Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 017 - Night 921 - 922

Transcript

017 - Night 921 - 922 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

• 0:04
  Speaker 1: Section seventeen of the Book of the Thousand Knights and
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: a Knight, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording. All
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
• 0:16
  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Andre Levy Andre Levy dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal. The Book
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: of the Thousand Knights and a Night, Volume nine by anonymous,
• 0:31
  Speaker 1: translated by Richard Francis Burton Knight nine hundred and twenty one.
• 0:38
  Speaker 1: When it was the nine hundred and twenty first night
• 0:41
  Speaker 1: she pursued it, hath reached me o auspicious king, that
• 0:45
  Speaker 1: the Wazir Shemas concluded with saying, and they shall accomplish
• 0:49
  Speaker 1: upon thee whatso they desire of thy destruction? So shalt
• 0:53
  Speaker 1: thou fare as fair? The jackals with the wolf ask
• 0:57
  Speaker 1: the king how is that? And the Wazir answered, they
• 1:02
  Speaker 1: tell the following tale of the jackals and the Wolf.
• 1:05
  Speaker 1: A pack of jackals went out one day to seek food.
• 1:09
  Speaker 1: As they prowled about in quest of this behold, they
• 1:12
  Speaker 1: happened upon a dead camel and said in themselves, verily
• 1:17
  Speaker 1: we have found wherewithal we may live a great while.
• 1:21
  Speaker 1: But we fear lest one of us oppress the other,
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: and the strong bear down the weak with his strength,
• 1:27
  Speaker 1: and so the puny of us perish. Wherefore it behooveth
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: us seek one who shall judge between us and appoint
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: unto each his part, so the forceful may not lord
• 1:38
  Speaker 1: it over the feeble. As they consulted together on such subject,
• 1:42
  Speaker 1: suddenly up came a wolf, and one of the jackals
• 1:45
  Speaker 1: said to the others, right is your reed? Let us
• 1:49
  Speaker 1: make this wolf judge between us. For he is the
• 1:52
  Speaker 1: strongest of beasts, and his father was sultan over us
• 1:56
  Speaker 1: afore time. So we hope in Allah that he will
• 1:59
  Speaker 1: do justice between us. Accordingly, they accosted the wolf, and,
• 2:04
  Speaker 1: acquainting him with what they had resolved concerning him, said,
• 2:09
  Speaker 1: we make thee judge between us, so thou mayest allot
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: unto each of us his day's meal after the measure
• 2:16
  Speaker 1: of his need lest the strong of us bear down
• 2:18
  Speaker 1: the weak, and some of us destroy other of us.
• 2:23
  Speaker 1: The wolf accepted the governance of their affairs and allotted
• 2:26
  Speaker 1: to each of them what sufficed him that day. But
• 2:29
  Speaker 1: on the morrow he said, in his mind, and I
• 2:33
  Speaker 1: divide this camel amongst these weaklings, no part thereof will
• 2:37
  Speaker 1: come to me save the pittance they will assign to me,
• 2:42
  Speaker 1: And if I eat it alone, they can do me
• 2:45
  Speaker 1: no harm, seeing that they are a prey to me
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: and to the people of my house, Who then is
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: the one to hinder me from taking it all for myself?
• 2:56
  Speaker 1: Surely tis Allah, who hath bestowed it on me by
• 2:59
  Speaker 1: way of provision, without any obligation to any of them.
