Book: Supplemental Nights, Volume 1

R >> Richard F. Burton >> Supplemental Nights, Volume 1




The Twelfth Night of the Month.

When it was eventide, the king summoned the Minister and bade him
tell the promised tale. He replied, "Hearing and obeying. Give
ear, O glorious king, to




The Tale of the Three Men and our Lord Isa.



Three men once went out questing treasure and came upon a nugget
of gold, weighing fifty maunds.[FN#391] When they saw it, they
took it up on their shoulders and carried it till they drew near
a certain city, when one of them said, "Let us sit in the
cathedral-mosque,[FN#392] whilst one of us shall go and buy us
what we may eat." So they sat down in the mosque and one of them
arose and entered the city. When he came therein, his soul
prompted him to false his two fellows and get the gold to himself
alone. Accordingly, he bought food and poisoned it: but, when he
returned to his comrades, they sprang upon him and slew him, in
order that they might enjoy the gold without him. Then they ate
of the poisoned food and died, and the gold lay cast down over
against them. Presently, Isa bin Maryam (on whom be the Peace!)
passed by and seeing this, besought Allah Almighty for tidings of
their case; so He told him what had betided them, whereat great
was his surprise and he related to his disciples[FN#393] what he
had seen. Quoth one of them, "O Spirit of Allah,[FN#394] naught
resembleth this but my own adventure." Quoth Isa, "How so?" and
the other began to tell




The Disciple's Story.



Once I was in such a city, where I hid a thousand dirhams in a
monastery. After a while, I went thither and taking the money,
bound it about my waist. Then I set out to return and when I came
to the Sahara[FN#395]-waste, the carrying of the money was heavy
upon me. Presently, I espied a horseman pushing on after me; so I
waited till he came up and said to him, "O rider, carry this
money for me and earn reward and recompense in Heaven." Said he,
"No, I will not do it, for I should tire myself and tire out my
horse." Then he went on but, before he had gone far, he said in
his mind, "An I take up the money and put my steed to speed and
devance him, how shall he overtake me?" And I also said in my
mind, "Verily, I erred; for, had he taken the money and made off,
what could I have done?" Then he turned back to me and cried to
me, "Hand over the money, that I may carry it for thee." But I
replied to him, "That which hath occurred to thy mind hath
occurred to mine also; so go thou and go safe." Quoth Isa (on
whom be the Peace!), "Had these done prudently, they had taken
thought for themselves; but they unheeded the issues of events;
for that whoso acteth cautiously is safe and winneth his wish,
and whoso neglecteth precaution is lost and repenteth."[FN#396]
"Nor," continued the Wazir, "is this stranger or rarer than the
story of the King, whose kingdom was restored to him and his
wealth, after he had become poor, possessing not a single
dirham." When the king heard this, he said in himself, "How like
is this to my own story in the matter of the Minister and his
slaughter! Had I not used deliberation, I had done him dead." And
he bade AlRahwan hie to his own home.

The Thirteenth Night of the Month.

When the even evened, the king sent for the Wazir to his
sitting-chamber and bade him tell the promised tale. So he said,
"Hearkening and obedience. They relate, O king,




The Tale of the Dethroned Ruler Whose Reign and Wealth
Were Restored to Him.



There was once, in a city of the cities of Al-Hind, a just king
and a beneficent, and he had a Wazir, a man of understanding,
upright in his rede, and praiseworthy in his policy, a Minister
in whose hand was the handling of all the affairs of the realm;
for he was firmly based on the Sultan's favour and high in esteem
with the folk of his time, and the king set great store by him
and entrusted himself to him in all his transactions, by reason
of his excellent management of the lieges, and he had
guards[FN#397] who were content with him and grateful to him. Now
that king had a brother, who envied him and would lief have taken
his place; and when he was a-weary of looking for his death and
the term of his life seemed distant, he took counsel with certain
of his partisans and they said, "The Minister is the monarch's
counsellor and but for this Wazir the king were kingdomless." So
the pretender cast about for the ruin of the defender, but could
find no means of furthering his design; and when the affair grew
longsome upon him, he said to his wife, "What deemest thou will
gar us gain herein?" "What is it?" "I mean in the matter of
yonder Minister, who inciteth my brother to worship with all his
might and biddeth him unto devoutness, and indeed the king doteth
upon his counsel and stablisheth him governor of all monies and
matters." "True; but how shall we devise with him?" "I have a
device, so thou wilt help me in that which I shall say to thee."
"Thou shalt have my help in whatsoever thou desirest." "I mean to
dig him a pit in the vestibule and conceal it artfully."
Accordingly, he did this, and when it was night, he covered the
pit with a light covering, so that, when the Wazir trod upon it,
it would give way under his tread. Then he sent to him and
summoned him to the Court in the king's name, and the messenger
bade him enter by the private wicket-way. So he came in alone,
and when he stepped upon the covering of the pit, it caved in
with him and he fell to the bottom; whereupon the king's brother
fell to pelting him with stones. When the Minister beheld what
had betided him he gave himself up for lost; so he stirred not
for a while and lay still. The Prince, seeing him make no sign,
deemed him dead; so he took him forth and wrapping him up in his
robes, cast him into the surges of the sea in the middle night.
When the Wazir felt the water, he awoke from the swoon and swam
for an hour or so, till a ship passed by him, whereupon he
shouted to the sailors and they took him up. Now when the morning
morrowed, the people went seeking for him, but found him not; and
the king learning this, was perplexed concerning his affair and
abode unknowing whatso he should do. Then he sought for a
Minister to stand in his stead, and the king's brother said, "I
have for Wazir an efficient man." Said the king, "Bring him to
me." So he brought him a man, whom he set at the head of affairs;
but he seized upon the kingdom and threw the king in fetters and
made his brother king in lieu of him. The new ruler gave himself
up to all manner of frowardness, whereat the folk murmured and
his Minister said to him, "I fear lest the Hindians take the old
king and restore him to the kingship and we both come to ruin:
so, if we seize him and cast him into the sea, we shall be at
rest from him; and we will publish among the folk that he is
dead." And they, agreeing upon this, took him up and carrying him
out to sea, cast him in. When he felt the water, he struck out,
and ceased not swimming till he landed upon an island, where he
tarried five days finding nothing which he might eat or drink;
but, on the sixth day, when he despaired of his life, behold,
there passed a ship; so he made signals to the crew and they came
and took him up and fared on with him to an inhabited country,
where they set him ashore, mother-naked as he was. There, seeing
a man seeding, he sought guidance of him and the husbandman
asked, "Art thou a foreigner?" "Yes," answered the king and sat
with him and they talked. The peasant found him clever and
quick-witted and said to him, "An thou beheld a comrade of mine,
thou wouldst see him the like of what I see thee, for his case is
even as thy case, and he is at this present my friend." Quoth the
king, "Verily, thou makest me long to look at him. Canst thou not
bring us together, me and him?" Quoth the husbandman, "With joy
and goodly gree;" and the king sat with him till he had made an
end of his seeding, when he carried him to his homestead and
brought him in company with the other stranger, and behold it was
his Wazir. When each saw other, the twain wept and embraced, and
the sower wept for their weeping; but the king hid their affair
and said to him, "This man is from my mother-land and he is as my
brother." So they homed with the husbandman and helped him for a
hire, wherewith they supported themselves a long spell.
Meanwhile, they sought news of their patrial stead and learned
that which its people suffered of straitness and severity. One
day there came a ship and in it a merchant from their own
country, who knew them and rejoiced in them with joy exceeding
and clad them in goodly clothing. He also acquainted them with
the manner of the treachery that had been practised upon them,
and counselled them to return to their own land, they and he with
whom they had made friends,[FN#398] assuring them that Almighty
Allah would restore them to their former rank. So the king
returned and the folk joined themselves to him and he fell upon
his brother and his Wazir and took them and threw them into jail.
Then he sat down again upon the throne of his kingship, whilst
the Minister stood between his hands and they returned to their
former estate, but they had naught of worldly wealth. Presently
the king said to his Wazir, "How shall we continue tarrying in
this city, and we thus poorly conditioned?" and he answered, "Be
at thine ease and have no concern." Then he singled out one of
the soldiers[FN#399] and said to him, "Send us thy
service[FN#400] for the year." Now there were in the city fifty
thousand subjects[FN#401] and in the hamlets and villages[FN#402]
a like number; and the Minister sent to each of these, saying,
"Let each and every of you get an egg and set it under a hen."
They did this and it was neither burden nor grievance to them;
and when twenty days had passed by, each egg was hatched, and the
Wazir bade them pair the chickens, male with female, and rear
them well. They did accordingly and it was found a charge unto no
one. Then they waited for them awhile and after this the Minister
asked of the chickens and was answered that they were become
fowls. Furthermore, they brought him all their eggs and he bade
set them; and after twenty days there were hatched from each pair
of them thirty or five-and-twenty or fifteen chickens at the
least. The Wazir bade note against each man the number of
chickens which pertained to him, and after two months, he took
the old partlets and the cockerels, and there came to him from
each man some half a score, and he left the young partlets with
them. Even so he sent to the country folk and let the cocks
remain with them. Thus he got him whole broods of young poultry
and appropriated to himself the sale of the fowls, and on this
wise he gained for him, in the course of a year, that which the
kingly estate required of the King, and his affairs were set
right for him by the cunning contrivance of the Minister. And he
caused the country to thrive and dealt justly by his subjects and
returned to them all that he took from them and lived a grateful
and prosperous life. Thus right counsel and prudence are better
than wealth, for that understanding profiteth at all times and
seasons. "Nor," continued the Wazir, "is this stranger than the
story of the Man whose caution slew him." When the king heard the
words of his Wazir, he wondered with the uttermost wonder and
bade him retire to his lodging.

