One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  Then said the princess, ‘We are delivered from the hand of yonder accursed wretch; what shall we do now?’ ‘It behoves us to ask aid of God the Most High, who hath afflicted us,’ answered Seif; ‘belike He will direct us and help us to escape from this our strait.’ So saying, he arose and pulling down half a score of the doors of the palace, which were wroughten of sandal and aloes-wood, with nails of gold and silver, bound them together with ropes of silk and sendal, which were there, and wrought of them a raft, which he made shift, he and the princess, to drag down to the sea-shore. They cast it into the water and making it fast to the beach, returned to the palace, whence they removed all the dishes of gold and silver and jewels and precious stones and metals and what not else was light of carriage and heavy of worth and freighted the raft therewith. Then they fashioned two pieces of wood into the likeness of oars, with which they embarked on the raft and casting off the moorings, let it drift out to sea with them, committing themselves to God the Most High, who contenteth those that put their trust in Him and disappointed them not.

  They fared on thus four months, and when they lay down to sleep, the prince set Dauleh Khatoun behind him and laid a naked sword at his back, so that, when he turned, the sword was between them. At last, their victual came to an end and they were reduced to sore distress; their souls were straitened and they besought God the Most High to vouchsafe them deliverance from their strait. It chanced, one night, when Seif was asleep and the princess awake, that the raft fell off towards the land and entered a harbour wherein were ships. The princess saw the ships and heard a man (who was none other than the chief and head of the captains) talking with the sailors; whereby she knew that this was the port of some city and that they were come to an inhabited country. So she rejoiced mightily and waking Seif el Mulouk, bade him ask the captain the name of the city and harbour.

  Accordingly Seif arose, rejoicing, and said to the captain, ‘O my brother, how is this harbour called and what are the names of yonder city and its king?’ ‘O fool’s face! O frosty beard!’ replied the captain, ‘if thou knewest not the name of this port and city, how camest thou hither?’ Quoth Seif, ‘I am a stranger and had taken passage in a merchant ship, which was wrecked and sank with all on board; but I saved myself on a plank and made my way hither; wherefore I asked thee the name of the place, and there is no harm in asking.’ Then said the captain, ‘This is the city of Amariyeh and this harbour is called Kemin el Behrein.’ When the princess heard this, she rejoiced with an exceeding joy and said, ‘Praised be God!’ ‘What is to do?’ asked Seif. And she answered, saying, ‘O Seif el Mulouk, rejoice in succour near at hand; for the king of this city is my father’s brother and his name is Aali el Mulouk. Say to the captain, “Is the Sultan of the city, Aali el Mulouk, well?”’

  The prince put the question to the captain, who was wroth with him and said, ‘Thou sayst, “I am a stranger and never in my life came hither.” Who then told thee the name of the lord of the city?’ When Dauleh Khatoun heard this, she rejoiced and knew him for one of her father’s captains, Muïneddin by name. Now he had come out in search of her, after her disappearance, and finding her not, had continued his cruise till he came to her uncle’s city. Then she bade Seif say to him, ‘O Captain Muïneddin, come and speak with thy mistress!’ So he called out to him as she bade, whereat he was exceeding angry and answered, saying, ‘O dog, who art thou and how knowest thou me?’ Then he said to one of the sailors, ‘Give me an ash-stick, that I may go to yonder pestilent fellow and break his head.’

  So he took the stick and made for Seif el Mulouk, but, when he came to the raft, he saw Dauleh Khatoun sitting there, as she were a piece of the moon; whereat he was confounded and said to the prince, ‘Who is that with thee?’ ‘A damsel by name Dauleh Khatoun,’ replied Seif. When the captain heard the princess’s name and knew that she was his mistress and the daughter of his king, he fell down in a swoon, and when he came to himself, he left the raft and those that were thereon and going up to the palace, craved an audience of the king; whereupon the chamberlain went in to the latter and said, ‘Captain Muïneddin is come to bring thee good news.’ The king bade admit him: so he entered and kissing the earth, said to him, ‘O king, thou owest me a gift for glad tidings; for thy brother’s daughter Dauleh Khatoun hath arrived here, safe and sound, and is now on a raft in the harbour, in company with a young man like the moon on the night of its full.’

