The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (8 page)

Life has two days: one peace, one wariness,

And has two sides: worry and happiness.

Ask him who taunts us with adversity,

“Does fate, save those worthy of note, oppress?

Don't you see that the blowing, raging storms

Only the tallest of the trees beset,

And of earth's many green and barren lots,

Only the ones with fruits with stones are hit,

And of the countless stars in heaven's vault

None is eclipsed except the moon and sun?

You thought well of the days, when they were good,

Oblivious to the ills destined for one.

You were deluded by the peaceful nights,

Yet in the peace of night does sorrow stun.”

When the merchant finished and stopped weeping, the demon said, “By God, I must kill you, as you killed my son, even if you weep blood.” The merchant asked, “Must you?” The demon replied, “I must,” and raised his sword to strike.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence, leaving King Shahrayar burning with curiosity to hear the rest of the story. Then Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, “What a strange and lovely story!” Shahrazad replied, ‘What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night if the king spares me and lets me live? It will be even better and more entertaining.” The king thought to himself, “I will spare her until I hear the rest of the story; then I will have her put to death the next day.” When morning broke, the day dawned, and the sun rose; the king left to attend to the affairs of the kingdom, and the vizier, Shahrazad's father, was amazed and delighted. King Shahrayar governed all day and returned home at night to his quarters and got into bed with Shahrazad. Then Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, “Please, sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little tales to while away the night.” The king added, “Let it be the conclusion of the story of the demon and the merchant, for I would like to hear it.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure, dear, happy King”:

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It is related, O wise and happy King, that when the demon raised his sword, the merchant asked the demon again, “Must you kill me?” and the demon replied, “Yes.” Then the merchant said, “Please give me time to say good-bye to my family and my wife and children, divide my property among them, and appoint guardians. Then I shall come back, so that you may kill me.” The demon replied, “I am afraid that if I release you and grant you time, you will go and do what you wish, but will not come back.” The merchant said, “I swear to keep my pledge to come back, as the God of Heaven and earth is my witness.” The demon asked, “How much time do you need?” The merchant replied, “One year, so that I may see enough of my children, bid my wife good-bye, discharge my obligations to people, and come back on New Year's Day.” The demon asked, “Do you swear to God that if I let you go, you will come back on New Year's Day?” The merchant replied, “Yes, I swear to God.”

After the merchant swore, the demon released him, and he mounted his horse sadly and went on his way. He journeyed until he reached his home and came to his wife and children. When he saw them, he wept bitterly, and when his family saw his sorrow and grief, they began to reproach him for his behavior, and his wife said, “Husband, what is the matter with you? Why do you mourn, when we are happy, celebrating your return?” He replied, “Why not mourn when I have only one year to live?” Then he told her of his encounter with the demon and informed her that he had sworn to return on New Year's Day, so that the demon might kill him.

When they heard what he said, everyone began to cry. His wife struck her face in lamentation and cut her hair, his daughters wailed, and his little children cried. It was a day of mourning, as all the children gathered around their father to weep and exchange good-byes. The next day he wrote his will, dividing his property, discharged his obligations to people, left bequests and gifts, distributed alms, and engaged reciters to read portions of the Quran in his house. Then he summoned legal witnesses and in their presence freed his slaves and slave-girls, divided among his elder children their shares of the property, appointed guardians for his little ones, and gave his wife her share, according to her marriage contract. He spent the rest of the time with his family, and when the year came to an end, save for the time needed for the journey, he performed his ablutions, performed his prayers, and, carrying his burial shroud, began to bid his family good-bye. His sons hung around his neck, his daughters wept, and his wife wailed. Their mourning scared him, and he began to weep, as he embraced and kissed his children good-bye. He said to them, “Children, this is God's will and decree, for man was created to die.” Then he turned away and, mounting his horse, journeyed day and night until he reached the orchard on New Year's Day.

He sat at the place where he had eaten the dates, waiting for the demon, with a heavy heart and tearful eyes. As he waited, an old man, leading a deer on a leash, approached and greeted him, and he returned the greeting. The old man inquired, “Friend, why do you sit here in this place of demons and devils? For in this haunted orchard none come to good.” The merchant replied by telling him what had happened to him and the demon, from beginning to end. The old man was amazed at the merchant's fidelity and said, “Yours ia a magnificent pledge,” adding, “By God, I shall not leave until I see what will happen to you with the demon.” Then he sat down beside him and chatted with him. As they talked . . .

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. As the day dawned, and it was light, her sister Dinarzad said, “What a strange and wonderful story!” Shahrazad replied, “Tomorrow night I shall tell something even stranger and more wonderful than this.”

