The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 07 (of 10) — John Shaqi
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
fall upon the Moslems so shall not one of them be left alive.” And they
replied, “Hearkening and obedience!” This is how it fared with them;
but as regards the Moslems, they passed the night, dejected and weeping
for their King and Sa’adan; but Sahim said to them, “O folk, be not
concerned, for the aidance of Almighty Allah is nigh.” Then he waited
till midnight, when he assumed the garb of a tent-pitcher; and,
repairing to Ajib’s camp, made his way between the tents and pavilions
till he came to the King’s marquee, where he saw him seated on his
throne surrounded by his Princes. So he entered and going up to the
candles which burnt in the tent snuffed them and sprinkled levigated
henbane on the wicks; after which he withdrew and waited without the
marquee, till the smoke of the burning henbane reached Ajib and his
Princes and they fell to the ground like dead men. Then he left them
and went to the prison tent, where he found Gharib and Sa’adan, guarded
by a thousand braves, who were overcome with sleep. So he cried out at
the guards, saying, “Woe to you! Sleep not; but watch your prisoners
and light the cressets.” Presently he filled a cresset with firewood,
on which he strewed henbane, and lighting it, went round about the tent
with it, till the smoke entered the nostrils of the guards, and they
all fell asleep drowned by the drug; when he entered the tent and
finding Gharib and Sa’adan also insensible he aroused them by making
them smell and sniff at a sponge full of vinegar he had with him.
Thereupon he loosed their bonds and collars, and when they saw him,
they blessed him and rejoiced In him. After this they went forth and
took all the arms of the guards and Sahim said to them, “Go to your own
camp;” while he re-entered Ajib’s pavilion and, wrapping him in his
cloak, lifted him up and made for the Moslem encampment. And the Lord,
the Compassionate, protected him, so that he reached Gharib’s tent in
safety and unrolled the cloak before him. Gharib looked at its contents
and seeing his brother Ajib bound, cried out, “Allaho Akbar—God is
Most Great! Aidance! Victory!” And he blessed Sahim and bade him arouse
Ajib. So he made him smell the vinegar mixed with incense, and he
opened his eyes and, finding himself bound and shackled, hung down his
head earthwards.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.
When it was the Six Hundred and Fortieth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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