The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 05...

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the lady Shamsah entered the new palace, she smelt the scent of her flying feather-gear and knew where it was and determined to take it. So she waited till midnight, when Janshah was drowned in sleep; then she rose and going straight to the place where the marble-coffer was buried under the arches she hollowed the ground alongside till she came upon it; when she removed the lead wherewith it was soldered and, taking out the feather-suit, put it on. Then she flew high in air and perching on the pinnacle of the palace, cried out to those who were therein, saying, “I pray you fetch me Janshah, that I may bid him farewell.” So they told him and he came out and, seeing her on the terrace-roof of the palace, clad in her feather-raiment, asked her, “Why hast thou done this deed?”; and she answered “O my beloved and coolth of mine eyes and fruit of my heart, by Allah, I love thee passing dear and I rejoice with exceeding joy in that I have restored thee to thy friends and country and thou hast seen thy mother and father. And now, if thou love me as I love thee, come to me at Takní, the Castle of Jewels.” So saying, she flew away forthright to find her family and friends, and Janshah fell down fainting, being well-nigh dead for despair.

They carried the news to King Teghmus, who mounted at once and riding to the palace, found his son lying senseless on the ground; whereat he wept knowing that the swoon was caused by the loss of his love, and sprinkled rose-water on his face.[552] When the Prince came to himself and saw his sire sitting at his head, he wept at the thought of losing his wife and the King asked what had befallen him. So he replied, “Know, O my father, that the lady Shamsah is of the daughters of the Jann and she hath done such and such” (telling him all that had happened); and the King said, “O my son, be not troubled and thus concerned, for I will assemble all the merchants and wayfarers in the land and enquire of them anent that castle. If we can find out where it is, we will journey thither and demand the Princess Shamsah of her people; and we hope in Allah the Almighty that He will give her back to thee and thou shalt consummate thy marriage.” Then he went out and, calling his four Wazirs without stay or delay, bade them assemble all the merchants and voyagers in the city and question them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, adding, “Whoso knoweth it and can guide us thither, I will surely give him fifty thousand gold pieces.” The Wazirs accordingly went forth at once and did as the King bade them, but neither trader nor traveller could give them news of Takni, the Castle of Jewels; so they returned and told the King.

Thereupon he bade bring beautiful slave-girls and concubines and singers and players upon instruments of music, whose like are not found but with the Kings: and sent them to Janshah, so haply they might divert him from the love of the lady Shamsah. Moreover, he despatched couriers and spies to all the lands and islands and climes, to enquire for Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and they made quest for it two months long, but none could give them news thereof. So they returned and told the King, whereupon he wept bitter tears and going in to his son found Janshah sitting amidst the concubines and singers and players on harp and zither and so forth, not one of whom could console him for the lady Shamsah. Quoth Teghmus, “O my son, I can find none who knoweth this Castle of Jewels; but I will bring thee a fairer than she.” When Janshah heard this, his eyes ran over with tears and he recited these two couplets:—

Now there was a deadly feud between King Teghmus and a certain King of Hind, by name Kafíd, who had great plenty of troops and warriors and champions; and under his hand were a thousand puissant chieftains, each ruling over a thousand tribes whereof every one could muster four thousand cavaliers. He reigned over a thousand cities each guarded by a thousand forts and he had four Wazirs and under him ruled Emirs, Princes and Sovereigns; and indeed he was a King of great might and prowess whose armies filled the whole earth. Now King Teghmus had made war upon him and ravaged his reign and slain his men and of his treasures had made gain. But when it came to King Kafid’s knowledge that King Teghmus was occupied with the love of his son, so that he neglected the affairs of the state and his troops were grown few and weak by reason of his care and concern for his son’s state, he summoned his Wazirs and Emirs and said to them, “Ye all know that whilom King Teghmus invaded our dominions and plundered our possessions and slew my father and brethren, nor indeed is there one of you, but he hath harried his lands and carried off his goods and made prize of his wives and slain some kinsmen of his. Now I have heard this day that he is absorbed in the love of his son Janshah, and that his troops are grown few and weak; and this is the time to take our blood-revenge on him.

