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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 9

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 9




When is was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-eighth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
barber's wife said, "When the Jeweller begged his boon, the King
bade proclamation be made amongst the Bassorites, but the people
objected that they feared for their goods from the cats and dogs;
wherefore he commanded to shut the animals up till the folk
should come forth from the Friday prayers. So the jeweller's wife
fell to sallying forth every Friday, two hours before the time of
congregational prayer, and riding in state through the city with
her women; during which time none dareth pass through the
market-place nor look out of casement or lattice. This, then, is
what thou wouldest know and I have told thee who she is; but, O
my son, was it thy desire only to have news of her or hast thou a
mind to meet her?" Answered he, "O my mother, 'tis my wish to
foregather with her." Quoth she, "Tell me what valuables thou
hast with thee"; and quoth he, "O my mother, I have with me
precious stones of four sorts, the first worth five hundred
dinars each, the second seven hundred, the third eight hundred
and the fourth a thousand ducats." She asked, "Art thou willing
to spend four of these?"; and he answered, "I am ready to spend
all of them." She rejoined, "Then, arise, O my son, and go
straight to thy lodging and take a bezel-gem of those worth five
hundred sequins, with which do thou repair to the jewel market
and ask for the shop of Master Obayd, the Shaykh of the
Jewellers. Go thither and thou wilt find him seated in his shop,
clad in rich clothes, with workmen under his hand. Salute him and
sit down on the front shelf of his shop;[FN#402] then pull out
the jewel and give it to him, saying, 'O master, take this stone
and fashion it into a seal-ring for me with gold. Make it not
large, a Miskal[FN#403] in weight and no more; but let the
fashion of it be thy fairest.' Then give him twenty dinars and to
each of his prentices a dinar. Sit with him awhile and talk with
him and if a beggar approach thee, show thy generosity by giving
him a dinar, to the intent that he may affect thee, and after
this, leave him and return to thy place. Pass the night there,
and next morning, take an hundred dinars and bring them and give
them to thy father the barber, for he is poor." Quoth Kamar
al-Zaman, "Be it so," and returning to his caravanserai, took a
jewel worth five hundred gold pieces and went with it to the
jewel-bazar. There he enquired for the shop of Master Obayd,
Shaykh of the Jewellers, and they directed him thereto. So he
went thither and saw the Shaykh, a man of austere aspect and
robed in sumptuous raiment with four journeymen under his hand.
He addressed him with "Peace be upon you!" and the jeweller
returned his greeting and welcoming him, made him sit down. Then
he brought out the jewel and said, "O master, I wish thee to make
me this jewel into a seal-ring with gold. Let it be the weight of
a Miskal and no more, but fashion it excellently." Then he pulled
out twenty dinars and gave them to him, saying, "This is the fee
for chasing and the price of the ring shall remain."[FN#404] And
he gave each of the apprentices a gold piece, wherefore they
loved him, and so did Master Obayd. Then he sat talking with the
jeweller and whenever a beggar came up to him, he gave him a gold
piece and they all marvelled at his generosity. Now Master Obayd
had tools at home, like those he had in the shop, and whenever he
was minded to do any unusual piece of work, it was his custom to
carry it home and do it there, that his journeymen might not
learn the secrets of his wonderful workmanship.[FN#405] His wife
used to sit before him, and when she was sitting thus and he
looking upon her,[FN#406] he would fashion all manner of
marvellously wroughten trinkets, such as were fit for none but
kings. So he went home and sat down to mould the ring with
admirable workmanship. When his wife saw him thus engaged, she
asked him, "What wilt thou do with this bezel-gem?"; and he
answered, "I mean to make it into a ring with gold, for 'tis
worth five hundred dinars." She enquired, "For whom?"; and he
answered, "For a young merchant, who is fair of face, with eyes
that wound with desire, and cheeks that strike fire and mouth
like the seal of Sulayman and cheeks like the bloom of Nu'man and
lips red as coralline and neck like the antelope's long and fine.
