[Ill.u.s.tration]
The door-keeper did so; and it happened that the Wezeer of El-Ba?rah, sitting at a window of his palace, saw the mule, and, observing her costly equipage, thought that she must belong to some Wezeer or King; and as he attentively regarded her he was surprised, and said to one of his pages, Bring before me that door-keeper. So the page went and brought him; and the door-keeper, approaching, kissed the ground before him. The Wezeer, who was an aged person, then said to this man, Who is the owner of this mule, and what is his appearance?--O my lord, answered the door-keeper, her owner is a young man of elegant person, of the sons of the merchants, and of a dignified and grave aspect. On hearing this, the Wezeer arose, and, mounting his horse,[IV_20] went to the Khan, and introduced himself to the young man, who, as soon as he saw him approaching, rose to meet him, and embraced him. The Wezeer, after he had alighted from his horse, saluted him and welcomed him, and, seating him by his side, said to him, Whence, O my son, hast thou come; and for what purpose?--O my lord, answered Noor-ed-Deen, I have come from the city of Cairo: my father was Wezeer there; and he hath departed to receive the mercy of G.o.d;--and he informed him of all that had happened to him from first to last, adding, I have determined that I will not return until I shall have seen all the cities and countries of the world.--O my son, replied the Wezeer, obey not the suggestions of thy mind, lest thou expose thyself to destruction; for the countries are waste, and I fear on thy account the issues of fortune. So saying, he ordered that the saddle-bags should be placed again on the mule, together with the carpet of silk and the prayer-carpet, and took Noor-ed-Deen with him to his house, where he lodged him in an elegant apartment, and treated him with honour and kindness; and, conceiving a strong affection for him, said to him, O my son, I have become an old man, and I have no male child; G.o.d, however, hath blessed me with a daughter who resembleth thee in comeliness, and I have rejected many persons who have been her suitors: but now, love for thee hath entered my heart; wilt thou then take my daughter as thy hand-maid to serve thee, and be her husband? If thou consent to this, I will go up to the Sul?an of El-Ba?rah, and will say to him, This is the son of my brother;--and I will introduce thee to him, that I may make thee Wezeer in my place, and I will remain in my house; for I am now aged.--Noor-ed-Deen, on hearing this proposal of the Wezeer of El-Ba?rah, hung down his head, and then answered, I hear and obey.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
The Wezeer rejoiced at his a.s.sent, and ordered his servants to prepare for him a repast, and to decorate the great saloon[IV_21] which was furnished for the reception of the chiefs of the Emeers. He then called together his friends, and invited the great officers of the state, and the merchants of El-Ba?rah; and when they had come into his presence, he said to them, I had a brother who was Wezeer in the land of Egypt, and G.o.d blessed him with two sons; and me, as ye know, He hath blessed with a daughter: now my brother enjoined me to marry my daughter to one of his sons, and I consented to do so; and when she attained a fit age for marriage, he sent to me one of his sons, who is this young man here present. As soon, therefore, as he had come, I desired to perform the marriage-contract between him and my daughter, and that he should introduce himself to her here in my house.--Excellently hast thou done!
they replied. They then drank sherbet of sugar, and the pages sprinkled rose-water upon them, and they departed: after which, the Wezeer ordered his servants to conduct Noor-en-Deen to the bath, and gave him a suit of his best clothes,[IV_22] and sent to him the napkins and cups and perfuming-vessels, and everything else that he required. So when he came out from the bath, he put on the suit of clothes, and appeared like the full moon; and he mounted his mule, and, returning to the palace, alighted and presented himself before the Wezeer, and kissed his hand: and the Wezeer welcomed him, saying, Arise, and introduce thyself this night to thy wife; and to-morrow I will go up with thee to the Sul?an, and I pray that G.o.d may bless thee with every kind of happiness.
Noor-ed-Deen therefore arose, and went to his wife, the daughter of the Wezeer.--Thus did it happen to Noor-ed-Deen.
