“Of old time there was a great king. One day a man came before him and said, ‘My king, I shall weave a turban such that one born in wedlock will see it, while the bastard will see it not.’ The king marvelled and ordered that that weaver should weave that turban; and the weaver received an allowance from the king and tarried a long while. One day he folded up this side and that side of a paper and brought it and laid it before the king and said, ‘O king, I have woven that turban.’ So the king opened the paper and saw that there was nothing; and all the vezirs and nobles who stood there looked on the paper and saw nothing. Then the king said in his heart, ‘Dost thou see? I am then a bastard;’ and he was sad. And he thought, ‘Now, the remedy is this, that I say it is a goodly turban and admire it, else will I be put to shame before the folk.’ And he said ‘Blessed be God! O master, it is a goodly turban, I like it much.’
“Then that weaver youth said, ‘O king, let them bring a cap that I may wind the turban for the king.’ They brought a cap, and the weaver youth laid that paper before him and moved his hands as though he wound the turban, and he putit on the king’s head. All the nobles who were standing there said, ‘Blessed be it! O king, how fair, how beautiful a turban!’ and they applauded it much. Then the king rose and went with two vezirs into a private room and said, “O vezirs, I am then a bastard; I see not the turban.’ Quoth the vezirs, ‘O king, we too see it not,’ At length they knew of a surety that the turban had no existence, and that that weaver had thus played a trick for the sake of money.
“O king, thou too sayest, ‘On the morrow will I kill him; I will do this and I will do that;’ and yet there is nothing. O king, I had that dream this night, there is no doubt that it is as I have interpreted. O king, if the king’s life and throne go, who knows what they will do to hapless me?” And she began to weep. When the king saw the lady thus weeping his heart was pained and he said, “On the morrow I will indeed refuse the words of whichsoever of my vezirs makes intercession for him, and I will indeed kill the youth; for, according to the dream thou hast had, this is no light affair.”
When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his head.” Whereupon the thirteenth vezir came forward and sought to make intercession, but the king was wroth and said, “Be silent, speak not.” Thereupon the vezir drew a paper from his breast and said, “For God’s sake read this paper, then thou wilt know.” Then the king looked at the paper and saw that there was written thereon, “O king, yesterday I looked at the astrolabe; for forty days is the prince’s ruling star in very evil aspect, such that the prince may even lose his head.” Then all the forty vezirs came forward at once and said, “O king, for the love of God and the honor of Muhammed Mustafa, for the forty days have patience and slay not the prince; thereafter it is certain that this affair will be made clear, and when its origin is known must each one receive his due.” Then said the vezir, “There is a story suitable to this; if the king grant leave I will tell it.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
“There was in the palace of the world a great king and he ruled over the Seven Climes. But he had neither son nor daughter, and he was ever offering sacrifices in the way of God. One day God most high accepted his sacrifice and bestowed on him from his bounty a fair son who was in his time a second Joseph. So the king was glad, and that day he held a high feast, and at that feast he gave robes of honor and money to many men. After that he assembled the astrologers and made them cast the prince’s horoscope; and the astrologers looked the one at the other and were bewildered and confounded. Then the king said, ‘What see ye that ye stand looking the one at the other?’ The astrologers replied, ‘O king of the world, we have cast the prince’s horoscope; and in the astrolabe and the Jāmesb-Nāma they thus rule, that from his thirtieth year to his sixtieth the prince’s ruling star is afflicted so that he shall wander in strange lands, with tribulation and pain for his companions: “None ... knoweth the unseen save God.”‘[36]After the king had heard these things from the astrologers, at times his heart would be sad and at times he would plunge into the ocean of deliberation. Saying, ‘God knows the end of the boy,’ he began to train up the prince. When the latter entered his seventh year he appointed him a teacher, and he passed some years in acquiring reading and writing. When he was become a young man his father got for him a king’s daughter; and after a time the prince had two sons. These children, too, in a little time acquired knowledge; and from time to time they would go out a-pleasuring with their father.
“One day the prince’s heart desired a sea-voyage, and he commanded that they prepare a ship, and with his children and forty slaves and attendants he entered the ship. For many days they sailed the sea full pleasantly. But there was there a Frankish corsair filled with infidels, and they encountered the prince’s ship and straightway flung their grappling-irons, and took captive the prince and his two sons and forty servants, and went off. They took the prince and the forty men and sold them to the cannibal negroes; but the two boys they sold not, but kept by them. The negroes fed up the princeand the men with delicate and delicious foods, and every day they took one of them to their king’s kitchen and cut his throat, and cooked him at the fire and ate him. When they had eaten the forty men, the prince’s turn came, him too they took and brought to the kitchen that they might cut his throat. The prince perceived that plight, and he entreated God in his heart to give him strength, and he burst the fetters that were round his wrists and, striking about with the chains that were in his hands, he slipped through them and rushed out.
“While he was running on, a vast forest appeared before him, he entered it, and although the negroes searched for him they could not find him. Then he came out thence and fared on many stages till one day he came to a great city. The people crying, ‘He is an enemy,’ rushed upon him. And the prince exclaimed, ‘O Lord, what tribulation is this!’ and fought with them. Word was brought to their king, and he came and saw that the prince was fighting like a dragon. When the king saw the prince’s valor he admired it, and said to his soldiers who were there, ‘Let no one attack the stranger.’ Then the soldiers dispersed, and the king took the prince and went to the palace. He prepared a suit of clothes, and sent him to the bath, and caused his head to be shaven and made him put on those clothes, and brought him back to the palace. The king said, ‘Come, remain by me, I have a daughter, I will give her thee.’ The prince consented; so they gave him the king’s daughter; and he remained there two years and his lot was right pleasant. One day the prince’s wife died; now this was their custom, they had a great deep pit, and if a man died they put his wife with him alive into that pit, and if a woman died they did the same with her husband; and they let down along with them a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water, and covered over the pit with a great stone.
“So they brought the prince and his wife with a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water to that pit, and, saying, ‘It is our custom,’ lowered both of them into the pit and placed that great stone over them. When the prince saw himself in such case he was bewildered and said, ‘My God! what plight is this!’ and he prayed to God. And he searched the inside of the pit carefully and saw a fair girl seated there, and he asked her, ‘What manner of girl art thou?’ She replied, ‘I am ayoung bride; they have put me into this pit with my husband.’ And the prince examined the pit, and saw it to be all full of the bodies of men, some of which were decayed and some of which were writhing in the agonies of death; and dread overcame the prince. Of a sudden, while he was seated, a rustling sound came from one part of the pit; the prince knew that it was some beast, and he arose and went with the girl straight to that place, and he found the passage through which that beast had come in. They went for a time through that passage, and at length came out on the skirt of a mountain on the bank of a great river. And they were glad thereat, and thanked God much.
