VOL. III.
Richard Francis Burton translation
Contains 456 pages, extending from Night cccvi. (instead of Night clxvii.) to cdxxv. and thus leaving an initial hiatus of 140 Nights (cxvi.-cccvi. C. de Perceval, vol. viii. p. 14). Thus the third of the original eight volumes is lost. On this subject Dr. White wrote to Scott, "One or two bundles of Arabic manuscript, of the same size and handwriting as the second volume of the Arabian Tales, were purchased at the sale by an agent for Mr. Beckford of Fonthill, and I have no doubt whatever but that the part deficient in your copy is to be found in his possession." If such be the case, and everything seems to prove it, this volume was not No. iii. but No. iv. The MS. begins abruptly with the continuation of the tale. There is no list of contents, and at the end are two unimportant "copies of verses" addressed to the reader, five couplets rhyming inÂímu (e.g. ta'dimu) and two in—af (e.g. Salaf).
The following is a list of the contents:—
PAGE Part of the Tale of Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccvi.-cccxxix 1-81 Story of the Sultan of Al-Yaman630 and his Sons, told to Al-Rashíd by Hasan of Bassorah, Nights cccxxix.-cccxxxiv. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Story of the Three Sharpers,631 Nights cccxxxiv.-cccxlii. 96 The Sultan who fared forth in the habit of a Darwaysh, Night cccxlii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .121 History of Mohammed, Sultan of Cairo, Night cccxliii.-cccxlviii124 Story of the First Lunatic,632 Night cccxlviii.-ccclv . .141 Story of the Second Lunatic, Night ccclv.-ccclvii. . . . . . .168 Story of the Sage and his Scholar, Night ccclvii.-ccclxii. . .179 Night-Adventure of Sultan Mohammed of Cairo with three foolish Schoolmasters, Night ccclxii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Tale of the Mother and her Three Daughters, Night ccclxii. . .206 Story of the broke-back Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii . . . . .211 Story of the Split-mouthed Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiii. . . .214 Story of the limping Schoolmaster, Night ccclxiv.-ccclxv . . 219 Story of the three Sisters and their Mother the Sultánah, Night ccclxvi.-ccclxxxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .231 History of the Kází who bare a babe, Night ccclxxxvi.-cccxcii.322 Tale of the Kází and the Bhang-eater, Night cccxciii.-cdiii. .344 History of the Bhang-eater and his wife, Night cccxciii.-cdiii348 How Drummer Abú Kásim became a Kází, Night cdiii.-cdxii. . . .372 Story of the Kazi and his Slipper (including the Tale of the Bhang-eater who became the Just Wazir and who decided two difficult cases), Night cdxii.-cdxiii. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .424 Tale of Mahmúd the Persian and the Kurd Sharper, Night cdxiii.-cdxvi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .428 Tale of the Sultan and the poor man who brought to him fruit, including the Fruit-seller's633 Tale, Night cdxvi.-cdxxv. . . . .432 Story of the King of Al-Yaman and his Three Sons and the Enchanting Bird, which ends this volume, Night cdxvii-cdxxvi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .437