A long time ago there was a mighty king of the Banu Sasan in the lands of India and China, and when he died, he left only two sons, one in the prime of manhood and other still a youth, both brave cavaliers. But the elder was an especially superb horseman, and he became the successor to the ruled the kingdom with such justice that he was beloved by all the poeple of his realm. His name was Shahryar and he appointed his younger brother Shah Zaman, king of Samarcan. In the years that followed, each brother was content to remain in his own kingdom, and each ruled with such equity and fairness that their subjects were extremely happy. Every thing continued like this for twenty years, but at the end of that time, Shahryar yearned to see His younger brother once more before he died.
So He asked His vezier whether He thought it would be a good idea to visit his brother, but the minister found such an undertaking inadvisable and recommended that he write his brother a letter of invitation and send him gifts under the vizier's charge. Therefore, the king immediately ordered generous gifts to be prepared, such as horses that had saddles lined with gold and jewells, mamlukes, beautiful maidens, high breasted virgines, and splendid and expensive cloth. He then wrote a letter to Shahzaman expressing his strong desire to see him, and he ended it with these words: "I, therefore, hope that my beloved brother will honor me with his visit, and I am sending my Vizier to make arrangements for the jouney. My one and only desire is to see you before I die. If you refuse my request, I shall not survive the blow. May peace be with you!" Then king Shahryar sealed the lettergave it to the Vizier, and urged him to do his utmost to return as soon as possible.
''Your wish is my command,'' said the vizier, who began making all the preparation without delay. All this work occupied him three days, and on the dawn of the fourth he took leave of his king and journeyed over hills, deserts, and pleasant valleys without stopping night or day. Of course, whenever he entered a realm whose lord was under the rule of King Shahryar, he would be greeted with magnificent gifts and all kinds of fair and rare presents and he would be obliged to stay there for three days, the customary term for the ritual to honor guests. And when he left on the fourth, he would be honorable escorted for one whole day to speed him on his way.
As soon as the vizier drew near Shahzaman's court in Samarcan, he sent one of his high officials ahead to announce his arrival. This courier presented himself before the king, kissed the ground, and delivered his message. Thereupon, the king commanded various nobles and lords of his realm to go forth and meet his brother's vizier a good day's journey from his court. After they encountered him, they greeted him respectfully and formed an escort party. When the vizier entered the city he proceeded straight to the palace where he kissed the ground and prayed for the king's health and happiness and victory over his enemies. Then he informed the king that his brother was yearning to see him and presented the letter which Shahzaman took from his hand and read. When the king fully comprehended its importance, he said, ''I can't refuse the wishes of my brother, however we shall not depart until we have honored my brother's vizier with days hospitality.''
Shahzaman assigned suitable quarters in palace for the minister and he ordered tents pitched for the troops and gave them rations of meat, drink and other necessities. On the fourth day he prepared himself for the trip gathered together some sumptuous presents befitting his elder brother's majesty, and appointed his chief vizier to be viceroy of the land during his absence. Then he ordered his tents, camels, and mules to the brought forth and he set up camp with their bales and loads, attendants and guards within site of the city in order to set out early the next morning.
It so happened, however, that in the middle of night he suddenly remembered he had forgotten a gift in his palace that he wanted to take to his brother. So he returned alone and entered his private chambers, where he found the queen, his wife, asleep on his own couch, and in her arms she held a black cook with crude features, smeared with kitchen grease and grime. When he saw this, the world turned dark before his eyes, and he said, "if this is what happens while i am still with in site of the city, what will this damned whore do during my long absence at my brother's court?" So he scimitar and cut the two in four pieces with a single blow, and left them on the couch. Soon thereafter he returned to his camp without letting anyone know what had happened. Then he gave orders for immediate departure and set out on his trip. Nevertheless, he could not help thinking about his wife's betrayal, and he kept saying to himself over and over, "how could she have done to me? how could she brought about her own death?"
Until excessive grief seized him. His color changed to yellow, his body grew weak, and he appeared to be on the verge of death. So the vizier had to shorten the stages of the journey and remained longer at the watering places in order to take care of the king.
Now, when Shahzaman finally approached his brother's capital, he sent messengers to announce his arrival, and Shahryar came forth to meet him with the viziers, emirs, lords, and nobles of his realm. After saluting him, he was overcome with joy and ordered the city to be decorated in his honour. At the same time, however, Shahryar could not help but see how poor his brother's health was, and he asked him what had happened.
"It's due to the long, hard journey," replied Shahzaman, "and I will need some care, for I will suffered from the change of water and air. But Allah be praised for reuniting me with beloved brother!"
Then the two entered in all honour and Shahryar lodged his brother in his palace overlooking the garden. After sometime had passed, king Shahryar noticed that his brother's condition was still was unchanged and he attributed it to his separation from his country. So he let him do as he pleased and asked him no question until one day when he said, "my brother, I can't help noticing that you've grown weaker and paler that you were before before."
"I am sick in my heart," he replied, but he would not tell Shahryar about his wife and all that he had seen.
Thereupon Shahryar summoned doctors and Surgeons and asked them to treat his brother to the best of their ability, which they did for the whole month, but their positions had not effect, for he dwelled upon his wife's treachery. Indeed, he became more and more despondent, and even the use of leeches failed to change his mood. One day his elder brother said to him,"I have decided to go on a hunting expedition. Perhaps you,d feel better if you joined me,"
However, Shahzaman declined and said, "I am not in the mood for anything like this, and I beseech you to let me stay quietly in the palace, for I can't seem to get over this sickness."
So, King Shahzaman spent the night in the palace by himself. The next morning, after his brother had departed he left his room and sat down at one of the lattice windows overlooking the garden. There he rested a while and became steeped in sad thoughts about his wife's betrayal, occasionally uttering sighs of grief. Now, as he was moaning and torturing himself, a secret door to the garden swung open, and out came twenty slave girls surrounding his brother's wife, who was marvelously beautiful and moved about with the grace of gazely in search of cool stream. Shahzaman drew back from the Window but he kept the group insight from a place where they could not spot him, even though they walked under the very window where he had stationed himself. As they advanced into the garden, they came to the jetting fountain amidst a great basin of water. Then they stripped off their clothes, and Shahzaman suddenly realized 10 of them were women, concubines of the king and the other 10 were white slaves. After they all paired off, the queen was left alone, but she soon cried out in loud voice, "come to me right now, my lord Saeed!" and all of a sudden a big slobbering blackamoor with rolling eyes lept from one of the trees. It was truly a hiddous sight. He rushed up to her and threw his arms around her neck,While she embraced him just as warmly. Then he mounted her, and winding his legs around hers, as a button loop clasps a button, he tossed her to the ground and enjoyed her. The other slaves did the same with the girls until they had all satisfied their passion, and they did not stop kissing, coupling, and carousing until the day began to vane. When the memlukes rose from the bosoms of the maidens and the blackamoor slave let go off the queen, the men resumed their disguises, and all accept the negro who climbed up the tree, left the garden via the secret door and re-entered the palace.
Now, after Shahzaman had witnessed this spectacle, he said to himself, "by Allah, my misfortune is nothing compared to my brother's! Though he may be a greater king among kings than I am, he does not even realize this kind of perfidious behavior is going on in his very own palace and his wife is in love with the filthiest of fifty slaves. This only proves that all women will make cuckold out of their husbands when given the chance will, then, let the curse of Allah fall upon one and all and upon fools who needed supports of their wives or who place the reins of conduct in their hands!" so, he cast aside his melancholy and no longer had regrets about he had done. Moreover, constantly repeated his words to himself to minimise his sorrow and added, "no man in this world is safe from the malice of woman!" ...........
''Your wish is my command,'' said the vizier, who began making all the preparation without delay. All this work occupied him three days, and on the dawn of the fourth he took leave of his king and journeyed over hills, deserts, and pleasant valleys without stopping night or day. Of course, whenever he entered a realm whose lord was under the rule of King Shahryar, he would be greeted with magnificent gifts and all kinds of fair and rare presents and he would be obliged to stay there for three days, the customary term for the ritual to honor guests. And when he left on the fourth, he would be honorable escorted for one whole day to speed him on his way.
As soon as the vizier drew near Shahzaman's court in Samarcan, he sent one of his high officials ahead to announce his arrival. This courier presented himself before the king, kissed the ground, and delivered his message. Thereupon, the king commanded various nobles and lords of his realm to go forth and meet his brother's vizier a good day's journey from his court. After they encountered him, they greeted him respectfully and formed an escort party. When the vizier entered the city he proceeded straight to the palace where he kissed the ground and prayed for the king's health and happiness and victory over his enemies. Then he informed the king that his brother was yearning to see him and presented the letter which Shahzaman took from his hand and read. When the king fully comprehended its importance, he said, ''I can't refuse the wishes of my brother, however we shall not depart until we have honored my brother's vizier with days hospitality.''
Shahzaman assigned suitable quarters in palace for the minister and he ordered tents pitched for the troops and gave them rations of meat, drink and other necessities. On the fourth day he prepared himself for the trip gathered together some sumptuous presents befitting his elder brother's majesty, and appointed his chief vizier to be viceroy of the land during his absence. Then he ordered his tents, camels, and mules to the brought forth and he set up camp with their bales and loads, attendants and guards within site of the city in order to set out early the next morning.