“And there they found a boat, and they gathered fruit from that mountain and filled the boat, and they both entered the boat and went along with the current of the river. That river grew wider day by day; but it passed underneath a great mountain. When they came near to the tunnel under that mountain they could not govern the boat, and the water took the boat and bore it under the mountain. When the prince saw this he exclaimed, ‘My God! O Lord! what tribulation is this too! how shall we escape from this!’ Helpless they sat in the boat; now the water dashed the boat against the rocks, now it made it fly down precipices, and now the mountain became low and pushed the boat under the water; and they, never ceasing, emptied the water out of the boat. They knew not at all whither the boat was going, neither did they know whether it was night or day. For a long time they were a prey to that anguish; and scarce a spark of life remained in their bodies when, at length, after a hundred thousand perils, their boat came out from under the mountain on to the surface of the earth.
“They were glad, and they drew their boat to the shore and got out of it, and took fruits from the trees that were there, and ate them. While standing there they saw a great white vaulted building, the dome whereof was of crystal. The prince and the girl went up to it, and they saw that it was a great castle, and that the domed building was within the castle, and on the door of the castle was written, ‘O thou who wouldst open this door, O thou who desirest to overcome this talisman, bring a five-footed animal and kill it before here, that the boltsof this talisman may be opened thereby,’ The prince marvelled and said, ‘Is there in the world a five-footed animal?’ and he wondered. And they sat by the gate of the castle and lice tormented them, and they began to louse themselves. The prince killed a louse, and straightway the bolts of the castle fell, and they knew that the said five-footed animal was the louse. Then they both entered by a door, and they saw a garden, such that of every tree which is in the world there was therein; and ripe fruits were hanging there and running streams were flowing.
“And the prince felt a longing for those fruits and he went to pluck one of them that he might eat it, when he saw that those trees were of gold and their fruits of silver and jewels, and that precious stones were lying at the foot of the trees, scattered like pebbles in a brook. They passed through and came to that dome, it was fashioned of crystal, they entered by a silver door and saw that within that dome was another dome all of pure gold. It too they entered and saw yet another dome, all the walls and the top of which were of ruby, built after the fashion of paradise. They entered it and saw a throne upon which was a coffin made of jewels, and at the head of the coffin was a tablet whereon was written: ‘O son of Adam, who comest hither and seest me, know thou that I was a king, and that all the world was in my hands, and my wealth was beyond bounds or computation. Men and demons and fairies and jinn were my warriors; and I lived in the world for a thousand years, and I never said, “I shall die;” and I made not any preparation against death. One day, of a sudden, I fell sick, and I knew of a surety that I was about to die, and I commanded that this dome was built in three days, and I made it a sepulchre for myself. And by my head are two fountains; drink, and pray for me.’
“And the prince saw those two fountains and drank; and from one of them flowed sugared sherbet and from the other milk. And they drank of both of them and remained a long while by that grave, and they nourished themselves on the milk and drank of the sherbet. At length they found some vases, and they took of the milk and the sherbet and the jewels and the gold, and filled their boat with them, and again set forth on their voyage. After they had gone for a time the winddrove their boat upon an island, and they went forth from the boat to look for fruit on the mountain that they might eat. Of a sudden a body of men came and seized them; and the prince saw these that they had no heads, their mouths were in their breasts and their eyes in their shoulders, and their speech, when they spake together, was as the chirping of birds. And they took the two and brought them to their king; and they remained there prisoners a long time.
“At length one day they found an opportunity and escaped, and again they entered their boat and sailed for a long time upon the sea. Brief, the prince wandered for thirty years upon the seas, sometimes happening among nine-headed men, and sometimes among bird-headed, and sometimes falling among elephant-headed folk, and sometimes among ox-headed, and then escaping; and each of them inflicted different torments on the prince. Still God most high opened a way and he escaped. And he saw these strange and wondrous creatures, and he marvelled. At length, through the grace of God (glorified and exalted be he!), the wind drove the prince’s ship before a city, and he saw that the inhabitants of that country were all men, and he came out. When these saw the prince they cried, ‘He is a spy,’ and seized him and bound his arms behind his back, and tied a rope round his neck, and took him alongside a horse, and said, ‘Our lord has put down: when ships come from the sea and touch at our country, seize their spies and take them to our king.’ And the prince exclaimed, ‘What tribulation is this too! how to go alongside a horse!’ And while he was praying in his heart they reached the city. And they took the prince in this plight to their king.
“When the king saw the prince he asked, ‘What manner of man art thou?’ The prince said, ‘Many marvellous things have befallen me;’ and he related his adventures from their beginning to their end. When the king heard his story he loosed the prince’s bands and took him to his side and clad him in sumptuous robes of honor. The prince asked for the jewels that were in his ship. The king bade bring them and said, ‘O prince, I know thy kingdom, and I heard that the Franks had taken thee; and I know thy father too. Come, go not away, stay; I have a daughter, I will give her thee, and we shall live pleasantly together.’ The prince replied, ‘O king,when I was born of my mother, my father caused my horoscope to be cast, and the astrologers thus ruled, that my life was afflicted for thirty years; mayhap if I took the king’s daughter, some evil might befall the king’s daughter by reason of my affliction; I may not consent.’ Then the king brought the astrologers and made them cast the prince’s horoscope. The astrologers gave good news, saying, ‘Glad tidings be to thee, those thirty afflicted years are passed, now his ruling star has entered the sign of good fortune.’ The prince was exceeding glad and joyful.
“Thereupon the king commanded that they made ready a festival, and he gave his daughter to the prince, and he greatly honored and reverenced him. After some time the king died, and the prince became king in his stead. One day when he was seated on his throne they said, ‘O king, a Frank has come with much merchandise; if the king grant leave, he will bring his merchandise.’ The king replied, ‘There is leave, let him bring it.’ And the Frank brought his merchandise before the king. The king saw his two sons at the Frank’s side, then the blood of love boiled, and the affection of paternity yearned for them; and he asked that Frank, ‘Are these youths thine?’ The Frank answered, ‘They are my slaves.’ The king said, ‘I will buy them.’ And he took the youths to a place apart and said, ‘Where did this Frank get you?’ Then they related their adventures from their beginning to their end; and the king knew of a certainty that they were his own sons, and he pressed them to his heart and kissed each of them on the eyes, and said, ‘I am your father.’ Then the king arose; and they killed the Frank with a thousand torments.
“O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that haps such as this often befall princes. Their happy fortune passes into the sign of inauspiciousness, and they become a prey to a thousand tribulations and distresses, so that even gold turns into black earth in their hands, and all their friends become enemies to them. Afterward the malefic aspect gives place to prosperity and auspiciousness, then everyone is their friend. O king, this youth’s ruling star is likewise afflicted for a few days. Beware, O king, until the days of the malefic aspect be fulfilled, slay not the youth, else afterward thou wilt be repentant, and too late repentance profits not. The rest theking knows.” When the king heard this story from the vezir he asked for the youth’s governor, but he could not be found. So again he sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the chase.
