The Arabian Nights: Tales from a Thousand and One Nights (Modern Library Classics)

by A. S. Byatt

  An Fate afflict thee, with grief manifest,

  Prepare thy patience and make broad thy breast;

  For of His grace the Lord of all the worlds

  Shall send to wait upon unrest sweet Rest.

  Then he said in his mind, “I will make this one more cast, trusting in Allah, so haply He may not disappoint my hope;” and he rose and casting into the river the net as far as his arm availed, gathered the cords in his hands and waited a full hour, after which he pulled at it and, finding it heavy, handled it gently and drew it in, little by little, till he got it ashore, when lo and behold! he saw in it a one-eyed, lame-legged ape. Seeing this quoth Khalifah, “There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah! Verily, we are Allah’s and to Him we are returning! What meaneth this heart-breaking, miserable ill-luck and hapless fortune? What is come to me this blessed day? But all this is of the destinies of Almighty Allah!” Then he took the ape and tied him with a cord to a tree which grew on the river-bank, and grasping a whip he had with him, raised his arm in the air, thinking to bring down the scourge upon the quarry, when Allah made the ape speak with a fluent tongue, saying, “O Khalifah, hold thy hand and beat me not, but leave me bounden to this tree and go down to the river and cast thy net, confiding in Allah; for He will give thee thy daily bread.” Hearing this Khalifah went down to the river and casting his net, let the cords run out. Then he pulled it in and found it heavier than before; so he ceased not to tug at it, till he brought it to land, when, behold, there was another ape in it, with front teeth wide apart,2 Kohl-darkened eyes and hands stained with Henna-dyes; and he was laughing and wore a tattered waistcloth about his middle. Quoth Khalifah, “Praised be Allah who hath changed the fish of the river into apes!”3 Then, going up to the first ape, who was still tied to the tree, he said to him, “See, O unlucky, how fulsome was the counsel thou gavest me! None but thou made me light on this second ape: and for that thou gavest me good-morrow with thy one eye and thy lameness,4 I am become distressed and weary, without dirham or dinar.” So saying, he hent in hand a stick5 and flourishing it thrice in the air, was about to come down with it upon the lame ape, when the creature cried out for mercy and said to him, “I conjure thee, by Allah, spare me for the sake of this my fellow and seek of him thy need; for he will guide thee to thy desire!” So he held his hand from him and throwing down the stick, went up to and stood by the second ape, who said to him, “O Khalifah, this my speech6 will profit thee naught, except thou hearken to what I say to thee; but, an thou do my bidding and cross me not, I will be the cause of thine enrichment.” Asked Khalifah, “And what hast thou to say to me that I may obey thee therein?” The Ape answered, “Leave me bound on the bank and hie thee down to the river; then cast thy net a third time, and after I will tell thee what to do.” So he took his net and going down to the river, cast it once more and waited awhile. Then he drew it in and finding it heavy, laboured at it and ceased not his travail till he got it ashore, when he found in it yet another ape; but this one was red, with a blue waistcloth about his middle; his hands and feet were stained with Henna and his eyes blackened with Kohl. When Khalifah saw this, he exclaimed, “Glory to God the Great! Extolled be the perfection of the Lord of Dominion! Verily, this is a blessed day from first to last: its ascendant was fortunate in the countenance of the first ape, and the scroll7 is known by its superscription! Verily, today is a day of apes: there is not a single fish left in the river, and we are come out today but to catch monkeys!” Then he turned to the third ape and said, “And what thing art thou also, O unlucky?” Quoth the ape, “Dost thou not know me, O Khalifah!;” and quoth he, “Not I!” The ape cried, “I am the ape of Abu al-Sa’adat8 the Jew, the shroff.” Asked Khalifah, “And what dost thou for him?;” and the ape answered, “I give him good-morrow at the first of the day, and he gaineth five ducats; and again at the end of the day, I give him good-even and he gaineth other five ducats.” Whereupon Khalifah turned to the first ape and said to him, “See, O unlucky, what fine apes other folk have! As for thee, thou givest me good-morrow with thy one eye and thy lameness and thy ill-omened phiz and I become poor and bankrupt and hungry!” So saying, he took the cattle-stick and flourishing it thrice in the air, was about to come down with it on the first ape, when Abu al-Sa’adat’s ape said to him, “Let him be, O Khalifah, hold thy hand and come hither to me, that I may tell thee what to do.” So Khalifah threw down the stick and walking up to him cried, “And what hast thou to say to me, O monarch of all monkeys?” Replied the ape, “Leave me and the other two apes here, and take thy net and cast it into the river; and whatever cometh up, bring it to me, and I will tell thee what shall gladden thee.” He replied, “I hear and obey,” and took the net and gathered it on his shoulder, reciting these couplets:—

