Here the vizier took the caliph aside, and whispered to him thus: Sir, the night will soon be at an end; and if your majesty will only be pleased to have so much patience, I will take these ladies to-morrow morning, and bring them before your throne, where you may be informed of all that you desire to know. Though this advice was very judicious, the caliph rejected it, bade the vizier hold his tongue, and said he would not stay till then, but would have satisfaction in the matter presently.
The next business was to know who should carry the message. The caliph endeavoured to prevail with the calenders to speak first, but they excused themselves; and at last they agreed that the porter should be the man: and as they were consulting how to word this fatal question, Zobeide returned from her sister Amine, who was recovered of her fit, drew near them, and, having overheard them speaking pretty loud, and with some passion, said, Gentlemen, what is the subject of your discourse? what are you disputing about?
The porter answered immediately, Madam, these gentlemen pray you to let them understand wherefore you wept over your two bitches after you whipped them so severely, and how that lady’s bosom, who lately fainted away, comes to be so full of scars? This is what I am ordered to ask in their name.
At these words, Zobeide looked with a stern countenance; and, turning towards the caliph and the rest of the company, Is this true, gentlemen, said she, that you have given him order to ask me this question? All of them, except the vizier Giafar, who spoke not a word, answered, Yes. On which she told them, in a tone that sufficiently expressed her resentment, Before we granted you the favour of being received into our house, and to prevent all occasion of trouble from you, because we are alone, we did it upon condition that you should not speak of anything that did not concern you, lest you might come to hear that which would not please you; and yet, after having received and entertained you as well as we possibly could, you make no scruple to break your promise. It is true that our easy temper has occasioned this, but that shall not excuse you, for your proceedings are very unhandsome. As she spoke these words, she gave three hard knocks with her foot, and clapping her hands as often together, cried, Come quick. Upon this, a door flew open, and seven strong, sturdy black slaves, with scimetars in their hands, rushed in; every one seized a man, threw him on the ground, and dragged him into the middle of the room, in order to cut off his head.
We may easily conceive what a fright the caliph was in: he then repented, but too late, that he had not taken his vizier’s advice. In the mean time, this unhappy prince, Giafar, Mesrour, the porter, and the calenders, were upon the point of losing their lives by their indiscreet curiosity. —But before they would strike the fatal blow, one of the slaves said to Zobeide and her sisters, High, mighty, and adorable mistresses, do you command us to cut their throats? Stay, says Zobeide, I must examine them first. The frightened porter interrupted her thus: In the name of heaven, do not make me die for another man’s crime! I am innocent —they are to blame. Alas! said he, crying, how pleasantly did we pass our time! Those blind calenders are the cause of this misfortune; there is no town in the world but suffers wherever these inauspicious fellows come. Madam, I beg you not to destroy the innocent with the guilty, and consider, that it is more glorious to pardon such a wretch as I am, who have no way to help myself, than to sacrifice me to your resentment.
Zobeide, notwithstanding her anger, could not but laugh within herself at the porter’s lamentation; but, without answering him, she spoke a second time to the rest: Answer me, said she, and tell me who you are, otherwise you shall not live one moment longer. I cannot believe you to be honest men, nor persons of authority or distinction in your own countries; for if you were, you would have been modest and more respectful to us.
The caliph, who was naturally impatient, was infinitely more impatient than the rest, to find his life depend upon the command of a lady justly incensed; but he began to conceive some hopes, when he saw she would know who they were; for he imagined she would not take away his life, when once she came to be informed who he was; —therefore he spoke with a low voice to the vizier, who was near him, to declare speedily who he was; but the vizier, being more prudent, resolved to save his master’s honour, and not let the world know the affront he had brought upon himself by his own weakness; and therefore answered, We have what we deserve.
But if he would have spoke in obedience to the caliph, Zobeide did not give him time, for, having turned to the calenders, and seeing them all three blind with one eye, she asked if they were brothers. One of them answered, No, madam, no otherwise than as we are calenders; that is to say, as we observe the same rules. —Were you born blind of the right eye? replied she. No, madam, answered he; I lost my eye in such a surprising adventure, that it would be instructive to every body were it in writing. After that misfortune, I shaved my beard and eyebrows, and took the habit or a calender, which I now wear.
Zobeide asked the other two calenders the same question, and had the same answer; but he who spoke last added, Madam, to show you that we are no common fellows, and that you may have some consideration for us, be pleased to know, that we are all three sons of kings; and though we never met together till this evening, yet we have had tune enough to make that known to one another; and I assure you, that the kings from whom we derive our being made some noise in the world.
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At this discourse, Zobeide assuaged her anger, and said to the slaves, Give them their liberty awhile, but stay here. Those who tell us their history, and the occasion of their coming, do them no hurt, let them go where they please: but do not spare those who refuse to give us that satisfaction. —Here Scheherazade stopped; and her silence, as well as day-light, giving the sultan to know that it was time for him to rise, he got up, and resolved to hear the rest of the story next night; for he was impatient to know who these three one-eyed calenders were.
THIRTY-SEVENTH NIGHT.
Dinarzade, who also took a great deal of pleasure to hear the sultaness’s stories, said to her, about the close of the following night, Dear sister, if you be not asleep, I conjure you to go on with the agreeable story of the three calenders.
Scheherazade asked leave of the sultan, and having obtained it, Sir, said she, the three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the eunuch Mesrour, and the porter, were all in the middle of the hall, seated upon a foot-carpet, in the presence of the three ladies, who sat upon a sofa, and the slaves stood ready to do whatever their mistresses should command.
