The man, with a fearful expression, replied that he had suffered many troubles because of garlic in the past, so he refrained from eating it. He further explained that not only did he avoid eating it, but he also disliked touching garlic. The man continued, expressing the pain and losses he had experienced in life due to garlic.

Even after hearing his story, everyone around insisted that he should try the garlic chutney. Despite rejecting their requests, the man maintained that he would never eat it. At that moment, the wealthy man, whose daughter’s wedding it was, arrived and instructed the man that he must eat the garlic chutney. If he refused, the wealthy man would consider it an insult to both food and himself.

With a sorrowful voice, the man said that if everyone insisted, he would taste the garlic chutney. However, he imposed a condition: if he ever touched or ate garlic, he would wash his hands and mouth a hundred times with a special grass, ashes, and soap.

Agreeing to these conditions, the wealthy man quickly arranged the necessary items. After examining everything in front of him, the man, with a sense of trepidation, cautiously took out the garlic chutney using four fingers and began eating. His face was worth watching, and he was sweating profusely. After using four fingers, he hesitantly ate the garlic chutney, raising it to his mouth with his four fingers. Seeing this, everyone was astonished.

Following this sight, everyone present insisted that he could use his thumb as well to make eating easier.
Upon hearing this, the person with tears in his eyes opened both his hands to reveal that he didn’t have thumbs on both hands. Everyone was astonished to see his hands, as both of his thumbs were missing. In a sorrowful voice, he explained that not only did he lack thumbs, but he also didn’t have thumbs on both of his feet. Seeing his hands and feet, everyone apologized, expressing that they were unaware of his condition and would never have asked him to use his thumbs.

After this revelation, everyone wondered what could have happened to him that led to the loss of all his thumbs. Until then, the man got up and walked away to cleanse his hands and mouth a hundred times with grass, soap, and ashes. Everyone followed him, watching as he washed his hands and mouth meticulously. Once he had thoroughly cleaned himself, the man was surrounded by everyone.

The man, now free from the grip of fear, asked why they were crowding around him. The wealthy man, whose daughter’s wedding it was, expressed regret for not knowing about his lack of thumbs. He acknowledged the pain it might have caused him and the misunderstanding. Other people also joined in, saying they were sorry for not understanding his situation.

The wealthy man insisted that they were all saddened by the revelation, but they were eager to know the story behind the loss of his thumbs. At that moment, others requested him to share his story, stating that they wanted to understand his pain. The man without thumbs agreed and said, “Alright, I will tell you my story. Both the tale of not eating garlic chutney and losing my thumbs are interconnected.”

Saying this, the man without thumbs sat on a chair placed near the dining table and began sharing his story while reminiscing about the events that led to both avoiding garlic chutney and losing his thumbs.
Alif Laila – The story of Kabak, the sixth
brother of the barber
After completing the story of the fifth brother, the barber says, “Now, I will tell you the story of my sixth brother, Kabak, and then I will leave from here.” The barber continues, “My sixth brother, Kabak, got his name because he walked exactly like a rabbit. Even his lips were like those of a rabbit. When our father passed away, Kabak received his share of the inheritance, and he used that money to start a business and earned profits. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, he suffered losses and eventually became a beggar.

After becoming a beggar, he applied his intelligence and started approaching wealthy individuals, where he would give a small amount to their servants, convincing them to turn a blind eye. The servants, feeling sorry for him, would introduce him to their masters, portraying him as helpless and destitute, leading to him receiving alms.

One day, while wandering from one city to another, my brother reached the grand building of Baghdad. There, he asked a servant who was working about the owner of this magnificent mansion. The servant replied, ‘It seems you are an outsider who is not aware of our master. Our master is a very generous person, and whoever goes to him becomes rich.’ Hearing this, Kabak’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and he requested the servant to take him to the master.

The servant led Kabak inside the building, and upon entering, my brother was mesmerized by the beauty. He saw marble floors, silk curtains, and many beautiful sights. They reached a chamber where an old man sat on a golden bed. Seeing the old man, my brother understood that this was Barmaki. He greeted Barmaki.

