and
overlay it with liquid gold and furnish it with magnificent furni-
ture : and let not the day dawn, ere thou be quit of the whole
work." Replied he, " Thy bidding shall be obeyed ;" and sank
into the earth. Then Judar brought forth food and they ate and
took their ease and lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, Al-Ra'ad
summoned his attendant Jinn and bade them build the palace. So
some of them fell to hewing stones and some to building, whilst
others plastered and painted and furnished ; nor did the day dawn
' i.e. he shall answer for this.
246 Alf Laylak wa Laylah.
ere the ordinance of the palace was complete ; whereupon Al-Ra'ad
came to Judar and said to him, " O my lord, the palace is finished
and in best order, an it please thee to come and look on it." So
Judar went forth with his mother and brothers and saw a palace,
whose like there was not in the whole world ; and it confounded all
minds with the goodliness of its ordinance. Judar was delighted
with it while he was passing along the highway and withal it had
cost him nothing. Then he asked his mother, " Say me, wilt thou
take up thine abode in this palace ? " and she answered, " I will, O
my son," and called down blessings upon him. Then he rubbed
the ring and bade the Jinni fetch him forty handsome white hand-
maids and forty black damsels and as many Mamelukes and negro
slaves. " Thy will be done," answered Al-Ra'ad and betaking
himself, with forty of his attendant Genii to Hind and Sind and
Persia, snatched up every beautiful girl and boy they saw, till they
had made up the required number. Moreover, he sent other four-
score, who fetched comely black girls, and forty others brought
male chattels and carried them all to Judar's house, which they
filled. Then he showed them to Judar, who was pleased with
them and said, " Bring for each a dress of the finest." " Ready ! "
replied the servant. Then quoth he, " Bring a dress for my mother
and another for myself, and also for my brothers." So the Jinni
fetched all that was needed and clad the female slaves, saying to
them, " This is your mistress : kiss her hands and cross her not, but
serve her, white and black." The Mamelukes also dressed them-
selves and kissed Judar's hands ; and he and his brothers arrayed
themselves in the robes the Jinni had brought them and Judar
became like unto a King and his brothers as Wazirs. Now his
house was spacious ; so he lodged S41im and his slave-girls in one
part thereof and Salfm and his slave-girls in another, whilst he and
his mother took up their abode in the new palace; and each in his
own place was like a Sultan. So far concerning them ; but as
regards the King's Treasurer, thinking to take something from the
treasury, he went in and found it altogether empty, even as saith
the poet : —
'Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived ; » But, when the bec-swarm fled,
'twas clean unhived.'
* A pun upon " Khaliyah " (bcc-hivc) and " Khaliyah " (empty). Khaliyah is
properly a hive of bees witli a honey-comb in the hollow of a tree-trunk, opposed to
Kawwarah, hive made of cl.iy or earth (Al-IIariri ; Ass. of Tiflis). There are many
other terms, for Arabs are curious about honey. I'ilgrimage iii. no.
Judar and kis Brethren. 247
So he gave a great cry and fell down in a fit. When he came to
himself, he left the door open and going in to King Shams
al-DauIah, said to him, " O Commander of the Faithful,^ I have
to inform thee that the treasury hath become empty during the
night." Quoth the King, " What hast thou done with my monies
which were therein t " Quoth he, " By Allah, I have not done
aught with, them nor know I what is come of them ! I visited the
place yesterday and saw it full ; but to-day when I went in, I found
it clean empty, albeit the doors were locked, the walls were un-
pierced^ and the bolts^ are unbroken ; nor hath a thief entered
it." Asked the King, " Are the two pairs of saddle-bags gone ? "
"Yes," replied the Treasurer; whereupon the King's reason flew
from his head And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
BM fofien it foas tjbc ^fx f^unKalr antr ^iutnticti) iiiflfit,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Treasurer informed the King that all in the treasury had been
plundered, including the two pairs of saddle-bags, the King's
reason flew from his head and he rose to his feet, saying, " Go
thou before me." Then he followed the Treasurer to the treasury
and he found nothing there, whereat he was wroth with him ; and
he said to them, " O soldiers ! know that my treasury hath been
plundered during the night, and I know not who did this deed
and dared thus to outrage me, without fear of me." Said they,
" How so .'' "; and he replied, " Ask the Treasurer." So they ques-
tioned him, and he answered, saying, " Yesterday I visited the
treasury and it was full, but this morning when I entered it I
found it empty, though the walls were unpierced and the doors
unbroken." They all marvelled at this and could make the King
' Lane (iii. 237) supposes by this title that the author referred his tale to the days of
the Caliphate. "Commander of the Faithful " was, I have said, the style adopted by
Omar in order to avoid the clumsiness of " Caliph " (successor) of the Caliph (Abu Bakr)
of the Apostle of Allah.
^ Eastern thieves count four modes of housebreaking ; (i) picking out burnt bricks ;
(2) cutting through unbaked bricks ; (3) wetting a mud wall and (4) boring through a
wooden wall (Vikram and the Vampire p. 172).
^ Arab. " Zabbat," lit. a lizard (fern.) also a wooden lock, the only one used through-
out Egypt. An illustration of its curious mechanism is given in Lane (M. E. -Intro-
duction^-
248 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
no answer, when in came the Janissary, who had denounced Sah'm
and Sali'm, and said to Shams al-Daulah, " O King of the age, all
this night I have not slept for that which I saw.** And the King
asked, " And what didst thou see ? " " Know, O King of the age,"
answered the Kawwas, " that all night long I have been amusing
myself with watching builders at work ; and, when it was day, I
saw a palace ready edified, whose like is not in the world. So I
asked about it and was told that Judar had come back with great
wealth and Mamelukes and slaves and that he had freed his two
brothers from prison, and built this palace, wherein he is as a
Sultan." Quoth the King, "Go, look in the prison." So they
went thither and not finding Sdlim and Sali'm, returned and told
the King, who said, " It is plain now who be the thief ; he who
took Sdlim and Sah'm out of prison it is who hath stolen my
monies." Quqth the Wazir, " O my lord, and who is he ? "; and
quoth the King, " Their brother Judar, and he hath taken the two
pairs of saddle-bags ; but, O Wazir, do thou send him an Emir
with fifty men to seal up his goods and lay hands on him and his
brothers and bring them to me, that I may hang them." And
he was sore enraged and said, " Ho, off with the Emir at once,
and fetch them, that I may put them to death." But the Wazir
said to him, " Be thou merciful, for Allah is merciful and hasteth
not to punish His servants, whenas they sin against Him. More-
over, he who can build a palace in a single night, as these say,
none in the world can vie with him ; and verily I fear lest the
Emir fall into difficulty for Judar. Have patience, therefore,
whilst I devise for thee some device of getting at the truth of
the case, and so shalt thou win thy wish, O King of the age."
Quoth the King, " Counsel me how I shall do, O Wazir." And
the Minister said, " Send him an Emir with an invitation ; and I
will make much of him for thcc and make a show of love for him
and ask him of his estate ; after which we will see. If wc find
him stout of heart, we will use sleight with him, and if weak of
will, then do thou seize him and do with him thy desire." The
King agreed to this and despatched one of his Emirs, Othman
hight, to go and invite Judar and say to him, " The King biddeth
thee to a banquet;" and the King said to him, "Return not,
except with him." Now this Othman was a fool, proud and
conceited ; so he went forth upon his errand, and when he came
to the gate of Judar's palace, he saw before the door an eunuch
seated upon a chair of gold, who at his approach rose not, but
Judar and his Brethren. 249
sat as if none came near, though there were with the Emir fifty-
footmen. Now this eunuch was none other than Al-Ra'ad al-
Kasif, the servant of the ring, whom Judar had commanded to
put on the guise of an eunuch and sit at the palace-gate. So
the Emir rode up to him and asked him, " O slave, where is
thy lord .? "; whereto he answered, " In the palace ; " but he
stirred not from his leaning posture ; whereupon the Emir
Othman waxed wroth and said to him, "O pestilent slave, art
thou not ashamed, when I speak to thee, to answer me, sprawl-
ing at thy length, like a gallows-bird ? " Replied the eunuch,
" Off and multiply not words." Hardly had Othman heard
this, when he was filled with rage and drawing his mace^ would
have smitten the eunuch, knowing not that he was a devil ;
but Al-Ra'ad leapt upon him and taking the mace from him,
dealt him four blows with it. Now when the fifty men saw
their lord beaten, it was grievous to them ; so they drew their
swords and ran to slay the slave ; but he said, " Do ye draw
on us, O dogs } " and rose at them with the mace, and every
one whom he smote, he broke his bones and drowned him in
his blood. So they fell back before him and fled, whilst he
followed them, beating them, till he had driven them far from
the palace-gate ; after which he returned and sat down on his
chair at the door, caring for none. And Shahrazad perceived
the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Xoto foj^m It foas ^z ^ix f^unlrretJ anti ^fotnt^.-first ^NTigbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the eunuch
having put to flight the Emir Othman, the King's officer, and his
men, till they were driven far from Judar's gate, returned and sat
down on his chair at the door, caring for none. But as for the
Emir and his company, they returned, discomfited and tunded, to
King Shams al-Daulah, and Othman said, " O King of the age,
when I came to the palace gate, I espied an eunuch seated there
' Arab. " Dabbus." The Eastern mace is well known to English collectors ; it is
always of metal, and mostly of steel, with a short handle like our facetiously called
"life-preserver." The head is in various forms, the simplest a ball, smooth and round,
or broken into sundry high and angular ridges like a melon, and in select weapons
shaped like the head of some animal, bull, etc. See Night dcxlvi.
250 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
in a chair of gold and he was passing proud for, when he saw me
approach, he stretched himself at full length albeit he had been,
sitting in his chair and entreated mecontumeliously, neither offered
to rise to me. So I began to speak to him and he answered without
stirring, whereat wrath gat hold of me and I drew the mace upon
him, thinking to smite him. But h'e snatched it from me and beat
me and my men therewith and overthrew us. So we fled from
before him and could not prevail against him." At this, the King
was wroth and said, " Let an hundred men go down to him."
Accordingly, the hundred men went down to attack him ; but he
arose and fell upon them with the mace and ceased not smiting
them till he had put them to the rout ; when he regained his chair ;
upon which they returned to the King and told him what had
passed, saying, " O King of the age, he beat us and we fled for
fear of him." Then the King sent two hundred men against him,
but these also he put to the rout, and Shams Al-Daulah said to
his Minister, *' I charge thee, O Wazir, take five hundred men
and bring this eunuch in haste, and with him his master Judar and
his brothers." Replied the Wazir, " O King of the age, I need no
soldiers, but will go down to him alone and unarmed." " Go,"
quoth the King, "and do as thou seest suitable." So the Wazir
laid down his arms and donning a white habit,' took a rosary in
his hand and set out afoot alone and unattended. When he came
to Judar's gate, he saw the slave sitting there ; so he went up to
him and seating himself by his side courteously, said to him,
" Peace be with thee ! "; whereto he replied, " And on thee be
peace, O mortal ! What wilt thou ? " When the Wazir heard him
say " O mortal," he knew him to be of the Jinn and quaked for
fear ; then he asked him, " O my lord, tell me, is thy master Judar
here .•' " Answered the eunuch, " Yes, he is in the palace." Quoth
the Minister, " O my lord, go thou to him and say to him : — King
Shams Al-Daulah saluteth thee and biddeth thee honour his
* The red habit is a sign of wrath and vengeance and the Persian Kings like Fath
Ali Shah, used to wear it when aboul to order some horrid punishment, such as the
•' Shakk"; in this a man was hung up by his heels and cut in two from the fork down-
wards to the neck, when a turn of the chopper left that untouched. White robes denoted
peace and mercy as well as joy. The "white" hand and "black" hand have been
explained. A " while death " is quiet and natural, with forgiveness of sins. A " black
death " is violent and dreadful, as by strangulation ; a '* green death " is robing in rags
and patches like a dervish; and a "red death "is by war or bloodshed (A. P. ii. 670).
Among the mystics it is the resistance of man to his passions.
Jiidar and his Brethren. 251
dwelling with thy presence and eat of a banquet he hath made for
thee." Quoth the eunuch, " Tarry thou here, whilst I consult
him." So the Wazir stood in a respectful attitude, whilst the
Marid went up to the palace and said to Judar, " Know, O my
lord, that the King sent to thee an Emir and fifty men, and I beat
them and drove them away. Then he sent an hundred men and I
beat them also ; then two hundred, and these also I put to the
rout. And now he hath sent thee his Wazir unarmed, bidding
thee visit him and eat of his banquet. What sayst thou "i " Said
Judar, " Go, bring the Wazir hither." So the Marid went down
and said to him, " O Wazir, come speak with my lord." *' On my
head be it," replied he and going in to Judar, found him seated, in
greater state than the King, upon a carpet, whose like the King
could not spread, and was dazed and amazed at the goodliness of
the palace and its decoration and appointments, which made him
seem as he were a beggar in comparison. So he kissed the ground
before Judar and called down blessings on him ; and Judar said to
him, " What is thy business, O Wazir ? " Replied he, " O my lord,
thy friend King Shams Al-Daulah saluteth thee with the salam
and longeth to look upon thy face ; wherefore he hath made thee
an entertainment. So say, wilt thou heal his heart and eat of his
banquet > " Quoth Judar, " If he be indeed my friend, salute him
and bid him come to me." " On my head be it," quoth the Minis-
ter. Then Judar bringing out the ring rubbed it and bade the
Jinni fetch him a dress of the best, which he gave to the Wazir,
saying, " Don this dress and go tell the King what I say." So the
Wazir donned the dress, the like whereof he had never donned,
and returning to the King told him what had passed and praised
the palace and that which was therein, saying, "Judar biddeth
thee to him." So the King called out, " Up, ye men ; mount your
horses and bring me my steed, that we may go to Judar ! " Then
he and his suite rode off for the Cairene palace. Meanwhile Judar
summoned the Marid and said to him, " It is my will that thou
bring me some of the Ifrits at thy command in the guise of guards
and station them in the open square before the palace, that the
King may see them and be awed by them ; so shall his heart
tremble and he shall know that my power and majesty be greater
than his." Thereupon Al-Ra'ad brought him two hundred Ifrits
of great stature and strength, in the guise of guards, magnificently
armed and equipped, and when the King came and saw these tall
burly fellows his heart feared them. Then he entered the palace.
252 Alf Laylak wa Laylah.
and found Judar sitting in such state as nor King nor Sultan could
even. So he saluted him and made his obeisance to him ; yet
Judar rose not to him nor did him honour nor said " Be seated,"
but left him standing, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Noto tDl)fn it tuas tf)e S>ix pJunlireU anb ^focniB-secontJ j^ffgbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King entered, Judar rose not to him, nor did him honour nor even
said " Be seated ! "; but left him standing,' so that fear entered
into him and he could neither sit nor go away and said to himself,
" If he feared me, he would not leave me thus unheeded ; perad-
venture he will do me a mischief, because of that which I did with
his brothers." Then said Judar, " O King of the age, it beseem-
eth not the like of thee to wrong the folk and take away their
good." Replied the King, *' O my lord, deign excuse me, for greed
impelled me to this and fate was thereby fulfilled ; and, were there
no offending, there would be no forgiving." And he went on to
excuse himself for the past and pray to him for pardon and indul-
gence till he recited amongst other things this poetry : —
O thou of generous seed and true nobility, * Reproach me not for that which
came from me to thee :
We pardon thee if thou have wrought us any wrong * And if I wrought the
wrong I pray thee pardon me !
And he ceased not to humble himself before him, till he said,
" Allah pardon thee ! " and bade him be seated. So he sat down
and Judar invested him with garments of pardon and immunity
and ordered his brothers spread the table. When they had eaten,
he clad the whole of the King's company in robes of honour and
gave them largesse ; after which he bade the King depart. So he
went forth and thereafter came every day to visit Judar and held
not his Divan save in his house: wherefore friendship and famili-
arity waxed great between them, and they abode thus awhile,
till one day the King, being alone with his Minister, said to him,
* This in the East is the way ^^ pour se fairc valoir^'' ; whilst Europeans woul.l hold
it a mere "bit of impudence," aping dignity.
Judar and his Brethren. 253
*' O Wazir, I fear lest Judar slay me and take the kingdom away
from me." Replied the Wazir, " O King of the age, as for his
taking the kingdom from thee, have no fear of that, for Judar's
present estate is greater than that of the King, and to take the
kingdom would be a lowering of his dignity ; but, if thou fear that
he kill thee, thou hast a daughter : give her to him to wife and
thou and he will be of one condition." Quoth the King, " O
Wazir, be thou intermediary between us and him "; and quoth the
Minister, " Do thou invite him to an entertainment and pass the
night with him in one of thy saloons. Then bid thy daughter
don her richest dress and ornaments and pass by the door of the
saloon. When he seeth her, he will assuredly fall in love with
her, and when we know this, I will turn to him and tell him that
she is thy daughter and engage him in converse and lead him on,
so that thou shalt seem to know nothing of the matter, till he ask
her of thee to wife. When thou has married him to the Princess,
thou and he will be as one thing and thou wilt be safe from him ;
and if he die, thou wilt inherit all he hath, both great and small."
