‘Cousin, this is to inform you, that a merchant of Damascus, whose name is Ganem, the son of Abou Ayoub, has seduced the most amiable of my women slaves, called Fetnah, and is fled. It is my will, that, when you have read my letter, you cause search to be made for Ganem, and secure him. When he is in your power, you shall cause him to be loaded with irons, and for three days successively he shall receive fifty strokes with a bull’s pizzle. Then let him be led through all parts of the city, with a crier, crying, This is the smallest punishment the chief of the believers inflicts on him that offends his lord, and debauches one of his slaves. After that, you shall send him to me under a strong guard. It is my will that you cause his house to be plundered; and when it shall be razed, order the materials to be carried out of the city into the middle of the plain. Besides, if he has father, mother, sister, wives, daughters, or other kindred, cause them to be stripped; and when they are naked, expose them as a spectacle during three days to the whole city, forbidding any one, on pain of death, to afford them any shelter. I expect you will no way delay what I enjoin.
Haroun Alraschid.’
The caliph having written this letter, sent it away by an express, ordering him to make all possible speed, and to take pigeons along with him, that he might the sooner hear what had been done by Mohammed Zinebi.
The pigeons of Bagdad have this particular quality, that, though they be carried ever so far, they return to Bagdad as soon as they are turned loose, especially when they have young ones. A letter rolled up is made fast under their wing; and by that means, they have speedy advice from such places as they desire.
The caliph’s express travelling night and day, as his master’s impatience required, and being come to Damascus, went directly to king Zinebi’s palace, who sat upon his throne to receive the caliph’s letter. The express having delivered it, Mohammed looking upon it, and knowing the hand, stood up to show his respect, kissed the letter, and laid it on his head, to denote he was ready submissively to obey the orders contained in it. He opened it, and having read it, immediately descended from his throne, and, without losing time, mounted on horseback, with the prime officers of his household. He also sent for the civil magistrate, who came to him; and then he went directly to Ganem’s house, attended by all his guards.
That young merchant’s mother had never heard or received any letter from him since he left Damascus, but the other merchants with whom he went to Bagdad were returned, and all of them told her they had left her son in perfect health. However, as he did not return himself, and neglected to write, the tender mother could not be persuaded but that he was dead, and was so fully convinced of it in her imagination, that she went into mourning. She bewailed Ganem as if she had seen him die, and had herself closed his eyes: never mother expressed greater sorrow; and so far was she from seeking any comfort, that she delighted in indulging her sorrow. She caused a dome to be built in the middle of the court belonging to her house, in which she placed a figure representing her son, and covered it with black cloth. She spent the greatest part of the days and nights in weeping under that dome, in the same manner as if her son had been buried there. The beautiful Alcolomb, or Ravisher of Hearts, her daughter, bore her company, and mixed her tears with hers.
It was now some time since they had thus devoted themselves to sorrow, and since the neighbourhood, hearing their cries and lamentations, pitied such loving relations, when king Mohammed Zinebi came to the door, which, being opened by a slave belonging to the family, he went into the house, inquiring for Ganem, the son of Abou Ayoub.
Though the slave had never seen king Zinebi, she easily guessed, by his retinue, that this must be one of the prime men of Damascus. My lord, said she, that Ganem you inquire for is dead: my mistress, his mother, is in that monument you see there, actually lamenting the loss of him. The king, not regarding what was said by the slave, caused all the house to be diligently searched by his guards for Ganem. Then he advanced towards the monument, where he saw the mother and daughter sitting on nothing but a mat, by the figure which represented Ganem, and their faces appeared to him bathed in tears. Those poor women immediately veiled themselves, as soon as they beheld a man at the door of the dome; but the mother, knowing the king of Damascus, got up, and ran to cast herself at his feet. My good lady, said he, I was looking for your son Ganem; is he here? Alas, sir! cried the mother, it is a long time since he has ceased to be: would to God I had at least put him into his shroud with my own hands, and had the comfort of having his bones in this monument! O, my son, my dear son! She would have said more, but was oppressed with so violent sorrow that she was not able.
Zinebi was moved; for he was a prince of a mild nature, and had much compassion for the sufferings of the unfortunate. If Ganem alone is guilty, thought he to himself, why should the mother and the daughters, who are innocent, be punished? Ah! cruel Haroun Alraschid, what a mortification do you put upon me, in making me the executioner of your vengeance, obliging me to persecute those persons who have not offended you!
The guards that the king ordered to search for Ganem, came and told him they had lost their labour. He was fully convinced: the tears of these two women would not leave him any room to doubt. It distracted him to be obliged to execute the caliph’s order. My good lady, said he to Ganem’s mother, come out of this monument with your daughter; it is no place of safety for you. They went out; and he, to secure them against any insult, took off his own robe, which was very large, and covered them both with it, bidding them be sure to keep close to him. Then he ordered the multitude to be admitted to plunder, which was performed with the utmost rapaciousness, and many shouts, which terrified Ganem’s mother and sister the more, because they knew not the reason of it. The rabble carried off the richest goods, chests full of wealth, fine Persian and Indian carpets, cushions made of cloth of gold and silver, fine china ware. In short, all was taken away; nothing was left but the hard walls of the house: and it was certainly a dismal spectacle for the unhappy ladies, to see all their goods plundered, without knowing why they were so cruelly treated.