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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/4404.txt b/4404.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..700cc81 --- /dev/null +++ b/4404.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2829 @@ +The Project Gutenberg Etext of The Shaving of Shagpat by Meredith, v4 +#10 in our series by George Meredith + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before distributing this or any other +Project Gutenberg file. + +We encourage you to keep this file, exactly as it is, on your +own disk, thereby keeping an electronic path open for future +readers. Please do not remove this. + +This header should be the first thing seen when anyone starts to +view the etext. 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Hart +and may be reprinted only when these Etexts are free of all fees.] +[Project Gutenberg is a TradeMark and may not be used in any sales +of Project Gutenberg Etexts or other materials be they hardware or +software or any other related product without express permission.] + +*END THE SMALL PRINT! FOR PUBLIC DOMAIN ETEXTS*Ver.10/04/01*END* + + + + + +This etext was produced by Pat Castevans <Patcat@ctnet.net> +and David Widger <widger@cecomet.net> + + + + + +THE SHAVING OF SHAGPAT + +By George Meredith + + + +AN ARABIAN ENTERTAINMENT + +1898/1909 + + +Contents: + +KOOROOKH +THE VEILED FIGURE +THE BOSOM OF NOORNA +THE REVIVAL +THE PLOT +THE DISH OF POMEGRANATE GRAIN +THE BURNING OF THE IDENTICAL +THE FLASHES OF THE BLADE +CONCLUSION + + + + + + +KOOROOKH + + +Now, they sped from the Cave of Chrysolites by another passage than that +by which they entered it, and nothing but the light of the Sword to guide +them. By that light Shibli Bagarag could distinguish glimmering shapes, +silent and statue-like, to the right and the left of them, their visages +hidden in a veil of heavy webs; and he saw what seemed in the dusk broad +halls, halls of council, and again black pools and black groves, and +columns of crowded porticoes,--all signs of an underground kingdom. They +came to some steps and mounted these severally, coming to a platform, in +the middle of which leapt a fountain, the top spray of it touched with a +beam of earth and the air breathed by men. Here he heard the youths +dabble with the dark waters, and he discerned Gulrevaz tossing it in her +two hands, calling, 'Koorookh! Koorookh!' Then they said to him, 'Stir +this fountain with the Sword, O Master of the Event!' So he stirred the +fountain, and the whole body of it took a leap toward the light that was +like the shoot of a long lance of silver in the moon's rays, and lo! in +its place the ruffled feathers of a bird. Then the seven youths and the +Princess and Shibli Bagarag got up under its feathers like a brood of +water-fowl; and the bird winged straight up as doth a blinded bee, +ascending, and passing in the ascent a widening succession of winding +terraces, till he observed the copper sun of Aklis and the red lands +below it. Thrice, in the exuberance of his gladness, he waved the Sword, +and the sun lost that dulness on its disk and took a bright flame, and +threw golden arrows everywhere; and the pastures were green, the streams +clear, the sands sparkling. The bird flew, and circled, and hung poised +a moment, presently descending on the roof of the palace. Now, there was +here a piece of solid glass, propped on two crossed bars of gold, and it +was shaped like an eye, and might have been taken for one of the eyes +inhabiting the head of some monstrous Genie. Shibli Bagarag ran to it +when he was afoot, and peered through it. Surely, it was the first +object of his heart that he beheld--Noorna, his betrothed, pale on the +pillar; she with her head between her hands and her hair scattered by the +storm, as one despairing. Still he looked, and he save swimming round +the pillar that monstrous fish, with its sole baleful eye, which had +gulped them both in the closed shell of magic pearl; and he knew the fish +for Karaz, the Genie, their enemy. Then he turned to the Princess, with +an imploring voice for counsel how to reach her and bring her rescue; but +she said, 'The Sword is in thy hands, none of us dare wield it'; and the +seven youths answered likewise. So, left to himself, he drew the Sword +from his girdle, and hissed on the heads of the serpents, at the same +time holding it so that it might lengthen out inimitably. Then he leaned +it over the eye of the glass, in the direction of the pillar besieged by +the billows, and lo! with one cut, even at that distance, he divided the +fishy monster, and with another severed the chains that had fettered +Noorna; and she arose and smiled blissfully to the sky, and stood +upright, and signalled him to lay the point of the blade on the pillar. +When he had done this, knowing her wisdom, she put a foot boldly upon the +blade and ran up it toward him, and she was half-way up the blade, when +suddenly a kite darted down upon her, pecking at her eyes, to confuse +her. She waxed unsteady and swayed this way and that, balancing with one +arm and defending herself from the attacks of the kite with another. It +seemed to Shibli Bagarag she must fall and be lost; and the sweat started +on his forehead in great drops big as nuts. Seeing that and the +agitation of his limbs, Gulrevaz cried, 'O Master of the Event, let us +hear it!' + +But he shrieked, 'The kite! the kite! she is running up the blade, and +the kite is at her eyes! and she swaying, swaying! falling, falling!' + +So the Princess exclaimed, 'A kite! Koorookh is match for a kite!' + +Then she smoothed the throat of Koorookh, and clasped round it a collar +of bright steel, roughened with secret characters; and she took a hoop of +gold, and passed the bird through it, urging it all the while with one +strange syllable; and the bird went up with a strong whirr of the wing +till he was over the sea, and caught sight of Noorna tottering beneath +him on the blade, and the kite pecking fiercely at her. Thereat he +fluttered eagerly a twinkle of time, and the next was down with his beak +in the neck of the kite, crimsoned in it. Now, by the shouts and +exclamations of Shibli Bagarag, the Princess and the seven youths, her +brothers, knew that the bird had performed well his task, and that the +fight was between Koorookh and the kite. Then he cried gladly to them, +'Joy for us, and Allah be praised! The kite is dropping, and she leaneth +on one wing of Koorookh!' + +And he cried in anguish, 'What see I? The kite is become a white ball, +rolling down the blade toward her; and it will of a surety destroy her.' +And he called to her, thinking vainly his voice might reach her. So the +Princess said, 'A white ball? 'tis I that am match for a white ball!' + +Now, she seized from the corner of the palace-roof a bow and an arrow, +and her brothers lifted her to a level with the hilt of the Sword, +leaning on the eye of glass. Then she planted one foot on the shoulder +of Shibli Bagarag as he bent peering through the eye, and fitted the +arrow to a level of the Sword, slanting its slant, and let it fly, +doubling the bow. Shibli Bagarag saw the ball roll to within a foot of +Noorna, when it was as if stricken by a gleam of light, and burst, and +was a black cloud veined with fire, swathing her in folds. He lost all +sight of Noorna; and where she had been were vivid flashes, and then a +great flame, and in the midst a red serpent and a green serpent twisted +as in the death-struggle. So he cried, 'A red serpent and a green +serpent!' + +And the sons of Aklis exclaimed, 'A red serpent? 'Tis we that are match +for a red serpent!' + +Thereupon they descended steps through the palace roof, and while the +fight between those two serpents was rageing, Shibli Bagarag beheld seven +small bright birds, bee-catchers, that entered the flame, bearing in +their bills slips of a herb, and hovering about the heal of the red +serpent, distracting it. Then he saw the red serpent hiss and snap at +one, darting out its tongue, and lo! on the fork of its tongue the little +bird let fall the slip of herb in its bill, and in an instant the serpent +changed from red to yellow and from yellow to pale-spotted blue, and from +that to a speckled indigo-colour, writhing at every change, and hissing +fire from its open jaws. Meantime the green serpent was released and was +making circles round the flame, seeking to complete some enchantment, +when suddenly the whole scene vanished, and Shibli Bagarag again beheld +Noorna steadying her steps on the blade, and leaning on one wing of +Koorookh. She advanced up the blade, coming nearer and nearer; and he +thought her close, and breathed quick and ceased looking through the +glass. When he gazed abroad, lo! she was with Koorookh, on a far hill +beyond the stream in outer Aklis. So he said to the Princess Gulrevaz, +'O Princess, comes she not to me here in the palace?' + +But the Princess shook her head, and said, 'She hath not a spell! She +waiteth for thee yonder with Koorookh. Now, look through the glass once +more.' + +He looked through the glass, and there on a plain, as he had first seen +it when Noorna appeared to him, was the City of Shagpat, and in the +streets of the city a vast assembly, and a procession passing on, its +front banner surmounted by the Crescent, and bands with curled and curved +instruments playing, and slaves scattering gold and clashing cymbals, +every demonstration and evidence of a great day and a high occasion in +the City of Shagpat! So he peered yet keenlier through the glass, and +behold, the Vizier Feshnavat, father of Noorna, walking in fetters, +subject to the jibes and evil-speaking of the crowds of people, his +turban off, and he in a robe of drab-coloured stuff, in the scorned +condition of an unbeliever. Shibli Bagarag peered yet more earnestly +through the glass eye, and in the centre of the procession, clad +gorgeously in silks and stuffs, woven with gold and gems, a crown upon +his head, and the appanages of supremacy and majesty about him, was +Shagpat. He paced upon a yellow flooring that was unrolled before him +from a mighty roll; and there were slaves that swarmed on all sides of +him, supporting upon gold pans and platters the masses of hair that +spread bushily before and behind, and to the right and left of him. +Truly the gravity of his demeanour exceeded that which is attained by +Sheiks and Dervishes after much drinking of the waters of wisdom, and +fasting, and abnegation of the pleasures that betray us to folly in this +world! Now, when he saw Shagpat, the soul of Shibli Bagarag was +quickened to do his appointed work upon him, shear him, and release the +Vizier Feshnavat. Desire to shave Shagpat was as a salt thirst rageing +in him, as the dream of munching to one that starveth; even as the +impelling of violent tempests to skiffs on the sea; and he hungered to be +at him, crying, as he peered, ''Tis he! even he, Shagpat!' + +Then he turned to the Princess Gulrevaz, and said, ''Tis Shagpat, exalted, +clothed with majesty, O thou morning star of Aklis!' + +She said, 'Koorookh is given thee, and waiteth to carry ye both; and for +me I will watch that this glass send forth a beam to light ye to that +city; so farewell, O thou that art loved! And delay in nothing to finish +the work in hand.' + +Now, when he had set his face from the Princess he descended through the +roof of the palace, and met the seven youths returning, and they +accompanied him through the halls of the palace to that hall where the +damsels had duped him. He was mindful of his promise to the old man +crowned, and flashed the Sword a strong flash, so that he who looked on +it would be seared in the eyelashes. Then the doors of the recesses flew +apart, eight-and-ninety in number, and he beheld divers sitters on +thrones, with the diadem of asses' ears stiffened upright, and monkeys' +skulls grinning with gems; they having on each countenance the look of +sovereigns and the serenity of high estate. Shibli Bagarag laughed at +them, and he thought, 'Wullahy! was I one of these? I, the beloved of +Noorna, destined Master of the Event!' and he thought, 'Of a surety, if +these sitters could but laugh at themselves, there would be a release for +them, and the crown would topple off which getteth the homage of asses +and monkeys!' He would have spoken to them, but the sons of Aklis said, +'They have seen the flashing of the Sword, and 'twere well they wake +not.' As they went from the hall the seven youths said, 'Reflect upon +the age of these sitters, that have been sitting in the chairs from three +to eleven generations back! And they were searchers of the Sword like +thee, but were duped! In like manner, the hen sitteth in complacency, +but she bringeth forth and may cackle; 'tis owing to the aids of Noorna +that thou art not one of these sitters, O Master of the Event!' Now, they +paced through the hall of dainty provender, and through the hall of the +jewel-fountains, coming to the palace steps, where stood Abarak leaning +on his bar. As they advanced to Abarak, there was a clamour in the halls +behind, that gathered in noise like a torrent, and approached, and +presently the Master was ware of a sharp stroke on his forehead with a +hairy finger, and then a burn, and the Crown that had clung to him +toppled off; surely it fell upon the head of the old monkey, the cautious +and wise one, he that had made a study of Shibli Bagarag. Thereupon that +monkey stalked scornfully from them; and Abarak cried, 'O Master of the +Event! it was better for me to keep the passage of the Seventh Pillar, +than be an ape of this order. Wah! the flashing of the Sword scorcheth +them, and they scamper.' + + + + + + +THE VEILED FIGURE + + +Verily there was lightning in Aklis as Shibli Bagarag flashed the Sword +over the clamouring beasts: the shape of the great palace stood forth +vividly, and a wide illumination struck up the streams, and gilded the +large hanging leaves, and drew the hills glimmeringly together, and +scattered fires on the flat faces of the rocks. Then the seven youths +said quickly, 'Away! out of Aklis, O Master of the Event! from city to +city of earth this light is visible, and men will know that Fate is in +travail, and an Event preparing for them, and Shagpat will be warned by +the portent; wherefore lose not the happy point of time on which thy star +is manifest.' And they cried again, 'Away! out of Aklis!' with gestures +of impatience, urging his departure. + +Then said he, 'O youths, Sons of Aklis, it is written that gratitude is +the poor man's mine of wealth, and the rich man's flower of beauty; and I +have but that to give ye for all this aid and friendliness of yours.' + +But they exclaimed, 'No aid or friendliness in Aklis! By the gall of the +Roc! it is well for thee thou camest armed with potent spells, and hadst +one to advise and inspirit thee, or thou wouldst have stayed here to +people Aklis, and grazed in a strange shape.' + +Now, the seven waxed in impatience, and he laid their hands upon his +head and moved from them with Abarak, to where in the dusk the elephant +that had brought them stood. Then the elephant kneeled and took the +twain upon his back, and bore them across the dark land to that reach of +the river where the boat was moored in readiness. They entered the boat +silently among its drapery of lotuses, and the Veiled Figure ferried them +over the stream that rippled not with their motion. As they were +crossing, desire to know that Veiled Figure counselled Shibli Bagarag +evilly to draw the Sword again, and flash it, so that the veil became +transparent. Then, when Abarak turned to him for the reason of the +flashing of the Sword, he beheld the eyes of the youth fixed in horror, +glaring as at sights beyond the tomb. He said nought, but as the boat's- +head whispered among the reeds and long flowers of the opposite marge, he +took Shibli Bagarag by the shoulders and pushed him out of the boat, and +leaped out likewise, leading him from the marge forcibly, hurrying him +forward from it, he at the heels of the youth propelling him; and crying +in out-of-breath voice at intervals, 'What sight? what sight?' But the +youth was powerless of speech, and when at last he opened his lips, the +little man shrank from him, for he laughed as do the insane, a peal of +laughter ended by gasps; then a louder peal, presently softer; then a +peal that started all the echoes in Aklis. After awhile, as Abarak still +cried in his ear, 'What sight?' he looked at him with a large eye, saying +querulously, 'Is it written I shall be pushed by the shoulder through +life? And is it in the pursuit of further thwackings?' + +Abarak heeded him not, crying still, 'What sight?' and Shibli Bagarag +lowered his tone, and jerked his body, pronouncing the name 'Rabesqurat!' +Then Abarak exclaimed, ''Tis as I weened. Oh, fool! to flash the Sword +and peer through the veil! Truly, there be few wits will bear that +sight!' On a sudden he cried, 'No cure but one, and that a sleep in the +bosom of the betrothed!' + +Thereupon he hurried the youth yet faster