One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  It chanced one day that he fell in with Ahmed Kemakim and clapping up an acquaintance with him, accompanied him to the tavern, where Ahmed took out the lantern he had stolen from the Khalif and fell to plying the wine-cup by its light, till he became drunken. Presently Aslan said to him, ‘O Captain, give me yonder lantern;’ but he replied, ‘I cannot give it thee.’ ‘Why not?’ asked Aslan. ‘Because,’ answered Ahmed, ‘lives have been lost for it.’ ‘Whose life?’ asked Aslan; and Ahmed said, ‘There came hither a man named Alaeddin Abou est Shamat, who was made Captain of the Sixty and lost his life through this lantern.’ Quoth Aslan, ‘And how was that?’ ‘Know,’ replied Ahmed Kemakim, ‘that thou hadst an elder brother by name Hebezlem Bezazeh, for whom, when he became apt for marriage, thy father would have bought a slave-girl named Jessamine.’ And he went on to tell him the whole story of Hebezlem’s illness and what befell Alaeddin, undeserved. When Aslan heard this, he said in himself, ‘Most like this slave-girl was my mother Jessamine and my father was no other than Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat.’ So he went out from him, sorrowful, and met Ahmed ed Denef, who exclaimed at sight of him, ‘Glory be to Him to whom none is like!’ ‘At what dost thou marvel, O my chief?’ asked Hassan Shouman. ‘At the make of yonder boy Aslan,’ replied Ed Denef; ‘for he is the likest of all creatures to Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat.’ Then he called Aslan and said to him, ‘What is thy mother’s name?’ ‘She is called the damsel Jessamine,’ answered Aslan; and Ed Denef said, ‘Harkye, Aslan, take heart and be of good cheer, for thy father was none other than Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat: but, O my son, go thou in to thy mother and question her of thy father.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he, and going in to his mother, said to her, ‘Who is my father?’ Quoth she, ‘The Amir Khalid is thy father.’ ‘Not so,’ rejoined he, ‘my father was none other than Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat.’ At this, she wept and said, ‘Who told thee this?’ ‘Ahmed ed Denef, the Captain of the Guard,’ answered he; so she told him the whole story, saying, ‘O my son, the truth can no longer be hidden: know that Alaeddin was indeed thy father, but it was the Amir Khalid who reared thee and adopted thee as his son. And now, O my son, when thou seest Ahmed ed Denef, so thou say to him, “I conjure thee, by Allah, O my chief, avenge me on the murderer of my father Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat!”’ So he went out from her and betaking himself to Ahmed ed Denef, kissed his hand. Quoth Ed Denef, ‘What ails thee, O Aslan?’ And he answered, ‘I know now for certain that I am the son of Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat and I would have thee avenge me of my father’s murderer.’ ‘And who was thy father’s murderer?’ asked Ed Denef. ‘Ahmed Kemakim the arch- thief,’ replied Aslan. ‘Who told thee this?’ said Ed Denef, and Aslan answered, ‘I saw in his hand the lantern hung with jewels, that was lost with the rest of the Khalif’s gear, and asked him to give it me; but he refused, saying, “Lives have been lost on account of this,” and told me how it was he who had broken into the palace and stolen the goods and hidden them in my father’s house.’ Then said Ed Denef, ‘When thou seest the Amir Khalid don his harness of war, beg him to equip thee like himself and take thee with him. Then do thou some feat of prowess before the Khalif and he will say to thee, “Ask a boon of me, O Aslan.” And do thou answer, “I ask of thee that thou avenge me of my father’s murderer.” If he say, “Thy father is alive and is the Amir Khalid, the Chief of the Police,” answer thou, “My father was Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat, and the Amir Khalid is only my father by right of fosterage and adoption.” Then tell him all that passed between thee and Ahmed Kemakim and say, “O Commander of the Faithful, order him to be searched and I will bring the lantern forth of his bosom.”’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Aslan and returning to the Amir Khalid, found him making ready to repair to the Divan and said to him, ‘I would fain have thee arm and harness me like thyself and carry me to the Divan.’ So he equipped him and carried him to the Divan, with Ahmed Kemakim at his stirrup. Then the Khalif sallied forth of Baghdad with his retinue and let pitch tents and pavilions without the city; whereupon the troops divided into two parties and fell to playing at ball and striking it with the mall from one to the other. Now there was among the troops a spy, who had been hired to kill the Khalif; so he took the ball and smiting it with the mall, drove it straight at the Khalif’s face; but Aslan interposed and catching it in mid-volley, drove it back at him who smote it, so that it struck him between the shoulders and he fell to the ground. The Khalif exclaimed, ‘God bless thee, O Aslan!’ and they all dismounted and sat on chairs. Then the Khalif bade bring the smiter of the ball before him and said to him, ‘Who moved thee to do this thing and art thou friend or foe?’ Quoth he, ‘I am a foe and it was my purpose to kill thee.’ ‘And wherefore?’ asked the Khalif. ‘Art thou not an (orthodox) Muslim?’ ‘No,’ replied the spy; ‘I am a Shiyaite.’ So the Khalif bade put him to death and said to Aslan, ‘Ask a boon of me.’ Quoth he, ‘I ask of thee that thou avenge me of my father’s murderer.’ ‘Thy father is alive,’ answered the Khalif; ‘and there he stands.’ ‘And who is he?’ asked Aslan. The Khalif replied, ‘He is the Amir Khalid, Chief of the Police.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ rejoined Aslan, ‘he is no father of mine, save by right of fosterage; my father was none other than Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat.’ ‘Then thy father was a traitor,’ said the Khalif. ‘God forbid, O Commander of the Faithful,’ replied Aslan, ‘that the Faithful should be a traitor! But how did he wrong thee?’ Quoth the Khalif, ‘He stole my royal habit and what was therewith.’ ‘O Commander of the Faithful,’ rejoined Aslan, ‘God forfend that my father should be a traitor! But, O my lord, didst thou ever recover the lantern that was stolen from thee?’ ‘No,’ answered the Khalif, ‘we never got it back.’ And Aslan said, ‘I saw it in the hands of Ahmed Kemakim and begged it of him; but he refused to give it me, saying, “Lives have been lost on account of this.” Then he told me of the sickness of Hebezlem Bezazeh, son of the Amir Khalid, by reason of his passion for the damsel Jessamine, and how he himself was released from prison and that it was he who stole the lamp and robe and so forth. Do thou then, O Commander of the Faithful, avenge me of my father on him who murdered him.’ So the Khalif caused Ahmed Kemakim to be brought before him and sending for Ahmed ed Denef, bade him search him; whereupon he put his hand into the thief’s bosom and pulled out the lamp. ‘Harkye, traitor,’ said the Khalif, ‘whence hadst thou this lantern?’ And Kemakim replied, ‘I bought it, O Commander of the Faithful!’ ‘Where didst thou buy it?’ said the Khalif, ‘and who could come by its like to sell it to thee?’ Then they beat him, till he confessed that he had stolen the lantern and the rest, and the Khalif said, ‘O traitor, what moved thee to do this thing and ruin Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat, the Trusty and Well-beloved?’ Then he bade lay hands on him and on the Chief of the Police, but the latter said, ‘O Commander of the Faithful, indeed I am unjustly entreated; thou badest me hang him, and I had no knowledge of this plot, for the thing was contrived between Ahmed Kemakim and his mother and my wife. I crave thine intercession, O Aslan.’ So Aslan interceded for him with the Khalif, who said, ‘What hath God done with this lad’s mother?’ ‘She is with me,’ answered Khalid, and the Khalif said, ‘I command thee to bid thy wife dress her in her own clothes and ornaments and restore her to her former rank; and do thou remove the seals from Alaeddin’s house and give his son possession of his estate.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Khalid, and going forth, carried the Khalif’s order to his wife, who clad Jessamine in her own apparel; whilst he himself removed the seals from Alaeddin’s house and gave Aslan the keys. Then said the Khalif to Aslan, ‘Ask a boon of me;’ and he replied, ‘I beseech thee to unite me with my father.’ Whereat the Khalif wept and said, ‘Most like it was thy father that was hanged and is dead; but by the life of my forefathers, whoso bringeth me the glad news that he is yet in the bonds of life, I will give him all he seeketh!’ Then came forward Ahmed ed Denef and kissing the earth before the Khalif, said, ‘Grant me indemnity, O Commander of the Faithful!’ ‘Thou hast it,’ answered the K
halif; and Ed Denef said, ‘I give thee the good news that Alaeddin is alive and well.’ Quo the Khalif, ‘What is this thou sayest?’ ‘As thy head liveth,’ answered Ed Denef, ‘I speak sooth; for I ransomed him with another, of those who deserved death, and carried him to Alexandria, where I set him up as a dealer in second-hand goods.’ Then said Er Reshid, ‘I charge thee fetch him to me;’ and Ed Denef replied, ‘I hear and obey;’ whereupon the Khalif bade give him ten thousand dinars and he set out for Alexandria.

