The Tale of the Kazi and the Bhang Eater.

✦

A Thousand Nights and One Night

The Three hundred and Ninety second Night

✦

There was a certain eater of Bhang Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet is your story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the King permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety third Night

Dunyazad said to her, "In God's name, O my sister, If you be other than sleepy, finish for us your tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It has reached me,the director, the right guiding, lord of the counsel which is benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that there was a certain eater of Bhang whose wont it was every day to buy three Faddahs' worth of hemp and he would eat one third of it in the morning and a second at noon and the rest about sundown. He was by calling a fisherman; and regularly as dawn appeared he would take hook and line and go down to the river a fishing; then he would sell of his catch a portion, expending half a Faddah on bread and eat this with the remaining part of the fish broiled. He would also provide himself day by day with a waxen taper

The Kazi and the Bhang Eater. 145 and light it in his cell and sit before it, taking his pleasure and talking to himself after his large dose of Bhang. In such condition he abode a while of time until one fine spring night, about the middle of the month when the moon was shining sheeniest, he sat down to bespeak himself and said, "Ho, Such an one! Hie you forth and solace your soul with looking at the world, for this be a time when none will espy you and the winds are still." Herewith he went forth intending for the river; but as soon as he issued from his cell door and trod upon the square, he beheld the moonbeams bestrown upon the surface and, for the excess of his Bhang, his Fancy said to him, "By God, truly the stream flows strong and within it needs must be much store of fish. Return, Such an one, to your cell, bring hook and line and cast them into these waters; Perhaps Allah our Lord shall vouchsafe you something of fish, for men say that by night the fisherwight on mighty fine work shall alight." He presently brought out his gear and, having baited the hook, made a cast into the moonlit square, taking station in the shadow of the walls where he believed the river bank to be.

Then he bobbed with his hook and line and kept gazing at the waters, when behold! a big dog sniffed the bait and coming up to it swallowed the hook till it stuck in his gullet. The beast feeling it prick his throttle yelped with pain and made more noise every minute, rushing about to the right and the left: so the line was shaken in the man's hand and he drew it in, but by so doing the hook pierced deeper and the brute howled all the louder; and it was pull Bhang eater and pull cur. But the man dared not draw near the moonlight, holding it to be the river, so he tucked up his gown to his hip bones, and as the dog pulled more lustily he said in his mind, "By God this must be a mighty big fish and I believe it to be a ravenous." Then he gripped the line firmly and haled it in but the dog had the better of him and dragged him to the very marge of the moon light; so the fisherman grew afraid and began to cry, "Alack! Alack! Alack! To my rescue you braves! Help me for a monster of the deep would drown me! Yállah, hurry you, my fine fellows, hasten to my aid!"

Now at that hour people were enjoying the sweets of sleep and when they heard these unseasonable outcries they flocked about him from every side and accosting him asked, "What is it? What makes you cry aloud at such an hour? What has befallen you?" He answered, "Save me, otherwise a river monster will cause me fall into the stream and be drowned." Then, finding him tucked up to the hips, the folk approached him and enquired, "Where is the stream of which you speak?" and he replied, "that's the river; be you all blind?" at that they understood that he spoke of the moonbeams, whose sheen was dispread upon earth, deeming it a river surface, and they told him this; but he would not credit them and cried, "So you also desire to drown me; be off from me! Our Lord will send me other than you to lend me good aid at this hour of need." They replied, "O well born one, this be moonshine;" but he rejoined, "Away from me, you low fellows, you dogs!" They derided him and the angrier he grew the more they laughed, till at last they said one to other, "Let us leave him and go our ways," and they quitted him in such condition Then her Sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet and tasteful is your tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety fourth Night

The Kazi and the Bhang Eater. 147 of pain for the hook sticking in his gullet and being unable to rid himself of it, while the man dreaded to draw near the moonshine, still deeming (albeit he stood upon terra firma) that he was about to step into the stream. So he hugged the wall shadow which to him represented the river bank. In this case he continued until day brake and light shone and the toing and froing of the folk increased; as well he remained as he was, crying out for affright lest he be drowned. Suddenly a Kazi rode by him and seeing him with gown kilted up and the hound hanging on to the hook asked, "What may be the matter with you, O man?" He answered saying, "O my lord, I dread lest I be drowned in this stream, where a monster of the deep is adragging me." The judge looked at him and knew him for a Bhang eater, so he dismounted from his monture and cried to one of his attendants, "Catch hold of that dog and unhook him!" Now this Kazi was also one who was wont to use Hashish; so he said to himself, "By God, take this fellow with you and feed him in your house and make a mocking stock of him; and, as each night comes on do you and he eat together a portion of the drug and enjoy each other's company."

