The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XV Part 17

Introductory Chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1-9 Tale of the Trader and the Jinni, Night i.-ii. . . . . . . . . .9 The First Shaykh's Story, Night ii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Second Shaykh's Story, Night ii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Third Shaykh's Story, Night iv.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

Scott, following "Oriental Collections," ii. 34, supposes that the latter was omitted by M. Galland "on account of its indecency, it being a very free detail of the amours of an unfaithful wife." The true cause was that it did not exist in Galland's Copy of The Nights (Zotenberg, Histoire d' 'Ala al-Din, p. 37). Scott adds, "In this copy the Genie restores the Antelope, the Dogs and the Mule to their pristine forms, which is not mentioned by Galland, on their swearing to lead virtuous lives."

PAGE Conclusion of the Trader and the Jinni, Night v. . . . . . . . 43 The Fisherman and the Jinni, including the Tales of the Sage Duban and the ensorcelled Prince and omitting the Stories (1) of King Sindibad and his Falcon (2) the Husband and the Parrot and (3) the Prince and the Ogress.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 The Porter and the Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night v. . . . . .100 The First Kalandar's Tale, Night x.x.xix.. . . . . . . . . . . .144 The Second Kalandar's Tale, Night xlviii.. . . . . . . . . . .152

(The beginning of this Tale is wanting in the MS. which omits p. 151: also The Envier and the Envied, admitted into the list of Hikayat, is here absent.)

The Third Kalandar's Tale, Night lv. . . . . . . . . . . . . .173 The Eldest Lady's Tale. Night lxvi.. . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 Tale of the Portress. Conclusion of the Story of the Porter and Three Ladies of Baghdad, Night lxii. (a clerical mistake for lxx.?). . . . . . . .260

(In Galland follow the Voyages of Sindbad the Seaman which are not found in this copy.)

The Tailor and the Hunchback, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?). . .295 The Nazarene Broker's Story, Night lxviii. (for lxxiv.?) . . .308 The Youth whose hand was cut off, Night (?)[FN#628]. . . . . .312

(In p. 314 is a hiatus not accounting for the loss of hand.)

The Barber's Tale of his First Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .314 The Barber's Tale of his Second Brother. . . . . . . . . . . .317 The Barber's Tale of his Third Brother . . . . . . . . . . .323 The Barber's Tale of his Fourth Brother. . . . . . . . . . . .327 The Barber's Tale of his Fifth Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .331 The Barber's Tale of his Sixth Brother . . . . . . . . . . . .343 The end of the Tale of the Hunchback, the Barber and others, Night lxviii.(?) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .350

(Here Ends My Vol. I.)

Nur al-Din Ali and the Damsel Anis al-Jalis, Night lxviii. . .355 Sayf al-Muluk and Badi'a al-Jamal, Night xci.[FN#629]. . . . .401 Tale of the Youth of Mosul whose hand was cut off, Night xcii466-472

(The Tale of the Jewish Doctor in my vol. i. 288-300.)

Vol. i. ends with a page of scrawls, the work of some by-gone owner.

VOL. II.

Contains 316 pages, and includes end of Night xcii. to Night clxvi. The MS. is somewhat better written; the headings are in red ink and the verses are duly divided. The whole volume is taken up by the Tale of Kamar al-Zaman (1st), with the episodes of Al-Amjad and Al-As'ad, but lacking that of Ni'amah and Naomi.

In Galland Kamar al-Zaman begins with Night ccxi.: in my translation with vol. iii. 212 and concludes in vol. iv. 29. This 2nd vol. (called in colophon the 4th Juz) ends with the date 20th Sha'aban, A.H. 1177.

VOL. III.

Contains 456 pages, extending from Night cccvi. (instead of Night clxvii.) to cdxxv. and thus leaving an initial hiatus of 140 Nights (cxvi.-cccvi. C. de Perceval, vol. viii. p. 14). Thus the third of the original eight volumes is lost. On this subject Dr.

White wrote to Scott, "One or two bundles of Arabic ma.n.u.script, of the same size and handwriting as the second volume of the Arabian Tales, were purchased at the sale by an agent for Mr.

Beckford of Fonthill, and I have no doubt whatever but that the part deficient in your copy is to be found in his possession." If such be the case, and everything seems to prove it, this volume was not No. iii. but No. iv. The MS. begins abruptly with the continuation of the tale. There is no list of contents, and at the end are two unimportant "copies of verses" addressed to the reader, five couplets rhyming in?imu (e.g. ta'dimu) and two in--af (e.g. Salaf).

The following is a list of the contents:--

PAGE Part of the Tale of Hasan of Ba.s.sorah, Nights cccvi.-cccxxix 1-81 Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman[FN#630] and his Sons, told to Al-Ras.h.i.+d by Hasan of Ba.s.sorah, Nights cccxxix.-cccx.x.xiv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Story of the Three Sharpers,[FN#631] Nights cccx.x.xiv.-cccxlii. 96 The Sultan who fared forth in the habit of a Darwaysh, Night cccxlii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo, Night cccxliii.-cccxlviii124 Story of the First Lunatic,[FN#632] Night cccxlviii.-ccclv . .141 Story of the Second Lunatic, Night ccclv.-ccclvii. . . . . . .168 Story of the Sage and his Scholar, Night ccclvii.-ccclxii. . .179 Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo with three foolish Schoolmasters, Night ccclxii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Tale of the Mother and her Three Daughters, Night ccclxii. . .206 Story of the broke-back Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii . . . . .211 Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii. . . .214 Story of the limping Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiv.-ccclxv . . 219 Story of the three Sisters and their Mother the Sultanah, Night ccclxvi.-ccclx.x.xvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 History of the Kazi who bare a babe, Night ccclx.x.xvi.-cccxcii.322 Tale of the Kazi and the Bhang-eater, Night cccxciii.-cdiii. .344 History of the Bhang-eater and his wife, Night cccxciii.-cdiii348 How Drummer Abu Kasim became a Kazi, Night cdiii.-cdxii. . . .372 Story of the Kazi and his Slipper (including the Tale of the Bhang-eater who became the Just Wazir and who decided two difficult cases), Night cdxii.-cdxiii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424 Tale of Mahmud the Persian and the Kurd Sharper, Night cdiii.-cdxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428 Tale of the Sultan and the poor man who brought to him fruit, including the Fruit-seller's[FN#633] Tale, Night cdxvi.-cdxxv. . . . .432 Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, which ends this volume, Night cdxvii-cdxxvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437

VOL. IV.

PAGE Contains 456 pages, and ranges between Nights cdxxvi. and dxcvi.

Continuation of the Story of the King of Al-Yaman[FN#634] and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, Night cdxxvi.-cdx.x.xix . . . . . . . . 1-34

SCOTT prefers "The Sultan of the East," etc.

History of the First Larrikin, Night cdx.x.xix-cdxliv. . . . . . 34

SCOTT: "The first Sharper in the Cave," p. 185.

History of the Second Larrikin, Night cdxliii.-cdxlv . . . . . 46 History of the Third Larrikin, Night cdxlv.-cdxlvi . . . . . . 53 Story of a Sultan of Hind and his Son Mohammed, Night cdxlvi.-cdlviii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58

SCOTT: "The Sultan of Hind."

Tale of a Fisherman and his Son, Night cdlix.-cdlxix . . . . . 83 Tale of the Third Larrikin concerning himself, Night cdlxix.-cdlxxii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107

SCOTT: "The Unfortunate Lovers."

History of Abu Niyyah and Abu Niyyatayn, Night cdlxxii.-cdlx.x.xiii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

SCOTT: "Abou Neeut, the well-intentioned Sultan of Moussul, and Ab ou Neeutteen, the double-minded."

The Courtier's Story, or Tale of the Nadim to the Emir of Cairo, Night cdlx.x.xiii.-cdxci . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .140

SCOTT: "Story related to an Ameer of Egypt by a Courtier,"

p. 229.

Another relation of the Courtier, Night cdcxi. . . . . . . . .157

(Here Iblis took the place of a musician.)

The Shaykh with Beard shorn by the Shaytan, Night cdxcii . . .162 History of the King's Son of Sind and the Lady Fatimah, Night cdxci.-di. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .165

SCOTT: "The Sultan of Sind and Fatimah, daughter of Ummir[FN#635] ('amir) Ibn Naomann (Nu'uman)."

History of the Lovers of Syria, Night di.-dx . . . . . . . . .189

SCOTT: "The Lovers of Syria."