Classics Retold

Next morning. The girls bathed me, dressed me. Served me food and wine. Night came. One of the girls asked me, "Whom do you choose for this day? You cannot choose the last day's girl. You will get her only in the next round." "Why?" "It is our rule not to foster attachment between male and female, and we see lust only a part of life. We are a community of women." I chose a girl with lovely face and soft body. I saw two jewel boxes on her bosom  Shielded with musk seal to escape  Lover's embrace. Her dart glances Guarded against the assault of stare. I spent with her a sweet night. In this way I spent a full year with them, eating, drinking and hooking. But one day at the beginning of the new year they began to show the symptoms of parting. Parting is always painful. I asked them what happened. One of them told, "We have lived with many men, but you are special to us." I thought, "'They would have told  same to other men also....

O my lady, the girls sat around me, and when the night came, five of them rose and set up a banquet with plenty of nuts and fragrant herbs. Then they brought wine and we sat to drink. Girls sitting around me, some talking, some laughing, some playing the flute, the psalter, the lute, and other musical instruments. The splash of wine into the bowls, the clattering of cups, and laughing of girls made me happy and I forgot my worries and sorrows. Then, one of the girls said to me, " O Lord, choose from among us whomever you wish to sleep with you." I chose a girl who had lovely face and dark eyes, black hair and joining brows, and a mouth with slightly parted teeth. Seeing her I remembered the poet's verses: She swayed like a ripe willow bough Lovely, sweet, and delicious sight Her glittering mouth revealed  Flashing stars answered with light When she loosened her black tress The dawn became dusky black And when her radiant face shone  The gloomy earth turned bright. Her hon...

When the young men finished their expectations, they let me into the the skin sack, sewed me up, and returned to the palace. Soon I felt the white bird approach, and snatching me up with his talons, he flew away with me for while, and set me down on the mountain. I ripped the skin open, and came out, and when the bird saw me, he flew away. I proceeded immediately to walk until I reached the palace, and found it to be exactly as they had described it. The door opened and I entered into a spacious open hall as large as a playground. Around the hall were forty chambers, and their doors were made of sandal wood and aloewood. Their handles were made of gold and silver. At the far end of the hall stood forty girls, sumptuously dressed, and lavishly adorned. They were forty little moons. The little moons waived at me, and greeted me in one voice, "O lord, welcome! Good cheer to you! We have been expecting you for months. Praise be God who has sent us one who is worthy of us. Then they ra...

This is the story told by the third dervish at Baghdad house in the presence of three beautiful and independent girls. This is an inner story sandwiched in the frame story of Shahrazad, the beautiful and learned daughter of vizier of King Shahriar. Her stories are directed to expose some myths created by kings of city states, a universal phenomenon in the path of civilization. City states were prominent in ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and India. This is the fifth part of the story by third dervish. The structure of the stories accommodates the manoeuvres of the ancient story tellers. Fifth part of the story: My lady, for a month after the death of the young man, I lived on the island. My days, I spent in the open and the night in the underground house. The sea on the west was receding slowly. Later dry land appeared. I waded through the shallow water, and reached the dry land. In the distance I saw smoke rising into the sky. As I advanced, I saw the fire, a sign of life and village. Whe...

These stories reflects the events of different times and different cultures, and some stories are a fusion of different time, space and cultures. Most of the stories were popularised by ancient story tellers. Later they evolved into the art of Drama, integrating some features of tribal, cultural and political rituals. Whatever the form of art, it is for entertainment. Though it is entertainment it reflects history. The story is told by the third dervish in the presence of the beautiful girls of Baghdad house. My lady, when I was sure that I had killed the young man, as the God above had preordained, I rose, and ascending the stairs, replaced the trapdoor, and covered it with earth. I looked towards the sea and saw the ship that had brought him, cleaving with waters towards the island to take him. I said to myself, " The moment they come and see their boy slain, and find that I am his slayer, they will surely kill me." I headed towards a nearby tree, and climbing it I hid amon...

The frame story was told by Shahrazad to her sister Dinarzad. But the stories attracted the attention of the Indian king Shahriar who went berserk after he happened to see his queen in compromising posture with a black slave. Earlier his brother Shahzaman witnessed a same situation involving his queen with the kitchen boy. Many of the stories are veiled attacks on the concept of virginity and chastity. This is an inner story within the frame story, presented by the third dervish before the three independent girls of Baghdad house.  The story told by the man who lives secretly in lonely Island, to the third dervish: My lady, when I asked the young man to tell his story, he was happy and regained his composure, he asked me to come near him. "O, my brother," he began, "My tale is strange and amazing. My father is a very wealthy jeweller who deals with kings. He has a number of slaves, both white and black. He has many traders who travel in his ship and trade for him. But he...

Frame story is told by Shahrazad. This is the second part of the inner story by 3rd Dervish. I saw the path on the side of the mountain. I hung against the rock and began to climb little by little. The atmosphere was still, and helped me with the ascent. I reached the summit and entered the dome. I prayed. Then I went that part of the dome overlooking the sea. I sat by the curve and fell asleep. "O Ajib, when you are awake dig under your feet. You will find a brass bow, three lead arrows inscribed with talismans. Take the bow and arrow and shoot at horseman to throw him off the horse and rid mankind of this great calamity. When you shoot at him, he will fall into sea, and the horse will drop at your feet. Take the horse and bury it in the place of the bow. When you do this, the sea will swell until it reaches the level of the dome, and there will come to you a skiff carrying a man of brass (a man other than you will have thrown), holding in his hands a pair of paddles. Ride with h...