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

by Penguin; Robert Irwin; Malcolm Lyons; Ursula Lyons

  Al-Abtan continued: ‘I lay down one condition on you: whoever proves unable to open up this treasure will have no right to the book, while whoever succeeds in bringing me the four treasures will be its rightful owner.’ When we had agreed to the condition, he went on: ‘Know, my children, that the treasure of al-Shamardal is under the control of the sons of the Red King. Your father told me that he had tried to uncover it but had failed, and the Red King’s sons had fled from him to an Egyptian lake, known as the lake of Qarun, where they defied him. He followed them to Egypt but was unable to overcome them because the lake into which they had entered was guarded by a talisman, and…’

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when al-Abtan had told this to the brothers, he added that their father had come back defeated, having been unable to take al-Shamardal’s treasure from the sons of the Red King. THE MAGHRIBI WENT ON:

  ‘After this failure,’ al-Abtan said, ‘your father came and complained to me, and I cast a horoscope for him which showed me that the only person who could take the treasure was a young Cairene by the name of Judar, son of ‘Umar, through whom the sons of the Red King could be captured. This Judar was a fisherman, and the place to meet him was by Lake Qarun. The talismanic spell could only be broken if Judar were to tie the hands of whoever was destined to succeed and then throw him into the lake. There the treasure seeker would have to fight with the Red King’s sons; if he was the lucky one, he would manage to seize them, but if not, he would die and his feet would emerge, while in the case of the successful man it would be his hands. Judar would then need to throw him the net and bring him out of the water.’ My brothers said: ‘We will go even if this means our death.’ I said that I would go too, but our brother, the ‘Jew’, told us that he wanted no part of this, and we arranged that he would go to Cairo disguised as a Jewish merchant. If any one of us drowned in the lake, he was to take the mule and the saddlebags from Judar and give him a hundred dinars. The first of us to come to you was killed by the sons of the Red King and they went on to kill my second brother, but they could not get the better of me and so I seized them.

  ‘Where are they, then?’ Judar asked. ‘You saw them, didn’t you?’ the man said. ‘I shut them up in the two boxes.’ ‘But those were fish,’ objected Judar. ‘No, they weren’t,’ replied the man. ‘They were ‘ifrits in the shape of fish. But you must know,’ he went on, ‘that it is you and you alone who can open up the treasure. Are you willing to follow my instructions and to go with me to Fes and Meknes, where we can do this? I will give you whatever you want and I swear that you will be a brother to me in the sight of God. Afterwards you will be able to go back to your family with a happy heart.’ ‘Pilgrim,’ replied Judar, ‘I am responsible for my mother and my two brothers…’

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that Judar told the Maghribi that he was responsible for his mother and his two brothers. ‘It is I who provides for them,’ he went on, ‘and if I go off with you, who will give them their daily bread?’ ‘That is a feeble excuse,’ the man replied, ‘for, if it is a matter of expense, we’ll give you a thousand dinars to pass on to your mother to spend until you get back home, and if you go, you will be back within four months.’ When Judar heard him say ‘a thousand dinars’, he told him: ‘Produce the money, pilgrim, and I will leave it with my mother and go off with you.’ So the man brought it out for him, and on taking it off to his mother, Judar told her of his encounter with the Maghribi. ‘Take these dinars,’ he said, ‘and spend them on yourself and on my brothers, for I am going to the west with the Maghribi. I shall be away for four months and I shall do very well for myself, so pray for me, mother.’ ‘You will make me lonely, my son,’ she told him, ‘and I am afraid for you.’ ‘No harm can come to one whom God protects, and the Maghribi is a good man,’ he told her, and he went on to tell her how lucky he was. She said: ‘May God soften his heart towards you. Go with the man, my son, and perhaps he will give you something.’ So he said goodbye to her and left.

