There was once a man and a merchant named Omar and he had for issue three sons, the eldest called Sálim, the youngest Judar, and the cadet Salím. He reared them all till they came to man's estate, but the youngest he loved more than his brothers, who, seeing this, grew jealous of Judar and hated him. Now when their father, who was a man shotten in years, saw that his two eldest sons hated their brother, he feared lest after his death trouble should befall him from them. So he assembled a company of his kinsfolk, together with divers men of learning and property distributors of the Kazi's court, and bidding bring all his monies and cloth, said to them, "O folk, divide you this money and stuff into four portions according to the law." They did so, and he gave one part to each of his sons and kept the fourth himself, saying, "This was my good and I have divided it among them in my lifetime; and this that I have kept shall be for my wife, their mother, wherewithal to provide for her subsistence whenas she shall be a widow."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Seventh night

A little while after this he died, and neither of the two elder brothers was content with his share, but sought more of Judar, saying, "Our father's wealth is in your hands." So he appealed to the judges; and the Moslems who had been present at the partition came and bore witness of that which they knew, Why the judge forbade them from one another; but Judar and his brothers wasted much money in bribes to him. After this, the twain left him awhile; presently, however, they began again to plot against him and he appealed a second time to the magistrate, who once more decided in his favour; but all three lost much money which went to the judges. Nevertheless Sálim and Salím forbore not to seek his hurt and to carry the case from court to court, he and they losing till they had given all their good for food to the oppressors and they became poor, all three. Then the two elder brothers went to their mother and flouted her and beat her, and seizing her money drave her away. So she betook herself to her son Judar and told him how his brothers had dealt with her and fell to cursing the twain. He said, "O my mother, do not curse them, for Allah will requite each of them according to his deed. But, O mother mine, see, I am become poor, and so are my brethren, for strife occasions loss ruin rife, and we have striven amain, and fought, I and they, before the judges, and it has profited us nothing: nay, we have wasted all our father left us and are disgraced among the folk by reason of our testimony one against other. Shall I then con tend with them anew on yours account and shall we appeal to the judges? This may not be! Rather do you take up yours abode with me, and the scone I eat I will share with you. Do you pray for me and Allah will give me the means of yours alimony. Leave them to receive of the Almighty the recompense of their deed, and console yourself with the saying of the poet who said,

'If a fool oppress you bear patiently; And from Time expect your revenge to see: Shun tyranny; for if mount oppressed A mount, 'twould be shattered by tyranny.'

And he soothed and comforted her till she consented and took up her dwelling with him. Then he gat him a net and went a fishing every day in the river or the banks about Bulák and old Cairo or some other place in which there was water; and one day he would earn ten coppers, another twenty and another thirty, which he spent upon his mother and himself, and they ate well and drank well. But, as for his brothers, they plied no craft and neither sold nor bought; misery and ruin and overwhelming calamity entered their houses and they wasted that which they had taken from their mother and became of the wretched naked beggars. So at times they would come to their mother, humbling themselves before her exceedingly and complaining to her of hunger; and she (a mother's heart being pitiful) would give them some mouldy, sour smelling bread or, if there were any meat cooked the day before, she would say to them, "Eat it quick and go before your brother come; for 'twould be grievous to him and he would harden his heart against me, and you would disgrace me with him." So they would eat in haste and go. One day among days they came in to their mother, and she set cooked meat and bread before them. As they were eating, behold, in came their brother Judar, at whose sight the parent was put to shame and confusion, fearing lest he should be wroth with her; and she bowed her face earthwards abashed before her son.

But he smiled in their faces, saying, "Welcome, O my brothers! A blessed day! How comes it that you visit me this blessed day?" Then he embraced them both and entreated them lovingly, saying to them, "I thought not that you would have left me desolate by your absence nor that you would have forborne to come and visit me and your mother." They said, "By God, O our brother, we longed sore for you and nothing withheld us but abashment because of what befell between us and you; but indeed we have repented much. 'Twas Satan's doing, the curse of Allah the Most High be upon him! And now we have no blessing but yourself and our mother."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Eighth night

And his mother exclaimed, "Allah whiten your face, and increase your prosperity, for you are the most generous of us all, O my son!" Then he said, "Welcome to you both! Abide with me: for the Lord is bountiful and good abounds with me." So he made peace with them, and they supped and nighted with him; and next morning, after they had broken their fast, Judar shouldered his net and went out, trusting in The Opener whilst the two others also went forth and were absent till midday, when they returned and their mother set the noon meal before them. At nightfall Judar came home, bearing meat and greens, and they abode in this way a month's space, Judar catching fish and selling it and spending their price on his mother and his brothers, and these eating and frolicking till, one day, it chanced he went down to the river bank and throwing his net, brought it up empty. He cast it a second time, but again it came up empty and he said in himself, "No fish in this place!" So he removed to another and threw the net there but without avail. And he did not stop to remove from place to place till night fall, but caught not a single sprat and said to himself, "Wonderful! Has the fish fled the river or what?"

Then he shouldered the net and made for home, chagrined, concerned, feeling for his mother and brothers and knowing not how he should feed them that night. Presently, he came to a baker's oven and saw the folk crowding for bread, with silver in their hands, whilst the baker took no note of them. So he stood there sighing, and the baker said to him, "Welcome to you, O Judar! Do you want bread?" But he was silent and the baker continued, "If you have no dirhams, take your sufficiency and you will get credit." So Judar said, "Give me ten coppers' worth of bread and take this net in pledge." Rejoined the baker, "Nay, my poor fellow, the net is your gate of earning your livelihood, and if I take it from you, I shall close up against you the door of your subsistence. Take you ten Nusfs' worth of bread and take these other ten, and to morrow bring me fish for the twenty." "On my head and eyes be it!" Judar and took the bread and money saying said, "To morrow the Lord will dispel the trouble of my case and will provide me the means of acquittance." Then he bought meat and vegetables and carried them home to his mother, who cooked them and they supped and went to bed. Next morning he arose at daybreak and took the net, and his mother said to him, "Sit down and break your fast."

But he said, "Do you and my brothers breakfast," and went down to the river about Bulak where he did not stop to cast once, twice, thrice; and to shift about all day, without anything falling to him, till the hour of mid afternoon prayer, when he shouldered his net and went away sore dejected. His way led him Of necessity by the booth of the baker who, when he saw him, counted out to him the loaves and the money, saying, "Come, take it and go; If it be not to day, 'twill be to morrow." Judar would have excused himself, but the baker said to him, "Go! There needs no excuse; If you had netted anything, it would be with you; so seeing you empty handed, I knew you had gotten nothing; and if to morrow you have no better luck, come and take bread and be not abashed, for I will give you credit." So Judar took the bread and money and went home. On the third day also he sallied forth and fished from tank to tank until the time of afternoon prayer, but caught nothing; so he went to the baker and took the bread and silver as usual In this way he did seven days running, till he became disheartened and said in himself, "To day I go to the Lake Kárun."

So he went there and was about to cast his net, when there came up to him unawares a Maghrabi, a Moor, clad in splendid attire and riding a she mule with a pair of gold embroidered saddle bags on her back and all her trappings also orfrayed. The Moor alighted and said to him, "Peace be upon you, O Judar, O son of Omar!" "And on you likewise be peace, O my lord the pilgrim!" replied the fisherman The Maghrabi said, "O Judar, I have need of you and, given you obey me, you will get great good and will be my companion and manage my affairs for me." Judar said, "O my lord, tell me what is in your mind and I will obey you, without demur." Said the Moor, "Repeat the Fatihah, the Opening Chapter of the Koran." So he recited it with him and the Moor bringing out a silken cord, said to Judar, "Pinion my elbows behind me with this cord, as fast as fast can be, and cast me into the lake; then wait a little while; and, if you see me put forth my hands above the water, raising them high before my body show, cast your net over me and drag me out in haste; but if you see me come up feet foremost, then know that I am dead; in which case do you leave me and take the mule and saddle bags and carry them to the merchants' bazar, where you will find a Jew by name Shamáyah. Give him the mule and he will give you an hundred dinars, which do you take and go your ways and keep the matter secret with all secrecy."

So Judar tied his arms tightly behind his back and he kept saying, "Tie tighter." Then he said, "Push me till I fall into the lake:" so he pushed him in and he sank. Judar stood waiting some time till, behold, the Moor's feet appeared above the water, whereupon he knew that he was dead. So he left him and drove the mule to the bazar, where seated on a stool at the door of his storehouse he saw the Jew who spying the mule, cried, "In very truth the man has perished," adding, "and nothing undid him but covetise." Then he took the mule from Judar and gave him an hundred dinars, charging him to keep the matter secret. So Judar went and bought what bread he needed, saying to the baker, "Take this gold piece!"; and the man summed up what was due to him and said, "I still owe you two days' bread"—

When it was the Six Hundred and Ninth night

replied, "Good," and went on to the butcher, to whom he gave a gold piece and took meat, saying, "Keep the rest of the dinar on account." Then he bought vegetables and going home, found his brothers importuning their mother for victual, whilst she cried, "Have patience till your brother come home, for I have nothing." So he went in to them and said, "Take and eat;" and they fell on the food like cannibals. Then he gave his mother the rest of his gold saying, "If my brothers come to you, give them wherewithal to buy food and eat in my absence." He slept well that night and next morning he took his net and going down to Lake Karun stood there and was about to cast his net, when behold, there came up to him a second Maghribi, riding on a she mule more handsomely accoutred than he of the day before and having with him a pair of saddle bags of which each pocket contained a casket. "Peace be with you, O Judar!" said the Moor: "And with you be peace, O my lord, the pilgrim!" replied Judar. Asked the Moor, "Did there come to you yesterday a Moor riding on a mule like this of mine?" at this Judar was alarmed and answered, "I saw none," fearing lest the other say, "where went he?" and if he replied, "He was drowned in the lake," that Perhaps he should charge him with having drowned him; Why he could not but deny. Rejoined the Moor, "Harkye, O unhappy This was my brother, who is gone before me."

Judar persisted, "I know nothing of him." Then the Moor enquired, "Did you not bind his arms behind him and throw him into the lake, and did he not say to you, 'If my hands appear above the water first, cast your net over me and drag me out in haste; but, if my feet show first, know that I am dead and carry the mule to the Jew Shamayah, who shall give you an hundred dinars?'" Judar said, "Since you know all this why and Why do you question me?", and the Moor said, "I would have you do with me as you did with my brother." Then he gave him a silken cord, saying, "Bind my hands behind me and throw me in, and if I fare as did my brother, take the mule to the Jew and he will give you other hundred dinars." Judar said, "Come on;" so he came and he bound him and pushed him into the lake, where he sank. Then Judar sat watching and after awhile, his feet appeared above the water and the fisher said, "He is dead and damned! God willing, may Maghribis come to me every day, and I will pinion them and push them in and they shall die; and I will content me with an hundred dinars for each dead man."

Then he took the mule to the Jew, who seeing him asked, "The other is dead?" Answered Judar, "May your head live!"; and the Jew said, "This is the reward of the covetous!" Then he took the mule and gave Judar an hundred dinars, with which he returned to his mother. "O my son," she said, "from where have you this?" So he told her, and she said, "Go not again to Lake Karun, indeed I fear for you from the Moors." He said, "O my mother, I do but cast them in by their own wish, and what am I to do? This craft brings me an hundred dinars a day and I return speedily; Why, By God, I will not leave going to Lake Karun, till the trace of the Magháribah is cut off and not one of them is left." So, on the morrow which was the third day, he went down to the lake and stood there, till there came up a third Moor, riding on a mule with saddle bags and still more richly accoutred than the first two, who said to him, "Peace be with you, O Judar, O son of Omar!" And the fisherman saying in himself, "How comes it that they all know me?" returned his salute. Asked the Maghribi, "Have any Moors passed by here?" "Two," answered Judar. "where went they?" enquired the Moor, and Judar replied, "I pinioned their hands behind them and cast them into the lake, where they were drowned, and the same fate is in store for you."

The Moor laughed and rejoined, saying, "O unhappy Every life has its term appointed." Then he alighted and gave the fisherman the silken cord, saying, "Do with me, O Judar, as you did with them." Judar said, "Put your hands behind your back, that I may pinion you, for I am in haste, and time flies." So he put his hands behind him and Judar tied him up and cast him in. Then he waited awhile; presently the Moor thrust both hands forth of the water and called out to him, saying, "Ho, good fellow, cast out your net!" So Judar threw the net over him and drew him ashore, and lo In each hand he held a fish as red as coral The Moor said, "Bring me the two caskets that are in the saddle bags." So Judar brought them and opened them to him, and he laid in each casket a fish and shut them up. Then he pressed Judar to his bosom and kissed him on the right cheek and the left, saying, "Allah save you from all stress! By the Almighty, had you not cast the net over me and pulled me out. I should have kept hold of these two fishes till I sank and was drowned, for I could not get ashore of myself." Judar said, "O my lord the pilgrim, in God's name, tell me the true history of the two drowned men and the truth anent these two fishes and the Jew."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Tenth night

the Maghribi answered, "Know, O Judar, that these drowned men were my two brothers, by name Abd al-Salám and Abd al-Ahad. My own name is Abd al-Samad, and the Jew also is our brother; his name is Abd al-Rahim and he is no Jew, but a true believer of the Maliki school. Our father, whose name was Abd al-Wadud, taught us magic and the art of solving mysteries and bringing hoards to light, and we applied ourselves thereto, till we compelled the Ifrits and Marids of the Jinn to do us service. By and by, our sire died and left us much wealth, and we divided amongst us his treasures and talismans, till we came to the books, when we fell out over a volume called, 'The Fables of the Ancients,' whose like is not in the world, nor can its price be paid of any, nor is its value to be evened with gold and jewels; for in it are particulars of all the hidden hoards of the earth and the solution of every secret. Our father was wont to make use of this book, of which we had some small matter by heart, and each of us desired to possess it, that he might acquaint himself with what was within it.

Now when we fell out there was in our company an old man by name Cohen Al-Abtan, who had reared our sire and taught him divination and gramarye, and he said to us, 'Bring me the book.' So we gave it him and he continued, 'You are my son's sons, and it may not be that I should wrong any of you. So whoever is minded to have the volume, let him address himself to achieve the treasure of al-Shamardal and bring me the celestial planisphere and the Kohl phial and the seal ring and the sword. For the ring has a Marid that serves it called al-Ra'ad al-Kasif; and whoever has possession of it, neither King nor Sultan may prevail against him; and if he will, he may therewith make himself master of the earth, in all the length and breadth of it. As for the brand, if its bearer draw it and brandish it against an army, the army will be put to the rout; and if he say the while, 'Slay that host,' there will come forth of that sword lightning and fire, that will kill the whole many. As for the planisphere, its possessor has only to turn its face toward any country, east or west, with whose sight he has a mind to solace himself, and within it he will see that country and its people, as they were between his hands and he sitting in his place; and if he be wroth with a city and have a mind to burn it, he has but to face the planisphere towards the sun's disc, saying, 'Let such a city be burnt,' and that city will be consumed with fire.

As for the Kohl phial, whoever pencills his eyes from it, he shall espy all the treasures of the earth. And I make this condition with you which is that whoever fails to hit upon the hoards shall forfeit his right and that none save he who shall achieve the treasure and bring me the four precious things which be within it shall have any claim to take this book.' So we all agreed to this condition, and he continued, 'O my sons, know that the treasure of Al-Shamardal is under the commandment of the sons of the Red King, and your father told me that he had himself essayed to open the treasure but could not; for the sons of the Red King fled from him into the land of Egypt and took refuge in a lake there, called Lake Karun, where he pursued them, but could not prevail over them, by reason of their stealing into that lake, which was guarded by a spell.' "—

When it was the Six Hundred and Eleventh night

Now my brothers Abd al-Salam and Abd al-Ahad said, "We will go and make trial, although we perish," and I said, "And I also will go;" but my brother Abd al-Rahim (he whom you saw in the habit of a Jew) said, "I have no mind to this." Thereupon we agreed with him that he should repair to Cairo in the disguise of a Jewish merchant, so that, if one of us perished in the lake, he might take his mule and saddle bags and give the bearer an hundred dinars. The first that came to you the sons of the Red King slew, and so did they with my second brother; but against me they could not prevail and I laid hands on them. Cried Judar, "And where is your catch?" Asked the Moor, "Did you not see me shut them in the caskets?" "Those were fishes," said Judar. "Nay," answered the Maghribi, "they are Ifrits in the guise of fish. But, O Judar" he continued, "you must know that the treasure can be opened only by your means: so say, will you do my bidding and go with me to the city Fez and Mequinez where we will open the treasure?; and after I will give you what you will and you will ever be my brother in the bond of Allah and return to your family with a joyful heart." Judar said, "O my lord the pilgrim, I have on my neck a mother and two brothers,"—

When it was the Six Hundred and Twelfth night

Replied the Moor, "This is an idle excuse If it be but a matter of expenditure,

I will give you a thousand ducats for your mother, wherewith she may provide herself till you come back: and indeed you will return before the end of four months." So when Judar heard mention of the thousand dinars, he said, "Here with them, O Pilgrim, and I am your man;" and the Moor, pulling out the money, gave it to him, whereupon he carried it to his mother and told her what had passed between them, saying, "Take these thousand dinars and expend of them upon yourself and my brothers, whilst I journey to Marocco with the Moor, for I shall be absent four months, and great good will happen me; so bless me, O my mother!" Answered she, "O my son, you desolatest me and I fear for you." "O my mother," he said, "no harm can befall him who is in Allah's keeping, and the Maghribi is a man of worth;" and he went on to praise his condition to her She said, "Allah incline his heart to you! Go with him, O my son; perhaps, he will give you something." So he took leave of his mother and rejoined the Moor Abd al-Samad, who asked him, "Have you consulted your mother?" "Yes," answered Judar; "and she blessed me." "Then mount behind me," said the Maghribi.

