The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 07 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 07 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Gharib, “How is it with my wives Fakhr Taj[FN#53] and Mahdiyah?”
Al-Damigh answered, “They are both well and in good case.” Then the
eunuch went in and acquainted the women of the Harim with Gharib’s
coming, whereat they rejoiced and raised the trill of joy and gave him
the reward for good news. Presently in came King Gharib, and they rose
and saluting him, conversed with him, till Al-Damigh entered, when
Gharib related to them all that had befallen him in the land of the
Jinn, whereat they all marvelled. Then he lay with Fakhr Taj till near
daybreak, when he took leave of his wives and his uncle and mounted
Kurajan’s back, nor was the darkness dispelled before the two Marids
set him down in the city of Oman. Then he and his men armed and he bade
open the gates when, behold, up came a horseman from the host of the
Indians, with Jamrkan and Sa’adan and the rest of the captive captains
whom he had delivered, and committed them to Gharib. The Moslems,
rejoicing in their safety, donned their mails and took horse, while the
kettle-drums beat a point of war; and the Miscreants also drew up in
line.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Sixty-second Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Moslem host mounted and rode to the plain of cut and thrust, the first
to open the door of war was King Gharib who, drawing his sword
Al-Mahik, drove his charger between the two ranks and cried out,
saying, “Whoso knoweth me hath enough of my mischief and whoso
unknoweth me, to him I will make myself known. I am Gharib, King of
Al-Irak and Al-Yaman, brother of Ajib.” When Ra’ad Shah, son of the
King of Hind, heard this, he shouted to his captains, “Bring me Ajib.”
So they brought him and Ra’ad Shah said to him, “Thou wottest that this
quarrel is thy quarrel and thou art the cause of all this slaughter.
Now yonder standeth thy brother Gharib amiddle-most the fightfield and
stead where sword and spear we shall wield; go thou to him and bring
him to me a prisoner, that I may set him on a camel arsy-versy, and
make a show of him and carry him to the land of Hind.” Answered Ajib,
“O King, send out to him other than I, for I am in ill-health this
morning.” But Ra’ad Shah snarked and snorted and cried, “By the virtue
of the sparkling Fire and the light and the shade and the heat, unless
thou fare forth to thy brother and bring him to me in haste, I will cut
off thy head and make an end of thee.” So Ajib took heart and urging
his horse up to his brother in mid-field, said to him, “O dog of the
Arabs and vilest of all who hammer down tent pegs, wilt thou contend
with Kings? Take what to thee cometh and receive the glad tidings of
thy death.” When Gharib heard this, he said to him, “Who art thou among
the Kings?” And Ajib answered, saying, “I am thy brother, and this day
is the last of thy worldly days.” Now when Gharib was assured that he
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