{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_19860/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_19860","id":"gutenberg_19860","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19860","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Adventure","Category: Classics of Literature","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Fairy tales","Folklore -- Arab countries"],"text":"Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Sankar Viswanathan, and the\nOnline Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n[Illustration: _The genie immediately returned with a tray bearing\ndishes of the most delicious viands. Page 168._]\n\n\n\n\n                        THE WINDERMERE SERIES\n\n\n\n                          The Arabian Nights\n                            Entertainments\n\n\n\n                        WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY\n\n                             MILO WINTER\n\n\n\n\n\n                        RAND McNALLY & COMPANY\n\n                   CHICAGO                  NEW YORK\n\n\n\n\n\n                        _Copyright, 1914, by_\n\n                        RAND McNALLY & COMPANY\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nTHE INTRODUCTION\n\n\nThe _Arabian Nights_ was introduced to Europe in a French translation\nby Antoine Galland in 1704, and rapidly attained a unique popularity.\nThere are even accounts of the translator being roused from sleep by\nbands of young men under his windows in Paris, importuning him to tell\nthem another story.\n\nThe learned world at first refused to believe that M. Galland had not\ninvented the tales. But he had really discovered an Arabic manuscript\nfrom sixteenth-century Egypt, and had consulted Oriental\nstory-tellers. In spite of inaccuracies and loss of color, his twelve\nvolumes long remained classic in France, and formed the basis of our\npopular translations.\n\nA more accurate version, corrected from the Arabic, with a style\nadmirably direct, easy, and simple, was published by Dr. Jonathan\nScott in 1811. This is the text of the present edition.\n\nThe Moslems delight in stories, but are generally ashamed to show a\nliterary interest in fiction. Hence the world's most delightful story\nbook has come to us with but scant indications of its origin. Critical\nscholarship, however, has been able to reach fairly definite\nconclusions.\n\nThe reader will be interested to trace out for himself the\nsimilarities in the adventures of the two Persian queens,\nSchehera-zade, and Esther of Bible story, which M. de Goeje has\npointed out as indicating their original identity (_Encyclopaedia\nBritannica_, \"Thousand and One Nights\"). There are two or three\nreferences in tenth-century Arabic literature to a Persian collection\nof tales, called _The Thousand Nights_, by the fascination of which\nthe lady Schehera-zade kept winning one more day's lease of life. A\ngood many of the tales as we have them contain elements clearly\nindicating Persian or Hindu origin. But most of the stories, even\nthose with scenes laid in Persia or India, are thoroughly Mohammedan\nin thought, feeling, situation, and action.\n\nThe favorite scene is \"the glorious city,\" ninth-century Bagdad, whose\ncaliph, Haroun al Raschid, though a great king, and heir of still\nmightier men, is known to fame chiefly by the favor of these tales.\nBut the contents (with due regard to the possibility of later\ninsertions), references in other writings, and the dialect show that\nour _Arabian Nights_ took form in Egypt very soon after the year 1450.\nThe author, doubtless a professional teller of stories, was, like his\nSchehera-zade, a person of extensive reading and faultless memory,\nfluent of speech, and ready on occasion to drop into poetry. The\ncoarseness of the Arabic narrative, which does not appear in our\ntranslation, is characteristic of Egyptian society under the Mameluke\nsultans. It would have been tolerated by the subjects of the caliph in\nold Bagdad no more than by modern Christians.\n\nMore fascinating stories were never told. Though the oath of an\nOriental was of all things the most sacred, and though Schah-riar had\n\"bound himself by a solemn vow to marry a new wife every night, and\ncommand her to be strangled in the morning,\" we well believe that he\nforswore himself, and granted his bride a stay of execution until he\ncould find out why the ten polite young gentlemen, all blind of the\nright eye, \"having blackened themselves, wept and lamented, beating\ntheir heads and breasts, and crying continually, 'This is the fruit of\nour idleness and curiosity.'\" To be sure, when the golden door has\nbeen opened, and the black horse has vanished with that vicious switch\nof his tail, we have a little feeling of having been \"sold,\"--a\nfeeling which great art never gives. But we are in the best of humor;\nfor were we not warned all along against just this foible of\ncuriosity, and is not the story-teller smiling inscrutably and\nadvising us to be thankful that we at least still have our two good\neyes?\n\nBeside the story interest, the life and movement of the tales, the\nspirits that enter and set their own precedents, there is for us the\ncharm of mingling with men so different from ourselves: men\nadventurous but never strenuous, men of many tribulations but no\nperplexities. Fantastic, magnificent, extravagant, beautiful,\ngloriously colored, humorous--was ever book of such infinite\ncontrasts?\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nTHE CONTENTS\n\n\nTHE SULTAN AND HIS VOW\n\nTHE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE GENIE\n\nTHE THREE CALENDERS, SONS OF KINGS, AND THE FIVE LADIES OF BAGDAD\n\nTHE STORY OF THE THREE SISTERS\n\nTHE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP\n\nTHE HISTORY OF ALI BABA, AND OF THE FORTY ROBBERS KILLED BY ONE SLAVE\n\nTHE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\n\n[Illustration]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nTHE ILLUSTRATIONS\n\n\n_The genie immediately returned with a tray bearing dishes of\n    the most delicious viands_                           Frontispiece\n\n_He had the gift of understanding the language of beasts_\n\n_He was chained to the spot by the pleasure of beholding three such\n    beauties_\n\n_These ladies vied with each other in their eager solicitude to do me\n    all possible service_\n\n_The gardener, with the rake which he had in his hand, drew the basket to\n    the side of the canal_\n\n_He presently discovered a gold box, about a foot square, which he gave\n    into the princess's hands_\n\n_She drew the poniard, and, holding it in her hand, began a dance_\n\n_Having balanced my cargo exactly, and fastened it well to the raft,\n    I went on board with the two oars I had made_\n\n[Illustration]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\n\n\nTHE ARABIAN NIGHTS\n\nTHE SULTAN AND HIS VOW\n\n\nIt is written in the chronicles of the Sassanian monarchs that there\nonce lived an illustrious prince, beloved by his own subjects for his\nwisdom and his prudence, and feared by his enemies for his courage and\nfor the hardy and well-disciplined army of which he was the leader.\nThis prince had two sons, the elder called Schah-riar, and the younger\nSchah-zenan, both equally good and deserving of praise.\n\nWhen the old king died at the end of a long and glorious reign,\nSchah-riar, his eldest son, ascended the throne and reigned in his\nstead. Schah-zenan, however, was not in the least envious, and a\nfriendly contest soon arose between the two brothers as to which could\nbest promote the happiness of the other. Schah-zenan did all he could\nto show his loyalty and affection, while the new sultan loaded his\nbrother with all possible honors, and in order that he might in some\ndegree share the sultan's power and wealth, bestowed on him the\nkingdom of Great Tartary. Schah-zenan immediately went to take\npossession of the empire allotted him, and fixed his residence at\nSamarcand, the chief city.\n\nAfter a separation of ten years Schah-riar so ardently desired to see\nhis brother, that he sent his first vizier,[1] with a splendid\nembassy, to invite him to revisit his court. As soon as Schah-zenan\nwas informed of the approach of the vizier, he went out to meet him,\nwith all his ministers, in most magnificent dress, and inquired after\nthe health of the sultan, his brother. Having replied to these\naffectionate inquiries, the vizier told the purpose of his coming.\nSchah-zenan, who was much affected at the kindness and recollection of\nhis brother, then addressed the vizier in these words: \"Sage vizier,\nthe sultan, my brother, does me too much honor. It is impossible that\nhis wish to see me can exceed my desire of again beholding him. You\nhave come at a happy moment. My kingdom is tranquil, and in ten days'\ntime I will be ready to depart with you. Meanwhile pitch your tents on\nthis spot, and I will order every refreshment and accommodation for\nyou and your whole train.\"\n\n[Footnote 1: Vazir, Vezir--literally, a porter, that is, the minister\nwho bears the principal burden of the state.--D'Herbelot,\n_Bibliotheque Orientale._]\n\nAt the end of ten days everything was ready, and Schah-zenan took a\ntender leave of the queen, his consort. Accompanied by such officers\nas he had appointed to attend him, he left Samarcand in the evening\nand camped near the tents of his brother's ambassador, that they might\nproceed on their journey early the following morning. Wishing,\nhowever, once more to see his queen, whom he tenderly loved, he\nreturned privately to the palace, and went directly to her apartment.\nThere, to his extreme grief, he found her in the company of a slave\nwhom she plainly loved better than himself. Yielding to the first\noutburst of his indignation, the unfortunate monarch drew his\nscimitar, and with one rapid stroke slew them both.\n\nHe then went from the city as privately as he had entered it, and\nreturned to his pavilion. Not a word did he say to any one of what\nhad happened. At dawn he ordered the tents to be struck, and the party\nset forth on their journey to the sound of drums and other musical\ninstruments. The whole train was filled with joy, except the king, who\ncould think of nothing but his queen, and he was a prey to the deepest\ngrief and melancholy during the whole journey.\n\nWhen he approached the capital of Persia he perceived the Sultan\nSchah-riar and all his court coming out to greet him. As soon as the\nparties met the two brothers alighted and embraced each other; and\nafter a thousand expressions of regard, remounted and entered the city\namid the shouts of the multitude. The sultan there conducted the king\nhis brother to a palace which had been prepared for him. This palace\ncommunicated by a garden with the sultan's own and was even more\nmagnificent, as it was the spot where all the fetes and splendid\nentertainments of the court were given.\n\nSchah-riar left the King of Tartary in order that he might bathe and\nchange his dress; but immediately on his return from the bath went to\nhim again. They seated themselves on a sofa, and conversed till supper\ntime. After so long a separation they seemed even more united by\naffection than by blood. They ate supper together, and then continued\ntheir conversation till Schah-riar, perceiving the night far advanced,\nleft his brother to repose.\n\nThe unfortunate Schah-zenan retired to his couch; but if in the\npresence of the sultan he had for a while forgotten his grief, it now\nreturned with doubled force. Every circumstance of the queen's death\narose to his mind and kept him awake, and left such a look of sorrow\non his face that next morning the sultan could not fail to notice it.\nHe did all in his power to show his continued love and affection, and\nsought to amuse his brother with the most splendid entertainments, but\nthe gayest fetes served only to increase Schah-zenan's melancholy.\n\nOne morning when Schah-riar had given orders for a grand hunting party\nat the distance of two days' journey from the city, Schah-zenan\nrequested permission to remain in his palace on account of a slight\nillness. The sultan, wishing to please him, consented, but he himself\nwent with all his court to partake of the sport.\n\nThe King of Tartary was no sooner alone than he shut himself up in his\napartment, and gave way to his sorrow. But as he sat thus grieving at\nthe open window, looking out upon the beautiful garden of the palace,\nhe suddenly saw the sultana, the beloved wife of his brother, meet a\nman in the garden with whom she held an affectionate conversation.\nUpon witnessing this interview, Schah-zenan determined that he would\nno longer give way to such inconsolable grief for a misfortune which\ncame to other husbands as well as to himself. He ordered supper to be\nbrought, and ate with a better appetite than he had before done since\nleaving Samarcand. He even enjoyed the fine concert performed while he\nsat at table.\n\nSchah-riar returned from the hunt at the close of the second day, and\nwas delighted at the change which he soon found had taken place in his\nbrother. He urged him to explain the cause of his former depression\nand of his present joy. The King of Tartary, feeling it his duty to\nobey his suzerain lord, related the story of his wife's misconduct,\nand of the severe punishment which he had visited on her. Schah-riar\nexpressed his full approval of his brother's conduct.\n\n\"I own,\" he said, \"had I been in your place I should have been less\neasily satisfied. I should not have been contented to take away the\nlife of one woman, but should have sacrificed a thousand to my\nresentment. Your fate, surely, is most singular. Since, however, it\nhas pleased God to afford you consolation, which, I am sure, is as\nwell founded as was your grief, inform me, I beg, of that also.\"\n\nSchah-zenan was very reluctant to relate what he had seen, but at last\nyielded to the urgent commands and entreaties of his brother, and told\nhim of the faithlessness of his own queen.\n\nAt this unexpected news, the rage and grief of Schah-riar knew no\nbounds. He far exceeded his brother in his invectives and indignation.\nNot only did he sentence to death his unhappy sultana but bound\nhimself by a solemn vow that, immediately on the departure of the king\nhis brother, he would marry a new wife every night, and command her to\nbe strangled in the morning. Schah-zenan soon after had a solemn\naudience of leave, and returned to his own kingdom, laden with the\nmost magnificent presents.\n\nWhen Schah-zenan was gone the sultan began to carry out his unhappy\noath. Every night he married the daughter of some one of his subjects,\nand the next morning she was ordered out and put to death. It was the\nduty of the grand vizier to execute these commands of the sultan's,\nand revolting as they were to him, he was obliged to submit or lose\nhis own head. The report of this unexampled inhumanity spread a panic\nof consternation throughout the city. Instead of the praises and\nblessings with which, until now, they had loaded their monarch, all\nhis subjects poured out curses on his head.\n\nThe grand vizier had two daughters, the elder of whom was called\nSchehera-zade, and the younger Dinar-zade. Schehera-zade was possessed\nof a remarkable degree of courage. She had read much, and had so good\na memory that she never forgot anything she had once read or heard.\nHer beauty was equaled only by her virtuous disposition. The vizier\nwas passionately fond of her.\n\nOne day as they were talking together, she made the astonishing\nrequest that she might have the honor of becoming the sultan's bride.\nThe grand vizier was horrified, and tried to dissuade her. He pointed\nout the fearful penalty attached to the favor she sought.\nSchehera-zade, however, persisted, telling her father she had in mind\na plan which she thought might put a stop to the sultan's dreadful\ncruelty.\n\n\"I am aware of the danger I run, my father,\" she said, \"but it does\nnot deter me from my purpose. If I die, my death will be glorious; if\nI succeed, I shall render my country an important service.\"\n\nStill the vizier was most reluctant to allow his beloved child to\nenter on so dangerous an enterprise, and attempted to turn her from\nher purpose by telling her the following story:\n\n\nTHE FABLE OF THE ASS, THE OX, AND THE LABORER\n\nA very rich merchant had several farmhouses in the country, where he\nbred every kind of cattle. This merchant understood the language of\nbeasts. He obtained this privilege on the condition of not imparting\nto any one what he heard, under penalty of death.\n\nBy chance[2] he had put an ox and an ass into the same stall; and\nbeing seated near them, he heard the ox say to the ass: \"How happy do\nI think your lot. A servant looks after you with great care, washes\nyou, feeds you with fine sifted barley, and gives you fresh and clean\nwater; your greatest task is to carry the merchant, our master. My\ncondition is as unfortunate as yours is pleasant. They yoke me to a\nplow the whole day, while the laborer urges me on with his goad. The\nweight and force of the plow, too, chafes all the skin from my neck.\nWhen I have worked from morning till night, they give me unwholesome\nand uninviting food. Have I not, then, reason to envy your lot?\"\n\n[Footnote 2: The ass and the ox in the East were subject to very\ndifferent treatment; the one was strong to labor, and was little cared\nfor--the other was reserved for princes and judges to ride on, and was\ntended with the utmost attention.]\n\nWhen he had finished, the ass replied in these words: \"Believe me,\nthey would not treat you thus if you possessed as much courage as\nstrength. When they come to tie you to the manger, what resistance,\npray, do you ever make? Do you ever push them with your horns? Do you\never show your anger by stamping on the ground with your feet? Why\ndon't you terrify them with your bellowing? Nature has given you the\nmeans of making yourself respected, and yet you neglect to use them.\nThey bring you bad beans and chaff. Well, do not eat them; smell at\nthem only and leave them. Thus, if you follow my plans, you will soon\nperceive a change, which you will thank me for.\"\n\nThe ox took the advice of the ass very kindly, and declared himself\nmuch obliged to him.\n\nEarly the next morning the laborer came for the ox, and yoked him to\nthe plow, and set him to work as usual. The latter, who had not\nforgotten the advice he had received, was very unruly the whole day;\nand at night, when the laborer attempted to fasten him to the stall,\nhe ran bellowing back, and put down his horns to strike him; in short,\nhe did exactly as the ass had advised him.\n\nOn the next morning, when the man came, he found the manger still full\nof beans and chaff, and the ox lying on the ground with his legs\nstretched out, and making a strange groaning. The laborer thought him\nvery ill, and that it would be useless to take him to work; he,\ntherefore, immediately went and informed the merchant.\n\nThe latter perceived that the bad advice of the ass had been followed;\nand he told the laborer to go and take the ass instead of the ox, and\nnot fail to give him plenty of exercise. The man obeyed; and the ass\nwas obliged to drag the plow the whole day, which tired him the more\nbecause he was unaccustomed to it; besides which, he was so beaten\nthat he could scarcely support himself when he came back, and fell\ndown in his stall half dead.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nHere the grand vizier said to Schehera-zade: \"You are, my child, just\nlike this ass, and would expose yourself to destruction.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" replied Schehera-zade, \"the example which you have brought does\nnot alter my resolution, and I shall not cease importuning you till\nI have obtained from you the favor of presenting me to the sultan as\nhis consort.\"\n\n[Illustration: _He had the gift of understanding the language of\nbeasts Page 15_]\n\nThe vizier, finding her persistent in her request, said, \"Well then,\nsince you will remain thus obstinate, I shall be obliged to treat you\nas the rich merchant I mentioned did his wife.\"\n\nBeing told in what a miserable state the ass was, he was curious to\nknow what passed between him and the ox. After supper, therefore, he\nwent out by moonlight, accompanied by his wife, and sat down near\nthem; on his arrival, he heard the ass say to the ox, \"Tell me,\nbrother, what you mean to do when the laborer brings you food\nto-morrow!\"\n\n\"Mean to do!\" replied the ox. \"Why, what you taught me, to be sure.\"\n\n\"Take care,\" interrupted the ass, \"what you are about, lest you\ndestroy yourself; for in coming home yesterday evening, I heard our\nmaster say these sad words: 'Since the ox can neither eat nor support\nhimself, I wish him to be killed to-morrow; do not, therefore, fail to\nsend for the butcher.' This is what I heard; and the interest I take\nin your safety, and the friendship I have for you, induces me to\nmention it. When they bring you beans and chaff, get up, and begin\neating directly. Our master, by this, will suppose that you have\nrecovered, and will, without doubt, revoke the sentence for your\ndeath; in my opinion, if you act otherwise, it is all over with you.\"\n\nThis speech produced the intended effect; the ox was much troubled,\nand lowed with fear. The merchant, who had listened to everything with\ngreat attention, burst into a fit of laughter that quite surprised\nhis wife.\n\n\"Tell me,\" said she, \"what you laugh at, that I may join in it. I wish\nto know the cause.\"\n\n\"That satisfaction,\" replied the husband, \"I cannot afford you. I can\nonly tell you that I laughed at what the ass said to the ox; the rest\nis a secret, which I must not reveal.\"\n\n\"And why not?\" asked his wife.\n\n\"Because, if I tell you, it will cost me my life.\"\n\n\"You trifle with me,\" added she; \"this can never be true; and if you\ndo not immediately inform me what you laughed at, I swear by Allah\nthat we will live together no longer.\"\n\nIn saying this, she went back to the house in a pet, shut herself up,\nand cried the whole night. Her husband, finding that she continued in\nthe same state all the next day, said, \"How foolish it is to afflict\nyourself in this way! Do I not seriously tell you, that if I were to\nyield to your foolish importunities, it would cost me my life?\"\n\n\"Whatever happens rests with Allah,\" said she; \"but I shall not alter\nmy mind.\"\n\n\"I see very plainly,\" answered the merchant, \"it it not possible to\nmake you submit to reason, and that your obstinacy will kill you.\"\n\nHe then sent for the parents and other relations of his wife; when\nthey were all assembled, he explained to them his motives for calling\nthem together, and requested them to use all their influence with his\nwife, and endeavor to convince her of the folly of her conduct. She\nrejected them all, and said she had rather die than give up this\npoint to her husband. When her children saw that nothing could alter\nher resolution, they began to lament most bitterly--the merchant\nhimself knew not what to do.\n\nA little while afterward he was sitting by chance at the door of his\nhouse, considering whether he should not even sacrifice himself in\norder to save his wife, whom he so tenderly loved, when he saw his\nfavorite dog run up to the cock in the farmyard, and tell him all the\ncircumstances of the painful situation in which he was placed. Upon\nwhich the cock said, \"How foolish must our master be. He has but one\nwife, and cannot gain his point, while I have fifty, and do just as I\nplease. Let him take a good-sized stick, and not scruple to use it,\nand she will soon know better, and not worry him to reveal what he\nought to keep secret.\"\n\nThe merchant at once did as he suggested, on which his wife quickly\nrepented of her ill-timed curiosity, and all her family came in,\nheartily glad at finding her more rational and submissive to her\nhusband.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\"You deserve, my daughter,\" added the grand vizier, \"to be treated\nlike the merchant's wife.\"\n\n\"Do not, sir,\" answered Schehera-zade, \"think ill of me if I still\npersist in my sentiments. The history of this woman does not shake my\nresolution. I could recount, on the other hand, many good reasons\nwhich ought to persuade you not to oppose my design. Pardon me, too,\nif I add that your opposition will be useless; for if your paternal\ntenderness should refuse the request I make, I will present myself to\nthe sultan.\"\n\nAt length the vizier, overcome by his daughter's firmness, yielded to\nher entreaties; and although he was very sorry at not being able to\nconquer her resolution, he immediately went to Schah-riar, and\nannounced to him that Schehera-zade herself would be his bride on the\nfollowing night.\n\nThe sultan was much astonished at the sacrifice of the grand vizier.\n\"Is it possible,\" said he, \"that you can give up your own child?\"\n\n\"Sire,\" replied the vizier, \"she has herself made the offer. The\ndreadful fate that hangs over her does not alarm her; and she resigns\nher life for the honor of being the consort of your majesty, though it\nbe but for one night.\"\n\n\"Vizier,\" said the sultan, \"do not deceive yourself with any hopes;\nfor be assured that, in delivering Schehera-zade into your charge\nto-morrow, it will be with an order for her death; and if you disobey,\nyour own head will be the forfeit.\"\n\n\"Although,\" answered the vizier, \"I am her father, I will answer for\nthe fidelity of this arm in fulfilling your commands.\"\n\nWhen the grand vizier returned to Schehera-zade, she thanked her\nfather; and observing him to be much afflicted, consoled him by saying\nthat she hoped he would be so far from repenting her marriage with the\nsultan that it would become a subject of joy to him for the remainder\nof his life.\n\nBefore Schehera-zade went to the palace, she called her sister,\nDinar-zade, aside, and said, \"As soon as I shall have presented myself\nbefore the sultan, I shall entreat him to suffer you to sleep in the\nbridal chamber, that I may enjoy for the last time your company. If I\nobtain this favor, as I expect, remember to awaken me to-morrow\nmorning an hour before daybreak, and say, 'If you are not asleep, my\nsister, I beg of you, till the morning appears, to recount to me one\nof those delightful stories you know.' I will immediately begin to\ntell one; and I flatter myself that by these means I shall free the\nkingdom from the consternation in which it is.\"\n\nDinar-zade promised to do with pleasure what she required.\n\nWithin a short time Schehera-zade was conducted by her father to the\npalace, and was admitted to the presence of the sultan. They were no\nsooner alone than the sultan ordered her to take off her veil. He was\ncharmed with her beauty; but perceiving her tears, he demanded the\ncause of them.\n\n\"Sire,\" answered Schehera-zade, \"I have a sister whom I tenderly\nlove--I earnestly wish that she might be permitted to pass the night\nin this apartment, that we may again see each other, and once more\ntake a tender farewell. Will you allow me the consolation of giving\nher this last proof of my affection?\"\n\nSchah-riar having agreed to it, they sent for Dinar-zade, who came\ndirectly. The sultan passed the night with Schehera-zade on an\nelevated couch, as was the custom among the eastern monarchs, and\nDinar-zade slept at the foot of it on a mattress prepared for the\npurpose.\n\nDinar-zade, having awakened about an hour before day, did what her\nsister had ordered her. \"My dear sister,\" she said, \"if you are not\nasleep, I entreat you, as it will soon be light, to relate to me one\nof those delightful tales you know. It will, alas, be the last time I\nshall receive that pleasure.\"\n\nInstead of returning any answer to her sister, Schehera-zade addressed\nthese words to the sultan: \"Will your majesty permit me to indulge my\nsister in her request?\"\n\n\"Freely,\" replied he.\n\nSchehera-zade then desired her sister to attend, and, addressing\nherself to the sultan, began as follows:\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF THE MERCHANT AND THE GENIE\n\n\nThere was formerly, sire, a merchant, who was possessed of great\nwealth, in land, merchandise, and ready money. Having one day an\naffair of great importance to settle at a considerable distance from\nhome, he mounted his horse, and with only a sort of cloak-bag behind\nhim, in which he had put a few biscuits and dates, he began his\njourney. He arrived without any accident at the place of his\ndestination; and having finished his business, set out on his return.\n\nOn the fourth day of his journey he felt himself so incommoded by the\nheat of the sun that he turned out of his road, in order to rest under\nsome trees by which there was a fountain. He alighted, and tying his\nhorse to a branch of the tree, sat down on its bank to eat some\nbiscuits and dates from his little store. When he had satisfied his\nhunger he amused himself with throwing about the stones of the fruit\nwith considerable velocity. When he had finished his frugal repast he\nwashed his hands, his face, and his feet, and repeated a prayer, like\na good Mussulman.[3]\n\nHe was still on his knees, when he saw a genie,[4] white with age and\nof an enormous stature, advancing toward him, with a scimitar in his\nhand. As soon as he was close to him he said in a most terrible tone:\n\"Get up, that I may kill thee with this scimitar, as thou hast caused\nthe death of my son.\" He accompanied these words with a dreadful yell.\n\n[Footnote 3: Mussulman signifies resigned, or \"conformed to the divine\nwill.\" The Arabic word is Moslemuna, in the singular, Moslem; which\nthe Mohammedans take as a title peculiar to themselves. The Europeans\ngenerally write and pronounce it Mussulman.--Sale's _Koran_, c. ii, p.\n16. 4to, 1734.]\n\n[Footnote 4: These tales are furnished throughout with a certain\nimaginary machinery. They have, as their foundation, the perpetual\nintervention of certain fantastic beings, in most cases superior to\nman, but yet subordinate to the authority of certain favored\nindividuals. These beings may, for our purpose, be generally divided\ninto genies, whose interference is generally for evil; peris, whose\npresence indicates favorable issues to those whom they befriend; and\nghouls, monsters which have a less direct control over man's affairs,\nbut represent any monster repugnant or loathsome to mankind.]\n\nThe merchant, alarmed by the horrible figure of this giant, as well as\nby the words he heard, replied in trembling accents: \"How can I have\nslain him? I do not know him, nor have I ever seen him.\"\n\n\"Didst thou not,\" replied the giant, \"on thine arrival here, sit down,\nand take some dates from thy wallet; and after eating them, didst thou\nnot throw the stones about on all sides?\"\n\n\"This is all true,\" replied the merchant; \"I do not deny it.\"\n\n\"Well, then,\" said the other, \"I tell thee thou hast killed my son;\nfor while thou wast throwing about the stones, my son passed by; one\nof them struck him in the eye, and caused his death,[5] and thus hast\nthou slain my son.\"\n\n[Footnote 5: \"Now this, at first sight, seems a singular, if not a\nridiculous thing; but even this has its foundation in an Eastern\ncustom. It is in this manner that prisoners are sometimes put to\ndeath; a man sits down at a little distance from the object he intends\nto destroy, and then attacks him by repeatedly shooting at him with\nthe stone of the date, thrown from his two forefingers, and in this\nway puts an end to his life.\"--Preface to Forster's edition of\n_Arabian Nights._]\n\n\"Ah, sire, forgive me,\" cried the merchant.\n\n\"I have neither forgiveness nor mercy,\" replied the giant; \"and is it\nnot just that he who has inflicted death should suffer it?\"\n\n\"I grant this; yet surely I have not done so: and even if I have, I\nhave done so innocently, and therefore I entreat you to pardon me, and\nsuffer me to live.\"\n\n\"No, no,\" cried the genie, still persisting in his resolution, \"I must\ndestroy thee, as thou hast killed my son.\"\n\nAt these words, he took the merchant in his arms, and having thrown\nhim with his face on the ground, he lifted up his saber, in order to\nstrike off his head.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSchehera-zade, at this instant perceiving it was day, and knowing that\nthe sultan rose early to his prayers,[6] and then to hold a council,\nbroke off.\n\n[Footnote 6: \"The Mohammedans divide their religion into two\nparts--Imana, faith; and Din, practice. The first is the confession,\n'There is no God but the true God, and Mohammed is his prophet.' Under\nthis are comprehended six distinct tenets,--1. Belief in God; 2. In\nHis anger; 3. In His scriptures; 4. In His prophets; 5. In the\nresurrection and day of judgment; 6. God's absolute decree and\npredetermination of all events, good or evil. The points of practice\nare,--1. Prayer and purification; 2. Alms; 3. Fasting; 4. Pilgrimage\nto Mecca.\"--Sale's _Preliminary Discourse_, p. 171.]\n\n\"What a wonderful story,\" said Dinar-zade, \"have you chosen!\"\n\n\"The conclusion,\" observed Schehera-zade, \"is still more surprising,\nas you would confess if the sultan would suffer me to live another\nday, and in the morning permit me to continue the relation.\"\n\nSchah-riar, who had listened with much pleasure to the narration,\ndetermined to wait till to-morrow, intending to order her execution\nafter she had finished her story.\n\nHe arose, and having prayed, went to the council.\n\nThe grand vizier, in the meantime, was in a state of cruel suspense.\nUnable to sleep, he passed the night in lamenting the approaching fate\nof his daughter, whose executioner he was compelled to be. Dreading,\ntherefore, in this melancholy situation, to meet the sultan, how\ngreat was his surprise in seeing him enter the council chamber without\ngiving him the horrible order he expected!\n\nThe sultan spent the day, as usual, in regulating the affairs of his\nkingdom, and on the approach of night, retired with Schehera-zade to\nhis apartment.[7]\n\n[Footnote 7: In the original work, Schehera-zade continually breaks\noff to ask the sultan to spare her life for another day, that she may\nfinish the story on which she is engaged, and he as regularly grants\nher request. These interruptions are omitted as interfering with the\ncontinued interest of the numerous stories told by the patriotic\nSchehera-zade.]\n\nOn the next morning, the sultan did not wait for Schehera-zade to ask\npermission to continue her story, but said, \"Finish the tale of the\ngenie and the merchant. I am curious to hear the end of it.\"\nSchehera-zade immediately went on as follows:\n\nWhen the merchant, sire, perceived that the genie was about to execute\nhis purpose, he cried aloud: \"One word more, I entreat you; have the\ngoodness to grant me a little delay; give me only one year to go and\ntake leave of my dear wife and children, and I promise to return to\nthis spot, and submit myself entirely to your pleasure.\"\n\n\"Take Allah to witness of the promise thou hast made me,\" said the\nother.\n\n\"Again I swear,\" replied he, \"and you may rely on my oath.\"\n\nOn this the genie left him near the fountain, and immediately\ndisappeared.\n\nThe merchant, on his reaching home, related faithfully all that had\nhappened to him. On hearing the sad news, his wife uttered the most\nlamentable groans, tearing her hair and beating her breast; and his\nchildren made the house resound with their grief. The father,\novercome by affection, mingled his tears with theirs.\n\nThe year quickly passed. The good merchant having settled his affairs,\npaid his just debts, given alms to the poor, and made provision to the\nbest of his ability for his wife and family, tore himself away amid\nthe most frantic expressions of grief; and mindful of his oath, he\narrived at the destined spot on the very day he had promised.\n\nWhile he was waiting for the arrival of the genie, there suddenly\nappeared an old man leading a hind, who, after a respectful\nsalutation, inquired what brought him to that desert place. The\nmerchant satisfied the old man's curiosity, and related his adventure,\non which he expressed a wish to witness his interview with the genie.\nHe had scarcely finished his speech when another old man, accompanied\nby two black dogs, came in sight, and having heard the tale of the\nmerchant, he also determined to remain to see the event.\n\nSoon they perceived, toward the plain, a thick vapor or smoke, like a\ncolumn of dust raised by the wind. This vapor approached them, and\nthen suddenly disappearing, they saw the genie, who, without noticing\nthe others, went toward the merchant, scimitar in hand. Taking him by\nthe arm, \"Get up,\" said he, \"that I may kill thee, as thou hast slain\nmy son.\"\n\nBoth the merchant and the two old men, struck with terror, began to\nweep and fill the air with their lamentations.\n\nWhen the old man who conducted the hind saw the genie lay hold of the\nmerchant, and about to murder him without mercy, he threw himself at\nthe monster's feet, and, kissing them, said, \"Lord Genie, I humbly\nentreat you to suspend your rage, and hear my history, and that of the\nhind, which you see; and if you find it more wonderful and surprising\nthan the adventure of this merchant, whose life you wish to take, may\nI not hope that you will at least grant me one half part the blood of\nthis unfortunate man?\"\n\nAfter meditating some time, the genie answered, \"Well then, I agree to\nit.\"\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF THE FIRST OLD MAN AND THE HIND\n\nThe hind, whom you, Lord Genie, see here, is my wife. I married her\nwhen she was twelve years old, and we lived together thirty years,\nwithout having any children. At the end of that time I adopted into my\nfamily a son, whom a slave had borne. This act of mine excited against\nthe mother and her child the hatred and jealousy of my wife. During my\nabsence on a journey she availed herself of her knowledge of magic to\nchange the slave and my adopted son into a cow and a calf, and sent\nthem to my farm to be fed and taken care of by the steward.\n\nImmediately on my return I inquired after my child and his mother.\n\n\"Your slave is dead,\" said she, \"and it is now more than two months\nsince I have beheld your son; nor do I know what has become of him.\"\n\nI was sensibly affected at the death of the slave; but as my son had\nonly disappeared, I flattered myself that he would soon be found.\nEight months, however, passed, and he did not return; nor could I\nlearn any tidings of him. In order to celebrate the festival of the\ngreat Bairam,[8] which was approaching, I ordered my bailiff to bring\nme the fattest cow I possessed, for a sacrifice. He obeyed my\ncommands. Having bound the cow, I was about to make the sacrifice,\nwhen at the very instant she lowed most sorrowfully, and the tears\neven fell from her eyes. This seemed to me so extraordinary that I\ncould not but feel compassion for her, and was unable to give the\nfatal blow. I therefore ordered her to be taken away, and another\nbrought.\n\n[Footnote 8: Bairam, a Turkish word, signifies a feast day or holiday.\nIt commences on the close of the Ramadan--or the month's fast of the\nMohammedans. At this feast they kill a calf, goat, or sheep; and after\ngiving a part to the poor, eat the rest with their friends. It\ncommences with the new moon, and is supposed to be instituted in\nmemory of the sacrifice of his son by Abraham. The observance of the\nlesser Bairam is confined to Mecca.]\n\nMy wife, who was present, seemed very angry at my compassion, and\nopposed my order.\n\nI then said to my steward, \"Make the sacrifice yourself; the\nlamentations and tears of the animal have overcome me.\"\n\nThe steward was less compassionate, and sacrificed her. On taking off\nthe skin we found hardly anything but bones, though she appeared very\nfat.\n\n\"Take her away,\" said I to the steward, truly chagrined, \"and if you\nhave a very fat calf, bring it in her place.\"\n\nHe returned with a remarkably fine calf, who, as soon as he perceived\nme, made so great an effort to come to me that he broke his cord. He\nlay down at my feet, with his head on the ground, as if he endeavored\nto excite my compassion, and to entreat me not to have the cruelty to\ntake away his life.\n\n\"Wife,\" said I, \"I will not sacrifice this calf, I wish to favor him.\nDo not you, therefore, oppose it.\"\n\nShe, however, did not agree to my proposal; and continued to demand\nhis sacrifice so obstinately that I was compelled to yield. I bound\nthe calf, and took the fatal knife to bury it in his throat, when he\nturned his eyes, filled with tears, so persuasively upon me, that I\nhad no power to execute my intention. The knife fell from my hand, and\nI told my wife I was determined to have another calf. She tried every\nmeans to induce me to alter my mind; I continued firm, however, in my\nresolution, in spite of all she could say; promising, for the sake of\nappeasing her, to sacrifice this calf at the feast of Bairam on the\nfollowing year.\n\nThe next morning my steward desired to speak with me in private. He\ninformed me that his daughter, who had some knowledge of magic, wished\nto speak with me. On being admitted to my presence, she informed me\nthat during my absence my wife had turned the slave and my son into a\ncow and calf, that I had already sacrificed the cow, but that she\ncould restore my son to life if I would give him to her for her\nhusband, and allow her to visit my wife with the punishment her\ncruelty had deserved. To these proposals I gave my consent.\n\nThe damsel then took a vessel full of water, and pronouncing over it\nsome words I did not understand, she threw the water over the calf,\nand he instantly regained his own form.\n\n\"My son! My son!\" I exclaimed, and embraced him with transport. \"This\ndamsel has destroyed the horrible charm with which you were\nsurrounded. I am sure your gratitude will induce you to marry her, as\nI have already promised for you.\"\n\nHe joyfully consented; but before they were united the damsel changed\nmy wife into this hind, which you see here.\n\nSince this, my son has become a widower, and is now traveling. Many\nyears have passed since I have heard anything of him. I have,\ntherefore, now set out with a view to gain some information; and as I\ndid not like to trust my wife to the care of any one during my search,\nI thought proper to carry her along with me. This is the history of\nmyself and this hind. Can anything be more wonderful?\n\n\"I agree with you,\" said the genie, \"and in consequence, I grant to\nyou a half of the blood of this merchant.\"\n\nAs soon as the first old man had finished, the second, who led the two\nblack dogs, made the same request to the genie for a half of the\nmerchant's blood, on the condition that his tale exceeded in interest\nthe one that had just been related. On the genie signifying his\nassent, the old man began.\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF THE SECOND OLD MAN AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS\n\nGreat Prince of the genies, you must know that these two black dogs,\nwhich you see here, and myself, are three brothers. Our father, when\nhe died, left us one thousand sequins each. With this sum we all\nembarked in business as merchants. My two brothers determined to\ntravel, that they might trade in foreign parts. They were both\nunfortunate, and returned at the end of two years in a state of abject\npoverty, having lost their all. I had in the meanwhile prospered. I\ngladly received them, and gave them one thousand sequins each, and\nagain set them up as merchants.\n\nMy brothers frequently proposed to me that I should make a voyage with\nthem for the purpose of traffic. Knowing their former want of success,\nI refused to join them, until at the end of five years I at length\nyielded to their repeated solicitations. On consulting on the\nmerchandise to be bought for the voyage, I discovered that nothing\nremained of the thousand sequins I had given to each. I did not\nreproach them; on the contrary, as my capital was increased to six\nthousand sequins, I gave them each one thousand sequins, and kept a\nlike sum myself, concealing the other three thousand in a corner of my\nhouse, in order that if our voyage proved unsuccessful we might be\nable to console ourselves and begin our former profession.\n\nWe purchased our goods, embarked in a vessel, which we ourselves\nfreighted, and set sail with a favorable wind. After sailing about a\nmonth, we arrived, without any accident, at a port, where we landed,\nand had a most advantageous sale for our merchandise. I, in\nparticular, sold mine so well that I gained ten for one.\n\nAbout the time that we were ready to embark on our return, I\naccidentally met on the seashore a female of great beauty, but very\npoorly dressed. She accosted me by kissing my hand, and entreated me\nmost earnestly to permit her to be my wife. I stated many difficulties\nto such a plan; but at length she said so much to persuade me that I\nought not to regard her poverty, and that I should be well satisfied\nwith her conduct, I was quite overcome. I directly procured proper\ndresses for her, and after marrying her in due form, she embarked\nwith me, and we set sail.\n\nDuring our voyage I found my wife possessed of so many good qualities\nthat I loved her every day more and more. In the meantime my two\nbrothers, who had not traded so advantageously as myself, and who were\njealous of my prosperity, began to feel exceedingly envious. They even\nwent so far as to conspire against my life; for one night, while my\nwife and I were asleep, they threw us into the sea. I had hardly,\nhowever, fallen into the water, before my wife took me up and\ntransported me to an island. As soon as it was day she thus addressed\nme:\n\n\"You must know that I am a fairy, and being upon the shore when you\nwere about to sail, I wished to try the goodness of your heart, and\nfor this purpose I presented myself before you in the disguise you\nsaw. You acted most generously, and I am therefore delighted in\nfinding an occasion of showing my gratitude, and I trust, my husband,\nthat in saving your life I have not ill rewarded the good you have\ndone me. But I am enraged against your brothers, nor shall I be\nsatisfied till I have taken their lives.\"\n\nI listened with astonishment to the discourse of the fairy, and\nthanked her, as well as I was able, for the great obligation she had\nconferred on me.\n\n\"But, madam,\" said I to her, \"I must entreat you to pardon my\nbrothers.\"\n\nI related to her what I had done for each of them, but my account only\nincreased her anger.\n\n\"I must instantly fly after these ungrateful wretches,\" cried she,\n\"and bring them to a just punishment; I will sink their vessel, and\nprecipitate them to the bottom of the sea.\"\n\n\"No, beautiful lady,\" replied I, \"for heaven's sake moderate your\nindignation, and do not execute so dreadful an intention; remember,\nthey are still my brothers, and that we are bound to return good for\nevil.\"\n\nNo sooner had I pronounced these words, than I was transported in an\ninstant from the island, where we were, to the top of my own house. I\ndescended, opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins\nwhich I had hidden. I afterward repaired to my shop, opened it, and\nreceived the congratulations of the merchants in the neighborhood on\nmy arrival. When I returned home I perceived these two black dogs,\nwhich came toward me with a submissive air. I could not imagine what\nthis meant, but the fairy, who soon appeared, satisfied my curiosity.\n\n\"My dear husband,\" said she, \"be not surprised at seeing these two\ndogs in your house; they are your brothers.\"\n\nMy blood ran cold on hearing this, and I inquired by what power they\nhad been transformed into that state.\n\n\"It is I,\" replied the fairy, \"who have done it, and I have sunk their\nship; for the loss of the merchandise it contained I shall recompense\nyou. As to your brothers, I have condemned them to remain under this\nform for ten years, as a punishment for their perfidy.\"\n\nThen informing me where I might hear of her, she disappeared.\n\nThe ten years are now completed, and I am traveling in search of her.\nThis, O Lord Genie, is my history; does it not appear to you of a\nmost extraordinary nature?\n\n\"Yes,\" replied the genie, \"I confess it is most wonderful, and\ntherefore I grant you the other half of this merchant's blood,\" and\nhaving said this, the genie disappeared, to the great joy of the\nmerchant and of the two old men.\n\nThe merchant did not omit to bestow many thanks upon his liberators,\nwho, bidding him adieu, proceeded on their travels. He remounted his\nhorse, returned home to his wife and children, and spent the remainder\nof his days with them in tranquillity.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE THREE CALENDERS, SONS OF KINGS, AND THE FIVE LADIES OF BAGDAD\n\n\nIn the reign of Caliph Haroun al Raschid there was at Bagdad a porter,\nwho was a fellow of infinite wit and humor. One morning as he was at\nthe place where he usually waited for employment, with a great basket\nbefore him, a handsome lady, covered with a great muslin veil,\naccosted him, and said with a pleasant air, \"Hark you, porter, take\nyour basket[9] and follow me.\"\n\n[Footnote 9: Baskets, panniers made of leaves of palm, used in\nconveying fruits and bread, while heavier articles are carried in bags\nof leather or skin.]\n\nThe delighted porter took his basket immediately, set it on his head,\nand followed the lady, exclaiming, \"Oh, happy day! Oh, day of good\nluck!\"\n\nIn a short time the lady stopped before a gate and knocked: a\nChristian, with a venerable long white beard, opened it, and she put\nmoney into his hand without speaking; but the Christian, who knew what\nshe wanted, went in, and shortly after brought out a large jar of\nexcellent wine.\n\n\"Take this jar,\" said the lady to the porter, \"and put it into the\nbasket.\"\n\nThis being done, she desired him to follow her, and walked on; the\nporter still exclaiming, \"Oh, day of happiness! Oh, day of agreeable\nsurprise and joy!\"\n\nThe lady stopped at a fruit shop, where she bought some apples,\napricots, peaches, lemons, citrons, oranges, myrtles, sweet basil,\nlilies, jassamine, and some other plants. She told the porter to put\nall those things into his basket and follow her. Passing by a\nbutcher's shop, she ordered five and twenty pounds of his finest meat\nto be weighed, which was also put into the porter's basket.\n\nAt another shop she bought capers, small cucumbers, parsley, and other\nherbs; at another, some pistachios, walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds,\nkernels of the pine, and other similar fruits; at a third, she\npurchased all sorts of almond patties.\n\nThe porter, in putting all these things into his basket, said, \"My\ngood lady, you should have told me that you intended buying so many\nthings, and I would have provided a camel to carry them, for if you\nbuy ever so little more, I shall not be able to bear it.\"\n\nThe lady laughed at the fellow's pleasant humor, and ordered him still\nto follow her.\n\nShe then went to a druggist's, where she furnished herself with all\nmanner of sweet-scented waters, cloves, musk, pepper, ginger, and a\ngreat piece of ambergris, and several other Indian spices; this quite\nfilled the porter's basket and she ordered him to follow her. They\nwalked till they came to a magnificent house, whose front was adorned\nwith fine columns, and had a gate of ivory. There they stopped, and\nthe lady knocked softly. Another lady soon came to open the gate, and\nall three, after passing through a handsome vestibule, crossed a\nspacious court, surrounded by an open gallery which communicated with\nmany magnificent apartments, all on the same floor. At the end of this\ncourt there was a dais richly furnished, with a couch in the middle,\nsupported by four columns of ebony, enriched with diamonds and pearls\nof an extraordinary size, and covered with red satin, relieved by a\nbordering of Indian gold. In the middle of the court there was a large\nbasin lined with white marble, and full of the finest transparent\nwater, which rushed from the mouth of a lion of gilt bronze.\n\nBut what principally attracted the attention of the porter, was a\nthird most beautiful lady, who was seated on the couch before\nmentioned. This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the door was\ncalled Safie, and the name of the one who had been for the provisions\nwas Amina. Then said Zobeide, accosting the other two, \"Sisters, do\nyou not see that this honest man is ready to sink under his burden?\nWhy do you not ease him of it?\"\n\nThen Amina and Safie took the basket, the one before and the other\nbehind; Zobeide also assisted, and all three together set it on the\nground, and then emptied it. When they had done, the beautiful Amina\ntook out money and paid the porter liberally.\n\nThe porter was well satisfied, but when he ought to have departed he\nwas chained to the spot by the pleasure of beholding three such\nbeauties, who appeared to him equally charming; for Amina, having now\nlaid aside her veil, proved to be as handsome as either of the others.\nWhat surprised him most was that he saw no man about the house, yet\nmost of the provisions he had brought in, as the dry fruits and the\nseveral sorts of cakes and confections, were adapted chiefly for those\nwho could drink and make merry.\n\n\"Madam,\" said he, addressing Zobeide, \"I am sensible that I act rudely\nin staying longer than I ought, but I hope you will have the goodness\nto pardon me, when I tell you that I am astonished not to see a man\nwith three ladies of such extraordinary beauty; and you know that a\ncompany of women without men is as melancholy as a company of men\nwithout women.\"\n\nTo this he added some pleasantries in proof of what he advanced; and\ndid not forget the Bagdad proverb, \"That the table is not completely\nfurnished, except there be four in company\"; so concluded, that since\nthey were but three, they wanted another.\n\nThe ladies fell a-laughing at the porter's reasoning; after which\nZobeide gravely addressed him, \"Friend, you presume rather too much;\nand though you do not deserve it, I have no objection to inform you\nthat we are three sisters, who transact our affairs with so much\nsecrecy that no one knows anything of them. A good author says, 'Keep\nthy own secret, and do not reveal it to any one. He that maketh his\nsecret known is no longer its master. If thy own breast cannot keep\nthy counsel, how canst thou expect the breast of another to be more\nfaithful?'\"\n\n\"Permit me, I entreat thee, to say, that I also have read in another a\nmaxim, which I have always happily practiced: 'Conceal thy secret,' he\nsays, 'only from such as are known to be indiscreet, and who will\nabuse thy confidence; but make no difficulty in discovering it to\nprudent men, because they know how to keep it.' The secret, then, with\nme, is as safe as if locked up in a cabinet, the key of which is lost\nand the door sealed.\"\n\nThe porter, notwithstanding his rhetoric, must, in all probability,\nhave retired in confusion if Amina had not taken his part, and said to\nZobeide and Safie, \"My dear sisters, I conjure you to let him remain;\nhe will afford us some diversion. Were I to repeat to you all the\namusing things he addressed to me by the way, you would not feel\nsurprised at my taking his part.\"\n\nAt these words of Amina the porter fell on his knees, kissed the\nground at her feet, and raising himself up, said, \"Most beautiful\nlady, you began my good fortune to-day, and now you complete it by\nthis generous conduct. I cannot adequately express my acknowledgments.\nAs to the rest, ladies,\" said he, addressing himself to all the three\nsisters, \"since you do me so great an honor, I shall always look upon\nmyself as one of your most humble slaves.\"\n\nWhen he had spoken these words he would have returned the money he had\nreceived, but Zobeide ordered him to keep it.\n\n\"What we have once given,\" said she, \"we never take back. We are\nwilling, too, to allow you to stay on one condition, that you keep\nsecret and do not ask the reason for anything you may see us do. To\nshow you,\" said Zobeide, with a serious countenance, \"that what we\ndemand of you is not a new thing among us, read what is written over\nour gate on the inside.\"\n\nThe porter read these words, written in large characters of gold: \"He\nwho speaks of things that do not concern him, shall hear things that\nwill not please him.\"\n\n\"Ladies,\" said he, \"I swear to you that you shall never hear me utter\na word respecting what does not relate to me, or wherein you may have\nany concern.\"\n\nThese preliminaries being settled, Amina brought in supper, and after\nshe had lighted up the room with tapers made of aloewood and\nambergris, which yield a most agreeable perfume as well as a delicate\nlight, she sat down with her sisters and the porter. They began\nagain to eat and drink, to sing, and repeat verses. The ladies\ndiverted themselves by intoxicating the porter, under pretext of\nmaking him drink their healths, and the repast was enlivened by\nreciprocal sallies of wit. When they were all as merry as possible,\nthey suddenly heard a knocking at the gate.\n\n[Illustration: _He was chained to the spot by the pleasure of\nbeholding three such beauties Page 38_]\n\nSafie, whose office it was, went to the porch, and quickly returning,\ntold them thus: \"There are three calenders[10] at the door, all blind\nof the right eye, and have their heads, beards, and eyebrows shaved.\nThey say that they are only just arrived at Bagdad, where they have\nnever been before; and, as it is dark, and they know not where to\nlodge, they knocked at our door by chance and pray us to show\ncompassion, and to take them in. They care not where we put them,\nprovided they obtain shelter. They are young and handsome; but I\ncannot, without laughing, think of their amusing and exact likeness to\neach other. My dear sisters, pray permit them to come in; they will\nafford us diversion enough, and put us to little charge, because they\ndesire shelter only for this night, and resolve to leave us as soon as\nday appears.\"\n\n[Footnote 10: Calender, a sort of privileged beggar or fakir among the\nMohammedans, who wore a dress of sheepskin, with a leathern girdle\nabout his loins, and collected alms. A dervish is a poor man, who is\nnot bound by any vow of poverty to abstain from meat, and may\nrelinquish his profession at will.]\n\n\"Go, then,\" said Zobeide, \"and bring them in, but make them read what\nis written over the gate.\" Safie ran out with joy, and in a little\ntime after returned with the three calenders.\n\nAt their entrance they made a profound obeisance to the ladies, who\nrose up to receive them and told them courteously that they were\nwelcome, that they were glad of the opportunity to oblige them and to\ncontribute toward relieving the fatigues of their journey, and at last\ninvited them to sit down with them.\n\nThe magnificence of the place, and the civility they received,\ninspired the calenders with high respect for the ladies; but before\nthey sat down, having by chance cast their eyes upon the porter, whom\nthey saw clad almost like those devotees with whom they have continual\ndisputes respecting several points of discipline, because they never\nshave their beards nor eyebrows,[11] one of them said, \"I believe we\nhave got here one of our revolted Arabian brethren.\"\n\nThe porter, having his head warm with wine, took offense at these\nwords, and with a fierce look, without stirring from his place,\nanswered, \"Sit you down, and do not meddle with what does not concern\nyou. Have you not read the inscription over the gate? Do not pretend\nto make people live after your fashion, but follow ours.\"\n\n\"Honest man,\" said the calender, \"do not put yourself in a passion. We\nshould be sorry to give you the least occasion. On the contrary, we\nare ready to receive your commands.\" Upon which, to put an end to the\ndispute, the ladies interposed, and pacified them. When the calenders\nwere seated, the ladies served them with meat; and Safie, being highly\npleased with them, did not let them want for wine.