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
him a carpet which wildered the wits, and it extended from palace to
pavilion; and after this the Servitor bore off Alaeddin and set him down
in his own home.——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-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 the Slave,
after displaying the Carpet to Alaeddin, bore him home. Now day was
brightening so the Sultan rose from his sleep and throwing open the
casement looked out[175] and espied, opposite his palace, a palatial
pavilion ready edified. Thereupon he fell to rubbing his eyes and
opening them their widest and considering the scene, and he soon was
certified that the new edifice was mighty fine and grand enough to
bewilder the wits. Moreover, with amazement as great he saw the carpet
dispread between palace and pavilion: like their lord also the royal
door-keepers and the household, one and all, were dazed and amazed at
the spectacle. Meanwhile[176] the Wazir came in and, as he entered,
espied the newly-builded pavilion and the carpet, whereat he also
wondered; and, when he went in to the Sultan the twain fell to talking
on this marvellous matter with great surprise at a sight which
distracted the gazer and attracted the heart. They said finally, “In
very truth, of this pavilion we deem that none of the royalties could
build its fellow;” and the King, turning to the Minister, asked him,
“Hast thou seen now that Alaeddin is worthy to be the husband of the
Princess my daughter? Hast thou looked upon and considered this right
royal building, this magnificence of opulence, which thought of man can
not contain?” But the Wazir in his envy of Alaeddin replied, “O King of
the Age, indeed this foundation and this building and this opulence may
not be save by means of magic nor can any man in the world, be he the
richest in good or the greatest in governance, avail to found and finish
in a single night such edifice as this.” The Sultan rejoined, “I am
surprised to see in thee how thou dost continually harp on evil opinion
of Alaeddin; but I hold that ’tis caused by thine envy and jealousy.
Thou wast present when I gave him the ground at his own prayer for a
place whereon he might build a pavilion wherein to lodge my daughter,
and I myself favoured him with a site for the same and that too before
thy very face. But however that be, shall one who could send me as dower
for the Princess such store of such stones whereof the kings never
obtained even a few, shall he, I say, be unable to edify an edifice like
this?”——And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and ceased to say
her permitted say.
Now when it was the Five Hundred and Sixty-sixth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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