Replied the King, " Thou sayst sooth, O my Wazir," and made
a banquet and invited thereto Judar who came to the Sultan's
palace and they sat in the saloon in great good cheer till the end
of the day. Now the King had commanded his wife to array the
maiden in her richest raiment and ornaments and carry her by the
door of the saloon. She did as he told her, and when Judar saw
the Princess, who had not her match for beauty and grace, he looked
fixedly at her and said, " Ah ! "; and his limbs were loosened ; for
love and longing and passion and pine were sore upon him ; desire
and transport gat hold upon him and he turned pale. Quoth the
Wazir, " May no harm befal thee, O my lord ! Why do I see thee
change colour and in suffering ,'* " Asked Judar, " O Wazir, whose
daughter is this damsel ? Verily she hath enthralled me and
ravished my reason." Replied the Wazir, " She is the daughter
of thy friend the King; and if she please thee, I will speak to him
that he marry thee to her." Quoth Judar, '■ Do so, O Wazir, and
as I live, I will bestow on thee what thou wilt and will give the
King whatsoever he shall ask to her dowry; and we will become
friends and kinsfolk." Quoth the Minister, " It shall go hard but
thy desire be accomplished," Then he turned to the King and
said in his ear, " O King of the age, thy friend Judar seekcth
alliance with thee and will have me ask of thee for him the hand
of thy daughter, the Princess Asiyah ; so disappoint me not, but
254 ^If Laylah zva Laylah.
accept my intercession, and what dowry soever thou askest he
will give thcc." Said the King, " The dowry I have already
received, and as for the girl, she is his handmaid ; I give her to
him to wife and he will do me honour by accepting her."
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
Koto tof)cn it tons tftc ^uc ItJunUrcli antJ ^fotntg.tliirtr Nigftt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Wazir whispered the King, "Judar seeketh alliance with thee by
taking thy daughter to wife," the other replied, " The dowry I have
alcady received, and the girl is his handmaid ; he will do me honour
by accepting her." So they spent the rest of that night together
and on the morrow the King held a court, to which he summoned
great and small, together with the Shaykh al-Islam.^ Then Judar
demanded the Princess in marriage and the King said, " The dowry
I have received." Thereupon they drew up the marriage-contract
and Judar sent for the saddle-bags containing the jewels and gave
them to the King as settlement upon his daughter. The drums
beat and the pipes sounded and they held high festival, whilst
Judar went in unto the girl. Thenceforward he and the King were
as one flesh and they abode thus for many days, till Shams al-
Daulah died ; whereupon the troops proclaimed Judar Sultan,
and he refused ; but they importuned him, till he consented
and they made him King in his father-in-law's stead. Then he
bade build a cathedral-mosque over the late King's tomb in the
Bundukaniyah ^ quarter and endowed it. Now the quarter of
Judar's house was called Yamaniyah ; but, when he became Sultan
he built therein a congregational mosque and other buildings,
wherefore the quarter was named after him and was called the
Judariyah^ quarter. Moreover, he made his brother Salim his
* The Chief Mufti or Doctor of the Law, an appointment first made by the Osmanli
Mohammed II., when he captured Constantinople in A.D. 1453. Before that time the
functions were discharged by the K.izi al-Kuzat (Kazi-in-Chiof), the Chancellor.
^ So called because here lived the makers of crossbows (Arab. Bunduk now meaning
a fire-piece, musket, etc.) It is the modern tiistrict about the well-known Khan
r.l-IIanizawi.
•"' Pronounced " uoodnrccyyah," and so called after one of the troops of the Fatimite
Cali[ hs. The name " Yamaniyah" is probably due to the story-teller's inventiveness.
Judar ajid his Brethren. 255
Wazir of the right and his brother Sah'm his Wazir of the left
hand ; and thus they abode a year and no more ; for, at the end
of that time, Salim said to Sah'm, " O my brother, how long is
this state to last ? Shall we pass our whole lives in slavery to
our brother Judar? We shall never enjoy luck or lordship whilst
he lives," adding, " so how shall we do to kill him and take the
ring and the saddle-bags ? " Replied Sah'm, " Thou art craftier
than I ; do thou device, whereby we may kill him." " If I effect
this," asked Salim, " wilt thou agree that I be Sultan and keep
the ring and that thou be my right-hand Wazir and have the
saddle-bags ? " Sah'm answered, " I consent to this ; " and they
agreed to slay Judar their brother for love of the world and of do-
minion. So they laid a snare for Judar and said to him, " O our
brother, verily we have a mind to glory in thee and would fain
have thee enter our houses and eat of our entertainment and
solace our hearts." Replied Judar, ** So be it, in whose house
shall the banquet be ? " " In mine," said Salim *' and after thou
hast eaten of my victual, thou shalt be the guest of my brother."
Said Judar, " 'Tis well," and went with him to his house, where
he set before him poisoned food, of which when he had eaten, his
flesh rotted from his bones and he died.^ Then Sdlim came up to
him and would have drawn the ring from his finger, but it resisted
him ; so he cut off the finger with a knife. Then he rubbed the
ring and the Marid presented himself, saying, " Adsum ! Ask what
thou wilt." Quoth Salim, " Take my brother Sah'm and put him
to death and carry forth the two bodies, the poisoned and the
slaughtered, and cast them down before the troops." So the
Mahrid took Sah'm and slew him ; then, carrying the two corpses
forth, he cast them down before the chief officers of the army,
^ I have noted that as a rule ia The Nights poetical justice is administered with much
rigour and exactitude. Here, however, the tale-teller allows the good, brother to be
slain by the two wicked brothers as he permitted the adulterous queens to escape the
sword of Kamar al-Zaman. Dr. Steingass brings to my notice that I have failed to do
justice to the story of Sharrkan (vol. ii., p. 172), where I note that the interest is injured
by the gratuitous incest. But this has a deeper meaning and a grander artistic effect.
Sharrkan begins with most unbrotherly feelings towards his father's children by a second
wife. But Allah's decree forces him to love his half-sister despite himself, and awe
and repentance convert the savage, who joys at the news of his brother's reported
death, to a loyal and devoted subject of the same brother. But Judar with all his
goodness proved himself an arrant softy and was no match for two atrocious villains.
And there may be overmuch of forgiveness as of every other good thing.
256 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
who were sittinc^ at table in the parlour of the house. When
they saw Judar and Salim slain, they raised their hands from the
food and fear gat hold of them and they said to the Marid, " Who
hath dealt thus with the Sultan and the Wazir?" Replied the
Jinni, "Their brother Salim." And behold, Salim came up to
them and said, " O soldiers, eat and make merry, for Judar is
dead and I have taken to me the seal-ring, whereof the Marid
before you is the servant ; and I bade him slay my brother Salim
lest he dispute the kingdom with me, for he was a traitor and I
feared lest he should betray me. So now I am become Sultan
over you ; will ye accept of me } If not, I will rub the ring and
bid the Marid slay you all, great and small." And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Nob) tof)cn It teas \\z ^ix l^un^teti antu ®tocntp--fourt]b Xi'gbt,
She continued. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Salim said to the officers, "Will ye accept me as your Sultan,
otherwise I will rub the ring and the Marid shall slay you all, great
and small ? "; they replied, "We accept thee to King and Sultan."
Then he bade bury his brothers and summoned the Divan ; and
some of the folk followed the funeral, whilst others forewent him
in state procession to the audience-hall of the palace, where he
sat down on the throne and they did homage to him as King ;
after which he said, " It is my will to marry my brother Judar's
wife." Quoth they, " Wait till the days of widowhood are ac-
complished."^ Quoth he, " I know not days of widowhood nor
aught cl.sc. As my head livcth, I needs must go in unto her this
very night." So they drew up the marriage-contract and sent to
tell the Princess Asiyah, who replied, " Bid him enter." Accord-
ingly, he went in to her and she received him with a show of joy
and welcome ; but by and by she gave him poison in water and
made an end of him. Then she took the ring and broke it, that
none might possess it thenceforward, and tore up the saddle-
bags ; after which she sent to the Shaykh al-Islam and other
great Officers of state, telling them what had passed and saying
to them, " Choose you out a King to rule over you." And this is
' In such case the " 'iddah " would be four months and ten days.
The History of Gharib ana his Brother AJib. 257
all that hath come down to us of the Story of Judar and his
Brethren,' But I have also heard, O King, a tale called the
HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB.2
There was once in olden time a King of might, Kundamlr hight,
■who had been a brave and doughty man of war, a Kahramin,^ in
his day, but was grown passing old and decrepit. Now it pleased
Allah to vouchsafe him, in his extreme senility, a son, whom he
named Aji'b^ — the Wonderful — because of his beauty and loveli-
ness ; so he committed the babe to the midwives and wet-nurses
and handmaids and serving-women, and they reared him till he
was full seven years old, when his father gave him in charge to a
divine of his own folk and faith. The priest taught him the laws
and tenets of their Misbelief and instructed him in philosophy
and all manner of other knowledge, and it needed but three full-
told years ere he was proficient therein and his spirit waxed reso-
lute and his judgment mature; and he became learned, eloquent
and philosophic^] consorting with the wise and disputing with the
' Not quite true, Weil's German version, from a MS. in the Ducal Library o£
Gotha, gives the " Story of Judar of Cairo and Mahmud of Tunis" in a very different
form. It has been pleasantly "translated (from the German) and edited" by Mr.
W. F. Kirby, of the British Museum, under the title of "The New Arabian Nights"
(London : W. Swan Sonnenschein & Co.), and the author kindly sent me a copy.
"New Arabian Nights " seems now to have become a fashionable title applied without
any signification : such at least is the pleasant collection of Nineteenth Century
Novelettes, published under that designation by Mr. Robert Louis Stevenson, Chatto
and Windus, Piccadilly, 1884.
^ Von Hammer holds this story to be a satire on Arab superstition and the compulsory
propagation, \.\\q compelle inlrare, oi A\-ls\2iVa. Lane (iii. 235) omits it altogether for
reasons of his own. I differ with great diffidence from the learned Baron whose Orien-
tal reading was extensive ; but the tale does not seem to justify his explanations. It
appears to me simply one of the wilder romances, full of purposeful anachronisms {e.g.
dated between Abraham and Moses, yet quoting the Koran) and written by someone
familiar with the history of Oman. The style too is peculiar, in many places so abrupt
that much manipulation is required to make it presentable : it suits, however, the
rollicking, violent, brigand-like life which it depicts. There is only one incident about
the end which justifies Von Hammer's suspicion.
^ The Persian hero of romance who converses with the Simurgh or Griffin.
* The word is as much used in Egypt as wunderbar in Germany. As an exclamation
it is equivalent to " mighty fine ! "
* In modern days used in a bad sense, as a freethinker, etc. So Dalilah the Wily is
noted to be a philosopheress.
VOL. VI. R
258 A If Laylah lua Lay /ah.
doctors of the law. When his father saw this of him, it pleased
him and he taught him to back the steed and stab with spear and
smite with sword, till he grew to be an accomplished cavalier,
versed in all martial exercises ; and, by the end of his twentieth
year, he surpassed in all things all the folk of his day. But his
skill in weapons made him grow up a stubborn tyrant and a devil
arrogant, using to ride forth a-hunting and a-chasing amongst a
thousand horsemen and to make raids and razzias upon the neigh-
bouring knights, cutting off caravans and carrying away the
daughters of Kings and nobles ; wherefore many brought com-
plaints against him to his father, who cried out to five of his slaves
and when they came said, " Seize this dog 1 " So they seized
Prince Ajib and, pinioning his hands behind him, beat him by his
father's command till he lost his senses; after which the King
imprisoned him in a chamber so dark one might not know heaven
from earth or length from breadth ; and there he abode two days
and a night. Then the Emirs went in to the King and, kissing
the ground between his hands, interceded with him for the Prince,
and he released him. So Ajib bore with his father for ten days,
at the end of which he went in to him as he slept by night and
smote his neck. When the day rose, he mounted the throne of
his sire's estate and bade his men arm themselves cap-a-pie in
steel and stand with drawn swords in front of him and on his right
hand and on his left. By and by, the Emirs and Captains entered
and finding their King slain and his son Ajib seated on the throne
were confounded in mind and knew not what to do. But Ajib
said to them, " O folk, verily ye see what your King hath gained.
Whoso obeyeth me, I will honour him, and whoso gainsaycth me,
I will do with him that which I did with my sire." When they
heard these words they feared lest he do them a mischief; so they
replied, " Thou art our King and the son of our King;" and kissed
ground before him ; whereupon he thanked them and rejoiced in
them. Then he bade bring forth money and apparel and clad
them in sumptuous robes of honour and showered largesse upon
them, wherefore they all loved him and obeyed him. In like
manner he honoured the governors of the Provinces and the
Shaykhs of the Badawin, both tributary and independent, so that
the whole kingdom submitted to him and the folk obeyed him and
he reigned and bade and forbade in peace and quiet for a time of
five months. One night, however, he dreamed a dream as he lay
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 259
slumbering ; whereupon he awoke trembling, nor did sleep visit
him again till the morning. As soon as it was dawn he mounted
his throne and his officers stood before him, right and left. Then
he called the oneiromants and the astrologers and said to them,
" Expound to me my dream ! " " What was the dream ? " asked
they ; and he answered, " As I slept last night, I saw my father
standing before me, with his yard uncovered, and there came forth
of it a thing the bigness of a bee, which grew till it became as a
mighty lion, with claws like hangers. As I lay wondering at this
lo! it ran upon me and smiting me with its claws, rent my belly
in sunder ; whereupon I awoke startled and trembling. So ex-
pound ye to me the meaning of this dream." The interpreters
looked one at other ; and, after considering, said, " O mighty King,
this dream pointeth to one born of thy sire, between whom and
thee shall befal strife and enmity, wherein he shall get the better
of thee : so be on thy guard against him, by reason of this thy
vision." When Ajib heard their words, he said, " I have no
brother whom I should fear ; so this your speech is mere lying."
They replied, " We tell thee naught save what we know ;" but he
was an-angered with them and bastinadoed them. Then he rose and,
going in to the paternal palace, examined his father's concubines
and found one of them seven months gone with child ; whereupon
he gave an order to two of his slaves, saying, " Take this damsel,
ye twain, and carry her to the sea-shore and drown her." So they
took her forthright and, going to the sea-shore, designed to drown
her, when they looked at her and seeing her to be of singular
beauty and loveliness said to each other, " Why should we drown
this damsel .-* Let us rather carry her to the forest and live with
her there in rare love-liasse." Then they took her and fared on
with her days and nights till they had borne her afar off and
had brought her to a bushy forest, abounding in fruit-trees and
streams, where they both thought at the same time to win their
will of her ; but each said, " I will have her first." So they fell out
one with the other concerning this, and while so doing a company
of blackamoors came down upon them, and they drew their swords
and both sides fell to laying on load. The mellay waxed hot
with cut and thrust ; and the two slaves fought their best ; but the
blacks slew them both in less than the twinkling of an eye. So
the damsel abode alone and wandered about the forest, eating of
its fruits and drinking of its founts, till in due time she gave birth
26o Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
to a boy, brown but clean-limbed and comely, whom she named
Ghari'b, the Stranger, by reason of her strangerhood. Then she
cut his navel-string and wrapping him in some of her own clothes,
gave him to suck, harrowed at heart, and with vitals sorrowing for
the estate she had lost and its honour and solace. And Shah-
razad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted
say.
Nofo fol)en it foas t|)e ^ix l^untitetr anlr ^totntp^fiftb Xigtit,*
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the damsel
abode in the bush harrowed at heart and a-sorrowed ; but she
suckled her babe albeit she was full of grief and fear for her lone-
liness. Now behold, one day, there came horsemen and footmen
into the forest with hawks and hounds and horses laden with
partridges and cranes and wild geese and divers and other water-
fowl ; and young ostriches and hares and gazelles and wild oxen
and lynxes and wolves and lions.' Presently, these Arabs entered
the thicket and came upon the damsel, sitting with her child on
her breast a-suckling him : so they drew near and asked her, " Say
art thou a mortal or a Jinniyah ?" Answered she, " I am a mortal,
O Chiefs of the Arabs." Thereupon they told their Emir, whose
name was Mardas, Prince of the Banu Kahtan,^ and who had come
forth that day to hunt with five hundred of his cousins and the
nobles of his tribe, and who in the course of the chase had hap-
pened upon her. He bade them bring her before him, which they
did and she related to him her past from first to last, whereat he
marvelled. Then he cried to his kinsmen and escort to continue
the chase, after which they took her and returned to their encamp-
ment, where the Emir appointed her a separate dwelling-place and
five damsels to serve her ; and he loved her with exceeding love
* The game is much mixed up after Arab fashion. The " Tufat " is the Siyahgosh=r
Black-ears, of India ( Fclis caracal), the Persian lynx, which gives very good sport with
Dachshunds. Lynxes still abound in the thickets near Cairo.