When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady again began to speak about the youth. The king said, “To-day also such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” And he related to the lady that story which the vezir had told. Then said the lady, “O king, the reason of these vezirs stirring up trouble is that they wish to sow enmity between thee and me. Beware, O king, go not by the words of these, but follow well my words, that thy present state and thy hereafter may be happy. When God most high decrees good between husband and wife he gives mildness and accord. And, moreover, O king, be it good news to thee, a week ago did I conceive by thee; till now I have not told thee, but now I have told thee and do thou believe it true.” And the king believed it. Then she continued, “O king, lo, these vezirs say that this youth’s star has fallen into a malefic aspect. His star became afflicted what time he made for thy life and thy kingdom and for me. God most high aided us and afflicted his star and brought down his head.” And the lady was glad and said, “Thy true son is he that is in my womb; that youth is without doubt base-born. Mayhap the king has not heard the story of him who had no sons.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
“There was in the palace of the world a great king, and he had neither son nor daughter. And there was in his country a sheykh whose prayers were answered. One day the king, while conversing with the sheykh, said, ‘O sheykh, God most high has given me no son; do thou strive in prayer that God most high give me a son.’ The sheykh replied, ‘Send an offering to the convent that the dervishes may eat, and we shall pray for thee; God most high is a gracious king, he will give thee a son.’ Now the king had a golden-ankletedfat ram that was valiant in fight; and he sent that ram to the sheykh’s convent with some loads of rice and honey and oil. That night the dervishes ate and were pleased; and the sheykh sent of that meat in an earthen bowl to the king, saying, ‘Let him desire a son and eat of the dervishes’ portion.’ Then the dervishes danced, after which they prayed and besought of God a son for the king. By the divine decree the king’s wife conceived that night, and in a short time she brought forth a moon-faced boy.
“The king was delighted, and called the people of the country to the feast; and he took the prince and laid him on the sheykh’s skirt, and he bestowed many gifts on the sheykh’s convent. One day, some time after that, when the king was conversing with the sheykh, he said, ‘O sheykh, what if thou were to pray and beseech of God another son for me?’ The sheykh replied, ‘The favors of God are many; to pray is ours, to give is his; send then an offering to the dervishes.’ Now the king had a favorite plump horse, that sent he forthwith to the convent. The devotees cut its throat and roasted it, and again sent an earthen bowl of it to the king. They ate the rest themselves, and prayed and besought of God a son for the king. By the divine decree the lady again conceived, and in a short time she brought forth a moon-faced boy. And the king was delighted and sent many gifts to the dervishes. Some time afterward the king requested the sheykh to beg of God yet another son. The sheykh said, ‘To pray is ours, to give is God’s; send again an offering to the devotees.’ Now the king had a good mule, that sent he to the convent. The devotees sold that mule and took its price and therewith prepared a confection. And they sent a bowl of that too to the king. After the dance they prayed and besought of God a son for the king.
“Again the king’s wife conceived and gave birth to a moon-faced boy. And the king was glad and sent many gifts to the dervishes. When the king’s sons grew up, the eldest turned out very valiant; the second proved swift of foot and accomplished and possessed of understanding and sagacity; but the youngest was ill-omened and ill-natured, and oppressed men, and wounded and wasted the hearts of many poor creatures with the sword of his tongue. And the king was soregrieved because of him. One day while conversing with the sheykh he complained of his youngest son and said, ‘O sheykh, would that we had not besought of God that youngest boy.’ The sheykh replied, ‘O king, why art thou grieved? thou art thyself the cause of that youth being thus.’ The king asked, ‘How am I the cause?’ The sheykh answered, ‘First thou gavest in the cause of God a ram[37]among beasts, and God most high hath given thee a son of courage among men; then thou gavest in the cause of God a courser of the plain of earth among beasts, and God most high hath given thee a courser of the plain of glory and fortune and understanding and accomplishments among men; and after that thou gavest in the cause of God an ill-omened and base-born brute among beasts, and God hath given thee such an one among men. O king, he who sows barley reaps not wheat.’ In the end the king got no rest until he had killed the youth.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that from this ill-omened, base-born one no good will come. They have said that the base-born are of two classes; the one the fruit of adultery, the other the fruit of illicit union. This thy son is without doubt of one of these two sets; lo, thy true-born offspring is about to come into existence.” When the king heard these beguiling words of the lady he said, “On the morrow will I kill the youth, be not sad.”
When it was morning the king came and sat upon his throne and ordered the executioner that he bring the youth, and he said, “Smite off his head.” The fifteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, it is not seemly to kill the prince in compliance with the woman’s word, for the angels that are in heaven are not safe against woman’s wiles. Hast thou heard the story of the King’s Remorse?” The king said,
“Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
“There was in the palace of the world a famous king and God most high had given him a son. After some time the son became afflicted with a heartburn, and he would ever complain of his heart. The king brought together all the physicians that were to be got, and they treated the boy’s ailment;but it was in vain, the physicians were powerless. As often as the boy said, ‘Father, my heart,’ the king would say, ‘Son, my heart aches more than thy heart;’ and the king was afflicted at his pain. At length the boy died. After the dismay, the king came up by the boy and said, ‘Cut him open that I may see what pain was in his heart.’ When they had cut open the boy the king saw that a bone had grown on the top of his heart. The king ordered that they took out that bone and then buried the boy; and the king caused that bone to be made into the handle of a knife.
“One day they placed a water-melon before the king; the king cut the melon with that knife and ate some of it, and he stuck the knife into the remains of the melon and left it. Then the king caused the chess things to be brought and he began to play; afterward he went to take up the knife when he saw that the part of the handle which had penetrated into the melon was melted and had vanished. As soon as the king saw this he exclaimed, ‘Dost thou see? the cure for my son’s sickness was water-melon; and I knew it not.’ And his heart was grieved thereat, and he began to weep, and said, ‘Son, it has gone from thy heart and come into my heart; would that thou hadst not come to earth!’ And at length that king died of anguish of soul.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst beware and slay not thy child on the woman’s word, lest thou too die of anguish of soul.” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince. When the king heard this story from the vezir he sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the chase.
When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they passed on and sat down. After the repast the lady began to speak about the youth. The king said, “This day also such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, this youth is a dragon, until he be killed thou shalt not be safe from his malice; it is even as it was with a certain king who until he had killed his son could not escape from his pain; mayhap the king has not heard that story.” Then the king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
“They have related that a great king was wroth with Luqmān,[38]and commanded that they lowered him into a pit and closed up the mouth of the pit with a great stone. By Luqmān the sage was a pill, of the bigness of a walnut, which he had made by his science. He ever smelled it, and his hunger was satisfied and his thirst was quenched; and for a long time he remained in that pit. The king who imprisoned him died, and his son became king in his stead. And sickness seized upon this king; and the physicians treated him, but he grew no better, and his trouble increased upon him. They were helpless and said, ‘O king, had Luqmān been alive he could have cured thy pain.’ Then said the king, ‘What manner of man was Luqmān?’ They replied, ‘Thy father was wroth with him and put him into the pit; by now his bones are rotten. But Luqmān was a man such that God most high hath mentioned him in the noble Koran; such a sage has never come to earth.’ The king said, ‘If it be so, open the pit, belike he has in some way saved himself.’