across the dark lawns of Aklis +toward the passage of the Seventh Pillar, by which the twain had entered +that kingdom. And Shibli Bagarag saw as in a dream the shattered door, +shattered by the bar, remembering dimly as a thing distant in years the +netting of the Queen, and Noorna chained upon the pillar; he remembered +Shagpat even vacantly in his mind, as one sheaf of barley amid other +sheaves of the bearded field, so was he overcome by the awfulness of that +sight behind the veil of the Veiled Figure! + +As they advanced to the passage, he was aware of an impediment to its +entrance, as it had been a wall of stone there; and seeing Abarak enter +the passage without let, he kicked hard in front at the invisible +obstruction, but there was no coming by. Abarak returned to him, and +took his right arm, and raised the sleeve from his wrist, and lo, the two +remaining hairs of Garraveen twisted round it in sapphire winds. Cried +he, 'Oh, the generosity of Gulrevaz! she has left these two hairs that he +may accomplish swiftly the destiny marked for him! but now, since his +gazing through that veil, he must part with them to get out of Aklis.' +And he muttered, 'His star is a strange one! one that leadeth him to +fortune by the path of frowns! to greatness by the aid of thwackings! +Truly the ways of Allah are wonderful!' Shibli Bagarag resisted him in +nothing, and Abarak loosed the two bright hairs from his wrist, and those +two hairs swelled and took glittering scales, and were sapphire snakes +with wings of intense emerald; and they rose in the air spirally +together, each over each, so that to see them one would fancy in the +darkness a fountain of sapphire waters flashed with the sheen of emerald. +When they had reached a height loftier than the topmost palace-towers of +Aklis, they descended like javelins into the earth, and in a moment re- +appeared, in the shape of Genii when they are charitably disposed to them +they visit; not much above the mortal size, nor overbright, save for a +certain fire in their eyes when they turned them; and they were clothed +each from head to foot in an armour of sapphire plates shot with steely +emerald. Surely the dragon-fly that darteth all day in the blaze over +pools is like what they were. Abarak bit his forefinger and said, 'Who +be ye, O sons of brilliance?' + +They answered, 'Karavejis and Veejravoosh, slaves of the Sword.' + +Then he said, 'Come with us now, O slaves of the Sword, and help us to +the mountain of outer Aklis.' + +They answered, 'O thou, there be but two means for us of quitting Aklis: +on the wrist of the Master, or down the blade of the Sword! and from the +wrist of the Master we have been loosed, and no one of thy race can tie +us to it again.' + +Abarak said, 'How then shall the Master leave Aklis?' + +They answered, 'By Allah in Aklis! he can carve a way whither he will +with the Sword.' + +But Abarak cried, 'O Karavejis and Veejravoosh! he bath peered through +the veil of the Ferrying Figure.' + +Now, when they heard his words, the visages of the Genii darkened, and +they exclaimed sorrowfully, 'Serve we such a one?' + +And they looked at Shibli Bagarag a look of anger, so that he, whose wits +were in past occurrences, imagined them his enemy and the foe of Noorna +split in two, crying, 'How? Is Karaz a couple? and do I multiply him +with strokes of the Sword?' + +Thereupon he drew the Sword from his girdle in wrath, flourishing it; and +Karavejis and Veejravoosh felt the might of the Sword, and prostrated +themselves to the ground at his feet. And Abarak said, 'Arise, and bring +us swiftly to the mountain of outer Aklis.' + +Then said they, 'Seek a passage down yonder brook in the moonbeams; and +it is the sole passage for him now.' + +Abarak went with them to the brook that was making watery music to itself +between banks of splintered rock and over broad slabs of marble, bubbling +here and there about the roots of large-leaved water-flowers, and +catching the mirrored moon of Aklis in whirls, breaking it in lances. +Then they waded into the water knee-deep, and the two Genii seized hold +of a great slab of marble in the middle of the water, and under was a +hollow brimmed with the brook, that the brook partly filled and flowed +over. Then the Genii said to Abarak, 'Plunge!' and they said the same to +Shibli Bagarag. The swayer of the Sword replied, as it had been a simple +occasion, a common matter, and a thing for the exercise of civility, +'With pleasure and all willingness!' Thereupon he tightened his girth, +and arrowing his two hands, flung up his heels and disappeared in the +depths, Abarak following. Surely, those two went diving downward till it +seemed to each there was no bottom in the depth, and they would not cease +to feel the rushing of the water in their ears till the time anticipated +by mortals. + + + + + + +THE BOSOM OF NOORNA + + +Now, while a thousand sparks of fire were bursting on the sight of the +two divers, and they speeded heels uppermost to the destiny marked out +for them by the premeditations of the All-Wise, lo! Noorna was on the +mountain in outer Aklis with Koorookh, waiting for the appearance of her +betrothed, Sword in hand. She saw beams from the blazing eye of Aklis, +and knew by the redness of it that one, a mortal, was peering on the +earth and certain of created things. So she waited awhile in patience +for the return of her betrothed, with the head of Koorookh in her lap, +caressing the bird, and teaching it words of our language; and the bird +fashioned its bill to the pronouncing of names, such as 'Noorna' and +'Feshnavat,' and 'Goorelka'; and it said 'Karaz,' and stuck not at the +name 'Shagpat,' and it learnt to say even 'Shagpat shall be shaved! +Shagpat shall be shaved!' but no effort of Noorna could teach it to say, +'Shibli Bagarag,' the bird calling instead, 'Shiparack, Shiplabarack, +Shibblisharack.' And Noorna chid it with her forefinger, crying, 'O +Koorookh! wilt thou speak all names but that one of my betrothed?' + +So she said again, 'Shibli Bagarag.' And the bird answered, imitating +its best, 'Shibberacavarack.' Noorna was wroth with it, crying, 'Oh +naughty bird! is the name of my beloved hateful to thee?' + +And she chid Koorookh angrily, he with a heavy eye sulking, and keeping +the sullen feathers close upon his poll. Now, she thought, 'There is in +this a meaning and I will fathom it.' So she counted the letters in the +name of her betrothed, that were thirteen, and spelt them backwards, +afterwards multiplying them by an equal number, and fashioning words from +the selection of every third and seventh letter. Then took she the leaf +from a tree and bade Koorookh fly with her to the base of the mountain +sloping from Aklis to the sea, and there wrote with a pin's point on the +leaf the words fashioned, dipping the leaf in the salt ripple by the +beach, till they were distinctly traced. And it was revealed to her that +Shibli Bagarag bore now a name that might be uttered by none, for that +the bearer of it had peered through the veil of the ferrying figure in +Aklis. When she knew that, her grief was heavy, and she sat on the cold +stones of the beach and among the bright shells, weeping in anguish, +loosing her hair, scattering it wildly, exclaiming, 'Awahy! woe on me! +Was ever man more tired than he before entering Aklis, he that was in +turns abased and beloved and exalted! yet his weakness clingeth to him, +even in Aklis and with the Wondrous Sword in his grasp.' + +Then she thought, 'Still he had strength to wield the Sword, for I marked +the flashing of it, and 'twas he that leaned forward the blade to me; and +he possesses the qualities that bring one gloriously to the fruits of +enterprise!' And she thought, 'Of a surety, if Abarak be with him, and a +single of the three slaves of the Sword that I released from the tail of +Garraveen, Ravejoura, Karavejis, and Veejravoosh, he will yet come +through, and I may revive him in my bosom for the task.' So, thinking +upon that, the sweet crimson surprised her cheeks, and she arose and drew +Koorookh with her along the beach till they came to some rocks piled +ruggedly and the waves breaking over them. She mounted these, and +stepped across them to the entrance of a cavern, where flowed a full +water swiftly to the sea, rolling smooth bulks over and over, and with a +translucent light in each, showing precious pebbles in the bed of the +water below; agates of size, limpid cornelians, plates of polished jet, +rubies, diamonds innumerable that were smitten into sheen by slant rays +of the level sun, the sun just losing its circle behind lustrous billows +of that Enchanted Sea. She turned to Koorookh a moment, saying, with a +coax of smiles, 'Will my bird wait here for me, even at this point?' +Koorookh clapped both his wings, and she said again, petting him, 'He +will keep watch to pluck me from the force of water as I roll past, that +I be not carried to the sea, and lost?' + +Koorookh still clapped his wings, and she entered under the arch of the +cavern. It was roofed with crystals, a sight of glory, with golden lamps +at intervals, still centres of a thousand beams. Taking the sandal from +her left foot and tucking up the folds of her trousers to the bend of her +clear white knee, she advanced, half wading, up the winds of the cavern, +and holding by the juts of granite here and there, till she came to a +long straight lane in the cavern, and at the end of it, far down, a solid +pillar of many-coloured water that fell into the current, as it had been +one block of gleaming marble from the roof, without ceasing. Now, she +made toward it, and fixed her eye warily wide on it, and it was bright, +flawless in brilliancy; but while she gazed a sudden blot was visible, +and she observed in the body of the fall two dark objects plumping +downward one after the other, like bolts, and they splashed in the +current and were carried off by the violence of its full sweep, shooting +by her where she stood, rapidly; but she, knotting her garments round the +waist to give her limbs freedom and swiftness, ran a space, and then bent +and plunged, catching, as she rose, the foremost to her bosom, and +whirled away under the flashing crystals like a fish scaled with +splendours that hath darted and seized upon a prey, and is bearing it +greedily to some secure corner of the deeps to swallow the quivering +repast at leisure. Surely, the heart of Noorna was wise of what she bore +against her bosom; and it beat exulting strokes in the midst of the rush +and roar and gurgle of the torrent, and the gulping sounds and +multitudinous outcries of the headlong water. That verse of the poet +would apply to her where he says: + + Lead me to the precipice, + And bid me leap the dark abyss: + I care not what the danger be, + So my beloved, my beauteous vision, + Be but the prize I bear with me, + For she to Paradise can turn Perdition. + +Praise be to him that planteth love, the worker of this marvel, within +us! Now, she sped in the manner narrated through the mazes of the +cavern, coming suddenly to the point at the entrance where perched +Koorookh gravely upon one leg, like a bird with an angling beak: he +caught at her as she was hurling toward the sea, and drew her to the bank +of rock, that burden on her bosom; and it was Shibli Bagarag, her +betrothed, his eyes closed, his whole countenance colourless. Behind him +like a shadow streamed Abarak, and Noorna kneeled by the waterside and +fetched the little man from it likewise; he was without a change, as if +drawn from a familiar element; and when he had prostrated himself thrice +and called on the Prophet's name in the form of thanksgiving, he wrung +his beard of the wet, and had wit to bless the action of Noorna, that +saved him. Then the two raised Shibli Bagarag from the rock, and +reclined him lengthwise under the wings of Koorookh, and Noorna stretched +herself there beside him with one arm about his neck, the fair head of +the youth on her bosom. And she said to Abarak, 'He hath dreamed many +dreams, my betrothed, but never one so sweet as that I give him. +Already, see, the hue returneth to his cheek and the dimples of +pleasure.' So was it; and she said, 'Mount, O thou of the net and the +bar! and stride Koorookh across the neck, for it is nigh the setting of +the moon, and by dawn we must be in our middle flight, seen of men, a +cloud over them.' + +Said Abarak, 'To hear is to obey!' + +He bestrode the neck of Koorookh and sat with dangling feet, till she +cried, 'Rise!' and the bird spread its wings and flapped them wide, +rising high in the silver rays, and flying rapidly forward with the three +on him from the mountain in front of Aklis, and the white sea with its +enchanted isles and wonders; flying and soaring till the earth was as +what might be held in the hollow of the hand, and the kingdoms of the +earth a mingled heap of shining dust in the midst. + + + + + + +THE REVIVAL + + +Now, the feathers of Koorookh in his flight were ruffled by a chill +breeze, and they were speeding through a light glow of cold rose-colour. +Then said Noorna, ''Tis the messenger of morning, the blush. Oh, what +changes will date from this day!' + +The glow of rose became golden, and they beheld underneath them, on one +side, the rim of the rising red sun, and rays streaming over the earth +and its waters. And Noorna said, 'I must warn Feshnavat, my father, and +prepare him for our coming.' + +So she plucked a feather from Koorookh and laid the quill downward, +letting it drop. Then said she, 'Now for the awakening of my betrothed!' + +Thereupon she hugged his head a moment, and kissed him on the eyelids, +the cheeks, and the lips, crying, 'By this means only!' Crying that, she +pushed him, sliding, from the back of the bird, and he parted from them, +falling headforemost in the air like a stricken eagle. Then she called +to Koorookh, 'Seize him!' and the bird slanted his beak and closed his +wings, the two, Abarak and Noorna, clinging to him tightly; and he was +down like an arrow between Shibli Bagarag and the ground, spreading +beneath him like a tent, and Noorna caught the youth gently to her lap; +then she pushed him off again, intercepting his descent once more, till +they were on a level with one of the mountains of the earth, from which +the City of Shagpat is visible among the yellow sands like a white spot +in the yolk of an egg. So by this time the eyes of the youth gave +symptoms of a desire to look upon the things that be, peeping faintly +beneath the lashes, and she exclaimed joyfully, raising her white hands +above her head, 'One plunge in the lake, and life will be his again!' + +Below them was a green lake, tinted by the dawn with crimson and yellow, +deep, and with high banks. As they crossed it to the middle, she slipped +off the youth from Koorookh, and he with a great plunge was received into +the stillness of the lake. Meanwhile Koorookh quivered his wings and +seized him when he arose, bearing him to an end of the lake, where stood +one dressed like a Dervish, and it was the Vizier Feshnavat, the father +of Noorna. So when he saw them, he shouted the shout of congratulation, +catching Noorna to his breast, and Shibli Bagarag stretched as doth a +heavy sleeper in his last doze, saying, in a yawning voice, 'What +trouble? I wot there is nought more for us now that Shagpat is shaved! +Oh, I have had a dream, a dream! He that is among Houris in Paradise +dreameth not a dream like that. And I dreamed--'tis gone!' + +Then said he, staring at them, 'Who be ye? What is this?' + +Noorna, took him again to her bosom, and held him there; and she plucked +a herb, and squeezed it till a drop from it fell on either of his lids, +applying to them likewise a dew from the serpents of the Sword, and he +awoke to the reality of things. Surely, then he prostrated himself and +repeated the articles of his faith, taking one hand of his betrothed and +kissing her; and he embraced Abarak and Feshnavat, saying to the father +of Noorna, 'I know, O Feshnavat, that by my folly and through my weakness +I have lost time in this undertaking, but it shall be short work now with +Shagpat. This thy daughter, the Eclipser of Reason, was ever such a +prize as she? I will deserve her. Wullahy! I am now a new man, sprung +like fire from ashes. Lo, I am revived by her for the great work.' + +Said Abarak: 'O Master of the Event, secure now without delay the two +slaves of the Sword, and lean the blade toward Aklis.' + +Upon that, he ran up rapidly to the summit of the mountain and drew the +Sword from his girdle, and leaned it toward Aklis, and it lengthened out +over lands, the blade of it a beam of solid brilliance. Presently, from +forth the invisible remoteness they saw the two Genii, Karavejis and +Veejravoosh, and they were footing the blade swiftly, like stars, +speeding up till they were within reach of the serpents of the hilt, when +they dropped to the earth, bowing their heads; so he commanded them to +rise, crying, 'Search ye the earth and its confines, and bring hither +tidings of the Genie Karaz.' + +They said, 'To hear is