The porter, understanding that he might extricate himself from danger by telling his history, spoke first, and said, Madam, you know my history already, and the occasion of my coming hither; so that what I have to say will be very short. My lady, your sister there, called me this morning at the place where I plied as porter to see if any body would employ me, that I might get my bread. I followed her to a vintner’s, then to an herb-shop, then to one that sold oranges, lemons, and citrons, then to a grocer’s, next to a confectioner’s, and a druggist’s, with my basket upon my head as full as I was able to carry it: then I came hither, where you had the goodness to suffer me to continue till now, a favour that I shall never forget. This, madam, is my history.
When the porter had done, Zobeide said to him, Go, march, let us see you no more here. Madam, replied the porter, I beg you to let me stay: it would not be just, after the rest have had the pleasure to hear my history, that I should not also have the satisfaction to hear their’s. And, having spoken thus, sat down at the end of the sofa, glad at heart to have escaped the danger that had frightened him so much. After him, one of the three calenders, directing his speech to Zobeide, as the principal of the three ladies, and the person that commanded him to speak, began his story thus:—
The History of the First Calender, a King’s Son.
Madam, in order to inform you how I lost my right eye, and why I was obliged to put myself into a calender’s habit, I must tell you, that I am a king’s son born: the king my father had a brother that reigned, as he did, over a neighbouring kingdom; and the prince his son and I were nearly of the same age.
After I had learned my exercises, and the king my father granted me such liberty as suited my dignity, I went regularly every year to see my uncle, at whose court I amused myself for a month or two, and then returned again to my father’s. These several journies cemented a firm and intimate friendship between the prince my cousin and myself. The last time I saw him he received me with greater demonstrations of tenderness than he had done at any time before; and, resolving one day to give me a treat, he made great preparations for that purpose. We continued a long time at table; and after we had both supped, Cousin, said he, you will hardly be able to guess how I have been employed since your last departure from hence, now about a year past. I have had a great many men at work to perfect a design I have in my mind: I have caused an edifice to be built, which is now finished so as to be habitable; you will not be displeased if I show it you. But first you are to promise me, upon oath, that you will keep my secret, according to the confidence I repose in you.
The affection and familiarity that subsisted between us would not allow me to refuse him any thing. I very readily took the oath required of me: upon which he said to me, Stay here till I return —I will be with you in a moment; and accordingly he came with a lady in his hand, of singular beauty, and magnificently apparelled. He did not intimate who she was, neither did I think it was polite in me to inquire. We sat down again with this lady at table, where we continued some time, conversing upon indifferent subjects, and now and then filling a glass to each other’s health. After which the prince said, Cousin, we must lose no time; therefore pray oblige me by taking this lady along with you, and conducting her to such a place, where you will see a tomb newly built in form or a dome. You will easily know it, the gate is open; go in there together, and tarry till I come, which will be very speedily.
Being true to my oath, I made no farther inquiry, but took the lady by the hand, and, by the directions which the prince my cousin had given me, I brought her to the place, by the light of the moon, without missing one step of the way. We were scarcely got thither, when we saw the prince following after, carrying a little pitcher with water, a hatchet, and a little bag with plaster.
The hatchet served him to break down the empty sepulchre in the middle of the tomb; he took away the stones one after another, and laid them in a corner. When all this was taken away, he digged up the ground, where I saw a trap-door under the sepulchre, which he lifted up, and underneath perceived the head of a staircase leading into a vault. Then my cousin, speaking to the lady, said, Madam, it is by this way that we are to go to the place I told you of. Upon which the lady drew nigh, and went down, and the prince began to follow; but first, turning to me, said, My dear cousin, I am infinitely obliged to you for the trouble you have taken; I thank you. Adieu. I cried, Dear cousin, what is the meaning of this? Be content, replied he; you may return back the same way you came.
Scheherazade having proceeded thus far, saw day appear, which prevented her proceeding any farther. The sultan got up, but longed very much to know the design of the prince and his lady, who seemed as if they had a mind to bury themselves alive; and impatiently waited for next night, that he might be thoroughly informed of it.
THIRTY-EIGHTH NIGHT.
Dinarzade awaked the sultaness next night as usual, and prayed her to continue the history of the first calender. Schahriar having also signified to the sultaness, that it would be very pleasing to him, she resumed the thread of her discourse as follows:
Madam, said the calender to Zobeide, I could get nothing farther from him, but was obliged to take leave of him. As I returned to my uncle’s palace, the vapours of the wine got up into my head; however, I got to my apartment, and went to bed. Next morning, when I awaked, I began to reflect upon what had happened the night before; and after recollecting all the circumstances of such a singular adventure, I fancied it was nothing but a dream. Full of these thoughts, I sent to see if the prince, my cousin, was ready to receive a visit from me; but when they brought word back that he did not lie in his own lodgings that night, they knew not what was become of him, and were in much trouble about it, I conceived that the strange event of the tomb was but too true. I was sensibly afflicted at it; and stealing away privately from my people, I went to the public burying-place, where there was a vast number of tombs like that which I had seen. I spent the day in viewing them one after another, but could not find that I sought for, and thus I spent four days successively in vain.
You must know, that all this while the king my uncle was absent, and had been hunting for several days; and I grew weary of staying for him, and having prayed his ministers to make my apology to him at his return, I left his palace, and set out towards my father’s court, from which I had never been so long absent before. I left the ministers of the king my uncle in great trouble, to think what was become of the prince my cousin: but because of the oath I had made to keep his secret, I durst not tell them of any thing that I had seen or knew, in order to make them easy.
