Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 5 (of 6)

Chapter XVI: Part 16

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Whilome in Cairo-city there was a man famed as a Lack-tact and another in Damascus was celebrated for the like quality. Each had heard of his compeer and longed to forgather with him and sundry folk said to the Syrian, "Verily the Lack-tact of Egypt is sharper than thou and a cleverer physiognomist and more intelligent, and more penetrating, and much better company; also he excelleth thee in debate proving the superiority of his lack of tact." Whereto the Damascene would reply, "No, by Allah, I am more tasteful in my lack of tact than yon Cairene;" but his people ceased not to bespeak him on this wise until his heart was filled full of their words; so one day of the days he cried, "By Allah, there is no help for it but I fare for Cairo and forgather with her Lack-tact." Hereupon he journeyed from Damascus and ceased not wayfaring till he reached Cairo. The time was about set of sun and the first who met him on the road was a woman; so he asked her concerning certain of the highways of the city and she answered, "What a Lack-tact thou must be to put such a question at such an hour! Whoso entereth a strange place in the morning enquireth about its highways, but whoso entereth at eventide asketh about its caravanserai[FN#594] wherein he may night." "Sooth thou sayest," rejoined he, "but my lack of tact hath weakened my wits." He then sought news of the Khans and they showed him one whereto he repaired and passed the night; and in the morning--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-seventh 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 Lack-tact of Damascus passed the night in the Wak�lah and in the morning he went forth and wandered about the highways of Cairo questing her Lack-tact; and, when they informed him of his rival's whereabouts, he forgathered with him and was received with an honorable reception and was welcomed and kindly entreated and comfortably seated that the twain might talk over the news of the world. Presently quoth the Lack-tact of Damascus to the Lack-tact of Cairo, "I would that we two test each other's quality by playing a prank in turn; and whoso shall be preferred by the testimony of the general, he shall lord it over his rival." The Cairene asked, "Which of us shall begin?" and the Damascene answered, "I," whereto the other rejoined, "Do whatso thou willest." So the Syrian went forth and hired him an ass which he drove out of the city to a neighbouring clump of Ausaj-bushes[FN#595] and other thorns whereof he cut down a donkey-load, and setting the net-full upon the beast's back returned to the city. He then made for the B�b al-Nasr,[FN#596] but he could not enter for the crowding of the folk frequenting it and the Cairene was gladdened by his doings: so the man stinted not standing there with his ass and load of thorns till morn was near, when he lost his temper and urged his beast close up to the gate. By so doing all the garments of the wayfarers which were caught by the Ausaj-thorns were torn to rags and tatters, and some of the people beat him and others buffetted him and others shoved him about saying, "What a superior Lack-tact thou art! Allah ruin thy natal realm! Thou hast torn folk's dress to rags and tatters with that load of thorns." Still he drave his donkey onwards albeit the people cried to him, "O man, withdraw thee, the passengers are all jammed at the gate;" but he would not retire and those present dealt him more blows and abuse. Hereat he only cried, "Let me pass through!" and pushed on whereby he obtained a severer beating. This lasted till mid-afternoon, for he could on nowise enter by reason of the crush at the B�b al-Nasr; but about sundown the crowd thinned and so he drove on his ass and passed the gate. Then quoth to him the Cairene, "What is this thou hast done? This is mere horseplay[FN#597] and not lack of tact." Now on the morning of the next day the Lack-tact of Cairo was required to play his prank even as the Damascene had done; so he rose up and girded his loins and tucked up his sleeves and took up a tray--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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-eighth Night,

Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be not sleeping, 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 Egyptian rose up and girded his loins and tucked up his sleeves, and taking him a tray said to the Syrian, "Up and after me and see what I shall do." Then he went out tray on head, and foregoing the Damascene to a flower-garden he gathered a bundle of blooms and sweet-scented herbs, pinks and roses and basil and pennyroyal[FN#598] and marjoram and other such, until the tray was filled, after which he turned to town. About noontide he repaired to one of the Cathedral-mosques and entered the lavatory,[FN#599] around which were some fifteen privies:[FN#600] so he stood amiddlemost the floor considering the folk as they entered the jakes to do their jobs in private lest the bazar-people come upon them during their easement. And all were sore pressed wanting to pass urine or to skite; so whenever a man entered the place in a hurry he would draw the door to. Then the Lack-tact of Cairo would pull the door open, and go in to him carrying a posy of perfumed herbs, and would say, "Thy favour![FN#601] O my brother," and the man would shout out saying, "Allah ruin thy natal realm, are we at skite or at feast?" whereat all standing there would laugh at him. Suddenly one rushed into the lavatory sore pressed and hanging an arse[FN#602] and crying aloud in his grievous distress, "O Allah, O His Prophet, aid me!" for that he feared to let fly in his bag-trousers. Then the Lack-tact would accost him holding in hand his posy of perfumed herbs, and softly saying, "Bismillah-take it, and give me thy favour;" and the man would roar at the top of his voice, "Allah disappoint thee! what a Lack-tact thou art: I am sore pressed; get thee out." And the further that man would fare away from him the closer he would follow him saying, "Thy favour! Take it! Smell it!" Now at that time all the cabinets of easement were full of people, nor did one remain vacant, and the distressed man stood there expecting someone to issue that he might enter; but in his condition the delay was over-long--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Thirty-ninth 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 Cairene Lack-tact kept bespeaking that sorely distressed man and following him as he fled, crying out to him and saying, "Away from me, am I not this moment about to skite or am I at a feast?" till at last the excess of weight in his arse-gut caused him to let fly in his bag-trousers and bewray all his behind. And during this time none came out of the jakes, so the unhappy sat in his unease and all the folk seeing him conskite himself fell to laughing at him as he sat there, and the Lack-tact of Cairo continued offering him the posy, saying, "Thy favour!" and the other continned shouting his loudest, "Am I at skite or at a feast?" Thereupon the Lack-tact of Damascus turned to his rival and cried, "The F�tihah[FN#603] is in thy books, O Chief Joker of Cairo. By Allah (and the Almighty grant thee length of life!) thou hast excelled me in everything, and they truly say that none can surpass or overcome the Cairene and men have agreed to declare that the Syrian winneth his wish and gaineth only blame, while the Egyptian winneth not his wish and gaineth thanks and praise." And amongst other things it happened[FN#604] that a Cairene went to borrow a donkey from another man, a Damascene, wishing to ride it to a wedding, and when he met his friend he saluted him and said, "Ho Such-an-one, lend me thine ass for such a purpose." Now when the owner of the animal heard these words he smote hand upon hand and cried, "O worshipper of Allah,[FN#605] a little while ere thou camest to me, a man urgently asked it of me and took it on loan: haddest thou been somewhat earlier I would have lent it to thee. Verily I am put to shame by thee as thou goest from me without thy need." The Egyptian said in his mind, "By Allah, this one speaketh sooth, and had the donkey been in his house assuredly he would have lent it to me." But the owner of the animal said to himself, "Certainly Such-an-one begged it of me, but the rest is a lie, for the beast is shut up in the stable." However the Syrian who owned the beast went to his gossip, the man who had begged a loan of it, and entering the house salam'd to him and said, "Give me the donkey, O Such-an-one;"--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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Eight Hundred and Fortieth Night,

Tale of Himself Told by the King[FN#607]

I have a tale, O my lord the Kazi, which bewildereth the wits and it is on this wise. By birth and origin I was the son of a Khw�jah, but my father owned much worldly wealth in money and effect and vaiselle and rarities and so forth, besides of landed estates and of fiefs and mortmains a store galore. And every year when the ships of Al-Hind would arrive bringing Indian goods and coffee from Al-Yaman the folk bought thereof one-fourth of the whole and he three-fourths paying in ready cash and hard money.[FN#608] So his word was heard and his works were preferred amongst the Traders and the Grandees and the Rulers. Also he had controul[FN#609] in counselling the Kings and he was held in awe and obeyed by the merchants, one and all, who consulted him in each and every of their affairs. This endured until one year of the years when suddenly he fell sick and his sickness grew upon him and gained mastery over his frame, so he sent for me, saying, "Bring me my son." Accordingly I went and entered to him and found him changed of condition and nearing his last gasp. But he turned to me and said, "O my son, I charge thee with a charge which do thou not transgress nor contrary me in whatso I shall declare to thee." "What may that be?" asked I, and he answered, "O my son, do thou never make oath in Allah's name, or falsely or truly, even although they fill the world for thee with wealth; but safeguard thy soul in this matter and gainsay it not, nor give ear to aught other." But when it was midnight the Divine Mystery[FN#610] left him and he died to the mercy of Allah Almighty; so I buried him, expending much money upon his funeral and graved him in a handsome tomb. He had left to me wealth in abundance such as the pens could not compute, but when a month or so had sped after his decease suddenly came to me a party of folk, each and every claming by way of debt from me and my sire the sum of some five thousand dinars. "Where be your written bond given by my father?" asked I; but they answered, "There be no instrument and if thou believe us not make oath by Allah." Replied I saying, "Never will I swear at all," and paid them whatso they demanded; after which all who feared not the Lord would come to me and say, "We have such-and-such owing to us by thy parent;" and I would pay them off until there remained to me of ready moneys a matter neither great nor small. Hereupon I fell to selling off my landed estates--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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Nine Hundred and Twelfth Night,

