The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 01 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
They relate, O Ifrit, that in a certain city were two men who dwelt in
adjoining houses, having a common party wall; and one of them envied
the other and looked on him with an evil eye,[FN#217] and did his
utmost endeavour to injure him; and, albeit at all times he was jealous
of his neighbour, his malice at last grew on him till he could hardly
eat or enjoy the sweet pleasures of sleep. But the Envied did nothing
save prosper; and the more the other strove to injure him, the more he
got and gained and throve. At last the malice of his neighbour and the
man's constant endeavour to work him a harm came to his knowledge; so
he said, "By Allah! God's earth is wide enough for its people;" and,
leaving the neighbourhood, he repaired to another city where he bought
himself a piece of land in which was a dried up draw well,[FN#218] old
and in ruinous condition. Here he built him an oratory and, furnishing
it with a few necessaries, took up his abode therein, and devoted
himself to prayer and worshipping Allah Almighty; and Fakirs and holy
mendicants flocked to him from all quarters; and his fame went abroad
through the city and that country side. Presently the news reached his
envious neighbour, of what good fortune had befallen him and how the
city notables had become his disciples; so he travelled to the place
and presented himself at the holy man's hermitage, and was met by the
Envied with welcome and greeting and all honour. Then quoth the Envier,
"I have a word to say to thee; and this is the cause of my faring
hither, and I wish to give thee a piece of good news; so come with me
to thy cell." Thereupon the Envied arose and took the Envier by the
hand, and they went in to the inmost part of the hermitage; but the
Envier said, "Bid thy Fakirs retire to their cells, for I will not tell
thee what I have to say, save in secret where none may hear us."
Accordingly the Envied said to his Fakirs, "Retire to your private
cells;" and, when all had done as he bade them, he set out with his
visitor and walked a little way until the twain reached the ruinous old
well. And as they stood upon the brink the Envier gave the Envied a
push which tumbled him headlong into it, unseen of any; whereupon he
fared forth, and went his ways, thinking to have had slain him. Now
this well happened to be haunted by the Jann who, seeing the case, bore
him up and let him down little by little, till he reached the bottom,
when they seated him upon a large stone. Then one of them asked his
fellows, "Wot ye who be this man?" and they answered, "Nay." "This
man," continued the speaker, "is the Envied hight who, flying from the
Envier, came to dwell in our city, and here founded this holy house,
and he hath edified us by his litanies[FN#219] and his lections of the
Koran; but the Envier set out and journeyed till he rejoined him, and
cunningly contrived to deceive him and cast him into the well where we
now are. But the fame of this good man hath this very night come to the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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