  When straitened is my breast I will of my Creator pray,

  Who may and can the heaviest weight lighten in easiest way;

  For ere man’s glance can turn or close his eye by God His grace

  Waxeth the broken whole and yieldeth jail its prison-prey.

  Therefore with Allah one and all of thy concerns commit

  Whose grace and favour men of wit shall nevermore gainsay.

  Now when Khalifah had made an end of his verse, he went down to the river and casting his net, waited awhile; after which he drew it up and found therein a fine young fish,9 with a big head, a tail like a ladle and eyes like two gold pieces. When Khalifah saw this fish, he rejoiced, for he had never in his life caught its like, so he took it, marvelling, and carried it to the ape of Abu al-Sa’adat the Jew, as ’twere he had gotten possession of the universal world. Quoth the ape, “O Khalifah, what wilt thou do with this and with thine ape?;” and quoth the Fisherman, “I will tell thee, O monarch of monkeys, all I am about to do. Know then that first, I will cast about to make away with yonder accursed, my ape, and take thee in his stead and give thee every day to eat of whatso thou wilt.” Rejoined the ape, “Since thou hast made choice of me, I will tell thee how thou shalt do wherein, if it please Allah Almighty, shall be the mending of thy fortune. Lend thy mind, then, to what I say to thee and ’tis this! Take another cord and tie me also to a tree, where leave me and go to the midst of The Dyke10 and cast thy net into the Tigris.11 Then after waiting awhile, draw it up and thou shalt find therein a fish, than which thou never sawest a finer in thy whole life. Bring it to me and I will tell thee how thou shalt do after this.” So Khalifah rose forthright and casting his net into the Tigris, drew up a great cat-fish12 the bigness of a lamb; never had he set eyes on its like, for it was larger than the first fish. He carried it to the ape, who said to him, “Gather thee some green grass and set half of it in a basket; lay the fish therein and cover it with the other moiety. Then, leaving us here tied, shoulder the basket and betake thee to Baghdad. If any bespeak thee or question thee by the way, answer him not, but fare on till thou comest to the market-street of the money-changers, at the upper end whereof thou wilt find the shop of Master Abu al-Sa’adat13 the Jew, Shaykh of the shroffs, and wilt see him sitting on a mattress, with a cushion behind him and two coffers, one for gold and one for silver, before him, while around him stand his Mamelukes and negro-slaves and servant-lads. Go up to him and set the basket before him, saying:—O Abu al-Sa’adat, verily I went out today to fish and cast my net in thy name, and Allah Almighty sent me this fish. He will ask, Hast thou shown it to any but me?; and do thou answer, No, by Allah! Then will he take it of thee and give thee a dinar. Give it him back and he will give thee two dinars; but do thou return them also and so do with everything he may offer thee; and take naught from him, though he give thee the fish’s weight in gold. Then will he say to thee, Tell me what thou wouldst have; and do thou reply, By Allah, I will not sell the fish save for two words! He will ask, What are they? And do thou answer, Stand up and say, Bear witness, O ye who are present in the market, that I give Khalifah the fisherman my ape in exchange for his ape, and that I barter for his lot my lot and luck for his luck. This is the price of
the fish, and I have no need of gold. If he do this, I will every day give thee good-morrow and good-even, and every day thou shalt gain ten dinars of good gold; whilst this one-eyed, lame-legged ape shall daily give the Jew good-morrow, and Allah shall afflict him every day with an avanie14 which he must needs pay, nor will he cease to be thus afflicted till he is reduced to beggary and hath naught. Hearken then to my words; so shalt thou prosper and be guided aright.” Quoth Khalifah, “I accept thy counsel, O monarch of all the monkeys! But, as for this unlucky, may Allah never bless him! I know not what to do with him.” Quoth the ape, “Let him go15 into the water, and let me go also.” “I