by Muhsin Mahdi
After a while, there began to emerge from the jar a great column of smoke, which rose and spread over the face of the earth, increasing so much that it covered the sea and rising so high that it reached the clouds and hid the daylight. For a long time, the smoke kept rising from the jar; then it gathered and took shape, and suddenly it shook and there stood a demon, with his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds. He had a head like a tomb, fangs like pincers, a mouth like a cave, teeth like stones, nostrils like trumpets, ears like shields, a throat like an alley, and eyes like lanterns. In short, all one can say is that he was a hideous monster. When the fisherman saw him, he shook with terror, his jaws locked together, and his mouth went dry. The demon cried, “O Solomon,9 prophet of God, forgive me, forgive me. Never again will I disobey you or defy your command.”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and amazing story!” Shahrazad replied, “Tomorrow night I shall tell you something stranger and more amazing if I stay alive.”
THE TENTH NIGHT
The following night, when Shahrazad was in bed with King Shahrayar, her sister Dinarzad said, “Please, sister, finish the story of the fisherman.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure”:
I heard, O happy King, that when the fisherman heard what the demon said, he asked, “Demon, what are you saying? It has been more than one thousand and eight hundred years since the prophet Solomon died, and we are now ages later. What is your story, and why were you in this jar?” When the demon heard the fisherman, he said, “Be glad!” The fisherman cried, “O happy day!” The demon added, “Be glad that you will soon be put to death.” The fisherman said, “You deserve to be put to shame for such tidings. Why do you wish to kill me, I who have released you and delivered you from the bottom of the sea and brought you back to this world?” The demon replied, “Make a wish!” The fisherman was happy and asked, “What shall I wish of you?” The demon replied, “Tell me how you wish to die, and what manner of death you wish me to choose.” The fisherman asked, “What is my crime? Is this my reward from you for having delivered you?” The demon replied, “Fisherman, listen to my story.” The fisherman said, “Make it short, for I am at my rope’s end.”
The demon said, “You should know that I am one of the renegade, rebellious demons. I, together with the giant Sakhr, rebelled against the prophet Solomon, the son of David, who sent against me Asif ibn-Barkhiya, who took me by force and bade me be led in defeat and humiliation before the prophet Solomon. When the prophet Solomon saw me, he invoked God to protect him from me and my looks and asked me to submit to him, but I refused. So he called for this brass jar, confined me inside, and sealed it with a lead seal on which he imprinted God’s Almighty name. Then he commanded his demons to carry me and throw me into the middle of the sea. I stayed there for two hundred years, saying to myself, ‘Whoever sets me free during these two hundred years, I will make him rich.’ But the two hundred years went by and were followed by another two hundred, and no one set me free, Then I vowed to myself, ‘Whoever sets me free, I will open for him all the treasures of the earth,’ but four hundred years went by, and no one set me free. When I entered the next hundred years, I vowed to myself, ‘Whoever delivers me, during these hundred years, I will make him king, make myself his servant, and fulfill every day three of his wishes,’ but that hundred years too, plus all the intervening years, went by, and no one set me free. Then I raged and raved and growled and snorted and said to myself, ‘Whoever delivers me from now on, I will either put him to the worst of deaths or let him choose for himself the manner of death.’ Soon you came by and set me free. Tell me how you wish to die.”
When the fisherman heard what the demon said, he replied, “To God we belong and to Him we return. After all these years, with my bad luck, I had to set you free now. Forgive me, and God will grant you forgiveness. Destroy me, and God will inflict on you one who will destroy you.” The demon replied, “It must be. Tell me how you wish to die.” When the fisherman was certain that he was going to die, he mourned and wept, saying, “O my children, may God not deprive us of each other.” Again he turned to the demon and said, “For God’s sake, release me as a reward for releasing you and delivering you from this jar.” The demon replied, “Your death is your reward for releasing me and letting me escape.” The fisherman said, “I did you a good turn, and you are about to repay me with a bad one. How true is the sentiment of the following lines:
Our kindness they repaid with ugly deeds,
Upon my life, the deeds of men depraved.
