The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 2

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When it was the Ninetieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, as soon as dawn
was seen and the morning shone with its shine and sheen, the
horsemen ran to their spears full keen and King Afridun summoned
his chief Knights and Nobles and invested them with dresses of
honour; and, drawing the sign of the cross on their brows,
incensed them with the incense which as aforesaid was the skite
of the Chief Patriarch, the Cohen, the Heresiarch. This
incensing done, he called for Luka bin Shamlut, surnamed the
Sword of the Messiah; and, after fumigating him and rubbing his
palate with the Holy Merde, caused him to snuff it and smeared
his cheeks and anointed his moustaches with the rest. Now there
was no stouter champion in the land of Roum than this accursed
Luka, nor any better at bending of bow or sway of sword or lunge
with lance on the day of devoir; but he was foul of favour, for
his face was as the face of an ass, his shape that of an ape and
his look as the look of a malignant snake: his presence was
grievouser than parting from the beloved make; and blacker than
night was his blackness and more fetid than the lion was his
breath for foulness; more crooked than a bow was his crookedness
and grimmer than the leopard was his ugliness, and he was branded
with the mark of the Infidels on face.[FN#392] After this he came
up to King Afridun and kissed his feet and stood before him; and
the King said to him, "I desire thou go out against Sharrkan,
King of Damascus, son of Omar bin al-Nu'uman, and deliver us from
this affliction." Quoth Luka, "Hearkening and obedience;" and the
King made the sign of the cross on his forehead and felt assured
of help from Heaven being near hand. Then Luka went out from the
presence and the accursed one mounted a sorrel horse; he was clad
in a red robe and a hauberk of gold set with jewels, and he bore
a trident spear, as he were Iblis the damned on the day of
drewing out his hosts war to darraign. Then he rode forward, he
and his horde of Infidels, even as though they were driving to
the Fire, preceded by a herald, crying aloud in the Arabic tongue
and saying, "Ho, sect of Mohammed (upon whom be salutation and
salvation!), let none of you come out but your champion Sharrkan,
the Sword of Al-Islam, Lord of Damascus in Sham[FN#393]!" Nor had
he made an end of speaking, when arose a tumult in the plain; all
the people heard the strain and the whole moving bodies of the
armies twain called to mind the Day of Complain. Then the
cowards trembled and all necks turned towards the sound, and lo!
it was King Sharrkan, son of King Omar bin al-Nu'uman. For when
his brother, Zau al-Makan, saw that accursed one push out on the
plain, and heard the pursuivant, he turned to Sharrkan and said
to him, "Of a surety they seek for thee." Said he, "Should it so
be, 'twere most pleasing to me." So when they made sure of the
matter and heard the herald crying in the plain, "Let none of you
come out against me save Sharrkan," they knew this cursed Luka to
be champion of the land of Roum who had sworn to sweep the earth
clean of Moslems. Now he was one of the greatest of villains, a
wretch who caused hearts to pain; and the DayIamites, Turks and
Kurds dreaded his might and main. Presently Sharrkan crave at
him like a lion angry grim, mounted on a courser like a wild
gazelle flying snell and slim; and coming nigh to him made the
spear he hent to shake as it were a darting snake, and recited
these couplets,

"I have a sorrel steed, whose pride is fain to bear the rein, *
Shall give thee what thou likest not and make thee feel his
main:
I have a handy limber spear full bright and keen of point, * Upon
whose shaft the dam of Death her throny seat hath ta'en:
I have a trenchant glaive of Hind; and, when I bare its face * Of
scabbard" veil, from out its brow the rays of levee rain."

