Arabian Nights: 291st Night: Ala-ed-Din & The Wonder Lamp -7

The following night Shahrazad said:

The Sultan was dazzled by the jewels in the China bowl brought by Ala-ed-Din's mother. He found that none of the precious stone in his collection is equal to those in the bowl.

His Vizier also agreed with him. And the king said to him, "Vizier, I think the boy is worthy of my daughter. The Vizier was tongue tied with vexation. The king had already promised to the Vizier that his daughter Bedr-el-Budur shall wed the Vizier's son. After a few moments the Vizier said, "O king of the Age, Your eloquence was graciously pleased to promise Lady Bedr-el-Budur to my son. So allow him three months, and there shall be a more splendid gift from my son to your excellence." The king knew that either Vizier or his son could not accomplish the job, still he granted three months time because of his kindness and generosity. And turning to the mother of Ala-ed-Din, he said, "Go back to your son, and tell him I have given my word that my daughter shall bear his name, but it is necessary to prepare her wardrobe and requisites, so he will have to wait three months."

The mother returned home happily, and related word by word what had happened in the royal court. But she had an unpleasant feeling about the scheme of the Vizier. Ala-ed-Din was very much pleased though he had to wait three months. Ala-ed-Din thanked his mother for her great service, and waited in patience.

One day, after two months, the mother of Ala-ed-Din went to market to buy oil, after sunset. All the shops were closed, and the whole city were deserted, the people were putting candles and flowers in their windows; the procession of guards and soldiers were moving, accompanied by lamps and lustres. She wondered at this pomp and show. An oil man's shop was still open, and having bought the oil, she asked the shop keeper, "O brother, what is the festival going on in the city?" 

The shop-keeper retorted, "Are you not of this city? Haven't you heard that the son of Chief Vizier is to unite with the princess Lady Bedr-el-Budur tonight? He is now at the bath. These soldiers and officers are waiting for him, coming from the bath."

She returned home immediately, and said to her son, "O dear me, I have a tiding from the market: The Sultan has violated the covenant to you. And this night the Vizier's son is going into her." Then she explained in detail the preparation of celebration in connection with the marriage and also of the presence of Vizier's son in the bath, and soldiers and officers waiting outside.

Ala-ed-Din thought of his Lamp. He would take his chance to block the union of Vizier's son with Bedr-el-Budur, the daughter of Sultan. "Mother, bring our supper, we will see what can we do."

After supper, Ala-ed-Din went to his room, shut the door and took his Lamp and began to rub it. Immediately the slave came and said, "Ask what you will, I am the slave of him who has the Lamp."

Ala-ed-Din said, "Listen, the Sultan has broken his promise to me, that he shall give me his daughter Bedr-el-Budur, in marriage to me within three months; now he has given her to the son of his Vizier. This very night he will go into her. You bring them together in their bed to my house."

The slave, "I obey." And the slave vanished.

The slave came with the bridal pair in their bed. Ala-ed-Din said to the slave, "He deserves gallow. But now put him in the cupboard." The slave put him in the cupboard, and sprayed ice cold water on him. With this the state of Vizier's son became miserable. Then Ala-ed-Din instructed the slave to return in the morning, and to restore them to their place.

Ala-ed-Din could hardly believe that Bedr-el-Budur was in his house. But he took care not to offend her honour. "O lady of loveliness, I brought you here not to harm you. Your father had promised to give you to me in marriage. But he broke his promise and gave you to the son of Vizier. So rest in peace."

Bedr-el-Budur found herself in a dim and poor house. Fear and anxiety gripped her and she was in a daze. Ala-ed-Din stripped of his robe, and laying a sword between himself and her, slept in the same bed, without touching her. The Vizier's son was also in a daze in the cupboard.

The slave of the Lamp appeared in the morning. "Take the bride and bridegroom and go to their place," said Ala-ed-Din to the slave. The slave carried them seperately, the bride along with the bed, and the cupboard in which the bridegroom was stretched, to the palace of the Sultan. Hardly had he placed the bed and cupboard in their chamber, the Sultan came to visit his daughter.

When the Vizier's son heard the door open, he leaped immediately out of the cupboard and put on his clothes.

Sultan came to his daughter, kissed her between the eyes and wished her good morning and asked after the bridegroom. The princess remained silent and looked at her father. There he saw anger and resentment.  He departed the scene and went to the Queen. He narrated his experience with Bedr-el-Budur and sought her intervention. The Queen thought: "Poor man! He does not know anything about brides and their world. They come ready to charge with their thing, that comes easily." But she showered an endearing smile on him and said, "Leave it to me, I will take care of her." And straightway she went to her daughter, hugged her and asked her pleasantries. But the princess remained silent.  The Queen said to herself, "Something happened to her to disquiet her thus." So the Queen asked, "O my daughter, what happened to you? It was a great occasion in your life.  Bedr-el-Budur turned her head and said to the Queen, "Chide me not, mother. It was my duty to meet you with all regard and honour. But the night I had passed was a worst night for me. Hardly had we gone to bed, o my mother, a giant came and lifted up the bed and bore us to a dark, disgusting, vile place." Then she related to her mother all that happened to her that night. How the bridegroom had been taken away and she had been left alone. How another youth came and after placing a sword between them, slept in the same bed. "In the morning, the giant came and took us back to our abode. Immediately after my father, the Sultan of this city came, and I had not the heart or tongue to speak to him, excuse me."