So Judar mounted the mule's crupper and they rode on from noon till the time of mid afternoon prayer, when the fisherman was an hungered; but seeing no victual with the Moor, said to him, "O my lord the pilgrim, Perhaps you have forgotten to bring us anything to eat by the way?" Asked the Moor, "Are you hungry?" and Judar answered, "Yes." So Abd al-Samad alighted and made Judar alight and take down the saddle bags; then he said to him, "What will you have, O my brother?" "Anything." "in God's name, tell me what you have a mind to." "Bread and cheese." "O my poor fellow Bread and cheese besit you not; wish for something good." "Just now everything is good to me." "Do you like nice browned chicken?" "Yes!" "Do you like rice and honey?" "Yes!" And the Moor went on to ask him if he liked this dish and that dish till he had named four and twenty kinds of meats; and Judar thought to himself, "He must be daft! Where are all these dainties to come from, seeing he has neither cook nor kitchen? But I'll say to him, "Tis enough!'" So he cried, "That will do: you make me long for all these meats, and I see nothing." the Moor said, "You are welcome, O Judar!"

And, putting his hand into the saddle bags, pulled out a golden dish containing two hot browned chickens. Then he thrust his hand a second time and drew out a golden dish, full of kabobs; nor did he stint taking out dishes from saddle bags, till he had brought forth the whole of the four and twenty kinds he had named, whilst Judar looked on. Then said the Moor, "Fall to, poor fellow!", and Judar said to him, "O my lord, you carriest in that saddle bags kitchen and kitcheners!" The Moor laughed and replied, "These are magical saddle bags and have a servant, who would bring us a thousand dishes an hour, if we called for them." Judar said, "By God, a meat thing in saddle bags!" Then they ate their fill and threw away what was left; after which the Moor replaced the empty dishes in the saddle bags and putting in his hand, drew out an ewer. They drank and making the Wuzu ablution, prayed the mid afternoon prayer; after which Abd al-Samad replaced the ewer and the two caskets in the saddlebags and throwing them over the mule's back, mounted and cried, "Up with you and let us be off," presently adding, "O Judar, know you how far we have come since we left Cairo?" "Not I, By God," he replied, and Abd al-Samad, "We have come a whole month's journey."

Asked Judar, "And how is that?"; and the Moor answered, "Know, O Judar, that this mule under us is a Marid of the Jinn who every day performs a year's journey; but, for your sake, she has gone an easier pace." Then they set out again and fared on westwards till nightfall, when they halted and the Maghribi brought out supper from the saddle bags, and in like manner, in the morning, he took forth wherewithal to break their fast. So they rode on four days, journeying till midnight and then alighting and sleeping until morning, when they fared on again; and all that Judar had a mind to, he sought of the Moor, who brought it out of the saddle bags. On the fifth day, they arrived at Fez and Mequinez and entered the city, where all who met the Maghribi saluted him and kissed his hands; and he continued riding through the streets, till he came to a certain door, at which he knocked, whereupon it opened and out came a girl like the moon, to whom he said, "O my daughter, O Rahmah, open us the upper chamber." "On my head and eyes, O my papa!" she replied and went in, swaying her hips to and fro with a graceful and swimming gait like a thirsting gazelle, movements that ravished Judar's reason, and he said, "This is none other than a King's daughter."

So she opened the upper chamber, and the Moor, taking the saddle bags from the mule's back said, "Go, and God bless you!" When lo The earth clove asunder and swallowing the mule, closed up again as before. And Judar said, "O Protector Praised be Allah, who has kept us in safety on her back!" The Maghribi said, "Marvel not, O Judar. I told you that the mule was an Ifrit; but come with us into the upper chamber." So they went up into it, and Judar was amazed at the profusion of rich furniture and pendants of gold and silver and jewels and other rare and precious things which he saw there. As soon as they were seated, the Moor bade Rahmah bring him a certain bundle and opening it, drew out a dress worth a thousand dinars, which he gave to Judar, saying, "Don this dress, O Judar, and welcome to you!" So Judar put it on and became a fair ensample of the Kings of the West. Then the Maghribi laid the saddle bags before him, and, putting in his hand, pulled out dish after dish, till they had before them a tray of forty kinds of meat, when he said to Judar, "Come near, O my master Eat and excuse us"—

When it was the Six Hundred and Thirteenth night

Replied Judar, "By God, O my lord the pilgrim, I love all kinds of meat and unlove none; so ask me not of anything, but bring all that comes to your thought, for save eating to do I have nothing." After this he tarried twenty days with the Moor, who clad him in new clothes every day, and all this time they ate from the saddlebags, for the Maghribi bought neither meat nor bread nor anything else, nor cooked, but brought everything out of the bags, even to various sorts of fruit. On the twenty first day, he said, "O Judar, up with you; this is the day appointed for opening the hoard of Al-Shamardal." So he rose and they went afoot without the city, where they found two slaves, each holding a she mule. The Moor mounted one beast and Judar the other, and they did not stop riding till noon, when they came to a stream of running water, on whose banks Abd al-Samad alighted saying, "Dismount, O Judar!" Then he signed with his hand to the slaves and said, "To it!" So they took the mules and going each his own way, were absent awhile, after which they returned, one bearing a tent, which he pitched, and the other carpets, which he spread in the tent and laid mattrasses, pillows and cushions there around.

Then one of them brought the caskets containing the two fishes; and another fetched the saddle bags; whereupon the Maghribi arose and said, "Come, O Judar!" So Judar followed him into the tent and sat down beside him; and he brought out dishes of meat from the saddle bags and they ate the undurn meal. Then the Moor took the two caskets and conjured over them both, whereupon there came from within voices that said, "Adsumus, at your service, O diviner of the world! Have mercy upon us!" And called aloud for aid. But he did not stop to repeat conjurations and they to call for help, till the two caskets flew in sunder, the fragments flying about, and there came forth two men, with pinioned hands saying, "Quarter, O diviner of the world! What will you with us?" he said, "My will is to burn you both with fire, except you make a covenant with me, to open to me the treasure of al-Shamardal." they said, "We promise this to you, and we will open the treasure to you, so you produce to us Judar bin Omar, the fisherman, for the hoard may not be opened but by his means, nor can any enter within it save Judar."

Cried the Maghribi, "Him of whom you speak, I have brought, and he is here, listening to you and looking at you." Thereupon they covenanted with him to open the treasure to him, and he released them. Then he brought out a hollow wand and tablets of red carnelian which he laid on the rod; and after this he took a chafing dish and setting charcoal thereon, blew one breath into it and it kindled immediately. Presently, he brought incense and said, "O Judar, I am now about to begin the necessary conjurations and fumigations, and when I have once begun, I may not speak, or the charm will be nothing; so I will teach you first what you must do to win your wish." "Teach me," Said Judar. "Know," the Moor said, "that when I have recited the spell and thrown on the incense, the water will dry up from the river's bed and discover to you, a golden door, the bigness of the city gate, with two rings of metal thereon; whereupon do you go down to the door and knock a light knock and wait awhile; then knock a second time a knock louder than the first and wait another while; after which give three knocks in rapid succession, and you will hear a voice ask, 'Who knocks at the door of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?'

