Ramadan Kareem to all Egyptian Chronicles readers.
Tonight, we will find out what al-Nu’man’s brothers will do after discovering Stormbreaker in their war camp.
But first, it is time for our chit-chat.
In the original tale of Omar al-Nu’man in The Thousand and One Nights, several real cities are explicitly mentioned.
Omar al-Nu’man is portrayed as the king of Baghdad and Khorasan. He appoints his eldest son, Sharkan, as governor of Damascus.
King Hardoub is the ruler of Caesarea, as in Taher Abu Fasha’s radio adaptation. However, Constantinople—the capital of the Byzantine Empire—is mentioned in the original text but omitted in Abu Fasha’s version.
Jerusalem and Mecca also appear multiple times. Shawahy travels to these places to learn more about Muslims. In addition, in the original tale, al-Nu’man’s twin sons journey to the Holy Land and Mecca on pilgrimage, passing first through Jerusalem—rather than going on a hunting trip, as depicted in the radio adaptation.
Aside from Caesarea, Abu Fasha largely replaces real locations with fictional cities in his version of the story.
Now, enough chit-chat.
Let us now see what is going to happen in the 108th episode of One Thousand and One Nights, as originally broadcast on Egyptian State Radio.
EP.19 The Message
The One Hundred and Tenth Night
When it was the one hundred and tenth night, and the next evening had come, King Shahryar took his seat as on the night before.
At the appointed hour, Shahrazad arrived. She stepped forward, bowed before him, and began once more to narrate her tale.
Shahrazad said:
“I have been told, O fortunate king, wise in judgment…”
That Uncle Karkoub, the garbage collector, rushed at once to Daw’ al-Makan, bringing him the glad news that his brother Sharkan had survived—
And that the so-called dervish was none other than that old crone, that cunning schemer, Stormbreaker herself.
She had taken on that disguise to carry out her plot and deliver her deadly blow—but instead met her end, and fell into the very pit she had dug.
Daw’ al-Makan was struck with a shock beyond measure, and without delay he hurried to his brother’s tent.
There lay the wounded hero, stretched upon his bed of illness, and before him lay the lifeless body of Stormbreaker.
He gazed upon her… and reflected on her days, and on his own.
He remembered their struggle… her deception…
He remembered Abriza, and her short-lived life…
He remembered his sister Nuzhat al-Zaman…
And his daughter Qadar wa-Kan…
Grief overcame him until he fell into a faint. He regained his senses only as Daw’ al-Makan entered hastily.
Sharkan (weakly):
My brother… my brother, Daw’ al-Makan…
Daw’ al-Makan:
Praise be to God for your safety, Sharkan.
Sharkan:
Listen, Daw’ al-Makan… this is beyond belief! We were fools—utter fools! That so-called dervish, the one the whole army was blessing… turns out to be Stormbreaker herself!
Daw’ al-Makan:
Nothing remains as it was… truly, what amazes me most is that I was speaking to her about Stormbreaker herself.
Sharkan:
You spoke to Stormbreaker… about Stormbreaker?!
Uncle Karkoub brought the news—look at her now! Look at her face… her hair…
No—do not take her body away from me… and do not take me away from her.
Daw’ al-Makan:
We will remove her at once.
Battash! Battash!
Battash:
My lord!
Daw’ al-Makan:
Remove this body.
Battash:
God preserve us! The dervish! You killed the dervish?! He was the blessing of the army!
Daw’ al-Makan:
The dervish was no dervish. Remove it—and stop your crying.
Battash:
What—? Her hair came off in my hand! By God… this is a woman! A woman!
Daw’ al-Makan:
Now you understand. The “dervish” was a deception—she was a woman, not a man. Out with you, fool!
Sharkan:
This is no small matter… though it was deserved.
Wait—have you forgotten? She had written something before she died.
Where is it, Uncle Karkoub?
Karkoub:
Karkoub, Karkoub, Karkoub… leave poor Karkoub alone! Haven’t I suffered enough?
Sharkan:
What now? What else is it?
Karkoub:
You expect me to go on living after killing the mother of King Hardoub?! I wouldn’t even kill an ant—how did I end up doing this?!
When Karkouba hears that I killed someone with my own hands, she won’t even greet me! She’ll leave me!
Daw’ al-Makan:
You have done what even heroes could not do.
Karkoub:
What do I have to do with heroes? I am just a garbage collector.
Sharkan:
I told you—stop saying that, Uncle Karkoub.
Karkoub:
Why should I stop? Should I abandon my trade? I am a garbage collector through and through!
Sharkan:
Very well… where is the letter?
Karkoub:
Here it is. Take it.
And this thing—we found it tied to her arm.
Daw’ al-Makan:
What is this? Look!
Sharkan:
By God… the bead! The third bead!
