THE ARABIAN NIGHTS

by Sir Richard Burton
ENTERTAINMENTS

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS
(ALF LAYLAH WA LAYLAH)

STORY OF KING SHAHRYAR AND HIS BROTHER
In the Name of Allah,

the Compassionating, the Compassionate!
PRAISE BE TO ALLAH - THE BENEFICENT KING - THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE

- LORD OF THE THREE WORLDS - WHO SET UP THE FIRMAMENT WITHOUT
PILLARS IN ITS STEAD - AND WHO STRETCHED OUT THE EARTH EVEN AS A BED -

AND GRACE, AND PRAYER-BLESSING BE UPON OUR LORD MOHAMMED - LORD OF
APOSTOLIC MEN - AND UPON HIS FAMILY AND COMPANION TRAIN -PRAYER AND

BLESSINGS ENDURING AND GRACE WHICH UNTO THE DAY OF DOOM SHALL REMAIN -
AMEN! - O THOU OF THE THREE WORLDS SOVEREIGN!

AND AFTERWARD. Verily the works and words of those gone before us
have become instances and examples to men of our modern day, that folk

may view what admonishing chances befell other folk and may
therefrom take warning; and that they may peruse the annals of antique

peoples and all that hath betided them, and be thereby ruled and
restrained. Praise, therefore, be to Him who hath made the histories

of the past an admonition unto the present! Now of such instances
are the tales called "A Thousand Nights and a Night," together with

their far-famed legends and wonders.
Therein it is related (but Allah it is All-knowing of His hidden

things and All-ruling and All-honored and All-giving and
All-gracious and All-merciful!) that in tide of yore and in time

long gone before, there was a King of the Kings of the Banu Sasan in
the islands of India and China, a Lord of armies and guards and

servants and dependents. He left only two sons, one in the prime of
manhood and the other yet a youth, while both were knights and braves,

albeit the elder was a doughtier horseman than the younger. So he
succeeded to the empire, when he ruled the land and lorded it is

over his lieges with justice so exemplary that he was beloved by all
the peoples of his capital and of his kingdom. His name was King

Shahryar, and he made his younger brother, Shah Zaman hight, King of
Samarkand in Barbarian land. These two ceased not to abide in their

several realms and the law was ever carried out in their dominions.
And each ruled his own kingdom with equity and fair dealing to his

subjects, in extremesolace and enjoyment, and this condition
continually endured for a score of years.

But at the end of the twentieth twelvemonth the elder King yearned
for a sight of his younger brother and felt that he must look upon him

once more. So he took counsel with his Wazir about visiting him, but
the Minister, finding the project unadvisable, recommended that a

letter be written and a present be sent under his charge to the
younger brother, with an invitation to visit the elder. Having

accepted this advice, the King forthwith bade prepare handsome
gifts, such as horses with saddles of gem-encrusted gold; Mamelukes,

or white slaves; beautiful handmaids, high-breasted virgins, and
splendid stuffs and costly. He then wrote a letter to Shah Zaman

expressing his warm love and great wish to see him, ending with
these words: "We therefore hope of the favor and affection of the

beloved brother that he will condescend to bestir himself and turn his
face usward. Furthermore, we have sent our Wazir to make all ordinance

for the march, and our one and only desire it is to see thee ere we
die. But if thou delay or disappoint us, we shall not survive the

blow. Wherewith peace be upon thee!"
Then King Shahryar, having sealed the missive and given it is to the

Wazir with the offerings aforementioned, commanded him to shorten
his skirts and strain his strength and make all expedition in going

and returning. "Harkening and obedience!" quoth the Minister, who fell
to making ready without stay and packed up his loads and prepared

all his requisites without delay. This occupied him three days, and on
the dawn of the fourth he took leave of his King and marched right

away, over desert and hallway, stony waste and pleasant lea, without
halting by night or by day. But whenever he entered a realm whose

ruler was subject to his suzerain, where he was greeted with
magnificent gifts of gold and silver and all manner of presents fair

and rare, he would tarry there three days, the term of the guest rite.
And when he left on the fourth, he would be honorablyescorted for a

whole day's march.
As soon as the Wazir drew near Shah Zaman's court in Samarkand he

dispatched to report his arrival one of his high officials, who
presented himself before the King and, kissing ground between his

hands, delivered his message. Hereupon the King commanded sundry of
his grandees and lords of his realm to fare forth and meet his

brother's Wazir at the distance of a full day's journey. Which they
did, greeting him respectfully and wishing him all prosperity and

forming an escort and a procession. When he entered the city, he
proceeded straightway to the palace, where he presented himself in the

royal presence; and after kissing ground and praying for the King's
health and happiness and for victory over all his enemies, he

informed him that his brother was yearning to see him, and prayed
for the pleasure of a visit.

He then delivered the letter, which Shah Zaman took from his hand
and read. It contained sundry hints and allusions which required

thought, but when the King had fully comprehended its import, he said,
"I hear and I obey the commands of the beloved brother!" adding to the

Wazir, "But we will not march till after the third day's hospitality."
He appointed for the Minister fitting quarters of the palace and

pitching tents for the troops, rationed them with whatever they
might require of meat and drink and other necessaries. On the fourth

day he made ready for wayfare and got together sumptuous presents
befitting his elder brother's majesty, and stablished his chief

Wazir Viceroy of the land during his absence. Then he caused his tents
and camels and mules to be brought forth and encamped, with their

bales and loads, attendants and guards, within sight of the city, in
readiness to set out next morning for his brother's capital.

But when the night was half-spent he bethought him that he had
forgotten in his palace somewhat which he should have brought with

him, so he returned privily and entered his apartments, where he found
the Queen, his wife, asleep on his own carpet bed embracing with

both arms a black cook of loathsomeaspect and foul with kitchen
grease and grime. When he saw this the world waxed black before his

sight and he said: "If such case happen while I am yet within sight of
the city, what will be the doings of this damned whore during my

long absence at my brother's court?" So he drew his scimitar, and
cutting the two in four pieces with a single blow, left them on the

carpet and returned presently to his camp without letting anyone
know of what had happened. Then he gave orders for immediate departure

and set out at once and began his travel; but he could not help
thinking over his wife's treason, and he kept ever saying to

himself: "How could she do this deed by me? How could she work her own
death?" till excessive grief seized him, his color changed to

yellow, his body waxed weak, and he was threatened with a dangerous
malady, such a one as bringeth men to die. So the Wazir shortened

his stages and tarried long at the watering stations, and did his best
to solace the King.

Now when Shah Zaman drew near the capital of his brother, he
dispatched vaunt-couriers and messengers of glad tidings to announce

his arrival, and Shahryar came forth to meet him with his wazirs and
emirs and lords and grandees of his realm, and saluted him and joyed

with exceeding joy and caused the city to be decorated in his honor.
When, however, the brothers met, the elder could not but see the

change of complexion in the younger and questioned him of his case,
whereto he replied: "'Tis caused by the travails of wayfare and my

case needs care, for I have suffered from the change of water and air!
But Allah be praised for reuniting me with a brother so dear and so

rare!" On this wise he dissembled and kept his secret, adding: "O King
of the Time and Caliph of the Tide, only toil and moil have tinged

my face yellow with bile and hath made my eyes sink deep in my head."