One Thousand and One Nights, page 437
On the morrow he mounted and rode through the city, looking about him, whilst the architects went before him, till he saw a place that pleased him and said, ‘This place is good;’ whereupon they turned out the owner thereof and carried him to the king, who gave him, to the price of his holding, what more than contented him. Then the builders fell to work, whilst Aboukir said to them, ‘Build thus and thus and do this and that,’ till they built him a dyery that had not its like; whereupon he presented himself before the king and informed him that they had made an end of building the dyery and that there needed but the price of the dye-stuffs and gear to set it a-work. Quoth the king, ‘Take these four thousand dinars to thy capital and let me see the outcome of thy dyery.’ So he took the money and went to the market, where, finding dye-stuffs plentiful and [well-nigh] valueless, he bought all that he needed of materials for dyeing; and the king sent him five hundred pieces of stuff, which he proceeded to dye of all colours and spread them before the door of his dyery.
When the folk passed by the shop, they saw this wonderful sight, whose like they had never in their lives seen; so they crowded about the door, staring and questioning the dyer and saying, ‘O master, what are tne names of these colours?’ Quoth he, ‘This is red and that yellow and the other green,’ and so on with the rest of the colours. And they fell to bringing him stuffs and saying to him, ‘Dye this for us like this and that and take what thou seekest [to thy hire].’ When he had made an end of dyeing the king’s stuffs, he took them and went up with them to the divan; and when the king saw them he rejoiced in them and bestowed abundant largesse on the dyer. Moreover, all the troops brought him stuffs, saying, ‘Dye for us thus and thus;’ and he dyed for them to their wish, and they threw him gold and silver. On this wise his fame spread abroad and his shop was called the Sultan’s dyery. Good came in to him at every door and he became the owner of slaves, male and female, and amassed store of wealth. None of the other dyers dared say a word to him, but they used to come to him, kissing his hands and excusing themselves to him for the affronts they had done him aforetime and offering themselves to him as journeymen; but he would none of them.
Meanwhile Abousir abode three days, prostrate and unconscious, in the chamber where Aboukir had left him, at the end of which time the doorkeeper of the khan, chancing to look at the chamber-door, observed that it was shut and bethought himself that he had seen and heard nothing of the two companions [for some time]. So he said to himself, ‘Belike they have made oft; without paying the rent of the chamber, or perhaps they are dead, or what is to do with them?’ And he waited till sunset, when he went up to the chamber-door and heard the barber groaning within. He saw the key in the lock; so he opened the door and entering, found Abousir lying, groaning, and said to him, ‘No harm to thee: where is thy friend?’ ‘By Allah,’ answered Abousir, ‘I only came to my senses this day and called out; but none answered me. God on thee, O my brother, look for the purse under my head and take five paras from it and buy me something to eat, for I am sore anhungred.’
The porter put out his hand and taking the purse, found it empty and said to the barber, ‘The purse is empty; there is nothing in it.’ Whereupon Abousir knew that the dyer had taken that which was therein and fled and said to the porter, ‘Hast thou not seen my friend?’ ‘I have not seen him these three days,’ answered the porter, ‘and indeed methought you had departed, thou and he.’ ‘Not no,’ said Ahousir; ‘but he coveted my money and seeing me sick, took it and fled.’ Then he fell a-weeping and lamenting, but the porter said to him, ‘No harm shall come to thee, and God will requite him his deed.’ So saying, he went away and cooked him a mess of broth, whereof he ladled out a platterful and brought it to him; nor did he cease to tend him and maintain him with his own monies for two months’ space, at the end of which time he sweated and God made him whole of his sickness. Then he stood up and said to the porter, ‘So God the Most High enable me, I will surely requite thee thy kindness to me; but none requiteth save God of His bounty!’ Praised be He for thy recovery!’ answered the porter. ‘I dealt not thus with thee but of desire for the favour of God the Bountiful.’
Then the barber went forth of the khan and walked about the markets of the town, till chance brought him to that wherein was Aboukir’s dyery, and he saw the vari-coloured stuffs spread before the shop and the people crowding to look upon them. So he questioned one of the townsmen and said to him, ‘What place is this and how comes it that I see the folk crowding together?’ And the man answered, saying, ‘This is the Sultan’s dyery, which he set up for a foreigner, by name Aboukir; and whenever he dyes a [new] piece of stuff we all flock to him and divert ourselves by gazing upon his handiwork, for that we have no dyers in our land who know how to dye these colours; and indeed there befell him with the dyers who are in the city thus and thus.’ And he went on to tell him all that had passed between Aboukir and the dyers and how he had complained of them to the sultan and he had taken him by the hand and built him that dyery and given him this and that; brief, he told him all that had passed.