As to his brother, he continued a while journeying with the Sul?an, and when he returned, and found not his brother, he inquired of the servants respecting him, and they answered, On the day of thy departure with the Sul?an, he mounted his mule, caparisoned as for a procession of state, and said, I am going towards the province of ?alyoob, and shall be absent a day or two days; for my heart is contracted; therefore let none of you follow me:--and from the day on which he went forth, to the present day, we have heard no tidings of him. Upon this the heart of Shems-ed-Deen was troubled at the separation of his brother, and he grieved excessively for his loss, saying within himself, The cause of this is nothing else than my having spoken harshly to him in my conversation on the night before my departure with the Sul?an; and probably his mind was disturbed, and he went on a journey: I must therefore send after him. He then went up and related this event to the Sul?an, who wrote letters and sent them to his vicegerents in all the provinces: but Noor-ed-Deen had traversed distant regions during the absence of his brother with the Sul?an: therefore the messengers, when they had gone with the letters, returned without having obtained any information respecting him. So Shems-ed-Deen despaired of his brother, and said, I have enraged my brother by what I said to him concerning the marriage of the children. Would that I had not done so! This was not occasioned but by my want of sense and judgment!--And soon after this, he demanded in marriage the daughter of one of the merchants of Cairo, and performed the marriage-contract between himself and her, and introduced himself to her: and it happened that the night when this event took place was the same night on which Noor-ed-Deen introduced himself to his wife, the daughter of the Wezeer of El-Ba?rah: this being in accordance with the will of G.o.d, whose name be exalted, that He might execute his decree upon his creatures.
The event was as they both had said: for it came to pa.s.s that the two wives conceived by them: the wife of Shems-ed-Deen, the Wezeer, of Egypt, gave birth to a daughter, than whom there was not seen, in that country, one more beautiful; and the wife of Noor-ed-Deen gave birth to a son, one more beautiful than whom was not seen in his time: as the poet hath said:--
If beauty came to be compared with him, it would hang down its head in shame; Or if it were said, O beauty, hast thou seen the like?--it would answer, The equal of this I have not.
So they named him ?asan;[IV_23] and on the seventh day after his birth, they made entertainments and spread repasts such as were fit for the sons of Kings[IV_24] after which the Wezeer of El-Ba?rah took with him Noor-ed-Deen, and went up with him to the Sul?an; and when he came into his presence he kissed the ground before him; and Noor-ed-Deen, being eloquent in tongue, and firm of heart, and comely in person and in actions, recited these words of the poet:--
This is he whose justice extendeth to all men, and who hath overrun and subdued every region.
Be thankful for his benefits; for they are not mere benefits; but they are strings of jewels on the necks of his people; And kiss his fingers; for they are not mere fingers; but they are the keys of the supplies of Providence.
The Sul?an treated them both with honour, and, having thanked Noor-ed-Deen for his address, said to his Wezeer, Who is this young man?
The Wezeer therefore related to him his story from beginning to end, and added, This is the son of my brother.--How is it, said the Sul?an, that he is the son of thy brother, and we have not before heard of him? The Wezeer answered, O our lord the Sul?an, I had a brother who was Wezeer in the land of Egypt, and he died, leaving two sons: the elder succeeded to his father"s office, as Wezeer, and this his younger son came to me; and I swore that I would not marry my daughter to any but him: so, when he came, I married him to her. He is a young man, and I am now aged; my hearing is impaired, and my judgment faileth: it is my wish, therefore, that our lord the Sul?an would instate him in my office, seeing that he is the son of my brother and the husband of my daughter, and a person worthy of the dignity of Wezeer; for he is endowed with knowledge and judgment.--The Sul?an, upon this, looked towards him, and, being pleased with him, approved of the advice of the Wezeer that he should promote him to that office; so he bestowed it upon him, and ordered that a magnificent dress of honour should be given to him, and one of the best of the mules upon which he was himself accustomed to ride, allotting him also supplies and salaries; and Noor-ed-Deen kissed the hand of the Sul?an, and descended with his father-in-law to their house, both in high delight, and saying, Verily the birth of this child is fortunate.
On the following day Noor-ed-Deen went again to the King, and kissed the ground, and the Sul?an ordered him to sit in the place of the Wezeer: so he sat, and occupied himself with the affairs of his office, and examined the cases of the people, and their suits, according to the custom of Wezeers: and the Sul?an, observing him, was surprised at his conduct, and the acuteness of his understanding, and his good judgment.