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I arrived at my father’s capital, the usual place of his residence, where, contrary to custom, I found a great guard at the gate of the palace, who surrounded me as I entered. I asked the reason, and the commanding officer replied, Prince, the army has proclaimed the grand vizier king, instead of your father, who is dead, and I take you prisoner in the name of the new king. At these words the guards laid hold of me, and carried me before the tyrant. I leave you to judge, madam, how much I was surprised and grieved.
This rebel vizier had long entertained a mortal hatred against me, for this reason: when I was a stripling, I loved to shoot in a cross-bow; and being one day upon the terrace of the palace with my bow, a bird happening to come by, I shot, but missed him, and the ball by misfortune hit the vizier, who was taking the air upon the terrace of his own house, and put out one of his eyes. As soon as I understood it, I not only sent to make my excuses to him, but did it in person: yet he always resented it, and, as opportunity offered, made me sensible of it: but now, madam, that he had me in his power, he expressed his resentment in a very barbarous manner; for he came to me like a madman, as soon as ever he saw me, and thrusting his finger into my right eye, pulled it out himself; and so, madam, I became blind of one eye.
But the usurper’s cruelty did not stop here; he ordered me to be shut up in a box, and commanded the executioner to carry me into the country, to cut off my head, and leave me to be devoured by the birds of prey. The executioner and another man carried me thus shut up on horseback into the country, in order to execute the usurper’s barbarous sentence; but by my prayers and tears, I moved the executioner’s compassion. Go, said he to me, get you speedily out of the kingdom, and take heed of ever returning to it, otherwise you will certainly meet your own ruin, and be the cause of mine. I thanked him for the favour he did me; and as soon as I was left alone, I comforted myself for the loss of my eye, by considering that I had very narrowly escaped much greater danger.
Being in such a condition, I could not travel far at a time: I retired to remote places while it was day, and travelled as far by night as my strength would allow me. At last I arrived in the dominions of the king my uncle, and came to his capital.
I gave him a long detail of the tragical cause of my return, and of the sad condition he saw me in. Alas! cried he, was it not enough for me to have lost my son, but must I have news also of the death of a brother I loved so dearly, and see you also reduced to this deplorable condition? He told me how uneasy he was, that he could hear nothing of his son, notwithstanding all the diligence and inquiry he could make. At these words the unfortunate father burst out into tears, and was so much afflicted, that, pitying his grief, it was impossible for me to keep the secret any longer; so that, notwithstanding my oath to the prince my cousin, I told the king his father all that I knew.
His majesty listened to me with some sort of comfort; and when I had done, Nephew, said he, what you tell me gives me some hope. I knew that my son ordered that tomb to be built, and I can guess pretty near at the place; and with the idea you still have of it, I fancy we shall find it; but since he ordered it to be built privately, and you took your oath to keep his secret, I am of opinion that we ought to go in quest of it alone, without saying any thing. But he had another reason for keeping the matter secret, which he did not then tell me, and an important reason it was, as you will perceive by the sequel of my discourse.
We disguised ourselves, and went out by a door of the garden which opened into the field, and soon found what we sought for. I knew the tomb, and was the more rejoiced at it, because I had formerly sought it a long time in vain. We entered, and found the iron trap pulled down upon the entrance of the staircase; we had much ado to raise it, because the prince had fastened it on the inside with the water and plaster formerly mentioned, but at last we did get it up.
The king my uncle descended first, I followed, and we went down about fifty steps. When we came to the foot of the stairs, we found a sort of ante-chamber, full of a thick smoke, of an ill scent, which obscured the lamp that gave a very faint light.
From this ante-chamber we came into another, very large, supported by great columns, and lighted by several branched candlesticks. There was a cistern in the middle, and provisions of several sorts standing on one side of it; but we were very much surprised to see nobody. Before us there appeared an high sofa, which we mounted by several steps, and over this, there appeared a very large bed, with the curtains drawn close. The king went up, and opening the curtains, perceived the prince his son and the lady in bed together, but burnt and changed to a coal, as if they had been thrown into a great fire, and taken out again before they were consumed.
But what surprised me most of all was, that though this spectacle filled me with horror, the king my uncle, instead of testifying his sorrow to see the prince his son in such a frightful condition, spit on his face, and said to him with a disdainful air, ‘This is the punishment of this world, but that of the other will last to eternity;’ and not content with this, he pulled off his sandal, and gave his son a great blow on the cheek with it.
But, sir, said Scheherazade, it is day. I am sorry your majesty’s time will not allow you to hear me farther. This story appearing very strange to the sultan, he got up resolved to hear the rest of it next night.
THIRTY-NINTH NIGHT.
Dinarzade being awake sooner than ordinary, called her sister Scheherazade. My good sultaness, said she, I pray you make an end of your story of the first calender, for I am ready to die with impatience till I know the issue of it. Well then, said Scheherazade, you remember how the first calender continued his story to Zobeide: I cannot enough express, madam, said he, how much I was astonished when I saw the king my uncle abuse the prince his son thus after he was dead. Sir, said I, whatever grief this dismal sight is capable to impress upon me, I am forced to suspend it, on purpose to ask your majesty what crime the prince my cousin may have committed, that his corpse should deserve this sort of treatment? —Nephew, replied the king, I must tell you, that my son (who is unworthy of that name) loved his sister from his infancy, as she did him; I did not hinder their growing love, because I did not foresee the pernicious consequence of it. This tenderness increased as they grew in years to such a height, that I dreaded the end of it. At last I applied such remedies as were in my power. I not only gave my son a severe reprimand in private, laying before him the horrible nature of the passion he entertained, and the eternal disgrace he would bring upon my family, if he persisted in such criminal courses, but I also represented the same to my daughter; and I shut her up so close that she could have no conversation with her brother. But that unfortunate creature had swallowed so much of the poison, that all the obstacles which by my prudence I could lay in the way served only to inflame her love.