* The "Sons of Kahtan," especially the Ya'arubah tribe, made much history in
Oman. Ya'arub (the eponymus) is written Ya'arab and Ya'arib ; but Ya'arub (from
Ya'arubu, Aorist of 'Aruba) is best, because according to all authorities he was the first to
cultivate primitive Arabian speech and Arabic poetry. (Caussin de Perceval's Ilist. des
Arabes i. 50, etc)
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 26 1
and went in to her and lay with her. She conceived by him
straightway, and, when her months were accomplished, she bare a
man child and named him Sahi'm al-Layl.^ He grew up with his
brother Gharib among the nurses and throve and waxed upon the
lap of the Emir Mardas who, in due time committed the two boys
to a Fakih for instruction in the things of their faith ; after which
he gave them in charge to valiant knights of the Arabs, for train-
ing them to smite with sword and lunge with lance and shoot with
shaft ; so by the time they reached the age of fifteen, they knew
all they needed and surpassed each and every brave of their tribe ;
for Gharib would undertake a thousand horse and Sahim al-Layl
no fewer. Now Mardas had many enemies, and the men of his
tribe were the bravest of all the Arabs, being doughty cavaliers,
none might warm himself at their fire.^ In his neighbourhood was
an Emir of the Arabs, Hassan bin Sdbit hight, who was his inti-
mate friend ; and he took to wife a noble lady of his tribe, and
bade all his friends to the wedding, amongst them Mardas lord of
the Banu Kahtan, who accepted his invitation and set forth with
three hundred riders of his tribe, leaving other four hundred to
guard the women. Hassan met him with honour and seated him
in the highest stead. Then came all the cavaliers to the bridal
and he made them bride-feasts and held high festival by reason of
the marriage, after which the Arabs departed to their dwelling-
places. When Mardas came in sight of his camp, he saw slain men
lying about and birds hovering over them right and left ; and his
heart sank within him at the sight. Then he entered the camp
and was met by Gharib, clad in complete suit of ring-mail, who
gave him joy of his safe return. Quoth Mardas, " What meaneth
this case, O Gharib?"; and quoth Gharib, " Al-Hamal bin Majid
attacked us with five hundred horsemen of his tribe." Now the
reason of this was that the Emir Mardas had a daughter called
Mahdfyah, seer never saw fairer than she, and Al-Hamal, lord of
* He who shootelh an arrow by night. See the death of Antar shot down in the dark
by the archer Jazar, son of Jabir, who had been blinded by a red-hot sabre passed before
his eyes. I may note that it is a mere fiction of Al-Asma'i, as the real 'Antar (or
'Antarah) lived to a good old age, and probably died the "straw-death."
"^ See vol. ii., p. 77, for a reminiscence of masterful King Kulayb and his Himi or
domain, Here the phrase would mean, " None could approach them when they were
wroth ; none were safe from their rage."
262 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
the Banu Nabhdn,' heard of her charms ; whereupon he took
horse with five hundred of his men and rode to Mardas to demand
her hand ; but he was not accepted and was sent away disap-
pointed.- So he awaited till Mardas was absent on his visit to
Hassan, when he mounted with his champions and, falling upon
the camp of the Banu Kahtan, slew a number of their knights
and the rest fled to the mountains. Now Gharib and his brother
had ridden forth a-hunting and chasing with an hundred horse
and returned not till midday, when they found that Al-Hamal
had seized the camp and all therein and had carried off the
maidens, among whom was Mahdiyah, driving her away with
the captives. When Gharib saw this, he lost his wits for rage
and cried out to Sahim, saying, " O my brother, O son of an
accursed dam,' they have plundered our camp and carried off our
women and children I Up and at the enemy, that we may deliver
the captives ! " So Gharib and Sahim and their hundred horse
rushed upon the foe, and Gharib's wrath redoubled, and he reaped
a harvest of heads slain, giving the champions death-cup to drain,
till he won to Al-Hamal and saw Mahdiyah among the captives.
Then he drave at the lord of the Banu Nabhan braves ; with his
lance lunged him and from his destrier hurled him ; nor was the
time of mid-afternoon prayer come before he had slain the most
part of the foe and put to rout the rest and rescued the captives ;
whereupon he returned to the camp in triumph, bearing the head
of Al-Hamal on the point of his lance and improvising these
couplets : —
I am he who is known on the day of fight, » And the Jinn of earth at my
shade take fright :
And a sword have I when my right hand wields, * Death hastens from left on
mankind to alight ;
' The sons of Nabhan (whom Mr. Badger calls Ncbhan) supplied the old Maliks or
Kings of Oman (History of the Imams and Sayyids of Oman, etc., London, Ilakluyt
Soc. 1871).
' This is a sore insult in Arabia, where they have not dreamt of a "Jawab-club,"
like that of Calcutta in the old days, to which only men who had been half a dozen times
"jawab'd"' (^refused in Anglo-Indian jargon) could belong. " I am not a stallion
to be struck on the nose," say the Arabs.
* Again "inverted speech": it is as if we said, "Now, you're a damned fine fellow,
so," etc. " Allah curse thee ! Thou hast guarded thy women alive and dead ;"
said the man of Sulaym in admiration after thrusting his spear into the eye of d(*ad
Rabi'ah.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 263
I have eke a lance and who look thereon * See a crescent-head of the livehest
h'ght.'
And Gharib I'm hight of my tribe the brave * And if few my men I feel
naught affright.
Hardly had Gharib made an end of these verses when up came
Mardas who, seeing the slain and the vultures, was sore troubled
and with fluttering heart asked the cause. The youth, after due
greetings, related all that had befallen the tribe in his step-sire's
absence. So Mardas thanked him and said, " Thou hast well
requited our fosterage-pains in rearing thee, O Gharib ! "; then he
alighted and entered his pavilion, and the men stood about him,
all the tribe praising Gharib and saying, *' O our Emir, but for
Gharib, not one of the tribe had been saved ! " And Mardas
again thanked him, And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
i^ofo tol^en it toas \\z %\x f^unlirelr aub ®tu£ntB--sixtI) i^i'gf)!,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Mardas,
hearing the tribesmen's praises of Gharib, again thanked him for
his derring-do. But the youth, when he had delivered Mahdiyah
from Al-Hamal whom he slew, was smitten by the shaft of her
glances and fell into the nets of her allurements, wherefore his
heart could not forget her and he became drowned in love and
longing and the sweets of sleep forsook him and he had no joy of
drink or meat. He would spur his horse up to the mountain tops,
where he would spend the day in composing verses and return at
nightfall ; and indeed manifest upon him were the signs of
affection and distraction. He discovered his secret to one of
his companions and it became noised abroad in the camp, till it
reached the ears of Mardas, who thundered and lightened and
^ The Badawi use javelins or throw-spears of many kinds, especially the prettily
worked Mizrak (Pilgrimage i. 349) ; spears for footmen (Shalfah, a bamboo or palm-
stick with a head about a hand broad), and the knightly lance, a male bamboo some
12 feet long with iron heel and a long tapering point often of open work or damascened
steel, under which are tufts of black ostrich feathers, one or two. I never saw a
crescent-shaped head as the text suggests. It is a " Pundonor " not to sell these
weapons: you say, "Give me that article and I will satisfy thee ! " After which the
Sons of the Sand will haggle over each copper as if you were cheapening a sheep (Ibid.
iii. 73)-
264 ^^f Laylah wa Laylak.
rose up and sat down and snarked and snorted and reviled the
sun and the moon, saying, " This is the reward of him who
reareth the sons of adultery ! But except I kill Gharib, I shall
be put to shame."* Then he consulted one of the wise men of
his tribe and after telling his secret took counsel with him of
killing the youth. Quoth the elder, *' O Emir, 'twas but yester-
day that he freed thy daughter from captivity. If there be no
help for it but thou must slay him, let it be by the hand of another
than thyself, so none of the folk may misdoubt of thee." Quoth
Mardas, "Advise me how I may do him die, for I look to none
but to thee for his death." " O Emir," answered the other, " wait
till he go forth to hunt and chase, when do thou take an hundred
horse and lie in wait for him in some cave till he pass ; then fall
upon him unawares and cut him in pieces, so shalt thou be quit of
his reproach." Said Mardas, "This should serve me well;" and
chose out an hundred and fifty of his furious knights and Amale-
kites^ whom he lessoned to his will. Then he watched Gharib till
one day, he went forth to hunt and rode far away amongst the
dells and hills ; whereupon Mardas followed him with his men, ill-
omened wights, and lay in wait for him by the way against he
should return from the chase that they might sally forth and slay
him. But as they lay in ambush among the trees behold, there fell
upon them five hundred true Amalekites, who slew sixty of them
and made fourscore and ten prisoners and trussed up Mardas with
his arms behind his back. Now the reason of this was that when
Gharib put Al-Hamal and his men to the sword, the rest fled and
' The shame was that Gliarib had seen the girl and had fallen in love with her
beauty; instead of applying for her hand in recognised form. These punctilios of the
Desert are peculiarly nice and tetchy ; nor do strangers readily realise them.
^ The Arabs derive these Noachidae from Imlik, great-grandson of Shcm, who after
the confusion of tongues settled at Sana'a, then moved North to Mcccah and built
the fifth Ka'abah. The dynastic name was Arkam, M. C. de Perceval's " Arcam,"
which he would identify with Rckem (Numbers xxxi. 8). The last Arkam fell before an
army sent by Moses to purge the Holy Land (Al-Hijaz) of idolatry. Commentators on
the Koran (chapt. vii.) call the Pharaoh of Moses Al-Walid and derive him from the
Amalekites: we have lately ascertained that this Mene-Ptah was of the Shepherd-
Kings and thus, according to the older Moslems, the Ilyksos were of the seed of Imlik.
(Pilgrimage ii. Ii6 ; and iii. 190.) In Syria they fougl.t with Joshua son of Nun. The
tribe or rather nationality was famous and powerful : we know little about it and I may
safely predict that when the Amalekite country shall have been well explored, it will
produce monuments second in importance only to the Ilittites. "A nomadic tribe
which occupied the Peninsula of Sinai "' (Smith's Diet, of the Bible) is peculiarly super-
ficial, even for that most superficial of books.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 265
ceased not flying till they reached their lord's brother and told
him what had happened, whereat his Doom-day rose and he
gathered together his Amalekites and choosing out five hundred
cavaliers, each fifty ells high/ set out with them in quest of blood-
revengement for his brother. By the way he fell in with Mardas
and his companions and there happened between them what hap-
pened ; after which he bade his men alight and rest, saying, " O
folk, the idols have given us an easy blood-wreak ; so guard ye
Mardas and his tribesmen, till I carry them away and do them
die with the foulest of deaths." When Mardas saw himself a
prisoner, he repented of what he had done and said, " This is the
reward of rebelling against the Lord ! " Then the enemy passed
the night rejoicing in their victory, whilst Mardas and his men
despaired of life and made sure of doom. So far concerning
them ; but as regards Sahim al-Layl, who had been wounded in
the fight with Al-Hamal, he went in to his sister Mahdiyah, and
she rose to him and kissed his hands, saying, " May thy two hands
ne'er wither nor thine enemies have occasion to be blither! But
for thee and Gharib, we had not escaped captivity among our foes.
Know, however, O my brother, that thy father hath ridden forth
with an hundred and fifty horse, purposing to slaughter Gharib ;
and thou wottest it would be sore loss and foul wrong to slay him,
for that it was he who saved your shame and rescued your good."
When Sahim heard this, the light in his sight became night, he
donned his battle-harness ; and, mounting steed, rode for the place
where Gharib was a-hunting. He presently came up with him and
found that he had taken great plenty of game ; so he accosted him
and saluted him and said, " O my brother, why didst thou go forth
without telling me .'' " Replied Gharib, " By Allah, naught hin-
dered me but that I saw thee wounded and thought to give thee
rest." Then said Sahim, " O my brother, beware of my sire ! " and
told him how Mardas was abroad with an hundred and fifty men,
seeking to slay him. Quoth Gharib, " Allah shall cause his treason
to cut his own throat." Then the brothers set out campwards, but
night overtook them by the way and they rode on in the darkness,
till they drew near the Wady wherein the enemy lay and heard the
neighing of steeds in the gloom ; whereupon said Sahim, " O my
brother, my father and his men are ambushed in yonder valley ;
* Tlie Amalekites were giants and lived 500 years (Pilgrimage, loc. cil).
266 A If Laylak wa Laylak.
let us flee from it." But Gharib dismounted and throwing his
bridle to his brother, said to him, " Stay in this stead till I come
back to thee." Then he went on till he drew in sight of the folk,
when he saw that they were not of his tribe and heard them
naming Mardas and saying, " We will not slay him, save in his
own land.'* Wherefore he knew that nuncle Mardas was their
prisoner, and said, " By the life of Mahdiyah, I will not depart
hence till I have delivered her father, that she may not be
troubled ! " Then he sought and ceased not seeking till he hit
upon Mardas and found him bound with cords; so he sat down
by his side and said to him, " Heaven deliver thee, O uncle,
from these bonds and this shame I " When Mardas saw Gharib
his reason fled, and he said to him, " O my son, I am under thy
protection : so deliver me in right of my fosterage of thee ! **
Quoth Gharib, "If I deliver thee, wilt thou give me Mahdiyah ?"
Quoth the Emir, " O my son^ by whatso I hold sacred, she is
thine to all time ! " So he loosed him, saying, " Make for the
horses, for thy son Sahim is there ;" and Mardas crept along like
a snake till he came to his son, who rejoiced in him and congratu-
lated him on his escape. Meanwhile, Gharib unbound one after
another of the prisoners, till he had freed the whole ninety and
they were all far from the foe. Then he sent them their weapons
and war-horses, saying to them, " Mount ye and scatter yourselves
round about the enemy and cry out, Ho, sons of Kahtan ! And
when they awake, do ye remove from them and encircle them in a
thin ring." ' So he waited till the last and third watch of the
night, when he cried out, " Ho, sons of Kahtan ! '* and his men
answered in like guise, crying, " Ho, sons of Kahtan," as with one
voice ; and the mountains echoed their slogan, so that it seemed to
the raiders as though the whole tribe of Banu Kahtan were assail-
ing them ; wherefore they all snatched up their arms and fell upon
one another And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
Xoh) to!)£n It tons tbt ^ix IDuntircU nnti ^tocntn-scbcntb Xigljt,
She said. It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that when the
raiders* awoke from sleep and heard Gharib and his men crying
• His men beinj ninety against five liundred.
* Arab. " Kaum " (pron. Guna) here = a razzia, afterwards := a tribe. Relatioos
The History of Gharib and his Brother AJib. 267
out, " Ho, sons of Kahtan ! "; they imagined that the whole tribe
was assailing them ; wherefore they snatched up their arms and
fell one upon other with mighty slaughter. Gharib and his men
held aloof, and they fought one another till daybreak, when
Gharib and Mardas and their ninety warriors came down upon
them and killed some of them and put the rest to flight. Then
the Banu Kahtan took the horses of the fugitives and the weapons
of the slain and returned to their tribal camp, whilst Mardas could
hardly credit his deliverance from the foe. When they reached
the encampment, the stay-at-home folk all came forth to meet
them and rejoiced in their safe return. Then they alighted and
betook them to their tents ; and all the youths of the tribe flocked
to Gharib's stead and great and small saluted him and did him
honour. But when Mardas saw this and the youths encircling his
stepson he waxed more jealous of Gharib than before and said
to his kinsfolk, " Verily, hatred of Gharib groweth on my heart, and
what irketh me most is that I see these flocking about him ! And
to-morrow he will demand Mahdiyah of me." Quoth his confidant,
" O Emir, ask of him somewhat he cannot avail to do." This
pleased Mardas who passed a pleasant night and on the morrow,
as he sat on his stuffed carpet, with the Arabs about him, Gharib
entered, followed by his men and surrounded by the youth of the
tribe, and kissed the ground before Mardas who, making a show of
joy, rose to do him honour and seated him beside himself. Then
said Gharib, " O uncle, thou madest me a promise ; do thou fulfil
it." Replied the Emir, " O my son, she is thine to all time ; but
thou lackest wealth." Quoth Gharib, " O uncle, ask of me what
thou wilt, and I will fall upon the Emirs of the Arabs in their
houses and on the Kings in their towns and bring thee fee^ enough
to fence the land from East to West." " O my son," quoth
between Badawi tribes are of three kinds ; (i) Ashab, allies offensive and defensive,
friends who intermarry ; (2) Kiman (plur. of Kaum) when the blood-feud exists, and (3)
Akhwan = brothers. The last is a complicated affair; "Akhawat " or brotherhood,
denotes the tie between patron and client (a noble and an ignoble tribe) or between the
stranger and the tribe which claims an immemorial and unalienable right to its own lands.
Hence a small fee (Al-Rilkah) must be paid and the traveller and his beast become
*• dakhil," or entitled to brother-help. The guardian is known in the West as Rafik ;
Rabi'a in Eastern Arabia ; Ghafir in " Sinai ;" amongst the Somal, Abban and the Gallas
Mogasa. Further details are given in Pilgrimage iii. 85-87.
^ Arab. " iVIal," here = Badawi money, flocks and herds, our " fee" from feoh, vieh,
cattle J as pecunia from pecus, etc., etc.
