Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 3 (of 6) Part 2
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
One day the fisherman caught two large white fish, and the youth said to
him, “These two white fish are pretty, my father; I will take and sell
them, or carry them as a present to the King.” So the boy took them and
went away. He sat down with them in the Fish Market: people gathered
about him, and those who did not look at the fish looked at the boy. The
King also came past, and seeing the two white fish and the boy he called
to him, saying, “What is the price, my lad?” The boy answered, “They are
a present for you, my prince.” Thereupon the King took him to the palace
and said to him, “What is your name?” and he replied, “My name is
Muhammed, and my father is the fisherman who lives on the island.” Then
the King gave him thirty mahbúbs, saying, “Go away, discreet one, and
every day return here to my house.” So the lad returned home and gave
the money to his father. The next morning two more white fish were
caught and Muhammed carried them to the King, who took him into his
garden and made him sit down opposite him. The King remained there
drinking his wine and looking on the beauty of the youth: love for the
lad entered his heart and he remained with him two hours.[178] Then he
gave orders to provide the youth with a horse for his use in coming to
and returning from his house, and Muhammed mounted the horse and rode
home.
When he visited the King the following day he was again led into the
garden, and the other wife of the King, looking from her window saw the
lad and recognised him. She at once sent for the old midwife, and said
to her, “I bade you kill the children, yet they are still living upon
the earth.” Replied the old woman, “Have patience with me, O Queen, for
three days, and I will kill him.” Then she went away, and having
procured a pitcher, tied it to her girdle, bewitched it, mounted on it,
and struck it with a whip, and forthwith the pitcher flew away with her
and descended upon the island near the fisherman’s cottage.[179] She
found the young girl, Muhammed’s sister, sitting alone, and thus
addressed her: “My dear, why are you thus alone and sad? Tell your
brother to fetch you the rose of Arab Zandyk, that it may sing to you
and amuse you, instead of your being thus lonely and low-spirited.” When
her brother came home, he found her displeased and asked her, “Why are
you vexed, my sister?” She replied, “I should like the rose of Arab
Zandyk, that it may sing to me and amuse me.” “At your command,” said
he; “I am going to bring it to you.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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