Rafik Schami - Damascus Nights

" 'How can I! Every word of my misfortune weighs like a mountain on my breast. Every syllable cuts like a knife. When I want to pronounce it, it rends my throat,' the monster groaned and wept.

" 'Then I'll tell you a story. If it doesn't help you, it may at least relieve your sorrow.' Leila then told the monster the story of the seven sisters.

"The story is long, very long, my noble listeners," said Fatma to the old men who were hanging on her every word. "There's not enough time tonight, but I promise to tell it to you another time. In any case, when Leila described what trials and tribulations the first and oldest sister had been forced to undergo before she finally found happiness, the monster calmed down. Instead of crying, it was listening. Shortly before dawn it laid its head in Leila's lap, taking in her every word, just like a child. The monster was so peaceful that Leila thought it was sleeping. She paused, only to catch her breath, but the creature whispered to her, full of concern, 'And then what did she do to escape from her prison?' Leila gave a tired smile and went on. Noon came, and night, and still Leila continued her story, and whenever she paused to catch her breath the monster begged her to keep on telling.

"Not until the sun stood at its zenith on the second day did the monster fall asleep. Leila lay his head on a stone and walked over to the well. She refreshed herself with the cool water and crept out of the cave unnoticed. Once outside she took off her dress and filled it with pomegranates, figs, grapes, and corn from the nearby fields, then hurried back to the cave. She ate as much as she could, slept just enough to restore her strength, and then waited for the monster to wake up. Then she told him about the sorrows and fortunes of the second sister. Night came and again the new day broke, and the monster listened like a child to the story until it fell asleep. For seven nights Leila held the monster spellbound with her stories. It did not shed another tear.

"On the seventh night, the seventh and youngest daughter fell into disgrace with her ruthless father, who was a king, and the stern judge pronounced the royal sentence: the daughter would be beheaded the next day at sunset if no one could be found who would take her place and sacrifice himself. At this point the monster started up, excited.

" 'But there was no one,' Leila spoke on, very moved, who wanted to give up his life to save the youngest daughter.'

" 'But I want to!' the monster suddenly cried out: 'She is innocent. I will gladly give my life so that she may live!'

"When the monster spoke these words, its skin split with a resounding clap and a handsome youth stepped out of the shell. He was as beautiful as dew on the petals of a rose. His noble offer to sacrifice himself had proven stronger than the spell that had bound him. 'I am Prince Yasid,' he said, looking deep into Leila's eyes. 'You have freed me from my torment and I shall grant whatever your heart desires.'

"Suddenly Leila and the prince heard hundreds of children giggling. The boys and girls who had been turned to stone were released from their spell together with the prince and were now laughing at him because he was stark naked. The children who had been frozen in flight were also released. They heard the laughter in the cave and came running in to look. After a while they all went back to the village and reported that a naked youth was living in the cave, and that he was very shy and that he had turned red because he was naked. Leila was well; she was taking a bath in the cool water while the youth was grilling some ears of corn for her over a small fire. The parents of the missing children danced for joy, and the whole village went wild with glee.

" 'Of all the friends who followed me,' the youth told Leila, 'these bees are the only ones who stayed. They gave me light and honey. All the others succumbed to fear at the sight of me — except for you — and so they turned to stone. But let me tell you my story from the beginning. You will hardly believe it.

" 'My father, King Yasid the First, ruled over a happy Yemen for more than twenty years. On the day of my birth, he had a dream…' And Prince Yasid told Leila his truly unbelievable story. He went on for three days. In any case, there's not enough time to tell this story to you now, but if I live long enough, I will be happy to tell it to you some other time. As I said, the youth told her his story, and when he had finished, he made his way outside with Leila. People had been waiting anxiously in front of the cave for days, for they had heard whispers and laughter coming from the belly of the grotto, but no one had dared to set foot inside.

"Yasid addressed the crowd: 'Salaam aleikum, kind grandparents, neighbors, and friends of this storyteller who has freed me from the curse, so that the words from my heart, which have sought the light of the world for so long now, fly to it like butterflies.' The farmers shouted with joy.

" 'I hereby declare,' Yasid continued, 'as Prince of Sa'na and as the son of King Yasid the First, that I intend to take Leila to be my wife!'

" 'Your wish is our command,' the grandparents stammered in awe.

"The villagers cheered the king and his successor, and the grandparents wept tears of joy. But then Leila raised her delicate hand. 'No, my prince. You are gracious and kindhearted, but it is my wish to venture forth into the world. Your palace is firmly rooted in the earth and will keep me as painfully chained as the scales that tormented you for all these years. Farewell!'

" 'But—' the prince began to express his displeasure.

" 'No but, my prince. You promised to grant me whatever my heart desired — or is your word lightly given and lightly broken?' she said and walked away without haste or hesitation. The people looked at her agape. Now many were absolutely certain that Leila was crazy.

"In any case, the prince returned to the capital. He had the treacherous vizier, who had had him changed into a monster, thrown into a dungeon. Out of gratitude he sent seven camels laden with silk, silver, and gold to Leila's grandparents.

"But Leila ventured forth into the world. From the mountains of happy Yemen she traveled across the desert to Baghdad. For three years she lived in the city of the Thousand and One Nights until she met a man and fell in love. He was only visiting Baghdad, for he was an engineer on the Hejaz railroad that ran from Jordan to Mecca and Medina. Leila saw this as a gift from heaven. She traveled with her beloved, and whenever she wanted, she would get off the train, to tell stories and to listen to them in the nearby cities, villages, and Bedouin camps until her lover's train returned. Her fairy-tale happiness lasted for years.

"She became pregnant, but Leila was like the gazelles that continue leaping about right up to their labor. Her beloved was happy that she was pregnant and even happier that he was promoted. He was named station superintendent, and he joyfully informed Leila that from then on he would no longer have to move around. But she just broke into tears. That same night she fled to Damascus, where she brought a daughter into the world. She named her daughter Fatma. And while a prince, a kingdom, and her beloved all had failed to keep this wonderful storyteller in one place, Leila's love for her daughter bound her to Damascus for eighteen years during which time she earned her living as a midwife. One sad day she came to her daughter…" Fatma paused, wiped away a tear, and blew her nose into her large handkerchief. "She said she could no longer stay and that for years she had been dreaming of telling stories in faraway cities and villages. Her daughter was dumbfounded. She had only seen the mother in Leila and not the magical storyteller. 'You've grown old. Stay here,' the daughter begged, 'Ali and I will take care of you!'