It is told that Harun al-Rashid was sitting one day on the throne of the Caliphate, when there came in to him a youth of his eunuchry, bearing a crown of red gold, set with pearls and rubies and all manner of other gems and jewels, such as money might not buy; and, kissing the ground between his hands said, "O Commander of the Faithful, the Lady Zubaydah kisses the earth before you"— Whereupon her sister Dunyazad said, "How pleasant is your tale and profitable; and how sweet is your speech and how delectable!" "And where is this," replied Shahrazad, "compared with what I shall tell you next night If I live and the King grant me leave!" Thereupon the King to himself said, "By God, I will not slay her until I hear the end of her tale."

When it was the Three Hundredth night

Dunyazad said, "Favour us, O my sister, with your tale," and she replied, "With joy and good will, if the King accord me leave;" whereupon the King said, "Tell your tale, O Shahrazad." So she pursued: the youth said to the Caliph, "The Lady Zubaydah kisses the earth before you and says to you, You know she has bidden make this crown, which lacks a great jewel for its dome top; and she has made search among her treasures, but cannot find a jewel of size to suit her mind." the Caliph to his Chamberlains and Vice regents said, "Make search for a great jewel, such as Zubaydah desires." So they sought, but found nothing befitting her and told the Caliph who, vexed and annoyed at that exclaimed, "How am I Caliph and King of the Kings of the earth and cannot find so small a matter as a jewel? Woe to you! Ask of the merchants." So they enquired of the traders, who replied, "Our lord the Caliph will not find a jewel such as he requires save with a man of Bassorah, by name Abu Mohammed called Lazybones." Thereupon they acquainted the Caliph with this and he bade his Wazir Ja'afar send a note to the Emir Mohammed al-Zubaydi, Governor of Bassorah, commanding him

Abu Mohammad called Lazybones. 163 to equip Abu Mohammed Lazybones and bring him into the presence of the Commander of the Faithful. The Minister accordingly wrote a note to that effect and despatched it by Masrur, who set out forth right for the city of Bassorah, and went in to the Emir Mohammed al-Zubaydi, who rejoiced in him and treated him with the high most honour. Then Masrur read him the mandate of the Prince of True Believers, Harun al-Rashid, to which he replied, "I hear and I obey," and immediately despatched him, with a company of his followers, to Abu Mohammed's house. When they reached it, they knocked at the door, whereupon a page came out and Masrur said to him, "Tell your lord, The Commander of the Faithful summons you." The servant went in and told his master, who came out and found Masrur, the Caliph's Chamberlain, and a company of the Governor's men at the door. So he kissed ground before Masrur and said, "I hear and obey the summons of the Commander of the Faithful; but first enter you my house." They replied, "We cannot do that, save in haste; even as the Prince of True Believers commanded us, for he awaits your coming."

But he said, "Have patience with me a little, till I set my affairs in order." So after much pressure and abundant persuasion, they entered the house with him and found the vestibule hung with curtains of azure brocade, purfled with red gold, and Abu Mohammed Lazybones bade one of his servants carry Masrur to the private Hammam. Now this bath was in the house and Masrur found its walls and floors of rare and precious marbles, wrought with gold and silver, and its waters mingled with rose water. Then the servants served Masrur and his company with the perfection of service; and, on their going forth of the Hammam, clad them in robes of honour, brocade work inter woven with gold. And after leaving the bath Masrur and his men went in to Abu Mohammed Lazybones and found him seated in his upper chamber; and over his head hung curtains of gold brocade, wrought with pearls and jewels, and the pavilion was spread with cushions, embroidered in red gold. Now the owner was sitting softly upon a quilted cloth covering a settee inlaid with stones of price; and, when he saw Masrur, he went forward to meet him and bidding him welcome, seated him by his side.

Then he called for the food trays; so they brought them, and when Masrur saw the tables, he exclaimed, "By God, never did I behold the like of these appointments in the palace of the Commander of the Faithful!" For indeed the trays contained every manner of meat all served in dishes of gilded porcelain "So we ate and drank and made merry till the end of the day (Said Masrur) when the host gave to each and every of us five thousand dinars; and on the morrow he clad us in dresses of honour of green and gold and entreated us with the utmost worship." Then said Masrur to him, "We can tarry no longer for fear of the Caliph's displeasure." Answered Abu Mohammed Lazybones, "O my lord, have patience with us till the morrow, that we may equip ourselves, and we will then depart with you." So they tarried with him that day and slept the night; and next morning Abu Mohammed's servants saddled him a she mule with selle and trappings of gold, set with all kinds of pearls and stones of price; whereupon Masrur to himself said, "I wonder when Abu Mohammed shall present himself in such equipage, if the Caliph will ask him how he came by all this wealth."