He attentively considered his qualities, and loved him, and advanced him in his favour: and when the court was dissolved, Noor-ed-Deen returned to his house, and related what had pa.s.sed to his father-in-law, who was rejoiced at hearing it.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
The old Wezeer ceased not to superintend the rearing of the child, who was named ?asan, for many days, while Noor-ed-Deen was constantly occupied with the affairs of his office, so that he left not the Sul?an by day nor by night; and the King increased his salaries and supplies until his circ.u.mstances became ample: he had ships which made voyages under his orders with merchandise and other things, and he founded numerous estates, and made water-wheels[IV_25] and gardens. Thus did he until his son ?asan was four years of age, when the old Wezeer, the father of his wife, died; and he conveyed his corpse with great pomp, and decently deposited it in the earth. He then turned his thoughts towards the education of his son; and when the child had gained strength, he brought him a tutor to teach him in his own house, charging him to instruct him and educate him well; and the tutor did so, and taught him various useful sciences, after he had pa.s.sed some years in learning the ?ur-an. ?asan meanwhile increased in loveliness and beauty, and elegance of person. The tutor continued to educate him in his father"s palace; and from the time that he arrived at adolescence he went not out of the Wezeer"s palace, until his father took him one day, and, having clad him in one of the richest of his dresses, mounted him on one of his best mules, and conducted him to the Sul?an, and introduced him. When the King beheld ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen,[IV_26] the son of the Wezeer Noor-ed-Deen, he was astonished at his beauty; and the people, when he pa.s.sed by them for the first time, going up with his father to the King, were amazed at his surpa.s.sing beauty and loveliness, and elegance of person. The Sul?an, as soon as he saw him, loved him, and bestowed marks of favour upon him, and said to his father, O Wezeer, thou must bring him with thee every day. The Wezeer answered, I hear and obey;--and returned with his son to his abode; and he continued every day to go up with him to the Sul?an until the youth attained the age of fifteen years.
His father, the Wezeer Noor-ed-Deen, then fell sick, and called him into his presence, and said to him, O my son, know that this world is a perishable abode, and the world to come is an everlasting abode. I wish to give thee some precepts, and do thou understand what I am about to say to thee, and incline thy heart to it.--And he began to counsel him respecting the proper mode of conducting himself in society, and the due management of his affairs; and when he had done so, he reflected upon his brother and his native place and country, and wept at the thought of his separation from those he loved; his tears flowing: and he said, O my son, hear my words. I have a brother[IV_27] in Cairo, and I quitted him and departed against his will.--He then took a piece of paper,[IV_28] and wrote upon it all that had happened to him from first to last, together with the date of his marriage and introduction to the daughter of the Wezeer, and the date of his arrival at El-Ba?rah and his interview with its Wezeer; and, having added some strict admonition, he said to his son, Keep this charge, for the paper on which it is written containeth an account of thine origin and thy rank and lineage; and if any evil accident befall thee, repair to Cairo, and inquire for thine uncle, and salute him, and inform him that I died in a strange land, ardently desiring that I could see him. Therefore ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen took the paper, and, having folded it, and wrapped it in a piece of waxed cloth,[IV_29] sewed it between the lining and the outer cloth of his cap,[IV_30] and wept for his father, that he should be parted from him in his youth.
Noor-ed-Deen then said to his son,[IV_31] I charge thee that thou be not familiar with any one; for in retirement is security. Divinely gifted was the poet who said,--
There is none in thy time whose friendship thou shouldst covet; nor any intimate who, when fortune is treacherous, will be faithful.
Live then apart, and rely upon no man: I have given thee, in these words, good advice, and sufficient.
Accustom thyself to taciturnity: occupy thyself with thine own affairs, and use not many words: for the poet saith,--
Taciturnity is an ornament, and in silence is security: therefore, when thou speakest, be not loquacious: For if thou repent once of thy silence, thou wilt a.s.suredly repent many times of thy speech.
Beware of drinking wine; for it is the source of every kind of mischief.
The poet[IV_32] saith on this subject,--
I have abandoned wine and those who drink it; and have become the friend of such as condemn it.
Wine leadeth astray from the path of rect.i.tude, and openeth the doors to evil.
Hate no man, and oppress none; for oppression is base. The poet saith,--
Oppress not if thou hast the power to do so; for oppression will eventually bring thee repentance: Thine eye will sleep while the oppressed, wakeful, will call for vengeance upon thee; and the eye of G.o.d sleepeth not.
