فیضال و آرایشگر

Chapter four

Faisal and the Barber

Faisal was a rich young man of Baghdad. He lived in a large house with many servants. But he didn’t have a wife. He wasn’t interested in love.

One day Faisal went for a walk in the streets of the city. He saw a lot of young girls in front of him. He didn’t want to meet them, so he turned into a small street. He looked up and saw a beautiful young girl at a window. From that minute, Faisal was in love.

Then a man on a horse came into the street. He had many servants with him. He stopped outside the girl’s house and went inside.

‘Is that her father?’ Faisal thought.

He went home, but he couldn’t eat or sleep. He thought about the girl. Who was she? He had to know.

An old woman worked in Faisal’s house. She asked, ‘What’s wrong with you, sir? Are you ill?’

‘No,’ answered Faisal.’ But I’m in love.’ He told the old woman about the girl at the window.

‘I know that girl,’ said the old woman.’ She’s the daughter of a judge. Her father is a very important man.’

‘How can I meet her?’ asked Faisal.

‘Listen,’ said the old woman. ‘I know the people in the girl’s house. I’ll speak to the girl about you. She’ll listen to me.’

The old woman went to the house and spoke to the girl about Faisal. The girl listened. She was very interested.

‘I would like to meet this young man,’ she said. ‘On Fridays my father always goes out in the morning. Tell the young man. He can come and see me then. I’ll speak to him.’ When Friday came, Faisal was very excited. First he went to the baths. Then he sent a servant into the town for a barber.

Faisal wanted the barber to cut his hair. But the barber was very slow and talked about stupid things.

‘Be quick!’ said Faisal. ‘I have to visit friends.’

‘Friends!’ said the barber. ‘Oh, no! Now I remember. Some friends are visiting me today, but I forgot to buy food for them. What will they think of me?’

‘Listen,’ said Faisal, ‘I have a lot of food in my house, but I’m going out. I don’t want it, so you can take it. But finish your work and GO!’

‘Thank you, thank you,’ said the barber. ‘But now what can I do for you? I know! I can come with you to your friend house.’

‘No, you can’t,’ said Faisal.

‘Oh,’ said the barber. Then he got very excited. ‘Perhaps your friend is a woman? Yes! Perhaps things will be difficult for you? But, really, I can help you. I helped a lot of my friends in this way. Please let me come with you.’

Faisal didn’t want to listen to the barber. ‘Oh, all right,’ he said. ‘Take the food home to your friends. I’ll wait for you here. Then you can come with me to my friend house.’ But Faisal didn’t wait for the barber. He didn’t want the barber to come with him. When the barber left, he went to the girl’s house.

He was very late because of the barber. The old woman opened the door and took him upstairs to a fine room. There he sat and waited for the girl.

But the barber didn’t go home. He paid a man, and the man took the food back to his house. Then he followed Faisal to the girl’s house. When Faisal went into the house, the barber waited outside in the street.

Suddenly, he saw the judge, the girl’s father. The judge came down the street and went into the house.

Inside, the judge found a servant. The servant had the judge’s money in his hand, so the judge began to hit the man hard.

Outside in the street, the barber heard the man’s cries. ‘It’s my friend, Faisal,’ he thought. ‘The judge is killing him.’ He ran to the door and began to shout. ‘Help! Help!’ he cried. ‘The judge is killing my friend!’

Many people heard the barber and came out of their houses. They stood round the judge’s door and began to cry, ‘Help! Help! The judge is killing this man’s friend!’

From inside the house, the judge heard the noise and opened the door. When he saw the angry people, he was surprised and a little afraid.

Then the barber said to him, ‘Where’s my friend?’

‘Yes, where s his friend?’ asked the people. They were very excited.

‘I don’t understand,’ said the judge. ‘Who is this man’s friend? Why is he in my house?’

‘You bad old man!’ shouted the barber. ‘My friend loves your daughter, and she loves him! You know that very well. So you killed him.’

‘Good people,’ said the judge, ‘my house is open to everybody. But I’m telling you, this man’s friend isn’t inside. Come and look.’

The barber ran into the house and the people followed him. Faisal heard the noise and was very afraid. He found a large box and climbed into it. Then the barber came in. ‘There you are, my friend!’ he said. ‘You’ll be all right now. I’m here and I’m going to help you.’

He closed the box and began to carry it downstairs. There were many people on the stairs and he pushed them out of his way.

But Faisal was very angry with the barber.

‘Go away, you stupid man!’ he shouted. ‘I don’t want your help.’ He began to kick the box hard from the inside.

The barber fell down the stairs and the box fell out of his arms onto the floor. Faisal climbed out. His arm hurt and his face was black and blue. He pushed his way through the people and ran home quickly. He had to get away from the barber.

But the barber followed him and shouted, ‘Wait for me, my friend! I only want to help you!’

Shahriar laughed and laughed. In the next room, the vizir stopped his work and listened. He was very surprised.

‘Why is the sultan laughing?’ he thought. ‘And what is Sheherezade doing? Why isn’t she dead?’

The next night, Sheherezade began a new story.