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: It were best that I keep it for myself, and
• 3:06
  Speaker 1: henceforth I will give them nought accordingly. Next morning, when
• 3:11
  Speaker 1: the jackals came to him, as was their wont and
• 3:14
  Speaker 1: sought of him their food, saying, O, Abu Chiron, give
• 3:18
  Speaker 1: us our day's prevender, he answered, saying I have nothing
• 3:23
  Speaker 1: left to give you. Whereupon they went away in the
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: sorriest plight, saying, verily, Allah hath cast us into grievous
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: trouble with this foul traitor, who regardeth not Allah nor
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: feareth him. But we have neither stratagem nor strength on
• 3:39
  Speaker 1: our side. Moreover, one of them said, haply, twas but
• 3:44
  Speaker 1: stress of hunger that moved him to this. So let
• 3:47
  Speaker 1: him eat his fill to day, and tomorrow we will
• 3:51
  Speaker 1: go to him again accordingly. On the morrow, they again
• 3:55
  Speaker 1: betook themselves to the wolf, and said to him, oh father,
• 3:59
  Speaker 1: afore we gave thee authority over us, that thou mightest
• 4:04
  Speaker 1: apportion unto each of us his days meet, and do
• 4:07
  Speaker 1: the weak justice against the strong of us, And that
• 4:11
  Speaker 1: when this provant is finished, thou shouldst do thine endeavor
• 4:15
  Speaker 1: to get us other. And so we be always under
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: thy watch and ward. Now hunger is hard upon us,
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: for that we have not eaten these two days. So
• 4:27
  Speaker 1: do thou give us our day's ration, and thou shalt
• 4:30
  Speaker 1: be free to dispose of all that remaineth as thou wilt.
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: But the wolf returned them no answer, and redoubled in
• 4:39
  Speaker 1: his hardness of heart. And when they strave to turn
• 4:43
  Speaker 1: him from his purpose, he would not be turned. Then
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: said one of the jackals to the rest. Nothing will
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: serve us but that we go to the lion and
• 4:53
  Speaker 1: cast ourselves on his protection, and assign unto him the camel.
• 4:57
  Speaker 1: If he vouchsafe us aught thereof twill be of his favor.
• 5:02
  Speaker 1: And if not, he is worthier of it than this
• 5:04
  Speaker 1: scurvy rascal. So they betook themselves to the lion, and
• 5:09
  Speaker 1: acquainted him with that which had betided them from the wolf, saying,
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: we are thy slaves, and come to thee imploring thy protection.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: So thou mayest deliver us from this wolf, and we
• 5:22
  Speaker 1: will be thy thralls. When the lion heard their story,
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: he was jealous for Almighty Allah, and went with them
• 5:30
  Speaker 1: in quest of the wolf, who, seeing him approach, addressed
• 5:34
  Speaker 1: himself to flight. But the lion ran after him, and,
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: seizing him, rent him in pieces and restore their prey
• 5:42
  Speaker 1: to the jackals. This showeth, added Shemus, that it fiteth
• 5:47
  Speaker 1: no king to neglect the affairs of his subjects. Wherefore,
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: do thou hearken to my reed and give credit to
• 5:54
  Speaker 1: the words which I say to thee? Quoth the king,
• 5:58
  Speaker 1: I will hearken to thee, and tomorrow, Inshallah, I will
• 6:02
  Speaker 1: go forth to them. Accordingly, Shemus went from him, and,
• 6:06
  Speaker 1: returning to the folk, told them that the king had
• 6:09
  Speaker 1: accepted his advice, and promised to come out unto them
• 6:13
  Speaker 1: on the morrow. But when the favorite heard this saying,
• 6:16
  Speaker 1: reported of Shemus, and was certified that needs must the
• 6:20
  Speaker 1: king go forth to his subjects, she betook herself to
• 6:23
  Speaker 1: him in haste, and said to him, how great is
• 6:27
  Speaker 1: my wonder at thy submissiveness and thine obedience to thy slaves.
• 6:33
  Speaker 1: Knowest thou not that these Wazirs are thy thralls. Why
• 6:37
  Speaker 1: then dost thou exalt them to this high most pitch
• 6:40
  Speaker 1: of importance that they imagine them? It was they gave
• 6:44
  Speaker 1: THEE this kingship and advance THEE to this rank, And
• 6:47
  Speaker 1: that it is they who confer favors on THEE, albeit
• 6:51
  Speaker 1: they have no power to do THEE the least damage. Indeed,
• 6:55
  Speaker 1: tis not thou who owest submission to them, but on
• 6:58
  Speaker 1: the contrary, they owe it to THEE, and it is
• 7:02
  Speaker 1: their duty to carry out Thine orders. How cometh it then,
• 7:07
  Speaker 1: that thou art so mightily affrightened at them? It is said,
• 7:12
  Speaker 1: unless thy heart be like iron, thou art not fit
• 7:16
  Speaker 1: to be a sovereign. But thy mildness hath deluded these men,
• 7:21
  Speaker 1: so that they presume upon THEE and cast off their allegiance.
