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
obedience!” After two days came Zalzal and Gharib, with the King’s idol
of Karaj, but no sooner had they entered the palace-gate than the Jinn
seized on them and carried them before Al-Muzalzil, who looked at his
son with eyes of ire and said to him, “O dog of the Jann, hast thou
left thy Faith and that of thy fathers and grandfathers?” Quoth Zalzal,
“I have embraced the True Faith, and on like wise do thou (Woe be to
thee!) seek salvation and thou shalt be saved from the wrath of the
King Almighty in sway, Creator of Night and Day.” Therewith his father
waxed wroth and said, “O son of adultery, dost confront me with these
words?” Then he bade clap him in prison and turning to Gharib, said to
him, “O wretch of a mortal, how hast thou abused my son’s wit and
seduced him from his Faith?” Quoth Gharib, “Indeed, I have brought him
out of wrongousness into the way of righteousness, out of Hell into
Heaven and out of unfaith to the True Faith.” Whereupon the King cried
out to a Marid called Sayyár, saying “Take this dog and cast him into
the Wady of Fire, that he may perish.” Now this valley was in the
“Waste Quarter[FN#71]” and was thus named from the excess of its heat
and the flaming of its fire, which was so fierce that none who went
down therein could live an hour, but was destroyed; and it was
compassed about by mountains high and slippery wherein was no opening.
So Sayyar took up Gharib and flew with him towards the Valley of Fire,
till he came within an hour’s journey thereof, when being weary, he
alighted in a valley full of trees and streams and fruits, and setting
down from his back Gharib chained as he was, fell asleep for fatigue.
When Gharib heard him snore, he strove with his bonds till he burst
them; then, taking up a heavy stone, he cast it down on the Marid’s
head and crushed his bones, so that he died on the spot. Then he fared
on into the valley.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Seventy-fifth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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