Arabian Nights: 281st Night: Ali Baba & Forty Thieves - 4

The following night Shahrazad said:

The Captain of the robbers said to his followers, "Well, one of you, the boldest and the highly skilled must go into the town, disguised as a traveller and a stranger, and try to get any piece of information about the man we killed, try to find out who he was, and where he lived.  This is a matter of urgency; whoever undertakes this task without success shall suffer death."

Without consulting his companions, one of the robbers started up and said, "I submit to this condition, and deem it an honour to expose my life to the cause of my troop."

He then disguised himself and went to the town. It was daybreak when he reached the town, and he walked up and down, till accidentally he came to Baba Mustafa's stall which used to be open at the early hours. Baba Mustafa was seated with an awl in his hand, just going to work.  The robber greeted him, and seeing that he is an old man, said, "Uncle, you begin to work very early.  Is it possible that one of your age can see well? Can you see the stitch?"

"You do not know me," replied Baba Mustafa, "for old as I am, I have extraordinary good eyes; and you will not doubt it when I tell you that I sewed the body of a dead man together in a place where I had not so much light as I have now."

"A dead body!" exclaimed the robber, with affected amazement.  But you shall know no more."

"Yes, yes," answered Baba, I see you want to have me speak out, but you shall know no more."

The robber was sure he had discovered what he sought.  He pulled out a piece of gold, and putting it into Mustafa's hands, said to him, "I do not want to learn your secret, though you might safely trust me with it.  The only thing I desire of you is to show me the house where you stitched up the dead body."

"That is not at my disposal.  My eyes were blindfolded at a place before I reached the spot where I stitched the body."

"Perhaps," said the robber, "you may remember of the little of the way you walked blindfolded.  Come, let me blind your eyes at the same place.  We will walk together, perhaps you may recognise some part, and as everybody ought to be paid for their trouble, there is another piece of gold for you; gratify me in what I ask you."

"I cannot promise," said Baba Mustafa, "that I can remember the way exactly; but since you wish it, I will try what I can do." At these words he rose, to the great joy of the robber, and led him to the place Marjaneh had bound his eyes.  "It was here," said Baba Mustafa, "I was blindfolded; and I turned this way."  The robber tied his handkerchief over Baba's eyes and walked by him till he stopped at Kasim's house, where Ali Baba then lived.  The thief before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a piece of chalk which he had ready in his hand, and asked him if he knew whose house that was; to which Mustafa replied, that as he did not live in that neighborhood, he could not tell.  The robber thanked him for the trouble he had taken, and left him back to his stall, while he returned to the forest.

The morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

( 16 )CHARLES DICKENS: DAVID COPPERFIELD: CHAPTER 16: I AM A NEW BOY IN MORE SENSES THAN ONE

Next morning, after breakfast, I entered on school life again.  I went, accompanied by Mr Wickfield to the scene of my future studies- a grave building in a courtyard, with a learned air about it that suited very well to the stray rooks and jackdaws who came down from the Cathedral tower to walk with a clerkly bearing on the grass plot - and was introduced to my new master, Doctor Strong. Doctor Strong looked almost as rusty, to my thinking, as the tall iron rails and gates outside the house; and almost as stiff and heavy as the great stone urn that flanked them, and were set up, on the top of red brick wall, at regular distances all round the court, like sublimated skittles for Time to play at.  Doctor Strong was in his library, with his clothes not particularly well brushed, and his hair not particularly combed, his knee-small unbraced, his long black gaiters unbuttoned, and his shoes  yawning like two caverns on the hearth-rug.  Turning upon me a lustreless eye, t...
Read more

Thousand & One Nights: 72nd Night contd.The Story of Two Viziers

The province of Egypt. Once, here lived a king. He was kind, generous, trusted, courageous and just. He associated himself with learned. He was sympathetic to poor. He had a wise and experienced vizier. The vizier had two sons. And they were two moons. They were elegant, beautiful and graceful. The elder was Shams al Din Muhammad, and the younger was Nur al Din Ali. The younger was more beautiful than the elder. When the vizier died the King summoned the sons of vizier and said, "You shall take your father's place and be joint viziers of Egypt." They kissed the ground before him and withdrew. For a full month they performed the ceremonial mourning of their father. After the mourning, they assumed their duties; each of them accompanied the king on alternate weeks. When they did not accompanied the king they were in charge of other duties. The two lived in the same house and their word was one. Both brothers were in their house. It was a night. The elder brother was to set ...
Read more

Thousand & One Nights: 66th Night:

When the wind began to blow, we set sail, and we sat chatting, my sisters asked me, "Sister, what will you do with this young man?" I replied, "I will make him my husband." Then I turned to him and said, "O My lord, when we reach Baghdad, I offer myself to you, and we will be husband and wife." The young man replied, "Yes, indeed, for you are my lady, and my mistress." I turned to my sisters and said, "Whatever goods we have are yours, my only reward is this young man. He is mine and I am his." We sailed under fair wind until we entered Sea of Safety and began to approach Basra. Night came. The young man and I fell asleep. My two sisters turned green with envy over him and harboured ill will towards me. They had been waiting patiently to get an opportunity. They carried me in my sleep, with my bed and threw me into the sea. They did the same to the young man. He was drowned. I wish I had drowned with him. But I was escaped. I was cast o...
Read more