THE TALKING HAWK
Now, when he awoke he found himself alone in that place, the moon shiningover the low meadows and flower-cups fair with night-dew. Odours ofnight-flowers were abroad, filling the cool air with deliciousness, andhe heard in the gardens below songs of the bulbul: it was like a dream tohis soul, and he lay somewhile contemplating the rich loveliness of thescene, that showed no moving thing. Then rose he and bethought him of thewords of Noorna, and of the City of Oolb, and the phial of the waters ofParavid in his vest; and he drew it forth, and dropped a drop of it onthe rock where he had reclined. A deep harmony seemed suddenly to awakeinside the rock, and to his interrogation as to the direction of Oolb, heheard, 'The path of the shadows of the moon.'
Thereupon he advanced to a prominent part of the rocks above the meadows,and beheld the shadows of the moon thrown forward into dimness across awaste of sand. And he stepped downward to the level of sand, and went theway of the shadows till it was dawn. Then dropped he a drop of the watersof the phial on a spike of lavender, and there was a voice said to him inreply to what he questioned, 'The path of the shadows of the sun.'
The shadows of the sun were thrown forward across the same waste of sand,and he turned and pursued his way, resting at noon beneath a date-tree,and refreshing himself at a clear spring beside it. Surely he was joyfulas he went, and elated with high prospects, singing:
Sun and moon with their bright fingers Point the hero's path;
If in his great work he lingers, Well may they be wroth.
Now, the extent of the duration of his travel was four days and an equalnumber of nights; and it was on the fifth morn that he entered the gatesof a city by the sea, even at that hour when the inhabitants were risingfrom sleep: fair was the sea beyond it, and the harbour was crowded withvessels, ships stored with merchandise--silks, dates, diamonds, Damascussteel, huge bales piled on the decks for the land of Roum and otherlands. Shibli Bagarag thought, 'There's scarce a doubt but that one ofthose sails will set for Oolb shortly. Wullahy! if I knew which, I'dboard her and win a berth in her.' Presently he thought, 'I'll go to thepublic fountain and question it with the speech-winning waters.'Thereupon he passed down the streets of the city and came to an openspace, where stood the fountain, and sprinkled it with Paravid; and thefountain spake, saying, 'Where men are, question not dumb things.'
Cried he, 'Faileth Paravid in its power? Have I done aught to bafflemyself?'
Then he thought, ''Twere nevertheless well to do as the fountaindirecteth, and question men while I see them.' And he walked about amongthe people, and came to the quays of the harbour where the ships layclose in, many of them an easy leap from shore, and considered whom toaddress. So, as he loitered about the quays, meditating on the means atthe disposal of the All-Wise, and marking the vessels wistfully, behold,there advanced to him one at a quick pace, in the garb of a sailor. Heobserved Shibli Bagarag attentively a moment, and exclaimed as it were inthe plenitude of respect and with the manner of one that is abashed,'Surely, thou art Shibli Bagarag, the nephew of the barber, him we watchfor.'
So Shibli Bagarag marvelled at this recognition, and answered, 'Am I thenalready famous to that extent?'
And he that accosted him said, ''Tis certain the trumpet was blown beforethy steps, and there is not a man in this city but knoweth of thydestination to the City of Oolb, and that thou art upon the track ofgreat things, one chosen to bring about imminent changes.'
Then said Shibli Bagarag, 'For this I praise Noorna bin Noorka, daughterof Feshnavat, Vizier of the King that ruleth in the city of Shagpat! Shesaw me, that I was marked for greatness. Wullahy, the eagle knoweth mefrom afar, and proclaimeth me; the antelope of the hills scenteth thecoming of one not as other men, and telleth his tidings; the wind of thedesert shapeth its gust to a meaning, so that the stranger may wot ShibliBagarag is at hand!'
He puffed his chest, and straightened his legs like the cock, and was asa man upon whom the Sultan has bestowed a dress of honour, even as theplumed peacock. Then the other said:
'Know that I am captain of yonder vessel, that stands farthest out fromthe harbour with her sails slackened; and she is laden with figs andfruits which I exchange for silks, spices, and other merchandise, withthe people of Oolb. Now, what says the poet?--
"Delay in thine undertaking Is disaster of thy own making";
and he says also:
"Greatness is solely for them that succeed; 'Tis a rotten applause that gives earlier meed."
Therefore it is advisable for thee to follow me on board without loss oftime, and we will sail this very night for the City of Oolb.'