268 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Mardas, " I have sworn by all the Idols that I would not give
Mahdiyah save to him who should take my blood-wite of mine
enemy and do away my reproach." *' O uncle," said Gharib, "tell
me with which of the Kings thou hast a feud, that I may go to him
and break his throne upon his pate." " O my son," replied Mardas,
" I once had a son, a champion of champions, and he went forth
one day to chase and hunt with an hundred horse. They fared on
from valley to valley, till they had wandered far away amongst the
mountains and came to the Wady of Blossoms and the Castle of
Ham bin Shays bin Shaddad bin Khalad. Now in this place,
0 my son, dwelleth a black giant, seventy cubits high, who fights
with trees from their roots uptorn ; and when my son reached his
Wady, the tyrant sallied out upon him and his men and slew them
all, save three braves, who escaped and brought me the news. So
1 assembled my champions and fared forth to fight the giant, but
could not prevail against him ; wherefore I was baulked of my
revenge and swore that I would not give my daughter in marriage
save to him who should avenge me of my son," Said Gharib,
•' O uncle, I will go to this Amalekite and take the wreak of thy
son on him with the help of Almighty Allah." And Mardas,
answered, saying, " O Gharib, if thou get the victory over him,
thou wilt gain of him such booty of wealth and treasures as fires
may not devour." Cried Gharib, " Swear to me before witnesses
thou wilt give me her to wife, so that with heart at ease I may go
forth to find my fortune." Accordingly, Mardas swore this to
him and took the elders of the tribe to witness; whereupon Gharib
fared forth, rejoicing in the attainment of his hopes, and went in to
his mother, to whom he related what had passed. " O my son,"
said she, " know that Mardas hatcth thee and doth but send thee
to this mountain, to bereave me of thee ; then take me with thee
and let us depart the tents of this t}Tant." But he answered, " O
my mother, I will not depart hence till I win my wish and foil my
foe." Thereupon he slept till morning arose with its sheen and
shone, and hardly had he mounted his charger when his friends,
the young men, came up to him ; two hundred stalwart knights
armed cap-a-pie and cried out to him, saying, " Take us with thee ;
we will help thee and company thee by the way." And he rejoiced
in them and cried, *' Allah requite you for us with good ! " adding,
" Come, my friends, let us go." So they set out and fared on the
first day and the second day till evening, when they halted at the
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 269
foot of a towering mount and baited their horses. As for Gharib,
he left the rest and walked on into that mountain, till he came to a
cave whence issued a light. He entered and found, at the higher
facing end of the cave a Shaykh, three hundred and forty years
old, whose eyebrows overhung his eyes and whose moustachios hid
his mouth. Gharib at this sight was filled with awe and veneration,
and the hermit said to him, " Methinks thou art of the idolaters, O
my son, stone-worshipping' in the stead of the All-powerful King,
the Creator of Night and Day and of the sphere rolling on her
way." When Gharib heard his words, his side muscles quivered
and he said, " O Shaykh, where is this Lord of whom thou speakest,
that I may worship him and take my fill of his sight?" Replied
the Shaykh, " O my son, this is the Supreme Lord, upon whom
none may look in this world. He seeth and is not seen. He is
the Most High of aspect and is present everywhere in His works.
He it is who maketh all the made and ordereth time to vade and
fade ; He is the Creator of men and Jinn and sendeth the Prophets
to guide His creatures into the way of right. Whoso obeyeth Him,
He bringeth into Heaven, and whoso gainsayeth Him, He casteth
into Hell." Asked Gharib, " And how, O uncle, saith whoso
worshippeth this puissant Lord who over all hath power?" "O
my son," answered the Shaykh, " I am of the tribe of Ad, which
were transgressors in the land and believed not in Allah. So He
sent unto them a Prophet named Hud, but they called him liar and
he destroyed them by means of a deadly wind ; but I believed to-
gether with some of my tribe, and we were saved from destruction.^
Moreover, I was present with the tribe of Thamud and saw what
befel them with their Prophet Salih. After Salih, the Almighty
'• The litholatry of the old Arabs is undisputed : Manat the goddess-idol was a large
rude stone and when the Meccans sent out colonies these carried with them stones of
the Holy Land to be set up and worshipped like the Ka'abah. I have suggested
(Pilgrimage iii. 159) that the famous Black Stone of Meccah, which appears to me a
large aerolite, is a remnant of this worship and that the tomb of Eve near Jeddah was
the old " Sakhrah tawilah " or Long Stone (ibid. iii. 388). Jeddah is now translated
the grandmother, alluding to Eve, a myth of late growth : it is properly Juddah = a
plain lacking water.
^ The First Adites, I have said, did not all perish: a few believers retired with the
prophet Hud (Heber?) to Hazramaut. The Second Adites, who had Marib of the Dam
for capital and Lukman for king, were dispersed by the Flood of Al-Yaman. Their
dynasty lasted a thousand years, the exodus taking place according to De Sacy in A.D.
150-170 or shortly after A.D. 100 (C. de Perceval), and was overthrown by Ya'arub bjn
Kahtan, the first Arabist ; see Night dcxxv.
270 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
sent a prophet, called Abraham the Friend,^ to Nimrod son of
Canaan, and there befcl what befel between them. Then my com-
panions died in the Saving Faith and I continued in this cave to
serve Allah the Most High, who provideth my daily bread without
my taking thought." Quoth Gharib, " O uncle, what shall I say,
that I may become of the troop of this mighty Lord ? " " Say,"
replied the old man : — " There is no god but tJie God and
Abraham is the Friend of God." So Gharib embraced the Faith
of Submission- with heart and tongue and the Shaykh said to
him, " May the sweetness of belief and devotion be stablished in
thy heart ! " Then he taught him somewhat of the biblical
ordinances and scriptures of Al-Islam and said to him, " What is
thy name } "; and he replied, '* My name is Gharib." Asked the
old man, " Whither art thou bound, O Gharib t '* So he told him
all his history, till he came to the mention of the Ghul of the
Mountain whom he sought, And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
i^otD fof)cn It fcoas tf)e ^ix fDunHrcb anti '2rtocntLi--ctgl)tf) i^fgl)!,
She said. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib became a Moslem and told the Shaykh his past, from first
to last, till he came to the mention of the Mountain-Ghul whom
he sought, the old man asked him, " O Gharib, art thou mad that
thou gocst forth against the Ghul of the Mountain single
handed ? "; and he answered, " O my lord, I have with me two
hundred horse." '" O Gharib," rejoined the hermit, " hadst thou
ten thousand riders yet shouldest thou not prevail against him,
for his name is Thc-GJiul-'ii.'Jio-catcth-nioi-ivc-pray-Allah-for'Safety,
and he is of the children of Ham. His father's name was Hindi,
who peopled Hind and named it, and he left this son after him,
whom he called Sa'adan the Ghul. Now the same was, O my son.
' This title has been nciticcd : it suggests the " Saint Abraham " of our mediaeval
travellers. Every great prophet has his agnomen : Adam the Pure (or Elect) of Allah ;
Noah the Najiy (or saved) of Allah ; Moses (Kalim) the Speaker with Allah ; Jesus the
Ruh (Spirit, breath) or Kalam (the word) of Allah. For Mohammed's see AI-Busiri's
Mantle-poem vv. 31-58.
^ Koran (chapt. iii. 17) " \'eri]y tlie true religion in the siidit of .Allah is Islam" i.e.
resigning or devoting myself to the Lord, with a suspicion of " Salvation " con', -d by
the root Salinia, he was safe.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 271
even in his sire's lifetime, a cruel tyrant and a rebellious devil and
had no other food than flesh of the sons of Adam. His father
when about to die forbade him from this, but he would not be
forbidden and he redoubled in his frowardness, till Hindi banished
him and drove him forth the Land of Hind, after battles and sore
travail. Then he came to this country and fortifying himself
herein, established his home in this place, whence he is wont to
sally forth and cut the road of all that come and go, presently
returning to the valley he haunteth. Moreover, he hath begotten
five sons, warlike warlocks, each one of whom will do battle with
a thousand braves, and he hath flocked the valley with his booty
of treasure and goods besides horses and camels and cattle and
sheep. Wherefore I fear for thee from him ; so do thou implore
Almighty Allah to further thee against him by the Tahli'l, the
formula of Unity, and when thou drivest at the Infidels, cry : — God
is most Great ! for, saying, There is no god but tJie God confoundeth
those who misbelieve." Then the Shaykh gave him a steel mace,
an hundred pounds in weight, with ten rings which clashed like
thunder whenas the wielder brandished it, and a sword forged of
a thunderbolt,' three ells long and three spans broad, wherewith if
one smote a rock, the stroke would cleave it in sunder. Moreover
he gave him a hauberk and target and a book and said to him,
" Return to thy tribe and expound unto them Al-Islam." So Gha-
rib left him, rejoicing in his new Faith, and fared till he found his
companions, who met him with salams, saying, " What made thee
tarry thus ? " Whereupon he related to them that which had
befallen him and expounded to them Al-Islam, and they all
islamised. Early next morning, Gharib mounted and rode to
the hermit to farewell him, after which he set out to return to
his camp when behold, on his way, there met him a horseman
cap-a-pie armed so that only his eyes appeared, who made at him,
* Arab. " Sa'ikah," which is supposed to be a stone. The allusion is to Antar's sword,
" Dhami," made of a stone, black, brilliant and hard as a rock (an aerolite), which had
struck a camel on the right side and had come out by the left. The blacksmith made it
into a blade three feet long by two spans broad, a kind of falchion or chopper, cased it
with gold and called it Dhami (the *' Trenchant") from its sharpness. But he said to
the owner : —
The sword is trenchant, O son of the Ghalib clan,
Trenchant in sooth, but where is the sworder-man?
Whereupon the owner struck off the maker's head, a most satisfactory answer to all
but one.
272 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
saying, " Doff what is on thee, O scum * of the Arabs ; or I will
do thee die ! " Therewith Gharib drave at hira and there befel
between them a battle such as would make a neW-born child turn
grey and melt the flinty rock with its sore affray ; but presently the
Badawi did off his face-veil, and lo ! it was Gharib's half-brother
Sahim al-Layl. Now the cause of his coming thither was that
when Gharib set out in quest of the Mountain-Ghul, Sahim was
absent and on his return, not seeing his brother, he went in to his
mother, whom he found weeping. He asked the reason of her
tears and she told him what had happened of his brother's journey,
whereupon, without allowing himself aught of rest, he donned his
war-gear and mounting rode after Gharib, till he overtook him and
there bcfcl between them what befel. When, therefore, Sahim
discovered his face, Gharib knew him and saluted him, saying,
" What moved thee to do this?" Quoth Sahim, " I had a mind
to measure myself with thee in the field and make trial of my
lustihood in cut and thrust." Then they rode together and on the
way Gharib expounded Al-Islam to Sahim, who embraced the
Faith ; nor did they cease riding till they were hard upon the
valley. Meanwhile, the Mountain-Ghul espied the dust of their
horses' feet and said to his sons, " O my sons, mount and fetch me
yonder loot." So the five took horse and made for the party.
When Gharib saw the five Amalekites approaching, he plied
shovel-iron upon his steed's flank and cried out, saying, " Who
are ye, and what is your race and what do ye require ?" Where-
upon Falhiin bin Sa'adan, the eldest of the five, came out and
said, " Dismount ye and bind one another^ and we will drive you
to our father, that he may roast various of you and boil various,
for it is long since he has tasted the flesh of Adam-son." When
Gharib heard these words he drove at Falhun, shaking his mace,
so tliat the rings rang like the roaring thunder and the giant was
confounded. Then he smote him a light blow with the mace
between the shoulders, and he fell to the ground like a tall-trunked
palm-tree; whereupon Sahim and some of his men fell upon him
and pinioned him ; then, putting a rope about his neck, they haled
' Arab. " Kuta'ah " : lit. a bit cut off, fragment, nail-paring, and hero un diminutif.
I have described this scene in Pilgrimage iii. 68. Latro often says, " Thy gear is
w.intcd by the daughter of my paternal uncle" (wife), and thus parades his politeness
by asking in a lady's name.
' As will appear the two brothers were joined by a patty of horsemen.
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib 273
him along like a cow. Now when his brothers saw him a prisoner,
they charged home upon Gharib, who took three * of them captive
and the fifth fled back to his sire, who said to him, " What is
behind thee and where are the brothers of thee?" Quoth he,
" Verily, a beardless youth, forty cubits high, hath taken them
prisoner." Quoth Sa'adan, " May the sun pour no blessing on
you ! " and, going down from his hold, tore up a huge tree, with
which he went in quest of Gharib and his folk ; and he was on
foot, for that no horse might carry him, because of the bigness
of his body. His son followed him and the twain went on till
they came up with Gharib and his company, when the Ghul fell
upon them, without word said, and slew five men with his club.
Then he made at Sahim and struck at him with his tree, but
Sahim avoided the blow and it fell harmless ; whereat Sa'adan
was wroth and throwing down the weapon, sprang upon Sahim
and caught him in his pounces as the sparrow-hawk catcheth up
the sparrow. Now when Gharib saw his brother in the Ghul's
clutches, he cried out, saying, "Allaho Akbar — God is most Great !
Oh the favour of Abraham the Friend, the Muhammad,^ the
Blessed One (whom Allah keep and assain !) " And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
Nofo hj^ftt it foas t^e ^ix f^untrrctf anti '^Ttoents^nintlb Ktgf)t,
She continued. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib saw his brother in the clutches of the Ghul, he cried out, say-
ing " Oh the favour of Ibrahim, the Friend, the Blessed one (whom
Allah keep and assain !)"; and drave his charger at Sa'adan, shak-
ing his mace, till the rings loud rang. Then he cried out again,
" God is most Great ! " and smote the Ghul on the flat of the ribs with
his mace, whereupon he fell to the ground, insensible, and loosed
his grip on Sahim ; nor did he come to himself ere he was pinioned
and shackled. When his son saw this, he turned and fled ; but
Gharib drove steed after him and smiting him with his mace
between the shoulders, threw him from his horse. So they bound
^ "Four" says the Mac. Edit, forgetting Falhun with characteristic inconsequence.
^ Muhammad (the deserving great praise) is the name used by men ; Ahmad (more
laudable) by angels, and Mahmud (praised) by devils. For a similar play upon the
name, " Allah, Allah, Muhammad ast " (God is God the praiseworthy), see Dabis*
tan ii. 416.
VOL. VI. S
274 ^^f Laylak wa Laylah.
him with his father and brethren and haltering them with ropes,
haled them all six along like baggage-camels, till they reached
the Ghul's castle, which they found full of goods and treasures and
things of price; and there they also came upon twelve hundred
Ajamis, men of Persia, bound and shackled. Gharib sat down on
Sa'adan's chair, which had aforetime belonged to Sdsd' bin Shays
bin Shaddad bin Ad causing Sahim to stand on his right and his
companions on his either hand, and sending for the Ghul of the
Mountain, said to him, " How findest thou thyself, O accursed ?"
Replied Sa'adan, " O my lord, in the sorriest of plights for abase-
ment and mortification ; my sons and I, we are bound with ropes
like camels," Quoth Gharib, " It is my will that you enter my
faith, the faith Al-Islam hight, and acknowledge the Unity of the
All-knowing King whose All-might created Light and Night and
every thing, — there is no God but He, the Requiting King ! — and
confess the mission and prophcthood of Abraham the Friend (on
whom be peace !)." So the Ghul and his sons made the required
profession after the goodliest fashion, and Gharib bade loose their
bonds ; whereupon Sa'adan wept and would have kissed his feet,
he and his sons : but Gharib forbade them and they stood with
the rest who stood before him. Then said Gharib, " Harkye,
Sa'adan ! " ; and he replied, " At thy service, O my lord ! " Quoth
Gharib, " What are these captives } " " O my lord," quoth the
Ghul, " these are my game from the land of the Persians and are
not the only ones." Asked Gharib, " And who is with them ? " ;
and Sa'adan answered, " O my lord, there is with them the
Princess Fakhr Tdj, daughter of King Sabiir of Persia,^ and an
hundred damsels like moons." When Gharib heard this, he
' The Mac. Edit, here gives " Sas," but elsewhere " Sdsa," which is the correct
form .
2 Sapor the Second (A.D. 310-330) was compelled to attack the powerful Arab hordes
of Oman, most of whom, like the Tayy, Aus and Khnzraj, the Banu Nabhan and the
Hinawi left Al-Yaman A.D. 100-170, and settled in the north and north-east of
Al-\ajd. This great exodus and dispersion of the tribes was caused, as has been said,
by the bursting of the Dam of M.irib originally built by Abd al-Shams Saba, father of
Himyar. These Yamanian races were plunged into poverty and roamed northwards,
planting themselves amongst the Arabs of Ma'add son of Adnan. Hence the kingdom
of Chassan in Syria whose phylarchs under the Romans (i.e. Greek Emperors of Con-
stantinople) controlled Palestine Tcrtia, the Arabs of Syria and Palestine ; and the
kingdom of Hirah, whose Lakhmite Princes, dependent upon Persia, managed the
Arabs of the Euphrates, Oman and Al-Bahrayn. The Ma'additcs still continued to
occupy the central plateau of Arabia, a feature analogous with India " above the Ghauts."
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib, 275
marvelled and said, " O Emir, how came ye by these ? "
Replied Sa'adan, "I went forth one night with my sons and
five of my slaves in quest of booty, but finding no spoil in our
way, we dispersed over wilds and wolds and fared on, hoping
we might happen on somewhat of prey and not return empty-
handed, till we found ourselves in the land of the Persians.
