The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6

R >> Richard F. Burton >> The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, Volume 6

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When it was the Six Hundred and Thirtieth Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Gharib
and his merry men and the Giant and his tribe reached the Wady of
Blossoms they found birds flying free; the cushat filling with
her moan the mansions made by the Deity, the bulbul singing as if
'twere human harmony and the merle whom to describe tongue
faileth utterly; the turtle, whose plaining maddens men for
loveecstasy and the ringdove and the popinjay answering her with
fluency. There also were trees laden with all manner of fruitery,
of each two kinds,[FN#342] the pomegranate, sweet and sour upon
branches growing luxuriantly, the almond-apricot,[FN#343] the
camphor-apricot[FN#344] and the almond Khorasan highs; the plum,
with whose branches the boughs of the myrobalan were entwined
tight; the orange, as it were a cresses flaming light, the
shaddock weighed down with heavy freight; the lemon, that cures
lack of appetite, the citron against jaundice of sovereign might,
and the date, red and yellow-bright, the especial handiwork of
Allah the Most High. Of the like of this place saith the
enamoured poet,

"When its birds in the lake make melody, * The lorn lover
yearneth its sight to see:
'Tis as Eden breathing a fragrant breeze, * With its shade and
fruits and rills flowing free."

Gharib marvelled at the beauty of that Wady and bade them set up
there the pavilion of Fakhr Taj the Chosroite; so they pitched it
among the trees and spread it with rich tapestries. Then he sat
down and the slaves brought food and they ate their sufficiency;
after which quoth Gharib, "Harkye, Sa'adan!": and quoth he, "At
thy service, O my lord." "Hast thou aught of wine?" asked Gharib,
and Sa'adan answered, "Yes, I have a cistern full of old wine."
Said Gharib, "Bring us some of it." So Sa'adan sent ten slaves,
who returned with great plenty of wine, and they ate and drank
and were mirthful and merry. And Gharib bethought him of Mahdiyah
and improvised these couplets,

"I mind our union days when ye were nigh, * And flames my heart
with love's consuming lowe.
By Allah, Ne'er of will I quitted you: * But shifts of Time from
you com pelled me go:
Peace and fair luck and greetings thousand-fold * To you, from
exiled lover's pining woe."

They abode eating and drinking and taking their pleasure in the
valley for three days, after which they returned to the castle.
Then Gharib called Sahim and said to him, "Take an hundred horse
and go to thy father and mother and thy tribe, the Banu Kahtan,
and bring them all to this place, here to pass the rest of their
days, whilst I carry the Princess of Persia back to her father.
As for thee, O Sa'adan, tarry thou here with thy sons, till I
return to thee." Asked Sa'adan, "And why wilt thou not carry me
with thee to the land of the Persians?"; and Gharib answered,
"Because thou stolest away King Sabur's daughter and if his eye
fall on thee, he will eat thy flesh and drink thy blood." When
the Ghul heard this, he laughed a loud laugh, as it were the
pealing thunder, and said, "O my lord, by the life of thy head,
if the Persians and Medes united against me, I would make them
quaff the cup of annihilation." Quoth Gharib, " 'Tis as thou
sayest;[FN#345] but tarry thou here in fort till I return to
thee;" and quoth the Ghul, "I hear and I obey." Then Sahim
departed with his comrades of the Banu Kahtan for the dwelling
places of their tribe, and Gharib set out with Princess Fakhr Taj
and her company, intending for the cities of Sabur, King of the
Persians. Thus far concerning them; but as regards King Sabur, he
abode awaiting his daughter's return from the Monastery of the
Fire, and when the appointed time passed by and she came not,
flames raged in his heart. Now he had forty Wazirs, whereof the
oldest, wisest and chiefest was highs Daydan: so he said to him,
"O Minister, verily my daughter delayeth her return and I have no
news of her though the appointed time is past; so do thou send a
courier to the Monastery of the Fire to learn what is come of
her." "Hearkening and obedience," replied Daydan; and, summoning
the chief of the couriers, said to him, "Wend thou forthright to
the Monastery." So he lost no time and when he reached it, he
asked the monks of the King's daughter, but they said, "We have
not seen her this year." So the courier returned to the city of
Isbanir[FN#346] and told the Wazir, who went in to the King and
acquainted him with the message. Now when Sabur heard this, he
cast his crown on the ground, tore his beard and fell down in a
trance. They sprinkled water upon him, and presently he came to
himself, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted, and repeated the words
of the poet,