"Do thou be heedless of thy cark and care * And unto Fate commit
thy whole affair;
The Lord shall widen what to thee is strait; * The Lord shall all
for breadth of space prepare:
The Lord shall gladly end thy grievous toils; * The Lord shall
work His will, so jar forbear."

After these words he took my hand and walked with me athwart those wilds and wolds till such time as we made a city and entered its gates. Here, however, we found no signs of creature-kind nor any mark of Son of Adam, and when I sighted this my condition changed and fear and affright entered my heart. But presently the man turned to me and said, "Dread not nor be startled, for that this city shall (Inshallah!) be thy portion, and herein thou shalt become Sovran and Sultan." Quoth I to myself, "Wall�hi, verily this man be Jinn-mad lacking wit and understanding! How shall become King and Kaysar in such place which is all ruins?" Then he turned to me yet another time, saying, "Trust in Allah and gainsay Him not; for verily shall come to thee joy out of that wherein thou wast of straitness and annoy."--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I would relate an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was,

The Nine Hundred and Thirteenth 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 quoth the man to the youth[FN#612], "Trust in Allah, for verily joy shall assuredly come to thee from the Almighty." "What joy?" quoth the Khwajah's son, "and indeed this city is a ruinous heap nor is there indweller or habitant or any to attest God's Unity." But the man ceased not going about the highways of the deserted town with his companion till such time as he reached the Palace of the Sultanate, and the twain entering therein found it with its vases and its tapestry like a bride tricked out[FN#613]. But the Spider had tented therein, so both the wights fell to shaking and sweeping for three days' space till they had cleaned away all the webbing and dust of years; after which the elder man took the younger and entered a closet. Herein he came upon a trap-door which the two uplifted, when behold, they found a staircase leading below; so they descended and walked till they ended at a place with four open halls, one and all fulfilled with gold, and amiddlemost thereof rose a jetting fount twenty ells long by fifteen broad, and the whole basin was heaped up with glittering gems and precious ores. When the merchant's son saw this sight, he was wildered on his wits and perplext in his thoughts, but the man said to him, "O my son, all this hath become thine own good." After this the two replaced the trap-door as it was and quitted that place; then the man took him and led him to another stead concealed from the ken of man wherein he found arms and armour and costly raiment; and the two stinted not wandering about the palace until they reached the royal Throne-room. Now when the Khwajah's son looked upon it he waxed distraught and fell a-fainting to the floor for awhile[FN#614] and presently when he revived he asked his companion, "O my lord, what be this?" Answered he, "This be the throne of the Sultanate wherewith the Almighty hath gifted thee;" and quoth the other, "By Allah, O my lord, I believe that there is not in me or strength or long-suffering to take seat upon yonder throne." All this the King (who erst was a merchant's son) recounted to the Judge and presently resumed:[FN#615]--Then the man, O my lord, said to me, "O my son, to all who shall come hither and seek thee be sure thou distribute gifts and do alms-deeds; so the folk, hearing of thy largesse, shall flock to thee and gather about thee and as often as one shall visit thee, exceed in honour and presents from the treasure-store thou hast sighted and whose site thou weetest." And so speaking, O our lord the Kazi, he vanished from my view and I wist not an he had upflown to the firmament or had dived into the depths of the earth, but one thing I knew; to wit, that I was alone.--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 Nine Hundred and Fourteenth 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 merchant's son resumed to the Kazi:--Then the man vanisht from my view and I wist no more thereof. So I seated me (and I was all alone) in that city for the first day and the second, but on the third behold, I saw a crowd making for me from the city-suburbs and they were seeking a site wherefrom they had somewhat to require. So I met them and welcomed them and seated them, and soon I arose and cooking for them food ate in their company and we nighted together; and when it was morning I presented each and every of them with an hundred dinars. These they accepted and fared forth from me and on reaching their homes they recounted the adventure to other folk who also flocked to me and received presents like those who preceded them. Anon appeared to me a multitude with their children and wives who said, "Bill�hi,[FN#616] O my lord, accept of us that we may settle beside thee and be under thy protecting glance;" whereupon I ordered houses be given to them. Moreover there was amongst them a comely youth who showed signs of prosperity and him I made my assessor; so we two, I and he, would converse together. The crowd thickened, little by little, until the whilome ruined city became fulfilled of habitants, when I commanded sundry of them that they go forth and lay out gardens and orchards and plant tree-growths; and a full-told year had not elapsed ere the city returned to its older estate and waxed great as erst it was and I became therein Sovran and Sultan. Such was the case of this King;[FN#617] but as regards the matter of his wife and his two sons, whenas he fared forth from them he left them naught to eat and presently their case was straitened and the twain set out, each in his own direction, and overwandered the world and endured the buffets of life until their semblance was changed for stress of toil and travail and transit from region to region for a while of time. At last, by decree of the Decreer, the elder was thrown by Eternal Fate into the very town wherein was his sire and said to himself, "I will fare to the King of this city and take from him somewhat."--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, 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 Nine Hundred and Fifteenth 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 young man went in to the Sultan and kissed the ground before him and the King regarding him felt his heart yearn himwards and said, "What wantest thou, O youth?" "My design is service with thee," said the other; and the King rejoined, "Then welcome to thee!" So he abode in his employ for a term of four months until he became like unto a Mameluke[FN#618] and his first case was changed: the Sultan also drew him near and fell to consulting him in sundry matters the which proved propitious, so quoth the King, "By Allah, this young man meriteth naught less than to become my Wazir," and accordingly made him his Minister of the Right. In his new degree he became as another liege lord[FN#619] and his word was heard, so the land was opened up by his hand and year by year he derived from it corv�es and taxes, nor did he cease to be Chief Councillor under the right hand of the King. Meanwhile his brother who was the younger stinted not faring from land to land until he was met by a party of wayfarers that said to him, "O youth, verily the Sultan who ruleth in such a capital is a liberal lord, loving the poor and paupers; so do thou seek him and haply shall he show himself bounteous to thee." Quoth he, "I know not the city," and quoth they, "We will lead thee thereto for we purpose to go by his town." So they took him and he accompanied them until they reached the city when he farewelled them and entered the gates. After solacing himself with the sights he passed that night in the Wak�lah and as soon as it was morning he fared forth to serve for somewhat wherewith he might nourish himself,[FN#620] and it was his lot and the doom of the Decreer that the Sultan, who had ridden forth to seek his pleasure in the gardens, met him on the highway. The King's glance fell upon the youth and he was certified of his being a stranger and a wanderer for that his clothes were old and worn, so he thrust his hand into pouch and passed to him a few gold pieces which the other accepted right thankfully and blessed the giver and enlarged his benediction with eloquent tongue and the sweetest speech. The Sultan hearing this bade them bring to him the stranger, and whenas they did his bidding he questioned him of his case and was informed that he was a foreigner who had no friends in that stead; whereupon the Sovran took him in and clothed him and entreated him with kindness and liberality[FN#621]. And after a time the Wazir of the Right became kindly hearted unto him and took him into his household where he fell to teaching him until the youth waxed experienced in expression and right ready of the reply and acquired full knowledge of kingcraft. Presently quoth the Minister to the Sultan, "o King of the Age, indeed this youth befitteth naught save councillorship, so do thou make him Wazir of the Left." The King said, "With love," and followed his advice; nor was it long before his heart inclined to the hearts of his two Ministers and the time waxed clear to him and the coming of these two youths brought him serenity for a length of days and they also were in the most joyous of life. But as regards their mother; when her sons went forth from her, she abode alone--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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Nine Hundred and Sixteenth 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 woman who abode alone having been abandoned by her husband and her children, cried, "I am here sitting sans my mate and sans my sons; whatso shall I ever do?" and anon the case became grievous to her and she set out to bewander the regions saying, "Haply shall Allah reunite me with my children and my husband!" And she stinted not passing from place to place and shifting from site to site until she reached a town upon the margin of the main and found a vessel in cargo and about to sail.[FN#622] Now by the decree of the Decreer the ship-captain having heard tell of the Sultan's generosity and open handedness had made ready for him a present and was about to voyage therewith to his capital. Learning this the woman said to him, "Allah upon thee, O Captain, take me with thee;" and he did accordingly, setting sail with a fair wind. He sped over the billows of that sea for a space of forty days and throughout this time he kept all the precepts and commandments of religion, as regards the woman,[FN#623] supplying her with meat and drink; nay more, he was wont to address her, "O my mother." And no sooner had they made the city than he landed and disembarked the present and loading it upon porters' backs took his way therewith to the Sovran and continues faring until he entered the presence. The Sultan accepted the gift and largessed him in return, and at even-tide the skipper craved leave of return to his ship fearing lest any harm befal vessel or passengers. So he said, "O King of the Age, on board with me is a woman, but she is of goodly folk and godly and I am apprehensive concerning her." "Do thou night here with us," quoth the Sovran, "and I will dispatch my two Wazirs to keep guard over her until dawn shall break." Quoth the Captain, "Hearing and obeying," and he sat with the Sultan, who at night-fall commissioned his two Ministers and placed the vessel under their charge and said, "Look ye well to your lives, for an aught be lost from the ship I will cut off your heads," So they went down to her and took their seats the one on poop and the other on prow until near midnight when both were seized by drowsiness; and said each to other, "Sleep is upon us, let us sit together[FN#624] and talk." Hereupon he who was afore returned to him who was abaft the ship[FN#625] and they sat side by side in converse, while the woman in the cabin sat listening to them.--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, 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 Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was

The Nine Hundred and Seventeenth 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 two sons forgathered in converse while the mother was listening and anon quoth the elder to the younger, "Allah upon thee, O Wazir of the Left, do thou relate to me whatso befel and betided thee in thy time and what was the true cause of thy coming to this city; nor conceal from me aught." "By Allah, O Wazir of the Right," quoth the other, "my tale is wondrous and mine adventure marvellous and were it paged upon paper the folk would talk thereanent race after race."[FN#626] "And what may that be?" asked he, and the other answered, "'Tis this. My sire was son to a mighty merchant who had of moneys and goods and estates and such like what pens may not compute and which intelligence may not comprehend. Now this my grandsire was a man whose word was law and every day he held a Divan wherein the traders craved his counsel about taking and giving and selling and buying; and this endured until what while a sickness attacked him and he sensed his end drawing near. So he summoned his son and charged him and insisted thereon as his last will and testament that he never and by no means make oath in the name of Allah or truly or falsely." Now the younger brother had not ended his adventure before the elder Wazir threw himself upon him and flinging his arms around his neck cried, "Wall�hi, thou art my brother by father and mother!" and when the woman heard these words of the twain her wits wandered for joy, but she kept the matter hidden until morning. The two Wazirs rejoiced in having found each of them a long-lost brother and slumber fled their eyes till dawned the day when the woman sent for the Captain and as soon as he appeared said to him, "Thou broughtest two men to protect me but they caused me only trouble and travail." The man hearing these words repaired forthright and reported them to the Sovran who waxed madly wroth and bade summon his two Ministers and when they stood between his hands asked them, "What was't ye did in the ship?" They answered, "By Allah, O King, there befel us naught but every weal;" and each said, "I recognised this my brother for indeed he is the son of the same parents," whereat the Sovran wondered and quoth he, "Laud to the Lord, indeed these two Wazirs must have a strange story." So he made them repeat whatso they had said in the ship and they related to him their adventure from the beginning to end. Hereupon the King cried, "By Allah, ye be certainly my sons," when lo and behold! the woman came forwards and repeated to him all that the Wazirs had related whereby it was certified that she was the King's lost wife and their lost mother.[FN#627] Hereupon they conducted her to the Harem and all sat down to banquet and they led ever after the most joyous of lives. All this the King related to the Judge and finally said, "O our lord the Kazi, such-and-such and so-and-so befel until Allah deigned re-unite me with my children and my wife."

