Arabian Nights: 294th Night: Ala-ed-Din & The Wonder Lamp -10

What were the developments that followed the life of Ala-ed-Din after the loss of the wonderful Lamp. It was a habit of Sultan to look at the block palace of Ala-ed-Din and assure himself that the palace was there; in a corner of his mind lay the fear that the palace would be wiped out. Vizier's warning always remained there. As usual, the first thing he did was to open the window and look for the block palace. But the place was bare of anything. Fear and amazement gripped him. He rubbed his eyes to see whether he was blind. And looked again to his daughter's abode. Nothing was seen at the place where the palace stood. He remembered the words of the Vizier that the palace and its wealth were magic and would be wiped out. He sent for the Vizier immediately. The Vizier came and saw that the palace was missing. "Pardon me, o the king of Age, God defended you from the calamity." 

The Sultan cried out, "Where is Ala-ed-Din?" 

"Gone to the chase," answered the Vizier.

The Sultan immediately despatched some elder soldiers to go and and arrest Ala-ed-Din. The elderly soldiers found out Ala-ed-Din, and said, "Do not rebuke us, our master Ala-ed-Din, it is the order of the Sultan." He was amazed. He did not understand the cause of this. "Have you any knowledge," asked Ala-ed-Din, "for the cause of this order? I know myself to be innocent, and has not committed any offence against the Sultan." 

"Our master," they answered, "we do not know the cause." Ala-ed-Din dismounted and said, "Do with me what the Sultan ordered." Then they chained him, and led him to the city.

The feudal lords and citizens saw this and followed the elder soldiers.

The elder soldiers arrived at the palace of the Sultan. The Sultan straightway commanded them to cut off the head of Ala-ed-Din. But the feudal lords and the citizens objected, and threatened to pull down the palace. So the Vizier said,  "O king of the Age, it is better to pardon Ala-ed-Din, The feudal lords and citizens are with him."

The executioner had already spread the carpet of death, and seated Ala-ed-Din thereon, bandaged his eyes and had walked around him thrice. He waited for the Sultan's command.

The Sultan, looking out of the window, saw the rage of the crowd. Led by feudal lords and citizens they were climbing up the walls to pull them down. So he immediately ordered the executioner to stay his hand and bade the herald to go out to the crowd and proclaim that he had pardoned Ala-ed-Din. When Ala-ed-Din saw he was free, he caught sight of Sultan seated on his throne.

He drew near and said to him, "O my lord, you had been gracious to me all my life. Reveal to me what is my offence." 

The Sultan replied, "O traitor.." Then he asked Vizier, "Take him and show him from the windows where is the palace." The Vizier had led him to the windows. Ala-ed-Din looked out of the windows. He saw the site bare as it was before he built the palace. He was amazed and bewildered.

The Sultan asked, "Where is your palace, and where is my daughter? The kernel of my heart." 

Ala-ed-Din said, "I do not know what happened." 

The Sultan said, "Go and find out what happened. Bring my daughter to me. Go and come back with my daughter." 

"O King of the Age, give me forty days, replied Ala-ed-Din. The Sultan granted him forty days. He left the palace of the Sultan. He remained in the city for the next two days. Then he went out of the city and walked through the desert. He came to the bank of a river, stepped into the flowing water, and then cupped his palms, and scooped the water, and then slurped it. In this action he saw the signet ring given by the Moor. After quenching his thirst he rubbed it and the Jin appeared. "I am at your service," said the Jin.

"O slave, help me! I lost my palace and my wife Lady Bedr-el-Budur, bring them back." 

"It is beyond my reach," said the Jin, "It pertains to the Slave of the Lamp." 

Ala-ed-Din replied, "With the loss of the palace, the Lamp also is lost. Take me to the to the place where the palace is now placed." The Jin bore him away, and in the twinkling of an eye set him beside the palace in the land of Africa. It was nightfall.

He decided to wait till morning, and sat under a tree. Out of wandering, and having no food and sleep he was very tired. And he immediately fell into sleep.

He was awakened by the warbling of the birds. He went to the river and performed ablutions, and said the morning prayer. He returned and sat under the window of Lady Bedr-el-Budur. She was in great grief from the seperation of her husband and of her father and she would rise at the streak of dawn. Her maid would come to dress her, and as fate had decreed, the girl had opened the window to look upon the trees and streams and console herself. She saw her master sitting beneath the apartment, and cried out to her lady "O my mistress, mistress! Here is my master Ala-ed-Din sitting under the window." The lady hurried towards the window and looked out of it, and saw him. Ala-ed-Din, hearing the cry of the girl turned his head and saw his wife, greeted her and she greeted him.  "Come to me!" said Lady Bedr-el-Budur, and she directed the maid to descend and open the secret door.

Lady Bedr-el-Budur now revealed the story of the exchange of the Lamp to the Moor for a new lamp. "And after this exchange we hardly saw one another," said Lady Bedr-el-Budur. "The Moor of Africa," continued Lady Bedr-el-Budur, "told me that with the help of the Lamp, he took us by force, and we are in his town."

