The Barber's Fifth Brother

My fifth brother (El-Feshshar ["Alnaschar"]) was cropped
of his ears, O Prince of the Faithful. He was a pauper,
who begged alms by night, and subsisted upon what he thus
acquired by day : and our father was a very old man, and he
fell sick and died, leaving to us seven hundred pieces of silver,
of which each of us took his portion ; namely, a hundred
pieces. Now my fifth brother, when he had received his
share, was perplexed, not knowing what to do with it; but
while he was in this state, it occurred to his mind to buy
with it all kinds of articles of glass, and to sell them and
make profit: so he bought glass with his hundred pieces of
silver, and put it in a large tray, and sat upon an elevated
place, to sell it, leaning his back against a wall. And as he
sat, he meditated, and said within himself. Verily my whole
stock consisteth of this glass: I will sell it for two hundred
pieces of silver ; and with the two hundred I will buy other
glass which I will sell for four hundred ; and thus I will
continue buying and selling until I have acquired great
wealth. Then with this I will purchase all kinds of mer-
chandise and essences and jewels, and so obtain vast gain.
After that, I will buy a handsome house, and memluks,
and horses, and gilded saddles ; and I will eat and drink ;
and I will not leave in the city a single female singer but I
will have her brought to my house that I may hear her
songs. — All this he calculated with the tray of glass lying
before him. — Then, said he, I will send all the female
betrothers to seek in marriage for me the daughters of
Kings and Wezirs ; and I will demand as my wife the
daughter of the chief Wezir; for I have heard that she is
endowed with perfect beauty and surprising loveliness ; and
I will give as her dowry a thousand pieces of gold. If her
father consent, my wish is attained ; and if he consent not,
I will take her by force, in spite of him : and when I have
come back to my house, I will buy ten young eunuchs, and
I will purchase the apparel of Kings and Sultans, and cause
to be made for me a saddle of gold set with jewels; after
which I will ride every day upon a horse, with slaves behind
me and before me, and go about through the streets and
markets to amuse myself, while the people will salute me
and pray for me. Then I will pay a visit to the Wezir, who
is the father of the maiden, with memluks behind me and
before me, and on my right hand and on my left ; and when
he seeth me, 'he will rise to me, in humility, and seat me in
his own place ; and he himself will sit down below me,
because I am his son-in-law. I will then order one of the
servants to bring a purse containing the pieces of gold which
compose the dowry; and he will place it before the Wezir;
and I will add to it another purse, that he may know my
manly spirit and excessive generosity, and that the world is
contemptible in my eye; and when he addresseth me with
ten words, I will dnswer him with two. And I will return
to my house ; and when any person cometh to me from the
house of the Wezir, I will clothe him with a rich dress : but
if any come with a present, I will return it ; I will certainly
not accept it. Then, on the night of the bridal display, I
will attire myself in the most magnificent of my dresses, and
sit upon a mattress covered with silk ; and when my wife
cometh to me, like the full moon, decked with her ornaments
and apparel, I will command her to stand before me as
stands the timid and the abject; and I will not look at her,
on account of the haughtiness of my spirit and the gravity
of my wisdom ; so that the maids will say, O our master
and our lord, may we be thy sacrifice ! This thy wife, or
rather thy handmaid, awaiteth thy kind regard, and is stand-
ing before thee: then graciously bestow on her one glance;
for the posture hath become painful to her. — Upon this, I
will raise my head, and look at her with one glance, and
again incline my head downwards ; and thus I will do until
the ceremony of displaying her is finished ; whereupon they
will conduct her to the sleeping-chamber ; and I will rise
from my place, and go to another apartment, and put on my
night-dress, and go to the chamber in which she is sitting,
where I will seat myself upon the divan ; but I will not look
towards her. The tirewomen will urge me to approach
her; but I will not hear their words, and will order some
of the attendants to bring a purse containing five hun-
dred pieces of gold for them, and command them to
retire from the chamber. And when they have gone, I
will seat myself by the side of the bride ; but with averted
countenance, that she may say. Verily this is a man of a
haughty spirit. Then her mother will come to me, and will
kiss my hands, and say to me, O my master, look upon thy
handmaid with the eye of mercy ; for she is submissively
standing before thee. But I will return her no answer.
And she will kiss my feet, again and again, and will say, O
my master, my daughter is young and hath seen no man
but thee ; and if she experience from thee repugnance, her
heart will break : incline to her, therefore, and speak to
her, and calm her mind. And upon this I will look at her
through the corner of my eye, and command her to remain
standing before me, that she may taste the savour of
humiliation, and know that I am the Sultan of the age.
