Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Science
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Fatimah,[FN#215] who dwelt alway at her devotions in a hermitage
without the town, and this she never entered save only two days
each month. They mentioned also that she had performed many
saintly miracles[FN#216] which, when the Maghrabi, the
Necromancer, heard he said in himself, "Now have I found that
which I sought: Inshallah--God willing--by means of this crone
will I win to my wish."--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-seventh Night,
Quoth Dunyazad, "O sister mine, an thou be other than sleepy, do
tell us some of thy pleasant tales," whereupon Shahrazad replied,
"With love and good will."--It hath reached me, O King of the
Age, that the Maghrabi, the Necromancer, went up to the folk who
were talking of the miracles performed by the devout old woman
and said to one of them, "O my uncle, I heard you all chatting
about the prodigies of a certain saintess named Fatimah: who is
she and where may be her abode? "Marvellous!"[FN#217] exclaimed
the man: "How canst thou be in our city and yet never have heard
about the miracles of the Lady Fatimah? Evidently, O thou poor
fellow, thou art a foreigner, since the fastings of this devotee
and her asceticism in worldly matters and the beauties of her
piety never came to thine ears." The Moorman rejoined, "'Tis
true, O my lord: yes, I am a stranger and came to this your city
only yesternight; and I hope thou wilt inform me concerning the
saintly miracles of this virtuous woman and where may be her
wone, for that I have fallen into a calamity, and 'tis my wish to
visit her and crave her prayers, so haply Allah (to whom be
honour and glory!) will, through her blessings, deliver me from
mine evil." Hereat the man recounted to him the marvels of
Fatimah the Devotee and her piety and the beauties of her
worship; then, taking him by the hand went with him without the
city and showed him the way to her abode, a cavern upon a
hillock's head. The Necromancer acknowledged his kindness in many
words and, thanking him for his good offices, returned to his
cell in the caravanserai. Now by the fiat of Fate on the very
next day Fatimah came down to the city, and the Maghrabi, the
Necromancer, happened to leave his hostelry a-morn, when he saw
the folk swarming and crowding; wherefore he went up to discover
what was to do and found the Devotee standing amiddlemost the
throng, and all who suffered from pain or sickness flocked to her
soliciting a blessing and praying for her prayers; and each and
every she touched became whole of his illness.[FN#218] The
Maroccan, the Necromancer, followed her about until she returned
to her antre; then, awaiting till the evening evened, he arose
and repaired to a vintner's store where he drank a cup of wine.
After this he fared forth the city and finding the Devotee's
cavern, entered it and saw her lying prostrate[FN#219] with her
back upon a strip of matting. So he came forward and mounted
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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