At this the barber rejoiced and said to himself, ‘Praised be God who hath prospered him, so that he is become a master of his craft! Indeed, the man is excusable, for of a surety he hath been diverted from thee by his work and hath forgotten thee; but thou didst him kindness and entreatedst him generously, what time he was out of work; so, when he seeth thee, he will rejoice in thee and entreat thee generously, even as thou entreatedst him.’ So he made for the door of the dyery and saw Aboukir seated on a high divan in the doorway, clad in royal apparel and attended by four black and four white slaves all dressed in the richest of clothes. Moreover, he saw the workmen, ten black slaves, standing at work; for, when Aboukir bought them, he taught them the craft of dyeing, and he himself sat amongst his cushions, as he were a grand vizier or a most mighty king, putting his hand to nought, but only saying to the men, ‘Do this and do that.’
The barber went up to him and stood before him, doubting not but that, when he saw him, he would rejoice in him and salute him and entreat him with honour and make much of him; but, when eye met eye, the dyer said to him, ‘O rascal, how many a time have I bidden thee stand not at the door of this workshop? Hast thou a mind to disgrace me with the folk, knave that thou art?’ [And he cried out, saying], ‘Seize him!’ So the slave. ran at him and laid hold of him; and the dyer said, ‘Throw him down.’ So they threw him down and Aboukfr rose and taking a stick, dealt him a hundred blows on the back; after which they turned him over and he dealt him other hundred on his belly. Then he said to him, ‘Hark ye, scurril knave that thou art! If ever again I see thee standing at the door of this dyery, I will forthwith send thee to the king, and he will commit thee to the master of police, that he may strike off thy head. Begone, may God not bless thee!’
So Abousir [arose and] departed from him, broken-hearted by reason of the beating and humiliation that had betided him; whilst the bystanders said to Aboukir, ‘What hath this man done?’ Quoth he, ‘He is a thief, who steals the people’s goods: he hath robbed me of stuffs, how many a time! and I still said in myself, “God forgive him! He is a poor man,” and cared not to deal harshly with him; so I used to give the folk the worth of their goods and forbid him gently; but he would not be forbidden; and if he come again, I will send him to the king, who will put him to death and rid the folk of his mischief.’ And the bystanders fell to reviling the barber in his absence.
Meanwhile, the latter returned to the khan, where he sat pondering that which Aboukir had done with him, till the pain of the beating subsided, when he went out and walked about the markets of the city. Presently, he bethought him to go to the bath; so he said to one of the townsfolk, ‘O my brother, which is the way to the bath?” ‘And what manner of thing is the bath?’ asked the other. Quoth Abousir, ‘It is a place where people wash themselves and do away their defilements, and it is of the best of the good things of the world.’ ‘Get thee to the sea,’ replied the townsman; but the barber replied, ‘I want the bath.’ Quoth the other, ‘We know not what manner of thing is the bath, for we all resort to the sea; even the king, when he would wash, betaketh himself to the sea.’
When Abousir was certified that there was no bath in the city and that the people knew not the bath nor the fashion thereof he betook himself to the king’s divan and kissing the earth before him, called down blessings on him and said, ‘I am a stranger and a bath-keeper by trade, and I entered thy city and thought to go to the bath; but found not one therein. How cometh a city of this comely fashion to lack a bath, seeing that the bath is of the goodliest of the delights of this world?’ Quoth the king, ‘What manner of thing is the bath?’ So Abousir proceeded to set forth to him the attributes of the bath, saying, ‘Thy city will not be complete till there be a bath in it.’ ‘Welcome to thee!’ said the king and clad him in a dress that had not its like and gave him a horse and two black and two white slaves and four slave-girls. Moreover he appointed him a furnished house and honoured him yet more abundantly than he had honoured the dyer.
