Seeing Dukhan there, Zulmat realized that his secret had been exposed. He knew that Dukhan would make his report to Afrasiyab, who would punish him for his devious act. Deciding that he must kill the intruder and ravish the princess afterwards by force, Zulmat recited an incantation on a steel magic ball and hurled it at Dukhan. The ball exploded in smoke, which enveloped the whole garden in darkness.
Dukhan pulled a waterskin from his sack, poured out some water and recited a spell over it before throwing it upwards into the darkness. That darkness condensed into smoke and gathered in one corner of the garden. Dukhan splashed water on Zulmat and its drops turned into fire sparks, setting fire to Zulmat’s body. Engulfed in flames, he burned to a cinder. The garden boomed with horrible sounds and great pandemonium broke out. The calamity was dispelled after some time and a voice proclaimed, “I was killed. Zulmat Pitch-Face was my name.”
After killing Zulmat, Dukhan approached the princess. He found her very presence lit up with the flame of her beauty. Infatuated with the princess’s charm, Dukhan, too, fell prey to evil temptation and humbly said to her, “O Princess of beauties, if you agree to lie with me, my head will forever remain bowed in obedience to your pleasure. I will intercede with the emperor and have your offence forgiven. I am, after all, one of the emperor’s confidants, not some ordinary sorcerer.”
When the princess heard the wretch speak these words she said, “O Dukhan, you remind me of the man who rescued a lamb from the wolf only to slaughter and eat it himself. Drive any idle thoughts from your mind. If you try to molest me I will kill myself.”
Dukhan realized that the princess was enamored of Prince Asad and would not grant his wish. He recited a spell that made Princess Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe fall in love with him.
Immediately Princess Mahjabeen declared, “I have no objection to what you propose.”
The sorcerer realized that he must leave the house where he had entered and murdered the owner. If one of Zulmat’s heirs or Afrasiyab’s officials arrived, it would cause him endless trouble. He would lose the princess as well as his life. Dukhan walked out of the garden. The princess, caught in his spell, followed him. They left the garden and headed for Dukhan’s house in the wilderness.
In the meanwhile, Prince Asad returned after hunting the deer and did not find the princess where he had left her. He went in search of her and saw Dukhan with the princess, who followed the sorcerer at a quick pace, as if spellbound.
Prince Asad shot an arrow at Dukhan, which took him unawares. The arrow pierced the sorcerer’s chest and broke his back. Dukhan rolled down dead. A great din and clamour arose. Asad approached the princess, who had returned to her senses upon the sorcerer’s death. With tears coursing from her eyes, she embraced Asad and told him all that had happened.
Asad took the princess to a mountain pass, untied his mantle and spread it on the ground. He gathered wood from the wilderness floor and lit a bonfire by striking his sword against a stone. He roasted and ate the deer with the princess, fetched water from the nearby spring, which they drank, and offered thanks to God.
They had hardly settled down when a lightning bolt flashed, a blast of thunder sounded, and the third sorcerer whom Afrasiyab had dispatched, the pitch-faced and black-hearted Shola the Blaze arrived. He challenged Asad and Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe with the cry, “I am Shola the Blaze. Now you have no means of escape!” Prince Asad grabbed the hilt of his sword and rushed forward to answer the challenge.
Shola read an incantation and struck his hands together and Asad sank waist deep into the ground. In the meanwhile, Dil Aaram returned from her search for Prince Asad. Witnessing the sorcerer, she hurled a brass-plated magic coconut at the sorcerer. Shola the Blaze uttered an incantation that counteracted Dil Aaram’s magic. He turned into a flame that wrapped itself around Asad, Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe and Dil Aaram, and flew away with them.
But on the way to Afrasiyab’s court, it occurred to Shola the Blaze that an aider of Asad or Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe might intercept him and snatch away his prisoners. He decided it would be best to kill them instantly and take their heads to Afrasiyab to receive land and riches in reward. With that in mind, he descended and prepared to execute his plan.
Princess Mahjabeen Diamond-Robe cried out, “O shameless tyrant, first behead me so that I am saved the sight of my lover lying covered in blood and dust.”
As Shola stepped forward to behead the princess, Prince Asad called out to him, “O eunuch, kill me first. No man must see his woman killed before his eyes and be breathing still.”
As Shola now turned back toward the prince, Dil Aaram cried out, “O founder of tyranny, how is it possible that a slave should live while his masters are murdered? Put an end to my life before you kill either of them!”
