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
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 Slave
evanished and, before the next dawn brake, returned to Alaeddin and
said, “O my lord, the pavilion is finished to the fullest of thy fancy;
and, if thou wouldst inspect it, arise forthright and fare with me.”
Accordingly, he rose up and the Slave carried him in the space of an
eye-glance to the pavilion which, when Alaeddin looked upon it, struck
him with surprise at such building, all its stones being of jasper and
alabaster, Sumákí[171]-marble and mosaic-work. Then the Slave led him
into the treasury which was full of all manner of gold and silver and
costly gems, not to be counted or computed, priced or estimated. Thence
to another place, where Alaeddin saw all requisites for the table,
plates and dishes, spoons and ladles, basins and covers, cups and
tasses, the whole of precious metal: thence to the kitchen, where they
found the kitcheners provided with their needs and cooking batteries,
likewise golden and silvern; thence to a warehouse piled up with chests
full-packed of royal raiment, stuffs that captured the reason, such as
gold-wrought brocades from India and China and kimcobs[172] or orfrayed
cloths; thence to many apartments replete with appointments which beggar
description; thence to the stables containing coursers whose like was
not to be met with amongst the kings of the universe; and, lastly, they
went to the harness-rooms all hung with housings, costly saddles and
other furniture, everywhere studded with pearls and precious stones. And
all this was the work of one night. Alaeddin was wonder-struck and
astounded by that magnificent display of wealth which not even the
mightiest monarch on earth could produce; and more so to see his
pavilion fully provided with eunuchs and handmaids whose beauty would
seduce a saint. Yet the prime marvel of the pavilion was an upper
kiosque or belvedere of four-and-twenty windows all made of emeralds and
rubies and other gems;[173] and one window remained unfinished at the
requirement of Alaeddin that the Sultan might prove him impotent to
complete it. When the youth had inspected the whole edifice, he was
pleased and gladdened exceedingly: then, turning to the Slave he said,
“I require of thee still one thing which is yet wanting and whereof I
had forgotten to tell thee.” “Ask, O my lord, thy want,” quoth the
Servitor; and quoth the other, “I demand of thee a carpet of the primest
brocade all gold-inwrought which, when unrolled and outstretched, shall
extend hence to the Sultan’s palace in order that the Lady Badr al-Budur
may, when coming hither, pace upon it[174] and not tread common earth.”
The Slave departed for a short while and said on his return, “O my lord,
verily that which thou demandest is here.” Then he took him and showed
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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