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89-5-1 -
The Story of the Hunchback:
The Story
Told by the Tailor
On the
29th Night contd ...
So the
Tailor started his story thus - "O King, What has happened to me is
more wonderful than the events which have happened to all others. Before I
met the hunchback, I happened to be, early in the morning, at an
entertainment given to certain tradesmen whom I knew. Among them were
tailors, linen drapers and carpenters also. When the Sun had risen, and
the food was brought for us to eat, the master of the house came in
accompanied by a strange young handsome man. He had rich clothes on his
body. He was very handsome except that he was lame.
As
soon as he entered he greeted us, and when he was about to sit, he
observed a barber amongst us, and so he refused to sit with us and desired
to depart. We and the master of the house requested him to sit down asking
"What is the reason of your entering this place and then going back
immediately?" He said - "By Allaah, Do not try to stop me,
because the reason of my going is this barber who is sitting with
you." When the host heard this, he was very surprised, he asked him
why the barber was a cause of the displeasure to him. The young man said -
"A surprising adventure has happened to me with this barber in
Bagadaad, my city; and he is the cause of my lameness. Since then I have
taken vow that I will not sit with him, nor even I will live in that town
in which he will live. That is why I quitted Bagadaad and came to this
city. And I will not pass the next night here in any case." At this
we said to him - "We request you to tell us your adventure with
him." The barber's face went pale, when he heard this request.
The
young man said - "My father was the chief merchant of Bagadaad and
God blessed him with a son like me. When I had grown up, my father died
leaving me wealth, servants and other dependants. I started living in a
rich fashion. I hated women and so I continued, until one day, when I was
walking through the streets of Bagadaad, when a party stopped my way. I
fled from them, entered a by-street and reclined upon a Mastabaa (a fixed
stone bench) to
save myself. I seated there only for a while that a window opposite me
opened suddenly and I saw a girl whose face was like a full moon. She was
watering some flowers beneath the window. She looked around and then shut
the window and disappeared. My hatred towards women changed into love and
I continued to sit there until the evening.
Then I
saw a Qaazee came riding along, with slaves before him, and servants
behind him. He dismounted and entered the same house, so I thought that he
should be her father. I came back home sorrowful and fell on my bed. My
female servants came to me to know about me, but I did not tell them
anything about myself, nor I answered their questions. The neighbors also
came to me to cheer me up; and among them was an old woman, who as soon as
saw me, knew my state of affair.
She
sat at my head and spoke to me in a soft voice - "Tell me, O my son,
what has happened to you?" I told her the whole story. She said -
"You are right, she is the daughter of the Qaazee of Bagadaad and she
is kept in close confinement. The place you saw her, is her apartment, and
her father lives in a large house below her apartment leaving her alone. I often
visit her. You can meet her only through me, so be patient." Her
words gave me a lot of consolation and I rose from the bed. The old woman
went away.
One
day she came back with changed expressions and said - "O my son, Do not
ask me what she did when I told her of your case. For she said - "If you
did not stop, O ill-woman, I will treat you as you deserve." Still I will
go to her second time." I again became restless. After a few days she came
again and said - "I desire good rewards from you. When I went to her yesterday and she saw me
broken-hearted, she asked me - "O my aunt, Why are you so sad?"
I wept and said - "O my child, I came to you the other day from
visiting a youth who loves you very much, and he is at the point of death
because of you."
Her
heart moved with kindness and she asked me - "Who is this youth about
whom you speak to me?" I replied - "He is my son and the child
dear to my soul. He saw you in the window some days ago while you were
watering flowers, and he got love-stricken. I told him about the
conversation we had last time, hearing that his condition got worse and he
is bed-ridden now. He is now dying." Upon this she became pale and
said - "Is this only because of me?" "By Allaah, Yes. Then what do you want me to do?"
She said to me - "Go to
him, and say that "My love is more than yours." and ask him to
come here next Friday, before the congregational prayer. I will order you to
open the door to him and and you let him come to me and then I will arrange a
short interview with him and he will go back before my father comes back
from his prayers."
When I
heard this from her, I was at ease, and I gave her the set of clothes
which I was wearing at that time. The people in my house, my neighbors, my
friends all got happy to see me better. So next Friday, I dressed myself,
perfumed myself and anxiously waited for the people to go to prayer. The old
woman said to me - "You have plenty of time, you may take bath and
shave to look more comely." I said - "Good idea, but I will
shave my head first then I will go to bath." So I sent for a barber
to shave my head. The boy went and brought this Shekh. He greeted me and
said - "You are so thin." I said - "I was ailing, but now I am all right."
He
expressed his happiness that I was well. Then he asked - "Do you
desire to be shaved or to be bled? Because it has been said by Ibn Abbaas,
that the Prophet said "Whoso shortens his hair on Friday, Allaah will
dispel from him 70 diseases. And it has been handed down also, on the same
authority, that the Prophet said "Cupping on Friday will secure from the loss of sight and frequent disease."
I said
- "Stop all this nonsense and come immediately and shave my head for
I am weak." He arose, took out a handkerchief and opened it. There
was an astrological instrument in it to know about the positions of stars.
He went into the middle of the court, looked towards the Sun for a
considerable time and then said to me - "Today which is Friday, the
10th of Safar, of the year 263 of the Flight of the Prophet, the ascendant
star of which is the planet Mars, 7 degrees, and 6 minutes; and it happens
that Mercury has come in conjunction with Mars; this indicates that the
shaving of hair is now a most excellent operation, and it has been
indicated to me also that you desire to confer a benefit upon a person, he
is fortunate; but after that there is an announcement which I will not
tell you."
I
cried - "By Allaah, You are wearing me while I asked you to just
shave my head. Get up and shave." But he said - "By Allaah, If
you knew the truth of the case, you would have asked me to further explain
it; and I counseled you to do this day according to the calculations deduced
from the position of stars. It is your duty to praise God and not to
oppose me, for I am the one who can give you good advice. I have been
serving you for the one full year, you should do justice with me and I am not
asking you to pay me anything for this."
On
the 30th Night
When I
heard this, I said to him - "You are killing me and there is no
escape for me." He said - "O my Master, I am the one whom people call
Al-Shamit (the Silent) because of my speech, and for the same I am
distinguished from my brothers - the eldest one Al-Bakbook, the prattler; the second Al-Haddaar,
the babbler; the third al-Faqeer, the gabbler; the fourth Al-Kooz al-Aswaanee,
the long-necked Gugglet from his eternal chattering; the fifth Al-Nashshaar,
the tattler and tale teller and the sixth Shakaashik or many clamors; and the seventh brother is me Al-Shamit,
the Silent Man."
When I
heard this barber I asked the boy to give him a quarter piece of gold and
let him go for I had no need to shave my head. Hearing this the barber
exclaimed - "What is this you said to the boy, O Lord? I cannot
accept anything from you unless I have done something for you; and I must
do something for you which you require, whether you give me anything or
not. If you do not know my worth, I know yours and your father treated me
with so nicely.
One
day your father sent for me and he had a lots of friends on that day with
him. He said to me - "Take some blood from me." So I took my
astrological instrument and observed the altitude for him and found the
ascendant of the hour an evil omen for him and that the letting of the
blood would create a trouble for him. So I told him that and he conformed
to my wish. We waited till the good hour came and then I took the blood
from him. He did not oppose me, but on the contrary he thanked me and gave
me 103 pieces of gold and a robe of honor."
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