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051 - Night 987 - 988 · Arabian Nights Tales from Volume 09

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  Speaker 1: Section fifty one of the Book of the Thousand Knights
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  Speaker 1: and the Night, Volume nine. This is a LibriVox according
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  Speaker 1: All LibriVox accordings are in the public domain. For more
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  Speaker 1: information or the volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. According
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  Speaker 1: by phone the Book of the Thousand Knights and the Knight,
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  Speaker 1: Volume nine by Anonymous, translated by Richard Francis Burton, Night
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  Speaker 1: nine hundred and eighty seven. When it was the nine
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  Speaker 1: hundred and eighty seventh night, she said it hath reached me,
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  Speaker 1: o auspicious King, that Abdullah. When Saidah warned him and
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  Speaker 1: blessed him, and went her ways, passed the rest of
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  Speaker 1: the night with his brothers, and on the morrow he
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  Speaker 1: sent them to the Hammam and clad each of them
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  Speaker 1: on his coming forth in a suit worth a horde
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  Speaker 1: of money. Then he called for the tray of food,
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  Speaker 1: and they set it before him, and he ate he
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  Speaker 1: and his brothers. When his attendant saw the twain and
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  Speaker 1: knew them for his brothers, they saluted them and said
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  Speaker 1: to him, O, our Lord Allah, give thee joy of
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  Speaker 1: thy reunion with thy dear brothers. Where have they been this?
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  Speaker 1: While he replied it was they whom ye saw in
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  Speaker 1: the guise of dogs. Praise be to Allah, who hath
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  Speaker 1: delivered them from prison and grievous torment. Then he carried
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  Speaker 1: them to the divan of the Caliph, and kissing ground
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  Speaker 1: before Al Rashid wished him continuance of honor and fortune
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  Speaker 1: and cercees of evil and enmity. Quoth the Caliph, welcome, O,
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  Speaker 1: Emir Abdullah, tell me what hath befallen thee? And quoth he, O,
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  Speaker 1: Commander of the faithful, whose power Allah increase. When I
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  Speaker 1: carried my brothers home to my lodging, my heart was
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  Speaker 1: at rest concerning them, because thou hadst pledged thyself to
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  Speaker 1: their release. And I said in myself, kings fail not
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  Speaker 1: to attain aught for which they strain, inasmuch as the
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  Speaker 1: divine favor aideth them. So I took off the collars
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  Speaker 1: from their necks, putting my trust in Allah, and ate
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  Speaker 1: with them from the same tray, which when my sweet saw,
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  Speaker 1: they made light of my wit and said to each other,
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  Speaker 1: he is surely manned. How can the governor of Bassorah,
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  Speaker 1: who was greater than the Vizir, eat with dogs? Then
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  Speaker 1: they threw away what was in the tray, saying, we
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  Speaker 1: will not eat the dog's orts. And they went on
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  Speaker 1: to befill my reason, whilst I heard their words, but
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  Speaker 1: returned them no reply because of their unknowing that the
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  Speaker 1: dogs were my brothers. When the hour of sleep came,
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  Speaker 1: I sent them away and addressed myself to sleep. But
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  Speaker 1: ere I was ware the earth clave in thunder, and
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  Speaker 1: out came Sa'idah, the Red King's daughter, enraged against me
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  Speaker 1: with eyes like fire. And he went on to relate
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  Speaker 1: to the Caliph all what had passed between him and
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  Speaker 1: her and her father, and how she had transmuted his
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  Speaker 1: brothers from canine to human form, adding, and here they
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  Speaker 1: are before thee O, commander of the faithful. The Caliph
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  Speaker 1: looked at them, and, seeing two young men like moons, said, Allah,
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  Speaker 1: requite thee for me with good o Abdullah, for that
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  Speaker 1: thou hast acquainted me with an advantage I knew nought. Henceforth, Inshallah,
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  Speaker 1: I will never leave to pray these two bow horizons
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  Speaker 1: before the breaking of the dawn, what while I live.