Despise thy wealth, but not thyself: yet bestow not wealth save upon him who deserveth it. If thou keep it, it will keep thee; but if thou squander it, it will ruin thee; and then wilt thou need the a.s.sistance of the least of mankind. It hath been said by the poet,--
When my wealth faileth, no friend a.s.sisteth me; but when it aboundeth, all men are my friends.
How many enemies for the sake of wealth have consorted with me!
And my companion, in the time of want, hath abandoned me!
In this manner he continued to admonish his son ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen until his spirit departed. The house became a scene of mourning, and the Sul?an and all the Emeers grieved for him; and they buried him. They continued their mourning during a period of two months, and the son of Noor-ed-Deen rode not out nor went to the court nor presented himself before the Sul?an; and the King instated one of the Chamberlains in his place, and appointed a new Wezeer in the place of his father, and ordered this Wezeer to put seals upon all the houses of Noor-ed-Deen, and upon his wealth and all his buildings and other possessions.[IV_33]
So the new Wezeer went with the Chamberlains to the house of the Wezeer Noor-ed-Deen, to seal its door and to arrest his son ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, and bring him before the Sul?an, that he might do to him what his judgment required. But there was among the troops one of the memlooks of the deceased Wezeer Noor-ed-Deen; and he could not endure that the son of his master should be thus treated: he therefore repaired to ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, whom he found with downcast head and mourning heart, on account of the death of his father, and acquainted him with what had pa.s.sed. ?asan asked him, Will the execution of the order be delayed long enough for me to enter my house,[IV_34] and take somewhat of my worldly possessions by which to obtain support during my exile? But the memlook answered, Save thyself:--and when ?asan heard these words, he covered his head with the skirt of his robe, and, going forth on foot, fled of the city: and he heard the people saying, The Sul?an hath sent the new Wezeer to the house of the deceased Wezeer, to seal his wealth and other possessions, and to arrest his son ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, and bring him before him that he may put him to death:--and the people were mourning for him on account of his beauty and loveliness. So when he heard what they said, he took a course that he had not intended, and, not knowing whither to go, walked on until destiny urged him to the tomb of his father.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Entering the burial-ground, he bent his way among the tombs until he seated himself at that of his father, where he removed his skirt from over his head. And as he was sitting there, a Jew of El-Ba?rah approached, and said to him, Wherefore, O my master, do I see thee thus changed? He answered, I was just now sleeping, and I beheld my father reproaching me for having failed to visit his tomb: wherefore I rose in alarm, fearing that the day would pa.s.s without my visiting it, and so the occurrence would distress me. The Jew then said to him, O my master, thy father despatched some vessels with merchandise, and some of them have returned; and it is my wish to purchase of thee the cargo of every vessel that hath arrived for a thousand pieces of gold;--and so saying, he took out a purse filled with gold, and counted out from it a thousand pieces, which he paid to ?asan the son of the Wezeer, and said to him, Write me a paper, and seal it. So ?asan took a paper, and wrote upon it, The writer of this paper, ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, the son of the Wezeer Noor-ed-Deen, hath sold to the Jew such a one the whole cargo of every one of his father"s vessels that hath returned from her voyage, for a thousand pieces of gold, and hath received the price in advance. And after he had taken a copy[IV_35] of it, the Jew went away with the paper; and ?asan wept, reflecting upon his former state of dignity and favour. At length the night closed in upon him, and sleep overtook him, and he remained asleep at his father"s tomb until the moon rose when his head rolled from the tomb, and he lay and slept on his back, his face shining in the moonlight.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
Now the burial-ground was inhabited by believing Jinn; and a Jinneeyeh, coming forth, saw the face of ?asan as he lay asleep, and when she beheld him, was surprised at his beauty and loveliness, and exclaimed, Extolled be Allah"s perfection! This youth is like none but the virgins of paradise!--She then soared into the air, to perform her accustomed circuits, and saw an "Efreet on his flight. She saluted him, and he returned her salutation; and she said to him, Whence comest thou? He answered from Cairo:--and she said to him, Wilt thou go with me to behold the beauty of the youth who is sleeping in the burial-ground? He replied, Yes. So they went together; and when they had descended into the burial-ground, she said to him, Hast thou seen in the course of thy life a person like this?--And the "Efreet looked upon him, and exclaimed, Extolled be the perfection of Him unto whom none is to be compared! But, O my sister, he added, if thou desire, I will relate to thee what I have seen.--Tell me, she replied: so he said, I have seen a person resembling this youth in the land of Egypt; and that person is the daughter of the Wezeer. The King had heard of her, and demanded her of her father, the Wezeer Shems-ed-Deen, in marriage; but he answered him, O our lord the Sul?an, accept my excuse, and pity my grief; for thou knowest that my brother Noor-ed-Deen departed from us, and we know not where he is; and that he shared with me the office of Wezeer; and the cause of his departure was this, that I was sitting conversing with him on the subject of marriage, and he was angry with me, and in anger went away:--and he related to the King all that had pa.s.sed between them; adding, This was the cause of his indignation, and I have been under an oath that I will not marry my daughter to any but the son of my brother from the day that her mother gave birth to her; and that was about fifteen years ago: and lately I heard that my brother had married the daughter of the Wezeer of El-Ba?rah, and obtained a son by her; and I will not marry my daughter to any but him, in honour of my brother.