Accordingly he took him and carrying him to his quarters seated him in a private stead until nightfall when the twain met and supped together; then they swallowed a large dose of Bhang and they lit candles and sat in their light to enjoy themselves. Presently, from excess of the drug they became as men Jinn mad, uttering words which befit not to intend or to indite, amongst which were a saying of the Bhang eater to the Kazi, "By God, at this season I'm as great as the King;" and the Judge's reply, "And I also at such time am as great as the Basha, the Governor." Thereupon to him the Bhang eater said, "I'm high above you and if the King would cut off the Governor's head what would happen to hinder him?" And the Kazi said, "Yea, truly; nothing would hinder him; but 'tis the custom of Kings to appoint unto Governors a place in which they may deal commandment." Then they fell to debating the affairs of the Government and the Sultanate, when by decree of the Decreer the Sultan of the city went forth his palace that very night, accompanied by the Wazir (and the twain in disguise);

and they did not stop traversing the town till they reached the house in which sat the Bhang eater and the Kazi. So they stood at the door and heard their talk from beginning to end, when the King turned to the Minister and asked, "What shall we do with these two fellows?" "Be patient," answered the Wazir, "until they make an end of their talk, after which whatever you will do with them that will they deserve." "True indeed," the ruler said, "nevertheless, instead of standing here let us go in to them." Now that night the boon companions had left the door open forgetting to padlock it; so the visitors entered and salam'd to them and they returned the greeting and rose to them and bade them be seated. Accordingly they sat down and the Sultan said to the Bhang eater, "O man, fear you not anything from the Sovran, you and your friend; and are you sitting up until this hour?" He replied, "The Sultan himself often fars forth at such untimely time, and as he is a King even so am I, and that man is my Basha: moreover, if the ruler think to make japery of us, we are his equals and more." Thereupon the Sultan turned to his Wazir and said by signals, "I purpose to strike off the heads of these fellows;" and said the Minister in the same way, "O King, needs must they have a story, for no man with his wits in his head would have uttered such utterance. But patience were our bestest plan." Then cried the Bhang eater to the Sultan, "O man, whenever we say a syllable, you signallest to yours associate. What is it you would notify to him and we not understanding it? By God, unless you sit respectfully in our presence we will bid our Basha strike off your head!"

Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet is your story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety fifth Night

Dunyazad said to her, "In God's name, O my sister, If you be other than sleepy, finish for us your tale that we may cut short the watching of this

The Kazi and the Bhang Eater. 149 our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It has reached me,the director, the right guiding, lord of the counsel which is benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that when the Sultan heard the Bhang eater's words he grew the more furious and would have arisen and struck off his head; but the Wazir winked at him and whispered, ", I and you are in disguise and these men imagine that we are of the commons: so be you pitiful even as Almighty Allah is pitiful and wills not the punishment of the sinner. Furthermore, I conceive that the twain are eaters of Hashish, which drug when swallowed by man, garrs him prattle of whatever he pleases and chooses, making him now a Sultan then a Wazir and then a merchant, the while it seems to him that the world is in the hollow of his hand." the Sultan said, "And what may be your description of Hashish?" and the Wazir said, " 'Tis composed of hemp leaflets, whereto they add aromatic roots and something of sugar: then they cook it and prepare a kind of confection which they eat; but whoever eats it (especially If he eat more than enough), talks of matters which reason may on no wise represent. If you would know its secret properties, on the coming night (God willing!) we will bring some with us and administer it to these two men; and when they eat it the dose will be in addition to their ordinary."

After this the Sultan left them and went forth, when the Bhang eater said to the Kazi, "By God, this night we have enjoyed ourselves and next night (if Allah please!) we will enjoy ourselves yet more." The other replied, "Yes, but I fear from the Sultan, lest he learn our practice and cut off our heads." "Who shall bring the Sovran to us?" asked the other: "he is in his palace and we are in our own place; and, granting he come, I will divert him by recounting an adventure which befell me." The Kazi answered, "Have no dread of the Sultan; for he may not fare forth a nights single handed; nay, what while he issues forth he must be escorted by his high officials."

