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
So gainsay me not in all I shall say to thee, and now go up to
yonder ring and uplift it as I bade thee.” Alaeddin answered, “O uncle
mine, this ring is over heavy for me: I cannot raise it single-handed,
so do thou also come forward and lend me strength and aidance towards
uplifting it, for indeed I am young in years.” The Moorman replied, “O
son of my brother, we shall find it impossible to do aught if I assist
thee, and all our efforts would be in vain. But do thou set thy hand
upon the ring and pull it up, and thou shalt raise the slab forthright,
and in very sooth I told thee that none can touch it save thyself. But
whilst haling at it cease not to pronounce thy name and the names of thy
father and mother, so ’twill rise at once to thee nor shalt thou feel
its weight.” Thereupon the lad mustered up strength and girt the loins
of resolution and did as the Maroccan had bidden him, and hove up the
slab with all ease when he pronounced his name and the names of his
parents, even as the Magician had bidden him. And as soon as the stone
was raised he threw it aside.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-fifth 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 after Alaeddin
had raised the slab from over the entrance to the Hoard there appeared
before him a Sardáb, a souterrain, whereunto led a case of some twelve
stairs and the Maghrabi said, “O Alaeddin, collect thy thoughts and do
whatso I bid thee to the minutest detail nor fail in aught thereof. Go
down with all care into yonder vault until thou reach the bottom and
there shalt thou find a space divided into four halls,[90] and in each
of these thou shalt see four golden jars[91] and others of virgin or and
silver. Beware, however, lest thou take aught therefrom or touch them,
nor allow thy gown or its skirts even to brush the jars or the walls.
Leave them and fare forwards until thou reach the fourth hall without
lingering for a single moment on the way; and, if thou do aught contrary
thereto thou wilt at once be transformed and become a black stone. When
reaching the fourth hall thou wilt find therein a door which do thou
open, and pronouncing the names thou spakest over the slab, enter
therethrough into a garden adorned everywhere with fruit-bearing trees.
This thou must traverse by a path thou wilt see in front of thee
measuring some fifty cubits long, beyond which thou wilt come upon an
open saloon[92] and therein a ladder of some thirty rungs. And thou
shalt also see hanging from its ceiling,”——And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Twenty-Sixth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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