My son, being persuaded of his sister’s constancy, on pretence of building a tomb, caused this subterraneous habitation to be made, in hopes to find one day or other an opportunity to possess himself of that object which was the cause of his flame, and to bring her hither. He took advantage of my absence to enter by force into the place of his sister’s confinement; but this was a circumstance which my honour would not suffer me to make public: and after so damnable an action, he came and shut himself up with her in this place, which he has supplied, as you see, with all sorts of provisions, that he might enjoy his detestable pleasures for a long time, which ought to be a subject of horror to all the world; but God, who would not suffer such an abomination, has justly punished them both. At these words, he melted into tears, and I joined mine with his.
After a while, casting his eyes upon me, Dear nephew, cried he, embracing me, if I have lost that unworthy son, I shall haply find in you what will better supply his place. The reflections he made on the doleful end of the prince and princess his daughter, made us both fall into a new fit of weeping.
We went up the same stairs again, and departed at last from that dismal place. We let down again the trap-door, and covered it with earth, and such other materials as the tomb was built of, on purpose to hide, as much as lay in our power, so terrible an effect of the wrath of God.
We had not been very long got back to the palace, unperceived by any one, but we heard a confused noise of trumpets, drums, and other instruments of war. We soon understood by the thick cloud of dust, which almost darkened the air, that it was the arrival of a formidable army: and it proved to be the same vizier that had dethroned my father, and usurped his throne, who, with a vast number of troops, was also come to possess himself of that of the king my uncle.
That prince, who then had only his usual guards about him, could not resist so many enemies; they invested the city, and the gates being opened to them without any resistance, they very soon became masters of the city, and broke into the palace where the king my uncle was, who defended himself till he was killed, and sold his life at a dear rate: for my part, I fought as well as I could for a while; but seeing we were forced to submit to a superior power, I thought on my retreat and safety, which I had the good fortune to effect by some back ways, and got to one of the king’s servants, on whose fidelity I could depend.
Being thus surrounded with sorrows, and persecuted by fortune, I had recourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save my life; I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and putting on a calender’s habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city; after that, by degrees, I found it easy to get out of my uncle’s kingdom, by taking the by-roads.
I avoided passing through towns, until I was got into the empire of the mighty governor of the mussulmen, the glorious and renowned Caliph Haroun Alraschid, when I thought myself out of danger; and considering what I was to do, I resolved to come to Bagdad, intending to throw myself at the feet of that monarch, whose generosity is every where applauded. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself, by the relation of my extraordinary misfortunes, and without doubt he will take pity on such an unfortunate prince, and not suffer me to implore his assistance in vain.
In short, after a journey of several months, I arrived yesterday at the gate of this city, into which I entered about the dusk of the evening; and stopping a little while to revive my spirits, and to consider which way I was to turn, this other calender you see here next to me came up: he saluted me, and I him. —You appear, said I, to be a stranger, as I am. —You are not mistaken, replied he. He had no sooner returned this answer, but that third calender you see there overtook us. He saluted us, and told us he was a stranger newly come to Bagdad; so as brethren we joined together, resolving not to separate from one another.
Meanwhile it was late, and we knew not where to seek a lodging in the city, where we had no acquaintance, and had never been before. But good fortune having brought us before your gate, we made bold to knock, when you received us with so much kindness, that we are incapable to return you suitable thanks. This, madam, said he, is in obedience to your commands, the account I was to give you why I lost my right eye, wherefore my beard and eyebrows are shaved, and how I came to be with you at this present time.
It is enough, said Zobeide; you may retire to what place you think fit. The calender made his excuse, and begged the ladies’ leave to stay till he had heard the relations of his two comrades, whom I cannot, said he, leave with honour; and till he might also hear those of the three other persons that were in company.
Here Scheherazade said to the sultan, Sir, the daylight which you see prevents me from going on with the story of the second calender; but if your majesty will hear it to-morrow, you will find as much satisfaction in that as in the story of the first. To which the sultan gave consent, and so got up, in order to go to council.
FORTIETH NIGHT.
Dinarzade, not doubting to find as much delight in the story of the second calender as she had in the first, failed not to call upon the sultaness before day. If you be not asleep, sister, said she, I would pray you to begin the story that you promised me; upon which Scheherazade addressed her discourse to the sultan, and spoke as follows:
Sir, the story of the first calender seemed very strange to the whole company, but especially to the caliph; who, notwithstanding the slaves stood by with their scimeters in their hands, could not forbear whispering to the vizier —Many stories have I heard, but never any thing that came near the story of the calender. Whilst he was saying this, the second calender began, addressing his speech to Zobeide.
Story of the Second Calender, a King’s Son.
Madam, said he, to obey your command, and to show you by what strange accident I became blind of the right eye, I must of necessity give you the whole account of my life.
I was scarce past my infancy, when the king my father (for you must know, madam, I am a prince by birth) perceived that I was endowed with a great deal of sense, and spared nothing that was proper for improving it: he employed all the men in his dominions that excelled in science and art, to be constantly about me.
