Thousand & One Nights: 46th Night: Tale by Second dervish contd

Baghdad house of three beautiful and independent girls. One girl commissioned a porter to carry her provisions and other goods to their house. After accomplishing his job and taking his payment he was reluctant to leave the house. He wanted to stay there and enjoy. The girls tell him that no entertainment is without any reward. But the girl who commissioned him to carry their goods said that he had already given his reward by carrying their goods. The others agreed, and he was permitted to stay. Later, three dervishes came and sought shelter for the night. Afterwards Harun Al Rashid and his vizier and executioner all in disguise came and shelter for the night. 

The girls gave them shelter with the condition that they should not interfere in the affairs of the house. This condition was broken, and seven black men came to punish the seven guests. Terrified, all of them sought a reprieve. The girls asked them to narrate how they happened to enter the house. The porter and the first dervish narrated their story. They were allowed to leave. But they wanted to hear the narratives of others.

The second dervish happened to sleep with a beautiful woman in the custody of a demon. The demon came to know of this, and had been questioning both.

The second dervish continues his story: 

When I took the sword and went upto her, she winked at me, meaning, "Bravo! This is how you repay me!" I understood her look and pledged with my eyes, "I will give my life for you." We stood for a while, exchanging looks, as if to say:

Many a lover his beloved tells
With his eyes what is in his heart.
I know what has befallen
With a glance thoughts conveyed
His looks write his message
Her eyes read what he wrote.
I threw the sword away, stepped forward, and said, "If a thoughtless and perplexed woman refuses to strike off the head of a man she does not know, how can I, a man strike off the head of a woman I don't know?"

The demon replied, "You two are conniving against me, but I am going to show you the result of your misdeeds." He took the sword and struck the girl severing her arm from her shoulder, and sending it flying. Then he struck again and severed the other arm. She looked at me, and with a glance bade me goodbye.

O lady, at that moment I longed for death, and I fell into swoon. "This is the punishment of those who deceive," said the Demon turning to me, "if a wife deceives her husband she is no more her wife. He must kill her and get rid of her. I snatched this woman on her wedding night. She was only twelve then. As for you I am not sure whether you are guilty. But I cannot let you go unharmed. Tell me into what animal you wish me to turn you with my magic, a dog, an ass, or a lion.

I hoped that he might spare me. I replied, "It is more befitting to you to pardon me, even as the envied pardon the envier."

The demon asked, "How was that?" I began to tell him the tale of The Envious and the Envied.




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