CXXXIII NUIT
by Unknown · from Les mille et une nuits - Tome premier
Adapted Version
Ahmed was a young man. He was good. They said he stole. Ahmed was very, very scared.
Guards came to Ahmed's house. The Bad Merchant was there. The Landlord was there. They said Ahmed took a necklace. Ahmed was scared. He said untrue words. Guards took Ahmed.
Ahmed learned about the necklace. It belonged to the leader. The leader was kind. He lost his necklace long ago. His daughter went away then. The leader was sad.
Ahmed stood before the leader. Ahmed felt very scared. He decided to be brave. He would tell the truth. He knew bad things could happen.
The leader looked at Ahmed. He had kind eyes. He told the guards to untie Ahmed. Then he asked questions. He asked The Bad Merchant. He asked The Landlord.
The leader knew Ahmed was good. Ahmed did not take the necklace. The leader was surprised. Someone told a big lie. This was very unfair to Ahmed.
Ahmed felt brave now. He said he was not guilty. Someone made him say things. These things were not true. He had a big secret. He wanted to tell it.
The leader believed Ahmed. He said The Bad Merchant was bad. The Bad Merchant would learn a lesson. He would feel what he made Ahmed feel. The Bad Merchant was taken away right then. He got his lesson.
The leader sent all people away. He asked Ahmed to tell his whole story. "Don't be scared," he said. "I know you are good."
Ahmed told the leader all things. He hid a sad secret. He let them think he was bad.
The leader heard. He was sad. He knew a big thing. He accepted what had happened.
Then, the leader told Ahmed a big secret. "I am the father of the two ladies you spoke about," he said. Their stories were now linked.
The leader and Ahmed shared a secret. They were connected by truth and kindness. Ahmed was safe, and the bad man learned his lesson. It was good to tell the truth.
Original Story
CXXXIII NUIT.
«Trois jours après que ce malheur me fut arrivé, dit le jeune homme de Moussoul, je vis avec étonnement entrer chez moi une troupe de gens du lieutenant de police, avec le propriétaire de ma maison et le marchand qui m'avait accusé faussement de lui avoir volé le collier de perles. Je leur demandai ce qui les amenait; mais, au lieu de me répondre, ils me lièrent et garrottèrent en m'accablant d'injures et en me disant que le collier appartenait au gouverneur de Damas, qui l'avait perdu depuis trois ans, et qu'en même temps une de ses filles avait disparu. Jugez de l'état où je me trouvai en apprenant cette nouvelle. Je pris néanmoins ma résolution: «Je dirai la vérité au gouverneur, disais-je en moi- même, ce sera à lui de me pardonner ou de me faire mourir.»
«Lorsqu'on m'eut conduit devant lui, je remarquai qu'il me regarda d'un oeil de compassion et j'en tirai un bon augure. Il me fit délier, et puis, s'adressant au marchand joaillier mon accusateur, et au propriétaire de ma maison: «Est-ce là, leur dit-il, l'homme qui a exposé en vente le collier de perles?» Ils ne lui eurent pas plus tôt répondu que oui, qu'il dit: «je suis assuré qu'il n'a pas volé le collier, et je suis fort étonné qu'on lui ai fait une si grande injustice.» Rassuré par ces paroles: «Seigneur, m'écriai- je, je vous jure que je suis en effet très-innocent. Je suis même persuadé que le collier n'a jamais appartenu à mon accusateur, que je n'ai jamais vu, et dont l'horrible perfidie est cause qu'on m'a traité si indignement. Il est vrai que j'ai confessé que j'avais fait ce vol; mais j'ai fait cet aveu contre ma conscience, pressé par les tourments, et pour une raison que je suis prêt à vous dire si vous avez la bonté de vouloir m'écouter. - J'en sais déjà assez, répliqua le gouverneur, pour vous rendre tout à l'heure une partie de la justice qui vous est due. Qu'on ôte d'ici, continua- t-il, le faux accusateur, et qu'il souffre le même supplice qu'il a fait souffrir à cet homme, dont l'innocence m'est connue.»
«On exécuta sur-le-champ l'ordre du gouverneur. Le marchand joaillier fut emmené et puni comme il le méritait. Après cela, le gouverneur ayant fait sortir tout le monde, me dit: «Mon fils, racontez-moi sans crainte de quelle manière ce collier est tombé entre vos mains, et ne me déguisez rien.» Alors je lui découvris tout ce qui s'était passé et lui avouai que j'avais mieux aimé passer pour un voleur que de révéler cette tragique aventure. «Grand Dieu! s'écria le gouverneur dès que j'eus achevé de parler, vos jugements sont incompréhensibles, et nous devons nous y soumettre sans murmure! Je reçois avec une soumission entière le coup dont il vous a plu de me frapper.» Ensuite m'adressant la parole: «Mon fils, me dit-il, après avoir écouté la cause de votre disgrâce, dont je suis très-affligé, je veux vous faire aussi le récit de la mienne. Apprenez que je suis père de ces deux dames dont vous venez de m'entretenir.»
En achevant ces derniers mots, Scheherazade vit paraître le jour. Elle interrompit sa narration, et, sur la fin de la nuit suivante, elle la continua de cette manière:
Story DNA
Moral
Truth, though sometimes painful, ultimately prevails and leads to justice.
Plot Summary
A young man, falsely accused of stealing a pearl necklace and tortured into a confession, is brought before the Governor of Damascus. He learns the necklace belongs to the Governor, whose daughter also disappeared three years prior. The Governor, showing compassion, believes the young man's claims of innocence and orders the false accuser punished. The young man then reveals his full story, admitting he preferred to be seen as a thief rather than expose a tragic secret. Upon hearing this, the Governor reveals he is the father of the two ladies the young man was trying to protect, linking their fates.