  When he got back, ‘Abd al-Samad, the Maghribi, asked him whether he had consulted his mother. ‘Yes,’ he replied, ‘and she blessed me.’ ‘Get up behind me,’ ‘Abd al-Samad told him, and when he had mounted on the mule’s back the two of them travelled on from noon until the time of the afternoon prayer. By then Judar was hungry, but he could not see that ‘Abd al-Samad had anything to eat with him and so he said: ‘I wonder, pilgrim, whether you have forgotten to bring any food with you to eat on the way.’ ‘Are you hungry?’ the man asked, and when Judar said that he was, he dismounted together with Judar and said: ‘Bring down the saddlebags.’ When Judar had done this, ‘Abd al-Samad asked him: ‘What would you like, my brother?’ ‘Whatever there is,’ replied Judar, but ‘Abd al-Samad insisted that he say what he wanted. ‘Bread and cheese,’ Judar told him. ‘Poor fellow,’ replied ‘Abd al-Samad, ‘that’s not for the likes of you. Ask for something good.’ ‘Just at the moment anything would be good,’ said Judar. ‘Do you like roast chicken?’ he was asked, and when he had said yes, ‘Abd al-Samad asked whether he liked rice with honey. After he had again said yes, ‘Abd al-Samad went on to ask about a string of different dishes, until he had named twenty-four of them. Judar said to himself: ‘He must be mad. How can he produce these for me when he has neither kitchen nor cook? I’d better tell him that that’s enough.’ So he said: ‘Enough of that. Are you trying to make me long for all these dishes when I can’t see anything at all?’ ‘You are welcome, Judar,’ replied ‘Abd al-Samad, and he then put his hand in the saddlebag and brought out a gold plate on which were two hot roast chickens. He put his hand in again and this time he took out another gold plate with a kebab on it, and went on drawing plates from the saddlebag until, to Judar’s astonishment, he had produced every single one of the twenty-four types of food that he had mentioned. ‘Eat, you poor fellow,’ said ‘Abd al-Samad. ‘Sir,’ answered Judar, ‘have you put a kitchen and people to cook for you in the saddlebag?’ ‘Abd al-Samad laughed and said: ‘It has a talismanic charm whose servant, if asked, would immediately produce a thousand different types of food every hour.’ ‘What a good bag it is!’ exclaimed Judar.

  The two companions then ate their fill, after which ‘Abd al-Samad threw away the leftovers and put the empty dishes back in the saddlebag. He reached into it again and drew out a jug from which they drank and which they used for their ablutions before performing the afternoon prayer. ‘Abd al-Samad then returned it to the bag, into which he also put the two boxes. He loaded the saddlebags on to the mule, mounted and told Judar to get up as well, so that they could set off. He asked Judar if he knew how far they had come from Cairo and when Judar said: ‘By God, I don’t,’ he told him: ‘We have covered the distance of a month’s journey.’ ‘How can that be?’ Judar asked, and ‘Abd al-Samad explained: ‘The mule that we are riding is a marid of the jinn, which can cover a year’s journey in a single day, but for your sake it is going slowly.’

  When the two had mounted, they set off westwards. In the evening ‘Abd al-Samad brought out supper from the saddlebags, and in the morning, breakfast. For four days they went on like this, riding until midnight and then dismounting to sleep, before setting off again in the morning, with Judar asking ‘Abd al-Samad for anything he wanted and ‘Abd al-Samad producing it for him from the saddlebags. On the fifth day they arrived at Fes and Meknes, and when they entered the city everyone who met ‘Abd al-Samad greeted him and kissed his hand. That went on until they came to a door on which he knocked. It opened to show a girl radiant as the moon, to whom he said: ‘Rahma, my daughter, open up the pavilion for us.’ ‘Willingly, father,’ she replied, and she went back in, swaying her hips in a way that robbed Judar of his w
its, making him say to himself that she must be a king’s daughter. She opened the door of the pavilion and ‘Abd al-Samad took the saddlebags from the mule’s back and said to it: ‘Go off now, God bless you.’ At that a chasm opened into which the mule went down before the earth closed up again. ‘Sheltering God,’ exclaimed Judar, ‘praise be to You for allowing us to escape from the back of that mule!’ ‘Don’t be surprised, Judar,’ ‘Abd al-Samad said. ‘I told you that this was an ‘ifrit. Now, come into the pavilion with me.’

