Pg. 605
¶ 1 Leave a comment on paragraph 1 0 Charles Dickens.] THE MERRY MEN OF CAIRO. 605
¶ 2 Leave a comment on paragraph 2 0 pushing the door, that was ajar, went into the passage, and cried, “Beit!”
¶ 3 Leave a comment on paragraph 3 0 “Who is there?” was the reply.
¶ 4 Leave a comment on paragraph 4 0 “May the stones, and the walls, and the roof of this dwelling be blessed!” exclaimed the loquacious barber. “I demand permission to enter. I bring a message.”
¶ 5 Leave a comment on paragraph 5 0 “Come up,” said Abu Munchar, leaning from the gallery.
¶ 6 Leave a comment on paragraph 6 1 So Ali went upstairs; and, having kissed the hands of his false friend, told him, with a thousand circumlocutions, of what had taken place.
¶ 7 Leave a comment on paragraph 7 0 Is it possible,” cried Abu Munchar, “that the Emir Maza of Dorkân is in the condition which thou hast described? He is the chief and president of our company, but has been absent a whole year on a wonderful adventure. Let me hasten to receive him.”
¶ 8 Leave a comment on paragraph 8 0 So the wag went down and embraced Maza, and took him away; leaving the poor barber in a state of amazement and delight that he should have had an opportunity of giving hospitality to an emir.
¶ 9 Leave a comment on paragraph 9 0 Next day, Abu Munchar came to Ali’s shop, and entered invoking blessings on the owner.
¶ 10 Leave a comment on paragraph 10 0 “O fortunate barber!” he cried, “thou art about to attain the accomplishment of thy wishes. The Emir of Dorkân hath consented to receive thee into our company; being amazed with thy learning, and charmed by thy wit, and fascinated by thy elegant demeanour. There remain but some few trifling formalities to undergo, which of course will not stand in the way.”
¶ 11 Leave a comment on paragraph 11 0 Ali was profuse in his expressions of delight, and promised to comply with whatever was demanded of him.
¶ 12 Leave a comment on paragraph 12 1 “In the first place,” said Abu Munchar, “thou must exercise thy razor upon thy face, and shave it until not one hair remaineth to look at another. Then thou must undress, keeping nothing on but thy shirt and thy under-clothing. Afterwards thou must take a kurbeh (water-skin) and fill it with foul water, and go about the streets offering to the thirsty. Many things may befall thee; but, depend upon it, ere long, thou wilt belong to the company of the wise and happy. Remember, however, should any one ask an explanation of thy conduct, say that thou wert commanded by Maza, the Emir of Dorkân.”
¶ 13 Leave a comment on paragraph 13 1 Ali consented to do all this, although in his heart he feared the consequences. Accordingly, next day, having thrown away his beard, clotted with soap, he went forth in his shirt and drawers, bearing on his back a kurbeh filled from the Kalish. The weather was very hot, and before he had taken ten paces a crowd of boys and girls followed him laughing and crying, “O mad Sakka, give us to drink and he gave them from a brass cup, and they spluttered, and cursed him, and pelted him with stones, so that he was forced to take refuge in a crowded bazaar. Here the people made way for him, crying, “This is a man performing a penance.” Some asked to be refreshed; and many were deceived into tasting what he gave. Whereupon they kicked and buffetted him from one end of the bazaar to the other, and said, “This is one of the wags. Let us make him have cause to weep instead of to laugh.”
¶ 14 Leave a comment on paragraph 14 0 In this way he passed from one quarter to another, without ever failing to be beaten in any one, until he felt his brain whirl.
¶ 15 Leave a comment on paragraph 15 0 “Woe be unto me!” exclaimed the unfortunate shaver at length. “This matter is not agreeable. It will be well if I reach my destination soon, otherwise I shall not have strength to taste the felicity that is prepared for me.”
¶ 16 Leave a comment on paragraph 16 0 As he uttered these words a Bey, riding upon a horse, passed with his attendants; and seeing the Sakka (water-carrier), who was now covered with dirt and in rags, asked for a drink, intending to present him afterwards with a piece of gold. But, when he tasted the foul drink he was enraged, and ordered his people to seize the offender, and to beat him, and to drag him to prison. He was accordingly dragged to prison, and thrown in amidst thieves and bad servants, and passed the rest of that day and the whole night in misery, bemoaning himself, and wishing that he had never undertaken this adventure. In the morning they brought him before the head of the police, who questioned him as to the motives of his conduct. Remembering what had been told him, Ali avowed that he had obeyed the instructions of the Emir of Dorkân.
¶ 17 Leave a comment on paragraph 17 0 “Dorkân!” cried the Zabib, “I know no Dorkân; therefore there can be no such place as Dorkân. Who ever heard of Dorkân? This man is guilty of impiety. He hath added a place to Allah’s earth. Let him be beaten for speaking of Dorkân!”
¶ 18 Leave a comment on paragraph 18 0 According to this wise decision, poor Ali was beaten until he was incapable of standing. Pain and suffering deprived him of his wits; and, when they cast him forth into the street, he mowed and gibbered at all who passed. Some compassionate folks now took him on their shoulders, and carried him to the Moristân or madhouse, where they chained him to a ring and beat him, that he might return to his senses. But they at length grew j weary of their benevolent exertions, and left him as foolish as ever.
¶ 19 Leave a comment on paragraph 19 0 When they ceased to torment him he imagined strange things; as that he was a prince of a vast country, and was surrounded with wealth and bright scenes and beautiful damsels. So he danced and rattled his chains and shouted “Blessings on Abu Munchar and the Emir of Dorkân.” Then, the keepers came and fell upon him with sticks, crying, “What an obstinate maniac is this! he has been beaten enough to make three wise men; and lo! he will not leave howling.” Ali remained in this miserable condition
Matt
Taylor Posik
Abu is trying to say to Ali that the key to happiness is found in humor from past misfortunes. The way this interpretation is true is that Abu only reveals he has found this secret after Abu played a trick on him that caused a cruel, unfortunate event. Another interpretation of this statement (That is far more likely to be true than the first) is that the key to happiness is what you make it, and that it’s something you always have possession of, even if not conscious of its existence.