to obey.' + +Then they began to circle each round the other, circling more and more +sharply till beyond the stretch of sight, and Shibli Bagarag said to +Feshnavat, 'Am I not awake, O Feshnavat? I will know where is Karaz ere +I seek to operate on Shagpat, for it is well spoken of the poet: + + "Obstructions first remove + Ere thou thy cunning prove"; + +and I will encounter this Karaz that was our Ass, ere I try the great +shave.' + +Then said he, turning quickly, 'Yonder is the light from Aklis striking +on the city, and I mark Shagpat, even he, illumined by it, singled out, +where he sitteth on the roof of the palace by the market-place.' + +So they looked, and it was as he had spoken, that Shagpat was singled out +in the midst of the city by the wondrous beams of the eye of Aklis, and +made prominent in effulgence. + +Said Abarak, climbing to the level of observation, 'He hath a redness +like the inside of a halved pomegranate.' + +Feshnavat stroked his chin, exclaiming, 'He may be likened to a mountain +goat in the midst of a forest roaring with conflagration.' + +Said Shibli Bagarag, 'Now is he the red-maned lion, the bristling boar, +the uncombed buffalo, the plumaged cock, but soon will he be like nothing +else save the wrinkled kernel of a shaggy fruit. Lo, now, the Sword! it +leapeth to be at him, and 'twill be as the keen icicle of winter to that +perishing foliage, that doomed crop! So doth the destined minute destroy +with a flash the hoarded arrogance of ages; and the destined hand doeth +what creation failed to perform; and 'tis by order, destiny, and +preordainment, that the works of this world come to pass. This know I, +and I witness thereto that am of a surety ordained to the Shaving of +Shagpat!' + +Then he stood apart and gazed from Shagpat to the city that now began to +move with the morning; elephants and coursers saddled by the gates of the +King's palace were visible, and camels blocking the narrow streets, and +the markets bustling. Surely, though the sun illumined that city, it was +as a darkness behind Shagpat singled by the beams of Aklis. + + + + + + +THE PLOT + + +Now, while Shibli Bagarag gazed on Shagpat kindled by the beams of Aklis, +lo, the Genii Karavejis and Veejravoosh circling each other in swift +circles like two sapphire rings toward him, and they whirled to a point +above his head, and fell and prostrated themselves at his feet: so he +cried, 'O ye slaves of the Sword, my servitors! how of the whereabout of +Karaz?' + +They answered, 'O Master of the Event, we found him after many circlings +far off, and 'twas by the borders of the Putrid Sea. We came not close +on him, for he is stronger than we without the Sword, but it seemed he +was distilling drops of an oil from certain substances, large thickened +drops that dropped into a phial.' + +Then Shibli Bagarag said, 'The season of weakness with me is over, and +they that confide in my strength, my cunning, my watchfulness, my +wielding of the Sword, have nought to fear for themselves. Now, this is +my plot, O Feshnavat,--that part of it in which thou art to have a share. +'Tis that thou depart forthwith to the City yonder, and enter thy palace +by a back entrance, and I will see that thou art joined within an hour of +thy arrival there by Baba Mustapha, my uncle, the gabbler. He is there, +as I guess by signs; I have had warnings of him. Discover him speedily. +Thy task is then to induce him to make an attempt on the head of Shagpat +in all wiliness, as he and thou think well to devise. He will fail, as I +know, but what is that saying of the poet? + + "Persist, if thou wouldst truly reach thine ends, + For failures oft are but advising friends." + +And he says: + + "Every failure is a step advanced, + To him who will consider how it chanced." + +Wherefore, will I that this attempt be made, keeping the counsel that is +mine. Thou must tell Baba Mustapha I wait without the city to reward him +by my powers of reward with all that he best loveth. So, when he has +failed in his attempt on Shagpat, and blows fall plenteously upon him, +and he is regaled with the accustomed thwacking, as I have tasted it in +this undertaking, do thou waste no further word on him, for his part is +over, and as is said: + + "Waste not a word in enterprise! + Against--or for--the minute flies." + +'Tis then for thee, O Feshnavat, to speed to the presence of the King in +his majesty, and thou wilt find means of coming to him by a disguise. +Once in the Hall of Council, challenge the tongue of contradiction to +affirm Shagpat other than a bald-pate bewigged. This is for thee to do.' + +Quoth Feshnavat plaintively, after thought, 'And what becometh of me, O +thou Master of the Event?' + +Shibli Bagarag said, 'The clutch of the executioner will be upon thee, O +Feshnavat, and a clamouring multitude around; short breathing-time given +thee, O father of Noorna, ere the time of breathing is commanded to +cease. Now, in that respite the thing that will occur, 'tis for thee to +see and mark; sure, never will reverse of things be more complete, and +the other side of the picture more rapidly exhibited, if all go as I +conceive and plot, and the trap be not premature nor too perfect for the +trappers; as the poet has declared: + + "Ye that intrigue, to thy slaves proper portions adapt; + Perfectest plots burst too often, for all are not apt." + +And I witness likewise to the excellence of his saying: + + "To master an Event, + Study men! + The minutes are well spent + Only then." + +Also 'tis he that says: + + "The man of men who knoweth men, the Man of men is he! + His army is the human race, and every foe must flee." + +So have I apportioned to thee thy work, to Baba Mustapha his; reserving +to myself the work that is mine!' + +Thereat Feshnavat exclaimed, 'O Master of the Event, may I be thy +sacrifice! on my head be it! and for thee to command is for me to obey! +but surely, this Sword of thine that is in thy girdle, the marvellous +blade--'tis alone equal to the project and the shave; and the matter +might be consummated, the great thing done, even from this point whence +we behold Shagpat visible, as 'twere brought forward toward us by the +beams! And this Sword swayed by thee, and with thy skill and strength +and the hardihood of hand that is thine, wullahy! 'twould shear him now, +this moment, taking the light of Aklis for a lather.' + +Shibli Bagarag knotted the brows of impatience, crying, 'Hast thou +forgotten Karaz in thy calculations? I know of a surety what this Sword +will do, and I wot the oil he distilleth strengtheneth Shagpat but +against common blades. Yet shall it not be spoken of me, Shibli Bagarag, +that I was tripped by my own conceit; the poet counselleth: + + "When for any mighty end thou hast the aid of heaven, + Mount until thy strength shall match those great means which are + given": + +nor that I was overthrown in despising mine enemy, forgetful of the +saying of the sage: + + "Read the features of thy foe, wherever he may find thee, + Small he is, seen face to face, but thrice his size behind thee." + +Wullahy! this Karaz is a Genie of craft and resources, one of a mighty +stock, and I must close with Shagpat to be sure of him; and that I am not +deceived by semblances, opposing guile with guile, and guile deeper than +his, for that he awaiteth it not, thinking I have leaped in fancy beyond +the Event, and am puffed by the after-breaths of adulation, I!--thinking +I pluck the blossoms in my hunger for the fruit, that I eat the chick of +the yet unlaid egg, O Feshnavat. As is said, and the warrior beareth +witness to the wisdom of it: + + "His weapon I'll study; my own conceal; + So with two arms to his one shall I deal." + +The same also testifieth: + + "'Tis folly of the hero, though resistless in the field, + To stake the victory on his steel, and fling away the shield." + +And likewise: + + "Examine thine armour in every joint, + For slain was the Giant, and by a pin's point." + +Wah! 'tis certain there will need subtlety in this undertaking, and a +plot plotted, so do thou my bidding, and fail not in the part assigned to +thee.' + +Now, Feshnavat was persuaded by his words, and cried, 'In diligence, +discretion, and the virtues which characterize subordinates, I go, and I +delay not! I will perform the thing required of me, O Master of the +Event.' And he repeated in verse: + + With danger beset, be the path crooked or narrow, + Thou art the bow, and I the arrow. + +Then embraced he his daughter, kissing her on the forehead and the eyes, +and tightening the girdle of his robe, departed, with the name of Allah +on his lips, in the direction of the City. + +So Shibli Bagarag called to him the two Genii, and his command was, +'Soar, ye slaves of the Sword, till the range of earth and its mountains +and seas and deserts are a cluster in the orb of the eye, Shiraz +conspicuous as a rose among garlands, and the ruby consorted with other +gems in a setting. In Shiraz or the country adjoining ye will come upon +one Baba Mustapha by name; and, if he be alone, ye may recognize him by +his forlorn look and the hang of his cheeks, his vacancy as of utter +abandonment; if in company, 'twill be the only talker that's he; seize on +him, give him a taste of thin air, and deposit him without speech on the +roof of a palace, where ye will see Feshnavat in yonder city: this do ere +the shadows of the palm-tree by the well in the plain move up the mounds +that enclose the fortified parts.' + +Cried Karavejis and Veejravoosh, 'To hear is to obey.' + +Up into the sky, like two bright balls tossed by jugglers, the two Genii +shot; and, watching them, Noorna bin Noorka said, 'My life, there is a +third wanting, Ravejoura; and with aid of the three, earth could have +planted no obstruction to thy stroke; but thou wert tempted by the third +temptation in Aklis, and left not the Hall in triumph, the Hall of the +Duping Brides!' + +He answered, 'That is so, my soul; and the penalty is mine, by which I am +made to employ deceits ere I strike.' + +And she said, ''Tis to the generosity of Gulrevaz thou owest Karavejis and +Veejravoosh; and I think she was generous, seeing thee true to me in +love, she that hath sorrows!' + +So he said, 'What of the sorrows of Gulrevaz? Tell me of them.' + +But she said, 'Nay, O my betrothed! wouldst thou have this tongue +blistered, and a consuming spark shot against this bosom?' + +Then he: 'Make it clear to me.' + +She put her mouth to his ear, saying, 'There is a curse on whoso telleth +of things in Aklis, and to tattle of the Seven and their sister +forerunneth wretchedness.' + +Surely, he stooped to that fair creature, and folded her to his heart, +his whole soul heaving to her; and he cried again and again, 'Shall harm +hap to thee through me? by Allah, no!' + +And he closed the privileged arm of the bridegroom round her waist, that +had the yieldingness of the willow-branchlet, the flowingness of the +summer sea-wave, and seemed as 'twere melting honey-like at the first +gentle pressure; she leaning her head shyly on his shoulder, yet +confiding in his faithfulness; it was that she was shy of the great bliss +in her bosom, and was made timid by the fervour of her affection; as is +sung: + + + Deeper than the source of blushes + Is the power that makes them start; + Up in floods the red stream rushes, + At one whisper of the heart. + +And it is sung in words present to the youth as he surveyed her: + + O beauty of the bride! O beauty of the bride! + Her bashful joys like serpents sting her tenderness to + tears: + Her hopes are sleeping eagles in the shining of the spheres; + O beauty of the bride! O beauty of the bride! + And she's a lapping antelope that from her image flees; + And she's a dove caught in two hands, to pant as she shall + please; + O beauty of the bride! O beauty of the bride! + Like torrents over Paradise her lengthy tresses roll: + She moves as doth a swaying rose, and chides her hasty soul; + The thing she will, that will she not, yet can no will control + O beauty, beauty, beauty of the bride! + +They were thus together, Abarak leaning under one wing of Koorookh for +shade up the slope of the hill, and Shibli Bagarag called to him, 'Ho, +Abarak! look if there be aught impending over the City.' + +So he arose and looked, crying, 'One with plunging legs, high up in air +over the City, between two bright bodies.' Shibli Bagarag exclaimed, +''Tis well! The second chapter of the Event is opened; so call it, thou +that tellest of the Shaving of Shagpat. It will be the shortest.' + +Then he said, 'The shadow of yonder palm is now a slanted spear up the +looped wall of the City. Now, the time of Shagpat's triumph, and his +greatest majesty, will be when yonder walls chase the shadow of the palm +up this hill; and then will Baba Mustapha be joining the chorus of +creatures that shriek toward even ere they snooze. There's not an ape in +the woods, nor hyaena in the forest, nor birds on the branches, nor frogs +in the marsh that will outnoise Baba Mustapha under the thong! Wullahy, +'twill grieve his soul in aftertime when he sitteth secure in honours, +courted, with a thousand ears at his bidding, that so much breath 'scaped +him without toll of the tongue! But as the poet says truly: + + "The chariot of Events lifteth many dusty heels, + And many, high and of renown, it crusheth with its wheels." + +Wah! I have had my share of the thong, and am I, Master of the Event, to +be squeamish in attaining an end by its means? Nay, by this Sword!' + +Thereat, he strode once again to the summit of the hill, and in a moment +the Genii fronted him like two shot arrows quivering from the flight. So +he cried, 'It is done?' + +They answered, 'In faithfulness.' + +So he beckoned to Noorna, and she came forward swiftly to him, +exclaiming, 'I read the plot, and the thing required of me; so say +nought, but embrace me ere I leave thee, my betrothed, my master!' + +He embraced her, and led her to where the Genii stood. Then said he to +the Genii, 'Convey her to the City, O ye slaves of the Sword, and watch +over her there. If ye let but an evil wind ruffle the hair of her head, +lo! I sever ye with a stroke that shaketh the under worlds. Remain by +her till the shrieks of Baba Mustapha greet ye, and then will follow +commotion among the crowd, and cries for Shagpat to show himself to the +people, cries also of death to Feshnavat; and there will be an assembly +in the King's Hall of Justice; thither lead ye my betrothed, and watch +over her.' And he said to Noorna, 'Thou knowest my design?' + +So she said, 'When condemnation is passed on Feshnavat, that I appear in +the hall as bride of Shagpat, and so rescue him that is my father.' And +she cried, 'Oh, fair delightful time that is coming! my happiness and thy +honour on earth dateth from it. Farewell, O my betrothed, beloved youth! +Eyes of mine! these Genii will be by, and there's no cause for fear or +sorrow, and 'tis for thee to look like morning that speeds the march of +light. Thou, my betrothed, art thou not all that enslaveth the heart of +woman?' + +Cried Shibli Bagarag, 'And thou, O Noorna, all that enraptureth the soul +of man! Allah keep thee, my life!' + +Lo! while they were wasting the rich love in their hearts, the Genii rose +up with Noorna, and she, waving her hand to him, was soon distant and as +the white breast of a bird turned to the sun. Then went he to where +Abarak was leaning, and summoned Koorookh, and the twain mounted him, and +rose up high over the City of Shagpat to watch the ripening of the Event, +as a vulture watcheth over the desert. + + + + + + +THE DISH OF POMEGRANATE GRAIN + + +Now, in the City of Shagpat, Kadza, spouse of Shagpat, she that had +belaboured Shibli Bagarag, had a dream while these things were doing; and +it was a dream of danger and portent to the glory of her eyes, Shagpat. +So, at the hour when he was revealed to Shibli Bagarag, made luminous by +the beams of Aklis, Kadza went to an inner chamber, and greased her hands +and her eyelids, and drank of a phial, and commenced tugging at a brass +ring fixed in the floor, and it yielded and displayed an opening, over +which she stooped the upper half of her leanness, and pitching her note +high, called 'Karaz!' After that, she rose and retreated from the hole +hastily, and in the winking of an eye it was filled, as 'twere a pillar +of black smoke, by the body of the Genie, he breathing hard with mighty +travel. So he cried to her between his pantings and puffings, 'Speak! +where am I wanted, and for what?' + +Now, Kadza was affrighted at the terribleness of his manner, and the +great smell of the Genie was an intoxication in her nostril, so that she +reeled and could just falter out, 'Danger to the Identical!' + +Then he, in a voice like claps of thunder, 'Out with it!' + +She answered beseechingly, ''Tis a dream I had, O Genie; a dream of danger +to him.' + +While she spake, the Genie clenched his fists and stamped so that the +palace shook and the earth under it, exclaiming, 'O abominable Kadza! a +dream is it? another dream? Wilt thou cease dreaming awhile, thou silly +woman? Know I not he that's powerful against us is in Aklis, crowned +ape, and that his spells are gone? And I was distilling drops to defy +the Sword and strengthen Shagpat from assault, yet bringest thou me from +my labour by the Putrid Sea with thy accursed dream!' Thereat, he +frowned and shot fire at her from his eyes, so that she singed, and the +room thickened with a horrible smell of burning. She feared greatly and +trembled, but he cooled himself against the air, crying presently in a +diminished voice, 'Let's hear this dream, thou foolish Kadza! 