Thousand & One Nights: 168th Night: The Barber Tells His Story

The host said to my brother, "I do pardon you.  Be a real companion to me, and never leave me."
He summoned several servants and ordered them to set real tables, which they laid with all the dishes mentioned and my brother and host ate until they were satisfied.  Then they moved to the drinking chamber, where they found young ladies like moons, who played all kinds of musical instruments.  There they drank until they got drunk.  The host felt a great affection for my brother, treated him as intimately as a brother, and bestowed on him a robe of honour.

Next morning.  They resumed eating and drinking.  Thus they continue to carouse for ten full days.  Afterwards the Barmaki entrusted his affairs to my brother, who managed his estate for twenty years.  But when the man died - Glory be to the Living who died not - the king seized all his property, including that of his brother, leaving him a helpless pauper.

My brother left the city and wandered all alone until some bedouins set upon him on the road, and capturing him, brought him to their camp.  Then his captor began to beat him, saying, "Ransom yourself with money," while my brother wept and said, "My lord, I have no money, not even one a dirham. I am a captive, do with me what you want."  The bedouin took out a knife and cut off my brother's lips, still trying to extort him.  It happened that the bedouin had a pretty wife, who, whenever her husband left, used to make advances to my brother and try to entice him, but he refused her until one day she succeeded, and he came to her and began to pet her, when suddenly the husband came in, and seeing my brother, said to him, "Damn you, are you trying to debauch my wife?"  Then he took out his knife, and cut off my brother's male organ; carried him on a camel and cast him at the side of a hill, where he was found by some travelers, who recognised him
and gave him food and drink.  When they informed me about him, I went to him, carried him back to Baghdad, made him an allowance to live on.

When the Caliph had heard the entire account of my brothers' adventures, he laughed heartily, and said, "You are right, Silent One; you are neither a meddlesome, nor a talkative man; but leave the city at once, and settle in another."  Then he banished me and I wandered from country to country, until I heard his death and succession of another Caliph.  Then I  returned to Baghdad and found all my brothers dead and met this young man to whom I did the greatest favours, for without me he would have been killed, but he repaid me in the worst of ways, leaving the city, and running away from me.  I wandered in many countries until I chanced to meet him here.  Now he accuses me of what is foreign to my  nature, spreading lies about me, and accusing that I am a garrulous person.

Morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.







Notes:- 
1. Bedouins: Nomadic Arab in desert. It is an English adaptation of Arabic word badawiyin which means desert dweller. These tribes are believed to have originated on the Arabian Peninsula.  About 4000 years they have domesticated camels.

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