A THOUSAND and ONE ARABIAN NIGHTS
or
The Story of Scherazade
Once
upon a time
in Ancient Arabia
There was a Sultan
who had a splendid harem
of over 500 young women
who all belonged to him
just as animals might belong
to a person of our day
Blessed by the injunctions
of his religion and culture
they were there for
his pleasure
all picked for their beauty
charm
and special gifts
of dancing and singing
And of all the beautiful concubines
the Sultan
had a favorite
one whom he loved to dally and sport with
more than all the rest
One day
word was brought to the Sultan
that the hunting was excellent
and he desired to go
on an expedition
for some sport
outside the walls of his palace
So
camels and gun-bearers
supplies and cooks
beaters and hunters
horses and dogs
and a legion of men
were assembled to go
with the Sultan
on his hunting expedition
He was to be away
almost a fortnight
One evening
after only a week of hunting
although he loved the excitement of the hunt
the Sultan
began to miss
his favorite concubine
and the sweet pleasures of the bed
He thought it would be a great idea
to steal back secretly into his palace
and surprise his chosen girl
for a night
of delicious love
The next morning
he had his swiftest horse brought to him
and taking only three men
set out back
for the palace
Arriving in the evening
all unannounced
he stole into his inner chambers
with his three guards
without anyone knowing
that he was there
As he came to his bedroom
where he had spent so many delicious nights with his favorite
and he flung open the door
he found the object of his desire
in his bed
with a black eunuch
They both flung themselves to the floor
and piteously cried for mercy
The Sultan's eyes grew red with anger
and he flew into a rage
In an angry voice he called
for both of them to be seized
and
for the eunuch
to be tortured
slowly
to
death
For his concubine
he didn't even look at her
His heart had been spoiled
and its doors were now shut
He told his guards
to gather together the harem
To take all of them
to the wall above the river
and then
in front of all of them
to put the young woman in a burlap bag
with three cats from the palace
and throw them in the river
to drown
From that time on
he lived as one betrayed by life
and especially
as one
who had seen the source of that betrayal
as a woman
Indeed all the women of his harem
for he felt surely
they were all in this
together
From that time on
whenever a girl was called to be his companion
for the night
she was never seen by her sisters again
for after he had made love to the girl
he had her killed
All the women lived
in utter fear
of the Sultan
and the atmosphere in the palace
became one
of a graveyard
There was no real happiness
not a soul dared to show delight
nor humor
nor joyous laughter
Whenever a girl was chosen
to spend a night with the Sultan
she knew it was to be
her last night alive
All her sisters in the harem
comforted her
knowing that this
was to be their fate
as well
All suggested ways
of pleasing the Sultan
and perhaps pleasuring him so exquisitely
that he would be compassionate towards her
and let her live
Whenever a new woman
was brought before the Sultan
he told her to undress
and come to bed with him
Each young girl sought to do his bidding
in such a sensual
beautiful
seductive
delightful
eager and alluring way
praying that she would please him
with her beauty and charm alone
pleasure him so well
that he would not kill her
But none of them
ever returned
One night
the Sultan chose a concubine
by the name of
Scheherazade
to come
to him
She heard that the Sultan had chosen her
as he watched her bathe
from behind the carved screens
where he often came
to pick his companion
for the night
She knew that her life
was now in
immediate danger
She knew that tonight was to be
her last night alive
unless she could please the Sultan
She wondered
whether she would ever see
her young friends or family again
She knew that
unless she did something extraordinary tonight
many more
indeed all
of the young girls
who lived within the harem
would die
That evening
a Full moon rose in the east
and sweet scented jasmine
wafted through the shutters of the palace windows
The Sultan lay on satin sheets
on his huge bed
Frankincense, myrrh and camphor
filled a room
lit only by candles
Scheherazade
was brought in by the eunuchs
freshly washed
and the door
was closed behind her
She looked at the Sultan
The Sultan lay on his bed and looked at her
Not a sound could be heard from anything
or anyone
She bowed before him
He continued to look at her as at something
but
not at someone
As a man might look at something he pitied
and yet loved
He spoke
"Take off your clothes"
She took a step forward
radiant and strong
in the acceptance of
her fate
She then addressed him:
"O Great Sultan
it is said that the beauty of a woman is one of the delights
that has been given to man by God
Do you know how this gift was first given and why?
Do you know who the first woman was
and how she looked
and why God gave her to the man?
Do you know the story of their first night together
and what became of them?"
The Sultan heard the words of the concubine
Scheherazade
and sat up a little
and looked at her
He was intrigued
None of the girls had ever came to him
like this
Most he knew were scared
scared to death
and
they sought only to please him immediately
with their beauty and feminine charms
Here was something different
"Tell me this story and then we will make love"
he said
And so
she began. . . . . .
Scheherazade
began a story that started high up
in the mountains of the heart
and like a small spring burst forth
in such happy and delightful purity
that the Sultan was absorbed in its flow and turns
and twists and delights and adventures
so that the whole night went by
like a single moment of pleasure
and the sun had begun to lighten the sky
in the East
and she had still not
finished her story
The Sultan
both pleased and delightfully exhausted from listening
bade her go to sleep
and told her to continue the story the next evening
and that next evening
was much like the first
except the story became more interesting
and was still
not finished
as the sun lit the minarets
of the Sultans palace
Again the Sultan bade Scheherazade go to sleep
and he would continue the story the next evening
And again and again and again
the evenings passed
in story
and for season after season
year after year
night after night
until
A Thousand and One Arabian nights
had passed
and Scheherazade noticed
that the Sultan had changed
in his disposition
He was able to feel again
beyond his hurt
and he was able to trust
and appreciate
and to laugh
and to marvel
at the wondrous story
that was spread out before him
and he began to marvel
at the wondrous life
that was spread out before him
And he felt remorse for what he had done
to the young sisters
of Scheherazade
His heart softened
and he fell in love
with the one who had been the bringer
of this gift
in the world for him
and he married
Scheherazade
and made her
his sweet wife
and the harem was set free
from the threat of death
and the palace once again
came to life
and the land and the people blossomed
under the wise and compassionate rule
of the Sultan
and his consort
Scheherazade
