The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume VI Part 18

[FN#255] The usual formula when telling an improbable tale. But here it is hardly called for: the same story is told (on weak authority) of the Alewife, the Three Graziers and Attorney-General Nay (temp. James II. 1577-1634) when five years old (Journ. Asiat. Soc. N.S. x.x.x. 280). The same feat had been credited to Thomas Egerton, Lord Chancellor in A.D. 1540-1617 (Chalmers, Biographical Dictionary xxiii. 267-68). But the story had already found its way into the popular jest-books such as "Tales and Quick Answers, very Mery and Pleasant to Rede" (1530); "Jacke of Dover's Quest of Inquirie for the Foole of all Fooles"

(1604) under the t.i.tle "The Foole of Westchester", and in "Witty and Entertaining Exploits of George Buchanan, commonly called the King's Fool." The banker-bard Rogers (in Italy) was told a similar story concerning a widow of the Lambertini house (xivth centry). Thomas Wright (Introducition to the Seven Sages) says he had met the tale in Latin( xiiith-xivth centuries) and a variant in the "Nouveaux Contes a rire (Amsterdam 1737), under the t.i.tle "Jugement Subtil du Duc d'Ossone contre Deux Marchands." Its origin is evidently the old Sindibad-namah translated from Syriac into Greek ("Syntipas," xith century); into Hebrew (Mishle Sandabar, xiith century) and from the Arabian version into old Castilian, "Libro de los Engannos et los Asayamientos de las Mugeres" (A.D. 1255), whereof a translation is appended to Professor Comparetti's Socitey. The Persion metrical form (an elaboration of one much older) dates from 1375; and gave rise to a host of imitations such as the Turkish Tales of the Forty Wazirs and the Canarese "Katha Manjari," where four persons contend about a purse. See also Gladwin's "Persian Moonshee," No.

vi. of "Pleasing Stories;" and Mr. Clouston's paper, "The Lost Purse," in the Glasgow Evening Times. All are the Eastern form of Gavarni's "Enfants Terribles," showing the portentous precocity for which some children (infant phenomena, calculating boys, etc.

etc.) have been famous.

[FN#256] From the Bresl. Edit. xii. 381. The Sa'lab or Abu Hosayn (Father of the Fortlet) is the fox, in Marocco Akkab: Talib Yusuf and Wa'wi are the jackal. Arabas have not preserved "Jakal" from the Heb. Shu'al and Persian s.h.a.ghal and Persian s.h.a.ghal (not s.h.a.gul) as the Rev. Mr. Tristram misinforms his readers. (Nat.

Hist. p. 85)

[FN#257] The name is old and cla.s.sical Arabic: in Antar the young Amazon Jayda was called Judar in public (Story of Jayda and Khalid). It is also, as will be seen, the name of a quarter in Cairo, and men are often called after such places, e.g. Al-Jubni from the Suk al Jubn in Damascus. The story is exceedingly Egyptian and the style abounds in Cairene vulgarisms, especially in the Bresl. Edit. ix. 311.

[FN#258] Had the merchant left his property to be divided after his death and not made a will he widow would have had only one-eighth instead of a fourth.

[FN#259] Lit. "from tyrant to tyrant," i.e. from official to official, Al-Zalamah, the "tyranny" of popular parlance.

[FN#260] The coin is omitted in the text but it is evidently the "Nusf" or half-dirham. Lane (iii.235), noting that the dinar is worth 170 "nusfs" in this tale, thinks that it was written (or copied?) after the Osmanh Conquest of Egypt. Unfortunately he cannot tell the precise period when the value of the small change fell so low.

[FN#261] Arab "Yaum mubarak!" still a popular exclamation.

[FN#262] i.e. of the door of daily bread.

[FN#263] Arab. "Sirah," a small fish differently described (De Sacy, "Relation de l'Egypte par Abd allatif," pp. 278-288: Lane, Nights iii. 234. It is not found in Sonnini's list.