• 7:25
  Speaker 1: Although it behooveth that they be constrained unto thy obedience
• 7:30
  Speaker 1: and enforce to thy submission. Therefore an thou hasten to
• 7:34
  Speaker 1: accept their words and leave them as they now are,
• 7:38
  Speaker 1: and vouchsafe to them the least thing against thy will.
• 7:41
  Speaker 1: They will weigh heavily upon thee, and require other concessions
• 7:46
  Speaker 1: of thee, and this will become their habit. But an
• 7:49
  Speaker 1: thou hearken to me, thou wilt not advance any one
• 7:53
  Speaker 1: of them to power. Neither wilt thou accept his word,
• 7:56
  Speaker 1: nor encourage him to presume upon thee. Else wilt thou
• 8:00
  Speaker 1: fare with them, as did the shepherd with the rogue.
• 8:05
  Speaker 1: Asked the King, how was that? And she answered, they
• 8:10
  Speaker 1: relate this adventure of the shepherd and the rogue. There
• 8:14
  Speaker 1: was once a shepherd who fed a flock of sheep
• 8:17
  Speaker 1: in the wold, and kept over them straight watch. One
• 8:20
  Speaker 1: night there came to him a rogue, thinking to steal
• 8:24
  Speaker 1: some of his charges, and finding him assiduous in guarding them,
• 8:28
  Speaker 1: sleeping not by night nor neglecting them by day, prowled
• 8:33
  Speaker 1: about him all the live long night, but could plunder
• 8:36
  Speaker 1: nothing from him. So when he was weary of striving,
• 8:40
  Speaker 1: he betook himself to another part of the waste, and,
• 8:44
  Speaker 1: trapping a lion, skinned him and stuffed his hide with
• 8:48
  Speaker 1: bruised straw, after which she set it up on a
• 8:51
  Speaker 1: high place in the desert, where the shepherd might see
• 8:54
  Speaker 1: it and be assured thereof. Then he accosted the shepherd
• 8:58
  Speaker 1: and said to him, yonder lion, Hath sent me to
• 9:02
  Speaker 1: demand his supper of these sheep. And the shepherd asked,
• 9:06
  Speaker 1: where is the lion? And the rogue answered, lift thine eyes,
• 9:11
  Speaker 1: there it standeth. So the shepherd raised his eyes, and,
• 9:15
  Speaker 1: seeing the semblance, deemed it a very lion, and was
• 9:18
  Speaker 1: very much affrightened. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
• 9:24
  Speaker 1: and ceased to say her permitted say end of night
• 9:28
  Speaker 1: nine hundred and twenty one night nine hundred and twenty two,
• 9:36
  Speaker 1: when it was the nine hundred and twenty second night,
• 9:39
  Speaker 1: she resumed it. Hath reached me o auspicious king, that
• 9:43
  Speaker 1: when the shepherd saw the semblance of the lion, he
• 9:46
  Speaker 1: deemed it a very lion, and was affrightened with the
• 9:50
  Speaker 1: sorest fright trembling for dread. So he said to the thief, O,
• 9:55
  Speaker 1: my brother, take what thou wilt, I will not gainsay thee. Accordingly,
• 10:00
  Speaker 1: the rogue took what he would of the sheep, and
• 10:02
  Speaker 1: redoubled in greed by reason of the excess of the
• 10:05
  Speaker 1: shepherd's fear. Accordingly, every little while he would hie to
• 10:09
  Speaker 1: him and terrify him, saying, the lion hath heed of this,
• 10:14
  Speaker 1: and requireth that, and his intentest to do thus and
• 10:18
  Speaker 1: thus and take his sufficiency of the sheep. And he
• 10:22
  Speaker 1: stinted not to do thus with him till he had
• 10:25
  Speaker 1: wasted the most part of his flock. This o king
• 10:29
  Speaker 1: added the favorite, I tell thee only that thou suffer
• 10:33
  Speaker 1: not the grandees of thy realm to be deluded by
• 10:36
  Speaker 1: thy mildness and easiness of temper, and presume on thee,
• 10:40
  Speaker 1: and in right read their death were better than that
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: they deal thus with thee, quoth the King. I accept
• 10:50
  Speaker 1: this thy counsel, and will not hearken to their admonition,
• 10:54
  Speaker 1: neither will I go out unto them. On the morrow,
• 10:59
  Speaker 1: the Wazirs, officers of state, and heads of the people, assembled, and,
• 11:04
  Speaker 1: taking each with him his weapon, repair to the palace
• 11:07
  Speaker 1: of the king, so they might break in upon him
• 11:10
  Speaker 1: and slay him and seat another in his stead. When
• 11:13
  Speaker 1: they came to the door, they require the door keeper
• 11:17
  Speaker 1: to open to them, but he refused, whereupon they sent
• 11:21
  Speaker 1: to fetch fire, wherewith to burn down the doors and enter.
