1001 Arabian Nights (Season 1 : Episode 5 - The Tale of the Second Sheikh)

KNOW , O Lord of the Kings of the Jinn, that these two hounds

are my brothers, and I am the third. When our father died, he

left us an inheritance of three thousand d(nars and with my share I

opened a shop and began to trade in it. My brothers did the same,

but soon one of them set out on a commercial venture and was away

with the caravans for over a year. When he returned, he had lost all

his money and I was moved to say to him: ‘Brother, did I not counsel

you against this journey?’ Then he wept and said: ‘Allah, the All powerful,

allowed this loss of mine, and your words cannot help me

now that I have nothing left.’ Then I brought him up into my shop

and afterwards conducted him to the baths and gave him a fine robe

of rare workmanship. When at last we were sitting down to eat together,

I told my brother that I was about to compute the yearly gains from

my shop and that, leaving the capital untouched, I would divide

whatever profit there might be equally between us. When, on making

my accounts, I found that I had a profit of a thousand d(nars for the

year, I gave thanks to the power and greatness of Allah and rejoiced

exceedingly. Then I divided the sum equally between my brother

and myself, and we dwelt together for many days.

But at length both my brothers made up their minds to go on a

second journey and wished me to set out with them. When I declined

this invitation, pointing out that the result of the first journey did not

tempt me to imitate them, they began to reproach me. But their

words were of no avail and we stayed buying and selling, each in our

respective shops, for a whole year. At the end of the year they again 

proposed a journey, and again I refused, and this went on for six

whole years. But at last I acceded to their request to set out with

them and suggested that we should count up what money we had.

We did so and found that it came in all to six thousand d(nars. Then

said I: ‘Let us hide the half of this in the earth to be a help if we

encounter ill fortune and let us each take with us a thousand d(nars

to trade with.’ ‘May Allah favour your advice,’ they answered. So,

taking the money and dividing it, I hid three thousand d(nars and

divided the other three thousand between us three. Then we bought

merchandise of many kinds, hired a ship and, placing all we had on

board her, set sail.

After a month’s voyage we dropped anchor at a certain city,

where we sold our goods at a profit of ten d(nars for one. Then we

left the city.

When we came down to the sea side, we found there a woman

dressed in old and tattered garments who approached me and kissed

my hand, saying: ‘Master, can you help me and save me? Well I know

how to repay your goodness!’ I answered: ‘Certainly I will help and save

you, but you must not think it necessary to repay me.’ ‘Marry me then,

Master,’ she said, ‘carry me with you to your country and I will pledge

my soul to you. Do this for me, for I am of those who know the value

of an obligation. Also, I pray, do not be ashamed of my poor condition.’

When I heard her speak, I pitied her from the bottom of my heart, for

nothing comes to pass but Allah wills it. I carried her with me, clothed

her in rich garments and stretched fine carpets for her on the ship. Then,

when I had given her a full and cordial welcome, we set sail.

As time went on I grew to love her and would not be parted

from her day or night, preferring her company to that of my

brothers. So they grew jealous of me, envying me my riches and the

beauty of my possessions. They cast greedy eyes on all that I had, and

plotted my death and the theft of my money. Satan made this plan

seem good to them.

One day, as I lay sleeping by my wife’s side, they stole up to us and

cast us both into the sea. My wife woke in the water and suddenly,

changing her shape, became an Ifr(tah. Then she took me upon her

shoulders and, carrying me to an island, left me and disappeared for the

whole night. In the morning she returned and said: ‘Do you not know

me? I am your wife. It was I who held you up and saved you from death

by Allah’s grace. Know now that I am a Jinn(yah and that when first I 

saw you my heart loved you, for Allah willed it so, and I am a believer

in Him and in His prophet, whom may He bless and keep. Even when

I came to you in poor estate you were willing to marry me, and now,

in my turn, I have saved you from death in the water. As for your

brothers, I am enraged against them and must kill them.’

Astonished by her words, I thanked her heartily. ‘But as for killing

my brothers, this thing must not be,’ I said, and told her all that had

happened between us from beginning to end. When she had heard

me out, she said: ‘To-night I will fly to them and sink their ship so

that they die.’ Then said I: ‘Allah be with you! do not do this thing.

The Master of Proverbs has said: “You who have helped the unworthy,

know that the wicked man has in his wickedness punishment

enough!” And whatever they have done, they are still my brothers.’

‘No! I must kill them,’ she said, and I begged her clemency in vain;

she took me on her shoulders and, flying through the air, set me

down upon the terrace of my house at home.

I opened the door of my house and lifted the three thousand

d(nars from their hiding place. Then, after making the customary

visits of greeting, I opened my shop and stocked it anew with goods.

When night came, I shut my shop and, entering my own house,

found these two hounds tied up in a corner. When they saw me, they

rose weeping and caught hold of my garments. At that moment my

wife ran up to me, saying: ‘These are your brothers.’ And when I

asked her who had done this thing to them, she answered: ‘I did! I

asked my sister, who is far more deeply learned in enchantments

than I am, and she changed them into these forms, out of which they

cannot come again until ten years have passed.’

That is why, O powerful Jinn(, I happen to be in this place, because

I am on my way to my sister-in-law to beg her to deliver these poor

creatures now that ten years have passed. When I came here, I saw

this good merchant and, after hearing his tale, wished to remain and

witness what would happen between him and you. This is my story.

‘Truly a remarkable tale!’ the Jinn( said. ‘For it I grant you mercy

on a third of this blood which is forfeit to me.’

Then the third sheikh, master of the mule, came forward and said

to the Jinn(: ‘I will tell you a tale more marvellous than either of

these, if you will grant me mercy for the rest of the blood which is

forfeit to you.’ ‘Let it be so!’ answered the Jinn(.

And the third sheikh said:

 

We shall meet in the next Episode, Thanks for reading.