The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (63 page)

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the tailor told the king of China that the barber told the guests that he said to the caliph:

He put the glass in the bag and tied it to his waist. Then he disguised himself as a Persian, so that nobody would recognize him, and hid a sword under his clothes. When he saw the old woman, he said to her, with a Persian accent, “Old lady, I am a stranger here. Do you have a pair of scales large enough to weigh five hundred dinars? I will give you some of it for your trouble.” The old woman replied, “O Persian, my son is a money changer, and he has all kinds of scales. Come with me before he goes out to his shop, and he will weigh your gold.” My brother said to her, “Lead the way.” She led him until she came to the house, and when she knocked at the door, the young lady herself came out and opened it. The old woman smiled in her face and said, “I have brought you a fat piece of meat today.” The young lady, taking my brother by the hand, led him into the house and sat with him for a while. Then she rose and, saying to him, “Wait until I come back,” went away.

As soon as she left, the cursed black slave came in, with a bare sword in his hand, and said to my brother, “Get up, cursed man!” He sprang behind the slave and, drawing the sword that was hidden under his clothes, struck him and made his head fly away from his body. Then he dragged him by the heels to the cellar and cried out, “Where is the salt-woman?” The maid came with the dish of salt and, seeing my brother with the sword in his hand, turned to run away, but he caught up with her and struck off her head. Then he called out, “Where is the cellar-woman?” and when the old woman came in, my brother looked at her and said, “Do you recognize me, you wicked old woman?” She replied, “No, my lord.” He said, “I am the one in whose house you prayed and whom you lured here.” She said, “Spare me.” But he paid no attention to her and struck her with the sword, cutting her in four.

Then he went in search of the young lady, and when she saw him, she lost her mind and asked for mercy. He promised to spare her and asked, “And you, how did you come to be with this black slave?” She replied, “I was a slave to a merchant, and the old woman used to visit me until we became intimate friends. One day she said to me, ‘We have at our house today a wedding, the like of which was never seen, and I would like you to be there.' I replied, ‘I hear and obey.' Then I rose and, putting on my clothes and jewelry and taking with me a purse with a hundred dinars, followed her until she brought me to this house and bade me enter. As soon as I went in, this black slave seized me, and I have been in this situation for three years, due to the treachery of the old woman. May God curse her!” My brother asked, “Does the black slave keep any money or possessions in this house?” She replied, “Yes, he has plenty, and if you can carry it away, do so with God's help.” Then she took my brother and opened for him several chests full of purses, and while he stood there, not knowing what to do, she said to him, “Leave me here and go and bring men to carry the money.” He went out at once and hired ten men, but when he returned, he found the door open, and when he went in, he was surprised to find that the young lady had disappeared with the purses, leaving very little money behind, and realized that she had tricked him. He took whatever money was left and, opening the closets, carried away all the clothes, leaving nothing in the house, and spent a happy night.

When he got up in the morning, he found at his door twenty policemen, who seized him, saying “The chief of the police wants you.” He implored them to give him time to go into the house, but they would not let him, and although he offered them money and kept imploring and throwing himself at their feet until he was weary, they would not listen. They tied his hands fast behind his back and carried him off. On the way, they were met by one of my brother's old friends, and my brother clung to him and implored him to assist him and help deliver him from the hands of these policemen and their officers. The friend, glad to intercede on his behalf, inquired what was the matter, and the officers replied, “The chief of the police has ordered us to bring this man before him and, having found him and seized him, we are on our way to our superior the chief, according to his orders.” My brother's friend said to them, “Good fellows, I will get from him whatever you wish and desire for your trouble. Release him and tell your superior the chief that you could not find him.” But they refused and dragged my brother on his face to the chief of the police.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a strange and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if I stay alive!”

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the tailor told the king of China that the barber told the guests that he said to the caliph:

When the chief saw my brother, he asked him, “Where did you get all these possessions?” My brother replied, “Grant me immunity first,” and the chief said, “Granted.” Then my brother told him about his adventure with the old woman and the flight of the young lady from beginning to end, adding, “Whatever I took is still in my possession. Take what you wish, and leave me enough to live on.” But the chief sent his men and officers, and they took all the money and clothes and, fearing lest the matter should reach the king, he summoned my brother again and said to him, “Leave this city, or I will have you put to death.” My brother replied, “I hear and obey,” and set out for another city. On the way some thieves set upon him and stripped him of his clothes. When I heard of his plight, I took some clothes and went out after him, clothed him, and brought him secretly into the city to join his brothers.

[The Tale of the Sixth Brother, the Cropped of Lips]

MY SIXTH BROTHER,
the cropped of lips, was first rich but later became poor. One day, as he went out looking for something to eat, he came to a handsome house, with a wide entrance and a high gate, guarded by attendants and servants. When he asked one of them who was the owner of the house, he was told that the owner was one of the Barmaki family. He approached the doorkeepers and asked them for alms, and they said to him, “Enter, and our master will give you what you want.” He entered and, passing through a very long hallway, found himself in a lovely mansion that was spread with carpets and hung with curtains and in the middle of which stood a garden, the like of which he had never seen before. He stood for a while, perplexed, not knowing where to go; then he proceeded toward the door of a reception room, and when he entered, he saw at the upper end a handsome man with a fine beard. He approached the man, who, when he saw my brother, welcomed him and inquired about his health, and my brother told him that he was in need of charity. When he heard my brother's words, he showed great sadness and, grabbing his clothes, rent them, exclaiming, “How can you be hungry while I live in this city? I cannot endure this.” And he promised my brother all the best. Then he said, “You must eat with me.” My brother replied, “My lord, I cannot wait, for I am very hungry.”

Then the man cried out, “Boy, bring the ewer and the basin, so that we may wash our hands,” and said to my brother, “Go ahead and wash your hands.” But my brother saw neither ewer nor anything else, yet the man gestured as if he was washing his hands. Then he cried out, “Bring the table,” and motioned with his hand. Again my brother saw nothing, but the host said to him, “By my life, eat and don't be bashful,” and, gesturing with his hand as if he was eating, kept saying to my brother, “By my life, have more, for I know how famished you are.” My brother too began to gesture as if he was eating something, while the host kept saying to him, “By my life, have some more. Look how white and delicious this bread is!” Again my brother could see nothing and, saying to himself, “This man likes to have fun with people and play tricks on them,” replied, “My lord, never in my life have I seen whiter or better-tasting bread.” The host said, “I paid five hundred dinars for the slave-girl who baked it for me.”

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what an amusing and entertaining story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live!”

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the tailor told the king of China that the barber told the guests that he said to the caliph:

Then the host cried out, “Boy, bring the meat porridge first, and don't spare the butter.” Then he said to my brother, “My guest, by God, have you seen a better porridge? By my life, eat and don't be bashful.” Then he cried out again, “Boy, bring the fatted goose stew in vinegar sauce,” and said to my brother, “Eat, for I know that you are hungry and in need of food.” My brother began to move his jaws, as if he was chewing, while the host kept calling for dish after dish and inviting my brother to eat, although nothing appeared. Then he cried out, “Boy, bring us the marinated fat chickens,” and said to my brother, “My guest, by my life, these chickens have been fattened on pistachio nuts; eat, for you have never tasted anything like them.” My brother replied, “My lord, they are indeed delicious.” Then the host began to put his hand to my brother's mouth, as if to feed him, and continued to expatiate on dish after dish, while my brother, who was starving, craved for a bite of plain barley bread. Then the host cried out, “Bring the fried meats,” and asked my brother, “Have you ever tasted anything more delicious than the seasoning of these dishes? Have some more and don't be bashful.” My brother replied, “My lord, I have had enough food.” The host cried out, “Take this dish away and bring the sweets,” and said to my brother, “Eat of this almond conserve, for it is excellent; eat of these fritters. By my life, let me give you this fritter, for it is dripping with syrup.” My brother said, “My lord, may I never lose you,” and asked him about the abundance of musk in the fritters. The host replied, “It is my custom to make them this way,” while my brother kept moving his jaws. Then the host cried out, “We have had enough of this; bring us the almond jelly,” and said to my brother, “Eat and don't be bashful.” My brother replied, “I am full; I can eat no more.”