• 11:25
  Speaker 1: The door keeper, hearing what they said, went into the
• 11:28
  Speaker 1: king in haste and told him that the folk were
• 11:31
  Speaker 1: gathered together at the gate, adding they required me to
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: open to them, but I refused. And they have sent
• 11:38
  Speaker 1: to fetch fire to burn down the doors withal, so
• 11:41
  Speaker 1: they may come into thee and slay thee. What dost
• 11:44
  Speaker 1: thou bid me do? Quoth the King and himself. Verily
• 11:49
  Speaker 1: I am fallen into uttermost perdition. Then he sent for
• 11:54
  Speaker 1: the Favorite, and as soon as she came, said to her,
• 11:57
  Speaker 1: indeed she must never told me aught, but I found true.
• 12:01
  Speaker 1: And now great and small are come, purposing to slay
• 12:04
  Speaker 1: me and thee. And because the door keeper would not
• 12:07
  Speaker 1: open to them, they have sent to fetch fire to
• 12:10
  Speaker 1: burn the doors withal. So will the house be burnt
• 12:13
  Speaker 1: and we therein. What dost thou counsel me to do?
• 12:17
  Speaker 1: She replied, No harms shall betie thee, nor let thine
• 12:22
  Speaker 1: affair affright thee. This is a time when the simple
• 12:26
  Speaker 1: rise against their kings. Quoth he. What dost thou counsel
• 12:31
  Speaker 1: me to do? And how shall I act in this affair?
• 12:36
  Speaker 1: Quoth she? My reed is that thou fillt thy head
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: and feign thyself sick. Then send for the Wazir Shemas,
• 12:45
  Speaker 1: who will come and see the plight wherein thou art,
• 12:49
  Speaker 1: And do thou say to him, verily, I propose to
• 12:53
  Speaker 1: go forth to the folk this day, but this malady
• 12:57
  Speaker 1: hindered me. So go thou out to them, and acquaint
• 13:00
  Speaker 1: them with my condition, and tell them that tomorrow I
• 13:03
  Speaker 1: will fare forth without fail to them, and do their need,
• 13:07
  Speaker 1: and look into their affairs, so they may be reassured
• 13:10
  Speaker 1: and their rage may subside. Then do thou summon ten
• 13:15
  Speaker 1: of thy father's slaves, stallwart men of strength and prowess,
• 13:20
  Speaker 1: to whom thou canst entrust thyself, hearing to thy hest
• 13:24
  Speaker 1: and complying with thy commandment, surely keeping thy secret and
• 13:28
  Speaker 1: leaf to thy love. And charge them on the morrow
• 13:32
  Speaker 1: to stand at thy head, and bid them suffer none
• 13:35
  Speaker 1: of the folk to enter, save one by one, and
• 13:39
  Speaker 1: all who enter. Do thou say, seize them and do
• 13:42
  Speaker 1: them die? And they agree with THEE upon this. To morrow,
• 13:47
  Speaker 1: set up thy throne in the divan, and open thy doors.