Then he sent builders with him and bade them build him a bath in what place soever should please him. So he took them and went with them through the midst of the city, till he saw a place that pleased him. He pointed it out to the builders and they set to work, under his direction, and wrought till they built him a bath that had not its like. Then he made them paint it, and they painted it on rare wise, so that it was a delight to the beholders; after which Abousir went up to the king and told him that they had made an end of building and decorating the bath, adding, ‘There lacks nought but the furniture.’ The king gave him ten thousand dinars, with which he furnished the bath and ranged the napkins on the cords; and all who passed by the door stared at it and their mind was confounded at its decorations. So the people crowded to this thing, whose like they had never in their lives seen, and stood staring at it and saying, ‘What is this thing?’ To which Abousir replied, ‘This is a bath;’ and they marvelled thereat.
Then he heated water and set the bath a-work; and he made a fountain in the [central] basin, which ravished the wit of all who saw it of the people of the city. Moreover he sought of the king ten white slaves not yet come to manhood, and he gave him ten boys like moons: whereupon Abousir proceeded to shampoo them, saying, ‘Do thus and thus with the customers,’ [till they were perfect in the bathman’s craft]. Then he burnt perfumes and sent out a crier to cry aloud in the city, saying, ‘O creatures of God, get ye to the bath, for it is called the Sultan’s Bath!’ So the people came to the bath and Abousir bade the slave-boys wash their bodies. The folk went down into the bath and coming forth, seated themselves on the estrade, whilst the boys shampooed them, even as Abousir had taught them; and they ceased not to enter the bath and do their occasion thereof and go out, without paying, for the space of three days.
Then the barber invited the king, who took horse with his grandees and rode to the bath, where he put oft his clothes and entered; whereupon Abousir came in to him and rubbed his body with the bath-gloves, peeling the dirt from his skin [in rolls] like lamp-wicks and showing them to the king, who rejoiced therein, till his body shone for very smoothness and purity; after which Abousir mingled rose-water with the water of the tank and the king went down therein. When he came forth, his body was refreshed and he felt a lightness and liveliness such as he had never in his life known. Then the barber made him sit on the estrade and the boys proceeded to shampoo him, whilst the censers smoked with the finest aloes-wood.
Then said the king, ‘O master, is this the bath?’ And Abousir answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘As my head liveth,’ quoth the king, ‘my city is not become a city indeed but by this bath! But what pay takest thou for each person?’ ‘That which thou biddest me will I take,’ replied Abousir; and the king said, ‘Take a thousand dinars for every one who washeth in thy bath.’ But Abousir said, ‘Pardon, O king of the age! All men are not alike, but there are amongst them rich and poor, and if I take of each a thousand dinars, the bath will stand empty, for the poor man cannot avail to this price.’ ‘How then wilt thou do for the price?’ asked the king. ‘I will leave it to the generosity [of the customers],’ answered the barber. ‘Each who can afford aught shall pay that which his soul grudgeth not to give, and we will take from every man, after the measure of his condition. So will the folk come to us and he who is rich shall give according to his station and he who is poor shall give what he can afford. On this wise the bath will still be at work and prosper; but a thousand dinars is a king’s gift, and not every man can avail thereto.’
The grandees of the kingdom confirmed Abousir’s words, saying, ‘This is the truth, O king of the age! Thinkest thou that all folk are like unto thee, O glorious king?’ ‘You say sooth,’ answered the king; ‘but this man is a stranger and poor and it behoveth us to deal generously with him, for that he hath made in our city this bath, whose like we have never in our lives seen and without which our city were not adorned nor had gotten importance; wherefore, if we guerdon him with increase of pay, it will not be much.’ But the grand ees said, ‘If thou wilt guerdon him, let it be of thine own monies, and be the king’s bounty extended to the poor by means of the low price of the bath, so the folk may bless thee; but, as for the thousand dinars, we are the grandees of thine empire, yet do our souls grudge to pay it; and how then should the poor afford it?’ Quoth the king, ‘O my grandees, for this time let each of you give him a hundred dinars and a white slave and a black and a slave-girl.’ ‘It is well,’ answered they; ‘but after to-day each who enters shall give him only what he can afford, without grudging.’ ‘So be it,’ said the king; and they gave him each as he had said.
