Classics Retold

Ninety seventh night Shahrazad said: I heard O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: Badr al-Din's mother said, "None has cooked this food, but my son Badr al-Din, for none knows as well as he." When the vizier heard her words he rejoiced and said, "Alas for you, my nephew! I wonder whether God will ever reunite us with you!" Then he rose at once, and called out his followers, attendants, slaves, camel drivers and porters, about fifty in all, and they came with sticks, clubs, and the like. He said, "Go to cook's shop and demolish it by breaking everything, even the pots and dishes. Then tie him with his turban and bring him here. But none of you harm him." As these mercenaries went out, Shams al-Din went riding to the office of the vizier. On the way he met the viceroy of Damascus to whom he showed the edicts of the King of Cairo. "Who is your adversary?" asked the viceroy. Shams al-Din replied, "He is a cook." The viceroy ...

The wedding day.  The carriage was sent to fetch the the couple. The family were assembled in the breakfast room to receive them. Smiles decked the face of the Mrs Bennet as the carriage drove upto the door. Mr Bennet looked impenetrably grave.  Their daughters alarmed, anxious, and uneasy. Lydia's voice was heard in the vestibule; the door was thrown open, and she ran into the room.  Her mother stepped forward, embraced her, and welcomed her with rapture, gave her hand with an affectionate smile, to Wickham, who followed his lady; and wished them both joy with alacrity which showed no doubt of their happiness. The reception from Mr Bennet, to whom they then turned, was not so cordial.  His countenance rather gained in austerity; and he scarcely opened his lips.  The easy assurance of the young couple, indeed, was good enough to provoke him.  Elizabeth was disgusted, and even Miss Bennet was shocked.  Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, no...

Ninety sixth night  Shahrazad said: I heard O happy King Ja'far said to the Caliph: The eunuch sat down, though his belly was full with what had eaten and drunk. Ajib dipped a piece of bread in the pomegranate dish and took a bite, but found the food insipid, for his belly was full. He said, "Bah, what is this awful stuff?" His grandmother was astonished and said, "Son, do you find fault with my food? I cooked it myself and no cook can compare with me, except my son Badr al-Din Hasan." Ajib said, "Grandmother, we have just now found in the city a cook who had prepared a pomegranate-seed dish whose aroma delighted the heart and whose flavour stimulates the appetite. Your food is nothing by comparison." When his grandmother heard his words, she was angry and, turning to the eunuch, said, "Damn you, you are corrupting my son by taking him into the city and letting him eat in cookshops." Eunuch was frightened at her words and said, "No, my l...

Mr Bennet had often wished for saving a part of his income to provide for the future of his wife and children.  He now wished it more than ever.  Had he done it Lydia need not have have been indebted to her uncle.  The satisfaction of prevailing on one of the most worthless men in Great Britain to be her husband might then have rested in its proper place. He was determined to find the extend of his brother's assistance, and discharge it as soon as possible. When Mr Bennet had married, economy was not a concern. It was hoped they were to have a son; the son would cut off the entail, as soon as he should be of age, and the widow of the younger children would by that means be provided for.  Five daughters successively entered the world, but yet the son was to come; and Mrs Bennet, for many years after Lydia's birth, had been certain that he would.  This event had last been despaired of, but then it was too late to be saving.  Mrs Bennet was least bothered of e...

Ninety fifth night. Shahrazad said: I heard, O happy King, that Ja'far said to the Caliph. Badr al-Din said to Ajib, "When I followed you, I was beside myself." Ajib replied, "You must be very fond of us. You gave us a mouthful of food, and assuming that we owed you something you tried to dishonour us. This time we will not eat anything unless you swear that you will not hold us under any obligation, follow us or make any claim on us. Else we will not visit you again. We are staying here for a about a week, so that my grandfather may buy presents for the king of Egypt." Badr al-Din said, "Well you may do as you please." Eunuch and Ajib entered the shop, and Badr al-Din ladled from the top of the pot, a boulful of food and placed it before them. Ajib said to him, "Sit down and eat with us." Badr al-Din was glad and sat down and ate with his son, with his eyes fixed on him, for his whole being yearmed for him. Ajib said, "Ha ha haven't...

Two days after Mr Bennet's return, as Jane and Elizabeth were walking together in the shrubbery behind the house, they saw the housekeeper coming towards them, and said, "I beg your pardon, madam, for interrupting you, but I was in hopes, you might have some good news from town, so I took the liberty of coming to ask." "What do you mean, Hill? We have heard nothing from the town." "Dear madam," cried Mrs Hill, in great astonishment, "don't you know there is an express come for master from Mr Gardiner?  He has been there this half-hour, and master has had a letter." Away ran the girls, too eager to get in to have time to speak.  They ran through the vestibule into the breakfast room; from there to the library; their father was in neither; and they were on the point of seeking him upstairs with their mother, when they were met by the butler, who said: "If you are looking for my master, ma'am, he is walking towards the little copse....

Ninety fourth night  Shahrazad said: I heard, O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: Shams al-Din told her what happened and how Badr al-Din Hasan had spent a night at his house, ten years ago, but had disappeared in the morning, how on that night the young man had gone into his daughter, taken her virginity, and made her pregnant, and how when her time came, she gave birth to a boy. The boy is with me. "Here is the son of your son," said Shams al-Din, bringing the boy in front of him. She embraced Ajib pressing him.to her heart and kissed him. Tears of happiness trickled down her cheeks and she kissed the boy again and again. Shams al-Din said to her, "Get yourself ready and come with us to Egypt in search of your son, if God willing we may reunite with him." The vizier went to take leave of the king. The king provided him for the journey and loaded him with gifts to king of Cairo. Shams al-Din and his team set out of Basra. Badr al-Din's mother also acco...

Next morning. Everybody had been expecting a letter from Mr Bennet.  The post came, but not his letter.  His family knew him to be a negligent and slow correspondent, but at such a time they had hoped for exertion. They concluded that he had no pleasing intelligence to send.  Mr Gardiner had waited only for letters before he set off. Mrs Gardiner and the children were to remain a few more days in Hertfordshire.  She thought her presence to be essential to her nieces.  The other aunt also visited them frequently with a design of cheering and heartening them up. She always brought some fresh instances of Wickham's extravagance or irregularity. All Meryton seemed striving to blacken the man who, but three months before had always been an angel of light.  He was declared to be in debt to every tradesman in the place, and his intrigues, all honoured with the title of seduction, had been extended to every tradesman's family.  He was declared as the wicked an...

Ninety third night. Shahrazad said: O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: Badr al-Din returned to his shop. Meanwhile, his uncle Shams al Din Muhammad stayed in Damascus for three days. From there he went to Homs, and then to Hama [1] Here he spent a night. Then he went to Aleppo, and stayed there for two days. Then going through Dyarbakir, Mardin, Sinjar and Mosul [2] he reached Basra. In Basra he went to meet the king. The king received him with honour and esteem, and asked the reason for his coming. Shams al Din related to him his story and told him that his vizier, Nur al-Din Ali of Egypt, was his brother. The king commended  Nur al-Din's soul to the mercy of God and said, "My lord, he lived here for fifteen years; then he died, leaving a son, who stayed here only one month after his father's death, and disappeared without any trace or news. But his mother who was the daughter of my old vizier is still with us." Shams al-Din asked the king for permission to...

As they drove from the town her uncle said, "Elizabeth, I am inclined to take the view of Jane, in this regard.  It is unlikely that a young man should form such a design against a young girl, who is by no means unprotected and friendless, and who was actually staying in his Colonel's family.  Could he expect that her friends would not step forward?  Could he not expect to be noticed by the regiment, after such an affront to the Colonel.  His temptation is not equal to the risk. I am strongly inclined to hope the best." "Do you really think so?" cried Elizabeth brightening up. "Upon my word," said Mrs Gardiner, "I begin to be of your uncle's opinion.  It is too great a violation of decency, honour and interest for him to be a guilty of.  I cannot think so very ill of Wickham.  Can you yourself, Lizzy, so wholly give him up, as to believe him capable of it?" "Not perhaps, of neglecting his own interest.  But in every other, he is capa...

On ninety second night Shahrazad said: I heard O happy King Ja'far said to the Caliph: Badr al-Din closed his shop and followed his son, without knowing that he was his son. They reached the city gate. He kept following them. The eunuch looked back, and he saw Badr al-Din behind them. He said, "Damn it, what do you want?" "Noble lord, when you departed," replied Badr al-Din, "I felt that my soul had left me and gone with you; besides as I have some business outside the Victory Gate, I thought that I would come out to finish it and return." The eunuch was angry and said to Ajib, "See, this is what I feared, and this is what you have done to me. When one is blind, one does not see ahead. Because we entered his shop, and ate an unfortunate mouthful, he takes liberties with us, and follow us." Ajib turned around and seeing the cook follow him, reddened with anger and said to the eunuch, "Let him walk like any Muslim, but if he turns in the s...