\n\n[Footnote 11: This may probably be an allusion to the two great\ndivisions prevailing among the Mohammedans, the Soonnis and the\nShiites. The former upheld the legitimacy of the three first\nsuccessions of Mohammed; the latter maintained the right of his cousin\nand son-in-law, Ali, and his descendants, called Fatemites or\nIsmaelites. They both received the Koran, but the one added to it the\nSonna, or certain oral traditions attributed to Mohammed, which the\nother rejected.]\n\nWhen the calenders had finished their repast, they signified to the\nladies that they wished to entertain them with a concert of music, if\nthey had any instruments in the house, and would cause them to be\nbrought. The ladies willingly accepted the proposal, and Safie went to\nfetch the instruments. Each man took the instrument he liked, and all\nthree together began to play a tune. The ladies, who knew the words of\na merry song that suited the air, joined the concert with their\nvoices; but the words of the song made them now and then stop, and\nfall into excessive laughter. While their amusement was at its height,\nthere was a knock of unwonted loudness at their gate.\n\nNow, it was the custom of the sultan Haroun al Raschid sometimes\nduring the night to go through the city in disguise, in order to\ndiscover whether everything was quiet. On this evening he set out from\nhis palace accompanied by Giafar, his grand vizier, and Mesrour, chief\nof the household, all three disguised as merchants. He it was, who, in\npassing through the street, was attracted by the noise of the music\nand of the peals of loud laughter, and had desired his grand vizier to\nknock at the gate, and to demand shelter and admittance as for three\nstrangers who knew not where to seek shelter for the night. Safie, who\nhad opened the door, came back and obtained permission of her sisters\nto admit the newly arrived strangers.\n\nThe caliph and his attendants, upon their entrance, most courteously\nmade obeisance to the ladies and to the calenders. The ladies returned\ntheir salutations, supposing them to be merchants. Zobeide, as the\nchief, addressed them with a grave and serious countenance and said,\n\"You are welcome. But while you are here you must have eyes but no\ntongues; you must not ask the reason of anything you may see, nor\nspeak of anything that does not concern you, lest you hear and see\nwhat will by no means please you.\"\n\n\"Madam,\" replied the vizier, \"you shall be obeyed. It is enough for us\nto attend to our own business, without meddling with what does not\nconcern us.\" After this, each seated himself, and the conversation\nbecame general, and they drank to the health of the new guests.\n\nWhile the vizier Giafar entertained them, the caliph ceased not from\nadmiring the beauty, elegance, and lively disposition of the ladies;\nwhile the appearance of the three calenders, all blind of the right\neye, surprised him very much. He anxiously wished to learn the cause\nof this singularity, but the conditions they had imposed upon him and\nhis companions prevented any inquiry. Besides all this, when he\nreflected upon the richness of the services and furniture, with the\nregularity and arrangement everywhere apparent, he could hardly\npersuade himself it was not the effect of enchantment.\n\nThe guests continued their conversation, when, after an interval,\nZobeide rose up, and taking Amina by the hand, said to her, \"Come,\nsister, the company shall not prevent us from doing as we have always\nbeen accustomed.\"\n\nAmina, who perfectly understood what her sister meant, got up, and\ntook away the dishes, tables, bottles, glasses, and also the\ninstruments on which the calenders had played. Nor did Safie remain\nidle; she snuffed the candles, and added more aloewood and ambergris.\nHaving done this, she requested the three calenders to sit on a sofa\non one side, and the caliph and his company on the other.\n\n\"Get up,\" said she then to the porter, looking at him, \"and be ready\nto assist in whatever we want of you.\"\n\nA little while after, Amina came in with a sort of seat, which she\nplaced in the middle of the room. She then went to the door of a\ncloset, and having opened it, she made a sign to the porter to\napproach.\n\n\"Come and assist me,\" she cried. He did so, and went in with her, and\nreturned a moment after, followed by two black dogs, each of them\nsecured by a collar and chain. They appeared as if they had been\nseverely whipped with rods, and he brought them into the middle of the\napartment.\n\nZobeide, rising from her seat between the calenders and the caliph,\nmoved very gravely toward the porter.\n\n\"Come,\" said she, heaving a deep sigh, \"let us perform our duty.\"\n\nShe then tucked up her sleeves above her elbows, and receiving a rod\nfrom Safie, \"Porter,\" said she, \"deliver one of the dogs to my sister\nAmina, and bring the other to me.\"\n\nThe porter did as he was commanded. Upon this, the dog that he held in\nhis hand began to howl, and, turning toward Zobeide, held her head up\nin a supplicating posture; but Zobeide, having no regard to the sad\ncountenance of the animal, which would have moved any one else to\npity, nor to its cries that resounded through the house, whipped her\nwith the rod till she was out of breath; and having spent her\nstrength, threw down the rod, and taking the chain from the porter,\nlifted up the dog by her paws, and looking upon her with a sad and\npitiful countenance, they both wept. After this Zobeide, with her\nhandkerchief, wiped the tears from the dog's eyes, kissed her,\nreturned the chain to the porter, and desired him to carry the dog to\nthe place whence he took her, and to bring the other. Then taking the\nwhip, she served this in the same manner; she then wept with it, dried\nits tears, kissed it, and returned it to the porter.\n\nThe three calenders, with the caliph and his companions, were\nextremely surprised at this exhibition, and could not comprehend why\nZobeide, after having so furiously beaten those two dogs, that by the\nMussulman religion are reckoned unclean[12] animals, should weep with\nthem, wipe off their tears, and kiss them. They muttered among\nthemselves; and the caliph, who, being more impatient than the rest,\nlonged exceedingly to be informed of the cause of so strange a\nproceeding, could not forbear making signs to the vizier to ask the\nquestion. The vizier turned his head another way; but being pressed by\nrepeated signs, he answered by others, that it was not yet time for\nthe caliph to satisfy his curiosity.\n\n[Footnote 12: The dog is in great disrepute among the Mohammedans.\nMohammed is reported to have said, \"No angel enters where a dog is.\"\nCats, on the contrary, are great favorites, and sometimes accompany\ntheir masters when they go to their mosque. The Mohammedans are under\ncertain restrictions in food; they are forbidden to eat the hare,\nwolf, the cat, and all animals forbidden by the law of Moses. The\nshrimp is forbidden among fish.--Bernard Picard.]\n\nZobeide sat still some time in the middle of the room, where she had\nwhipped the two dogs, to recover herself of her fatigue; and Safie\ncalled to her, \"Dear sister, will you not be pleased to return to your\nplace, that I may also act my part?\"\n\n\"Yes, sister,\" replied Zobeide, and then went and sat down upon the\nsofa, having the caliph, Giafar, and Mesrour on her right hand, and\nthe three calenders, with the porter, on her left.\n\nThe whole company remained silent for some time. At last Safie,\nsitting on a chair in the middle of the room, spoke to her sister\nAmina: \"Dear sister, I conjure you to rise; you know what I would\nsay.\" Amina rose, and went into another closet near to that where the\ndogs were, and brought out a case covered with yellow satin, richly\nembroidered with gold and green silk. She went toward Safie and opened\nthe case, from whence she took a lute, and presented it to her; and\nafter some time spent in tuning it, Safie began to play, and,\naccompanying the instrument with her voice, sang a song about the\ntorments that absence creates to lovers.\n\nHaving sung with much passion and action, she said to Amina, \"Pray\ntake it, sister, for my voice fails me; oblige the company with a tune\nand a song in my stead.\"\n\n\"Very willingly,\" replied Amina, who, taking the lute from her sister\nSafie, sat down in her place. Having sung most delightfully, the\ncaliph expressed his admiration. While he was doing so, Amina fainted\naway; and on opening her robe to give her air, they discovered that\nher breast was covered with fearful scars.\n\nWhile Zobeide and Safie ran to assist their sister, the caliph\ninquired of the calender, \"Cannot you inform me about these two black\ndogs, and this lady, who appears to have been so ill-treated?\"\n\n\"Sir,\" said the calender, \"we never were in this house before now, and\nentered it only a few minutes sooner than you did.\"\n\nThis increased the astonishment of the caliph. \"Perhaps,\" said he,\n\"the man who is with you can give you some information?\"\n\nThe calender made signs to the porter to draw near, and asked him if\nhe knew why the black dogs had been beaten, and why the bosom of Amina\nwas so scarred.\n\n\"Sir,\" replied the porter, \"if you know nothing of the matter, I know\nas little as you do. I never was in the house until now; and if you\nare surprised to see me here, I am as much so to find myself in your\ncompany.\"\n\nThe caliph, more and more perplexed at all he heard, determined that\nhe would have the information he required for the explaining these\nmysterious proceedings. But the question was, who should first make\nthe inquiry? The caliph endeavored to persuade the calenders to speak\nfirst, but they excused themselves. At last they all agreed that the\nporter should be the man.\n\nWhile they were consulting how to put the question, Zobeide herself,\nas Amina had recovered from her fainting, approached them, and\ninquired, \"What are you talking of? What is your contest about?\"\n\nThe porter then addressed her as follows: \"These gentlemen, madam,\nentreat you to explain why you wept with those dogs, after having\ntreated them so ill, and how it has happened that the lady who fainted\nhas her bosom covered with scars.\"\n\nAt these words Zobeide put on a stern look, and turning toward the\ncaliph and the rest of the company: \"Is it true, gentlemen,\" said she,\n\"that you desired him to ask me these questions?\"\n\nAll of them, except the vizier Giafar, who spoke not a word, answered\n\"Yes.\" She thereupon exclaimed, in a tone of resentment: \"Before we\ngranted you the favor of receiving you into our house, and to prevent\nall occasion of inquiry from you, we imposed the condition that you\nshould not speak of anything that did not concern you, lest you might\nhear that which would not please you; and yet, after having received\nour entertainment, you make no scruple to break your promise. Our easy\ncompliance with your wishes may have occasioned this, but that shall\nnot excuse your rudeness.\"\n\nAs she spoke these words, she gave three stamps with her foot, and\nclapping[13] her hands as often together, cried, \"Come quickly!\"\n\nUpon this a door flew open, and seven black slaves[14] rushed in; each\none seized a man, threw him to the ground, and dragged him into the\nmiddle of the room, brandishing a scimitar over his head.\n\n[Footnote 13: This is the ordinary mode in the East of calling the\nattendants in waiting.]\n\n[Footnote 14: In this manner the apartments of ladies were constantly\nguarded.--Beckford's _Vathek_, Notes to p. 204.]\n\nWe can easily conceive the alarm of the caliph. He repented, but too\nlate, that he had not taken the advice of his vizier, who, with\nMesrour, the calenders, and porter, were, from his ill-timed\ncuriosity, on the point of forfeiting their lives.\n\nBefore they gave the fatal stroke, one of the slaves said to Zobeide\nand her sisters, \"Would it not be right to interrogate them first?\" On\nwhich Zobeide, with a grave voice, said: \"Answer me, and say who you\nare, otherwise you shall not live one moment longer. I cannot believe\nyou to be honest men, or persons of authority or distinction in your\nown countries; for, if you were, you would have been more modest and\nmore respectful to us.\"\n\nThe caliph, naturally warm, was infinitely more indignant than the\nrest, to find his life depending upon the command of a woman: but he\nbegan to conceive some hopes, when he found she wished to know who\nthey all were; for he imagined that she would by no means take away\nhis life when she should be informed of his rank. He whispered to his\nvizier, who was near him, instantly to declare who he was. But this\nwise vizier, being more prudent, resolved to save his master's honor,\nand not let the world know the affront he had brought upon himself by\nhis own imprudence; and therefore answered, \"We have what we deserve.\"\n\nBut if he had intended to speak as the caliph commanded him, Zobeide\nwould not have allowed him time: for having turned to the calenders,\nand seeing them all blind with one eye, she asked if they were\nbrothers.\n\nOne of them answered, \"No, madam, no otherwise than as we are\ncalenders; that is to say, as we observe the same rules.\"\n\n\"Were you born blind of the right eye?\" continued she.\n\n\"No, madam,\" answered he; \"I lost my eye in such a surprising\nadventure, that it would be instructive to every one to hear it.\"\n\nZobeide put the same question to the others in their turn, when the\nlast she addressed replied, \"Pray, madam, show some pity on us, for we\nare all the sons of kings. Although we have never seen each other\nbefore this evening, we have had sufficient time to become acquainted\nwith this circumstance; and I can assure you that the kings who have\ngiven us birth have made some noise in the world!\" During this speech\nZobeide became less angry, and said to the slaves, \"Give them their\nliberty a while, but remain where you are. Those who tell us their\nhistory, and the occasion of their coming, do them not hurt, let them\ngo where they please; but do not spare those who refuse to give us\nthat satisfaction.\"\n\nThe three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the captain\nof his guards, and the porter were all in the middle of the hall,\nseated upon a carpet in the presence of the three ladies, who reclined\nupon a sofa, and the slaves stood ready to do whatever their\nmistresses should command.\n\nThe porter spoke first, and briefly related the adventures of the\nmorning with Amina, and the kind favors to him of herself and her fair\nsisters in the evening, which he declared to be the whole of his\nhistory.\n\nWhen the porter had concluded, Zobeide said, \"Save thyself and begone,\nnor ever let us see thee again.\"\n\n\"I beg of you, madam,\" replied he, \"to let me remain a little longer.\nIt would be unfair that I should not hear their histories, after they\nhave had the pleasure of hearing mine.\"\n\nSaying this, he took his place at the end of the sofa, truly delighted\nat finding himself free from the danger which so much alarmed him.\n\nOne of the calenders, addressing himself to Zobeide, next spoke.\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER\n\nMadam, I am the son of a sultan. My father had a brother, who reigned\nover a neighboring kingdom. His son, my cousin, and I were nearly of\nthe same age. I went regularly every year to see my uncle, at whose\ncourt I amused myself for a month or two, and then returned home.\n\nOn one occasion I arrived at my father's capital, where, contrary to\ncustom, I found a numerous guard at the gate of the palace. They\nsurrounded me as I entered. The commanding officer said, \"Prince, the\narmy has proclaimed the grand vizier sultan, instead of your father,\nwho is dead, and I take you prisoner in the name of the new sultan.\"\n\nThis rebel vizier had long entertained a mortal hatred toward me. When\nI was a boy I loved to shoot with a crossbow. Being one day upon the\nterrace of the palace, and a bird happening to come by, I shot but\nmissed him, and the ball by misfortune hit the vizier, who was taking\nthe air upon the terrace of his own house, and put out one of his\neyes. He never forgave me, and, as opportunity offered, made me\nsensible of his resentment. But now that he had me in his power he\ncame to me like a madman, and thrusting his finger into my right eye,\npulled it out, and thus I became blind of one eye.\n\nHis cruelty did not stop here; he commanded the executioner to cut off\nmy head, and leave me to be devoured by birds of prey. The executioner\nconveyed me to the place of execution to complete this barbarous\nsentence, but by my prayers and tears, I moved the man's compassion:\n\"Go,\" said he to me, \"get you speedily out of the kingdom, and never\nreturn, or you will destroy yourself and me.\"\n\nI thanked him, and as soon as I was left alone, comforted myself for\nthe loss of my eye by considering that I had very narrowly escaped a\nmuch greater evil.\n\nBeing thus surrounded with sorrows and persecuted by fortune, I had\nrecourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save my\nlife: I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and putting on a\ncalender's habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city. I avoided\nthe towns till I arrived in the empire of the commander of the\nfaithful, the renowned caliph Haroun al Raschid, when I ceased to\nfear. I resolved to come to Bagdad and throw myself at the feet of\nthis great monarch. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself,\nby the relation of my uncommon misfortunes, and without doubt he will\ntake pity on a persecuted prince, and not suffer me to implore his\nassistance in vain.\n\nIn short, after a journey of several months, I arrived to-day at the\ngate of this city, into which I entered at dusk: and as I entered,\nanother calender came up. He saluted me, and I him.\n\n\"You appear,\" said I, \"to be a stranger, as I am.\"\n\n\"You are not mistaken,\" replied he.\n\nHe had no sooner returned this answer, than a third calender overtook\nus. He saluted us, and told us he was a stranger newly come to Bagdad;\nso that as brethren we joined together, resolving not to separate from\none another.\n\nIt was now late, and we knew not where to seek a lodging in the city,\nwhere we had never been before. But good fortune having brought us to\nyour gate, we made bold to knock, when you received us with so much\nkindness that we are incapable of rendering suitable thanks. This,\nmadam, is, in obedience to your commands, the account I was to give\nhow I lost my right eye, wherefore my beard and eyebrows are shaved,\nand how I came to be with you at this time.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\n\"It is enough,\" said Zobeide; \"you may retire to what place you think\nfit.\"\n\nThe calender begged the ladies' permission to stay till he had heard\nthe relations of his two comrades, \"whom I cannot,\" said he, \"leave\nwith honor\"; and that he might also hear those of the three other\npersons in company.\n\nThe history of the first calender appeared very surprising to the\nwhole company, and particularly to the caliph. The presence of the\nslaves, armed with their scimitars, did not prevent him from saying in\na whisper to the vizier, \"As long as I can remember, I never heard\nanything to compare with this history of the calender, though I have\nbeen all my life in the habit of hearing similar narratives.\"\n\nHe had no sooner finished than the second calender began, and\naddressing himself to Zobeide, spoke as follows:\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF THE SECOND CALENDER\n\nMadam, to obey your commands, and to show you by what strange accident\nI became blind of the right eye, I must give you the account of my\nlife. I was yet a youth when the sultan, my father (for you must know\nI am a prince by birth), perceived that I was endowed with good\nnatural ability, and spared nothing proper for improving it. No sooner\nwas I able to read and write than I learned the Koran from beginning\nto end by heart, all the traditions collected from the mouth of our\nprophet, and the works of poets. I applied myself to geography,\nchronology, and to speak the Arabian language in its purity; not\nforgetting in the meantime all such exercises as were proper for a\nprince to understand. But one thing which I was fond of, and succeeded\nin, was penmanship. In this I surpassed all the celebrated scribes of\nour kingdom.\n\nThe fame of my learning reached the Emperor of Hindustan, who sent an\nembassy with rich presents to my father and invited me to his court. I\nreturned with the ambassador.\n\nWe had been about a month on our journey when we saw in the distance\nan immense cloud of dust, and soon after we discovered fifty fierce\nhorsemen, sons of the desert, well armed.\n\nNot being able to repel force by force, we told them we were the\nambassadors of the sultan of India; but the sons of the desert\ninsolently answered, \"Why do you wish us to respect the sultan, your\nmaster? We are not his subjects, nor even within his realm.\" They\nattacked us on all sides.\n\nI defended myself as long as I could, but finding that I was wounded,\nand that the ambassador and all our attendants were overthrown, I took\nadvantage of the remaining strength of my horse, and escaped. My horse\nwas wounded and suddenly fell dead under me. Alone, wounded, and a\nstranger, I bound up my own wound and walked on the rest of the day,\nand arrived at the foot of a mountain, where I perceived, as the sun\nset, a cave; I went in, and stayed there that night, after I had\neaten some fruits that I gathered by the way. I continued my journey\nfor several successive days without finding any place of abode; but\nafter a month's time I came to a large town, well inhabited. It was\nsurrounded by several streams, so that it seemed to enjoy perpetual\nspring.\n\nMy face, hands, and feet were black and sunburnt; and by my long\njourney, my boots were quite worn out, so that I was forced to walk\nbarefooted; and my clothes were all in rags. I entered the town to\ninform myself where I was, and addressed myself to a tailor that was\nat work in his shop. He made me sit down by him, and asked me who I\nwas, from whence I came, and what had brought me thither. I did not\nconceal anything that had befallen me, nor made I any scruple to\nreveal to him my rank. The tailor listened to me with attention; then\nhe brought me something to eat, and offered me an apartment at his\nhouse, which I accepted.\n\nSome days after my arrival the tailor asked me if I knew anything by\nwhich I could acquire a livelihood. I told him that I was well versed\nin the science of laws, both human and divine; that I was a\ngrammarian, a poet, and, above all, that I wrote remarkably well.\n\n\"None of these things will avail you here. If you will follow my\nadvice,\" he added, \"you will procure a short jacket, and as you are\nstrong and in good health, you may go into the neighboring forest and\ncut wood for fuel. You may then go and expose it for sale in the\nmarket. By these means you will be enabled to wait till the cloud\nwhich hangs over you, and obliges you to conceal your birth, shall\nhave blown over. I will furnish you with a cord and hatchet.\"\n\nThe next day the tailor brought me a rope, a hatchet, and a short\njacket, and recommended me to some poor people who gained their bread\nafter the same manner, that they might take me into their company.\nThey conducted me to the wood, and the first day I brought in as much\nupon my head as procured me half a piece of gold of the money of that\ncountry; for though the wood was not far distant from the town, yet it\nwas very scarce, by reason that few would be at the trouble of\nfetching it for themselves. I gained a good sum of money in a short\ntime, and repaid my tailor what he had loaned me.\n\nI continued this way of living for a whole year. One day, having by\nchance penetrated farther into the wood than usual, I happened to\nlight on a pleasant spot, where I began to cut. In pulling up the root\nof a tree I espied an iron ring, fastened to a trap door of the same\nmetal. I took away the earth that covered it, and having lifted it up,\ndiscovered a flight of stairs, which I descended with my ax in my\nhand.\n\nWhen I had reached the bottom I found myself in a palace, which was as\nwell lighted as if it had been above ground in the open air. I was\ngoing forward along a gallery supported by pillars of jasper, the base\nand capitals being of massy gold, when I saw a lady of a noble and\ngraceful air, and extremely beautiful, coming toward me.\n\nI hastened to meet her; and as I was making a low obeisance she asked\nme, \"Are you a man, or a genie?\"\n\n\"A man, madam,\" said I.\n\n\"By what adventure,\" said she, fetching a deep sigh, \"are you come\nhither? I have lived here for twenty-five years, and you are the\nfirst man I have beheld in that time.\"\n\nHer great beauty, and the sweetness and civility wherewith she\nreceived me, emboldened me to say, \"Madam, before I satisfy your\ncuriosity, give me leave to say that I am infinitely gratified with\nthis unexpected meeting, which offers me an occasion of consolation in\nthe midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an opportunity\nof making you also more happy than you are.\"\n\nI then related my story to her from beginning to end.\n\n\"Alas! prince,\" she replied, sighing, \"the most enchanting spots\ncannot afford delight when we are there against our will. But hear now\nmy history. I am a princess, the daughter of a sultan, the king of the\nEbony Island, to which the precious wood found in it has given its\nname.\n\n\"The king, my father, had chosen for my husband a prince, who was my\ncousin; but on the very night of the bridal festivities, in the midst\nof the rejoicings of the court, a genie took me away. I fainted with\nalarm, and when I recovered I found myself in this place. I was long\ninconsolable; but time and necessity have reconciled me to see the\ngenie. Twenty-five years I have passed in this place, in which I have\neverything necessary for life and splendor.\n\n\"Every ten days,\" continued the princess, \"the genie visits me. In the\nmeantime, if I have any occasion for him, I have only to touch a\ntalisman, and he appears. It is now four days since he was here, and I\nhave therefore to wait six days more before he again makes his\nappearance. You, therefore, may remain five with me, if it be\nagreeable to you, in order to keep me company; and I will endeavor to\nregale and entertain you equal to your merit and dignity.\"\n\nThe princess then conducted me to a bath, the most commodious, and the\nmost sumptuous imaginable; and when I came forth, instead of my own\nclothes I found a costly robe, which I did not esteem so much for its\nrichness as because it made me appear worthy to be in her company. We\nsat down on a sofa covered with rich tapestry, with cushions of the\nrarest Indian brocade; and some time after she covered a table with\nseveral dishes of delicate meats. We ate, and passed the remaining\npart of the day, as also the evening, together very pleasantly.\n\nThe next day I said to her, \"Fair princess, you have been too long\nburied alive in this subterranean palace; pray rise--follow me and\nenjoy the light of day, of which you have been deprived so many\nyears.\"\n\n\"Prince,\" replied she, with a smile, \"if you out of ten days will\ngrant me nine, and resign the tenth to the genie, the light of day\nwould be nothing to me.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" said I, \"the fear of the genie makes you speak thus. For\nmy part, I regard him so little that I will break in pieces his\ntalisman, with the spell that is written about it. Let him come; and\nhow brave or powerful he be, I will defy him.\" On saying this I gave\nthe talisman a kick with my foot, and broke it in pieces.\n\nThe talisman was no sooner broken than the whole palace shook as if\nready to fall to atoms, and the walls opened to afford a passage to\nthe genie. I had no sooner felt the shock than, at the earnest\nrequest of the princess, I took to flight. Having hastily put on my\nown robe, I ascended the stairs leading to the forest, and reached the\ntown in safety. My landlord, the tailor, was very glad to see me.\n\nIn my haste, however, I had left my hatchet and cord in the princess's\nchamber.\n\nShortly after my return, while brooding over this loss and lamenting\nthe cruel treatment to which the princess would be exposed, the tailor\ncame in and said, \"An old man, whom I do not know, brings your hatchet\nand cords, and wishes to speak to you, for he will deliver them to\nnone but yourself.\"\n\nAt these words I changed color, and fell a-trembling. While the tailor\nwas asking me the reason, my chamber door opened, and the old man,\nhaving no patience to stay, appeared with my hatchet and cords.\n\n\"I am a genie,\" said he, speaking to me, \"a grandson of Eblis,[15]\nprince of genies. Is not this your hatchet and are not these your\ncords?\"\n\n[Footnote 15: Eblis, or Degial, the evil spirit, who, according to the\nKoran, betrayed Adam to transgression, and yet seeks to inflict injury\non his race.]\n\nAfter the genie had put these questions to me he gave me no time to\nanswer. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out of the chamber,\nand mounting into the air carried me up to the skies with\nextraordinary swiftness. He descended again in like manner to the\nearth, which on a sudden he caused to open with a stroke of his foot,\nwhen I found myself in the enchanted palace, before the fair princess\nof the Isle of Ebony. But, alas! what a spectacle was there! I saw\nwhat pierced me to the heart; this poor princess was weltering in her\nblood, and lay upon the ground, more like one dead than alive, with\nher cheeks bathed in tears.\n\nThe genie, having loaded us both with many insults and reproaches,\ndrew his scimitar and declared that he would give life and liberty to\neither of us who would with his scimitar cut off the head of the\nother. We both resolutely declined to purchase freedom at such a\nprice, and asserted our choice to be to die rather in the presence of\neach other.\n\n\"I see,\" said the genie, \"that you both outbrave me, but both of you\nshall know by my treatment of you of what I am capable.\"\n\nAt these words the monster took up the scimitar and cut off one of her\nhands, which left her only so much life as to give me a token with the\nother that she bade me forever adieu; and then she died.\n\nI fainted at the sight.\n\nWhen I was come to myself again, I cried, \"Strike, for I am ready to\ndie, and await death as the greatest favor you can show me.\"\n\nBut instead of killing me, he said, \"Behold how genies revenge\nthemselves on those who offend them. Thou art the least to blame, and\nI will content myself with transforming thee into a dog, ape, lion, or\nbird; take thy choice of any of these. I will leave it to thyself.\"\n\nThese words gave me some hopes of being able to appease him.\n\n\"O genie,\" said I, \"restrain your rage, and since you will not take\naway my life, pardon me freely, as a good dervish pardoned one who\nenvied him.\"\n\n\"And how was that?\" said he.\n\nI answered as follows:\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF THE ENVIOUS MAN AND OF HIM WHO WAS ENVIED\n\nIn a certain town there were two men, neighbors, who lived next door\nto each other. One of them was so excessively envious of the other\nthat the latter resolved to change his abode and go and reside at some\ndistance from him. He therefore sold his house, and went to another\ncity at no great distance, and bought a convenient house. It had a\ngood garden and a moderate court, in which there was a deep well that\nwas not now used.\n\nThe good man, having made this purchase, put on the habit of a\ndervish, and in a short time he established a numerous society of\ndervishes.[16] He soon came to be known by his virtues, through which\nhe acquired the esteem of many people, as well of the commonalty as of\nthe chief of the city. In short, he was much honored and courted by\nall ranks. People came from afar to recommend themselves to his\nprayers; and all who visited him, published what blessings they\nreceived through his means.\n\n[Footnote 16: Sir Paul Ricaut gives this account of the dress of the\ndervish. \"Their shirts are of coarse linen, with a white plaid or\nmantle about their shoulders. Their caps are like the crown of a hat\nof the largest size. Their legs are always bare, and their breasts\nopen, which some of them burn or scar in token of greater devotion.\nThey wear a leathern girdle, with some shining stone upon the buckle\nbefore. They always carry a string of beads, which they call Tesbe,\nand oftener run them over than our friars do their rosary, at every\nbead repeating the name of God.\"--_History of Ottoman Empire_, p. 263.\n\n\"Their order has few rules, except of performing their fantastic rites\nevery Tuesday and Friday. They meet in a large hall, where they all\nstand with their eyes fixed on the ground, and their arms crossed,\nwhile the imaun or preacher reads part of the Koran from a pulpit, and\nafter a short exposition on what he has read, they stand around their\nsuperior, and tying their robe, which is very wide, round their waist,\nbegin to turn round with an amazing swiftness, moving fast or slow as\nthe music is played. This lasts above an hour, without any of them\nshowing the least appearance of giddiness, which is not to be wondered\nat when it is considered they are used to it from their infancy. There\nwere among them some little dervishes, of six or seven years old, who\nseemed no more disordered by that exercise than the others. At the end\nof the ceremony they shout out, 'There is no other god but God, and\nMohammed is his prophet'; after which they kiss the superior's hand\nand retire. The whole is performed with the most solemn gravity.\" Lady\nM. W. Montague's _Letters_, vol. ii, p. 43.]\n\nThe great reputation of this honest man having spread to the town from\nwhence he had come, it touched the envious man so much to the quick\nthat he left his own house and affairs with a resolution to ruin him.\nWith this intent he went to the new convent of dervishes, of which his\nformer neighbor was the head, who received him with all imaginable\ntokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come to\ncommunicate a business of importance, which he could not do but in\nprivate; \"and that nobody may hear us,\" he said, \"let us take a walk\nin your court; and seeing night begins to draw on, command your\ndervishes to retire to their cells.\" The chief of the dervishes did as\nhe was requested.\n\nWhen the envious man saw that he was alone with this good man, he\nbegan to tell him his errand, walking side by side in the court, till\nhe saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the\nwell, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it.\n\nThis old well was inhabited by peris[17] and genies, which happened\nluckily for the relief of the head of the convent; for they received\nand supported him, and carried him to the bottom, so that he got no\nhurt. He perceived that there was something extraordinary in his fall,\nwhich must otherwise have cost him his life; but he neither saw nor\nfelt anything.\n\n[Footnote 17: The word peri, in the Persian language, signifies that\nbeautiful race of creatures which constitutes the link between angels\nand men.]\n\nHe soon heard a voice, however, which said, \"Do you know what honest\nman this is, to whom we have done this service?\"\n\nAnother voice answered, \"No.\" To which the first replied, \"Then I\nwill tell you. This man, out of charity, left the town he lived in,\nand has established himself in this place, in hopes to cure one of his\nneighbors of the envy he had conceived against him; he had acquired\nsuch a general esteem that the envious man, not able to endure it,\ncame hither on purpose to ruin him; and he would have accomplished his\ndesign had it not been for the assistance we have given this honest\nman, whose reputation is so great that the sultan, who keeps his\nresidence in the neighboring city, was to pay him a visit to-morrow,\nto recommend the princess his daughter to his prayers.\"\n\nAnother voice asked, \"What need had the princess of the dervish's\nprayers?\" To which the first answered, \"You do not know, it seems,\nthat she is possessed by a genie. But I well know how this good\ndervish may cure her. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white\nspot at the end of her tail, about the bigness of a small piece of\nArabian money; let him only pull seven hairs out of the white spot,\nburn them, and smoke the princess's head with the fumes. She will not\nonly be immediately cured, but be so safely delivered from the genie\nthat he will never dare approach her again.\"\n\nThe head of the dervishes remembered every word of the conversation\nbetween the fairies and the genies, who remained silent the remainder\nof the night. The next morning, as soon as daylight appeared, and he\ncould discern the nature of his situation, the well being broken down\nin several places, he saw a hole, by which he crept out with ease.\n\nThe other dervishes, who had been seeking for him, were rejoiced to\nsee him. He gave them a brief account of the wickedness of the man to\nwhom he had given so kind a reception the day before, and retired into\nhis cell. Shortly after, the black cat, which the fairies and genies\nhad mentioned the night before, came to fawn upon her master, as she\nwas accustomed to do; he took her up, and pulled seven hairs from the\nwhite spot that was upon her tail, and laid them aside for his use\nwhen occasion should serve.\n\nSoon after sunrise the sultan, who would leave no means untried that\nhe thought likely to restore the princess to perfect health, arrived\nat the gate of the convent. He commanded his guards to halt, while he\nwith his principal officers went in. The dervishes received him with\nprofound respect.\n\nThe sultan called their chief aside, and said, \"Good Sheik,[18] you\nmay probably be already acquainted with the cause of my visit.\"\n\n[Footnote 18: Sheiks are the chiefs of the societies of dervishes;\ncadis, the magistrate of a town or city.--Notes on Vathek, p. 322.]\n\n\"Yes, sir,\" replied he gravely, \"if I do not mistake, it is the\ndisease of the princess which procures me this unmerited honor.\"\n\n\"That is the real case,\" replied the sultan. \"You will give me new\nlife if your prayers, as I hope they may, restore my daughter's\nhealth.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" said the good man, \"if your majesty will be pleased to let her\ncome hither, I am in hopes, through God's assistance, that she will be\neffectually cured.\"\n\nThe prince, transported with joy, sent immediately for his daughter,\nwho soon appeared with a numerous train of ladies and attendants,\nveiled, so that her face was not seen. The chief of the dervishes\ncaused a carpet to be held over her head, and he had no sooner thrown\nthe seven hairs upon the burning coals than the genie uttered a great\ncry and, without being seen, left the princess at liberty; upon which\nshe took the veil from her face, and rose up to see where she was,\nsaying, \"Where am I, and who brought me hither?\"\n\nAt these words, the sultan, overcome with excess of joy, embraced his\ndaughter and kissed her eyes; he also kissed the sheik's hands, and\nsaid to his officers, \"What reward does he deserve that has thus cured\nmy daughter?\"\n\nThey all cried, \"He deserves her in marriage.\"\n\n\"That is what I had in my thoughts,\" said the sultan; \"and I make him\nmy son-in-law from this moment.\"\n\nSome time after, the prime vizier died, and the sultan conferred the\noffice on the dervish. Then the sultan himself died, without heirs\nmale; upon which the religious orders and the army consulted together,\nand the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by general\nconsent.\n\nThe honest dervish ascended the throne of his father-in-law. One day\nas he was in the midst of his courtiers on a march, he espied the\nenvious man among the crowd that stood as he passed along. Calling one\nof the viziers that attended him, he whispered in his ear, \"Go bring\nme that man you see there; but take care you do not frighten him.\"\n\nThe vizier obeyed, and when the envious man was brought into his\npresence the sultan said, \"Friend, I am extremely glad to see you.\"\n\nThen he called an officer. \"Go immediately,\" said he, \"and cause to be\npaid to this man out of my treasury,[19] one hundred pieces of gold.\nLet him have also twenty loads of the richest merchandise in my\nstorehouses, and a sufficient guard to conduct him to his house.\"\n\n[Footnote 19: A favorite story is related of the benevolence of one of\nthe sons of Ali. In serving at table, a slave had inadvertently\ndropped a dish of scalding broth on his master. The heedless wretch\nfell prostrate to deprecate his punishment, and repeated a verse of\nthe Koran: \"Paradise is for those who command their anger.\" \"I am not\nangry.\" \"And for those who pardon offenses.\" \"I pardon your offense.\"\n\"And for those who return good for evil.\" \"I give you your liberty,\nand four hundred pieces of silver.\"--Gibbon's _Decline and Fall._]\n\nAfter he had given this charge to the officer he bade the envious man\nfarewell, and proceeded on his march.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nWhen I had finished the recital of this story to the genie I employed\nall my eloquence to persuade him to imitate so good an example, and to\ngrant me pardon; but it was impossible to move his compassion.\n\n\"All that I can do for thee,\" said he, \"is to grant thee thy life, but\nI must place thee under enchantments.\" So saying, he seized me\nviolently, and carried me through the arched roof of the subterranean\npalace, which opened to give him passage. He ascended with me into the\nair to such a height that the earth appeared like a little white\ncloud. He then descended again like lightning, and alighted upon the\nsummit of a mountain.\n\nHere he took up a handful of earth, and, muttering some words which I\ndid not understand, threw it upon me. \"Quit,\" said he, \"the form of a\nman, and take that of an ape.\"\n\nHe instantly disappeared, and left me alone, transformed into an ape,\nand overwhelmed with sorrow, in a strange country, not knowing whether\nI was near or far from my father's dominions.\n\nI descended the mountain, and entered a plain, level country, which\ntook me a month to travel over, and then I came to the seaside. It\nhappened at the time to be perfectly calm, and I espied a vessel\nabout half a league from the shore. Unwilling to lose so good an\nopportunity, I broke off a large branch from a tree, carried it into\nthe sea, and placed myself astride upon it, with a stick in each hand,\nto serve me for oars.\n\nI launched out on this frail bark, and rowed toward the ship. When I\nhad approached sufficiently near to be seen, the seamen and passengers\non the deck regarded me with astonishment. In the meantime I got on\nboard, and laying hold of a rope, jumped upon the deck, but having\nlost my speech, I found myself in great perplexity. And indeed the\nrisk I ran was not less than when I was at the mercy of the genie.\n\nThe merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, thought if\nthey received me on board I should be the occasion of some misfortune\nto them during their voyage. On this account they said, \"Let us throw\nhim into the sea.\" Some one of them would not have failed to carry\nthis threat into execution had I not gone to the captain, thrown\nmyself at his feet, and taken hold of his skirt in a supplicating\nposture. This action, together with the tears which he saw gush from\nmy eyes, moved his compassion. He took me under his protection, and\nloaded me with a thousand caresses. On my part, though I had not power\nto speak, I showed by my gestures every mark of gratitude in my power.\n\nThe wind that succeeded the calm continued to blow in the same\ndirection for fifty days, and brought us safe to the port of a city,\nwell peopled, and of great trade, where we cast anchor.\n\nOur vessel was instantly surrounded with multitudes of boats full of\npeople. Among the rest, some officers of the sultan came on board,\nand said \"Our master rejoices in your safe arrival, and he beseeches\neach of you to write a few lines upon this roll. The prime vizier,\nwho, besides possessing great abilities for the management of public\naffairs, could write in the highest perfection, died a few days since,\nand the sultan has made a solemn vow not to give the place to any one\nwho cannot write equally well. No one in the empire has been judged\nworthy to supply the vizier's place.\"\n\nThose of the merchants who thought they could write well enough to\naspire to this high dignity wrote one after another what they thought\nfit. After they had done, I advanced, and took the roll, but all the\npeople cried out that I would tear it or throw it into the sea, till\nthey saw how properly I held the roll, and made a sign that I would\nwrite in my turn. Their apprehensions then changed into wonder.\nHowever, as they had never seen an ape that could write, and could not\nbe persuaded that I was more ingenious than others of my kind, they\nwished to take the roll out of my hand; but the captain took my part\nonce more.\n\n\"Let him alone,\" said he; \"allow him to write.\"\n\nPerceiving that no one opposed my design, I took the pen, and wrote\nsix sorts of hands used among the Arabians, and each specimen\ncontained an extemporary distich or quatrain (a stanza of four lines)\nin praise of the sultan. When I had done, the officers took the roll,\nand carried it to the sultan.\n\nThe sultan took little notice of any of the writings except mine,\nwhich pleased him so much that he said to the officers, \"Take the\nfinest horse in my stable, with the richest trappings, and a robe of\nthe most sumptuous brocade to put on the person who wrote the six\nhands, and bring him hither.\"\n\nAt this command the officers could not forbear laughing. The sultan\nwas incensed at their rudeness, and would have punished them, had they\nnot explained.\n\n\"Sir,\" said they, \"we humbly beg your majesty's pardon. These hands\nwere not written by a man, but by an ape.\"\n\n\"What do you say?\" exclaimed the sultan. \"Those admirable characters,\nare they not written by the hands of a man?\"\n\n\"No, sir,\" replied the officers; \"we assure your majesty that it was\nan ape, who wrote them in our presence.\"\n\nThe sultan was too much surprised at this account not to desire a\nsight of me, and therefore said, \"Do what I command you, and bring me\nspeedily that wonderful ape.\"\n\nThe officers returned to the vessel, and showed the captain their\norder, who answered, \"The sultan's command must be obeyed.\" Whereupon\nthey clothed me with the rich brocade robe, and carried me ashore,\nwhere they set me on horseback, while the sultan waited for me at his\npalace with a great number of courtiers.\n\nThe procession commenced; the harbor, the streets, the public places,\nwindows, terraces, palaces, and houses were filled with an infinite\nnumber of people of all ranks, who flocked from every part of the city\nto see me; for the rumor was spread in a moment that the sultan had\nchosen an ape to be his grand vizier; and after having served for a\nspectacle to the people, who could not forbear to express their\nsurprise by redoubling their shouts and cries, I arrived at the\nsultan's palace.\n\nI found the prince on his throne in the midst of the grandees; I made\nmy obeisance three times very low, and at last kneeled and kissed the\nground before him, and afterward took my seat in the posture of an\nape. The whole assembly viewed me with admiration, and could not\ncomprehend how it was possible that an ape should so well understand\nhow to pay the sultan his due respect; and he himself was more\nastonished than any. In short, the usual ceremony of the audience\nwould have been complete, could I have added speech to my behavior.\n\nThe sultan dismissed his courtiers, and none remained by him but the\nchief of the attendants of the palace, a little young slave, and\nmyself. He went from his chamber of audience into his own apartment,\nwhere he ordered dinner to be brought. As he sat at table, he made me\na sign to approach and eat with them. To show my obedience, I kissed\nthe ground, arose, and placed myself at the table, and ate.\n\nBefore the table was cleared, I espied a standish, which I made a sign\nto have brought me; having got it, I wrote upon a large peach some\nverses expressive of my acknowledgment to the sultan; who, having read\nthem, after I had presented the peach to him, was still more\nastonished. When the things were removed, they brought him a\nparticular liquor, of which he caused them to give me a glass. I\ndrank, and wrote upon the glass some new verses, which explained the\nstate of happiness I was now in, after many sufferings. The sultan\nread these likewise, and said, \"A man that was capable of composing\nsuch poetry would rank among the greatest of men.\"\n\nThe sultan caused to be brought to him a chessboard,[20] and asked me\nby a sign if I understood that game, and would play with him. I kissed\nthe ground; and laying my hand upon my head, signified that I was\nready to receive that honor. He won the first game; but I won the\nsecond and third; and perceiving he was somewhat displeased at my\nsuccess, I made a stanza to pacify him, in which I told him that two\npotent armies had been fighting furiously all day, but that they\nconcluded a peace toward the evening, and passed the remaining part of\nthe night very amicably together upon the field of battle.\n\n[Footnote 20: Chess is said to have had its origin in the East, and to\nhave been introduced into Europe after the Crusades.]\n\nSo many circumstances appearing to the sultan beyond what had ever\neither been seen or known of apes, he determined not to be the only\nwitness of these prodigies himself, but having a daughter, called the\nLady of Beauty, sent for her, that she should share his pleasure.\n\nThe princess, who had her face unveiled, no sooner came into the room\nthan she put on her veil, and said to the sultan, \"Sir, I am surprised\nthat you have sent for me to appear before a man. That seeming ape is\na young prince, son of a powerful sultan, and has been metamorphosed\ninto an ape by enchantment. When I was just out of the nursery, an old\nlady who waited on me was a most expert magician, and taught me\nseventy rules of magic. By this science I know all enchanted persons\nat first sight: I know who they are, and by whom they have been\nenchanted; therefore do not be surprised if I should forthwith restore\nthis prince, in spite of the enchantments, to his own form.\"\n\n\"Do so, then,\" interrupted the sultan, \"for you cannot give me\ngreater pleasure, as I wish to have him for my grand vizier, and\nbestow you upon him for a wife.\"\n\n\"I am ready, sire,\" answered the princess, \"to obey you in all things\nyou please to command.\"\n\nThe princess, the Lady of Beauty, went into her apartment, and brought\nthence a knife, which had some Hebrew words engraved on the blade: she\nmade the sultan, the little slave, and myself, descend into a private\ncourt of the palace, and there left us under a gallery that went round\nit. She placed herself in the middle of the court, where she made a\ngreat circle, and within it she wrote several words in ancient Arabian\ncharacters.\n\nWhen she had finished and prepared the circle, she placed herself in\nthe center of it, where she began incantations, and repeated verses of\nthe Koran. The air grew insensibly dark, as if it had been night; we\nfound ourselves struck with consternation, and our fear increased when\nwe saw the genie appear suddenly in the shape of a lion[21] of\ngigantic size.\n\n[Footnote 21: This same power of changing the form has found a place\nin ancient and modern story. The Proteus of heathen mythology ever\nfound means of safety and protection by his sudden assumption of some\nnew form and shape.]\n\n\"Thou shalt pay dearly,\" said the lion, \"for the trouble thou hast\ngiven me in coming here.\" In saying this, he opened his horrible jaws,\nand advanced to devour her; but she, being on her guard, jumped back,\nand had just time to pluck out a hair; and pronouncing two or three\nwords, she changed it into a sharp scythe, with which she immediately\ncut the lion in two pieces, through the middle.\n\nThe two parts of the lion directly disappeared, and the head changed\ninto a large scorpion. The princess then took the form of a serpent,\nand fought the scorpion, which, finding itself defeated, changed into\nan eagle, and flew away. But the serpent then became another eagle,\nblack, and very large, and went in pursuit of it. We now lost sight of\nthem for some time.\n\nShortly after they had disappeared, the earth opened before us, and a\nblack and white cat appeared, the hairs of which stood quite on end,\nand which made a most horrible mewing. A black wolf directly followed\nafter her, and gave her no time to rest. The cat, being thus hard\npressed, changed into a worm, and hid itself in a pomegranate which\nlay by accident on the ground; but the pomegranate swelled\nimmediately, and became as big as a gourd, which, lifting itself up to\nthe roof of the gallery, rolled there for some time backward and\nforward; it then fell down again into the court, and broke into\nseveral pieces.\n\nThe wolf had in the meanwhile transformed itself into a cock, and now\nfell to picking up the seeds of the pomegranate one after another; but\nfinding no more, he came toward us with his wings spread, making a\ngreat noise, as if he would ask us whether there were any more seed.\nThere was one lying on the brink of the canal, which the cock\nperceiving as he went back, ran speedily thither; but just as he was\ngoing to pick it up the seed rolled into a fountain and turned into a\nlittle fish.\n\nThe cock, flying toward the fountain, turned into a pike, and pursued\nthe small fish; they both continued under water above two hours, and\nwe knew not what was become of them; but suddenly we heard terrible\ncries, which made us tremble, and a little while after we saw the\ngenie and princess all in flames. They threw ashes of fire out of\ntheir mouths at each other, till they came to close combat; then the\ntwo fires increased, with a thick, burning smoke, which mounted so\nhigh that we had reason to apprehend it would set the palace on fire.\nBut we very soon had a more pressing occasion of fear, for the genie,\nhaving got loose from the princess, came to the gallery where we\nstood, and blew flames of fire upon us. We must all have perished had\nnot the princess, running to our assistance, forced him to retire, and\nto defend himself against her; yet, notwithstanding all her exertions,\nshe could not hinder the sultan's beard from being burned, and his\nface scorched, and a spark from entering my right eye, and making it\nblind. The sultan and I expected nothing but death, when we heard a\ncry of \"Victory, victory!\" and instantly the princess appeared in her\nnatural shape; but the genie was reduced to a heap of ashes.\n\nThe princess approached us and hastily called for a cupful of water,\nwhich the young slave, who had received no hurt, brought her. She took\nit, and after pronouncing some words over it, threw it upon me,\nsaying, \"If thou art become an ape by enchantment, change thy shape,\nand take that of a man, which thou hadst before.\" These words were\nhardly uttered when I again became a man in every respect as I was\nbefore my transformation, excepting the loss of my eye.\n\nI was preparing to return the princess my thanks, but she prevented me\nby addressing herself to her father: \"Sire, I have gained the victory\nover the genie; but it is a victory that costs me dear. I have but a\nfew minutes to live; the fire has pierced me during the terrible\ncombat, and I find it is gradually consuming me. This would not have\nhappened had I perceived the last of the pomegranate seeds, and\nswallowed it, as I did the others when I was changed into a cock; the\ngenie had fled thither as to his last intrenchment, and upon that the\nsuccess of the combat depended. This oversight obliged me to have\nrecourse to fire, and to fight with those mighty arms as I did,\nbetween heaven and earth, in your presence; for in spite of all, I\nmade the genie know that I understood more than he; I have conquered,\nand reduced him to ashes, but I cannot escape death, which is\napproaching.\"\n\nSuddenly the princess exclaimed, \"I burn, I burn!\" She found that the\nfire had at last seized upon her vital parts, which made her still\ncry, \"I burn!\" until death had put an end to her intolerable pain. The\neffect of that fire was so extraordinary, that in a few moments she\nwas wholly reduced to ashes, as the genie had been.\n\nI cannot tell you, madam, how much I was grieved at so dismal a\nspectacle; I had rather all my life have continued an ape or a dog,\nthan to have seen my benefactress thus miserably perish. The sultan\ncried piteously, and beat himself on his head and breast, until, being\nquite overcome with grief, he fainted away. In the meantime, the\nattendants and officers came running at the sultan's lamentations, and\nwith much difficulty brought him to himself.\n\nWhen the knowledge of the death of the princess had spread through the\npalace and the city, all the people greatly bewailed. Public mourning\nwas observed for seven days, and many ceremonies were performed. The\nashes of the genie were thrown into the air; but those of the princess\nwere collected into a precious urn, to be preserved; and the urn was\ndeposited in a superb mausoleum[22] constructed for that purpose on\nthe spot where the princess had been consumed.\n\nThe grief of the sultan for the loss of his daughter confined him to\nhis chamber for a whole month. Before he had fully recovered his\nstrength, he sent for me and said, \"You are the cause of all these\nmisfortunes; depart hence therefore in peace, without further delay,\nand take care never again to appear in my dominions on penalty of thy\nlife.\"\n\nI was obliged to quit the palace, again cast down to a low estate, and\nan outcast from the world. Before I left the city I went into a\nbagnio, where I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and put on\na calender's robe. I passed through many countries without making\nmyself known; at last I resolved to visit Bagdad, in hopes of meeting\nwith the Commander of the Faithful, to move his compassion by relating\nto him my unfortunate adventures. I arrived this evening; and the\nfirst man I met was this calender, our brother, who spoke before me.\n\n[Footnote 22: The erection of these tombs over the supposed effigy, or\nthe real remains, of the deceased, is often mentioned in these tales.\nThe same type of tomb, with its dome or cupola, prevails throughout. A\nstructure of a similar fashion is celebrated in history as the Taj\nMahal at Agra, erected by the Shah Jehan, in memory of his queen,\nMumtaz Mahal. It stands on a marble terrace over the Jamna, and is\nsurrounded by extensive gardens. The building itself on the outside is\nof white marble, with a high cupola and four minarets. In the center\nof the inside is a lofty hall of a circular form under a dome, in the\nmiddle of which is the tomb, inclosed within an open screen of\nelaborate tracery formed of marble and mosaics. The materials are\nlapis lazuli, jasper, bloodstone, a sort of golden stone (not well\nunderstood), agates, carnelian, jade, and various other stones. A\nsingle flower in the screen contains a hundred stones; \"and yet,\" says\nBishop Heber; \"though everything is finished like an ornament for a\ndrawing-room chimney-piece, the general effect is rather solemn and\nimpressive than gaudy.\"--Elphinstone's _India_, p. 528; and _Asiatic\nResearches_, Vol. V, p. 434.]\n\nYou know the remaining part, madam, and the cause of my having the\nhonor to be here.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nWhen the second calender had concluded his story, Zobeide, to whom he\nhad addressed his speech, said, \"It is well; you are at liberty\": but\ninstead of departing he also petitioned the lady to show him the same\nfavor vouchsafed to the first calender, and went and sat down by him.