The Story of King Schahriar and his brother King Schahzaman
When King Shahriar saw the behavior of his wife, he became crazy and decide to be AWOL with his bother.
Then, at some point, they met a genie!
Part Three
King Schahzamanh said to his brother King Schahriar: “Then pretend to go hunting on foot and with hounds; but hide in my house, and you will witness the spectacle and verify it by sight!"
Immediately, the King had the town crier proclaim his departure; and the soldiers went out with the tents outside the city; and the king also went out and dwelt in the tents, and said to his young slaves, "Let no one come into my house!" Then he disguised himself and went out in secret and went towards the palace, where his brother was; and, on arriving, he went to the window which had a view of the garden. Scarcely an hour had elapsed when the female slaves, surrounding their mistress, entered as well as the male slaves: and they did all that Schahzaman had said, and they passed the time in these antics until dawn.
When King Schahriar saw this state of affairs, his reason flew from his head; and he said to his brother Schahzaman: “Let us go and see the state of our destiny in the way of Allah; for we must no longer have anything in common with royalty, and that until we can find someone who has experienced an adventure like ours: otherwise our death would, in truth, be preferable to our life!" To this, his brother gave the proper answer. Then both went out through a secret door of the palace. And they kept on traveling day and night until they finally came to a tree in the middle of a lonely meadow, near the salt sea. In this meadow there was a wellhead of fresh water: they drank from this wellhead and sat down to rest.
Hardly an hour had elapsed in the day when the sea began to stir, and suddenly a column of black smoke issued from it, rising towards the sky and heading towards this meadow. At this sight, they were frightened and climbed to the top of the high tree, and began to look at what the matter might be. Now, behold, this column changed into a genie of tall stature, muscular build, and broad chest, and carrying a box on its head. He dismounted and came to the tree they were on and stood under it. He then removed the lid of the box and took out a large box which he opened, and immediately appeared a desirable young girl, radiant with beauty, luminous like the sun. As the poet says:
Torch in the darkness, it appears, and it is daylight!
She appears and her light illuminates the dawns.
The suns radiate from its brightness
And the moons from the smile of its eyes!
Let the veils of her mystery be torn, a
Ad immediately the creatures at his feet prostrate themselves delighted:
And before the soft flashes of her gaze,
The moisture of passionate tears wets the corners of every eyelid!
When the genie had taken a good look at the beautiful adolescent, he said to her: “O sovereign of silks! O you whom I delighted on the very day of your wedding! I would like to sleep a little! And the genie, resting his head on the young girl's knees, fell asleep.
Then the teenager looked up to the top of the tree and saw the two kings hidden in the tree. Immediately she lifted the genie's head from her knees, put it on the ground, and, standing under the tree, she said to them by signs: "Come down and do not be afraid of this genie."
To be continued...