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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Arabian Nights, by Unknown
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Arabian Nights
+       Their Best-known Tales
+
+Author: Unknown
+
+Editor: Kate Douglas Wiggin
+        Nora A. Smith
+
+Illustrator: Maxfield Parrish
+
+Release Date: March 27, 2007 [EBook #20916]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Irma Špehar, Graeme Mackreth, and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
+
+
+
+
+THE
+ARABIAN NIGHTS
+
+THEIR BEST-KNOWN TALES
+
+EDITED BY
+
+KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN
+AND
+NORA A. SMITH
+
+ILLUSTRATED BY MAXFIELD PARRISH
+
+NEW YORK
+CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
+MCMIX
+
+Copyright, 1909, by
+CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
+
+Published October, 1909
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+_Little excuse is needed, perhaps, for any fresh selection from the
+famous "Tales of a Thousand and One Nights," provided it be
+representative enough, and worthy enough, to enlist a new army of
+youthful readers. Of the two hundred and sixty-four bewildering,
+unparalleled stories, the true lover can hardly spare one, yet there
+must always be favourites, even among these. We have chosen some of the
+most delightful, in our opinion; some, too, that chanced to appeal
+particularly to the genius of the artist. If, enticed by our choice and
+the beauty of the pictures, we manage to attract a few thousand more
+true lovers to the fountain-book, we shall have served our humble turn.
+The only real danger lies in neglecting it, in rearing a child who does
+not know it and has never fallen under its spell._
+
+_You remember Maimoune, in the story of Prince Camaralzaman, and what she
+said to Danhasch, the genie who had just arrived from the farthest
+limits of China? "Be sure thou tellest me nothing but what is true or I
+shall clip thy wings!" This is what the modern child sometimes says to
+the genies of literature, and his own wings are too often clipped in
+consequence._
+
+   _"The Empire of the Fairies is no more.
+   Reason has banished them from ev'ry shore;
+   Steam has outstripped their dragons and their cars,
+   Gas has eclipsed their glow-worms and their stars."_
+
+_Édouard Laboulaye says in his introduction to Nouveaux Contes Bleus:
+"Mothers who love your children, do not set them too soon to the study
+of history; let them dream while they are young. Do not close the soul
+to the first breath of poetry. Nothing affrights me so much as the
+reasonable, practical child who believes in nothing that he cannot
+touch. These sages of ten years are, at twenty, dullards, or what is
+still worse, egoists."_
+
+_When a child has once read of Prince Agib, of Gulnare or Periezade,
+Sinbad or Codadad, in this or any other volume of its kind, the magic
+will have been instilled into the blood, for the Oriental flavour in the
+Arab tales is like nothing so much as magic. True enough they are a vast
+storehouse of information concerning the manners and the customs, the
+spirit and the life of the Moslem East (and the youthful reader does not
+have to study Lane's learned foot-notes to imbibe all this), but beyond
+and above the knowledge of history and geography thus gained, there
+comes something finer and subtler as well as something more vital. The
+scene is Indian, Egyptian, Arabian, Persian; but Bagdad and Balsora,
+Grand Cairo, the silver Tigris, and the blooming gardens of Damascus,
+though they can be found indeed on the map, live much more truly in that
+enchanted realm that rises o'er "the foam of perilous seas in faery
+lands forlorn." What craft can sail those perilous seas like the book
+that has been called a great three-decker to carry tired people to
+Islands of the Blest? "The immortal fragment," says Sir Richard Burton,
+who perhaps knew the Arabian Nights as did no other European, "will
+never be superseded in the infallible judgment of childhood. The
+marvellous imaginativeness of the Tales produces an insensible
+brightness of mind and an increase of fancy-power, making one dream that
+behind them lies the new and unseen, the strange and unexpected--in
+fact, all the glamour of the unknown."_
+
+_It would be a delightful task to any boy or girl to begin at the
+beginning and read the first English version of these famous stories,
+made from the collection of M. Galland, Professor of Arabic in the Royal
+College of Paris. The fact that they had passed from Arabic into French
+and from French into English did not prevent their instantaneous
+popularity. This was in 1704 or thereabouts, and the world was not so
+busy as it is nowadays, or young men would not have gathered in the
+middle of the night under M. Galland's window and cried: "O vous, qui
+savez de si jolis contes, et qui les racontez si bien, racontez nous en
+un!"_
+
+_You can also read them in Scott's edition or in Lane's (both of which,
+but chiefly the former, we have used as the foundation of our text),
+while your elders--philologists or Orientalists--are studying the
+complete versions of John Payne or Sir Richard Burton. You may leave the
+wiseacres to wonder which were told in China or India, Arabia or Persia,
+and whether the first manuscript dates back to 1450 or earlier._
+
+_We, like many other editors, have shortened the stories here and there,
+omitting some of the tedious repetitions that crept in from time to time
+when Arabian story-tellers were adding to the text to suit their
+purposes._
+
+_Mr. Andrew Lang says amusingly that he has left out of his special
+versions "all the pieces that are suitable only for Arabs and old
+gentlemen," and we have done the same; but we have taken no undue
+liberties. We have removed no genies nor magicians, however terrible;
+have cut out no base deed of Vizier nor noble deed of Sultan; have
+diminished the size of no roc's egg, nor omitted any single allusion to
+the great and only Haroun Al-raschid, Caliph of Bagdad, Commander of the
+Faithful, who must have been a great inspirer of good stories._
+
+_Enter into this "treasure house of pleasant things," then, and make
+yourself at home in the golden palaces, the gem-studded caves, the
+bewildering gardens. Sit by its mysterious fountains, hear the plash of
+its gleaming cascades, unearth its magic lamps and talismans, behold its
+ensorcelled princes and princesses._
+
+_Nowhere in the whole realm of literature will you find such a Marvel,
+such a Wonder, such a Nonesuch of a book; nowhere will you find
+impossibilities so real and so convincing; nowhere but in what Henley
+calls:_
+
+   _"... that blessed brief
+     Of what is gallantest and best
+   In all the full-shelved Libraries of Romance.
+       The Book of rocs,
+     Sandalwood, ivory, turbans, ambergris,
+   Cream-tarts, and lettered apes, and Calenders,
+     And ghouls, and genies--O so huge
+   They might have overed the tall Minster Tower,
+     Hands down, as schoolboys take a post;
+     In truth the Book of Camaralzaman,
+   Schemselnihar and Sinbad, Scheherezade
+     The peerless, Bedreddin, Badroulbadour,
+       Cairo and Serendib and Candahar,
+   And Caspian, and the dim, terrific bulk--
+   Ice-ribbed, fiend-visited, isled in spells and storms--
+     Of Kaf ... That centre of miracles
+     The sole, unparalleled Arabian Nights."_
+
+KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN.
+August, 1909.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+THE TALKING BIRD, THE SINGING TREE, AND THE
+GOLDEN WATER                                                          3
+
+THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE                             52
+
+THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES                     67
+
+THE STORY OF GULNARE OF THE SEA                                      81
+
+THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP                         97
+
+THE STORY OF PRINCE AGIB                                            190
+
+THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS                                      205
+
+THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES                         229
+
+THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS                             264
+
+THE STORY OF SINBAD THE VOYAGER                                     290
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+FROM DRAWINGS IN COLORS
+BY MAXFIELD PARRISH
+
+
+THE TALKING BIRD                                                     32
+
+It will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to
+plant in your garden
+
+THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE                                          54
+
+The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along
+the sea and upon the shore formed a great mist
+
+THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES                                    74
+
+When he came to this part of his narrative the young king
+could not restrain his tears
+
+GULNARE OF THE SEA                                                   86
+
+And she proceeded to burn perfume and repeat spells until the
+sea foamed and was agitated
+
+ALADDIN                                                             106
+
+At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the
+magician, and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a
+brass ring fixed into the middle
+
+PRINCE AGIB                                                         194
+
+And when the boat came to me I found in it a man
+of brass, with a tablet of lead upon his breast,
+engraven with names and talismans
+
+PRINCE AGIB                                                         202
+
+At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering
+it, found a mansion like paradise
+
+THE CITY OF BRASS                                                   218
+
+And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than
+which eyes had not beheld any greater
+
+THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES                         236
+
+Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the
+more he endeavoured to remember the word _Sesame_ the more
+his memory was confounded
+
+THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS                             276
+
+As it drew near we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck
+
+SECOND VOYAGE OF SINBAD                                             300
+
+The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that
+there was no possibility of getting out of the valley
+
+THIRD VOYAGE OF SINBAD                                              306
+
+Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay
+and fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder
+
+
+
+
+THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
+
+   "When the breeze of a joyful dawn blew free
+   In the silken sail of infancy,
+   The tide of time flow'd back with me,
+     The forward-flowing time of time;
+   And many a sheeny summer morn,
+   Adown the Tigris I was borne,
+   By Bagdat's shrines of fretted gold,
+   High-walled gardens green and old;
+     True Mussulman was I and sworn,
+       For it was in the golden prime
+         Of good Haroun Alraschid.
+
+   "Anight my shallop, rustling thro'
+     The low and bloomèd foliage, drove
+     The fragrant, glistening deeps, and clove
+   The citron-shadows in the blue:
+     By garden porches on the brim,
+   The costly doors flung open wide,
+     Gold glittering thro' lamplight dim,
+   And broider'd sofas on each side:
+     In sooth it was a goodly time,
+     For it was in the golden prime
+       Of good Haroun Alraschid."
+
+ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON.
+
+
+
+
+THE TALKING BIRD, THE SINGING TREE, AND THE GOLDEN WATER
+
+
+There was an emperor of Persia named Kosrouschah, who, when he first
+came to his crown, in order to obtain a knowledge of affairs, took great
+pleasure in night excursions, attended by a trusty minister. He often
+walked in disguise through the city, and met with many adventures, one
+of the most remarkable of which happened to him upon his first ramble,
+which was not long after his accession to the throne of his father.
+
+After the ceremonies of his father's funeral rites and his own
+inauguration were over, the new sultan, as well from inclination as from
+duty, went out one evening attended by his grand vizier, disguised like
+himself, to observe what was transacting in the city. As he was passing
+through a street in that part of the town inhabited only by the meaner
+sort, he heard some people talking very loud; and going close to the
+house whence the noise proceeded, and looking through a crack in the
+door, perceived a light, and three sisters sitting on a sofa, conversing
+together after supper. By what the eldest said he presently understood
+the subject of their conversation was wishes: "for," said she, "since we
+are talking about wishes, mine shall be to have the sultan's baker for
+my husband, for then I shall eat my fill of that bread, which by way of
+excellence is called the sultan's; let us see if your tastes are as good
+as mine." "For my part," replied the second sister, "I wish I was wife
+to the sultan's chief cook, for then I should eat of the most excellent
+dishes; and as I am persuaded that the sultan's bread is common in the
+palace, I should not want any of that; therefore you see," addressing
+herself to her eldest sister, "that I have a better taste than you." The
+youngest sister, who was very beautiful, and had more charms and wit
+than the two elder, spoke in her turn: "For my part, sisters," said she,
+"I shall not limit my desires to such trifles, but take a higher flight;
+and since we are upon wishing, I wish to be the emperor's queen-consort.
+I would make him father of a prince, whose hair should be gold on one
+side of his head, and silver on the other; when he cried, the tears from
+his eyes should be pearls; and when he smiled, his vermilion lips should
+look like a rosebud fresh-blown."
+
+The three sisters' wishes, particularly that of the youngest, seemed so
+singular to the sultan, that he resolved to gratify them in their
+desires; but without communicating his design to his grand vizier, he
+charged him only to take notice of the house, and bring the three
+sisters before him the following day.
+
+The grand vizier, in executing the emperor's orders, would but just give
+the sisters time to dress themselves to appear before his majesty,
+without telling them the reason. He brought them to the palace, and
+presented them to the emperor, who said to them, "Do you remember the
+wishes you expressed last night, when you were all in so pleasant a
+mood? Speak the truth; I must know what they were." At these unexpected
+words of the emperor, the three sisters were much confounded. They cast
+down their eyes and blushed, and the colour which rose in the cheeks of
+the youngest quite captivated the emperor's heart. Modesty, and fear
+lest they might have offended by their conversation, kept them silent.
+The emperor, perceiving their confusion, said to encourage them, "Fear
+nothing, I did not send for you to distress you; and since I see that
+without my intending it, this is the effect of the question I asked, as
+I know the wish of each, I will relieve you from your fears. You," added
+he, "who wished to be my wife, shall have your desire this day; and
+you," continued he, addressing himself to the two elder sisters, "shall
+also be married to my chief baker and cook."
+
+As soon as the sultan had declared his pleasure, the youngest sister,
+setting her elders an example, threw herself at the emperor's feet to
+express her gratitude. "Sir," said she, "my wish, since it is come to
+your majesty's knowledge, was expressed only in the way of conversation
+and amusement. I am unworthy of the honour you do me, and supplicate
+your pardon for my presumption." The other two sisters would have
+excused themselves also, but the emperor, interrupting them, said, "No,
+no; it shall be as I have declared; the wishes of all shall be
+fulfilled." The nuptials were all celebrated that day, as the emperor
+had resolved, but in a different manner. The youngest sister's were
+solemnized with all the rejoicings usual at the marriages of the
+emperors of Persia; and those of the other two sisters according to the
+quality and distinction of their husbands; the one as the sultan's chief
+baker, and the other as head cook.
+
+The two elder felt strongly the disproportion of their marriages to that
+of their younger sister. This consideration made them far from being
+content, though they were arrived at the utmost height of their late
+wishes, and much beyond their hopes. They gave themselves up to an
+excess of jealousy, which not only disturbed their joy, but was the
+cause of great trouble and affliction to the queen-consort, their
+younger sister. They had not an opportunity to communicate their
+thoughts to each other on the preference the emperor had given her, but
+were altogether employed in preparing themselves for the celebration of
+their marriages. Some days afterward, when they had an opportunity of
+seeing each other at the public baths, the eldest said to the other:
+"Well, what say you to our sister's great fortune? Is not she a fine
+person to be a queen!" "I must own," said the other sister, "I cannot
+conceive what charms the emperor could discover to be so bewitched by
+her. Was it a reason sufficient for him not to cast his eyes on you,
+because she was somewhat younger? You were as worthy of his throne, and
+in justice he ought to have preferred you."
+
+"Sister," said the elder, "I should not have regretted if his majesty
+had but pitched upon you; but that he should choose that little
+simpleton really grieves me. But I will revenge myself; and you, I
+think, are as much concerned as I; therefore, I propose that we should
+contrive measures and act in concert: communicate to me what you think
+the likeliest way to mortify her, while I, on my side, will inform you
+what my desire of revenge shall suggest to me." After this wicked
+agreement, the two sisters saw each other frequently, and consulted how
+they might disturb and interrupt the happiness of the queen. They
+proposed a great many ways, but in deliberating about the manner of
+executing them, found so many difficulties that they durst not attempt
+them. In the meantime, with a detestable dissimulation, they often went
+together to make her visits, and every time showed her all the marks of
+affection they could devise, to persuade her how overjoyed they were to
+have a sister raised to so high a fortune. The queen, on her part,
+constantly received them with all the demonstrations of esteem they
+could expect from so near a relative. Some time after her marriage, the
+expected birth of an heir gave great joy to the queen and emperor, which
+was communicated to all the court, and spread throughout the empire.
+Upon this news the two sisters came to pay their compliments, and
+proffered their services, desiring her, if not provided with nurses, to
+accept of them.
+
+The queen said to them most obligingly: "Sisters, I should desire
+nothing more, if it were in my power to make the choice. I am, however,
+obliged to you for your goodwill, but must submit to what the emperor
+shall order on this occasion. Let your husbands employ their friends to
+make interest, and get some courtier to ask this favour of his majesty,
+and if he speaks to me about it, be assured that I shall not only
+express the pleasure he does me but thank him for making choice of you."
+
+The two husbands applied themselves to some courtiers, their patrons,
+and begged of them to use their interest to procure their wives the
+honour they aspired to. Those patrons exerted themselves so much in
+their behalf that the emperor promised them to consider of the matter,
+and was as good as his word; for in conversation with the queen he told
+her that he thought her sisters were the most proper persons to be about
+her, but would not name them before he had asked her consent. The queen,
+sensible of the deference the emperor so obligingly paid her, said to
+him, "Sir, I was prepared to do as your majesty might please to command.
+But since you have been so kind as to think of my sisters, I thank you
+for the regard you have shown them for my sake, and therefore I shall
+not dissemble that I had rather have them than strangers." The emperor
+therefore named the queen's two sisters to be her attendants; and from
+that time they went frequently to the palace, overjoyed at the
+opportunity they would have of executing the detestable wickedness they
+had meditated against the queen.
+
+Shortly afterward a young prince, as bright as the day, was born to the
+queen; but neither his innocence nor beauty could move the cruel hearts
+of the merciless sisters. They wrapped him up carelessly in his cloths
+and put him into a basket, which they abandoned to the stream of a small
+canal that ran under the queen's apartment, and declared that she had
+given birth to a puppy. This dreadful intelligence was announced to the
+emperor, who became so angry at the circumstance, that he was likely to
+have occasioned the queen's death, if his grand vizier had not
+represented to him that he could not, without injustice, make her
+answerable for the misfortune.
+
+In the meantime, the basket in which the little prince was exposed was
+carried by the stream beyond a wall which bounded the prospect of the
+queen's apartment, and from thence floated with the current down the
+gardens. By chance the intendant of the emperor's gardens, one of the
+principal officers of the kingdom, was walking in the garden by the side
+of this canal, and, perceiving a basket floating, called to a gardener
+who was not far off, to bring it to shore that he might see what it
+contained. The gardener, with a rake which he had in his hand, drew the
+basket to the side of the canal, took it up, and gave it to him. The
+intendant of the gardens was extremely surprised to see in the basket a
+child, which, though he knew it could be but just born, had very fine
+features. This officer had been married several years, but though he had
+always been desirous of having children, Heaven had never blessed him
+with any. This accident interrupted his walk: he made the gardener
+follow him with the child, and when he came to his own house, which was
+situated at the entrance to the gardens of the palace, went into his
+wife's apartment. "Wife," said he, "as we have no children of our own,
+God has sent us one. I recommend him to you; provide him a nurse, and
+take as much care of him as if he were our own son; for, from this
+moment, I acknowledge him as such." The intendant's wife received the
+child with great joy, and took particular pleasure in the care of him.
+The intendant himself would not inquire too narrowly whence the infant
+came. He saw plainly it came not far off from the queen's apartment, but
+it was not his business to examine too closely into what had passed, nor
+to create disturbances in a place where peace was so necessary.
+
+The following year another prince was born, on whom the unnatural
+sisters had no more compassion than on his brother, but exposed him
+likewise in a basket and set him adrift in the canal, pretending, this
+time, that the sultana had given birth to a cat. It was happy also for
+this child that the intendant of the gardens was walking by the canal
+side, for he had it carried to his wife, and charged her to take as much
+care of it as of the former, which was as agreeable to her inclination
+as it was to his own.
+
+The emperor of Persia was more enraged this time against the queen than
+before, and she had felt the effects of his anger if the grand vizier's
+remonstrances had not prevailed. The third year the queen gave birth to
+a princess, which innocent babe underwent the same fate as her brothers,
+for the two sisters, being determined not to desist from their
+detestable schemes till they had seen the queen cast off and humbled,
+claimed that a log of wood had been born and exposed this infant also on
+the canal. But the princess, as well as her brothers, was preserved from
+death by the compassion and charity of the intendant of the gardens.
+
+Kosrouschah could no longer contain himself, when he was informed of the
+new misfortune. He pronounced sentence of death upon the wretched queen
+and ordered the grand vizier to see it executed.
+
+The grand vizier and the courtiers who were present cast themselves at
+the emperor's feet, to beg of him to revoke the sentence. "Your majesty,
+I hope, will give me leave," said the grand vizier, "to represent to
+you, that the laws which condemn persons to death were made to punish
+crimes; the three extraordinary misfortunes of the queen are not crimes,
+for in what can she be said to have contributed toward them? Your
+majesty may abstain from seeing her, but let her live. The affliction in
+which she will spend the rest of her life, after the loss of your
+favour, will be a punishment sufficiently distressing."
+
+The emperor of Persia considered with himself, and, reflecting that it
+was unjust to condemn the queen to death for what had happened, said:
+"Let her live then; I will spare her life, but it shall be on this
+condition: that she shall desire to die more than once every day. Let a
+wooden shed be built for her at the gate of the principal mosque, with
+iron bars to the windows, and let her be put into it, in the coarsest
+habit; and every Mussulman that shall go into the mosque to prayers
+shall heap scorn upon her. If any one fail, I will have him exposed to
+the same punishment; and that I may be punctually obeyed, I charge you,
+vizier, to appoint persons to see this done." The emperor pronounced his
+sentence in such a tone that the grand vizier durst not further
+remonstrate; and it was executed, to the great satisfaction of the two
+envious sisters. A shed was built, and the queen, truly worthy of
+compassion, was put into it and exposed ignominiously to the contempt of
+the people, which usage she bore with a patient resignation that excited
+the compassion of those who were discriminating and judged of things
+better than the vulgar.
+
+The two princes and the princess were, in the meantime, nursed and
+brought up by the intendant of the gardens and his wife with the
+tenderness of a father and mother; and as they advanced in age, they all
+showed marks of superior dignity, which discovered itself every day by a
+certain air which could only belong to exalted birth. All this increased
+the affections of the intendant and his wife, who called the eldest
+prince Bahman, and the second Perviz, both of them names of the most
+ancient emperors of Persia, and the princess, Periezade, which name also
+had been borne by several queens and princesses of the kingdom.
+
+As soon as the two princes were old enough, the intendant provided
+proper masters to teach them to read and write; and the princess, their
+sister, who was often with them, showing a great desire to learn, the
+intendant, pleased with her quickness, employed the same master to teach
+her also. Her vivacity and piercing wit made her, in a little time, as
+great a proficient as her brothers. From that time the brothers and
+sister had the same masters in geography, poetry, history, and even the
+secret sciences, and made so wonderful a progress that their tutors were
+amazed, and frankly owned that they could teach them nothing more. At
+the hours of recreation, the princess learned to sing and play upon all
+sorts of instruments; and when the princes were learning to ride she
+would not permit them to have that advantage over her, but went through
+all the exercises with them, learning to ride also, to bend the bow, and
+dart the reed or javelin, and oftentimes outdid them in the race and
+other contests of agility.
+
+The intendant of the gardens was so overjoyed to find his adopted
+children so accomplished in all the perfections of body and mind, and
+that they so well requited the expense he had been at in their
+education, that he resolved to be at a still greater; for, as he had
+until then been content simply with his lodge at the entrance of the
+garden, and kept no country-house, he purchased a mansion at a short
+distance from the city, surrounded by a large tract of arable land,
+meadows, and woods. As the house was not sufficiently handsome nor
+convenient, he pulled it down, and spared no expense in building a more
+magnificent residence. He went every day to hasten, by his presence, the
+great number of workmen he employed, and as soon as there was an
+apartment ready to receive him, passed several days together there when
+his presence was not necessary at court; and by the same exertions, the
+interior was furnished in the richest manner, in consonance with the
+magnificence of the edifice. Afterward he made gardens, according to a
+plan drawn by himself. He took in a large extent of ground, which he
+walled around, and stocked with fallow deer, that the princes and
+princess might divert themselves with hunting when they chose.
+
+When this country seat was finished and fit for habitation, the
+intendant of the gardens went and cast himself at the emperor's feet,
+and, after representing how long he had served, and the infirmities of
+age which he found growing upon him, begged that he might be permitted
+to resign his charge into his majesty's disposal and retire. The emperor
+gave him leave, with the more pleasure, because he was satisfied with
+his long services, both in his father's reign and his own, and when he
+granted it, asked what he should do to recompense him. "Sir," replied
+the intendant of the gardens, "I have received so many obligations from
+your majesty and the late emperor, your father, of happy memory, that I
+desire no more than the honour of dying in your favour." He took his
+leave of the emperor and retired with the two princes and the princess
+to the country retreat he had built. His wife had been dead some years,
+and he himself had not lived above six months with his charges before he
+was surprised by so sudden a death that he had not time to give them the
+least account of the manner in which he had discovered them. The Princes
+Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Periezade, who knew no other father
+than the intendant of the emperor's gardens, regretted and bewailed him
+as such, and paid all the honours in his funeral obsequies which love
+and filial gratitude required of them. Satisfied with the plentiful
+fortune he had left them, they lived together in perfect union, free
+from the ambition of distinguishing themselves at court, or aspiring to
+places of honour and dignity, which they might easily have obtained.
+
+One day when the two princes were hunting, and the princess had remained
+at home, a religious old woman came to the gate, and desired leave to go
+in to say her prayers, it being then the hour. The servants asked the
+princess's permission, who ordered them to show her into the oratory,
+which the intendant of the emperor's gardens had taken care to fit up in
+his house, for want of a mosque in the neighbourhood. She bade them,
+also, after the good woman had finished her prayers, to show her the
+house and gardens and then bring her to the hall.
+
+The old woman went into the oratory, said her prayers, and when she came
+out two of the princess's women invited her to see the residence, which
+civility she accepted, followed them from one apartment to another, and
+observed, like a person who understood what belonged to furniture, the
+nice arrangement of everything. They conducted her also into the garden,
+the disposition of which she found so well planned, that she admired it,
+observing that the person who had formed it must have been an excellent
+master of his art. Afterward she was brought before the princess, who
+waited for her in the great hall, which in beauty and richness exceeded
+all that she had admired in the other apartments.
+
+As soon as the princess saw the devout woman, she said to her: "My good
+mother, come near and sit down by me. I am overjoyed at the happiness of
+having the opportunity of profiting for some moments by the example and
+conversation of such a person as you, who have taken the right way by
+dedicating yourself to the service of God. I wish every one were as
+wise."
+
+The devout woman, instead of sitting on a sofa, would only sit upon the
+edge of one. The princess would not permit her to do so, but rising from
+her seat and taking her by the hand, obliged her to come and sit by her.
+The good woman, sensible of the civility, said: "Madam, I ought not to
+have so much respect shown me; but since you command, and are mistress
+of your own house, I will obey you." When she had seated herself, before
+they entered into any conversation, one of the princess's women brought
+a low stand of mother-of-pearl and ebony, with a china dish full of
+cakes upon it, and many others set round it full of fruits in season,
+and wet and dry sweetmeats.
+
+The princess took up one of the cakes, and presenting her with it, said:
+"Eat, good mother, and make choice of what you like best; you had need
+to eat after coming so far." "Madam," replied the good woman, "I am not
+used to eat such delicacies, but will not refuse what God has sent me by
+so liberal a hand as yours."
+
+While the devout woman was eating, the princess ate a little too, to
+bear her company, and asked her many questions upon the exercise of
+devotion which she practised and how she lived; all of which she
+answered with great modesty. Talking of various things, at last the
+princess asked her what she thought of the house, and how she liked it.
+
+"Madam," answered the devout woman, "I must certainly have very bad
+taste to disapprove anything in it, since it is beautiful, regular, and
+magnificently furnished with exactness and judgment, and all its
+ornaments adjusted in the best manner. Its situation is an agreeable
+spot, and no garden can be more delightful; but yet, if you will give me
+leave to speak my mind freely, I will take the liberty to tell you that
+this house would be incomparable if it had three things which are
+wanting to complete it." "My good mother," replied the Princess
+Periezade, "what are those? I entreat you to tell me what they are; I
+will spare nothing to get them."
+
+"Madam," replied the devout woman, "the first of these three things is
+the Talking Bird, so singular a creature, that it draws round it all the
+songsters of the neighbourhood which come to accompany its voice. The
+second is the Singing Tree, the leaves of which are so many mouths which
+form an harmonious concert of different voices and never cease. The
+third is the Golden Water, a single drop of which being poured into a
+vessel properly prepared, it increases so as to fill it immediately, and
+rises up in the middle like a fountain, which continually plays, and yet
+the basin never overflows."
+
+"Ah! my good mother," cried the princess, "how much am I obliged to you
+for the knowledge of these curiosities! I never before heard there were
+such rarities in the world; but as I am persuaded that you know, I
+expect that you should do me the favour to inform me where they are to
+be found."
+
+"Madam," replied the good woman, "I should be unworthy the hospitality
+you have shown me if I should refuse to satisfy your curiosity on that
+point, and am glad to have the honour to tell you that these curiosities
+are all to be met with in the same spot on the confines of this kingdom,
+toward India. The road lies before your house, and whoever you send
+needs but follow it for twenty days, and on the twentieth only let him
+ask the first person he meets where the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree,
+and the Golden Water are, and he will be informed." After saying this,
+she rose from her seat, took her leave, and went her way.
+
+The Princess Periezade's thoughts were so taken up with the Talking
+Bird, Singing Tree, and Golden Water, that she never perceived the
+devout woman's departure, till she wanted to ask her some question for
+her better information; for she thought that what she had been told was
+not a sufficient reason for exposing herself by undertaking a long
+journey. However, she would not send after her visitor, but endeavoured
+to remember all the directions, and when she thought she had recollected
+every word, took real pleasure in thinking of the satisfaction she
+should have if she could get these curiosities into her possession; but
+the difficulties she apprehended and the fear of not succeeding made her
+very uneasy.
+
+She was absorbed in these thoughts when her brothers returned from
+hunting, who, when they entered the great hall, instead of finding her
+lively and gay, as she was wont to be, were amazed to see her so pensive
+and hanging down her head as if something troubled her.
+
+"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "what is become of all your mirth and
+gaiety? Are you not well? or has some misfortune befallen you? Tell us,
+that we may know how to act, and give you some relief. If any one has
+affronted you, we will resent his insolence."
+
+The princess remained in the same posture some time without answering,
+but at last lifted up her eyes to look at her brothers, and then held
+them down again, telling them nothing disturbed her.
+
+"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "you conceal the truth from us; there must
+be something of consequence. It is impossible we could observe so sudden
+a change if nothing was the matter with you. You would not have us
+satisfied with the evasive answer you have given; do not conceal
+anything, unless you would have us suspect that you renounce the strict
+union which has hitherto subsisted between us."
+
+The princess, who had not the smallest intention to offend her brothers,
+would not suffer them to entertain such a thought, but said: "When I
+told you nothing disturbed me, I meant nothing that was of importance to
+you, but to me it is of some consequence; and since you press me to tell
+you by our strict union and friendship, which are so dear to me, I will.
+You think, and I always believed so too, that this house was so complete
+that nothing was wanting. But this day I have learned that it lacks
+three rarities which would render it so perfect that no country seat in
+the world could be compared with it. These three things are the Talking
+Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water." After she had informed
+them wherein consisted the excellency of these rarities, "A devout
+woman," added she, "has made this discovery to me, told me the place
+where they are to be found, and the way thither. Perhaps you may imagine
+these things of little consequence; that without these additions our
+house will always be thought sufficiently elegant, and that we can do
+without them. You may think as you please, but I cannot help telling you
+that I am persuaded they are absolutely necessary, and I shall not be
+easy without them. Therefore, whether you value them or not, I desire
+you to consider what person you may think proper for me to send in
+search of the curiosities I have mentioned."
+
+"Sister," replied Prince Bahman, "nothing can concern you in which we
+have not an equal interest. It is enough that you desire these things to
+oblige us to take the same interest; but if you had not, we feel
+ourselves inclined of our own accord and for our own individual
+satisfaction. I am persuaded my brother is of the same opinion, and
+therefore we ought to undertake this conquest, for the importance and
+singularity of the undertaking deserve that name. I will take the charge
+upon myself; only tell me the place and the way to it, and I will defer
+my journey no longer than till to-morrow."
+
+"Brother," said Prince Perviz, "it is not proper that you, who are the
+head of our family, should be absent. I desire my sister should join
+with me to oblige you to abandon your design, and allow me to undertake
+it. I hope to acquit myself as well as you, and it will be a more
+regular proceeding." "I am persuaded of your goodwill, brother," replied
+Prince Bahman, "and that you would succeed as well as myself in this
+journey; but I have resolved and will undertake it. You shall stay at
+home with our sister, and I need not recommend her to you."
+
+The next morning Bahman mounted his horse, and Perviz and the princess
+embraced and wished him a good journey. But in the midst of their
+adieus, the princess recollected what she had not thought of before.
+"Brother," said she, "I had quite forgotten the accidents which attend
+travellers. Who knows whether I shall ever see you again? Alight, I
+beseech you, and give up this journey. I would rather be deprived of the
+sight and possession of the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water, than run the risk of never seeing you more."
+
+"Sister," replied Bahman, smiling at her sudden fears, "my resolution is
+fixed. The accidents you speak of befall only those who are unfortunate;
+but there are more who are not so. However, as events are uncertain, and
+I may fail in this undertaking, all I can do is to leave you this
+knife."
+
+Bahman pulling a knife from his vestband, and presenting it to the
+princess in the sheath, said: "Take this knife, sister, and give
+yourself the trouble sometimes to pull it out of the sheath; while you
+see it clean as it is now, it will be a sign that I am alive; but if you
+find it stained with blood, then you may believe me dead and indulge me
+with your prayers."
+
+The princess could obtain nothing more of Bahman. He bade adieu to her
+and Prince Perviz for the last time and rode away. When he got into the
+road, he never turned to the right hand nor to the left, but went
+directly forward toward India. The twentieth day he perceived on the
+roadside a hideous old man, who sat under a tree near a thatched house,
+which was his retreat from the weather.
+
+His eyebrows were as white as snow, as was also the hair of his head;
+his whiskers covered his mouth, and his beard and hair reached down to
+his feet. The nails of his hands and feet were grown to an extensive
+length, while a flat, broad umbrella covered his head. He had no
+clothes, but only a mat thrown round his body. This old man was a
+dervish for so many years retired from the world to give himself up
+entirely to the service of God that at last he had become what we have
+described.
+
+Prince Bahman, who had been all that morning very attentive, to see if
+he could meet with anybody who could give him information of the place
+he was in search of, stopped when he came near the dervish, alighted, in
+conformity to the directions which the devout woman had given the
+Princess Periezade, and leading his horse by the bridle, advanced toward
+him and saluting him, said: "God prolong your days, good father, and
+grant you the accomplishment of your desires."
+
+The dervish returned the prince's salutation, but so unintelligibly that
+he could not understand one word he said and Prince Bahman, perceiving
+that this difficulty proceeded from the dervish's whiskers hanging over
+his mouth, and unwilling to go any further without the instructions he
+wanted, pulled out a pair of scissors he had about him, and having tied
+his horse to a branch of the tree, said: "Good dervish, I want to have
+some talk with you, but your whiskers prevent my understanding what you
+say; and if you will consent, I will cut off some part of them and of
+your eyebrows, which disfigure you so much that you look more like a
+bear than a man."
+
+The dervish did not oppose the offer, and when the prince had cut off as
+much hair as he thought fit, he perceived that the dervish had a good
+complexion, and that he was not as old as he seemed. "Good dervish,"
+said he, "if I had a glass I would show you how young you look: you are
+now a man, but before, nobody could tell what you were."
+
+The kind behaviour of Prince Bahman made the dervish smile and return
+his compliment. "Sir," said he, "whoever you are, I am obliged by the
+good office you have performed, and am ready to show my gratitude by
+doing anything in my power for you. You must have alighted here upon
+some account or other. Tell me what it is, and I will endeavour to serve
+you."
+
+"Good dervish," replied Prince Bahman, "I am in search of the Talking
+Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water; I know these three
+rarities are not far from hence, but cannot tell exactly the place where
+they are to be found; if you know, I conjure you to show me the way,
+that I may not lose my labour after so long a journey."
+
+The prince, while he spoke, observed that the dervish changed
+countenance, held down his eyes, looked very serious, and remained
+silent, which obliged him to say to him again: "Good father, tell me
+whether you know what I ask you, that I may not lose my time, but inform
+myself somewhere else."
+
+At last the dervish broke silence. "Sir," said he to Prince Bahman, "I
+know the way you ask of me; but the regard which I conceived for you the
+first moment I saw you, and which is grown stronger by the service you
+have done me, kept me in suspense as to whether I should give you the
+satisfaction you desire." "What motive can hinder you?" replied the
+prince; "and what difficulties do you find in so doing?" "I will tell
+you," replied the dervish; "the danger to which you are going to expose
+yourself is greater than you may suppose. A number of gentlemen of as
+much bravery as you can possibly possess have passed this way, and asked
+me the same question. When I had used all my endeavours to persuade them
+to desist, they would not believe me; at last I yielded to their
+importunities; I was compelled to show them the way, and I can assure
+you they have all perished, for I have not seen one come back.
+Therefore, if you have any regard for your life, take my advice, go no
+farther, but return home."
+
+Prince Bahman persisted in his resolution. "I will not suppose," said he
+to the dervish, "but that your advice is sincere. I am obliged to you
+for the friendship you express for me; but whatever may be the danger,
+nothing shall make me change my intention: whoever attacks me, I am well
+armed, and can say I am as brave as any one." "But they who will attack
+you are not to be seen," replied the dervish; "how will you defend
+yourself against invisible persons?" "It is no matter," answered the
+prince, "all you say shall not persuade me to do anything contrary to my
+duty. Since you know the way, I conjure you once more to inform me."
+
+When the dervish found he could not prevail upon Prince Bahman, and that
+he was obstinately bent to pursue his journey, notwithstanding his
+friendly remonstrance, he put his hand into a bag that lay by him and
+pulled out a bowl, which he presented to him. "Since I cannot prevail on
+you to attend to my advice," said he, "take this bowl and when you are
+on horseback throw it before you, and follow it to the foot of a
+mountain, where it will stop. As soon as the bowl stops, alight, leave
+your horse with the bridle over his neck, and he will stand in the same
+place till you return. As you ascend you will see on your right and
+left a great number of large black stones, and will hear on all sides a
+confusion of voices, which will utter a thousand abuses to discourage
+you, and prevent your reaching the summit of the mountain. Be not
+afraid; but, above all things, do not turn your head to look behind you,
+for in that instant you will be changed into such a black stone as those
+you see, which are all youths who have failed in this enterprise. If you
+escape the danger of which I give you but a faint idea, and get to the
+top of the mountain, you will see a cage, and in that cage is the bird
+you seek; ask him which are the Singing Tree and the Golden Water, and
+he will tell you. I have nothing more to say; this is what you have to
+do, and if you are prudent you will take my advice and not expose your
+life. Consider once more while you have time that the difficulties are
+almost insuperable."
+
+"I am obliged to you for your advice," replied Prince Bahman, after he
+had received the bowl, "but cannot follow it. However, I will endeavour
+to conform myself to that part of it which bids me not to look behind
+me, and I hope to come and thank you when I have obtained what I am
+seeking." After these words, to which the dervish made no other answer
+than that he should be overjoyed to see him again, the prince mounted
+his horse, took leave of the dervish with a respectful salute, and threw
+the bowl before him.
+
+The bowl rolled away with as much swiftness as when Prince Bahman first
+hurled it from his hand, which obliged him to put his horse to the same
+pace to avoid losing sight of it, and when it had reached the foot of
+the mountain it stopped. The prince alighted from his horse, laid the
+bridle on his neck, and having first surveyed the mountain and seen the
+black stones, began to ascend, but had not gone four steps before he
+heard the voices mentioned by the dervish, though he could see nobody.