After I had heard this, I recorded the date of my marriage, and of my wife"s conception, and of the birth of this daughter: she is intended for the son of her uncle; and of other maidens there are plenty.--But when the Sul?an heard these words of the Wezeer, he was violently enraged, and said, How is it that such a one as myself demandeth in marriage a daughter from one like thee, and thou withholdest her from him, and excusest thyself by an absurd pretext? By my head, I will not marry her but to one of less consideration than myself, in scorn of thy pride!--And the King had a humpbacked groom, with a hump before and a hump behind; and he ordered him to be brought, and affianced him to the daughter of the Wezeer, commanding that he should introduce himself to her this night, and be conducted in pompous procession. I left him in the midst of the memlooks of the Sul?an, who were surrounding him with lighted candles in their hands, laughing at him and mocking him, at the door of the bath, while the daughter of the Wezeer was sitting weeping in the midst of the dye-women[IV_36] and tire-women.[IV_37]
She resembles more than any other person this youth. They have prohibited her father from going to her; and I have never seen, O my sister, a more ugly wretch than this humpback: but as to the maiden, she is more beautiful than this youth.
To this story of the "Efreet, the Jinneeyeh answered, Thou liest; for this youth is the most beautiful of the people of his age. But the "Efreet replied, By Allah, O my sister, the maiden is more beautiful than he: however, none but he is suited to her; for they resemble each other, and probably are brother and sister, or cousins; and how will she be thrown away upon this humpback! She therefore said to him, O my brother, let us place ourselves beneath him and lift him up and take him to the maiden of whom thou speakest, and see which of the two is more beautiful. The "Efreet answered, I hear and obey: this proposal is right, and there can be no better determination than this which thou hast chosen; therefore I will carry him. So he lifted him up, and soared into the sky, and the Jinneeyeh flew by his side until he descended with him in the city of Cairo, where he placed him upon a ma??abah,[IV_38]
and roused him from his sleep.[IV_39]
When, therefore, he awoke, and found that he was not at his father"s tomb in the land of El-Ba?rah, he looked to the right and left, and perceived that he was in a city that was not El-Ba?rah, and would have cried out, but the "Efreet winked to him, and, lighting for him a candle, said to him, Know that I have brought thee hither, and I desire to do thee a service for the sake of G.o.d: take, therefore, this candle, and go with it to yonder bath, and mix with the people there, and proceed with them until thou arrivest at the saloon of the bride; then go before, and enter the saloon, and fear no one; and when thou hast entered, station thyself on the right of the humpbacked bridegroom; and whenever the tire-women and singing-women and dye-women come to thee, put thy hand into thy pocket: thou wilt find it full of gold, and do thou take it by the handful and throw it to them; and imagine not that thou wilt put thy hand in and not find it filled with gold: give therefore to every one who cometh to thee by the handful, and fear nothing; but rely upon Him who created thee; for this will not be through thine own strength or power, but through the strength of G.o.d, and his power.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
On hearing these words of the "Efreet, ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen said, What is this event, and what manner of kindness is this? And he went with his candle to the bath, where he found the humpback mounted on his horse; and he joined himself to the party, in the same garb in which he had arrived, and with the same comely appearance; being attired with a ?arboosh[IV_40] and turban, and a farajeeyeh[IV_41] interwoven with gold. He proceeded with the pompous train, and every time that the singing-women stopped for the people to give them money, he put his hand into his pocket, and found it filled with gold, and took it by the handful and threw it into the tambourine,[IV_42] for the singing-women and tire-women, filling the tambourine with pieces of gold: and the singing-women were amazed, and the people wondered at his beauty and loveliness. Thus he continued to do until they arrived at the house of the Wezeer, when the chamberlains drove back the people, and prevented