The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume VI Part 17

[FN#211] This witty tale, ending somewhat grossly here, has over-wandered the world. First we find it in the Katha (S. S.) where Upakosha, the merry wife of Vararuchi, disrobes her suitors, a family priest, a commander of the guard and the prince's tutor, under plea of the bath and stows them away in baskets which suggest Falstaff's "buck-basket." In Miss Stokes'

"Indian Fairy Tales" the fair wife of an absent merchant plays a similar notable prank upon the Kotwal, the Wazir, the Kazi and the King; and akin to this is the exploit of Temal Ramakistnan, the Madrasi Tyl Eulenspiegel and Scogin who by means of a lady saves his life from the Rajah and the High Priest. Mr. G. H.

Damant (pp. 357-360 of the "Indian Antiquary" of 1873) relates the "Tale of the Touchstone," a legend of Dinahpur, wherein a woman "sells" her four admirers. In the Persian Tales ascribed to the Dervish "Mokles" (Mukhlis) of Isfahan, the lady Aruya tricks and exposes a Kazi, a doctor and a governor. Boccaccio (viii. 1) has the story of a lady who shut up her gallant in a chest with her husband's sanction; and a similar tale (ix. 1) of Rinuccio and Alexander with the corpse of Scannadeo (Throkh-G.o.d). Hence a Lydgate (circ. A.D. 1430) derived the plot of his metrical tale of "The Lady Prioress and her Three Sisters"; which was modified in the Netherlandish version by the introduction of the Long Wapper, a Flemish Robin Goodfellow. Followed in English the metrical tale of "The Wright's Chaste Wife," by Adam of Cobham (edited by Mr. Furnivall from a MS. of circ. A.D. 1460) where the victims are a lord, a steward and a proctor. See also "The Master-Maid" in Dr. (now Sir George) Dasent's "Popular Tales from the Norse," Mr. Clouston, who gives these details more fully, mentions a similar Scottish story concerning a lascivious monk and the chaste wife of a miller.

[FN#212]When Easterns sit down to a drinking bout, which means to get drunk as speedily and pleasantly as possible, they put off dresses of dull colours and robe themselves in clothes supplied by the host, of the brightest he may have, especially yellow, green and red of different shades. So the lady's proceeding was not likely to breed suspicion: al- though her tastes were somewhat fantastic and like Miss Julia's--peculiar.

[FN#213] Arab. "Najasah," meaning anything unclean which requires ablution before prayer. Unfortunately mucus is not of the number, so the common Moslem is very offensive in the matter of nose.

[FN#214] Here the word "la'an" is used which most Moslems express by some euphemism. The vulgar Egyptian says "Na'al" (Sapre and Sapristi for Sacre and Sacristie), the Hindostani express it "I send him the three letters"--lam, ayn and nun.

[FN#215] The Mac. Edit. is here very concise; better the Bresi.

Edit. (xii. 326). Here we have the Eastern form of the Three Wishes which dates from the earliest ages and which amongst us has been degraded to a matter of "black pudding." It is the grossest and most brutal satire on the s.e.x, suggesting that a woman would prefer an additional inch of p.e.n.i.s to anything this world or the next can offer her. In the Book of Sindibad it is the story of the Peri and Religious Man; his learning the Great Name; and his consulting with his wife. See also La Fontaine's "Trois Souhaits," Prior's "Ladle," and "Les quatre Souhaits de Saint-Martin."

[FN#216] Arab. "Laylat al-Kadr"= Night of Power or of Divine Decrees. It is "better than a thousand months" (Koran xcvii. 3), but unhappily the exact time is not known although all agree that it is one of the last ten in Ramazan. The latter when named by Kilab ibn Murrah, ancestor of Mohammed, about two centuries before Al-lslam, corresponded with July-August and took its name from "Ramza" or intense heat. But the Prophet, in the tenth Hijrah year, most unwisely forbade "Nasy"= triennial intercalation (Koran ix. 36) and thus the lunar month went round all the seasons. On the Night of Power the Koran was sent down from the Preserved Tablet by Allah's throne, to the first or lunar Heaven whence Gabriel brought it for opportunest revelation to the Apostle (Koran xcvii.). Also during this night all Divine Decrees for the ensuing year are taken from the Tablet and are given to the angels for execution whilst, the gates of Heaven being open, prayer (as in the text) is sure of success. This ma.s.s of absurdity has engendered a host of superst.i.tions everywhere varying. Lane (Mod. Egypt, chapt. xxv.) describes how some of the Faithful keep tasting a cup of salt water which should become sweet in the Night of Nights. In (Moslem) India not only the sea becomes sweet, but all the vegetable creation bows down before Allah. The exact time is known only to Prophets; but the pious sit through the Night of Ramazan 27th (our 26th) praying and burning incense-pastilles. In Stambul this is officially held to be the Night of Power. So in mediaeval Europe on Christmas Eve the cattle worshipped G.o.d in their stalls and I have met peasants in France and Italy who firmly believed that brute beasts on that night not only speak but predict the events of the coming year.

[FN#217] Hence the misfortune befel her; the pious especially avoid temporal palaces.

