The Man in the Panther's Skin, 1912
1204. "Those others told their tales as is the wont of wayfarers. The slave said: 'O brothers, providence is a celestial thing; I harvest for you pearls, you sowed but millet; my story is better than your stories:
1205. “I am the slave of the exalted king, the ruler of the Kadjis. It chanced that he was struck by a sickness which prevailed over him; the helper of the widow, the comforter of the orphan, was dead to us; now his sister, better than a parent, rears his children.
1206. “Dulardukht is a woman, but a rock, like a cliff, her slave is wounded by none, but he wounds others. She had little nephews: Rosan and Rodia; now she is seated as sovereign of Kadjet’hi,"the Mighty" is she called.
1207. “We heard news of the death overseas of her sister. The viziers were distressed, they refrained from assembling a privy council: "How can we venture to report the extinction of a face which was the light of the lands?"–Roshak is a slave, the chief of many thousand slaves.
1208. “Roshak said: "Even if I be killed (for mine absence), I shall not be at the mourning! I go into the plain, I will reive, I will fill myself with booty; I shall come home enriched, I shall be back in good time. When the sovereigns goes forth to bewail her sister, I too will accompany her."
1209. “He said to us, his underlings: "I will go, come with me!" He took of us a hundred slaves, all chosen by him. By day in the sunlight we reived, by night also we watched; many a caravan we broke up, we unloaded the treasure for ourselves.
1210. “One very dark night we were wandering over the plains; there appeared to us certain great lights in the midst of the field; we said: "Is it the sun strayed down from heaven to earth!" Perplexed, we gave our minds to torturing thought.
1211. “Some said: "It is the dawn!" others said: "It is the moon!" We, drawn up in fighting array, moved towards it–I saw it from very near–we made a wide circuit round it, we came and surrounded it. From that light came a voice speaking to us.
1212. “It said to us: "Who are you, O cavaliers? Tell me your names! From Gulansharo I go, a messenger to Kadjet’hi; have a care of me." When we heard this we approached, we formed a circle round about. A certain sun-faced rider appeared before our eyes.
1213. “We gazed at the brilliant face flashing out lightning, its glittering spread itself over the surroundings like the sun; rarely she spoke to us with some gentle discourse, (then) from her teeth the ray lighted up her jetty lashes.
1214. “Again we addressed that sun with sweet-discoursing tongue; she was not a slave, she spoke falsely, this we perceived. Roshak discovered that it was a damsel; he rode by her side; we did not let her go, we made bold to keep her in our hands.
1215. “Again we asked: "Tell us the true story of that sun-like light of thine. Whose art thou, who art thou, whence comest thou, enlightener of darkness?" She told us nought; she shed a stream of hot tears. How pitiable is the full moon swallowed by the serpent!
1216. “Neither plain tale nor secret, she told us nought, neither who she was, nor by whom she had been treacherously treated; angrily she spoke with us, sullen, on the defensive, like an asp attacking onlookers with her eye.
1217. “Roshak ordered us: "Ask not, it seems nought is to be said now; her business is a strange one and difficult to be told. The good fortune of our sovereign is to be desired by creatures, for God giveth her whatever is most marvellous.
1218. “"This (damsel) has been destined to us by God that we might bring her; we will take her as a gift, she (Dulardukht) will render us very great thanks; if we conceal it, we shall be found out, (and) our sovereign is. proud: first, it is an offence to her, then it is a great disgrace."
1219. “We agreed, we prolonged not the discussion. We returned, we made for Kadjet’hi, leading her with us; we ventured not to speak directly to her, nor did we annoy her. She weeps; with embittered heart she laves her cheeks in flowing tears.
1220. “I said to Roshak: "Give me leave; soon again shall I attend you. At present I have some business in the city of Gulansharo." He granted me leave. Hereabout I have some stuff to be carried off, I will take it with me, I will go and overtake them.'
1221. "This story of the slave greatly pleased those men. I heard it; the stream from the pool of tears dried up in me. I guessed, I recognized every sign of (her who is my) life this gave me a little comfort, like a drama's weight.
1222. "I laid hold of that slave and set him close before me. I asked him: 'Tell me what thou wert saying; I, too, wish to hear.' He told me again the same as I had heard thence (i.e., from my hiding-place). This story enlivened me; me, struggling in soul (with death), it preserved alive.
1223. "I had two black slaves full of sorcery, by their art they go and come invisible; brought them out, I despatched them to Kadjet’hi, I said: 'Tarry not; give me tidings of her by your deeds.'