Presently, we espied a dust-cloud and sent on to reconnoitre one
of our slaves, who was absent a while and presently returned and
said :— O my lord, this is the Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of
Sabur, King of the Persians, Turcomans and Medes ; and she is
on a journey, attended by two thousand horse. Quoth I, Thou
hast gladdened us with good news ! We could have no finer loot
than this. Then I and my sons fell upon the Persians and slew
of them three hundred men and took the Princess and twelve
hundred cavaliers prisoners, together with all that was with her of
treasure and riches and brought them to this our castle." Quoth
Gharib, " Hast thou offered any violence to the Princess Fakhr
Taj ? " Quoth Sa'adan, " Not I, as thy head liveth and by the
virtue of the Faith I have but now embraced ! " Gharib replied,
" It was well done of thee, O Sa'adan, for her father is King of the
world and doubtless he will despatch troops in quest of her and
lay waste the dwellings of those who took her. And whoso
lookcth not to issue and end hath not Fate to friend. But where
is the damsel ? " Said Sa'adan, " I have set apart a pavilion for
her and her damsels ; " and said Gharib, " Show me her lodging,"
whereto Sa'adan rejoined, " Hearkening and obedience ! " So he
carried him to the pavilion, and there he found the Princess
mournful and cast down, weeping for her former condition of
dignity and delight. When Gharib saw her, he thought the moon
was near him and magnified Allah, the All-hearing, the All-seeing.
The Princess also looked at him and saw him a princely cavalier,
with valour shining from between his eyes and testifying for him
and not against him ; so she rose and kissed his hands, then fell
at his feet, saying, " O hero of the age, I am under thy protection ;
guard me from this Ghul, for I fear lest he do away my maiden-
head and after devour me. So take me to serve thine hand-
maidens," Quoth Gharib, " Thou art safe and thou shalt be
restored to thy father and the seat of thy worship." Whereupon
she prayed that he might live long and have advancement in rank
and honour. Then he bade unbind the Persians and, turning to
the Princess, said to her, " What brought thee forth of thy palace
276 Alf Laylah wa Laylak.
to the wilds and wastes, so that the highway-robbers made prize
of thee ? " She replied, " O my lord, my father and all the people
of his realm, Turks and Daylamites, are Magians, fire worshipping,
and not the All-powerful King. Now in our country is a
monastery called the Monastery of the Fire, whither every year
the daughters of the Magians and worshippers of the Fire resort
at the time of their festival and abide there a month, after
which they return to their houses. So I and my damsels set out,
as of wont, attended by two thousand horse, whom my father
sent with me to guard me ; but by the way this Ghul came out
against us and slew some of us and, taking the rest captive,
imprisoned us in this hold. This, then, is what befel me, O valiant
champion, whom Allah guard against the shifts of Time ! " And
Gharib said, " Fear not ; for I will bring thee to thy palace and the
seat of thy honours." Wherefore she blessed him and kissed his
hands and feet. Then he went out from her, after having com-
manded to treat her with respect, and slept till morning, when he
made the Wuzu-ablution and prayed a two-bow prayer, after the
rite of our father Abraham the Friend (on whom be peace !), whilst
the Ghul and his sons and Gharib's company all did the like after
him. Then he turned to the Ghul and said to him, " O Sa'adan,
wilt thou not show me the Wady of Blossoms ?" ^ " I will, O my
lord," answered he. So Gharib and his company and Princess
Fakhr Taj and her maidens all rose and went forth, whilst Sa'adan
commanded his slaves and slave-girls to slaughter and cook and
make ready the morning-meal and bring it to them among the
trees. For the Giant had an hundred and fifty handmaids and
a thousand chattels to pasture his camels and oxen and sheep.
When they came to the valley, they found it beautiful exceedingly
and passing all degree ; and birds on tree sang joyously and the
mocking-nightingalc trilled out her melody, and the cushat
filled with her moan the mansions made by the Deity, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her per-
mitted say.
' I have described (Pilgrimage i. 370) the grisly spot which a Badawi will dignify by
the, name of Wady al-\Vard =: Vale of Roses.
1 he History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 277
Note fol^tn it foas \\^z ^I'x l^untireti anti ^i)irti£t]b Ni'sbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
and his merry men and the Giant and his tribe reached the Wady
of Blossoms they found birds flying free ; the cushat filling with her
moan the mansions made by the Deity, the bulbul singing as if
'twere human harmony and the merle whom to describe tongue
faileth utterly ; the turtle, whose plaining maddens men for love-
ecstasy- and the ringdove and the popinjay answering her with
fluency. There also were trees laden with all manner of fruitery,
of each two kinds,^ the pomegranate, sweet and sour upon branches
growing luxuriantly, the almond-apricot,^ the camphor-apricot^ and
the almond Khorasan hight ; the plum, with whose branches the
boughs of the myrobalan were entwined tight ; the orange, as it
were a cresset flaming light, the shaddock weighed down with
heavy freight ; the lemon, that cures lack of appetite, the citron
against jaundice of sovereign might, and the date, red and yellow-
bright, the especial handiwork of Allah the Most High. Of the
like of this place saith the enamoured poet : —
When its birds in the lake make melody, o The lorn lover yearneth its sight
to see :
'Tis as Eden breathing a fragrant breeze, o With its shade and fruits and rills
flowing free.
Gharib marvelled at the beauty of that Wady and bade them set
up there the pavilion of Fakhr Taj the Chosroite ; so they pitched
it among the trees and spread it with rich tapestries. Then he sat
down and the slaves brought food and they ate their sufficiency ;
after which quoth Gharib, " Harkye, Sa'adan !" : and quoth he,
*' At thy service, O my lord." " Hast thou aught of wine ?" asked
' Koran xiii. 3, " Of every fruit two different kinds," i.e. large and small, black and
white, sweet and sour,
'^ A graft upon an almond-tree, which makes its kernel sweet and gives it an especial
delicacy of flavour. See Russell's (excellent) Natural History of Aleppo, p. 21.
2 So called from the flavour of the kernel : it is well-known at Damascus where a
favourite fruit is the dried apricot with an almond by way of kernel. There are many
preparations of apricots, especially the " Mare's skin " (Jild al-faras or Kamar al-din) a
paste folded into sheets and exactly resembling the article from which it takes a name.
When wanted it is dissolved in water and eaten as a relish with bread or biscuit
(Pilgrimage i. 289).
278 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Gharib, and Sa'adan answered, " Yes, I have a cistern full of old
wine." Said Gharib, " Bring us some of it." So Sa'adan sent ten
slaves, who returned with great plenty of wine, and they ate and
drank and were mirthful and merry. And Gharib bethought him
of Mahdiyah and improvised these couplets : —
I mind our union days when ye were nigh, o And flames my heart with
love's consuming lowc.
By Allah, ne'er of will I quitted you : o But shifts of Time from you
compelled me go :
Peace and fair luck and greetings thousand-fold o To you, from exiled lover's
pining woe.
They abode eating and drinking and taking their pleasure in the
valley for three days, after which they returned to the castle. Then
Gharib called Sahim and said to him, " Take an hundred horse and
go to thy father and mother and thy tribe, the Banu Kahtan, and
bring them all to this place, here to pass the rest of their days,
whilst I carry the Princess of Persia back to her father. As for
thee, O Sa'adan, tarry thou here with thy sons, till I return to
thee." Asked Sa'adan, " And why wilt thou not carry me with
thee to the land of the Persians ?"; and Gharib answered," Because
thou stolest away King Sabur's daughter and if his eye fall on thee,
he will cat thy flesh and drink thy blood." When the Ghul heard
this, he laughed a loud laugh, as it were the pealing thunder, and
said, " O my lord, by the life of thy head, if the Persians and
Mcdcs united against mc, I would make them quaff the cup of
annihilation." Quoth Gharib, " 'Tis as thou sayest ; ^ but tarry
thou here in fort till I return to thee ;" and quoth the Ghul, " I
hear and I obey." Then Sahim departed with his comrades of the
Banu Kahtan for the dwelling-places of their tribe, and Gharib set
out with Princess Fakhr Taj and her company, intending for the
cities of Sabur, King of the Persians. Thus far concerning them ;
but as regards King Sabur, he abode awaiting his daughter's return
from the Monastery of the Fire, and when the appointed time passed
by and she came not, flames raged in his heart. Now he had forty
Wazirs, whcrecf the oldest, wisest and chiefest was hight Daydan : so
he said to him, " O Minister, verily my daughter dclaycth her return
and I have no news of her though the appointed time is past ; so
do thou send a courier to the Monastery of the Fire to learn what
' " Anta Kama takul" =: ihe vulgarcst Cairene.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 279
is come of her." " Hearkening and obedience," replied Daydan ;
and, summoning the chief of the couriers, said to him, " Wend
thou forthright to the Monastery." So he lost no time and when
he reached it, he asked the monks of the King's daughter, but they
said, " We have not seen her this year." So the courier returned
to the city of Isbanir ^ and told the Wazir, who went in to the
King and acquainted him with the message. Now when Sabur
heard this, he cast his crown on the ground, tore his beard and
fell down in a trance. They sprinkled water upon him, and
presently he came to himself, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted,
and repeated the words of the poet : —
When I far-parted patience call and tears, * Tears came to call but Patience
never hears :
What, then, if Fonune parted us so far ? » Fortune and Perfidy are peers
and feres !
Then he called ten of his captains and bade them mount with a
thousand horse and ride in different directions, in quest of his
daughter. So they mounted forthright and departed each with
his thousand ; whilst Fakhr Taj's mother clad herself and her
women in black and strewed ashes on her head and sat weeping
and lamenting. Such was their case ; And Shahrazad per-
ceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
IXToto tDf)en it fcoas \^z ^I'x l^unliwlj an^ S]btrtg=first Wigftt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Sabur
sent his troops in quest of his daughter, whose mother clad herself
and her women in black. Such was their case ; but as regards
the strange adventures of Gharib and the Princess, they journeyed
on ten days, and on the eleventh day, appeared a dust-cloud which
rose to the confines of the sky ; whereupon Gharib called the
Emir of the Persians and said to him, " Go learn the cause thereof."
" I hear and obey," replied he and drave his charger, till he came
under the cloud of dust, where he saw folk and enquired of them.
^ This may be Cteslphon, the ancient capital of the Chosroes, on the Tigris below
Baghdad; and spoken of elsewhere in The Nights; especially as, in Night dclxvii.,
it is called Isbanir Al-Madain ; Madain Kisra (the cities of Chosroes) being the Arabic
name of the old dual city.
28o Alf Lay/ah wa Laylah.
Quoth one of them, "We are of the Banu Hattdl and are questing
for plunder ; our Emir is Samsdm bin Al-Jirah and we are five
thousand horse." The Persians returned in haste and told their
saying to Gharib, who cried out to his men of the Banu Kahtan
and to the Persians, saying, ** Don your arms ! " They did as
he bade them and presently up came the Arabs who were shout-
ing, " A plunder ! a plunder!" Quoth Gharib, " Allah confound
you, O dogs of Arabs I " Then he loosed his horse and drove
at them with the career of a right valiant knight, shouting, " Allaho
Akbar I Ho for the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be
peace ! " And there befel between them great fight and sore
fray and the sword went round in sway and there was much said
and say ; nor did they leave fighting till fled the day and gloom
came, when they drew from one another away. Then Gharib
numbered his tribesmen and found that five of the Banu Kahtan
had fallen and three-and-seventy of the Persians ; but of the
Banu Hattal they had slain more than five hundred horse. As
for Samsam, he alighted and sought nor meat nor sleep, but said,
" In all my life I never saw such a fighter as this youth ! Anon he
fighteth with the sword and anon with the mace ; but, to-morrow
I will go forth on champion wise and defy him to combat of twain
in battle plain where edge and point are fain and I will cut off
these Arabs. Now, when Gharib returned to his camp, the Princess
Fakhr Taj met him, weeping and affrighted for the terror of that
which had befallen, and kissed his foot in the stirrup, saying,
*' May thy hands never wither nor thy foes be blither, O champion
of the age ! Alhamdolillah — Praise to God — who hath saved thee
alive this day ! Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs."
When Gharib heard this, he smiled in her face and heartened and
comforted her, saying, ** Fear not, O Princess ! Did the enemy fill
this wild and wold yet would I scatter them, by the might of
Allah Almighty." She thanked him and prayed that he might
be given the victory over his foes ; after which she returned to her
women and Gharib went to his tent, where he cleansed himself
of the blood of the Infidels, and they lay on guard through the
night. Next morning, the two hosts mounted and sought the plain
where cut and thrust ruled sovereign. The first to prick into the
open was Gharib, who drave his charger till he was near the Infidels
and cried out, " Who is for jousting with me .'' Let no sluggard
or weakling come out to me ! " Whereupon there rushed forth
a giant Amalekite of the lineage of the tribe of Ad, armed with an
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 281
iron flail twenty pounds in weight, and drove at Gharib, saying,
*' O scum of the Arabs, take what cometh to thee and learn the
glad tidings that thy last hour is at hand ! " So saying, he aimed
a blow at Gharib, but he avoided it and the flail sank a cubit into
the ground. Now the Badawi was bent double with the blow ; so
Gharib smote him with his mace and clove his forehead in sunder ;
and he fell down dead and Allah hurried his soul to Hell-fire.
Then Gharib charged and wheeled and called for champions ; so
there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth and so
on, till ten had come forth to him and he slew them all. When
the Infidels saw his form of fight and his swashing blows they
hung back and forebore to fare forth to him, whereupon Samsam
looked at them and said, " Allah never bless you ! I will go forth
to him." So he donned his battle-gear and driving his charger
into mid-field where he fronted the foe and cried out to Gharib,
saying, " Fie on thee, O dog of the Arabs ! hath thy strength
waxed so great that thou shouldst defy me in the open field and
slaughter my men "i " And Gharib replied, " Up and take blood-
revenge for the slaughter of thy braves ! " So Samsam ran at
Gharib who awaited him with broadened breast and heart
enheartened, and they smote each at other with maces, till the two
hosts mai*velled and every eye was fixed on them. Then they
wheeled about in the field and struck at each other two strokes ;
but Gharib avoided Samsam's stroke which wreak had wroke and
dealt him a buffet that beat in his breastbone and cast him to the
ground — stone dead. Thereupon all his host ran at Gharib as one
man, and he ran at them, crying, " God is most Great ! Help and
Victory for us and shame and defeat for those who misbelieve
the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace I " And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
iEolD tubnt {t hjas tf}t ^ix ^mtsxtH anU ^i)irtp=s£Contr iB^gtit,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sam-
sam's tribesmen rushed upon Gharib as one man, he ran at them
crying, " God is most Great ! Help and Victory for us and shame
and defeat for the Miscreant ! " Now when the Infidels heard
the name of the All-powerful King, the One, the All-conquer-
ing, whom the sight comprehendeth not, but He comprehendeth
282 A If Laylah wa Laylah.
the sight,' they looked at one another and said, " What is this
say that maketh our side-muscles tremble and weakeneth our
resolution and causcth the life to fail in us? Never in our lives
heard we aught goodlier than this saying ! " adding, " Let us leave
fighting, that we may ask its meaning." So they held their hands
from the battle and dismounted ; and their elders assembled and
held counsel together, seeking to go to Gharib and saying, " Let
ten of us repair to him ! " So they chose out ten of their best,
who set out for Gharib's tents. Now he and his people had
alighted and returned to their camp, marvelling at the withdrawal
of the Infidels from the fight. But, presently, lo and behold ! the
ten came up and seeking speech of Gharib, kissed the earth before
him and wished him glory and lasting life. Quoth he to them,
" What made you leave fighting ?"; and quoth they, " O, my lord,
thou didst affright us with the words thou shoutest out at us."
Then asked Gharib, " What calamity do ye worship .•* "; and they
answered, " We worship Wadd and Suwa'a and Yaghus,^ lords of
the tribe of Noah "; and Gharib, " We serve none but Allah
Almighty, Maker of all things and Provider of all livings. He
it is who created the heavens and the earth and stablished the
mountains, who made water to well from the stones and the trees
to grow and feedeth wild beasts in wold ; for He is Allah, the
One, the All-powerful Lord." When they heard this, their
bosoms broadened to the words of Unity-faith, and they said,
" Verily, this be a Lord high and great, compassionating and
' Koran vi. 103. The translation is Sale's which I have generally preferred, despite
many imperfections: Lane renders this sentence, "The eyes see not Him, but He
seeth the eyes ; " and Mr. Rodwell, " No vision taketh in Him (?), but He taketh in all
vision ;" and (better) " No eyesight reacheth to Him."
