Latest / Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09 / 024 - Night 935 - 936

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024 - Night 935 - 936 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty four of the Book of the Thousand Nights
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  Speaker 1: and a Night, 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 Michel Frye Batonrouge, Louisiana in November two thousand eighteen.
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  Speaker 1: The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume
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  Speaker 1: nine by anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton. When it
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  Speaker 1: was the nine hundred and thirty fifth night, Shahrazad said,
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  Speaker 1: it hath reached me o auspicious king, that when Abu
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  Speaker 1: Khur beat Abu Sur and thrust him forth, he said
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  Speaker 1: to those present, he is a thief who stealeth the
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  Speaker 1: stuffs of folk. He hath robbed me of my cloth
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  Speaker 1: how many a time, And I still said in myself, Allah,
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  Speaker 1: forgive him. He is a poor man, and I cared
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  Speaker 1: not to deal with him. So I used to give
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  Speaker 1: my customers the worth of their goods and forbid him gently.
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  Speaker 1: But he would not be forbidden. And if he come again,
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  Speaker 1: I will send him to the king, who will put
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  Speaker 1: him to death and rid the people of his mischief,
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  Speaker 1: and the bystanders fell to abusing the barber after his
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  Speaker 1: back was turned. Such was the behavior of Abu Khur.
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  Speaker 1: But as regards Abu Sir, he returned to the khan
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  Speaker 1: where he sat pondering that which the dyer had done
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  Speaker 1: by him, and he remained seated until the burning of
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  Speaker 1: the beating subsided. When he went out and walked among
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  Speaker 1: the markets of the city, presently he bethought him to
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  Speaker 1: go to the AmAm bath. So he said to one
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  Speaker 1: of the townsfolk, Oh, my brother, which is the way
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  Speaker 1: to the baths? Quoth the man? And what manner of
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  Speaker 1: thing may the baths be? And quoth Abu Sir. Tis
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  Speaker 1: a place where people wash themselves and do away with
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  Speaker 1: their dirt and defilements, And it is of the best
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  Speaker 1: of the good things of this world, replied the townsman,
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  Speaker 1: Get thee to the sea. But the barber rejoined, I
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  Speaker 1: want the hammam baths, cried the other. We know not
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  Speaker 1: what manner of thing is the hamam, for we all
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  Speaker 1: resort to the sea, even the king when he would
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  Speaker 1: wash betaketh himself to the sea. When Abu Sir was
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  Speaker 1: assured that there was no bath in the city, and
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  Speaker 1: that the folk knew not the baths nor the fashion thereof.
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  Speaker 1: He betook himself to the King's davan, and, kissing ground
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  Speaker 1: between his hands, called down blessings on him, and said,
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  Speaker 1: I am a stranger and a bath man by trade.
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  Speaker 1: And I entered the city and thought to go to
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  Speaker 1: the hammam, but found not one Herein how cometh a
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  Speaker 1: city of this comely quality to lack a hammam? Seeing
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  Speaker 1: that the bath is of the highest of the delights
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  Speaker 1: of this world, quoth the King, what manner of thing
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  Speaker 1: is the hammam? So Abu Sir seated to set forth
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  Speaker 1: to him the quality of the bath, saying that capital
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  Speaker 1: will not be a perfect city till there be a
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  Speaker 1: hammam therein. Welcome to thee, said the King, and clad
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  Speaker 1: him in a dress that had not its like, and
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  Speaker 1: gave him a horse and two blackamore slaves, presently adding
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  Speaker 1: four handmaids and as many white mamelukes. He also appointed
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  Speaker 1: him a furnished house, and honored him yet more abundantly
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  Speaker 1: than he had honored the dyer. After this he sent
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  Speaker 1: builders with him, saying to them build him a hammam
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  Speaker 1: in what place soever shall please him. So he took
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  Speaker 1: them and went with them through the midst of the
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  Speaker 1: city till he saw a stead that suited him. He
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  Speaker 1: pointed it out to the builders, and they set to
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  Speaker 1: work whilst he directed them, and they wrought till they
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  Speaker 1: builded him a hammam that had not its like. Then
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  Speaker 1: he bade them paint it, and they painted it rarely,