"When I far-parted patience call and tears, * Tears came to call
but Patience never hears:
What, then, if Fortune parted us so far? * Fortune and Perfidy
are peers

Then he called ten of his captains and bade them mount with a
thousand horse and ride in different directions, in quest of his
daughter. So they mounted forthright and departed each with his
thousand; whilst Fakhr Taj's mother clad herself and her women in
black and strewed ashes on her head and sat weeping and
lamenting. Such was their case;--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-first Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Sabur
sent his troops in quest of his daughter, whose mother clad
herself and her women in black. Such was their case; but as
regards the strange adventures of Gharib and the Princess, they
journeyed on ten days, and on the eleventh day, appeared a dust
cloud which rose to the confines of the sky; whereupon Gharib
called the Emir of the Persians and said to him, "Go learn the
cause thereof." "I hear and obey," replied he and crave his
charger, till he came under the cloud of dust, where he saw folk
and enquired of them. Quoth one of them, "We are of the Banu
Hattal and are questing for plunder; our Emir is Samsam bin Al-
Jirah and we are five thousand horse." The Persians returned in
haste and told their saying to Gharib, who cried out to his men
of the Banu Kahtan and to the Persians, saying, "Don your arms!"
They did as he bade them and presently up came the Arabs who were
shouting, "A plunder! a plunder!" Quoth Gharib, "Allah confound
you, O dogs of Arabs!" Then he loosed his horse and drove at them
with the career of a right valiant kNight, shouting, "Allaho
Akbar! Ho for the faith of Abraham the Friend, on whom be peace!"
And there befel between them great fight and sore fray and the
sword went round in sway and there was much said and say; nor did
they leave fighting till fled the day and gloom came, when they
drew from one another away. Then Gharib numbered his tribesmen
and found that five of the Banu Kahtan had fallen and three-and-
seventy of the Persians; but of the Banu Hattal they had slain
more than five hundred horse. As for Samsam, he alighted and
sought nor meat nor sleep, but said, "In all my life I never saw
such a fighter as this youth! Anon he fighteth with the sword and
anon with the mace; but, to-morrow I will go forth on champion
wise and defy him to combat of twain in battle plain where edge
and point are fain and I will cut off these Arabs." Now, when
Gharib returned to his camp, the Princess Fakhr Taj met him,
weeping and affrighted for the terror of that which had befallen,
and kissed his foot in the stirrup, saying, "May thy hands never
wither nor thy foes be blither, O champion of the age!
Alhamdolillah--Praise to God--who hath saved thee alive this day!
Verily, I am in fear for thee from yonder Arabs." When Gharib
heard this, he smiled in her face and heartened and comforted
her, saying, "Fear not, O Princess! Did the enemy fill this wild
and wold yet would I scatter them, by the might of Allah
Almighty." She thanked him and prayed that he might be given the
victory over his foes; after which she returned to her women and
Gharib went to his tent, where he cleansed himself of the blood
of the Infidels, and they lay on guard through the night. Next
morning, the two hosts mounted and sought the plain where cut and
thrust ruled sovereign. The first to prick into the open was
Gharib, who crave his charger till he was near the Infidels and
cried out, "Who is for jousting with me? Let no sluggard or
weakling come out to me!" Whereupon there rushed forth a giant
Amalekite of the lineage of the tribe of Ad, armed with an iron
flail twenty pounds in weight, and drove at Gharib, saying, "O
scum of the Arabs, take what cometh to thee and learn the glad
tidings that thy last hour is at hand!" So saying, he aimed a
blow at Gharib, but he avoided it and the flail sank a cubit into
the ground. Now the badawi was bent double with the blow, so
Gharib smote him with his mace and clove his forehead in sunder
and he fell down dead and Allah hurried his soul to Hell-fire.
Then Gharib charged and wheeled and called for champions; so
there came out to him a second and a third and a fourth and so
on, till ten had come forth to him and he slew them all. When the
Infidels saw his form of fight and his smashing blows they hung
back and forebore to fare forth to him, whereupon Samsam looked
at them and said, "Allah never bless you! I will go forth to
him." So he donned his battle-gear and driving his charger into
mid-field where he fronted the foe and cried out to Gharib
saying, "Fie on thee, O dog of the Arabs! hath thy strength waxed
so great that thou shouldst defy me in the open field and
slaughter my men?" And Gharib replied, "Up and take bloodrevenge
for the slaughter of thy braves!" So Samsam ran at Gharib who
awaited him with broadened breast and heart enheartened, and they
smote each at other with maces, till the two hosts marvelled and
every eye was fixed on them. Then they wheeled about in the field
and struck at each other two strokes; but Gharib avoided Samsam's
stroke which wreak had wroke and dealt with a buffet that beat in
his breastbone and cast him to the ground--stone dead. Thereupon
all his host ran at Gharib as one man, and he ran at them,
crying, "God is most Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and
defeat for those who misbelieve the faith of Abraham the Friend,
on whom be peace!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say,

When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-second Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Sam
sam's tribesmen rushed upon Gharib as one man, he ran at them
crying, "God is most Great! Help and Victory for us and shame and
defeat for the Miscreant!" Now when the Infidels heard the name
of the All-powerful King, the One, the All-conquering, whom the
sight comprehendeth not, but He comprehendeth the sight,[FN#347]
they looked at one another and said, "What is this say that
maketh our side-muscles tremble and weakeneth our resolution and
causeth the life to fail in us? Never in our lives heard we aught
goodlier than this saying!" adding, "Let us leave fighting, that
we may ask its meaning." So they held their hands from the battle
and dismounted; and their elders assembled and held counsel
together, seeking to go to Gharib and saying, "Let ten of us
repair to him!" So they chose out ten of their best, who set out
for Gharib's tents. Now he and his people had alighted and
returned to their camp, marvelling at the withdrawal of the
Infidels from the fight. But, presently, lo and behold! the ten
came up and seeking speech of Gharib, kissed the earth before him
and wished him glory and lasting life. Quoth he to them, "What
made you leave fighting?"; and quoth they, "O, my lord, thou
didst affright us with the words thou shoutest out at us." Then
asked Gharib, "What calamity do ye worship?"; and they answered,
"We worship Wadd and Suwa'a and Yaghus,[FN#348] lords of the
tribe of Noah"; and Gharib, "We serve none but Allah Almighty,
Maker of all things and Provider of all livings. He it is who
created the heavens and the earth and stablished the mountains,
who made water to well from the stones and the trees to grow and
feedeth wild beasts in word; for He is Allah, the One, the All-
powerful Lord." When they heard this, their bosoms broadened to
the words of Unity-faith, and they said, "Verily, this be a Lord
high and great, compassionating and compassionate!"; adding, "And
what shall we say, to become of the Moslems, of those which
submit themselves to Him?" Quoth Gharib, "Say, 'There is no god
but the God and Abraham is the Friend of God.'" So the ten made
veracious profession of the veritable religion and Gharib said to
them, "An the sweet savour of Al-Islam be indeed stablished in
your hearts, fare ye to your tribe and expound the faith to them;
and if they profess, they shall be saved, but if they refuse we
will burn them with fire." So the ten elders returned and
expounded Al-Islam to their people and set forth to them the path
of truth and creed, and they embraced the Faith of Submission
with heart and tongue. Then they repaired on foot to Gharib's
tent and kissing ground between his hands wished him honour and
high rank, saying, "O our lord, we are become thy slaves; so
command us what thou wilt, for we are to thee audient and
obedient and we will never depart from thee, since Allah hath
guided us into the right way at thy hands." Replied he, "Allah
abundantly requite you! Return to your dwellings and march forth
with your good and your children and forego me to the Wady of
Blossoms and the castle of Sasa bin Shays,[FN#349] whilst I carry
the Princess Fakhr Taj, daughter of Sabur, King of the Persians,
back to her father and return to you." "Hearkening and
obedience," said they and straightway returned to their
encampment, rejoicing in Al-Islam, and expounded the True Faith
to their wives and children, who became Believers. Then they
struck their tents and set forth, with their good and cattle, for
the Wady of Blossoms. When they came in sight of the castle of
Shays, Sa'adan and his sons sallied forth to them, but Gharib had
charged them, saying, "If the Ghul of the Mountain come out to
you and offer to attack you, do ye call upon the name of Allah
the All-creator, and he will leave his hostile intent and receive
you hospitably." So when he would have fallen upon them they
called aloud upon the name of Almighty Allah and straightway he
received them kindly and asked them of their case. They told him
all that had passed between Gharib and themselves, whereupon he
rejoiced in them and lodged them with him and loaded them with
favours. Such was their case; but as regards Gharib, he and his,
escorting the Princess fared on five days' journey towards the
City of Isbanir, and on the sixth day they saw a dust-cloud. So
Gharib sent one of the Persians to learn the meaning of this and
he went and returned, swiftlier than bird in flight, saying, "O
my lord, these be a thousand horse of our comrades, whom the King
hath sent in quest of his daughter Fakhr Taj." When Gharib heard
this, he commanded his company to halt and pitch the tents. So
they halted and waited till the new comers reached them, when
they went to meet them and told Tuman, their captain, that the
Princess was with them; whereupon he went in to Gharib and
kissing the ground before him, enquired for her. Gharib sent him
to her pavilion, and he entered and kissed her hands and feet and
acquainted her with what had befallen her father and mother. She
told him in return all that had betided her and how Gharib had
delivered her from the Ghul of the Mountain,--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say,