It so happened, however, that in the middle of night he suddenly remembered he had forgotten a gift in his palace that he wanted to take to his brother. So he returned alone and entered his private chambers, where he found the queen, his wife, asleep on his own couch, and in her arms she held a black cook with crude features, smeared with kitchen grease and grime. When he saw this, the world turned dark before his eyes, and he said, "if this is what happens while i am still with in site of the city, what will this damned whore do during my long absence at my brother's court?" So he scimitar and cut the two in four pieces with a single blow, and left them on the couch. Soon thereafter he returned to his camp without letting anyone know what had happened. Then he gave orders for immediate departure and set out on his trip. Nevertheless, he could not help thinking about his wife's betrayal, and he kept saying to himself over and over, "how could she have done to me? how could she brought about her own death?"
Until excessive grief seized him. His color changed to yellow, his body grew weak, and he appeared to be on the verge of death. So the vizier had to shorten the stages of the journey and remained longer at the watering places in order to take care of the king.
Now, when Shahzaman finally approached his brother's capital, he sent messengers to announce his arrival, and Shahryar came forth to meet him with the viziers, emirs, lords, and nobles of his realm. After saluting him, he was overcome with joy and ordered the city to be decorated in his honour. At the same time, however, Shahryar could not help but see how poor his brother's health was, and he asked him what had happened.
"It's due to the long, hard journey," replied Shahzaman, "and I will need some care, for I will suffered from the change of water and air. But Allah be praised for reuniting me with beloved brother!"
Then the two entered in all honour and Shahryar lodged his brother in his palace overlooking the garden. After sometime had passed, king Shahryar noticed that his brother's condition was still was unchanged and he attributed it to his separation from his country. So he let him do as he pleased and asked him no question until one day when he said, "my brother, I can't help noticing that you've grown weaker and paler that you were before before."
"I am sick in my heart," he replied, but he would not tell Shahryar about his wife and all that he had seen.
Thereupon Shahryar summoned doctors and Surgeons and asked them to treat his brother to the best of their ability, which they did for the whole month, but their positions had not effect, for he dwelled upon his wife's treachery. Indeed, he became more and more despondent, and even the use of leeches failed to change his mood. One day his elder brother said to him,"I have decided to go on a hunting expedition. Perhaps you,d feel better if you joined me,"
However, Shahzaman declined and said, "I am not in the mood for anything like this, and I beseech you to let me stay quietly in the palace, for I can't seem to get over this sickness."
So, King Shahzaman spent the night in the palace by himself. The next morning, after his brother had departed he left his room and sat down at one of the lattice windows overlooking the garden. There he rested a while and became steeped in sad thoughts about his wife's betrayal, occasionally uttering sighs of grief. Now, as he was moaning and torturing himself, a secret door to the garden swung open, and out came twenty slave girls surrounding his brother's wife, who was marvelously beautiful and moved about with the grace of gazely in search of cool stream. Shahzaman drew back from the Window but he kept the group insight from a place where they could not spot him, even though they walked under the very window where he had stationed himself. As they advanced into the garden, they came to the jetting fountain amidst a great basin of water. Then they stripped off their clothes, and Shahzaman suddenly realized 10 of them were women, concubines of the king and the other 10 were white slaves. After they all paired off, the queen was left alone, but she soon cried out in loud voice, "come to me right now, my lord Saeed!" and all of a sudden a big slobbering blackamoor with rolling eyes lept from one of the trees. It was truly a hiddous sight. He rushed up to her and threw his arms around her neck,While she embraced him just as warmly. Then he mounted her, and winding his legs around hers, as a button loop clasps a button, he tossed her to the ground and enjoyed her. The other slaves did the same with the girls until they had all satisfied their passion, and they did not stop kissing, coupling, and carousing until the day began to vane. When the memlukes rose from the bosoms of the maidens and the blackamoor slave let go off the queen, the men resumed their disguises, and all accept the negro who climbed up the tree, left the garden via the secret door and re-entered the palace.
Now, after Shahzaman had witnessed this spectacle, he said to himself, "by Allah, my misfortune is nothing compared to my brother's! Though he may be a greater king among kings than I am, he does not even realize this kind of perfidious behavior is going on in his very own palace and his wife is in love with the filthiest of fifty slaves. This only proves that all women will make cuckold out of their husbands when given the chance will, then, let the curse of Allah fall upon one and all and upon fools who needed supports of their wives or who place the reins of conduct in their hands!" so, he cast aside his melancholy and no longer had regrets about he had done. Moreover, constantly repeated his words to himself to minimise his sorrow and added, "no man in this world is safe from the malice of woman!" ...........
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