Do you answer, 'I am Judar the fisherman son of Omar': and the door will open and there will come forth a figure with a brand in hand who will say to you: 'If you be that man, stretch forth your neck, that I may strike off your head.' Then do you stretch forth your neck and fear not; for, when he lifts his hand and smites you with the sword, he will fall down before you, and in a little you will see him a body sans soul; and the stroke shall not hurt you nor shall any harm befall you; but, if you gainsay him, he will slay you. When you have undone his enchantment by obedience, enter and go on till you see another door, at which do you knock, and there will come forth to you a horseman riding a mare with a lance on his shoulder and say to you, 'What brings you here, where none may enter ne man ne Jinni?' And he will shake his lance at you. Bare your breast to him and he will smite you and fall down directly and you will see him a body without a soul; but if you cross him he will kill you. Then go on to the third door, from where there will come forth to you a man with a bow and arrows in his hand and take aim at you. Bare your breast to him and he will shoot at you and fall down before you, a body without a soul, but if you oppose him, he will kill you. Then go on to the fourth door"—

When it was the Six Hundred and Fourteenth night

And he repeated his directions a second and a third and a fourth time, till Judar said, "I have them by heart: but who may face all these enchantments that you name and endure against these mighty terrors?" Replied the Moor, "O Judar, fear not, for they are semblances without life;" and he went on to hearten him, till he said, "I put my trust in Allah." Then Abd al-Samad threw perfumes on the chafing dish, and addressed himself to reciting conjurations for a time when, behold, the water disappeared and uncovered the riverbed and discovered the door of the treasure, whereupon Judar went down to the door and knocked. Therewith he heard a voice saying, "Who knocks at the door of the treasure, unknowing how to solve the secrets?" he said, "I am Judar son of Omar;" whereupon the door opened and there came forth a figure with a drawn sword, who said to him, "Stretch forth your neck." So he stretched forth his neck and the species smote him and fell down, lifeless. Then he went on to the second door and did the like, nor did he cease to do thus, till he had undone the enchantments of the first six doors and came to the seventh door, from where there issued forth to him his mother, saying, "I salute you, O my son!"

He asked, "What are you?", and she answered, "O my son, I am your mother who bare you nine months and suckled you and reared you." he said, "Put off your clothes." she said, "You are my son, how would you strip me naked?" But he said, "Strip, or I will strike off your head with this sword," and he stretched out his hand to the brand and drew it upon her saying, "Except you strip, I will slay you." Then the strife became long between them and as often as he redoubled on her his threats, she put off something of her clothes and he said to her, "Doff the rest," with many menaces; while she removed each article slowly and kept saying, "O my son, you have disappointed my fosterage of you," till she had nothing left but her petticoat trousers. Then she said, "O my son, is your heart stone? Will you dishonour me by discovering my shame? Indeed, this is unlawful, O my son!" And he answered, "You say truth; put not off your trousers." At once, as he uttered these words, she cried out, "He has made default; beat him!" Whereupon there fell upon him blows like rain drops and the servants of the treasure flocked to him and dealt him a tunding which he forgot not in all his days; after which they thrust him forth and threw him down without the treasure and the hoard doors closed of themselves, whilst the waters of the river returned to their bed.—

When it was the Six Hundred and Fifteenth night

Answered Judar, "O my brother, I undid all the opposing enchantments, till I came to my mother and there befell between her and myself a long contention. But I made her doff her clothes, O my brother, till but her trousers remained upon her and she said to me, 'Do not dishonour me; for to discover one's shame is forbidden.' So I left her trousers out of pity, and behold, she cried out and said, 'He has made default, beat him!' Whereupon there came out upon me folk, from where I know not, and tunding me with a belabouring which was a Sister of Death, thrust me forth; nor do I know what befell me after this." the Moor said, "Did I not warn you not to swerve from my directions Truly, you have injured me and have injured yourself: for if you had made her take off her petticoat trousers, we had won to our wish; but now you must abide with me till this day next year." Then he cried out to the two slaves, who struck the tent directly and loaded it on the beasts; then they were absent awhile and presently returned with the two mules; and the twain mounted and rode back to the city of Fez, where Judar tarried with the Maghribi, eating well and drinking well and donning a grand dress every day, till the year was ended and the anniversary day dawned.

Then the Moor said to him, "Come with me, for this is the appointed day." And Judar said, "'Tis well." So the Maghribi carried him without the city, where they found the two slaves with the mules, and rode on till they reached the river. Here the slaves pitched the tent and furnished it; and the Moor brought forth the tray of food and they ate the morning meal; after which Abd al-Samad brought out the wand and the tablets as before and, kindling the fire in the chafing dish, made ready the incense. Then he said, "O Judar, I wish to renew my charge to you." "O my lord the pilgrim," he replied, "if I have forgotten the bastinado, I have forgotten the injunctions." Asked the Moor, "Do you indeed remember them?" and he answered, "Yes." the Moor said, "Keep your wits, and think not that the woman is your very mother; nay, she is but an enchantment in her semblance, whose purpose is to find you defaulting. You came off alive the first time; but, If you trip this time, they will slay you." Judar said, "If I slip this time, I deserve to be burnt of them."

Then Abd al-Samad cast the perfumes into the fire and recited the conjurations, till the river dried up; whereupon Judar descended and knocked. The door opened and he entered and undid the several enchantments, till he came to the seventh door and the semblance of his mother appeared before him, saying, "Welcome, O my son!" But he said to her, "How am I your son, O accursed? Strip!" And she began to wheedle him and put off garment after garment, till only her trousers remained; and he said to her, "Strip, O accursed!" So she put off her trousers and became a body without a soul. Then he entered the hall of the treasures, where he saw gold lying in heaps, but paid no heed to it and passed on to the closet at the upper end, where he saw the enchanter al-Shamardal lying on a couch of gold, baldrick'd with the sword, with the ring on his finger, the Kohl phial on his breast and the celestial planisphere hanging over his head. So he loosed the sword and taking the ring, the Kohl phial and the planisphere, went forth, when behold, a band of music sounded for him and the servants of the treasure cried out, saying, "May you be assained with that you have gained, O Judar!"

Nor did the music leave sounding, till he came forth of the treasure to the Maghribi, who gave up his conjurations and fumigations and rose up and embraced him and saluted him. Then Judar made over to him the four hoarded talismans, and he took them and cried out to the slaves, who carried away the tent and brought the mules. So they mounted and returned to Fez city, where the Moor fetched the saddle bags and brought forth dish after dish of meat, till the tray was full, and said, "O my brother, O Judar, eat!" So he ate till he was satisfied, when the Moor emptied what remained of the meats and other dishes and returned the empty platters to the saddle bags. Then he said, "O Judar, you have left home and native land on our account and you have accomplished our dearest desire; Why you have a right to require a reward of us. Ask, therefore, what you will, it is Almighty Allah who gives unto you by our means. Ask your will and be not ashamed, for you are deserving." "O my lord, ' Judar said, "I ask first of Allah the Most High and then of you, that you give me that saddle bags."

So the Maghribi called for them and gave them to him, saying, "Take them, for they are your due; and, if you had asked of me anything else instead, I had given it to you. Eat from them, you and your family; but, my poor fellow, these will not profit you, save by way of provisions, and you have wearied yourself with us and we promised to send you home rejoicing. So we will join to these other saddle bags, full of gold and gems, and forward you back to your native land, where you will become a gentleman and a merchant and clothe yourself and your family; nor will you want ready money for yours expenditure. And know that the manner of using our gift is in this way. Put your hand within it and say, 'O servant of these saddle bags, I conjure you by the virtue of the Mighty Names which have power over you, bring me such a dish!' And he will bring you whatever you ask, though you should call for a thousand different dishes a day." So saying, he filled him a second pair of saddle bags half with gold and half with gems and precious stones; and, sending for a slave and a mule, said to him, "Mount this mule, and the slave shall go before you and show you the way, till you come to the door of your house, where do you take the two pair of saddle bags and give him the mule, that he may bring it back. But admit none into your secret; and so we commend you to Allah!" "May the Almighty increase your good!" replied Judar and, laying the two pairs of saddle bags on the mule's back, mounted and set forth. The slave went on before him and the mule followed him all that day and night, and on the morrow he entered Cairo by the Gate of Victory, where he saw his mother seated, saying, "Alms, for the love of Allah!"

At this sight he well near lost his wits and alighting, threw himself upon her: and when she saw him she wept. Then he mounted her on the mule and walked by her stirrup, till they came to the house, where he set her down and, taking the saddle bags, left the she mule to the slave, who led her away and returned with her to his master, for that both slave and mule were devils. As for Judar, it was grievous to him that his mother should beg; so, when they were in the house, he asked, "O my mother, are my brothers well?"; and she answered, "They are both well." he said, "Why do you beg by the wayside?" she said, "Because I am hungry, O my son," and he, "Before I went away, I gave you an hundred dinars one day, the like the next and a thousand on the day of my departure." "O my son, they cheated me and took the money from me, saying, 'We will buy goods with it.' Then they drove me away, and I fell to begging by the wayside, for stress of hunger." "O my mother, no harm shall befall you, now I am come; so have no concern, for these saddle bags are full of gold and gems, and good abounds with me." "truly, you are blessed, O my son! Allah accept of you and increase you of His bounties! Go, O my son, fetch us some victual, for I slept not last night for excess of hunger, having gone to bed supperless." "Welcome to you, O my mother! Call for what you will to eat, and I will set it before you this moment; for I have no occasion to buy from the market, nor need I any to cook." "O my son, I see nothing with you." "I have with me in these saddle bags all manner of meats." "O my son, whatever is ready will serve to stay hunger." "True, when there is no choice, men are content with the smallest thing; but where there is plenty, they like to eat what is good: and I have abundance; so call for what you have a mind to." "O my son, give me some hot bread and a slice of cheese." "O my mother, this befits not your condition." "Then give me to eat of that which besitts my case, for you know it." "O my mother," he said, "what suit yours estate are browned meat and roast chicken and peppered rice and it becomes your rank to eat of sausages and stuffed cucumbers and stuffed lamb and stuffed ribs of mutton and vermicelli with broken almonds and nuts and honey and sugar and fritters and almond cakes."

