XII. THE TALES OF THE AKHUN

1. There was once upon a time an Akhun* who had four sons. One day he said to them. "I am now grown old, tell me therefore what professions you intend to follow." Said one, " I'll be a prayer-leader in a mosque." Said another, "I'll call the people to prayer." Said another, "I'll preach sermons." But the fourth and youngest said, "I'll be a thief." So one day he went off to the King's palace to steal something. As he stood outside it there came forth the Vizier and the King's daughter. When they saw him standing there he asked them who they were. "And who art thou?" said they. "I'm a thief," said he. "So are we," said they. Now they had brought out with them two horses, and he straightway mounted on one of them, while the princess got on the other. Then the Vizier said to him, "Go ye two in advance, and, sir, pay thou heed to this one piece of instruction-thou shalt not hold any love-talk with the princess. I will join you later on, but go ye two in advance."

* A Musalman religious teacher

2. So they went on, the princess thinking all the time that it was the Vizier, not the young Akhun, who was with her. By and by dawn began to blossom forth, and they dismounted by a stream., and to this went the princess and washed her face and hands. Her eye fell on a ruby lying in the stream. She picked it up and took it to the young Akhun, whom all the time she thought to be the Vizier, though it was not him at all. Then, as the dawn blossomed forth, the ruby emitted a brilliant light, and she saw for the first time that it was not the Vizier. So she kept the ruby to herself, and went on with him till they came to a certain city. There they found a small but in which they made their lodging.

3. The young Akhun went to the King of that city, and asked him for employment. "What canst thou do?" asked the King. "I know how to look after horses," answered he. Now, even while they were yet speaking, there came a certain jeweller to sell precious stones to the King. He had two rubies with him. Then the young Akhun, who called himself a groom, up and said "Your Majesty, one of these rubies is beyond price, but the other hath a flaw in it in the shape of a worth." The King asked him how he knew this. Said he in answer, "Sire, of a surety there is a worm inside it. Break it and see. If no worm then come forth from it, do unto me whatsoever your Majesty may please. But if a worm do come forth, I shall deserve a present."

4. Quoth my master :---
They broke the ruby into pieces, and sure enough a worm issued forth from it; and from that time they gave him the title of "Royal Lapidary " instead of that of "Groom". So the Lapidary returned home, and the days passed. By night he stayed at home, and each day he attended court to examine rubies. The King's barber came one day to shave him, and there he saw the princess, who passed as the Lapidary's wife. Now she was very fair to look upon, and the barber went off on his rounds to shave the King's Vizier. "Said he, O Vizier, that Lapidary hath a wife, and she would verily adorn the mansion of a Vizier. Thou shouldst find him guilty of some failure in his duty." Quoth the Vizier, "Willingly, and why not?" and went off to the King's daughter. He told her to tell the King that she wanted another ruby just like the one that the Lapidary had first of all approved as beyond price. So she went to her father and quoth she, "Fain would I have another ruby beyond price, like unto the first." "When the Lapidary came that day to the presence the King said to him, "Bring thou me another ruby like unto that one." The Lapidary returned home, and sat down there in silent consternation. Said the woman to him, "Why art thou so anxious?" Replied he, "The King demandeth from me a ruby beyond price, and where am I to find it?" Said she, "Go thou and say to the King, ‘If thou wilt give me a month's expenses, I will bring thee the ruby.'" Well, the King gave him expenses sufficient for a month, and he brought the money home. There he stayed eating his food, not going to court or anywhere else. When a month had passed the woman gave him the ruby she had picked up out of the stream, and, taking it to the King, he laid it before him with a bow.

5. The Lapidary then left the court and returned home, where he passed the night. Next morning the barber came to shave him. When he had finished he went off to the Vizier. Said he, "Prithee, do somewhat unto that Lapidary. His wife is very beautiful. She would verily adorn the mansion of a Vizier." So the Vizier went again to the King's daughter and told her to ask the King for a ruby necklace. Quoth she to her father, "Fain would I have a ruby necklace." In due course the Lapidary came to the presence and made his bow. Said the King, "Sir, thou must bring unto me a number of rubies sufficient for a necklace." He went home, and the woman whispered to him, "Why art thou sitting here?" Replied he, "Today the King demandeth from me a ruby necklace. Whence can I bring one?" Quoth she to him, "Thou needst not be anxious in the least. Go and take three months' expenses from the King." The King gave him the money and he returned to his house.