Themes
Emotional Arc
suffering to triumph
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This excerpt is a continuation of a larger story from 'One Thousand and One Nights' (Arabian Nights), specifically a story told by Scheherazade. The framing device of Scheherazade interrupting her story at dawn is a signature element.
Plot Beats (12)
- Three days after being falsely accused of stealing a pearl necklace and tortured into confession, the young man from Mosul is arrested by the police lieutenant's men, along with his landlord and the merchant who accused him.
- He learns the necklace belongs to the Governor of Damascus, who lost it three years ago, at the same time one of his daughters disappeared.
- Brought before the Governor, the young man resolves to tell the truth, expecting to be executed.
- The Governor looks at him with compassion, orders him untied, and questions the merchant and landlord.
- The Governor declares his certainty that the young man did not steal the necklace and expresses astonishment at the injustice.
- Encouraged, the young man vehemently declares his innocence, stating his confession was forced by torture and to protect a secret he is willing to reveal.
- The Governor, convinced, orders the false accuser to be punished with the same suffering he inflicted.
- The merchant is immediately taken away and punished.
- The Governor then dismisses everyone and asks the young man to recount how the necklace came into his possession without fear, explaining he already knows enough to believe his innocence.
- The young man confesses everything, admitting he preferred to be seen as a thief rather than reveal the tragic adventure.
- Upon hearing the story, the Governor cries out about the incomprehensibility of divine judgment and accepts his fate.
- The Governor then reveals that he is the father of the two ladies the young man had spoken of, connecting their stories.
Characters
Le jeune homme de Moussoul
Of average height and build for a young man from Moussoul, likely with a lean physique from his recent ordeal. His face would show signs of distress and fatigue from imprisonment and torture, possibly with some bruising or marks from being bound.
Attire: Simple, likely worn and dusty garments of a commoner or merchant from Moussoul, perhaps a tunic and trousers made of linen or cotton, possibly stained or torn from his ordeal. He would have been stripped of any valuables.
Wants: To clear his name, to protect the secret of the two ladies, and ultimately to survive and find justice.
Flaw: His willingness to suffer unjustly to protect others, which initially puts him in a dire situation.
He transforms from a falsely accused, tortured prisoner to a man who bravely reveals a difficult truth, leading to his vindication and the beginning of understanding his connection to the governor.
Resilient, honorable, self-sacrificing, truthful (when given the chance), cautious.
Le gouverneur de Damas
A man of authority and wisdom, likely of a mature age, with a dignified and imposing presence. He would be well-fed and well-groomed, reflecting his high status.
Attire: Rich, flowing robes appropriate for a high-ranking official in Damas, possibly made of silk or fine wool in deep colors like indigo, emerald, or crimson, with subtle embroidery. He would wear a jeweled turban or a keffiyeh with an agal, and possibly a wide sash.
Wants: To administer justice, to understand the truth behind the pearl necklace and his daughter's disappearance, and to cope with his personal grief.
Flaw: His deep sorrow over the loss of his daughter, which makes him vulnerable to emotional appeals.
He begins as a stern but just judge and transforms into a grieving father seeking answers, finding a connection to the young man from Moussoul through shared tragedy.
Compassionate, just, wise, discerning, sorrowful (due to his personal loss), authoritative.
Le marchand joaillier
Likely of average height, perhaps slightly portly, reflecting a comfortable but dishonest living. His appearance would be somewhat unkempt or shifty, betraying his deceitful nature.
Attire: Modest but slightly ostentatious clothing for a merchant, perhaps a tunic and trousers of coarse wool or cotton, possibly with a few cheap rings on his fingers. His clothes would be functional but not refined, perhaps a dark, practical color.
Wants: To profit from the pearl necklace, to avoid consequences for his actions, and to shift blame onto others.
Flaw: His cowardice and inability to stand by his lies when faced with true authority.
He begins as a false accuser and ends as a punished criminal, receiving the justice he deserved.
Perfidious, greedy, dishonest, cowardly, cruel.
Le propriétaire de ma maison
Likely a man of average build, perhaps slightly stout, reflecting his status as a property owner. He would appear unremarkable, a typical citizen but one willing to cooperate with injustice.
Attire: Practical, functional clothing of a landlord, perhaps a simple tunic and trousers of sturdy fabric, in muted earth tones. He would not be dressed lavishly but respectably.
Wants: To avoid trouble, to cooperate with authorities, and perhaps to gain favor or avoid scrutiny.
Flaw: His lack of moral courage and willingness to participate in injustice.
He appears briefly as an accomplice to the false accusation and is dismissed by the governor, his fate not explicitly detailed but implied to be negative for his complicity.
Compliant, self-interested, unprincipled (willing to go along with a false accusation).
Locations
Young Man's House in Mosul
A private residence in Mosul, likely a traditional Abbasid-era house with a central courtyard, possibly with whitewashed walls and simple furnishings, reflecting the young man's status before his misfortune.
Mood: Initially private and secure, then abruptly violated and hostile during the arrest.
The young man is unexpectedly arrested by the police lieutenant's men, his landlord, and the merchant, accused of theft and bound.
Governor of Damascus's Audience Chamber
A formal and imposing chamber within the Governor's palace in Damascus, designed for receiving petitioners and administering justice. It would feature rich textiles, geometric tile mosaics, and possibly muqarnas vaults, reflecting Abbasid-era opulence and authority.
Mood: Initially intimidating and formal, then shifting to one of compassion and justice as the Governor speaks.
The young man is brought before the Governor of Damascus, who, after hearing the accusations, discerns the truth and administers justice, punishing the false accuser.