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  Speaker 1: so that it was a delight to the beholders, After
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  Speaker 1: which Abuser went up to the king and told him
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  Speaker 1: that they had made an end of building and decorating
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  Speaker 1: the hammam, adding their lacketh not save the furniture. The
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  Speaker 1: king gave him ten thousand dinars, wherewith he furnished the
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  Speaker 1: bath and ranged the napkins on the ropes, and all
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  Speaker 1: who passed by the door stared at it, and their
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  Speaker 1: mind confounded at its decorations. So the people crowded to
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  Speaker 1: this spectacle, whose like they had never in their lives seen,
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  Speaker 1: and solaced themselves by staring at it and saying, what
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  Speaker 1: is this thing, to which Abusir replied, this is a hammam,
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  Speaker 1: and they marveled thereat. Then he heated water and set
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  Speaker 1: the bath a working, and he made a jetting fountain
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  Speaker 1: in the great basin, which ravished the wit of all
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  Speaker 1: who saw it, of the people of the city. Furthermore,
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  Speaker 1: he sought of the king ten mamelukes not yet come
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  Speaker 1: to manhood, and he gave him ten boys like moons,
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  Speaker 1: whereupon Abu Sir proceeded to shampoo them, saying, do in
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  Speaker 1: this wise with the bathers. Then he burnt perfumes and
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  Speaker 1: sent out a crier to cry aloud in the city, saying, Oh,
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  Speaker 1: creatures of Allah, get ye to the baths, which be
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  Speaker 1: called the Sultan's Hamam. So the lieges came thither, and
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  Speaker 1: Abu Sir bade the slave boys wash their bodies. The
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  Speaker 1: folk went down into the tank, and coming forth seated
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  Speaker 1: themselves on the raised pavement, whilst the boys shampooed them,
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  Speaker 1: even as Abuser had taught them. And they continued to
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  Speaker 1: enter the hamam and do their need therein gratis and
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  Speaker 1: go out without paying, for the space of three days.
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  Speaker 1: On the fourth day, the barber invited the king, who
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  Speaker 1: took horse with his grandees and rode to the baths,
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  Speaker 1: where he put off his clothes and entered. Then Abusir
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  Speaker 1: came in to him and rubbed his body with the
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  Speaker 1: bad gloves peeling from his skin dirt rolls like lamp wicks,
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  Speaker 1: and showing them to the King, who rejoiced therein, and
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  Speaker 1: clapping his hand upon his limbs, heard them ring again
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  Speaker 1: for very smoothness and cleanliness. After which thorough washing, Abu
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  Speaker 1: Sir mingled rose water with the water of the tank,
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  Speaker 1: and the king went down therein. When he came forth,
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  Speaker 1: his body was refreshed, and he felt a lightness and
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  Speaker 1: liveliness such as he had never known in his life.
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  Speaker 1: Then the barber made him sit on the dans, and
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  Speaker 1: the boys proceeded to shampoo him, whilst the censers fumed
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  Speaker 1: with the finest ling aloes. Then said the King, oh, Master,
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  Speaker 1: is this the hammam, and Abu Sir said, yes, quoth
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  Speaker 1: the King, as my head liveth my city is not
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  Speaker 1: become a city, indeed, but by this bath presently, adding,
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  Speaker 1: but what pay takest thou for each person, quoth Abu Sir,
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  Speaker 1: That which thou biddest will I take? Whereupon the King cried,
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  Speaker 1: take a thousand gold pieces for every one who washeth
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  Speaker 1: in thy hammam. Abu Sir, however, said, pardon, o, King
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  Speaker 1: of the age. All men are not alike but there
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  Speaker 1: are amongst them rich and poor, and if I take
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  Speaker 1: of each a thousand dinars, the hammam will stand empty,
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  Speaker 1: for the poor man cannot pay this price. Ask the king,
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  Speaker 1: how then wilt thou do for the price, and the
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  Speaker 1: barber answered, I will leave it to their generosity. Each
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  Speaker 1: who can afford aught shall pay that which his soul
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  Speaker 1: grudgeth not to give, and we will take from every
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  Speaker 1: man after the measure of his means. On this wise
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  Speaker 1: will the folk come to us. And he who is
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  Speaker 1: wealthy shall give according to his station, and he who
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  Speaker 1: is wealthless shall give what he can afford. Under such condition,
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  Speaker 1: the hammam will still be at work and prosper exceedingly.