their entrance; but the singing-women and tire-women said, By Allah, we will not enter unless this youth enter with us, for he hath overwhelmed us with his favours, and the bride shall not be displayed unless he be present:--and upon this they entered with him into the saloon of the festivity, and seated him, in spite of the humpbacked bridegroom. All the ladies of the Emeers and Wezeers and Chamberlains were ranged in two rows, each lady holding a large lighted candle, and having her head-veil drawn across the lower part of her face: thus they stood in two rows, to the right and the left, from the foot of the couch of the bride to the upper end of the leewan that adjoined the chamber from which the bride was to come forth. And when the ladies beheld ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen and his beauty and loveliness, his face shining like the crescent of the moon, the hearts of all of them inclined to him, and the female singers said to all the women who were present, Know that this charming youth hath given us nothing but red gold; therefore fail not to serve him properly, and obey him in whatever he shall say. The women crowded round him to gaze at his charms, and their minds were overpowered by astonishment at his beauty, and each of them wished that she might be in his bosom for a year or a month or an hour: they removed the veils from their faces, and their hearts were perplexed, and they said, Joy to the person to whom this youth belongeth, or to the person over whom he is lord! Then they imprecated evil upon the humpbacked groom and him who was the cause of his marriage to that lovely maiden; and every time that they prayed for blessings upon ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, they imprecated misfortunes upon the humpback.
The singing-women then beat the tambourines, and the tire-women approached with the daughter of the Wezeer in the midst of them. They had perfumed her with sweet scents and essences, and clad her, and adorned her hair and neck with various ornaments, decking her with garments such as were worn by the ancient monarchs of Persia. Among these was a loose gown embroidered with red gold, presenting the forms of wild beasts and birds, hanging down over her other clothes; and round her neck was a necklace worth thousands, composed of jewels such as neither a King of El-Yemen nor a Caesar ever collected: she was like the moon shining in its fourteenth night, and when she approached she resembled a ?ooreeyeh.[IV_43] Extolled be the perfection of him who created her so splendid a being! The women encompa.s.sed her, and appeared like stars; she, in the midst of them, being as the moon when the clouds have withdrawn from before it. Meanwhile, ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen remained sitting, with the company gazing at him; and as the bride approached with a dignified and graceful gait, the humpbacked groom rose to her, to kiss her; but she turned aside from him, and went and stood before ?asan, the son of her uncle. The company laughed at this; and when they beheld her turn towards ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, and saw him put his hand into his pocket and take out handfuls of gold and throw it into the tambourine of the singing-women, they were delighted, and said, We wish that this bride were thine:--and he smiled. All this time the humpbacked groom was alone, looking like an ape; and every time that they lighted his candle it went out again, and he was confounded, and remained sitting in the dark, full of secret indignation, with all the company surrounding him, while the lighted candles presented an appearance of beauty that was most admirable, so that every person of reflection was amazed at their splendour. But as to the bride, she raised her hands towards heaven, and said, O Allah, make this to be my husband, and relieve me from this humpbacked groom!--The tire-women then proceeded to display the bride in different dresses, to the seventh suit, before ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen of El-Ba?rah, the humpbacked groom remaining alone; and when they had finished this ceremony they gave permission to the company to depart: so all who were present at the festivity, both women and children, went out, except ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen and the humpbacked groom; after which the tire-women conducted the bride to an inner chamber, to take off her ornaments and outer robes, and to prepare her for the bridegroom"s visit.
