So they slept that night and on the morrow they repaired to the Khalif’s Divan and kissed the earth before him. Quoth he, ‘Where is the old woman, O Captain Ahmed?’ But he shook his collar. The Khalif asked him why he did so, and he answered, ‘I know her not; but charge Hassan Shouman to lay hands on her, for he knows her and her daughter also.’ Then Hassan interceded for her with the Khalif, saying, ‘Indeed, she hath played off these tricks, not because she coveted the folk’s goods, but to show her address and that of her daughter, to the intent that thou shouldst continue to her her husband’s stipend and that of her father to her daughter. So, if thou wilt spare her life, I will fetch her to thee.’ ‘By the life of my ancestors,’ said Er Reshid, ‘if she restore the people’s goods, I will pardon her, on thine intercession!’ And he gave him the handkerchief of pardon.
So Hassan repaired to Delileh’s house and called to her. Her daughter Zeyneb answered him and he said to her, ‘Where is thy mother?’ ‘Upstairs,’ answered she; and he said, ‘Bid her take the people’s goods and come with me to the Khalif; for I have brought her the handkerchief of pardon, and if she will not come with a good grace, let her blame none but herself.’ So Delileh tied the kerchief [of truce] about her neck and coming down, gave him the people’s goods on the ass and the Bedouin’s horse. Quoth he, ‘There remain the clothes of my chief and his men.’ ‘By the Most Great Name,’ replied she, ‘it was not I who stripped them!’ ‘Thou sayst sooth,’ rejoined Hassan; ‘it was thy daughter Zeyneb’s doing, and this was a good turn she did thee.’ Then he carried her to the Divan and laid the people’s goods before the Khalif, who, as soon as he saw the old woman, commanded to throw her down on the carpet of blood. Quoth she, ‘I cast myself on thy protection, O Shouman!’ So he rose and kissing the Khalif’s hands, said, ‘Pardon, O Commander of the Faithful! Indeed, thou gavest me the handkerchief of pardon.’ ‘I pardon her for thy sake,’ said Er Reshid. ‘Come hither, O old woman; what is thy name?’ ‘My name is Delileh,’ answered she, and the Khalif said, ‘Thou art indeed crafty and full of artifice. Whence she was dubbed Delileh the Crafty.
Then said he, ‘Why hast thou played all these tricks on the folk and wearied our hearts?’ Quoth she, ‘I did it not of desire for their goods, but because I had heard of the tricks which Ahmed ed Denef and Hassan Shouman played in Baghdad and said in myself, “ I will do the like.” And behold, I have returned the folk their goods.’ But the ass-driver rose and said, ‘I invoke the law of God between her and me; for it sufficed her not to take my ass, but she must needs egg on the barber to pull out my teeth and cauterize me on both temples.’ The Khalif bade give him a hundred dinars and ordered the dyer the like, saying, ‘Go; set up thy dyery again.’ So they called down blessings on his head and went away. The Bedouin also took his clothes and horse and departed, saying, ‘It is forbidden to me to enter Baghdad and eat honey-fritters.’ And the others took their goods and went away.
Then said the Khalif, ‘Ask a boon of me, O Delileh!’ And she said, ‘My father was governor of the carrier-pigeons to thee and I know how to rear them, and my husband was town-captain of Baghdad. Now I wish to have the reversion of my husband and my daughter wishes to have that of her father.’ The Khalif granted their requests and she said, ‘I ask of thee that I may be portress of thy khan.’ Now he had built a khan of three stories, for the merchants to lodge in, and had assigned to its service forty slaves, which latter he had brought from the King of Suleimaniyeh, when he deposed him, and let make collars for them; and there was in the khan a cook-slave, who cooked for the slaves and fed the dogs. ‘O Delileh,’ said the Khalif, ‘I will write thee a patent of guardianship of the khan, and if aught be lost therefrom, thou shalt be answerable for it.’ ‘It is well,’ replied she; ‘but do thou lodge my daughter in the pavilion at the door of the khan, for it hath terraced roofs, and carrier-pigeons may not be reared to advantage save in an open space.’
The Khalif granted her this also and she and her daughter removed to the pavilion in question, where Zeyneb hung up the one-and-forty dresses of Ahmed ed Denef and his company. Moreover, they delivered to Delileh the forty pigeons that carried the royal messages, and the Khalif appointed her mistress over the forty slaves and charged them to obey her. She made the place of her session behind the door of the khan, and every day she used to go up to the Khalif’s Divan, lest he should need to send a message by pigeon-post, whilst the forty slaves abode on guard at the khan; nor did she return till ended day, when they loosed the forty dogs, that they might keep watch over the place by night.
