89-3-1 -
The Story of the Hunchback:
The Story
Told by the Sultaan's Steward
On
the 27th Night contd ...
Thus
the Sultaan's steward Reeve started telling his story like this.
Last
night, I was with a party where people celebrated the recitation of Quraan. When
they had finished their work, the servants spread the food among which
there was a dish of Zeerbaajaah. So we approached to eat that dish, but one
of the company drew back his hand and refused to eat it. We insisted him to eat it,
but he refused to eat it saying that he had suffered enough from eating
it. So we asked him - "Would you care to tell us as what is the reason of
your abstaining from this dish?" He said - "Because I cannot eat it,
unless I wash my hands 40 times with Galangale, and 40 times with potash,
and 40 times with soap - altogether with 120 times."
So the
host ordered his servants to provide all that, what he described, to give
him to wash his hands. After he had finished washing his hands, he
advanced, though with disgust, stretched forth his hand as one in fear and
put it into the Zeerbaajaah. His hand trembled and when he put it forth, we
saw that his thumb was cut off and he ate with his four fingers only. We were
so surprised seeing this that we could not resist ourselves asking him -
"Could you tell us how your thumb was maimed? Was it created by God
like this or some accident happened?"
He
answered - "O my brothers, Not only I have lost my thumb, but also
the thumb of the other hand; and each of my feet is in like manner -
deprived of the big toe." And he showed us his all the four - two thumbs
and two big toes. We said to him - "We are impatient to hear your story
about losing these thumbs and big toes and the reason of your washing your
hands 120 times." So he said to us .....
"My
father was a great merchant, the chief of the merchants of the city
Bagadaad during the times of Caliph Haaroon al-Rasheed; but he was
addicted to wine and hearing to lute (a musical instrument); and when he
died he left nothing. I performed his last rites and mourned him for days
and nights. I opened his shop and found only a few goods there and his
debts were many. So I calmed his creditors and started buying and selling
and thus paying his debts from week to week. I did this for a considerable
period, till I paid all his debts and increased my capital.
One
day I was sitting in my shop that a lady came to my shop. I had not seen
her before. She was very beautiful and was adorned with ornaments. She
came riding on a mule with a slave before her and a slave behind her. She
dismounted from the mule and entered the market street followed by a
eunuch. The eunuch said - "Madam, Go but do not tell anybody who you
are, lest you cause insult for us." He further cautioned her when she
walked forward. She looked at the shops, but found none more attractive
then mine. So she came to my shop, sat down and greeted me. She drew aside
the veil and I saw that she was exceedingly beautiful.
As I
saw her I recited two verses in which I requested her to visit me again.
In reply of my those two verses, she also read two verses in which she
accepted that she was also love- stricken in my love. Then she asked me -
"Do you have any handsome stuff?" I answered - "Your slave
is a poor man, but just wait till other merchants open their shops, then I
will bring you whatever you desire." So we talked for a while, and
when other merchants had opened their shops I brought what she wanted. The
price of which was 5,000 pieces of silver. She gave all to the eunuch and
they both went out of the market street. The slaves brought the mule to
her and she went away without telling me who she was; and I was ashamed to
mention my love to her. Now I was answerable to the merchants from whom I
bought the materials - I incurred the debt of 5,000 silver pieces.
After
the market was closed, I went home. They placed the supper before me,
but I could not eat it. I desired to sleep, but it wouldn't come. The
merchants asked me their money but I prevailed upon them to wait another
week. After the week, the lady came again, riding upon the mule, attended
by one eunuch and the two slaves and having greeted me said to me -
"O my master, We are late to bring the money, call the money changer
and take the money." So the money changer came and the eunuch gave
him the money.
We
talked again till the market opened. Then she asked me to bring some more
things, I brought them for her. She took them and went away like before
without telling me anything. When she had gone I repented for what I had
done. This time I bought the materials for her worth 1,000 pieces of gold.
What kind of love is this. She brought me 5,000 pieces of silver and took
away 1,000 gold pieces worth gods. This woman seems a cheat to me.
This
time she was absent for more than a month. Meanwhile I had to sell my
possession to pay the debt. I was on the brink of ruin that she appeared
again and came to my shop. Seeing her I forgot my sufferings. She talked
to me very softly, asked to produce the scale and weigh the money and she
gave the price of the goods she had taken last month. She continued
talking to me. She asked me - "Do you have a wife?" I said,
"No. Because I do not know any woman." and I wept. She asked me
- "Why do you weep?"
Meanwhile
a thought came to my mind. I gave some gold pieces to the eunuch
requesting him to be mediator in my love affair. He laughed and said -
"She is in love with you, more than your are with her; and has no
need of this stuff, but has come to you only because of your love. Propose
to her. She will not oppose you what you will say." She had seen me
giving gold pieces to eunuch. I said to her - "Please pardon me for
what I am going to say you now." And then I told her my feelings for
her. She consented to my proposal and said - "This eunuch will come
to you with my letter and you do whatever he says to you." And she
went away.
I went
to the merchants, paid their money and all were profited except myself. I
was restless for the next few days. After a few days the eunuch came and
told me that his mistress was sick. I asked him her history. He said -
"The Lady Zubaidaa, the wife of the Caliph Haaroon al-Rasheed's wife
brought her, and she is one of her private slaves. She had the liberty of
going out and returning at her pleasure. One day she told her mistress
about you and asked her permission to marry you. She said - "I cannot
marry you to him until I see him and know whether he has a desire to marry
you also." So we want to introduce you to her, and if you can enter without the
knowledge of others, you will succeed marrying her. And if your plot will
be discovered, you will be killed. Now what do you say?"
I said
I will go with you and wait for the moment that will befall me. The eunuch
said - "Tomorrow night you go the mosque, Lady Zubaida has built on
the bank of the Tigris, say your prayers there and pass the night."
"Most willingly."
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