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Shishu Sansaar | Arabian Nights Stories-3

Arabian Nights Story-3

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Story No 71-2

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71-2 - The Sayings of Haykar the Sage (2 of 5) :
Haykar Escapes Death

Now when Haykar had told all these things to his boy Naadaan, he thought that he would remember all these things and he will not disobey him. He gave all his money, black slaves, his concubines, his horses and camels, to his boy. Also bidding and forbidding were left in the youth's control. And he was promoted and preferred by the King like his maternal uncle, or even more. The old Vazeer used to go to the King just to greet him once in a while.

When Naadaan saw that all was in his control, he started talking to his uncle rudely, raised his voice against him, and blamed him whenever he did something. He started beating his slaves and handmaidens. He also drove his father out of his place. Haykar sent this intimation to the King. The King called Naadaan and said to him - "So long Haykar is alive, nobody can take control of his household or meddle with his fortune." This controlled Naadaan and he stopped going to his uncle.

Naadaan had a younger brother Naudaan, so Haykar adopted him, tendered him, and honored him with great honor and gave his all possessions and appointed him the controller of his household and affairs. When Naadaan saw this, he became jealous and start complaining that his father had removed him from being beneficiary and had preferred his younger brother, so he would kill him soon.

After a while he wrote a letter to Akhyaash Abn Shaah, the physician of the King of Persia, and Ajam or Barbariyaa Land - "Greetings to you from Sankhareeb, King of Assyria and Nineveh and from his Vazeer and Secretary Haykar. When this letter will reach you, arise immediately and come to meet me at Buqaat Nisrin, the lowland of the Eglantine of Assyria and Nineveh, that I may give you the kingdom without any fight." Furthermore he wrote a second letter in Haykar's name to Pharaoh, Lord of Misra with this content - "Greetings to you from me. On receiving this letter, come straight to Buqaat Nisrin immediately, that I can give you the kingdom without any fight and slaughter."

Naadaan's writing was somewhat similar to his uncle's writing. He folded the two letters and sealed them with Haykar's signet and cast them in the royal palace. After which he went and wrote a letter to his uncle from the King - "All my salutations to my Vazeer and Secretary Haykar. On receiving this letter, you and your people, with arms and armor, should march to meet me at the Buqaat Nisrin. However when you see me approach you, make a mimic fight for the messengers from Pharaoh, King of Egypt, have been sent to test the strength of our armies. Accordingly, let them stand in fear of us, because they are our foes." He sealed this letter and sent it to Haykar through one of the royal pages, and he himself carried the letters, addressed to the Physician of the King of Persia and the King of Egypt, to the King, opened them there, showed their seal, and read them aloud.

When Sankhareeb heard the contents of the letters, he admired the contents but got severely angry with Haykar and cried - "What I have done to Haykar, that he should write such letters to my enemies? Is this my reward for the benefits I have showered upon him?" Naadaan replied - "Do not be grieved or angry, rather let us go to Buqaat Nisrin and look into the matter, whether it is true or false." 

So when Thursday came Naadaan rose and taking the King and his Vazeers and army-officers marched over the wastes to the Lowland of Eglantine and arrived there. Sankhareeb looked upon Haykar and saw his host aligned in battle against himself. And when the Vazeer saw the King approached him, he challenged him for a battle. But he could not understand that what kind of pit was dug for him by Naadaan. But seeing this the King got very angry.

Then Naadaan said to the King - "See, What this fellow has done. But you don't worry, nor you be sorrowful. You may go to your palace and I will bring Haykar to you in chains. I will defeat your enemies." So when Sankhareeb had gone home, Naadaan went to his uncle and said - "The King has been very happy with you and thanks you for acting as he has instructed you to act. He has sent me to tell you that now you may send your people back and you yourself should be presented to him in chains."

Haykar said "OK," and let him bind his hands and feet with a chain. Naadaan took him in this way to the King where he found the King reading another forged letter, also sealed with the ministerial sign. He entered the room and prostrated in front of the King. The King said - "O Haykar, Tell me what wrong did I do to you that you returned me with such a deed?" And showed him the two papers written in his hand writing. Seeing them Haykar trembled, he could not speak anything for a while. All his knowledge and reasoning was gone. He just could not say anything. The King ordered to slay him without the city witness. Naadaan cried aloud to his father - "O Haykar, What did you get by playing this trick?"

Now the name of the executioner was Aboo Sumaik the Pauper. The King asked him to cut his neck in front of the Minister's door and place his head at a distance of 100 ells (some 4,500" = 125 yards) away from his body. Hearing this Haykar cried - "O Lord, If you want to kill me, you may kill, but I am not at fault, some evil-doer has written these letters in exactly the same writing as mine. I wish that he should suffer too." The page striped off his outer garment and took him away from there.

When he was taken to be killed, he sent a word to his wife Shagaftinee - "Come soon to meet me along with 1,000 maidens whom you will dress in red silk, that they can keep an eye on me when I die. Bring a table and food and drink for the executioners so that they can eat and drink well." His wife obeyed him, for she was also wise and sharp-witted. So when the guards and executioner etc came to Haykar's door, they found the table laid out with delicious dishes and fine wine, so they fell to eating and drinking till they were satisfied and thanked to the housemaster.

Then Haykar took the executioner, Aboo, aside in private and said to him - "O Aboo, While the King Sarhadoon, the father of the King Sankhareeb, determined to slay you, I took you and hid you in a secret place until the King decided to call for you; besides I cooled his temper everyday till he was pleased to call you, and then I presented you to him. Do the same at this moment for me too, because the King will surely repent his action, for I am innocent. And when you will bring me to him alive and well, he will rejoice in you. You will be regarded more than ever. I am sure that my nephew has betrayed me.

Know, that below my mansion there is an underground place which is not known to anybody. You may hide me there with the consent of my wife Shagaftinee. Also I have a slave who is to be executed in my place; put my clothes on him and order your people to kill him. Since they are drunk, they wouldn't know who they killed. And lastly command them to keep his head 100 cubits away from the body, and give the body to my slaves till they keep it in the tomb. So please, do this good deed to me."

Hearing this the executioner did the same and informed about the execution of Haykar to the King."

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