This meadow was near unto a city, in which was a King of great dignity; and it happened on that day that the King of the city went forth to hunt, and to divert himself, and, passing by that meadow, he saw the sage standing there, with the horse and the damsel by his side. And the sage was not aware of their approach when the servants of the King rushed upon him, and took him, together with the damsel and the horse, and placed all before the King, who, when he beheld the hideousness of his aspect, and the disagreeableness of his appearance, and beheld the beauty of the damsel, and her loveliness, said to her, O my mistress, what relation is this sheykh to thee? The sage hastily answered and said, She is my wife, and the daughter of my paternal uncle. But the damsel declared that he was a liar, as soon as she heard his words, and said, O King, by Allah, I know him not, and he is not my husband; but he took me away by force and stratagem. And when the King heard what she said, he commanded that they should carry the sage to the city, and cast him into the prison; and so they did with him; and the King took the damsel and the horse from him; but he knew not the property of the horse, nor the mode of its motion.—Thus did it befall the sage and the damsel.
As to the King’s son, he put on the apparel of travel, and, having taken what money he required, journeyed forth in a most evil state, and quickly endeavored to trace them, seeking them from town to town and from city to city, and inquiring respecting the ebony horse; and everyone who heard his mention of the ebony horse wondered at it, and was greatly astonished at his words. Thus he continued to do for a long period; but notwithstanding his frequent questions and his searching for them, he met with no tidings of them. Then he journeyed to the city of the damsel’s father, and there inquired for her, but he heard no tidings of her, and he found her father mourning for her loss. So he returned, and repaired to the country of the Greeks, endeavoring to trace them, and inquiring respecting them.
And it happened that he alighted at one of the khans, and saw a party of the merchants sitting conversing; and he seated himself near them, and heard one of them say, O my companions, I have met with a wonderful thing.—And what was it? they asked. He answered, I was in a certain district, in such a city (and he mentioned the name of the city in which was the damsel), and I heard its inhabitants talking of a strange story, which was this:—The King of the city went forth one day to hunt, attended by a party of his associates and the grandees of his empire, and when they went forth into the desert, they passed by a verdant meadow, and found there a man standing, and by his side a woman sitting, and with him a horse of ebony. As to the man, he was of hideous aspect, very horrible in form; and as to the woman, she was a damsel endowed with beauty and loveliness and elegance and perfect grace and justness of stature; and as to the ebony horse, it was a wonderful thing: eyes have not beheld its superior in beauty or in comeliness of make.—The persons present said to him, And what did the King with them? He answered, As to the man, the King took him, and asked him respecting the damsel, and he pretended that she was his wife, and the daughter of his paternal uncle. But as to the damsel, she declared that he lied in his assertion. So the King took her from him, and gave orders to cast him into the prison. And as to the ebony horse, I know not what became of it.—When the King’s son therefore heard these words from the merchant, he approached him, and proceeded to question him with mildness and courtesy until he acquainted him with the name of the city and the name of its King; and when he knew the name of the city and that of its King, he passed the night happy; and in the morning he went forth on his journey.
He ceased not to prosecute his journey until he arrived at that city; but when he desired to enter it, the gatekeepers took him, and would have conducted him into the presence of the King, that he might inquire of him respecting his condition, and the cause of his coming into that city, and as to what art or trade he was skilled in; for so was the King’s custom to question the strangers respecting their conditions and their arts or trades. But the arrival of the King’s son at that city happened to be at eventide; and that was a time at which it was not possible to go in to the King or to consult respecting him. So the gate-keepers took him and conducted him to the prison, to put him in it. When the jailers, however, saw his beauty and loveliness, they could not bear to put him in the prison: on the contrary, they seated him with themselves, outside the prison; and when the food was brought to them, he ate with them until he was satisfied; and after they had finished eating, they sat conversing and, addressing the King’s son, they said to him, From what country art thou? He answered, I am from the country of Persia, the country of the Kisras. And when they heard his answer, they laughed, and one of them said to him, O Kisrawi, I have heard the sayings of men, and their histories, and have observed their condition; but I have neither seen, nor heard of, a greater liar than this Kisrawi who is with us in the prison. And another said, Nor have I seen anyone more hideous than he in person, or more disagreeable than he in form.
So the King’s son said to them, What instance of his lying hath appeared unto you? They answered, He pretendeth that he is a sage, and the King saw him as he was going to hunt, and with him a woman of surprising beauty and loveliness, and elegance and perfect grace, and justness of stature, and there was with him also a horse of black ebony, than which we have never seen any more handsome. As to the damsel, she is with the King, and he loveth her; but the woman is mad; and if that man were a sage as he pretendeth, he had cured her; for the King is striving to find her remedy, desiring to recover her of her malady. As to the ebony horse, it is in the King’s treasury; and as to the man of hideous aspect, who was with it, he is with us in the prison; and when the night overshadoweth him, he weepeth and waileth in his grief for himself, and suffereth us not to sleep.
