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Shishu Sansaar | Arabian Nights Stories-3

Arabian Nights Stories-3

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Story No 65-3/4

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65-3 - Three Sharpers, Two Sultaans, and a Lunatic (3 of 4)

In the morning the young man arose, went somewhere, and returned after an hour. He gave me 10 jewels and I presented all of them to the Sultaan. He was very astonished to see the 10 jewels, so he asked his Vazeer what should he do. The Vazeer said - "O Sultaan, You asked only for one and he has brought 10, so this is fair if you marry your daughter to him." The Sultaan called the Qaazees and married his daughter to me. I went back to the young man, he said to me - "Now you have to conclude the wedding ceremony, so go to the bride at once, but you will not consummate the marriage until I tell you to do so."

So when the night of going came, I visited the Sultaan's daughter but sat apart from her during the first night and the second and the third. I never approached her although her mother daily asked this question, and she replied that, "He had never approached me." This situation created some doubts in her mother's mind. After the third night, the mother reported the case to the father, the Sultaan, who cried. He said - "If this night goes like the same, I will slay him." My bride told me this, and I told all this to that young man. He said - "When you visit her, say to her - "I cannot enjoy you unless you give me the amulet-bracelet hanging to your right shoulder." So when I visited on that night, I said to her - "I cannot enjoy you unless you give me the amulet-bracelet hanging to your right shoulder." So the poor Princess took off her bracelet and gave it to me. I took her that night, gave the jewel to the young man, came back and slept that night in the Princess' room. But when I woke up, I found myself in my cell.

I asked myself - "Am I awake or was I dreaming?" And I saw my old clothes, little drum, but my all other things, clothes etc, were gone." I got very disturbed and started wandering in crowds and in lone sites. I did not know what to do. One day I found myself sitting in a street where a Barbary man was casting omens for some people keeping some written leaves in front of him. I came to him, greeted him, he asked me - "O Sheikh, have you been separated from your wife?" "Yes." "Sit down here, and wait a while." When the crowd had dispersed, he said to me - "The baboon you bought for 10 silver bits was not a human, but was a Genie who was delighted in the Princess you wedded. Since he could not approach her by reason of the charmed bracelet hanging from her right shoulder, he used you and won her, and he is still wearing the bracelet. But I will soon work out on his destruction so that he cannot cause trouble to others. For he is a rebellious kind of Genie."

Then he gave me a leaf, wrote something on it, signed by him, and sealed. He said to me - "Take this, and sit down at a certain place and you must wait and observe those who pass by. And when you see a man attended by many people, hand it over to him, for it will be he who will fulfill your wish." I took the note from him and sat down where he told me to sit. I took the whole day, and all night and even the next half day to reach that place. I waited there until night fell. When a 1/4th part of the night had passed, suddenly lights appeared and I saw a kingly man coming towards me followed by many people.

I was afraid, but as he came near me, I gave him the letter which he, having halted there, opened and read aloud - "Be it known to you, O Sultan of the Jinn, that the bearer of this letter is in great need, that you must destroy his foe and if he opposes him in any way, you must kill him. When you have relieved him, you will get relief from me." So he called one of his people and asked him to call that Genie who had spoiled my life. He came back after an hour, along with the Genie. The King of Genies asked him - "Did you spoil his life?" He replied - "This was all because of my fondness to that Princess. She wore a charm because of which I could not approach her, so I used this man to approach her. I love the maiden and I will never harm her."

The King said - "You have only two alternatives - either you return the charm so that this man may be reunited with his wife; or oppose me and my people cut your neck." The Genie was rebellious to the King also, he said - "I will not return the amulet, nor I will release the Princess, because none can have her except me." The King took the amulet from him and ordered his people to slay him and they slew him. They gave me the amulet and my royal suit also. I came back to the city. As the people saw me they cried, "The Sultaan's son-in-law has come back."

I went to my apartment where I found my wife in a stupefied state. She was in that state, since I took her amulet. I replaced the amulet on her right shoulder and she awoke and composed herself. Her parents, and her friends were very happy to see the Princess awoke and normal. After that we lived happily till her father died, then I was declared his successor."