End of Volume XV.

Appendix I.

CATALOGUE OF WORTLEY MONTAGUE
MANUSCRIPT CONTENTS.

I here proceed to offer a list of the tales in the Wortley Montague MS. (Nos. 550-556), beginning with

VOL. I.,

which contains 472 pages=92 Nights. It is rudely written, with great carelessness and frequent corrections, and there is a noted improvement in the subsequent vols. which Scott would attribute to another transcriber. This, however, I doubt: in vol. i. the scribe does not seem to have settled down to his work. The MS. begins abruptly and without caligraphic decoration; nor is there any red ink in vol. i. except for the terminal three words. The topothesia is in the land of S�s�n, in the Isles of Al-Hind and Al-Sind; the elder King being called "B�z" and "Sh�r-b�z" and the younger "Kahram�n" (p. 1, ll. 5-6), and in the same page (l. 10) "Saharb�n, King of Samarkand"; while the Wazir's daughters are "Shahrz�dah" and "Duny�z�dah" (p. 8). The Introduction is like that of the Mac. Edit. (my text); but the dialogue between the Wazir and his Daughter is shortened, and the "Tale of the Merchant and his Wife," including "The Bull and the Ass," is omitted. Of novelties we find few. When speaking of the Queen and Mas'�d the Negro (called Sa'id in my text, p. 6) the author remarks:--

Take no black to lover; pure musk tho' he be * Carrion-taint shall pierce to the nose of thee.

And in the "Tale of the Trader and the Jinni " (MS. 1, 9: see my transl. 1, 25) the 'Ifrit complains that the Merchant had thrown the date-stones without exclaiming "Dast�r!"--by thy leave.

The following is a list of the Tales in vol. i.:--

PAGE

Introductory Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9 Tale of the Trader and the Jinni, Night i.-ii. . . . . . . . . .9 The First Shaykh's Story, Night ii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Second Shaykh's Story, Night ii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Third Shaykh's Story, Night iv.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Scott, following "Oriental Collections," ii. 34, supposes that the latter was omitted by M. Galland "on account of its indecency, it being a very free detail of the amours of an unfaithful wife." The true cause was that it did not exist in Galland's Copy of The Nights (Zotenberg, Histoire d' 'Ala al-Din, p. 37). Scott adds, "In this copy the Genie restores the Antelope, the Dogs and the Mule to their pristine forms, which is not mentioned by Galland, on their swearing to lead virtuous lives."

PAGE Conclusion of the Trader and the Jinni, Night v. . . . . . . . 43 The Fisherman and the Jinni, including the Tales of the Sage D�b�n and the ensorcelled Prince and omitting the Stories (1) of King Sindib�d and his Falcon (2) the Husband and the Parrot and (3) the Prince and the Ogress.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night v. . . . . .100 The First Kalandar's Tale, Night xxxix.. . . . . . . . . . . .144 The Second Kalandar's Tale, Night xlviii.. . . . . . . . . . .152

(The beginning of this Tale is wanting in the MS. which
omits p. 151: also The Envier and the Envied, admitted into
the list of Hik�y�t, is here absent.)

The Third Kalandar's Tale, Night lv. . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 The Eldest Lady's Tale. Night lxvi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Tale of the Portress. Conclusion of the Story of the Porter and Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night lxii. (a clerical mistake for lxx.?). . . . . . . .260

(In Galland follow the Voyages of Sindbad the Seaman which
are not found in this copy.)

The Tailor and the Hunchback, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?). . .295 The Nazarene Broker's Story, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?) . . .308 The Youth whose hand was cut off, Night (?)[FN#628]. . . . . .312

(In p. 314 is a hiatus not accounting for the loss of hand.)

The Barber's Tale of his First Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .314 The Barber's Tale of his Second Brother. . . . . . . . . . . .317 The Barber's Tale of his Third Brother . . . . . . . . . . .323 The Barber's Tale of his Fourth Brother. . . . . . . . . . . .327 The Barber's Tale of his Fifth Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .331 The Barber's Tale of his Sixth Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .343 The end of the Tale of the Hunchback, the Barber and others, Night lxviii.(?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350

(Here Ends My Vol. I.)