+Some said: "Where is that fool going? Where is he going? What would he
+have? Do not let him pass." Others: "Stop him, catch him, kill him:" and
+others with a voice like thunder: "Thief! assassin! murderer!" while
+some in a gibing tone cried: "No, no, do not hurt him; let the pretty
+fellow pass, the cage and bird are kept for him."
+
+Notwithstanding all these troublesome voices, Prince Bahman ascended
+with resolution for some time, but the voices redoubled with so loud a
+din, both behind and before, that at last he was seized with dread, his
+legs trembled under him, he staggered, and finding that his strength
+failed him, he forgot the dervish's advice, turned about to run down the
+hill, and was that instant changed into a black stone; a metamorphosis
+which had happened to many before him who had attempted the ascent. His
+horse, likewise, underwent the same change.
+
+From the time of Prince Bahman's departure, the Princess Periezade
+always wore the knife and sheath in her girdle, and pulled it out
+several times in a day, to know whether her brother was alive. She had
+the consolation to understand he was in perfect health and to talk of
+him frequently with Prince Perviz. On the fatal day that Prince Bahman
+was transformed into a stone, as Prince Perviz and the princess were
+talking together in the evening, as usual, the prince desired his sister
+to pull out the knife to know how their brother did. The princess
+readily complied, and seeing the blood run down the point was seized
+with so much horror that she threw it down. "Ah! my dear brother," cried
+she, "I have been the cause of your death, and shall never see you more!
+Why did I tell you of the Talking Bird, Singing Tree, and Golden Water;
+or rather, of what importance was it to me to know whether the devout
+woman thought this house ugly or handsome, or complete or not? I wish
+to Heaven she had never addressed herself to me!"
+
+Prince Perviz was as much afflicted at the death of Prince Bahman as the
+princess, but not to waste time in needless regret, as he knew that she
+still passionately desired possession of the marvellous treasures, he
+interrupted her, saying: "Sister, our regret for our brother is vain;
+our lamentations cannot restore him to life; it is the will of God; we
+must submit and adore the decrees of the Almighty without searching into
+them. Why should you now doubt of the truth of what the holy woman told
+you? Do you think she spoke to you of three things that were not in
+being, and that she invented them to deceive you who had received her
+with so much goodness and civility? Let us rather believe that our
+brother's death is owing to some error on his part, or some accident
+which we cannot conceive. It ought not therefore to prevent us from
+pursuing our object. I offered to go this journey, and am now more
+resolved than ever; his example has no effect upon my resolution;
+to-morrow I will depart."
+
+The princess did all she could to dissuade Prince Perviz, conjuring him
+not to expose her to the danger of losing two brothers; but he was
+obstinate, and all the remonstrances she could urge had no effect upon
+him. Before he went, that she might know what success he had, he left
+her a string of a hundred pearls, telling her that if they would not run
+when she should count them upon the string, but remain fixed, that would
+be a certain sign he had undergone the same fate as his brother; but at
+the same time told her he hoped it would never happen, but that he
+should have the delight of seeing her again.
+
+Prince Perviz, on the twentieth day after his departure, met the same
+dervish in the same place as his brother Bahman had done before him. He
+went directly up to him, and after he had saluted, asked him if he
+could tell him where to find the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water. The dervish urged the same remonstrances as he had done to
+Prince Bahman, telling him that a young gentleman, who very much
+resembled him, was with him a short time before; that, overcome by his
+importunity, he had shown him the way, given him a guide, and told him
+how he should act to succeed, but that he had not seen him since, and
+doubted not but he had shared the same fate as all other adventurers.
+
+"Good dervish," answered Prince Perviz, "I know whom you speak of; he
+was my elder brother, and I am informed of the certainty of his death,
+but know not the cause." "I can tell you," replied the dervish; "he was
+changed into a black stone, as all I speak of have been; and you must
+expect the same transformation, unless you observe more exactly than he
+has done the advice I gave him, in case you persist in your resolution,
+which I once more entreat you to renounce."
+
+"Dervish," said Prince Perviz, "I cannot sufficiently express how much I
+am obliged for the concern you take in my life, who am a stranger to
+you, and have done nothing to deserve your kindness; but I thoroughly
+considered this enterprise before I undertook it; therefore I beg of you
+to do me the same favour you have done my brother. Perhaps I may have
+better success in following your directions." "Since I cannot prevail
+with you," said the dervish, "to give up your obstinate resolution, if
+my age did not prevent me, and I could stand, I would get up to reach
+you a bowl I have here, which will show you the way."
+
+Without giving the dervish time to say more, the prince alighted from
+his horse and went to the dervish, who had taken a bowl out of his bag,
+in which he had a great many, and gave it him, with the same directions
+he had given Prince Bahman; and after warning him not to be discouraged
+by the voices he should hear, however threatening they might be, but to
+continue his way up the hill till he saw the cage and bird, he let him
+depart.
+
+Prince Perviz thanked the dervish, and when he had remounted and taken
+leave, threw the bowl before his horse, and spurring him at the same
+time, followed it. When the bowl came to the bottom of the hill it
+stopped, the prince alighted, and stood some time to recollect the
+dervish's directions. He encouraged himself, and began to walk up with a
+resolution to reach the summit; but before he had gone above six steps,
+he heard a voice, which seemed to be near, as of a man behind him, say
+in an insulting tone: "Stay, rash youth, that I may punish you for your
+presumption."
+
+Upon this affront the prince, forgetting the dervish's advice, clapped
+his hand upon his sword, drew it, and turned about to revenge himself;
+but had scarcely time to see that nobody followed him before he and his
+horse were changed into black stones.
+
+In the meantime the Princess Periezade, several times a day after her
+brother's departure, counted her chaplet. She did not omit it at night,
+but when she went to bed put it about her neck, and in the morning when
+she awoke counted over the pearls again to see if they would slide.
+
+The day that Prince Perviz was transformed into a stone she was counting
+over the pearls as she used to do, when all at once they became
+immovably fixed, a certain token that the prince, her brother, was dead.
+As she had determined what to do in case it should so happen, she lost
+no time in outward demonstrations of grief, which she concealed as much
+as possible, but having disguised herself in man's apparel, she mounted
+her horse the next morning, armed and equipped, having told her servants
+she should return in two or three days, and took the same road that her
+brothers had done.
+
+The princess, who had been used to ride on horseback in hunting,
+supported the fatigue of so long a journey better than most ladies could
+have done; and as she made the same stages as her brothers, she also met
+with the dervish on the twentieth day. When she came near him, she
+alighted from her horse, leading him by the bridle, went and sat down by
+the dervish, and after she had saluted him, said: "Good dervish, give me
+leave to rest myself; and do me the favour to tell me if you have not
+heard that there are somewhere in this neighbourhood a Talking Bird, a
+Singing Tree, and Golden Water."
+
+"Princess," answered the dervish, "for so I must call you, since by your
+voice I know you to be a woman disguised in man's apparel, I know the
+place well where these things are to be found; but what makes you ask me
+this question?"
+
+"Good dervish," replied the princess, "I have had such a flattering
+relation of them given me, that I have a great desire to possess them."
+"Madam," replied the dervish, "you have been told the truth. These
+curiosities are more singular than they have been represented, but you
+have not been made acquainted with the difficulties which must be
+surmounted in order to obtain them. If you had been fully informed of
+these, you would not have undertaken so dangerous an enterprise. Take my
+advice, return, and do not urge me to contribute toward your ruin."
+
+"Good father," said the princess, "I have travelled a great way, and
+should be sorry to return without executing my design. You talk of
+difficulties and danger of life, but you do not tell me what those
+difficulties are, and wherein the danger consists. This is what I desire
+to know, that I may consider and judge whether I can trust my courage
+and strength to brave them."
+
+The dervish repeated to the princess what he had said to the Princes
+Bahman and Perviz, exaggerating the difficulties of climbing up to the
+top of the mountain, where she was to make herself mistress of the Bird,
+which would inform her of the Singing Tree and Golden Water. He
+magnified the din of the terrible threatening voices which she would
+hear on all sides of her, and the great number of black stones alone
+sufficient to strike terror. He entreated her to reflect that those
+stones were so many brave gentlemen, so metamorphosed for having omitted
+to observe the principal condition of success in the perilous
+undertaking, which was not to look behind them before they had got
+possession of the cage.
+
+When the dervish had done, the princess replied: "By what I comprehend
+from your discourse, the difficulties of succeeding in this affair are,
+first, the getting up to the cage without being frightened at the
+terrible din of voices I shall hear; and, secondly, not to look behind
+me. For this last, I hope I shall be mistress enough of myself to
+observe it; as to the first, I own that voices, such as you represent
+them to be, are capable of striking terror into the most undaunted; but
+as in all enterprises and dangers every one may use stratagem, I desire
+to know of you if I may use any in one of so great importance." "And
+what stratagem is it you would employ?" said the dervish. "To stop my
+ears with cotton," answered the princess, "that the voices, however
+terrible, may make the less impression upon my imagination, and my mind
+remain free from that disturbance which might cause me to lose the use
+of my reason."
+
+"Princess," replied the dervish, "of all the persons who have addressed
+themselves to me for information, I do not know that ever one made use
+of the contrivance you propose. All I know is that they all perished. If
+you persist in your design, you may make the experiment. You will be
+fortunate if it succeeds, but I would advise you not to expose yourself
+to the danger."
+
+"My good father," replied the princess, "I am sure my precaution will
+succeed, and am resolved to try the experiment. Nothing remains for me
+but to know which way I must go, and I conjure you not to deny me that
+information." The dervish exhorted her again to consider well what she
+was going to do; but finding her resolute, he took out a bowl, and
+presenting it to her, said: "Take this bowl, mount your horse again, and
+when you have thrown it before you, follow it through all its windings,
+till it stops at the bottom of the mountain; there alight and ascend the
+hill. Go, you know the rest."
+
+After the princess had thanked the dervish, and taken her leave of him,
+she mounted her horse, threw the bowl before her, and followed it till
+it stopped at the foot of the mountain.
+
+She then alighted, stopped her ears with cotton, and after she had well
+examined the path leading to the summit began with a moderate pace and
+walked up with intrepidity. She heard the voices and perceived the great
+service the cotton was to her. The higher she went, the louder and more
+numerous the voices seemed, but they were not capable of making any
+impression upon her. She heard a great many affronting speeches and
+raillery very disagreeable to a woman, which she only laughed at. "I
+mind not," said she to herself, "all that can be said, were it worse; I
+only laugh at them and shall pursue my way." At last, she climbed so
+high that she could perceive the cage and the Bird which endeavoured, in
+company with the voices, to frighten her, crying in a thundering tone,
+notwithstanding the smallness of its size: "Retire, fool, and approach
+no nearer."
+
+The princess, encouraged by this sight, redoubled her speed, and by
+effort gained the summit of the mountain, where the ground was level;
+then running directly to the cage and clapping her hand upon it, cried:
+"Bird, I have you, and you shall not escape me."
+
+While Periezade was pulling the cotton out of her ears the Bird said to
+her: "Heroic princess, be not angry with me for joining with those who
+exerted themselves to preserve my liberty. Though in a cage, I was
+content with my condition; but since I am destined to be a slave, I
+would rather be yours than any other person's, since you have obtained
+me so courageously. From this instant, I swear entire submission to all
+your commands. I know who you are. You do not; but the time will come
+when I shall do you essential service, for which I hope you will think
+yourself obliged to me. As a proof of my sincerity, tell me what you
+desire and I am ready to obey you."
+
+The princess's joy was the more inexpressible, because the conquest she
+had made had cost her the lives of two beloved brothers, and given her
+more trouble and danger than she could have imagined. "Bird," said she,
+"it was my intention to have told you that I wish for many things which
+are of importance, but I am overjoyed that you have shown your goodwill
+and prevented me. I have been told that there is not far off a Golden
+Water, the property of which is very wonderful; before all things, I ask
+you to tell me where it is." The Bird showed her the place, which was
+just by, and she went and filled a little silver flagon which she had
+brought with her. She returned at once and said: "Bird, this is not
+enough; I want also the Singing Tree; tell me where it is." "Turn
+about," said the Bird, "and you will see behind you a wood where you
+will find the tree." The princess went into the wood, and by the
+harmonious concert she heard, soon knew the tree among many others, but
+it was very large and high. She came back again and said: "Bird, I have
+found the Singing Tree, but I can neither pull it up by the roots nor
+carry it." The Bird replied: "It is not necessary that you should take
+it up; it will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to plant
+in your garden; it will take root as soon as it is put into the earth,
+and in a little time will grow to as fine a tree as that you have seen."
+
+When the princess had obtained possession of the three things for which
+she had conceived so great a desire, she said again: "Bird, what you
+have yet done for me is not sufficient. You have been the cause of the
+death of my two brothers, who must be among the black stones I saw as I
+ascended the mountain. I wish to take the princes home with me."
+
+The Bird seemed reluctant to satisfy the princess in this point, and
+indeed made some difficulty to comply. "Bird," said the princess,
+"remember you told me that you were my slave. You are so; and your life
+is in my disposal." "That I cannot deny," answered the bird; "but
+although what you now ask is more difficult than all the rest, yet I
+will do it for you. Cast your eyes around," added he, "and look if you
+can see a little pitcher." "I see it already," said the princess. "Take
+it then," said he, "and as you descend the mountain, sprinkle a little
+of the water that is in it upon every black stone."
+
+The princess took up the pitcher accordingly, carried with her the cage
+and Bird, the flagon of Golden Water, and the branch of the Singing
+Tree, and as she descended the mountain, threw a little of the water on
+every black stone, which was changed immediately into a man; and as she
+did not miss one stone, all the horses, both of her brothers and of the
+other gentlemen, resumed their natural forms also. She instantly
+recognised Bahman and Perviz, as they did her, and ran to embrace her.
+She returned their embraces and expressed her amazement. "What do you
+here, my dear brothers?" said she, and they told her they had been
+asleep. "Yes," replied she, "and if it had not been for me, perhaps you
+might have slept till the day of judgment. Do not you remember that you
+came to fetch the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water,
+and did not you see, as you came along, the place covered with black
+stones? Look and see if there be any now. The gentlemen and their horses
+who surround us, and you yourselves, were these black stones. If you
+desire to know how this wonder was performed," continued she, showing
+the pitcher, which she set down at the foot of the mountain, "it was
+done by virtue of the water which was in this pitcher, with which I
+sprinkled every stone. After I had made the Talking Bird (which you see
+in this cage) my slave, by his directions I found out the Singing Tree,
+a branch of which I have now in my hand; and the Golden Water, with
+which this flagon is filled; but being still unwilling to return without
+taking you with me, I constrained the Bird, by the power I had over him,
+to afford me the means. He told me where to find this pitcher, and the
+use I was to make of it."
+
+The Princes Bahman and Perviz learned by this relation the obligation
+they had to their sister, as did all the other gentlemen, who expressed
+to her that, far from envying her happiness in the conquest she had
+made, and which they all had aspired to, they thought they could not
+better express their gratitude for restoring them to life again, than by
+declaring themselves her slaves, and that they were ready to obey her in
+whatever she should command.
+
+"Gentlemen," replied the princess, "if you had given any attention to my
+words, you might have observed that I had no other intention in what I
+have done than to recover my brothers; therefore, if you have received
+any benefit, you owe me no obligation, and I have no further share
+in your compliment than your politeness toward me, for which I return
+you my thanks. In other respects, I regard each of you as quite as free
+as you were before your misfortunes, and I rejoice with you at the
+happiness which has accrued to you by my means. Let us, however, stay no
+longer in a place where we have nothing to detain us, but mount our
+horses and return to our respective homes."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_It will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to plant in
+your garden._
+
+The princess took her horse, which stood in the place where she had left
+him. Before she mounted, Prince Bahman desired her to give him the cage
+to carry. "Brother," replied the princess, "the Bird is my slave and I
+will carry him myself; if you will take the pains to carry the branch of
+the Singing Tree, there it is; only hold the cage while I get on
+horseback." When she had mounted her horse, and Prince Bahman had given
+her the cage, she turned about and said to Prince Perviz: "I leave the
+flagon of Golden Water to your care, if it will not be too much trouble
+for you to carry it," and Prince Perviz accordingly took charge of it
+with pleasure.
+
+When Bahman, Perviz, and all the gentlemen had mounted their horses, the
+princess waited for some of them to lead the way. The two princes paid
+that compliment to the gentlemen, and they again to the princess, who,
+finding that none of them would accept the honour, but that it was
+reserved for her, addressed herself to them and said: "Gentlemen, I
+expect that some of you should lead the way;" to which one who was
+nearest to her, in the name of the rest, replied: "Madam, were we
+ignorant of the respect due to your sex, yet after what you have done
+for us there is no deference we would not willingly pay you,
+notwithstanding your modesty; we entreat you no longer to deprive us of
+the happiness of following you."
+
+"Gentlemen," said the princess, "I do not deserve the honour you do me,
+and accept it only because you desire it." At the same time she led the
+way, and the two princes and the gentlemen followed.
+
+This illustrious company called upon the dervish as they passed, to
+thank him for his reception and wholesome advice, which they had all
+found to be sincere. He was dead, however; whether of old age, or
+because he was no longer necessary to show the way to obtaining the
+three rarities, did not appear. They pursued their route, but lessened
+in their numbers every day. The gentlemen who, as we said before, had
+come from different countries, after severally repeating their
+obligations to the princess and her brothers, took leave of them one
+after another as they approached the road by which they had come.
+
+As soon as the princess reached home, she placed the cage in the garden,
+and the Bird no sooner began to warble than he was surrounded by
+nightingales, chaffinches, larks, linnets, goldfinches, and every
+species of birds of the country. The branch of the Singing Tree was no
+sooner set in the midst of the parterre, a little distance from the
+house, than it took root and in a short time became a large tree, the
+leaves of which gave as harmonious a concert as those of the parent from
+which it was gathered. A large basin of beautiful marble was placed in
+the garden, and when it was finished, the princess poured into it all
+the Golden Water from the flagon, which instantly increased and swelled
+so much that it soon reached up to the edges of the basin, and afterward
+formed in the middle a fountain twenty feet high, which fell again into
+the basin perpetually, without running over.
+
+The report of these wonders was presently spread abroad, and as the
+gates of the house and those of the gardens were shut to nobody, a great
+number of people came to admire them.
+
+Some days after, when the Princes Bahman and Perviz had recovered from
+the fatigue of their journey, they resumed their former way of living;
+and as their usual diversion was hunting, they mounted their horses and
+went for the first time since their return, not to their own demesne,
+but two or three leagues from their house. As they pursued their sport,
+the emperor of Persia came in pursuit of game upon the same ground. When
+they perceived, by the number of horsemen in different places, that he
+would soon be up, they resolved to discontinue their chase, and retire
+to avoid encountering him; but in the very road they took they chanced
+to meet him in so narrow a way that they could not retreat without being
+seen. In their surprise they had only time to alight and prostrate
+themselves before the emperor, without lifting up their heads to look at
+him. The emperor, who saw they were as well mounted and dressed as if
+they had belonged to his court, had a curiosity to see their faces. He
+stopped and commanded them to rise. The princes rose up and stood before
+him with an easy and graceful air, accompanied with modest countenances.
+The emperor took some time to view them before he spoke, and after he
+had admired their good air and mien, asked them who they were and where
+they lived.
+
+"Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we are the sons of the late intendant of
+your majesty's gardens, and live in a house which he built a little
+before he died, till we should be fit to serve your majesty and ask of
+you some employ when opportunity offered."
+
+"By what I perceive," replied the emperor, "you love hunting." "Sir,"
+replied Prince Bahman, "it is our common exercise, and what none of your
+majesty's subjects who intend to bear arms in your armies, ought,
+according to the ancient custom of the kingdom, to neglect." The
+emperor, charmed with so prudent an answer, said: "Since it is so, I
+should be glad to see your expertness in the chase; choose your own
+game."
