Citation
The Arabian nights' entertainments

Material Information

Title:
The Arabian nights' entertainments revised for young readers
Uniform Title:
Arabian nights
Creator:
Townsend, George Fyler, 1814-1900
Billing and Sons ( Printer )
Place of Publication:
London ;
New York
Publisher:
Frederick Warne (Firm)
Manufacturer:
Billing and Sons
Publication Date:
Language:
English
Edition:
New ed. / -- rev. with notes by Geo. Fyler Townsend
Physical Description:
560 p., [16] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 18 cm.

Subjects

Subjects / Keywords:
Children -- Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction ( lcsh )
Conduct of life -- Juvenile fiction ( lcsh )
Adventure and adventurers -- Juvenile fiction ( lcsh )
Children's stories ( lcsh )
Social life and customs -- Juvenile fiction -- Arab countries ( lcsh )
Children's stories -- 1894 ( lcsh )
Fantasy literature -- 1894 ( rbgenr )
Folk tales -- 1894 ( rbgenr )
Bldn -- 1894
Genre:
Children's stories ( lcsh )
Fantasy literature ( rbgenr )
Folk tales ( rbgenr )
novel ( marcgt )
Spatial Coverage:
England -- London
United States -- New York -- New York
England -- Guildford
Target Audience:
juvenile ( marctarget )

Notes

General Note:
Date of publication from inscription.
General Note:
Illustrations engraved by Dalziel Brothers.
General Note:
Includes index.
Statement of Responsibility:
with original illustrations and sixteen page plates printed in colors.

Record Information

Source Institution:
University of Florida
Holding Location:
University of Florida
Rights Management:
This item is presumed to be in the public domain. The University of Florida George A. Smathers Libraries respect the intellectual property rights of others and do not claim any copyright interest in this item. Users of this work have responsibility for determining copyright status prior to reusing, publishing or reproducing this item for purposes other than what is allowed by fair use or other copyright exemptions. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions may require permission of the copyright holder. The Smathers Libraries would like to learn more about this item and invite individuals or organizations to contact The Department of Special and Area Studies Collections (special@uflib.ufl.edu) with any additional information they can provide.
Resource Identifier:
026568032 ( ALEPH )
ALG1483 ( NOTIS )
225155491 ( OCLC )

Aggregation Information

JUV:
Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature
IUF:
University of Florida

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Full Text


Te ea





ee Ee





HALE ne









Leccar (89H

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.









THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN



THE

ARABIAN NIGHTS?
ENTERTAINMENTS.

A NEW EDITION, REVISED, WITH NOTES,
BY THE

REV. GEO. FYLER TOWNSEND, M.A.

ith Original Ellustrations
AND SIXTEEN PAGE PLATES PRINTED IN COLOURS.



LONDON :
FREDERICK WARNE AND CoO.
AND NEW YORK.



ys

yan

B A ae a

Gl

Vy aN y
UT ee
SANA Zant

Noire
Elaee



PREFACE.



Turse famous Tales were first made known to English readers in
1704 a.pv., by M. Galland, Professor of Arabic in the Royal College
of Paris, and a resident for ‘some time at Constantinople. They at
once became exceedingly popular,! and have since maintained a fore-
most position in the Juvenile Literature of this country. These
stories, on their first introduction into England, laboured under the
disadvantage of haying passed through the process of a double
translation—first from Arabic into French, and then from French
‘into English. Dr. Jonathan Scott, Oriental Professor at the then
existing Hast India College, and a friend of Dr. White, the learned
Professor of Arabic in the University of Oxford, published in
1811 a.v. a new edition, ‘ carefully revised, and occasionally corrected
from the Arabic.’ Of this version Mr. Hay Macnaughten, who
himself commenced a translation from the Arabic MS8., speaks ‘as
the best rendering of these tales.’ The Rev. Edward Forster
published, a fews years later, an edition closely correspondent with

1 An amusing story is told of M. Galland. He is'said to have been frequently
roused at night by persons calling loudly for him. On his opening the window
to sce what was the matter, they cried out, ‘O vous, qui savez de si jolies contes,

et qui les racontez si bien, racontez nous en un.’—Preface to Joseph Von Ham-
mei's ‘New Arabian Nights.’



vi PREFACE.





the first English text from M. Galland’s French translation. This
has had a very wide circulation in this country. The only other
edition which requires to be mentioned is that published in 1839,
by Mr. Edward Lane, the author of the well-known book, ‘ Modern
figyptians.’ This edition deserves the highest praise. In the
language of the London and Westminster Review (No. lxiii., p. 118),
‘It is a most valuable, painstaking, and delightful work. Its great
merit consists in its being an exact translation from the Arabic;
but its terseness, sententiousness, and scrupulous exactness in
adhering to the abrupt construction of Arab discourse, its severe
retention of Arab words, names, and terminations (the very quali-
ties which form its value in the eye of the scholar), place it above
the comprehension and grasp of children.’

The text of the present edition is mostly founded on the version
of Dr. Jonathan Scott, which recommends itself for general adop-
tion as being at once more accurate than that of M. Galland; less
diffuse and verbose than that of Forster; less elevated, difficult,
and abstruse than that of Lane.

The exact origin of these Tales is unknown. Advocates of equal
ability have claimed for them a Persian, Indian, or a purely Arabian
source. Two things are now generally allowed: that they are to
be traced in substance to an older work of a very early origin,
and that they are founded upon Mussulmans’ customs, and describe
Moslem manners, sentiments, religion, and superstitions.

These ancient Stories may be divided into two classes. ‘The
first contains wonderful and impossible adventures and extravagant
absurdities, in which the invention leaps from fancy to fancy, and
has no other aim than to entertain the imagination by the most

grotesque, impossible, and strange occurrences.’ These delight in



PREFACE. vii



the wonders of magic, in the intervention of Fairies, Genies, and
Peries, and in the stories of popular Mahommedan belief. The
second consists of genuine Arabian tales and anecdotes, in which
adventures of the times of the Caliphs, and particularly of Haroun
Alraschid, are related. ‘These lay claim,’ says a German critic,}
‘to be general histories; and the anecdotes are, for the most part,
really historical—at least, as far as the outlines. In these the
marvellous has no share.’ These Tales are placed according to this
arrangement. The latter series is the most valuable. In these we
make acquaintance with the more important characters in the
courts of the caliphs, whether at Damascus, Bagdad, or Cairo, and
they invite us, as it were, to their divans, parties, harems, and
entertainments.

The more peculiar purposes designed in this present edition are
twofold. First, so to purify the text that the most innocent
minded maiden may read them aloud to her brothers and sisters

without scruple or compunction; and, second, to add such short
notes as may point out to the youthful scholar that what he reads
is not merely romance, fable, and invention; but that there is to

be found in the larger proportion of the stories an under-current
of illustration of Eastern manners, customs, and observances; and

that, amidst all his sources of amusement, he may gather lessons
of permanent information and instruction. It is hoped by the
Editor, and by the Publishers, that a large accession of public
favour may accrue to these ancient Tales thus purified and
illustrated. The Editor can find no fitter eulogy for these Stories
than the words in which Dr. Johnson sums up his criticism of

Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’: ‘ Whatever might have been the intention

' Preface by Joseph Von Hammer to ‘New Arabian Nights,’



vill PREFA CE.

of their author, these Tales are made instrumental to the produc-
tion of many characters, diversified with boundless invention, and
preserved with profound skill in nature, extensive knowledge of
opinions, and accurate observation of life. Here are exhibited
princes, courtiers, and sailors, all speaking in their real characters.
There are the agency of airy spirits and of earthly goblins, the
operations of magic, the tumults of a storm, the adventures of a
desert island, the native effusion of untaught affection, the punish-
ment of guilt, and the final happiness of those for whom our

passions and reason are equally interested.’







COUN IIE WIS,





OP O
Page
Introduction - - - - - - = 1
The Fable of the Ass, the Ox, and ti aon en - - 6
The Story of the Merchant and the Genie - - - - - 10
The History of the First Old Man and the Hind - - - 14
The History of the Second Uld Man and the Two Black Deas - -~ 16
The History of the Fisherman - - - 18
The History of the Greck King and Doaian the Phy ysician - - 22,
The History of the Husband and the Parrot - - - - 24
The History of the Vizier who was punished - - - - > OG
The Further Adventures of the Fisherman - - - - 30
The History of the Young King of the Black Isles - - - - 34
The Three Calenders, Sons of Kings, and Five Ladies of Bagdad - 39
The History of the First Calender - - S - - - 50
The History of the Second Calender - se - 51
The History of the Envious Man and of Him oe was Bpesod - 55
The History of the Third Calender - = = - o ..
The Story of Zobeide - - - - = - - 78
The History of Amina - - - - . - - 86
Lhe Story of Prince Beder and the Princess Jehaun-ara —- - ae 2,
The Story of the Three Sisters - - - - - : 118
The Story of the Enchanted Horse - - - - - 140
The Story of Prince Ahmed, and the ee Perie Bunou- - = 153
The Story of Alauddin ; or, The Wonderful Lamp - - - - 177
The Adventures of ‘ihe Caliph Haroun Alraschid = - : 214
The Story of Baba Abdalla - - - - - - - 216
| The Story of Sidi Nouman - - - - - - 223
History of Cogia Hassan Alhabbal - - - - - - 225
History of the Lady who was Murdered by her Husband = . 237
The Story of Noureddin Ali and his Son - - - a - 241

The History of Ali Baba, and of the Forty Robbers killed by One Slave - 264



er regener es



x CONTENTS.

The History of Codadad and his Brothers - - - - -
Lhe History of the Princess of Deryabar -

Lhe History of Camaralzaman, Prince of the Isle of the Child en ee
Khaledan, and of Badoura, Princess of China - - -
The History of Prince Amgiad and of Prince Assad - - -

Lhe History of Prince Zeyn Alusnam and the Sultan of the Genii -
The Story of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - - -
The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - : -
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - -
Lhe Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - -
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - -
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - -
Lhe Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor — - - - : -
The Seventh and Last Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - -
The Story of Ali Cogia, a Merchant of Bagdad - - -
Lhe History of Aboulhassan Ali Ebn Becar and of Sener ran the
Favourite of the Caliph Haroun Alraschid — - - - -
The History of Noureddin and the Beautiful Persian — - - :
Lhe Story of Abou Hassan, or, Lhe Sleeper Awakened - - -
Lhe History of Ganem, Son of Abou Ayoub, and Inown by the Surname of
Love’s Slave - - - - - - - -
The Story of the Little Hunchback - - - - - -
The Story told by the Christian Merchant - : - :
Lhe Story told by the Sultan of Casgar’s Purveyor - : . -
Lhe Story told by the Jewish Doctor - - - - -
Lhe Story told by the Tailor - : - - = - 6
The Story of the Barber - - - - - : -
Lhe Story of the Barber's Eldest Brother - - - - :
Lhe Story of the Barber's Second Brother - - - -
The Story of the Barber’s Third Brother — - - - - -
Lhe Story of the Barber's Fourth Brother - - - :
The Story of the Barber's Fifth Brother — - - - - -
The Story of the Burber’s Sixth Brother - - - - -
Index to the Notes - - - : - ~ - -

Puge

284
288

293
327
343
353
355
360
304
370
374
377
382
386

394
424
447

471
497
502
510
517
621
531
532
537
542
545
547
551
558





LIST OF COLOURED PLATES.

050 00--———

Page
The Merchant and the Genie - es - = = - 10
Lhe History of the Fisherman - - - - - - 18
The Envious Man - 3 2 i - 3 aL Pee
Zobeide - a a 3 = s 2 : = 78
The Enchanted Llorse ‘ = S . 5 5 - 140
Aladdin - 7 . - = 2 : . 2 177
Sidi Nouman - - - - - - o , - 223
Noureddin Ali and his Son : - = : = - 241
Camaralzaman - - = . . i. 2 - 299
Prince Amgiad and Prince Assad = = - - = 327
Sindbad the Sailor - = “- . 2 _ - eed
Ali Cogia - - - . : s F 5 : 387
Noureddin « - - 3 e . . - - 424
Ganem — - - - : : : : . 3 471
The Christian Merchant - : : ; ; a - 502

The Barber's Second Brother : ° = , ae _ 537











LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

+ ——00$O¢0-0——

Schehera-zade relating the stories to the Sultan
‘ Humble thyself before me, or I will kill thee?

© The Fisherman took the Leaden Cover and put it on the Vase’

‘ Turn over, then, a few more Leaves, said the Head -

The Three ie tentt ers = = =

‘ The Sultan caused to be brought to hin a Chess-board’

The Omral’s Daughter - - -
Vhahil’s Sorrow - - -
The Queen of the City of Peiutinens -

The King of Persia at Samandal’s Feet -

‘ Carried by the Stream towards the Palace’
‘The Prince put his Horse to the Gallop’ -

‘ Bird, I have you, and you shall not escape me’
‘ The Horse carried his Rider into the Air’? -
‘The Prince and Princess rose in the Air’
Schaibar, Brother of the Fairy, Perie Banow

‘ Aladdin’s Mother, at Sight of the Genie, fainted’

Aladdin on his way to the Palace - -
Aladdin saluting the Princess of China -

‘ He drank to the very last Drop, when he fell backwards lifeless?

The Magician's Younger Brother - -

‘ The Dervise applied the Ointment, and Abdalla feoaa Blind 2

Baba Abdalla soliciting Alms - -
+A Slave climbed the Tree for the Nest’ :
The Sultan going to hunt near the Pyramids
Ali Baba’s First Sight of the Forty Thieves -
Ali Baba in the Robbers’ Cave - -
The Robber and Baba Mustapha - -
Morgiana dancing before Ali Baba -

‘ Codadad lay in his Tent, little removed from Death’

Prince Codadad at the Head of his Cavalry

Page

Frontispiece

19

21

28

43,

61

81

93
107
116
120
126
129
143
152
174
184
196
199
208
210
219
221
234
243
265
266
272
281
292
297



XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Eliz-oo7-deen and the Parsee’s Daughter - - -
Princess Badoura inquiring after Prince Camaralzaman — -
© Camaralzaman observed that Two Birds fought desperately’
“ Zeyn immediately began to break up the Ground’ - -
Sindbad on the Raft - - c e 2
Sindbad fastens himself to the Roc’s Ley — - 3 a
A Horrible Black Man as Tall as a Lofty Palm-tree -
The Serpent swallows Sindbad’s Comrade — - -
Sindbud buried Alive - - : ;
Ali Cogia hiding his thousand Pieces of Gold : =
The Caliph going to visit Schemselnihar - - -
The Tomb of Schemselnihar - - = : .
The Ameer-ool-omrah declaring his Love to Zahira -
Abou Hassan awaking in the Caliph’s Apartment — -

Abou Hassan Caliph a Second Time ” : -
Ganem in the Palm-tree - 2 " = .
The Captive Princess - -

The Hunchback choked by the Fish- bone - -
The Young Man falling out of the Trunk - -

The Barber before the Sultan - - ° eS

Tartar Chan consulting Sheikh Mahomed ee



Paq2
305
309
319
345
357
361
365
368
373
386
403
423
429
453
464
473
475
499
529
533
539













‘STO THE SULTAN,

TE:

Rn

THE STO

LATING

RI

ZADE

SCHEHERA







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THE

ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

000400 ——

eB = 2°) ON G ago it was written in the chronicles of
ys OG CANS aauz2 ‘the Sassanian monarchs that there
PR once lived an illustrious prince, be-
\ | loved by his own subjects for his
fe wisdom and prudence, and feared by
his enemies for his courage, and
for the hardy and well-
disciplined army of which
he was the leader. This
prince had two sons, the
elder. called Schah-riar, and
the younger Schah-zenan,
both equally good and de-
serving of praise.
The old king died at the
end of a long and glorious
reign, and Schah-riar, his
eldest son, ascended the
throne and reigned in his
stead. A friendly contest
uickly aroge between the two brothers as to which could best promote
ne happiness of the other. The younger, Schah-zenan, did all he could
to show his loyalty and affection, while the new sultan loaded his
brother with all possible honours, and in order that he might in some
degree share his own power and wealth, bestowed on him the kingdom
of Great Tartary. Schah-zenan went immediately and took possession
of the empire allotted him, and fixed his residence at Samarcand, the
chief city.

LALLA

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1



2 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

After a separation of ten years Schah-riar ardently desired to see his
brother, and sent his first vizier,! with a splendid embassy, to invite
him to revisit his court. Schah-zenan, being informed of the approach
of the vizier, went out to meet him, with all his ministers, most
magnificently dressed for the occasion, and urgently inquired after the
health of the sultan, his brother. Having replied to these affectionate
inquiries, the vizier unfolded the more especial purpose of his coming.
8chah-zenan, who was much affected at the kindness and recollection
of his brother, then addressed the vizier in these words: ‘ Sage vizier,
the sultan my brother does me too much honour. It is impossible
that his wish to see me can exceed my anxious desire of again behold-
ing him. You have come at an opportune moment. My kingdom is
tranquil, and in ten days’ time I will be ready to depart with you.
In the meanwhile pitch your tents on this spot. I will take care and
order every refreshment and accommodation for you and your whole
train.’

At the end of ten days everything was ready. Schah-zenan took a
tender leave of the queen, his consort, and, accompanied by such officers
as he had appointed to attend him, left Samarcand in the evening, to
be near the tents of his brother’s ambassador, with the intention of
proceeding on his journey early on the following morning. Wishing,
however, once more to see his queen, whom he tenderly loved, and
whom he believed to return his love with an equal affection, he re-
turned privately to the palace, and went directly to her apartment,
when, to his extreme grief, he found that she loved another man, and
he a slave, better than himself. The unfortunate monarch, yielding to
the first outburst of his indignation, drew his scimitar, and with one
rapid stroke changed their sleep into déath. After that he threw
their dead bodies into the foss or great ditch that surrounded the

alace.

i Having thus satisfied his revenge, he went from the city as privately
as he entered it, and returned to his pavilion. On his arrival, he did
not mention to anyone what had happened, but ordered the tents to be
struck, and began his journey. It was scarcely daylight when they
commenced their march to the sound of drums and other instruments.
The whole train was filled with joy, except the king, who could think
of nothing but his queen’s misconduct, and he became a prey to the
deepest grief and melancholy during the whole journey.

When he approached the capital of Persia, be perceived the Sultan
Schah-riar and all his court coming out to greet him. What joyful
sensations arose in their breasts at this fraternal meeting! They
alighted and embraced each other ; and after a thousand expressions of
regard, they remounted and entered the city amidst the acclamations
of the multitude. The sultan conducted the king his brother to a palace
which had been prepared for him. It communicated by a garden with

1 Vazir, Vezir—literally, a porter, i.e. the minister who bears the principal
burden of the State—D’Herbelot, ‘ Bibliotheque Orientale.’







THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS. 3



his own; and was even more magnificent, as it was the spot where all
the fétes and splendid entertainments of the court were given.

Schah-riar immediately left the King of Tartary, in order that he
might have time to bathe and change his dress; on his return from the
bath he went immediately to him again. They seated themselves on a
sofa, and conversed with each other at their ease, after so long an
absence, and seemed even more united by affection than blood. They
ate together at supper, and after their repast they again conversed,
till Schah-riar, perceiving the night far advanced, left his brother to
repose.

The unfortunate Schah-zenan retired to his couch; but if the pre-
sence of the sultan had for a while suspended his grief, it now returned
with redoubled force. Every circumstance of the queen’s misconduct
arose to his mind and kept him awake, and impressed such a look of
sorrow on his countenance that the sultan could not fail to remark it.
Conscious that he had done all in his power to testify the sincerity of
his continued love and affection, he sought diligently to amuse his
brother ; but the most splendid entertainments and the gayest fétes only
served to increase his melancholy.

Schah-riar having one morning given orders for a grand hunting
party, at the distance of two days’ journey from the city, Schah-
zenan requested permission to remain in his palace, excusing himself
on account of a slight indisposition. The sultan, wishing to please
him, gave him his choice, and went with all his court to partake of the
sport.

The King of Tartary was no sooner alone than he shut himself up in
his apartment, and gave way to a sorrowful recollection on the calamity
which had befallen him. As, however, he sat thus grieving at the open
window looking out upon the beautiful garden of the palace, he suddenly
saw the sultana, the beloved wife of his brother, meet in the garden
and hold secret conversation with another man beside her husband.
Upon witnessing this interview, Schah-zenan determined within him-
self that he would no longer give way to such inconsolable grief for a
misfortune which came to other husbands as well as to himself. He
ordered supper to be brought, and ate with a better appetite than he
_ had before done since his departure from Samarcand, and even enjoyed
_ the fine concert performed while he sat at table.
| Schah-riar, on his return from hunting at the close of the second day,
_ was delighted at the change which he soon found had taken place in his
_ brother, and urgently pressed him to explain both the cause of his
_ former deep depression, and of its sudden change to his present joy.
_ The King of Tartary, being thus pressed, and feeling it his duty to
_ obey his suzerain lord, related to his brother the whole narrative of
~ his wife’s misconduct, and of the severe punishment with which he had
visited it on the offenders. Schah-riar expressed his full approval of his
- conduct. ‘I own,’ he said, ‘ had I been in your place, I should, perhaps,
have been less easily satisfied. I should not have been contented with
1—2





4 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



taking away the life of one woman, but should have sacrificed a thou-
sand to my resentment. Your fate, surely, is most singular, nor can
have happened to anyone besides. Since, however, it has pleased God
to afford you consolation, and as I am sure it is equally well founded as
the cause of your grief, inform me, I beg, of that also, and make me
acquainted with the whole.’

The reluctance of Schah-zenan to relate what he had seen yielded
at last to the urgent commands and entreaties of his brother, and
he revealed to him the secret of his disgrace in the faithlessness of
his own queen. On hearing these dreadful and unexpected tidings,
the rage and grief of Schah-riar knew no bounds. He far exceeded
his brother in his invectives and indignation. He immediately sen-
tenced to death his unhappy sultana and the unworthy accomplice
of her guilt; and, not content with this, in all the power of an Eastern
despot, he bound himself by a solemn vow that, to prevent the pos-
sibility of such misconduct in future, he would marry a new wife every
night, and command her to be strangled in the morning. Having
imposed this cruel law upon himself, he swore to observe it imme-
diately on the departure of the king his brother, who soon after had
a solemn audience of leave, and returned to his own kingdom, laden
with the most magnificent presents.

When Schah-zenan was gone, the sultan began to put into execution
his unhappy oath. He married every night the daughter of some one
of his subjects, who, the next morning, was ordered out to execution,
and thus every day was a maiden married, and every day a wife
sacrificed. However repugnant these commands were to the bene-
volent grand vizier, he was obliged to submit at the peril of the loss
of his own head. The report of this unexampled inhumanity spread
a panic of universal consternation through the city. In one place a
wretched father was in tears for the loss of his daughter ; in another,
the air resounded with the groans of tender mothers, who dreaded lest
the same fate should attend their offspring. In this manner, instead of
the praises and blessings with which, till now, they had loaded their
monarch, all his subjects poured out imprecations on his head.

The grand vizier, who, as has been mentioned, was the unwilling
agent of this horrid injustice, had two daughters; the elder was called
Schehera-zade, and the youngest Dinar-zade. Schehera-zade was
possessed of a degree of courage beyond her sex. She had read much,
and was possessed of so great a memory that she never forgot anything
once learned ; her beauty was only equalled by her virtuous disposition.

The vizier was passionately fond of so deserving a daughter.

As they were conversing together one day, she made a request to her
father, to his very great astonishment, that she might have the honour
of becoming the Sultan’s bride. The grand vizier endeavoured to
dissuade his daughter from her intention by pointing out the fearful
penalty of an immediate death attached to the favour which she sought.
Schehera-zade, however, persisted in her. request, intimating to her



THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS. 5

father that she had in her mind a plan which she thought might be
successful in making a change in the intention of the sultan, and in
putting a stop to the dreadful cruelty exercised towards the inhabitants
of the city. ‘Yes, my father,’ replied this heroic woman, ‘I am aware
of the danger I run, but it does not deter me from my purpose. If I
die, my death will be glorious; and if I succeed, I shall render my
country an important service.’ The vizier was most reluctant to allow
his beloved child to enter on so dangerous an enterprise, and en-
deavoured to dissuade her from her purpose by the relation of the

following story :







THE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND
THE LABOURER.

A very rich merchant had several farmhouses in the country, where he
bred every kind of cattle. This merchant understood the language of
beasts. He obtained this privilege on the condition of not imparting
what he heard to anyone, under the penalty of death.

He had put by chance! an ox and an ass into the same stall; and
being seated near them, he heard the ox say to the ass: ‘How happy
do I think your lot. A servant looks after you with great care, washes
you, feeds you with fine sifted barley, and gives you fresh and clean
water ; your greatest task is to carry the merchant our master. My
condition is as unfortunate as yours is pleasant. They yoke me toa
plough the whole day, while the labourer urges me on with his goad.
The weight and force of the plough, too, chafes all the skin from my
neck. When I have worked from morning till night, they give me un-
wholesome and uninviting food. Have I not, then, reason to envy your
lot?’

When he had finished, the ass replied in these words: ‘ Believe me,
they would not treat you thus, if you possessed as much courage as
strength. When they come to tie you to the manger, what resistance,
pray, do you ever make? Do you ever push them with your horns?

1 The ass and the ox in the East were subject to very different treatment ; the
one was strong to labour, and was little cared for; the other was reserved for
princes and judges to ride on, and was tended with the utmost attention. Even
in these days the Pasha of Egypt sent a white ass as a present to the Prince of
Wales. He was named ‘ Vicar,’ and received a prize at the Donkey Show held
in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, in the autumn of 1864,



THE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND THE LABOURER. 7



Do you ever show your anger by stamping on the ground with your
feet? Why don’t you terrify them with your bellowing? Nature has
given you the means of making yourself respected, and yet you neglect
to use them. They bring you bad beans and chaff; well, do not eat
them ; smell at them only, and leave them. Thus, if you follow my
plans, you will soon perceive a change, which you will thank me for.’
The ox took the advice of the ass very kindly, and declared himself
much obliged to him.

Harly the next morning the labourer came for the ox, and yoked him
to the plough, and set him to work as usual. The latter, who had not
forgotten the advice he had received, was very unruly the whole day ;
and at night, when the labourer attempted to fasten him to the stall,
he ran bellowing back, and put down his horns to strike him ; in short.
he did exactly as the ass had advisedhim. On the next morning wher
the man came, he found the manger still full of beans and chaff, and
the ox lying on the ground with his legs stretched out, and making a
strange groaning. The labourer thought him very ill, and thatit would
be useless to take him to work ; he, therefore, immediately went and
informed the merchant.

The latter perceived that the bad advice of the ass had been followed ;
and he told the labourer to go and take the ass instead of the ox, and
not fail to give him plenty of exercise. The man obeyed; and the ass
was obliged to drag the plough the whole day, which tired him the
more, because he was unaccustomed to it; besides which, he was so
beaten that he could scarcely support himself when he came back, and
he fell down in his stall half dead.

Here the grand vizier said to Schehera-zade : ‘ You are, my child, just
like this ass, and would expose yourself to destruction.’ < Sir,’ replied
Schehera-zade, ‘the example which you have brought does not alter my
resolution, and I shall not cease importuning you till I have obtained
from you the favour of presenting me to the sultan as his consort.’
The vizier, finding her persist in her request, said, ‘ Well then, since
you will remain thus obstinate, I shall be obliged to treat you as the
rich merchant I mentioned did his wife.’

Being told in what a miserable state the ass was, he was curious to
know what passed between him and the ox. After supper, therefore,
he went out by moonlight, accompanied by his wife, and sat down near
them; on his arrival, he heard the ass say to the ox, ‘ Tell me, brother,
what you mean to do when the labourer brings you food to-morrow ?
‘Mean to do?’ replied the ox, ‘why, what you taught me, to be sure.’
‘Take care,’ interrupted the ass, ‘ what you are about, lest you destroy
yourself; for in coming home yesterday evening, I heard our master
say these sad words: ‘Since the ox can neither eat nor support him-
self, I wish him to be killed to-morrow; do not, therefore, fail to send
for the butcher.” This is what I heard; and the interest I take in
your safety, and the friendship I have for you, induces me to mention
it. When they bring you beans and chaff, get up, and begin eating



8 THe ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



directly. Our master, by this, will suppose that you have recovered,
and will, without doubt, revoke the senfence for your death; in my
opinion, if you act otherwise, it is all over with you.’

This speech produced the intended effect : the ox was much troubled,
and lowed with fear. The merchant, who had listened to everything
with great attention, burst into a fit of laughter that quite surprised his
wife. ‘Tell me,’ said she, ‘ what you laugh at, that I may join in it.
I wish to know the cause.’ ‘That satisfaction,’ replied the husband, ‘I
cannot afford you: I can only tell you that I laughed at what the ass
said to the ox; the rest is a secret, which I must not reveal.’ ‘And
why not?’ asked his wife. ‘Because, if I tell you, it will cost me my
life.’ ‘You trifle with me,’ added she; ‘ this can never be true; and if
you do not immediately inform me what you laughed at, I swear by
Allah that we will live together no longer.’

Tn saying this, she went back to the house in a pet, shut herself up,
and cried the whole night. Her husband, finding that she continued in
the same state all the next day, said, ‘ How foolish it is to afflict your-
self in this way! Do I not seriously tell you that, if I were to yield to
your foolish importunities, it would cost me my life?’ ‘ Whatever
happens rests with Allah,’ said she; ‘but I shall not alter my mind.’
‘T see very plainly,’ answered the merchant, ‘it is not possible to make
you submit to reason, and that your obstinacy will kill you.’ He then
sent for the parents and other relations of his wife; when they were all
assembled, he explained to them his motives for calling them together,
and requested them to use all their influence with his wife, and en-
deavour to convince her of the folly of her conduct. She rejected them
all, and said she had rather die than give up this point to her husband.
When her children saw that nothing could alter her resolution, they
began to lament most bitterly—the merchant himself knew not what
to do. A little while afterwards he was sitting by chance at the door
of his house, considering whether he should not even sacrifice himself
in order to save his wife, whom he so tenderly loved, when he saw his
favourite dog run up to the cock in the farmyard, and tell him all the
circumstances of the painful situation in which he was placed. Upon
which the cock said, ‘ How foolish must our master be! He has but
one wife, and cannot gain his point, while I have fifty, and do just as I
please. Let him take a good-sized stick, and not scruple to use it, and
she will soon know better, and not worry him to reveal what he ought
to keep secret.’ The merchant at once did as he suggested, on which
his wife quickly repented of her ill-timed curiosity, and all her family
came in heartily glad at finding her more rational and submissive to her
husband.

‘You deserve, my daughter,’ added the grand vizier, ‘to be treated
like the merchant’s wife.’ ;

‘Do not, sir,’ answered Schehera-zade, ‘think ill of me if I still
persist in my sentiments. The history of this woman does not shake
my resolution. I could recount, on the other hand, many good



THE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND THE LABOUKER. 9



reasons which ought to persuade you not to oppose my design. Pardon
me, too, if I add, that your opposition will be useless; for if your
paternal tenderness should refuse the request I make, I will present
myself to the sultan.’

At length the vizier, overcome by his daughter’s firmness, yielded to
her entreaties; and although he was very sorry at not being able to
conquer her resolution, he immediately went to Schah-riar, and an-
nounced to him that Schehera-zade herself would be his bride on the
following night.

The sultan was much astonished at the sacrifice of the grand vizier.
‘Ts it possible,’ said he, ‘that you can give up your own child?’ ‘ Sire,’
replied the vizier, ‘she has herself made the offer. The dreadful fate
that hangs over her does not alarm her; and she resigns her life for the
honour of being the consort of your majesty, though it be but for one
night.’ ‘ Vizier,’ said the sultan, ‘do not deceive yourself with any
hopes; for be assured that, in delivering Schehera-zade into your
charge to-morrow, it will be with an order for her death; and if you
disobey, your own head will be the forfeit.’ ‘ Although,’ answered the
vizier, ‘I am her father, I will answer for the fidelity of this arm in ful-
filling your commands.’

When the grand vizier returned to Schehera-zade, she thanked her
father ; and observing him to be much afflicted, consoled him by saying
that she hoped he would be so far from repenting her marriage with the
sultan, that it would become a subject of joy to him for the remainder
of his life. :

Before Schehera-zade went to the palace, she called her sister, Dinar-
zade, aside, and said, ‘ As soon as I shall have presented myself before
the sultan, I shall entreat him to suffer you to sleep in the bridal
chamber, that I may enjoy for the last time your company. If I obtain
this favour, as I expect, remember to awaken me to-morrow morning
an hour before daybreak, and say, ‘If you are not asleep, my sister, I
beg of you, till the morning appears, to recount to me one of those
delightful stories you know.’ I will immediately begin to tell one; and
I flatter myself that by these means I shall free the kingdom from the
consternation in which itis.’ Dinar-zade promised to do with pleasure
what she required.

Within a short time Schehera-zade was conducted by her father to
the palace, and was admitted to the presence of the sultan. They were
no sooner alone than the sultan ordered her to take off her veil. He
was charmed with her beauty; but perceiving her tears, he demanded
the cause of them. ‘Sire,’ answered Schehera-zade, ‘I have a sister
whom I tenderly love—I earnestly wish that she might be permitted to
pass the night in this apartment, that we may again see each other, and
once more take a tender farewell. Will you allow me the consolation of
giving her this last proof of my affection?’ Schah-riar having agreed
to it, they sent for Dinar-zade, who came directly. The sultan passed
the night with Schehera-zade on an elevated couch, as was the custom



10 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.
among the Eastern monarchs, and Dinavr-zade slept at the foot of it on
a mattress, prepared for the purpose.

Dinar-zade, having awoke about an hour before day, did what her
sister had ordered her. ‘My dear sister,’ she said, ‘if you are not
asleep, I entreat you, as it will soon be light, to relate to me one of
those delightful tales you know. It will, alas| be the last time T shall
receive that pleasure.’

Instead of returning any answer to her sister, Schehera-zade addressed
these words to the sultan: ‘ Will your majesty permit me to indulge
my sister in her request?’ ‘Freely,’ replied he. «Schehera-zade then
oe her sister to attend, and, addressing herself to the sultan, began
as follows:

THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE
GENIE.

TuEre was formerly, sire, a merchant, who was possessed of great
wealth, in land, merchandise, and ready money. Having one day

y



an affair of great importance to settle at a considerable distance from
home, he mounted his horse, and with only a sort of cloak-bag behind



KF
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THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE GENIE. 11



him, in which he had put a few biscuits and dates, he began his journey.
He arrived without any accident at the place of his destination; and
having finished his business, set out on his return.

On the fourth day of his journey he felt himself so incommoded by
the heat of the sun that he turned out of his road in order to rest under
some trees, by which there was a fountain. He alighted, and, tying
his horse to a branch of the tree, sat down on its bank to eat some
biscuits and dates from his little store. When he had satisfied his
hunger, he amused himself with throwing about the stones of the fruit
with considerable velocity. When he had finished his frugal repast, he
washed his hands, his face, and his feet, and repeated a prayer, like a
good Mussulman.}

He was still on his knees, when he saw a genie,? white with age, and
of an enormous stature, advancing towards him, with a scimitar in his
hand. As soon as he was close to him, he said in a most terrible tone,
‘Get up, that I may kill thee with this scimitar, as thou hast caused
the death of my son.’ He accompanied these words with a dreadful
yell. The merchant, alarmed by the horrible figure of this giant, as
well as the words he heard, replied in trembling accents, ‘ How can I
have slain him? I do not know him, nor have I ever seen him.’
‘Didst thou not,’ replied the giant, ‘on thine arrival here, sit down,
and take some dates from thy wallet; and after eating them, didst thou
not throw the stones about on all sides?’ ‘ This is all true,’ replied the
merchant; ‘I do not deny it.’ ‘Well, then,’ said the other, ‘I tell thee
thou hast killed my son; for while thou wast throwing about the stones
my son passed by; one of them struck him in the eye, and caused his
death,’ and thus hast thou killed my son.’ ‘Ah, sire, forgive me!’
cried the merchant. ‘I have neither forgiveness nor mercy,’ added the
giant ; ‘and is it not just that he who has inflicted death should suffer
it?’ ‘T grant this; yet surely I have not done so. And even if I have,
I have done so innocently, and therefore I entreat you to pardon me,

1 Mussulman signifies resigned, or ‘conformed to the Divine will.’ The Arabic
word is Mosleméina, in the singular, Moslem ; which the Mahommedans take as
a title peculiar to themselves. The Europeans generally write and pronounce it
Mussulman.—Sale’s ‘Koran,’ ¢. ii., p.16. 4to., 1734. }

* These tales are furnished throughout with a certain imaginary machinery.
They have, as their foundation, the perpetual intervention of certain fantastic
beings, in most cases superior to man, but yet subordinate to the authority of
certain favoured individuals. These beings may, for our purpose, be generally
divided into genies, whose interference is generally for evil; peris, whose pre-
sence indicates favourable issues to those whom they befriend; and ghouls, monsters
which have a less direct control over man’s affairs, but represent any monster
repugnant or loathsome to mankind. P

* * Now this, at first sight, seems a singular, if not a ridiculous thing ; but even
this has its foundation in an Eastern custom. It is in this manner that prisoners
are sometimes put to death : a man sits down at a little distance from the object
he intends to destroy, and then attacks him by repeatedly shooting at him with
tbe stone of the date, thrown from his two forefingers, and in this way puts an
end to his life,’—Preface to Forster's edition of ‘ Arabian Nights.’



12 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



and suffer me to live.’ ‘No, no!’ cried the genie, still persisting in his
resolution; ‘I must destroy thee, as thou hast done my son!’ At
these words he took the merchant in his arms, and having thrown him
with his face on the ground, he lifted up his sabre in order to strike off
his head.

Schehera-zade, at this instant, perceiving it was day, and knowing
that the sultan rose early to his prayers,! and then to hold a council,
broke off. ‘What a wonderful story,’ said Dinar-zade, ‘have you
chosen!’ ‘The conclusion,’ answered Schehera-zade, ‘is still more
surprising, as you would confess, if the sultan would suffer me to live
another day, and in the morning permit me to continue the relation.’
Schah-riar, who had listened with much pleasure to the relation, deter-
mined to wait till to-morrow, intending to order her execution after she
had finished her story. He arose, and, having prayed, went to the
council.

The grand vizier, in the meantime, was in a state of cruel suspense.
Unable to sleep, he passed the night in lamenting the approaching fate
of his daughter, whose executioner he was compelled to be. Dreading,
therefore, in this melancholy situation, to meet the sultan, how great
was his surprise in seeing him enter the council-chamber without giving
him the horrible order he expected.

The sultan spent the day, as usual, in regulating the affairs of his
kingdom, and, on the approach of night, retired with Schehera-zade to
his apartment.?

On the next morning, the sultan did not wait for Schehera-zade to ask
permission to continue her story, but said, ‘ Finish the tale of the genie
and the merchant: I am curious to hear the end of it.’ Schehera-zade
immediately went on as follows:

When the merchant, sire, perceived that the genie was about to
execute his purpose, he cried aloud, ‘One word more, I entreat you;
have the goodness to grant me a little delay ; give me only one year to
go and take leave of my dear wife and children, and I promise to return
to this spot, and submit myself entirely to your pleasure.’ ‘Take Allah

‘The Mahommedans divide their religion into two parts—Jmana, faith ;
and Din, practice. The first is the confession, “ There is no god but the true
God, and Mahommed is His prophet.” Under this are comprehended six distinct
tenets: 1. Belief in God; 2. In His anger; 3. In His Scriptures; 4. In His
prophets ; 5. In the resurrection and day of judgment ; 6. God’s absolute decree
and predetermination of all events, good or evil. The points of practice are:
1. Prayer and purification ; 2. Alms ; 3. Fasting ; 4. Pilgrimage to Mecca,’—
Sale’s ‘Preliminary Discourse,’ p. 171.

2 In the original work, Schehera-zade continually breaks off to ask the sultan
to spare her life for another day, that she may finish the story on which she is
engaged, and he as regularly grants her request. These interruptions are
omitted as interfering with the continued interest of the numerous stories told
by the patriotic Schehera-zade.



THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE GENTE. 13



to witness of the promise thou hast made me,’ said the other. ‘Again
I swear,’ replied he, ‘and you may rely on my oath.’ On this the genie
left him near the fountain, and immediately disappeared.

The merchant, on his reaching home, related faithfully all that had
happened to him. On hearing the sad news, his wife uttered the most
lamentable groans, tearing her hair, and beating her breast; and his
children made the house resound with their grief; while the father,
overcome by affection, mingled his tears with theirs. The year quickly
passed away. The good merchant, having settled his affairs, paid his
just debts, given alms to the poor, and made provision to the best of his
ability for his wife and family, tore himself away amidst the most
frantic expressions of grief, and, mindful of his oath, arrived at the
destined spot on the very day he had promised. While he was waiting
for the arrival of the genie, there suddenly appeared an old man leading
a hind, who, after a respectful salutation, inquired what brought him to
that desert place. The merchant satisfied the old man’s curiosity, and
related his adventure, on which he expressed a wish to witness his
interview with the genie. He had scarcely finished his speech when
another old man, accompanied by two black dogs, came in sight, and,
having heard the tale of the merchant, determined also to remain to see
the event.

Soon they perceived, towards the plain, a thick vapour or smoke,
like a column of dust raised by the wind. This vapour approached
them, and then suddenly disappearing, they saw the genie, who, with-
out noticing them, went towards the merchant with his scimitar in his
hand, and taking him by the arm, ‘ Get up,’ said he, ‘that I may kill
thee, as thou hast slain my son.’ Both the merchant and the two old
men, struck with terror, began to weep and fill the air with their
lamentations. When the old man who conducted the hind saw the
genie lay hold of the merchant, and about to murder him without
mercy, he threw himself at the monster’s feet, and, kissing them, said,
‘Lord Genie, I humbly entreat you to suspend your rage, and hear my
history, and that of the hind, which you see; and if you find it more
wonderful and surprising than the adventure of this merchant, whose
life you wish to take, may I not hope that you will at least grant me one
half part of the blood of this unfortunate man?’ After meditating some
time, the genie answered, ‘ Well, then, I agree to it.’




















Us ee Aan

ny ate




































(& WER fore ON Neca f(r NLT Gea
x Al a (cow) ye Ly CG MK A ;




THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST OLD MAN
AND THE HIND.

Tur hind, whom you, Lord Genie, see here, is my wife. I married her
when she was twelve years old, and we lived together thirty years,
without having any children. At the end of that time I adopted into
my family a son, whom a slave had born. This act of mine excited
against the mother and her child the hatred and jealousy of my wife.
She availed herself, during my absence on a journey, of her knowledge
of magic, to change the slave and my adopted son into a cow and a calf,
and sent them to my farm to be fed and taken care of by the steward.

‘Immediately on my return I inquired after my child and his mother.
‘Your slave is dead,’ said she, ‘and it is now more than two months
since I have beheld your son; nor do I know what is become of him.’
I was sensibly affected at the death of the slave; but, as my son had
only disappeared, I flattered myself that he would soon be found. Hight
months, however, passed, and he did not return ; nor could I learn any
tidings of him. In order to celebrate the festival of the great Bairam,’
which was approaching, I ordered my bailiff to bring me the fattest cow
I possessed for a sacrifice. He obeyed my commands. Having bound
the cow, I was about to make the sacrifice, when at the very instant
she lowed most sorrowfully, and the tears even fell from her eyes. This
seemed to me so extraordinary, that I could not but feel compassion for
her, and was unable to give the fatal blow. I therefore ordered her to
be taken away, and another brought.

My wife, who was present, seemed very angry at my compassion, and
opposed my order.

I then said to my steward, ‘Make the sacrifice yourself: the
lamentations and tears of the animal have overcome me.’

The steward was less compassionate, and sacrificed her. On taking
off the skin we found hardly anything but bones, though she appeared

1 Batram; a Turkish word, and signifies a feast-day or holiday. It commences
on the close of the Ramadan—or the month’s fast of the Mahommedans, At this
feast they kill a calf, goat, or sheep ; and, after giving a part to the poor, eat the
rest with their friends. It commences with the new moon, and is supposed to be
instituted in memory of the sacrifice of his son by Abraham. The observance
of the lesser Bairam is confined to Mecca.



THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST OLD MAN AND THE HIND. 15



very fat. ‘Take her away,’ said I to the steward, truly chagrined, ‘and
if you have another very fat calf, bring it in her place.’. He returned with
a remarkably fine calf, who, as soon as he perceived me, made so great
an effort to come to me, that he broke his cord. He lay down at my
feet, with his head on the ground, as if he endeavoured to excite my com-
passion, and to entreat me not to have the cruelty to take away his life.

‘ Wife,’ answered I, ‘I will not sacrifice this calf, I wish to favour
him ; do not you, therefore, oppose it.’ She, however, did not agree to
my proposal, and continued to demand his sacrifice so obstinately that
I was compelled to yield. I bound the calf, and took the fatal knife to
bury it in his throat, when he turned his eyes, filled with tears, so
persuasively upon me that I had no power to execute my intention.
The knife fell from my hand, and I told my wife I was determined to
have another calf. She tried every means to induce me to alter my
mind ; I continued firm, however, in my resolution, in spite of all she
could say; promising, for the sake of appeasing her, to sacrifice this
calf at the feast of Bairam on the following year.

The next morning my steward desired to speak with me, in private.
He informed me that his daughter, who had some knowledge of magic,
wished to speak with me. On being admitted to my presence, she in-
formed me that, during my absence, my wife had turned the slave and
my son into a cow and calf; that I had already sacrificed the cow, but
that she could restore my son to life, if I would give him to her for her
husband, and allow her to visit my wife with the punishment her
cruelty had deserved. To these proposals I gave my consent.

The damsel then took a vessel full of water, and pronouncing over it
some words I did not understand, she threw the water over the calf,
and he instantly regained his own form.

‘My son! my son!’ I exclaimed, and embraced him with transport ;
‘this damsel has destroyed the horrible charm with which you were
surrounded. I am sure your gratitude will induce you to marry her, as
I have already promised for you.’ He joyfully consented ; but before
they were united the damsel changed my wife into this hind, which you
see here.

Since this my son has become a widower, and is now travelling.
Many years have passed since I have heard anything of him; I have,
therefore, now set out with a view to gain some information; and as I
did not like to trust my wife to the care of anyone during my search, I
thought proper to carry her along with me. This is the history of
myself and ihis hind; can anything be more wonderful ? ‘TI agree with
you,’ said the genie, ‘and, in consequence, I grant to you a half of the
blood of this merchant.’

As soon as the first old man had finished, the second, who led the
two black dogs, made the same request to the genie for a half of the
merchant's blood, on the condition that his tale exceeded in interest the
one that had been just related. On the genie signifying his assent, the
old man began :





PHUESHISTORY “OF THE SECONDOLD AN
AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS.

Great prince of the genies, you must know that these two black dogs,
which you see here, and myself are three brothers. Our father, when
he died, left us one thousand sequins each. With this sum we all em-
barked in business as merchants. My two brothers determined to
travel, that they might trade in foreign parts. They were both un-
fortunate, and returned at the end of two years in a state of abject
poverty, having lost their all. I had in the meanwhile prospered, and
T gladly received them, and gave them one thousand sequins each, and
again set them up as merchants. My brothers frequently proposed to
me that I should make a voyage with them for the purpose of traffic.
Knowing their former want of success, I refused to join them, until at
the end of five years I at length yielded to their repeated solicitations.
On consulting on the merchandise to be bought for the voyage, I dis-
covered that nothing remained of the thousand sequins I had given to
each. I did not reproach them; on the contrary, as my capital was
increased to six thousand sequins, I gave them each one thousand
sequins, and kept a like sum myself, and concealed the other three
thousand in a corner of my house, in order that if our voyage proved
unsuccessful, we might be able to console ourselves and begin our
former profession. We purchased our goods, embarked in a vessel,
which we ourselves freighted, and set sail with a favourable wind.
After sailing about a month, we arrived, without any accident, at a
port, where we landed, and had a most advantageous sale for our
merchandise. I, in particular, sold mine so well, that I gained ten for
one.

About the time that we were ready to embark on our return, I acci-
dentally met on the seashore a female, of great beauty, but very poorly
dressed. She accosted me by kissing my hand, and entreated me most
earnestly to permit her to be my wife. I started many difficulties to
such a plan; but at length she said so much to persuade me that I
ought not to regard her poverty, and that I should be well satisfied with
her conduct, I was quite overcome. I directly procured proper dresses
for her, and, after marrying her in due form, she embarked with me, and
we set sail





THE SECOND OLD MAN AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS. 17



_ During our voyage, I found my wife possessed of so many good quali-
ties that I loved her every day more and more. In the meantime my
“two brothers, who had not traded so advantageously as myself, and who
~ were jealous of my prosperity, began to feel exceedingly envious. They
even went so far as to conspire against my life ; for one night, while my
wife and I were asleep, they threw us into the sea. I had hardly, how-
ever, fallen into the water, before my wife took me up and transported
me into an island. As soon as it was day she thus addressed me: ‘ You
‘must know that I am a fairy, and being upon the shore when you were
about to sail, I wished to try the goodness of your heart, and for this
purpose I presented myself before you in the disguise you saw. You
acted most generously, and I am therefore delighted in finding an occa-
sion of showing my gratitude, and I trust, my husband, that in saving
your life I have not ill rewarded the good you have done me, but I am
“enraged against your brothers, nor shall I be satisfied till I have taken
_ their lives.’ ;

T listened with astonishment to the discourse of the fairy, and thanked
her, as well as I was able, for the great obligation she had conferred on
me. ‘But, madam,’ said I to her, ‘I must entreat you to pardon my

‘brothers.’ I related to her what I had done for each of them, but my

- account only increased her anger. ‘I must instantly fly after these
ungrateful wretches,’ cried she, ‘ and bring them to a just punishment ;
I will sink their vessel, and precipitate them to the bottom of the sea.’
‘No, beautiful lady,’ replied I; ‘for heaven’s sake, moderate your
indignation, and do not execute so dreadful an intention ; remember
they are still my brothers, and that we are bound to return good for
evil.’

No sooner had I pronounced these words, than I was transported in
an instant from the island, where we were, to the top of my own house.
I descended, opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins

_which I had hidden. I afterwards repaired to my shop, opened it, and
received the congratulations of the merchants in the neighbourhood on
_ my arrival. When I returned home, I perceived these two black dogs,
which came towards me with a submissive air. I could not imagine
' what this meant, but the fairy, who soon appeared, satisfied my curio-
sity. ‘My dear husband,’ said she, ‘be not surprised at seeing these
two dogs in your house; they are your brothers.’ My blood ran cold
- on hearing this, and I inquired by what power they had been transformed
into that state. ‘It is I,’ replied the fairy, ‘who have done it, and I
have sunk their ship; for the loss of the merchandise it contained, I
shall recompense you. As to your brothers, I have condemned them
_ to remain under this form for ten years, as a punishment for their
- perfidy.’ Then informing me where I might hear of her, she dis-
- appeared.
- ‘The ten years are now completed, and I am travelling in search of
her. ‘This, O lord genie, is my history; does it not appear to you of a
most extraordinary nature?’ ‘Xes,’ raplied the genie, ‘I confess it is



‘3 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



most wonderful, and therefore I grant you the other half of this mer-
chant’s blood,’ and having said this, the genie disappeared, to the great
joy of the merchant and of the two old men.

The merchant did not omit to bestow many thanks upon his libera-
tors, who, bidding him adieu, proceeded on their travels. He remounted
his horse, and returned home to his wife and children, and spent the
remainder of his days with them in tranquillity.

THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN,

THERE was formerly an aged fisherman, so poor that he could barely
obtain food for himself, his wife, and his three children. He went out
early every morning to his employment; and he had imposed a rule
upon himself never to cast his nets above four times a day.

On one occasion he set out before the morn had disappeared. When
he reached the sea-shore, he undressed himself, and cast his nets. In
drawing them to land three times in succession, he felt sure, from their
resistance and weight, that he had secured an excellent draught of fish.
Instead of which, he only found on the first haul the carcass of an ass;
on the second a large pannier filled with sand and mud; and on the
third a large quantity of heavy stones, shells, and filth. It is impossible
to describe his disappointment and despair. The day now began to
break,! and having, like a good Mussulman, finished his prayers, he
threw his nets for the fourth time. Again he supposed he had caught
a great quantity of fish, as he drew them with as much difficulty as
before. He nevertheless found none; but discovered a heavy vase of
yellow copper, shut up and fastened with lead, on which there was the
impression of a seal. ‘I will sell this to a founder,’ said he, with joy,
‘and with the money I shall get for it I will purchase a measure of
corn.’

He examined the vase on all sides; he shook it, but could hear
nothing ; and this, together with the impression of the seal on the lead,
made him think it was filled with something valuable. In order to find
this out, he took his knife, and got it open. He directly turned the top
downwards, and was much surprised to find nothing come out. He
then set it down before him, and while he was attentively observing it,
there issued from it so thick a smoke that he was obliged to step back
afew paces. This smoke, by degrees, rose almost to the clouds, and
spread itself over both the water and the shore, appearing like a thick

1 The Koran commands prayers to be repeated five times a day ; namely, in
the morning before sunrise ; when noon is past, and the sun begins to decline

rom the meridian ; in the afternoon, before sunset ; in the evening, after sun-
set and before the day be quite closed; and after dark, before the first watch of
the night —D’Herbelot, ‘ Biblioth¢que Orientale,’



THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN. 19
fog. The fisherman, as may easily be imagined, was a good deal sur-
prised at this sight. When the smoke had all come out from the vase,
it again collected itself, and became a solid body, and then took the
shape of a genie of a gigantic size. The genie, looking at the fisher-
man, exclaimed, ‘ Humble thyself before me, or I will kill thee!’ ‘And
for what reason, pray, will you kill me?’ answered the fisherman ;
‘have you already forgotten that I have set you at liberty?’ ‘I re-
member it very well,’ returned he; ‘but that shall not prevent my























‘HUMBLE THYSELF BEFORE ME, OR I WILL KILL THEE.’

“Alestroying thee; and I will only grant thee one favour.’ ‘ And pray
what is that?’ said the fisherman. ‘It is,’ replied the genie, ‘ to permit
hee to choose the manner of thy death. I can treat thee no other-
‘Wise,’ said the genie: ‘and to convince thee of it, hear my history :

‘I am one of those spirits who rebelled against the sovereignty of
~Ged.t Solomon, the son of David, the prophet of God, commanded











~~ 1The Mahommedans have a tradition that the genies tempted Solomon to
‘transgress without success, and they made use of a trick to injure his character
‘by hiding books of magic under his throne, and causing them to be found
‘there. But he continued faithful, and God cleared his character, declaring,
by the mouth of their prophet, that Solomon was no_ idolater.—Sale’s
‘Koran,’ p. 13. 5
—-2



20 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



me to acknowledge his authority, and submit to his laws. I haughtily
refused. In order therefore to punish me, he enclosed me in this copper
vase ; and, to prevent me forcing my way out, he put upon the leaden
cover the impression of his seal, on which the great name of God is
engraven. This done, he gave the vase to one of those genies who
obeyed him, and ordered him to cast me into the sea.

‘During the first century of my captivity, I swore that if anyone
delivered me before the first hundred years were passed I would make
him rich. During the second century, I swore that if any released
me I would discover to him all the treasures of the earth. During
the third, I promised to make my deliverer a most powerful monarch,
and to grant him every day any three requests he chose. These
centuries passed away without any deliverance. Enraged at last to be
so long a prisoner, I swore that I would, without mercy, kill whoever
should in future release me; and that the only favour I would grant
him should be, to choose what manner of death he pleased. Since,
therefore, thou hast come here to-day, and hast delivered me, fix upon
whatever kind of death thou wilt.’

The fisherman was in great distress at finding him thus resolved on
his death, not so much on his own account as for his three children,
whose means of subsistence would be greatly reduced by his death.
‘Alas!’ he cried, ‘have pity on me; remember what I have done for
thee !’

‘Let us lose no time,’ cried the genie; ‘ your arguments avail not.
Make haste ; tell me how you wish to die!’

Necessity is the mother of invention ; and the fisherman thought of
a stratagem. ‘Since, then,’ said he, ‘I cannot escape death, I submit
to the will of God; but before I choose the sort of death, I conjure
_you, by the great name of God, which is graven upon the seal of the
prophet Solomon,! the son of David, answer me truly to a question I
am going to put to you.’ The genie trembled at this adjuration, and
said to the fisherman, ‘ Ask what thou wilt, and make haste.’

‘Dare you, then, to swear by the great name of God that you really
were in that vase? This vase cannot contain one of your feet; how,
then, can it hold your whole body?’ ‘I swear to thee, notwithstand-
ing,’ replied he, ‘that I was there just as thou seest me! Wilt thou
not believe me after the solemn oath I have taken?’ ‘No, truly,’ added
the fisherman ; ‘I shall not believe you unless I were to see it.’

Immediately the form of the genie began to change into smoke, and
extended itself, as before, over both the shore and the sea; and then,
collecting itself, began to enter the vase, and continued to do so ina
slow and equal manner, till nothing remained without. The fisherman
immediately took the leaden cover and put it on the vase. ‘ Genie!’

1 The most famous talisman of the East was the Mohur Solimani, the seal or
ring of Solomon Jared, fifth monarch of the world after Adam. The possessor
had the entire command, not only of the elements, but also of the demons and
every created being.— Beckford’s ‘ Vathek,’ notes to p. 232.





THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN. at



he cried, ‘it is now your turn to ask pardon. I shall throw you again
into the sea, and I will build, opposite the very spot where you are
cast, a house upon the shore, in which I will live, to warn all fishormen
that shail come and throw their nets not to fish up so evil a genie as
act art, who makest an oath to kill the man who shall set thee at
iberty.’



THE FISHERMAN TOOK THE LEADEN COVER AND PUT IT ON THE VASE.

The genie tried every argument to move the fisherman's pity, but in
‘vain. ‘You are too treacherous for me to trust you,’ returned the
fisherman ; ‘I should deserve to lose my life if I put myself in your
‘power a second time. You would, most likely, treat meas the Greek
king treated Douban the physician. Listen, and I will tell you the
tory.’











THE HISTORY OF THE GREEK KING AND
DOUBAN THE PHYSICIAN.

THERE once lived a king who was sorely afflicted with a leprosy, and
his physicians had unsuccessfully tried every remedy they were ac-
quainted with, when a very ingenious physician, called Douban, arrived
at the court: he was well acquainted with the good and bad properties
of all kinds of plants and drugs.

As soon as he was informed of the king’s illness, he dressed himself
in his robe of ceremony, and obtained permission to be presented to
tothe king. ‘ Sire,’ said he, ‘ EF know that all your physicians have been
unable to remove your leprosy ; but, if you will, I will cure you with-
out either internal doses or outward applications.’

Douban returned to his house, and made a sort of racket or bat,}
with a hollow in the handle, to admit the drug he meant to use. That
being done, the following day he presented himself before the king,
and, prostrating himself at his feet, kissed the ground.

Douban then arose, and told the king that he must ride on horseback
to the place where he was accustomed to play at rackets. The king
did as he was desired; and, when he had reached the racket-ground,
took the bat, and spurred his horse after the bail till he struck it. It
was sent back again to him by the officers who were playing with him,
and he struck it again. And thus the game continued for a considerable
time, till he found his hand as well as his whole body in a perspiration,
which made the remedy in the bat operate as the physician had said.
The king then left the game, returned to the palace, bathed,? and
observed very punctually all the directions that had been given him.

1 They have also the equestrian game of Chougham, which Dr. Scott appre-
hends is what was in England called Mall, and that the street called now Pall
Mall was the place of performing it. The antagonists, so many on each side,
carry long wands, the ends of which are similar to maces used at billiards, with
which they strike balls to a goal ; in this exercise, dexterity of horsemanship,
strength, and agility are fully displayed.—Scott’s ‘Introduction to Arabian
Nights,’ p. 19.

* The reader will find this bath referred to more frequently than any other
custom in these tales. It was partly enjoined by the Koran, and partly by the

personal sense of enjoyment it imparted to the person, Dr, Russell gives this





THE GREEK KING AND DOUBAN THE PHYSICIAN. 23



He soon found the good effects of the prescription; for on the next
' morning he perceived with equal surprise and joy that his leprosy!
-was cured, and that his body was as clear as if he had never been
attacked by that malady. As soon as he was dressed he went into the
_ audience-room, where he mounted his throne and received the con:
- gratulations of all his courtiers.

Douban entered, and prostrated himself at the foot of the throne.

The king made him sit by his side, and afterwards placed him at his
» own table to dine only with him; and yet further, towards evening,
when the courtiers were about to depart, he put on him a rich robe, and
_ gave him two thousand sequins. The following days he did nothing
but caress him, and confer on him fresh proofs of his gratitude.

The king had a grand vizier, who was avaricious, envious, and
capable of every species of crime. He observed with pain the presents
‘which had been bestowed upon the physician, whose ruin he was de-
termined to accomplish. He went to the king and said, ‘Sire, in

_ bestowing all this kindness upon Douban, how do you know but that





_ account of the Turkish bath. ‘Hummaum, or hummum, implies the bagnio
altogether. Baranee is the outer room of the bath, having round it a stone
platform close to the walls for undressing or repose, and israised four feet from
the floor, in the centre of which is a marble basin, and fountain for rinsing the
_ bathing-linen. The heat in this room is sixty-four degrees, Wustaunee is the
. middle chamber of the bagnio, having a mustabee or platform to sit or recline
upon, also several round or oblong basins of stone about a foot and a half in
, diameter, into each of which pipes open by cocks, one conveying hot, the other
cold water. These are called jemun. Here are also bowls for pouring the
water upon the bathers, Heat, ninety degrees. Jowanee is the sudatory
or inner chamber, covered by a cupola, which lights it, and the heat is a
hundred degrees. As the person perspires freely, warm water is poured
~ over him, and he is rubbed by the attendant, who has upon his hand a camblet
muffle, across which are run threads or bobbins to make it somewhat rough,
-and more effectually to cleanse the skin, on which also are frequently
rubbed perfumed soaps and essences. In the bagnio they wear a wrapper of
il or cotton called foteh, and use the dowa-hummaum, a composition of quick-
lime and orpiment for clearing the hairs from the body. The refreshment from
fatigue of exercise, labour, or lassitude, which the above mode of bathing gives
eyond our custom of soaking up to the chin in warm water cannot be fully
conceived, nor can I compare the exhilarating sensation it affords with any
“other than those which are felt by a person on first enjoying the fresh air of a
fine spring day after having been long confined to his chamber by severe illness.’
—Dr. Pocock.
_, ’ The leprosy was a fearful disease. It was, indeed, nothing short of a living
“death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the humours of life, a dis-
olution little by little of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually
ecayed and fell away. All those who have examined into the matter the closest
re nearly of one consent that the sickness was incommunicable by ordinary
‘contact from one person to another. Among the Jews it was chosen out as a
isease typical of sin, and dealt with by especial ordinances appointed for the
purpose.— Ti ench’s ‘ Notes on the Miracles,’














24 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



he may be a traitor, who has introduced himself to the court in order
to assassinate you.’

‘No, no, vizier,’ interrupted the king; ‘I am sure this man, whom
you consider as a traitor, is one of the best of men; there is no one
whom I regard so much. You know how he cured me of my leprosy ;
and if he had sought my life, why did he thus save it. His virtue
excites your envy, but I shall not suffer myself to be prejudiced against
him unjustly. I will tell you what a vizier said to King Sinbad, his
master, to prevent his giving orders for the death of his son.

THE HISTORY OF THE HUSBAND AND THE
PARROT.

THERE lived once a good man, who had a beautiful wife, whom he
loved so much that he could scarcely bear to have her out of his sight.
One day, when obliged to leave her, he purchased a parrot, which
possessed the rare gift of telling everything that was done in its
presence. The husband took it home in a cage, and begged his wife to
keep it in her chamber, and take great care of it during his absence;
after this he set out on his journey.

On his return, he did not fail to interrogate the parrot on what had
passed while he was away; and the bird very expertly related a few
circumstances which occasioned the husband to reprimand his wife.
She supposed that some of her slaves had exposed her, but they all
assured her they were faithful, and agreed in charging the parrot with
the crime. Desirous of being convinced of the truth of this matter, the
wife devised a method of quieting the suspicions of her husband, and at
the same time of revenging herself on the parrot, if he were the culprit.
The next time the husband was absent, she ordered one of her slaves,
during the night, to turn a handmill under the bird’s cage, and another
to throw water over it like rain, and a third to wave a looking-glass
before the parrot by the light of a candle. The slaves were employed
ee greatest part of the night in doing as their mistress had ordered
them.

The following day, when the husband returned, he again applied to
the parrot to say what had taken place. The bird replied, ‘My dear
master, the lightning, the thunder, and the rain have so disturbed me
the whole night, that I cannot tell you how much I have suffered.’
The husband, who knew there had been no storm that night, became
convinced that the parrot did not always relate facts; and that having
told an untruth in this particular, he had also deceived him with respect
to his wife: being, therefore, extremely enraged with it, he took the
bird out of the cage, and, dashing it on the floor, killed it. He, how-





THE HISTORY OF THE HUSBAND AND THE PARROT. 25



ever, afterwards learnt from his neighbours that the poor parrot had
told no falsehood in reference to his wife’s conduct, which made him
repent of having destroyed it. ‘ You, vizier, through envy of Douban,
who has done you no evil, wish me to order his death, but I will take
good care lest, like the husband who killed his parrot, I should after-
wards repent.’

‘ Sire,’ replied the vizier, ‘ the loss of the parrot was of little import-
ance, nor do I think his master could long have regretted it. But on
what account should the dread of oppressing the innocent prevent you
from destroying this physician? It is not envy that makes me hostile
to him, it is my zeal which induces me to give my advice on so im-
portant an occasion. If my information is false, I deserve the same
punishment that a certain vizier underwent formerly, of whom I will
tell, if you will have the goodness to hear me.’







26 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE HISTORY OF THE VIZIER WHO WAS
PUNISHED.







ANY years ago there was
a king, whose son was
passionately fond of hunt-
ing.! His father in-
dulged him in this di-
version, but gave orders

ss 3 ais

to his grand vizier always
to accompany him.

One hunting day the hunts-
men roused a stag, and the
prince, thinking that the vizier
was following him, pursued the
game so eagerly, and galloped so
$ far, that he at last found himself
quite alone. He immediately
stopped, and riding about on all
sides, without getting into the right
track, he met a beautiful lady, who
was weeping most bitterly, because,
‘ as she told him, she had fallen from

young prince was sorry for her mis-

fortune, and requested her to get up

behind him, which she willingly did.

As they passed by an old ruined
building, the lady made some excuse
to alight ; the prince therefore assisted
her to get down. He also alighted,
and walked towards the building,
holding his horse by the bridle.

_ Imagine then what was his astonish-
ment, when he heard these words
from within the walls: ‘Be glad, my
children, I have brought you a young
man for your repast.’ And other voices which answered, ‘ Where is he,

for we are very hungry.’

' Tt is reported that the hunting equipage of the Sultan Mahmood was so

lf
ALT



}

THE HISTORY OF THE VIZIER WHO WAS PUNISHED. 27



The young prince trembled with fear, and instantly mounted horse
and rode off as fast as possible. He fortunately discovered the right
road and arrived safely at home, and related to his father the great
danger he had encountered through the neglect of the grand vizier ;
upon which the king, being incensed against that minister, ordered him
to be immediately strangled.

Having finished this story, the vizier again directed the attention of
his master to the physician Douban. ‘ He has cured you,’ he said ; ‘ but,
alas! who can assure you of that? who can tell whether his remedy in
the end will not produce the most pernicious effects ?’

The king was not able to discover the wicked design of his vizier, nor
had he firmness enough to persist in his first opinion. This conversa-
tion staggered him. ‘ Vizier,’ said he, ‘thou art in the right. He may
be come on purpose to take my life, which he can easily do by his
drugs. Indeed, I ought to prevent his designs.’ Having said this, he
called one of his attendants, and ordered him to go for the physician,
who, knowing nothing of the king’s change of mind towards him, came
to the palace in haste.

‘ Knowest thou,’ said the king, when he saw him, ‘why I sent for
thee?’ ‘No, sire,’ answered Douban, ‘and I wait till you are pleased
to inform me.’ ‘I sent for thee,’ replied the king, ‘ to free myself from
thy snares, and to take thy life.’ :

It is impossible to express the surprise of the physician when he
heard the words of the king. ‘Sire,’ said he, ‘why would your
majesty take my life? What crime have I committed?’ ‘I am in-
formed,’ replied the king, ‘that you came to my court only to attempt
my life; but to prevent that, I will first deprive you of yours. Strike,’
added he to an officer who was by, ‘ and deliver me from a treacherous
stranger, who has introduced himself here only to assassinate me.’

When the physician heard this cruel order, he readily judged that
the honours and presents he had received had procured him enemies,
and that the weak prince was imposed upon. ‘Is it thus,’ he cried,
‘that you reward me for curing you? Ah, sire, prolong my life, lest,
if you kill me, you also should be treated after the same manner.’
‘No, no,’ said the king; ‘I must of necessity cut you off, otherwise
you may slay with as much art as you cured me.’

The physician being on his knees, his eyes bandaged, and ready to



magnificent that he kept 400 greyhounds and bloodhounds, each of which wore
a collar set with jewels, and a covering edged with gold and pearls.—‘ Universal
History,’ vol. iii.

Frederick II., Emperor of Germany, on his return from the Crusades, is re-
lated to have brought with him a predilection for Eastern customs, and
a large menagerie of wild beasts. ‘Frederick,’ says his last biographer,
‘wishes to show his friends some sport in the Apulian plains, He has hawks
of all breeds, each of which has its name. But what most surprises strangers is
his way of bringing down deer. The cheetahs, or hunting-leopards of the East,
are mounted on horseback, behind their keeper.’ — Kington’s ‘ Frederick IL.,’
vol. i., p. 472,



28 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



receive the fatal blow, once more addressed the king: ‘Since your
majesty, sire, will not revoke the order for my death, I entreat you at
least to give me leave to return home to arrange my funeral, to take a
last farewell of my family, bestow some charity, and leave my books
to those who will know how to make a good use of them. One of them
I would particularly present to your majesty. It is a very precious
book, and worthy being kept in your treasury with the greatest care.’
‘ What book can there be,’ replied the king, ‘so valuable as you men-
tion?’ ‘Sire,’ answered the physician, ‘it contains many singular and
curious properties, and one of them is, that if you will take the trouble
to open the book at the sixth leaf, and read the third line on the left-
hand page, my head, after being cut off, will answer every question you
wish to ask.’ The king was so desirous of seeing such a wonderful



‘TURN OVER, THEN, A FEW MORE LEAVES,’ SAID THE HEAD,

thing, that he put off his death till the next day, and sent him home
under a strong guard.

The physician then arranged all his affairs; and as the report got
abroad that an unheard-of prodigy was to happen after his execution,
the viziers, emirs, officers of the guard—in short, all the court—flocked
the next day to the hall of audience.

The physician Douban was brought in, and advancing to the foot of
the throne with a book in his hand, he called for a basin, and laid upon
it the cover of the volume, and then, presenting the book to the king:
‘Take this,’ said he, ‘and after my head is cut off order that it be put
upon that cover. As soon as it is there the blood will cease to flow;
then open the book, and my head will answer your questions. But,
sire,’ added Douban, ‘permit me once more to implore your mercy.



THE HISTORY OF THE VIZIER WHO WAS PUNISHED. 29



Consider, I beg of you, that I am innocent.’ ‘ Thy prayers,’ answered
the king, ‘are useless ; and were it only to hear thy head speak after
thy death, it would be my will that thou shouldst die.’ In saying this,
he took the book from the hands of the physician, and ordered the
officer to do his duty.

- "The head was cut off at one stroke, and it had hardly been placed on
the cover an instant before the blood stopped. Then, to the astonish-
ment of the king and all the spectators, it opened its eyes, and said:
‘ Sire, will you now open the book?’ The king did so, and finding that
the first leaf stuck to the second, he put his finger to his mouth, and
wetted it, in order to turn it over more easily. He went on doing so
till he came to the sixth leaf; and observing nothing written upon the
appointed page, ‘ Physician,’ said he to the head, ‘ there is no writing.’
‘Turn over, then, a few more leaves,’ replied the head. The king con-
tinued turning them over, still putting his finger frequently to hig mouth.
The prince then felt himself suddenly agitated in a most extraordinary
manner ; his sight failed him, and he fell at the foot of the throne in
the greatest convulsions.

When the physician Douban, or rather his head, saw the king fall
back, ‘ Tyrant,’ he said, ‘the book is poisoned. Thy death is certain.
Now you see how princes are treated who abuse their power and slay
the innocent. Their injustice and their cruelty are punished sooner
or later.’ Scarcely had the head spoken these words, when the king
fell down dead ; and the head itself lost what life it had.

‘As soon as the fisherman had finished the history of the Greek king
and the physician Douban, he applied it to the genie. ‘Tf,’ said he,
‘the king had permitted Douban to live, he would have prolonged his
own life. Such is the case with thyself, O genie! Could I have pre-
vailed on thee to grant me my life, I should now take pity on thee; but
now I am obliged in my turn to be hardhearted to thee.’

‘One word more, fisherman,’ cried the genie; ‘1 will teach you how
to become as rich as possible.’

The hope of being no longer in want at once disarmed the fisherman.
‘T could listen to thee,’ he said, ‘were there any credit to be given to
thy word. Swear to me by the great name of God that you will faith-
fully perform what you promise, and I will open the vase. I do not
believe that you will dare break such an oath.’ The genie didso; and
the fisherman immediately took off the covering. The smoke instantly
ascended, and the genie resuming his usual form, kicked the vase into
the sea. ‘Be of good heart, fisherman,’ cried he ; ‘ I have thrown the
vase into the sea only to see whether you would be alarmed; but to
show you that I intend to keep my word, take your nets and follow
me.’ They passed by the city, and went over the top of a mountain,
from whence they descended into a vast plain, which led them to a
lake, situated between four small hills.

When they were arrived on the borders of the lake, the genie said to
the fisherman, ‘ Throw your nets, and catch fish.’ The fisherman saw



30 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



a great quantity in the lake; and was greatly surprised at finding them
four different colours—white, red, blue, and yellow. He threw his nets
and caught four, one of each colour. As he had never seen any similar
to them, he could hardly cease admiring them; and judging that he
could dispose of them for a considerable sum, he expressed great joy.
‘Carry these fish to the palace,’ said the genie, ‘and present them to
the sultan, and he will give you more money than you ever handled in
all your life. You may come every day and fish in this lake, but beware
of casting your nets more than once each day; if you act otherwise
you will repent: therefore, take care. This is my advice, and if you
follow it exactly you will do well.’ Having said this, he struck his
foot upon the ground, which opened, and having swallowed him up,
closed again.

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE
FISHERMAN.

Tur fisherman resolved to observe the advice of the genie in every
point, and never to throw his nets a second time. He went back to the
town, and presented his fish at the sultan’s palace.

The sultan was much surprised when he saw the four fish brought
him by the fisherman. He took them one by one, and observed them
most attentively; and after admiring them a long time, he said to his
first vizier : ‘ Take these fish, and carry them to the cook ; I think they
must be equally good as they are beautiful ; and give the fisherman four
hundred pieces of gold. The fisherman, who was never before in
possession of so large a sum of money at once, could not conceal his
joy, and thought it all a dream, until he applied the gold in relieving
the wants of his family. :

As soon as the cook had cleaned the fish which the vizier had brought,
she put them upon the fire in a frying-pan, with some oil; and when
she thought them sufficiently done on one side, she turned them. She
had hardly done so when, wonderful to relate, the wall of the kitchen
opened, and a young lady of wonderful beauty appeared. She was
dressed in a satin’ robe, embroidered with flowers, and adorned with
ear-rings and a necklace of large pearls, and gold bracelets set with
rubies, and held a rod in her hand. She moved towards the frying-
pan, to the great amazement of the cook, who remained motionless at
the sight, and, striking one of the fish with her rod, she said: ‘ Fish,
fish, art thou doing thy duty? ‘The fish answered not a word; she
again repeated it, when the four fish all raised themselves up, and said
very distinctly: ‘ Yes, yes, if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your
debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we conquer, and are content.’ As soon



Se





THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE FISHERMAN. 31



as they had spoken these words, the damsel overturned the frying-pan,
and went back through the open wall, which immediately closed up,
and was in the same state as before.

The cook, having recovered from her fright, went to take up the fish,
which had fallen upon the hot ashes, but found them blacker than coal,
and not fit to send to the sultan. At this she began to cry with all her

' might. ‘Alas!’ said she, ‘what will become of me? Iam sure, when

I tell the sultan what I have seen, he will not believe me, but will be

| enraged with me |!’

While she was in this distress the grand vizier entered, and asked if

the fish were ready. The cook then related all that had taken place, at

which he was much astonished; but without speaking a word of it to

_ the sultan, he invented an excuse which satisfied him. He then sent



_ directly to the fisherman for four more fish, who promised to bring them

the next morning.

The fisherman set out before it was day, and went to the lake. He
threw his nets, and drawing them out, found four more fish, like those
he had taken the day before, each of a different colour. He returned
directly, and brought them to the grand vizier by the time he had pro-
mised. The minister took them, and carried them to the kitchen, where
he shut himself up with only the cook, who prepared to dress them
before him. She put them on the fire as she had done the others the
day before, when the grand vizier witnessed an exact repetition of all
that had been told him by the cook.

‘ This is very surprising,’ he cried, ‘ and too extraordinary to be kept
secret from the sultan’s ears. I will myself go and inform him of thig

prodigy.’

The sultan, being much astonished, sent for the fisherman, and said
to him, ‘Canst thou not bring me four more such fish?’ ‘If your
majesty,’ answered the fisherman, ‘ will grant me till to-morrow, I will
do so.’ He obtained the time he wished, and went again, for the third
time, to the lake, and caught four fish of different colours at the first
throw of his nets, and took them directly to the sultan, who expressed.

| the greatest pleasure at secing them, and ordered four hundred more
_ pieces of money to be given to the fisherman.

As soon as the sultan had got the fish, he had them taken into his
own cabinet, with all that was necessary for frying them. Here he

_ shut himself up with the grand vizier, who began to cook them, and put
_ them on the fire in the pan. As soon as they were done on one side,

he turned them on the other. The wall of the cabinet immediately
opened; but, instead of the beautiful lady, there appeared a black,
dressed in the habit of a slave of a very large and gigantic stature, and
holding a large green staff in his hand. He advanced to the frying-pan,
and touching one of the fish with his rod, he cried out ina terrible voice,
‘Fish, fish, art thou doing thy duty?’ At these words, the fish lifted up
their heads, and answered, ‘ Yes, yes, we are; if you reckon, we reckon ;
if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we conquer, and are



32 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



content.’ The fish had scarcely said this, when the black overturned
the vessel into the middle of the cabinet, and reduced the fish to a coal;
and having done this, he retired fiercely, and entering again into the
aperture, it closed, and the wall appeared just as it did before.

The sultan being convinced that these fish signified something very
extraordinary, and having learnt from the fisherman that he caught
them in the lake situated in the midst of the four small hills, not more
than three hours’ journey from the palace, commanded all his court to
take horse and to set out for the place, with the fisherman as a guide.

The sultan halted on the side of the lake; and, after observing the
fish with great admiration, demanded of his courtiers if it were possible
that they had never seen this lake, which was within so short a distance
of the city. They all said they had never so much as heard of it.
‘Since you all agree, then,’ said he, ‘that you have never heard of it,
and since I am not less astonished than you are at this novelty, I am
resolved not to return to my palace till I have found how this lake
came here, and why all the fish in it are of four colours. Having thus
spoken, he ordered his court to encamp ; his own pavilion and the tents
of his household were pitched on the borders of the lake.

When night came, the sultan retired to his pavilion, and talked with
his grand vizier. ‘My mind,’ said he, ‘is much disturbed ; this lake,
suddenly placed here; this black, who appeared to us in my cabinet ;
these fish, too, whom we heard speak—all this so much excites my
curiosity, that I cannot conquer my impatience to be satisfied. I ghail
go quite alone from my camp, and order you to keep my departure a
profound secret. Remain in my pavilion, and when my emirs and
courtiers present themselves at the entrance to-morrow morning, send
them away, and say I have a slight indisposition, and wish to be alone :
and day by day make the same report till I return.’

The grand vizier endeavoured, by many arguments, to divert the
sultan from his design. All his eloquence, however, was in vain; the
sultan was resolved. He put on a suit fit for walking, and took his
scimitar ; and as soon as he found that everything in the camp was
quiet, went out alone.

He bent his course towards one of the small hills, which he ascended
without much difficulty. He then came down into a plain, in which,
when the sun rose, he perceived a magnificent palace, built with
polished black marble, and covered with fine steel, as bright as erystal.
Delighted with having so soon met with something worthy his curiosity,
he stopped before the front, and then advanced towards the folding-
doors, one of which was open. He waited some time, but finding no
one, he was exceedingly surprised. ‘If there be no one in it,’ said he
to himself, ‘T have nothing to fear; and if it be inhabited, I have where-
with to defend myself.’

At last he entered, and when he was in the porch, he called out as
loud as he could; still there was no answer. This silence increased
his astonishment. He passed on to a spacious court, and could not



THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE FISHERMAN. — 33



discover a living creature. He then entered and passed through some
large halls, the carpets of which were of silk, the alcoves and sofas of
stuffs of Mecca, and the door-curtains of the richest shawls of India,
embroidered with gold and silver. He went on, and came to a superb
saloon, in the middle of which was a large fountain, with a lion of

massive gold at each corner. Water issued from the mouths of the
four lions, and, as it fell, appeared to break into a thousand diamonds
and pearls.

