Supplemental Nights to The Book of the Thousand and One Nights | Page 4

Rukn Al-Din Bibars Al-Bundukdari and the Sixteen Captains of Police a. First Constable's History b. Second Constable's History c. Third Constable's History d. Fourth Constable's History e. Fifth Constable's History f. Sixth Constable's History g. Seventh Constable's History h. Eighth Constable's History ha. The Thief's Tale i. Ninth Constable's History j. Tenth Constable's History k. Eleventh Constable's History l. Twelfth Constable's History m. Thirteenth Constable's History n. Fourteenth Constable's History na. A Merry Jest of a Clever Thief nb. Tale of the Old Sharper o. Fifteenth Constable's History p. Sixteenth Constable's History 14. Tale of Harun Al-Rashid and Abdullah Bin Nafi' a. Tale of the Damsel Torfat Al-Kulub and the Caliph Harun Al-Rashid 15. Women's Wiles 16. Nur Al-Din Ali of Damascus and the Damsel Sitt Al-Milah 17. Tale of King Ins Bin Kays and His Daughter with the Son of King Al-'abbas 18. Tale of the Two kings and the Wazir's Daughters 19. The Concubine and the Caliph 20. The Concubine of Al-Maamun
Appendix: Variants and Analogues of Some of the Tales in Vols. XI and XII. by W. A. Clouston
The Sleeper and the Waker The Ten Wazirs; or the History of King Azadbakht and His Son King Dadbin and His Wazirs King Aylan Shah and Abu Tamman King Sulayman Shah and His Niece Firuz and His Wife King Shah Bakht and His Wazir Al-Rahwan On the Art of Enlarging Pearls The Singer and the Druggist The King Who Kenned the Quintessence of Things The Prince Who Fell In Love With the Picture The Fuller, His Wife, and the Trooper The Simpleton Husband The Three Men and our Lord Isa The Melancholist and the Sharper The Devout Woman accused of Lewdness The Weaver Who Became A Leach By Order of His Wife The King Who Lost Kingdom, Wife, and Wealth Al-Malik Al-Zahir and the Sixteen Captains of Police The Thief's Tale The Ninth Constable's Story The Fifteenth Constable's Story The Damsel tohfat Al-Kulub Womens Wiles Nur Al-Din and the Damsel Sitt Al-Milah King Ins Bin Kays and his Daughter
Additional Notes: Firuz and His Wife The Singer and the Druggist The Fuller, His Wife, and the Trooper

Supplemental Nights
To The Book Of The
Thousand Nights And A Night

AL-MALIK AL-ZAHIR RUKN AL-DIN BIBARS AL- BUNDUKDARI AND THE SIXTEEN CAPTAINS OF POLICE.[FN#1]

There was once in the climes[FN#2] of Egypt and the city of Cairo, under the Turks, a king of the valiant kings and the exceeding mighty Soldans, hight Al-Malik al-Z��hir Rukn al-Din Bibars al-Bundukd��ri,[FN#3] who was used to storm the Islamite sconces and the strongholds of "The Shore"[FN#4] and the Nazarene citadels. His Chief of Police in the capital of his kingdom, was just to the folk, all of them; and Al-Malik al-Zahir delighted in stories of the common sort and of that which men purposed in thought; and he loved to see this with his own eyes and to hear their sayings with his own ears. Now it fortuned that he heard one night from a certain of his nocturnal reciters[FN#5] that among women are those who are doughtier than the doughtiest men and prower of prowess, and that among them are some who will engage in fight singular with the sword and others who beguile the quickest-witted of Walis and baffle them and bring down on them all manner of miseries; wherefore said the Soldan, "I would lief hear this of their legerdemain from one of those who have had to do with it, so I may hearken unto him and cause him discourse." And one of the story-tellers said, "O king, send for the Chief of Police of this thy city." Now 'Alam al-Din[FN#6] Sanjar was at that time Wali and he was a man of experience, in affairs well versed; so the king sent for him and when he came before him, he discovered to him that which was in his mind. Quoth Sanjar, "I will do my endeavour for that which our lord seeketh." Then he arose and returning to his house, summoned the Captains of the watch and the Lieutenants of the ward and said to them, "Know that I purpose to marry my son and make him a bridal banquet, and I desire that ye assemble, all of you, in one place. I also will be present, I and my company, and do ye relate that which you have heard of rare occurrences and that which hath betided you of experiences." And the Captains and Runners and Agents of Police answered him, "'Tis well: Bismillah--in the name of Allah! We will make thee see all this with thine own eyes and hear it with thine own ears." Then the Chief of Police arose and going up to Al-Malik al-Zahir, informed him that the assembly would meet on such a day at his house; and the Soldan said,