When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-third Night,

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
King's daughter, Fakhr Taj, had told Tuman all that had befallen
her from the Mountain-Ghul, and how he had imprisoned her and
would have devoured her but for Gharib, adding, "And indeed, it
behoveth my sire to give him the half of his reign," Tuman arose
and returned to Gharib and kissed his hands and feet and thanked
him for his good dealing, saying, "With thy leave, O my lord, I
will return to Isbanir City and deliver to our King the good news
of his daughter's approach." "Go," replied Gharib, "and take of
him the gift of glad tidings." So Tuman returned with all
dillgence to Isbanir, the Cities, and entering the palace, kissed
ground before the King, who said to him, "What is there of new, O
bringer of good news?" Quoth Tuman, "I will not speak thee, till
thou give me the gift of glad tidings." Quoth the King, "Tell me
thy glad tidings and I will content thee." So Tuman said, "O
King, I bring thee joyful intelligence of the return of Princess
Fakhr Taj." When Sabur heard his daughter's name, he fell down
fainting and they sprinkled rose-water on him, till he recovered
and cried to Tuman, "Draw near to me and tell me all the good
which hath befallen her." So he came forward and acquainted him
with all that had betided the Princess; and Sabur beat hand upon
hand, saying, "Unhappy thou, O Fakhr Taj!''[FN#350] And he bade
give Tuman ten thousand gold pieces and conferred on him the
government of Isfahan City and its dependencies. Then he cried
out to his Emirs, saying, "Mount, all of you, and fare we forth
to meet the Princess Fakhr Taj!"; and the Chief Eunuch went in to
the Queen-mother and told her and all the Harim the good news,
whereat she rejoiced and gave him a robe of honour and a thousand
dinars. Moreover, the people of the city heard of this and
decorated the market streets and houses. Then the King and Tuman
took horse and rode till they had sight of Gharib, when Sabur
footed it and made some steps towards Gharib, who also dismounted
and advanced to meet him; and they embraced and saluted each
other, and Sabur bent over Gharib's hand and kissed it and
thanked him for his favours.[FN#351] They pitched their pavilions
in face of each other and Sabur went in to his daughter, who rose
and embracing him told him, all that had befallen her and how
Gharib had rescued her from the clutches of the Ghul of the
Mountain. Quoth the King, "By thy life, O Princess of fair ones,
I will overwhelm him with gifts!"; and quoth she, "O my papa,
make him thy son-in-law, that he may be to thee a force against
thy foes, for he is passing valiant." Her father replied, "O my
daughter, knowst thou not that King Khirad Shah seeketh thee in
marriage and that he hath cast the brocade[FN#352] and hath given
an hundred thousand dinars in settlement, and he is King of
Shiraz and its dependencies and is lord of empire and horsemen
and footmen?" But when the Princess heard these words she said,
"O my papa! I desire not that whereof thou speakest, and if thou
constrain me to that I have no mind to, I will slay myself." So
Sabur left her and went in to Gharib, who rose to him; and they
sat awhile together; but the King could not take his fill of
looking upon him; and he said in his mind, "By Allah, my daughter
is excusable if she love this Badawi!" Then he called for food
and they ate and passed the night together. On the morrow, they
took horse and rode till they arrived at the City of Isbanir and
entered, stirrup to stirrup, and it was for them a great day.
Fakhr Taj repaired to her palace and the abiding-place of her
rank, where her mother and her women received her with cries of
joy and loud lullilooings. As for King Sabur, he sat down on his
throne and seated Gharib on his right hand, whilst the Princes
and Chamberlains, the Emirs, Wazirs and Nabobs stood on either
hand and gave him joy of the recovery of his daughter. Said
Sabur, "Whoso loveth me let him bestow a robe of honour on
Gharib," and there fell dresses of honour on him like drops of
rain. Then Gharib abode the King's guest ten days, when he would
have departed, but Sabur clad him in an honourable robe and swore
him by his faith that he should not march for a whole month.
Quoth Gharib, "O King, I am plighted to one of the girls of the
Arabs and I desire to go in to her." Quoth the King, "Whether is
the fairer, thy betrothed or Fakhr Taj?" "O King of the age,"
replied Gharib, "what is the slave beside the lord?" And Sabur
said, "Fakhr Taj is become thy handmaid, for that thou didst
rescue her from the pounces of the Ghul, and she shall have none
other husband than thyself." Thereupon Gharib rose and kissed
ground, saying, "O King of the age, thou art a sovereign and I am
but a poor man, and belike thou wilt ask a heavy dowry." Replied
the King, "O my son, know that Khirad Shah, lord of Shiraz and
dependencies thereof, seeketh her in marriage and hath appointed
an hundred thousand dinars to her dower; but I have chosen thee
before all men, that I may make thee the sword of my kingship and
my shield against vengeance.''[FN#353] Then he turned to his
Chief Officers and said to them, "Bear witness[FN#354] against
me, O Lords of mine Empire, that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj to
my son Gharib."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased to say her permitted say,