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When it was night and Shahrazad was in bed with the king, Dinarzad said to her sister Shahrazad, “Please, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little tales to while away the night.” The king added, “Let it be the conclusion of the merchant's story.” Shahrazad replied, “As you wish”:

I heard, O happy King, that as the merchant and the man with the deer sat talking, another old man approached, with two black hounds, and when he reached them, he greeted them, and they returned his greeting. Then he asked them about themselves, and the man with the deer told him the story of the merchant and the demon, how the merchant had sworn to return on New Year's Day, and how the demon was waiting to kill him. He added that when he himself heard the story, he swore never to leave until he saw what would happen between the merchant and the demon. When the man with the two dogs heard the story, he was amazed, and he too swore never to leave them until he saw what would happen between them. Then he questioned the merchant, and the merchant repeated to him what had happened to him with the demon.

While they were engaged in conversation, a third old man approached and greeted them, and they returned his greeting. He asked, “Why do I see the two of you sitting here, with this merchant between you, looking abject, sad, and dejected?” They told him the merchant's story and explained that they were sitting and waiting to see what would happen to him with the demon. When he heard the story, he sat down with them, saying, “By God, I too like you will not leave, until I see what happens to this man with the demon.” As they sat, conversing with one another, they suddenly saw the dust rising from the open country, and when it cleared, they saw the demon approaching, with a drawn steel sword in his hand. He stood before them without greeting them, yanked the merchant with his left hand, and, holding him fast before him, said, “Get ready to die.” The merchant and the three old men began to weep and wail.

But dawn broke and morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence. Then Dinarzad said, “Sister, what a lovely story!” Shahrazad replied, “What is this compared with what I shall tell you tomorrow night? It will be even better; it will be more wonderful, delightful, entertaining, and delectable if the king spares me and lets me live.” The king was all curiosity to hear the rest of the story and said to himself, “By God, I will not have her put to death until I hear the rest of the story and find out what happened to the merchant with the demon. Then I will have her put to death the next morning, as I did with the others.” Then he went out to attend to the affairs of his kingdom, and when he saw Shahrazad's father, he treated him kindly and showed him favors, and the vizier was amazed. When night came, the king went home, and when he was in bed with Shahrazad, Dinarzad said, “Sister, if you are not sleepy, tell us one of your lovely little tales to while away the night.” Shahrazad replied, “With the greatest pleasure”:

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It is related, O happy King, that the first old man with the deer approached the demon and, kissing his hands and feet, said, “Fiend and King of the demon kings, if I tell you what happened to me and that deer, and you find it strange and amazing, indeed stranger and more amazing than what happened to you and the merchant, will you grant me a third of your claim on him for his crime and guilt?” The demon replied, “I will.” The old man said:

[The First Old Man's Tale]

DEMON, THIS DEER
is my cousin, my flesh and blood. I married her when I was very young, and she a girl of twelve, who reached womanhood only afterward. For thirty years we lived together, but I was not blessed with children, for she bore neither boy nor girl. Yet I continued to be kind to her, to care for her, and to treat her generously. Then I took a mistress, and she bore me a son, who grew up to look like a slice of the moon. Meanwhile, my wife grew jealous of my mistress and my son. One day, when he was ten, I had to go on a journey. I entrusted my wife, this one here, with my mistress and son, bade her take good care of them, and was gone for a whole year. In my absence my wife, this cousin of mine, learned soothsaying and magic and cast a spell on my son and turned him into a young bull. Then she summoned my shepherd, gave my son to him, and said, “Tend this bull with the rest of the cattle.” The shepherd took him and tended him for a while. Then she cast a spell on the mother, turning her into a cow, and gave her also to the shepherd.

When I came back, after all this was done, and inquired about my mistress and my son, she answered, “Your mistress died, and your son ran away two months ago, and I have had no news from him ever since.” When I heard her, I grieved for my mistress, and with an anguished heart I mourned for my son for nearly a year. When the Great Feast of the Immolation
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drew near, I summoned the shepherd and ordered him to bring me a fat cow for the sacrifice. The cow he brought me was in reality my enchanted mistress. When I bound her and pressed against her to cut her throat, she wept and cried, as if saying, “My son, my son,” and her tears coursed down her cheeks. Astonished and seized with pity, I turned away and asked the shepherd to bring me a different cow. But my wife shouted, “Go on. Butcher her, for he has none better or fatter. Let us enjoy her meat at feast time.” I approached the cow to cut her throat, and again she cried, as if saying, “My son, my son.” Then I turned away from her and said to the shepherd, “Butcher her for me.” The shepherd butchered her, and when he skinned her, he found neither meat nor fat but only skin and bone. I regretted having her butchered and said to the shepherd, “Take her all for yourself, or give her as alms to whomever you wish, and find me a fat young bull from among the flock.” The shepherd took her away and disappeared, and I never knew what he did with her.