THE RIGHTEOUS WAZIR WRONGFULLY
GAOLED.[FN#331]
It is related that there was a King among the manifold Kings of
Al-Hind, and he had a Wazir which was a right good counsellor to
the realm and pitiful to the lieges and the Fakirs and merciful
to the miserable and just in all his dealings. Despite this the
Grandees of the kingdom hated him and envied him, and at all
times and seasons when he went forth the presence or returned to
his house, one of the Emirs would come forward and say to the
King, "O our lord, verily the Wazir doth of doings thus and
thus,"--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 Twenty-ninth 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 Lords
of the land, whenever the Wazir was absent traduced him and
maligned him in the presence of the Sultan, saying, "The Minister
doth such and such doings," and this continued for a while of
time. Now one day of the days, as the Sultan was sitting in his
palace behold, a running messenger came to him bearing letters
from sundry of the provinces which were in his reign imploring
help against their foemen's violence. "What may be done in this
case?" asked the Sultan, and his Nobles answered saying, "Send to
them the Wazir," but they spake not this speech save in their
resolve to ruin him and their determination to destroy him.
Hereupon the King sent for him and summoned him and commended him
to journey to the places in question; but those of whom the
complaints had been made threw dangers and difficulties in his
way. Said the Wazir, "Hearing and obeying;" and after preparing
himself for wayfare he set forth on his way. Now the Lords had
despatched letters to the province whither he intended, apprising
the folk of his coming, and saying to them, "Empower him not with
anything, and if you avail to work him aught of wrong, so do."
When the Wazir marched upon those places he was met by the people
with welcomes and deputations to receive him and offer him
presents and rarities and sumptuous gifts, and all who were
therein honoured him with highmost honour. Presently he sent for
their adversaries, and having brought them before him made peace
between the two parties, and their gladness increased and their
sadness ceased, and he tarried with them for a month full-told;
after which he set out on his homeward march. The Lords, however,
had reported all this to the King and they were right sore and
sorrowful, for that their desire had been the destruction of the
Minister. And one day of the days as the Wazir was sitting at
home, behold, a party of Chamberlains appeared before him and
summoned him to the presence, saying, "Arise, the King requireth
thee." He rose without stay or delay, and taking horse made for
the presence, and ceased not riding until he had reached the
palace and had gone in to the King, who forthright bade throw him
into gaol. (Now it happened that the prison had seven
doors.)[FN#332] Cried the Wazir, "There is no Majesty and there
is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great; and verily we
be Allah's and unto Him are we returning! Would I wot why and
wherefore the King hath confined me and for what cause; but
Omnipotence is Allah's." As soon as the Minister was quartered in
his new quarters the Sovran sent to interdict his eating any food
of **flesh-kind, allowing only bread and cheese and olives and
oil, and so left him in durance vile. Hereupon all the folk
applied them to addressing the King with petitions and to
interceding for the captive; but this was not possible; nay, the
Sultan's wrath waxed hotter nor did it soon cool, for the Wazir
abode in gaol during the longsome length of seven years. At last
one day of the days that Sultan went forth disguised in
Darwaysh-garb and toured about town unattended, and ceased not
walking until he reached and passed before the palace of the
Wazir, where he found a gathering of much folk, some sweeping and
others sprinkling water, and others spreading[FN#333], whilst the
Harem and household were in high glee and gladness. He stood
there amongst the spectators and presently asked what was doing,
and they informed him, saying, "The Wazir returneth from abroad
this night and folk have been informed by messenger that the
Sultan hath deigned restore him to favour and expressed himself
satisfied, so presently we shall see him once more at home."
"Praise be to Allah!" quoth the King in his mind; "by the
Almighty, this occurrence hath no cause, and how went the bruit
abroad that the King hath again accepted him? And now there is no
help but that I forgather with the Wazir and see what there may
be to do and how this occurred." The Sultan increased in
disquietude therefor, so he went and bought a somewhat of bread
and repairing to the gaol (he being still in Fakir's garb)
accosted the gaoler and said to him, "Allah upon thee, O my lord,
open to me the bridewell that I may enter and distribute this
provaunt among the prisoners, for that I have obliged myself to
such course by oath, and the cause is that when suffering from a
sickness which brought me nigh to death's door I vowed a vow and
sware a strong swear that, an Almighty Allah deign heal me, I
would buy somewhat of bread and dole it out to the inmates of the
gaol[FN#334]. So here am I come for such purpose." Upon this the
man opened to him the door and he went in and divided all the
bread amongst the captives yet he saw not the Wazir; so he said
to the gaoler, "Hath any one remained that I may dole to him his
share?" "O Darwaysh," said the other, "whereof askest thou?" and
said the Fakir, "O my lord, I have sworn an oath and Allah upon
thee, if there be among the captives any save these I have seen,
do thou tell me thereof." Quoth the man, "There remaineth none
save the Wazir who is in another place, but indeed he is not in
want;" and quoth the Fakir, "O my lord, my desire is to free
myself from the obligation of mine oath." Accordingly the gaoler
led him in to the Wazir and when the Darwaysh drew nigh the
visitor shrieked and fell fainting to the floor, and the warder
seeing him prostrate left him to himself and went his ways.
Hereupon the Minister came to him and sprinkling somewhat of
water upon his face said to him, "O Darwaysh, there is no harm to
thee!" So the Fakir arose and said, "O my lord, my heart hath
been upon thee for a while of time;"--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 Thirty-First 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 quoth the
Fakir to the Wazir, "By Allah, O my lord, my heart hath indeed
been with thee for this space of seven years; and often as I went
to thy mansion, they told me that the Sultan is wroth with the
Wazir; withal I still awaited for thee until this very day, when
I repaired to thy quarters according to my custom and I found in
thy house much folk, this sweeping and that sprinkling and that
spreading, and all were in joyous case. So I asked of the
by-standers and they informed me that the Sovran hath become
satisfied with thee and that on the ensuing night thou wilt hie
thee home for that this thy saying is soothfast."[FN#335] "O
Darwaysh," replied the other, " 'Tis true that I sent to my
household and informed them thereof, for that I have received
welcome news from an event befel me; so I bade apprise those at
home that the Sultan is satisfied with me; and to me, O Darwaysh,
hath betided a matter wondrous and an occurrence marvellous; were
it written with needle-gravers upon the eye-corners it had been a
warning to whoso would be warned." The Fakir asked, "And what may
be that?" and the other answered, "By Allah, O Darwaysh, the
while I was in the service of His Highness the King, I was a true
counsellor to him and pitiful to the lieges and I never deceived
him nor did I betray him at any time at all; and often as he sent
me to a place wherein were mutual strife and trouble and wrong
and tyranny, I smoothed matters and pacified the folk and righted
wrongs amongst them by the power of Almighty Allah. But one day
of the days, my mind was set upon riding out to the waste lands
about the town and the gardens thereof, by way of solacing my
self; so I embarked in a little caïque[FN#336] upon the river and
when we were amid stream I had a longing for coffee[FN#337]; so I
said to the boatman, 'Abide this place and throw out the anchor
while we drink coffee.' Hereat all my suite arose and busied
themselves in preparing it until 'twas ready and I had a
finján[FN#338] worth a treasury[FN#339] of money which they
filled and passed to me. I took it as I was sitting upon the
gunwale of the boat whence it dropped into the stream; and I was
sorely sorrowful therefor, because that cup was a souvenir.
Seeing this, all in the boat arose and sent for a diver who
asked, saying, 'In what place hath the finjan fallen that I may
seek it? and do ye inform me of its whereabouts.' So we sought
for a pebble in the caïque but we found none, and as I wore upon
my finger a signet ring which was worth two treasuries of money I
drew it off and cast it into the water crying, 'The cup fell from
me in this place.' But when the ducker saw me throw my ring he
said to me, 'Wherefore, O my lord, hast thou parted with thy
seal?' and said I to him, 'The deed is done.' Then he went down
and plunged into the deep for a while and behold he came up
grasping the cup, in the middle of which we saw the signet ring.
Now when this mighty great matter befel me, I said to myself, 'Ho
certain person, there remaineth upon this good luck no better
luck; and haply there will befal thee somewhat contrary to
this.'[FN#340] However those with me rejoiced at the finding of
my two losses, not did any fear therefrom my change of state and
downfall, but they wondered and said, 'By Allah, this is a rare
matter!' Then we went forward in the caïque until we had reached
the place intended, where we tarried the whole of that day and
presently returned home. But hardly was I settled and had I taken
seat in my home quarters when behold, a party of Chamberlains of
the King's suite came in to me and said, 'The Sultan requireth
thee!' Accordingly, I arose and mounted horse and rode on till I
had come to the palace and entered the presence; and I designed
to offer suit and service to the King as was my wont, when
suddenly he cried, 'Carry him away.' So they bore me off and
confined me in this place, after which the Sultan sent and
interdicted me from eating a tittle of flesh food, and here I am
after the space of seven years, O Darwaysh, still in the same
condition. Now on the morning of this day my stomach craved for
meat, so I said to the gaoler, 'O Such-and-such, 'tis now seven
years since I tasted flesh, so take this ashrafi and bring us an
ounce of meat.' He accepted the money saying, ' 'Tis well,' and
went forth from me and brought me my need."--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 Thirty-Third 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 Wazir continued to the Fakir, "Then, O Darwaysh, we
divided the meat (I and the gaoler) with our fingers, and we
washed it and set it upon the hearth, building a fire beneath it
until it was cooked, when we took it off, and after waiting
awhile dished it up and were about to eat it. But it happened to
be noon-tide, and the hour of incumbent orisons, so we said, 'Let
us pray our prayers;' and we arose and made the Wuzú-ablution,
and went through the mid-day devotions. After this we set the
plate before us; and I, removing its cover, put forth my hand to
take up a bit of meat, but as I took it, behold, a mouse passed
over that same morsel with its tail and paws[FN#341]. I cried,
'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah the
Glorious, the Great! I have divided this meat with my own hand
and have cooked it myself, so how could this matter have
occurred? How ever, Allah the Omniscient haply knoweth that the
stumbling stone hath been removed from my path,' and this I said,
for when I saw that mouse do on such wise I felt that glad news
and good tidings were coming from the Lord of the Heavens and the
Earth. So I sent to my home and informed them that the Sultan was
satisfied with me, for things when at their worst mend, and in
joyance end; and I opine, O Darwaysh, that all my troubles have
now ceased." Said to him the Fakir, "Alhamdolillah-- Glory be to
God--O my lord, who hath sent thee forerunners of welfare." Then
he arose from beside the Wazir, and went forth and ceased not
wending until he came to his palace where he doffed his disguise
and donned the garments of the Kings, and taking seat upon the
throne of his Kingship summoned the Wazir from his gaol in all
joy, and set him between his hands and gifted him with sumptuous
gifts. And all displeasure in the Sultan's heart being removed
from the Wazir he committed to him once more the management of
all his affairs[FN#342]. But when Ibn Ahyam (continued Shahrazad)
had ended his history of the Righteous Wazir he presently began
to tell the tale of
