The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 06 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
When the Prince saw this, he lost his senses for affright,
but the Jinni said to him, “Fear not; no harm shall befal thee. Mount
thy horse and leap him on to the Ifrit’s shoulders.” “Nay,” answered
he, “I will leave my horse with thee and bestride his shoulders
myself.” So he bestrode the Ifrit’s shoulders and, when the Jinni
cried, “Close thine eyes, O my lord, and be not a craven!” he
strengthened his heart and shut his eyes. Thereupon the Ifrit rose with
him into the air and ceased not to fly between sky and earth, whilst
the Prince was unconscious, nor was the last third of the night come
before he alighted down with him on the terrace-roof of his
father-in-law’s palace. Then said the Ifrit, “Dismount and open thine
eyes; for this is the palace of thy father-in-law and his daughter.” So
he came down and the Ifrit flew away and left him on the roof of the
palace. When the day broke and the Prince recovered from his troubles,
he descended into the palace and as his father-in-law caught sight of
him, he came to meet him and marvelled to see him descend from the roof
of the palace, saying, “We see folk enter by the doors; but thou comest
from the skies.” Quoth the Prince, “Whatso Allah (may He be extolled
and exalted!) willeth that cometh to pass.” And he told him all that
had befallen him, from first to last, whereat the King marvelled and
rejoiced in his safety; and, as soon as the sun rose, bade his Wazir
make ready splendid bride-feasts. So did he and they held the marriage
festival: after which the Prince went in unto his bride and abode with
her two months, then departed with her for his father’s capital. As for
the damsel’s cousin, he died forthright of envy and jealousy. When the
Prince and his bride drew near his father’s city, the King came out to
meet them with his troops and Wazirs, and so Allah (blessed and exalted
be He!) enabled the Prince to prevail against his bride’s cousin and
his father’s Minister. “And I pray the Almighty” (added the damsel) “to
aid thee against thy Wazirs, O King, and I beseech thee to do me
justice on thy son!” When the King heard this, he bade put his son to
death;—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When is was the Five Hundred and Eighty-forth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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