There upon they took leave of Al Zubaydi and, setting out from Bassorah, fared on, without ceasing to fare till they reached Baghdad city and presented themselves before the Caliph, who bade Abu Mohammed be seated. He sat down and addressed the Caliph in courtly phrase, saying, "O Commander of the Faithful, I have brought with me an humble offering by way of homage: have I your gracious permission to produce it?" Al-Rashid replied, "There is no harm in that," whereupon Abu Mohammed bade his men bring in a chest, from which he took a number of rarities, and amongst the rest, trees of gold with leaves of white emerald, and fruits of pigeon blood rubies and topazes and new pearls and bright. And as the Caliph was struck with admiration he fetched a second chest and brought out of it a tent of brocade, crowned with pearls and jacinths and emeralds and jaspers and other precious stones; its poles were of freshly cut Hindi aloes wood, and its skirts were set with

Abu Mohammad called Lazybones. 165 the greenest smaragds. Thereon were depicted all manner of animals such as beasts and birds, spangled with precious stones, rubies, emeralds, chrysolites and balasses and every kind of precious metal. Now when Al-Rashid saw these things, he rejoiced with exceeding joy and Abu Mohammed Lazybones said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, deem not that I have brought these to you, fearing anything or coveting anything; but I knew myself to be but a man of the people and that such things befitted none save the Commander of the Faithful. And now, with your leave, I will show you, for your diversion, something of what I can do." Al-Rashid replied, "Do what you will, that we may see." "I hear and I obey," said Abu Mohammed and, moving his lips, beckoned the palace battlements, whereupon they inclined to him; then he made another sign to them, and they returned to their place. Presently, he made a sign with his eye, and there appeared before him closets with closed doors, to which he spoke, and lo! the voices of birds answered him from within. The Caliph marvelled with passing marvel at this and said to him, "How came you by all this, seeing that you are known only as Abu Mohammed Lazybones, and they tell me that your father was a cupper, serving in a public Hammam, who left you nothing?" Whereupon he answered, "Listen to my story"—

When it was the Three Hundred and first night

Al-Rashid said, "Let us hear all you have to say, O Abu Mohammed!" So he began: "Know then, O Commander of the Faithful (Allah prolong to you glory and dominion!), the report of the folk; that I am known as the Lazybones and that my father left me nothing, is true; for he was, as you have said, nothing but a barber cupper in a Hammam.

And I throughout my youth was the idlest people on the face of the earth; indeed, so great was my sluggishness that, if I lay at full length in the sultry season and the sun came round upon me, I was too lazy to rise and remove from the sun to the shade. And thus I abode till I reached my fifteenth year, when my father deceased in the mercy of Allah Almighty and left me nothing. However, my mother used to go out a charing and feed me and give me to drink, whilst I lay on my side. Now it came to pass that one day she came in to me with five silver dirhams, and said to me, 'O my son, I hear that Shaykh Abú al-Muzaffar is about to go a voyage to China.' (Now this Shaykh was a good and charitable man who loved the poor.) 'So come, O my son, take these five silver bits; and let us both carry them to him and beg him to buy you therewith something from the land of China; so Perhaps you may make a profit of it by the bounty of Allah, whose name be exalted!'

I was too idle to move for her; but she swore by the Almighty that, except I rose and went with her, she would bring me neither meat nor drink nor come in to me, but would leave me to die of hunger and thirst. Now when I heard her words, O Commander of the Faithful, I knew she would do as she threatened for her knowledge of my sluggishness; so I said to her, 'Help me to sit up.' She did so, and I wept the while and said to her, 'Bring me my shoes.' Accordingly, she brought them and I said, 'Put them on my feet.' She put them on my feet and I said, 'Lift me up off the ground.' So she lifted me up and I said, 'Support me, that I may walk.' So she supported me and I. continued to fare a foot, at times stumbling over my skirts, till we came to the river bank, where we saluted the Shaykh and I said to him, 'O my uncle, are you Abu al-Muzaffar?' 'At your service,' He answered, and I, 'Take these dirhams and with them buy me something from the land of China: Perhaps Allah may vouchsafe me a profit of it.' the Shaykh to his companions said, 'Do you know this youth?'