He who the undeserving aids will meet
The fate of him who the hyena saved.”
The demon said, “Be brief, for as I have said, I must kill you.” Then the fisherman thought to himself, “He is only a demon, while I am a human being, whom God has endowed with reason and thereby made superior to him. He may use his demonic wiles on me, but I will use my reason to deal with him.” Then he asked the demon, “Must you kill me?” When the demon replied, “I must,” the fisherman said, “By the Almighty name that was engraved on the ring of Solomon the son of David, will you answer me truthfully if I ask you about something?” The demon was upset and said with a shudder, “Ask, and be brief!”
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what an amazing and lovely story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live! It will be even more amazing.”
THE ELEVENTH NIGHT
The following night Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, “Sister, if you are not sleepy, finish the story of the fisherman and the demon.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure”:
I heard, O King, that the fisherman said, “By the Almighty name, tell me whether you really were inside this jar.” The demon replied, “By the Almighty name, I was imprisoned in this jar.” The fisherman said, “You are lying, for this jar is not large enough, not even for your hands and feet. How can it be large enough for your whole body?” The demon replied, “By God, I was inside. Don’t you believe that I was inside it?” The fisherman said, “No, I don’t.” Whereupon the demon shook himself and turned into smoke, which rose, stretched over the sea, spread over the land, then gathered, and, little by little, began to enter the jar. When the smoke disappeared completely, the demon shouted from within, “Fisherman, here I am in the jar. Do you believe me now?”
The fisherman at once took out the sealed lead stopper and hurriedly clamped it on the mouth of the jar. Then he cried out, “Demon, now tell me how you wish to die. For I will throw you into this sea, build a house right here, and sit here and stop any fisherman who comes to fish and warn him that there is a demon here, who will kill whoever pulls him out and who will let him choose how he wishes to die.” When the demon heard what the fisherman said and found himself imprisoned, he tried to get out but could not, for he was prevented by the seal of Solomon the son of David. Realizing that the fisherman had tricked him, the demon said, “Fisherman, don’t do this to me. I was only joking with you.” The fisherman replied, “You are lying, you the dirtiest and meanest of demons,” and began to roll the jar toward the sea. The demon shouted, “Don’t, don’t!” But the fisherman replied, “Yes, yes.” Then in a soft and submissive voice the demon asked, “Fisherman, what do you intend to do?” The fisherman replied, “I intend to throw you into the sea. The first time you stayed there for eight hundred years. This time I will let you stay until Doomsday. Haven’t I said to you, ‘Spare me, and God will spare you. Destroy me, and God will destroy you’? But you refused, and persisted in your resolve to do me in and kill me. Now it is my turn to do you in.” The demon said, “Fisherman, if you open the jar, I will reward you and make you rich.” The fisherman replied, “You are lying, you are lying. Your situation and mine is like that of King Yunan and the sage Duban.” The demon asked, “What is their story?” The fis
herman said:
6. Cluster of stars in the constellation of Taurus
7. When Moses and the Jews fled from Egypt, pursued by the pharaoh and his army, Moses struck the water of the Red Sea with his stick, and the sea parted, so that he and his people were able to cross safely into Sinai, while his pursuers were drowned. Moses is a prophet in Islam, as well.
8. A ring that houses a precious or semiprecious stone (usually agate) engraved with the name of a person and used to imprint a signature, or in other instances engraved with talismanic words and used as a charm.
