One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  “‘I see a man with a besom grey

  That sweeps the flying dust away.’

  ‘Ay, that comes first in the mystic sphere;

  But now that the way is swept and clear

  Heed well what next you look on there.’”

  P. 104, note 1. — Apropos of the importance of “three days,” I may refer to the “three days and three nights” which Christ is commonly said to have passed in the tomb, and I believe that some mystics assert that three days is the usual period required by a man to recover consciousness after death.

  P, 107. — These worked lions recall the exhibition of power made by Abu Mohammed hight Lazybones (No. 37; Nights, iv., ). Their Oriental prototypes are probably the lions and eagles with which the Jinn ornamented the throne of Solomon. In the West, we meet with Southey’s amusing legend of the Pious Painter:

  “‘Help, help, Blessed Mary,’ he cried in alarm,

  As the scaffold sunk under his feet;

  From the canvass the Virgin extended her arm;

  She caught the good Painter; she saved him from harm;

  There were hundreds who saw in the street.”

  The enchanted palaces of the Firm Island, with their prodigies of the Hart and the Dogs, &c., may also be mentioned (Amadis of Gaul, book II., cha, &c.).

  P, 108. — Stories of changed sex are not uncommon in Eastern and classical mythology and folk-lore; usually, as in this instance, the change of a man into a woman, although it is the converse (apparent, of course) which we meet with occasionally in modern medical books.

  In the Nights, &c., we have the story of the Enchanted Spring (No. 135j) in the great Sindibad cyclus (Nights, vi., p-150), and Lane (Modern Egyptians, chap. xxv.) relates a story which he heard in Cairo more resembling that of the transformed Wazir. In classical legend we have the stories of Tiresias, Cæneus, and Iphis. Turning to India, we meet with the prototype of Cæneus in Amba, who was reincarnated as Sikhandin, in order to avenge herself on Bhishma, and subsequently exchanged her sex with a Yaksha, and became a great warrior (Mahabharata Udyoga-Parva, 5942-7057). Some of the versions of the Enchanted Spring represent the Prince as recovering his sex by an exchange with a demon, thus showing a transition from the story of Sikhandin to later replicas. There is also a story of changed sex in the Hindi Baital Pachisí; and no doubt many others might be quoted.

  History of What Befel the Fowl-let with the Fowler (P-128).

  One of the most curious stories relative to the escape of a captured prey is to be found in the 5th Canto of the Finnish Kalevala. Väinäimöinen, the old minstrel, is fishing in the lake where his love, Aino, has drowned herself, because she would not marry an old man. He hooks a salmon of very peculiar appearance, and while he is speculating about cutting it up and cooking it, it leaps from the boat into the water, and then reproaches him with his folly, telling him that it is Aino (now transformed into a water-nymph) who threw herself in his way to be his life-companion, but that owing to his folly in proposing to eat her, he has now lost her for ever. Hereupon she disappears, and all his efforts to rediscover her are fruitless.

  The Tale of Attaf (P-170).

  P. 138, note 6. — I may add that an episode is inserted in the Europeanised version of this story, relative to the loves of the son of Chebib and the Princess of Herak, which is evidently copied from the first nocturnal meeting of Kamaralzaman and Budur (No. 21, Nights, iii., p-242), and is drawn on exactly similar lines (Weber, i. p-510).

  History of Prince Habib, and What Befel Him with the

  Lady Durrat Al-Ghawwas (P-201).

  P. 197, note 1. — Epithets of colour, as applied to seas, frequently have a purely mythological application in Eastern tales. Thus, in the story of Zaher and Ali (cf. my “New Arabian Nights,” ) we read, “You are now upon an island of the Black Sea, which encompasses all other seas, and flows within Mount Kaf. According to the reports of travellers, it is a ten years’ voyage before you arrive at the Blue Sea, and it takes full ten years to traverse this again to reach the Green Sea, after which there is another ten years’ voyage before you can reach the Greek Sea, which extends to inhabited countries and islands.”

  Kenealy says (in a note to his poem on “Night”) that the Atlantic Ocean is called the Sea of Darkness, on account of the great irruption of water which occasioned its formation; but this is one of his positive statements relative to facts not generally known to the world, for which he considered it unnecessary to quote his authority.

  P. 200. — According to one account of impalement which I have seen, the stake is driven through the flesh of the back beneath the skin.

