The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights

by vol 02 (tr Malcolm C

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and twentieth night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when the king’s treasurer told him that the contents of the treasury, together with the saddlebags, had gone, he nearly went out of his mind. Rising to his feet, he ordered the treasurer to lead the way and then followed him to the treasury, where he found nothing. ‘Who has plundered this, showing no fear of my power?’ he asked, and overcome with rage and fury he summoned his court. The army leaders came, each thinking that the king was angry with him, but he told them: ‘Know that last night my treasury was plundered and I have no idea who could have so little fear of me that he broke in and did this.’ ‘How could that be?’ they asked. ‘Ask the treasurer,’ the king said, and when they did he told them: ‘It was full yesterday, but when I went in today I found it empty, although there was no hole in the wall and the door had not been forced.’ They were all astonished to hear that, and none of them had anything to say except for the guard who had earlier informed on Judar’s brothers. He went to the king and said: ‘King of the age, all last night I watched builders at work and at daybreak I saw a palace of matchless splendour. When I asked about this, I was told that Judar had come back and that it was he who had had the palace built, having brought in mamluks and slaves, as well as providing great sums of money. He freed his brothers from prison and is there in his palace like a sultan.’ ‘Look in the prison,’ ordered the king, but when his men had done this, they brought back word that they had found no trace of the brothers. ‘It is clear who is guilty,’ the king said, ‘for whoever freed them is the man who took my money.’ The vizier asked who that was, and the king told him: ‘It was Judar, their brother, and he must have taken the saddlebags. So send an emir with fifty men to arrest him and his two brothers; they are to set a seal on all his possessions and to fetch me the brothers to be hanged. Hurry,’ he added, for he was still furious, ‘send out an emir to bring them to me so that I may have them killed.’ ‘Be patient,’ said the vizier, ‘for God is patient and is not quick to punish His servants when they disobey Him. Someone who can have a palace built in a single night, as these people report, can have no match in this world and I’m afraid that the emir may find himself in difficulties because of him. So wait until I can make a plan and we can discover what really happened, so as to ensure that you get what you want, king of the age.’ The king agreed to this, and the vizier went on: ‘Send the emir to him and invite him here. I shall look after him for you and pretend to be fond of him, asking him about himself. We can then see whether he is strong-willed, in which case we can think of some scheme against him, but if he seems weak-willed, then arrest him and do what you want with him.’ ‘Send him an invitation,’ said the king.

  The vizier instructed an emir named ‘Uthman to go and invite Judar on behalf of the king to come as his guest, and the king added that ‘Uthman was not to fail in this mission. ‘Uthman was both stupid and conceited, and when he arrived at Judar’s palace he saw a eunuch seated on a chair in front of the door. This man did not get up on his arrival, and in spite of the fact that there were fifty men with ‘Uthman, it was as though no one had come. ‘Uthman went up to him and said: ‘Slave, where is your master?’ ‘In the house,’ the eunuch replied, and as he spoke he continued to lounge on his chair. ‘Uthman became angry and said: ‘You ill-omened slave, aren’t you ashamed to lie there like a good-for-nothing while I’m speaking to you?’ ‘Be off,’ replied the eunuch, ‘and don’t talk so much.’ On hearing this, ‘Uthman drew his mace in a rage and was about to strike the ‘eunuch’, not knowing that, in fact, he was a devil. When this devil saw him draw out his mace, he got up, rushed at him, seized it from him and gave him four blows. His fifty-man escort took this amiss and drew their swords with the intention of killing him. ‘Are you drawing your swords, dogs?’ the latter cried, and he attacked them, and whoever struck him found himself crushed with blows from the mace and spattered with blood. They were all put to flight and they kept on running as he struck them, until they had fled far away from the door of the palace, after which their attacker went back and sat down on his chair, paying no attention to anyone.