hear and obey,” answered Khalifah and unbound the three apes, and they went down into the river. Then he took up the cat-fish16 which he washed then laid it in the basket upon some green grass, and covered it with other; and lastly shouldering his load, set out with the basket upon his shoulder and ceased not faring till he entered the city of Baghdad. And as he threaded the streets the folk knew him and cried out to him, saying, “What hast thou there, O Khalifah?” But he paid no heed to them and passed on till he came to the market-street of the money-changers and fared between the shops, as the ape had charged him, till he found the Jew seated at the upper end, with his servants in attendance upon him, as he were a King of the Kings of Khorasan. He knew him at first sight; so he went up to him and stood before him, whereupon Abu al-Sa’adat raised his eyes and recognising him, said, “Welcome, O Khalifah! What wantest thou and what is thy need? If any have missaid thee or spited thee, tell me and I will go with thee to the Chief of Police, who shall do thee justice on him.” Replied Khalifah, “Nay, as thy head liveth, O chief of the Jews, none hath missaid me. But I went forth this morning to the river and, casting my net into the Tigris on thy luck, brought up this fish.” Therewith he opened the basket and threw the fish before the Jew who admired it and said, “By the Pentateuch and the Ten Commandments,17I dreamt last night that the Virgin came to me and said:—Know, O Abu al-Sa’adat, that I have sent thee a pretty present! And doubtless ’tis this fish.” Then he turned to Khalifah and said to him, “By thy faith, hath any seen it but I?” Khalifah replied, “No, by Allah, and by Abu Bakr the Viridical,18 none hath seen it save thou, O chief of the Jews!” Whereupon the Jew turned to one of his lads and said to him, “Come, carry this fish to my house and bid Sa’adah19 dress it and fry and broil it, against I make an end of my business and hie me home.” And Khalifah said, “Go, O my lad; let the master’s wife fry some of it and broil the rest.” Answered the boy “I hear and I obey, O my lord” and, taking the fish, went away with it to the house. Then the Jew put out his hand and gave Khalifah the fisherman a dinar, saying, “Take this for thyself, O Khalifah, and spend it on thy family.” When Khalifah saw the dinar on his palm, he took it, saying, “Laud to the Lord of Dominion!” as if he had never seen aught of gold in his life, and went somewhat away; but, before he had gone far, he was minded of the ape’s charge and turning back threw down the ducat, saying, “Take thy gold and give folk back their fish! Dost thou make a laughing stock of folk?” The Jew hearing this thought he was jesting and offered him two dinars upon the other, but Khalifah said, “Give me the fish and no nonsense. How knewest thou I would sell it at this price?” Whereupon the Jew gave him two more dinars and said, “Take these five ducats for thy fish and leave greed.” So Khalifah hent the five dinars in hand and went away, rejoicing, and gazing and marvelling at the gold and saying, “Glory be to God! There is not with the Caliph of Baghdad what is with me this day!” Then he ceased not faring on till he came to the end of the market-street, when he remembered the words of the ape and his charge and returning to the Jew, threw him back the gold. Quoth he, “What aileth thee, O Khalifah? Dost thou want silver in exchange for gold?” Khalifah replied, “I want nor dirhams nor dinars. I only want thee to give me back folk’s fish.” With this the Jew waxed wroth and shouted out at him, saying, “O fisherman, thou bringest me a fish not worth a sequin and I give thee five for it; yet art thou not content! Art thou Jinn-mad? Tell me for how much thou wilt sell it.” Answered Khalifah, “I will not sell it for silver nor for gold, only for two sayings20 thou shalt say me.” When the Jew heard speak of the “Two Sayings,” his eyes sank into his head, he breathed hard and ground his teeth for rage and said to him, “O nail-paring of the Moslems, wilt thou have me throw off my faith for the sake of thy fish, and wilt thou debauch me from my religion and stultify my