No sooner was I able to read and write, but I learnt the Alcoran from the beginning to the end by heart; that admirable book, which contains the foundation, the precepts, and the rules of our religion; and that I might be thoroughly instructed in it, I read the works of the most approved authors, by whose commentaries it had been explained. I added to this study that of all the traditions collected from the mouth of our prophet, by the great men that were contemporary with him. I was not satisfied with the knowledge of all that had any relation to our religion, but made also a particular search into our histories. I made myself perfect in polite learning, in the works of poets, and versification. I applied myself to geography, chronology, and to speak our Arabian language in its purity; not forgetting in the mean time all such exercises as were proper for a prince to understand. But one thing which I was fond of, and succeeded in to admiration, was, to form the characters of our Arabian language, wherein I surpassed all the writing masters of our kingdom that had acquired the greatest reputation.
Fame did me more honour than I deserved, for she not only spread the renown of my talents through all the dominions of the king my father, but carried it as far as the Indian court, whose potent monarch, desirous to see me, sent an ambassador with rich presents, to demand me of my father, who was extremely glad of this embassy for several reasons; he was persuaded that nothing could be more commendable in a prince of my age, than to travel and visit foreign courts; and he was very glad to gain the friendship of the Indian sultan. I departed with the ambassador, but with no great retinue, because of the length and difficulty of the journey.
When we had travelled about a month, we discovered at a distance a great cloud of dust, and under that we saw very soon fifty horsemen, well armed, that were robbers, coming towards us on full gallop. Scheherazade perceiving day, told the sultan of it, who got up; but desiring to know what passed between the fifty men on horseback and the Indian ambassador, this prince was somewhat impatient till next night came.
FORTY-FIRST NIGHT.
It was almost day when Dinarzade awoke next morning, and called to her sister, If you be not asleep, dear sister, I pray you continue the story of the second calender. Scheherazade began in this manner:
Madam, said the calender, (always speaking to Zobeide,) as we had ten horses laden with baggage and other presents, that I was to carry to the Indian sultan from the king my father, and my retinue was but small, you may easily judge that these robbers came boldly up to us; and not being in a posture to make any opposition, we told them, that we were ambassadors belonging to the sultan of the Indies, and hoped they would attempt nothing contrary to that respect that is due to them, thinking by this means to save our equipage and our lives: but the robbers most insolently replied, For what reason would you have us show any respect to the sultan your master? We are none of his subjects, nor are we upon his territories. Having spoken thus, they surrounded and fell upon us: I defended myself as long as I could; but finding myself wounded, and seeing the ambassador, with his servants and mine, lying on the ground, I made use of what strength was yet remaining in my horse, who was also very much wounded, and separated myself from the crowd, and rode away as fast as he could carry me; but he happening all of a sudden to fall under me, by weariness and the loss of blood, he fell down dead. I got rid of him in a trice; and finding that I was not pursued, it made me judge the robbers were not willing to quit the booty they had got.
Scheherazade, perceiving day coming on, was obliged to stop here. O sister, said Dinarzade, to-morrow I shall be more diligent, in hopes you will make reparation to the sultan for the loss that his curiosity has sustained through my neglect. Schahriar arose without saying one word, and went to his usual consultation.
FORTY-SECOND NIGHT.
Dinarzade failed not to call the sultaness a good while before day. My dear sister, said she, if you be not asleep, I pray you resume the story of the calender. I consent to it, said Scheherazade; and so continued it in these words:
Here you see me, said the calender, alone, wounded, destitute of help, and in a strange country: I durst not betake myself to the high road, fearing I might fall again into the hands of these robbers. When I had bound up my wound, which was not dangerous, I walked on the rest of the day, and arrived at the foot of a mountain, where I perceived a passage into a cave; I went in, and staid there that night with little satisfaction, after I had eaten some fruits that I gathered by the way.
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I continued my journey for several days following, without finding any place of abode; but after a month’s time, I came to a large town, well inhabited, and situated so much the more advantageously, as it was surrounded with several rivers, so that it enjoyed perpetual spring.
The pleasant objects which then presented themselves to my view afforded me some joy, and suspended for a time the sorrow with which I was overwhelmed to find myself in such a condition. My face, hands, and feet, were black and sun-burnt; and, by my long journey, my shoes and stockings were quite worn out, so that I was forced to walk bare-footed; and besides, my clothes were all in rags. I entered into the town to inform myself where I was, and addressed myself to a tailor that was at work in his shop; who, perceiving by my air that I was a person of more note than my outward appearance bespoke me to be, made me sit down by him, and asked me who I was, from whence I came, and what had brought me thither? I did not conceal any thing of all that had befallen me, nor made I any scruple to discover my quality.
The tailor listened with attention to my words; but after I had done speaking, instead of giving me any consolation, he augmented my sorrow. Take heed, said he, how you discover to any person what you have now declared to me; for the prince of this country is the greatest enemy that the king your father has, and he will certainly do you some mischief, when he comes to hear of your being in this city. I made no doubt of the tailor’s sincerity, when he named the prince: but since the enmity which is between my father and him has no relation to my adventures, I must beg your pardon, madam, if I pass it over with silence.
I returned the tailor thanks for his good advice, and showed myself inclinable wholly to follow his counsel, and assured him that his favours should never be forgotten by me. And as he believed I could not but be hungry, he ordered something to be brought for me to eat, and offered me at the same time a lodging in his house, which I accepted. Some days after, finding me pretty well recovered of the fatigue I had endured by a long and tedious journey, and reflecting that most princes of our religion did apply themselves to some art or calling that might be serviceable to them upon occasion, he asked me if I had learned any thing whereby I might get a livelihood, and not be burdensome to any man? I told him that I understood the laws, both divine and human; that I was a grammarian and poet; and above all, that I understood writing perfectly well. By all this, said he, you will not be able in this country to purchase yourself one morsel of bread: nothing is of less use here than those sciences; but if you will be advised by me, said he, dress yourself in a labourer’s habit; and since you appear to be strong, and of a good constitution, you shall go into the next forest, and cut fire wood, which you may bring to the market to be sold: and I can assure you it will turn to so good an account that you may live by it, without dependance upon any man; and by this means you will be in a condition to wait for the favourable minute, when Heaven shall think fit to dispel those clouds of misfortune that thwart your happiness, and oblige you to conceal your birth: I will take care to supply you with a rope and a hatchet.