His complexion is white dashed with red and he is well-bred,
pleasant and generous and doth thus and thus." And he went on to
describe to her now his beauty and loveliness and then his
perfection and bounty and ceased not to vaunt his charms and the
generosity of his disposition, till he had made her in love with
him; for there is no sillier cuckold than he who vaunteth to his
wife another man's handsome looks and unusual liberality in money
matters. So, when desire rose high in her, she said to him, "Is
aught of my charms found in him?" Said he, "He hath all thy
beauties; and he is thy counterpart in qualities. Meseemeth his
age is even as thine and but that I fear to hurt thy feelings, I
would say that he is a thousand times handsomer than thou art."
She was silent, yet the fire of fondness was kindled in her
heart. And the jeweller ceased not to talk with her and to set
out Kamar al-Zaman's charms before her till he had made an end of
moulding the ring; when he gave it to her and she put it on her
finger, which it fitted exactly. Quoth she, "O my lord, my heart
loveth this ring and I long for it to be mine and will not take
it from my finger." Quoth he, "Have patience! The owner of it is
generous, and I will seek to buy it of him, and if he will sell
it, I will bring it to thee. Or if he have another such stone, I
will buy it and fashion it for thee into a ring like this."--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Sixty-ninth Night,

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
jeweller said to his wife, "Have patience! The owner of it is
generous and I will seek to buy it of him; and, if he will sell
it, I will bring it to thee; or, if he have another such stone I
will buy it and fashion it for thee into a ring like this." On
this wise it fared with the jeweller and his wife; but as regards
Kamar al-Zaman, he passed the night in his lodging and on the
morrow he took an hundred dinars and carried them to the old
woman, the barber's wife, saying to her, "Accept these gold
pieces," and she replied, "Give them to thy father." So he gave
them to the barber and she asked, "Hast thou done as I bade
thee?" He answered, "Yes," and she said, "Go now to the Shaykh,
the jeweller, and if he give thee the ring, put it on the tip of
thy finger and pull it off in haste and say to him, 'O master,
thou hast made a mistake; the ring is too tight.' He will say, 'O
merchant, shall I break it and mould it again larger?' And do
thou say, 'It booteth not to break it and fashion it anew. Take
it and give it to one of thy slave-women.' Then pull out another
stone worth seven hundred dinars and say to him, 'Take this stone
and set it for me, for 'tis handsomer than the other.' Give him
thirty dinars and to each of the prentices two, saying, 'These
gold pieces are for the chasing and the price of the ring shall
remain.' Then return to thy lodging for the night and on the
morrow bring me two hundred ducats, and I will complete thee the
rest of the device." So the youth went to the jeweller, who
welcomed him and made him sit down in his shop; and he asked him,
"Hast thou done my need?" "Yes," answered Obayd and brought out
to him the seal-ring; whereupon he set it on his finger-tip and
pulling it off in haste, cried, "Thou hast made a mistake, O
master;" and threw it to him, saying, "'Tis too strait for my
finger." Asked the jeweller, "O merchant, shall I make it
larger?" But he answered, "Not so; take it as a gift and give it
to one of thy slave-girls. Its worth is trifling, some five
hundred dinars; so it booteth not to fashion it over again." Then
he brought out to him another stone worth seven hundred sequins
and said to him, "Set this for me: 'tis a finer gem." Moreover he
gave him thirty dinars and to each of his workmen two. Quoth
Obayd, "O my lord we will take the price of the ring when we have
made it."[FN#407] But Kamar al-Zaman said, "This is for the
chasing, and the price of the ring remains over." So saying, he
went away home, leaving the jeweller and his men amazed at the
excess of his generosity. Presently the jeweller returned to his
wife and said, "O Halimah,[FN#408] never did I set eyes on a more
generous than this young man, and as for thee, thy luck is good,
for he hath given me the ring without price, saying, 'Give it to
one of thy slave-women.'" And he told her what had passed,
adding, "Methinks this youth is none of the sons of the
merchants, but that he is of the sons of the Kings and Sultans."
