The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1,001 Nights: Volume 2

by Penguin; Robert Irwin; Malcolm Lyons; Ursula Lyons

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that Kafid went home in the sorriest of states, while Janshah, his father and Princess Shamsa enjoyed to the full the pleasures and delights of life with the greatest and most complete joy.

  All this was told to Buluqiya by the young man who was seated between the two tombs, and he then added: ‘I am Janshah, who experienced all this, Buluqiya, my brother.’ Buluqiya was astonished by what he had heard and said to Janshah: ‘Brother, what are these two tombs and why are you sitting weeping between them?’ ‘You must know, Buluqiya, that we had the pleasantest and happiest of lives, staying for one year in my own country and then going for a year to Takni, travelling on the couch carried by our jinn servants, flying between the heavens and the earth.’ Buluqiya asked him how far it was between Takni and his own land and he replied: ‘We would cover a thirty-month journey each day, and it would take us ten days to reach Takni. This went on for some years, but it then happened that, while we were travelling as usual, we came here and landed on our couch in order to look around this island. We sat by the river bank, eating and drinking, until Shamsa said that she wanted to bathe in the river. She took off her clothes and the slave girls followed her example, after which they all went into the water to swim. I walked along the bank, leaving the girls to enjoy themselves with Shamsa, when suddenly a sea monster, a huge shark, singled her out from among the others and bit her leg. She gave a cry and died immediately. The girls came out of the water, fleeing from the shark to the tent, and then one of them brought Shamsa’s body there and, when I saw it, I fell down in a faint. They sprinkled my face with rosewater and when I recovered I wept over her and then told the jinn servants to take the couch back to her people and to tell them what had happened to her. They did this and it was not long before her family arrived, washed her body, dressed it in a shroud and buried it here. When they had finished mourning for her, they wanted to take me back with them, but I told her father: “I want you to dig me a grave beside hers and this I shall keep for myself so that when I die I may be buried by her side.” King Shahlan ordered one of his jinn servants to do that, and when the grave had been dug they left me alone here to weep and wail for Shamsa. This, then, is my story and the reason why I sit between these two graves.’

  He then recited these lines:

  Since you left, the dwelling is no dwelling any more;

  Nor is the pleasant neighbour a neighbour still.

  My familiar friend is a friend no longer,

  Nor do the gleaming lights still shine.

  On hearing all this, Buluqiya was filled with amazement…

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that Buluqiya was filled with amazement when he heard this, and said: ‘By God, I thought that I had roamed around the earth, but through listening to your story I have forgotten everything that I saw.’ He went on to ask Janshah if he would kindly show him how he could leave that place safely. This Janshah did, and Buluqiya took his leave and went on his way.

  All this was told by the snake queen to Karim, who asked her how she had come to know it. She said: ‘Twenty-five years ago I wanted to send a large snake to Egypt to take a letter of greeting to Buluqiya. My messenger brought the letter to Bint Shumukh, who had a daughter in Egypt, and she took it there. She asked about Buluqiya, and when she had been directed to him, she greeted him and gave him my letter. When he had read it and grasped its contents, he asked the snake whether she had come from the snake queen and, when she said yes, he said: “I want to go back with you to the queen as there is something that I need from her.” “To hear is to obey,” Bint Shumukh said. She then took him to pay a visit to her daughter, whom she greeted. When she left, after having said goodbye, she told Buluqiya to close his eyes. He did so, and when he opened them again he found himself on the mountain where I was staying. Bint Shumukh then took him to the messenger who had brought the letter, and when this snake asked whether the letter had been delivered, Bint Shumukh said: “Yes, I delivered it to him and he came back with me. This is he.”