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  Speaker 1: But a thousand dinars is a monarch's gift, and not
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  Speaker 1: every man can avail to this. The lords of the
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  Speaker 1: realm can affirmed abuser's words, saying, this is the truth, O,
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  Speaker 1: King of the age, thinkest thou that all folks are
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  Speaker 1: like unto thee O glorious king. The king replied, ye
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  Speaker 1: say sooth, But this man is a stranger and poor,
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  Speaker 1: and tis incumbent on us to deal generously with him,
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  Speaker 1: for that he hath made in our city. This hammam,
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  Speaker 1: whose like we have never in our lives seen, and
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  Speaker 1: without which our city were not adorned, nor hath gotten importance. Wherefore,
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  Speaker 1: and we favor him with increase of fee, twill not
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  Speaker 1: be much. But the grandees said, and thou wilt garden him,
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  Speaker 1: be generous with thine own monies, and let the king's
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  Speaker 1: bounty be extended to the poor by means of the
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  Speaker 1: low price of the hammam. So the lieges may bless thee.
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  Speaker 1: But as for the thousand dinars, we are the lords
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  Speaker 1: of thy land. Yet do our souls grudge to pay it?
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  Speaker 1: And how then should the poor be pleased to afford it?
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  Speaker 1: Quoth the King O my grandees. For this time, let
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  Speaker 1: each of you give him a hundred dinars, and a mameluke,
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  Speaker 1: a slave girl, and a blackamore. And quoth they tis well,
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  Speaker 1: we will give it. But after to day, whoso entereth
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  Speaker 1: shall give him only what he can afford, without grudging.
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  Speaker 1: No harm in that said the king, and they gave
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  Speaker 1: him a thousand gold pieces and three chattels. Now, the
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  Speaker 1: number of the nobles who were washed with the king
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  Speaker 1: that day was four hundred souls, and Shahrazad perceived the
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  Speaker 1: dawn of the day and ceased, saying her permitted say
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  Speaker 1: when it was the nine hundred and thirty sixth night,
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  Speaker 1: she continued. It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that
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  Speaker 1: the number of the nobles who were washed with the
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  Speaker 1: king that day were four hundred souls, so that the
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  Speaker 1: total of that which they gave him was forty thousand dinars,
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  Speaker 1: besides four hundred mamelukes, and a like number of negroes
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  Speaker 1: and slave girls. Moreover, the King gave him ten thousand dinars,
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  Speaker 1: besides ten white slaves and ten handmaidens, and a like
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  Speaker 1: number of blackamoors. Whereupon, coming forward, Abu Sir kissed the
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  Speaker 1: ground before him and said, O, auspicious Sovereign Lord of Justice,
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  Speaker 1: what place will contain me all these women and slaves?
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  Speaker 1: Quoth the King, oh weak a wit, I bade not
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  Speaker 1: my nobles deal thus with thee, but that we might
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  Speaker 1: gather together unto thee wealth galore. For may be thou
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  Speaker 1: wilt bethink thee of thy country and family, and repine
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  Speaker 1: for them, and be minded to return to thy motherland.
