THE THIRD OFFICER'S STORY
by Unknown · from Tales from the Arabic — Volume 02
Adapted Version
Once, there was a clever officer. He walked with his friends. He saw a pretty woman. She smiled at him. He smiled back.
The woman waited for him. She said, "Hello! Do I know you?" The officer said, "No." He added, "But I like your smile." She said, "I like your smile too."
The woman said, "Let's find a quiet place." The officer said, "Good idea!" She walked to a house. He followed her closely.
The woman talked to the housekeeper. "Can we have a room?" The housekeeper said, "Yes." The woman gave her coins. "Here is the money," she said. The officer did not see her take his coins.
They went into the room. The woman washed her hands and face. The officer thought, "She is a good person."
The officer wanted to wash too. He gave his clothes to the woman. "Please hold these," he said. He trusted her completely.
He went to wash. He called, "Hello? Pretty Woman?" No one answered.
He came out. The woman was gone. His clothes were gone. His coins were gone. "Oh no!" he said.
He asked the housekeeper, "Where is the woman?" The housekeeper said, "She left." She added, "She said you were sleeping." The officer said, "She tricked me! I need clothes!"
The housekeeper called other women. They came and looked. They were surprised. "You were tricked!" they said. They laughed a little.
One woman gave him a cloth. "Here," she said. "Cover yourself." He put it on quickly.
He ran home fast. People looked at him. He ran and ran.
He got home. His family saw him. "You are safe!" they said. They were very happy.
He said, "Thieves took my clothes." His family believed him. "We are glad you are safe," they said.
The officer learned that we should not trust strangers who say nice things to trick us. He was safe at home. He learned a big lesson.
Original Story
THE THIRD OFFICER'S STORY
I was one day abroad on an occasion with certain of my comrades, and as we went along, we fell in with a company of women, as they were moons, and among them one, the tallest and handsomest of them. When I saw her and she saw me, she tarried behind her companions and waited for me, till I came up to her and bespoke her. Quoth she, "O my lord, (God favour thee!) I saw thee prolong thy looking on me and imagined that thou knewest me. If it be thus, vouchsafe me more knowledge of thee." "By Allah," answered I, "I know thee not, save that God the Most High hath cast the love of thee into my heart and the goodliness of thine attributes hath confounded me and that wherewith God hath gifted thee of those eyes that shoot with arrows; for thou hast captivated me." And she rejoined, "By Allah, I feel the like of that which thou feelest; so that meseemeth I have known thee from childhood."
Then said I, "A man cannot well accomplish all whereof he hath need in the market-places." "Hast thou a house?" asked she. "No, by Allah," answered I; "nor is this town my dwelling-place." "By Allah," rejoined she, "nor have I a place; but I will contrive for thee." Then she went on before me and I followed her till she came to a lodging-house and said to the housekeeper, "Hast thou an empty chamber?" "Yes," answered she; and my mistress said, "Give us the key." So we took the key and going up to see the room, entered it; after which she went out to the housekeeper and [giving her a dirhem], said to her, "Take the key-money,[FN#110] for the room pleaseth us, and here is another dirhem for thy trouble. Go, fetch us a pitcher of water, so we may [refresh ourselves] and rest till the time of the noonday siesta pass and the heat decline, when the man will go and fetch the [household] stuff." Therewith the housekeeper rejoiced and brought us a mat and two pitchers of water on a tray and a leather rug.
We abode thus till the setting-in of the time of mid-afternoon, when she said, "Needs must I wash before I go." Quoth I, "Get water wherewithal we may wash," and pulled out from my pocket about a score of dirhems, thinking to give them to her; but she said, "I seek refuge with God!" and brought out of her pocket a handful of silver, saying, "But for destiny and that God hath caused the love of thee fall into my heart, there had not happened that which hath happened." Quoth I, "Take this in requital of that which thou hast spent;" and she said, "O my lord, by and by, whenas companionship is prolonged between us, thou wilt see if the like of me looketh unto money and gain or no." Then she took a pitcher of water and going into the lavatory, washed[FN#111] and presently coming forth, prayed and craved pardon of God the Most High for that which she had done.