  ‘Buluqiya went up to greet the snake and to ask about me. The snake told him: “The queen has gone with all her armies to Mount Qaf, but when summer comes she will return here. Every time she goes to Mount Qaf she leaves me here in her place until she comes back and so, if there is anything that you need, I shall do it for you.” Buluqiya said: “I want you to fetch me the herb whose juice, when it is pounded up, preserves those who drink it from sickness, age and death.” The snake said: “I shall not do this until you tell me what happened to you after you left the queen and went off with ‘Affan to the tomb of our master Solomon.” Buluqiya recited his story from beginning to end and told what had happened to Janshah, after which he said: “And now give me what I want so that I can go home.” The snake said: “I swear by the truth of our master Solomon that I don’t know how to get to that herb.” It then told Bint Shumukh, who had brought him, to take him back. “To hear is to obey,” she said, after which she told Buluqiya to close his eyes, and when he opened them he found himself on Mount Muqattam, from where he went home. When I returned from Mount Qaf, my deputy went to me, greeted me and said: “Buluqiya sends his greetings to you,” and followed this with an account of all that Buluqiya had told of what he had seen on his wanderings and how he had met Janshah.

  ‘This is how I learned all this,’ said the queen to Karim and he, in his turn, asked her about Buluqiya’s experiences on his return to Egypt. She said: ‘You must know, Karim, that when Buluqiya left Janshah, he travelled night and day until he reached a huge sea. He smeared the lotion he had with him on his feet and walked on the surface of this sea until he came to an island that looked like Paradise, with trees, streams and fruits. He walked around it and discovered a huge tree with leaves like ships’ sails and when he came near it he saw that underneath it there was a table laid with fine foods of all kinds, while perched on the tree itself was an enormous bird with a body of pearls and emeralds, legs of silver, a ruby beak and feathers of precious stones. It was calling down praises on Almighty God and blessings on Muhammad, may God bless him and give him peace.’

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when Buluqiya came to the island, he found that it looked like Paradise. He walked around it and discovered marvels, among them being a bird with a body of pearls and emeralds and feathers of precious stones. It was calling down praises on Almighty God and blessings on Muhammad, may God bless him and give him peace. When Buluqiya saw this enormous bird he asked who and what it was, and it told him: ‘I am one of the birds of Paradise. You must know, brother, that when Adam was expelled from Paradise by Almighty God he was given four leaves with which to cover himself. These leaves fell on to the earth: one was eaten by worms and produced silk; another was eaten by gazelles and produced musk; bees ate the third, which then produced honey; while the fourth fell in India and produced spices. I myself wandered through all the earth until Almighty God granted me this place as a dwelling. For twenty-four hours on Friday the holy men and the leaders of the saints on earth visit it and eat the food set out here on this night and this day, this being a guest offering to them from Almighty God, after which the table and its cloth are taken back to heaven, having suffered neither diminution nor change.’

  Buluqiya ate and when he had finished and given thanks to God, al-Khidr, upon whom be peace, arrived. Buluqiya stood up to greet him and was about to leave when the bird said: ‘Sit down, Buluqiya, in the presence of al-Khidr.’ So he took his place again and al-Khidr said: ‘Tell me about yourself and give me your story.’ Accordingly, Buluqiya told him everything from start to finish, up to the time when he came to where he was now sitting in front of al-Khidr.’ He then asked how long a j
ourney it was from there to Egypt, to which al-Khidr replied that it would take ninety-five years. On hearing this, Buluqiya burst into tears and, falling before al-Khidr, he kissed his hands and said: ‘Rescue me from this exile, may God reward you, for I am on the point of death and there is nothing that I can do.’ Al-Khidr replied: ‘Pray that Almighty God may allow me to take you back to Egypt before you die.’ Buluqiya presented his request in tears to God, and God accepted it, conveying to al-Khidr His divine message that Buluqiya should be brought back to his family. ‘Raise your head,’ al-Khidr told him, ‘for God has accepted your petition and told me to take you to Egypt. Take hold of me, gripping with your hands and shutting your eyes.’ Al-Khidr then took a single pace, after which he told Buluqiya to open his eyes, and when he did so he found himself at the door of his own house. He turned to take his leave of al-Khidr, but could find no trace of him.