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  Speaker 1: So shalt thou take from our country much of money
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  Speaker 1: to maintain thyself withal what while thou livest in thine
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  Speaker 1: own country, And quoth Abu Sir, o King of the age, allah,
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  Speaker 1: advance thee. These white slaves and women and negroes befit
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  Speaker 1: only kings, And hadst thou ordered me ready money, it
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  Speaker 1: were more profitable to me than this army. For they
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  Speaker 1: must eat and drink and dress, and whatever betideth me
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  Speaker 1: of wealth, it will not suffice for their support. The
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  Speaker 1: king laughed and said, by Allah, thou speakest sooth. They
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  Speaker 1: are indeed a mighty host, and thou hast not the
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  Speaker 1: wherewithal to maintain them. But wilt thou sell them to
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  Speaker 1: me for an hundred dinars? Ahead, said Abu Sir, I
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  Speaker 1: sell them to thee at that price. So the king
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  Speaker 1: sent to his treasurer for the coin, and he brought
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  Speaker 1: it and gave Abu Sir the whole of the price,
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  Speaker 1: without abatement and in full tale, after which the king
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  Speaker 1: restored the slaves to their owners, saying, let each of
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  Speaker 1: you who knoweth his slaves, take them, for they are
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  Speaker 1: a gift from me to you. So they obeyed his
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  Speaker 1: bidding and took each what belonged to him, Whilst Abusir
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  Speaker 1: said to the king. Allah ease thee O king of
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  Speaker 1: the age, even as thou hast eased me of these ghouls,
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  Speaker 1: whose bellies none may fail save for Allah. The king
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  Speaker 1: laughed and said he spake sooth. Then, taking the grandees
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  Speaker 1: of his room from the hammam, returned to his palace.
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  Speaker 1: But the barber passed the night in counting out his
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  Speaker 1: gold and laying it up in bags and sealing them.
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  Speaker 1: And he had with him twenty black slaves, and a
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  Speaker 1: like number of mamelukes, and four slave girls to serve him. Now,
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  Speaker 1: when morning morrowd, he opened the hammam and sent out
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  Speaker 1: a crier, saying, whoso entereth the baths and washeth, shall
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  Speaker 1: give that which he can afford, and which his generosity
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  Speaker 1: requireth him to give. Then he seated himself by the
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  Speaker 1: pay chest, and customers flocked in upon him, each putting
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  Speaker 1: down that which was easy to him, nor had even tied.
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  Speaker 1: Even ere the chest was full of the good gifts
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  Speaker 1: of Allah the most High. Presently the queen desired to
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  Speaker 1: go to the Hammam, and when this came to Abu
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  Speaker 1: Sur's knowledge, he divided the day on her account into
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  Speaker 1: two parts, appointing that between dawn and noon to men,
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  Speaker 1: and that between midday and sundown to women. As soon
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  Speaker 1: as the queen came, he stationed a handmaid behind the
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  Speaker 1: pay chest, for he had taught four slave girls the
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  Speaker 1: service of the hammam, so that they were become expert
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  Speaker 1: bath women and tire women. When the Queen entered, this
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  Speaker 1: pleased her, and her breast waxed broad, and she laid
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  Speaker 1: down a thousand dinars. Thus his report was noised abroad
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  Speaker 1: in the city, and all who entered the bath he
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  Speaker 1: entreated with honor, were they rich or poor. Good came
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  Speaker 1: in upon him at every door, and he made acquaintance
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  Speaker 1: with the royal guards and got him friends and intimates.
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  Speaker 1: The king himself used to come to him one day
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  Speaker 1: in every week, leaving with him a thousand dinars, and
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  Speaker 1: the other days were for rich and poor alike, And
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  Speaker 1: he was wont to deal courteously with the folk and
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  Speaker 1: use them with the utmost respect. It chanced that the
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  Speaker 1: king's sea captain came in to him one day in
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  Speaker 1: the bath, so Abu Sir did off his dress, and
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  Speaker 1: going in with him, proceeded to shampoo him and entreated
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  Speaker 1: him with exceeding courtesy. When he came forth, he made
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  Speaker 1: him sherbet and coffee, and when he would have given
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  Speaker 1: him somewhat, he swore that he would not accept from
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  Speaker 1: him aught. So the captain was under obligation to him
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  Speaker 1: by reason of his exceeding kindness and courtesy, and was
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  Speaker 1: perplexed how to requite the bath man his generous dealing.