'Tis as +well to hear it. Probably Rabesqurat hath sent thee some sign from +Aklis, where she ferryeth a term. What's that saying: + + "A woman's at the core of every plot man plotteth, + And like an ill-reared fruit, first at the core it rotteth." + +So, out with it, thou Kadza!' + +Now, the urgency of that she had dreamed overcame fear in Kadza, and she +said, 'O great Genie and terrible, my dream was this. Lo! I saw an +assemblage of the beasts of the forests and them that inhabit wild +places. And there was the elephant and the rhinoceros and the +hippopotamus, and the camel and the camelopard, and the serpent and the +striped tiger; also the antelope, the hyena, the jackal, and above them, +eminent in majesty, the lion. Surely, he sat as 'twere on a high seat, +and they like suppliants thronging the presence: this I saw, the heart on +my ribs beating for Shagpat. And there appeared among the beasts a +monkey all ajoint with tricks, jerking with malice, he looking as 'twere +hungry for the doing of things detestable; and the lion scorned him, and +I marked him ridicule the lion: 'twas so. And the lion began to scowl, +and the other beasts marked the displeasure of the lion. Then chased +they that monkey from the presence, and for awhile he was absent, and the +lion sat in his place gravely, with calm, receiving homage of the other +beasts; and down to his feet came the eagle that's lord of air, and +before him kneeled the great elephant, and the subtle serpent eyed him +with awe. But soon did that monkey, the wretched animal! reappear, and +there was no peace for the lion, he worrying till close within stretch of +the lion's paw! Wah! the lion might have crushed him, but that he's +magnanimous. And so it was that as the monkey advanced the lion roared +to him, "Begone!" + +'And the monkey cried, "Who commandeth?" + +'So the lion roared, "The King of beasts and thy King!" + +'Then that monkey cried, "Homage to the King of beasts and my King! +Allah keep him in his seat, and I would he were visible." + +'So the lion roared, "He sitteth here acknowledged, thou graceless +animal! and he's before thee apparent." + +'Then the monkey affected eagerness, and gazed about him, and peered on +this beast and on that, exclaiming like one that's injured and under +slight, "What's this I've done, and wherein have I offended, that he +should be hidden from me when pointed out?" + +'So the lion roared, "'Tis I where I sit, thou offensive monkey!" + +'Then that monkey in the upper pitch of amazement, "Thou! Is it for +created thing to acknowledge a king without a tail? And, O beasts of the +forest and the wilderness, how say ye? Am I to blame that I bow not to +one that hath it not?" + +'Upon that, the lion rose, and roared in the extreme of wrath; but the +word he was about to utter was checked in him, for 'twas manifest that +where he would have lashed a tail he shook a stump, wagging it as the dog +doth. Lo! when the lion saw that, the majesty melted from him, and in a +moment the plumpness of content and prosperity forsook him, so that his +tawny skin hung flabbily and his jaw drooped, and shame deprived him of +stateliness; abashed was he! Now, seeing the lion shamed in this manner, +my heart beat violently for Shagpat, so that I awoke with the strength of +its beating, and 'twas hidden from me whether the monkey was punished by +the lion, or exalted by the other beasts in his place, or how came it +that the lion's tail was lost, witched from him by that villain of +mischief, the monkey; but, O great Genie, I knew there was a lion among +men, reverenced, and with enemies; that lion, he that espoused me and my +glory, Shagpat! 'Twas enough to know that and tremble at the omen of my +dream, O Genie. Wherefore I thought it well to summon thee here, that +thou mightest set a guard over Shagpat, and shield him from the +treacheries that beset him.' + +When Kadza had ceased speaking, the Genie glowered at her awhile in +silence. Then said he, 'What creature is that, Kadza, which tormenteth +like the tongue of a woman, is small as her pretensions to virtue, and +which showeth how the chapters of her history should be read by the holy +ones, even in its manner of movement?' + +Cried Kadza, 'The flea that hoppeth!' + +So he said, ''Tis well! Hast thou strength to carry one of my weight, O +Kadza?' + +She answered in squeamishness, 'I, wullahy! I'm but a woman, Genie, +though the wife of Shagpat: and to carry thee is for the camel and the +elephant and the horse.' + +Then he, 'Tighten thy girdle, and when tightened, let a loose loop hang +from it.' + +She did that, and he gave her a dark powder in her hand, saying, 'Swallow +the half of this, and what remaineth mix with water, and sprinkle over +thee.' + +That did she, and thereupon he exclaimed, 'Now go, and thy part is to +move round Shagpat; and a wind will strike thee from one quarter, and +from which quarter it striketh is the one of menace and danger to +Shagpat.' + +So Kadza was diligent in doing what the Genie commanded, and sought for +Shagpat, and moved round him many times; but no wind struck her. She +went back to the Genie, and told him of this, and the Genie cried, 'What? +no wind? not one from Aklis? Then will Shagpat of a surety triumph, and +we with him.' + +Now, there was joy on the features of Kadza and Karaz, till suddenly he +said, 'Halt in thy song! How if there be danger and menace above? and +'tis the thing that may be.' + +Then he seized Kadza, and slung her by him, and went into the air, and up +it till the roofs of the City of Shagpat were beneath their feet, all on +them visible. And under an awning, on the roof of a palace, there was +the Vizier Feshnavat and Baba Mustapha, they ear to lip in consultation, +and Baba Mustapha brightening with the matter revealed to him, and +bobbing his head, and breaking on the speech of the Vizier. Now, when he +saw them the Genie blew from his nostrils a double stream of darkness +which curled in a thick body round and round him, and Kadza slung at his +side was enveloped in it, as with folds of a huge serpent. Then the +Genie hung still, and lo! two radiant figures swept toward the roof he +watched, and between them Noorna bin Noorka, her long dark hair borne far +backward, and her robe of silken stuff fluttering and straining on the +pearl buttons as she flew. There was that in her beauty and the silver +clearness of her temples and her eyes, and her cheeks, and her neck, and +chin and ankles, that made the Genie shudder with love of her, and he was +nigh dropping Kadza to the ground, forgetful of all save Noorna. When he +recovered, and it was by tightening his muscles till he was all over hard +knots, Noorna was seated on a cushion, and descending he heard her speak +his name. Then sniffed he the air, and said to Kadza, 'O spouse of +Shagpat, a plot breweth, and the odour of it is in my nostril. Fearest +thou a scorching for his sake thou adorest, the miracle of men?' + +She answered, 'On my head be it, and my eyes!' + +He said, 'I shall alight thee behind the pole of awning on yonder roof, +where are the two bright figures and the dingy one, and the Vizier +Feshnavat and Noorna bin Noorka. A flame will spring up severing thee +from them; but thou'rt secure from it by reason of the powder I gave +thee, all save the hair that's on thee. Thou'lt have another shape than +that which is thine, even that of a slave of Noorna bin Noorka, and say +to her when she asketh thy business with her, "O my mistress, let the +storm gather-in the storm-bird when it would surprise men." Do this, and +thy part's done, O Kadza!' + +Thereupon he swung a circle, and alighted her behind the pole of awning +on the roof, and vanished, and the circle of flame rose up, and Kadza +passed through it slightly scorched, and answered to the question of +Noorna, 'O my mistress, let the storm gather-in the storm-bird when it +would surprise men.' Now, when Noorna beheld her, and heard her voice, +she pierced the disguise, and was ware of the wife of Shagpat, and +glanced her large eyes over Kadza from head to sole till they rested on +the loose loop in her girdle. Seeing that, she rose up, and stretched +her arms, and spread open the palm of her hand, and slapped Kadza on the +cheek and ear a hard slap, so that she heard bells; and ere she ceased to +hear them, another, so that Kadza staggered back and screamed, and +Feshnavat was moved to exclaim, 'What has the girl, thy favourite, +offended in, O my daughter?' + +So Noorna continued slapping Kadza, and cried, 'Is she not sluttish? and +where's the point of decency established in her, this Luloo? Shall her +like appear before thee and me with loose girdle!' + +Then she pointed to the girdle, and Kadza tightened the loose loop, and +fell upon the ground to avoid the slaps, and Noorna knelt by her, and +clutched at a portion of her dress and examined it, peering intently; and +she caught up another part, and knotted it as if to crush a living +creature, hunting over her, and grasping at her; and so it was that while +she tore strips from the garments of Kadza, Feshnavat jumped suddenly in +wrath, and pinched over his garments, crying, 'Tis unbearable! 'Tis I +know not what other than a flea that persecuteth me:' + +Upon that, Noorna ran to him, and while they searched together for the +flea, Baba Mustapha fidgeted and worried in his seat, lurching to the +right and to the left, muttering curses; and it was evident he too was +persecuted, and there was no peace on the roof of that palace, but +pinching and howling and stretching of limbs, and curses snarled in the +throat and imprecations on the head of the tormenting flea. Surely, the +soul of Kadza rejoiced, for she knew the flea was Karaz, whom she had +brought with her in the loose loop of her girdle through the circle of +flame which was a barrier against him. She glistened at the triumph of +the flea, but Noorna strode to her, and took her to the side of the roof, +and pitched her down it, and closed the passage to her. Then ran she to +Karavejis and Veejravoosh, whispering in the ear of each, 'No word of the +Sword?' and afterward aloud, 'What think ye will be the term of the +staying of my betrothed in Aklis, crowned ape?' + +They answered, 'O pearl of the morn, crowned ape till such time as +Shagpat be shaved.' + +So she beat her breast, crying, 'Oh, utter stagnation, till Shagpat be +shaved! and oh, stoppage in the tide of business, dense cloud upon the +face of beauty, and frost on the river of events, till Shagpat be shaved! +And oh! my betrothed, crowned ape in Aklis till Shagpat be shaved!' + +Then she lifted her hands and arms, and said, 'To him where he is, ye +Genii! and away, for he needeth comfort.' + +Thereat the glittering spirits dissolved and thinned, and were as taper +gleams of curved light across the water in their ascent of the heavens. +When they were gone Noorna, exclaimed, 'Now for the dish of pomegrante +grain, O Baba Mustapha, and let nothing delay us further.' + +Quoth Baba Mustapha, ''Tis ordered, O my princess and fair mistress, from +the confectioner's; and with it the sleepy drug from the seller of +medicaments--accursed flea!' + +Now, she laughed, and said, 'What am I, O Baba Mustapha?' + +So he said, 'Not thou, O bright shooter of beams, but I, wullahy! I'm +but a bundle of points through the pertinacity of this flea! a house of +irritabilities! a mere mass of fretfulness! and I've no thought but for +the chasing of this unlucky flea: was never flea like it in the world +before this flea; and 'tis a flea to anger the holy ones, and make the +saintly Dervish swear at such a flea.' He wriggled and curled where he +sat, and Noorna cried, 'What! shall we be defeated by a flea, we that +would shave Shagpat, and release this city and the world from bondage?' +And she looked up to the sky that was then without a cloud, blazing with +the sun on his mid seat, and exclaimed, 'O star of Shagpat! wilt thou +constantly be in the ascendant, and defeat us, the liberators of men, +with a flea?' + +Now, whenever one of the twain, Baba Mustapha and the Vizier Feshnavat, +commenced speaking of the dish of pomegranate grain, the torment of the +flea took all tongue from him, and was destruction to the gravity of +council and deliberation. The dish of pomegranate grain was brought to +them by slaves, and the drug to induce sleep, yet neither could say aught +concerning it, they were as jointy grasshoppers through the action of the +flea, and the torment of the flea became a madness, they shrieking, ''Tis +now with thee! 'Tis now with me! Fires of the damned on this flea!' In +their extremity, they called to Allah for help, but no help came, save +when they abandoned all speech concerning the dish of pomegranate grain, +then were they for a moment eased of the flea. So Noorna recognized the +presence of her enemy Karaz, and his malicious working; and she went and +fetched a jar brimmed with water for the bath, and stirred it with her +forefinger, and drew on it a flame from the rays of the sun till there +rose up from the jar a white thick smoke. She rustled her raiment, +making the wind of it collect round Baba Mustapha and Feshnavat, and did +this till the sweat streamed from their brows and bodies, and they were +sensible of peace and the absence of the flea. Then she whisked away the +smoke, and they were attended by slaves with fresh robes, and were as new +men, and sat together over the dish of pomegranate grain, praising the +wisdom of Noorna and her power. Then Baba Mustapha revived in briskness, +and cried, 'Here the dish! and 'tis in my hands an instrument, an +instrument of vengeance! and one to endow the skilful wielder of it with +glory. And 'tis as I designed it,--sweet, seasoned, savoury,--a flattery +to the eye and no deceiver to the palate. Wah! and such an instrument in +the hands of the discerning and the dexterous, and the discreet and the +judicious, and them gifted with determination, is't not such as sufficeth +for the overturning of empires and systems, O my mistress, fair one, +sapphire of this city? And is't not written that I shall beguile Shagpat +by its means, and master the Event, and shame the King of Oolb and his +Court? And I shall then sit in state among men, and surround myself with +adornments and with slaves, mute, that speak not save at the signal, and +are as statues round the cushions of their lord--that's myself. And I +shall surround myself with the flatteries of wealth, and walk bewildered +in silks and stuffs and perfumeries; and sweet young beauties shall I +have about me, antelopes of grace, as I like them, and select them, long- +eyed, lazy, fond of listening, and with bashful looks that timidly admire +the dignity that's in man.' + +While he was prating Noorna took the dish in her lap, and folded her +silvery feet beneath her, and commenced whipping into it the drug: and +she whipped it dexterously and with equal division among the grain, +whipping it and the flea with it, but she feigned not to mark the flea +and whipped harder. Then took she colour and coloured it saffron, and +laid over it gold-leaf, so that it glittered and was an enticing sight; +and the dish was of gold, crusted over with devices and patterns, and +heads of golden monsters, a ravishment of skill in him that executed it, +cumbrous with ornate golden workmanship; likewise there were places round +the dish for sticks of perfume and cups carved for the storing of +perfumed pellets, and into these Noorna put myrrh and ambergris and rich +incenses, aloes, sandalwood, prepared essences, divers keen and sweet +scents. Then when all was in readiness, she put the dish upon the knee +of Baba Mustapha, and awoke him from his babbling reverie with a shout, +and said, 'An instrument verily, O Baba Mustapha! and art thou a cat to +shave Shagpat with that tongue of thine?' + +Now, he arose and made the sign of obedience and said, ''Tis well, O lady +of grace and bright wit! and now for the cap of Shiraz and the Persian +robe, and my twenty slaves and seven to follow me to the mansion of +Shagpat. I'll do: I'll act.' + +So she motioned to a slave to bring the cap of Shiraz and the Persian +robe, and in these Baba Mustapha arrayed himself. Then called he for the +twenty-and-seven slaves, and they were ranged, some to go before, some to +follow him. And he was exalted, and made the cap of Shiraz nod in his +conceit, crying, 'Am I not leader in this complot? Wullahy! all bow to +me and acknowledge it.' Then, to check himself, he called out sternly to +the slaves, 'Ho ye! forward to the mansion of Shagpat; and pass at a slow +pace through the streets of the city--solemnly, gravely, as before a +potentate; then will the people inquire of ye, Who't is ye marshal, and +what mighty one? and ye will answer, He's from the court of Shiraz, +nothing less than a Vizier--bearing homage to Shagpat, even this dish of +pomegranate grain.' + +So they said, 'To hear is to obey.' + +Upon that he waved his hand and stalked majestically, and they descended +from the roof into the street, criers running in front to clear the way. +When Baba Mustapha was hidden from view by a corner of the street, Noorna +shrank in her white shoulders and laughed, and was like a flashing pearl +as she swayed and dimpled with laughter. And she cried, 'True are those +words of the poet, and I testify to them in the instance of Baba +Mustapha: + + "With feathers of the cock, I'll fashion a vain creature; + With feathers of the owl, I'll make a judge in feature"; + +Is not the barber elate and lofty? He goeth forth to the mastery of this +Event as go many, armed with nought other than their own conceit: and +'tis written: + + "Fools from their fate seek not to urge: + The coxcomb carrieth his scourge."' + +So Feshnavat smoothed his face, and said, 'Is't not also written?-- + + "Oft may the fall of fools make wise men moan! + Too often hangs the house on one loose stone!" + +'Tis so, O Noorna, my daughter, and I am as a reed shaken by the wind of +apprehensiveness, and doubt in me is a deep root as to the issue of this +undertaking, for the wrath of the King will be terrible, and the clamour +of the people soundeth in my ears already. If Shibli Bagarag fail in one +stroke, where be we? 'Tis certain I knew not the might in Shagpat when I +strove with him, and he's powerful beyond the measure of man's subtlety; +and yonder flies a rook without fellow--an omen; and all's ominous, and +ominous of ill: and I marked among the troop of slaves that preceded Baba +Mustapha one that squinted, and that's an omen; and, O my daughter, I +counsel that thou by thy magic speed us to some remote point in the +Caucasus, where we may abide the unravelling of this web securely, one +way or the other way. 'Tis my counsel, O Noorna.' + +Then she, 'Abandon my betrothed? and betray him on the very stroke of the +Sword? and diminish him by a withdrawal of that faith in his right wrist +which strengtheneth it more than Karavejis and Veejravoosh wound round it +in coils?' And she leaned her head, and cried, 'Hark! hear'st thou? +there's shouting in the streets of Shiraz and of Shagpat! Shall we merit +the punishment of Shahpesh the Persian on Khipil the builder, while the +Event is mastering? I'll mark this interview between Baba Mustapha and +Shagpat; and do thou, O my father, rest here on this roof till the King's +guard of horsemen and soldiers of the law come hither for thee, and go +with them sedately, fearing nought, for I shall be by thee in the garb of +an old woman; and preserve thy composure in the presence of the King and +Shagpat exalted, and allow not the thing that happeneth let fly from thee +the shaft of speech, but remain a slackened bow till the strength of my +betrothed is testified, fearing nought, for fear is that which defeateth +men, and 'tis declared in a distich,-- + + "The strongest weapon one can see + In mortal hands is constancy." + +And for us to flee now would rank us with that King described by the +poet: + + "A king of Ind there was who fought a fight + From the first gleam of morn till fall of night; + But when the royal tent his generals sought, + Proclaiming victory, fled was he who fought. + Despair possessed them, till they chanced to spy + A Dervish that paced on with downward eye; + They questioned of the King; he answer'd slow, + 'Ye fought but one, the King a double, foe."' + +And, O my father, they interpreted of this that the King had been +vanquished, he that was victor, by the phantom army of his fears.' + +Now, the Vizier cried, 'Be the will of Allah achieved and consummated!' +and he was silenced by her wisdom and urgency, and sat where he was, +diverting not the arch on his brow from its settled furrow. He was as +one that thirsteth, and whose eye hath marked a snake of swift poison by +the water, so thirsted he for the Event, yet hung with dread from +advancing; but Noorna bin Noorka busied herself about the roof, drawing +circles to witness the track of an enemy, and she clapped her hands and +cried, 'Luloo!' and lo, a fair slave-girl that came to her and stood by +with bent head, like a white lily by a milk-white antelope; so Noorna +clouded her brow a moment, as when the moon darkeneth behind a scud, and +cried, 'Speak! art thou in league with Karaz, girl?' + +Luloo strained her hands to her temples, exclaiming, 'With the terrible +Genie?--I?--in league with him? my mistress, surely the charms I wear, +and the amulets, I wear them as a protection from that Genie, and a +safeguard, he that carrieth off the maidens and the young sucklings, +walking under the curse of mothers.' + +Said Noorna, 'O Luloo, have I boxed those little ears of thine this day?' + +The fair slave-girl smiled a smile of submissive tenderness, and +answered, 'Not this day, nor once since Luloo was rescued from the wicked +old merchant by thy overbidding, and was taken to the arms of a wise kind +sister, wiser and kinder than any she had been stolen from, she that is +thy slave for ever.' + +She said this weeping, and Noorna mused, ''Twas as I divined, that +wretched Kadza: her grief 's to come!' Then spake she aloud as to +herself, 'Knew I, or could one know, I should this day be a bride?' And, +hearing that, Luloo shrieked, 'Thou a bride, and torn from me, and we two +parted? and I, a poor drooping tendril, left to wither? for my life is +round thee and worthless away from thee, O cherisher of the fallen +flower.' + +And she sobbed out wailful verses and words, broken and without a +meaning; but Noorna caught her by the arm and swung her, and bade her +fetch on the instant a robe of blue, and pile in her chamber robes of +amber and saffron and grey, bridal-robes of many-lighted silks, plum- +coloured, peach-coloured, of the colour of musk mixed with pale gold, +together with bridal ornaments and veils of the bride, and a jewelled +circlet for the brow. When this was done, Noorna went with Luloo to her +chamber, attended by slave-girls, and arrayed herself in the first dress +of blue, and swayed herself before the mirror, and rattled the gold +pieces in her hair and on her neck with laughter. And Luloo was +bewildered, and forgot her tears to watch the gaiety of her mistress; and +lo! Noorna, made her women take off one set of ornaments with every +dress, and with every dress she put on another set; and after she had +gone the round of the different dresses, she went to the bathroom with +Luloo, and at her bidding Luloo entered the bath beside Noorna,, and the +twain dipped and shouldered in the blue water, and were as when a single +star is by the full moon on a bright midnight pouring lustre about. And +Noorna splashed Luloo, and said, 'This night we shall not sleep together, +O Luloo, nor lie close, thy bosom on mine.' + +Thereat, Luloo wept afresh, and cried, 'Ah, cruel! and 'tis a sweet +thought for thee, and thou'lt have no mind for me, tossing on my hateful +lonely couch.' + +Tenderly Noorna eyed Luloo, and the sprinkles of the bath fell with the +tears of both, and they clung together, and were like the lily and its +bud on one stalk in a shower. Then, when Noorna had spent her affection, +she said, 'O thou of the long downward lashes, thy love was constant when +I stood under a curse and was an old woman--a hag! Carest thou so little +to learn the name of him that claimeth me?' + +Luloo replied, 'I thought of no one save myself and my loss, O my lost +pearl; happy is he, a youth of favour. Oh, how I shall hate him that +taketh thee from me. Tell me now his name, O sovereign of hearts!' + +So Noorna smoothed the curves and corners of her mouth and calmed her +countenance, crying in a deep tone and a voice as of reverence, +'Shagpat!' + +Now, at that name Luloo drank in her breath and was awed, and sank in +herself, and had just words to ask, 'Hath he demanded thee again in +marriage, O my mistress?' + +Said Noorna, 'Even so.' + +Luloo muttered, 'Great is the Dispenser of our fates!' + +And she spake no further, but sighed and took napkins and summoned the +slave-girls, and arrayed Noorna silently in the robe of blue and bridal +ornaments. Then Noorna said to them that thronged about her, 'Put on, +each of ye, a robe of white, ye that are maidens, and a fillet of blue, +and a sash of saffron, and abide my coming.' + +And she said to Luloo, 'Array thyself in a robe of blue, even as mine, +and let trinkets lurk in thy tresses, and abide my coming.' + +Then went she forth from them, and veiled her head and swathed her figure +in raiment of a coarse white stuff, and was as the moon going behind a +hill of dusky snow; and she left the house, and passed along the streets +and by the palaces, till she came to the palace of her father, now filled +by Shagpat. Before the palace grouped a great concourse and a multitude +of all ages and either sex in that city, despite the blaze and the heat. +Like roaring of a sea beyond the mountains was the noise that issued from +them, and their eyes were a fire of beams against the portal of the +palace. Now, she saw in the crowd one Shafrac, a shoemaker, and +addressed. him, saying, 'O Shafrac, the shoemaker, what's this assembly +and how got together? for the poet says: + + "Ye string not such assemblies in the street, + Save when some high Event should be complete."' + +He answered, ''Tis an Event complete. Wullahy! the deputation from Shiraz +to Shagpat, and the submission of that vain city to the might of +Shagpat.' And he asked her, jestingly, 'Art thou a witch, to guess that, +O veiled and virtuous one?' + +Quoth she, 'I read the thing that cometh ere 'tis come, and I read danger +to Shagpat in this deputation from Shiraz, and this dish of pomegranate +grain.' + +So Shafrac cried, 'By the beard of my fathers and that of Shagpat! let's +speak of this to Zeel, the garlic-seller.' + +He broadened to one that was by him, and said, 'O Zeel, what's thy mind? +Here's a woman, a wise woman, a witch, and she sees danger to Shagpat in +this deputation from Shiraz and this dish of pomegranate grain.' + +Now, Zeel screwed his visage and gazed up into his forehead, and said, +''Twere best to consult with Bootlbac, the drum-beater.' + +The two then called to Bootlbac, the drum-beater, and told him the +matter, and Bootlbac pondered, and tapped his brow and beat on his +stomach, and said, 'Krooz el Krazawik, the carrier, is good in such a +case.' + +Now, from Krooz el Krazawik, the carrier, they went to Dob, the +confectioner; and from Dob, the confectioner, to Azawool, the builder; +and from Azawool, the builder, to Tcheik, the collector of taxes; and +each referred to some other, till perplexity triumphed and was a cloud +over them, and the words, 'Danger to Shagpat,' went about like bees, and +were canvassing, when suddenly a shrill voice rose from the midst, +dominating other voices, and it was that of Kadza, and she cried, 'Who +talks here of danger to Shagpat, and what wretch is it?' + +Now, Tcheik pointed out Azawool, and Azawool Dob, and Dob Krooz el +Krazawik, and he Bootlbac, and the drum-beater shrugged his shoulder at +Zeel, and Zeel stood away from Shafrac, and Shafrac seized Noorna and +shouted, ''Tis she, this woman, the witch!' + +Kadza fronted Noorna, and called to her, 'O thing of infamy, what's this +talk of thine concerning danger to our glory, Shagpat?' + +Then Noorna replied, 'I say it, O Kadza! and I say it; there's danger +threateneth him, and from that deputation and that dish of pomegranate +grain.' + +Now, Kadza laughed a loose laugh, and jeered at Noorna, crying, 'Danger +to Shagpat! he that's attended by Genii, and watched over by the greatest +of them, day and night incessantly?' + +And Noorna said, 'I ask pardon of the Power that seeth, and of thee, if I +be wrong. Wah! am I not also of them that watch over Shagpat? So then +let thou and I go into the palace and examine the doings of this +deputation and this dish of pomegranate grain.' + +Now, Kadza remembered the scene on the roofs of the Vizier Feshnavat, and +relaxed in her look of suspicion, and said, ''Tis well! Let's in to +them.' + +Thereupon the twain threaded through the crowd and locked at the portals +of the palace, and it was opened to them and they entered, and lo! the +hand that opened the portals was the hand of a slave of the Sword, and +against corners of the Court leaned slaves silly with slumber. So Kadza +went up to them, and beat them, and shook them, and they yawned and +mumbled, 'Excellent grain! good grain! the grain of Shiraz!' And she +beat them with what might was hers, till some fell sideways and some +forward, still mumbling, 'Excellent pomegranate grain!' Kadza was beside +herself with anger and vexation at them, tearing them and cuffing them; +but Noorna cried, 'O Kadza! what said I? there's danger to Shagpat in +this dish of pomegranate grain! and what's that saying: + + "'Tis much against the Master's wish + That slaves too greatly praise his dish." + +Wullahy! I like not this talk of the grain of Shiraz.' + +Now, while Noorna spake, the eyes of Kadza became like those of the +starved wild-cat, and she sprang off and along the marble of the Court, +and clawed a passage through the air and past the marble pillars of the +palace toward the first room of reception, Noorna following her. And in +the first room were slaves leaning and lolling like them about the Court, +and in the second room and in the third room, silent all of them and +senseless. So at this sight the spark of suspicion became a mighty flame +in the bosom of Kadza, and horror burst out at all ends of her, and she +shuddered, and cried, 'What for us, and where's our hope if Shagpat be +shorn, and he lopped of the Identical, shamed like the lion of my dream!' + +And Noorna clasped her hands, and said, ''Tis that I fear! Seek for him, +O Kadza!' + +So Kadza ran to a window and looked forth over the garden of the palace, +and it was a fair garden with the gleam of a fountain and watered plants +and cool arches of shade, thick bowers, fragrant alleys, long sheltered +terraces, and beyond the garden a summer-house of marble fanned by the +broad leaves of a palm. Now, when Kadza had gazed a moment, she +shrieked, 'He's there! Shagpat! giveth he not the light of a jewel to +the house that holdeth him? Awahy! and he's witched there for an ill +purpose.' + +Then tore she from that room like a mad wild thing after its stolen cubs, +and sped along corridors of the palace, and down the great flight of +steps into the garden and across the garden, knocking over the ablution- +pots in her haste; and Noorna had just strength to withhold her from +dashing through the doors of the summer-house to come upon Shagpat, she +straining and crying, 'He's there, I say, O wise woman! Shagpat! let's +into him.' + +But Noorna clung to her, and spake in her ear, 'Wilt thou blow the fire +that menaces him, O Kadza? and what are two women against the assailants +of such a mighty one as he?' Then said she, 'Watch, rather, and avail +thyself of yonder window by the blue-painted pillar.' + +So Kadza crept up to the blue-painted pillar which was on the right side +of the porch, and the twain peered through the window. Noorna beheld the +Dish of Pomegranate Grain; and it was on the floor, empty of the grain, +and Baba Mustapha was by it alone making a lather, and he was twitching +his mouth and his legs, and flinging about his arms, and Noorna heard him +mutter wrathfully, 'O accursed flea! art thou at me again?' And she +heard him mutter as in anguish, 'No peace for thee, O pertinacious flea! +and my steadiness of hand will be gone, now when I have him safe as the +hawk his prey, mine enemy, this Shagpat that abused me: thou abominable +flea! And, O thou flea, wilt thou, vile thing! hinder me from mastering +the Event, and releasing this people and the world from enchantment and +bondage? And shall I fail to become famous to the ages and the times +because of such as thee, flea?' + +So Kadza whispered to Noorna, 'What's that he's muttering? Is't of +Shagpat? for I mark him not here, nor the light by which he's girt.' + +She answered, 'Listen with the ear and the eye and all the senses.' + +Now, presently they heard Baba Mustapha say in a louder tone, like one +that is secure from interruption, 'Two lathers, and this the third! a +potent lather! and I wot there's not a hair in this world resisteth the +sweep of my blade over such a lather as--Ah! flea of iniquity and +abomination! what! am I doomed to thy torments?--so let's spread! Lo! +this lather, is't not the pride of Shiraz? and the polish and smoothness +it sheddeth, is't not roseate? my invention! as the poet says,--O +accursed flea! now the knee-joint, now the knee-cap, and 'tis but a hop +for thee to the arm-pit. Fires of the pit without bottom seize thee! is +no place sacred from thee, and art thou a restless soul, infernal flea? +So then, peace awhile, and here's for the third lather.' + +While he was speaking Baba Mustapha advanced to a large white object that +sat motionless, upright like a snow-mound on a throne of cushions, and +commenced lathering. When she saw that, Kadza tossed up her head and her +throat, and a shriek was coming from her, for she was ware of Shagpat; +but Noorna stifled the shriek, and clutched her fast, whispering, 'He's +safe if thou have but patience, thou silly Kadza! and the flea will +defeat this fellow if thou spoil it not.' + +So Kadza said, looking up, 'Is 't seen of Allah, and be the Genii still +in their depths?' but she constrained herself, peering and perking out +her chin, and lifting one foot and the other foot, as on furnaces of fire +in the excess of the fury she smothered. And lo, Baba Mustapha worked +diligently, and Shagpat was behind an exulting lather, even as one pelted +with wheaten flour-balls or balls of powdery perfume, and his hairiness +was as branches of the forest foliage bent under a sudden fall of +overwhelming snow that filleth the pits and sharpeneth the wolves with +hunger, and teacheth new cunning to the fox. A fox was Baba Mustapha in +his stratagems, and a wolf in the fierceness of his setting upon Shagpat. +Surely he drew forth the blade that was to shear Shagpat, and made with +it in the air a preparatory sweep and flourish; and the blade frolicked +and sent forth a light, and seemed eager for Shagpat. So Baba Mustapha +addressed his arm to the shearing, and inclined gently the edge of the +blade, and they marked him let it slide twice to a level with the head of +Shagpat, and at the third time it touched, and Kadza howled, but from +Baba Mustapha there burst a howl to madden the beasts; and he flung up +his blade, and wrenched open his robe, crying, 'A flea was it to bite in +that fashion? Now, I swear by the Merciful, a fang like that's common to +tigers and hyaenas and ferocious animals.' + +Then looked he for the mark of the bite, plaining of its pang, and he +could find the mark nowhere. So, as he caressed himself, eyeing Shagpat +sheepishly and with gathering awe, Noorna said hurriedly to Kadza, 'Away +now, and call them in, the crowd about the palace, that they may behold +the triumph of Shagpat, for 'tis ripe, O Kadza!' + +And Kadza replied, 'Thou'rt a wise woman, and I'll have thee richly +rewarded. Lo, I'm as a camel lightened of fifty loads, and the glory of +Shagpat see I as a new sun rising in the desert. Wullahy! thou'rt wise, +and I'll do thy bidding.' + +Now, she went flying back to the palace, and called shrill calls to the +crowd, and collected them in the palace, and headed them through the +garden, and it was when Baba Mustapha had summoned courage for a second +essay, and was in the act of standing over Shagpat to operate on him, +that the crowd burst the doors, and he was quickly seized by them, and +tugged at and hauled at and pummelled, and torn and vituperated, and as a +wrecked vessel on stormy waters, plunging up and down with tattered +sails, when the crew fling overboard freight and ballast and provision. +Surely his time would have been short with that mob, but Noorna made +Kadza see the use of examining him before the King, and there were in +that mob sheikhs and fakirs, holy men who listened to the words of Kadza, +and exerted themselves to rescue Baba Mustapha, and quieted the rage that +was prevailing, and bore Baba Mustapha with them to the great palace of +the King, which was in the centre of that City. Now, when the King heard +of the attempt on Shagpat, and the affair of the Pomegranate Grain, he +gave orders for the admission of the people, as many of them as could be +contained in the Hall of Justice: and he set a guard over Baba Mustapha, +and commanded that Shagpat should be brought to the palace even as he +then was, and with the lather on him. So the regal mandate went forth, +and Shagpat was brought in state on cushions, and the potency of the drug +preserved his sedateness through all this, and he remained motionless in +sleep, folded in the centre of calm and satisfaction, while this tumult +was rageing and the City shook with uproar. But the people, when they +saw him whitened behind a lather, wrath at Baba Mustapha's polluting +touch and the audacity of barbercraft wrestled in them with the +outpouring of reverence for Shagpat, and a clamour arose for the instant +sacrifice of Baba Mustapha at the foot of their idol Shagpat. And the +whole of the City of Shagpat, men, women, and children, and the sheikhs +and the dervishes and crafts of the City besieged the King's palace in +that middle hour of the noon, clamouring for the sacrifice of Baba +Mustapha at the feet of their idol Shagpat. + + + + + + +THE BURNING OF THE IDENTICAL + + +Now, the Great Hall for the dispensing of justice in the palace of the +King was one on which the architect and the artificers had lavished all +their arts and subtleties of design and taste and their conceptions of +uniformity and grandeur, so that none entered it without a sense of +abasement, and the soul acknowledged awfulness and power in him that +ruled and sat eminent on the throne of that Hall. For, lo! the throne +was of solid weighty gold, overhung with rich silks and purples; and the +hall was lofty, with massive pillars, fifty on either side, ranging in +stateliness down toward the blaze of the throne; and the pillars were +pillars of porphyry and of jasper and precious marble, carven over all of +them with sentences of the cunningest wisdom, distichs of excellence, +odes of the poet, stanzas sharp with the incisiveness of wit, and that +solve knotty points with but one stroke; and these pillars were each the +gift of a mighty potentate of earth or of a Genie. + +In the centre of the Hall a fountain set up a glittering jet, and spread +abroad the breath of freshness, leaping a height of sixty feet, and +shimmering there in a wide bright canopy with dropping silver sides. It +was rumoured of the waters of this fountain that they were fed +underground from the waters of the Sacred River, brought there in the +reign of El Rasoon, a former sovereign in the City of Shagpat, by the +labours of Zak,--a Genie subject to the magic of Azrooka, the Queen of El +Rasoon; but, of a surety, none of earth were like to them in silveriness +and sweet coolingness, and they were as wine to the weary. + +Now, the King sat on his throne in the Hall, and around him his +ministers, and Emirs, and chamberlains, and officers of state, and black +slaves, and the soldiers of his guard armed with naked scimitars. And +the King was as a sun in splendour, severely grave, and a frown on his +forehead to darken kingdoms, for the attempt on Shagpat had stirred his +kingly wrath, and awakened zeal for the punishment of all conspirators +and offenders. So when Shagpat was borne in to the King upon his throne +of cushions where he sat upright, smiling and inanimate, the King +commanded that he should be placed at his side, the place of honour; and +Shagpat was as a moon behind the whiteness of the lathers; even as we +behold moon and sun together in the heavens, was Shagpat by the King. + +There was great hubbub in the Hall at the entrance of Shagpat, and a hum +of rage and muttered vehemence passed among the assembled people that +filled the hall like a cavern of the sea, the sea roaring outside; but +presently the King spake, and all hushed. Then said he, 'O people! +thought I to see a day that would shame Shagpat? he that has brought +honour and renown upon me and all of this city, so that we shine a +constellation and place of pilgrimage to men in remote islands and +corners of the earth? Yea! and to Afrites and Genii? Have I not +castigated barbers, and brought barbercraft to degradation, so that no +youth is taught to exercise it? And through me the tackle of the barber, +is't not a rusty and abominated weapon, and as a sword thrown by and +broken, for that it dishonoured us? Surely, too, I have esteemed Shagpat +precious.' + +While he spake, the King gazed on Shagpat, and was checked by passion at +beholding him under the lather, so that the people praised Shagpat and +the King. Then said he, 'O people, who shall forecast disasters and +triumphs? Lo, I had this day at dawn intelligence from recreant Oolb, +and its King and Court, and of their return to do honour to Shagpat! And +I had this day at dawn tidings, O people, from Shiraz, and of the +adhesion of that vain city and its provinces to the might of Shagpat! So +commenced the day, yet is he, the object of the world's homage, within a +few hours defiled by a lather and the hand of an impious one!' + +At these words of the King there rose a shout of vindictiveness and fury; +but he cried, 'Punishment on the offenders in season, O people! Probably +we have not abased ourselves for the honour that has befallen us in +Shagpat, and the distinction among nations and tribes and races, and +creeds and sects, that we enjoy because of Shagpat. Behold! in abasement +voluntarily undertaken there is exceeding brightness and exaltation; for +how is the sun a sun save that daily he dippeth in darkness, to rise +again freshly majestic? So then, be mine the example, O people of the +City of Shagpat!' + +Thereupon lo, the King descended from his throne, and stripped to the +loins, flinging away his glittering crown and his robes, and abased +himself to the dust with loud cries and importunities and howls, and +penitential ejaculations and sobbings; and it was in that Hall as when +the sun goeth down in storm. Likewise the ministers of the King, and the +Viziers and Emirs and officers of state, and slaves, and soldiers of the +guard, bared their limbs, and fell beside the King with violent outcries +and wailings; and the whole of the people in the Hall prostrated their +bodies with wailings and lamentations. And Baba Mustapha feigned to +bewail himself, and Noorna bin Noorka knelt beside Kadza, and shrieked +loudest, striking her breast and scattering her hair; and that Hall was +as a pit full of serpents writhing, and of tigers and lions and wild +beasts howling, each pitching his howl a note above his neighbours, so +that the tone rose and sank, and there was no one soul erect in that Hall +save Shagpat, he on his throne of cushions smiling behind the lathers, +inanimate, serene as they that sin not. After an hour's lapse there came +a pause, and the people hearkened for the voice of the King; but in the +intervals a louder moan would strike their ears, and they whispered among +themselves, "Tis that of the fakir, El Zoop!' and the moaning and howling +prevailed again. And again they heard another moan, a deep one, as of +the earth in its throes, and said among themselves, "Tis that of +Bootlbac, the drumbeater!' and this led off to the howl of Areep, the +dervish; and this was followed by the shriek of Zeel, the garlic-seller; +and the waul of Krooz el Krazawik, the carrier; and the complainings of +Dob, the confectioner; and the groan of Sallap, the broker; and the yell +of Azawool, the builder. There would have been no end to it known; but +the King rose and commenced plucking his beard and his hair,--they +likewise in silence. When he had performed this ceremony a space, the +King called, and a basin of water was brought to him, and handed round by +slaves, and all dipped in it their hands, and renewed their countenances +and re-arranged their limbs; and the Hall brightened with the eye of the +King, and he cried, 'O people, lo, the plot is revealed to me, and 'tis a +deep one; but, by this beard, we'll strike at the root of it, and a blow +of deadliness. Surely we have humiliated ourselves, and vengeance is +ours! How say ye?' + +A noise like the first sullen growl of a vexed wild beast which telleth +that fury is fast travelling and the teeth will flash, followed these +words; and the King called to his soldiers of the guard, 'Ho! forth with +this wretch that dared defile Shagpat, the holy one! and on your heads be +it to fetch hither Feshnavat, the son of Feil, that was my Vizier, he +that was envious of Shagpat, and whom we spared in our clemency.' + +Some of the guard went from the Hall to fulfil the King's injunction on +Feshnavat, others thrust forth Baba Mustapha in the eyes of the King. +Baba Mustapha was quaking as a frog quaketh for water, and he trembled +and was a tongueless creature deserted of his lower limbs, and with +eyeballs goggling, through exceeding terror. Now, when the King saw him, +he contracted his brows as one that peereth on a small and minute object, +crying, 'How! is't such as he, this monster of audaciousness and horrible +presumption? Truly 'tis said: + + "For ruin and the deeds preluding change, + Fear not great Beasts, nor Eagles when they range: + But dread the crawling worm or pismire mean, + Satan selects them, for they are unseen." + +And this wretch is even of that sort, the select of Satan! Off with the +top of the reptile, and away with him!' + +Now, at the issue of the mandate Baba Mustapha choked, and horror blocked +the throat of confession in him, so that he did nought save stagger +imploringly; but the prompting of Noorna sent Kadza to the foot of the +throne, and Kadza bent her body and exclaimed, 'O King of the age! 'tis +Kadza, the espoused of Shagpat thy servant, that speaketh; and lo! a wise +woman has said in my ear, "How if this emissary and instrument of the +Evil One, this barber, this filthy fellow, be made to essay on Shagpat +before the people his science and his malice? for 'tis certain that +Shagpat is surrounded where he sitteth by Genii invisible, defended by +them, and no harm can hap to him, but an illumination of glory and +triumph manifest": and for this barber, his punishment can afterwards be +looked to, O great King!' + +The King mused awhile and sank in his beard. Then said he to them that +had hold of Baba Mustapha watching for the signal, 'I have thought over +it, and the means of bringing double honour on the head of Shagpat. So +release this fellow, and put in his hands the tackle taken from him.' + +This was done, and the people applauded the wisdom of the King, and +crowded forward with sharpness of expectation; but Baba Mustapha, when he +felt in his hands the tackle, the familiar instruments, strength and wit +returned to him in petty measures, and he thought, 'Perchance there'll +yet be time for my nephew to strike, if he fail me not; fool that I was +to look for glory, and not leave the work to him, for this Shagpat is a +mighty one, powerful in fleas, and it needeth something other than tackle +to combat such as he. A mighty one, said I? by Allah, he's awful in his +mightiness!' + +So Baba Mustapha kept delaying, and feigned to sharpen the blade, and the +King called to him, 'Haste! to the work! is it for thee, vile wretch, to +make preparation for the accursed thing in our presence?' And the people +murmured and waxed impatient, and the King called again, 'Thou'lt essay +this, thou wretch, without a head, let but another minute pass.' So when +Baba Mustapha could delay no longer, he sighed heavily and his trembling +returned, and the power of Shagpat smote him with an invisible hand, so +that he could scarce move; but dread pricked him against dread, and he +advanced upon Shagpat to shear him, and assumed the briskness of the +barber, and was in the act of bending over him to bring the blade into +play, when, behold, one of the chamberlains of the King stood up in the +presence and spake a word that troubled him, and the King rose and +hurried to a balcony looking forth on the Desert, and on three sides of +the Desert three separate clouds of dust were visible, and from these +clouds presently emerged horsemen with spears and pennons and plumes; and +he could discern the flashing of their helms and the glistening of steel- +plates and armour of gold and silver. Seeing this, the colour went from +the cheeks of the King and his face became as a pinched pomegranate, and +he cried aloud, 'What visitation's this? Awahy! we are beset, and here's +abasement brought on us without self-abasing!' Meantime these horsemen +detached themselves from the main bodies and advanced at a gallop, +wheeling and circling round each other, toward the walls of the city, and +when they were close they lowered their arms and made signs of amity, and +proclaimed their mission and the name of him they served. So tidings +were brought to the King that the Lords of three cities, with vast +retinues, were come, by reason of a warning, to pay homage to Shagpat, +the son of Shimpoor; and these three cities were the cities of Oolb, and +of Gaf, and of Shiraz, even these! + +Now, when the King heard of it, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy, and +arrayed himself in glory, and mounted a charger, the pride of his +stables, and rode out to meet the Lords of the three cities surrounded by +the horsemen of his guard. And it was within half-a-mile of the city +walls that the four sovereigns met, and dismounted and