  Reading the account of the Crucifixion between the lines, I have come to the conclusion that the sudden death of Christ was due to his drinking from the sponge which had just been offered to him. The liquid, however, is said to have been vinegar, and not water; but this might have had the same effect, or water may have been substituted, perhaps with the connivance of Pilate. In the latter case vinegar may only have been mentioned as a blind, to deceive the fanatical Jews. The fragmentary accounts of the Crucifixion which have come down to us admit of many possible interpretations of details.

  Index to the Tales, and Proper Names, Together with

  Alphabetical Table of Notes in Volumes XI. To XVI.

  Also

  Additional Notes on the Bibliography of the Thousand

  and One Nights.

  Index to the Tales and Proper Names in the Supplemental

  Nights.

  N.B. — The Roman numerals denote the volume, the Arabic the page.

  {The Arabic numerals have been discarded}

  Abbaside, Ja’afar bin Yahya and Abd Al-Malik bin Salih the, i.

  Abd Al-Malik bin Salih the Abbaside, Ja’afar bin Yahya and, i.

  Abdullah bin Nafí’, Tale of Harun Al-Rashid and, ii.

  Abu Niyattayn, History of Abu Niyyah and, iv.

  Abu Niyyah and Abu Niyyatayn, History of, iv.

  Abu Sabir, Story of, i.

  Abu Tammam, Story of Aylan Shah and, i.

  Advantages of Patience, Of the, i.

  Adventure of the Fruit Seller and the Concubine, iv.

  Adventures of Khudadad and his Brothers, iii.

  Adventures of Prince Ahmad and the Fairy Peri-Banu, iii.

  Al-’Abbás, Tale of King Ins bin Kays and his daughter with the

  Son of King, ii.

  Alaeddin, or the Wonderful Lamp, iii.

  Al-Bundukani, or the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and the daughter of

  King Kisra, vi.

  Al-Hajjaj and the Three Young Men, i.

  Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf and the Young Sayyid, History of, v.

  Al-Hayfa and Yusuf, The Loves of, v.

  Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, Story of, iii.

  Ali Khwajah and the Merchant of Baghdad, Story of, iii.

  Allah, Of the Speedy relief of, i.

  Allah, Of Trust in, i.

  Al-Maamun and Zubaydah, i.

  Al-Maamun, The Concubine of, ii.

  Al-Malik Al-Zahir Rukn Al-Din Bibars al-Bundukdari and the

  Sixteen Captains of Police, ii.

  Al-Nu’uman and the Arab of the Banu Tay, i.

  Al-Rahwan, King Shah Bakht and his Wazir, i.

  Al-Rashid and the Barmecides, i.

  Al-Rashid, Ibn Al-Sammak and, i.

  Appointed Term, which, if it be Advanced may not be Deferred, and

  if it be Deferred, may not be Advanced, Of the, i.

  Arab of the Banu Tay, Al-Nu’uman and the, i.

  Ass, Tale of the Sharpers with the Shroff and the, i.

  Attaf, The Tale of, vi.

  Attaf, The Tale of, (by Alex. J. Cotheal), vi.

  Aylan Shah and Abu Tammam, Story of, i.

  Baba Abdullah, Story of the Blind Man, iii.

  Babe, History of the Kazi who bare a, iv.

  Bakhtzaman, Story of King, i.

  Banu Tay, Al-Nu’uman and the Arab of the, i.

  Barber and the Capt
ain, The Cairenne Youth, the, v.

  Barber’s Boy and the Greedy Sultan, Story of the Darwaysh and

  the, v.

  Barmecides, Al-Rashid and the, i.

  Barmecides,. Harun Al-Rashid and the Woman of the, i.

  Beautiful Daughter to the Poor Old Man, Tale of the Richard who

  married his, i.

  Bhang-Eater and his Wife, History of the, iv.

  Bhang-Eater,. Tale of the Kazi and the, iv.

  Bihkard, Story of King, i.

  Blind Man, Baba Abdullah, Story of the, iii.

  Broke-Back Schoolmaster, Story of the, iv.

  Cadette, Tale of the Two Sisters who envied their, iii.

  Cairenne Youth, the Barber and the Captain, The, v.

  Cairo (The good wife of) and her four gallants, v.

  Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and the daughter of King Kisra, The

  History of Al-Bundukam or the, vi.

  Caliph Omar Bin Abd Al-Aziz and the Poets, The, i.

  Caliph’s Night Adventure, History of the, iii.

  Caliph, The Concubine and the, ii.

  Captain, The Cairenne Youth, the Barber and the, v.

