Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 1
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Fatimah also arose, when he said to her, “Give me thy gear and take thou
my habit;” whereupon she gave him her clothing and head-fillets, her
face-kerchief and her mantilla. Then quoth he, “’Tis also requisite that
thou anoint me with somewhat shall make the colour of my face like unto
thine.” Accordingly she went into the inner cavern and, bringing out a
gallipot of ointment, spread somewhat thereof upon her palm and with it
besmeared his face until its hue favoured her own; then she gave him her
staff[222] and, showing him how to walk and what to do when he entered
the city, hung her rosary around his neck. Lastly she handed to him a
mirror and said, “Now look! Thou differest from me in naught;” and he
saw himself Fatimah’s counterpart as though she had never gone or
come.[223] But after obtaining his every object he falsed his oath and
asked for a cord which she brought to him; then he seized her and
strangled her in the cavern; and presently, when she was dead, haled the
corpse outside and threw it into a pit hard by.——And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Eighty-eighth 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,
after murthering Fatimah, threw her body into a pit and went back to
sleep in her cavern; and, when broke the day, he rose and repairing to
the town took his stand under the walls of Alaeddin’s pavilion. Hereupon
flocked the folk about him, all being certified that he was Fatimah the
Devotee and he fell to doing whatso she was wont to do: he laid hands on
these in pain and recited for those a chapter of the Koran and made
orisons for a third. Presently the thronging of the folk and the
clamouring of the crowd were heard by the Lady Badr al-Budur, who said
to her handmaidens, “Look what is to do and what be the cause of this
turmoil!” Thereupon the Agha of the eunuchry fared forth to see what
might be the matter and presently returning said, “O my lady, this
clamour is caused by the Lady Fatimah, and if thou be pleased to
command, I will bring her to thee; so shalt thou gain through her a
blessing.” The Princess answered, “Go bring her, for since many a day I
am always hearing of her miracles and her virtues, and I do long to see
her and get a blessing by her intervention, for the folk recount her
manifestations in many cases of difficulty.” The Agha went forth and
brought in the Maroccan, the Necromancer, habited in Fatimah’s clothing;
and, when the wizard stood before the Lady Badr al-Budur, he began at
first sight to bless her with a string of prayers; nor did any one of
those present doubt at all but that he was the Devotee herself. The
Princess arose and salam’d to him; then seating him beside her, said, “O
Public-domain text, read in full here on 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