saluted and +embraced, and bestowed on one another kingly flatteries, and the titles +of Cousin and Brother. So when the unctions of Royalty were over, these +three Kings rode back to the city with the King that was their host, and +the horsemen of the three kingdoms pitched their tents and camped outside +the walls, making cheer. Then the King of the City of Shagpat related to +the three Kings the story of Shagpat and the attempt that had been made +on him; and in the great Hall of Justice he ordained the erecting of +thrones for them whereon to sit; and they, when they had paid homage to +Shagpat, sat by him there on either side. Then the King cried, 'This +likewise owe we to Shagpat, our glory! See, now, how the might that's in +him shall defeat the machinations of evil, O my cousins of Oolb, and of +Gaf, and of Shiraz.' Thereupon he called, 'Bring forth the barber!' + +So Baba Mustapha was thrust forth by the soldiers of the guard; and the +King of Shiraz, who was no other than the great King Shahpushan, +exclaimed, when he beheld Baba Mustapha, 'He? why, it is the prince of +barbers and talkative ones! Hath he not operated on my head, the head of +me in old time? Truly now, if it be in man to shave Shagpat, the hand of +this barber will do it!' + +And the King of Oolb peered on Baba Mustapha, crying, 'Even this fellow I +bastinadoed!' + +And the King of Gaf, that was Kresnuk, famous in the annals of the time, +said aloud, 'I'm amazed at the pertinacity of this barber! To my court +he came, searching some silly nephew, and would have shaved us all in +spite of our noses; yea, talked my chief Vizier into a dead sleep, and so +thinned him. And there was no safety from him save in thongs and stripes +and lashes!' + +Now, upon that the King of the City cried, 'Be the will of Allah +achieved, and the inviolacy of Shagpat made manifest! Thou barber, thou! +do thy worst to contaminate him, and take the punishment in store for +thee. And if it is written thou succeed, then keep thy filthy life: +small chance of that!' + +Baba Mustapha remembered the poet's words: + + The abyss is worth a leap, however wide, + When life, sweet life, is on the other side. + +And he controlled himself to the mastery of his members, and stepped +forward to essay once more the Shaving of Shagpat. Lo, the great Hall +was breathless, nought heard save the splashing of the fountain in its +fall, and the rustle of the robe of Baba Mustapha as he aired his right +arm, hovering round Shagpat like a bird about the nest; and he was +buzzing as a bee ere it entereth the flower, and quivered like a +butterfly when 'tis fluttering over a blossom; and Baba Mustapha sniffed +at Shagpat within arm's reach, fearing him, so that the people began to +hum with a great rapture, and the King Shahpushan cried, 'Aha! mark him! +this monkey knoweth the fire!' + +But the King of the City of Shagpat was wroth, and commanded his guards +to flourish their scimitars, and the keen light cut the chords of +indecision in Baba Mustapha, and drove him upon Shagpat with a dash of +desperation; and lo! he stretched his hand and brought down the blade +upon the head of Shagpat. Then was the might of Shagpat made manifest, +for suddenly in his head the Identical rose up straight, even to a level +with the roof of that hall, burning as it had been an angry flame of many +fiery colours, and Baba Mustapha was hurled from him a great space like a +ball that reboundeth, and he was twisting after the fashion of envenomed +serpents, sprawling and spurning, and uttering cries of horror. Surely, +to see that sight the four Kings and the people bit their forefingers, +and winked till the water stood in their eyes, and Kadza, turning about, +exclaimed, 'This owe we to the wise woman! where lurketh she?' So she +called about the hall, 'wise woman! wise woman!' + +Now, when she could find Noorna bin Noorka nowhere in that crowd, she +shrieked exultingly, ''Twas a Genie! Wullahy! all Afrites, male and +female, are in the service of Shagpat, my light, my eyes, my sun! I his +moon!' + +Meantime the King of the City called to Baba Mustapha, 'Hast thou had +enough of barbering, O vile one? Ho! a second essay on the head of +Shagpat! so shall the might that's in him be indisputable, bruited +abroad, and a great load upon the four winds.' + +Now, Baba Mustapha was persuaded by the scimitars of the guard to a +second essay on the head of Shagpat, and the second time he was shot away +from Shagpat through the crowd and great assemblage to the extreme end of +the hall, where he lay writhing about, abandoned in loathliness; and he +in his despondency, and despite of protestation and the slackness of his +limbs, was pricked again by the scimitars of the guard to a third essay +on the head of Shagpat, the people jeering at him, for they were joyous, +light of heart; and lo! the third time he was shot off violently, and +whirled away like a stone from a sling, even into the outer air and +beyond the city walls, into the distance of waste places. And now a +great cry rose from the people, as it were a song of triumph, for the +Identical stood up wrathfully from the head of Shagpat, burning in +brilliance, blinding to look on, he sitting inanimate beneath it; and it +waxed in size and pierced through the roof of the hall, and was a sight +to the streets of the city; and the horsemen camped without the walls +beheld it, and marvelled, and it was as a pillar of fire to the solitudes +of the Desert afar, and the wild Arab and wandering Bedouins and caravans +of pilgrimage. Distant cities asked the reason of that appearance, and +the cunning fakir interpreted it, and the fervent dervish expounded from +it, and messengers flew from gate to gate and from land to land in +exultation, and barbers hid their heads, and were friendly with the fox +in his earth, because of that light. So the Identical burned on the head +of Shagpat as in wrath, and with exceeding splendour of attraction, three +nights and three days; and the fishes of the sea shoaled to the sea's +surface and stared at it, and the fowls of the air congregated about the +fury of the light with screams and mad flutters, till the streets and +mosques and minarets and bright domes and roofs and cupolas of the City +of Shagpat were blackened with scorched feathers of the vulture and the +eagle and the rook and the raven and the hawk, and other birds, sacred +and obscene; so was the triumph of Shagpat made manifest to men and the +end of the world by the burning of the Identical three days and three +nights. + + + + + + +THE FLASHES OF THE BLADE + + +Now, it was the morning of the fourth day, and lo! at the first leap of +the sun of that day the flame of the Identical abated in its fierceness, +and it dwindled and darkened, and tapered and flickered feebly, +descending from its altitude in the heavens and through the ceiling of +the Hall, and lay down to sleep among the intricate lengths and frizzled +convolutions and undulating weights flowing from Shagpat, an +undistinguished hair, even as the common hairs of his head. So, upon +that, the four fasting Kings breathed, and from the people of the City +there went up a mighty shout of gladness and congratulation at the glory +they had witnessed; and they took the air deeply into their chests, and +were as divers that have been long fathoms-deep under water, and ascend +and puff hard and press the water from their eyes, that yet refuse to +acknowledge with a recognition the things that be and the sights above, +so mazed are they with those unmentionable marvels and treasures and +profusion of jewels, and splendid lazy growths and lavish filmy +illuminations, and multitudinous pearls and sheering shells, that lie +heaped in the beds of the ocean. As the poet has said: + + After too strong a beam, + Too bright a glory, + We ask, Is this a dream + Or magic story? + +And he says: + + When I've had rapturous visions such as make + The sun turn pale, and suddenly awake, + Long must I pull at memory in this beard, + Ere I remember men and things revered. + +So was it with the people of the City, and they stood in the Hall and +winked staringly at one another, shouting and dancing at intervals, +capering with mad gravity, exclaiming on the greatness of that they had +witnessed. And Zeel the garlic-seller fell upon Mob the confectioner, +and cried, 'Was this so, O Dob? Wullahy! this glory, was it verily?' +And Dob peered dimly upon Zeel, whispering solemnly, 'Say, now, art thou +of a surety that Zeel the garlic-seller known to me, my boon-fellow?' +And the twain turned to Sallap the broker, and exchanged interjections +with him, and with Azawool the builder, and with Krooz el Krazawik the +carrier; and they accosted Bootlbac the drum-beater, where he stood +apart, drumming the air as to a march of triumph, and no word would he +utter, neither to Zeel, nor to Sallap, nor to Krooz el Krazawik, nor to +Azawool his neighbour, nor to any present, but continued drumming on the +air rapidly as in answer, increasing in the swiftness of his drumming +till it was a rage to mark him, and the excitement about Bootlbac became +as a mad eddy in the midst of a mighty stream, he drumming the air with +exceeding swiftness to various measures, beating before him as on the +tightened skin, lost to all presences save the Identical and Shagpat. So +they edged away from Bootlbac in awe, saying, 'He's inspired, Bootlbac! +'tis the triumph of Shagpat he drummeth.' They feigned to listen to him +till their ears deceived them, and they rejoiced in the velocity of the +soundless tune of Bootlbac the drum-beater, and were stirred by it, +excited to a forgetfulness of their fasting. Such was the force of the +inspiration of Bootlbac the drum-beater, caused by the burning of the +Identical. + +Now, the four Kings, when they had mastered their wits, gazed in silence +on Shagpat, and sighed and shook their heads, and were as they that have +swallowed a potent draught and ponder sagely over the gulp. Surely, the +visages of the Kings of Shiraz and of Gaf and of Oolb betokened dread of +Shagpat and amazement at him; but the King of the City exulted, and the +shining of content was on his countenance, and he cried, 'Wondrous!' and +again, 'Wullahy, wondrous!' and 'Oh, glory!' And he laughed and clucked +and chuckled, and the triumph of Shagpat was to him as a new jewel in his +crown outshining all others, and he was for awhile as the cock smitten +with the pride of his comb, the peacock magnified by admiration of his +tail. Then he cried, 'For this, praise we Allah and the Prophet. +Wullahy, 'twas wondrous!' and he went off again into a roll of cluckings +and chucklings and exclamations of delight, crying, 'Need they further +proof of the power in Shagpat now? Has he not manifested it? So true is +that saying-- + + "The friend that flattereth weakeneth at length; + It is the foe that calleth forth our strength." + +Wondrous! and never knew earth a thing to equal it in the range of +marvels!' + +Now, ere the last word was spoken by the King, there passed through the +sky a mighty flash. Those in the Hall saw it, and the horsemen of the +three cities encamped without the walls were nigh blinded by the keenness +of its blaze. So they looked into the height, and saw straight over the +City a speck of cloud, but no thunder came from it; and the King cried, +'These be Genii! the issue of this miracle is yet to come! look for it, +and exult.' Then he turned to the other Kings, but they were leaning to +right and left in their seats, as do the intoxicated, without strength to +answer his questioning. So he exclaimed, 'A curse on my head! have I +forgotten the laws of hospitality? my cousins are famished!' He was +giving orders for the spreading of a sumptuous banquet when there passed +through the sky another mighty flash. They awaited the thunder this time +confidently, yet none came. Suddenly the King exclaimed, ''Tis the wrath +of Shagpat that his assailants remain uncastigated!' Then cried he to +the eunuchs of the guard, 'Hither with Feshnavat, the son of Feil!' And +the King said to Feshnavat, 'Thou plotter! envious of Shagpat!' Here the +King, Kresnuk, fell forward at the feet of Shagpat from sheer inanition, +and the King of the City ordered instantly wines and viands to be brought +into the Hall, and commenced saying to Feshnavat, in the words of the +wise entablature: + + '"Of reckless mercy thus the Sage declared: + More culpable the sparer than the spared; + For he that breaks one law, breaks one alone: + But who thwarts Justice flouts Law's sovereign throne." + +And have I not been over-merciful in thy case?' + +As the King was haranguing Feshnavat, his nostril took in the steam of +the viands and the fresh odours of the wines, and he could delay no +longer to satisfy his craving, but caught up the goblet, and drank from +it till his visage streamed the tears of contentment. Lo, while he put +forth his hand tremblingly, as to continue the words of his condemnation +of the Vizier, the heavens were severed by a third flash, one exceeding +in fierceness the other flashes; and now the Great Hall rocked, and the +pillars and thrones trembled, and the eyes of Shagpat opened. He made no +motion, but sat like a wonder of stone, looking before him. Surely, +Kadza shrieked, and rushed forward to him from the crowd, yet he said +nothing, and was as one frozen. So the King cried, 'He waketh! the +flashes preceded his wakening! Now shall he see the vengeance of kings +on his enemies.' Thereupon he made a signal, and the scimitars of the +guard were in air over the head of Feshnavat, when darkness as of the +dropping of night fell upon all, and the darkness spake, saying, 'I am +Abarak of the Bar, preceder of the Event!' + +Then it was light, but the ears of every soul present were pierced with +the wailing of wild animals, and on all sides from the Desert hundreds of +them were seen making toward the City, some swiftly, others at a heavy +pace; and when they were come near they crouched and fawned, and dropped +their dry tongues as in awe. There was the serpent, meek as before the +days of sin, and the leopard slinking to get among the legs of men, and +the lion came trundling along in utter flabbiness, raising not his head. +Soon the streets were thronged with elephants and lions and sullen +tigers, and wild cats and wolves, not a tail erect among them: great was +the marvel! So the King cried, 'We 're in the thick of wonders; banquet +we lightly while they increase upon us! What's yonder little man?' This +was Abarak that stood before the King, and exclaimed, 'I am the darkness +that announceth the mastery of the Event, as a shadow before the sun's +approach, and it is the Shaving of Shagpat!' The world darkened before +the eyes of the King when he heard this, and in a moment Abarak was +clutched by the soldiers of the guard, and dragged beside Feshnavat to +await the final blow; and this would have parted two heads from two +bodies at one stroke, but now Noorna bin Noorka entered the hall, veiled +and in the bright garb of a bride, with veiled attendants about her, and +the people opened to give her passage to the throne of the King. So she +said, 'Delay the stroke yet awhile, O Head of the Magnanimous! I am she +claimed by Shagpat; surely, I am bride of him that is Master of the +Event, and the hour of bridals is the hour of clemency.' + +The King looked at Shagpat, perplexed; but the eye of Shagpat gazed as +into the distance of another world. Then said he, 'We shall hear nought +from the mouth of Shagpat till he is avenged, and till then he is silent +with exceeding wrath.' Hearing this, Noorna ran quickly to a window of +the Hall, and let loose a white dove from her bosom. + +Then came there that flash which is recorded in old traditions as the +fourth of the flashes of thunderless lightnings, after the passing of +which, hundreds of fakirs that had been awaiting it saw nothing further +on this earth. Down through the Hall it swept; and lo! when the Kings +and the people recovered their sight to regard Shagpat, he was, one side +of him, clean shorn, the shaven side shining as the very moon! + +Surely from that moment there was no longer aught mortal in the combat +that ensued. For now, while amazement and horror palsied all present, +the Genie Karaz, uttering a howl of fury, shot down the length of the +Hall like a black storm-bolt, and caught up Shagpat, and whirled off with +him into the air; and they beheld him dive and dodge the lightnings that +beset him from upper heaven, catching Shagpat from them, now by the +heels, now by the hair remaining one side his head. This lasted a full +hour, when the Genie paused a second, and made a sheer descent into the +earth. Then saw they the wings of Koorookh, each a league in length, +overshadow the entire land, and on the neck of the bird sat Shibli +Bagarag cleaving through the earth with his blade, and he sat on Koorookh +as the moon sits on the midnight. There was no light save the light shed +abroad by the flashes of the blade, and in these they beheld the air +suffocated with Afrites and Genii in a red and