  They both went in and Judar was astonished at the quantity of splendid furnishings, the rarities, the strings of jewels and the precious stones that he saw there. When they were seated, ‘Abd al-Samad said to his daughter: ‘Rahma, fetch such-and-such a package.’ She got up and brought a package which she put down in front of her father and, when he had opened it, he drew out of it a robe worth a thousand dinars. ‘Put this on, Judar, for you are welcome here,’ he said. Judar did so and it made him look as though he was one of the kings of the west. ‘Abd al-Samad then put his hand into the saddlebags, which he had placed in front of him, and took out plates containing foods of various sorts until he had produced a meal with forty different dishes. ‘Come up and eat,’ he told Judar, ‘and don’t blame me…’

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that when the Maghribi took Judar into the pavilion, he spread a cloth for him on which were forty different types of food. ‘Come and eat,’ he said, ‘and don’t blame me, for I don’t know what food you would like, but if you tell me, I shall get it for you without delay.’ ‘By God, sir pilgrim,’ Judar replied, ‘I am fond of all kinds of foods and there is nothing that I dislike. You don’t need to ask me questions; just bring everything that you can think of and I shall do nothing but eat.’

  Judar stayed with ‘Abd al-Samad for twenty days, on each of which he was given a robe, and food was produced from the saddlebags. ‘Abd al-Samad never bought any meat or bread and never cooked, as he took all that he needed from the saddlebags, including various kinds of fruits. Then, on the twenty-first day, he told Judar to come with him, saying that this was the day on which the treasure of al-Shamardal was destined to be opened. Judar left with him and the two of them walked through the city and then out of it, where they each mounted a mule and travelled on until noon. They came to a river where ‘Abd al-Samad dismounted, and Judar followed his instructions to do the same. ‘Abd al-Samad called to two slaves and gestured to them with his hand, at which they took the mules, each going off on his way, but after a brief absence one of them came back with a tent which he set up, while the other brought a mattress which he laid down in the tent, surrounding it with pillows and cushions. One of them then fetched the two boxes containing the fish, while the other brought the saddlebags. ‘Come here, Judar,’ said ‘Abd al-Samad, and when Judar had come and sat down beside him, ‘Abd al-Samad brought out plates of food from the saddlebags and they ate their morning meal. Then ‘Abd al-Samad took the boxes and recited a spell over them. ‘Here we are, sorcerer of the world, have mercy on us,’ came two voices from within, and while they were calling for help and ‘Abd al-Samad was reciting his spell, the two boxes burst into pieces. As the pieces flew apart, two bound figures appeared, saying: ‘Spare us, sorcerer of the world. What are you going to do with us?’ ‘I am going to burn you to death unless you pledge to help me open the treasure of al-Shamardal,’ ‘Abd al-Samad replied. ‘We give you our pledge and we shall do this for you, but on condition that you fetch Judar, the fisherman, as it is only he who can succeed in opening it, and he alone can enter the treasure chamber.’ ‘I have already brought him, and he is here, listening to you and looking at you.’