- Sale (sect. I.) tells us all that was then known of these three which with Y.Viik and
Nasr and the three "dau_L;hlcrs of God," Goddesses or Energies (the Hindu Saktis)
Allat, S.\-\jn:\ and Man.it mentioned in the Koran were the chiefs of the prc-Islamitic
Pantheon. I cannot but su^jiect that ail will be connected with old Babylonian
worship. Al-Uaytlawi (on Kor. Ixxi. 22) says of Wadd, Suwa'a, Vaghus, Va'uk and
Nasr that they were names of pious men between Adam and Noah, afterwards deified :
^'aghi'is was the giant idol of the Mazliaj tribe at Akamah of .M-Vaman and afterwards
at N.ijran Al-Uzza was widely worsliijipcd : her idol (of the tree Semurat) belonging to
Ghatafan was destroyed after the Prophet's order by Khalid bin Walld. Allat or Al-Lat
is written by Pocock (spec. Iio) " Ilahal " i.e. deities in general. But Herodotus
evidently refers to one god when he makes the Arabs worship Dionysus as OporoA and
Urania as AAtXar and the " tashdid " in Allat would, to a Greek ear, inlroi!uce
another syllable (Alilat). This was the goddess of the Kuraysh and Thakif whose
temple at Taif was circuited like the Ka'abah before Mohammed destroyed it.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 283
compassionate ! "; adding, " And what shall we say, to become of
the Moslems, of those which submit themselves to Him ?" Quoth
Gharib, " Say : — There is no god but the God and Abraham is the
Friend of God." So the ten made veracious profession of the
veritable religion and Gharib said to them, " An the sweet savour
of Al-Islam be indeed stablished in your hearts, fare ye to your
tribe and expound the faith to them ; and if they profess, they
shall be saved, but if they refuse we will burn them with fire."
So the ten elders returned and expounded Al-Islam to their
people and set forth to them the path of truth and creed, and they
embraced the Faith of Submission with heart and tongue. Then
they repaired on foot to Gharib's tent and kissing ground between
his hands wished him honour and high rank, saying, " O our lord,
we are become thy slaves ; so command us what thou wilt, for we
are to thee audient and obedient and we will never depart from
thee, since Allah hath guided us into the right way at thy hands."
Replied he, " Allah abundantly requite you ! Return to your
dwellings and march forth with your good and your children and
forego me to the Wady of Blossoms and the castle of Sasa bin
Shays,^ whilst I carry the Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur,
King of the Persians, back to her father and return to you."
*' Hearkening and obedience," said they and straightway returned
to their encampment, rejoicing in Al-Islam, and expounded the
True Faith to their wives and children, who became Believers.
Then they struck their tents and set forth, with their good and
cattle, for the Wady of Blossoms. When they came in sight of
the castle of Shays, Sa'adan and his sons sallied forth to them,
but Gharib had charged them, saying, " If the Ghul of the Moun-
tain come out to you and offer to attack you, do ye call upon
the name of Allah the All-creator, and he will leave his hostile
intent and receive you hospitably." So when he would have
fallen upon them they called aloud upon the name of Almighty
Allah and straightway he received them kindly and asked them
of their case. They told him all that had passed between
Gharib and themselves, whereupon he rejoiced in them and
^ Shays (Shayth) is Ab Seth (Father Seth) of the Hebrews, a name containing the
initial and terminal letters of the Egypto-Phoenico-Hebrew Alphabet and the " Abjad "
of the Arabs. Those curious about its conneclion with the name of Allah (El), the
Zodiacal signs and with the constellations, visions but not wholly uninteresting, will
consult " Unexplored Syria" (vol. i. 33).
284 -^if Lay la h wa Laylah.
lodged them with him and loaded them with favours. Such was
their case; but as regards Gharib, he and his, escorting the
Princess fared on five days' journey towards the City of Isbanir,
and on the sixth day they saw a dust-cloud. So Gharib sent one
of the Persians to learn the meaning of this and he went and
returned, swiftlier than bird in flight, saying, " O my lord, these
be a thousand horse of our comrades, whom the King hath sent
in quest of his daughter Fakhr Taj." When Gharib heard this, he
commanded his company to halt and pitch the tents. So they
halted and waited till the new comers reached them, when they
went to meet them and told Tiiman, their captain, that the Prin-
cess was wfth them ; whereupon he went in to Gharib and kissing
the ground before him, enquired for her. Gharib sent him to
her pavilion, and he entered and kissed her hands and feet and
acquainted her with what had befallen her father and mother.
She told him in return all that had betided her and how Gharib
had delivered her from the Ghul of the Mountain, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
tN^oto toftm It tons tjbe ^ix l^unlrrcli anti ^i)irt2=ti)irii ^N^igbt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King's daughter, Fakhr Taj, had told Tuman all that had befallen
her from the Mountain-Ghul, and how he had imprisoned her and
would have devoured her but for Gharib, adding, " And indeed, it
behoveth my sire to give him the half of his reign," Tuman arose
and returned to Gharib and kissed his hands and feet and thanked
him for his good dealing, saying, " With thy leave, O my lord, I
will return to Isbanir City and deliver to our King the good news
of his daughter's approach." " Go," replied Gharib, " and take of
him the gift of glad tidings." So Tuman returned with all dili-
gence to Isbanir, the Cities, and entering the palace, kissed ground
before the King, who said to him, "What is there of new, O bringer
of good news ? " Quoth Tuman, " I will not speak thee, till thou
give mc the gift of glad tidings." Quoth the King, " Tell mc thy
glad tidings and I will content thee." So Tuman said, " O King,
I bring thee joyful intelligence of the return of Princess Fakhr
Taj." When Sabur heard his daughter's name, he fell ;■ wn
fainting and they sprinkled rose-water on him, till he recovered
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 285
and cried to Tuman, " Draw near to me and tell me all the good
which hath befallen her." So he came forward and acquainted him
with all that had betided the Princess ; and Sabur beat hand upon
hand, saying, " Unhappy thou, O Fakhr Taj ! " ^ And he bade
give Tuman ten thousand gold pieces and conferred on him the
government of Isfahan City and its dependencies. Then he cried
out to his Emirs, saying, " Mount, all of you, and fare we forth to
meet the Princess Fakhr Taj ! "; and the Chief Eunuch went in to
the Queen-mother and told her and all the Harim the good news,
whereat she rejoiced and gave him a robe of honour .and a thou-
sand dinars. Moreover, the people of the city heard of this and
decorated the market streets and houses. Then the King and
Tuman took horse and rode till they had sight of Gharib, when
Sabur footed it and made some steps towards Gharib, who also
dismounted and advanced to meet him ; and they embraced and
saluted each other, and Sabur bent over Gharib's hand and kissed
it and thanked him for his favours,^ They pitched their pavilions
in face of each other and Sabur went in to his daughter, who rose
and embracing him told him, all that had befallen her and how
Gharib had rescued her from the clutches of the Ghul of the
Mountain. Quoth the King, " By thy life, O Princess of fair ones,
I will overwhelm him with gifts ! '■'; and quoth she, " O my papa,
make him thy son-in-law, that he may be to thee a force against
thy foes, for he is passing valiant." Her father replied, " O my
daughter, knowst thou not that King Khirad Shdh seeketh thee in
marriage and that he hath cast the brocade^ and hath given an
hundred thousand dinars in settlement, and he is King of Shiraz
and its dependencies and is lord of empire and horsemen and
footmen ?" But when the Princess heard these words she said, " O
my papa ! I desire not that whereof thou speakest, and if thou
constrain me to that I have no mind to, I will slay myself." So
Sabur left her and went in to Gharib, who rose to him ; and they
sat awhile together ; but the King could not take his fill of looking
upon him ; and he said in his mind, " By Allah, my daughter is
' The exclamation of an honest Fellah.
"^ This is Antar with the Chosroe who ' * kissed the Absian hero between the eyes and
bade him adieu, giving him as a last token a rich robe." The coarser hand of the story-
teller exaggerates everything till he makes it ridiculous.
^ The context suggests that this is a royal form of " throwing the handkerchief;" bat
it does not occur elsewhere. In fact, the European idea seems to have' arisen from
the oriental practice of sending presents in napkins or kerchiefs.
286 A// Lay I ah ZL>a Laylah.
excusable if she love this Badawi ! " Then he called for food and
they ate and passed the night together. On the morrow, they took
horse and rode till they arrived at the City of Isbanir and entered,
stirrup to stirrup, and it was for them a great day. Fakhr Taj
repaired to her palace and the abiding-place of her rank, where her
mother and her women received her with cries of joy and loud
lullilooings. As for King Sabur, he sat down on his throne and
seated Gharib on his right hand, whilst the Princes and Chamber-
lains, the Emirs, Wazirs and Nabobs stood on either hand and gave
him joy of the recovery of his daughter. Said Sabur, "Whoso
lovcth me let him bestow a robe of honour on Gharib," and there
fell dresses of honour on him like drops of rain. Then Gharib
abode the King's guest ten days, when he would have departed,
but Sabur clad him in an honourable robe and swore him by his
faith that he should not march for a whole month. Quoth Gharib,
** O King, I am plighted to one of the girls of the Arabs and I
desire to go in to her." Quoth the King, " Whether is the fairer,
thy betrothed or Fakhr Taj ? " " O King of the age," replied Gharib,
" what is the slave beside the lord .-* " And Sabur said, " Fakhr
Taj is become thy handmaid, for that thou didst rescue her from
the pounces of the Ghul, and she shall have none other husband
than thyself." Thereupon Gharib rose and kissed ground, saying,
*' O King of the age, thou art a sovereign and I am but a poor
man, and belike thou wilt ask a heavy dowry." Replied the King,
" O my son, know that Khirad Shah, lord of Shiraz and depen-
dencies thereof, seckcth her in marriage and hath appointed an
hundred thousand dinars to her dower ; but I have chosen thee
before all men, that I may make thee the sword of my kingship
and my shield against vengeance."' Then he turned to his Chief
Officers and said to them, "Bear witness ^ against me, O Lords of
mine Empire, that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj to my son
Gharib."— — And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
i2olu luljcn it tons tfjc ^i.v IDunbrcU ano ^Ijirtn-fourtf) iliabt,
She continued, It hath reached mc, O auspicious King, that
Sabur, King of Ajam-land said to his Chief Officers, "Bear ye
' i.e. if the disappointed suitor attack me.
^ i.e. if ever I be tempted to deny it.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 287
witness against me that I marry my daughter, Fakhr Taj, to my
son Gharib!" With that he joined palms^ with him and she
became his wife. Then said Gharib, " Appoint me a dower and
I will bring it to thee, for I have in the Castle of Sasa wealth
and treasures beyond count." Replied Sabur, " O my son, I want
of thee neither treasure nor wealth and I will take nothing for her
dower save the head of Jamrkan King of Dasht and the city of
Ahwaz.2" Quoth Gharib, " O King of the age, I will fetch my
folk forthright and go to thy foe and spoil his realm." Quoth
Sabur, " Allah requite thee with good ! " and dismissed the lords
and commons, thinking, " If Gharib go forth against Jamrkan, he
will never more return." When morning morrowed the King
mounted with Gharib and bidding all his troops take horse rode
forth to the plain, where he said to his men, " Do ye tilt with
spears and gladden my heart." So the champions of Persia-land
played one against other, and Gharib said, " O King of the age,
I have a mind to tilt with the horsemen of Ajam-land, but on one
condition." Asked the King, " What is that } " ; and answered
Gharib, " It is that I shall don a light tunic and take a headless
lance, with a pennon dipped in saffron, whilst the Persian cham-
pions sally forth and tilt against me with sharp spears. If any
conquer me, I will render myself to him : but, if I conquer him
I will mark him on the breast and he shall leave the plain.'*
Then the King cried to the commander of the troops to bring
forward the champions of the Persians ; so he chose out from
amongst the Princes one thousand two hundred of his stoutest
champions, and the King said to them, in the Persian tongue,
" Whoso slayeth this Badawi may ask of me what he will." So
they strove with one another for precedence and charged down
upon Gharib and truth was distinguished from falsehood and jest
from earnest. Quoth Gharib, " I put my trust in Allah, the God of
Abraham the Friend, the Deity who hath power over all and from
whom naught is hidden, the One, the Almighty, whom the sight
comprehendeth not ! " Then an Amalekite-like giant of the Persian
champions rushed out to him, but Gharib let him not stand long
* Arab. " Musafahah," the Arab fashion of shaking hands. The right palms are
applied flat to each other ; then the fingers are squeezed and the hand is raised to the
forehead (Pilgrimage ii. 332).
^ A city and province of Khuzistan, the old Susiana. Dasht may be either the town
in Khorasan or the "forests " (dasht) belonging to Ahwaz (Ahuaz in D'Herbelot). -
283 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
before him ere he marked him and covered his breast with saffron,
and as he turned away, he smote him on the nape with the shaft
of his lance, and he fell to the ground and his pages bore him
from the lists.^ Then a second champion came forth against him
and he overcame him and marked him on the breast ; and thus
did he with a third and a fourth and a fifth ; and there came out
against him champion after champion till he had overcome them
all and marked them on the breast ; for Almighty Allah gave him
the victory over them and they fared forth vanquisht from the
plain. Then the servants set food and strong wine before them
and they ate and drank, till Gharib's wits were dazed by the
drink. By and by, he went out to obey a call of Nature and
would have returned, but lost his way and entered the palace
of Fakhr Taj. When she saw him, her reason fled and she cried
out to her women saying," Go forth from me to your own places I "
So they withdrew and she rose and kissed Gharib's hand, saying,
" Welcome to my lord, who delivered me from the Ghul ! Indeed
I am thine handmaid for ever and ever." Then she drew him to
her bed and embraced him, whereupon desire was hot upon him
and he broke her seal and lay with her till the morning. Mean-
while the King thought that he had departed ; but on the morrow
he went in to him and Sabur rose to him and made him sit by his
side. Then entered the tributary kings and kissing the ground
stood ranged in rows on the right and left and fell to talking of
Gharib's valour and saying, " Extolled be He who gave him such
prowess albeit he is so young in years ! " As they were thus
engaged, behold all espied from the palace-windows the dust of
horse approaching and the King cried out to his scouts, saying,
" Woe to you ! Go and bring me news of yonder dust ! " So a
cavalier took horse and riding off, returned after a while, and said,
" O King, we found under that dust an hundred horse belonging to
an Emir hight Sahim al-Layl." Gharib hearing these words, cried
out, "O my lord, this is my brother, whom I had sent on an errand,
and I will go forth to meet him." So saying, he mounted, with
his hundred men of the Banu Kahtan and a thousand Persians,
and rode to meet his brother in great state, but greatness belongeth
to God alone.^ When the two came up with each other, they
' This is the contest between " Antar and the Satrap Khosrcwan at the Couil i '|
Monzar," but without its tragical finish. '
''■ Elliptical " he rode out in great state, that is to say if greatness can truly be attri-
buted to man," for, etc.
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 289
dismounted and embraced, and Gharib said to Sahim, "O my
brother, hast thou brought our tribe to the Castle of Sasa and the
Wady of Blossoms ? " " O my brother," repHed Sahim, " when the
perfidious dog Mardas heard that thou hadst made thee master
of the stronghold belonging to the Mountain-Ghul, he was sore
chagrined and said : — Except I march hence, Gharib will come
and carry off my daughter Mahdiyah without dower. So he took
his daughter and his goods and set out with his tribe for the land
of Irak, where he entered the city of Cufa and put himself under
the protection of King Ajib, seeking to give him his daughter to
wife." When Gharib heard his brother's story, he well-nigh gave
up the ghost for rage and said, " By the virtue of the faith of Al-
Islam, the faith of Abraham the Friend, and by the Supreme
Lord, I will assuredly go to the land of Irak and fierce war upon
it I will set on foot." Then they returned to the city and going
in to the King, kissed ground before him. He rose to Gharib and
saluted Sahim ; after which the elder brother told him what had
happened and he put ten captains at his commandment, under
each one's hand ten thousand horse of the doughtiest of the Arabs
and the Ajams, who equipped themselves and were ready to depart
in three days. Then Gharib set out and journeyed till he reached
the Castle of Sasa whence the Ghul and his sons came forth to
meet him and dismounting, kissed his feet in the stirrups. He
told them all that had passed and the giant said, " O my lord, do
thou abide in this thy castle, whilst I with my sons and servants
repair to Irak and lay waste the city Al-Rustdk^ and bring to
thy hand all its defenders bound in straitest bond." But Gharib
thanked him and said, " O Sa'adan, we will all go." So he made
him ready and the whole body set out for Irak, leaving a thousand
horse to guard the Castle. Thus far concerning them ; but as
regards Mardas, he arrived with his tribe in the land of Irak
bringing with him a handsome present and fared for Cufa-city
which he entered. Then, he presented himself before Ajib and
kissed ground between his hands and, after wishing him what is
* According to D'Herbelot {s.v. Rostac) it is a name given to the villages of Khorasan
as " Souad " (Sawad) to those of Irak and Makhlaf to those of Al-Yaman : there is,
however, a well-known Al-Rustak (which like Al-Bahrayn always takes the article) in
the Province of Oman West of Maskat ; and as it rhymes with " Irak " it does well
enough. Mr. Badger calls this ancient capital of the Ya'arubah luiams "er-Rastak"
(Imams of Oman),
VOL. VI. T
290 Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
wished to kings, said, " O my lord, I come to place myself under
thy protection." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased saying her permitted say.
IMxs fofjen It toas tfte '^\x l^untittU anli ^bittg-fiftf) :Nrffibt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King that Mardas,
coming into the presence of Ajib, said to him, " I come to place
myself under thy protection ! " Quoth Ajib, " Tell me who hath
wronged thee, that I may protect thee against him, though it were
Sabur, King of the Persians and Turcomans and Daylamites."
