78-1 - Aboo
Muhammad Hight Lazybones
One
day, Haaroon al-Rasheed was sitting on his throne, that a youth from
amongst his eunuchs came to him bearing a crown of red gold set with
pearls and rubies and other gems. He kissed the ground before him and said
- "Lady Zubaidaa has made his crown but it lacks a great jewel for
its dome top. She has searched her treasure but cannot find the jewel of
her liking." So the Caliph ordered his Ministers etc to search for a
jewel liked by Lady Zubaidaa. So they searched for it but could nor find
as Zubaidaa wanted. The Caliph exclaimed - "What type of Caliph I am
who cannot find a jewel on this earth for my wife? Go and ask the merchants." The
merchants said - "You can find this jewel only with a man in Basaraa,
that is Aboo Muhammad Hight Lazybones."
So
they told this to the Caliph and the Caliph sent his Vazeer Zaafar with a
note to the Governor of Basaraa, Muhammad al-Zubaidee, commanding him to
send Aboo Muhaammad to his presence. The Vazeer sent Masaroor to Basaraa
with this message. The Governor al-Zubidee welcomed him and Masaroor told
him his purpose of coming there. Al-Zubaidee obeyed the orders and he sent
him to Aboo Muhammad's house along with his people. As they knocked the
door of his house, a page opened the door, and Masaroor said to him -
"Tell your Lord that the Caliph has summoned you."
Hearing
this Aboo Muhammad said "Sure, But first you come inside."
Masaroor said - "We cannot do that because we are in haste." He
replied - "That is all right, but let me first put my things in
order." So they entered his house and found his house furnished with
costly things. Aboo Muhammad asked one of his servants to take Masaroor to
his private bathroom, then gave him the robes of honor of brocade
interwoven with gold. Then Masaroor went to Aboo Muhammad who was sitting
in his upper chamber. He also sat there and Aboo Muhammad ordered for some
food. Masaroor said - "I have never seen such things even in Caliph's
palace."
The
food came in variety of dishes in porcelain dishes. They ate and drank
till the end of the day. Then Aboo Muhammad gave each and every of them
5,000 Deenaars. In the morning he clad them in green and gold dresses.
Masaroor said - "Now we cannot wait any longer because of the fear of the
Caliph." Aboo Muhammad said - "Just keep patience till tomorrow
morning, then I will go with you." Next morning Aboo Muhammad's
servants got a she-mule ready for the journey along with gold, pearls,
costly jewels etc. Seeing this Masaroor thought, "Seeing this wealth
the Caliph will surely ask him, "Where did you get so much
wealth?"
They
took leave of al-Zubaidee and came to Bagadaad and presented themselves in
the presence of the Caliph. Caliph seated him and Aboo Muhammad said -
"O Lord, I have brought something for you, if you permit me to
produce." Al-Rasheed said - "No harm in that." Aboo
Muhammad ordered his people to bring him a chest from which he presented
the Caliph some rarities - trees of gold with leaves of bright emerald and
fruits of red rubies and topazes and new pearls. And as the Caliph was
struck with admiration, Aboo Muhammad took out another chest and took out
a tent of brocade crowned with pearls and jacinth and emeralds and
jaspers and other precious stones. Its poles were of Hindee aloes-wood and
on its skirts were depicted many animals and birds. He said to the Caliph
- "I have brought these things for you thinking that these things are
befitted only for the Caliph. And now I will show you something what I can
do."
Aboo
Muhammad then moving his lips made the palace shaking, then they inclined
towards him and after making another sign they returned to their place.
Then he made a sign with his eye, and some closets appeared with closed
doors. He spoke something and the birds answered from them. The Caliph got
very surprised to see this, he asked - "How do you do all this? I
have heard that your father worked as an ordinary worker in a public
bathroom and thus left you nothing." Aboo said - "I tell you my
story. It is marvelous and wondrous too." And he started his story
...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Know
that I am known as the Lazybones; and it is true that my father worked as
a barber in a public bathroom and left me nothing. Throughout my young
life I did not do anything. I was so lazy that if I lay down in the Sun,
and if the sunshine fell on my face, I was too lazy to move from that
place to go into shade. I was like this till I was 15. My father died
leaving me nothing. My mother used to give me food when I lay in my bed.
One day my mother came to me with five silver Dirhams and said to me -
"O Son, I have heard that Shekh Aboo al-Muzffar is going on voyage to
China. Let us take these five Dirhams and beg him to buy you something
from China, so that you can make some profit out of that.
Although
I was too idle for doing all this, but she threatened me not to give any
food or drink unless I went with her. So I asked her to help me sit, and
wept and wept. Then I asked her to bring my shoes and put them on my feet
and then she took me to that Shekh. I said to him - "Take these
Dirhams and buy me something from China, so that I can sell it for some
profit." He asked his companions - "Do you know this
youth?" They said - "Yes, He is Aboo Muhammad Lazybones and we
have never seen him out of his house till today." So he took my money
and I came back after giving him thanks.
Now
the Shekh went to China, bought and sold things and when he was coming
back, after three days of journey at the sea, he asked his people to stop
the vessel. They asked - "Why? What do you want?" He said -
"We have forgotten to buy something for Aboo Muhammad so that he can
get some profit." They cried - "By Allaah, Do you know what you
are saying? We have already traveled a long distance." He said -
"There is no help, we have to return to buy something for the boy." They said - "Take
double the profit of five Dirhams but don't ask us to return." He
agreed to this and they collected lots of money for him.
Then
they halted at an island where they went to buy precious metals and pearls
and jewels. Presently al-Muzaffar saw a man seated with many apes in front
of him. Among them there was one ape whose hair were plucked and others
were just troubling him. Al-Muzaffar got pity on the plucked ape and asked
the man - "Will you sell this monkey?" He said "Yes",
and he bought that monkey for me in five Dirhams. They brought him to the
ship and tied him there. Then they came to another island where there were
divers who were diving for pearls and other gems. When the ape saw people
diving, he loosened himself and jumped off the ship's side. We thought we
have lost our ape, but as the other divers came upon the surface, he also
appeared with them. His hands were full of jewels which he threw in front
of al-Muzaffar. The
Shekh thought that this ape was mysterious.
They
sailed again and came to a third island, the Island of the Zunooj. There
lived black people who ate men. They caught the merchants and took them to
their King. The King ordered to slaughter some and others spent the night
in bondage. But when it was midnight, the ape loosened Muzaffar's bonds.
The other also asked him to lose themselves. But he said - I am freed by
this ape whom I bought him for the boy for five Dirhams, and since he has
freed me I buy my my release in 1,000 Dirhams." All other also
promised the same if he freed them; so the ape rose and freed all of them.
They ran towards their ship, everything was intact there, so they
immediately set sail. Al-Muzaffar asked all of them to fulfill their
promise, so lots of money got collected for the ape.
Then
they sailed till they came to Basaraa city. When they came to the city,
Al-Muzaffar called me, I went to him, he said - "Welcome to him whose
money has been the means of release of all of us. Take this monkey home
and wait for me." So I took the ape and came back home thinking what a
rare merchandize. I told my mother that whatever you were doing for me,
this monkey will do it now.
The
then al-Muzaffar came to my house and took me to his home where he showed
me the money he collected from the merchants and said - "Allaah has
blessed you with this wealth. Take this." He gave me a few chests
filled with money and I brought them home. At once I went to Bazaar,
opened a shop and the ape used to sit with me on the same Deevaan. He did
that for a long time. During this time I bought houses, planted gardens,
bought many slaves and concubines.
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