And they also tell a tale of
[480]. Koran vii. 52.
[481]. Arab. “Al-bayt” = the house. The Arabs had probably learned this pleasant mode of confinement from the Chinese whose Kea or Cangue is well known. The Arabian form of it is “Ghull,” or portable pillory, which reprobates will wear on Judgment Day.
THE BLACKSMITH WHO COULD HANDLE FIRE WITHOUT HURT.
It reached the ears of a certain pious man that there abode in such a town a blacksmith, who could put his hand into the fire and pull out the iron red-hot, without the flames doing him aught of hurt.[[482]] So he set out for the town in question and asked for the blacksmith; and, when the man was shown to him, he watched him at work and saw him do as had been reported to him. He waited till he had made an end of his day’s work; then, going up to him, saluted him with the salam and said, “I would be thy guest this night.” Replied the smith, “With gladness and goodly gree!” and carried him to his place, where they supped together and lay down to sleep. The guest watched, but saw no sign in his host of praying through the night or of special devoutness and said in his mind, “Haply he hideth himself from me.” So he lodged with him a second and a third night, but found that he did not exceed the devotions prescribed by the law and custom of the Prophet and rose but little in the dark hours to pray. At last he said to him, “O my brother, I have heard of the gift with which Allah hath favoured thee and have seen the truth of it with mine eyes. Moreover, I have taken note of thine assiduity in religious exercises, but find in thee no such piety as distinguisheth those who work saintly miracles: whence, then, cometh this to thee?” “I will tell thee,” answered the smith:—Know that I was once passionately enamoured of a slave-girl and ofttimes sued her for love-liesse, but could not prevail upon her, because she still held fast by her chastity. Presently there came a year of drought and hunger and hardship; food failed and there befel a sore famine. As I was sitting one day at home, somebody knocked at the door; so I went out and behold, she was standing there; and she said to me, “O my brother, I am sorely anhungered and I lift mine eyes to thee, beseeching thee to feed me for Allah’s sake!” Quoth I, “Wottest thou not how I love thee and what I have suffered for thy sake? Now I will not give thee one bittock of bread except thou yield thy person to me.” Quoth she, “Death, but not disobedience to the Lord!” Then she went away and returned after two days with the same prayer for food as before. I made her a like answer, and she entered and sat down in my house being nigh upon death. I set food before her, whereupon her eyes brimmed with tears and she cried, “Give me meat for the love of Allah, to whom belong Honour and Glory!” But I answered, “Not so, by Allah, except thou yield thyself to me.” Quoth she, “Better is death to me than the wrath and wreak of Allah the Most Highest;” and she rose and left the food untouched——And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.
Now when it was the Four Hundred and Seventy-second Night,
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that when the man set food before her, the woman said, “Give me meat for the love of Allah, to whom be Honour and Glory!” But I answered, “Not so, by Allah, except thou yield to me thy person.” Quoth she, “Better is death than the wrath and wreak of Allah;” and she rose and left the food untouched and went away repeating these couplets:—
O Thou, the One, whose grace doth all the world embrace; ✿ Thine ears have heard, Thine eyes have seen my case!
Privation and distress have dealt me heavy blows; ✿ The woes that weary me no utterance can trace.