In Arabian Nights (35 page)

'Did he ever beat you?'

The ancient choked out a laugh.

'Every day,' he said.

The newspaper's flame went out and we fumbled our way
back down the stairs.

I stood in the courtyard, elated, wondering if I had the energy
to transform a ruin into a centre for people interested in learning
from stories.

'It would cost a lot to renovate it,' I said, thinking aloud.

'God gives to those with a purpose,' said the old man.

'I don't know if I could raise the money,' I said.

The man pointed to the floor of the courtyard, to a spot where
the terracotta was especially worn.

'Down there, under the ground,' he said, 'there's a treasure.'

I looked at him, witnessing the margin between fact and
fantasy.

'Do you believe that?'

'Of course,' he replied. 'I believe it because it's true.'

'Then, why haven't you stopped everything and dug down to
the treasure?'

The ancient rubbed his eyes.

'Imagine the problems a treasure would bring me,' he said.

A few days later I was home at the Caliph's House with Rachana
and the children. The guardians had clustered round me on my
return from Fès and said that the stork had come to Osman in a
dream.

'How did the dream go?'

Osman pushed forward and motioned something flat, at
waist height.

'I was on a magic carpet last night,' he said, 'right here in the
garden. It was just about to rain and there was a breeze, very
gentle, but getting stronger.'

'What did the carpet look like, Osman?'

He thought for a moment, his eyes shut.

'It was beautiful,' he said, 'with strange patterns on it, and it
was very soft.'

'Where did it take you?'

'Out over the Sea of Darkness, to another land. We flew and
flew, the carpet steady like the ground. After many hours we
came to an island. It was all alone in the ocean. The carpet
dropped down and landed on the beach. I climbed off and I saw
a tree, a tall palm tree, at the edge of the beach. There was a huge
stork nest at the top of the tree. I ran over and called up to
the stork that was sitting on the nest.'

'What did the stork say?'

'He asked me if I worked at Dar Khalifa. I told him that I did.
"Then, you must help my brother stork," he said, "because he is
trying to build a nest on the roof there." I said that we had tried
to build the nest for him, because we like storks. Then . . .'

'Then what?'

'Then the stork flapped down to where I was standing. He
told me to close my eyes. I did. When I opened them, the stork
was the most beautiful woman. She held out her hand to me.'

Osman blushed.

'Tell him what the stork woman said to you,' prompted the
Bear.

'She said, "Osman, the son of Younes, you shall go to Paradise."'

That night when I tucked Ariane and Timur into bed, they
asked me what story I was going to tell.

'It's a story about a little boy and a little girl who were loved
very much,' I said. 'They lived beside a great ocean, known by
some as the Sea of Darkness, in the most magical house in the
world. The house was in a kingdom where people understood
good from bad and where they knew about honour, duty and
respect. And they learned about these things because every night
all the children in the land would listen to their fathers, who sat
on the edges of their beds, like I am doing now, and told them
stories of princesses, magic and wondrous things.

'Sometimes there were problems in people's lives,' I said, 'but
everyone was ready to face them, because they had a secret
knowledge, a sense of selflessness, that had been passed on from
one father to the next for thousands of years.'

'Baba, what was the kingdom called?'

'It was called Morocco,' I said. 'And the little boy and the little
girl who lived there lived in the land of
Arabian Nights
.'

I kissed Ariane and Timur goodnight.

They were both already fast asleep.

A Thousand and One Nights
: a large collection of stories, also known
as the
Arabian Nights
, of unknown authorship deriving from Arabia
or, more likely, from many Eastern lands. The stories vary in length
and number, and were first introduced to Europe at the start of the
eighteenth century by the French writer Antoine Galland.
The most celebrated translation was that of Sir Richard Burton, in
the 1880s. During the twentieth century the stories were read by
children more frequently than adults, as well as being discovered by
Hollywood, which created films based on the characters such as
Aladdin, Ali Baba and Sindbad.

Aisha Qandisha
: a female jinn often associated with misfortune happening
within Moroccan homes.

Alhamdullillah
: 'thanks be to God'.

Alf Layla wa Layla
: literally 'a thousand nights and a night'. The
Arabic name for
A Thousand and One Nights
. See
A Thousand and
One Nights
.

Antar wa Abla
: a pre-Islamic Arab folk hero and his wife, of whom
there are many fantastic tales told, traditionally recounted in poetry.

Arabian Nights
: See
A Thousand and One Nights
.

Argan oil
: an oil rich in fatty acids extracted from the fruit of the argan
tree, which grows exclusively in south-western Morocco.

As-salam wa alaikum
: literally 'peace be upon you'; a greeting given
between people in Morocco and across the Arab world whenever
they meet. It is a duty for Muslims to greet others when they enter
a room, or come into contact with people.