Confused by their protestations, Shola wondered whom to kill first. In the meanwhile, Asad turned his heart to thoughts of God and, with great fervor, importuned the Aider of the Weak, praying, “O my Lord, save us from the evil of this despot and cause this infidel to be dispatched to hell.”
No sooner had the prince finished praying than the fathomless sea of God’s mercy began to swell and surge and the hand of fate sent a demon against that tyrant.
It so happened that Amir Hamza’s wife and the empress of Mount Qaf, Aasman Peri, had dispatched a demon to bring her the news of Amir Hamza’s welfare, as was her custom. The demon was headed toward Amir Hamza’s camp when his ear was attracted by grief-stricken voices rising from the ground. Looking down, he recognized Asad and regarded a sorcerer on the verge of killing the prince.
The demon immediately caught Shola the Blaze in his grasp. Twisting and breaking Shola’s body and limbs, he made a morsel of the sorcerer and swallowed him whole. But the moment he ate the sorcerer, the demon felt his breath being driven out of him. He began running around in panic and wondered what had he eaten that created such tumult in his belly. He found peace only when the clamour rising after Shola’s death had subsided.
Prince Asad was released from captivity. The demon saluted him and inquired about his welfare. When Asad asked who he was, the demon replied, “Your grandmother Aasman Peri dispatched me to inquire about Amir Hamza’s welfare. I am now headed to his camp.” Asad said to him, “Pay my respects to grandfather Hamza and also convey my regards to all the commanders of the camp.” Asad then gave the demon an account of all that had passed with him and asked him to report it to Amir Hamza as well.
Prince Asad then said, “You did wrong in killing that sorcerer. Had we desired, we could have set the demons of Qaf to eliminate the entire nation of sorcerers. But it is against the code of chivalry to set demons against men. What humans can achieve with their power must not be delegated to other creatures. It is cowardice to seek the help of jinns and demons in the battlefield. If God had willed me to live, he would have created some other cause to save my life. If the sorcerers have recourse to magic, we have recourse to tricksters who can kill by deceit. It is justified to pay out the wages of sorcery in the coin of deception since warfare is based on subterfuge, and neither God nor his prophet prohibited using artifice on the battlefield. You may depart now, but never again commit such an error.”
The demon saluted the prince and flew away. Asad led princess and Dil Aaram into a mountain pass where they hid.
In the meanwhile, both Afrasiyab and Princess Mahrukh Magic-Eye continued their search and dispatched sorcerers in every direction to find some trace of them.
OF THE ENTRANCE OF AMAR AYYAR INTO HOSHRUBA ALONG WITH HIS FOUR NOTORIOUS TRICKSTERS, OF THEIR KILLING SORCERERS AND FINDING PRINCE ASAD AND MAHJABEEN DIAMOND-ROBE, AND OF THEIR MEETING WITH MAHRUKH MAGIC-EYE
Those who are steeped in speech untainted by deception and ruse and create enticing discourses and conquer the secret tilisms with their magical narration and miraculous solutions, wager their heads without forethought in this manner in its treacherous paths. The matchless Amar Ayyar of brilliant tricks and marvellous devices and his four tricksters heade
d for Hoshruba from different directions. They entered it at different points and took separate paths through the wilderness to cross the tilism’s frontiers. But they kept abreast of each other’s situation. Disguised as sorcerers, they travelled its lands and saw lush forests, the River of Flowing Blood, mountaintops, and many other marvels of the tilism. They saw magicians’ houses everywhere. The sorcerers manning check posts played with their magic and caused showers of fire and stones to fall around. The tricksters witnessed these wonders and spectacles and kept moving onwards.
SORCERER MUQARNAS SILVER-BODY
Amar Ayyar arrived in a forest made of silver where, for miles on end, silver grew instead of grass. Amar said to himself, I wish I could stuff this whole forest into my zambil. Alas, I cannot. There is nothing I can do about it, and no way for me to uproot this whole jungle. Then it occurred to Amar to cut all the grass he could and carry it away in his zambil. He took out a scythe from the zambil and started cutting grass hurriedly. He kept looking around lest someone should catch him in the act.
After he had gathered a little grass, someone called out, “Here, O cunning thief! I was lying in wait for you and now I have caught you!” Saying to himself, What an accursed fate is mine! Amar looked up to see who addressed him. Coming toward him shouting curses, he saw Muqarnas Silver-Body, a sorcerer whose body and hair were made of silver. Black snakes coiled around his head and he carried a sorcerer’s contraptions.
