Forming the Conclusion of This Work and Treating
of the Good Effect;' of the Deglutition of
Eggs as Favourable to the Coitus
Know, O Vizir (God be good to you!), that this chapter contains the most useful instructions - how to increase the intensity of the coitus - and that the latter part is profitable to read for an old man as well as for the man in his best years and for the young man.
The Sheikh, who gives good advice to the creatures of God the Great! he the sage, the savant, the first of the men of his time, speaks as follows on this subject; listen then to his words:
He who makes it a practice to eat every day fasting the yolks of eggs, without the white part, will find in this aliment an energetic stimulant towards coitus. The same is the case with the man who during three days eats of the same mixture with onions.
He who boils asparagus and then fries them in fat, and then pours upon them the yolks of eggs with pounded condiments, and eats every day of this dish, will grow very strong for the coitus, and find in it a stimulant for his amorous desires.
He who peels onions, puts them into a saucepan, with condiments and aromatic substances, and fries the mixture with oil and yolks of eggs, will acquire a surpassing and invaluable vigour for the coitus, if he will partake of this dish for several days.
Camel's milk mixed with honey and taken regularly develops a vigour for copulation which is unaccountable and causes the virile member to be on the alert night and day.
He who for several days makes his meals upon eggs boiled with myrrh, coarse cinnamon, and pepper, will find his vigour with respect to coition and erections greatly increased. He will have a feeling as though his member would never return to a state of repose.
A man who wishes to copulate during a whole night, and whose desire, having come on suddenly, will not allow him to prepare himself and follow the regimen just mentioned, may have recourse to the following recipe. He must get a great number of eggs, so that he may eat to surfeit, and fry them with fresh fat and butter; when done he immerses them in honey, working the whole mass well together. He must then eat of them as much as possible with a little bread, and he may be certain that for the whole night his member will not give him any rest.
On this subject the following verses have been composed:
The member of Abou el Heïloukh has remained erectThe deeds of Abou el Heïloukli, Abou el Heïdja and Mimoun, just cited, have been justly praised, and their history is truly marvellous. So I will make you acquainted with it, please God, and thus complete the signal services which this work is designed to render to humanity.
For thirty days without a break, because he did eat onions.
Abou el Heïdja has deflowered in one night
Once eighty virgins, and he did not eat or drink between,
Because he'd surfeited himself first with chick-peas,
And had drunk camel's milk with honey mixed.
Mimoun, the negro, never ceased to spend his sperm while he
For fifty days without a truce the game was working.
How proud he was to finish such a task!
For ten days more he worked it, not was he yet surfeited,
But all this time he ate but yolk of eggs and bread.
This King had seven daughters remarkable for their beauty and perfections. These seven had been born one after another, without any male infant between them.
The kings of the time wanted them in marriage, but they refused to be married. They wore men's clothing, rode on magnificent horses covered with gold-embroidered trappings, knew how to handle the sword and the spear, and bore men down in single combat. Each of them possessed a splendid palace with the servants and slaves necessary for such service, for the preparation of meat and drink, and other necessities of that kind.
Whenever a marriage-offer for one of them was presented to the King, he never failed to consult with her about it; but they always answered, That shall never be.'
Different conclusions were drawn from these refusals; some in a good sense, some in a bad one.
For a long time no positive information could be gathered of the reasons for this conduct, and the daughters persevered in acting in the same manner until the death of their father. Then the oldest of them was called upon to succeed him, and received the oath of fidelity from all his subjects. This accession to the throne resounded through all the countries.
The name of the eldest sister was Fouzel Djemal (the flower of (Beauty); the second was called Soltana el Agmar (the queen of moons); the third, Bediaat el Djemal (the incomparable in beauty); the fourth, Ouarda (the rose); the fifth, Mahmouda (the praiseworthy); the sixth, Kamela (the perfect); and, finally, the seventh, Zohra (the beauty).
Zohra, the youngest, was at the same time the most intelligent and judicious.
