Thousand & One Nights: 97th Night

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 ordered the Chamberlain to go to the cookshop, and the chamberlain went with four captains and their teams. When they reached the cookshop they found it in ruins.

While the vizier was at the Viceroy's office, the mercenaries came to the cookshop of Badr al-Din Hasan, fell with their weapons on everything: pots and utensils, shelves, bowels, dishes and trays, stoves and everything. When Badr al-Din protested they abused him. A small crowd of market people came, but they found that the mercenaries outnumber them, withdrew from the scene. The mercenaries bound him by his own turban, and dragged him by force out of the shop, and Badr al-Din screamed for help.

The night was overtaken by dawn.



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