\n\nThen the third calender, knowing it was his turn to speak, addressed\nhimself, like the others, to Zobeide, and began his history as\nfollows:\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF THE THIRD CALENDER\n\nMy story, O honorable lady, differs from those you have already heard.\nThe two princes who have spoken before me have each lost an eye by\nevents beyond their own control; but I lost mine through my own fault.\n\nMy name is Agib. I am the son of a sultan. After his death I took\npossession of his dominions, and continued in the city where he had\nresided. My kingdom is composed of several fine provinces upon the\nmainland, besides a number of valuable islands. My first object was to\nvisit the provinces. I afterward caused my whole fleet to be fitted\nout, and went to my islands to gain the hearts of my subjects by my\npresence, and to confirm them in their loyalty. These voyages gave me\nsome taste for navigation, in which I took so much pleasure that I\nresolved to make some discoveries beyond my own territories; to which\nend I caused ten ships to be fitted out, embarked, and set sail.\n\nOur voyage was very pleasant for forty days successively; but on the\nforty-first night the wind became contrary, and so boisterous that we\nwere nearly lost. I gave orders to steer back to my own coast; but I\nperceived at the same time that my pilot knew not where we were. Upon\nthe tenth day a seaman, being sent to look out for land from the\nmasthead, gave notice that he could see nothing but sky and sea, but\nthat right ahead he perceived a great blackness.\n\nThe pilot changed color at this account, and throwing his turban on\nthe deck with one hand, and beating his breast with the other, cried,\n\"O sir, we are all lost; not one of us can escape; and with all my\nskill it is not in my power to effect our deliverance.\"\n\nI asked him what reason he had thus to despair.\n\nHe exclaimed, \"The tempest has brought us so far out of our course\nthat to-morrow about noon we shall be near the black mountain, or mine\nof adamant, which at this very minute draws all your fleet toward it\nby virtue of the iron in your ships; and when we approach within a\ncertain distance the attraction of the adamant will have such force\nthat all the nails will be drawn out of the sides and bottoms of the\nships, and fasten to the mountain, so that your vessels will fall to\npieces and sink. This mountain,\" continued the pilot, \"is\ninaccessible. On the summit there is a dome of fine brass, supported\nby pillars of the same metal, and on the top of that dome stands a\nhorse, likewise of brass, with a rider on his back, who has a plate of\nlead fixed to his breast, upon which some talismanic characters are\nengraved. Sir, the tradition is, that this statue is the chief cause\nwhy so many ships and men have been lost and sunk in this place, and\nthat it will ever continue to be fatal to all those who have the\nmisfortune to approach, until it shall be thrown down.\"\n\nThe pilot having finished his discourse, began to weep afresh, and all\nthe rest of the ship's company did the same, and they took farewell of\neach other.\n\nThe next morning we distinctly perceived the black mountain. About\nnoon we were so near that we found what the pilot had foretold to be\ntrue; for all the nails and iron in the ships flew toward the\nmountain, where they fixed, by the violence of the attraction, with a\nhorrible noise; the ships split asunder, and their cargoes sank into\nthe sea.\n\nAll my people were drowned, but God had mercy on me and permitted me\nto save myself by means of a plank, which the wind drove ashore just\nat the foot of the mountain. I did not receive the least hurt; and my\ngood fortune brought me to a landing place where there were steps that\nled up to the summit of the mountain.\n\nAt last I reached the top, without accident. I went into the dome,\nand, kneeling on the ground, gave God thanks for His mercies.\n\nI passed the night under the dome. In my sleep an old grave man\nappeared to me, and said, \"Hearken, Agib; as soon as thou art awake\ndig up the ground under thy feet: thou wilt find a bow of brass, and\nthree arrows of lead. Shoot the three arrows at the statue, and the\nrider and his horse will fall into the sea; this being done, the sea\nwill swell and rise to the foot of the dome. When it has come so high,\nthou wilt perceive a boat, with one man holding an oar in each hand;\nthis man is also of metal, but different from that thou hast thrown\ndown; step on board, but without mentioning the name of God, and let\nhim conduct thee. He will in ten days' time bring thee into another\nsea, where thou shalt find an opportunity to return to thy country,\nprovided, as I have told thee, thou dost not mention the name of God\nduring the whole voyage.\"\n\nWhen I awoke I felt much comforted by the vision, and did not fail to\nobserve everything that the old man had commanded me. I took the bow\nand arrows out of the ground, shot at the horseman, and with the third\narrow I overthrew him and the horse. In the meantime the sea swelled\nand rose up by degrees. When it came as high as the foot of the dome\nupon the top of the mountain, I saw, afar off, a boat rowing toward\nme, and I returned God thanks.\n\nWhen the boat made land I stepped aboard, and took great heed not to\npronounce the name of God, neither spoke I one word. I sat down, and\nthe man of metal began to row off from the mountain. He rowed without\nceasing till the ninth day, when I saw some islands, which gave me\nhopes that I should escape all the danger that I feared. The excess of\nmy joy made me forget what I was forbidden: \"God is great! God be\npraised!\" said I.\n\nI had no sooner spoken than the boat and man sank, casting me upon the\nsea. I swam until night, when, as my strength began to fail, a wave\nvast as a mountain threw me on the land. The first thing I did was to\nstrip, and to dry my clothes.\n\nThe next morning I went forward to discover what sort of country I was\nin. I had not walked far before I found I was upon a desert, though a\nvery pleasant island, abounding with trees and wild shrubs bearing\nfruit. I recommended myself to God, and prayed Him to dispose of me\naccording to His will.\n\nImmediately after, I saw a vessel coming from the mainland, before the\nwind, directly toward the island. I got up into a very thick tree,\nfrom whence, though unseen, I might safely view them. The vessel came\ninto a little creek, where ten slaves landed, carrying a spade and\nother instruments for digging up the ground. They went toward the\nmiddle of the island, where they dug for a considerable time, after\nwhich they lifted up a trapdoor. They returned again to the vessel,\nand unloaded several sorts of provisions and furniture, which they\ncarried to the place where they had been digging; they then descended\ninto a subterranean dwelling.\n\nI saw them once more go to the ship, and return soon after with an old\nman, who led a handsome lad of about fifteen years of age. They all\ndescended when the trapdoor had been opened. After they had again come\nup, they let down the trapdoor, covered it over with earth, and\nreturned to the creek where the ship lay; but I saw not the young man\nin their company. This made me believe that he had stayed behind in\nthe subterranean cavern.\n\nThe old man and the slaves went on board, and steered their course\ntoward the mainland. When I perceived they had proceeded to such a\ndistance that I could not be seen by them, I came down from the tree,\nand went directly to the place where I had seen the ground broken. I\nremoved the earth by degrees, till I came to a stone two or three feet\nsquare. I lifted it up, and found that it covered the head of a\nflight of stairs, also of stone. I descended, and at the bottom found\nmyself in a large room, brilliantly lighted, and furnished with a\ncarpet, a couch covered with tapestry, and cushions of rich stuff,\nupon which the young man sat.\n\nThe young man, when he perceived me, was considerably alarmed; but I\nmade a low obeisance, and said to him, \"Sir, do not fear. I am a king,\nand I will do you no harm. On the contrary, it is probable that your\ngood destiny may have brought me hither to deliver you out of this\ntomb, where it seems you have been buried alive. But what surprises me\n(for you must know that I have seen all that hath passed since your\ncoming into this island) is, that you suffered yourself to be entombed\nin this place without any resistance.\"\n\nThe young man, much assured at these words, with a smiling countenance\nrequested me to seat myself by him. As soon as I was seated he said:\n\"Prince, my story will surprise you. My father is a jeweler. He has\nmany slaves, and also agents at the several courts, which he furnishes\nwith precious stones. He had been long married without having issue\nwhen he dreamed that he should have a son, though his life would be\nbut short. Some time after, I was born, which occasioned great joy in\nthe family. My father, who had observed the very moment of my birth,\nconsulted astrologers about my nativity, and was answered, 'Your son\nshall live happily till the age of fifteen, when his life will be\nexposed to a danger which he will hardly be able to escape. But if his\ngood destiny preserve him beyond that time, he will live to a great\nage. It will be,' said they, 'when the statue of brass, that stands\nupon the summit of the mountain of adamant, shall be thrown into the\nsea by Prince Agib, and, as the stars prognosticate, your son will be\nkilled fifty days afterward by that prince.'\n\n\"My father took all imaginable care of my education until this year,\nwhich is the fifteenth of my age. He had notice given him yesterday\nthat the statue of brass had been thrown into the sea about ten days\nago. This news alarmed him much; and, in consequence of the prediction\nof the astrologers, he took the precaution to form this subterranean\nhabitation to hide me in during the fifty days after the throwing down\nof the statue; and therefore, as it is ten days since this happened,\nhe came hastily hither to conceal me, and promised at the end of forty\ndays to return and fetch me away. For my own part, I am sanguine in my\nhopes, and cannot believe that Prince Agib will seek for me in a place\nunder ground, in the midst of a desert island.\"\n\nHe had scarcely done speaking when I said to him, with great joy:\n\"Dear sir, trust in the goodness of God, and fear nothing. I will not\nleave you till the forty days have expired, of which the foolish\nastrologers have made you apprehensive; and in the meanwhile I will do\nyou all the service in my power; after which, with leave of your\nfather and yourself, I shall have the benefit of getting to the\nmainland in your vessel; and when I am returned into my kingdom, I\nwill remember the obligations I owe you, and endeavor to demonstrate\nmy gratitude by suitable acknowledgments.\"\n\nThis discourse encouraged the jeweler's son, and inspired him with\nconfidence. I took care not to inform him I was the very Agib whom he\ndreaded, lest I should alarm his fears. I found the young man of ready\nwit, and partook with him of his provisions, of which he had enough\nto have lasted beyond the forty days though he had had more guests\nthan myself. In short, madam, we spent thirty-nine days in this\nsubterranean abode in the pleasantest manner possible.\n\nThe fortieth day appeared; and in the morning, when the young man\nawoke, he said to me, with a transport of joy that he could not\nrestrain, \"Prince, this is the fortieth day, and I am not dead, thanks\nto God and your good company. My father will not fail to make you,\nvery shortly, every acknowledgment of his gratitude for your\nattentions, and will furnish you with every necessary for your return\nto your kingdom. But,\" continued he, \"while we are waiting his\narrival, dear prince, pray do me the favor to fetch me a melon and\nsome sugar,[23] that I may eat some to refresh me.\"\n\nOut of several melons that remained I took the best, and laid it on a\nplate; and as I could not find a knife to cut it with, I asked the\nyoung man if he knew where there was one.\n\n\"There is one,\" said he, \"upon this cornice over my head.\" I\naccordingly saw it there, and made so much haste to reach it that,\nwhile I had it in my hand, my foot being entangled in the carpet, I\nfell most unhappily upon the young man, and the knife pierced his\nheart.\n\nAt this spectacle I cried out with agony. I beat my head, my face, my\nbreast; I tore my clothes; I threw myself on the ground with\nunspeakable sorrow and grief.\n\n[Footnote 23: Sugar has been traced to the Arabic \"succar,\" which is\nthe Persian \"shachar.\" The sugar-cane is a jointed reed, crowned with\nleaves or blades; it contains a soft, pithy substance, full of sweet\njuice. The people of Egypt eat a great quantity of the green\nsugar-canes, and make a coarse loaf-sugar, and also sugar-candy and\nsome very fine sugar, sent to Constantinople to the Grand Signor,\nwhich is very dear, being made only for that purpose.--Dr. Richard\nPocock, _Travels_, Vol. I, p. 204.]\n\nI would have embraced death without any reluctance, had it presented\nitself to me. \"But what we wish, whether it be good or evil, will not\nalways happen according to our desire.\" Nevertheless, considering that\nall my tears and sorrows would not restore the young man to life, and,\nthe forty days being expired, I might be surprised by his father, I\nquitted the subterranean dwelling, laid down the great stone upon the\nentrance, and covered it with earth. I again ascended into the tree\nwhich had previously sheltered me, when I saw the expected vessel\napproaching the shore.\n\nThe old man with his slaves landed immediately, and advanced toward\nthe subterranean dwelling, with a countenance that showed some hope;\nbut when they saw the earth had been newly removed, they changed\ncolor, particularly the old man. They lifted up the stone, and\ndescended the stairs. They called the young man by his name, but no\nanswer was returned. Their fears redoubled. They searched about, and\nat last found him stretched on his couch, with the knife through his\nheart, for I had not had the courage to draw it out. On seeing this,\nthey uttered such lamentable cries that my tears flowed afresh. The\nunfortunate father continued a long while insensible, and made them\nmore than once despair of his life; but at last he came to himself.\nThe slaves then brought up his son's body, dressed in his best\napparel, and when they had made a grave they buried it. The old man,\nsupported by two slaves, and his face covered with tears, threw the\nfirst earth upon the body, after which the slaves filled up the grave.\n\nThis being done, all the furniture was brought up, and, with the\nremaining provisions, put on board the vessel. The old man, overcome\nwith sorrow, was carried upon a litter to the ship, which stood out to\nsea, and in a short time was out of sight.\n\nAfter the old man and his slaves were gone I was left alone upon the\nisland. I lay that night in the subterranean dwelling, which they had\nshut up, and when the day came, I walked round the island.\n\nI led this wearisome life for a whole month. At the expiration of this\ntime I perceived that the sea had sunk so low that there remained\nbetween me and the continent but a small stream, which I crossed, and\nthe water did not reach above the middle of my leg. At last I got upon\nmore firm ground. When I had proceeded some distance from the sea I\nsaw a good way before me something that resembled a great fire, which\nafforded me some comfort; for I said to myself, I shall here find some\npersons, it not being possible that this fire should kindle of itself.\nAs I drew nearer, however, I found my error, and discovered that what\nI had taken for a fire was a castle of red copper, which the beams of\nthe sun made to appear at a distance like flames. As I wondered at\nthis magnificent building, I saw ten handsome young men coming along;\nbut what surprised me was that they were all blind of the right eye.\nThey were accompanied by an old man, very tall, and of a venerable\naspect.\n\nAs I was conjecturing by what adventure these men could come together,\nthey approached, and seemed glad to see me. After we had made our\nsalutations, they inquired what had brought me thither. I told them my\nstory, which filled them with great astonishment.\n\nAfter I had concluded my account, the young men prayed me to accompany\nthem into the palace, and brought me into a spacious hall, where there\nwere ten small blue sofas set round, separate from one another. In the\nmiddle of this circle stood an eleventh sofa, not so high as the rest,\nbut of the same color, upon which the old man before mentioned sat\ndown, and the young men occupied the other ten. But as each sofa could\nonly contain one man, one of the young men said to me, \"Sit down,\nfriend, upon that carpet in the middle of the room, and do not inquire\ninto anything that concerns us, nor the reason why we are all blind of\nthe right eye.\"\n\nThe old man, having sat a short time, arose, and went out; but he\nreturned in a minute or two, brought in supper, distributed to each\nman separately his proportion, and likewise brought me mine, which I\nate apart, as the rest did; and when supper was almost ended, he\npresented to each of us a cup of wine.\n\nOne of the young men observing that it was late, said to the old man,\n\"You do not bring us that with which we may acquit ourselves of our\nduty.\" At these words the old man arose, and went into a closet, and\nbrought out thence upon his head ten basins, one after another, all\ncovered with black stuff; he placed one before every gentleman,\ntogether with a light.\n\nThey uncovered their basins, which contained ashes and powdered\ncharcoal; they mixed all together, and rubbed and bedaubed their faces\nwith it; and having thus blackened themselves, they wept and lamented,\nbeating their heads and breasts, and crying continually, \"This is the\nfruit of our idleness and curiosity.\"\n\n[Illustration: _These ladies vied with each other in their eager\nsolicitude to do me all possible service Page 91_]\n\nThey continued this strange employment nearly the whole of the\nnight. I wished a thousand times to break the silence which had been\nimposed upon me, and to ask the reason of their strange proceedings.\nThe next day, soon after we had arisen, we went out to walk, and then\nI said to them, \"I cannot forbear asking why you bedaubed your faces\nwith black--how it has happened that each of you has but one eye. I\nconjure you to satisfy my curiosity.\"\n\nOne of the young men answered on behalf of the rest, \"Once more we\nadvise you to restrain your curiosity; it will cost you the loss of\nyour right eye.\"\n\n\"No matter,\" I replied; \"be assured that if such a misfortune befall\nme, I will not impute it to you, but to myself.\"\n\nHe further represented to me that when I had lost an eye I must not\nhope to remain with them, if I were so disposed, because their number\nwas complete, and no addition could be made to it. I begged them, let\nit cost what it would, to grant my request.\n\nThe ten young men, perceiving that I was so fixed in my resolution,\ntook a sheep, killed it, and after they had taken off the skin,\npresented me with a knife, telling me it would be useful to me on an\noccasion, which they would soon explain. \"We must sew you in this\nskin,\" said they, \"and then leave you; upon which a bird of monstrous\nsize, called a roc, will appear in the air, and, taking you for a\nsheep, will pounce upon you, and soar with you to the sky. But let not\nthat alarm you; he will descend with you again, and lay you on the top\nof a mountain. When you find yourself on the ground, cut the skin with\nyour knife, and throw it off. As soon as the roc sees you, he will fly\naway for fear, and leave you at liberty. Do not stay, but walk on\ntill you come to a spacious palace, covered with plates of gold, large\nemeralds, and other precious stones. Go up to the gate, which always\nstands open, and walk in. We have each of us been in that castle, but\nwill tell you nothing of what we saw, or what befell us there; you\nwill learn by your own experience. All that we can inform you is, that\nit has cost each of us our right eye; and the penance which you have\nbeen witness to, is what we are obliged to observe in consequence of\nhaving been there; but we cannot explain ourselves further.\"\n\nWhen the young man had thus spoken, I wrapped myself in the sheep's\nskin, holding fast to the knife which was given me; and after the\nyoung men had been at the trouble to sew the skin about me, they\nretired into the hall, and left me alone. The roc they spoke of soon\narrived; he pounced upon me, took me in his talons like a sheep, and\ncarried me up to the summit of the mountain.\n\nWhen I found myself on the ground I cut the skin with the knife, and\nthrowing it off, the roc at the sight of me flew away. This roc is a\nwhite bird of a monstrous size; his strength is such that he can lift\nup elephants from the plains, and carry them to the tops of mountains,\nwhere he feeds upon them.\n\nBeing impatient to reach the palace, I lost no time, but made so much\nhaste that I got thither in half a day's journey; and I must say that\nI found it surpassed the description they had given me of its\nmagnificence.\n\nThe gate being open, I entered a square court, so large that there\nwere around it ninety-nine gates of sandalwood and wood of aloes, and\none of gold, without reckoning those of several superb staircases\nthat led to apartments above, besides many more which I could not see.\n\nI saw a door standing open just before me, through which I entered\ninto a large hall. Here I found forty young women, of such perfect\nbeauty as imagination could not surpass; they were all most\nsumptuously appareled. As soon as they saw me they arose, and without\nwaiting my salutations, said to me, with tones of joy, \"Welcome!\nwelcome! We have long expected you. You are at present our lord,\nmaster, and judge, and we are your slaves, ready to obey your\ncommands.\"\n\nAfter these words were spoken, these ladies vied with each other in\ntheir eager solicitude to do me all possible service. One brought hot\nwater to wash my feet; a second poured sweet-scented water on my\nhands; others brought me all kinds of necessaries and change of\napparel; others again brought in a magnificent collation; and the rest\ncame, with glasses in their hands, to pour me delicious wines, all in\ngood order, and in the most charming manner possible. Some of the\nladies brought in musical instruments, and sang most delightful songs;\nwhile others danced before me, two and two, with admirable grace. In\nshort, honored madam, I must tell you that I passed a whole year of\nmost pleasurable life with these forty ladies. At the end of that time\nI was greatly surprised to see these ladies with great sorrow\nimpressed upon their countenances, and to hear them all say, \"Adieu,\ndear prince, adieu! For we must leave you.\"\n\nAfter they had spoken these words, they began to weep bitterly.\n\n\"My dear ladies,\" said I, \"have the kindness not to keep me any longer\nin suspense. Tell me the cause of your sorrow.\"\n\n\"Well,\" said one of them, \"to satisfy you, we must acquaint you that\nwe are all princesses, daughters of kings. We live here together in\nthe manner you have seen; but at the end of every year we are obliged\nto be absent forty days, for reasons we are not permitted to reveal;\nand afterward we return again to this palace. Before we depart we will\nleave you the keys of everything, especially those of the hundred\ndoors, where you will find enough to satisfy your curiosity, and to\nrelieve your solitude during our absence. But we entreat you to\nforbear opening the golden door; for if you do, we shall never see you\nagain; and the apprehension of this augments our grief.\"\n\nWe separated with much tenderness; and after I had embraced them all\nthey departed, and I remained alone in the castle.\n\nI determined not to forget the important advice they had given me, not\nto open the golden door; but as I was permitted to satisfy my\ncuriosity in everything else, I took the first of the keys of the\nother doors, which were hung in regular order.\n\nI opened the first door, and entered an orchard, which I believe the\nuniverse could not equal. I could not imagine anything to surpass it.\nThe symmetry, the neatness, the admirable order of the trees, the\nabundance and diversity of unknown fruits, their freshness and beauty,\ndelighted me. Nor must I neglect to inform you that this delightful\ngarden was watered in a most singular manner; small channels, cut out\nwith great art and regularity, and of different lengths, carried\nwater in considerable quantities to the roots of such trees as\nrequired much moisture. Others conveyed it in smaller quantities to\nthose whose fruits were already formed; some carried still less; to\nthose whose fruits were swelling; and others carried only so much as\nwas just requisite to water those which had their fruits come to\nperfection, and only wanted to be ripened. They far exceeded in size\nthe ordinary fruits in our gardens. I shut the door, and opened the\nnext.\n\nInstead of an orchard, I found here a flower garden, which was no less\nextraordinary in its kind. The roses, jessamines, violets, daffodils,\nhyacinths, anemones, tulips, pinks, lilies, and an infinite number of\nflowers, which do not grow in other places except at certain times,\nwere there flourishing all at once; and nothing could be more\ndelicious than the fragrant smell which they emitted.\n\nI opened the third door, and found a large aviary, paved with marble\nof several fine and uncommon colors. The trellis work was made of\nsandalwood and wood of aloes. It contained a vast number of\nnightingales, goldfinches, canary birds, larks, and other rare singing\nbirds, and the vessels that held their seed were of the most sparkling\njasper or agate. The sun went down, and I retired, charmed with the\nchirping notes of the multitude of birds, who then began to perch upon\nsuch places as suited them for repose during the night. I went to my\nchamber, resolving on the following days to open all the rest of the\ndoors, excepting that of gold.\n\nThe next day I opened the fourth door. I entered a large court,\nsurrounded with forty gates, all open, and through each of them was an\nentrance into a treasury. The first was stored with heaps of pearls;\nand, what is almost incredible, the number of those stones which are\nmost precious, and as large as pigeon's eggs, exceeded the number of\nthose of the ordinary size. In the second treasury,[24] there were\ndiamonds, carbuncles, and rubies; in the third, emeralds; in the\nfourth, ingots of gold; in the fifth, money; in the sixth, ingots of\nsilver; and in the two following, money. The rest contained amethysts,\nchrysolites, topazes, opals, turquoises, agate, jasper, cornelian, and\ncoral, of which there was a storehouse filled, not only with branches,\nbut whole trees.\n\n[Footnote 24: These tales were written shortly after the conquest of\nPersia, the riches of which country may be reflected in these\nnarratives. \"The naked robbers of the desert were suddenly enriched,\nbeyond the measure of their hope and knowledge. Each chamber revealed\na new chamber secreted with art, or ostentatiously displayed; the gold\nand silver, the various wardrobes and precious furniture, surpassed\n(says Abulfeda) the estimate of fancy or numbers, and another\nhistorian defines the untold and almost infinite mass by the fabulous\ncomputation of thousands of thousands of pieces of gold.\"--Gibbon's\n_Decline and Fall._]\n\nThus I went through, day by day, these various wonders. Thirty-nine\ndays afforded me but just as much time as was necessary to open\nninety-nine doors, and to admire all that presented itself to my view,\nso that there was only the hundredth door left, which I was forbidden\nto open.\n\nThe fortieth day after the departure of those charming princesses\narrived, and had I but retained so much self-command as I ought to\nhave had, I should have been this day the happiest of all mankind,\nwhereas now I am the most unfortunate. But through my weakness, which\nI shall ever repent, and the temptations of an evil spirit, I opened\nthat fatal door! But before I had moved my foot to enter, a smell,\npleasant enough but too powerful for my senses, made me faint away.\nHowever, I soon recovered; but instead of taking warning from this\nincident to close the door and restrain my curiosity, I entered, and\nfound myself in a spacious vaulted apartment, illuminated by several\nlarge tapers placed in candlesticks of solid gold.\n\nAmong the many objects that attracted my attention was a black horse,\nof the most perfect symmetry and beauty. I approached in order the\nbetter to observe him, and found he had on a saddle and bridle of\nmassive gold, curiously wrought. One part of his manger was filled\nwith clean barley, and the other with rose water. I laid hold of his\nbridle, and led him out to view him by daylight. I mounted, and\nendeavored to make him move; but finding he did not stir, I struck him\nwith a switch I had taken up in his magnificent stable. He had no\nsooner felt the whip than he began to neigh in a most horrible manner,\nand, extending wings, which I had not before perceived, flew up with\nme into the air. My thoughts were fully occupied in keeping my seat;\nand, considering the fear that had seized me, I sat well. At length he\ndirected his course toward the earth, and lighting upon the terrace of\na palace, without giving me time to dismount, he shook me out of the\nsaddle with such force as to throw me behind him, and with the end of\nhis tail he struck out my eye.\n\nThus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the\npredictions of the ten young gentlemen. The horse again took wing, and\nsoon disappeared. I got up, much vexed at the misfortune I had brought\nupon myself. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye with one of my\nhands, for it pained me exceedingly, and then descended, and entered\ninto a hall. I soon discovered, by the ten sofas in a circle and the\neleventh in the middle, lower than the rest, that I was in the castle\nwhence I had been carried by the roc.\n\nThe ten young men seemed not at all surprised to see me, nor at the\nloss of my eye; but said, \"We are sorry that we cannot congratulate\nyou on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the cause of your\nmisfortune.\"\n\n\"I should do you wrong,\" I replied, \"to lay it to your charge; I have\nonly myself to accuse.\"\n\n\"If,\" said they, \"it be a subject of consolation to the afflicted to\nknow that others share their sufferings, you have in us this\nalleviation of your misfortune. All that has happened to you we also\nhave endured; we each of us tasted the same pleasures during a year;\nand we had still continued to enjoy them had we not opened the golden\ndoor when the princesses were absent. You have been no wiser than we,\nand have incurred the same punishment. We would gladly receive you\ninto our company, to join with us in the penance to which we are\nbound, the duration of which we know not. But we have already stated\nto you the reasons that render this impossible; depart, therefore, and\nproceed to the court of Bagdad,[25] where you will meet with the\nperson who is to decide your destiny.\"\n\n[Footnote 25: Bagdad was founded in the 145th year of the Hejira or\nflight of Mohammed to Medina, 767. It was destroyed by Hulakoo,\ngrandson of Gengis Khan, in the 656th of the Hejira, A.D. 1277, when\nthe dynasty of the Ambassides was terminated.]\n\nAfter they had explained to me the road I was to travel, I departed.\n\nOn the road I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaven, and assumed a\ncalender's habit. I have had a long journey, but at last I arrived\nthis evening, and met these my brother calenders at the gate, being\nstrangers as well as myself. We were mutually surprised at one\nanother, to see that we were all blind of the same eye; but we had not\nleisure to converse long on the subject of our misfortunes. We have\nonly had time enough to bring us hither, to implore those favors which\nyou have been generously pleased to grant us.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe third calender having finished this relation of his adventures,\nZobeide addressed him and his fellow-calenders thus: \"Go wherever you\nthink proper; you are at liberty.\"\n\nBut one of them answered, \"Madam, we beg you to pardon our curiosity,\nand permit us to hear the stories of your other guests who have not\nyet spoken.\"\n\nThen the lady turned to the caliph, the vizier Giafar, and Mesrour,\nand said to them, \"It is now your turn to relate your adventures;\ntherefore speak.\"\n\nThe grand vizier, who had all along been the spokesman, answered\nZobeide: \"Madam, in order to obey you, we need only repeat what we\nhave already said to the fair lady who opened for us the door. We are\nmerchants come to Bagdad to sell our merchandise, which lies in the\nkhan[26] where we lodge. We dined to-day with several other persons of\nour condition, at a merchant's house of this city; who, after he had\ntreated us with choice dainties and excellent wines, sent for men and\nwomen dancers and musicians. The great noise we made brought in the\nwatch, who arrested some of the company, but we had the good fortune\nto escape. But it being already late, and the door of our khan shut\nup, we knew not whither to retire. We chanced, as we passed along this\nstreet, to hear music at your house, which made us determine to knock\nat your gate. This is all the account that we can give you, in\nobedience to your commands.\"\n\n[Footnote 26: \"Khan, or caravansary, a large building of a\nquadrangular form, being one story in height. The ground floor serves\nfor warehouses and stables, while the upper is used for lodgings. They\nalways contain a fountain, and have cook shops and other conveniences\nattached to them in town. The erection of them is considered\nmeritorious both among Hindus and Mussulmans. They are erected on the\nsides of public highways, and are then only a set of bare rooms and\nouthouses.\"--_Popular Cyclopedia_, Vol. II, p. 108.]\n\n\"Well, then,\" said Zobeide, \"you shall all be equally obliged to me; I\npardon you all, provided you immediately depart!\"\n\nZobeide having given this command, the caliph, the vizier, Mesrour,\nthe three calenders, and the porter, departed; for the presence of the\nseven slaves with their weapons awed them into silence. As soon as\nthey had quitted the house, and the gate was closed after them, the\ncaliph said to the calenders, without making himself known, \"You,\ngentlemen, who are newly come to town, which way do you design to go,\nsince it is not yet day?\"\n\n\"It is this,\" they replied, \"that perplexes us.\"\n\n\"Follow us,\" resumed the caliph, \"and we will convey you out of\ndanger.\"\n\nHe then whispered to the vizier: \"Take them along with you, and\nto-morrow morning bring them to me.\"\n\nThe vizier Giafar took the three calenders along with him; the porter\nwent to his quarters, and the caliph and Mesrour returned to the\npalace.\n\nOn the following morning, as the day dawned, the sultan Haroun al\nRaschid arose and went to his council chamber, and sat upon his\nthrone. The grand vizier entered soon after, and made his obeisance.\n\n\"Vizier,\" said the caliph, \"go, bring those ladies and the calenders\nat the same time; make haste, and remember that I impatiently expect\nyour return.\"\n\nThe vizier, who knew his master's quick and fiery temper, hastened to\nobey, and conducted them to the palace with so much expedition that\nthe caliph was much pleased.\n\nWhen the ladies had arrived the caliph turned toward them and said, \"I\nwas last night in your house, disguised in a merchant's habit; but I\nam at present Haroun al Raschid, the fifth caliph of the glorious\nhouse of Abbas, and hold the place of our great prophet. I have sent\nfor you only to know who you are, and to ask for what reason one of\nyou, after severely whipping the two black dogs, wept with them. And I\nam no less curious to know why another of you has her bosom so full of\nscars.\"\n\nUpon hearing these words, Zobeide thus related her story:\n\n\nTHE STORY OF ZOBEIDE\n\nCommander of the Faithful, my story is truly wonderful. The two black\ndogs and myself are sisters by the same father and mother. The two\nladies who are now here are also my sisters, but by another mother.\nAfter our father's death, the property that he left was equally\ndivided among us. My two half sisters left me, that they might live\nwith their mother. My two sisters and myself resided with our own\nmother. At her death she left us three thousand sequins each. Shortly\nafter my sisters had received their portions, they married; but their\nhusbands, having spent all their fortunes, found some pretext for\ndivorcing them, and put them away. I received them into my house, and\ngave them[27] a share of all my goods. At the end of a twelvemonth my\nsisters again resolved to marry, and did so. After some months were\npassed, they returned again in the same sad condition; and as they\naccused themselves a thousand times, I again forgave them, and\nadmitted them to live with me as before, and we dwelt together for the\nspace of a year. After this I determined to engage in a commercial\nspeculation. For this purpose I went with my two sisters to\nBussorah,[28] where I bought a ship ready fitted for sea, and laded\nher with such merchandise[29] as I had carried with me from Bagdad. We\nset sail with a fair wind, and soon cleared the Persian Gulf; when we\nhad reached the open sea we steered our course to the Indies, and on\nthe twentieth day saw land. It was a very high mountain, at the bottom\nof which we perceived a great town; having a fresh gale, we soon\nreached the harbor, and cast anchor.\n\n[Footnote 27: \"The giving of alms is commanded in the Koran. Hasan,\nthe son of Ali, grandson of Mohammed, is related to have thrice in his\nlife divided his substance equally between himself and the\npoor.\"--Sale's _Preliminary Dissertation_, p. 110.]\n\n[Footnote 28: \"At the distance of fourscore miles from the Persian\nGulf, the Euphrates and Tigris unite in a broad and direct current. In\nthe midway, between the junction and the mouth of these famous\nstreams, the new settlement of Bussorah was planted on the western\nbank; the first colony was composed of eight hundred Moslems; but the\ninfluence of the situation soon reared a flourishing and populous\ncapital. The air, though excessively hot, is pure and healthy; the\nmeadows are filled with palm trees and cattle; and one of the adjacent\nvalleys has been celebrated among the four paradises or gardens of\nAsia. Under the first caliphs, the jurisdiction of this Arab colony\nextended over the southern provinces of Persia; the city has been\nsanctified by the tombs of the companions and martyrs and the vessels\nof Europe still frequent the port of Bussorah, as a convenient station\nand passage of the Indian trade.\"--Gibbon's _Decline and Fall_, 41,\nC.]\n\n[Footnote 29: Bussorah was built by the caliph Omar. The city has four\nkinds of inhabitants--Jews, Persians, Mohammedans, and Christians. It\nis looked upon by the Arabs as one of the most delightful spots in\nAsia. The commerce of Bussorah consisted in the interchange of rice,\nsugar, spices from Ceylon, coarse white and blue cottons from\nCoromandel, cardamom, pepper, sandalwood from Malabar, gold and silver\nstuffs, brocades, turbans, shawls, indigo from Surat, pearls from\nBahara, coffee from Mocha, iron, lead, woolen cloths, etc.]\n\nI had not patience to wait till my sisters were dressed to go along\nwith me, but went ashore alone in the boat. Making directly to the\ngate of the town, I saw there a great number of men upon guard, some\nsitting, and others standing with weapons in their hands; and they\nhad all such dreadful countenances that I was greatly alarmed; but\nperceiving they remained stationary, and did not so much as move their\neyes, I took courage and went nearer, when I found they were all\nturned into stone. I entered the town, and passed through several\nstreets, where at different intervals stood men in various attitudes,\nbut all motionless and petrified. In the quarter inhabited by the\nmerchants I found most of the shops open; here I likewise found the\npeople petrified.[30]\n\n[Footnote 30: \"There is a city in Upper Egypt (Ishmonie), called the\npetrified city, on account of a great number of statues of men, women,\nand children, and other animals, which are said to be seen thereat\nthis day; all which, as it is believed by the inhabitants, were once\nanimated beings, but were miraculously changed into stone in all the\nvarious positions of falling, standing, eating, sitting, which they\nacted at the instant of their supposed transubstantiation. We did not\nfail to inquire after these things, and desired to have a sight of\nthem; but they told us they were in a certain part, pointing westward,\nbut were too sacred to be seen by any except believers.\"--Perry's\n_View of the Levant._]\n\nHaving reached a vast square, in the heart of the city, I perceived a\nlarge folding gate, covered with plates of gold, which stood open; a\ncurtain of silk stuff seemed to be drawn before it; a lamp hung over\nthe entrance. After I had surveyed the building, I made no doubt but\nit was the palace of the prince who reigned over that country; and\nbeing much astonished that I had not met with one living creature, I\napproached in hopes of finding some. I lifted up the curtain, and was\nsurprised at beholding no one but the guards in the vestibule, all\npetrified.\n\nI came to a large court. I went from thence into a room richly\nfurnished, where I perceived a lady turned into a statue of stone. The\ncrown of gold on her head, and a necklace of pearls about her neck,\neach of them as large as a nut, proclaimed her to be the queen. I\nquitted the chamber where the petrified queen was, and passed through\nseveral other apartments richly furnished, and at last came into a\nlarge room where there was a throne of massy gold, raised several\nsteps above the floor, and enriched with large enchased emeralds, and\nupon the throne there was a bed of rich stuff embroidered with pearls.\nWhat surprised me most was a sparkling light which came from above the\nbed. Being curious to know whence it proceeded, I ascended the steps,\nand, lifting up my head, saw a diamond as large as the egg of an\nostrich, lying upon a low stool; it was so pure that I could not find\nthe least blemish in it, and it sparkled with so much brilliancy that\nwhen I saw it by daylight I could not endure its luster.\n\nAt the head of the bed there stood on each side a lighted flambeau,\nbut for what use I could not comprehend; however, it made me imagine\nthat there must be some one living in the place; for I could not\nbelieve that the torches continued thus burning of themselves.\n\nThe doors being all open, I surveyed some other apartments, that were\nas beautiful as those I had already seen. In short, the wonders that\neverywhere appeared so wholly engrossed my attention that I forgot my\nship and my sisters, and thought of nothing but gratifying my\ncuriosity. In the meantime night came on, and I tried to return by the\nway I had entered, but I could not find it; I lost myself among the\napartments; and perceiving I was come back again to the large room,\nwhere the throne, the couch, the large diamond, and the torches stood,\nI resolved to take my night's lodging there, and to depart the next\nmorning early, to get aboard my ship. I laid myself down upon a\ncostly couch, not without some dread to be alone in a desolate place;\nand this fear hindered my sleep.\n\nAbout midnight I heard a man reading the Koran,[31] in the same tone\nas it is read in our mosques. I immediately arose, and taking a torch\nin my hand passed from one chamber to another, on that side from\nwhence the voice proceeded, until looking through a window I found it\nto be an oratory. It had, as we have in our mosques, a niche,[32] to\ndirect us whither we are to turn to say our prayers; there were also\nlamps hung up, and two candlesticks with large tapers of white wax\nburning.\n\n[Footnote 31: Koran (derived from the word Karaa, to read) signifies\n\"the Reading--that which ought to be read.\" It is the collection of\nrevelations supposed to be given from heaven to Mohammed during a\nperiod of twenty-three years. Some were given at Mecca, and some at\nMedina. Each was regarded by some as a mystery full of divine meaning.\nIt is divided into thirty parts; and as each mosque has thirty\nreaders, it is read through once a day. These readers chant it in long\nlines with rhythmical ending, and in the absence of definite vowels\nthey alone know the right pronunciation of the Koran.--Sale's\n_Preliminary Dissertation_, p. 56.]\n\n[Footnote 32: This is the _kaaba_ or _kebla_, a sacred stone in the\ncenter of the temple at Mecca, over which is a lofty building, from\nwhich the name is by some said to be derived--Caaba, high. Mr.\nFerguson, in his account of \"The Holy Sepulcher,\" thus describes it:\n\"The precept of the Koran is, that all men, when they pray, shall turn\ntoward the _kaaba_, or holy house, at Mecca; and consequently\nthroughout the Moslem world, indicators have been put up to enable the\nFaithful to fulfill this condition. In India they face west, in\nBarbary east, in Syria south. It is true that when rich men, or kings,\nbuilt mosques, they frequently covered the face of this wall with\narcades, to shelter the worshiper from the sun or rain. They inclosed\nit in a court that his meditations might not be disturbed by the\nnoises of the outside world. They provided it with fountains, that he\nmight perform the required ablutions before prayer. But still the\nessential part of the mosques is the _mihrab_ or niche, which points\ntoward Mecca, and toward which, when he bows, the worshiper knows that\nthe _kaaba_ also is before him.\" The holy house erected over the\n_kaaba_ was decorated annually with rich tapestries and a deep golden\nband, at the cost of the caliphs.]\n\nI saw a little carpet laid down like those we have to kneel upon when\nwe say our prayers, and a comely young man sat on this carpet, with\ngreat devotion reading the Koran, which lay before him on a desk. At\nthis sight I was transported with admiration. I wondered how it came\nto pass that he should be the only living creature in a town where\nall the people were turned into stone, and I do not doubt but there\nwas something in the circumstance very extraordinary.\n\nThe door being only half shut I opened it, went in, and standing\nupright before the niche, I exclaimed, \"Bismillah![33] Praise be to\nGod.\" The young man turned toward me, and, having saluted me, inquired\nwhat had brought me to this desolate city. I told him in a few words\nmy history, and I prayed him to tell me why he alone was left alive in\nthe midst of such terrible desolation. At these words he shut the\nKoran, put it into a rich case, and laid it in the niche. Then he thus\naddressed me:\n\n[Footnote 33: Bismillah. All the chapters of the Koran, except nine,\nbegin with this word. Its meaning is, \"In the name of the merciful\nGod.\" It is said to be frequently used in conversation by the\nArabs.--Sale's _Preliminary Dissertation_, p. 153.]\n\n\"Know that this city was the metropolis of a mighty kingdom, over\nwhich the sultan, who was my father, reigned. That prince, his whole\ncourt, the inhabitants of the city, and all his other subjects, were\nmagi, worshipers of fire instead of God.\n\n\"But though I was born of an idolatrous father and mother I had the\ngood fortune in my youth to have a nurse who was a good Mussulman,\nbelieving in God and in His prophet. 'Dear Prince,' would she\noftentimes say, 'there is but one true God; take heed that you do not\nacknowledge and adore any other.' She taught me to read Arabic, and\nthe book she gave me to study was the Koran. As soon as I was capable\nof understanding it, she explained to me all the passages of this\nexcellent book, unknown to my father or any other person. She died,\nbut not before she had perfectly instructed me in the Mussulman\nreligion. After her death, I persisted in worshiping according to its\ndirections; and I abhor the adoration of fire.\n\n\"About three years and some months ago, a thundering voice was\nsuddenly sounded so distinctly through the whole city that nobody\ncould miss hearing it. The words were these: 'Inhabitants, abandon the\nworship of fire, and worship the only God who shows mercy.' This voice\nwas heard three years successively, but no one was converted. On the\nlast day of that year, at the break of day, all the inhabitants were\nchanged in an instant into stone, each one in the condition and\nposture in which he happened to be. The sultan, my father, and the\nqueen, my mother, shared the same fate.\n\n\"I am the only person who did not suffer under that heavy judgment,\nand ever since I have continued to serve God with more fervency than\nbefore. I am persuaded, dear lady, that He has sent you hither for my\ncomfort, for which I render Him infinite thanks, for I must own that I\nhave become weary of this solitary life.\"\n\nOn hearing these words, I said, \"Prince, who can doubt that Providence\nhas brought me into your port, to afford you an opportunity of\nwithdrawing from this dismal place? I am a lady at Bagdad, where I\nhave considerable property; and I dare engage to promise you sanctuary\nthere, until the mighty Commander of the Faithful, caliph of our\nprophet, whom you acknowledge, shows you the honor that is due to your\nmerit. This renowned prince lives at Bagdad, and as soon as he is\ninformed of your arrival in his capital you will find it not in vain\nto implore his assistance. Stay no longer in a city where you can\nonly renew your grief; my vessel is at your service, which you may\nabsolutely command as you shall think fit.\" He accepted the offer, and\nas soon as it was day we left the palace, and went aboard my ship,\nwhere we found my sisters, the captain, and the slaves, all much\ntroubled at my absence. After I had presented my sisters to the\nprince, I told them what had hindered my return the day before, how I\nhad met with the young prince, his story, and the cause of the\ndesolation of so fine a city.\n\nThe seamen were taken up several days in unloading the merchandise I\nbrought with me, and embarking in its stead many of the precious\nthings in the palace, especially jewels, gold, and money. We left the\nfurniture and goods, which consisted of an infinite quantity of silver\nvessels, because our vessel could not carry it, for it would have\nrequired several vessels more to convey to Bagdad all the riches that\nwe might have taken with us.\n\nAfter we had laden the vessel with what we thought most desirable, we\ntook such provisions and water aboard as were necessary for our\nvoyage. At last we set sail with a favorable wind.\n\nThe young prince, my sisters, and myself passed our time very\nagreeably. But, alas! this good understanding did not last long, for\nmy sisters grew jealous of the friendship between the prince and\nmyself, and maliciously asked me, one day, what we should do with him\nwhen we came to Bagdad. Resolving to put this question off with a\njoke, I answered, \"I will take him for my husband.\" Upon that, turning\nmyself to the prince, I said, \"Sir, I humbly beg of you to give your\nconsent, for as soon as we come to Bagdad I design to offer you my\nperson to be your slave, to do you all the service that is in my\npower, and to resign myself wholly to your commands.\"\n\nThe prince replied, \"I know not, madam, whether you be in jest or no;\nbut for my part, I seriously declare before these ladies, your\nsisters, that from this moment I heartily accept your offer, not with\nany intention to have you as a slave, but as my lady and wife.\" At\nthese words my sisters changed color, and I could perceive afterward\nthat they did not love me as before.\n\nWe entered the Persian Gulf, and had come within a short distance of\nBussorah (where I hoped, considering the fair wind, we might have\narrived the day following), when, in the night, while I was asleep, my\nsisters watched their opportunity and threw me overboard. They did the\nsame to the prince, who was drowned. I floated some minutes on the\nwater, and by good fortune, or rather miracle, I felt ground. I went\ntoward a dark spot, that, by what I could discern, seemed to be land,\nand which, when day appeared, I found to be a desert island, lying\nabout twenty miles from Bussorah. I soon dried my clothes in the sun,\nand as I walked along I found several kinds of fruit, and likewise\nfresh water, which gave me some hopes of preserving my life.\n\nI had just laid myself down to rest in a shade, when I perceived a\nvery large winged serpent coming toward me, with an irregular waving\nmovement, and hanging out its tongue, which induced me to conclude it\nhad received some injury. I instantly arose, and perceived that it was\npursued by a larger serpent which had hold of its tail, and was\nendeavoring to devour it. This perilous situation of the first serpent\nexcited my pity; and instead of retreating, I took up a stone that\nlay near me, and threw it with all my strength at its pursuer, whom I\nhit upon the head and killed. The other, finding itself at liberty,\ntook wing and flew away. I looked after it for some time till it\ndisappeared. I then sought another shady spot for repose, and fell\nasleep.\n\nJudge what was my surprise, when I awoke, to see standing by me a\nblack woman of lively and agreeable features, who held in her hand two\ndogs of the same color, fastened together. I sat up, and asked her who\nshe was.\n\n\"I am,\" said she, \"the serpent whom you lately delivered from my\nmortal enemy, and I wish to requite the important services you have\nrendered me. These two black dogs are your sisters, whom I have\ntransformed into this shape. But this punishment will not suffice; and\nmy will is that you treat them hereafter in the way I shall direct.\"\n\nAs soon as she had thus spoken the fairy took me under one of her\narms, and the two black dogs under the other, and conveyed us to my\nhouse in Bagdad, where I found in my storehouses all the riches with\nwhich my vessel had been laden. Before she left me, she delivered to\nme the two dogs, and said, \"If you would not be changed into a similar\nform, I command you to give each of your sisters every night one\nhundred lashes with a rod, as the punishment of the crime they have\ncommitted against yourself and the young prince, whom they have\ndrowned.\" I was forced to promise obedience. Since that time I have\nwhipped them every night, though with regret, whereof your majesty has\nbeen a witness. My tears testify with how much sorrow and reluctance I\nperform this painful duty. If there be anything else relating to\nmyself that you desire to know, my sister Amina will give you full\ninformation in the relation of her story.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nAfter the caliph had heard Zobeide with much astonishment, he desired\nhis grand vizier to request Amina to acquaint him wherefore her breast\nwas disfigured with so many scars.\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF AMINA\n\nCommander of the Faithful, that I may not repeat those things which\nyour majesty has already been informed of by my sister, I will only\nmention that my mother, having taken a house to pass her widowhood in\nprivate, first bestowed me in marriage on the heir of one of the\nrichest men in this city.\n\nI had not been married quite a year before my husband died. I thus\nbecame a widow, and was in possession of all his property, which\namounted to above ninety thousand sequins. When the first six months\nof my mourning was over, I caused to be made for me ten different\ndresses, of such magnificence that each came to a thousand sequins;\nand at the end of the year I began to wear them.\n\nOne day, while I was alone, a lady[34] desired to speak to me. I gave\norders that she should be admitted. She was a very old woman. She\nsaluted me by kissing the ground, and said to me, kneeling, \"Dear\nlady, the confidence I have in your charity makes me thus bold. I\nhave an orphan daughter, whose wedding is on this night. She and I are\nboth strangers, and have no acquaintance in this town, which much\nperplexes me. Therefore, most beautiful lady, if you would vouchsafe\nto honor the wedding with your presence, we shall be infinitely\nobliged, because the family with whom we shall be allied will then\nknow that we are not regarded here as unworthy and despised persons.\nBut, alas, madam, if you refuse this request, how great will be our\nmortification! We know not where else to apply.\"\n\n[Footnote 34: For the choice of a wife a man generally relies on his\nmother, or some other near relation, or a professional female\nbetrother (who is called, _khatebeh_), for there are women who perform\nthis office for hire.--Lane's Notes to the _Arabian Nights_, Vol. I,\niv, p. 285.]\n\nThis poor woman's address, which she spoke with tears, moved my\ncompassion.\n\n\"Good woman,\" said I, \"do not afflict yourself; I will grant you the\nfavor you desire. Tell me whither I must go, and I will meet you as\nsoon as I am dressed.\" The old woman was so transported with joy at my\nanswer that she kissed my feet before I had time to prevent her.\n\n\"Compassionate lady,\" said she, rising, \"God will reward the kindness\nyou have shown to your servants, and make your heart as joyful as you\nhave made theirs. You need not at present trouble yourself; I will\ncall for you in the evening.\"\n\nAs soon as she was gone I took the suit I liked best, with a necklace\nof large pearls, bracelets, pendants for my ears, and rings set with\nthe finest and most sparkling diamonds, and prepared to attend the\nceremony.\n\nWhen the night closed in, the old woman called upon me, with a\ncountenance full of joy, and said, \"Dear lady, the relations of my\nson-in-law, who are the principal ladies of the city, are now met\ntogether. You may come when you please; I am ready to conduct you.\"\n\nWe immediately set out; she walked before me, and I was followed by a\nnumber of my women and slaves, richly robed for the occasion. We\nstopped in a wide street, newly swept and watered, at a spacious gate\nwith a lamp, by the light of which I read this inscription, in golden\nletters, over the entrance: \"This is the continual abode of pleasure\nand joy.\"\n\nThe old woman knocked, and the gate was opened immediately.\n\nI was conducted toward the lower end of the court, into a large hall,\nwhere I was received by a young lady of exceeding beauty. She drew\nnear, and after having embraced me, made me sit down by her upon a\nsofa, on which was raised a throne of precious wood set with diamonds.\n\n\"Madam,\" said she, \"you are brought hither to assist at a wedding; but\nI hope it will be a different wedding from what you expected. I have a\nbrother, one of the handsomest men in the world. His fate depends\nwholly upon you, and he will be the unhappiest of men if you do not\ntake pity on him. If my prayers, madam, can prevail, I shall join them\nwith his, and humbly beg you will not refuse the proposal of being his\nwife.\"\n\nAfter the death of my husband I had not thought of marrying again; but\nI had no power to refuse the solicitation of so charming a lady. As\nsoon as I had given consent by my silence, accompanied with a blush,\nthe young lady clapped her hands, and immediately a curtain was\nwithdrawn, from behind which came a young man of so majestic an air,\nand so graceful a countenance, that I thought myself happy to have\nmade such a choice. He sat down by me, and I found from his\nconversation that his merits far exceeded the account of him given by\nhis sister.\n\nWhen she perceived that we were satisfied with one another, she\nclapped her hands a second time, and a cadi[35] with four witnesses,\nentered, who wrote and signed our contract of marriage.\n\n[Footnote 35: Marriage among the Mohammedans is an exclusively civil\nceremony; and therefore the cadi, a civil judge, and not an imaun, or\nminister of religion, was summoned.]