Assemblies of Al Hariri
: regarded for eight centuries as the greatest
treasure in Arabic after the Qur'ān and the Hadith, the
Assemblies
are regarded as one of the classics of Sufi literature. They were
written by Al Hariri of Basra (1054–1122), who is variously
described as a silk-merchant and a high official of the Seljuk
monarch Malik Shah.

B'saf
: Moroccan Arabic, literally 'a lot' or 'so much'.

Baba
: literally 'father'. Used as a term of endearment by children in
place of 'Daddy'. Also used as a term of respect for an old man.

Bahr Adulumat
: literally 'Sea of Darkness', Arabic name for the
Atlantic Ocean.

Baraka
: literally 'blessing' or 'blessed'.

Baboush
: popular goatskin sharp-toed slippers worn by men and
women in Morocco, in yellow or other colours.

Berber
: the native fair-skinned people of north Africa, or their
language (although, more correctly, their language is divided into
different dialects).

Bidonville
: French word for shantytown, literally 'tin-town'.

Bismillah
: 'in the name of God', said by Muslims before starting or
finishing many actions, such as eating, driving, sitting down, and so on.

Bollywood
: the famous Indian movie industry, based at Mumbai
(formerly known as Bombay).

Bwana
: Swahili word for 'man'.

Café noir
: French term for black coffee, referring to the strong black coffee,
usually served in small glasses, drunk especially by men in cafés.

Caliph
: the successor to the Prophet Mohammed; used also to refer to a
governor or a man with considerable political power.

Caravanserai
: a lodging place for people and animals, typically found
on the outskirts of Arab towns. See
Fundouk
.

Chaikhana
: a teahouse in Afghanistan or Central Asia.

Conquistadors
: Spanish conquerors of Central and South America,
especially the repressors of the Inca and Aztec cultures.

Couscous
: a dish of steamed semolina, extremely popular in Morocco,
generally served with stewed vegetables and meat. Can be eaten at
any time, but is usually reserved for guests or for the midday meal
on Friday.

Daal
: staple Indian dish made from cooked lentils.

Damascene
: of Damascus; referring especially to metalwork in which
gold or silver writing or pattern is laid on top of a steel basis. Also
refers to other forms of craft heralding from the Syrian capital,
especially intricate marquetry and other forms of woodwork.

Dar
: literally 'house', as in Dar Khalifa, the 'Caliph's House'.

Datura
: a member of the potato family, native to Latin America, but
found across north Africa, with large trumpet-shaped flowers.
Regarded for its hallucinogenic properties by medieval European
witches and by Amazonian shamans.

Dervish
: a mystic, often a Sufi, following a path of poverty and self-imposed
austerity. Frequently dressed in patched robes.

Dirham
: the currency of Morocco. At the time of printing there are
about 10 dirhams to 1 US dollar, and about 16 dirhams to the British
pound sterling.

Div
: a magical creature, either disguised in human form or seen as a
monster.

Efrit
: a demon or creature with magical powers.

Evil Eye
: belief that, by looking at a person, another with less wealth,
or simply wanting what the first person has, one is capable of sending
ill-fortune. The belief is widespread in Arab folklore, especially
in Morocco, and is found in Latin cultures as
Mal de Ojo
. See
Mal de
Ojo
.

Fantasia
: display of horsemanship popular in rural areas in Morocco, in
which participants charge their horses while attempting to fire their
antique weapons at precisely the same time.

Fassi
: a native of Fès; often refers to one of the diaspora from that city
who can be found in other Moroccan cities, notably Rabat and
Casablanca.

Fundouk
: See
Caravanserai
.

Gauloises
: one of the most popular and iconic brands of French
cigarette, a blend of dark Arab tobacco. See
Gitanes
.

Genie
: Westernized form of jinn: See
Jinn
.

Gitanes
: an extremely popular brand of French cigarette. Like
Gauloises
, it is made from dark tobacco and can be smoked with or
without a filter.

Gnaoua
: member of a spiritual African brotherhood, found
in the south of Morocco, famed for their rhythmical music.

Gommage
: the process of scrubbing the body at a
Hammam
, either
oneself or by a professional masseur.

Hadith
: traditions relating to the deeds or to the sayings of Prophet
Mohammed. There are several collections of Hadith, gathered in
the years after the Prophet's death by his followers and transcribed.
The Prophet's example in all things is considered correct, and the
Hadith are regarded as a blessed text in itself.

Hajj
: the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca; one of the five pillars of the
Islamic faith, a duty expected of all Muslims at least once in their
lifetime.

Halqa
: literally 'a circle'. Used to describe a gathering of storytellers; or
also the opening of an enclosed courtyard home to the sky.

Hammam
: a traditional Turkish-style bath, with one or more steam
rooms at different temperatures. Most Moroccans visit a hammam
at least once a week and the activity is a central part of Moroccan
culture. See
Gommage
.

Harem
: a section of a traditional Arab home reserved for women.

Hudhud
: Arabic word for the hoopoe, regarded as a magical bird
which sat at the right hand of King Solomon.