She was passionately fond of the chase, and one day as she was riding through the fields she met on her way a cavalier, who saluted her, and she returned his salute; she had some twenty men in her service with her. The cavalier thought it was the voice of a woman he had heard, but as Zohra's face was covered by a flap of her haik, he was not certain, and said to himself, `I would like to know whether this is a woman or a man. He asked one of the princess's servants, who dissipated his doubts. Approaching Zohra, he then conversed pleasantly with her till they made a halt for breakfast. He sat down near her to partake of the repast.
Disappointing the hopes of the cavalier, the princess did not uncover her face, and, pleading that she was fasting, ate nothing. He could not help admiring secretly her hand, the gracefulness of her waist' and the amorous expression of her eyes. His heart was seized with a violent love.
The following conversation took place between them:
They then separated, bidding each other adieu, and returned each of them to their dwelling.
The cavalier's name was Abou el Heïdja. His father, Kheiroun, was a great merchant and immensely rich, whose habitation stood isolated beyond the estate of the princess, a day's journey distant from her castle. Abou el Heïdja returned home, could not rest, and put on again his temeur when the night fell, took a black turban, and buckled his sword on under his temeur. Then he mounted his horse, and, accompanied by his favourite negro, Mimoun, he rode away secretly under the cover of night.
They travelled all night without stopping until, on the approach of daylight, the dawn came upon them in sight of Zohra's castle. They then made a halt among the hills, and entered with their horses into a cavern which they found there.
Abou el Heïdja left the negro in charge of the horses, and went in the direction of the castle, in order to examine its approaches; he found it surrounded by a very high wall. Not being able to get into it, he retired to some distance to watch those who came out. But the whole day passed away and he saw no one come out.
After sunset he sat himself down at the entrance of the cavern and kept on the watch until midnight; then sleep overcame him.
He was lying asleep with his head on Mimoun's knee, when the latter suddenly awakened him. `What is it?' he asked. `O my master,' said Mimoun, `I have heard some noise in the cavern, and I saw the glimmer of a light.' He rose at once, and looking attentively, he perceived indeed a light, towards which he went, and which guided him to a recess in the cavern. Having ordered the negro to wait for him while he was going to find out where it proceeded from, he took his sabre and penetrated deeper into the cavern. He discovered a subterranean vault, into which he descended.
The road to it was nearly impracticable, on account of the stones which encumbered it. He contrived, however, after much trouble to reach a kind of crevice, through which the light shone which he had perceived. Looking through it, he saw the Princess Zohra, surrounded by about a hundred virgins. They were in a magnificent palace dug out in the heart of the mountain, splendidly furnished and resplendent with gold everywhere. The maidens were eatIng and drinking and enjoying the pleasures of the table.
Abou el Heïdja said to himself, `Alas! I have no companion to assist me at this difficult moment.' Under the influence of this reflection, he returned to his servant, Mimoun, and said to him, `Go to my brother before God, Abou el Heïloukh, and tell him to come here to me as quickly as he can.' The servant forthwith mounted upon his horse, and rode through the remainder of the night.
Of all his friends, Abou el Heïloukh was the one whom Abou el Heïdja liked best; he was the son of the Vizir. This young man and Abou el Heïdja and the negro, Mimoun, passed as the three strongest and most fearless men of their time, and no one ever succeeded in overcoming them in combat.
When the negro Mimoun came to his master's friend, and had told him what had happened, the latter said, `Certainly, we belong to God and shall return to him.' Then he took his sabre, mounted his horse, and taking his favourite negro with him, he made his way, with Mimoun, to the cavern.
Aboul el Heïdja came out to meet him and bid him welcome, and having informed him of the love he bore to Zohra, he told him of his resolution to penetrate forcibly into the palace, of the circumstances under which he had taken refuge in the cavern, and the marvellous scene he had witnessed while there. Abou el Heïloukh was dumb with surprise.