\n\nThere was only one condition that my new husband imposed upon me, that\nI should not be seen by nor speak to any other man but himself; and he\nvowed to me that, if I complied in this respect, I should have no\nreason to complain of him. Our marriage was concluded and finished\nafter this manner; so I became the principal actress in a wedding to\nwhich I had only been invited as a guest.\n\nAbout a month after our marriage, having occasion for some stuffs, I\nasked my husband's permission to go out to buy them, which he granted;\nand I took with me the old woman of whom I spoke before, she being one\nof the family, and two of my own female slaves.\n\nWhen we came to the street where the merchants reside, the old woman\nsaid, \"Dear mistress, since you want silk stuffs, I must take you to a\nyoung merchant of my acquaintance, who has a great variety; and that\nyou may not fatigue yourself by running from shop to shop, I can\nassure you that you will find in his what no other can furnish.\" I was\neasily persuaded, and we entered a shop belonging to a young merchant.\nI sat down, and bade the old woman desire him to show me the finest\nsilk stuffs he had. The woman desired me to speak myself; but I told\nher it was one of the articles of my marriage contract not to speak\nto any man but my husband, which I ought to keep.\n\nThe merchant showed me several stuffs, of which one pleased me better\nthan the rest; and I bade her ask the price. He answered the old\nwoman: \"I will not sell it for gold or money; but I will make her a\npresent of it, if she will give me leave to kiss her cheek.\"\n\nI ordered the old woman to tell him that he was very rude to propose\nsuch a freedom. But instead of obeying me, she said, \"What the\nmerchant desires of you is no such great matter; you need not speak,\nbut only present him your cheek.\"\n\nThe stuff pleased me so much that I was foolish enough to take her\nadvice. The old woman and my slaves stood up, that nobody might see,\nand I put up my veil;[36] but instead of kissing me, the merchant bit\nme so violently as to draw blood.\n\n[Footnote 36: \"No woman, of what rank soever, is permitted to go into\nthe streets without two muslins; one that covers her face all but her\neyes, and another that hides the whole dress of her head, and hangs\nhalfway down her back. Their shapes are also wholly concealed by a\nthing they call a _ferigee_, which no woman appears without. This has\nstraight sleeves, that reach to their finger ends, and it laps all\nround them, not unlike a riding-hood. In winter it is of cloth, and in\nsummer, of plain stuff or silk.\"--Lady M. W. Montague's _Letters_,\nVol. VII, p. 373.]\n\nThe pain and my surprise were so great that I fell down in a swoon,\nand continued insensible so long that the merchant had time to escape.\nWhen I came to myself I found my cheek covered with blood. The old\nwoman and my slaves took care to cover it with my veil, and the people\nwho came about us could not perceive it, but supposed I had only had a\nfainting fit.\n\nThe old woman who accompanied me being extremely troubled at this\naccident, endeavored to comfort me.\n\n\"My dear mistress,\" said she, \"I beg your pardon, for I am the cause\nof this misfortune, having brought you to this merchant, because he\nis my countryman; but I never thought he would be guilty of such a\nvillainous action. But do not grieve. Let us hasten home, and I will\napply a remedy that shall in three days so perfectly cure you that not\nthe least mark shall be visible.\"\n\nThe pain had made me so weak that I was scarcely able to walk. But at\nlast I got home, where I again fainted, as I went into my chamber.\nMeanwhile, the old woman applied her remedy. I came to myself, and\nwent to bed.\n\nMy husband came to me at night, and seeing my head bound up, asked me\nthe reason. I told him I had the headache, which I hoped would have\nsatisfied him; but he took a candle, and saw my cheek was hurt.\n\n\"How comes this wound?\" he said.\n\nThough I did not consider myself as guilty of any great offense, yet I\ncould not think of owning the truth. Besides, to make such an avowal\nto a husband, I considered as somewhat indecorous.\n\nI therefore said, \"That as I was going, under his permission, to\npurchase a silk stuff, a camel,[37] carrying a load of wood, came so\nnear to me in a narrow street, that one of the sticks grazed my cheek,\nbut had not done me much hurt.\"\n\n\"If that is the case,\" said my husband, \"to-morrow morning, before\nsunrise, the grand vizier Giafar shall be informed of this insolence,\nand cause all the camel drivers to be put to death.\"\n\n\"Pray, sir,\" said I, \"let me beg of you to pardon them, for they are\nnot guilty.\"\n\n[Footnote 37: The streets of Eastern cities are often so narrow as to\nbe blocked up with a wide camel load, or to prevent two horsemen\nriding abreast. This is the cause of those footmen who run before\ngreat men to prepare the way for them.]\n\n\"How, madam,\" he demanded, \"what, then, am I to believe? Speak; for I\nam resolved to know the truth from your own mouth.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" I replied, \"I was taken with a giddiness, and fell down, and\nthat is the whole matter.\"\n\nAt these words my husband lost all patience.\n\n\"I have,\" said he, \"too long listened to your tales.\"\n\nAs he spoke, he clapped his hands, and in came three slaves. \"Strike,\"\nsaid he; \"cut her in two, and then throw her into the Tigris. This is\nthe punishment I inflict on those to whom I have given my heart, when\nthey falsify their promise.\"\n\nI had recourse to entreaties and prayers; but I supplicated in vain,\nwhen the old woman, who had been his nurse, coming in just at that\nmoment, fell down upon her knees and endeavored to appease his wrath.\n\n\"My son,\" said she, \"since I have been your nurse, and brought you up,\nlet me beg you to consider, 'he who kills shall be killed,' and that\nyou will stain your reputation and forfeit the esteem of mankind.\"\n\nShe spoke these words in such an affecting manner, accompanied with\ntears, that she prevailed upon him at last to abandon his purpose.\n\n\"Well, then,\" said he to his nurse, \"for your sake I will spare her\nlife; but she shall bear about her person some marks to make her\nremember her offense.\"\n\nWhen he had thus spoken, one of the slaves, by his order, gave me upon\nmy sides and breast so many blows[38] with a little cane, that he\ntore away both skin and flesh, which threw me into a swoon. In this\nstate he caused the same slaves, the executioners of his will, to\ncarry me into the house, where the old woman took care of me. I kept\nmy bed for four months. At last I recovered. The scars which, contrary\nto my wish, you saw yesterday, have remained ever since.\n\n[Footnote 38: The Mussulmans are allowed by the Koran to beat their\nwives, so long as they do not make a bruise. The husband on this\noccasion must have broken the law.\n\nSome such permission was given by an English judge, Sir John Buller;\nwho declared the stick used must not be thicker than his thumb, from\nwhence he obtained the sobriquet of \"Thumb Buller.\"]\n\nAs soon as I was able to walk and go abroad, I resolved to retire to\nthe house which was left me by my first husband, but I could not find\nthe site whereon it stood, as my second husband had caused it to be\nleveled with the ground.\n\nBeing thus left destitute and helpless, I had recourse to my dear\nsister Zobeide. She received me with her accustomed goodness, and\nadvised me to bear with patience my affliction, from which, she said,\nnone are free. In confirmation of her remark, she gave me an account\nof the loss of the young prince her husband, occasioned by the\njealousy of her two sisters. She told me also by what accident they\nwere transformed into dogs; and in the last place, after a thousand\ntestimonials of her love toward me, she introduced me to my youngest\nsister, who had likewise taken sanctuary with her after the death of\nher mother; and we have continued to live together in the house in\nwhich we received the guests whom your highness found assembled on\nyour visit last night.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe caliph publicly expressed his admiration of what he had heard, and\ninquired of Zobeide, \"Madam, did not this fairy whom you delivered,\nand who imposed such a rigorous command upon you, tell you where her\nplace of abode was, or that she would restore your sisters to their\nnatural shape?\"\n\n\"Commander of the Faithful,\" answered Zobeide, \"the fairy did leave\nwith me a bundle of hair, saying that her presence would one day be of\nuse to me; and then, if I only burned two tufts of this hair, she\nwould be with me in a moment.\"\n\n\"Madam,\" demanded the caliph, \"where is the bundle of hair?\"\n\nShe answered, \"Ever since that time I have been so careful of it that\nI always carry it about me.\"\n\nUpon which she pulled it out of the case which contained it, and\nshowed it to him.\n\n\"Well, then,\" said the caliph, \"let us bring the fairy hither; you\ncould not call her in a better time, for I long to see her.\"\n\nZobeide having consented, fire was brought in, and she threw the whole\nbundle of hair into it. The palace at that instant began to shake, and\nthe fairy appeared before the caliph in the form of a lady very richly\ndressed.\n\n\"Commander of the Faithful,\" said she to the prince, \"you see I am\nready to receive your commands. At your wish I will not only restore\nthese two sisters to their former shape, but I will also cure this\nlady of her scars, and tell you who it was that abused her.\"\n\nThe caliph sent for the two dogs from Zobeide's house, and when they\ncame a glass of water was brought to the fairy by her desire. She\npronounced over it some words, which nobody understood; then, throwing\nsome part of it upon Amina and the rest upon the dogs, the latter\nbecame two ladies of surprising beauty, and the scars that were upon\nAmina disappeared.\n\nAfter this the fairy said to the caliph, \"Commander of the Faithful, I\nmust now discover to you the unknown husband you inquire after. He is\nPrince Amin, your eldest son, who by stratagem brought this lady to\nhis house, where he married her. As to the blows he caused to be given\nher, he is in some measure excusable; for this lady, his spouse, by\nthe excuses she made, led him to believe she was more in fault than\nshe really was.\"\n\nAt these words she saluted the caliph, and vanished.\n\nThe caliph, much satisfied with the changes that had happened through\nhis means, acted in such a manner as will perpetuate his memory to all\nages. First, he sent for his son Amin, and told him that he was\ninformed of his secret marriage and how he had ill-treated Amina upon\na very slight cause. Upon this, the prince, upon his father's\ncommands, received her again immediately.\n\nAfter which Haroun al Raschid declared that he would give his own\nheart and hand to Zobeide, and offered the other three sisters to the\ncalenders, sons of sultans, who accepted them for their brides with\nmuch joy. The caliph assigned each of them a magnificent palace in the\ncity of Bagdad, promoted them to the highest dignities of his empire,\nand admitted them to his councils.\n\nThe chief cadi of Bagdad being called, with witnesses, he wrote the\ncontracts of marriage; and the caliph, in promoting by his patronage\nthe happiness of many persons who had suffered such incredible\ncalamities, drew a thousand blessings upon himself.\n\n\nSTORY OF THE THREE SISTERS\n\nThere was an emperor of Persia, named Khoonoo-shah. He often walked in\ndisguise through the city, attended by a trusty minister, when he met\nwith many adventures. On one of these occasions, as he was passing\nthrough a street in that part of the town inhabited only by the meaner\nsort, he heard some people talking very loud; and going close to the\nhouse whence the noise proceeded, he perceived a light, and three\nsisters sitting on a sofa, conversing together after supper. By what\nthe eldest said, he presently understood the subject of their\nconversation was wishes: \"For,\" said she, \"since we have got upon\nwishes, mine shall be to have the sultan's baker for my husband, for\nthen I shall eat my fill of that bread which by way of excellence is\ncalled the sultan's. Let us see if your tastes are as good as mine.\"\n\n\"For my part,\" replied the second sister, \"I wish I was wife to the\nsultan's chief cook, for then I should eat of the most excellent\ndishes; and, as I believe the sultan's bread is common in the palace,\nI should not want any of that. Therefore, you see,\" addressing herself\nto her eldest sister, \"that I have better taste than you.\"\n\nThe youngest sister, who was very beautiful, and had more charms and\nwit than the two elder, spoke in her turn: \"For my part, sisters,\"\nsaid she, \"I shall not limit my desires to such trifles, but take a\nhigher flight; and since we are upon wishing, I wish to be the\nemperor's queen consort. I would make him father of a prince whose\nhair should be gold on one side of his head, and silver on the other;\nwhen he cried, the tears from his eyes should be pearl; and when he\nsmiled, his vermilion lips should look like a rose-bud fresh blown.\"\n\nThe three sisters' wishes, particularly that of the youngest, seemed\nso singular to the sultan that he resolved to gratify them in their\ndesires; but without communicating his design to his grand vizier he\ncharged him only to take notice of the house, and bring the three\nsisters before him the following day.\n\nThe grand vizier, in executing the emperor's orders, would give the\nsisters but just time to dress themselves to appear before him,\nwithout telling them the reason. He brought them to the palace and\npresented them to the emperor, who said to them, \"Do you remember the\nwishes you expressed last night, when you were all in so pleasant a\nmood? Speak the truth; I must know what they were.\"\n\nAt these unexpected words of the emperor the three sisters were much\nconfounded. They cast down their eyes and blushed. Modesty, and fear\nlest they might have offended the emperor by their conversation, kept\nthem silent.\n\nThe emperor, perceiving their confusion, said, to encourage them,\n\"Fear nothing; I did not send for you to distress you; and since I see\nthat, without my intending it, is the effect of the question I asked,\nas I know the wish of each I will relieve you from your fears. You,\"\nadded he, \"who wished to be my wife shall have your desire this day;\nand you,\" continued he, addressing himself to the two elder sisters,\n\"shall also be married, to my chief baker and cook.\"\n\n[Illustration: _The gardener, with a rake which he had in his hand,\ndrew the basket to the side of the canal Page 122_]\n\nThe nuptials were all celebrated that day, as the emperor had\nresolved, but in a different manner. The youngest sister's were\nsolemnized with all the rejoicings usual at the marriages of the\nemperors of Persia; and those of the other two sisters according to\nthe quality and distinction of their husbands; the one as the sultan's\nchief baker, and the other as head cook.\n\nThe two elder sisters felt strongly the disproportion of their\nmarriages to that of their younger sister. This consideration made\nthem far from being content, though they were arrived at the utmost\nheight of their late wishes, and much beyond their hopes. They gave\nthemselves up to an excess of jealousy, and frequently met together to\nconsult how they might revenge themselves on the queen. They proposed\na great many ways, which they could not accomplish, but dissimulated\nall the time to flatter the queen with every demonstration of\naffection and respect.\n\nSome months after her marriage, the queen gave birth to a young\nprince, as bright as the day; but her sisters, to whom the child was\ngiven at his birth, wrapped him up in a basket and floated it away on\na canal that ran near the palace, and declared that the queen had\ngiven birth to a little dog. This made the emperor very angry.\n\nIn the meantime, the basket in which the little prince was exposed was\ncarried by the stream toward the garden of the palace. By chance the\nintendant of the emperor's gardens, one of the principal and most\nconsiderable officers of the kingdom, was walking by the side of this\ncanal, and perceiving a basket floating called to a gardener, who was\nnot far off, to bring it to shore that he might see what it contained.\nThe gardener, with a rake which he had in his hand, drew the basket\nto the side of the canal, took it up, and gave it to him.\n\nThe intendant of the gardens was extremely surprised to see in the\nbasket a child, which, though he knew it could be but just born, had\nvery fine features. This officer had been married several years, but\nthough he had always been desirous of having children, Heaven had\nnever blessed him with any. He made the gardener follow him with the\nchild; and when he came to his own house, which was situated at the\nentrance into the gardens of the palace, went into his wife's\napartment. \"Wife,\" said he, \"as we have no children of our own, God\nhath sent us one. I recommend him to you; provide him a nurse, and\ntake as much care of him as if he were our own son; for, from this\nmoment, I acknowledge him as such.\" The intendant's wife received the\nchild with great joy.\n\nThe following year the queen consort gave birth to another prince, on\nwhom the unnatural sisters had no more compassion than on his brother;\nbut exposed him likewise in a basket, and set him adrift in the canal,\npretending this time that the sultaness was delivered of a cat. It was\nhappy also for this child that the intendant of the gardens was\nwalking by the canal side. He carried this child to his wife, and\ncharged her to take as much care of it as of the former, which was as\nagreeable to her inclination as it was to that of the intendant.\n\nThis time the Emperor of Persia was more enraged against the queen\nthan before, and she had felt the effects of his anger, as the grand\nvizier's remonstrances had not prevailed.\n\nThe next year the queen gave birth to a princess, which innocent babe\nunderwent the same fate as the princes her brothers; for the two\nsisters, being determined not to desist from their detestable schemes\ntill they had seen the queen their younger sister at least cast off,\nturned out, and humbled, exposed this infant also on the canal. But\nthe princess, as had been the two princes her brothers, preserved from\ndeath by the compassion and charity of the intendant of the gardens.\n\nTo this inhumanity the two sisters added a lie and deceit, as before.\nThey procured a piece of wood, of which they said the queen had been\ndelivered.\n\nKhoonoo-shah could no longer contain himself at this third\ndisappointment. He ordered a small shed to be built near the chief\nmosque, and the queen to be confined in it, so that she might be\nsubjected to the scorn of those who passed by; which usage, as she did\nnot deserve it, she bore with a patient resignation that excited the\nadmiration as well as compassion of those who judged of things better\nthan the vulgar.\n\nThe two princes and the princess were in the meantime nursed and\nbrought up by the intendant of the gardens and his wife with all the\ntenderness of a father and mother; and as they advanced in age, they\nall showed marks of superior dignity, by a certain air which could\nonly belong to exalted birth. All this increased the affection of the\nintendant and his wife, who called the eldest prince Bahman, and the\nsecond Perviz, both of them names of the most ancient emperors of\nPersia, and the princess Perie-zadeh, which name also had been borne\nby several queens and princesses of the kingdom.[39]\n\n[Footnote 39: Parizadeh, the Parisatis of the Greeks, signifies born\nof a fairy.--D'Herbelot.]\n\nAs soon as the two princes were old enough, the intendant provided\nproper masters to teach them to read and write; and the princess,\ntheir sister, who was often with them--showing a great desire to\nlearn--the intendant, pleased with her quickness, employed the same\nmaster to teach her also. Her emulation, vivacity, and wit made her in\na little time as proficient as her brothers. At the hours of\nrecreation, the princess learned to sing and to play upon all sorts of\ninstruments; and when the princes were learning to ride, she would not\npermit them to have that advantage over her, but went through all the\nexercises with them, learning to ride also, to bend the bow, and dart\nthe reed or javelin, and oftentimes outdid them in the race and other\ncontests of agility.\n\nThe intendant of the gardens was so overjoyed to find his adopted\nchildren so well requited the expense he had been at in their\neducation, that he resolved to be at a still greater; for as he had\ntill then been content only with his lodge at the entrance to the\ngarden, and kept no country house, he purchased a country seat at a\nshort distance from the city, surrounded by a large tract of arable\nland, meadows, and woods, and furnished it in the richest manner, and\nadded gardens, according to a plan drawn by himself, and a large park,\nstocked with fallow deer, that the princes and princess might divert\nthemselves with hunting when they chose.\n\nWhen this country seat was finished, the intendant of the gardens went\nand cast himself at the emperor's feet, and after representing his\nlong service and the infirmities of age, which he found growing upon\nhim, begged permission to resign his charge and retire. The emperor\ngave him leave, and asked what he should do to recompense him. \"Sire,\"\nreplied the intendant of the gardens, \"I have received so many\nobligations from your majesty and the late emperor your father, of\nhappy memory, that I desire no more than the honor of being assured of\nyour continued favor.\"\n\nHe took his leave of the emperor, and retired with the two princes and\nthe princess to the country retreat he had built. His wife had been\ndead some years, and he himself had not lived in his new abode above\nsix months when he was surprised by so sudden a death that he had not\ntime to give them the least account of the manner in which he had\nsaved them from destruction.\n\nThe Princes Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Perie-zadeh, who knew\nno other father than the intendant of the emperor's gardens, regretted\nand bewailed him as such, and paid all the honors in his funeral\nobsequies which love and filial gratitude required of them. Satisfied\nwith the plentiful fortune he had left them, they lived together in\nperfect union, free from the ambition of distinguishing themselves at\ncourt, or aspiring to places of honor and dignity, which they might\neasily have obtained.\n\nOne day when the two princes were hunting, and the princess had\nremained at home, an old woman, a devotee, came to the gate, and\ndesired leave to go in to say her prayers, it being then the hour. The\nservants asked the princess's permission, who ordered them to show her\ninto the oratory, which the intendant of the emperor's gardens had\ntaken care to fit up in his house, for want of a mosque in the\nneighborhood. After the good woman had finished her prayers, she was\nbrought before the princess in the great hall, which in beauty and\nrichness exceeded all the other apartments.\n\nAs soon as the princess saw the devout woman, she asked her many\nquestions upon the exercise of devotion which she practiced, and how\nshe lived; all which were answered with great modesty. Talking of\nseveral things, at last she asked the woman what she thought of the\nhouse, and how she liked it.\n\n\"Madam,\" answered the devout woman, \"if you will give me leave to\nspeak my mind freely, I will take the liberty to tell you that this\nhouse would be incomparable if it had three things which are wanting\nto complete it. The first of these three things is the speaking-bird,\nso singular a creature that it draws around it all the singing-birds\nin the neighborhood, which come to accompany his song. The second is\nthe singing-tree, the leaves of which are so many mouths, which form\nan harmonious concert of different voices, and never cease. The third\nis the yellow-water of a gold color, a single drop of which being\npoured into a vessel properly prepared, it increases so as to fill it\nimmediately, and rises up in the middle like a fountain, which\ncontinually plays, and yet the basin never overflows.\"\n\n\"Ah! my good mother,\" cried the princess, \"how much am I obliged to\nyou for the knowledge of these curiosities! They are surprising, and I\nnever before heard there were such wonderful rarities in the world;\nbut as I am persuaded that you know, I expect that you will do me the\nfavor to inform me where they are to be found.\"\n\n\"Madam,\" replied the good woman, \"I am glad to tell you that these\ncuriosities are all to be met with in the same spot on the confines\nof this kingdom, toward India. The road lies before your house, and\nwhoever you send needs but follow it for twenty days, and on the\ntwentieth let him only ask the first person he meets where the\nspeaking-bird, singing-tree, and yellow-water are, and he will be\ninformed.\"\n\nAfter saying this she rose from her seat, took her leave, and went her\nway.\n\nThe Princess Perie-zadeh's thoughts were so absorbed in her desire to\nobtain possession of these three wonders, that her brothers, on their\nreturn from hunting, instead of finding her lively and gay, as she\nused to be, were amazed to see her pensive and melancholy, and weighed\ndown by some trouble.\n\n\"Sister,\" said Prince Bahman, \"what has become of all your mirth and\ngayety? Are you not well? Or has some misfortune befallen you? Tell us\nthat we may give you some relief.\"\n\nThe princess at first returned no answer to these inquiries; but on\nbeing pressed by her brothers, thus replied: \"I always believed that\nthis house which our father built us was so complete that nothing was\nwanting. But this day I have learned that it wants three rarities, the\nspeaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the yellow-water. If it had\nthese, no country seat in the world could be compared with it.\" Then\nshe informed them wherein consisted the excellency of these rarities,\nand requested her brothers to send some trustworthy person in search\nof these three curiosities.\n\n\"Sister,\" replied Prince Bahman, \"it is enough that you have an\nearnest desire for the things you mention to oblige us to try to\nobtain them. I will take that charge upon myself; only tell me the\nplace, and the way to it, and I will set out to-morrow. You, brother,\nshall stay at home with our sister, and I commend her to your care.\"\n\nPrince Bahman spent the remainder of the day in making preparations\nfor his journey, and informing himself from the princess of the\ndirections which the devout woman had left her. The next morning he\nmounted his horse, and Perviz and the princess embraced him and wished\nhim a good journey. But in the midst of their adieus, the princess\nrecollected what she had not thought of before.\n\n\"Brother,\" said she, \"I had quite forgotten the perils to which you\nmay be exposed. Who knows whether I shall ever see you again! Alight,\nI beseech you, and give up this journey. I would rather be deprived of\nthe sight and possession of the speaking-bird, singing-tree, and\nyellow-water, than run the risk of never seeing you more.\"\n\n\"Sister,\" replied Bahman, smiling at the sudden fears of the princess,\n\"my resolution is fixed, and you must allow me to execute it. However,\nas events are uncertain, and I may fail in this undertaking, all I can\ndo is to leave you this knife. It has a peculiar property. If when you\npull it out of the sheath it is clean as it is now, it will be a sign\nthat I am alive; but if you find it stained with blood, then you may\nbelieve me to be dead.\"\n\nThe princess could prevail nothing more with Bahman. He bade adieu to\nher and Prince Perviz for the last time, and rode away. When he got\ninto the road, he never turned to the right hand nor to the left, but\nwent directly forward toward India. The twentieth day he perceived on\nthe roadside a very singular old man, who sat under a tree some small\ndistance from a thatched house, which was his retreat from the\nweather.\n\nHis eyebrows were as white as snow, as was also his beard, which was\nso long as to cover his mouth, while it reached down to his feet. The\nnails of his hands and feet were grown to an immense length; a flat\nbroad umbrella covered his head. He wore no clothes, but only a mat\nthrown round his body.\n\nThis old man was a dervish, for many years retired from the world, and\ndevoted to contemplation, so that at last he became what we have\ndescribed.\n\nPrince Bahman, who had been all that morning expecting to meet some\none who could give him information of the place he was in search of,\nstopped when he came near the dervish, alighted, in conformity to the\ndirections which the devout woman had given the Princess Perie-zadeh,\nand, leading his horse by the bridle, advanced toward him, and\nsaluting him, said, \"God prolong your days, good father, and grant you\nthe accomplishment of your desires.\"\n\nThe dervish returned the prince's salutation, but spoke so\nunintelligibly that he could not understand one word he said. Prince\nBahman perceiving that this difficulty proceeded from the dervish's\nhair hanging over his mouth, and unwilling to go any farther without\nthe instructions he wanted, pulled out a pair of scissors he had about\nhim, and having tied his horse to a branch of the tree, said, \"Good\ndervish, I want to have some talk with you, but your hair prevents my\nunderstanding what you say, and if you will consent, I will cut off\nsome part of it and of your eyebrows, which disfigure you so much\nthat you look more like a bear than a man.\"\n\nThe dervish did not oppose the offer; and when the prince had cut off\nas much hair as he thought fit, he perceived that the dervish had a\ngood complexion, and that he did not seem so very old.\n\n\"Good dervish,\" said he, \"if I had a glass I would show you how young\nyou look: you are now a man, but before nobody could tell what you\nwere.\"\n\nThe kind behavior of Prince Bahman made the dervish smile, and return\nhis compliment.\n\n\"Sir,\" said he, \"whoever you are, I am obliged by the good office you\nhave performed, and am ready to show my gratitude by doing anything in\nmy power for you. Tell me wherein I may serve you.\"\n\n\"Good dervish,\" replied Prince Bahman, \"I am in search of the\nspeaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the yellow-water. I know these\nthree rarities are not far from here, but cannot tell exactly the\nplace where they are to be found; if you know, I conjure you to show\nme the way, that I may not lose my labor after so long a journey.\"\n\nThe prince, while he spoke, observed that the dervish changed\ncountenance, held down his eyes, looked very serious, and instead of\nmaking any reply, remained silent: which obliged him to say to him\nagain, \"Good father, tell me whether you know what I ask you, that I\nmay not lose my time, but inform myself somewhere else.\"\n\nAt last the dervish broke silence. \"Sir,\" said he to Prince Bahman, \"I\nknow the way you ask of me; but the danger you are going to expose\nyourself to is greater than you may suppose. A number of gentlemen of\nas much bravery and courage as yourself have passed this way, and\nasked me the same question. I can assure you they have all perished,\nfor I have not seen one come back. Therefore, if you have any regard\nfor your life, take my advice, go no farther, but return home.\"\n\n\"Nothing,\" replied Prince Bahman to the dervish, \"shall make me change\nmy intention. Whoever attacks me, I am brave and well armed.\"\n\n\"But they who will attack you are not to be seen,\" said the dervish.\n\"How will you defend yourself against invisible persons?\"\n\n\"It is no matter,\" answered the prince; \"all you can say shall not\npersuade me to forego my purpose. Since you know the way, I once more\nconjure you to inform me.\"\n\nWhen the dervish found he could not prevail upon Prince Bahman to\nrelinquish his journey, he put his hand into a bag that lay by him and\npulled out a bowl, which he presented to him. \"Since you will not be\nled by my advice,\" said he, \"take this bowl: when you have mounted\nyour horse, throw it before you, and follow it to the foot of a\nmountain. There, as soon as the bowl stops, alight, leave your horse\nwith the bridle over his neck, and he will stand in the same place\ntill you return. As you ascend you will see on your right and left a\ngreat number of large black stones, and will hear on all sides a\nconfusion of voices, which will utter a thousand injurious threats to\ndiscourage you, and prevent your reaching the summit of the mountain.\nBe not afraid; but above all things, do not turn your head to look\nbehind you; for in an instant you will be changed into such a black\nstone as those you see, which are all youths who have failed in this\nenterprise. If you escape the danger, of which I give you but a faint\nidea, and get to the top of the mountain, you will see a cage, and in\nthat cage is the bird you seek; ask him which are the singing-tree and\nthe yellow-water, and he will tell you. I have nothing more to say,\nexcept to beg you again not to expose your life, for the difficulty is\nalmost insuperable.\"\n\nAfter these words, the prince mounted his horse, took his leave of the\ndervish with a respectful salute, and threw the bowl before him.\n\nThe bowl rolled away unceasingly, with as much swiftness as when\nPrince Bahman first hurled it from his hand, which obliged him to put\nhis horse to the gallop to avoid losing sight of it, and when it had\nreached the foot of the mountain it stopped. The prince alighted from\nhis horse, laid the bridle on his neck, and, having first surveyed the\nmountain and seen the black stones, began to ascend. He had not gone\nfour steps before he heard the voices mentioned by the dervish, though\nhe could see nobody. Some one said, \"Where is he going?\" \"What would\nhe have?\" \"Do not let him pass\"; others, \"Stop him,\" \"Catch him,\"\n\"Kill him\"; and others, with a voice like thunder, \"Thief!\"\n\"Assassin!\" \"Murderer!\" while some, in a gibing tone, cried, \"No, no,\ndo not hurt him; let the pretty fellow pass. The cage and bird are\nkept for him.\"\n\nNotwithstanding all these troublesome voices, Prince Bahman ascended\nwith courage and resolution for some time, but the voices redoubled\nwith so loud a din near him, both behind, before, and on all sides,\nthat at last he was seized with dread, his legs trembled under him, he\nstaggered, and finding that his strength failed him, he forgot the\ndervish's advice, turned about to run down the hill, and was that\ninstant changed into a black stone. His horse likewise, at the same\nmoment, underwent the same change.\n\nFrom the time of Prince Bahman's departure, the Princess Perie-zadeh\nalways wore the knife and sheath in her girdle, and pulled it out\nseveral times a day, to know whether her brother was yet alive. She\nhad the consolation to find he was in perfect health, and to talk of\nhim frequently with Prince Perviz.\n\nOn the fatal day that Prince Bahman was transformed into a stone, as\nPrince Perviz and the princess were talking together in the evening,\nas usual, the prince desired his sister to pull out the knife to know\nhow their brother did. The princess readily complied, and seeing the\nblood run down the point, was seized with so much horror that she\nthrew it down.\n\n\"Ah! my dear brother,\" cried she, \"woe's me! I have been the cause of\nyour death, and shall never see you more! Why did I tell you of the\nspeaking-bird, the singing-tree, and yellow-water! Why did I allow my\npeace to be disturbed by the idle tales of a silly old woman!\"\n\nPrince Perviz was as much afflicted at the death of Prince Bahman as\nthe princess; but as he knew that she still passionately desired\npossession of the speaking-bird, the singing-tree, and the\ngolden-water, he interrupted her, saying, \"Sister, our regret for our\nbrother is vain and useless; our grief and lamentations cannot restore\nhim to life. It is the will of God. We must submit to it, and adore\nthe decrees of the Almighty without searching into them. Why should\nyou now doubt of the truth of what the holy woman told you? Our\nbrother's death is probably owing to some error on his part. I am\ndetermined to know the truth, and am resolved myself to undertake this\nsearch. To-morrow I shall set out.\"\n\nThe princess did all she could to dissuade Prince Perviz, conjuring\nhim not to expose her to the danger of losing two brothers; but all\nthe remonstrances she could urge had no effect upon him. Before he\nwent, that she might know what success he had, he left her a string of\na hundred pearls, telling her, that if they would not run when she\nshould count them upon the string, but remain fixed, that would be a\ncertain sign he had undergone the same fate as his brother; but at the\nsame time told her he hoped it would never happen, but that he should\nhave the happiness to see her again to their mutual satisfaction.\n\nPrince Perviz, on the twentieth day after his departure, met the same\ndervish in the same place as had his brother Bahman before him, and\nasked of him the same question. The dervish urged the same\ndifficulties and remonstrances as he had done to Prince Bahman,\ntelling him that a young gentleman, who very much resembled him, was\nwith him a short time before, and had not yet returned.\n\n\"Good dervish,\" answered Prince Perviz, \"I know whom you speak of; he\nwas my elder brother, and I am informed of the certainty of his death,\nbut know not the cause.\"\n\n\"I can tell you,\" replied the dervish. \"He was changed into a black\nstone, as all I speak of have been; and you must expect the same fate\nunless you observe more exactly than he has done the advice I gave\nhim; but I once more entreat you to renounce your resolution.\"\n\n\"Dervish,\" said Prince Perviz, \"I cannot sufficiently express how much\nI am obliged to you for your kind caution; but I cannot now relinquish\nthis enterprise; therefore I beg of you to do me the same favor you\nhave done my brother.\"\n\nOn this the dervish gave the prince a bowl with the same instructions\nhe had delivered to his brother, and so let him depart.\n\nPrince Perviz thanked the dervish, and when he had remounted, and\ntaken leave, threw the bowl before his horse, and spurring him at the\nsame time, followed it. When the bowl came to the bottom of the hill\nit stopped, the prince alighted, and stood some time to recollect the\ndervish's directions. He encouraged himself, and then began to walk up\nwith a determination to reach the summit; but before he had gone above\nsix steps, he heard a voice, which seemed to be near, as of a man\nbehind him, say in an insulting tone, \"Stay, rash youth, that I may\npunish you for your presumption.\"\n\nUpon this affront, the prince, forgetting the dervish's advice,\nclapped his hand upon his sword, drew it, and turned about to avenge\nhimself; but had scarcely time to see that nobody followed him before\nhe and his horse were changed into black stones.\n\nIn the meantime, the Princess Perie-zadeh, several times a day after\nher brother's departure, counted her chaplet. She did not omit it at\nnight, but when she went to bed put it about her neck; and in the\nmorning when she awoke counted over the pearls again to see if they\nwould slide.\n\nThe day that Prince Perviz was transformed into a stone she was\ncounting over the pearls as she used to do, when all at once they\nbecame immovably fixed, a certain token that the prince, her brother,\nwas dead. As she had determined what to do in case it should so\nhappen, she lost no time in outward demonstrations of grief, but\nproceeded at once to put her plan into execution. She disguised\nherself in her brother's robes, and having procured arms and equipment\nshe mounted her horse the next morning. Telling her servants she\nshould return in two or three days, she took the same road as her\nbrothers.\n\nOn the twentieth day she also met the dervish as her brothers had\ndone, and asked him the same question and received from him the same\nanswer, with a caution against the folly of sacrificing her life in\nsuch a search.\n\nWhen the dervish had done, the princess replied, \"By what I comprehend\nfrom your discourse, the difficulties of succeeding in this affair\nare, first, the getting up to the cage without being frightened at the\nterrible din of voices I shall hear; and, secondly, not to look behind\nme. For this last direction, I hope I shall be mistress enough of\nmyself to observe it. As to the first, I desire to know of you if I\nmay use a stratagem against those voices which you describe, and which\nare so well calculated to excite terror.\"\n\n\"And what stratagem is it you would employ?\" said the dervish.\n\n\"To stop my ears with cotton,\" answered the princess, \"that the\nvoices, however loud and terrible, may make the less impression upon\nmy imagination, and my mind remain free from that disturbance which\nmight cause me to lose the use of my reason.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" replied the dervish, \"if you persist in your design, you\nmay make the experiment. You will be fortunate if it succeeds; but I\nwould advise you not to expose yourself to the danger.\"\n\nAfter the princess had thanked the dervish, and taken her leave of\nhim, she mounted her horse, threw down the bowl which he had given\nher, and followed it till it stopped at the foot of the mountain.\n\nThe princess alighted, stopped her ears with cotton, and after she had\nwell examined the path leading to the summit, began with a moderate\npace, and walked up with intrepidity. She heard the voices, and\nperceived the great service the cotton was to her. The higher she\nwent, the louder and more numerous the voices seemed; but they were\nnot capable of making any impression upon her. She heard a great many\naffronting speeches and insulting accusations, which she only laughed\nat. At last she saw the cage and the bird, while at the same moment\nthe clamor and thunders of the invisible voices greatly increased.\n\nThe princess, encouraged by the sight of the object of which she was\nin search, redoubled her speed, and soon gained the summit of the\nmountain, where the ground was level; then running directly to the\ncage, and clapping her hand upon it, cried, \"Bird, I have you, and you\nshall not escape me.\"\n\nAt the same moment the voices ceased.\n\nWhile Perie-zadeh was pulling the cotton out of her ears the bird said\nto her, \"Heroic princess, since I am destined to be a slave, I would\nrather be yours than any other person's, since you have obtained me so\ncourageously. From this instant I pay an entire submission to all your\ncommands. I know who you are, for you are not what you seem, and I\nwill one day tell you more. In the meantime, say what you desire, and\nI am ready to obey you.\"\n\n\"Bird,\" said Perie-zadeh, \"I have been told that there is not far off\na golden-water, the property of which is very wonderful; before all\nthings, I ask you to tell me where it is.\"\n\nThe bird showed her the place, which was just by, and she went and\nfilled a little silver flagon which she had brought with her. She\nreturned to the bird, and said, \"Bird, this is not enough; I want also\nthe singing-tree. Tell me where it is.\"\n\n\"Turn about,\" said the bird, \"and you will see behind you a wood,\nwhere you will find this tree. Break off a branch, and carry it to\nplant in your garden; it will take root as soon as it is put into the\nearth, and in a little time will grow to a fine tree.\"\n\nThe princess went into the wood, and by the harmonious concert she\nheard, soon discovered the singing-tree.\n\nWhen the princess had obtained possession of the branch of the\nsinging-tree, she returned again to the bird, and said, \"Bird, what\nyou have yet done for me is not sufficient. My two brothers, in their\nsearch for thee, have been transformed into black stones on the side\nof the mountain. Tell me how I may obtain their dis-enchantment.\"\n\nThe bird seemed most reluctant to inform the princess on this point;\nbut on her threatening to take his life, he bade her sprinkle every\nstone on her way down the mountain with a little of the water from the\ngolden fountain. She did so, and every stone she thus touched resumed\nthe shape of a man or of a horse ready caparisoned. Among these were\nher two brothers, Bahman and Perviz, who exchanged with her the most\naffectionate embraces.\n\nHaving explained to her brothers and the band of noble youths who had\nbeen enchanted in their search after these three wonders, the means of\ntheir recovery, Perie-zadeh placed herself at their head, and bade\nthem follow her to the old dervish, to thank him for his reception and\nwholesome advice, which they had all found to be sincere. But he was\ndead, whether from old age or because he was no longer needed to show\nthe way to the obtaining the three rarities which the Princess\nPerie-zadeh had secured, did not appear. The procession, headed by\nPerie-zadeh, pursued its route, but lessened in its numbers every day.\nThe youths, who had come from different countries, took leave of the\nprincess and her brothers one after another, as they approached the\nvarious roads by which they had come.\n\nAs soon as the princess reached home, she placed the cage in the\ngarden; and the bird no sooner began to warble than he was surrounded\nby nightingales, chaffinches, larks, linnets, goldfinches, and every\nspecies of birds of the country. And the branch of the singing-tree\nwas no sooner set in the midst of the parterre, a little distance from\nthe house, than it took root, and in a short time became a large tree,\nthe leaves of which gave as harmonious a concert as those of the tree\nfrom which it was gathered. A large basin of beautiful marble was\nplaced in the garden; and when it was finished the princess poured\ninto it all the yellow-water from the flagon, which instantly\nincreased and swelled so much that it soon reached up to the edges of\nthe basin, and afterward formed in the middle a fountain twenty feet\nhigh which fell again into the basin perpetually without running over.\n\nThe report of these wonders was presently spread abroad, and as the\ngates of the house and those of the gardens were shut to nobody, a\ngreat number of people came to admire them.\n\nSome days after, when the Princes Bahman and Perviz had recovered from\nthe fatigue of their journey, they resumed their former way of living;\nand as their usual diversion was hunting, they mounted their horses\nand went for the first time since their return, not to their own\ndemesne, but two or three leagues from their house. As they pursued\ntheir sport, the Emperor of Persia came in pursuit of game upon the\nsame ground. When they perceived by the number of horsemen in\ndifferent places that he would soon be up, they resolved to\ndiscontinue their chase, and retire to avoid encountering him; but in\nthe very road they took they chanced to meet him in so narrow a way\nthat they could not retreat without being seen. In their surprise they\nhad only time to alight, and prostrate themselves before the emperor.\nHe stopped and commanded them to rise. The princes rose up, and stood\nbefore him with an easy and graceful air. The emperor, after he had\nadmired their good air and mien, asked them who they were, and where\nthey lived.\n\n\"Sire,\" said Prince Bahman, \"we are the sons of the late intendant of\nyour majesty's gardens, and live in a house which he built a little\nbefore he died, till it should please you to give us some employment.\"\n\n\"By what I perceive,\" replied the emperor, \"you love hunting.\"\n\n\"Sire,\" replied Prince Bahman, \"it is our common exercise, and what\nnone of your majesty's subjects who intend to bear arms in your armies\nought, according to the ancient custom of the kingdom, to neglect.\"\n\nThe emperor, charmed with so prudent an answer, said, \"It is so, and I\nshould be glad to see your expertness in the chase; choose your own\ngame.\"\n\nThe princes mounted their horses again, and followed the emperor; but\nhad not gone far before they saw many wild beasts together. Prince\nBahman chose a lion, and Prince Perviz a bear; and pursued them with\nso much intrepidity, that the emperor was surprised. They came up with\ntheir game nearly at the same time, and darted their javelins with so\nmuch skill and address, that they pierced, the one the lion and the\nother the bear, so effectually that the emperor saw them fall one\nafter the other. Immediately afterward Prince Bahman pursued another\nbear, and Prince Perviz another lion, and killed them in a short time,\nand would have beaten out for fresh game, but the emperor would not\nlet them, and sent to them to come to him.\n\nWhen they approached, he said, \"If I would have given you leave, you\nwould soon have destroyed all my game; but it is not that which I\nwould preserve, but your persons; for I am so well assured your\nbravery may one time or other be serviceable to me, that from this\nmoment your lives will be always dear to me.\"\n\nThe emperor, in short, conceived so great a fondness for the two\nprinces that he invited them immediately to make him a visit; to which\nPrince Bahman replied, \"Your majesty does us an honor we do not\ndeserve; and we beg you will excuse us.\"\n\nThe emperor, who could not comprehend what reason the princes could\nhave to refuse this token of his favor, pressed them to tell him why\nthey excused themselves.\n\n\"Sire,\" said Prince Bahman, \"we have a sister younger than ourselves,\nwith whom we live in such perfect union that we undertake nothing\nbefore we consult her, nor she anything without asking our advice.\"\n\n\"I commend your brotherly affection,\" answered the emperor. \"Consult\nyour sister, then meet me here to-morrow, and give me an answer.\"\n\nThe princes went home, but neglected to speak of their adventure in\nmeeting the emperor, and hunting with him, and also of the honor he\nhad done them by asking them to go home with him; yet did not the next\nmorning fail to meet him at the place appointed.\n\n\"Well,\" said the emperor, \"have you spoken to your sister? And has she\nconsented to the pleasure I expect of seeing you?\"\n\nThe two princes looked at each other and blushed.\n\n\"Sire,\" said Prince Bahman, \"we beg your majesty to excuse us; for\nboth my brother and I forgot.\"\n\n\"Then remember to-day,\" replied the emperor, \"and be sure to bring me\nan answer to-morrow.\"\n\nThe princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the\nemperor was so good-natured as to forgive their negligence; but to\nprevent their forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little\ngolden balls out of a purse, and put them into Prince Bahman's bosom.\n\n\"These balls,\" said he, smiling, \"will prevent you forgetting a third\ntime what I wish you to do, since the noise they will make by falling\non the floor, when you undress, will remind you, if you do not\nrecollect it before.\"\n\nThe event happened just as the emperor foresaw; and without these\nballs the princes had not thought of speaking to their sister of this\naffair. For as Prince Bahman unloosened his girdle to go to bed the\nballs dropped on the floor, upon which he ran into Prince Perviz's\nchamber, when both went into the Princess Perie-zadeh's apartment, and\nafter they had asked her pardon for coming at so unseasonable a time,\nthey told her all the circumstances of their meeting the emperor.\n\nThe princess was somewhat surprised at this intelligence. \"It was on\nmy account, I know,\" she said, \"you refused the emperor, and I am\ninfinitely obliged to you for doing so. For, my dear brothers, I know\nby this your affection for me is equal to my own. But you know\nmonarchs will be obeyed in their desires, and it may be dangerous to\noppose them; therefore, if to follow my inclination I should dissuade\nyou from showing the complaisance the emperor expects from you, it may\nexpose you to his resentment, and may render myself and you miserable.\nThese are my sentiments; but before we conclude upon anything let us\nconsult the speaking-bird, and hear what he says; he is wise, and has\npromised his assistance in all difficulties.\"\n\nThe princess sent for the cage, and after she had related the\ncircumstances to the bird in the presence of her brothers, asked him\nwhat they should do in this perplexity.\n\nThe bird answered,[40] \"The princes, your brothers, must conform to\nthe emperor's pleasure, and in their turn invite him to come and see\nyour house.\"\n\n[Footnote 40: To understand the language of birds was peculiarly one\nof the boasted sciences of the Arabians, who pretend that many of\ntheir countrymen have been skilled in the knowledge of the language of\nbirds ever since the time of King Solomon. Their writers relate that\nBalkis, the Queen of Sheba, had a bird called Hudhud, that is,\nlapwing, which was her trusty messenger to King Solomon. D'Herbelot\ntells this story of Athejaj, a famous Arabian commander: While he and\na camel driver were talking together, a bird flew over their heads,\nmaking, at the same time, an unusual sort of noise, which the camel\ndriver hearing, looked steadfastly on Athejaj, and demanded who he\nwas. Athejaj, not choosing to answer, desired to know the reason of\nthat question. \"Because,\" replied the camel driver, \"this bird assured\nme that a company of people is coming this way, and that you are the\nchief of them.\" While he was speaking, Athejaj's attendants\narrived.--_Warton's History of Poetry_, Vol. II, p. 182. Ed. 1840.]\n\nNext morning the princes met the emperor again, who called and asked\nthem, while they were yet afar off, if they had remembered to speak to\ntheir sister. Prince Bahman approached, and answered, \"Sire, your\nmajesty may dispose of us as you please. We are ready to obey you; for\nwe have not only obtained our sister's consent with great ease, but\nshe took it amiss that we should pay her that deference in a matter\nwherein our duty to your majesty was concerned. But if we have\noffended, we hope you will pardon us.\"\n\n\"Do not be uneasy on that account,\" replied the emperor. \"So far from\ntaking amiss what you have done, I highly approve of your conduct, and\nhope you will have the same deference and attachment to my person, if\nI have ever so little share in your friendship.\"\n\nThe princes, confounded at the emperor's goodness, returned no other\nanswer but a low obeisance, to show the great respect with which they\nreceived it.\n\nThe emperor gave orders to return at once to his palace. He made the\nprinces ride one on each side of him, an honor which grieved the grand\nvizier, who was much mortified to see them preferred before him.\n\nWhen the emperor entered his capital, the eyes of the people, who\nstood in crowds in the streets, were fixed upon the two Princes Bahman\nand Perviz; and they were earnest to know who they might be,\nwhether foreigners or natives, and many wished that the emperor had\nbeen blessed with two such handsome princes.\n\n[Illustration: _He presently discovered a gold box, about a foot\nsquare, which he gave into the princess's hands Page 147_]\n\nThe first thing that the emperor did when he arrived at his palace was\nto conduct the princes into the principal apartments. With due\ndiscrimination, like persons conversant in such matters, they praised\nthe beauty and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness of the\nfurniture and ornaments. Afterward, a magnificent repast was served\nup, and the emperor made them sit with him, and was so much pleased\nwith the wit, judgment, and discernment shown by the two princes that\nhe said, \"Were these my own children, and I had improved their talents\nby suitable education, they could not have been more accomplished or\nbetter informed.\"\n\nWhen night approached, the two princes prostrated themselves at the\nemperor's feet; and having thanked him for the favors he had heaped\nupon them, asked his permission to retire, which was granted by the\nemperor.\n\nBefore they went out of the emperor's presence, Prince Bahman said,\n\"Sire, may we presume to request that you will do us and our sister\nthe honor to visit us the first time you take the diversion of hunting\nin that neighborhood? Our house is not worthy your presence; but\nmonarchs sometimes have vouchsafed to take shelter in a cottage.\"\n\n\"My children,\" replied the emperor, \"your house cannot be otherwise\nthan beautiful, and worthy of its owners. I will call and see it with\npleasure, which will be the greater for having for my hosts you and\nyour sister, who is already dear to me from the accounts you give me\nof the rare qualities with which she is endowed; and this\nsatisfaction I will defer no longer than to-morrow. Early in the\nmorning I will be at the place where I shall never forget that I first\nsaw you. Meet me, and you shall be my guides.\"\n\nWhen the Princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home they gave the\nprincess an account of the distinguished reception the emperor had\naccorded them, and told her that he would call at their house the next\nday.\n\n\"If it be so,\" replied the princess, \"we must think of preparing a\nrepast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it would be\nproper we should consult the speaking-bird; he will tell us perhaps\nwhat meats the emperor likes best.\"\n\nThe princes approved of her plan, and after they had retired, she\nconsulted the bird alone.\n\n\"Bird,\" said she, \"the emperor will to-morrow come to see our house,\nand we are to entertain him. Tell us what we shall do to acquit\nourselves to his satisfaction.\"\n\n\"Good mistress,\" replied the bird, \"you have excellent cooks; let them\ndo the best they can. But above all things, let them prepare a dish of\ncucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set before the emperor\nin the first course, before all the other dishes.\"\n\n\"Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!\" cried Princess Perie-zadeh, with\namazement. \"Surely, bird, you do not know what you say. It is an\nunheard-of dish! Besides, all the pearls I possess are not enough for\nsuch a dish.\"\n\n\"Mistress,\" said the bird, \"do what I say, and as for the pearls, go\nearly to-morrow morning to the foot of the first tree on your right\nhand in the park, dig under it, and you will find more than you want.\"\n\nThe princess immediately ordered a gardener to be ready to attend her\nin the morning, and led him at daybreak to the tree which the bird had\ntold her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the gardener came to a\ncertain depth, he found some resistance to the spade, and presently\ndiscovered a gold box, about a foot square, which he gave into the\nprincess's hands. As it was fastened only with neat little hasps, she\nsoon opened it, and found it full of pearls. Very well satisfied with\nhaving found this treasure, after she had shut the box again she put\nit under her arm, and went back to the house; while the gardener threw\nthe earth into the hole at the foot of the tree as it had been before.\n\nThe princess, as she returned to the house, met her two brothers and\ngave them an account of her having consulted the bird, and the answer\nhe had given her to prepare a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of\npearls, and how he had told her where to find this box. The princes\nand princess, though they could not by any means guess at the reason\nof the bird ordering them to prepare such a dish, yet agreed to follow\nhis advice exactly.\n\nAs soon as the princess entered the house she called for the head\ncook; and after she had given him directions about the entertainment\nfor the emperor, said to him, \"Besides all this, you must dress an\nextraordinary dish to set before the emperor himself. This dish must\nbe of cucumbers stuffed with these pearls.\" And at the same time she\nopened the box and showed him the pearls.\n\nThe chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back, and\ncould make no reply, but took the box and retired. Afterward the\nprincess gave directions to all the domestics to have everything in\norder, both in house and gardens, to receive the emperor.