N�r al-D�n Al� and the Damsel Anis al-Jal�s, Night lxviii. . .355 Sayf al-Mul�k and Bad�'a al-Jamal, Night xci.[FN#629]. . . . .401 Tale of the Youth of Mosul whose hand was cut off, Night xcii466-472

(The Tale of the Jewish Doctor in my vol. i. 288-300.)

Vol. i. ends with a page of scrawls, the work of some by-gone owner.

VOL. II.

Contains 316 pages, and includes end of Night xcii. to Night clxvi. The MS. is somewhat better written; the headings are in red ink and the verses are duly divided. The whole volume is taken up by the Tale of Kamar al-Zam�n (1st), with the episodes of Al-Amjad and Al-As'ad, but lacking that of Ni'amah and Naomi. In Galland Kamar al-Zaman begins with Night ccxi.: in my translation with vol. iii. 212 and concludes in vol. iv. 29. This 2nd vol. (called in colophon the 4th Juz) ends with the date 20th Sha'ab�n, A.H. 1177.

VOL. III.

Contains 456 pages, extending from Night cccvi. (instead of Night clxvii.) to cdxxv. and thus leaving an initial hiatus of 140 Nights (cxvi.-cccvi. C. de Perceval, vol. viii. p. 14). Thus the third of the original eight volumes is lost. On this subject Dr. White wrote to Scott, "One or two bundles of Arabic manuscript, of the same size and handwriting as the second volume of the Arabian Tales, were purchased at the sale by an agent for Mr. Beckford of Fonthill, and I have no doubt whatever but that the part deficient in your copy is to be found in his possession." If such be the case, and everything seems to prove it, this volume was not No. iii. but No. iv. The MS. begins abruptly with the continuation of the tale. There is no list of contents, and at the end are two unimportant "copies of verses" addressed to the reader, five couplets rhyming in�mu (e.g. ta'dimu) and two in--af (e.g. Salaf).

The following is a list of the contents:--

PAGE Part of the Tale of Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccvi.-cccxxix 1-81 Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman[FN#630] and his Sons, told to Al-Rash�d by Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccxxix.-cccxxxiv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Story of the Three Sharpers,[FN#631] Nights cccxxxiv.-cccxlii. 96 The Sultan who fared forth in the habit of a Darwaysh, Night cccxlii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo, Night cccxliii.-cccxlviii124 Story of the First Lunatic,[FN#632] Night cccxlviii.-ccclv . .141 Story of the Second Lunatic, Night ccclv.-ccclvii. . . . . . .168 Story of the Sage and his Scholar, Night ccclvii.-ccclxii. . .179 Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo with three foolish Schoolmasters, Night ccclxii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Tale of the Mother and her Three Daughters, Night ccclxii. . .206 Story of the broke-back Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii . . . . .211 Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii. . . .214 Story of the limping Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiv.-ccclxv . . 219 Story of the three Sisters and their Mother the Sult�nah, Night ccclxvi.-ccclxxxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 History of the K�z� who bare a babe, Night ccclxxxvi.-cccxcii.322 Tale of the K�z� and the Bhang-eater, Night cccxciii.-cdiii. .344 History of the Bhang-eater and his wife, Night cccxciii.-cdiii348 How Drummer Ab� K�sim became a K�z�, Night cdiii.-cdxii. . . .372 Story of the Kazi and his Slipper (including the Tale of the Bhang-eater who became the Just Wazir and who decided two difficult cases), Night cdxii.-cdxiii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424 Tale of Mahm�d the Persian and the Kurd Sharper, Night cdxiii.-cdxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428 Tale of the Sultan and the poor man who brought to him fruit, including the Fruit-seller's[FN#633] Tale, Night cdxvi.-cdxxv. . . . .432 Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, which ends this volume, Night cdxvii-cdxxvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437

VOL. IV.

PAGE
Contains 456 pages, and ranges between Nights cdxxvi. and dxcvi.

Continuation of the Story of the King of Al-Yaman[FN#634] and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, Night cdxxvi.-cdxxxix . . . . . . . . 1-34

SCOTT prefers "The Sultan of the East," etc.

History of the First Larrikin, Night cdxxxix-cdxliv. . . . . . 34

SCOTT: "The first Sharper in the Cave," p. 185.

History of the Second Larrikin, Night cdxliii.-cdxlv . . . . . 46 History of the Third Larrikin, Night cdxlv.-cdxlvi . . . . . . 53 Story of a Sultan of Hind and his Son Mohammed, Night cdxlvi.-cdlviii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

SCOTT: "The Sultan of Hind."

