The Physician's Son and the Snake King's Wisdom Synopsis

Once there was a very learned physician who died leaving his wife with a little baby boy, whom, when he was old enough, she named, according to his father's wish, Hasseeboo Kareem Ed Deen.

When the boy had been to school and had learned to read, his mother sent him to a tailor to learn his trade, but he could not learn it. Then he was sent to a silversmith, but he could not learn his trade either. After that he tried many trades but could learn none of them. At last his mother said, "Well, stay at home for a while," and that seemed to suit him.

One day he asked his mother what his father's business had been, and she told him he was a very great physician.

"Where are his books?" he asked.

"Well, it's a long time since I saw them," replied his mother, "but I think they are behind there. Look and see."

So he hunted around a little and at last found them, but they were almost ruined by insects, and he gained little from them.

The Wood Cutters

At last, four of the neighbors came to his mother and said, "Let your boy go along with us and cut wood in the forest." It was their business to cut wood, load it on donkeys, and sell it in the town for making fires.

"All right," said she. "Tomorrow I'll buy him a donkey, and he can start fair with you."

So the next day Hasseeboo, with his donkey, went off with those four persons, and they worked very hard and made a lot of money that day. This continued for six days, but on the seventh day it rained heavily, and they had to get under the rocks to keep dry.

Now, Hasseeboo sat in a place by himself, and, having nothing else to do, he picked up a stone and began knocking on the ground with it. To his surprise the ground gave forth a hollow sound, and he called to his companions, saying, "There seems to be a hole under here."

Upon hearing him knock again, they decided to dig and see what was the cause of the hollow sound, and they had not gone very deep before they broke into a large pit, like a well, which was filled to the top with honey.

The Betrayal

They didn't do any firewood chopping after that but devoted their entire attention to the collection and sale of the honey.

With a view to getting it all out as quickly as possible, they told Hasseeboo to go down into the pit and dip out the honey, while they put it in vessels and took it to town for sale. They worked for three days, making a great deal of money.

At last there was only a little honey left at the very bottom of the pit, and they told the boy to scrape that together while they went to get a rope to haul him out.

But instead of getting the rope, they decided to let him remain in the pit and divide the money among themselves. So when he had gathered the remainder of the honey together and called for the rope, he received no answer, and after he had been alone in the pit for three days he became convinced that his companions had deserted him.

Then those four persons went to his mother and told her that they had become separated in the forest, that they had heard a lion roaring, and that they could find no trace of either her son or his donkey.

His mother, of course, cried very much, and the four neighbors pocketed her son's share of the money.

The Escape

To return to Hasseeboo.

He passed the time walking about the pit, wondering what the end would be, eating scraps of honey, sleeping a little, and sitting down to think.

While engaged in the last occupation, on the fourth day, he saw a scorpion fall to the ground—a large one, too—and he killed it.

Then suddenly he thought to himself, "Where did that scorpion come from? There must be a hole somewhere. I'll search, anyhow."

So he searched around until he saw light through a tiny crack, and he took his knife and scooped and scooped, until he had made a hole big enough to pass through. Then he went out and came upon a place he had never seen before.

The Palace of the Snake King

Seeing a path, he followed it until he came to a very large house, the door of which was not fastened. So he went inside and saw golden doors, with golden locks, and keys of pearl, and beautiful chairs inlaid with jewels and precious stones, and in a reception room he saw a couch covered with a splendid spread, upon which he lay down.

Presently he found himself being lifted off the couch and put in a chair, and heard someone saying, "Do not hurt him; wake him gently," and on opening his eyes he found himself surrounded by numbers of snakes, one of them wearing beautiful royal colors.

"Hello!" he cried. "Who are you?"

"I am Sultaanee Waa Neeokaa, king of the snakes, and this is my house. Who are you?"

"I am Hasseeboo Kareem Ed Deen."

"Where do you come from?"

"I don't know where I come from, or where I'm going."

"Well, don't bother yourself just now. Let's eat; I guess you are hungry, and I know I am."

Then the king gave orders, and some of the other snakes brought the finest fruits, and they ate and drank and conversed.

The Tale of Bolookeea

When the repast was ended, the king desired to hear Hasseeboo's story, so he told him all that had happened, and then asked to hear the story of his host.

"Well," said the king of the snakes, "mine is rather a long story, but you shall hear it."

[The snake king tells the elaborate nested tale of Bolookeea, a sultan's son who searched for a prophet, and his encounters with various magical beings and adventures, including Jan Shah's story of being lost at sea and finding a magical wife among the genii]

The Prophecy and Warning

Next Sultaanee Waa Neeokaa said to Hasseeboo, "Now, when you go home you will do me injury."

Hasseeboo was very indignant at the idea and said, "I could not be induced to do you an injury. Pray, send me home."

"I will send you home," said the king, "but I am sure that you will come back and kill me."

"Why, I dare not be so ungrateful," exclaimed Hasseeboo. "I swear I could not hurt you."

"Well," said the king of the snakes, "bear this in mind: when you go home, do not go to bathe where there are many people."

And he said, "I will remember." So the king sent him home, and he went to his mother's house, and she was overjoyed to find that he was not dead.

The Fulfillment of the Prophecy

Now, the sultan of the town was very sick, and it was decided that the only thing that could cure him would be to kill the king of the snakes, boil him, and give the soup to the sultan.

For a reason known only to himself, the vizier had placed men at the public baths with this instruction: "If anyone who comes to bathe here has a mark on his stomach, seize him and bring him to me."

When Hasseeboo had been home three days he forgot the warning of Sultaanee Waa Neeokaa and went to bathe with the other people. All of a sudden he was seized by some soldiers and brought before the vizier, who said, "Take us to the home of the king of the snakes."

"I don't know where it is," said Hasseeboo.

"Tie him up," commanded the vizier.

So they tied him up and beat him until his back was all raw, and being unable to stand the pain he cried, "Let up! I will show you the place."

The Snake King's Final Gift

So he led them to the house of the king of the snakes, who, when he saw him, said, "Didn't I tell you you would come back to kill me?"

"How could I help it?" cried Hasseeboo. "Look at my back!"

"Who has beaten you so dreadfully?" asked the king.

"The vizier."

"Then there's no hope for me. But you must carry me yourself."

As they went along, the king said to Hasseeboo, "When we get to your town I shall be killed and cooked. The first skimming the vizier will offer to you, but don't you drink it; put it in a bottle and keep it. The second skimming you must drink, and you will become a great physician. The third skimming is the medicine that will cure your sultan. When the vizier asks you if you drank that first skimming say, 'I did.' Then produce the bottle containing the first, and say, 'This is the second, and it is for you.' The vizier will take it, and as soon as he drinks it he will die, and both of us will have our revenge."

Justice and Healing

Everything happened as the king had said. The vizier died, the sultan recovered, and Hasseeboo was loved by all as a great physician.