The Fourteenth Night of the Month.

Whenthe Minister returned to the presence, the King sought of him
the story of the Man whose caution slew him and he said, "Hear, O
auspicious King,




The Tale of the Man whose Caution Slew Him.



There was once a man who was cautious exceedingly concerning
himself, and he set out one day on a journey to a land abounding
in wild beasts. The caravan wherewith he fared came by night to
the gate of a city; but the warders would not open to them, for
there were lions there; so they nighted without the walls. Now
that man, of the excess of his caution, could not determine a
place wherein he should pass the night, for fear of the wild
beasts and reptiles; so he went about seeking an empty stead
wherein he might lie. At last, as there was a ruined building
hard by, he climbed up on to a high wall and ceased not
clambering hither and thither, of the excess of his carefulness,
till his feet betrayed him and he slipped and fell to the bottom
and died, whilst his companions arose in the morning safe and
sound. Now, had he overmastered his wrongous rede and had he
submitted himself to Fate and Fortune, it had been safer and
better for him; but he made light of the folk and belittled their
wit and was not content to take example by them; for his soul
whispered him that he was a man of wits and he fancied that, an
he abode with them, he would perish; so his folly cast him into
perdition. "Nor," continued the Wazir, "is this stranger than the
story of the Man who was lavish of his house and his provision to
one he knew not." When the King heard this, he said, "I will not
separate myself from the folk and slay my Minister." And he bade
him hie to his own house.

The Fifteenth Night of the Month.

When the evening evened, the King bade fetch the Wazir and
required of him the story. So he said, "Hear, O King,




The Tale of the Man who was Lavish of his House and his
Provision to One Whom He Knew Not.