“They went and opened that pit and went down and saw him sitting there, and they came and told the king. The king said, ‘Quick, go bring him.’ They went to pull him out of the pit, when Luqmān said, ‘If the king wish me, wrap me in cotton and draw me out; and bring to me a leech every night.’ They did so, and after forty days he arose and came before the king, and he saw the king lying without strength. After praising and lauding him, he asked of the king’s trouble and felt his pulse, and said, ‘O king, thou hast a hard sickness.’ Then he asked, ‘Has the king a son?’ They replied, ‘He has.’ Luqmān said, ‘O king, until the throat of thy son be cut and his blood rubbed on thy body, this thy pain will not leave thee.’ The king answered, ‘O Luqmān, thou art thyself a great man; I will consent to my own death, but I will not consent to my son’s.’ Quoth Luqmān, ‘O king, I have told thee the cure; the rest thou knowest.’ And he arose and went away.
“After some days the king’s trouble increased, and he calledLuqmān to his side and said, ‘O Luqmān, is there no other remedy?’ Luqmān answered, ‘O king, there is no cure save the cutting of thy son’s throat.’ The king’s soul came up to his throat through that trouble. Quoth Luqmān, ‘O king, when thou art well, sons will not be lacking thee.’ Then said the king, ‘Now get the boy and cut his throat in a distant place that mine eyes see it not.’ Luqmān said, ‘There is no good if it be done in another place, it is needful that it be done before thine eyes.’ Then they gave the boy into Luqmān’s hands. And Luqmān bound the boy’s hands and feet, and cunningly tied a bladder filled with blood round the boy’s throat, and laid him down before the king. Then he took a diamond knife in his hand and said, ‘O king, now look, see how I cut the prince’s throat.’
“When the king’s two eyes were fixed on the boy, he struck against the boy’s throat with the knife and the blood gushed out. When the king saw the blood on the boy’s throat he sighed; and when Luqmān saw him he thanked God. And straightway he raised the boy from the ground and kissed his two eyes; and Luqmān said, ‘O king, I could find no other way to turn off thy sickness than this trick.’ Then the king greatly applauded Luqmān and bestowed upon him much wealth.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that until the king have killed his son, he too will have no security from trouble.” When the king heard this story from the lady he was wroth and said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”
When it was morning the king went and sat upon his throne and he caused the youth to be brought and ordered the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The sixteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king of the world, it is not beseeming thy glory that thou castest to the waters the words of the vezirs; for men are either good or bad concerning the king, whatsoever they say, the king is informed thereof, and the king is given word of evil or hurt about to be, and all that goes on without is known to the king, that he may make preparation accordingly. It is even as in the tradition, ‘Speak to men according to their understanding.’ Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the dervish and the king.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
“There was in a palace of the world a king and his name was Aydin (light). One day a dervish came before him and spake pleasantly with fair discretion; and whatsoever they asked, he answered the whole of it, and his every word seemed good to the king. The king said, ‘O dervish, go not away, let us spend this evening together.’ The dervish blessed him and said, ‘On head and eye.’ Now it was then very cold. So the king took the dervish, and they went to the palace and sat down. The king ordered that they laid wood upon the fireplace and set light to it, whereupon the dervish repeated these verses—
‘Take in winter fire from garden-land;Take the goblet from the drunken band;Should there no loveling for cup-bearer be,Take from orange-breasted damsel’s hand.’
‘Take in winter fire from garden-land;Take the goblet from the drunken band;Should there no loveling for cup-bearer be,Take from orange-breasted damsel’s hand.’
‘Take in winter fire from garden-land;Take the goblet from the drunken band;Should there no loveling for cup-bearer be,Take from orange-breasted damsel’s hand.’
“As these verses seemed right good to the king, he wrote them in his album; and he said to the dervish, ‘Tell some merry story.’ Quoth the dervish, ‘O king, once there was a king, and by him there was a devotee. One day they said to the king, “Yon devotee is a Rāfizī.”[39]The king, to try him, one day asked that devotee, “O devotee, lovest thou Saint Abu Bekr the True?” The devotee replied, “Nay.” He said, “Lovest thou Saint ‘Omar?” He answered, “Nay.” “Then lovest thou Saint ‘Othmān?” He answered, “Nay, nay.” “Then lovest thou Saint ‘Alī the Approved?” He answered, “Nay.” Thereupon the king’s difficulties from being one became two, and he thought and said in himself, “If this devotee were a Rāfizī, he would love Saint ‘Alī, though he loved not the other Noble Companions our Lords; if he were a Sunnī, he would love all of the Four Chosen Friends our Lords.” And he turned and said to the devotee, “Thou lovest none of the Glorious Companions, whom then lovest thou?”
“‘The devotee replied, “There is at the gate of the bazaar a loveling of the age; lo, that is whom I love.” The king was pleased with this jest of the devotee and gave him many gifts.’ And that dervish told stories such as this to the king, and heamused the king with many jests. That night they ate and drank, and when their converse was finished, drowsiness came upon the king, and he would have lain down, but the devotee was at ease and would not rise and go. The slaves thought to say to the devotee, ‘Arise and go,’ but they feared the king and were silent. The king too wished that the devotee might perceive by his discretion that he should arise; but where was that discretion? The king looked, but it was not.
“Then he called to his servants, ‘Strike the fagot that the glow (ishiq) may go out.’ The servants understood not and remained still. Thereupon the devotee said, ‘Why wait ye? Strike the log that the light (aydin) may spring up.’ Now the king’s name was Aydin (light) and the devotee’s name was Ishiq (glow).[40]The king said, ‘I sent thee off with a fagot, that is struck thee with a fagot, but thou didst strike me with a log.’ The devotee said, ‘My king, thou didst not strike me with a fagot, neither did I strike my king with a log; so do thou rest on the one side of the hearth and I shall rest on the other.’ And the king was pleased with these words of the devotee; and they lay down and rested.
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that a certain freedom is usual with the accomplished. Now there are no learned men equal to these forty vezirs of my king, each one of whom utters these many good sayings and fair words; and indeed the good or bad of these has many a time been tried. And what is incumbent upon my king is this, that he listen not to the words of these inattentively nor cast them to the winds.” The king said, “This demand leaves me in bewilderment. Our Lord the Apostle of God hath said concerning women, that they are enemies to you, but that one of them is needful to each of you. And God most high hath said in his glorious Word, ‘Your wealth and your children are but a trial.’[41]Now I ask these affairs of this youth and he answers not at all; and so long as he will not speak, will my difficulty remain unsolved. Thus it seems to me that this youth has done this wantonness, and therefore cannot speak.”