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  Speaker 1: Then he reproved Abdullah's brothers for their past transgressions against him,
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  Speaker 1: and they excused themselves before the Caliph who said, join
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  Speaker 1: hands and forgive one another, and Allah, pardon what is past,
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  Speaker 1: upon which he turned to Abdullah and said to him,
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  Speaker 1: Oh Abdullah, make thy brothers thine assistance, and be careful
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  Speaker 1: of them. Then he charged them to be obedient to
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  Speaker 1: their brother and bade them to return to Bassorah after
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  Speaker 1: he had bestowed on them abundant largesse. So they went
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  Speaker 1: down from the Caliph's divan, whilst he rejoiced in disadvantage
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  Speaker 1: he had obtained by the action aforesaid to wit persistence
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  Speaker 1: in praying two inclinations before dawn, and exclaimed he spake truth,
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  Speaker 1: who said, the misfortune of one tribe fortunate another tribe.
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  Speaker 1: On this wise befella to them from the Caliph. But
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  Speaker 1: as regards Abdullah, he left Baghdad, carrying with him his
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  Speaker 1: brothers in all honor, indignity and increase of quality, and
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  Speaker 1: fared on till they drew near Bassorah, when the notables
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  Speaker 1: and chief men of the place came out to meet them, and,
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  Speaker 1: after decorating the city, brought them thereinto with the procession,
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  Speaker 1: which had not its match, and all the folk shouted
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  Speaker 1: out blessings on Abdullah as he scattered amongst them silver
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  Speaker 1: and gold. None, however, took heed to his brothers, wherefore
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  Speaker 1: jealousy and envy entered their hearts. For all he entreated
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  Speaker 1: them tenderly as one tenders an ophthalmic eye. But the
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  Speaker 1: more he cherished them, the more they redoubled in hatred
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  Speaker 1: and envy of him. And indeed it is said on
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  Speaker 1: the subject, I dwin good will of every one, but
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  Speaker 1: whoso envies me will not be one on any wise,
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  Speaker 1: and make mine offer is hard how gain degree of
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  Speaker 1: envyous white who coveted my good, when naught will satisfy him,
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  Speaker 1: save to see my good go marred. Then he gave
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  Speaker 1: each a concubine that had not her like, and eunuchs
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  Speaker 1: and servants and slaves, white and black of each kind.
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  Speaker 1: Forty He also gave each of them fifty steets, all thoroughbreds,
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  Speaker 1: and they got them guards and followers. And he assigned
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  Speaker 1: to them revenues, and appointed them sold in stipends, and
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  Speaker 1: made him his assistance, saying to them, oh, my brothers,
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  Speaker 1: I and you are equal, and there is no distinction
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  Speaker 1: between me and you. Twain and Shahrazad perceived the dawn
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  Speaker 1: of day and ceased to say her permitted, say end
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  Speaker 1: of night nine hundred and eighty seven, night nine hundred
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  Speaker 1: and eighty eight, when it was the nine hundred and
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  Speaker 1: eighty eight night, she continued, it hath reached me, O
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  Speaker 1: auspicious King, that Abdullah is signed stipends to his brothers
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  Speaker 1: and make them his assistance, saying, O, my brothers, I
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  Speaker 1: and you are equal, and there is no distinction between
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  Speaker 1: me and you twain and after Allah and Caliph. The
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  Speaker 1: commandment is mine and yours. So rule you at Bassora
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  Speaker 1: in my absence and in my presence, and your commandments
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  Speaker 1: shall be effectual. But look that ye fear Allah in
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  Speaker 1: your ordinances, and beware of oppression, which, if it endure,
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  Speaker 1: depopulateth and apply yourself to justice. For justice, if it
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  Speaker 1: be prolonged people's land. Oppress not the true believers, or
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  Speaker 1: they will curse you, and the ill report of you
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  Speaker 1: will reach the Caliph. Wherefore dishonor will betide both me
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  Speaker 1: and you. Go not therefore about to violence any But
