Three Poems about the Prince's Mole

Nights 104-121

The long story nears its climax, only to take a sudden break. The witch finally kills Sharkan! Half-brother Dau swears vengeance! But before he goes to battle, he asks for someone to tell him a story to help him feel better.

That brings us to a story within a story. And it’s a dull one. It’s a story of a king, his wife, his son, and no conflict. I have a hard time picking a favorite part. It might be the three poems that describe the prince’s mole (pp. 483-484 Night 110). I realize that is not a strong recommendation.

Then this story is also interrupted. We get a story about two betrothed cousins. The male cousin, Aziz, ignores the love of his cousin Aziza and instead pursues a mystery woman. In the story, the mystery woman communicates only through gestures, which Aziza interprets for him. There is a humorous section where Aziz tries to meet his mystery woman but cannot keep himself from eating all her food and falling asleep before she arrives. Eventually, Aziza suffers heartbreak and dies, leaving Aziz with only his mystery woman. That takes us through Night 121. 

I’m eager to wrap up these sub-stories and get back to Dau. In Dau’s story this week, we got a great oath from a Muslim. He hates the witch so much that he won’t be happy until he has “filled her vagina with molten lead.” (p. 472, Night 105). I think I call out a lot of these shocking images in this blog, which may give the wrong impression about the content of the Arabian Nights. But hey, they jump off the page, and I want to write about what jumps out at me.