  Meanwhile Alaeddin sold all that was in his shop, till he had but a few things let and amongst the rest a bag. So he shook the bag and there fell out a jewel, big enough to fill the palm of the hand, hanging to a chain of gold and having five faces, whereon were names and talismanic characters, as they were ant-tracks. ‘God is All-knowing!’ quoth he. ‘Belike this is a talisman.’ So he rubbed each face; but nothing came of it and he said to himself, ‘Doubtless it is a piece of [naturally] variegated onyx,’ and hung it up in the shop. Presently, a Frank passed along the street and seeing the jewel hanging up, seated himself before the shop and said to Alaeddin, ‘O my lord, is yonder jewel for sale?’ ‘All I have is for sale,’ answered Alaeddin; and the Frank said, ‘Wilt thou sell it me for fourscore thousand dinars?’ ‘May God open!’ replied Alaeddin. ‘Wilt thou sell it for a hundred thousand dinars?’ asked the Frank, and he answered, ‘I sell it to thee for a hundred thousand dinars; pay me down the money.’ Quoth the Frank, ‘I cannot carry such a sum about me, for there are thieves and sharpers in Alexandria; but come with me to my ship and I will pay thee the money and give thee to boot a bale of Angora wool, a bale of satin, a bale of velvet and a bale of broadcloth.’ So Alaeddin rose and giving the jewel to the Frank, locked up his shop and committed the keys to his neighbour, saying, ‘Keep these keys for me, whilst I go with this Frank to his ship and take the price of my jewel. If I be long absent and there come to thee Captain Ahmed ed Denef, — he who set me up in this shop, — give him the keys and tell him where I am.’ Then he went with the Frank to his ship, where the latter set him a stool and making him sit down, said [to his men], ‘Bring the money.’ So [they brought it and] he paid him the price of the jewel and gave him the four bales he had promised him; after which he said to him, ‘O my lord, honour me by taking a morsel or a draught of water.’ And Alaeddin answered, ‘If thou have any water, give me to drink.’ So the Frank called for drink, and they brought sherbets, drugged with henbane, of which no sooner had Alaeddin drunk, than he fell over on his back; whereupon they weighed anchor and shoving off, shipped the poles and made sail. The wind blew fair and they sailed till they lost sight of land, when the Frank bade bring Alaeddin up out of the hold and made him smell to the counter-drug, whereupon he opened his eyes and said, ‘Where am I?’ ‘Thou art bound and in my power,’ answered the Frank; ‘and if thou hadst refused to take a hundred thousand dinars for the jewel, I would have bidden thee more.’ ‘What art thou?’ asked Alaeddin, and the other replied, ‘I am a sea- captain and mean to carry thee to my mistress.’ As they were talking, a ship hove in sight, with forty Muslim merchants on board; so the Frank captain gave chase and coming up with the vessel, made fast to it with grappling-irons. Then he boarded it with his men and took it and plundered it; after which he sailed on with his prize, till he reached the city of Genoa, where he repaired to the gate of a palace, that gave upon the sea, and there came forth to him a veiled damsel, who said, ‘Hast thou brought the jewel and its owner?’ ‘I have brought them both,’ answered he; and she said, ‘Then give me the jewel.’ So he gave it to her and returning to the port, fired guns to announce his safe return; whereupon the King of the city, being notified of his arrival, came down to receive him and said to him, ‘What manner of voyage hast thou had?’ ‘A right prosperous one,’ answered the captain, ‘and I have made prize of a ship with one- and-forty Muslim merchants.’ Being them ashore,’ said the King. So he landed the merchants in irons, and Alaeddin among the rest; and the King and the captain mounted and made the captives walk before them, till they reached the palace, where the King sat down in the audience-chamber and making the prisoners pass before him, one by one, said to the first, ‘O Muslim, whence comest thou?’ ‘From Alexandria,’ answered he; whereupon the King said, ‘O headsman, put him to death.’ So the headsman smote him with the sword and cut off his head: and thus it fared with the second and the third, till forty were dead and there remained but Alaeddin, who drank the cup of his comrades’ anguish and said to himself, ‘God have mercy on thee, O Alaeddin! Thou art a dead man.’ Then said the King to him, ‘And thou, what countryman art thou?’ ‘I am of Alexandria,’ answered Alaeddin, and the King said, ‘O headsman, strike off his head.’ So the headsman raised his arm and was about to strike, when an old woman of venerable aspect presented herself before the King, who rose to do her honour, and said to him, ‘O King, did I not bid thee remember, when the captain came back with captives, to keep one or two for the convent, to serve in the church?’ ‘O my mother, answered the King, ‘would thou hadst come a while earlier! But take this one that is left.’ So she turned to Alaeddin and said to him, ‘Wilt thou serve in the church, or shall I let the King kill thee?’ Quoth he, ‘I will serve in the church.’ So she took him and carried him forth of the palace to the church, where he said to her, ‘What service must I do?’ And she answered, ‘Thou must arise in the morning and take five mules and go with them into the forest and there cut dry firewood and split it and bring it to the convent-kitchen. Then must thou take up the carpets and sweep and wipe the stone and marble pavements and lay the carpets down again, as they were; after which thou must take two bushels and a half of wheat and sift it and grind it and knead it and make it into cracknels for the convent; and thou must take also a bushel of lentils and sift and crush and cook them. Then must thou fetch water in barrels and fill the four fountains; after which thou must take three hundred and threescore and six wooden platters and crumble the cracknels therein and pour of the lentil pottage over each and carry every monk and patriarch his platter.’ ‘Take me back to the King and let him kill me,’ said Alaeddin; ‘it were easier to me than this service.’ ‘If thou do the service that is due from thee,’ replied the old woman, ‘thou shalt escape death; but, if thou do it not, I will let the King kill thee.’ Then she went away, leaving Alaeddin heavy at heart. Now there were in the church ten blind cripples, and one of them said to him, ‘Bring me a pot.’ So he brought it him and he did his occasion therein and said, ‘Throw away the ordure.’ He did do, and the blind man said, ‘The Messiah’s blessing be upon thee, O servant of the church!’ Presently, the old woman came in and said to him, ‘Why hast thou not done thy service?’ ‘How many hands have I,’ answered he, ‘that I should suffice for all this work?’ ‘Thou fool!’ rejoined she.’ ‘I brought thee not hither but to work. But,’ added she, giving him a wand of brass with a cross at the top, ‘take this rod and go forth into the highway, and whomsoever thou meetest, were he governor of the ciy, say to him, “I summon thee to the service of the church, in the name of the Messiah.” And he will not refuse thee. Then make him sift the wheat and grind it and bolt it and knead it and bake it into cracknels; and if any gainsay thee, beat him and fear none.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he and did as she said, pressing great and small into his service; nor did he leave to do thus for the space of seventeen years, till, one day, the old woman came to him, as he sat in the church, and said to him, ‘Go forth of the convent.’ ‘Whither shall I go?’ asked he, and she said, ‘Thou canst pass the night in a tavern or with one of thy friends.’ Quoth he, ‘Why dost thou send me forth of the church?’ and she replied, ‘The princess Husn Meryem, daughter of Youhenna, King of the city, purposes this night to pay a visit to the church, and it befits not that any abide in her way.’ So he rose and made a show of obeying her and of leaving the church; but he said in himself, ‘I wonder whether the princess is like our women or fairer than they! Algates, I will not go till I have had a sight of her.’ So he h
