The Tale of the Second Sheikh

KNOW, Lord of the Kings of the Jinn, that these two hounds
are my brothers, and I am the third. When our father died, he
left us an inheritance of three thousand dinars and with my share I
opened a shop and began to trade in it. My brothers did the same,
but soon one of them set out on a commercial venture and was away
with the caravans for over a year. When he returned, he had lost all
his money and I was moved to say to him: ‘Brother, did I not counsel
you against this journey?’ Then he wept and said: ‘AllAh, the All-
powerful, allowed this loss of mine, and your words cannot help me
now that I have nothing left.’ Then I brought him up into my shop
and afterwards conducted him to the baths and gave him a fine robe
of rare workmanship. When at last we were sitting down to eat together,
I told my brother that I was about to compute the yearly gains from
my shop and that, leaving the capital untouched, I would divide
whatever profit there might be equally between us. When, on making
my accounts, I found that I had a profit of a thousand d(n&rs for the
year, I gave thanks to the power and greatness of All&h and rejoiced
exceedingly. Then I divided the sum equally between my brother
and myself, and we dwelt together for many days.
But at length both my brothers made up their minds to go on a
second journey and wished me to set out with them. When I declined
this invitation, pointing out that the result of the first journey did not
tempt me to imitate them, they began to reproach me. But their
words were of no avail and we stayed buying and selling, each in our
respective shops, for a whole year. At the end of the year they again
proposed a journey, and again I refused, and this went on for six
whole years. But at last I acceded to their request to set out with
them and suggested that we should count up what money we had.
We did so and found that it came in all to six thousand d(n&rs. Then
said I: ‘Let us hide the half of this in the earth to be a help if we
encounter ill fortune and let us each take with us a thousand d(n&rs
to trade with.’ ‘May Allah favour your advice,’ they answered. So,
taking the money and dividing it, I hid three thousand d(n&rs and
divided the other three thousand between us three. Then we bought
merchandise of many kinds, hired a ship and, placing all we had on
board her, set sail.
After a month’s voyage we dropped anchor at a certain city,
where we sold our goods at a profit of ten d(n&rs for one. Then we
left the city.
When we came down to the sea side, we found there a woman
dressed in old and tattered garments who approached me and kissed
my hand, saying: ‘Master, can you help me and save me? Well I know
how to repay your goodness!’ I answered: ‘Certainly I will help and save
you, but you must not think it necessary to repay me.’ ‘Marry me then,
Master,’ she said, ‘carry me with you to your country and I will pledge
my soul to you. Do this for me, for I am of those who know the value
of an obligation. Also, I pray, do not be ashamed of my poor condition.’
When I heard her speak, I pitied her from the bottom of my heart, for
nothing comes to pass but All&h wills it. I carried her with me, clothed
her in rich garments and stretched fine carpets for her on the ship. Then,
when I had given her a full and cordial welcome, we set sail.
As time went on I grew to love her and would not be parted
from her day or night, preferring her company to that of my
brothers. So they grew jealous of me, envying me my riches and the
beauty of my possessions. They cast greedy eyes on all that I had, and
plotted my death and the theft of my money. Satan made this plan
seem good to them.
One day, as I lay sleeping by my wife’s side, they stole up to us and
cast us both into the sea. My wife woke in the water and suddenly,
changing her shape, became an Ifr(tah. Then she took me upon her
shoulders and, carrying me to an island, left me and disappeared for the
whole night. In the morning she returned and said: ‘Do you not know
me? I am your wife. It was I who held you up and saved you from death
by AllAh’s grace. Know now that I am a Jinn(yah and that when first I
saw you my heart loved you, for All&h willed it so, and I am a believer
in Him and in His prophet, whom may He bless and keep. Even when
I came to you in poor estate you were willing to marry me, and now,
in my turn, I have saved you from death in the water. As for your
brothers, I am enraged against them and must kill them.’
Astonished by her words, I thanked her heartily. ‘But as for killing
my brothers, this thing must not be,’ I said, and told her all that had
happened between us from beginning to end. When she had heard
me out, she said: ‘To-night I will fly to them and sink their ship so
that they die.’ Then said I: ‘All&h be with you! do not do this thing.
The Master of Proverbs has said: “You who have helped the unworthy,
know that the wicked man has in his wickedness punishment
enough!” And whatever they have done, they are still my brothers.’
‘No! I must kill them,’ she said, and I begged her clemency in vain;
she took me on her shoulders and, flying through the air, set me
down upon the terrace of my house at home.
I opened the door of my house and lifted the three thousand
d(n&rs from their hiding place. Then, after making the customary
visits of greeting, I opened my shop and stocked it anew with goods.
When night came, I shut my shop and, entering my own house,
found these two hounds tied up in a corner. When they saw me, they
rose weeping and caught hold of my garments. At that moment my
wife ran up to me, saying: ‘These are your brothers.’ And when I
asked her who had done this thing to them, she answered: ‘I did! I
asked my sister, who is far more deeply learned in enchantments
than I am, and she changed them into these forms, out of which they
cannot come again until ten years have passed.’
That is why, O powerful Jinn(, I happen to be in this place, because
I am on my way to my sister-in-law to beg her to deliver these poor
creatures now that ten years have passed. When I came here, I saw
this good merchant and, after hearing his tale, wished to remain and
witness what would happen between him and you. This is my story.
‘Truly a remarkable tale!’ the Jinn( said. ‘For it I grant you mercy
on a third of this blood which is forfeit to me.’
Then the third sheikh, master of the mule, came forward and said
to the Jinn(: ‘I will tell you a tale more marvellous than either of
these, if you will grant me mercy for the rest of the blood which is
forfeit to you.’ ‘Let it be so!’ answered the Jinn(.