\n\nNext day the two princes went to the place appointed; and as soon as\nthe Emperor of Persia arrived the chase began, which lasted till the\nheat of the sun obliged him to leave off. While Prince Bahman stayed\nto conduct the emperor to their house, Prince Perviz rode before to\nshow the way, and when he came in sight of the house, spurred his\nhorse, to inform the Princess Perie-zadeh that the emperor was\napproaching; but she had been told by some attendants whom she had\nplaced to give notice, and the prince found her waiting ready to\nreceive him.\n\nWhen the emperor had entered the courtyard, and alighted at the\nportico, the princess came and threw herself at his feet.\n\nThe emperor stooped to raise her, and after he had gazed some time on\nher beauty, said, \"The brothers are worthy of the sister, and she is\nworthy of them. I am not amazed that the brothers would do nothing\nwithout their sister's consent; but,\" added he, \"I hope to be better\nacquainted with you, my daughter, after I have seen the house.\"\n\nThe princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the hall;\nand after he had considered them very attentively and admired their\nvariety, \"My daughter,\" said he to the princess, \"do you call this a\ncountry house? The finest and largest cities would soon be deserted if\nall country houses were like yours. I am no longer surprised that you\ntake so much delight in it, and despise the town. Now let me see the\ngarden, which I doubt not is answerable to the house.\"\n\nThe princess opened a door which led into the garden; and conducted\nhim to the spot where the harmonious tree was planted, and there the\nemperor heard a concert, different from all he had ever heard before.\nStopping to see where the musicians were, he could discern nobody far\nor near, but still distinctly heard the music, which ravished his\nsenses. \"My daughter,\" said he to the princess, \"where are the\nmusicians whom I hear? Are they underground, or invisible in the air?\nSuch excellent performers will lose nothing by being seen; on the\ncontrary, they would please the more.\"\n\n\"Sire,\" answered the princess, smiling, \"they are not musicians, but\nthe leaves of the tree your majesty sees before you, which form this\nconcert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to go a little\nnearer, you will be convinced, for the voices will be the more\ndistinct.\"\n\nThe emperor went nearer, and was so charmed with the sweet harmony\nthat he could never have been tired with hearing it.\n\n\"Daughter,\" said he, \"tell me, I pray you, whether this wonderful tree\nwas found in your garden by chance, or was a present made to you, or\nhave you procured it from some foreign country? It must certainly have\ncome from a great distance, otherwise, curious as I am after natural\nrarities, I should have heard of it. What name do you call it by?\"\n\n\"Sire,\" replied the princess, \"this tree has no other name than that\nof the singing-tree, and is not a native of this country. Its history\nis connected with the yellow-water and the speaking-bird, which came\nto me at the same time, and which your majesty may see after you have\nrested yourself. And if it please you, I will relate to you the\nhistory of these rarities.\"\n\n\"My daughter,\" replied the emperor, \"my fatigue is so well recompensed\nby the wonderful things you have shown me, that I do not feel it the\nleast. I am impatient to see the yellow-water and to admire the\nspeaking-bird.\"\n\nWhen the emperor came to the yellow-water his eyes were fixed so\nsteadfastly upon the fountain that he could not take them off. At\nlast, addressing himself to the princess, he said, \"Whence is this\nwonderful water? Where its source? By what art is it made to play so\nhigh that nothing in the world can be compared to it? I conclude that\nit is foreign, as well as the singing-tree.\"\n\n\"Sire,\" replied the princess, \"it is as your majesty conjectures; and\nto let you know that this water has no communication with any spring,\nI must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so that the\nwater cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But what your majesty\nwill think most wonderful is, that all this water proceeded but from\none small flagon, emptied into this basin, which increased to the\nquantity you see, by a property peculiar to itself, and formed this\nfountain.\"\n\n\"Well,\" said the emperor, going from the fountain, \"this is enough for\none time. I promise myself the pleasure to come and visit it often.\nNow let us go and see the speaking-bird.\"\n\nAs he went toward the hall, the emperor perceived a prodigious number\nof singing-birds in the trees around, filling the air with their songs\nand warblings, and asked why there were so many there, and none on the\nother trees in the garden.\n\n\"The reason, sire,\" answered the princess, \"is, because they come from\nall parts to accompany the song of the speaking-bird, which your\nmajesty may see in a cage in one of the windows of the hall we are\napproaching; and if you attend, you will perceive that his notes are\nsweeter than those of any of the other birds, even the nightingale's.\"\n\nThe emperor went into the hall; and as the bird continued singing, the\nprincess raised her voice, and said, \"My slave, here is the emperor.\nPay your compliments to him.\"\n\nThe bird left off singing that instant, all the other birds ceasing\nalso, and it said, \"God save the emperor. May he long live!\"\n\nAs the entertainment was served at the sofa near the window where the\nbird was placed, the sultan replied, as he was taking his seat, \"Bird,\nI thank you, and am overjoyed to find in you the sultan and king of\nbirds.\"\n\nAs soon as the emperor saw the dish of cucumbers set before him,\nthinking it was stuffed in the best manner, he reached out his hand\nand took one; but when he cut it, was in extreme surprise to find it\nstuffed with pearls.\n\n\"What novelty is this?\" said he. \"And with what design were these\ncucumbers stuffed thus with pearls, since pearls are not to be eaten!\"\n\nHe looked at the two princes and the princess to ask them the meaning;\nwhen the bird, interrupting him, said, \"Can your majesty be in such\ngreat astonishment at cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which you see\nwith your own eyes, and yet so easily believe that the queen your wife\nwas the mother of a dog, a cat, and of a piece of wood?\"\n\n\"I believed those things,\" replied the emperor, \"because the nurses\nassured me of the facts.\"\n\n\"Those nurses, sire,\" replied the bird, \"were the queen's two sisters,\nwho, envious of her happiness in being preferred by your majesty\nbefore them, to satisfy their envy and revenge have abused your\nmajesty's credulity. If you interrogate them, they will confess their\ncrime. The two brothers and the sister whom you see before you are\nyour own children, whom they exposed, and who were saved by the\nintendant of your gardens, who adopted and brought them up as his own\nchildren.\"\n\n\"Bird,\" cried the emperor, \"I believe the truth which you discover to\nme. The inclination which drew me to them told me plainly they must be\nmy own kin. Come then, my sons, come, my daughter, let me embrace you,\nand give you the first marks of a father's love and tenderness.\"\n\nThe emperor then rose, and after having embraced the two princes and\nthe princess, and mingled his tears with theirs, said, \"It is not\nenough, my children. You must embrace each other, not as the children\nof the intendant of my gardens, to whom I have been so much obliged\nfor preserving your lives, but as my own children, of the royal blood\nof the monarchs of Persia, whose glory, I am persuaded, you will\nmaintain.\"\n\nAfter the two princes and the princess had embraced mutually with new\nsatisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished his\nmeal in haste; and when he had done, said, \"My children, you see in me\nyour father; to-morrow I will bring the queen your mother. Therefore\nprepare to receive her.\"\n\nThe emperor afterward mounted his horse, and returned with expedition\nto his capital. The first thing he did, as soon as he had alighted and\nentered his palace, was to command the grand vizier to seize the\nqueen's two sisters. They were taken from their houses separately,\nconvicted and condemned, and the fatal sentence was put in execution\nwithin an hour.\n\nIn the meantime the Emperor Khoonoo-shah, followed by all the lords of\nhis court who were then present, went on foot to the door of the great\nmosque; and after he had taken the queen out of the strict confinement\nshe had languished under for so many years, embracing her in the\nmiserable condition to which she was then reduced, he said to her,\nwith tears in his eyes:\n\n\"I come to entreat your pardon for the injustice I have done you, and\nto make you the reparation I ought. I have punished your cruel sisters\nwho put the abominable cheat upon me; and I hope soon to present to\nyou two accomplished princes and a lovely princess, our children. Come\nand resume your former rank, with all the honors which are your due.\"\n\nAll this was done and said before great crowds of people, who flocked\nfrom all parts at the first news of what was passing, and immediately\nspread the joyful intelligence through the city.\n\nNext morning early the emperor and queen, whose mournful humiliating\ndress was changed for magnificent robes, went with all their court to\nthe house built by the intendant of the gardens, where the emperor\npresented the Princes Bahman and Perviz and the Princess Perie-zadeh\nto their enraptured mother.\n\n\"These, much injured wife,\" said he, \"are the two princes your sons,\nand this the princess your daughter; embrace them with the same\ntenderness I have done, since they are worthy both of me and you.\"\n\nThe tears flowed plentifully down the cheeks of all, but especially of\nthe queen, from her exceeding joy at having two such princes for her\nsons, and such a princess for her daughter, on whose account she had\nso long endured the severest afflictions.\n\nThe two princes and the princess had prepared a magnificent repast for\nthe emperor and queen and their court. As soon as that was over, the\nemperor led the queen into the garden, and showed her the\nharmonious-tree and the beautiful yellow-fountain. She had already\nseen and heard the speaking-bird in his cage, and the emperor had\nspared no panegyric in his praise during the repast.\n\nWhen there was nothing to detain the emperor any longer, he took\nhorse, and with the Princes Bahman and Perviz on his right hand, and\nthe queen and the princess at his left, preceded and followed by all\nthe officers of his court according to their rank, returned to his\ncapital. Crowds of people came out to meet them, and with acclamations\nof joy ushered them into the city, where all eyes were fixed not only\nupon the queen, the two princes, and the princess, but also upon the\nbird which the princess carried before her in his cage, admiring his\nsweet notes which had drawn all the other birds about him, which\nfollowed him, flying from tree to tree in the country, and from one\nhousetop to another in the city.\n\nThe Princes Bahman and Perviz and the Princess Perie-zadeh were at\nlength brought to the palace with this pomp, and nothing was to be\nseen or heard all that night but illuminations and rejoicings both in\nthe palace and in the utmost parts of the city, which lasted for many\ndays, and extended throughout the empire of Persia.\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP\n\n\nIn one of the large and rich cities of China there once lived a tailor\nnamed Mustapha. He was very poor. He could hardly, by his daily labor,\nmaintain himself and his family, which consisted only of his wife and\na son.\n\nHis son, who was called Aladdin,[41] was a very careless and idle\nfellow. He was disobedient to his father and mother, and would go out\nearly in the morning and stay out all day, playing in the streets and\npublic places with idle children of his own age.\n\n[Footnote 41: Aladdin signifies \"The Nobility of the Religion.\"--Lane,\nVol. II, p. 285.]\n\nWhen he was old enough to learn a trade his father took him into his\nown shop, and taught him how to use his needle; but all his father's\nendeavors to keep him to his work were vain, for no sooner was his\nback turned than the boy was gone for that day. Mustapha chastised\nhim, but Aladdin was incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief,\nwas forced to abandon him to his idleness. He was so much troubled\nabout him, that he fell sick and died in a few months.\n\nAladdin, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father,\ngave himself over entirely to his idle habits, and was never out of\nthe streets from his companions. This course he followed till he was\nfifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or\nthe least reflection on what would become of him. As he was one day\nplaying in the street with his evil associates, according to custom,\na stranger passing by stood to observe him.\n\nThis stranger was a sorcerer, known as the African magician, as he had\nbeen but two days arrived from Africa, his native country.\n\nThe African magician, observing in Aladdin's countenance something\nwhich assured him that he was a fit boy for his purpose, inquired his\nname and history of his companions. When he had learned all he desired\nto know, he went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades,\nsaid, \"Child, was not your father called Mustapha the tailor?\"\n\n\"Yes, sir,\" answered the boy, \"but he has been dead a long time.\"\n\nAt these words the African magician threw his arms about Aladdin's\nneck, and kissed him several times, with tears in his eyes, saying, \"I\nam your uncle. Your worthy father was my own brother. I knew you at\nfirst sight, you are so like him.\"\n\nThen he gave Aladdin a handful of small money, saying, \"Go, my son, to\nyour mother. Give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her\nto-morrow, that I may see where my good brother lived so long, and\nended his days.\"\n\nAladdin ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given\nhim.\n\n\"Mother,\" said he, \"have I an uncle?\"\n\n\"No, child,\" replied his mother, \"you have no uncle by your father's\nside or mine.\"\n\n\"I am just now come,\" said Aladdin, \"from a man who says he is my\nuncle, and my father's brother. He cried, and kissed me, when I told\nhim my father was dead, and gave me money, sending his love to you,\nand promising to come and pay you a visit, that he may see the house\nmy father lived and died in.\"\n\n\"Indeed, child,\" replied the mother, \"your father had no brother, nor\nhave you an uncle.\"\n\nThe next day the magician found Aladdin playing in another part of the\ntown, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold into his\nhand, and said to him, \"Carry this, child, to your mother. Tell her\nthat I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something\nfor supper. But first show me the house where you live.\"\n\nAladdin showed the African magician the house, and carried the two\npieces of gold to his mother, who went out and bought provisions; and\nconsidering she wanted various utensils, borrowed them of her\nneighbors. She spent the whole day in preparing the supper; and at\nnight, when it was ready, said to her son, \"Perhaps the stranger knows\nnot how to find our house; go and bring him, if you meet with him.\"\n\nAladdin was just ready to go, when the magician knocked at the door,\nand came in loaded with wine and all sorts of fruits, which he brought\nfor a dessert. After he had given what he brought into Aladdin's\nhands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to show him the place\nwhere his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when she had\nso done, he fell down, and kissed it several times, crying out, with\ntears in his eyes, \"My poor brother! how unhappy am I, not to have\ncome soon enough to give you one last embrace!\"\n\nAladdin's mother desired him to sit down in the same place, but he\ndeclined.\n\n\"No,\" said he, \"I shall not do that; but give me leave to sit opposite\nto it, that although I see not the master of a family so dear to me, I\nmay at least behold the place where he used to sit.\"\n\nWhen the magician had made choice of a place, and sat down, he began\nto enter into discourse with Aladdin's mother.\n\n\"My good sister,\" said he, \"do not be surprised at your never having\nseen me all the time you have been married to my brother Mustapha of\nhappy memory. I have been forty years absent from this country, which\nis my native place as well as my late brother's. During that time I\nhave traveled into the Indies, Persia, Arabia, and Syria, and\nafterward crossed over into Africa, where I took up my abode in Egypt.\nAt last, as it is natural for a man, I was desirous to see my native\ncountry again, and to embrace my dear brother; and finding I had\nstrength enough to undertake so long a journey, I made the necessary\npreparations, and set out. Nothing ever afflicted me so much as\nhearing of my brother's death. But God be praised for all things! It\nis a comfort for me to find, as it were, my brother in a son, who has\nhis most remarkable features.\"\n\nThe African magician, perceiving that the widow wept at the\nremembrance of her husband, changed the conversation, and turning\ntoward her son, asked him, \"What business do you follow? Are you of\nany trade?\"\n\nAt this question the youth hung down his head, and was not a little\nabashed when his mother answered, \"Aladdin is an idle fellow. His\nfather, when alive, strove all he could to teach him his trade, but\ncould not succeed; and since his death, notwithstanding all I can say\nto him, he does nothing but idle away his time in the streets, as you\nsaw him, without considering he is no longer a child; and if you do\nnot make him ashamed of it, I despair of his ever coming to any good.\nFor my part, I am resolved, one of these days, to turn him out of\ndoors, and let him provide for himself.\"\n\nAfter these words, Aladdin's mother burst into tears; and the magician\nsaid, \"This is not well, nephew; you must think of helping yourself,\nand getting your livelihood. There are many sorts of trades; perhaps\nyou do not like your father's, and would prefer another; I will\nendeavor to help you. If you have no mind to learn any handicraft, I\nwill take a shop for you, furnish it with all sorts of fine stuffs and\nlinens; and then with the money you make of them you can lay in fresh\ngoods, and live in an honorable way. Tell me freely what you think of\nmy proposal; you shall always find me ready to keep my word.\"\n\nThis plan just suited Aladdin, who hated work. He told the magician he\nhad a greater inclination to that business than to any other, and that\nhe should be much obliged to him for his kindness. \"Well, then,\" said\nthe African magician, \"I will carry you with me to-morrow, clothe you\nas handsomely as the best merchants in the city, and afterward we will\nopen a shop as I mentioned.\"\n\nThe widow, after his promise of kindness to her son, no longer doubted\nthat the magician was her husband's brother. She thanked him for his\ngood intentions; and after having exhorted Aladdin to render himself\nworthy of his uncle's favor, she served up supper, at which they\ntalked of several indifferent matters; and then the magician took his\nleave and retired.\n\nHe came again the next day, as he had promised, and took Aladdin with\nhim to a merchant, who sold all sorts of clothes for different ages\nand ranks, ready made, and a variety of fine stuffs, and bade Aladdin\nchoose those he preferred, which he paid for.\n\nWhen Aladdin found himself so handsomely equipped, he returned his\nuncle thanks, who thus addressed him: \"As you are soon to be a\nmerchant, it is proper you should frequent these shops, and become\nacquainted with them.\"\n\nHe then showed him the largest and finest mosques, carried him to the\nkhans or inns where the merchants and travelers lodged, and afterward\nto the sultan's palace, where he had free access; and at last brought\nhim to his own khan, where, meeting with some merchants he had become\nacquainted with since his arrival, he gave them a treat, to bring them\nand his pretended nephew acquainted.\n\nThis entertainment lasted till night, when Aladdin would have taken\nleave of his uncle to go home. The magician would not let him go by\nhimself, but conducted him to his mother, who, as soon as she saw him\nso well dressed, was transported with joy, and bestowed a thousand\nblessings upon the magician.\n\nEarly the next morning the magician called again for Aladdin, and said\nhe would take him to spend that day in the country, and on the next he\nwould purchase the shop. He then led him out at one of the gates of\nthe city, to some magnificent palaces, to each of which belonged\nbeautiful gardens, into which anybody might enter. At every building\nhe came to he asked Aladdin if he did not think it fine; and the youth\nwas ready to answer, when any one presented itself, crying out, \"Here\nis a finer house, uncle, than any we have yet seen.\"\n\nBy this artifice the cunning magician led Aladdin some way into the\ncountry; and as he meant to carry him farther, to execute his design,\npretending to be tired, he took an opportunity to sit down in one of\nthe gardens, on the brink of a fountain of clear water which\ndischarged itself by a lion's mouth of bronze into a basin.\n\n\"Come, nephew,\" said he, \"you must be weary as well as I. Let us rest\nourselves, and we shall be better able to pursue our walk.\"\n\nThe magician next pulled from his girdle a handkerchief with cakes and\nfruit, and during this short repast he exhorted his nephew to leave\noff bad company, and to seek that of wise and prudent men, to improve\nby their conversation. \"For,\" said he, \"you will soon be at man's\nestate, and you cannot too early begin to imitate their example.\"\n\nWhen they had eaten as much as they liked, they got up, and pursued\ntheir walk through gardens separated from one another only by small\nditches, which marked out the limits without interrupting the\ncommunication; so great was the confidence the inhabitants reposed in\neach other.\n\nBy this means the African magician drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the\ngardens, and crossed the country, till they nearly reached the\nmountains.\n\nAt last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height and\nequal size, divided by a narrow valley, where the magician intended to\nexecute the design that had brought him from Africa to China.\n\n\"We will go no farther now,\" said he to Aladdin. \"I will show you\nhere some extraordinary things, which, when you have seen, you will\nthank me for; but while I strike a light, gather up all the loose dry\nsticks you can see, to kindle a fire with.\"\n\nAladdin found so many dried sticks that he soon collected a great\nheap. The magician presently set them on fire; and when they were in a\nblaze he threw in some incense, pronouncing several magical words,\nwhich Aladdin did not understand.\n\nHe had scarcely done so when the earth opened just before the\nmagician, and disclosed a stone with a brass ring fixed in it. Aladdin\nwas so frightened that he would have run away, but the magician caught\nhold of him, and gave him such a box on the ear that he knocked him\ndown. Aladdin got up trembling, and, with tears in his eyes, said to\nthe magician, \"What have I done, uncle, to be treated in this severe\nmanner?\"\n\n\"I am your uncle,\" answered the magician; \"I supply the place of your\nfather, and you ought to make no reply. But, child,\" added he,\nsoftening, \"do not be afraid; for I shall not ask anything of you, but\nthat, if you obey me punctually, you will reap the advantages which I\nintend you. Know, then, that under this stone there is hidden a\ntreasure, destined to be yours, and which will make you richer than\nthe greatest monarch in the world. No person but yourself is permitted\nto lift this stone, or enter the cave; so you must punctually execute\nwhat I may command, for it is a matter of great consequence both to\nyou and to me.\"\n\nAladdin, amazed at all he saw and heard, forgot what was past, and\nrising said, \"Well, uncle, what is to be done? Command me. I am ready\nto obey.\"\n\n\"I am overjoyed, child,\" said the African magician, embracing him.\n\"Take hold of the ring, and lift up that stone.\"\n\n\"Indeed, uncle,\" replied Aladdin, \"I am not strong enough; you must\nhelp me.\"\n\n\"You have no occasion for my assistance,\" answered the magician; \"if I\nhelp you, we shall be able to do nothing. Take hold of the ring, and\nlift it up; you will find it will come easily.\" Aladdin did as the\nmagician bade him, raised the stone with ease, and laid it on one\nside.\n\nWhen the stone was pulled up there appeared a staircase about three or\nfour feet deep, leading to a door.\n\n\"Descend those steps, my son,\" said the African magician, \"and open\nthat door. It will lead you into a palace, divided into three great\nhalls. In each of these you will see four large brass cisterns placed\non each side, full of gold and silver; but take care you do not meddle\nwith them. Before you enter the first hall, be sure to tuck up your\nrobe, wrap it about you, and then pass through the second into the\nthird without stopping. Above all things, have a care that you do not\ntouch the walls so much as with your clothes; for if you do, you will\ndie instantly. At the end of the third hall you will find a door which\nopens into a garden planted with fine trees loaded with fruit. Walk\ndirectly across the garden to a terrace, where you will see a niche\nbefore you, and in that niche a lighted lamp. Take the lamp down and\nput it out. When you have thrown away the wick and poured out the\nliquor, put it in your waistband and bring it to me. Do not be afraid\nthat the liquor will spoil your clothes, for it is not oil, and the\nlamp will be dry as soon as it is thrown out.\"\n\nAfter these words the magician drew a ring off his finger, and put it\non one of Aladdin's, saying, \"It is a talisman against all evil, so\nlong as you obey me. Go, therefore, boldly, and we shall both be rich\nall our lives.\"\n\nAladdin descended the steps, and, opening the door, found the three\nhalls just as the African magician had described. He went through them\nwith all the precaution the fear of death could inspire, crossed the\ngarden without stopping, took down the lamp from the niche, threw out\nthe wick and the liquor, and, as the magician had desired, put it in\nhis waistband. But as he came down from the terrace, seeing it was\nperfectly dry, he stopped in the garden to observe the trees, which\nwere loaded with extraordinary fruit of different colors on each tree.\nSome bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and transparent as\ncrystal; some pale red, and others deeper; some green, blue, and\npurple, and others yellow; in short, there was fruit of all colors.\nThe white were pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the deep\nred, rubies; the paler, ballas rubies[42]; the green, emeralds; the\nblue, turquoises; the purple, amethysts; and the yellow, sapphires.\nAladdin, ignorant of their value, would have preferred figs, or\ngrapes, or pomegranates; but as he had his uncle's permission, he\nresolved to gather some of every sort. Having filled the two new\npurses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes, he wrapped some\nup in the skirts of his vest, and crammed his bosom as full as it\ncould hold.\n\n[Footnote 42: Ballas rubies are rubies of the brightest color.]\n\nAladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches of which he knew not\nthe value, returned through the three halls with the utmost\nprecaution, and soon arrived at the mouth of the cave, where the\nAfrican magician awaited him with the utmost impatience.\n\nAs soon as Aladdin saw him, he cried out, \"Pray, uncle, lend me your\nhand, to help me out.\"\n\n\"Give me the lamp first,\" replied the magician; \"it will be\ntroublesome to you.\"\n\n\"Indeed, uncle,\" answered Aladdin, \"I cannot now; but I will as soon\nas I am up.\"\n\nThe African magician was determined that he would have the lamp before\nhe would help him up; and Aladdin, who had encumbered himself so much\nwith his fruit that he could not well get at it, refused to give it to\nhim till he was out of the cave. The African magician, provoked at\nthis obstinate refusal, flew into a passion, threw a little of his\nincense into the fire, and pronounced two magical words, when the\nstone which had closed the mouth of the staircase moved into its\nplace, with the earth over it in the same manner as it lay at the\narrival of the magician and Aladdin.\n\nThis action of the magician plainly revealed to Aladdin that he was no\nuncle of his, but one who designed him evil. The truth was that he had\nlearned from his magic books the secret and the value of this\nwonderful lamp, the owner of which would be made richer than any\nearthly ruler, and hence his journey to China. His art had also told\nhim that he was not permitted to take it himself, but must receive it\nas a voluntary gift from the hands of another person. Hence he\nemployed young Aladdin, and hoped by a mixture of kindness and\nauthority to make him obedient to his word and will. When he found\nthat his attempt had failed, he set out to return to Africa, but\navoided the town, lest any person who had seen him leave in company\nwith Aladdin should make inquiries after the youth.\n\nAladdin, being suddenly enveloped in darkness, cried, and called out\nto his uncle to tell him he was ready to give him the lamp. But in\nvain, since his cries could not be heard.\n\nHe descended to the bottom of the steps, with a design to get into the\npalace, but the door, which was opened before by enchantment, was now\nshut by the same means. He then redoubled his cries and tears, sat\ndown on the steps without any hopes of ever seeing light again, and in\nan expectation of passing from the present darkness to a speedy death.\n\nIn this great emergency he said, \"There is no strength or power but in\nthe great and high God\"; and in joining his hands to pray he rubbed\nthe ring which the magician had put on his finger. Immediately a genie\nof frightful aspect appeared, and said, \"What wouldst thou have? I am\nready to obey thee. I serve him who possesses the ring on thy finger;\nI, and the other slaves of that ring.\"\n\nAt another time Aladdin would have been frightened at the sight of so\nextraordinary a figure, but the danger he was in made him answer\nwithout hesitation, \"Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place.\" He\nhad no sooner spoken these words than he found himself on the very\nspot where the magician had last left him, and no sign of cave or\nopening, nor disturbance of the earth. Returning thanks to God for\nbeing once more in the world, he made the best of his way home. When\nhe got within his mother's door, joy at seeing her and weakness for\nwant of sustenance made him so faint that he remained for a long time\nas dead. As soon as he recovered, he related to his mother all that\nhad happened to him, and they were both very vehement in their\ncomplaints of the cruel magician.\n\nAladdin slept very soundly till late the next morning, when the first\nthing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something to eat, and\nwished she would give him his breakfast.\n\n\"Alas! child,\" said she, \"I have not a bit of bread to give you; you\nate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but I have a\nlittle cotton which I have spun; I will go and sell it, and buy bread\nand something for our dinner.\"\n\n\"Mother,\" replied Aladdin, \"keep your cotton for another time, and\ngive me the lamp I brought home with me yesterday. I will go and sell\nit, and the money I shall get for it will serve both for breakfast and\ndinner, and perhaps supper too.\"\n\nAladdin's mother took the lamp and said to her son, \"Here it is, but\nit is very dirty. If it were a little cleaner I believe it would bring\nsomething more.\"\n\nShe took some fine sand and water to clean it. But she had no sooner\nbegun to rub it, than in an instant a hideous genie of gigantic size\nappeared before her, and said to her in a voice of thunder, \"What\nwouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave\nof all those who have that lamp in their hands; I, and the other\nslaves of the lamp.\"\n\nAladdin's mother, terrified at the sight of the genie, fainted; when\nAladdin, who had seen such a phantom in the cavern, snatched the lamp\nout of his mother's hand, and said to the genie boldly, \"I am hungry.\nBring me something to eat.\"\n\nThe genie disappeared immediately, and in an instant returned with a\nlarge silver tray, holding twelve covered dishes of the same metal,\nwhich contained the most delicious viands; six large white bread cakes\non two plates, two flagons of wine, and two silver cups. All these he\nplaced upon a carpet and disappeared; this was done before Aladdin's\nmother recovered from her swoon.\n\nAladdin had fetched some water, and sprinkled it in her face to\nrecover her. Whether that or the smell of the meat effected her cure,\nit was not long before she came to herself.\n\n\"Mother,\" said Aladdin, \"be not afraid. Get up and eat. Here is what\nwill put you in heart, and at the same time satisfy my extreme\nhunger.\"\n\nHis mother was much surprised to see the great tray, twelve dishes,\nsix loaves, the two flagons and cups, and to smell the savory odor\nwhich exhaled from the dishes.\n\n\"Child,\" said she, \"to whom are we obliged for this great plenty and\nliberality? Has the sultan been made acquainted with our poverty, and\nhad compassion on us?\"\n\n\"It is no matter, mother,\" said Aladdin. \"Let us sit down and eat; for\nyou have almost as much need of a good breakfast as I myself. When we\nhave done, I will tell you.\"\n\nAccordingly, both mother and son sat down and ate with the better\nrelish as the table was so well furnished. But all the time Aladdin's\nmother could not forbear looking at and admiring the tray and dishes,\nthough she could not judge whether they were silver or any other\nmetal, and the novelty more than the value attracted her attention.\n\nThe mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner time, and then\nthey thought it would be best to put the two meals together. Yet,\nafter this they found they should have enough left for supper, and two\nmeals for the next day.\n\nWhen Aladdin's mother had taken away and set by what was left, she\nwent and sat down by her son on the sofa, saying, \"I expect now that\nyou will satisfy my impatience, and tell me exactly what passed\nbetween the genie and you while I was in a swoon.\"\n\nHe readily complied with her request.\n\nShe was in as great amazement at what her son told her as at the\nappearance of the genie, and said to him, \"But, son, what have we to\ndo with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had ever\nseen one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me, and not\nto you, to whom he had appeared before in the cave?\"\n\n\"Mother,\" answered Aladdin, \"the genie you saw is not the one who\nappeared to me. If you remember, he that I first saw called himself\nthe slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw, called himself\nthe slave of the lamp you had in your hand; but I believe you did not\nhear him, for I think you fainted as soon as he began to speak.\"\n\n\"What!\" cried the mother, \"was your lamp then the occasion of that\ncursed genie's addressing himself to me rather than to you? Ah! my\nson, take it out of my sight, and put it where you please. I had\nrather you would sell it than run the hazard of being frightened to\ndeath again by touching it; and if you would take my advice, you would\npart also with the ring, and not have anything to do with genies, who,\nas our prophet has told us, are only devils.\"\n\n\"With your leave, mother,\" replied Aladdin, \"I shall now take care how\nI sell a lamp which may be so serviceable both to you and me. That\nfalse and wicked magician would not have undertaken so long a journey\nto secure this wonderful lamp if he had not known its value to exceed\nthat of gold and silver. And since we have honestly come by it, let us\nmake a profitable use of it, without making any great show and\nexciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbors. However, since the\ngenies frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put\nit where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot resolve to\npart with; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I\nam alive now, perhaps, if it were gone, I might not be so some moments\nhence. Therefore I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear\nit always on my finger.\"\n\nAladdin's mother replied that he might do what he pleased; for her\npart, she would have nothing to do with genies, and never say anything\nmore about them.\n\nBy the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had\nbrought; and the next day Aladdin, who could not bear the thought of\nhunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out\nearly to sell it. Addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the\nstreets, he took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he\nwould buy it.\n\nThe cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found\nthat it was good silver, asked Aladdin at how much he valued it.\n\nAladdin, who had never been used to such traffic, told him he would\ntrust to his judgment and honor. The Jew was somewhat confounded at\nthis plain dealing; and doubting whether Aladdin understood the\nmaterial or the full value of what he offered to sell, took a piece of\ngold out of his purse and gave it him, though it was but the sixtieth\npart of the worth of the plate. Aladdin, taking the money very\neagerly, retired with so much haste that the Jew, not content with the\nexorbitancy of his profit, was vexed he had not penetrated into his\nignorance, and was going to run after him, to endeavor to get some\nchange out of the piece of gold. But the boy ran so fast, and had got\nso far, that it would have been impossible to overtake him.\n\nBefore Aladdin went home he called at a baker's, bought some cakes of\nbread, changed his money, and on his return gave the rest to his\nmother, who went and purchased provisions enough to last them some\ntime. After this manner they lived, until Aladdin had sold the twelve\ndishes singly, as necessity pressed, to the Jew, for the same money;\nwho, after the first time, durst not offer him less, for fear of\nlosing so good a bargain. When he had sold the last dish, he had\nrecourse to the tray, which weighed ten times as much as the dishes,\nand would have carried it to his old purchaser, but that it was too\nlarge and cumbersome; therefore he was obliged to bring him home with\nhim to his mother's, where, after the Jew had examined the weight of\nthe tray, he laid down ten pieces of gold, with which Aladdin was very\nwell satisfied.\n\nWhen all the money was spent, Aladdin had recourse again to the lamp.\nHe took it in his hands, looked for the part where his mother had\nrubbed it with the sand, and rubbed it also. The genie immediately\nappeared, and said, \"What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee\nas thy slave, and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their\nhands; I, and the other slaves of the lamp.\"\n\n\"I am hungry,\" said Aladdin. \"Bring me something to eat.\"\n\nThe genie disappeared, and presently returned with a tray holding the\nsame number of covered dishes as before, set it down, and vanished.\n\nAs soon as Aladdin found that their provisions were again expended, he\ntook one of the dishes, and went to look for his Jew chapman. But as\nhe was passing by a goldsmith's shop, the goldsmith perceiving him,\ncalled to him, and said, \"My lad, I imagine that you have something to\nsell to the Jew, whom I often see you visit. Perhaps you do not know\nthat he is the greatest rogue even among the Jews. I will give you the\nfull worth of what you have to sell, or I will direct you to other\nmerchants who will not cheat you.\"\n\nThis offer induced Aladdin to pull his plate from under his vest and\nshow it to the goldsmith. At first sight he perceived that it was made\nof the finest silver, and asked if he had sold such as that to the\nJew. When Aladdin told him he had sold him twelve such, for a piece of\ngold each, \"What a villain!\" cried the goldsmith. \"But,\" added he, \"my\nson, what is past cannot be recalled. By showing you the value of this\nplate, which is of the finest silver we use in our shops, I will let\nyou see how much the Jew has cheated you.\"\n\nThe goldsmith took a pair of scales, weighed the dish, and assured him\nthat his plate would fetch by weight sixty pieces of gold, which he\noffered to pay down immediately.\n\nAladdin thanked him for his fair dealing, and never after went to any\nother person.\n\nThough Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure in their\nlamp, and might have had whatever they wished for, yet they lived with\nthe same frugality as before, and it may easily be supposed that the\nmoney for which Aladdin had sold the dishes and tray was sufficient to\nmaintain them some time.\n\nDuring this interval, Aladdin frequented the shops of the principal\nmerchants, where they sold cloth of gold and silver, linens, silk\nstuffs, and jewelry, and, oftentimes joining in their conversation,\nacquired a knowledge of the world, and a desire to improve himself. By\nhis acquaintance among the jewelers, he came to know that the fruits\nwhich he had gathered when he took the lamp were, instead of colored\nglass, stones of inestimable value; but he had the prudence not to\nmention this to any one, not even to his mother.\n\nOne day as Aladdin was walking about the town he heard an order\nproclaimed, commanding the people to shut up their shops and houses,\nand keep within doors while the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, the\nsultan's daughter, went to the bath and returned.\n\nThis proclamation inspired Aladdin with eager desire to see the\nprincess's face, which he determined to gratify by placing himself\nbehind the door of the bath, so that he could not fail to see her\nface.\n\nAladdin had not long concealed himself before the princess came. She\nwas attended by a great crowd of ladies, slaves, and mutes, who walked\non each side and behind her. When she came within three or four paces\nof the door of the bath, she took off her veil, and gave Aladdin an\nopportunity of a full view of her face.\n\nThe princess was a noted beauty; her eyes were large, lively, and\nsparkling; her smile bewitching; her nose faultless; her mouth small;\nher lips vermilion. It is not therefore surprising that Aladdin, who\nhad never before seen such a blaze of charms, was dazzled and\nenchanted.\n\nAfter the princess had passed by, and entered the bath, Aladdin\nquitted his hiding place, and went home. His mother perceived him to\nbe more thoughtful and melancholy than usual, and asked what had\nhappened to make him so, or if he were ill. He then told his mother\nall his adventure, and concluded by declaring, \"I love the princess\nmore than I can express, and am resolved that I will ask her in\nmarriage of the sultan.\"\n\nAladdin's mother listened with surprise to what her son told her. When\nhe talked of asking the princess in marriage, she laughed aloud.\n\n\"Alas! child,\" said she, \"what are you thinking of? You must be mad to\ntalk thus.\"\n\n\"I assure you, mother,\" replied Aladdin, \"that I am not mad, but in my\nright senses. I foresaw that you would reproach me with folly and\nextravagance; but I must tell you once more that I am resolved to\ndemand the princess of the sultan in marriage; nor do I despair of\nsuccess. I have the slaves of the lamp and of the ring to help me, and\nyou know how powerful their aid is. And I have another secret to tell\nyou; those pieces of glass, which I got from the trees in the garden\nof the subterranean palace, are jewels of inestimable value, and fit\nfor the greatest monarchs. All the precious stones the jewelers have\nin Bagdad are not to be compared to mine for size or beauty; and I am\nsure that the offer of them will secure the favor of the sultan. You\nhave a large porcelain dish fit to hold them; fetch it, and let us see\nhow they will look, when we have arranged them according to their\ndifferent colors.\"\n\nAladdin's mother brought the china dish. Then he took the jewels out\nof the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in order,\naccording to his fancy. But the brightness and luster they emitted in\nthe daytime, and the variety of the colors, so dazzled the eyes both\nof mother and son that they were astonished beyond measure. Aladdin's\nmother, emboldened by the sight of these rich jewels, and fearful lest\nher son should be guilty of greater extravagance, complied with his\nrequest, and promised to go early the next morning to the palace of\nthe sultan. Aladdin rose before daybreak, awakened his mother,\npressing her to go to the sultan's palace and to get admittance, if\npossible, before the grand vizier, the other viziers, and the great\nofficers of state went in to take their seats in the divan, where the\nsultan always attended in person.\n\nAladdin's mother took the china dish, in which they had put the jewels\nthe day before, wrapped it in two fine napkins, and set forward for\nthe sultan's palace. When she came to the gates the grand vizier, the\nother viziers, and most distinguished lords of the court were just\ngone in; but notwithstanding the crowd of people was great, she got\ninto the divan, a spacious hall, the entrance into which was very\nmagnificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, and the grand\nvizier and the great lords, who sat in council on his right and left\nhand. Several causes were called, according to their order, pleaded\nand adjudged, until the time the divan generally broke up, when the\nsultan, rising, returned to his apartment, attended by the grand\nvizier; the other viziers and ministers of state then retired, as also\ndid all those whose business had called them thither.\n\nAladdin's mother, seeing the sultan retire, and all the people depart,\njudged rightly that he would not sit again that day, and resolved to\ngo home. On her arrival she said, with much simplicity, \"Son, I have\nseen the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me, too, for I\nplaced myself just before him; but he was so much taken up with those\nwho attended on all sides of him that I pitied him, and wondered at\nhis patience. At last I believe he was heartily tired, for he rose up\nsuddenly, and would not hear a great many who were ready prepared to\nspeak to him, but went away, at which I was well pleased, for indeed I\nbegan to lose all patience, and was extremely fatigued with staying so\nlong. But there is no harm done; I will go again to-morrow. Perhaps\nthe sultan may not be so busy.\"\n\nThe next morning she repaired to the sultan's palace with the present\nas early as the day before; but when she came there, she found the\ngates of the divan shut.[43] She went six times afterward on the days\nappointed, placed herself always directly before the sultan, but with\nas little success as the first morning.\n\n[Footnote 43: Sir Paul Ricaut says that the divan is not held on two\nsuccessive days.]\n\nOn the sixth day, however, after the divan was broken up, when the\nsultan returned to his own apartment he said to his grand vizier: \"I\nhave for some time observed a certain woman, who attends constantly\nevery day that I give audience, with something wrapped up in a\nnapkin; she always stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of\nthe audience, and effects to place herself just before me. If this\nwoman comes to our next audience, do not fail to call her, that I may\nhear what she has to say.\"\n\nThe grand vizier made answer by lowering his hand, and then lifting it\nup above his head, signifying his willingness to lose it if he failed.\n\nOn the next audience day, when Aladdin's mother went to the divan, and\nplaced herself in front of the sultan as usual, the grand vizier\nimmediately called the chief of the mace-bearers, and pointing to her\nbade him bring her before the sultan. The old woman at once followed\nthe mace-bearer, and when she reached the sultan, bowed her head down\nto the carpet which covered the platform of the throne, and remained\nin that posture until he bade her rise.\n\nShe had no sooner done so, than he said to her, \"Good woman, I have\nobserved you to stand many days from the beginning to the rising of\nthe divan. What business brings you here?\"\n\nAt these words, Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time, and\nwhen she arose, said, \"Monarch of monarchs, I beg of you to pardon the\nboldness of my petition, and to assure me of your pardon and\nforgiveness.\"\n\n\"Well,\" replied the sultan, \"I will forgive you, be it what it may,\nand no hurt shall come to you. Speak boldly.\"\n\nWhen Aladdin's mother had taken all these precautions, for fear of the\nsultan's anger, she told him faithfully the errand on which her son\nhad sent her, and the event which led to his making so bold a request\nin spite of all her remonstrances.\n\nThe sultan hearkened to this discourse without showing the least\nanger. But before he gave her any answer, he asked her what she had\nbrought tied up in the napkin. She took the china dish which she had\nset down at the foot of the throne, untied it, and presented it to the\nsultan.\n\nThe sultan's amazement and surprise were inexpressible, when he saw so\nmany large, beautiful, and valuable jewels collected in the dish. He\nremained for some time lost in admiration. At last, when he had\nrecovered himself, he received the present from Aladdin's mother's\nhand, saying, \"How rich, how beautiful!\"\n\nAfter he had admired and handled all the jewels one after another, he\nturned to his grand vizier, and showing him the dish, said, \"Behold,\nadmire, wonder! And confess that your eyes never beheld jewels so rich\nand beautiful before.\"\n\nThe vizier was charmed.\n\n\"Well,\" continued the sultan, \"what sayest thou to such a present? Is\nit not worthy of the princess my daughter? And ought I not to bestow\nher on one who values her at so great a price?\"\n\n\"I cannot but own,\" replied the grand vizier, \"that the present is\nworthy of the princess; but I beg of your majesty to grant me three\nmonths before you come to a final resolution. I hope, before that\ntime, my son, whom you have regarded with your favor, will be able to\nmake a nobler present than this Aladdin, who is an entire stranger to\nyour majesty.\"\n\nThe sultan granted his request, and he said to the old woman, \"Good\nwoman, go home, and tell your son that I agree to the proposal you\nhave made me; but I cannot marry the princess my daughter for three\nmonths. At the expiration of that time, come again.\"\n\nAladdin's mother returned home much more gratified than she had\nexpected, and told her son with much joy the condescending answer she\nhad received from the sultan's own mouth; and that she was to come to\nthe divan again that day three months.\n\nAt hearing this news, Aladdin thought himself the most happy of all\nmen, and thanked his mother for the pains she had taken in the affair,\nthe good success of which was of so great importance to his peace that\nhe counted every day, week, and even hour as it passed. When two of\nthe three months were passed, his mother one evening, having no oil in\nthe house, went out to buy some, and found a general rejoicing--the\nhouses dressed with foliage, silks, and carpeting, and every one\nstriving to show his joy according to his ability. The streets were\ncrowded with officers in habits of ceremony, mounted on horses richly\ncaparisoned, each attended by a great many footmen. Aladdin's mother\nasked the oil merchant what was the meaning of all this preparation of\npublic festivity.\n\n\"Whence came you, good woman,\" said he, \"that you don't know that the\ngrand vizier's son is to marry the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, the\nsultan's daughter, to-night? She will presently return from the bath;\nand these officers whom you see are to assist at the cavalcade to the\npalace, where the ceremony is to be solemnized.\"\n\nAladdin's mother, on hearing this news, ran home very quickly.\n\n\"Child,\" cried she, \"you are undone! The sultan's fine promises will\ncome to naught. This night the grand vizier's son is to marry the\nPrincess Buddir al Buddoor.\"\n\nAt this account Aladdin was thunderstruck. He bethought himself of the\nlamp, and of the genie who had promised to obey him; and without\nindulging in idle words against the sultan, the vizier, or his son, he\ndetermined, if possible, to prevent the marriage.\n\nWhen Aladdin had got into his chamber he took the lamp, and rubbing it\nin the same place as before, immediately the genie appeared, and said\nto him, \"What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave;\nI, and the other slaves of the lamp.\"\n\n\"Hear me,\" said Aladdin. \"Thou hast hitherto obeyed me, but now I am\nabout to impose on thee a harder task. The sultan's daughter, who was\npromised me as my bride, is this night married to the son of the grand\nvizier. Bring them both hither to me immediately they retire to their\nbedchamber.\"\n\n\"Master,\" replied the genie, \"I obey you.\"\n\nAladdin supped with his mother as was their wont, and then went to his\nown apartment, and sat up to await the return of the genie, according\nto his commands.\n\nIn the meantime the festivities in honor of the princess's marriage\nwere conducted in the sultan's palace with great magnificence. The\nceremonies were at last brought to a conclusion, and the princess and\nthe son of the vizier retired to the bedchamber prepared for them. No\nsooner had they entered it, and dismissed their attendants, than the\ngenie, the faithful slave of the lamp, to the great amazement and\nalarm of the bride and bridegroom took up the bed, and by an agency\ninvisible to them, transported it in an instant into Aladdin's\nchamber, where he set it down.\n\n\"Remove the bridegroom,\" said Aladdin to the genie, \"and keep him a\nprisoner till to-morrow dawn, and then return with him here.\" On\nAladdin being left alone with the princess, he endeavored to assuage\nher fears, and explained to her the treachery practiced upon him by\nthe sultan her father. He then laid himself down beside her, putting a\ndrawn scimitar between them, to show that he was determined to secure\nher safety, and to treat her with the utmost possible respect. At\nbreak of day, the genie appeared at the appointed hour, bringing back\nthe bridegroom, whom by breathing upon he had left motionless and\nentranced at the door of Aladdin's chamber during the night, and at\nAladdin's command transported the couch, with the bride and bridegroom\non it, by the same invisible agency, into the palace of the sultan.\n\nAt the instant that the genie had set down the couch with the bride\nand bridegroom in their own chamber, the sultan came to the door to\noffer his good wishes to his daughter. The grand vizier's son, who was\nalmost perished with cold, by standing in his thin under-garment all\nnight, no sooner heard the knocking at the door than he got out of\nbed, and ran into the robing-chamber, where he had undressed himself\nthe night before.\n\nThe sultan, having opened the door, went to the bed-side, and kissed\nthe princess on the forehead, but was extremely surprised to see her\nlook so melancholy. She only cast at him a sorrowful look, expressive\nof great affliction. He suspected there was something extraordinary\nin this silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness's\napartment, told her in what a state he found the princess, and how she\nhad received him.\n\n\"Sire,\" said the sultaness, \"I will go and see her. She will not\nreceive me in the same manner.\"\n\nThe princess received her mother with sighs and tears, and signs of\ndeep dejection. At last, upon her pressing on her the duty of telling\nher all her thoughts, she gave to the sultaness a precise description\nof all that happened to her during the night; on which the sultaness\nenjoined on her the necessity of silence and discretion, as no one\nwould give credence to so strange a tale. The grand vizier's son,\nelated with the honor of being the sultan's son-in-law, kept silence\non his part, and the events of the night were not allowed to cast the\nleast gloom on the festivities on the following day, in continued\ncelebration of the royal marriage.\n\nWhen night came, the bride and bridegroom were again attended to their\nchamber with the same ceremonies as on the preceding evening. Aladdin,\nknowing that this would be so, had already given his commands to the\ngenie of the lamp; and no sooner were they alone than their bed was\nremoved in the same mysterious manner as on the preceding evening; and\nhaving passed the night in the same unpleasant way, they were in the\nmorning conveyed to the palace of the sultan. Scarcely had they been\nreplaced in their apartment, when the sultan came to make his\ncompliments to his daughter. The princess could no longer conceal from\nhim the unhappy treatment she had been subjected to, and told him all\nthat had happened, as she had already related it to her mother.\n\nThe sultan, on hearing these strange tidings, consulted with the grand\nvizier; and finding from him that his son had been subjected by an\ninvisible agency to even worse treatment, he determined to declare the\nmarriage canceled, and all the festivities, which were yet to last for\nseveral days, countermanded and terminated.\n\nThis sudden change in the mind of the sultan gave rise to various\nspeculations and reports. Nobody but Aladdin knew the secret, and he\nkept it with the most scrupulous silence. Neither the sultan nor the\ngrand vizier, who had forgotten Aladdin and his request, had the least\nthought that he had any hand in the strange adventures that befell the\nbride and bridegroom.\n\nOn the very day that the three months contained in the sultan's\npromise expired, the mother of Aladdin again went to the palace, and\nstood in the same place in the divan. The sultan knew her again, and\ndirected his vizier to have her brought before him.\n\nAfter having prostrated herself, she made answer, in reply to the\nsultan: \"Sire, I come at the end of three months to ask of you the\nfulfillment of the promise you made to my son.\"\n\nThe sultan little thought the request of Aladdin's mother was made to\nhim in earnest, or that he would hear any more of the matter. He\ntherefore took counsel with his vizier, who suggested that the sultan\nshould attach such conditions to the marriage that no one of the\nhumble condition of Aladdin could possibly fulfill. In accordance with\nthis suggestion of the vizier, the sultan replied to the mother of\nAladdin: \"Good woman, it is true sultans ought to abide by their word,\nand I am ready to keep mine, by making your son happy in marriage\nwith the princess my daughter. But as I cannot marry her without some\nfurther proof of your son being able to support her in royal state,\nyou may tell him I will fulfill my promise as soon as he shall send me\nforty trays of massy gold, full of the same sort of jewels you have\nalready made me a present of, and carried by the like number of black\nslaves, who shall be led by as many young and handsome white slaves,\nall dressed magnificently. On these conditions I am ready to bestow\nthe princess my daughter upon him; therefore, good woman, go and tell\nhim so, and I will wait till you bring me his answer.\"\n\nAladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time before the sultan's\nthrone, and retired. On her way home, she laughed within herself at\nher son's foolish imagination. \"Where,\" said she, \"can he get so many\nlarge gold trays, and such precious stones to fill them? It is\naltogether out of his power, and I believe he will not be much pleased\nwith my embassy this time.\"\n\nWhen she came home, full of these thoughts, she told Aladdin all the\ncircumstances of her interview with the sultan, and the conditions on\nwhich he consented to the marriage. \"The sultan expects your answer\nimmediately,\" said she; and then added, laughing, \"I believe he may\nwait long enough!\"\n\n\"Not so long, mother, as you imagine,\" replied Aladdin. \"This demand\nis a mere trifle, and will prove no bar to my marriage with the\nprincess. I will prepare at once to satisfy his request.