On the 31st Night contd ...

So the Barber started the story of his second brother - "My second brother's name is Al-Haddar, the Babbler. He was paralytic.  One day he was going with his business, that he met an old woman and said to him - "Stop a little, I wish to say you something, which if you agree with me, do it for me." My brother stopped, and she said to him - "I will give you a thing, and you will not speak about it." So he said - "OK, Tell me what do you want to give me?" She said - "If you will act according to my condition, you will prosper. What if you have a beautiful palace and a fair garden with flowing waters, flowering bushes, fruitful tress, and a damsel who embraces you since dusk till dawn." "Is is all possible for me?" "Yes, if you obey me as I say." My brother asked her - "How is that you have chosen me for this favor, and what is in me that you liked?" She replied - "Didn't I say to you that you will not talk much about it." The woman said - "The lady I am talking about, and I am taking you to, has her own ways, if you will please her, you will be happy."

So the old woman went her way and my brother followed her. They came to a spacious house. They went up and my brother found it to be a beautiful palace with all luxuries. The woman seated him on a couch. In the meantime he saw a few maids coming in with a beautiful girl like moon. He rose and greeted her, and she signed him to sit down and asked his welfare. Then she ordered for some food and they sat down to eat it. While they ate they talked and she was laughing but when my brother looked at her she showed as if she was laughing with her maids. My brother could not understand anything, but guessed that she was in love with him and soon will grant his desire to fulfill.

When they had finished eating, 10 maidens came and started singing and drinking. One of them drank a cup of wine and my brother proceeded to wait upon her, but she stopped him doing so and then she herself gave him a cup of wine. As soon as he drank it, she hit him on his neck. At this he went out of the chamber in anger, but the old woman asked him to return through sign so he returned. That girl slapped him on his neck again, and not only she but others also slapped him on his neck. He kept saying to the old woman - "I have never seen anything nicer than this one." The woman kept saying - "Stop now, enough, enough, I pray you to stop." My brother ran away from there but the woman stopped him saying - "Be patient, You shall win your wish." He said - "How much longer I will have to wait. This beating has made me faint." He came back and sat down. The lady said - "I am very fond of fun and he who complies with my demands will obtain my favor. Allaah advance you to honor. You have entered my house and has borne my conditions." He said - "I am your slave."

Then she ordered her maids to sing loudly and take me and give me what I needed and bring him back to her immediately. So the maid took him away ignorant of that what she would do with him that the old woman said - "Be patient, just only a little more." I asked her what she would do with me?" She replied - "Just she will dye your eyebrows and pluck out your mustaches." He said - "The color of eyebrows will come out by washing but plucking out mustache is painful." The woman said - "Do not cross her, because she loves you."

So she took him away,  dyed his eyebrows and plucked out his mustaches and came back to the lady. The lady said - "Be patient, for there remains but little to do. Just one thing remains, that is to shave your beard." He said - "How will I do this, because this will bring me disgrace among the people?" The old woman said - "She desires this only to make you like a beardless youth so that there is nothing on your face to prick her." So my brother patiently submitted himself to her.

When he came back he looked red - his eyebrows were dyed, his mustaches and beard were shaved. His face was painted red. First she got frightened and then laughed till she fell on her back and said - "You have won my heart by your good nature." Then she asked him to dance which he did. Other girls threw on him the cushions, oranges, limes or citrons until he fell down. Then they again slapped him upon his neck. At length the old woman said to him - "Now you have attained your wish, now no more beatings. It is her custom that when she is under the influence of wine, no one should come near her until she has taken off her clothes, you should also be prepared in the same manner. Then she will run away from you and you will run after her until you overtake her." So he rose and took off her clothes.

On the 32nd Night

He arose and took off his clothes. The lady also did the same and asked my brother to run after her if he wanted something from her. He did so until he found himself in the midst of the street. This street was in the market of the leather sellers who were then crying for the prices of the skins and hides for sale. When the people saw him naked with shaven beard and mustaches and dyed eyebrows, with his face painted red, they shouted at him and laughed at him. Some of them beat him with the skins they had in their hands until he became unconscious. Then they mounted him on a donkey and took him to the Valee.

Valee asked them - "What is this?" They said - "He came to us in this condition from the Vazeer's house." He ordered for him 100 lashes and banished him from the city. Then I went after him and brought him privately into the city and allotted him a maintenance.

Now you listen to the story of my third brother ....

Contd on   16th Page