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  Speaker 1: whatso ye greed for of the goods of the folk,
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  Speaker 1: take it from my goods over and above that whereof
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  Speaker 1: ye have need for tis not unknown to you. What
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  Speaker 1: is handed down in the Qur'an of prohibition verses on
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  Speaker 1: the subject of oppression, and Allah gifted is he who
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  Speaker 1: set these couplets Opprussian ambusheth in spite of man whom
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  Speaker 1: nought withholdeth, save the lack of might. The sage shall
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  Speaker 1: ne'er apply his wits to aught, until befitting time direct
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  Speaker 1: his sight. The tongue of wisdom wooneth in the heart
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  Speaker 1: and in his mouth, the tongue of foolish white, who,
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  Speaker 1: at occasion's call lacks power to rise, is slain by
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  Speaker 1: feeblest who would glut his spite. A man may hide
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  Speaker 1: his blood and breed, but I his deeds on darkest
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  Speaker 1: hiddens cast the light wits of ill strained with ancestry
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  Speaker 1: as vile, hath lips which never spake one word aright,
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  Speaker 1: and who committeth case to hands. A fool in folly,
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  Speaker 1: proveth self as fond and light, and who his secret
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  Speaker 1: tells the folk at large, shall rouse his foes to
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  Speaker 1: work him worse. Despite vies. The generous what regards his lot,
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  Speaker 1: nor meddles he with odd regards him not. And he
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  Speaker 1: went on to admonish his brothers and bid them to equity,
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  Speaker 1: and forbid them from tyranny, doubting not that they would
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  Speaker 1: love him the better for his boon of good counsel.
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  Speaker 1: And he relied upon them and honored them with the
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  Speaker 1: utmost honour. But notwithstanding all his generosity to them, they
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  Speaker 1: only waxed in envy and hatred of him, till one day,
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  Speaker 1: the two, being together alone, quoth Nasir to Mansur, O,
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  Speaker 1: my brother, how long shall we be mere subjects of
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  Speaker 1: her brother Abdullah? And he in this estate of lordship
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  Speaker 1: and worship? After being a merchant, he's become an emir,
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  Speaker 1: and from being little he has grown great? But we
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  Speaker 1: we grow not great, Nor is there aught of respect
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  Speaker 1: or degree left us. For behold, he laughed at us
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  Speaker 1: and maketh us his assistance. What is the meaning of this?
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  Speaker 1: Is it not that we are his servants and under
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  Speaker 1: his subjection. But long as he abideth in good case,
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  Speaker 1: our rank will never be raised, nor shall we be
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  Speaker 1: aught of repute. Wherefore we shall not fulfill our wish
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  Speaker 1: except we slay him and win to his wealth. Nor
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  Speaker 1: will it be possible to get his gear save after
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  Speaker 1: his death. So when we have slain him, we shall
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  Speaker 1: become lords and will take all that is in his
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  Speaker 1: treasuries of gems and things of price, and divide them
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  Speaker 1: between us. Then we will send to Caliph a present
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  Speaker 1: and demand of him the government of Cufah, and thou
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  Speaker 1: shalt be governor of Cufa and I of Bassorah. Thus
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  Speaker 1: each of us shall have formal estate and condition. But
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  Speaker 1: we shall never effect this except we put him out
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  Speaker 1: of the world, answered Mansur, thou sayest sooth, But how
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  Speaker 1: shall we do to kill him? Quoth Nasir? We will
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  Speaker 1: make an entertainment in the house of one of us
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  Speaker 1: and invite him there too, and serve him with the
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  Speaker 1: uttermost service. Then we will sit through the night with
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  Speaker 1: him and talk and tell him tales and jests and
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  Speaker 1: rare stories, till his heart melteth with sitting up, when
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  Speaker 1: we will spread him abed that he may lie down
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  Speaker 1: to sleep. When he is asleep, we will kneel upon
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  Speaker 1: him and throttle him and throw him into the river.
