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
had done." Hereupon the Sultan at once called for his horse, and
mounting, took the way pavilion-wards, when Alaeddin, after
dismissing the goldsmiths and jewellers had retired into his
closet and had rubbed the Lamp. Hereat straightway its Servitor
appeared to him and said, "Ask whatso thou wantest: thy Slave is
between thy hands;" and said Alaeddin, " 'tis my desire that thou
finish the window which was left unfinished." The Marid replied,
"On my head be it and also upon mine eyes!" then he vanished and
after a little while returned saying, "O my lord, verily that
thou commandedst me do is completed." So Alaeddin went upstairs
to the Kiosque and found the whole window in wholly finished
state; and, whilst he was still considering it, behold, a
castrato came in to him and said, "O my lord, the Sultan hath
ridden forth to visit thee and is passing through the pavilion-
gate." So Alaeddin at once went down and received his father-in-
law. And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to
say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Seventy-second 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 Sultan, on sighting his son-in-law, cried to him,
"Wherefore, O my child, hast thou wrought on this wise and
sufferedst not the jewellers to complete the Kiosque-window
leaving in the pavilion an unfinished place?" Alaeddin replied "O
King of the Age, I left it not imperfect save for a design of
mine own; nor was I incapable of perfecting it nor could I
purpose that thy Highness should honour me with visiting a
pavilion wherein was aught of deficiency. And, that thou mayest
know I am not unable to make it perfect, let thy Highness deign
walk upstairs with me and see if anything remain to be done
therewith or not." So the Sultan went up with him and, entering
the Kiosque, fell to looking right and left, but he saw no
default at all in any of the windows; nay, he noted that all were
perfect. So he marvelled at the sight and embraced Alaeddin and
kissed him, saying, "O my son, what be this singular feat? Thou
canst work in a single night what in months the jewellers could
not do. By Allah, I deem thou hast nor brother nor rival in this
world." Quoth Alaeddin, "Allah prolong thy life and preserve thee
to perpetuity! thy slave deserveth not this encomium;" and Quoth
the King, "By Allah, O my child, thou meritest all praise for a
feat whereof all the artists of the world were incapable." Then
the Sultan came down and entered the apartments of his daughter
the Lady Badr al-Budur, to take rest beside her, and he saw her
joyous exceedingly at the glory and grandeur wherein she was;
then, after reposing awhile he returned to his palace. Now
Alaeddin was wont every day to thread the city-streets with his
Mamelukes riding a-van and a-rear of him showering rightwards and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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