Then her mother will say to me, O my master, this is thy
handmaid: have compassion upon her, and be gracious to
her: — and she will order her to fill a cup with wine, and to
put it to my mouth. So her daughter will say, O my lord,
I conjure thee by Allah that thou reject not the cup from
thy slave; for verily I am thy slave. But I will make her
no reply; and she will urge me to take it, and will say. It
must be drunk; and will put it to my mouth: and upon this,
I will shake my hand in her face, and spurn her with my
foot, and do thus. — So saying, he kicked the tray of glass,
which, being upon a place elevated above the ground,
fell, and all that was in it broke: there escaped nothing: and
he cried out and said. All this is the result of my pride !
And he slapped his face, and tore his clothes; the passengers
gazing at him, while he wept, and exclaimed, Ah ! O my
grief !

The people were now repairing to perform the Friday-
prayers; and some merely cast their eyes at him, while
others noticed him not; but while he was in this state, de-
prived of his whole property, and weeping, without inter-
mission, a female approached him, on her way to attend the
Friday-prayers : she was of admirable loveliness ; the odour
of musk was diffused from her ; under her was a mule with a
stuffed saddle covered with gold-embroidered silk; and with
her was a number of servants; and when she saw the
broken glass, and my brother's state and his tears, she was
moved with pity for him, and asked respecting his case.
She was answered, He had a tray of glass, by the sale of
which to obtain his subsistence, and it is broken, and he is
afflicted as thou seest: — and upon this, she called to one of
the servants, paying, Give what thou hast with thee to this
poor man. So he gave him a purse, and he took it, and
when he had opened it, he found in it five hundred pieces
of gold, whereupon he almost died of excessive joy, and
offered up prayers for his benefactress.

He returned to his house a rich man, and sat reflecting,
and lo, a person knocked at the door : he rose, therefore,
and opened it; and beheld an old woman whom he knew
not, and she said to him, O my son, know that the time of
prayer hath almost expired, and I am not prepared by ablu-
tion; wherefore I beg that thou wilt admit me into thy
house, that I may perform it. He replied, I hear and obey;
and, retiring within, gave her permission to enter; his
mind still wandering from joy on account of the gold; and
¦when she had finished the ablution, she approached the spot
where he was sitting, and there performed the prayers of
two rek'ahs. She then offered up a supplication for my
brother; and he thanked her, and doffed her two pieces of
gold ; but when she saw this, she exclaimed, Extolled be
God's perfection ! Verily I wonder at the person who fell
in love with thee in thy beggarly condition ! Take back
thy money from me, and if thou want it not, return it to
her who gave it thee when thy glass broke. — O my mother,
said he, how can I contrive to obtain access to her? She
answered, O my son, she hath an affection for thee ; but
she is the wife of an affluent man; take then with thee all
thy money, and when thou art with her be not deficient in
courteousness and agreeable words ; so shalt thou obtain
of her favours and her wealth whatever thou shalt desire.
My brother, therefore, took all the gold, and arose and
went with the old woman, hardly believing what she had
told him ; and she proceeded, and my brother behind her,
until they arrived at a great door, at which she knocked;
whereupon a Greek damsel came and opened the door, and
the old woman entered, ordering my brother to do the
same. He did so, and found himself in a large house, where
he beheld a great furnished chamber, with curtains hung
in it; and, seating himself there, he put down the gold before
him, and placed his turban on his knees ; and scarcely had
he done so, when there came to him a damsel, the like of
whom had never been seen, attired in most magnificent ap-
parel. My brother stood up at her approach ; and when she
beheld him she laughed in his face, and rejoiced at his visit:
then going to the door, she locked it; after which she re-
turned to my brother, and took his hand, and both of them
went together into a private chamber, carpeted with various
kinds of silk, where my brother sat down, and she seated
herself by his side, and toyed with him for a considerable
time. She then rose, saying to him. Move not, from this
place until I return to thee; — and was absent from him for
a short period ; and as my brother was waiting for her, there
came in to him a black slave, of gigantic stature, with a
drawn sword, the brightness of which dazzled the sight ; and
he exclaimed to my brother, Wo to thee ! Who brought
thee to this place? .Thou vilest of men! Thou misbegotten
wretch, and nursling of impunity ! — My brother was unable
to make any reply ; his tongue was instantly tied ; and the
slave laid hold upon him, and stripped him, and struck him
more than eighty blows with the flat of his sword, until he
fell sprawling upon the floor; when he retired from him,
concluding that he was dead, and uttered a great cry, so
that the earth trembled, and the place resounded at his voice,
saying. Where is El-Melihah ? — upon which a girl came to
him, holding a handsome tray containing salt; and with this
she forthwith stuffed the flesh wounds with which my
brother's skin was gashed until they gaped open; but he
moved not, fearing the slave would discover that he was
alive, and kill him. The girl then went away, and the slave
uttered another cry, like the first, whereupon the old woman
came to my brother, and dragging him by the feet to a deep
and dark vault, threw him into it upon a heap of slain. In
this place he remained for two whole days; and God (whose
perfection be extolled!) made the salt to be the means of
preserving his life, by stanching the flow of blood from his
veins; so, when he found that he had strength sufficient to
move, he arose, and, opening a shutter in the wall, emerged
from the place of the slain ; and God (to whom be ascribed
all might and glory!) granted him his protection. He
therefore proceeded in the darkness^ and concealed him-
self in the passage until morning, when the old woman
went forth to seek another victim, and my brother, going
out after her, without her knowledge, returned to his house.