When it was the Six Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sabur,
King of Ajam-land said to his Chief Officers, "Bear ye witness
against me that I marry my daughter Fakhr Taj, to my son Gharib!"
With that he joined palms[FN#355] with him and she became his
wife. Then said Gharib, "Appoint me a dower and I will bring it
to thee, for I have in the Castle of Sasa wealth and treasures
beyond count." Replied Sabur, "O my son, I want of thee neither
treasure nor wealth and I will take nothing for her dower save
the head of Jamrkan King of Dasht and the city of Ahwaz.[FN#356]"
Quoth Gharib, "O King of the age, I will fetch my folk forthright
and go to thy foe and spoil his realm." Quoth Sabur, "Allah
requite thee with good!" and dismissed the lords and commons,
thinking, "If Gharib go forth against Jamrkan, he will never more
return." When morning morrowed the King mounted with Gharib and
bidding all his troops take horse rode forth to the plain, where
he said to his men, "Do ye tilt with spears and gladden my
heart." So the champions of Persia land played one against other,
and Gharib said, "O King of the age, I have a mind to tilt with
the horsemen of Ajam-land, but on one condition." Asked the King,
"What is that?"; and answered Gharib, "It is that I shall don a
light tunic and take a headless lance, with a pennon dipped in
saffron, whilst the Persian champions sally forth and tilt
against me with sharp spears. If any conquer me, I will render
myself to him: but, if I conquer him I will mark him on the
breast and he shall leave the plain." Then the King cried to the
commander of the troops to bring forward the champions of the
Persians; so he chose out from amongst the Princes one thousand
two hundred of his stoutest champions, and the King said to them,
in the Persian tongue, "Whoso slayeth this Badawi may ask of me
what he will." So they strove with one another for precedence and
charged down upon Gharib and truth was distinguished from
falsehood and jest from earnest. Quoth Gharib, "I put my trust in
Allah, the God of Abraham the Friend, the Deity who hath power
over all and from whom naught is hidden, the One, the Almighty,
whom the sight comprehendeth not!" Then an Amalekite-like giant
of the Persian champions rushed out to him, but Gharib let him
not stand long before him ere he marked him and covered his
breast with saffron and as he turned away, he smote him on the
nape with the shaft of his lance, and he fell to the ground and
his pages bore him from the lists.[FN#357] Then a second champion
came forth against him and he overcame him and marked him on the
breast; and thus did he with a third and a fourth and a fifth;
and there came out against him champion after champion till he
had overcome them all and marked them on the breast; for Almighty
Allah gave him the victory over them and they fared forth
vanquish from the plain. Then the servants set food and strong
wine before them! and they ate and drank, till Gharib's wits were
dazed by the drink. By and by, he went out to obey a call of
Nature and would have returned, but lost his way and entered the
palace of Fakhr Taj. When she saw him, her reason fled and she
cried out to her women saying, "Go forth from me to your own
places!" So they withdrew and she rose and kissed Gharib's hand,
saying "Welcome to my lord, who delivered me from the Ghul!
Indeed I am shine handmaid for ever and ever." Then she drew him
to her bed and embraced him, whereupon desire was hot upon him