But she thought he was laughing at her and making mock of her; so she said to him, "Yauh! Yauh What is come to you? Do you dream or are you daft?" he asked, "Why think you that I am mad?" and she answered, "Because you name to me all manner rich dishes. Who can avail unto their price, and who knows how to dress them?" he said, "By my life You will eat of all that I have named to you, and that at once;" and she said, "I see nothing;" and he, "Bring me the saddle bags." So she fetched them and feeling them, found them empty. However, she laid them before him and he thrust in his hand and pulled out dish after dish, till he had set before her all he had named. Whereupon she asked, "O my son, the saddle bags are small and moreover they were empty; yet have you taken thereout all these dishes. Where then were they all?"; and he answered, "O my mother, know that these saddle bags, which the Moor gave me, are enchanted and they have a servant whom, if one desire anything, he has but to adjure by the Names which command him, saying, 'O servant of these saddle bags, bring me such a dish!' and he will bring it." his mother said, "And may I put out my hand and ask of him?" he said, "Do so."

So she stretched out her hand and said, "O servant of the saddle bags, by the virtue of the Names which command you, bring me stuffed ribs." Then she thrust in her hand and found a dish containing delicate stuffed ribs of lamb. So she took it out, and called for bread and what else she had a mind to: after which Judar said to her, "O my mother, when you have made an end of eating, empty what is left of the food into dishes other than these, and restore the empty platters to the saddle bags carefully." So she arose and laid them up in a safe place. "And look, O mother mine, that you keep this secret," added he; "and whenever you have a mind to anything, take it forth of the saddle bags and give alms and feed my brothers, whether I be present or absent." Then he fell to eating with her and behold, while they were thus occupied, in came his two brothers, whom a son of the quarter had apprised of his return, saying, "Your brother is come back, riding on a she mule, with a slave before him, and wearing a dress that has not its like."

So they said to each other, "Would to Heaven we had not evilly entreated our mother! There is no hope but that she will surely tell him how we did by her, and then, oh our disgrace with him!" But one of the twain said, "Our mother is soft hearted, and if she tell him, our brother is yet tenderer over us than she; and, given we excuse ourselves to him, he will accept our excuse." So they went in to him and he rose to them and saluting them with the friendliest salutation, bade them sit down and eat. So they ate till they were satisfied, for they were weak with hunger; after which Judar said to them, "O my brothers, take what is left and distribute it to the poor and needy." "O brother"' replied they, "let us keep it to sup as well." But he answered, "When supper time comes, you shall have more than this." So they took the rest of the victual and going out, gave it to every poor man who passed by them, saying, "Take and eat," till nothing was left. Then they brought back the dishes and Judar said to his mother, "Put them in the saddle bags."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Sixteenth night

And when it was eventide, he entered the saloon and took forth of the saddlebags a table of forty dishes; after which he went up to the upper room and, sitting down between his brothers, said to his mother, "Bring the supper." So she went down to the saloon and, finding there the dishes ready, laid the tray and brought up the forty dishes, one after other. Then they ate the evening meal, and when they had done, Judar said to his brothers, "Take and feed the poor and needy." So they took what was left and gave alms of it, and presently he brought forth to them sweetmeats, whereof they ate, and what was left he bade them give to the neighbours. On the morrow, they brake their fast after the same fashion, and thus they fared ten days, at the end of which time Said Sálim to Salím, "How comes it that our brother setts before us a banquet in the morning, a banquet at noon, and a banquet at sundown, besides sweetmeats late at night, and all that is left he gives to the poor Truly, this is the fashion of Sultans. Yet we never see him buy anything, and he has neither kitchener nor kitchen, nor does he light a fire From where has he this great plenty? Have you not a mind to discover the cause of all this?" Said Salím, "By God, I know not: but know you any who will tell us the truth of the case?" Said Sálim, "None will tell us save our mother." So they laid a plot and repairing to their mother one day, in their brother's absence, said to her, "O our mother, we are hungry." she replied, "Rejoice, for you shall presently be satisfied;" and going into the saloon, sought of the servant of the saddle bags hot meats, which she took out and set before her sons. "O our mother," cried they, "this meat is hot; yet have you not cooked, neither kindled a fire."

she said, "It comes from the saddle bags;" and they said, "What manner of thing be these saddle bags?" She answered, "They are enchanted; and the required is produced by the charm:" she then told her sons their virtue, enjoining them to secrecy. They said, "The secret shall be kept, O our mother, but teach us the manner of this." So she taught them the fashion of it and they fell to putting their hands into the saddle bags and taking forth whatever they had a mind to. But Judar knew nothing of this. Then Said Sálim privily to Salím, "O my brother, how long shall we abide with Judar servant wise and eat of his alms? Shall we not contrive to get the saddle bags from him and make off with them?" "And how shall we make shift to do this?" "We will sell him to the galleys." "How shall we do that?" "We two will go to the Rais, the Chief Captain of the Sea of Suez and bid him to an entertainment, with two of his company. What I say to Judar do you confirm, and at the end of the night I will show you what I will do."

So they agreed upon the sale of their brother and going to the Captain's quarters said to him, "O Rais, we have come to you on an errand that will please you." "Good," he answered; and they continued, "We two are brethren, and we have a third brother, a lewd fellow and good for nothing. When our father died, he left us some money, which we shared amongst us, and he took his part of the inheritance and wasted it in frowardness and debauchery, till he was reduced to poverty, when he came upon us and cited us before the magistrates, avouching that we had taken his good and that of his father, and we disputed the matter before the judges and lost the money. Then he waited awhile and attacked us a second time, until he brought us to beggary; nor will he desist from us, and we are utterly weary of him; Why we would have you buy him of us." the Captain said, "Can you cast about with him and bring him to me here? If so, I will pack him off to sea directly." they said,"We cannot manage to bring him here; but be you our guest this night and bring with you two of your men, not one more; and when he is asleep, we will aid one another to fall upon him, we five, and seize and gag him.

Then will you carry him forth the house, under cover of the night, and after do you with him as you will." Rejoined the Captain, "With all my heart! Will you sell him for forty dinars?" and they, "Yes, come after nightfall to such a street, by such a mosque, and you will find one of us awaiting you." And he replied, "Now be off." Then they repaired to Judar and waited awhile, after which Sálim went up to him and kissed his hand. Judar said, "What ails you, O my brother?" And he made answer, saying, "Know that I have a friend, who has many a time bidden me to his house in yours absence and has ever hospitably entreated me, and I owe him a thousand kindnesses, as my brother here knows. I met him today and he invited me to his house, but I said to him, 'I cannot leave my brother Judar.' he said, 'Bring him with you'; and I said, 'He will not consent to that; but if you will be my guests, you and your brothers' * * * * * (for his brothers were sitting with him); and I invited them thinking that they would refuse.

But he accepted my invitation for all of them, saying, 'Look for me at the gate of the little mosque, and I will come to you, I and my brothers.' And now I fear they will come and am ashamed before you. So will you hearten my heart and entertain them this night, for your good is abundant, O my brother? Or if you consent not, give me leave to take them into the neighbours' houses." Replied Judar, "Why should you carry them into the neighbours' houses? Is our house then so strait or have we not wherewith to give them supper? Shame on you to consult me! You have but to call for what you need and have rich viands and sweetmeats and to spare. Whenever you bring home folk in my absence, ask your mother, and she will set before you victual more than enough. Go and fetch them; blessings have descended upon us through such guests." So Sálim kissed his hand and going forth, sat at the gate of the little mosque till after sundown, when the Captain and his men came up to him, and he carried them to the house. When Judar saw them he bade them welcome and seated them and made friends of them, knowing not what the future had in store for him at their hands.

