THE THREE PRINCES OF CHINA.[FN#303]
Whilome there was a King in the land of Al-Sín and he had three
male children to whose mother befel a mysterious malady. So they
summoned for her Sages and leaches of whom none could understand
her ailment and she abode for a while of time strown upon her
couch. At last came a learned physician to whom they described
her disorder and he declared, "Indeed this sickness cannot be
healed save and except by the Water of Life, a treasure that can
be trove only in the land Al-'Irák." When her sons heard these
words they said to their sire, "There is no help but that we make
our best endeavour and fare thither and thence bring for our
mother the water in question." Hereupon the King gat ready for
them a sufficiency of provaunt for the way and they farewelled
him and set forth intending for Barbarian-land.[FN#304] The three
Princes ceased not travelling together for seven days, at the end
of which time one said to other, "Let us separate and let each
make search in a different stead, so haply shall we hit upon our
need." So speaking they parted after dividing their viaticum and,
bidding adieu to one another, each went his own way. Now the
eldest Prince ceased not wending over the wastes and none
directed him to a town save after a while when his victual was
exhausted and he had naught remaining to eat. At that time he
drew near to one of the cities where he was met at the entrance
by a Jewish man who asked him saying, "Wilt thou serve, O
Moslem?" Quoth the youth to himself, "I will take service and
haply Allah shall discover to me my need." Then said he aloud, "I
will engage myself to thee;" and said the Jew, "Every day thou
shalt serve me in yonder Synagogue, whose floor thou shalt sweep
and clean its mattings and rugs and thou shalt scour the
candlesticks." "‘Tis well," replied the Prince, after which he
fell to serving in the Jew's house, until one day of the days
when his employer said to him, "O Youth, I will bargain with thee
a bargain." "And what may that be?" asked the young Prince, and
the man answered, "I will condition with thee for thy daily food
a scone and a half but the broken loaf thou shalt not devour nor
shalt thou break the whole bread; yet do thou eat thy sufficiency
and whoso doth contrary to our agreement we will flay[FN#305] his
face. So, an it be thy desire to serve, thou art welcome." Now of
his inexperience the Prince said to him, "We will serve thee;"
whereupon his employer rationed him with a scone and a half and
went forth leaving him in the Synagogue. When it was noon the
youth waxed anhungered so he ate the loaf and a half; and about
mid-afternoon the Jew came to him and finding that he had
devoured the bread asked him thereanent and the other answered,
"I was hungry and I ate up all." Cried the Jew, "I made compact
with thee from the beginning that thou shouldst eat neither the
whole nor the broken," and so saying he fared forth from him and
presently brought a party of Jews, who in that town numbered some
fifty head, and they seized the youth and slew him and bundling
up the body in a mat[FN#306] set it in a corner of the synagogue.
Such was his case; but as regards the Cadet Prince, he ceased not
wayfaring and wending from town to town until Fate at last threw
him into the same place where his brother had been slain and
perchance as he entered it he found the same Jew standing at the
Synagogue-door. The man asked him, "Wilt thou serve, O Moslem?"
and as the youth answered "Yea verily," he led the new comer to
his quarters. After this the Jew had patience for the first day
and the second day--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of
day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O
sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And
where is this compared with that I would relate to you on the
coming night an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was
the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Eleventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is which is
benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that
the King's son tarried with the Jewish man the first day and the
second day, after which his employer did with him even as he had
done by his brother before him; to wit, he slew him and wrapping
him in a mat placed his corpse beside that of the eldest Prince.
On this wise it happed to these twain; but as regards the
youngest of the three, he ceased not travelling from town to town
and enduring excessive fatigue and hunger and nakedness until by
decree of Destiny and by determination of the Predestinator he
was thrown into the hands of the same Jew whom he found standing
at the Synagogue-door. Here the man accosted him, saying, "Wilt
thou serve, O Moslem?" and the Youth agreeing he imposed upon him
the same pact which he had made with his two brothers, and the
Prince said "'Tis well, O Master." Then quoth the Jew, "Do thou
sweep the Synagogue and cleanse it and shake out the mats and
rugs;" and quoth the other, "Good!" But when the Prince left him
and went into the building, his glance fell upon the two bundles
of matting wherein were wrapped the corpses of his brothers, so
he drew near to them and, raising a corner of the covering, found
the bodies stinking and rotten. Hereat he arose and fared forth
the Synagogue and opening a pit in the ground took up his
brothers (and he sorrowing over them and weeping) and buried
them. Then he returned to the building and, rolling up the mats,
heaped them together and so with the rugs, after which he built a
fire under them until the whole were burnt and after he took down
the candlesticks one and all and brake them to bits. Now when it
was mid-afternoon behold, the Jew came to the Synagogue and found
a bonfire and all the furniture thereof lying in ashes and when
he saw this he buffeted his face and cried, "Wherefore, O Moslem,
hast thou done on such wise?" Replied the youth, "Thou hast
defrauded me, O Master," and rejoined the Jew, "I have not
cheated thee of aught. However, O Moslem, hie thee home and bid
thy mistress slaughter a meat-offering and cook it and do thou
bring it hither forthright." "‘Tis well, O my Master," said the
Prince. Now the Jew had two boy children in whom he delighted and
the youth going to his house knocked at the door which was opened
to him by the Jewess and she asked, "What needest thou?" Quoth
the Prince to the Jew's wife, "O my mistress, my master hath sent
me to thee saying, 'Do thou slaughter the two lambs that are with
thee and fifty chickens and an hundred pair[FN#307] of pigeons,'
for all the masters are with him in the Synagogue and 'tis his
desire to circumcise the boys."[FN#308] The Jew's wife replied to
him, "And who shall slaughter me all this?" when he rejoined, "I
will." So she brought out to him the lambs and the chickens and
the pigeons and he cut the throats of all. The Jewess hereupon
arose and cried upon her neighbours to aid her in the cooking
until the meats were well done and all were dished up. Then the
youth hending the ten porcelain plates in hand went with them to
a house in the Ghetto[FN#309] and rapped at the door and said,
"My Master hath sent all these to you." Meanwhile the Jew was in
the Synagogue unknowing of such doings; and as the Prince was
setting down the last of the plates which he carried with him,
behold! the Jew came to that house because he had noticed his
servant's absence, so he repaired thither to see concerning the
business of the meat offering wherewith he had charged him. He
found his home in a state of pother and up-take and down-set and
he asked the folk, "What is the matter?" They related the whole
to him and said, "Thou sentest to demand such-and-such," and when
he heard this case he beat his face with his brogue[FN#310]--And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
would relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to
survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Twelfth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale, that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night." She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that, when the
Jew came to his home and looked around, he found it in the
condition which the youth had contrived, so he beat his face with
his brogue and cried, "O the ruin of my house!" Suddenly the
prince entered and his employer asked him "Wherefore doest thou
on such wise, O Moslem?" Answered the youth, "Verily thou hast
defrauded me," and rejoined the other, "No; I have not cheated
thee on any wise." Then said the Jew in his mind:--"Needs must I
set a snare for this youth and slay him;" so he went in to his
wife and said, "Spread for us our beds upon the terrace-roof; and
we will take thereto the young Moslem, our servant, and cause him
lie upon the edge, and when he is drowned in slumber we will push
him between us and roll him along the floor till he fall down
from the terrace and break to bits his neck." Now by fiat of Fate
the youth was standing and overhearing[FN#311] their words. As
soon as it was night-time the woman arose and spread the beds
upon the roof according as her husband had charged her do; but
about midafternoon the Prince bought him half a pound of filberts
and placed them with all care and circumspection in his
breast-pocket. Presently the Jew said to him, "O Moslem, we
design to sleep in the open air, for the weather is now summery;"
and said he, "'Tis well, O my Master." Hereupon the Jew and the
Jewess and the children and the Prince their servant went up to
the roof and the first who lay him down was the house-master,
placing his wife and children beside him. Then said he to the
youth, "Do thou sleep here upon the side,"[FN#312] when the
Prince brought the filberts out of his breast-pocket and cracked
them with his teeth, and as often as they repeated to him,
"Arise, O Moslem, and take thy place on the couch," he answered
them, "Whenas I shall have eaten these filberts." He ceased not
watching them till all had lain down and were fast asleep, when
he took his place on the bed between the mother and the two boys.
Presently the Jew awoke, and thinking that the youth was sleeping
on the edge, he pushed his wife, and his wife pushed the servant,
and the servant pushed the children towards the terrace-marge,
and both the little ones fell over and their brain-pans[FN#313]
were broken and they died. The Jew hearing the noise of the fall
fancied that none had tumbled save his servant the young Moslem;
so he rose in joy and awoke his wife saying, "Indeed the youth
hath rolled off the terrace-roof and hath been killed." Hereat
the woman sat up, and not finding her boys beside her, whilst the
Prince still lay there she wailed and shrieked and buffeted her
cheeks, and cried to her husband, "Verily none hath fallen save
the children." Hereat he jumped up and attempted to cast the
youth from the roof; but he, swiftlier than the lightning, sprang
to his feet and shouted at the Jew and filled him with fear,
after which he stabbed him with a knife which was handy, and the
other fell down killed and drowned in the blood he had spilled.
Now the Jew's wife was a model of beauty and of loveliness and
stature and perfect grace, and when the King's son turned upon
her and designed to slay her, she fell at his feet, and kissing
them, placed herself under his protection. Hereupon the youth
left her alive, saying to himself, "This be a woman and indeed
she must not be mishandled;"[FN#314] and the Jewess asked him, "O
my lord, what is the cause of thy doing on this wise? At first
thou camest to me and toldest me the untruth, such-and-such
falsehoods, and secondly, thou wroughtest for the slaughter of my
husband and children." Answered he, "In truth thy man slew my two
brothers wrongously and causelessly!" Now when the Jewess heard
of this deed she enquired of him, "And art thou their very
brother?" and he replied, "In good sooth they were my brethren;"
after which he related to her the reason of their faring from
their father to seek the Water of Life for their mother's use.
Hereat she cried, "By Allah, O my lord, the wrong was with my
mate and not with thee; but the Decreed chevisance doth need, nor
is there flight from it indeed; so do thou abide content.
However, as regards the Water in question, it is here ready
beside me, and if thou wilt carry me along with thee to thy
country I will give thee that same, which otherwise I will
withhold from thee; and haply my wending with thee may bring thee
to fair end." Quoth the Prince in his mind, "Take her with thee
and peradventure she shall guide thee to somewhat of good:" and
thereupon promised to bear her away. So she arose and led him
into a closet where she showed him all the hoards of the Jew,
ready moneys and jewellery and furniture and raiment; and
everything that was with her of riches and resources she
committed to the young Prince, amongst these being the Water of
life. So they bore away the whole of that treasure and he also
carried off the Jewess, who was beautiful exceedingly, none being
her peer in that day. Then they crossed the wilds and the wastes,
intending for the land of Al-Sín, and they persevered for a while
of time.--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day, and
fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her
sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister
mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night
an the Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next
night and that was
The Seven Hundred and Fourteenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the young
Prince ceased not wayfaring until the twain drew near to the
capital of China[FN#315] where, by the fiat of Fate and the
sealed decree of Destiny, on entering the walls he found that his
father had fared to the mercy of Allah Almighty, and that the
city, being Kingless, had become like unto a flock of sheep
lacking shepherd. Moreover he was certified that the Lords of his
father's land and the Grandees of the realm and all the heges
were in the uttermost confusion. He went up to the palace and
forgathered with his mother, and seeing that she had not been
healed of her sickness, he brought her out the Water of Life and
gave her to drink some little thereof whereby health returned to
her and she rose from her couch and took seat and salam'd to him
and asked concerning his brethren. However he concealed his
secret thereanent fearing lest it induce in her weakly state a
fresh attack and discovered to her naught but said, "Verily, we
parted at such a place in order to seek the Water of Life." Then
she looked upon his companion the Jewess (and she cast in the
mould of loveliness) and she questioned him concerning the woman
and he recounted to her the whole affair, first and last, still
concealing for the reason aforesaid, the fate of his brothers.
Now on the second day the bruit went abroad throughout the city
that the King's son had returned; so the Wazirs and Emirs and the
Lords of the land and all who had their share in governance
forgathered with him and they set him as King and Sultan in the
stead of his sire. He took seat on the throne of his Kingship and
bade and forbade and raised and deposed and so tarried for a
while of time, until one day of the days when he determined to
enjoy the hunt and chase and divert himself in pleasurable
case.[FN#316] So he and his host rode forth the city when his
glance fell upon a Badawi girl who was standing with the Shaykh
her father considering his retinue; and the age of the maiden
might have mastered thirteen years. But as soon as the King
looked upon the girl love of her upon his heart alighted, and he
was thereby engrossed, for she was perfect in beauty and
comeliness. Hereupon he returned to his palace and sending for
her father asked her of him in marriage; the Shaykh, however,
answered saying, "O our lord the Sultan, I will not give up my
daughter save to one who hath a handicraft of his own,[FN#317]
for verily trade is a defence against poverty and folk say,
'Handicraft an it enrich not still it veileth.'"[FN#318] Hereupon
the King took thought in himself and said to the Shaykh, "O Man,
I am Sovran and Sultan and with me is abundant good;" but the
other replied, "O King of the Age, in King-craft there is no
trust." However, of his exceeding love to the girl the Sultan
presently summoned the Shaykh of the Mat-makers and learnt from
him the craft of plaiting and he wove these articles of various
colours both plain and striped.[FN#319] After this he sent for
the father of the damsel and recounted to him what he had done
and the Shaykh said to him "O King of the Age, my daughter is in
poor case and you are King and haply from some matter may befal a
serious matter; moreover the lieges may say, 'Our King hath wived
with a Badawi girl.'" "O Shaykh," replied the King, "all men are
the sons of Adam and Eve." Hereupon the Badawi granted to him his
daughter and got ready her requisites in the shortest possible
time and when the marriage-tie was tied the King went in unto her
and found her like unto a pearl.[FN#320] So he rejoiced in her
and felt his heart at rest and after tarrying with her a
full-told year, one chance day of the days he determined to go
forth in disguise and to wander about town and solace himself
with its spectacles alone and unattended. So he went into the
vestiary where the garments were kept and doffing his dress
donned a garb which converted him into a Darwaysh. After this he
fared forth in early morning to stroll around the streets and
enjoy the sights of the highways and markets, yet he knew not
what was hidden from him in the World of the Future. Now when it
was noon-tide he entered a street which set off from the Bazar
and yet was no thoroughfare,[FN#321] and this he followed up
until he reached the head and end, where stood a cook[FN#322]
making Kabábs. So he said to himself, "Enter yon shop and dine
therein." He did so and was met by sundry shopmen who seeing him
in Darwaysh's garb welcomed him and greeted him and led him
within, when he said to them, "I want a dinner." "Upon the head
and the eyes be it," they replied, and conducting him into a room
within the shop showed him another till he came to the place
intended, when they said to him, "Enter herein, O my lord." So he
pushed open the door and finding in the closet a matting and a
prayer-rug[FN#323] spread thereupon he said to himself, "By
Allah, this is indeed a secret spot, well concealed from the eyes
of folk." Then he went up to the prayer-rug and would have sat
down upon it after pulling off his papooshes, but hardly had he
settled himself in his seat when he fell through the floor for a
depth of ten fathoms. And while falling he cried out, "Save me, O
God the Saviour;" for now he knew that the people of that place
only pretended to make Kababs and they had digged a pit within
their premises. Also he was certified that each and every who
came in asking for dinner were led to that place where they found
the prayer-rug bespread and supposed that it was set therein for
the use of the diners. But when the Sultan fell from his seat
into the souterrain, he was followed by the thieves who designed
to murther him and to carry off his clothes, even as they had
done to many others.--And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of
day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister
mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is
this compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night
an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night
and that was
The Seven Hundred and Sixteenth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that when the
King fell into the pit (and he disguised in Darwaysh-garb) the
thieves sought to slay him and carry off his clothes, when quoth
he to them, "Wherefore kill me when my garments are not worth a
thousand groats[FN#324] and I own not a single one? However, I
have at hand a handicraft whereat I am ready to work sitting in
this pit and do you take and sell my produce for a thousand
faddahs; and every day I will labour for you, finishing one and
requiring naught save my meat and drink and perpetual privacy in
your quarters." "At what craft art thou crafty?" asked they, and
he answered, "At mat-weaving: so do ye bring me a piastre[FN#325]
worth of rushes[FN#326] and the same of yarn." Accordingly they
fared forth and fetched him his need and presently he made a mat
and said to them, "Take ye this and sell it not for less than a
thousand faddahs." They hied out and carried the work to the
Bazar where, as soon as the folk caught sight thereof, they
crowded about the seller, each man offering more until the price
had risen to a thousand and two hundred silvern nusfs. Hereupon
said the thieves to themselves, "By Allah, this Darwaysh can
profit us with much profit and enrich us without other trade;" so
every morning for ten days they brought him rushes and yarn and
he wove for them a mat which they vended for a like sum. On this
wise it happened to him; but as regards the Wazirs and Emirs and
lords of the land, they went up to the Council-chamber[FN#327]
for the first day and the second and the third until the week was
ended and they awaited the coming of their King, but he came not,
neither found they any tidings nor hit they upon any manifest
traces and none knew whither he had wended. So they were sore
exercised and confusion befel with much tittle-tattle of folk;
each one said his own say nor were they guided by any to what
they should do. Furthermore, as often as they asked of the Harem
they were answered, "We have no tidings of him;" so they were
perplext and at last they agreed, their King being clean lost, to
set up a Sultan as his successor. However the Wazirs said, "Tarry
ye until Allah shall open unto us a door whereby we shall be
rightly directed to him." Now the King had required from the
people of the pit rushes of various colours, red and green, and
when they fetched them he fell to weaving a mat like those of the
striped sort, whereon he figured by marks and signs the name of
the quarter wherein he was gaoled[FN#328] and discovered to his
men the way thereto and the site itself; after which he said to
the thieves, "Verily this mat misfitteth every save those in the
Royal Palace and its price is seven thousand faddahs. Do you take
it and hie with it to the Sultan who shall buy it of you and pay
you the price." They obeyed his bidding and wending to the palace
of the Grand Wazir found him sitting with the Lords of the land
and with the Nobles of the realm talking over the matter of the
King when behold, those who brought the mat entered into his
presence. Quoth the Minister, "What be that which is with you?"
and quoth they, "A mat!" whereupon he bade them unroll it and
they did so before him; and he, being sagacious, experienced in
all affairs, looked thereat and fell to examining the bundle and
turning it about, and considering it until suddenly he espied
signs thereupon figured. He at once understood what they meant
and he was rightly directed to the place where the King was
confined; so he arose without delay and after ordering them to
seize those who had brought the mat took with him a party and
went forth, he and they, after mastering the marks which were
upon the weft. He ceased not wending (and the people of the pit
with him under arrest) until such time as he arrived at the
place. Here they went in and opened the souterrain and brought
out the King who was still in Darwaysh garb. Presently the Wazir
sent for the Linkman and when he appeared they seized all who
were in that place and struck off their heads; but as for the
women they put them into large sacks[FN#329] of camel's hair and
drowned them in the river: furthermore, they spoiled all that was
on that site and the Sultan gave orders to raze the house until
it became level with the ground. When all this had been done they
questioned the Sultan concerning the cause of that event and he
informed them of what had befallen him from incept to conclusion
and lastly he cried, "Walláhi! the cause of my escape from this
danger was naught save the handicraft which I learnt; to wit, the
making of mats, and the Almighty requite with welfare him who
taught me because he was the means of my release; and, but for my
learning this trade, ye had never known the way to discover me,
seeing that Allah maketh for every effect a cause." And having on
such wise ended this tale Ibn Ahyam[FN#330] fell to relating to
the King the history of