and he broke her seal and lay with her till the morning.
Meanwhile the King thought that he had departed; but on the
morrow he went in to him and Sabur rose to him and made him sit
by his side. Then entered the tributary kings and kissing the
ground stood ranged in rows on the right and left and fell to
talking of Gharib's velour and saying, "Extolled be He who gave
him such prowess albeit he is so young in years!" As they were
thus engaged, behold all espied from the palace-windows the dust
of horse approaching and the King cried out to his scouts,
saying, "Woe to you! Go and bring me news of yonder dust!" So a
cavalier took horse and riding off, returned after a while, and
said "O King, we found under that dust an hundred horse belonging
to an Emir highs Sahim al-Layl." Gharib hearing these words,
cried out, "O my lord, this is my brother, whom I had sent on an
errand, and I will go forth to meet him." So saying, he mounted,
with his hundred men of the Banu Kahtan and a thousand Persians,
and rode to meet his brother in great state, but greatness
belongeth to God alone.[FN#358] When the two came up with each
other, they dismounted and embraced, and Gharib said to Sahim, "O
my brother, hast thou brought our tribe to the Castle of Sasa and
the Wady of Blossoms?" "O my brother," replied Sahim, "when the
perfidious dog Mardas heard that thou hadst made thee master of
the stronghold belonging to the Mountain-Ghul, he was sore
chagrined and said, 'Except I march hence, Gharib will come and
carry off my daughter Mahdiyah without dower.' So he took his
daughter and his goods and set out with his tribe for the land of
Irak, where he entered the city of Cufa and put himself under the
protection of King Ajib, seeking to give him his daughter to
wife." When Gharib heard his brother's story, he well-nigh gave
up the ghost for rage and said, "By the virtue of the faith of
Al-Islam, the faith of Abraham the Friend, and by the Supreme
Lord, I will assuredly go to the land of Irak and fierce war upon
it I will set on foot." Then they returned to the city and going
in to the King, kissed ground before him. He rose to Gharib and
saluted Sahim; after which the elder brother told him what had
happened and he put ten captains at his commandment, under each
one's hand ten thousand horse of the doughtiest of the Arabs and
the Ajams, who equipped themselves and were ready to depart in
three days. Then Gharib set out and journeyed till he reached the
Castle of Sasa whence the Ghul and his sons came forth to meet
him and dismounting, kissed his feet in the stirrups. He told
them all that had passed and the giant said, "O my lord, do thou
abide in this thy castle, whilst I with my sons and servants
repair to Irak and lay waste the city Al-Rustak[FN#359] and bring
to thy hand all its defenders bound in straitest bond." But
Gharib thanked him and said, "O Sa'adan, we will all go." So he
made him ready and the whole body set out for Irak, leaving a
thousand horse to guard the Castle. Thus far concerning them; but
as regards Mardas, he arrived with his tribe in the land of Irak
bringing with him a handsome present and fared for Cufa-city
which he entered. Then, he presented himself before Ajib and
kissed ground between his hands and, after wishing him what is
wished to kings, said, "O my lord, I come to place myself under
thy protection."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say,

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