Now when the keepers of the prison acquainted the King’s son with these circumstances, it occurred to his mind that he might contrive a plan by means of which to attain his desire. And when the gate-keepers desired to sleep, they put him into the prison, and closed the door upon him; and he heard the sage weeping and lamenting for himself in the Persian language, and saying in his lamentation, Woe unto me for the injustice that I have committed against myself and against the King’s son, and for that which I did unto the damsel, since I neither left her nor accomplished my desire. All this arose from my ill management; for I sought for myself that which I deserved not, and which was not suited to me; and he who seeketh that which is not suited to him falleth into a calamity like that into which I have fallen.—And when the King’s son heard these words of the sage, he spoke to him in the Persian language, saying, How long wilt thou continue this weeping and lamentation? Dost thou think that such a misfortune hath befallen thee as hath not befallen any beside thee?—And the sage, on hearing his words, was cheered by him, and complained to him of his case, and of the distress he experienced.
Then, when the morning came, the gate-keepers took the King’s son, and conducted him to the King, and informed him that he had arrived at the city on the preceding day, at a time when it was impossible to go in unto the King. So the King questioned him, and said to him, From what country art thou, and what is thy name, and what thy art or trade, and what the reason of thy coming unto this city? And the King’s son answered, As to my name, it is, in the Persian language, Harjeh; and as to my country, it is the country of Persia; and I am of the men of science, especially the science of medicine; for I cure the sick and the mad; and for this purpose I travel about through the regions and cities, to profit myself by adding science to my science; and when I see a sick person, I cure him. This is my occupation.
And when the King heard his words, he rejoiced at them exceedingly, and said to him, O excellent sage, thou hast come to us at a time when we need thee. Then he acquainted him with the case of the damsel, and said to him, If thou cure her, and recover her of her madness, thou shalt receive from me all that thou shalt desire. And the King’s son, on hearing this, replied, May God confirm the power of the King! Describe to me everything that thou hast
observed of her madness, and inform me how many days ago this madness attacked her, and how thou tookest her and the horse and the sage.—He therefore acquainted him with the matter from beginning to end, and said to him, The sage is in the prison. And the King’s son said, O happy King, and what hast thou done with the horse that was with them? The King answered him, It remaineth with me to the present time, preserved in one of the private chambers. So the King’s son said within himself, It is my opinion that I should examine the horse before everything else, and if it be sound, and no accident have happened to it, all that I desire is accomplished; but if I see that its motions are destroyed, I will yet devise some stratagem to save my life. Then looking toward the King, he said to him, O King, it is requisite that I see the horse which thou hast mentioned. Perhaps I may find in it something that will aid me to recover the damsel.—The King replied, Most willingly. And he arose, and, taking him by the hand, led him in to the horse; whereupon the King’s son began to go round about the horse, and to examine it and observe its condition; and he found it sound, without any defect. He therefore rejoiced at it exceedingly, and said, May God confirm the power of the King! I desire to go in to the damsel, that I may see how she will act; and I beg of God that her recovery may be effected by me, by means of the horse, if it be the will of God, whose name be exalted!
He gave orders to take care of the horse, and the King conducted him to the chamber in which was the damsel. And when the King’s son went in to her, he found her beating herself, and falling down prostrate as usual; but she was affected by no madness, and only did thus that no one might approach her. So the King’s son on seeing her in this state, said to her, No harm shall befall thee! Then he began to address her gently and courteously until he acquainted her with himself; and when she knew him, she uttered a great cry, and fell down in a fit through the violence of the joy that she experienced; and the King imagined that this fit was occasioned by her fear of him. And the King’s son put his mouth to her ear, and said to her, Spare my life and thine, and be patient and firm; for this is a place wherein we stand in need of patience and good management in devising stratagems to make our escape from this tyrannical King. A part of my stratagem shall be, that I go forth to him and say to him, The disease that she suffereth ariseth from her being possessed by a Jinni, and I promise thee her recovery. And I will make a condition with him that he shall loose thy bonds, and will assure him that this Jinni which hath afflicted thee will be dispelled from thee. Therefore if he come in to thee, address him with pleasant words, that he may see that thou hast recovered through my means, and so shall all that we desire be accomplished.—And she replied, I will do so.
He then went forth from her, and, returning to the King, full of joy and happiness, said, O fortunate King, I have discovered, through thy good fortune, her remedy and cure, and I have cured her for thee. Arise then and go in to her, and speak gently and mildly to her, and promise her that which shall rejoice her; for all that thou desirest of her shall be accomplished for thee.—The King therefore arose and went in to her; and when she saw him, she rose to him, and kissed the ground before him, and welcomed him; whereat the King rejoiced exceedingly. He ordered the servants to betake themselves to wait on her, and to prepare for her the ornaments and apparel. So they went in to her and saluted her, and she returned their salutation with the most courteous utterance and the most pleasant words. Then they attired her in royal apparel, put upon her neck a necklace of jewels, and brought her out, resembling the full moon. And when she came to the King, she saluted him, and kissed the ground before him.