Amar Ayyar ran at the sight of the sorcerer but Muqarnas recited a spell and struck his hands together. Amar’s feet suddenly became stuck to the ground and he was unable to move a single step. Muqarnas approached with a drawn sword and asked Amar, “Are you the trickster Amar whom Emperor Afrasiyab seeks? I had created this silver forest by magic to entrap you. Now that I have found you I will present your head at Afrasiyab’s court and receive my reward.” Amar answered, “I am only a poor, unfortunate grass-cutter, not the Amar you seek.” Muqarnas answered, “It’s futile to use your cunning on me. I know the truth about you. Emperor Afrasiyab forewarned me.”
While they were having this conversation, Qiran the Ethiope witnessed the whole scene from a lookout point and thought of a trick. Muqarnas was about to behead Amar when he heard someone call out, “Wait a moment, my brother!” Muqarnas turned and saw a sorcerer coming toward him wearing hoops in his ears, snakes around his neck, and wielding a trident. Muqarnas waited for him to approach. When the sorcerer came near, he said to Muqarnas, “Do not kill this thief until he has revealed where he hid my property. He took all my possessions and stole one of my two inestimable pearls.”
Qiran, who was disguised as the sorcerer, showed Muqarnas a pearl the size of an egg. Muqarnas immediately took a fancy to it and said, “O brother, you have a unique treasure here. Let me have a good look at it. And do tell me where you found it.” The false sorcerer answered, “I live on Mount Pearl where these pearls grow from the ground by the miracle of Lord Sameri. I selected two pearls from among them. I carry this with me now and the other this thief took.” The sorcerer then handed the pearl to Muqarnas, who inspected it well from all angles and praised it a great deal. The false sorcerer said, “My brother, you must blow on it in order to witness its true radiance and see how it glows and shines.”
Muqarnas Silver-Body brought that egg close to his mouth and blew a warm breath onto it. Immediately the pearl opened and smoke shot out in puffs. It travelled into Muqarnas’s head by way of his open mouth and nose. Muqarnas swooned and fell to the ground. The false sorcerer, who had given him the pearl, shouted the war cry,
“I am swift as the gale of spring
The consummate master of dagger-throwing
A fire-breathing dragon in the battlefield
A ferocious lion, Qiran the Ethiope of name,”
and struck Muqarnas with his cleaver, smashing his skull.
A great commotion took place. The whole forest was wiped out of existence and a landscape of horrible desolation materialized in its place. Amar Ayyar found himself released from captivity. He embraced Qiran and praised his trickery. Qiran said, “What you saw is only the result of your training. Now tell me what you propose to do and where you plan to head.” Amar answered, “We will be well-advised to travel separately. Go your way while I go mine. May God protect you.”
Qiran saluted Amar Ayyar and left.
SORCERER MAHTAB MOON-MAKER
The magic birds carried the news of Muqarnas’s death to Afrasiyab. The emperor immediately struck his hands together and a magic slave of steel sprang from the ground. Afrasiyab said to the magic slave, “Take my note to the sorcerer Mahtab Moon-Maker, who lives in the Flashing Wilderness.”
The magic slave departed and Afrasiyab ordered the sorcerers of Muqarnas’s family to perform his last rites and search for the murderers. After disposing of Muqarnas’s corpse, they too started searching for the tricksters.
Meanwhile, the magic slave brought Afrasiyab’s note to the Flashing Wilderness and gave it to Mahtab Moon-Maker. He read Afrasiyab’s note in which the emperor had written:
“O Mahtab, Amar and four other tricksters have entered your forest after killing Muqarnas. Arrest them and do not be neglectful.”
The magic slave departed after delivering the message.
Mahtab Moon-Maker conjured a house by magic in the middle of the forest and decorated it most lavishly with no convenience or luxury left wanting. A golden bed was laid out and a luxurious carpet spread on the floor. After deputing a few magicians on guard duty outside the house, Mahtab Moon-Maker cut the shape of the moon out of paper and pasted that paper moon on the door of his house. He recited a spell and it became bright and luminous like the full moon. Afterwards, Mahtab Moon-Maker sat drinking wine inside the house.