The castle was surrounded by a garden full of all kinds of flowers and
shrubberies, and furnished with a multitude of birds, which filled the
air with the sweetest notes—nets being thrown entirely over the trees
to prevent their escape. ;

The sultan walked a long time from room to room, where everything
was grand and magnificent. Being tired with walking, he sat down in
a veranda, which looked into the garden, when suddenly a plaintive

voice, accompanied by the most heartrending cries, struck his ear.
He listened attentively, and heard these melancholy words: ‘O
- Fortune, thou hast not suffered me long to enjoy a happy lot! Cease
_ to persecute me, and by a speedy death put an end to my sufferings.’

_ ‘The sultan immediately rose up, and went towards the spot whence
the voice issued, and, drawing the door-curtain aside, saw a young man
_ very richly dressed seated upon a sort of throne, raised a little from the
ground. Deep sorrow was impressed on his countenance. The sultan
approached, and saluted him. The young man bent his head very low,
but did not rise. ‘My lord, I should rise to receive you, but am
hindered by sad necessity ; you will not therefore, I trust, take it ill.’
‘I feel myself highly honoured, sir,’ replied the sultan, ‘ by the good
opinion you express of me. Whatever may be your motive for not
_ rising, I willingly receive your apologies. I come to offer you my help.
_ But inform me of the meaning of the lake near this castle, where the
fish are of four different colours ; how, also, this castle came here, and
_ why you are thus alone.’

Instead of answering these questions, the young man began to weep
"bitterly. And lifting up his robe, the sultan perceived he was a man
only to his waist, and that from thence to his feet he was changed into
black marble.
_ ‘What you show me,’ said he to him, ‘ fills me with horror. I am
impatient to learn your history, with which I am persuaded that the
‘lake and the fish have some connection. Pray, therefore, relate it ; for
the unhappy often experience relief in communicating their sorrows.’
a I will not refuse your request,’ replied the young man, and narrated the
_ following story :







































THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF
THE BLACK ISLES.

Tus is the kingdom of the Black Isles, of which my father, named
Mahmoud, was king. It‘takes its name from the four small mountains
which you have seen. Those mountains were formerly isles. The
capital where the king my father resided was situated on the spot now
occupied by the lake you have seen. On the death of my father, I
succeeded him on the throne, and married a lady, my cousin. We
lived happily together for five years, when I began to perceive that the
queen no longer loved me.

One day, after dinner, while she was at the bath, I lay down to sleep
upon a sofa. Two of her ladies, who were then in my chamber, came
and sat down, one at my head, and the other at my feet, with fans! in
their hands to moderate the heat, and to prevent the flies from dis-
turbing me. They thought I was asleep, and spoke in whispers; but
as I only closed my eyes, I heard all their conversation.

One of them said to the other, ‘Is not the queen wrong, not to love
so amiable a prince?’ ‘Certainly,’ replied the other; ‘and I cannot
conceive why she goes out every night and leaves him. Does he not
perceive it?’ ‘ How should he?’ resumed the first ; ‘she mixes in his
drink every night the juice of a certain herb, which makes him sleep
all night so soundly that she has time to go wherever she likes; and
when at break of day she returns to him, she awakes him by the smell
of some scent she puts under his nostrils.’ I pretended to awake
without having heard the conversation.

The queen returned from the bath ; we supped together, and, before
we went to bed, she presented me the cup of water which it was usual
for me to take ; but, instead of drinking it, I approached a window that
was open, and threw it out without her perceiving me. I then returned
the cup into her own hands, that she might believe I had drank the
contents. We soon retired to rest, and shortly after, supposing that I
was asleep, she got up, and said aloud, ‘ Sleep, and mayest thou never
wake more.’ She dressed herself quickly, and left the chamber.

1 These fans consisted of the tail-feathers of peacocks or ostriches, such, preb '
ably, as are still in use in the East,



HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES, 35

As soon as the queen was gone, I dressed in haste, took my scimitar,
and followed her so quickly that I soon heard the sound of her feet
before me, and then walked softly after her, for fear of being heard.
She passed through several gates, of which the locks fell off upon her
pronouncing some magical words, and the last she opened was that of
the garden, which she entered. I stopped at this gate; then, looking
after her as far as the darkness of the night permitted, I saw her enter
a little wood, whose walks were guarded by a thick hedge. I went
thither by another way, and, concealing myself behind the hedge of one
of the paths, I perceived that she was walking with a man, with whom
she offered to fly to another land. Enraged at this, I drew my scimitar,
and struck him in the neck, and he fell. I retired in haste and secrecy
to the palace. Although I had inflicted a mortal wound, yet the queen,
by her enchantments, contrived to preserve in him that trance-like
existence which can neither be called death nor life. On her return to
her chamber, when the day dawned, she was absorbed in grief, and
requested my permission to build a tomb for herself, within the bounds
of the palace, where she would continue, she told me, to the end of her
days. I consented, and she built a stately edifice, crowned by a cupola,!
which may be seen from hence, and called it the Palace of Tears.
When it was finished, she caused her lover to be conveyed thither from
the place to which he had been carried the night I wounded him: she
had hitherto prevented his dying by potions which she had administered
to him, and she continued to convey them to him herself every day
after he came to the Palace of Tears. After some time, I went myself
to the tomb which the queen had built, and, hearing her address the
inanimate body in words of passionate affection, I lost all patience, and
drew my scimitar and raised my arm to punish her. ‘ Moderate thy
rage,’ said she to me, with a disdainful smile, and at the same instant
pronounced some magic words, and added, ‘By my enchantments I
command thee to become half marble and half man.’ Immediately, my
lord, I became what you see me: a dead man among the living, and a
living man among the dead.

As soon as this cruel sorceress, for she is unworthy of the title of
queen, had thus transformed me, and by her magic had conveyed me to
this apartment, she destroyed my capital ; she annihilated the palaces,
public places, and markets, and reduced the site of the whole to the
lake and desert plain you have seen. The fishes of four colours? in the
lake are the four kinds of inhabitants of different religions which the
city contained. The white are the Mussulmans; the red, the Persians,
who worship fire; the blue, the Christians; and the yellow, the Jews.
The four islands that gave a name to this kingdom became four hills.



? Usual in Turkish cemeteries,

The colonr of the turban was by law made the distinguishing mark of the
different religionists. Blue was worn by the Christians ; yellow by the Jews;
white by the Mussulmans; and red by the Magicians.—Lane’s edition of
‘ Arabiar Nichts,’

3—2



36 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS,

The saighanteoue, to add to my afiliction, salaned to me fies effects of
her rage. But this is not all; her revenge not being satisfied with the
destruction of my dominions, ‘and the i injury to my person, she comes
every day, and gives me on my naked back a hundred lashes with a
whip, until I am covered with blood. When she has finished this part
of my punishment, she throws over me a coarse stuff of goat’s hair, and
over that this robe of brocade, not to honour, but to mock me.

When he came to this part of his narrative, the young king could not
restrain his tears, and the sultan was himself greatly affected. ‘No
one, prince,’ said he, ‘could have experienced a more extraordinary fate
than yourself. One thing only is wanting to complete your history, and
that is, for you to be revenged ; nor will I leave anything untried to
accomplish it.’ The sultan, having informed the prince who he was,
and the reason of his entering the castle, consulted with him on the
best means of obtaining a just revenge; and a plan occurred to the
sultan, which he directly communicated, but the execution of which
they deferred till the following day. In the meantime, as the night was
far advanced, the sultan took some repose. The young prince, as
usual, passed his time in continual watchfulness, for he was unable to
sleep since his enchantment; the hopes, however slight, which he
cherished of being soon relieved from his sufferings constantly occupied
his thoughts.

Next morning the sultan arose with the dawn, and prepared to
execute his design. Hiding his upper garment, which might encumber
him, he proceeded to the Palace of Tears. He found it lighted up with
an infinite number of flambeaux of white wax, and perfumed by a
delicious scent issuing from several censers of fine gold. As soon as he
saw the couch on which the inanimate form of the lover was laid, he
drew his scimitar, destroyed the little remains of life left, and dragging
his body into the outer court, threw it into the well. After this, he
went and lay down in the bed, placed his scimitar under the covering,
and waited to complete his design.

The queen arrived shortly after in the chamber of het husband, the
king of the Black Islands. On her approach, the unfortunate prince
filled the palace with his lamentations, and conjured her in the most
affecting tones to take pity on him. She, however, ceased not to beat
him till she had completed the hundred stripes. As soon as she had
finished, she threw the coarse garment made of goat-skin over him, and
then the robe of brocade. She next went to the Palace of Tears, and,
on entering, began to renew her lamentations, ‘Alas!’ cried she,
addressing herself to the sultan, whom she took for her lover, ‘ wilt
thou always, light of my life, preserve this silence? Utter at least one
word, I conjure thee.’

The sultan then, lowering his voice as if in great weakness, spoke a
few words. The sorceress gave a violent scream through excess of joy.
‘ My dear lord,’ she exclaimed, ‘is what I hear true? Is it really you



HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES. 37



who speak?’ ‘Wretched woman,’ replied the sultan, ‘ art thou worthy
of an answer?’ ‘What!’ cried the queen, ‘dost thou reproach me?’
‘The cries, the tears, the groans of thy husband,’ answered the sup-
posed lover, ‘whom you every day beat with so much cruelty, con-
tinually prevent my rest; I should have been cured long since, and
recovered the use of my tongue, if you had disenchanted him. This,
and this only, is the cause of my silence.’ ‘ Well, then,’ said she, ‘I
am ready to execute your commands; would you have me restore
him?’ < Yes,’ replied the sultan; ‘make haste to set him at liberty,
that I be no longer disturbed by his lamentations.’

The queen immediately went out from the Palace of Tears, and,
taking a vessel of water, proceeded to the apartment where the young
king was. ‘If the Creator of all things,’ said she, throwing the water
over him, ‘hath formed thee as thou now art, do not change; but
if thou art in that state by virtue of my enchantment, reassume thy
natural form, aud become the same as before.’ She had hardly con-
eluded, when the prince, recovering his first shape, rose up with all
possible joy, and returned thanks to God. ‘Go,’ said the enchantress,
addressing him, ‘hasten from this castle, and never return on pain of
death.’ The young king, yielding to necessity, without replying a word,
retired to a remote place, where he patiently awaited the return of the
sultan. Meanwhile, the enchantress returned to the Palace of Tears,
and supposing that she still spoke to her lover, said, ‘ Dear love, I have
done what you required.’ The sultan, still disguising his voice,
answered in a low tone, ‘What you have yet done is not sufficient
for my cure. You have destroyed only a part of the evil, but you must
strike at the root.’ ‘What do you mean by the root, dear heart?’
answered she. ‘Understand you not that I allude to the town, and
its inhabitants, and the four islands, destroyed by thy enchantments?
The fish every night at midnight raise their heads out of the lake, and
cry for vengeance against thee and me. This is the true cause of
the delay of my cure. Go speedily, restore things to their former
state, and at thy return I will give thee my hand, and thou shalt help
me to arise.’

The enchantress, inspired with hope from these words, cried out in a
transport of joy, ‘My heart, my soul, you shall soon be restored to your
health.’ Accordingly she went that instant, and when she came to the
border of the lake, she took a little water in her hand, and scattered it
about. She had uo sooner done so, and pronounced certain words, than
the city instantly appeared. The fish became men, women, and children
—Mahommedans, Christians, Persians, and Jews—freemen or slaves ;
in short, cach took his natural form. The houses and shops became
filled with inhabitants, who found everything in the same state as it
was previous to the change. The officers and attendants of the sultan,
who were encamped where the great place or square happened to be,
were astonished at finding themselves on a sudden in the midst of a
large, well-built, and inhabited city.



38 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



But to return to the enchantress: as soon as she had completed this
change, she hastened back to the Palace of ‘Tears. ‘My dear lord,’ she
cried on entering, ‘I have done all you have required of me; arise, and
give me your hand.’ ‘Come near, then,’ said the sultan. She did so.
He then rose up, and seizing her by the arm, with a blow of his scimitar
cut her in two, so that one half fell one way, and the other another.
This done, he left the Palace of Tears, and returning to the young king
of the Black Isles, ‘ Prince,’ said he, ‘ rejoice; you have now nothing
to fear; your cruel enemy is dead. You may henceforward dwell
peaceably in your capital, unless you will accompany me to mine,
which is near: you shall there be welcome, and have as much honour
and respect shown you as if you were in your own kingdom.’ ‘ Potent
monarch, to whom I owe so much,’ replied the king, ‘ you think, then,
that you are near your capital.’ ‘ Yes,’ said the sultan, ‘I know it is
not above four or five hours’ journey.’ ‘It is a whole year’s journey,’
said the prince. ‘TI do, indeed, believe that you came hither from your
capital in the time you mention, because mine was enchanted; but
since the enchantment is taken off, things are changed. This, however,
shall not prevent my following you to the ends of the earth. You are
my liberator ; and to show you my gratitude as long as I live, I shall
freely accompany you, and resign my kingdom without regret.’

The sultan, extremely surprised to understand that he was so far
from his dominions, replied, ‘It is no matter; the long journey to my
own country is sufficiently recompensed by acquiring you for a son; for
since you will accompany me, as I have no child, I will make you my
heir and successor.’

At the end of three weeks, the sultan and the young prince began
their journey, with a hundred camels laden with inestimable riches
from the treasury of the young king, followed by fifty men-at-arms on
horseback, perfectly well mounted and dressed. They had a pleasant
journey, and when the sultan, who had sent couriers to give notice of
his coming, and to explain the reason of his delay, drew near to his
capital, the principal officers, whom he had left there, came to receive
him, and to assure him that his long absence had not occasioned any
change in his empire. The inhabitants, also, crowded to meet him, and
welcome him with acclamations and every demonstration of joy, which
lasted for several days.

The day after his arrival, the sultan assembled his courtiers, and
declared to them his intention of adopting the king of the four Black
Isles, who had left a large kingdom to accompany and live with him;
and at last he bestowed presents on all, according to their rank and
station.

The sultan did not forget the fishorman, and made him and his family
happy and comfortable for the rest of their days.





Fa

WB
CH]





THE THREE CALENDERS, SONS OF KINGS,
AND OF FIVE LADIES OF BAGDAD.



sq/ARLY in the reign of Caliph

\ Haroun al Raschid, there
was at Bagdad a porter,
who was a fellow of infi-
nite wit and humour. One
morning as he was at the

place where he usually
waited for employment,
with a great basket before
him, a handsome lady,
covered with a great
muslin veil, accosted him,
and said with a pleasant
air, ‘Hark you, porter,
take your basket! and
follow me.’ The delighted
porter took his basket
immediately, set it on his
head, and followed the
lady, exclaiming, ‘ Oh,
happy day, oh, day of
good luck !’

In a short time the lady stopped before a gate and knocked; a
Christian, with a vencrable long white beard, opened it, and she put
money into his hand without speaking ; but the Christian, who knew
what she wanted, went in, and shortly after brought out a large jar of
excellent wine. ‘Take this jar,’ said the lady to the porter, ‘ and put
it in the basket.’ This being done, she desired him to follow her, and

1 Baskets, panniers made of leaves of palm, used in conveying fruits and bread
while heavier articles are carried in bags of leather or skin.



40 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

walked on; the porter still exclaiming, ‘Oh, day of happiness! Oh,
day of agreeable surprise and joy!’

The lady stopped at a fruit shop, where she bought some apples,
apricots, peaches, lemons, citrons, oranges, myrtles, sweet basil, lilies,
jessamine, and some other plants. She told the porter to put all those
things into his basket and follow her. Passing by a butcher’s shop, she
ordered five-and-twenty pounds of his finest meat to be weighed, which
was also put into the porter’s basket.

At another shop she bought capers, small cucumbers, parsley, and
other herbs; at another, some pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds,
kernels of the pine, and other similar fruits; at a third, she purchased
all sorts of almond patties. The porter, in putting all these things into
his basket, said, ‘My good lady, you should have told me that you
intended buying so many things, and I would have provided a camel to
carry them, for if you buy ever so little more, I shall not be able to bear
it. The lady laughed at the fellow’s pleasant humour, and ordered him
still to follow her.

She then went to a druggist’s, where she furnished herself with all
manner of sweet-scented waters, cloves, musk, pepper, ginger, and a
great piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices; this quite
filled the porter’s basket, and she ordered him to follow her. They
walked till they came to a magnificent house, whose front was adorned
with fine columns, and had a gate of ivory. There they stopped, and
the lady knocked softly. Another lady soon came to open the gate, and
all three, after passing through a handsome vestibule, crossed a spacious
court, surrounded by an open gallery, which communicated with many
magnificent apartments all on the same floor. At the end of this court
there was a dais richly furnished, with a couch in the middle, supported
by four columns of ebony, enriched with diamonds and pearls of an
extraordinary size, and covered with red satin, relieved by a bordering
of Indian gold. In the middle of the court there was a large basin lined
with white marble, and full of the finest transparent water, which rushed
from the mouth of a lion of gilt bronze.

But what principally attracted the attention of the porter was a
third most beautiful lady, and who was seated on the couch before
mentioned. This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the door
was called Safie, and the name of the one who had been for the pro-
visions was Amina. Then said Zobeide, accosting the other two,
‘Sisters, do not you see that this honest man is ready to sink under
his burden, why do not you ease him of it? Then Amina and Safie
took the basket, the one before and the other behind; YZobeide also
assisted, and all three together set it on the ground, then emptied it;
and when they had done, the beautiful Amina took out money, and paid
the porter liberally.

The porter was well satistied, but when he ought to have departed,
he was chained to the spot by the pleasure of beholding three such
beauties, who appeared to him equally charming; for Amina, having



THE THREE CALENDERS. 41

now laid aside her veil, proved to be as handsome as either of the
others, What surprised him most was, that he saw no man about the
house, yet most of the provisions he had brought in, as the dry fruits,
and the several sorts of cakes and confections, were adapted chiefly for
those who could drink and make merry.

‘Madam,’ said he, addressing Zobeide, ‘I am sensible that I act
rudely in staying longer than I ought, but I hope you will have the
goodness to pardon me, when I tell you that I am astonished not to see
aman with three ladies of such extraordinary beauty; and you know
that a company of women without men is as melancholy as a company
of men without women.’ To this he added some pleasantries in proof
of what he advanced, and did not forget the Bagdad proverb, ‘ That
the table is not completely furnished, except there be four in com-
pany ;’ so concluded that, since they were but three, they wanted
another,

The ladies fell a laughing at the porter’s reasoning; after which
Zobeide gravely addressed him, ‘ Friend, you presume rather too much ;
and though you do not deserve it, I have no objection to inform you
that we are three sisters, who transact our affairs with so much secrecy
that no one knows anything of them. A good author says, ‘‘ Keep thy
own secret, and do not reveal it to anyone. He that makes his secret
known is no longer its master. If thy own breast cannot keep thy
counsel, how canst thou expect the breast of another to be more
faithful 2”? —

‘Permit me, I entreat thee, to say that I also have read in another a
maxim, which I have always happily practised : ‘‘ Conceal thy secret,”
he says, “ only from such as are known to be indiscreet, and who will
abuse thy confidence; but make no difficulty in discovering it to prudent
men, because they know how to keep it.” The secret, then, with me is
as safe as if locked up in a cabinet, the key of which is lost, and the
door sealed.’

The porter, nothwithstanding his rhetoric, must, in all probability,
have retired in confusion, if Amina had not taken his part, and said to
Zobeide and Safie, ‘My dear sisters, I conjure you to let him remain ;
he will afford us some diversion. Were I to repeat to you all the
amusing things he addressed to me by the way, you would not feel sur-
prised at my taking his part.’

At these words of Amina, the porter fell on his knees, kissed the
ground at her feet, and, raising himself up, said, ‘Most beautiful lady,
you began my good fortune to-day, and now you complete it by this
generous conduct ; I cannot adequately express my acknowledgments !
As to the rest, ladics,’ said he, addressing himself to all the three
sisters, ‘since you do me so great an honour, I shall always look upon
myself as one of your most humble slaves.’ When he had spoken
these words he would have returned the money he had received, but
Zobeide ordered him to keep it. ‘ What we have once given,’ said she,
“we never take back. We are willing, too, to allow you to stay on one



42 LHE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



condition, that you keep secret, and do not ask the reason for anything
you may see us do. To show you,’ said Zobeide, with a serious counte-
nance, ‘ that what we demand of you is not a new thing among us,
read what is written over our gate on the inside.’

The porter read these words, written in large characters of gold: ‘He
who speaks of things that do not concern him, shall hear things that will
not please him.’ ‘Ladies,’ said he, ‘I swear to you that you shall
never hear me utter a word respecting what does not relate to me, or
wherein you may have any concern.’

These preliminaries being settled, Amina brought in supper; aud,
after she had lighted up the room with. tapers made of aloe-wood and
ambergris, which yield a most agreeable perfume, as well as a delicate
light, she sat down with her sisters and the porter. They began again to eat
and drink, to sing, and repeat verses. The ladies diverted themselves
in intoxicating the porter, under the pretext of making him drink their
healths, and the repast was enlivened by reciprocal sallies of wit. When
they were all as merry as possible, they suddenly heard a knocking at the
gate. Safie, whose office it was, went to the porch, and, quickly returning,
told them thus : ‘There are three calenders? at the door, all blind of the
right eye, and with their heads, beards, and eyebrows shaved. They
say that they are only just arrived at Bagdad, where they have never
been before, and, as it is dark, and they know not where to lodge, they
knocked at our door by chance, and pray us to show compassion and to
take them in. They care not where we put them, provided they obtain
shelter. They are young and handsome; but I cannot, without laugh-
ing, think of their amusing and exact likeness to each other. My dear
sisters, pray permit them to come in; they will afford us diversion
enough, and put us to little charge, because they desire shelter only for
this night, and resolve to leave us as soon as day appears.’

‘Go then,’ said Zobeide, ‘and bring them in; but make them read
what is written over the gate.’ Safie ran out with joy, and in a little
time after returned with the three calenders.

At their entrance they made a profound obeisance to the ladies, who
rose up to receive them, and told them courteously that they were
welcome, that they were glad of the opportunity to oblige them, and to
contribute towards relieving the fatigues of their journey, and at last
invited them to sit down with them.

The magnificence of the place, and the civility they received, inspired
the calenders with high respect for the ladies ; but, before they sat
down, having by chance cast their eyes upon the porter, whom they
saw clad almost like those devotees with whom they have continual
disputes respecting several points of discipline, because they never shave

Calenders, a sort of privileged beggar or faquir among the Mahommedans,
who wore a dress of sheepskin, with a leathern girdle about their leins, and
collected alms. Dervish, a poor man, who is not bound by any vow of poverty
to abstain from meat, and may relinquish his profession at will.









THE THREE CALENDERS











THE THREE CALENDERS. 45



their beards nor eyebrows,! one of them said, ‘I believe we have got
here one of our revolted Arabian brethren.’

The porter, having his head warm with wine, took offence at these
words, and, with a fierce look, without stirring from his place, answered,
‘Sit you down, and do not meddle with what does not concern you!
Have you not read the inscription over the gate? Do not pretend to
make people live after your fashion, but follow ours.’

‘Honest man,’ said the calender, ‘do not put yourself in a passion ;
we should be sorry to give you the least occasion. On the contrary, we
are ready to receive your commands.’ Upon which, to put an end to
the dispute, the ladies interposed, and pacified them. When the calen-
ders were seated, the ladies served them with meat; and Safie, being
highly pleased with them, did not let them want for wine.

When the calenders had finished their repast, they signified to the
ladies that they wished to entertain them with a concert of music, if
they had any instruments in the house, and would cause them to be
brought. They willingly accepted the proposal, and Safie went to fetch
them. Tach man took the instrument he liked, and all three together
began to play a tune. The ladies, who knew the words of a merry
song that suited the air, joined the concert with their voices ; but the
words of the song made them now and then stop, and fall into exces-
sive laughter. While their amusement was at its height, there was a
knock of unwonted loudness at their gate.

Now, it was the custom of the sultan Haroun-al-Raschid to go some-
times during the night through the city, in disguise, in order to discover
whether everything was quiet. On this evening he set out from his
palace, accompanied by Giafar, his grand vizier, and Mesrour, chief of
the household, all three disguised as merchants; and he it was who,
in passing through the street, and attracted by the noise of the music
and of the peals of loud laughter, had desired his grand vizier to knock
at the gate, and to demand shelter and admittance as for three strangers,
who knew not where to seek shelter for the night. Safie, who had
opened the door, came back and obtained permission of her sisters to
admit the newly-arrived strangers.

The caliph and his attendants, upon their entrance, most courteously
made obeisance to the ladies and to the calenders. The ladies returned
their salutations, supposing them to be merchants. Zobeide, as the
chief, addressed them with a grave and serious countenance, and said,
‘You are welcome; but, while you are here, you must have eyes, but no

1This may probably be an allusion to the two great divisions prevailing
among the Mahommedans, viz., the Soonnis and the Shiites. The former up-
held the legitimacy of the three first successions of Mahommed ; the latter
maintained the right of his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, and his descendants,
called Fatemites or Ismaelites, They both received the Koran, but the one
added to it the Sonna, or certain oral traditions attributed to Mahommed, which
the other rejected,



46 THE ARARIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.







tongues. You must not ask tl e reason of anything you may see, nor
speak of anything that does rot concern you, lest you hear and see
what will by no means please you.’

‘Madam,’ replied the vizier, ‘ you shall be obeyed. It is enough for
us to attend to our own business, without meddling with what does not
concern us.’ After this each seated himself, and the conversation
became general, and they drank to the health of the new guests.

While the vizier Giafar entertained them, the caliph ceased not from
adiniring the beauty, elegance and lively disposition of the ladies; while
the appearance of the three calenders, all blind of the right eye, sur-
prised him very much. He anxiously wished to learn the cause of this
singularity ; but the conditions they had imposed upon him and his
ccmpanions prevented any inquiry. Besides all this, when he reflected
upon the richness of the services and furniture, with the regularity
and arrangement everywhere apparent, he could hardly persuade him-
self it was not the effect of enchantment.

The guests continued their conversation, when, after an interval,
Zobeide rose up, and taking Amina by the hand, said to her, ‘ Come,
sister, the company shall not prevent us from doing as we have always
been accustomed.’ Amina, who perfectly understood what her sister
meant, got up, and took away the dishes, tables, bottles, glasses, and
also the instruments on which the calendergs had played. Nor did Safie
remain idle; she snuffed the candles, and added more aloe-wood and
ambergris. Having done this, she requested the three calenders to sit
on a sofa on one side, and the caliph and his company on the other.
‘Get up,’ said she then to the porter, looking at him, ‘and be ready to
assisb in whatever we want you.’ A little while after Amina came in
with a sort of seat, which she placed in the middle of the room. She
then went to the door of a closet, and, having opened it, she made a
sign to the porter to approach. ‘Come and assist me !’ she cried. He
did so, and went in with her, and rettmed a moment after, followed by
two black dogs, each of them secured by @ collar and chain. They
appeared as if they had been severely whij oed with rods, and he
brought them into the middle of the apartment,

Zobeide, rising from her seat between the calenders and the ealiph,
moved very gravely towaids the porter. ‘Come,’ said she, heaving a
deep sigh, ‘let us perform our duty.’ She then tucked up her sleeves
above her elbows, and, receiving 1 rod from Satie, ‘Porter,’ said she,
‘ deliver one of the dogs to my sister Amina, and bring the other to me.’

The porter did as he was commanded. Upon this the dog that he
held in his hand began to howl, and, turning towards Zobeide, held
her head up in a su plizating posture; but Zobeide, having no regard
to the sad countenance of the animal, which would have moved pity,
nor to its cries that resounded through the house, whipped her with
the rod till she was out of breath; and having spent her strength,
threw down the rod, and, taking the chain from the porter, lifted up
the dog by her paws, and looking upon her with a sad and pitful coun-



THE THREE CALENDERS. 47
tenance they both wept; after which Zobeide, with her handkerchief,
wiped the tears from the dog’s eye, kissed her, returned the chain to
the porter, desired him to carry her to the place whence he took her,
and to bring the other. Then taking the whip she served this in the
same manner; she then wept with it, dried its tears, kissed it, and
returned it to the porter.

The three calenders, with the caliph and his companions, were ex-
tremely surprised at this exhibition, and could not comprehend why
Zobeide, after having so furiously beaten those two dogs, that by the
Mussulman religion are reckoned unclean! animals, should weep with
them, wipe off their tears, and kiss them. They muttered among
themselves; and the caliph, who, being more impatient than the rest,
longed exceedingly to be informed of the cause of so strange a pro-
ceeding, could not forbear making signs to the vizier to ask the
question. The vizier turned his head another way; but being pressed
by repeated signs, he answered by others that it was not yet time for
the caliph to satisfy his curiosity.

Zobeide sat still some time in the middle of the room, where she had
whipped the two dogs, to recover herself of her fatigue; and Safie
called to her, ‘Dear sister, will you not be pleased to return to your
place, that I may also act my part?’ ‘ Yes, sister,’ replied Zobeide ;
and then went and sat down upon the sofa, having the caliph, Giafar,
and Mesrour on her right hand, and the three calenders, with the
porter, on her left.

The whole company remained silent for some time. At last Safie,
sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, spoke to her sister Amina:
‘Dear sister, I conjure you to rise; you know what I would say.’
Amina rose, and went into another closet near to that where the dogs
were, and brought out a case covered with yellow satin, richly em-
broidered with gold and green silk. She went towards Safie and
opened the case, from whence she took a lute and presented it to her;
and after some time spent in tuning it Safie begin to play, and, accom-
panying the instrument with her voice, sang a song about the torments
that absence creates to lovers. Having sung with much passion and
action, she said to Amina: ‘ Pray take it, sister, for my voice fails me ;
oblige the company with a tune and asongin my stead.’ ‘ Very willingly,’
replied Amina, who, taking the lute from her sister Safie, sat down in
her place. Having sung most delightfully, the caliph expressed his
admiration. While he was doing so Amina fainted away; and on
opening her robe to give her air, they discovered that her breast had
been covered with fearful scars.

1The dog is in great disrepute among the Mahommedans. Mahommed is
reported to have said, ‘No angel enters where a dog is.’ Cats, on the
contrary, are great favourites, and sometimes accompany their masters
when they go to their mosque. The Mahommedans are under certain re-
strictions in food ; they are forbidden to eat the hare, the wolf, the cat, and
all animals forbidden by the law of Moses. The shrimp is forbidden among
fish Benarp Prcarp.



48 THE ARABIAN NIGIITS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

Whilst Zobeide and Safie ran to assist their sister, the caliph inquired
of the calender : ‘ Cannot you inform me about these two black dogs, and
this lady, who appears to have been so ill-treated?’ ‘Sir,’ said the
calender, ‘we never were in this house before now, and entered it only
a few minutes sooner than you did.’ This increased the astonishment
of the caliph. ‘Perhaps,’ said he, ‘ the man who is with you can give
you some information?’ The calender made signs to the porter to
dvaw near, and asked him if he knew why the black dogs had been
beaten, and why the bosom of Amina was so scarred. ‘Sir,’ replied
the porter, ‘if you know nothing of the matter, I know as little as you
do. I never was in the house until now; and if you are surprised to
see me here, I am as much 60 to find myself in your company.’

The caliph, more and more perplexed at all he heard, determined
that he would have the information he required for the explaining these
mysterious proceedings. But the question was, who should first make
the inquiry? The caliph endeavoured to persuade the calenders to
speak first, but they excused themselves. At last they all agreed that
the porter should be the man. While they were consulting how to put
the question, Zobeide herself, as Amina had recovered from her fainting,
approached them, and inquired: ‘ What are you talking of ?—what is
your contest about ?’

The porter then addressed her as follows: ‘These gentlemen, madam,
entreat you to explain why you wept with those dogs, after having
treated them so ill, and how it has happened that the lady who fainted
has her bosom covered with scars ?”

At these words Zobeide put on a stern look, and turning towards the
caliph and the rest of the company: ‘Is it true, gentlemen,’ said she,
‘that you desired him to ask me these questions?’ All of them except
the vizier Giafar, who spoke not a word, answered ‘ Yes.’ On which
she exclaimed in a tone of resentment: ‘Before we granted you the
favour of receiving you into our house, and to prevent all occasion of
inquiry from you, we imposed the condition that you should not speak
of anything that did not concern you, lest you might hear that which
would not please you; and yet, after having received our enertainment,
you make no scruple to break your promise. Our easy compliance with
your wishes may have occasioned this, but that shall not excuse your
rudeness. As she spoke these words she gave three stamps with her
foot, and, clapping! her hands as often together, cried, ‘Come quickly !’
Upon this a door flew open, and seven black slaves? rushed in; each
one seized a man, threw him on the ground, and dragged him into the
middle of the room, brandishing a scimitar over his head.

We may easily conceive the alarm of the caliph. He repented, but
too late, that he had not taken the advice of his vizier, who, with
Mesrour, the calenders, and porter, were, from his ill-timed curiosity,



? This is the ordinary mode in the Fast of calling the attendants in waiting,
*In this manner the apartments of ladies were constantly guarded.—
Beckford’s ‘ Vathek,’ notes to p. 204.



THE THREE CALENDERS. 49
on the point of forfeiting their lives. Before they gave the fatal stroke
one of the slaves said to Zobeide and her sisters: ‘ Would it not be
right to interrogate them first?’ On which Zobeide, with a grave voice,
said: ‘ Answer me, and say who you are, otherwise you shall not live
one moment longer. I cannot believe you to be honest men, or persons
of authority or distinction in your own country; for, if you were, you
would have been more modest and more respectful to us.’

The caliph, naturally warm, was infinitely more indignant than the
rest to find his life depending upon the command of a woman: but he
began to conceive some hopes when he found she wished to know who
they all were; for he imagined that she would by no means take away
his life, when she should be informed of his rank. He whispered to
his vizier, who was near him, instantly to declare who he was. But
this wise vizier, being more prudent, resolved to save his master’s
honour, and not let the world know the affront he had brought upon
himself by his own imprudence, and therefore answered, ‘ We have
what we deserve.’ But if he had intended to speak as the caliph com-
manded him, Zobeide would not have allowed him time: for having
turned to the calenders, and seeing them all blind with one eye, she
asked if they were brothers. One of them answered, ‘No, madam, no
otherwise than as we are calenders; that is to say, as we observe the
same rules.’ ‘Were you born blind of the right eye?’ continued
she. ‘No, madam,’ answered he; ‘I lost my eye in such a surprising
adventure that it would be instructive to everyone to hear it.’ Zobeide
put the same question to the others in their turn, when the last she
addressed replied: ‘Pray, madam, show some pity on us, for we are
all the sons of kings. Although we have never seen each other before
this evening, we have had sufficient time to become acquainted with
this circumstance; and I can assure you that the kings who have giver
us birth have made some noise in the world !’

During this speech Zobeide became less angry, and said to the slaves,
‘Give them their liberty a while, but remain where you are. Those
who tell us their history, and the occasion of their coming, do them no
hurt, let them go where they please; but do not spare those who refuse
to give us that satisfaction.’

The three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the captain
of his guards, and the porter were all in the middle of the hall, seated
upon a carpet in the presence of the three ladies, who reclined upon a
sofa, and the slaves stood ready to do whatever their mistresses should
command.

The porter spoke first, and briefly related the adventures of the
morning with Amine, and the kind favours to him of herself and her
a sisters in the evening, which he declared to be the whole of his
history.

When the porter had concluded, Zobeide said, ‘ Save thyself and be-
gone, nor ever let us see thee again.’ ‘I beg of you, madam,’ replied
he, ‘ to Ict ne remain a little longer. It would be unfaii that I should

4





50 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



not hear their histories, after they have had the pleasure of hearing
mine.’ In saying this he took his place at the end of the sofa, truly
delighted at finding himself free from the danger which so much
alarmed him. One of the calenders, addressing himself to Zobeide,
next spoke;

THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER.

Mapam, I am the son of a sultan. My father had a brother, who
reigned over a neighbouring kingdom. His son, my cousin, and I were
nearly of the same age. I went regularly every year to see my uncle,
at whose court I amused myself for a month or two, and then returned
bome. On one occasion I arrived at my father’s capital, where,
contrary to custom, I found a numerous guard at the gate of the palace.
They surrounded me as I entered. The commanding officer said,
‘Prince, the army has proclaimed the grand vizier sultan, instead of
your father, who is dead, and I take you prisoner in-the name of the
new sultan.’

This rebel vizier had long entertained a mortal hatred against me.
When I was a boy I loved to shoot with a cross-bow; and being one
day upon the terrace of the palace, a bird happening to come by, I shot
but missed him, and the ball by misfortune hit the vizier, who was
taking the air upon the terrace of his own house, and put out one of his
eyes. He never forgave me, and, as opportunity offered, made me
sensible of his resentment. But now that he had me in his power, he
came to me like a madman, and thrusting his finger into my right eye,
pulled it out, and thus I became blind of one eye.

His cruelty did not stop here ; he commanded the executioner to cut
off my head, and leave me to be devoured by birds of prey. The
executioner conveyed me to the place of execution to complete this
barbarous sentence; but by my prayers and tears I moved the man’s
compassion : ‘Go,’ said he to me, ‘get you speedily out of the kingdom,
and never return, or you will destroy yourself and me.’ I thanked him,
and as soon as I was left alone, comforted myself for the loss of my
eye by considering that I had very narrowly escaped a much greater
evil.

Being thus surrounded with sorrows, and p-rsecuted by fortune, I
had recourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save
my life: I caused my beard and eye-brows to be shaved, and putting
on a calender’s habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city. I
avoided the towns till I arrived in the empire of the commander of the
faithful, the renowned caliph Haroun Alraschid, when I ceased to fear.
I resolved to come to Bagdad and throw myself at the feet of th’s great
monarch. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself, by tha



THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER. Sl



relation of my uncommon misfortunes, and without doubt he will take
pity on a persecuted prince, and not suffer me to implore his assistance
in vain.

Tn short, after a journey of several months, I arrived yesterday atthe
gate of this city, into which I entered at dusk: and as I entered, another
calender came up; he saluted me, and I him. ‘ You appear,’ said I,
‘to be a stranger, as Tam.’ ‘You are not mistaken,’ replied he. He
had no sooner returned this answer, than a third calender overtook us.
He saluted us, and told us he was a stranger newly come to Bagdad ;
so that as brethren we joined together, resolving not to separate from
one another.

It was now late, and we knew not where to seek a lodging in the city,
where we had never been before. But good fortune having brought us
to your gate, we made bold to knock, when you received us with so
much kindness that we are incapable of rendering suitable thanks.
This, madam, said he, is, in obedience to your commands, the account
I was to give how I lost my right eye, wherefore my beard and eye-
brows are shaved, and how I came to be with you at this time.

‘It is enough,’ said Zobcide; ‘you may retire to what place you
think fit.’ The calender begged the ladies’ permission to stay till he
had heard the relations of his two comrades, ‘ whom I cannot,’ said he,
‘leave with honour ;’ and that he might also hear those of the three
others persons in company.

The history of the first calender appeared very surprising to the whole
company, and particularly to the caliph. The presence of the slaves,
armed with their scimitars, did not prevent him from saying in a whisper
to the vizier, ‘As long as I can remember, I never heard anything to
compare with this history of the calender, though I have been all my
life in the habit of hearing similar narratives.’ IIe had no sooner
finished than the second calender began, and addressing himself to
Zobeide, spoke as follows:

THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER.

Manan, said he, to obey your commands, and to show you by what
strange accident I became blind of the right eye, I must give you the
account of my life. I was yet a youth, when the sultan, my father (for
you must know I am a prince by birth), perceived that I was endowed
with good natural ability, and spared nothing proper for improving it.
No sooner was I able to read and write than I learned the Koran from
beginning to end by heart, all the traditions collected from the mouth
of our prophet, and the works of poets. I applied myself to geography,
chronology, and to speak the Arabian language in its purity; not for-
getting in the meantime all such exercises as were proper for a prince

aA



52 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



to understand. But one thing which I was fond of, and succeeded in,
was penmanship ; wherein I surpassed all the celebrated scribes of our
kingdom. '

The fame of my learning reached the Emperor of Hindostan, who sent
an embassy with rich presents to my father, and invited me to his cburt.
I returned with the ambassador.

We had been about a month on our journey, when we saw in the
distance an immense cloud of dust, and soon after we discovered fifty
fierce horsemen, sons of the desert, well armed. 8

Not being able to repel force by force, we told them we were the
ambassadors of the sultan of India; but the sons of the desert insolently
answered, ‘Why do you wish us to respect the sultan, your master?
We are not his subjects, nor even within his realm.’ They attacked
us on all sides. I defended myself as long as I could, but finding that
T was wounded, and that the ambassador and all our attendants were
overthrown, I took advantage of the remaining strength of my horse,
and escaped. My horse was wounded and suddenly fell dead under me.
Alone, wounded, anda stranger, I bound up my own wound and walked
on the rest of the day, and arrived at the foot of a mountain, where I
perceived, as the sun set, a cave ; I went in, and stayed there that night,
after I had eaten some fruits that I gathered by the way. I continued
my journey for several successive days without finding any place of
abode; but after a month’s time, I came to a large town, well inhabited
—it was surrounded by several streams, so that it seemed to enjoy
perpetual spring.

My face, hands, and fect were black and sunburnt ; and, by my long
journey, my boots were quite worn out, so that I was forced to walk
barefooted; and my clothes were all in rags. I entered the town to
inform myself where I was, and addressed myself to a tailor that was
at work in his shop, who made me sit down by him, and asked me who
I was, whence I came, and what had brought me thither. I did
not conceal anything that had befallen me, nor made I any scruple to
reveal to him my rank. The tailor listened to me with attention; and
brought me something to eat, and offered me an apartment at his house,
which I accepted.

Some days after my arrival, the tailor asked me if I knew anything
by which I could acquire a livelihood. I told him that I was well
versed in the science of laws, both human and Divine, that I was a
grammarian, a poet, and, above all, that I wrote remarkably well.
“None of these things will avail youhere. If you will follow my advice,’
he added, ‘ you will procure a short jacket, and as you are strong and
in good health, you may go into the neighbouring forest, and cut wood
for fuel. You may then go and expose it for sale in the market. By
these means you will be enabled to wait till the cloud which hangs over
you, and obliges you to conceal your birth, shall have blown over. I
will furnish you with a cord and hatchet.’

The next day the tailor brought mea rope, a hatchet, and a short



’

THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER, 53

jacket, and recommended me to some poor people who gained their
bread after the same manner, that they might take me into their
company. They conducted me to the wood, and the first day I brought
in as much upon my head as procured me half a piece of gold of the
money of that country ; for though the wood was not far distant from
the town, yet it was very scarce, by reason that few would be at the
trouble of fetching it for themselves. I gained a good sum of money in
a short time, and repaid my tailor what he had lent me.

I continued this way of living for a whole year. One day, having by
chance penetrated farther into the wood than usual, I happened to
light on a pleasant spot, where I began to cut; and in pulling up the
root of a tree I espied an iron ring, fastened to a trap door of the same
metal. I took away the earth that covered it, and having lifted it up,
discovered a flight of stairs, which I descended with my axe in my
hand.

When I had reached the bottom, I found myself in a palace which
was as well lighted as if it had been above ground in the open air. |
went forward along a gallery, supported by pillars of jasper, the bas¢
and capitals being of massy gold: when I saw a lady of a noble and
graceful air, and extremely beautiful, coming towards me. I hastened
to meet her; and as I was making a low obeisance, she asked me, ‘ Are
you a man or a genie?’ ‘A man, madam,’ said I. ‘By what ad-
venture,’ said she (fetching a deep sigh), ‘ are you come hither? I have
lived here twenty-five years, end you are the first man I have beheld in
that time.’

Her great beauty, and the sweetness and civility wherewith she
received me, emboldened me to say, ‘Madam, before I satisfy your
curiosity, give me leave to say that I am infinitely gratified with this
unexpected meeting, which offers me an occasion of consolation in the
midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an opportunity of
making you also more happy than you are.’ I then related my story
to her from beginning to end. ‘Alas! prince,’ she replied, sighing
‘the most enchanting spots cannot afford delight when we are there
against our wills. But hear now my history. I am a prineess, the
daughter of a sultan, the king of the Ebony Island, to which the
precious wood found in it has given its name.

‘The king, my father, had chosen for my husband a prince who was
my cousin; but on the very night of the bridal festivities, in the midst
of the rejoicings of the court, a genie took me away. I fainted with
alarm, and when I recovered I found myself in this place. I was long
meonsolable; but time and necessity have reconciled me to see the
genie. Twenty-five years I have passed in this place, in which I have
everything necessary for life and splendour.

‘Every ten days,’ continued the princess, ‘the genie visits me. In
the meantime, if I have any occasion for him, I have only to touch a
talisman, and he appears. "It is now four days since he was here, and

have therefore to wait six days more before he again makes his



54 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS,



appearance. You, therefore, may remain five with me, if it be agree-
able to you, in order to keep me company; and I will endeavour to
regale and entertain you equal to your merit and dignity.’

The princess then conducted me to a bath, the most commodious,
and the most sumptuous imaginable; and when I came forth, instead
of my own clothes I found another costly robe, which I did not
esteem so much for its richness, as because it made me appear worthy
to be in her company. We sat down on a sofa covered with rich
tapestry, with cushions of the rarest Indian brocade; and some time
after she covered a table with several dishes of delicate meats. We ate,
and passed the remaining part of the day, as also the evening, together
very pleasantly.

The next day I said to her, ‘Fair princess, you have been too long
buried alive in this subterranean palace; pray rise—follow me, and enjoy
the light of day, of which you have been deprived so many years.’
‘Prince,’ replied she, with a smile, ‘if you out of ten days will grant
me nine, and resign the tenth to the genie, the light of day will be
nothing to me.’ ‘ Princess,’ said I, ‘the fear of the genie makes you
speak thus; for my part, I regard him go little that I will break in
pieces his talisman, with the spell that is written about it. Let him
come; and how brave or powerful he be, I will defy him.’ On saying
this I gave the talisman a kick with my foot and broke it in pieces.

The talisman was no sooner broken than the whole palace shook as if
ready to fall to atoms, and the walls opened to afford a passage to the
genie. I had no sooner felt the shock than, at the earnest request of
the princess, I took to flight. Having hastily put on my own robe, I
ascended the stairs leading to the forest, and reached the town in safety.
My landlord, the tailor, was very glad to see me. I had, however, in
my haste, left my hatchet and cord in the princess’s chamber. Shortly
after my return, while brooding over this loss, and lamenting the cruel
treatment to which the princess would be exposed, the tailor came in
and said, ‘An old man, whom I do not know, brings your hatchet and
cords, and wishes to speak to you, for he will deliver them to none but
yourself.’

At these words I changed colour, and fell a-trembling. While the
tailor was asking me the reason, my chamber-door opened, and the old
man, having no patience to stay, appeared with my hatchet and cords.
‘Tam a genie,’ said he, speaking to me, ‘a grandson of Eblis, prince
of genies. Is not this your hatchet, and are not these your cords ?’

After the genie had put these questions to me he gave me no time to
answer. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out ofthe chamber,
and, mounting into the air, carried me up to the skies with extra-
ordinary swiftness. He descended again in like manner to the earth,
which on a sudden he caused to open with a stroke of his foot, when I

1 Eblis, or Degial, the evil spirit, who, according to the Koran, betrayed Adam
te transgression, and yet seeks to inflict injury on his race,





tS e NMIOMISSSMANE. =



THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER. 55



found myself in the enchanted palace, before the fair princess of the
Isle of Ebony. But, alas! what a spectacle was there! I saw what
pierced me to the heart; this poor princess was weltering in her blood,
and lay upon the ground, more like one dead than alive, with her
cheeks bathed in tears.

The genie having loaded us both with many insults and reproaches,
drew his scimitar and declared that he would give life and liberty to
either of us who would with his scimitar cut off the head of the other.
We both resolutely declined to purchase freedom at such a price, and
asserted our choice to be to die rather in the presence of each other.
‘T see,’ said the genie, ‘that you both outbrave me, but both of you
shall know by my treatment of you of what I am capable.’ At these
words the monster took up the scimitar and cut off one of her hands,
which left her only so much life as to give me a token with the other
that she bade me for ever adieu; and then she died. I fainted at the
sight. When I was come to myself again, I cried, ‘ Strike, for I am
ready to die, and await death as the greatest favour you can show me.’
But instead of killing me, he said, ‘ Behold how genies revenge them-
selves on those who offend them. Thou art the least to blame, and I
will content myself with transforming thee into a dog, ape, lion, or bird ;
take thy choice of any of these, I will leave it to thyself.’

These words gave me some hopes of being able to appease him. ‘O
genie,’ said I, ‘restrain your rage, and since you will not take away my
life, pardon me freely, as a good dervise pardoned one who envied him.’
‘And how was that?’ said he. I answered as follows:

THE HISTORY OF THE ENVIOUS MAN AND
OF HIM WHO WAS ENVIED.

In a certain town there were two men, neighbours, who lived next door
to each other. One of them was so excessively envious of the other
that the latter resolved to change his abode, and go and reside at some
distance from him. He therefore sold his house, and went to another
city at no great distance, and bought a convenient house. It had a
good garden and a moderate court, in which there was a deep well, that
was not now used.

The good man having made this purchase, put on the habit of a
dervise, and in a short time he established a numerous society of dervises.}

1 Sir Paul Ricaut gives this account of the dress of the dervise : ‘Their shirts
are of coarse linen, with a white plaid or mantle about their shoulders. Their
caps are like the crown of a hat of the largest size. Their legs are always bare,
and their breasts open, which some of them burn or sear in token of greater
devotion, They wear a leathern girdle, with some shining stone upon the



56 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



He soon came to be known by his virtue, through which he acquired
the esteem of many people, as well of the commonalty as of the chief of
the city. In short, he was much honoured and courted by all ranks.
People came from adar to recommend themselves to his prayers; and
all who visited him published what blessings they received through his
means.

The great reputation of this honest man having spread to the town
whence he had come, it touched the envious man so much to the quick
that he left his own house and affairs with a resolution to ruin him.
With this intent he went to the new convent of dervises, of which
his former neighbour was the head, who received him with all imaginable
tokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come to
communicate a business of importance, which he could not do but in
private ; ‘and that nobody may hear us,’ he said, ‘let us take a walk
in your court; and seeing night begins to draw on, command your
dervises to retire to their cells.’ The chief of the dervises did as he was
requested.

When the envious man saw that he’ was alone with this good man,
he began to tell him his errand, walking side by side in the court, till
he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the
well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it.

This old well was inhabited by peris! and genies, which happened
luckily for the relief of the head of the convent; for they received and
supported him, and carried him to the bottom, so that he got no hurt.
He perceived that there was something extraordinary in his fall, which
must otherwise have cost him his life; but he neither saw nor felt any-
thing. He soon heard a voice, however, which said, ‘Do you know
what honest man this is, to whom we have done this piece of service?”



buckle before. They always carry a string of beads, which they call Tesbe, and
oftener run them over than our friars do their rosat s,at every bead repeating
the name of God.’—‘ History of Ottoman Empire,’ p. 203.

‘ Their order has few rules, except of performing their fantastic rites every
Tuesday and Friday. They meet in a large hall, where they all stand with their
eyes fixed on the ground, and their arms crossed, while the imaun, or preacher,
reads part of the Koran from a pulpit, and, after a short exposition on what he
has read, they stand around their superior, and, tying their robes, which are very
wide, round their waists, begin to turn round with an amazing swiftness, moving
fast or slow as the music is played. This lasts above an hour, without any of
them showing the least appearance of giddiness, which is not to be wondered
at when it is considered they are used to it from their infancy. There were
amongst them some little dervises, of six or seven years old, who seemed no
more disordered by that exercise than the others. At the end of the
ceremony they shout out, ‘ There is no other god but God, and Mahommed ig
His prophet 7 after which they kiss the superior’s hand and retire. The whole
is Pe with the most solemn gravity.’-—Lady M. W. Montague’s ‘ Letters,’
vol. 11., p. 43.

* The word peri, in the Persian language, signifies that beautiful race of
creatures which constitutes the link between angels and men,



THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 57
Another voice answered, ‘No.’ To which the first replied, ‘Then I will
tell you. This man out of charity left the town he lived in, and has
established himself in this place, in hopes to cure one of his neighbours
of the envy he had conceived against him; he had acquired such a
general esteem, that the envious man, not able to endure it, came hither
on purpose to ruin him; and he would have accomplished his design
had it not been for the assistance we have given this honest man, whose
reputation is so great that the sultan, who keeps his residence in the
neighbouring city, was to pay him a visit to-morrow, to recommend the
princess his daughter to his prayers.’

Another voice asked, ‘ What need had the princess of the dervise’s
prayers?’ To which the first answered, ‘ You do not know, it seems,
that she is possessed by a genie. But I well know how this good
dervise may cure her. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white
spot at the end of her tail, about the bigness of a small piece of Arabian
money; let him only pull seven hairs out of the white spot, burn them,
and smoke the princess’s head with the fume, she will not only be
immediately cured, but be so safely delivered from the genie that he
will never dare to approach her again.’

The head of the dervises remembered every word of the conversation
between the fairies and the genies, who remained silent the remainder
of the night. The next morning, as soon as daylight appeared, and he
could discern the nature of his situation, the well being broken down in
several places, he saw a hole, by which he crept out with ease.

The other dervises, who had been seeking for him, were rejoiced to
see him; he gave them a brief account of the wickedness of the man to
whom he had given so kind a reception the day before, and retired into
his cell. Shortly after, the black cat, which the fairies and genies had
mentioned the night before, came to fawn upon her master, as she was
accustomed to do; he took her up, and pulled seven hairs from the
white spot that was upon her tail, and laid them aside for his use when
occasion should serve.

Soon after sunrise the sultan, who would leave no means untried that
he thought likely to restore the princess to perfect health, arrived at the
gate of the convent. He commanded his guards to halt, whilst he with
his principal officers went in. The dervises received him with profound
respect.

The sultan called their chief aside, and said, ‘Good sheik,’ you may
probably be already acquainted with the cause of my visit.’ ‘ Yes, sir,’
replied he gravely, ‘if I do not mistake, it is the disease of the princess
which procures me this unmerited honour.’ ‘ That is the real case,’
replied the sultan. ‘ You will give me new life if your prayers, as I
hope they may, restore my daughter’s health.’ ‘ Sir,’ said the good
man, ‘if your majesty will be pleased to let her come hither, I am in



1 Sheiks are the chiefs of the societies of dervises ; cadis, the magistrates of a
town or city.—‘ Notes on Vathek,’ p. 322.



58 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.







hopes, through God’s assistance and favour, that she will be effectually
cured.’

The prince, transported with joy, sent immediately for his daughter,
who soon appeared with a numerous train of ladies and attendants,
veiled, so that her face was not seen. The chief of the dervises caused
a carpet to be held over her head, and he had no sooner thrown the
seven hairs upon the burning coals, than the genie uttered a great cry, and,
without being seen, left the princess at liberty; upon which she took
the veil from her face, and rose up to see where she was, saying,
‘Where am I, and who brought me hither?’ At these words the sultan,
overcome with excess of joy, embraced his daughter, and kissed her
eyes : he also kissed the sheik’s hands, and said to his officers, ‘ What
reward does he deserve that has thus cured my daughter?’ They all
cried, ‘He deserves her in marriage.’ ‘That is what I had in my
thoughts,’ said the sultan; ‘and I make him my son-in-law from this
moment.’ Some time after the prime vizier died, and the sultan con-
ferred the place on the dervise. ‘The sultan himself also died without
heirs male; upon which the religious orders and the army consulted
together, and the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by
general consent.

The honest dervise having ascended the throne of his father-in-law,
as he was one day in the midst of his courtiers on a march, espied the
envious man among the crowd that stood as he passed along; and call-
ing one of the viziers that attended him, whispered in his ear, ‘Go,
bring me that man you see there; but take care you do not frighten
him,’ The vizier obeyed, and when the envious man was brought into
his presence, the sultan said, ‘Friend, I am extremely glad to see you.’ °
Upon which he called an officer; ‘Go immediately,’ said he, ‘and cause
to be paid to this man out of my treasury! one hundred pieces of gold;
let him have also. twenty loads of the richest merchandise in my store-
houses, and a sufficient guard to conduct him to his house.’ After he
had given this charge to the officer, he bade the envious man farewell,
amd proceeded on his march.

When I had finished the recital of this story to the genie, I em-
ployed all my eloquence to persuade him to imitate so good an
example, and to grant me pardon; but it was impossible to move his
compassion.

‘All that I can do for thee,’ said he, ‘is to grant thee thy life; but I

? A favourite story is related of the benevolence of one of the sons of Ali.
In serving at table, a slave had inadvertently dropped a dish of scalding broth
on his master. The heedless wretch fell prostrate, to deprecate his punishment,
and repeated a verse of the Koran: ‘Paradise is for those who command
their anger.’ ‘I am not angry.’ ‘And for those who pardon offences.’ ‘I
pardon your offence,’ ‘And for those who return good for evil.’ ‘I give

yeu your liberty, and four hundred pieces of silver..—Gibbon’s ‘Decline and
all.



THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 50



must place thee under enchantment.’ So saying, he seized me violently,
and carried me through the arched roof of the subterraneous palace,
which opened to give him passage. He ascended with me into the air
to such a height that the earth appeared like a little white cloud. He
then descended again like lightning, and alighted upon the summit of a
mountain.

Here he took up a handful of earth, and, muttering some words which
I did not understand, threw it upon me. ‘Quit,’ said he, ‘ the form of
aman, and take that of an ape.’ He instantly disappeared, and left
me alone, transformed into an ape and overwhelmed with sorrow, in a
strange country, not knowing whether I was near or far from my father’s
dominions.

I descended the mountain, and entered a plain level country, which
took mea month to travel over, and then I came to the seaside. It hap-
pened at the time to be perfectly calm, and I espied a vessel about
half a league from the shore. Unwilling to lose so good an opportunity,
I broke off a large branch from a, tree, carried it into the sea, and placed
myself astride upon it, with a stick in each hand, to serve me for oars.

I launched out on this frail bark, and rowed towards the ship.
Wheu I had approached sufficiently near to be seen, the seamen and
passengers on the deck regarded me with astonishment. In the mean-
time I got on board, and, laying hold of a rope, jumped upon the deck ;
but having lost my speech, I found myself in great perplexity, and,
indeed, the risk I ran was not less than when I was at the mercy of
the genie.

The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, thought if
they received me on board I should be the occasion of some misfortune
to them during their voyage. On this account they said: ‘ Let us
throw him into the sea.’ Some one of them would not have failed to
carry this threat into execution, had I not gone to the captain, thrown
myself at his feet, and taken hold of his skirt in a supplicating posture.
This action, together with the tears which he saw gush from my eyes,
moved his compassion. He took me under his protection, and loaded
me with a thousand caresses. On my part, though I had not power to
speak, I showed by my gestures every mark of gratitude in my power.

The wind that succeeded the calm continued to blow in the same
direction for fifty days, and brought us safe to the port of a city, well
peopled, and of great trade, where we cast anchor.

Our vessel was instantly surrounded by multitudes of boats full of
people. Amongst the rest, some officers of the sultan came on board,
and said: ‘Our master rejoices in your safe arrival, and he beseeches
each of you to write a few lines upon this roll. The prime vizier, who,
besides possessing great abilities for the management of public affairs,
could write in the highest perfection, died a few days since, and the
sultan has made a solemn vow not to give the place to anyone who
cannot write equally well. No one in the empire has been judged
worthy to supply the vizier’s place.’



60 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



Those of the merchants who thought they could write well enough
to aspire to this high dignity wrote one after another what they thought
fit. After they had done, I advanced, and took the roll; but all the
people cried out that I would tear it, or throw it into the sea, till they
saw how properly I held the roll, and made a sign that I would write
in my turn. Their apprehensions then changed into wonder. How-
ever, as they had never seen an ape that could write, and could not be
persuaded that I was more ingenious than others of my kind, they
wished to take the roll out of my hand; but the captain took my part
once more. ‘Let him alone,’ said he; ‘allow him to write.’ Per-
ceiving that no one opposed my design, I took the pen, and wrote six
sorts of hands used among the Arabians, and each specimen contained
an extemporary distich or quatrain (a stanza of four lines) in praise of
the sultan. When I had done, the officers took the roll, and carried it
to the sultan.

The sultan took little notice of any of the writings except mine,
which pleased him so much that he said to the officers: ‘Take the
finest horse in my stable, with the richest trappings, and a robe of the
most sumptuous brocade to put on the person who wrote the six hands,
and bring him hither.’ At this command the officers could not forbear
laughing. The sultan was incensed at their rudeness, and would have
punished them had they not explained. ‘Sir,’ said they, ‘we humbly
beg your majesty’s pardon. These hands were not written by a man,
but by an ape.’ ‘What do you say?’ exclaimed the sultan. ‘Those
admirable characters, are they not written by the hands of a man?
‘No, sir,’ replied the officers ; ‘ we assure your majesty it was an ape,
who wrote them in cur presence.’ The sultan was too much surprised
at this account not to desire a sight of me, and therefore said: ‘Do
what I command you, and bring me speedily that wonderful ape.’

The officers returned to the vessel, and showed the captain their
order, who answered: ‘The sultan’s command must be obeyed.’
Whereupon they clothed me with the rich brocade robe, and carried
me ashore, where they set me on horseback, whilst the sultan waited
for me at his palace with a great number of courtiers.

The procession commenced; the harbour, the streets, the public
places, windows, terraces, palaces, and houses, were filled with an
infinite number of people of all ranks, who flocked from every part of
the city to see me; for the rumour was spread in a moment that the
sultan had chosen an ape to be his grand vizier; and after having
served for a spectacle to the people, who could not forbear to express
their surprise by redoubling their shouts and cries, I arrived at the
sultan’s palace.

I found the prince on his throne in the midst of the grandees; I
made my obeisance three times very low, and at last kneeled and
kissed the ground before him, and afterwards took my seat in the
posture of an ape. The whole assembly viewed me with admiration,
and could not comprehend how it was possible that an ape should so



THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED., 61

well understand how to pay the sultan his due respect ; and he himself
was more astonished than any. In short, the usual ceremony of the
audience would have been coiypletz could I have added speech to my
behaviour.

The sultan dismissed his courtiers, and none remained by him but
the chief of the attendants of the palace, a little young slave, and my-
gelf. He went from his chamber of audience into his own apartment
where he ordered dinner to be brought. As he sat at table, he made
me a sign to approach and eat with them; to show my obedience, I
kissed the ground, arose, and placed myself at the table, and ate.

Before the table was cleared, I espied a standish, which I made a
sign to have brought me; having got it, I wrote upon a large peach
gome verses expressive of my acknowledgment to the sultan, who,



THE SULTAN CAUSED TO BE PROVGHT TO TIM A CHESS-BOARD,

having read them, after I had presented the peach to him, was still
more astonished. When the things were removed, they brought him a
particular liquor, of which he caused them to give meaglass. I drank,
and wrote upon the glass some new verses, which explained the state
of happiness I was now in, after many sufferings. The sultan read
these likewise, and said: ‘ A man that was capable of composing such
poetry would rank among the greatest of men.’ ;

The sultan caused to be brought to him a chess-board,! and asked
me by a sign if I understood that game, and would play with him. I
kissed the ground; and laying my hand upon my head, signified that I
was réady to receive that honour. He won the first game; but I won
_ } Chess is said to have had its origin in the East, and to have been introduced
into Europe after the Crusades.



62 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



the second and third; and perceiving he was somewhat displeased at
my success, I made a stanza to pacify him, in which I told him that
two potent armies had been fighting furiously all day, but that they
concluded a peace towards the evening, and passed the remaining part
of the night very amicably together upon the field of battle.

So many circumstances appearing to the sultan beyond what had
ever either been seen or known of apes, he determined not to be the
only witness of these prodigies himself, but having a daughter, called
the Lady of Beauty, sent for her, that she should share his pleasure.

The princess, who had her face unveiled, no sooner came into the
room than she put on her veil, and said to the sultan: ‘Sir, I am sur-
prised that you have sent for me to appear before men. That seeming
ape is a young prince, son of a powerful sultan, and has been meta-
morphosed into an ape by enchantment. When I was just out of the
nursery, an old lady who waited on me was a most expert magician,
and taught me seventy rules of magic. By this science I know all
enchanted persons at first sight: I know who they are, and by whom
they have been enchanted; therefore do not be surprised if I should
forthwith restore this prince, in spite of the enchantments, to his own
form.’ ‘Do so, then,’ interrupted the sultan, ‘for you cannot give me
greater pleasure, as I wish to have him for my grand vizier, and bestow
you upon him for a wife.’ ‘I am ready, sire,’ answered the princess, ‘ to
obey you in all things you please to command.’

The princess, the Lady of Beauty, went into her apartment, and
brought thence a knife, which had some Hebrew words engraven on the
blade; she made the sultan, the little slave, and myself, descend into a
private court of the palace, and there left us under a gallery that went
round it. She placed herself in the middle of the court, where she
made a great circle, and within it she wrote several words in ancient
Arabian characters.

When she had finished and prepared the circle, she placed herself in
the centre of it, where she began incantations, and repeated verses of
the Koran. The air grew insensibly dark, as if it had been night; we
found ourselves struck with consternation, and our fear increased when
we saw the genie appear suddenly in the shape of a lion! of a gigantic
size.

? This same power of changing the form has found a place in ancient and
modern story. The Proteus of heathen mythology ever found means of safety
and protection by his sudden assumption of some new form and shape.

‘Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo

One of Walter Scott’s happiest delineations is the ‘ Goblin Page,’ described in
‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel,’ who in every new freak of mischief escaped
alike retribution and discovery by his power of changing and transmutation :

‘For, at a word, be it understood,
He was always for ill, and never for good:



THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 63

‘Thou shalt pay dearly,’ said the lion, ‘for the trouble thou hast
given me in coming here.’ In saying this, he opened his horrible jaws,
and advanced forward to devour her; but she, being on her guard,
jumped back, and had just time to pluck out a hair; and pronouncing
two or three words, she changed it into a sharp scythe, with which she
immediately cut the lion in two pieces, through the middle.

The two parts of the lion directly disappeared, and the head changed
into a large scorpion. The princess then took the form of a serpent,
and fought the scorpion, which, finding itself defeated, changed into an
eagle, and flew away. But the serpent then became another eagle,
black, and very large, and went in pursuit of it. We now lost sight of
them for some time.

Shortly after they had disappeared, the earth opened before us, and a
black and white cat appeared, the hairs of which stood quite on end,
and which made a most horrible mewing. A black wolf direstly
followed after her, and gave her no time to rest. The cat, being thus
hard pressed, changed into a worm, and hid itself in a pomegranate
which lay by accident on the ground; but the pomegranate swelled
immediately, and became as big as a gourd, which, lifting itself up to
the roof of the gallery, rolled there for some time backward and for-
ward ; it then fell down again into the court, and broke into several
pieces.

The wolf had in the meanwhile transformed itself into a cock, and
now fell to picking up the seeds of the pomegranate one after another ;
but, finding no more, he came towards us with his wings spread, making
a great noise, as if he would ask us whether there were any more
seed. There was one lying on the brink of the canal, which the cock
perceiving as he went back, ran speedily thither; but just as he was
going to pick it up, the seed rolled into a fountain and turned into
a little fish.

The cock, flying towards the fountain, turned into a pike, and pursued
the small fish; they continued both under water above two hours, and
we knew not what was become of them ; but suddenly we heard terrible



Seem’d to the boy some comrade gay,
Led him forth to the woods to play ;
On the drawbridge the warders stout
Saw a terrier and lurcher passing out.’

Milton attributes the same power to Comus :

‘ Soon as the potion works, their human countenance,
The express resemblance of the gods, is changed
Into some brutish form of wolf or bear,

Or ounce, or tiger, hog, or bearded goat—

All other parts remaining as they were ;

And they, so perfect is their misery,

Not once perceive their foul disfigurement,
But boast themselves more comely than before,
And all their friends and native home forget.’



64 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

cries, which made us tremble, and a little while after we saw the genie
and princess all in flames. ‘They threw flashes of fire out of their
mouths at each other, till they came to close combat ; then the two fires
increased, with a thick, burning smoke, which mounted so high that we
had reason to apprehend it would set the palace on fire. But we very
soon had a more pressing occasion of fear, for the genie, having got
loose from the princess, came to the gallery where we stood, and blew
flames of fire upon us. We must all have perished had not the prin-
cess, running to our assistance, forced him to retire and defend himself
against her ; yet, notwithstanding all her exertions, she could not hinder
the sultan’s beard from being burned, and his face scorched, and a spark
from entering my right eye and making it blind. The sultan and I
expected nothing but death, when we heard a ery of ‘ Victory ! victory!’
and instantly the princess appeared in her natural shape; but the genie
was reduced to a heap of ashes.

The princess approached us, and hastily called for a cupful of water,
which the young slave, who had received no hurt, brought her. She
took it, and, after pronouncing some words over it, threw it upon me,
saying, ‘If thou art become an ape by enchantment, change thy shape,
and take that of a man, which thou hadst before.’ These words were
hardly uttered, when I again became a man, in every respect as I was
before my transformation, excepting the loss of my eye.

I was preparing to return the princess my thanks, but she prevented
me by addressing herself to her father: Sir, I have gained the victory
over the genie; but it is a victory that costs me dear. I have but afew
minutes to live; the fire has pierced me during the terrible combat, and
I find it is gradually consuming me. This would not have happened
had I perceived the last of the pomegranate seeds, and swallowed it, as
I did the others when I was changed into a cock; the genie had fled
thither as to his last intrenchment, and upon that the success of the
combat depended. This oversight obliged me to have recourse to fire,
and to fight with those mighty arms as I did, between heaven and
earth, in your presence ; for, in spite of all, I made the genie know that
J understood more than he; I have conquered and reduced him to ashes,
but I cannot escape death, which is approaching.’

Suddenly the princess exclaimed, ‘I burn, I burn!’ She found that
the fire had at last seized upon her vital parts, which made her still ery,
‘I burn!’ until death had put an end to her intolerable pains. The
effect of that fire was so extraordinary, that in a few moments she wa3
wholly reduced to ashes, as the genie had been.

I cannot tell you, madam, how much I was grieved at so dismal a
spectacle ; I had rather all my life have continued an ape or a dog, than
to have seen my benefactress thus miserably perish. The sultan cried
piteously, and beat himself on his head and breast, until, being quite
overcome with grief, he fainted away. In the meantime, the attendants
and officers came running at the sultan’s lamentations, and with much
difficulty brought him to himself.



THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 65



When the knowledge of the death of the princess had spread through
the palace and the city, all the people greatly bewailed. Public
mourning was observed for seven days, and many ceremonies were
performed. The ashes of the genie were thrown into the air; but those
of the princess were collected into a precious urn, to be preserved ; and
the urn was deposited in a superb mausoleum,! constructed for that
purpose on the spot where the princess had been consumed.

The grief of the sultan for the loss of his daughter confined him to his
chamber for a whole month. Before he had fully recovered his
strength, he sent for me, and said, ‘ You are the cause of all these
misfortunes ; depart hence, therefore, in peace, without further delay,
and take care never to appear again in my dominions on penalty of thy
life.’

IT was obliged to quit the palace, again cast down to a low estate, and
an outcast from the worlé. Before I left the city, I went into a bagnio,
where I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and put on a
calender’s robe. I passed through many countries without making
myself known; at last I resolved to visit Bagdad, in hopes of meeting
with the Commander of the Faithful, to move his compassion by relating
to him my unfortunate adventures. I arrived this evening, and the first
man I met was this calender, our brother, who spoke before me. You
know the remaining part, madam, and the cause of my having the
honour to be here.

When the second calendar had concluded his story, Zobeide, to
whom he had addressed his speech, said, ‘It is well; you are at
liberty ;’ but instead of departing, he also petitioned the lady to show
him the same favour vouchsafed to the first calender, and went and sat
down by him.

Then the third calender, knowing it was his turn to speak, addressed
himself like the others to Zobeide, and began his history as follows:

1 The erection of these tombs over the supposed effigy or the real remains of
the deceased, is often mentioned in these tales. The same type of tomb, with
its dome or cupola, prevails throughout, A structure of a similar fashion is
celebrated in history as the Taj Mahal at Agra, erected by the Shah Jehar in
memory of his queen, Mumtaz Mahal, It stands on a marble terrace over the
Jamna, and is surrounded by extensive gardens. The building itself on the
outside is of white marble, with a high cupola and four minarets. In the centre
of the inside is a lofty hall of a circular form under a dome, in the middle of
which is the tomb, enclosed within an open screen of elaborate tracery formed
of marble and mosaics. ‘Che materials are lapis lazuli, jasper, bloodstone, a sort
of golden stone (not well understood), agates, cornelian, jade, and various
other stones. A single flower in the screen contains a hundred stones ; ‘and
yet,’ says Bishop Heber, ‘though everything is finished like an ornament for
a drawing-room chimney-piece, the general effect is rather solemn and im-
pressive than gaudy.’—Elphinstone’s ‘ India,’ p. 528; and ‘ Asiatic Researches,’
vol. v., p. 434.





THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER.

My story, O honourable lady, differs from those you have already
heard. ‘The two princes who have spoken before me have each lost an
eye by events beyond their own control; but I lost mine through my
own fault.

My name is Agib; I am the son of a sultan. After his death I took
possession of his dominions, and continued in the city where he had
resided. My kingdom is composed of several fine provinces upon the
mainland, besides a number of valuable islands. My first object was
to visit the provinces; I afterwards caused my whole fleet to be fitted
out, and went to my islands to gain the hearts of my subjects by my
presence, and to confirm them in their loyalty. These voyages gave
me some taste for navigation, in which I took so much pleasure, that
I resolved to make some discoveries beyond my own territories ;
to which end I caused ten ships to be fitted out, embarked, and set
sail.

Our voyage was very pleasant for forty days successively; but on the
forty-first night the wind became contrary, and so boisterous that we
were nearly lost. I gave orders to steer back to my own coast; but I
perceived at the same time that my pilot knew not where we were.
Upon the tenth day a seaman, being sent to look out for land from the
masthead, gave notice that he could see nothing but sky and sea, but
that right ahead he perceived a great blackness.

The pilot changed colour at this account, and, throwing his turban on
the deck with one hand, and beating his breast with the other, cried,
‘Oh, sir, we are all lost! Not one of us can escape; and with all my
skill it is not in my power to effect our deliverance !’ I asked him what
reason he had thus to despair. He exclaimed, ‘The tempest has
brought us so far out of our course, that to-morrow about noon we shall
be near the black mountain, or mine of adamant, which at this very
minute draws all your fleet towards it, by virtue of the iron in your ships ;
and when we approach within a certain distance, the attraction of the
adamant will have such force that all the nails will be drawn out of the
sides and bottoms of the ships, and fasten to the mountain, so that
your vessels will fall to pieces and sink! This mountain,’ continued
the pilot, ‘is inaccessible. On the summit there is a dome of fine brass,



THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 67
supported by pillars of the same metal, and on the top of that dome
stands a horse, likewise of brass, with a rider on his back, who has a
plate of lead fixed to his breast, upon which some talismanic characters
ave engraven. Sir, the tradition is, that this statue is the chief cause
why so many ships and men have been lost and sunk in this place, and
that it ever will continue to be fatal to all those who have the misfor-
tune to approach, until it shall be thrown down.’

The pilot, having finished his discourse, began to weep afresh, and all
the rest of the ship’s company did the same, and they took farewell of
each other.

The next morning we distinctly perceived the black mountain. About
noon we were so near that we found what the pilot had foretold to be
true; for all the nails and iron in the ships flew towards the mountain,
where they fixed, by the violence of the attraction, with a horrible
noise; the ships split asunder, and their cargoes sunk into the sea. All
my people were drowned ; but God had mercy on me, and permitted
me to save myself by means of a plank, which the wind drove ashore
just at the foot of the mountain. I did not receive the least hurt ; and
my good-fortune brought me to a landing-place, where there were steps
that led up to the summit of the mountain.

At last I reached the top without accident. I went into the dome,
and, kneeling on the ground, gave God thanks for His mercies.

I passed the night under the dome. In my sleep an old, grave man
appeared to me, and said, ‘ Hearken, Agib! As soon as thou art awake
dig up the ground under thy feet; thou wilt find a bow of brass, and
three arrows of lead. Shoot the three arrows at the statue, and the
rider and his horse will fall into the sea. This being done, the sea will
swell and rise to the foot of the dome. When it has come so high, thou
wilt perceive a boat with one man holding an oar in each hand; this
man is also of metal, but different from that thou hast thrown down.
Step on board, but without mentioning the name of God, and let him
conduct thee. He will, in ten days’ time, bring thee into another sea,
where thou shalt find an opportunity to return to thy country, provided,
as I have told thee, thou dost not mention the name of God during the
whole voyage.’

When I awoke I felt much comforted by the vision, and did not fail
to observe everything that the old man had commanded me. I took
the bow and arrows out of the ground, shot at the horseman, and with
the third arrow I overthrew him and the horse. In the meantiine, the
sea swelled and rose up by degrees. When it came as high as the foot
of the dome upon the top of the mountain, I saw, afar off, a boat row-
ing towards me, and I returned God thanks.

When the boat made land I stepped aboard, and took great heed not
to pronounce the name of God, neither spoke I one word. I sat down,
and the man of metal began to row off from the mountain. He rowed
without ceasing till the ninth day, when I saw some islands, which
gave me hopes that I should escape all the danger that I feared. The

5—2





68 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



excess of my joy made me forget what I was forbidden : ‘God is great ;
God be praised !’ said I.

I had no sooner spoken than the boat and man sunk, casting me
upon the sea. I swam until night, when, as my strength began to fail,
a wave vast as a mountain threw me on the land. The first thing I did
was to strip, and to dry my clothes.

On the next morning I went forward to discover what sort of country
I wasin. I had not walked far before I found I was upon a desert, though
a very pleasant island, abounding with trees and wild shrubs bearing
fruit. I recommended myself to God, and prayed Him to dispose of me
according to His will. Immediately after I saw a vessel coming from
the mainland, before the wind, directly towards the island. I got up
into a very thick tree, from whence, though unseen, I might safely view
them. The vessel came into a little creek, where ten slaves landed,
carrying a spade and other instruments for digging up the ground. They
went towards the middle of the island, where they dug for a consider-
able time, after which they lifted up a trap-door. They returned again
to the vessel, and unloaded several sorts of provisions and furniture,
which they carried to the place where they had been digging; they then
descended into a subterraneous dwelling.

I saw them once more go to the ship, and return soon after with an old
man, who led in his hand a handsome lad of about fifteen years of age.
They all descended when the trap-door had been opened. After they
had again come up, they let down the trap-door, covered it over with
earth, and returned to the creek where the ship lay ; but I'saw not the
young man in their company. This made me believe that he had stayed
behind in the subterraneous cavern.

The old man and the slaves went on board, and steered their course
towards the mainland. When I perceived they had proceeded to such
a distance that I could not be seen by them, I came down from the
tree, and went directly to the place where I had seen the ground broken.
I removed the earth by degrees, till I came to a stone two or three feet
square. I lifted it up, and found that it covered the head of a flight of
stairs, also of stone. I descended, and at the bottom found myself in
a large room, brilliantly lighted, and furnished with a carpet, a couch
covered with tapestry, and cushions of rich stuff, upon which the young
man sat. The young man, when he perceived me, was considerably
alarmed; but I made a low obeisance, and said to him, ‘Sir, do not
fear. I ama king, and I will do you no harm. On the contrary, it is
probable that your good destiny may have brought me hither to deliver
you out of this tomb, where it seems you have been buried alive. But
what surprises me (for you must know that I have seen all that hath
passed since your coming into this island) is, that you suffered yourself
to be entombed in this place without any resistance.’

The young man, much assured at these words, with a smiling counten-
ance requested me to seat myself by him. As soon as I was seated, he
said, ‘Prince, my story will surprise you. My father is a jeweller. He



THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 69



has many slaves, and also agents at the several courts, which he
furnishes with precious stones. He had been long married without
having issue, when he dreamt that he should have a son, though his
life would be but short. Some time after, I was born, which occasioned
great joy in the family. My father, who had observed the very moment
of my birth, consulted astrologers about my nativity, and was answered,
“Your son shall live happily till the age of fifteen, when his life will be
exposed to a danger which he will hardly be able to escape ; but if his
good destiny preserve him beyond that time, he will live to a great age
Tt will be,” said they, ‘‘ when the statue of brass, that stands upon the
summit of the mountain of adamant, shall be thrown into the sea by
Prince Agib, and, as the stars prognosticate, your son will be killed fifty
days afterwards by that prince.”

‘My father took all imaginable care of my education until this year,
which is the fifteenth of my age. He had notice given him yesterday
that the statue of brass had been thrown into the sea about ten days
ago. This news alarmed him much; and, in consequence of the pre-
diction of the astrologers, he took the precaution to form this subterra-
nean habitation to hide me in during the fifty days after the throwing
down of the statue; and, therefore, as it is ten days since this happened,
he came hastily hither to conceal me, and promised at the end of forty
days to return and fetch me away. For my own part, I am sanguine
in my hopes, and cannot believe that Prince Agib will seek for me in a
place underground, in the midst of a desert island.’

He had scarcely done speaking when I told him, with great joy:
‘Dear sir, trust in the goodness of God, and fear nothing. I will not
leave you till the forty days have expired of which the foolish astro-
logers have made you apprehensive; and in the meanwhile I will do
you all the service in my power ; after which, with leave of your father
and yourself, I shall have the benefit of getting to the mainland in your
vessel; and when I am returned into my kingdom I will remember the
obligations I owe you, and endeavour to demonstrate my gratitude by
suitable acknowledgments.’

