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73-1-3 Three
Qalandar and Five Women of Bagadaad
The
Story of the Third Qalandar-1: The Statue That was Shot into the Sea
In
continuation of the stories from "Three
Qalandar and Five Women of Bagadaad"
The
third Qalandar started his story - "O Lady, I am also the son of a
King. My name is Azeeb, the son of Khazeeb. After my father died, I
succeeded him, and ruled. I used to enjoy sea voyages. I had 50 merchants
and 50 yachts for pleasure; and 150 sails for Holy War. Once I took my
people in 10 boats, carried the food for one month, set out for a voyage
of 20 days. But one night a string wind came and we thought we were lost.
We prayed Allaah and by morning the sea got calm.
We
landed on an island, cooked some food, ate and took rest for a couple of
days. Then we set out again for 20 days sail. Again we found ourselves
lost, so I said to the lookout man, "Go and look out for some known
marks." After a while he said - "Oh, Something black is coming
to us, it looks like fish floating on the surface of the sea." The
Captain went and saw it, and said - "Oh, We are dead man, nobody is
going to be saved." We all wept. Then I asked him - "Tell me,
What did you see?"
He
said - "O Prince, In fact we lost our way on the night of the storm,
then we followed it for two days in calm sea, but it was no way so we went
astray for 11 days. Tomorrow, by the end of the day we will come to a
mountain of black stone, hight the Magnet Mountain, that is why these
waves are carrying us without our will. As soon as we are under its
influence, the shops sides will open, all the nails will fly and stick to
the mountain. The bright spot we see upon its summit, is a dome of yellow
laton from Andaaloosia, vaulted upon 10 columns, and on its crown is a
horseman who rides a horse of brass and holds a lance of laton in his
hand. O King, None destroys folk except the horse-rider, nor will the
egromancy be dispelled till he falls from the horse." Then O Lady, We
all wept again.
We did
not sleep all the night and next day we were much near to that island. As
the Captain told us, by the evening, our ship had wrecked and we all were
struggling in waves around the Mountain. Some of us were saved, and who
were saved were not able to recognize others because they were so
stupefied by the beatings of the waves. I climbed upon a plank from one of
the ships and landed in the feet of the mountain. Slowly, I reached the
summit, made Vuzoo ablutions and prayed a two-bow prayer. Then I fell
asleep under the dome.
In the
dream, I heard a voice, "O Son of Khazeeb, When you wake up, you dig
under your feet, and you will find a bow of brass and three laden arrows,
inscribed with Talismaan and characts. Take the bow and shoot the arrows
at the horseman on the dome-top and free mankind from this calamity. When
you will shoot, he will fall into the sea and the horse will fall into the
sea. Bury it in the place of the bow. When it is done the sea will rise
and come up to the top of the Mountain and there will appear a boat
carrying another man of laton holding a pair of paddles. He will come to
you, and you embark with him; but beware of saying "Bismillaah"
or "Allaah Almighty" to him. He will row you for 10 days and
will land you on the Island of Safety. Then you can easily reach the port
and the people there will send you to your native land. Never take the
name of Allaah."
I woke
up and did what I was instructed to do. But as I sighted the Island of
Safety, I forgot that I did not have to take the name of Allaah, and just
to thank Allaah, I exclaimed - "Allaah, You are Great." As soon
as that man heard this, he threw me in the sea. The boat took a dip and
sank in the sea. Luckily I was a good swimmer, so I swam the whole day
till I was tired. Then suddenly a high wave came and threw me on the
shore. I slept the whole night. Next morning I looked around and found
that it was an islet. While I was longing for my death, that I noticed a
ship coming towards the island. I climbed on a tree and hid myself.
The
ship anchored and 10 black slaves disembarked from it carrying iron hoes
and baskets. They came to the middle of the island. They dug deep in the
ground until they discovered a metal plate. They lifted it opening a trap
door. Then they returned to the ship, brought the bread, flour, honey,
fruit, Ghee etc; in fact all those things which were required for a house;
to that trap door. They brought garments too. They were very rich. Amongst
them was a very old man also who was very lean and thin and who was
walking with the help of a young man. When they had gone down the trap
door, they did not come up till one hour. The slaves came out along with
the old man but the young man didn't come out. They closed the door-slab
and returned to the ship, away sailed away.