He now occupied himself with the treatment of his wounds
until he was restored ; and continued to watch for the old
woman, and constantly saw her taking men. one after another,
and conducting them to the same house. But he uttered not
a word on the subject; and when his health returned, and
his strength was completely renewed, he took a piece of rag,
and made of it a purse, which he filled with pieces of glass :
he then tied it to his waist, and disguised himself so that no
one would know him, in the dress of a foreigner; and. taking
a sword, placed it within his clothes ; and as soon as he saw
the old woman, he said to her, in the dialect of a foreig^ier,
Old woman, hast thou a pair of scales fit for weighing nine
hundred pieces of gold? The old woman answered, I have a
young son, a money-changer, and he hath all kinds of scales ;
therefore accompany me to him before he go forth from
his abode, that he may weigh for thee thy gold. So my
brother said, Walk on before me: — and she went, and my
brother followed her until she arrived at the door, and
knocked; upon which the girl came out, and laughed in his
face ; and the old woman said to her, I have brought you to-
day some fat meat. The girl then took my brother's hand,
and conducted him into the house (the same which he had
entered before), and after she had sat with him a short time,
she rose, saying to him. Quit not this place until I return
to thee : — and she retired ; and my brother had remained not
long after when the slave man came to him with the drawn
sword, and said to him, Rise, thou unlucky ! So my brother
rose, and, as the slave walked before him, he put his hand
to the sword which was concealed beneath his clothes, and
struck the slave with it, and cut off his head; after which
he dragged him by his feet to the vault, and called out,
Where is El-Melihah? The slave-girl, therefore, came,
having in her hand the tray containing the salt ; but when she
saw my brother with the sword in his hand, she turned back
and fled: my brother, however, overtook her, and struck
off her head. He then called out, Where is the old woman ?
— and she came; and he said to her. Dost thou know me, O
malevolent hag? She answered. No, O my lord. — I am, said
he, the man who had the pieces of gold, and in whose house
thou performedst the ablution, and prayedst ; after which,
devising a stratagem against me, thou betrayedst me into
this place. — The old woman exclaimed. Fear God in thy
treatment of me ! — but my brother, turning towards her,
struck her with the sword, and clove her in twain. He then
went in search for the chief damsel, and when she saw him,
her reason fled, and she implored his pardon ; whereupon he
granted her his pardon, and said to her. What occasioned
thy falling into the hands of this black? She answered, I
was a slave to one of the merchants, and this old woman
used to visit me; and one day she said to me, We are cele-
brating a festivity, the like of which no one hath seen, and
I have a desire that thou shouldst witness it. I replied, I
hear and obey: — and arose, and clad myself in the best of
my attire, and, taking with me a purse containing a hundred
pieces of gold, proceeded with her until she entered this
house, when suddenly this black took me, and I have con-
tinued with him in this state three years, through the strata-
gem of the old witch. — My brother then said to her, Is there
any property of his in the house? — Abundance, she an-
swered; and if thou canst remove it, do so: — and upon this.
he arose and went with her, when she opened to him chests
filled with purses, at the sight of which he was confounded;
and she said to him. Go now, and leave me here, and bring
some person to remove the property. So he want out, and,
having hired ten men, returned; but on his arrival at the
door, he found it open, and saw neither the damsel nor the
purses; he found, however, some little money remaining, and
the stufifs. He discovered, therefore, that she had eluded
him ; and he took the money that remained, and, opening the
closets, took all the stuffs which they contained, leaving
nothing in the house.

He passed the next night full of happiness; but when
the morning came, he found at the door twenty soldiers,
and on his going forth to them, they laid hold upon him,
saying, The Wall summoneth thee. So they took him, and
conducted him to the Wali, who, when he saw him, said to
him. Whence obtainedst thou these stuffs? — Grant me in-
demnity, said' my brother: — and the Wali gave him the
handkerchief of indemnity ; and my brother related to him
all that had befallen him with the old woman from first to
last, and the flight of the damsel ; adding, — and of that
which I have taken, take thou what thou wilt; but leave me
wherewith to procure my food. The Wali thereupon de-
manded the whole of the money and the stuffs; but fearing
that the Sultan might become acquainted with the matter,
he retained a portion only, and gave the rest to my brother,
saying to him, Quit this city, or I will hang thee. Aly
brother replied, I hear and obey : — and went forth to one
of the surrounding cities. Some robbers, however, came
upon him, and stripped and beat him, and cut off his ears;
and I, having heard of his situation, went forth to him, tak-
ing to him some clothes; and brought him back prixily into
the city, and supplied him with daily food and drink.