The fear of being known, and the necessity I was under of getting a livelihood, made me agree to this proposal, notwithstanding all the meanness and hardships that attended it. The day following the tailor bought me a rope, a hatchet, and a short coat, and recommended me to some poor people who gained their bread after the same manner, that they might take me into their company. They conducted me to the wood, and the first day I brought in as much upon my head as brought me half a piece of gold, which is the money of that country: for though the wood is not far distant from the town, yet it was very scarce there, by reason that few or none would be at the trouble to go and cut it. I gained a good sum of money in a short time, and repaid my tailor what he had advanced for me.
I continued this way of living for a whole year; and one day, that by chance I was gone farther into the wood than usual, I happened to light on a very pleasant place, where I began to cut down wood; and in pulling up the root of a tree, I espied an iron ring, fastened to a trap-door of the same metal. I took away the earth that covered it, and having lifted it up, saw stairs, which I went down, with my axe in my band.
When I was come to the bottom of the stairs, I found myself in a large palace, which put me into great consternation, because of a great light, which appeared as clear in it as if it had been above ground, in the open air. I went forward along a gallery, supported by pillars of jasper, the base and capitals of massy gold; but seeing a lady of a noble and free air, and extremely beautiful, coming towards me, my eyes were taken off from beholding any other object but her alone.
Here Scheherazade stopped, because day appeared: but Dinarzade said, Dear sister, I confess I am extremely well pleased with what you have told us to-day, and I imagine that the following part must be no less surprising. —You are not mistaken, said the sultaness, for the remainder of this story of the second calender is better worth my ford the sultan’s attention, than all that he has hitherto heard. —I doubt that, said Schahriar, as he was getting up; but we shall know that to-morrow.
FORTY-THIRD NIGHT.
The sultaness being awakened as usual, gave the sultan an account that the second calender continued his story thus: Being desirous, said he, to spare the lady the trouble to come to me, I made haste to meet her: and as I was saluting her with a low bow, she asked me, What are you, a man or a genie? —A man, madam, said I: I have no correspondence with genies. —By what adventure, said she, fetching a deep sigh, are you come hither? I have lived here these twenty-five years, and never saw any man but yourself during that time.
Her great beauty, which had already smitten me, and the sweetness and civility wherewith she received me, emboldened me to say to her, Madam, before I have the honour to satisfy your curiosity, give me leave to tell you, that I am infinitely satisfied with this unexpected meeting, which offers me an occasion of consolation in the midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an opportunity to make you also more happy than you are. I gave her a true account by what strange accident she saw me, the son of a king, in such a condition as then I appeared in her presence; and how fortune directed that I should discover the entrance into that magnificent prison where I had found her, but, according to appearance, in an unpleasant situation.
Alas! prince, said she, sighing once more, you have just cause to believe this rich and pompous prison cannot be otherwise than a most wearisome abode; the most charming place in the world being no way delightful when we are detained there contrary to our will. It is not possible but you have heard of the great Epitimarus, king of the isle of Ebene, so called from that precious wood it produces in abundance; I am the princess his daughter.
The king, my father, had chosen for me a husband, a prince that was my cousin: but, on my wedding-night, in the midst of the rejoicing that was in the court and the capital city of the kingdom of the isle of Ebene, before I was given to my husband, a genie took me away. I fainted at the same moment, and lost my senses; but when I came to myself again, I found myself in this place. I was a long time inconsolable, but time and necessity have accustomed me to see and receive the genie. Twenty-five years, as I told you before, I have continued in this place; where, I must confess, I have every thing that I can wish for necessary to life, and also every thing that can satisfy a princess fond of dress and fashions.
Every ten days, said the princess, the genie comes hither to lie with me one night, which he never exceeds; and the excuse he makes for it is, that he is married to another wife, who would grow jealous if she came to know how unfaithful he was to her. Meanwhile, if I have occasion for him by day or night, as soon as I touch a talisman, which is at the entrance into my chamber, the genie appears. It is now the fourth day since he was here, and I do not expect him before the end of six more: so, if you please, you may stay five days and keep me company, and I will endeavour to entertain you according to your quality and merit. I thought myself too fortunate, to have obtained so great a favour without asking it, to refuse so obliging a proffer. The princess made me go into a bagnio, which was the most handsome, the most commodious, and the most sumptuous that could be imagined; and when I came forth, instead of my own clothes, I found another very costly suit, which I did not esteem so much for its richness, as because it made me look worthy to be in her company. We sat down on a sofa covered with rich tapestry, with cushions to lean upon of the rarest Indian brocade; and some time after she covered a table with several dishes of delicate meats. We ate together, and passed the remaining part of the day with much satisfaction; and at night she received me to her bed.