Then he called to his mother for supper, and she fell to taking dishes out of the saddle bags, whilst he said, "Bring such and such meats," till she had set forty different dishes before them. They ate their sufficiency and the tray was taken away, the sailors thinking the while that this liberal entertainment came from Sálim. When a third part of the night was past, Judar set sweetmeats before them and Sálim served them, whilst his two brothers sat with the guests, till they sought to sleep. Accordingly Judar lay down and the others with him, who waited till he was asleep, when they fell upon him together and gagging and pinioning him, before he was awake, carried him forth of the house, under cover of the night,—

When it was the Six Hundred and Seventeenth night

She said, "Do you wake him." Asked they, "Where lies he?" and she answered, "With the guests." They rejoined, "Perhaps he went away with them whilst we slept, O mother. It would seem that he had tasted of strangerhood and yearned to get at hidden hoards; for we heard him at talk with the Moors, and they said to him, 'We will take you with us and open the treasure to you.' " She enquired, "Has he then been in company with Moors?;" and they replied, saying, "Were they not our guests yesternight?" And she, "Most like he has gone with them, but Allah will direct him on the right way; for there is a blessing upon him and he will surely come back with great good." But she wept, for it was grievous to her to be parted from her son. Then they said to her, "O accursed woman, do you love Judar with all this love, whilst as for us, whether we be absent or present, you neither joyest in us nor sorrowest for us? Are we not your sons, even as Judar is your son?" She said, "You are indeed my sons: but you are reprobates who deserve no favour of me, for since your father's death I have never seen any good in you; whilst as for Judar, I have had abundant good of him and he has heartened my heart and entreated me with honour; Why it behoves me to weep for him, because of his kindness to me and to you."

When they heard this, they abused her and beat her; after which they sought for the saddle bags, till they found the two pairs and took the enchanted one and all the gold from one pouch and jewels from the other of the unenchanted, saying, "This was our father's good." Said their mother, "Not so, By God!; it belongs to your brother Judar, who brought it from the land of the Magharibah." They said, "You lie, it was our father's property; and we will dispose of it, as we please." Then they divided the gold and jewels between them; but a brabble arose between them concerning the enchanted saddle bags, Sálim saying, "I will have them;" and Salím, saying, "I will take them;" and they came to high words. Then she said, "O my sons, you have divided the gold and the jewels, but this may not be divided, nor can its value be made up in money; and if it be cut in twain, its spell will be voided; so leave it with me and I will give you to eat from it at all times and be content to take a morsel with you. If you allow me anything to clothe me, 'twill be of your bounty, and each of you shall traffic with the folk for himself. You are my sons and I am your mother; Why let us abide as we are, lest your brother come back and we be disgraced."

But they accepted not her words and passed the night, wrangling with each other. Now it chanced that a Janissary of the King's guards was a guest in the house adjoining Judar's and heard them through the open window. So he looked out and listening, heard all the angry words that passed between them and saw the division of the spoil. Next morning he presented himself before the King of Egypt, whose name was Shams al-Daulah, and told him all he had heard, whereupon he sent for Judar's brothers and put them to the question, till they confessed; and he took the two pairs of Saddle bags from them and clapped them in prison, appointing a sufficient daily allowance to their mother. Now as regards Judar, he abode a whole year in service at Suez, till one day, being in a ship bound on a voyage over the sea, a wind arose against them and cast the vessel upon a rock projecting from a mountain, where she broke up and all on board were drowned and none gat ashore save Judar. As soon as he landed he fared on inland, till he reached an encampment of Badawi, who questioned him of his case, and he told them he had been a sailor.

Now there was in camp a merchant, a native of Jiddah, who took pity on him and said to him, "Will you take service with me, O Egyptian, and I will clothe you and carry you with me to Jiddah?" So Judar took service with him and companied him to Jiddah, where he showed him much favour. After awhile, his master the merchant set out on a pilgrimage to Meccah, taking Judar with him, and when they reached the city, the Cairene repaired to the Haram temple, to circumambulate the Ka'abah. As he was making the prescribed circuits, he suddenly saw his friend Abd al-Samad the Moor doing the like;—

When it was the Six Hundred and Eighteenth night

Then he drew out for him a geomantic figure, which showed what had befallen Sálim and Salím and said to Judar, "Such and such things have befallen your brothers and they are now in the King of Egypt's prison; but you are right welcome to abide with me and accomplish yours ordinances of pilgrimage and all shall be well."

Replied Judar, "O my lord, let me go and take leave of the merchant with whom I am and after I will come back to you." "Do you owe money?" asked the Moor, and he answered, "No." Abd al-Samad said, "Go you and take leave of him and come back directly, for bread has claims of its own from the ingenuous." So Judar returned to the merchant and farewelled him, saying, "I have fallen in with my brother." "Go bring him here," said the merchant, "and we will make him an entertainment." But Judar answered, saying, "He has no need of that; for he is a man of wealth and has many servants." Then the merchant gave Judar twenty dinars, saying, "Acquit me of responsibility"; and he bade him adieu and went forth from him. Presently, he saw a poor man, so he gave him the twenty ducats and returned to the Moor, with whom he abode till they had accomplished the pilgrimage rites when Abd al-Samad gave him the seal ring, that he had taken from the treasure of al-Shamardal, saying, "This ring will win you your wish, for it enchants and has a servant, by name al-Ra'ad al-Kásif; so whatever you have a mind to of the wants of this world, rub this ring and its servant will appear and do all you bid him."

Then he rubbed the ring before him, whereupon the Jinni appeared, saying, "Adsum, O my lord! Ask what you will and it shall be given you. Have you a mind to people a ruined city or ruin a populous one To slay a king or to rout a host?" "O Ra'ad," said Abd al-Samad, "this is become your lord; do you serve him faithfully." Then he dismissed him and said to Judar, "Rub the ring and the servant will appear and do you command him to do whatever you desire, for he will not gainsay you. Now go to yours own country and take care of the ring, for by means of it you will baffle yours enemies; and be not ignorant of its puissance." "O my lord," Judar said, "with your leave, I will set out homewards." the Maghribi said, "Summon the Jinni and mount upon his back; and if you say to him, 'Bring me to my native city this very day,' he will not disobey your commandment." So he took leave of Moor Abd al-Samad and rubbed the ring, whereupon al-Ra'ad presented himself, saying, "Adsum; ask and it shall be given to you." Judar said, "Carry me to Cairo this day;" and he replied, "Your will be done;" and, taking him on his back, flew with him from noon till midnight, when he set him down in the courtyard of his mother's house and disappeared. Judar went in to his mother, who rose weeping, and greeted him fondly, and told him how the King had beaten his brothers and cast them into gaol and taken the two pairs of saddle bags; which when he heard, it was no light matter to him and he said to her, "Grieve not for the past, I will show you what I can do and bring my brothers here directly. "

So he rubbed the ring, whereupon its servant appeared, saying, "Here am I! Ask and you will have." Judar said, "I bid you bring me my two brothers from the prison of the King." So the Jinni sank into the earth and came not up but in the midst of the gaol where Sálim and Salím lay in piteous plight and sore sorrow for the plagues of prison, so that they wished for death, and one of them said to the other, "By God, O my brother, affliction is longsome upon us! How long shall we abide in this prison? Death would be relief." As he spoke, behold, the earth clove in sunder and out came al-Ra'ad, who took both up and plunged with them into the earth. They swooned away for excess of fear, and when they recovered, they found themselves in their mother's house and saw Judar seated by her side He said, "I salute you, O my brothers You have cheered me by your presence." And they bowed their heads and burst into tears. Then he said, "Weep not, for it was Satan and covetise that led you to do thus. How could you sell me? But I comfort myself with the thought of Joseph, whose brothers did with him even more than you did with me, because they cast him into the pit."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Nineteenth night

Then he comforted them and set their hearts at ease and related to them all he had suffered, till he fell in with Shaykh Abd al-Samad, and told them also of the seal ring. They replied, "O our brother, forgive us this time; and, if we return to our old ways, do with us as you will." he said, "No harm shall befall you; but tell me what the King did with you." they said, "He beat us and threatened us with death and took the two pairs of saddle bags from us." "Will he not care?" said Judar, and rubbed the ring, whereupon al-Ra'ad appeared. When his brothers saw him, they were affrighted and thought Judar would bid him slay them; so they fled to their mother, crying, "O our mother, we throw ourselves on your generosity; do you intercede for us, O our mother!" And she said to them, "O my sons, fear nothing!" Then said Judar to the servant, "I command you to bring me all that is in the King's treasury of goods and such; let nothing remain and fetch the two pairs of saddle bags he took from my brothers." "I hear and I obey," replied al-Ra'ad; and, disappearing At once gathered together all he found in the treasury and returned with the two pairs of saddle bags and the deposits within it and laid them before Judar, saying, "O my lord, I have left nothing in the treasury."

Judar gave the treasure to his mother bidding her keep it and laying the enchanted saddle bags before him, said to the Jinni, "I command you to build me this night a lofty palace and overlay it with liquid gold and furnish it with magnificent furniture: and let not the day dawn, before you be quit of the whole work." he replied, "Your bidding shall be obeyed;" and sank into the earth. Then Judar brought forth food and they ate and took their ease and lay down to sleep. Meanwhile, al-Ra'ad summoned his attendant Jinn and bade them build the palace. So some of them fell to hewing stones and some to building, whilst others plastered and painted and furnished; nor did the day dawn before the ordinance of the palace was complete; whereupon al-Ra'ad came to Judar and said to him, "O my lord, the palace is finished and in best order, If it please you to come and look on it." So Judar went forth with his mother and brothers and saw a palace, whose like there was not in the whole world; and it confounded all minds with the goodliness of its ordinance. Judar was delighted with it while he was passing along the highway and as well it had cost him nothing.