The King therefore was greatly rejoiced at seeing her thus, and said to the King’s son, All this is occasioned by the blessings attendant upon thee! May God increase to us thy benefactions!—And the King’s son replied, O King, the perfection of her recovery and the completion of her affair must be effected by thy going forth with all thy guards and thy soldiers to the place where thou foundest her, and the ebony horse that was with her must be taken with thee, that I may there confine from her the Jinni that hath afflicted her, and imprison him and kill him, so that he may never return to her. The King said, Most willingly. Accordingly he sent forth the ebony horse to the meadow in which he had found the damsel with the horse and the Persian sage; and the King mounted with his troops, taking the damsel with him; and they knew not what he desired to do. And when they arrived at that meadow, the King’s son who feigned himself a sage ordered that the damsel and the horse should be placed as far from the King and the troops as the eye could reach, and said to the King, With thy permission and leave, I desire to burn perfumes, and to recite a form of exorcism, and imprison the Jinni here, that he may never return to her. After which, I will mount the ebony horse, and mount the damsel behind me; and when I have done that, the horse will move about with violent action, and walk forward until it cometh to thee, when the affair will be finished. And when the King heard his words, he rejoiced exceedingly. Then the King’s son mounted the horse, and placed the damsel behind him, while the King and all his troops looked at him. And he pressed her to him, and bound her firmly, and turned the pin of ascent; whereupon the horse rose with them into the air. The troops continued gazing at him until he disappeared from before their eyes; and the King remained half a day expecting his return to him; but he returned not: so he despaired of him, and repented greatly, and grieved for the separation of the damsel. Then he took his troops, and returned to his city.
But as to the King’s son, he bent his course to the city of his father, full of joy and happiness, and ceased not in his journey until he descended upon his palace, when he took down the damsel into the palace, and felt secure of her. He then repaired to his father and his mother, and saluted them, and acquainted them with the arrival of the damsel; whereat they rejoiced exceedingly. Meanwhile, the King of the Greeks, when he returned to his city, secluded himself in his palace, mourning and afflicted. So his wezirs went in to him, and began to console him, saying to him, Verily he who took the damsel is an enchanter; and praise be to God who hath saved thee from his enchantment and craftiness. And they ceased not until he was consoled for the loss of her.
And as to the King’s son, he made magnificent banquets for the people of the city, and they continued the rejoicings for a whole month; after which, he took the damsel as his wife, and they were delighted with each other exceedingly. And his father broke the ebony horse, and destroyed its motions. Then the King’s son wrote a letter to the father of the damsel, and in it described to him his state, informing him that he had married the damsel, and that she was with him in the most happy condition. He sent it to him by a messenger, bearing precious presents and rarities; and when the messenger arrived at the city of the damsel’s father, which was San‘a of El-Yemen, he transmitted the letter, with the presents, to that King, who, on reading the letter, rejoiced exceedingly, accepted the presents, and treated the messenger with honor. He then prepared a magnificent present for his son-in-law, the King’s son, and sent it to him by that messenger, who returned with it to the King’s son, and informed him of the joy which the King, the father of the damsel, experienced when he brought him the news of his daughter. At this the King’s son was affected with great happiness; and every year he wrote to his father-in-law, and sent him a present.
Thus they continued until the King, the father of the young man, was taken from the world; and the young man reigned after him over his dominions. He ruled his subjects with equity, and conducted himself among them in a laudable manner; the country was subject to him, and the people obeyed him: and thus they remained, passing the most delightful and most agreeable and most comfortable and most pleasant life, until they were visited by the terminator of delights and the separator of companions, the devastator of palaces and the replenisher of graves.—Extolled then be the perfection of the Living who dieth not, and in whose hands is the dominion that is apparent and the dominion that is hidden!
The Story of Abu-Mohammad the Lazy
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nbsp; Harun Er-Rashid was sitting one day upon the imperial throne, when there came in to him a servant, with a crown of red gold set with pearls and jewels, comprising all kinds of jacinths and jewels such as no money would suffice to procure. This young man kissed the ground before the Khalifeh, and said to him, O Prince of the Faithful, the lady Zubeydeh saith to thee, Thou knowest that she hath made this crown, and it wanteth a large jewel to be affixed to its summit; and she hath searched among her treasures, but found not among them a large jewel such as she desireth. So the Khalifeh said to the chamberlains and lieutenants, Search for a large jewel such as Zubeydeh desireth. They therefore searched, but found nothing that suited her; and they acquainted the Khalifeh with this; in consequence of which his bosom became contracted, and he said, How is it that I am Khalifeh, and King of the Kings of the earth, and am unable to procure a jewel? Woe unto you! Inquire of the merchants.
The Arabian Nights Page 6