6. So there he stayed eating and drinking till the three months were passed. Then the woman said to him, "Thou knowest the stream from whence I picked up that ruby. Go thou up it a little way, and thou wilt come to a spring. Thou must dig a pit close to the source of the spring, and hide thyself therein. At first six females will come to bathe in the spring. Do thou nothing unto them ; but afterwards thou wilt see coming the eldest sister of these six. She also will go down into the spring to bathe. She will doff her clothes and leave them on the bank. Thou must then go secretly and carry off her garments."

7. The six females came and did their bathing, but to them said he nothing. Afterwards there came the seventh female. She doffed her clothes, and leaving them on the bank descended into the spring. He came secretly and carried off her garments and hid himself again in the pit. When she had finished her bath she went up again on to the bank, and saw that her garments were no longer there. She uttered a loud cry, saying, "Be thou demon or be thou human being, I make to thee an oath by the God who created thee. Put not thou my secret parts to shame, and whate'er thou ask will I give to thee." He then called to her from the pit, "Swear thou to me by God that thou wilt hear and agree to whatsoe'er I shall demand from thee." When she had sworn by God he gave her her garments, and she put then on. Then quoth she, "What is thy command?" and the Lapidary replied, "Thou must come with me." So they went along, the Lapidary in front, and the fairy following behind.

8. Saith my Master:-
Her name was Lalmal, the Fairy and they came to the Lapidary's house.

9. And moreover saith my Master :-
I know not which it was, but either at every word she spoke a ruby dropped, or else seven rubies fell each day from her mouth. The night came to an end and dawn appeared. The Lapidary picked up seven rubies and carried them off to the King. Making his bow he laid the seven rubies before him, and mighty pleased became the King.

10. The Lapidary took his leave from the presence and returned home. In due course came the barber and shaved him. When he had finished the barber vent off to the Vizier and shaved him also. Said he, "O Vizier, a second wife hath now appeared for that Lapidary. She, is very fair to look upon, much more fair even than the first. Prithee do somewhat to him. One of the wives is fit for the Vizier, and the other would suit me." Replied the Vizier, "I must, sir, again speak to the King's daughter." So he went and said to her; "Thou shouldst ask of thy father a jewelled bracelet." So the princess went to her father and quoth she to him, " Fain would I have a jewelled bracelet." On the morrow came the Lapidary to the presence, and to him said the King, "Bring me, sir, a jeweled bracelet."

11. The Lapidary went forth and came to his home. Said he to the two women, "The King demandeth of me a jewelled bracelet. Whence am I to bring it?" Then up and said to him Lalmal, the fairy, "Go thou and ask the King for three months' expenses." The King gave the money to him, and he returned with it to his house. Each day passed day by day, and the three months became completed. Then Lalmal the Fairy took a paper and wrote upon it. Quoth she to the Lapidary, "Go thou to the spring from which thou hast brought me, and therein cast this paper. Then from the spring a hand will rise, and on it will be a jewelled bracelet. Take hold of it, but descend thou not into the spring."

12. So he went off, taking the paper with him. He flung it into the spring, and even as he did so a hand wearing a jewelled bracelet rose from the water. He grasped hold of the hand, but did so with such force that he pulled the forearm off, and went off home with it and with the bracelet. The night came to an end and at dawn he went to the King. Making his bow he laid the bracelet before him, and mighty pleased became the King.

13. The Lapidary took his leave from the presence and returned tome. Again came the barber and shaved him. When he had finished his job he went straight to the Vizier, and again addressed him, " 0 Vizier, thou dost not in any way get at that Lapidary. Prithee, do thou something to him." The Vizier went to the Kings daughter, and quoth he, "Thou art a King's daughter, shouldst thou have but one bracelet? Yet another shouldst thou ask of the King?" So she departed. Quoth she to her father, "Fain would I have yet another bracelet." Again came the Lapidary to the presence, and to hint said the King, " Thou must bring unto me another bracelet."

14. The Lapidary took his leave and came to his own house. Said he to these two women, " To-day doth the King demand of rue another jewelled bracelet.." Then Lalmal the fairy gave him her own ring. Quoth she, " Go thou again unto the spring. Close by one side of it thou wilt find a great rock. Show thou my ring unto that rock, and it will arise and stand upright. Thou wilt find a pathway opening at its foot. Descend thou underground by the path and thou wilt find my crony-girl. She will give to thee a jewelled bracelet."

