The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 8 - Sir Richard Francis Burton (best e reader for epub .TXT) 📗

Now when the twain entered, the elders rose to them and did them honour; whereupon Abu al-Ruwaysh signed to them to dismiss their scholars and they did so. Then the four arose and seating themselves before that Shaykh, asked him of the case of Hasan to whom he said, “Tell the company thy tale and all that hath betided thee from the beginning of thine adventure to the end.” So Hasan wept with sore weeping and related to them his story with Bahram; whereupon all the Shaykhs cried out and said, “Is this indeed he whom the Magian caused to climb the Mountain of Clouds by means of the vultures, sewn up in the camel-hide?” And Hasan said, “Yes.” So they turned to the Shaykh, Abu al-Ruwaysh and said to him, “O our Shaykh, of a truth Bahram contrived his mounting to the mountaintop; but how came he down and what marvels saw he there?” And Abu al-Ruwaysh said, “O Hasan, tell them how thou camest down and acquaint them with what thou sawest of marvels.”

So he told them all that had befallen him, first and last; how he had gotten the Magian into his power and slain him, how he had delivered the youth from him and sent him back to his own country, and how he had captured the King’s daughter of the Jinn and married her; yet had she played him false and taken the two boys she had borne him and flown away; brief, he related to them all the hardships and horrors he had undergone; whereat they marvelled, each and every, and said to Abu al-Ruwaysh, “O elder of elders, verily by Allah, this youth is to be pitied! But belike thou wilt aid him to recover his wife and wees.”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and Third Night, She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Hasan told his tale to the elders, they said to Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh, “This youth is to be pitied and haply thou wilt aid him to recover his wife and wees.” He replied, “O my brothers, in very sooth this is a grave matter and a perilous; and never saw I any loathe his life save this youth. You know that the Islands of Wak are hard of access and that none may come to them but at risk of life; and ye know also the strength of their people and their guards. Moreover I have sworn an oath not to tread their soil nor transgress against them in aught; so how shall this man come at the daughter of the Great King, and who hath power to bring him to her or help him in this matter?” Replied the other, “O Shaykh of Shaykhs, verily this man is consumed with desire and he hath endangered himself to bring thee a scroll from thy brother Abd al-Kaddus; wherefore it behoveth thee to help him.”

And Hasan arose and kissed Abu al-Ruwaysh’s feet and raising the hem of his garment laid it on his head, weeping and crying. “I beseech thee, by Allah, to reunite me with my wife and children, though it cost me my life and my soul!” The four elders all wept for his weeping and said to Abu al-Ruwaysh, “Deal generously with this unhappy and show him kindness for the sake of thy brother Abd al-Kaddus and profit by this occasion to earn reward from Allah for helping him.” Quoth he, “This wilful youth weeteth not what he undertaketh; but Inshallah! we will help him after the measure of our means, nor leave aught feasible undone.” When Hasan heard the Shaykh’s word he rejoiced and kissed the hands of the five elders, one after other, imploring their aidance.

Thereupon Abd al-Ruwaysh took inkcase and a sheet of paper and wrote a letter, which he sealed and gave to Hasan, together with a pouch of perfumed leather,[FN#116] containing incense and fire-sticks[FN#117] and other needs, and said to him, “Take strictest care of this pouch, and whenas thou fallest into any strait, burn a little of the incense therein and name my name, whereupon I will be with thee forthright and save thee from thy stress.” Moreover, he bade one of those present fetch him an Ifrit of the Flying Jinn; and he did so incontinently; whereupon quoth Abu al-Ruwaysh to the fire-drake, “What is thy name!”

Replied the Ifrit, “Thy thrall is hight Dahnash bin Faktash.” And the Shaykh said “Draw near to me!” So Dahnash drew near to him and he put his mouth to his ear and said somewhat to him, whereat the Ifrit shook his head and answered, “I accept, O elder of elders!” Then said Abu al-Ruwaysh to Hasan, “Arise, O my son, mount the shoulders of this Ifrit, Dahnash the Flyer; but, when he heaveth thee heavenwards and thou hearest the angels glorifying God a-welkin with ‘Subh�na Il�h,’ have a care lest thou do the like; else wilt thou perish and he too.” Hasan replied, “I will not say a word; no, never;” and the old man continued, “O Hasan, after faring with thee all this day, tomorrow at peep of dawn he will set thee down in a land cleanly white, like unto camphor, whereupon do thou walk on ten days by thyself, till thou come to the gate of a city. Then enter and enquire for the King of the city; and when thou comest to his presence, salute him with the salam and kiss his hand: then give him this scroll and consider well whatso he shall counsel thee,”

Hasan replied, “Hearing and obeying,” and rose up and mounted the Ifrit’s shoulders, whilst the elders rose and offered up prayers for him and commended him to the care of Dahnash the Firedrake.