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and twenty-first night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when the ‘eunuch’ had put ‘Uthman, the king’s officer, and his escort to flight, and driven them from Judar’s door, he went back to sit on his chair by the palace door, paying no attention to anyone. ‘Uthman and his escort returned, routed and beaten, and stood in front of the king, to whom they explained what had happened to them. ‘King of the age,’ ‘Uthman said, ‘when I got to the door of the palace, I saw a eunuch sitting proudly there on a golden chair. He had been sitting up, but when he saw me he lay back contemptuously and did not rise, and when I began to speak to him, he answered me while still sprawling there. I grew angry and drew out my mace with the intention of striking him, but he took it from me and used it to knock me down, after which he struck my escort and threw them to the ground. We were powerless against him and so we fled.’ The king was angry and ordered a hundred men to go to the ‘eunuch’, but when they did and advanced on him, he got up with his mace and went on striking them until they ran away from him, after which he went back and sat down again on his chair. The hundred men returned to the king and told him what had happened, explaining that they had run off in fear. The king then sent two hundred, who suffered the same fate, and after that he said to the vizier: ‘Vizier, I order you to take five hundred men and bring me this eunuch quickly, together with his master, Judar, and Judar’s two brothers.’ ‘King of the age,’ replied the vizier, ‘I need no soldiers; I shall go to him alone and unarmed.’ ‘Go then,’ the king told him, ‘and do whatever you think appropriate.’

  The vizier threw aside his weapons, put on a white robe and took a string of prayer beads in his hand. He walked alone and unaccompanied until he reached Judar’s palace, where he saw the ‘eunuch’ sitting. Unarmed as he was, he then went up to him and sat down beside him with all courtesy, saying: ‘Peace be upon you.’ ‘And upon you, human,’ replied the other, adding: ‘What is it that you want?’ When the vizier heard him say ‘human’, he realized that this must be a jinni and he said, quaking with fear: ‘Is your master, Judar, here?’ ‘Yes,’ said the other, ‘he is in the palace.’ ‘Go to him, sir,’ said the vizier, ‘and tell him that the king Shams al-Daula invites him as a guest, sending him greetings and asking him to honour his house and eat his food.’ The doorman said: ‘Stay here until I ask him.’ The vizier stood there politely as the doorman went into the palace and said to Judar: ‘Master, the king sent an emir to you with fifty men, but I beat him and routed them. Then he sent a hundred men, whom I struck, and they were followed by two hundred, whom I drove off. Now it is his unarmed vizier who has come to invite you to a reception. So what do you say?’ ‘Go and bring the vizier here,’ Judar told him, and so the doorman went down and told the vizier to come and speak to his master. ‘Willingly,’ said the vizier, who then went up to the palace and came into Judar’s presence, to find him seated in greater state than the king on a carpet more splendid than any that the king himself could produce. He was bewildered by the beauty of the palace, its decorations and its furnishings, in comparison with which he himself looked like a pauper. When he had kissed the ground before Judar and called down blessings on him, Judar asked him what his mission was. ‘Sir,’ replied the vizier, ‘your friend the king Shams al-Daula greets you and longs to see you. He has prepared a reception for you, so will you set his mind at rest by accepting his invitation?’ ‘As he is my friend,’ replied Judar, ‘take him greetings from me and ask him to come to me.’ When the vizier had agreed to this, Judar brought out the ring, rubbed it and told Ra‘d, when he appeared, to fetch one of the most splendid robes. When this had bee
n brought, he told the vizier to put it on, which he did, and Judar then told him to go and take his message to the king.

  The vizier went off, wearing a more splendid robe than any he had ever worn before, and when he came into the presence of the king, he told him about Judar, extolling the splendour of the castle and its contents. When the vizier gave him Judar’s invitation, the king alerted his guards, all of whom rose to their feet, and he then ordered them to mount and to bring him his horse, so that they might go to Judar. When he himself had mounted, they all set off for Judar’s palace.

  Judar himself had told Ra‘d: ‘I want you to fetch ‘ifrits in the shape of men from among your jinn to stand as guards in the courtyard of the palace so that the king may see them. They are to fill him with fear and alarm so as to make him tremble and realize that my power is greater than his.’ Ra‘d produced two hundred jinn dressed as guards, splendidly equipped, powerful and burly. When the king saw them he was afraid of them, and then, when he came into Judar’s presence, he saw him seated in more splendour than any king or sultan. He greeted and saluted him, but Judar did not rise or show him any respect or tell him to be seated, but left him standing.