THE ADVENTURES OF QUICKSILVER ALI OF CAIRO:
BEING A SEQUEL TO THE ROGUERIES OF DELILEH THE CRAFTY.
There lived once at Cairo, in the days of Selah the Egyptian, who was chief of the Cairo police and had forty men under him, a sharper named Ali, for whom the Master of Police used to set snares and think that he had fallen therein; but, when they sought for him, they found that he had fled like quicksilver, wherefore they dubbed him Quicksilver Ali. One day, as he sat with his men in his hall, his heart became heavy within him and his breast was straitened. The hall-keeper saw him sitting frowning-faced and said to him, ‘What ails thee, O my thief? If thy breast be straitened, go out and take a turn in the streets of Cairo, for assuredly walking in its markets will do away thine oppression.’ So he went out and walked the streets awhile, but only redoubled in dejection and heaviness of heart. Presently, he came to a wine-shop and said to himself, ‘I will go in and drink wine.’ So he went in and seeing seven rows of people in the shop, said to the tavern-keeper, ‘Harkye, taverner! I will not sit but by myself.’ Accordingly, the vintner seated him in a chamber by himself and set wine before him, of which he drank till he lost his senses. Then he sallied forth again and walked till he came to the street called Red, whilst the people left the road clear before him, out of fear of him.
Presently, he turned and saw a water-carrier going along, with his skin and mug, crying out and saying, ‘O exchange! There is no drink but from raisins, there is no love-delight but of the beloved and none sitteth in the place of honour save the man of sense!” So he said to him, ‘Here, give me to drink!’ The water-carrier looked at him and gave him the mug. He took it and looking into it, shook it up and poured it out on the ground. ‘Why dost thou not drink?’ asked the water-carrier; and he answered, saying, ‘Give me to drink.’ So the man filled the cup a second time and he took it and shook it and emptied it on the ground; and thus he did a third time. Quoth the water-carrier, ‘If thou wilt not drink, begone.’ And Ali said, ‘Give me to drink.’ So he filled the cup a fourth time and gave it him; and he drank and gave the man a dinar. The water-carrier looked at him with disdain and said, ‘Good luck to thee! Good luck to thee! Little folk are one thing and great folk another!, When Ali heard this, he caught hold of the man’s gown and drawing on him a poignard of price, such an one as that whereof the poet speaks when he says,
A whittle of watered steel, perfect of temper and bright, With vipers poison it plies the folk whom it meets in fight;
If it fall, it sundereth limbs and sheddeth the blood forthright And picks up a jewel, to boot, from marble hard and white.
said to him, ‘O old man, speak reasonably to me! Thy water-skin is at the utmost worth three dirhems, and the cups I emptied on the ground held a pint or so of water.’ ‘It is well,’ replied the water-carrier; and Ali said, ‘I gave thee a dinar: why, then, dost thou belittle me? Hast thou ever seen any more valiant than I or more generous?’ ‘Ay,’ answered the water-carrier; ‘I have seen one more valiant than thou and eke more generous; for, never, since women have borne children, was there on the face of the earth a man of valour who was not generous.’ ‘And who is he whom thou deemest braver and more generous than I?’ asked Ali.
‘Know,’ replied the other, ‘that I had a strange adventure of late. My father was Sheikh of the water-carriers in Cairo, and when he died, he left me five camels and a mule and shop and house: but the poor man is never content
; or, if he be content, he dieth. So I said to myself, “I will go to the Hejaz,” and taking a file of camels, bought [goods] on credit, till I had run in debt for five hundred dinars, all of which I lost in the pilgrimage. Then I said in myself, “If I return to Cairo, the folk will put me in prison for their goods.” So I returned with the Syrian pilgrims to Aleppo, and thence I went on to Baghdad, where I sought out the Sheikh of the water-carriers of the city and repeated the first chapter of the Koran to him. He questioned me of my case and I told him what had befallen me, whereupon he assigned me a shop and gave me a water-skin and gear. So I sallied forth, trusting in God to provide, and went round about the city. I offered the cup to one, that he might drink; but he said, “I have eaten nought whereon to drink; for a niggardly fellow invited me to-day and set two gugglets before me; so I said to him, ‘O son of the sordid, hast thou given me aught to eat, that I should drink after it?’ So go thy ways, O water-carrier, till I have eaten somewhat. Then come and give me to drink.” Then I accosted another and he said, “God provide thee!” And so I went on till noon, without taking aught, and I said to myself, “Would I had never come to Baghdad I”
Presently, I saw the folk running; so I followed them and saw a long file of cavaliers, riding two and two and clad in steel, with double neck-rings and felt bonnets and burnouses and swords and bucklers. I asked one of the folk whose suite this was, and he answered, “That of Captain Ahmed ed Denef.” Quoth I, “And what is he?” “He is town-captain of Baghdad,” answered the other, “and to him is committed the care of the suburbs. He gets a thousand dinars a month from the Khalif and Hassan Shouman has the like. Moreover, each of his men gets a hundred dinars a month; and they are now returning to their barrack from the Divan.” Ahmed saw me and cried out to me to give him to drink. So I filled the cup and gave it him, and he shook it and emptied it out, like unto thee; and thus he did a second time. Then I filled the cup a third time and he took a draught; after which he said to me, “O water-carrier, whence comest thou?” “From Cairo,” answered I, and he, “May God keep Cairo and her people! What brings thee hither?” So I told him my story and gave him to know that I was a debtor fleeing from debt and distress. Quoth he, “Thou art welcome to Baghdad.” Then he gave me five dinars and said to his men, “Be generous to him, for the love of God.” So each of them gave me a dinar and Ahmed said to me, “What while thou abidest in Baghdad, thou shalt have of us the like every time thou givest us to drink.”