When the vezir saw this much consideration on the part ofthe king he said, “My king, in everything the mysterious workings of God most high are many; let not my king regard the not speaking of the youth. One day will he speak indeed; yea, there is also in that noble verse concerning children, ‘And God: with him is great reward.’”And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince. And the king sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the chase. That day, when they were hunting, a deer rose, and the hounds pursued it, and all the attendants pushed their horses after that deer, and the king too pushed on. Each one went in a different direction, and the king was left alone. When it was evening there was with him no attendant nor anyone; the king looked and there was none, and he said, “There is in this some divine working.” And straightway he disguised himself and pushed on and came to a village and was guest in a shepherd’s house.
On the morrow he rose betimes, and while he was watching the sheep and lambs, he looked and saw a lamb that had lost its mother. Seeking about, it went up to a sheep, and that sheep butted at the lamb, and the lamb fell. It rose again and went to another sheep; and that sheep likewise butted at the lamb. The king asked this from the shepherd, “Why do these sheep butt at that lamb?” The shepherd said, “To-day this lamb’s mother died; these, being not its mother, receive it not.” Then the king sighed in his soul and said in his heart, “May God most high leave not a servant of his an orphan.”
Let us to our story: The attendants returned to the city, and each one turned his horse’s head straight to the palace. They arrived at the castle, and one of them called out and learned the circumstance (of the king’s absence) from the watchmen; so they went to look for news of the king. On the other hand the watchmen informed the grand vezir of the matter; and straightway the grand vezir commanded that all of those watchmen were secured in prison,[42]and he himself walked about the city till morning. He sent a vezir to the king’s attendants, saying, “Go tell the attendants that they publish not this affair, and do thou go with the whole of them to seek the king.” On her part, the lady looked and the time passed and the king came not, and she caused the grand vezirto be questioned; the vezir sent word to her, “This night there is a great council; our king will not go in.”
The vezir questioned the king’s attendants; and while they were going to the place where they had left the king, the king himself set out from the village where he was and came to the place where the attendants had dispersed. The attendants saw the king, and brought word to the vezir; so the vezir pushed on his horse and came up to the king. The king said in his heart, “These will have enthroned the prince and sent this vezir to me; now is he coming to give me the sherbet; O how the lady’s words were true!” The vezir saw from the king’s countenance that he was thinking thus, and he came up quickly to him, and kissed the ground before the king, and said, “My king, what plight is this plight? Is it beseeming to remain without at such a time? Above all, as the prince has been these many days imprisoned, everyone says that the king’s senses have well nigh left him.”
Thereupon the king said, “Have ye taken the prince from prison?” The vezir replied, “Nay, my king; the grand vezir secured in prison the watchmen who had learned of my king’s remaining out in the evening from the attendants who came to the gate; and he sent me and the attendants to seek my king.” The king’s mind was somewhat comforted, but his heart would not believe. Then the vezir perceived that the king’s heart was not at ease and he said to the king, “My king, thy grand vezir sent me hither in the evening; to learn the events of to-day are my eyes now on the road.” And he kissed the ground and was silent. The king said, “If we went on now it were too quick; but let an attendant go and inform the vezir of the affair.” They sent on an attendant; and that day, when it was evening, the king came to the palace and found everything in its proper place, and his heart was again at rest concerning his vezir.
After the repast he entered the harem. The lady had rubbed a dye upon her eyes and made them red, and she rose to greet the king as if weeping; and the king passed on and sat in his place. When coffee and sherbets had been drunk she asked of the haps of the night, and the king related the events to her. She said, “O king, the thing thou hast done might be in two ways; the one, of purpose, to distinguish between friend andfoe; the other, by chance. In this instance thou hast passed the evening outside by chance, and thy heart is at ease for that thy vezirs have done no unseemly deed. But, my king, beware, trust not these vezirs; for they would make the youth king. Praise be to God! thou art well, but they still watch their opportunity; and this youth has no dread of thee, thou hast brought him up full insolent; that is not good. And they have said that if a person treat thee as a brother, do thou treat him as a master and deem him great. Kings are like fire; if thou be a lion, thou must be on thy guard against the fire, even as lions are on their guard against fire.
“There is a fable suitable to this: The lynxes go along with the lion, but they go not close to him. One day they asked one of them, ‘Thou goest along with the lion; why goest thou not near to him?’ He replied, ‘Firstly, the lion hunts beasts and I eat his leavings; secondly, when an enemy comes against me I go to him and take refuge; as these two things are good for me I go along with him. And the reason of my going not near is this, that his glory is that of a render, one day it might be that he should rend me like the leopard; therefore go I not near him.’ Wise is he who acts before kings like the lynx; for nearness to the sultan is a burning fire. Even as the lynx is content with and eats the lion’s leavings, must the wise man be content with the king’s leavings; else, if he stretch forth his hand to the morsel that is in the king’s mouth—the plight of him who stretches forth his hand is notorious. If an enemy appear, it is needful to take refuge with the king; so one must ever be between dread and entreaty, and must measure his words. A word is like an arrow that has left the bow, when once it leaves the mouth it returns not again. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of Sultan Mahmūd[43]and Hasan of Maymand.”[44]The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
“A word was the cause of Sultan Mahmūd dismissing his vezir Hasan of Maymand, and confiscating all his property and banishing him. So what could Hasan of Maymand dobut yield consent to misfortune and bear calamity with patience? One day, during his exile, while he was passing along a street, a group of children were playing, one was prince and one was vezir. The prince got angry and wished to banish the vezir and confiscate his property. The child who was vezir said, ‘Art thou just or art thou a tyrant?’ The prince answered, ‘I am just,’ Then said the vezir, ‘Thou art just; well, when I came to thee I was young, and I have spent my life in thy service and gained my property; now thou confiscatest my property and takest away my office, I now ask back from thee my life that I have spent in thy service; if thou be just, it is right that thou give me my life.’ The prince was silent and made that child vezir again.
“Hasan of Maymand liked the child’s words, and straightway he went and composed a petition and sent it to Sultan Mahmūd. When the petition arrived they took it and gave it to the king. The king read it, and when he perceived its import, he straightway ordained that he was pardoned and reinstated in his office. So he was dismissed by one word and reinstated by one word.
“O king, I deemed this story suitable in that a master of speech comes not readily to hand; and a master of speech is one who knows the speech that ought to be spoken. For speech is of two kinds; one kind is truth, another kind is folly. A wise man distinguishes between the speech of a sage and the speech of a fool. A sage speaks with understanding, but a fool speaks with trickery. The man who distinguishes not between these is like a beast, for a beast knows only when it is hungry and when it is full. Now this thy degenerate son has made for thy life and thy throne; this is beseeming, that thou give him neither grace nor time. Thou must kill him to-morrow, else he will slay thee.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I finish his affair.”
When it was morning and the sun shed light (aydin) and, like the words of the king and the dervish, the glow (ishiq) appeared, and the world was illuminated with radiance, the happy-fortuned king passed and sat upon his throne, and he caused the executioner to bring the youth and commanded, “Smite off his head.” The eighteenth vezir came forwardand said, “O king of the world, two things are indeed incumbent upon kings; the first is to have pity on the folk, and the second is to have mercy in the time of wrath. Long will be the life of the king who is thus, and God most high will protect him from all calamities. It is even as said our lord the Holy Apostle of God, ‘Be merciful to those upon the earth that the dwellers in heaven may have mercy upon you.’ And the friends of a king who is generous are many, and he triumphs over his enemies, and is of the host of the prophets and the saints. And there is a story of Sultan Mahmūd suitable to this; if the king grant leave, I will relate it.” The king said, “Relate, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
“One day while Sultan Mahmūd, the son of Sebuktekīn, was hunting, he got separated from his soldiers, and he saw someone going along in a trackless place. He pushed on and came up to that man and saluted him and said, ‘O man, whence art thou and what is thy origin?’ The man replied, ‘From the kingdom; and my origin my mother knows.’ Then the sultan saw that he was wrapped up in black clothes and mounted on a black ass; and the king asked, ‘Whither goest thou now?’ That man replied, ‘I go to Sultan Mahmūd,’ The king said, ‘What is thy desire of the sultan?’ The man answered, ‘I want 10,000 aspres of him; I have a debt, perchance he may give it me and I shall be freed from my debt.’ The sultan said, ‘If he give it not, how wilt thou act?’ The man replied, ‘If he will not give 10,000, let him give 1,000.’ Again the sultan said, ‘If he will not give even 1,000, what wilt thou do?’ The man replied, ‘If he will not give a thousand aspres, let him give a hundred aspres.’ The sultan said, ‘If he will not give even that, what wilt thou do?’ Then the fellow replied, ‘If he will not give even a hundred aspres, I shall say,Bu qara eshegimin durt ayaghi ‘avretinin ferjine![45]and shall turn and go.’ The king wondered at this man’s self and words.
“After a little he met his soldiers and went to his palace and sat upon his throne and thus commanded the grand chamberlain, ‘A man clad in black and mounted on a black ass will come, give him leave to enter.’ The next day, early in the morning, that man came, and the grand chamberlain took him and brought him into the king’s presence. When he saw the king he knew that it was he whom he had seen yesterday, and straightway he prayed for the king and asked 10,000 aspres. The king said, ‘May God give it thee.’ The man said, ‘Give 1,000 aspres.’ Again the king answered, ‘May God give it thee.’ The man said, ‘Let it be a hundred aspres.’ Again the king answered, ‘May God give it thee.’ Then the man said, ‘Be thou well; the black ass is tied at the door.’ Thereupon a courtier[46]said, ‘The king has bestowed nothing on thee; let the black ass be.’ The man said, ‘If he has not, then it means,eshegimin durt ayaghi ‘avretinin ferjine!And I shall be off.’ But his boldness pleased the king who said, ‘This poor man’s desire is but to be delivered from distress and find rest, as he got no boon from us he mounts his ass and goes.’ And this remained as a proverb, ‘The black ass is tied at the door.’ However, he bestowed on him somewhat.
“And this story resembles it: A certain khoja was going from Hindustan to Bagdad, and while on the road he thus thought, ‘When I enter the city of Bagdad what goods should I buy?’ Anyhow he entered Bagdad, and there was there a naked abdal[47]who had plucked out his beard and put it in a piece of paper. He came up to the khoja and said, ‘I have heard, O khoja, that thou hast come to buy goods; I have something, buy it.’ And he gave the paper into the khoja’s hand. The khoja took it and opened it and saw in it the hairs of the beard, and he said, ‘What shall I do with this?’ The abdal said, ‘Take it, and give the money.’ The khoja answered, ‘I shall not give money for this.’ The abdal said, ‘Why wilt thou not give money? that is indeed a beard; is it not worth a hundred aspres?’ The khoja replied, ‘It is not.’ The abdal said, ‘Let it be ten aspres; is it not worth that?’ The khoja answered, ‘It is not.’ The abdal said, ‘Let it be five aspres; is it not worth that?’ The khoja said, ‘It is not.’ Then said the abdal, ‘A beard is not worth five aspres; why then dost thou carry one? shave it off and let it go.’ Thekhoja was pleased with this jest of the abdal and gave him a hundred aspres.
“Now, O king, I have told these stories for that the king may know that it is needful for kings to raise the fallen and bestow favors on the poor.” And he kissed the ground and made intercession for the prince. When the king heard these stories from the vezir he sent the prince to the prison and went himself to the chase.
When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and the lady rose to greet him, and they sat down. After the repast the lady asked for news about the youth. The king said, “To-day likewise such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him and I sent him to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, think not thou this youth would maintain thy place after thee and observe the ordinances of kings. To exercise sovereignty is a hard work. I know that he is no true man; he watches his opportunity, and one day he will slay thee and shed blood, and then they will kill him too. Moreover, family and descent are needful for one; he who is not of family cannot exercise sovereignty. And one’s nature must be good. There are men of family and descent who are yet themselves of evil nature; for there is not honey in every bee nor a pearl in every oyster. Then this youth’s nature is evil; he has not the qualities of a king; his work would ever be wickedness and he would do wrong to those who do good. It is like the story of a certain merchant’s son; mayhap my king has not heard it.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady:
“There was of old time a cobbler in the city of Orfa. One day he saw a dervish passing, the seams of whose shoes had given way. The cobbler said, ‘Dervish, come, sit down till I sew up the seams of thy shoes and patch the holes.’ The dervish answered, ‘If thou hast a remedy, apply it to the hole in my heart.’ The cobbler gave him his right hand and he came and sat down; and the cobbler gave him food to eat and sewed up the holes in his shoes and said, ‘O dervish, I too wish to journey; what counsel dost thou give me?’ The dervish answered, ‘I have three counsels; see thou keep them:my first is this, set not out on the journey till thou hast found a good fellow-traveller; for the Apostle of God hath said, “The companion, then the road.” My second is this, light not in a waterless place. My third is this, enter great cities when the sun is rising.’ Then he went his way. After some days the cobbler found some suitable fellow-travellers and set out. While they were on the road, one day in the afternoon a city appeared before them. The cobbler youth asked, ‘What city is this city?’ The companions answered, ‘It is the city of Aleppo.’ The youth said, ‘To-day it is near evening; I shall not enter the city to-day.’
“Howsoever the companions urged him, it was no use; so at length they left him and went on. The youth went and lighted on the bank of a stream and remained there that night. Now there were tombs near the youth; and when it was midnight he saw two men coming from the city carrying something which they laid in the graveyard, and then they went away. Then the youth went up to that grave, and, striking a light with a flint and steel, lit a candle; he saw that they had laid there a new coffin, and that from the four sides of that coffin streams of blood were running. The cobbler youth opened the lid of the coffin and looked to see what he might see; there was a body bathed in blood, the garments were of massive gold embroidery and on the finger was a ring in which a stone glittered. The youth coveted the ring and took hold of it that he might pull it off, whereupon the body raised its head and said, ‘O youth, fearest thou not God that thou wouldst take my ring?’ Then the youth saw that it was a girl like the moon of fourteen nights, a torment of the age, like a lovely rose; and he said, ‘What is this plight?’ The girl said, ‘Now is not the time for questions; if thou be able, relieve me; and afterward I will help thine affairs.’