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and twenty-second night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when the king came in, Judar did not rise or pay any attention to him or tell him to sit, but left him standing there. The king became afraid and could neither sit down nor leave. He started to tell himself: ‘If this man were afraid of me, he would not ignore me, and it may be that he is going to punish me because of what I did to his brothers.’ At this point, Judar said: ‘King of the age, it does not befit someone like you to treat people unjustly and to seize their wealth.’ ‘Sir,’ the king replied, ‘do not blame me, for it was greed that forced me to do that, as fate had decreed, but were it not for misdeeds there would be no forgiveness.’ He started to apologize for what he had done and to ask for pardon and indulgence, quoting these lines in his appeal:

  Generous son of a noble race, do not blame me for what I did.

  If you wrong me, I forgive you, and if I am in the wrong, please forgive me.

  He went on abasing himself before Judar until Judar said: ‘May God forgive you,’ and told him to sit, which he did. He then produced for him robes as a token of forgiveness, and ordered his brothers to bring out food. After they had eaten, he gave robes to all the king’s entourage and treated them honourably, before telling the king to go. He left, but every day he would come back to Judar’s palace and it was only there that he would hold his court, as their familiarity and friendship increased.

  When this had been going on for some time, the king told his vizier in private that he was afraid that Judar might kill him and seize his kingdom. ‘King of the age,’ the vizier replied, ‘you need have no fear about the kingdom, for what he already has is greater than it and to take it would lessen his authority. If you are afraid that he might kill you, you have a daughter whom you can marry to him so that the two of you will be as one.’ The king then asked him to act as a go-between, and the vizier said: ‘Invite him here and then we shall spend the evening in one of the rooms. Tell your daughter to put on all her finery and to walk past its door, as when he sees her he will fall in love with her. When we know that he has, I shall go up to him and tell him that she is your daughter, after which I shall lead the conversation on until, before you know anything about it, he will ask you for her hand. When you have given her in marriage to him, you and he will be at one; you will be safe from him and if he should die, you will get a great inheritance from him.’ ‘That is true, vizier,’ said the king, and he arranged for a reception to which he invited Judar.

  Judar came to the palace and they all sat until evening in a room there, becoming increasingly friendly with one another. The king had sent to tell his wife to deck the princess out in all her finery and to walk with her past the door of the room. She did what he had told her, and as she went past with her daughter, a girl of matchless beauty and grace, Judar caught sight of her. ‘Ah!’ he exclaimed as he gazed at her; he became unstrung, being overcome by passionate love and, seized by a rapturous ardour, he turned pale. The vizier said: ‘I hope there is nothing wrong, master, but why is it that you seem to have changed and to be in pain?’ ‘Vizier,’ answered Judar, ‘whose daughter was that, for she has robbed me of my wits?’ ‘She is the daughter of your friend the king,’ the vizier told him, ‘and if you admire her, I shall speak to him and get him to give her to you in marriage.’ ‘If you do that, I swear by my life that I shall reward you with whatever you want,’ promised Judar, adding: ‘I shall pay the king whatever he wants by way of a bride price, and we shall be friends and relatives.’ ‘You are certain to get your wish,’ the vizier told him, after which he said in private to the king: ‘Judar, your friend, wants a closer link with you, and he has asked me to approach you on his behalf to request the hand of your daughter, the Lady Asiya. Do not disappoint my hopes, but accept my intercession and he will pay whatever bride price you want.’ ‘As for the bride price,’ the king replied, ‘it has already been paid to me and the girl is one of his servants. I shall give her to him in marriage and he will do me a favour if he accepts.’

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and twenty-third night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when the vizier told the king that Judar wanted a closer link with him by marrying his daughter, the king told the vizier that the bride price had already been paid, that the girl was one of his servants and that he would be doing him a favour by accepting her hand.