Quoth Mardas, " O King of the Age, he who hath wronged me
is none other than a youth whom I reared in my bosom. I found
him in his mother's lap in a certain valley and took her to wife.
She brought me a son, whom I named Sahim al-Layl, and her
own son, Gharib hight, grew up on my knees and became a
blasting thunderbolt and a lasting calamity,' for he smote Al-
Hamal,2 Prince of the Banu Nabhan, and slew footmen and threw
horsemen. Now I have a daughter, who befitteth thee alone, and
he sought her of me ; so I required of him the head of the Ghul of
the Mountain, wherefore he went to him and, after engaging him
in singular combat, made the master his man and took the Castle
of Sasa bin Shays bin Shaddad bin Ad, wherein are the treasures
of the ancients and the hoards of the moderns. Moreover, I hear
that, become a Moslem, he goeth about, summoning the folk to
his faith. He is now gone to bear the Princess of Persia, whom
he delivered from the Ghul, back to her father, King Sabur, and
will not return but with the treasures of the Persians." When
Ajib heard the story of Mardas he changed colour to yellow and
was in ill case and made sure of his own destruction ; then he
said, " O Mardas, is the youth's mother with thee or with him ?";
and Mardas replied, "She is with me in my tents." Quoth Ajib,
" What is her name ? " ; quoth Mardas, " Her name is Nusrah.'*
"'Tis very she," rejoined Ajib and sent for her to the presence.
Now when she came before him, he looked on her and knew her
and asked her, *' O accursed, where are the two slaves I sent
' i.e. a furious knight.
' In the Mac. Edit. "Hassan," which may rhyme with Nabhdn, but it is a
blunder.
The History of Gharib and his Brother A jib. 291
with thee ? " ; and she answered, " They slew each other on my
account;" whereupon Ajib bared his blade and smote her and
cut her in twain. Then they dragged her away and cast her out ;
but trouble and suspicion entered Ajib's heart and he cried, " O
Mardas, give me thy daughter to wife." He rejoined, " She is
one of thine handmaids : I give her to thee to wife, and I am
thy slave." Said Ajib, " I desire to look upon this son of an
adulteress, Gharib, that I may destroy him and cause him taste
all manner of torments." Then he bade give Mardas, to his
daughter's dowry, thirty thousand dinars and an hundred pieces
of silk brocaded and fringed with gold and an hundred pieces of
silk-bordered stuffs and kerchiefs and golden collars. So he
went forth with this mighty fine dowry and set himself to equip
Mahdiyah in all diligence. Such was their case ; but as regards
Gharib, he fared on till he came to Al-Jazi'rah, which is the first
town of Al-Irak^ and is a walled and fortified city and he hard by
it called a halt. When the townsfolk saw his army encamped
before it, they bolted the gates and manned the walls, then went
to the King of the city, who was called Al-Damigh, the Brainer,
for that he used to brain the champions in the open field of fight,
and told him what was come upon them. So he looked forth
from the battlements of the palace and seeing a conquering host,
all of them Persians, encamped before the city, said to the citizens,
" O folk, what do yonder Ajams want .'' "; and they replied, " We
know not." Now Al-Damigh had among his officers a man called
Saba' al-Kifar, the Desert-lion, keen of wit and penetrating as he
were a flame of fire ; so he called him and said to him, " Go to
this stranger host and find out who they be and what they want
and return quickly." Accordingly, he sped like the wind to the
Persian tents, where a company of Arabs rose up and met him
saying, " Who art thou and what dost thou require .'' " He
replied, " I am a messenger and an envoy from the lord of the
city to your chief." So they took him and carried him through
the lines of tents, pavilions and standards, till they came to
Gharib's Shahmiyanah and told him of the mission. He bade
them bring him in and they did so, whereupon he kissed ground
before Gharib and wished him honour and length of days. Quoth
* In Classical Arabic Irak (like Yaman, Bahrayn and Rustak) always takes the
article.
292 Alf Lay I ah wa Laylah.
Gharib, "What Is thine errand ?" and quoth Saba' al-Kifar, " I am
an envoy from the lord of the city of Al-Jazirah, Al-Damigh,
brother of King Kundamir, lord of the city of Cufa and the land
of Irak." When Gharib heard his father's name, the tears railed
from his eyes in rills and he looked at the messenger and said,
"What is thy name?"; and he replied, "My name is Saba' al-
Kifar." Said Gharib, " Return to thy lord and tell him that the
commander of this host is called Gharib, son of Kundamir, King
of Cufa, whom his son Ajib slew, and he is come to take blood-
revenge for his sire on Ajib the perfidious hound." So Saba' al-
Kifar returned to the city and in great joy kissed the ground,
when Al-Damigh said, " What is going on there, O Saba' al-Kifar ? "
He replied, " O my master, the leader of yon host is thy nephew,
thy brother's son," and told him all. The King deemed himself
in a dream and asked the messenger, "O Saba' al-Kifar, is this
thou tellest me true ? " and the Desert-lion answered, " As thy
head liveth, it is sooth ! " Then Al-Damigh bade his chief
officers take horse forthright and all rode out to the camp,
whence Gharib came forth and met him and they embraced
and saluted each other ; after which Gharib carried him to his
tents and they sat down on beds of estate. Al-Damigh rejoiced
in Gharib, his brother's son, and presently turning to him, said,
" I also have yearned to take blood-revenge for thy father, but
could not avail against the dog thy brother ; for that his troops
are many and my troops are few." Replied Gharib, " O uncle,
here am I come to avenge my sire and blot out our shame and
rid the realm of Ajib," Said Al-Damigh, " O son of my brother,
thou hast two blood-wreaks to take, that of thy father and that
of thy mother." Asked Gharib, "And what aileth my mother?"
and Al-Damigh answered, " Thy brother Ajib hath slain her."
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
Xobj tofjcn It tons tfjc ^11 |Duntircli anti ^TtirtB-sixtl) Xiafjt,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when
Gharib heard these words of his uncle Al-Damigh, "Verily thy
brother Ajib hath slain her ! ", he asked what was the cause
thereof and was told of all that had happened, especially how
Mardas had married his daughter to Ajib who was about to go
The History of Gharih and his Brother Ajib, 293
into her. Thereupon Gharib's reason fled from his head and
he swooned away and was nigh upon death. No sooner did
he come to himself than he cried out to the troops, saying,
" To horse ! " But AI-Damigh said to him, " O son of my
brother, wait till I make ready mine affairs and mount among
my men and fare with thee at thy stirrup." Replied Gharib,
"I have no patience to wait; do thou equip thy troops and join
me at Cufa." Thereupon Gharib mounted with his troops and
rode, till he came to the town of Babel,^ whose folk took fright
at him. Now there was in this town a King called Jamak,
under whose hand were twenty thousand horsemen, and there
gathered themselves together to him from the villages other
fifty thousand horse, who pitched their tents facing the city.
Then Gharib wrote a letter and sent it to King Jamak by a
messenger, who came up to the city-gate and cried out, saying,
*' I am an envoy ;" whereupon the Warder of the Gate went in
and told Jamak, who said, " Bring him to me." So he led in
the messenger, who kissing the ground before the King, gave
him the letter, and Jamak opened it and read its contents as
follows : " Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Three Worlds, Lord
of all things, who giveth to all creatures their daily bread and
who over all things is Omnipotent ! These from Gharib, son of
King Kundamir, lord of Irak and Cufa, to Jamak. Immediately
this letter reacheth thee, let not thy reply be other than to
break thine idols and confess the unity of the All-knowing
King, Creator of light and darkness, Creator of all things, the
All-powerful ; and except thou do as I bid thee, I will make
this day the blackest of thy days. Peace be on those who
follow in the way of Salvation, fearing the issues of fornication,
and obey the hest of the Most High King, Lord of this world
and the next, Him who saith to a thing : — Be ; and it be-
cometh !" Now when Jamak read this letter, his eyes paled and
his colour failed and he cried out to the messenger, " Go to thy
lord and say to him : — To-morrow, at daybreak there shall be
fight and conflict and it shall appear who is the conquering
hero." So he returned and told Gharib, who bade his men
make ready for battle, whilst Jamak commanded his tents to
' The story-teller goes back from Kufah founded in Omar's day to the limes of
Abraham.
294 ^'^If Laylak'wa Laylah.
be pitched in face of Gharib's camp ; and his troops poured
forth hkc the surging sea and passed the night with intention
of slaughter. As soon as dawned the day, the two hosts
mounted and drew up in battle-array and beat their drums
amain and dravc their steeds of swiftest strain ; and they filled
the whole earthly plain ; and the champions to come out were
fain. Now the first who sallied forth a-championing to the
field was the Ghul of the Mountain, bearing on shoulder a
terrible tree, and he cried out between the two hosts, saying,
" I am Sa'adan the Ghul ! Who is for fighting, who is for
jousting ? Let no sluggard come forth to me nor weakling."
And he called out to his sons, saying, " Woe to you ! Bring me
fuel and fire, for I am an-hungered." So they cried upon their
slaves who brought firewood and kindled a fire in the heart of
the plain. Then there came out to him a man of the Kafirs,
an Amalekite of the unbelieving Amalekites, bearing on his
shoulder a mace like the mast of a ship, and drove at Sa'adan
the Ghul, saying, "Woe to thee, O Sa'adan!" When the giant
heard this, he waxed furious beyond measure and raising his
tree-club, aimed at the Infidel a blow, that hummed through the
air. The Amalekite met the stroke with his mace, but the tree
beat down his guard and descending with its own weight,
together with the weight of the mace upon his head, beat in
his brain-pan, and he fell like a long-stemmed palm-tree.
Thereupon Sa'adan cried to his slaves, saying, " Take this fatted
calf and roast hirh quickly." So they hastened to skin the
Infidel and roasted him and brought him to the Ghul, who ate
his flesh and crunched his bones.^ Now when the Kafirs saw
how Sa'adan did with their fellow, their hair and pile stood on
end ; their skins quaked, their colour changed, their hearts died
within them and they said to one another, " Whoso goeth out
against this Ghul, he eatcth him and cracketh his bones and
causcth him to lack the zephyr-wind of the world." Wherefore
they held their hands, quailing for fear of the Ghul and his sons
' This manoeuvre has often been practised ; especially by the first Crusaders under
Bohcmond (Gibbon) and in late years by the Arab slavers in Eastern Intertropical
Africa. After their skirmisiics with the natives they quartered and " brittled " the dead
like game, roasted and boiled the choice pieces and [)reten<ied to eat the flesh. Tlie
enemy, who was not afraid of (kath, was struck with terror by the idea of being
devoured ; and this seems inslinclive to the undeveloped mind.
^f
The History of Gharib and his Brother Ajib. 295
and turned to fly, making for the town ; but Gharib cried out
to his troops, saying, " Up and after the runaways ! " So the
Persians and the Arabs drave after the King of Babel and his
host and caused sword to smite them, till they slew of them
twenty thousand or more. Then the fugitives crowded together
in the city-gate and they killed of them much people ; and
they could not avail to shut the gate. So the Arabs and the
Persians entered with them, fighting, and Sa'adan, snatching
a mace from one of the slain, wielded it In the enemy's face
and gained the city race-course. Thence he fought his way
through the foe and broke into the King's palace, where he
met with Jamak and so smote him with the mace, that he
toppled senseless to the ground. Then he fell upon those who
were in the palace and pounded them into pieces, till all that
were left cried out, " Quarter ! Quarter ! " and Sa'adan said to
them, "Pinion your King." And Shahrazad saw the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.
END OF VOL. VI.
INDEX.
A'amash (Al-) =one with watering
eyes 96
Abd al-Ahad = slave of the One
(God) 221
Abd al-Rahim = slave of the Com-
passionate . . . . .211
Abd al-Salam (Pr. N.) = slave of
salvation 211
Abd al-Saniad=: slave of the Eternal 221
Abd al-Samad al-Samudi (for Saman-
hiidi?) 87
Abraham the friend = mediaeval ** St.
Abraham" 270
Abtan (AI-) = the most profound
{see Batim) . . . .221
Abu Karn = Father of the Horn
(unicorn?) 21
Abu Hosayn = Father of the Forllet
(fox) . . . . . .211
Abyssinians (hardly to be called
blackamoors) .... 63
Acquit me of responsibility (formula
of dismissing a servant) . . 243
Adam's Peak (Ar. Jabal al-Ramun) . 65
Adites (first and second) . . . 269
Ad nan (land of) =: Arabia . . .94
Ahwaz (city and province of Khu-
zistan) 287
Ahl al-Bait = the person of the house
(euphemistically for wife) . •199
Ajlb (Pr. N.) = wonderful . . 257
Akh = brother (wide signification of
the word) 243
Albatross (supposed never to touch
Jand) 33
Alcinous (of the Arabian Odyssy) . 65
Allah (be praised whatso be our case) 3
("the Manifest Truth ") . . 93
is omniscient, (formula used
when telling an improbable tale) . 2ia
(the Opener) .... 216!
(it is fie who gives by our
means) 233
— — (sight comprehendeth Him not) 283
Almenichiaka 124
Almond-Apricot .... 277
Amalekites .... 264 ; 265
Amid (Amidah), town in Mesopo-
tamia 106
Anbar (Ambar) = ambergris . . 60
Andalusian == Spanish (t.e, of Van-
dal-land) ..... lOI
Angels (ride piebalds) . . . 146
Antar and the Chosroe . . . 285
(contest with Khosrewan) . 289
Apodosis omitted . . . 203 ; 239
Apes (isle of) 23
— — (and their lustful propensities) . 54
(gathering fruits) ... 56
Arab (style compared with Persian) . 125
Arar z= Juniper .... 95
Aristomenes and his fox . . . 45
Arubah (A1-) =: Friday . ... 190
Armenians (porteis of Constanti-
nople). ..... I
Asaf bin Barkhiya (Solomon's Wazir) 99
298
Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Ashib al-Riy (epitliet of the Hanafl
school) 146
Asoka's wife and Kundla . . . 127
Ashjdr = door-posts or wooden bolts 191
Aurat = shame, nakedness (woman,
wife) ...... 30
(of man and woman) . .118
Aydt al-Najdt = Verses of Safety . 108
BAb al-Nasr = Gate of Victory (at
Cairo) ....
Bandukaniyah (quarter of Cairo)
Banu Abbis (their colours black)
Kaht^n ....
Nabhin ....
Umayyah (their colours, white^
Banyan = Ficus Indica .
Barge (Ar. BArijah) .
Barijah (pl.bawarij) = Jarm, barge
Batdikh (Batalikh) = water-melons)
Bath (suggesting freshness from co
ition) .....
— — and privy favourite haunts of
thejinns ....
■ (not to be entered by men
without drawers)
Bathsheba and Uriah, and their con
geners ....
Batini = a gnostic, a reprobate
BawwAb =z door-keeper .
Beckoning (Eastern fashion of, the re
verse of ours)
Benches (in olden Europe more usual
than chairs)
Berbers from the Upper Nile (th(
•' Paddies " of Egypt)
BilAd al-P"ilfil = home of peppe
(Malabar) ....
Birds (sing only in the pairing season)
(huge ones discovered on the
African coast)
— — (left to watch over wives)
(pretended understanding of
their language) .
Birkat = tank, pool, etc.
Biunes, bisexuals and women robed
with the sun
Black (colour of the Abhasidcs)
Box-trick (and Lord Byron)
Brass (Ar., NUhas asfar) .
Breath (of crocodiles, serpents, etc.}
234
254
86
260
262
86
81
24
ib.