+
+The princes mounted their horses again and followed the emperor, but had
+not gone far before they saw many wild beasts together. Prince Bahman
+chose a lion and Prince Perviz a bear, and pursued them with so much
+intrepidity that the emperor was surprised. They came up with their game
+nearly at the same time, and darted their javelins with so much skill
+and address that they pierced the one the lion and the other the bear so
+effectually that the emperor saw them fall one after the other.
+Immediately afterward Prince Bahman pursued another bear, and Prince
+Perviz another lion, and killed them in a short time, and would have
+beaten out for fresh game, but the emperor would not let them, and sent
+to them to come to him. When they approached he said: "If I had given
+you leave, you would soon have destroyed all my game; but it is not that
+which I would preserve, but your persons; for I am so well assured your
+bravery may one time or other be serviceable to me, that from this
+moment your lives will be always dear to me."
+
+The emperor, in short, conceived so great a kindness for the two
+princes, that he invited them immediately to make him a visit, to which
+Prince Bahman replied: "Your majesty does us an honour we do not
+deserve, and we beg you will excuse us."
+
+The emperor, who could not comprehend what reason the princes could have
+to refuse this token of his favour, pressed them to tell him why they
+excused themselves. "Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we have a sister younger
+than ourselves, with whom we live in such perfect union, that we
+undertake nothing before we consult her, nor she anything without asking
+our advice." "I commend your brotherly affection," answered the emperor.
+"Consult your sister, meet me to-morrow, and give me an answer."
+
+The princes went home, but neglected to speak of their adventure in
+meeting the emperor and hunting with him, and also of the honour he had
+done them, yet did not the next morning fail to meet him at the place
+appointed. "Well," said the emperor, "have you spoken to your sister,
+and has she consented to the pleasure I expect of seeing you?" The two
+princes looked at each other and blushed. "Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we
+beg your majesty to excuse us, for both my brother and I forgot." "Then
+remember to-day," replied the emperor, "and be sure to bring me an
+answer to-morrow."
+
+The princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the emperor
+was so good-natured as to forgive their negligence; but to prevent their
+forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little golden balls out of
+a purse, and put them into Prince Bahman's bosom. "These balls," said
+he, smiling, "will prevent your forgetting a third time what I wish you
+to do for my sake; since the noise they will make by falling on the
+floor when you undress will remind you, if you do not recollect it
+before." The event happened just as the emperor foresaw; and without
+these balls the princes had not thought of speaking to their sister of
+this affair, for as Prince Bahman unloosed his girdle to go to bed the
+balls dropped on the floor, upon which he ran into Prince Perviz's
+chamber, when both went into the Princess Periezade's apartment, and
+after they had asked her pardon for coming at so unseasonable a time,
+they told her all the circumstances of their meeting the emperor.
+
+The princess was somewhat surprised at this intelligence. "Your meeting
+with the emperor," said she, "is happy and honourable and may in the end
+be highly advantageous to you, but it places me in an awkward position.
+It was on my account, I know, you refused the emperor, and I am
+infinitely obliged to you for doing so. I know by this that you would
+rather be guilty of incivility toward the emperor than violate the union
+we have sworn to each other. You judge right, for if you had once gone
+you would insensibly have been engaged to devote yourselves to him. But
+do you think it an easy matter absolutely to refuse the emperor what he
+seems so earnestly to desire? Monarchs will be obeyed in their desires,
+and it may be dangerous to oppose them; therefore, if to follow my
+inclination I should dissuade you from obeying him, it may expose you to
+his resentment, and may render myself and you miserable. These are my
+sentiments; but before we conclude upon anything let us consult the
+Talking Bird and hear what he says; he is penetrating, and has promised
+his assistance in all difficulties."
+
+The princess sent for the cage, and after she had related the
+circumstances to the Bird in the presence of her brothers, asked him
+what they should do in this perplexity. The Bird answered: "The princes,
+your brothers, must conform to the emperor's pleasure, and in their turn
+invite him to come and see your house."
+
+"But, Bird," replied the princess, "my brothers and I love one another,
+and our friendship is yet undisturbed. Will not this step be injurious
+to that friendship?" "Not at all," replied the Bird; "it will tend
+rather to cement it." "Then," answered the princess, "the emperor will
+see me." The Bird told her it was necessary he should, and that
+everything would go better afterward.
+
+Next morning the princes met the emperor hunting, who asked them if they
+had remembered to speak to their sister. Prince Bahman approached and
+answered: "Sir, we are ready to obey you, for we have not only obtained
+our sister's consent with great ease, but she took it amiss that we
+should pay her that deference in a matter wherein our duty to your
+majesty was concerned. If we have offended, we hope you will pardon
+us." "Do not be uneasy," replied the emperor. "I highly approve of your
+conduct, and hope you will have the same deference and attachment to my
+person, if I have ever so little share in your friendship." The princes,
+confounded at the emperor's goodness, returned no other answer but a low
+obeisance.
+
+The emperor, contrary to his usual custom, did not hunt long that day.
+Presuming that the princes possessed wit equal to their courage and
+bravery, he longed with impatience to converse with them more at
+liberty. He made them ride on each side of him, an honour which was
+envied by the grand vizier, who was much mortified to see them preferred
+before him.
+
+When the emperor entered his capital, the eyes of the people, who stood
+in crowds in the streets, were fixed upon the two Princes Bahman and
+Perviz; and they were earnest to know who they might be.
+
+All, however, agreed in wishing that the emperor had been blessed with
+two such handsome princes, and said that his children would have been
+about the same age, if the queen had not been so unfortunate as to lose
+them.
+
+The first thing the emperor did when he arrived at his palace was to
+conduct the princes into the principal apartments, who praised without
+affectation the beauty and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness of
+the furniture and ornaments. Afterward a magnificent repast was served
+up, and the emperor made them sit with him, which they at first refused;
+but finding it was his pleasure, they obeyed.
+
+The emperor, who had himself much learning, particularly in history,
+foresaw that the princes, out of modesty and respect, would not take the
+liberty of beginning any conversation. Therefore, to give them an
+opportunity, he furnished them with subjects all dinner-time. But
+whatever subject he introduced, they shewed so much wit, judgment, and
+discernment, that he was struck with admiration. "Were these my own
+children," said he to himself, "and I had improved their talents by
+suitable education, they could not have been more accomplished or better
+informed." In short, he took such great pleasure in their conversation,
+that, after having sat longer than usual, he led them into his closet,
+where he pursued his conversation with them, and at last said: "I never
+supposed that there were among my subjects in the country youths so well
+brought up, so lively, so capable; and I never was better pleased with
+any conversation than yours; but it is time now we should relax our
+minds with some diversion; and as nothing is more capable of enlivening
+the mind than music, you shall hear a vocal and instrumental concert
+which may not be disagreeable to you."
+
+The emperor had no sooner spoken than the musicians, who had orders to
+attend, entered, and answered fully the expectations the princes had
+been led to entertain of their abilities. After the concerts, an
+excellent farce was acted, and the entertainment was concluded by
+dancers of both sexes.
+
+The two princes, seeing night approach, prostrated themselves at the
+emperor's feet; and having first thanked him for the favours and honours
+he had heaped upon them, asked his permission to retire; which was
+granted by the emperor, who, in dismissing them, said: "I give you leave
+to go; but remember, you will be always welcome, and the oftener you
+come the greater pleasure you will do me."
+
+Before they went out of the emperor's presence, Prince Bahman said:
+"Sir, may we presume to request that your majesty will do us and our
+sister the honour to pass by our house, and refresh yourself after your
+fatigue, the first time you take the diversion of hunting in that
+neighbourhood? It is not worthy of your presence; but monarchs sometimes
+have vouchsafed to take shelter in a cottage." "My children," replied
+the emperor, "your house cannot be otherwise than beautiful and worthy
+of its owners. I will call and see it with pleasure, which will be the
+greater for having for my hosts you and your sister, who is already dear
+to me from the account you give me of the rare qualities with which she
+is endowed: and this satisfaction I will defer no longer than to-morrow.
+Early in the morning I will be at the place where I shall never forget
+that I first saw you. Meet me, and you shall be my guides."
+
+When the Princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home, they gave the
+princess an account of the distinguished reception the emperor had given
+them, and told her that they had invited him to do them the honour, as
+he passed by, to call at their house, and that he had appointed the next
+day.
+
+"If it be so," replied the princess, "we must think of preparing a
+repast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it would be
+proper we should consult the Talking Bird, who will tell us, perhaps,
+what meats the emperor likes best." The princes approved of her plan,
+and after they had retired she consulted the Bird alone. "Bird," said
+she, "the emperor will do us the honour to-morrow to come and see our
+house, and we are to entertain him; tell us what we shall do to acquit
+ourselves to his satisfaction."
+
+"Good mistress," replied the Bird, "you have excellent cooks, let them
+do the best they can; but above all things, let them prepare a dish of
+cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set before the emperor
+in the first course before all the other dishes."
+
+"Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!" cried Princess Periezade with
+amazement; "surely, Bird, you do not know what you say; it is an unheard
+of dish. The emperor may admire it as a piece of magnificence, but he
+will sit down to eat, and not to admire pearls; besides, all the pearls
+I possess are not enough for such a dish."
+
+"Mistress," said the Bird, "do what I say, and be not uneasy about what
+may happen. Nothing but good will follow. As for the pearls, go early
+to-morrow morning to the foot of the first tree on your right hand in
+the park, dig under it, and you will find more than you want."
+
+That night the princess ordered a gardener to be ready to attend her,
+and the next morning early, led him to the tree which the Bird had told
+her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the gardener came to a
+certain depth, he found some resistance to the spade, and presently
+discovered a gold box about a foot square, which he showed the princess.
+"This," said she, "is what I brought you for; take care not to injure it
+with the spade."
+
+When the gardener took up the box, he gave it into the princess's hands,
+who, as it was only fastened with neat little hasps, soon opened it, and
+found it full of pearls of a moderate size, but equal and fit for the
+use that was to be made of them. Very well satisfied with having found
+this treasure, after she had shut the box again, she put it under her
+arm and went back to the house, while the gardener threw the earth into
+the hole at the foot of the tree as it had been before.
+
+The Princes Bahman and Perviz, who, as they were dressing themselves in
+their own apartments, saw their sister in the garden earlier than usual,
+as soon as they could get out went to her, and met her as she was
+returning with a gold box under her arm, which much surprised them.
+"Sister," said Bahman, "you carried nothing with you when we saw you
+before with the gardener, and now we see you have a golden box; is this
+some treasure found by the gardener, and did he come and tell you of
+it?"
+
+"No, brother," answered the princess, "I took the gardener to the place
+where this casket was concealed, and showed him where to dig; but you
+will be more amazed when you see what it contains."
+
+The princess opened the box, and when the princes saw that it was full
+of pearls, which, though small, were of great value, they asked her how
+she came to the knowledge of this treasure. "Brothers," said she, "come
+with me and I will tell you." The princess, as they returned to the
+house, gave them an account of her having consulted the Bird, as they
+had agreed she should, and the answer he had given her; the objection
+she had raised to preparing a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of pearls,
+and how he had told her where to find this box. The sister and brothers
+formed many conjectures to penetrate into what the Bird could mean by
+ordering them to prepare such a dish; but after much conversation, they
+agreed to follow his advice exactly.
+
+As soon as the princess entered the house, she called for the head cook;
+and after she had given him directions about the entertainment for the
+emperor, said to him: "Besides all this, you must dress an extraordinary
+dish for the emperor's own eating, which nobody else must have anything
+to do with besides yourself. This dish must be of cucumbers stuffed with
+these pearls;" and at the same time she opened him the box, and showed
+him the jewels.
+
+The chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back, and
+showed his thoughts by his looks; which the princess penetrating, said:
+"I see you take me to be mad to order such a dish, which one may say
+with certainty was never made. I know this as well as you; but I am not
+mad, and give you these orders with the most perfect recollection. You
+must invent and do the best you can, and bring me back what pearls are
+left." The cook could make no reply, but took the box and retired; and
+afterward the princess gave directions to all the domestics to have
+everything in order, both in the house and gardens, to receive the
+emperor.
+
+Next day the two princes went to the place appointed, and as soon as the
+emperor of Persia arrived the chase began and lasted till the heat of
+the sun obliged him to leave off. While Prince Bahman stayed to conduct
+the emperor to their house, Prince Perviz rode before to show the way,
+and when he came in sight of the house, spurred his horse, to inform the
+princess that the emperor was approaching; but she had been told by some
+servants whom she had placed to give notice, and the prince found her
+waiting ready to receive him.
+
+When the emperor had entered the court-yard and alighted at the portico,
+the princess came and threw herself at his feet, and the two princes
+informed him she was their sister, and besought him to accept her
+respects.
+
+The emperor stooped to raise her, and after he had gazed some time on
+her beauty, struck with her fine person and dignified air, he said: "The
+brothers are worthy of the sister, and she worthy of them; since, if I
+may judge of her understanding by her person, I am not amazed that the
+brothers would do nothing without their sister's consent; but," added
+he, "I hope to be better acquainted with you, my daughter, after I have
+seen the house."
+
+"Sir," said the princess, "it is only a plain country residence, fit for
+such people as we are, who live retired from the great world. It is not
+to be compared with the magnificent palaces of emperors." "I cannot
+perfectly agree with you in opinion," said the emperor very obligingly,
+"for its first appearance makes me suspect you; however, I will not pass
+my judgment upon it till I have seen it all; therefore be pleased to
+conduct me through the apartments."
+
+The princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the hall; and,
+after he had considered them very attentively, and admired their
+variety, "My daughter," said he to the princess, "do you call this a
+country house? The finest and largest cities would soon be deserted if
+all country houses were like yours. I am no longer surprised that you
+despise the town. Now let me see the garden, which I doubt not is
+answerable to the house."
+
+The princess opened a door which led into the garden, and the first
+object which presented itself to the emperor's view was the golden
+fountain. Surprised at so rare an object, he asked from whence that
+wonderful water, which gave so much pleasure to behold, had been
+procured; where was its source, and by what art it was made to play so
+high. He said he would presently take a nearer view of it.
+
+The princess then led him to the spot where the harmonious tree was
+planted; and there the emperor heard a concert, different from all he
+had ever heard before; and stopping to see where the musicians were, he
+could discern nobody far or near, but still distinctly heard the music
+which ravished his senses. "My daughter," said he to the princess,
+"where are the musicians whom I hear? Are they under ground, or
+invisible in the air? Such excellent performers will hazard nothing by
+being seen; on the contrary, they would please the more."
+
+"Sir," answered the princess, smiling, "they are not musicians, but the
+leaves of the tree your majesty sees before you, which form this
+concert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to go a little
+nearer, you will be convinced, and the voices will be the more
+distinct."
+
+The emperor went nearer and was so charmed with the sweet harmony that
+he would never have been tired with hearing it, but that his desire to
+have a nearer view of the fountain of golden water forced him away.
+"Daughter," said he, "tell me, I pray you, whether this wonderful tree
+was found in your garden by chance, or was a present made to you, or
+have you procured it from some foreign country? It must certainly have
+come from a great distance, otherwise curious as I am after natural
+rarities I should have heard of it. What name do you call it by?"
+
+"Sir," replied the princess, "this tree has no other name than that of
+the Singing Tree, and is not a native of this country. It would at
+present take up too much time to tell your majesty by what adventures it
+came here; its history is connected with the Golden Water and the
+Talking Bird, which came to me at the same time, and which your majesty
+may presently see. But if it be agreeable to your majesty, after you
+have rested yourself and recovered the fatigue of hunting, which must be
+the greater because of the sun's intense heat, I will do myself the
+honour of relating it to you."
+
+"My daughter," replied the emperor, "my fatigue is so well recompensed
+by the wonderful things you have shown me, that I do not feel it in the
+least. Let me see the Golden Water, for I am impatient to see and admire
+afterward the Talking Bird."
+
+When the emperor came to the Golden Water, his eyes were fixed so
+steadfastly upon the fountain, that he could not take them off. At last,
+addressing himself to the princess, he said: "As you tell me, daughter,
+that this water has no spring or communication, I conclude that it is
+foreign, as well as the Singing Tree."
+
+"Sir," replied the princess, "it is as your majesty conjectures; and to
+let you know that this water has no communication with any spring, I
+must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so that the water
+cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But what your majesty will
+think most wonderful is that all this water proceeded but from one small
+flagon, emptied into this basin, which increased to the quantity you
+see, by a property peculiar to itself, and formed this fountain."
+"Well," said the emperor, going from the fountain, "this is enough for
+one time. I promise myself the pleasure to come and visit it often; but
+now let us go and see the Talking Bird."
+
+As he went toward the hall, the emperor perceived a prodigious number of
+singing birds in the trees around, filling the air with their songs and
+warblings, and asked why there were so many there and none on the other
+trees in the garden. "The reason, sir," answered the princess, "is
+because they come from all parts to accompany the song of the Talking
+Bird, which your majesty may see in a cage in one of the windows of the
+hall we are approaching; and if you attend, you will perceive that his
+notes are sweeter than those of any of the other birds, even the
+nightingale's."
+
+The emperor went into the hall; and as the Bird continued singing, the
+princess raised her voice, and said, "My slave, here is the emperor, pay
+your compliments to him." The Bird left off singing that instant, when
+all the other birds ceased also, and said: "The emperor is welcome; God
+prosper him and prolong his life!" As the entertainment was served on
+the sofa near the window where the Bird was placed, the sultan replied,
+as he was taking his seat: "Bird, I thank you, and am overjoyed to find
+in you the sultan and king of birds."
+
+As soon as the emperor saw the dish of cucumbers set before him,
+thinking they were prepared in the best manner, he reached out his hand
+and took one; but when he cut it, was in extreme surprise to find it
+stuffed with pearls. "What novelty is this?" said he; "and with what
+design were these cucumbers stuffed thus with pearls, since pearls are
+not to be eaten?" He looked at his hosts to ask them the meaning when
+the Bird interrupting him, said: "Can your majesty be in such great
+astonishment at cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which you see with your
+own eyes, and yet so easily believe that the queen, your wife, gave
+birth to a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood?" "I believed those things,"
+replied the emperor, "because the attendants assured me of the facts."
+"Those attendants, sir," replied the Bird, "were the queen's two
+sisters, who, envious of her happiness in being preferred by your
+majesty before them, to satisfy their envy and revenge, have abused your
+majesty's credulity. If you interrogate them, they will confess their
+crime. The two brothers and the sister whom you see before you are your
+own children, whom they exposed, and who were taken in by the intendant
+of your gardens, who provided nurses for them, and took care of their
+education."
+
+This speech presently cleared up the emperor's understanding. "Bird,"
+cried he, "I believe the truth which you discover to me. The inclination
+which drew me to them told me plainly they must be of my own blood. Come
+then, my sons, come, my daughter, let me embrace you, and give you the
+first marks of a father's love and tenderness." The emperor then rose,
+and after having embraced the two princes and the princess, and mingled
+his tears with theirs, said: "It is not enough, my children; you must
+embrace each other, not as the children of the intendant of my gardens,
+to whom I have been so much obliged for preserving your lives, but as my
+own children, of the royal blood of the monarchs of Persia, whose
+glory, I am persuaded you will maintain."
+
+After the two princes and princess had embraced mutually with new
+satisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished his
+meal in haste; and when he had done, said: "My children, you see in me
+your father; to-morrow I will bring the queen, your mother, therefore
+prepare to receive her."
+
+The emperor afterward mounted his horse, and returned with expedition to
+his capitol. The first thing he did, as soon as he had alighted and
+entered his palace, was to command the grand vizier to seize the queen's
+two sisters. They were taken from their houses separately, convicted,
+and condemned to death; which sentence was put in execution within an
+hour.