\"\n\nAladdin retired to his own apartment and summoned the genie of the\nlamp, and required him to immediately prepare and present the gift,\nbefore the sultan closed his morning audience, according to the terms\nin which it had been prescribed. The genie professed his obedience to\nthe owner of the lamp, and disappeared. Within a very short time, a\ntrain of forty black slaves, led by the same number of white slaves,\nappeared opposite the house in which Aladdin lived. Each black slave\ncarried on his head a basin of massy gold, full of pearls, diamonds,\nrubies, and emeralds.\n\nAladdin then addressed his mother: \"Madam, pray lose no time; before\nthe sultan and the divan rise, I would have you return to the palace\nwith this present as the dowry demanded for the princess, that he may\njudge by my diligence and exactness of the ardent and sincere desire I\nhave to procure myself the honor of this alliance.\"\n\nAs soon as this magnificent procession, with Aladdin's mother at its\nhead, had begun to march from Aladdin's house, the whole city was\nfilled with the crowds of people desirous to see so grand a sight. The\ngraceful bearing, elegant form, and wonderful likeness of each slave;\ntheir grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the luster of\ntheir jeweled girdles, and the brilliancy of the aigrettes of precious\nstones in their turbans, excited the greatest admiration in the\nspectators. As they had to pass through several streets to the palace,\nthe whole length of the way was lined with files of spectators.\nNothing, indeed, was ever seen so beautiful and brilliant in the\nsultan's palace, and the richest robes of the emirs of his court were\nnot to be compared to the costly dresses of these slaves, whom they\nsupposed to be kings.\n\nAs the sultan, who had been informed of their approach, had given\norders for them to be admitted, they met with no obstacle, but went\ninto the divan in regular order, one part turning to the right and the\nother to the left. After they were all entered, and had formed a\nsemi-circle before the sultan's throne, the black slaves laid the\ngolden trays on the carpet, prostrated themselves, touching the carpet\nwith their foreheads, and at the same time the white slaves did the\nsame. When they rose, the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then\nall stood with their arms crossed over their breasts.\n\nIn the meantime, Aladdin's mother advanced to the foot of the throne,\nand having prostrated herself, said to the sultan, \"Sire, my son knows\nthis present is much below the notice of Princess Buddir al Buddoor;\nbut hopes, nevertheless, that your majesty will accept of it, and make\nit agreeable to the princess, and with the greater confidence since he\nhas endeavored to conform to the conditions you were pleased to\nimpose.\"\n\nThe sultan, overpowered by the sight of such more than royal\nmagnificence, replied without hesitation to the words of Aladdin's\nmother: \"Go and tell your son that I wait with open arms to embrace\nhim; and the more haste he makes to come and receive the princess my\ndaughter from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do me.\"\n\nAs soon as Aladdin's mother had retired, the sultan put an end to the\naudience. Rising from his throne, he ordered that the princess's\nattendants should come and carry the trays into their mistress's\napartment, whither he went himself to examine them with her at his\nleisure. The fourscore slaves were conducted into the palace; and the\nsultan, telling the princess of their magnificent apparel, ordered\nthem to be brought before her apartment, that she might see through\nthe lattices he had not exaggerated in his account of them.\n\nIn the meantime Aladdin's mother reached home, and showed in her air\nand countenance the good news she brought to her son. \"My son,\" said\nshe, \"you may rejoice you are arrived at the height of your desires.\nThe sultan has declared that you shall marry the Princess Buddir al\nBuddoor. He waits for you with impatience.\"\n\nAladdin, enraptured with this news, made his mother very little reply,\nbut retired to his chamber. There he rubbed his lamp, and the obedient\ngenie appeared.\n\n\"Genie,\" said Aladdin, \"convey me at once to a bath, and supply me\nwith the richest and most magnificent robe ever worn by a monarch.\"\n\nNo sooner were the words out of his mouth than the genie rendered him,\nas well as himself, invisible, and transported him into a hummum[44]\nof the finest marble of all sorts of colors; where he was undressed,\nwithout seeing by whom, in a magnificent and spacious hall. He was\nthen well rubbed and washed with various scented waters. After he had\npassed through several degrees of heat, he came out quite a different\nman from what he was before. His skin was clear as that of a child,\nhis body lightsome and free; and when he returned into the hall, he\nfound, instead of his own poor raiment, a robe, the magnificence of\nwhich astonished him. The genie helped him to dress, and when he had\ndone, transported him back to his own chamber, where he asked him if\nhe had any other commands.\n\n[Footnote 44: A Turkish word for a bath.]\n\n\"Yes,\" answered Aladdin, \"bring me a charger that surpasses in beauty\nand goodness the best in the sultan's stables; with a saddle, bridle,\nand other caparisons to correspond with his value. Furnish also twenty\nslaves, as richly clothed as those who carried the present to the\nsultan, to walk by my side and follow me, and twenty more to go before\nme in two ranks. Besides these, bring my mother six women slaves to\nattend her, as richly dressed at least as any of the Princess Buddir\nal Buddoor's, each carrying a complete dress fit for any sultaness. I\nwant also ten thousand pieces of gold in ten purses; go, and make\nhaste.\"\n\nAs soon as Aladdin had given these orders, the genie disappeared, but\npresently returned with the horse, the forty slaves, ten of whom\ncarried each a purse containing ten thousand pieces of gold, and six\nwomen slaves, each carrying on her head a different dress for\nAladdin's mother, wrapped up in a piece of silver tissue, and\npresented them all to Aladdin.\n\nHe presented the six women slaves to his mother, telling her they were\nher slaves, and that the dresses they had brought were for her use. Of\nthe ten purses Aladdin took four, which he gave to his mother, telling\nher those were to supply her with necessaries; the other six he left\nin the hands of the slaves who brought them, with an order to throw\nthem by handfuls among the people as they went to the sultan's palace.\nThe six slaves who carried the purses he ordered likewise to march\nbefore him, three on the right hand and three on the left.\n\nWhen Aladdin had thus prepared himself for his first interview with\nthe sultan, he dismissed the genie, and immediately mounting his\ncharger, began his march, and though he never was on horseback before,\nappeared with a grace the most experienced horseman might envy. The\ninnumerable concourse of people through whom he passed made the air\necho with their acclamations, especially every time the six slaves who\ncarried the purses threw handfuls of gold among the populace.\n\nOn Aladdin's arrival at the palace, the sultan was surprised to find\nhim more richly and magnificently robed than he had ever been himself,\nand was impressed with his good looks and dignity of manner, which\nwere so different from what he expected in the son of one so humble as\nAladdin's mother. He embraced him with all the demonstrations of joy,\nand when he would have fallen at his feet, held him by the hand, and\nmade him sit near his throne. He shortly after led him, amidst the\nsounds of trumpets, hautboys, and all kinds of music, to a magnificent\nentertainment, at which the sultan and Aladdin ate by themselves, and\nthe great lords of the court, according to their rank and dignity, sat\nat different tables.\n\nAfter the feast, the sultan sent for the chief cadi, and commanded him\nto draw up a contract of marriage between the Princess Buddir al\nBuddoor and Aladdin. When the contract had been drawn, the sultan\nasked Aladdin if he would stay in the palace and complete the\nceremonies of the marriage that day.\n\n\"Sire,\" said Aladdin, \"though great is my impatience to enter on the\nhonor granted me by your majesty, yet I beg you to permit me first to\nbuild a palace worthy to receive the princess your daughter. I pray\nyou to grant me sufficient ground near your palace, and I will have it\ncompleted with the utmost expedition.\"\n\nThe sultan granted Aladdin his request, and again embraced him. After\nwhich he took his leave with as much politeness as if he had been bred\nup and had always lived at court.\n\nAladdin returned home in the order he had come, amidst the\nacclamations of the people, who wished him all happiness and\nprosperity. As soon as he dismounted, he retired to his own chamber,\ntook the lamp, and summoned the genie as usual, who professed his\nallegiance.\n\n\"Genie,\" said Aladdin, \"build me a palace fit to receive the Princess\nBuddir al Buddoor. Let its materials be made of nothing less than\nporphyry, jasper, agate, lapis lazuli, and the finest marble. Let its\nwalls be massive gold and silver bricks and laid alternately. Let each\nfront contain six windows, and let the lattices of these (except one,\nwhich must be left unfinished) be enriched with diamonds, rubies, and\nemeralds, so that they shall exceed everything of the kind ever seen\nin the world. Let there be an inner and outer court in front of the\npalace, and a spacious garden; but above all things, provide a safe\ntreasure house, and fill it with gold and silver. Let there be also\nkitchens and storehouses, stables full of the finest horses, with\ntheir equerries and grooms, and hunting equipage, officers,\nattendants, and slaves, both men and women, to form a retinue for the\nprincess and myself. Go and execute my wishes.\"\n\nWhen Aladdin gave these commands to the genie, the sun was set. The\nnext morning at daybreak the genie presented himself, and, having\nobtained Aladdin's consent, transported him in a moment to the palace\nhe had made. The genie led him through all the apartments, where he\nfound officers and slaves, habited according to their rank and the\nservices to which they were appointed. The genie then showed him the\ntreasury, which was opened by a treasurer, where Aladdin saw large\nvases of different sizes, piled up to the top with money, ranged all\naround the chamber. The genie thence led him to the stables, where\nwere some of the finest horses in the world, and the grooms busy in\ndressing them; from thence they went to the storehouses, which were\nfilled with all things necessary, both for food and ornament.\n\nWhen Aladdin had examined every portion of the palace, and\nparticularly the hall with the four-and-twenty windows, and found it\nfar to exceed his fondest expectations, he said, \"Genie, there is one\nthing wanting, a fine carpet for the princess to walk upon from the\nsultan's palace to mine. Lay one down immediately.\" The genie\ndisappeared, and Aladdin saw what he desired executed in an instant.\nThe genie then returned, and carried him to his own home.\n\nWhen the sultan's porters came to open the gates, they were amazed to\nfind what had been an unoccupied garden filled up with a magnificent\npalace, and a splendid carpet extending to it all the way from the\nsultan's palace. They told the strange tidings to the grand vizier,\nwho informed the sultan.\n\n\"It must be Aladdin's palace,\" the sultan exclaimed, \"which I gave him\nleave to build for my daughter. He has wished to surprise us, and let\nus see what wonders can be done in only one night.\"\n\nAladdin, on his being conveyed by the genie to his own home, requested\nhis mother to go to the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, and tell her that\nthe palace would be ready for her reception in the evening. She went,\nattended by her women slaves, in the same order as on the preceding\nday. Shortly after her arrival at the princess's apartment the sultan\nhimself came in, and was surprised to find her, whom he knew only as\nhis suppliant at his divan in humble guise, more richly and\nsumptuously attired than his own daughter. This gave him a higher\nopinion of Aladdin, who took such care of his mother, and made her\nshare his wealth and honors.\n\nShortly after her departure, Aladdin, mounting his horse and attended\nby his retinue of magnificent attendants, left his paternal home\nforever, and went to the palace in the same pomp as on the day before.\nNor did he forget to take with him the wonderful lamp, to which he\nowed all his good fortune, nor to wear the ring which was given him as\na talisman.\n\nThe sultan entertained Aladdin with the utmost magnificence, and at\nnight, on the conclusion of the marriage ceremonies, the princess took\nleave of the sultan her father. Bands of music led the procession,\nfollowed by a hundred state ushers, and the like number of black\nmutes, in two files, with their officers at their head. Four hundred\nof the sultan's young pages carried flambeaux on each side, which,\ntogether with the illuminations of the sultan's and Aladdin's palaces,\nmade it as light as day. In this order the princess, conveyed in her\nlitter, and accompanied also by Aladdin's mother, carried in a superb\nlitter and attended by her women slaves, proceeded on the carpet which\nwas spread from the sultan's palace to that of Aladdin.\n\nOn her arrival Aladdin was ready to receive her at the entrance, and\nled her into a large hall, illuminated with an infinite number of wax\ncandles, where a noble feast was served up. The dishes were of massy\ngold, and contained the most delicate viands. The vases, basins, and\ngoblets were gold also, and of exquisite workmanship, and all the\nother ornaments and embellishments of the hall were answerable to this\ndisplay. The princess, dazzled to see so much riches collected in one\nplace, said to Aladdin, \"I thought, prince, that nothing in the world\nwas so beautiful as the sultan my father's palace, but the sight of\nthis hall alone is sufficient to show I was mistaken.\"\n\nWhen the supper was ended, there entered a company of female\ndancers,[45] who performed, according to the custom of the country,\nsinging at the same time verses in praise of the bride and bridegroom.\nAbout midnight Aladdin's mother conducted the bride to the nuptial\napartment, and he soon after retired.\n\n[Footnote 45: These were the \"Nautch girls,\" attached to this day to\nall Eastern courts.]\n\nThe next morning the attendants of Aladdin presented themselves to\ndress him, and brought him another habit, as rich and magnificent as\nthat worn the day before. He then ordered one of the horses to be got\nready, mounted him, and went in the midst of a large troop of slaves\nto the sultan's palace to entreat him to take a repast in the\nprincess's palace, attended by his grand vizier and all the lords of\nhis court. The sultan consented with pleasure, rose up immediately,\nand, preceded by the principal officers of his palace, and followed by\nall the great lords of his court, accompanied Aladdin.\n\nThe nearer the sultan approached Aladdin's palace, the more he was\nstruck with its beauty; but when he entered it, when he came into the\nhall and saw the windows, enriched with diamonds, rubies, emeralds,\nall large perfect stones, he was completely surprised, and said to his\nson-in-law, \"This palace is one of the wonders of the world; for where\nin all the world besides shall we find walls built of massy gold and\nsilver, and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds composing the windows? But\nwhat most surprises me is that a hall of this magnificence should be\nleft with one of its windows incomplete and unfinished.\"\n\n\"Sire,\" answered Aladdin, \"the omission was by design, since I wished\nthat you should have the glory of finishing this hall.\"\n\n\"I take your intention kindly,\" said the sultan, \"and will give orders\nabout it immediately.\"\n\nAfter the sultan had finished this magnificent entertainment, provided\nfor him and for his court by Aladdin, he was informed that the\njewelers and goldsmiths attended; upon which he returned to the hall,\nand showed them the window which was unfinished.\n\n\"I sent for you,\" said he, \"to fit up this window in as great\nperfection as the rest. Examine them well, and make all the dispatch\nyou can.\"\n\nThe jewelers and goldsmiths examined the three-and-twenty windows with\ngreat attention, and after they had consulted together, to know what\neach could furnish, they returned, and presented themselves before the\nsultan, whose principal jeweler, undertaking to speak for the rest,\nsaid, \"Sire, we are all willing to exert our utmost care and industry\nto obey you; but among us all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so\ngreat a work.\"\n\n\"I have more than are necessary,\" said the sultan. \"Come to my palace,\nand you shall choose what may answer your purpose.\"\n\nWhen the sultan returned to his palace he ordered his jewels to be\nbrought out, and the jewelers took a great quantity, particularly\nthose Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used, without\nmaking any great advance in their work. They came again several times\nfor more, and in a month's time had not finished half their work. In\nshort, they used all the jewels the sultan had, and borrowed of the\nvizier, but yet the work was not half done.\n\nAladdin, who knew that all the sultan's endeavors to make this window\nlike the rest were in vain, sent for the jewelers and goldsmiths, and\nnot only commanded them to desist from their work, but ordered them to\nundo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back to the\nsultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had been\nsix weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the hall. He\ntook the lamp, which he carried about him, rubbed it, and presently\nthe genie appeared.\n\n\"Genie,\" said Aladdin, \"I ordered thee to leave one of the\nfour-and-twenty windows of this hall imperfect, and thou hast executed\nmy commands exactly; now I would have thee make it like the rest.\"\n\nThe genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin went out of the hall, and\nreturning soon after, found the window, as he wished it to be, like\nthe others.\n\nIn the meantime the jewelers and goldsmiths repaired to the palace,\nand were introduced into the sultan's presence, where the chief\njeweler presented the precious stones which he had brought back. The\nsultan asked them if Aladdin had given them any reason for so doing,\nand they answering that he had given them none, he ordered a horse to\nbe brought, which he mounted, and rode to his son-in-law's palace,\nwith some few attendants on foot, to inquire why he had ordered the\ncompletion of the window to be stopped.\n\nAladdin met him at the gate, and without giving any reply to his\ninquiries conducted him to the grand saloon, where the sultan, to his\ngreat surprise, found that the window, which was left imperfect,\ncorresponded exactly with the others. He fancied at first that he was\nmistaken, and examined the two windows on each side, and afterward all\nthe four-and-twenty; but when he was convinced that the window which\nseveral workmen had been so long about was finished in so short a\ntime, he embraced Aladdin and kissed him between his eyes.\n\n\"My son,\" said he, \"what a man you are to do such surprising things\nalways in the twinkling of an eye! There is not your fellow in the\nworld; the more I know, the more I admire you.\"\n\nThe sultan returned to the palace, and after this went frequently to\nthe window to contemplate and admire the wonderful palace of his\nson-in-law.\n\nAladdin did not confine himself in his palace, but went with much\nstate, sometimes to one mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers,\nor to visit the grand vizier or the principal lords of the court.\nEvery time he went out he caused two slaves, who walked by the side of\nhis horse, to throw handfuls of money among the people as he passed\nthrough the streets and squares. This generosity gained him the love\nand blessings of the people, and it was common for them to swear by\nhis head.[46] Thus Aladdin, while he paid all respect to the sultan,\nwon by his affable behavior and liberality the affection of the\npeople.\n\n[Footnote 46: There is a trace of this custom in Joseph swearing to\nhis brethren, \"By the life of Pharaoh, ye are spies!\"]\n\nAladdin had conducted himself in this manner several years, when the\nAfrican magician, who had for some years dismissed him from his\nrecollection, determined to inform himself with certainty whether he\nperished, as he supposed, in the subterranean cave or not. After he\nhad resorted to a long course of magic ceremonies, and had formed a\nhoroscope by which to ascertain Aladdin's fate, what was his surprise\nto find the appearances to declare that Aladdin, instead of dying in\nthe cave, had made his escape, and was living in royal splendor by the\naid of the genie of the wonderful lamp!\n\nOn the very next day the magician set out, and traveled with the\nutmost haste to the capital of China, where, on his arrival, he took\nup his lodgings in a khan.\n\nHe then quickly learned about the wealth, charities, happiness, and\nsplendid palace of Prince Aladdin. Directly he saw the wonderful\nfabric, he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp,\ncould have performed such wonders, and, piqued to the quick at\nAladdin's high estate, he returned to the khan.\n\nOn his return he had recourse to an operation of geomancy to find out\nwhere the lamp was--whether Aladdin carried it about with him, or\nwhere he left it. The result of his consultation informed him, to his\ngreat joy, that the lamp was in the palace.\n\n\"Well,\" said he, rubbing his hands in glee, \"I shall have the lamp,\nand I shall make Aladdin return to his original mean condition.\"\n\nThe next day the magician learned from the chief superintendent of\nthe khan where he lodged that Aladdin had gone on a hunting expedition\nwhich was to last for eight days, of which only three had expired. The\nmagician wanted to know no more. He resolved at once on his plans. He\nwent to a coppersmith, and asked for a dozen copper lamps; the master\nof the shop told him he had not so many by him, but if he would have\npatience till the next day he would have them ready. The magician\nappointed his time, and desired him to take care that they should be\nhandsome and well polished.\n\nThe next day the magician called for the twelve lamps, paid the man\nhis full price, put them into a basket hanging on his arm, and went\ndirectly to Aladdin's palace. As he approached, he began crying, \"Who\nwill exchange old lamps for new?\" And as he went along, a crowd of\nchildren collected, who hooted, and thought him, as did all who\nchanced to be passing by, a madman or a fool to offer to exchange new\nlamps for old.\n\nThe African magician regarded not their scoffs, hootings, or all they\ncould say to him, but still continued crying, \"Who will exchange old\nlamps for new?\" He repeated this so often, walking backward and\nforward in front of the palace, that the princess, who was then in the\nhall of the four-and-twenty windows, hearing a man cry something, and\nseeing a great mob crowding about him, sent one of her women slaves to\nknow what he cried.\n\nThe slave returned, laughing so heartily that the princess rebuked\nher.\n\n\"Madam,\" answered the slave, laughing still, \"who can forbear\nlaughing, to see an old man with a basket on his arm, full of fine new\nlamps, asking to exchange them for old ones? The children and mob,\ncrowding about him so that he can hardly stir, make all the noise\nthey can in derision of him.\"\n\nAnother female slave, hearing this, said, \"Now you speak of lamps, I\nknow not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an\nold one upon a shelf of the Prince Aladdin's robing room, and whoever\nowns it will not be sorry to find a new one in its stead. If the\nprincess chooses, she may have the pleasure of trying if this old man\nis so silly as to give a new lamp for an old one, without taking\nanything for the exchange.\"\n\nThe princess, who knew not the value of the lamp and the interest that\nAladdin had to keep it safe, entered into the pleasantry and commanded\na slave to take it and make the exchange. The slave obeyed, went out\nof the hall, and no sooner got to the palace gates than he saw the\nAfrican magician, called to him, and showing him the old lamp, said,\n\"Give me a new lamp for this.\"\n\nThe magician never doubted but this was the lamp he wanted. There\ncould be no other such in this palace, where every utensil was gold or\nsilver. He snatched it eagerly out of the slave's hand, and thrusting\nit as far as he could into his breast, offered him his basket, and\nbade him choose which he liked best. The slave picked out one and\ncarried it to the princess; but the change was no sooner made than the\nplace rang with the shouts of the children, deriding the magician's\nfolly.\n\nThe African magician stayed no longer near the palace, nor cried any\nmore, \"New lamps for old,\" but made the best of his way to his khan.\nHis end was answered, and by his silence he got rid of the children\nand the mob.\n\nAs soon as he was out of sight of the two palaces he hastened down\nthe least-frequented streets. Having no more occasion for his lamps or\nbasket, he set all down in a spot where nobody saw him; then going\ndown another street or two, he walked till he came to one of the city\ngates, and pursuing his way through the suburbs, which were very\nextensive, at length he reached a lonely spot, where he stopped till\nthe darkness of the night, as the most suitable time for the design he\nhad in contemplation.\n\nWhen it became quite dark, he pulled the lamp out of his breast and\nrubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared, and said, \"What wouldst\nthou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all\nthose who have that lamp in their hands; both I and the other slaves\nof the lamp.\"\n\n\"I command thee,\" replied the magician, \"to transport me immediately,\nand the palace which thou and the other slaves of the lamp have built\nin this city, with all the people in it, to Africa.\"\n\nThe genie made no reply, but with the assistance of the other genies,\nthe slaves of the lamp, immediately transported him and the palace,\nentire, to the spot whither he had been desired to convey it.\n\nEarly the next morning when the sultan, according to custom, went to\ncontemplate and admire Aladdin's palace, his amazement was unbounded\nto find that it could nowhere be seen. He could not comprehend how so\nlarge a palace, which he had seen plainly every day for some years,\nshould vanish so soon and not leave the least remains behind. In his\nperplexity he ordered the grand vizier to be sent for with expedition.\n\nThe grand vizier, who, in secret, bore no good will to Aladdin,\nintimated his suspicion that the palace was built by magic, and that\nAladdin had made his hunting excursion an excuse for the removal of\nhis palace with the same suddenness with which it had been erected. He\ninduced the sultan to send a detachment of his guard, and to have\nAladdin seized as a prisoner of state.\n\nOn his son-in-law being brought before him, the sultan would not hear\na word from him, but ordered him to be put to death. But the decree\ncaused so much discontent among the people, whose affection Aladdin\nhad secured by his largesses and charities, that the sultan, fearful\nof an insurrection, was obliged to grant him his life.\n\nWhen Aladdin found himself at liberty, he again addressed the sultan:\n\"Sire, I pray you to let me know the crime by which I have thus lost\nthe favor of thy countenance.\"\n\n\"Your crime!\" answered the sultan. \"Wretched man, do you not know it?\nFollow me, and I will show you.\"\n\nThe sultan then took Aladdin into the apartment from whence he was\nwont to look at and admire his palace, and said, \"You ought to know\nwhere your palace stood; look, mind, and tell me what has become of\nit.\"\n\nAladdin did so, and being utterly amazed at the loss of his palace,\nwas speechless. At last recovering himself, he said, \"It is true, I do\nnot see the palace. It is vanished; but I had no concern in its\nremoval. I beg you to give me forty days, and if in that time I cannot\nrestore it, I will offer my head to be disposed of at your pleasure.\"\n\n\"I give you the time you ask, but at the end of the forty days forget\nnot to present yourself before me.\"\n\nAladdin went out of the sultan's palace in a condition of exceeding\nhumiliation. The lords who had courted him in the days of his splendor\nnow declined to have any communication with him. For three days he\nwandered about the city, exciting the wonder and compassion of the\nmultitude by asking everybody he met if they had seen his palace, or\ncould tell him anything of it. On the third day he wandered into the\ncountry, and as he was approaching a river he fell down the bank with\nso much violence that he rubbed the ring which the magician had given\nhim so hard, by holding on to the rock to save himself, that\nimmediately the same genie appeared whom he had seen in the cave where\nthe magician had left him.\n\n\"What wouldst thou have?\" said the genie. \"I am ready to obey thee as\nthy slave, and the slave of all those that have that ring on their\nfinger; both I and the other slaves of the ring.\"\n\nAladdin, agreeably surprised at an offer of help so little expected,\nreplied, \"Genie, show me where the palace I caused to be built now\nstands, or transport it back where it first stood.\"\n\n\"Your command,\" answered the genie, \"is not wholly in my power; I am\nonly the slave of the ring, and not of the lamp.\"\n\n\"I command thee, then,\" replied Aladdin, \"by the power of the ring, to\ntransport me to the spot where my palace stands, in what part of the\nworld soever it may be.\"\n\nThese words were no sooner out of his mouth than the genie transported\nhim into Africa, to the midst of a large plain, where his palace\nstood at no great distance from a city, and, placing him exactly under\nthe window of the princess's apartment, left him.\n\nNow it so happened that shortly after Aladdin had been transported by\nthe slave of the ring to the neighborhood of his palace, that one of\nthe attendants of the Princess Buddir al Buddoor, looking through the\nwindow, perceived him and instantly told her mistress. The princess,\nwho could not believe the joyful tidings, hastened herself to the\nwindow, and seeing Aladdin, immediately opened it. The noise of\nopening the window made Aladdin turn his head that way, and perceiving\nthe princess, he saluted her with an air that expressed his joy.\n\n\"To lose no time,\" said she to him, \"I have sent to have the private\ndoor opened for you; enter, and come up.\"\n\nThe private door, which was just under the princess's apartment, was\nsoon opened, and Aladdin was conducted up into the chamber. It is\nimpossible to express the joy of both at seeing each other, after so\ncruel a separation. After embracing and shedding tears of joy, they\nsat down, and Aladdin said, \"I beg of you, princess, to tell me what\nis become of an old lamp which stood upon a shelf in my robing\nchamber.\"\n\n\"Alas!\" answered the princess, \"I was afraid our misfortune might be\nowing to that lamp; and what grieves me most is that I have been the\ncause of it. I was foolish enough to exchange the old lamp for a new\none, and the next morning I found myself in this unknown country,\nwhich I am told is Africa.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" said Aladdin, interrupting her, \"you have explained all\nby telling me we are in Africa. I desire you only to tell me if you\nknow where the old lamp now is.\"\n\n\"The African magician carries it carefully wrapped up in his bosom,\"\nsaid the princess; \"and this I can assure you, because he pulled it\nout before me, and showed it to me in triumph.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" said Aladdin, \"I think I have found the means to deliver\nyou and to regain possession of the lamp, on which all my prosperity\ndepends. To execute this design, it is necessary for me to go to the\ntown. I shall return by noon, and will then tell you what must be done\nby you to insure success. In the meantime, I shall disguise myself,\nand I beg that the private door may be opened at the first knock.\"\n\nWhen Aladdin was out of the palace, he looked round him on all sides,\nand perceiving a peasant going into the country, hastened after him.\nWhen he had overtaken him, he made a proposal to him to change\nclothes, which the man agreed to. When they had made the exchange, the\ncountryman went about his business, and Aladdin entered the\nneighboring city. After traversing several streets, he came to that\npart of the town where the merchants and artisans had their particular\nstreets according to their trades.[47] He went into that of the\ndruggists; and entering one of the largest and best furnished shops,\nasked the druggist if he had a certain powder, which he named.\n\n[Footnote 47: This location of persons of one trade in one part of a\ntown was once common in England. Hence the \"Draper's Lane\" and\n\"Butcher's Row,\" found in many of our large towns; and the \"Old\nJewry,\" \"Lombard Street,\" and \"Cheapside,\" of London.]\n\nThe druggist, judging Aladdin by his habit to be very poor, told him\nhe had it, but that it was very dear; upon which Aladdin, penetrating\nhis thoughts, pulled out his purse, and showing him some gold, asked\nfor half a dram of the powder, which the druggist weighed and gave\nhim, telling him the price was a piece of gold. Aladdin put the money\ninto his hand, and hastened to the palace, which he entered at once by\nthe private door.\n\nWhen he came into the princess's apartment he said to her, \"Princess,\nyou must take your part in the scheme which I propose for our\ndeliverance. You must overcome your aversion for the magician, and\nassume a most friendly manner toward him, and ask him to oblige you by\npartaking of an entertainment in your apartments. Before he leaves,\nask him to exchange cups with you, which he, gratified at the honor\nyou do him, will gladly do, when you must give him the cup containing\nthis powder. On drinking it he will instantly fall asleep, and we will\nobtain the lamp, whose slaves will do all our bidding, and restore us\nand the palace to the capital of China.\"\n\nThe princess obeyed to the utmost her husband's instructions. She\nassumed a look of pleasure on the next visit of the magician, and\nasked him to an entertainment, which he most willingly accepted. At\nthe close of the evening, during which the princess had tried all she\ncould to please him, she asked him to exchange cups with her, and\ngiving the signal, had the drugged cup brought to her, which she gave\nto the magician. Out of compliment to the princess he drank it to the\nvery last drop, when he fell back lifeless on the sofa.\n\nThe princess, in anticipation of the success of her scheme, had so\nplaced her women from the great hall to the foot of the staircase\nthat the word was no sooner given that the African magician was fallen\nbackward, than the door was opened, and Aladdin admitted to the hall.\nThe princess rose from her seat, and ran, overjoyed, to embrace him;\nbut he stopped her, and said, \"Princess, retire to your apartment; and\nlet me be left alone, while I endeavor to transport you back to China\nas speedily as you were brought from thence.\"\n\nWhen the princess, her women, and slaves were gone out of the hall,\nAladdin shut the door, and going directly to the dead body of the\nmagician, opened his vest, took out the lamp, which was carefully\nwrapped up, and rubbing it, the genie immediately appeared.\n\n\"Genie,\" said Aladdin, \"I command thee to transport this palace\ninstantly to the place from whence it was brought hither.\"\n\nThe genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and disappeared.\nImmediately the palace was transported into China, and its removal was\nfelt only by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted up, the\nother when it was set down, and both in a very short interval of time.\n\nOn the morning after the restoration of Aladdin's palace the sultan\nwas looking out of his window, mourning over the fate of his daughter,\nwhen he thought that he saw the vacancy created by the disappearance\nof the palace to be again filled up.\n\nOn looking more attentively, he was convinced beyond the power of\ndoubt that it was his son-in-law's palace. Joy and gladness succeeded\nto sorrow and grief. He at once ordered a horse to be saddled, which\nhe mounted that instant, thinking he could not make haste enough to\nthe place.\n\nAladdin rose that morning by daybreak, put on one of the most\nmagnificent habits his wardrobe afforded, and went up into the hall of\nthe twenty-four windows, from whence he perceived the sultan\napproaching, and received him at the foot of the great staircase,\nhelping him to dismount.\n\nHe led the sultan into the princess's apartment. The happy father\nembraced her with tears of joy; and the princess, on her side,\nafforded similar testimonies of her extreme pleasure. After a short\ninterval, devoted to mutual explanations of all that had happened, the\nsultan restored Aladdin to his favor, and expressed his regret for the\napparent harshness with which he had treated him.\n\n\"My son,\" said he, \"be not displeased at my proceedings against you;\nthey arose from my paternal love, and therefore you ought to forgive\nthe excesses to which it hurried me.\"\n\n\"Sire,\" replied Aladdin, \"I have not the least reason to complain of\nyour conduct, since you did nothing but what your duty required. This\ninfamous magician, the basest of men, was the sole cause of my\nmisfortune.\"\n\nThe African magician, who was thus twice foiled in his endeavor to\nrain Aladdin, had a younger brother, who was as skillful a magician as\nhimself and exceeded him in wickedness and hatred of mankind. By\nmutual agreement they communicated with each other once a year,\nhowever widely separate might be their place of residence from each\nother. The younger brother, not having received as usual his annual\ncommunication, prepared to take a horoscope and ascertain his\nbrother's proceedings. He, as well as his brother, always carried a\ngeomantic square instrument about him; he prepared the sand,[48] cast\nthe points, and drew the figures. On examining the planetary crystal,\nhe found that his brother was no longer living, but had been poisoned;\nand by another observation, that he was in the capital of the kingdom\nof China; also, that the person who had poisoned him was of mean\nbirth, though married to a princess, a sultan's daughter.\n\n[Footnote 48: Reml or Raml signifies \"sand prepared,\" or a preparation\nof sand on which are marked certain figures serving for a kind of\ndivination, which we call Geomancy; and the Arabs and Turks _Kikmut al\nReml_. These disposed in a certain number on many unequal lines, are\ndescribed also with a pen on paper; and the person who practices\ndivination by this art is called _Rammal_.--D'Herbelot, art. \"Raml.\"]\n\nWhen the magician had informed himself of his brother's fate he\nresolved immediately to avenge his death, and at once departed for\nChina; where, after crossing plains, rivers, mountains, deserts, and a\nlong tract of country without delay, he arrived after incredible\nfatigues. When he came to the capital of China he took a lodging at a\nkhan. His magic art soon revealed to him that Aladdin was the person\nwho had been the cause of the death of his brother. He had heard, too,\nall the persons of repute in the city talking of a woman called\nFatima, who was retired from the world, and of the miracles she\nwrought. As he fancied that this woman might be serviceable to him in\nthe project he had conceived, he made more minute inquiries, and\nrequested to be informed more particularly who that holy woman was,\nand what sort of miracles she performed.\n\n\"What!\" said the person whom he addressed, \"have you never seen or\nheard of her? She is the admiration of the whole town, for her\nfasting, her austerities, and her exemplary life. Except Mondays and\nFridays, she never stirs out of her little cell; and on those days on\nwhich she comes into the town she does an infinite deal of good; for\nthere is not a person who is diseased but she puts her hand on him and\ncures him.\"\n\nHaving ascertained the place where the hermitage of this holy woman\nwas, the magician went at night, and plunged a poniard into her\nheart--killed this good woman. In the morning he dyed his face of the\nsame hue as hers, and arraying himself in her garb, taking her veil,\nthe large necklace she wore round her waist, and her stick, went\nstraight to the palace of Aladdin.\n\nAs soon as the people saw the holy woman, as they imagined him to be,\nthey presently gathered about him in a great crowd. Some begged his\nblessing, others kissed his hand, and others, more reserved, kissed\nonly the hem of his garment; while others, suffering from disease,\nstooped for him to lay his hands upon them; which he did, muttering\nsome words in form of prayer, and, in short, counterfeiting so well\nthat everybody took him for the holy woman. He came at last to the\nsquare before Aladdin's palace. The crowd and the noise were so great\nthat the princess, who was in the hall of the four-and-twenty windows,\nheard it, and asked what was the matter. One of her women told her it\nwas a great crowd of people collected about the holy woman to be cured\nof diseases by the imposition of her hands.\n\nThe princess, who had long heard of this holy woman, but had never\nseen her, was very desirous to have some conversation with her. The\nchief officer perceiving this, told her it was an easy matter to bring\nthe woman to her if she desired and commanded it; and the princess\nexpressing her wishes, he immediately sent four slaves for the\npretended holy woman.\n\nAs soon as the crowd saw the attendants from the palace, they made\nway; and the magician, perceiving also that they were coming for him,\nadvanced to meet them, overjoyed to find his plot succeed so well.\n\n\"Holy woman,\" said one of the slaves, \"the princess wishes to see you,\nand has sent us for you.\"\n\n\"The princess does me too great an honor,\" replied the false Fatima;\n\"I am ready to obey her command.\" And at the same time he followed the\nslaves to the palace.\n\nWhen the pretended Fatima had made his obeisance, the princess said,\n\"My good mother, I have one thing to request, which you must not\nrefuse me; it is, to stay with me, that you may edify me with your way\nof living, and that I may learn from your good example.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" said the counterfeit Fatima, \"I beg of you not to ask what\nI cannot consent to without neglecting my prayers and devotion.\"\n\n\"That shall be no hindrance to you,\" answered the princess; \"I have a\ngreat many apartments unoccupied; you shall choose which you like\nbest, and have as much liberty to perform your devotions as if you\nwere in your own cell.\"\n\nThe magician, who really desired nothing more than to introduce\nhimself into the palace, where it would be a much easier matter for\nhim to execute his designs, did not long excuse himself from accepting\nthe obliging offer which the princess made him.\n\n\"Princess,\" said he, \"whatever resolution a poor wretched woman as I\nam may have made to renounce the pomp and grandeur of this world, I\ndare not presume to oppose the will and commands of so pious and\ncharitable a princess.\"\n\nUpon this the princess, rising up, said, \"Come with me. I will show\nyou what vacant apartments I have, that you may make choice of that\nyou like best.\"\n\nThe magician followed the princess, and of all the apartments she\nshowed him, made choice of that which was the worst, saying that was\ntoo good for him, and that he only accepted it to please her.\n\nAfterward the princess would have brought him back again into the\ngreat hall to make him dine with her; but he, considering that he\nshould then be obliged to show his face, which he had always taken\ncare to conceal with Fatima's veil, and fearing that the princess\nwould find out that he was not Fatima, begged of her earnestly to\nexcuse him, telling her that he never ate anything but bread and dried\nfruits, and desiring to eat that slight repast in his own apartment.\n\nThe princess granted his request, saying, \"You may be as free here,\ngood mother, as if you were in your own cell: I will order you a\ndinner, but remember, I expect you as soon as you have finished your\nrepast.\"\n\nAfter the princess had dined, and the false Fatima had been sent for\nby one of the attendants, he again waited upon her. \"My good mother,\"\nsaid the princess, \"I am overjoyed to see so holy a woman as yourself,\nwho will confer a blessing upon this palace. But now I am speaking of\nthe palace, pray how do you like it? And before I show it all to you,\ntell me first what you think of this hall.\"\n\nUpon this question, the counterfeit Fatima surveyed the hall from one\nend to the other. When he had examined it well, he said to the\nprincess, \"As far as such a solitary being as I am, who am\nunacquainted with what the world calls beautiful, can judge, this hall\nis truly admirable; there wants but one thing.\"\n\n\"What is that, good mother?\" demanded the princess; \"tell me, I\nconjure you. For my part, I always believed, and have heard say, it\nwanted nothing; but if it does, it shall be supplied.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" said the false Fatima, with great dis-simulation, \"forgive\nme the liberty I have taken; but my opinion is, if it can be of any\nimportance, that if a roc's egg were hung up in the middle of the\ndome, this hall would have no parallel in the four quarters of the\nworld, and your palace would be the wonder of the universe.\"\n\n\"My good mother,\" said the princess, \"what is a roc, and where may one\nget an egg?\"\n\n\"Princess,\" replied the pretended Fatima, \"it is a bird of prodigious\nsize, which inhabits the summit of Mount Caucasus; the architect who\nbuilt your palace can get you one.\"\n\nAfter the princess had thanked the false Fatima for what she believed\nher good advice, she conversed with her upon other matters; but she\ncould not forget the roc's egg, which she resolved to request of\nAladdin when next he should visit his apartments. He did so in the\ncourse of that evening, and shortly after he entered, the princess\nthus addressed him: \"I always believed that our palace was the most\nsuperb, magnificent, and complete in the world: but I will tell you\nnow what it wants, and that is a roc's egg hung up in the midst of the\ndome.\"\n\n\"Princess,\" replied Aladdin, \"it is enough that you think it wants\nsuch an ornament; you shall see by the diligence which I use in\nobtaining it, that there is nothing which I would not do for your\nsake.\"\n\nAladdin left the Princess Buddir al Buddoor that moment, and went up\ninto the hall of four-and-twenty windows, where, pulling out of his\nbosom the lamp, which after the danger he had been exposed to he\nalways carried about him, he rubbed it; upon which the genie\nimmediately appeared.\n\n\"Genie,\" said Aladdin, \"I command thee, in the name of this lamp,\nbring a roc's egg to be hung up in the middle of the dome of the hall\nof the palace.\"\n\nAladdin had no sooner pronounced these words than the hall shook as if\nready to fall; and the genie said, in a loud and terrible voice, \"Is\nit not enough that I and the other slaves of the lamp have done\neverything for you, but you, by an unheard-of ingratitude, must\ncommand me to bring my master, and hang him up in the midst of this\ndome? This attempt deserves that you, the princess, and the palace\nshould be immediately reduced to ashes; but you are spared because\nthis request does not come from yourself. Its true author is the\nbrother of the African magician, your enemy whom you have destroyed.\nHe is now in your palace, disguised in the habit of the holy woman\nFatima, whom he has murdered; at his suggestion your wife makes this\npernicious demand. His design is to kill you; therefore take care of\nyourself.\" After these words the genie disappeared.\n\nAladdin resolved at once what to do. He returned to the princess's\napartment, and without mentioning a word of what had happened, sat\ndown, and complained of a great pain which had suddenly seized his\nhead. On hearing this, the princess told him how she had invited the\nholy Fatima to stay with her, and that she was now in the palace; and\nat the request of the prince, ordered her to be summoned to her at\nonce.\n\nWhen the pretended Fatima came, Aladdin said, \"Come hither, good\nmother; I am glad to see you here at so fortunate a time. I am\ntormented with a violent pain in my head, and request your assistance,\nand hope you will not refuse me that cure which you impart to\nafflicted persons.\"\n\nSo saying, he arose, but held down his head. The counterfeit Fatima\nadvanced toward him, with his hand all the time on a dagger concealed\nin his girdle under his gown. Observing this, Aladdin snatched the\nweapon from his hand, pierced him to the heart with his own dagger,\nand then pushed him down on the floor.\n\n\"My dear prince, what have you done?\" cried the princess, in surprise.\n\"You have killed the holy woman!\"\n\n\"No, my princess,\" answered Aladdin, with emotion, \"I have not killed\nFatima, but a villain who would have assassinated me, if I had not\nprevented him. This wicked man,\" added he, uncovering his face, \"is\nthe brother of the magician who attempted our ruin. He has strangled\nthe true Fatima, and disguised himself in her clothes with intent to\nmurder me.\"\n\nAladdin then informed her how the genie had told him these facts, and\nhow narrowly she and the palace had escaped destruction though his\ntreacherous suggestion which had led to her request.\n\nThus was Aladdin delivered from the persecution of the two brothers,\nwho were magicians. Within a few years the sultan died in a good old\nage, and as he left no male children, the Princess Buddir al Buddoor\nsucceeded him, and she and Aladdin reigned together many years, and\nleft a numerous and illustrious posterity.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE HISTORY OF ALI BABA, AND OF THE FORTY ROBBERS KILLED BY ONE SLAVE\n\n\nThere once lived in a town of Persia two brothers, one named Cassim\nand the other Ali Baba. Their father divided a small inheritance\nequally between them. Cassim married a very rich wife, and became a\nwealthy merchant. Ali Baba married a woman as poor as himself, and\nlived by cutting wood, and bringing it upon three asses into the town\nto sell.\n\nOne day, when Ali Baba was in the forest and had just cut wood enough\nto load his asses, he saw at a distance a great cloud of dust, which\nseemed to approach him. He observed it with attention, and\ndistinguished soon after a body of horsemen, whom he suspected might\nbe robbers. He determined to leave his asses to save himself. He\nclimbed up a large tree, planted on a high rock, whose branches were\nthick enough to conceal him, and yet enabled him to see all that\npassed without being discovered.\n\nThe troop, who were to the number of forty, all well mounted and\narmed, came to the foot of the rock on which the tree stood, and there\ndismounted. Every man unbridled his horse, tied him to some shrub, and\nhung about his neck a bag of corn which they had brought behind them.\nThen each of them took off his saddle-bag, which seemed to Ali Baba\nfrom its weight to be full of gold and silver. One, whom he took to be\ntheir captain, came under the tree in which Ali Baba was concealed;\nand making his way through some shrubs, pronounced these words:\n\"Open, Sesame!\"[49] As soon as the captain of the robbers had thus\nspoken, a door opened in the rock; and after he had made all his troop\nenter before him, he followed them, when the door shut again of\nitself.\n\n[Footnote 49: \"Sesame\" is a small grain.]\n\nThe robbers stayed some time within the rock, during which Ali Baba,\nfearful of being caught, remained in the tree.\n\nAt last the door opened again, and as the captain went in last, so he\ncame out first, and stood to see them all pass by him; when Ali Baba\nheard him make the door close by pronouncing these words, \"Shut,\nSesame!\" Every man at once went and bridled his horse, fastened his\nwallet, and mounted again. When the captain saw them all ready, he put\nhimself at their head, and they returned the way they had come.\n\nAli Baba followed them with his eyes as far as he could see them; and\nafterward stayed a considerable time before he descended. Remembering\nthe words the captain of the robbers used to cause the door to open\nand shut, he had the curiosity to try if his pronouncing them would\nhave the same effect. Accordingly, he went among the shrubs, and\nperceiving the door concealed behind them, stood before it, and said,\n\"Open, Sesame!\" The door instantly flew wide open.\n\nAli Baba, who expected a dark, dismal cavern, was surprised to see a\nwell-lighted and spacious chamber, which received the light from an\nopening at the top of the rock, and in which were all sorts of\nprovisions, rich bales of silk, stuff, brocade, and valuable\ncarpeting, piled upon one another, gold and silver ingots in great\nheaps, and money in bags. The sight of all these riches made him\nsuppose that this cave must have been occupied for ages by robbers,\nwho had succeeded one another.\n\nAli Baba went boldly into the cave, and collected as much of the gold\ncoin, which was in bags, as he thought his three asses could carry.\nWhen he had loaded them with the bags, he laid wood over them in such\na manner that they could not be seen. When he had passed in and out as\noften as he wished, he stood before the door, and pronouncing the\nwords, \"Shut, Sesame!\" the door closed of itself. He then made the\nbest of his way to town.\n\nWhen Ali Baba got home he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the\ngates very carefully, threw off the wood that covered the panniers,\ncarried the bags into his house, and ranged them in order before his\nwife. He then emptied the bags, which raised such a great heap of gold\nas dazzled his wife's eyes, and then he told her the whole adventure\nfrom beginning to end, and, above all, recommended her to keep it\nsecret.\n\nThe wife rejoiced greatly at their good fortune, and would count all\nthe gold piece by piece.\n\n\"Wife,\" replied Ali Baba, \"you do not know what you undertake, when\nyou pretend to count the money; you will never have done. I will dig a\nhole, and bury it. There is no time to be lost.\"\n\n\"You are in the right, husband,\" replied she, \"but let us know, as\nnigh as possible, how much we have. I will borrow a small measure, and\nmeasure it, while you dig the hole.\"\n\nAway the wife ran to her brother-in-law Cassim, who lived just by, and\naddressing herself to his wife, desired that she lend her a measure\nfor a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her whether she would have\na great or a small one. The other asked for a small one. She bade her\nstay a little, and she would readily fetch one.\n\nThe sister-in-law did so, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty, she was\ncurious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure, and\nartfully putting some suet at the bottom of the measure, brought it to\nher, with an excuse that she was sorry that she had made her stay so\nlong, but that she could not find it sooner.\n\nAli Baba's wife went home, set the measure upon the heap of gold,\nfilled it, and emptied it often upon the sofa, till she had done, when\nshe was very well satisfied to find the number of measures amounted to\nso many as they did, and went to tell her husband, who had almost\nfinished digging the hole. When Ali Baba was burying the gold, his\nwife, to show her exactness and diligence to her sister-in-law,\ncarried the measure back again, but without taking notice that a piece\nof gold had stuck to the bottom.\n\n\"Sister,\" said she, giving it to her again, \"you see that I have not\nkept your measure long. I am obliged to you for it, and return it with\nthanks.\"\n\nAs soon as Ali Baba's wife was gone, Cassim's looked at the bottom of\nthe measure, and was in inexpressible surprise to find a piece of gold\nsticking to it. Envy immediately possessed her breast.\n\n\"What!\" said she, \"has Ali Baba gold so plentiful as to measure it?\nWhence has he all this wealth?\"\n\nCassim, her husband, was at his counting house. When he came home his\nwife said to him, \"Cassim, I know you think yourself rich, but Ali\nBaba is infinitely richer than you. He does not count his money, but\nmeasures it.\"\n\nCassim desired her to explain the riddle, which she did, by telling\nhim the stratagem she had used to make the discovery, and showed him\nthe piece of money, which was so old that they could not tell in what\nprince's reign it was coined.\n\nCassim, after he had married the rich widow, had never treated Ali\nBaba as a brother, but neglected him; and now, instead of being\npleased, he conceived a base envy at his brother's prosperity. He\ncould not sleep all that night, and went to him in the morning before\nsunrise.\n\n\"Ali Baba,\" said he, \"I am surprised at you. You pretend to be\nmiserably poor, and yet you measure gold. My wife found this at the\nbottom of the measure you borrowed yesterday.\"\n\nBy this discourse, Ali Baba perceived that Cassim and his wife,\nthrough his own wife's folly, knew what they had so much reason to\nconceal; but what was done could not be undone. Therefore, without\nshowing the least surprise or trouble, he confessed all, and offered\nhis brother part of his treasure to keep the secret.\n\n\"I expect as much,\" replied Cassim haughtily; \"but I must know exactly\nwhere this treasure is, and how I may visit it myself when I choose.\nOtherwise I will go and inform against you, and then you will not only\nget no more, but will lose all you have, and I shall have a share for\nmy information.\"\n\nAli Baba told him all he desired, even to the very words he was to use\nto gain admission into the cave.\n\nCassim rose the next morning long before the sun, and set out for the\nforest with ten mules bearing great chests, which he designed to fill,\nand followed the road which Ali Baba had pointed out to him. He was\nnot long before he reached the rock, and found out the place, by the\ntree and other marks which his brother had given him. When he reached\nthe entrance of the cavern, he pronounced the words, \"Open, Sesame!\"\nThe door immediately opened, and, when he was in, closed upon him. In\nexamining the cave, he was in great admiration to find much more\nriches than he had expected from Ali Baba's relation. He quickly laid\nas many bags of gold as he could carry at the door of the cavern; but\nhis thoughts were so full of the great riches he should possess that\nhe could not think of the necessary word to make it open, but instead\nof \"Sesame,\" said, \"Open, Barley!\" and was much amazed to find that\nthe door remained fast shut. He named several sorts of grain, but\nstill the door would not open.\n\nCassim had never expected such an incident, and was so alarmed at the\ndanger he was in, that the more he endeavored to remember the word\n\"Sesame,\" the more his memory was confounded, and he had as much\nforgotten it as if he had never heard it mentioned. He threw down the\nbags he had loaded himself with, and walked distractedly up and down\nthe cave, without having the least regard to the riches that were\naround him.\n\nAbout noon the robbers visited their cave. At some distance they saw\nCassim's mules straggling about the rock, with great chests on their\nbacks. Alarmed at this, they galloped full speed to the cave. They\ndrove away the mules, who strayed through the forest so far that they\nwere soon out of sight, and went directly, with their naked sabers in\ntheir hands, to the door, which, on their captain pronouncing the\nproper words, immediately opened.\n\nCassim, who heard the noise of the horses' feet, at once guessed the\narrival of the robbers, and resolved to make one effort for his life.