The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 15 - Sir Richard Francis Burton (world best books to read txt) 📗

nor hearing aught, and he was perplext and distraught as to his affair and continued saying, “Would Heaven we had not forgathered with this youth, nor ever had seen the sight of him.” And he ceased not faring till he arrived at his own house, where he changed his dress and fell to threading the thoroughfares of Baghdad, which in the time of Harun al-Rashid was a mighty great city, and in every street he entered he sought intelligence and questioned the folk concerning every affair which had happened in town from dawn to dark, but he hit upon no trace nor information manifest touching this matter. On the second day it was the same, and nothing became known to him between morning and evening; but on the third day as he fared forth he repeated these words,

 

“With the King be familiar and ‘ware his wrath * Nor be wilful when cometh his order ‘Do.’”

 

And he crossed and recrossed the city until it was noontide without aught of novelty appearing to him, so he returned to his mansion where he had a confidential nurse whom he apprised of the tidings, and concealing naught from her said, “Verily the term allowed to me by the King is until set of sun, at which time unless I bring him the information required he will cut off my head.” Thereupon the Kahram�nah went forth and circled through the city until it was midafternoon, but she brought back no fresh tidings; whereat Ja’afar cried, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!” Now the Wazir had a sister who lived single in his home with her women and eunuchs, and he said to himself, “I will go to my sister Budur and solace myself by conversing awhile with her and farewell her: haply Fate is not afar.” This sister was yet unwedded for none dared come forward and propose marriage to her, albeit in the city of Baghdad not one was her peer in beauty, even amongst the women of the Caliph. Accordingly he turned towards her apartment and entered therein, when she met him upon the threshold of the gate, and as she saw him changed of condition she cried, “No harm to thee, O my brother, verily thou art altered in case;” and he replied, “Indeed I have fallen into evil plight and into a matter of affright, whereupon naught can deliver me save the power of Allah of All-might, and unless the affair be made evident to me by the morning the Caliph will cut off my head.” Then he related to her the affair from beginning to end, and she, when she heard the words of her brother, waxed wan of colour, and was altered in case and said, “O brother mine, give me immunity and a binding bond when I will explain to thee the matter of this youth.” Hereat calmed was his affright, and his heart was satisfied quite, and he gave her promise of safety and a binding bond and contract not to harm her; whereupon said she to him, “O my brother, womankind was created for mankind, and mankind was created for womankind, and albe falsehood is an excuse, yet soothfastness is more saving and safe-guiding. The whole of this business is mine and I am she who married him and made with him that condition which he accepted for himself, being contented with the covenant and its penalty.” Now when Ja’afar heard these words spoken to him by his sister concerning the case of Manjab, he outwardly made merry but he inwardly mourned, for that he had forbidden her to wed, and she had worked this craft and had given herself away to wife. Hereupon he arose without stay or delay and fared forth until he went in to the Caliph Harun al-Rashid whom he blessed and greeted, and the King, having returned his salam, asked him, “Hast thou brought to me the required tidings, O Ja’afar?” The Wazir answered, “Yes, O my lord, the news hath become manifest and ‘tis certified to me that this is a private matter; and had not the Creator favoured me by forgathering with the young lady in her substance and accidence and had I not met her at a term not appointed, I should have been done to die.” Quoth the Caliph, “And who is she that I may requite her for her deeds and for what she hath practiced upon Manjab, who verily deserveth not that which hath betided him, although he may have been somewhat in fault.” Then Ja’afar came forward and craved pardon from the Caliph in token of honour for his sister’s sake, and quoth his lord, “O Ja’afar, thou hast declared that she it is with whom thou hast forgathered.” Quoth Ja’afar, “O Prince of True Believers, the same is my sister Budur.” But when the Caliph heard these words, he asked, “O

Ja’afar, and why did thy sister do such deed?” and the Wazir answered, “Whatso is fated shall take place nor shall any defer the predestined nor forbid it when decreed, nor hasten it when forbidden. This thing which hath happened was of no profit to anyone and whatever thou shalt ordain that shall be done.”

