Arabian Nights: 215th Night: Anis al Jalis, The Slave Girl -15

The following night Shahrazad said:

I heard, O happy King, when Nur al-Din looked at the beautiful garden it pleased him and delighted.  It reminded him of the days he used to spend with his friends.  He turned to the old man and said, "Shaik, what is your name?"

He replied, "My name is Ibrahim."

Nur al-Din: "This is a beautiful garden.

May the Almighty bless you with it.  Shaik Ibrahim you have been very kind to invite us.  We cannot make any demand to you.  Take this two dinars and get us some bread and meat and the like."

Ibrahim was very glad to take the money offered to him. 

He thought: "They will not eat more than two dirhams, and I will keep the rest."

Then the old man went out and returned with enough food.  In the meantime, Nur al-Din and his girl went and  walked around enjoying the garden.  They came to the Palace of statues, where Caliph used to come and spend his time when he is depressed.  They enjoyed its beauty and stateliness, and they wanted to enter it, but they could not.  When Shaikh Ibrahim returned from the market, Nur al-Din asked him, "Shaik Ibrahim, haven't you said that the garden belong to you?"

"Yes."

Nur al-Din asked, "Then, to whom does this palace belong?"

Nur al-Din said to himself: "If I say that the palace does not belong to me, they will aske me to explain how so."

So he replied, "My son, the palace too, belongs to me."

Nur al-Din said, "Shaik Ibrahim, we are your guests and this palace is your palace, and you don't open it and invite us to see it."  The old man, who felt embarassed and duty bound, disappeared for a while, and then returned with a big key, opened the palace door, and said, "Please come in."  Then he lead them through the palace until they came to the elevated hall.  When Nur al-Din saw the windows, the hanging lamps, and the candelabrum, he recalled his former parties, and exclaimed to the old man, "By God, this is a beautiful palace!"

Then they sat and ate.  After they washed their hands, Nur al-Din went to one of the windows, and opening it, called out to Anis al Jalis, who joined him to look at the trees laden with all kinds of fruits.  Nur al-Din turned to the old man and said, "Shaikh, doj you have anything to drink?"

He replied, "My son, why do you wish to drink, after you have already eaten?  People usually drink before they eat. I think you meant wine."

Nur al-Din replied, "Yes, I do."

The old man said, "God forbid.  I have made the Holy pilgrimage thirteen times.  And I don't even mention the word."

Nur al-Din said, "Let me say one word."

Old man: "O my son, say it."

Nur al-Din: If that ass tied in the corner is cursed, will the curse fall on you?

The old man: No.

Nur al-Din: "Then take these two dinars and these two dirhams, ride that ass, and go to the wine shop.  Stand at a distance, and when a customer comes, call him and say to him, 'Take this two dirhams for yourself and buy me two flagons of wine with these two dinars.'  when he bought the wine and comes out of the wineshop say to him, 'Place the wine in the saddle bag and set it on the ass' and when he does so, drive the ass back and we will unload the wine.  This way you will neither touch it, nor be dirtied or defiled by it."

The old man laughed and said, "By God, I have never met anyone more wittier or charming than you."

The old man did what Nur al-Din asked.  The wine was thus brought.  Nur al-Din and Anis al Jalis unloaded it.  Then he said to the old man, "Shaik, we are in your charge, and you have to bring us what we need."

The old man asked, "My son, such as?"

Nur al-Din replied, "Bring us from your store room, the necessary utensils and the like." The old man gave them the keys to the store room and the cupboards, and said, "Take out what you need, while I get you some fruits."

But morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.