The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 14 | Page 9

these words,
he made answer. "I, O King of the Age, am he who said that say!" The
King replied, "'Tis well;" and the Prince resumed, "O my lord, that
which showed me the matter of the meat which was to us brought is as
follows. I found the fat of the kid all hard by the bone, and I knew that
the beast had sucked bitch's milk; for the flesh of dogs lieth outside and
their fat is on their bones, whereas in sheep and goats the fat lieth upon
the meat. Such, then, was my proof wherein there is nor doubt nor
hesitation; and when thou shalt have made question and inquiry thou

wilt find this to be fact." Quoth the Sultan, "'Tis well; thou hast spoken
truth and whatso thou sayest is soothfast. But which is he who declared
that I am a bastard and what was his proof and what sign in me exposed
it to him?" Quoth the youngest Prince, "I am he who said it;" and the
Sultan rejoined, "There is no help but that thou provide me with a
proof." The Prince rejoined, "'Tis well!"--And Shahrazad perceived the
dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her permitted say. Then
quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister
mine, and enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night an the
Sovran suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-third Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching of
this our latter night!" She replied, "With love and good will!" It hath
reached me, O auspicious King, the director, the right-guiding lord of
the rede which is benefiting and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy
celebrating, that the youngest Prince said to the Sultan, "O my lord, I
have evidence that thou art the son of a cook and a base-born in that
thou didst not sit at meat with us and this was mine all-sufficient
evidence. Every man hath three properties which he inheriteth at times
from his father, at times from his maternal uncle and at times from his
mother.[FN#14] From his sire cometh generosity or niggardness; from
his uncle courage or cowardice; from his mother modesty or
immodesty; and such is the proof of every man." Then quoth to him the
Sultan, "Sooth thou speakest; but say me, men who like you know all
things thoroughly by evidence and by your powers of penetration, what
cause have they to come seeking arbitration at my hand? Beyond yours
there be no increase of intelligence. So fare ye forth from me and
manage the matter amongst yourselves, for 'tis made palpable to me by
your own words that naught remaineth to you save to speak of
mysterious subjects;[FN#15] nor have I the capacity to adjudge
between you after that which I have heard from you. In fine an ye
possess any document drawn up by your sire before his decease, act

according to it and contrary it not." Upon this the Princes went forth
from him and made for their own country and city and did as their
father had bidden them do on his death-bed. The eldest enthroned
himself as Sultan; the cadet assumed possession and management of
the moneys and treasures and the youngest took to himself the camels
and the horses and the beeves and the muttons. Then each and every
was indeed equal with his co-partner in the gathering of good. But
when the new year came, there befel a drought among the beasts and all
belonging to the youngest brother died nor had he aught of property left:
yet his spirit brooked not to take anything from his brethren or even to
ask of them aught. This then is the Tale of the King of Al-Yaman in its
entirety; yet is the Story of the Three Sharpers[FN#16] more wondrous
and marvellous than that just recounted.--And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted say.
Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine,
and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this
compared with that I would relate to you on the coming night, an the
King suffer me to survive." Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Three Hundred and Thirty-fourth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be other
than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short the watching