第28章

When it was the Eight Hundredth Night； She said，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the girls sat down to chat with their uncle the eldest said to him'O my uncle，we told thee the tale of Hasan of Bassorah，whom Bahram the Magian brought and how he slew the wizard and how，after enduring all manner of hardships and horrors，he made prize of the Supreme King's daughter and took her to wife and journeyed with her to his native land？'Replied he，'Yes，and what befel him after that？'Quoth the Princess，'She played him false after he was blest with two sons by her；for she took them in his absence and fled with them to her own country，saying to his mother：'Whenas thy son returneth to thee and asketh for me and upon him the nights of severance longsome shall be and he craveth reunion and meeting to see and whenas the breezes of love and longing shake him dolefully，let him come in the Islands of Wak to me.'When Abd al-Kaddus heard this，he shook his head and bit his forefinger；then，bowing his brow groundwards he began to make marks on the earth with his finger-tips；[109] after which he again shook his head and looked right and left and shook his head a third time，whilst Hasan watched him from a place where he was hidden from him.Then said the Princesses to their uncle；'Return us some answer，for our hearts are rent in sunder.'But he shook his head at them，saying，'O my daughters，verily hath this man wearied himself in vain and cast himself into grievous predicament and sore peril；for he may not gain access to the Islands of Wak.'With this the Princesses called Hasan，who came forth and，advancing to Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus，kissed his hand and saluted him.The old man rejoiced in him and seated him by his side；whereupon quoth the damsels，'O uncle，acquaint our brother Hasan with that thou hast told us.' So he said to Hasan，'O my son，put away from thee this peine forte et dure；for thou canst never gain access to the Islands of Wak，though the Flying Jinn and the Wandering Stars were with thee；for that betwixt thee and these islands are seven Wadys and seven seas and seven mighty mountains.How then canst thou come at this stead and who shall bring thee thither？ Wherefore，Allah upon thee，O my son，do thou reckon thy spouse and sons as dead and turn back forthright and weary not thy sprite！ Indeed，I give thee good counsel，an thou wilt but accept it.' Hearing these words from the Shaykh；Hasan wept till he fainted，and the Princesses sat round him；weeping for his weeping，whilst the youngest sister rent her raiment and buffeted her face，till she swooned away.When Shaykh Abd al-Kaddus saw them in this transport of grief and trouble and mourning，he was moved to ruth for them and cried；'Be ye silent！' Then said he to Hasan，'O my son，hearten thy heart and rejoice in the winning of thy wish，an it be the will of Allah the Most High；'presently adding，'Rise，O my son，take courage and follow me.' So Hasan arose forthright and after he had taken leave of the Princesses followed him，rejoicing in the fulfilment of his wish.Then the Shaykh called the elephant and mounting，took Hasan up behind him and fared on three days with their nights，like the blinding leven，till he came to a vast blue mountain，whose stones were all of azure hue and amiddlemost of which was a cavern，with a door of Chinese iron.Here he took Hasan's hand and let him down and alighting dismissed the elephant.Then he went up to the door and knocked，whereupon it opened and there came out to him a black slave，hairless，as he were an Ifrit，with brand in right hand and targe of steel in left.When he saw Abd al-Kaddus，he threw sword and buckler from his grip and coming up to the Shaykh kissed his hand.Thereupon the old man took Hasan by the hand and entered with him，whilst the slave shut the door behind them；when Hasan found himself in a vast cavern and a spacious，through which ran an arched corridor and they ceased not faring on therein a mile or so，till it abutted upon a great open space and thence they made for an angle of the mountain wherein were two huge doors cast of solid brass.The old man opened one of them and said to Hasan，'Sit at the door，whilst I go within and come back to thee in haste，and beware lest thou open it and enter.'Then he fared inside and；shutting the door after him，was absent during a full sidereal hour，after which he returned，leading a black stallion，thin of flank and short of nose，which was ready bridled and saddled；with velvet housings；and when it ran it flew，and when it flew；the very dust in vain would pursue；and brought it to Hasan；saying，'Mount！'So he mounted and Abd al-Kaddus opened the second door，beyond which appeared a vast desert.Then the twain passed through the door into that desert and the old man said to him，'O my son，take this scroll and wend thou whither this steed will carry thee.When thou seest him stop at the door of a cavern like this，alight and throw the reins over the saddle-bow and let him go.He will enter the cavern，which do thou not enter with him，but tarry at the door five days，without being weary of waiting.On the sixth day there will come forth to thee a black Shaykh，clad all in sable，with a long white beard；flowing down to his navel.As soon as thou seest him，kiss his hands and seize his skirt and lay it on thy head and weep before him，till he take pity on thee and he will ask thee what thou wouldst have.When he saith to thee，'What is thy want？' give him this scroll which he will take without speaking and go in and leave thee.Wait at the door other five days，without wearying；and on the sixth day expect him；and if he come out to thee himself，know that thy wish will be won，but，if one of his pages come forth to thee，know that he who cometh forth to thee；purposeth to kill thee；and--the Peace！[110]For know，O my son，that whoso self imperilleth doeth himself to death；'--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased saying her permitted say.