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when Buluqiya had been brought to the door of his own house by al-Khidr, he opened his eyes in order to take his leave of him, but could find no trace of him.

  He went into his house and when his mother saw him she gave a great cry and then fell fainting for joy. Water was sprinkled on her face until she recovered, and when she did, she embraced her son in floods of tears, while he alternately wept and laughed. His family, his associates and all his friends arrived to congratulate him on his safe return; word spread through the town and gifts poured in from all quarters; drums were beaten, pipes were blown and there was great rejoicing. After this, Buluqiya told the people everything that had happened to him and how he had been brought by al-Khidr to the door of his own house. They were all amazed by that and wept until they were tired.

  All this was told to Karim by the snake queen, and he too was both astonished and tearful. He then repeated to the queen that he wanted to go home, but she said: ‘I am afraid that if you get back to your own country, you will not keep your word and you will break the oath that you swore not to enter the baths.’ Karim took more solemn oaths that he would never do this as long as he lived, and so the queen gave orders to one of her snakes to bring him up to the surface. The snake took him from one place after another until it brought him out from the top of an abandoned well. From there he walked back to the city and went to his house, arriving in the evening at sunset. He knocked on the door, which was opened by his mother, and when she saw him standing there she gave a cry of joy and threw herself on him, bursting into tears. His wife, hearing the weeping, came out and when she saw her husband she greeted him and kissed his hands. All three were filled with delight.

  They went into the house and when they were seated, with Karim in the centre of his family, he asked about the two woodcutters who had been working with him and who had left him in the well. His mother said: ‘They came to me and told me that you had been eaten by a wolf in the valley. Then they became merchants in the easiest of circumstances, owning property and shops. Every day they bring me food and drink, and they have done this regularly up until now.’ ‘Go to them tomorrow,’ Karim told her, ‘and say to them: “Karim has come back from his travels, so come and meet him and greet him.” ’

  The next morning, his mother went to the houses of the woodcutters and gave them the message that Karim had told her to bring. When they heard it the two changed colour, but they said: ‘To hear is to obey,’ and each of them presented her with a robe of silk embroidered with gold, telling her to give it to her son to wear and to let him know that they would come to his house the next day. She agreed to this and went back to tell Karim and to hand over the robes that they had given her.

  So much for Karim, but as for the woodcutters, they collected a number of merchants and, after telling them what they had done with him, they asked what they should do now. The merchants said: ‘You must each give him half of your money and of your mamluks.’ All of them agreed to this and each of them brought Karim half of his money and, after they had greeted him and kissed his hands, they presented it to him and said: ‘This comes from the favour that you did us, and we are at your service.’ ‘What is past is past,’ said Karim. ‘This was decreed by God, and fate overcomes caution.’ They then invited him to visit the city with them and to go to the baths, but he told them that he had sworn never to enter the baths again as long as he lived. They then invited him to their homes, where they could entertain him. ‘To hear is to obey,’ he said, and he went home with them and was entertained by each one for a night at a time during the course of a week.

  Karim was now a man of wealth with properties and shops; the other merchants gathered around him, listening to the story of his adventures, and he became one of their leaders. Things went on like this for some time until one day, when he happened to be walking in the city, he came across a friend of his, a bath keeper, who saw him as he was passing the door of the baths. Catching his eye, the bath keeper greeted him, embraced him and said: ‘Do please come in for a bath so that I may entertain you.’ Karim told him about his oath but the man swore that he would divorce his three wives thrice if he did not come in and wash. Karim was at a loss to know what to do and said: ‘Do you want to orphan my children, destroy my house and hang the burden of sin on my neck?’ The man, however, threw himself at Karim’s feet, kissed them and entreated him to enter, saying that the burden of sin would be his. The bath attendants and everyone there gathered around Karim, took him into the baths and stripped him of his clothes, but as soon as he had entered, taken his seat by the wall and poured water over his head, in came twenty men who told him to get up and go with them as he was required by the king.