\nHe rushed to the door, and no sooner saw the door open, than he ran\nout and threw the leader down, but could not escape the other robbers,\nwho with their scimitars soon deprived him of life.\n\nThe first care of the robbers after this was to examine the cave. They\nfound all the bags which Cassim had brought to the door, to be ready\nto load his mules, and carried them again to their places, but they\ndid not miss what Ali Baba had taken away before. Then holding a\ncouncil, and deliberating upon this occurrence, they guessed that\nCassim, when he was in, could not get out again, but could not imagine\nhow he had learned the secret words by which alone he could enter.\nThey could not deny the fact of his being there; and to terrify any\nperson or accomplice who should attempt the same thing, they agreed to\ncut Cassim's body into four quarters--to hang two on one side, and two\non the other, within the door of the cave. They had no sooner taken\nthis resolution than they put it in execution; and when they had\nnothing more to detain them, left the place of their hoards well\nclosed. They mounted their horses, went to beat the roads again, and\nto attack the caravans they might meet.\n\nIn the meantime, Cassim's wife was very uneasy when night came, and\nher husband was not returned. She ran to Ali Baba in great alarm, and\nsaid, \"I believe, brother-in-law, that you know Cassim is gone to the\nforest, and upon what account. It is now night, and he has not\nreturned. I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him.\"\n\nAli Baba told her that she need not frighten herself, for that\ncertainly Cassim would not think it proper to come into the town till\nthe night should be pretty far advanced.\n\nCassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep\nthe business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her\nbrother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till\nmidnight. Then her fear redoubled, and her grief was the more sensible\nbecause she was forced to keep it to herself. She repented of her\nfoolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of prying into the affairs of\nher brother and sister-in-law. She spent all the night in weeping; and\nas soon as it was day went to them, telling them, by her tears, the\ncause of her coming.\n\nAli Baba did not wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go to see\nwhat was become of Cassim, but departed immediately with his three\nasses, begging of her first to moderate her grief. He went to the\nforest, and when he came near the rock, having seen neither his\nbrother nor his mules on his way, was seriously alarmed at finding\nsome blood spilt near the door, which he took for an ill omen; but\nwhen he had pronounced the word, and the door had opened, he was\nstruck with horror at the dismal sight of his brother's body. He was\nnot long in determining how he should pay the last dues to his\nbrother; but without adverting to the little fraternal affection he\nhad shown for him, went into the cave, to find something to enshroud\nhis remains. Having loaded one of his asses with them, he covered\nthem over with wood. The other two asses he loaded with bags of gold,\ncovering them with wood also as before; and then, bidding the door\nshut, he came away; but was so cautious as to stop some time at the\nend of the forest, that he might not go into the town before night.\nWhen he came home he drove the two asses loaded with gold into his\nlittle yard, and left the care of unloading them to his wife, while he\nled the other to his sister-in-law's house.\n\nAli Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by Morgiana, a clever,\nintelligent slave, who was fruitful in inventions to meet the most\ndifficult circumstances. When he came into the court he unloaded the\nass, and taking Morgiana aside, said to her, \"You must observe an\ninviolable secrecy. Your master's body is contained in these two\npanniers. We must bury him as if he had died a natural death. Go now\nand tell your mistress. I leave the matter to your wit and skillful\ndevices.\"\n\nAli Baba helped to place the body in Cassim's house, again recommended\nto Morgiana to act her part well, and then returned with his ass.\n\nMorgiana went out early the next morning to a druggist and asked for a\nsort of lozenge which was considered efficacious in the most dangerous\ndisorders. The apothecary inquired who was ill. She replied, with a\nsigh, her good master Cassim himself; and that he could neither eat\nnor speak.\n\nIn the evening Morgiana went to the same druggist again, and with\ntears in her eyes, asked for an essence which they used to give to\nsick people only when in the last extremity.\n\n\"Alas!\" said she, taking it from the apothecary, \"I am afraid that\nthis remedy will have no better effect than the lozenges; and that I\nshall lose my good master.\"\n\nOn the other hand, as Ali Baba and his wife were often seen to go\nbetween Cassim's and their own house all that day, and to seem\nmelancholy, nobody was surprised in the evening to hear the lamentable\nshrieks and cries of Cassim's wife and Morgiana, who gave out\neverywhere that her master was dead. The next morning at daybreak,\nMorgiana went to an old cobbler whom she knew to be always ready at\nhis stall, and bidding him good morrow, put a piece of gold into his\nhand, saying, \"Baba Mustapha, you must bring with you your sewing\ntackle, and come with me; but I must tell you, I shall blindfold you\nwhen you come to such a place.\"\n\nBaba Mustapha seemed to hesitate a little at these words. \"Oh! oh!\"\nreplied he, \"you would have me do something against my conscience, or\nagainst my honor?\"\n\n\"God forbid,\" said Morgiana, putting another piece of gold into his\nhand, \"that I should ask anything that is contrary to your honor! Only\ncome along with me, and fear nothing.\"\n\nBaba Mustapha went with Morgiana, who, after she had bound his eyes\nwith a handkerchief at the place she had mentioned, conveyed him to\nher deceased master's house, and never unloosed his eyes till he had\nentered the room where she had put the corpse together. \"Baba\nMustapha,\" said she, \"you must make haste and sew the parts of this\nbody together; and when you have done, I will give you another piece\nof gold.\"\n\nAfter Baba Mustapha had finished his task, she blindfolded him again,\ngave him the third piece of gold as she had promised, and\nrecommending secrecy to him, carried him back to the place where she\nfirst bound his eyes, pulled off the bandage, and let him go home, but\nwatched him that he returned toward his stall, till he was quite out\nof sight, for fear he should have the curiosity to return and dodge\nher; she then went home.\n\nMorgiana, on her return, warmed some water to wash the body, and at\nthe same time Ali Baba perfumed it with incense, and wrapped it in the\nburying clothes with the accustomed ceremonies. Not long after the\nproper officer brought the bier, and when the attendants of the\nmosque, whose business it was to wash the dead, offered to perform\ntheir duty, she told them it was done already. Shortly after this the\nimaun and the other ministers of the mosque arrived. Four neighbors\ncarried the corpse to the burying-ground, following the imaun, who\nrecited some prayers. Ali Baba came after with some neighbors, who\noften relieved the others in carrying the bier to the burying-ground.\nMorgiana, a slave to the deceased, followed in the procession,\nweeping, beating her breast, and tearing her hair. Cassim's wife\nstayed at home mourning, uttering lamentable cries with the women of\nthe neighborhood, who came, according to custom, during the funeral,\nand joining their lamentations with hers filled the quarter far and\nnear with sounds of sorrow.\n\nIn this manner Cassim's melancholy death was concealed and hushed up\nbetween Ali Baba, his widow, and Morgiana his slave, with so much\ncontrivance that nobody in the city had the least knowledge or\nsuspicion of the cause of it. Three or four days after the funeral,\nAli Baba removed his few goods openly to his sister's house, in which\nit was agreed that he should in future live; but the money he had\ntaken from the robbers he conveyed thither by night. As for Cassim's\nwarehouse, he intrusted it entirely to the management of his eldest\nson.\n\nWhile these things were being done, the forty robbers again visited\ntheir retreat in the forest. Great, then, was their surprise to find\nCassim's body taken away, with some of their bags of gold. \"We are\ncertainly discovered,\" said the captain. \"The removal of the body and\nthe loss of some of our money, plainly shows that the man whom we\nkilled had an accomplice: and for our own lives' sake we must try to\nfind him. What say you, my lads?\"\n\nAll the robbers unanimously approved of the captain's proposal.\n\n\"Well,\" said the captain, \"one of you, the boldest and most skillful\namong you, must go into the town, disguised as a traveler and a\nstranger, to try if he can hear any talk of the man whom we have\nkilled, and endeavor to find out who he was, and where he lived. This\nis a matter of the first importance, and for fear of any treachery I\npropose that whoever undertakes this business without success, even\nthough the failure arises only from an error of judgment, shall suffer\ndeath.\"\n\nWithout waiting for the sentiments of his companions, one of the\nrobbers started up, and said, \"I submit to this condition, and think\nit an honor to expose my life to serve the troop.\"\n\nAfter this robber had received great commendations from the captain\nand his comrades, he disguised himself so that nobody would take him\nfor what he was; and taking his leave of the troop that night, he went\ninto the town just at daybreak. He walked up and down, till\naccidentally he came to Baba Mustapha's stall, which was always open\nbefore any of the shops.\n\nBaba Mustapha was seated with an awl in his hand, just going to work.\nThe robber saluted him, bidding him good morrow; and perceiving that\nhe was old, said, \"Honest man, you begin to work very early; is it\npossible that one of your age can see so well? I question, even if it\nwere somewhat lighter, whether you could see to stitch.\"\n\n\"You do not know me,\" replied Baba Mustapha; \"for old as I am, I have\nextraordinary good eyes; and you will not doubt it when I tell you\nthat I sewed the body of a dead man together in a place where I had\nnot so much light as I have now.\"\n\n\"A dead body!\" exclaimed the robber, with affected amazement.\n\n\"Yes, yes,\" answered Baba Mustapha. \"I see you want me to speak out,\nbut you shall know no more.\"\n\nThe robber felt sure that he had discovered what he sought. He pulled\nout a piece of gold, and putting it into Baba Mustapha's hand, said to\nhim, \"I do not want to learn your secret, though I can assure you you\nmight safely trust me with it. The only thing I desire of you is to\nshow me the house where you stitched up the dead body.\"\n\n\"If I were disposed to do you that favor,\" replied Baba Mustapha, \"I\nassure you I cannot. I was taken to a certain place, whence I was led\nblindfold to the house, and afterward brought back in the same manner.\nYou see, therefore, the impossibility of my doing what you desire.\"\n\n\"Well,\" replied the robber, \"you may, however, remember a little of\nthe way that you were led blindfold. Come, let me blind your eyes at\nthe same place. We will walk together; perhaps you may recognize some\npart, and as every one should be paid for his trouble here is another\npiece of gold for you; gratify me in what I ask you.\" So saying, he\nput another piece of gold into his hand.\n\nThe two pieces of gold were great temptations to Baba Mustapha. He\nlooked at them a long time in his hand, without saying a word, but at\nlast he pulled out his purse and put them in.\n\n\"I cannot promise,\" said he to the robber, \"that I can remember the\nway exactly; but since you desire, I will try what I can do.\"\n\nAt these words Baba Mustapha rose up, to the great joy of the robber,\nand led him to the place where Morgiana had bound his eyes.\n\n\"It was here,\" said Baba Mustapha, \"I was blindfolded; and I turned\nthis way.\"\n\nThe robber tied his handkerchief over his eyes, and walked by him till\nhe stopped directly at Cassim's house, where Ali Baba then lived. The\nthief, before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a piece of\nchalk, which he had ready in his hand, and then asked him if he knew\nwhose house that was; to which Baba Mustapha replied that as he did\nnot live in that neighborhood, he could not tell.\n\nThe robber, finding that he could discover no more from Baba Mustapha,\nthanked him for the trouble he had taken, and left him to go back to\nhis stall, while he returned to the forest, persuaded that he should\nbe very well received.\n\nA little after the robber and Baba Mustapha had parted, Morgiana went\nout of Ali Baba's house upon some errand, and upon her return, seeing\nthe mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it.\n\n\"What can be the meaning of this mark?\" said she to herself. \"Somebody\nintends my master no good. However, with whatever intention it was\ndone, it is advisable to guard against the worst.\"\n\nAccordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk, and marked two or three\ndoors on each side in the same manner, without saying a word to her\nmaster or mistress.\n\nIn the meantime the robber rejoined his troop in the forest, and\nrecounted to them his success, expatiating upon his good fortune in\nmeeting so soon with the only person who could inform him of what he\nwanted to know. All the robbers listened to him with the utmost\nsatisfaction. Then the captain, after commending his diligence,\naddressing himself to them all, said, \"Comrades, we have no time to\nlose. Let us set off well armed, without its appearing who we are; but\nthat we may not excite any suspicion, let only one or two go into the\ntown together, and join at our rendezvous, which shall be the great\nsquare. In the meantime, our comrade who brought us the good news and\nI will go and find out the house, that we may consult what had best be\ndone.\"\n\nThis speech and plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready.\nThey filed off in parties of two each, after some interval of time,\nand got into the town without being in the least suspected. The\ncaptain, and he who had visited the town in the morning as spy, came\nin the last. He led the captain into the street where he had marked\nAli Baba's residence; and when they came to the first of the houses\nwhich Morgiana had marked, he pointed it out. But the captain observed\nthat the next door was chalked in the same manner, and in the same\nplace; and showing it to his guide, asked him which house it was,\nthat, or the first. The guide was so confounded, that he knew not what\nanswer to make; but he was still more puzzled when he and the captain\nsaw five or six houses similarly marked. He assured the captain, with\nan oath, that he had marked but one, and could not tell who had\nchalked the rest, so that he could not distinguish the house which the\ncobbler had stopped at.\n\nThe captain, finding that their design had proved abortive, went\ndirectly to their place of rendezvous, and told his troop that they\nhad lost their labor, and must return to their cave. He himself set\nthem the example, and they all returned as they had come.\n\nWhen the troop was all got together, the captain told them the reason\nof their returning; and presently the conductor was declared by all\nworthy of death. He condemned himself, acknowledging that he ought to\nhave taken better precaution, and prepared to receive the stroke from\nhim who was appointed to cut off his head.\n\nBut as the safety of the troop required the discovery of the second\nintruder into the cave, another of the gang, who promised himself that\nhe should succeed better, presented himself, and his offer being\naccepted he went and corrupted Baba Mustapha as the other had done;\nand being shown the house, marked it in a place more remote from\nsight, with red chalk.\n\nNot long after, Morgiana, whose eyes nothing could escape, went out,\nand seeing the red chalk, and arguing with herself as she had done\nbefore, marked the other neighbors' houses in the same place and\nmanner.\n\nThe robber, on his return to his company, valued himself much on the\nprecaution he had taken, which he looked upon as an infallible way of\ndistinguishing Ali Baba's house from the others; and the captain and\nall of them thought it must succeed. They conveyed themselves into the\ntown with the same precaution as before; but when the robber and his\ncaptain came to the street, they found the same difficulty; at which\nthe captain was enraged, and the robber in as great confusion as his\npredecessor.\n\nThus the captain and his troop were forced to retire a second time,\nand much more dissatisfied; while the robber who had been the author\nof the mistake underwent the same punishment, which he willingly\nsubmitted to.\n\nThe captain, having lost two brave fellows of his troop, was afraid of\ndiminishing it too much by pursuing this plan to get information of\nthe residence of their plunderer. He found by their example that their\nheads were not so good as their hands on such occasions; and therefore\nresolved to take upon himself the important commission.\n\nAccordingly, he went and addressed himself to Baba Mustapha, who did\nhim the same service he had done to the other robbers. He did not set\nany particular mark on the house, but examined and observed it so\ncarefully, by passing often by it, that it was impossible for him to\nmistake it.\n\nThe captain, well satisfied with his attempt, and informed of what he\nwanted to know, returned to the forest: and when he came into the\ncave, where the troop waited for him, said, \"Now, comrades, nothing\ncan prevent our full revenge, as I am certain of the house; and on my\nway hither I have thought how to put it into execution, but if any one\ncan form a better expedient, let him communicate it.\"\n\nHe then told them his contrivance; and as they approved of it, ordered\nthem to go into the villages about, and buy nineteen mules, with\nthirty-eight large leather jars, one full of oil, and the others\nempty.\n\nIn two or three days' time the robbers had purchased the mules and\njars, and as the mouths of the jars were rather too narrow for his\npurpose, the captain caused them to be widened, and after having put\none of his men into each, with the weapons which he thought fit,\nleaving open the seam which had been undone to leave them room to\nbreathe, he rubbed the jars on the outside with oil from the full\nvessel.\n\nThings being thus prepared, when the nineteen mules were loaded with\nthirty-seven robbers in jars, and the jar of oil, the captain, as\ntheir driver, set out with them, and reached the town by the dusk of\nthe evening, as he had intended. He led them through the streets, till\nhe came to Ali Baba's, at whose door he designed to have knocked; but\nwas prevented by his sitting there after supper to take a little fresh\nair. He stopped his mules, addressed himself to him, and said, \"I have\nbrought some oil a great way, to sell at tomorrow's market; and it is\nnow so late that I do not know where to lodge. If I should not be\ntroublesome to you, do me the favor to let me pass the night with\nyou, and I shall be very much obliged by your hospitality.\"\n\nThough Ali Baba had seen the captain of the robbers in the forest, and\nhad heard him speak, it was impossible to know him in the disguise of\nan oil merchant. He told him he should be welcome, and immediately\nopened his gates for the mules to go into the yard. At the same time\nhe called to a slave, and ordered him, when the mules were unloaded,\nto put them into the stable, and to feed them; and then went to\nMorgiana, to bid her get a good supper for his guest.\n\nAfter they had finished supper, Ali Baba, charging Morgiana afresh to\ntake care of his guest, said to her, \"To-morrow morning I design to go\nto the bath before day; take care my bathing linen be ready, give them\nto Abdalla (which was the slave's name), and make me some good broth\nagainst I return.\" After this he went to bed.\n\nIn the meantime the captain of the robbers went into the yard, and\ntook off the lid of each jar, and gave his people orders what to do.\nBeginning at the first jar, and so on to the last, he said to each\nman: \"As soon as I throw some stones out of the chamber window where I\nlie, do not fail to come out, and I will immediately join you.\"\n\nAfter this he returned into the house, when Morgiana, taking up a\nlight, conducted him to his chamber, where she left him; and he, to\navoid any suspicion, put the light out soon after, and laid himself\ndown in his clothes, that he might be the more ready to rise.\n\nMorgiana, remembering Ali Baba's orders, got his bathing linen ready,\nand ordered Abdalla to set on the pot for the broth; but while she was\npreparing it the lamp went out, and there was no more oil in the\nhouse, nor any candles. What to do she did not know, for the broth\nmust be made. Abdalla, seeing her very uneasy, said, \"do not fret and\ntease yourself, but go into the yard, and take some oil out of one of\nthe jars.\"\n\nMorgiana thanked Abdalla for his advice, took the oil pot, and went\ninto the yard; when, as she came nigh the first jar, the robber within\nsaid softly, \"Is it time?\"\n\nThough naturally much surprised at finding a man in the jar instead of\nthe oil she wanted, she immediately felt the importance of keeping\nsilence, as Ali Baba, his family, and herself were in great danger;\nand collecting herself, without showing the least emotion, she\nanswered, \"Not yet, but presently.\" She went quietly in this manner to\nall the jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.\n\nBy this means Morgiana found that her master Ali Baba had admitted\nthirty-eight robbers into his house, and that this pretended oil\nmerchant was their captain. She made what haste she could to fill her\noil pot, and returned into the kitchen, where, as soon as she had\nlighted her lamp, she took a great kettle, went again to the oil jar,\nfilled the kettle, set it on a large wood fire, and as soon as it\nboiled, went and poured enough into every jar to stifle and destroy\nthe robber within.\n\nWhen this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed\nwithout any noise, as she had projected, she returned into the kitchen\nwith the empty kettle; and having put out the great fire she had made\nto boil the oil, and leaving just enough to make the broth, put out\nthe lamp also, and remained silent, resolving not to go to rest till,\nthrough a window of the kitchen, which opened into the yard, she had\nseen what might follow.\n\nShe had not waited long before the captain of the robbers got up,\nopened the window, and, finding no light and hearing no noise or any\none stirring in the house, gave the appointed signal, by throwing\nlittle stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the\nsound they gave. He then listened, but not hearing or perceiving\nanything whereby he could judge that his companions stirred, he began\nto grow very uneasy, threw stones again a second and also a third\ntime, and could not comprehend the reason that none of them should\nanswer his signal. Much alarmed, he went softly down into the yard,\nand going to the first jar, while asking the robber, whom he thought\nalive, if he was in readiness, smelt the hot boiled oil, which sent\nforth a steam out of the jar. Hence he knew that his plot to murder\nAli Baba and plunder his house was discovered. Examining all the jars,\none after another, he found that all his gang were dead; and, enraged\nto despair at having failed in his design, he forced the lock of a\ndoor that led from the yard to the garden, and climbing over the walls\nmade his escape.\n\nWhen Morgiana saw him depart, she went to bed, satisfied and pleased\nto have succeeded so well in saving her master and family.\n\nAli Baba rose before day, and, followed by his slave, went to the\nbaths, entirely ignorant of the important event which had happened at\nhome.\n\nWhen he returned from the baths he was very much surprised to see the\noil jars, and to learn that the merchant was not gone with the mules.\nHe asked Morgiana, who opened the door, the reason of it.\n\n\"My good master,\" answered she, \"God preserve you and all your family.\nYou will be better informed of what you wish to know when you have\nseen what I have to show you, if you will follow me.\"\n\nAs soon as Morgiana had shut the door, Ali Baba followed her, when she\nrequested him to look into the first jar, and see if there was any\noil. Ali Baba did so, and seeing a man, started back in alarm, and\ncried out.\n\n\"Do not be afraid,\" said Morgiana; \"the man you see there can neither\ndo you nor anybody else any harm. He is dead.\"\n\n\"Ah, Morgiana,\" said Ali Baba, \"what is it you show me? Explain\nyourself.\"\n\n\"I will,\" replied Morgiana. \"Moderate your astonishment, and do not\nexcite the curiosity of your neighbors; for it is of great importance\nto keep this affair secret. Look into all the other jars.\"\n\nAli Baba examined all the other jars, one after another; and when he\ncame to that which had the oil in it, found it prodigiously sunk, and\nstood for some time motionless, sometimes looking at the jars and\nsometimes at Morgiana, without saying a word, so great was his\nsurprise.\n\nAt last, when he had recovered himself, he said, \"And what is become\nof the merchant?\"\n\n\"Merchant!\" answered she; \"he is as much one as I am. I will tell you\nwho he is, and what is become of him; but you had better hear the\nstory in your own chamber; for it is time for your health that you had\nyour broth after your bathing.\"\n\nMorgiana then told him all she had done, from the first observing the\nmark upon the house, to the destruction of the robbers, and the flight\nof their captain.\n\nOn hearing of these brave deeds from the lips of Morgiana, Ali Baba\nsaid to her--\"God, by your means, has delivered me from the snares of\nthese robbers laid for my destruction. I owe, therefore, my life to\nyou; and, for the first token of my acknowledgment, I give you your\nliberty from this moment, till I can complete your recompense as I\nintend.\"\n\nAli Baba's garden was very long, and shaded at the farther end by a\ngreat number of large trees. Near these he and the slave Abdalla dug a\ntrench, long and wide enough to hold the bodies of the robbers; and as\nthe earth was light, they were not long in doing it. When this was\ndone, Ali Baba hid the jars and weapons; and as he had no occasion for\nthe mules, he sent them at different times to be sold in the market by\nhis slave.\n\nWhile Ali Baba was taking these measures the captain of the forty\nrobbers returned to the forest with inconceivable mortification. He\ndid not stay long; the loneliness of the gloomy cavern became\nfrightful to him. He determined, however, to avenge the death of his\ncompanions, and to accomplish the death of Ali Baba. For this purpose\nhe returned to the town, and took a lodging in a khan, disguising\nhimself as a merchant in silks. Under this assumed character he\ngradually conveyed a great many sorts of rich stuffs and fine linen to\nhis lodging from the cavern, but with all the necessary precautions to\nconceal the place whence he brought them. In order to dispose of the\nmerchandise, when he had thus amassed them together, he took a\nwarehouse, which happened to be opposite to Cassim's, which Ali Baba's\nson had occupied since the death of his uncle.\n\nHe took the name of Cogia Houssain, and, as a newcomer, was, according\nto custom, extremely civil and complaisant to all the merchants his\nneighbors. Ali Baba's son was, from his vicinity, one of the first to\nconverse with Cogia Houssain, who strove to cultivate his friendship\nmore particularly. Two or three days after he was settled, Ali Baba\ncame to see his son, and the captain of the robbers recognized him at\nonce, and soon learned from his son who he was. After this he\nincreased his assiduities, caressed him in the most engaging manner,\nmade him some small presents, and often asked him to dine and sup with\nhim, when he treated him very handsomely.\n\nAli Baba's son did not choose to lie under such obligation to Cogia\nHoussain; but was so much straitened for want of room in his house\nthat he could not entertain him. He therefore acquainted his father,\nAli Baba, with his wish to invite him in return.\n\nAli Baba with great pleasure took the treat upon himself. \"Son,\" said\nhe, \"to-morrow being Friday, which is a day that the shops of such\ngreat merchants as Cogia Houssain and yourself are shut, get him to\naccompany you, and as you pass by my door, call in. I will go and\norder Morgiana to provide a supper.\"\n\nThe next day Ali Baba's son and Cogia Houssain met by appointment,\ntook their walk, and as they returned, Ali Baba's son led Cogia\nHoussain through the street where his father lived, and when they came\nto the house, stopped and knocked at the door.\n\n\"This, sir,\" said he, \"is my father's house, who, from the account I\nhave given him of your friendship, charged me to procure him the honor\nof your acquaintance; and I desire you to add this pleasure to those\nfor which I am already indebted to you.\"\n\nThough it was the sole aim of Cogia Houssain to introduce himself into\nAli Baba's house, that he might kill him without hazarding his own\nlife or making any noise, yet he excused himself, and offered to take\nhis leave; but a slave having opened the door, Ali Baba's son took him\nobligingly by the hand, and, in a manner, forced him in.\n\nAli Baba received Cogia Houssain with a smiling countenance, and in\nthe most obliging manner he could wish. He thanked him for all the\nfavors he had done his son; adding, withal, the obligation was the\ngreater as he was a young man, not much acquainted with the world, and\nthat he might contribute to his information.\n\nCogia Houssain returned the compliment by assuring Ali Baba that\nthough his son might not have acquired the experience of older men, he\nhad good sense equal to the experience of many others. After a little\nmore conversation on different subjects, he offered again to take his\nleave, when Ali Baba, stopping him, said, \"Where are you going, sir,\nin so much haste? I beg you will do me the honor to sup with me,\nthough my entertainment may not be worthy your acceptance. Such as it\nis, I heartily offer it.\"\n\n\"Sir,\" replied Cogia Houssain, \"I am thoroughly persuaded of your good\nwill; but the truth is, I can eat no victuals that have any salt in\nthem; therefore judge how I should feel at your table.\"\n\n\"If that is the only reason,\" said Ali Baba, \"it ought not to deprive\nme of the honor of your company; for, in the first place, there is no\nsalt ever put into my bread, and as to the meat we shall have\nto-night, I promise you there shall be none in that. Therefore you\nmust do me the favor to stay. I will return immediately.\"\n\n[Illustration: _She drew the poniard, and holding it in her hand,\nbegan a dance Page 242_]\n\nAli Baba went into the kitchen, and ordered Morgiana to put no salt to\nthe meat that was to be dressed that night; and to make quickly two or\nthree ragouts besides what he had ordered, but be sure to put no salt\nin them.\n\nMorgiana, who was always ready to obey her master, could not help\nbeing surprised at his strange order.\n\n\"Who is this strange man,\" said she, \"who eats no salt with his meat?\nYour supper will be spoiled, if I keep it back so long.\"\n\n\"Do not be angry, Morgiana,\" replied Ali Baba. \"He is an honest man,\ntherefore do as I bid you.\"\n\nMorgiana obeyed, though with no little reluctance, and had a curiosity\nto see this man who ate no salt. To this end, when she had finished\nwhat she had to do in the kitchen, she helped Abdalla to carry up the\ndishes; and looking at Cogia Houssain, she knew him at first sight,\nnotwithstanding his disguise, to be the captain of the robbers, and\nexamining him very carefully, perceived that he had a dagger under his\ngarment.\n\n\"I am not in the least amazed,\" said she to herself, \"that this wicked\nman, who is my master's greatest enemy, would eat no salt with him,\nsince he intends to assassinate him; but I will prevent him.\"\n\nMorgiana, while they were at supper, determined in her own mind to\nexecute one of the boldest acts ever meditated. When Abdalla came for\nthe dessert of fruit, and had put it with the wine and glasses before\nAli Baba, Morgiana retired, dressed herself neatly with a suitable\nheaddress like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt girdle,\nto which there hung a poniard with a hilt and guard of the same metal,\nand put a handsome mask on her face. When she had thus disguised\nherself, she said to Abdalla, \"Take your tabor, and let us go and\ndivert our master and his son's friend, as we do sometimes when he is\nalone.\"\n\nAbdalla took his tabor, and played all the way into the hall before\nMorgiana, who, when she came to the door, made a low obeisance by way\nof asking leave to exhibit her skill, while Abdalla left off playing.\n\n\"Come in, Morgiana,\" said Ali Baba, \"and let Cogia Houssain see what\nyou can do, that he may tell us what he thinks of your performance.\"\n\nCogia Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began\nto fear he should not be able to take advantage of the opportunity he\nthought he had found; but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure\nit another time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the\nfather and son; therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would\nhave declined the dance, he pretended to be obliged to him for it, and\nhad the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he saw, which\npleased his host.\n\nAs soon as Abdalla saw that Ali Baba and Cogia Houssain had done\ntalking, he began to play on the tabor, and accompanied it with an\nair, to which Morgiana, who was an excellent performer, danced in such\na manner as would have created admiration in any company.\n\nAfter she had danced several dances with much grace, she drew the\nponiard, and holding it in her hand, began a dance in which she outdid\nherself by the many different figures, light movements, and the\nsurprising leaps and wonderful exertions with which she accompanied\nit. Sometimes she presented the poniard to one breast, sometimes to\nanother, and oftentimes seemed to strike her own. At last, she\nsnatched the tabor from Abdalla with her left hand, and holding the\ndagger in her right presented the other side of the tabor, after the\nmanner of those who get a livelihood by dancing, and solicit the\nliberality of the spectators.\n\nAli Baba put a piece of gold into the tabor, as did also his son; and\nCogia Houssain, seeing that she was coming to him, had pulled his\npurse out of his bosom to make her a present; but while he was putting\nhis hand into it, Morgiana, with a courage and resolution worthy of\nherself, plunged the poniard into his heart.\n\nAli Baba and his son, shocked at this action, cried out aloud.\n\n\"Unhappy woman!\" exclaimed Ali Baba, \"what have you done, to ruin me\nand my family?\"\n\n\"It was to preserve, not to ruin you,\" answered Morgiana; \"for see\nhere,\" continued she, opening the pretended Cogia Houssain's garment,\nand showing the dagger, \"what an enemy you had entertained! Look well\nat him, and you will find him to be both the fictitious oil merchant,\nand the captain of the gang of forty robbers. Remember, too, that he\nwould eat no salt with you; and what would you have more to persuade\nyou of his wicked design? Before I saw him, I suspected him as soon as\nyou told me you had such a guest. I knew him, and you now find that my\nsuspicion was not groundless.\"\n\nAli Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to Morgiana\nfor saving his life a second time, embraced her: \"Morgiana,\" said he,\n\"I gave you your liberty, and then promised you that my gratitude\nshould not stop there, but that I would soon give you higher proofs of\nits sincerity, which I now do by making you my daughter-in-law.\"\n\nThen addressing himself to his son, he said, \"I believe you, son, to\nbe so dutiful a child, that you will not refuse Morgiana for your\nwife. You see that Cogia Houssain sought your friendship with a\ntreacherous design to take away my life; and if he had succeeded,\nthere is no doubt but he would have sacrificed you also to his\nrevenge. Consider, that by marrying Morgiana you marry the preserver\nof my family and your own.\"\n\nThe son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the\nmarriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but also\nbecause it was agreeable to his inclination. After this they thought\nof burying the captain of the robbers with his comrades, and did it so\nprivately that nobody discovered their bones till many years after,\nwhen no one had any concern in the publication of this remarkable\nhistory. A few days afterward, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of his\nson and Morgiana with great solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the\nusual dancing and spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his\nfriends and neighbors, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true\nmotives of the marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with\nMorgiana's good qualities commended his generosity and goodness of\nheart. Ali Baba did not visit the robber's cave for a whole year, as\nhe supposed the other two, whom he could get no account of, might be\nalive.\n\nAt the year's end, when he found they had not made any attempt to\ndisturb him, he had the curiosity to make another journey. He mounted\nhis horse, and when he came to the cave he alighted, tied his horse to\na tree, and approaching the entrance, pronounced the words, \"Open,\nSesame!\" and the door opened. He entered the cavern, and by the\ncondition he found things in, judged that nobody had been there since\nthe captain had fetched the goods for his shop. From this time he\nbelieved he was the only person in the world who had the secret of\nopening the cave, and that all the treasure was at his sole disposal.\nHe put as much gold into his saddle-bag as his horse would carry, and\nreturned to town. Some years later he carried his son to the cave, and\ntaught him the secret, which he handed down to his posterity, who,\nusing their good fortune with moderation, lived in great honor and\nsplendor.\n\n[Illustration]\n\n\n\n\nTHE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR [50]\n\n\nIn the reign of the same caliph, Haroun al Raschid, of whom we have\nalready heard, there lived at Bagdad a poor porter, called Hindbad.\nOne day, when the weather was excessively hot, he was employed to\ncarry a heavy burden from one end of the town to the other. Being much\nfatigued, he took off his load, and sat upon it, near a large mansion.\n\nHe was much pleased that he stopped at this place, for the agreeable\nsmell of wood of aloes and of pastils, that came from the house,\nmixing with the scent of the rose water, completely perfumed and\nembalmed the air. Besides, he heard from within a concert of\ninstrumental music, accompanied with the harmonious notes of\nnightingales and other birds. This charming melody, and the smell of\nseveral sorts of savory dishes, made the porter conclude there was a\nfeast, with great rejoicings within. His business seldom leading him\nthat way, he knew not to whom the mansion belonged; but he went to\nsome of the servants, whom he saw standing at the gate in magnificent\napparel, and asked the name of the proprietor.\n\n\"How,\" replied one of them, \"do you live in Bagdad, and know not that\nthis is the house of Sindbad the sailor, that famous voyager, who has\nsailed round the world?\"\n\n[Footnote 50: These voyages of Sindbad are among the most curious of\nthe tales contained in the Arabian Nights. They deserve a passing word\nof remark. Mr. Richard Hole of Exeter, about a century since, wrote a\ntreatise upon them. He shows that while they must be regarded in many\nrespects as fabulous, yet that they illustrate the early stories\nprevalent about strange countries. The earlier writers, as Plutarch,\nAelian, Diodorus Siculus, and Pliny, mention the incidents related in\nthese tales, as also do the earliest modern travelers, the Venetian\nMarco Polo, and the English Sir John Mandeville.]\n\nThe porter lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, loud enough to be\nheard, \"Almighty Creator of all things, consider the difference\nbetween Sindbad and me! I am every day exposed to fatigues and\ncalamities, and can scarcely get coarse barley bread for myself and my\nfamily, while happy Sindbad profusely expends immense riches, and\nleads a life of continual pleasure. What has he done to obtain from\nThee a lot so agreeable? And what have I done to deserve one so\nwretched?\"\n\nWhile the porter was thus indulging his melancholy, a servant came out\nof the house, and taking him by the arm, bade him follow him, for\nSindbad, his master, wanted to speak to him.\n\nThe servant brought him into a great hall, where a number of people\nsat round a table covered with all sorts of savory dishes. At the\nupper end sat a comely, venerable gentleman, with a long white beard,\nand behind him stood a number of officers and domestics, all ready to\nattend his pleasure. This person was Sindbad. Hindbad, whose fear was\nincreased at the sight of so many people, and of a banquet so\nsumptuous, saluted the company, trembling. Sindbad bade him draw near,\nand seating him at his right hand, served him himself, and gave him\nexcellent wine, of which there was abundance upon the sideboard.\n\nNow Sindbad had himself heard the porter complain through the window,\nand this it was that induced him to have him brought in. When the\nrepast was over, Sindbad addressed his conversation to Hindbad, and\ninquired his name and employment, and said, \"I wish to hear from your\nown mouth what it was you lately said in the street.\"\n\nAt this request, Hindbad hung down his head in confusion, and replied,\n\"My lord, I confess that my fatigue put me out of humor and occasioned\nme to utter some indiscreet words, which I beg you to pardon.\"\n\n\"Do not think I am so unjust,\" resumed Sindbad, \"as to resent such a\ncomplaint. But I must rectify your error concerning myself. You think,\nno doubt, that I have acquired without labor and trouble the ease and\nindulgence which I now enjoy. But do not mistake; I did not attain to\nthis happy condition without enduring for several years more trouble\nof body and mind than can well be imagined. Yes, gentlemen,\" he added,\nspeaking to the whole company, \"I assure you that my sufferings have\nbeen of a nature so extraordinary as would deprive the greatest miser\nof his love of riches; and as an opportunity now offers, I will, with\nyour leave, relate the dangers I have encountered, which I think will\nnot be uninteresting to you.\"\n\n\nTHE FIRST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nMy father was a wealthy merchant of much repute. He bequeathed me a\nlarge estate, which I wasted in riotous living. I quickly perceived my\nerror, and that I was misspending my time, which is of all things the\nmost valuable. I remembered the saying of the great Solomon, which I\nhad frequently heard from my father, \"A good name is better than\nprecious ointment,\" and again, \"Wisdom is good with an inheritance.\"\nStruck with these reflections, I resolved to walk in my father's ways,\nand I entered into a contract with some merchants, and embarked with\nthem on board a ship we had jointly fitted out.\n\nWe set sail, and steered our course toward the Indies, through the\nPersian Gulf, which is formed by the coasts of Arabia Felix on the\nright, and by those of Persia on the left. At first I was troubled\nwith seasickness, but speedily recovered my health, and was not\nafterward subject to that complaint.\n\nIn our voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or\nexchanged our goods. One day, while under sail, we were becalmed near\na small island, but little elevated above the level of the water, and\nresembling a green meadow. The captain ordered his sails to be furled,\nand permitted such persons as were so inclined to land; of this number\nI was one.\n\nBut while we were enjoying ourselves in eating and drinking, and\nrecovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on a\nsudden trembled, and shook us terribly.\n\nThe trembling of the island was perceived on board the ship, and we\nwere called upon to reembark speedily, or we should all be lost; for\nwhat we took for an island proved to be the back[51] of a sea monster.\nThe nimblest got into the sloop, others betook themselves to swimming;\nbut as for myself, I was still upon the island when it disappeared\ninto the sea, and I had only time to catch hold of a piece of wood\nthat we had brought out of the ship to make a fire. Meanwhile the\ncaptain, having received those on board who were in the sloop, and\ntaken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the favorable\ngale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails pursued his voyage,\nso that it was impossible for me to recover the ship.\n\n[Footnote 51: Milton thus describes the Leviathan:\n\n    \"How haply slumbering on the Norway foam,\n    The pilot of some small night-founder'd skiff,\n    Deeming some island, oft as seamen tell,\n    With fixed anchor in his scally rind\n    Moors by his side.\"]\n\nThus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves all the rest of the day\nand the following night. By this time I found my strength gone, and\ndespaired of saving my life, when happily a wave threw me against an\nisland. The bank was high and rugged, so that I could scarcely have\ngot up had it not been for some roots of trees which I found within\nreach. When the sun arose, though I was very feeble, both from hard\nlabor and want of food, I crept along to find some herbs fit to eat,\nand had the good luck not only to procure some, but likewise to\ndiscover a spring of excellent water, which contributed much to\nrecover me. After this I advanced farther into the island, and at last\nreached a fine plain, where I perceived some horses feeding. I went\ntoward them, when I heard the voice of a man, who immediately\nappeared, and asked me who I was. I related to him my adventure, after\nwhich, taking me by the hand, he led me into a cave, where there were\nseveral other people, no less amazed to see me than I was to see them.\n\nI partook of some provisions which they offered me. I then asked them\nwhat they did in such a desert place; to which they answered that they\nwere grooms belonging to the maharaja, sovereign of the island, and\nthat every year they brought thither the king's horses for pasturage.\nThey added that they were to return home on the morrow, and had I been\none day later I must have perished, because the inhabited part of the\nisland was a great distance off, and it would have been impossible for\nme to have got thither without a guide.\n\nNext morning they returned to the capital of the island, took me with\nthem, and presented me to the maharaja. He asked me who I was, and by\nwhat adventure I had come into his dominions. After I had satisfied\nhim, he told me he was much concerned for my misfortune, and at the\nsame time ordered that I should want for nothing; which commands his\nofficers were so generous and careful as to see exactly fulfilled.\n\nBeing a merchant, I frequented men of my own profession, and\nparticularly inquired for those who were strangers, that perchance I\nmight hear news from Bagdad, or find an opportunity to return. For the\nmaharaja's capital is situated on the seacoast, and has a fine harbor,\nwhere ships arrive daily from the different quarters of the world. I\nfrequented also the society of the learned Indians, and took delight\nto hear them converse; but withal, I took care to make my court\nregularly to the maharaja, and conversed with the governors and petty\nkings, his tributaries, that were about him. They put a thousand\nquestions respecting my country; and I, being willing to inform myself\nas to their laws and customs, asked them concerning everything which I\nthought worth knowing.\n\nThere belongs to this king an island named Cassel. They assured me\nthat every night a noise of drums was heard there, whence the mariners\nfancied that it was the residence of Gegial. I determined to visit\nthis wonderful place, and in my way thither saw fishes of one hundred\nand two hundred cubits long, that occasion more fear than hurt; for\nthey are so timorous that they will fly upon the rattling of two\nsticks or boards. I saw likewise other fish, about a cubit in length,\nthat had heads like owls.\n\nAs I was one day at the port after my return, the ship arrived in\nwhich I had embarked at Bussorah. I at once knew the captain, and I\nwent and asked him for my bales. \"I am Sindbad,\" said I, \"and those\nbales marked with his name are mine.\"\n\nWhen the captain heard me speak thus, \"Heavens!\" he exclaimed, \"whom\ncan we trust in these times! I saw Sindbad perish with my own eyes, as\ndid also the passengers on board, and yet you tell me you are that\nSindbad. What impudence is this! And what a false tale to tell, in\norder to possess yourself of what does not belong to you!\"\n\n\"Have patience,\" replied I. \"Do me the favor to hear what I have to\nsay.\"\n\nThe captain was at length persuaded that I was no cheat; for there\ncame people from his ship who knew me, paid me great compliments, and\nexpressed much joy at seeing me alive. At last he recollected me\nhimself, and embracing me, \"Heaven be praised,\" said he, \"for your\nhappy escape! I cannot express the joy it affords me. There are your\ngoods; take and do with them as you please.\"\n\nI took out what was most valuable in my bales, and presented them to\nthe maharaja, who, knowing my misfortune, asked me how I came by such\nrarities. I acquainted him with the circumstance of their recovery. He\nwas pleased at my good luck, accepted my present, and in return gave\nme one much more considerable. Upon this I took leave of him, and went\naboard the same ship after I had exchanged my goods for the\ncommodities of that country. I carried with me wood of aloes, sandals,\ncamphor, nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger. We passed by several\nislands, and at last arrived at Bussorah, from whence I came to this\ncity, with the value of one hundred thousand sequins.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSindbad stopped here, and ordered the musicians to proceed with their\nconcert, which the story had interrupted. When it was evening, Sindbad\nsent for a purse of one hundred sequins, and giving it to the porter,\nsaid, \"Take this, Hindbad, return to your home, and come back\nto-morrow to hear more of my adventures.\" The porter went away,\nastonished at the honor done him, and the present made him. The\naccount of this adventure proved very agreeable to his wife and\nchildren, who did not fail to return thanks for what Providence had\nsent them by the hand of Sindbad.\n\nHindbad put on his best robe next day, and returned to the bountiful\ntraveler, who received him with a pleasant air, and welcomed him\nheartily. When all the guests had arrived, dinner was served, and\ncontinued a long time. When it was ended, Sindbad, addressing himself\nto the company, said, \"Gentlemen, be pleased to listen to the\nadventures of my second voyage. They deserve your attention even more\nthan those of the first.\"\n\nUpon which every one held his peace, and Sindbad proceeded.\n\n\nTHE SECOND VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nI designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at\nBagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life, and\nI put to sea a second time, with merchants of known probity. We\nembarked on board a good ship, and, after recommending ourselves to\nGod, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged\ncommodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered\nwith several sorts of fruit trees, but we could see neither man nor\nanimal. We walked in the meadows, along the streams that watered them.\nWhile some diverted themselves with gathering flowers, and others\nfruits, I took my wine and provisions, and sat down near a stream\nbetwixt two high trees, which formed a thick shade. I made a good\nmeal, and afterward fell sleep. I cannot tell how long I slept, but\nwhen I awoke the ship was gone.\n\nIn this sad condition I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in\nagony, beat my head and breast, and threw myself upon the ground,\nwhere I lay some time in despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times\nfor not being content with the produce of my first voyage, that might\nhave sufficed me all my life. But all this was in vain, and my\nrepentance came too late. At last I resigned myself to the will of\nGod. Not knowing what to do, I climbed to the top of a lofty tree,\nfrom whence I looked about on all sides, to see if I could discover\nanything that could give me hope. When I gazed toward the sea I could\nsee nothing but sky and water; but looking over the land, I beheld\nsomething white; and coming down, I took what provision I had left and\nwent toward it, the distance being so great that I could not\ndistinguish what it was.\n\nAs I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious\nheight and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found\nit to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side,\nbut saw it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as\nit was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.\n\nBy this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky\nbecame as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was\nmuch astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it\nwas occasioned by a bird of a monstrous size, that came flying toward\nme. I remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous\nbird called the roc,[52] and conceived that the great dome which I so\nmuch admired must be its egg. In short, the bird alighted, and sat\nover the egg. As I perceived her coming, I crept close to the egg, so\nthat I had before me one of the legs of the bird, which was as big as\nthe trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban, in\nhopes that the roc next morning would carry me with her out of this\ndesert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the\nbird flew away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high that\nI could not discern the earth; she afterward descended with so much\nrapidity that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground,\nI speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so, when the roc,\nhaving taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew\naway.\n\nThe spot where it left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains,\nthat seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no\npossibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity;\nso that when I compared this place with the desert island from which\nthe roc had brought me, I found that I had gained nothing by the\nchange.\n\n[Footnote 52: Mr. More, in his account of these voyages, says that\nMarco Polo, in his _Travels_, and Father Martini, in his _History of\nChina_, speak of this bird, called _ruch_, and say it will take up an\nelephant and a rhinoceros. It is as fabulous as the dodo, the\nsalamander, or the phoenix.]\n\nAs I walked through this valley, I perceived it was strewn with\ndiamonds, some of which were of surprising bigness. I took pleasure in\nlooking upon them; but shortly I saw at a distance such objects as\ngreatly diminished my satisfaction, and which I could not view without\nterror, namely, a great number of serpents, so monstrous that the\nleast of them was capable of swallowing an elephant. They retired in\nthe daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves from the roc,\ntheir enemy, and came out only in the night.\n\nI spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at\ntimes in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on\nI went into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I\nsecured the entrance, which was low and narrow, with a great stone, to\npreserve me from the serpents; but not so far as to exclude the light.\nI supped on part of my provisions, but the serpents, which began\nhissing round me, put me into such extreme fear that I did not sleep.\nWhen day appeared the serpents retired, and I came out of the cave,\ntrembling. I can justly say that I walked upon diamonds without\nfeeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat down, and\nnotwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes during the\nnight, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my provisions.\nBut I had scarcely shut my eyes when something that fell by me with a\ngreat noise awakened me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and at\nthe same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in\ndifferent places.\n\nI had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others\nrelate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by\nmerchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had\nstated nothing but the truth. For the fact is, that the merchants come\nto the neighborhood of this valley, when the eagles have young ones,\nand throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds, upon\nwhose points they fall, stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger\nin this country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those\npieces of meat, and carry them to their nests on the precipices of the\nrocks to feed their young: the merchants at this time run to their\nnests, disturb and drive off the eagles by their shouts, and take away\nthe diamonds that stick to the meat.\n\nI perceived in this device the means of my deliverance.\n\nHaving collected together the largest diamonds I could find, and put\nthem into the leather bag in which I used to carry my provisions, I\ntook the largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with\nthe cloth of my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground, with my\nface downward, the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.\n\nI had scarcely placed myself in this posture when one of the eagles,\nhaving taken me up with the piece of meat to which I was fastened,\ncarried me to his nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants\nimmediately began their shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they\nhad obliged them to quit their prey, one of them came to the nest\nwhere I was. He was much alarmed when he saw me; but recovering\nhimself, instead of inquiring how I came thither, began to quarrel\nwith me, and asked why I stole his goods.\n\n\"You will treat me,\" replied I, \"with more civility when you know me\nbetter. Do not be uneasy; I have diamonds enough for you and myself,\nmore than all the other merchants together. Whatever they have they\nowe to chance; but I selected for myself, in the bottom of the valley,\nthose which you see in this bag.\"\n\nI had scarcely done speaking, when the other merchants came crowding\nabout us, much astonished to see me; but they were much more surprised\nwhen I told them my story.\n\nThey conducted me to their encampment; and there, having opened my\nbag, they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and\nconfessed that they had never seen any of such size and perfection. I\nprayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I had been carried\n(for every merchant had his own) to take as many for his share as he\npleased. He contented himself with one, and that, too, the least of\nthem; and when I pressed him to take more, without fear of doing me\nany injury, \"No,\" said he, \"I am very well satisfied with this, which\nis valuable enough to save me the trouble of making any more voyages,\nand will raise as great a fortune as I desire.\"\n\nI spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a\nsecond time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I\ncould not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the\ndanger I have mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could\nscarcely believe myself out of danger.