id himself in a closet with a window looking into the church, and as he watched, in came the King’s daughter. He cast one glance at her, that cost him a thousand sighs, for she was like the full moon, when it emerges from the clouds; and with her was a damsel, to whom he heard her say, ‘O Zubeideh, thy company is grateful to me.’ So he looked straitly at the damsel and found her to be none other than his wife, Zubeideh the Lutanist, whom he thought dead. Then the princess said to Zubeideh, ‘Play us an air on the lute.’ But she answered, ‘I will make no music for thee, till thou grant my wish and fulfil thy promise to me.’ ‘And what did I promise thee?’ asked the princess. ‘That thou wouldst reunite me with my husband Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat,’ said Zubeideh. ‘O Zubeideh,’ rejoined the princess, ‘be of good cheer and play us an air, as a thank-offering for reunion with thy husband.’ ‘Where is he?’ asked Zubeideh, and Meryem replied, ‘He is in yonder closet, listening to us.’ So Zubeideh played a measure on the lute, that would have made a rock dance; which when Alaeddin heard, his entrails were troubled and he came forth and throwing himself upon his wife, strained her to his bosom. She also knew him and they embraced and fell down in a swoon. Then came the princess and sprinkled rose-water on them, till they revived, when she said to them, ‘God hath reunited you.’ ‘By thy kind offices, O my lady,’ replied Alaeddin and turning to his wife, said to her, ‘O Zubeideh, thou didst surely die and we buried thee: how then camest thou to life and to this place?’ ‘O my lord,’ answered she, ‘I did not die; but a Marid of the Jinn snatched me up and flew with me hither. She whom thou buriedst was a Jinniyeh, who took my shape and feigned herself dead, but presently broke open the tomb and returned to the service of this her mistress, the princess Husn Meryem. As for me, I was in a trance, and when I opened my eyes, I found myself with the princess; so I said to her, “Why hast thou bought me hither?” “O Zubeideh,” answered she, “know that I am predestined to marry thy husband Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat: wilt thou then accept of me to fellow-wife, a night for me and a night for thee?” “I hear and obey, O my lady,” rejoined I; “but where is my husband?” Quoth she, “Upon his forehead is written what God hath decreed to him; as soon as what is there written is fulfilled to him he must needs come hither, and we will beguile the time of our separation from him with songs and smiting upon instruments of music, till it please God to unite us with him.” So I abode with her till God brought us together in this church.’ Then the princess turned to him and said, ‘O my lord Alaeddin, wilt thou accept of me to wife?’ ‘O my lady,’ replied he, ‘I am a Muslim and thou art a Nazarene; so how can I marry thee?’ ‘God forbid,’ rejoined she, ‘that I should be an infidel! Nay, I am a Muslim; these eighteen years have I held fast the Faith of Submission and I am pure of any faith other than that of Islam.’ Then said he, ‘O my lady, I would fain return to my native land.’ And she answered, ‘Know that I see written on thy forehead things that thou must needs fulfil and thou shalt come to thy desire. Moreover, I give thee the glad tidings, O Alaeddin, that there hath been born to thee a son named Aslan, who is now eighteen years old and sitteth in thy place with the Khalif. Know also that God hath shown forth the truth and done away the false by withdrawing the curtain of secrecy from him who stole the Khalif’s goods, that is, Ahmed Kemakim the arch-thief and traitor; and he now lies bound and in prison. It was I who caused the jewel to be put in the bag where thou foundest it and who sent the captain to thee; for thou must know that he is enamoured of me and seeketh my favours, but I refused to yield to his wishes, till he should being me the jewel and its owner. So I gave him a hundred purses and despatched him to thee, in the habit of a merchant; and it was I also who sent the old woman to save thee from being put to death with the other captives.’ ‘May God requite thee for us with all good!’ said he. ‘Indeed, thou hast done well.’ Then she renewed her profession of the Mohammedan faith at his hands, and when he was assured of the truth of her speech, he said to her, ‘O my lady, tell me what are the virtues of the jewel and whence cometh it?’ ‘It came from an enchanted treasure,’ answered she, ‘and has five virtues, that will profit us in time of need. The princess my grandmother, my father’s mother, was an enchantress and skilled in solving mysteries and winning at hidden treasures, and from one of the latter came the jewel into her hands. When I grew up and reached the age of fourteen, I read the Evangel and other books and found the name of Mohammed (whom God bless and preserve) in four books, the Evangel, the Pentateuch, the Psalms and the Koran; so I believed in Mohammed and became a Muslim, being assured that none is worship-worth save God the Most High and that to the Lord of all creatures no faith is acceptable save that of Submission. When my grandmother fell sick, she gave me the jewel and taught me its virtues. Moreover, before she died, my father said to her, ‘Draw me a geomantic figure and see the issue of my affair and what will befall me.’ And she foretold him that he should die by the hand of a captive from Alexandria. So he swore to kill every captive from that place and told the captain of this, saying, “Do thou fall on the ships of the Muslims and seize them and whomsoever thou findest of Alexandria, kill him or bring him to me.” The captain did his bidding and he slew as many in number as the hairs of his head. Then my grandmother died and I took a geomantic tablet, being minded to now who I should marry, and drawing a figure, found that none should be my husband save one called Alaeddin Abou esh Shamat, the Trusty and Well-beloved. At this I marvelled and waited till the times were accomplished and I foregathered with thee.’ So Alaeddin took her to wife and said to her, ‘I desire to return to my own country.’ ‘If it be so,’ replied she, ‘come with me.’ Then she carried him into the palace and hiding him in a closet there, went in to her father, who said to her, ‘O my daughter, my heart is exceeding heavy to-day; let us sit down and make merry with wine, thou and I.’ So he called for a table of wine, and she sat down with him and plied him with wine, till he lost his wits, when she drugged a cup with henbane, and he drank it off and fell backward. Then she brought Alaeddin out of the closet and said to him, ‘Come; thine enemy is laid prostrate, for I made him drunk and drugged him; so do thou with him as thou wilt.’ Accordingly Alaeddin went to the King and finding him lying drugged and helpless, bound him fast, hand and foot. Then he gave him the counter-drug and he came to himself and finding his daughter and Alaeddin sitting on his breast, said to her, ‘O my daughter, dost thou deal thus with me?’ ‘If I be indeed thy daughter,’ answered she, ‘become a Muslim, even as I have done; for the truth was shown to me, and I embraced it, and the false, and I renounced it. I have submitted myself unto God, the Lord of all creatures, and am pure of all faiths contrary to that of Islam in this world and the next. Wherefore, if thou wilt become a Muslim, well and good; if not, thy death were better than thy life.’ Alaeddin also exhorted him to embrace the true faith; but he refused and was obstinate: so Alaeddin took a dagger and cut his throat from ear to ear. Then he wrote a scroll, setting forth what had happened and laid it on the dead man’s forehead, after which they took what was light of weight and heavy of worth and returned to the church. Here the princess took out the jewel and rubbed the face whereon was figured a couch, whereupon a couch appeared before her and she mounted upon it with Alaeddin and Zubeideh, saying, ‘O couch, I conjure thee by the virtue of the names and talismans and characters of art engraven on this jewel, rise up with us!’ And it rose with them into the air and flew, till I came to a desert valley, when the princess turned the face on which the couch was figured towards the earth, and it sank with them to the ground. Then she turned up the face whereon was figured a pavilion and tapping it, said, ‘Let a pavilion be pitched in this valley.’ And immediately there appeared a pavilion, in which they seated themselves. Now this valley was a desert waste, without grass or water; so she turned a third face of the jewel towards the sky and said, ‘By the virtue of the names of God, let trees spring up here and a river run beside them!’ And immediately trees sprang up and a river ran rippling and splashing beside them. They made their ablutions and p
rayed and drank of the stream; after which the princess turned up a fourth face of the jewel, on which was figured a table of food, and said, ‘By the virtue of the names of God, let the table be spread!’ And immediately there appeared before them a table, spread with all manner rich meats, and they ate and drank and made merry.