One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  When Julnar heard this, she mourned sore for her son and was sore incensed against her brother Salih for that he had taken him and gone down with him into the sea, without her leave; and she said, ‘O my mother, I fear to tarry with thee, lest the state fall into disorder and the kingdom pass from our hands; for I came to thee without letting any know. Wherefore I deem well to return and govern the realm, till it please God to order our son’s affair for us. But look ye forget him not neither neglect his case; for, should he come to any harm, it would infallibly be the death of me, since I see the world only in him and delight but in his life.’ ‘With all my heart, O my daughter,’ replied the old queen. ‘Ask not what we suffer by reason of his loss and absence.’ Then she sent to seek for Bedr, whilst Julnar returned to her kingdom, weeping-eyed and mournful-hearted, and indeed the world was straitened upon her and she was in evil case.

  To return to King Bedr. He abode days and nights in the semblance of a bird, in the island where Mersineh had left him, eating of its fruits and drinking of its waters and knowing not whither to go nor how to fly; till, one day, there came a fowler to the island to catch somewhat wherewithal to get his living. He espied King Bedr in his form of a white bird, with red bill and feet, captivating the sight and bewildering the thought [with his beauty], and said in himself, ‘Verily, yonder is a handsome bird: never saw I its like in make or beauty.’ So he cast his net over Bedr and taking him, carried him to the town to sell him. On his way, one of the townsfolk accosted him and asked the price of the bird. Quoth the fowler ‘What wilt thou do with him?’ ‘I will kill him and eat him, answered the other; whereupon said the fowler ‘Who could have the heart to kill this bird and eat him? I mean to present him to the king, who will give me more than thou and will not kill him, but will divert himself by gazing on his beauty and grace, for in all my life, since I have been a fowler, I never saw his like among land or water fowl. The utmost thou wouldst give me for him would be a dirhem, and by the Great God, I will not sell him!’

  Then he carried the bird up to the king’s palace, and when the latter saw it, its beauty pleased him and the red colour of its feet and beak. So he sent an eunuch to buy it, who accosted the fowler and said to him, ‘Wilt thou sell this bird?’ ‘No,’ answered he; ‘it is a gift from me to the king.’ So the eunuch carried the bird to the king and told him what the man had said, and he took it and gave the fowler ten dinars, whereupon he kissed the earth and went away. Then the eunuch carried the bird to the king’s palace and placing him ih a handsome cage, set meat and drink by him and hung him up.

  When the king came down [from the throne], he said to the eunuch, ‘Where is the bird? Bring it to me, that I may look upon it, for, by Allah, it is handsome!’ So the eunuch brought the cage and set it before the king, who looked and seeing the food untouched, said, ‘By Allah, I know not what it will eat, that I may feed it!’ Then he called for food and they laid the tables and the king ate. When the bird saw the meat and froits and sweetmeats and what not, he ate of all that was before the king, whereat the latter and all the bystanders marvelled and the king said to his attendants, ‘In all my life I never saw a bird eat as doth this!’ Then he sent an eunuch to fetch his wife, that she might look upon the bird, and he went in to her and said, ‘O my lady, the king desireth thy presence, that thou mayst divert thyself with the sight of a bird he hath bought. It is goodly of aspect and is a wonder of the wonders of the age; for, when we set on the food, it flew down from its cage and perching on the table, ate of all that was thereon.’

  So she came in haste; but, when she saw the bird, she veiled her face and turned to go away. The king followed her and said to her, ‘Why cost thou veil thy face, when there is none in presence save the eunuchs and women that wait on thee and thy husband?’ ‘O king,’ answered she, ‘this is no bird, but a man like thyself.’ ‘Thou liest,’ rejoined he. ‘This is too much of a jest. How should he be other than a bird?’ ‘By Allah,’ replied she, ‘I do not jest with thee nor do I tell thee aught but the truth; for this bird is King Bedr Basim, son of King Shehriman,

  lord of the land of the Persians, and his mother is Julnar of the Sea.’ And how came he in this shape?’ asked the king; and she said, ‘The princess Jauhereh, daughter of King Es Semendel, hath enchanted him:’ and told him all that had befallen King Bedr from first to last; for this queen was the greatest enchantress of her day.

  The king marvelled exceedingly at his wife’s words and conjured her, on his life, to free Bedr from his enchantment and not leave him in torment, saying, ‘May God the Most High cut off Jauhereh’s hand, for a foul witch as she is! How little is her piety and how great her craft and perfidy!’ Quoth the queen, ‘Do thou say to him, “O Bedr Basim, enter yonder closet!”’ So the king bade him enter the closet and he did so.

  Then the queen veiled her face and taking in her hand a bowl of water, entered the closet, where she pronounced over the water certain words, that might not be uunderstood, and sprinkling the bird therewith, said to him, ‘By the virtue of these mighty names and holy verses and of the Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, the Quickener of the dead and Appointer of the means of livelihood and the terms of existence, quit this thy present form and return to that in which God created thee!’ Hardly had she made an end of these words, when the bird trembled and became a man; and the king saw before him a handsome youth, than whom there was none goodlier on the face of the earth.

  When Bedr found himself thus restored to his own shape, he said, ‘There is no god but God and Mohammed is the apostle of God! Glory be to the Creator and Provider of all creatures and the Ordainer of their terms of life!’ Then he kissed the king’s hand and wished him long life, and the king kissed his hand and said to him, ‘O Bedr, tell me thy history from beginning to end.’ So he told him his whole story, concealing nought: and the king marvelled thereat and said to him, ‘O Bedr, God hath delivered thee from the enchantment: but what hath thy judgment decided and what thinkest thou to do?’ ‘O king of the age,’ answered Bedr, ‘I desire of thy bounty that thou equip me a ship with a company of thy servants and all that is needful; for I have been long absent and fear lest the kingdom depart from me. And I misdoubt me my mother is dead of grief for my loss; for she knows not what is come of me nor whether I am alive or dead. Wherefore, I beseech thee, O king, to crown thy favours to me by granting me what I seek.’

  The king was moved by Bedr’s beauty and sweet speech and said, ‘I hear and obey.’ So he fitted him out a ship, which he furnished with all that was needful and mamled with a company of his servants; and Bedr set sail in it, after having taken leave of the king”. They sailed ten days with a favouring wind; but, on the eleventh day, the sea became exceeding troubled, the ship rose and fell and the sailors availed not to govern her. So they drifted at the mercy of the waves, till the ship drove upon a rock and broke up and all on board were drowned, except Bedr, who got astride one of the planks of the vessel, after having been nigh upon death. The sea and the wind carried the plank along for three days, whilst he knew not whither he went and had no means of directing its motion; till, on the fourth day, the plank grounded with him on the sea-shore in sight of a white city, as it were a passing white dove, goodly of ordinance, with high towers and lofty walls, builded upon a tongue of land that jutted out into the sea and the waves beating against its walls.

  When Bedr saw this, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy, for he was well-nigh dead with hunger and thirst, and dismounting from the plank, would have gone up the beach to the city; but there came down to him mules and asses and horses, in number as the sands [of the sea] and fell a-striking at him and hindering him from landing. So he swam round to the back of the city, where he landed and entering the place, found none therein and marvelled at this, saying, ‘I wonder to whom does this city belong, wherein is no king nor any inhabitant, and whence came the mules and asses and horses that hindered me from landing?’

  Then he fared on at hazard, musing on his case, till he espied
an old man, a grocer, [sitting at the door of his shop]. So he saluted him and the other returned his greeting and seeing him to be a handsome young man, said to him, ‘O youth, whence comest thou and what brings thee to this city?’ Bedr told him his story; at which the old man marvelled and said, ‘O my son, didst thou see any in thy way?’ ‘Indeed, O my father,’ answered Bedr, ‘I wondered to see the city void of people’ Quoth the grocer, ‘O my son, come up into the shop, lest thou perish.’ So Bedr went up into the shop and sat down; whereupon the old man set food before him, saying, ‘O my son, come within the shop; glory be to Him who hath preserved thee from yonder she-devil!’

  Bedr was sore affrighted at the grocer’s words; but he ate his fill and washed his hands; then turned to his host and said to him, ‘O my lord, what is the meaning of thy words? Verily, thou hast made me fearful of this city and its people.’ ‘Know, O my son,’ replied the old man, ‘that this is the City of the Magicians and its queen is a sorceress and a mighty enchantress, as she were a she-devil, crafty and perfidious exceedingly. All the horses and mules and asses thou sawest were once men and strangers, like unto thee; for whoever enters the city, being a young man like thyself, this misbelieving witch takes him and abides with him forty days, after which she enchants him, and he becomes a horse or a mule or an ass, of those thou sawest on the sea-shore. So, when they saw thee about to land, they feared lest she should enchant thee, even as she had enchanted them, and signed to thee, as who should say, “Do not land,—” of their solicitude for thee, lest she should do with thee like as she had done with them. She possessed herself of this city [and took it] from its people by sorcery and her name is Queen Lab, which, being interpreted, meaneth in Arabic, “The Sun.”’

  When Bedr heard what the old man said, he was sore affrighted and trembled like a wind-shaken reed, saying in himself, ‘Hardly am I delivered from the affliction wherein I was by reason of sorcery, when fate casts me into yet sorrier case!’ And he fell a-musing over his case and that which had betided him. When the grocer saw the violence of his fear, he said to him, ‘O my son, come, sit at the threshold of the shop and look upon yonder creatures and upon their dress and favour and that wherein they are by reason of enchantment, and fear not; for the queen and all in the city love and tender me and will not [do aught to] vex my heart or trouble my mind.’ So Bedr came out and sat at the shop-door, looking out upon the folk; and there passed by him creatures without number.

  When the people saw him, they accosted the grocer and said to him, ‘O elder, is this thy captive and thy prey that [thou hast gotten] in these [latter] days?’ ‘He is my brother’s son,’ answered the old man. ‘I heard that his father was dead; so I sent for him, that I might quench with him the fire of my longing.’ Quoth they, ‘Indeed he is a comely youth; but we fear for him from Queen Lab, lest she turn on thee with treachery and take him from thee, for she loves handsome young men.’ ‘The queen will not gainsay my commandment,’ answered the grocer, ‘for she loves and tenders me; and when she knows that he is my brother’s son, she will not molest him nor afflict me in him, neither trouble my heart on his account.’ Then Bedr abode some months with the grocer, eating and drinking, and the old man loved him with an exceeding love.

  One day, as he sat in the shop, as of his wont, there came up a thousand eunuchs, with drawn swords, mounted upon Arabian horses and clad in various kinds of raiment and girt with jewelled girdles and Indian swords. They saluted the grocer, as they passed, and were followed by a thousand damsels like moons, clad in various raiment of silks and satin, laced with gold and embroidered with jewels, and armed with spears. In their midst rode a young lady, mounted on an Arabian mare, saddled with a saddle of gold, set with various kinds of jewels and jacinths. The damsels saluted the grocer and passed OD, till up came Queen Lab, in great state, and seeing Bedr sitting in the shop, as he were the moon at its full, was amazed at his beauty and grace and became passionately enamoured of him.

  So she alighted and sitting down by King Bedr, said to the old man, ‘Whence hadst thou this fair one?’ ‘He is my brother’s son,’ answered the grocer, ‘and is [but] lately come to me.’ Quoth Lab, ‘Let him be with me this night, that I may talk with him.’ And the old man said, ‘Wilt thou take him from me and not enchant him?’ ‘Yes,’ answered she, and he said, ‘Swear to me.’ So she swore to him that she would not enchant Bedr nor do him any hurt, and bidding bring him a handsome horse, saddled and bridled with a bridle of gold and decked with trappings all of gold, set with jewels, gave the old man a thousand dinars, saying, ‘Use this for shine occasions.’ Then she took Bedr and carried him off, as he were the full moon on its fourteenth night, whilst all the folk, seeing his beauty, were grieved for him and said, ‘By Allah, this youth deserves better than to be bewitched by yonder accursed sorceress!’

  Bedr heard all they said, but was silent, committing his case to God the Most High, till they came to the gate of Queen Lab’s palace, where the emirs and eunuchs and notables of the realm dismounted and she bade the chamberlains dismiss her officers and grandees, who kissed the earth and went away, while she entered the palace with Bedr and her eunuchs and women. Here he found a palace, whose like he had never seen, for in its midst was a great basin full of water, amiddleward a vast garden. He looked at the garden and saw it full of birds of various kinds and colours, warbling in all manner tongues and voices, joyous and plaintive. Brief, [everywhere] he beheld great state and dominion and said, ‘Glory be to God, who of His bounty and clemency provided those who worship other than Himself!’

  The queen sat down at a lattice-window overlooking the garden, on a couch of ivory, whereon was a high bed, and Bedr seated himself by her side. She kissed him and pressing him to her bosom, bade her women bring a table of food. So they brought a table of red gold, inlaid with pearls and jewels and spread with all manner meats, and the queen and Bedr ate, till they were satisfied, and washed their hands; after which the waiting-women set on flagons of gold and silver and crystal, together with all kinds of cowers and dishes of fruits and confections. Then the queen called for the singing-women, and there came ten damsels, as they were moons, with all manner of musical instruments in their hands. The queen filled a cup and drinking it off, filled another and gave it to Bedr, who took it and drank; and they ceased not to drink till they had enough. Then she bade the damsels sing, and they sang all manner airs, till it seemed to Bedr as if the palace danced with him for delight. His sense was ravished [with the music] and his breast expanded, and he forgot his strangerhood and said in himself, ‘Verily, this queen is a handsome young woman, and I will never leave her; for her kingdom is vaster than mine and she is fairer than the princess Jauhereh.’

  He ceased not to drink with her till nightfall, when they lighted the lamps and candles and diffused perfumes |from the censers]; nor did they leave drinking, till they were both drunken, and the singing-women sang the while. Then the queen lay down on a bed and dismissing her women, called to Bedr to come and lie with her. So he lay with her, in all delight of life, till the morning, when they entered the bath, that was in the palace, and washed; after which she clad him in the finest of raiment and called for wine. So the waiting-women brought the drinking-vessels and they drank. Presently, the queen arose and taking Bedr by the hand, sat down with him on chairs and commanded to bring food, of which they ate and washed their hands. Then the damsels brought the drinking-vessels and fruits and flowers and confections, and they ceased not to eat and drink, whilst the singing-girls sang various airs, till the evening.

  They gave not over eating and drinking and merry-making forty days, at the end of which time the queen said to him, ‘O Bedr, whether is the pleasanter, this place or the shop of shine uncle the grocer?’ ‘By Allah, O queen,’ answered he, ‘this is the pleasanter, for my uncle is but a poor man, who sells pot-herbs.’ She laughed at his words, and they lay together in the pleasantest of case till the morning, when Bedr awoke and not finding Queen Lab by his side, was troubled at her ab
sence and perplexed and said, ‘Where can she have gone?’ And indeed she was absent from him a great while and did not return; so he donned his clothes and went in search of her, but found her not and said in himself, ‘Haply, she is gone to the garden.’

  So he went out into the garden and came to a running stream, beside which he saw a white she-bird and on the bank a tree full of birds of various colours, and stood and watched the birds, without their seeing him. Presently, a black bird flew down upon the white bird and fell to billing her, after the manner of doves; then he leapt on her and trod her three times, after which she changed and became a woman. Bedr looked at her and behold, it was Queen Lab. So he knew that the black bird was a man enchanted and that she was enamoured of him and had transformed herself into a bird, that he might lie with her; wherefore jealousy got hold upon him and he was wroth with the queen because of the black bird.

  Then he returned to his place and lay down on the bed, and presently she came back and fell to kissing him and jesting with him; but he answered her not a word, being sore incensed against her. She saw what was to do with him and was assured that he had seen what befell between her and the black bird; yet she discovered to him nothing, but concealed that which ailed her. When he had done her occasion, he said to her, ‘O queen, give me leave to go to my uncle’s shop, for I long after him and have not seen him these forty days.’ ‘Go,’ answered she, ‘but do not tarry from me, for I cannot brook to be parted from thee, nor can I endure without thee an hour.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ said he and mounting, rode to the shop of the grocer, who received him with open arms and said to him, ‘How hast thou fared with yonder idolatress?’ ‘I was well, in health and prosperity,’ answered Bedr, ‘till this last night,’ — and told him what had passed in the garden.