The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 8 | Page 6

and
ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-eighth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the grandmother
of Badi'a al-Jamal said to Shahyal, "Fare thee to the Blue King and
look after Sayf al-Muluk: if he be still in life come with him hither; but
an he have slain him take that King and all his children and Harim and
the whole of his dependents an protégés and bring them here alive that I
may cut their throats with my own hand and ruin his realm. Except thou
go to him and do my bidding, I will not acquit thee of my milk and my
rearing of thee shall be accounted unlawful." Thereupon Shahyal rose
and assembling his troops, set out, in deference to his mother, desiring
to content her and her friends, and in accordance with whatso had been
fore-ordained from eternity without beginning; nor did they leave
journeying till they came to the land of the Blue King, who met them
with his army and gave them battle. The Blue King's host was put to
the rout and the conquerors having taken him and all his sons, great and
small, and Grandees and officers bound and brought them before King
Shahyal, who said to the captive, "O Azrak,[FN#2] where is the mortal
Sayf al-Muluk who whilome was my guest?" Answered the Blue King,
"O Shahyal, thou art a Jinni and I am a Jinni and is't on account of a
mortal who slew my son that thou hast done this deed; yea, the
murtherer of my son, the core of my liver and solace of my soul. How
couldest thou work such work and spill the blood of so many thousand
Jinn?" He replied, "Leave this talk! Knowest thou not that a single
mortal is better, in Allah's sight, than a thousand Jinn?[FN#3] If he be
alive, bring him to me, and I will set thee free and all whom I have
taken of thy sons and people; but an thou have slain him, I will
slaughter thee and thy sons." Quoth the Malik al-Azrak, "O King, is
this man of more account with thee than my son?"; and quoth Shahyal,
"Verily, thy son was an evildoer who kidnapped Kings' daughters and

shut them up in the Ruined Well and the High-builded Castle of Japhet
son of Noah and entreated them lewdly." Then said the Blue King, "He
is with me; but make thy peace between us." So he delivered the Prince
to Shahyal, who made peace between him and the Blue King, and
Al-Azrak gave him a bond of absolution for the death of his son. Then
Shahyal conferred robes of honour on them and entertained the Blue
King and his troops hospitably for three days, after which he took Sayf
al-Muluk and carried him back to the old Queen, his own mother, who
rejoiced in him with an exceeding joy, and Shahyal marvelled at the
beauty of the Prince and his loveliness and his perfection. Then the
Prince related to him his story from beginning to end, especially what
did befal him with Badi'a al-Jamal and Shahyal said, "O my mother,
since 'tis thy pleasure that this should be, I hear and I obey all that to
command it pleaseth thee; wherefore do thou take him and bear him to
Sarandib and there celebrate his wedding and marry him to her in all
state, for he is a goodly youth and hath endured horrors for her sake."
So she and her maidens set out with Sayf al-Muluk for Sarandib and,
entering the Garden belonging to the Queen of Hind, foregathered with
Daulat Khatun and Badi'a al-Jamal. Then the lovers met, and the old
Queen acquainted the two Princesses with all that had passed between
Sayf al-Muluk and the Blue King and how the Prince had been
nearhand to a captive's death; but in repetition is no fruition. Then King
Taj al-Muluk father of Daulat Khatun assembled the lords of his land
and drew up the contract of marriage between Sayf al-Muluk and
Badi'a al-Jamal; and he conferred costly robes of honour and gave
banquets to the lieges. Then Sayf al-Muluk rose and, kissing ground
before the King, said to him, "O King, pardon! I would fain ask of thee
somewhat but I fear lest thou refuse it to my disappointment." Taj
al-Muluk replied, "By Allah, though thou soughtest my soul of me, I
would not refuse it to thee, after all the kindness thou hast done me!"
Quoth Sayf al-Muluk, "I wish thee to marry the Princess Daulat Khatun
to my brother Sa'id, and we will both be thy pages." "I hear and obey,"
answered Taj al-Muluk, and assembling his Grandees a second time, let
draw