The Arabian Nights (New Deluxe Edition) (86 page)

She is worthy of none but him,

And he of none but her,

That should another seek her hand,

The earth would be astir.”

The king thanked them and thanked Jullanar and sat to converse and eat with them until they had had enough and washed their hands. Then he lodged them in a private apartment where they lived for a full month, during which he never left their company for a single hour.

When the month had passed, Jullanar said, “The time of my delivery is at hand,” and the king provided for her all the medicines and potions she needed for herself and her child. Then she went into labor and the women gathered around her, and the labor increased until the Almighty God granted her safe delivery, and she gave birth to a boy as lovely as the moon. When his mother looked at him, she was extremely happy to see him. Then her mother went to the king and announced the birth of his son.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that Jullanar's mother went to the king, and when she announced the birth of his son, he rejoiced and knelt in gratitude before the Almighty God. Then he bestowed robes of honor, distributed money, and gave gifts. When he was later asked, “What do you wish to name him?” he replied, “I name him Badr,” and the boy was called Badr. Then the king bade the princes and chamberlains bid the people decorate the city, and he opened the jails and clothed the widows and orphans and gave alms to the poor and freed many Mamluks, as well as male and female slaves, and held celebrations and gave a magnificent banquet, to which he invited the select few as well as the general public. The celebrations lasted for ten full days.

On the eleventh day, as the king sat with Jullanar and her brother and mother and cousins, Jullanar's brother rose and, taking the newborn Badr, played with him, made him dance, then carried him in his arms, while the king and Jullanar looked at the boy and rejoiced. Suddenly her brother, taking them by surprise, flew with the boy out of the window, far from the shore, and dove with him into the sea. When the king saw the uncle take his son, plunge with him into the sea, and disappear, he let out a great cry, and his soul almost left his body. He tore his clothes and began to weep and wail. When Jullanar saw him in this condition, she said to him, “O King of the age, do not fear or weep for your son. I love him even more than you do, and he is with my brother, who does not mind the sea or fear drowning. If he thought that the boy would be in any danger, he would not have taken him there. Soon he will come back with your son safely, God the Almighty willing.”

Soon the sea began to storm and surge and suddenly Sayih, the boy's uncle, emerged safely with the boy and flew into the room with the boy nestling in his arms as quietly as the moon. Then Sayih turned to the king and said, “I hope that you were not frightened when I dove with him into the sea.” The king replied. “Yes, by God. Sayih, I thought that he would never return safely.” Sayih said, “I took him there to pencil his eyes with a special kohl blessed by the words inscribed on the seal ring of Solomon son of David. When a child is born to us . . .”

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that Jullanar's brother Sayih said to the king, “When a child is born to us, we pencil his eyes, as I have told you. Now you need not fear for him to drown, suffocate, or be harmed in any way by water, for just as you walk on land, we walk in the sea.” Then he pulled out from his pocket a sealed bag and, breaking the seal, emptied it, scattering strings of rubies and all kinds of jewels, in addition to three hundred emerald cabochons
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and three hundred gemstones, as big as pigeon eggs, glittering like the sun. He said, “O King, these big gemstones are a gift for your little son Badr, and these rubies, emeralds, and other jewels are a gift from us to you, since we had not brought you any, being unaware of Jullanar's whereabouts or her situation. But now that we have met you and become one family, I have brought you this gift, and every little while I will bring you another like it, for these rubies and jewels are plentiful with us and I can easily get them, since I know their sources and whereabouts better than anyone else on land or in the sea.” When the king saw these jewels, he was dazzled and wonderstruck, and he said, “One of these jewels is worth my whole kingdom.” Then he thanked the young man Sayih and, turning to Queen Jullanar, said, “I am embarrassed before your brother, for he has generously given me this priceless gift that is beyond the reach of anyone on earth.” Queen Jullanar praised her husband and thanked her brother, who said, “O King of the age, it is you who have the prior claim on us, and it behooves us to thank you, for you have treated my sister kindly, and we have entered your dwelling and eaten your food. The poet says:

Had I for Su'da's love before her wept,

I would have solace found and never had to rue,

But she wept first and made me weep and say,

‘The credit to him who is first to act is due.'

And if we stand at your service, O King of the age, a thousand years, we would not repay you enough.” The king thanked him profusely. They stayed with him forty days. Then Jullanar's brother Sayih rose and, kissing the ground before the king, said, “O King of the age, you have done us many favors, but we have imposed on your generosity and now we request one last favor. Grant us leave to depart, for we long for our home, family, and relatives. But we will never cease to serve you and serve my sister Jullanar. By the Omnipotent God, we are not happy to leave you, but what shall we do, since we have been reared in the sea and find uncongenial the life of the land?” When the king heard this, he rose to his feet and bade farewell to the young man and his mother and cousins, as did Jullanar, and they all wept because of the sorrow of separation and said, “We will visit you often.” Then they rose and with one leap flew off, dove into the sea, and disappeared from sight, leaving the king in amazement.

The king continued to cherish Jullanar and treat her with the utmost generosity, while the boy grew and flourished and was catered to by many attendants. The king loved him exceedingly because he was very beautiful and because the older he grew, the more beautiful he became. His uncle and grandmother and cousins often came to visit the king, staying with him for a month or two, then going back home, while the boy continued to thrive, so that by the time he was fifteen, he was unequaled in charm, beauty, and perfect grace. By then he had learned grammar, lexicography, penmanship, history, and the Quran, as well as archery and spearplay.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that the boy had learned the skills of chivalry, such as archery, spearplay, playing with the ball and mallet,
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and every other skill befitting the son of a king. so that all the people of the city, men and women, spoke of none but him, for he was like him of whom the poet said:

His downy whiskers grew upon his cheeks

Like a fine drawing that dazzled my sight.

He was a lamp suspended from a chain

Of ambergris, in the dark of the night.

When the boy had learned everything that befits a king, his father, who loved him exceedingly, summoned the princes, the lords of the realm, and the chief officers of state and made them take an oath that they would make his son Badr king over them. They were very happy to take the oath because they loved the old king very much, for he was kind to everyone, spoke courteously, acted benevolently, and never said anything that did not benefit the people. The next day the king rode into the city with the princes, officers of state, and troops until he entered the city square. Then he returned, and when they drew near the royal palace, he and all the princes dismounted to wait on his son, while the new king continued to ride, surrounded by attendants and preceded by officers, who announced his progress, until they came to the entrance of the palace, where he stopped and was assisted by his father and the princess to dismount. Then he sat on the throne, while his father stood before him in the rank of a prince, and he issued edicts, adjudicated between the princes, deposed the unjust and appointed the just, and ruled till close to midday. Then he descended from the throne and went in to his mother Jullanar of the Sea, with the crown on his head, looking like the moon. When his mother saw him, with the king his father standing in attendance before him, she rose and, kissing him, congratulated him on having assumed the kingship and wished him and his father long life and victory over their enemies. He sat with his mother and rested till the hour of the afternoon prayer. Then he rode with his father and the officers of state to the city square, where he played with the ball and mallet till nightfall, then returned to the palace, attended by all the people. He did this every day.

But morning overtook Shahrazad, and she lapsed into silence.

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The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, that during the first year King Badr used to go to the city square every day to play with the ball and mallet and return to sit on the throne to judge the people, doing justice to prince and beggar alike. In the second year he began to go hunting, to tour the cities and provinces under his rule, proclaiming peace and security, and to do what kings usually do. He was unique in his day in chivalry, valor, and fairness to his subjects.