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
There were once two Kings, a just and an unjust; and this one had a
land abounding in trees and fruits and herbs; but he let no merchant
pass without robbing him of his monies and his merchandise, and the
traders endured this with patience, by reason of their profit from the
fatness of the earth in the means of life and its pleasantness, more by
token that it was renowned for its richness in precious stones and
gems. Now the just King, who loved jewels, heard of this land and sent
one of his subjects thither, giving him much specie and bidding him
pass with it into the other's realm and buy jewels therefrom. So he
went thither; and, it being told to the unjust King that a merchant was
come to his kingdom with much money to buy jewels withal, he sent for
him to the presence and said to him, "Who art thou and whence comest
thou and who brought thee thither and what is thy errand?" Quoth the
merchant, "I am of such and such a region, and the King of that land
gave me money and bade me buy therewith jewels from this country; so I
obeyed his bidding and came." Cried the unjust King, "Out on thee!
Knowest thou not my fashion of dealing with the people of my realm and
how each day I take their monies? How then comest thou to my country?
And behold, thou hast been a sojourner here since such a time!"
Answered the trader, "The money is not mine, not a mite of it; nay,
'tis a trust in my hands till I bring its equivalent to its owner." But
the King said, "I will not let thee take thy livelihood of my land or
go out therefrom, except thou ransom thyself with this money all of
it."—And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.
When it was the Nine Hundred and Tenth Night,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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