  When the king heard this, he rejoiced and conferred a sumptuous dress of honour on the captain. Then he straightway commanded to decorate the city in honour of the safe return of his brother’s daughter, and sending for her and Seif el Mulouk, saluted them and gave them joy of their safety; after which he despatched a messenger to his brother, to let him know that his daughter was found and was with him. As soon as the news reached Taj el Mulouk, he assembled his troops and set out for his brother’s capital, where he found his daughter and they rejoiced with an exceeding joy. He sojourned with his brother a week, after which he took his daughter and Seif el Mulouk and returned to Serendib, where the princess foregathered with her mother and they rejoiced and held high festival in honour of her safe return; and it was a great day, never was seen its like.

  As for Seif el Mulouk, the king entreated him with honour and said to him, ‘O Seif el Mulouk, thou hast done me and my daughter all this good and I cannot requite thee therefor, nor can any requite thee, save the Lord of all creatures; but I wish thee to sit upon the throne in my stead and rule the land of Hind, for I make gift to thee of my throne and kingdom and treasures and servants.’ Whereupon Seif rose and kissing the earth before the king, thanked him and answered, saying, ‘O King of the age, I accept all thou givest me and return it to thee in free gift: for I covet not kingship nor sultanate nor desire aught but that God the Most High bring me to my desire.’ ‘O Seif el Mulouk,’ rejoined the king, ‘these my treasures are at thy disposal: take of them what thou wilt, without consulting me, and God requite thee for me with all good!’ Quoth the prince, ‘God advance the king! Indeed, there is no delight for me in treasure or dominion, till I attain my desire: but now I have a mind to take my pleasure in the city and view its streets and markets.’

  So the king commanded to bring him a horse of the thoroughbred horses, saddled and bridled; and Seif mounted and rode through the streets and markets of the town. As he looked about him, his eyes fell on a young man, who was crying a tunic for sale at fifteen dinars: so he considered him and saw him to be like his brother Saïd; and indeed it was his very self, but he was pale and changed for long strangerhood and the hardships of travel, so that he knew him not. However, he said to his attendants, ‘Take yonder youth and carry him to the palace where I lodge, and keep him with you till my return, that I may question him.’ But they understood him to say, ‘Carry him to the prison,’ and said in themselves, ‘Doubtless this is some runaway slave of his.’ So they took him and carried him to the prison, where they laid him in irons and left him.

  Presently Seif returned to the palace, but he forgot his brother Saïd, and none made mention of him to him. So he abode in prison, and when they brought out the prisoners, to labour upon the public works, they took Saïd with them, and he wrought with the rest. In this plight he abode a month’s space, in squalor and misery, pondering his case and saying in himself, ‘What is the cause of my imprisonment?’ Meanwhile, Seif el Mulouk’s mind was diverted from him by rejoicing and other things; but one day, as he sat, he bethought him of Saïd and said to his attendants, ‘Where is the young man I gave into your charge on such a day?’ ‘Didst thou not bid us carry him to the prison?’ said they. ‘Nay,’ answered he; ‘I bade you carry him to my palace.’ Then he sent his chamberlains for Saïd and they fetched him in irons, and loosing him from his fetters, set him before the prince, who said to him, ‘O young man, what countryman art thou?’ Quoth he, ‘I am from Egypt and my name is Saïd, son of the Vizier Faris.’

  When Seif heard this, he rose and throwing himself upon him, hun
g on his neck, weeping for very joy and saying, ‘O Saïd, O my brother, praised be God that I see thee alive! I am thy brother Seif el Mulouk, son of King Aasim.’ Then they embraced and wept together and all who were present marvelled at them. After this, Seif commanded his people to carry Saïd to the bath: and they did so. When he came out, they clad him in sumptuous apparel and carried him back to Seif, who seated him on the couch beside himself. When King Taj el Mulouk heard of the reunion of Seif and his brother Saïd, he was mightily rejoiced and came to them, and the three sat devising of all that had befallen them.

  Then said Saïd, ‘O my brother Seif el Mulouk, when the ship sank and all on board were cast into the sea, I saved myself on a plank with a company of servants, and it drifted with us a whole month, at the end of which time the wind cast us, by the ordinance of God the Most High, upon an island. So we landed and entering among the trees, fell to eating of the fruits, for we were anhungred. Whilst we were busy eating, there fell on us, at unawares, folk like Afrits and springing on our shoulders, said to us, “Go on with us; for ye are become our asses.” So I said to him who had mounted me, “What art thou and why dost thou mount me?” But he twisted one of his legs about my neck, till I was all but dead, and beat upon my back the while with the other leg, till I thought he had broken it. So I fell to the ground on my face, having no strength left in me for hunger and thirst. When he saw this, he knew that I was hungry and taking me by the hand, led me to a pear-tree laden with fruit and said to me, “Eat thy fill of this tree.” So I ate till I had enough and rose, against my will, to walk; but, before I had gone far, the creature turned and leaping on my shoulders again, drove me on, now walking, now running and now trotting, and he the while mounted on me, laughing and saying, “Never in my life saw I an ass like unto thee!”

  We abode thus awhile, till, one day, it chanced that we came upon great plenty of vines, covered with ripe fruit; so we gathered a quantity of bunches of grapes and throwing them into a pit, trod them with our feet, till the pit became a great pool. Then we waited awhile and presently returning thither, found that the sun had smitten the grapejuice and it was become wine. So we used to drink of it, till we were drunken and our faces flushed and we fell to singing and dancing, for the hilarity of drunkenness; whereupon our masters said to us, “What is it that reddens your faces and makes you dance and sing?” “Ask us not,” answered we. “What is your intent in questioning us of this?” But they insisted, till we told them how we had pressed grapes and made wine. Quoth they, “Give us to drink thereof;” but we said, “The grapes are spent.”

  So they brought us to a valley, whose length we knew not from its breadth, wherein were vines without beginning or end, each bunch of grapes on them twenty pounds in weight and all within easy reach, and said, “Gather of these.” So we gathered great store of grapes and filling therewith a great trench that we found there, bigger than the great tank [in the king’s garden], trod them with our feet and did with the juice as before, till it became wine, whereupon we said to them, “It is come to perfection; but in what will ye drink it?” And they answered, saying, “We had asses like unto you; but we ate them and kept their heads: so give us to drink in their skulls.” So we gave them to drink, and they became drunken and lay down, nigh two hundred of them.

  Then said we to one another, “Is it not enough that they should ride us, but they must eat us also? There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme! But we will ply them with wine, till they are overcome with drunkenness, when we will kill them and be at rest from them.” So we awoke them and proceeded to fill the skulls and gave them to drink, but they said, “This is bitter.” “Why say ye it is bitter?” answered we. “Whoso saith this, except he drink of it ten times, he dieth the same day.” When they heard this, they feared death and said to us, “Give us to drink the whole ten times.” So we gave them to drink, and when they had drunken the rest of the ten draughts, their senses failed them and they became helplessly drunk. So we dragged them [together] by the hands and laying them one upon another, collected great plenty of dry vine-stalks and branches and heaped it upon and about them: then set fire to the pile and stood afar off, to see what came of them. When the fire was burnt down, we came back and found them a heap of ashes, wherefore we praised God the Most High, who had delivered us from them. Then we sought the sea-shore, where we parted and I and two of the men fared on till we came to a great and thick wood and there busied ourselves with eating fruit.

  Presently, up came a man of high stature, long-bearded and flap-eared, with eyes like cressets, driving before him a great flock of sheep. When he saw us, he rejoiced and said to us, “Welcome and fair welcome to you! Come with me, that I may slaughter you one of these sheep and roast it and give you to eat.” Quoth we, “Where is thine abode?” And he said, “Hard by yonder mountain: go on towards it till ye come to a cave, where are many guests like yourselves. Enter and sit with them, whilst we make ready for you the guest-meal.” We doubted not but he spoke the truth, so fared on, as he bade us, till we came to the cavern, where we found many guests, men like ourselves, but they were all blind; and when we entered, one said, “I am sick;” and another, “I am weak.”

  So we said to them, “What is this you say and what is the cause of your sickness and weakness?” “Who are ye?” asked they; and we answered, “We are guests.” Then said they, “What hath made you fall into the hands of yonder accursed wretch? But there is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme! This is a ghoul who eats men and he hath blinded us and meaneth to eat us.” “And how did he blind you?” asked we. “Like as he will blind yourselves even now,” replied they. Quoth we, “And how so?” And they answered “He will bring you cups of milk and will say to you, ‘Ye are weary with travel: take this milk and drink it.’ And when ye have drunken thereof, ye will become blind like unto us.” Quoth I to myself, “There is no escape for us but by stratagem.” So I dug a hole in the earth and sat over it.

  Presently in came the accursed ghoul, with cups of milk, of which he gave one to each of us, saying, “Ye come from the desert and are athirst: so take this milk and drink it, whilst I roast you the meat.” I took the cup and carrying it to my mouth, [made a show of drinking, but] emptied it into the hole; then I cried out, “Alas! my sight is gone and I am blind!” and clapping my hand to my eyes, fell a-weeping and lamenting, whilst he laughed and said, “Fear not.” But, as for my two comrades, they drank the milk and became blind. Then the ghoul arose and stopping up the mouth of the cavern, came to me and felt my ribs, but found me lean and with no flesh on my bones: so he felt another and finding him fat, rejoiced. Then he slaughtered three sheep and skinned them and fetching iron spits, spitted the flesh thereon and set them over the fire to roast. When the meat was done, he set it before my comrades, who ate and he with them; after which he brought a skin full of wine and drank thereof and lay down on his face and snored.

  Quoth I in myself, “He is drowned in sleep: how shall I slay him?” Then I bethought me of the spits and laying two of them in the fire, waited till they were red-hot: whereupon I girded myself and taking a spit in each hand, went up to the ghoul and thrust them into his eyes, pressing upon them with all my might. He sprang to his feet for dear life and would have laid hold of me; but he was blind. So I fled from him into the inner cavern, whilst he ran after me; but I found no place of refuge from him nor whence I might escape into the open country, for the cave was stopped up with stone; wherefore I was bewildered and said to the blind men, “How shall I do with this accursed wretch?” “O Saïd,” answered one of them, “climb up to yonder niche and thou wilt find there a sharpened sword: bring it to me and I will tell thee what to do.”

  So I climbed up to the niche and taking the sword, returned to the blind man, who said to me, “Smite him with the sword in his middle, and he will die forthright.” So I ran after the ghoul, who was weary with running after me and felt for the blind men, that he might kill them, and coming behind
him, smote him with the sword in his middle and he fell in twain. Then he cried out to me, saying, “O man, an thou desire to kill me, smite me a second time.” Accordingly, I was about to deal him another blow; but he who had directed me to the sword said to me, “Smite him not a second time, for he will not die, but will live and destroy us.” So I held my hand, as he bade me, and the ghoul died. Then said the blind man to me, “Open the mouth of the cave and let us go out; so haply God may help us and deliver us from this place.” Quoth I, “No harm can come to us now; let us rather abide here and rest and eat of these sheep and drink of this wine, for the land is long.”

  So we abode there two months, eating of the sheep and of the fruits of the island, till, one day, as we sat upon the beach, we caught sight of a great ship in the distance; so we cried out and made signs to the crew. They feared to draw near, knowing that the island was inhabited by a ghoul who ate men, and would have sheered off; but we ran down to the marge of the sea and made signs to them with the floating ends of our turbans and shouted to them, whereupon one of the sailors, who was sharp of sight, said to the rest, “Harkye, comrades, these seem men like ourselves, for they have not the fashion of ghouls.” So they made for us, little by little, till they drew near us and were certified that we were indeed human beings, when they saluted us and we returned their greeting and gave them the glad tidings of the death of the accursed ghoul, wherefore they thanked us.