THE BLACKSMITH WHO COULD HANDLE FIRE
WITHOUT HURT.
It reached the ears of a certain pious man that there abode in
such a town a blacksmith, who could put his hand into the fire
and pull out the iron red-hot, without the flames doing him aught
of hurt.[FN#482] So he set out for the town in question and asked
for the blacksmith; and, when the man was shown to him, he
watched him at work and saw him do as had been reported to him.
He waited till he had made and end of his day's work; then, going
up to him, saluted him with the salam and said, "I would be thy
guest this night." Replied the smith, "With gladness and goodly
gree!" and carried him to his place, where they supped together
and lay down to sleep. The guest watched, but saw no sign in his
host of praying through the night or of special devoutness and
said in his mind, "Haply he hideth himself from me." So he lodged
with him a second and a third night, but found that he did not
exceed the devotions prescribed by the law and custom of the
Prophet and rose but little in the dark hours to pray. At last he
said to him, "O my brother, I have heard of the gift with which
Allah hath favoured thee and have seen the truth of it with mine
eyes. Moreover, I have taken note of thine assiduity in religious
exercises, but find in thee no such piety as distinguisheth those
who work saintly miracles: whence, then, cometh this to thee?" "I
will tell thee," answered the smith, "Know that I was once
passionately enamoured of a slave-girl and ofttimes sued her for
love-liesse, but could not prevail upon her, because she still
held fast by her chastity. Presently there came a year of drought
and hunger and hardship; food failed and there befel a sore
famine. As I was sitting one day at home, somebody knocked at the
door; so I went out and behold, she was standing there; and she
said to me, 'O my brother, I am sorely an-hungered and I lift
mine eyes to thee, beseeching thee to feed me for Allah's sake!'
Quoth I, 'Wottest thou not how I love thee and what I have
suffered for thy sake? Now I will not give thee one bittock of
bread except thou yield thy person to me.' Quoth she, 'Death, but
not disobedience to the Lord!' Then she went away and returned
after two days with the same prayer for food as before. I made
her a like answer, and she entered and sat down in my house being
nigh upon death. I set food before her, whereupon her eyes
brimmed with tears and she cried, 'Give me meat for the love of
Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory!' But I answered, 'Not so,
by Allah, except thou yield thyself to me.' Quoth she, 'Better is
death to me than the wrath and wreak of Allah the Most Highest;'
and she rose and left the food untouched"--And Shahrazad
perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the
man set food before her, the woman said, "Give me meat for the
love of Allah to whom be Honour and Glory!' But I answered, 'Not
so, by Allah, except thou yield to me thy person.' Quoth she,
'Better is death than the wrath and wreak of Allah;' and she rose
and left the food untouched and went away repeating these
couplets,
'O Thou, the One, whose grace doth all the world embrace; * Thine
ears have heard, Thine eyes have seen my case!
Privation and distress have dealt me heavy blows; * The woes that
weary me no utterance can trace.
I am like one athirst who eyes the landscape's eye, * Yet may not
drink a draught of streams that rail and race.
My flesh would tempt me by the sight of savoury food * Whose joys
shall pass away and pangs maintain their place.'
She then disappeared for two days, when she again came and
knocked at the door; so I went out to her, and lo! hunger had
taken away her voice; but, after a rest she said, 'O my brother,
I am worn out with want and know not what to do, for I cannot
show my face to any man but to thee. Say, wilt thou feed me for
the love of Allah Almighty?' But I answered, 'Not so, except thou
yield to me thy person.' And she entered my house and sat down.
Now I had no food ready; but, when the meat was dressed and I
laid it in a saucer, behold, the grace of Almighty Allah entered
into me and I said to myself, 'Out on thee! This woman, weak of
wit and faith, hath refrained from food till she can no longer,
for stress of hunger; and, while she refuseth time after time,
thou canst not forbear from disobedience to the Lord!' And I
said, 'O my God, I repent to Thee of that which my flesh
purposed!' Then I took the food and carrying it to her, said,
'Eat, for no harm shall betide thee: this is for the love of
Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory!' Then she raised her eyes
to heaven and said, 'O my God, if this man say sooth, I pray Thee
forbid fire to harm him in this world and the next, for Thou over
all things art Omnipotent and Prevalent in answering the prayer
of the penitent!' Then I left her and went to put out the fire in
the brasier.[FN#483] Now the season was winter and the weather
cold, and a live coal fell on my body: but by the decree of Allah
(to whom be Honour and Glory!) I felt no pain and it became my
conviction that her prayer had been answered. So I took the coal
in my hand, and it burnt me not; and going in to her, I said, 'Be
of good cheer, for Allah hath granted thy prayer!'"--And
Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her
permitted say.
When it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-third Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
blacksmith continued: "So I went in to her and said, 'Be of good
cheer, for Allah hath granted thy prayer!' Then she dropped the
morsel from her hand and said, 'O my God, now that Thou hast
shown me my desire of him and hast granted me my prayer for him,
take Thou my soul, for Thou over all things art Almighty!' And
straightway He took her soul to Him, the mercy of Allah be upon
her!" And the tongue of the case extemporised and spake on this
theme,
"She prayed: the Lord of grace her prayer obeyed; * And spared
the sinner, who for sin had prayed:
He showed her all she prayed Him to grant; * And Death (as prayed
she) her portion made:
Unto his door she came and prayed for food, * And sued his ruth
for what her misery made:
He leant to error following his lusts, * And hoped to enjoy her
as her wants persuade;
But he knew little of what Allah willed; * Nor was Repentance,
though unsought, denayed.
Fate comes to him who flies from Fate, O Lord, * And lot and
daily bread by Thee are weighed."
And they also tell of