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  Speaker 1: And on the morrow we will say his sister Deejenya
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  Speaker 1: came to him as he sat chatting with us, and
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  Speaker 1: said to him, O, thou scumeth mankind, who art thou
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  Speaker 1: that thou shouldst complain of me? To the commander of
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  Speaker 1: the faithful. Deemest thou that we dread him as he
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  Speaker 1: is a king, So we two are kings. And if
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  Speaker 1: he ment not his manners in our regard, we will
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  Speaker 1: do him die by the foulest of deaths. But meantime
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  Speaker 1: I will slay thee that we may see what the
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  Speaker 1: hand of the Prince of true Believers availeth to do so,
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  Speaker 1: saying she caught him up and clave the earth and
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  Speaker 1: disappeared with him, which when we saw we swooned away.
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  Speaker 1: Then we revived, and we reck not what is become
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  Speaker 1: of him. And saying this, we will send to the
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  Speaker 1: Caliph and tell him the case, and he will invest
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  Speaker 1: us with the government in his room. After a while
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  Speaker 1: we will send him a sumptuous present and seek of
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  Speaker 1: him the government of Cufa. And one of us shall
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  Speaker 1: abide in Bassorah and the other in Cufah, so shall
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  Speaker 1: the land be pleasant to us, and we will be
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  Speaker 1: down upon the true believers and win our wishes. And
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  Speaker 1: quoth Mansur, thou counselst will o my brother. And they
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  Speaker 1: agreed upon the murder. So Nasir made an entertainment and
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  Speaker 1: said to Abdullah, oh, my brother, fairly, I am thy brother,
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  Speaker 1: and I would have THEE heart in my heart, Thou
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  Speaker 1: and my brother Monsour, and each of my banquet in
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  Speaker 1: my house. So I made boast of THEE, and that
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  Speaker 1: I may be said the Emir Abdullah hath eaten of
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  Speaker 1: his brother Nasir's guest meal. When my heart will be
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  Speaker 1: solaced by this best of boons. Abdullah replied, so be it, o,
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  Speaker 1: my brother. There is no distinction between me and THEE,
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  Speaker 1: and thy house is my house. But since thou invitest me,
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  Speaker 1: none refuseth hospitality, save the churl. Then he turned to
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  Speaker 1: Mansur and said to him, wilt thou go with me
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  Speaker 1: to thy brother Nasir's house, and we will eat of
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  Speaker 1: his feast and heal his heart? Replied Monsur, as thy
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  Speaker 1: head liveth o, my brother, I will not go with
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  Speaker 1: THEE unless thou swear to me that after thou comest
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  Speaker 1: forth of brother Nasir's house, thou wilt enter my house
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  Speaker 1: and eat of my banquet. Is Nasir thy brother, and
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  Speaker 1: am not I thy brother. So even as thou hearkenest
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  Speaker 1: his heart, do thou hearten mine? Answered Abdullah, there is
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  Speaker 1: no harm in that. With love and gladly gree. When
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  Speaker 1: I come out of Nasir's house, I will enter thine,
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  Speaker 1: for thou art my brother. Even as he so, he
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  Speaker 1: kissed his hand, and going forth of the divan, made
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  Speaker 1: ready his feast. On the morrow, Abdullah took horse and
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  Speaker 1: repaired with his brother Mansur and a company of his
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  Speaker 1: officers to Nasir's house, where they sat down, he and
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  Speaker 1: Mansur and his many. Then Nazir set the trays before
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  Speaker 1: them and welcomed them. So they ate and drank and
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  Speaker 1: sat in mirth and merriment, after which the trays and
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  Speaker 1: the platters were removed and they washed their hands. They
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  Speaker 1: passed the day in feasting and wine, drinking and diversion
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  Speaker 1: and delight till nightfall, when they supped and prayed to
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  Speaker 1: send down prayers and the night arizons, after which they
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  Speaker 1: sat conversing and carousing, and Nazir and Mansur fell to
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  Speaker 1: telling stories, whilst Abdullah hearkened. Now day three were alone
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  Speaker 1: in the pavilion, the rest of the company being in
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  Speaker 1: another place, and they ceased not to tell quips and
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  Speaker 1: tales and rare adventures and anecdotes till Abdullah's heart was
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  Speaker 1: dissolved within him. For watching and sleep overcame him, and
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  Speaker 1: Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and cease saying her
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  Speaker 1: permitted say end of night nine hundred and eighty eight