Arabian Nights: 293rd Night: Ala-ed-Din & The Wonder Lamp -9

The following night Shahrazad said:

Ala-ed-Din went to his chamber and took his Lamp and rubbed it. The slave appeared. He said to the slave, "Take me to a best bath." 

The slave took him to a Hammam. The bath was in marble and carnelian. Wonderful pictures on its wall captivated the eyes. Ala-ed-Din took off his clothes and hung it on an antler fixed on the wall. A Jinni came and splashed water through a spout on Ala-ed-Din. Then he massaged him from top to bottom. 

After bath he went into a spacious hall where he found suit of royal robes. He  put his new robes. Sherbet and coffee flavoured with ambergris were brought to him. A number of slaves appeared to dress him. The poor tailor's son, who once loitered the streets of the city with vagabond boys, now looked a prince. With a band of twenty four mamluks on horses before him, he rode on a stallion, followed by another band of twenty four mamluks on horses behind him. The procession marched towards the palace of the Sultan. On its way, the mother of Ala-ed-Din joined at the head of the procession, together with twelve beautiful damsels. The mamluks in the procession scattered dinars on the way and the people thronged and scuffled to pick it up. The people wondered at the richness of the tailor's son. The Sultan had assembled officers of high rank, and informed them that he had given word for the marriage of his daughter to Ala-ed-Din.

Ala-ed-Din and his party entered the palace. They were directed into the Hall of audience. The Sultan and his men gave a warm welcome to the party. The Sultan hugged him to his breast, kissed him, and seated him near the throne. Ala-ed-Din saluted the Sultan and said, "O my lord, your generosity granted me Lady Bedr-el-Budur. I pray to God to prolong your life." The Sultan pressed Ala-ed-Din to his bosom, and said, "Alas for me, my son, that I have not enjoyed your company till this day!" 

There was music and songs, the supper was served; Ala-ed-Din was seated to the right of Sultan. After the supper, the priests came, the witnesses were present. The nuptials note was signed and the contract of marriage was complete. The festivities began. Ala-ed-Din stood up and walked towards his stallion. He wanted a new bridal chamber, very exquisite, seperate from the one arranged by the Sultan. So he want his Lamp. This was unknown to the Sultan, and he asked, "O my son, where are you going? The festival is beginning."

"O my father I intend to build a new bridal chamber." 

"Why not? You can build it by the side of my harem."

"Just a minute, I am coming." He mounted the stallion, and rode on followed by mamluks. They reached the house of Ala-ed-Din. He dismounted, and went straightway to his chamber, took the Lamp and rubbed it. The slave appeared.

He told the slave of his new want. The slave disappeared. By the break of the next dawn the slave appeared to say, "O my master, the palace is finished." Ala-ed-Din said, "Let me see it." 

The slave took him to the site of new palace. Ala-ed-Din saw the new palace, built of semi precious chalcedonic stone. It was decorated with white alabaster, and pale coloured crystals. Ala-ed-Din entered into the new palace. The slave took him to the store house, where gold and silver and precious stones are kept in seperate chests. Flagons and globlets are kept in separate chests.

Then he took him to kitchen, where he saw cooking utensils in gold and silver. Next he took Ala-ed-Din to a chamber where brocades from India and china are kept.

Ala-ed-Din was satisfied with the palace and its furnishings. Finally he asked the slave to spread a carpet extending from the Sultan's palace to the new palace. After this the slave led Ala-ed-Din to his house.

The Sultan's first sight when he awoke was the new palace. Sultan thought, "Is this a block house, made instantly?" And he looked at the carpet that extended from his palace to the block palace. All the royal people were amazed at the new palace. The Vizier came. He talked about the wonder. The Sultan and Vizier together talked about the wonder. Sultan said to the Vizier, "You see, Ala-ed-Din is worthy of my daughter." 

"O King of Age, this is only a magic. Another magician can wipe it out " 

Sultan retorted, "You are jealous." 

Vizier now found that the Sultan really loved Ala-ed-Din, and that he could not divert him. He remained silent.

Ala-ed-Din took his Lamp and rubbed it, and the slave appeared. Ala-ed-Din asked him to bring ten thousand dinars. After the ten thousand dinars were brought he mounted his horse and rode on to Sultan's premises followed by the mamluks. On coming of Ala-ed-Din to the palace of Sultan the banquet began.

After the banquet Ala-ed-Din went to his newly built Block palace. He made arrangements for the reception of the bride. Then he along with Mamluks went to the race course to exhibit his horsemanship. The Sultan along with Vizier and the officers and military men were present to witness the show. Ala-ed-Din excelled in playing with Jerid [2] in the race course.