The one that was with Abriza—I gave it to her myself before what happened to her…
Daw’ al-Makan:
What does it mean? What is the secret behind it?
Sharkan:
This is what we gained—the bead… and the letter she wrote.
Listen while we read it:
(He reads aloud.)
“From Queen Stormbreaker, the blazing fire, mother of King Hardoub,
to the Commander of Armies, feeder of beasts, Prince Kharoub—
When this letter reaches you, move all your forces from the western side to the sea side.
Prepare for battle, for from that direction Daw’ al-Makan will attack you.
I have killed Sharkan, and he is now no more.
Signed: Stormbreaker.”
Sharkan:
Now do you see, Daw’ al-Makan?
Daw’ al-Makan:
We would have been destroyed…
Daw’ al-Makan (softly):
Praise be to God.
Sharkan:
All of this is thanks to you, Uncle Karkoub.
Karkoub:
Oh, please… don’t embarrass me like this!
Sharkan:
The whole army should be taking blessings from you.
Karkoub:
You were taking blessings from the dervish—of all people!
Daw’ al-Makan:
We are in your debt, Uncle Karkoub.
Karkoub:
Don’t say that—credit belongs to God alone.
Daw’ al-Makan:
First—you saved us all when you advised us to divide the army, and we destroyed the ambush they had set for us.
Sharkan:
That’s only the second thing!
Karkoub:
I did nothing! It all just came from God.
Daw’ al-Makan:
And third, and fourth, and fifth—
Sharkan:
Fourth and fifth? You are nothing but blessings, Uncle Karkoub!
Karkoub:
Well… God works in mysterious ways!
Sharkan:
You saved my brother’s life.
Karkoub:
No, no—he simply has a long life ahead of him.
Daw’ al-Makan:
So you refuse to take credit for anything?
Karkoub:
By God, I did nothing.
Sharkan:
Nothing? You didn’t kill Stormbreaker?
Karkoub:
Yes, I did—but that’s no virtue! That’s a disaster that fell on my head!
Me—kill someone with my own hands? I’ve killed a soul!
If Karkouba hears of this, she’ll turn my life upside down… she might even leave me after all these years!
Sharkan:
Listen, Uncle Karkoub—forget dividing the army, forget saving my life, forget even killing Stormbreaker.
It is enough that you uncovered this letter—and stopped it from being delivered.
Karkoub:
What? Stopped it from being delivered?
Sharkan:
Yes—stopped it.
Karkoub:
How can it not be delivered? Do you realize what would happen if this letter reached them?
Daw’ al-Makan:
They would move their armies from land… and position them by the sea.
Sharkan:
And if they prepare and shift their forces, we will not be able to defeat them.
Daw’ al-Makan:
We would be facing their armies, their walls, and the sea all at once.
Karkoub:
Not at all!
If we send the letter… the path will be clear before us—no armies, no walls, no defenses!
Daw’ al-Makan:
You don’t understand, Uncle Karkoub…
Karkoub:
Then explain it to me like I’m simple!
We send them the letter early. The moment they see her handwriting, they’ll trust it and carry out her plan. They’ll move their armies immediately.
That leaves the western side exposed—no troops, no defenses.
And just like that, the city lies open to us! We take the strongholds… seize them… and crush whatever remains inside!
Sharkan:
Did you hear that, Daw’ al-Makan?
Daw’ al-Makan:
I am astonished, Sharkan…
Uncle Karkoub—what did you just say?
Karkoub:
What? What did I say?
Daw’ al-Makan:
That plan…
Karkoub:
What plan? Do I understand such things?
Sharkan:
Military strategy… fortifications…
Karkoub:
These things just come by chance!
Daw’ al-Makan:
Actions are judged by intentions…
Very well, Uncle Karkoub.
Karkoub:
What? The letter—what do I do with it?
Daw’ al-Makan:
You will deliver it to Prince Kharoub, their commander.
Karkoub:
Me?!
Daw’ al-Makan:
This is a matter of life and death. I trust no one but you.
Karkoub:
You want me to go to the city of King Hardoub?
Fine—don’t go yourself, send me!
Daw’ al-Makan:
You?
Karkoub:
Yes, me! Why not? Is it only you and me here?
Sharkan:
If only I were not wounded…
Daw’ al-Makan:
You stay and rest. I will go and send you word.
Karkoub:
Go where? Didn’t I tell you—I trust no one! And this isn’t about sending messages back and forth.
Alright… alright… give me the letter.
I will deliver it to Prince Kharoub.
And… give my regards to Karkouba—
and tell her to pray for poor Karkoub…
Shahrazad said:
Uncle Karkoub took the letter, and he also took Stormbreaker’s bead to present it as proof.
When he approached the fortress, and the guards and watchmen saw him—
(The rooster crows.)
Shahrazad:
My king—
And before the tale was complete, the dawn overtook Shahrazad, and she fell silent until another night.
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