The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 14, Sir Richard Francis Burton [the false prince series txt] 📗

and worthy celebrating, that the youngest sister continued her tale:—So when we three maidens and our mother entered the city about sunset I the youngest said to them, “We be three Princesses and a Queen-mother: so we cannot show ourselves in this our condition and needs must we lodge us in a Khan: also ‘tis my rede that we should do best by donning boys’ dress.” All agreeing hereto we did accordingly and, entering a Caravanserai, hired us a retired chamber in one of the wings. Now every day we three fared forth to service and at eventide we forgathered and took what sufficed us of sustenance; but our semblance had changed with the travails of travel and all who looked at us would say, These be lads. In this plight we passed the space of a year full-told till, one day of the days, we three fared forth to our chares, as was our wont, and behold, a young man met us upon the way and turning to me asked, “O lad, wilt thou serve in my house?” Quoth I, “O my uncle,[FN#159] I must ask advice,” and quoth he, “O my lad, crave counsel of thy mother and come and serve in our home.” He then looked at my sisters and enquired, “Be these thy comrades, O lad?” and I replied “No, they are my brothers.” So we three went to our mother in the Khan and said to her, “This young man wisheth to hire the youngest of us for service,” and said she, “No harm in that.” Thereupon the youth arose and taking me by the hand guided me to his home and led me in to his mother and his wife, and when the ancient dame saw me, her heart was opened to me. Presently quoth the young man to his parent, “I have brought the lad to serve in our house and he hath two brothers and his mother dwelling with them.” Quoth she, “May it be fortunate to thee, O

my son.”[FN#160] So I tarried there serving them till sunset and when the evening-meal was eaten, they gave me a dish of meat and three large bannocks of clean bread. These I took and carried to my mother whom I found sitting with my sisters and I set before them the meat and bread; but when my parent saw this she wept with sore weeping and cried, “Time hath overlooked us; erst we gave food to the folk and now the folk send us food.” And cried I, “Marvel not at the works of the Creator; for verily Allah hath ordered for us this and for others that and the world endureth not for any one;” and I ceased not soothing my mother’s heart till it waxed clear of trouble and we ate and praised Almighty Allah. Now every day I went forth to serve at the young man’s house and at eventide bore to my mother and sisters their sufficiency of food for supper,[FN#161] breakfast and dinner; and when the youth brought eatables of any kind for me I would distribute it to the family. And he looked well after our wants and at times he would supply clothing for me and for the youths, my sisters, and for my parent; so that all hearts in our lodgings were full of affection for him. At last his mother said, “What need is there for the lad to go forth from us every eventide and pass the night with his people? Let him lie in our home and every day about afternoon-time carry the evening meal to his mother and brothers and then return to us and keep me company.” I replied, “O my lady, let me consult my mother, to whom I will fare forthright and acquaint her herewith.” But my parent objected saying, “O my daughter, we fear lest thou be discovered, and they find thee out to be a girl.” I replied, “Our Lord will veil our secret;” and she rejoined, “Then do thou obey them.” So I lay with the young man’s mother nor did any divine that I was a maid, albeit from the time when I entered into that youth’s service my strength and comeliness had increased. At last, one night of the nights, I went after supper to sleep at my employer’s and the young man’s mother chanced to glance in my direction when she saw my loosed hair which gleamed and glistened many-coloured as a peacock’s robe. Next morning I arose and gathering up my locks donned the T�kiyah[FN#162] and proceeded, as usual, to do service about the house never suspecting that the mother had taken notice of my hair. Presently she said to her son, “‘Tis my wish that thou buy me a few rose-blossoms which be fresh.” He asked, “To make conserve?” and she answered, “No.” Then he enquired; “Wherefore wantest thou roses?” and she replied, “By Allah, O my son, I wish therewith to try this our servant whom I suspect to be a girl and no boy; and under him in bed I would strew rose-leaves, for an they be found wilted in the morning he is a lad, and if they remain as they were he is a lass.”[FN#163] So he fared forth and presently returned to his mother with the rose-blossoms; and, when the sleeping-hour came, she went and placed them in my bed. I slept well and in the morning when I arose she came to me and found that the petals had not changed for the worse; nay, they had gained lustre. So she made sure that I was a girl.—And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, “How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!” Quoth she, “And where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?” Now when it was the next night and that was

 

The Three Hundred and Seventieth Night, Dunyazad said to her, “Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!” She replied, “With love and good will!” It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the damsel continued:—So the young man’s mother made certain that her servant lad was a virgin lass. But she concealed her secret from her son and was kind to me and showed me respect and, of the goodness of her heart, sent me back early to my mother and sisters. Now one day of the days the youth came home about noon as was his wont; and he found me with sleeves tucked up to the elbows engaged in washing a bundle of shirts and turbands; and I was careless of myself so he drew near me and noted my cheeks that flushed rosy red and eyes which were as those of the thirsty gazelle and my scorpion locks hanging adown my side face. This took place in summertide; and when he saw me thus his wits were distraught and his sound senses were as naught and his judgment was in default: so he went in to his parent and said to her, “O

my mother, indeed this servant is no boy, but a maiden girl and my wish is that thou discover for me her case and make manifest to me her condition and marry me to her, for that my heart is fulfilled of her love.” Now by the decree of the Decreer I was privily listening to all they said of me; so presently I arose, after washing the clothes and what else they had given me; but my state was changed by their talk and I knew and felt certified that the youth and his mother had recognised me for a girl. I continued on this wise till eventide when I took the food and returned to my family and they all ate till they had eaten enough, when I told them my adventure and my conviction. So my mother said to me, “What remaineth for us now to do?” and said I, “O my mother, let us arise, we three, before night shall set in and go forth ere they lock the Khan upon us;[FN#164] and if the doorkeeper ask us aught let us answer, ‘We are faring to spend the night in the house of the youth where our son is serving.’”

My mother replied, “Right indeed is thy rede.” Accordingly, all four of us went forth at the same time and when the porter asked, “This is night-tide and whither may ye be wending?” we answered, “We have been invited by the young man whom our son serveth for he maketh a Septena-festival[FN#165] and a bridal-feast: so we purpose to night with him and return a-morn.” Quoth he, “There is no harm in that.” So we issued out and turned aside and sought the waste lands, the Veiler veiling us, and we ceased not walking till the day brake and we were sore a-wearied. Then we sat for rest till the rise of sun and when it shone we four sprang up and strave with our wayfare throughout the first day and the second and the third until the seventh. (Now all this was related to Mohammed the Sultan of Cairo and his Wazir by the youngest Princess and they abode wondering at her words.) On the seventh day we reached this city and here we housed ourselves; but to this hour we have no news of our sire after the Minister was burnt nor do we know an he be whole or dead. Yet we yearn for him: so do thou, of thine abundant favour, O King of the Age, and thy perfect beneficence, send a messenger to seek tidings of him and to acquaint him with our case, when he will send to fetch us.

Here she ceased speaking and the Monarch and Minister both wondered at her words and exclaimed, “Exalted be He who decreeth to His servants severance and reunion.” Then the Sultan of Cairo arose without stay or delay and wrote letters to the King of Al-Ir�k, the father of the damsels, telling him that he had taken them under his safeguard, them and their mother, and gave the writ to the Shaykh of the Cossids[FN#166] and appointed for it a running courier and sent him forth with it to the desert. After this the King took the three maidens and their mother and carried them to his Palace where he set apart for them an apartment and he appointed for them what sufficed of appointments. Now, as for the Cossid who fared forth with the letter, he stinted not spanning the waste for the space of two months until he made the city of the bereaved King of Al-Ir�k, and when he asked for the royal whereabouts they pointed out to him a pleasure-garden. So he repaired thither and went in to him, kissed ground before him, offered his services, prayed for him and lastly handed to him the letter. The King took it and brake the seal and opened the scroll; but when he read it and comprehended its contents, he rose up and shrieked a loud shriek and fell to the floor in a fainting fit. So the high officials flocked around him and raised him from the ground, and when he recovered after an hour or so they questioned him concerning the cause of this. He then related to them the adventures of his wife and children; how they were still in the bonds of life whole and hearty; and forthright he ordered a ship to