So make ready for the march and don ye your harness of battle; and let nothing stay or delay you, and we will go to him and fall upon him and slay him and his son, and possess ourselves of his reign.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kafid, King of Hind, commanded his troops and armies to mount and make for the dominions of King Teghmus, saying, “Get ye ready for the march and don ye your harness of war; and let nothing stay or delay you; so we will go to him and fall upon him and slay him and his son and possess ourselves of his reign.” They all answered with one voice, saying, “We hear and obey,” and fell at once to equipping themselves and levying troops; and they ceased not their preparations for three months and, when all was in readiness, they beat the drums and sounded the trumps and flew the flags and banners: then King Kafid set out at the head of his host and they fared on till they reached the frontiers of the land of Kabul, the dominions of King Teghmus, where they began to harry the land and do havoc among the folk, slaughtering the old and taking the young prisoners. When the news reached King Teghmus, he was wroth with exceeding wrath and assembling his Grandees and officers of state, said to them, “Know that Kafid hath come to our land and hath entered the realm we command and is resolved to fight us hand to hand; and he leadeth troops and champions and warriors, whose number none knoweth save Allah Almighty; what deme deem ye?” Replied they, “O King of the age, let us go out to him and give him battle and drive him forth of our country; and thus deem we.”

So he bade them prepare for battle and brought forth to them hauberks and cuirasses and helmets and swords and all manner of warlike gear, such as lay low warriors and do to death the champions of mankind. So the troops and braves and champions flocked together and they set up the standards and beat the drums and sounded the trumpets and clashed the cymbals and piped on the pipes; and King Teghmus marched out at the head of his army, to meet the hosts of Hind. And when he drew near the foe, he called a halt, and encamping with his host in the Zahrán Valley,[553] hard by the frontier of Kabul despatched to King Kafid by messenger the following letter:—“Know that what thou hast done is of the doings of the villain rabble and wert thou indeed a King, the son of a King, thou hadst not done thus, nor hadst thou invaded my kingdom and slain my subjects and plundered their property and wrought unright upon them. Knowest thou not that all this is the fashion of a tyrant? Verily, had I known that thou durst harry my dominions, I had come to thee before thy coming and had prevented thee this long while since. Yet, even now, if thou wilt retire and leave mischief between us and thee, well and good; but if thou return not, meet me in the listed field and measure thyself with me in cut and thrust.” Lastly he sealed his letter and committed to an officer of his army and sent with him spies to spy him out news.

The messenger fared forth with the missive and, drawing near the enemy’s camp, he descried a multitude of tents of silk and satin, with pennons of blue sendal, and amongst them a great pavilion of red satin, surrounded by a host of guards. He ceased not to advance till he made this tent and found on asking that it was that of King Kafid whom he saw seated on a chair set with jewels, in the midst of his Wazirs and Emirs and Grandees. So he brought out the letter and straightway there came up to him a company of guards, who took it from him and carried it to the King; and Kafid read it and wrote a reply to this purport:—“After the usual invocations, We let King Teghmus know that we mean to take our blood-revenge on thee and wash out our stain and waste thy reign and rend the curtain in twain and slay the old men and enslave the young men. But to-morrow, come thou forth to combat in the open plain, and to show thee thrust and fight will I deign.” Then he sealed the letter and delivered it to the messenger, who carried it to King Teghmus——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Kafid delivered the answering letter to the messenger who carried it to King Teghmus and delivered it, after kissing the ground between his hands. Then he reported all that he had seen, saying, “O King of the age, I espied warriors and horsemen and footmen beyond count nor can I assist thee to the amount.” When Teghmus read the reply and comprehended its contents, he was with furious rage enraged and bade his Wazir Ayn Zar take horse and fall upon the army of Kafid with a thousand cavaliers, in the middle watch of the night when they would easily ride home and slay all before them. Ayn Zar replied, “I hear and I obey,” and at once went forth to do his bidding. Now King Kafid had a Wazir, Ghatrafán[554] by name, whom he bade take five thousand horse and attack the host of King Teghmus in like manner. So Ghatrafan did his bidding and set out on his enterprise marching till midnight. Thus the two parties met halfway and the Wazir Ghatrafan fell upon the Wazir Ayn Zar. Then man cried out against man and there befel sore battle between them till break of day, when Kafid’s men were routed and fled back to their King in confusion. As Kafid saw this, he was wroth beyond measure and said to the fugitives, “Woe to you!

What hath befallen you, that ye have lost your captains?” and they replied, “O King of the age, as the Wazir Ghatrafan rode forth to fall upon King Teghmus, there appeared to us halfway and when night was half over, the Wazir Ayn Zar, with cavaliers and champions, and we met on the slopes of Wady Zahran; but ere we were ware we found ourselves in the enemy’s midst, eye meeting eye; and we fought a fierce fight with them from midnight till morning, many on either side being slain. Then the Wazir and his men fell to shouting and smiting the elephants on the face till they took fright at their furious blows, and turning tail to flee, trampled down the horsemen, whilst none could see other for the clouds of dust. The blood ran like a rain-torrent and had we not fled, we had all been cut off to the last man.” When King Kafid heard this, he exclaimed, “May the sun not bless you and may he be wroth with you and sore be his wrath!” Meanwhile Ayn Zar, the Wazir, returned to King Teghmus and told him what had happened. The King gave him joy of his safety and rejoiced greatly and bade beat the drums and sound the trumpets, in honour of the victory; after which he called the roll of his troops and behold, two hundred of his stoutest champions had fallen. Then King Kafid marched his army into the field and drew them out ordered for battle in fifteen lines of ten thousand horse each, under the command of three hundred captains, mounted on elephants and chosen from amongst the doughtiest of his warriors and his champions.

So he set up his standards and banners and beat the drums and blew the trumpets whilst the braves sallied forth, offering battle. As for King Teghmus, he drew out his troops line after line and lo! there were ten of ten thousand horse each, and with him were an hundred champions, riding on his right hand and on his left. Then fared forward to the fight each renowned knight, and the hosts clashed together in their might, whilst the earth for all its wideness was straitened because of the multitude of the cavaliers and ears were deafened by drums and cymbals beating and pipes and hautboys sounding and trumpets blaring and by the thunder of horse-tramp and the shouting of men. The dust arched in canopy over their heads and they fought a sore fight from the first of the day till the fall of darkness, when they separated and each army drew off to its own camp.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that each army drew off to its own camp. Then King Kafid called the roll of his troops and, finding that he had lost five thousand men, raged with great rage; and King Teghmus mustered his men and seeing that of them were slain three thousand riders, the bravest of his braves, was wroth with exceeding wrath. On the morrow King Kafid again pushed into the plain and did duty as before, while each man strave his best to snatch victory for himself; and Kafid cried out to his men, saying, “Is there any of you will sally forth into the field and open us the chapter of fray and fight?” And behold came out from the ranks a warrior named Barkayk, a mighty man of war who, when he reached the King, alighted from his elephant and kissing the earth before him, sought of him leave to challenge the foe to combat singular. Then he mounted his elephant and driving into mid-field, cried out, “Who is for duello, who is for derring-do, who is for knightly devoir?” When King Teghmus heard this, he said to his troops, “Which of you will do single battle with this sworder?” And behold, a cavalier came out from the ranks, mounted on a charger, mighty of make, and driving up to the King kissed the earth before him and craved his permission to engage Barkayk.

Then he mounted again and charged at Barkayk, who said to him, “Who art thou and what art thou called, that thou makest mock of me by coming out against me and challenging me, alone?” “My name is Ghazanfar[555] son of Kamkhíl,” replied the Kabul champion; and the other, “I have heard tell of thee in my own country; so up and do battle between the ranks of the braves!” Hearing these words Ghazanfar drew a mace of iron from under his thigh and Barkayk took his good sword in hand, and they laid on load till Barkayk smote Ghazanfar on the head with his blade, but the morion turned the blow and no hurt befel him therefrom; whereupon Ghazanfar, in his turn, dealt Barkayk so terrible a stroke on the head with his mace, that he levelled him down to his elephant’s back and slew him. With this out sallied another and crying to Ghazanfar, “Who be thou that thou shouldst slay my brother?”; hurled a javelin at him with such force that it pierced his thigh and nailed his coat of mail to his flesh. Then Ghazanfar, feeling his hurt, hent his sword in hand and smote at Barkayk’s brother and cut him in sunder, and he fell to the earth, wallowing in his life-blood; whilst the challenger of Kabul galloped back to King Teghmus. Now when Kafid saw the death of his champions, he cried out to his troops, saying, “Down with you to the plain and strike with might and main!” as also did King Teghmus, and the two armies fought the fiercest of fights.

Horse neighed against horse and man cried out upon man and brands were bared, whilst the drums beat and the trumpets blared; and horseman charged upon horseman and every brave of renown pushed forward, whilst the faint-heart fled from the lunge of lance and men heard nought but slogan-cry and the clash and clang of armoury. Slain were the warriors that were slain[556] and they stayed not from the mellay till the decline of the sun in the heavenly dome, when the Kings drew off their armies and returned each to its own camp.[557] Then King Teghmus took tally of his men and found that he had lost five thousand, and four standards had been broken to bits, whereat he was sore an-angered; whilst King Kafid in like manner counted his troops and found that he had lost six hundred, the bravest of his braves, and nine standards were wanting to the full tale. The two armies ceased joining battle and rested on their arms three days’ space, after which Kafid wrote a letter and sent it by messenger to a King called Fákun al-Kalb (with whom he claimed kinship by the spindle side): and this kinsman forthwith mustered his men and marched to meet the King of Hind.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that King Fakun mustered his men and marched to meet the King of Hind: and whileas King Teghmus was sitting at his pleasance, there came one in to him and said, “I see from afar a cloud of dust spireing high in air and overspreading the lift.” So he commanded a company to fare forth and learn the meaning of this; and, crying, “To hear is to obey,” they sallied out and presently returned and said to him, “O King, when we drew near the cloud of dust, the wind rent it and it lifted and showed seven standards and under each standard three thousand horse, making for King Kafid’s camp.” Then King Fakun joined himself to the King of Hind and saluting him, asked, “How is it with thee, and what be this war in which thou warrest?”; and Kafid answered, “Knowest thou not that King Teghmus is my enemy and the murtherer of my father and brothers? Wherefore I am come forth to do battle with him and take my blood-wreak on him.” Quoth Fakun, “The blessing of the sun be upon thee!”; and the King of Hind carried King Fakun al-Kalb to his tent and rejoiced in him with exceeding joy. Such was the case of the two hostile Kings; but as regards King Janshah, he abode two months shut up in his palace, without seeing his father or allowing one of the damsels in his service to come in to him; at the end of which time he grew troubled and restless and said to his attendants, “What aileth my father that he cometh not to visit me?”

They told him that he had gone forth to do battle with King Kafid, whereupon quoth Janshah, “Bring me my steed, that I may go to my sire.” They replied, “We hear and obey,” and brought his horse; but he said in himself, “I am taken up with the thought of myself and my love and I deem well to mount and ride for the city of the Jews, where haply Allah shall grant me the boon to meet the merchant who hired me for the ruby-business and may be he will deal with me as he dealt before, for none knoweth whence good cometh.” So he took with him a thousand horse and set out, the folk saying, “At last Janshah hath fared forth to join his father in the field, and to fight by his side;” and they stinted not pushing on till dusk, when they halted for the night in a vast meadow. As soon as he knew that all his men were asleep, the Prince rose privily and girding his waist, mounted his horse and rode away intending to make Baghdad, because he had heard from the Jews that a caravan came thence to their city once in every two years and he made up his mind to journey thither with the next Cafilah. When his men awoke and missed the Prince and his horse, they mounted and sought him right and left but, finding no trace of him, rejoined his father and told him what his son had done; whereat he was wroth beyond measure and cast the crown from his head, whilst the sparks were like to fly from his mouth, and he said “There is no Majesty and there is no Might but in Allah! Verily I have lost my son, and the enemy is still before me.”

