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
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 Alaeddin after he had supped retired to his chamber
and, locking the door, brought out the Lamp and rubbed it, whenas
forthright appeared to him its Familiar who said, "Ask whatso
thou wantest, for I am thy Slave and Slave to him who holdeth the
Lamp in hand; I and all the Slaves of the Lamp." He replied,
"Hear me! I prayed the Sultan for his daughter to wife and he
plighted her to me after three months; but he hath not kept his
word; nay, he hath given her to the son of the Wazir and this
very night the bridegroom will go in to her. Therefore I command
thee (an thou be a trusty Servitor to the Lamp) when thou shalt
see bride and bridegroom bedded together this night,[FN#143] at
once take them up and bear them hither abed; and this be what I
want of thee." The Marid replied, "Hearing and obeying; and if
thou have other service but this, do thou demand of me all thou
desirest." Alaeddin "At the present time I require naught save
that I bade thee do." Here upon the Slave disappeared and
Alaeddin returned to pass the rest of the evening with his
mother. But at the hour when he knew that the Servitor would be
coming, he arose and retired to his chamber and after a little
while, behold, the Marid came bringing to him the newly-wedded
couple upon their bridal-bed. Alaeddin rejoiced to see them with
exceeding joy; then he cried to the Slave, "Carry yonder gallows-
bird hence and lay him at full length in the privy."[FN#144] His
bidding was done straightway; but, before leaving him, the Slave
blew upon the bridegroom a blast so cold that it shrivelled him
and the plight of the Wazir's son became piteous. Then the
Servitor returning to Alaeddin said to him, "An thou require
aught else, inform me thereof;" and said the other, "Return a-
morn that thou mayest restore them to their stead;" whereto, "I
hear and obey," Quoth the Marid and evanished. Presently Alaeddin
arose, hardly believing that the affair had been such a success
for him; but whenas he looked upon the Lady Badr al-Budur lying
under his own roof, albeit he had long burned with her love yet
he preserved respect for her and said, "O Princess of fair ones,
think not that I brought thee hither to minish thy honour.
Heaven forfend! Nay 'twas only to prevent the wrong man enjoying
thee, for that thy sire the Sultan promised thee to me. So do
thou rest in peace."--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Fifty-first Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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