Luka understood not the sense of his speech nor did he apprehend
the vehemence of the verse; but he smote his forehead with his
hand, in honour of the Cross drawn thereon and kissed it; then he
couched his throw spear and ran at Sharrkan. But first he tossed
the javelin with one hand in air to such height that it was lost
to the spectators' sight; and, catching it with the other hand as
do the jugglers, hurled it at Sharrkan. It flew from his grasp
like a shooting star and folk clamoured and feared for Sharrkan;
but, as the spear flew near him, he put out his hand and caught
it in full flight to the amazement of all who saw the sight.
Then he shook it with the hand that took it till it was well nigh
broken, and hurled it so high into the welkin that it disappeared
from view. As it descended, he caught it again with the other
hand, in less than the twinkling of an eye, and cried out from
his heart core, saying, "By the truth of Him who created the
sevenfold skies, I will assuredly make this cursed wight a byword
for mankind to despise!" Then threw he the throw spear at Luka,
who thought to do as Sharrkan had done and put forth his hand to
trend it in mid flight; but Sharrkan prevented him, and sped at
him a second throw spear which smote him and the point fell on
his forehead, in the very centre of the sign of the Cross, and
Allah hurried his soul to the Fire and Dwelling place
dire.[FN#394] But when the Infidels saw Luka bin Shamlut fall
slain, they buffeted their faces and they cried, "Alas!" and "Woe
worth the day!" and called for aid upon the Abbots of the
monasteries,--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
to say her permitted say.

When it was the Ninety-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
Infidels saw Luka bin Shamlut fall slain, they buffeted their
faces and cried, "Alas!" and "Woe worth the day!" and called upon
the Abbots of the monasteries and cried, "Where be the crosses?"
So the Religious offered up prayers and the Christians all drew
together against Sharrkan; and, brandishing their scymitars and
lances, rushed forward to the attack. Then army met army and
breasts fell under hoof, whilst spear and sword ruled the day and
forearms and wrists grew weak and the coursers seemed created
without legs;[FN#395] nor did the herald of-war cease calling to
fight, till arms were aweary and day took flight and night came
on with darkness dight. So the two hosts drew apart, whilst
every brave staggered like a drunken knave, for that with so much
cut and thrust they strave; and the place was choked with the
slain; fell were the wounds and the hurt knew not by whom they
fell. Then Sharrkan joined his brother, Zau al-Makan, and the
Chamberlain and the Wazir Dandan, and said to them, "Verily Allah
hath opened a door for the Infidels to fall, praised be the Lord
of the Worlds one and all!" Replied Zau al-Makan, "Let us never
cease to praise Allah, for that He hath dispelled trouble from
the Arab and the Ajam. Indeed the folk, generation after
generation, shall tell of thy derring do against the accursed
Luka, the falsifier of the Evangel;[FN#396] of thy catching the
throng spear in mid-flight, and how the enemy of Allah among men
thou didst smite; and thy fame shall endure until the end of
time." Then said Sharrkan, "Harkye, O grand Chamberlain and
doughty Capitayne!" and he answered, "Adsum!"[FN#397] Quoth
Sharrkan, "Take with thee the Wazir Dandan and twenty thousand
horse, and lead them seven parasangs towards the sea, and force
the march till ye shall have come near the shore, and there
remain only two parasangs between thee and the foe. Then ambush
ye in the hollows of the ground till ye hear the tumult of the
Infidels disembarking from their ships; and the war cry from
every side strike your ear and ye know that the sabres have begun
labour between us and them; and, whenso ye see our troops falling
back, as if defeated, and all the Infidels following them, as
well those in front as those from the seaward and the tents, do
ye still lie in wait for them: but as soon as ye see the standard
with the words, There is no god but the God, and Mohammed is
God's Apostle (on whom be salutation and salvation!), then up
with the green banner, and do your endeavour and fall on their
rear and shout, 'Alla ho Akbar! Allah is most Great!' and circle
round that they may not interpose between the retreating army and
the sea." He replied, "To hear is to obey!"; and forthright they
