# Tales from the Arabic/El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari and the Sixteen Officers of Police

First-level story. Contains The First Officer’s Story, The Second Officer’s Story, The Third Officer’s Story, The Fourth Officer’s Story, The Fifth Officer’s Story, The Sixth Officer’s Story, The Seventh Officer’s Story, The Eighth Officer’s Story, The Thief’s Story, The Ninth Officer’s Story, The Tenth Officer’s Story, The Eleventh Officer’s Story, The Twelfth Officer’s Story, The Thirteenth Officer’s Story, The Fourteenth Officer’s Story, A Merry Jest of a Thief, Story of the Old Sharper, The Fifteenth Officer’s Story, The Sixteenth Officer’s Story
EL MELIK EZ ZAHIR RUKNEDDIN BIBERS EL BUNDUCDARI AND THE SIXTEEN OFFICERS OF POLICE.
There was once in the land [of Egypt and] the city of Cairo, [under the dynasty] of the Turks, a king of the valiant kings and the exceeding mighty Sultans, by name El Melik ez Zahir Rukneddin Bibers el Bunducdari. He was used to storm the Islamite strongholds and the fortresses of the Coast and the Nazarene citadels, and the governor of his [capital] city was just to the folk, all of them. Now El Melik ez Zahir was passionately fond of stories of the common folk and of that which men purposed and loved to see this with his eyes and hear their sayings with his ears, and it befell that he heard one night from one of his story-tellers that among women are those who are doughtier than men of valour ​and greater of excellence and that among them are those who will do battle with the sword and others who cozen the quickest-witted of magistrates and baffle them and bring down on them all manner of calamity; whereupon quoth the Sultan, ‘I would fain hear this of their craft from one of those who have had to do therewith, so I may hearken unto him and cause him tell.’ And one of the story-tellers said, ‘O king, send for the chief of the police of the town.’
Now Ilmeddin Senjer was at that time Master of Police and he was a man of experience, well versed in affairs: so the king sent for him and when he came before him, he discovered to him that which was in his mind. Quoth Ilmeddin Senjer, ‘I will do my endeavour for that which our lord the Sultan seeketh.’ Then he arose and returning to his house, summoned the captains of the watch and the lieutenants of police and said to them, ‘Know that I purpose to marry my son and make him a bride-feast, and it is my wish that ye assemble, all of you, in one place. I also will be present, I and my company, and do ye relate that which ye have heard of extraordinary occurrences and that which hath betided you of experiences.’ And the captains and sergeants and agents of police made answer to him, saying, ‘It is well: in the name of God! We will cause thee see all this with thine eyes and hear it with thine ears.’ Then the master of police arose and going up to El Melik ez Zahir, informed him that the assembly would take place on such a day at his house; and the Sultan said, ‘It is well,’ and gave him somewhat of money for his expenses.
​When the appointed day arrived, the chief of the police set apart for his officers a saloon, that had windows ranged in order and giving upon the garden, and El Melik ez Zahir came to him, and he seated himself, he and the Sultan, in the alcove. Then the tables were spread unto them for eating and they ate; and when the cup went round amongst them and their hearts were gladdened with meat and drink, they related that which was with them and discovered their secrets from concealment. The first to relate was a man, a captain of the watch, by name Muïneddin, whose heart was engrossed with the love of women; and he said, ‘Harkye, all ye people of [various] degree, I will acquaint you with an extraordinary affair which befell me aforetime. Know that
* ↑ Breslau Text, vol xi. pp. 321–99, Nights dccccxxx–xl.
* ↑ i.e. the first or Beherite dynasty of the Mameluke Sultans, the founder of which was originally a Turkish (i.e. Turcoman) slave.
* ↑ Fourth Sultan of the above dynasty.
* ↑ i.e. Palestine (Es Sahil) so styled by the Arabs.
* ↑ Lit. his nightly entertainers, i.e. those whose place it was to entertain him by night with the relation of stories and anecdotes and the recitation of verses, etc.