Now the more he praised him, the more she waxed in love-longing,
passion and distraction for him. So she took the ring and put it
on her finger, whilst the jeweller made another one, a little
larger than the first. When he had finished moulding it, she put
it on her finger, under the first, and said, "Look, O my lord,
how well the two rings show on my finger! I wish they were both
mine." Said he, "Patience! It may be I shall buy thee this second
one." Then he lay that night and on the morrow he took the ring
and went to his shop. As for Kamar al-Zaman, as soon as it was
day, he repaired to the barber's wife and gave her two hundred
dinars. Quoth she, "Go to the jeweller and when he giveth thee
the ring, put it on thy finger and pull it off again in haste,
saying, 'Thou hast made a mistake, O master! This ring is too
large. A master like thee, when the like of me cometh to him with
a piece of work, it behoveth him to take right measure; and if
thou hadst measured my finger, thou hadst not erred.' Then pull
out another stone worth a thousand dinars and say to him, 'Take
this and set it, and give this ring to one of thy slave-women.'
Give him forty ducats and to each of his journeymen three,
saying, "This is for the chasing, and for the cost of the ring,
that shall remain.' And see what he will say. Then bring three
hundred diners and give them to thy father the barber that he may
mend his fortune withal, for he is a poor man." Answered Kamar
al-Zaman, "I hear and obey," and betook himself to the jeweller,
who welcomed him and making him sit down, gave him the ring. He
took it and put it on his finger; then pulled it off in haste and
said, "It behoveth a master like thee, when the like of me
bringeth him a piece of work, to take his measure. Hadst thou
measured my finger, thou hadst not erred but take it and give it
to one of thy slave women." Then he brought out to him a stone
worth a thousand sequins and said to him, "Take this and set it
in a signet-ring for me after the measure of my finger." Quoth
Obayd, "Thou hast spoken sooth and art in the right;" and took
his measure, whereupon he pulled out forty gold pieces and gave
them to him, saying, "Take these for the chasing and the price of
the ring shall remain." Cried the jeweller, "O my lord, how much
hire have we taken of thee' Verily, thy bounty to us is great!"
"No harm," replied Kamar al-Zaman and sat talking with him awhile
and giving a diner to every beggar who passed by the shop. Then
he left him and went away, whilst the jeweller returned home and
said to his wife, 'How generous is this young merchant! Never did
I set eyes on a more open handed or a comelier than he, no, nor a
sweeter of speech. And he went on to recount to her his charms
and generosity and was loud in his praise. Cried she, "O thou
lack tact,[FN#409] since thou notest these qualities in him, and
indeed he hath given thee two seal rings of price, it behoveth
thee to invite him and make him an entertainment and entreat him
lovingly. When he seest that thou affectest him and cometh to our
place, we shall surely get great good of him; and if thou grudge
him the banquet do thou bid him and I will entertain him of my
monies." Quoth he, "Dost thou know me to be niggardly, that thou
sayest this Say?; and quoth she, "Thou art no niggard, but thou
lackest tact. Invite him this very night and come not without
him. An he refuse, conjure him by the divorce oath and be
persistent with him "On my head and eyes," answered he and
moulded the ring till he had finished it, after which he passed
the night and went forth on the morrow to his shop and sat there.
On this wise it was with him, but as for Kamar al-Zaman, he took
three hundred diners and carrying them to the old wife, gave them
to her for the barber, her husband. Said she, "Most like he will
invite thee to his house this day; and if he do this and thou
pass the night there, tell me in the morning what befalleth thee
and bring with thee four hundred diners and give them to thy
father." Answered he, "Hearing and obeying;" and as often as he
ran out of money, he would sell some of his stones. So he
repaired to the jeweller, who rose to him and received him with
open arms, greeted him heartily and clapped up companionship with
him. Then he gave him the ring, and he found it after the measure
of his finger and said to the jeweller, "Allah bless thee, O
prince of artists! The setting is conformable but the stone is
not to my liking." And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say,

When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventieth Night,

She resumed, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kamar
al-Zaman said to the jeweller, "The setting is conformable to my
wishes, but the stone is not to my liking. I have a handsomer
than this: so take the seal-ring and give it to one of thy slave
women." Then he gave him a fourth stone and an hundred diners,
saying, "Take thy hire and excuse the trouble we have given
thee." Obayd replied, "O merchant, all the trouble thou hast
given us thou hast requited us and hast over whelmed us with thy
great bounties: and indeed my heart is taken with love of thee
and I cannot brook parting from thee. So, Allah upon thee, be
thou my guest this night and heal my heart." He rejoined, "So be
it; but needs must I go to my Khan, that I may give a charge to
my domestics and tell them that I shall sleep abroad to night, so
they may not expect me." "Where dost thou lodge?" asked the
jeweller; and he answered, "In such a Khan." Quoth Obayd, "I will
come for thee there;" and quoth the other "'Tis well." So the
jeweller repaired to the Khan before sundown, fearing lest his
wife should be anangered with him, if he returned home without
his guest; and, carrying Kamar al-Zaman to his house, seated him
in a saloon that had not its match, Halimah saw him, as he
entered, and was ravished with him. They talked till supper was
served when they ate and drank; after which appeared coffee and
sherbets, and the jeweller ceased not to entertain him with talk
till eventide, when they prayed the obligatory prayers. Then
entered a handmaid with two cups[FN#410] of night drink, which
when they had drunk, drowsiness overcame them and they slept.
Presently in came the jeweller's wife and seeing them asleep,
looked upon Kamar al-Zaman's face and her wit was confounded at
his beauty. Said she, "How can he sleep who loveth the fair?"
and, turning him over on his back, sat astraddle upon his breast.
Then, in the mania of her passion for him, she rained down kisses
on his cheeks, till she left a mark upon them and they became
exceeding red and his cheek bones shone; and, she sucked his
lips, till the blood ran out into her mouth; but with all this,
her fire was not quenched nor her thirst assuaged. She ceased not
to kiss and clip him and twine leg with leg, till the forebrow of
Morn grew white and the dawn broke forth in light; when she put
in his pocket four cockals[FN#411] and went away. Then she sent
her maid with something like snuff, which she applied to their
nostrils and they sneezed and awoke, when the slave-girl said, "O
my lords, prayer is a duty; so rise ye and pray the dawn-prayer."
And she brought them basin and ewer.[FN#412] Quoth Kaman al-Zamar
"O master, 'tis late and we have overslept ourselves;" and quoth
the jeweller, "O my friend verily the air of this room is heavy;
for, whenever I sleep in it, this happens to me." Rejoined Kamar
al-Zaman, "True," and proceeded to make the Wuzu ablution; but,
when he put the water to his face, his cheeks and lips burned
him. Cried he, "Prodigious! If the air of the room be heavy and
we have been drowned in sleep, what aileth my cheeks and lips
that they burn me?" And he said to the jeweller, "O master, my
cheeks and lips burn me." The other replied, "I guess this cometh
of the mosquito bites." "Strange!" said Kamar al-Zaman. "Hath
this thing happened to thee?" Replied Obayd, "No! But whenever I
have by me a guest like thee, he complaineth in the morning of
the mosquito bites, and this happeneth only when he is like thee
beardless. If he be bearded the mosquitoes sting him not, and
naught hindereth them from me but my beard. It seems mosquitoes
love not bearded men."[FN#413] Rejoined Kamar al-Zaman, "True."
Then the maid brought them early breakfast and they broke their
fast and went out. Kamar al-Zaman betook himself to the old
woman, who exclaimed, when she saw him, "I see the marks of
joyance on thy face: tell me what thou hast seen." Said he, "I
have seen nothing. Only I supped with the house master in a
saloon and prayed the night prayer, after which we fell asleep
and woke not till morning." She laughed and said, "What be those
marks on thy cheeks and lips?" He answered, "'Twas the mosquitoes
of the saloon that did this with me;" and she rejoined, "'Tis
well. But did the same thing betide the house master?" He
retorted, "Nay; but he told me that the mosquitoes of that saloon
molest not bearded men, but sting those only who have no hair on
face, and that whenever he hath for guest one who is beard less,
the stranger awaketh complaining of the mosquito bites; whereas
an he have a beard, there befalleth him naught of this." Said
she, "Sooth thou speakest: but say me, sawest thou aught save
this?" And he answered, "I found four cockals in my pocket."
Quoth she, "Show them to me." So he gave them to her and she
laughed and said, "Thy mistress laid these in thy pocket." He
asked, "How so?" And she answered, " 'Tis as if she said to thee,
in the language of signs,[FN#414] 'An thou wert in love, thou
wouldst not sleep, for a lover sleepeth not: but thou hast not
ceased to be a child and fit for nothing but to play with these
cockals. So what crave thee to fall in love with the fair?' Now
she came to thee by night and finding thee asleep, scored thy
cheeks with her kisses and left thee this sign. But that will not
suffice her of thee and she will certainly send her husband to
invite thee again to night; so, when thou goest home with him,
hasten not to fall asleep, and on the morrow bring me five
hundred diners and come and acquaint me with what hath passed,
and I will perfect for thee the device." Answered he, "I hear and
obey," and went back to the Khan. Thus it befel him; but as
regards the jeweller's wife, she said to her husband, "Is the
guest gone?" Answered he, "Yes, but, O Halimah,[FN#415]the
mosquitoes plagued him last night and scarified his cheeks and
lips, and indeed I was abashed before him." She rejoined, "This
is the wont of the mosquitoes of our saloon; for they love none
save the beardless. But do thou invite him again to night." So he
repaired to the Khan where the youth abode, and bidding him,
carried him to his house, where they ate and drank and prayed the
night prayer in the saloon, after which the slave-girl entered
and gave each of them a cup of night drink, And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Nine Hundred and Seventy first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the slave-
girl went in to the twain and gave each of them a cup of night
drink, and they drank and fell asleep. Presently, in came Halimah
and said, "O good for nothing, how canst thou sleep and call thy
self a lover? A lover sleepeth not!" Then she mounted on his
breast and ceased not to come down upon him with kisses and
caresses, biting and sucking his lips and so forth, till the
morning. when she put in his pocket a knife and sent her handmaid
to arouse them. And when the youth awoke, his cheeks were on
fire, for excess of redness, and his lips like coral, for dint of
sucking and kissing. Quoth the jeweller, "Did the mosquitoes
plague thee last night?"; and quoth the other, "Nay!"; for he now
knew the conceit and left complaining. Then he felt the knife in
his pocket and was silent; but when he had broken his fast and
drunk coffee, he left the jeweller and going to the Khan; took
five hundred diners of gold and carried them to the old woman, to
whom he related what had passed, saying, "I slept despite myself,
and when I woke at dawn I found nothing but a knife in my
pocket." Exclaimed the old trot, "May Allah protect thee from her
this next night! For she saith to thee by this sign, 'An thou
sleep again, I will cut thy throat.' Thou wilt once more be
bidden to the jeweller's house to night,[FN#416] and if thou
sleep, she will slay thee." Said he, "What is to be done?"; and
said she, "Tell me what thou atest and drankest before sleeping."
Quoth he, "We supped as was our wont and prayed the night prayer,
after which there came in to us a maid, who gave each of us a cup
of night drink, which when I had drunk, I fell asleep and awoke
not till the morning." Quoth the old woman, "The mischief is in
the cup: so, when the maid giveth it to thee, take it from her,
but drink not and wait till the master of the house have drunken
and fallen asleep; then say to her, 'Give me a draught of water,'
and she will go to fetch thee the gugglet. Then do thou empty the
cup behind the pillow and lie down and feign sleep. So when she
cometh back with the gugglet, she will deem that thou hast fallen
asleep, after having drunk off the cup, and will leave thee; and
presently the case will appear to thee; but beware of disobeying
my bidding." Answered he, "I hear and I obey," and returned to
the Khan. Meanwhile the jeweller's wife said to her husband, "A
guest's due honour is three nights' entertainment: so do thou
invite him a third time." Whereupon he betook himself to the
youth and inviting him, carried him home and sat down with him in
the saloon. When they had supped and prayed the night prayer,
behold, in came the handmaid and gave each of them a cup. Her
master drank and fell asleep; but Kamar al-Zaman forbore to
drink, whereupon quoth the maid, "Wilt thou not drink, O my
lord?" Answered he, "I am athirst, bring me the gugglet."
Accordingly she went to fetch it, and he emptied the cup behind
the pillow and lay down. When the slave-girl returned, she saw
him lying down and going to her mistress said, "He hath drunk off
the cup and fallen asleep;" whereupon quoth Halimah to herself,
"Verily, his death is better than his life." Then, taking a sharp
knife, she went in to him, saying, "Three times, and thou notedst
not the sign, O fool![FN#417] So now I will rip up thy maw." When
he saw her making for him knife in hand, he opened his eyes and
rose, laughing; whereupon said she, "'Twas not of thine own wit,
that thou camest at the meaning of the sign, but by the help of
some wily cheat; so tell me whence thou hadst this knowledge."
"From an old woman," replied he, "between whom and me befel such
and such;" and he told her all that had passed. Quoth she, "To
morrow go thou forth from us and seek her and say, 'Hast thou any
further device in store?' And if she answer, 'I have,' do thou
rejoin, 'Then do thy best that I may enjoy her publicly.' But, if
she say, 'I have no means of doing that, and this is the last of
my devices,' put her away from thy thought, and to morrow night
my husband will come to thee and invite thee. Do thou come with
him and tell me and I will consider what remaineth to be done."
Answered he, "There is no harm in that!" Then he spent the rest
of the night with her in embracing and clipping, plying the
particle of copulation in concert[FN#418] and joining the
conjunctive with the conjoined,[FN#419] whilst her husband was as
a cast-out nunnation of construction.[FN#420] And they ceased not
to be thus till morning, when she said to him, "'Tis not a night
of thee that will content me, nor a day; no, nor yet a month nor
a year; but it's my intent to abide with thee the rest of my
life. Wait, however, till I play my husband a trick which would
baffle the keenest witted and win for us our wishes. I will cause
doubt to enter into him, so that he shall divorce me, whereupon I
will marry thee and go with thee to thine own country; I will
also transport all his monies and hoards to thy lodging and will
contrive thee the ruin of his dwelling place and the blotting out
of his traces. But do thou hearken to my speech and obey me in
that I shall say to thee and gainsay me not." He replied, "I hear
and I obey: in me there is none opposition." Then said she, "Go
to the Khan and, when my husband cometh to thee and inviteth
thee, say to him, 'O my brother, a son of Adam is apt to be
burdensome, and when his visits grow over frequent, both generous
and niggard loathe him.[FN#421] How then shall I go with thee
every night and lie I and thee, on the saloon? An thou wax not
chagrined with me, thy Harim will bear me grudge, for that I
hinder thee from thine. Therefore if thou have a mind to my
company, take me a house beside thine own and we will abide thus,
now I sitting with thee till the time of sleep, and now with me
thou. Then I will go to my place and thou to thy Harim and this
will be a better rede than that I hinder thee from thy Harim
every night.' Then will he come to me and take counsel with me,
and I will advise him to turn out our neighbour, for the house
wherein he liveth is our house and he renteth it of us; and once
thou art in the house, Allah will make easy to us the rest of our
scheme." And presently she added, "Go now and do as I bid thee."
Answered he, "I hear and obey;" whereupon she left him and went
away, whilst he lay down and feigned to be asleep. Presently, the
handmaid came and aroused them; and when the jeweller awoke, he
said to his guest, "O merchant have the mosquitoes worried thee?"
He replied, "No," and Obayd said, "Belike thou art grown used to
them." Then they broke their fast and drank coffee, after which
they fared forth to their affairs, and Kamar al-Zaman betook
himself to the old crone, and related to her what had passed, And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

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