  Captain, The Tailor and the Lady and the, v.

  Cheat and the Merchants, Tale of the, i.

  China, The Three Princes of, v.

  Clemency, Of, i.

  Clever Thief, A Merry Jest of a, ii.

  Cock and the Fox, The pleasant history of the, vi.

  Clebs the droll and his wife and her four Lovers, v.

  Compeer, Tale of the Two Sharpers who each cozened his, i.

  Concubine, Adventure of the Fruit Seller and the, iv.

  Concubine and the Caliph, The, ii.

  Concubine of Al-Maamun, The, ii.

  Constable’s History, First, ii.

  Constable’s History, Second, ii.

  Constable’s History, Third, ii.

  Constable’s History, Fourth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Fifth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Sixth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Seventh, ii.

  Constable’s History, Eighth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Ninth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Tenth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Eleventh, ii.

  Constable’s History, Twelfth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Thirteenth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Fourteenth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Fifteenth, ii.

  Constable’s History, Sixteenth, ii.

  Cook, Story of the Larrikin and the, i.

  Coyntes, The Lady with the two, v.

  Crone and the Draper’s Wife, Story of the, i.

  Crone and the King, Tale of the Merchant, the, i.

  Cunning She-thief, The Gate Keeper of Cairo and the, v.

  Dadbin and his Wazirs, Story of King, i.

  Darwaysh and the Barber’s Boy and the Greedy Sultan, Story of

  the, v.

  Darwaysh, The Sultan who fared forth in the habit of a, iv.

  Daryabar, History of the Princess of, iii.

  Daughter of King Kisra, The History of Al-Bundukani, or the

  Caliph Harun Al-Rashid and the, vi.

  David and Solomon, Story of, i.

  Destiny or that which is written on the Forehead, i.

  Dethroned Ruler, whose reign and wealth were restored to him,

  Tale of the, i.

  Devotee accused of Lewdness, Tale of the, i.

  Disciple’s Story, The, i.

  Druggist, Tale of the Singer and the, i.

  Drummer Abu Kasim became a Kazi, How, iv.

  Duenna and the King’s Son, The Linguist-Dame, the, vi.

  Eighth Constable’s History, ii.

  Eleventh Constable’s History, ii.

  Enchanting Bird, Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three

  Sons, and the, iv.

  Enchanting Bird, Tale of the Sultan and his Three Sons and the,

  iv.

  Ends of Affairs, Of Looking to the, i.

  Envy and Malice, Of, i.

  Fairy Peri-Banu, Adventures of Prince Ahmad and the, iii.

  Falcon and the Locust, Story of the, i.

  Fellah and his Wicked Wife, The, v.

  Fifteenth Constable’s History, ii.

  Fifth Constable’s History, ii.

  First Constable’s History, ii.

  First Larrikin, History of the, iv.

  First Lunatic, Story of the, iv.

  Firuz and his Wife, i.

  Fisherman and his Son, Tale of the, iv.

  Forehead, Of Destiny or that which is Written on the, i.

  Forty Thieves, Story of Ali Baba and the, iii.

  Fourteenth Constable’s History, ii.

  Fourth Constable’s History, ii.

  Fowl with the Fowler, History of what befel the, vi.

  Fox, The Pleasant History of the Cock and the, vi.

  Fruit seller and the Concubine, Adventure of the, iv.

  Fruit seller’s Tale, The, iv.

  Fuller and his Wife and the Trooper, Tale of the, i.

  Gallants, The Goodwife of Cairo and her Four, v.

  Gatekeeper of Cairo and the Cunning She-thief, The, v.

  Girl, Tale of the Hireling and the, i.

  Good and Evil Actions, Of the Issues of, i.

  Goodwife of Cairo and her Four Gallants, The, v.

  Greedy Sultan, Story of the Darwaysh and the Barber’s Boy and

  the, v.

  Hajjaj (Al-) and the Three Young Men, i.

  Harun Al-Rashid and Abdullah bin Nafí’, Tale of, ii.

  Harun Al-Rashid and the Woman of the Barmecides, i.

  Harun Al-Rashid and the Youth Manjab, Night Adventure of, v.

  Harun Al-Rashid Tale of the Damsel Tohfat al-Kulub and the

  Caliph, ii.

  Haykar the Sage, The Say of, vi.

  History of King Azadbakht and his Son, The Ten Wazirs; or the, i.

  History of what befel the Fowl with the Fowler, vi.