[FN#218] This is our tale of "The Maid and the Magpie;" the Mac.

Edit. does not specify the "Tayr" (any bird) but the Bresl. Edit.

has Ak'ak, a pie. The true Magpie (C. Pica) called Buzarai (?) and Zaghzaghan Abu Ma.s.sah (=the Sweeper, from its tail) is found on the Liba.n.u.s and Anti-Liba.n.u.s (Unexplored Syria ii. 77-143), but I never saw it in other parts of Syria or in Arabia. It is completely ignored by the Reverend Mr. Tristram in his painfully superficial book "The Natural History of the Bible," published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge (or rather Ignorance), London, 1873.

[FN#219] This is "The Story of the Two Partridges," told at great length in the Book of Sindibad. See De Sacy's text in the Kalilah wa d.a.m.nah, quoted in the "Book of Kalilah and d.a.m.nah" (p. 306).

[FN#220] This extremely wilful young person had rendered rape excusable. The same treat- ment is much called for by certain heroines of modern fiction--let me mention Princess Napraxine.

[FN#221] The Story of the Hidden Robe, in the Book of Sindibad; where it is told with all manner of Persian embellishments.

[FN#222] Now turned into Government offices for local administration; a "Tribunal of Commerce," etc.

[FN#223] Arab. "Bawwab," a personage as important as the old French concierge and a man of trust who has charge of the keys and with letting vacant rooms. In Egypt the Berber from the Upper Nile is the favourite suisse; being held more honest or rather less rascally than the usual Egyptian. These Berbers, however, are true barbarians, overfond of Buzah (the beer of Osiris) and not unfrequently dangerous. They are supposed by Moslems to descend from the old Syrians expelled by Joshua. For the favourite chaff against them, eating the dog (not the puppy-pie), see Pilgrimage i. 93. They are the "paddies', of Egypt to whom all kinds of bulls and blunders are attributed.

[FN#224] Arab. "Juma'ah," which means either Friday or a week. In pre-Moslem times it was called Al-Arubah (the other week-days being Shiyar or Sat.u.r.day, Bawal, Bahan Jabar, Dabar and Famunis or Thursday). Juma'ah, literally = "Meeting" or Congregation (-day), was made to represent the Jewish Sabbath and the Christian Sunday because on that day Allah ended the work of creation; it was also the date of Mohammed's entering Al-Medinah.

According to Al-Bayzawi, it was called a.s.sembly day because Ka'ab ibn Lowa, one of the Prophet's ancestors, used to gather the people before him on Fridays. Moslems are not forbidden to do secular work after the congregational prayers at the hour when they must "hasten to the commemoration of Allah and leave merchandising." (Koran, chaps. Ixii. 9.)

[FN#225] This is done only by the very pious: if they see a bit of bread they kiss it, place it upon their heads and deposit it upon a wall or some place where it will not be trodden on. She also removed the stones lest haply they prove stumbling-blocks to some Moslem foot.

[FN#226] Arab. "Ashjar," which may mean either the door-posts or the wooden bolts. Lane (iii. 174) translates it "among the trees"

in a room!

[FN#227] Koran (ix. 51), when Mohammed reproaches the unbelievers for not accompanying him to victory or martyrdom.

[FN#228] Arab. "Kina," a true veil, not the "Burka " or "nose bag" with the peep-holes. It is opposed to the "Tarkah" or "head veil." Europeans inveigh against the veil which represents the loup of Louis Quatorze's day: it is on the contrary the most coquettish of contrivances, hiding coa.r.s.e skins, fleshy noses, wide mouths and vanishing chins, and showing only l.u.s.trous and liquid black eyes. Moreover a pretty woman, when she wishes, will always let you see something under the veil. (Pilgrimage i. 337.)

[FN#229] A yellow-flowered artemisia or absinthe whose wood burns like holm-oak. (Unexplored Syria ii. 43.) See vol. ii. 24 for further details.

[FN#230] The Farz or obligatory prayers, I have noted, must be recited (if necessary) in the most impure place; not so the other orisons. Hence the use of the "Sajjadah" or prayer-rug an article too well known to require description.

[FN#231] Anglice a stomach-ache, a colic.

[FN#232] Arab. "Al-Hafizah" which has two meanings. Properly it signifies the third order of Traditionists out of a total of five or those who know 300,000 traditions and their ascriptions.

Popularly "one who can recite the Koran by rote." There are six great Traditionists whose words are held to be prime authorities; (1) Al-Bokhari, (2) Muslim, and these are ent.i.tled Al-Sahihayn, The (two true) authorities. After them (3) Al-Tirmidi; and (4) Abu Daud: these four being the authors of the "Four Sunan," the others are (5) Al- Nasai and (6) Ibn Majah (see Jarrett's Al-Siyuti pp. 2, 6; and, for modern Arab studies, Pilgrimage i.

154 et seq.).

[FN#233] Lane (iii. 176) marries the amorous couple, thus making the story highly proper and robbing it of all its point.

