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
And if any of the Moslems hinder you,
give up the mules and their lading and be take yourselves to their King, Zau
al-Makan, and implore his protection saying, 'We were in the land of the
Infidels and they took nothing from us, but wrote us a passport, that none
shall do us hindrance or work our mischance.' If he ask you, 'What profit had
ye of your property in the land of Roum?' answer him, 'We profited in the
deliverance of a pious man, who had been bound down in an underground cell nigh
fifteen years, crying out for help yet none helped him. Nay, the Infidels
tortured him night and day. We knew not this; but, after we had tarried in
Constantinople for some time, having sold our goods and bought others in their
stead, we determined on and made ready for a return to our native land. We
spent that night conversing about our journey and when day broke, we saw
figured upon the wall a human form and as we drew nigh it, behold, it moved and
said, 'O Moslems, is there amongst you one who is minded to woo the favour of
the Lord of the three Worlds?'[FN#414] 'How so?' asked we; and the figure
answered, 'Know that Allah hath made me speak to you, to the intent that your
faith be fortified, and that your belief embolden you and that you may go forth
of the country of the Infidels and repair to the Moslem host; for with them
wones the Sword of the Com passionate One, of our Age the Champion, King
Sharrkan, by whom He shall conquer Constantinople town and destroy the sect of
the Nazarene. And when ye shall have journeyed three days, you will find an
hermitage known as the Hermitage of the ascetic Matruhina[FN#415] and
containing a cell; visit it with pure intent and contrive to arrive there by
force of will, for therein is a Religious from the Holy City, Jerusalem, by
name Abdullah, and he is one of the devoutest of mankind, endowed with the
power of working saintly miracles[FN#416] such as dispel doubts and obscurity.
Certain of the monks seized him by fraud and shut him up in a souterrain where
he hath lain a long time. By his deliverance you will please the Lord of
Faithful Men, for such release is better than fighting for the Faith.'" Now
when the ancient dame and those with her had agreed upon such words, she said,
"As soon as that which I impart shall reach the ears of King Sharrkan, say him
further, 'Hearing this from that image we knew that the holy man'"—And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Ninety-fourth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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