So he returned to the shop, where he found Kemerezze- man sitting awaiting him and gave him his wife’s message. Then he carried him in to her and she gave him welcome and bade him sit down; whereupon he pulled out a hundred dinars and gave them to her, saying, ‘O my mother, tell me who this young lady is.’ ‘Know, O my son,’ answered she, ‘that there came a jewel to the Sultan of Bassora from the King of Hind, and he was minded to have it pierced. So he called all the jewellers together and said to them, “I wish you to pierce me this jewel Whoso pierces it, I will give him whatsoever he shall ask; but if he break it, I will cut off his head.” At this they were afraid and said, “ O king of the age, a jewel is soon spoilt and there are few who can pierce them without injury, for most of them have a flaw. So do not thou impose upon us a task to which we are unable; for we cannot avail to pierce this jewel. However, the syndic of our guild is more experienced than we.” “And who is your syndic?” asked the king. “Master Ubeid,” answered they. “He is more versed than we in this art and hath wealth galore and exceeding skill. So do thou send for him and bid him pierce thee this jewel.” Accordingly, the king sent for Ubeid and bade him pierce the jewel, imposing on him the condition aforesaid. He took it and pierced it to the liking of the king, who said to him, “Ask a boon of me, O master!” “O king of the age,” answered he, “ have patience with me till to-morrow.”
Now the reason of this was that he wished to take counsel with his wife, who is the young lady thou sawest riding in state; for he loveth her with an exceeding love. and of the greatness of his love for her, he doth nought without consulting her; wherefore he put off asking till the morrow. When he went home, he said to her, “ I have pierced the king a jewel and he hath granted me a boon; but I put off asking till to-morrow, that I might consult thee. So what cost thou wish, that I may ask it? “ Quoth she, “We have riches such as fires may not consume; but, if thou love me, ask of the king that he make proclamation in the streets of Bassora that all the townsfolk shall every Friday enter the mosques, two hours before the hour of prayer, so none, great or small, may abide in the town, except they be in the mosques or in the houses and the doors be locked upon them, and that all the shops of the town be left open. Then will I ride with my women through the city and none shall look on me from window or lattice; and every one, whom I find abroad, I will kill.”
So he went in to the king and sought of him this boon, which he granted him; but, when he caused proclamation to be made to the effect aforesaid, the people objected that they feared for their goods from the dogs and cats; wherefore he commanded to shut the latter up till the folk should come forth from the Friday prayers. So the jeweller’s wife fell to sallying forth every Friday, two hours before the time of prayer, and riding in state through the city with her women; during which time none dares pass through the market nor look out of window or lattice. This, then, is what thou wouldst know and I have told thee who she is; but, O my son, was it thy desire [only] to have news of her or hast thou a mind to foregather with her?’ ‘O my mother,’ answered he, ‘it is my wish to foregather with her.’ Quoth she, ‘Tell me what valuables thou hast with thee.’ And he replied, ‘O my mother, I have with me precious stones of four kinds, the first worth five hundred dinars each, the second seven hundred, the third eight hundred and the fourth a thousand.’ ‘Art thou willing to spend four of these?’ asked she; and he said, ‘I am ready to spend them all.’
‘Then,’ rejoined she, ‘arise, O my son, and go straight to thy lodging and take a jewel of those worth five hundred dinars, with which do thou repair to the jewel- market and ask for the shop of Master Ubeid, the Syndic of the Jewellers. Thou wilt find him seated in his shop, clad in rich clothes, with workmen under his hand. Salute him and sit down by him; then pull out the jewel and give it him, saying, “O master, take this stone and fashion it into a ring for me with gold. Make it not large, a mithcal in weight and no more; but let the fashion of it be excellent.” Then give him twenty dinars and give each of his journeymen a diner. Sit with him awhile and talk with him and if a beggar accost thee, give him a dinar, to the intent that he may take thee into affection. After this, leave him and return to thy lodging. Pass the night there and next morning, take a hundred dinars and bring them and give them to thy father [the barber], for he is poor.’