"Where is he?"

"He comes to me every day, either morning or evening. He would say that he loves me. He said that Sultan had cut off my head. You and your mother are poor people. Your wealth is because of the Lamp. And you took away the Lamp from him." 

"Tell me," said Ala-ed-Din, "have you seen him where he keeps the Lamp?" 

"He always carries it with him. Once he took it from his bosom and showed it to me." 

Ala-ed-Din said, “Listen my dear, I will go out and change my dress and come in disguise by the private door. You take care of getting me entry, and I will take care of him."

Ala-ed-Din went out and walked till he met a tiller in the field, and asked him to give his dress in exchange of his own. But he was shy of wearing Ala-ed-Din's dress. So he took it by force, abandoned his dress, and wore the tiller's dress. He reached the city and went to a perfume shop to buy some perfume; and then he went to wine shop to buy some benji [1]. When he arrived at the palace the maid saw him, and opened the private door. He entered into the chamber of Lady Bedr-el-Budur.

"Listen! he said to her, "l wish you to dress and adorn yourself and dismiss the grief. When the Moor comes receive him warmly. Meet him with an endearing smile. Invite him to supper. When he comes to supper with you, pretend that you have forgotten Ala-ed-Din and the Sultan. And say to him you love him most. Ask him to share a drink; let it be red wine. Show him all the tokens of joy and happiness. Drink to his secret. When you find he has enough put this powder in the cup and crown it with more wine. As soon as he drinks this cup he shall fall asleep as dead, on his back."

" This is exceedingly difficult task," said, Bedr-el-Budur, "but to escape the evil of this accursed, who caused our separation, it is lawful to finish the wretched."

Ala-ed-Din departed after both of them had supper.

Lady Bedr-el-Budur sent for her maid. She came and perfumed her, and then dressed her, and adorned her lips and eyelashes. While these were going on the Moor came. He rejoiced at the arrangement going on. Lady Bedr-el-Budur received him with an endearing smile. This was unusual. And his love for her increased. He desired her passionately. She took him by her side and seated him. "O my love, if you desire me, come to me this night, let us seek pleasure. Enough of sorrow I have had. Do not wonder that I am changed. Ala-ed-Din would not come. Sultan had killed him in his sorrow. I have resolved to take you as my love. The Moor beleived her story. Poor girl! How long she would wait a husband who lay in grave. In addition to love and lust he was overtaken by compassion and sympathy.

"I have no other man than you, so I wait for you. You give me the taste of your wine; the wine of Africa."

The Moor was very much enthralled. He said, "I have in my house a jar of my country wine. It is a love potion." Hearing this she coaxed him to remain, as if to show that she wanted to make love at the instant. But he left with the promise to bring the wine, and returned soon carrying a jar containing the African wine.

"You have taken pains for me," said Bedr-el-Budur, "and I have suffered for your sake, o beloved." 

"Not so, apple of my eye. I am honoured serving you." 

Then the lady sat with the Moor at the table, and they began to sup. Soon she asked for the drink, and her maid filled the cup, and then filled another for the Moor. She drank to his long life, and he to her life; and she made a boon fellow of him. She was an accomplished and eloquent speaker, and she bewitched him by addressing him in a delicious way, so that he became more in love with her.

He thought it was real, and his infatuation for her increased and he almost died of love.

When they came to the end of supper, and the wine had already mastered his brain, she observed, "We have a custom in our country, but I don't know whether you have any such custom." 

The Moor asked, "What's it?" 

"At the end of the supper," she replied, "everyone should take the cup of the beloved and drink it." And she took his cup and filled it with wine for herself, and asked the maid to give him her cup. The wine mixed with benji was then given to the Moor. The Moor saw her drinking out of his cup, thought himself the Lord of two horns [2]. Then she said to him, "O my soul, there is your cup in my hand, and my cup in yours, thus do lovers drink from one another's cup." Then she kissed his cup and drank it and put it down and kissed him on his lips. And he flew with delight, and resolved to do as she did, and drank it off, and instantly fell on his back like a corpse, and the cup fell from his hand.

The Lady Bedr-el-Budur rejoiced. The maids ran and opened the door. Ala-ed-Din, their master entered. He came and saw his wife sitting at the table, and the Moor lying like a dead man. Ala-ed-Din asked her to leave the room, and she along with her maids cleared the scene. Ala-ed-Din went upto the Moor, put his hand into his bosom and drew out the Lamp. He drew his sword and cut off the Moor's head. Then he rubbed the Lamp, and there appeared the slave.

"At the service of my master, What you wish?" 

Lift this palace," said Ala-ed-Din, "and bear it to the land of China, and set it down where it was before." The slave departed. The slave took the palace with Ala-ed-Din and Lady Bedr-el-Budur and all their men and materials and set it before the palace of Sultan.

The morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence

Notes:-

1. Benj: A preparation of cannabis or similar intoxicating plants.

2. Lord of two horns refers to a powerful figure mentioned in Bible/Quran often identified with Cypress the Great or Alexander the Great.