Accordingly, I paid them frequent visits and good ceased not to come to me from the folk, till, one day, reckoning up the profit I had made of them, I found it a thousand dinars and said in myself, “The best thing I can do is to return to Egypt.” So I went to Ahmed’s house and kissed his hand, and he said, “What seekest thou?” Quoth I, “I have a mind to depart;” and I repeated the following verses:
The stranger’s sojourning in any land of lands Even as the building is of mansions on the wind.
The waftings of the breeze cast down what he hath built, And now to fare away the stranger hath a mind.
“The caravan is about to start for Cairo,” added I, “and I wish to return to my people.” So he gave me a mule and a hundred dinars and said to me, “I desire to send somewhat by thee. Dost thou know the people of Cairo?” “Yes,” answered I; and he said, “Take this letter and carry it to Quicksilver Ali of Cairo and say to him, ‘Thy captain salutes thee and he is now with the Khalif.”’ So I took the letter and jouneyed back to Cairo, where I paid my debts and plied my trade of a water-carrier; but I have not delivered the letter, because I know not the abode of Quicksilver Ali.’ Quoth Ali, ‘o elder, be of good cheer: I am that Ali, the first of the lads of Captain Ahmed: give me the letter.’ So he gave him the letter and he opened it and read as follows:
‘I’ve written unto thee, adornment of the fair, A letter that indeed the passing winds shall bear.
Could I but fly, I’d flown for longing after thee; But how shall he who’s clipped of pinions wing the air?
From Captain Ahmed ed Denef to the eldest of his sons, Quicksilver Ali of Cairo, greeting. Thou knowest that I tormented Selaheddin the Cairene and befooled him till I buried him alive and reduced his lads to obey me, and amongst them Ali Kitf el Jemel; and I am now become town-captain of Baghdad and overseer of the suburbs. If thou be still mindful of our love, come to me; haply thou shalt play some trick in Baghdad that may advance thee to the Khalif’s service, so he may appoint thee stipends and allowances and assign thee a lodging, which is what thou desirest, and so peace be on thee.’
When Ali read this letter, he kissed it and laying it on his head, gave the water-carrier ten dinars; after which he returned to his lodging and told his comrades and commended them to one another. Then he changed his clothes and donning a tarboosh and a travelling cloak, took a case, containing a bamboo spear, four-and-twenty cubits long, made in several pieces, to fit into each other. Quoth his lieutenant, ‘Wilt thou go a journey, whenas the treasury is empty?’ ‘When I reach Damascus,’ answered Ali, ‘I will send you what shall suffice you.’ Then he set out and fared on, till he overtook a caravan about to start, whereof were the Provost of the Merchants and forty other merchants. They had all loaded their beasts, except the Provost, whose loads lay upon the ground, and Ali heard his caravan-leader, who was a Syrian, say to the muleteers, ‘Help me, one of you!’ But they mocked him and reviled him. Quoth Ali in himself, ‘None will suit me so well to travel withal as this leader.’
