Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 041 - Night 969 - 970

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041 - Night 969 - 970 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section forty one of the Book of the Thousand Knights
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  Speaker 1: and a Knight, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording.
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
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  Speaker 1: by Mark Ernest The Book of the Thousand Knights and
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  Speaker 1: a Knight, Volume nine by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton, Knight,
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  Speaker 1: nine hundred and sixty nine. When it was the nine
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  Speaker 1: hundred and sixty ninth night, she pursued it, hath reached
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  Speaker 1: me o auspicious king that the jeweller said to his wife,
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  Speaker 1: have patience. The owner of it is generous, and I
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  Speaker 1: will seek to buy it of him, and if he
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  Speaker 1: will sell it, I will bring it to THEE. Or
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  Speaker 1: if he have another such stone, I will buy it
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  Speaker 1: and fashion it for THEE into a ring like this.
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  Speaker 1: On this wise it fared with the jeweler and his wife.
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  Speaker 1: But as regards Kamar al Zaman, he passed the night
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  Speaker 1: in his lodging, and on the morrow he took an
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  Speaker 1: hundred dinars and carried them to the old woman, the
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  Speaker 1: barber's wife, saying to her, accept these gold pieces. And
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  Speaker 1: she replied, give them to thy father. So he gave
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  Speaker 1: them to the barber, and she asked, hast thou done
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  Speaker 1: as I bade thee? He answered yes, And she said,
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  Speaker 1: go now to the Sheikh the jeweler, and if he
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  Speaker 1: give thee the ring, put it on the tip of
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  Speaker 1: thy finger and pull it off in haste, and say
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  Speaker 1: to him, O, master, thou hast made a mistake. The
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  Speaker 1: ring is too tight. He will say, O, merchant, Shall
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  Speaker 1: I break it and mold it again larger? And do
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  Speaker 1: thou say it booteth not to break it and fashion
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  Speaker 1: it anew? Take it and give it to one of
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  Speaker 1: thy slave women. Then pull out another stone worth seven
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  Speaker 1: hundred dinars, and say to him, take this stone and
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  Speaker 1: set it for me, for tis handsomer than the other.
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  Speaker 1: Give him thirty dinars, and to each of the princesses too,
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  Speaker 1: saying these gold pieces are for the chasing, and the
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  Speaker 1: price of the ring shall remain. Then return to thy
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  Speaker 1: lodging for the night, and on the morrow bring me
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  Speaker 1: two hundred ducats, and I will complete thee the rest
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  Speaker 1: of the device. So the youth went to the jeweler,
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  Speaker 1: who welcomed him and made him sit down in his shop,
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  Speaker 1: and he asked him, hast thou done my need? Yes,
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  Speaker 1: answered obeyed, and brought out to him the seal ring,
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  Speaker 1: whereupon he set it on his finger tip, and pulling
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  Speaker 1: it off in haste, cried, thou hast made a mistake,
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  Speaker 1: O Master, and threw it to him, saying, tis too
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  Speaker 1: straight for my finger. Asked the jeweler, O merchant, shall
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  Speaker 1: I make it larger? But he answered not, so take
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  Speaker 1: it as a gift and give it to one of
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  Speaker 1: thy slave girls. It's worth is trifling, some five hundred dinars,
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  Speaker 1: so it whoodeth not to fashion it over again. Then
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  Speaker 1: he brought out to him another stone worth seven hundred sequins,
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  Speaker 1: and said to him, set this for me, tis a
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  Speaker 1: finer jim. Moreover, he gave him thirty dinars, and to
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  Speaker 1: each of his workmen too, quoth obeyed, Oh, my lord,
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  Speaker 1: we will take the price of the ring when we
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  Speaker 1: have made it. But Kamar al Zaman said, this is
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  Speaker 1: for the chasing, and the price of the ring remains
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  Speaker 1: over so saying, he went away, leaving the jeweler and
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  Speaker 1: his men amazed at the excess of his generosity. Presently,
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  Speaker 1: the jeweler returned to his wife and said O, Halma,
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  Speaker 1: never did I set eyes on a more generous than
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  Speaker 1: this young man. And as for thee, thy luck is good,
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  Speaker 1: for he hath given me the ring without price, saying,
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  Speaker 1: give it to one of thy slave women. And he
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  Speaker 1: told her what had passed, adding methinks this youth is
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  Speaker 1: none of the sons of the merchants, but that he
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  Speaker 1: is of the sons of the kings and sultans. Now
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  Speaker 1: the more he praised him, the more she waxed in love,
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  Speaker 1: longing passion and distraction for him. So she took the
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  Speaker 1: ring and put it on her finger, whilst the jeweler
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  Speaker 1: made another one, a little larger than the first. When
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  Speaker 1: he had finished molding it, she put it on her
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  Speaker 1: finger under the first, and said, look, O, my lord,
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  Speaker 1: how well the two rings show on thy finger. I
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  Speaker 1: wish they were both mine, said he, patience, it may
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  Speaker 1: be I shall buy thee this second one. Then he
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  Speaker 1: lay that night, and on the morrow he took the
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  Speaker 1: ring and went to his shop. As for Kamar al Zaman,
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  Speaker 1: as soon as it was day, he repaired to the
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  Speaker 1: barber's wife and gave her two hundred dinars. Quoth she
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  Speaker 1: go to the jeweler, And when he giveth thee the ring,
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  Speaker 1: put it on thy finger, and pull it off again
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  Speaker 1: in haste, saying, thou hast made a mistake, o master,
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  Speaker 1: this ring is too large. A master like thee, when
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  Speaker 1: the like of me cometh to him with a piece
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  Speaker 1: of work, it behooveth him to take right measure. And
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  Speaker 1: if thou hadst measured my finger, thou hadst not aired.