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  Speaker 1: Thus fared it with Abu Sir. But as regards Abu Chur.
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  Speaker 1: Hearing all the people recounting wonders of the baths and saying, verily,
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  Speaker 1: this hammam is the paradise of this world. In shallah,
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  Speaker 1: oh such an one, thou shalt go with us tomorrow
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  Speaker 1: to this delightful bath, he said to himself, needs must
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  Speaker 1: I affair like the rest of the world, and see
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  Speaker 1: this bath that hath taken folk's wits. So he donned
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  Speaker 1: his richest dress, and mounting a she mule, and bidding
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  Speaker 1: the attendants of four white slaves and four blacks walking
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  Speaker 1: before and behind him, he rode to the hammam. When
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  Speaker 1: he alighted at the door, he smelt the scent of
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  Speaker 1: burning aloes wood, and found people going in and out
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  Speaker 1: in the benches, full of great and small So he
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  Speaker 1: entered the vestibule and saw Abusir, who rose to him
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  Speaker 1: and rejoiced in him. But the dyer said to him,
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  Speaker 1: is this the way of well born men? I have
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  Speaker 1: opened me a diary, and am become master dyer of
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  Speaker 1: the city, and acquainted with the king, and have risen
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  Speaker 1: to prosperity and authority. Yet camest thou not to me,
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  Speaker 1: nor askest of me, nor saidest where is my comrade?
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  Speaker 1: For my part? I sought THEE in vain and sent
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  Speaker 1: my slaves in service to make search for THEE in
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  Speaker 1: all the khans and other places. But they knew not
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  Speaker 1: whether thou hadst gone, nor could anyone give me tidings
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  Speaker 1: of THEE, said Abu Sir, did I not come to THEE?
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  Speaker 1: And didst thou not make me out a thief and
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  Speaker 1: bastinado and dishonor me before the world. At this Abu
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  Speaker 1: Kur made a show of concern and asked what manner
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  Speaker 1: of talk is this? Was it thou whom I beat?
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  Speaker 1: And Abu Sir answered yes, twas I. Whereupon Abu ker
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  Speaker 1: swore to him a thousand oaths that he knew him not,
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  Speaker 1: and said, there was a fellow like THEE who used
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  Speaker 1: to come every day and steal people's stuff. And I
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  Speaker 1: took THEE for him, and he went on to pretend penitence,
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  Speaker 1: beating hand upon hand and saying, there is no majesty
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  Speaker 1: and there is no might save in Allah, the Glorious,
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  Speaker 1: the Great. Indeed, we have sinned against THEE. But would
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  Speaker 1: that thou hadst discovered thyself to me, And said, I
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  Speaker 1: am such an one. Indeed, the fault is with THEE,
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  Speaker 1: for that thou madest not thyself known unto me. More
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  Speaker 1: especially seeing that I was distracted for such business, replied
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  Speaker 1: Abu sir Allah, pardon me, o, my comrade. This was
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  Speaker 1: foreordained in the secret purpose, and reparation is with Allah.
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  Speaker 1: Enter and put off thy clothes and bathe at thin knees.
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  Speaker 1: Said the dire, I conjure THEE by Allah, O, my brother,
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  Speaker 1: forgive me, And said Abu Sir Allah, acquit THEE of
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  Speaker 1: blame and forgive THEE. Indeed, this thing was decreed to
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  Speaker 1: me from all eternity. And then asked Abu Kur, whence
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  Speaker 1: goddest thou this high degree? And answered Abu Sir, he
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  Speaker 1: who prospered THEE prospered me. For I went up to
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  Speaker 1: the King and described to him the fashion of the hammam,
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  Speaker 1: and he bade me build one. And the dyer said,
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  Speaker 1: even as thou art be known of the King, so
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  Speaker 1: also am I and Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
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  Speaker 1: and ceased, saying her permitted say end of nights nine
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  Speaker 1: hundred and thirty five and nine hundred and thirty six