Then I
came down and went to the same place. I also opened the trap door which
was of wood. I found a stairway to go down, so I descended the steps. Down
below the room was full of things. That youth was sitting there on a couch
fanning himself. Some sweet herbs and flowers were kept before him. When
he saw me, he turned pale, but I saluted him courteously and said -
"Be at ease, no harm will come to you. I am a man like yourself and
the son of a King. My Destiny has thrown me here. Tell me your story that
why do you live in such a place?"
When
he got sure that I was not a Genie and was a man like him, he got relieved
and said to me - "My story is a very strange story. My father is a
merchant-jeweler possessing a great wealth . He had many slaves, black and
white, who traveled to various places; but he didn't have a child. One
night he dreamt that he will have a son who will be short-lived. When he
woke up in the morning he wept. On the following night, my mother
conceived, and my father noted down the date of her becoming pregnant.
At
proper time, she bore me and my father rejoiced. He fed many Faqeers and
poor. Then he called the astrologers and they told him that I would live
up to 15 years of age. But in his 16th year there is a strange aspect, if
he passes that year safely, he will live long. And the cause of death will
be the Magnet Mountain in the Sea of Peril, on whose summit is a horsemen
of yellow laton seated on a horse of brass and bearing on his breast a
tablet of lead. 50 years after, this rider will fall from his horse, your
son will die and his killer will be who shoots down that horseman, a
Prince named Azeeb, the son of King Khazeeb.
Hearing
this my father got very sad, still he brought me up in the most tender
fashion and educated me excellently. Ten days ago the news came to him
that the horseman had fallen into the sea and Azeeb shot him. My father
wept bitterly expecting my death and became like possessed with a Genie.
Because of this fear, he built a palace for me under the earth and stocked
everything I needed to live. He brought me here in a ship and left me
here. Ten days are already passed, and when 40 days will pass without any
danger to me, he will come and take me away, because he has done all this
because of fear of Azeeb. This is my story and this is the cause of my
loneliness."
When I
heard the story, I thought, "I am that Prince and I have done all
this, but as Allaah is with me, I am not going to slay him." S I said
to him - "O Lord, May this death be far from you, and you will not
suffer, for I will serve you as your servant. After the 40 days have
passed, I myself will take you to your home, where you will give me some
people to take me my home." He was very glad to hear these words. He
rose, trimmed the wax candle, and three lanterns and arranged food and
drink for both of us. In the late night, he lay down, I covered him up and
went to sleep myself.
Next
day morning, he said to me - "If at all I am saved from so called
Azeeb, I will ask my father to reward heavily and I will send you to you
home hale and hearty; and if I die, then my blessings to you." I
answered - "May that day should never come to you. May Allaah make my
last day before your last day." Then we ate food. I set up some
perfume for fumigating the hall. I continued to serve him daily in this
manner for days and nights. A root of affection grew in my heart for him,
and I said to myself, "The astrologers lied." I told him all
kinds of tales for 39 days.
On the
40th night, the boy rejoiced and said - "O My Brother, Praise to
Alhamadullaah, who has preserved me from death, and I pray God that He
should send you safely to your native land. But now my Brother, Please
warm some water for my bath, give me bath and change my clothes." I
did so. I spread a bed for him to lie down. He was feeling a little drowsy
after taking bath. He then asked me to cut some watermelon and sweeten it
with sugar.
I
brought the watermelon and sugar, placed them in front of him, and asked
him, "Don't you have a knife?" "Hear it is, over my head,
on the shelf." I got up in the haste and took the knife, but my foot
slipped in stepping down and I fell heavily upon the youth. What had been
written for that day, the knife buried in his heart. He died in an
instant. When I saw him dead and knew that I had slain him, I abused
myself, I cried a lot. He lived for 39 days and died on 40th day by my
hands. What a misfortune?
I came
out of that room and saw towards the sea, a ship was coming. I climbed up
a tree and hid myself. The ship came, anchored, the people disembarked
from the ship, went to that trap door, opened it and found the dead body
of the boy, the knife deep inside his heart. They shrieked, wept bitterly,
cursing the killer. The old man got unconscious. They wrapped the body of
the boy in a cloth, and took it to the ship. Meanwhile the old came into
senses but seeing him dead, he again lost his consciousness.
I was
looking all this from the top of the tree. I was also grieving, I was also
under stress, but still I was innocent. The old man also died. The slaves
cried for him also. They took both bodies on the ship along with all the
things of the room. Then they sailed and got disappeared soon from my
eyes. I came down from the tree. I went down the trap door, where it
reminded me of youth. I came up again. I wandered around the island in the
day and went down the trap door in the night. I lived here for a month,
then at last I saw the dry land on western side of the island. I saw a
burning light also.
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