The Shaving of Shagpat; an Arabian entertainment — Complete

by George Meredith

  THE SONS OF AKLIS

  Now, Shibli Bagarag thought, 'The poet is right in Aklis as elsewhere, inhis words:

  "The cunning of our oft-neglected wit Doth best the keyhole of occasion fit";

  and whoso looketh for help from others looketh the wrong way in anundertaking. Wah! I will be bold and batter at the hundredth door, whichis the door of the Sword.' So he advanced straightway to the door, whichwas one of solid silver, charactered with silver letters, and knockedagainst it three knocks; and a voice within said, 'What spells?'

  He answered, 'Paravid; Garraveen; and the Lily of the Sea!'

  Upon that the voice said, 'Enter by virtue of the spells!' and the silverdoor swung open, discovering a deep pit, lightened by a torch, and acrossit, bridging it, a string of enormous eggs, rocs' eggs, hollowed, and solarge that a man might walk through them without stooping. At the side ofeach egg three lamps were suspended from a claw, and the shell passagewas illumined with them from end to end. Shibli Bagarag thought, 'Theseeggs are of a surety the eggs of the Roc mastered by Aklis with hissword!' Now, as the sight of Shibli Bagarag grew familiar to the place,he beheld at the bottom of the pit a fluttering mass of blackness and twosickly eyes that glittered below.

  Then thought he, 'Wah! if that be the Roc, and it not dead, will the birdsuffer one to defile its eggs with other than the sole of the foot,naked?' He undid his sandals and kicked off the slippers given him by thedamsels that had duped him, and went into the first egg over the abyss,and into the second, and into the third, and into the fourth, and intothe fifth. Surely the eggs swung with him, and bent; and the fear oftheir breaking and he falling into the maw of the terrible bird made himwalk unevenly. When he had come to the seventh egg, which was the last,it shook and swung violently, and he heard underneath the flapping of thewings of the Roc, as with eagerness expecting a victim to prey upon. Hesustained his soul with the firmness of resolve and darted himselflengthwise to the landing, clutching a hold with his right hand; as hedid so, the bridge of eggs broke, and he heard the feathers of the birdin agitation, and the bird screaming a scream of disappointment as hescrambled up the sides of the pit.

  Now, Shibli Bagarag failed not to perform two prostrations to Allah, andraised the song of gratitude for his preservation when he found himselfin safety. Then he looked up, and lo! behind a curtain, steps leading toan anteroom, and beyond that a chamber like the chamber of kings wherethey sit in state dispensing judgements, like the sun at noon insplendour; and in the chamber seven youths, tall and comely young men,calm as princes in their port, each one dressed in flowing robes, andwith a large glowing pearl in the front of their turbans. They advancedto meet him, saying, 'Welcome to Aklis, thou that art proved worthy! 'Tisholiday now with us'; and they took him by the hand and led him with themin silence past fountain-jets and porphyry pillars to where a servicewith refreshments was spread, meats, fowls with rice, sweetmeats,preserves, palateable mixtures, and monuments of the cook's art, gobletsof wine like liquid rubies. Then one of the youths said to ShibliBagarag, 'Thou hast come to us crowned, O our guest! Now, it is not ourcustom to pay homage, but thou shalt presently behold them that will, solet not thy kingliness droop with us, but feast royally.'

  And Shibli Bagarag said, 'O my princes, surely it is a silly matter tocrown a mouse! Humility hath depressed my stature! Wullahy, I have hadwarning in the sticking of this crown to my brows, and it sticketh likean abomination.'

  They laughed at him, saying, 'It was the heaviness of that crown whichoverweighted thee in the bridge of the abyss, and few be they that bearit and go not to feed the Roc.'

  Now, they feasted together, interchanging civilities, offering to eachother choice morsels, dainties. And the anecdotes of Shibli Bagarag, hissimplicity and his honesty, and his vanity and his airiness, and thebetraying tongue of the barber, diverted the youths; and they plied himwith old wine till his stores of merriment broke forth and were as ariver swollen by torrents of the mountain; and the seven youths laughedat him, spluttering with laughter, lurching with it. Surely, he describedto them the loquacity of Baba Mustapha his uncle, and they laughed sothat their chins were uppermost; but at his mention of Shagpat greatergravity was theirs, and they smoothed their faces solemnly, and the sunof their merriment was darkened for awhile. Then they took to flingingabout pellets of a sugared preparation, and reciting verses in praise ofjovial living, challenging to drink this one and that one, passing thecup with a stanza. Shibli Bagarag thought, 'What a life is this led bythese youths! a fair one! 'Tis they that be the sons of Aklis who sharpenthe Sword of Events; yet live they in jollity, skimming from theprofusion of abundance that which floateth!'

  Now, marking him contemplative, one of the youths shouted, 'The Kinglacketh homage!'

  And another called, 'Admittance for his people!'

  Then the seven arose and placed Shibli Bagarag on an elevation in themidst of them, and lo! a troop of black slaves leading by the collar,asses, and by a string, monkeys. Now, for the asses they brayed to theEvil One, and the monkeys were prankish, pulling against the string, tillthey caught sight of Shibli Bagarag. Then was it as if they had beenawestricken; and they came forward to him with docile steps, eyeing thecrown on his head, and prostrated themselves, the asses and the monkeys,like creatures in whom glowed the lamp of reason and the gift ofintelligence. So Shibli Bagarag drooped his jaw and was ashamed, and hecried, 'my princes! am I a King of these?'

  They answered, 'A King in mightiness! Sultan of a race!'

  So he said, 'It is certain I shall need physic to support such asovereignty! And I must be excused liberal allowances of old wine to sitin state among them. Wullahy! they were best gone for awhile. Send themfrom me, O my princes! I sicken.'

  And he called to the animals, 'Away! begone!' frowning.

  Then said the youths, 'Well commanded! and like a King! See, they troopfrom thy presence obediently.'

  Now the animals fled from before the brows of Shibli Bagarag, and whenthe chamber was empty of them the seven young men said, 'Of a surety thouwert flattered to observe the aspect of these animals at beholding thee.'

  But he cried, 'Not so, O my princes; there is nought flattering in thehomage of asses and monkeys.'

  Then they said, 'O Sultan of asses, ruler of monkeys, better that thanthyself an ass and an ape! As was said by Shah Kasirwan, "I prefer beingking of beasts worshipped by beasts, rather than a crowned beastworshipped by men"; and it was well said. Wullahy! the kings of Roumquote it.'

  Now Shibli Bagarag was not rendered oblivious of the Sword of his questby the humour of these youths, or the wine-bibbings, and he exclaimedwhile they were turning up the heels of their cups, 'O ye sons of Aklis,know that I have come hither for the Sword sharpened by your hands, forthe releasing of my betrothed, Noorna bin Noorka, daughter of the VizierFeshnavat, and for the shaving of Shagpat.'

  While he was proceeding to recount the story of his search for the Sword,they said, 'Enough, O potentate of the braying class and of thescratching tribe! we have seen thee through the eye of Aklis since thetime of thy first thwacking. What says the poet?

  "A day for toil and a day for rest Gives labour zeal, and pleasure zest."

  So, of thy seeking let us hear to-morrow; but now drink with us, and makemerry, and touch the springs of memory; spout forth verses, quaint ones,suitable to the hour and the entertainment. Wullahy! drink with us! tastelife! Let the humours flow.'

  Then they made a motion to some slaves, and presently a clattering ofanklets struck the ear of Shibli Bagarag: and he beheld dancing-girls,moons of beauty and elegance, and they danced wild dances, and dancesgraceful and leopard-like and serpent-like in movement; and the youthsflung flowers at them, applauding them. Then came other sets of dancerseven lovelier, more languishing; and again others with tambourines andmusical instruments, that sang ravishingly. So the senses of ShibliBagarag were all taken with what he saw and heard, and ate and drank; andby degrees a mist came before his eyes, and the sweet sounds and
voicesof the girls grew distant, and it was with difficulty he kept his backfrom the length of the cushions that were about him. Then he thought ofNoorna, and that she sang to him and danced, and when he rose to embraceher she was Rabesqurat by the light of the Lily! And he thought ofShagpat, and that in shaving him the blade was checked in its rapidsweep, and blunted by a stumpy twine of hair that waxed in size andbecame the head of Karaz that gulped at him a wide devouring gulp, andtook him in, and flew up with him, leaving Shagpat half sheared. Then hethought himself struggling halfway down the throat of the monstrous Roc,and that, when he was wholly inside the Roc, he was in a wide-archedpassage crowded with lamps, and at the end of the passage Noorna in theclutch of Karaz, she shouting, 'The Sword, the Sword!'

  Now, while he felt for the Sword wherewith to release her from the Genie,his eyes opened, and he saw day through a casement, and that he hadreposed on an embroidered couch in the corner of a stately roomornamented with carvings of blue and gold. So while he wondered andyawned, gaping, slaves started up from the floor and led him to a bath ofcoloured marble, and bathed him in perfumed waters, and dressed him in adress of yellow silk, rich and ample. Then they paraded before himthrough lesser apartments and across terraces, till they came to a greathall; loftier and more spacious than any he had yet beheld, withfountains at the two ends, and in the centre a tree with golden spreadingbranches and leaves of gold; among the leaves gold-feathered birds, andfruits of all seasons and every description--the drooping grape and thepleasant-smelling quince, and the blood-red pomegranate, and the apricot,and the green and rosy apple, and the gummy date, and the oilypistachio-nut, and peaches, and citrons, and oranges, and the plum, andthe fig. Surely, they were countless in number, melting with ripeness,soft, full to bursting; and the birds darted among them like sun-flashes.Now, Shibli Bagarag thought, 'This is a wondrous tree! Wullahy! there isnought like it save the tree in the hall of the Prophet in Paradise,feeding the faithful!' As he regarded it he heard his name spoken in thehall, and turning he beheld seven youths in royal garments, that werelike the youths he had feasted with, and yet unlike them, pale, and sternin their manners, their courtesy as the courtesy of kings. They said,'Sit with us and eat the morning's meal, O our guest!'

  So he sat with them under the low branches of the tree; and they whistledthe tune of one bird and of another bird, and of another, and lo! thosedifferent birds flew down with golden baskets hanging from their bills,and in the baskets fruits and viands and sweetmeats, and cool drinks. AndShibli Bagarag ate from the baskets of the birds, watching the action ofthe seven youths and the difference that was in them. He sought to makethem recognise him and acknowledge their carouse of the evening that waspast, but they stared at him strangely and seemed offended at theallusion, neither would they hear mention of the Sword of his seeking.Presently, one of the youths stood upon his feet and cried, "The time forkings to sit in judgement!"

  And the youths arose and led Shibli Bagarag to a hall of ebony, andseated him on the upper seat, themselves standing about him; and lo!asses and monkeys came before him, complaining of the injustice of menand their fellows, in brays and bellows and hoots. Now, at the sight ofthem again Shibli Bagarag was enraged, and he said to the youths, 'How!do ye not mock me, O masters of Aklis!'

  But they said only, 'The burden of his crown is for the King.'

  He cooled, thinking, 'I will use a spell.' So he touched the lips of ananimal with the waters of Paravid, and the animal prated volubly in ourlanguage of the kick this ass had given him, and the jibe of that monkey,and of his desire of litigation with such and such a beast for pasture;and the others when they spake had the same complaints to make. ShibliBagarag listened to them gravely, and it was revealed to him that he whoruleth over men hath a labour and duties of hearing and judging anddispensing judgement similar to those of him who ruleth over apes andasses. Then said he, 'O youths, my princes! methinks the sitting in thisseat giveth a key to secret sources of wisdom; and I see what it is, theglory and the exaltation coveted by men.' Now, he took from the asses andthe monkeys one, and said to it, 'Be my chief Vizier,' and to another,'Be my Chamberlain!' and to another, 'Be my Treasurer!' and so on, till adispute arose between the animals, and jealousy of each other was visiblein their glances, and they appealed to him clamorously. So he said, 'Whatam I to ye?'

  They answered, 'Our King!'

  And he said, 'How so?'

  They answered, 'By the crowning of the brides of Aklis.'

  Then he said, 'What be ye, O my subjects?'

  They answered, 'Men that were searchers of the Sword and plunged into thetank of temptation.'

  And he said, 'How that?'

  They answered, 'By the lures of vanity, the blinding of ambition, andtasting the gall of the Roc.'

  So Shibli Bagarag leaned to the seven youths, saying, 'O my princes, butfor not tasting the gall of the Roc I might be as one of these. Wullahy!I the King am warned by base creatures.' Then he said to the animals,'Have ye still a longing for the crown?'

  And they cried, all of them, 'O light of the astonished earth, we carefor nought other than it.'

  So he said, 'And is it known to ye how to dispossess the wearer of hisburden?'

  They answered, 'By a touch of the gall of the Roc on his forehead.'

  Then he lifted his arms, crying, 'Hie out of my presence! and whoso of yefetcheth a drop of the gall, with that one will I exchange the crown.'

  At these words some moved hastily, but the most faltered, as doubting andincredulous that he would propose such an exchange; and one, an oldmonkey, sat down and crossed his legs, and made a study of ShibliBagarag, as of a sovereign that held forth a deceiving bargain. But hecried again, 'Hie and haste! as my head is now cased I think it not thehonoured part.'

  Then the old monkey arose with a puzzled look, half scornful, and madefor the door slowly, turning his head toward Shibli Bagarag betweenwhilesas he went, and scratching his lower limbs with the mute reflectivenessof age and extreme caution.

  Now, when they were gone, Shibli Bagarag looked in the eyes of the sevenyouths, and saw they were content with him, and his countenance wasbrightened with approval. So he descended from his seat, and went withthem from the hall of ebony to a court where horses were waiting saddled,and slaves with hawks on their wrists stood in readiness; and theymounted each a horse, but he loitered. The seven youths divined hisfeeling, and cried impatiently, 'Come! no lingering in Aklis!' So hemounted likewise, and they emerged from the palace, and entered the hillsthat glowed under the copper sun, and started a milk-white antelope withruby spots, and chased it from its cover over the sand-hills, a hawkbeing let loose to worry it and distress its timid beaming eyes. When thecreature was quite overcome, one of the youths struck his heel into hishorse's side and flung a noose over the head of the quarry, and drew itwith them, gently petting it the way home to the palace. At the gates ofthe palace it was released, and lo! it went up the steps, and passedthrough the halls as one familiar with them. Now, when they were allassembled in the anteroom of the hall, where Shibli Bagarag had firstseen the seven youths, sons of Aklis, in their jollity, one of them saidto the Antelope, 'We have need of thee to speak a word with Aklis, O oursister!'

  So the same youth requested the use of the phial of Paravid, and ShibliBagarag applied it carefully, tenderly, to the mouth of the Antelope.Then the Antelope spake in a silver-ringing voice, saying, 'What is it, Omy brothers?'

  They answered, 'Thou knowest we dare not attempt interchange of speechwith Aklis, seeing that we disobeyed him in visiting the kingdoms of theearth: so it is for thee to question him as to the object of this youth,and it is the Shaving of Shagpat.'

  So she said, ''Tis well; I wot of it.'

  Then she advanced to the curtain concealing the abyss of the Roc and thebridge of its eggs, and went behind it. There was a pause, and they heardher say presently in a grave voice, toned with reverence, 'How is it, Oour father? is it a good thing that thy Sword be in use at this season?'

  And they
heard the Voice answer from a depth, ''Twere well it rust not!'

  They heard her say, 'O our father Aklis, and we wish to know if be heldin favour by thee, and thou sanction it with thy Sword.'

  And they heard the Voice answer, 'The Shaving of Shagpat is my Swordalone equal to, and he that shaveth him performeth a service to mankindranking next my vanquishing of the Roc.'

  Then they heard her say, 'And it is thy will we teach him the mysteriesof the Sword, and that which may be done with it?'

  And they heard the Voice answer, 'Even so!'

  After that the Voice was still, and soon the Antelope returned frombehind the curtain, and the youths caressed her with brotherly caresses,and took a circle of hands about her, and so moved to the great Hall ofthe gorgeous Tree, and fed her from the branches. Now, while they werethere, Shibli Bagarag advanced to the Antelope, and knelt at her feet,and said, 'O Princess of Aklis, surely I am betrothed to one constant asa fixed star, and brighter; a mistress of magic, and innocent as thebleating lamb; and she is now on a pillar, chained there, in the midst ofthe white wrathful sea, wailing for me to deliver her with this Sword ofmy seeking. So, now, I pray thee help me to the Sword swiftly, that I maydeliver her.'

  The youths, her brothers, clamoured and interposed, saying, 'Take thyshape ere that, O Gulrevaz, our sister!'

  But she cried, 'He is betrothed! not till he graspeth the Sword. Tellhim, the youth, our conditions, and for what exchange the Sword isyielded.'

  And they said, 'The conditions are, thou part with thy spells, all ofthem, O youth!'

  And he said, 'There is no condition harsh that exchangeth the Sword; O yeSeven, I agree!'

  Then she said, ''Tis well! nobility is in the soul of this youth. Gobefore us now to the Cave of Chrysolites, O my brothers.'

  So these departed before, and she in her antelope form followed footinggracefully, and made Shibli Bagarag repeat the story of his betrothal asthey went.