Classics Retold

The tale of the Jullanar ( Gulnare )of the sea is one of the later added stories in the collection. The Arabic title of this renowned tradition is Alfa Layla Wa Layla.  Though the paper was available by second century CE, printing came into existence by fifteen century CE,  these stories were popular even before the invention of paper and the knowledge of printing. This was made possible by professional story tellers.  In the Arab world the professional story tellers were called Hakawatis.  They were highly skilled performers who drew large crowds in the markets. Hakawatis were not just reciters of poems, but performers, who used gestures, wit, and expressive language to breath life into characters. Such performers in Iraq were  called Qaskhun and their tradition was known as al-Qaskhun.  Manuscripts guided them in the performance.  It was like the story board of a modern film maker. al-Qaskhun were based at Baghdad  The story, Jullanar of the Sea...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr has said to his mother, "None will satisfy me, save princess Jauhara, the daughter of King al-Shamandal, for she is like her name a jewel." His mother replied, "She  is yours." She sent at once for al-Shamandal. He came and kissed the ground before her. King Badr was called. He came and bade him welcome, and demanded her daughter Jauhara in marriage.  al-Shamandal replied, "She is your servant and at your disposal." Then he sent officers to bring her to the presence of Jullanar.  Jauhara came, and embraced her father.  He said to her, "O my daughter, I have given you in marriage to this gallant king and valiant lion, king Badr. None is worthy of him  but you, and none is worthy of you but him." She replied, "O my father, I cannot disobey you.  Do as you wish."  Legal witnesses were summoned to drew up the marriage contract. Then the marriage celebration was begun and continued for ten days. ...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr said to his mother, "Mother, nothing remains except that I should marry to unite us all.  Jullanar said, "Son, this is a good idea. But wait, we will see who is a match for you."  His grandmother Farasha, his uncle Sayih and his cousins agreed with mother, and all of them endeavoured to find out a suitable match for king Badr. Then each of them went out to search throughout the world, while Jullanar sent out her waiting women on the backs of demons, saying to them, "Leave not a province, or a city, or a King's palace without noticing every beautiful girl there." When king Badr noted these efforts, he said to his mother, "Mother, stop this, for none will satisfy me."  But morning overtook and Shahrazad lapsed into silence.

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr dismounted from the she-mule and delivered her to the old woman, who, as soon as she received her, removed the bit from her mouth, took water in her hand, and sprinkled it on the she-mule with some words of incantation, followed by "O my daughter, leave this form and return to your human form."  The queen was at once restored to her original form.  The two women embraced and kissed each other.  King Badr realised that the old woman was queen Lab's mother and that he had been tricked, and he saw the danger lurking behind.  He wanted to escape, but there was not a way.  The old woman gave a loud whistle, and there appeared before her a huge demon. It stood like a huge mountain and its shadow fell over the entire premises.  The old woman mounted on its back, followed by her daughter.  The demon picked king Badr and put him on its shoulder and flew off and landed at the palace of queen Lab. While queen and her ...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr said to the queen of Magi, "As long as you love me, nothing will change me towards you, for I love even more than you love me.  Eat of my barley meal." She took a mouthful and ate it. No sooner had it settled down in her stomach than she began to convulse.  King Badr took water in his hand, and threw it in her face, and said, "Leave this form and turn into a dappled mule.  When she saw herself in this condition, tears rolled down her cheeks, and she began to rub her head against his feet. He tried to bridle her; but she would not let him, so he left her and went to the old man and gave an account of the happenings.  The old man took a bridle, saying, "Bridle her with this, for when she sees this, she will submit and let you bridle her.   King Badr took the bridle and returned to the queen.  She came up to him.  He set the bit in her mouth, mounted her, and rode to the old man.  The old man said to...

The following night Shahrazad said: The queen said to Badr, "You love me and I love you, for you are my lot in life." When he heard this, he being drunk, replied, "Yes, this is how I felt." Then she embraced him, kissed him, and pretending to love him, lay down to sleep, and he lay beside her.  In the middle of the night, she rose from bed, while Badr lay awake, pretending to be asleep, and taking care to follow her movement.  She took red sand from a bag and spread it on the floor of the room, and it became a running stream.  Then she took a handful of barley and strewed it in the soil on the bank of the stream and watered it with the water from the stream and turned it into ears of barley. Then, she reaped the barley and ground it into flour. Then she laid the meal aside, and returning to bed, slept beside Badr till the morning.  In the morning Badr went to see the old man. He narrated his experience of previous day to the old man.  The old man laughed and sai...

The following night Shahrazad said: King Badr went to the old favabean seller's shop.  The old man received him happily. The old man asked, how did you fare with that infidel?" King Badr replied, "It was alright till last night.  But today an untoward incident took place.  When I woke up in the morning I did not see her by my side. I waited for a long time, but she did not turn up.  Then I went in search of her to the garden."  Then he told what he had seen in the garden, how queen Lab in the form of a white bird, and a black mamluk as a black bird had been making love.  The old man said, "The cursed woman has started to play games.  You should beware of her. All the birds in the garden are her lovers. She enjoy them and then turn them into birds.  The black bird was one of her Mamluks. She was madly in love with him.  But when he eyed one of her maids, she cast a spell over him and turned him into a bird.  Whenever she lusts for him, sh...