THE STORY OF NOOR-ED-DEEN AND ENEES-EL-JELEES - A Tale from the Arabian Nights

Download or read book THE STORY OF NOOR-ED-DEEN AND ENEES-EL-JELEES - A Tale from the Arabian Nights written by Anon E. Mouse and published by Abela Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2017-01-05 with total page 103 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: ISSN: 2397-9607 Issue 241 In this 241st issue of the Baba Indaba’s Children's Stories series, Baba Indaba narrates the story of THE STORY OF NOOR-ED-DEEN AND ENEES-EL-JELEES - a tale from the Arabian Nights. There was once, in El-Basrah (Basra), a certain King who loved the poor and indigent, and regarded his subjects with benevolence; he bestowed of his wealth upon him who believed in Mohammad and was celebrated in verse by the poets. The name of this King was Mohammad, the son of Suleymán Ez-Zeynee. He had two Wezeers (Viziers); one of whom was named El-Mo'een and the other, El-Fadl. El-Fadl was the most generous of the people of his age, upright in conduct and the wise in counsel. The Wezeer El-Mo'een hated others, and loved not good but was a man of inauspicious aspect. Now the King Mohammad was sitting one day upon his throne, surrounded by the officers of his court, and he called to his Wezeer El-Fadl and said to him, I desire a female slave unsurpassed in beauty by any in her age, of perfect loveliness, and exquisite symmetry, and endowed with all praiseworthy qualities. His courtiers told him such a woman is not to be found for less than ten thousand pieces of gold. And the Sultan thereupon called out to the treasurer, saying, take ten thousand pieces of gold to the house of El-Fadl. The Sultan ordered the Weezer to go to the market every day, and to commission the brokers to procure what he had described. He also commanded that no female slave of a greater price than one thousand pieces of gold should be sold without having been shown to the Wezeer. The brokers, complied with the King's command, and continued to do for a considerable time. On a certain day, one of the brokers came to the mansion of the Wezeer El-Fadl and told him the female slave for whom the noble mandate was issued had arrived. The Wezeer ordered she be brought to him. He brought a damsel of elegant stature, high-bosomed, with black eyelashes, and smooth cheek, and slender waist, and large hips, clad in the handsomest apparel. The moisture of her lips was sweeter than sirup; her figure put to shame the branches of the Oriental willow; and her speech was more soft than the zephyr passing over the flowers of the garden. When the Wezeer beheld her, she pleased him extremely, and he asked the broker her price? He replied ten thousand gold pieces. The Wezeer then asked to speak with her (slave) master, a foreigner, who had lived so long that time had reduced him to bones and skin. They discussed the price and agreed on the ten thousand pieces of gold. On completion of the deal, the master then said to the Weezer, “It is my opinion, said the broker, that thou shouldst not take up this damsel to the Sultan to-day,” citing her fatigue from her journey. He asked that she remain with the Weezer’s palace for ten days, that she may take rest, that she be bathed, and attired in clothes of the handsomest description, to improve her beauty before she goes before the Sultan. The Wezeer considered the advice of the slave-broker, and approved it and took her into his palace, and gave her a private. The Wezeer El-Fadl had a son as handsome as the shining full moon, with brilliant countenance, and red cheek, marked with a mole like a globule of ambergris, and with grey down. For now the youth did not know of this damsel, and he warned her about his son who had not left a girl in the quarter without making love to her and that she should keep herself concealed from him, definitely not showing her face, or let him hear your voice. The damsel replied that she heard and would obey:—and he left her and departed. One day she went to bathe and, after certain of the female slaves had bathed her, she attired herself in rich apparel, and her beauty and loveliness increased in consequence. She then went in to the Wezeer's wife who charged two young slave-girls to keep the door of the private apartment in which was Enees-el-Jelees, saying to them that no-one but she and the Weezer were to be allowed entry. Under fear of punishment, they agreed. But the Wezeer's son, whose name was 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, came in, and asked after his mother and the family. The two girls said they had gone to bathe. Unfortunately Enees-el-Jelees heard the speech of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen and she said to herself, I wonder what this youth is like as I have a desire to see him. She approached the door and through the crack looked upon the countenance of 'Alee Noor-ed-Deen, and saw him to be a youth like the full moon. The sight of him made her sigh a thousand sighs. Hearing her at the door, he opened it and after glancing on her beauty, he was so affected, with him beginning to feel the same way about her, each was caught in the snare of the other's love. The two slave-girls realising what had happened, and cried out at them; whereupon they fled and stopped at a distance, looking to see what he would do. Well, what did he do? Did he do to her what he had done to so many other fair maidens? Did he fall foul of the King and bring upon himself and his father the King’s wrath? Well, you’ll just have to download and read this fascinating tale to find out what did happen. 33% of the profit from the sale of this book will be donated to charities. INCLUDES LINKS TO DOWNLOAD 8 FREE STORIES Each issue also has a "WHERE IN THE WORLD - LOOK IT UP" section, where young readers are challenged to look up a place on a map somewhere in the world. The place, town or city is relevant to the story. HINT - use Google maps. Baba Indaba is a fictitious Zulu storyteller who narrates children's stories from around the world. Baba Indaba translates as "Father of Stories".