Upon greeting him, Barmaki asked, ‘Stranger, why have you come here? Do you have any troubles?’ My brother replied, ‘I am very poor, and I wish to ask for something from a kind person like you.’ Barmaki said, ‘I was not aware that there is poverty in my Baghdad. I will not let you leave empty-handed. I will give you a gift that you will remember for a lifetime.’ After this, Kabak said, ‘Sir, I haven’t eaten anything for many days. If you are kind enough, please give me something to eat.’ Barmaki replied, ‘I will call my servants right away to arrange food for you. Today, you will dine with me.'”

Note: The story continues, and if you would like to hear the rest, please let me know.
Barmaki called the servant aloud, but no one came. Nevertheless, Barmaki pretended as if someone had come, and he started washing his hands as though he were being served. Barmaki said to Kabak, “You should wash your hands as well.” However, Kabak didn’t see anyone but followed Barmaki’s lead and pretended to wash his hands.

After that, Barmaki said, “Look, the food has arrived,” but Kabak couldn’t see anything. Then, Barmaki sat properly, took his hand to his mouth as if he were savoring a delicacy, and began pretending to chew. He looked at my brother and said, “Friend, what are you looking at? Enjoy your meal too.” Kabak, who was genuinely hungry, was astonished to see this feast but said nothing.

Then Barmaki said, “What’s the matter, brother? Why aren’t you eating? Don’t you like the taste of delicious sherbet, kebabs, and roasted lamb? Here, taste this duck and chicken, and don’t forget to try this roasted goat meat.” Barmaki pretended to eat each dish, and he also fed Kabak with his own hands.

After a while, Kabak started praising the fictitious meal, saying how he had never tasted such delicious food before. Barmaki, playing along, said, “My stomach and heart are both full today.” After this, Barmaki called his servants and instructed them to take away all the utensils and bring some wine. After a short while, Barmaki said to Kabak, “Brother, taste this wine and tell me how it tastes.” Kabak, who had never drunk wine, was surprised by this feast but didn’t say anything.

Then Barmaki insisted, poured a glass of fictitious wine for Kabak, and said, “Here, drink this wine.” Kabak pretended to drink the imaginary wine and acted as if he were intoxicated. He then started beating Barmaki, who exclaimed, “What has happened to you? How did you muster the courage to hit me?” Kabak replied, “Master, forgive me. I had already said that no one here drinks or serves any alcohol. It’s the effect of your imaginary wine.”
As soon as Barmaki heard this from Kabak, he began to laugh and said, “I was looking for someone like you. I can forgive you on one condition – if you stay here forever. Until now, we’ve only enjoyed imaginary feasts, but now I will host a real banquet for you.” Saying this, he ordered his servants. This time, the servants came for real, bringing a delicious meal with them. Barmaki and Kabak, together, enjoyed the delightful food, followed by tasting the real wine. Along with that, dancers and musicians came, providing entertainment for both of them. My brother was overjoyed this time. Barmaki found Kabak to be intelligent and capable. He provided him with fine clothes and appointed him as the manager of his estate. Kabak started living there.

However, misfortune didn’t leave him even here. After Barmaki’s death, the caliph seized control of his entire wealth, and Kabak was left with whatever little remained. He thought of doing business with that wealth and earning a good fortune. However, on the way, he was robbed by bandits, and Kabak became their slave. The bandits sold Kabak to a wild man who used to mistreat him severely. Kabak was forced to work hard in various tasks. Whenever the wild man went out for plunder, he left Kabak behind to take care of his home.

Kabak, along with the wild man’s beautiful wife, passed sweet moments talking to each other. Kabak knew that the wild man’s wife had fallen in love with him, but due to the fear of her wild husband, he couldn’t express anything. One day, the wild man’s wife teased Kabak. The wild man thought that Kabak was behind this, so he came in anger, tied Kabak to a camel, and left him to die on top of a mountain.