This discourse encouraged the jeweller’s son, and inspired him with
confidence. I took care not to inform him I was the very Agib whom
he dreaded, lest I should alarm his fears. I found the young man of
ready wit, and partook with him of his provisions, of which he had
enough to have lasted beyond the forty days, though he had had more
guests than myself. In short, madam, we spent thirty-nine days in
the pleasantest manner possible in this subterranean abode.

The fortieth day appeared; and in the morning, when the young
man awoke, he said to me, with a transport of joy that he could not
restrain: ‘ Prince, this is the fortieth day and I am not dead, thanks to
God and your good company. My father will not fail to make you,
very shortly, every acknowledgment of his gratitude for your attentions,
and will furnish you with every necessary for your return to your king-
dom. But,’ continued he, ‘while we are waiting his arrival, dear



70 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



prince, pray do me the favour to fetch me a melon and some sugar,!
that I may eat some to refresh me.’

Out of several melons that remained I took the best, and laid it on a
plate; and as I could not find a knife to cut it with, I asked the young
man if he knew where there was one. ‘There is one,’ said he, ‘ upon
this cornice over my head.’ I accordingly saw it there, and made so
much haste to reach it that, while I had it in my hand, my foot being
entangled in the carpet, I fell most unhappily upon the young man,
and the knife pierced his heart.

At this spectacle I cried out with agony. I beat my head, my face,
and breast ; I tore my clothes; I threw myself on the ground with un-
speakable sorrow and grief. I would have embraced death without
any reluctance had it presented itself to me. ‘But what we wish,
whether it be good or evil, will not always happen according to our
desire.’ Nevertheless, considering that all my tears and sorrows would
not restore the young man to life, and the forty days being expired I
might be surprised by his father, I quitted the subterranean dwelling,
laid down the great stone upon the entrance, and covered it with earth.
I again ascended into the tree which had previously sheltered me,
when I saw the expected vessel approaching the shore.

The old man with his slaves landed immediately, and advanced
towards the subterranean dwelling with a countenance that showed
some hope; but when they saw the earth had been newly removed
they changed colour, particularly the old man. They lifted up the
stone, and descended the stairs. They called the young man by his
name, but no answer was returned. Their fears redoubled. They
searched about, and at last found him stretched on his couch, with the
knife through his heart, for I had not had the courage to draw it out.
On seeing this they uttered such lamentable cries that my tears flowed
afresh. ‘The unfortunate father continued a long while insensible, and
made them more than once despair of his life; but at last he came to
himself. The slaves then brought up his son’s body, dressed in his best
apparel, and when they had made a grave they buried it. The old
man, supported by two slaves and his face covered with tears, threw
the first earth upon the body, after which the slaves filled up the grave.

This being done, all the furniture was brought up and, with the re-
maining provisions, put on board the vessel. The old man, overcome
with sorrow, was carried upon a litter to the ship, which stood out to
sea, and in a short time was out of sight.

After the old man and his slaves were gone I was left alone upon the

Sugar has been traced to the Arabic succar, which is the Persian shachar,
The sugar-cane is a jointed reed, crowned with leaves or blades ; it contains a
soft, pithy substance, full of sweet juice. The people of Egypt eat a great
quantity of the green sugar-canes, and make a coarse loaf-sugar, and also sugar-
candy, and some very fine sugar, sent to Constantinople to the Grand Signor,

which is very dear, being made only for that purpose—Dr. Richard Pocock.
‘Travels,’ vol. i., p. 204,



THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 71





island. I lay that night in the subterranean dwelling, which they had
shut up, and when the day came I walked round the island.

T led this wearisome life for a whole month. At the expiration of
this time I perceived that the sea sunk so low that there remained be-
tween me and the continent but a small stream, which I crossed, and
the water did not reach above the middle of my leg. At last I got
upon more firm ground; and when I had proceeded some distance
from the sea I saw a good way before me something that resembled a
great fire, which afforded me some comfort; for I said to myself, I shall
here find some persons, it not being possible that this fire should kindle
of itself. As I drew nearer, however, I found my error, and discovered
that what I had taken for a fire was a castle of red copper, which the
beams of the sun made to appear at a distance like flames. As I won-
dered at this magnificent building, I saw ten handsome young men
coming along; but what surprised me was that they were all blind of
the right eye. They were accompanied by an old man, very tall, and
of a venerable aspect.

As I was conjecturing by what adventure these men could come
together, they approached and seemed glad to see me. After we had
made our salutations, they inquired what had brought me thither. I
told them my story, which filled them with great astonishment.

After I had concluded my account, the young men prayed me to ac-
company them into the palace, and brought me into a spacious hall,
where there were ten small blue sofas set round, separate from one
another. In the middle of this circle stood an eleventh sofa, not so
high as the rest but of the same colour, upon which the old man before
mentioned sat down, and the young men occupied the other ten. But
as each sofa could only contain one man, one of the young men said to
me: ‘Sit down, friend, upon that carpet in the middle of the room,
and do not inquire into anything that concerns us, nor the reason why
we are all blind of the right eye.’

The old man, having sat a short time, arose and went out; but he
returned in a minute or two, brought in supper, distributed to each
man separately his portion, and likewise brought me mine, which I
ate apart, as the rest did; and when supper was almost ended he pre-
sented to each of us a cup of wine.

One of the young men, observing that it was late, said to the old
man: ‘ You do not bring us that with which we may acquit ourselves
of our duty.’ At these words the old man arose and went into a closet,
and brought out thence upon his head ten basins, one after another, all
covered with black stuff; he placed one before every gentleman,
together with a light.

They uncovered their basins, which contained ashes and powdered
charcoal; they mixed all together, and rubbed and bedaubed their
faces with it; and, having thus blackened themselves, they wept and
iamented, beating their heads and breasts, and crying continually,
'This is the fruit of our idleness and curiosity.’



72 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



They continued this strange employment during the whole of the
night. I wished a thousand times to break the silence which had been
imposed upon me, and to ask the reason of their strange proceedings.
The next day, soon after we had arisen, we went out to walk, and then
T said to them: ‘I cannot forbear asking why you bedaubed your faces
with black—how it has happened that each of you has but one eye. I
conjure you to satisfy my curiosity.’

One of the young men answered on behalf of the rest: ‘Once more
we advise you to restrain your curiosity; it will cost you the loss of
your right eye.’ ‘No matter,’ I replied; ‘be assured that if such a
misfortune befall me I will not impute it to you, but to myself.’

He further represented to me that when I had lost an eye I must
not hope to remain with them, if I were so disposed, because their
number was complete, and no addition could be made to it. I begged
them, let it cost what it would, to grant my request.

The ten young men, perceiving that I was so fixed in my resolution,
took a sheep, killed it, and, after they had taken off the skin, presented
me with a knife, telling me it would be useful to me on an occasion
which they would soon explain. ‘ We must sew you in this skin,’ said
they, ‘and then leave you; upon which a bird of a monstrous size,
called a roc, will appear in the air, and taking you for a sheep, will
pounce upon you, and soar with you to the sky. But let not that
alarm you; he will descend with you again, and lay you on the top of
a mountain. When you find yourself on the ground, cut the skin with
your knife and throw it off. As soon as the roc sees you, he will fly
away for fear and leave you at liberty. Do not stay, but walk on till
you come to a spacious palace covered with plates of gold, large
emeralds, and other precious stones. Go up to the gate, which always
stands open, and walk in. We have each of us been in that castle, but
will tell you nothing of what we saw or what befell us there; you will
learn by your own experience. All that we can inform you is that it
has cost each of us our right eye; and the penance which you have
been witness to is what we are obliged to observe in consequence of
having been there; but we cannot explain ourselves further.’

When the young man had thus spoken, I wrapt myself in the sheep’s
skin, held fast the knife which was given me; and after the young men
had been at the trouble to sew the skin about me, they retired into the
hall, and left me alone. The roc they spoke of soon arrived; he
pounced upon me, took me in his talons like a sheep, and carried me
up to the summit of the mountain.

When I found myself on the ground, I cut the skin with the knife,
and throwing it off, the roc at the sight of me flew away. This roc is
a white bird, of a monstrous size; his strength is such that he can lift
up elephants from the plains, and carry them to the tops of mountains,
where he feeds upon them.

Being impatient to reach the palace, I lost no time, but made so much
haste that I got thither in half a day’s journey; and I must say that



THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 73



I found it surpassed the description they had given me of its magnifi-
cence.

The gate being open, I entered a square court, so large that there
were round it ninety-nine gates of wood of sanders and aloes, and one
of gold, without reckoning those of several superb staircases, that led
to apartments above, besides many more which I could not see.

I saw a door standing open just before me, through which T entered
into a large hall. Here I found forty young women, of such perfect
beauty as imagination could not surpass; they were all most
sumptuously apparelled. As soon as they saw me they arose, and
without waiting my salutations, said to me, with tones of joy, ‘Welcome!
welcome! We have long expected you. You are at present our lord,
master, and judge, and we are your slaves, ready to obey your
commands.’

After these words were spoken, these ladies vied with each other in
their eager solicitude to do me all possible service. One brought hot
water to wash my feet; a second poured sweet-scented water on my
hands; others brought me all kinds of necessaries, and change of
apparel ; others again brought in a magnificent collation ; and the rest
came with glasses in their hands, to fill me delicious wines, all in good
order, and in the most charming manner possible. Some of the ladies
brought in musical instruments, and sang most delightful songs; while
others danced before me, two and two, with admirable grace. In short,
honoured madam, I must tell you that I passed a whole year of most
pleasurable life with these forty ladies. At the end of that time, I was
greatly surprised to see these ladies with great sorrow impressed upon
their countenances, and to hear them all say, ‘Adieu, dear prince.
adieu! for we must leave you.’ After they had spoken these words,
they began to weep bitterly. ‘My dear ladies,’ said I, ‘ have the kind-
ness not to keep me any longer in suspense ; tell me the cause of your
sorrow.’ ‘ Well,’ said one of them, ‘ to satisfy you, we must acquaint
you that we are all princesses, daughters of kings. We live here to-
gether in the manner you have seen ; but at the end of every year we
are obliged to be absent forty days, for reasons we are not permitted to
reveal; and afterwards we return again to this palace. Before we
depart we will leave you the keys of everything, especially those of the
hundred doors, where you will find enough to satisfy your curiosity,
and to relieve your solitude during our absence. But we entreat you
to forbear opening the golden door; for if you do, we shall never see
you again; and the appreheusion of this augments our grief.’ We
separated with much tenderness ; and after I had embraced them all,
they departed, and I remained alone in the castle.

I determined not to forget the important advice they had given me,
not to open the golden door; but as I was permitted to satisfy my
curiosity in everything else, I took the first of the keys of the other
doors, which were hung in regular order.

I opened the first door, and entered an orchard, which I believe the



74 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



universe could not equal. I could not imagine anything to surpass it.
The symmetry, the neatness, the admirable order of the trees, the
abundance and diversity of unknown fruits, their freshness and beauty,
delighted me. Nor must I neglect to inform you that this delightful
garden was watered in a most singular manner; small channels, cut
out with great art and regularity, and of different lengths, carried water
in considerable quantities to the roots of such trees as required much
moisture. Others conveyed it in smaller quantities to those whose
fruits were already formed; some carried still less to those whose fruits
were swelling; and others carried only so much as was just requisite
to water those which had their fruits come to perfection, and only
wanted to be ripened. They far exceeded in size the ordinary fruits in
our gardens. I shut the door, and opened the next.

Instead of an orchard, I found here a flower-garden, which was no
less extraordinary in its kind. The roses, jessamines, violets, daffodils,
hyacinths, anemonies, tulips, pinks, lilies, and an infinite number of
flowers, which do not grow in other places but at certain times, were
there flourishing all at once; and nothing could be more delicious than
the fragrant smell which they emitted.

I opened the third door, and found a large aviary, paved with marble
of several fine and uncommon colours. The trellis-work was made of
sandal-wood and wood of aloes. It contained a vast number of nightin-
gales, goldfinches, canary-birds, larks, and other rare singing birds,
and the vessels that held their seed were of the most sparkling jasper
or agate. The sun went down, and I retired, charmed with the chirping
notes of the multitude of birds, who then began to perch upon such
places as suited them for repose during the night. I went to my
chamber, resolving on the following days to open all the rest of the
doors, excepting that of gold.

The next day I opened the fourth door. I entered a large court,
surrounded by forty gates, all open, and through each of them was an
entrance into a treasury. The first was stored with heaps of pearls;
and, what is almost incredible, the number of those stones which are
most precious, and as large as pigeon’s eggs, exceeded the number of
those of the ordinary size. In the second treasury,! there were
diamonds, carbuncles, and rubies ; in the third, emeralds ; in the fourth,
ingots of gold; in the fifth, money; in the sixth, ingots of silver; and
in the two following, money. The rest contained amethysts, chrysolites,

1 These tales were written shortly after the conquest of Persia, the riches of
which country may be reflected in these narratives. ‘The naked robbers of
the desert were suddenly enriched beyond the measure of their hope and
knowledge. Each chamber revealed a new treasure secreted with art, or
ostentatiously displayed ; the gold and silver, the various wardrobes and pre-
cious furniture, surpassed (says Abulfeda) the estimate of fancy or numbers :
and another historian defines the untold and almost infinite mass by the fabulous
computation of thousands of thousands of pieces of gold’—Gibbon’s ‘ Decline
and Fall.’



THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 75

topazes, opals, turquoises, agate, jasper, cornelian, and coral, of which
there was a storehouse filled, not only with branches, but whole trees.

Thus I went through, day by day, these various wonders. Thirty-
nine days afforded me but just as much time as was necessary to open
ninety-nine doors, and to admire all that presented itself to my view,
_ so that there was only the hundredth door left, which I was forbidden
to open.

The fortieth day after the departure of those charming princesses
arrived, and had I but retained so much self-command as I ought to
have had, I should have been this day the happiest of all mankind,
whereas now I am the most unfortunate. But through my weakness,
which I shall ever repent, and the temptations of an evil spirit, I opened
that fatal door! But before I had moved my foot to enter, a smell
pleasant enough, but too powerful for my senses, made me faint away.
However, I soon recovered ; but instead of taking warning from this
incident to close the door and restrain my curiosity, I entered and found
myself in a spacious vaulted apartment, illuminated by several large
tapers placed in candlesticks of solid gold.

Among the many objects that attracted my attention was a black
horse, of the most perfect symmetry and beauty. I approached in
order the better to observe him, and found he had on a saddle and
bridle of massive gold, curiously wrought. One part of his manger was
filled with clean barley, and the other with rose water. I laid hold of
his bridle, and led him out to view him by daylight. I mounted, and
endeavoured to make him move; but finding he did not stir, I struck
him with a switch I had taken up in his magnificent stable. He had
no sooner felt the whip, than he began to neigh in a most horrible
manner, and extending wings, which I had not before perceived, flew
up with me into the air. My thoughts were fully occupied in keeping
my seat; and, considering the fear that had seized me, I sat well. At
length he directed his course towards the earth, and, lighting upon the
terrace of a palace, without giving me time to dismount, shook me
out of the saddle with such force as to throw me behind him, and
with the end of his tail he struck out my eye.

Thus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the pre-
dictions of the ten young gentlemen. The horse again took wing, and
soon disappeared. I got up, much vexed at the misfortune I had
brought upon myself.. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye
with one of my hands, for it pained me exceedingly, and then de-
scended, and entered into a hall. I soon discovered by the ten sofas
in a circle and the eleventh in the middle, lower than the rest, that I
was in the castle whence I had been carried by the roc.

The ten young men seemed not at all surprised to see me, nor at the
loss of my eye; but said, ‘ We are sorry that we cannot congratulate
you on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the cause of your
misfortune.’ ‘I should do you wrong,’ I replied, ‘to lay it to your
charye; I have only myself to accuse.’ ‘If, said they, ‘it be a subject



76 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



of consolation to the afflicted to know that others share their sufferings,
you have in us this alleviation of your misfortune. All that has hap-
pened to you we have also endured; we each of us tasted the same
pleasures during a year; and we had still continued to enjoy them, had
we not opened the golden door when the princesses were absent. You
have been no wiser than we, and have incurred the same punishment.
We would gladly receive you into our company, to join with us in the
penance to which we are bound, and the duration of which we know
not. But we have already stated to you the reasons that render this
impossible; depart, therefore, and proceed to the court of Bagdad,
where you will meet with the person who is to decide your destiny.’
After they had explained to me the road I was to travel, 1 departed.

On the road I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaven, and
assumed a calender’s habit. I have had a long journey, but at last I
arrived this evening, and met these my brother-calenders at the gate,
being strangers as well as myself. We were mutually surprised at one
another, to see that we were all blind of the same eye; but we had not
leisure to converse long on the subject of our misfortunes. We have
only had time enough to bring us hither, to implore those favours which
you have been generously pleased to grant us.

The third calender having finished this relation of his adventures,
Zobeide addressed him and his fellow-calenders thus: ‘Go wherever
you think proper; you are at liberty.’ But one of them answered,
‘Madam, we beg you to pardon our curiosity, and permit us to hear
the stories of your other guests who have not yet spoken.’ Then the
lady turned to the caliph, the vizier Giafar, and Mesrour, and said to
them, ‘It is now your turn to relate your adventures, therefore speak.’

The grand vizier, who had all along been the spokesman, answered
Zobeide: ‘ Madam, in order to obey you, we need only repeat what we
have already said to the fair lady who opened for us the door. We are
merchants come to Bagdad to sell our merchandise, which lies in the
khan 2 where we lodge. We dined to-day with several other persons of
our condition, at a merchant’s house of this city; who, after he had
treated us with choice dainties and excellent wines, sent for men and
women dancers and musicians. The great noise we made brought in

1 Bagdad was founded in the 145th year of the Hejira or flight of Mahommed
to Medina, 767. It was destroyed by Hulakoo, grandson of Gengis Khan, in
the 656th of the Hejira, a.p. 1277, when the dynasty of the Abbassides was
terminated.

2 Khan, or caravansery, a large building of a quadrangular form, being one
story in height. The ground floor serves for warehouses and stables, while the
upper is used for lodgings. They always contain a fountair, and have cook- ,
shops and other conveniences attached to them in town. The erection_of them
is considered meritorious both among Hindoos and Mussulmans. They are
erected on the sides of public highways, and are then only a set of bare rooms
and outhouses.’—‘ Popular Cyclopedia,’ vol. ii., p. 108.



THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 77



the watch, who arrested some of the company, and we had the good
fortune to escape; but it being already late, and the door of our khan
shut up, we knew not whither to retire. We chanced, as we passed
along this street, to hear music at your house, which made us determine
to knock at your gate. This is all the account that we can give you, in
obedience to your commands.’

‘Well, then,’ said Zobeide, ‘you shall all be equally obliged to me: I
pardon you all, provided you immediately depart.’

ZYobeide having given this command, the caliph, the vizier, Mesrour,
the three calenders, and the porter, departed; for the presence of the
seven slaves with their weapons awed them into silence. As soon as
they had quitted the house, and the gate was closed after them, the
caliph said to the calenders, without making himself known, ‘ You,
gentlemen, who are newly come to town, which way do you design to
go, since it is not yet day?’ ‘It is this,’ they replied, ‘ that perplexes
us.’ Follow us,’ resumed the caliph, ‘and we will convey you out of
danger.’ He then whispered to the vizier, ‘Take them along with you,
and to-morrow morning bring them to me.’

The vizier Giafar took the three calenders along with him; the
porter went to his quarters, and the caliph and Mesrour returned to
the palace.

On the following morning, as the day dawned, the sultan Haroun al
Raschid arose, and went to his council-chamber, and sat upon his throne.
The grand vizier entered soon after, and made his obeisance. ‘ Vizier,’
said the caliph, ‘go, bring those ladies and the calenders at the same
time; make haste, and remember that I impatiently expect your
return,’ :

The vizier, who knew his master’s quick and fiery temper, hastened
to obey, and conducted them to the palace with so much expedition that
the caliph was much pleased.

When the ladies were arrived, the caliph turned towards them, and
said, ‘I was last night in your house, disguised in a merchant's habit ;
but I am at present Haroun al Raschid, the fifth caliph of the glorious
house of Abbas, and hold the place of our great prophet. I have only
sent for you to know who you are, and to ask for what reason one of
you, after severely whipping the two black dogs, wept with them. And
T am no less curious to know why another of you has her bosom so full
of scars.’

Upon hearing these words, Zobeide thus related her story :





Se a

q y

of fel é Z
COKC i



THE STORY OF ZOBEIDE,

CoMMANDER OF THE Fairarun, my story is truly wonderful. The two
black dogs and myself are sisters by the same father and mother. The
two ladies who are now here are also my sisters, but by another mother,
After our father’s: death, the property that he left was equally divided
among us. My two half-sisters left me, that they might live with their
mother. My two sisters and myself resided with our own mother. At
her death she left us three thousand sequins each. Shortly after my
sisters had received their portions they married; but their husbands,
having spent all their fortunes, found some pretext for divorcing them,
and put them away. I received them into my house, and gave them!
a share of all my goods. At the end of a twelvemonth my sisters again
resolved to marry, and did so. After some months were passed they
returned again in the same sad condition; and as they accused them-
selves a thousand times, I again forgave them, and admitted them to
live with me as before, and we dwelt together for the space of a year.
After this I determined to engage in a commercial speculation. For
this purpose I went with my two sisters to Bussorah,? where T bought
a ship ready fitted for sea, and laded her with such merchandise? ag I

1¢The giving of alms is commanded in the Koran, Hasan, the son of Ali,
grandson of Mahommed, is related to have thrice in his life divided his sub-
stance equally between himself and the poor,’—Sale’s ‘Preliminary Disser-
tation,’ p. 110.

2 At the distance of fourscore miles from the Persian Gulf, the Euphrates
and Tigris unite in a broad and direct current. In the midway, between the,
junction and the mouth of these famous streams, the new settlement of Bussorah
was planted on the western bank: the first colony was composed of eight
hundred Moslems ; but the influence of the situation soon reared a flourishin:
and populous capital. The air, though excessively hot, is pure and healthy ; the
meadows are filled with palm-trees and cattle; and one of the adjacent valleys
has been celebrated among the four paradises or gardens of Asia. Under the
first caliphs, the jurisdiction of this Arab colony extended over the southern
provinces of Persia ; the city has been sanctified by the tombs of the companions
and martyrs, and the vessels of Europe still frequent the port of Bussorah, as a
convenient station and passage of the Indian trade,’—Gibbon’s ‘ Decline and
Fall,’ 41, C.

8 Bussorah was built by the caliph Omar. The city has four kinds of inhabi-
tants—Jews, Persians, Mahommedans, and Christians. It is looked upon by the







Z@ 1B END Ee:



THE STORV OF ZOBEIDE. 79
had carried with me from Bagdad. We set sail with a fair wind, and
soon cleared the Persian Gulf; when we had reached the open sea,
we steered our course to the Indies; and the twentieth day saw land.
It was a very high mountain, at the bottom of which we perceived a
great town ; having a fresh gale, we soon reached the harbour, and cast
anchor.

I had not patience to wait till my sisters were dressed to go along
with me, but went ashore alone in the boat. Making directly to the
gate of the town, I saw there a great number of men upon guard, some
sitting, and others standing with weapons in their hands; and they had
all such dreadful countenances that I was greatly alarmed; but per-
ceiving they remained stationary, and did not so much as move their
eyes, I took courage, and went nearer, when I found they were all
turned into stones. I entered the town and passed through several
streets, where at different intervals stood men in various attitudes, but
all motionless and petrified. In the quarter inhabited by the merchants
I found most of the shops open ; I likewise found the people petrified.

Having reached a vast square, in the heart of the city, I perceived a
large folding gate, covered .with plates of gold, which stood open; a
curtain of silk stuff seemed to be drawn before it; a lamp hung over
the entrance. After I had surveyed the building, I made no doubt but
it was the palace of the prince who reigned over that country; and
being much astonished that I had not met with one living creature, I
approached in hopes to find some. I lifted up the curtain, and was
surprised at beholding no one but the guards in the vestibule, all
petrified.?

I came to a large court. I went from thence into a room richly
furnished, where I perceived a lady turned into a statue of stone. The
crown of gold on her head, and a necklace of pearls about her neck,
each of them as large as a nut, proclaimed her to be the queen. I
quitted the chamber where the petrified queen was, and passed through
several other apartments richly furnished, and at last came into a large
room, where there was a throne of massy gold, raised several steps



Arabs as one of the most delightful spots in Asia. The commerce of Bussorah
consisted in the interchange of rice, sugar, spices from Ceylon, coarse white and
blue cottons from Coromandel, cardamom, pepper, sandalwood from Malabar,
gold and silver stuffs, brocades, turbans, shawls, indigo from Surat, pearls from
Bahara, coffee from Mocha, iron, lead, woollen cloths, etc.

1*There is a city in Upper Egypt (Ishmonie) called the petrified city, on
account of a great number of statues of men, women, and children, and other
animals, which are said to be seen there at this day : all which, as it is believed
by the inhabitants, were once animated beings, but were miraculously changed
into stone in all the various positions of falling, standing, eating, sitting, which
they acted at the instant of their supposed transubstantiation. "We did not fail
to inquire after these things, and desired to have a sight of them ; but they told
us they were in a certain part, pointing westward, but were too sacred to be seen
by any except believers.’—Perry’s ‘ View of the Levant,’



80 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS,

above the floor, and enriched with large inchased emeralds, and upon
the throne there was a bed of rich stuff embroidered with pearls.
What surprised me most was a sparkling light which came from above
the bed. Being curious to know whence it proceeded, I ascended the
steps, and, lifting up my head, saw a diamond as large as the egg of an
ostrich, lying upon a low stool; it was so pure that I could not find
the least blemish in it, and it sparkled with so much brilliancy that
when I saw it by daylight I could not endure its lustre.

At the head of the bed there stood on each side a lighted flambeau,
but for what use I could not comprehend; however, it made me imagine
that there must be some one living in the place, for I could not believe
that the torches continued thus burning of themselves.

The doors being all open, I surveyed some other apartments, that
were as beautiful as those I had already seen. In short, the wonders
that everywhere appeared so wholly engrossed my attention that I for-
got my ship and my sisters, and thought of nothing but gratifying my
curiosity. In the meantime night came on, and I tried to return by the
way I had entered, but I could not find it; I lost myself among the
apartments ; and perceiving I was come back again to the large room,
where the throne, the couch, the large diamond, and the torches stood,
I resolved to take my night’s lodging there, and to depart the next
morning early, to get aboard my ship. I laid myself down upon a
costly couch, not without some dread to be alone in a desolate place ;
and this fear hindered my sleep.

About midnight I heard a man reading the Koran,! in the same tone
as it is read in our mosques. I immediately arose, and taking a torch
in my hand passed from one chamber to another, on that side from
whence the voice proceeded, until looking through a window I found it
to be an oratory. It had, as we have in our mosques, a niche,? to direct

1 Koran (derived from the word Karaa, to read) signifies ‘ the Reading—that
which ought to be read.’ It is the collection of revelations supposed to be given
from heaven to Mahommed during a period of twenty-three years. Some
were given at Mecca, and some at Medina. Tach was regarded by some as a
mystery full of divine meaning. It is divided into thirty parts; and, as each
mosque has thirty readers, it is read through once a day. These readers chant
it in long lines with a rhythmical ending, and, in the absence of definite vowels,
they alone know the right pronunciation of the Koran,—Sale’s ‘Preliminary
Dissertation,’ p. 56.

* This is the kaaba or kebla, a sacred stone in the centre of the temple at
Mecca, over which is a lofty building, from which the name is by some said to
be derived—Cuaba, high. Mr. Ferguson, in his lately published account of ‘'The
Holy Sepulchre,’ thus describes it : ‘The precept of the Koran is, that all men,
when they pray, shall turn towards the kaaba, or holy house at Mecca; and,
consequently, throughout the Moslem world, indicators have been put up to en-
able the Faithful to fulfil this condition. In India they face west ; in Barbary,
east ; in Syria, south. It is true that when rich men, or kings, built mosques,
they frequently covered the face of this wall with arcades, to shelter the
worshipper from the sun or rain, They enclosed it in a court that his
meditations might not be disturbed by the noises of the outside world. They



Full Text


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Leccar (89H

THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.






THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN
THE

ARABIAN NIGHTS?
ENTERTAINMENTS.

A NEW EDITION, REVISED, WITH NOTES,
BY THE

REV. GEO. FYLER TOWNSEND, M.A.

ith Original Ellustrations
AND SIXTEEN PAGE PLATES PRINTED IN COLOURS.



LONDON :
FREDERICK WARNE AND CoO.
AND NEW YORK.
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SANA Zant

Noire
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PREFACE.



Turse famous Tales were first made known to English readers in
1704 a.pv., by M. Galland, Professor of Arabic in the Royal College
of Paris, and a resident for ‘some time at Constantinople. They at
once became exceedingly popular,! and have since maintained a fore-
most position in the Juvenile Literature of this country. These
stories, on their first introduction into England, laboured under the
disadvantage of haying passed through the process of a double
translation—first from Arabic into French, and then from French
‘into English. Dr. Jonathan Scott, Oriental Professor at the then
existing Hast India College, and a friend of Dr. White, the learned
Professor of Arabic in the University of Oxford, published in
1811 a.v. a new edition, ‘ carefully revised, and occasionally corrected
from the Arabic.’ Of this version Mr. Hay Macnaughten, who
himself commenced a translation from the Arabic MS8., speaks ‘as
the best rendering of these tales.’ The Rev. Edward Forster
published, a fews years later, an edition closely correspondent with

1 An amusing story is told of M. Galland. He is'said to have been frequently
roused at night by persons calling loudly for him. On his opening the window
to sce what was the matter, they cried out, ‘O vous, qui savez de si jolies contes,

et qui les racontez si bien, racontez nous en un.’—Preface to Joseph Von Ham-
mei's ‘New Arabian Nights.’
vi PREFACE.





the first English text from M. Galland’s French translation. This
has had a very wide circulation in this country. The only other
edition which requires to be mentioned is that published in 1839,
by Mr. Edward Lane, the author of the well-known book, ‘ Modern
figyptians.’ This edition deserves the highest praise. In the
language of the London and Westminster Review (No. lxiii., p. 118),
‘It is a most valuable, painstaking, and delightful work. Its great
merit consists in its being an exact translation from the Arabic;
but its terseness, sententiousness, and scrupulous exactness in
adhering to the abrupt construction of Arab discourse, its severe
retention of Arab words, names, and terminations (the very quali-
ties which form its value in the eye of the scholar), place it above
the comprehension and grasp of children.’

The text of the present edition is mostly founded on the version
of Dr. Jonathan Scott, which recommends itself for general adop-
tion as being at once more accurate than that of M. Galland; less
diffuse and verbose than that of Forster; less elevated, difficult,
and abstruse than that of Lane.

The exact origin of these Tales is unknown. Advocates of equal
ability have claimed for them a Persian, Indian, or a purely Arabian
source. Two things are now generally allowed: that they are to
be traced in substance to an older work of a very early origin,
and that they are founded upon Mussulmans’ customs, and describe
Moslem manners, sentiments, religion, and superstitions.

These ancient Stories may be divided into two classes. ‘The
first contains wonderful and impossible adventures and extravagant
absurdities, in which the invention leaps from fancy to fancy, and
has no other aim than to entertain the imagination by the most

grotesque, impossible, and strange occurrences.’ These delight in
PREFACE. vii



the wonders of magic, in the intervention of Fairies, Genies, and
Peries, and in the stories of popular Mahommedan belief. The
second consists of genuine Arabian tales and anecdotes, in which
adventures of the times of the Caliphs, and particularly of Haroun
Alraschid, are related. ‘These lay claim,’ says a German critic,}
‘to be general histories; and the anecdotes are, for the most part,
really historical—at least, as far as the outlines. In these the
marvellous has no share.’ These Tales are placed according to this
arrangement. The latter series is the most valuable. In these we
make acquaintance with the more important characters in the
courts of the caliphs, whether at Damascus, Bagdad, or Cairo, and
they invite us, as it were, to their divans, parties, harems, and
entertainments.

The more peculiar purposes designed in this present edition are
twofold. First, so to purify the text that the most innocent
minded maiden may read them aloud to her brothers and sisters

without scruple or compunction; and, second, to add such short
notes as may point out to the youthful scholar that what he reads
is not merely romance, fable, and invention; but that there is to

be found in the larger proportion of the stories an under-current
of illustration of Eastern manners, customs, and observances; and

that, amidst all his sources of amusement, he may gather lessons
of permanent information and instruction. It is hoped by the
Editor, and by the Publishers, that a large accession of public
favour may accrue to these ancient Tales thus purified and
illustrated. The Editor can find no fitter eulogy for these Stories
than the words in which Dr. Johnson sums up his criticism of

Shakespeare’s ‘Tempest’: ‘ Whatever might have been the intention

' Preface by Joseph Von Hammer to ‘New Arabian Nights,’
vill PREFA CE.

of their author, these Tales are made instrumental to the produc-
tion of many characters, diversified with boundless invention, and
preserved with profound skill in nature, extensive knowledge of
opinions, and accurate observation of life. Here are exhibited
princes, courtiers, and sailors, all speaking in their real characters.
There are the agency of airy spirits and of earthly goblins, the
operations of magic, the tumults of a storm, the adventures of a
desert island, the native effusion of untaught affection, the punish-
ment of guilt, and the final happiness of those for whom our

passions and reason are equally interested.’




COUN IIE WIS,





OP O
Page
Introduction - - - - - - = 1
The Fable of the Ass, the Ox, and ti aon en - - 6
The Story of the Merchant and the Genie - - - - - 10
The History of the First Old Man and the Hind - - - 14
The History of the Second Uld Man and the Two Black Deas - -~ 16
The History of the Fisherman - - - 18
The History of the Greck King and Doaian the Phy ysician - - 22,
The History of the Husband and the Parrot - - - - 24
The History of the Vizier who was punished - - - - > OG
The Further Adventures of the Fisherman - - - - 30
The History of the Young King of the Black Isles - - - - 34
The Three Calenders, Sons of Kings, and Five Ladies of Bagdad - 39
The History of the First Calender - - S - - - 50
The History of the Second Calender - se - 51
The History of the Envious Man and of Him oe was Bpesod - 55
The History of the Third Calender - = = - o ..
The Story of Zobeide - - - - = - - 78
The History of Amina - - - - . - - 86
Lhe Story of Prince Beder and the Princess Jehaun-ara —- - ae 2,
The Story of the Three Sisters - - - - - : 118
The Story of the Enchanted Horse - - - - - 140
The Story of Prince Ahmed, and the ee Perie Bunou- - = 153
The Story of Alauddin ; or, The Wonderful Lamp - - - - 177
The Adventures of ‘ihe Caliph Haroun Alraschid = - : 214
The Story of Baba Abdalla - - - - - - - 216
| The Story of Sidi Nouman - - - - - - 223
History of Cogia Hassan Alhabbal - - - - - - 225
History of the Lady who was Murdered by her Husband = . 237
The Story of Noureddin Ali and his Son - - - a - 241

The History of Ali Baba, and of the Forty Robbers killed by One Slave - 264



er regener es
x CONTENTS.

The History of Codadad and his Brothers - - - - -
Lhe History of the Princess of Deryabar -

Lhe History of Camaralzaman, Prince of the Isle of the Child en ee
Khaledan, and of Badoura, Princess of China - - -
The History of Prince Amgiad and of Prince Assad - - -

Lhe History of Prince Zeyn Alusnam and the Sultan of the Genii -
The Story of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - - -
The First Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - : -
The Second Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - -
Lhe Third Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - -
The Fourth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - -
The Fifth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - - - -
Lhe Sixth Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor — - - - : -
The Seventh and Last Voyage of Sindbad the Sailor - - -
The Story of Ali Cogia, a Merchant of Bagdad - - -
Lhe History of Aboulhassan Ali Ebn Becar and of Sener ran the
Favourite of the Caliph Haroun Alraschid — - - - -
The History of Noureddin and the Beautiful Persian — - - :
Lhe Story of Abou Hassan, or, Lhe Sleeper Awakened - - -
Lhe History of Ganem, Son of Abou Ayoub, and Inown by the Surname of
Love’s Slave - - - - - - - -
The Story of the Little Hunchback - - - - - -
The Story told by the Christian Merchant - : - :
Lhe Story told by the Sultan of Casgar’s Purveyor - : . -
Lhe Story told by the Jewish Doctor - - - - -
Lhe Story told by the Tailor - : - - = - 6
The Story of the Barber - - - - - : -
Lhe Story of the Barber's Eldest Brother - - - - :
Lhe Story of the Barber's Second Brother - - - -
The Story of the Barber’s Third Brother — - - - - -
Lhe Story of the Barber's Fourth Brother - - - :
The Story of the Barber's Fifth Brother — - - - - -
The Story of the Burber’s Sixth Brother - - - - -
Index to the Notes - - - : - ~ - -

Puge

284
288

293
327
343
353
355
360
304
370
374
377
382
386

394
424
447

471
497
502
510
517
621
531
532
537
542
545
547
551
558


LIST OF COLOURED PLATES.

050 00--———

Page
The Merchant and the Genie - es - = = - 10
Lhe History of the Fisherman - - - - - - 18
The Envious Man - 3 2 i - 3 aL Pee
Zobeide - a a 3 = s 2 : = 78
The Enchanted Llorse ‘ = S . 5 5 - 140
Aladdin - 7 . - = 2 : . 2 177
Sidi Nouman - - - - - - o , - 223
Noureddin Ali and his Son : - = : = - 241
Camaralzaman - - = . . i. 2 - 299
Prince Amgiad and Prince Assad = = - - = 327
Sindbad the Sailor - = “- . 2 _ - eed
Ali Cogia - - - . : s F 5 : 387
Noureddin « - - 3 e . . - - 424
Ganem — - - - : : : : . 3 471
The Christian Merchant - : : ; ; a - 502

The Barber's Second Brother : ° = , ae _ 537





LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

+ ——00$O¢0-0——

Schehera-zade relating the stories to the Sultan
‘ Humble thyself before me, or I will kill thee?

© The Fisherman took the Leaden Cover and put it on the Vase’

‘ Turn over, then, a few more Leaves, said the Head -

The Three ie tentt ers = = =

‘ The Sultan caused to be brought to hin a Chess-board’

The Omral’s Daughter - - -
Vhahil’s Sorrow - - -
The Queen of the City of Peiutinens -

The King of Persia at Samandal’s Feet -

‘ Carried by the Stream towards the Palace’
‘The Prince put his Horse to the Gallop’ -

‘ Bird, I have you, and you shall not escape me’
‘ The Horse carried his Rider into the Air’? -
‘The Prince and Princess rose in the Air’
Schaibar, Brother of the Fairy, Perie Banow

‘ Aladdin’s Mother, at Sight of the Genie, fainted’

Aladdin on his way to the Palace - -
Aladdin saluting the Princess of China -

‘ He drank to the very last Drop, when he fell backwards lifeless?

The Magician's Younger Brother - -

‘ The Dervise applied the Ointment, and Abdalla feoaa Blind 2

Baba Abdalla soliciting Alms - -
+A Slave climbed the Tree for the Nest’ :
The Sultan going to hunt near the Pyramids
Ali Baba’s First Sight of the Forty Thieves -
Ali Baba in the Robbers’ Cave - -
The Robber and Baba Mustapha - -
Morgiana dancing before Ali Baba -

‘ Codadad lay in his Tent, little removed from Death’

Prince Codadad at the Head of his Cavalry

Page

Frontispiece

19

21

28

43,

61

81

93
107
116
120
126
129
143
152
174
184
196
199
208
210
219
221
234
243
265
266
272
281
292
297
XIV LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

Eliz-oo7-deen and the Parsee’s Daughter - - -
Princess Badoura inquiring after Prince Camaralzaman — -
© Camaralzaman observed that Two Birds fought desperately’
“ Zeyn immediately began to break up the Ground’ - -
Sindbad on the Raft - - c e 2
Sindbad fastens himself to the Roc’s Ley — - 3 a
A Horrible Black Man as Tall as a Lofty Palm-tree -
The Serpent swallows Sindbad’s Comrade — - -
Sindbud buried Alive - - : ;
Ali Cogia hiding his thousand Pieces of Gold : =
The Caliph going to visit Schemselnihar - - -
The Tomb of Schemselnihar - - = : .
The Ameer-ool-omrah declaring his Love to Zahira -
Abou Hassan awaking in the Caliph’s Apartment — -

Abou Hassan Caliph a Second Time ” : -
Ganem in the Palm-tree - 2 " = .
The Captive Princess - -

The Hunchback choked by the Fish- bone - -
The Young Man falling out of the Trunk - -

The Barber before the Sultan - - ° eS

Tartar Chan consulting Sheikh Mahomed ee



Paq2
305
309
319
345
357
361
365
368
373
386
403
423
429
453
464
473
475
499
529
533
539







‘STO THE SULTAN,

TE:

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THE STO

LATING

RI

ZADE

SCHEHERA




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ahs Gi
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THE

ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

000400 ——

eB = 2°) ON G ago it was written in the chronicles of
ys OG CANS aauz2 ‘the Sassanian monarchs that there
PR once lived an illustrious prince, be-
\ | loved by his own subjects for his
fe wisdom and prudence, and feared by
his enemies for his courage, and
for the hardy and well-
disciplined army of which
he was the leader. This
prince had two sons, the
elder. called Schah-riar, and
the younger Schah-zenan,
both equally good and de-
serving of praise.
The old king died at the
end of a long and glorious
reign, and Schah-riar, his
eldest son, ascended the
throne and reigned in his
stead. A friendly contest
uickly aroge between the two brothers as to which could best promote
ne happiness of the other. The younger, Schah-zenan, did all he could
to show his loyalty and affection, while the new sultan loaded his
brother with all possible honours, and in order that he might in some
degree share his own power and wealth, bestowed on him the kingdom
of Great Tartary. Schah-zenan went immediately and took possession
of the empire allotted him, and fixed his residence at Samarcand, the
chief city.

LALLA

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1
2 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

After a separation of ten years Schah-riar ardently desired to see his
brother, and sent his first vizier,! with a splendid embassy, to invite
him to revisit his court. Schah-zenan, being informed of the approach
of the vizier, went out to meet him, with all his ministers, most
magnificently dressed for the occasion, and urgently inquired after the
health of the sultan, his brother. Having replied to these affectionate
inquiries, the vizier unfolded the more especial purpose of his coming.
8chah-zenan, who was much affected at the kindness and recollection
of his brother, then addressed the vizier in these words: ‘ Sage vizier,
the sultan my brother does me too much honour. It is impossible
that his wish to see me can exceed my anxious desire of again behold-
ing him. You have come at an opportune moment. My kingdom is
tranquil, and in ten days’ time I will be ready to depart with you.
In the meanwhile pitch your tents on this spot. I will take care and
order every refreshment and accommodation for you and your whole
train.’

At the end of ten days everything was ready. Schah-zenan took a
tender leave of the queen, his consort, and, accompanied by such officers
as he had appointed to attend him, left Samarcand in the evening, to
be near the tents of his brother’s ambassador, with the intention of
proceeding on his journey early on the following morning. Wishing,
however, once more to see his queen, whom he tenderly loved, and
whom he believed to return his love with an equal affection, he re-
turned privately to the palace, and went directly to her apartment,
when, to his extreme grief, he found that she loved another man, and
he a slave, better than himself. The unfortunate monarch, yielding to
the first outburst of his indignation, drew his scimitar, and with one
rapid stroke changed their sleep into déath. After that he threw
their dead bodies into the foss or great ditch that surrounded the

alace.

i Having thus satisfied his revenge, he went from the city as privately
as he entered it, and returned to his pavilion. On his arrival, he did
not mention to anyone what had happened, but ordered the tents to be
struck, and began his journey. It was scarcely daylight when they
commenced their march to the sound of drums and other instruments.
The whole train was filled with joy, except the king, who could think
of nothing but his queen’s misconduct, and he became a prey to the
deepest grief and melancholy during the whole journey.

When he approached the capital of Persia, be perceived the Sultan
Schah-riar and all his court coming out to greet him. What joyful
sensations arose in their breasts at this fraternal meeting! They
alighted and embraced each other ; and after a thousand expressions of
regard, they remounted and entered the city amidst the acclamations
of the multitude. The sultan conducted the king his brother to a palace
which had been prepared for him. It communicated by a garden with

1 Vazir, Vezir—literally, a porter, i.e. the minister who bears the principal
burden of the State—D’Herbelot, ‘ Bibliotheque Orientale.’




THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS. 3



his own; and was even more magnificent, as it was the spot where all
the fétes and splendid entertainments of the court were given.

Schah-riar immediately left the King of Tartary, in order that he
might have time to bathe and change his dress; on his return from the
bath he went immediately to him again. They seated themselves on a
sofa, and conversed with each other at their ease, after so long an
absence, and seemed even more united by affection than blood. They
ate together at supper, and after their repast they again conversed,
till Schah-riar, perceiving the night far advanced, left his brother to
repose.

The unfortunate Schah-zenan retired to his couch; but if the pre-
sence of the sultan had for a while suspended his grief, it now returned
with redoubled force. Every circumstance of the queen’s misconduct
arose to his mind and kept him awake, and impressed such a look of
sorrow on his countenance that the sultan could not fail to remark it.
Conscious that he had done all in his power to testify the sincerity of
his continued love and affection, he sought diligently to amuse his
brother ; but the most splendid entertainments and the gayest fétes only
served to increase his melancholy.

Schah-riar having one morning given orders for a grand hunting
party, at the distance of two days’ journey from the city, Schah-
zenan requested permission to remain in his palace, excusing himself
on account of a slight indisposition. The sultan, wishing to please
him, gave him his choice, and went with all his court to partake of the
sport.

The King of Tartary was no sooner alone than he shut himself up in
his apartment, and gave way to a sorrowful recollection on the calamity
which had befallen him. As, however, he sat thus grieving at the open
window looking out upon the beautiful garden of the palace, he suddenly
saw the sultana, the beloved wife of his brother, meet in the garden
and hold secret conversation with another man beside her husband.
Upon witnessing this interview, Schah-zenan determined within him-
self that he would no longer give way to such inconsolable grief for a
misfortune which came to other husbands as well as to himself. He
ordered supper to be brought, and ate with a better appetite than he
_ had before done since his departure from Samarcand, and even enjoyed
_ the fine concert performed while he sat at table.
| Schah-riar, on his return from hunting at the close of the second day,
_ was delighted at the change which he soon found had taken place in his
_ brother, and urgently pressed him to explain both the cause of his
_ former deep depression, and of its sudden change to his present joy.
_ The King of Tartary, being thus pressed, and feeling it his duty to
_ obey his suzerain lord, related to his brother the whole narrative of
~ his wife’s misconduct, and of the severe punishment with which he had
visited it on the offenders. Schah-riar expressed his full approval of his
- conduct. ‘I own,’ he said, ‘ had I been in your place, I should, perhaps,
have been less easily satisfied. I should not have been contented with
1—2


4 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



taking away the life of one woman, but should have sacrificed a thou-
sand to my resentment. Your fate, surely, is most singular, nor can
have happened to anyone besides. Since, however, it has pleased God
to afford you consolation, and as I am sure it is equally well founded as
the cause of your grief, inform me, I beg, of that also, and make me
acquainted with the whole.’

The reluctance of Schah-zenan to relate what he had seen yielded
at last to the urgent commands and entreaties of his brother, and
he revealed to him the secret of his disgrace in the faithlessness of
his own queen. On hearing these dreadful and unexpected tidings,
the rage and grief of Schah-riar knew no bounds. He far exceeded
his brother in his invectives and indignation. He immediately sen-
tenced to death his unhappy sultana and the unworthy accomplice
of her guilt; and, not content with this, in all the power of an Eastern
despot, he bound himself by a solemn vow that, to prevent the pos-
sibility of such misconduct in future, he would marry a new wife every
night, and command her to be strangled in the morning. Having
imposed this cruel law upon himself, he swore to observe it imme-
diately on the departure of the king his brother, who soon after had
a solemn audience of leave, and returned to his own kingdom, laden
with the most magnificent presents.

When Schah-zenan was gone, the sultan began to put into execution
his unhappy oath. He married every night the daughter of some one
of his subjects, who, the next morning, was ordered out to execution,
and thus every day was a maiden married, and every day a wife
sacrificed. However repugnant these commands were to the bene-
volent grand vizier, he was obliged to submit at the peril of the loss
of his own head. The report of this unexampled inhumanity spread
a panic of universal consternation through the city. In one place a
wretched father was in tears for the loss of his daughter ; in another,
the air resounded with the groans of tender mothers, who dreaded lest
the same fate should attend their offspring. In this manner, instead of
the praises and blessings with which, till now, they had loaded their
monarch, all his subjects poured out imprecations on his head.

The grand vizier, who, as has been mentioned, was the unwilling
agent of this horrid injustice, had two daughters; the elder was called
Schehera-zade, and the youngest Dinar-zade. Schehera-zade was
possessed of a degree of courage beyond her sex. She had read much,
and was possessed of so great a memory that she never forgot anything
once learned ; her beauty was only equalled by her virtuous disposition.

The vizier was passionately fond of so deserving a daughter.

As they were conversing together one day, she made a request to her
father, to his very great astonishment, that she might have the honour
of becoming the Sultan’s bride. The grand vizier endeavoured to
dissuade his daughter from her intention by pointing out the fearful
penalty of an immediate death attached to the favour which she sought.
Schehera-zade, however, persisted in her. request, intimating to her
THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS. 5

father that she had in her mind a plan which she thought might be
successful in making a change in the intention of the sultan, and in
putting a stop to the dreadful cruelty exercised towards the inhabitants
of the city. ‘Yes, my father,’ replied this heroic woman, ‘I am aware
of the danger I run, but it does not deter me from my purpose. If I
die, my death will be glorious; and if I succeed, I shall render my
country an important service.’ The vizier was most reluctant to allow
his beloved child to enter on so dangerous an enterprise, and en-
deavoured to dissuade her from her purpose by the relation of the

following story :




THE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND
THE LABOURER.

A very rich merchant had several farmhouses in the country, where he
bred every kind of cattle. This merchant understood the language of
beasts. He obtained this privilege on the condition of not imparting
what he heard to anyone, under the penalty of death.

He had put by chance! an ox and an ass into the same stall; and
being seated near them, he heard the ox say to the ass: ‘How happy
do I think your lot. A servant looks after you with great care, washes
you, feeds you with fine sifted barley, and gives you fresh and clean
water ; your greatest task is to carry the merchant our master. My
condition is as unfortunate as yours is pleasant. They yoke me toa
plough the whole day, while the labourer urges me on with his goad.
The weight and force of the plough, too, chafes all the skin from my
neck. When I have worked from morning till night, they give me un-
wholesome and uninviting food. Have I not, then, reason to envy your
lot?’

When he had finished, the ass replied in these words: ‘ Believe me,
they would not treat you thus, if you possessed as much courage as
strength. When they come to tie you to the manger, what resistance,
pray, do you ever make? Do you ever push them with your horns?

1 The ass and the ox in the East were subject to very different treatment ; the
one was strong to labour, and was little cared for; the other was reserved for
princes and judges to ride on, and was tended with the utmost attention. Even
in these days the Pasha of Egypt sent a white ass as a present to the Prince of
Wales. He was named ‘ Vicar,’ and received a prize at the Donkey Show held
in the Agricultural Hall, Islington, in the autumn of 1864,
THE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND THE LABOURER. 7



Do you ever show your anger by stamping on the ground with your
feet? Why don’t you terrify them with your bellowing? Nature has
given you the means of making yourself respected, and yet you neglect
to use them. They bring you bad beans and chaff; well, do not eat
them ; smell at them only, and leave them. Thus, if you follow my
plans, you will soon perceive a change, which you will thank me for.’
The ox took the advice of the ass very kindly, and declared himself
much obliged to him.

Harly the next morning the labourer came for the ox, and yoked him
to the plough, and set him to work as usual. The latter, who had not
forgotten the advice he had received, was very unruly the whole day ;
and at night, when the labourer attempted to fasten him to the stall,
he ran bellowing back, and put down his horns to strike him ; in short.
he did exactly as the ass had advisedhim. On the next morning wher
the man came, he found the manger still full of beans and chaff, and
the ox lying on the ground with his legs stretched out, and making a
strange groaning. The labourer thought him very ill, and thatit would
be useless to take him to work ; he, therefore, immediately went and
informed the merchant.

The latter perceived that the bad advice of the ass had been followed ;
and he told the labourer to go and take the ass instead of the ox, and
not fail to give him plenty of exercise. The man obeyed; and the ass
was obliged to drag the plough the whole day, which tired him the
more, because he was unaccustomed to it; besides which, he was so
beaten that he could scarcely support himself when he came back, and
he fell down in his stall half dead.

Here the grand vizier said to Schehera-zade : ‘ You are, my child, just
like this ass, and would expose yourself to destruction.’ < Sir,’ replied
Schehera-zade, ‘the example which you have brought does not alter my
resolution, and I shall not cease importuning you till I have obtained
from you the favour of presenting me to the sultan as his consort.’
The vizier, finding her persist in her request, said, ‘ Well then, since
you will remain thus obstinate, I shall be obliged to treat you as the
rich merchant I mentioned did his wife.’

Being told in what a miserable state the ass was, he was curious to
know what passed between him and the ox. After supper, therefore,
he went out by moonlight, accompanied by his wife, and sat down near
them; on his arrival, he heard the ass say to the ox, ‘ Tell me, brother,
what you mean to do when the labourer brings you food to-morrow ?
‘Mean to do?’ replied the ox, ‘why, what you taught me, to be sure.’
‘Take care,’ interrupted the ass, ‘ what you are about, lest you destroy
yourself; for in coming home yesterday evening, I heard our master
say these sad words: ‘Since the ox can neither eat nor support him-
self, I wish him to be killed to-morrow; do not, therefore, fail to send
for the butcher.” This is what I heard; and the interest I take in
your safety, and the friendship I have for you, induces me to mention
it. When they bring you beans and chaff, get up, and begin eating
8 THe ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



directly. Our master, by this, will suppose that you have recovered,
and will, without doubt, revoke the senfence for your death; in my
opinion, if you act otherwise, it is all over with you.’

This speech produced the intended effect : the ox was much troubled,
and lowed with fear. The merchant, who had listened to everything
with great attention, burst into a fit of laughter that quite surprised his
wife. ‘Tell me,’ said she, ‘ what you laugh at, that I may join in it.
I wish to know the cause.’ ‘That satisfaction,’ replied the husband, ‘I
cannot afford you: I can only tell you that I laughed at what the ass
said to the ox; the rest is a secret, which I must not reveal.’ ‘And
why not?’ asked his wife. ‘Because, if I tell you, it will cost me my
life.’ ‘You trifle with me,’ added she; ‘ this can never be true; and if
you do not immediately inform me what you laughed at, I swear by
Allah that we will live together no longer.’

Tn saying this, she went back to the house in a pet, shut herself up,
and cried the whole night. Her husband, finding that she continued in
the same state all the next day, said, ‘ How foolish it is to afflict your-
self in this way! Do I not seriously tell you that, if I were to yield to
your foolish importunities, it would cost me my life?’ ‘ Whatever
happens rests with Allah,’ said she; ‘but I shall not alter my mind.’
‘T see very plainly,’ answered the merchant, ‘it is not possible to make
you submit to reason, and that your obstinacy will kill you.’ He then
sent for the parents and other relations of his wife; when they were all
assembled, he explained to them his motives for calling them together,
and requested them to use all their influence with his wife, and en-
deavour to convince her of the folly of her conduct. She rejected them
all, and said she had rather die than give up this point to her husband.
When her children saw that nothing could alter her resolution, they
began to lament most bitterly—the merchant himself knew not what
to do. A little while afterwards he was sitting by chance at the door
of his house, considering whether he should not even sacrifice himself
in order to save his wife, whom he so tenderly loved, when he saw his
favourite dog run up to the cock in the farmyard, and tell him all the
circumstances of the painful situation in which he was placed. Upon
which the cock said, ‘ How foolish must our master be! He has but
one wife, and cannot gain his point, while I have fifty, and do just as I
please. Let him take a good-sized stick, and not scruple to use it, and
she will soon know better, and not worry him to reveal what he ought
to keep secret.’ The merchant at once did as he suggested, on which
his wife quickly repented of her ill-timed curiosity, and all her family
came in heartily glad at finding her more rational and submissive to her
husband.

‘You deserve, my daughter,’ added the grand vizier, ‘to be treated
like the merchant’s wife.’ ;

‘Do not, sir,’ answered Schehera-zade, ‘think ill of me if I still
persist in my sentiments. The history of this woman does not shake
my resolution. I could recount, on the other hand, many good
THE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND THE LABOUKER. 9



reasons which ought to persuade you not to oppose my design. Pardon
me, too, if I add, that your opposition will be useless; for if your
paternal tenderness should refuse the request I make, I will present
myself to the sultan.’

At length the vizier, overcome by his daughter’s firmness, yielded to
her entreaties; and although he was very sorry at not being able to
conquer her resolution, he immediately went to Schah-riar, and an-
nounced to him that Schehera-zade herself would be his bride on the
following night.

The sultan was much astonished at the sacrifice of the grand vizier.
‘Ts it possible,’ said he, ‘that you can give up your own child?’ ‘ Sire,’
replied the vizier, ‘she has herself made the offer. The dreadful fate
that hangs over her does not alarm her; and she resigns her life for the
honour of being the consort of your majesty, though it be but for one
night.’ ‘ Vizier,’ said the sultan, ‘do not deceive yourself with any
hopes; for be assured that, in delivering Schehera-zade into your
charge to-morrow, it will be with an order for her death; and if you
disobey, your own head will be the forfeit.’ ‘ Although,’ answered the
vizier, ‘I am her father, I will answer for the fidelity of this arm in ful-
filling your commands.’

When the grand vizier returned to Schehera-zade, she thanked her
father ; and observing him to be much afflicted, consoled him by saying
that she hoped he would be so far from repenting her marriage with the
sultan, that it would become a subject of joy to him for the remainder
of his life. :

Before Schehera-zade went to the palace, she called her sister, Dinar-
zade, aside, and said, ‘ As soon as I shall have presented myself before
the sultan, I shall entreat him to suffer you to sleep in the bridal
chamber, that I may enjoy for the last time your company. If I obtain
this favour, as I expect, remember to awaken me to-morrow morning
an hour before daybreak, and say, ‘If you are not asleep, my sister, I
beg of you, till the morning appears, to recount to me one of those
delightful stories you know.’ I will immediately begin to tell one; and
I flatter myself that by these means I shall free the kingdom from the
consternation in which itis.’ Dinar-zade promised to do with pleasure
what she required.

Within a short time Schehera-zade was conducted by her father to
the palace, and was admitted to the presence of the sultan. They were
no sooner alone than the sultan ordered her to take off her veil. He
was charmed with her beauty; but perceiving her tears, he demanded
the cause of them. ‘Sire,’ answered Schehera-zade, ‘I have a sister
whom I tenderly love—I earnestly wish that she might be permitted to
pass the night in this apartment, that we may again see each other, and
once more take a tender farewell. Will you allow me the consolation of
giving her this last proof of my affection?’ Schah-riar having agreed
to it, they sent for Dinar-zade, who came directly. The sultan passed
the night with Schehera-zade on an elevated couch, as was the custom
10 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.
among the Eastern monarchs, and Dinavr-zade slept at the foot of it on
a mattress, prepared for the purpose.

Dinar-zade, having awoke about an hour before day, did what her
sister had ordered her. ‘My dear sister,’ she said, ‘if you are not
asleep, I entreat you, as it will soon be light, to relate to me one of
those delightful tales you know. It will, alas| be the last time T shall
receive that pleasure.’

Instead of returning any answer to her sister, Schehera-zade addressed
these words to the sultan: ‘ Will your majesty permit me to indulge
my sister in her request?’ ‘Freely,’ replied he. «Schehera-zade then
oe her sister to attend, and, addressing herself to the sultan, began
as follows:

THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE
GENIE.

TuEre was formerly, sire, a merchant, who was possessed of great
wealth, in land, merchandise, and ready money. Having one day

y



an affair of great importance to settle at a considerable distance from
home, he mounted his horse, and with only a sort of cloak-bag behind
KF
ee
{
aT:
O
©
Wi

alae


THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE GENIE. 11



him, in which he had put a few biscuits and dates, he began his journey.
He arrived without any accident at the place of his destination; and
having finished his business, set out on his return.

On the fourth day of his journey he felt himself so incommoded by
the heat of the sun that he turned out of his road in order to rest under
some trees, by which there was a fountain. He alighted, and, tying
his horse to a branch of the tree, sat down on its bank to eat some
biscuits and dates from his little store. When he had satisfied his
hunger, he amused himself with throwing about the stones of the fruit
with considerable velocity. When he had finished his frugal repast, he
washed his hands, his face, and his feet, and repeated a prayer, like a
good Mussulman.}

He was still on his knees, when he saw a genie,? white with age, and
of an enormous stature, advancing towards him, with a scimitar in his
hand. As soon as he was close to him, he said in a most terrible tone,
‘Get up, that I may kill thee with this scimitar, as thou hast caused
the death of my son.’ He accompanied these words with a dreadful
yell. The merchant, alarmed by the horrible figure of this giant, as
well as the words he heard, replied in trembling accents, ‘ How can I
have slain him? I do not know him, nor have I ever seen him.’
‘Didst thou not,’ replied the giant, ‘on thine arrival here, sit down,
and take some dates from thy wallet; and after eating them, didst thou
not throw the stones about on all sides?’ ‘ This is all true,’ replied the
merchant; ‘I do not deny it.’ ‘Well, then,’ said the other, ‘I tell thee
thou hast killed my son; for while thou wast throwing about the stones
my son passed by; one of them struck him in the eye, and caused his
death,’ and thus hast thou killed my son.’ ‘Ah, sire, forgive me!’
cried the merchant. ‘I have neither forgiveness nor mercy,’ added the
giant ; ‘and is it not just that he who has inflicted death should suffer
it?’ ‘T grant this; yet surely I have not done so. And even if I have,
I have done so innocently, and therefore I entreat you to pardon me,

1 Mussulman signifies resigned, or ‘conformed to the Divine will.’ The Arabic
word is Mosleméina, in the singular, Moslem ; which the Mahommedans take as
a title peculiar to themselves. The Europeans generally write and pronounce it
Mussulman.—Sale’s ‘Koran,’ ¢. ii., p.16. 4to., 1734. }

* These tales are furnished throughout with a certain imaginary machinery.
They have, as their foundation, the perpetual intervention of certain fantastic
beings, in most cases superior to man, but yet subordinate to the authority of
certain favoured individuals. These beings may, for our purpose, be generally
divided into genies, whose interference is generally for evil; peris, whose pre-
sence indicates favourable issues to those whom they befriend; and ghouls, monsters
which have a less direct control over man’s affairs, but represent any monster
repugnant or loathsome to mankind. P

* * Now this, at first sight, seems a singular, if not a ridiculous thing ; but even
this has its foundation in an Eastern custom. It is in this manner that prisoners
are sometimes put to death : a man sits down at a little distance from the object
he intends to destroy, and then attacks him by repeatedly shooting at him with
tbe stone of the date, thrown from his two forefingers, and in this way puts an
end to his life,’—Preface to Forster's edition of ‘ Arabian Nights.’
12 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



and suffer me to live.’ ‘No, no!’ cried the genie, still persisting in his
resolution; ‘I must destroy thee, as thou hast done my son!’ At
these words he took the merchant in his arms, and having thrown him
with his face on the ground, he lifted up his sabre in order to strike off
his head.

Schehera-zade, at this instant, perceiving it was day, and knowing
that the sultan rose early to his prayers,! and then to hold a council,
broke off. ‘What a wonderful story,’ said Dinar-zade, ‘have you
chosen!’ ‘The conclusion,’ answered Schehera-zade, ‘is still more
surprising, as you would confess, if the sultan would suffer me to live
another day, and in the morning permit me to continue the relation.’
Schah-riar, who had listened with much pleasure to the relation, deter-
mined to wait till to-morrow, intending to order her execution after she
had finished her story. He arose, and, having prayed, went to the
council.

The grand vizier, in the meantime, was in a state of cruel suspense.
Unable to sleep, he passed the night in lamenting the approaching fate
of his daughter, whose executioner he was compelled to be. Dreading,
therefore, in this melancholy situation, to meet the sultan, how great
was his surprise in seeing him enter the council-chamber without giving
him the horrible order he expected.

The sultan spent the day, as usual, in regulating the affairs of his
kingdom, and, on the approach of night, retired with Schehera-zade to
his apartment.?

On the next morning, the sultan did not wait for Schehera-zade to ask
permission to continue her story, but said, ‘ Finish the tale of the genie
and the merchant: I am curious to hear the end of it.’ Schehera-zade
immediately went on as follows:

When the merchant, sire, perceived that the genie was about to
execute his purpose, he cried aloud, ‘One word more, I entreat you;
have the goodness to grant me a little delay ; give me only one year to
go and take leave of my dear wife and children, and I promise to return
to this spot, and submit myself entirely to your pleasure.’ ‘Take Allah

‘The Mahommedans divide their religion into two parts—Jmana, faith ;
and Din, practice. The first is the confession, “ There is no god but the true
God, and Mahommed is His prophet.” Under this are comprehended six distinct
tenets: 1. Belief in God; 2. In His anger; 3. In His Scriptures; 4. In His
prophets ; 5. In the resurrection and day of judgment ; 6. God’s absolute decree
and predetermination of all events, good or evil. The points of practice are:
1. Prayer and purification ; 2. Alms ; 3. Fasting ; 4. Pilgrimage to Mecca,’—
Sale’s ‘Preliminary Discourse,’ p. 171.

2 In the original work, Schehera-zade continually breaks off to ask the sultan
to spare her life for another day, that she may finish the story on which she is
engaged, and he as regularly grants her request. These interruptions are
omitted as interfering with the continued interest of the numerous stories told
by the patriotic Schehera-zade.
THE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE GENTE. 13



to witness of the promise thou hast made me,’ said the other. ‘Again
I swear,’ replied he, ‘and you may rely on my oath.’ On this the genie
left him near the fountain, and immediately disappeared.

The merchant, on his reaching home, related faithfully all that had
happened to him. On hearing the sad news, his wife uttered the most
lamentable groans, tearing her hair, and beating her breast; and his
children made the house resound with their grief; while the father,
overcome by affection, mingled his tears with theirs. The year quickly
passed away. The good merchant, having settled his affairs, paid his
just debts, given alms to the poor, and made provision to the best of his
ability for his wife and family, tore himself away amidst the most
frantic expressions of grief, and, mindful of his oath, arrived at the
destined spot on the very day he had promised. While he was waiting
for the arrival of the genie, there suddenly appeared an old man leading
a hind, who, after a respectful salutation, inquired what brought him to
that desert place. The merchant satisfied the old man’s curiosity, and
related his adventure, on which he expressed a wish to witness his
interview with the genie. He had scarcely finished his speech when
another old man, accompanied by two black dogs, came in sight, and,
having heard the tale of the merchant, determined also to remain to see
the event.

Soon they perceived, towards the plain, a thick vapour or smoke,
like a column of dust raised by the wind. This vapour approached
them, and then suddenly disappearing, they saw the genie, who, with-
out noticing them, went towards the merchant with his scimitar in his
hand, and taking him by the arm, ‘ Get up,’ said he, ‘that I may kill
thee, as thou hast slain my son.’ Both the merchant and the two old
men, struck with terror, began to weep and fill the air with their
lamentations. When the old man who conducted the hind saw the
genie lay hold of the merchant, and about to murder him without
mercy, he threw himself at the monster’s feet, and, kissing them, said,
‘Lord Genie, I humbly entreat you to suspend your rage, and hear my
history, and that of the hind, which you see; and if you find it more
wonderful and surprising than the adventure of this merchant, whose
life you wish to take, may I not hope that you will at least grant me one
half part of the blood of this unfortunate man?’ After meditating some
time, the genie answered, ‘ Well, then, I agree to it.’

















Us ee Aan

ny ate




































(& WER fore ON Neca f(r NLT Gea
x Al a (cow) ye Ly CG MK A ;




THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST OLD MAN
AND THE HIND.

Tur hind, whom you, Lord Genie, see here, is my wife. I married her
when she was twelve years old, and we lived together thirty years,
without having any children. At the end of that time I adopted into
my family a son, whom a slave had born. This act of mine excited
against the mother and her child the hatred and jealousy of my wife.
She availed herself, during my absence on a journey, of her knowledge
of magic, to change the slave and my adopted son into a cow and a calf,
and sent them to my farm to be fed and taken care of by the steward.

‘Immediately on my return I inquired after my child and his mother.
‘Your slave is dead,’ said she, ‘and it is now more than two months
since I have beheld your son; nor do I know what is become of him.’
I was sensibly affected at the death of the slave; but, as my son had
only disappeared, I flattered myself that he would soon be found. Hight
months, however, passed, and he did not return ; nor could I learn any
tidings of him. In order to celebrate the festival of the great Bairam,’
which was approaching, I ordered my bailiff to bring me the fattest cow
I possessed for a sacrifice. He obeyed my commands. Having bound
the cow, I was about to make the sacrifice, when at the very instant
she lowed most sorrowfully, and the tears even fell from her eyes. This
seemed to me so extraordinary, that I could not but feel compassion for
her, and was unable to give the fatal blow. I therefore ordered her to
be taken away, and another brought.

My wife, who was present, seemed very angry at my compassion, and
opposed my order.

I then said to my steward, ‘Make the sacrifice yourself: the
lamentations and tears of the animal have overcome me.’

The steward was less compassionate, and sacrificed her. On taking
off the skin we found hardly anything but bones, though she appeared

1 Batram; a Turkish word, and signifies a feast-day or holiday. It commences
on the close of the Ramadan—or the month’s fast of the Mahommedans, At this
feast they kill a calf, goat, or sheep ; and, after giving a part to the poor, eat the
rest with their friends. It commences with the new moon, and is supposed to be
instituted in memory of the sacrifice of his son by Abraham. The observance
of the lesser Bairam is confined to Mecca.
THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST OLD MAN AND THE HIND. 15



very fat. ‘Take her away,’ said I to the steward, truly chagrined, ‘and
if you have another very fat calf, bring it in her place.’. He returned with
a remarkably fine calf, who, as soon as he perceived me, made so great
an effort to come to me, that he broke his cord. He lay down at my
feet, with his head on the ground, as if he endeavoured to excite my com-
passion, and to entreat me not to have the cruelty to take away his life.

‘ Wife,’ answered I, ‘I will not sacrifice this calf, I wish to favour
him ; do not you, therefore, oppose it.’ She, however, did not agree to
my proposal, and continued to demand his sacrifice so obstinately that
I was compelled to yield. I bound the calf, and took the fatal knife to
bury it in his throat, when he turned his eyes, filled with tears, so
persuasively upon me that I had no power to execute my intention.
The knife fell from my hand, and I told my wife I was determined to
have another calf. She tried every means to induce me to alter my
mind ; I continued firm, however, in my resolution, in spite of all she
could say; promising, for the sake of appeasing her, to sacrifice this
calf at the feast of Bairam on the following year.

The next morning my steward desired to speak with me, in private.
He informed me that his daughter, who had some knowledge of magic,
wished to speak with me. On being admitted to my presence, she in-
formed me that, during my absence, my wife had turned the slave and
my son into a cow and calf; that I had already sacrificed the cow, but
that she could restore my son to life, if I would give him to her for her
husband, and allow her to visit my wife with the punishment her
cruelty had deserved. To these proposals I gave my consent.

The damsel then took a vessel full of water, and pronouncing over it
some words I did not understand, she threw the water over the calf,
and he instantly regained his own form.

‘My son! my son!’ I exclaimed, and embraced him with transport ;
‘this damsel has destroyed the horrible charm with which you were
surrounded. I am sure your gratitude will induce you to marry her, as
I have already promised for you.’ He joyfully consented ; but before
they were united the damsel changed my wife into this hind, which you
see here.

Since this my son has become a widower, and is now travelling.
Many years have passed since I have heard anything of him; I have,
therefore, now set out with a view to gain some information; and as I
did not like to trust my wife to the care of anyone during my search, I
thought proper to carry her along with me. This is the history of
myself and ihis hind; can anything be more wonderful ? ‘TI agree with
you,’ said the genie, ‘and, in consequence, I grant to you a half of the
blood of this merchant.’

As soon as the first old man had finished, the second, who led the
two black dogs, made the same request to the genie for a half of the
merchant's blood, on the condition that his tale exceeded in interest the
one that had been just related. On the genie signifying his assent, the
old man began :


PHUESHISTORY “OF THE SECONDOLD AN
AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS.

Great prince of the genies, you must know that these two black dogs,
which you see here, and myself are three brothers. Our father, when
he died, left us one thousand sequins each. With this sum we all em-
barked in business as merchants. My two brothers determined to
travel, that they might trade in foreign parts. They were both un-
fortunate, and returned at the end of two years in a state of abject
poverty, having lost their all. I had in the meanwhile prospered, and
T gladly received them, and gave them one thousand sequins each, and
again set them up as merchants. My brothers frequently proposed to
me that I should make a voyage with them for the purpose of traffic.
Knowing their former want of success, I refused to join them, until at
the end of five years I at length yielded to their repeated solicitations.
On consulting on the merchandise to be bought for the voyage, I dis-
covered that nothing remained of the thousand sequins I had given to
each. I did not reproach them; on the contrary, as my capital was
increased to six thousand sequins, I gave them each one thousand
sequins, and kept a like sum myself, and concealed the other three
thousand in a corner of my house, in order that if our voyage proved
unsuccessful, we might be able to console ourselves and begin our
former profession. We purchased our goods, embarked in a vessel,
which we ourselves freighted, and set sail with a favourable wind.
After sailing about a month, we arrived, without any accident, at a
port, where we landed, and had a most advantageous sale for our
merchandise. I, in particular, sold mine so well, that I gained ten for
one.

About the time that we were ready to embark on our return, I acci-
dentally met on the seashore a female, of great beauty, but very poorly
dressed. She accosted me by kissing my hand, and entreated me most
earnestly to permit her to be my wife. I started many difficulties to
such a plan; but at length she said so much to persuade me that I
ought not to regard her poverty, and that I should be well satisfied with
her conduct, I was quite overcome. I directly procured proper dresses
for her, and, after marrying her in due form, she embarked with me, and
we set sail


THE SECOND OLD MAN AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS. 17



_ During our voyage, I found my wife possessed of so many good quali-
ties that I loved her every day more and more. In the meantime my
“two brothers, who had not traded so advantageously as myself, and who
~ were jealous of my prosperity, began to feel exceedingly envious. They
even went so far as to conspire against my life ; for one night, while my
wife and I were asleep, they threw us into the sea. I had hardly, how-
ever, fallen into the water, before my wife took me up and transported
me into an island. As soon as it was day she thus addressed me: ‘ You
‘must know that I am a fairy, and being upon the shore when you were
about to sail, I wished to try the goodness of your heart, and for this
purpose I presented myself before you in the disguise you saw. You
acted most generously, and I am therefore delighted in finding an occa-
sion of showing my gratitude, and I trust, my husband, that in saving
your life I have not ill rewarded the good you have done me, but I am
“enraged against your brothers, nor shall I be satisfied till I have taken
_ their lives.’ ;

T listened with astonishment to the discourse of the fairy, and thanked
her, as well as I was able, for the great obligation she had conferred on
me. ‘But, madam,’ said I to her, ‘I must entreat you to pardon my

‘brothers.’ I related to her what I had done for each of them, but my

- account only increased her anger. ‘I must instantly fly after these
ungrateful wretches,’ cried she, ‘ and bring them to a just punishment ;
I will sink their vessel, and precipitate them to the bottom of the sea.’
‘No, beautiful lady,’ replied I; ‘for heaven’s sake, moderate your
indignation, and do not execute so dreadful an intention ; remember
they are still my brothers, and that we are bound to return good for
evil.’

No sooner had I pronounced these words, than I was transported in
an instant from the island, where we were, to the top of my own house.
I descended, opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins

_which I had hidden. I afterwards repaired to my shop, opened it, and
received the congratulations of the merchants in the neighbourhood on
_ my arrival. When I returned home, I perceived these two black dogs,
which came towards me with a submissive air. I could not imagine
' what this meant, but the fairy, who soon appeared, satisfied my curio-
sity. ‘My dear husband,’ said she, ‘be not surprised at seeing these
two dogs in your house; they are your brothers.’ My blood ran cold
- on hearing this, and I inquired by what power they had been transformed
into that state. ‘It is I,’ replied the fairy, ‘who have done it, and I
have sunk their ship; for the loss of the merchandise it contained, I
shall recompense you. As to your brothers, I have condemned them
_ to remain under this form for ten years, as a punishment for their
- perfidy.’ Then informing me where I might hear of her, she dis-
- appeared.
- ‘The ten years are now completed, and I am travelling in search of
her. ‘This, O lord genie, is my history; does it not appear to you of a
most extraordinary nature?’ ‘Xes,’ raplied the genie, ‘I confess it is
‘3 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



most wonderful, and therefore I grant you the other half of this mer-
chant’s blood,’ and having said this, the genie disappeared, to the great
joy of the merchant and of the two old men.

The merchant did not omit to bestow many thanks upon his libera-
tors, who, bidding him adieu, proceeded on their travels. He remounted
his horse, and returned home to his wife and children, and spent the
remainder of his days with them in tranquillity.

THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN,

THERE was formerly an aged fisherman, so poor that he could barely
obtain food for himself, his wife, and his three children. He went out
early every morning to his employment; and he had imposed a rule
upon himself never to cast his nets above four times a day.

On one occasion he set out before the morn had disappeared. When
he reached the sea-shore, he undressed himself, and cast his nets. In
drawing them to land three times in succession, he felt sure, from their
resistance and weight, that he had secured an excellent draught of fish.
Instead of which, he only found on the first haul the carcass of an ass;
on the second a large pannier filled with sand and mud; and on the
third a large quantity of heavy stones, shells, and filth. It is impossible
to describe his disappointment and despair. The day now began to
break,! and having, like a good Mussulman, finished his prayers, he
threw his nets for the fourth time. Again he supposed he had caught
a great quantity of fish, as he drew them with as much difficulty as
before. He nevertheless found none; but discovered a heavy vase of
yellow copper, shut up and fastened with lead, on which there was the
impression of a seal. ‘I will sell this to a founder,’ said he, with joy,
‘and with the money I shall get for it I will purchase a measure of
corn.’

He examined the vase on all sides; he shook it, but could hear
nothing ; and this, together with the impression of the seal on the lead,
made him think it was filled with something valuable. In order to find
this out, he took his knife, and got it open. He directly turned the top
downwards, and was much surprised to find nothing come out. He
then set it down before him, and while he was attentively observing it,
there issued from it so thick a smoke that he was obliged to step back
afew paces. This smoke, by degrees, rose almost to the clouds, and
spread itself over both the water and the shore, appearing like a thick

1 The Koran commands prayers to be repeated five times a day ; namely, in
the morning before sunrise ; when noon is past, and the sun begins to decline

rom the meridian ; in the afternoon, before sunset ; in the evening, after sun-
set and before the day be quite closed; and after dark, before the first watch of
the night —D’Herbelot, ‘ Biblioth¢que Orientale,’
THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN. 19
fog. The fisherman, as may easily be imagined, was a good deal sur-
prised at this sight. When the smoke had all come out from the vase,
it again collected itself, and became a solid body, and then took the
shape of a genie of a gigantic size. The genie, looking at the fisher-
man, exclaimed, ‘ Humble thyself before me, or I will kill thee!’ ‘And
for what reason, pray, will you kill me?’ answered the fisherman ;
‘have you already forgotten that I have set you at liberty?’ ‘I re-
member it very well,’ returned he; ‘but that shall not prevent my























‘HUMBLE THYSELF BEFORE ME, OR I WILL KILL THEE.’

“Alestroying thee; and I will only grant thee one favour.’ ‘ And pray
what is that?’ said the fisherman. ‘It is,’ replied the genie, ‘ to permit
hee to choose the manner of thy death. I can treat thee no other-
‘Wise,’ said the genie: ‘and to convince thee of it, hear my history :

‘I am one of those spirits who rebelled against the sovereignty of
~Ged.t Solomon, the son of David, the prophet of God, commanded











~~ 1The Mahommedans have a tradition that the genies tempted Solomon to
‘transgress without success, and they made use of a trick to injure his character
‘by hiding books of magic under his throne, and causing them to be found
‘there. But he continued faithful, and God cleared his character, declaring,
by the mouth of their prophet, that Solomon was no_ idolater.—Sale’s
‘Koran,’ p. 13. 5
—-2
20 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



me to acknowledge his authority, and submit to his laws. I haughtily
refused. In order therefore to punish me, he enclosed me in this copper
vase ; and, to prevent me forcing my way out, he put upon the leaden
cover the impression of his seal, on which the great name of God is
engraven. This done, he gave the vase to one of those genies who
obeyed him, and ordered him to cast me into the sea.

‘During the first century of my captivity, I swore that if anyone
delivered me before the first hundred years were passed I would make
him rich. During the second century, I swore that if any released
me I would discover to him all the treasures of the earth. During
the third, I promised to make my deliverer a most powerful monarch,
and to grant him every day any three requests he chose. These
centuries passed away without any deliverance. Enraged at last to be
so long a prisoner, I swore that I would, without mercy, kill whoever
should in future release me; and that the only favour I would grant
him should be, to choose what manner of death he pleased. Since,
therefore, thou hast come here to-day, and hast delivered me, fix upon
whatever kind of death thou wilt.’