agreed upon this matter and they went forth. Now the Chamberlain
took with himself the Wazir Dandan and twenty thousand men even
as Sharrkan had commanded. As soon as dawned the morn, the
troops sprung to horse when they had donned their armour gear and
drawn the scymitar and slung the spear. Then the Christians
dispread themselves over hill and dale and the
Ecclesiasts[FN#398] cried out and all heads were bared, and those
in the ships hoisted the Cross at their mast heads and began
making for shore from every side, and landed their horses and get
them ready for fight and fray, whilst the sword blades glittered
bright and the javelins glanced like levee light on mail shirt
white; and all joined fight and the grind mill of Death whirled
round and ground those who fought from horse and aground: heads
from bodies flew end tongues mute grew and eyes no vision knew.
Scymitars strave with utmost strain and heads flew over the
battle plain; gall bladders crave and wrists were shorn in twain;
steeds plashed in pools of gore and beards were gripped right
sore; the host of Al-Islam called out, saying, "On the Prince of
Mankind be blessings and peace, and to the Compassionate glory
and praise, which ne'er shall cease, for His boons which aye
increase;" and the host of the Infidels shouted, "Glory to the
Cross and the Belt and the vine press juice, and the wine presser
and the Priests and the Monks and the Festival of Palms and the
Metropolitan!" Now Zau al-Makan and Sharrkan held back and their
troops gave way and feigned flight from before the enemy, while
the Infidel array pressed hard upon them deeming them in rout,
and made ready to foin and hew. Then the meiny of the Moslems
raised their voices, reciting the first verses of the Chapter of
the Cow,[FN#399] whilst the dead were trampled under hoofs of
steeds, and the heralds of the Greeks cried out, "Ho, servants of
the Messiah! Ho, people of the True Faith! Ho, followers of the
Primate![FN#400] Verily Divine grace upon you opes; for see, the
hosts of Al Islam like birds with broken wings incline to elope!
So turn ye not to them your backs, but let your swords cleave
deep in their necks and hold not your hands from them, else are
ye outcasts from the Messiah, Mary's son, who spoke even when a
cradled one!"[FN#401] Now Afridun, King of Constantinople, deemed
that the Infidels were victorious, knowing not that this was but
a clever stratagem of the Moslems, and sent to King Hardub of
Roum congratulations on success, adding, "Availed us naught but
the Holy Merde of the Arch Patriarch, whose fragrance exhaled
from the beards and mustachios of the slaves of the Cross near
and far; and I swear, by the Miracles of the Messiah; and by thy
daughter Abrizah, the Nazarene, the Mariolater; and by the Waters
of Baptism, that I will not leave upon the earth a single
defender of Al- Islam! And to the bitter end will I carry out
this plan." So the messenger betook himself with the address to
King Hardub, whilst the Infidels called to one another saying,
"Take we vengeance wreak for Luka!"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Ninety-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Infidels called to one another, saying, "Take we vengeance wreak
for Luka!" while Hardub King of Greece cried aloud, "Ho, to our
revenge for Abrizah!" Thereupon King Zau al-Makan shouted "Ho,
servants of the Requiting King!: smite the children of denial and
disobedience with the blanch of sword and the brown of spear!" So
the Moslems returned to the Infidels and plied them with the keen
edged scymitar, whilst their herald cried aloud, "Up, and at the
foes of the Faith, all ye who love the Prophet Elect, with hope
of salvation on the Day of Fear, to win favour of the Bountiful,
the Forgiving One; for verily the Garden of Paradise is under the
shadow of swords!" And behold, Sharrkan and his men charged down
upon the Infidels and cut off their retreat and wheeled and
tourneyed among the ranks; when lo! a knight of goodly presence
opened a passage through the army of Unbelievers and circled
hither and thither amongst the Deniers, cutting and thrusting and
covering the ground with heads and trunks, so that the Faithless
feared him and their necks bent under his lunge and hew. He was
girt with two swords, his glances and his brand, and he was armed
with two lances, one of bamboo cane and the other his straight
wand like shape; and his flowing hair stood him in stead of many
warriors, even as saith the poet,

