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018 - Night 923 - 924 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section eighteen of the Book of the Thousand Knights and
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  Speaker 1: a Night, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox recording. All
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  Speaker 1: LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information
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  Speaker 1: or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording by
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  Speaker 1: Andre Levy andreliv dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal. The Book of
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  Speaker 1: the Thousand Knights and a Night, Volume nine by Anonymous,
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  Speaker 1: translated by Richard Francis Burton Knight nine hundred and twenty three.
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  Speaker 1: When it was the nine hundred and twenty third night,
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  Speaker 1: she said it hath reached me o auspicious king, that
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  Speaker 1: she must went from the presence to the ringleaders of
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  Speaker 1: the Commons and said to them, tomorrow the Sovereign will
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  Speaker 1: come forth to you and will deal with you as
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  Speaker 1: ye desire. So they hie them to their homes. On
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  Speaker 1: such wise fared it with them. But as regards the monarch,
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  Speaker 1: he summoned ten slaves of gigantic stature, men of hard
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  Speaker 1: hearts and prow of prowess, whom he had chosen from
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  Speaker 1: amongst his father's body guards, and said to them, ye
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  Speaker 1: know the favor, esteem and high rank ye held with
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  Speaker 1: my sire, and all the bounties, benefits and honors he
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  Speaker 1: bestowed on you, and I will advance you to yet
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  Speaker 1: higher dignity with me than this. Now I will tell
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  Speaker 1: you the reason thereof, and ye are under safeguard of
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  Speaker 1: Allah from me. But first I will ask you somewhat
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  Speaker 1: wherein if ye do my desire, obeying me in that
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  Speaker 1: which I shall bid you and conceal my secret from
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  Speaker 1: all men, ye shall have of me largesse and favor
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  Speaker 1: surpassing expectation, but above all things obedience. The ten Thralls
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  Speaker 1: answered him with one mouth and in segment words, saying,
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  Speaker 1: whatso thou biddest us, o, our liege, that we will do?
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  Speaker 1: Nor will we depart in aught from thy commandment? For
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  Speaker 1: thou art our lord and master, quoth the king Allah
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  Speaker 1: allot you weel. Now, will I tell you the reason
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  Speaker 1: why I have chosen you out for increase of honor
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  Speaker 1: with me. Ye know how liberally my father dealt with
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  Speaker 1: the folk of his realm, and the oath he took
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  Speaker 1: from them on behalf of me, and how they promised
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  Speaker 1: him that they would break faith with me nor gainsay
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  Speaker 1: the bidding of me. And ye saw how they did
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  Speaker 1: yesterday when as they gathered altogether about me, and would
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  Speaker 1: have slain me. Now I am minded to do with
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  Speaker 1: them somewhat, And tis this for that I have considered
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  Speaker 1: their action of yesterday, and see that naught will restrain
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  Speaker 1: them from its like, save exemplary chastisement. Wherefore I perforce
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  Speaker 1: charge you prevent to do to death whom I shall
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  Speaker 1: point out to you, to the intent that I may
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  Speaker 1: ward off mischief and calamity for my realm by slaying
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  Speaker 1: their leaders in chiefs. And the manner thereof shall be.
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  Speaker 1: On this wise. Tomorrow I will sit on this seat
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  Speaker 1: in this chamber and give them admission to me, one
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  Speaker 1: by one, coming in at one door and going out
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  Speaker 1: at another. And do ye, all ten stand before me
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  Speaker 1: and be attentive to my signs. And whoso entereth singly
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  Speaker 1: take him and drag him into yonder chamber, and kill
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  Speaker 1: him and hide his corpse. The slaves answered, we hearken
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  Speaker 1: to thy hest and obey thy order. Whereupon he gave
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  Speaker 1: them gifts and dismiss them for the night. On the
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  Speaker 1: morrow he summoned the thralls and bade set up the
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  Speaker 1: royal seat. Then he donned his kingly robes, and taking
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  Speaker 1: the book of law cases in his hands, posted the
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  Speaker 1: ten slaves before him, and commanded to open the doors.
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  Speaker 1: So they opened the doors, and the herald proclaimed aloud, saying,
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  Speaker 1: whoso hath authority, let him come to the King's carpet.