    The First Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ When El Melik ez Zahir heard Muïneddin’s story, he marvelled thereat Then rose another officer and said, ‘O lord, bear what befell me in bygone days.
    The Second Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ The folk marvelled at this story and as for the prefect and El Melik ez Zahir, they said, ‘Wrought ever any the like of this device?’ And they marvelled with the utterest of wonderment Then arose a third officer and said, ‘Hear what betided me, for it is yet stranger and more extraordinary.
    The Third Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ The company marvelled at this story and at the doings of women. Then came forward a fourth officer and said, ‘Verily, that which hath betided me of strange adventures is yet more extraordinary than this; and it was on this wise.
    The Fourth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ When the company heard this story, they marvelled thereat with the utmost wonderment. Then the fifth officer, who was the lieutenant of the bench, came forward and said, ‘[This is] no wonder and there befell me that which is rarer and more extraordinary than this.
    The Fifth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ The company marvelled at the goodliness of his story and it pleased El Melik ez Zahir; and the prefect said, ‘By Allah, this story is extraordinary!’ Then came forward the sixth officer and said to the company, ‘Hear my story and that which befell me, to wit, that which befell such an one the assessor, for it is rarer than this and stranger.
    The Sixth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​The folk marvelled at this story with the utmost wonderment and the seventh officer said, ‘There befell me in Alexandria the [God-]guarded a marvellous thing, [and it was that one told me the following story].
    The Seventh Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ When the company heard the seventh officer’s story, they were moved to exceeding mirth, and El Melik ez Zahir Bibers rejoiced in that which he heard and said, ‘By Allah, there betide things in this world, from which ​kings are shut out, by reason of their exalted station!’ Then came forward another man from amongst the company and said, ‘There hath reached me from one of my friends another story bearing on the malice of women and their craft, and it is rarer and more extraordinary and more diverting than all that hath been told to you.’
Quoth the company, ‘Tell us thy story and expound it unto us, so we may see that which it hath of extraordinary.’ And he said ‘Know, then, that
    The Eighth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​The company marvelled at this story and the ninth officer came forward and said, ‘I will tell you a right goodly story I heard at a wedding.
    The Ninth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​The company marvelled at this story and the tenth officer came forward and said, ‘As for me, there befell me that which was yet more extraordinary than all this.’ Quoth El Melik ez Zahir, ‘What was that?’ And he said,
    The Tenth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​The company marvelled at this story with the utmost wonderment, and the eleventh officer rose and said, ‘I know a story yet rarer than this: but it happened not to myself.
    The Eleventh Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​All those who were present marvelled at this story with the utmost marvel, and the twelfth officer came forward and said, ‘I will tell you a pleasant trait that I had from a certain man, concerning an adventure that befell him with one of the thieves. (Quoth he)
    The Twelfth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ Then came forward the thirteenth officer and said, ‘I will tell you a story that a man of my friends told me. (Quoth he)
    The Thirteenth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​ Then came forward the fourteenth officer and said, ‘Know that the story I have to tell is pleasanter and more extraordinary than this; and it is as follows.
    The Fourteenth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​The company marvelled at the generosity of this man and his clemency and courtesy, and the Sultan said, ‘Tell us another of thy stories.’ ‘It is well,’ answered the officer, ‘They avouch that
* ↑ i.e. his forbearance in relinquishing his blood-revenge for his brother.
* ↑ In the text, by an evident error, Shehriyar is here made to ask Shehrzad for another story and she to tell it him.
    A Merry Jest of a Thief.
[story resumed]
​And for another story of the same kind,’ continued the officer,
    Story of the Old Sharper.
[story resumed]
​The folk marvelled at this and the fifteenth officer came forward and said, ‘Know that among those who make a trade of knavery are those whom God the Most High taketh on their own evidence against themselves.’ ‘How so?’ asked they; and he said,
    The Fifteenth Officer’s Story.
[story resumed]
​The company marvelled at this story and said all, ‘Woe to the oppressor!’ Then came forward the sixteenth officer and said, ‘And I also will tell you a marvellous story, and it is on this wise.
    The Sixteenth Officer’s Story.
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