"Laud not long hair,[FN#402] except it be dispread * In two fold
locks, on day of fight and fray,
O'er youth who bears his lance 'twixt flank and thigh, * From
many a whis kered knight to win the day."

And as singeth another,

"I say to him, what while he slings his sword, * 'For sword shall
serve those looks that sword like show!'
Says he, 'My sabre looks for those I love, * My sword for those
who sweets of love unknow!'"

When Sharrkan saw him, he said to him, "I conjure thee by the
Koran and the attributes of the Compassionate One, O Champion of
the Champions! tell me who thou art: for verily by thy deeds
this day thou hast pleased the Requiting King, whom one thing
distracteth not from other thing; in that thou hast been
discomforting the children of impiety and in rebellion
revelling." Then cried the Cavalier to him saying, "Thou art he
who madest brother covenant with me but yesterday: how quickly
thou hast forgotten me!" Thereupon he withdrew his mouth
veil,[FN#403] so that what was hidden of his beauty was
disclosed, and lo! it was none other than Zau al-Makan. Then
Sharrkan rejoiced in his brother, save that he feared for him the
rush of fighting and the crush of braves a smiting; and this for
two reasons, the first, his tender age and exposure to the evil
eye, and the second, that his safety was to the kingdom the
greater of the two overshadowing wings. So he said to him, "O
King! thou riskest thy life, so join thy steed to mine; in very
sooth I fear for thee from the foe; and better thou stint
hazarding thyself forth of these squadrons, that we may shoot at
the enemy thine unerring shaft." Quoth Zau al-Makan, "I desire to
even thee in fray and I will not be niggard of myself before thee
in the melay." Then the host of Al-Islam, heaping itself upon the
Infidels, girt them on all sides, warred on them a right Holy
War, and brake the power of the children of impiety and pride and
stowre. But King Afridun sighed when he saw the evil wreak that
had fallen on the Greek, and they turned their backs from fight
and addressed themselves to flight, making for the ships, when
lo! there came out upon them from the seacoast another host, led
by the Minister Dandan, the champion who was wont to make
champions bite the dust, and to lay load on them with cut and
thrust. Nor less came forth the Emir Bahram, Lord of the
Provinces of Sham, amid twenty thousand horse doughty of arm; and
the host of Al-Islam pressed them in front and on flank and
wrought them grievous harm. Then a body of the Moslems turned
against those who in the ships remained, and perdition on them
rained, till they threw themselves into the main, and they slew
of them many slain, more than a hundred thousand noblemen, nor
was one of their champions, great or small, saved from bale and
bane. Moreover, they took their ships, with all the money and
treasure and cargo, save a score of keel, and the Moslems got
that loot whose like was never gotten in by gone years; nor was
such cut and thrust ever heard of by men's ears.[FN#404] Now
amongst the booty were fifty thousand horses, besides treasure
and spoil past reckoning and arithmetic, whereat the Moslems
rejoiced with an exceeding joy for that Allah had given them
victory and protection. Such was the case with them; but as
regards the fugitive Infidels they soon reached Constantinople,
whither the tidings preceded them that King Afridun had prevailed
over the Moslems; so quoth the ancient dame, Zat al-Dawahi, "I
know that my son Hardub, King of Roum, is no runagate and that he
feareth not the Islamitic hosts, but will restore the whole world
to the Nazarene faith." Then she bade the Great King, Afridun,
give command that the city be decorated, and the people held
festival high and drank their wines drunkenly and knew not the
decrees of Destiny. Now whilst they were in the midst of their
rejoicings, behold, the raven of dule and downfall croaked over
them, and up came the twenty fugitive ships wherein was the King
of Caesarea. So King Afridun, Lord of Constantinople, met them
on the sea shore, and they told him all that had befallen them
from the Moslem, and they wept sore and groaned and moaned; and
rejoicing at weal was turned into dismay for unheal; and they
informed him concerning Luka son of Shamlut, how calamity had
betided him and how Death had shot him with his shaft. Thereat
the horrors of Doomday rose upon King Afridun,[FN#405] and he
knew that there was no making straight their crook. Then came up
from them the sound of weeping and wailing; the city was full of
men mourning and the keepers were keening, and sighs and cries
were heard from all sides. And when King Hardub of Greece met
King Afridun he told him the truth of the case and how the flight
of the Moslems was by way of stratagem and deceit, and said to
him, "Look not to see any of the army, save those who have
already reached thee." When King Afridun heard these words he
fell down in a fainting fit, with his nose under his feet; and,
as soon as he revived, he exclaimed, "Surely the Messiah was
wroth with them that he caused the Moslems to prevail over them!"
Then came the Arch Patriarch sadly to the King who said to him,
"O our father, annihilation hath overtaken our army and the
Messiah hath punished us!" Replied the Patriarch, "Grieve not nor
feel concerned, for it cannot be but that one of you have sinned
against the Messiah, and all have been punished for his offence;
but now we will read prayers for you in the churches, that the
Mohammeden hosts may be repelled from you." After which the old
woman, Zat al-Dawahi, came to Afridun and said to him, "O King,
verily the Moslem hosts are many, and we shall never overcome
them save by wile: wherefore I purpose to work upon them by guile
and repair to this army of Al-Islam, haply I may win my wish of
their leader and slay their champion, even as I slew his father.
If my stratagem succeed in his case, not one of the host he leads
shall return to his native land, for all are strong only because
of him; but I desire to have some Christian dwellers of Syria,
such as go out every month and year to sell their goods, that
they may help me (for this they can do) in carrying out my plan."
Replied the King, "Be it so whenever thou wilt." So she bade
fetch an hundred men, natives of Najran,[FN#406] in Sham, and the
King asked them, "Have ye not heard what hath befallen the
Christians with the Moslems?" "Yes," answered they; and he
rejoined, "Know ye that this woman hath devoted her life to the
Messiah and purposeth to go forth with you, disguised as
Monotheists and Mohammedans, to work out a device which shall
profit us and hinder the Moslem from us: say, then, are ye also
willing to devote yourselves to the Anointed and I will give you
a quintal of gold?[FN#407] He of you who escapeth shall have the
money, and him of you who dieth will the Messiah reward." "O
King," replied they, "we will devote our lives to the Messiah,
and we will be thy sacrifice." Thereupon the old woman took all
she required of aromatic roots and placed them in water which she
boiled over the fire till the black essence of them was
extracted. She waited till the decoction was cold, then dipped
the corner of a long kerchief therein and stained her face
therewith. Moreover, she donned over her clothes a long
gaberdine with an embroidered border and took in her hand a
rosary, and afterwards went in to King Afridun, who knew her not,
nor did any of his companions know her, till she discovered
herself to them: and there was none in the assembly but who
thanked and praised her for her cunning; and her son rejoiced and
said, "May the Messiah never fail thee!" Thereupon she took with
her the Syrian Christians, and set out for the army of Baghdad.--
And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.