They answered, 'Yes, he is known as Abu Mohammed Lazybones, and we never saw him stir from his house till this moment.' Then He said to me, 'O my son, give me the silver with the blessing of Almighty Allah!' So he took the money, saying, 'Bismillah in the name of Allah!' and I returned home with my mother. Presently, Shaykh Abu al-Muzaffar set sail, with a company of merchants, and stayed not till they reached the land of China, where he and his bought and sold; and,

Abu Mohammad called Lazybones. 167 having won what they wished, set out on their homeward voyage. When they had been three days at sea, the Shaykh said to his company, 'Stay the vessel!' They asked, 'What do you want?' and he answered, 'Know that I have forgotten the commission wherewith Abu Mohammed Lazybones charged me; so let us turn back that we may lay out his money on somewhat by which he may profit.' They cried, 'We conjure you, By God Almighty turn not back with us; for we have traversed a long distance and a sore, and while so doing we have endured sad hardship and many terrors.' he said, 'There is no help for it but we return;' and they said, 'Take from us double the profit of the five dirhams, and turn us not back.' He agreed to this and they collected for him an ample sum of money. Thereupon they sailed on, till they came to an island in which was much people; when they moored thereto and the merchants went ashore, to buy thence a stock of precious metals and pearls and jewels and so forth. Presently, Abu al-Muzaffar saw a man seated, with many apes before him, and amongst them one whose hair had been plucked off; and as often as their owner's attention was diverted from them, the other apes fell upon the plucked one and beat him and threw him on their master; whereupon the man rose and bashed them and bound them and punished them for this; and all the apes were wroth with the plucked ape on this account and tunded him the more.

When Shaykh Abu al-Muzaffar saw this, he felt for and took compassion upon the plucked ape and said to his master, 'Will you sell me that monkey?' Replied the man, 'Buy,' and Abu al-Muzaffar rejoined, 'I have with me five dirhams, belonging to an orphan lad. Will you sell it me for that sum?' Answered the monkey merchant, 'It is a bargain; and Allah give you a blessing of him!' So he made over the beast and received his money; and the Shaykh's slaves took the ape and tied him up in the ship. Then they loosed sail and made for another island, where they cast anchor; and there came down divers, who plunged for precious stones, pearls and other gems, so the merchants hired them to dive for money and they dived. Now when the ape saw them doing this, he loosed himself from his bonds and, jumping off the ship's side, plunged with them, whereupon Abu al-Muzaffar said, 'There is no Majesty and there is no Might, save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! The monkey is lost to us with the luck of the poor fellow for whom we bought him.'

And they despaired of him; but, after a while, the company of divers rose to the surface, and behold, among them was the ape, with his hands full of jewels of price, which he threw down before Abu al-Muzaffar. The Shaykh marvelled at this and said, 'There is much mystery in this monkey!' Then they cast off and sailed till they came to a third island, called the Isle of the Zunuj, who are a people of the blacks, which eat the flesh of the sons of Adam. When the blacks saw them, they boarded them in dug outs and, taking all in the vessel, pinioned them and carried them to their King, who bade slaughter certain of the merchants. So they slaughtered them by cutting their throats and ate their flesh; and the rest of the traders passed the night in bonds and were in sore concern. But when it was midnight, the ape arose and going up to Abu al-Muzaffar, loosed his bonds; and, as the others saw him free, they said, 'Allah grant our deliverance may be at your hands, O Abu al-Muzaffar!' But he replied, 'Know, that he who delivered me, by leave of Allah Almighty, was none other than this monkey' "—

When it was the Three Hundred and second night

Abu Mohammad called Lazybones. 171

When it was the Three Hundred and third night

truth you have spoken and have said aright!"

When pauper speaks truly all reply 'You lie;' and they hold his sayings light. truly dirhams in earth's every stead Clothe men with rank and make them fair to sight; Gold is the very tongue of eloquence; Gold is the best of arms for people who'd fight!'

Now when the Sharif heard these my words and understood verse, he bowed his head awhile groundwards then raising said, 'If it must be so, I will have of you other three thousand gold pieces.' 'I hear and I obey,' answered I, and sent one of my Mamelukes home for the money. As soon as he came back with it, I handed it to the Sharif who, when he saw it in his hands, rose, and bidding his servants shut his shop, invited his brother merchants of the bazar to the wedding; after which he carried me to his house and wrote out my contract of marriage with his daughter saying to me, 'After ten days, I will bring you to pay her the first visit.' So I went home rejoicing and, shutting myself up with the ape, told him what had passed; and he said, 'You have done well.' Now when the time appointed by the Sharif drew near, the ape said to me, 'There is a thing I would have you do for me; and you will have of me (when it is done) whatever you will.' I asked, 'What is that?' and he answered, 'At the upper end of the chamber in which you will meet your bride, the Sharif's daughter, stands a cabinet, on whose door is a ring padlock of copper and the keys under it. Take the keys and open the cabinet in which you will find a coffer of iron with four flags, which are talismans, at its corners; and in its midst stands a brazen basin full of money, in which is tied a white cock with a cleft comb; while on one side of the coffer are eleven serpents and on the other a knife. Take the knife and slaughter the cock; cut away the flags and upset the chest, then go back to the bride and do away her maidenhead. This is what I have to ask of you.' 'I hear and I obey,' answered I, and betook myself to the house of the Sharif.