Now I had questioned her of her name and she answered, "My name is Rihaneh," and described to me her dwelling-place. When I saw her make the ablution, I said in myself, "This woman doth on this wise, and shall I not do the like of her?" Then said I to her, "Belike thou wilt seek us another pitcher of water?" So she went out to the housekeeper and said to her, "Take this para and fetch us water therewith, so we may wash the flags withal." Accordingly, the housekeeper brought two pitchers of water and I took one of them and giving her my clothes, entered the lavatory and washed.
When I had made an end of washing, I cried out, saying, "Harkye, my lady Rihaneh!" But none answered me. So I went out and found her not; and indeed she had taken my clothes and that which was therein of money, to wit, four hundred dirhems. Moreover, she had taken my turban and my handkerchief and I found not wherewithal to cover my nakedness; wherefore I suffered somewhat than which death is less grievous and abode looking about the place, so haply I might espy wherewithal to hide my shame. Then I sat a little and presently going up to the door, smote upon it; whereupon up came the housekeeper and I said to her, "O my sister, what hath God done with the woman who was here?" Quoth she, "She came down but now and said, 'I am going to cover the boys with the clothes and I have left him sleeping. If he awake, tell him not to stir till the clothes come to him.'" Then said I, "O my sister, secrets are [safe] with the worthy and the freeborn. By Allah, this woman is not my wife, nor ever in my life have I seen her before this day!" And I recounted to her the whole affair and begged her to cover me, informing her that I was discovered of the privities.
She laughed and cried out to the women of the house, saying, "Ho, Fatimeh! Ho, Khedijeh! Ho, Herifeh! Ho, Senineh!" Whereupon all those who were in the place of women and neighbours flocked to me and fell a-laughing at me and saying, "O blockhead, what ailed thee to meddle with gallantry?" Then one of them came and looked in my face and laughed, and another said, "By Allah, thou mightest have known that she lied, from the time she said she loved thee and was enamoured of thee? What is there in thee to love?" And a third said, "This is an old man without understanding." And they vied with each other in making mock of me, what while I suffered sore chagrin.
However, after awhile, one of the women took pity on me and brought me a rag of thin stuff and cast it on me. With this I covered my privities, and no more, and abode awhile thus. Then said I in myself, "The husbands of these women will presently gather together on me and I shall be disgraced." So I went out by another door of the house, and young and old crowded about me, running after me and saying, "A madman! A madman!" till I came to my house and knocked at the door; whereupon out came my wife and seeing me naked, tall, bareheaded, cried out and ran in again, saying,"This is a madman, a Satan!" But, when she and my family knew me, they rejoiced and said to me, "What aileth thee?" I told them that thieves had taken my clothes and stripped me and had been like to kill me; and when I told them that they would have killed me, they praised God the Most High and gave me joy of my safety. So consider the craft of this woman and this device that she practised upon me, for all my pretensions to sleight and quickwittedness.'
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.
Story DNA
Moral
Beware of strangers who flatter you, for their intentions may be deceitful.
Plot Summary
A boastful officer, recounting a past adventure, describes how he was utterly deceived by a beautiful woman. She feigned affection, led him to a lodging-house, and, after performing a pious ablution to gain his trust, convinced him to hand over his clothes and valuables for washing. While he was in the lavatory, she absconded with all his possessions, leaving him naked and humiliated. He was then mocked by the lodging-house women and forced to run home, where he invented a story of being robbed to save face with his family.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pride to humiliation
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The story reflects social norms where a man might be easily deceived by a woman's charm and apparent piety, and the public shame associated with nakedness and being tricked.
Plot Beats (15)
- The third officer, with his comrades, encounters a beautiful woman who feigns instant attraction to him.
- They exchange flirtatious words, and the woman suggests they find a private place, as the marketplace is unsuitable.
- The woman leads him to a lodging-house, secures a room, and pays the housekeeper using the officer's money, making him believe she is resourceful.
- She performs ablutions and prays, which makes the officer believe she is a virtuous woman.
- The officer, feeling secure and trusting, decides to wash himself and hands his clothes, containing all his money and valuables, to the woman.
- Upon finishing his wash, the officer calls for the woman but receives no answer.
- He exits the lavatory to find the woman, his clothes, money, and turban gone.
- The officer, naked and distraught, questions the housekeeper, who reveals the woman's deception and her instructions to tell him not to stir.
- He confesses the truth to the housekeeper, who, along with other women, mocks him for his foolishness and naivety.
- One woman eventually takes pity and gives him a small rag to cover himself.