15. The Lapidary went forth and reached the spot. He showed the ring to the rock and it arose and stood upright. Down the path he went beneath the ground, and, deep down below, he saw a certain lady sitting all alone. Quoth she to him, " Whence comest thou?" Saith he, " Lalmal the hairy asketh of thee a jewelled bracelet." Then memory came to the lady. It was her mother whose forearm had been pulled off together with the former jewelled bracelet, and who now had but one arm. For that cause cherished the mother wrath within her heart. So the lady thought to herself, "So soon as my mother cometh she will devour this man." Now he was a mightly personable fellow, and her heart was filled with anxiety on his account, for she had determined to herself to marry him. Just then her mother's footsteps became audible, and the place was shaken by an earthquake. Thereupon the lady uttered a spell over him. She turned him into a pebble, and put it into her pocket. Then came to her mother, " Aha ! my girl," cried she, " I smell the smell of a mortal man." But the lady refused to admit that he had been there. When at last her mother pressed her sore, she said, "There is indeed a man. But first swear thou to me by God that naught wilt thou do unto him." So the mother swore to her by God, and she drew forth the pebble from her pocket, and uttered a spell over it, so that it became a matt exactly as he had been before. Quoth she to her mother. "This is who is unti me as God. For him,, and only for him, have I been seeking. It is he, and he alone, 0 mother, whom God hath sent unto me." Then said her mother, "Good. So let it be. Send thou a letter by his hand unto thy two brethren." Quoth she, "My mother, let it be thou that writest." So the mother wrote a letter, and gave it into the hand of the Lapidary. But the lady called him to her, and asked him to give her the paper. She looked at it, and on it by her mother were written these words, "If ye be indeed my sons, on the instant that he cometh to you, must ye kill this man." The mother had written this because she still bore in her heart the memory of the pain of her lost forearm. But the lady tore the paper into little pieces, and wrote herself another, "If ye be indeed my brethren, quickly must ye come. And for why ? Because it is my wedding festival."

16. She wrote for him the paper, and by word of mouth gave she him this instruction, saying, "When thou shalt arrive thither, make thou first a bow, and having louted low, give thou to them this paper. They will offer thee dinner made of leathern pease, but these thou must not eat." As a substitute she gave him real pease to take with him, and said, " These be what thou must eat. Drop thou their leathern pease into the fold of thy breast-cloth and eat thine own pease in their stead. Thereafter they will ask thee to give them a little scratching." For that purpose she gave him a set of iron claws, " For," said she, "they are of a demon race, and these iron claws will give them but a pleasant titillation."

17. Bearing these instructions in his memory he set forth, and reached their abode. He made his bow to them and gave to them the paper. They offered him a dinner of leathern pease. He raised a gobbet of it to his mouth, but let it fall into the fold of his breast-cloth, while at the` same time be took out leis own pease and kept eating them. Thereafter they asked him to give them a little scratching. So he secretly donned the iron claws and with them scraped and scratched them. Then wrote they an answer to the letter after this manner. "We have no time to come into thee, for we have been summoned by the holy Solomon. Haste ye, in the name of God, and make ye the wedding festival."

18. He returned to the lady and her mother, and showed them, the reply. They read it and carried out the wedding between him and her. Then said the lady to him who was now her husband, "Here wilt thou stay, or wilt thou return unto the world of men ? Behold I am thy humble slave." So he said that he would return to the world of men, and quoth the lady to him, "Now, when we shall set forth, my mother will tell thee to ask of her a gift. And thou must ask for but one thing, a certain skin mat. Ask thou for it alone, and for naught else." So, as they were preparing for their journey her mother said to him, " Ask thou of me some gift," and he said to her "Give me the skin mat that is called the wutsha prang, or 'flying-couch'." Well, they went forth from there and reached his home. As soon as they arrived she made ready for him a jewelled bracelet, and the Lapidary took it to the King.