  The men sent one of their number to the king’s vizier, who, when the news was brought to him, mounted with sixty mamluks and rode to the baths, to meet Karim. The vizier greeted him warmly, gave the bath keeper a hundred dinars and told him to produce a horse for Karim to ride. He and Karim rode off with the escort until they had reached the royal palace, where they all dismounted. They took their seats in the palace, and when food had been brought they ate and drank and then washed their hands. The vizier presented him with two robes of honour, each worth five thousand dinars, and told him: ‘It is by the favour of God and His mercy to us that you have come, for the king, who suffers from leprosy, is on the point of death and we have learned from our books that his life is in your hands.’ Karim was astonished by this, but he went with the vizier and the leading officers of state through the seven doors of the palace until they came into the presence of King Karazdan. Karazdan was king of Persia and lord of the seven climes. In his service were a hundred sultans who sat on chairs of red gold, together with ten thousand paladins, each of whom had a hundred lieutenants, together with a hundred executioners carrying swords and axes. They found the king lying with his face wrapped in a kerchief, groaning with pain. On seeing this, Karim was taken aback by the awe inspired by the king and, after kissing the ground before him, he called down blessings on him. Then the principal vizier, a man named Shamhur, came up to him, greeted him warmly and seated him on a lofty chair at King Karazdan’s right hand.

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that the vizier Shamhur came up to Karim and seated him on a chair at the right hand of King Karazdan. Food was brought in, and after they had eaten, drunk and washed their hands, Shamhur got up and everyone else in the assembly rose out of respect for him. Walking over to Karim, he said: ‘We are at your service. Whatever you wish for, even if this is half the kingdom, we shall give it to you, for the king’s cure is in your hands.’ He took Karim by the hand and led him to the king. Karim uncovered his face and, on looking, he was taken aback to see that the king was in the final stage of his illness. Shamhur then bent over his hand, kissed i
t and repeated: ‘We want you to cure this king, and you can have whatever you ask for. This is what we are looking for from you.’ ‘Yes,’ said Karin, ‘I am certainly the son of Daniel, the prophet of God, but I know nothing of the science of medicine. I was made to study it for thirty days, but, although I wish that I knew enough to cure the king, I learned nothing at all.’ ‘Don’t go on about this,’ Shamhur told him: ‘Were we to gather together all the doctors of the east and the west, no one would be able to cure him but you’. ‘How can I possibly do that,’ asked Karim, ‘when I know nothing about his disease or its cure?’ ‘You can cure him,’ insisted the vizier, and when Karim said: ‘If I knew how, I would do that,’ the vizier explained: ‘You know its cure well enough, for it is the snake queen, and you know where she is, and have seen her and stayed with her.’

  When Karim heard this, he realized that all this had happened because he had gone into the baths and he was full of regret when regret was no longer any use. He said: ‘How can this queen have anything to do with me? I don’t know her and I have never heard this name in all my life.’ ‘Don’t deny that you know her,’ said Shamhur. ‘I have proof that you do and that you stayed with her for two years.’ ‘No, I don’t know her,’ Karim insisted. ‘I have never seen her and the only time that I have heard of her is now, from you.’ Shamhur then produced a book, which he opened and studied before saying: ‘The snake queen will meet a man who will stay with her for two years. Then he will leave her and come back to the surface of the earth and when he goes into the baths his belly will turn black.’ He then told Karim: ‘Look at your belly,’ and when Karim did, he saw that it was black. ‘It has been black from the day of my birth,’ he said, but Shamhur told him: ‘I assigned three mamluks to every bath house with orders to watch everyone who entered, to look at their bellies and to report to me. When you went in, they looked and found that your belly was black and so they sent me word. I had not believed that I would meet you today, but the only thing that I want from you is for you to show me the place from where you came out, after which you can go about your business. We shall be able to seize the snake queen, and we have someone who will bring her to us.’