The fisherman was in great distress at finding him thus resolved on
his death, not so much on his own account as for his three children,
whose means of subsistence would be greatly reduced by his death.
‘Alas!’ he cried, ‘have pity on me; remember what I have done for
thee !’

‘Let us lose no time,’ cried the genie; ‘ your arguments avail not.
Make haste ; tell me how you wish to die!’

Necessity is the mother of invention ; and the fisherman thought of
a stratagem. ‘Since, then,’ said he, ‘I cannot escape death, I submit
to the will of God; but before I choose the sort of death, I conjure
_you, by the great name of God, which is graven upon the seal of the
prophet Solomon,! the son of David, answer me truly to a question I
am going to put to you.’ The genie trembled at this adjuration, and
said to the fisherman, ‘ Ask what thou wilt, and make haste.’

‘Dare you, then, to swear by the great name of God that you really
were in that vase? This vase cannot contain one of your feet; how,
then, can it hold your whole body?’ ‘I swear to thee, notwithstand-
ing,’ replied he, ‘that I was there just as thou seest me! Wilt thou
not believe me after the solemn oath I have taken?’ ‘No, truly,’ added
the fisherman ; ‘I shall not believe you unless I were to see it.’

Immediately the form of the genie began to change into smoke, and
extended itself, as before, over both the shore and the sea; and then,
collecting itself, began to enter the vase, and continued to do so ina
slow and equal manner, till nothing remained without. The fisherman
immediately took the leaden cover and put it on the vase. ‘ Genie!’

1 The most famous talisman of the East was the Mohur Solimani, the seal or
ring of Solomon Jared, fifth monarch of the world after Adam. The possessor
had the entire command, not only of the elements, but also of the demons and
every created being.— Beckford’s ‘ Vathek,’ notes to p. 232.


THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN. at



he cried, ‘it is now your turn to ask pardon. I shall throw you again
into the sea, and I will build, opposite the very spot where you are
cast, a house upon the shore, in which I will live, to warn all fishormen
that shail come and throw their nets not to fish up so evil a genie as
act art, who makest an oath to kill the man who shall set thee at
iberty.’



THE FISHERMAN TOOK THE LEADEN COVER AND PUT IT ON THE VASE.

The genie tried every argument to move the fisherman's pity, but in
‘vain. ‘You are too treacherous for me to trust you,’ returned the
fisherman ; ‘I should deserve to lose my life if I put myself in your
‘power a second time. You would, most likely, treat meas the Greek
king treated Douban the physician. Listen, and I will tell you the
tory.’








THE HISTORY OF THE GREEK KING AND
DOUBAN THE PHYSICIAN.

THERE once lived a king who was sorely afflicted with a leprosy, and
his physicians had unsuccessfully tried every remedy they were ac-
quainted with, when a very ingenious physician, called Douban, arrived
at the court: he was well acquainted with the good and bad properties
of all kinds of plants and drugs.

As soon as he was informed of the king’s illness, he dressed himself
in his robe of ceremony, and obtained permission to be presented to
tothe king. ‘ Sire,’ said he, ‘ EF know that all your physicians have been
unable to remove your leprosy ; but, if you will, I will cure you with-
out either internal doses or outward applications.’

Douban returned to his house, and made a sort of racket or bat,}
with a hollow in the handle, to admit the drug he meant to use. That
being done, the following day he presented himself before the king,
and, prostrating himself at his feet, kissed the ground.

Douban then arose, and told the king that he must ride on horseback
to the place where he was accustomed to play at rackets. The king
did as he was desired; and, when he had reached the racket-ground,
took the bat, and spurred his horse after the bail till he struck it. It
was sent back again to him by the officers who were playing with him,
and he struck it again. And thus the game continued for a considerable
time, till he found his hand as well as his whole body in a perspiration,
which made the remedy in the bat operate as the physician had said.
The king then left the game, returned to the palace, bathed,? and
observed very punctually all the directions that had been given him.

1 They have also the equestrian game of Chougham, which Dr. Scott appre-
hends is what was in England called Mall, and that the street called now Pall
Mall was the place of performing it. The antagonists, so many on each side,
carry long wands, the ends of which are similar to maces used at billiards, with
which they strike balls to a goal ; in this exercise, dexterity of horsemanship,
strength, and agility are fully displayed.—Scott’s ‘Introduction to Arabian
Nights,’ p. 19.

* The reader will find this bath referred to more frequently than any other
custom in these tales. It was partly enjoined by the Koran, and partly by the

personal sense of enjoyment it imparted to the person, Dr, Russell gives this


THE GREEK KING AND DOUBAN THE PHYSICIAN. 23



He soon found the good effects of the prescription; for on the next
' morning he perceived with equal surprise and joy that his leprosy!
-was cured, and that his body was as clear as if he had never been
attacked by that malady. As soon as he was dressed he went into the
_ audience-room, where he mounted his throne and received the con:
- gratulations of all his courtiers.

Douban entered, and prostrated himself at the foot of the throne.

The king made him sit by his side, and afterwards placed him at his
» own table to dine only with him; and yet further, towards evening,
when the courtiers were about to depart, he put on him a rich robe, and
_ gave him two thousand sequins. The following days he did nothing
but caress him, and confer on him fresh proofs of his gratitude.

The king had a grand vizier, who was avaricious, envious, and
capable of every species of crime. He observed with pain the presents
‘which had been bestowed upon the physician, whose ruin he was de-
termined to accomplish. He went to the king and said, ‘Sire, in

_ bestowing all this kindness upon Douban, how do you know but that





_ account of the Turkish bath. ‘Hummaum, or hummum, implies the bagnio
altogether. Baranee is the outer room of the bath, having round it a stone
platform close to the walls for undressing or repose, and israised four feet from
the floor, in the centre of which is a marble basin, and fountain for rinsing the
_ bathing-linen. The heat in this room is sixty-four degrees, Wustaunee is the
. middle chamber of the bagnio, having a mustabee or platform to sit or recline
upon, also several round or oblong basins of stone about a foot and a half in
, diameter, into each of which pipes open by cocks, one conveying hot, the other
cold water. These are called jemun. Here are also bowls for pouring the
water upon the bathers, Heat, ninety degrees. Jowanee is the sudatory
or inner chamber, covered by a cupola, which lights it, and the heat is a
hundred degrees. As the person perspires freely, warm water is poured
~ over him, and he is rubbed by the attendant, who has upon his hand a camblet
muffle, across which are run threads or bobbins to make it somewhat rough,
-and more effectually to cleanse the skin, on which also are frequently
rubbed perfumed soaps and essences. In the bagnio they wear a wrapper of
il or cotton called foteh, and use the dowa-hummaum, a composition of quick-
lime and orpiment for clearing the hairs from the body. The refreshment from
fatigue of exercise, labour, or lassitude, which the above mode of bathing gives
eyond our custom of soaking up to the chin in warm water cannot be fully
conceived, nor can I compare the exhilarating sensation it affords with any
“other than those which are felt by a person on first enjoying the fresh air of a
fine spring day after having been long confined to his chamber by severe illness.’
—Dr. Pocock.
_, ’ The leprosy was a fearful disease. It was, indeed, nothing short of a living
“death, a poisoning of the springs, a corrupting of all the humours of life, a dis-
olution little by little of the whole body, so that one limb after another actually
ecayed and fell away. All those who have examined into the matter the closest
re nearly of one consent that the sickness was incommunicable by ordinary
‘contact from one person to another. Among the Jews it was chosen out as a
isease typical of sin, and dealt with by especial ordinances appointed for the
purpose.— Ti ench’s ‘ Notes on the Miracles,’











24 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



he may be a traitor, who has introduced himself to the court in order
to assassinate you.’

‘No, no, vizier,’ interrupted the king; ‘I am sure this man, whom
you consider as a traitor, is one of the best of men; there is no one
whom I regard so much. You know how he cured me of my leprosy ;
and if he had sought my life, why did he thus save it. His virtue
excites your envy, but I shall not suffer myself to be prejudiced against
him unjustly. I will tell you what a vizier said to King Sinbad, his
master, to prevent his giving orders for the death of his son.

THE HISTORY OF THE HUSBAND AND THE
PARROT.

THERE lived once a good man, who had a beautiful wife, whom he
loved so much that he could scarcely bear to have her out of his sight.
One day, when obliged to leave her, he purchased a parrot, which
possessed the rare gift of telling everything that was done in its
presence. The husband took it home in a cage, and begged his wife to
keep it in her chamber, and take great care of it during his absence;
after this he set out on his journey.

On his return, he did not fail to interrogate the parrot on what had
passed while he was away; and the bird very expertly related a few
circumstances which occasioned the husband to reprimand his wife.
She supposed that some of her slaves had exposed her, but they all
assured her they were faithful, and agreed in charging the parrot with
the crime. Desirous of being convinced of the truth of this matter, the
wife devised a method of quieting the suspicions of her husband, and at
the same time of revenging herself on the parrot, if he were the culprit.
The next time the husband was absent, she ordered one of her slaves,
during the night, to turn a handmill under the bird’s cage, and another
to throw water over it like rain, and a third to wave a looking-glass
before the parrot by the light of a candle. The slaves were employed
ee greatest part of the night in doing as their mistress had ordered
them.

The following day, when the husband returned, he again applied to
the parrot to say what had taken place. The bird replied, ‘My dear
master, the lightning, the thunder, and the rain have so disturbed me
the whole night, that I cannot tell you how much I have suffered.’
The husband, who knew there had been no storm that night, became
convinced that the parrot did not always relate facts; and that having
told an untruth in this particular, he had also deceived him with respect
to his wife: being, therefore, extremely enraged with it, he took the
bird out of the cage, and, dashing it on the floor, killed it. He, how-


THE HISTORY OF THE HUSBAND AND THE PARROT. 25



ever, afterwards learnt from his neighbours that the poor parrot had
told no falsehood in reference to his wife’s conduct, which made him
repent of having destroyed it. ‘ You, vizier, through envy of Douban,
who has done you no evil, wish me to order his death, but I will take
good care lest, like the husband who killed his parrot, I should after-
wards repent.’

‘ Sire,’ replied the vizier, ‘ the loss of the parrot was of little import-
ance, nor do I think his master could long have regretted it. But on
what account should the dread of oppressing the innocent prevent you
from destroying this physician? It is not envy that makes me hostile
to him, it is my zeal which induces me to give my advice on so im-
portant an occasion. If my information is false, I deserve the same
punishment that a certain vizier underwent formerly, of whom I will
tell, if you will have the goodness to hear me.’




26 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE HISTORY OF THE VIZIER WHO WAS
PUNISHED.







ANY years ago there was
a king, whose son was
passionately fond of hunt-
ing.! His father in-
dulged him in this di-
version, but gave orders

ss 3 ais

to his grand vizier always
to accompany him.

One hunting day the hunts-
men roused a stag, and the
prince, thinking that the vizier
was following him, pursued the
game so eagerly, and galloped so
$ far, that he at last found himself
quite alone. He immediately
stopped, and riding about on all
sides, without getting into the right
track, he met a beautiful lady, who
was weeping most bitterly, because,
‘ as she told him, she had fallen from

young prince was sorry for her mis-

fortune, and requested her to get up

behind him, which she willingly did.

As they passed by an old ruined
building, the lady made some excuse
to alight ; the prince therefore assisted
her to get down. He also alighted,
and walked towards the building,
holding his horse by the bridle.

_ Imagine then what was his astonish-
ment, when he heard these words
from within the walls: ‘Be glad, my
children, I have brought you a young
man for your repast.’ And other voices which answered, ‘ Where is he,

for we are very hungry.’

' Tt is reported that the hunting equipage of the Sultan Mahmood was so

lf
ALT
}

THE HISTORY OF THE VIZIER WHO WAS PUNISHED. 27



The young prince trembled with fear, and instantly mounted horse
and rode off as fast as possible. He fortunately discovered the right
road and arrived safely at home, and related to his father the great
danger he had encountered through the neglect of the grand vizier ;
upon which the king, being incensed against that minister, ordered him
to be immediately strangled.

Having finished this story, the vizier again directed the attention of
his master to the physician Douban. ‘ He has cured you,’ he said ; ‘ but,
alas! who can assure you of that? who can tell whether his remedy in
the end will not produce the most pernicious effects ?’

The king was not able to discover the wicked design of his vizier, nor
had he firmness enough to persist in his first opinion. This conversa-
tion staggered him. ‘ Vizier,’ said he, ‘thou art in the right. He may
be come on purpose to take my life, which he can easily do by his
drugs. Indeed, I ought to prevent his designs.’ Having said this, he
called one of his attendants, and ordered him to go for the physician,
who, knowing nothing of the king’s change of mind towards him, came
to the palace in haste.

‘ Knowest thou,’ said the king, when he saw him, ‘why I sent for
thee?’ ‘No, sire,’ answered Douban, ‘and I wait till you are pleased
to inform me.’ ‘I sent for thee,’ replied the king, ‘ to free myself from
thy snares, and to take thy life.’ :

It is impossible to express the surprise of the physician when he
heard the words of the king. ‘Sire,’ said he, ‘why would your
majesty take my life? What crime have I committed?’ ‘I am in-
formed,’ replied the king, ‘that you came to my court only to attempt
my life; but to prevent that, I will first deprive you of yours. Strike,’
added he to an officer who was by, ‘ and deliver me from a treacherous
stranger, who has introduced himself here only to assassinate me.’

When the physician heard this cruel order, he readily judged that
the honours and presents he had received had procured him enemies,
and that the weak prince was imposed upon. ‘Is it thus,’ he cried,
‘that you reward me for curing you? Ah, sire, prolong my life, lest,
if you kill me, you also should be treated after the same manner.’
‘No, no,’ said the king; ‘I must of necessity cut you off, otherwise
you may slay with as much art as you cured me.’

The physician being on his knees, his eyes bandaged, and ready to



magnificent that he kept 400 greyhounds and bloodhounds, each of which wore
a collar set with jewels, and a covering edged with gold and pearls.—‘ Universal
History,’ vol. iii.

Frederick II., Emperor of Germany, on his return from the Crusades, is re-
lated to have brought with him a predilection for Eastern customs, and
a large menagerie of wild beasts. ‘Frederick,’ says his last biographer,
‘wishes to show his friends some sport in the Apulian plains, He has hawks
of all breeds, each of which has its name. But what most surprises strangers is
his way of bringing down deer. The cheetahs, or hunting-leopards of the East,
are mounted on horseback, behind their keeper.’ — Kington’s ‘ Frederick IL.,’
vol. i., p. 472,
28 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



receive the fatal blow, once more addressed the king: ‘Since your
majesty, sire, will not revoke the order for my death, I entreat you at
least to give me leave to return home to arrange my funeral, to take a
last farewell of my family, bestow some charity, and leave my books
to those who will know how to make a good use of them. One of them
I would particularly present to your majesty. It is a very precious
book, and worthy being kept in your treasury with the greatest care.’
‘ What book can there be,’ replied the king, ‘so valuable as you men-
tion?’ ‘Sire,’ answered the physician, ‘it contains many singular and
curious properties, and one of them is, that if you will take the trouble
to open the book at the sixth leaf, and read the third line on the left-
hand page, my head, after being cut off, will answer every question you
wish to ask.’ The king was so desirous of seeing such a wonderful



‘TURN OVER, THEN, A FEW MORE LEAVES,’ SAID THE HEAD,

thing, that he put off his death till the next day, and sent him home
under a strong guard.

The physician then arranged all his affairs; and as the report got
abroad that an unheard-of prodigy was to happen after his execution,
the viziers, emirs, officers of the guard—in short, all the court—flocked
the next day to the hall of audience.

The physician Douban was brought in, and advancing to the foot of
the throne with a book in his hand, he called for a basin, and laid upon
it the cover of the volume, and then, presenting the book to the king:
‘Take this,’ said he, ‘and after my head is cut off order that it be put
upon that cover. As soon as it is there the blood will cease to flow;
then open the book, and my head will answer your questions. But,
sire,’ added Douban, ‘permit me once more to implore your mercy.
THE HISTORY OF THE VIZIER WHO WAS PUNISHED. 29



Consider, I beg of you, that I am innocent.’ ‘ Thy prayers,’ answered
the king, ‘are useless ; and were it only to hear thy head speak after
thy death, it would be my will that thou shouldst die.’ In saying this,
he took the book from the hands of the physician, and ordered the
officer to do his duty.

- "The head was cut off at one stroke, and it had hardly been placed on
the cover an instant before the blood stopped. Then, to the astonish-
ment of the king and all the spectators, it opened its eyes, and said:
‘ Sire, will you now open the book?’ The king did so, and finding that
the first leaf stuck to the second, he put his finger to his mouth, and
wetted it, in order to turn it over more easily. He went on doing so
till he came to the sixth leaf; and observing nothing written upon the
appointed page, ‘ Physician,’ said he to the head, ‘ there is no writing.’
‘Turn over, then, a few more leaves,’ replied the head. The king con-
tinued turning them over, still putting his finger frequently to hig mouth.
The prince then felt himself suddenly agitated in a most extraordinary
manner ; his sight failed him, and he fell at the foot of the throne in
the greatest convulsions.

When the physician Douban, or rather his head, saw the king fall
back, ‘ Tyrant,’ he said, ‘the book is poisoned. Thy death is certain.
Now you see how princes are treated who abuse their power and slay
the innocent. Their injustice and their cruelty are punished sooner
or later.’ Scarcely had the head spoken these words, when the king
fell down dead ; and the head itself lost what life it had.

‘As soon as the fisherman had finished the history of the Greek king
and the physician Douban, he applied it to the genie. ‘Tf,’ said he,
‘the king had permitted Douban to live, he would have prolonged his
own life. Such is the case with thyself, O genie! Could I have pre-
vailed on thee to grant me my life, I should now take pity on thee; but
now I am obliged in my turn to be hardhearted to thee.’

‘One word more, fisherman,’ cried the genie; ‘1 will teach you how
to become as rich as possible.’

The hope of being no longer in want at once disarmed the fisherman.
‘T could listen to thee,’ he said, ‘were there any credit to be given to
thy word. Swear to me by the great name of God that you will faith-
fully perform what you promise, and I will open the vase. I do not
believe that you will dare break such an oath.’ The genie didso; and
the fisherman immediately took off the covering. The smoke instantly
ascended, and the genie resuming his usual form, kicked the vase into
the sea. ‘Be of good heart, fisherman,’ cried he ; ‘ I have thrown the
vase into the sea only to see whether you would be alarmed; but to
show you that I intend to keep my word, take your nets and follow
me.’ They passed by the city, and went over the top of a mountain,
from whence they descended into a vast plain, which led them to a
lake, situated between four small hills.

When they were arrived on the borders of the lake, the genie said to
the fisherman, ‘ Throw your nets, and catch fish.’ The fisherman saw
30 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



a great quantity in the lake; and was greatly surprised at finding them
four different colours—white, red, blue, and yellow. He threw his nets
and caught four, one of each colour. As he had never seen any similar
to them, he could hardly cease admiring them; and judging that he
could dispose of them for a considerable sum, he expressed great joy.
‘Carry these fish to the palace,’ said the genie, ‘and present them to
the sultan, and he will give you more money than you ever handled in
all your life. You may come every day and fish in this lake, but beware
of casting your nets more than once each day; if you act otherwise
you will repent: therefore, take care. This is my advice, and if you
follow it exactly you will do well.’ Having said this, he struck his
foot upon the ground, which opened, and having swallowed him up,
closed again.

THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE
FISHERMAN.

Tur fisherman resolved to observe the advice of the genie in every
point, and never to throw his nets a second time. He went back to the
town, and presented his fish at the sultan’s palace.

The sultan was much surprised when he saw the four fish brought
him by the fisherman. He took them one by one, and observed them
most attentively; and after admiring them a long time, he said to his
first vizier : ‘ Take these fish, and carry them to the cook ; I think they
must be equally good as they are beautiful ; and give the fisherman four
hundred pieces of gold. The fisherman, who was never before in
possession of so large a sum of money at once, could not conceal his
joy, and thought it all a dream, until he applied the gold in relieving
the wants of his family. :

As soon as the cook had cleaned the fish which the vizier had brought,
she put them upon the fire in a frying-pan, with some oil; and when
she thought them sufficiently done on one side, she turned them. She
had hardly done so when, wonderful to relate, the wall of the kitchen
opened, and a young lady of wonderful beauty appeared. She was
dressed in a satin’ robe, embroidered with flowers, and adorned with
ear-rings and a necklace of large pearls, and gold bracelets set with
rubies, and held a rod in her hand. She moved towards the frying-
pan, to the great amazement of the cook, who remained motionless at
the sight, and, striking one of the fish with her rod, she said: ‘ Fish,
fish, art thou doing thy duty? ‘The fish answered not a word; she
again repeated it, when the four fish all raised themselves up, and said
very distinctly: ‘ Yes, yes, if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your
debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we conquer, and are content.’ As soon
Se





THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE FISHERMAN. 31



as they had spoken these words, the damsel overturned the frying-pan,
and went back through the open wall, which immediately closed up,
and was in the same state as before.

The cook, having recovered from her fright, went to take up the fish,
which had fallen upon the hot ashes, but found them blacker than coal,
and not fit to send to the sultan. At this she began to cry with all her

' might. ‘Alas!’ said she, ‘what will become of me? Iam sure, when

I tell the sultan what I have seen, he will not believe me, but will be

| enraged with me |!’

While she was in this distress the grand vizier entered, and asked if

the fish were ready. The cook then related all that had taken place, at

which he was much astonished; but without speaking a word of it to

_ the sultan, he invented an excuse which satisfied him. He then sent



_ directly to the fisherman for four more fish, who promised to bring them

the next morning.

The fisherman set out before it was day, and went to the lake. He
threw his nets, and drawing them out, found four more fish, like those
he had taken the day before, each of a different colour. He returned
directly, and brought them to the grand vizier by the time he had pro-
mised. The minister took them, and carried them to the kitchen, where
he shut himself up with only the cook, who prepared to dress them
before him. She put them on the fire as she had done the others the
day before, when the grand vizier witnessed an exact repetition of all
that had been told him by the cook.

‘ This is very surprising,’ he cried, ‘ and too extraordinary to be kept
secret from the sultan’s ears. I will myself go and inform him of thig

prodigy.’

The sultan, being much astonished, sent for the fisherman, and said
to him, ‘Canst thou not bring me four more such fish?’ ‘If your
majesty,’ answered the fisherman, ‘ will grant me till to-morrow, I will
do so.’ He obtained the time he wished, and went again, for the third
time, to the lake, and caught four fish of different colours at the first
throw of his nets, and took them directly to the sultan, who expressed.

| the greatest pleasure at secing them, and ordered four hundred more
_ pieces of money to be given to the fisherman.

As soon as the sultan had got the fish, he had them taken into his
own cabinet, with all that was necessary for frying them. Here he

_ shut himself up with the grand vizier, who began to cook them, and put
_ them on the fire in the pan. As soon as they were done on one side,

he turned them on the other. The wall of the cabinet immediately
opened; but, instead of the beautiful lady, there appeared a black,
dressed in the habit of a slave of a very large and gigantic stature, and
holding a large green staff in his hand. He advanced to the frying-pan,
and touching one of the fish with his rod, he cried out ina terrible voice,
‘Fish, fish, art thou doing thy duty?’ At these words, the fish lifted up
their heads, and answered, ‘ Yes, yes, we are; if you reckon, we reckon ;
if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we conquer, and are
32 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



content.’ The fish had scarcely said this, when the black overturned
the vessel into the middle of the cabinet, and reduced the fish to a coal;
and having done this, he retired fiercely, and entering again into the
aperture, it closed, and the wall appeared just as it did before.

The sultan being convinced that these fish signified something very
extraordinary, and having learnt from the fisherman that he caught
them in the lake situated in the midst of the four small hills, not more
than three hours’ journey from the palace, commanded all his court to
take horse and to set out for the place, with the fisherman as a guide.

The sultan halted on the side of the lake; and, after observing the
fish with great admiration, demanded of his courtiers if it were possible
that they had never seen this lake, which was within so short a distance
of the city. They all said they had never so much as heard of it.
‘Since you all agree, then,’ said he, ‘that you have never heard of it,
and since I am not less astonished than you are at this novelty, I am
resolved not to return to my palace till I have found how this lake
came here, and why all the fish in it are of four colours. Having thus
spoken, he ordered his court to encamp ; his own pavilion and the tents
of his household were pitched on the borders of the lake.

When night came, the sultan retired to his pavilion, and talked with
his grand vizier. ‘My mind,’ said he, ‘is much disturbed ; this lake,
suddenly placed here; this black, who appeared to us in my cabinet ;
these fish, too, whom we heard speak—all this so much excites my
curiosity, that I cannot conquer my impatience to be satisfied. I ghail
go quite alone from my camp, and order you to keep my departure a
profound secret. Remain in my pavilion, and when my emirs and
courtiers present themselves at the entrance to-morrow morning, send
them away, and say I have a slight indisposition, and wish to be alone :
and day by day make the same report till I return.’

The grand vizier endeavoured, by many arguments, to divert the
sultan from his design. All his eloquence, however, was in vain; the
sultan was resolved. He put on a suit fit for walking, and took his
scimitar ; and as soon as he found that everything in the camp was
quiet, went out alone.

He bent his course towards one of the small hills, which he ascended
without much difficulty. He then came down into a plain, in which,
when the sun rose, he perceived a magnificent palace, built with
polished black marble, and covered with fine steel, as bright as erystal.
Delighted with having so soon met with something worthy his curiosity,
he stopped before the front, and then advanced towards the folding-
doors, one of which was open. He waited some time, but finding no
one, he was exceedingly surprised. ‘If there be no one in it,’ said he
to himself, ‘T have nothing to fear; and if it be inhabited, I have where-
with to defend myself.’

At last he entered, and when he was in the porch, he called out as
loud as he could; still there was no answer. This silence increased
his astonishment. He passed on to a spacious court, and could not
THE FURTHER ADVENTURES OF THE FISHERMAN. — 33



discover a living creature. He then entered and passed through some
large halls, the carpets of which were of silk, the alcoves and sofas of
stuffs of Mecca, and the door-curtains of the richest shawls of India,
embroidered with gold and silver. He went on, and came to a superb
saloon, in the middle of which was a large fountain, with a lion of

massive gold at each corner. Water issued from the mouths of the
four lions, and, as it fell, appeared to break into a thousand diamonds
and pearls.

The castle was surrounded by a garden full of all kinds of flowers and
shrubberies, and furnished with a multitude of birds, which filled the
air with the sweetest notes—nets being thrown entirely over the trees
to prevent their escape. ;

The sultan walked a long time from room to room, where everything
was grand and magnificent. Being tired with walking, he sat down in
a veranda, which looked into the garden, when suddenly a plaintive

voice, accompanied by the most heartrending cries, struck his ear.
He listened attentively, and heard these melancholy words: ‘O
- Fortune, thou hast not suffered me long to enjoy a happy lot! Cease
_ to persecute me, and by a speedy death put an end to my sufferings.’

_ ‘The sultan immediately rose up, and went towards the spot whence
the voice issued, and, drawing the door-curtain aside, saw a young man
_ very richly dressed seated upon a sort of throne, raised a little from the
ground. Deep sorrow was impressed on his countenance. The sultan
approached, and saluted him. The young man bent his head very low,
but did not rise. ‘My lord, I should rise to receive you, but am
hindered by sad necessity ; you will not therefore, I trust, take it ill.’
‘I feel myself highly honoured, sir,’ replied the sultan, ‘ by the good
opinion you express of me. Whatever may be your motive for not
_ rising, I willingly receive your apologies. I come to offer you my help.
_ But inform me of the meaning of the lake near this castle, where the
fish are of four different colours ; how, also, this castle came here, and
_ why you are thus alone.’

Instead of answering these questions, the young man began to weep
"bitterly. And lifting up his robe, the sultan perceived he was a man
only to his waist, and that from thence to his feet he was changed into
black marble.
_ ‘What you show me,’ said he to him, ‘ fills me with horror. I am
impatient to learn your history, with which I am persuaded that the
‘lake and the fish have some connection. Pray, therefore, relate it ; for
the unhappy often experience relief in communicating their sorrows.’
a I will not refuse your request,’ replied the young man, and narrated the
_ following story :




































THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF
THE BLACK ISLES.

Tus is the kingdom of the Black Isles, of which my father, named
Mahmoud, was king. It‘takes its name from the four small mountains
which you have seen. Those mountains were formerly isles. The
capital where the king my father resided was situated on the spot now
occupied by the lake you have seen. On the death of my father, I
succeeded him on the throne, and married a lady, my cousin. We
lived happily together for five years, when I began to perceive that the
queen no longer loved me.

One day, after dinner, while she was at the bath, I lay down to sleep
upon a sofa. Two of her ladies, who were then in my chamber, came
and sat down, one at my head, and the other at my feet, with fans! in
their hands to moderate the heat, and to prevent the flies from dis-
turbing me. They thought I was asleep, and spoke in whispers; but
as I only closed my eyes, I heard all their conversation.

One of them said to the other, ‘Is not the queen wrong, not to love
so amiable a prince?’ ‘Certainly,’ replied the other; ‘and I cannot
conceive why she goes out every night and leaves him. Does he not
perceive it?’ ‘ How should he?’ resumed the first ; ‘she mixes in his
drink every night the juice of a certain herb, which makes him sleep
all night so soundly that she has time to go wherever she likes; and
when at break of day she returns to him, she awakes him by the smell
of some scent she puts under his nostrils.’ I pretended to awake
without having heard the conversation.

The queen returned from the bath ; we supped together, and, before
we went to bed, she presented me the cup of water which it was usual
for me to take ; but, instead of drinking it, I approached a window that
was open, and threw it out without her perceiving me. I then returned
the cup into her own hands, that she might believe I had drank the
contents. We soon retired to rest, and shortly after, supposing that I
was asleep, she got up, and said aloud, ‘ Sleep, and mayest thou never
wake more.’ She dressed herself quickly, and left the chamber.

1 These fans consisted of the tail-feathers of peacocks or ostriches, such, preb '
ably, as are still in use in the East,
HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES, 35

As soon as the queen was gone, I dressed in haste, took my scimitar,
and followed her so quickly that I soon heard the sound of her feet
before me, and then walked softly after her, for fear of being heard.
She passed through several gates, of which the locks fell off upon her
pronouncing some magical words, and the last she opened was that of
the garden, which she entered. I stopped at this gate; then, looking
after her as far as the darkness of the night permitted, I saw her enter
a little wood, whose walks were guarded by a thick hedge. I went
thither by another way, and, concealing myself behind the hedge of one
of the paths, I perceived that she was walking with a man, with whom
she offered to fly to another land. Enraged at this, I drew my scimitar,
and struck him in the neck, and he fell. I retired in haste and secrecy
to the palace. Although I had inflicted a mortal wound, yet the queen,
by her enchantments, contrived to preserve in him that trance-like
existence which can neither be called death nor life. On her return to
her chamber, when the day dawned, she was absorbed in grief, and
requested my permission to build a tomb for herself, within the bounds
of the palace, where she would continue, she told me, to the end of her
days. I consented, and she built a stately edifice, crowned by a cupola,!
which may be seen from hence, and called it the Palace of Tears.
When it was finished, she caused her lover to be conveyed thither from
the place to which he had been carried the night I wounded him: she
had hitherto prevented his dying by potions which she had administered
to him, and she continued to convey them to him herself every day
after he came to the Palace of Tears. After some time, I went myself
to the tomb which the queen had built, and, hearing her address the
inanimate body in words of passionate affection, I lost all patience, and
drew my scimitar and raised my arm to punish her. ‘ Moderate thy
rage,’ said she to me, with a disdainful smile, and at the same instant
pronounced some magic words, and added, ‘By my enchantments I
command thee to become half marble and half man.’ Immediately, my
lord, I became what you see me: a dead man among the living, and a
living man among the dead.

As soon as this cruel sorceress, for she is unworthy of the title of
queen, had thus transformed me, and by her magic had conveyed me to
this apartment, she destroyed my capital ; she annihilated the palaces,
public places, and markets, and reduced the site of the whole to the
lake and desert plain you have seen. The fishes of four colours? in the
lake are the four kinds of inhabitants of different religions which the
city contained. The white are the Mussulmans; the red, the Persians,
who worship fire; the blue, the Christians; and the yellow, the Jews.
The four islands that gave a name to this kingdom became four hills.



? Usual in Turkish cemeteries,

The colonr of the turban was by law made the distinguishing mark of the
different religionists. Blue was worn by the Christians ; yellow by the Jews;
white by the Mussulmans; and red by the Magicians.—Lane’s edition of
‘ Arabiar Nichts,’

3—2
36 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS,

The saighanteoue, to add to my afiliction, salaned to me fies effects of
her rage. But this is not all; her revenge not being satisfied with the
destruction of my dominions, ‘and the i injury to my person, she comes
every day, and gives me on my naked back a hundred lashes with a
whip, until I am covered with blood. When she has finished this part
of my punishment, she throws over me a coarse stuff of goat’s hair, and
over that this robe of brocade, not to honour, but to mock me.

When he came to this part of his narrative, the young king could not
restrain his tears, and the sultan was himself greatly affected. ‘No
one, prince,’ said he, ‘could have experienced a more extraordinary fate
than yourself. One thing only is wanting to complete your history, and
that is, for you to be revenged ; nor will I leave anything untried to
accomplish it.’ The sultan, having informed the prince who he was,
and the reason of his entering the castle, consulted with him on the
best means of obtaining a just revenge; and a plan occurred to the
sultan, which he directly communicated, but the execution of which
they deferred till the following day. In the meantime, as the night was
far advanced, the sultan took some repose. The young prince, as
usual, passed his time in continual watchfulness, for he was unable to
sleep since his enchantment; the hopes, however slight, which he
cherished of being soon relieved from his sufferings constantly occupied
his thoughts.

Next morning the sultan arose with the dawn, and prepared to
execute his design. Hiding his upper garment, which might encumber
him, he proceeded to the Palace of Tears. He found it lighted up with
an infinite number of flambeaux of white wax, and perfumed by a
delicious scent issuing from several censers of fine gold. As soon as he
saw the couch on which the inanimate form of the lover was laid, he
drew his scimitar, destroyed the little remains of life left, and dragging
his body into the outer court, threw it into the well. After this, he
went and lay down in the bed, placed his scimitar under the covering,
and waited to complete his design.

The queen arrived shortly after in the chamber of het husband, the
king of the Black Islands. On her approach, the unfortunate prince
filled the palace with his lamentations, and conjured her in the most
affecting tones to take pity on him. She, however, ceased not to beat
him till she had completed the hundred stripes. As soon as she had
finished, she threw the coarse garment made of goat-skin over him, and
then the robe of brocade. She next went to the Palace of Tears, and,
on entering, began to renew her lamentations, ‘Alas!’ cried she,
addressing herself to the sultan, whom she took for her lover, ‘ wilt
thou always, light of my life, preserve this silence? Utter at least one
word, I conjure thee.’

The sultan then, lowering his voice as if in great weakness, spoke a
few words. The sorceress gave a violent scream through excess of joy.
‘ My dear lord,’ she exclaimed, ‘is what I hear true? Is it really you
HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES. 37



who speak?’ ‘Wretched woman,’ replied the sultan, ‘ art thou worthy
of an answer?’ ‘What!’ cried the queen, ‘dost thou reproach me?’
‘The cries, the tears, the groans of thy husband,’ answered the sup-
posed lover, ‘whom you every day beat with so much cruelty, con-
tinually prevent my rest; I should have been cured long since, and
recovered the use of my tongue, if you had disenchanted him. This,
and this only, is the cause of my silence.’ ‘ Well, then,’ said she, ‘I
am ready to execute your commands; would you have me restore
him?’ < Yes,’ replied the sultan; ‘make haste to set him at liberty,
that I be no longer disturbed by his lamentations.’

The queen immediately went out from the Palace of Tears, and,
taking a vessel of water, proceeded to the apartment where the young
king was. ‘If the Creator of all things,’ said she, throwing the water
over him, ‘hath formed thee as thou now art, do not change; but
if thou art in that state by virtue of my enchantment, reassume thy
natural form, aud become the same as before.’ She had hardly con-
eluded, when the prince, recovering his first shape, rose up with all
possible joy, and returned thanks to God. ‘Go,’ said the enchantress,
addressing him, ‘hasten from this castle, and never return on pain of
death.’ The young king, yielding to necessity, without replying a word,
retired to a remote place, where he patiently awaited the return of the
sultan. Meanwhile, the enchantress returned to the Palace of Tears,
and supposing that she still spoke to her lover, said, ‘ Dear love, I have
done what you required.’ The sultan, still disguising his voice,
answered in a low tone, ‘What you have yet done is not sufficient
for my cure. You have destroyed only a part of the evil, but you must
strike at the root.’ ‘What do you mean by the root, dear heart?’
answered she. ‘Understand you not that I allude to the town, and
its inhabitants, and the four islands, destroyed by thy enchantments?
The fish every night at midnight raise their heads out of the lake, and
cry for vengeance against thee and me. This is the true cause of
the delay of my cure. Go speedily, restore things to their former
state, and at thy return I will give thee my hand, and thou shalt help
me to arise.’

The enchantress, inspired with hope from these words, cried out in a
transport of joy, ‘My heart, my soul, you shall soon be restored to your
health.’ Accordingly she went that instant, and when she came to the
border of the lake, she took a little water in her hand, and scattered it
about. She had uo sooner done so, and pronounced certain words, than
the city instantly appeared. The fish became men, women, and children
—Mahommedans, Christians, Persians, and Jews—freemen or slaves ;
in short, cach took his natural form. The houses and shops became
filled with inhabitants, who found everything in the same state as it
was previous to the change. The officers and attendants of the sultan,
who were encamped where the great place or square happened to be,
were astonished at finding themselves on a sudden in the midst of a
large, well-built, and inhabited city.
38 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



But to return to the enchantress: as soon as she had completed this
change, she hastened back to the Palace of ‘Tears. ‘My dear lord,’ she
cried on entering, ‘I have done all you have required of me; arise, and
give me your hand.’ ‘Come near, then,’ said the sultan. She did so.
He then rose up, and seizing her by the arm, with a blow of his scimitar
cut her in two, so that one half fell one way, and the other another.
This done, he left the Palace of Tears, and returning to the young king
of the Black Isles, ‘ Prince,’ said he, ‘ rejoice; you have now nothing
to fear; your cruel enemy is dead. You may henceforward dwell
peaceably in your capital, unless you will accompany me to mine,
which is near: you shall there be welcome, and have as much honour
and respect shown you as if you were in your own kingdom.’ ‘ Potent
monarch, to whom I owe so much,’ replied the king, ‘ you think, then,
that you are near your capital.’ ‘ Yes,’ said the sultan, ‘I know it is
not above four or five hours’ journey.’ ‘It is a whole year’s journey,’
said the prince. ‘TI do, indeed, believe that you came hither from your
capital in the time you mention, because mine was enchanted; but
since the enchantment is taken off, things are changed. This, however,
shall not prevent my following you to the ends of the earth. You are
my liberator ; and to show you my gratitude as long as I live, I shall
freely accompany you, and resign my kingdom without regret.’

The sultan, extremely surprised to understand that he was so far
from his dominions, replied, ‘It is no matter; the long journey to my
own country is sufficiently recompensed by acquiring you for a son; for
since you will accompany me, as I have no child, I will make you my
heir and successor.’

At the end of three weeks, the sultan and the young prince began
their journey, with a hundred camels laden with inestimable riches
from the treasury of the young king, followed by fifty men-at-arms on
horseback, perfectly well mounted and dressed. They had a pleasant
journey, and when the sultan, who had sent couriers to give notice of
his coming, and to explain the reason of his delay, drew near to his
capital, the principal officers, whom he had left there, came to receive
him, and to assure him that his long absence had not occasioned any
change in his empire. The inhabitants, also, crowded to meet him, and
welcome him with acclamations and every demonstration of joy, which
lasted for several days.

The day after his arrival, the sultan assembled his courtiers, and
declared to them his intention of adopting the king of the four Black
Isles, who had left a large kingdom to accompany and live with him;
and at last he bestowed presents on all, according to their rank and
station.

The sultan did not forget the fishorman, and made him and his family
happy and comfortable for the rest of their days.


Fa

WB
CH]





THE THREE CALENDERS, SONS OF KINGS,
AND OF FIVE LADIES OF BAGDAD.



sq/ARLY in the reign of Caliph

\ Haroun al Raschid, there
was at Bagdad a porter,
who was a fellow of infi-
nite wit and humour. One
morning as he was at the

place where he usually
waited for employment,
with a great basket before
him, a handsome lady,
covered with a great
muslin veil, accosted him,
and said with a pleasant
air, ‘Hark you, porter,
take your basket! and
follow me.’ The delighted
porter took his basket
immediately, set it on his
head, and followed the
lady, exclaiming, ‘ Oh,
happy day, oh, day of
good luck !’

In a short time the lady stopped before a gate and knocked; a
Christian, with a vencrable long white beard, opened it, and she put
money into his hand without speaking ; but the Christian, who knew
what she wanted, went in, and shortly after brought out a large jar of
excellent wine. ‘Take this jar,’ said the lady to the porter, ‘ and put
it in the basket.’ This being done, she desired him to follow her, and

1 Baskets, panniers made of leaves of palm, used in conveying fruits and bread
while heavier articles are carried in bags of leather or skin.
40 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

walked on; the porter still exclaiming, ‘Oh, day of happiness! Oh,
day of agreeable surprise and joy!’

The lady stopped at a fruit shop, where she bought some apples,
apricots, peaches, lemons, citrons, oranges, myrtles, sweet basil, lilies,
jessamine, and some other plants. She told the porter to put all those
things into his basket and follow her. Passing by a butcher’s shop, she
ordered five-and-twenty pounds of his finest meat to be weighed, which
was also put into the porter’s basket.

At another shop she bought capers, small cucumbers, parsley, and
other herbs; at another, some pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds,
kernels of the pine, and other similar fruits; at a third, she purchased
all sorts of almond patties. The porter, in putting all these things into
his basket, said, ‘My good lady, you should have told me that you
intended buying so many things, and I would have provided a camel to
carry them, for if you buy ever so little more, I shall not be able to bear
it. The lady laughed at the fellow’s pleasant humour, and ordered him
still to follow her.

She then went to a druggist’s, where she furnished herself with all
manner of sweet-scented waters, cloves, musk, pepper, ginger, and a
great piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices; this quite
filled the porter’s basket, and she ordered him to follow her. They
walked till they came to a magnificent house, whose front was adorned
with fine columns, and had a gate of ivory. There they stopped, and
the lady knocked softly. Another lady soon came to open the gate, and
all three, after passing through a handsome vestibule, crossed a spacious
court, surrounded by an open gallery, which communicated with many
magnificent apartments all on the same floor. At the end of this court
there was a dais richly furnished, with a couch in the middle, supported
by four columns of ebony, enriched with diamonds and pearls of an
extraordinary size, and covered with red satin, relieved by a bordering
of Indian gold. In the middle of the court there was a large basin lined
with white marble, and full of the finest transparent water, which rushed
from the mouth of a lion of gilt bronze.

But what principally attracted the attention of the porter was a
third most beautiful lady, and who was seated on the couch before
mentioned. This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the door
was called Safie, and the name of the one who had been for the pro-
visions was Amina. Then said Zobeide, accosting the other two,
‘Sisters, do not you see that this honest man is ready to sink under
his burden, why do not you ease him of it? Then Amina and Safie
took the basket, the one before and the other behind; YZobeide also
assisted, and all three together set it on the ground, then emptied it;
and when they had done, the beautiful Amina took out money, and paid
the porter liberally.

The porter was well satistied, but when he ought to have departed,
he was chained to the spot by the pleasure of beholding three such
beauties, who appeared to him equally charming; for Amina, having
THE THREE CALENDERS. 41

now laid aside her veil, proved to be as handsome as either of the
others, What surprised him most was, that he saw no man about the
house, yet most of the provisions he had brought in, as the dry fruits,
and the several sorts of cakes and confections, were adapted chiefly for
those who could drink and make merry.

‘Madam,’ said he, addressing Zobeide, ‘I am sensible that I act
rudely in staying longer than I ought, but I hope you will have the
goodness to pardon me, when I tell you that I am astonished not to see
aman with three ladies of such extraordinary beauty; and you know
that a company of women without men is as melancholy as a company
of men without women.’ To this he added some pleasantries in proof
of what he advanced, and did not forget the Bagdad proverb, ‘ That
the table is not completely furnished, except there be four in com-
pany ;’ so concluded that, since they were but three, they wanted
another,

The ladies fell a laughing at the porter’s reasoning; after which
Zobeide gravely addressed him, ‘ Friend, you presume rather too much ;
and though you do not deserve it, I have no objection to inform you
that we are three sisters, who transact our affairs with so much secrecy
that no one knows anything of them. A good author says, ‘‘ Keep thy
own secret, and do not reveal it to anyone. He that makes his secret
known is no longer its master. If thy own breast cannot keep thy
counsel, how canst thou expect the breast of another to be more
faithful 2”? —

‘Permit me, I entreat thee, to say that I also have read in another a
maxim, which I have always happily practised : ‘‘ Conceal thy secret,”
he says, “ only from such as are known to be indiscreet, and who will
abuse thy confidence; but make no difficulty in discovering it to prudent
men, because they know how to keep it.” The secret, then, with me is
as safe as if locked up in a cabinet, the key of which is lost, and the
door sealed.’

The porter, nothwithstanding his rhetoric, must, in all probability,
have retired in confusion, if Amina had not taken his part, and said to
Zobeide and Safie, ‘My dear sisters, I conjure you to let him remain ;
he will afford us some diversion. Were I to repeat to you all the
amusing things he addressed to me by the way, you would not feel sur-
prised at my taking his part.’

At these words of Amina, the porter fell on his knees, kissed the
ground at her feet, and, raising himself up, said, ‘Most beautiful lady,
you began my good fortune to-day, and now you complete it by this
generous conduct ; I cannot adequately express my acknowledgments !
As to the rest, ladics,’ said he, addressing himself to all the three
sisters, ‘since you do me so great an honour, I shall always look upon
myself as one of your most humble slaves.’ When he had spoken
these words he would have returned the money he had received, but
Zobeide ordered him to keep it. ‘ What we have once given,’ said she,
“we never take back. We are willing, too, to allow you to stay on one
42 LHE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



condition, that you keep secret, and do not ask the reason for anything
you may see us do. To show you,’ said Zobeide, with a serious counte-
nance, ‘ that what we demand of you is not a new thing among us,
read what is written over our gate on the inside.’

The porter read these words, written in large characters of gold: ‘He
who speaks of things that do not concern him, shall hear things that will
not please him.’ ‘Ladies,’ said he, ‘I swear to you that you shall
never hear me utter a word respecting what does not relate to me, or
wherein you may have any concern.’

These preliminaries being settled, Amina brought in supper; aud,
after she had lighted up the room with. tapers made of aloe-wood and
ambergris, which yield a most agreeable perfume, as well as a delicate
light, she sat down with her sisters and the porter. They began again to eat
and drink, to sing, and repeat verses. The ladies diverted themselves
in intoxicating the porter, under the pretext of making him drink their
healths, and the repast was enlivened by reciprocal sallies of wit. When
they were all as merry as possible, they suddenly heard a knocking at the
gate. Safie, whose office it was, went to the porch, and, quickly returning,
told them thus : ‘There are three calenders? at the door, all blind of the
right eye, and with their heads, beards, and eyebrows shaved. They
say that they are only just arrived at Bagdad, where they have never
been before, and, as it is dark, and they know not where to lodge, they
knocked at our door by chance, and pray us to show compassion and to
take them in. They care not where we put them, provided they obtain
shelter. They are young and handsome; but I cannot, without laugh-
ing, think of their amusing and exact likeness to each other. My dear
sisters, pray permit them to come in; they will afford us diversion
enough, and put us to little charge, because they desire shelter only for
this night, and resolve to leave us as soon as day appears.’

‘Go then,’ said Zobeide, ‘and bring them in; but make them read
what is written over the gate.’ Safie ran out with joy, and in a little
time after returned with the three calenders.

At their entrance they made a profound obeisance to the ladies, who
rose up to receive them, and told them courteously that they were
welcome, that they were glad of the opportunity to oblige them, and to
contribute towards relieving the fatigues of their journey, and at last
invited them to sit down with them.

The magnificence of the place, and the civility they received, inspired
the calenders with high respect for the ladies ; but, before they sat
down, having by chance cast their eyes upon the porter, whom they
saw clad almost like those devotees with whom they have continual
disputes respecting several points of discipline, because they never shave

Calenders, a sort of privileged beggar or faquir among the Mahommedans,
who wore a dress of sheepskin, with a leathern girdle about their leins, and
collected alms. Dervish, a poor man, who is not bound by any vow of poverty
to abstain from meat, and may relinquish his profession at will.






THE THREE CALENDERS





THE THREE CALENDERS. 45



their beards nor eyebrows,! one of them said, ‘I believe we have got
here one of our revolted Arabian brethren.’

The porter, having his head warm with wine, took offence at these
words, and, with a fierce look, without stirring from his place, answered,
‘Sit you down, and do not meddle with what does not concern you!
Have you not read the inscription over the gate? Do not pretend to
make people live after your fashion, but follow ours.’

‘Honest man,’ said the calender, ‘do not put yourself in a passion ;
we should be sorry to give you the least occasion. On the contrary, we
are ready to receive your commands.’ Upon which, to put an end to
the dispute, the ladies interposed, and pacified them. When the calen-
ders were seated, the ladies served them with meat; and Safie, being
highly pleased with them, did not let them want for wine.

When the calenders had finished their repast, they signified to the
ladies that they wished to entertain them with a concert of music, if
they had any instruments in the house, and would cause them to be
brought. They willingly accepted the proposal, and Safie went to fetch
them. Tach man took the instrument he liked, and all three together
began to play a tune. The ladies, who knew the words of a merry
song that suited the air, joined the concert with their voices ; but the
words of the song made them now and then stop, and fall into exces-
sive laughter. While their amusement was at its height, there was a
knock of unwonted loudness at their gate.

Now, it was the custom of the sultan Haroun-al-Raschid to go some-
times during the night through the city, in disguise, in order to discover
whether everything was quiet. On this evening he set out from his
palace, accompanied by Giafar, his grand vizier, and Mesrour, chief of
the household, all three disguised as merchants; and he it was who,
in passing through the street, and attracted by the noise of the music
and of the peals of loud laughter, had desired his grand vizier to knock
at the gate, and to demand shelter and admittance as for three strangers,
who knew not where to seek shelter for the night. Safie, who had
opened the door, came back and obtained permission of her sisters to
admit the newly-arrived strangers.

The caliph and his attendants, upon their entrance, most courteously
made obeisance to the ladies and to the calenders. The ladies returned
their salutations, supposing them to be merchants. Zobeide, as the
chief, addressed them with a grave and serious countenance, and said,
‘You are welcome; but, while you are here, you must have eyes, but no

1This may probably be an allusion to the two great divisions prevailing
among the Mahommedans, viz., the Soonnis and the Shiites. The former up-
held the legitimacy of the three first successions of Mahommed ; the latter
maintained the right of his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, and his descendants,
called Fatemites or Ismaelites, They both received the Koran, but the one
added to it the Sonna, or certain oral traditions attributed to Mahommed, which
the other rejected,
46 THE ARARIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.







tongues. You must not ask tl e reason of anything you may see, nor
speak of anything that does rot concern you, lest you hear and see
what will by no means please you.’

‘Madam,’ replied the vizier, ‘ you shall be obeyed. It is enough for
us to attend to our own business, without meddling with what does not
concern us.’ After this each seated himself, and the conversation
became general, and they drank to the health of the new guests.

While the vizier Giafar entertained them, the caliph ceased not from
adiniring the beauty, elegance and lively disposition of the ladies; while
the appearance of the three calenders, all blind of the right eye, sur-
prised him very much. He anxiously wished to learn the cause of this
singularity ; but the conditions they had imposed upon him and his
ccmpanions prevented any inquiry. Besides all this, when he reflected
upon the richness of the services and furniture, with the regularity
and arrangement everywhere apparent, he could hardly persuade him-
self it was not the effect of enchantment.

The guests continued their conversation, when, after an interval,
Zobeide rose up, and taking Amina by the hand, said to her, ‘ Come,
sister, the company shall not prevent us from doing as we have always
been accustomed.’ Amina, who perfectly understood what her sister
meant, got up, and took away the dishes, tables, bottles, glasses, and
also the instruments on which the calendergs had played. Nor did Safie
remain idle; she snuffed the candles, and added more aloe-wood and
ambergris. Having done this, she requested the three calenders to sit
on a sofa on one side, and the caliph and his company on the other.
‘Get up,’ said she then to the porter, looking at him, ‘and be ready to
assisb in whatever we want you.’ A little while after Amina came in
with a sort of seat, which she placed in the middle of the room. She
then went to the door of a closet, and, having opened it, she made a
sign to the porter to approach. ‘Come and assist me !’ she cried. He
did so, and went in with her, and rettmed a moment after, followed by
two black dogs, each of them secured by @ collar and chain. They
appeared as if they had been severely whij oed with rods, and he
brought them into the middle of the apartment,

Zobeide, rising from her seat between the calenders and the ealiph,
moved very gravely towaids the porter. ‘Come,’ said she, heaving a
deep sigh, ‘let us perform our duty.’ She then tucked up her sleeves
above her elbows, and, receiving 1 rod from Satie, ‘Porter,’ said she,
‘ deliver one of the dogs to my sister Amina, and bring the other to me.’

The porter did as he was commanded. Upon this the dog that he
held in his hand began to howl, and, turning towards Zobeide, held
her head up in a su plizating posture; but Zobeide, having no regard
to the sad countenance of the animal, which would have moved pity,
nor to its cries that resounded through the house, whipped her with
the rod till she was out of breath; and having spent her strength,
threw down the rod, and, taking the chain from the porter, lifted up
the dog by her paws, and looking upon her with a sad and pitful coun-
THE THREE CALENDERS. 47
tenance they both wept; after which Zobeide, with her handkerchief,
wiped the tears from the dog’s eye, kissed her, returned the chain to
the porter, desired him to carry her to the place whence he took her,
and to bring the other. Then taking the whip she served this in the
same manner; she then wept with it, dried its tears, kissed it, and
returned it to the porter.

The three calenders, with the caliph and his companions, were ex-
tremely surprised at this exhibition, and could not comprehend why
Zobeide, after having so furiously beaten those two dogs, that by the
Mussulman religion are reckoned unclean! animals, should weep with
them, wipe off their tears, and kiss them. They muttered among
themselves; and the caliph, who, being more impatient than the rest,
longed exceedingly to be informed of the cause of so strange a pro-
ceeding, could not forbear making signs to the vizier to ask the
question. The vizier turned his head another way; but being pressed
by repeated signs, he answered by others that it was not yet time for
the caliph to satisfy his curiosity.

Zobeide sat still some time in the middle of the room, where she had
whipped the two dogs, to recover herself of her fatigue; and Safie
called to her, ‘Dear sister, will you not be pleased to return to your
place, that I may also act my part?’ ‘ Yes, sister,’ replied Zobeide ;
and then went and sat down upon the sofa, having the caliph, Giafar,
and Mesrour on her right hand, and the three calenders, with the
porter, on her left.

The whole company remained silent for some time. At last Safie,
sitting on a chair in the middle of the room, spoke to her sister Amina:
‘Dear sister, I conjure you to rise; you know what I would say.’
Amina rose, and went into another closet near to that where the dogs
were, and brought out a case covered with yellow satin, richly em-
broidered with gold and green silk. She went towards Safie and
opened the case, from whence she took a lute and presented it to her;
and after some time spent in tuning it Safie begin to play, and, accom-
panying the instrument with her voice, sang a song about the torments
that absence creates to lovers. Having sung with much passion and
action, she said to Amina: ‘ Pray take it, sister, for my voice fails me ;
oblige the company with a tune and asongin my stead.’ ‘ Very willingly,’
replied Amina, who, taking the lute from her sister Safie, sat down in
her place. Having sung most delightfully, the caliph expressed his
admiration. While he was doing so Amina fainted away; and on
opening her robe to give her air, they discovered that her breast had
been covered with fearful scars.

1The dog is in great disrepute among the Mahommedans. Mahommed is
reported to have said, ‘No angel enters where a dog is.’ Cats, on the
contrary, are great favourites, and sometimes accompany their masters
when they go to their mosque. The Mahommedans are under certain re-
strictions in food ; they are forbidden to eat the hare, the wolf, the cat, and
all animals forbidden by the law of Moses. The shrimp is forbidden among
fish Benarp Prcarp.
48 THE ARABIAN NIGIITS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

Whilst Zobeide and Safie ran to assist their sister, the caliph inquired
of the calender : ‘ Cannot you inform me about these two black dogs, and
this lady, who appears to have been so ill-treated?’ ‘Sir,’ said the
calender, ‘we never were in this house before now, and entered it only
a few minutes sooner than you did.’ This increased the astonishment
of the caliph. ‘Perhaps,’ said he, ‘ the man who is with you can give
you some information?’ The calender made signs to the porter to
dvaw near, and asked him if he knew why the black dogs had been
beaten, and why the bosom of Amina was so scarred. ‘Sir,’ replied
the porter, ‘if you know nothing of the matter, I know as little as you
do. I never was in the house until now; and if you are surprised to
see me here, I am as much 60 to find myself in your company.’

The caliph, more and more perplexed at all he heard, determined
that he would have the information he required for the explaining these
mysterious proceedings. But the question was, who should first make
the inquiry? The caliph endeavoured to persuade the calenders to
speak first, but they excused themselves. At last they all agreed that
the porter should be the man. While they were consulting how to put
the question, Zobeide herself, as Amina had recovered from her fainting,
approached them, and inquired: ‘ What are you talking of ?—what is
your contest about ?’

The porter then addressed her as follows: ‘These gentlemen, madam,
entreat you to explain why you wept with those dogs, after having
treated them so ill, and how it has happened that the lady who fainted
has her bosom covered with scars ?”

At these words Zobeide put on a stern look, and turning towards the
caliph and the rest of the company: ‘Is it true, gentlemen,’ said she,
‘that you desired him to ask me these questions?’ All of them except
the vizier Giafar, who spoke not a word, answered ‘ Yes.’ On which
she exclaimed in a tone of resentment: ‘Before we granted you the
favour of receiving you into our house, and to prevent all occasion of
inquiry from you, we imposed the condition that you should not speak
of anything that did not concern you, lest you might hear that which
would not please you; and yet, after having received our enertainment,
you make no scruple to break your promise. Our easy compliance with
your wishes may have occasioned this, but that shall not excuse your
rudeness. As she spoke these words she gave three stamps with her
foot, and, clapping! her hands as often together, cried, ‘Come quickly !’
Upon this a door flew open, and seven black slaves? rushed in; each
one seized a man, threw him on the ground, and dragged him into the
middle of the room, brandishing a scimitar over his head.

We may easily conceive the alarm of the caliph. He repented, but
too late, that he had not taken the advice of his vizier, who, with
Mesrour, the calenders, and porter, were, from his ill-timed curiosity,



? This is the ordinary mode in the Fast of calling the attendants in waiting,
*In this manner the apartments of ladies were constantly guarded.—
Beckford’s ‘ Vathek,’ notes to p. 204.
THE THREE CALENDERS. 49
on the point of forfeiting their lives. Before they gave the fatal stroke
one of the slaves said to Zobeide and her sisters: ‘ Would it not be
right to interrogate them first?’ On which Zobeide, with a grave voice,
said: ‘ Answer me, and say who you are, otherwise you shall not live
one moment longer. I cannot believe you to be honest men, or persons
of authority or distinction in your own country; for, if you were, you
would have been more modest and more respectful to us.’

The caliph, naturally warm, was infinitely more indignant than the
rest to find his life depending upon the command of a woman: but he
began to conceive some hopes when he found she wished to know who
they all were; for he imagined that she would by no means take away
his life, when she should be informed of his rank. He whispered to
his vizier, who was near him, instantly to declare who he was. But
this wise vizier, being more prudent, resolved to save his master’s
honour, and not let the world know the affront he had brought upon
himself by his own imprudence, and therefore answered, ‘ We have
what we deserve.’ But if he had intended to speak as the caliph com-
manded him, Zobeide would not have allowed him time: for having
turned to the calenders, and seeing them all blind with one eye, she
asked if they were brothers. One of them answered, ‘No, madam, no
otherwise than as we are calenders; that is to say, as we observe the
same rules.’ ‘Were you born blind of the right eye?’ continued
she. ‘No, madam,’ answered he; ‘I lost my eye in such a surprising
adventure that it would be instructive to everyone to hear it.’ Zobeide
put the same question to the others in their turn, when the last she
addressed replied: ‘Pray, madam, show some pity on us, for we are
all the sons of kings. Although we have never seen each other before
this evening, we have had sufficient time to become acquainted with
this circumstance; and I can assure you that the kings who have giver
us birth have made some noise in the world !’

During this speech Zobeide became less angry, and said to the slaves,
‘Give them their liberty a while, but remain where you are. Those
who tell us their history, and the occasion of their coming, do them no
hurt, let them go where they please; but do not spare those who refuse
to give us that satisfaction.’

The three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the captain
of his guards, and the porter were all in the middle of the hall, seated
upon a carpet in the presence of the three ladies, who reclined upon a
sofa, and the slaves stood ready to do whatever their mistresses should
command.

The porter spoke first, and briefly related the adventures of the
morning with Amine, and the kind favours to him of herself and her
a sisters in the evening, which he declared to be the whole of his
history.

When the porter had concluded, Zobeide said, ‘ Save thyself and be-
gone, nor ever let us see thee again.’ ‘I beg of you, madam,’ replied
he, ‘ to Ict ne remain a little longer. It would be unfaii that I should

4


50 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



not hear their histories, after they have had the pleasure of hearing
mine.’ In saying this he took his place at the end of the sofa, truly
delighted at finding himself free from the danger which so much
alarmed him. One of the calenders, addressing himself to Zobeide,
next spoke;

THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER.

Mapam, I am the son of a sultan. My father had a brother, who
reigned over a neighbouring kingdom. His son, my cousin, and I were
nearly of the same age. I went regularly every year to see my uncle,
at whose court I amused myself for a month or two, and then returned
bome. On one occasion I arrived at my father’s capital, where,
contrary to custom, I found a numerous guard at the gate of the palace.
They surrounded me as I entered. The commanding officer said,
‘Prince, the army has proclaimed the grand vizier sultan, instead of
your father, who is dead, and I take you prisoner in-the name of the
new sultan.’

This rebel vizier had long entertained a mortal hatred against me.
When I was a boy I loved to shoot with a cross-bow; and being one
day upon the terrace of the palace, a bird happening to come by, I shot
but missed him, and the ball by misfortune hit the vizier, who was
taking the air upon the terrace of his own house, and put out one of his
eyes. He never forgave me, and, as opportunity offered, made me
sensible of his resentment. But now that he had me in his power, he
came to me like a madman, and thrusting his finger into my right eye,
pulled it out, and thus I became blind of one eye.

His cruelty did not stop here ; he commanded the executioner to cut
off my head, and leave me to be devoured by birds of prey. The
executioner conveyed me to the place of execution to complete this
barbarous sentence; but by my prayers and tears I moved the man’s
compassion : ‘Go,’ said he to me, ‘get you speedily out of the kingdom,
and never return, or you will destroy yourself and me.’ I thanked him,
and as soon as I was left alone, comforted myself for the loss of my
eye by considering that I had very narrowly escaped a much greater
evil.

Being thus surrounded with sorrows, and p-rsecuted by fortune, I
had recourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save
my life: I caused my beard and eye-brows to be shaved, and putting
on a calender’s habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city. I
avoided the towns till I arrived in the empire of the commander of the
faithful, the renowned caliph Haroun Alraschid, when I ceased to fear.
I resolved to come to Bagdad and throw myself at the feet of th’s great
monarch. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself, by tha
THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER. Sl



relation of my uncommon misfortunes, and without doubt he will take
pity on a persecuted prince, and not suffer me to implore his assistance
in vain.

Tn short, after a journey of several months, I arrived yesterday atthe
gate of this city, into which I entered at dusk: and as I entered, another
calender came up; he saluted me, and I him. ‘ You appear,’ said I,
‘to be a stranger, as Tam.’ ‘You are not mistaken,’ replied he. He
had no sooner returned this answer, than a third calender overtook us.
He saluted us, and told us he was a stranger newly come to Bagdad ;
so that as brethren we joined together, resolving not to separate from
one another.

It was now late, and we knew not where to seek a lodging in the city,
where we had never been before. But good fortune having brought us
to your gate, we made bold to knock, when you received us with so
much kindness that we are incapable of rendering suitable thanks.
This, madam, said he, is, in obedience to your commands, the account
I was to give how I lost my right eye, wherefore my beard and eye-
brows are shaved, and how I came to be with you at this time.

‘It is enough,’ said Zobcide; ‘you may retire to what place you
think fit.’ The calender begged the ladies’ permission to stay till he
had heard the relations of his two comrades, ‘ whom I cannot,’ said he,
‘leave with honour ;’ and that he might also hear those of the three
others persons in company.

The history of the first calender appeared very surprising to the whole
company, and particularly to the caliph. The presence of the slaves,
armed with their scimitars, did not prevent him from saying in a whisper
to the vizier, ‘As long as I can remember, I never heard anything to
compare with this history of the calender, though I have been all my
life in the habit of hearing similar narratives.’ IIe had no sooner
finished than the second calender began, and addressing himself to
Zobeide, spoke as follows:

THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER.

Manan, said he, to obey your commands, and to show you by what
strange accident I became blind of the right eye, I must give you the
account of my life. I was yet a youth, when the sultan, my father (for
you must know I am a prince by birth), perceived that I was endowed
with good natural ability, and spared nothing proper for improving it.
No sooner was I able to read and write than I learned the Koran from
beginning to end by heart, all the traditions collected from the mouth
of our prophet, and the works of poets. I applied myself to geography,
chronology, and to speak the Arabian language in its purity; not for-
getting in the meantime all such exercises as were proper for a prince

aA
52 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



to understand. But one thing which I was fond of, and succeeded in,
was penmanship ; wherein I surpassed all the celebrated scribes of our
kingdom. '

The fame of my learning reached the Emperor of Hindostan, who sent
an embassy with rich presents to my father, and invited me to his cburt.
I returned with the ambassador.

We had been about a month on our journey, when we saw in the
distance an immense cloud of dust, and soon after we discovered fifty
fierce horsemen, sons of the desert, well armed. 8

Not being able to repel force by force, we told them we were the
ambassadors of the sultan of India; but the sons of the desert insolently
answered, ‘Why do you wish us to respect the sultan, your master?
We are not his subjects, nor even within his realm.’ They attacked
us on all sides. I defended myself as long as I could, but finding that
T was wounded, and that the ambassador and all our attendants were
overthrown, I took advantage of the remaining strength of my horse,
and escaped. My horse was wounded and suddenly fell dead under me.
Alone, wounded, anda stranger, I bound up my own wound and walked
on the rest of the day, and arrived at the foot of a mountain, where I
perceived, as the sun set, a cave ; I went in, and stayed there that night,
after I had eaten some fruits that I gathered by the way. I continued
my journey for several successive days without finding any place of
abode; but after a month’s time, I came to a large town, well inhabited
—it was surrounded by several streams, so that it seemed to enjoy
perpetual spring.

My face, hands, and fect were black and sunburnt ; and, by my long
journey, my boots were quite worn out, so that I was forced to walk
barefooted; and my clothes were all in rags. I entered the town to
inform myself where I was, and addressed myself to a tailor that was
at work in his shop, who made me sit down by him, and asked me who
I was, whence I came, and what had brought me thither. I did
not conceal anything that had befallen me, nor made I any scruple to
reveal to him my rank. The tailor listened to me with attention; and
brought me something to eat, and offered me an apartment at his house,
which I accepted.

Some days after my arrival, the tailor asked me if I knew anything
by which I could acquire a livelihood. I told him that I was well
versed in the science of laws, both human and Divine, that I was a
grammarian, a poet, and, above all, that I wrote remarkably well.
“None of these things will avail youhere. If you will follow my advice,’
he added, ‘ you will procure a short jacket, and as you are strong and
in good health, you may go into the neighbouring forest, and cut wood
for fuel. You may then go and expose it for sale in the market. By
these means you will be enabled to wait till the cloud which hangs over
you, and obliges you to conceal your birth, shall have blown over. I
will furnish you with a cord and hatchet.’

The next day the tailor brought mea rope, a hatchet, and a short
’

THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER, 53

jacket, and recommended me to some poor people who gained their
bread after the same manner, that they might take me into their
company. They conducted me to the wood, and the first day I brought
in as much upon my head as procured me half a piece of gold of the
money of that country ; for though the wood was not far distant from
the town, yet it was very scarce, by reason that few would be at the
trouble of fetching it for themselves. I gained a good sum of money in
a short time, and repaid my tailor what he had lent me.

I continued this way of living for a whole year. One day, having by
chance penetrated farther into the wood than usual, I happened to
light on a pleasant spot, where I began to cut; and in pulling up the
root of a tree I espied an iron ring, fastened to a trap door of the same
metal. I took away the earth that covered it, and having lifted it up,
discovered a flight of stairs, which I descended with my axe in my
hand.

When I had reached the bottom, I found myself in a palace which
was as well lighted as if it had been above ground in the open air. |
went forward along a gallery, supported by pillars of jasper, the bas¢
and capitals being of massy gold: when I saw a lady of a noble and
graceful air, and extremely beautiful, coming towards me. I hastened
to meet her; and as I was making a low obeisance, she asked me, ‘ Are
you a man or a genie?’ ‘A man, madam,’ said I. ‘By what ad-
venture,’ said she (fetching a deep sigh), ‘ are you come hither? I have
lived here twenty-five years, end you are the first man I have beheld in
that time.’

Her great beauty, and the sweetness and civility wherewith she
received me, emboldened me to say, ‘Madam, before I satisfy your
curiosity, give me leave to say that I am infinitely gratified with this
unexpected meeting, which offers me an occasion of consolation in the
midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an opportunity of
making you also more happy than you are.’ I then related my story
to her from beginning to end. ‘Alas! prince,’ she replied, sighing
‘the most enchanting spots cannot afford delight when we are there
against our wills. But hear now my history. I am a prineess, the
daughter of a sultan, the king of the Ebony Island, to which the
precious wood found in it has given its name.

‘The king, my father, had chosen for my husband a prince who was
my cousin; but on the very night of the bridal festivities, in the midst
of the rejoicings of the court, a genie took me away. I fainted with
alarm, and when I recovered I found myself in this place. I was long
meonsolable; but time and necessity have reconciled me to see the
genie. Twenty-five years I have passed in this place, in which I have
everything necessary for life and splendour.

‘Every ten days,’ continued the princess, ‘the genie visits me. In
the meantime, if I have any occasion for him, I have only to touch a
talisman, and he appears. "It is now four days since he was here, and

have therefore to wait six days more before he again makes his
54 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS,



appearance. You, therefore, may remain five with me, if it be agree-
able to you, in order to keep me company; and I will endeavour to
regale and entertain you equal to your merit and dignity.’

The princess then conducted me to a bath, the most commodious,
and the most sumptuous imaginable; and when I came forth, instead
of my own clothes I found another costly robe, which I did not
esteem so much for its richness, as because it made me appear worthy
to be in her company. We sat down on a sofa covered with rich
tapestry, with cushions of the rarest Indian brocade; and some time
after she covered a table with several dishes of delicate meats. We ate,
and passed the remaining part of the day, as also the evening, together
very pleasantly.

The next day I said to her, ‘Fair princess, you have been too long
buried alive in this subterranean palace; pray rise—follow me, and enjoy
the light of day, of which you have been deprived so many years.’
‘Prince,’ replied she, with a smile, ‘if you out of ten days will grant
me nine, and resign the tenth to the genie, the light of day will be
nothing to me.’ ‘ Princess,’ said I, ‘the fear of the genie makes you
speak thus; for my part, I regard him go little that I will break in
pieces his talisman, with the spell that is written about it. Let him
come; and how brave or powerful he be, I will defy him.’ On saying
this I gave the talisman a kick with my foot and broke it in pieces.

The talisman was no sooner broken than the whole palace shook as if
ready to fall to atoms, and the walls opened to afford a passage to the
genie. I had no sooner felt the shock than, at the earnest request of
the princess, I took to flight. Having hastily put on my own robe, I
ascended the stairs leading to the forest, and reached the town in safety.
My landlord, the tailor, was very glad to see me. I had, however, in
my haste, left my hatchet and cord in the princess’s chamber. Shortly
after my return, while brooding over this loss, and lamenting the cruel
treatment to which the princess would be exposed, the tailor came in
and said, ‘An old man, whom I do not know, brings your hatchet and
cords, and wishes to speak to you, for he will deliver them to none but
yourself.’

At these words I changed colour, and fell a-trembling. While the
tailor was asking me the reason, my chamber-door opened, and the old
man, having no patience to stay, appeared with my hatchet and cords.
‘Tam a genie,’ said he, speaking to me, ‘a grandson of Eblis, prince
of genies. Is not this your hatchet, and are not these your cords ?’

After the genie had put these questions to me he gave me no time to
answer. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out ofthe chamber,
and, mounting into the air, carried me up to the skies with extra-
ordinary swiftness. He descended again in like manner to the earth,
which on a sudden he caused to open with a stroke of his foot, when I

1 Eblis, or Degial, the evil spirit, who, according to the Koran, betrayed Adam
te transgression, and yet seeks to inflict injury on his race,


tS e NMIOMISSSMANE. =
THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER. 55



found myself in the enchanted palace, before the fair princess of the
Isle of Ebony. But, alas! what a spectacle was there! I saw what
pierced me to the heart; this poor princess was weltering in her blood,
and lay upon the ground, more like one dead than alive, with her
cheeks bathed in tears.

The genie having loaded us both with many insults and reproaches,
drew his scimitar and declared that he would give life and liberty to
either of us who would with his scimitar cut off the head of the other.
We both resolutely declined to purchase freedom at such a price, and
asserted our choice to be to die rather in the presence of each other.
‘T see,’ said the genie, ‘that you both outbrave me, but both of you
shall know by my treatment of you of what I am capable.’ At these
words the monster took up the scimitar and cut off one of her hands,
which left her only so much life as to give me a token with the other
that she bade me for ever adieu; and then she died. I fainted at the
sight. When I was come to myself again, I cried, ‘ Strike, for I am
ready to die, and await death as the greatest favour you can show me.’
But instead of killing me, he said, ‘ Behold how genies revenge them-
selves on those who offend them. Thou art the least to blame, and I
will content myself with transforming thee into a dog, ape, lion, or bird ;
take thy choice of any of these, I will leave it to thyself.’

These words gave me some hopes of being able to appease him. ‘O
genie,’ said I, ‘restrain your rage, and since you will not take away my
life, pardon me freely, as a good dervise pardoned one who envied him.’
‘And how was that?’ said he. I answered as follows:

THE HISTORY OF THE ENVIOUS MAN AND
OF HIM WHO WAS ENVIED.

In a certain town there were two men, neighbours, who lived next door
to each other. One of them was so excessively envious of the other
that the latter resolved to change his abode, and go and reside at some
distance from him. He therefore sold his house, and went to another
city at no great distance, and bought a convenient house. It had a
good garden and a moderate court, in which there was a deep well, that
was not now used.

The good man having made this purchase, put on the habit of a
dervise, and in a short time he established a numerous society of dervises.}

1 Sir Paul Ricaut gives this account of the dress of the dervise : ‘Their shirts
are of coarse linen, with a white plaid or mantle about their shoulders. Their
caps are like the crown of a hat of the largest size. Their legs are always bare,
and their breasts open, which some of them burn or sear in token of greater
devotion, They wear a leathern girdle, with some shining stone upon the
56 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



He soon came to be known by his virtue, through which he acquired
the esteem of many people, as well of the commonalty as of the chief of
the city. In short, he was much honoured and courted by all ranks.
People came from adar to recommend themselves to his prayers; and
all who visited him published what blessings they received through his
means.

The great reputation of this honest man having spread to the town
whence he had come, it touched the envious man so much to the quick
that he left his own house and affairs with a resolution to ruin him.
With this intent he went to the new convent of dervises, of which
his former neighbour was the head, who received him with all imaginable
tokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come to
communicate a business of importance, which he could not do but in
private ; ‘and that nobody may hear us,’ he said, ‘let us take a walk
in your court; and seeing night begins to draw on, command your
dervises to retire to their cells.’ The chief of the dervises did as he was
requested.

When the envious man saw that he’ was alone with this good man,
he began to tell him his errand, walking side by side in the court, till
he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the
well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it.

This old well was inhabited by peris! and genies, which happened
luckily for the relief of the head of the convent; for they received and
supported him, and carried him to the bottom, so that he got no hurt.
He perceived that there was something extraordinary in his fall, which
must otherwise have cost him his life; but he neither saw nor felt any-
thing. He soon heard a voice, however, which said, ‘Do you know
what honest man this is, to whom we have done this piece of service?”



buckle before. They always carry a string of beads, which they call Tesbe, and
oftener run them over than our friars do their rosat s,at every bead repeating
the name of God.’—‘ History of Ottoman Empire,’ p. 203.

‘ Their order has few rules, except of performing their fantastic rites every
Tuesday and Friday. They meet in a large hall, where they all stand with their
eyes fixed on the ground, and their arms crossed, while the imaun, or preacher,
reads part of the Koran from a pulpit, and, after a short exposition on what he
has read, they stand around their superior, and, tying their robes, which are very
wide, round their waists, begin to turn round with an amazing swiftness, moving
fast or slow as the music is played. This lasts above an hour, without any of
them showing the least appearance of giddiness, which is not to be wondered
at when it is considered they are used to it from their infancy. There were
amongst them some little dervises, of six or seven years old, who seemed no
more disordered by that exercise than the others. At the end of the
ceremony they shout out, ‘ There is no other god but God, and Mahommed ig
His prophet 7 after which they kiss the superior’s hand and retire. The whole
is Pe with the most solemn gravity.’-—Lady M. W. Montague’s ‘ Letters,’
vol. 11., p. 43.

* The word peri, in the Persian language, signifies that beautiful race of
creatures which constitutes the link between angels and men,
THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 57
Another voice answered, ‘No.’ To which the first replied, ‘Then I will
tell you. This man out of charity left the town he lived in, and has
established himself in this place, in hopes to cure one of his neighbours
of the envy he had conceived against him; he had acquired such a
general esteem, that the envious man, not able to endure it, came hither
on purpose to ruin him; and he would have accomplished his design
had it not been for the assistance we have given this honest man, whose
reputation is so great that the sultan, who keeps his residence in the
neighbouring city, was to pay him a visit to-morrow, to recommend the
princess his daughter to his prayers.’

Another voice asked, ‘ What need had the princess of the dervise’s
prayers?’ To which the first answered, ‘ You do not know, it seems,
that she is possessed by a genie. But I well know how this good
dervise may cure her. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white
spot at the end of her tail, about the bigness of a small piece of Arabian
money; let him only pull seven hairs out of the white spot, burn them,
and smoke the princess’s head with the fume, she will not only be
immediately cured, but be so safely delivered from the genie that he
will never dare to approach her again.’

The head of the dervises remembered every word of the conversation
between the fairies and the genies, who remained silent the remainder
of the night. The next morning, as soon as daylight appeared, and he
could discern the nature of his situation, the well being broken down in
several places, he saw a hole, by which he crept out with ease.

The other dervises, who had been seeking for him, were rejoiced to
see him; he gave them a brief account of the wickedness of the man to
whom he had given so kind a reception the day before, and retired into
his cell. Shortly after, the black cat, which the fairies and genies had
mentioned the night before, came to fawn upon her master, as she was
accustomed to do; he took her up, and pulled seven hairs from the
white spot that was upon her tail, and laid them aside for his use when
occasion should serve.

Soon after sunrise the sultan, who would leave no means untried that
he thought likely to restore the princess to perfect health, arrived at the
gate of the convent. He commanded his guards to halt, whilst he with
his principal officers went in. The dervises received him with profound
respect.

The sultan called their chief aside, and said, ‘Good sheik,’ you may
probably be already acquainted with the cause of my visit.’ ‘ Yes, sir,’
replied he gravely, ‘if I do not mistake, it is the disease of the princess
which procures me this unmerited honour.’ ‘ That is the real case,’
replied the sultan. ‘ You will give me new life if your prayers, as I
hope they may, restore my daughter’s health.’ ‘ Sir,’ said the good
man, ‘if your majesty will be pleased to let her come hither, I am in



1 Sheiks are the chiefs of the societies of dervises ; cadis, the magistrates of a
town or city.—‘ Notes on Vathek,’ p. 322.
58 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.







hopes, through God’s assistance and favour, that she will be effectually
cured.’

The prince, transported with joy, sent immediately for his daughter,
who soon appeared with a numerous train of ladies and attendants,
veiled, so that her face was not seen. The chief of the dervises caused
a carpet to be held over her head, and he had no sooner thrown the
seven hairs upon the burning coals, than the genie uttered a great cry, and,
without being seen, left the princess at liberty; upon which she took
the veil from her face, and rose up to see where she was, saying,
‘Where am I, and who brought me hither?’ At these words the sultan,
overcome with excess of joy, embraced his daughter, and kissed her
eyes : he also kissed the sheik’s hands, and said to his officers, ‘ What
reward does he deserve that has thus cured my daughter?’ They all
cried, ‘He deserves her in marriage.’ ‘That is what I had in my
thoughts,’ said the sultan; ‘and I make him my son-in-law from this
moment.’ Some time after the prime vizier died, and the sultan con-
ferred the place on the dervise. ‘The sultan himself also died without
heirs male; upon which the religious orders and the army consulted
together, and the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by
general consent.