In the evening nobles and ministers came and took Ala-ed-Din in a procession to imperial bath. And after bath he was anointed with perfumes, and then he was put on with beautiful dresses. Then he mounted the stallion. Sultan and Sultan's men followed. Seeing this crowd the bystanders also followed.

Among them were all the people, natives and strangers. All the troops marched before him in procession bearing candles drums and pipes. They arrived at his palace, where he dismounted. He seated himself. The Viziers and lords were also seated. The mamluks brought sherbets and sweet drinks, and were served to all the crowd who had come with him in procession. Mamluks scattered gold coins among the crowd. The Sultan came. He ordered to form a procession for receiving his daughter, Lady Bedr-el-Budur, to escort her to bridegroom's palace. Lady Bedr-el-Budur came with her maids. Eunuchs came with candles and tapers filled with camphor and ambergris, and escorted the bride. She arrived at the bridegroom's palace. The maids took her to her apartment, changed her dress and displayed her. When the display was over, the maids led her to bridal chamber. Ala-ed-Din had been waiting for her impatiently.

Both the bride and bridegroom's mother were marveled by the pomp and splendour of the bridal palace. The Sultan also was marvelled. Lords and officers were marveled. But the Vizier was not marveled. He said, "This is magic, not real. It will be wiped out by another magic." 

"O Vizier, stop. I know the reason of your speaking thus." 

Ala-ed-Din took Sultan and his men to the upper kiosk. Ceiling, windows and lattices were all set with emeralds and rubies. There was a bay at the upper kiosk, which Ala-ed-Din left unfinished. When Sultan saw this he cried, "Very bad, O bay you are not perfect." Ala-ed-Din saw this and said, "It was in a hurry on account of marriage." 

"This I will get complete for you," said the Sultan.

"So shall your memory be perpetuated in your daughter's palace," said Ala-ed-Din. Sultan got it completed at his own costs; its style did not match the general order. So, Ala-ed-Din got it changed, and returned all the jewels and precious stones fixed on it to the Sultan and other owners, and called the slave to get it done.

Later, the Sultan made Ala-ed-Din the head of the army. He won many battles against the enemies of the city. But a Moor who was a general did not like it. He became an enemy of Ala-ed-Din. He knew that his mother was a spinner and he was a lazy boy.

The Moor discovered the strength of Ala-ed-Din. It was the Lamp. So he worked to get possession of the Lamp. The Moor by divination found that the Lamp was in the palace. "I have a way to obtain the Lamp," the Moor thought. He went to a coppersmith and got a number of lamps made. He put them in a basket. Then he went about the streets and bazar of the city crying: "O who will exchange old lamps for new?" The people laughed at him, and said he was mad. Street boys pursued him from place to place. When he came in the vicinity of Ala-ed-Din's palace, he began to cry in a louder voice, and the street boys shouted at him, "Mad man! Mad man." 

Lady Bedr-el-Budur was in the kiosk, and hearing someone crying and the boys shouting at him, and not understanding what was it all about, she ordered one of her handmaids saying, "Go and find out who is that and what is he crying?" The girl saw a man crying, "O who will exchange old lamps for new?" and the boys around him making sport of him. She returned and told her mistress of what was happening around. The lady also laughed at this oddity. Ala-ed-Din had left his Lamp in his  apartment instead of replacing it in the Treasury and lock it up. One of the maids had seen this. So she said, "O my mistress, I think I have seen in my master's room an old lamp; let us exchange it." 

Lady Bedr-el-Budur said, "Bring the lamp that you have seen." She had no knowledge of the lamp and its qualities. The handmaid brought the the magic lamp and gave it to her mistress. She ordered the elder eunuch to go down and exchange the lamp. So he took the magic Lamp and gave it to the Moor, and receive from him.a new lamp.

The Moor was a sorcerer and he knew the magic Lamp by sight. He put it in his bosom and threw away the remaining copper lamps, and began running, and came to the outskirts of the city, and walked on over the plains and waited patiently till the night had fallen.

The night. Moor was in a desert. He took forth the lamp from his bosom, rubbed it. The slave appeared. "I am a slave in your hand. Ask me what you want." 

The Moor said, "Remove the palace of the Ala-ed-Din from its site, with its inmates, materials, and wealth. And myself also with them. Set it in my country, the land of Africa. You know my town, and you set it there among gardens." The slave replied, "As you please. Shut your eyes. You will find in your country, in your town, and in the palace of Ala-ed-Din." 

Morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.

Notes:-

1. Mamluks were elite royal slave soldiers, primarily of Turkic origin and trained from boyhood to be fierce warriors and loyal servents.

2. A wooden Javelin used in Muslim countries in military displays on horseback.