Suddenly, it occurred to Mahtab that he would have difficulty identifying the tricksters because they always struck in disguise. He decided to create a spell by which the tricksters would be recognized no matter what disguise they wore. Mahtab Moon-Maker cut out the shapes of sparrows from paper and recited a spell that made them come alive. They flew away and perched on the ledge of the roof. Mahtab implanted them with magic so that whenever Amar or any other trickster entered the house, one of the sparrows would fly to the ground, call out his name and burn up. After making these arrangements Mahtab Moon-Maker settled down, his mind finally at peace.
In the meanwhile, Amar Ayyar and the other tricksters crossed the desolation where Muqarnas lived and entered the Flashing Wilderness. From far away Amar Ayyar beheld a house in the middle of the forest lit up by a bright object that resembled the real moon, except it appeared even brighter and more luminous. He saw magicians sitting outside the door, fires burning under cauldrons and food being cooked. The magicians chanted and played tambourines in Sameri’s honor. Regarding this sight, Amar said to himself, These strumpets’ sons are enjoying themselves. I must kill them and clean the forest of their vile presence.
Amar disguised himself as a sorcerer and headed toward them. When he arrived at the house he praised the chanting of the magicians. They asked his name and where he lived. Amar answered, “I am called Nay Navaz the Flutist and I reside on Mount Calmuck.” The magicians invited him to join their company and sing for them. The false sorcerer sat down and started singing in a captivating voice, which reached Mahtab Moon-Maker’s ears and made him restless. He stuck his head out of the door of his room and asked the magicians to bring the man inside. The magicians led Amar indoors.
The moment Amar set foot inside the house a sparrow flew down from the ledge, called out “Amar comes!” and burned up.
When Amar heard the sparrow announce his name, he immediately put on his cape of invisibility. When Mahtab saw the singer disappear, he said to the magicians, “He was not a singer but Amar Ayyar. He hid himself when the sparrow revealed his identity. Go back to your duties now and stay very alert.”
The magicians marvelled at these events. They went outside to confer and decided that they would now arrest an
y stranger who arrived there.
Amar Ayyar learned all the particulars of their arrangements and while the sorcerers returned to their duties, he went deep into the wilderness and blew his trickster’s whistle. Trickster Burq the Frank heard his whistle and presented himself.
Burq said, “What is the matter, O master!” Amar said to him, “Dear boy, it is my wish that you disguise yourself as me, and head for that house where the magicians are gathered and magic sparrows announce people’s names. The magicians will arrest you thinking that you are Amar, and feel satisfied on that account. Then I will arrive, perform my trickery and secure your release.”
Burq said, “Very well.” He immediately disguised himself as Amar and headed for Mahtab’s house.
As the false Amar approached the magicians, they set upon him the moment they saw him. As he was being taken prisoner, the noise reached Mahtab Moon-Maker. He asked the magicians whom they had captured. They replied, “It is up to you to identify him now. We are certain for our part that it is Amar Ayyar.” Mahtab Moon-Maker said, “Bring him here so that I may identify him.” The magicians brought the false Amar forward. When he set foot inside, the magic sparrow flew down from the ledge, called out, “Burq comes!” and was burned up.
Mahtab Moon-Maker said to him, “Tell me O trickster if your name is Burq.” The false Amar answered, “No, my name is Amar.” Mahtab Moon-Maker said, “My magic sparrow does not lie.” The false Amar replied, “If my name was Burq why would I have called trouble down on my head by claiming I was Amar? Do I not know that Hoshruba is full of Amar’s enemies? However, if you do not wish to believe me I am not in the least troubled.” Mahtab Moon-Maker said to himself, He must be speaking the truth because if a criminal like him had a chance to hide his identity he would have certainly availed himself of it, and not invited trouble by making a false claim. Mahtab Moon-Maker asked the false Amar, “I believe you, O Amar, but why did you not conceal your identity from me? Why didn’t you claim you were Burq?” The false Amar replied, “My claim would have been futile. You could have easily discovered the truth as you have recourse to all kinds of magic.” Mahtab Moon-Maker said, “You speak true but since the magic sparrow announced you as Burq, is it possible that you are known by that name, too?” The false Amar answered, “My real name is indeed Burq, but everyone calls me Amar.” Mahtab Moon-Maker said, “Didn’t I tell you that my magic does not lie! Now I know that both you and my magic were right. However, I must put you through another test and see if your face corresponds to the portrait the emperor sent to help me identify Amar.”
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