But his Wazirs and vassals said to him, “Patience, O King of the age! Patience bringeth weal in wake.” Meanwhile Janshah, parted from his lover and pained for his father, was in sore sorrow and dismay, with heart seared and eyes tear-bleared and unable to sleep night or day. But when his father heard the loss his host had endured, he declined battle, and fled before King Kafid; and, retiring to his city, closed the gates and strengthened the walls. Thereupon King Kafid followed him and sat down before the town, offering battle seven nights and eight days, after which he withdrew to his tents, to tend his wounded while the citizens defended themselves as they best could, fortifying the place and setting up mangonels and other engines on the walls. Such was the condition of the two Kings, and war raged between them for a space of seven years.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Kings Teghmus and Kafid continued in this condition for seven years; but, as regards Janshah, he rode through wild and wold and whenever he came to a town he asked anent Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but none knew of it and all answered, “Of a truth we never heard of such place, not even by name.” At last he happened to enquire concerning the city of the Jews from a merchant who told him that it was situate in the extreme Orient, adding, “A caravan will start this very month for the city of Mizrakán in Hind; whither do thou accompany us and we will fare on to Khorasan and thence to the city of Shima’ún and Khwárazm, from which latter place the City of the Jews is distant a year and three months’ journey.” So Janshah waited till the departure of the caravan, when he joined himself thereto and journeyed, till he reached the city of Mizrakan whence, after vainly asking for Takni, the Castle of Jewels, he set out and enduring on the way great hardships and perils galore and the extreme of hunger and thirst, he arrived at the town of Shima’un. Here he made enquiry for the City of the Jews, and they directed him to the road thither. So he fared forth and journeyed days and nights till he came to the place where he had given the apes the slip, and continued his journey thence to the river, on the opposite bank of which stood the City of the Jews.

He sat down on the shore and waited till the Sabbath came round and the river dried up by decree of Allah Almighty, when he crossed over to the opposite bank and, entering the city, betook himself to the house wherein he had lodged on his former journey. The Jew and his family saluted him and rejoiced in his return and, setting meat and drink before him, asked, “Where hast thou been during thine absence?”; and he answered, “In the kingdom of Almighty Allah!”[558] He lay with them that night and on the morrow he went out to solace himself with a walk about the city and presently heard a crier crying aloud and saying, “O folk, who will earn a thousand gold pieces and a fair slave-girl and do half a day’s work for us?” So Janshah went up to him and said, “I will do this work.”[559] Quoth the crier, “Follow me,” and carrying him to the house of the Jew merchant, where he had been aforetime, said, “This young man will do thy need.” The merchant not recognising him gave him welcome and carried him into the Harim, where he set meat and drink before him, and he ate and drank. Then he brought him the money and formally made over to him the handsome slave-girl with whom he lay that night. As soon as morning dawned, he took the dinars and the damsel and, committing them to his Jew host with whom he had lodged aforetime, returned to the merchant, who mounted and rode out with him, till they came to the foot of the tall and towering mountain, where the merchant, bringing out a knife and cords, said to Janshah, “Throw the mare.”

So he threw her and bound her four legs with the cords and slaughtered her and cut off her head and four limbs and slit her belly, as ordered by the Jew; whereupon quoth he, “Enter her belly, till I sew it up on thee; and whatsoever thou seest therein, tell me of it, for this is the work whose wage thou hast taken.” So Janshah entered the mare’s belly and the merchant sewed it up on him; then, withdrawing to a fair distance, hid himself. And after an hour a great bird swooped down from the lift and, snatching up the carcass in his pounces soared high toward the sky. Then he perched upon the mountain-peak and would have eaten the prey, but Janshah sensing his intent took out his knife and slit the mare’s belly and came forth. The bird was scared at his sight and flew away, and Janshah went up to a place whence he could see below, and looking down, espied the merchant standing at the foot of the mountain, as he were a sparrow. So he cried out to him, “What is thy will, O merchant?” Replied the Jew, “Throw me down of the stones that lie about thee, that I may direct thee in the way down.” Quoth Janshah, “Thou art he who didst with me thus and thus five years ago, and through thee I suffered hunger and thirst and sore toil and much trouble; and now thou hast brought me hither once more and thinkest to destroy me. By Allah, I will not throw thee aught!” So saying, he turned from him and set out for where lived Shaykh Nasr, the King of the Birds.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Janshah took the way for where lived Shaykh Nasr, the King of the Birds. And he ceased not faring on many days and nights, tearful-eyed and heavy-hearted; eating, when he was anhungered, of the growth of the ground and drinking, when he thirsted, of its streams, till he came in sight of the Castle of the lord Solomon and saw Shaykh Nasr sitting at the gate. So he hastened up to him and kissed his hands; and the Shaykh saluted him and bade him welcome and said to him, “O my son, what aileth thee that thou returnest to this place, after I sent thee home with the Princess Shamsah, cool of eyes and broad of breast?” Janshah wept and told him all that had befallen him and how she had flown away from him, saying, “An thou love me, come to me in Takni, the Castle of Jewels;” at which the old man marvelled and said, “By Allah, O my son, I know it not, nor, by the virtue of our lord Solomon, have I ever in my life heard its name!” Quoth Janshah, “What shall I do? I am dying of love and longing.” Quoth Shaykh Nasr, “Take patience until the coming of the birds, when we will enquire at them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels; haply one of them shall wot thereof.” So Janshah’s heart was comforted and, entering the Palace, he went straight to the chamber which gave upon the Lake in which he had seen the three maidens. After this he abode with Shaykh Nasr for a while and, one day as he was sitting with him, the Shaykh said, “O my son, rejoice for the time of the birds’ coming draweth nigh.”