So as soon as I entered the bride chamber, I looked for the cabinet and found it even as the ape had described it. Then I went in unto the bride and marvelled at her beauty and loveliness and stature and symmetrical grace, for indeed they were such as no tongue can set forth. I rejoiced in her with exceeding joy; and in the middle of the night, when my bride slept, I rose and, taking the keys, opened the cabinet. Then I seized the knife and slew the cock and threw down the flags and upset the coffer, whereupon the girl awoke and, seeing the closet open and the cock with cut throat exclaimed, 'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! The Marid, has got hold of me!' Hardly had she made an end of speaking, when the Marid swooped down upon the house and, snatching up the bride, flew away with her; whereupon there arose a mighty clamour and behold, in came the Sharif, buffetting his face and crying, 'O Abu Mohammed, what is this deed you have done? Is it thus you requitest us? I made this talisman in the cabinet fearing for my daughter from this accursed one who, for these six years, has sought to steal away the girl, but could not. But now there is no more abiding for you with us;

Abu Mohammad called Lazybones. 173 so go your ways.' Thereupon I went forth and returned to my own house, where I made search for the ape but could not find him nor any trace of him; by which I knew that it was he who was the Marid, and that he had carried off my wife and had tricked me into destroying the talisman and the cock, the two things which hindered him from taking her, and I repented, rending my raiment and cuffing my face. And there was no land but was straitened upon me, so I made for the desert directly and did not stop wandering on till night overtook me, for I knew not where I was going. And whilst I was deep in sad thought behold, I met two serpents, one tawny and the other white, and they were fighting to kill each other. So I took up a stone and with one cast slew the tawny serpent, which was the aggressor; whereupon the white serpent glided away and was absent for a while, but presently she returned accompanied by ten other white serpents which glided up to the dead serpent and tore her in pieces, so that only the head was left. Then they went their ways and I fell prostrate for weariness on the ground where I stood; but as I lay, pondering my case lo! I heard a Voice though I saw no one and the Voice versified with these two couplets,

'Let Fate with slackened bridle fare her pace, Nor pass the night with mind which cares an ace. Between eye closing and its opening, Allah can foulest change to fairest case.'

Now when I heard this, O Commander of the Faithful, great concern gat hold of me and I was beyond measure troubled; and behold, I heard a Voice from behind me extemporise these couplets,

'O Moslem! you whose guide is Alcoran, Joy in what brought safe peace to you, O man. Fear not what Satan Perhaps whispered you, And in us see a Truth believing clan.

Then i said, 'I conjure you, by the truth of Him you worshippest, let me know who you are!' Thereupon the Invisible Speaker assumed the form of a man and said, 'Fear not; for the report of your good deed has reached us, and we are a people of the true believing Jinn. So, if you lack anything, let us know it, that we may have the pleasure of fulfilling your want.' I said. 'Indeed I am in sore need, for I am afflicted with a griveous affliction and no one was ever afflicted as I am!' he said, 'Perchance you are Abu Mohammed Lazybones?' and I replied, 'Yes.' He rejoined, 'I, O Abu Mohammed, am the brother of the white serpent, whose foe you slewest; we are four brothers by one father and mother, and we are all indebted to you for your kindness. And know you that he who played this trick on you in the likeness of an ape, is a Marid of the Marids of the Jinn; and had he not used this artifice, he had never been able to get the girl; for he has loved her and had a mind to take her this long while, but he was hindered of that talisman; and had it remained as it was, he could never have found access to her. However, fret not yourself for that; we will bring you to her and kill the Marid; for your kindness is not lost upon us.' Then he cried out with a terrible outcry"—

When it was the Three Hundred and fourth night

When it was the Three Hundred and fifth night

Thereupon the Commander of the Faithful wondered greatly and bestowed on him imperial gifts, in exchange for his presents, and entreated him with the favour he deserved. And men also tell the tale of the

Generous Dealing of Yahya Bin Khalid. 179