The next day, as she contrived every means to please me, she brought in, at dinner, a bottle of old wine, the most excellent that ever was tasted; and out of complaisance, she drank some part of it with me. When my head grew hot with the agreeable liquor, Fair princess, said I, you have been too long thus buried alive: follow me, and enjoy the real day, from which you have been deprived so many years, and abandon this false light that you have here. —Prince, replied she, with a smile, leave this discourse; if you out of ten days will grant me nine, and resign the last to the genie, the fairest day that ever was would be nothing in my esteem. —Princess, said I, it is the fear of the genie that makes you speak thus; for my part, I value him so little, that I will break in pieces his talisman, with the conjuration that is written about it. Let him come, I will expect him; and how brave or redoubtable soever he be, I will make him feel the weight of my arm: I swear solemnly that I will extirpate all the genies in the world, and him first. The princess, who knew the consequence, conjured me not to touch the talisman; for that would be a means, said she, to rum both you and me: I know what belongs to genies better than you. The fumes of the wine did not suffer me to hearken to her reasons; but I gave the talisman a kick with my foot, and broke it in several pieces.
At these words Scheherazade perceiving day, grew silent, and the sultan got up, not doubting but the breaking of the talisman had some remarkable event, and therefore resolved to hear that story to the end.
FORTY-FOURTH NIGHT.
Dinarzade being awaked somewhat before day, said to the sultaness, Sister, if you are not asleep, I pray you acquaint us with what happened in the subterranean palace after the prince had broken the talisman. —I am just going to relate it, said Scheherazade. Upon which, resuming her narrative, she continued her discourse thus, in the person of the second calender.
The talisman was no sooner broken, but the palace began to shake, and was ready to fall, with a hideous noise like thunder, accompanied with flashes of lightning, and a great darkness. This terrible noise in a moment dispelled the fumes of my wine, and made me sensible, but too late, of the folly I had committed. Princess, cried I, what means all this? She answered in a fright, and without any concern for her own misfortune, Alas! you are undone, if you do not escape presently.
I followed her advice, and my fears were so great, that I forgot my hatchet and cords. I was scarcely got to the stairs by which I came down, when the enchanted palace opened at once, and made a passage for the genie; he asked the princess, in great anger, What has happened to you, and why did you call me? —A qualm at my stomach, said the princess, made me fetch this bottle which you see here, out of which I drank twice or thrice, and by mischance made a false step, and fell upon the talisman, which is broken, and that is all.
At this answer, the furious genie told her, You are a false woman, and a liar: how came that axe and those cords there? —I never saw them till this moment, said the princess. Your coming in such an impetuous manner has, it may be, forced them up in some place, as you came along, and so brought them hither without your knowing it.
The genie made no other answer but what was accompanied with reproaches and blows, of which I heard the noise. I could not endure to hear the pitiful cries and shouts of the princess, so cruelly abused: I had already laid off the suit she made me put on, and taken my own, which I had laid on the stairs the day before, when I came out of the bagnio: I made haste up stairs, more distracted with sorrow and compassion, as I had been the cause of so great a misfortune; and by sacrificing the fairest princess on earth to the barbarity of a merciless genie, I was become the most criminal and ungrateful of mankind. It is true, said I, she has been a prisoner these twenty-five years; but, liberty excepted, she wanted nothing that could make her happy. My folly has put an end to her happiness, and brought upon her the cruelty of an unmerciful devil: I let down the trap-door, covered it again with earth, and returned to the city with a burden of wood, which I bound up without knowing what I did, so great was my trouble and sorrow.
My landlord, the tailor, was very much rejoiced to see me: Your absence, said he, has disquieted me very much, by reason you had entrusted me with the secret of your birth, and I knew not what to think; I was afraid somebody had discovered you: God be thanked for your return. I thanked him for his zeal and affection, but not a word durst I say of what had passed, nor the reason why I came back without my hatchet and cords.
I retired to my chamber, where I reproached myself a thousand times, for my excessive imprudence: Nothing, said I, could have paralleled the princess’s good fortune and mine, had I forborne to break the talisman.
While I was thus giving myself over to melancholy thoughts, the tailor came in. An old man, said he, whom I do not know, brings me here your hatchet and cords, which he found in his way, as he tells me, and understood by your comrades that go along with you to the woods, that you lodge here; come out and speak to him, for he will deliver them to none but yourself.
At this discourse I changed colour, and fell a trembling. While the tailor was asking me the reason, my chamber door opened at once, and the old man, having no patience to stay, appeared to us with my hatchet and cords. This man was the genie, the ravisher of the fair princess of the isle of Ebene, who had thus disguised himself, after he had treated her with the utmost barbarity. I am a genie, said he, son of the daughter of Eblis, prince of genies: is not this your hatchet? said he, speaking to me, and are not these your cords?
Here Scheherazade saw day, and left off. The sultan found the story of the second calender too curious not to desire that he might hear it out; and therefore got up, with an intention to hear the rest next morning.
FORTY-FIFTH NIGHT.
The day following, Dinarzade called upon the sultaness, My dear sister, pray tell us how the genie treated the prince. —I wish to satisfy your curiosity, replied Scheherazade; and then resumed her story of the second calender thus:
The calender continuing his discourse to Zobeide, Madam, said he, after the genie had put the question to me, he gave me no time to answer, nor was it in my power, so much had his terrible aspect disordered me. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out of the chamber, and mounting into the air, carried me up to the skies with such swiftness, that I perceived I was got so high without being able to take notice of the way he carried me in so few moments. He descended again in like manner to the earth, which on a sudden he caused to open with a stroke of his foot, and so sunk down at once, where I found myself in the enchanted palace, before the fair princess of the isle of Ebene. But alas! what a spectacle was there! I saw what pierced me to the heart; this poor princess was quite naked, weltering in her blood, and laid upon the ground, more like one dead than alive, with her cheeks bathed in tears.