‘Be it so,’ answered Kemerezzeman and returning to his hostelry, took a jewel worth five hundred dinars and went with it to the jewel-bazaar. There he enquired for the shop of Master Ubeid, Syndic of the Jewellers, and they directed him thereto. So he went thither and saw the syndic, a man of reverend aspect and clad in sumptuous apparel [sitting in his shop,] with four journeymen under his hand. He saluted him and the jeweller returned his greeting and welcoming him, made him sit down. Then he brought out the jewel and said to Ubeid, ‘O master, I wish thee to make me this jewel into a ring with gold. Let it be the weight of a mithcal and no more, but fashion it curiously.’ Then he pulled out twenty dinars and gave them to him, saying, ‘This is for the chasing, over and above the price of the ring.’ And he gave each of the journeymen a diner, wherefore they loved him, and so did the syndic. Then he sat talking with the jeweller and whenever a beggar came up to him, he gave him a diner and they all marvelled at his generosity.
Now Ubeid had tools at home, like those he had in the shop, and whenever he was minded to do any extraordinary piece of work, it was his wont to carry it home and do it there, that his journeymen might not learn the secrets of his curious workmanship. His wife used to sit before him, and when she was sitting thus and he looking upon her, he would fashion all manner of curiously wrought trinkets, such as were fit for none but kings. So he took Kemerezzeman’s jewel home and sat down to fashion the ring with rare workmanship. When his wife saw him thus engaged, she said to him, ‘What wilt thou do with this jewel ?’ And he answered, ‘I mean to make it into a ring with gold, for it is worth five hundred dinars.’ ‘For whom wilt thou set it?’ asked she. ‘For a young merchant,’ replied he, ‘who is fair of face, with eyes that wound and cheeks that strike fire and mouth like Solomon’s seal and cheeks like blood-red anemones and lips red as coral and neck like that of a gazelle. His complexion is white blent with red and he is well-bred, pleasant and generous and doth thus and thus.’ And he went on to describe to her his beauty and grace and bounty and perfection and ceased not to vaunt his charms and the generosity of his fashion, till he had made her in love with him; for there is no sillier cuckold than he who vaunts another man’s good looks and liberality to his wife.
So, when desire rose high in her, she said to him, ‘Is aught of my charms found in him?’ ‘He hath all thy beauties,’ answered her husband; ‘and he is thy counter- part in favour. Meseemeth his age is even as thine and but that I fear to vex thee, I would say that he is a thousand times handsomer than thou.’ She was silent, and the jeweller ceased not to talk with her and set out Kemerezzeman’s charms to her, till he had made an end of chasing the ring; when he gave it to her and she put it on her finger, which it fitted exactly. ‘ O my lord,’ said she, ‘my heart loveth this ring and I long for it to be mine and will not take it from my finger.’ ‘Have patience,’ answered her husband. ‘The owner of it is generous and I will seek to buy it of him, and if he will sell it to me, I will bring it to thee. Or if he have another jewel, I will buy it of him for thee and fashion it for thee into a ring like this.’
Meanwhile, Kemerezzeman passed the night in his lodging and on the morrow he took a hundred dinars and carried them to the old woman, the barber’s wife, who said to him, ‘Give them to thy father.’ So he gave them to the barber, and she said, ‘Hast thou done as I told thee ?’ ‘Yes,’ answered he, and she said, ‘Go now to the jeweller and if he give thee the ring, put it on the top of thy finger and pull it off in haste and say to him, “ O master, thou hast made a mistake; the ring is too strait.” He will say, “ O merchant, shall I break it and make it again larger ? “ And do thou reply, “ It boots not to break it and fashion it anew. T
ake it and give it to one of thy women.” Then pull out another stone worth seven hundred dinars and say to him, “ Take this stone and set it for me, for it is handsomer than the other.” Give him thirty dinars and give each of the journeymen two, saying, “This is for the chasing, over and above the price of the ring.” Then return to thy lodging for the night and on the morrow bring me two hundred dinars, and I will complete thee the rest of the device.’
So Kemerezzeman went to the jeweller, who welcomed him and made him sit down; and he said to him, ‘Hast thou done my occasion ?’ ‘Yes,’ answered Ubeid and brought out to him the ring; whereupon he set it on the top of his finger and pulling it off in haste, said, ‘Thou hast made a mistake, O master. And threw it to him, saying, ‘ It is too strait for my finger.’ ‘O merchant,’ asked the jeweller, “shall I make it larger?’ ‘Not so,’ replied Kemerezzeman ‘take it as a gift and give it to one of thy women. Its worth is trifling, some five hundred dinars; so it boots not to fashion it over again.’ Then he brought out to him another stone worth seven hundred dinars and said to him, ‘Set this.’ Moreover, he gave him thirty dinars and gave each of his journeymen two. Quoth Ubeid, ‘O my lord, we will take the price of the ring, when we have made it.’ But Kemerezzeman said, ‘This is for the chasing, and the price of the ring remains over.’ So saying, he went away, leaving the jeweller and his men amazed at the excess of his generosity.
Presently the jeweller returned home and said to his wife, ‘O Helimeh,’ [for that was her name,] ‘never did I set eyes on a more generous than this young man, and as for thee, thy luck is good, for he hath given me the ring without price, saying, “ Give it to one of thy women.”’ And he told her what had passed between himself and Kemerezzeman, adding, ‘Methinks this youth is none of the sons of the merchants, but that he is of the sons of the kings and sultans.’ The more he praised him, the more she waxed in passion and longing and love-distraction for him. So she took the ring and put it on her finger, whilst the jeweller made another for Kemerezzeman, a little larger than the first. When he had finished it, she put it on her finger, under the first, and said, ‘Look, O my lord, how well the two rings show on my finger! I wish they were both mine.’ ‘Patience,’ answered he. ‘It may be I shall buy thee this second one.’ Then he lay that night and on the morrow he took the ring and went to his shop.
As for Kemerezzeman, as soon as it was day, he betook himself to the barber’s wife and gave her two hundred dinars. Quoth she, ‘Go to the jeweller and when he gives thee the ring, put it on thy finger and pull it off again in haste, saying, “ Thou hast made a mistake, O master I This ring is too large. It behoveth a master like thee, when the like of me cometh to him with a piece of work, to take his measure; and if thou hadst taken the measure of my finger, thou hadst not erred.” Then pull out another stone worth a thousand dinars and say to him, “Take this and set it, and give this ring to one of thy women.” Give him forty dinars and each of his men three, saying, “This is for the chasing, and for the cost of the ring, that stands over.” And see what he will say. Then bring three hundred dinars and give them to thy father the barber, that he may mend his fortune withal, for he is a poor man.’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered Kemerezzeman and betook himself to the jeweller, who welcomed him and making him sit down, gave him the ring.
He took it and put it on his finger; then pulled it off in haste and said, ‘It behoveth a master like thee, when the like of me brings him a piece of work, to take his measure. Hadst thou taken the measure of my finger, thou hadst not erred; but take it and give it to one of thy women.’ Then he brought out to him a stone worth a thousand dinars and said to him, ‘Take this and set it for me after the measure of my finger.’ ‘Good,’ answered Ubeid. ‘Thou art in the right;’ and took his measure, whereupon he pulled out forty dinars and gave them to him, saying, ‘This is for the chasing and the price of the ring shall remain.’ ‘O my lord,’ said the jeweller, ‘ how much hire have we taken of thee! Verily, thy bounty to us is great!’ ‘ No harm,’ answered Kemerezzeman and sat talking with him awhile and giving a diner to every beggar who passed.
Then he left him and went away, whilst the jeweller returned home and said to his wife, ‘How generous is this young merchant! Never did I set eyes on a more open-handed or a comelier than he, no, nor a sweeter of speech.’ And he went on to recount to her his charms and liberality and was loud in his praise. ‘Lack- courtesy that thou art!’ said she. ‘Since thou notest these attributes in him, and indeed he hath given thee two rings of price, it behoveth thee to invite him and make him an entertainment and entreat him friendly. When he seeth that thou tenderest him and cometh to our house, we shall surely get great good of him; and if thou grudge him this, do thou bid him and I will entertain him of my monies.’ Quoth he, ‘Dost thou know me to be niggardly, that thou sayest this?’ ‘Thou art no niggard,’ rejoined she; ‘but thou lackest of breeding. Invite him this night and come not without him. If he refuse, conjure him by the oath of divorce and be instant with him.’ ‘On my head and eyes,’ answered he and wrought at the ring till he had finished it, after which he passed the night and went forth on the morrow to his shop and sat there.
Meanwhile, Kemerezzeman took three hundred dinars and carrying them to the barber’s wife, gave them to her for her husband. Quoth she, ‘Most like he will invite thee to his house this night; and if he do this and thou lie with him, tell me in the morning what happens to thee and bring with thee four hundred dinars and give them to thy father [the barber].’ ‘I hear and obey,’ answered he; and as often as he ran out of money, he would sell some of his jewels. So he repaired to the jeweller, who received him with open arms and clapped up a friendship with him. Then he gave him the ring, and he found it after the measure of his finger and said to the jeweller, ‘God bless thee, O prince of craftsmen! The setting is conformable [to my wishes], but the stone is not to my liking. I have a handsomer than it: so take the ring and give it to one of thy women.’ Then he gave him a fourth stone and a hundred dinars, saying, ‘Take thy hire and pardon me the trouble I have given thee.’ ‘O merchant,’ answered Ubeid, ‘all the trouble thou hast given us thou hast requited us and hast overwhelmed us with thy bounties: and indeed my heart is taken with love of thee and I cannot brook parting from thee. So, God on thee, be thou my guest this night and heal my heart.’ ‘So be it,’ replied Kemerezzeman; ‘but needs must I go to my khan, that I may give a charge to my servants and tell them that I shall sleep abroad to-night, so they may not expect me.’ ‘ Where dost thou lodge?’ asked the jeweller; and he answered, ‘In such a khan.’ Quoth Ubeid, ‘I will come for thee there.’ And Kemerezzeman said, ‘Good.’
So the jeweller repaired to the khan before sundown, fearing lest his wife should be wroth with him, if he returned home without Kemerezzeman, and carrying him to his house, seated him in a saloon that had not its match. Helimeh saw him, as he entered, and was ravished with him. They talked till the evening-meal came, when they ate and drank; after which came coffee and sherbets, and the jeweller ceased not to entertain him with talk till evensong, when they prayed the ordained prayers. Then in came a handmaid with two cups of [diet-]drink, which when they had drunk, drowsiness overcame them and they slept. Presently in came the jeweller’s wife and seeing them asleep, looked upon Kemerezzeman’s face and was confounded at his beauty. ‘How can he sleep who loves the fair?’ said she, and turning him over on his back, bestrode his breast. Then in the rage of her passion for him, she rained down kisses on his cheeks, till she left mark upon them and they became exceeding red and his cheekbones shone. Moreover, she sucked his lips, till the blood ran out into her mouth; but with all this, her heat was not quenched nor her thirst assuaged.
She ceased not to kiss and clip him and twine leg with leg, till the forehead of the day grew white and the dawn broke forth and shone; when she put in his pocket four huckle-bones and went away. Then she sent her maid with something like snuff, which she applied to their nostrils and they sneezed and awoke.
‘O my lords,’ said the girl, ‘prayer is a duty; so rise and pray the morning prayer.’ And she brought them basin and ewer. Quoth Kemerezzeman, ‘O master, we have overslept ourselves.’ ‘O my friend,’ answered the jeweller, ‘ verily the air of this room is heavy; for, whenever I sleep in it, this happens to me.’ ‘It is well,’ rejoined Kemerezzeman and proceeded to make the ablution; but, when he put the water to his face, his cheeks and lips burned him. ‘This is a strange thing!’ said he. ‘If the air of the room be heavy and we have been drowned in sleep, what ails my cheeks and lips that they burn me ? ‘ And he said to the jeweller, ‘O master, my cheeks and lips burn me.’ ‘Doubtless this comes of the mosquito-bites,’ answered the other. ‘Strange!’ said Kemerezzeman. ‘ Hath this thing happened to thee?’ ‘No,’ replied Ubeid. ‘But, whenever I have a guest like thee, he complains in the morning of the mosquito-bites, and this only happens when he is like thee, beardless. If he be bearded, the mosquitoes trouble him not, and nought hinders them from me but my beard. It seems they love not bearded men.’ ‘ True,’ rejoined Kemerezzeman. Then the maid brought them breakfast and they broke their fast and went out.
Kemerezzeman betook himself to the old woman, who exclaimed, when she saw him, ‘I see the marks of dalliance on thy face: tell me what thou hast seen.’ Quoth he, ‘I have seen nothing. Only I supped with the master of the house in a saloon and prayed the evening prayer, after which we fell asleep and woke not till the morning.’ She laughed and said, ‘What are those marks on thy cheeks and lips?’ ‘It was the mosquitoes of the saloon that did this with me,’ answered he. ‘It is well,’ rejoined she. ‘But did the same thing betide the master of the house?’ ‘Nay,’ replied he; ‘on the contrary, he told me that the mosquitoes of that saloon molest not bearded men, but bite those only who have no hair on their faces, and that, whenever he hath to guest one who is beardless, the latter awakes, complaining of the mosquito-bites; but, if he have a beard, there befalls him nothing of this.’ ‘Good,’ said she. ‘ Sawest thou ought but this?’ and he answered, ‘I found four huckle-bones in my pocket.’ Quoth she, ‘Show them to me.’
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