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  Speaker 1: Whereupon up came the Wazirs and prefects and chamberlains, and
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  Speaker 1: stood each in his rank. Then the King bade admit them,
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  Speaker 1: one after one, and the first to enter was Shemas,
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  Speaker 1: according to the custom of the Grand Wazir. But no
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  Speaker 1: longer had he presented himself before the king, and ere
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  Speaker 1: he could beware, the ten slaves gat about him, and
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  Speaker 1: dragging him into the adjoining chamber, despatched him on the
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  Speaker 1: likewise did they with the rest of the wazirs and
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  Speaker 1: olemma and notables, slaying them one after another till they
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  Speaker 1: made a clean finish. Then the king called the headsman
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  Speaker 1: and bade them ply sword upon all who remained the
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  Speaker 1: folk of Valor and stower. So they fell on them,
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  Speaker 1: and left none whom they knew for a man of metal,
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  Speaker 1: but they slew him, sparing only the proletaires and the
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  Speaker 1: refuse of the people. These they drove away, and they
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  Speaker 1: returned each to his folk, whilst the king secluded himself
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  Speaker 1: in his pleasures and surrendered his soul to its lusts,
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  Speaker 1: working tyranny, oppression, and violence, until he outraced all the
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  Speaker 1: men of evil who had forrun him. Now, this king's
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  Speaker 1: dominion was a mind of gold and silver, and jacinths
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  Speaker 1: and jewels, and the neighboring rulers one and all envied
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  Speaker 1: him this empire and looked for calamity to betide him. Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: one of them, the king of Outer Hind, said in himself,
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  Speaker 1: I have gotten my desire of wresting the realm from
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  Speaker 1: the hand of yonder silly lad by reason of that
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  Speaker 1: which hath betided, of his slaughter, of the chiefs of state,
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  Speaker 1: and of all men of valor and metal that were
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  Speaker 1: in his country. This is my occasion to snatch away
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  Speaker 1: that which is in his hand. Seeing he is young
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  Speaker 1: in years, and hath no knowledge of war nor judgment
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  Speaker 1: there too, nor is there any left to counsel him
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  Speaker 1: a right or succur him. Wherefore, this very day will
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  Speaker 1: I open on him the door of mischief by writing
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  Speaker 1: him a writ, wherein I will flight him and reproach
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  Speaker 1: him with that which he hath done and see what
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  Speaker 1: he will reply. So he indicted him a letter to
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  Speaker 1: the following effect, in the name of Allah the Compassionate.
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  Speaker 1: And after I have heard, tell of that which thou
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  Speaker 1: hast done with thy Wazirs and Alemma and men of valiancy,
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  Speaker 1: and that whereinto thou hast cast thyself of calamity, so
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  Speaker 1: that there is neither power nor strength left in THEE
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  Speaker 1: to repel whoso shall assail THEE. More by token, then
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  Speaker 1: thou transgressest and orderest thyself tyrannously and profligately. Now Allah
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  Speaker 1: hath assuredly given me the conquering of THEE and the
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  Speaker 1: mastery over THEE. And into my hand hath delivered THEE.
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  Speaker 1: Wherefore do thou give ear to my word and obey
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  Speaker 1: the commandment of Me, and build me an impregnable castle
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  Speaker 1: amiddlemost the sea. And thou can not do this, Depart
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  Speaker 1: thy realm, and with thy life go flee, For I
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  Speaker 1: will send unto THEE from the farthest ends of Hind
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  Speaker 1: twelve hords of horse each, twelve thousand fighting men strong,
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  Speaker 1: who shall enter thy land and spoil thy goods, and
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  Speaker 1: slay thy men, and carry thy women into captivity. Moreover,
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  Speaker 1: I will make my Wazir Badya captain over them, and
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  Speaker 1: bid him lay straight siege to thy capital till the
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  Speaker 1: master he be. And I have bidden the bearer of
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  Speaker 1: this letter that he tarry with thee but days three,
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  Speaker 1: so an thou do my demand, thou shalt be saved.
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  Speaker 1: Else will I send that which I have said unto
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  Speaker 1: thee Then he sealed the scroll and gave it to
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  Speaker 1: a messenger, who journeyed with it till he came to
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  Speaker 1: the capital of Wird Khan, and delivered it to him.
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  Speaker 1: When the king read it, his strength failed him. His
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  Speaker 1: breast waxed straight, and he made sure of destruction, having
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  Speaker 1: none to whom he might resort for aid or advice.
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  Speaker 1: Presently he rose and went in to his favorite wife, who,
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  Speaker 1: seeing him changed of color, said to him, what mattereth
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  Speaker 1: thee O king quoth he this day? I am no
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  Speaker 1: king but slave to the king. And he opened the
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  Speaker 1: letter and read it to her, whereupon she fell to
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  Speaker 1: weeping and wailing and rending her arraignment. Then he asked her,
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  Speaker 1: hast thou aught of reed or resource and dis grievous strait?