“Straightway the youth pulled off his outer robe and tore it in pieces and bound up the girl’s wounds and laid her in a place. When it was morning he took her on his back and brought her into the city and placed her in a cell in a certain place; and to all who asked of her he said, ‘She is my sister; passion came upon me and I brought this plight upon this poor creature, and she innocent.’ The youth tended the girl’s wounds and in the course of a month or two she became well.One day she went to the bath, and when she returned she asked the youth for inkhorn, reed, and paper. The youth brought them and placed them before her. The girl wrote a letter and gave it into the youth’s hands; and therein was written thus: ‘Thou who art Khoja Dibāb, the superintendent of the bazaar, give the bearer of this letter a hundred sequins and send him to me; and disclose nothing to my father of my health or my death; if thou do, thou shalt reflect well upon the issue.’ She sealed it and said, ‘Go, give this letter to a khoja who sits in such and such a place in the bazaar, and take whatever he gives thee and bring it.’
“The youth took that letter and went to the bazaar and asked, and they showed him to him, and he gave the letter into his hand. When the khoja opened the letter and read it, he kissed it and raised it to his head, and straightway drew forth a purse of gold and gave it to the youth. The youth brought it and laid it before the girl. The girl said, ‘Go, take a house, and buy with what is over clothes for thee and me.’ The youth went and took a house and bought sumptuous clothes and brought them to the girl. And they arose and went to that house which they had taken. Again she wrote a letter which she gave to the youth who took it to the khoja, who this time gave him two purses which he took to the girl. She said to him, ‘Go, my youth, and buy some provisions and furniture for the house.’ And the youth went and bought them. Then the girl got another purse of sequins, and she said to the youth, ‘Go, buy thyself horses and arms and male slaves and female slaves.’ And the youth went and bought them, and he brought them and gave them to the girl, and he said, ‘Now tell me what are these matters.’ The girl answered, ‘Now is not the time, by and bye.’
“Gradually the girl built palaces there and increased the number of her male slaves and female slaves, and whenever she gave the youth a letter he went and got two or three purses of gold from that khoja. One day the girl gave the youth a purse of gold and said, ‘In the bazaar is a youth they call Ghazanfer Agha; now go and find him, and ask of him some precious stuff, and he will show it thee, and whatever price he ask for it, give him the double thereof, and take and bring it.’ So the youth went and found him, and sat a while andtalked with him; and whatever the price of it was he gave the double, and took it; and Ghazanfer Agha marvelled at this. The youth returned and gave it to the girl, and again he asked of these matters, but the girl said that this too was not the time. And she took out a purse of jewels and gave it to the youth and said, ‘Take these jewels and go to Ghazanfer Agha and ask him to put a value on them, and take them out and lay them before him, and see what he will say to thee; and when putting the jewels back into the purse present him with three of them.’ So she sent him off. The youth said, ‘I shall go; but when I come back tell me the things that have befallen thee.’ He went and did as the girl had said.
“When Ghazanfer Agha saw these gifts he said to the youth, ‘O youth, thou hast made us ashamed; pray be troubled to come once to our house and honor us that we may show our affection.’ The youth replied, ‘What though it be so; to-morrow I shall go.’ And he bade him farewell and he came and told the girl, and the girl said, ‘Go to-morrow; but when thou enterest his house look not to this side nor that side, but look straight before thee.’ And thus did she warn him. When it was morning the youth arose; and Ghazanfer Agha looked and saw the youth coming and he said, ‘Welcome!’ and took him and led him to his house. And the youth looked at nothing, but passed on and sat down; and Ghazanfer Agha treated and entertained that youth with all manner of delicious foods, and then sent him away. And the youth came and told the girl, and she said, ‘Go again to-morrow and talk with him, and when thou risest, do thou too invite him; and be not jealous.’
“And the youth reflected and said in his heart. ‘This Ghazanfer Agha must be the friend of this girl; anyhow we shall see; whatever God does he does well.’ In the morning he went and invited him, and then came to the girl and gave her word and said, ‘Tell me and let me hear of the matters of that night.’ The girl answered, ‘Now is not the time; go and get these things which are needful.’ The youth went and got them and brought them and gave her them and said, ‘Lo, I have brought them; tell me.’ The girl said, ‘Now is the guest coming, it cannot be; by and bye I will tell thee.’ When Ghazanfer Agha came the youth gave the girl word and she said, ‘Go andmeet him, and lead him and bring him here.’ The youth said in his heart, ‘This is not without reason; but wait, we shall see.’ And he led him respectfully, and he entered and sat down with the girl. After that, came foods and they ate and drank and made merry till the evening. Then the girl sent word and the youth came in, and she said, ‘Take care, be it not that thou lettest Ghazanfer Agha leave this evening.’ And the youth said, ‘What is this of thee that thou dost not dismiss him?’ The girl answered, ‘I will tell thee afterward.’ The youth said in his heart, ‘I shall slay the two of you this night.’ And he went out. When it was night Ghazanfer Agha asked leave to go away, but the youth would not let him, and Ghazanfer Agha saw that it was not to be, so he remained; and they brought out a clean coverlet and mattress and made a bed for him. And Ghazanfer Agha lay down, and the youth lay down, but he slept not that he might watch the girl.
“When it was midnight the girl arose and the youth saw her, but he made no sound, and the girl went up close to Ghazanfer Agha. The youth, unable to endure it any longer, rose from his place and said fiercely to the girl, ‘What seekest thou there?’ The girl saw that the youth spake angrily and she took him by the hand and drew him to a place apart and said, ‘I am about to slay this Ghazanfer Agha.’ The youth said, ‘What is the reason of it?’ The girl replied, ‘The reason of it is this: I am the daughter of the king of this land, and this youth was a butcher’s apprentice. One day, when going to the bath, I met this youth selling meat upon the road; as soon as I saw him I fell in love with him, and the bird, my heart, was taken, so that I was without rest and could not remain quiet. I saw there was no help for it, so I got him by force of money, and sometimes I went to his house, and sometimes I had him brought in disguise to my palace. One night I went in disguise to his house, and I saw him sitting conversing with a gipsy, and I got angry and I cursed the two of them. This youth was wont to use the dagger, and he gave me many wounds, and thought me dead and put me in a coffin and sent me with two men who laid me in that tomb thou sawest. Praise be to God! my time was not yet; thou didst come to me like Khizr: now, do thou kill him.’