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  Speaker 1: Then pull out another stone worth a thousand dinars, and
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  Speaker 1: say to him, take this and set it, and give
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  Speaker 1: this ring to one of thy slave women. Give him
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  Speaker 1: forty ducats, and to each of his journeymen three, saying
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  Speaker 1: this is for the chasing and for the cost of
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  Speaker 1: the ring that shall remain. And see what he will say.
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  Speaker 1: Then bring three hundred dinars and give them to thy father,
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  Speaker 1: the barber, that he may mend his fortune withal, for
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  Speaker 1: he is a poor man. Answered Kamar al Zaman. I
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  Speaker 1: hear and obey, and betook himself to the jeweler, who
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  Speaker 1: welcomed him, and, making him sit down, gave him the ring.
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  Speaker 1: He took it and put it on his finger, then
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  Speaker 1: pulled it off in haste, and said, it behoveth a
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  Speaker 1: master like thee. When the like of me bringeth him
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  Speaker 1: a piece of work to take his measure. Hadst thou
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  Speaker 1: measured my finger, thou hadst not aired, but take it
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  Speaker 1: and give it to one of thy slave women. Then
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  Speaker 1: he brought out to him a stone worth a thousand sequins,
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  Speaker 1: and said to him, take this and set it in
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  Speaker 1: a signet ring for me after the measure of my finger.
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  Speaker 1: Quoth obeyed, Thou hast spoken sooth and art in the right,
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  Speaker 1: and took his measure. Whereupon he pulled out forty gold
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  Speaker 1: pieces and gave them to him, saying, take these for
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  Speaker 1: the chasing, and the price of the ring shall remain.
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  Speaker 1: Cried the jeweler, O, my lord, how much higher have
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  Speaker 1: we taken of thee verily Thy bounty to us is great?
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  Speaker 1: No harm, replied Kamar al Zaman, and sat talking with
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  Speaker 1: him awhile and giving a dinar to every beggar who
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  Speaker 1: passed by the shop. Then he left him and went away,
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  Speaker 1: whilst the jeweler returned home and said to his wife,
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  Speaker 1: how generous is this young merchant? Never did I set
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  Speaker 1: eyes on a more open handed or a comelier than he,
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  Speaker 1: No nor a sweeter of speech. And he went on
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  Speaker 1: to recount to her his charms and generosity, and was
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  Speaker 1: loud in his praise. Cried she, O, thou lackt tact.
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  Speaker 1: Since thou noticed these qualities in him, and indeed he
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  Speaker 1: hath given THEE two seal rings of price. It behoveth
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  Speaker 1: THEE to invite him and make him an entertainment, and
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  Speaker 1: entreat him lovingly. When he seeth that thou affectest him
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  Speaker 1: and cometh to our place, we shall surely get great
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  Speaker 1: good of him. And if thou grudge him the banquet,
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  Speaker 1: do thou bid him, and I will entertain him of
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  Speaker 1: my moneys. Quoth he dost thou know me to be
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  Speaker 1: niggardly that thou sayest this say? And quoth she thou
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  Speaker 1: art no niggard, But thou lackest tact. Invite him this
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  Speaker 1: very knight, and come not without him an he refuse,
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  Speaker 1: conjure him by the divorce oath, and be persistent with
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  Speaker 1: him on my head and eyes, answered he, and molded
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  Speaker 1: the ring till he had finished it, after which he
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  Speaker 1: passed the night, and went forth on the morrow to
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  Speaker 1: his shop, and set there on. This wise it was
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  Speaker 1: with him. But as for Kamar al Zaman, he took
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  Speaker 1: three hundred dinars, and carrying them to the old wife,
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  Speaker 1: gave them to her for the barber. Her husband said,
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  Speaker 1: she most like, he will invite THEE to his house
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  Speaker 1: this day. And if he do this, and thou pass
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  Speaker 1: the night there, tell me in the morning what befallth THEE,
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  Speaker 1: And bring with thee four hundred dinars and give them
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  Speaker 1: to thy father. Answered he hearing and obeying, And as
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  Speaker 1: often as he ran out of money, he would sell
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  Speaker 1: some of his stones. So he repaired to the jeweler,
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  Speaker 1: who rose to him and received him with open arms,
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  Speaker 1: greeted him heartily, and clapped up companionship with him. Then
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  Speaker 1: he gave him the ring, and he found it after
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  Speaker 1: the measure of his finger, and said to the jeweler,
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  Speaker 1: Allah bless thee, O prince of artists. The setting is comfortable,
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  Speaker 1: but the stone is not to my liking. And Shahrazad
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  Speaker 1: perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
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  Speaker 1: permitted say end of night nine hundred and sixty nine
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  Speaker 1: night nine hundred and seventy. When it was the nine
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  Speaker 1: hundred and seventieth night, she resumed it. Hath reached me,
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  Speaker 1: o auspicious king, that Kamar al Zaman said to the jeweler,
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  Speaker 1: the setting is comfortable to my wishes, but the stone
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  Speaker 1: is not to my liking. I have a handsomer than this,
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  Speaker 1: So take the seal ring and give it to one
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  Speaker 1: of thy slave women. Then he gave him a fourth
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  Speaker 1: stone and an hundred dinars, saying, take thy hire and
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  Speaker 1: excuse the trouble we have given thee obeyed, replied, O merchant,
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  Speaker 1: all the trouble thou hast given us, Thou hast requited us,
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  Speaker 1: and hast overwhelmed us with thy great bounties. And indeed
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  Speaker 1: my heart is taken with love of THEE, and I
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  Speaker 1: cannot brook parting from THEE. So allah upon thee. Be
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  Speaker 1: thou my guest, this knight, and heal my heart. He rejoined,
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  Speaker 1: So be it. But needs must I go to my Khan,
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  Speaker 1: that I may give a charge to my domestics and
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  Speaker 1: tell them that I shall sleep abroad to night, so
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  Speaker 1: they may not expect me. Where dost thou lodge, asked
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  Speaker 1: the jeweler, And he answered, in such a khan, quoth obeyed,
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  Speaker 1: I will come for THEE there, and quoth the other
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  Speaker 1: tis well. So the jeweler repaired to the Khan before sundown,
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  Speaker 1: fearing lest his wife should be angered with him if
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  Speaker 1: he returned home without his guest, and carrying Kamar al
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  Speaker 1: Zaman to his house, seated him in a saloon that
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  Speaker 1: had not its match. Alima saw him as he entered
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  Speaker 1: and was ravished with him. They talked till supper was served,
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  Speaker 1: when they ate and drank, after which appeared coffee and Sherbet's,
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  Speaker 1: and the jeweler ceased not to entertain him with talk
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  Speaker 1: till eventide, when they prayed the obligatory prayers. Then entered
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  Speaker 1: a handmaid with two cups of night drink, which, when
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  Speaker 1: they had drunk, drowsiness overcame them, and they slept presently.
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  Speaker 1: In came the jeweler's wife, and, seeing them asleep, looked
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  Speaker 1: upon Kamar al Zaman's face, and her wit was confound
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  Speaker 1: it at his beauty, said she, how can he sleep?
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  Speaker 1: Who loveth the fair? And turning him over on his back,
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  Speaker 1: set a straddle upon his breast. Then, in the mania
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  Speaker 1: of her passion for him, she reined down kisses on
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  Speaker 1: his cheeks till she left a mark upon them, and
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  Speaker 1: they became exceeding red, and his cheek bones shone, and
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  Speaker 1: she suck his lips till the blood ran out into
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  Speaker 1: her mouth. But with all this her fire was not quenched,
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  Speaker 1: nor her thirst all swaged. She ceased not to kiss
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  Speaker 1: and clip him, and twine leg with leg till the
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  Speaker 1: forebrow of morn grew white, and the dawn broke forth
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  Speaker 1: in light. When she put in his pocket four cockles
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  Speaker 1: and went away. Then she sent her maid with something
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  Speaker 1: like snuff, which she applied to their nostrils, and they
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  Speaker 1: sneezed and awoke. When the slave girl said, O, my lords,
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  Speaker 1: prayer is a duty, So rise ye and pray the
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  Speaker 1: dawn prayer. And she brought them basin and ewer, quoth
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  Speaker 1: Coaman al Zamar. O, master tis late, and we have
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  Speaker 1: overslept ourselves. And quoth the jeweler, O, my friend, verily,
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  Speaker 1: the air of this room is heavy, for whenever I
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  Speaker 1: sleep in it, this happens to me. Rejoined Kamar al
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  Speaker 1: Zaman true, and proceeded to make the wuzu ablution. But
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  Speaker 1: when he put the water to his face, his cheeks
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  Speaker 1: and lips burned him. Cried he prodigious. If the air
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  Speaker 1: of the room be heavy, and we have been drowned
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  Speaker 1: in sleep, what aileth my cheeks and lips, that they
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  Speaker 1: burn me. And he said to the jeweler, O master,
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  Speaker 1: my cheeks and lips burn me. The other replied, I
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  Speaker 1: guess this cometh of the mosquito bites. Strange, said Kamar
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  Speaker 1: al Zaman. Hath this thing happened to thee? Replied obeyed, No.
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  Speaker 1: But whenever I have by me a guest like thee,
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  Speaker 1: he complaineth in the morning of the mosquito bites. And
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  Speaker 1: this happeneth only when he is like thee beardless. If
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  Speaker 1: he be bearded, the mosquitoes sting him not, and nought
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  Speaker 1: hindereth them from me but my beard. It seems mosquito's
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  Speaker 1: love not bearded. Men rejoined Kamar al Zaman. True. Then
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  Speaker 1: the maid brought them early breakfast, and they broke their
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  Speaker 1: fast and went out. Kamar al Zaman betook himself to
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  Speaker 1: the old woman, who exclaimed, when she saw him, I
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  Speaker 1: see the marks of joyance on thy face. Tell me
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  Speaker 1: what thou hast seen, said he, I have seen nothing.
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  Speaker 1: Only I supped with the house master in a saloon
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  Speaker 1: and prayed the night prayer, after which we fell asleep
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  Speaker 1: and woke not till morning. She laughed and said, what
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  Speaker 1: be these marks on thy cheeks and lips? He answered,
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  Speaker 1: twas the mosquitoes of the saloon that did this with me,
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  Speaker 1: And she rejoined tis well, but did the same thing
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  Speaker 1: betide the house master? He retorted, nay, But he told
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  Speaker 1: me that the mosquitoes of that saloon molested not bearded men,
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  Speaker 1: but steeing those only who have no hair on face,
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  Speaker 1: And that whenever he hath foreguessed one who is beardless,
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  Speaker 1: the stranger awaketh complaining of the mosquito bites, whereas an
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  Speaker 1: he have a beard, there befalleth him. Not of this,
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  Speaker 1: said she. Sooth thou speakest, but say me, sawest thou
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  Speaker 1: aught save this? And he answered, I found four cockles
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  Speaker 1: in my pocket? Quoth she show them to me? So
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  Speaker 1: he gave them to her, and she laughed and said,
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  Speaker 1: thy mistress laid these in thy pocket. He asked how so,
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  Speaker 1: and she answered, tis as if she said to thee
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  Speaker 1: in the language of signs, an thou wert in love,
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  Speaker 1: thou wouldst not sleep, for a lover sleepeth not, But
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  Speaker 1: thou hast not ceased to be a child, and fit
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  Speaker 1: for nothing but to play with these cockles. So what
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  Speaker 1: drave thee to fall in love with the fair. Now
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  Speaker 1: she came to THEE by night, and, finding THEE asleep,
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  Speaker 1: scored thy cheeks with her kisses, and left thee this sign.
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  Speaker 1: But that will not suffice her of THEE, and she
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  Speaker 1: will certainly send her husband to invite thee again to night.
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  Speaker 1: So when thou goest home with him, hasten not to
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  Speaker 1: fall asleep, And on the morrow bring me five hundred dinars,
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  Speaker 1: and come and acquaint me with what hath passed, and
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  Speaker 1: I will perfect for thee. The device answered he I
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  Speaker 1: hear and obey, and went back to the khan. Thus
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  Speaker 1: it befell him. But as regards the jeweler's wife, she
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  Speaker 1: said to her husband, is the guest gone? Answered he yes,
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  Speaker 1: But o ha'lamah, the mosquitoes plagued him last night and
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  Speaker 1: scarified his cheeks and lips, And indeed I was abashed
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  Speaker 1: before him. She rejoined, this is the want of the
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  Speaker 1: mosquitoes of our saloon, for they love none save the beardless.
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  Speaker 1: But do thou invite him again to night? So he
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  Speaker 1: repaired to the khan where the youth abode, and bidding him,
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  Speaker 1: carried him to his house, where they ate and drank
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  Speaker 1: and prayed the night prayer in the saloon, after which
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  Speaker 1: the slave girl entered and gave each of them a
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  Speaker 1: cup of night drink, and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
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  Speaker 1: day and ceased, saying her permitted say end of Night.
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  Speaker 1: Nine hundred and seventy recording by Mark Ernest