When it was the Ninety-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when King
Afridun heard these words, he fell into a fainting fit with his
nose under his feet; and, as soon as he revived, fear fluttered
the scrotum[FN#408] below his belly and he complained to the
ancient dame, Zat al-Dawahi. Now this accursed old woman was a
witch of the witches, past mistress in sorcery and deception;
wanton and wily, deboshed and deceptious; with foul breath, red
eyelids, yellow cheeks, dull brown face, eyes bleared, mangy
body, hair grizzled, back humped, skin withered and wan and
nostrils which ever ran. But she had studied the scriptures of
Al-Islam and had made the Pilgrimage to the Holy House of Meccah
and all this that she might come to the knowledge of the
Mohammedan ordinances and the miraculous versets of the Koran;
and she had professed Judaism in the Holy City of
Jerusalem[FN#409] for two years' space, that she might master the
magic of men and demons; so that she was a plague of plagues and
a pest of pests, wrong headed as to belief and to no religion
fief. Now the chief reason of her sojourn with her son, King
Hardub of Greece, was on account of the slave virgins at his
court: for she was given to tribadism[FN#410] and could not exist
without sapphism or she went mad: so if any damsel pleased her,
she was wont to teach her the art of rubbing clitoris against
clitoris and would anoint her with saffron[FN#411] till she
fainted away for excess of volupty. Whoso obeyed her she was
wont to favour and make her son incline towards her; but whoso
repelled her she would contrive to destroy; and so she abode for
a length of time. This was known to Marjanah and Rayhanah and
Utrijah, the handmaids of Abrizah, and their Princess loathed the
old woman and abhorred to lie with her, because of the rank smell
from her armpits, the stench of her fizzles more fetid than
carrion, and the roughness of her hide coarser than palm fibre.
She was wont to bribe those who rubbed parts with her by means of
jewels and instructions; but Abrizah held aloof from her and
sought refuge with the Omnipotent, the Omniscient; for, by Allah,
right well quoth the poet,

"Ho thou who grovellest low before the great * Nor over fording
lesser men dost blench
Who gildest dross by dirham gathering, * No otter scent disguises
carrion stench!