Now when the Darvesh Sultaan heard all this he was surprised to see what happens in this world. I said to him - "Do not wonder at all this, but now you become my Vazeer. Since my father-in-law has died I am perplexed and unable to find a good Vazeer who can help me in my matters, and you are an experienced ruler." Darvesh replied - "As you say." Thus the Sultaan appointed him his Vazeer, gave him a separate apartment, clothes, money etc. He took his seat in the court and continued for many years till one day the Sultaan's mind was depressed, he called his Vazeer and said to him that his heart was heavy. The Vazeer said - "Go to your treasury and turn the treasure over in your hands, you will feel lighter." But still the Sultaan did not feel all right so he asked his Vazeer to exchange their positions, in disguise.

Then they both changed their guise to Darvesh, the Darveshes of Ajam Land, went through the city till they reached a Maristaan (a hospital for lunatics).
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A Lunatic
Here they found two young men, one reading the Quraan and the other listening to him, both tied in chains like mad people. The Sultaan asked them - "Are you really insane?" They said - "By Allaah, no, but our adventures are very unique." "What are they?" "Each of us has our own story to tell." So one of them started his story --

I was a merchant and kept a shop where there were Hindoo goods of all kinds, and I sold them at much profit. I continued in this way until one day as I was sitting in my shop, an old woman came to me, greeted me with Salaam and asked me if I had pieces of Indian stuff. I brought a costliest Hindoo piece and showed it to her. She was pleased to see it and asked its price. I said, "500 Deenaars." She gave me the money and went her ways. Thus I sold a piece of 350 Deenaars for 500 Deenaars. Next day she came again and asked me for another piece, so I gave her the same, she gave me another 500 Deenaars and went her ways.

Thus she came to me up to 15 days. When she came on 16th day, she did not find her purse, so she said to me - "Khwaajaa, I have left my purse at home." I told her that she could buy it just like that, but she told me that she would not buy it like that. I still asked her to take it as a token of love and friendship, so a kind of debate went on between us. Then she said - "I have taken an oath, but I can agree on that you accompany me to my home and take your money there from me. So lock up your shop and come with me."

So I locked up my shop and went with her conversing a while till we reached her house. She took out a kerchief and asked me to bind it on my eyes. I asked her "Why?" "There are many homes here where many beautiful girls live, you might fall in love with them, so this is for your peace of mind." So she blindfolded me, she knocked the door and a maid took us inside. When she opened my eyes I found myself in a richly decorated kingly room. She asked me to hide in a room where I saw the stuff that woman bought from me.

In the meantime, two girls came there from upper floor, cut a piece in two, tucked them in their sleeves, sprinkled the rose water on the floor and wiped the floor till it shined. Then they brought some 50 chairs and set them there with a cushion of brocade on each chair. Then they brought a high golden chair and set it there. Then came some maidens in the line of two and sat on those chairs. After this appeared a young lady in whose service were 10 women. She sat on the golden chair and cried loudly - "O Mother of mine, Have you brought that young man?" "Yes." "Bring him here."

I thought - "Save me Allaah, She is going to kill me." The old women came to me and led me in front of that young lady. When I greeted her by Salaam, she welcomed me and pointed out to a seat beside herself. We talked for an hour and then she said to me - "What do you think of me? Would you accept me as your wife?" I replied - "How dare I presume to attain such honor? I can't even think of myself to be your servant." She said - "No, Young man, Don't say like this. I am telling the Truth, just reply me. My heart is filled with your love."

Now I knew that the girl wanted to marry me, but why? I could not understand it. Then I agreed and asked her what was her dowry? She said - "This old woman, who is my mother, has paid the dowry in the form of the stuff. Just let me call Qaazee and his assessors to complete this. But there will be one condition." "And what is that?" "That you will not go to any other woman except me." I was unmarried and was eager to have a wife so I agreed to her on this condition also. She called the Qaazee and we got married.

Then she ordered her maids to prepare a bath for me and I was given a kingly bath, I was dressed in a kingly attire and was taken to that young woman in a separate room. She came to me adorned in a different attire and we enjoyed each other's company for the whole night. This continued for 20 days. Then I remembered my mother and asked my wife's permission to go to parents. She gave me the permission to go to my mother and look after my shop, with a condition that the same old woman will take me out of the house and bring me back. She blindfolded me, and left me outside the house and said - "I will be expecting you tomorrow at noon time at this place only."

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Created by Sushma Gupta on January 15, 2002
Contact:  sushmajee@yahoo.com
Modified on 07/12/14