Then he asked his mother, "Say me, will you take up yours abode in this palace?" and she answered, "I will, O my son," and called down blessings upon him. Then he rubbed the ring and bade the Jinni fetch him forty handsome white handmaids and forty black damsels and as many Mamelukes and negro slaves. "Your will be done," answered al-Ra'ad and betaking himself, with forty of his attendant Genii to Hind and Sind and Persia, snatched up every beautiful girl and boy they saw, till they had made up the required number. Moreover, he sent other fourscore, who fetched comely black girls, and forty others brought male chattels and carried them all to Judar's house, which they filled. Then he showed them to Judar, who was pleased with them and said, "Bring for each a dress of the finest." "Ready!" replied the servant. Then he said, "Bring a dress for my mother and another for myself, and also for my brothers." So the Jinni fetched all that was needed and clad the female slaves, saying to them, "This is your mistress: kiss her hands and cross her not, but serve her, white and black." The Mamelukes also dressed themselves and kissed Judar's hands; and he and his brothers arrayed themselves in the robes the Jinni had brought them and Judar became like unto a King and his brothers as Wazirs. Now his house was spacious; so he lodged Sálim and his slave girls in one part of it and Salím and his slave girls in another, whilst he and his mother took up their abode in the new palace; and each in his own place was like a Sultan. So far concerning them; but as regards the King's Treasurer, thinking to take something from the treasury, he went in and found it altogether empty, even as says the poet,

" 'Twas as a hive of bees that greatly thrived; But, when the bee swarm fled, 'twas clean unhived."

So he gave a great cry and fell down in a fit. When he came to himself, he left the door open and going in to King Shams al-Daulah, said to him, "O Commander of the Faithful, I have to inform you that the treasury has become empty during the night." the King said, "What have you done with my monies which were within it?" he said, "By God, I have not done anything with them nor know I what is come of them! I visited the place yesterday and saw it full; but to day when I went in, I found it clean empty, albeit the doors were locked, the walls were unpierced and the bolts are unbroken; nor has a thief entered it." Asked the King, "Are the two pairs of saddle bags gone?" "Yes," replied the Treasurer; whereupon the King's reason flew from his head,—

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenties night

Then he followed the Treasurer to the treasury and he found nothing there, at which he was wroth with him, and he said to them, "O soldiers Know that my treasury has been plundered during the night, and I know not who did this deed and dared thus to outrage me, without fear of me." They said, "How so?"; and he replied, "Ask the Treasurer." So they questioned him, and he answered, saying, "Yesterday I visited the treasury and it was full, but this morning when I entered it I found it empty, though the walls were unpierced and the doors unbroken." They all marvelled at this and could make the King no answer, when in came the Janissary, who had denounced Sálim and Salím, and said to Shams al-Daulah, ", all this night I have not slept for that which I saw." And the King asked, "And what did you see?" "Know," answered the Kawwas, "that all night long I have been amusing myself with watching builders at work; and, when it was day, I saw a palace ready edified, whose like is not in the world. So I asked about it and was told that Judar had come back with great wealth and Mamelukes and slaves and that he had freed his two brothers from prison, and built this palace, in which he is as a Sultan." the King said, "Go, look in the prison."

So they went there and not finding Sálim and Salím, returned and told the King, who said, "It is plain now who be the thief; he who took Sálim and Salím out of prison it is who has stolen my monies." the Wazir said, "O my lord, and who is he?"; and the King said, "Their brother Judar, and he has taken the two pairs of saddle bags; but, O Wazir do you send him an Emir with fifty men to seal up his goods and lay hands on him and his brothers and bring them to me, that I may hang them." And he was sore enraged and said, "Ho, off with the Emir at once, and fetch them, that I may put them to death." But the Wazir said to him, "Be you merciful, for Allah is merciful and hasts not to punish His servants, whenas they sin against Him. Moreover, he who can build a palace in a single night, as these say, none in the world can vie with him; and truly I fear lest the Emir fall into difficulty for Judar. Have patience, therefore, whilst I devise for you some device of getting at the truth of the case, and so will you win your wish,." the King said, "Counsel me how I shall do, O Wazir."

And the Minister said, "Send him an Emir with an invitation; and I will make much of him for you and make a show of love for him and ask him of his estate; after which we will see. If we find him stout of heart, we will use sleight with him, and if weak of will, then do you seize him and do with him your desire." The King agreed to this and despatched one of his Emirs, Othman called, to go and invite Judar and say to him, "The King bids you to a banquet;" and the King said to him, "Return not, except with him." Now this Othman was a fool, proud and conceited, so he went forth upon his errand, and when he came to the gate of Judar's palace, he saw before the door an eunuch seated upon a chair of gold, who at his approach rose not, but sat as if none came near, though there were with the Emir fifty footmen. Now this eunuch was none other than al-Ra'ad al-Kasif, the servant of the ring, whom Judar had commanded to put on the guise of an eunuch and sit at the palace gate.

So the Emir rode up to him and asked him, "O slave, where is your lord?"; whereto he answered, "In the palace;" but he stirred not from his leaning posture; whereupon the Emir Othman grew wroth and said to him, "O pestilent slave, are you not ashamed, when I speak to you, to answer me, sprawling at your length, like a gallows bird?" Replied the eunuch, "Off and multiply not words." Hardly had Othman heard this, when he was filled with rage and drawing his mace would have smitten the eunuch, knowing not that he was a devil; but Al-Ra'ad leapt upon him and taking the mace from him, dealt him four blows with it. Now when the fifty men saw their lord beaten, it was grievous to them; so they drew their swords and ran to slay the slave; but he said, "Do you draw on us, O dogs?" and rose at them with the mace, and every one whom he smote, he broke his bones and drowned him in his blood. So they fell back before him and fled, whilst he followed them, beating them, till he had driven them far from the palace gate; after which he returned and sat down on his chair at the door, caring for none.—

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty first night

At this, the King was wroth and said, "Let an hundred men go down to him." Accordingly, the hundred men went down to attack him; but he arose and fell upon them with the mace and did not stop smiting them till he had put them to the rout; when he regained his chair; upon which they returned to the King and told him what had passed, saying, ", he beat us and we fled for fear of him." Then the King sent two hundred men against him, but these also he put to the rout, and Shams al-Daulah said to his Minister, "I charge you, O Wazir, take five hundred men and bring this eunuch in haste, and with him his master Judar and his brothers." Replied the Wazir, ", I need no soldiers, but will go down to him alone and unarmed." "Go," the King said, "and do as you see suitable." So the Wazir laid down his arms and donning a white habit, took a rosary in his hand and set out afoot alone and unattended. When he came to Judar's gate, he saw the slave sitting there; so he went up to him and seating himself by his side courteously, said to him, "Peace be with you!"; whereto he replied, "And on you be peace, O mortal! What will you?"

When the Wazir heard him say "O mortal," he knew him to be of the Jinn and quaked for fear; then he asked him, "O my lord, tell me, is your master Judar here?" Answered the eunuch, "Yes, he is in the palace." the Minister said, "O my lord, go you to him and say to him, 'King Shams Al-Daulah saluts you and bids you honour his dwelling with your presence and eat of a banquet he has made for you.'" the eunuch said, "Tarry you here, whilst I consult him." So the Wazir stood in a respectful attitude, whilst the Marid went up to the palace and said to Judar, "Know, O my lord, that the King sent to you an Emir and fifty men, and I beat them and drove them away. Then he sent an hundred men and I beat them also; then two hundred, and these also I put to the rout. And now he has sent you his Wazir unarmed, bidding you visit him and eat of his banquet. What sayst you?" Judar said, "Go, bring the Wazir here." So the Marid went down and said to him, "O Wazir, come speak with my lord." "On my head be it," he replied and going in to Judar, found him seated, in greater state than the King, upon a carpet, whose like the King could not spread, and was dazed and amazed at the goodliness of the palace and its decoration and appointments, which made him seem as he were a beggar in comparison.