At nightfall they heard singing, boisterous laughter, and animated talking. Abou el Heïdja said to his friend, `Go to the end of the subterranean passage and look. You will then make excuse for the love of your brother.' Abou el Heïloukh, stealing softly down to the lower end of the grotto, looked into the interior of the palace, and was enchanted with the sight of these virgins and their charms. `O brother,' he asked, `which among these women is Zohra?'
Abou el Heïdja answered, `The one with the irreproachable shape, whose smile is irresistible, whose cheeks are roses, and whose forehead is resplendently white, whose head is encircled by a crown of pearls, and whose garments sparkle with gold. She is seated on a throne encrusted with rare stones and nails of silver, and she is leaning her head upon her hind.'
`I have observed her of all the others,' said Abou el Heïloukh, as though she were a standard or a blazing torch. `But, O my brother, let me draw your attention to a matter which appears not to have struck you.' `What is it?' asked Abou el Heïdja. His friend replied, `It is very certain, O my brother, that licentiousness reigns in this palace. Observe that these people come here only at night-time, and that this is a retired place. There is every reason to believe that it is exclusively consecrated to feasting, drinking, and debauchery, and if it was your idea that you could have come to her you love by any other way than the one on which we are now, you would have found that you had deceived yourself, even if you had found means to communicate with her by the help or other people.' `And why so?' asked Abou el Heïdja. `Because,' said his friend, `as far as I can see, Zohra solicits the affection of young girls, which is a proof that she can have no inclination for men, nor be responsive to their love.'
`O Abou el Heïloukh,' said Abou el Heïdja, `I know the value of your judgment, and it is for that I have sent for you. You know that I have never hesitated to follow your advice and counsel!' `O my brother,' said the son of the Vizir, `if God had not guided you to this entrance of the palace you would never have been able to approach Zohra. But from here, please God we can find our way.'
Next morning at sunrise, they ordered their servants to make a breach in that place, and managed to get everything out of the way that could obstruct the passage. This done they hid their horses in another cavern, safe from wild beasts and thieves; then all the four, the two masters and the two servants, entered the cavern and penetrated into the palace, each of them armed with sabre and buckler. They then closed up again the breach, and restored its former appearance.
Now they found themselves in darkness, but Abou el Heïloukh, having struck a match, lighted one of the candles, and they began to explore the palace in every sense. It seemed to them the marvel of marvels. The furniture was magnificent. Everywhere there were beds and couches of all kinds, rich candelabra, splendid lustres, sumptuous carpets, and tables covered with dishes, fruits and beverages.
When they had admired all these treasures, they went on examining the chambers, counting them. There was a great number of them, and in the last one they found a secret door, very small, and of appearance which attracted their attention. Abou el Heïloukh said, `This is very probably the door which communicates with the palace. Come, O my brother, we will await the things that are to come in one of these chambers.' They took their position in a cabinet difficult of access, high up, and from which one could see without being seen.
So they waited till night came on. At that moment the secret door opened, giving admission to a negress carrying a torch, who set alight all the lustres and candelabra, arranged the beds, set the plates, placed all sorts of meats upon the tables, with cups and bottles, and perfumed the air with the sweetest scents.
Soon afterwards the maidens made their appearance. Their gait denoted at the same time indifference and languor. They seated themselves upon the divans, and the negress offered them meat and drink. They ate, drank, and sang melodiously.
`Then the four men, seeing them giddy with wine, came down from their hiding place with their sabres in their hands, brandishing them over the heads of the maidens. They had first taken care to veil their faces with the upper part of their haïk.
`Who are these men,' cried Zohra, `who are invading our dwelling under cover of the shades of the night? Have you risen out of the ground, or did you descend from the sky? What do you want?'
`Coition!' they answered.
`With whom?' asked Zohra.
`With you, O apple of my eye!' said Abou el Heïdja, advancing.
Zohra: `Who are you?'
`I am Abou el Heïdja.'
I certainly did wrong to put this book together;
But you will pardon me, nor let me pray in vain,
O God! award no punishment for this on judgment day!
And thou, oh reader, hear me conjure thee to say:So be it!