19. The barber heard that the Lapidary had come home, and goes to his house to shave him. There sees lie the third lady, and straight returns he to the Vizier. Said lie to hint, "O Vizier, to-day that Lapidary hath a third lady, more fair to look upon than the other two. She is fit for the King. Another is fit for a Vizier, and yet another would suit me. Prithee, do thou somewhat to this Lapidary. "Quoth the Vizier to him, "To-day will I tell the King, and His Majesty himself will lay some trap for him. Then he will die, and the three women will be ours." So the Vizier said to the King, " Your Majesty, that Lapidary hath women three, and women like unto them are not in the whole kingdom. Sire, prithee, seize thou upon some fault of this Lapidary, and destroy him, Then will the three women become inmate, of thy harem" The King considered a while and said, " No matter what thou mayst ask of him, that all and sundry doth he bring. Now will I say unto him, " Thou must bring me news of my father, whether he be in heaven or whether he be in hell."

20. And said my master : .....
The Lapidary came to the King and made his bow. Quoth the King to him, " Hitherto hast thou hearkened unto whatsoever command I gave to thee. To-day must thou bring unto me news of my father, whether he be in heaven or whether lie be in hell." The Lapidary departed and came to his own house. Quoth he to these three women, " To-day the King telleth me to bring news of his father. What am I to do ? How know I even how many years have passed since he hath died ? " Then up and spake the lady who had made the jewelled bracelet (now she was a fairy who was obedient unto God), " Let nothing prey upon thy mind. Go thou, and ask of him expenses. Then say thou to the King, ' Thou must gather together for me firewood. In the plain let there be gathered together bundles of fuel beyond count.' "

21. The King assembled and piled firewood beyond count, and the Lapidary ascended thereon. He spread upon it the skin mat, and thereon he took his seat.. Quoth lie to the King, " "What token from thy father shall I bring ? " and up and said the King, "First must thou bring unto me a fruit from the garden of paradise, and secondly must thou bring unto me a letter signed by my father." Said the Lapidary to the people standing round, "Set ye the firewood alight on all four sides."

22. And moreover saith my Master :
When they had set the pyre alight, the Lapidary could no longer be seen for fire and smoke. He uttered a charm to the skin mat, saying, " I would arrive at mine own house, but have a care that no one see it." He closed his eyes, and when he opened them he found himself at home. Then that lady did a deed. Of the seven metals' she prepared a fruit, a, pomegranate of the Garden of Heaven, and moreover she wrote a letter to which she put the signature of the King's father, and sealed it, with his seal. And this was what she wrote to the King: "Thou must come, unto me with thy Vizier and with the barber, just in the same manner as the Lapidary hath come unto me." This paper she made over to the Lapidary, and in his hand she laid the pomegranate.

23. By this time four days had passed and the fire became
extinct, leaving naught but ashes. The Lapidary went forth wearing only his loin-cloth, and rolled himself in these ashes. The discerners then discerned, and the newsmen brought the news. Cried they, " Your Majesty, there cometh a sound as of rustling from the ashes. Can it be that the Lapidary is returned ? " And while they were yet speaking these words and gazing towards the pyre, there came forth from it the Lapidary, in the one hand holding a pomegranate, and in the other the letter. Having made his bow to the King, he laid the pomegranate and the letter before him. The King opened the letter and read it, and this was its contents, " 1, of a truth, am in heaven. Thou must come hither speedily, with thy Vizier and with thy barber."

24. The King considered awhile, "I sold unto myself that this Lapidary would come to destruction, and, lo, he hath come to me with news from my father." Quoth he to the Lapidary, " How can I convey myself to that abode of bliss ? " Replied the Lapidary, "Thou must gather together three times so much firewood as thou didst gather for me, and then speedily wilt thou arrive in heaven." The King gathered together fuel beyond count. Upon it he made them spread a mat, and upon it he ascended and sat, himself with the Vizier and the barber. They set the pyre alight on all four sides,

25. And my master saith :-
Burnt up was the King, burnt up was the Vizier. and burnt up was the barber. The three became utterly destroyed. And from his home came to the Lapidary's house that first Vizier, the one who had been eloping with the princess when he met the young Akhun. Together held they mutual converse, and the Lapidary told him of his journey, and of all the villainy that the Vizier and the barber had done unto him. Said he to him, "Take, sir, thine own lady to thyself." But as for Lalmal the Fairy, he gave her leave to return to her home, while she whom last of all he had won for himself, her he kept with him as his wife.

26. And saith my Master : -
The Vizier ascended the vacant throne and ruled right royally and the Lapidary was appointed "y him to the Viziership.
And may the peace be upon you, and on you be peace.

Hatim's Tales