  When the two had given ‘Abd al-Samad their word to perform the task, he set them free. Then he brought out a wand and some tablets of red carnelian which he placed on top of the wand. He took a brazier in which he placed charcoal, and with a single puff he lit it, before fetching incense. ‘Judar,’ he said, ‘I am going to recite a spell and put the incense on the fire. When I start my spell, I shall not be able to say anything else lest it be broken, so I want to tell you what you must do in order to reach your goal.’ ‘Tell me, then,’ said Judar, and ‘Abd al-Samad continued: ‘You have to know that when I recite my spell and put the incense on the fire, the water in the river will dry up and you will see a golden door, as big as the gate of a city, with two metal rings. Go down to it, knock on it gently and then wait for a while before knocking again more loudly. Wait again, and then give three knocks, one after the other. You will hear a voice saying: “Who is knocking on the door of the treasure house without knowing how to unravel its mysteries?” You are then to say: “I am Judar, the fisherman, son of ‘Umar.” The door will open and out will come someone with a sword in his hand and he will say: “If you are that man, stretch out your neck and I shall cut off your head.” Do that without fear, for when he lifts the sword up in his hand and strikes you, he will collapse in front of you; you will see him as a lifeless figure and his blow will neither hurt you nor do you any harm, whereas if you disobey him, he will kill you. When by obeying him you have destroyed his talismanic power, go in and knock on another door that you will see there. This time a rider will come out mounted on a horse with a spear carried over his shoulder. He will say: “What has brought you to this place which neither man nor jinn can enter?” When he then brandishes his spear at you, expose your breast to him and he will strike you before collapsing on the spot as a lifeless body. If you don’t do this, he will kill you. Enter the third door and a man will come out to meet you holding a bow and arrows. He will shoot at you and you must expose your breast to him, so that he falls lifeless before you; if you do not, you will be killed. Then go in through the fourth door…’

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

  I have heard, O fortunate king, that the Maghribi told Judar: ‘Go and knock on the fourth door. It will be opened for you and an enormous lion will come out and attack you, opening its mouth to show that it wants to eat you. Don’t be afraid and don’t run away, but when it reaches you, hold out your hand to it and it will instantly fall down, having done you no harm. On entering the fifth door, you will be met by a black slave who will ask you who you are. When you tell him that you are Judar, he will say: “If that is so, then open the sixth door.” Go up to it and say: “ ‘Isa, tell Musa to open the door,” at which it will open. Go through and you will find two snakes, one on the left and the other on the right. Both of them will open their mouths and attack you instantly. You are to hold out your hands to them and each of them will bite a hand, but if you don’t do that, they will kill you. When you go in to knock on the seventh door, your mother will come out and say: “Welcome, my son. Come forward so that I may greet you.” Say to her: “Stay away from me and take off your clothes.” “My son,” she will answer, “I am your mother to whom you owe a debt for having suckled and raised you. How can you make me strip?” You must threaten to kill her if she refuses, and if you look to your right you will find a sword hanging on the wall. Take it and draw it against her, ordering her to take off her clothes. She will try to delude you, humbling herself before you, but have no pity on her and every time that she takes something off, tell her to remove the rest. Keep on threatening to kill her until she has taken off all her clothes, after which she will collapse.

  ‘You will then have unravelled all the mysteries and broken the talismanic spells, so saving your own life. When you enter the treasure chamber, you will find gold lying in heaps, but pay no attention to any of it. At the upper end of the chamber, you will see a recessed room screened by a curtain. Pull aside the curtain and there you will find al-Shamardal, the magician, lying on a golden couch, with, by his head, something round that gleam
s like the moon. This is the celestial globe; he himself is girt with a sword, and on his finger is a ring and round his neck a chain to which is attached a kohl case. Fetch these four treasures and take care not to forget anything that I have told you or to disobey the instructions, for if you do you will have cause for regret and find yourself in fearful danger.’

  ‘Abd al-Samad repeated these instructions a second time and then a third and a fourth, until Judar said: ‘I know them by heart, but how can anyone face these talismans that you have mentioned or endure such fearful horrors?’ ‘Don’t be afraid, Judar,’ ‘Abd al-Samad replied, ‘these are nothing but lifeless figures,’ and he set about calming Judar’s fears until Judar exclaimed: ‘I rely on God!’ After that, ‘Abd al-Samad threw the incense on the fire and started to recite a spell. This went on for some time until the water disappeared and the bed of the river could be seen, showing the door of the treasure chamber. Judar went down and knocked, after which he heard a voice saying: ‘Who is knocking on the door of the treasure house without knowing how to unravel its mysteries?’ When Judar gave his name, the door opened and out to meet him came a figure with a drawn sword, who told him to stretch out his neck. When he did so, the figure struck him and then collapsed. The same thing happened at the second door and this went on until he had put the talismans of all seven doors out of action.