Thousand & One Nights: 52nd Night

The king's daughter implored, "The Fire! The Fire! 
The king said, "I am afraid, I would too perish. Look at the servant, she is no more. And this young man lost an eye." He wept. I also wept.

The girl implored again, "The Fire! The Fire!" A spark shot at her legs  and burned them, and flew to her thighs, then to her bosom, while she crept crying out, "The Fire! The Fire!" until all of her body burned to a heap of ashes. I grieved very much at her plight. Her father, the grieved very much. The statesmen and the servent came in. The statesmen and the servants mourned for seven days over the death of their princess. A vaulted tomb was built over her ashes. 

The king lay ill for a full month. After his recovery, he summoned me. He said, "Young man, listen to me. We were very happy until you came. You are the cause of my misfortune. I lost my daughter only because of you. You must leave this city."

I was dumbfounded. Deaf and dumb to everything. His words came, "Depart in peace. If ever I see you again, I will kill you."

I left him without a word. I left the city after my bath. The following verses came out of me:

Lord of Mercy, I stand perplexed.
Whence came my misfortunes.

I journeyed without any destination, these journeys and the people I met gave me a particular destination: Baghdad. Someone would help me take to the presence of Harun Al Rashid where I could submit my tale of misfortune. Here I met these two strangers. When the night fell we came to this house for a shelter. I have already presented my case of losing my eye and eyebrows.

The girl said, "Stroke your head and go."

He said, "I will not go until I hear the tales of others"

End of the Night 







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