belief and my conviction which I inherited of old from my forebears?” Then he cried out to the servants who were in waiting and said, “Out on you! Bash me this unlucky rogue’s neck and bastinado him soundly!” So they came down upon him with blows and ceased not beating him till he fell beneath the shop, and the Jew said to them, “Leave him and let him rise.” Whereupon Khalifah jumped up, as if naught ailed him, and the Jew said to him, “Tell me what price thou asketh for this fish and I will give it thee: for thou hast gotten but scant good of us this day.” Answered the Fisherman, “Have no fear for me, O master, because of the beating; for I can eat ten donkeys’ rations of stick.” The Jew laughed at his words and said, “Allah upon thee, tell me what thou wilt have and by the right of my Faith, I will give it thee!” The Fisherman replied, “Naught from thee will remunerate me for this fish save the two words whereof I spake.” And the Jew said, “Meseemeth thou wouldst have me become a Moslem?”21 Khalifah rejoined, “By Allah, O Jew, an thou islamise ’twill nor advantage the Moslems nor damage the Jews; and in like manner, an thou hold to thy misbelief ’twill nor damage the Moslems nor advantage the Jews. But what I desire of thee is that thou rise to thy feet and say:—Bear witness against me, O people of the market, that I barter my ape for the ape of Khalifah the Fisherman and my lot in the world for his lot and my luck for his luck.” Quoth the Jew, “If this be all thou desirest ’twill sit lightly upon me.” So he rose without stay or delay and standing on his feet, repeated the required words; after which he turned to the Fisherman and asked him, “Hast thou aught else to ask of me?” “No,” answered he, and the Jew said, “Go in peace!” Hearing this Khalifah sprung to his feet forthright; took up his basket and net and returned straight to the Tigris, where he threw his net and pulled it in. He found it heavy and brought it not ashore but with travail, when he found it full of fish of all kinds. Presently, up came a woman with a dish, who gave him a dinar, and he gave her fish for it; and after her an eunuch, who also bought a dinar’s worth of fish, and so forth till he had sold ten dinars’ worth. And he continued to sell ten dinars’ worth of fish daily for ten days, till he had gotten an hundred dinars. Now Khalifah the Fisherman had quarters in the Passage of the Merchants,22 and, as he lay one night in his lodging much bemused with Hashish, he said to himself, “O Khalifah, the folk all know thee for a poor fisherman, and now thou hast gotten an hundred golden dinars. Needs must the Commander of the Faithful, Harun al-Rashid, hear of this from some one, and haply he will be wanting money and will send for thee and say to thee:—I need a sum of money and it hath reached me that thou hast an hundred dinars: so do thou lend them to me those same.” I shall answer, “O Commander of the Faithful, I am a poor man, and whoso told thee that I had an hundred dinars lied against me; for I have naught of this.” Thereupon he will commit me to the Chief of Police, saying:—Strip him of his clothes and torment him with the bastinado till he confess and give up the hundred dinars in his possession. Wherefore, meseemeth to provide against this predicament, the best thing I can do, is to rise forthright and bash myself with the whip, so to use myself to beating.” And his Hashish23 said to him, “Rise, doff thy dress.” So he stood up and putting off his clothes, took a whip he had by him and set handy a leather pillow; then he fell to lashing himself, laying every other blow upon the pillow and roaring out the while, “Alas! Alas! By Allah, ’tis a false saying, O my lord, and they have lied against me; for I am a poor fisherman and have naught of the goods of the world!” The noise of the whip falling on the pillow and on his person resounded in the still of night and t