Tale of a Fisherman and his Son, Night cdlix.-cdlxix . . . . . 83 Tale of the Third Larrikin concerning himself, Night cdlxix.-cdlxxii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

SCOTT: "The Unfortunate Lovers."

History of Ab� Niyyah and Ab� Niyyatayn, Night cdlxxii.-cdlxxxiii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

SCOTT: "Abou Neeut, the well-intentioned Sultan of Moussul,
and Ab ou Neeutteen, the double-minded."

The Courtier's Story, or Tale of the Nadim to the Emir of Cairo, Night cdlxxxiii.-cdxci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

SCOTT: "Story related to an Ameer of Egypt by a Courtier,"
p. 229.

Another relation of the Courtier, Night cdxci. . . . . . . . .157

(Here Iblis took the place of a musician.)

The Shaykh with Beard shorn by the Shaytan, Night cdxcii . . .162 History of the King's Son of Sind and the Lady Fatimah, Night cdxci.-di. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

SCOTT: "The Sultan of Sind and Fatimah, daughter of
Ummir[FN#635] ('�mir) Ibn Naom�nn (Nu'uman)."

History of the Lovers of Syria, Night di.-dx . . . . . . . . .189

SCOTT: "The Lovers of Syria."

History of Al-Hajjaj bin Yusuf and the Young Sayyid, Night dx-dxx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .213

SCOTT: "The Young Sayd and Hijauje."

Uns al-Wuj�d and the Wazir's Daughter Rose-in-hood, Night dxxi.-dxli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240

SCOTT: "Ins al-Wujood and Wird al-Ikmaum, daughter of
Ibrahim, Vizier of Sultan Shamikh."

Story of the Sultan's Son and Daughter of the Wazir, Night dxli.-dxlv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .293 Tale of Sultan K�yyish, Night dxlv.-dlvii. . . . . . . . . . .312

(A romance of chivalry and impossible contests of ten
knights against 15,000 men.)

The Young Lady transformed into a Gazelle by her Step-mother, Night dlviii.-dlxiii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .345 The History of M�zin, Night dlxviii-dxcv. (omitted, because it is the same as "Hasan of Bassorah and the King's Daughter of the Jinn," vol. viii. 7); to the end of vol. iv . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .456

VOL. V.

PAGE
Contains 465 pages from the beginning of Night dxcvi. to dccxlvi.

Continuation and end of the History of Mazin, Night dxcvi-dcxxiv1-94 Night adventure of Harun al-Rashid, Night dcxxxxv.-dcl . . . . 95

SCOTT: "Adventure of Haroon al-Rusheed, vol. vi. 343
(including Story related to Haroon al-Rusheed) by Ibn
Munsoor of Damascus, of his adventures at Bussorah; the
Story related to Haroon al-Rusheed by Munjaub (Manjab) and
Haroon's conduct on hearing the story of Munjaub."

Tale of the Barber and his Son (told by Manjab), Night dlxi.-dcli . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

SCOTT: "Story of the Sultan, the Dervishe and the Barber's
Son."

The Badawi Woman and her Lover, Night dclv.-dclvi. . . . . . .196 Story of the Wife and her two Gallants, Night dclvi.-dclx. . .199 Tale of Princess Al-Hayf� and Prince Yusuf, Night dclx.-dccx .210

SCOTT: "Story of Aleefah, daughter of Mherejaun, Sultan of
Hind, and Eusuff, Prince of Sind, related to Haroun
al-Rusheed by the celebrated reciter of Tales, Ibn Malook
Aleed Iowaudee," p. 352.

Adventures of the Three Princes of China, Night dccx.-dccxvii.362

SCOTT: "Adventures of the Three Princes, sons of the Sultan
of China."

History of the first Brave, Night dccxvii.-dccxxii . . . . . .385

SCOTT: "The Military Braggadocio;" OUSELEY, "the Gallant
Officer" and the Lat. list "Miles Gloriosus."

History of another Brave, Night dccxxii.-dccxxiii. . . . . . .395 The Merry Adventures of a Simpleton,[FN#636] Night dccxxiii.-dccxxvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .400

SCOTT: "The Idiot and his Asses."

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Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 5 (of 6)Chapter XVI: Part 16

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