There was once an Arab of high rank and noble presence, a model
of magnanimity and exalted generosity, and he had brethren, with
whom he consorted and caroused, and they were wont to assemble by
rotation at one another's homes. When it came to his turn, he gat
ready in his house all manner goodly meats and pleasant and
dainty drinks and the fairest flowers and the finest fruits, and
he provided all kinds of instruments of music and store of
wondrous dictes and marvellous stories and pleasant instances and
histories and witty anecdotes and verses and what not else, for
there was none among those with whom he was wont to company but
enjoyed this in every goodly fashion, and the entertainment he
had provided contained all whereof each had need. Then he sallied
forth in quest of his friends, and went round about the city, so
he might assemble them; but found none of them at home. Now in
that town was a man of pleasant conversation and large
generosity, a merchant of condition, young of years and bright of
blee, who had come to that place from his own country with
merchandise in great store and wealth galore. He took up his
abode therein and the town was pleasant to him and he was large
in lavishing, so that he came to the end of all this wealth and
there remained in his hand naught save what was upon him of
raiment. So he left the lodging which had homed him in the days
of his prosperity; after he had wasted that which was therein of
furniture, and fell to finding refuge in the houses of the
townsfolk from night to night. One day, as he went wandering
about the streets, he beheld a woman of the uttermost beauty and
loveliness, and what he saw of her charms amazed him and there
happened to him what made him forget his sorry plight. She
accosted him and jested with him and he besought her of union and
intimacy; so she consented to this and said to him, "Let us go to
thy lodging." Herewith he repented and was perplexed concerning
his procedure and grieved for that which must escape him of her
company by reason of the straitness of his hand, for that he had
not a whit of spending-money. But he was ashamed to say "No,"
after he had sued and wooed her; wherefore he went on before her,
bethinking him how he should rid himself of her and seeking some
excuse which he might put off on her, and gave not over going
from street to street, till he entered one that had no issue and
saw, at the farther end, a door, whereon was a padlock.[FN#403]
Then said he to her, "Do thou excuse me, for my lad hath locked
the door and how shall we open it?" Said she, "O my lord, the
padlock is worth only some ten dirhams;" and presently she tucked
up her sleeves from forearms as they were crystal and taking a
stone, smote the padlock and broke it; and, opening the door,
said to him, "Enter, O my lord." Accordingly he went in,
committing his affair to Allah (to whom belong Honour and Glory),
and she entered after him and locked the door from within. They
found themselves in a pleasant house, collecting all good and
gladness; and the young man fared forwards, till he came to the
sitting-chamber, and, behold, it was furnished with the finest of
furniture as hath before been set out.[FN#404] He seated himself
and leant upon a cushion, whilst she put out her hand to her veil
and doffed it. Then she threw off her heavy outer clothes till
she was clad in the thinnest which showed her charms, whereupon
the young man embraced her and kissed her and enjoyed her; after
which they washed with the Ghusl-ablution and returned to their
place and he said to her, "Know that I have little knowledge of
what goeth on in my own house, for that I trust to my servant: so
arise thou and see what the lad hath made ready in the kitchen."
Accordingly, she arose and going down into the kitchen, saw
cooking pots over the fire, wherein were all manner of dainty
viands, and firstsbread[FN#405] and fresh almond cakes.[FN#406]
So she set bread on a dish and ladled out what she would from the
pots and brought it to him. They ate and drank and played and
made merry a while of the day; and as they were thus engaged,
suddenly up came the master of the house, with his friends, whom
he had brought with him, that they might converse together, as of
wont. He saw the door opened and knocked a light knock, saying to
his company, "Have patience with me, for some of my family are
come to visit me: wherefore excuse belongeth first to Allah
Almighty, and then to you."[FN#407] So they farewelled him and
fared their ways, whilst he rapped another light rap at the door.
When the young man heard this, he changed colour and the woman
said to him, "Methinks thy lad hath returned." He answered,
"Yes;" and she arose and opening the door to the master of the
house, said to him, "Where hast thou been? Indeed, thy master is
angry with thee!" and he said, "O my lady, I have not been save
about his business." Then he girt his waist with a kerchief and
entering, saluted the young merchant, who said to him, "Where
hast thou been?" Quoth he, "I have done thine errands;" and quoth
the youth, "Go and eat and come hither and drink." So he went
away, as he bade him, and ate; then he washed hands and returning
to the sittingroom, sat down on the carpet and fell to talking
with them; whereupon the young merchant's heart was heartened and
his breast broadened and he applied himself to pleasure. They
were in all joyance of life and the most abounding pleasance till
a third part of the night was past, when the house-master arose,
and spreading them a bed, invited them to take their rest. So
they lay down and the youth wide awake, pondering their affair
till daybreak, when the woman roused herself from sleep and said
to her companion, "I wish to go." He farewelled her and she
departed; whereupon the master of the house followed her with a
purse of silver and gave it to her, saying, "Blame not my lord,"
and made his excuse to her for his master. Then he returned to
the youth and said to him, "Arise and come to the
Hammam;"[FN#408] and he fell to shampooing his hands and feet,
whilst the youth called down blessings on him and said "O my
lord, who art thou? Methinks there is not in the world the like
of thee; no, nor a pleasanter in thy disposition." Then each of
the twain acquainted the other with his case and condition and
they went to the bath; after which the master of the house
conjured the young merchant to return with him and summoned his
friends. So they ate and drank and he told them the tale,
wherefore they thanked the house-master and praised him; and
their friendship was complete while the young merchant abode in
the town, till Allah made easy to him a means of travel,
whereupon they farewelled him and he departed; and this is the
end of his tale. "Nor," continued the Wazir, "O king of the age,
is this stranger than the story of the Richard who lost his
wealth and his wit." When the king heard the Minister's story, it
pleased him and he bade him hie to his home.