Now Ali was beardless and well-favoured; so he went up to the leader and saluted him. The latter welcomed him and said, ‘What seekest thou?’ ‘O my uncle,’ replied Ali, ‘I see thee alone with forty mule-loads of goods; but why hast thou not brought men to help thee?’ ‘O my son,’ rejoined the other, ‘I hired two lads and clothed them and put in each one’s pocket two hundred dinars; and they helped me till we came to the Dervishes’ Convent, ‘ when they ran away.’ Quoth All, ‘Whither are you bound?’ ‘To Aleppo,’ answered the Syrian, and Ali said, ‘I will help thee.’ So they loaded the beasts and the Provost mounted his mule and they set out. The leader rejoiced in Ali and loved him and made much of him and they fared on till nightfall, when they halted and ate and drank. Then came the time of sleep and Ali lay down and made as if he slept; whereupon the Syrian laid himself near him and Ali rose and sat down at the door of the merchant’s pavilion. Presently, the Syrian turned over and would have taken Ali in his arms, but found him not and said in himself, ‘It would seem as though he had promised another and he hath taken him; but I have the first right and another night I will keep him.’
Ali sat at the door of the tent till nigh upon daybreak, when he returned and lay down near the Syrian, who found him by his side, when he awoke, and said in himself, ‘If I ask him where he has been, he will leave me and go away.’ So he dissembled with him and they went on till they came to a forest, in which was a cave, where dwelt a ferocious lion. Now, whenever a caravan passed, they would draw lots among themselves and throw him on whom the lot fell to the lion. So they drew lots and the lot fell upon the Provost of the Merchants. Now the lion stopped the way, awaiting his prey, wherefore the Provost was sore distressed and said to the leader, ‘God disappoint thy enterprise and bring thy journey to nought! I charge thee, after my death, give my loads to my children.’ Quoth Ali, ‘What meaneth all this?’ So they told him the case and he said, ‘Why do ye run from the cat of the desert? I warrant you I will kill him.’
So the Syrian went to the Provost and told him of this and he said, ‘If he kill him, I will give him a thousand dinars.’ ‘And we,’ said the other merchants, ‘will reward him likewise.’ With this Ali put off his mantle and there appeared upon him armour of steel; then he took a whinyard of steel and [opening it] turned the ring; after which he went forth alone and standing in the road before the lion, cried out at him. The lion ran at him, but Ali smote him between the eyes with his cutlass and cut him in sunder, whilst the caravan-leader and the merchants looked on. Then sa
id he to the leader, ‘Have no fear, o my uncle!’ and the Syrian answered, saying, ‘O my son, I am thy servant for all time.’ Then the Provost embraced him and kissed him between the eyes and gave him the thousand dinars, and each of the other merchants gave him twenty dinars.
He deposited all the money with the Provost and they slept that night till the morning, when they set out again, intending for Baghdad, and fared on till they came to the Lion’s Wood and the Valley of Dogs, where lay a Bedouin brigand and his tribe, who sallied forth on them. The folk fled from the highwaymen and the Provost said, ‘My goods are lost!’ When, behold, up came Ali in a coat of leather, full of bells, and bringing out his long lance, fitted it together. Then he seized one of the Arab’s horses and mounting it, shook his bells and cried out to the Bedouin chief; saying, ‘Come out to me with spears!’ The Bedouin’s mare took fright at the noise of the bells and Ali struck the chief’s spear and broke it. Then he smote him on the neck and cut off his head. When the Bedouins saw their chief fall, they all ran at Ali, but he cried out, saying, ‘God is Most Great!’ and falling on them, put them to flight. Then he raised the chiefs head on the point of his spear and returned to the merchants, who rewarded him liberally and continued heir journey.
When they reached Baghdad, Au took his money from the Provost and committed it to the Syrian, saying, ‘When thou returnest to Cairo, enquire for my lodging and give the money to my deputy.’ Then he slept that night and on the morrow he entered the city and enquired for Ahmed ed Denefs lodging; but none would direct him thereto. So he walked on, till he came to a square called En Nefz, where he saw children at play, and amongst them a lad called Ahmed el Lekit, and said to himself, ‘Thou shalt not get news of them but of their little ones.’ Then be turned and seeing a sweetmeat-seller, bought cakes of him and called to the children; but Ahmed el Lekit drove the rest away and coming up to him, said, ‘What seekest thou?’ Quoth Ali, ‘I had a son and he died and I saw him in a dream asking for sweetmeats: wherefore I have bought sweetmeats and wish to give each child some.’ So saying, he gave Ahmed a cake, and he looked at it and seeing a dinar sticking to it, said, ‘Begone! I am no catamite: seek another than I.’ ‘O my son,’ answered Ali, ‘it is a sharp fellow who takes the hire, even as is he who gives it. I have sought all day tor Ahmed ed Denef’s barrack, but none would direct me thereto; so the dinar is thine, if thou wilt guide me thither.’ Quoth the lad, ‘I will run before thee, till I come to the place, when I will catch up a stone with my foot and kick it against the door; and so shalt thou know it.’
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