The Evildoer (Tun. Stories No. 17)

Once, there was a sultan who was religious. He had always appreciated and valued scholars and had always esteemed religious men. This sultan would pray often and commit God’s word to memory but he had noticed that his people were not attending to their religious duties and thus the mosques were empty. So he began to think of a way to get them back onto the right path where they would pray and fulfil their religious duties.
“One of the pillars of religion is hygiene and cleanliness.” he said. “These people don’t even know how to wash or clean their bodies. I bet they all stink like skunks! The first thing to be done is that they should be taught hygiene. Hygiene comes from faith. Hygiene leads to ritual cleanliness, and ritual cleanliness to prayer.”
“Why don’t we construct a hammam?” he thought. “And we will make it free, just as a shroud is free. ‘Every soul is bound to taste death.’ [3vs185 of Quran]. A wise sultan, in order to induce people to be willing to do something, must make it free at first.”
So, he brought a mason who built a gigantic, expansive hammam. As soon as he was finished, they set up doors and windows, and then brought the painter who finished a month later.
Flowers were then added, as well as framed art and potted greenery. Among the artwork were a lion attached to a palm tree along with a Hamsa in between two pigeons above one of the potted plants. Then, they prepared ornamentation which was made in all colours, until it was eventually an absolutely beautiful hammam.
The town crier went out shouting, “Hygiene comes from faith, and washing is free in the sultan’s hammam!”
Then, they brought the mason and offered him a salary to manage the place. Towels, soaps, loofahs and all that was necessary, even people who gave massages, were included. The hammam became so packed it was like sardines in a can. One was lucky to just reach the door, let alone get a massage. There was also a Sheikh in the hammam who was teaching people about ritual cleansing and prayer.
The mason was very tactful, honouring everyone and going around serving the people; giving towels to this one, bringing shoes to that one, offering water and coffee to others. He continued like this until the people loved him and were generous toward him, so generous that he began to make good money. This continued every day until he no longer needed to spend the sultan’s salary.
The painter then began to envy him.
“So, he built and I painted,” he said. “Why would the sultan hire him in the hammam and not hire me? Why should he be earning hundreds or even thousands and not me? But I won’t leave him alone!”
And so the painter headed straight to the sultan.
“Sir,” he said. “You generously honoured the people and with open arms you made them a hammam in which they could wash for free. But this man you’ve hired is asking people to pay. He keeps telling them that the person who gives massages would cost them this amount; that bathing would cost that amount and he will never give them a loofah or soap unless they have paid. Sir, people have had enough. And not to mention some of those unruly enemies of the throne who are saying that it’s not the mason’s own idea. ‘All the money must be forwarded to the sultan,’ they say, ‘and the sultan is becoming a hammam man!’”
“What? Those sons of motherless goats! I am a hammam man? Courtier! Bring the mason, put him in a sack and throw that fool deep in the sea. And you, painter, you go and take his place in the hammam.”
The courtier thought of speaking out to the sultan. He wanted to say, “But, sir! Call for the mason to find out what’s going on, investigate!” but he was afraid. He was going to say, “But, sir! This man might be lying or taking revenge. Inspect! Investigate until you find witnesses.” However, as he noticed that the sultan was enraged and like a bear with a sore head, he backed off.
At about one o’clock, the courtier went back home and asked someone to bring him the mason.
“Son,” said the courtier. “The sultan ordered me to throw you in the sea.”
“Why is that, sir? What did I do wrong?”
“I know you’re innocent and I am willing to disobey the sultan but only on one condition. I want you to stay here, at home with us, without leaving nor looking through the window nor even approaching the door. This, until the last day of your life. So you shall spend the rest of your life here because once anyone sees you and tells the sultan, both our heads will be history. I have done you a favour, so don’t do me wrong, especially since I’m a father and I have children.”
“Okay, I will do as you say.”
The courtier had an unused room in the garden which was protected by a wall. He sheltered the mason there and headed back to the sultan.
“Your Highness,” he said, “I have done what you ordered.”
Meanwhile, the painter was already hired in the hammam and there began the real business. While about only one quarter of the people were, before, willingly offering tips and gratuities, now the hammam was no longer free and everyone had to pay.
After some time had passed, the sultan, who had a ship, went on a cruise out to sea. As he was sitting on the edge and his hands were near the water, his ring slipped off and sunk. Who would care about a ring which had sunk deep in the sea? The sultan did. The sailors on that same ship were in the meantime fishing, bringing in a very large haul of fish. Later, they returned to the palace and brought all the fish.
“Send some to Mr…, also to Mr…, and Mr….” ordered the sultan.
The courtier was included in the sultan’s generosity. He was sitting at home when he was brought a whole bucket of fish. “It’s a gift from his Highness.” said the deliverer.
So, the courtier called for the cook.
“Take this fish.” he said to her. “But before you do that, choose a good one, maybe a sea bass. Take it to that poor mason and tell him to do whatever he wants with it. If he wants to sell it, grill it, or fry it, no matter what, tell him to enjoy it to the fullest.”