Thereat Manjab after saluting the Caliph, accompanied Ja’afar to the house of his sister, and when they went in the Wazir made peace between the two, and the Caliph largessed the youth with most sumptuous presents. Now the Caliph every year at times appointed was accustomed to go by night in disguise to the house of Manjab accompanied by Ja’afar for the sake of hearing music, and one night of the nights he said to the youth, “Alhamdolillah—Glory be to God—O Manjab, that I have caused reunion between thee and Budur, thy beloved; but I desire that thou tell me some tale which shall be rare and shall broaden my breast.” The youth replied, “Hearing and obeying,”—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!”

Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night, an the King suffer me to survive?”

Now when it was the next night, and that was The Six Hundred and Fifty-first Night, Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King and Caliph, Harun al-Rashid, bade the youth Manjab tell him some tale of the Kings of old and he replied, “Hearkening and obedience, O Prince of True Believers;” and thereupon he fell recounting the

 

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

 

It is related (but Allah is All-knowing of hidden things and All-wise!) that in the days of a King called Dahm�r[FN#151] there was a barber who had in his booth a boy for apprentice and one day of the days there came in a Darwaysh man who took seat and turning to the lad saw that he was a model of beauty and loveliness and stature and symmetric grace. So he asked him for a mirror and when it was brought he took it and considered his face therein and combed his beard, after which he put hand in pouch and pulling out an Ashrafi of gold set it upon the looking-glass which he gave back to the boy.[FN#152] Hereupon the barber turned towards the beggar and wondered in himself and said, “Praise be to Allah, albeit this man be a Fakir yet he placeth a golden piece upon the mirror, and surely this is a marvellous matter.”

Hereupon the Darwaysh went his ways, and on the following day he suddenly made his appearance and entering the booth called for a looking-glass from the barber’s prentice and when it was handed to him combed his beard after he had looked at his features therein; then, bringing forth an Ashrafi, he set it upon the mirror and gave it back to the boy; and the barber marvelled yet the more to see the Fakir rising up and wending his ways.[FN#153]

The beggar ceased not coming every day and gazing at himself in the glass and laying down his ducat, whereat the barber said to himself, “By Allah, indeed this Darwaysh must have some object of his own and haply he is in love with the lad my prentice and I fear from the beggar lest he seduce the boy and take him away from me.” Hereat he cried, “O boy, when the Darwaysh shall come to thee draw thou not anear him; and when he demandeth the looking-glass give it not to him; for I myself will do so.” On the third day behold, the Fakir appeared according to his custom and asked for the mirror from the boy who wittingly disregarded him, whereupon he turned towards him and waxed wroth[FN#154] and was like to slay him. The apprentice was terrified at his rage and gave him the looking-glass whilst he was still an-angered; but when the man had reviewed himself therein and had combed his beard and had finished his need, he brought out ten dinars of gold and setting them upon the mirror handed them to the lad.

Seeing this the barber wondered anew with extreme wonderment, saying to himself, “By Allah, this Darwaysh cometh daily and layeth down an Ashrafi, but this day he hath given ten gold pieces; withal there accrueth not to me from my shop even half a piastre of daily wage. However, O Boy, when the man shall come hither, as is his wont, do thou spread for him a prayer-rug in the inner room of the shop, lest the people seeing his constant visits should have ill suspicions of us.” “Yes!” said the lad. So when it was the next day the Fakir came and went into the ben whither he was shown by the boy, and he followed him till they were in the innermost of the booth. Now the heart of this Religious hung to the love of the barber’s boy for that he had of beauty and perfection and he continued frequenting the shop every day whilst the lad ceased not spreading the rug and receiving upon the mirror ten Ashrafis. Hereat the barber and his apprentice rejoiced till one day of the days when the Darwaysh came to the shaving-shop, as was his wont, where he met none but only the boy nor was there any other in sight. So he asked concerning his employer and the other answered, “O uncle, my master hath gone forth to solace himself with seeing the casting of the cannon; for this day the Sultan and the Wazir and the Lords of the land will all be present thereat.” Said he, “O my son, go thou with us and we will also enjoy the spectacle and return before the rest of the folk, ere thy master can be back, and we will enjoy ourselves and make merry and look at the sport before I set out upon my journey, for ‘tis my intention this day to go forth about noontide.” Quoth the lad, “‘Tis well O uncle;”

and arising he locked the shop-door and walked with the Darwaysh till they reached the spot where the cannon were being cast.

There they found the Sultan and the Wazirs and the Chamberlains and the Lords of the land and the Grandees of the realm all standing in a