And when he had perched on the Flyer’s back the Ifrit soared with him to the very confines of the sky, till he heard the angels glorifying God in Heaven, and flew on with him a day and a night till at dawn of the next day he set him down in a land white as camphor, and went his way, leaving him there. When Hasan found himself in the land aforesaid with none by his side he fared on night and day for ten days, till he came to the gate of the city in question and entering, enquired for the King. They directed him to him and told him that his name was King Hass�n,[FN#118]

Lord of the Land of Camphor, and that he had troops and soldiers enough to fill the earth in its length and breadth. So he sought audience of him and, being admitted to his presence, found him a mighty King and kissed ground between his hands. Quoth the King, “What is thy want?” Whereupon Hasan kissed the letter and gave it to him. The King read it and shook his head awhile, then said to one of his officers, “Take this youth and lodge him in the house of hospitality.” So he took him and stablished him in the guest-house, where he tarried three days, eating and drinking and seeing none but the eunuch who waited on him and who entertained him with discourse and cheered him with his company, questioning him of his case and how he came to that city; whereupon he told him his whole story, and the perilous condition wherein he was.

On the fourth day, that eunuch carried him before the King, who said to him, “O Hasan, thou comest to me, seeking to enter the Islands of Wak, as the Shaykh of Shaykhs adviseth me. O my son, I would send thee thither this very day, but that by the way are many perils and thirsty wolds full of terrors; yet do thou have patience and naught save fair shall befal thee, for needs must I devise to bring thee to thy desire, Inshallah! Know, O my son, that here is a mighty host,[FN#119] equipped with arms and steeds and warlike gear, who long to enter the Wak Islands and lack power thereto. But, O my son, for the sake of the Shaykh Abu al-Ruwaysh, son of Bilkis,[FN#120] the daughter of Mu’in, I may not send thee back to him unfulfilled of thine affair. Presently there will come to us ships from the Islands of Wak and the first that shall arrive I will send thee on board of her and give thee in charge to the sailors, so they may take care of thee and carry thee to the Islands. If any question thee of thy case and condition, answer him saying, ‘I am kinsman to King Hassun, Lord of the Land of Camphor;’ and when the ship shall make fast to the shore of the Islands of Wak and the master shall bid thee land, do thou land. Now as soon as thou comest ashore, thou wilt see a multitude of wooden settles all about the beach, of which do thou choose thee one and crouch under it and stir not. And when dark night sets in, thou wilt see an army of women appear and flock about the goods landed from the ship, and one of them will sit down on the settle, under which thou hast hidden thyself, whereupon do thou put forth thy hand to her and take hold of her and implore her protection. And know thou, O my son, that an she accord thee protection, thou wilt win thy wish and regain thy wife and children; but, if she refuse to protect thee, make thy mourning for thyself and give up all hope of life, and make sure of death for indeed thou art a dead man. Understand, O my son, that thou adventurest thy life and this is all I can do for thee, and—the peace!”—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

 

When it was the Eight Hundred and Fourth Night, She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Hassun spake these words to Hasan and charged him as we have related, ending with, “This is all I can do for thee and know that except the Lord of Heaven had aided thee, thou hadst not come hither!” The youth wept till he swooned away, and when he recovered, he recited these two couplets, “A term decreed my lot I ‘spy; * And, when its days shall end, I die.

Though lions fought with me in lair * If Time be mine I’d beat them, I!”

 

Then having ended his verse he kissed the ground before the Sovran and said to him, “O mighty King, how many days remain till the coming of the ships?” Replied the other, “In a month’s time they will come and will tarry here, selling their cargueson, other two months, after which they will return to their own country; so hope not to set out save after three whole months.”

Then the King bade him return to the house of hospitality and bade supply him with all that he needed of meat and drink and raiment fit for Kings. Hasan abode in the guest-house a month, at the end of which the vessels arrived and the King and the merchants went forth to them, taking Hasan with them. Amongst them he saw a ship with much people therein, like the shingles for number; none knew their tale save He who created them. She was anchored in mid-harbour and had cocks which transported her lading to the shore. So Hasan abode till the crew had landed all the goods and sold and bought and to the time of departure there wanted but three days; whereupon the King sent for him and equipped him with all he required and gave him great gifts: after which he summoned the captain of the great