The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
General
The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 09 (of 10)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
so they loosed him and the Chamberlain said, "Bring him to me!" and
they brought him, but the officer knew him not his beauty being all
gone for the horrors he had endured. Then the Chamberlain said to him,
"O youth, tell me thy case and how cometh this slain woman with thee."
Ibrahim looked at him and knowing him, said to him, "Woe to thee! Dost
thou not know me? Am I not Ibrahim, son of thy lord? Haply thou art
come in quest of me." With this the Chamberlain considered him straitly
and knowing him right well, threw himself at his feet; which when the
Wali saw, his colour changed, and the Chamberlain cried to him, "Fie
upon thee, O tyrant! Was it thine intent to slay the son of my master
Al-Khasib, Wazir of Egypt?" The Chief of Police kissed his skirt,
saying "O my lord,[FN#345] how should I know him? We found him in this
plight and saw the girl lying slain by his side." Rejoined the
Chamberlain, "Out on thee! Thou art not fit for the office. This is a
lad of fifteen and he hath not slain a sparrow; so how should he be a
murtherer? Why didst thou not have patience with him and question him
of his case?" Then the Chamberlain and the Wali cried to the men, "Make
search for the young lady's murtherer." So they re-entered the bath and
finding him, brought him to the Chief of Police, who carried him to the
Caliph and acquainted him with that which had occurred. al-Rashid bade
slay the slayer and sending for Ibrahim, smiled in his face and said to
him, "Tell me thy tale and that which hath betided thee." So he
recounted to him his story from first to last, and it was grievous to
the Caliph, who called Masrur his Sworder, and said to him, "Go
straightway and fall upon the house of Abu al-Kasim al-Sandalani and
bring me him and the young lady." The eunuch went forth at once and
breaking into the house, found Jamilah bound with her own hair and nigh
upon death; so he loosed her and taking the painter, carried them both
to the Caliph, who marvelled at Jamilah's beauty. Then he turned to
Al-Sandalani and said, "Take him and cut off his hands, wherewith he
beat this young lady; then crucify him and deliver his monies and
possessions to Ibrahim." They did his bidding, and as they were thus,
behold, in came Abu al-Lays governor of Bassorah, the Lady Jamilah's
father, seeking aid of the Caliph against Ibrahim bin al- Khasib Wazir
of Egypt and complaining to him that the youth had taken his daughter.
Quoth Al-Rashid, "He hath been the means of delivering her from torture
and slaughter." Then he sent for Ibrahim, and when he came, he said to
Abu al-Lays, "Wilt thou not accept of this young man, son of the Soldan
of Egypt, as husband to thy daughter? ' Replied Abu al-Lays, "I hear
and I obey Allah and thee, O Commander of the Faithful;" whereupon the
Caliph summoned the Kazi and the witnesses and married the young lady
to Ibrahim. Furthermore, he gave him all Al Sandalani's wealth and
equipped him for his return to his own country, where he abode with
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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