The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 13 by Sir Richard Francis Burton (summer reading list txt) 📕

man agreed and accordingly my wife took the earth of him, and gave him in exchange the jarful of bran which he carried away with him and ganged his gait. An ye ask, ‘Wherefore didst thou not confide the matter to thy spouse and tell her that thou hadst put the money in the jar?’ I on my side answer, that ye gave me strict injunctions to keep the money this time with the utmost heed and caution. Methought that stead was the safest wherein to store the gold and I was loath to trust my wife lest haply she take some coin therefrom and expend it upon her household. O my lords, I am certified of your goodness and graciousness, but poverty and penury are writ in my Book of Fate; how then can I aspire to possessions and prosperity? Withal, never while I breathe the breath of life, shall I be forgetful of this your generous favour.” Quoth Sa’di, “Meseemeth I have disbursed four hundred Ashrafis to no purpose in giving them to thee; yet the intent wherewith they were given was that thou shouldst benefit thereby, not that I claim thy praise and thanksgiving.” So they twain compassionated and condoled with me in my misfortune; and presently Sa’d, an upright man and one who had acquaintance with me since many a year, produced a leaden coin[FN#277] which he had picked up from the path and was still carrying in his pocket; and, after shewing it to Sa’di, said to me, “Seest thou this bit of lead? Take it and by favour of Fate thou shalt find out what blessings it will bring to thee.” Sa’di on espying it laughed aloud and made jest of the matter and flouting said, “What advantage will there be to Hasan from this mite of lead and in what way shall he use it?” Sa’d handing me the leaden coin retorted in reply, “Give no heed to whatso Sa’di may say, but keep this by thee. Let him laugh an he please. One day haply shall come to pass, Inshallah—an it be the will of Almighty Allah—that thou shalt by means thereof become a wealthy man and a magnifico.” I took the bit of lead and put it in my pocket, and the twain bade me farewell and went their way.—And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till The end of the Six Hundred and Nineteenth Night.

 

Then said she—I have heard, O auspicious King, that Hasan al-Habbal thus continued his story:—As soon as Sa’d and Sa’di had departed, I went on rope-twisting until night came and when doffing my dress to go to bed the bit of lead which Sa’d had given me fell out of my pocket; so I picked it up and set it carelessly in a small niche in the wall.[FN#278] Now that very night so it happened that a fisherman, one of my neighbours, stood in need of a small coin[FN#279] wherewith to buy some twine for mending his drag-net, as he was wont to do during the dark hours, in order that he might catch the fish ere dawn of day and selling his quarry, buy victuals for himself and his household.