The cook brought the mason the sea bass.
“Say hello to my host, ” he said. “May God bless him.”
Then he washed the fish and was about to skin it. As soon as he cut it in half and cleaned it, he found a ring. As he examined it, he realized that it was the sultan’s ring! He would never mistake the sultan’s ring. The sultan used to come in to the hammam weekly and, before starting to wash, he would leave his wallet, his ring, his necklace and his watch with the mason. The mason put the ring in his pocket and headed to the courtier.
“Sir,” he said.
“Yes?”
“I want you to take me to see the sultan.”
“What? Take you to the sultan? Are you kidding me? Is this what I get? After disobeying him, hiding and saving you from death, you want him to kill me? Is that it? Save a thief from the gallows and he’ll cut your throat, eh?” “Sir,” said the mason, “You don’t need to put yourself through this. Once he interrogates you, tell him that you obeyed him and you really did throw me deep in the sea!”
“Oh yeah and how did you come back?”
“Just tell him that and leave it all to me. Tell him you threw me in the sea and now I’ve come back to you.”
Eventually, the courtier agreed. The next day, early in the morning, the sultan headed to the court. The courtier had entered along with the assembly and attendants who were lined on both sides. The doorman then came in, opened the door wide, and said, “His Highness is now available for all plaintiffs.”
The mason stepped forward, entered and greeted the sultan.
“What!” said the sultan as soon as he saw him. “Isn’t this the mason?”
“Yes, sir,” said the courtier.
“Didn’t I ask you to throw him deep in the sea?”
“Yes, sir. I did as you asked, I would never disobey you. I put him in a sack, added some large rocks, then sewed it shut and threw him deep in the sea. I have no idea how he appeared today, I just don’t understand it, sir.”
“That’s impossible!”
“There’s nothing impossible with God, ‘he who will revive these bones when they have rotted away’ [36vs78 of Quran].” said the mason.
“So, what is this? Where have you been?”
“Sir,” said the mason, “I bring you greetings from the Sultan of the Sea.”
“What? Does that even exist, the Sultan of the Sea?”
“Yes, sir. This courtier, God bless him, put me in a sack, made it heavy, then tied it and, God praise him, threw me in the sea where I sank. As luck would have it, I landed right in front of the palace of the Sultan of the Sea, where the guards caught me. They were all wondering where I came from and who I was, so they brought me right to the sultan. ‘Who are you and what are you doing in my kingdom?’ he asked. Then I told him everything; that I worked as a mason and I told him about the hammam I built for you. He couldn’t get enough of me. He said: ‘I want you to build me a hammam just like the one you built for my brother, the Land Sultan.’ So, I’ve been building all this time, until just yesterday when I finished. ‘Now, I’ll let you go back to land, but say hello to my brother the sultan and ask him to do me a favour and to send me that painter who painted his hammam; here’s a sign for him.’ he said to me early this morning while giving me this ring and asking me to hand it to you.”
Afterwards, the mason gave the sultan the ring, which he checked and found that it was his own ring. Therefore, he didn’t doubt any of the story.
“Someone!” said the sultan. “Someone bring me the painter. Doorman, go and tell the captain to ready the ship and wait for me. Someone bring me that painter and let’s go to the port together. Everyone hurry up so we don’t keep my brother the sultan waiting.”
The carriage came and they headed to the port, then they boarded the ship.
Meanwhile, the painter was brought to the port by the doorman. He also boarded where he found the sultan, his entourage and the mason standing there.
“Son,” said the sultan. “My brother, the Sultan of the Sea has called for you. The mason has built him a hammam and now he’s asking me for the painter as well. So say hello to him for me, my son. I want you to make me proud and paint it beautifully. Don’t you do anything wrong!”
The painter understood what was going on. He knew that the mason had set it all up but, what could he say? He tried to think of something to get out of all this.
“Good idea, sir.” said the painter. “Sultan’s commands must always be obeyed, don’t you worry about it. But, just allow me to go and get my tools.”
“No! No! no!” said the mason. “Tools? Like what? Please, he won’t be needing any tools at all. The Sultan of the Sea has paint of all colours and brushes of all kinds. He has the big brushes used for painting or even the tiniest ones. He has the ones used in ornamental painting and also the ones used for filters. He’s got everything you need available. I discovered it all myself when I started building.
“Okay, so there is no need to fetch tools.” said the sultan. “The mason says he’s got everything. So, shall we bring the sack?” Then, they brought the sack.
“Let me put him in myself and tie it,” said the mason. “I know exactly how to.”
So, he put him in the sack, tied it and added two rocks.
“This is still not enough,” he said. “Is there another rock?”
He then added two more rocks, took him to the edge by himself and threw him in the sea, saying, “Go peacefully and say hello to the sultan and send him my greetings with my best regards. Oh and, please my friend, make me proud and don’t do anything wrong!”
Whoever digs a pit, will fall into it.