Janshah gladdened to hear the news; and after a few days the birds began to come and Shaykh Nasr said to him, “O my son, learn these names[560] and address thyself with me to meet the birds.” Presently, the fowls came flying up and saluted Shaykh Nasr, kind after kind, and he asked them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, but they all made answer, “Never heard we of such a place.” At these words Janshah wept and lamented till he swooned away; whereupon Shaykh Nasr called a huge volatile and said to him, “Carry this youth to the land of Kabul,” and described to him the country and the way thither. Then he set Janshah on the bird’s back, saying, “Be careful to sit straight and beware of leaning to either side, else thou wilt be torn to pieces in the air; and stop thine ears from the wind, lest thou be dazed by the noise of the revolving sphere and the roaring of the seas.” Janshah resolved to do his bidding and the bird took flight high in sky and flew with him a day and a night, till he set him down by the King of the Beasts, whose name was Sháh Badrí, and said to his rider, “We have gone astray from the way directed by Shaykh Nasr.” And he would have taken him up again and flown on with him; but Janshah said, “Go thy ways and leave me here; till I die on this spot or I find Takni, the Castle of Jewels, I will not return to my country.” So the fowl left him with Shah Badri, King of the Beasts and flew away. The King thereupon said to him, “O my son, who art thou and whence comest thou with yonder great bird?”

So Janshah told him his story from beginning to end, whereat Shah Badri marvelled and said, “By the virtue of the lord Solomon, I know not of this castle; but if any one of the beasts my subjects know it, we will reward him bountifully and send thee by him thither.” Hereat Janshah wept bitterly but presently he took patience and abode with Shah Badri, and after a short time the King of the Beasts said to him, “O my son, take these tablets and commit to memory that which is therein; and when the beasts come, we will question them of the Castle of Jewels.”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.

She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the King of the Beasts said to Janshah, “Commit to memory what is in these tablets; and whenas the beasts come, we will ask them anent that castle.” He did as the King bade him, and before long, up came the beasts, kind after kind, and saluted Shah Badri, who questioned them of Takni, the Castle of Jewels; but they all replied, “We know not this castle, nor ever heard we of it.” At this Janshah wept and lamented for that he had not gone with the bird that brought him from Shaykh Nasr’s castle; but Shah Badri said to him, “Grieve not, O my son, for I have a brother, King Shimákh hight, who is older than I; he was once a prisoner to King Solomon, for that he rebelled against him; nor is there among the Jinn one elder than he and Shaykh Nasr. Belike he knoweth of this castle; at any rate he ruleth over all the Jinn in this country side.” So saying he set Janshah on the back of a beast and gave him a letter to his brother, commending him to his care. The beast set off with the Prince forthwith and fared on days and nights, till it came to King Shimakh’s abiding place. And when it caught sight of the King it stood still afar off; whereupon Janshah alighted and walked on, till he found himself in the presence. Then he kissed hands and presented his brother’s letter.

The King read the missive and, having mastered the meaning, welcomed the Prince, saying, “By Allah, O my son, in all my born days I never saw nor heard of this castle!” adding (as Janshah burst into tears), “but tell me thy story and who and whence thou art and whither thou art bound.” So Janshah related to him his history from beginning to end, at which Shimakh marvelled and said, “O my son, I do not believe that even the lord Solomon ever saw this castle or heard thereof; but O my son,[561] I know a monk in the mountains, who is exceeding old and whom all birds and beasts and Jann obey; for he ceased not his conjurations against the Kings of the Jann, till they submitted themselves to him in their own despite, by reason of the might of his oaths and his magic; and now all the birds and the beasts are his servants. I myself once rebelled against King Solomon and he sent against me this monk, the only being who could overcome me with his craft and his conjurations and his gramarye; then he imprisoned me, and since that time I have been his vassal. He hath travelled in all countries and quarters and knoweth all ways and regions and places and castles and cities; nor do I think there is any place hidden from his ken. So needs must I send thee to him, haply he may direct thee to the Castle of Jewels; and, if he cannot do this, none can; for all things obey him, birds and beasts and the very mountains and come at his beck and call, by reason of his skill in magic.