The Sixteenth Night of the Month.

When the evening evened, the King sat in his sitting-chamber and
sending for his Wazir, bade him relate the story of the Wealthy
Man who lost his wealth and his wit. So he said, "Hear, O King,




The Tale of the Melancholist and the Sharper.[FN#409]



There was once a Richard hight 'Ajlan, the Hasty, who wasted his
wealth, and concern and chagrin gat the mastery of him, so that
he became a Melancholist[FN#410] and lost his wit. There remained
with him of his monies about twenty dinars and he used to beg
alms of the folk, and whatso they gave him in charity he would
gather together and add to the gold pieces that were left him.
Now there was in that town a Sharper, who made his living by
roguery, and he knew that the Melancholist had somewhat of money;
so he fell to spying upon him and ceased not watching him till he
saw him put into an earthen pot that which he had with him of
silvers and enter a deserted ruin, where he sat down, as if to
make water, and dug a hole, wherein he laid the pot and covering
it up, smoothed the ground as it had been. Then he went away and
the Sharper came and taking what was in the pot, restored it to
its former place. Presently 'Ajlan returned, with somewhat to add
to his hoard, but found it not; so he bethought him of who had
followed him and remembered that he had found that Sharper
assiduous in sitting with him and questioning him. So he went in
search of him, assured that he had taken the pot, and gave not
over looking for him till he saw him sitting; whereupon he ran to
him and the Sharper saw him. Then the Melancholist stood within
earshot and muttered[FN#411] to himself and said, "In the pot are
sixty ducats and I have with me other twenty in such a place and
to-day I will unite the whole in the pot." When the Sharper heard
him say this to himself, muttering and mumbling, repeating and
blundering in his speech, he repented him of having taken the
sequins and said, "He will presently return to the pot[FN#412]
and find it empty; wherefore that for which I am on the look-out
will escape me; and meseemeth 'twere best I replace the dinars,
so he may see them and leave all which is with him in the pot,
and I can take the whole." Now he feared to return to the pot at
once, lest the Melancholist should follow him to the place and
find nothing and on this wise his arrangements be marred; so he
said to him, "O 'Ajlan,[FN#413] I would have thee come to my
lodging and eat bread with me." Thereupon the Melancholist went
with him to his quarters and he seated him there and going to the
market, sold somewhat of his clothes and pawned somewhat from his
house and bought the best of food. Then he betook himself to the
ruin and replacing the money in the pot, buried it again; after
which he returned to his lodging and gave the Melancholist to eat
and drink, and they went out together. The Sharper walked away
and hid himself, lest his guest should see him, whilst 'Ajlan
repaired to his hiding-place and took the pot. Presently, the
Sharper returned to the ruin, rejoicing in that which he deemed
he should get, and dug in the place, but found naught and knew
that the Melancholist had outwitted him. So he began buffetting
his face for regret, and fell to following the other whitherso he
went, to the intent that he might win what was with him, but he
failed in this, because the Melancholist knew what was in his
mind and was assured that he spied upon him; so he kept watch
over himself. Now, had the Sharper considered the consequences of
haste and that which is begotten of loss therefrom, he had not
done on such wise. "Nor," continued the Wazir, "is this tale, O
king of the age, rarer or stranger or daintier than the story of
Khalbas[FN#414] and his Wife and the learned man and that which
befel between the three." When the king heard this story, he left
his purpose of putting the Minister to death and his soul bade
him to continue him on life. So he ordered him off to his house.

