The Tale of the Second Sheikh

 The Tale of the Second Sheikh PART -2

KNOW, O Lord of the Kings of the Jinn, that these two hounds are my brothers, and I am the third. When our father died, he left us an inheritance of three thousand d(n&rs and with my share I opened a shop and began to trade in it. My brothers did the same, but soon one of them set out on a commercial venture and was away with the caravans for over a year. When he returned, he had lost all his money and I was moved to say to him: ‘Brother, did I not counsel you against this journey?’ Then he wept and said: ‘All&h, the Allpowerful, allowed this loss of mine, and your words cannot help me now that I have nothing left.’ Then I brought him up into my shop and afterwards conducted him to the baths and gave him a fine robe of rare workmanship. When at last we were sitting down to eat together, I told my brother that I was about to compute the yearly gains from my shop and that, leaving the capital

 untouched, I would divide whatever profit there might be equally between us. When, on making my accounts, I found that I had a profit of a thousand d(n&rs for the year, I gave thanks to the power and greatness of All&h and rejoiced exceedingly. Then I divided the sum equally between my brother and myself, and we dwelt together for many days. But at length both my brothers made up their minds to go on a second journey and wished me to set out with them. When I declined this invitation, pointing out that the result of the first journey did not tempt me to imitate them, they began to reproach me. But their words were of no avail and we stayed buying and selling, each in our respective shops, for a whole

 year. At the end of the year they again  proposed a journey, and again I refused, and this went on for six whole years. But at last I acceded to their request to set out with them and suggested that we should count up what money we had. We did so and found that it came in all to six thousand d(n&rs. Then said I: ‘Let us hide the half of this in the earth to be a help if we encounter ill fortune and let us each take with us a thousand d(n&rs to trade with.’ ‘May All&h favour your advice,’ they answered. So, taking

 the money and dividing it, I hid three thousand d(n&rs and divided the other three thousand between us three. Then we bought merchandise of many kinds, hired a ship and, placing all we had on board her, set sail. After a month’s voyage we dropped anchor at a certain city, where we sold our goods at a profit of ten d(n&rs for one. Then we left the city. When we came down to the sea side, we found there a woman dressed in old and tattered garments who approached me and kissed my hand, saying: ‘Master,

 can you help me and save me? Well I know how to repay your goodness!’ I answered: ‘Certainly I will help and save you, but you must not think it necessary to repay me.’ ‘Marry me then, Master,’ she said, ‘carry me with you to your country and I will pledge my soul to you. Do this for me, for I am of those who know the value of an obligation. Also, I pray, do not be ashamed of my poor condition.’ When I heard her speak, I pitied her from the bottom of my heart, for nothing comes to pass but All&h wills it. I

 carried her with me, clothed her in rich garments and stretched fine carpets for her on the ship. Then, when I had given her a full and cordial welcome, we set sail. As time went on I grew to love her and would not be parted from her day or night, preferring her company to that of my brothers. So they grew jealous of me, envying me my riches and the beauty of my possessions. They cast greedy eyes on all that I had, and plotted my death and the theft of my money. Satan made this plan seem good to them.

 One day, as I lay sleeping by my wife’s side, they stole up to us and cast us both into the sea. My wife woke in the water and suddenly, changing her shape, became an Ifr(tah. Then she took me upon her shoulders and, carrying me to an island, left me and disappeared for the whole night. In the morning she returned and said: ‘Do you not know me? I am your wife. It was I who held you up and saved you from death by All&h’s grace. Know now that I am a Jinn(yah and that when first I 17 THE TALE OF THE

 SECOND SHEIKH saw you my heart loved you, for All&h willed it so, and I am a believer in Him and in His prophet, whom may He bless and keep. Even when I came to you in poor estate you were willing to marry me, and now, in my turn, I have saved you from death in the water. As for your brothers, I am enraged against them and must kill them.’ Astonished by her words, I thanked her

 heartily. ‘But as for killing my brothers, this thing must not be,’ I said, and told her all that had happened between us from beginning to end. When she had heard me out, she said: ‘To-night I will fly to them and sink their ship so that they die.’ Then said I: ‘All&h be with you! do not do this thing. The Master of Proverbs has said: “You who have helped the unworthy, know that the wicked man has in his wickedness punishment enough!” And whatever they have done, they are still my brothers.’ ‘No! I must

 kill them,’ she said, and I begged her clemency in vain; she took me on her shoulders and, flying through the air, set me down upon the terrace of my house at home. I opened the door of my house and lifted the three thousand d(n&rs from their hiding place. Then, after making the customary visits of greeting, I opened my shop and stocked it anew with goods. When night came, I shut my shop and,

 entering my own house, found these two hounds tied up in a corner. When they saw me, they rose weeping and caught hold of my garments. At that moment my wife ran up to me, saying: ‘These are your brothers.’ And when I asked her who had done this thing to them, she answered: ‘I did! I asked my sister, who is far more deeply learned in enchantments than I am, and she changed them into these forms, out of which they cannot come again until ten years have passed.’ That is why, O powerful Jinn(,

 I happen to be in this place, because I am on my way to my sister-in-law to beg her to deliver these poor creatures now that ten years have passed. When I came here, I saw this good merchant and, after hearing his tale, wished to remain and witness what would happen between him and you. This is my

 story. ‘Truly a remarkable tale!’ the Jinn( said. ‘For it I grant you mercy on a third of this blood which is forfeit to me.’ Then the third sheikh, master of the mule, came forward and said to the Jinn(: ‘I will tell you a tale more marvellous than either of these, if you will grant me mercy for the rest of the blood which is forfeit to you.’ ‘Let it be so!’ answered the Jinn(. And the third sheikh said

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