Perfidious wretch, said the genie to her, pointing at me, is not this your gallant? She cast her languishing eyes upon me, and answered mournfully, I do not know him; I never saw him till this moment. —What! said the genie, he is the cause of thy being in the condition thou art justly in; and yet darest thou say thou dost not know him? —If I do not know him, said the princess, would you have me make a lie on purpose to ruin him? —Oh then, said the genie, pulling out a scimitar, and presenting it to the princess, if you never saw him before, take the scimitar and cut off his head. —Alas! replied the princess, how is it possible that I should execute what you would force me to do? My strength is so far spent that I cannot lift up my arm; and if I could, how should I have the heart to take away the life of an innocent man, and one whom I do not know? —This refusal, said the genie to the princess, sufficiently informs me of your crime. Upon which, turning to me, And thou, said he, dost thou not know her?
I should have been the most ungrateful wretch, and the most perfidious of all mankind, if I had not shown myself as faithful to the princess as she was to me, who had been the cause of her misfortunes; therefore I answered the genie, How should I know her, when I never saw her till now? —If it be so, said he, take the scimitar, and cut off her head: on this condition I will set thee at liberty, for then I shall be convinced that thou didst never see her till this very moment, as thou sayest. —With all my heart, replied I, and took the scimitar in my hand.
But sir, said Scheherazade, it is day, and I ought not to abuse your majesty’s patience. —These are wonderful events, said the sultan to himself. We shall know tomorrow if the prince was so cruel as to pay obedience to the genie’s command.
FORTY-SIXTH NIGHT.
When the night was near at an end, Dinarzade said to the sultaness, Sister, if you be not asleep, I would pray you to continue the story which you could not finish yesterday. —I will, says Scheherazade, and without loss of time you shall understand that the second calender went on thus:
Do not think, madam, that I drew near to the fair princess of the isle of Ebene to be the executioner of the genie’s barbarity. I did it only to demonstrate by my behaviour, as much as possible, that as she had shown her resolution to sacrifice her life for my sake, I would not refuse to sacrifice mine for her’s. The princess, notwithstanding her pain and suffering, understood my meaning; which she signified by an obliging look, and made me understand her willingness to die for me; and that she was satisfied to see how willing I was also to die for her. —Upon this, I stepped back and threw the scimitar on the ground. I shall forever, said I to the genie, be hateful to all mankind, should I be so base as to murder, I do not only say a person whom I do not know, but a lady like this, who is ready to give up the ghost: do with me what you please, since I am in your power: I cannot obey your barbarous commands.
I see, said the genie, that you both outbrave me, and insult my jealousy; but both of you shall know, by the treatment I give you, what I am capable to do. At these words the monster took up the scimitar, and cut off one of her hands, which left her only so much of life as to give me a token with the other that she bid me adieu for ever: for the blood she had lost before, and that which gushed out then, did not permit her to live above one or two moments after this barbarous cruelty, the sight of which threw me into a fit. When I was come to myself again, I expostulated with the genie, why he made me languish in expectation of death; Strike, cried I, for I am ready to receive the mortal blow, and expect it as the greatest favour you can show me. But instead of agreeing to that, Look ye, said he, how genies treat their wives whom they suspect of unfaithfulness: she has received thee here; and were I certain that she had put any further affront upon me, I would put thee to death this minute: but I will content myself to transform thee into a dog, ape, lion, or bird; take thy choice of any of these, I will leave it to thyself.
These words gave me some hopes to mollify him: O genie, said I, moderate your passion, and since you will not take away my life, give it me generously: I shall always remember your clemency, if you pardon me, as one of the best men in the world pardoned one of his neighbours that bore him a mortal hatred. The genie asked me what had passed between those two neighbours and said he would have patience till he heard the story, which I told him thus; and I believe, madam, you will not take it ill if I also relate it to you.
The Story of the envious Man, and of him that he envied.
In a considerable town, two persons dwelt next door to one another: one of them conceived such a violent hatred against the other, that he who was hated resolved to remove his dwelling farther off, being persuaded that their being neighbours was the only cause of his animosity; for though he had done him several pieces of service, he found, nevertheless, that his hatred was nothing diminished; therefore he sold his house, with what goods he had left, and retired to the capital city of that kingdom, which was not far distant. He bought a little spot of ground, which lay about half a league from the city; he had a house convenient enough, with a fine garden, and a pretty spacious court, wherein there was a deep well, which was not in use.
The honest man having made this purchase, put on a dervise’s or monk’s habit, to lead a retired life, and caused several cells to be made in the house, where in a short time he established a numerous society of dervises. He soon came to be publicly known by his virtue, through which he acquired the esteem of many people, as well of the commonalty as of the chief of the city: in short, he was extremely honoured and cherished by every one. People came from afar to recommend themselves to his prayers; and all who came to live with him published what blessings they received through his means.
The great reputation of this honest man having spread to the town from whence he came, it touched the envious man so much to the quick, that he left his house and affairs with a resolution to go and ruin him. With this intent he went to the new convent of dervises, of which his former neighbour was the head, who received him with all imaginable tokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come on purpose to communicate a business of importance to him, which he could not do but in private; and that nobody may hear us, let us, said he, take a walk in your court; and seeing night begins to draw on, command your dervises to retire to their cells. The head of the dervises did as he required.
When the envious man saw that he was alone with this good man, he began to tell his errand, walking side by side in the court, till he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it, without any body being witness to so wicked an action. Having done thus, he marched off immediately, got out at the gate of the convent without being known to any one, and went home to his own house, well satisfied with his journey, being fully persuaded that the object of his hatred was no more in this world; but he found himself highly mistaken.