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 having been washed and bathed, left the
Baths and went into the great hall where he found that his old
dress had been removed and replaced by a suit of the most
precious and princely. Then he was served with sherbets and
ambergris'd coffee[FN#162] and, after drinking, he arose and a
party of black slaves came forwards and clad him in the costliest
of clothing, then perfumed and fumigated him. It is known that
Alaeddin was the son of a tailor, a pauper, yet now would none
deem him to be such; nay, all would say, "This be the greatest
that is of the progeny of the Kings: praise be to Him who
changeth and who is not changed!" Presently came the Jinni and
lifting him up bore him to his home and asked, "O my lord, tell
me hast thou aught of need?" He answered, "Yes, 'tis my desire
that thou bring me eight and forty Mamelukes, of whom two dozen
shall forego me and the rest follow me, the whole number with
their war-chargers and clothing and accoutrements; and all upon
them and their steeds must be of naught save of highest worth and
the costliest, such as may not be found in treasuries of the
Kings. Then fetch me a stallion fit for the riding of the
ChosroŸs and let his furniture, all thereof, be of gold crusted
with the finest gems:[FN#163] fetch me also eight and forty
thousand dinars that each white slave may carry a thousand gold
pieces. 'Tis now my intent to fare to the Sultan, so delay thou
not, for that without all these requisites whereof I bespake thee
I may not visit him. Moreover set before me a dozen slave-girls
unique in beauty and dight with the most magnificent dresses,
that they wend with my mother to the royal palace; and let every
handmaid be robed in raiment that befitteth Queen's wearing." The
Slave replied, "To hear is to obey;" and, disappearing for an
eye-twinkling, brought all he was bidden bring and led by hand a
stallion whose rival was not amongst the Arabian Arabs,[FN#164]
and its saddle cloth was of splendid brocade gold-inwrought.
Thereupon, without stay or delay, Alaeddin sent for his mother
and gave her the garments she should wear and committed to her
charge the twelve slave-girls forming her suite to the palace.
Then he sent one of the Mamelukes, whom the Jinni had brought, to
see if the Sultan had left the Serraglio or not. The white slave
went forth lighter than the lightning and returning in like
haste, said, "O my lord, the Sultan awaiteth thee!" Hereat
Alaeddin arose and took horse, his Mamelukes riding a-van and a-
rear of him, and they were such that all must cry, "Laud to the
Lord who created them and clothed them with such beauty and
loveliness." And they scattered gold amongst the crowd in front
of their master who surpassed them all in comeliness and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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