+
+In the meantime, the Emperor Kosrouschah, followed by all the lords of
+his court who were then present, went on foot to the door of the great
+mosque; and after he had taken the queen out of the strict confinement
+she had languished under for so many years, embracing her in the
+miserable condition to which she was then reduced, said to her with
+tears in his eyes: "I come to entreat your pardon for the injustice I
+have done you, and to make you the reparation I ought; which I have
+begun, by punishing the unnatural wretches who put the abominable cheat
+upon me; and I hope you will look upon it as complete, when I present to
+you two accomplished princes and a lovely princess, our children. Come
+and resume your former rank, with all the honours which are your due."
+All this was done and said before great crowds of people who flocked
+from all parts at the first news of what was passing, and immediately
+spread the joyful intelligence through the city.
+
+Next morning early the emperor and queen, whose mournful humiliating
+dress was changed for magnificent robes, went with all their court to
+the house built by the intendant of the gardens, where the emperor
+presented the Princes Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Periezade to
+their enraptured mother. "These, much injured wife," said he, "are the
+two princes your sons, and the princess your daughter; embrace them with
+the same tenderness I have done, since they are worthy both of me and
+you." The tears flowed plentifully down their cheeks at these tender
+embraces, especially the queen's, from the comfort and joy of having two
+such princes for her sons, and such a princess for her daughter, on
+whose account she had so long endured the severest afflictions.
+
+The two princes and the princess had prepared a magnificent repast for
+the emperor and queen and their court. As soon as that was over, the
+emperor led the queen into the garden, and shewed her the Harmonious
+Tree and the beautiful effect of the Golden Fountain. She had seen the
+Bird in his cage, and the emperor had spared no panegyric in his praise
+during the repast.
+
+When there was nothing to detain the emperor any longer, he took horse,
+and with the Princes Bahman and Perviz on his right hand, and the queen
+consort and the princess at his left, preceded and followed by all the
+officers of his court, according to their rank, returned to his capital.
+Crowds of people came out to meet them, and with acclamations of joy
+ushered them into the city, where all eyes were fixed not only upon the
+queen, and her royal children, but also upon the Bird, which the
+princess carried before her in his cage, admiring his sweet notes, which
+had drawn all the other birds about him, and followed him flying from
+tree to tree in the country, and from one house top to another in the
+city. The Princes Bahman and Perviz and the Princess Periezade were at
+length brought to the palace with pomp, and nothing was to be seen or
+heard all that night but illuminations and rejoicings both in the palace
+and in the utmost parts of the city, which lasted many days, and were
+continued throughout the empire of Persia, as intelligence of the joyful
+event reached the several provinces.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE
+
+
+There was once an aged fisherman who was so poor that he could scarcely
+earn as much as would maintain himself, his wife, and three children. He
+went every day to fish betimes in the morning, and imposed it as a law
+upon himself not to cast his nets above four times a day. He went one
+morning by moonlight, and coming to the seaside, undressed himself, and
+cast in his nets. As he drew them toward the shore, he found them very
+heavy, and thought he had a good draught of fish, at which he rejoiced;
+but a moment after, perceiving that instead of fish his net contained
+nothing but the carcass of an ass, he was much vexed.
+
+When he had mended his nets, which the carcass of the ass had broken in
+several places, he threw them in a second time; and when he drew them,
+found a great deal of resistance, which made him think he had taken
+abundance of fish; but he found nothing except a basket full of gravel
+and slime, which grieved him extremely. "O Fortune!" cried he, with a
+lamentable tone, "be not angry with me, nor persecute a wretch who prays
+thee to spare him. I came hither from my house to seek for my
+livelihood, and thou pronouncest against me a sentence of death. I have
+no other trade but this to subsist by, and, notwithstanding all my care,
+I can scarcely provide what is necessary for my family. But I am to
+blame to complain of thee; thou takest pleasure to persecute honest
+people, and advancest those who have no virtue to recommend them."
+
+Having finished this complaint, he fretfully threw away the basket, and,
+washing his nets from the slime, cast them a third time, but brought up
+nothing except stones, shells, and mud. No language can express his
+disappointment; he was almost distracted. However, when day began to
+appear, he did not forget to say his prayers like a good Mussulman, and
+he added to them this petition: "Lord, thou knowest that I cast my nets
+only four times a day; I have already drawn them three times, without
+the least reward for my labour: I am only to cast them once more; I pray
+thee to render the sea favourable to me, as thou didst to Moses."
+
+The fisherman, having finished this prayer, cast his nets the fourth
+time; and when he thought it was proper, drew them as formerly with
+great difficulty; but instead of fish found nothing in them but a vessel
+of yellow copper, which, from its weight, seemed not to be empty; and he
+observed that it was fastened and closed with lead, having the
+impression of a seal upon it. This turn of fortune rejoiced him: "I will
+sell it," said he, "to the founder, and with the money buy a measure of
+corn." He examined the vessel on all sides, and shook it to see if its
+contents made any noise, but heard nothing. This circumstance, with the
+impression of the seal upon the cover, made him think it enclosed
+something precious. To try this, he took a knife and opened it with very
+little labour. He turned the mouth downward, but nothing came out, which
+surprised him extremely. He placed it before him, but while he viewed it
+attentively, there burst forth a very thick smoke, which obliged him to
+retire two or three paces back.
+
+The smoke ascended to the clouds, and, extending itself along the sea
+and upon the shore, formed a great mist, which filled the fisherman
+with astonishment. When the smoke was all out of the vessel, it
+reunited, and became a solid body, of which was formed a genie twice as
+high as the greatest of giants. At the sight of such a monster the
+fisherman would fain have fled, but was so frightened that he could not
+move.
+
+"Solomon," cried the genie immediately, "Solomon, the great prophet,
+pardon, pardon; I will never more oppose your will, I will obey all your
+commands."
+
+The fisherman, when he heard these words of the genie, recovered his
+courage and said to him: "Thou proud spirit, what is it you say? It is
+above eighteen hundred years since the prophet Solomon died, and we are
+now at the end of time. Tell me your history, and how you came to be
+shut up in this vessel."
+
+The genie, turning to the fisherman with a fierce look, said: "Thou must
+address me with more courtesy; thou art a presumptuous fellow to call me
+a proud spirit; speak to me more respectfully, or I will kill thee."
+"Ah!" replied the fisherman, "why should you kill me? Did I not just now
+set you at liberty, and have you already forgotten my services?"
+
+"No, I remember it," said the genie, "but that shall not save thy life:
+I have only one favour to grant thee." "And what is that?" asked the
+fisherman. "It is," answered the genie, "to give thee thy choice in what
+manner thou wouldst have me put thee to death." "But wherein have I
+offended you?" demanded the fisherman. "Is that your reward for the
+service I have rendered you?" "I cannot treat thee otherwise," said the
+genie; "and that thou mayest know the reason, hearken to my story."
+
+"I am one of those rebellious spirits that opposed the will of Solomon,
+the son of David, and to avenge himself, that monarch sent Asaph, the
+son of Barakhia, his chief minister, to apprehend me. Asaph seized
+my person, and brought me by force before his master's throne.
+
+"Solomon commanded me to acknowledge his power, and to submit to his
+commands. I bravely refused, and told him I would rather expose myself
+to his resentment, than swear fealty as he required. To punish me, he
+shut me up in this copper vessel; and that I might not break my prison,
+he himself stamped upon this leaden cover his seal with the great name
+of God engraven upon it. He then gave the vessel to one of the genies
+who had submitted, with orders to throw me into the sea.
+
+"During the first hundred years of my imprisonment, I swore that if any
+one should deliver me before the expiration of that period, I would make
+him rich, even after his death; but that century ran out, and nobody did
+me the good office. During the second, I made an oath that I would open
+all the treasures of the earth to any one that might set me at liberty;
+but with no better success. In the third, I promised to make my
+deliverer a potent monarch, and to grant him every day three requests,
+of what nature soever they might be; but this century passed as well as
+the two former, and I continued in prison. At last, being angry to find
+myself a prisoner so long, I swore that if afterward any one should
+deliver me, I would kill him without mercy, and grant him no favour but
+to choose the manner of his death; and, therefore, since thou hast
+delivered me to-day, I give thee that choice."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along the sea
+and upon the shore formed a great mist._
+
+This discourse afflicted the fisherman extremely: "I am very
+unfortunate," cried he, "to come hither to do such a kindness to one
+that is so ungrateful. I beg you to consider your injustice, and revoke
+such an unreasonable oath; pardon me, and Heaven will pardon you; if you
+grant me my life, Heaven will protect you from all attempts against your
+own." "No, thy death is resolved on," said the genie, "only choose in
+what manner thou wilt die." The fisherman, perceiving the genie to be
+resolute, was extremely grieved, not so much for himself, as on account
+of his three children, and bewailed the misery they must be reduced to
+by his death. He endeavoured still to appease the genie, and said,
+"Alas! be pleased to take pity on me, in consideration of the service I
+have done you." "I have told thee already," replied the genie, "it is
+for that very reason I must kill thee." "That is strange," said the
+fisherman, "are you resolved to reward good with evil? The proverb truly
+says, 'He who does good to one who deserves it not, is always ill
+rewarded.'" "Do not lose time," interrupted the genie; "all thy
+chattering shall not divert me from my purpose; make haste, and tell me
+what kind of death thou preferrest?"
+
+Necessity is the mother of invention. The fisherman bethought himself of
+a stratagem. "Since I must die then," said he to the genie, "I submit to
+the will of Heaven; but before I choose the manner of my death, I
+conjure you, by the great name which was engraven upon the seal of the
+prophet Solomon, to answer me truly the question I am going to ask you."
+
+The genie finding himself obliged to a positive answer by this
+adjuration, trembled, and replied to the fisherman: "Ask what thou wilt,
+but make haste."
+
+The genie having thus promised to speak the truth, the fisherman said to
+him: "I wish to know if you were actually in this vessel: dare you swear
+it by the name of the great God?" "Yes," replied the genie, "I do swear
+by His great name that I was." "In good faith," answered the fisherman,
+"I cannot believe you; the vessel is not capable of holding one of your
+size, and how should it be possible that your whole body could lie in
+it?" "I swear to thee, notwithstanding," replied the genie, "that I was
+there just as you see me here. Is it possible that thou dost not believe
+me after the solemn oath I have taken?" "Truly not I," said the
+fisherman; "nor will I believe you, unless you go into the vessel
+again."
+
+Upon this the body of the genie dissolved and changed itself into smoke,
+extending as before upon the seashore; and at last being collected, it
+began to re-enter the vessel, which it continued to do by a slow and
+equal motion, till no part remained out; when immediately a voice came
+forth, which said to the fisherman: "Well, incredulous fellow, dost thou
+not believe me now?"
+
+The fisherman, instead of answering the genie, took the cover of lead,
+and having speedily replaced it on the vessel, "Genie," cried he, "now
+it is your turn to beg my favour, and to choose which way I shall put
+you to death; but it is better that I should throw you into the sea,
+whence I took you: and then I will build a house upon the shore, where I
+will reside and give notice to all fishermen who come to throw in their
+nets, to beware of such a wicked genie as you are, who have made an oath
+to kill him that shall set you at liberty."
+
+The genie, enraged at these expressions, struggled to free himself; but
+it was impossible, for the impression of Solomon's seal prevented him.
+Perceiving that the fisherman had the advantage of him, he thought fit
+to dissemble his anger; "Fisherman," said he, "take heed you do not what
+you threaten; for what I spoke to you was only by way of jest." "O
+genie!" replied the fisherman, "thou who wast but a moment ago the
+greatest of all genies, and now art the least of them, thy crafty
+discourse will signify nothing, to the sea thou shalt return. If thou
+hast been there already so long as thou hast told me, thou mayest very
+well stay there till the day of judgment. I begged of thee, in God's
+name, not to take away my life, and thou didst reject my prayers; I am
+obliged to treat thee in the same manner."
+
+The genie omitted nothing that he thought likely to prevail with the
+fisherman: "Open the vessel," said he, "give me my liberty, and I
+promise to satisfy you to your own content." "Thou art a traitor,"
+replied the fisherman, "I should deserve to lose my life, if I were such
+a fool as to trust thee."
+
+"My good fisherman," replied the genie, "I conjure you once more not to
+be guilty of such cruelty; consider that it is not good to avenge one's
+self, and that, on the other hand, it is commendable to do good for
+evil; do not treat me as Imama formerly treated Ateca." "And what did
+Imama to Ateca?" inquired the fisherman. "Ho!" cried the genie, "if you
+have a mind to be informed, open the vessel: do you think that I can be
+in a humour to relate stories in so strait a prison? I will tell you as
+many as you please, when you have let me out." "No," said the fisherman,
+"I will not let thee out; it is in vain to talk of it; I am just going
+to throw thee into the bottom of the sea." "Hear me one word more,"
+cried the genie; "I promise to do you no hurt; nay, far from that, I
+will show you a way to become exceedingly rich."
+
+The hope of delivering himself from poverty prevailed with the
+fisherman. "I could listen to thee," said he, "were there any credit to
+be given to thy word; swear to me, by the great name of God, that thou
+wilt faithfully perform what thou promisest, and I will open the vessel;
+I do not believe thou wilt dare to break such an oath."
+
+The genie swore to him, upon which the fisherman immediately took off
+the covering of the vessel. At that instant the smoke ascended, and the
+genie, having resumed his form, the first thing he did was to kick the
+vessel into the sea. This action alarmed the fisherman. "Genie," said
+he, "will not you keep the oath you just now made?"
+
+The genie laughed at his fear, and answered: "Fisherman, be not afraid,
+I only did it to divert myself, and to see if you would be alarmed at
+it; but to convince you that I am in earnest, take your nets and follow
+me." As he spoke these words, he walked before the fisherman, who having
+taken up his nets, followed him, but with some distrust. They passed by
+the town, and came to the top of a mountain, from whence they descended
+into a vast plain, which brought them to a lake that lay betwixt four
+hills.
+
+When they reached the side of the lake, the genie said to the fisherman:
+"Cast in your nets and catch fish." The fisherman did not doubt of
+taking some, because he saw a great number in the water; but he was
+extremely surprised when he found they were of four colours; white, red,
+blue, and yellow. He threw in his nets and brought out one of each
+colour. Having never seen the like before, he could not but admire them,
+and, judging that he might get a considerable sum for them, he was very
+joyful. "Carry those fish," said the genie to him, "and present them to
+your sultan; he will give you more money for them. You may come daily to
+fish in this lake; but I give you warning not to throw in your nets
+above once a day, otherwise you will repent." Having spoken thus, he
+struck his foot upon the ground, which opened, and after it had
+swallowed him up, closed again.
+
+The fisherman, being resolved to follow the genie's advice, forbore
+casting in his nets a second time, and returned to the town very well
+satisfied, and making a thousand reflections upon his adventure. He went
+immediately to the sultan's palace to offer his fish, and his majesty
+was much surprised when he saw the wonders which the fisherman
+presented. He took them up one after another, and viewed them with
+attention; and after having admired them a long time, "Take those fish,"
+said he to his vizier, "and carry them to the cook whom the emperor of
+the Greeks has sent me. I cannot imagine but that they must be as good
+as they are beautiful."
+
+The vizier carried them as he was directed, and delivering them to the
+cook, said: "Here are four fish just brought to the sultan; he orders
+you to dress them." He then returned to the sultan, who commanded him to
+give the fisherman four hundred pieces of gold, which he did
+accordingly.
+
+The fisherman, who had never seen so much money, could scarcely believe
+his good fortune, but thought the whole must be a dream, until he found
+it otherwise, by being able to provide necessaries for his family with
+the produce of his nets.
+
+As soon as the sultan's cook had cleaned the fish, she put them upon the
+fire in a frying-pan, with oil, and when she thought them fried enough
+on one side, she turned them upon the other; but, O monstrous prodigy!
+scarcely were they turned, when the wall of the kitchen divided, and a
+young lady of wonderful beauty entered from the opening. She held a rod
+in her hand and was clad in flowered satin, with pendants in her ears, a
+necklace of large pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies. She
+moved toward the frying-pan, to the great amazement of the cook, and
+striking one of the fish with the end of the rod, said: "Fish, fish, are
+you in your duty?" The fish having answered nothing, she repeated these
+words, and then the four fish lifted up their heads, and replied: "Yes,
+yes: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if
+you fly, we overcome, and are content." As soon as they had finished
+these words, the lady overturned the frying-pan, and returned into the
+open part of the wall, which closed immediately, and became as it was
+before.
+
+The cook was greatly frightened at what had happened, and coming a
+little to herself went to take up the fish that had fallen on the
+hearth, but found them blacker than coal and not fit to be carried to
+the sultan. This grievously troubled her, and she fell to weeping most
+bitterly. "Alas!" said she, "what will become of me? If I tell the
+sultan what I have seen, I am sure he will not believe me, but will be
+enraged against me."
+
+While she was thus bewailing herself, the grand vizier entered, and
+asked her if the fish were ready. She told him all that had occurred,
+which we may easily imagine astonished him; but without speaking a word
+of it to the sultan he invented an excuse that satisfied him, and
+sending immediately for the fisherman bid him bring four more such fish,
+for a misfortune had befallen the others, so that they were not fit to
+be carried to the royal table. The fisherman, without saying anything of
+what the genie had told him, told the vizier he had a great way to go
+for them, in order to excuse himself from bringing them that day, but
+said that he would certainly bring them on the morrow.
+
+Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and coming to the lake,
+threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four fish like the former,
+and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed. The minister took
+them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and shutting himself up with
+the cook, she cleaned them and put them on the fire. When they were
+fried on one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the kitchen
+wall again opened, and the same lady came in with the rod in her hand,
+struck one of the fish, spoke to it as before, and all four gave her the
+same answer.
+
+After they had spoken to the young lady, she overturned the frying-pan
+with her rod, and retired into the wall. The grand vizier being witness
+to what had passed, "This is too wonderful and extraordinary," said he,
+"to be concealed from the sultan; I will inform him of this prodigy."
+
+The sultan, being much surprised, sent immediately for the fisherman,
+and said to him: "Friend, cannot you bring me four more such fish?" The
+fisherman replied: "If your majesty will be pleased to allow me three
+days, I will do it." Having obtained his time, he went to the lake
+immediately, and at the first throwing in of his net he caught four
+fish, and brought them directly to the sultan, who was so much the more
+rejoiced, as he did not expect them so soon, and ordered him four
+hundred pieces of gold. As soon as the sultan had the fish, he ordered
+them to be carried into his closet, with all that was necessary for
+frying them; and having shut himself up with the vizier, the minister
+cleaned them, put them into the pan, and when they were fried on one
+side, turned them upon the other; then the wall of the closet opened,
+but instead of the young lady, there came out a black, in the habit of a
+slave, and of a gigantic stature, with a great green staff in his hand.
+He advanced toward the pan, and touching one of the fish with his staff,
+said, with a terrible voice: "Fish, are you in your duty?" At these
+words the fish raised up their heads, and answered: "Yes, yes; we are;
+if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you
+fly, we overcome and are content."
+
+The fish had no sooner finished these words, than the black threw the
+pan into the middle of the closet, and reduced them to a coal. Having
+done this, he retired fiercely, and entering again into the aperture, it
+closed, and the wall appeared just as it did before.
+
+"After what I have seen," said the sultan to the vizier, "it will not be
+possible for me to be easy; these fish, without doubt, signify something
+extraordinary." He sent for the fisherman, and when he came, said to
+him: "Fisherman, the fish you have brought us make me very uneasy; where
+did you catch them?" "Sir," answered he, "I fished for them in a lake
+situated betwixt four hills, beyond the mountain that we see from
+hence." "Know'st thou not that lake?" said the sultan to the vizier.
+"No," replied the vizier, "I never so much as heard of it, although I
+have for sixty years hunted beyond that mountain." The sultan asked the
+fisherman how far the lake might be from the palace. The fisherman
+answered it was not above three hours' journey; upon this assurance the
+sultan commanded all his court to take horse, and the fisherman served
+them for a guide. They all ascended the mountain, and at the foot of it
+they saw, to their great surprise, a vast plain that nobody had observed
+till then, and at last they came to the lake, which they found to be
+situated betwixt four hills, as the fisherman had described. The water
+was so transparent that they observed all the fish to be like those
+which the fisherman had brought to the palace.
+
+The sultan stood upon the bank of the lake, and after beholding the fish
+with admiration, demanded of his courtiers if it were possible they had
+never seen this lake which was within so short a distance of the town.
+They all answered that they had never so much as heard of it.
+
+"Since you all agree that you never heard of it," said the sultan, "and
+as I am no less astonished than you are at this novelty, I am resolved
+not to return to my palace till I learn how this lake came here, and why
+all the fish in it are of four colours." Having spoken thus, he ordered
+his court to encamp; and immediately his pavilion and the tents of his
+household were planted upon the banks of the lake.
+
+When night came the sultan retired under his pavilion, and spoke to the
+grand vizier thus: "Vizier, my mind is uneasy; this lake transported
+hither, the black that appeared to us in my closet, and the fish that we
+heard speak; all these things so much excite my curiosity that I cannot
+resist my impatient desire to have it satisfied. To this end I am
+resolved to withdraw alone from the camp, and I order you to keep my
+absence secret: stay in my pavilion, and to-morrow morning, when the
+emirs and courtiers come to attend my levee, send them away and tell
+them that I am somewhat indisposed and wish to be alone; and the
+following days tell them the same thing, till I return."
+
+The grand vizier endeavoured to divert the sultan from this design; he
+represented to him the danger to which he might be exposed, and that all
+his labour might perhaps be in vain; but it was to no purpose; the
+sultan was resolved. He put on a suit fit for walking and took his
+cimeter; and as soon as he found that all was quiet in the camp, went
+out alone, and passed over one of the hills without much difficulty; he
+found the descent still more easy, and when he came to the plain, walked
+on till the sun arose, and then he saw before him, at a considerable
+distance, a vast building. He rejoiced at the sight, in hopes of
+receiving there the information he sought. When he drew near, he found
+it was a magnificent palace, or rather a strong castle, of black
+polished marble, and covered with fine steel, as smooth as glass. Being
+highly pleased that he had so speedily met with something worthy his
+curiosity, he stopped before the front of the castle, and considered it
+with attention.
+
+He then advanced toward the gate, which had two leaves, one of them
+open; though he might immediately have entered, yet he thought it best
+to knock. This he did at first softly, and waited for some time; but
+seeing no one, and supposing he had not been heard, he knocked harder
+the second time, and after that he knocked again and again, but no one
+yet appearing, he was exceedingly surprised; for he could not think
+that a castle in such repair was without inhabitants. "If there be no
+one in it," said he to himself, "I have nothing to fear; and if it be
+inhabited, I have wherewith to defend myself."
+
+At last he entered, and when he came within the porch, he cried: "Is
+there no one here to receive a stranger who comes in for some
+refreshment as he passes by?" He repeated the same words two or three
+times; but though he spoke very loud, he was not answered. The silence
+increased his astonishment: he came into a spacious court, and looked on
+every side for inhabitants, but discovered none.
+
+Perceiving nobody in the court, he entered the grand halls, which were
+hung with silk tapestry, the alcoves and sofas covered with stuffs of
+Mecca, and the porches with the richest stuffs of India. He came
+afterward into a superb saloon, in the middle of which was a fountain,
+with a lion of massy gold at each angle: water issued from the mouths of
+the four lions, and as it fell, formed diamonds and pearls resembling a
+jet d'eau, which, springing from the middle of the fountain, rose nearly
+to the top of a cupola painted in Arabesque.
+
+The castle, on three sides, was encompassed by a garden, with parterres
+of flowers and shrubbery; and to complete the beauty of the place, an
+infinite number of birds filled the air with their harmonious notes, and
+always remained there, nets being spread over the garden, and fastened
+to the palace to confine them. The sultan walked from apartment to
+apartment, where he found everything rich and magnificent. Being tired
+with walking, he sat down in a veranda, which had a view over the
+garden, reflecting upon what he had seen, when suddenly he heard the
+voice of one complaining, in lamentable tones. He listened with
+attention, and heard distinctly these words: "O fortune! thou who
+wouldst not suffer me longer to enjoy a happy lot, forbear to persecute
+me, and by a speedy death put an end to my sorrows. Alas! is it possible
+that I am still alive, after so many torments as I have suffered!"
+
+The sultan rose up, advanced toward the place whence he heard the voice,
+and coming to the door of a great hall, opened it, and saw a handsome
+young man, richly habited, seated upon a throne raised a little above
+the ground. Melancholy was painted on his countenance. The sultan drew
+near and saluted him; the young man returned his salutation, by an
+inclination of his head, not being able to rise, at the same time
+saying: "My lord, I should rise to receive you, but am hindered by sad
+necessity, and therefore hope you will not be offended." "My lord,"
+replied the sultan, "I am much obliged to you for having so good an
+opinion of me: as to the reason of your not rising, whatever your
+apology be, I heartily accept it. Being drawn hither by your complaints,
+and afflicted by your grief, I come to offer you my help. I flatter
+myself that you will relate to me the history of your misfortunes; but
+inform me first of the meaning of the lake near the palace, where the
+fish are of four colours; whose castle is this; how you came to be here;
+and why you are alone."
+
+Instead of answering these questions, the young man began to weep
+bitterly. "How inconstant is fortune!" cried he; "she takes pleasure to
+pull down those she has raised. Where are they who enjoy quietly the
+happiness which they hold of her, and whose day is always clear and
+serene?"
+
+The sultan, moved with compassion to see him in such a condition, prayed
+him to relate the cause of his excessive grief. "Alas! my lord," replied
+the young man, "how is it possible but I should grieve, and my eyes be
+inexhaustible fountains of tears?" At these words, lifting up his robe,
+he showed the sultan that he was a man only from the head to the girdle,
+and that the other half of his body was black marble.
+
+The sultan was much surprised when he saw the deplorable condition of
+the young man. "That which you show me," said he, "while it fills me
+with horror, excites my curiosity, so that I am impatient to hear your
+history, which, no doubt, must be extraordinary, and I am persuaded that
+the lake and the fish make some part of it; therefore I conjure you to
+relate it. You will find some comfort in so doing, since it is certain
+that the unfortunate find relief in making known their distress." "I
+will not refuse your request," replied the young man, "though I cannot
+comply without renewing my grief. But I give you notice beforehand, to
+prepare your ears, your mind, and even your eyes, for things which
+surpass all that the imagination can conceive."
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES
+
+
+"You must know, my lord," said the wretched prisoner, "that my father,
+named Mahmoud, was monarch of this country. This is the kingdom of the
+Black Isles, which takes its name from the four small neighbouring
+mountains; for those mountains were formerly isles, and the capital
+where the king, my father, resided was situated on the spot now occupied
+by the lake you have seen. The sequel of my history will inform you of
+the reason for those changes.
+
+"The king, my father, died when he was seventy years of age; I had no
+sooner succeeded him than I married, and the lady I chose to share the
+royal dignity with me was my cousin. I had so much reason to be
+satisfied with her affection, and, on my part, loved her with so much
+tenderness, that nothing could surpass the harmony of our union. This
+lasted five years, at the end of which time I perceived the queen ceased
+to delight in my attentions.
+
+"One day, after dinner, while she was at the bath, I found myself
+inclined to repose, and lay down upon a sofa. Two of her ladies, who
+were then in my chamber, came and sat down, one at my head and the other
+at my feet, with fans in their hands to moderate the heat, and to
+prevent the flies from disturbing me. They thought I was asleep, and
+spoke in whispers; but as I only closed my eyes, I heard all their
+conversation.
+
+"One of them said to the other, 'Is not the queen wrong, not to love so
+amiable a prince?' 'Certainly,' replied her companion; 'I do not
+understand the reason, neither can I conceive why she goes out every
+night, and leaves him alone! Is it possible that he does not perceive
+it?' 'Alas!' said the first, 'how should he? She mixes every evening in
+his liquor the juice of a certain herb, which makes him sleep so sound
+all night that she has time to go where she pleases, and as day begins
+to appear she comes and wakes him by the smell of something she puts
+under his nostrils.'
+
+"You may guess, my lord, how much I was surprised at this conversation,
+and with what sentiments it inspired me; yet whatever emotion it excited
+I had sufficient self-command to dissemble, and feigned to awake without
+having heard a word.
+
+"The queen returned from the bath, we supped together, and she presented
+me with a cup full of such liquid as I was accustomed to drink; but
+instead of putting it to my mouth, I went to a window that was open,
+threw out the water so quickly that she did not perceive it, and
+returned.
+
+"Soon after, believing that I was asleep, she arose with so little
+precaution, that she whispered loud enough for me to hear her
+distinctly, 'Sleep on, and may you never wake again!' and so saying, she
+dressed herself, and went out of the chamber.
+
+"As soon as the queen, my wife, was gone, I arose in haste, took my
+cimeter, and followed her so quickly that I soon heard the sound of her
+feet before me, and then walked softly after her. She passed through
+several gates, which opened upon her pronouncing some magical words, and
+the last she opened was that of the garden, which she entered. I stopped
+at this gate, that she might not perceive me as she passed along a
+parterre; then looking after her as far as the darkness of the night
+permitted, I saw her enter a little wood, whose walks were guarded by
+thick palisadoes. I went thither by another way, and concealing myself,
+I saw her walking there with a man.
+
+"I did not fail to lend the most attentive ear to their discourse, and
+heard her address herself thus to her gallant: 'I do not deserve,' she
+said, 'to be reproached by you for want of diligence. You well know the
+reason; but if all the proofs of affection I have already given you be
+not sufficient to convince you of my sincerity, I am ready to give you
+others more decisive: you need but command me, you know my power; I
+will, if you desire it, before sunrise convert this great city, and this
+superb palace, into frightful ruins, inhabited only by wolves, owls, and
+ravens. If you would have me transport all the stones of those walls so
+solidly built, beyond Mount Caucasus, the bounds of the habitable world,
+speak but the word, and all shall be changed.'
+
+"As the queen finished this speech she and her companion came to the end
+of the walk, turned to enter another, and passed before me. I had
+already drawn my cimeter, and the man being next me, I struck him on the
+neck, and brought him to the ground. I concluded I had killed him, and
+therefore retired speedily without making myself known to the queen,
+whom I chose to spare, because she was my kinswoman.
+
+"The wound I had given her companion was mortal; but by her enchantments
+she preserved him in an existence in which he could not be said to be
+either dead or alive. As I crossed the garden to return to the palace, I
+heard the queen loudly lamenting, and judging by her cries how much she
+was grieved, I was pleased that I had spared her life.
+
+"As soon as I had reached my apartment, I went to bed, and being
+satisfied with having punished the villain who had injured me, fell
+asleep.
+
+"Next morning I arose, went to my closet, and dressed myself. I
+afterward held my council. At my return, the queen, clad in mourning,
+her hair dishevelled, and part of it torn off, presented herself before
+me, and said: 'I come to beg your majesty not to be surprised to see me
+in this condition. My heavy affliction is occasioned by intelligence of
+three distressing events which I have just received.' 'Alas! what are
+they, madam?' said I. 'The death of the queen, my dear mother,' she
+replied, 'that of the king, my father, killed in battle, and of one of
+my brothers, who has fallen down a precipice.'
+
+"I was not displeased that she used these pretexts to conceal the true
+cause of her grief. 'Madam,' said I, 'so far from blaming, I assure you
+I heartily commiserate your sorrow. I should feel surprise if you were
+insensible to such heavy calamities: weep on; your tears are so many
+proofs of your tenderness; but I hope that time and reflection will
+moderate your grief.'
+
+"She retired into her apartment, where, giving herself wholly up to
+sorrow, she spent a whole year in mourning and lamentation. At the end
+of that period, she begged permission to erect a burying-place for
+herself, within the bounds of the palace, where she would continue, she
+told me, to the end of her days: I consented, and she built a stately
+edifice, and called it the Palace of Tears. When it was finished, she
+caused the object of her care to be conveyed thither; she had hitherto
+prevented his dying, by potions which she had administered to him; and
+she continued to convey them to him herself every day after he came to
+the Palace of Tears.
+
+"Yet, with all her enchantments, she could not cure the wretch; he was
+not only unable to walk or support himself, but had also lost the use of
+his speech, and exhibited no sign of life except in his looks.
+
+"Every day the queen made him two long visits. I was well apprised of
+this, but pretended ignorance. One day my curiosity induced me to go to
+the Palace of Tears, to observe how my consort employed herself, and
+from a place where she could not see me, I heard her thus address the
+wounded ruffian: 'I am afflicted to the highest degree to behold you in
+this condition,' she cried, 'I am as sensible as yourself of the
+tormenting pain you endure; but, dear soul, I am continually speaking to
+you, and you do not answer me: how long will you remain silent? Speak
+only one word: alas! the sweetest moments of my life are these I spend
+here in partaking of your grief.'
+
+"At these words, which were several times interrupted by her sighs, I
+lost all patience: and discovering myself, came up to her, and said,
+'Madam, you have wept enough, it is time to give over this sorrow, which
+dishonours us both; you have too much forgotten what you owe to me and
+to yourself.' 'Sire,' said she, 'if you have any kindness or compassion
+for me left, I beseech you to put no restraint upon me; allow me to
+indulge my grief, which it is impossible for time to assuage.'
+
+"When I perceived that my remonstrance, instead of restoring her to a
+sense of duty, served only to increase her anguish, I ceased speaking
+and retired. She continued every day to visit her charge, and for two
+whole years abandoned herself to grief and despair.
+
+"I went a second time to the Palace of Tears, while she was there. I
+concealed myself again, and heard her thus cry out: 'It is now three
+years since you spoke one word to me; you answer not the proofs I give
+you of my devotion by my sighs and lamentations. Is it from
+insensibility, or contempt? O tomb! tell me by what miracle thou
+becamest the depository of the rarest treasure the world ever
+contained.'
+
+"I must confess, my lord, I was enraged at these expressions; for, in
+truth, this adored mortal was by no means what you would imagine him to
+have been. He was a black Indian, one of the original natives of this
+country. I was so enraged at the language addressed to him, that I
+discovered myself, and apostrophising the tomb in my turn, I cried, 'O
+tomb! why dost thou not swallow up that monster so revolting to human
+nature, or rather why dost thou not swallow up this pair of monsters?'
+
+"I had scarcely uttered these words, when the queen, who sat by the
+black, rose up like a fury: 'Miscreant!' said she, 'thou art the cause
+of my grief; do not think I am ignorant of this, I have dissembled too
+long. It was thy barbarous hand that brought the object of my fondness
+into this lamentable condition; and thou hast the cruelty to come and
+insult me.' 'Yes,' said I, in a rage, 'it was I who chastised that
+monster, according to his desert; I ought to have treated thee in the
+same manner; I now repent that I did not; thou hast too long abused my
+goodness.' As I spoke these words, I drew out my cimeter, and lifted up
+my hand to punish her; but regarding me steadfastly, she said with a
+jeering smile, 'Moderate thine anger.' At the same time she pronounced
+words I did not understand; and afterward added, 'By virtue of my
+enchantments, I command thee to become half marble and half man.'
+Immediately, my lord, I became what you see, a dead man among the
+living, and a living man among the dead. After this cruel sorceress,
+unworthy of the name of queen, had metamorphosed me thus, and brought me
+into this hall, by another enchantment she destroyed my capital, which
+was very flourishing and populous; she annihilated the houses, the
+public places and markets, and reduced the site of the whole to the lake
+and desert plain you have seen; the fishes of four colours in the waters
+are the four kinds of inhabitants, of different religions, which the
+city contained. The white are the Mussulmans; the red, the Persians, who
+worship fire; the blue, the Christians; and the yellow, the Jews. The
+four little hills were the four islands that gave name to this kingdom.
+I learned all this from the enchantress, who, to add to my affliction,
+related to me these effects of her rage. But this is not all; her
+revenge not being satisfied with the destruction of my dominions, and
+the metamorphosis of my person, she comes every day, and gives me over
+my naked shoulders a hundred lashes with a whip until I am covered with
+blood. When she has finished this part of my punishment, she throws over
+me a coarse stuff of goat's hair, and over that this robe of brocade,
+not to honour, but to mock me."
+
+When he came to this part of his narrative, the young king could not
+restrain his tears; and the sultan was himself so affected by the
+relation, that he could not find utterance for any words of consolation.
+Shortly after, the young king, lifting up his eyes to heaven, exclaimed,
+"Mighty creator of all things, I submit myself to Thy judgments, and to
+the decrees of Thy providence: I endure my calamities with patience,
+since it is Thy will that things should be as they are; but I hope that
+Thy infinite goodness will ultimately reward me."
+
+The sultan, greatly moved by the recital of this affecting story, and
+anxious to avenge the sufferings of the unfortunate prince, said to him:
+"Inform me whither this perfidious sorceress retires, and where may be
+found the vile wretch, who is entombed before his death." "My lord,"
+replied the prince, "the Indian, as I have already told you, is lodged
+in the Palace of Tears, in a superb tomb constructed in the form of a
+dome: this palace joins the castle on the side in which the gate is
+placed. As to the queen, I cannot tell you precisely whither she
+retires, but every day at sunrise she goes to visit her charge, after
+having executed her bloody vengeance upon me; and you see I am not in a
+condition to defend myself. She carries to him the potion with which she
+has hitherto prevented his dying, and always complains of his never
+having spoken to her since he was wounded."
+
+"Prince," said the sultan, "your condition can never be sufficiently
+deplored: no one can be more sensibly affected by your misfortune than I
+am. Never did anything so extraordinary befall any man! One thing only
+is wanting; the revenge to which you are entitled, and I will omit
+nothing in my power to effect it."
+
+In his subsequent conversation with the young prince the sultan told him
+who he was, and for what purpose he had entered the castle; and
+afterward informed him of a mode of revenge which he had devised. They
+agreed upon the measures they were to take for accomplishing their
+design, but deferred the execution of it till the following day. In the
+meantime, the night being far spent, the sultan took some rest; but the
+young prince passed the night as usual, without sleep, never having
+slept since he was enchanted.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_When he came to this part of his narrative the young king could not
+restrain his tears._
+
+Next morning the sultan arose with the dawn, and prepared to execute his
+design, by proceeding to the Palace of Tears. He found it lighted up
+with an infinite number of flambeaux of white wax, and perfumed by a
+delicious scent issuing from several censers of fine gold of admirable
+workmanship. As soon as he perceived the bed where the Indian lay, he
+drew his cimeter and deprived him of his wretched life, dragged his
+corpse into the court of the castle, and threw it into a well. After
+this he went and lay down in the black's bed, placed his cimeter under
+the covering, and waited to complete his design.
+
+The queen arrived shortly after. She first went into the chamber of her
+husband, the king of the Black Islands, stripped him, and with
+unexampled barbarity gave him a hundred stripes. The unfortunate prince
+filled the palace with his lamentations, and conjured her in the most
+affecting tone to take pity on him; but the cruel wretch ceased not till
+she had given the usual number of blows. "You had no compassion," said
+she, "and you are to expect none from me."
+
+After the enchantress had given her husband a hundred blows with the
+whip, she put on again his covering of goat's hair, and his brocade gown
+over all; she went afterward to the Palace of Tears, and as she entered
+renewed her tears and lamentations; then approaching the bed, where she
+thought the Indian lay: "Alas!" said she, addressing herself to the
+sultan, conceiving him to be the black, "My sun, my life, will you
+always be silent? Are you resolved to let me die without affording me
+the comfort of hearing your voice?"
+
+The sultan, as if he had awaked out of a deep sleep, and counterfeiting
+the pronunciation of the blacks, answered the queen with a grave tone:
+"There is no strength or power but in God alone, who is almighty." At
+these words the enchantress, who did not expect them, uttered a loud
+exclamation of joy. "My dear lord," cried she, "do I not deceive myself;
+is it certain that I hear you, and that you speak to me?" "Unhappy
+woman," said the sultan, "art thou worthy that I should answer thee?"
+"Alas!" replied the queen, "why do you reproach me thus?" "The cries,"
+returned the sultan, "the groans and tears of thy husband, whom thou
+treatest every day with so much indignity and barbarity, prevent my
+sleeping night or day. Hadst thou disenchanted him, I should long since
+have been cured, and have recovered the use of my speech. This is the
+cause of my silence, of which you complain." "Well," said the
+enchantress, "to pacify you, I am ready to execute your commands; would
+you have me restore him?" "Yes," replied the sultan; "make haste to set
+him at liberty, that I be no longer disturbed by his lamentations." The
+enchantress went immediately out of the Palace of Tears; she took a cup
+of water, and pronounced some words over it, which caused it to boil, as
+if it had been on the fire. She afterward proceeded to the young king,
+and threw the water upon him, saying: "If the Creator of all things did
+form thee as thou art at present, or if He be angry with thee, do not
+change; but if thou art in that condition merely by virtue of my
+enchantments, resume thy natural shape, and become what thou wast
+before." She had scarcely spoken these words when the prince, finding
+himself restored to his former condition, rose up and returned thanks to
+God. The enchantress then said to him, "Get thee from this castle, and
+never return on pain of death." The young king, yielding to necessity,
+went away without replying a word, and retired to a remote place, where
+he patiently awaited the event of the design which the sultan had so
+happily begun. Meanwhile the enchantress returned to the Palace of
+Tears, and supposing that she still spoke to the black, said, "Dear
+love, I have done what you required; nothing now prevents your rising
+and giving me the satisfaction of which I have so long been deprived."
+
+The sultan, still counterfeiting the pronunciation of the black, said:
+"What you have now done is by no means sufficient for my cure; you have
+only removed a part of the evil; you must cut it up by the root." "My
+lovely black," resumed the queen, "what do you mean by the root?"
+"Wretched woman," replied the sultan, "understand you not that I allude
+to the town and its inhabitants, and the four islands, destroyed by thy
+enchantments? The fish every night at midnight raise their heads out of
+the lake, and cry for vengeance against thee and me. This is the true
+cause of the delay of my cure. Go speedily, restore things to their
+former state, and at thy return I will give thee my hand, and thou shalt
+help me to arise."
+
+The enchantress, inspired with hope from these words, cried out in a
+transport of joy, "My heart, my soul, you shall soon be restored to your
+health, for I will immediately do as you command me." Accordingly she
+went that instant, and when she came to the brink of the lake she took a
+little water in her hand, and sprinkling it, she pronounced some words
+over the fish and the lake, and the city was immediately restored. The
+fish became men, women, and children; Mohammedans, Christians, Persians,
+or Jews; freemen or slaves, as they were before: every one having
+recovered his natural form. The houses and shops were immediately filled
+with their inhabitants, who found all things as they were before the
+enchantment. The sultan's numerous retinue, who found themselves
+encamped in the largest square, were astonished to see themselves in an
+instant in the middle of a large, handsome, well-peopled city.
+
+To return to the enchantress: As soon as she had effected this wonderful
+change, she returned with all expedition to the Palace of Tears, that
+she might receive her reward. "My dear lord," cried she, as she entered,
+"I have done all that you required of me, then pray rise and give me
+your hand." "Come near," said the sultan, still counterfeiting the
+pronunciation of the black. She did so. "You are not near enough," he
+continued; "approach nearer." She obeyed. He then rose up, and seizing
+her by the arm so suddenly that she had not time to discover him, he
+with a blow of his cimeter cut her in two, so that one half fell one way
+and the other another. This done, he left the body on the spot, and
+going out of the Palace of Tears, went to seek the young king of the
+Black Isles, who waited for him with great impatience. When he found
+him, "Prince," said he, embracing him, "rejoice; you have now nothing to
+fear; your cruel enemy is dead."
+
+The young prince returned thanks to the sultan in a manner that
+sufficiently evinced his gratitude, and in return wished him long life
+and happiness. "You may henceforward," said the sultan, "dwell peaceably
+in your capital, unless you will accompany me to mine, which is near:
+you shall there be welcome, and have as much honour shown you as if you
+were in your own kingdom." "Potent monarch, to whom I am so much
+indebted," replied the king, "you think, then, that you are near your
+capital." "Yes," said the sultan, "I know it is not above four or five
+hours' journey." "It will take you a whole year to return," said the
+prince. "I do indeed believe that you came hither from your capital in
+the time you mention, because mine was enchanted; but since the
+enchantment is taken off, things are changed: however, this shall not
+prevent my following you, were it to the utmost corners of the earth.
+You are my deliverer, and that I may give you proofs of my
+acknowledgment of this during my whole life, I am willing to accompany
+you, and to leave my kingdom without regret."
+
+The sultan was extremely surprised to understand that he was so far from
+his dominions, and could not imagine how it could be, but the young king
+of the Black Islands convinced him beyond a possibility of doubt. Then
+the sultan replied: "It is no matter; the trouble of returning to my own
+country is sufficiently recompensed by the satisfaction of having
+obliged you, and by acquiring you for a son; for since you will do me
+the honour to accompany me, as I have no child, I look upon you as such,
+and from this moment appoint you my heir and successor."
+
+The young prince then employed himself in making preparations for his
+journey, which were finished in three weeks, to the great regret of his
+court and subjects, who agreed to receive at his hands one of his
+nearest kindred for their monarch.
+
+At length the sultan and the young prince began their journey, with a
+hundred camels laden with inestimable riches from the treasury, followed
+by fifty handsome gentlemen on horseback, perfectly well mounted and
+dressed. They had a pleasant journey; and when the sultan, who had sent
+couriers to give advice of his delay, and of the adventure which had
+occasioned it, approached his capital, the principal officers came to
+receive him, and to assure him that his long absence had occasioned no
+alteration in his empire. The inhabitants also came out in great crowds,
+received him with acclamations, and made public rejoicings for several
+days.
+
+The day after his arrival the sultan acquainted his courtiers with his
+adoption of the king of the Four Black Islands, who was willing to leave
+a great kingdom to accompany and live with him; and in reward for their
+loyalty, he made each of them presents according to their rank.
+
+As for the fisherman, as he was the first cause of the deliverance of
+the young prince, the sultan gave him a plentiful fortune, which made
+him and his family happy the rest of his days.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF GULNARE OF THE SEA
+
+
+There was, in olden time, and in an ancient age and period, in the land
+of the Persians, a king named Shahzeman, and the place of his residence
+was Khorassan. He had not been blest, during his whole life, with a male
+child nor a female; and he reflected upon this, one day, and lamented
+that the greater portion of his life had passed, and he had no heir to
+take the kingdom after him as he had inherited it from his fathers and
+forefathers. So the utmost grief befell him on this account.
+
+Now while he was sitting one day, one of his mamelukes came in to him,
+and said to him: "O my lord, at the door is a slave-girl with a
+merchant: none more beautiful than she hath been seen." And he replied:
+"Bring to me the merchant and the slave-girl." The merchant and the
+slave-girl therefore came to him; and when he saw her, he found her to
+resemble the lance in straightness and slenderness. She was wrapped in a
+garment of silk embroidered with gold, and the merchant uncovered her
+face, whereupon the place was illuminated by her beauty, and there hung
+down from her forehead seven locks of hair reaching to her anklets. The
+King, therefore, wondered at the sight of her, and at her beauty, and
+her stature and justness of form; and he said to the merchant: "O
+sheikh, for how much is this damsel to be sold?" The merchant answered:
+"O my lord, I purchased her for two thousand pieces of gold of the
+merchant who owned her before me, and I have been for three years
+travelling with her, and she hath cost, to the period of her arrival at
+this place, three thousand pieces of gold; and she is a present from me
+unto thee." Upon this, the king conferred upon him a magnificent robe of
+honour, and gave orders to present him with ten thousand pieces of gold.
+So he took them, and kissed the hands of the king, thanking him for his
+beneficence, and departed. Then the king committed the damsel to the
+tirewomen, saying to them: "Amend the state of this damsel, and deck
+her, and furnish for her a private chamber, and take her into it." He
+also gave orders to his chamberlains that everything which she required
+should be conveyed to her. The seat of government where he resided was
+on the shore of the sea, and his city was called the White City. And
+they conducted the damsel into a private chamber, which chamber had
+windows overlooking the sea; and the king commanded his chamberlains to
+close all the doors upon her after taking to her all that she required.
+
+The king then went in to visit the damsel; but she rose not to him, nor
+took any notice of him. So the king said: "It seemeth that she hath been
+with people who have not taught her good manners." And looking at the
+damsel, he saw her to be a person surpassing in loveliness, her face was
+like the disk of the moon at the full, or the shining sun in the clear
+sky; and he wondered at her beauty, extolling the perfection of God, the
+Creator: then the king advanced to the damsel, and seated himself by her
+side, pressed her to his bosom, and kissed her lips, which he found to
+be sweeter than honey. After this, he gave orders to bring tables of the
+richest viands, comprising dishes of every kind; and he ate, and put
+morsels into her mouth until she was satisfied; but she spoke not a
+single word. The king talked to her, and inquired of her her name; but
+she was silent, not uttering a word, nor returning him an answer,
+ceasing not to hang down her head toward the ground; and what protected
+her from the anger of the king was her beauty, and her tenderness of
+manner. So the king said within himself: "Extolled be the perfection of
+God, the Creator of this damsel! How elegant is she, saving that she
+doth not speak!"--Then the king asked the female slaves whether she had
+spoken; and they answered him: "From the time of her arrival to the
+present moment she hath not spoken one word, and we have not heard her
+talk." The king therefore caused some of them to come, and sing to her,
+and make merry with her, thinking that then she might perhaps speak.
+Accordingly the female slaves played before her with all kinds of
+musical instruments, and enacted sports and other performances, and they
+sang so that every one who was present was moved with delight, except
+the damsel, who looked at them and was silent, neither laughing nor
+speaking. So the heart of the king was contracted. He however inclined
+to her entirely, paying no regard to others, but relinquishing all the
+rest of his favourites.
+
+He remained with her a whole year, which seemed as one day, and still
+she spoke not; and he said to her one day, when his passion was
+excessive: "O desire of souls, verily the love that I have for thee is
+great, and I have relinquished for thy sake all my worldly portion, and
+been patient with thee a whole year. I beg God that He will, in His
+grace, soften thy heart toward me, and that thou mayest speak to me. Or,
+if thou be dumb, inform me by a sign, that I may give up hope of thy
+speaking. I also beg of God that He will bless thee with a son that may
+inherit my kingdom after me; for I am solitary, having none to be my
+heir, and my age hath become great. I conjure thee, then, by Allah, if
+thou love me, that thou return me a reply." And upon this, the damsel
+hung her head toward the ground, meditating. Then she raised her head,
+and smiled in the face of the king, whereat it appeared to the king that
+lightning filled the private chamber; and she said: "O magnanimous King,
+God hath answered thy prayer; for I am about to bring thee a child, and
+the time is almost come. And were it not that I knew this thing, I had
+not spoken to thee one word." And when the king heard what she said, his
+face brightened up with happiness, and he kissed her hands by reason of
+the violence of his joy, and said: "Praise be to God who hath favoured
+me with things that I desired; the first, thy speaking; and the second,
+thy information that thou art about to bring me a child." Then the king
+arose and went forth from her, and seated himself upon the throne of his
+kingdom in a state of exceeding happiness; and he ordered the vizier to
+give out to the poor and the needy a hundred thousand pieces of gold as
+a thank-offering to God. So the vizier did as the king had commanded
+him. And after that, the king went in to the damsel, and embraced her,
+saying to her: "O my mistress, wherefore hath been this silence, seeing
+that thou hast been with me a whole year, awake and asleep, yet hast not
+spoken to me, except on this day?"
+
+The damsel answered: "Hear, O King of the age, and know that I am a poor
+person, a stranger, broken-hearted: I have become separated from my
+mother, and my family, and my brother." And when the king heard her
+words, he knew her desire, and he replied: "As to thy saying that thou
+art poor, there is no occasion for such an assertion; for all my kingdom
+and possessions are at thy service, and as to thy saying, 'I have become
+separated from my mother and my family and my brother'--inform me in
+what place they are, and I will send to them, and bring them to thee."
+So she said to him: "Know, O King, that my name is Gulnare (_Pomegranate
+Flower_) of the Sea. My father was one of the Kings of the Sea, and he
+died, and left to us the kingdom; but while we were enjoying it, another
+of the kings came upon us, and took the kingdom from our hands. I have
+also a brother named Saleh, and my mother is of the women of the sea;
+and I quarrelled with my brother, and swore that I would throw myself
+into the hands of a man of the inhabitants of the land. Accordingly I
+came forth from the sea, and sat upon the shore of an island in the
+moonlight, and there passed by a man who took me and sold me to this man
+from whom thou tookest me, and he was an excellent, virtuous man, a
+person of religion and fidelity and kindness. But had not thy heart
+loved me, and hadst thou not preferred me above all thy wives, I had not
+remained with thee one hour; for I should have cast myself into the sea
+from this window, and gone to my mother and my people. I was ashamed,
+however, to go to them; for they would imagine evil of me, and would not
+believe me, even though I should swear to them, were I to tell them that
+a king had purchased me with his money, and chosen me in preference to
+his other wives and all that his right hand possessed. This is my story,
+and peace be on thee!" And when he heard her words, he thanked her, and
+kissed her between the eyes, and said to her: "By Allah, O my mistress,
+and light of my eyes, I cannot endure separation from thee for one hour;
+and if thou quit me, I shall die instantly. How then shall the affair
+be?" She answered: "O my master, the time of the birth is near, and my
+family must come." "And how," said the king, "do they walk in the sea
+without being wetted?" She answered: "We walk in the sea as ye walk upon
+the land, through the influence of the names engraved upon the seal of
+Solomon, the son of David, upon both of whom be peace! But, O King,
+when my family and my brethren come, I will inform them that thou
+boughtest me with thy money, and hast treated me with beneficence, and
+it will be meet that thou confirm my assertion to them. They will also
+see thy state with their eyes, and will know that thou art a king, the
+son of a king." And thereupon the king said: "O my mistress, do what
+seemeth fit to thee, and what thou wishest; for I will comply with thy
+desire in all that thou wilt do." And the damsel said: "Know, O King of
+the age, that we walk in the sea with our eyes open, and see what is in
+it, and we see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the sky as on
+the face of the earth, and this hurteth us not. Know also, that in the
+sea are many peoples and various forms of all the kinds that are on the
+land; and know, moreover, that all that is on the land, in comparison
+with what is in the sea, is a very small matter." And the king wondered
+at her words.
+
+Then the damsel took a bit of aloes-wood and, having lighted a fire in a
+perfuming-vessel, threw into it that bit, and she proceeded to speak
+words which no one understood; whereupon a great smoke arose, while the
+king looked on. After this, she said to the king: "O my lord, arise and
+conceal thyself in a closet, that I may shew thee my brother and my
+mother and my family without their seeing thee; for I desire to bring
+them, and thou shalt see in this place, at this time, a wonder, and
+shalt marvel at the various shapes and strange forms that God hath
+created." So the king arose immediately, and entered a closet, and
+looked to see what she would do. And she proceeded to burn perfume and
+repeat spells until the sea foamed and was agitated, and there came
+forth from it a young man of comely form, of beautiful countenance, like
+the moon at the full, with shining forehead, and red cheeks, and hair
+resembling pearls and jewels; he was, of all the creation, the most
+like to his sister, and the tongue of the case itself seemed to recite
+in his praise these verses:--
+
+   The moon becometh perfect once in each month; but the loveliness of thy
+     face is perfect every day.
+   Its abode is in the heart of one sign at a time; but thine abode is in
+     all hearts at once.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_And she proceeded to burn perfume and repeat spells until the sea
+foamed and was agitated._
+
+Afterward, there came forth from the sea a grizzly-haired old woman, and
+with her five damsels, resembling moons and bearing a likeness to the
+damsel whose name was Gulnare. Then the king saw the young man and the
+old woman and the damsels walk upon the surface of the water until they
+came to Gulnare; and when they drew near to the window, and she beheld
+them, she rose to them and met them with joy. On their seeing her, they
+knew her, and they went in to her and embraced her, weeping violently;
+and they said to her: "O Gulnare, how is it that thou leavest us for
+four years, and we know not the place in which thou art? By Allah, we
+had no delight in food nor in drink a single day, weeping night and day
+on account of the excess of our longing to see thee." Then the damsel
+began to kiss the hand of her brother, and the hand of her mother, and
+so also the hands of the daughters of her uncle, and they sat with her
+awhile, asking her respecting her state, and the things that had
+happened to her, and her present condition.
+
+So she said to them: "Know ye, that when I quitted you, and came forth
+from the sea, I sat upon the shore of an island, and a man took me, and
+sold me to a merchant, and the merchant brought me to this city, and
+sold me to its king for ten thousand pieces of gold. Then he treated me
+with attention, and forsook all his favourites for my sake, and was
+diverted by his regard for me from everything that he possessed and what
+was in his city." And when her brother heard her words, he said:
+"Praise be to God who hath reunited us! But it is my desire, O my
+sister, that thou wouldst arise and go with us to our country and our
+family." So when the king heard the words of her brother, his reason
+fled in consequence of his fear lest the damsel should accept the
+proposal of her kindred, and he could not prevent her, though he was
+inflamed with love of her; wherefore he became perplexed in violent fear
+of her separation. But as to the damsel Gulnare, on hearing the words of
+her brother she said: "By Allah, O my brother, the man who purchased me
+is the king of this city, and he is a great king, and a man of wisdom,
+generous, of the utmost liberality. He hath treated me with honour, and
+he is a person of kindness, and of great wealth, but hath no male child
+nor a female. He hath shewn me favour too, and acted well to me in every
+respect; and from the day when I came to him to the present time, I have
+not heard from him a word to grieve my heart; but he hath not ceased to
+treat me with courtesy, and I am living with him in the most perfect of
+enjoyments. Moreover, if I quitted him, he would perish: for he can
+never endure my separation even for a single hour. I also, if I quitted
+him, should die of my love for him in consequence of his kindness to me
+during the period of my residence with him; for if my father were
+living, my condition with him would not be like my condition with this
+great, glorious king. God (whose name be exalted!) afflicted me not, but
+compensated me well; and as the king hath not a male child nor a female,
+I beg God to bless me with a son that may inherit of this great king
+these palaces and possessions." And when her brother, and the daughters
+of her uncle, heard her words, their eyes became cheerful thereat, and
+they said to her: "O Gulnare, thou art acquainted with our affection for
+thee, and thou art assured that thou art the dearest of all persons to
+us, and art certain that we desire for thee comfort, without trouble or
+toil. Therefore if thou be not in a state of comfort, arise and
+accompany us to our country and our family; but if thou be comfortable
+here, in honour and happiness, this is our desire and wish." And Gulnare
+replied: "By Allah, I am in a state of the utmost enjoyment, in honour
+and desirable happiness." So when the king heard these words from her,
+he rejoiced, and he thanked her for them; his love for her penetrated to
+his heart's core, and he knew that she loved him as he loved her, and
+that she desired to remain with him to see his child which she was to
+bring to him.