Moreover, by the might of his egromancy he hath made a staff, in three pieces, and this he planteth in the earth and conjureth over it; whereupon flesh and blood issue from the first piece, sweet milk from the second and wheat and barley from the third; then he withdraweth the staff and returneth to his place which is hight the Hermitage of Diamonds. And this magical monk is a cunning inventor and artificer of all manner strange works; and he is a crafty warlock full of guiles and wiles, an arch-deceiver of wondrous wickedness, who hath mastered every kind of magic and witchcraft. His name is Yaghmús and to him I must needs send thee on the back of a big bird with four wings”——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

She pursued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Shimakh said to Janshah, “I must needs send thee to the monk Yaghmus on the back of a big bird with four wings, each measuring thirty Háshimi[562] cubits in length; and it hath feet like those of an elephant, but it flieth only twice a year.” And there was with King Shimakh an officer, by name Timshún, who used every day to carry off two Bactrian[563] camels from the land of Irak and cut them up for the bird that it might eat them. So King Shimakh bade the fowl take up Janshah and bear him to the cell of the hermit Yaghmus; and it rose into the air and flew on days and nights, till it came to the Mountain of the Citadels and the Hermitage of Diamonds; where Janshah alighted and going up to the hermitage, found Yaghmus the Monk at his devotions. So he entered the chapel and, kissing the ground stood respectfully before the hermit. When Yaghmus saw him, he said, “Welcome, O my son, O parted from thy home and garred ferforth to roam! Tell me the cause of thy coming hither.” So Janshah wept and acquainted him with all that had befallen him from beginning to end and that he was in quest of the Castle of Jewels. The Monk marvelled greatly at his story and said, “By Allah, O my son, never in my life heard I of this castle, nor ever saw I one who had heard of it or had seen it, for all I was alive in the days of Noah, Allah’s Prophet (on whom be peace!),[564] and I have ruled the birds and beasts and Jinn ever since his time; nor do I believe that Solomon David-son himself knew of it.

But wait till the birds and beasts and chiefs of the Jann come to do their homage to me and I will question them of it; peradventure, some one of them may be able to give us news of it and Allah Almighty shall make all things easy to thee.” So Janshah homed with the hermit, until the day of the assembly, when all the birds and beasts and Jann came to swear fealty; and Yaghmus and his guest questioned them anent Takni, the Castle of Jewels; but they all replied, “We never saw or heard of such a place.” At this, Janshah fell a-weeping and lamenting and humbled himself before the Most High; but, as he was thus engaged, behold, there flew down from the heights of air another bird, big of bulk and black of blee, which had tarried behind the rest, and kissed the hermit’s hands. Yaghmus asked it of Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and it answered, saying, “O Monk, when I and my brothers were small chicks we abode behind the Mountain Kaf on a hill of crystal, in the midst of a great desert; and our father and mother used to set out for it every morning and in the evening come back with our food. They went out early one day, and were absent from us a se’nnight and hunger was sore upon us; but on the eighth day they returned, both weeping, and we asked them the reason of their absence. Quoth they:—A Marid swooped down on us and carried us off in his claws to Takni, the Castle of Jewels, and brought us before King Shahlán, who would have slain us; but we told him that we had left behind us a brood of fledgelings; so he spared our lives and let us go.

And were my parents yet in the bonds of life they would give thee news of the castle.” When Janshah heard this, he wept bitter tears and said to the hermit, “Prithee bid the bird carry me to his father and mother’s nest on the crystal hill, behind the Mountain Kaf.” So the hermit said, “O bird, I desire thee to obey this youth in whatsoever he may command thee.” “I hear and obey thy bidding,” replied the fowl; and, taking Janshah on its back, flew with him days and nights without ceasing till it set him down on the Hill of Crystal and there alighted. And having delayed there a resting while, it again set him on its back and flew off and ceased not flying for two whole days till it reached the spot where the nest was.——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.