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

world."--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and
ceased saying her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Seventy-ninth Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the Persian
accosted the young man saying, "O my son, thou art a comely youth!
Thou hast no sire and I have no son, and I know an art than which there
is no goodlier in the world. Many have sought of me instruction therein,
but I consented not to instruct any of them in it; yet hath my soul
consented that I teach it to thee, for thy love hath gotten hold upon my

heart and I will make thee my son and set up between thee and poverty
a barrier, so shalt thou be quit of this handicraft and toil no more with
hammer and anvil,[FN#10] charcoal and fire." Hasan asked, "O my
lord and when wilt thou teach me this?"; and the Persian answered,
"To-morrow, Inshallah, I will come to thee betimes and make thee in
thy presence fine gold of this copper." Whereupon Hasan rejoiced and
sat talking with the Persian till nightfall, when he took leave of him and
going in to his mother, saluted her with the salam and ate with her; but
he was dazed, without memory or reason, for that the stranger's words
had gotten hold upon his heart. So she questioned him and he told her
what had passed between himself and the Persian, which when she
heard, her heart fluttered and she strained him to her bosom, saying, "O
my son, beware of hearkening to the talk of the folk, and especially of
the Persians, and obey them not in aught; for they are sharpers and
tricksters, who profess the art of alchemy[FN#11] and swindle people
and take their money and devour it in vain." Replied Hasan, "O my
mother, we are paupers and have nothing he may covet, that he should
put a cheat on us. Indeed, this Persian is a right worthy Shaykh and the
signs of virtue are manifest on him; Allah hath inclined his heart to me
and he hath adopted me to son." She was silent in her chagrin, and he
passed the night without sleep, his heart being full of what the Persian
had said to him; nor did slumber visit him for the excess of his joy
therein. But when morning morrowed, he rose and taking the keys,
opened the shop, whereupon behold, the Persian accosted him. Hasan
stood up to him and would have kissed his hands; but he forbade him
from this and suffered it not, saying, "O Hasan, set on the crucible and
apply the bellows."[FN#12] So he did as the stranger bade him and
lighted the charcoal. Then said the Persian, "O my son, hast thou any
copper?" and he replied, "I have a broken platter." So he bade him work
the shears[FN#13] and cut it into bittocks and cast it into the crucible
and blow up the fire with the bellows, till the copper became liquid,
when he put hand to turband and took therefrom a folded paper and
opening it, sprinkled thereout into the pot about half a drachm of
somewhat like yellow Kohl or eyepowder.[FN#14] Then he bade
Hasan blow upon it with the bellows, and he did so, till the contents of
the crucible became a lump of gold.[FN#15] When the youth saw this,
he was stupefied and at his wits' end for the joy he felt and taking the

ingot from the crucible handled it and tried it with the file and found it
pure gold of the finest quality: whereupon his reason fled and he was
dazed with excess of delight and bent over the Persian's hand to kiss it.
But he forbade him, saying, "Art thou married?" and when the youth
replied "No!" he said, "Carry this ingot to the market and sell it and
take the price in haste and speak not." So Hasan went down into the
market and gave the bar to the broker, who took it and rubbed it upon
the touchstone and found it pure gold. So they opened the biddings at
ten thousand dirhams and the merchants bid against one another for it
up to fifteen thousand dirhams,[FN#16] at which price he sold it and
taking the money, went home and told his mother all that had passed,
saying, "O my mother, I have learnt this art and mystery." But she
laughed at him, saying, "There is no Majesty and there is no Might save
in Allah, the Glorious, the Great!"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn
of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Seven Hundred and Eightieth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when Hasan
the