he folk heard it, and amongst others the merchants, and they said, “Whatever can ail the poor fellow, that he crieth and we hear the noise of blows falling on him? ’Twould seem robbers have broken in upon him and are tormenting him.” Presently they all came forth of their lodgings, at the noise of the blows and the crying, and repaired to Khalifah’s room, but they found the door locked and said one to other, “Belike the robbers have come in upon him from the back of the adjoining saloon. It behoveth us to climb over by the roofs.” So they clomb over the roofs and coming down through the sky-light,24 saw him naked and flogging himself and asked him, “What aileth thee, O Khalifah?” He answered, “Know, O folk, that I have gained some dinars and fear lest my case be carried up to the Prince of True Believers, Harun al-Rashid, and he send for me and demand of me those same gold pieces; whereupon I should deny, and I fear that, if I deny, he will torture me, so I am torturing myself, by way of accustoming me to what may come.” The merchants laughed at him and said, “Leave this fooling, may Allah not bless thee and the dinars thou hast gotten! Verily thou hast disturbed us this night and hast troubled our hearts.” So Khalifah left flogging himself and slept till the morning, when he rose and would have gone about his business, but bethought him of his hundred dinars and said in his mind, “An I leave them at home, thieves will steal them, and if I put them in a belt25 about my waist, peradventure some one will see me and lay in wait for me till he come upon me in some lonely place and slay me and take the money: but I have a device that should serve me well, right well.” So he jumped up forthright and made him a pocket in the collar of his gaberdine and tying the hundred dinars up in a purse, laid them in the collar-pocket. Then he took his net and basket and staff and went down to the Tigris, where he made a cast but brought up naught. So he removed from that place to another and threw again, but once more the net came up empty; and he went on removing from place to place till he had gone half a day’s journey from the city, ever casting the net which kept bringing up naught. So he said to himself, “By Allah, I will throw my net a-stream but this once more, whether ill come of it or weal!”26 Then he hurled the net with all his force, of the excess of his wrath and the purse with the hundred dinars flew out of his collar-pocket and, lighting in midstream, was carried away by the strong current; whereupon he threw down the net and doffing his clothes, left them on the bank and plunged into the water after the purse. He dived for it nigh a hundred times, till his strength was exhausted and he came up for sheer fatigue without chancing on it. When he despaired of finding the purse, he returned to the shore, where he saw nothing but staff, net and basket and sought for his clothes, but could light on no trace of them: so he said in himself, “O vilest of those wherefor was made the byword:—The pilgrimage is not perfected save by copulation with the camel!”27 Then he wrapped the net about him and taking staff in one hand and basket in other, went trotting about like a camel in rut, running right and left and backwards and forwards, dishevelled and dusty, as he were a rebel Marid let loose from Solomon’s prison.28 So far for what concerns the Fisherman Khalifah; but as regards the Caliph Harun al-Rashid, he had a friend, a jeweller called Ibn al-Kirnas,29 and all the traders, brokers and middle-men knew him for the Caliph’s merchant; wherefore there was naught sold in Baghdad, by way of rarities and things of price or Mamelukes or handmaidens, but was first shown to him. As he sat one day in his shop, behold, there came up to him the Shaykh of the brokers, with a slave-girl, whose like seers never saw, for she was of passing beauty and loveliness, symmetry and perfect grace, and among her gifts was that she knew all arts and sciences and could make verses and play upon all manner musical instruments. So Ibn al-Kirnas bought her for five thousand golden dinars and clothed her with other thousand; after which he carried her to the Prince of True Believers, with whom she lay the night and who made trial of her in every kind of knowledge and accomplishment and found her versed in all sorts of arts and sciences, having no equal in her time. Her name was Kut al-Kulub30 and she was even as saith the poet:—