Now, Shibli Bagarag was ruled by the words of the captain albeit hedesired to stay awhile and receive the homage of the people of that city.So he followed him into a boat that was by, and the twain were rowed bysailors to the ship. Then, when they were aboard the captain set sail,and they were soon in the hollows of deep waters. There was a berth inthe ship set apart for Shibli Bagarag, and one for the captain. ShibliBagarag, when he entered his berth, beheld at the head of his couch ahawk; its eyes red as rubies, its beak sharp as the curve of a scimitar.So he called out to the captain, and the captain came to him; but when hesaw the hawk, he plucked his turban from his head, and dashed it at thehawk, and afterward ran to it, trying to catch it; and the hawk flittedfrom corner to corner of the berth, he after it with open arms. Then hetook a sword, but the hawk flew past him, and fixed on the back part ofhis head, tearing up his hair by the talons, and pecking over hisforehead at his eyes. And Shibli Bagarag heard the hawk scream the name'Karaz,' and he looked closely at the Captain of the vessel, and knew himfor the Genie Karaz. Then trembled he with exceeding terror, cursing hiscredulities, for he saw himself in the hands of the Genie, and nothingbut this hawk friendly to him on the fearful waters. When the hawk hadtorn up a certain hair, the Genie stiffened, and glowed like copper inthe furnace, the whole length of him; and he descended heavily throughthe bottom of the ship, and sank into the waters beneath, which hissedand smoked as at a bar of heated iron. Then Shibli Bagarag gave thanks tothe Prophet, and praised the hawk, but the hawk darted out of the cabin,and he followed it on deck, and, lo! the vessel was in flames, and thehawk in a circle of the flames; and the flames soared with it, and leftit no outlet. Now, as Shibli Bagarag watched the hawk, the flamesstretched out towards him and took hold of his vestments. So he delayednot to commend his soul to the All-merciful, and bore witness to hisfaith, and plunged into the sea headlong. When he rose, the ship hadvanished, and all was darkness where it had been; so he buffeted with thebillows, thinking his last hour had come, and there was no help for himin this world; and the spray shaken from the billows blinded him, thegreat walls of water crumbled over him; strength failed him, and hismemory ceased to picture images of the old time--his heart to beat withambition; and to keep the weight of his head above the surface wasbecoming a thing worth the ransom of kings. As he was sinking and turninghis eyes upward, he heard a flutter as of fledgling's wings, and the twored ruby eyes of the hawk were visible above him, like steady fires inthe gloom. And the hawk perched on him, and buried itself among the wethairs of his head, and presently taking the Identical in its beak, thehawk lifted him half out of water, and bore him a distance, and droppedhim. This the hawk did many times, and at the last, Shibli Bagarag feltland beneath him, and could wade through the surges to the shore. He gavethanks to the Supreme Disposer, kneeling prostrate on the shore, and fellinto a sleep deep in peacefulness as a fathomless well, unruffled by abreath.
Now, when it was dawn Shibli Bagarag awoke and looked inland, and sawplainly the minarets of a city shining in the first beams, and the frontof yellow mountains, and people moving about the walls and on the towersand among the pastures round the city; so he made toward them, andinquired of them the name of their city. And they stared at him, crying,'What! know'st thou not the City of Oolb? the hawk on thy shoulder couldtell thee that much.' He looked and saw that the hawk was on
hisshoulder; and its left wing was scorched, the plumage blackened. So hesaid to the hawk, 'Is it profitable, O preserving bird, to ask of theequestions?'
The hawk shook its wings and closed an eye.
So he said, 'Do I well in entering this city?'
The hawk shook its wings again and closed an eye.
So he said, 'To what house shall I direct my steps in this strange cityfor the attainment of the purpose I have?'
The hawk flew, and soared, and alighted on the topmost of the towers ofOolb. So when it returned he said, 'O bird! rare bird! my counsellor! itis an indication, this alighting on the highest tower, that thou advisestme to go straight to the palace of the King?'
The hawk flapped its wings and winked both eyes; so Shibli Bagarag tookforth the phial from his breast, remembering the virtues of the waters ofthe Well of Paravid, and touched his lips with them, that he might beendowed with flowing speech before the King of Oolb. As he did this thephial was open, and the hawk leaned to it and dipped its beak into thewater; and he entered the city and passed through the long streetstowards the palace of the King, and craved audience of him as one thathad a thing marvellous to tell. So the King commanded that Shibli Bagaragshould be brought before him, for he was a lover of marvels. As he wentinto the presence of the King, Shibli Bagarag listened to the hawk, forthe hawk spake his language, and it said, 'Proclaim to the King a newwonder--"the talking hawk."'
So when he had bent his body to the King, he proclaimed the new wonder;and the King seemed not to observe the hawk, and said, 'From what cityart thou?'
He answered, 'Native, O King, to Shiraz; newly from the City of Shagpat.'
And the King asked, 'How is it with that hairy wonder?'
He answered, 'The dark forest flourisheth about him.'
And the King said, 'That is well! We of the City of Oolb take ourfashions from them of the City of Shagpat, and it is but yesterday that Ibastinadoed a barber that strayed among us.'
Shibli Bagarag sighed when he heard the King, and thought to himself,'How unfortunate is the race of barbers, once honourable and in esteem!Surely it will not be otherwise till Shagpat is shaved!' And the Kingcalled out to him for the cause of his sighing; so he said, 'I sigh, OKing of the age, considering how like may be the case of the barberbastinadoed but yesterday, in his worth and value, to that of Roomdroom,the reader of planets, that was a barber.'
And he related the story of Roomdroom for the edification of the King andthe exaltation of barbercraft, delivering himself neatly and winninglyand pointedly, so that the story should apply, which was its merit andits origin.