The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume XV Part 20

Story of the Second Lunatic (pp. 49-55).

This is a variant of "Woman's Craft" (No. 184 of our Table), or "Woman's Wiles," (Supp. Nights, ii. pp. 99-107). Mr. L. C. Smithers tells me that an English version of this story, based upon Langles' translation (Cf. Nights, x.

App., p. 440, sub "Sindbad the Sailor"), appeared in the Literary Souvenir for 1831, under the t.i.tle of "Woman's Wit."

Pp. 51-56.--Concerning the s.h.i.+kk and the Nesnas, Lane writes (1001 Nights, i., Introd. note 21): "The s.h.i.+kk is another demoniacal creature, having the form of half a human being (like a man divided longitudinally); and it is believed that the Nesnas is the offspring of a s.h.i.+kk and of a human being. The s.h.i.+kk appears to travellers; and it was a demon of this kind who killed, and was killed by, 'Alkamah, the son of Safwan, the son of Umeiyeh, of whom it is well known that he was killed by a Jinnee. So says El-Kazweenee.

"The Nesnas (above-mentioned) is described as resembling half a human being, having half a head, half a body, one arm, and one leg, with which it hops with much agility; as being found in the woods of El-Yemen, and being endowed with speech; 'but G.o.d,' it is added, 'is all-knowing.' (El-Kazweenee in the khatimeh of his work.) It is said that it is found in Hadramot as well as El-Yemen; and that one was brought alive to El-Mutawekkil; it resembled a man in form, excepting that it had but half a face, which was in its breast, and a tail like that of a sheep. The people of Hadramot, it is added, eat it; and its flesh is sweet. It is only generated in their country. A man who went there a.s.serted that he saw a captured Nesnas, which cried out for mercy, conjuring him by G.o.d and by himself. (Mi-rat ez-Zeman.) A race of people whose head is in the breast is described as inhabiting an island called Jabeh (supposed to be Java) in the Sea of El-Hind or India; and a kind of Nesnas is also described as inhabiting the Island of Raij, in the Sea of Es-Seen, or China, and having wings like those of the bat. (Ibn El-Wardee.)" Compare also an incident in the story of Janshah (Nights v. p. 333, and note) and the description of the giant Haluka in Forbes' translation of the Persian Romance of Hatim Tai (p. 47): "In the course of an hour the giant was so near as to be distinctly seen in shape like an immense dome. He had neither hands nor feet, but a tremendous mouth, situated in the midst of his body. He advanced with an evolving motion, and from his jaws issued volumes of flame and clouds of smoke." When his reflection was shown him in a mirror, he burst with rage.

I may add that a long-tailed species of African monkey (Cercopithecus Pyrrhonotus) is now known to naturalists as the Nisnas.

Story of the Broken-backed Schoolmaster (pp. 72-74).

I once heard a tale of two Irishmen, one of whom lowered the other over a cliff, probably in search of the nests of sea-fowl. Presently the man at the top called out, "Hold hard while I spit on my hands," so he loosed the rope for that purpose, and his companion incontinently disappeared with it.

Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster (pp. 74-77).

In Scott's "Story of the Wry-mouthed Schoolmaster" (Arabian Nights vi. pp. 74 75) the schoolmaster crams a boiling egg into his mouth, which the boy smashes.

Night Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo (pp.

68-84).

P. 78.--Scott (vi. p. 403) makes the proclamation read, "Whoever presumes after the first watch of the night to have a lamp lighted in his house, shall have his head struck off, his goods confiscated, his house razed to the ground, and his women dishonoured." A proclamation in such terms under the circ.u.mstances (though not meant seriously) would be incredible, even in the East.

Story of the Kazi Who Bare a Babe (pp. 130-144).

In the Esthonian Kalevipoeg we read of two giants who lay down to sleep on opposite sides of the table after eating a big supper of thick peas-soup. An unfortunate man was hidden under the table, and the consequence was that he was blown backwards and forwards between them all night.

History of the Bhang-Eater and His Wife (pp. 155-161).

Selling a bull or a cow in the manner described is a familiar incident in folk-lore; and in Riviere's "Contes Populaires Kabyles" we find a variant of the present story under the t.i.tle of "L'Idiot et le Coucou." In another form, the cow or other article is exchanged for some worthless, or apparently worthless, commodity, as in Jack and the Bean-stalk; Hans im Gluck; or as in the case of Moses in the Vicar of Wakefield. The incident of the fool finding a treasure occurs in Cazotte's story of Xailoun.[FN#642]

How Drummer Abu Kasim Became a Kazi (pp. 161-163).

I have heard an anecdote of a man who was sued for the value of a bond which he had given payable one day after the day of judgment. The judge ruled, "This is the day of judgment, and I order that the bill must be paid to-morrow!"

Story of the Kazi and His Slipper (pp. 163-165).

This story is well known in Europe, though not as forming part of The Nights.

Mr. W. A. Clouston informs me that it first appeared in Cardonne's "Melanges de litterature orientale" (Paris, 1770). Cf. Nights x. App. pp. 450 and 452.

History of the Third Larrikin (pp. 231-233).

Such mistakes must be very frequent. I remember once seeing a maid stoop down with a jug in her hand, when she knocked her head against the table. Some one sitting by, thinking it was the jug, observed, "Never mind, there's nothing in it."

Another time I was driving out in the country with a large party, and our host got out to walk across to another point. Presently he was missed, and they inquired, "Where is he?" There was a dog lying in the carriage, and one of the party looked round, and not seeing the dog, responded, "Why, where is the dog?"

Tale of the Fisherman and His Son (pp. 247-260).