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  Speaker 1: But she answered, women have no resource in time of war,
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  Speaker 1: Nor have women any strength or aught of counsel. Tis
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  Speaker 1: men alone, who in like of this affair have force
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  Speaker 1: and discourse and resource. When the king heard her words,
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  Speaker 1: there befell him the utmost regret and repentance and remorse
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  Speaker 1: for that he had transgressed against his wazirs and officers
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  Speaker 1: and lords of his land. And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
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  Speaker 1: of day and ceased to say her permitted say, and
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  Speaker 1: of night nine hundred and twenty three, knight nine hundred
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  Speaker 1: and twenty four, when it was the nine hundred and
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  Speaker 1: twenty fourth night, she continued it Hath reached me o
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  Speaker 1: auspicious King, that when King Weird Khan heard the words
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  Speaker 1: of his favorite wife, there befell him the utmost regret
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  Speaker 1: and repentance for having transgressed against stand slain his wazirs
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  Speaker 1: and the cheats of his state. And he would that
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  Speaker 1: he had died. Ere there came to him the like
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  Speaker 1: of these shameful tidings. Then he said to his women,
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  Speaker 1: verily there hath betided me from you that which befell
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  Speaker 1: the francolin and the tortoises. Ask they what was that?
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  Speaker 1: And he answered, men, tell this Tale of the Francolin
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  Speaker 1: and the Tortoises. It is said that sundry tortoises dwelt
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  Speaker 1: once in a certain island, abounding in trees and fruiterers
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  Speaker 1: and rills. And it fortuned one day that a francolin,
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  Speaker 1: passing over the island, was overcome with the fiery heat
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  Speaker 1: and fatigue, and being in grievous suffering, stayed his flight
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  Speaker 1: therein presently looking about for a cool place. He is
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  Speaker 1: spy the resort of the tortoises, and alighted down near
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  Speaker 1: their home. Now they were then abroad foraging for food,
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  Speaker 1: And when they returned from their feeding places to their dwelling,
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  Speaker 1: they found the franklin there. His beauty pleased them, and
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  Speaker 1: Allah made him lovely in their eyes, so that they
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  Speaker 1: exclaimed suban Allah, extolling their creator, and loved the Franklin
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  Speaker 1: with exceeding love, and rejoiced in him, saying one to other,
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  Speaker 1: for sure, this is of the goodliest of the birds.
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  Speaker 1: And all began to caress him and entreat him with kindness.
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  Speaker 1: When he saw that they looked on him with eyes
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  Speaker 1: of affection, he inclined to them and companioned with them,
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  Speaker 1: and took up his abode with them, flying away in
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  Speaker 1: the morning whither he would, and returning at eventide to
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  Speaker 1: pass the night by side of them. On this wise
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  Speaker 1: he continued a long while until the tortoises, seeing that
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  Speaker 1: his daily absence from them desolated them, and finding that
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  Speaker 1: they never saw him save by night, for at dawn
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  Speaker 1: he still took flight in haste, and they knew not
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  Speaker 1: what came of him, for all that their love grew
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  Speaker 1: to him, said each to other, Indeed, we love this Franklin,
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  Speaker 1: and he's become our true friend, and we cannot bear
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  Speaker 1: parting from him. So how shall we devise some device
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  Speaker 1: tending to make him abide with us always? For he
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  Speaker 1: flieth away at dawn and is absent from us all day,
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  Speaker 1: and we see him not save by night. Quoth one
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  Speaker 1: of them, me, easy, o, my sisters, I will bring
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  Speaker 1: him not to leave us for the turn of an eye.
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  Speaker 1: And quoth the rest, saying, an thou do this, we
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  Speaker 1: will all be thy thralls. So, when the Franklin came
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  Speaker 1: back from his feeding place and sat down amongst them,
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  Speaker 1: that wily tortoise drew near unto him, and called down
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  Speaker 1: blessings on him, giving him joy of his safe return,
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  Speaker 1: and saying, O, my Lord, know that Allah hath vouchsafe
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  Speaker 1: thee our love, and hath in like manner set in
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  Speaker 1: thy heart the love of us, whereby thou art become
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  Speaker 1: to us a familiar friend and a comrade in this desert. Now,
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  Speaker 1: the goodliest of times for those who love one another
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  Speaker 1: is when they are united. And the sorest of calamities
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  Speaker 1: for them are absence and severance. But thou departest from
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  Speaker 1: us at peep of day, and returnest not to us
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  Speaker 1: till sundown. Wherefore there betideth us extreme desolation. Indeed, this
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  Speaker 1: is exceedingly grievous to us, and we abide in sore
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  Speaker 1: longing for such reason. The Franklin replied, indeed, I love
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  Speaker 1: you also, and yearned for you yet more than you
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  Speaker 1: can yearn for me. Nor is it easy for me
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  Speaker 1: to leave you. But my and hath no help for this,
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  Speaker 1: seeing that I am of foul with wings, and may
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  Speaker 1: not wone with you always, because that is not of
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  Speaker 1: my nature. For a bird, being a winged creature, may
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  Speaker 1: not remain still, save it be for the sake of sleep,
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  Speaker 1: o knights. But as soon as it is day, he
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  Speaker 1: flieth away and seeketh his morning meal in what place
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  Speaker 1: soever pleaseth him, answered the tortoise. Sooth thou speakest. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: he who hath wings hath no repose at most seasons,
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  Speaker 1: for that the good he getteth is not a fourth
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  Speaker 1: part of what ill betideth him. And the high most
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  Speaker 1: aims of the creature are repose and ease of life.