The Queen heard her patiently, and then said, "O my child, calm yourself, if you tell this story to anyone, they will think that the Sultan's daughter has lost her wits. It was better you did not tell your father this tale."

The princess said, "Mother, I have spoken to you sensibly, and I have not lost my wits. What I have told you are facts and not fiction. If you do not believe me, ask the bridegroom."

"O my daughter, leave them for the time being, put on your robes and view the bridal festival, which is going on in our city in your honour. Listen to the songs and drums and look at the decorations. All these for your happiness." 

Thereupon, Queen called her maid, and the latter dressed the princess for the occasion. The Queen went to Sultan and said that the princess had been troubled by bad dreams in the night. Then she secretly met the bridegroom and asked him about last night's trouble. The bridegroom fearing the loss of the bride said, "O my Sovereign Lady, I know nothing of the kind." Queen was convinced that the princess had some bad dreams. The celebration lasted whole day with Almehs [1] and singers accompanied by all kinds of instruments, and the Queen, Vizier and Vizier's son joining them to keep up the rejoicing. But, these had no influence on the princess. She remained silent, sad and bewildered at what had happened that night. Worse had happened to Vizier's son than to her. The entire night he had been in the chilled cupboard, and he denied himself to acknowledge the fact, because he feared losing the lovely bride.

During the day, Ala-ed-Din went out to see the celebration and enjoyed it very much; and in the night he took his Lamp and rubbed it. The slave appeared, ready to serve him. He asked the slave to repeat his job. The slave vanished immediately. 

Vizier's son was in bed along with Bedr-el-Budur. He wanted to make love, but his runny, stuffy nose would not allow him. Sneezing and sniffing he looked at the bride. The giant slave was standing before him. Before the couple had time to rise, put Vizier's son in the cupboard and carried it along with bride in the bed  to Ala-ed-Din's house. After the slave disappeared Ala-ed-Din put a sword between the princess and  and himself and went to sleep.

Next morning Sultan came to the palace of the daughter, and found that the couple had been just brought.  Sultan went to his daughter, wished her good day, and kissed her between the eyes. There was no change in her mood or looks. She remained silent and there was fire in her eyes. Two nights were spoiled, she thought; these two days she had been waiting the Vizier's son to enter into her. Now her father, the Sultan of the city stood with sword in his hand. That was his stand whenever he felt helpless. Then she told her father, "O my father, chide me not. A giant came and took us away. I don't know what happened to the bridegroom. Another youth came and lay beside me, but he put a sword between himself and me. I expected the worst. But he simply slept beside me. When the morning came, the giant took me back to my house. If you do not believe me, ask the bridegroom." 

Sultan was very sad, and said, "O my daughter, why did you not tell me last night? I would have averted it on the second day. Next night, I will set a guard to watch you. And no such unhappiness shall be repeated." Sultan returned to his palace and straightway ordered the presence of his Vizier. The Vizier was present. The Sultan asked, "What you think of this affair? Perhaps your son might have informed you of what occurred to your son and my daughter?" The Vizier answered, "O king of the Age, I have not seen my son." Then the Sultan related to him all that his daughter had said. "It is my desire that you find out from your son the truth of the matter." 

The Vizier sent for his son. The son came. The Vizier asked him everything that the Sultan had told. "Wha you say about this?" asked the Vizier to his son.

"O father, God forbid that the Lady Bedr-el-Budur should tell lies! No. All that she said were true. These two nights were the worst of nights. It should have been the nights of pleasure. What befell me was a great evil. Instead of sleeping with my wife in the bed, I was put to sleep in a cupboard, a dark, loathsome narrow place. Horrible smell and chill. My ribs almost split with it. O father, I request you to the Sultan that he release me from this marriage. Truly it is a great honour to be the son-in-law the Sultan. The love of the lady Bedr-el-Budur has truly taken possession of me. But I have no strength to endure another night like the two which were over."

The Vizier went to the Sultan and confirmed that what Bedr-el-Budur had said was true. He also said that his son could not suffer anymore, and that he wanted to relieve himself of the marriage. Then the Sultan ordered to stop all the celebrations, and later the marriage was annulled. Nobody had any clue as to the reason for the annulment. Ala-ed-Din laughed in secret. And the royal family had no information as to what happened in those two nights.

Ala-ed-Din waited patiently till the termination of the three months. Then he despatched his mother to the Sultan. Sultan saw her standing in the audience, and he remembered his promise. Turning to the Vizier he said, "O Vizier, this is the woman who gave us jewels. And we promised her to marry my daughter to her son. Bring her immediately to me." 

Notes:-1. Almeh: Originally Arabic, meaning learned woman, skilled in singing and poetry recitation, music and dance, performing for elite female audiences. By mid 19th century western travelers and artists misapplied the term to public erotic dances.