The Seventeenth Night of the Month.

When the evening evened, the King summoned the Minister, and as
soon as he presented himself, he required of him the story. So he
said, "Hearkening and obedience. Hear, O august King,




The Tale of Khalbas and his Wife and the Learned Man.



There was once a man called Khalbas, who was a fulsome fellow, a
calamity, notorious for this note, and he had a charming wife,
renowned for beauty and loveliness. A man of his townsfolk fell
in love with her and she also loved him. Now Khalbas was a wily
wight and full of guile, and there was in his neighbourhood a
learned man, to whom the folk used to resort every day and he
told them histories and admonished them with moral instances; and
Khalbas was wont to be present in his assembly, for the sake of
making a show before the folk. This learned man also had a wife
famed for comeliness and seemlihead and quickness of wit and
understanding and the lover sought some device whereby he might
manage to meet Khalbas's wife; so he came to him and told him as
a secret what he had seen of the learned man's wife and confided
to him that he was in love with her and besought his assistance
in this. Khalbas told him that she was known as a model of
chastity and continence and that she exposed herself not to ill
doubts; but the other said, "I cannot renounce her, in the first
place because the woman inclineth to me and coveteth my wealth,
and secondly, because of the greatness of my fondness for her;
and naught is wanting but thy help." Quoth Khalbas, "I will do
thy will;" and quoth the other, "Thou shalt have of me every day
two silvern dirhams, on condition that thou sit with the learned
man and that, when he riseth from the assembly, thou speak a word
which shall notify to me the breaking up of the meeting." So they
agreed upon that and Khalbas entered and sat in the session,
whilst the lover was assured in his heart that the secret was
safe and secure with him, wherefore he rejoiced and was content
to pay the two dirhams. Then Khalbas used to attend the learned
man's assembly, whilst the other would go in to his wife and be
very much with her, on such wise as he thought good, till the
learned man arose from his meeting; and when Khalbas saw that he
proposed rising, he would speak a word for the lover to hear,
whereupon he went forth from the wife of Khalbas who knew not
that doom was in his own home. But when the learned man saw
Khalbas do the same thing every day, he began to suspect him,
especially on account of that which he knew of his bad name, and
suspicion grew upon him; so, one day, he resolved to advance the
time of his rising ere the wonted hour and hastening up to
Khalbas, seized him and said to him, "By Allah, an thou say a
single syllable, I will do thee a damage!" Then he went in to his
wife, with Khalbas in his grip, and behold, she was sitting, as
of her wont, nor was there about her aught of suspicious or
unseemly. The learned man bethought him awhile of this, then made
for Khalbas's house, which adjoined his own, still holding his
man; and when they entered, they found the young lover lying on
the bed with Khalbas's wife; whereupon quoth the learned man to
him, "O accursed, the doom is with thee and in thine own home!"
So Khalbas divorced his wife and went forth, fleeing, and
returned not to his own land. "This, then" (continued the Wazir),
"is the consequence of lewdness, for whoso purposeth in himself
wile and perfidious guile, they get possession of him, and had
Khalbas conceived of himself that dishonour and calamity which he
conceived of the folk, there had betided him nothing of this. Nor
is this tale, rare and curious though it be, stranger or rarer
than the story of the Devotee whose husband's brother accused her
of lewdness." When the king heard this, wonderment gat hold of
him and his admiration for the Wazir redoubled; so he bade him
hie to his home and return to him on the morrow, according to his
custom. So the Minister withdrew to his lodging, where he passed
the night and the ensuing day.

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