Cover image for Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 2, The

The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 2

Subtitle A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments
Author Sir Richard Francis Burton
Category Fantasy
Language English
Series No. 2 in the Arabian Nights series
Published 1885
Word count 155,811
Excerpt

for his long life, because he was a compendium of the best qualities, encouraging the good and lief, and preventing evil and mischief. But the Wazir Mu'ín bin Sáwí on the contrary hated folk [FN#4] and loved not the good and was a mere compound of ill; even as was said of him,

"Hold to nobles, sons of nobles! 'tis ever Nature's test * That nobles born of nobles shall excel in noble deed: And shun the mean of soul, meanly bred, for 'tis the law, * Mean deeds come of men who are mean of blood and breed."

And as much as the people loved and fondly loved Al-Fazl bin Khákán, so they hated and thoroughly hated the mean and miserly Mu'ín bin Sáwí. It befel one day by the decree of the Decreer, that King Mohammed bin Sulayman al-Zayni, being seated on his throne with his officers of state about him, summoned his Wazir Al-Fazl and said to him, "I wish to have a slave-girl of passing beauty, perfect in loveliness, exquisite in symmetry and endowed with all praiseworthy gifts." Said the courtiers, "