The honest dervise having ascended the throne of his father-in-law,
as he was one day in the midst of his courtiers on a march, espied the
envious man among the crowd that stood as he passed along; and call-
ing one of the viziers that attended him, whispered in his ear, ‘Go,
bring me that man you see there; but take care you do not frighten
him,’ The vizier obeyed, and when the envious man was brought into
his presence, the sultan said, ‘Friend, I am extremely glad to see you.’ °
Upon which he called an officer; ‘Go immediately,’ said he, ‘and cause
to be paid to this man out of my treasury! one hundred pieces of gold;
let him have also. twenty loads of the richest merchandise in my store-
houses, and a sufficient guard to conduct him to his house.’ After he
had given this charge to the officer, he bade the envious man farewell,
amd proceeded on his march.

When I had finished the recital of this story to the genie, I em-
ployed all my eloquence to persuade him to imitate so good an
example, and to grant me pardon; but it was impossible to move his
compassion.

‘All that I can do for thee,’ said he, ‘is to grant thee thy life; but I

? A favourite story is related of the benevolence of one of the sons of Ali.
In serving at table, a slave had inadvertently dropped a dish of scalding broth
on his master. The heedless wretch fell prostrate, to deprecate his punishment,
and repeated a verse of the Koran: ‘Paradise is for those who command
their anger.’ ‘I am not angry.’ ‘And for those who pardon offences.’ ‘I
pardon your offence,’ ‘And for those who return good for evil.’ ‘I give

yeu your liberty, and four hundred pieces of silver..—Gibbon’s ‘Decline and
all.
THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 50



must place thee under enchantment.’ So saying, he seized me violently,
and carried me through the arched roof of the subterraneous palace,
which opened to give him passage. He ascended with me into the air
to such a height that the earth appeared like a little white cloud. He
then descended again like lightning, and alighted upon the summit of a
mountain.

Here he took up a handful of earth, and, muttering some words which
I did not understand, threw it upon me. ‘Quit,’ said he, ‘ the form of
aman, and take that of an ape.’ He instantly disappeared, and left
me alone, transformed into an ape and overwhelmed with sorrow, in a
strange country, not knowing whether I was near or far from my father’s
dominions.

I descended the mountain, and entered a plain level country, which
took mea month to travel over, and then I came to the seaside. It hap-
pened at the time to be perfectly calm, and I espied a vessel about
half a league from the shore. Unwilling to lose so good an opportunity,
I broke off a large branch from a, tree, carried it into the sea, and placed
myself astride upon it, with a stick in each hand, to serve me for oars.

I launched out on this frail bark, and rowed towards the ship.
Wheu I had approached sufficiently near to be seen, the seamen and
passengers on the deck regarded me with astonishment. In the mean-
time I got on board, and, laying hold of a rope, jumped upon the deck ;
but having lost my speech, I found myself in great perplexity, and,
indeed, the risk I ran was not less than when I was at the mercy of
the genie.

The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, thought if
they received me on board I should be the occasion of some misfortune
to them during their voyage. On this account they said: ‘ Let us
throw him into the sea.’ Some one of them would not have failed to
carry this threat into execution, had I not gone to the captain, thrown
myself at his feet, and taken hold of his skirt in a supplicating posture.
This action, together with the tears which he saw gush from my eyes,
moved his compassion. He took me under his protection, and loaded
me with a thousand caresses. On my part, though I had not power to
speak, I showed by my gestures every mark of gratitude in my power.

The wind that succeeded the calm continued to blow in the same
direction for fifty days, and brought us safe to the port of a city, well
peopled, and of great trade, where we cast anchor.

Our vessel was instantly surrounded by multitudes of boats full of
people. Amongst the rest, some officers of the sultan came on board,
and said: ‘Our master rejoices in your safe arrival, and he beseeches
each of you to write a few lines upon this roll. The prime vizier, who,
besides possessing great abilities for the management of public affairs,
could write in the highest perfection, died a few days since, and the
sultan has made a solemn vow not to give the place to anyone who
cannot write equally well. No one in the empire has been judged
worthy to supply the vizier’s place.’
60 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



Those of the merchants who thought they could write well enough
to aspire to this high dignity wrote one after another what they thought
fit. After they had done, I advanced, and took the roll; but all the
people cried out that I would tear it, or throw it into the sea, till they
saw how properly I held the roll, and made a sign that I would write
in my turn. Their apprehensions then changed into wonder. How-
ever, as they had never seen an ape that could write, and could not be
persuaded that I was more ingenious than others of my kind, they
wished to take the roll out of my hand; but the captain took my part
once more. ‘Let him alone,’ said he; ‘allow him to write.’ Per-
ceiving that no one opposed my design, I took the pen, and wrote six
sorts of hands used among the Arabians, and each specimen contained
an extemporary distich or quatrain (a stanza of four lines) in praise of
the sultan. When I had done, the officers took the roll, and carried it
to the sultan.

The sultan took little notice of any of the writings except mine,
which pleased him so much that he said to the officers: ‘Take the
finest horse in my stable, with the richest trappings, and a robe of the
most sumptuous brocade to put on the person who wrote the six hands,
and bring him hither.’ At this command the officers could not forbear
laughing. The sultan was incensed at their rudeness, and would have
punished them had they not explained. ‘Sir,’ said they, ‘we humbly
beg your majesty’s pardon. These hands were not written by a man,
but by an ape.’ ‘What do you say?’ exclaimed the sultan. ‘Those
admirable characters, are they not written by the hands of a man?
‘No, sir,’ replied the officers ; ‘ we assure your majesty it was an ape,
who wrote them in cur presence.’ The sultan was too much surprised
at this account not to desire a sight of me, and therefore said: ‘Do
what I command you, and bring me speedily that wonderful ape.’

The officers returned to the vessel, and showed the captain their
order, who answered: ‘The sultan’s command must be obeyed.’
Whereupon they clothed me with the rich brocade robe, and carried
me ashore, where they set me on horseback, whilst the sultan waited
for me at his palace with a great number of courtiers.

The procession commenced; the harbour, the streets, the public
places, windows, terraces, palaces, and houses, were filled with an
infinite number of people of all ranks, who flocked from every part of
the city to see me; for the rumour was spread in a moment that the
sultan had chosen an ape to be his grand vizier; and after having
served for a spectacle to the people, who could not forbear to express
their surprise by redoubling their shouts and cries, I arrived at the
sultan’s palace.

I found the prince on his throne in the midst of the grandees; I
made my obeisance three times very low, and at last kneeled and
kissed the ground before him, and afterwards took my seat in the
posture of an ape. The whole assembly viewed me with admiration,
and could not comprehend how it was possible that an ape should so
THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED., 61

well understand how to pay the sultan his due respect ; and he himself
was more astonished than any. In short, the usual ceremony of the
audience would have been coiypletz could I have added speech to my
behaviour.

The sultan dismissed his courtiers, and none remained by him but
the chief of the attendants of the palace, a little young slave, and my-
gelf. He went from his chamber of audience into his own apartment
where he ordered dinner to be brought. As he sat at table, he made
me a sign to approach and eat with them; to show my obedience, I
kissed the ground, arose, and placed myself at the table, and ate.

Before the table was cleared, I espied a standish, which I made a
sign to have brought me; having got it, I wrote upon a large peach
gome verses expressive of my acknowledgment to the sultan, who,



THE SULTAN CAUSED TO BE PROVGHT TO TIM A CHESS-BOARD,

having read them, after I had presented the peach to him, was still
more astonished. When the things were removed, they brought him a
particular liquor, of which he caused them to give meaglass. I drank,
and wrote upon the glass some new verses, which explained the state
of happiness I was now in, after many sufferings. The sultan read
these likewise, and said: ‘ A man that was capable of composing such
poetry would rank among the greatest of men.’ ;

The sultan caused to be brought to him a chess-board,! and asked
me by a sign if I understood that game, and would play with him. I
kissed the ground; and laying my hand upon my head, signified that I
was réady to receive that honour. He won the first game; but I won
_ } Chess is said to have had its origin in the East, and to have been introduced
into Europe after the Crusades.
62 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



the second and third; and perceiving he was somewhat displeased at
my success, I made a stanza to pacify him, in which I told him that
two potent armies had been fighting furiously all day, but that they
concluded a peace towards the evening, and passed the remaining part
of the night very amicably together upon the field of battle.

So many circumstances appearing to the sultan beyond what had
ever either been seen or known of apes, he determined not to be the
only witness of these prodigies himself, but having a daughter, called
the Lady of Beauty, sent for her, that she should share his pleasure.

The princess, who had her face unveiled, no sooner came into the
room than she put on her veil, and said to the sultan: ‘Sir, I am sur-
prised that you have sent for me to appear before men. That seeming
ape is a young prince, son of a powerful sultan, and has been meta-
morphosed into an ape by enchantment. When I was just out of the
nursery, an old lady who waited on me was a most expert magician,
and taught me seventy rules of magic. By this science I know all
enchanted persons at first sight: I know who they are, and by whom
they have been enchanted; therefore do not be surprised if I should
forthwith restore this prince, in spite of the enchantments, to his own
form.’ ‘Do so, then,’ interrupted the sultan, ‘for you cannot give me
greater pleasure, as I wish to have him for my grand vizier, and bestow
you upon him for a wife.’ ‘I am ready, sire,’ answered the princess, ‘ to
obey you in all things you please to command.’

The princess, the Lady of Beauty, went into her apartment, and
brought thence a knife, which had some Hebrew words engraven on the
blade; she made the sultan, the little slave, and myself, descend into a
private court of the palace, and there left us under a gallery that went
round it. She placed herself in the middle of the court, where she
made a great circle, and within it she wrote several words in ancient
Arabian characters.

When she had finished and prepared the circle, she placed herself in
the centre of it, where she began incantations, and repeated verses of
the Koran. The air grew insensibly dark, as if it had been night; we
found ourselves struck with consternation, and our fear increased when
we saw the genie appear suddenly in the shape of a lion! of a gigantic
size.

? This same power of changing the form has found a place in ancient and
modern story. The Proteus of heathen mythology ever found means of safety
and protection by his sudden assumption of some new form and shape.

‘Quo teneam vultus mutantem Protea nodo

One of Walter Scott’s happiest delineations is the ‘ Goblin Page,’ described in
‘The Lay of the Last Minstrel,’ who in every new freak of mischief escaped
alike retribution and discovery by his power of changing and transmutation :

‘For, at a word, be it understood,
He was always for ill, and never for good:
THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 63

‘Thou shalt pay dearly,’ said the lion, ‘for the trouble thou hast
given me in coming here.’ In saying this, he opened his horrible jaws,
and advanced forward to devour her; but she, being on her guard,
jumped back, and had just time to pluck out a hair; and pronouncing
two or three words, she changed it into a sharp scythe, with which she
immediately cut the lion in two pieces, through the middle.

The two parts of the lion directly disappeared, and the head changed
into a large scorpion. The princess then took the form of a serpent,
and fought the scorpion, which, finding itself defeated, changed into an
eagle, and flew away. But the serpent then became another eagle,
black, and very large, and went in pursuit of it. We now lost sight of
them for some time.

Shortly after they had disappeared, the earth opened before us, and a
black and white cat appeared, the hairs of which stood quite on end,
and which made a most horrible mewing. A black wolf direstly
followed after her, and gave her no time to rest. The cat, being thus
hard pressed, changed into a worm, and hid itself in a pomegranate
which lay by accident on the ground; but the pomegranate swelled
immediately, and became as big as a gourd, which, lifting itself up to
the roof of the gallery, rolled there for some time backward and for-
ward ; it then fell down again into the court, and broke into several
pieces.

The wolf had in the meanwhile transformed itself into a cock, and
now fell to picking up the seeds of the pomegranate one after another ;
but, finding no more, he came towards us with his wings spread, making
a great noise, as if he would ask us whether there were any more
seed. There was one lying on the brink of the canal, which the cock
perceiving as he went back, ran speedily thither; but just as he was
going to pick it up, the seed rolled into a fountain and turned into
a little fish.

The cock, flying towards the fountain, turned into a pike, and pursued
the small fish; they continued both under water above two hours, and
we knew not what was become of them ; but suddenly we heard terrible



Seem’d to the boy some comrade gay,
Led him forth to the woods to play ;
On the drawbridge the warders stout
Saw a terrier and lurcher passing out.’

Milton attributes the same power to Comus :

‘ Soon as the potion works, their human countenance,
The express resemblance of the gods, is changed
Into some brutish form of wolf or bear,

Or ounce, or tiger, hog, or bearded goat—

All other parts remaining as they were ;

And they, so perfect is their misery,

Not once perceive their foul disfigurement,
But boast themselves more comely than before,
And all their friends and native home forget.’
64 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

cries, which made us tremble, and a little while after we saw the genie
and princess all in flames. ‘They threw flashes of fire out of their
mouths at each other, till they came to close combat ; then the two fires
increased, with a thick, burning smoke, which mounted so high that we
had reason to apprehend it would set the palace on fire. But we very
soon had a more pressing occasion of fear, for the genie, having got
loose from the princess, came to the gallery where we stood, and blew
flames of fire upon us. We must all have perished had not the prin-
cess, running to our assistance, forced him to retire and defend himself
against her ; yet, notwithstanding all her exertions, she could not hinder
the sultan’s beard from being burned, and his face scorched, and a spark
from entering my right eye and making it blind. The sultan and I
expected nothing but death, when we heard a ery of ‘ Victory ! victory!’
and instantly the princess appeared in her natural shape; but the genie
was reduced to a heap of ashes.

The princess approached us, and hastily called for a cupful of water,
which the young slave, who had received no hurt, brought her. She
took it, and, after pronouncing some words over it, threw it upon me,
saying, ‘If thou art become an ape by enchantment, change thy shape,
and take that of a man, which thou hadst before.’ These words were
hardly uttered, when I again became a man, in every respect as I was
before my transformation, excepting the loss of my eye.

I was preparing to return the princess my thanks, but she prevented
me by addressing herself to her father: Sir, I have gained the victory
over the genie; but it is a victory that costs me dear. I have but afew
minutes to live; the fire has pierced me during the terrible combat, and
I find it is gradually consuming me. This would not have happened
had I perceived the last of the pomegranate seeds, and swallowed it, as
I did the others when I was changed into a cock; the genie had fled
thither as to his last intrenchment, and upon that the success of the
combat depended. This oversight obliged me to have recourse to fire,
and to fight with those mighty arms as I did, between heaven and
earth, in your presence ; for, in spite of all, I made the genie know that
J understood more than he; I have conquered and reduced him to ashes,
but I cannot escape death, which is approaching.’

Suddenly the princess exclaimed, ‘I burn, I burn!’ She found that
the fire had at last seized upon her vital parts, which made her still ery,
‘I burn!’ until death had put an end to her intolerable pains. The
effect of that fire was so extraordinary, that in a few moments she wa3
wholly reduced to ashes, as the genie had been.

I cannot tell you, madam, how much I was grieved at so dismal a
spectacle ; I had rather all my life have continued an ape or a dog, than
to have seen my benefactress thus miserably perish. The sultan cried
piteously, and beat himself on his head and breast, until, being quite
overcome with grief, he fainted away. In the meantime, the attendants
and officers came running at the sultan’s lamentations, and with much
difficulty brought him to himself.
THE ENVIOUS MAN AND THE ENVIED. 65



When the knowledge of the death of the princess had spread through
the palace and the city, all the people greatly bewailed. Public
mourning was observed for seven days, and many ceremonies were
performed. The ashes of the genie were thrown into the air; but those
of the princess were collected into a precious urn, to be preserved ; and
the urn was deposited in a superb mausoleum,! constructed for that
purpose on the spot where the princess had been consumed.

The grief of the sultan for the loss of his daughter confined him to his
chamber for a whole month. Before he had fully recovered his
strength, he sent for me, and said, ‘ You are the cause of all these
misfortunes ; depart hence, therefore, in peace, without further delay,
and take care never to appear again in my dominions on penalty of thy
life.’

IT was obliged to quit the palace, again cast down to a low estate, and
an outcast from the worlé. Before I left the city, I went into a bagnio,
where I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and put on a
calender’s robe. I passed through many countries without making
myself known; at last I resolved to visit Bagdad, in hopes of meeting
with the Commander of the Faithful, to move his compassion by relating
to him my unfortunate adventures. I arrived this evening, and the first
man I met was this calender, our brother, who spoke before me. You
know the remaining part, madam, and the cause of my having the
honour to be here.

When the second calendar had concluded his story, Zobeide, to
whom he had addressed his speech, said, ‘It is well; you are at
liberty ;’ but instead of departing, he also petitioned the lady to show
him the same favour vouchsafed to the first calender, and went and sat
down by him.

Then the third calender, knowing it was his turn to speak, addressed
himself like the others to Zobeide, and began his history as follows:

1 The erection of these tombs over the supposed effigy or the real remains of
the deceased, is often mentioned in these tales. The same type of tomb, with
its dome or cupola, prevails throughout, A structure of a similar fashion is
celebrated in history as the Taj Mahal at Agra, erected by the Shah Jehar in
memory of his queen, Mumtaz Mahal, It stands on a marble terrace over the
Jamna, and is surrounded by extensive gardens. The building itself on the
outside is of white marble, with a high cupola and four minarets. In the centre
of the inside is a lofty hall of a circular form under a dome, in the middle of
which is the tomb, enclosed within an open screen of elaborate tracery formed
of marble and mosaics. ‘Che materials are lapis lazuli, jasper, bloodstone, a sort
of golden stone (not well understood), agates, cornelian, jade, and various
other stones. A single flower in the screen contains a hundred stones ; ‘and
yet,’ says Bishop Heber, ‘though everything is finished like an ornament for
a drawing-room chimney-piece, the general effect is rather solemn and im-
pressive than gaudy.’—Elphinstone’s ‘ India,’ p. 528; and ‘ Asiatic Researches,’
vol. v., p. 434.


THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER.

My story, O honourable lady, differs from those you have already
heard. ‘The two princes who have spoken before me have each lost an
eye by events beyond their own control; but I lost mine through my
own fault.

My name is Agib; I am the son of a sultan. After his death I took
possession of his dominions, and continued in the city where he had
resided. My kingdom is composed of several fine provinces upon the
mainland, besides a number of valuable islands. My first object was
to visit the provinces; I afterwards caused my whole fleet to be fitted
out, and went to my islands to gain the hearts of my subjects by my
presence, and to confirm them in their loyalty. These voyages gave
me some taste for navigation, in which I took so much pleasure, that
I resolved to make some discoveries beyond my own territories ;
to which end I caused ten ships to be fitted out, embarked, and set
sail.

Our voyage was very pleasant for forty days successively; but on the
forty-first night the wind became contrary, and so boisterous that we
were nearly lost. I gave orders to steer back to my own coast; but I
perceived at the same time that my pilot knew not where we were.
Upon the tenth day a seaman, being sent to look out for land from the
masthead, gave notice that he could see nothing but sky and sea, but
that right ahead he perceived a great blackness.

The pilot changed colour at this account, and, throwing his turban on
the deck with one hand, and beating his breast with the other, cried,
‘Oh, sir, we are all lost! Not one of us can escape; and with all my
skill it is not in my power to effect our deliverance !’ I asked him what
reason he had thus to despair. He exclaimed, ‘The tempest has
brought us so far out of our course, that to-morrow about noon we shall
be near the black mountain, or mine of adamant, which at this very
minute draws all your fleet towards it, by virtue of the iron in your ships ;
and when we approach within a certain distance, the attraction of the
adamant will have such force that all the nails will be drawn out of the
sides and bottoms of the ships, and fasten to the mountain, so that
your vessels will fall to pieces and sink! This mountain,’ continued
the pilot, ‘is inaccessible. On the summit there is a dome of fine brass,
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 67
supported by pillars of the same metal, and on the top of that dome
stands a horse, likewise of brass, with a rider on his back, who has a
plate of lead fixed to his breast, upon which some talismanic characters
ave engraven. Sir, the tradition is, that this statue is the chief cause
why so many ships and men have been lost and sunk in this place, and
that it ever will continue to be fatal to all those who have the misfor-
tune to approach, until it shall be thrown down.’

The pilot, having finished his discourse, began to weep afresh, and all
the rest of the ship’s company did the same, and they took farewell of
each other.

The next morning we distinctly perceived the black mountain. About
noon we were so near that we found what the pilot had foretold to be
true; for all the nails and iron in the ships flew towards the mountain,
where they fixed, by the violence of the attraction, with a horrible
noise; the ships split asunder, and their cargoes sunk into the sea. All
my people were drowned ; but God had mercy on me, and permitted
me to save myself by means of a plank, which the wind drove ashore
just at the foot of the mountain. I did not receive the least hurt ; and
my good-fortune brought me to a landing-place, where there were steps
that led up to the summit of the mountain.

At last I reached the top without accident. I went into the dome,
and, kneeling on the ground, gave God thanks for His mercies.

I passed the night under the dome. In my sleep an old, grave man
appeared to me, and said, ‘ Hearken, Agib! As soon as thou art awake
dig up the ground under thy feet; thou wilt find a bow of brass, and
three arrows of lead. Shoot the three arrows at the statue, and the
rider and his horse will fall into the sea. This being done, the sea will
swell and rise to the foot of the dome. When it has come so high, thou
wilt perceive a boat with one man holding an oar in each hand; this
man is also of metal, but different from that thou hast thrown down.
Step on board, but without mentioning the name of God, and let him
conduct thee. He will, in ten days’ time, bring thee into another sea,
where thou shalt find an opportunity to return to thy country, provided,
as I have told thee, thou dost not mention the name of God during the
whole voyage.’

When I awoke I felt much comforted by the vision, and did not fail
to observe everything that the old man had commanded me. I took
the bow and arrows out of the ground, shot at the horseman, and with
the third arrow I overthrew him and the horse. In the meantiine, the
sea swelled and rose up by degrees. When it came as high as the foot
of the dome upon the top of the mountain, I saw, afar off, a boat row-
ing towards me, and I returned God thanks.

When the boat made land I stepped aboard, and took great heed not
to pronounce the name of God, neither spoke I one word. I sat down,
and the man of metal began to row off from the mountain. He rowed
without ceasing till the ninth day, when I saw some islands, which
gave me hopes that I should escape all the danger that I feared. The

5—2


68 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



excess of my joy made me forget what I was forbidden : ‘God is great ;
God be praised !’ said I.

I had no sooner spoken than the boat and man sunk, casting me
upon the sea. I swam until night, when, as my strength began to fail,
a wave vast as a mountain threw me on the land. The first thing I did
was to strip, and to dry my clothes.

On the next morning I went forward to discover what sort of country
I wasin. I had not walked far before I found I was upon a desert, though
a very pleasant island, abounding with trees and wild shrubs bearing
fruit. I recommended myself to God, and prayed Him to dispose of me
according to His will. Immediately after I saw a vessel coming from
the mainland, before the wind, directly towards the island. I got up
into a very thick tree, from whence, though unseen, I might safely view
them. The vessel came into a little creek, where ten slaves landed,
carrying a spade and other instruments for digging up the ground. They
went towards the middle of the island, where they dug for a consider-
able time, after which they lifted up a trap-door. They returned again
to the vessel, and unloaded several sorts of provisions and furniture,
which they carried to the place where they had been digging; they then
descended into a subterraneous dwelling.

I saw them once more go to the ship, and return soon after with an old
man, who led in his hand a handsome lad of about fifteen years of age.
They all descended when the trap-door had been opened. After they
had again come up, they let down the trap-door, covered it over with
earth, and returned to the creek where the ship lay ; but I'saw not the
young man in their company. This made me believe that he had stayed
behind in the subterraneous cavern.

The old man and the slaves went on board, and steered their course
towards the mainland. When I perceived they had proceeded to such
a distance that I could not be seen by them, I came down from the
tree, and went directly to the place where I had seen the ground broken.
I removed the earth by degrees, till I came to a stone two or three feet
square. I lifted it up, and found that it covered the head of a flight of
stairs, also of stone. I descended, and at the bottom found myself in
a large room, brilliantly lighted, and furnished with a carpet, a couch
covered with tapestry, and cushions of rich stuff, upon which the young
man sat. The young man, when he perceived me, was considerably
alarmed; but I made a low obeisance, and said to him, ‘Sir, do not
fear. I ama king, and I will do you no harm. On the contrary, it is
probable that your good destiny may have brought me hither to deliver
you out of this tomb, where it seems you have been buried alive. But
what surprises me (for you must know that I have seen all that hath
passed since your coming into this island) is, that you suffered yourself
to be entombed in this place without any resistance.’

The young man, much assured at these words, with a smiling counten-
ance requested me to seat myself by him. As soon as I was seated, he
said, ‘Prince, my story will surprise you. My father is a jeweller. He
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 69



has many slaves, and also agents at the several courts, which he
furnishes with precious stones. He had been long married without
having issue, when he dreamt that he should have a son, though his
life would be but short. Some time after, I was born, which occasioned
great joy in the family. My father, who had observed the very moment
of my birth, consulted astrologers about my nativity, and was answered,
“Your son shall live happily till the age of fifteen, when his life will be
exposed to a danger which he will hardly be able to escape ; but if his
good destiny preserve him beyond that time, he will live to a great age
Tt will be,” said they, ‘‘ when the statue of brass, that stands upon the
summit of the mountain of adamant, shall be thrown into the sea by
Prince Agib, and, as the stars prognosticate, your son will be killed fifty
days afterwards by that prince.”

‘My father took all imaginable care of my education until this year,
which is the fifteenth of my age. He had notice given him yesterday
that the statue of brass had been thrown into the sea about ten days
ago. This news alarmed him much; and, in consequence of the pre-
diction of the astrologers, he took the precaution to form this subterra-
nean habitation to hide me in during the fifty days after the throwing
down of the statue; and, therefore, as it is ten days since this happened,
he came hastily hither to conceal me, and promised at the end of forty
days to return and fetch me away. For my own part, I am sanguine
in my hopes, and cannot believe that Prince Agib will seek for me in a
place underground, in the midst of a desert island.’

He had scarcely done speaking when I told him, with great joy:
‘Dear sir, trust in the goodness of God, and fear nothing. I will not
leave you till the forty days have expired of which the foolish astro-
logers have made you apprehensive; and in the meanwhile I will do
you all the service in my power ; after which, with leave of your father
and yourself, I shall have the benefit of getting to the mainland in your
vessel; and when I am returned into my kingdom I will remember the
obligations I owe you, and endeavour to demonstrate my gratitude by
suitable acknowledgments.’

This discourse encouraged the jeweller’s son, and inspired him with
confidence. I took care not to inform him I was the very Agib whom
he dreaded, lest I should alarm his fears. I found the young man of
ready wit, and partook with him of his provisions, of which he had
enough to have lasted beyond the forty days, though he had had more
guests than myself. In short, madam, we spent thirty-nine days in
the pleasantest manner possible in this subterranean abode.

The fortieth day appeared; and in the morning, when the young
man awoke, he said to me, with a transport of joy that he could not
restrain: ‘ Prince, this is the fortieth day and I am not dead, thanks to
God and your good company. My father will not fail to make you,
very shortly, every acknowledgment of his gratitude for your attentions,
and will furnish you with every necessary for your return to your king-
dom. But,’ continued he, ‘while we are waiting his arrival, dear
70 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



prince, pray do me the favour to fetch me a melon and some sugar,!
that I may eat some to refresh me.’

Out of several melons that remained I took the best, and laid it on a
plate; and as I could not find a knife to cut it with, I asked the young
man if he knew where there was one. ‘There is one,’ said he, ‘ upon
this cornice over my head.’ I accordingly saw it there, and made so
much haste to reach it that, while I had it in my hand, my foot being
entangled in the carpet, I fell most unhappily upon the young man,
and the knife pierced his heart.

At this spectacle I cried out with agony. I beat my head, my face,
and breast ; I tore my clothes; I threw myself on the ground with un-
speakable sorrow and grief. I would have embraced death without
any reluctance had it presented itself to me. ‘But what we wish,
whether it be good or evil, will not always happen according to our
desire.’ Nevertheless, considering that all my tears and sorrows would
not restore the young man to life, and the forty days being expired I
might be surprised by his father, I quitted the subterranean dwelling,
laid down the great stone upon the entrance, and covered it with earth.
I again ascended into the tree which had previously sheltered me,
when I saw the expected vessel approaching the shore.

The old man with his slaves landed immediately, and advanced
towards the subterranean dwelling with a countenance that showed
some hope; but when they saw the earth had been newly removed
they changed colour, particularly the old man. They lifted up the
stone, and descended the stairs. They called the young man by his
name, but no answer was returned. Their fears redoubled. They
searched about, and at last found him stretched on his couch, with the
knife through his heart, for I had not had the courage to draw it out.
On seeing this they uttered such lamentable cries that my tears flowed
afresh. ‘The unfortunate father continued a long while insensible, and
made them more than once despair of his life; but at last he came to
himself. The slaves then brought up his son’s body, dressed in his best
apparel, and when they had made a grave they buried it. The old
man, supported by two slaves and his face covered with tears, threw
the first earth upon the body, after which the slaves filled up the grave.

This being done, all the furniture was brought up and, with the re-
maining provisions, put on board the vessel. The old man, overcome
with sorrow, was carried upon a litter to the ship, which stood out to
sea, and in a short time was out of sight.

After the old man and his slaves were gone I was left alone upon the

Sugar has been traced to the Arabic succar, which is the Persian shachar,
The sugar-cane is a jointed reed, crowned with leaves or blades ; it contains a
soft, pithy substance, full of sweet juice. The people of Egypt eat a great
quantity of the green sugar-canes, and make a coarse loaf-sugar, and also sugar-
candy, and some very fine sugar, sent to Constantinople to the Grand Signor,

which is very dear, being made only for that purpose—Dr. Richard Pocock.
‘Travels,’ vol. i., p. 204,
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 71





island. I lay that night in the subterranean dwelling, which they had
shut up, and when the day came I walked round the island.

T led this wearisome life for a whole month. At the expiration of
this time I perceived that the sea sunk so low that there remained be-
tween me and the continent but a small stream, which I crossed, and
the water did not reach above the middle of my leg. At last I got
upon more firm ground; and when I had proceeded some distance
from the sea I saw a good way before me something that resembled a
great fire, which afforded me some comfort; for I said to myself, I shall
here find some persons, it not being possible that this fire should kindle
of itself. As I drew nearer, however, I found my error, and discovered
that what I had taken for a fire was a castle of red copper, which the
beams of the sun made to appear at a distance like flames. As I won-
dered at this magnificent building, I saw ten handsome young men
coming along; but what surprised me was that they were all blind of
the right eye. They were accompanied by an old man, very tall, and
of a venerable aspect.

As I was conjecturing by what adventure these men could come
together, they approached and seemed glad to see me. After we had
made our salutations, they inquired what had brought me thither. I
told them my story, which filled them with great astonishment.

After I had concluded my account, the young men prayed me to ac-
company them into the palace, and brought me into a spacious hall,
where there were ten small blue sofas set round, separate from one
another. In the middle of this circle stood an eleventh sofa, not so
high as the rest but of the same colour, upon which the old man before
mentioned sat down, and the young men occupied the other ten. But
as each sofa could only contain one man, one of the young men said to
me: ‘Sit down, friend, upon that carpet in the middle of the room,
and do not inquire into anything that concerns us, nor the reason why
we are all blind of the right eye.’

The old man, having sat a short time, arose and went out; but he
returned in a minute or two, brought in supper, distributed to each
man separately his portion, and likewise brought me mine, which I
ate apart, as the rest did; and when supper was almost ended he pre-
sented to each of us a cup of wine.

One of the young men, observing that it was late, said to the old
man: ‘ You do not bring us that with which we may acquit ourselves
of our duty.’ At these words the old man arose and went into a closet,
and brought out thence upon his head ten basins, one after another, all
covered with black stuff; he placed one before every gentleman,
together with a light.

They uncovered their basins, which contained ashes and powdered
charcoal; they mixed all together, and rubbed and bedaubed their
faces with it; and, having thus blackened themselves, they wept and
iamented, beating their heads and breasts, and crying continually,
'This is the fruit of our idleness and curiosity.’
72 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



They continued this strange employment during the whole of the
night. I wished a thousand times to break the silence which had been
imposed upon me, and to ask the reason of their strange proceedings.
The next day, soon after we had arisen, we went out to walk, and then
T said to them: ‘I cannot forbear asking why you bedaubed your faces
with black—how it has happened that each of you has but one eye. I
conjure you to satisfy my curiosity.’

One of the young men answered on behalf of the rest: ‘Once more
we advise you to restrain your curiosity; it will cost you the loss of
your right eye.’ ‘No matter,’ I replied; ‘be assured that if such a
misfortune befall me I will not impute it to you, but to myself.’

He further represented to me that when I had lost an eye I must
not hope to remain with them, if I were so disposed, because their
number was complete, and no addition could be made to it. I begged
them, let it cost what it would, to grant my request.

The ten young men, perceiving that I was so fixed in my resolution,
took a sheep, killed it, and, after they had taken off the skin, presented
me with a knife, telling me it would be useful to me on an occasion
which they would soon explain. ‘ We must sew you in this skin,’ said
they, ‘and then leave you; upon which a bird of a monstrous size,
called a roc, will appear in the air, and taking you for a sheep, will
pounce upon you, and soar with you to the sky. But let not that
alarm you; he will descend with you again, and lay you on the top of
a mountain. When you find yourself on the ground, cut the skin with
your knife and throw it off. As soon as the roc sees you, he will fly
away for fear and leave you at liberty. Do not stay, but walk on till
you come to a spacious palace covered with plates of gold, large
emeralds, and other precious stones. Go up to the gate, which always
stands open, and walk in. We have each of us been in that castle, but
will tell you nothing of what we saw or what befell us there; you will
learn by your own experience. All that we can inform you is that it
has cost each of us our right eye; and the penance which you have
been witness to is what we are obliged to observe in consequence of
having been there; but we cannot explain ourselves further.’

When the young man had thus spoken, I wrapt myself in the sheep’s
skin, held fast the knife which was given me; and after the young men
had been at the trouble to sew the skin about me, they retired into the
hall, and left me alone. The roc they spoke of soon arrived; he
pounced upon me, took me in his talons like a sheep, and carried me
up to the summit of the mountain.

When I found myself on the ground, I cut the skin with the knife,
and throwing it off, the roc at the sight of me flew away. This roc is
a white bird, of a monstrous size; his strength is such that he can lift
up elephants from the plains, and carry them to the tops of mountains,
where he feeds upon them.

Being impatient to reach the palace, I lost no time, but made so much
haste that I got thither in half a day’s journey; and I must say that
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 73



I found it surpassed the description they had given me of its magnifi-
cence.

The gate being open, I entered a square court, so large that there
were round it ninety-nine gates of wood of sanders and aloes, and one
of gold, without reckoning those of several superb staircases, that led
to apartments above, besides many more which I could not see.

I saw a door standing open just before me, through which T entered
into a large hall. Here I found forty young women, of such perfect
beauty as imagination could not surpass; they were all most
sumptuously apparelled. As soon as they saw me they arose, and
without waiting my salutations, said to me, with tones of joy, ‘Welcome!
welcome! We have long expected you. You are at present our lord,
master, and judge, and we are your slaves, ready to obey your
commands.’

After these words were spoken, these ladies vied with each other in
their eager solicitude to do me all possible service. One brought hot
water to wash my feet; a second poured sweet-scented water on my
hands; others brought me all kinds of necessaries, and change of
apparel ; others again brought in a magnificent collation ; and the rest
came with glasses in their hands, to fill me delicious wines, all in good
order, and in the most charming manner possible. Some of the ladies
brought in musical instruments, and sang most delightful songs; while
others danced before me, two and two, with admirable grace. In short,
honoured madam, I must tell you that I passed a whole year of most
pleasurable life with these forty ladies. At the end of that time, I was
greatly surprised to see these ladies with great sorrow impressed upon
their countenances, and to hear them all say, ‘Adieu, dear prince.
adieu! for we must leave you.’ After they had spoken these words,
they began to weep bitterly. ‘My dear ladies,’ said I, ‘ have the kind-
ness not to keep me any longer in suspense ; tell me the cause of your
sorrow.’ ‘ Well,’ said one of them, ‘ to satisfy you, we must acquaint
you that we are all princesses, daughters of kings. We live here to-
gether in the manner you have seen ; but at the end of every year we
are obliged to be absent forty days, for reasons we are not permitted to
reveal; and afterwards we return again to this palace. Before we
depart we will leave you the keys of everything, especially those of the
hundred doors, where you will find enough to satisfy your curiosity,
and to relieve your solitude during our absence. But we entreat you
to forbear opening the golden door; for if you do, we shall never see
you again; and the appreheusion of this augments our grief.’ We
separated with much tenderness ; and after I had embraced them all,
they departed, and I remained alone in the castle.

I determined not to forget the important advice they had given me,
not to open the golden door; but as I was permitted to satisfy my
curiosity in everything else, I took the first of the keys of the other
doors, which were hung in regular order.

I opened the first door, and entered an orchard, which I believe the
74 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



universe could not equal. I could not imagine anything to surpass it.
The symmetry, the neatness, the admirable order of the trees, the
abundance and diversity of unknown fruits, their freshness and beauty,
delighted me. Nor must I neglect to inform you that this delightful
garden was watered in a most singular manner; small channels, cut
out with great art and regularity, and of different lengths, carried water
in considerable quantities to the roots of such trees as required much
moisture. Others conveyed it in smaller quantities to those whose
fruits were already formed; some carried still less to those whose fruits
were swelling; and others carried only so much as was just requisite
to water those which had their fruits come to perfection, and only
wanted to be ripened. They far exceeded in size the ordinary fruits in
our gardens. I shut the door, and opened the next.

Instead of an orchard, I found here a flower-garden, which was no
less extraordinary in its kind. The roses, jessamines, violets, daffodils,
hyacinths, anemonies, tulips, pinks, lilies, and an infinite number of
flowers, which do not grow in other places but at certain times, were
there flourishing all at once; and nothing could be more delicious than
the fragrant smell which they emitted.

I opened the third door, and found a large aviary, paved with marble
of several fine and uncommon colours. The trellis-work was made of
sandal-wood and wood of aloes. It contained a vast number of nightin-
gales, goldfinches, canary-birds, larks, and other rare singing birds,
and the vessels that held their seed were of the most sparkling jasper
or agate. The sun went down, and I retired, charmed with the chirping
notes of the multitude of birds, who then began to perch upon such
places as suited them for repose during the night. I went to my
chamber, resolving on the following days to open all the rest of the
doors, excepting that of gold.

The next day I opened the fourth door. I entered a large court,
surrounded by forty gates, all open, and through each of them was an
entrance into a treasury. The first was stored with heaps of pearls;
and, what is almost incredible, the number of those stones which are
most precious, and as large as pigeon’s eggs, exceeded the number of
those of the ordinary size. In the second treasury,! there were
diamonds, carbuncles, and rubies ; in the third, emeralds ; in the fourth,
ingots of gold; in the fifth, money; in the sixth, ingots of silver; and
in the two following, money. The rest contained amethysts, chrysolites,

1 These tales were written shortly after the conquest of Persia, the riches of
which country may be reflected in these narratives. ‘The naked robbers of
the desert were suddenly enriched beyond the measure of their hope and
knowledge. Each chamber revealed a new treasure secreted with art, or
ostentatiously displayed ; the gold and silver, the various wardrobes and pre-
cious furniture, surpassed (says Abulfeda) the estimate of fancy or numbers :
and another historian defines the untold and almost infinite mass by the fabulous
computation of thousands of thousands of pieces of gold’—Gibbon’s ‘ Decline
and Fall.’
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 75

topazes, opals, turquoises, agate, jasper, cornelian, and coral, of which
there was a storehouse filled, not only with branches, but whole trees.

Thus I went through, day by day, these various wonders. Thirty-
nine days afforded me but just as much time as was necessary to open
ninety-nine doors, and to admire all that presented itself to my view,
_ so that there was only the hundredth door left, which I was forbidden
to open.

The fortieth day after the departure of those charming princesses
arrived, and had I but retained so much self-command as I ought to
have had, I should have been this day the happiest of all mankind,
whereas now I am the most unfortunate. But through my weakness,
which I shall ever repent, and the temptations of an evil spirit, I opened
that fatal door! But before I had moved my foot to enter, a smell
pleasant enough, but too powerful for my senses, made me faint away.
However, I soon recovered ; but instead of taking warning from this
incident to close the door and restrain my curiosity, I entered and found
myself in a spacious vaulted apartment, illuminated by several large
tapers placed in candlesticks of solid gold.

Among the many objects that attracted my attention was a black
horse, of the most perfect symmetry and beauty. I approached in
order the better to observe him, and found he had on a saddle and
bridle of massive gold, curiously wrought. One part of his manger was
filled with clean barley, and the other with rose water. I laid hold of
his bridle, and led him out to view him by daylight. I mounted, and
endeavoured to make him move; but finding he did not stir, I struck
him with a switch I had taken up in his magnificent stable. He had
no sooner felt the whip, than he began to neigh in a most horrible
manner, and extending wings, which I had not before perceived, flew
up with me into the air. My thoughts were fully occupied in keeping
my seat; and, considering the fear that had seized me, I sat well. At
length he directed his course towards the earth, and, lighting upon the
terrace of a palace, without giving me time to dismount, shook me
out of the saddle with such force as to throw me behind him, and
with the end of his tail he struck out my eye.

Thus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the pre-
dictions of the ten young gentlemen. The horse again took wing, and
soon disappeared. I got up, much vexed at the misfortune I had
brought upon myself.. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye
with one of my hands, for it pained me exceedingly, and then de-
scended, and entered into a hall. I soon discovered by the ten sofas
in a circle and the eleventh in the middle, lower than the rest, that I
was in the castle whence I had been carried by the roc.

The ten young men seemed not at all surprised to see me, nor at the
loss of my eye; but said, ‘ We are sorry that we cannot congratulate
you on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the cause of your
misfortune.’ ‘I should do you wrong,’ I replied, ‘to lay it to your
charye; I have only myself to accuse.’ ‘If, said they, ‘it be a subject
76 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



of consolation to the afflicted to know that others share their sufferings,
you have in us this alleviation of your misfortune. All that has hap-
pened to you we have also endured; we each of us tasted the same
pleasures during a year; and we had still continued to enjoy them, had
we not opened the golden door when the princesses were absent. You
have been no wiser than we, and have incurred the same punishment.
We would gladly receive you into our company, to join with us in the
penance to which we are bound, and the duration of which we know
not. But we have already stated to you the reasons that render this
impossible; depart, therefore, and proceed to the court of Bagdad,
where you will meet with the person who is to decide your destiny.’
After they had explained to me the road I was to travel, 1 departed.

On the road I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaven, and
assumed a calender’s habit. I have had a long journey, but at last I
arrived this evening, and met these my brother-calenders at the gate,
being strangers as well as myself. We were mutually surprised at one
another, to see that we were all blind of the same eye; but we had not
leisure to converse long on the subject of our misfortunes. We have
only had time enough to bring us hither, to implore those favours which
you have been generously pleased to grant us.

The third calender having finished this relation of his adventures,
Zobeide addressed him and his fellow-calenders thus: ‘Go wherever
you think proper; you are at liberty.’ But one of them answered,
‘Madam, we beg you to pardon our curiosity, and permit us to hear
the stories of your other guests who have not yet spoken.’ Then the
lady turned to the caliph, the vizier Giafar, and Mesrour, and said to
them, ‘It is now your turn to relate your adventures, therefore speak.’

The grand vizier, who had all along been the spokesman, answered
Zobeide: ‘ Madam, in order to obey you, we need only repeat what we
have already said to the fair lady who opened for us the door. We are
merchants come to Bagdad to sell our merchandise, which lies in the
khan 2 where we lodge. We dined to-day with several other persons of
our condition, at a merchant’s house of this city; who, after he had
treated us with choice dainties and excellent wines, sent for men and
women dancers and musicians. The great noise we made brought in

1 Bagdad was founded in the 145th year of the Hejira or flight of Mahommed
to Medina, 767. It was destroyed by Hulakoo, grandson of Gengis Khan, in
the 656th of the Hejira, a.p. 1277, when the dynasty of the Abbassides was
terminated.

2 Khan, or caravansery, a large building of a quadrangular form, being one
story in height. The ground floor serves for warehouses and stables, while the
upper is used for lodgings. They always contain a fountair, and have cook- ,
shops and other conveniences attached to them in town. The erection_of them
is considered meritorious both among Hindoos and Mussulmans. They are
erected on the sides of public highways, and are then only a set of bare rooms
and outhouses.’—‘ Popular Cyclopedia,’ vol. ii., p. 108.
THE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER. 77



the watch, who arrested some of the company, and we had the good
fortune to escape; but it being already late, and the door of our khan
shut up, we knew not whither to retire. We chanced, as we passed
along this street, to hear music at your house, which made us determine
to knock at your gate. This is all the account that we can give you, in
obedience to your commands.’

‘Well, then,’ said Zobeide, ‘you shall all be equally obliged to me: I
pardon you all, provided you immediately depart.’

ZYobeide having given this command, the caliph, the vizier, Mesrour,
the three calenders, and the porter, departed; for the presence of the
seven slaves with their weapons awed them into silence. As soon as
they had quitted the house, and the gate was closed after them, the
caliph said to the calenders, without making himself known, ‘ You,
gentlemen, who are newly come to town, which way do you design to
go, since it is not yet day?’ ‘It is this,’ they replied, ‘ that perplexes
us.’ Follow us,’ resumed the caliph, ‘and we will convey you out of
danger.’ He then whispered to the vizier, ‘Take them along with you,
and to-morrow morning bring them to me.’

The vizier Giafar took the three calenders along with him; the
porter went to his quarters, and the caliph and Mesrour returned to
the palace.

On the following morning, as the day dawned, the sultan Haroun al
Raschid arose, and went to his council-chamber, and sat upon his throne.
The grand vizier entered soon after, and made his obeisance. ‘ Vizier,’
said the caliph, ‘go, bring those ladies and the calenders at the same
time; make haste, and remember that I impatiently expect your
return,’ :

The vizier, who knew his master’s quick and fiery temper, hastened
to obey, and conducted them to the palace with so much expedition that
the caliph was much pleased.

When the ladies were arrived, the caliph turned towards them, and
said, ‘I was last night in your house, disguised in a merchant's habit ;
but I am at present Haroun al Raschid, the fifth caliph of the glorious
house of Abbas, and hold the place of our great prophet. I have only
sent for you to know who you are, and to ask for what reason one of
you, after severely whipping the two black dogs, wept with them. And
T am no less curious to know why another of you has her bosom so full
of scars.’

Upon hearing these words, Zobeide thus related her story :


Se a

q y

of fel é Z
COKC i



THE STORY OF ZOBEIDE,

CoMMANDER OF THE Fairarun, my story is truly wonderful. The two
black dogs and myself are sisters by the same father and mother. The
two ladies who are now here are also my sisters, but by another mother,
After our father’s: death, the property that he left was equally divided
among us. My two half-sisters left me, that they might live with their
mother. My two sisters and myself resided with our own mother. At
her death she left us three thousand sequins each. Shortly after my
sisters had received their portions they married; but their husbands,
having spent all their fortunes, found some pretext for divorcing them,
and put them away. I received them into my house, and gave them!
a share of all my goods. At the end of a twelvemonth my sisters again
resolved to marry, and did so. After some months were passed they
returned again in the same sad condition; and as they accused them-
selves a thousand times, I again forgave them, and admitted them to
live with me as before, and we dwelt together for the space of a year.
After this I determined to engage in a commercial speculation. For
this purpose I went with my two sisters to Bussorah,? where T bought
a ship ready fitted for sea, and laded her with such merchandise? ag I

1¢The giving of alms is commanded in the Koran, Hasan, the son of Ali,
grandson of Mahommed, is related to have thrice in his life divided his sub-
stance equally between himself and the poor,’—Sale’s ‘Preliminary Disser-
tation,’ p. 110.

2 At the distance of fourscore miles from the Persian Gulf, the Euphrates
and Tigris unite in a broad and direct current. In the midway, between the,
junction and the mouth of these famous streams, the new settlement of Bussorah
was planted on the western bank: the first colony was composed of eight
hundred Moslems ; but the influence of the situation soon reared a flourishin:
and populous capital. The air, though excessively hot, is pure and healthy ; the
meadows are filled with palm-trees and cattle; and one of the adjacent valleys
has been celebrated among the four paradises or gardens of Asia. Under the
first caliphs, the jurisdiction of this Arab colony extended over the southern
provinces of Persia ; the city has been sanctified by the tombs of the companions
and martyrs, and the vessels of Europe still frequent the port of Bussorah, as a
convenient station and passage of the Indian trade,’—Gibbon’s ‘ Decline and
Fall,’ 41, C.

8 Bussorah was built by the caliph Omar. The city has four kinds of inhabi-
tants—Jews, Persians, Mahommedans, and Christians. It is looked upon by the




Z@ 1B END Ee:
THE STORV OF ZOBEIDE. 79
had carried with me from Bagdad. We set sail with a fair wind, and
soon cleared the Persian Gulf; when we had reached the open sea,
we steered our course to the Indies; and the twentieth day saw land.
It was a very high mountain, at the bottom of which we perceived a
great town ; having a fresh gale, we soon reached the harbour, and cast
anchor.

I had not patience to wait till my sisters were dressed to go along
with me, but went ashore alone in the boat. Making directly to the
gate of the town, I saw there a great number of men upon guard, some
sitting, and others standing with weapons in their hands; and they had
all such dreadful countenances that I was greatly alarmed; but per-
ceiving they remained stationary, and did not so much as move their
eyes, I took courage, and went nearer, when I found they were all
turned into stones. I entered the town and passed through several
streets, where at different intervals stood men in various attitudes, but
all motionless and petrified. In the quarter inhabited by the merchants
I found most of the shops open ; I likewise found the people petrified.

Having reached a vast square, in the heart of the city, I perceived a
large folding gate, covered .with plates of gold, which stood open; a
curtain of silk stuff seemed to be drawn before it; a lamp hung over
the entrance. After I had surveyed the building, I made no doubt but
it was the palace of the prince who reigned over that country; and
being much astonished that I had not met with one living creature, I
approached in hopes to find some. I lifted up the curtain, and was
surprised at beholding no one but the guards in the vestibule, all
petrified.?

I came to a large court. I went from thence into a room richly
furnished, where I perceived a lady turned into a statue of stone. The
crown of gold on her head, and a necklace of pearls about her neck,
each of them as large as a nut, proclaimed her to be the queen. I
quitted the chamber where the petrified queen was, and passed through
several other apartments richly furnished, and at last came into a large
room, where there was a throne of massy gold, raised several steps



Arabs as one of the most delightful spots in Asia. The commerce of Bussorah
consisted in the interchange of rice, sugar, spices from Ceylon, coarse white and
blue cottons from Coromandel, cardamom, pepper, sandalwood from Malabar,
gold and silver stuffs, brocades, turbans, shawls, indigo from Surat, pearls from
Bahara, coffee from Mocha, iron, lead, woollen cloths, etc.

1*There is a city in Upper Egypt (Ishmonie) called the petrified city, on
account of a great number of statues of men, women, and children, and other
animals, which are said to be seen there at this day : all which, as it is believed
by the inhabitants, were once animated beings, but were miraculously changed
into stone in all the various positions of falling, standing, eating, sitting, which
they acted at the instant of their supposed transubstantiation. "We did not fail
to inquire after these things, and desired to have a sight of them ; but they told
us they were in a certain part, pointing westward, but were too sacred to be seen
by any except believers.’—Perry’s ‘ View of the Levant,’
80 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS' ENTERTAINMENTS,

above the floor, and enriched with large inchased emeralds, and upon
the throne there was a bed of rich stuff embroidered with pearls.
What surprised me most was a sparkling light which came from above
the bed. Being curious to know whence it proceeded, I ascended the
steps, and, lifting up my head, saw a diamond as large as the egg of an
ostrich, lying upon a low stool; it was so pure that I could not find
the least blemish in it, and it sparkled with so much brilliancy that
when I saw it by daylight I could not endure its lustre.

At the head of the bed there stood on each side a lighted flambeau,
but for what use I could not comprehend; however, it made me imagine
that there must be some one living in the place, for I could not believe
that the torches continued thus burning of themselves.

The doors being all open, I surveyed some other apartments, that
were as beautiful as those I had already seen. In short, the wonders
that everywhere appeared so wholly engrossed my attention that I for-
got my ship and my sisters, and thought of nothing but gratifying my
curiosity. In the meantime night came on, and I tried to return by the
way I had entered, but I could not find it; I lost myself among the
apartments ; and perceiving I was come back again to the large room,
where the throne, the couch, the large diamond, and the torches stood,
I resolved to take my night’s lodging there, and to depart the next
morning early, to get aboard my ship. I laid myself down upon a
costly couch, not without some dread to be alone in a desolate place ;
and this fear hindered my sleep.

About midnight I heard a man reading the Koran,! in the same tone
as it is read in our mosques. I immediately arose, and taking a torch
in my hand passed from one chamber to another, on that side from
whence the voice proceeded, until looking through a window I found it
to be an oratory. It had, as we have in our mosques, a niche,? to direct

1 Koran (derived from the word Karaa, to read) signifies ‘ the Reading—that
which ought to be read.’ It is the collection of revelations supposed to be given
from heaven to Mahommed during a period of twenty-three years. Some
were given at Mecca, and some at Medina. Tach was regarded by some as a
mystery full of divine meaning. It is divided into thirty parts; and, as each
mosque has thirty readers, it is read through once a day. These readers chant
it in long lines with a rhythmical ending, and, in the absence of definite vowels,
they alone know the right pronunciation of the Koran,—Sale’s ‘Preliminary
Dissertation,’ p. 56.

* This is the kaaba or kebla, a sacred stone in the centre of the temple at
Mecca, over which is a lofty building, from which the name is by some said to
be derived—Cuaba, high. Mr. Ferguson, in his lately published account of ‘'The
Holy Sepulchre,’ thus describes it : ‘The precept of the Koran is, that all men,
when they pray, shall turn towards the kaaba, or holy house at Mecca; and,
consequently, throughout the Moslem world, indicators have been put up to en-
able the Faithful to fulfil this condition. In India they face west ; in Barbary,
east ; in Syria, south. It is true that when rich men, or kings, built mosques,
they frequently covered the face of this wall with arcades, to shelter the
worshipper from the sun or rain, They enclosed it in a court that his
meditations might not be disturbed by the noises of the outside world. They














THE OMRAH'’S DAUGHTER.





THE STORY OF ZOBEIDE. 83
us whither we are to turn to say our prayers; there were also lamps
hung up, and two candlesticks with large tapers of white wax burning.

I saw a little carpet laid down like those we have to kneel upon
when we say our prayers, and a comely young man sat on this carpet
reading with great devotion the Koran, which lay before him on a desk.
At this sight I was transported with admiration. I wondered how it
came to pass that he should be the only living creature in a town where
all the people were turned into stones; and I did not doubt but there
was something in the circumstance very extraordinary.

The door being only half shut, I opened it, went in, and standing
upright before the niche, I exclaimed: ‘Bismillah!! Praise be to
God.’ The young man turned towards me, and, having saluted me,
inquired what had brought me to this desolate city. I told him in a
few words my history, and I prayed him to tell me why he alone was
left alive in the midst of such terrible desolation. At these words he
shut the Koran, put it into a rich case, and laid it in the niche, and
thus addressed me: ‘Know that this city was the metropolis of a
mighty kingdom, over which the sultan, who was my father, reigned.
That prince, his whole court, the inhabitants of the city, and all his
other subjects, were magi, worshippers of fire instead of God.

‘But though I was born of an idolatrous father and mother, I had
the good fortune in my youth to have a nurse who was a good Mussul-
man, believing in God and in His prophet. ‘Dear prince,” would she
oftentimes say, ‘ there is but one true God; take heed that you do not
acknowledge and adore any other.” She taught me to read Arabic, and
the book she gave me to study was the Koran. As soon as I was
capable of understanding it, she explained to me all the passages of
this excellent book, unknown to my father or any other person. She
died, but not before she had perfectly instructed me in the Mussulman
religion. After her death, I persisted in worshipping according to its
directions ; and I abhor the adoration of fire.

‘About three years and some months ago, a thundering voice was
suddenly sounded so distinctly through the whole city, that nobody
could miss hearing it. The words were these; ‘ Inhabitants, abandon
the worship of fire, and worship the only God who shows mercy.”
This voice was heard three years successively, but no one was con-
verted. On the last day of that year, at the break of day, all the



provided it with fountains, that he might perform the required ablutions before
prayer, But still the essential part of the mosques is the mihrad, or niche,
which points towards Mecca, and towards which when he bows, the worshipper
knows that the kaaba also is before him.’ The holy house erected over the haaba
was decorated annually with rich tapestries and a deep golden band, at the cost
of the caliphs.

1 Bismillah. All the chapters of the Koran, except nine, begin with this
word. Its meaning is, ‘In the name of the merciful God.’ It is said to be
frequently used in conversation by the Arabs.—Sale’s ‘Preliminary Disserta-
tion,’ p. 153.

6—2
84 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
inhabitants were changed in an instant into stone, everyone in the
condition and posture he happened to bein. The sultan, my father,
and the queen, my mother, shared the same fate.

‘I am the only person who did not suffer under that heavy judg-
ment, and ever since I have continued to serve God with more fervency
than before. I am persuaded, dear lady, that He has sent you hither
for my comfort, for which I render Him infinite thanks, for I must own
that I have become weary of this solitary life.’

On hearing these words, I said: ‘ Prince, who can doubt that Provi-
dence has brought me into your port to afford you an opportunity of
withdrawing from this dismal place. I am a lady of Bagdad, where I
have considerable property; and I dare engage to promise you sanctuary
there, until the mighty Commander of the Faithful, caliph of our
prophet, whom you acknowledge, shows you the honour that is due to
your merit. This renowned prince lives at Bagdad, and as soon as he
is informed of your arrival in his capital, you will find it not in vain to
implore his assistance. Stay no longer in a city where you can only
renew your grief; my vessel is at your service, where you may abso-
lutely command as you shall think fit.’ He accepted the offer, and as
soon as it was day we left the palace, and went aboard my ship, where
we found my sisters, the captain, and the slaves, all much troubled at
my absence. After I had presented my sisters to the prince, I told
them what had hindered my return the day before, how I had met
with the young prince, his story, and the cause of the desolation of so
fine a city.

The seamen were taken up several days in unlading the merchandise
I brought with me, and embarking in its stead many of the precious
things in the palace, especially jewels, gold, and money. We left the
furniture and goods, which consisted of an infinite quantity of silver
vessels, because our vessel could not carry it, for it would have required
several vessels more to convey to Bagdad all the riches that we might
have taken with us.

After we had laden the vessel with what we thought most desirable,
we took such provisions and water aboard as were necessary for our
voyage; at last we set sail with a favourable wind.

The young prince, my sisters, and myself passed our time very agree-
ably. But, alas! this good understanding did not last long, for my
sisters grew jealous of the friendship between the prince and myself,
and maliciously asked me one day what we should do with him when
we came to Bagdad. Resolving to put this question off with a joke, I
answered, ‘I will take him for my husband ;’ and upon that, turning
myself to the prince, said, ‘ Sir, I humbly beg of you to give your
consent, for as soon a8 we come to Bagdad I design to offer you my
person to be your slave, to do you all the service that is in my power,
and to resign myself wholly to your commands.’

The prince replied, ‘I know not, madam, whether you be in jest or
no; but for my part, I seriously declare before these ladies, your sisters,


THE STORY OF ZOBEIDE. 85
that from this moment I heartily accept your offer, not with any inten-
tion to have you as a slave, but as my lady and wife.’ At these words
my sisters changed colour, and I could perceive afterwards that they did
not love me as before.

We entered the Persian Gulf, and had come within a short distance
of Bussorah (where I hoped, considering the fair wind, we might have
arrived the day following), when, in the night while I was asleep, my
sisters watched their opportunity and threw me overboard. They did
the same to the prince, who was drowned. I floated some minutes on
the water, and by good fortune, or rather miracle, I felt ground. I
went towards a dark spot that, by what I could discern, seemed to be
land, and which, when day appeared, I found to be a desert island,
lying about twenty miles from Bussorah. I soon dried my clothes in
the sun, and as I walked along I found several kinds of fruit, and
likewise fresh water, which gave me some hopes of preserving my
life.

I had just laid myself down to rest in a shade, when I perceived
a very large winged serpent coming towards me with an irregular
waving movement, and hanging out its tongue, which induced me to
conclude it had received some injury. I instantly arose, and perceived
that it was pursued by a larger serpent, which had hold of its tail, and
was endeavouring to devour it. This perilous situation of the first
serpent excited my pity ; and, instead of retreating, I took up a stone
that lay near me, and threw it with all my strength at its pursuer,
whom I hit upon the head and killed. The other, finding itself at
liberty, took wing and flew away. I looked after it for some time till
it disappeared. I then sought another shady spot for repose, and fell
asleep.

Judge what was my surprise, when I awoke, to see standing by mea
black woman of lively and agreeable features, who held in her hand
two dogs of the same colour, fastened together. I sat up, and asked
her who she was. ‘I am,’ said she, ‘the serpent whom you lately
delivered from my mortal enemy, and I wish to requite the important
services you have rendered me. These two black dogs are your sisters,
whom I have transformed into this shape. But this punishment will
not suffice, and my will is that you treat them thereafter in the way I
shall direct.’

As soon as she had thus spoken, the fairy took me under one of her
arms, and the two black dogs under the other, and conveyed us to my
house in Bagdad, where I found in my storehouses all the riches with
which my vessel had been laden. Before she left me, she delivered to
me the two dogs, and said, ‘If you would not be changed into a similar
form, I command you to give each of your sisters every night one
hundred lashes with a rod, as the punishment of the crime they have
committed against yourself and the young prince, whom they have
drowned.’ I was forced to promise obedience. Since that time I
have whipped them every night, though with regret, whereof your


86 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



majesty has been a witness. My tears testify with how much sorrow
and reluctance I perform this painful duty. If there be anything else
relating to myself that you desire to know, my sister Amina will give
you full information in the relation of her story.

After the caliph had heard Zobeide with much astonishment, he
desired his grand vizier to reauest Amina to acquaint him wherefore
her breast was disfigured with so many scars.

THE HISTORY OF AMINA.

CoMMANDER OF THE F'arrHrut, that I may not repeat those things of
which your majesty has already been informed by my sister, I will
only mention that my mother, having taken a house to pass her widow-
hood in private, first bestowed me in marriage on the heir of one of the
richest men in this city.

‘T had not been married quite a year before my husband died. Ithus
became a widow, and was in possession of all his property, which
amounted to above ninety thousand sequins. When the first six
months of my mourning was over, I caused to be made for me ten
different dresses, of such magnificence that each came to a thousand
sequins ; and at the end of the year I began to wear them.

One day, while I was alone, a lady! desired to speak to me. I gave
orders that she should be admitted. She was avery old woman. She
saluted me by kissing the ground, and said to me, kneeling, ‘ Dear lady,
the confidence I have in your charity makes me thus bold. I have an
orphan daughter, whose wedding is on this night. She andI are both
strangers, and have no acquaintance in this town, which much perplexes
me. Therefore, most beautiful lady, if you would vouchsafe to honour
the wedding with your presence, we shall be infinitely obliged, because
the family with whom we shall be allied will then know that we are not
regarded here as unworthy and despised persons. But, alas! madam,
if you refuse this request, how great will be our mortification!—we
know not where else to apply.’

This poor woman’s address, which she spoke with tears, moved my
compassion. ‘Good woman,’ said I, ‘do not afflict yourself; I will
grant you the favour you desire. Tell me whither I must go, and I will
mect you as soon as I am dressed.’ The old woman was so transported
with joy at my answer, that she kissed my feet before I had time to

1 * For the choice of a wife a man generally relies on his mother, or some other
near relation, or a professional female betrother (who is called khatebeh), for
there are women who perform this office for hire..—Lane’s ‘Notes to the
Arnbian Nights,’ vol. i., c. iv., p. 285.
THE HISTORY OF AMINA. 87
prevent her. ‘ Compassionate lady,’ said she, rising, ‘God will reward
the kindness you have showed to your servants, and make your heart as
joyful as you have made theirs. You need not at present trouble your-
self; I will call for you in the evening.’

As soon as she was gone, I took the suit I liked best, with a necklace
of large pearls, bracelets, pendants for my ears, and rings set with
the finest and most sparkling diamonds, and prepared to attend the
ceremony.

When the night closed in, the old woman called upon me, with a
countenance full of joy, and said, ‘ Dear lady, the relations of my son-
in-law, who are the principal ladies of the city, are now met together.
You may come when you please; I am ready to conduct you.’ We
immediately set out; she walked before me, and I was followed by a
number of my women and slaves, richly robed for the occasion. We
stopped in a wide street, newly swept and watered, at a spacious gate
with a lamp, by the light of which I read this inscription, in golden
letters, over the entrance: ‘ This is the continual abode of pleasure and
joy.’ The old woman knocked, and the gate was opened immediately.

I was conducted towards the lower end of the court, into a large hall,
where I was received by a young lady of exceeding beauty. She drew
near, and, after having embraced me, made me sit down by her upon a
sofa, on which was raised a throne of precious wood set with diamonds.
‘Madam,’ said she, ‘ you are brought hither to assist at a wedding ; but
I hope it will be a different wedding from what you expected. I have
a brother, one of the handsomest men in the world; his fate depends
wholly upon you, and he will be the unhappiest of men if you do not
take pity on him. If my prayers, madam, can prevail, I shall join
them with his, and humbly beg you will not refuse the proposal of
being his wife.’

After the death of my husband, I had not thought of marrying again ;
but I had no power to refuse the solicitation of so charming a lady.
As soon as I had given consent by my silence, accompanied with a
blush, the young lady clapped her hands, and immediately a curtain
was withdrawn, from which came a young man of so majestic an air,
and so graceful a countenance, that I thought myself happy to have
made such a choice. He sat down by me, and I found from his con-
versation that his merits far exceeded the account of him given by his
sister.

When she perceived that we were satisfied with one another, she
clapped her hands a second time, and a cadi,! with four witnesses,
entered, who wrote and signed our contract of marriage. There was
only one condition that my new husband imposed upon me, that I
should not be seen by nor speak to any other man but himself; and he
vowed to me that, if I complied in this respect, I should have no reason.

1 Marriage among the Mahommedans is an exclusively civil ceremony ; and
therefore the cadi, a civil fudge, and not an imaun, or sinister of religion, was
summoned.
88 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

to complain of him. Our marriage was concluded and finished after
this manner; ¢o I became the principal actress in a wedding to which
I had only been invited as a guest.

About a month after our marriage, having occasion for some stuffs, I
asked my husband’s permission to go out to buy them, which he
granted; and I took with me the old woman of whom I spoke before,
she being one of the family, and two of my own female slaves.

When we came to the streets where the merchants reside, the old
woman said, ‘Dear mistress, since you want silk stuffs, I must take you
to a young merchant of my acquaintance, who has a great variety ; and
that you may not fatigue yourself by running from shop to shop, I can
assure you that you will find in his what no other can furnish.” I was
easily persuaded, and we entered a shop belonging to a young merchant.
I sat down, and bade the old woman desire him to show me the finest
silk stuffs he had. The woman desired me to speak myself; but I told
her it was one of the articles of my marriage-contract not to speak to
any man but my husband, which I ought to keep.

The merchant showed me several stuffs, of which one pleased me
better than the rest; and I bade her ask the price. He answered the
old woman: ‘I will not sell it for gold or money; but I will make her
a present of it, if she will give me leave to kiss her cheek.’ I ordered
the old woman to tell him that he was very rude to propose such a
freedom. But instead of obeying me, she said, ‘ What the merchant
desires of you is no such great matter; you need not speak, but only
present him your cheek.’ The stuff pleased me so much that I was
foolish enough to take her advice. The old woman and my slaves
stood up, that nobody might see, and I put up my veil;! but instead of
kissing me, the merchant bit me so violently as to draw blood.

The pain and my surprise were so great that I fell down in a swoon,
and continued insensible so long that the merchant had time to escape.
When I came to myself, I found my cheek covered with blood. The
old woman and my slaves took care to cover it with my veil, that the
people who came about us could not perceive it, but supposed I had
only had a fainting fit.

The old woman who accompanicd me, being extremely troubled at
this accident, endeavoured to comfort me. ‘My dear mistress,’ said
she, ‘I beg your pardon, for I am the cause of this misfortune, having
brought you to this merchant, because he is my countryman; but I
never thought he would be guilty of such a villainous action. But do

1 ‘No woman, of what rank soever, is permitted to go into the streets with-
out two muslins ; one that covers her face all but her eyes, and another that
hides the whole dress of her head, and hangs half-way down her back, Their
shapes are also wholly concealed by a thing they call a ferigee, which no woman
appears without. This has straight sleeves, that reach to their finger ends,
and it laps all round them, not unlike a riding-hood. In winter it is of cloth,
and in summer, of plain stuff or silk.--Lady M. W. Montague’s ‘ Letters,’
vol, vii., p. 373.
THE HISTORY OF AMINA. 89
not grieve; let us hasten home; I will apply a remedy that shall in
three days so perfectly cure you that not the least mark shall be
visible.’ :

The fit had made me so weak that I was scarcely able to walk.
But at last I got home, where I again fainted, as I went into my
chamber. Meanwhile, the old woman applied her remedy. I came to
myself, and went to bed.

My husband came to me at night, and, seeing my head bound up,
asked me the reason. I told him I had the headache, which I hoped
would have satisfied him; but he took a candle, and saw my cheek was
hurt. ‘How comes this wound? he said. Though I did not consider
myself as guilty of any great offence, yet I could not think of owning
the truth. Besides, to make such an avowal to a husband I considered
as somewhat indecorous. I therefore said that as I was going, under
his permission, to purchase a silk-stuff, a camel,! carrying a load of
wood, came so near to me in a narrow street that one of the sticks
grazed my cheek, but had not done me much hurt. ‘If that is the case,’
said my husband, ‘ to-morrow morning, before sunrise, the grand vizier
Giafar shall be informed of this insolence, and cause all the camel-
drivers to be put to death.’ ‘ Pray, sir,’ said I, ‘let me beg of you to
pardon them, for they are not guilty.’ ‘How, madam,’ he demanded ;
‘what, then, am I to believe? Speak, for I am resolved to know the
truth from your own mouth!’ ‘ Sir,’ I replied, ‘I was taken with
a giddiness and fell down, and that is the whole matter.’

‘At these words my husband lost all patience. ‘I have,’ said he,
‘too long listened to your tales.’ As he spoke he clapped his hands,
and in came three slaves. ‘ Strike,’ said he; ‘ cut her in two, and then
throw her into the Tigris. This is the punishment I inflict on those to
whom I have given my heart when they falsify their promise.’

Thad recourse to entreaties and prayers; but I supplicated in vain,
when the old woman, who had been his nurse, coming in just at that
moment, fell down upon her knees, and endeavoured to appease his
wrath. ‘ My son,’ said she, ‘since I have been your nurse, and brought
you up, let me beg you to consider, ‘‘ he who kills shall be killed,” and
that you will stain your reputation and forfeit the esteem of mankind.’
She spoke these words in such an affecting manner, accompanied by
tears, that she prevailed upon him at last to abandon his purpose.

‘ Well, then,’ said he to his nurse, ‘for your sake I will spare her life;
but she shall bear about her person some marks to make her remember
her offence.’ When he had thus spoken, one of the slaves, by his
order, gave me, upon my sides and breast, so many blows with a little
cane that he tore away” both skin and flesh, which threw me into a



1 The streets of Wastern cities are often so narrow as to be blocked up with a
wide camel load, or to prevent two horsemen riding abreast. This is the cause of
those footmen who run before great men to prepare the way for them.

2The Mussulmans are allowed by the Koran to beat their wives, so long as
go THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



swoon. In this state he caused the same slaves, the executioners of his
will, to carry me into the house, where the old woman took care of me.
I kept my bed four months. At last I recovered. The scars which,
contrary to my wish, you saw yesterday have remained ever since.

As soon as I was able to walk and go abroad, I resolved to retire to
the house which was left me by my first husband; but I could not find
the site whereon it stood, as my second husband had caused it to be
levelled with the ground.

Being thus left destitute and helpless, I had recourse to my dear
sister Zobeide. She received me with her accustomed goodness, and
advised me to bear with patience my affliction, from which, she said,
none are free. In confirmation of her remark, she gave me an account
of the loss of the young prince her husband, occasioned by the jealousy
of her two sisters. She told me also by what accident they were trans-
formed into dogs; and, in the last place, after a thousand testimonials
of her love towards me, she introduced me to my youngest sister, who
had likewise taken sanctuary with her after the death of her mother ; and
we have continued to live together in the house in which we received
the guests whom your highness found assembled on your visit last night.

The caliph publicly expressed his admiration of what he had heard,
and inquired of Zobeide, ‘Madam, did not this fairy, whom you
delivered, and who imposed such a rigorous command upon you, tell
you where -her place of abode was? or that she would restore your
sisters to their natural shape?”

‘Conmmander of the Faithful,’ answered Zobeide, ‘the fairy did leave
with me a bundle of hair, saying that her presence would one day be
of use to me; and then, if I only burned two tufts of this hair, she would
be with me ina moment.’ ‘Madam,’ demanded the caliph, ‘ where is
the bundle of hair?’ She answered, ‘ Ever since that time I have been
so careful of it that I always carry it about me.’ Upon which she
pulled it out of the case which contained it, and showed it to him.
‘Well, then,’ said the caliph, ‘let us bring the fairy hither ; you could
not call her in a better time, for I long to see her.’

Zobeide having consented, fire was brought in, and she threw the
whole bundle of hair into it. The palace at that instant began to shake,
and the fairy appeared before the caliph in the form of a lady very
richly dressed.

‘Commander of the Faithful,’ said she to the prince, ‘you see I am
ready to receive your commands. At your wish, I will not only restore
these two sisters to their former shape, but I will also cure this lady of
her scars, and tell you who it was that abused her.’

; bey do not make a bruise, The husband on this occasion must have broken
the law.

Some such permission was given by an English judge, Sir John Buller, who
declared the stick used must not be thicker thaw his thumb, from whence he
obtained the soubriquet of ‘ Thumb Buller,


THE HISTORY OF AMINA, 91



The caliph sent for the two dogs from Zobeide’s house, and when
they came, a glass of water was brought to the fairy by her desire. She
pronounced over it some words, which nobody understood ; then throw-
ing some part of it upon Amina, and the rest upon the dogs, the latter
became two ladies of surprising beauty, and the scars that were upon
Amina disappeared. After which the fairy said to the caliph, ‘Com-
mander of the Faithful, I must now discover to you the unknown husband
you inquire after. He is Prince Amin, your eldest son, who by strata-
gem brought this lady to his house, where he married her. As to the
blows he caused to be given her, he is in some measure excusable; for
this lady, his spouse, by the excuses she made, led him to believe she
was more faulty than she really was.’ At these words she saluted the
caliph and vanished.

The caliph, much satisfied with the changes that had happened
through his means, acted in such a manner as will perpetuate hig
memory to all ages. First, he sent for his son Amin, told him that he
was informed of his secret marriage, and how he had ill-treated Amina
upon a very slight cause. Upon this the prince, upon his father’s com-
mands, received her again immediately.

After which Haroun al Raschid declared that he would give his own
heart and hand to Zobeide, and offered the other three sisters to the
calenders, sons of sultans, who accepted them for their brides with
much joy. The caliph assigned each of them a magnificent palace in
the city of Bagdad, promoted them to the highest dignities of his
empire, and admitted them to his councils.

The chief cadi of Bagdad being called, with witnesses, wrote the
contracts of marriage; and the caliph, in promoting by his patronage
the happiness of many persons who had suffered such incredible
calamities, drew a thousand blessings upon himself,





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STORY OF PRINCE BEDER AND THE
PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA.



URING early periods
Persia was an empire of
such vast extent that its
ancient monarchs had
some reason to assume
their haughty title of King
of kings. They had kings
and princes in subjection
to them, even as in other
nations private citizens
are under the authority of
their sovereign. One of
these kings had alike
distinguished himself ir
peace and war, ang
thought himself the hap-
piest of men. He had
only one cause of com-
plaint—he had no son to
* be the heir of his greatness. He

§ gave much alms, and performed
many acts of devotion, in hopes of
obtaining what he so earnestly
desired.

One day a merchant brought
him a slave of more than ordinary
any sca beauty, for whom he gave ten

thousand pieces of gold. The king
loved her at first sight; and, out of his affection for her, dismissed all
his other slaves with rich presents, and free leave to marry whosoever
they thought fit. However, for a whole year together, the beautiful
slave, though the king’s affection for her increased more and more, was






YHAHIL'S SORROW.









PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 95
never seen to laugh, and never spoke one singie word to him, or to any
of her attendants.

At last, one day near the end of the year, while the king was express-
ing to her, in endearing terms, his love and admiration, she suddenly
smiled, and then commenced to speak. ‘Sire,’ she said, ‘my name is
Gulnare! of the Sea. My father, who is dead, was one of the most
powerful monarchs of the ocean. At his death, he left his kingdom to
my brother, named Saleh, and to the Queen Fareshah, my mother, who
is also a princess, the daughter of another puissant monarch of the
sea. A neighbouring prince, without any provocation, invaded our
kingdom, and took our capital. We were driven to take refuge in an
inaccessible fastness. My brother, for my greater protection, wished
me to marry. ‘‘In the present condition of our affairs,” said he, ‘‘I see no
probability of matching you to any of the princes of the sea; and,
therefore, I should be glad if you would concur in my opinion, and
think of marrying some of the princes of the earth. Believe me, there
are kings of the earth who are in no way inferior to those of the sea.”
At this discourse of my brother’s I was much grieved. ‘‘ Brother,” said
T, “you know that I am descended, as well as you, from the kings
and queens of the sea, without any mixture of alliance with those of
the earth; therefore I do not design to marry below myself, and I have
taken an oath to that effect.” He left me, as much dissatistied with
myself as he could possibly be. With my mind in this peevish mood,
I gave a spring from the bottom of the sea to the Island of the Moon.
Here a powerful emir seized me, and carried me to his home. On my
refusing his hand, he resolved to sell me to the merchant by whom I was
presented to you. As for you, sire,’ continued the Princess Gulnare, ‘if
you had not shown me all the respect you have hitherto done (for which
T am extremely obliged to your goodness), and given me such undeniable
marks of your affection, I should not have remained with you. I would
have thrown myself into the sea out of this window, and would have
gone in search of my mother, my brother, and the rest of my relations.
But as itis, I have the expectation of presenting you with an heir to
your throne, and this will be a pledge to engage me never more to leave
you. I hope, therefore, you will no longer regard me as a slave, but as
a princess worthy your alliance.’

‘My dearest princess,’ cried he, ‘ what wonders have I heard! You
are henceforth my queen, the Queen of Persia; and by that title you
shall be proclaimed throughout the whole kingdom. To-morrow the
ceremony shall be performed in my capital with the utmost pomp and
magnificence, for you are my queen and my lawful wife. But I beseech
you, madam, to inform me more particularly of the kingdom and people
of the sea. I cannot comprehend how it is possible for you to live or
move in water without being drowned.’



1 Gulnare signifies ‘ pomegranate’; Saleh, ‘just or virtuous’; Fareshah, ‘moth
or butterfly’; Joharah, ‘a jewel,’—Lane’s ‘ Notes,’ vol. ili., p. 280-284.
96 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



‘Sire,’ replied the Queen Gulnare, ‘we can walk at the bottom of
the sea with as much ease as you can upon land; and we can breathe
in the water as you do in the air. What is yet more remarkable, it
never wets our clothes; so that when we wish to visit the earth, we
have no occasion to dry them. Our language is the same with that of
the writing engraved upon the seal! of the great prophet Solomon the
son of David.

‘TI must not forget to inform you further, that the water does not in
the least hinder us from seeing, for we can open our eyes without any
inconvenience; and as we have quick, piercing sight, we can discern any
object as clearly in the deepest part of the sea as upon land.

‘The palaces of the kings and princes are magnificent. Some of
them are constructed of marble of various colours; others of rock-
crystal, with which the sea abounds, mother-of-pearl, coral, and of
other materials more valuable; gold, silver, and all sorts of precious
stones are more plentiful there than on earth. I say nothing of the
pearls, since the largest that ever were seen upon earth would not be
valued amongst us.

‘As we have a marvellous and incredible agility to transport our-
selves whither we please in the twinkling of an eye, we have no occasion
for carriages or horses; not but that the king has his stables, and his
stud of sea-horses; but they are seldom used, except upon public feasts or
rejoicing days. The horses are trained to draw by themselves, so that
there is no occasion for a charioteer to guide them, and are yoked to
chariots of mother-of-pearl, adorned with an infinite number of shells
of all sorts, of the liveliest colours. These chariots are open; and in
the middle is a throne on which the king sits, and shows himself to the
public view of his subjects. I pass over a thousand other curious
particulars relating to these submarine countries, to speak of something
of much greater consequence. J wish to ask you, sire, to grant me
leave to send for my mother and cousins, and for the king my brother,
to whom I have a great desire to be reconciled. They will be right glad
to see me the wife of the mighty King of Persia, and I think you would
be pleased to see them.’

‘Madam,’ replied the King of Persia, ‘ you are queen, do whatever
you please ; I will endeavour to receive them with all the honours they
deserve. But I would fain know how ycu will acquaint them with what
you desire, and when they will arrive, that I may give orders to make
preparation for their reception, and go myself in person to meet them.’
‘Sire,’ replied the Queen Gulnare, ‘there is no need of these cere-
monies ; they will be here in a moment; and if your majesty will but
step into the closet, and look through the lattice towards the sca, you
shall see the manner of their arrival.’

