THE STORY OF THE PORTER WITH THE YOUNG LADIES
Harun al-Rashid
Source
Zobeida is betrayed by her two eldest sisters, and the young man drowns. Then a genie changed the two sisters to bitches and transport Zobeida and his sisters to her house in Baghdad.
ON THE TWENTY-FIFTH NIGHT
Sheherazade said:
Zobeida never ceased to interest the young man and to inspire him with the desire to follow her until he had consented.
And the two did not stop talking until sleep overcame them. So young Zobeida went to bed and fell asleep that night at the feet of the young man. And she did feel joy and happiness!
(Then Zobeida thus continued his story to the caliph Harun Al-Rachid, to Jia'far, and the three saâlouks:)
“When the morning shone, we arose, and we went in to open all the treasures, and we took all that was not too heavy to carry and that which was most valuable, and we descended from the citadel towards the city. We met my slaves and the captain who had been looking for me for a long time. And when they saw me, they were very happy and questioned me on the reason for my absence. So I told them what I had seen, as well as the story of the young man, and the cause of the metamorphosis of the inhabitants of the city, with all the details. And they were very surprised at my story.
As for my sisters, no sooner did they see me with this handsome young man than they were very jealous, envied me, were filled with hatred, and were secretly plotting treachery against me.
Meanwhile, we all went to the ship, and I was very happy, and my happiness increased still more with the love of the young man. And we waited for the wind to be favorable to us, and we unfurled the sails and departed. As for my sisters, they continued to keep us company; and one day they said to me in private: “O our sister, what do you think of doing with this handsome young man?" And I said to them: "My goal is to take him as my husband." Then I turned to him, and I approached him, and I declared to him: “O my master, I desire to become your thing! So please don't refuse me!" So he answered me: “I listen and I obey!” At these words, I turned to my sisters and said to them: "I am satisfied with this young man for all good! As for all my riches, from this moment they become your property!" And they answered me: "Your will is our approval!" But in themselves, they reserved betrayal and evil for me.
We thus continued to sail with a favorable wind, and we left the Sea of Dread and entered the Sea of Security. In this sea, we sailed for a few more days, and then we were very close to the city of Basra, and we saw, in the distance, appear its buildings. But, as night approached, we stopped; and soon we were all asleep.
But, while we were sleeping, my two sisters got up and took me and the young man, with our mattresses and everything, and threw us into the sea. As for the young man, as he could not swim, he drowned; for it was written by Allah that he should be one of the martyrs. As for me, I was written among those who were to have their lives saved. Also, when I fell into the sea, Allah gave me a piece of wood on which I rode, and with which I was carried away by the waves and thrown on the shore of an island not too far away. There I dried my clothes, spent the whole night, and in the morning I woke up and looked for a road. And I found a road on which there were footprints of human beings, sons of Adam! This road started at the shore and went down into the island. So, after putting on my clothes, which had become dry, I followed this road, and I kept walking until I was on the opposite shore of the island, opposite the mainland, where I saw away the city of Basra. And suddenly I saw a grass snake running towards me, and immediately behind it ran a big, big snake that wanted to kill it. This snake was so weary and tired of its race that its tongue was hanging out of its mouth! Then I felt sorry for her, and I seized a large stone and threw it at the serpent's head, which I crushed and killed instantly. But immediately the snake spread two wings and flew up into the air and disappeared. And I was overwhelmed with surprise.
But, as I was overwhelmed with fatigue, I sat down in this place, then I stretched out and slept for another hour. And, when I awoke, I found, seated at my feet, a pretty black woman who was massaging my feet and caressing me. So I quickly withdrew my feet and was very ashamed, for I did not know what the pretty woman wanted of me! And I said to her: “Who are you and what do you want?" And she answered me: “I hastened to come to you who have rendered me this great service by killing my enemy. For I am the snake that you saved from the serpent. And I'm a genie. And this snake too was a genie. But he was my enemy, and he wanted to rape me and kill me. And it was you alone who delivered me from his hands. So barely delivered, I flew away with the wind, and I hurried towards the ship from which your two sisters had precipitated you. I bewitched your two sisters in the form of two black female dogs, and I brought them to you." And then I saw the two female dogs tied to a tree behind me. Then the genie continued: “Then I carried to your house in Baghdad all the wealth that was in the ship, and I sank the ship. As for the young man, he drowned; and I can do nothing against death. For Allah alone is Almighty!"
At these words, she took me in her arms, untied the two bitches, my sisters, and took them away too, and carried us all, flying away, and deposited us safe and sound on the terrace of my house in Baghdad, here!
And I visited my house and found there all the riches and all the articles that were in the ship, arranged in good order. And nothing was lost or damaged.
Then the genie said to me: “I adjure thee, by the holy inscription of the seal of Suleiman, to strike each of these two female dogs, every day, three hundred lashes. If you forget for a single day to carry out this order, I will come running and I will change you, too, into the same form!"
And I was forced to answer him: “I listen and I obey!"
And it is since that time, O Prince of the Believers, that I began to whip them, to then have pity on them and kiss them!
And such is my story!
But here is my sister Amina, O Prince of the Faithful, who will tell you her story which is even more amazing than mine."
At this point in her narration, Sheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.
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