\n\nThe merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for\nseveral days; and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that\nhad fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning, and\ntraveled near high mountains, where there were serpents of a\nprodigious length, which we had the good fortune to escape. We took\nshipping at the first port we reached, and touched at the isle of\nRoha, where the trees grow that yield camphor. This tree is so large,\nand its branches so thick, that one hundred men may easily sit under\nits shade. The juice, of which the camphor is made, exudes from a hole\nbored in the upper part of the tree, and is received in a vessel,\nwhere it thickens to a consistency, and becomes what we call camphor.\nAfter the juice is thus drawn out, the tree withers and dies.\n\nIn this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the\nelephant but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,\nabout a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cleft through the\nmiddle. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, runs his horn into\nhis belly,[53] and carries him off upon his head; but the blood and\nthe fat of the elephant running into his eyes and making him blind, he\nfalls to the ground; and then, strange to relate, the roc comes and\ncarries them both away in her claws, for food for her young ones.\n\nI pass over many other things peculiar to this island, lest I should\nweary you. Here I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From\nhence we went to other islands, and at last, having touched at several\ntrading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I\nproceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the\npoor, and lived honorably upon the vast riches I had brought, and\ngained with so much fatigue.\n\n[Footnote 53: Captain Marryat, in his _Bushboys_, gives an account of\nthis contest, in which the rhinoceros came off victorious. He also\ngives, in the same amusing volume, an account of a bird taking up a\nserpent into the air. The scene of the adventures of the _Bushboys_ is\nSouth Africa.]\n\nThus Sindbad ended the relation of the second voyage, gave Hindbad\nanother hundred sequins, and invited him to come the next day to hear\nthe account of the third.\n\n\nTHE THIRD VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nI soon again grew weary of living a life of idleness, and hardening\nmyself against the thought of any danger, I embarked with some\nmerchants on another long voyage. We touched at several ports, where\nwe traded. One day we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which\ndrove us from our course. The storm continued several days, and\nbrought us before the port of an island, which the captain was very\nunwilling to enter; but we were obliged to cast anchor. When we had\nfurled our sails the captain told us that this and some other\nneighboring islands were inhabited by hairy savages, who would\nspeedily attack us; and though they were but dwarfs we must make no\nresistance, for they were more in number than the locusts; and if we\nhappened to kill one, they would all fall upon us and destroy us.\n\nWe soon found that what the captain had told us was but too true. An\ninnumerable multitude of frightful savages, about two feet high,\ncovered all over with red hair, came swimming toward us, and\nencompassed our ship. They chattered as they came near, but we\nunderstood not their language. They climbed up the sides of the ship\nwith such agility as surprised us. They took down our sails, cut the\ncable, and hauling to the shore, made us all get out, and afterward\ncarried the ship into another island, from whence they had come.\n\nAs we advanced, we perceived at a distance a vast pile of building,\nand made toward it. We found it to be a palace, elegantly built, and\nvery lofty, with a gate of ebony of two leaves, which we opened. We\nsaw before us a large apartment, with a porch, having on one side a\nheap of human bones, and on the other a vast number of roasting spits.\nWe trembled at this spectacle, and were seized with deadly\napprehension, when suddenly the gate of the apartment opened with a\nloud crash, and there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as\ntall as a lofty palm tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle\nof his forehead, where it blazed bright as a burning coal. His\nforeteeth were very long and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which\nwas as deep as that of a horse. His upper lip hung down upon his\nbreast. His ears resembled those of an elephant, and covered his\nshoulders; and his nails were as long and crooked as the talons of the\ngreatest birds. At the sight of so frightful a genie we became\ninsensible, and lay like dead men.\n\nAt last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking\nat us. When he had considered us well, he advanced toward us, and\nlaying his hand upon me, took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned\nme around, as a butcher would do a sheep's head. After having examined\nme, and perceiving me to be so lean that I was nothing but skin and\nbone, he let me go. He took up all the rest one by one, and viewed\nthem in the same manner. The captain being the fattest, he held him\nwith one hand, as I would do a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him;\nhe then kindled a great fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment\nfor his supper. Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch,\nwhere he lay and fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept\nthus till morning. As for ourselves, it was not possible for us to\nenjoy any rest, so that we passed the night in the most painful\napprehension that can be imagined. When day appeared the giant awoke,\ngot up, went out, and left us in the palace.\n\nThe next night we determined to revenge ourselves on the brutish\ngiant, and did so in the following manner. After he had again finished\nhis inhuman supper on another of our seamen, he lay down on his back,\nand fell asleep. As soon as we heard him snore according to his\ncustom, nine of the boldest among us, and myself, took each of us a\nspit, and putting the points of them into the fire till they were\nburning hot, we thrust them into his eye all at once, and blinded[54]\nhim. The pain made him break out into a frightful yell: he started up,\nand stretched out his hands in order to sacrifice some of us to his\nrage, but we ran to such places as he could not reach; and after\nhaving sought for us in vain, he groped for the gate, and went out,\nhowling in agony.\n\n[Footnote 54: The youthful student will find in these references\npassages which will remind in some degree of the incidents mentioned\nin these tales: Homer's _Odyssey_, book iv, lines 350-410; _Iliad_,\nbook xx, line 220; book xiii, lines 20-35; Virgil, _Aeneid_, iii,\nlines 356-542.]\n\nWe immediately left the palace, and came to the shore, where with some\ntimber that lay about in great quantities, we made some rafts, each\nlarge enough to carry three men. We waited until day to get upon them,\nfor we hoped if the giant did not appear by sunrise, and give over his\nhowling, which we still heard, that he would prove to be dead; and if\nthat happened to be the case, we resolved to stay on that island, and\nnot to risk our lives upon the rafts. But day had scarcely appeared\nwhen we perceived our cruel enemy, with two others, almost of the\nsame size, leading him; and a great number more coming before him at a\nquick pace.\n\nWe did not hesitate to take to our rafts, but put to sea with all the\nspeed we could. The giants, who perceived this, took up great stones,\nand running to the shore they entered the water up to the middle, and\nthrew so exactly that they sank all the rafts but that I was upon; and\nall my companions, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with\nall our might, and got out of the reach of the giants. But when we got\nout to sea we were exposed to the mercy of the waves and winds, and\nspent that day and the following night under the most painful\nuncertainty as to our fate; but next morning we had the good fortune\nto be thrown upon an island, where we landed with much joy. We found\nexcellent fruit, which afforded us great relief, and recruited our\nstrength.\n\nAt night we went to sleep on the seashore; but were awakened by the\nnoise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness, whose scales\nmade a rustling noise as he wound himself along. It swallowed up one\nof my comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries and the efforts he made\nto extricate himself from it. Dashing him several times against the\nground, it crushed him, and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor\nfellow's bones, though we had fled to a considerable distance. The\nfollowing day, to our great terror, we saw the serpent again, when I\nexclaimed, \"O Heaven, to what dangers are we exposed! We rejoiced\nyesterday at having escaped from the cruelty of a giant and the rage\nof the waves; now are we fallen into another danger equally dreadful.\"\n\nAs we walked about, we saw a large tall tree, upon which we designed\nto pass the following night for our security; and having satisfied our\nhunger with fruit, we mounted it accordingly. Shortly after, the\nserpent came hissing to the foot of the tree, raised itself up against\nthe trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade, who sat lower than I,\nswallowed him at once, and went off.\n\nI remained upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more\nlike a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate as had\nbefallen my two companions. This filled me with horror, and I advanced\nsome steps to throw myself into the sea; but I withstood this dictate\nof despair, and submitted myself to the will of God, who disposes of\nour lives at His pleasure.\n\nIn the meantime I collected together a great quantity of small wood,\nbrambles, and dry thorns, and making them up into fagots, made a wide\ncircle with them round the tree, and also tied some of them to the\nbranches over my head. Having done this, when the evening came I shut\nmyself up within this circle, with the melancholy satisfaction that I\nhad neglected nothing which could preserve me from the cruel destiny\nwith which I was threatened. The serpent failed not to come at the\nusual hour, and went round the tree, seeking for an opportunity to\ndevour me, but was prevented by the rampart I had made; so that he lay\ntill day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse that has fortunately\nreached a place of safety. When day appeared, he retired, but I dared\nnot leave my fort until the sun arose.\n\nGod took compassion on my hopeless state; for just as I was going, in\na fit of desperation, to throw myself into the sea, I perceived a ship\nin the distance. I called as loud as I could, and unfolding the linen\nof my turban, displayed it, that they might observe me. This had the\ndesired effect. The crew perceived me, and the captain sent his boat\nfor me. As soon as I came on board, the merchants and seamen flocked\nabout me, to know how I came into that desert island; and after I had\nrelated to them all that had befallen me, the oldest among them said\nthey had several times heard of the giants that dwelt on that island,\nand that they were cannibals; and as to the serpents, they added that\nthere were abundant in the island; that they hid themselves by day,\nand came abroad by night. After having testified their joy at my\nescaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of their\nprovisions; and took me before the captain, who, seeing that I was in\nrags, gave me one of his own suits. Looking steadfastly upon him, I\nknew him to be the person who, on my second voyage, had left me in the\nisland where I fell asleep, and had sailed without me, or without\nsending to seek for me.\n\nI was not surprised that he, believing me to be dead, did not\nrecognize me.\n\n\"Captain,\" said I, \"look at me, and you may know that I am Sindbad,\nwhom you left in that desert island.\"\n\nThe captain, having considered me attentively, recognized me.\n\n\"God be praised!\" said he, embracing me; \"I rejoice that fortune has\nrectified my fault. There are your goods, which I always took care to\npreserve.\"\n\nI took them from him, and made him my acknowledgments for his care of\nthem.\n\nWe continued at sea for some time, touched at several islands, and at\nlast landed at that of Salabat,[55] where sandalwood is obtained,\nwhich is much used in medicine.\n\n[Footnote 55: Sandalwood. The wood of a low tree, the Santalum Album,\nresembling the privet, and growing on the coast of Malabar, in the\nIndian Archipelago, etc. The hard yellow wood in the center of the old\nsandal tree is highly esteemed for its fragrant perfume and is much\nused for cabinetwork, etc.]\n\nFrom the isle of Salabat we went to another, where I furnished myself\nwith cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. As we sailed from this island\nwe saw a tortoise twenty cubits in length and breadth. We observed\nalso an amphibious animal like a cow, which gave milk;[56] its skin is\nso hard, that they usually make bucklers of it. I saw another, which\nhad the shape and color of a camel.[57]\n\n[Footnote 56: The hippopotamus.]\n\n[Footnote 57: The giraffe.]\n\nIn short, after a long voyage I arrived at Bussorah, and from thence\nreturned to Bagdad with so much wealth that I knew not its extent. I\ngave a great deal to the poor, and bought another considerable estate.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThus Sindbad finished the history of his third voyage. He gave another\nhundred sequins to Hindbad, and invited him to dinner again the next\nday, to hear\n\n\nTHE FOURTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nAfter I had rested from the dangers of my third voyage, my passion for\ntrade and my love of novelty soon again prevailed. I therefore settled\nmy affairs, and provided a stock of goods fit for the traffic I\ndesigned to engage in. I took the route to Persia, traveled over\nseveral provinces, and then arrived at a port, where I embarked. On\nputting out to sea, we were overtaken by such a sudden gust of wind as\nobliged the captain to lower his yards, and take all other necessary\nprecautions to prevent the danger that threatened us. But all was in\nvain; our endeavors had no effect. The sails were split in a thousand\npieces, and the ship was stranded, several of the merchants and seamen\nwere drowned, and the cargo was lost.\n\nI had the good fortune, with several of the merchants and mariners, to\nget upon some planks, and we were carried by the current to an island\nwhich lay before us. There we found fruit and spring water, which\npreserved our lives. We stayed all night near the place where we had\nbeen cast ashore.\n\nNext morning, as soon as the sun was up, we explored the island, and\nsaw some houses, which we approached. As soon as we drew near we were\nencompassed by a great number of negroes, who seized us, shared us\namong them, and carried us to their respective habitations.\n\nI and five of my comrades were carried to one place; here they made us\nsit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs to us to\neat. My comrades, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it\nthemselves, thought only of satisfying their hunger, and ate with\ngreediness. But I, suspecting some trick, would not so much as taste\nit, which happened well for me; for in a little time after I perceived\nmy companions had lost their senses, and that when they spoke to me\nthey knew not what they said.\n\nThe negroes fed us afterward with rice, prepared with oil of coconuts;\nand my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it greedily. I also\npartook of it, but very sparingly. They gave us that herb at first on\npurpose to deprive us of our senses, that we might not be aware of the\nsad destiny prepared for us; and they supplied us with rice to fatten\nus; for, being cannibals, their design was to eat us as soon as we\ngrew fat. This accordingly happened, for they devoured my comrades,\nwho were not sensible of their condition; but my senses being entire,\nyou may easily guess that instead of growing fat, as the rest did, I\ngrew leaner every day. The fear of death turned all my food into\npoison. I fell into a languishing distemper, which proved my safety;\nfor the negroes, having killed and eaten my companions, seeing me to\nbe withered, lean, and sick, deferred my death.\n\nMeanwhile I had much liberty, so that scarcely any notice was taken of\nwhat I did, and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a\ndistance from the houses, and to make my escape. An old man who saw\nme, and suspected my design, called to me as loud as he could to\nreturn; but instead of obeying him, I redoubled my speed, and quickly\ngot out of sight. At that time there was none but the old man about\nthe houses, the rest being abroad, and not to return till night, which\nwas usual with them. Therefore, being sure that they could not arrive\nin time to pursue me, I went on till night, when I stopped to rest a\nlittle, and to eat some of the provisions I had secured; but I\nspeedily set forward again, and traveled seven days, avoiding those\nplaces which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the most part upon\ncoconuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On the eighth day I\ncame near the sea, and saw some white people, like myself, gathering\npepper, of which there was great plenty in that place. This I took to\nbe a good omen, and went to them without any scruple.\n\nThe people who gathered pepper came to meet me as soon as they saw me,\nand asked me in Arabic who I was and whence I came. I was overjoyed\nto hear them speak in my own language, and I satisfied their curiosity\nby giving them an account of my shipwreck, and how I fell into the\nhands of the negroes.\n\n\"Those negroes,\" replied they, \"eat men; and by what miracle did you\nescape their cruelty?\" I related to them the circumstances I have just\nmentioned, at which they were wonderfully surprised.\n\nI stayed with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper,\nand then sailed with them to the island from whence they had come.\nThey presented me to their king, who was a good prince. He had the\npatience to hear the relation of my adventures, which surprised him;\nand he afterward gave me clothes, and commanded care to be taken of\nme.\n\nThe island was very well peopled, plentiful in everything, and the\ncapital a place of great trade. This agreeable retreat was very\ncomfortable to me after my misfortunes, and the kindness of this\ngenerous prince completed my satisfaction. In a word, there was not a\nperson more in favor with him than myself, and consequently every man\nin court and city sought to oblige me; so that in a very little time I\nwas looked upon rather as a native than a stranger.\n\nI observed one thing, which to me appeared very extraordinary. All the\npeople, the king himself not excepted, rode their horses without\nbridle or stirrups. I went one day to a workman, and gave him a model\nfor making the stock of a saddle. When that was done, I covered it\nmyself with velvet and leather, and embroidered it with gold. I\nafterward went to a smith, who made me a bit, according to the pattern\nI showed him, and also some stirrups. When I had all things\ncompleted, I presented them to the king, and put them upon one of his\nhorses. His majesty mounted immediately, and was so pleased with them\nthat he testified his satisfaction by large presents. I made several\nothers for the ministers and principal officers of his household,\nwhich gained me great reputation and regard.\n\nAs I paid my court very constantly to the king, he said to me one day,\n\"Sindbad, I love thee. I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou\nmust grant. I have a mind thou shouldst marry, that so thou mayst stay\nin my dominions, and think no more of thy own country.\"\n\nI durst not resist the prince's will, and he gave me one of the ladies\nof his court, noble, beautiful, and rich. The ceremonies of marriage\nbeing over, I went and dwelt with my wife, and for some time we lived\ntogether in perfect harmony. I was not, however, satisfied with my\nbanishment. Therefore I designed to make my escape at the first\nopportunity, and to return to Bagdad, which my present settlement, how\nadvantageous soever, could not make me forget.\n\nAt this time the wife of one of my neighbors, with whom I had\ncontracted a very strict friendship, fell sick and died. I went to see\nand comfort him in his affliction, and finding him absorbed in sorrow,\nI said to him, as soon as I saw him, \"God preserve you, and grant you\na long life.\"\n\n\"Alas!\" replied he, \"how do you think I should obtain the favor you\nwish me? I have not above an hour to live, for I must be buried this\nday with my wife. This is a law on this island. The living husband is\ninterred with the dead wife, and the living wife with the dead\nhusband.\"\n\nWhile he was giving me an account of this barbarous custom, the very\nrelation of which chilled my blood, his kindred, friends, and\nneighbors came to assist at the funeral. They dressed the corpse of\nthe woman in her richest apparel and all her jewels, as if it had been\nher wedding day; then they placed her on an open bier, and began their\nmarch to the place of burial. The husband walked first, next to the\ndead body. They proceeded to a high mountain, and when they had\nreached the place of their destination they took up a large stone\nwhich formed the mouth of a deep pit, and let down the body with all\nits apparel and jewels. Then the husband, embracing his kindred and\nfriends, without resistance suffered himself to be placed on another\nbier, with a pot of water and seven small loaves, and was let down in\nthe same manner. The ceremony being over, the mouth of the pit was\nagain covered with the stone, and the company returned.\n\nI mention this ceremony the more particularly because I was in a few\nweeks' time to be the principal actor on a similar occasion. Alas! my\nown wife fell sick and died. I made every remonstrance I could to the\nking not to expose me, a foreigner, to this inhuman law. I appealed in\nvain. The king and all his court, with the most considerable persons\nof the city, sought to soften my sorrow by honoring the funeral\nceremony with their presence; and at the termination of the ceremony I\nwas lowered into the pit with a vessel full of water, and seven\nloaves. As I approached the bottom I discovered, by the aid of the\nlittle light that came from above, the nature of this subterranean\nplace; it seemed an endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathoms\ndeep.\n\nI lived for some time upon my bread and water, when, one day, just as\nI was on the point of exhaustion, I heard something tread, and\nbreathing or panting as it moved. I followed the sound. The animal\nseemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and breathed hard as I\napproached. I pursued it for a considerable time, till at last I\nperceived a light, resembling a star; I went on, sometimes lost sight\nof it, but always found it again, and at last discovered that it came\nthrough a hole[58] in the rock, which I got through, and found myself\nupon the seashore, at which I felt exceeding joy. I prostrated myself\non the shore to thank God for this mercy, and shortly afterward I\nperceived a ship making for the place where I was. I made a sign with\nthe linen of my turban, and called to the crew as loud as I could.\nThey heard me, and sent a boat to bring me on board. It was fortunate\nfor me that these people did not inspect the place where they found\nme, but without hesitation took me on board.\n\n[Footnote 58: \"Aristomenes, the Messenian general, thus escaped from a\ncave. He perceived a fox near him gnawing a dead body; with one hand\nhe caught it by the hind leg, and with the other held its jaws, when\nit attempted to bite him. Following, as well as he could, his\nstruggling guide to the narrow crevice at which he entered, he there\nlet him go, and soon forced a passage through it to the welcome face\nof day.\"--Hole, 141. Sancho's escape from the pit into which he\ntumbled with Daffle is somewhat similar.]\n\nWe passed by several islands, and among others that called the Isle of\nBells, about ten days' sail from Serendib with a regular wind, and six\nfrom that of Kela, where we landed. Lead mines are found in the\nisland; also Indian canes, and excellent camphor.\n\nThe King of the Isle of Kela is very rich and powerful, and the Isle\nof Bells, which is about two days' journey away, is also subject to\nhim. The inhabitants are so barbarous that they still eat human flesh.\nAfter we had finished our traffic in that island we put to sea again,\nand touched at several other ports; at last I arrived happily at\nBagdad. Out of gratitude to God for His mercies, I contributed\nliberally toward the support of several mosques and the subsistence of\nthe poor, and enjoyed myself with my friends in festivities and\namusements.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nHere Sindbad made a new present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad,\nwhom he requested to return with the rest next day at the same hour,\nto dine with him and hear the story of his fifth voyage.\n\n\nTHE FIFTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nAll the troubles and calamities I had undergone could not cure me of\nmy inclination to make new voyages. I therefore bought goods, departed\nwith them for the best seaport, and there, that I might not be obliged\nto depend upon a captain, but have a ship at my own command, I\nremained till one was built on purpose, at my own charge. When the\nship was ready I went on board with my goods; but not having enough to\nload her, I agreed to take with me several merchants of different\nnations, with their merchandise.\n\nWe sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long navigation the\nfirst place we touched at was a desert island, where we found the egg\nof a roc, equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. There was a\nyoung roc in it, just ready to be hatched, and its beak had begun to\nbreak the egg.\n\nThe merchants who landed with me broke the egg with hatchets, and\nmaking a hole in it, pulled out the young roc piecemeal, and roasted\nit. I had in vain entreated them not to meddle with the egg.\n\nScarcely had they finished their repast, when there appeared in the\nair, at a considerable distance, two great clouds.[59] The captain of\nmy ship, knowing by experience what they meant, said they were the\nmale and female parents of the roc, and pressed us to reembark with\nall speed, to prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise\nbefall us.\n\n[Footnote 59: Mr. Marsden, in his notes to his translation of Marco\nPolo's _Voyages_, supposes the roc to be a description of the\nalbatross or condor, under greatly exaggerated terms.]\n\nThe two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which they redoubled\nwhen they saw the egg broken, and their young one gone. They flew back\nin the direction they had come, and disappeared for some time, while\nwe made all the sail we could in the endeavor to prevent that which\nunhappily befell us.\n\nThey soon returned, and we observed that each of them carried between\nits talons an enormous rock. When they came directly over my ship,\nthey hovered, and one of them let go his rock; but by the dexterity of\nthe steersman it missed us and fell into the sea. The other so exactly\nhit the middle of the ship as to split it into pieces. The mariners\nand passengers were all crushed to death or fell into the sea. I\nmyself was of the number of the latter; but, as I came up again, I\nfortunately caught hold of a piece of the wreck, and swimming,\nsometimes with one hand and sometimes with the other, but always\nholding fast the plank, the wind and the tide favoring me, I came to\nan island, and got safely ashore.\n\nI sat down upon the grass, to recover myself from my fatigue, after\nwhich I went into the island to explore it. It seemed to be a\ndelicious garden. I found trees everywhere, some of them bearing green\nand others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh pure water. I ate of the\nfruits, which I found excellent; and drank of the water, which was\nvery light and good.\n\nWhen I was a little advanced into the island, I saw an old man, who\nappeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a stream,\nand at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like\nmyself. I went toward him and saluted him, but he only slightly bowed\nhis head. I asked him why he sat so still; but instead of answering\nme, he made a sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over\nthe brook.\n\nI believed him really to stand in need of my assistance, took him upon\nmy back, and having carried him over, bade him get down, and for that\nend stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of doing so\n(which I laugh at every time I think of it), the old man, who to me\nappeared quite decrepit, threw his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat\nastride upon my shoulders, and held my throat so tight that I thought\nhe would have strangled me, and I fainted away.\n\nNotwithstanding my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow still kept his\nseat upon my neck. When I had recovered my breath, he thrust one of\nhis feet against my side, and struck me so rudely with the other that\nhe forced me to rise up, against my will. Having arisen, he made me\ncarry him under the trees, and forced me now and then to stop, that he\nmight gather and eat fruit. He never left his seat all day; and when I\nlay down to rest at night he laid himself down with me, still holding\nfast about my neck. Every morning he pinched me to make me awake, and\nafterward obliged me to get up and walk, and spurred me with his feet.\n\nOne day I found several dry calabashes that had fallen from a tree. I\ntook a large one, and after cleaning it, pressed into it some juice of\ngrapes, which abounded in the island. Having filled the calabash, I\nput it by in a convenient place, and going thither again some days\nafter, I tasted it, and found the wine so good that it gave me new\nvigor, and so exhilarated my spirits that I began to sing and dance as\nI carried my burden.\n\nThe old man, perceiving the effect which this had upon me, and that I\ncarried him with more ease than before, made me a sign to give him\nsome of it. I handed him the calabash, and the liquor pleasing his\npalate, he drank it off. There being a considerable quantity of it, he\nsoon began to sing, and to move about from side to side in his seat\nupon my shoulders, and by degrees to loosen his legs from about me.\nFinding that he did not press me as before, I threw him upon the\nground, where he lay without motion. I then took up a great stone and\nslew him.\n\nI was extremely glad to be thus freed forever from this troublesome\nfellow. I now walked toward the beach, where I met the crew of a ship\nthat had cast anchor, to take in water. They were surprised to see me,\nbut more so at hearing the particulars of my adventures.\n\n\"You fell,\" said they, \"into the hands of the old man of the sea, and\nare the first who ever escaped strangling by his malicious embraces.\nHe never quitted those he had once made himself master of, till he had\ndestroyed them, and he has made this island notorious by the number of\nmen he has slain.\"\n\nThey carried me with them to the captain, who received me with great\nkindness. He put out again to sea, and after some days' sail we\narrived at the harbor of a great city, the houses of which overhung\nthe sea.\n\nOne of the merchants, who had taken me into his friendship, invited me\nto go along with him. He gave me a large sack, and having recommended\nme to some people of the town, who used to gather coconuts, desired\nthem to take me with them.\n\n\"Go,\" said he, \"follow them, and act as you see them do; but do not\nseparate from them, otherwise you may endanger your life.\"\n\nHaving thus spoken, he gave me provisions for the journey, and I went\nwith them.\n\nWe came to a thick forest of coco palms,[60] very lofty, with trunks\nso smooth that it was not possible to climb to the branches that bore\nthe fruit. When we entered the forest we saw a great number of apes of\nseveral sizes, who fled as soon as they perceived us, and climbed to\nthe tops of the trees with amazing swiftness.\n\n[Footnote 60: Coco palms bear their fruit at the top.]\n\nThe merchants with whom I was gathered stones, and threw them at the\napes on the trees. I did the same; and the apes, out of revenge, threw\ncoconuts at us so fast, and with such gestures, as sufficiently\ntestified their anger and resentment. We gathered up the coconuts, and\nfrom time to time threw stones to provoke the apes; so that by this\nstratagem we filled our bags with coconuts. I thus gradually collected\nas many coconuts as produced me a considerable sum.\n\nHaving laden our vessel with coconuts, we set sail, and passed by the\nislands where pepper grows in great plenty. From thence we went to the\nIsle of Comari, where the best species of wood of aloes grows. I\nexchanged my coconuts in those two islands for pepper and wood of\naloes, and went with other merchants pearl fishing.[61] I hired\ndivers, who brought me up some that were very large and pure. I\nembarked in a vessel that happily arrived at Bussorah; from thence I\nreturned to Bagdad, where I realized vast sums from my pepper, wood of\naloes, and pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains in alms, as I had done\nupon my return from my other voyages, and rested from my fatigues.\n\n[Footnote 61: Marco Polo, a famous voyager (1298), gives an account of\nthis pearl fishery.]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSindbad here ordered one hundred sequins to be given to Hindbad, and\nrequested him and the other guests to dine with him the next day, to\nhear the account of his sixth voyage.\n\n\nTHE SIXTH VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nI know, my friends, that you will wish to hear how, after having been\nshipwrecked five times, and escaped so many dangers, I could resolve\nagain to tempt fortune, and expose myself to new hardships. I am\nmyself astonished at my conduct when I reflect upon it, and must\ncertainly have been actuated by my destiny, from which none can\nescape. Be that as it may, after a year's rest I prepared for a sixth\nvoyage, notwithstanding the entreaties of my kindred and friends, who\ndid all in their power to dissuade me.\n\nInstead of taking my way by the Persian Gulf I traveled once more\nthrough several provinces of Persia and the Indies, and arrived at a\nseaport. Here I embarked in a ship, the captain of which was bound on\na long voyage, in which he and the pilot lost their course. Suddenly\nwe saw the captain quit his rudder, uttering loud lamentations. He\nthrew off his turban, pulled his beard, and beat his head like a\nmadman. We asked him the reason; and he answered that we were in the\nmost dangerous place in all the ocean.\n\n\"A rapid current carries the ship along with it, and we shall all\nperish in less than a quarter of an hour. Pray to God to deliver us\nfrom this peril. We cannot escape, if He do not take pity on us.\"\n\nAt these words he ordered the sails to be lowered; but all the ropes\nbroke, and the ship was carried by the current to the foot of an\ninaccessible mountain, where she struck and went to pieces; yet in\nsuch a manner that we saved our lives, our provisions, and the best of\nour goods.\n\nThe mountain at the foot of which we were was covered with wrecks,\nwith a vast number of human bones, and with an incredible quantity of\ngoods and riches of all kinds, These objects served only to augment\nour despair. In all other places it is usual for rivers to run from\ntheir channels into the sea; but here a river of fresh water[62] runs\nfrom the sea into a dark cavern, whose entrance is very high and\nspacious. What is most remarkable in this place is that the stones of\nthe mountain are of crystal, rubies, or other precious stones. Here is\nalso a sort of fountain of pitch or bitumen,[63] that runs into the\nsea, which the fish swallow, and evacuate soon afterward, turned into\nambergris[64]; and this the waves throw up on the beach in great\nquantities. Trees also grow here, most of which are of wood of\naloes,[65] equal in goodness to those of Comari.\n\n[Footnote 62: Mr. Ives mentions wells of fresh water under the sea in\nthe Persian Gulf, near the island of Barien.--Hole.]\n\n[Footnote 63: \"Such fountains are not unfrequent in India and in\nCeylon; and the Mohammedan travelers speak of ambergris swallowed by\nwhales, who are made sick and regorge it.\"--Hole.]\n\n[Footnote 64: \"Ambergris--a substance of animal origin, found\nprincipally in warm climates floating on the sea, or thrown on the\ncoast. The best comes from Madagascar, Surinam, and Java. When it is\nheated or rubbed, it exhales an agreeable odor.\"--Knight's _English\nCyclopaedia_, Vol. I, p. 142.]\n\n[Footnote 65: \"Camphor is the produce of certain trees in Borneo,\nSumatra, and Japan. The camphor lies in perpendicular veins near the\ncenter of the tree, or in its knots, and the same tree exudes a fluid\ntermed oil of camphor. The Venetians, and subsequently the Dutch,\nmonopolized the sale of camphor.\"--_Encyclopaedia Metropolitana_, Vol.\nIII, p. 195. Gibbons, in his notes to the _Decline and Fall_, says:\n\"From the remote islands of the Indian Ocean a large provision of\ncamphor had been imported, which is employed, with a mixture of wax,\nto illuminate the palaces of the East.\"]\n\nTo finish the description of this place, it is not possible for ships\nto get off when once they approach within a certain distance. If they\nbe driven thither by a wind from the sea, the wind and the current\nimpel them; and if they come into it when a land wind blows, which\nmight seem to favor their getting out again, the height of the\nmountain stops the wind, and occasions a calm, so that the force of\nthe current carries them ashore; and what completes the misfortune is,\nthat there is no possibility of ascending the mountain, or of escaping\nby sea.\n\nWe continued upon the shore, at the foot of the mountain, in a state\nof despair, and expected death every day. On our first landing we had\ndivided our provisions as equally as we could, and thus every one\nlived a longer or a shorter time, according to his temperance, and\nthe use he made of his provisions.\n\n[Illustration: _Having balanced my cargo exactly, and fastened it well\nto the raft, I went on board with two oars I had made Page 281_]\n\nI survived all my companions; and when I buried the last I had so\nlittle provisions remaining that I thought I could not long survive,\nand I dug a grave, resolving to lie down in it because there was no\none left to pay me the last offices of respect. But it pleased God\nonce more to take compassion on me, and put it in my mind to go to the\nbank of the river which ran into the great cavern. Considering its\nprobable course with great attention, I said to myself, \"This river,\nwhich runs thus underground, must somewhere have an issue. If I make a\nraft, and leave myself to the current, it will convey me to some\ninhabited country, or I shall perish. If I be drowned, I lose nothing,\nbut only change one kind of death for another.\"\n\nI immediately went to work upon large pieces of timber and cables, for\nI had a choice of them from the wrecks, and tied them together so\nstrongly that I soon made a very solid raft. When I had finished, I\nloaded it with some chests of rubies, emeralds, ambergris,\nrock-crystal, and bales of rich stuffs. Having balanced my cargo\nexactly, and fastened it well to the raft, I went on board with two\noars that I had made, and leaving it to the course of the river,\nresigned myself to the will of God.\n\nAs soon as I entered the cavern I lost all light, and the stream\ncarried me I knew not whither. Thus I floated on in perfect darkness,\nand once found the arch so low, that it very nearly touched my head,\nwhich made me cautious afterward to avoid the like danger. All this\nwhile I ate nothing but what was just necessary to support nature;\nyet, notwithstanding my frugality, all my provisions were spent. Then\nI became insensible. I cannot tell how long I continued so; but when I\nrevived, I was surprised to find myself on an extensive plain on the\nbrink of a river, where my raft was tied, amidst a great number of\nnegroes.\n\nI got up as soon as I saw them, and saluted them. They spoke to me,\nbut I did not understand their language. I was so transported with joy\nthat I knew not whether I was asleep or awake; but being persuaded\nthat I was not asleep, I recited the following words in Arabic aloud:\n\"Call upon the Almighty, He will help thee; thou needest not perplex\nthyself about anything else: shut thy eyes, and while thou art asleep,\nGod will change thy bad fortune into good.\"\n\nOne of the negroes, who understood Arabic, hearing me speak thus, came\ntoward me, and said, \"Brother, be not surprised to see us; we are\ninhabitants of this country, and water our fields from this river,\nwhich comes out of the neighboring mountain. We saw your raft, and one\nof us swam into the river, and brought it hither, where we fastened\nit, as you see, until you should awake. Pray tell us your history.\nWhence did you come?\"\n\nI begged of them first to give me something to eat, and then I would\nsatisfy their curiosity. They gave me several sorts of food, and when\nI had satisfied my hunger I related all that had befallen me, which\nthey listened to with attentive surprise. As soon as I had finished,\nthey told me, by the person who spoke Arabic and interpreted to them\nwhat I said, that I must go along with them, and tell my story to\ntheir king myself, it being too extraordinary to be related by any\nother than the person to whom the events had happened.\n\nThey immediately sent for a horse, and having helped me to mount, some\nof them walked before to show the way, while the rest took my raft and\ncargo and followed.\n\nWe marched till we came to the capital of Serendib, for it was on that\nisland I had landed. The negroes presented me to their king; I\napproached his throne, and saluted him as I used to do the kings of\nthe Indies; that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet. The\nprince ordered me to rise, received me with an obliging air, and made\nme sit down near him.\n\nI concealed nothing from the king, but related to him all that I have\ntold you. At last my raft was brought in, and the bales opened in his\npresence: he admired the quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris; but,\nabove all, the rubies and emeralds, for he had none in his treasury\nthat equaled them.\n\nObserving that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, and viewed the\nmost remarkable among them, one after another, I fell prostrate at his\nfeet, and took the liberty to say to him, \"Sire, not only my person is\nat your majesty's service, but the cargo of the raft, and I would beg\nof you to dispose of it as your own.\"\n\nHe answered me with a smile, \"Sindbad, I will take nothing of yours;\nfar from lessening your wealth, I design to augment it, and will not\nlet you quit my dominions without marks of my liberality.\"\n\nHe then charged one of his officers to take care of me, and ordered\npeople to serve me at his own expense. The officer was very faithful\nin the execution of his commission, and caused all the goods to be\ncarried to the lodgings provided for me.\n\nI went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king, and spent\nthe rest of my time in viewing the city, and what was most worthy of\nnotice.\n\nThe capital of Serendib stands at the end of a fine valley, in the\nmiddle of the island, encompassed by high mountains. They are seen\nthree days' sail off at sea. Rubies and several sorts of minerals\nabound. All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there, especially\ncedars and coconut. There is also a pearl fishery in the mouth of its\nprincipal river, and in some of its valleys are found diamonds. I\nmade, by way of devotion, a pilgrimage to the place where Adam was\nconfined after his banishment from Paradise, and had the curiosity to\ngo to the top of the mountain.\n\nWhen I returned to the city I prayed the king to allow me to return to\nmy own country, and he granted me permission in the most obliging and\nhonorable manner. He would force a rich present upon me; and at the\nsame time he charged me with a letter for the Commander of the\nFaithful, our sovereign, saying to me, \"I pray you give this present\nfrom me, and this letter, to the Caliph Haroun al Raschid, and assure\nhim of my friendship.\"\n\nThe letter from the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a\ncertain animal of great value, very scarce, and of a yellowish color.\nThe characters of this letter were of azure, and the contents as\nfollows:\n\n     \"The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred\n     elephants, who lives in a palace that shines with one\n     hundred thousand rubies, and who has in his treasury twenty\n     thousand crowns enriched with diamonds, to Caliph Haroun al\n     Raschid.\n\n     \"Though the present we send you be inconsiderable, receive\n     it, however, as a brother and a friend, in consideration of\n     the hearty friendship which we bear for you, and of which we\n     are willing to give you proof. We desire the same part in\n     your friendship, considering that we believe it to be our\n     merit, as we are both kings. We send you this letter as from\n     one brother to another. Farewell.\"\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nThe present consisted (1) of one single ruby made into a cup, about\nhalf a foot high, an inch thick, and filled with round pearls of half\na dram each. (2) The skin of a serpent, whose scales were as bright as\nan ordinary piece of gold, and had the virtue to preserve from\nsickness those who lay upon it.[66] (3) Fifty thousand drams of the\nbest wood of aloes, with thirty grains of camphor as big as\npistachios. And (4) a female slave of great beauty, whose robe was\ncovered with jewels.\n\n[Footnote 66: \"There is a snake in Bengal whose skin is esteemed a\ncure for external pains by applying it to the part affected.\"--Hole.]\n\nThe ship set sail, and after a very successful navigation we landed at\nBussorah, and from thence I went to the city of Bagdad, where the\nfirst thing I did was to acquit myself of my commission.\n\nI took the King of Serendib's letter, and went to present myself at\nthe gate of the Commander of the Faithful, and was immediately\nconducted to the throne of the caliph. I made my obeisance, and\npresented the letter and gift. When he had read what the King of\nSerendib wrote to him, he asked me if that prince were really so rich\nand potent as he represented himself in his letter. I prostrated\nmyself a second time, and rising again, said, \"Commander of the\nFaithful, I can assure your majesty he doth not exceed the truth. I\nbear him witness. Nothing is more worthy of admiration than the\nmagnificence of his palace. When the prince appears in public,[67] he\nhas a throne fixed on the back of an elephant, and rides betwixt two\nranks of his ministers, favorites, and other people of his court.\nBefore him, upon the same elephant, an officer carries a golden\nlance[68] in his hand; and behind him there is another, who stands\nwith a rod of gold, on the top of which is an emerald, half a foot\nlong and an inch thick. He is attended by a guard of one thousand men,\nclad in cloth of gold and silk, and mounted on elephants richly\ncaparisoned. The officer who is before him on the same elephant, cries\nfrom time to time, with a loud voice, 'Behold the great monarch, the\npotent and redoubtable Sultan of the Indies, the monarch greater than\nSolomon, and the powerful Maharaja.' After he has pronounced those\nwords, the officer behind the throne cries, in his turn, 'This\nmonarch, so great and so powerful, must die, must die, must die.'[69]\nAnd the officer before replies, 'Praise alone be to Him who liveth\nforever and ever.'\"\n\n[Footnote 67: \"The king is honorably distinguished by various kinds of\nornaments, such as a collar set with jewels, sapphires, emeralds, and\nrubies of immense value.\"--Marco Polo, p. 384.]\n\n[Footnote 68: \"Throwing the lance was a favorite pastime among the\nyoung Arabians, and prepared them for the chase or war.\"--Notes to\n_Vathek_, p. 295.]\n\n[Footnote 69: Thus the Roman slave, on the triumph of an imperator,\n\"Respice post te, hominem te esse memento\"; or the page of Philip of\nMacedonia, who was made to address him every morning, \"Remember,\nPhilip, thou art mortal.\"]\n\nThe caliph was much pleased with my account, and sent me home with a\nrich present.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nHere Sindbad commanded another hundred sequins to be paid to Hindbad,\nand begged his return on the morrow to hear his seventh and last\nvoyage.\n\n\nTHE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE OF SINDBAD THE SAILOR\n\nOn my return home from my sixth voyage I had entirely given up all\nthoughts of again going to sea; for, besides that my age now required\nrest, I was resolved no more to expose myself to such risks as I had\nencountered, so that I thought of nothing but to pass the rest of my\ndays in tranquillity. One day, however, an officer of the caliph's\ninquired for me.\n\n\"The caliph,\" said he, \"has sent me to tell you that he must speak\nwith you.\"\n\nI followed the officer to the palace, where, being presented to the\ncaliph, I saluted him by prostrating myself at his feet.\n\n\"Sindbad,\" said he to me, \"I stand in need of your service; you must\ncarry my answer and present to the King of Serendib.\"\n\nThis command of the caliph was to me like a clap of thunder.\n\"Commander of the Faithful,\" I replied, \"I am ready to do whatever\nyour majesty shall think fit to command; but I beseech you most humbly\nto consider what I have undergone. I have also made a vow never to\nleave Bagdad.\"\n\nPerceiving that the caliph insisted upon my compliance, I submitted,\nand told him that I was willing to obey. He was very well pleased, and\nordered me one thousand sequins for the expenses of my journey.\n\nI prepared for my departure in a few days. As soon as the caliph's\nletter and present were delivered to me, I went to Bussorah, where I\nembarked, and had a very prosperous voyage. Having arrived at the Isle\nof Serendib, I was conducted to the palace with much pomp, when I\nprostrated myself on the ground before the king.\n\n\"Sindbad,\" said the king, \"you are welcome. I have many times thought\nof you; I bless the day on which I see you once more.\"\n\nI made my compliments to him, and thanked him for his kindness, and\ndelivered the gifts from my august master.\n\nThe caliph's letter was as follows:\n\n     \"Greeting, in the name of the Sovereign Guide of the Right\n     Way, from the servant of God, Haroun al Raschid, whom God\n     hath set in the place of vice-regent to His Prophet, after\n     his ancestors of happy memory, to the potent and esteemed\n     Raja of Serendib.\n\n     \"We received your letter with joy, and send you this from\n     our imperial residence, the garden of superior wits. We\n     hope, when you look upon it, you will perceive our good\n     intention, and be pleased with it. Farewell.\"\n\nThe caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold, valued at\none thousand sequins; fifty robes of rich stuff, a hundred of white\ncloth, the finest of Cairo, Suez, and Alexandria; a vessel of agate,\nmore broad than deep, an inch thick, and half a foot wide, the bottom\nof which represented in bas-relief a man with one knee on the ground,\nwho held a bow and an arrow, ready to discharge at a lion. He sent him\nalso a rich tablet, which, according to tradition, belonged to the\ngreat Solomon.\n\nThe King of Serendib was highly gratified at the caliph's\nacknowledgment of his friendship. A little time after this audience I\nsolicited leave to depart, and with much difficulty obtained it. The\nking, when he dismissed me, made me a very considerable present. I\nembarked immediately to return to Bagdad, but had not the good fortune\nto arrive there so speedily as I had hoped. God ordered it otherwise.\n\nThree or four days after my departure we were attacked by pirates, who\neasily seized upon our ship because it was not a vessel of war. Some\nof the crew offered resistance, which cost them their lives. But for\nmyself and the rest, who were not so imprudent, the pirates saved us,\nand carried us into a remote island, where they sold us.\n\nI fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought\nme, took me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely as a\nslave. Some days after, he asked me if I understood any trade. I\nanswered that I was no mechanic, but a merchant, and that the pirates\nwho sold me had robbed me of all I possessed.\n\n\"Tell me,\" replied he, \"can you shoot with a bow?\"\n\nI answered, that the bow was one of my exercises[70] in my youth. He\ngave me a bow and arrows, and taking me behind him on an elephant,\ncarried me to a thick forest some leagues from the town. We penetrated\na great way into the wood, and when he thought fit to stop, he bade me\nalight; then showing me a great tree, \"Climb up that,\" said he, \"and\nshoot at the elephants as you see them pass by, for there is a\nprodigious number of them in this forest, and if any of them fall come\nand give me notice.\" Having spoken thus, he left me victuals, and\nreturned to the town, and I continued upon the tree all night.\n\n[Footnote 70: \"The use of a bow was a constituent part of an Eastern\neducation.\"--Notes to _Vathek_, p. 301. See the account of Cyrus's\neducation--Xenophon's _Cyclopaedia._]\n\nI saw no elephant during the night, but next morning, at break of day,\nI perceived a great number. I shot several arrows among them; and at\nlast one of the elephants fell, when the rest retired immediately, and\nleft me at liberty to go and acquaint my patron with my success. When\nI had informed him, he commended my dexterity, and caressed me highly.\nWe went afterward together to the forest, where we dug a hole for the\nelephant, my patron designing to return when it was rotten, and take\nhis teeth to trade with.\n\nI continued this employment for two months. One morning, as I looked\nfor the elephants, I perceived with extreme amazement that, instead of\npassing by me across the forest as usual, they stopped, and came to me\nwith a horrible noise, and in such numbers that the plain was covered\nand shook under them. They surrounded the tree in which I was\nconcealed, with their trunks uplifted, and all fixed their eyes upon\nme. At this alarming spectacle I continued immovable, and was so much\nterrified that my bow and arrows fell out of my hand.\n\nMy fears were not without cause; for after the elephants had stared\nupon me some time, one of the largest of them put his trunk round the\nfoot of the tree, plucked it up, and threw it on the ground. I fell\nwith the tree, and the elephant, taking me up with his trunk, laid me\non his back, where I sat more like one dead than alive, with my\nquiver on my shoulder. He put himself at the head of the rest, who\nfollowed him in line one after the other, carried me a considerable\nway, then laid me down on the ground, and retired with all his\ncompanions. After having lain some time, and seeing the elephants\ngone, I got up, and found I was upon a long and broad hill, almost\ncovered with the bones and teeth of elephants. I doubted not but that\nthis was the burial place of the elephants, and that they carried me\nthither on purpose to tell me that I should forbear to kill them, as\nnow I knew where to get their teeth without inflicting injury on them.\nI did not stay on the hill, but turned toward the city; and after\nhaving traveled a day and a night, I came to my patron.\n\nAs soon as my patron saw me, \"Ah, poor Sindbad,\" exclaimed he, \"I was\nin great trouble to know what was become of you. I have been to the\nforest, where I found a tree newly pulled up, and your bow and arrows\non the ground, and I despaired of ever seeing you more. Pray tell me\nwhat befell you.\"\n\nI satisfied his curiosity, and we both of us set out next morning to\nthe hill. We loaded the elephant which had carried us with as many\nteeth as he could bear; and when we were returned, my master thus\naddressed me: \"Hear now what I shall tell you. The elephants of our\nforest have every year killed us a great many slaves, whom we sent to\nseek ivory. For all the cautions we could give them, these crafty\nanimals destroyed them one time or other. God has delivered you from\ntheir fury, and has bestowed that favor upon you only. It is a sign\nthat He loves you, and has some use for your service in the world. You\nhave procured me incredible wealth; and now our whole city is\nenriched by your means, without any more exposing the lives of our\nslaves. After such a discovery, I can treat you no more as a slave,\nbut as a brother. God bless you with all happiness and prosperity. I\nhenceforth give you your liberty; I will also give you riches.\"\n\nTo this I replied, \"Master, God preserve you. I desire no other reward\nfor the service I had the good fortune to do to you and your city, but\nleave to return to my own country.\"\n\n\"Very well,\" said he, \"the monsoon[71] will in a little time bring\nships for ivory. I will then send you home.\"\n\n[Footnote 71: Periodical winds blowing six months from the same\nquarter or point of the compass, then changing, and blowing the same\ntime from the opposite quarter.]\n\nI stayed with him while waiting for the monsoon; and during that time\nwe made so many journeys to the hill that we filled all our warehouses\nwith ivory. The other merchants who traded in it did the same; for my\nmaster made them partakers of his good fortune.\n\nThe ships arrived at last, and my master himself having made choice of\nthe ship wherein I was to embark, loaded half of it with ivory on my\naccount, laid in provisions in abundance for my passage, and besides\nobliged me to accept a present of some curiosities of the country of\ngreat value. After I had returned him a thousand thanks for all his\nfavors, I went aboard.\n\nWe stopped at some islands to take in fresh provisions. Our vessel\nbeing come to a port on the mainland in the Indies, we touched there,\nand not being willing to venture by sea to Bussorah, I landed my\nportion of the ivory, resolving to proceed on my journey by land. I\nrealized vast sums by my ivory, bought several rarities, which I\nintended for presents, and when my equipage was ready, set out in\ncompany with a large caravan of merchants. I was a long time on the\njourney, and suffered much, but was happy in thinking that I had\nnothing to fear from the seas, from pirates, from serpents, or from\nthe other perils to which I had been exposed.\n\nI at last arrived safe at Bagdad, and immediately waited upon the\ncaliph, to give him an account of my embassy. He loaded me with honors\nand rich presents, and I have ever since devoted myself to my family,\nkindred, and friends.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nSindbad here finished the relation of his seventh and last voyage, and\nthen addressing himself to Hindbad, \"Well, friend,\" said he, \"did you\never hear of any person that suffered so much as I have done? Is it\nnot reasonable that, after all this, I should enjoy a quiet and\npleasant life?\"\n\nAs he said these words, Hindbad kissed his hand, and said, \"Sir, my\nafflictions are not to be compared with yours. You not only deserve a\nquiet life but are worthy of all the riches you possess, since you\nmake so good a use of them. May you live happily for a long time.\"\n\nSindbad ordered him to be paid another hundred sequins, and told him\nto give up carrying burdens as a porter, and to eat henceforth at his\ntable, for he wished that he should all his life have reason to\nremember that he henceforth had a friend in Sindbad the sailor.\n\n       *       *       *       *       *","title":"The Arabian Nights Entertainments","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":86928}