  The next morning the king summoned a meeting of his court, which was attended by both high and low. The shaikh al-Islam was there, and Judar asked for the hand of the princess. The king repeated that the bride price had already been paid, but when the marriage contract had been drawn up, Judar sent for the saddlebag that contained the jewels, which he then presented to the king in return for this. Drums were beaten, pipes sounded and wedding garlands set out, after which Judar slept with his bride. He and the king were then on an equal footing, but after the two of them had stayed together for some time, the king died. The army wanted Judar to take power and, after he had resisted much pressure, he eventually agreed and was installed as ruler. He gave orders for a mosque to be built over the king’s tomb, and provided it with endowments. This was in the Bundaqaniyin, while his own palace was in the Yamaniya quarter. After he came to power he built houses and a mosque, as a result of which the district was named after him and became the Judariya quarter.

  He ruled for some time with his two brothers as viziers, Salim being vizier of the right and Saliim vizier of the left, but after no more than a year one of them said to the other: ‘How long is this going to go on? Are we going to spend all our lives as Judar’s servants, without being able to enjoy power or fortune while he is alive? The question is, how can we kill him and take his ring and the saddlebags?’ ‘You are more knowledgeable than I am,’ said Saliim, ‘so think of some way of disposing of him.’ ‘If I do that,’ Salim replied, ‘do you agree that I should be the sultan and you the vizier of the right, with the ring and the saddlebags being mine?’ ‘I do,’ his brother answered, and so they agreed to murder Judar because of their love of worldly power. To carry out their plot they told Judar that they wanted to be able to boast that he had come to their house and had been kind enough to accept their hospitality.

  They kept on treacherously pressing him to do this until he agreed, and when he asked to whose house he should go, Salim said: ‘To mine, and after I have entertained you, it will be Saliim’s turn.’ Judar raised no objection and went with Saliim to Salim’s house, where he was offered food in which poison had been put. When he ate it, his flesh decomposed, and Salim got up to remove the ring from his finger. It would not come off and so Sal
im took his knife and cut away the finger. Then he rubbed the ring and Ra‘d appeared, saying: ‘Here I am. Ask what you want.’ ‘Seize my brother and kill him,’ Salim told him, ‘and then take the two corpses, the one poisoned and the other slain, and throw them down in front of my soldiers.’ So Ra‘d seized and killed Saliim and then removed the corpses and threw them in front of the army officers, who were sitting eating at a table in the palace. When they saw that Judar and Saliim were dead, they were afraid and stopped eating and asked Ra‘d who was responsible for this. ‘It was Salim,’ Ra‘d told them and at that moment Salim came in and said: ‘Eat and enjoy yourselves. I have taken the ring from my brother Judar, and this marid who is standing before you is the servant of the ring. I ordered him to kill Saliim lest he should attempt to take the kingdom from me as he was a treacherous man and I was afraid that he might play me false. Now that Judar is dead, I am your sultan. Are you going to accept me or shall I rub the ring and have Ra‘d kill you, great and small alike?’

  Morning now dawned and Shahrazad broke off from what she had been allowed to say. Then, when it was the six hundred and twenty-fourth night, SHE CONTINUED:

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that Salim told his soldiers that if they did not accept him as their sultan, he would rub the ring and have them all killed, great and small alike. ‘We shall take you as our ruler,’ they said. He then ordered that his brothers be buried, and after he had summoned a meeting of his court, some people accompanied the biers and others went in procession ahead. When they returned to the court, Salim took his seat on the throne and they swore allegiance to him. He then told them to draw up a marriage contract between him and Judar’s widow. They pointed out that she would have to wait for the legally prescribed period, but he said: ‘I know nothing about this period or anything else, and I swear by my life that I shall lie with her tonight.’ So they drew up the marriage document and sent to inform the widow of this. ‘Invite him to come in,’ she said, and when he did, she pretended to be glad and welcomed him warmly, but put poison in the water and so killed him. She took the ring and broke it so that no one should ever own it again and she cut up the saddlebags. Then she sent word to the shaikh al-Islam and told the people to make their choice of a king to rule them.