brown and white heat, +followers of Karaz. Strokes of the blade clove them, and their blood was +fire that flowed over the feathers of Koorookh, lighting him in a +conflagration; but the bird flew constantly to a fountain of earth below +and extinguished it. Then the battle recommenced, and the solid earth +yawned at the gashes made by the mighty blade, and its depths revealed +how Karaz was flying with Shagpat from circle to circle of the under- +regions, hurrying with him downward to the lowest circle, that was +flaming to points, like the hair of vast heads. Presently they saw a +wondrous quivering flash divide the Genie, and his heels and head fell +together in the abysses, leaving Shagpat prone on great brasiers of penal +flame. Then the blade made another hissing sweep over Shagpat, leaving +little of the wondrous growths on him save a topknot. + +But now was the hour struck when Rabesqurat could be held no longer +serving the ferry in Aklis; and the terrible Queen streamed in the sky, +like a red disastrous comet, and dived, eagle-like, into the depths, re- +ascending with Shagpat in her arms, cherishing him; and lo, there were +suddenly a thousand Shagpats multiplied about, and the hand of Shibli +Bagarag became exhausted with hewing at them. The scornful laugh of the +Queen was heard throughout earth as she triumphed over Shibli Bagarag +with hundreds of Shagpats, Illusions; and he knew not where to strike at +the Shagpat, and was losing all sleight of hand, dexterity, and cunning. +Noorna shrieked, thinking him lost; but Abarak seized his bar, and +leaning it in the direction of Aklis, blew a pellet from it that struck +on the eye of Aklis, and this sent out a stretching finger of beams, and +singled forth very Shagpat from the myriads of semblances, so that he +glowed and was ruddy, the rest cowering pale, and dissolving like salt- +grains in water. + +Then saw earth and its inhabitants how the Genie Karaz re-ascended in the +shape of a vulture with a fire beak, pecking at the eyes of him that +wielded the Sword, so that he was bewildered and shook this way and that +over the neck of Koorookh, striking wildly, languidly cleaving towers and +palaces, and monuments of earth underneath him. Now, Shibli Bagarag +discerned his danger, and considered, 'The power of the Sword is to sever +brains and thoughts. Great is Allah! I'll seek my advantage in that.' + +So he whirled Koorookh thrice in the crimson smoke of the atmosphere, and +put the blade between the first and second thought in the head of +Rabesqurat, whereby the sense of the combat became immediately confused +in her mind, and she used her powers as the fool does, equally against +all, for the sake of mischief solely--no longer mistress of her own +Illusions; and she began doubling and trebling Shibli Bagarag on the neck +of monstrous birds, speeding in draggled flightiness from one point of +the sky to another. Even in the terror of the combat, Shibli Bagarag was +fair to burst into a fit of violent laughter at the sight of the Queen +wagging her neck loosely, perking it like a mad raven; and he took heart, +and swept the blade rapidly over Shagpat as she dandled him, leaving +Shagpat but one hair remaining on him; yet was that the Identical; and it +arose, and was a serpent in his head, and from its jaws issued a river of +fiery serpents: these and a host of Afrites besieged Shibli Bagarag; and +now, to defend himself, he unloosed the twin Genii, Karavejis and +Veejravoosh, from the wrist of that hand which wielded the Sword of +Aklis, and these alternately interwound before and about him, and were +even as a glittering armour of emerald plates, warding from him the +assaults of the host; and lo! he flew, and the battle followed him over +blazing cities and lands on fire with the slanting hail of sparkles. + +By this time every soul in the City of Shagpat, kings and people, all +save Abarak and Noorna bin Noorka, were overcome and prostrate with their +faces to the ground; but Noorna watched the conflict eagerly, and saw the +head of Shagpat sprouting incessant fresh crops of hair, despite the +pertinacious shearing of her betrothed. Then she smote her hands, and +cried, 'Yea! though I lose my beauty and the love of my betrothed, I must +join in this, or he'll be lost.' So, saying to Abarak, 'Watch over me,' +she went into the air, and, as she passed Rabesqurat, was multiplied into +twenty damsels of loveliness. Then Abarak beheld a scorpion following +the twenty in mid-air, and darting stings among them. Noorna tossed a +ring, and it fell in a circle of flame round the scorpion. So, while the +scorpion was shooting in squares to escape from the circle, the fire- +beaked vulture flew to it, and fluttered a dense rain which swallowed the +flame, and the scorpion and vulture assailed Noorna, that was changed to +a golden hawk in the midst of nineteen other golden hawks. Now, as +Rabesqurat came scudding by, and saw the encounter, she made the twenty +hawks a hundred. The Genie Karaz howled at her, and pinioned her to a +pillar below in the Desert, with Shagpat in her arms. But, as he soared +aloft to renew the fight with Noorna, Shibli Bagarag loosed to her aid +the Slaves of the Sword, and Abarak marked him slope to a distant corner +of earth, and reascend in a cloud, which drew swiftly over the land +toward the Great Hall. Lo, Shibli Bagarag stepped from it through a +casement of the Hall, and with him Shagpat, a slack weight, mated out of +all power of motion. Koorookh swooped low, on his back Baba Mustapha, +and Shibli Bagarag flung Abarak beside him on the bird. Then Koorookh +whirred off with them; and while the heavens raged, Shibli Bagarag +prepared a rapid lather, and dashed it over Shagpat, and commenced +shearing him with lightning sweeps of the blade. 'Twas as a racing wheel +of fire to see him! Suddenly he desisted, and wiped the sweat from his +face. Then calling on the name of Allah, he gave a last keen cunning +sweep with the blade, and following that, the earth awfully quaked and +groaned, as if speaking in the abysmal tongue the Mastery of the Event to +all men. Aklis was revealed in burning beams as of a sun, and the +trouble of the air ceased, vapours slowly curling to the four quarters. +Shibli Bagarag had smitten clean through the Identical! Terribly had +Noorna and those that aided her been oppressed by the multitude of their +enemies; but, in a moment these melted away, and Karaz, together with the +scorpion that was Goorelka, vanished. Day was on the baldness of +Shagpat. + + + + + + +CONCLUSION + +So was shaved Shagpat, the son of Shimpoor, the son of Shoolpi, the son +of Shullum, by Shibli Bagarag, of Shiraz, according to preordainment. + +The chronicles relate, that no sooner had he mastered the Event, than men +on the instant perceived what illusion had beguiled them, and, in the +words of the poet,-- + + The blush with which their folly they confess + Is the first prize of his supreme success. + +Even Bootlbac, the drum-beater, drummed in homage to him, and the four +Kings were they that were loudest in their revilings of the spouse of +Kadza, and most obsequious in praises of the Master. The King of the +City was fain to propitiate his people by a voluntary resignation of his +throne to Shibli Bagarag, and that King took well to heart the wisdom of +the sage, when he says: + + Power, on Illusion based, o'ertoppeth all; + The more disastrous is its certain fall! + +Surely Shibli Bagarag returned the Sword to the Sons of Aklis, flashing +it in midnight air, and they, with the others, did reverence to his +achievement. They were now released from the toil of sharpening the +Sword a half-cycle of years, to wander in delight on the fair surface of +the flowery earth, breathing its roses, wooing its brides; for the +mastery of an Event lasteth among men the space of one cycle of years, +and after that a fresh Illusion springeth to befool mankind, and the +Seven must expend the concluding half-cycle in preparing the edge of the +Sword for a new mastery. As the poet declareth in his scorn: + + Some doubt Eternity: from life begun, + Has folly ceased within them, sire to son? + So, ever fresh Illusions will arise + And lord creation, until men are wise. + +And he adds: + + That is a distant period; so prepare + To fight the false, O youths, and never spare! + For who would live in chronicles renowned + Must combat folly, or as fool be crowned. + +Now, for the Kings of Shiraz and of Gaf, Shibli Bagarag entertained them +in honour; but the King of Oolb he disgraced and stripped of his robes, +to invest Baba Mustapha in those royal emblems--a punishment to the +treachery of the King of Oolb, as is said by Aboo Eznol: + + When nations with opposing forces, rash, + Shatter each other, thou that wouldst have stood + Apart to profit by the monstrous feud, + Thou art the surest victim of the crash. + + Take colours of whichever side thou wilt, + And stedfastly thyself in battle range; + Yet, having taken, shouldst thou dare to change, + Suspicion hunts thee as a thing of guilt. + +Baba Mustapha, was pronounced Sovereign of Oolb, amid the acclamations of +the guard encamped under the command of Ravaloke, without the walls. + +No less did Shibli Bagarag honour the benefactor of Noorna, making him +chief of his armies; and he, with his own hand, bestowed on the good old +warrior the dress of honour presented to him by the Seven Sons, +charactered with all the mysteries of Aklis, a marvel lost to men in the +failure to master the Illusion now dominating earth. + +So, then, of all that had worshipped Shagpat, only Kadza clung to him, +and she departed with him into the realms of Rabesqurat, who reigned +there, divided against herself by the stroke of the Sword. The Queen is +no longer mighty, for the widening of her power has weakened it, she +being now the mistress of the single-thoughted, and them that follow one +idea to the exclusion of a second. The failure in the unveiling of her +last-cherished Illusion was in the succumbing frailty of him that +undertook the task, the world and its wise men having come to the belief +that in thwackings there was ignominy to the soul of man, and a tarnish +on the lustre of heroes. On that score, hear the words of the poet, a +vain protest: + + Ye that nourish hopes of fame! + Ye who would be known in song! + Ponder old history, and duly frame + Your souls to meek acceptance of the thong. + + Lo! of hundreds who aspire, + Eighties perish-nineties tire! + They who bear up, in spite of wrecks and wracks, + Were season 'd by celestial hail of thwacks. + + Fortune in this mortal race + Builds on thwackings for its base; + Thus the All-Wise doth make a flail a staff, + And separates his heavenly corn from chaff. + + Think ye, had he never known + Noorna a belabouring crone, + Shibli Bagarag would have shaved Shagpat + The unthwack'd lives in chronicle a rat! + + 'Tis the thwacking in this den + Maketh lions of true men! + So are we nerved to break the clinging mesh + Which tames the noblest efforts of poor flesh. + +Feshnavat became the Master's Vizier, and Abarak remained at the right +hand of Shibli Bagarag, his slave in great adventure. No other condition +than bondage gave peace to Abarak. He was of the class enumerated by the +sage: + + Who, with the strength of giants, are but tools, + The weighty hands which serve selected fools. + +Now, this was how it was in the case of Baba Mustapha, and the four +Kings, and Feshnavat, and Abarak, and Ravaloke, and Kadza, together with +Shagpat; but, in the case of Noorna bin Noorka, surely she was withering +from a sting of the scorpion shot against her bosom, but the Seven Sons +of Aklis gave her a pass into Aklis on the wings of Koorookh, and +Gulrevaz, the daughter of Aklis, tended her, she that was alone capable +of restoring her, and counteracting the malice of the scorpion by the +hand of purity. So Noorna, prospered; but Shibli Bagarag drooped in +uncertainty of her state, and was as a reaper in a field of harvest, +around whom lie the yellow sheaves, and the brown beam of autumn on his +head, the blaze of plenty; yet is he joyless and stands musing, for one +is away who should be there, and without whom the goblet of Success +giveth an unsweetened draught, and there is nothing pleasant in life, and +the flower on the summit of achievement is blighted. At last, as he was +listlessly dispensing justice in the Great Hall, seven days after the +mastery of the Event, lo, Noorna, in air, borne by Gulrevaz, she fair and +fresh in the revival of health and beauty, and the light of constant +love. Of her entry into the Great Hall, to the +embrace of her betrothed, the poet exclaims, picturing her in a rapture: + + Her march is music, and my soul obeys + Each motion, as a lute to cunning fingers + I see the earth throb for her as she sways + Wave-like in air, and like a great flower lingers + Heavily over all, as loath to leave + What loves her so, and for her loss would grieve. + + But oh, what other hand than heaven's can paint + Her eyes, and that black bow from which their lightning + Pierces afar! long lustrous eyes, that faint + In languor, or with stormy passion brightening: + Within them world in world lights up from sleep, + And gives a glimpse of the eternal deep. + + Sigh round her, odorous winds; and, envious rose, + So vainly envious, with such blushes gifted, + Bow to her; die, strangled with jealous throes, + O Bulbul! when she sings with brow uplifted; + Gather her, happy youth, and for thy gain + Thank Him who could such loveliness ordain. + +Surely the Master of the Event advanced to her in the glory of a Sultan, +and seated her beside him in majesty, and their contract of marriage was +read aloud in the Hall, and witnessed, and sealed: joyful was he! Then +commenced that festival which lasted forty days, and is termed the +Festival of the honours of hospitality to the Sons of Aldis, wherein the +head-cook of the palace, Uruish, performed wonders in his science, and +menaced the renown of Zrmack, the head-cook of King Shamshureen. Even so +the confectioner, Dob, excelled himself in devices and inventions, and +his genius urged him to depict in sugars and pastes the entire adventures +of Shibli Bagarag in search of the Sword. Honour we Uruish and Do-b! as +the poet sayeth: + + Divide not this fraternal twain; + One are they, and one should for ever remain: + As to sweet close in fine music we look, + So the Confectioner follows the Cook. + +And one of the Sons of Aklis, Zaragal, beholding this masterpiece of Dob, +which was served to the guests in the Great Hall on the fortieth evening, +was fair to exclaim in extemporaneous verse: + + Have I been wafted to a rise + Of banquet spread in Paradise, + Dower'd with consuming powers divine;-- + That I, who have not fail'd to dine, + And greatly, + Fall thus upon the cater and wine + Sedately? + +So there was feasting in the Hall, and in the City, and over Earth; great +pledging the Sovereign of Barbers, who had mastered an Event, and become +the benefactor of his craft and of his kind. 'Tis certain the race of +the Bagarags endured for many centuries, and his seed were the rulers of +men, and the seal of their empire stamped on mighty wax the Tackle of +Barbers. + +Now, of the promise made by the Sons of Aklis to visit Shibli Bagarag +before their compulsory return to the labour of the Sword, and recount to +him the marvel of their antecedent adventures; and of the love and grief +nourished in the souls of men by the beauty and sorrowful eyes of +Gulrevaz, that was mined the Bleeding Lily, and of her engagement to tell +her story, on condition of receiving the first-born of Noorna to nurse +for a season in Aklis; and of Shibli Bagarag's restoration of towns and +monuments destroyed by his battle with Karaz; and of the constancy of +passion of Shibli Bagarag for Noorna, and his esteem for her sweetness, +and his reverence for her wisdom; and of the glory of his reign, and of +the Songs and Sentences of Noorna, and of his Laws for the protection and +upholding of women, in honour of Noorna, concerning which the Sage has +said: + + Were men once clad in them, we should create + A race not following, but commanding, fate: + +--of all these records, and of the reign of Baba Mustapha in Oolb, surely +the chronicles give them in fulness; and they that have searched say of +them, there is matter therein for the amusement of generations. + + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +A woman's at the core of every plot man plotteth +Every failure is a step advanced +Failures oft are but advising friends +Like an ill-reared fruit, first at the core it rotteth +More culpable the sparer than the spared +Persist, if thou wouldst truly reach thine ends +Too often hangs the house on one loose stone + + + + +End of this Project Gutenberg Etext of The Shaving of Shagpat, v4 +by George Meredith + diff --git a/4404.zip b/4404.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..1548195 --- /dev/null +++ b/4404.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. 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