So he kissed the ground before Judar and called down blessings on him, and Judar said to him, "What is your business, O Wazir?" he replied, "O my lord, your friend King Shams al-Daulah saluts you with the salam and longs to look upon your face; Why he has made you an entertainment. So say, will you heal his heart and eat of his banquet?" Judar said, "If he be indeed my friend, salute him and bid him come to me." "On my head be it," the said,Minister. Then Judar bringing out the ring rubbed it and bade the Jinni fetch him a dress of the best, which he gave to the Wazir, saying, "Don this dress and go tell the King what I say." So the Wazir donned the dress, the like whereof he had never donned, and returning to the King told him what had passed and praised the palace and that which was within it, saying, "Judar bids you to him." So the King called out, "Up, you men; mount your horses and bring me my steed, that we may go to Judar!" Then he and his suite rode off for the Cairene palace. Meanwhile Judar summoned the Marid and said to him, "It is my will that you bring me some of the Ifrits at your command in the guise of guards and station them in the open square before the palace, that the King may see them and be awed by them; so shall his heart tremble and he shall know that my power and majesty be greater than his."

Thereupon al-Ra'ad brought him two hundred Ifrits of great stature and strength, in the guise of guards, magnificently armed and equipped, and when the King came and saw these tall burly fellows his heart feared them. Then he entered the palace, and found Judar sitting in such state as nor King nor Sultan could even. So he saluted him and made his obeisance to him; yet Judar rose not to him nor did him honour nor said, "Be seated" but left him standing,—

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty second night

; but left him standing, so that fear entered into him and he could neither sit nor go away and said to himself, "If he feared me, he would not leave me thus unheeded; perhaps he will do me a mischief, because of that which I did with his brothers." Then said Judar, ", it beseems not the like of you to wrong the folk and take away their good." Replied the King, "O my lord, deign excuse me, for greed impelled me to this and fate was by that fulfilled; and, were there no offending, there would be no forgiving." And he went on to excuse himself for the past and pray to him for pardon and indulgence till he recited amongst other things this poetry,

"O you of generous seed and true nobility, Reproach me not for that which came from me to you: We pardon you if you have wrought us any wrong And if I wrought the wrong I pray you pardon me!"

And he did not stop to humble himself before him, till he said, "Allah pardon you!" And bade him be seated. So he sat down and Judar invested him with garments of pardon and immunity and ordered his brothers spread the table. When they had eaten, he clad the whole of the King's company in robes of honour and gave them largesse; after which he bade the King depart. So he went forth and thereafter came every day to visit Judar and held not his Divan save in his house: Why friendship and familiarity grew great between them, and they abode thus awhile, till one day the King, being alone with his Minister, said to him, "O Wazir, I fear lest Judar slay me and take the kingdom away from me." Replied the Wazir, ", as for his taking the kingdom from you, have no fear of that, for Judar's present estate is greater than that of the King, and to take the kingdom would be a lowering of his dignity; but, if you fear that he kill you, you have a daughter: give her to him to wife and you and he will be of one condition." the King said, "O Wazir, be you intermediary between us and him"; and the Minister said, "Do you invite him to an entertainment and pass the night with him in one of your saloons.

Then bid your daughter don her richest dress and ornaments and pass by the door of the saloon. When he sees her, he will assuredly fall in love with her, and when we know this, I will turn to him and tell him that she is your daughter and engage him in converse and lead him on, so that you will seem to know nothing of the matter, till he ask her to you to wife. When you have married him to the Princess, you and he will be as one thing and you will be safe from him and if he die, you will inherit all he has, both great and small." Replied the King, "You sayst truth, O my Wazir," and made a banquet and invited thereto Judar who came to the Sultan's palace and they sat in the saloon in great good cheer till the end of the day. Now the King had commanded his wife to array the maiden in her richest raiment and ornaments and carry her by the door of the saloon. She did as he told her, and when Judar saw the Princess, who had not her match for beauty and grace, he looked fixedly at her and said, "Ah!"; and his limbs were loosened; for love and longing and passion and pine were sore upon him; desire and transport gat hold upon him and he turned pale The Wazir said, "May no harm befall you, O my lord! Why do I see you change colour and in suffering?"

Asked Judar, "O Wazir, whose daughter is this damsel Truly she has enthralled me and ravished my reason." Replied the Wazir, "She is the daughter of your friend the King; and if she please you, I will speak to him that he marry you to her." Judar said, "Do so, O Wazir, and as I live, I will bestow on you what you will and will give the King whatever he shall ask to her dowry; and we will become friends and kinsfolk." the Minister said, "It shall go hard but your desire be accomplished." Then he turned to the King and said in his ear, ", your friend Judar seeks alliance with you and will have me ask of you for him the hand of your daughter, the Princess Asiyah; so disappoint me not, but accept my intercession, and what dowry soever you ask he will give you." Said the King, "The dowry I have already received, and as for the girl, she is his handmaid; I give her to him to wife and he will do me honour by accepting her." —

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty third night

the other replied, "The dowry I have already received, and the girl is his handmaid; he will do me honour by accepting her." So they spent the rest of that night together and on the morrow the King held a court, to which he summoned great and small, together with the Shaykh al-Islam. Then Judar demanded the Princess in marriage and the King said, "The dowry I have received." Thereupon they drew up the marriage contract and Judar sent for the saddle bags containing the jewels and gave them to the King as settlement upon his daughter. The drums beat and the pipes sounded and they held high festival, whilst Judar went in unto the girl. Thenceforward he and the King were as one flesh and they abode thus for many days, till Shams al-Daulah died; whereupon the troops proclaimed Judar Sultan, and he refused, but they importuned him, till he consented and they made him King in his father in law's stead. Then he bade build a cathedral mosque over the late King's tomb in the Bundukániyah quarter and endowed it. Now the quarter of Judar's house was called Yamániyah; but, when he became Sultan he built within it a congregational mosque and other buildings, Why the quarter was named after him and was called the Judariyah quarter. Moreover, he made his brother Sálim his Wazir of the right and his brother Salím his Wazir of the left hand; and thus they abode a year and no more; for, at the end of that time, Sálim said to Salím, "O my brother, how long is this state to last? Shall we pass our whole lives in slavery to our brother Judar? We shall never enjoy luck or lordship whilst he lives," adding, "so how shall we do to kill him and take the ring and the saddle bags?"

Replied Salím, "You are craftier than I; do you device, by which we may kill him." "If I effect this," asked Sálim, "will you agree that I be Sultan and keep the ring and that you be my right hand Wazir and have the saddlebags?" Sálim answered, "I consent to this;" and they agreed to slay Judar their brother for love of the world and of dominion. So they laid a snare for Judar and said to him, "O our brother, truly we have a mind to glory in you and would glad have you enter our houses and eat of our entertainment and solace our hearts." Replied Judar, "So be it, in whose house shall the banquet be?" "In mine," said Sálim "and after you have eaten of my victual, you will be the guest of my brother." Judar said, " 'Tis well," and went with him to his house, where he set before him poisoned food, of which when he had eaten, his flesh rotted from his bones and he died. Then Sálim came up to him and would have drawn the ring from his finger, but it resisted him; so he cut off the finger with a knife.

Then he rubbed the ring and the Marid presented himself, saying, "Adsum! Ask what you will." Said Sálim, "Take my brother Salím and put him to death and carry forth the two bodies, the poisoned and the slaughtered, and cast them down before the troops." So the Marid took Salím and slew him; then, carrying the two corpses forth, he cast them down before the chief officers of the army, who were sitting at table in the parlour of the house.

When they saw Judar and Salím slain, they raised their hands from the food and fear gat hold of them and they said to the Marid, "Who has dealt thus with the Sultan and the Wazir?" Replied the Jinni, "Their brother Sálim." And behold, Sálim came up to them and said, "O soldiers, eat and make merry, for Judar is dead and I have taken to me the seal ring, whereof the Marid before you is the servant; and I bade him slay my brother Salím lest he dispute the kingdom with me, for he was a traitor and I feared lest he should betray me. So now I am become Sultan over you; will you accept of me? If not, I will rub the ring and bid the Marid slay you all, great and small."—

When it was the Six Hundred and Twenty fourth night

; they replied, "We accept you to King and Sultan." Then he bade bury his brothers and summoned the Divan; and some of the folk followed the funeral, whilst others forewent him in state procession to the audience hall of the palace, where he sat down on the throne and they did homage to him as King; after which he said, "It is my will to marry my brother Judar's wife." they said, "Wait till the days of widowhood are accomplished." he said, "I know not days of widowhood nor anything else. As my head lives, I needs must go in unto her this very night." So they drew up the marriage contract and sent to tell the Princess Asiyah, who replied, "Bid him enter." Accordingly, he went in to her and she received him with a show of joy and welcome; but by and by she gave him poison in water and made an end of him. Then she took the ring and broke it, that none might possess it thenceforward, and tore up the saddle bags; after which she sent to the Shaykh al-Islam and other great officers of state, telling them what had passed and saying to them, "Choose you out a King to rule over you." And this is all that has come down to us of the Story of Judar and his Brethren. But I have also heard, O King, a tale called the