9. The Old Testament king and son of David.
[The Tale of King Yunan and the Sage Duban]
DEMON, THERE WAS once a king called Yunan, who reigned in one of the cities of Persia, in the province of Zuman.1 This king was afflicted with leprosy, which had defied the physicians and the sages, who, for all the medicines they gave him to drink and all the ointments they applied, were unable to cure him. One day there came to the city of King Yunan a sage called Duban. This sage had read all sorts of books, Greek, Persian, Turkish, Arabic, Byzantine, Syriac, and Hebrew, had studied the sciences, and had learned their groundwork, as well as their principles and basic benefits. Thus he was versed in all the sciences, from philosophy to the lore of plants and herbs, the harmful as well as the beneficial. A few days after he arrived in the city of King Yunan, the sage heard about the king and his leprosy and the fact that the physicians and the sages were unable to cure him. On the following day, when God’s morning dawned and His sun rose, the sage Duban put on his best clothes, went to King Yunan and, introducing himself, said, “Your Majesty, I have heard of that which has afflicted your body and heard that many physicians have treated you without finding a way to cure you. Your Majesty, I can treat you without giving you any medicine to drink or ointment to apply.” When the king heard this, he said, “If you succeed, I will bestow on you riches that would be enough for you and your grandchildren. I will bestow favors on you, and I will make you my companion and friend.” The king bestowed robes of honor on the sage, treated him kindly, and then asked him, “Can you really cure me from my leprosy without any medicine to drink or ointment to apply?” The sage replied, “Yes, I will cure you externally.” The king was astonished, and he began to feel respect as well as great affection for the sage. He said, “Now, sage, do what you have promised.” The sage replied, “I hear and obey. I will do it tomorrow morning, the Almighty God willing.” Then the sage went to the city, rented a house, and there he distilled and extracted medicines and drugs. Then with his great knowledge and skill, he fashioned a mallet with a curved end, hollowed the mallet, as well as the handle, and filled the handle with his medicines and drugs. He likewise made a ball. When he had perfected and prepared everything, he went on the following day to King Yunan and kissed the ground before him.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then her sister Dinarzad said, “What a lovely story!” Shahrazad replied, “You have heard nothing yet. Tomorrow night I shall tell you something stranger and more amazing if the king spares me and lets me live!”
THE TWELFTH NIGHT
The following night Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, “Please, sister, finish the rest of the story of the fisherman and the demon.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure”:
I heard, O King, that the fisherman said to the demon:
The sage Duban came to King Yunan and asked him to ride to the playground to play with the ball and mallet. The king rode out, attended by his chamberlains, princes, viziers, and lords and eminent men of the realm. When the king was seated, the sage Duban entered, offered him the mallet, and said, “O happy King, take this mallet, hold it in your hand, and as you race on the playground, hold the grip tightly in your fist, and hit the ball. Race until you perspire, and the medicine will ooze from the grip into your perspiring hand, spread to your wrist, and circulate through your entire body. After you perspire and the medicine spreads in your body, return to your royal palace, take a bath, and go to sleep. You will wake up cured, and that is all there is to it.” King Yunan took the mallet from the sage Duban and mounted his horse. The attendants threw the ball before the king, who, holding the grip tightly in his fist, followed it and struggled excitedly to catch up with it and hit it. He kept galloping after the ball and hitting it until his palm and the rest of his body began to perspire, and the medicine began to ooze from the handle and flow through his entire body. When the sage Duban was certain that the medicine had oozed and spread through the king’s body, he advised him to return to his palace and go immediately to the bath. The king went to the bath and washed himself thoroughly. Then he put on his clothes, left the bath, and returned to his palace.
As for the sage Duban, he spent the night at home, and early in the morning, he went to the palace and asked for permission to see the king. When he was allowed in, he entered and kissed the ground before the king; then, pointing toward him with his hand, he began to recite the following verses:
The virtues you fostered are great;
For who but you could sire them?
Yours is the face whose radiant light
Effaces the night dark and grim.
Forever beams your radiant face;
That of the world is still in gloom.
You rained on us with ample grace,
As the clouds rain on thirsty hills,
Expending your munificence,
Attaining your magnificence.