Upon this, the humpbacked groom approached ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen, and said to him, O my master, thou hast made us happy by thy company this night, and overwhelmed us with thy favours; but now wherefore dost thou not rise and go to thy house without thy being ejected? He answered, In the name of Allah;--and rose, and went out from the door: but the "Efreet met him, and said unto him, Stay, O Bedr-ed-Deen; and when the humpback retires into the private closet, enter thou and seat thyself in the bride-chamber; and when the bride cometh, say to her, I am thy husband; and the King had not recourse to this stratagem from any other motive than his fearing for thee the effect of the eye;[IV_44] and this whom thou hast seen is one of our grooms:--then approach her, and uncover her face, and fear no evil from any one.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
While Bedr-ed-Deen was thus conversing with the "Efreet, lo, the groom entered the closet, and seated himself; and immediately the "Efreet rose before him, from the trough of water that was in the closet,[IV_45]
in the form of a mouse, and cried Zeek!--What brought thee here? said the humpback. The mouse then increased in size, and became like a cat; and then increased, and became a dog, and cried, "Owh! "Owh! At the sight of this the groom was terrified, and exclaimed, Get away, thou unlucky![IV_46] The dog, however, still increased and swelled until it became an a.s.s, and brayed in his face, crying, Ha?! Ha?!--upon which the groom, in terror, cried out, Come to my aid, O people of the house!
But lo, the a.s.s increased, and became like a buffalo, and, stopping up the place before him, spoke with the speech of a son of Adam, and said, Wo be to thee, O humpback! O filthiest of grooms! Upon this the groom was seized with a colick, and seated himself upon the slabs, and his teeth knocked together. The "Efreet then said to him, Hath the earth become narrow to thee, that thou wouldst marry none but my mistress? But the groom was silent. Return me an answer, said the "Efreet, or I will make thine abode to be in the dust!--By Allah, then answered the groom, I am not in fault; for they compelled me, and I knew not that she had a lover among the buffaloes; but now I repent before Allah and before thee. Then the "Efreet said, I swear by Allah that if thou depart now from this place, or utter a word before the sun hath risen, I will slay thee: and when the sun hath risen go thy way, and never return to this house. And he seized the humpbacked groom, and, placing his head upside down upon the slabs, and his feet upwards, said to him, Remain here, and I will watch thee until sunrise.--Thus did it happen to the humpback.
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[Ill.u.s.tration]
Now, as to ?asan Bedr-ed-Deen of El-Ba?rah, he left the humpback and the "Efreet contending together, and, entering the house, seated himself in the bride-chamber; and lo, the bride approached, accompanied by an old woman, who stopped at the door of the chamber, and said, O Aboo-Shihab,[IV_47] rise, and take thy bride; and I commend thee to the care of Allah. Then the old woman went away, and the bride, whose name was Sitt-el-?osn,[IV_48] advanced to the upper end of the chamber. Her heart was broken, and she said within herself, By Allah, I will not suffer him to caress me though my spirit depart from me! But when she had proceeded to the upper end of the chamber, she beheld Bedr-ed-Deen, and said, My beloved, until this hour art thou remaining?
I had said within myself, perhaps thou and the humpbacked groom are to share me between you.--What, said he, should give the groom access to thee, and wherefore should he be my partner in the possession of thee?--Who, then, she asked, is my husband? Thou or he?--O my mistress, answered Bedr-ed-Deen, we did not this for any other purpose than to make a jest of him, and that we might laugh at him; for when the tire-women and the singing-women and thy family beheld thine admirable beauty, they feared for us the effect of the eye, and thy father hired him for ten pieces of gold, in order that he might divert from us the eye; and now he hath departed. When Sitt-el-?osn heard these words of Bedr-ed-Deen, she smiled, and uttered a gentle laugh, and said, By Allah, thou hast extinguished my fire! Take me then, I conjure thee, and press me to thy bosom.--And they embraced each other.
Not long after this, the "Efreet said to the Jinneeyeh, Arise, and place thyself beneath the youth, and let us convey him back, lest the morning overtake us; for the time is near. So she advanced towards him, and, placing herself beneath his skirt, as he lay asleep, took him up, and flew away with him, in the state in which she found him, clad only in his shirt, and pursued her flight with the "Efreet by her side. But G.o.d gave permission to some angels to cast at the "Efreet a shooting-star of fire, and he was burnt. The Jinneeyeh, however, escaped unhurt, and deposited Bedr-ed-Deen in the place over which the shooting-star had burnt the "Efreet. She would not pa.s.s beyond it, fearing for his safety; and as destiny had appointed, this place was Damascus: so she placed him by one of the gates of this city, and flew away.
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