[FN#234] Arab. "Sabbahat," i.e. Sabbah-ak' Allah bi'l khayr = Allah give thee good morning: still the popular phrase.

[FN#235] Arab. "Ta'risak," with the implied hint of her being a "Mu'arrisah" or she pander. The Bresl. Edit. (xii. 356) bluntly says "Kivadatak" thy pimping.

[FN#236] Arab. "Rafw": the "Rafu-gar" or fine-drawer in India, who does this artistic style of darning, is famed for skill.

[FN#237] The question sounds strange to Europeans, but in the Moslem East a man knows nothing, except by hearsay, of the women who visit his wife.

[FN#238] Arab. "Ahl al-bayt," so as not rudely to say "wife."

[FN#239] This is a mere abstract of the tale told in the Introduction (vol. i. 10-12). Here however, the rings are about eighty; there the number varies from ninety to five hundred and seventy.

[FN#240] The father suspected the son of intriguing with one of his own women.

[FN#241] Arab. and Heb. "Laban" (opp. to "laban-halib," or simply "halib" = fresh milk), milk artificially soured, the Dahin of India, the Kisaina of the Slavs and our Corstophine cream. But in The Nights, contrary to modern popular usage, "Laban" is also applied to Fresh milk. The soured form is universally in the East eaten with rice and enters into the Salatah or cuc.u.mber-salad. I have noted elsewhere that all the Galactophagi, the nomades who live on milk, use it in the soured never in the fresh form. The Badawi have curious prejudices about it: it is a disgrace to sell it (though not to exchange it), and "Labban," or "milk-vendor,"

is an insult. The Brahni and Beloch pomades have the same pundonor possibly learnt from the Arabs (Pilgrimage i. 363). For 'Igt (Akit), Mahir, Saribah, Jamidah and other lacteal preparations, see ibid. i. 362.

[FN#242] I need hardly say that the poison would have been utterly harmless, unless there had been an abrasion of the skin.

The slave- girl is blamed for carrying the jar uncovered because thus it would attract the evil eye. In the Book of Sindibad the tale appears as the Story of the Poisoned Guest; and the bird is a stork.

[FN#243] The Prince expresses the pure and still popular Moslem feeling; and yet the learned and experienced Mr Redhouse would confuse this absolute Predestination with Providence. A friend tells me that the idea of absolute Fate in The Nights makes her feel as if the world were a jail.

[FN#244] In the Book of Sindibad this is the Story of the Sandal-wood Merchant and the Advice of the Blind Old Man. Mr.

Clouston (p. 163) quotes a Talmudic joke which is akin to the Shaykh's advice and a reply of Tyl Eulenspiegel, the arch-rogue, which has also a family resemblance.

[FN#245] Arab. "Sa'a," a measure of corn, etc., to be given in alms. The Kamus makes it = four mudds (each being 1/3 lbs.); the people understand by it four times the measure of a man's two open hands.

[FN#246] i.e. till thou restore my eye to me. This style of prothesis without apodosis is very common in Arabic and should be preserved in translation, as it adds a navete to the style. We find it in Genesis iii. 2, "And now lest he put forth his hand,"

etc.

[FN#247] They were playing at Murahanah, like children amongst us. It is also called "Hukm wa Riza" = order and consent. The penalty is usually something ridiculous, but here it was villainous.

[FN#248] Every Moslem capital has a "Shaykh of the thieves" who holds a regular levees and who will return stolen articles for consideration; and this has lasted since the days of Diodorus Siculus (Pilgrimage i. 91).

[FN#249] This was not the condition; but I have left the text as it is characteristic of the writer's inconsequence.

[FN#250] The idea would readily occur in Egypt where the pulex is still a plague although the Sultan is said to hold his court at Tiberias. "Male and female" says the rouge, otherwise it would be easy to fill a bushel with fleas. The insect was unknown to older India according to some and was introduced by strangers. This immigration is quite possible. In 1863 the jigger (P. penetrans) was not found in Western Africa; when I returned there in 1882 it had pa.s.sed over from the Brazil and had become naturalised on the equatorial African seaboard. the Arabs call shrimps and prawns "sea-fleas" (barguth al-bahr) showing an inland race. (See Pilgrimage i. 322.)

[FN#251] Submission to the Sultan and the tidings of his well-being should content every Eastern subject. But, as Oriental history shows, the form of government is a Despotism tempered by a.s.sa.s.sination. And under no rule is man socially freer and his condition contrasts strangely with the grinding social tyranny which characterises every mode of democracy or const.i.tutionalism, i.e. political equality.

[FN#252] Here the text has "Markub" = a shoe; elsewhere "Na'al" = a sandal, especially with wooden sole. In cla.s.sical Arabia, however, "Na'al" may be a shoe, a horse-shoe (iron-plate, not rim like ours). The Bresl. Edit. has "Wata," any foot-gear.

[FN#253] Water-melons (batayikh) says the Mac. Edit. a misprint for Aruz or rice. Water-melons are served up raw cut into square mouthfuls, to be eaten with rice and meat. They serve excellently well to keep the palate clean and cool.

[FN#254] The text recounts the whole story over again - more than European patience can bear.