208
141
150
129
221
189
109
26
189
3S
«5
»7
132
169
57
168
86
168
83
29
Brides of the Treasure . . . 109
Brother (has a wide signification
amongst Moslems) . . . 243
Bukjah = bundle .... 226
Bulad (Pers. Pulad) = steel . , 11$
Burka' =: face-veil) . . .131; 192
Cairene vulgarism . . . 278
Camel (seen in a dream is an omen
of death ; why ?) . . .92
Camphor (primitive way of extracting
it) 21
Camphor-apricot . . . .277
Cannibals and cannibalism . . 36
Ceruse (Ar. Isfldaj) . . .126
Ceylon (Ar. Sarandib) . . 64; 81
City of Brass 83
Cocoa-nut (Ar. Jauz al- Hindi) . 55
Colossochelys = colossal tortoise . 33
Colours (of the Caliphs) ... 86
(names of) . . . .ill
Commander of the Faithful (title in-
troduced by Omar) . . .247
Comorin (derivation of the name) . 57
"Consecrated ground" (unknown to
Moslems) ..... 161
Cousin (first, affronts an Arab if she
marries any save him without his
leave) ..... 14c
Created for a mighty matter {i.e. for
worship and to prepare for futurity) 91
Crocodiles (breath of) . . .29
Crow (an ill-omened bird) . .170
Dabbus = mace .... 249
Ddhish (A1-) = the Ama/.ed . . 96
Dajjal (A1-) = Moslem Anti Christ . 1 1
Darakah = target .... 9
Datura Stramonium (the insane herb) 36
•' Daughters of God " (the three) . 282
David (hauberks of his make) . 113
Death (manners of, symbolised by
colours) . . . . -2^0
Dcath-praycr (usually a two-bow
prayer) 70
Delight of the Intelligent, etc. (fancy
title of a book) . . . . Sn
Despotism (tempered by assassination) 206
Dhaiiii =: the Trenchant (sword of
Antar) 271
Diamonds (occurring in alluvial lands) 18
Index,
299
Dihli'z = passage . . . . 10
Do not to others what thou wouldest
not they do unto thee . . .125
Door-keepers ( in Egypt mostly
Berbers) 189
Drinking bouts (attended in bright
dresses) . . . . • ^75
Eli-iptical expression . . . 288
Emerald (mace-head of) . . • 67
■ — (rods in lattice-windows) . I17
*' Enfants Terribles " in Eastern guise 211
Envying another's wealth wrongs him 77
Euphemisms . . . • 75 ; '45
Evil (befalling thee is from thyselQ • 138
Family (euphemistically for wife) . 75
Fas = city of Fez .... 22a
Farikin for Mayyafarikin (city in
Diyar-bakr) .... 107
Farz ^ obligatory prayer . • 1 93
Fatihah (repeated to confirm an agree-
ment) 217
Fatimah (Pr. N. = the weaner) . 145
Fatimite (Caliphs, their colours green) 86
Fausta and Crispus .... 127
Fire (there is no blower of = utter
desolation) . . , . '15
(forbidden as punishment) . 26
■ (none might warm himself at
their) 261
Fish (-islands) .... 6
(the ass-headed) • • • 33
— — (great=Hut,commonr=Samak) 69
Flea (still an Egyptian plagu^ . . 205
Food-tray of Sulayraan ... 80
Fox (Ar. Abu Hosayn, Sa'lab). . 211
Fruit of two kinds .... 277
Fulk = boat 62
Fustit = Old Cairo ... 87
Galactophagi (use milk always in
the soured form) . . . 201
Gems and their mines . . .18
Ghaza-wood = yellow-flowered
Artemisia ..... 192
Ghiil =: ogre, cannibal ... 36
*' Greatness belongeth to God alone '*
(used elliptically) . . . 288
Green (colour of the Fatimite Caliphs) 86
Grimm's " Household Tales " quoted 230
HAfiz (f. Hafizah) = I, traditionist ;
2, one who can recite the Koran
by rote I95
Halib = fresh milk .... 201
Haurani towns (weird aspect oQ . 102
(their survival ac-
counted for by some protracted
drought) 116
Heart-ache (for stomach-ache) . .194
Herb (the insane) .... 36
Hippopotamus • • • • 33
House-breaking (four modes of) . 247
Hut ■=. great fish .... 69
ICHTHYOLOGiCAL marvels . . 33
'Iddah (of widowhood) • . . 256
Imlik (great-grandson of Shem) . 264
Inconsequence (characteristic of the
Eastern Saga) . . . .61
(of writer of The
Nights) 205
Insula (for Peninsula) ... 57
Inverted speech .... 262
Irak, etc., used always with the
article ..... 291
Isbanfr = Ctesiphon (?) . . . 279
Isfidaj =: ceruse . . . .126
Isharah = signing, beckoning . . 109
Izar = waist cloth .... 50
Jabal al-Ramun = Adam's Peak 65
Jarm (Ar. Barijah) .... 24
Jauz al- Hindi = cocoa-nut . . 55
Javelines ..... 263
Jawab-clnb ..... 262
Joseph and Potiphar's wife . . 127
Jiidar (Classical Arab name) . . 2:3
(and his brethren, version of a
Gotha MS.) . . . .257
Judariyah (quarter of Cairo) . . 254
Jum' ah =: assembly (Friday) . 120; 190
Jumblat (for Jan-pulad, Life o* Steel,
Pr. N.) 115
Justice (poetical in the Nights) . 255
Kabab (mutton or lamb grilled in
small squares) . . • • 225
Kahraman (Persian hero) . • -257
Kahtan (sons of) ... . 260
300
A If Laylah wa Laylah.
Kala (bland) ....
Kalam-din •=. reed -box (ink- case) .
Kaniin == furnace, brazier
Kaum ^ razzia ; tribe
Karawin = Charadrius cedicnemus
Karkadan, etc. = rhinoceros .
Karkar (Career ?), Sea of Al- .
Kanin (lake) ....
Kashmir people (have a bad name ii
Eastern tales) ^ .
Kassar' Allah Khayrak = Allah in
crease thy weal
Kazdir =: tin .
Kasr = jjalace, one's house
Kawwas = archer, Janissary .
Kazi of the army (the great legal
authority of a country)
Khaliyah =: bee-hive ; empty .
Kbawi (skin of) . . .
Khurj (A1-) = saddle-bag (las Al
forjas) ....
Khwajah (Ilowajee) ^schoolmaster,
man of letters, etc. .
Khwarazm = land of the Chorasmioi
Killed (once more := Hibemice kilt)
Kina' ^ veil ....
Kingfisher (Lucian's)
Kintar ■:=. a hundred weight (quintal)
Kitfir (Itfir) = Poliphar .
Kizan fukka'a =r jars for fukka'a (a
kind of l)eer)
Koran quoted (xxiv. 39) .
(lii. 21) . . .
(ix. 51 ; xiv. 15) .
(xxxviii. 11)
(iv.8,) . . .
iv. 78 ; xli 28) .
ix. 51) ...
(.ii. 17) ...
(xiii. 3) • • •
(vi. 103)
Kulayb (and his domain)
Kuta'ah ^ a bit cut off, etc. .
47
167
5
266
I
21
lOI
217
156
233
39
240
241
•31
246
66
224
46
i'3
171
192
49
94
172
93
95
loS
"5
'38
144
191
270
277
282
261
272
La'an = curse . . . . 17S
Laban = milk artificially soured . 201
Laban-halib =: fresh milk . . ib
Ladies of the family (waiting upon
the guests) ..... 237
Lake Karun . . . . .217
Lane quoted i ; 8 ; 1 1 ; 33 ; 61 i 66 ; 80 ;
191; 196; 214; 216; 247; 257; 282
Lasting Calamity =: a furious knight 290
Laylat al-Kadr ■=. Night of power . 180
Leaving one standing (pour se faire
valoir) 252
Lif= fibre of palm -fronds . . 50
Litholatry of the old Arabs . . 269
Living (the, who dieth not) . . 67
Mace (Ar. Dabbus)
Maghanbah (pi. of Maghribi) =
Western man. Moor, " Maurus "
Mahardj = great Rajah . . i
Maid and Magpie ....
Mai -=. Badawi money, flocks, " fee "
Mankind (creates its analogues in
all the elements)
Mann = from two to six ]X)unds
Mares (impregnated by the wind)
Mark lib = shoe
Marmar = marble, alabaster .
Maslabah =: bench of masonry
Maund, su Mann .
Mihraj = Mahiraj q. v. .
Miknas r= town Mequinez
Miknasah ^ broom .
Milk (Ar. Laban, Hallb).
(by nomades always used in the
soured form)
Million (no Arabic word for, ex
pressed by a thousand thousand)
" Mis "-conformation (prized by
women) ....
Moses (describes his own death an
burial) ....
Moslem (kind feeling shown to
namesake) ....
(corpses should be burnt
under certain circumstances)
(commonplaces of condo
Icncc) ....
(sales, formula of)
(consecrated ground unknown
to them) ....
(a free-bom's sale is felony)
Mother (waiting upon the adult sons)
Mrigatrishna = the thirst of the deer
(mirage)
Mufti (Doctor of Law) . . ,
249
220
; 67
182
267
121
80
9
207
95
26
80
67
223
158
201
ib.
98
156
116
'3
26
41
73
i6r
240
237
93
254
Index.
301
Muhammad, Ahmad and Mahmiid
Murahanah = game of forfeits
Murders (to save one's life approved
of)
Musa bin Nusayr (conqueror of
Spain) ....
Musdfahat = joining palms for shak
ing hands ....
273
204
44
86
287
Na'al =: sandal, shoe, horse-sboe . 207
Nabhan (sons of ) . . . . 262
Nabigah al-Zubyani (pre-Islamitic
poet) 85
Nahr = river 163
Najasah = nastiness (anything un
clean) 178
Nakedness (Ar. Aurat) ... 30
Nakus =: wooden gong (used as bell) 47
Neighbours (frequently on the worst
of terms) 236
" New Arabian Nights " . . . 257
Nuhas (vulg, Nihas, Nahas) asfar =
brass 83
Nusf = half-dirham . . . 214
Opener (of the door of daily bread) 216
Ophidia (of monstrous size) . . 29
Palace (of the Caliphs of Baghdad)
Palaces (avoided by the pious) .
Partridges (story of the two)
Pausing as long as Allah pleased =
musing a long time
Pearl-fisheries
Pepper (and the discovery of the
Cape route) .
■ (-plantations shaded by
bananas ....
Phsedra and Hippolytus .
Philosophic (used in a bad sense)
Pidar sokhtah = (son of a) burnt
father (Persian insult) . .
Pilgrimage quoted (i. 297)
(i. 180) ....
(i. 349 ; iii. 73) .
■ (ii. 116; iii. 190) .
(i- 370)
(i. 298) . .
(ii. 332)
Poetical justice (administered with
vigour in The Nights) .
189
182
183
109
60
38
57
127
257
26
57
6j
263
264
276
277
2S7
25
Poison (deadly only in contact with
abraded skin) » . . . 202
Polyphemus (in Arab garb) . . 24
(no Mistress P. accepted) 27
Precautions (thwarted by Fate and
Fortune) 167
Predestination (not Providence, a
Moslem belief) .... 202
Prisons (Moslem) .... 244
Privy and bath favourite haunts of
the Jinns 141
Property (left by will) . . .213
Prophets (and their agnomina) . 270
Prostration (must be made to Allah
only) ...... 136
Prothesis without apodosis (a favourite
style in Arabic) . . . 203, 239
Punctilios of the Desert . . . 264
Quarter (son of the == neighbour) 236
Ra'ad AL-KAsif (Pr. N. = the loud-
pealing Thunder) . . .221
Rafw = artistic style of darning . 198
Rahmah (Pr. N. = the puritanical
"Mercy") .... 226
Rais =: captain, master (not owner)
of a ship ..... 12
Rape (rendered excusable by wilful-
ness) 187
Ray = rede ("private judgment") . 146
Rayi =: rationalist .... ib.
Red habit (sign of wrath) , . . 250
Refusal of a demand in marriage a
sore insult ..... 262
Relations between Badawi tribes . 267
Retorts (of a sharp Fellah) . . 232
Ring (in memoriam) . . . 199
(lost in the Harim raises jealous
suspicion) ..... 200
Rivers (underground) ... 63
Robe (the hidden, story of) . . 188
Ruby (of exceptional size) . . 66
Rustak (A1-), city of Oman . . 289
Rukh (the world-wide Wundervogel) 16
(study of, by Prof. Bianconi) . 49
Sa'a (measure of corn, etc.) .
Sabbahak' Allah bi '1 Khair = Allah
give thee good morning
203
196
302
Alf Laylah wa Laylah.
Sabiir = Sapor II. .
Safe-guard (I am in thy = I appeal
to thy honour) . . .
Sahm-hu = bis shaft
Sahim al-Layl (Pr. N. = he who
shooteth an arrow by night .
Sail = torrent
Sa'ikah = thunderbolt
Sailor (Ar. equivalents for)
Sais = groom, horsckeeper (Syce)
Sajjadah = prayer-rug
Saksar (Pers. Sag-sar = dogs' heads^
Sa'lab = fox ....
Salahitah (A1-), island
Salamat = Welcome !
Sales (formula of) . .
Samak =: common fish .
Samiim ^ poisonous wind (Simoon
Sandal (Ar. Na'al) .
Sarab = mirage
Sarandib = Selan-dwipa (Ceylon)
Sasa bin Shays
Satan (his malice weak in comparison
with that of women) .
Sea of Al-Karkar .
Sea-stallion (myth of the)
Serpent (breaks the bones of its
devoured prey by winding round
a tree or rock) . .
■ (preserving from sickness)
(in Ar. mostly feminine)
274
158
100
261
164
271
242
9
193
37
211
30
232
73
69
88
207
93
64
274
144
lOI
9
29
66
75
10
221
Shakiriyah = Kshatriya caste .
Shamardal (AI-) = the Tall One
Shams al-Daulah (imaginary king of
Egypt) ....
Shaykh al-Bahr = the Chief of the
Sea (-coast) . . . 51, 53
Shaykh of the thieves (one of the
worthies of a Moslem capital)
Shays = Ab Seth ....
Shoe (Ar. Markub, Na'al)
Shrouds (carried by the pilgrims to
Meccah) .....
Sight comprchendeth Him not, etc. .
Signs of Allah = Koranic vcrsets .
Simoon (.-Vr. Samum = poisonous
wind) ......
Sindbad (not to be confounded with
theeponym of thcSindibad-namah) 4
Sindibad the Sage .... 124
Sindibad-namah (.Persian romance) . 122
241
204
2S3
207
61
2S2
144
88
Sindibad-namah (quoted) 129 ; 132 ; 134 ;
139 ; 143 ; 145 ; 150 ; »52 ; 169 ; 180 ;
183; 188 ; 202.
Sfrah (small fish, fry, sprat) • « 3l6
Siyaghosh, see Tufah.
Sold to thee for monies received
(formula of Moslem sales) . . 73
Solomon (his food-tray) ... 80
(his seal-ring) ... 84
(the Apostle of Allah) . . 99
(his Wazir Asaf) . . . ih.
(his trick upon Bilkis) . • I'S
Spears and javelins .... 263
Stallion (I am not one to be struck on
the nose) ..... 262
Steel (Ar. Bulad) . . . .115
Stirrup (walking by the) . . . 234
Stones (precious, and their mines) . 18
(removed from the path by
the pious) 190
Suez (Ar. Al-Suways) . . .80.
Suways (-Al-) = Suez . . . ib.
Swimming (studied in Baghdad) . 134
Sword (the enchanted) . . . 230
Tadmurah (founds Tadmur or
Palmyra) 116
Talking birds (watching over wives) . 132
Tanjah •=. Tangiers .... iu6
Target (Ar. darakah) ... 9
Ta'rfsak = thy going between
(pimping) 196
Tasmeh-pa =^ strap-legs . . -51
Tawaf (circuit of the Ka'abah). . 242
Thousand thousand = a million . 98
Three things are better than other
three ...... 5
" Throwing the handkerchief " . 2S5
Tin (.\r. Kazdir) .... 39
Tingis = Tanjah (Tangiers) . . ic6
Torrents (Ar. Sail) a dangerous fea-
ture in Arabia .... 164
Tortoise (the colossal) ' • • Zli
Toujours perdrix . . . .130
Traveller (a model one tells the truth
when an untruth would not serve
him) 7
Tribes (relations between) . . 267
Tufah = fclis caracal, lynx . . 260
Tusks (not teeth) .... 82
Index.
303
Tyrant (from — , to tyrant = from
official to official) . . .214
UjB = arrogance (in the Spanish
sense of gaiety, etc.) . . . 164
Ulysses (the Arabian) ... 40
Unhappy thou ! . . . . 285
Underground rivers .... 63
Upakosha (Vararuchi's wife) . .172
Usirat (A1-), island .... 57
Vengeance (of a disappointed suitor
apprehended) .... 286
Vivisepulture 41
Wa'ar = rough ground unfit for
riding 140
Wadd, Suwa'a and Yaghus . . 282
Wady al-Ward (the Vale of Roses) . 276
Walimah ^ marriage-feast . . 74
"Walking afoot (not dignified) . . 227
Wanderer in the mountains = a re-
cluse avoiding society . . . J58
Wars (caused by trifles frequent in
Arab history) .... 142
Wasm ^ tribal sign. . . .163
Water-melons (eaten with rice and
meat) 208
Week-days (old names for) . .190
Whale (still common off the East
African coast) . . . .11
White (colour of the Ommiades) . 86
robes denote grace and
mercy i. . . , . 250
Wife (Aurat) 30
(called " Family ") . . . 75
Will he not care ? = he shall answer
for this ..... 245
Windows (looking out of, a favourite
occupation in the East and South) 167
Wishes (tale of the three) .
Witches (and their vehicles)
Witness (bear — , against me, i.e.
case of my denial)
Wives (and their suitors) .
Woman (in Hindostani jargon r=
aurat) ....
— — — (her shame extends from
head to toes)
(their cunning and malice)
(corrupts woman more than
men do) ....
(knowing enough without
learning to read and write) .
(of Kashmir)
(her female visitors unknown
to the husband, except by hear
say)
(words used only by them
not by men)
180
158
286
172
30
118
144
152
16S
156
199
233
Ya'arub (eponymus of an Oman
tribe) 260
Ya miskin = O poor devil . . 219
Yauh ! Yauh ! = Alas . . . 235
Yaum mubarak = a blessed day . 215
Zabbat = lizard ; bolt . . . 247
Zughzaghan (Abu Massah := Father
of the Sweeper) ^ magpie. . 182
Zahra = the flowery . . . 145
Zahwah =: mid-time between sun-
rise and noon • . • • 35
Zalamah (A1-) = " tyranny " . 214
Zanj = Zang-bar (Black-land, Zanzi-
bar) 104
Zawiyah ^ oratory . . . 259
Zu al-Autad = the contriver of the
stakes (Pharaoh) • . . llS
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