When the sage Duban finished reciting these verses, the king stood up and embraced him. Then he seated the sage beside him, and with attentiveness and smiles, engaged him in conversation. Then the king bestowed on the sage robes of honor, gave him gifts and endowments, and granted his wishes. For when the king had looked at himself the morning after the bath, he found that his body was clear of leprosy, as clear and pure as silver. He therefore felt exceedingly happy and in a very generous mood. Thus when he went in the morning to the reception hall and sat on his throne, attended by the Mamluks2 and chamberlains, in the company of the viziers and the lords of the realm, and the sage Duban presented himself, as we have mentioned, the king stood up, embraced him, and seated him beside him. He treated him attentively and drank and ate with him.
But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then her sister Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a lovely story!” Shahrazad replied, “The rest of the story is stranger and more amazing. If the king spares me and I am alive tomorrow night, I shall tell you something even more entertaining.”
THE THIRTEENTH NIGHT
The following night Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, “Sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little tales to while away the night.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure”:
I heard, O happy King who is praiseworthy by the Grace of God, that King Yunan bestowed favors on the sage, gave him robes of honor, and granted his wishes. At the end of the day he gave the sage a thousand dinars and sent him home. The king, who was amazed at the skill of the sage Duban, said to himself, “This man has treated me externally, without giving me any draught to drink or ointment to apply. His is indeed a great wisdom for which he deserves to be honored and rewarded. He shall become my companion, confidant, and close friend.” Then the king spent the night, happy at his recovery from his illness, at his good health, and at the soundness of his body. When morning came and it was light, the king went to the royal reception hall and sat on the throne, attended by his chief officers, while the princes, viziers, and lords of the realm sat to his right and left. Then the king called for the sage, and when the sage entered and kissed the ground before him, the king stood up to salute him, seated him beside him, and invited him to eat with him. The king treated him intimately, showed him favors, and bestowed on him robes of honor and many other gifts. Then he spent the whole day conversing with him, and at the end of the day he ordered that he be given a thousand dinars. The sage went home and spent the nigh
t with his wife, feeling happy and thankful to God the Arbiter.
In the morning, the king went to the royal reception hall, and the princes and viziers came to stand in attendance. It happened that King Yunan had a vizier who was sinister, greedy, envious, and fretful, and when he saw that the sage had found favor with the king, who bestowed on him much money and many robes of honor, he feared that the king would dismiss him and appoint the sage in his place; therefore, he envied the sage and harbored ill will against him, for “nobody is free from envy.” The envious vizier approached the king and, kissing the ground before him, said, “O excellent King and glorious Lord, it was by your kindness and with your blessing that I rose to prominence; therefore, if I fail to advise you on a grave matter, I am not my father’s son. If the great King and noble Lord commands, I shall disclose the matter to him,” The king was upset and asked, “Damn you, what advice have you got?” The vizier replied, “Your Majesty, ‘He who considers not the end, fortune is not his friend.’ I have seen your Majesty make a mistake, for you have bestowed favors on your enemy who has come to destroy your power and steal your wealth. Indeed, you have pampered him and shown him many favors, but I fear that he will do you harm.” The king asked, “Whom do you accuse, whom do you have in mind, and at whom do you point the finger?” The vizier replied, “If you are asleep, wake up, for I point the finger at the sage Duban, who has come from Byzantium.” The king replied, “Damn you, is he my enemy? To me he is the most faithful, the dearest, and the most favored of people, for this sage has treated me simply by making me hold something in my hand and has cured me from the disease that had defied the physicians and the sages and rendered them helpless. In all the world, east and west, near and far, there is no one like him, yet you accuse him of such a thing. From this day onward, I will give him every month a thousand dinars, in addition to his rations and regular salary. Even if I were to share my wealth and my kingdom with him, it would be less than he deserves. I think that you have said what you said because you envy him. This is very much like the situation in the story told by the vizier of King Sindbad3 when the king wanted to kill his own son.”