Now the number of the nobles who were washed with the king that day was four hundred souls; so that the sum of that which they gave him was forty thousand dinars, besides four hundred black and four hundred white slaves and a like number of slave-girls. Moreover, the king gave him ten thousand dinars, besides ten white slaves and ten black and a like number of slave-girls; whereupon Abousir kissed the earth before him and said, ‘O august king, lord of just judgment, what place will suffice me for all these slaves and women?’ Quoth the king, ‘O lackwit, I bade not my nobles deal thus with thee but that we might gather together unto thee great plenty of wealth; for maybe thou wilt bethink thee of thy country and family and yearn unto them and be minded to return to thy native place; so shalt thou take from our country store of wealth, to maintain thyself withal, what while thou livest in thine own land.’ ‘O king of the age,’ replied Abousir, (may God advance thee!) these many slaves and women are a king’s behoof; and hadst thou ordered me ready money, it were more profitable to me than this army; for they must eat and drink and be clothed, and whatever betideth me of wealth, it will not suffice to their support.’
The king laughed and said, ‘By Allah, thou sayst sooth! They are indeed a mighty host, and thou mayst not avail unto their maintenance; but wilt thou sell them to me for a hundred dinars each?’ Quoth Abousir, ‘I sell them to thee at that price.’ So the king sent to his treasurer for the money and he brought it and gave Abousir the whole of the price, in full; after which the king restored the slaves to their former owners, saying, ‘Let each of you who knoweth his slaves take them; for they are a gift from me to you.’ So they obeyed his commandment and took each his own; whilst the barber said to the king, ‘God ease thee, O king of the age, even as thou hast eased me of these ghouls, whom none may fill save God!’ The king laughed, and gave him reason; then, taking the grandees of his realm, returned to his palace; but Abousir passed the night in counting his money and laying it up in bags and sealing them; and he had with him twenty black slaves and a like number of white and four slave-girls to serve him.
On the morrow, as soon as it was day, he opened the bath and sent out a crier to make proclamation, saying, ‘Whoso entereth the bath and washeth shall give that which he can afford and which his generosity deemeth fit.’ Then he seated himself by the chest and customers flocked in upon him, each putting down that which was easy to him, nor was eventide come before the chest was full of the good gifts of God the Most High. Presently the queen desired to go to the bath, and when this came to Abousir’s knowledge, he divided the day, on her account, into two parts, appointing the time between day-break and noon to the men and that between noon and sundown to the women. When the queen came, he stationed a female slave behind the pay-chest; for he had taught four slave-girls the service of the bath, so that they were become expert bathwomen. So, when the queen entered, this pleased her and her breast dilated and she laid down a thousand dinars.
On this wise his report was noised abroad in the city, and all who entered the bath he entreated with honour, were they rich or poor, and good came in upon him at every door. Moreover he made acquaintance with the king’s officers and got him friends and companions. The king himself used to come to him one day in every week, and the other days of the week were for rich and poor alike; and he was wont to deal courteously with the folk and use them with the utmost of consideration. It chanced that the king’s sea-captain came in to him one day in the bath; so Abousir put off his clothes and going in with him, proceeded to shampoo him and entreated him with the utmost courtesy. When he came forth, he made him sherbet and coffee; and when he would have given him somewhat, he swore that he would accept nothing from him. So the captain abode under obligation to him, by reason of his exceeding kindness and courtesy to him, and knew not how to requite him his generous dealing with him.
Meanwhile Aboukir, bearing all the people talking rapturously of the bath and saying, ‘Verily, this bath is the Paradise of this world! God willing, O such an one, thou shalt go with us to-morrow to this delectable bath,’ said to himself, ‘Needs must I go like [the rest of the] folk and see this bath that hath taken their wits.’ So he donned his richest clothes and mounting a mule, rode to the bath, attended by four white slaves and four black, walking before and behind him. When he alighted at the door, he smelt the fragrance of burning aloes-wood and saw people going in and out and the benches full of great and small. So he entered the vestibule and saw Abousir, who rose to him and rejoiced in him: but the dyer said to him, ‘Is this the fashion of men of honour? I have opened me a dyery and am become master-dyer of the city and acquainted with the king and have risen to fortune and lordship; yet camest thou not to me nor askedst of me nor saidst, “Where is my comrade?” For my part, I sought thee in vain and sent my slaves and Servants to make search for thee in all the inns and other places; but they knew not whither thou hadst gone, nor could any give me news of thee.’ Quoth Abousir, ‘Did I not come to thee and didst thou not make me out a thief and beat me and disgrace me before the folk?’