- Fearing further public humiliation from the men of the house, he flees through another door.
- He is chased through the streets by onlookers who call him a madman.
- He reaches his home, where his wife initially mistakes him for a madman, but his family rejoices when they recognize him.
- He invents a story about thieves stripping and nearly killing him, which his family believes, praising God for his safety.
- The officer concludes his story, reflecting on the woman's craftiness despite his own supposed quick-wittedness, leaving his comrades marveling.
Characters
The Third Officer
A man of average height and build, likely with features common to the Arabian region, given the story's context. He is described as 'tall' when naked, suggesting a noticeable height. His appearance is not explicitly detailed beyond this, allowing for inference of a typical adult male from the region.
Attire: Before being stripped, he wears typical male attire of the Arabian Peninsula, including a turban, a handkerchief, and outer garments, likely made of linen or cotton, suitable for the climate. The story implies he carries money in his pockets, suggesting his clothing has practical elements.
Wants: To pursue romantic interest and companionship, initially driven by infatuation. Later, his motivation shifts to regaining his dignity and covering his nakedness.
Flaw: His susceptibility to beauty and flattery, combined with overconfidence in his own cleverness, makes him an easy target for deception.
He begins as a confident, somewhat naive man, easily smitten. He undergoes a profound humiliation, being stripped of his clothes and money, and is mocked by women and chased by children. He learns a harsh lesson about trusting strangers and the 'craft of women.'
Gullible, easily captivated by beauty, somewhat boastful (about his 'sleight and quickwittedness'), and ultimately humiliated. He is quick to fall in love and trusts easily.
Rihaneh
Described as 'the tallest and handsomest' among a company of women, who are likened to 'moons' (a common metaphor for beauty in Arabic literature). She is captivating and uses her physical attractiveness to ensnare the officer.
Attire: She wears clothing typical of a woman from the Arabian Peninsula, likely a flowing abaya or similar outer garment that conceals her form but allows for graceful movement. She has pockets, suggesting practical, well-made clothing. Her attire would be modest but elegant, befitting her beauty.
Wants: To steal money and valuables from unsuspecting men, using her beauty and charm as a lure.
Flaw: Her reliance on deception and manipulation means she cannot form genuine connections, and her actions are driven by greed.
She appears fully formed as a master deceiver. She successfully executes her plan without any change or remorse, disappearing with her spoils.
Cunning, deceptive, manipulative, quick-witted, and utterly ruthless in her scheme. She feigns affection and piety to achieve her goals.
The Housekeeper
Likely a woman of mature age, with a practical and perhaps somewhat worn appearance from her work. Her build would be average, not particularly remarkable.
Attire: Simple, practical clothing suitable for her role in a lodging-house, likely made of durable cotton or linen in muted colors. She might wear a simple dress or tunic with trousers underneath, and a head covering.
Wants: To earn money through her work and maintain the lodging-house. She is also motivated by gossip and amusement when the officer's misfortune is revealed.
Flaw: Easily deceived by Rihaneh's small payments and plausible lies.
She begins as a neutral figure, facilitating Rihaneh's scheme. She then becomes a witness to the officer's humiliation and a participant in his mockery, before finally showing a small act of kindness by providing a rag.
Initially accommodating and business-minded, she is easily swayed by small payments. Later, she is amused and somewhat judgmental of the officer's predicament, but eventually shows a touch of pity.
Locations
Market-place
A bustling public area where people gather and conduct business, implied to be unsuitable for private conversations.
Mood: Lively, public, initially romantic for the officer
The officer first encounters Rihaneh and they begin their flirtatious exchange, deciding to seek a more private location.
Lodging-house Room
A rented chamber within a lodging-house, initially appearing private and comfortable, but later revealed as the scene of the officer's humiliation. It has a lavatory.
Mood: Initially intimate and private, then becomes a trap, humiliating and desolate for the officer.
The officer and Rihaneh spend time here, she washes, then he washes, only to discover she has stolen his clothes and money, leaving him naked and trapped.
Lodging-house Courtyard/Common Area
A semi-public area within the lodging-house, likely a courtyard or common space, where the housekeeper and other women gather.
Mood: Initially helpful (housekeeper), then becomes mocking and humiliating as other women gather.
The officer emerges naked from his room, seeking help, and is met with laughter and ridicule from the women of the house before escaping.