Now when the next night fell, the Kazi brought the Hashish which he divided into two halves, eating one himself and giving the other to his companion; and both swallowed their portions after supper and then lit the waxen tapers and sat down to take their pleasure. Suddenly the Sultan and his Wazir came in upon them during the height of their enjoyment, and the visitors were habited in dress other than before, and they brought with them a quantity of Bhang confection and also some conserve of roses: so they handed a portion of the first to the revellers, which these accepted and ate, while they themselves swallowed the conserve, the others supposing it to be Hashish like what they had eaten. Now when they had taken an overdose, they got into a hurly burly of words and fell to saying things which can neither be intended nor indited, and amongst these they exclaimed, "By God, the Sultan is deposed and we will rule in his stead and deal commandment to his reign." The other enquired, "And if the Sultan summon us what will you say to him?" "By God, I will tell him a tale which befell myself and crave of him ten Faddahs wherewithal to buy Bhang!" "And have you any skill in tale telling?" "In good truth I have!" "But how will you depose the Sultan and reign in his stead?" "I will say to him 'Be off!' and he will go." "He will strike your neck." "Nay, the Sultan is pitiful and will not punish me for my words."

So saying the Bhang eater arose and loosed the inkle of his bag trowsers, then approaching the Sultan he drew forth his prickle and proceeded to bepiss him; but the King took flight as the other faced him, and fled before him, he pursuing. Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet and tasteful is your tale, O sister mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety sixth Night

The Kazi and the Bhang Eater. 151

, that the Bhang eater holding up his bag trowsers ran after the Sultan purposing to bepiss him and caught up the fugitive at the doorway when he fell over the threshold and began a piddling upon his own clothes. In like manner the Kazi attempted to bepiss the Wazir and ran after him to the entrance, where he also fell upon the Bhang eater and took to making water over him. So the Bhang eater and the Kazi lay each bewraying other, and the Sultan and the Wazir stood laughing at them and saying, "By God, too much Hashish injurs man's wits;" and presently they left and went their ways returning to their palaces. But the two drunkards did not stop lying in their own water till day broke; and when the fumes of the drug had left their brains, they arose and found themselves dripping and befouled with their own filth. Thereupon each said to other, "What be this cross has happened us?" Presently, they arose and washed themselves and their clothes; then sitting down together they said, "None did this deed by us save and except the two fellows who were with us; and who knows what they were, or citizens of this city or strangers; for 'twas they brought the intoxicant which we ate and it bred a madness in our brains. truly 'twas they did the mischief; but, If they come to us a third time, needs must we be instant with them and learn from them If they be foreigners or folk of this city: we will force them to confess, but if they hide them from us we will turn them out."

On the next night they met again and the two sat down and ate a quantity of Hashish after they had supped: and they lit the waxen tapers and each of them drank a cup of coffee. Presently, their heads whirled round under the drug and they sat down to talk and enjoy themselves when their drunkenness said to them, "Up with you and dance." Accordingly they arose and danced, when behold, the Sultan and his Wazir suddenly came in upon them and salam'd to them: so they returned the salutation but continued the saltation. The new comers considered them in this condition and immediately the King turned to the Minister and said, "What shall we do with them?" Said the other, "Patience until their case come to end in somewhat whereof we can lay hold." Then they chose seats for themselves and solaced them with the spectacle, and the dancers kept on dancing until they were tired and were compelled to sit down and take their rest. Presently, the Bhang eater looked at the Sultan and exclaimed, "You, from where are you?" and he replied, "We be foreigner folk and never visited this city before that night when we met you; and as we heard you making merry we entered to partake of your merriment." in this way the device recoiled upon the Bhang eater and presently the King asked them, saying, "Fear you not lest the Sultan hear of you, and you in this condition which would cause your disgrace at his hands?"

The Bhang eater answered, "The Sultan! What tidings of us can he have? He is in the royal Palace and we in our place of Bhang eating." The Sovran rejoined, "Why not go to him! Perhaps he will gift you and largesse you;" but the Bhang eater retorted, "We fear his people lest they drive us away." Whereto the King said, "They will not do on such wise and if you require it we will write you a note to his address, for we know him of old given that both of us learned to read in the same school." "Write your writ," the other to the Sultan who after inditing it and sealing it placed it in their hands and presently the two visitors said,departed. Then the Bhang eater and the Kazi sat together through the night until daylight did appear

The Kazi and the Bhang Eater. 153 when the fumes of the Hashish had fled their brains and the weather grew fine and clear. So they said, each to other, "Let us go to the Sultan," and the twain set out together and walked till they reached the square facing the Palace. Here, finding a crowd of folk, they went up to the door and the Bhang eater drew forth his letter and handed it to one of the Sultan's suite, who on reading it fell to the ground and presently rising placed it upon his head. Then her sister Dunyazad said, "How sweet is your story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" She said, "And where is this compared with what I would relate to you on the coming night if the Sovran permits me to survive?"

Now when it was the next night and that was

The Three hundred and Ninety seventh Night

Dunyazad said to her, "In God's name, O my sister, If you be other than sleepy, finish for us your tale that we may cut short the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It has reached me,the director, the right guiding, lord of the counsel which is benefiting and of deeds fair seeming and worthy celebrating, that the officer who took the letter caused the Bhang eater and his comrade enter the presence, and the Sultan catching sight of them commanded them to be seated in a private stead where none other man was. His bidding was obeyed; and at noon tide he sent them a tray of food for dinner and also coffee; and the same was done at sundown. But as soon as supper tide came the Sultan prayed and recited sections of Holy Writ, as was his wont, until two hours had passed when he ordered the twain be summoned; and when they stood in the presence and salam'd to him and blessed him the King returned their salute and directed them to be seated. Accordingly they sat down and the Sultan to the Bhang eater said, "Where be the man who gave you the writ?" the other said, ", there were two men who came to us and said, 'Why go you not to the King? Perhaps he will gift you and largesse you.'

Our reply was, 'We know him not and we fear lest his folk drive us away.' So one of them said to us, 'I will write you a note to his address for we know him of old, given that both of us learned to read in the same school.' Accordingly he indited it and sealed it and gave it to us; and coming here we found his words true and now we are between his hands." The Sultan enquired, "Was there any lack of civility to the strangers on your part?" and they replied, "None, save our questioning them and saying, 'from where come you?' whereto they rejoined, 'We be strangers.' Beyond this there was nothing unpleasant; nothing at all." "where went they?"

asked the King and the other answered, "I know not." The Sultan continued, "Needs must you bring them to me for 'tis long since I saw them;" and the other remarked, ", if again they come to our place we will seize them and carry them before you even Of necessity, but in case they come not, we have no means to hand." the King said, "If you know them well, when you catch sight of them they cannot escape you," and the other said, "Yea, truly." Then the Sultan pursued, "What did you with the twain who came before them and you wanted to bepiss them?"

Now when the Bhang eater heard these words his colour paled and his case changed, his limbs trembled and he suspected that the person which he had insulted was the Sultan; whereupon the King turned towards him and seeing in him signs of discomfiture asked, "What is in your mind, O Bhang eater? What has befallen you?" The other arose directly and kissing ground cried, "Pardon,before whom I have sinned." The Sovran asked, "How did you know this?" and he answered, "Because none other was with us and news of us goes not out of doors; so needs must you have been one of the twain and he who wrote the writ was yourself; for well we know that the kings read not in schools. You and your friend did come in disguise to make merry at our expense; therefore pardon us,for mercy is a quality of the noble, and Almighty Allah said, 'whoever pardons and benefitts his reward is with Allah,' and eke He said, 'And the stiflers of wrath and the pardoners of mankind and Allah loves the doers of good'." Herewith the Sultan smiled and said, "No harm shall befall you,

The Bhang Eater and His Wife. 155

O Bhang eater! Yours excuse is accepted and your default pardoned, but, O you clever fellow, have you no tale to tell us?" He replied, ", I have a story touching myself and my wife which, were it graven with needle gravers upon the eye corners were a warning to whoever would be warned. But I strave against her on my own behalf, as well she overcame me and tyrannised over me by her contrivance." "What is it?" asked the King; so the man began to relate the

✦ ✦ ✦

The Story Of The Kazi Who Bare A Babe.

History Of The Bhang Eater And His Wife.