Two days later, some people coming from Baghdad were seen near the mountain. They found Kabak and informed me about his condition. I went there and brought my brother back with me.
The barber said, “After narrating the story of my brothers, the caliph burst into laughter. The caliph rewarded me generously and allowed me to leave Baghdad. I left Baghdad, but one day I heard about the death of the caliph. After that, I returned to Baghdad, but by then, all my brothers had also passed away. Following their deaths, I served the lame man and his father. Even after serving them, they continued to despise me, which saddened me greatly. Despite that, I left in search of Kashgar.

“After hearing the story from the barber, the tailor said, ‘After we had our meal following the story, I returned to my shop. In the evening, as I was heading back home, I saw the hunchback sitting in front of the shop, playing some musical instrument. Out of compassion, I took him to my home. My wife had prepared fish for dinner. We all began to eat. When the hunchback started eating the fish, he began to choke without removing the bones. I made several attempts to remove the bone, but by then, the hunchback had already died. After that, silently placing his corpse at the doctor’s doorstep, I fled.’

“Having said this, the tailor concluded, ‘As you know the rest of the story, the doctor misunderstood and beat him, thinking him a thief, and threw him into the merchant’s warehouse. The merchant considered him a thief and beat him up. Thinking that perhaps my beating caused his death, he placed the hunchback in front of a shop. Maharaj, I have told you the whole truth. Now, I am ready to accept whatever punishment you decide.'”

After hearing the tailor’s account, the king declared that all three were innocent and should only be released when the barber returned. The king then ordered that the barber, who was still in the city, be brought to the court, and after his arrival, the last rites for the hunchback’s body should be performed, and all three should be released.

Upon receiving the order, the guards brought the barber to the court, who was about ninety years old, with a snow-white, long beard and dangling ears. The king, amused by his appearance, remarked that he had heard much praise for the barber’s stories and wished to hear some tales from his own mouth.

The king’s statement made the barber join his hands and express his willingness to serve. However, before that, he asked for permission to pose a question. The king nodded in agreement, and the barber inquired why the tailor, the doctor, and the hunchback were gathered there, and why the hunchback was lying like that. The king questioned the relevance, to which the barber replied that if permitted, he could explain. The king granted permission.

The barber proceeded to narrate the stories of the tailor, the doctor, and the hunchback. After revealing their tales, the barber expressed his desire to examine the hunchback. The king allowed him, and the barber approached the hunchback, seemingly inspecting him. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, forgetting that the king was in front of him. Perplexed, everyone in the court wondered if old age had affected him, as he laughed uncontrollably in the king’s presence.

Amused by the barber’s behavior, the king inquired about the reason for his laughter. The barber, still smiling, replied that the hunchback was not dead. He offered to prove it with the king’s permission. The king granted him another order.

The barber took out a bottle of oil from his bag, applied it to the hunchback’s hands and throat, and began massaging. Then, using a small pair of tongs, he extracted a fishbone from the hunchback’s mouth. After a short while, the hunchback moved his limbs, took a deep breath, and rose, sitting up. The court was astonished. The king, delighted, issued orders to document all the stories in the royal library. He rewarded the tailor, the doctor, and the merchant and granted them farewell.

Additionally, he directed that the barber be retained in the court to narrate stories on a monthly salary. Thus, the saga concluded with the hunchback’s revival, leaving everyone astounded and pleased. The king, greatly influenced by the tales, expressed his contentment and decided not to execute Shahrazad on that day.

The following morning, Dunyazad woke Shahrazad and requested another captivating story. Shahrazad, determined to keep her life spared, began narrating the story of Baka’s son Abu’l Hasan and Khalifa Harun al-Rashid’s lover Shamsunnihar, a tale even more entertaining than the previous ones. Shahrazad’s storytelling intrigued the king, who eagerly awaited the continuation of the story.

In this manner, King Shahryar refrained from executing Shahrazad once again, driven by the allure of her tales. To discover the events of the next part of the story, continue reading the narrative.