• 13:51
  Speaker 1: When the folk see that thou hast open to them,
• 13:54
  Speaker 1: their minds will be set at ease, and they will
• 13:57
  Speaker 1: come to THEE with a whole heart and seek mission
• 14:00
  Speaker 1: to THEE. Then do thou admit them one after one,
• 14:06
  Speaker 1: even as I said to THEE, and work with them
• 14:09
  Speaker 1: thy will. But it behooveth THEE begin by slaying Shemus,
• 14:14
  Speaker 1: their chief and leader, for he is the grand Wazir
• 14:17
  Speaker 1: and head of the matter. Therefore do him thy first,
• 14:21
  Speaker 1: and after put all the rest to death, one after other,
• 14:26
  Speaker 1: and spare none whom thou knowest to have broken with
• 14:30
  Speaker 1: THEE his covenant, and in like way slaughter all whose
• 14:34
  Speaker 1: violence thou fearest. An thou deal thus with them, there
• 14:38
  Speaker 1: will be left them no power to make head against THEE.
• 14:42
  Speaker 1: So shalt thou be at rest from them with full repose,
• 14:47
  Speaker 1: and shalt enjoy thy kingship and peace. And do whatso
• 14:50
  Speaker 1: thou wilt. And know that there is no device that
• 14:53
  Speaker 1: will profit THEE more than this, quoth the King. Verily,
• 14:59
  Speaker 1: this thy counsel is just, and that which thou biddest
• 15:03
  Speaker 1: me is to the point. And I will assuredly do
• 15:06
  Speaker 1: as thou directest. So he called for a filet and
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: bound his head therewith and shamm'd sickness. Then he sent
• 15:15
  Speaker 1: for the Grand Wazir and said to him, O, Shemust
• 15:19
  Speaker 1: Thou knowest that I love THEE, and hearken to the
• 15:21
  Speaker 1: counsel of THEE, and thou art to me as brother
• 15:24
  Speaker 1: and father, both in one. Also thou knowest that I
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: do all thou biddest me, and indeed thou badest me.
• 15:31
  Speaker 1: Go forth to the lieges and sit to judge between them. Now.
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: I was assured that this was right read on thy part,
• 15:39
  Speaker 1: and propose to go forth to them yesterday. But this
• 15:42
  Speaker 1: sickness assailed me, and I cannot sit up. It hath
• 15:46
  Speaker 1: reached me that the folk are incensed at my failure
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: to come forth to them, and are minded of their
• 15:52
  Speaker 1: mischief to do with me that which is unmeet, for
• 15:56
  Speaker 1: that they know not what ailment paileth me. So go
• 15:59
  Speaker 1: thy forth to them and acquaint them with my cause
• 16:02
  Speaker 1: and the condition I am in, and excuse me to them,
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: for I am obedient to their bidding and will do
• 16:08
  Speaker 1: as they desire. Wherefore, order this affair and engage thyself
• 16:13
  Speaker 1: for me. Herefore, even as thou hast been a loyal
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: counselor to me and to my sire before me, and
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: it is of thy wont to make peace between the
• 16:22
  Speaker 1: people tomorrow, and shallah I will without fail come forth
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: to them, and peraventure, my sickness will cease from me
• 16:30
  Speaker 1: this night by the blessing of the purest intent and
• 16:33
  Speaker 1: the good I propose them in my heart. So Shemus
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: prostrated himself to Allah and called down blessings on the King,
• 16:42
  Speaker 1: and kissed his hand, rejoicing at this. Then he went
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: forth to the folk and told them what he had
• 16:48
  Speaker 1: heard from the King, and forbade them from that which
• 16:51
  Speaker 1: they had a mind to do, acquainting them with what
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: excused the king for his absence, and informing them that
• 16:57
  Speaker 1: he had promised to come forth to them on the
• 16:59
  Speaker 1: marws and deal with them according to their desires. Whereupon
• 17:04
  Speaker 1: they dispersed and hie them to their houses, and Shahrazad
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
• 17:13
  Speaker 1: permitted say end of night, nine hundred and twenty two.
• 17:19
  Speaker 1: Recording by Andrea Levy Andrelivi dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal,