Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange (Hardcover Classics)

by Malcolm C (Tr Lyons

  ‘He ordered the people to disperse and came out and rode to the palace, where he declared the slave girls and women common property. The kings came out and sat down by the door while I stood in front of them. My companion summoned a man, to whom he whispered something before telling me to go with him to see what he had to say. The man took my hand and led me out, before saying: “What have you done to make him want you killed?” “He told you to kill me?” I exclaimed. “Yes,” said the man. “There is something I want you to do for me,” I told him, and when he asked what this was, I said that it was for him to take me to the kings, as I had something to say to them that would release them from their plight. He was filled with delight and, taking me to them, he told them about this. They all got up for me and said: “If you can free us we shall share our wealth with you and do anything for you that you want.” I asked them why they had prostrated themselves to my companion, and they told me: “Our books tell us that our great king, whose crown this is, will appear, put it on and come out to us. We shall have no choice but to obey him, as we are sure that no one but him can win the crown. When we saw the changes that he was introducing and that he was behaving in a way contrary to what is in our books we realized that this could not be he.”

  ‘I told them to come up to a high place and, when they did, I called three times to Mubashshir at the top of my voice. The centaur came quickly and asked what was wrong. I said: “Was this what I deserved from my companion? I helped him to take the crown, and when he got it he ordered me to be killed.” The centaur replied: “I knew that he would kill you,” so I then asked him to save me from him. “Ride on me,” he told me,” “so that I can take you safely back home,” but I said that I wanted him to show me how to disgrace and destroy my former companion and repay him for what he had done to me. He told me to take the gall of a kite, mix it with the safflower that I had and make the shape of a ferret to give to one of the kings. He was to take it to my companion while he was wearing the crown and it would then fall off. The great king, he said, would never act like this and would not appear until this was finished.

  ‘I set a snare and caught a kite, whose gall I took and mixed with safflower, from which I then shaped a ferret, as I had been told. I gave this to one of the kings and told him to go to my companion without fear. When he did so the crown fell from his head, and the king rushed up and killed him with his sword. The others gathered round and burned his corpse, after which they gave me everything that he had with him. As for the crown, they wrapped it again in its gold leaf and, after reverencing it, they rode back with me to the place from where it had been taken.

  ‘They treated me with all possible generosity, but I told them that I wanted to return to my children. I took with me a large quantity of wealth and left the rest there. I then put to sea but came naked to Jedda, and I have come to visit the Commander of the Faithful in the hope that I may be enabled to go back to collect what I left there, as this was enough to make me and my descendants wealthy.’

  ‘Abd al-Malik was filled with astonishment at this tale and provided the narrator with fifty thousand dirhams. This is his story and what happened to him, and God knows better.

  The Story of the Fourth Quest, for the Golden Tube

  Al-Fadl son of al-Rabi‘ son of Hisham said: ‘There was in Malatiya an old Rumi wall that the people there used to call the Wall of the Mother of Daughters. One day there came torrential rain followed by a severe earthquake, causing many stones to fall, some of which struck that wall. Next morning people went out to see what had fallen and they saw a golden tube. They went up to it and, after having demolished what was round it, they brought it down. On one side of it they discovered a golden lock and on the other a golden ring. They weighed it and discovered its weight to be twenty ratls.

  ‘The emir took it and offered it for sale unopened. A first bid of a thousand dinars was raised to two, then to three and finally to four. It was handed over to the last bidder, who ordered it to be broken open. In it was found a golden book with strange writing that nobody could read. The emir sent to a monk with a reputation for learning and a knowledge of old scripts. When he looked at the book he laughed and said: “Emir, did you find this in a golden tube in a wall?” and when the emir said “Yes,” he asked: “Did you break through to it or did it fall out thanks to an earthquake?” “It was an earthquake that did this,” the emir told him, and he said: “Had you broken through the wall it would have caused the destruction of your city, whereas if the earthquake did it, it is the lands of your enemy that will be destroyed, and you will get the contents.”

  [lac.] ‘The emir told him to read what was written, but he said that he would only do this if he were given a satisfactory reward. The emir ordered him to be given ten thousand dinars and asked if he were satisfied. “Yes,” he said, “and less would have been enough.” The emir then told him to read out what was written, and he began: “In the Name of God Almighty, this world is transient while the next world is eternal. Our actions are tied around our necks; disasters are arrows; people set themselves goals; our livelihood is apportioned to us, and our appointed time is decreed. The world is filled with hope, and good deeds are the best treasures for a man to store up. Toleration is an adornment, and hastiness is a disgrace. [lac.] A man’s wife is the sweet flower of his life and finds acceptance, as many such flowers do. Whoever wishes to see a wonder should go to the Scented Mountain.” “Stop! That is enough,” the emir said and when the people had dispersed and had all left his audience hall he asked the monk: “Do you know of any way to get to this place?” When the monk said that he did, the emir released from his prison those who deserved execution and set off for the mountain in company with the monk.

  ‘When he got there he halted at its foot and asked the monk where they should go. The monk told him that what they were looking for was in a cave in one of the gullies, and the emir told his men to scatter and look for it. They spent the day investigating the mountain but when they came back they said: “We saw nothing but a lot of gullies, all of which looked alike.” “Is there a sign that marks this gully out from the others?” the emir asked the monk. “Yes,” he said, “for opposite it is a huge stone snake with a frog in its mouth and a scorpion on its head.” “That’s what you must look for,” the emir told his men, and after three days of searching they found it in a large wadi, with the gully lying opposite the statue. When they looked they could see a great stone. There was writing over the door of the cave, and on the summit of the mountain was a huge statue on which birds were perching. There were rings with iron chains attached to a place on the mountain.

  ‘The emir marvelled at the statue and told the monk to pull on the chains. When he did the secret place opened up, and a flight of steps could be seen leading to it. “Go up,” the emir said, “for through the help of God we have got to where we wanted.” We went on up to the stairs and after climbing some two hundred steps we came out at a fine square room with three open doors, near each of which was a closed door. In the middle stood a giant statue of gilded brass with what looked like a covered bowl on its head, which it was holding with its hands.

  ‘When we got to the middle of the room and approached the statue, the monk told one of the emir’s servants to go up to the closed door and strike it with a pick. He obeyed and struck a great blow, using all his strength, but at that the statue threw the bowl down from its head, revealing a pipe from which water flowed. We were in great danger, and the monk began to go round the room until he caught sight of a barred window. When he opened it the statue fell on its knees with its mouth open, and the water started flowing into this until it had all gone from the room.

  ‘We gave thanks to Almighty God for this, and the monk told us that there was nothing else that the statue could do. He ordered the servants to break the locks on the doors, and when they did we opened them and went into the rooms behind them. In them was more wealth than had ever been seen and an indescribable quantity of jewels. We almost died of
joy, but the monk told us: “Take care that no one takes the cover from the bowl and looks in it or he will die.” Some of the servants rushed up to it, each thinking greedily that none but he would remove the lid. The one who did looked inside and dropped down dead, after which the cover went back on the bowl as it had been before. The monk implored us if we valued our lives to leave it undisturbed or we would all die.

  ‘He then told us to carry off the wealth and the jewels, which we did, loading them on our riding beasts, and, after leaving everything as we had found it, we went off to Malatiya. The emir presented the monk with a large quantity of money, and he gave each of the prisoners many dinars, while freeing the slaves and giving them gifts as well as clothes.

  This is the complete story.’

  Tale Five

  The Story of the Forty

  Girls and What Happened to

  Them with the Prince.

  It is said – and God knows better and is wiser, greater, more powerful, more splendid, nobler, more kind and more merciful – that in times past there was a great and important Persian king who had three sons. He continued to lead a life of comfort until one day, when he had reached the age of eighty, he thought about who should succeed him on the throne.

  He summoned his eldest son, whose name was Bahram, and told him: ‘I dreamed last night that I was riding on a black horse with a sheathed sword, wearing a black turban and a robe of black brocade. I went through a barren waste where there was neither water nor pasturage until I came to a stormy sea. So afraid was I of that land that I plunged just as I was into the sea on my horse and crossed over to the far side. How do you interpret this dream, my son?’

  Bahram said: ‘Father, the horse is glory, and the sword power. The blackness is the many years you will live, and the sea means that you will live for more than a hundred years of unbroken rule and constant glory.’ This interpretation pleased the king and he told Bahram that he would be pleased to learn that as crown prince he would succeed to the throne.

  After Bahram had left, the king called for his second son and told him what he had told Bahram about his dream. This son said: ‘Father, you will rule with great power over a huge kingdom extending from this land of yours to the Sea of Darkness, and it may be that you will penetrate for a day’s journey or more into the darkness itself because you rode into that black sea.’ This delighted the king, who said: ‘My son, you are my partner in my kingdom and the inheritor of my prosperity.’

  When the prince had left, the king called for his youngest son and told him what he had told his brothers about his dream. When the young man heard, he turned pale and exclaimed: ‘God forbid that this dream come true! The blackness is great grief, and it may be that you will find yourself attacked by a king whom you cannot drive off. He may be of your own blood and this will be I.’

  The narrator continued: On hearing this the king became furious and exclaimed: ‘You have belittled and disparaged me by daring to talk to me like this.’ He gave orders for the prince to be beheaded, but his viziers and ministers all joined together to intercede for him, an intercession that the king accepted on condition that they cast the prince away in a desert, where he would die of hunger and thirst.

  They followed the king’s orders and took him to the middle of the desert and were on the point of returning when the vizier gave him a jug of water and a little food, putting it in his clothes. ‘My son,’ he said, ‘this food will last you for three days, and after that Almighty God will bring you relief.’ Then, after taking his leave, he and his servants went away.

  For three days the young prince wandered through the desert, not knowing where he was going. On the fourth day he had no food left and fear of death made his heart tremble. His strength was exhausted, and he was near his end. A hot wind was blowing as he shed tears and looked up to heaven, saying: ‘I call on You Who bring speedy relief and save the drowning man from the sea.’ He had looked right and left in search of someone who might help him when he saw something indistinct in the distance and, although he had been on the point of giving up the ghost, he set off towards it.

  The sun was directly overhead, and he was confused and parched with thirst, when what he was aiming for became clearer and turned out to be a lofty and spacious castle towering into the sky. He remembered his father’s castle and his city, as well as his own friends and companions, and as he thought of how he had been isolated and separated from them tears flooded down his cheeks.

  When he went up to the castle he found that it had a huge door with plates and ornamental patterns of gold and silver. It was covered with hangings, and in the entrance hall there were various types of singing birds. The door stood open, and the prince went in, convinced that it was death that faced him.

  In the halls was a series of mats, and felt coverings were fixed to the walls. The prince came to an elaborately decorated door leading to a marbled space in which were forty raised thrones with jugs set beside them, together with all kinds of elegant accessories. Leading out of this were forty rooms, each containing a bed with splendid coverings of varied colours. The doors of these faced one another, and whoever entered could pass by the whole forty, starting from the beginning. In them were gold and beautifully coloured paintings as well as various types of mattresses and coverings suitable for the daughters of great kings. At the upper end of the hall was a table of red gold, on which were set forty plates of white silver, around which were placed forty loaves of white bread.

  The young prince could not restrain himself from going up to the food and eating one mouthful from each plate. When he had had enough he went back and searched for water. After looking around, he discovered beside the hall a drinking room with forty regal seats, and at the upper end one seat of particular splendour. By each seat was a golden tray with a crystal flask containing a drink scented more pungently than musk, with on the one side vegetables and on the other fruit. In the middle were flowers and scented herbs together with censers burning aloes wood and ambergris, continuously spreading their perfume. Each part of the room had its seat.

  After the prince had taken a mouthful from each flask he started to look out of the windows, and there beneath them he saw a large wadi and a broad meadow, at the upper part of which was an orchard with two fruits of every kind, planted with trees producing both fruits of all sorts and blooms. From the tops of them bird song conveyed its own secret message.

  The narrator continued: The prince looked up and as the wine had gone to his head and he was enjoying himself he stayed unconcernedly until the end of the day, when all of a sudden he heard the noise of horses’ hooves. He looked out of the window and saw forty riders approaching, fully armed and prepared for war. Their leader was wearing a cloak of red brocade with a green turban, riding a horse black as a raven with a white blaze on its forehead.

  When the riders reached the palace door they dismounted and put their horses away in their stables beside the palace, tethering them to their mangers, while on seeing this the prince hid away in a corner of the building. The riders came into the hall, disarmed and removed their riding gear, revealing themselves as women more beautiful than the houris of Paradise.

  The prince was watching them from where he could not be seen as they went to the dining room. He was astonished by their beauty and their clothes but he did not know what they were. When they sat down they were annoyed to notice that a mouthful had been taken from each of their loaves and they started to look at those of their neighbours. Then they turned to the lady who was sitting in the place of honour and who had been riding on the black horse. ‘Lady,’ they said, ‘this is something that we have never experienced before and what jinni or man has dared to do it?’ ‘Patience,’ the lady replied; ‘don’t be in a hurry for I shall look into it, and whoever did it is bound to come back.’

  They ate their fill and washed their hands, as the prince watched, and they then moved to the drinking room, swaying like branches, with their lovely faces, recalling the lines of the poet:


  With slender waists and murderous coquetry

  They aim at us with their wide eyes,

  Lovely dark eyes that have no need of kohl.

  They came up robed in beauty, stealing away my wits,

  And when they tried to move forward a pace,

  It was as though their feet were stuck in mud.

  The narrator went on: They continued to relax with their wine, reciting poetry and telling stories until the night was past and day had arrived. Then each of them put on armour, equipped herself with a long spear and fastened on a sharp sword, after which they mounted and left through the castle gate.

  Their leader was one of the great sorceresses, and thanks to her skill it was she who produced the food, drink, fruits and vegetables. She parted from her companions after telling them to go off as usual while she hid in order to discover who it was who had violated the sanctity of their castle. She then went back to a hide of hers at the side of the castle.

  The young prince stayed where he was until the sun was high, and he then came out and approached the table, stretching out his hand to take a morsel from it. As he was about to put it in his mouth the sorceress came out and went up to him. At the sight of her he trembled with fear, letting the morsel drop from his hand. She looked at him and, seeing how handsome and how frightened he was, she went nearer and smiled at him, before sitting beside him and beginning a friendly conversation with him. When he complained of his plight to her she embraced him and kissed him, before asking him whether he was mortal or from the jinn. ‘I am a mortal,’ he told her, ‘and the son of a king who has been betrayed by Time, which has parted me from my family and my friends.’ ‘How was that?’ she asked, ‘and what was it that brought you here?’