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
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Treasurer informed the King that all in the treasury had been
plundered, including the two pairs of saddlebags, the King’s reason
flew from his head and he rose to his feet, saying, “Go thou before
me.” Then he followed the Treasurer to the treasury and he found
nothing there, whereat he was wroth with him; and he said to them, “O
soldiers! know that my treasury hath been plundered during the night,
and I know not who did this deed and dared thus to outrage me, without
fear of me.” Said they, “How so?”; and he replied, “Ask the Treasurer.”
So they questioned him, and he answered, saying, “Yesterday I visited
the treasury and it was full, but this morning when I entered it I
found it empty, though the walls were unpierced and the doors
unbroken.” They all marvelled at this and could make the King no
answer, when in came the Janissary, who had denounced Sálim and Salím,
and said to Shams al-Daulah, “O King of the age, all this night I have
not slept for that which I saw.” And the King asked, “And what didst
thou see?” “Know, O King of the age,” answered the Kawwás, “that all
night long I have been amusing myself with watching builders at work;
and, when it was day, I saw a palace ready edified, whose like is not
in the world. So I asked about it and was told that Judar had come back
with great wealth and Mamelukes and slaves and that he had freed his
two brothers from prison, and built this palace, wherein he is as a
Sultan.” Quoth the King, “Go, look in the prison.” So they went thither
and not finding Sálim and Salím, returned and told the King, who said,
“It is plain now who be the thief; he who took Sálim and Salím out of
prison it is who hath stolen my monies.” Quoth the Wazir, “O my lord,
and who is he?”; and quoth the King, “Their brother Judar, and he hath
taken the two pairs of saddle bags; but, O Wazir do thou send him an
Emir with fifty men to seal up his goods and lay hands on him and his
brothers and bring them to me, that I may hang them.” And he was sore
enraged and said, “Ho, off with the Emir at once, and fetch them, that
I may put them to death.” But the Wazir said to him, “Be thou merciful,
for Allah is merciful and hasteth not to punish His servants, whenas
they sin against Him. More over, he who can build a palace in a single
night, as these say, none in the world can vie with him; and verily I
fear lest the Emir fall into difficulty for Judar. Have patience,
therefore, whilst I devise for thee some device of getting at the truth
of the case, and so shalt thou win thy wish, O King of the age.” Quoth
the King, “Counsel me how I shall do, O Wazir.” And the Minister said,
“Send him an Emir with an invitation; and I will make much of him for
thee and make a show of love for him and ask him of his estate; after
which we will see. If we find him stout of heart, we will use sleight
with him, and if weak of will, then do thou seize him and do with him
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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