And now to return to the story of her stratagem and the woes of
her working. Presently she departed, taking the chief Nazarenes
with their hosts, and turned towards the army of the Moslems.
Whereupon King Hardub went in to King Afridun and said to him, "O
King, we have no need of the Chief Patriarch nor of his prayers,
but will consult my mother's counsel and observe what she will do
with her craft unending against the Moslem hosts; for these are
marching with all their power, they will soon be upon us and they
will encircle us on all sides." When King Afridun heard this,
terror took hold upon his heart and he wrote letters, without
stay or delay, to all the nations of the Nazarenes, saying, "It
behoveth none of the Messiahites or Cross knights to hold back,
especially the folk of the strongholds and forts: but let them
all come to us, foot and horse, women and children, for the
Moslem hosts already tread our soil. So haste! haste ye! ere
what we fear to us here appear." Thus much concerning them; but
regarding the work of the old woman, Zat al-Dawahi; when she went
forth from the city with her suite, she clad them in the clothing
of Moslem merchants, having provided herself with an hundred
mules carrying stuffs of Antioch, such as goldwoven satins and
royal brocades and so forth. And she had taken a letter from
King Afridun to the following effect: "These be merchantmen from
the land of Sham who have been with us: so it besitteth none to
do them harm or hindrance, nor take tax and tithe of them, till
they reach their homes and safe places, for by merchants a
country flourisheth, and these are no men of war nor of ill
faith." Then quoth the accursed Zat al-Dawahi to those with her,
"Verily I wish to work out a plot for the destruction of the
Moslem." Replied they, "O Queen, command us whatso thou wilt; we
are at thy disposal and may the Messiah never disappoint thy
dealings!" Then she donned a gown of fine white wool and rubbed
her forehead, till she made a great mark as of a scar and
anointed it with an ointment of her own fashion, so that it shone
with prodigious sheen. Now the old hag was lean bodied and
hollow eyed, and she bound her legs tightly round with
cords[FN#412] just above her feet, till she drew near the Moslem
camp, when she unwound them, leaving their marks deeply embedded
in her ankles. Then she anointed the wheels with dragon's blood
and bade her companions beat her with a severe beating, and set
her in a chest and, quoth she, "Cry abroad the Refrain of
Unity,[FN#413] nor fear from it aught of damage!" Replied they,
"How can we beat thee, who be our sovereign lady, Zat al-Dawahi,
mother of the King we glory in?" Then said she, "We blame not nor
deal reproach to him who goeth to the jakes, and in need evil
becometh good deed. When ye have set me in the chest, take it
and make it one of the bales and place it on mule back and fare
forth with it and the other goods through the Moslem camp, and
fear ye no blame. And if any of the Moslems hinder you, give up
the mules and their lading and be take yourselves to their King,
Zau al-Makan, and implore his protection saying, 'We were in the
land of the Infidels and they took nothing from us, but wrote us
a passport, that none shall do us hindrance or work our
mischance.' If he ask you, 'What profit had ye of your property
in the land of Roum?' answer him, 'We profited in the deliverance
of a pious man, who had been bound down in an underground cell
nigh fifteen years, crying out for help yet none helped him.
Nay, the Infidels tortured him night and day. We knew not this;
but, after we had tarried in Constantinople for some time, having
sold our goods and bought others in their stead, we determined on
and made ready for a return to our native land. We spent that
night conversing about our journey and when day broke, we saw
figured upon the wall a human form and as we drew nigh it,
behold, it moved and said, 'O Moslems, is there amongst you one
who is minded to woo the favour of the Lord of the three
Worlds?'[FN#414] 'How so?' asked we; and the figure answered,
'Know that Allah hath made me speak to you, to the intent that
your faith be fortified, and that your belief embolden you and
that you may go forth of the country of the Infidels and repair
to the Moslem host; for with them wones the Sword of the Com
passionate One, of our Age the Champion, King Sharrkan, by whom
He shall conquer Constantinople town and destroy the sect of the
Nazarene. And when ye shall have journeyed three days, you will
find an hermitage known as the Hermitage of the ascetic
Matruhina[FN#415] and containing a cell; visit it with pure
intent and contrive to arrive there by force of will, for therein
is a Religious from the Holy City, Jerusalem, by name Abdullah,
and he is one of the devoutest of mankind, endowed with the power
of working saintly miracles[FN#416] such as dispel doubts and
obscurity. Certain of the monks seized him by fraud and shut him
up in a souterrain where he hath lain a long time. By his
deliverance you will please the Lord of Faithful Men, for such
release is better than fighting for the Faith.'" Now when the
ancient dame and those with her had agreed upon such words, she
said, "As soon as that which I impart shall reach the ears of
King Sharrkan, say him further, 'Hearing this from that image we
knew that the holy man'"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day
and ceased to say her permitted say.

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