[FN#264] A tank or lakelet in the southern parts of Cairo, long ago filled up; Von Hammer believes it inherited the name of the old Charon's Lake of Memphis, over which corpses were ferried.

[FN#265] Thus making the agreement a kind of religious covenant, as Catholics would recite a Pater or an Ave Maria.

[FN#266] Arab. "Ya miskim"=O poor devil; mesquin, meschino, words evidently derived from the East.

[FN#267] Plur. of Maghribi a Western man, a Moor. I have already derived the word through the Lat. "Maurus" from Maghribiyun.

Europeans being unable to p.r.o.nounce the Ghayn (or gh like the modern Cairenes) would turn it into "Ma'ariyun." They are mostly of the Maliki school (for which see Sale) and are famous as magicians and treasure-finders. Amongst the suite of the late Amir Abd al-Kadir, who lived many years and died in Damascus, I found several men profoundly versed in Eastern spiritualism and occultism.

[FN#268] The names are respectively, Slave of the Salvation, of the One (G.o.d), of the Eternal; of the Compa.s.sionate; and of the Loving.

[FN#269] i.e. "the most profound"; the root is that of "Batini,"

a gnostic, a reprobate.

[FN#270] i.e. the Tall One.

[FN#271] The loud pealing or (ear-) breaking Thunder.

[FN#272] Arab. "Fas and Miknas" which the writer evidently regards as one city. "Fas" means a hatchet, from the tradition of one having been found, says Ibn Sa'id, when digging the base under the founder Idris bin Idris (A.D. 808). His sword was placed on the pinnacle of the minaret built by the Imam Abu Ahmad bin Abi Bakr enclosed in a golden etui studded with pearls and precious stones. From the local p.r.o.nunciation "Fes" is derived the red cap of the nearer Moslem East (see Ibn Batutah p. 230).

[FN#273] Arab. "Al-Khurj," whence the Span. Las Alforjas.

[FN#274] Arab. "Kebab," mutton or lamb cut into small squares and grilled upon skewers: it is the roast meat of the nearer East where, as in the West, men have not learned to cook meat so as to preserve all its flavour. This is found in the "Asa'o" of the Argentine Gaucho who broils the flesh while still quivering and before the fibre has time to set. Hence it is perfectly tender, if the animal be young, and has a "meaty" taste half lost by keeping

[FN#275] Equivalent to our puritanical "Mercy."

[FN#276] Arab. "Bukjah," from the Persian Bukcheh: a favourite way of keeping fine clothes in the East is to lay them folded in a piece of rough long-cloth with pepper and spices to drive away moths.

[FN#277] This is always specified, for respectable men go out of town on horse-back, never on "foot-back," as our friends the Boers say. I have seen a Syrian put to sore shame when compelled by politeness to walk with me, and every acquaintance he met addressed him "Anta Zalamah!" What! afoot?

[FN#278] This tale, including the Enchanted Sword which slays whole armies, was adopted in Europe as we see in Straparola (iv.

3), and the "Water of Life" which the Grimms found in Hesse, etc., "Gammer Grethel's German Popular Stories," Edgar Taylor, Bells, 1878; and now published in fuller form as "Grimm's Household Tales," by Mrs. Hunt, with Introduction by A. Lang, 2 vols. 8vo, 1884. It is curious that so biting and carping a critic, who will condescend to notice a misprint in another's book, should lay himself open to general animadversion by such a rambling farrago of half-digested knowledge as that which composes Mr. Andrew Lang's Introduction.

[FN#279] These retorts of Judar are exactly what a sharp Egyptian Fellah would say on such occasions.

[FN#280] Arab. "Salamat," plur. of Salam, a favourite Egyptian welcome.

[FN#281] This sentence expresses a Moslem idea which greatly puzzles strangers. Arabic has no equivalent of our "Thank you"

(Ka.s.sara 'llah Khayr-ak being a mere blessing Allah increase thy weal!), nor can Al-lslam express grat.i.tude save by a periphrase.

The Moslem acknowledges a favour by blessing the donor and by wis.h.i.+ng him increase of prosperity. "May thy shadow never be less! " means, Mayest thou always extend to me thy shelter and protection. I have noticed this before but it merits repet.i.tion.

Strangers, and especially Englishmen, are very positive and very much mistaken upon a point, which all who have to do with Egyptians and Arabs ought thoroughly to understand. Old dwellers in the East know that the theory of ingrat.i.tude in no way interferes with the sense of grat.i.tude innate in man (and beast) and that the "lively sense of favours to come," is as quick in Orient land as in Europe.

[FN#282] Outside this n.o.ble gate, the Bab al-Nay, there is a great cemetery wherein, by the by, lies Burckhardt, my predecessor as a Hajj to Meccah and Al-Medinah. Hence many beggars are always found squatting in its neighbourhood.

[FN#283] Friends sometimes walk alongside the rider holding the stirrup in sign of affection and respect, especially to the returning pilgrim.

[FN#284] Equivalent to our Alas! It is woman's word never used by men; and foreigners must be most careful of this distinction under pain of incurring something worse than ridicule. I remember an officer in the Bombay Army who, having learned Hindostani from women, always spoke of himself in the feminine and hugely scandalised the Sepoys.

[FN#285] i.e. a neighbour. The "quarters" of a town in the East are often on the worst of terms. See Pilgrimage.

[FN#286] In the patriarchal stage of society the mother waits upon her adult sons. Even in Dalmatia I found, in many old-fas.h.i.+oned houses, the ladies of the family waiting upon the guests. Very pleasant, but somewhat startling at first.

[FN#287] Here the apodosis would be "We can all sup together."

[FN#288] Arab. "Zawiyah" (=oratory), which is to a Masjid what a chapel is to a church.

[FN#289] Arab. "Kasr," prop. a palace: so the Tuscan peasant speaks of his "palazzo."

[FN#290] This sale of a free-born Moslem was mere felony. But many centuries later Englishmen used to be sold and sent to the plantations in America.

[FN#291] Arab. "Kawwas," lit. an archer, suggesting les archers de la Sainte Hermandade. In former days it denoted a sergeant, an apparitor, an officer who executed magisterial orders. In modern Egypt he became a policeman (Pilgrimage i. 29). As "Cava.s.s" he appears in gorgeous uniform and sword, an orderly attached to public offices and Consulates.

[FN#292] A purely imaginary King.

[FN#293] The Bresl. Edit. (ix. 370) here and elsewhere uses the word "Nutiya"=Nauta, for the common Bahriyah or Mallah.

[FN#294] Arab. "Tawaf," the name given to the sets (Ashwat) of seven circuits with the left shoulder presented to the Holy House, that is walking "widders.h.i.+ns" or "against the sun" ("with the sun" being like the movement of a watch). For the requisites of this rite see Pilgrimage iii. 234.

[FN#295] Arab. "Akh"; brother has a wide signification amongst Moslems and may be used to and of any of the Saving Faith.

[FN#296] Said by the master when dismissing a servant and meaning, "I have not failed in my duty to thee!" The answer is, "Allah acquit thee thereof!'

[FN#297] A Moslem prison is like those of Europe a century ago; to think of it gives gooseflesh. Easterns laugh at our idea of penitentiary and the Arabs of Bombay call it "Al-Bistan" (the Garden) because the court contains a few trees and shrubs. And with them a garden always suggests an idea of Paradise. There are indeed only two efficacious forms of punishment all the world over, corporal for the poor and fines for the rich, the latter being the severer form.

[FN#298] i.e. he shall answer for this.

[FN#299] A pun upon "Khaliyah" (bee hive) and "Khaliyah" (empty).