1‘ Various legends are told of the signet of Solomon. The evil spirit Sakkar
one day got possession of it, and assumed Solomon’s shape, and altered the laws
for forty days, at the expiration of which time his power left him.’—Sale’s
‘koran,’ note, p. 374.
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 97



As soon as the King of Persia was in the closet, Queen Gulnare
ordered one of her women to bring her a fire-pan with a little fire.
After that she bade her retire, and shut the door. When she was
alone, she took a piece of aloes-wood out of a box, and put it into the
fire-pan. As soon as she saw the smoke rise, she repeated some
mysterious words known only to herself. She had no sooner ended,
than the sea began to be rough, and opened in the distance; and pre-
sently there arose out of it a tall, handsome young man, with whiskers
of a sea-green colour; a little behind him, a lady, advanced in years,
but of a majestic air, attended by five young ladies, nothing inferior in
beauty to the Queen Gulnare.

They all seemed to be borne, as it were, upon the surface of the
waves. When they came to the shore, they nimbly, one after another,
sprung in at the window. King Saleh, the queen her mother, and the
rest of her relations, embraced her tenderly on their first entrance,
shedding tears of joy.

The King of Persia treated his illustrious guests with continual feasts,
in which he omitted nothing that might show his grandeur and
magnificence, and insensibly prevailed with them to prolong their visit
for some months.

In the meanwhile Queen Gulnare gave birth to a son, which caused
the King of Persia greater joy than can be expressed.

The young prince being of a beautiful countenance, he thought no
name so proper for him as that of Beder, which in the Arabian
language signifies the Full Moon. In token of gratitude to Heaven, he
was very liberal in his alms to the poor, caused the prison doors to be set
open, and gave all his slaves of both sexes their liberty. He distributed
vast sums among the ministers and holy men of his religion. He also
gave large donations to his courtiers, besides a considerable sum that
was thrown amongst the people, and by proclamation ordered re-
joicings to be kept for several days through the whole city.

One day after the queen’s recovery, as the King of Persia, Gulnare,
the queen her mother, King Saleh her brother, and the princesses their
relations, were discoursing together in her majesty’s bed-chamber, the
nurse came in with the young Prince Beder in her arms. King Saleh,
as soon as he saw him, ran to embrace him, and, taking him in his
arms, kissed and caressed him with the greatest tenderness. He took
several turns with him about the room, dancing and tossing him about,
when all of a sudden, through a transport of joy, the window being
open, he sprung out, and plunged with him into the sea.

The King of Persia, believing he should see the prince his son no
more, was overwhelmed in affliction. ‘ Sire,’ said Queen Gulnare (with
a quiet and undisturbed countenance, the better to comfort him), ‘let
your majesty fear nothing ; the young prince is my son as well as yours,
and he will have the advantage his uncle and I possess, of living equally

in the sea and upon the land.’ The queen her mother and the
princesses her relations affirmed the same thing; yet all they said had
q
98 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



no effect on the king, who could not recover from his alarm till he again
saw Prince Beder.

The sea at length became very rough, when immediately King Saleh
arose with the young prince in his arms, and holding him up in the air,
re-entered at the window from which he had leaped. The King of
Persia being overjoyed to see Prince Beder again, and astonished that
he was as dry as before, said to him, ‘ Prince, you now restore life to
me by bringing my son to me again.’ ‘ You had not the least reason,’
replied King Saleh, ‘to apprehend danger ; for before I plunged into the
sea, I pronounced over him certain mysterious words, which were en-
graven on the seal of the great Solomon the son of David; and now
your son, as long as he lives, and as often as he pleases, will be at
liberty to plunge into the sea, and traverse the vast empires it contains
in its bosom.’

Having so spoken, King Saleh, who had restored Prince Beder to his
nurse’s arms, opened a box he had fetched from his palace. It was
fitted with three hundred diamonds, as large as pigeons’ eggs; with a
like number of rubies and emeralds of extraordinary size; and with
thirty necklaces, consisting each of ten rows of the finest pearls. ‘ Sire,’
said he to the King of Persia, presenting him with this box, ‘I beg you
to accept this small token of gratitude in acknowledgment of the many
favours you have been pleased to confer on the queen my sister, for
which, with her, we owe you the most profound obligations.’ Having
said this, he gave the Prince of Persia to understand that the queen his
mother, the princesses his relations, and himself, could have no greater
pleasure than to spend their whole lives at his court; but that having
been so long absent from their own kingdom, they begged to take leave
of him and Queen Gulnare. The King of Persia assured them he was
sorry it was not in his power to return their visit in their own
dominions ; but added,‘ As I am persuaded you will not forget Gulnare,
I hope I shall see you again more than once.’

Many tears were shed on both sides upon their separation. This
royal company were no sooner out of sight, than the King of Persia
said to Gulnare, ‘O queen, if any person had pretended to pass upon
me for true wonders what I myself have been an eye-witness to, while
your illustrious family was at my court, I should have refused my
credence to their tale. But I cannot refuse to believe my senses ;
and shall remember your relations while I live, and shall never cease
to bless Heaven for directing you to me, in preference to any other

rince.’

7 Prince Beder was brought up and educated with the ttmost care in
the palace under the King and Queen of Persia. As he advanced in
years, his continual sprightliness, agreeable manners, quick discernment,
and ready wit, gave the liveliest pleasure to his parents ; and this plea-
sure was increased because King Saleh his uncle, the queen his grand-
mother, and the princesses his relations, came from time to time to
partake of it.
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS J/EHAUN-ARA. 99





He was taught to read and write, and, at the age of fifteen, was
perfect master of all the sciences that became a prince of his rank.
He was withal wise and prudent; so that the king, who began to per-
ceive the infirmities of old age coming upon himself, purposed to resign
to him the possession of his throne. He had no great difficulty to make
either his council or his people consent to this arrangement. Ina word,
as the king had for a long time abstained from appearing in public, they
had the opportunity of observing the young prince, and of seeing that
he possessed all the attributes of justice, mercy, and affability, which
became a good and great monarch.

The day for his coronation was appointed, when, in the midst of the
whole assembly, the King of Persia came down from his throne, took
the crown from his head, put it on that of Prince Beder, and having
seated him in his place, prostrated himself before him as a token that
he resigned his authority to him. After which he took his place among
the crowd of viziers and emirs below the throne.

Hereupon the viziers, emirs, and other principal officers, came imme-
diately and threw themselves at the new king’s feet, taking each the
oath of fidelity according to their rank. Then the grand vizier made a
report of divers important matters, on which the young king gave judg-
ment with that admirable prudence and sagacity that surprised all the
council. He at length left the council, accompanied by his father, and
went to wait on his mother, Queen Gulnare, at her apartment. The
queen no sooner saw him coming with his crown upon his head, than
she ran to him and embraced him with tenderness, wishing him a long
and prosperous reign.

The first year of King Beder’s reign passed off most happily. He
addressed himself to the reformation of abuses, and to the promotion of
the happiness of his people. At its close, the old king his father fell so
dangerously ill that he knew at once he should never recover. His
only care was to recommend to the viziers, emirs, and other lords, to
persevere in the fidelity they had sworn to his son. He died at length,
to the great grief of King Beder and Queen Gulnare, and his body was
borne with all regal honour to a stately mausoleum.

The funeral obsequies ended, King Beder, in accordance with ancient
custom, mourned a whole month, and was not seen by anybody during
that time. When the month was expired, the king, at the earnest request
of the grand vizier and the other lords of his court, laid aside his mourn-
ing, and resumed his royal habit, and began to provide for the necessities
of his kingdom and subjects with the same assiduity as before his father’s
death. At the end of the year in which the old king died, his uncle,
King Saleh, came to visit him; and King Beder and Queen Gulnare were
overjoyed to see him. One evening, talking of various matters, King
Saleh proceeded to paint in such glowing terms the graces and beauties
of the fairest of the sea-princesses, the lovely Jehaun-ara, that King
Beder, from the description alone, desired to obtain her as his wife. In
vain his mother, Queen Gulnare, and his uncle placed before him the

- 7-2
100 THE ARABIAN NIGATS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
lifficulties in the way of the fulfilment of his wish through the pride of
her father, the King of Samandal, who would refuse the hand of his
daughter to any earth-born prince, however illustrious and powerful he
might be. King Beder, having set his mind on obtaining the hand of
this fair maiden, never ceased to weary his uncle with his complaints,
till he exacted a promise from him to set out and take him, without his
mother Queen Gulnare’s consent, to his own dominions, that he might
endeavour to obtain the object of his wishes. King Saleh, unable to
resist his nephew’s importunities, one day drew from his finger a ring,
on which were engraven the same mysterious names of God that were
upon Solomon’s seal, which had wrought so many wonders by their
virtue. ‘ Here, take this ring,’ said he; ‘put it on your finger, and fear
neither the waters of the sea nor their depth.’ The King of Persia
took the ring, and when he had put it on his finger, King Saleh said to
him, ‘DoasI do.’ At the same time they both mounted lightly up into
the air, and made towards the sea, which was not far distant, and plunged
into it.

The sea-king was not long in arriving at his palace, with the King of
Persia, whom he immediately carried to the queen’s apartment and pre-
sented to her. The queen then presented him to the princesses; and
while he was in conversation with them, she left him, and went with
King Saleh into another chamber, who told her how the King of Persia
was fallen in love with the Princess Jehaun-ara, upon the bare de-
scription of her beauty; that he had, against his own wishes, or the
knowledge of Queen Gulnare, brought him along with him, and that
he was going to concert measures to procure the princess for him in
marriage.

‘It were to have been wished,’ replied the queen, ‘that we had not
been under a necessity of making this demand, since the success of our
attempt is not so certain as we could desire; but since my grandson’s
peace and content depend upon it, I freely give my consent. But, above
all, I charge you, since you well know the humour of the King of
Samandal, that you take care to propitiate him with rich gifts worthy a
king to give and a king to receive.’

The queen prepared the present herself. It consisted of diamonds,
rubies, emeralds, and pearls, all which she put into a rich box. Next
morning King Saleh departed with a chosen troop of officers and atten-
dants. He soon arrived at the kingdom and the palace of the King of
Samandal, who delayed not to give him audience. He rose from his
throne as soon as he perceived him; and King Saleh, foregoing the
dignity of his own royal state to propitiate him with whom he had to
deal, prostrated himself at his feet, and having received the box of
jewels from one of his servants, opened it and presented it to the king,
imploring him to accept it for his sake.

‘Prince,’ replied the King of Samandal, ‘you would not make me
such a present unless you had a request proportionable to it to pro-
pose. If there be anything in my power to grant, you may freely


PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. Iol



command me, and I shall feel the greatest pleasure in complying
with your wishes. Speak, and tell me frankly wherein I can serve
you.’

‘I must own,’ replied King Saleh, ‘I have a boon to ask of your
majesty ; and I shall take care to ask nothing but what is in your
power to bestow. I came to beg of you to honour our house with
your alliance by the marriage of your daughter, and to strengthen
the good understanding that has so long subsisted between our two
crowns.’

At these words the King of Samandal burst into a loud laugh, falling
back in his throne against a cushion that supported him, and, with an
imperious air, said, ‘King Saleh, I have always thought you a prince
of great wisdom and prudence; but what you say convinces me I
was mistaken. Tell me, I beseech you, where was your wit or dis-
cretion, when you formed to yourself such a chimera as you have
proposed to me? Could you conceive a thought of aspiring in mar-
riage to a princess, the daughter of so powerful a monarch as my-
self? You ought to have considered the great distance between us,
and not run the risk of losing in a moment the esteem I always had
for you.’

King Saleh was hurt at this affronting answer, and could scarcely
restrain his resentment; however, he replied with all possible self-
control, ‘O king, may your life be preserved! I do not demand your
daughter for myself, but for the young King of Persia, my nephew,
whose power and grandeur cannot be unknown to you. Everybody
acknowledges the Princess Jehaun-ara to be the most beautiful maiden
of the sea; but it is no less true that the King of Persia is the hand-
somest and most accomplished prince on earth. The princess is
worthy of the King of Persia, and the King of Persia is no less worthy
of her.’

The King of Samandal, on hearing this speech, broke out into out-
rageous and insulting expressions, unworthy of a great king. ‘ Dog,’
eried he, ‘dare you talk to me after this manner, and so much as
mention my daughter’s name in my presence! Can you think the
son of your sister Gulnare worthy to come in competition with my
daughter! Who are you? Who was your father? Who is your
sister? And who your nephew? Was not his father a dog, and the
son of a dog, like you? Guards, seize the insolent wretch, and strike
off his head |’

The King of Samandal’s officers were about at once to obey his com-
mands, when King Saleh, who was in the flower of his age, nimble and
vigorous, escaped from them before they could draw their scimitars,
and having reached the palace gate, found there a thousand men of his
own guards, who were just arrived, well armed and equipped, and
whom the queen, his mother, foreseeing the reception he would pro-
bably meet from the King of Samandal, had sent to protect and defend
him in case of danger, ordering them to make haste. ‘ Sire,’ cried his
102 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
friends, the moment he joined them, ‘ who has insulted you? We aro.
ready to avenge you; you need only command us.’

King Saleh told them in few words how matters stood, and, putting
himself at their head, seized the gates and re-entered the palace. The
few officers and guards who had pursued him being soon dispersed, he
secured the person of the King of Samandal, and then went from apart-
ment to apartment, to search after the Princess Jehaun-ara. But she,
on the first alarm, had, together with her women, sprung up to the
surface of the sea, and escaped to a desert island.

While these events passed in the palace of the King of Samandal,
some of King Saleh’s attendants fled to the queen-mother and related
the danger of her son. King Beder, who was present at the time, was
the more concerned, as he looked upon himself as the principal author
of her calamity ; therefore, not caring to remain in the queen’s court
any longer, he left the palace, and darted up from the bottom of the
sea ; and, not knowing how to find his way to his own kingdom, landed
on the island where the Princess Jehaun-ara had escaped.

The prince, greatly disturbed in mind, scated himself under the shade
of a pleasant grove. He soon heard sounds of the human voice, but
was too far off to understand what was said. He arose, and advanced
softly towards the place whence the sound proceeded, where, among
the branches, he perceived a fair maiden, whose beauty dazzled him.
‘ Doubtless,’ said he within himself, stopping and considering her with
great attention, ‘this must be the Princess Jehaun-ara, whom fear has
obliged to abandon her father’s palace; or if it be not, she is some
princess no less deserving my love.’ This said, he came forward, and
discovering himself, approached the princess with profound reverence.
‘ Princess,’ said he, ‘a greater happiness could not have befallen me
than this opportunity to offer you my services. I beseech, you, there-
fore, fair lady, to accept them, it being impossible that a lady in this
solitude should not want assistance.’

‘True, sir,’ replied Jehaun-ara sorrowfully; ‘I am a_ princess,
daughter of the King of Samandal, and my name is Jehaun-ara. I
was happy in my father’s palace, in my own apartment, when suddenly
I heard a dreadful noise: tidings were immediately brought me that
King Saleh, I know not for what reason, had forced the palace-gates,
seized the king, my father, and slain all the guards who made any
resistance. TI had only time to save myself and escape hither from his
attack.’

At these words King Beder was sorry that he had left his grand-
mother the queen in such haste, without staying for further explanation
of the news that had been brought. But, on the other hand, he was
overjoyed to find that the king his uncle had rendered himself master of
the King of Samandal’s person, not doubting but he would consent to
give up the princess for his liberty. ‘Fair princess,’ continued he,
‘your anxiety is most natural, but it is easy to put an end both to
it and to your father’s captivity. Give me leave to speak. I am Beder,
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 103



King of Persia. King Saleh is my uncle. I assure you, princess, he
has no design to seize the king your father’s dominions ; his only wish
is to obtain your father’s consent to my asking your hand in marriage.
I had already given my heart to you, upon the bare relation of your
beauty ; and now I beg you to be assured that I will love you as long as
T live.’

This explanation of King Beder did not produce the effect he
expected. When she heard that he had been the occasion of all the
ill-treatment of her father—of the grief and fright she had endured—
she looked upon him as an enemy with whom she ought to have no
communication.

At this moment, however, she resolved not to let King Beder know
her resentment, but to seek an occasion to deliver herself dexterously
out of his hands. Seeming in the meantime to have a great kindness
for him, she said, ‘ Are you, then, son of the Queen Gulnare, so famous
for her wit and beauty? I rejoice that you are the son of so worthy a
mother. The king my father was much in the wrong to oppose our
union; had he but seen you, he must have consented to make us
happy.’ Saying so, she reached forth her hand to him as a token of
friendship.

King Beder, believing himself arrived at the very pinnacle of happi-
ness, held forth his hand, and, taking that of the princess, stooped
down to kiss it, when she, pushing him back, said, ‘ Prince, quit the
form of a man, and take that. of a white bird, with a red bill and red
claws.’ Upon her pronouncing these words, King Beder was imme-
diately changed into such a bird as she described, to his great surprise
and mortification. ‘Take him,’ said she to one of her women, ‘ and
carry him to the Dry Island.’ Now Dry Island was only one frightful
rock, where not a drop of water was to be had.

The attendant took the bird, but, in executing the princess’s orders,
had compassion on King Beder’s misfortune. ‘It would be a great
pity,’ said she to herself, ‘to let a prince, so worthy to live, die of
hunger and thirst. The princess, who is good and gentle, will, it may
be, repent of this cruel order; it were better that I carried him toa
place where he may die a natural death.’ She accordingly carried him
to a well-frequented island, and left him in a charming plain, planted
with all sorts of fruit trees, and watered by divers streams.

In the meanwhile, King Saleh, after he had sought everywhere in
vain for the Princess Jehaun-ara, caused the King of Samandal to be
shut up in his own palace, under a strong guard; and, having given
the necessary orders for governing the kingdom in his absence, returned
to give the queen his mother an account of what he had done. The
first question he asked on his arrival was, where was the king his
nephew ; and he learned with great surprise and vexation that he could
not be found. ‘News being brought me,’ said the queen, ‘of the
danger you were in at the palace of the King of Samandal, whilst I was
giving orders to send you other troops to avenge you, he disappeared.
104 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
He must have been alarmed at hearing of your being in such great
danger, and did not think himself in sufficient security with us.’

This news exceedingly afflicted King Salch, who now repented that
he had carried Beder away with him without his mother Queen
Gulnare’s consent. He sent everywhere to seek for him, but in vain.
Whilst he was under this suspense about his nephew, he left his
kingdom under the administration of his mother, and went to govern
that of the King of Samandal, whom he continued to keep his prisoner
with great vigilance, though with all due respect to his kingly
character.

The same day that King Saleh left for the kingdom of Samandal,
Queen Gulnare arrived at the court of the queen her mother, to satisfy
herself as to the suspicion she had at once entertained, that her brother,
King Saleh, must have carried his nephew with him.

The queen her mother, on first seeing her, guessed the occasion of
her coming. ‘Daughter,’ said she, ‘I plainly perceive you are come to
inquire after the king your son.’ Then she related to her with what
zeal King Saleh went to demand the Princess Jehaun-ara in marriage
for King Beder, and what had happened, till her son disappeared. ‘TI
have sought diligently after him,’ added she, ‘and the king my son,
who is but just gone to govern the kingdom of Samandal, has done all
that lay in his power. All our endeavours have hitherto proved unsuc-
cessful, but we must hope nevertheless to see him again, perhaps when
we least expect it.’

Queen Gulnare was not satisfied with this hope; she looked upon the
king her son as lost, and lamented him bitterly, laying all the blame on
the king his uncle. The queen her mother made her consider the
necessity of not yielding too much to grief. ‘Since it is not certain,’
she said, ‘that the King of Persia is absolutely lost, you ought to
neglect nothing to preserve his kingdom for him: lose, then, no more
time, but return to your capital and preserve the public peace.’

Queen Gulnare, on this, took leave of the queen her mother, and
returned to the palace of the capital of Persia, and governed in concert
with the prime minister and council, with the same tranquillity as if the
king had been present.

Poor King Beder was not a little surprised when he found himself
alone and under the form of a bird. He esteemed himself yet more
unhappy, in that he knew not where he was, or in which direction the
kingdom of Persia lay. But if he had known, and had tried the force
of his wings to traverse so many vast seas, and had reached even to
his own dominions, what could he have gained but the mortification to
continue still in the same form, and not to be accounted even a man,
much less acknowledged King of Persia? He was forced to remain
where he was, live upon such food as birds were wont to eat, and to
pass the night on a tree.

A few days afterwards a peasant, skilled in taking birds with nets,
chanced to come to the place where he was; when perceiving so fine a


PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 105



bird, the like of which he had never seen, though he was an old
falconer, he began greatly to rejoice. He employed all his art, and at
length succeeded in taking him. Overjoyed at so great a prize, which
he looked upon to be of more worth than all the other birds he com-
monly took, he shut it up: in a cage, carried it to the city, and went
directly to the palace and placed himself exactly before the king’s
apartment. His majesty, being at a window where he could see all
that passed in the court, no sooner cast his eyes on this beautiful bird
than he sent an officer of his household to buy it for him. The officer,
going to the peasant, demanded of him how much he would have for
the bird. ‘If it be for his majesty,’ answered the peasant, ‘I humbly
beg of him to accept it of me as a present, and I desire you to carry it
to him.’ The officer took the bird to the king, who found it so great a
rarity that he ordered the same officer to take ten pieces of gold and
carry them to the peasant, who departed very well satisfied. The king
ordered the bird to be put into a magnificent cage, and gave it corn and
water in rich vessels.

The officer brought the cage into the royal chamber, and the king,
that he might the better view the bird, took it out himself and perched
it upon his hand. Looking earnestly upon it, he demanded of the
officer if he had seen it eat. ‘Sire,’ replied the officer, ‘ the vessel with
his food is still full, and I have not observed that he has touched any
of it.’

Then the king ordered him meat of divers sorts, that he might take
what he liked best.

The table being spread and dinner served up just as the king had
given these orders, as soon as the dishes were placed, the bird, clapping
his wings, leaped off the king’s hand and flew upon the table, where he
began to peck the bread and victuals, sometimes on one plate and
sometimes on another. The king was so surprised that he immediately
sent the captain of the guards to desire the queen to come and see this
wonder. The officer related it to her majesty, and she came forthwith ;
but she no sooner saw the bird than she covered her face with her veil,
and would have retired. The king, surprised at her proceeding, as there
was none present in the chamber but himself and the women who at-
tended her, asked the reason of her conduct.

‘ Sire,’ answered the queen, ‘ this is not, as you suypose, a bird, but
a man, the King of Persia, named Beder, son of the celebrated Gulnare,
nephew of Saleh, and grandson of Queen Fareshah; and it was the
Princess Jehaun-ara, daughter of the King of Samandal, who meta-
morphosed him into a bird, and thus revenged herself for the ill treat-
ment which King Saleh had used towards the King of Samandal, her
father.’

The king knew his queen to be a skilful magician, and earnestly be-
sought her to break the enchantment, that King Beder might return to
his own form.

‘Sire,’ said she to the king, ‘be pleased to take the bird into your
106 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



closet, and I will present to you a king worthy of your royal con-
sideration.’ The bird, which had ceased eating, and had understood
what the king and queen said, hopped into the closet before them; and
the queen came in soon after with @ vessel full of water in her hand.
She pronounced over the vessel some unknown words, till the water
began to boil; when she took some of it in her hand, and, sprinkling a
little upon the bird, said: ‘ By virtue of those mysterious words I have
just pronounced, quit the form of a bird and reassume that received
from thy Creator.’

The words were scarcely out of the queen’s mouth when, instead of
a bird, the king saw before him a young prince of right royal demeanour.
King Beder immediately fell on his knees and thanked God for the
favour that had been bestowed upon him. He then prostrated
himself before the king, who helped him up, and embraced him with
great joy. He would then have made his acknowledgments to the
queen, but she had already retired to her apartment. The king made
him sit at the table with him, and having heard from his own mouth
the wonders of his history, said: ‘Tell me, I beseech you, in what I
can further serve you.’

‘ Sire,’ answered King Beder, ‘I entreat you to grant me one of your
ships to transport me to Persia, where I fear my absence may have
occasioned some disorder, and where the queen, my mother, from
whom I concealed my departure, may be distracted under the uncer-
tainty whether I am alive or dead.’

The king readily granted what he desired, and as soon as the wind
became fair King Beder embarked, after having taken leave of the king
and thanked him for all his favours.

The ship sailed before the wind for ten days together, but on the
eleventh there arose a furious tempest. The ship was not only driven
out of its course, but so violently tossed that all its masts were brought
by the board; and driving along at the pleasure of the wind, it at
length struck against a rock and sunk.

The greatest part of the people were instantly drowned. Some few
were saved by swimming, and others by getting on pieces of the wreck.
King Beder was among the latter, when, after having been tossed about
for some time by the waves and torrents under great uncertainty of his
fate, he at length perceived himself near the shore, and not far from a
large city. He exerted his remaining strength, and was at length so
fortunate as to reach the land. He had scarcely done so when, to his
great surprise, he saw horses, camels, mules, asses, oxen, cows, bulls,
and other animals crowding to the shore, and putting themselves in a
posture to oppose his landing. He had the utmost difficulty to conquer
their obstinacy and force his way, but at length he succeeded, and
sheltered himself among the rocks till he had recovered his strength
and dried his clothes in the sun.

When the prince advanced to enter the city, he met with the same
opposition from these animals, who seemed to intend to make him
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 107

forego his design, and give him to understand it was dangerous to
proceed.

King Beder entered the city and saw many fair and spacious streets,
but was surprised to find no human beings. This made him think it
was not without cause that so many animals had opposed his passage.
Going forward, nevertheless, he observed divers shops open, which gave
him reason to believe the place was not so destitute of inhabitants as
he imagined. He approached one of these shops, where several sorts






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THE QUEEN OF THE CITY OF ENCHANTMENTS.

of fruits were exposed to sale, and saluted very courteously an old man
who was sitting within.

The old man lifted up his head, and seeing a youth who had an ap-
pearance of dignity in his air, started, asked him whence he came, and
what business had brought him there. King Beder satisfied him in a
few words ; and the old man further asked him if he had met anybody
on the road. ‘You are the first person I have seen,’ answered the
king, ‘and I cannot comprehend how so fine and large a city comes to
108 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



be without inhabitants.’ ‘Come in, sir; stay no longer upon the
threshold,’ replied the old man, ‘ or peradventure some misfortune may
happen to you. I will satisfy your curiosity at leisure, and give you a
reason why it is necessary you should take this precaution.’

King Beder entered the shop and sat down by the old man. Now,
although King Beder was very earnest to hear what he had to tell, the
old man could not be prevailed upon to say anything till he had done
eating. When he found he ate no longer he said to him: ‘ You have
great reason to thank God that you got hither without any accident.’
‘Alas! why?’ demanded King Beder, much surprised and alarmed.

‘ Because,’ answered he, ‘this city is the City of Enchantments, and
is governed by a queen, who is not only a most beautiful woman but
also a most dangerous sorceress. These horses, mules, and other
animals which you have seen, are so many men, like ourselves, whom
she has transformed by her magic art. She receives all strangers like
yourself who enter the city in the most obliging manner, caresses,
regales, lodges them magnificently, and gives them so many reasons to
believe that she loves them, that she never fails of success. But she
does not suffer them long to enjoy? this happiness. There is not one of
them but she has transformed into some animal or bird at the end of
forty days. These animals who opposed your landing and hindered
your entering the city did all they could to make you comprehend the
danger you were exposing yourself to.’

This account exceedingly afflicted the young King of Persia. ‘ Alas!’
cried he, ‘to what extremities has my ill-fortune reduced me! I am
hardly freed from one enchantment, which I look back upon with
horror, but I find myself exposed to another much more terrible.’ This
gave him occasion to relate his story to the old man more at length,
and to acquaint him of his birth, his love for the Princess of Samandal,
and her cruelty in changing him into a bird the very moment he had
seen her and declared his love to her.

When the prince came to speak of his good fortune, in finding a queen
who broke the enchantment, the old man to encourage him said, ‘ Not-
withstanding all I have told you of the magic queen is true, that ought
not to give you the least disquiet, since I am generally beloved through-
out the city, and am not unknown to the queen herself, who has much
respect for me; therefore, it was your peculiar good fortune which led
you to address yourself to me rather than to anyone else. You are
secure in my house, where I advise you to continue, if you think fit;

1 The worshippers of fire, or followers of Zoroaster, prevailed in Persia,
which had been conquered by the caliphs shortly before the probable date of

these tales. Hence the allusions in terms of reprobation to their manners and
customs,

? The schoolboy will recall the classic stories of Circe and of the Sirens. The
moral to be drawn from all these tales is the same.
‘Sperne voluptatem : nocet empta dolore voluptas.’
Vain pleasures fly: such pleasure’s bought with pain.
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS J/EHAUN-ARA. 109
and, provided you do not stray from hence, I dare assure you, you will
have no just cause to complain of my insincerity.’

King Beder thanked the old man for the kind protection he was
pleased so readily to afford him. He sat down at the entrance of the
shop, where he no sooner appeared, but his youth attracted the eyes of
all who passed.

The old man was exceedingly glad to hear the commendations they
bestowed on the young King of Persia. He was as much affected with
them as if he had been his own son, and he conceived a kindness for
him, which augmented every day during the stay he made with him.

They had lived about a month together, when, as King Beder was
sitting at the shop-door, Queen Labe! (so was this magic queen named)
passed by with great pomp. The queen’s guards, a thousand in number,
four files deep, clothed in purple uniform, and well armed and mounted,
marched first with their scimitars drawn, each officer as he passed by
the shop saluting the old man. Then followed a like number of ser-
vants of the household, habited in brocaded silk, and better mounted,
whose officers did the old man the like honour. Next came as many
young ladies on foot, equally beautiful, richly dressed, and ornamented
with precious stones. They marched gravely, with short rods in their
hands: and in the midst of them appeared Queen Labe, on a horse
glittering with diamonds, with a golden saddle, and a housing of in-
estimable value. All the young ladies saluted the old man as they
passed him; and the queen, struck with the good looks of King Beder,
stopped as soon as she came before the shop. ‘Abdallah’ (so was the
old man named), said she to him, ‘tell me, I beseech thee, does that
beautiful and charming slave belong to thee? and hast thou long been
in possession of him ?’

Abdallah, before he answered the queen, prostrated himself on the
ground, and, rising again, said, ‘ Madam, having no children, I look upon
him as my son, and sent for him to come and comfort me ’

‘Father,’ said Queen Labe, ‘ will you not oblige me so far as to make
me a present of this young man? Do not refuse me, I conjure you;
and I will make him so great and powerful, that no individual in the
world ever arrived at such good fortune. Although my purpose be to
do evil to all mankind, he shall be an exception. I promise you shall
never have any occasion to repent having obliged me in this manner.’

Old Abdallah was exceedingly grieved, both on his own account and
King Beder’s, at being in a manner forced to obey the queen. ‘ Madam,’
replied he, ‘I put entire confidence in your royal word, and I do not in
the least doubt you will keep it. I only beg of you to delay this great
honour to my nephew till you shall again pass this way.’ ‘That shall
be to-morrow,’ said the queen, who inclined her head, as a token of
being pleased, and so went forward towards her palace.

The queen did not fail to pass by the old man’s shop the next day,

1 Labe means the ‘Sun’; Abdallah, ‘ Servant of God.’—Lane’s ‘ Notes,’ vol. iii.,
r. 230.
110 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.
with the same pomp as on the preceding. Abdallah waited for her
with great respect. ‘Father,’ cried she, ‘you may judge of my im-
patience to have your adopted son with me, by my punctually coming
to remind you of your promise. I know you are a man of your word,
and I cannot think you will break it with me.’

Abdallah, who fell on his face as soon as he saw the queen approach-
ing, rose up when she had done speaking; and as he would have no
one hear what he had to say to her, he advanced with great respect as
far as her horse’s head, and then said softly: ‘ Puissant queen! J am
persuaded you will not be offended at my seeming unwillingness to
trust my adopted son with you yesterday. You well know the reasons
I had for it; and you would reduce me to despair, if you should deal
with him as you have done with others.’

‘I promise you I will not,’ replied the queen; ‘and I once more
repeat the oath J made yesterday.’ Upon this the old man turned
towards King Beder, and, taking him by the arm, presented him to the
queen. ‘Madam,’ said he, ‘I beg of you to let him come and see me
sometimes.’ ‘The queen promised he should, and, to give a further mark
of her gratitude, she caused a purse of a thousand pieces of gold to be
given him. She had caused a horse to be brought, as richly capari-
soned as her own, for the King of Persia. Whilst he was mounting,
‘I forgot,’ said the queen to Abdallah, ‘to ask you your son’s name.
Pray, how is he called?’ He answering his name was Beder (the Full
Moon), her majesty replied: ‘Surely your ancestors were mistaken.
They ought to have given you the name of Shems’ (the Sun).

When King Beder was mounted, the queen made him ride on her
left hand. She looked at Abdallah, and alter having made him an
inclination with her head, departed.

The magic queen having arrived at her palace, immediately alighted,
and giving her hand to King Beder, entered with him, accompanied by
her women and chief officers. She herself showed him all her palace,
where there was nothing to be seen but massy gold, precious stones, and
furniture of wonderful magnificence.

After a short time a banquet was served on a gold service, and at
which was every luxury of food or wine that could be prepared for a
royal table. In the evening there was a concert, and other amuse-
ments, to add to the gratification of the guest whom they desired to
honour. Queen Labe treated King Beder after this manner for forty
days, as she had been accustomed to do all her lovers. The fortieth
night, believing him to be asleep, she entered his chamber without
making any noise; .but he was awake, and, perceiving she had some
design upon him, watched all her motions. She opened a chest,
whence she took a little box, full of a yellow powder ; taking some of
the powder, she laid a train of it across the chamber, and it imme-
diately changed into a rivulet of water, to the great astonishment of
King Beder. He trembled with fear, but still pretended to sleep.

Queen Labe next took up some of the water in a vessel, poured it




PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 111



into a basin that contained some flour, with which she made a paste,
and kneaded it for along time; then she mixed with it certain drugs
which she took from different boxes, and made a cake, which she put
into a covered baking-pan, and placed upon the coals; and while the
cake was baking she put up the vessels and boxes in their places again;
and on her pronouncing certain words, the rivulet disappeared. When
the cake was baked she took it off the coals, carried it into her closet,
and left the chamber. .

King Beder, whom the pleasures and amusements of a court had
made to forget his good host, as soon as he was up, expressed a great
desire to go and see Abdallah, and begged of the queen permission to
do so. ‘Go,’ said the queen, ‘ you have my consent; but be not long
before you return, as I cannot possibly live without you.’ This said,
she commanded a horse richly caparisoned to be brought, which he
mounted and departed.

Old Abdallah was overjoyed to see King Beder. He embraced him
tenderly, and King Beder returned bis embrace, that nobody might
doubt but that he was his nephew. As soon as they were sat down,
‘Well,’ said Abdallah to the king, ‘and how have you passed your
time with that abominable sorceress ?’

‘ Hitherto,’ answered King Beder, ‘I must needs own she has been
extraordinarily kind to me; but I observed something last night which
gives me just reasons to suspect that all her kindness was but dissimu-
lation.’ He then related:to Abdallah in what manner he had seen her
make the cake; and then added, ‘This last act made me think that she
intended to observe none of her promises and solemn oaths to you, so I
resolved to come to you immediately, and I esteem myself happy that
T have obtained permission to do so.’

‘You are not mistaken,’ replied old Abdallah, with a smile. ‘ But
fear nothing. I know how to make the mischief she intends you
fall upon herself. It is now high time she should be treated as she
deserves.’

So saying, Abdallah put two cakes into King Beder’s hands, and gave
him at the same time some minute directions as to their use.

King Beder expressed to Abdallah, in the warmest ,terms, his great
obligations to him for his endeavours to defend him from the power of
a pestilent sorceress; and after some further conversation took his
leave of him, and returned to the palace. Upon his arrival, he under-
stood that the queen waited for him with great impatience in the garden.
He went to her, and she no sooner perceived him than she came in
great haste to meet him. ‘My dear Beder!’ exclaimed she, ‘it seems
ages since I have been separated from you. If you had stayed ever so
little longer, I was preparing to come and fetch you.’

‘Madam,’ replied King Beder, ‘I can assure you I was no less im-
patient to rgjoin you; but I could not refuse to stay with an uncle who
loves me, and had not seen me for solong a time. Of all the collations
he prepared for me, I have only brought away this cake, which I desire
112 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



your majesty to accept.’ King Beder, having wrapped up one of the
two cakes in a handkerchief, took it out and presented it to the queen,
saying, ‘I beg your highness to accept of it.’

‘I do accept it with all my heart,’ replied the queen; ‘ but before I
taste of it, I desire you will first eat a piece of this, which I have made
for you during your absence.’ ‘Fair queen,’ answered King Beder,
receiving it with great respect, ‘I cannot sufficiently acknowledge the
favour you do me.’

King Beder then dexterously substituted in the place of the queen’s
cake the other which old Abdallah had given him; and having broken
off a piece, he put it in his mouth, and cried, while he was eating, ‘ Ah!
queen, I never tasted anything so excellent in my life.’ They being
near a cascade, the sorceress, seeing him swallow one bit of the cake
and ready to eat another, took a little water in the palm of her hand,
and throwing it in the king’s face, said: ‘ Slave, quit that form of a
man, and take that of a vile horse, blind and lame !’

These words not having the desired effect, the sorceress was strangely
surprised to find King Beder still in the same form, and that he only
started for fear. Her cheeks reddened; and as she saw that she had
missed her aim, ‘Dear Beder,’ cried she, ‘this is nothing; recover
yourself. I did not intend you any harm ; I only did it to see what you
would say. I should be the worst of women should I attempt so black
a deed, after all the oaths I have sworn for your safety.’

‘Puissant queen,’ replied King Beder, ‘ persuaded as I am that what
you did was only to divert yourself, what could hinder me from being
a little moved at the pronouncing of so strange a transformation ?
But, madam,’ continued he, ‘let us drop this discourse; and since
IT have eaten of your cake, would you do me the favour to taste
mine ?’

Queen Labe broke off a piece of the cake and ate it. She had no
sooner done so than she appeared much troubled, and remained as it
were motionless. King Beder lost no time, but took water out of the
fountain, and, throwing it in her face, cried, ‘Abominable queen! quit
the form of a woman, and be turned instantly into a mare.’

The same moment Queen Labe was transformed into a very beautiful
mare; and her confusion was so great to find herself in that condition
that she shed tears in great abundance. She bowed her head to the
feet of King Beder, thinking to move him to compassion; but what-
ever had been his pity, it was absolutely out of his power to repair the
mischief he had done. He led her into the stable belonging to the
palace, and put her into the hands of a groom, to bridle and saddle ;
but of all the bridles which the groom tried upon her, not one would
fit. This made him cause two horses to be saddled, one for the groom
and the other for himself; and the groom led the mare after him to old
Abdallah’s.

King Beder alighted at Abdallah’s door, and entered with him into
the shop, embracing and thanking him for all the signal services he had
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 1Â¥3

done him. He related to him the whole matter, with all its cireum-
stances, and, moreover, told him he could find no bridle fit for the mare.
Abdallah bridled the mare himself, and as soon as King Beder had sent
back the groom with the two horses, he said to him: ‘ Prince, you have
no reason to stay any longer in this city ; mount the mare, and return to
your kingdom. I have but one thing more to recommend to you; and
that is, if you should ever happen to part with the mare, be sure not
to give up the bridle.’ King Beder promised to remember this; and
having taken leave of the good old man, he departed.

The young King of Persia had no sooner got out of the city, than he
began to reflect with joy on his deliverance, and that he had the
sorceress in his power, who had given him so much cause to tremble.
Three days after he arrived at a great city, where, entering the suburbs,
he meta venerable old man. ‘Sir,’ said the old man, stopping him,
‘may I ask from what part of the world you come?’ The king halted
to satisfy him; and as they were conversing together, an old woman
came up, who, stopping likewise, wept and sighed heavily at the sight
of the mare.

King Beder and the old man left off discoursing to look at the old
woman, whom the king asked what cause she had to be so much
afflicted. ‘Alas! sir,’ she replied, ‘it is because your mare resembles
so perfectly one my son had, and which I still mourn the loss of on his
account. ‘Sell her to me, I beseech you; I will give you more than she
is worth, and thank you too.’

‘Good woman,’ replied King Beder, ‘I cannot comply with your
request : my mare is not to be sold; but if it were, I believe you would
hardly give a thousand pieces of gold for her, and I could not sell her
for less.’ ‘Why should I not give you so much?’ replied the old
woman: ‘if that be the lowest price, you need only say you will take
it, and I will fetch you the money.’

King Beder, seeing the old woman so poorly dressed, could not
imagine she could find such a sum ; and said, to try her, ‘Go, fetch me
the money, and the mare is yours.’ The old woman immediately un-
loosed a purse she carried fastened to her girdle; and desiring him to
alight, bade him tell over the money; and in case he found it came
short of the sum demanded, she said her house was not far off, and she
could quickly fetch the rest.

The surprise of King Beder, at the sight of the purse, was not small,
‘Good woman,’ said he, ‘do you not perceive I have bantered you all
this while? I assure you my mare is not to be sold.’

The old man, who had been witness to all that had passed, now began
to speak. ‘Son,’ said he to King Beder, ‘it is necessary you should
know one thing, that in this city it is not permitted to anyone, on any
account whatsoever,! to deceive another, on pain of death. You cannot

1 Gibbon relates the following story in proof of the Mahommedan regard of
the sanctity of an oath : ‘The Persian complained of intolerable thirst, but dis-
covered some apprehensions lest he should be killed while drinking a cup of water.

8
114 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



refuse taking this good woman’s money, and delivering your mare,
when she gives you the sum according to the agreement; and this you
had better do without any noise, than expose yourself to what may
ensue.

King Beder, mortified to find himself thus entrapped by his rash
offer, alighted with great regret. The old woman, who was really the
mother of Queen Labe, and the person from whom she had learnt all
her magic art, seized the reins, unbridled the mare, and taking some
water in her hand from a stream that ran in the middle of the street,
threw it in the mare’s face, uttering these words, ‘ Daughter, reassume
thine own form.’

The old woman embraced her daughter, and in an instant summoned
a genie of gigantic form and stature. This genie immediately took
King Beder on one shoulder, and the old woman, with the magic queen,
on the other, and transported them in a few minutes to the palace of
Queen Labe in the City of Enchantments.

The magic queen began at once to reproach King Beder. ‘Is it thus,’
said she, ‘ that thy unworthy uncle and thou repay all the kindnesses I
have done you? I shall soon make you both feel what you deserve.’
She said no more; but taking water in her hand, threw it in his face,
with these words, ‘ Quit the form of a man, and take that of an owl.’
These words effected their purpose; and she commanded one of her
women to shut up the owl in a cage, and give him neither meat nor
drink.

The woman took the cage; but without regarding what the queen
had ordered, gave him both meat and drink; and being old Abdallah’s
friend, sent him word privately how the queen had treated his nephew,
and apprised him of her design to destroy both him and King Beder,
that he might take measures to prevent her intentions and secure
himself.

Abdallah knew no common means would do with Queen Labe; he
therefore whistled in a peculiar manner, and there immediately arose a
giant with four wings, who, presenting himself before him, asked what
he would have. ‘ Genie,’ said Abdallah, ‘I command you to preserve
the life of King Beder, son of Queen Gulnare. Go to the palace of the
magic queen, and transport immediately to the capital of Persia the
compassionate attendant who has the care of the cage, to the end she
may inform Queen Gulnare of the danger the king her son is in, and
the occasion he has for her assistance.’

The genie immediately disappeared, and in an instant reached the
palace of the magic queen. Having told the woman why and by whom



“Be of good courage,” said the caliph; ‘‘ your life is safe till you have drunk
this water.” The crafty satrap accepted the assurance, and instantly dashed the
vase against the ground. Omar would have avenged the deceit, but his com-
panions represented the sanctity of an oath ; and the speedy conversion of Har-
mozan entitled him not only to a free pardon, but even to a stipend of two
thousand pieces of gold,’
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA., 115



he was sent, he lifted her up into the air, and transported her to the
capital of Persia, where he placed her on the terrace of Gulnare’s
palace. She descended into her apartment, and there found Queen
Gulnare and Queen Fareshah, her mother, lamenting their mutual mis-
fortunes. She made them a profound reverence, and told them the
great need King Beder had of their assistance.

Queen Gulnare was so overjoyed at hearing of her son that she went
and embraced the good woman, telling her how much she was obliged
to her for the service she had done her.

Then going immediately out, she commanded the trumpets to sound,
and the drums to beat, to acquaint the city that the King of Persia
would soon return safe to his kingdom. She then went and found
King Saleh her brother, whom Fareshah had caused to come speedily
thither by a certain fumigation. ‘Brother,’ said she to him, ‘the king
your nephew, my dear son, is in the City of Enchantments, under the
power of Queen Labe. Both you and I must go to deliver him, for
there is no time to be lost.’

King Saleh forthwith assembled a puissant body of his marine troops,
who soon rose out of the sea. He also called to his assistance the
genies his allies, who appeared with an army that outnumbered his
own. As soon as the two armies were joined, he put himself at the
head of. them, with Queen Fareshah, Queen Gulnare, and the princesses,
who would all have their share in this enterprise. They then ascended
into the air, and soon poured down on the palace and City of Enchant-
ments, where the magic queen, her mother, and all the worshippers of
fire, were destroyed in an instant.

Queen Gulnare had brought Queen Labe’s attendant with her, and

now bade her fetch the cage in which her son was imprisoned. Queen
Gulnare was no sooner in possession of the cage than she opened it,
and took out the owl, saying, as she sprinkled a little water upon him,
‘My dear son, quit that strange form, and resume thy natural one of a
man.’
- In a moment Queen Gulnare, instead of the hideous owl, beheld King
Beder her son. She embraced him with an excess of joy, her tears
supplying the place of words. After that he was embraced by the king
his uncle and his relations.

Queen Gulnare’s next care was to look out for old Abdallah, and on
his being brought to her, she said, ‘ My obligations to you have been so
great that there is nothing within my power but I would freely do for
you, as a token of my acknowledgment. Do but inform me in what I
can serve you.’ ‘Great queen,’ replied Abdallah, ‘if the lady whom I
sent to you will but consent to the marriage I offer her, and the King
of Persia will give me leave to reside at his court, I will spend the
remainder of my days in his service.’ The queen then turned to tho
lady, who was present, and finding by her blushes that she was not
averse to the match proposed, she caused them to join hands, and the
King of Persia advanced them to places in his court. Bers
116 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

This marriage occasioned the King of Persia to speak thus to the
queen: ‘Madam,’ said he,‘I am heartily glad of this match which
your majesty has just made. There remains one more which I desire
you to think of.’ Queen Gulnare did not at first comprehend what
marriage he meant; but, after a little considering, she said, ‘Of yours,
you mean, son? I consent to it with all my heart.’ Then turning and
looking at her brother’s sea-attendants, and the genies who were still
present, ‘ Go,’ said she, ‘and traverse both sea and land, to seek the
most lovely and amiable princess, worthy of the king my son, and when
you have found her, come and tell us.’



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THE KING OF PERSIA AT SAMANDAL’S FEET.

‘Madam,’ replied King Beder, ‘it is to no purpose for them to take
all that trouble. You have no doubt heard that I have already given
my heart to the Princess of Samandal. Neither earth nor sea, in my
opinion, can furnish a princess like her. It is true, upon my declaring
my love, she treated me in a way that would have daunted any admirer
less devoted than myself. But I hold her excused: she could not treat
me with less rigour, after my uncle imprisoning the king her father, of
which I was the innocent cause. But the King of Samandal may be
restored to his kingdom, and may consent to my union with the princess
his daughter, if she will declare her love to me.’
PRINCE BEDER AND PRINCESS JEHAUN-ARA. 117

‘Son,’ replied Queen Gulnare, ‘if only the Princess Jehaun-ara can
make you happy, I will not oppose you. The king your uncle need
only have the King of Samandal brought, and we shall see whether his
mind be changed.’

King Saleh caused a chafing-dish of coals to be brought, into which
he threw a certain composition, uttering at the same time some mys-
terious words. As soon as the smoke began to rise, the palace shook,
and immediately the King of Samandal, with King Saleh’s officers,
appeared. The King of Persia cast himself at the King of Samandal’s
feet, and, kneeling, said: ‘It is no longer King Saleh that demands the
honour of your alliance for the King of Persia ; it is the King of Persia
himself that humbly begs that boon; and I persuade myself you will
not persist in being the cause of the death of a king, who can no longer
live if he does not share life with the amiable Princess Jehaun-ara.’

The King of Samandal did not long suffer the King of Persia to
remain at his feet. He embraced him, obliged him to rise, and said,
‘ Live, sir; she is yours. She has always been obedient to my will,
and I cannot think she will now oppose it.’ Speaking these words, he
ordered one of his officers, whom King Saleh had permitted to attend
him, to go for the princess, and bring her to him immediately.

On her arrival, the King of Samandal embraced her, and said,
‘Daughter, I have provided a husband for you. It is the King of
Persia, the most accomplished monarch at present in the universe. The
preference he has given you over all other princesses obliges us both to
express our gratitude.’

‘Sir,’ replied the Princess Jehaun-ara, ‘you well know that I am always
ready to obey you. JI hope the King of Persia will forget my ill-treat-
ment of him, and consider it was duty, not inclination, that forced me
to it.’

The nuptials were celebrated in the palace of the City of Enchant-
ments, with the greatest solemnity, and were attended by all the princes
and princesses whom the magic queen had changed into animals, and
who now, on the cessation of her enchantments at her death, had
resumed their human form. They expressed, in moving terms, their
thanks to the King of Persia, Queen Gulnare, and King Saleh.

King Saleh conducted the King of Samandal to his dominions, and
put him again in possession of his throne. The King of Persia, at the
height of his wishes, returned to his capital with Queen Gulnare, Queen
Fareshah, and the princesses; and Queen Fareshah and the princesses
continued there till King Saleh came to reconduct them to his kingdom
under the waves of the sea.

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, was Khoonoo-
fx shaw. He often
walked in disguise
through the city, at-
tended by a trusty
minister, when he met
with many adventures.
On one of these occa-
sions, as he was pass-
ing through a street
in that part of the
town inhabited only
by the meaner sort, he heard
some people talking very loud,
and going close to the house
whence the noise proceeded,
perceived a light, and three
sisters sitting on a sofa, con-
versing together after supper.
By what the eldest said, he
presently understood the sub-
‘ject of their conversation was
wishes : ‘For,’ said she, ‘since we have got
upon wishes, mine shall be to have the sul-
tan’s baker for my husband, for then I shall
cat my fill of that bread which by way of
a excellence is called the sultan’s. Let us see
if your tastes are as good as mine!’ ‘For my part,’ replied the second
sister, ‘I wish I was wife to the sultan’s chief cook, for then I should
eat of the most excellent dishes; and, as I am persuaded that the sul-
tan’s bread is common in the palace, I should not want any of that;
therefore, you see,’ addressing herself to her eldest sister, ‘ that I have
a better taste than you.’



|
= |
‘
STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 119





The youngest sister, who was very beautiful, and had more charms
and wit than the two elder, spoke in her turn: ‘For my part, sisters,’
said she, ‘I shall not limit my desires to such trifles, but take a higher
flight; and since we are upon wishing, I wish to be the emperor's queen
consort. JI would make him father of a prince, whose hair should be
gold on one side of his head, and silver on the other; when he cried,
the tears from his eyes should be pearl, and when he smiled, his ver-
milion lips should look like a rose-bud fresh blown.’

The three sisters’ wishes, particularly that of the youngest, seemed
so singular to the sultan that he resolved to gratify them in their
desires ; but without communicating his design to his grand vizier, he
charged him only to take notice of the house, and bring the three
sisters before him the following day.

The grand vizier, in executing the emperor's orders, would but just
give the sisters time to dress themselves to appear before him, without
telling them the reason. He brought them to the place, and presented
them to the emperor, who said to them, ‘ Do you remember the wishes
you expressed last night, when you were all in so pleasant a mood ?
Speak the truth ; I must know what they were !’

At these unexpected words of the emperor the three sisters were
much confounded. They cast down their eyes and blushed. Modesty,
and fear lest they might have offended the emperor by their conversa-
tion, kept them silent. The emperor, perceiving their confusion, said,
to encourage them, ‘ Fear nothing ; I did not send for you to distress
you; and since I see that is the effect of the question I asked without
my intending it, as I know the wish of each, I will relieve you from
your fears. You,’ added he, ‘who wished to be my wife shall have your
desire this day ; and you,’ continued he, addressing himself to the two
elder sisters, ‘shall also be married to my chief baker and cook.’

The nuptials were all celebrated that day, as the emperor had re-
solved, butin a different manner. The youngest sister's were solemnized
with all the rejoicings usual at the marriages of the emperors of Persia;
and those of the other two sisters according to the quality and distinc-
tion of their husbands—the one as the sultan’s chief baker, and the
other as head cook.

The two elder felt strongly the disproportion of their marriages to
that of their younger sister. This consideration made them far from
being content; though they were arrived at the utmost height of their
late wishes, and much beyond their hopes. They gave themselves up
to an excess of jealousy, and frequently met together to consult how
they might revenge themselves on the queen. They proposed a great
many ways, which they could not accomplish, but dissimulated all the
time to flatter the queen with every demonstration of affection and respect.

Some months after her marriage the queen gave birth to a young
prince, as bright as the day; but her sisters, to whom the child was
given at his birth, wrapped him up in a basket and floated it away on a
canal that ran near the palace, and declared that the queen had given
birth to a little dog. This made the emperor very angry.
120 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTEKTAINMTENTS.



In the meantime, the basket in which the little prince was exposed
was carried by the stream towards the garden of the palace. By chance
the intendant of the emperor's gardens, one of the principal and most
considerable officers of the kingdom, was walking by the side of this
canal. and, perceiving a basket floating, called to a gardener who was







UU U4
TOV





































































































CARRIED BY THE STREAM TOWARDS THE PALACE.

not far off, to bring it to shore that he might see what it contained.
The gardener, with a rake which he had in his hand, drew the basket
to the side of the canal, took it up, and gave it to him.

The intendant of the gardens was extremely surprised to see in the
basket a child, which, though he knew it could be but just born, had
very fine features. This officer had been married several years, but
STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 120
though he had always been desirous of having children, Heaven had
never blessed him with any. He made the gardener follow him with
the child; and when he came to his own house, which was situated at
the entrance into the gardens of the palace, went into his wife’s apart-
ment. ‘ Wife,’ said he, ‘as we have no children of our own, God hath
sent us one. I recommend him to you. Provide him a nurse, and take
as much care of him as if he were our own son; for from this moment I
acknowledge him as such.’ The intendant’s wife received the child with
great joy.

The following year the queen consort was brought to bed of another
prince, on whom the unnatural sisters had no more compassion than on
his brother ; but exposed him likewise in a basket, and set him adrift
in the canal, pretending this time that the sultaness was delivered of a
cat. It was happy also for this child that the intendant of the gardens
was walking by the canal side, who had it carried to his wife, and
charged her to take as much care of it as of the former; which was as
agreeable to her inclination as it was to that of the intendant.

The Emperor of Persia was more enraged this time against the queen
than before, and she had felt the effects of his anger, if the grand
vizier’s remonstrances had not prevailed.

The next year the queen gave birth to a princess, which innocent babe
underwent the same fate as the princes her brothers ; for the two sisters
being determined not to desist from their detestable schemes till they
had seen the queen their younger sister at least cast off, turned out, and
humbled, exposed this infant also on the canal. But the princess, as
well as the two princes her brothers, was preserved from death by the
compassion and charity of the intendant of the gardens.

To this inhumanity the two sisters added a lie and deceit, as before.
They produced a piece of wood, of which they said the queen had been
delivered.

Khoonoo-shah could no longer contain himself at this third dis-
appointment. He ordered a small shed to be built near the chief
mosque, and the queen to be confined in it, so that she might be subject
to the scorn of those who passed by; which usage, as she did not deserve
it, she bore with a patient resignation that excited the admiration as
well as compassion of those who judged of things better than the vulgar.

The two princes and the princess were, in the meantime, nursed and
brought up by the intendant of the gardens and his wife with all the
tenderness of a father and mother; and as they advanced in age, they
all showed marks of superior dignity, by a certain air which could only
belong to exalted birth. All this increased the affections of the intendant
and his wife, who called the eldest prince Bahman, and the second
Perviz, both of them names of the most ancient Emperors of Persia, and
the princess Perie-zadeh, which name also had been borne by several
queens and princesses of the kingdom.?

! Parizadeh, the Parisatis of the Greeks, signifies, ‘Born of a fairy’—~
D’ Herbelot.
122 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

As soon as the two princes were old enough, the intendant provided
proper masters to teach them to read and write ; and the princess their
sister, who was often with them, showing a great desire to learn, the
intendant, pleased with her quickness, employed the same master to
teach her also. Her emulation, vivacity, and wit made her in a little
time as great a proficient as her brothers. At the hours of recreation,
the princess learned to sing and play upon all sorts of instruments; and
when the princes were learning to ride, she would not permit them to
have that advantage over her, but went through all the exercises with
them, learning to ride also, to bend the bow, and dart the reed or javelin,
and oftentimes outdid them in the race, and other contests of agility.

The intendant of the gardens was so overjoyed to find his adopted
children go well requited the expense he had been at in their education,
that he resolved to be at a still greater; for as he had till then been
content only with his lodge at the entrance of the garden, and kept no
country house, he purchased a country seat at a short distance from the
city, surrounded by a large tract of arable land, meadows, and woods,
and furnished it in the richest manner, and added gardens, according
to a plan drawn by himself, and a large park, stocked with fallow deer,
that the princes and princess might divert themselves with hunting
when they chose.

When this country seat was finished, the intendant of the gardens
went and cast himself at the emperor's feet, and after representing his
long service and the infirmities of age, which he found growing upon
him, begged permission to resign his charge and retire. The emperor
gave him leave, and asked what he should do to recompense him.
‘Sire,’ replied the intendant of the gardens, ‘ I have received so many
obligations from your majesty and the late emperor your father, of
happy memory, that I desire no more than the honour of being assured
of your continued favour.’

He took his leave of the emperor, and retired with the two princes
and the princess to the country retreat he had built. His wife had been
dead some years, and he himself had not lived in his new abode above
six months, when he was surprised by so sudden a death that he had
not time to give them the least account of the manner in which he had
saved them from destruction.

The Princes Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Perie-zadeh, who
knew no other father than the intendant of the emperor’s gardens,
regretted and bewailed him as such, and paid all the honours in his
funeral obsequies which love and filial gratitude required of them.
Satisfied with the plentiful fortune he had left them, they lived together
in perfect union, free from the ambition of distinguishing themselves at
court, or aspiring to places of honour and dignity, which they might
easily have obtained.

One day when the two princes were hunting, and the princess had
remained at home, an old woman, a devotee, came to the gate, and
desired leave to go in to say her prayers, it being then the hour. The


STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 123

servants asked the princess’s permission, who ordered them to show her
into the oratory, which the intendant of the emperor's gardens had
taken care to fit up in his house, for want of a mosque in the neighbour-
hood. After the good woman had finished her prayers, she was brought
before the princess, in the great hall, which in beauty and richness ex-
ceeded all the other apartments.

‘As soon as the princess saw the devout woman, she asked her many
questions upon the exercise of devotion which she practised, and how
ghe lived: all which she answered with great modesty. Talking of
several things, at last she asked her what she thought of the house, and
how she liked it ?

‘Madam,’ answered the devout woman, ‘ if you will give me leave to
speak my mind freely, I will take the liberty to tell you that this house
would be incomparable if it had three things which are wanting to
complete it. The first of these three things is the speaking-bird, so
singular a creature that it draws round it all the singing-birds of the
neighbourhood, which come to accompany his song. The second is the
singing-tree, the leaves of which are so many mouths, which form an
harmonious concert of different voices, and never cease. The third is
the yellow-water of a gold colour, a single drop of which being poured
into a vessel properly prepared, it increases so as to fill it immediately,
and rises up in the middle like a fountain, which continually plays, and
yet the basin never overflows.’

‘Ah! my good mother,’ cried the princess, ‘ how much am I obliged
to you for the knowledge of these curiosities! They are surprising, and
T never before heard there were such wonderful rarities in the world ;
but as I am persuaded that you know, I expect that you should do me
the favour to inform me where they are to be found.’

‘Madam,’ replied the good woman, ‘I am glad to tell you that these
curiosities are all to be met with in the same spot on the confines of
this kingdom, towards India. The road lies before your house, and
whoever you send needs but follow it for twenty days, and on the
twentieth let him only ask the first person he meets where the speaking-
bird, singing-tree, and yellow-water are, and he willbeinformed.’ After
saying this she rose from her seat, took her leave, and went her way.

The Princess Perie-zadeh’s thoughts were so absorbed in her desire
to obtain possession of these three wonders, that her brothers on their
return from hunting, instead of finding her lively and gay, as she used
to be, were amazed to see her pensive and melancholy, and weighed
down by some trouble.

‘Sister,’ said Prince Bahman, ‘what has become of all your mirth
and gaiety? Are you not well? or has some misfortune befallen you ?
Tell us, that we may give you some relief.’

The princess at first returned no answer to these inquiries ; but on
being pressed by her brothers, thus replied, ‘ I always believed that this
house, which our father built us, was so complete that nothing was
wanting. But this day I have learned that it wants three rarities, the
<

124 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

a



speaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the yellow-water, so that if it had
these no country seat in the world could be compared with it.’ Then
she informed them wherein consisted the excellency of these rarities,
and requested her brothers to send some trustworthy person in search
of these three curiosities.

‘Sister,’ replied Prince Bahman, ‘it is enough that you have an
earnest desire for the things you mention to oblige us to try and obtain
them. I will take that charge upon myself; only tell me the place,
and the way to it, and I will set out to-morrow. You, brother, shall
stay at home with our sister, and I commend her to your care

Prince Bahman spent the remainder of the day in making pre-
parations for his journey, and informing himself from the princess of
the directions which the devout woman had left her. The next morning
he mounted his horse, and Perviz and the princess embraced him, and
wished him a good journey. But in the midst of their adieus, the
princess recollected what she had not thought of before. ‘Brother,’
said she, ‘I had quite forgotten the perils to which you may be exposed.
Who knows whether I shall ever see you again! Alight, I beseech you,
and give up this journey. I would rather be deprived of the sight and
possession of the speaking-bird, singing-tree, and yellow-water, than run
the risk of never seeing you more.’

‘ Sister,’ replied Bahman, smiling at the sudden fears of the princess,
‘my resolution is fixed, and you must allow me to execute it. However,
as events are uncertain, and I may fail in this undertaking, all I can do
is to leave you this knife. It has a peculiar property. If when you
pull it out of the sheath it is clean as it is now, it will be a sign that I
am alive; but if you find it stained with blood, then you may believe
me to be dead.’

The princess could prevail nothing more with Bahman. He bade
adieu to her and Prince Perviz for the last time, and rode away. When
he got into the road, he never turned to the right hand nor to the left,
but went directly forward towards India. The twentieth day he per-
ceived on the road-side a very singular old man, who sat under a tree
some small distance from a thatched house, which was his retreat from
the weather.

His eyebrows were as white as snow, as was also his beard, which
was so long as to cover his mouth, while it reached down to his feet.
The nails of his hands and feet were grown to an immense length; a
flat, broad umbrella covered his head, He wore no clothes, but only a
mat thrown round his body.

This old man was a dervise, for many years retired from the world,
and devoted to contemplation, so that at last he became what we have
described.

Prince Bahman, who had been all that morning expecting to meet
some one who could give him information of the place he was in search
of, stopped when he came near the dervise, alighted, in conformity with
the directions which the devout woman had given the princess Perie-
STORV OF THE THREE SISTERS. 125



zadeh, and leading his horse by the bridle, advanced towards him, and,
saluting him, said, ‘ God prolong your days, good father, and grant you
the accomplishment of your desires.’

The dervise returned the prince’s salutation, but spoke so unin-
telligibly that he could not understand one word he said. Prince
Bahman, perceiving that this difficulty proceeded from the dervise’s
hair hanging over his mouth, and unwilling to go any farther without
the instructions he wanted, pulled out a pair of scissors he had about
him, and having tied his horse to a branch of the tree, said, ‘Good
dervise, I want to have some talk with you: but your hair prevents my
understanding what you say ; and if you will consent, I will cut off some
part of it, and of your eyebrows, which disfigure you so much that you
look more like a bear than a man.’

The dervise did not oppose the offer; and when the prince had cut
off as much hair as he thought fit, he perceived that the dervise had a
good complexion, and that he did not seem so very old.

‘Good dervise,’ said he, ‘if I had a glass I would show you how
young you look: you are now a man, but before nobody could tell what
you were.’

The kind behaviour of Prince Bahman made the dervise smile, and
return his compliment. ‘ Sir,’ said he, ‘whoever you are, I am obliged
by the good office you have performed, and am ready to show my grati-
tude by doing anything in my power for you. Tell me wherein I may
serve you.’

‘Good dervise,’ replied Prince Bahman, ‘I am in search of the
speaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the yellow-water. I know these
three rarities are not far from hence, but cannot tell exactly the place
where they are to be found ; if you know, I conjure you to show me the
way, that I may not lose my labour after so long a journey.’

The prince, while he spoke, observed that the dervise changed coun-
tenance, held down his eyes, looked very serious, and, mstead of
making any reply, remained silent, which obliged him to say to him
again, ‘Good father, tell me whether you know what I ask you, that I
may not lose my time, but inform myself somewhere else.’

At last the dervise broke silence. ‘Sir,’ said he to Prince Bahman,
‘IT know the way you ask of me; but the danger you are going to
expose yourself to is greater than you may suppose. A number of
gentlemen of as much bravery and courage as yourself have passed this
way, and asked me the same question. I can assure you they have all
perished, for I have not seen one come back. Therefore, if you have
any regard for your life, take my advice, go no farther, bub return
home.’

‘Nothing,’ replied Prince Bahman to the dervise, ‘shall make me
change my intention : whoever attacks me, I am brave and well armed.’
‘But they who will attack you are not to be seen,’ said the dervise ;
‘how will you defend yourself against invisible persons?’ ‘It is no
matter,’ answered the prince ; ‘all you can say shall not persuade me
126 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
to forego my purpose. Since you know the way, I once more conjure
ou to inform me.’

When the dervise found he could not prevail upon Prince Bahman to
relinquish his journey, he put his hand into a bag that lay by him, and
pulled out a bowl, which he presented to him. ‘Since you will not be
led by my advice,’ said he, ‘ take this bowl; when you have mounted
your horse, throw it before you, and follow it to the foot of a mountain.
There, as soon as the bowl stops, alight, leave your horse with the
bridle over his neck, and he will stand in the same place till you return.
As you ascend you will see on your right and left a great number of
large black stones, and will hear on all sides a confusion of voices,
which will utter a thousand injurious threats to discourage you, and
prevent your reaching the summit of the mountain. Be not afraid; but,
above all things, do not turn your head to look behind you ; for in that
instant you will be changed into such a black stone as those you see,
which are all youths who have failed in this enterprise. If you escape
the danger of which I give you but a faint idea, and get to the top of the
mountain, you will see a cage, and in that cage is the bird you seek ;
ask him which are the singing-tree and the yellow-water, and he will
tell you. I have nothing more to say, except to beg you again not to
expose your life, for the difficulty is almost insuperable.’

After these words, the prince mounted his horse, took his leave
of the dervise with a re-
spectful salute, and threw
the bowl before him.

The bowl rolled away
unceasingly, with as much
swiftness as when Prince
Bahman first hurled it from
his hand, which obliged him

_ to put his horse to the gallop
to avoid losing sight of it,
and when it had reached the
foot of the mountain it

« stopped. The prince alighted

: from his horse, laid the bridle
on his neck, and, having first
surveyed the mountain, and
seen the black stones, began
toascend. He had not gone
four steps, before he heard
the voices mentioned by the
dervise, though he could see

THE PRINCE PUT HIS HORSE TO THE GALLOP. nobody. Some said, ‘ Where

is he going?’ ‘ What would

he have? ‘Do not let him pass;’ others, ‘Stop him,’ ‘ Catch
him,’ ‘Kill him;’ and others, with a voice like thunder, ‘ Thief!”


STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 127



‘ Assassin !’ ‘ Murderer!’ while some, in a gibing tone, cried, ‘ No, no,
do not hurt him ; let the pretty fellow pass ; the cage and bird are kept
for him.’

Notwithstanding all these troublesome voices, Prince Bahman
ascended with courage and resolution for some time, but the voices
redoubled with so loud a din near him, both behind, before, and on all
sides, that at last he was seized with dread, his legs trembled under
him, he staggered, and finding that his strength failed him, he forgot the
dervise’s advice, turned about to run down the hill, and was that
instant changed into a black stone. His horse likewise, at the same
moment, underwent the same change.

From the time of Prince Bahman’s departure, the Princess Perie-
zadeh always wore the knife and sheath in her girdle, and pulled it out
several times a day, to know whether her brother was yet alive. She
had the consolation to find he was in perfect health, and to talk of him
frequently with Prince Perviz.

On the fatal day that Prince Bahman was transformed into a stone,
as Prince Perviz and the princess were talking together in the evening,
as usual, the prince desired his sister to pull out the knife to know how
their brother did. The princess readily complied, and, seeing the blood
run down the point, was seized with so much horror that she threw it
down. ‘Ah! my dear brother,’ cried she, ‘woe’s me! I have been the
cause of your death, and shall never see you more! Why did I tell
you of the speaking-bird, the singing-tree, and yellow-water? or why
did I allow my peace to be disturbed by the idle tales of a silly old
woman ?’

Prince Perviz was as much afflicted at the death of Prince Bahman
as the princess; but as he knew that she still passionately desired
possession of the speaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the golden-water,
he interrupted her, saying, ‘ Sister, our regret for our brother is vain
and useless; our grief and lamentations cannot restore him to life; itis
the will of God; we must submit to it, and adore the decrees of the
Almighty without searching into them. Why should you now doubt of
the truth of what the holy woman told you? Our brother’s death is
probably owing to some error on his part. I am determined to know
the truth, and am resolved myself to undertake this search ; to-morrow
I shall set out.’

The princess did all she could to dissuade Prince Perviz, conjuring
him not to expose her to the danger of losing two brothers ; but all the
remonstrances she could urge had no effect upon him. Bui. | e went,
that she might know what success he had, he left her a string of a
hundred pearls, telling her that if they would not run when she should
count them upon the string, but remain fixed, that would be a certain
sign he had undergone the same fate as his brother; but at the same
time told her he hoped it would never happen, but that he should have
the happiness to see her again to.their mutual satisfaction.

Prince Perviz, on the twentieth day after his departure, met the sama
128 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

dervise in the same place as his brother Bahman had done before him,
and asked of him the same question. The dervise urged the same
difficulties and remonstrances as he had done to Prince Bahmazn, telling
him that a young gentleman who very much resembled him was with
him a short time before, and had not yet returned.

‘ Good dervise,’ answered Prince Perviz, ‘I know whom you speak of ;
he was my elder brother, and I am informed of the certainty of his
death, but know not the cause.’ ‘I can tell you,’ replied the dervise,
‘he was changed into a black stone, as all I speak of have been; and
you must expect the same fate, unless you observe more exactly than
he has done the advice I gave him; but I once more entreat you to
renounce your resolution.’

‘ Dervise,’ said Prince Perviz, ‘I cannot sufficiently express how
much I am obliged to you for your kind caution ; but I cannot now re-
linquish this enterprise; therefore I beg of you to do me the same
favour you have done my brother.’

On this the dervise gave the prince a bowl with the same instructions
he had delivered to his brother, and so let him depart.

Prince Perviz thanked the dervise, and when he had remounted and
taken leave, threw the bowl before his horse, and spurring him at the
same time, followed it. When the bowl came to the bottom of the hill
it stopped; the prince alighted, and stood some time to recollect the
dervise’s directions. He encouraged himself, and then began to walk
up with a determination to reach the summit; but before he had gone
above six steps he heard a voice, which seemed to be near, as of a man
behind him, say in an insulting tone: ‘Stay, rash youth, that I may
punish you for your presumption.’

Upon this affront the prince, forgetting the dervise’s advice, clapped
his hand upon his sword, drew it, and turned about to revenge himself;
but had scarcely time to see that nobody followed him before he and
his horse were changed into black stones.

In the meantime the Princess Perie-zadeh, several times a day after
her brother’s departure, counted her chaplet. She did not omit it at
night, but when she went to bed put it about her neck, and in the
morning when she awoke counted over the pearls again to see if they
would slide.

The day that Prince Perviz was transformed into a stone she was
counting over the pearls as she used to do, when all at once they
became immovably fixed, a certain token that the prince her brother
was dead. As she had determined what to do in case it should so
happen, she lost no time in outward demonstrations of grief, but pro-
ceeded at once to put her plan into execution. She disguised herself in
her brother’s robes, and having procured arms and equipment, she
mounted her horse the next morning and, having told her servants she
should return in two or three days, took the same road as her brothers.

On the twentieth day she also met the dervise as her brothers had
done, and asked him the same question and received from him the same


STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 12a

answer, with a caution against the folly of sacrificing her life in such a
search.

When the dervise had done the princess replied: ‘By what I com-
prehend from your discourse the difficulties of succeeding in this affair
are, first, the getting up to the cage without being frightened at the





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. BIRD, I HAVE YOU, AND YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE MF.’





terrible din of voices I shall hear; and, secondly, not to look behind
me. For this last direction I hope I shall be mistress enough of mysell
to observe it. As to the first, I desire to know of you if I may use a
stratagem against those voices which you describe, and which are so

9
a

130 THE ARARIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

well calculated to excite terror.’ ‘And what stratagem is it you would
employ?’ said the dervise. ‘To stop my ears with cotton,’ answered
the princess, ‘ that the voices, however loud and terrible, may make the
less impression upon my imagination, and my mind remain free from
that disturbance which might cause me to lose the use of my reason.’

‘ Princess,’ replied the dervise, ‘if you persist in your design you
may make the experiment. You will be fortunate if it succeeds; but
I would advise you not to expose yourself to the danger.’

After the princess had thanked the dervise and taken her leave of
him she mounted her horse, threw down the bowl which he had given
her, and followed it till it stopped at the foot of the mountain.

The princess alighted, stopped her ears with cotton; and, after she
had well examined the path leading to the summit, began with a
moderate pace, and walked up with intrepidity. She heard the voices,
and perceived the great service the cotton was to her. The higher she
went the louder and more numerous the voices seemed; but they were
not capable of making any impression upon her. She heard a great
many affronting speeches and insulting accusations, which she only
laughed at. At last she saw the cage and the bird, while at the same
moment the clamour and thunders of the invisible voices greatly
increased.

The princess, encouraged by the sight of the object of which she was
in search, redoubled her speed and soon gained the summit of the
mountain, where the ground was level; then, running directly to the
cage and clapping her hand upon it, cried: ‘ Bird, I have you, and you
shall not escape me.’ At the same moment the voices ceased.

While Perie-zadeh was pulling the cotton out of her ears the bird
said to her : ‘ Heroic princess, since I am destined to be a slave I would
rather be yours than any other person’s, since you have obtained me so
courageously. From this instant I pay an entire submission to all your
commands. I know who you are, for you are not what you seem, and
T will one day tell you more. In the meantime say what you desire,
and I am ready to obey you.’

‘Bird,’ said Perie-zadeh, ‘I have been told that there is not far off a
golden-water, the property of which is very wonderful; before all
things, I ask you to tell me where it is.’ The bird showed her the
place, which was just by, and she went and filled a little silver flagon
which she had brought with her. She returned to the bird and said:
‘ Bird, this is not enough; I want also the singing-tree. Tell me where
it is.” ‘Turn about,’ said the bird, ‘and you will see behind you a
wood, where you will find this tree. Break off a branch and carry it
to plant in your garden; it will take root as soon as it is put into the
earth, and in a little time will grow to a fine tree.’ The princess went
into the wood, and, by the harmonious concert she heard, soon dis-
covered the singing-tree.

When the princess had obtained possession of the branch of the
singing-tree she returned again to the bird, and said: ‘ Bird, what you
STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 131



have yet done for me is not sufficient. My two brothers, in their search
for thee, have been transformed into black stones on the side of the
mountain. Tell me how I may obtain their disenchantment.’

The bird seemed most reluctant to inform the princess on this point ;
but on her threatening to take his life, he bade her sprinkle every stone
on her way down the mountain with a little of the water from the
golden fountain. She did so, and every stone she thus touched resumed
the shape of a man or of a horse ready caparisoned. Among these
were her two brothers, Bahman and Perviz, who exchanged with her the
most affectionate embraces. Having explained to her brothers and the
band of noble youths, who had been enchanted in their search after
these three wonders, the means of their recovery, Perie-zadeh placed
herself at their head and bade them follow her to the old dervise, to
thank him for his reception and wholesome advice, which they had all
found to be sincere. But he was dead, whether of old age or because
he was no longer necessary to show the way to the obtaining the three
rarities which the Princess Perie-zadeh had secured did not appear.
The procession, headed by Perie-zadeh, pursued its route, but lessened
in its numbers every day. The youths, who had come from different
countries, took leave of the princess and her brothers one after another,
as they approached the various roads by which they had come.

As soon as the princess reached home she placed the cage in the
garden; and the bird no sooner began to warble than he was surrounded
by nightingales, chaffinches, larks, linnets, goldfinches, and every species
of bird of the country. And the branch of the singing-tree was no
sooner set in the midst of the parterre, a little distance from the house,
than it took root and in a short time became a large tree, the leaves of
which gave as harmonious a concert as those of the tree from which
it was gathered. A large basin of beautiful marble was placed in the
garden ; and when it was finished the princess poured into it all the
yellow-water from the flagon, which instantly increased and swelled so
much that it soon reached up to the edges of the basin, and afterwards
formed in the middle a fountain twenty feet high, which fell again into
the basin perpetually without running over.

The report of these wonders was presently spread abroad, and, as the
gates of the house and those of the gardens were shut to nobody, a
great number of people came to admire them.

Some days after, when the Princes Bahman and Perviz had recovered
from the fatigue of their journey, they resumed their former way of
living; and as their usual diversion was hunting, they mounted their
horses and went for the first time since their return, not to their own
demesne, but two or three leagues from their house. As they pursued
their sport, the Emperor of Persia came in pursuit of game upon the
same ground. When they perceived by the number of horsemen in
different places that he would soon be up, they resolved to discontinua
their chase, and retired to avoid encountering him ; but in the very road
they took they chanced to meet him in so narrow a way that they could

—s4
132 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS,



not retreat without being seen. In their surprise they had only time ta
alight, and prostrate themselves before the emperor. He stopped, and
commanded them to rise. The princes rose up, and stood before him
with an easy and graceful air. The emperor, after he had admired
their good air and mien, asked them who they were, and where they
lived.

‘Gire,’ said Prince Bahman, ‘we are the sons of the late mten-
dant of your majesty’s gardens, and live in a house which he built
a little before he died, till it should please you to give us some
employment.’

“By what I perceive,’ replied the emperor, ‘ you love hunting.’ ‘Sire,’
replied Prince Bahman, ‘it is our common exercise, and what none of
your majesty’s subjects who intend to bear arms in your armies ought,
according to the ancient custom of the kingdom, to neglect.’ The
emperor, charmed with so prudent an answer, said, ‘It is so, and I
should be glad to see your expertness in the chase; choose your own
game.’

The princes mounted their horses again, and followed the emperor ;
but had not gone far before they saw many wild beasts together. Prince
Bahman chose a lion, and Prince Perviz a bear; and pursued them with
so much intrepidity that the emperor was surprised. They came up
with their game nearly at the same time, and darted their javelins with
so much skill and address that they pierced, the one the lion, and the
other the bear, so effectually that the emperor saw them fall one after
the other. Immediately afterwards Prince Bahman pursued another
bear, and Prince Perviz another lion, and killed them in a short time,
and would have beaten out for fresh game, but the emperor would not
let them, and sent to them to come to him. When they approached he
said, ‘If I would have given you leave, you would soon have destroyed
all my game: but it is not that which I would preserve, but your
persons ; for I am so well assured your bravery may one time or other
be serviceable to me, that from this moment your lives will be always
dear to me.’

The emperor, in short, conceived so great a kindness for the two
princes, that he invited them immediately to make him a visit ; to which
Prince Bahman replied, ‘ Your majesty does us an honour we do not
deserve ; and we beg you will excuse us.’

The emperor, who could not comprehend what reason the princes
could have to refuse this token of his favour, pressed them to tell him
why they excused themselves. ‘Sire,’ said Prince Bahman, ‘we have
a sister younger than ourselves, with whom we live in such perfect union
that we undertake nothing before we consult her, nor she anything
without asking our advice.’ ‘I commend your brotherly affection,’
answered the emperor. ‘ Consult your sister—meet me here to-morrow,
and give me an answer.’

The princes went home, but neglected to speak of their adventure in
meeting the emperor, and hunting with him, and aiso of the honour he
STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 133
had done them, by asking them to go home with him; yet did not the
next morning fail to meet him at the place appointed. ‘ Well,’ said the
emperor, ‘ have you spoken to your sister? And has she consented to
the pleasure I expect of seeing you?’ The two princes looked at each
other and blushed. ‘Sire,’ said Prince Bahman, ‘we beg your majesty
to excuse us; for both my brother and I forgot.’ ‘Then remember
to-day,’ replied the emperor, ‘and be sure to bring me an answer to-
morrow.’

The princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the
emperor was so good-natured as to forgive their negligence; but to.
prevent their forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little golden
balls out of a purse, and put them into Prince Bahman’s bosom.

