Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Abu Niyyah
was pleased with the idea of travelling companied with Abu
Niyyatayn: so they got themselves ready and loaded a caravan of
camels and mules and went off from that city and travelled for a
space of twenty days. At last they came to a camping-ground
about sunset-hour and they alighted therein seeking rest and a
nighting stead, and next morning when they arose they sought
where they could fodder and water their cattle. Now the only
place they found was a well and one said to other, "Who will
descend therein and draw for us drink?" Cried Abu Niyyah, "I
will go down" (but he knew not what was fated to him in the
Eternal Purpose), and so saying he let himself down by the rope
into the well and filled for them the water-buckets till the
caravan had its sufficiency. Now Abu Niyyatayn for the excess of
his envy and hatred was scheming in his heart and his secret soul
to slay Abu Niyyah, and when all had drunk he cut the cord and
loaded his beasts and fared away leaving his companion in the
well, for the first day and the second until the coming of night.
Suddenly two 'Ifrits forgathered in that well and sat down to
converse with each other, when quoth the first, "What is to do
with thee and how is thy case and what mayest thou be?" Quoth
his fellow, "By Allah, O my brother, I am satisfied with extreme
satisfaction and I never leave the Sultan's daughter at all at
all." The second Ifrit asked, "And what would forbid thee from
her?" and he answered, "I should be driven away by somewhat of
wormwood-powder scattered beneath the soles of her feet during
the congregational prayers of Friday." Then quoth the other, "I
also, by Allah, am joyful and exulting in the possession of a
Hoard of jewels buried without the town near the Azure Column
which serveth as bench-mark."[FN#403] "And what," asked the other to his friend, "would expel thee therefrom and expose the jewels to the gaze of man?" whereto he answered, "A white cock in his tenth month[FN#404] slaughtered upon the Azure Column would drive me away from the Hoard and would break the Talisman when the gems would be visible to all." Now as soon as Abu Niyyah had heard the words of the two Ifrits, they arose and departed from the well; and it was the morning hour when, behold, a caravan was
passing by that place, so the travellers halted seeking a drink
of water. Presently they let down a bucket which was seized by
Abu Niyyah and as he was being drawn up they cried out and asked,
"What art thou, of Jinn-kind or of man-kind?" and he answered, "I
am of the Sons of Adam." Hereupon they drew him up from the pit
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 4 (of 6) — John Shaqi
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account