67-2 - The
History of Abee Niyaah and Aboo Niyaatain
Suddenly
two Ifrits came in the well and talked to each other. One said -
"What to do with you? How is your case and how are you?"
The other one said - "I am satisfied and I will never leave Sultaan's
daughter at all." The first one asked - "What does stop you to
get her?" The second one said - "I was driven away by somewhat
wormwood powder, scattered beneath the soul of her feet when she was
praying on Friday." The first one said - "I am also happy that I
have lots of jewels buried out of town near the Azure Column." The
second one asked - "And what expelled you from there? Did the man see
those jewels?" The first one said - "A white cock in his 10th
month slaughtered on Azure Column, drove me away from there and broke the Talismaan when the jewels will be visible to all." Then they went
away. Abee had heard their conversation and remembered it.
Next
morning another caravan came and searched for water and came to the same
well. As they let down the bucket, Abee seized their bucket. He cried -
"Oh, Are you a Jinn or a man?" Abee said - "I am a
man." And they took him out of the well. They gave him something to
eat and after eating they again traveled and all of them came to a city.
As they were passing through the market streets, they found them crowded
and in turmoil. Somebody told them that the Sultaan had a daughter who is
possessed and overridden by an Ifrit. The physicians are unable to cure
her so the King cuts his head and hangs it up before the palace. Presently
a student came there, accepted the task, but could not cure her, so the
King will cut his head today.
As
Abee heard this, he immediately came to the presence of the Sultaan. He was
sitting on his throne and in front of him was that student hanging his
head and the Linkman waiting for the King's order to cut his head. Abee
Niyaah greeted him in hurry and said - "Please do not cut his head,
just send him to your prison. For I will cure your daughter, and if I will
not be able to do so you may cut my head as well his too."
Hearing
this the King released the boy and asked Abee Niyaah - "Would you go
just now and release my daughter from the Genie?" "No, Sir, Not
until the meeting day when people meet for congregational prayer on Friday."
Now Abee Niyaah set the Friday to cure her, the King gave him a separate
apartment and rationed him with liberal foods. Abee then went to Bazaar
and brought him somewhat wormwood powder for a silver Nusf; and when the
time of congregational prayers came, the King went to his prayers
instructing his servants to let Abee in his daughter's apartment.
Abee
went in and scattered the powder under the soles of the Princess' feet,
and she was cured. She cried, "Where am I?" The mother danced
with joy. When the King returned from his worship he found his daughter
cured. They adorned her in rich clothes and jewelry and took her before Abee. The two embraced each other and the father gave lot many alms to
poor. He released the student also.
Then
he called Abee and said to him - "Ask a boon first from Allaah and
then from me." He said - "I ask from you the girl from whom I
have driven away the Jinn." The King asked his Vazeer in this regard.
The Vazeer said - "Ask him to wait till tomorrow." The King
asked him to come next morning. When Abee came back next morning he found
the Vazeer standing with a rare jewel in is hand. He gave that jewel to
the King and asked him to ask Abee to bring such a jewel as the dowry of
his daughter. So the King did. Abee understood that the Vazeer was
refusing to marry the Princess to him.
Abee
said - "If I bring 10 of such jewels, would you marry your daughter
to me?" The King said - "Yes, Indeed." The Abee went away
to Market Street and bought him a white cock in its 10th month, and whose
feathers did not have a trace of black or red feather but was of the pure
white color. Then he went to the town until he came to the Azure Column,
he cut its throat upon there, that suddenly the earth gaped and there
appeared a chamber full of jewels sized as ostrich eggs.
He
went, brought 10 camels, each bearing two large sacks, filled them with
jewels, and came to the Sultaan's palace. When Sultaan saw the 10 camels,
he exclaimed - "By Allaah, This man seems to be mad, still I will go
down and see him." So the Sultaan went down and opened the sacks
which he found full of jewels greater and more glorious than the one that
was with him. He got bewildered and cried to the Vazeer - "I think,
no King in the world has such jewels. But tell me what should I do?"
The Vazeer said - "Give him the girl."
Then
the marriage was performed. Abee Niyaah was appointed in the government
for three days a week. He continued like this for a while. One day when Abee Niyaah was sitting in his pleasure, Aboo Niyaatain passed before him
leaning on a palm stick. Abee Niyaah asked his people to bring him to him.
He bathed him and gave him a new dress to wear and asked him - "Do you
know me?" Aboo said - "No, My Lord." Abee said - "I am
your companion of old days whom you had left to die in the well; but By
Allaah, I have never changed my intent, and of all that I own in this
world, half is yours."
Then
they talked for a while, until Aboo (the double-minded) asked Abee -
"Where did you get all this?" Abee replied - "From the
well, where you threw me in." Hearing this envy and ill-will again
rose in Aboo's mind, so he said to Abee - "I will also go there and
what was given to you, will be given to me also." So he left him,
went to the well, descended in the well and waited till night
fell.
The
two Ifrits came there, greeted each other and talked to each other. Both
of them were weak, so one asked the other - "How are you? How is your
health?" The other one said - "Since I met you last time in this
place, I have been cast out of the Sultaan's daughter and since then I
have not been able to approach her." The first one said - "I am
also like you. My Hoard has also been taken away from me, so I am also
weak." Then the first one cried - "By Allaah, The origin of our
problems is this well, so let us block it by throwing stones in it."
So both arose and brought crumbling earth and pebble and threw it down in
the well. When it fell upon Aboo, his bones were crushed to death.
Now
Abee Niyaah was expecting him to return, but when he did not return, he
went to to the well and found it filled up. He could guess what could have
happened to him; his evil intentions had brought him this death.
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