THE STORY OF THE HUNCHBACK WITH THE TAILOR, THE JEW, THE CHRISTIAN, AND THE BARBER OF BAGHDAD
The young man travels to Cairo and starts to sell the fabrics he has brought from Baghdad.
Then he falls in love with a woman who was buying one of his fabrics.
The Christian Broker's Narrative - Part 2
ON THE FOURTH NIGHT
Sheherazade said:
The young man said: "Above all, don't think anymore that it was out of lack of consideration towards you that I ate with my left hand; for you see now that it is because my right hand is cut off. And the cause is quite amazing!" So I asked him: "And what is that cause?" And he said to me:
“Know that I am from Baghdad. My father was one of the greats and one of the principals of the city. And I, until I had reached the age of man, I listened to the stories of travelers, pilgrims, and merchants, who told us, at my father's house, the wonders of the land of Egypt. And I retained in myself all these accounts by cultivating them secretly, and that until my father was dead. So I took all the wealth that I could amass, and much money, and bought a great quantity of Baghdad and Mosul cloth, and many other goods of price and the finest quality, and I put all these things in bundles and left Baghdad. And as Allah had written that I should arrive safe and sound at my destination, I soon arrived in this city of Cairo, which is your city."
Then the young man began to cry and recited these stanzas:
“Often the blind, the blind from birth, knows how to avoid the pit
Into which the clairvoyant, the enlightened man will fall.
Often the fool knows how to avoid the word which, pronounced by the wise,
Will cause the loss of the wise and the learned.
Often the pious man, the believer, will suffer from misery,
While the impious, the foolish will be in bliss.
Also! let man know his impotence! Only fate reigns over the world."
The verses finished, he continued his story in this way:
"So I entered Cairo and went to the khan Serour, I unpacked my bundles, I unloaded my camels and I stored my goods in the premises which I took care to rent. Then I gave some money to my servant to buy us food; then I fell asleep a little, and, when I woke up, I went for a walk in the direction of Baïn Al-Kassrein; then I returned to the khan Serour, where I passed the night.
When I woke up in the morning, I undid a bundle of fabrics and said in my soul: “I will take these fabrics to the souk and see a little of the course of business. So I loaded the fabrics on the shoulders of one of my young servants, I went towards the souk, and I arrived at the main place of business, a large building surrounded by porticos, shops of all kinds, and fountains; it is there, as you know, that the brokers stand; and this place is called: kaïssariat Guerguess.
Upon my arrival, all the brokers, who were already informed of my coming, surrounded me and I gave them the fabrics, and they went in all directions to submit my fabrics to the main buyers of the souks. But they soon returned and told me that the price offered for my goods did not cover my purchase price or my expenses from Baghdad to Cairo. And as I did not know what to do, the chief sheik of the brokers said to me: “I know the means that you must employ to manage to make some gain: it is simply to do as all merchants do. This consists in selling your goods, in detail, to the merchants who hold shop, and this for a fixed time, in front of witnesses, and in writing on both sides and through the intermediary of a money changer. And then regularly, every Thursday and every Monday, you will receive the resulting money. And, in this way, each drachma will bring you two drachmas and even more. In addition, during this time, you will have plenty of time to visit Cairo and admire the Nile, which crosses it."
When I heard these words, I said: “That is really an excellent idea! And immediately I took the brokers and the criers with me to the khan Serour and I gave them all my goods which they carried to the kaïssariat. And I sold the whole thing in detail, to the merchants, after both sides had written the clauses before witnesses and through a money changer from the kaïssariat.
That done, I returned to my khan and sojourned there quietly, and I deprived myself of no pleasure and sparing no expense. Every day, I had a sumptuous lunch, with a cup of wine on the tablecloth. And I always had good mutton and all kinds of sweets and jams. And I continued in this way until the month was over when I had to draw my regular income. And, indeed, from the first week of that month, I began to receive my money regularly; every Thursday and every Monday, I went to sit in the shop of each of the merchants, my debtors; and the money-changer and the public scribe would come, go round to every merchant, collect the money, and bring it to me.