Elizabeth did not receive any letters from Jane on their arrival at Lambton, for the first two days. She was disappointed. But on the third day she received two letters.  The address of the first letter was not correct and it went somewhere else, and redirected to the proper address, and delivered along with the second. "Since writing the previous one, dearest Lizzy, something has occurred of a most unexpected nature; I am afraid of alarming you - be assured we are all well.  It is about Lydia.  An express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed, from Colonel Forster, to inform us that she was gone off to Scotland with one of his officers; to own the truth, with Wickham! "Imagine our surprise.  To Kitty it does not seem unexpected.  I am very very sorry.  So imprudent a match on both both sides.  But I hope the best.  That his character has been misunderstood.  Thoughtless and indiscreet is he.  But this is nothing bad...

On the ninety first night Shahrazad said:  I heard, O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: Ajib and the servant stood before the shop of Badr al-Din Hasan al Basri. The latter gazed at his son, whose extraordinary beauty and grace attracted him. His heart began to throb and his stomach began to flutter, the blood harked to the blood, driven by instinctive sympathy and divine mistery - Glory be to Him who controls everything. Looking at his son's alien attire and at his wonderful face, Badr al-Din said to him, "O my lord and master of my life and heart, you for whom I would shed my blood, would you enter my shop to taste my food and make me happy? Taste my pomegranate seed dish cooked in sugar." At that moment he remembered his days as vizier's son, and his eyes filled with tears, and he recited the following verses: O beloved, as I shed my tears I acquaint you with my sorry plight I yearn for you, and not avoid you And feel a passion that burns  Not that I hate ...

Miss Bingley's dislike of Elizabeth had its origin in jealousy.  Elizabeth could not help feeling how unwelcome Miss Bingley's presence at Pemberly would be. On reaching the Pemberly House, they were shown through the hall into the saloon. It offered a refreshing view of the beautiful oaks and Spanish chestnuts scattered over the lawn behind, boarded by  wooded hills.  Miss Darcy, along with Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley received them.  Miss Darcy's reception of them was very civil, but she was embarassed out of shyness and the the fear of committing any mistakes while doing something, gave her a look of proud, to those who were inferior to her. But Mrs Gardiner, and Elizabeth however, did her justice, and pitied her. On entering of Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley, there came a pause in the conversation among others, an awkward pause, which was broken by Mrs Annesley, a well bred agreeable woman, and the conversation continued, between her and Mrs Gardiner with occasional he...

On the ninetieth night Shahrazad said: I heard, O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: The vizier of Cairo city, the uncle of Badr al-Din Hasan journeyed with his daughter and her son for twenty days, and came to the city of Damascus. Damascus was a beautiful city. It was the city of Jasmine. It was on the eastern coast of Mediterranean sea. The vizier dismounted and pitched his tent at a place called Plain of Pebbles. [1] "Let us rest here for a few days," said the vizier to his daughter and nephew. Then he sent his pages and servants to the city. Some of them went to sell, and some to buy, and some others to go to bath. Ajib also went into the city to see the sights followed by an eunuch carrying a red club of knotted almond wood to frighten the camels. When the people of Damascus saw Ajib, who in spite of his very young age was all beauty, charm and grace. The people followed him, while others ran ahead and waited for him to pass by, so that they might have glimpse o...

Next morning. Lambton.  Elizabeth, her uncle and aunt along with some new friends had been walking about the place; and were just returning to the inn to dress themselves for dining, when the sound of carriage drew them to a window, they saw Mr Darcy and her sister in a curricle driving up the street.  With a perturbed mind, she stood looking at them, and then withdrew from the window, fearful of being seen. Mr Darcy and her sister appeared, and a formal introduction took place. Elizabeth saw that Miss Darcy was also embarassed. She had heard that Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud. But she observed that she is exceedingly shy.  She found it difficult to get even a word from her beyond monosyllable.  Miss Darcy was little more than sixteen, tall, and graceful.  She was less handsome than her brother; but there was sense and good humour in her.  Her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle. They had not been long together before Mr Darcy had told her that ...

On the eighty ninth night Shahrazad said: I heard, O happy king, Ja'far said to the Caliph: When Ajib heard the insulting remarks of the children and the monitor, he left at once and came crying to his mother Sit al-Husn. When she saw him, her heart was on fire for him, and she asked him, "Son why do you cry? May God never let you cry again!" Sobbing he told her what had happened; then he asked her, "Who, then is my father?" She replied, "Your father is the vizier of Cairo" He said, "You are lying, the vizier is your own father, he is my grandfather. Who, then is my father? When Sit al-Husn heard him speak of his father, her cousin and husband Badr al-Din Hasan, she recalled her wedding night, she wept bitterly and recited the following verses: Lit the love in me and went  away,  Here I am empty hearth and heart. His shrine is too distant to visit,  Long distance that kept us apart. When he left, my patience left So did my endurance and control. H...