So, as he was accustomed to rise while yet somewhat of night remained, he bade his wife go round about to all the neighbours and borrow a copper that he might buy the twine required; and the woman went everywhere, from house to house, but nowhere could she get loan of a farthing, and at last she came home weary and disappointed. Quoth the fisherman to her, “Hast thou been to Hasan al-Habbal?” and quoth she, “Nay, I have not tried at his place. It is the furthest of all the neighbours’ houses and fanciest thou, even had I gone there, I could thence have brought back aught?” “Off with thee, O laziest of hussies and good for nothing of baggages,” cried the fisherman, “away with thee this instant; perchance he hath a copper to lend us.” Accordingly the woman, grumbling and muttering, fared forth and coming to my dwelling knocked at the door, saying, “O Hasan al-Habbal, my husband is in sore need of a pice wherewith to buy some twine for mending his nets.” Minding me of the coin which Sa’d had given me and where it had been put away, I shouted out to her, “Have patience, my spouse will go forth to thee and give thee what thou needest.” My wife, hearing all this hubbub, woke from sleep, and I told her where to find the bit of money, whereupon she fetched it and gave it to the woman, who joyed with exceeding joy, and said, “Thou and thy husband have shown great kindness to my man, wherefore I promise thee that whatsoever fish he may chance to catch at the first throw of the net shall be thine; and I am assured that my goodman, when he shall hear of this my promise, will consent thereto.” Accordingly when the woman took the money to her husband and told him of what pledge she had given, he was right willing, and said to her, “Thou hast done well and wisely in that thou madest this covenant.” Then having bought some twine and mended all the nets he rose before dawn and hastened riverwards to catch fish according to his custom. But when he cast the net into the stream for the first throw and haled it in, he found that it contained but one fish and that a full span[FN#280] or so in thickness, which he placed apart as my portion. Then he threw the net again and again and at each cast he caught many fishes both small and great, but none reached in size that he first had netted. As soon as he returned home the fisherman came at once to me and brought the fish he had netted in my name, and said, O our neighbour, my wife promised over night that thou shouldst have whatever fishes should come to ground at the first net throw; and this fish is the only one I caught. Here it is, prithee take it as a thanks offering for the kindness of last night, and as fulfilment of the promise. If Allah Almighty had vouchsafed to me of fish a seine-full, all had been thine but ‘tis thy fate that only this one was landed at the first cast.” Said I, “The mite I gave thee yesternight was not of such value that I should look for somewhat in return;” and refused to accept it. But after much “say and said” he would not take back the fish, and he insisted that it was mine: wherefore I agreed to keep it and gave it to my wife, saying, “O woman, this fish is a return for the mite I gave last night to the fisherman our neighbour. Sa’d hath declared that by means of that coin I shall attain to much riches and abundant opulence.” Then I recounted to my wife how my two friends had visited me and what they said and did, and all concerning the leaden coin which Sa’d had given to me. She wondered at seeing but a single fish and said, “How shall I cook it? Meseemeth ‘twere best to cut it up and broil it for the children, especially as we have naught of spices and condiments wherewith to dress it otherwise.” Then, as she sliced and cleansed the fish she found within its belly a large diamond which she supposed to be a bit of glass or crystal; for she oft had heard tell of diamonds[FN#281] but never with her own eyes had she beheld one. So she gave it to the youngest of the children for a plaything and when the others saw it, by reason of its brightness and brilliancy all desired to have it and each kept it in turn awhile; moreover when night came and the lamp was lighted they crowded round the stone and gazed upon its beauty, and screamed and shouted with delight.[FN#282] When my wife had spread the table we sat down to supper and the eldest boy set the diamond upon the tray, and as soon as we all had finished eating, the children fought and scrambled as before for it. At first I paid no heed to their noise and hubbub, but when it waxed exceeding loud and irksome I asked my eldest lad the cause why they quarrelled and made such turmoil. Quoth he, “The trouble and dispute are about a piece of glass which giveth forth a light as bright as the lamp.” Whereat I told him to produce it and marvelled greatly to see its sparkling water, and enquired of my wife whence she had gotten the piece of crystal. Quoth she, “This I found within the belly of the fish as I was gutting it.”

Still I did not suppose it to be aught but glass. Presently I bade my wife hide the lamp behind the hearth.—And as the morn began to dawn Shahrazad held her peace till The end of the Six Hundred and Twentieth Night.

 

Then said she:—I have heard, O auspicious King, that Hasan al-Habbal thus continued his story:—And when my wife had hidden the lamp from view, such was the brightness of the diamond that we could see right well without other light; wherefore I placed it upon the hearth[FN#283] that we might work by it, and said within myself, “The coin that Sa’d left with me hath produced this benefit that we no longer stand in need of a lamp: at least it saveth us oil.” When the youngsters saw me put out the lamp and use the glass in its stead they jumped and danced for joy, and screamed and shouted with glee so that all the neighbours round about could hear them when I chid them and sent them to bed; we also went to rest and right soon fell asleep. Next day I woke betimes and went on with my work and thought not of the piece of glass. Now there dwelt hard by us a wealthy Jew, a jeweller who bought and sold all kinds of precious stones; and, as he and his wife essayed to sleep that night, by reason of the noise and clamour of the children they were disturbed for many hours and slumber visited not their eyes. And when morn appeared, the jeweller’s wife came to our house to make complaint both for herself and her husband anent the hubbub and shouting. Ere she could say a word of blame my wife, guessing the intent wherewith she came, addressed her saying, “O Rah�l,[FN#284] I fear me that my children pestered thee last night with their laughing and crying. I crave thine indulgence in this matter; well thou must wot how children now cry now laugh at trifles. Come in and see the cause of all their excitement wherefor thou wouldst justly call me to account.” She did accordingly and saw the bit of glass about which the youngsters had made such din and uproar; and when she, who had long experience of all manner precious stones, beheld the diamond she was filled with wonderment. My wife then told her how she had found it in the fish’s belly, whereupon quoth the Jewess, “This bit of glass is more excellent than all other sorts of glass. I too have such an one as this which I am wont to wear sometimes; and wouldst thou sell it I will buy this thing of thee.” Hearing her words the children began to cry and said, “O mother dear, an thou wilt not sell it we promise henceforth to make no noise.” Understanding that they would by no means part with it, the women held their peace and presently the Jewess fared forth, but ere