The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 02 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
seeing the Stoker washing and rubbing him, said, "This is doing injury to the
keeper's rights." Replied the Fireman, "The master overwhelmeth us with his
favours!" Then the bathman proceeded to shave Zau al-Makan's head, after which
he and the Stoker washed themselves and returned to the house, where he clad
Zau al-Makan in a shirt of fine stuff and a robe of his own; and gave him a
handsome turband and girdle and a light kerchief which he wound about his neck.
Meanwhile the Fireman's wife had killed and cooked two chickens; so, as soon as
Zau al-Makan entered and seated himself on the carpet, the husband arose and,
dissolving sugar in willow-flower water, made him drink of it. Then he brought
the food-tray and, cutting up the chickens, fed him with the flesh and gave him
the broth to drink till he was satisfied; when he washed his hands and praised
Allah for recovery, and said to the Fireman, "Thou art he whom the Almighty
vouchsafed to me and made the cause of my cure!" "Leave this talk," replied the
other, "and tell us the cause of thy coming to this city and whence thou art.
Thy face showeth signs of gentle breeding." "Tell me first how thou camest to
fall in with me," said Zau al-Makan; "and after I will tell thee my story."
Rejoined the Fireman, "As for that, I found thee lying on the rubbish-heap by
the door of the fire-house, as I went to my work near the morning, and knew not
who had thrown thee there. So I carried thee home with me; and this is all my
tale." Quoth Zau al-Makan, "Glory to Him who quickeneth the bones, though they
be rotten! Indeed, O my brother, thou hast not done good save to one worthy of
it, and thou shalt presently gather its fruitage." And he added, "But where am
I now?" "Thou art in the city of Jerusalem," replied the Stoker; whereupon Zau
al-Makan called to mind his strangerhood and remembered his separation from his
sister and wept. Then he discovered his secret to the Fireman and told him his
story and began repeating,
"In love they bore me further than my force would go, * And for them made me suffer resurrection-throe:
Oh, have compassion, cruel! on this soul of mine * Which, since ye fared, is pitied by each envious foe;
Nor grudge the tender mercy of one passing glance * My case to lighten, easing this excess of woe:
Quoth I 'Heart, bear this loss in patience!' Patience cried * 'Take heed! no patience in such plight I'm wont to show.' "
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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