‘These balls,’ said he, smiling, ‘ will prevent your forgetting a third
time what I wish you to do for my sake, since the noise they will make
by falling on the floor, when you undyess, will remind you, if you do not
recollect it before.’ The event happened just as the emperor foresaw ;
and without these balls the princes had not thought of speaking to their
sister of this affair. For as Prince Bahman unloosed his girdle to go
to bed the balls dropped on the floor, upon which he ran into Prince
Perviz’s chamber, when both went into the Princess Perie-zadeh’s
apartment, and after they had asked her pardon for coming at so un-
seasonable a time, they told her all the circumstances of their meeting
the emperor..

The princess was somewhat surprised at this intelligence. ‘It was
on my account, I know,’ she said, ‘you refused the emperor, and I am
infinitely obliged to you for doing so. For, my dear brothers, I know
by this your affection for me is equal to my own. But you know mon-
archs will be obeyed in their desires, and it may be dangerous to oppose
them ; therefore, if to follow my inclination I should dissuade you from
showing the complaisance the emperor expects from you, it may expose
you to his resentment, and may render myself and you miserable. These
are my sentiments : but before we conclude upon anything let us consult
the speaking-bird, and hear what he says; he is wise, and has promised
his assistance in all difficulties.’

The princess sent for the cage, and after she had related the circum-
stances to the bird in the presence of her brothers, asked him what they
should do in this perplexity. The bird answered,! ‘The princes, your

*To understand the language of birds was peculiarly one of the boasted
sciences of the Arabians, who pretend that many of their countrymen have
been skilled in the knowledge of the language of birds ever since the time of
King Solomon. Their writers relate that Balkis, the Queen of Sheba, had
a bird called Hudhud, i.e, lapwing, which was her trusty messenger to King
Solomon, D’Herbelot tells this story of Athejaj, a famous Arabian com-
mander :—While he and a camel-driver were talking together, a bird flew
over their heads, making, at the same time, an unusual sort of noise, which the
camel-driver hearing, looked steadfastly on Athejaj, and demanded who he was,
Athejaj not choosing to answer, desired to know the reason of that question.
134 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
brothers, must conform to the emperor’s pleasure, and in their turn
invite him to come and see your house.’

Next morning the princes met the emperor again, who called and
asked them while they were yet afar off, if they had remembered to
speak to their sister. Prince Bahman approached, and answered,
‘Sire, your majesty may dispose of us as you please; we are ready to
obey you; for we have not only obtained our sister’s consent with great
ease, but she took it amiss that we should pay her that deference in a
matter wherein our duty to your majesty was concerned. But if we
have offended, we hope you will pardon us. ‘Do not be uneasy on
that account,’ replied the emperor ; ‘so far from taking amiss what you
have done, I highly approve of your conduct, and hope you will have
the same deference and attachment to my person, if I have ever so little
share in your friendship.’

The princes, confounded. at the emperor’s goodness, returned no other
answer but a low obeisance, to show the great respect with which they
received it.

The emperor gave orders to return at once to his palace. He made
the Princes Bahman and Perviz ride on each side of him, an honour
which grieved the grand vizier, who was much mortified to see them

referred before him.

When the emperor entered his capital, the eyes of the people, who
stood in crowds in the streets, were fixed upon the two Princes Bahman
and Perviz; and they were earnest to know who they might be, whether
foreigners or natives, and many wished.that the emperor had been
blessed with two such handsome princes.

The first thing that the emperor did when he arrived at his place was
to conduct the princes into the principal apartments, who praised with
due discrimination, like persons conversant in such matters, the beauty
and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness of the furniture and orna-
ments. Afterwards, a magnificent repast was served up, and the
emperor made them sit with him, and was so much pleased with the
wit, judgment, and discernment shown by the two princes, that he said,
‘Were these my own children, and I had improved their talents by
suitable education, they could not have been more accomplished or
better informed.’

When night approached, the two princes prostrated themselves at
the emperor’s feet; and having thanked him for the favours he had
heaped upon them, asked his permission to retire, which was granted
by the emperor.

Before they went out of the emperor’s presence, Prince Bahman
said: ‘Sire, may we presume to request that you will do us and our



‘Because,’ replied the camel-driver, ‘this bird assured me that a company of
people is coming this way, and that you are the chief of them.’ While he was
speaking Athejaj’s attendants arrived.—Warton’s ‘History of Poetry,’ vol. ii,
p. 181. Ed. 1840.
STORY OF THE THNLEE SISTERS. 135
sister the honour to visit us the first time you take the diversion of
hunting in that neighbourhood? Our house is not worthy your pre-
sence; but monarchs sometimes have youchsafed to take shelter in a
cottage.’

‘ My children,’ replied the emperor, ‘ your house cannot be otherwise
than beautiful, and worthy of its owners. I will call and see it with
pleasure, which will be the greater for having for my hosts you and
your sister, who is already dear to me from the account you give me of
the rare qualities with which she is endowed; and this satisfaction I
will defer no longer than to-morrow. Jiarly in the morning I will be
at the place where I shall never forget that I first saw you. Meet me,
and you shall be my guides.’

When the Princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home, they
gave the princess an account of the distinguished reception the emperor
had accorded them ; and told her that he would call at their house the
next day.

‘If it be so,’ replied the princess, ‘we must think of preparing a
repast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it would be
proper we should consult the speaking-bird: he will tell us perhaps
what meats the emperor likes best.’ The princes approved of her plan,
and after they had retired she consulted the bird alone. ‘Bird,’ said
she, ‘ the emperor will to-morrow come and see our house, and we are
to entertain him; tell us what we shall do to acquit ourselves to his
satisfaction.’

‘ Good mistress,’ replied the bird, ‘ you have excellent cooks, let them
do the best they can; but above all things, let them prepare a dish of
cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set before the emperor
in the first course before all the other dishes.’

‘Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!’ cried Princess Perie-zadeh, with
amazement; ‘surely, bird, you do not know what you say—it is an
unheard-of dish; besides, all the pearls I possess are not enough for
such a dish.’

‘ Mistress,’ said the bird, ‘do what I say; and as for the pearls, go
early to-morrow morning to the foot of the first tree on your right hand
in the park, dig under it, and you will find more than you want.’

The princess immediately ordered a gardener to be ready to attend
her in the morning, and led him at daybreak to the tree which the bird
had told her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the gardener
came to a certain depth, he found some resistance to the spade, and
presently discovered a gold box about a foot square, which he gave into
the princess’s hands, who, as it was only fastened with neat little hasps,
soon opened it, and found it full of pearls. Very well satisfied with
having found this treasure, after she had shut the box again she put it
under her arm, and went back to the house; while the gardener threw
the earth into the hole at the foot of the tree as it had been before.

The princess, as she returned to the house, met her two brothers,
and gave them an account of her having consulted the bird, and the
136 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

answer he had given her to prepare a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of
pearls, and how he had told her where to find this box. The princes
and princess, though they could not by any means guess at the reason
of the bird ordering them to prepare such a dish, yet agreed to follow
his advice exactly.

As soon as the princess entered the house she called for the head
cook; and after she had given him directions about the entertainment
for the emperor, said to him ; ‘ Besides all this, you must dress an ex-
traordinary dish to set before the emperor himself. This dish must be
of cucumbers stuffed with these pearls;’ and at the same time she
opened him the box and showed him the pearls.

The chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back,
and could make no reply, but took the box and retired ; and afterwards
the princess gave directions to all the domestics to have everything in
order, both in house and gardens, to receive the emperor.

Next day the two princes went to the place appointed; and as soon
as the Emperor of Persia arrived, the chase began, which lasted till
the heat of the sun obliged him to leave off. While Prince Bahman
stayed to conduct the emperor to their house, Prince Perviz rode before
to show tlie way, and when he came in sight of the house, spurred his
horse to inform the Princess Perie-zadeh that the emperor was approach-
ing; but she had been told by some attendants whom she had placed
to give notice, and the prince found her waiting ready to receive him.

When the emperor had entered the courtyard, and alighted at the
portico, the princess came and threw herself at his feet.

The emperor stooped to raise her, and, after he had gazed some time
on her beauty, said: ‘The brothers are worthy of the sister, and she
worthy of them. Iam not amazed that the brothers would do nothing
without their sister’s consent; but,’ added he, ‘I hope to be better
acquainted with you, my daughter, after I have seen the house.’

The princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the hall ;
and after he had considered them very attentively and admired their
variety, ‘My daughter,’ said he to the princess, ‘do you call this a
country-house? The finest and largest cities would soon be deserted
if all country-houses were like yours. I am no longer surprised that
you take so much delight in it, and despise the town. Now let me see
the garden, which I doubt not is answerable to the house.’

The princess opened a door which led into the garden, and con-
ducted him to the spot where the harmonious-tree was planted, and
there the emperor heard a concert, different from all he had ever heard
before ; and stopping to see where the musicians were, he could dis-
cern nobody far or near, but still distinctly heard the music, which
ravished his senses. ‘My daughter,’ said he to the princess, ‘where
are the musicians whom I hear? Are they underground, or invisible
in the air? Such excellent performers will lose nothing by being seen;
on the contrary, they will please the more.’

‘Sire,’ answered the princess, smiling, ‘ they are not musicians, but
STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS. 137
the leaves of the tree your majesty sees before you, which form this
concert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to go a little nearer,
you will be convinced, for the voices will be the more distinct.’

The emperor went nearer, and was so charmed with the sweet
harmony that he could never have been tired with hearing it.
‘Daughter,’ said he, ‘tell me, I pray you, whether this wonderful
tree was found in your garden by chance, or was a present made to
you, or have you procured it from some foreign country? It must
certainly have come from a great distance, otherwise, curious as I am
after natural rarities, I should have heard of it. What name do you
call it by ?”

‘ Sire,’ replied the princess, ‘ this tree has no other name than that
of the singing-tree, and is not a native of this country. Its history is
connected with the yellow-water and the speaking-bird, which came to
me at the same time, and which your majesty may see after you have
rested yourself; and if it please you, I will relate to you the history
of these rarities.’

‘My daughter,’ replied the emperor, ‘ my fatigue is so well recom.
pensed by the wonderful things you have shown me, that I do not feel
it the least. I am impatient to see the yellow-water and to admire
the speaking-bird.’

When the emperor came to the yellow-water, his eyes were fixed so
steadfastly upon the fountain that he could not take them off. At
last, addressing himself to the princess, he said: ‘Whence is this
wonderful water? where its source? by what art is it made to play so
high that nothing in the world can be compared to it? I conclude
that it is foreign, as well as the singing-tree.’

‘ Sire,’ replied the princess, ‘it is as your majesty conjectures ; and
to let you know that this water has no communication with any spring,
I must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so that the water
cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But what your majesty
will think most wonderful is, that all this water proceeded but from one
small flagon, emptied into this basin, which increased to the quantity
you see, by a property peculiar to itself, and formed this fountain.’
‘Well,’ said the emperor, going from the fountain, ‘this is enough for
one time. I promise myself the pleasure to come and visit it often ;
but now let us go and see the speaking-bird.’

As he went towards the hall, the emperor perceived a prodigious
number of singing-birds in the trees around, filling the air with their
songs and warblings, and asked why there were so many there, and
none on the other trees inthe garden. ‘The reason, sire,’ answered the
princess, ‘is because they come from all parts to accompany the song
of the speaking-bird, which your majesty may see in a cage in one of
the windows of the hall we are approaching ; and if you attend, you will
perceive that his notes are sweeter than those of any of the other
birds, even the nightingale’s.’

The emperor went into the hall; and as the bird continued singing, the




a stranger will observe that
the Nooroze,!or the new day,
which is the first of the year
and spring, is observed as
a solemn festival throughout
the land.

On one of these festival
days, just as the Sultan of
Shiraz was concluding his
public audience, which had
been conducted with unusual
*. splendour, a Hindu appeared
te: atthe footof the throne, with
an artificial horse richly ca-
parisoned, and so spiritedly
modelled, that at first sight
he was taken for a living
animal.

The Hindu prostrated himself before the throne, and, pointing to the
horse, said to the sultan, ‘ This horse is a great wonder; whenever 1 mount
him, be it where it may, if I wish to transport myself through the air
to the most distant part of the world, I can do it im a very short time.

. This is a wonder which nobody ever heard speak of, and which I offer -
to show your majesty if you command me.’



aN
aye OY

GOR ay b—



1The name which the ancient Persians gave to the first day of their year,
which was solar, Jumsheed, a king of the first dynasty, instituted the solem-
nity of the Nooroze, which is still celebrated by the Persians, though Mahom-
medans, and consequently obliged to use the Arabian year, which is lunar.—
D’Herbelot.






E ENCHANTED HORSE.

Siatsl
THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 141



The Emperor of Persia, who was fond of everything that was curious,!
and who, notwithstanding the many prodigies of art he had seen, had
never beheld or heard of anything that came up to this, told the Handu
that he was ready to see him perform what he had promised.

The Hindu instantly put his foot into the stirrup, mounted his horse
with admirable agility, and when he had fixed himself in the saddle,
asked the emperor whither he pleased to command him.

‘Do you see that mountain ?’ said the emperor, pointing to it; ‘zride
your horse there, and bring me a branch of a palm-tree that grows at
the bottom of the hill.’

The Emperor of Persia had no sooner declared his will than the
Hindu turned a peg which was in the hollow of the horse’s neck, just
by the pommel of the saddle, and in an instant the horge rose off the
ground and carried his rider into the air with the rapidity of lightning
to a great height, to the admiration of the emperor and all the specta-
tors. Within less than a quarter of an hour they saw him returning
with the palm-branch in his hand; but before he descended, he took
two or three turns in the air over the spot, amid the acclamations of all
the people, then alighted on the spot whence he had set off. He dis-
_ mounted, and going up to the throne, prostrated himself, and laid the

branch of the palm-tree at the feet of the emperor.

The emperor, who had viewed with no less admiration than astonish-
ment this unheard-of sight which the Hindu had exhibited, conceived

1The learned Mr. Thomas Warton, in his great work on the ‘History of
English Poetry, endeavours to show that Arabian literature contributed a con-
siderable element to the tales and romances which accompanied the revival of
learning in the West. He traces in the founder of English poetry, Chaucer,
frequent allusions to the incidents, customs, traditions, and even to the arts of
chemistry, magic, and metallurgy,as practised by the Arabians. This tale of the
‘Enchanted Horse’ finds its counterpart in Chaucer’s ‘ Squire’s Tales,’ where
the Knight thus addresses the King Cambuscan .

tle sayd, “ The king of Arabye and of Inde,
My liege lord, on this solempne day,
Saluteth you as he best can and may,
And sendeth you, in honour of your feste,
By me, that am alredy at your heste,
This stede of bras, that esily and wel,
Can, in the space of a day naurel,
This is to sayn, in four and twentie houres,
Where so you list, in drought or elles shoures,
Beren your bodie into every place
To which your herte willeth for to pace,
Withouten wemme of you, through foule or faire ;
Or, if you list to fleen as high in the aire
As doth an eagle, whan him list to sore,
This same stede shall bere you evermore
Withouten harme, till ye be ther you lest,
(Though that ye sleepen on his back, or rest)
And turne again with writhing of a pin,”’
142 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



a great desire to have the horse, and said to the Hindu, ‘I will purchase
him of you if he is to be sold.’

‘Sire,’ replied the Hindu, ‘there is only one condition on which I ean
part with my horse, and that is the gift of the hand of the princess
your daughter as my wife. This is the only bargain I can make.’

The courtiers about the Emperor of Persia could not forbear laughing
aloud at this extravagant proposal of the Hindu; but the Prince
Feroze-shah, the eldest son of the emperor and presumptive heir to the
crown, could not hear it without indignation. ‘Sire,’ he said, ‘I hope
you will not hesitate to refuse so insolent a demand, or allow this
insignificant juggler to flatter himself for a moment with the idea of
being allied to one of the most powerful monarchs of the world. I be
of you to consider what you owe to yourself, to your own blood, and
the high rank of your ancestors.’

‘Son,’ replied the Emperor of Persia, ‘I will not grant him what he
asked, and perhaps he does not seriously make the proposal; and,
putting my daughter the princess out of the question, I may make
another agreement with him. But before I bargain with him, I should
be glad that you would examine the horse, try him yourself, and give
me your opinion.’ On hearing this the Hindu expressed much joy, and.
ran before the prince to help him to mount, and showed him how to
guide and manage the horse.

The prince mounted without the Hindu’s assisting him; and, as soon
as he had got his feet in the stirrups, without staying for the artist's
advice, he turned the peg he had seen him use, when instantly the
horse darted into the air, quick as an arrow shot out of a bow by the
most adroit archer, and_in a few moments neither horse nor prince
were to be seen. The Hindu, alarmed at what had happened, pros-
trated himself before the throne, and deprecated the anger of the
sultan. The sultan replied to him, and asked, in a passion, why he
did not call him the moment he ascended.

‘Sire,’ answered the Hindu, ‘ your majesty saw as well as I with
what rapidity the horse flew away. The surprise I was then and still
am in deprived me of the use of my speech; but if I could have
spoken, he was got too far to hear me. If he had heard me he knew
not the secret to bring him back, which, through his impatience, he
would not stay to learn. But, sire,’ added he, ‘there is room to hope
that the prince, when he finds himself at a loss, will perceive another
peg, and as soon as he turns that the horse will cease to rise, and
descend to the ground, when he may turn him to what place he pleases
by guiding him with the bridle.’

Notwithstanding all these arguments of the Hindu, which carried
great appearance of probability, the Emperor of Persia was much
alarmed at the evident danger of his son. ‘I suppose,’ replied he, ¢ it
is very uncertain whether my son may perceive the other peg, and make
a right use of it. May not the horse, instead of lighting on the ground,
fall upon some rock, or tumble into the sea with him ?”
THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 143



‘ Sire,’ replied the Hindu, ‘I can deliver you from this apprehension,
by assuring you that the horse crosses seas without ever falling into
them, and always carries his rider wherever he may wish to go; and
your majesty may assure yourself that if the prince does but find out
the other peg I mentioned, the horse will carry him where he pleases.
It is not to be supposed that he will stop anywhere but where he can
find assistance, and make himself known.’

‘ Your head shall answer for my son’s life, if he does not return safe
in three days’ time, or I should hear that he is alive!’ He then ordered
his officers to secure the Hindu, and keep him close prisoner; after
which he retired to his palace, in affliction that the festival of Nooroze
should have proved so inauspicious.



Nan
ILE MORSE CALRIED His Kibien INTO THE ATR

Ju the meantime the prince was carried through the air with prodi-
gious velocity. In less than an houv’s time he ascended so high that
he could not distinguish anything on the earth, but mountains and
plains seemed confounded together. It was then he began to think of
returning, and conceived he might do this by turning the same peg the
contrary way, and pulling the bridle at the same time; but when he found
that the horse still continued to ascend his alarm was great. He turned
the peg several times in different ways, but all in vain. It was then he
saw his fault, and apprehended the great danger he was in from not
having learnt the necessary precautions to guide the horse before he
mounted. He examined the horse’s head and neck with attention, and
perceived behind the right ear another peg, smaller than the other. He
144 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



turned that peg, and presently perceived that he descended in the same
oblique manner as he had mounted, but not so swiftly.

Night had overshadowed that part of the earth over which the prince
was when he found out and turned the small peg; and as the horse
descended, he by degrees lost sight of the sun, till it grew quite dark ;
insomuch that, instead of choosing what place he would go to, he was
forced to let the bridle lie upon the horse’s neck, and wait patiently till
he alighted, though not without the dread lest it should be in the desert,
a river, or the sea.

At last the horse stopped upon some solid substance about midnight,
and the prince dismounted very faint and hungry, having eaten nothing
since the morning, when he came out of the palace with his father to
assist at the festival. He found himself to be on the terrace of a
magnificent palace, surrounded with a balustrade of white marble,
breast high; and groping about, reached a staircase, which led down
into an apartment, the door of which was half open.

The prince stopped at the door, and, listening, heard: no other noise
than the breathing of some people who were fast asleep. He advanced
a little into the room, and by the light of a lamp saw that those persons
were black mutes, with naked sabres laid by them ; which was enough
to inform him that this was the guard-chamber of some sultan or
princess. Prince Feroze-shah advanced on tip-toe, without waking the
attendants. He drew aside the curtain, went in, and saw a magnificent
chamber containing many beds, one alone being on a raised dais, and
the others on the floor. The princess slept in the first and her women
in the others. He crept softly towards the dais without waking either
the princess or her women, and beheld a beauty so extraordinary that
he was charmed at the first sight. He fell on his knees, and twitching
gently the princess’s sleeve, kneeling beside her, pulled it towards him.
The princess opened her eyes, and seeing a handsome young man, was
in great surprise, yet showed no sign of fear.

The prince availed himself of this favourable moment, bowed his
head to the ground, and, rising, said, ‘ Beautiful princess, by the most
extraordinary and wonderful adventure, you see at your feet a suppliant
prince, son of the Emperor of Persia; pray afford him your assistance
and protection.’

The personage to whom Prince Feroze-shah so happily addressed
himself was the Princess of Bengal, eldest daughter of the rajah of that
kingdom, who had built this palace at a small distance from his eapital,
for the sake of the country air. She thus replied: ‘ Prince, you are
not in a barbarous country—take courage ; hospitality, humanity, and
politeness are to be met with in the kingdom of Bengal, as well as in
that of Persia. I grant you the protection you ask—you may depend
on what I say.’

The Prince of Persia would have thanked the princess, but she would
not give him leave to speak. ‘ Notwithstanding I desire,’ said she, ‘ to
know by what miracle you have come hither from the capital of Persia in
THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 145



short a time, and by what enchantment you have evaded the vigilance
of my guards, yet as you must want some refreshment, T will postpone
my curiosity, and give orders to my attendants to show you an apart-
ment, that you may rest yourself after your fatigue, and be better able
to answer my inquiries.’ The princess’s attendants were much surprised
to see the prince in the princess’s chamber, but they at once prepared
to obey her commands. They each took a wax candle, of which there
were great numbers lighted up in the room ; and after the prince had
respectfully taken leave, went before and conducted him into a hand-
some hall; where, while some were preparing the bed, others went into
the kitchen and prepared a supper; and when he had eaten as much as
he chose, they removed the trays, and left him to taste the sweets of
repose.

The next day the princess prepared to give the prince another inter-
view, and, in expectation of seeing him, she took more pains in dressing
and adjusting herself at the glass than she had ever done before. She
tired her women's patience, and made them do and undo the same
thing several times. She adorned her head, neck, arms, and waist,
with the finest and largest diamonds she possessed. The habit she put
on was one of the richest stuffs of the Indies, of a most beautiful colour,
and made only for kings, princes, and princesses. After she had con-
sulted her glass, and asked her women, one after another, if anything
was wanting to her attire, she sent to tell the Prince of Persia that she
would make him a visit.

The Prince of Persia, who by the night’s rest had recovered from the
fatigue he had undergone the day before, had just dressed himself when
he received notice of the intention of the princess, and expressed him-
self to be fully sensible of the honour conferred on him. As soon as
the princess understood that the Prince of Persia waited for her, she
immediately went to pay him a visit. After mutual compliments, the
prince related to her the wonders of the magic horse, of his journey
through the air, and of the means by which he had found an entrance
into her chamber; and then having thanked her for her kind reception,
expressed a wish to return and relieve the anxiety of the sultan his
father. When the prince had finished, the princess replied, ‘I cannot
approve, prince, of your going so soon; grant me at least the favour I
ask of a little longer acquaintance; and since I have had the happiness
to have you alight in the kingdom of Bengal, I desire you will stay long
enough to enable you to give a better account of what you may see
here at the court of Persia.’ The Prince of Persia could not well refuse
the princess this favour, after the kindness she had shown him, and
therefore politely complied with her request ; and the princess’s thoughts
were directed to render his stay agreeable by all the amusements she
could devise.

Nothing went forward for several days but concerts of music, accom-
panied with magnificent feasts and collations in the gardens, or hunting
parties in the vicinity of the palace, which abounded with all sorts of

10
146 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



game, stags, hinds, fallow deer, and other beasts peculiar to the king-
dom of Bengal, which the princess could pursue without danger. After
the chase, the prince and princess met in some beautiful spot, where a
carpet was spread and cushions laid for their accommodation. There
resting themselves, they conversed on various subjects.

Two whole months the Prince of Persia abandoned himself entirely
to the will of the Princess of Bengal, yielding to all the amusements
she contrived for him, for she neglected nothing to divert him, as if she
thought he had nothing else to do but to pass his whole life with her in
this manner. But he now declared seriously he could not stay longer,
and begged of her to give him leave to return to his father.

‘And, princess,’ observed the Prince of Persia, ‘ that you may not
doubt the truth of my affection, I would presume, were I not afraid
you would be offended at my request, to ask the favour of taking you
along with me.’

The princess returned no answer to this address of the Prince of
Persia; but her silence, and eyes cast down, were suflicient to inform
him that she had no reluctance to accompany him into Persia. The
only difficulty she felt was, that the prince knew not well enough how
to govern the horse, and she was apprehensive of being involved with
him in the same difficulty as when he first made the experiment. But
the prince soon removed her fear, by assuring her she might trust her-
self with him, for that after the experience he had acquired, he defied the
Hindu himself to manage him better. She thought, therefore, only of
concerting measures to get off with him so secretly that nobody belong-
ing to the palace should have the least suspicion of their design.

The next morning, a little before daybreak, when all the attendants
were asleep, they went upon the terrace of the palace. The prince
turned the horse towards Persia, and placed him where the princess
could easily get up behind him, which she had no sooner done, and was
well settled, with her arms about his waist, for her better security, than he
turned the peg, when the horse mounted into the air, and making his
usual haste, under the guidance of the prince, in two hours’ time the
prince discovered the capital of Persia.

The prince would not alight in the palace of his father, but directed
his course towards a kiosk at a little distance from the capital. He led
the princess into a handsome apartment, where he told her, that to do
her all the honour that was due to her, he would go and inform his
father of their arrival, and return to her immediately. He ordered the
attendants of the palace, whom he summoned, to provide the princess
with whatever she had occasion for.

After the prince had taken his leave of the princess, he ordered a
horse to be brought, which he mounted, and set out for the palace. As
he passed through the streets he was received with acclamations
by the people, who were overjoyed to see him again. The emperor his
father was holding his divan when he appeared before him in the midst
of his council. He received him with tears of joy and tenderness, and
asked him what was become of the Hindu’s horse.


THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 147



This question gave the prince an opportunity of describing the
embarrassment and danger he was in when the horse ascended into
the air, and how he had arrived at last at the Princess of Bengal’s
palace, the kind reception he had met with there, and that the motive
which had induced him to stay so long with her was the mutual affec-
tion they entertained for each other ; also, that after promising tio marry
her, he had persuaded her to accompany him into Persia. ‘ But, sire,’
added the prince, ‘I felt assured that you would not refuse your consent,
and have brought her with me on the enchanted horse to your summer-
palace, and have left her there, till I could return and assure her that
my promise was not in vain.’

After these words, the prince prostrated himself before the emperor
to obtain his consent, when his father raised him up, embraced Inm a
second time, and said to him, ‘Son, I not only consent to your marriage
with the Princess of Bengal, but will go myself and bring her to my
palace, and celebrate your nuptials this day.’

The emperor now ordered that the Hindu should be fetched out
of prison and brought before him. When the Hindu was admitted
to his presence, he said to him, ‘I secured thy person that thy life
might.answer for that of the prince my son. Thanks be to God, he
is returned again; go, take your horse, and never let me see your face
more.’

As the Hindu had learned of those who brought him out of prison
that Prince Feroze-shah was returned with a princess, and was also
informed of the place where he had alighted and left her, and that the
emperor was making preparations to go and bring her to his palace, as
soon as he got out of the presence he bethought himself of being
revenged upon the emperor and the prince. He mounted his horse,
and, without losing any time, went directly to the palace, and, address-
ing himself to the captain of the guard, tola him he came from the
Prince of Persia for the Princess of Bengal, to conduct her behind
him through the air to the emperor, who waited in the great square of
his palace to gratify the whole court and city of Shiraz with that
wonderful sight.

The captain of the guard, who knew the Hindu, and that the emperor
had imprisoned him, gave the more credit to what he said because
he saw that he was at liberty. He presented him to the Princess of
Bengal, who no sooner understood that he came from the Prince of
Persia, than she consented to what the prince, as she thought, had
desired of her.

The Hindu, overjoyed at his success and the ease with which he had
accomplished his villany, mounted his horse, took the princess behind
him, with the assistance of the captain of the guard, turned the peg, and
instantly the horse mounted into the air.

At the same time the Emperor of Persia, attended by his court, was
on the road to the palace where the Princess of Bengal had been left,
aud the Prince of Persia was advanced before, to prepare the princess

10—2
148 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



to receive his father; when the Hindu, to brave them both, and revenge
himself for the ill-treatment he had received, appeared over their heads
with his prize.

When the Emperor of Persia saw the Hindu, he stopped. His
surprise and affliction were the more sensible, because it was not in his
vower to punish so high an affront. He loaded him with a thousand
mprecations, as did also all the courtiers who were witnesses of so
ignal a piece of insolence and unparalleled artifice and treachery.

The Hindu, little moved with their imprecations, which just reached
his ears, continued his way, while the emperor, extremely mortified at
so great an insult, but more so that he could not punish the author,
returned to his palace in rage and vexation.

But what was Prince Feroze-shah’s grief at beholding the Hindu
hurrying away with the Princess of Bengal, whom he loved so pas-
sionately! He returned to the summer-palace, where he had last seen
the princess, melancholy and broken-hearted.

When he arrived, the captain of the guard, who had learnt his fatal
credulity in believing the artful Hindu, threw himself at his feet with
tears in his eyes, accused himself of the crime which unintentionally
he had committed, and condemned himself to die by his hand. ‘ Rise,’
said the prince to him; ‘I do not impute the loss of my princess
to thee, but to my own want of precaution. But not to lose time, fetch
me a dervise’s habit, and take care you do not give the least hint that it
is for me.’

Not far from this palace there stood a convent of dervises, the
superior of which was the captain of the guard’s particular friend.
From him he readily obtained a complete dervise’s habit, and carried it
to Prince Feroze-shah. The prince immediately pulled off his own
dress, put it on, and being so disguised, and provided with a box of
jewels which he had brought as a present to the princess, left the
palace, uncertain which way to go, but resolved not to return till he had
found out his princess, and brought her back again, or perished in the
attempt.

In the meanwhile, the Hindu, mounted on his enchanted horse, with
the princess behind him, arrived early next morning at the capital of the
kingdom of Cashmere. He did not enter the city, but alighted in a
wood, and left the princess on a grassy spot, close to a rivulet of fresh
water, while he went to seek for food. On his return, and after he and
the princess had partaken of refreshment, he began to maltreat the
princess because she refused to become his wife. As the princess cried
out for help, the Sultan of Cashmere and his court passed through the
wood on their return from hunting, and hearing a woman’s voice calling
for help, went to her rescue.

The sultan, addressing himself to the Hindu, demanded who he was,
and wherefore he ill-treated the lady. The Hindu, with great impu-
dence, replied that she was his wife, and what had anyone to do with
his quarrel with her.
THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 14y



The princess, who neither knew the rank nor the quality of the
person who came so seasonably to her relief, exclaimed, ‘ My lord, who-
ever you are whom Heaven has sent to my assistance, have compassion
onme. Iama princess. This Hindu is a wicked magician, who has
forced me away from the Prince of Persia, to whom I was going to be
married, and has brought me hither on the enchanted horse you behold
there.’

The Princess of Bengal had no occasion to say more. Her beauty,
majestic air, and tears, declared that she spoke the truth. Justly
enraged at the insolence of the Hindu, the sultan ordered his guards
to surround him and strike off his head, which sentence was immediately
executed. -

The sultan then conducted the princess to his palace, where he lodged
her in a most magnificent apartment, next his own, and commanded
a great number of women slaves to attend her.

The Princess of Bengal’s joy was inexpressible at finding herself
delivered from the Hindu, of whom she could not think without horror.
She flattered herself that the’ Sultan of Cashmere would complete his
generosity by sending her back to the Prince of Persia when she should
have told him her story, and asked that favour of him; but she was
much deceived in these hopes; for her deliverer had resolved to marry
her himself the next day, and for that end had issued a proclamation,
commanding the general rejoicing of the inhabitants of the capital. At
the break of day the drums were beaten, the trumpets sounded, and
sounds of joy echoed throughout the whole palace.

The Princess of Bengal was awakened by these tumultuous concerts,
but attributed them to a very different cause from the true one. When
the Sultan of Cashmere came to wait upon her, after he had inquired
after her health, he acquainted her that all those rejoicings were to
render her nuptials the more solemn, and at the same time desired her
assent to the union. This declaration put her into such a state of
agitation that she fainted away.

The women slaves who were present ran to her assistance, though it
was a long time before they succeeded in bringing her to herself. But
when she recovered, rather than break the promise she had made to
Prince Feroze-shah, by consenting to marry the Sultan of Cashmere,
who had proclaimed their nuptials before he had asked her consent, she
resolved to feign madness. She began to utter the most extravagant
expressions before the sultan, and even rose off her seat as if to attack
him, insomuch that he was greatly alarmed and afflicted that he had
made such a proposal so unseasonably.

When he found that her frenzy rather increased than abated, he left
her with her women, charging them never to leave her alone, but to
take great care of her. He sent often that day to inquire how she
did, but received no other answer than that she was rather worse than
better.

The Princess of Bengal continued to talk wildly, and showed other
T50 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



marks of a disordered mind next day and the following, so that the
sultan was induced to send for all the physicians belonging to his
court, to consult them upon her disease, and to ask if they could cure
her.

When the Sultan of Cashmere saw that his court physicians could
not cure her, he called in the most celebrated and experienced of the
city, who had no better success. He then sent for the most famous in
the kingdom, who prescribed without effect. Afterwards he despatched
to the courts of neighbouring sultans, with promises of munificent re-
wards to any who should devise a cure for her malady.

Various physicians arrived from all parts, and tried their skill; but
none could boast of success.

During this interval, Feroze-shah, disguised in the habit of a dervise,
travelled through many provinces and towns, involved in grief, and
making diligent inquiry after his lost princess at every place he came
to. At last, passing through a city of Hindustan, he heard the people
talk much of a Princess of Bengal, who had become mad on the day of
the intended celebration of her nuptials with the Sultan of Cashmere.
At the name of the Princess of Bengal, and supposing that there could
exist no other Princess of Bengal than her upon whose account he had
undertaken his travels, he hastened towards the kingdom of Cash-
mere, and, upon his arrival at the capital, took up his lodging at a
khan, where, the same day, he was informed of the story of the
princess and the fate of the Hindu magician. The prince was con-
vinced that he had at last found the beloved object he had sought so
long.

Being informed of all these particulars, he provided himself with a
physician’s habit, and his beard having grown long during his travels,
he passed the more easily for the character he assumed. He went
boldly to the palace, and announced his wish to be allowed to undertake
the cure of the princess to the chief of the officers.

Some time had elapsed since any physician had offered himself; and
the Sultan of Cashmere with great grief had begun to lose all hope of
ever seeing the princess restored to health, though he still wished to
marry her. He at once ordered the officer to introduce the physician
he had announced. The Prince of Persia being admitted to an audience,
the sultan told him the Princess of Bengal could not bear the sight of a
physician without falling into most violent transports, which increased
her malady; and conducted him into a closet, from whence, through a
lattice, he might see her without being observed. There Feroze-shah
beheld his lovely princess sitting melancholily, with tears in her eyes,
and singing an air in which she deplored her unhappy fate, which had
deprived her, perhaps for ever, of the object she loved so tenderly ; and
the sight made him more resolute in his hope of effecting her cure. On
his leaving the closet, he told the sultan that he had discovered the
nature of the princess’s complaint, and that she was not incurable ; but
added withal that he must speak with her in private and alone, as, not-
THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 151



withstanding her violent agitation at the sight of physicians, he hoped
she would hear and receive him favourably.

The sultan ordered the princess’s chamber door to be opened, and
Feroze-shah went in. As soon as the princess saw him (taking him by
his habit to be a physician), she resorted to her old practice of meeting
her physicians with threats and indications of attacking them. He
made directly towards her, and when he was nigh enough for her to
hear him, and no one else, said to her, in a low voice, ‘ Princess, I am
not a physician, but the Prince of Persia, and am come to procure you
your liberty.’

The princess, who knew the sound of the voice, and recognised his
face, notwithstanding he had let his beard grow so long, grew calm at
once, and felt a secret joy in seeing so unexpectedly the prince she
loved. Feroze-shah told her as briefly as possible his own travels and
adventures, and his determination to find her at all risks. He then
_ desired the princess to inform him of all that happened to her, from the
time she was taken away till that happy moment, telling her that it
was of the greatest importance to know this, that he might take the
most proper measures to deliver her from the tyranny of the Sultan
of Cashmere. The princess informed him of all that had happened,
and that she had feigned to be mad that she might so preserve
herself for a prince to whom she had given her heart and_faith,
and not marry the sultan, whom she neither loved nor could ever
love.

The Prince of Persia then asked her if she knew what became of the
horse, after the death of the Hindu magician. To which she answered
that she knew not what orders the sultan had given; but supposed,
after the account she had given him of it, he would take care of it as a
curiosity. As Feroze-shah never doubted but that the sultan had the
horse, he communicated to the princess his design of making use of it
to convey them both into Persia; and after they had consulted together
on the measures they should take, they agreed that the princess should
next day receive the sultan. The Sultan of Cashmere was overjoyed
when the Prince of Persia stated to him what effect his first visit had
had towards the cure of the princess. On the following day, when the
princess received him in such a manner as persuaded him her cure was
far advanced, he regarded the prince as the greatest physician in the
world, and exhorted the princess carefully to follow the directions of so
skilful a physician, and then retired. The Prince of Persia, who attended
the Sultan of Cashmere on his visit to the princess, inquired of him how
the Princess of Bengal came into the dominions of Cashmere thus alone,
since her own country was far distant.

The sultan at once informed him of what the princess had related,
when he had delivered her from the Hindu magician; adding, that he
had ordered the enchanted horse to be kept safe in his treasury as a
great curiosity, though he knew not the use of it.

‘ Sire,’ replied the pretended physician, ‘the information which your
152 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



majesty has given your devoted slave affords me a means of curing the
princess. As she was brought hither on this horse, and the horse is
enchanted, she hath contracted something of the enchantment, which
can be dissipated only by a certain incense which I am acquainted with.
If your majesty would entertain yourself, your court, and the people of
your capital, with the most surprising sight that ever was beheld, let
the horse be brought to-morrow into the great square before the palace,
and leave the rest to me. I promise to show you, and all that assembly,
in a few moments’ time, the
Princess of Bengal completely
restored in body and mind. But
the better to effect what I pro-
pose, it will be requisite that the
princess should be dressed as
magnificently as possible, and
adorned with the most valuable
jewels in your treasury.’ :
The sultan would have under-
taken much more difficult things
to have secured his marriage
with the princess, which he
expected soon to accomplish.
The next day the enchanted
horse was, by his order, taken
out of the treasury, and placed
early in the great square before
the palace. A report was spread
through the town that there
was something extraordinary to
be seen, and crowds of people
flocked thither from all parts,
insomuch that the sultan’s
guards were placed to prevent
disorder, and to keep space
enough round the horse.
The Sultan of Cashmere, sur-
, ei ae AS rounded by all his nobles and
THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS ROSE IN THE AIR. ministers of state, was placed
in a gallery erected on purpose.
The Princess of Bengal, attended by a number of ladies whom the sultan
had assigned her, went up to the enchanted horse, and the women helped
her tomount. When she was fixed in the saddle, and had the bridle in
her hand, the pretended physician placed round the horse at a proper
distance many vessels full of lighted charcoal, which he had ordered to be
brought, and going round them with a solemn pace, cast in handfuls of
incense, then, with downcast eyes, and his hands upon his breast, he
ran three times about the horse, making as if he pronounced some






THE STORY OF THE ENCHANTED HORSE. 153



mystical words. The moment the pots sent forth a dark cloud of smoke
—accompanied with a pleasant smell, which so surrounded the princess
that neither she nor the horse could be discerned—watehing his oppor-
tunity, the prince jumped nimbly up behind her, and reaching his hand
to the peg, turned it ; and just as the horse rose with them into the air,
he pronounced these words, which the sultan heard distinctly, ‘ Sultan
of Cashmere, when you would marry princesses who implore your pro-
tection, learn first to obtain their consent.’

Thus the prince delivered the Princess of Bengal, and carried her the
same day to the capital of Persia, where he alighted in the square of
the palace, before the emperor his father’s apartment, who deferred the
solemnisation of the marriage no longer than till he could make the pre-
parations necessary to render the ceremony pompous and magnificent,
and eviuce the interest he took in it.

After the days appointed for the rejoicings were over, the Emperor of
Persia’s first care was to name and appoint an ambassador to go to the
Rajah of Bengal with an account of what had passed, and to demand
his approbation and ratification of the alliance contracted by this mar-
riage; which the Rajah of Bengal took as an honour, and granted with
great pleasure and satisfaction.

THE STORY OF PRINCE AHMED, AND THE
FAIRY PERIE BANOU.

Tuere was a sultan of India who, after a long reign, had reached
a good old age. He had three sons and one niece, the chief ornaments
of his court. The eldest son was called Houssain, the second Ali, the
youngest Ahmed. The name of his niece, their cousin, was Nouronnihar.
This niece, the daughter of a favourite brother who had died young,
had been brought up in the palace from her childhood, and was re-
markable for her wit and for her beauty. The sultan, on her arriving at
the proper age, was consulting about a neighbouring prince with whom
she might contract an alliance, when he found that all the three princes,
his sons, loved their cousin and wished to marry her. This discovery
caused him great gricf—not from any disappointment of his own plans
for his niece, but froin the trouble and discord with this mutual passion
for their cousin would cause to his sons.

He spoke to cach of them apart; and remonstrated on the impossi-
bility of one princess being the wife of three brothers, and the troubles they
would create if they persisted in their attachment. He didall he could
to persuade them to abide by a declaration of the princess in favour of
one of them; or that all should agree to resign their pretensions to her
hand, that she might marry a stranger. But as he found them equally
154 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.





obstinate, he sent for them all together, and said, ‘ My sons, since I hava
not been able to persuade you in this matter, and as I have no inclina-
tion to use my authority to give the princess, your cousin, to one in
preference to another, I have thought of an expedient which will please
you all, and preserve harmony among you, if you will but hear me and
follow my advice. I think it would not be amiss if you were to travel
separately into different countries, so that you might not meet each
other: and I promise my niece in marriage to him who shall bring me
the most extraordinary rarity. I will give each of you a sum suited
to your rank, and for the purchase of the rarity you shall search after.’

The three princes cheerfully consented to this proposal, as each
flattered himself fortune might prove favourable to him, and give him
possession of the Princess Nouronnihar. The sultan gave them the
money he promised, and issued orders for the preparations for their
travels. arly next morning they all went out at the same gate of the
city, each dressed like a merchant, attended by a trusty officer habited
as a slave, and all well mounted and equipped. They proceeded the
first day’s journey together ; and at night, when they were at supper,
they agreed to travel for a twelvemonth, and that day year to meet
again at the khan where they were stopping; and that the first who
came should wait for the rest ; so that as they had all three taken leave
together of the sultan, they might return in company. The next morn-
ing by break of day, after they had embraced and wished each other
reciprocally good success, they mounted their horses, and took each a
different road.

Prince Houssain, the eldest brother, who had heard of the extent,
power, riches, and splendour of the kingdom of Bisnagar, bent his
course towards the Indian coast; and after three months travelling,
with different caravans, sometimes over deserts and barren mountains,
and sometimes through populous and fertile countries, arrived at
Bisnagar, the capital of the kingdom of that name, and the residence
of its maharajah. He lodged at a khan appointed for foreign merchants,
and soon learned that there were four principal bezetzeins, where mer-
chants of all sorts kept their shops, on a large extent of ground, in the
centre of the city, in the middle of which stood the maharajah’s palace,
surrounded by three courts, the gates of which were distant two leagues
from each other.

Prince Houssain went to one of these bezetzeins on the next day. It
was large, divided into several vaulted avenues, and shaded from the
sun, but yet very light. The shops were of the same size and propor-
tion; and all who dealt in the same sort of goods, as well as all the
artists of the same profession, lived in one avenue.

The number of shops stocked with all kinds of merchandise—as the
finest linens from several parts of India, painted in the most lively
colours, and representing men, landscapes, trees, and flowers; silks and
brocades from Persia, China, and other places; porcelain from Japan
and China; foot carpets of all sizes—surprised him very much; but
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 155
when he came to the shops of the goldsmiths and jewellers (for those
two trades were exercised by the same merchants), he was in a kind of
ecstasy at beholding such prodigious quantities of wrought gold and
silver, and was dazzled by the lustre of the pearls, diamonds, rubies,
emeralds, and other precious stones exposed for sale. But if he was
amazed at seeing so many treasures in one place, he was much more
surprised when he came to judge of the wealth of the whole kingdom, by
considering that, except the brahmins and priests attached to the
temples, who professed a retired life, there was not a man or woman
through the extent of the kingdom but wore necklaces, bracelets, and
ornaments about their legs and feet, made of pearls and precious stones.
They were all of a dark colour, which admirably set off the brilliancy
of these jewels.

Another object which Prince Houssain particularly admired was the
great number of flower-sellers who crowded the streets; for the Indians
are such great lovers of flowers that no one will stir without a nosegay
of them in his hand, or a garland of them on his head; and the mer-
chants keep them in pots in their shops, so that the air of the whole
bezetzein, however extensive, is perfectly perfumed.

After Prince Houssain had passed through that quarter street by
street, a merchant, perceiving him go by much fatigued, invited him to
sit down in front of his shop. He had not been seated long before a
erier appeared, with a piece of carpeting on his arm, about six feet
square, and crying it at forty purses. The prince called to the crier,
and when he had examined the carpet, told him that he could not com-
prehend how so small a piece of carpeting, and of so indifferent an
appearance, could be set at so high a price, unless it had something very
extraordinary in it, which he knew nothing of. ‘You have guessed
right, sir,’ replied the crier ; ‘ whoever sits on this piece of carpeting
may be transported in an instant wherever he desires to be.’ ‘If the
carpeting,’ said he to the crier, ‘ has the virtue you attribute to it, I
shail not think forty purses too much.’ ‘ Sir,’ replied the crier, ‘I have
told you the truth, and, with the leave of the master of this shop, we
will go into the back warehouse, where I will spread the carpet, and
when we have both sat down, and you have formed the wish to be
transported into your apartment at the khan, if we are not conveyed
thither, it shall be no bargain.’ .

On this proposal, they went into the merchant's back-shop, where
they both sat down on the carpeting ; and ag soon as the prince had
formed his wish to be transported into his apartment at the khan, he
in an instant found himself and the crier there. After this convincing
proof of the virtue of the carpet, he counted to the crier forty purses of
gold, and gave him twenty pieces for himself.

Tn this manner Prince Houssain became the possessor of the carpet,
and was overjoyed that at his arrival at Bisnagar he had found so rare
a curiosity, which he never doubted must of course gain him the posses-
sion of Nouronnihar, as his younger brothers could not meet with any-
156 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



thing to be compared with it. In was in hig power, by sitting on this
carpeting, to be at the place of rendezvous that very day; but as he
would be obliged to wait there for his brothers, as they had agreed, he
chose to make a longer abode in this capital.

It was the custom of the Maharajah of Bisnagar to give all foreign
merchants access to hig person once a week, so that, in his assumed
character, Prince Houssain saw him often, and was much honoured by
his asking him of the Sultan of the Indies, and of the government,
strength, and riches of his dominions.

The prince employed the rest of his time in viewing the wonders of
the city. Among the objects which were most worthy of admiration,
he visited a temple built entirely of brass. It was ten cubits square
and fifteen high; but its greatest ornament was an idol of the height
of a man, of massy gold; its eyes were two rubies, set so artificially
that it seemed to look at those who viewed it, on which side soever they
turned. Besides this, there was another idol temple, not less curious,
in the environs of the city, in the midst of a garden of about ten acres,
full of roses and the choicest flowers, surrounded by a wall, breast high,
to keep out the cattle. In the midst of this garden, on a raised terrace,
with a beautifully polished pavement, was the josh-house, built of red
marble, and having a spire rising about fifty cubits high from the build-
ing, which might be seen for several leagues round. The inside of the
spire was adorned with three compartments of fine paintings; and there
was not a part in the whole edifice but what was embellished with
pictures, or relievos, and gaudy idols from top to bottom.

Every night and morning superstitious ceremonies were performed in
this temple, which were always succeeded by music, dancing, singing,
and feasts. The brahmins and attendants of the temple had nothing to
subsist on but the offerings of pilgrims, who came in crowds from the
most distant parts of the kingdom to perform their vows at the shrine
of the idol.

Prince Houssain was also spectator of a solemn festival, which was
celebrated every year at the court of Bisnagar, at which all the governors
of provinces, commanders of garrisons, magistrates of towns, and the
brahmins most celebrated for their learning were usually present; some
of whom occupied four months in coming. This assembly, composed
of such innumerable multitudes of Hindus, and encamped in variously-
coloured tents, on a plain of vast extent, as far as the eye could reach,
was a splendid sight. In the centre of this plain was a square of great
length and breadth, closed on all sides by large seaffoldings, some of
which were painted on the outside, and covered with rich carpets for
the maharajah and his court.

On each side of this square, at some little distance from each other,
were ranged a thousand clephants, sumptuously caparisoned, each
having upon his back a square wooden stage, finely gilt, upon which
were musicians and buffoons. The trunks, ears, and bodies of these
elephants were painted with cinnabar and other colours, representing
grotesque figures.
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 157

But what Prince Houssain most of all admired, as a proof of the
industry, address, and inventive genius of the Hindus, was to see one
of the largest of these elephants stand with his four feet on a post raised
two feet from the ground, playing and beating time to the music with
his trunk. Besides this, he admired another large elephant placed upon
a plank, laid across a strong beam about ten feet from the ground, with
a sufficiently heavy weight at the other end, which balanced him, while
he kept time, by the motions of his body and trunk, with the music.
This beam was so constructed that one end could be let down for the
elephant to get on and off it.

When Prince Houssain had seen all the wonders of the capital, he
wished to be nearer his dear Princess Nouronnihar, and having paid all
the charges, and returned the key of his apartment to the owner of the
khan, he took and spread the carpet, and as soon as he had formed his
wish, he and his officer whom he had brought with him were transported
to the caravansery at which he and his brothers were to meet, and
where he passed for a merchant till their arrival.

Prince Ali, the second brother, who had designed to travel into Persia,
after he had parted with his brothers, joimed a caravan, and in four
months arrived at Shiraz, the capital of that empire.

On the next morning after his arrival, while the merchants opened
their bales of merchandise, Prince Ali, who travelled only for his plea-
sure, and had brought nothing but necessaries with him, after he had
dressed himself, took a walk into that quarter of the town where is the
bezetzein of the jewellers, in which they sold precious stones, gold and
silver works, brocades, silks, fine linens, and other choice and valuable
articles, for which Shiraz was celebrated.

But among the criers who passed backwards and forwards with
samples of séveral sorts of goods, he was not a little surprised to see
one who held in his hand an ivory tube, of about a foot in length, and
about an inch thick, which he cried at forty purses. At first he thought
the crier mad, and asked him what he meant by crying for forty purses
that tube which seemed to be a thing of no value. The crier replied,
‘Sir, you are not the only person that takes me for a madman on
account of this tube; you shall judge yourself whether I am or no,
when I have told you its property. By looking through this tube you
will see whatever object you wish to behold.’

The crier presented him the tube, and he looked through, wishing at
the same time to see the sultan his father, whom he immediately beheld
in perfect health, sitting on his throne, in the midst of his council.
Next, as there was nothing in the world so dear to him, after the
sultan, as the Princess Nouronnihar, he wished to see her; and in-
stantly beheld her laughing, and in a gay humour, with her women
about her.t

1 Cornelius Agrippa, a learned physician of Cologne, A.D. 1520, is said to have
shown to the poetical Earl of Surrey the image of Geraldine, sick, and reposing
on a couch
158 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



Prince Ali wanted no other proof to persuade him that this tube was
the most valuable article, not only in the city of Shiraz, but in all the
world ; and believed that if he should neglect to purchase it he should
never meet with an equally wonderful curiosity. He said to the crier,
‘Tam very sorry that I have entertained so erroneous an opinion of
you, but I hope to make amends by buying the tube, and I will give
you the price you ask.’ On this the prince took the crier to the khan
where he lodged, told him out the money, and received the tube.

Prince Ali was overjoyed at his purchase; he persuaded himself that
as his brothers would not be able to meet with anything so rare and
admirable, the Princess Nouronnihar must be the recompense of his
fatigue and travels. He thought now of only visiting the court of Persia,
and of seeing whatever was curious in Shiraz, and when the caravan
took its departure, he joined the party of merchants with whom he had
travelled, and arrived happily without any accident or trouble at the
place appointed, where he found Prince Houssain, and both waited for
Prince Ahmed.

Prince Ahmed took the road to Samarcand, and the day after his
arrival went, as his brothers had done, into the bezetzein, where he
had not walked long before he heard a crier, who had an artificial apple
in his hand, ery it at five-and-thirty purses. He stopped the crier, and
said to him, ‘ Let me see that apple, and tell me what virtue or extra-
ordinary property it possesses, to be valued at so high a vate.’ ‘ Sir,’
replied the erier, giving it into his hand, ‘if you look at the mere out-
side of this apple, it is not very remarkable; but if you consider its
properties you will say it is invaluable, and that he who possesses it is
master of a great treasure. It cures all sick persons of every disease,
and even if the patient is dying it will recover him immediately,
and restore him to perfect health; and this merely by the patient's
smelling it.’

«Tf one may believe you,’ replied Prince Ahmed, ‘the virtues of this
apple are wonderful, and it ig indeed invaluable; but how am I to
know that there is no exaggeration in the high praises you bestow
on it? ‘Sir,’ replied the crier, ‘the truth is known by the whole
city of Samarcand; ask all these merchants you see here, and hear

‘ And as that wealthy Germany I pass’d,
Coming unto the emperor's court at last,
Great learn’d Agrippa, so profound in art,
Who the infernal secrets doth impart,
When of thy health I did desire to know,
Me in a glass my Geraldine did show,
Sick in thy bed, and for thou couldst not sleep,
By a wax taper’set the light to keep.
I do remember thou didst read that ode,
Sent back whilst I in Thanet did abide.’
_Warton’s ‘History of English Pocts,’ vol. ii, p. 179 ; Drayton’s ‘ Historical
Epistles’; Chalmer’s ‘ English Poets,’ vol. ii. p. 96.
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 159





what they say; you will find several of them will tell you they had
not been alive this day had they not made use of this excellent
remedy.’

While the crier was detailing to Prince Ahmed the virtues of the
artificial apple, many persons gathered round them, and confirmed what
he declared ; and one amongst the rest said he had a friend dangerously
ill, whose life was despaired of; which was a favourable opportunity to
show the experiment. Upon which Prince Ahmed told the crier he
would give him forty purses for the apple if it cured the sick person by
smelling it.

“Come, sir,’ said the crier to Prince Ahmed, ‘ let us go and make the
experiment, and the apple shall be yours.’

The experiment succeeded ; and the prince, after he had counted out
to the crier forty purses, received the apple. He then spent his time in
seeing all that was curious at and about Samarcand, and principally
the valley of Sogd, which is reckoned by the Arabians one of the four
paradises of the world, for the beauty of its fields, gardens, and palaces,
and for its fertility in fruit of all sorts, and all the other pleasures
enjoyed there in the fine season; and having joined himself to the
first caravan that set out for the Indies, he arrived in perfect health
at the caravansery, where the princes Houssain and Ali waited for
him.

When Prince Ahmed joined his brothers they embraced with tender-
ness, and complimented each other on the happiness of meeting together
in safety at the same place they had set out from. Houssain, as the
eldest brother, then said, ‘ Brothers, we shall have time enough here-
after to describe our travels. Let us come to that which is of the
greatest importance for us to know, and not conceal from each other
the curiosities we have brought, but show them, that we may ourselves
judge to which of us the sultan our father may give the preference. I
will tell you that the rarity which I have brought from the kingdom of
Bisnagar is the carpeting on which I sit. It looks but ordinary, and
makes no show, but its virtues are wonderful. Whoever sits on it, and
desires to be transported to any place, be it ever so far distant, is im-
mediately carried thither. On my return here I made use of no other
conveyance than this wonderful carpet, for which I paid forty purses.
I expect now that you should tell me whether what you have brought
is to be compared with this carpet.’

Prince Ali next spoke. ‘I must own, brother,’ said he, ‘that your
carpet is a most surprising curiosity. But you must allow that there
may be other rarities at least as wonderful. Here is an ivory tube,
which appears to the eye no more a prodigy than your carpet. It cost
me forty purses, and I am as well satisfied with my purchase as you
can be with yours; for on looking in one end of this tube you can see
whatever object you wish to behold. I would not have you take my
word,’ added Prince Ali, presenting the tube to him. ‘Take it; make
trial of it yourself.’
160 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



Houssain took the ivory tube from Prince Ali, to see the Princess
Nouronnihar, when Ali and Prince Ahmed, who kept their eyes fixed
upon him, were extremely surprised to see his countenance suddenly
express extraordinary alarm and affliction. Prince Houssain did not
give them time to ask what was the matter, but cried out, ‘ Alas!
princes, to what purpose have we undertaken such long and fatiguing
journeys, with the hopes of being recompensed by the hand of the
charming Nouronnihar, when in a few moments that lovely princess
will breathe her last! I saw her in bed, surrounded by her women,
all in tears, who seem to expect her death. Take the tube, behold
yourselves the miserable state she is in, and mingle your tears with
mine.’

Prince Ali took the tube out of Houssain’s hand, and after he had
seen the same object with sensible grief presented it to Ahmed, who
took it to behold the melancholy sight which so much concerned
them all.

When Prince Ahmed had taken the tube out of Ali’s hands, and saw
that the Princess Nouronnihar’s end was so near, he addressed himself
to his two brothers, and said, ‘ Princes, the Princess Nouronnihar,
whom we all equally loved, is indeed just at death’s door; but pro-
vided we make haste and lose no time, we may preserve her life. This
apple which you see, cost the same sum as the carpet and the tube;
but it has this wonderful property—its smell will restore to life a sick
person, whatever be the malady. I have made the experiment, and
can show you its wonderful effect on the person of the Princess
Nouronnihar, if we hasten to assist her. ;

‘If that be all,’ replied Prince Houssain, ‘we cannot make more
despatch than by transporting ourselves instantly into her chamber by
means of my carpet. Come, lose no time, sit down, it is large enough
to hold us all.’

As soon as the order was given, the Princes Ali and Ahmed sat down
by Houssain, and as their interest was the same, they all framed the
same wish, and were transported instantaneously into the Princess
Nouronnihar’s chamber.

The presence of the three princes, who were so little expected,
alarmed the princess’s women and guards, who could not comprehend
by what enchantment three men should be among them; for they did
not know them at first; and the guards were ready to fall upon them,
as people who had got into a part of the palace where they were not
allowed to come; but they presently found their mistake.

Prince Ahmed no sooner saw himself in Nouronnihar’s chamber,
than he rose off the carpet, and went to the bedside, and put the apple
to her nostrils. The princess instantly opened her eyes, and, sitting up,
asked to be dressed, with the same freedom and recollection as if she
had awakened out of a sound sleep. Her women presently informed
her that she was obliged to the three princes her cousins, and particu-
larly to Prince Ahmed, for the sudden recovery of her health. She
PRINCE AHMEL AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 16;
immediately expressed her joy at seecimg them, and thanked thein all
together, but afterwards Prince Ahmed in particular. As she desired
to dress, the princes contented themselves with telling her how great a
pleasure it was to them to have come soon enough to contribute each
in any degree towards relieving her from the imminent danger she was
in, and what ardent prayers they had offered for the continuance of
her life; after which they retired.

While the princess was dressing, the princes went to throw themselves
at the sultan their father’s feet; but when they came to him, they
found he had been previously informed of their unexpected arrival by
the chief of the princess’s guards, and by what means the princess had
been so suddenly cured. The sultan received and embraced them with
the greatest joy, both for their return and the wonderful recovery of
the princess his niece, whom he loved as if she had been his own
daughter. After the usual compliments, the princes presented each the
rarity which he had brought: Prince Houssain his carpet, Prince Ali
his ivory tube, and Prince Ahmed the artificial apple; and after each
had commended his present, as he put it into the sultan’s hands, they
begged of him to pronounce their fate, and declare to which of them he
would give the Princess Nouronnihar, according to his promise.

The Sultan of the Indies, having heard all that the princes had to
say in favour of their rarities, remained some time silent, considering
what answer he should make. At last he broke silence, and said to
them in terms full of wisdom, ‘I would declare for one of you, my sons,
if I could do it with justice. It is true, Ahmed, the princess, my niece,
is obliged to your artificial apple for her cure: but let me ask you,
whether you could have contrived to cure her if you had not known by
Ali's tube the danger she was in, and if Houssain’s carpet had not
brought you to her so soon? Your tube, Ali, revealed to you and your
brothers the illness of your cousin; but you must grant that the
knowledge of her illness would have been of no service without the
artificial apple and the carpet. And as for you, Houssain, your carpet
was an essential instrument in effecting her cure. But consider, it
would have been of little use, if you had not been acquainted with her
illness by Ali’s tube, or if Ahmed had not applied his artificial apple.
Therefore, as the carpet, the ivory tube, and the artificial apple have no
preference over each other; but, on the contrary, as each had an equal
share in her cure, I cannot grant the princess to any one of you; and
the only fruit you have reaped from your travels is the happiness of
having equally contributed to restore her to health.

‘ As this is the case,’ added the sultan, ‘I must resort to other means
to determine the choice I ourht to make; and as there is time enough
between this and night, I wil do it to-day. Go and procure each of
you a bow and arrow, and repair to the plain where the horses ard
exercised ; I will soon join you, and will give the Princess Nouronnihar
to him who shoots the farthest.’

The three princes had nothing to object to the decision of the sultan,

11
162 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

When they were dismissed his presence, they each provided themselves
with a bow and arrow, and went to the plain appointed, followed by a
great concourse of people.

As soon as the sultan arrived, Prince Houssain, as the eldest, took
his bow and arrow and shot first. Prince Ali shot: next, and much
beyond him, and Prince Ahmed last of all; but it so happened that
nobody could see where his arrow fell; and notwithstanding all the
search made by himself and all the spectators, it was not to be found.
Tt was evident that he had shot the farthest; but as his arrow could
not be found, the sultan, in spite of his remonstrances, determined in
favour of Prince Ali, and gave orders for preparations to be made for
the solemnization of the nuptials of him and Nouronnihar, which were
celebrated a few days after with great magnificence.

Prince Houssain would not honour the feast with his presence. His
love for the princess was so sincere and ardent that he could scarcely
support with patience the mortification of seeing her marry Prince Ali,
who, he said, did not deserve her better nor love her more than himself.
In short, his grief was so great that he left the court, and renounced all
right of succession to the crown, to turn dervise, and put himself under
the his exemplary life.

Prince Ahmed, from the same motive, did not assist at Prince Ali
and the Princess Nouronnihar’s nuptials, any more than his brother
Houssain, yet did not renounce the world as he had done. But as he
could not imagine what could have become of his arrow, he resolved to
search for it, that he might not have anything to reproach himself with.
With this intent he went to the place where the Princes Houssain’s
and Ali’s were gathered up, and proceeding straightforwards from
thence, looked carefully on both sides as he advanced. He went so far
that at last he began to think his labour was in vain; yet he felt com-
pelled to proceed, till he came to some steep craggy rocks, which com-
pletely prevented any further progress.

At the very foot of these rocks, he perceived an arrow, which, to his
great astonishment, he found to be the same he had shot. < Certainly,’
said he to himself, ‘neither I, nor any man living, could shoot an
arrow so far. There must be some mystery in this; and perhaps
fortune, to make amends for depriving me of what I thought the greatest
happiness of my life, may have reserved a greater blessing for my
comfort.’

On looking about, the prince beheld an iron door, which seemed to
be locked; but on his pushing against it, it opened, and discovered a
staircase, which he walked down with his arrow in his hand. At first
he thought he was going into a dark place, but presently he was sur-
rounded by light, and beheld a magniticent palace, the admirable
structure of which he had not time to look at: for at the same instant
a lady of majestic air, and of a beauty heightened by the richness of
the jewels which adorned her person, advanced, attended by a troop of
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 163



ladies, of whom it was difficult to distinguish which was the mistress,
as all were so magnificently dressed.

As soon as Ahmed perceived the lady, he hastened to pay his respects ;
but the lady, addressing him first, said, ‘ Enter, Prince Ahmed; you are
welcome.’

After these words the lady led Prince Ahmed into a noble hall. She
then sat down on a sofa; and when the prince, at her entreaty, had seated
himself by her, she continued, ‘You know, as the Koran states, that
the world is inhabited by genies as well as men: I am Perie Banou,
the daughter of one of the most powerful of these genies. I am no
stranger to your loves or your travels. The artificial apple, which you
bought at Samarcand; the carpet which Prince Houssain purchased at
Bisnagar, and the tube which Prince Ali brought from Shiraz, were of
my contrivance. You seemed to me worthy of a happier fate than to
marry the Princess Nouronnihar; and that you might attain to it, I
also caused your arrow to fly out of sight, and to strike against the
rocks near which you found it. It is in your power to avail your-
self of the favourable opportunity which presents itself to make you
happy.’

Ae the fairy Perie Banou pronounced the last words with a different
tone, and looked at the same time tenderly at the prince, with down-
cast eyes and a modest blush upon her cheeks, it was not difficult for
him to comprehend what happiness she meant ; and he replied, ‘Should
I have the happiness of making you the partner of my life, I should
think myself the happiest of men.’

‘Then,’ answered the fairy, ‘you shall be my husband, and I will be
your wife. Our fairy marriages are contracted with no other ceremonies
than a mutual consent. I will give orders for the preparation of our
nuptial feast this evening ; and in the meanwhile I will show you the
apartments of my palace.’

The fairy led Ahmed through the apartments of the palace, where he
saw diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and all sorts of fine jewels, intermixed
with pearls, agate, jasper, porphyry, and the most precious marbles ;
together with the richest furniture, disposed in the most elegant pro-
fusion. At last he entered the hall where the cloth was laid for the
feast. It was adorned with an infinite number of wax candles perfumed
with amber. A large beaufet was set out with all sorts of gold plate,
so finely wrought that the workmanship was much more valuable than
the weight of the gold. A concert accompanied the feast, formed of the
most harmonious instruments that were ever heard. The fairy helped
Prince Ahmed to the most delicious meats and wines which the prince
had never before tasted of, but found so exquisite that he commended
them in the highest terms, saying that the entertainment which she
gave him far surpassed those among men. After the dessert, which
consisted of the choicest fruits and sweetmeats, the fairy Perie Banou
and Prince Ahmed rose and repaired to a dais, provided with cushions
of fine silk, curiously embroidered. Presently a great number of genie

11—2
164 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

and fairies danced before them ; and at last divided themselves into two
rows, through which they passed to their chambers, after which they
made obeisance and retired.

Every day spent with the fairy Perie was a continued feast, for every
day she provided new delicacies, new concerts, new dances, new shows,
and new diversions; which were all so gratifying to the senses, that
Ahmed, if he had lived a thousand years among men, could not have
experienced equal enjoyment.

The fairy’s intention was not only to give the prince convincing
proofs of her love, but to let him see that he could meet with nothing
at his father’s court comparable to the happiness he enjoyed with
pe sue hoped by those means to attach Prince Ahmed entirely to
herself.

At the end of six months Prince Ahmed felt a great desire to visit the
sultan his father, and know how he was. He mentioned his wish to
Perie Banou, who was much alarmed lest this was only an excuse to
leave her, and entreated him to forego his intention.

‘My queen,’ replied the prince, ‘I did not make the request with any
intention of displeasing you, but from a motive of respect towards my
father, who, as I have reason to presume, believes that I am dead.
But since you do not consent that I should go and comfort him by the
assurance of my life, I will deny myself the pleasure, as there is nothing
to which I would not submit to please you.’ The fairy heard the prince
say this with extreme satisfaction. ‘

In the meanwhile the Sultan of the Indies, in the midst of the re-
joicings on account of the nuptials of Prince Ali and the Princess
Nouronnihar, was deeply afilicted at the absence of the other two
princes his sons. He was soon informed of the resolution Prince
Houssain had taken to forsake the world, and as he knew that he was
alive and well, he supported his absence more patiently. He made
the most diligent search after Ahmed, and despatched couriers to all
the provinces of his dominions, with orders to the governors to stop
him, and oblige him to return to court; but all the pains he took had
not the desired success, and his affliction, instead of diminishing, in-
creased.

‘ Vizier,’ he one day said, ‘ thou knowest I always loved Ahmed the
most of all my sons. My grief is so heavy at his strange absence that
I shall sink under it. If thou hast any regard for my life, I conjure thee
to assist me, and find out where he is.’

The grand vizier, anxious to give his sovereign some case, proposed to
send for and consult a sorceress, of whom he had heard many wonders.
The sultan consented, and the grand vizier, upon her arrival, introduced
her into the presence.

The sultan said to the sorceress, ‘ Canst thou tell me by thy art and
skill what is become of Prince Ahmed, my son? If he be alive, where
is he? What is he doing? MayI hope ever to see him again?’ ‘Sire,’
replied the sorceress, ‘if you will allow me till to-morrow, I will endea-
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 165



your to satisfy you.’ The sultan granted her the time, and promised to
recompense her munificently.

The sorceress returned the next day, and said to the sultan, ‘Sire, I
have not been able to discover anything more than that Prince Ahmed
is alive, but as to where he is I cannot discover.’

The Sultan of the Indies was obliged to remain satisfied with this
answer; which in a small degree relieved his anxiety about the prince.

Prince Ahmed still adhered to his resolution, not again to ask per-
mission to leave the fairy Perie Banou, but she perceiving by his frequent
talking about his father that he retained his wish to see him, and con-
vinced of the sincerity of his affection for herself, resolved to grant him
the permission which she knew he so ardently desired. One day she
said to him, ‘ Prince, as I am now fully convinced that T can depend on
the fidelity of your love, I grant you leave to visit the sultan your father,
on condition that your absence shall not be long; you can go when you
please; but first let me give you some advice how you shall conduct
yourself. First, do not inform your father of our marriage, neither of
my quality, nor the place of our residence. Beg of him to be satisfied
with knowing that you are happy, and that the sole end of your visit is
to make him easy respecting your fate.’

After Prince Ahmed had expressed to Perie Banou his sincere grati-
tude, the fairy summoned twenty horsemen, well mounted and equipped,
to attend him. When all was ready, Prince Ahmed took his leave of
the fairy, embraced her, and assured her that he would return soon.
A charger, which was most richly caparisoned, and as beautiful a
creature as any in the sultan’s stables, was brought to him, which
he mounted with extraordinary grace, which gave great pleasure to
the fairy; and after he had bidden her a last adieu, set forward on his
journey.

As it was no great distance, Prince Ahmed soon arrived at his father's
capital. The people received him with acclamations, and followed him
in crowds to the palace. The sultan embraced him with great joy;
complaining at the same time, with a fatherly tenderness, of the afilic-
tion his long absence had occasioned.

‘Sire,’ replied Prince Ahmed, ‘I could not bear to resign the Princess
Nouronnihar to my brother Ali, and I felt that my arrow, though it
could not be found, had gone beyond his. The loss of my arrow dwelt
continually on my mind, and I resolved to find it. I therefore left my
attendant, and returned alone to look for my arrow. I sought all about
the plain where Houssain’s and Ali’s arrows were found, and where I
imagined mine must have fallen, but all my labour was in vain. I had
gone in the same direction about a league, a distance that the strongest
archers could not reach with their arrows. Iwas about to abandon my
search and return home, when I found myself drawn forward against
my will; and after having gone four leagues, to the end of the plain
where it is bounded by rocks, I perceived an arrow. I ran, took it up,
and knew it to be the same which I had shot. Far from blaming your
166 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS,

majesty for declaring in favour of my brother Ali, I never doubted but
there was a mystery in what had happened to my advantage. But as
to the revealing of this mystery, I beg you will not be offended if I
remain silent, and that you will be satisfied to know from my own
mouth that Tam happy, and content with my fate. To tell you this,
and to relieve your anxiety, was the only motive which brought me
hither. I must now return, and the only favour I ask is your leave
to come occasionally to pay you my duty, and to inquire after your
health,’

‘Son,’ answered the Sultan of the Indies, ‘I wish to penetrate no
further into your secrets. I can only tell you that your presence has
restored to me the joy I have not felt for a long time. You shall always
be welcome when you can come and visit me.’

Prince Ahmed stayed but three days at his father’s court, and on the
fourth returned to the fairy Perie Banou, who received him with the
greater joy, as she did not expect him so soon. At the end of a month
after the prince’s return, the fairy, no longer doubting of his love for her,
proposed herself that he should pay his respects to the sultan. ‘It is a
month,’ she said, ‘since you have seen the sultan your father. I think
you should not be longer in renewing your visits. Go to him to-morrow,
and after that visit him once a month, without speaking to me, or
waiting for my permission. I readily consent to such an arrange-
ment.’

Prince Ahmed went the next morning with the same attendants as
before, but much more magnificently mounted, equipped, and dressed,
and was received by the sultan with the same joy and satisfaction.
For several months he constantly paid him visits, and always in a
richer and more brilliant equipage.

At last the sultan’s counsellors, who judged of Prince Ahmed’s power
by the splendour of his appearance, sought to make the sultan jealous
of hisson. They represented that it was but common prudence to dis-
cover where the prince had retired, and how he could afford to live so
magnificently, since he had no revenue assigned for his expenses; that
he seemed to come to court only to insult him, by affecting a more
splendid display than himself; and that it was to be feared he might
court the people’s favour and dethrone him. They represented the
danger to be greater, as the prince could not reside far from the capital,
as on every visit he paid his attendants were different, their habits new,
and their arms clean and bright, as if just come from the maker’s
hands, and their horses looked as if they had only been walked out.
‘These are sufficient proofs,’ they said, ‘that Prinee Ahmed does not
travel far; so that we should think ourselves wanting in our duty did
we not make our humble remonstrances, in order that, for your own
preservation and the good of your people, your majesty may take such
measures as you shall think advisable.’

When the courtiers had concluded these insinuations, the sultan said,
‘I do not believe my son Ahmed would act as you would persuade me’
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 167



However, I ain obliged to you for your advice, and do not doubt that it
proceeds from your loyalty to my person.’

The Sultan of the Indies said this that his courtiers might not know
the impressions their observations had made on his mind. He was, how-
ever, so much alarmed by them, that he resolved to have Prince Ahmed
watched. For this end he sent privately for the sorceress, who was
introduced by a secret door into his closet. ‘ You told me the truth,’
said he, ‘when you assured me my son Abmed was alive. He now
comes to my court every month, but I cannot learn from him where he
resides. I believe you are capable of discovering his secret. He is at
this time with me, and will depart in the morning, without taking leave
of me or any of my court. I require you to watch him so as to find
out where he retires, and bring me information.’ The sorceress left the
sultan, and learning by her art the place where Prince Ahmed had
found his arrow, went immediately thither, and concealed herself near
the rocks so as not to be seen. :

The next morning Prince Ahmed set out by daybreak, without taking
leave either of the sultan or any of his court, according to custom.
The sorceress saw him coming, and watched him and his attendants till
she suddenly lost sight of them in the rocks. The steepness of the
rocks formed an insurmountable barrier to men, whether on horseback
or on foot; so that the sorceress judged that the prince and his retinue
had suddenly retired either into some cavern or some subterraneous
place, the abode of genies or fairies. When she thought the prince and
his attendants must have far advanced into whatever concealment they
inhabited, she came out of the place where she had hidden herself, and
explored the spot where she had lost sight of them, but could perceive
nothing. The sorceress was obliged to be satisfied with the insufficient
discovery she had made, and returned to communicate it to the sultan ;
but at the same time informed him that she did not despair of obtain-
ing the information he wished.

The sultan was much pleased, and to encourage her presented her
with a diamond of great value, telling her it was only an earnest of the
ample recompense she should receive when she should have performed
the important service which he left to her management. The sorceress,
knowing the time when Prince Ahmed would again visit his father,
went a day or two before to the foot of the rock where she had lost
sight of him and his attendants, and waited there to execute the project
she had formed.

The next morning, as Prince Ahmed went out as usual at the iron
gate with his attendants, on his journey to the capital, he saw a woman
lying with her head on the rock, and complaining as if she was in great
pain. He pitied her, turned his horse, and said, ‘Good woman, I will
assist you, and convey you where you shall not only have all possible
care taken of you, but where you will find a speedy cure. Rise, and let
one of my people take you behind him !’

At these words the sorceress made many feigned efforts to rise, pre-
168 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



tending that the violence of her illness prevented her. At the same
time two of the prince’s attendants, alighting, helped her up, and placed
her behind one of their companions. They mounted their horses again,
and followed the prince, who turned back to the iron gate, which was
opened by one of his retinue. When he came into the outward court of
the fairy’s palace, without dismounting himself, he sent to tell her he
wanted to speak with her. The fairy came with all imaginable haste,
when Prince Ahmed, not giving her time to ask, said, ‘ My princess, I
desire you would have compassion on this good woman. I recommend
her to your care, and am persuaded that you, from inclination, as well
as my request, will not abandon her.’

The fairy, who had her eyes fixed on the pretended sick woman all
the time the prince was speaking, ordered two of her women to take
her from the men who supported her, conduct her into an apartment of
the palace, and take as much care of her as they would of herself.

Whilst the two women were executing the fairy’s commands, she
went up to Prince Ahmed, and, whispering him in the ear, said, ‘ Prince,
I commend your compassion, which is worthy of you and your birth ;
but, believe me, this woman is not so sick as she pretends to be. Iam
much mistaken if she is not sent hither on purpose to occasion you
great trouble. But do not be concerned ; I will deliver you out of all
the snares that shall be laid for you. Go and pursue your journey !’

This address of the fairy’s did not in the least alarm Prince Ahmed.
‘ My princess,’ said he, ‘as I do not remember I ever did, or designed
to do, anybody an injury, I cannot believe anyone can have a thought
of injuring me; but if they have, I shall not forbear doing good when-
ever I have an opportunity.’ So saying, he took leave of the fairy, and
set forward again for his father’s capital, where he soon arrived, and
was received as usual by the sultan, who constrained himself as much
as possible, to disguise the anxiety arising from the suspicions suggested
by his favourites. :

In the meantime the two women, to whom Perie Banou had given
her orders, conveyed the sorceress into an elegant apartment, richly
furnished. When they had put her into bed, the quilt of which was
embroidered brocade, and the coverlet cloth of gold, one of the women
went out, and returned soon with a china cup in her hand, full of a
certain liquor, which she presented to the sorceress, while the other
helped her to sit up. ‘ Drink this,’ said the attendant ; ‘it is the water
of the fountain of lions, and a sovereign remedy. You will find the
effect of it in less than an hour’s time.’

The two attendants returned in an hour’s time, and found the
sorceress seated on the sofa; who, when she saw them open the door of
the apartment, cried out, ‘Oh, the admirable potion ! 16 has wrought
its cure; and being thus cured as by a miracle, I will not lose time, but
prosecute my journey.’

” ‘The two attendants, after they had told the sorceress how glad they
were that she was cured so soon, walked before her, and conducted her
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 169



through several apartments, all more superb than that wherein she had
lain, into a large hall, the most richly and magnificently furnished of
all the palace.

Perie Banou was seated in this hall, upon a throne of massy gold,
enriched with diamonds, rubies, and pearls of an extraordinary size,
and attended on each hand by a great number of beautiful fairies, all
richly dressed. At the sight of so much splendour, the sorceress was
not only dazzled, but so struck, that, after she had prostrated herself
before the throne, she could not open her lips to thank the fairy as she
had proposed. However, Perie Banou saved her the trouble, and said,
‘Good woman, I am glad I had an opportunity to oblige you, and that
you are able to pursue your journey. I will not detain you; but
perhaps you may not be displeased to see my palace. Follow my
women, and they will show it you.’

The old sorceress, who had not power nor courage to say a word,
prostrated herself a second time, with her head on the carpet that
covered the foot of the throne, took her leave, and was conducted by
the two fairics through the same apartments which were shown to
Prince Ahmed at his first arrival. They at last led her to the iron gate
at which Prince Ahmed had brought her in; and after she had taken
her leave of them, and thanked them for their trouble, they opened it,
and wished her a good journey.

After the sorceress had gone a little way, she turned to observe the
door, that she might know it again, but all in vain ; for it was invisible
to her and all other women. Except in this circumstance, she was very
well satisfied with her success, and posted away to the sultan. The
sultan being informed of her arrival, sent for her into his apartment.

The sorceress at once related to the sultan the stratagem by which
she excited the compassion of Prince Ahmed, her introduction to the
Princess Perie Banou, and all the wonders of her fairy abode. Having
finished her narrative, she said, ‘ What does your majesty think of
these unheard-of riches of the fairy? Perhaps you will rejoice at the
good fortune of Prince Ahmed, your son. For my part, I shudder
when I consider the misfortunes which may happen to you, as the
fairy, by her attractions and caresses, may inspire your son with the
unnatural design of dethroning his father, and of seizing the crown of
the Indies.’

As the sultan was consulting with his courtiers when he was told of
the sorceress’s arrival, he ordered her to follow him into the council-
chamber. After having informed his councillors of all he had learnt,
and of his fears of the influence of the fairy over his son, one of the
councillors said, ‘ The author of this mischief is in your majesty’s power.
You ought to put him under arrest; I will not say take away his life,
but make him a close prisoner.’ This advicc all the other councillors
unanimously applauded.

The sorceress asked the sultan leave to speak, which being granted,
she said, ‘If you arrest the prince, you must also detain his retinue.
170 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

But they are all genies. Will they not at once disappear, by the pro-
perty they possess of rendering themselves invisible, and transport
themselves instantly to the fairy, and give her an account of the insult
offered her husband? And can it be supposed she will let it go un-
revenged ? Would it not be better to turn the prince’s alliance to your
advantage, by imposing on him some hard task, which, if he performs,
will benefit you, and which, if he cannot perform, may give you an
honourable pretext for your accusations against him? Request the
prince to procure you a tent, which can be carried in a man’s hand, and
yet be large enough to shelter your whole army.’

When the sorceress had finished her speech, the sultan asked his
councillors if they had anything better to propose; and finding them all
silent, determined to follow her advice.

The next day when the prince came into his father’s presence, the
sultan thus addressed him: ‘My son, I congratulate you on your
marriage with a fairy, who I hear is worthy of your love. I would
make one request, that you would use your influence with your wife to
obtain her assistance to do me a great service. You know to what a
great expense I am put, every time I take the field, to provide mules,
camels, and other beasts of burden, to carry the tents of myself and of
my army. Now, I am persuaded you could easily procure from the
fairy your wife a pavilion that might be carried in a man’s hand, and
which would protect my whole army. Pray oblige me in this matter.’

Prince Ahmed, hearing this request, was in the greatest embarrass-
ment what answer to make. At last he replied, ‘ Though, sir, I know
not how this mystery has been revealed to you, I cannot deny but your
information is correct. I have married the fairy you speak of. But I
can say nothing as to the influence I have over her. However, the
demand of a father is a command upon a child. And I will not fail,
though it be with great reluctance, to ask my wife the favour you
desire. If I should not come again to pay you my respects, it will be
the sign that I have not been able to succeed in my request ; but before-
hand I desire you to forgive me, and consider that you yourself have
reduced me to this extremity.’

‘Son,’ replied the Sultan of the Indies, ‘ your wife would show that
her love to you was very slight, if, with the power she possesses as a
fairy, she should refuse so trifling a request as that I have begged you
to make. Go; only ask her. If she loves you, she will not deny your
request.’

All these representations of the Sultan of the Indies could not satisfy
Prince Ahmed ; and so great was his vexation, that he left the court
two days sooner than he used to do.

When he returned, the fairy, to whom he always before had appeared
with a gay countenance, at once observed his melancholy, and asked the
cause of the change she perceived in him. After much pressing, Ahmed
confessed that the sultan had discovered his abode and his marriage
with the fairy, though he could not tell by what means. The fairy
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 171

reminded him of the old woman on whom he had compassion, and said
that she was the spy of the sultan, and had told him all she had seen
and heard. ‘But,’ she said, ‘ the mere knowledge of my abode by the
sultan would not so trouble you; there is something else which is the
cause of your grief and vexation.’ ‘ Perie Banou,’ said Prince Ahmed
at last, ‘it is even so. My father doubts my allegiance to him, unless
I can provide a pavilion large enough to shelter him, his court, and
army, when he takes the field, and small enough for a man to carry in
his hand.’

‘Prince,’ replied the fairy, smiling, ‘ what the sultan your father
requests is a trifle. Upon occasion I can do him more important
service. Therefore, be persuaded that far from thinking myself impor-
tuned by you, I shall always take real pleasure in performing whatever
you can desire.’ Perie Banou then sent for her treasurer, to whom,
when she came, she said, ‘Noor-Jehaun’ (which was her name),
‘bring me the largest pavilion in my treasury.’ Noor-Jehaun re-
turned presently with a small case concealed in the palm of the
hand, and presented it to her mistress, who gave it to Prince Ahmed
to look at.

When Prince Ahmed saw the small case, which the fairy called the
largest tent in her treasury, he fancied she had a mind to banter him,
and on perceiving which, Perie Banou exclaimed, ‘ What, prince ! do
you think I jest with you? You will see that I am in earnest. Noor-
Jehaun,’ said she to her treasurer, taking the tent out of Prince Ahmed’s
hands, ‘go and set it up, that he may judge whether the sultan his
father will think it large enough.’

The treasurer went out immediately with it from the palace, and
carried it to a great distance, and then set it up. The prince found it
large enough to shelter two armies as numerous as that of the sultan
his father. ‘ You see,’ said the fairy, ‘that the pavilion is larger than
your father may have occasion for; bué you are to observe that it has
one property, that it becomes larger or smaller, according to the extent
of the army it is to cover, without applying any hands to it.’

The treasurer took down the tent again, reduced it to its first size,
brought it and put it into the prince’s hands. He took it, and without
staying longer than till the next day, mounted his horse, and went with
the usual attendants to the sultan his father.

The sultan, persuaded that the tent he had asked for was beyond all
possibility, was in great surprise at the prince’s speedy return. He
took the tent, but after he had admired its smallness, his amazement
was so great that he could not recover himself, when he had set it up
in the great plain before mentioned, and found it large enough to cover
with ease his whole army.

The sultan expressed great obligation to the prince for so noble a
present, desiring him to return his thanks to the fairy; and to show
what a value he set upon it, ordered it to be carefully laid up in his
treasury. But in his secret bosom he felt greater jealousy than ever of
172 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

his son, considering, that by the fairy’s assistance he might effect his
dethronement ; therefore, yet more intent upon his ruin, he went to
consult the sorceress again, who advised him to engage the prince
to bring him some of the water of the fountain of lions.

In the evening, when the sultan was surrounded as usual by all his
court, and the prince came to pay his respects among the rest, he
addressed himself to him in these words: ‘Son, I have already ex-
pressed to you how much I am obliged for the present of the tent you
have procured me, which I esteem the most valuable article in my
treasury ; but you must do one thing more, which will be no less agree-
able to me. I am informed that the fairy your spouse makes use of a
certain water called the water of the fountain of lions, which cures all
sorts of diseases, even the most dangerous ; and as I am perfectly well
persuaded my health is dear to you, I do not doubt but you will ask
her for a bottle of that water, and bring it me as a sovereign remedy,
which I may use when I have occasion. Do me this important service,
and complete the duty of a good son towards a tender father.’

Prince Ahmed, who believed that the sultan his father would have
been satisfied with so singular and useful a tent as that which he had
brought, and that he would not have imposed any new task upon him
which might hazard the fairy’s displeasure, was thunderstruck at this
new request. After a long silence, he said, ‘I beg of your majesty to
be assured that there is nothing I would not undertake to procure
which may contribute to the prolonging of your life, but I could wish
if might not be by the means of my wife. For this reason I dare
not promise to bring the water. All I can do is, to assure you I will
request it of her; but it will be with as great reluctance as I asked for
the tent.’

The next morning Prince Ahmed returned to the fairy Perie Banou,
and related to her sincerely and faithfully all that had passed at his
father’s court from the giving of the tent, which he told her he received
with the utmost gratitude, to the new request he had charged him to
make. He added: ‘But, my princess, I only tell you this as a plain
account of what passed between me and my father. I leave you to
your own pleasure, whether you will gratify or reject this his new
desire. It shall be as you please.’

‘No, no,’ replied the fairy; ‘I will satisfy the sultan, and whatever
advice the sorceress may give him (for I see that he hearkens to her
counsel), he shall find no fault with you or me. There is much wicked-
ness in this demand, as you will understand by what I am going to tell
you. The fountain of lions is situated in the middle of a court ofa great
castle, the entrance into which is guarded by four fierce lions, two of
which sleep alternately, while the other two are awake. But let not
that frighten you. I will supply you with means to pass by thera
without danger.’

The fairy Perie Banou was at that time at work with her needle; and
as she had by her several clues of thread, she took up one, and presoni-
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 173
ing it to Prince Ahmed, said, ‘ First take this clue of thread. I will tell
you presently the use of it. In the second place, you must have two
horses; one you must ride yourself, and the other you must lead, which
must be loaded with a sheep cut into four quarters, that must be killed
to-day. In the third place, you must be provided with a bottle, which
I will give you, to bring the water in. Set out early to-morrow morn-
ing, and when you have passed the iron gate throw before you the clue
of thread, which will roll till it reaches the gates of the castle. Follow
it, and when it stops, as the gates will be open, you will see the four
lions, The two that are awake will, by their roaring, wake the other
two. Be not alarmed, but throw each of them a quarter of the sheep,
and then clap spurs to your horse, and ride to the fountain. Fill your
bottle without alighting, and return with the same expedition. The
lions will be so busy eating they will let you pass unmolested.’

Prince Ahmed set out the next morning at the time appointed him by
the fairy, and followed her directions punctually. When he arrived at
the gates of the castle, he distributed the quarters of the sheep among
the four lions, and passing through the midst of them with intrepidity,
got to the fountain, filled his bottle, and returned safe. When he had
got a little distance from the castle gates, he turned about, and per-
ceiving two of the lions coming after him, drew his sabre, and prepared
himself for defence. But as he went forwards, he saw one of them
turn out of the road at some distance, and showed by his head and tail
that he did not come to do him any harm, but only to go before him,
and that the other stayed behind to follow. He therefore put his sword
again into its scabbard. Guarded in this manner, he arrived at the
capital of the Indies; but the lions never left him till they had conducted
him to the gates of the sultan’s palace ; after which they returned the
way they had come, though not without alarming the populace, who
fled or hid themselves to avoid them, notwithstanding they walked
gently and showed no signs of fierceness.

A number of officers came to attend the prince while he dismounted,
and conduct him to the sultan’s apartment, who was at that time con-
versing with his councillors. He approached the throne, laid the bottle
at the sultan’s fect, kissed the rich carpet which covered the footstool,
and, rising, said, ‘I have brought you, sire, the salutary water which
your majesty so much wished for; but at the same time I wish you
such health as never to have occasion to make use of it.’

After the prince had concluded his compliment, the sultan placed him
on his right hand, and said, ‘ Son, I am much obliged to you for this
valuable present, as also for the great danger you have exposed yourself
to on my account; and I have one thing yet to ask of you, after which
T shall expect nothing more from your obedience, nor from your interest
with your fairy wife. This request is, to bring me a man not above a
foot and a half high, whose beard is thirty feet long, who carries upon
his shoulders a bar of iron of five hundredweight, which he uses as a
quarter-staff, and who can speak.’
174 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



Next day the prince returned to Perie Banou, to whom he related his
father’s new demand, ‘ which,’ he said, ‘he looked upon to be a thing
more difficult than the two first, for,’ added he, ‘I cannot imagine there
is or can be such a man in the world; without doubt he seeks my ruin,
but if there are any means, I beg you will tell me how I may come off
with honour this time also.’

‘Do not alarm yourself, prince,’ replied the fairy ; ‘ you ran a risk in





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SCHAIBAR, BROTHER OF THE FAIRY, PERIE BANOU,

tetching the water of the fountain of lions for your father, but there is
no danger of finding this man. He is my brother Schaibar. Though
we both had the same father, he is of so violent a nature that his
resentinent kindles at the slightest offence; yet, on the other hand, he
is so liberal as to oblige anyone who shows him a kindness. I will send
for him, but prepare yourself not to be alarmed at his extraordinary
igure.’ ‘What! my queen,’ replied Prince Ahmed, ‘do you say Schai-
PRINCE AHMED AND THE FAIRY PERIE BANOU. 175

bar is your brother? Let him be ever so ugly or deformed, I shall love
and honour him as your nearest relation.’

The fairy ordered a gold chafing-dish to be lighted under the porch of
her palace. She took some incense, and threw it into the fire, when
there arose a thick cloud of smoke.

Some moments after, the fairy said to Prince Ahmed, ‘ Prince, there
comes my brother; do you see him?’ The prince immediately per-
ceived Schaibar, who, as he came forwards, looked at the prince with
an eye that would have chilled his soul in his body, and asked Perie
Banou, when he first accosted her, who that man was. To which she
replied, ‘His name is Ahmed ; he is a son of the Sultan of the Indies,
and my husband, brother. I did not invite you to my wedding, because
you were engaged in a distant expedition, from which I heard with
pleasure you returned victorious ; but on my husband’s account I have
taken the liberty now to call for you.’

At these words, Schaibar, looking at Prince Ahmed with a favourable
eye, which, however, diminished neither his fierceness nor savage look,
said, ‘It is enourh for me that he is your husband, to engage me to do
for him whatever he desires.’ ‘The sultan his father,’ replied Perie
Banou, ‘has a curiosity to see you, and I desire he may be your guide
to the sultan’s court.’ ‘He needs but lead the way; I will follow him,’
replied Schaibayr.

The next morning Schaibar set out with Prince Ahmed to visit the
sultan. When they arrived at the gates of the capital, the people,
as soon as they saw Schaibar, ran and hid themselves in their shops
and houses, shutting their doors, while others, taking to their heels, com-
municated their fears to all they met, who stayed not to look behind
them ; insomuch that Schaibar and Prince Ahmed, as they went along,
found all the streets and squares desolate, till they came to the palace,
where the guards, instead of preventing Schaibar from entering, ran
away too; so that the prince and he advanced without any obstacle to
the council-hall, where the sultan was seated on his throne surrounded
by his vizier and councillors.

Schaibar haughtily approached the throne, and without waiting for
Prince Ahmed to present him, thus addressed the sultan: ‘Thou hast
sent forme. What dost thou wish ?’

The sultan, instead of answering, put his hands before his eyes to
exclude so dreadful a sight. Schaibar, enraged at this reception, lifted
up his bar of iron, and exclaiming, ‘ Wilt thou not speak, then?’ let it
fall directly on his head, and crushed him to the earth. He did this
before Prince Ahmed had the power to interfere. He then destroyed all
the other councillors who were the enemies of Prince Ahmed, and only
spared the grand vizier at his earnest entreaty. Having completed this
dreadful execution, Schaibar left the hall of audience, and went into the
middle of the court with the bar of ivon on his shoulder. ‘I know there
is,’ he cried, looking at the grand vizier, who accompanied Prince
Ahmed, to whom he owed his life, ‘a certain sorceress who stirred up
376 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

the sultan to demand my presence here. Let her be brought before me.‘
The grand vizier immediately sent for her, when Schaibar, as he crushed
her with his bar of iron, said, ‘Learn the consequence of giving wicked
advice, and of pretending sickness.’

‘This is not sufficient!’ exclaimed Schaibar. ‘Prince Ahmed, my
brother-in-law, must be instantly acknowledged as Sultan of India.
All those who were present cheerfully assented, and made the air re-
sound with cries of ‘ Long live Sultan Ahmed!’ and in a short time the
whole city echoed with the same shouts. Schaibar next made the
prince be clothed in the robes of the sultan, and had him instantly
installed. After having paid him homage, and taken an oath of fidelity
and allegiance, he went for his sister, Perie Banou, conducted her to the
city in great pomp, and caused her to be acknowledged as Sultana of
India.

Prince Ahmed gave to Prince Ali and the Princess Neouronnihar a
very considerable province, with its capital, for their establishment.
Afterwards he sent an officer to Houssain, to acquaint him with the
change, and make him an offer of any province he might choose ; but
that prince thought himself so happy in his solitude, that he desired
the officer to return his brother thanks for the kindness he designed
him, assuring him of his submission ; but that the only favour he desired
was, to be indulged with leave to live retired in the place be had chosen
for his retreat.




ALADDIN.


THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE
WONDERFUL LAMP. |

the large and rich cities of
China, a tailor, named Mus-
tapha. He was very poor.
He could hardly, by his daily
labour, maintain himself and
his family, which consisted
only of his wife and a son.

His son, who was called
Aladdin,! was a very care-
less and idle fellow. He
was disobedient to his father
and mother, and would go
out early in the morning
and stay out all day, play-
ing in the streets and public
places with idle children of
his own age.

When he was old enough
to learn a trade, his father
took him into his own shop,
and taught him how to use
his needle; but all his
father’s endeavours to keep him to his work were vain, for no sooner
was his back turned than he was gone for that day. Mustapha chastisea
him; but Aladdin was incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief.

1 Aladdin signifies ‘The Nobility of the Religion.’—Lane, vol. ii., p. 285
12


178 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS,
was forced to abandon him to his idleness, and was so much troubled
about him that he fell sick and died in a few months.

Aladdin, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father,
gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never out of the
streets from his companions. This course he followed till he was fifteen
years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or the least
reflection on what would become of him. As he was one day playing,
according to custom, in the street with his evil associates, a stranger
passing by stood to observe him.

This stranger was a sorcerer, known as the African magician, as he
had been but two days arrived from Africa, his native country.

The African magician, observing in Aladdin’s countenance something
which assured him that he was a fit boy for his purpose, inquired his
name and history of some of his companions; and when he had learnt
all he desired to know, went up to him, and, taking him aside from his
comrades, said, ‘ Child, was not your father called Mustapha the tailor ?”
‘Yes, sir,’ answered the boy; ‘but he has been dead a long time.’

At these words the African magician threw his arms about Aladdin’s
neck, and kissed him several times, with tears in his eyes, and said, ‘I
am your uncle. Your worthy father was my own brother. TI knew you
at first sight ; you are so like him.’ Then he gave Aladdin a handful of
small money, saying, ‘Go, my son, to your mother, give my love to her,
and tell her that I will visit her to-morrow, that I may see where my
good brother lived so long, and ended his days.’

Aladdin ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had
given him. ‘ Mother,’ said he, ‘have I an uncle?’ ‘No, child,’ replied
his mother, ‘ you have no uncle by your father’s side or mine.’ ‘If am
just now come,’ said Aladdin, ‘from a man who says he is my uncle
and my father’s brother. He cried and kissed me when I told him my
father was dead, and gave me money, sending his love to you, and pro-
mising to come and pay you a visit, that he may see the house my
father lived and died in.’ ‘Indeed, child,’ replied the mother, ‘your
father had no brother, nor have you an uncle.’

The next day the magician found Aladdin playing in another part of
the town, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold into his
hand, and said to him, ‘Carry this, child, to your mother. Tell her
that I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something for
supper; but first show me the house where you live.’

Aladdin showed the African magician the house, and carried the two
pieces of gold to his mother, who went out and bought provisions ; and,
considering she wanted various utensils, borrowed them of her neigh-
bours. She spent the whole day in preparing the supper; and at night,
when it was ready, said to her son, ‘ Perhaps the stranger knows not
how to find our house ; go and bring him, if you meet with him.’

Aladdin was just ready to go, when the magician knocked at the
door, and came in loaded with wine and all sorts of fruits, which he
brought for a dessert. After he had given what he brought into Alad-
STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 179



din’s hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to show him the
place where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when
she had done so, he fell down and kissed it several times, crying out,
with tears in his eyes, ‘My poor brother! how unhappy am I, not to
have come soon enough to give you one last embrace!’ Aladdin’s
mother desired him to sit down in the same place, but he declined.

‘No,’ said he, ‘I shall not do that; but give me leave to sit opposite
to it, that, although I see not the master of a family so dear to me, I
may at least behold the place where he used to sit.’

When the magician had made choice of a place, and sat down, he
began to enter into discourse with Aladdin’s mother. ‘ My good sister,’
said he, ‘do not be surprised at your never having seen me all the time
you have been married to my brother Mustapha of happy memory. I
have been forty years absent from this country, which is my native
place, as well as my late brother’s; and during that time have travelled
into the Indies, Persia, Arabia, Syria, and Egypt, and afterwards
crossed over into Africa, where I took up my abode. At last, as it is
natural for a man, I was desirous to see my native country again, and
to embrace my dear brother; and finding I had strength enough to
undertake so long a journey, I made the necessary preparations, antl
set out. Nothing ever afflicted me so much as hearing of my brother’s
death. But God be praised for all things! Itis a comfort for me to
find, as it were, my brother in a son who has his most remarkable
features.’

The African magician, perceiving that the widow wept at the remem-
brance of her husband, changed the conversation, and turning towards
her son, asked him, ‘What business do you follow? Are you of any
trade ?’

At this question the youth hung down his head, and was not a little
abashed when his mother answered, ‘ Aladdin is an idle fellow. His
father, when alive, strove all he could to teach him his trade, but could
not succeed ; and since his death, notwithstanding all I can say to him,
he does nothing but idle away his time in the streets, as you saw him,
without considering he is no longer a child; and if you do not make
him ashamed of it, I despair of his ever coming to any good. For my
part, I am resolved, one of these days, to turn him out of doors, and
let him provide for himself.’

After these words Aladdin’s mother burst into tears; and the magician
said, ‘This is not well, nephew; you must think of helping yourself,
and getting your livelihood. There are many sorts of trades. Perhaps
you do not like your father’s, and would prefer another; I will endeavour
to help you. If you have no mind to learn any handicraft, I will take
a shop for you, furnish it with all sorts of fine stuffs and linens, and
then with the money you make of them you can lay in iresh goods, and
live in an honourable way. ‘Tell me freely what you think of my pro-
posal ; you shall always find me ready to keep my word.’

This plan just suited Aladdin, who hated work. He told the magician

12---2

a---2
180 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



he had a greater inclination to that business than to any other, and
that he should be much obliged to him for his kindness, < Well, then,’
said the African magician, ‘I will carry you with me to-morrow, clothe
you as handsomely as the best merchants in the city, and afterwards
we will open a shop as I mentioned.’

The widow, after his promises of kindness to her son, no longer
doubted that the magician was her husband’s brother. She thanked
him for his good intentions; and after having exhorted Aladdin to
render himself worthy of his uncle’s favour, served up supper, at which
they talked of several indifferent matters; and then the magician took
his leave and retired.

He came again the next day, as he had promised, and took Aladdin
with him to a merchant, who sold all sorts of clothes for different ages
and ranks ready made, and a variety of fine stuffs, and bade Aladdin
choose those he preferred, which he paid for.

When Aladdin found himself so handsomely equipped, he returned
his uncle thanks, who thus addressed him: ‘ Ag you are soon to be a
merchant, it is proper you should frequent these shops, and be ac-
quainted with them.’ He then showed him the largest and finest
mosques, carried him to the khans or inns where the merchants and
travellers lodged, and afterwards to the sultan’s palace, where he had
free access; and at last brought him to his own khan, where, meeting
with some merchants he had become acquainted with since his arrival,
he gave them a treat, to bring them and _ his pretended nephew
acquainted.

This entertainment lasted till night, when Aladdin would have taken
leave of his uncle to go home; the magician would not let him go by
himself, but conducted him to hig mother, who, as soon as she saw him
so well dressed, was transported with joy, and bestowed a thousand
blessings upon the magician.

Early the next morning, the magician called again for Aladdin, and
said he would take him to spend that day in the country, and on the
next he would purchase the shop. He then led him out at one of the
gates of the city, to some magnificent palaces, to each of which belonged
beautiful gardens, into which anybody might enter. At every building
he came to, he asked Aladdin if he did not think it fine; and the youth
was ready to answer, when any one presented itself, crying out, “Here
is a finer house, uncle, than any we have yet seen.’ By this artifice
the cunning magician led Aladdin some way into the country ; and as
he meant to carry him farther, to execute his design, he took an
opportunity to sit down in one of the gardens, on the brink of a fountain
of clear water, which discharged itself by a lion’s mouth of bronze into
a basin, pretending to be tired: ‘Come, nephew,’ said he, ‘you must
be weary, as well as I; let us rest ourselves, and we shall be better able
to pursue our walk.’

The magician next pulled from his girdle a handkerchief with cakeg
and fruit, and during this short repast he exhorted his nephew to leave
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 181



off bad company, and to seek that of wise and prudent men, to improve
by their conversation; ‘for,’ said he, ‘ you will soon be at man’s estate,
and you cannot too early begin to imitate their example.’ When they
had eaten as much as they liked, they got up, and pursued their walk
through gardens separated from one another only by small ditches,
which marked out the limits without interrupting the communication,
so great was the confidence the inhabitants reposed in each other. By
this means the African magician drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the
gardens, and crossed the country till they nearly reached the
mountains.

At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height, and
equal size, divided by a narrow valley, which was the place where the
magician intended to execute the design that had brought him from
Africa to China. ‘ We will go no farther now,’ said he to Aladdin; ‘I
will show you here some extraordinary things, which, when you have
seen, you will thank me for; but while I strike a light, gather up all
the lgose dry sticks you can see, to kindle a fire with.’

Aladdin found so many dried sticks that he soon collected a great
heap. The magician presently set them on fire; and when they were
in a blaze, threw in some incense, pronouncing several magical words
which Aladdin did not understand.

He had scarcely done so when the earth opened just before the
magician, and discovered a stone with a brass ring fixed in it. Aladdin
was so frightened that he would have run away, but the magician
caught hold of him, and gave him such a box on the ear that he
knocked him down. Aladdin got up trembling, and, with tears in his
eyes, said to the magician, ‘ What have I done, uncle, to be treated in
this severe manner?’ ‘I am your uncle,’ answered the magician; ‘I
supply the place of your father, and you ought to make no reply. But,
child,’ added he, softening, ‘do not be afraid; for I shall not ask any-
thing of you, but that you obey me punctually, if you would reap the
advantages which I intend you. Know, then, that under this stone
there is hidden a treasure, destined to be yours, and which will make
you richer than the greatest monarch in the world. No person but
yourself is permitted to lift this stone, or enter the cave; so you must
punctually execute what I may command, for it is a matter of great
consequence both to you and me.’

Aladdin, amazed at all he saw and heard, forgot what was past, and,
rising, said, ‘ Well, uncle, what is to be done? Command me, I am
ready to obey.’ ‘I am overjoyed, child,’ said the African magician,
embracing him. ‘Take hold of the ring, and lift up that stone.’
‘Indeed, uncle,’ replicd Aladdin, ‘I am not strong enough; you must
help me.’ ‘You have no occasion for my assistance,’ answered the
magician; ‘if I help you, we shall be able to do nothing. Take hold of
the ring and lift it up; you will find it will come easily.’ Aladdin did
as the magician bade him, raised the stone with ease, and laid it on
one side.
182 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

When the stone was pulled up, thera appeared a staircase about three
or four feet deep, leading to a door. ‘Descend, my son,’ said the
African magician, ‘those steps, and open that door. It will lead you
into a palace, divided into three great halls. In each of these you will
see four large brass cisterns placed on each side, full of gold and silver ;
but take care you do not meddle with them. Before you enter the
first hall, be sure to tuck up your robe, wrap it about you, and then
pass through the second into the third without stopping. Above all
things, have a care that you do not touch the walls, so much as with
your clothes; for if you do, you will die instantly. At the end of the
third hall, you will find a door which opens into a garden, planted with
fine trees loaded with fruit. Walk directly across the garden to a
terrace, where you will see a niche before you, and in that niche a
lighted lamp. ‘Take the lamp down, and put it out. When you have
thrown away the wick and poured out the liquor, put it in your waist-
band and bring it to me. Do not be afraid that the liquor will spoil
your clothes, for it is not oil, and the lamp will be dry as soon as,it is
thrown out.’

After these words the magician drew a ring off his finger, and put it
on one of Aladdin’s, saying, ‘It is a talisman against all evil, so long as
you obey me. Go, therefore, boldly, and we shall both be rich all our
lives.’

Aladdin descended the steps, and, opening the door, found the three
halls just as the African magician had described. He went through
then with all the precaution the fear of death could inspire, crossed the
garden without stopping, took down the lamp from the niche, threw out
the wick and the liquor, and, as the magician had desired, put it in his
waistband. But as he came down from the terrace, seeing it was
perfectly dry, he stopped in the garden to observe the trees, which were
loaded with extraordinary fruit, of different colours on each tree. Some
bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and transparent as crystal ;
some pale red, and others deeper; some green, blue, and purple, and
others yellow; in short, there was fruit of all colours. The white were
pearls ; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the deep red, rubies; the
paler, ballas rubies;! the green, emeralds; the blue, turquoises; the
purple, amethysts; and the yellow, sapphires. Aladdin, ignorant of
their value, would have preferred figs, or grapes, or pomegranates; but
as he had his uncle’s permission, he resolved to gather some of every
sort. Having filled the two new purses his uncle had bought for him
with his clothes, he wrapped some up in the skirts of his vest, and
crammed his bosom as full as it could hold.

Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches of which he knew
not the value, returned through the three halls with the utmost pre-
caution, and soon arrived at the mouth of the cave, where the African
magician awaited him with the utmost impatience. As soon as Aladdin

’ Balas rubies are rubies of the brightest colour,
STORY OF ALADDIN; Ok, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 183



saw him, he cried out, ‘ Pray, uncle, lend me your hand, to help me
out.’ ‘Give me the lamp first,’ replied the magician; ‘it will be trouble-
some to you.’ ‘Indeed, uncle,’ answered Aladdin, ‘I cannot now, but
T will as soon asIamup. The African magician was determined that
le would have the lamp before he would help him up; and Aladdin,
who had encumbered himself so much with his fruit that he could not
well get at it, refused to give it him till he was out of the cave. The
African magician, provoked at this obstinate refusal, flew into a passion,
threw a little of his incense into the fire, and pronounced two magical
words, when the stone which had closed the mouth of the staircase
moved into its place, with the earth over ib in the same manner as it
lay at the arrival of the magician and Aladdin.

This action of the magician plainly revealed to Aladdin that he was
no uncle of his, but one who designed him evil. The truth was that he
had learnt from his magic books the secret and the value of this
wonderful lamp, the owner of which would be made richer than any
earthly ruler, and hence his journey to China. His art had also told
him that he was not permitted to take it himself, but_ must receive it as
a voluntary gift from the hands of another person. Hence he employed
young Aladdin, and hoped by a mixture of kindness and authority to
make him obedient to his word and will. When he found that his
attempt had failed, he set out to return to Africa, but avoided the town,
lest any person who had seen him leave in company with Aladdin
should make inquiries after the youth. Aladdin being suddenly en-
veloped in darkness, cried, and called out to his uncle to tell him he
was ready to give him the lamp; but in vain, since his cries could not
be heard. He descended to the bottom of the steps, with a design to
get into the palace, but the door, which was opened before by enchant-
ment, was now shut by the same means. He then redoubled his cries
and tears, sat down on the steps without any hopes of ever seeing light
again, and in an expectation of passing from the present darkness to a
speedy death. In this great emergency he said, ‘There is no strength
or power but in the great and high God;’ and in joining his hands to
pray he rubbed the ring which the magician had put on his Anger.
Immediately a genie of frightful aspect appeared, and said, ‘ What
wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee. I serve him who
possesses the ring on thy finger; I and the other slaves of that ring.’

At another time Aladdin would have been frightened at the sight of
so extraordinary a figure, but the danger he was in made him answer
without hesitation, ‘ Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place.’

He had no sooner spoken these words than he found himself on the
very spot where the magician had last left him, and no sign of cave or
opening, nor disturbance of the earth. Returning God thanks to find
himself once more in the world, he made the best of his way home.
When he got within his mother’s door, the joy to see her and his weak-
ness for want of sustenance made him so faint that be remained for a
long time as dead. As soon as he recovered he related to his mother
184 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

ail that had happened to him, and they were both very vehement in
their complaints of the cruel magician. Aladdin slept very soundly till
late the next morning, when the first thing he said to his mother was
that he wanted something to eat, and wished she would give him his
breakfast.

‘Alas! child,’ said she, ‘I have not a bit of bread to give you: you
ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but I have a
little cotton, which I have spun ; I will go and sell it, and buy bread.
and something for our dinner.’











© ALADDIN'S MOTHER, AT SIGHT OF THE GENIE, FAINTED ;

‘Mother,’ replicd Aladdin, ‘keep your cotton for another time, and
give me the lamp I brought home with me yesterday; I will go and sell
it, and the moncy I shall get for it will serve both for breakfast and
dinner, and perhaps supper too.’

é Aladdin’s mother took the lamp, and said to her son, ‘ Here it is, but
it is very dirty; if it was a little cleaner I believe it would bring some-
thing more.’ She took some fine sand and water to clean it; but had
no sooner begun to rub it than in an instant a hideous genie of gigantic
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 185
size appeared before her, and said to her in a voice of thunder, ‘ What
wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the
slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I and the other
slaves of the lamp.’

Aladdin’s mother, terrified at the sight of the genie, fainted; when
Aladdin, who had seen such a phantom in the cavern, snatched the
lamp out of his mother’s hand, and said to the genie boldly, ‘I am
hungry; bring me something to eat.’ The genie disappeared imme-
diately, and in an instant returned with a large silver tray, holding
twelve covered dishes of the same metal, which contained the most
delicious viands ; six large white bread-cakes on two plates, two flagons
of wine, and two silver cups. All these he placed upon a carpet, and
disappeared; this was done before Aladdin’s mother recovered from her
swoon.

Aladdin had fetched some water, and sprinkled it in her face to recover
her. Whether that or the smell of the meat effected her cure, it was
not long before she came to herself. ‘ Mother,’ said Aladdin, ‘ be not
afraid ; get up and eat; here is what will put you in heart, and at the
same time satisfy my extreme hunger.’

His mother was much surprised to see the great tray, twelve dishes,
six loaves, the two flagons and cups, and to smell the savoury odour
which exhaled from the dishes. ‘Child,’ said she, ‘to whom are we
obliged for this great plenty and liberality? Has the sultan been made
acquainted with our poverty, and had compassion on us?’ ‘It is no
matter, mother,’ said Aladdin, ‘let us sit down and eat; for you have
almost as much need of a good breakfast as myself; when we have
done, I will tell you.’

Accordingly, both mother and son sat down, and ate with the better
relish as the table was so well furnished. But all the time Aladdin’s
mother could not forbear looking at and admiring the tray and
dishes, though she could not judge whether they were silver or
any other metal, and the novelty more than the value attracted her
attention.

The mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and then
they thought it would be best to put the two meals together ; yet, after
this they found they should have enough left for supper, and two meals
for the next day.

When Aladdin’s mother had taken away and set by what was left,
she went and sat down by her son on the sofa, saying, ‘I expect now
that you should satisfy my impatience, and tell me exactly what passed
between the genie and you while I was in a swoon ;’ which he readily
complied with.

She was in as great amazement at what her son told her as at the
appearance of the genie; and said to lum, * But, son, what have we to
do with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had ever
seen one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me, and not to
you, to whom he had appeared before in the cave?’ ‘ Mother,’ answered
186 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.
Aladdin, ‘the genie you saw is not the one who appeared to me. It
you remember, he that I first saw called himself the slave of the ring on
my finger; and this you saw called himself the slave of the lamp you
had in your hand; but I believe you did not hear him, for I think you
fainted as soon as he began to speak.’

‘What!’ cried the mother, ‘was your lamp, then, the occasion of that
cursed genie’s addressing himself rather to me than to you? Ah! my
son, take it out of my sight, and put it where you please. I had rather
you would sell it than run the hazard of being frightened to death again
by touching it; and if you would take my advice you would part also
with the ring, and not have anything to do with genies, who, as our
prophet has told us, are only devils.’

‘ With your leave, mother,’ replied Aladdin, ‘I shall now take cave
how I sell a lamp which may be so serviceable both to you and me.
That false and wicked magician would not have undertaken so long a
journey to secure this wonderful lamp if he had not known its value to
exceed that of gold and silver. And since we have honestly come by it,
let us make a profitable use of it, without making any great show, and
exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbours. However, since the
genies frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put it
where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot resolve to part
with ; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I am
alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I might not be so some moments
hence ; therefore, I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear
it always on my finger.’ ~

Aladdin’s mother replied that he might do what he pleased; for her
part she would have nothing to do with genies, and never say anything
more about them.

By the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had
brought; and the next day Aladdin, who could not bear the thoughts of
hunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out early
to sell it, and addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the streets,
took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he would buy it.
The cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found
that it was good silver, asked Aladdin at how much he valued it.
Aladdin, who had never been used to such traffic, told him he would
trust to his judgment and honour. The Jew was somewhat confounded
at this plain dealing; and doubting whether Aladdin understood the
material or the full value of what he offered to sell, took a piece of gold
out of his purse and gave it him, though it was but the sixtieth part of
the worth of the plate. Aladdin, taking the money very eagerly, retired
with so much haste that the Jew, not content with the exorbitancy of
his profit, was vexed he had not penetrated into his ignorance, and was
going to run after him, to endeavour to get some change out of the piece
of gold; but he ran so fast, and had got so far, that i¢ would have been
impossible for him to overtake him.

Before Aladdin went home he called at a baker’s, bought some cakes
STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 187
of bread, changed his money, and on his return gave the rest to his
mother, who went and purchased provisions enough to last them some
time. After this manner they lived, till Aladdin had sold the twelve
dishes singly, as necessity pressed, to the Jew, for the same money ;
who, after the first time, durst not offer him less for fear of losing so
good a bargain. When he had sold the last dish he had recourse to the
tray, which weighed ten times as much as the dishes, and would have
carried it to his old purchaser, but that it was too large and cumber-
some; therefore he was obliged to bring him home with him to his
mother’s, where, after the Jew had examined the weight of the tray,
he laid down ten pieces of gold, with which Aladdin was very well
satisfied.

When all the money was spent, Aladdin had recourse again to the
lamp. He took it in his hand, looked for the part where his mother
had rubbed it with the sand, rubbed it also, when the genie imme-
diately appeared, and said, ‘ What wouldst thou have? Iam ready to
obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all those who have that lamp in
their hands; I and the other slaves of the lamp. ‘ I am hungry,’ said
Aladdin ; ‘bring me something to eat.’ The genie disappeared, and
presently returned with a tray, the same number of covered dishes as
before, set them down, and vanished.

As soon as Aladdin found that their provisions were again expended,
he took one of the dishes, and went to look for his Jew chapman ; but
passing by a goldsmith’s shop, the goldsmith perceiving him, called to
him, and‘said, ‘My lad, I imagine that you have something to sell to
the Jew, whom I often see you visit ; but perhaps you do not know that
he is the greatest rogue even among the Jews. I will give you the full
worth of what you have to sell, or I will direct you to other merchants
who will not cheat you.’

This offer induced Aladdin to pull his plate from under his vest and
show it to the goldsmith, who at first sight saw that it was made of the
finest silver, and asked him if he had gold such as that to the Jew;
when Aladdin told him that he had sold him twelve such, for a piece of
gold each. ‘ What a villain!’ cried the goldsmith. ‘But,’ added he, ‘my
gon, what is past cannot be recalled. By showing you the value of this
plate, which is of the finest silver we.use in our shops, I will let you see
how much the Jew has cheated you.’

The goldsmith took a pair of scales, weighed the dish, and assured
him that his plate would fetch by weight sixty pieces of gold, which he
offered to pay down immediately.

Aladdin thanked him for his fair dealing, and never after went to any

other person. : : : :
Though Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure in their

lamp, and might have had whatever they wished for, yet they lived
with the same frugality as before, and it may easily be supposed that
the money for which Aladdin had gold the dishes and tray was sufficient
to maintain them some fime.
188 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



During this interval, Aladdin frequented the shops of the principal
merchants, where they sold cloth of gold and silver, linens, silk stuffs,
and jewellery, and oftentimes joining in their conversation, acquired a
knowledge of the world and a desire to improve himself. By his
acquaintance among the jewellers, he came to know that the fruits
which he had gathered when he took the lamp were, instead of coloured
glass, stones of inestimable value; but he had the prudence not to
mention this to anyone, not even to his mother.

One day as Aladdin was walking about the town, he heard an order
proclaimed, commanding the people to shut up their shops and houses,
and keep within doors, while the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, the
sultan’s daughter, went to the bath and returned.

This proclamation inspired Aladdin with an eager desire to see the prin-
cess’s face, which he determined to gratify, by placing himself behind
the door of the bath, so that he could not fail to see her face.

Aladdin had not long concealed himself before the princess came.
She was attended by a great crowd of ladies, slaves and mutes, who
walked on each side and behind her. When she came within three or
four paces of the door of the bath, she took off her veil, and gave
Aladdin an opportunity of a full view of her face.

The princess was a noted beauty: her eyes were large, lively, and
sparkling; her smile bewitching; her nose faultless; her mouth
small; her lips vermilion. It is not therefore surprising that Aladdin,
who had never before seen such a blaze of charms, was dazzled and
enchanted.

After the princess had passed by, and entered the bath, Aladdin
quitted his hiding-place and went home. His mother perceived him to
be more thoughtful and melancholy than usual; and asked what had
happened to make him so, or if he was ill. He then told his mother all
his adventure, and concluded by declaring, ‘I love the princess more
than I can express, and am resolved that I will ask her in marriage of
the sultan.’

Aladdin’s mother listened with surprise to what her son told her; but
when he talked of asking the princess in marriage, she laughed aloud.
‘Alas! child,’ said she, ‘ what are you thinking of ? You must be mad
to talk thus.’ :

‘T assure you, mother,’ replied Aladdin, ‘ that Iam not mad, but in
my right senses. I foresaw that you would reproach me with folly and
extravagance ; but I must tell you once more, that I am resolved to
demand the princess of the sultan in marriage; nor do I despair of
success. I have the slaves of the Lamp and of the Ring to help me,
and you know how powerful their aidis. And I have another secret
to tell you: those pieces of glass, which I got from the trees in the
garden of the subterranean palace, are jewels of inestimable value, and
fit for the greatest monarchs. All the precious stones the jewellers
have in Bagdad are not to be compared to mine for size or beauty; and
I am sure that the offer of them will secure the favour of the sultan.
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 189



You have a large porcelain dish fit to hold them ; fetch it, and let us see
how they will look, when we have arranged them according to their
different colours.’

Aladdin’s mother brought the china dish, when he took the jewels out
of the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in order
according to his fancy. But the brightness and lustre they emitted in
the daytime, and the variety of the colours, so dazzled the eyes both of
mother and son, that they were astonished beyond measure. Aladdin’s
mother, emboldened by the sight of these rich jewels, and fearful lest
her son should be guilty of greater extravagance, complied with his
request, and promised to go early in the next morning to the palace of
the sultan. Aladdin rose before daybreak, awakened his mother,
pressing her to go to the sultan’s palace, and to get admittance, if
possible, before the grand vizier, the other viziers, and the great officers
of state went in to take their seats in the divan, where the sultan always
attended in person. :

Aladdin’s mother took the china dish, in which they had put the
jewels the day before, wrapped it in two fine napkins, and set forward
for the sultan’s palace. When she came to the gates, the grand vizier,
the other viziers, and most distinguished lords of the court were just
gone in; but notwithstanding the crowd of people was great, she got
into the divan, a spacious hall, the entrance into which was very mag-
nificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, grand vizier, and the
great lords, who sat in council on his right and left hand. Several
causes were called, according to their order, pleaded and adjudged, until
the time the divan generally broke up, when the sultan, rising, returned
to his apartment, attended by the grand vizier; the other viziers and
ministers of state then retired, as also did all those whose business had
called them thither.

Aladdin’s mother, seeing the sultan retire, and all the people depart,
judged rightly that he would not sit again that day, and resolved to go
home ; and on her arrival said, with much simplicity, ‘Son, I have seen
the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me too, for I placed
myself just before him; but he was so much taken up with those who
attended on all sides of him, that I pitied him and wondered at his
patience. At last I believe he was heartily tired, for he rose up sud-
denly, and would not hear a great many who were ready prepared to
speak to him, but went away, at which I was well pleased, for indeed I
began to lose all patience, and was extremely fatigued with staying so
long. But there is no harm done: I will go again to-morrow; perhaps
the sultan may not be so busy.’

The next morning she repaired to the sultan’s palace with the present,
as early as the day before; but when she came there, she found the
gates of the divan shut.! She went six times afterwards on the days
appointed, placed herself always directly before the sultan, but with as
little success as the first morning.

1 Sir Paul Ricaut says that the divan is not held on two successive days.
190 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



On the sixth day, however, after the divan was broken up, when the
sultan returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier, ‘I
have for some time observed a certain woman, who attends constantly
every day that I give audience, with something wrapped up in a napkin;
she always stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of the
audience, and affects to place herself just before me. If this woman
comes to our next audience, do not fail to call her, that I may hear
what she has to say.’ The grand vizier made answer by lowering his
hand, and then lifting it up above his head, signifying his willingness to
lose it if he failed.

On the next audience day, when Aladdin’s mother went to the divan,
and placed herself in front of the sultan as usual, the grand vizier
immediately called the chief of the mace-bearers, and, pointing to her,
bade him bring her before the sultan. The old woman at once followed
the mace-bearer, and when she reached the sultan, bowed her head
down to the carpet which covered the platform of the throne, and
remained in that posture till he bade her rise, which she had no sooner
done than he said to her, ‘ Good woman, I have observed you to stand
many days, from the beginning to the rising of the divan ; what business
brings you here ?’

After these words, Aladdin’s mother prostrated herself a second
time, and, when she arose, said, ‘ Monarch of monarchs, I beg of you
to pardon the boldness of my petition, and to assure me of your pardon
and forgiveness.’ ‘ Well,’ replied the sultan, ‘I will forgive you, be it
what it may, and no hurt shall come to you. Speak boldly.’

When Aladdin’s mother had taken all these precautions for fear of
the sultan’s anger, she told him faithfully the errand on which her son
had sent her, and the event which led to his making so bold a request
in spite of all her remonstrances.

The sultan hearkened to this discourse without showing the least
anger; but, before he gave her any answer, asked her what she had
brought tied up in the napkin. She took the china dish, which she had
set down at the foot of the throne, untied it, and presented it to the
sultan.

The sultan’s amazement and surprise were inexpressible when he saw
so many large, beautiful, and valuable jewels collected in the dish. He
remained for some time lost in admiration. At last, when he had
recovered himself, he received the present from Aladdin’s mother’s
hand, saying, ‘ How rich! how beautiful!’ After he had admired and
handled all the jewels one after another, he turned to his grand vizier,
and, showing him the dish, said, ‘ Behold! admire! wonder! and con-
fess that your eyes never beheld jewels so rich and beautiful before |’
The vizier was charmed. ‘ Well,’ continued the sultan, ‘ what sayest
thou to such a present? Is it not worthy of the princess my daughter ?
And ought I not to bestow her on one who values her at so great a
price?’ ‘I cannot but own,’ replied the grand vizier, ‘ that the present
is worthy of the princess; but I beg of your majesty to grant me three
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 191

months before you come to a final resolution. I hope before that time
my son, whom you have regarded with your favour, will be able to make
a nobler present than this Aladdin, who is an entire stranger to your
majesty.’

The sultan granted his request, and he said to the old woman, ‘ Good
woman, go home, and tell your son that I agree to the proposal you
have made me; but I cannot marry the princess my daughter for three
months. At the expiration of that time come again.’

Aladdin’s mother returned home much more gratified than she had
expected, and told her son with much joy the condescending answer she
had received from the sultan’s own mouth; and that she was to come
to the divan again that day three months.

Aladdin thought himself the most happy of all men at hearing this
news, and thanked his mother for the pains she had taken in the affair,
the good success of which was of so great importance to his peace, that
he counted every day, week, and even hour as it passed. When two of
the three months were passed, his mother one evening, having no oil
in the house, went out to buy some, and found a general rejoicing—the
houses dressed with foliage, silks, and carpeting, and every one striving
to show their joy according to their ability. The streets were crowded
with officers in habits of ceremony, mounted on horses richly capari-
soned, each attended by a great many footmen. Aladdin’s mother asked
the oil merchant what was the meaning of all this preparation of public
festivity. ‘ Whence came you, good woman,’ said he, ‘that you don’t
know that the grand vizier's son is to marry the Princess Buddir al
Buddoor, the sultan’s daughter, to-night? She will presently return
from the bath; and these officers whom you see are to assist at the
cavalcade to the palace, where the ceremony is to be solemnized.’

Aladdin’s mother on hearing these news ran home very quickly.
‘Child,’ cried she, ‘you are undone; the sultan’s fine promise will
come to nought! This night the grand vizier’s son is to marry the
Princess Buddir al Buddoor.’

At this account Aladdin was thunderstruck, and he bethought him-
self of the lamp, and of the genie who had promised to obey him ; and
without indulging in idle words against the sultan, the vizier, or his son,
he determined, if possible, to prevent the marriage.

When Aladdin had got into his chamber, he took the lamp, rubbed it
in the same place as before, when immediately the genie appeared, and
said to him, ‘ What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as
thy slave; I and the other slaves of the lamp.’ ‘ Hear me,’ said Alad-
din. ‘Thou hast hitherto obeyed me; but now I am about to impose on
thee a harder task. The sultan’s daughter, who was promised me as
my bride, is this night married to the son of the grand vizier. Bring
them both hither to mc immediately they retire to their bed-
chamber.’

‘Master,’ replied the genie, ‘I obey you.’

Aladdin supped with his mother as was their wont, and then went to


192 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

his own apartment, and sat up to await the return of the genie, accord-
ing to his commands.

In the meantime, the festivities in honour of the princess’s marriage
were conducted in the sultan’s palace with great magnificence. The
ceremonies were at last brought to a conclusion, and the princess and
the son of the vizier retired to the bedchamber prepared for them. No
sooner had they entered it and dismissed their attendants, than the genie,
the faithful slave of the lamp, to the great amazement and alarm of the
bride and bridegroom, took up the bed, and, by an agency invisible to them,
transported it in an instant into Aladdin’s chamber, where he set it
down. ‘Remove the bridegroom,’ said Aladdin to the genie, ‘and keep
him a prisoner till to-morrow dawn, and then return with him here.’
On Aladdin being left alone with the princess, he endeavoured to assuage
her fears, and explained to her the treachery practised upon him by
the sultan her father. He then laid himself down beside her, putting
a drawn scimitar between them, to show that he was determined to
secure her safety, and to treat her with the utmost possible respect. At
break of day the genie appeared at the appointed hour, bringing back
the bridegroom, whom, by breathing upon, he had left motionless and
entranced at the door of Aladdin’s chamber during the night; and, at
' Alladdin’s command, transported the couch with the bride and bride-
groom on it, by the same invisible agency, into the palace of the
sultan.

At the instant that the genie had set down the couch with the bride
and bridegroom in their own chamber, the sultan came to the door to
offer his good wishes to his daughter. The grand vizier’s son, who was
almost perished with cold by standing in his thin under-garment all
night, no sooner heard the knocking at the door than he got out of bed
and ran into the robing-chamber, where he had undressed himself the
night before.

The sultan, having opened the door, went to the bedside, kissed the
princess on the forehead, but was extremely surprised to see her look so
melancholy. She only cast at him a sorrowful look, expressive of great
affliction. He suspected there was something extraordinary in this
silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness’s apartment,
told her in what a state he found the princess, and how she had
received him. ‘ Sire,’ said the sultaness, ‘I will go and see her; she
will not receive me in the same manner.’

The princess received her mother with siglis and tears, and signs of
deep dejection. At last, upon her pressing on her the duty of telling
her all her thoughts, she gave to the sultaness a precise description of
all that happened to her during the night ; on which the sultaness en-
joined on her the necessity of silence and discretion, as no one would
give credence to so strange a tale. The grand vizier’s son, elated with
the honour of being the sultan’s son-in-law, kept silence on his part,
and the events of the night were not allowed to cast the least gloom on

the festivities on the following day, in continued celebration of the
_ royal marriage.
STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 193



When night came the bride and bridegroom were again attended to
their chamber with the same ceremonies as on the preceding evening.
Aladdin, knowing that this would be 80, had already given his com-
mands to the genie of the lamp; and no sooner were they alone than
their bed was removed in the same mysterious manner as on the pre-
ceding evening ; and having passed the night in the same unpleasant
way, they were in the morning conveyed to the palace of the sultan
Searcely had they been replaced in their apartment, when the sultan
came to make his compliments to his daughter, when the princess could
no longer conceal from him the unhappy treatment she had been.sub-
ject to, and told him all that had happened, as she had already related
it to her mother. The sultan, on hearing these strange tidings, con-
sulted with the grand vizier ; and finding from him that his son had
been subjected to even worse treatment by an invisible agency, he deter-
mined to declare the marriage to be cancelled, and all the festivities,
which were yet to last for several days, to be countermanded and
terminated.

This sudden change in the mind of the sultan gave rise to various
speculations and reports. Nobody but Aladdin knew the secret, and he
kept it with the most scrupulous silence ; and neither the sultan nor the
grand vizier, who had forgotten Aladdin and his request, had the least
thought that he had any hand in the strange adventures that befel the
bride and bridegroom.

On the very day that the three months contained in the sultan’s
promise expired, the mother of Aladdin again went to the palace, and
stood in the same place in the divan. The sultan knew her again, and
directed his vizier to have her brought before him.

After having prostrated herself, she made answer, in reply to the
sultan: ‘Sire, 1 come at the end of three months to ask of you the ful-
filment of the promise you made to my son.’ The sultan little thought
the request of Aladdin’s mother was made to him in earnest, or that he
would hear any more of the matter. He therefore took counsel with
his vizier, who suggested that the sultan should attach such conditions
to the marriage that no one in the humble condition of Aladdin could
possibly fulfil. In accordance with this suggestion of the vizier, the
sultan replied to the mother of Aladdin: ‘Good woman, it is true
sultans ought to abide by their word, and I am ready to keep mine, by
making your son happy in marriage with the princess my daughter.
But as I cannot marry her without some further proof of your son being
able to support her in royal state, you may tell him I will fulfil my
promise as soon as he shall send me forty trays of massy gold, full of
the same sort of jewels you have already made me a present of, and
carried by the like number of black slaves, who shall be led by as many
young and handsome white slaves, all dressed magnificently. On these
conditions I am ready to bestow the princess my daughter upon him ;
therefore, good woman, go and tell him so, and I will wait till you bring
me his answer.’

13
194 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.

Aladdin’s mother prostrated herself a second time before the sultan’s
throne, and retired. On her way home, she laughed within herself at
her son’s foolish imagination. ‘ Where,’ said she, ‘can he get so many
large gold trays, and such precious stones to fill them? It is altogether
out of his power, and I believe he will not be much pleased with my
embassy this time.’ When she came home, full of these thoughts, she
told Aladdin all the circumstances of her interview with the sultan, and
the conditions on which he consented to the marriage. ‘The sultan
expects your answer immediately,’ said she; and then added, laughing,
‘I believe he may wait long enough !’

‘Not so long, mother, as you imagine,’ replied Aladdin. ‘This
demand is a mere trifle, and will prove no bar to my marriage with the
princess. J will prepare at once to satisfy his request.’

Aladdin retired to his own apartment and summoned the genie of the
lamp, and required him to immediately prepare and present the gift,
before the sultan closed his morning audience, according to the terms in
which it had been prescribed. The genie professed his obedience to the
owner of the lamp, and disappeared. Within a very short time, a train
of forty black slaves, led by the same number of white slaves, appeared
opposite the house in which Aladdin lived. Each black slave carried
on his head a basin of massy gold, full of pearls, diamonds, rubies, and
emeralds. Aladdin then addressed his mother: ‘Madam, pray lose
no time; before the sultan and the divan rise, I would have you
return to the palace with this present as the dowry demanded for
the princess, that he may judge by my diligence and exactness of the
ardent and sincere desire I have to procure myself the honour of thig
alliance.’

As soon as this magnificent procession, with Aladdin’s mother at its
head, had begun to march from Aladdin’s house, the whole city was
filled with the crowds of people desirous to see so grand a sight. The
graceful bearing, elegant form, and wonderful likeness of each slave ;
their grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the lustre of their
jewelled girdles, and the brilliancy of the aigrettes of precious stones in
their turbans, excited the greatest admiration in the spectators. As
they had to pass through several streets to the palace, the whole length
of the way was lined with files of spectators. Nothing, indeed, was ever
seen so beautiful and brilliant in the sultan’s palace, and the richest
robes of the emirs of his court were not to be compared to the costly
dresses of these slaves, whom they supposed to be kings.

As the sultan, who had been informed of their approach, had given
orders for them to be admitted, they met with no obstacle, but went into
the divan in regular order, one part turning to the right, and the other
to the left. After they were all entered, and had formed a semicircle
before the sultan’s throne, the black slaves laid the golden trays on the
carpet, prostrated themselves, touching the carpet with their foreheads,
and at the same time the white slaves did the same. When they rose,
the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then all stood with their arms
crossed over their breasts.
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 195



In the meantime, Aladdin’s mother advanced to the foot of the throne,
and having prostrated herself, said to the sultan, ‘ Sire, my son knows
this present is much below the notice of Princess Buddir al Buddoor ;
but hopes, nevertheless, that your majesty will accept of it, and
make it agreeable to the princess, and with the greater confidence
since he has endeavoured to conform to the conditions you were pleased
to impose.’

The sultan, overpowered at the sight of such more than royal magni-
ficence, replied without hesitation to the words of Aladdin’s.mother: ‘ Go
and tell your son that I wait with open arms to embrace him ; and the
more haste he makes to come and receive the princess my daughter
from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do me.’ As soon as
Aladdin’s mother had retired, the sultan put an end to the audience ;
and rising from his throne, ordered that the princess's attendants should
come and carry the trays into their mistress’s apartment, whither he
went himself to examine them with her at his leisure. The fourscore
slaves were conducted into the palace; and the sultan, telling the prin-
cess of their magnificent apparel, ordered them to be brought before her
apartment, that she might see through the lattices he had not exaggerated
in his account of them.

In the meantime Aladdin’s mother reached home, and showed in hex
air and countenance the good news she brought her son. ‘ My son,’ said
she, ‘ you may rejoice you are arrived at the height of your desires. Tha
sultan has declared that you shall marry the Princess Buddir al Buddoor.
He waits for you with impatience.’

Aladdin, enraptured with this news, made his mother very little reply,
but retired to his chamber. There he rubbed his lamp, and the obedient
genie appeared. ‘Genie,’ said Aladdin, ‘ convey me at once to a bath,
and supply me with the richest and most magnificent robe ever worn by
a monarch.’ No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the genie
rendered him, as well as himself, invisible, and transported him into a
hummum! of the finest marble of all sorts of colours, where he was un-
dressed, without seeing by whom, in a magnificent and spacious hall.
He was then well rubbed and washed with various scented waters.
After he had passed through several degrees of heat, he came out quite
4 different man from what he was before. His skin was clear as that of
a child, his body lightsome and free; and when he returned into the
hall, he found, instead of his own poor raiment, a robe, the magnifi-
cence of which astonished him. The genie helped him to dress, and,
when he had done, transported him back to his own chamber, where he
asked him if he had any other commands. ‘ Yes,’ answered Aladdin ;
‘bring me a charger that surpasses in beauty and goodness the best in
the sultan’s stables, with a saddle, bridle, and other caparisons to corre-
spond with his value. Furnish also twenty slaves, as richly clothed as

1 A Turkish word for a bath. Hence the names of the hotels, the oldand new
Hummums, situated in Covent Garden ; as baths, a new fashion about a hundred
years ago, were to be had at those hotels. ee
196 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



those who carried the present to the sultan, to walk by my side and
follow me, and twenty more to go before me in two ranks. Besides
these, bring my mother six women slaves to attend her, as richly
dressed at least as any of the Princess Buddir al Buddoor’s, each earry-
ing a complete dress fit for any sultaness. I want also ten thousand
pieces of gold in ten purses ; go, and make haste.’

As soon as Aladdin had given these orders, the genie disappeared,
but presently returned with the horse, the forty slaves, ten of whom
carried each a purse containing ten thousand pieces of gold, and six
women slaves, each carrying on her head a different dress for Aladdin’s
mother, wrapt up in a piece of silver tissue, and presented them all to
Aladdin.



ALADDIN ON HIS WAY TO THE PALACE,

He presented the six women slaves to his mother, telling her they
were her slaves, and that the dresses they had brought were for her use.
Of the ten purses Aladdin took four, which he gave to his mother,
telling her those were to supply her with necessaries; the other six he
left in the hands of the slaves who brought them, with an order to throw
them by handfuls among the people as they went to the sultan’s palace.
The six slaves who carried the purses he ordered likewise to march
before him, three on the right hand and three on the left. J

When Aladdin had thus prepared himself for his first interview with
the sultan, he dismissed the genie, and immediately mounting his
charger, began his march, and though he never was on horseback
before. appeared with a grace the most experienced horseman might
STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 197



envy. The innumerable concourse of people through whom he passed
made the air echo with their acclamations, especially every time the
six slaves who carried the purses threw handfuls of gold among the
populace.

On Aladdin’s arrival at the palace, the sultan was surprised to find
him more richly and magnificently robed than he had ever been himself,
and was impressed with his good looks and dignity of manner, which
were so different from what he expected in the son of one so humble as
Aladdin’s mother. He embraced him with all the demonstrations of
joy, and when he would have fallen at his feet, held him by the hand,
and made him sit near his throne. He shortly after led him, amidst
the sounds of trumpets, hautboys, and all kinds of music, to a magnifi-
cent entertainment, at which the sultan and Aladdin ate by themselves,
and the great lords of the court, according to their rank and dignity, sat
at different tables. After the feast the sultan sent for the chief cadi,
and commanded him to draw up a contract of marriage between the
Princess Buddir al Buddoor and Aladdin. When the contract had been
drawn, the sultan asked Aladdin if he would stay in the palace and
complete the ceremonies of the marriage that day.

‘Sire,’ said Aladdin, ‘though great is my patience to enter on the
honour granted me by your majesty, yet I beg you to permit me first to
build a palace worthy to receive the princess your daughter. I pray
you to grant me sufficient ground near your palace, and I will have it
completed with the utmost expedition.’ The sultan granted Aladdin his
request, and again embraced him. After which he took his leave with
as much politeness as if he had been bred up and had always lived at
court.

Aladdin returned home in the order he had come, amidst the accla-
mations of the people, who wished him all happiness and prosperity.
As soon as he dismounted, he retired to his own chamber, took the
lamp, and summoned the genie as usual, who professed his allegiance.

‘Genie,’ said Aladdin, ‘build me a palace fit to receive the Princess
Buddir al Buddoor. Let its materials be made of nothing less than
porphyry, jasper, agate, lapis-lazula, and the finest marble. Let its
walls be massive gold, and silver bricks laid alternately. Let each front
contain six windows, and let the lattices of these (except one, which
must be left unfinished) be enriched with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds,
so that they shall exceed everything of the kind ever seen in the world.
Let there be an inner and outer court in front of the palace, and a
spacious garden ; but, above all things, provide a safe treasure-house, and
fill it with gold and silver. ‘Let there be also kitchens and storehouses,
stables full of the finest horses, with their equerries and grooms, and
hunting equipage, officers, attendants, and slaves, both men and women,
to form a retinue for the princess and myself. Go and execute my
wishes.’

When Aladdin gave these commands to the genie, the sun was set.
The next morning at daybreak the genie presented himself, and having
198 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



obtained Aladdin’s consent, transported him in a moment to the palace
he had made. The genie led him through all the apartments, where he
found officers and slaves, habited according to their rank and the services
to which they were appointed. The genie then showed him the treasury,
which was opened by a treasurer, where Aladdin saw large vases of
different sizes, piled up to the top with money, ranged all round the
chamber. The genie thence led him to the stables, where were some of
the finest horses in the world, and the grooms busy in dressing them ;
from thence they went to the storehouses, which were filled with all
things necessary, both for food and ornament.

When Aladdin had examined every portion of the palace, and particu-
larly the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, and found it to far
exceed his fondest expectations, he said, ‘ Genie, there is one thing
wanting—a fine carpet for the princess to walk upon from the sultan’s
palace to mine. Lay one down immediately.’

The genie disappeared, and Aladdin saw what he desired executed
in an instant. The genie then returned, and carried him to his own
home.

When the sultan’s porters came to open the gates they were amazed
to find what had been an unoccupied garden filled up with a magnifi-
cent palace, and a splendid carpet extending to it all the way from the
sultan’s palace. They told the strange tidings to the grand vizier,
who informed the sultan, who exclaimed, ‘It must be Aladdin’s
palace, which I gave him leave to build for my daughter. He has
wished to surprise us, and let us see what wonders can be done in only
one night.’

Aladdin, on his being conveyed by the genie to his own hame, re-
quested his mother to go to the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, and tell
her that the palace would be ready for her reception in the evening.
She went, attended by her women slaves, in the same order as on the
preceding day. Shortly after her arrival at the princess’s apartment,
the sultan himself came in, and was surprised to find her, whom he
knew as his suppliant at his divan in such humble guise, to be now
more richly and sumptuously attired than his own daughter. This gave
him a higher opinion of Aladdin, who took such care of his mother, and
made her share his wealth and honours. Shortly after her departure
Aladdin, mounting his horse, and attended by his retinue of magnificent
attendants, left his paternal home for ever, and went to the palace in
the same pomp as on the day before. Nor did he forget to take with
him the Wonderful Lamp, to which he owed all his good fortune, nor to
wear the Ring which was given him as a talisman. The sultan enter-
tained Aladdin with the utmost magnificence, and at night, on the
conclusion of the marriage ceremonies, the princess took leave of the
sultan her father. Bands of music led the procession, followed by a
hundred state ushers, and the like number of black mutes, in two files,
with their officers at their head. Four hundred of the sultan’s young
pages carried flambeaux on each side, which, together with the illumi-






ALADDIN SALUTING TIE PRINCESS OF CHINA,









STORV OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 201



nations of the sultan’s and Aladdin’s palaces, made it as light as day.
In this order the princess, conveyed in her litter, and accompanied also
by Aladdin’s mother, carried in a superb litter and attended by her
women slaves, proceeded on the carpet which was spread from the
sultan’s palace to that of Aladdin. On her arrival Aladdin was ready
to receive her at the entrance, and led her into a large hall, illuminated
with an infinite number of wax candles, where a noble feast was served
up. The dishes were of massy gold, and contained the most delicate
viands. The vases, basins, and goblets were gold also, and of exquisite
workmanship, and all the other ornaments and embellishments of the
hall were answerable to this display. The princess, dazzled to see so
much riches collected in one place, said to Aladdin, ‘I thought, prince,
that nothing in the world was so beautiful as the sultan my father’s
palace, but the sight of this hall alone is sufficient to show I was
deceived.’

When the supper was ended, there entered a company of female
dancers,! who performed, according to the custom of the country,
singing at the same time verses in praise of the bride and bridegroom.
About midnight Aladdin’s mother conducted the bride to the nuptial
apartment, and he soon after retired.

The next morning the attendants of Aladdin presented themselves to
dress him, and brought him another habit, as rich and magnificent as
that worn the day before. He then ordered one of the horses to be got
ready, mounted him, and went in the midst of a large troop of slaves to
the sultan’s palace, to entreat him to take a repast in the princess’s
palace, attended by his grand vizier and all the lords of his court. The
sultan consented with pleasure, rose up immediately, and, preceded by
the principal officers of his palace, and followed by all the great lords of
his court, accompanied Aladdin.

The nearer the sultan approached Aladdin’s palace the more he was
struck with its beauty; but when he entered it, came into the hall, and
saw the windows enriched with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all large,
perfect stones, he was completely surprised, and said to his son-in-law,
‘This palace is one of the wonders of the world ; for where in all the
world besides shall we find walls built of massy gold and silver, and
diamonds, rubies, and emeralds composing the windows? But what
most surprises me is that a hall of this magnificence should be left with
one of its windows incomplete and unfinished.’ ‘Sire,’ answered
Aladdin, ‘the omission was by design, since I wished that you should
have the glory of finishing this hall.’ ‘I take your intention kindly,’
said the sultan, ‘and will give orders about it immediately.’

After the sultan had finished this magnificent entertainment provided
for him and for his court by Aladdin, he was informed that the jewellers
and goldsmiths attended; upon which he returned to the hall, and
showed them the window which was unfinished. ‘TI sent for you,’ said

1 These were the ‘ Nautch girls,’ attached to this day to all astern courts,
202 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS’ ENTERTAINMENTS.



he, ‘to fit up this window in as great perfection as the rest. Examine
them well, and make all the despatch you can.’

The jewellers and goldsmiths examined the three-and-twenty windows
with great attention, and after they had consulted together, to know
what each could furnish, they returned, and presented themselves
before the sultan, whose principal jeweller, undertaking to speak for
the rest, said, ‘Sire, we are all willing to exert our utmost care and
industry to obey you; but among us all we cannot furnish jewels
enough for so great a work.’ ‘I have more than are necessary,’ said
the sultan; ‘come to my palace, and you shall choose what may
answer your purpose.’

When the sultan returned to his palace, he ordered his jewels to be
brought out, and the jewellers took a great quantity, particularly those
Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used, without
making any great advance in their work. They came again several
times for more, and in a month’s time had not finished half their work.
In short, they used all the jewels the sultan had, and borrowed of the
vizier, but yet the work was not half done.

Aladdin, who knew that all the sultan’s endeavours to make this
window like the rest were in vain, sent for the jewellers and goldsmiths,
and not only commanded them to desist from their work, but ordered
them to undo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back
to the sultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they
had been six weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the
hall. He took the lamp, which he carried about him, rubbed it, and
presently the genie appeared. ‘Genie,’ said Aladdin, ‘I ordered thee
to leave one of the four-and-twenty windows of this hall imperfect, and
thou hast executed my commands punctually; now I would have thee
make it like the rest.’ The genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin
went out of the hall, and returning soon after, found the window, as he
wished it to be, like the others.

In the meantime, the jewellers and goldsmiths repaired to the palace,
and were introduced into the sultan’s presence, where the chief
jeweller presented the precious stones which he had brought back.
The sultan asked them if Aladdin had given them any reason for so
doing, and they answering that he had given them none, he ordered a
horse to be brought, which he mounted, and rode to his son-in-law’s
palace, with some few attendants on foot, to inquire why he had
ordered the completion of the window to be stopped. Aladdin met
him at the gate, and without giving any reply to his inquiries con-
ducted him to the grand saloon, where the sultan, to his great surprise,
found the window which was left imperfect to correspond exactly with
the others. He fancied at first that he was mistaken, and examined
the two windows on each side, and afterwards all the four-and-twenty ;
but when he was convinced that the window which several workmen
had been so long about was finished in so short a time, he embraced
Aladdin and kissed him between his eyes. ‘My son,’ said he, ‘ what a
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 203





man you are to do such surprising things always in the twinkling of an
eye! there is not your fellow in the world; the more I know, the more
I admire you.’

The sultan returned to the palace, and after this went frequently to
the window to contemplate and admire the wonderful palace of his
son-in-law.

Aladdin did not confine himself in his palace, but went with much
state, sometimes to one mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers,
or to visit the grand vizier, or the principal lords of the court. Every
time he went out, he caused two slaves, who walked by the side of his
horse, to thow handfuls of money among the people as he passed
through the streets and squares. This generosity gained him the love
and blessings of the people, and it was common for them to swear by
his head.1_ Thus Aladdin, while he paid all respect to the sultan, won
by his affable behaviour and liberality the affections of the people.

Aladdin had conducted himself in this manner several years, when
the African magician, who had for some years dismissed him from his
recollection, determined to inform himself with certainty whether he
perished, as he supposed, in the subterranean cave or not. After he
had resorted to a long course of magic ceremonies, and had formed a
horoscope by which to ascertain Aladdin’s fate, what was his surprise
to find the appearances to declare that Aladdin, instead of dying in the
cave, had made his escape, and was living in royal splendour, by the
aid of the genie of the wonderful lamp!

On the very next day, the magician set out and travelled with the
utmost haste to the capital of China, where, on his arrival, he took up
his lodging in a khan.

He then quickly learnt about the wealth, charities, happiness, and
splendid palace of Prince Aladdin. Directly he saw the wonderful
fabric, he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp, could
have performed such wonders; and piqued to the quick at Aladdin’s
high estate, he returned to the khan.

On his return he had recourse to an operation of geomancy to find
out where the lamp was—whether Aladdin carried it about with him,
or where he left it. The result of his consultation informed him, to his
great joy, that the lamp was in the palace. ‘ Well,’ said he, rubbing his
hands in glee, ‘I shall have the lamp, and I shall make Aladdin return
to his original mean condition.’

The next day the magician learnt, from the chief superintendent of
the khan where he lodged, that Aladdin had gone on a hunting ex-
pedition,? which was to last for eight days, of which only three had

1 There is a trace of this custom in Joseph swearing to his brethren, ‘By the
life of Pharaoh, ye are spies.’

2¢ But, even in the East, where the qualities of the chetah appear to be best
appreciated, and his faculties to be turned to most account, it would seem that
he is not employed in hunting by all classes of the people indiscriminately ; but,
on the contrary, that he is reserved for the especial amusement of the nobles
204 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



expired. The magician wanted to know no more. He resolved at once
on his plans. He went to a coppersmith, and asked for a dozen copper
lamps: the master of the shop told him he had not so many by him, but
if he would have patience till the next day, he would have them ready.
The magician appointed his time, and desired him to take care that
they should be handsome and well polished.

The next day the magician called for the twelve lamps, paid the man
his full price, put them into a basket hanging on his arm, and went
directly to Aladdin’s palace. As he approached, he began crying,
‘Who will change old lamps for new ones?’ As he went along, a
crowd of children collected, who hooted, and thought him, as did all
who chanced to be passing by, a madman or a fool, to offer to change
new lamps for old ones.

The African magician regarded not their scoffs, hootings, or all they
could say to him, but still continued crying, ‘Who will change old
lamps for new ones?’ He repeated this so often, walking backwards
and forwards in front of the palace, that the princess, who was then in
the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, hearing a man ery some-
thing, and seeing a great mob crowding about him, sent one of her
women slaves to know what he cried.

The slave returned laughing so heartily that the princess rebuked



and princes of the land, rather than used for purposes of real and general
advantage. In this respect, and, indeed, in many others, as will be seen by the
following brief account of the mode in which the chase with the hunting leopard
is conducted, it bears a close resemblance to the ancient sport of hawking, so
prevalent throughout Europe in the days of feudal tyranny, but scarcely practised
at the present day, except by the more splendid slaves of Asiatic despotism.
The animal or animals—for occasionally several of them are employed at the
same time—are carried to the field in low chariots, on which they are kept
chained and hooded, in order to deprive them of. the power and temptation to
leap forth before the appointed time. When they are thus brought within view
of a herd of antelopes, which generally consists of five or six females and a male,
they are unchained and their hoods removed, their keepers directing their atten-
tion to the prey, which, as they do not hunt by smell, it is necessary that they
should have constantly in sight. When this is done, the animal does not at
once start towards the object of his pursuit, but, seemingly aware that he would
have no chance of overtaking an antelope, winds cautiously along the ground,
concealing himself as much as possible ; and when he has nearly reached the un-
suspecting herd, breaks forth upon them unawares, and, after five or six tre-
mendous bounds, which he executes with almost incredible velocity, darts at
once upon his terrified victim, strangles him in an instant, and takes his fill of
blood. In the meantime the keeper quietly approaches the scene of slaughter,
caresses the successful animal, and throws to him pieces of meat to amuse him
and keep him quiet, while he blinds him with the hood, and replaces him on the
chariot, to which he is again attached by his chain, Butif, as is not unfrequently
the case, the herd should have taken the alarm, and the chetah should prove un-
successful, he never attempts to pursue them, but returns to his master with
mortified and dejected air, to be again let slip at a fresh quarry whenever a fit
opportunity occurs.” —‘ Tower Menagerie,’ pp. 66, 67.
STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 205





her. ‘Madam,’ answered the slave, laughing still, ‘who can forbear
laughing, to see an old man with a basket on his arm, full of fine new
lamps, asking to change them for old ones? the children and mob
crowding about him so that he can hardly stir, make all the noise they
can in derision of him.’

Another female slave, hearing this, said, ‘ Now you speak of lamps, I
know not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an
old one upon a shelf of the Prince Aladdin’s robing-room, and whoever
owns it will not be sorry to find a new one in its stead. If the princess
chooses, she may have the pleasure of trying if this old man is so silly
as to give a new lamp for an old one, without taking anything for the
exchange.’

The princess, who knew not the value of this lamp, and the interest
that Aladdin had to keep it safe, entered into the pleasantry, and com-
manded a slave to take it and make the exchange. The slave obeyed,
went out of the hall, and no sooner got to the palace gates than he saw
the African magician, called to him, and, showing him the old lamp,
said, ‘Give me a new lamp for this.’

The magician never doubted but this was the lamp he wanted.
There could be no other such in this palace, where every utensil was
gold or silver. He snatched it eagerly out of the slave’s hand, and,
thrusting it as far as he could into his breast, offered him his basket,
and bade him choose which he liked best. The slave picked out one,
and carried it to the princess; but the change was no sooner made than
the place rung with the shouts of the children, deriding the magician’s
folly.

The African magician stayed no longer near the palace, nor cried any
more, ‘New lamps for old ones!’ but made the best of his way to his
khan. His end was answered; and by his silence he got rid of the
children and the mob,

As soon as he was out of sight of the two palaces, he hastened down
the least-frequented streets; and, having no more occasion for his lamps
or basket, set all down in a spot where nobody saw him. Then going
down another strect or two, he walked tillhe came to one of the city gates,
and pursuing his way through the suburbs, which were very extensive,
at length reached a lonely spot, where he stopped till the darkness of
the night, as the most suitable time for the design he had in contempla-
tion. When it became quite dark, he pulled the lamp out of his breast
and rubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared, and said, ‘ What
wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the
slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; both I and the
other slaves of the lamp.’ ‘I command thee,’ replied the magician, ‘to
transport me immediately, and the palace which thou and the other
slaves of the lamp have built in this city, with all the people in it, to
Africa.’ The genie made no reply, but, with the assistance of the other
genies, the slaves of the lamp, immediately transported him and the
palace entire to the spot whither he had been desired to convey it.
206 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ENTERTAINMENTS.



Early the next morning when the sultan, according to custom, went
to contemplate and admire Aladdin’s palace, his amazement was un-
bounded to find that it could nowhere be seen. He could not compre-
hend how so large a palace, which he had seen plainly every day for
some years, should vanish so soon, and not leave the least remains
behind. In his perplexity he ordered the grand vizier to be sent for
with expedition.

The grand vizier, who in secret bore no goodwill to Aladdin, inti-
mated his suspicion that the palace was built by magic, and that Alad-
din had made his hunting excursion an excuse for the removal of his
palace with the same suddenness with which it had been erected. He
induced the sultan to send a detachment of his guards, and to have
Aladdin seized as a prisoner of state. On his son-in-law being brought
before him, he would not hear a word from him, but ordered him to be
put to death. The decree caused so much discontent among the people,
whose affection Aladdin had secured by his largesses and charities, that
the sultan, fearful of an insurrection, was obliged to grant him his life.
When Aladdin found himself at liberty, he again addressed the sultan :
‘ Sire, I pray you to let me know the crime by which I have thus lost
the favour of thy countenance.’ ‘ Your crime,’ answered the sultan,
‘wretched man! do you not know it?’ Follow me, and I will show
you.’ The sultan then took Aladdin into the apartment from whence
he was wont to look at and admire his palace, and said, ‘You ought to
know where your palace stood. Look! mind, and tell me what has
become of it.” Aladdin did so, and, being utterly amazed at the loss
of his palace, was speechless. At last, recovering himself, he said, ‘Tt
is true, I do not see the palace. It is vanished; but I had no concern
in its removal. I beg you to give me forty days, and if in that time I
cannot restore it, I will offer my head to be disposed of at your pleasure.’
‘I give you the time you ask, but at the end of the forty days forget not
to present yourself before me.’

Aladdin went out of the sultan’s palace in a condition of exceeding
humiliation, The lords who had courted him in the days of his splen-
dour now declined to have any communication with him. For three
days he wandered about the city, exciting the wonder and compassion
of the multitude, by asking everybody he met if they had seen his
palace, or could tell him anything of it. On the third day he wandered
into the country, and, as he was approaching a river, he fell down the
bank with so much violence that he rubbed the ring which the magician
had given him, so hard, by holding on the rock to save himself, that
immediately the same genie appeared whom he had seen in the cave
where the magician had left him. ‘What wouldst thou have? said the
genie. ‘I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
those that have that ring on their finger; both I and the other slaves of
the ring.’

Aladdin, agreeably surprised at an offer of help so little expected.
replied, ‘Genie, show me where the palace I caused to be built now
STORY OF ALADDIN, OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP. 207
stands, or transport it back where it first stood.’ ‘ Your command,’
answered the genie, ‘is not wholly in my power; I am only the slave
of the ring, and not of the lamp.’ ‘I command thee, then,’ replied
Aladdin, ‘ by the power of the ring, to transport me to the spot where
my palace stands, in what part of the world soever it may be.’ These
words were no sooner out of his mouth, than the genie transported him
into Africa, to the midst of a large plain, where his palace stood, at no
great distance from a city, and, placing him exactly under the window
of the princess’s apartment, left him.

Now it so happened that shortly after Aladdin had been transported
by the slave of the ring to the neighbourhood of his palace, that one of
the attendants of the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, looking through the
window, perceived him, and instantly told her mistress. ‘The princess,
who could not believe the joyful tidings, hastened herself to the window,
and, seeing Aladdin, immediately opened it. The noise of opening the
window made Aladdin turn his head that way, and perceiving the prin-
cess, he saluted her with an air that expressed his joy. ‘To lose no
time,’ said she to him, ‘I have sent to have the private door opened
for you. Enter, and come up.’

The private door, which was just under the princess’s apartment,
was soon opened, and Aladdin conducted up into the chamber. It is
impossible to express the joy of both at seeing each other after so cruel
a separation. After embracing, and shedding tears of joy, they sat
down, and Aladdin said, ‘I beg of you, princess, to tell me what is
become of an old lamp which stood upon a shelf in my robing-
chamber ?’

‘ Alas !’ answered the princess, ‘ I was afraid our misfortune might be
owing to that lamp ; and what grieves me most is, that I have been the
cause of it. I was foolish enough to change the old lamp for a new
one, and the next morning I found myself in this unknown country,
which J am told is Africa.’

‘ Princess,’ said Aladdin, interrupting her, ‘you have explained all by
tellmg me we are in Africa. I desire you only to tell me if you know
where the old lamp now is.’ ‘The African magician carries i