The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night

Chapter 184

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 off 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 rave"; 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 enchanter, Al-Shamardal, lying upon a couch of gold, with something at his head round and shining like the moon, which is the celestial planisphere. He is baldrick"d with the sword[FN#278]; 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 the 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," 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 funding which he forgot not in all his days; after which they thrust him forth and threw him down without the treasure and the h.o.a.rd doors closed of themselves, whilst the waters of the river returned to their bed.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Fifteenth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the servants of the treasure beat Judar and cast him out and the h.o.a.rd 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 befell 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 funding me with a belabouring which was a Sister of Death, thrust me forth; nor do I know what befell 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 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."[FN#279] 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 semblance, 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,[FN#280] 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 pa.s.sed 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 for him and the servants of the treasure cried out, saying, "Mayest thou be a.s.sained 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 h.o.a.rded talismans, and he took them and cried out to the slaves, who carried 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.[FN#281] 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 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,[FN#282] 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,[FN#283] 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 diners 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 befall thee, now I am come; so have no concern, for these saddle bags are full of gold and gems, and 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 cuc.u.mbers 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![FN#284] 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 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[FN#285] 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 tell 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 we 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 eat. 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 pa.s.sed by them, saying, "Take and eat,"

till nothing was left. Then they brought back the dishes and Judar said to his mother, "Put them in the saddle bags."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Sixteenth Night,

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."[FN#286] 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 Salim to Salim, "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 Salim, "By Allah, I know not: but knowest thou any who will tell us the truth of the case?" Quoth Salim, "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." Quoth she, "It cometh 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 Salim, "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 make shift to do this?" "We will sell him to the galleys." "How shall we do that?" "We two will go to the Rais, the Chief Captain of the Sea of Suez and bid him to an entertainment, 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, we 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 frowardness 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, we 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 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"[FN#287] * * * * * (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,[FN#288] 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 entertain them this night, for thy good is abundant, O my brother? Or if thou consent not, give me leave to take them into the neighbours"

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 Salim 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 saddlebags, 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 entertainment came from Salim. When a third part of the night was past, Judar set sweetmeats before them and Salim 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,[FN#289] under cover of the night,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Seventeenth Night,

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.[FN#290] 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 h.o.a.rds; 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 me, for since 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 Salim, 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 pa.s.sed the night, wrangling with each other. Now it chanced that a Janissary[FN#291] 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 pa.s.sed 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,[FN#292] and told him all he had heard, whereupon he sent for Judar"s brothers and put them to the question, till they confessed; and he took the two pairs of Saddle bags from them and clapped them in prison, appointing a sufficient 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 get ash.o.r.e 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.[FN#293] 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 accompanied 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 circ.u.mambulate the Ka"abah. As he was making the prescribed circuits,[FN#294] 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.

When it was the Six Hundred and Eighteenth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar, as he was making the circuits, suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad also circ.u.mambulating; 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 geomantic figure, which showed what had befallen Salim and Salim 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 accomplish thine 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."[FN#295] "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";[FN#296] 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 pilgrimage 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 him 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 himself, saying, "Adsum; ask and it shall be given to thee." Said Judar, "Carry me 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 gaol 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. .h.i.ther 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 Salim and Salim lay in piteous plight and sore sorrow for the plagues of prison,[FN#297] 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 presence." 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 me, because they cast him into the pit."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Nineteenth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Judar 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 befall 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 befall 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?"[FN#298] said Judar, and rubbed the ring, whereupon Al-Ra"ad appeared. When his brothers saw him, they were frighted 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 furniture: 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 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 pa.s.sing 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, s.n.a.t.c.hed 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 s.p.a.cious; so he lodged Salim and his slave girls in one part thereof and Salim 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 bee swarm fled, "twas clean unhived."[FN#299]

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-Daulah, said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful,[FN#300] 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?" 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 unpierced[FN#301] and the bolts[FN#302] 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.

When it was the Six Hundred and Twentieth Night,

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 saddlebags, 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 questioned 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 no answer, when in came the Janissary, who had denounced Salim and Salim, 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 Salim and Salim, returned and told the King, who said, "It is plain now who be the thief; he who took Salim and Salim out of prison it is who hath stolen my monies." Quoth 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 thee and make a show of love for him and ask him of his estate; after which we will see. If we 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 highs, 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 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, sprawling 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[FN#303] 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.

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-first Night,

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 funded, 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 in a chair of gold and he was pa.s.sing proud for, when he saw me approach, he stretched himself at full length albeit he had been sitting in his chair and entreated me contumeliously, neither offered to rise to me. So I began to speak to him and he answered without stirring, whereat wrath get hold of me and I drew the mace upon him, thinking to smite him. But he s.n.a.t.c.hed 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 pa.s.sed, 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,[FN#304] 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 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 att.i.tude, 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?" 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 salaam 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 Minister. 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 pa.s.sed 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, 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.

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-second Night,

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,[FN#305] 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 peradventure he will do me a mischief, because of that which I did with his brothers." Then said Judar, "O King of the age, it beseemeth 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 indulgence till he recited amongst other things this poetry,

"O thou of generous seed and true n.o.bility, * 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 familiarity waxed great between them, and they abode thus awhile, till one day the King, being alone with his Minister, said to him, "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 pa.s.s the night with him in one of thy saloons. Then bid thy daughter don her richest dress and ornaments and pa.s.s by the door of the saloon. When he seeth her, he will a.s.suredly 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 to thee to wife. When thou hast 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 pa.s.sion and pine were sore upon him; desire and transport get hold upon him and he turned pale. Quoth the Wazir, "May no harm befall 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 seeketh 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 accept my intercession, and what dowry soever thou askest he will give thee." 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.

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-third Night,

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 already 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.[FN#306] 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[FN#307] 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[FN#308] quarter.

Moreover, he made his brother Salim his Wazir of the right and his brother Salim 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 Salim, "O my brother, how long is this state to last? Shall we pa.s.s 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 Salim, "Thou art craftier than I; do thou devise, 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?" Salim answered, "I consent to this;" and they agreed to slay Judar their brother for love of the world and of dominion. 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.[FN#309]

Then Salim 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 Salim 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 Marid took Salim and slew him; then, carrying the two corpses forth, he cast them down before the chief officers of the army, who were sitting at table in the parlour of the house. When they saw Judar and Salim slain, they raised their hands from the food and fear get 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.

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty-fourth Night,

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 accomplished.[FN#310] Quoth he, "I know not days of widowhood nor aught else. As my head liveth, 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."

Accordingly, 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 pa.s.sed and saying to them, "Choose you out a King to rule over you." And this is all that hath come down to us of the Story of Judar and his Brethren.[FN#311] But I have also heard, O King, a tale called the

HISTORY OF GHARIB AND HIS BROTHER AJIB.[FN#312]

There was once in olden time a King of might, Kundamir highs, who had been a brave and doughty man of war, a Kahraman,[FN#313] in his day, but was grown pa.s.sing old and decrepit. Now it pleased Allah to vouchsafe him, in his extreme senility, a son, whom he named Ajib[FN#314]--the Wonderful--because of his beauty and loveliness; 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 resolute and his judgment mature; and he became learned, eloquent and philosophic[FN#315]; consorting with the wise and disputing with the 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 surpa.s.sed 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 hors.e.m.e.n and to make raids and razzias upon the neighbouring knights, cutting off caravans and carrying away the daughters of Kings and n.o.bles; wherefore many brought complaints against him to his father, who cried out to five of his slaves and when they came said, "Seize this dog!" 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 gainsayeth 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 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 wa
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