Classics Retold

On ninety second night Shahrazad said: I heard O happy King Ja'far said to the Caliph: Badr al-Din closed his shop and followed his son, without knowing that he was his son. They reached the city gate. He kept following them. The eunuch looked back, and he saw Badr al-Din behind them. He said, "Damn it, what do you want?" "Noble lord, when you departed," replied Badr al-Din, "I felt that my soul had left me and gone with you; besides as I have some business outside the Victory Gate, I thought that I would come out to finish it and return." The eunuch was angry and said to Ajib, "See, this is what I feared, and this is what you have done to me. When one is blind, one does not see ahead. Because we entered his shop, and ate an unfortunate mouthful, he takes liberties with us, and follow us." Ajib turned around and seeing the cook follow him, reddened with anger and said to the eunuch, "Let him walk like any Muslim, but if he turns in the s...

Elizabeth did not receive any letters from Jane on their arrival at Lambton, for the first two days. She was disappointed. But on the third day she received two letters.  The address of the first letter was not correct and it went somewhere else, and redirected to the proper address, and delivered along with the second. "Since writing the previous one, dearest Lizzy, something has occurred of a most unexpected nature; I am afraid of alarming you - be assured we are all well.  It is about Lydia.  An express came at twelve last night, just as we were all gone to bed, from Colonel Forster, to inform us that she was gone off to Scotland with one of his officers; to own the truth, with Wickham! "Imagine our surprise.  To Kitty it does not seem unexpected.  I am very very sorry.  So imprudent a match on both both sides.  But I hope the best.  That his character has been misunderstood.  Thoughtless and indiscreet is he.  But this is nothing bad...

On the ninety first night Shahrazad said:  I heard, O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: Ajib and the servant stood before the shop of Badr al-Din Hasan al Basri. The latter gazed at his son, whose extraordinary beauty and grace attracted him. His heart began to throb and his stomach began to flutter, the blood harked to the blood, driven by instinctive sympathy and divine mistery - Glory be to Him who controls everything. Looking at his son's alien attire and at his wonderful face, Badr al-Din said to him, "O my lord and master of my life and heart, you for whom I would shed my blood, would you enter my shop to taste my food and make me happy? Taste my pomegranate seed dish cooked in sugar." At that moment he remembered his days as vizier's son, and his eyes filled with tears, and he recited the following verses: O beloved, as I shed my tears I acquaint you with my sorry plight I yearn for you, and not avoid you And feel a passion that burns  Not that I hate ...

Miss Bingley's dislike of Elizabeth had its origin in jealousy.  Elizabeth could not help feeling how unwelcome Miss Bingley's presence at Pemberly would be. On reaching the Pemberly House, they were shown through the hall into the saloon. It offered a refreshing view of the beautiful oaks and Spanish chestnuts scattered over the lawn behind, boarded by  wooded hills.  Miss Darcy, along with Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley received them.  Miss Darcy's reception of them was very civil, but she was embarassed out of shyness and the the fear of committing any mistakes while doing something, gave her a look of proud, to those who were inferior to her. But Mrs Gardiner, and Elizabeth however, did her justice, and pitied her. On entering of Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingley, there came a pause in the conversation among others, an awkward pause, which was broken by Mrs Annesley, a well bred agreeable woman, and the conversation continued, between her and Mrs Gardiner with occasional he...

On the ninetieth night Shahrazad said: I heard, O happy King, Ja'far said to the Caliph: The vizier of Cairo city, the uncle of Badr al-Din Hasan journeyed with his daughter and her son for twenty days, and came to the city of Damascus. Damascus was a beautiful city. It was the city of Jasmine. It was on the eastern coast of Mediterranean sea. The vizier dismounted and pitched his tent at a place called Plain of Pebbles. [1] "Let us rest here for a few days," said the vizier to his daughter and nephew. Then he sent his pages and servants to the city. Some of them went to sell, and some to buy, and some others to go to bath. Ajib also went into the city to see the sights followed by an eunuch carrying a red club of knotted almond wood to frighten the camels. When the people of Damascus saw Ajib, who in spite of his very young age was all beauty, charm and grace. The people followed him, while others ran ahead and waited for him to pass by, so that they might have glimpse o...

Next morning. Lambton.  Elizabeth, her uncle and aunt along with some new friends had been walking about the place; and were just returning to the inn to dress themselves for dining, when the sound of carriage drew them to a window, they saw Mr Darcy and her sister in a curricle driving up the street.  With a perturbed mind, she stood looking at them, and then withdrew from the window, fearful of being seen. Mr Darcy and her sister appeared, and a formal introduction took place. Elizabeth saw that Miss Darcy was also embarassed. She had heard that Miss Darcy was exceedingly proud. But she observed that she is exceedingly shy.  She found it difficult to get even a word from her beyond monosyllable.  Miss Darcy was little more than sixteen, tall, and graceful.  She was less handsome than her brother; but there was sense and good humour in her.  Her manners were perfectly unassuming and gentle. They had not been long together before Mr Darcy had told her that ...

On the eighty ninth night Shahrazad said: I heard, O happy king, Ja'far said to the Caliph: When Ajib heard the insulting remarks of the children and the monitor, he left at once and came crying to his mother Sit al-Husn. When she saw him, her heart was on fire for him, and she asked him, "Son why do you cry? May God never let you cry again!" Sobbing he told her what had happened; then he asked her, "Who, then is my father?" She replied, "Your father is the vizier of Cairo" He said, "You are lying, the vizier is your own father, he is my grandfather. Who, then is my father? When Sit al-Husn heard him speak of his father, her cousin and husband Badr al-Din Hasan, she recalled her wedding night, she wept bitterly and recited the following verses: Lit the love in me and went  away,  Here I am empty hearth and heart. His shrine is too distant to visit,  Long distance that kept us apart. When he left, my patience left So did my endurance and control. H...