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
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the Chamberlain bade
the tent pitchers set up a pavilion spacious enough to receive the subjects
flocking to their Sultan, they planted a splendid Sháhmiyánah[FN#327] befitting
Kings. And as they ended their labours behold, a dust cloud spired aloft and
the breeze made it lift and beneath it showed a conquering host; and presently
it appeared that this was the army of Baghdad and Khorasan preceded by the
Wazir Dandan. And in it all rejoiced at the accession of the "Light of the
Place." Now Zau al-Makan had donned robes of royal estate and girt himself with
the sword of state: so the Chamberlain brought him a steed and he mounted
surrounded by the Mamelukes and all the company from the tents on foot, to do
him service, and he rode on until he came to the great pavilion, where he sat
down and he laid the royal dagger across his thighs, whilst the Chamberlain
stood in attendance on him and his armed slaves stationed themselves under the
entrance awning of the Shahmiyanah, with drawn swords in their hands.
Presently, up came the troops and the host and craved admission so the
Chamberlain went in to Zau al-Makan and asked his leave whereupon he bade admit
them, ten by ten. The Chamberlain acquainted them with the King's commands, to
which they replied, "We hear and we obey;" and all drew up before the pavilion
entrance. Then he took ten of them; and carried them through the vestibule into
the presence of Sultan Zau al-Makan, whom when they saw, they were awed; but he
received them with most gracious kindness and promised them all good. So they
gave him joy of his safe return and invoked Allah's blessings upon him after
which they took the oath of fealty never to gainsay him in aught and they
kissed ground before him and withdrew. Then other ten entered and he entreated
them as he had entreated the ethers; and they ceased not to enter, ten by ten,
till none was left but the Wazir Dandan. Lastly the Minister went in and
kissed the ground before Zau al-Makan, who rose to meet him, saying, "Welcome,
O Wazir and sire sans peer! Verily, thine acts are those of a counsellor right
dear, and judgement and foreseeing clear are in the hands of the Subtle of
Lere." Then bade he the Chamberlain forthwith go out and cause the tables to be
spread and order all the troops thereto. So they came and ate and drank.
Moreover the Sultan commanded his Wazir Dandan call a ten days' halt of the
army, that he might be private with him and learn from him how and wherefore
his father had been slain. The Wazir obeyed the commands of the Sultan with
submission and wished him eternity of glory and said, "This needs must be!" He
then repaired to the heart of the encampment and ordered the host to halt ten
days. They did as he bade them; and, moreover, he gave them leave to divert
themselves and ordered that none of the lords in waiting should attend upon the
King for service during the space of three days.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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