The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 16 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 591 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 16.

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 16 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 591 pages of information about The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 16.

Presently the Wazir Ja’afar coming up to the Hodaj said to the young wife, O mistress of the Hodaj, thou hast killed us.  When she heard this address she called to him with dejection and humility, We ought not to talk to thee for I am the cousin-wife of thy friend and companion Attaf, prince of generosity and devotion.  If there be in thee any feeling of the self-denial of a man thou wilt do for him that which, in his devotion, he hath done for thee.  When Ja’afar heard these words he became troubled and taking in the magnitude of the situation he said to the young lady, O thou! thou art then his cousin-wife? and said she, Yes! it is I whom thou sawest on such a day when this and that took place and thy heart attached itself to me.  Thou hast told him all that.  He divorced me, and while waiting for the expiration of my ’iddah diverted thee that such and such was the cause of all my trouble.  Now I have explained to thee my situation:  do thou the action of a man.  When Ja’afar heard these words he uttered a loud cry and said, We are from God and to Him we return.  O thou! thou art now to me an interdiction and hast become a sacred deposit until thy return to where it may please thee.  Then said Ja’afar to a servant, Take good care of thy mistress.  After which they set foward and travelled on day and night.  Now Er-Rashid, after the departure of Ja’afar, became uneasy and sorrowful at his absence.  He lost patience and was tormented with a great desire to see him again, while he regretted the conditions he had imposed as impossible to be complied with and obliging him to the extremity of tramping about the country like a vagabond, and forcing him to abandon his native land.  He had sent envoys after him to search for him in every place, but he had never received any news of him, and was cast into great embarrassment by reason of his absence.  He was always waiting to hear of him, and when Ja’afar had approached Baghdad and he, Er-Rashid, had received the good tidings of his coming, he went forth to meet him, and as soon as they came together they embraced each other, and the Caliph became content and joyful.  They entered together into the palace and the Prince of True Believers seating Ja’afar at his side, said to him, Relate to me thy story where thou hast been during thine absence and what thou hast come upon.  So Ja’afar told him then all that had happened from the time he left him until the moment of finding himself between his hands.  Er-Rashid was greatly astonished and said, Wallahy, thou hast made me sorrowful for thine absence, and hast inspired me with great desire to see thy friend.  My opinion is that thou divorce this young lady and put her on the road homeward accompanied by someone in whom thou hast confidence.  If thy friend have an enemy he shall be our enemy, and if he have a friend he also shall be ours; after which we will make him come to us, and we shall see him and have the pleasure of hearing him and pass the time with him in joy. 

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The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 16 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.