第38章

and here they alighted in the street called Yellow，[128] where stood the house of Shams al-Din.Then Ala al-Din knocked at the door，and his mother said，'Who is at the door，now that we have lost our beloved for evermore？' He replied，' 'Tis I！ Ala al-Din！' whereupon they came down and embraced him.Then he sent his wives and baggage into the house and entering himself with Ahmad al-Danaf，rested there three days，after which he was minded to set out for Baghdad.His father said，'Abide with me，O my son；' but he answered； 'I cannot bear to be parted from my child Aslan.' So he took his father and mother and fared forth for Baghdad.Now when they came thither，Ahmad al-Danaf went in to the Caliph and gave him the glad tidings of Ala al-Din's arrival--and told him his story whereupon the King went forth to greet him taking the youth Aslan，and they met and embraced each other.Then the Commander of the Faithful summoned the arch-thief Ahmad Kamakim and said to Ala al-Din，'Up and at thy foe！' So he drew his sword and smote off Ahmad Kamakim's head.Then the Caliph held festival for Ala al-Din and，summoning the Kazis and witnesses，wrote the contract and married him to the Princess Husn Maryam； and he went in unto her and found her an unpierced pearl.Moreover，the Caliph made Aslan Chief of the Sixty and bestowed upon him and his father sumptuous dresses of honour； and they abode in the enjoyment of all joys and joyance of life，till there came to them the Destroyer of delights and the Sunderer of societies.But the tales of generous men are manifold and amongst them is the story of HATIM OF THE TRIBE OF TAYY.

It is told of Hatim of the tribe of Tayy，[129] that when he died，they buried him on the top of a mountain and set over his grave two troughs hewn out of two rocks and stone girls with dishevelled hair.At the foot of the hill was a stream of running water，and when wayfarers camped there，they heard loud crying and keening in the night，from dark till daybreak； but when they arose in the morning，they found nothing but the girls carved in stone.Now when Zu 'l-Kura'a，[130] King of Himyar，going forth of his tribe，came to that valley，he halted to pass the night there，--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventieth Night，She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when Zu 'l-

Kura'a passed by the valley he righted there，and，when he drew near the mountain，he heard the keening and said，'What lamenting is that on yonder hill？' They answered him，saying，'Verily this be the tomb of Hatim al-Tayy，over which are two troughs of stone and stone figures of girls with dishevelled hair； and all who camp in this place by night hear this crying and keening.' So he said jestingly，'O Hatim of Tayy！ we are thy guests this night，and we are lank with hunger.' Then sleep overcame him，but presently he awoke in affright and cried out，saying，'Help，O Arabs！ Look to my beast！' So they came to him，and finding his she-camel struggling and struck down，they stabbed her in the throat and roasted her flesh and ate.Then they asked him what had happened and he said，'When I closed my eyes，I saw in my sleep Hatim of Tayy who came to me sword in hand and cried，'Thou comest to us and we have nothing by us.' Then he smote my she-camel with his sword，and she had surely died even though ye had not come to her and slaughtered her.'[131] Now when morning dawned the King mounted the beast of one of his companions and，taking the owner up behind him，set out and fared on till midday，when they saw a man coming towards them，mounted on a camel and leading another，and said to him，'Who art thou？' He answered，'I

am Adi，[132] son of Hatim of Tayy； where is Zu 'l-Kura'a，Emir of Himyar？' Replied they，'This is he；' and he said to the prince，'Take this she-camel in place of thy beast which my father slaughtered for thee.' Asked Zu 'l Kura'a，'Who told thee of this？' and Adi answered，'My father appeared to me in a dream last night and said to me，'Harkye，Adi； Zu 'l Kura'a King of Himyar，sought the guest-rite of me and I，having naught to give him，slaughtered his she-camel，that he might eat： so do thou carry him a she-camel to ride，for I have nothing.'' And Zu 'l-Kura'a took her，marvelling at the generosity of Hatim of Tayy alive and dead.And amongst instances of generosity is the TALE OF MA'AN THE SON OF ZAIDAH.[133]

It is told of Ma'an bin Zaidah that，being out one day a-chasing and a-hunting，he became athirst but his men had no water with them； and while thus suffering behold，three damsels met him bearing three skins of water；--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Two Hundred and Seventy-first Night，[134]

She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that three girls met him bearing three skins of water； so he begged drink of them，and they gave him to drink.Then he sought of his men somewhat to give the damsels but they had no money； so he presented to each girl ten golden piled arrows from his quiver.Whereupon quoth one of them to her friend，'Well-a-day！ These fashions pertain to none but Ma'an bin Zaidah！ so let each one of us say somewhat of verse in his praise.' Then quoth the first，'He heads his arrows with piles of gold，* And while shooting his foes is his bounty doled：

Affording the wounded a means of cure，* And a sheet for the bider beneath the mould！'

And quoth the second，'A warrior showing such open hand，* His boons all friends and all foes enfold：

The piles of his arrows of or are made，* So that battle his bounty may not withhold！'

And quoth the third，'From that liberal-hand on his foes he rains*Shafts aureate-headed and manifold：

Wherewith the hurt shall chirurgeon pay，* And for slain the shrouds round their corpses roll'd.'[135]

And there is also told a tale of MA'AN SON OF ZAIDAH AND THE BADAWI.

Now Ma'an bin Zaidah went forth one day to the chase with his company，and they came upon a herd of gazelles； so they separated in pursuit and Ma'an was left alone to chase one of them.When he had made prize of it he alighted and slaughtered it； and as he was thus engaged，he espied a person[136] coming forth out of the desert on an ass.So he remounted and riding up to the new-comer，saluted him and asked him，'Whence comest thou？' Quoth he，'I come from the land of Kuza'ah，where we have had a two years' dearth； but this year it was a season of plenty and I sowed early cucumbers.[137] They came up before their time，so I gathered what seemed the best of them and set out to carry them to the Emir Ma'an bin Zaidah，because of his well-known beneficence and notorious munificence.' Asked Ma'an，'How much dost thou hope to get of him？'； and the Badawi answered，'A thousand dinars.' Quoth the Emir，'What if he say this is too much？' Said the Badawi，'Then I will ask five hundred dinars.'