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 the Caliph, after
marvelling at his eloquence of tongue and sweetness of speech, said to him,
"Draw near to me." So he drew near and quoth the King, "Tell me thy tale and
declare to me thy case." So Ghanim sat down and related to him what had
befallen him in Baghdad, of his sleeping in the tomb and of his opening the
chest after the three slaves had departed, and informed him, in short, of
everything that had happened to him from commencement to conclusion--none of
which we will repeat for interest fails in twice told tales. The Caliph was
convinced that he was a true man; so he invested him with a dress of honour,
and placed him near himself in token of favour, and said to him, "Acquit me of
the responsibility I have incurred.''[FN#136] And Ghanim so did, saying, "O our
lord the Sultan, of a truth thy slave and all things his two hands own are his
master's." The Caliph was pleased at this and gave orders to set apart a palace
for him and assigned to him pay and allowances, rations and donations, which
amounted to something immense. So he removed thither with sister and mother;
after which the Caliph, hearing that his sister Fitnah was in beauty a very
"fitnah,"[FN#137] a mere seduction, demanded her in marriage of Ghanim who
replied, "She is thy handmaid as I am thy slave." The Caliph thanked him and
gave him an hundred thousand dinars, then summoned the witnesses and the Kazi,
and on one and the same day they wrote out the two contracts of marriage
between the Caliph and Fitnah and between Ghanim bin Ayyub and Kut al-Kulub;
and the two marriages were consummated on one and the same night. When it was
morning, the Caliph gave orders to record the history of what had befallen
Ghanim from first to last and to deposit it in the royal muniment-rooms, that
those who came after him might read it and marvel at the dealings of Destiny
and put their trust in Him who created the night and the day. Yet, O auspicious
King, this story to which thou hast deigned give ear is on no wise more
wondrous than the
Tale Of King Omar Bin Al-Nu'uman And His Sons Sharrkan
and Zau Al-Makan, and What Befel Them of Things Seld-Seen and Peregrine.[FN#138]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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