“The youth said, ‘I shall kill him. Wilt thou marry meaccording to the ordinance of God?’ She answered, ‘I will not marry thee; but the vezir has a daughter fairer than I, her will I get for thee.’ Then the youth smote him and killed him. The girl said, ‘In the morning go to my father and give him good news; and go to-night and bring here all the possessions of this youth.’ The youth said, ‘To-morrow thy father will bring them.’ When it was morning the youth went and gave the good news to the king. And the king sent slave-girls who brought the girl to the palace. And her mother was glad when she saw her safe and sound.[48]And they confiscated the property of Ghazanfer Agha and bestowed it on that youth.
“But what would the youth do with the wealth? his desire was the girl. The king’s vezirs said, ‘My king, it were right if thou give the girl to the youth.’ The king answered, ‘It is my desire too; for when my daughter disappeared and we sought but could not find her, I made a promise, saying, that to him who brought good news of my daughter I should give her; but the girl does not wish it.’ The vezirs said, ‘My king, our daughters are thine; make this youth thy client; whichever girl thou pleasest, give her to him.’ The king said, ‘I shall make a proposal;’ and he went and spake with her mother. And the girl’s mother went to her and with difficulty persuaded her; and then sent word to the king. That hour they performed the marriage ceremony, and the king made the youth a vezir; and they lived for a long time in joyance and delight.
“O king, I have told this story for that thou mayst know that thy son will not accept counsel, but purposes for thy life. Because that cobbler youth accepted the words of the saints he attained to fortune; and that butcher’s apprentice, for that he was a fool, wounded his benefactress, the king’s daughter; and if the girl had not killed him, he would have made her disgraced before the world. Do thou then, O king, take profit by the tale; beware, spare not this foolish youth, but kill him; else thou shalt be repentant.” When the king heard this story from the lady he said, “To-morrow will I kill him.”
When it was morning and the sun had appeared, like as appeared the kindness shown by the king’s daughter to thebutcher’s apprentice, and the world was illumined with light, the king passed and sat upon his throne, and he caused the youth to be brought and commanded the executioner, “Smite off his head.” The nineteenth vezir came forward and said, “O king, beware, hurry not in this matter, look to the thought of the hereafter and the way of the Law. The Apostle (peace on him!) saith, ‘God most high maketh wise in the Truth him to whom he wisheth to do good.’ According to this sacred tradition, what is befitting the king is this, that he transgress not the bounds of God. The truth is this, that in this matter the prince is sinless. O king, when can one obtain a son? Slay not thy prince, or grief for thy son will be full hard, and in the end thou shalt be unable to endure it. There is a story suitable to this; if the king grant leave I will relate it.” The king said, “Relate it, let us hear.” Quoth the vezir:
“Hasan of Basra[49](the mercy of God on him!) was in his first estate a seller of jewels. One day he rose up to trade, and came before a king and transacted business, and then he transacted business with the vezir. The vezir said, ‘To-day we go to a pageant at a certain place; wilt thou come with us?’ Hasan answered, ‘Yea, I shall go.’ When the vezir and the king had mounted their steeds, they brought a horse for Hasan likewise, and they all went out of the gate and came to a plain. Hasan saw that in the middle of that plain was a white pavilion, the dome of which reared its head into the air. Then they went up close to that pavilion and all of them alighted. From another side came a procession of people; Hasan of Basra saw that it was a party of doctors and holy men who were carrying their lecterns and copies of the sacred volume. They came and entered that pavilion and recited the Koran with sweet voice; then they came and walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by reading of the Koran, we would, all of us, cease not therefrom day or night; but it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no avail for his command save acquiescence and patience.’
“And they went away. After them came white-bearded elders and devotees reciting chants, and they walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by chant and prayer, we would, all of us, devote ourselves to chant and prayer; but what profit? it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no avail therefor save resignation.’ And they went away. After them came many moon-faced damsels, in the hand of each of whom was a golden dish filled full of all manner of jewels, and they walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door and said, ‘O prince, what can we? were there release to thy sweet soul by the giving of riches, we would give all these jewels, and we ourselves would become slaves; but what avail? it is the decree of that almighty King, and he hath no need of such things; there is no help for his decree save patience.’
“And they went away. After them came an innumerable army which surrounded that dome, rank on rank, and they said, ‘O prince, were there release to thy sweet soul by battle, night and day would we, all of us, do battle in thy cause; but what avail? it is the decree of that almighty King; there is no help therefor but patience and resignation.’ And they went away. After them came the king the father of that prince, and the vezirs and the nobles, and they walked three times round that dome, and then stood at the door, and the king said, ‘O light of my eyes, darling of my heart, were there release to thy sweet soul to be found by science, I had found it by means of the learned; or were it by gifts and bounties, I had assembled all my army and made war and attained it; but what avail? decree is God’s. He is in want of naught; there is no help save patience and acquiescence in his judgment.’
“And he wept full bitterly, and all the nobles and vezirs wept likewise. When Hasan of Basra saw these things he asked the vezir, ‘What plight is this plight?’ The vezir said, ‘O Hasan, our king had a son: he was in beauty a second Joseph; and in writing, reading, chivalry, and all accomplishments he had no rival; and as he was the king’s only child he loved him very much. One day death spared him not, and he passed to the abiding home. After the wailing and dismay, as there was no help save patience under the heavenly decree,they brought him and buried him in this dome. And once every year they come and thus visit the tomb.’ When Hasan of Basra heard these words from the vezir and saw these things with his eyes, wealth and riches went forth from his eye and heart; and he abandoned the whole of them and turned dervish and donned the khirqa;[50]and now, when his name is mentioned, they add, ‘The mercy of God on him!’
“Now, O king, I have told this story for that the king may know that grief for children is full bitter. As yet thou hast not felt it, and may God most high not show it thee thus through him. O king, slay not the prince, else afterward thou shalt be repentant and shalt sigh and groan until thou die.” And he made intercession for the prince for that day. When the king heard this story from the vezir compassion came into his heart, and he sent the youth to the prison and went himself to the chase.
When it was evening the king returned from the chase and came to the palace, and again the lady rose to greet him, and she sat with the king. After the repast the lady asked for news of the youth. The king said, “To-day likewise such an one of my vezirs made intercession for him, and I have sent him again to the prison.” The lady said, “O king, why dost thou leave my counsel and act according to thine own understanding? Hast not thou heard these words they have said concerning the heedless: ‘Whoso is presumptuous through reason is abased.’ And the sages have said that eight things bring disgrace upon a man: the first is going to dine at a place without invitation, the second is interfering between another and his wife, the third is giving ear to everyone’s words, the fourth is slighting the king, the fifth is setting one’s self above a great man, the sixth is speaking to those who listen not to one’s words, the seventh is begging a favor of an avaricious and indifferent person, and the eighth is going to the enemies’ gate.
“Now, O king, those vezirs interfere between thee and me. Beware, act not according to their words. They have said that he who acts according to a stranger’s word will divorce his wife. Their words are many; and they are forty vezirs, and each one of them for this long time is planning wiles. Mayhap my king has not heard the story of the old gardener and his son.” The king said, “Tell on, let us hear.” Quoth the lady: