1001 Arabian Nights (Season 1 : Episode 6 - The Tale of the Third Sheikh)

O THOU Sultan, O thou Chief of the Jinn, this mule, which

you see, was once my wife. A time came when I had been far

away on a journey for a whole year. When at last my business was

finished, I returned by night and found her lying with a black slave on

the carpets of my bed. They were talking, laughing, and kissing, and

exciting each other with little games. As soon as my wife saw me, she

sprang up and came towards me, snatching up a pitcher of water. She

whispered a few words over the pitcher and sprinkled some of the

water upon me, saying: ‘Come out from thy proper shape and put on

the form of a dog!’ At once I became a dog and she chased me from

the house. I wandered about the city and, coming at last to a butcher’s

shop, went near and began eating the bones. When the master of the

shop saw me, he lifted me and took me with him to his house.

When the butcher’s daughter saw me, she veiled her face because

of me, saying to her father: ‘Is this the way to behave? To bring a man

with you into my presence?’ ‘Where is this man you speak of?’ asked

her father, and she answered: ‘This dog is a man. It is a woman who

has bewitched him and I am able to save him.’ ‘Save him then, my

daughter, in Allah’s name!’ said her father. She took a pitcher of

water and, after speaking certain words over it, sprinkled a few drops

upon me: ‘Come out from this shape and return to thy former

appearance!’ So I returned to my former appearance and, kissing the

young girl’s hand, I told her that I ardently wished to bewitch my

wife, as she had bewitched me. Then the butcher’s daughter gave me

a little of the water telling me, if I found my wife asleep, to sprinkle

her and that she would then become whatever I wished. So, finding

her asleep, I sprinkled her with the water, saying: ‘Leave this shape

and put on the form of a mule!’ And forthwith she became a mule, as

you may see with your own eyes, O Sultan and Chief of all the Kings

of the Jinn!

Then the Jinn(, turning to the mule, asked her: ‘Is this true?’ At

which she nodded her head, as if to say: ‘Yes, yes, it is true!’

This tale made the Jinn( tremble with pleasurable emotion…

Here Shahrazad saw the approach of morning and discreetly fell

silent. Then her sister Dunyazad said: ‘Sister, your words are sweet

and gentle and pleasant to the taste.’ And Shahrazad answered: ‘Indeed

they are nothing to that which I would tell both of you tomorrow night if I were still alive and the King thought good to spare me.’ On

this, the King said to himself: ‘By Allah, I will not kill her until I have

heard the rest of her remarkable tale!’

Then the King and Shahrazad spent the remainder of the night in

each other’s arms, till the King departed for the Council. The Waz(r

and the officers of the court came in and, when the d(wan was full of

people, the King gave judgment, raising some and abasing others,

concluding cases and giving commands, until the fall of day. At length

the d(w&n rose and King Shahryar returned to his palace.

And when the third night had come

DUNYAZ-D SAID: ‘Sister, I pray you finish your tale.’ To this Shahrazad

answered: ‘Gladly and with all my heart!’ Then she continued:

It is related, O auspicious King, that when the third sheikh had

told the most wonderful tale of the three, the Jinn( was stricken

with wonder and trembled with pleasurable emotion. At last he

said: ‘I grant you the rest of the forfeit and here relinquish this

merchant to you.’

Then the merchant in an ecstasy of happiness came and thanked

the sheikhs and they, in their turn, congratulated him on his safe

deliverance.

After this, each returned to his own country.

But, continued Shahrazad, these tales are in no way more wonderful

than the tale of the fisherman. ‘What is the tale of the fisherman?’

asked the King.

And Shahrazad said:

Next Episode coming soon.