Imam
: the leader of the Islamic prayer. In Islam there is no religious
hierarchy as in Catholicism or Christianity. The imam's duty is to
lead the prayer and also to call the faithful. See
Muezzin
.

Inshallah
: literally 'if God wills it'. Used to clarify any action or event
that will come in the future.

Jan
: a suffix added to a name, denoting a close association to the person
using it.

Jelaba
: long, flowing robe worn by both men and women in Morocco.

Jinn
: a fraternity of spirits created by God from smokeless fire and
mentioned in the Qur'ān, who, Muslims believe, inhabit the earth
along with humans. Unlike us, they can change their form, and
supposedly appear at dusk and sunrise especially in the form of cats.
See
Jnun
,
Genie
.

Jnun
: Moroccan term for jinn. See
Jinn
.

Joha
: medieval Arab folk hero, known throughout the Arab world,
Central Asia, as well as in central European countries. Also known
as Hodja and Nasrudin. See
Nasrudin
.

Kaaba
: the central stone at Mecca, which practising Muslims face as
they pray five times each day. A circumambulation of the Kaaba
forms a central part of the Hajj as well. See
Hajj
.

Kaftan
: long flowing gown worn by Moroccan women.

Khalifa
: Arabic word for 'Caliph'. See
Caliph
.

Kif
: marijuana resin. Grown widely in the Rif Mountains but
prohibited by Moroccan law.

Mal de Ojo
: See
Evil Eye
.

Madrasa
: literally 'school'; often referring to an Islamic school, teaching
the Qur'ān.

Maghrib
: literally 'the West'. Refers to Morocco, and to the fourth
Islamic prayer of the day, held at sunset.

Marrakchi
: a native of Marrakech.

Medina
: the old city, especially referring to a labyrinth of tight, narrow
streets, as in Marrakech or Fès.

Milh
: Arabic word for 'salt'. In Sufi terms it refers to the goodness of
mankind.

Muezzin
: the person who calls the faithful to prayer. Sometimes incorrectly
used to refer to the actual call to prayer. See
Imam
.

Mullah
: literally 'Master', especially used by Sufis to denote someone
who has reached higher spiritual understanding.

Manqash
: a heavy sharp-edged hammer used for cutting mosaics in
Morocco. Identical to a tool used for the same purpose in
Afghanistan.

Moualem
: literally 'master', refers to an expert in a traditional craft.

Nasrudin
: also, Mullah Nasrudin. Afghan name for the Arab folk hero
Joha. See
Joha
.

Pederasty
: antiquated term for homosexuality. As used by Sir Richard
Burton in his 'Terminal Essay' in
A Thousand and One Nights
.

Pied noir
: literally 'black foot'. Term used to describe the residents of
European descent living under (especially) French colonialism, or in
its aftermath, in north Africa.

Pillars of Islam
: the five duties of all Muslims. They comprise attesting
to the belief that there is 'One God and Mohammed is His Prophet',
giving charity, performing the Hajj, praying, fasting during the
holy month of Ramadan.

Pushtun
: race in southern and south-eastern Afghanistan, as well as
north and north-western Pakistan, tall in stature and with a proud
warrior spirit.

Qur'ān
: the Holy Book of Islam, revealed over a number of years to the
Prophet Mohammed by the Angel Gabriel.

Riad
: literally 'garden'; refers to the name of a courtyard home in
which the central yard is planted with flower beds and trees. Based
on the idea that Paradise is a garden.

Sahrawis
: people who live in the Sahara.

Savon noir
: literally 'black soap', a mentholated paste derived from
olive stones, used in a
Hammam
.

Sehura
: literally 'sorceress'.

Shukran
: Arabic for 'thank you'.

Sotadic Zone
: hypothesis created by the nineteenth-century explorer
and academic Sir Richard Burton (see
A Thousand and One
Nights
), comprising the Americas, north Africa, Asia Minor and
Central Asia, as well as parts of the Far East, where Burton believed
that homosexuality was endemic.

Souq
: literally 'market', referring especially to a traditional market in
Morocco or elsewhere.

Sufi
: an adherent of a mystical fraternity, believed to have pre-dated
Islam, but found most commonly in Islamic countries, with a large
associated literature and a belief that stories can pass on information,
wisdom and values.

Tagine
: a popular Moroccan stew, named after the round conical vessel
in which it is cooked. Also incorrectly used to refer to any dish prepared
in such a vessel.

Tarboosh
: a hard felt or velvet-covered hat, usually in maroon or green,
known incorrectly in the West as a 'fez'.

Tuareg
: an ethnic group, possibly of Berber origin, residing in the
southern deserts and in the Sahara.

Vizier
: literally 'bearer of burdens'; referring to a high-ranking adviser
or minister, especially during the time in which
A Thousand and
One Nights
was set.

Zaouia
: a centre of reflective study often built beside the tomb of a
religious figure or saint.