So I got into the habit of going to sit in this way sometimes in one shop, sometimes in another, when one day (I was outside of the hammam where I had gone to take my bath, I then rested a little, I had lunch on a chicken and drank a few cups of wine, I then washed my hands and perfumed myself with aromatic essences) I went to the district of the kaïssariat Guerguess and sat down in the shop of a cloth merchant, called Badreddine Al-Bostani. When he saw me, he received me with great cordiality and consideration, and we began to talk.
Now, while we were thus talking, we saw a woman arrive, covered with a large veil of blue silk; and she went into the shop to buy fabric and sat down on a stool beside me. And the headband that squeezed her head and slightly covered her face was placed a little to the side, and let out delicious perfumes and the most delicate aromas. So she delighted my reason by her beauty and her charms, especially when she had lifted her veil and I had seen the blackness of her pupils! So she sat down and greeted Badreddine, who returned her wish for peace and stood in front of her and began to talk to her, showing her various kinds of fabrics. And hearing her soft voice full of charms, I felt, even more, love consolidating in my heart.
When she had examined some fabrics, and as she did not find them beautiful enough, she said to Badreddine: “Have you not by chance a piece of white silk woven with pure gold threads? I would need it to make myself a dress." And Badreddine went to the back of his shop, opened a little cupboard and, from under several pieces of cloth, he took out a piece of white silk woven with threads of pure gold and brought it, and unfolded it before the lady. And she found it just to her liking and she said to the merchant: “As I have no money on me, you can, I think, as usual, give it to me now; and I, when I get home, will send you the price." But the merchant said to her: “This time I cannot, my mistress; for this stuff does not belong to me, but it belongs to that merchant whom you see; and I pledged to pay him my term today." Then she was in a great rage and she said: “Woe! Do you forget that I am always in the habit of buying you very expensive fabrics and making you earn much more than you claim from me yourself? And do you forget that I never delayed sending you the price?" And he answered: “Certainly! you are right, my mistress! But today I am reduced to the obligation of having money immediately. When she heard these words, she seized the piece of cloth, threw it at his chest, and said to him: “You are all the same in this accursed corporation! You don't know how to have respect for anyone!" Then she got up in great anger and turned her back on him to leave.
“But I felt my soul going away with her; and I arose hastily and stood and said to her: “O my mistress, please! Do me the kindness to turn a little to my side, and to retrace your steps! Then she turned her face towards me, smiled a little, retraced her steps, and said to me: “I would like to go into this shop, but it's only for you! Then she came and sat across from me in the shop. So I said to Badreddine: “This piece of cloth, what is the cost price for you?" He replied: "A thousand and a hundred drachmas!" So I said to him: “So be it! and I give you, in addition, a hundred drachmas profit." So give me a piece of paper so I can give you the price in writing. And I took from him the piece of silk woven with gold; and, in exchange, I gave him the price in writing; then I handed the piece of cloth to the lady and said to her: “Take it! and now you can go without worrying more about the price, which you will pay me when you want. For that, you will only have to come and find me one of these days in the souk, where I am always sitting in one shop or another! And even, if you will do me the honor of accepting it from me as a tribute, it belongs to you!" So she answered me: “May Allah return it to you in all kinds of favors! May you possess all the riches that are in my possession, and that by becoming my master and the crown of my head! Ah! may Allah grant my wish!" So I answered her: “O my mistress, accept this piece of silk! And besides, she won't be the only one! But, please, grant me this favor of admiring your face which is hidden from me! Then she lifted the light fabric which veiled the lower part of her face and which only showed her eyes.
When I saw her face, that single glance was enough to throw me into extreme confusion, to rivet love in my heart, and to take away my reason. But she hastened to lower her veil, took the cloth, and said to me: “O my master, do not let your absence last too long, or I will die of desolation!" Then she walked away; and I remained alone with the merchant, in the souk, until nightfall.
At this point in her narration, Sheherazade saw the morning appear and quietly fell silent.