  Hireling and the Girl, Tale of the, i.

  How Allah gave him relief, Story of the Prisoner and, i.

  How Drummer Abu Kasim became a Kazi, iv.

  Husband, Tale of the Simpleton, v.

  Ibn al-Sammak and Al-Rashid, i.

  Ibrahim and his Son, Story of, i.

  Ill Effects of Impatience, Of the, i.

  Impatience, Of the Ill Effects of, i.

  Ins bin Kays (King) and his Daughter with the Son of King

  Al-’Abbás, Tale of, ii.

  Isa, Tale of the Three Men and our Lord, i.

  Issues of Good and Evil Actions, Of the, i.

  Ja’afar bin Yahya and Abd Al-Malik bin Salih the Abbaside, i.

  Kazi and the Bhang-Eater, Tale of the, iv.

  Kazi and the Slipper, Story of the, iv.

  Kazi, How Drummer Abu Kasim became a, iv.

  Kazi schooled by his Wife, The, v.

  Kazi who bare a babe, History of the, iv.

  Khalbas and his Wife and the Learned Man, Tale of the, i.

  Khudadad and his Brothers, Adventures of, iii.

  Khwajah Hasan al-Habbal, History of, iii.

  King and his Chamberlain’s Wife, Tale of the, i.

  King Azadbakht and his Son, The Ten Wazirs; or the History of, i.

  King Bakhtzaman, Story of, i.

  King Bihkard, Story of, i.

  King Dadbin and his Wazirs, Story of, i.

  King Ibrahim and his Son, Story of, i.

  King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird,

  Story of the, iv.

  King of Hind and his Wazir, Tale of, i.

  King Shah Bakht and his Wazir Al-Rahwan, i.

  King Sulayman Shah and his Niece, Story of, i.

  King Tale of himself told by the, v.

  King Tale of the Merchant, the Crone and the, i.

  King who kenned the quintessence of things, Tale of the, i.

  King who lost Kingdom an
d Wife and Wealth and Allah restored them

  to him, Tale of the, i.

  King’s Son of Sind and the Lady Fatimah, The History of, v.

  King’s Son, The Linguist-Dame, the Duenna and the, vi.

  Kurd Sharper, Tale of Mahmud the Persian and the, iv.

  Lady and the Captain, The Tailor and the, v.

  Lady Durrat al-Ghawwas, History of Prince Habib and what befel

  him with the, vi.

  Lady Fatimah, The History of the King’s Son of Sind and the, v.

  Lady with the two Coyntes, The, v.

  Larrikin and the Cook, Story of the, i.

  Larrikin concerning himself, Tale of the Third, iv.

  Larrikin History of the First, iv.

  Larrikin History of the Second, iv.

  Larrikin History of the Third, iv.

  Leach (Tale of the Weaver who became a), by order of his wife, i.

  Learned Man, Tale of Khalbas and his Wife and the, i.

  Lewdness, Tale of the Devotee accused of, i.

  Limping Schoolmaster, Story of the, iv.

  Linguist-Dame, the Duenna, and the King’s Son, The, vi.

  Locust, Story of the Falcon and the, i.

  Looking to the Ends of Affairs, Of, i.

  Lovers, Clebs the Droll and his wife and her four, v.

  Lovers of Syria, History of the, v.

  Loves of Al-Hayfa and Yusuf, The, v.

  Luck, Story of the Merchant who lost his, i.

  Lunatic, Story of the First, iv.

  Lunatic, Story of the Second, iv.

  Mahmud the Persian and the Kurd Sharper, Tale of, iv.

  Man of Khorassan, his Son and his Tutor, Tale of the, i.

  Man whose Caution slew him, Tale of the, i.

  Man who was Lavish of his House, and his Provision for one whom

  he knew not, i.

  Malice, Of Envy and, i.

  Melancholist and the Sharper, Tale of the, i.

  Merchant and his Sons, Tale of the, i.

  Merchant of Baghdad, Story of Ali Khirajah and the, iii.

  Merchant’s Daughter and the Prince of Al-Irak, The, v.

  Merchants, Tale of the Cheat and the, i.

  Merchant, the Crone and the King, Tale of the, i.

  Merchant who lost his luck, Story of the, i.

  Merry Jest of a Clever Thief, A, ii.

  Mistress and his Wife, Mohammed the Shalabi and his, v.

  Mohammed, Story of a Sultan of Al-Hind and his Son, iv.