第8章 THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND ONE NIGHT(6)

Quoth her father'Must it be so？'And she answered 'Yes.'So being weary of striving with her and despairing of turning her from her purposehe went up to King Shehriyar and kissing the earth before himtold him about his daughter and how she would have him give her to him that next night；whereat the King marvelled and said to him'How is this？ By Him who raised up the heavensif thou bring her to meI shall say to thee on the morrow'Take her and put her to death.'And if thou kill her notI will kill thee without fail.'O king of the age，'

answered the Vizier'it is she who will have it so；and I told her all thisbut she will not hear me and insists upon passing this night with thy highness.'It is well，'answered Shehriyar；

'go and make her readyand tonight bring her to me.'So the Vizier returned to his daughter and told her what had passed，saying'May God not bereave us of thee！'But Shehrzad rejoiced with an exceeding joy and made ready all that she neededand said to her sister Dunyazad'O my sisternote well what I shall enjoin thee. When I go up to the SultanI will send after thee，and when thou comest to me and seest that the King has done his will of medo thou say to me'O my sisteran thou be not asleeptell us some of thy delightful storiesto pass away the watches of this our night.'Do this and （God willing） it shall be the means of my deliverance and of the ridding of the folk of this calamityand by it I will turn the King from his custom.'

Dunyazad answered'It is well.'And the Vizier carried Shehrzad to the Kingwho took her to his bed and fell to toying with her.

But she weptand he said to her'Why dost thou weep？'O king of the age，'answered she'I have a young sister and I desire to take leave of her this night and that she may take leave of me before the morning.'So he sent for Dunyazadand she waited till the Sultan had done his desire of her sister and they were all three awakewhen she coughed and said'O my sisteran thou be not asleeptell us one of thy pleasant storiesto beguile the watches of our nightand I will take leave of thee before the morning.'With all my heart，'answered Shehrzad'if the good king give me leave.'The King being wakefulwas pleased to hear a story and said'Tell on.'Whereat she rejoiced greatly and said'It is relatedO august kingthat .

THE MERCHANT AND THE GENIE.

There was once a merchantwho had much substance and traded largely in foreign countries. One dayas he was riding through a certain countrywhither he had gone to collect what was due to himthere overtook him the heat of the day and presently he espied a garden before him；so he made towards it for shelter and alightingsat down under a walnut treeby a spring of water. Then he put his hand to his saddle bags and took out a cake of bread and a date and ate them and threw away the date stonewhen beholdthere started up before him a gigantic Afrit，with a naked sword in his handwho came up to him and said，'Arisethat I may slay theeeven as thou hast slain my son.'

'How did I slay thy son？'asked the merchantand the genie replied'When thou threwest away the date stoneit smote my sonwho was passing at the timeon the breastand he died forthright.'When the merchant heard thishe said'Verily we are God's and to Him we return！There is no power and no virtue but in Godthe Most Highthe Supreme！If I killed himit was by misadventureand I prithee pardon me.'But the genie said，'There is no help for it but I must kill thee.'Then he seized him and throwing him downraised his sword to strike him：

whereupon the merchant wept and said'I commit my affair to God！'and recited the following verses：

Fate has two daysuntroubled onethe other loweringAnd life two partsthe one contentthe other sorrowing.

Say unto him that taunteth us with fortune's perfidy'At whom but those whose heads are high doth Fate its arrows fling？'

If that the hands of Time have made their plaything of our life，Till for its long protracted kiss ill-hap upon us spring，Dost thou not see the hurricanewhat time the wild winds blow，Smite down the stately trees alone and spare each lesser thing？

Lo！in the skies are many starsno one can tell their taleBut to the sun and moon alone eclipse brings darkening.

The earth bears many a pleasant herb and many a plant and tree：

But none is stoned save only those to which the fair fruit cling.

Look on the sea and how the waifs float up upon the foamBut in its deepest depths of blue the pearls have sojourning.

'Cut short thy speech，'said the genie'forby Allahthere is no help for it but I must kill thee.'KnowO Afrit，'replied the merchant'that I have a wife and children and much substanceand I owe debts and hold pledges： so let me return home and give every one his dueand I vow by all that is most sacred that I will return to thee at the end of the yearthat thou mayest do with me as thou wiltand God is witness of what I say.'The genie accepted his promise and released himwhereupon he returned to his dwelling-place and paid his debts and settled all his affairs. Moreoverhe told his wife and children what had happened and made his last dispositionsand tarried with his family till the end of the year. Then he rose and made his ablutions and took his winding sheet under his arm and bidding his household and kinsfolk and neighbours farewellset outmuch against his willto perform his promise to the genie；

whilst his family set up a great noise of crying and lamentation.