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  Speaker 1: Now Allah hath bred between us and thee, love and fellowship.
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  Speaker 1: And we fear for THEE, lest some of thine enemies
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  Speaker 1: catch THEE and thou perish, an we be denied the
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  Speaker 1: sight of thy countenance, joined the Franklin. True, But what
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  Speaker 1: reed hast thou or resource for my case? Quoth the tortoise.
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  Speaker 1: My advice is that thou pluck out thy wing feathers,
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  Speaker 1: wherewith thou speedest thy flight, and tarry with us in tranquility,
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  Speaker 1: eating of our meat and drinking of our drink, in
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  Speaker 1: this pasturage that aboundeth in trees rife with fruits, yellow ripe.
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  Speaker 1: And we will sojourn we in thou in this fruitful stead,
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  Speaker 1: and enjoy the company of one another. The Franklin inclined
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  Speaker 1: to her speech, seeking ease for himself, and plucked out
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  Speaker 1: his wing feathers one by one, in accordance with the
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  Speaker 1: reed approved of by the tortoise. Then he took up
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  Speaker 1: his abode with them, and contented himself with the little
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  Speaker 1: ease and transient pleasure he enjoyed. Presently, up came a weasel, and,
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  Speaker 1: glancing at the Franklin, saw that his wings were plucked,
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  Speaker 1: so that he could not fly whereat he rejoiced with
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  Speaker 1: joy exceeding, and said to himself, verily yonder Franklin is
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  Speaker 1: fat of flesh and scant of feather. So he went
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  Speaker 1: up to him and seized him, whereupon the Franklin called
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  Speaker 1: out to the tortoises for help. But when they saw
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  Speaker 1: the weasel hend him, they drew apart from him and
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  Speaker 1: huddled together, choked with weeping for him, for they witnessed
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  Speaker 1: how the beast tortured him. Quoth the Franklin, is there
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  Speaker 1: aught with you but weeping? And quoth they o, our brother,
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  Speaker 1: we have neither forced, nor resource, nor any course against
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  Speaker 1: a weasel. At this the Franklin was grieved, and, cutting
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  Speaker 1: off all his hopes of life, said to them, the
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  Speaker 1: fault is not yours, but mine own fault, and that
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  Speaker 1: I hearkened to you and plucked out my wing feathers
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  Speaker 1: wherewith I used to fly. Indeed, I deserve destruction for
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  Speaker 1: having obeyed you, and I blame you not in aught.
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  Speaker 1: Un Likewise, continued the King, I do not blame you,
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  Speaker 1: o women, but I blame and reproach myself for that.
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  Speaker 1: I remembered not that ye were the cause of the
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  Speaker 1: transgression of our father Adam by reason whereof he was
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  Speaker 1: cast out from the garden of Eden. And for that
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  Speaker 1: I forgot. Ye are the root of all evil. And
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  Speaker 1: hearkened to you in mine ignorance, lack of sense, and
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  Speaker 1: weakness of judgment, and slew my wazirs and governors of
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  Speaker 1: my state, who were my loyal advisers in all mine actions,
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  Speaker 1: and my glory and my strength against whosoever troubled me.
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  Speaker 1: But at this time find I not one to replace them,
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  Speaker 1: nor see I any who shall stand me in their stead.
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  Speaker 1: Then I fall into utter perdition. And Shahrazad perceived the
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  Speaker 1: dawn of day and ceased saying permitted to say end
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  Speaker 1: of night. Nine hundred and twenty four. Recording by Andre
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  Speaker 1: Levy Andreleivy dot Net, Lisbon, Portugal,