+
+Then the damsel Gulnare of the Sea gave orders to the female slaves to
+bring forward viands of all kinds; and Gulnare herself was the person
+who superintended the preparation of the viands in the kitchen. So the
+female slaves brought to them the viands, and the sweetmeats, and the
+fruits; and she ate with her family. But afterward they said to her: "O
+Gulnare, thy master is a man who is a stranger to us, and we have
+entered his abode without his permission, and thou praisest to us his
+excellence, and hast also brought to us his food, and we have eaten, but
+have not seen him, nor hath he seen us, nor come into our presence, nor
+eaten with us, that the bond of bread and salt might be established
+between us." And they all desisted from eating, and were enraged at her,
+and fire began to issue from their mouths as from cressets. So when the
+king beheld this, his reason fled, in consequence of the violence of his
+fear of them. Then Gulnare rose to them, and soothed their hearts; after
+which she walked along until she entered the closet in which was the
+king her master; and she said to him: "O my master, didst thou see, and
+didst thou hear my thanks to thee, and my praise of thee in the presence
+of my family; and didst thou hear what they said to me, that they
+desired to take me with them to our family and our country?" The king
+answered her: "I heard and saw. May God recompense thee! By Allah, I
+knew not the extent of the love that thou feelest for me until this
+blessed hour." She replied: "O my master, is the recompense of
+beneficence aught but beneficence? How then could my heart be happy to
+quit thee, and to depart from thee? Now I desire of thy goodness that
+thou come and salute my family, that they may see thee, and that
+pleasure and mutual friendship may ensue. For know, O King, that my
+brother and my mother and the daughters of my uncle have conceived a
+great love for thee in consequence of my praising thee to them, and they
+have said, 'We will not depart from thee to our country until we have an
+interview with the king, and salute him.'" And the king said to her: "I
+hear and obey; for this is what I desire." He then rose from his place,
+and went to them, and saluted them with the best salutation; and they
+hastened to rise to him; they met him in the most polite manner, and he
+sat with them in the pavilion, ate with them at the table, and remained
+with them for a period of thirty days. Then they desired to return to
+their country and abode. So they took leave of the king and Queen
+Gulnare of the Sea, and departed from them, after the king had treated
+them with the utmost honour.
+
+After this, Gulnare gave birth to a boy, resembling the moon at the
+full, whereat the king experienced the utmost happiness, because he had
+not before been blessed with a son nor a daughter during his life. They
+continued the rejoicings, and the decoration of the city, for a period
+of seven days, in the utmost happiness and enjoyment; and on the seventh
+day, the mother of Gulnare, and her brother, and the daughters of her
+uncle, all came, when they knew that she had given birth to her child.
+The king met them, rejoicing at their arrival, and said to them: "I said
+that I would not name my son until ye should come, and that ye should
+name him according to your knowledge." And they named him Bedr Basim
+(_Smiling Full Moon_), all of them agreeing as to this name. They then
+presented the boy to his maternal uncle, Saleh, who took him upon his
+hands, and, rising with him from among them, walked about the palace to
+the right and left; after which he went forth with him from the palace,
+descended with him to the sea, and walked on until he became concealed
+from the eye of the king. So when the king saw that he had taken his
+son, and disappeared from him at the bottom of the sea, he despaired of
+him, and began to weep and wail. But Gulnare, seeing him in this state,
+said to him, "O King of the age, fear not nor grieve for thy son; for I
+love my child more than thou, and my child is with my brother; therefore
+fear not his being drowned. If my brother knew that any injury would
+betide the little one, he had not done what he hath done; and presently
+he will bring thee thy son safe, if it be the will of God, whose name be
+exalted!" And but a short time had elapsed when the sea was agitated,
+and the uncle of the little one came forth from it, having with him the
+king's son safe, and he flew from the sea until he came to them, with
+the little one in his arms, silent, and his face resembling the moon in
+the night of its fulness. Then the uncle of the little one looked toward
+the king, and said to him: "Perhaps thou fearedst some injury to thy son
+when I descended into the sea, having him with me." So he replied: "Yes,
+O my master, I feared for him, and I did not imagine that he would ever
+come forth from it safe." And Saleh said to him: "O King of the Land, we
+applied to his eyes a lotion that we know, and repeated over him the
+names engraved upon the seal of Solomon, the son of David; for when a
+child is born among us, we do to him as I have told thee. Fear not
+therefore, on his account, drowning, nor suffocation, nor all the seas
+if he descend into them. Like as ye walk upon the land, we walk in the
+sea."
+
+He then took forth from his pocket a case, written upon, and sealed; and
+he broke its seal, and scattered its contents, whereupon there fell from
+it strung jewels, consisting of all kinds of jacinths and other gems,
+together with three hundred oblong emeralds, and three hundred oblong
+large jewels, of the size of the eggs of the ostrich, the light of which
+was more resplendent than the light of the sun and the moon. And he
+said: "O King of the age, these jewels and jacinths are a present from
+me unto thee; for we never brought thee a present, because we knew not
+the place of Gulnare's abode. So when we saw thee to have become united
+to her, and that we all had become one, we brought thee this present;
+and after every period of a few days, we will bring thee the like of it.
+For these jewels and jacinths with us are more plentiful than the gravel
+upon the land, and we know the excellent among them, and the bad, and
+the places where they are found, and they are easy of access to
+us."--And when the king looked at those jewels, his reason was
+confounded and his mind was bewildered, and he said: "By Allah, one of
+these jewels is worth my kingdom!" Then the king thanked Saleh of the
+Sea for his generosity, and looking toward the Queen Gulnare said to
+her: "I am abashed at thy brother; for he hath shewn favour to me, and
+presented me with this magnificent present, which the people of the
+earth would fail to procure." So Gulnare thanked her brother for that
+which he had done; but her brother said: "O King of the age, to thank
+thee hath been incumbent on us; for thou hast treated my sister with
+beneficence, and we have entered thine abode, and eaten of thy
+provision." Then Saleh said: "If we stood serving thee, O King of the
+age, a thousand years, regarding nothing else, we could not requite
+thee, and our doing so would be but a small thing in comparison with thy
+desert." And Saleh remained with the king, he and his mother and the
+daughters of his uncle, forty days; after which he arose and kissed the
+ground before the king, the husband of his sister. So the king said to
+him: "What dost thou desire, O Saleh?" And he answered: "O King of the
+age, we desire of thy goodness that thou wouldst give us permission to
+depart; for we have become desirous of seeing again our family and our
+country and our relations and our homes. We will not, however,
+relinquish the service of thee, nor that of my sister nor the son of my
+sister; and by Allah, O King of the age, to quit you is not pleasant to
+my heart; but how can we act, when we have been reared in the sea, and
+the land is not agreeable to us?" So when the king heard his words, he
+rose upon his feet, and bade farewell to Saleh of the Sea and his mother
+and the daughters of his uncle, and they wept together on account of the
+separation. Then they said to the king: "We will never relinquish you,
+but after every period of a few days we will visit you." And after this,
+they flew toward the sea, and descended into it, and disappeared.
+
+The king treated Gulnare with beneficence, and honoured her exceedingly,
+and the little one grew up well; and his maternal uncle, with his
+grandmother and the daughters of his uncle, after every period of a few
+days used to come to the residence of the king, and to remain with him a
+month, and then return to their places. The boy ceased not to increase
+in beauty and loveliness until his age became fifteen years; and he was
+incomparable in his perfect beauty, and his stature and his justness of
+form. He had learned writing and reading, and history and grammar and
+philology, and archery; and he learned to play with the spear; and he
+also learned horsemanship, and all that the sons of the kings required.
+There was not one of the children of the inhabitants of the city, men
+and women, that talked not of the charms of that young man; for he was
+of surpassing loveliness and perfection; and the king loved him greatly.
+Then the king summoned the vizier and the emeers, and the lords of the
+empire, and the great men of the kingdom, and made them swear by binding
+oaths that they would make Bedr Basim king over them after his father;
+so they swore to him by binding oaths, and rejoiced thereat; and the
+king himself was beneficent to the people, courteous in speech and of
+auspicious aspect. And on the following day, the king mounted, together
+with the lords of the empire and all the emeers, and all the soldiers,
+and they ceased not to proceed until they arrived at the vestibule of
+the palace; the king's son riding. Thereupon he alighted, and his father
+embraced him, he and the emeers, and they seated him upon the throne of
+the kingdom, while his father stood, as also did the emeers, before him.
+Then Bedr Basim judged the people, displaced the tyrannical and invested
+the just, and continued to give judgment until near midday, when he rose
+from the throne of the kingdom, and went in to his mother, Gulnare of
+the Sea, having upon his head the crown, and resembling the moon. So
+when his mother saw him, and the king before him, she rose to him and
+kissed him, and congratulated him on his elevation to the dignity of
+sultan; and she offered up a prayer in favour of him and his father for
+length of life, and victory over their enemies. He then sat with his
+mother and rested; and when the time of afternoon-prayers arrived, he
+rode with the emeers before him until he came to the horse-course, where
+he played with arms till the time of nightfall, together with his
+father and the lords of his empire; after which he returned to the
+palace, with all the people before him. Every day he used to ride to the
+horse-course; and when he returned, he sat to judge the people, and
+administered justice between the emeer and the poor man. He ceased not
+to do thus for a whole year; and after that, he used to ride to the
+chase, and go about through the cities and provinces that were under his
+rule making proclamation of safety and security, and doing as do the
+kings; and he was incomparable among the people of his age in glory and
+courage, and in justice to the people.
+
+Now it came to pass that the old king, the father of Bedr Basim, fell
+sick one day, whereupon his heart throbbed, and he felt that he was
+about to be removed to the mansion of eternity. Then his malady
+increased so that he was at the point of death. He therefore summoned
+his son, and charged him to take care of his subjects and his mother and
+all the lords of his empire and all the dependants. He also made them
+swear, and covenanted with them a second time, that they would obey his
+son; and he confided in their oaths. And after this he remained a few
+days, and was admitted to the mercy of God, whose name be exalted! His
+son Bedr Basim, and his wife Gulnare and the emeers and viziers and the
+lords of the empire, mourned over him; and they made for him a tomb, and
+buried him in it, and continued the ceremonies of mourning for him a
+whole month. Saleh, the brother of Gulnare, and her mother, and the
+daughters of her uncle, also came, and consoled them for the loss of the
+king; and they said: "O Gulnare, if the king hath died, he hath left
+this ingenuous youth, and he who hath left such as he is hath not died.
+This is he who hath not an equal, the crushing lion, and the splendid
+moon." Then the lords of the empire, and the grandees, went in to the
+King Bedr Basim, and said to him: "O King, there is no harm in mourning
+for the king; but mourning becometh not any save women; therefore
+trouble not thy heart and ours by mourning for thy father; for he hath
+died and left thee, and he who hath left such as thou art hath not
+died." They proceeded to address him with soft words, and to console
+him, and after that they conducted him into the bath; and when he came
+forth from the bath, he put on a magnificent suit woven of gold, adorned
+with jewels and jacinths, and he put the royal crown upon his head,
+seated himself upon the throne of his kingdom, and performed the affairs
+of the people, deciding equitably between the strong and the weak, and
+exacting for the poor man his due from the emeer; wherefore the people
+loved him exceedingly. Thus he continued to do for the space of a whole
+year; and after every short period, his family of the sea visited him;
+so his life was pleasant, and his eye was cheerful: and he ceased not to
+live in this state until he was visited by the terminator of delights
+and the separator of companions. This is the end of their story. The
+mercy of God be on them all!
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP
+
+
+In the capital of one of the large and rich provinces of the kingdom of
+China there lived a tailor, named Mustapha, who was so poor that he
+could hardly, by his daily labour, maintain himself and his family,
+which consisted of a wife and son.
+
+His son, who was called Aladdin, had been brought up in a very careless
+and idle manner, and by that means had contracted many vicious habits.
+He was obstinate, and disobedient to his father and mother, who, when he
+grew up, could not keep him within doors. He was in the habit of going
+out early in the morning, and would stay out all day, playing in the
+streets with idle children of his own age.
+
+When he was old enough to learn a trade, his father, not being able to
+put him out to any other, took him into his own shop, and taught him how
+to use his needle: but neither fair words nor the fear of chastisement
+were capable of fixing his lively genius. All his father's endeavours to
+keep him to his work were in vain; for no sooner was his back turned,
+than he was gone for that day. Mustapha chastised him, but Aladdin was
+incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief, was forced to abandon
+him to his idleness: and was so much troubled at not being able to
+reclaim him, that it threw him into a fit of sickness, of which he died
+in a few months.
+
+The mother, finding that her son would not follow his father's business,
+shut up the shop, sold off the implements of trade, and with the money
+she received for them, and what she could get by spinning cotton,
+thought to maintain herself and her son.
+
+Aladdin, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father, and
+who cared so little for his mother that whenever she chid him he would
+abuse her, gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never
+out of the streets from his companions. This course he followed till he
+was fifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or
+the least reflection on what would become of him. In this situation, as
+he was one day playing with his vagabond associates, a stranger passing
+by stood to observe him.
+
+This stranger was a sorcerer, called the African magician; as he was a
+native of Africa, and had been but two days arrived from thence.
+
+The African magician, who was a good physiognomist, observing in
+Aladdin's countenance something absolutely necessary for the execution
+of the design he was engaged in, inquired artfully about his family, who
+he was, and what were his inclinations; and when he had learned all he
+desired to know, went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades,
+said: "Child, was not your father called Mustapha, the tailor?" "Yes,
+sir," answered the boy; "but he has been dead a long time."
+
+At these words, the African magician threw his arms about Aladdin's
+neck, and kissed him several times with tears in his eyes. Aladdin, who
+observed his tears, asked him what made him weep. "Alas! my son," cried
+the African magician with a sigh, "how can I forbear? I am your uncle;
+your worthy father was my own brother. I have been many years abroad,
+and now I am come home with the hopes of seeing him, you tell me he is
+dead. But it is some relief to my affliction, that I knew you at first
+sight, you are so like him." Then he asked Aladdin, putting his hand
+into his purse, where his mother lived, and as soon as he had informed
+him, gave him a handful of small money, saying: "Go, my son, to your
+mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her
+to-morrow, that I may have the satisfaction of seeing where my good
+brother lived so long."
+
+As soon as the African magician left his newly-adopted nephew, Aladdin
+ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given him.
+"Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" "No, child," replied his mother,
+"you have no uncle by your father's side, or mine." "I am just now
+come," said Aladdin, "from a man who says he is my uncle on my father's
+side. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was dead; and to
+show you that what I tell you is truth," added he, pulling out the
+money, "see what he has given me; he charged me to give his love to you,
+and to tell you that to-morrow he will come and pay you a visit, that he
+may see the house my father lived and died in." "Indeed, child," replied
+the mother, "your father had a brother, but he has been dead a long
+time, and I never heard of another."
+
+The mother and son talked no more then of the African magician; but the
+next day Aladdin's uncle found him playing in another part of the town
+with other youths, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold
+into his hand, and said to him: "Carry this, child, to your mother, tell
+her that I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something
+for supper; but first show me the house where you live."
+
+After Aladdin had showed the African magician the house, he carried the
+two pieces of gold to his mother, and when he had told her of his
+uncle's intention, she went out and bought provisions. She spent the
+whole day in preparing the supper; and at night, when it was ready, said
+to her son: "Perhaps your uncle knows not how to find our house; go and
+bring him if you meet with him."
+
+Though Aladdin had showed the magician the house, he was ready to go,
+when somebody knocked at the door, which he immediately opened; and the
+magician came in loaded with wine, and all sorts of fruits, which he
+brought for a dessert.
+
+After the African magician had given what he brought into Aladdin's
+hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to shew him the place
+where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when she had so
+done, he fell down and kissed it several times, crying out with tears in
+his eyes: "My poor brother! how unhappy am I, not to have come soon
+enough to give you one last embrace." Aladdin's mother desired him to
+sit down in the same place, but he declined. "No," said he, "but give me
+leave to sit opposite, that although I am deprived of the satisfaction
+of seeing one so dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of
+beholding the place where he used to sit."
+
+When the magician had sat down, he began to enter into discourse with
+Aladdin's mother: "My good sister," said he, "do not be surprised at
+your never having seen me all the time you were married to my brother
+Mustapha. I have been forty years absent from this country, which is my
+native place, as well as my late brother's; and during that time have
+travelled into the Indies, Persia, Arabia, Syria, and Egypt; have
+resided in the finest towns of those countries; and afterward crossed
+over into Africa, where I made a longer stay. At last, as it is natural
+for a man to remember his native country, I was desirous to see mine
+again, and to embrace my dear brother; and finding I had strength enough
+to undertake so long a journey, I immediately made the necessary
+preparations, and set out. I will not tell you the length of time it
+took me, all the obstacles I met with, and what fatigues I have endured
+to come hither; but nothing ever afflicted me so much, as hearing of my
+brother's death. I observed his features in the face of my nephew, your
+son, and distinguished him among a number of lads with whom he was at
+play; he can tell you how I received the most melancholy news that ever
+reached my ears. But God be praised for all things! it is a comfort for
+me to find, as it were, my brother in a son, who has his most remarkable
+features."
+
+The African magician, perceiving that the widow began to weep at the
+remembrance of her husband, changed the conversation, and turning toward
+her son, asked him his name. "I am called Aladdin," said he. "Well,
+Aladdin," replied the magician, "what business do you follow? Are you of
+any trade?"
+
+At this question the youth hung down his head, and was not a little
+abashed when his mother answered: "Aladdin is an idle fellow; his
+father, when alive, strove all he could to teach him his trade, but
+could not succeed; and since his death he does nothing but idle away his
+time in the streets, as you saw him, without considering he is no longer
+a child; and if you do not make him ashamed of it, I despair of his ever
+coming to any good. He knows that his father left him no fortune, and
+sees me endeavour to get bread by spinning cotton; for my part, I am
+resolved one of these days to turn him out of doors, and let him provide
+for himself."
+
+After these words, Aladdin's mother burst into tears; and the magician
+said: "This is not well, nephew; you must think of getting your
+livelihood. There are many sorts of trades, consider if you have not an
+inclination to some of them; perhaps you did not like your father's and
+would prefer another; come, do not disguise your sentiments from me; I
+will endeavour to help you." But finding that Aladdin returned no
+answer, "If you have no mind," continued he, "to learn any handicraft, I
+will take a shop for you, furnish it with all sorts of fine stuffs and
+linens; and with the money you make of them lay in fresh goods, and then
+you will live in an honourable way. Consult your inclination, and tell
+me freely what you think of my proposal."
+
+This plan greatly flattered Aladdin, who hated work but had sense enough
+to know that such shops were much frequented and the owners respected.
+He told the magician he had a greater inclination to that business than
+to any other, and that he should be much obliged to him for his
+kindness. "Since this profession is agreeable to you," said the African
+magician, "I will carry you with me to-morrow, clothe you as handsomely
+as the best merchants in the city, and afterward we will think of
+opening a shop as I mentioned."
+
+The widow, who never till then could believe that the magician was her
+husband's brother, no longer doubted after his promises of kindness to
+her son. She thanked him for his good intentions; and after having
+exhorted Aladdin to render himself worthy of his uncle's favour by good
+behaviour, served up supper, at which they talked of several indifferent
+matters; and then the magician, who saw that the night was pretty far
+advanced, took his leave, and retired.
+
+He came again the next day, as he had promised, and took Aladdin with
+him to a merchant, who sold all sorts of clothes for different ages and
+ranks ready made, and a variety of fine stuffs. He asked to see some
+that suited Aladdin in size; and Aladdin, charmed with the liberality of
+his new uncle, made choice of one, and the magician immediately paid for
+it.
+
+When the boy found himself so handsomely equipped, he returned his uncle
+thanks; who promised never to forsake him, but always to take him along
+with him; which he did to the most frequented places in the city, and
+particularly where the principal merchants kept their shops. When he
+brought him into the street where they sold the richest stuffs and
+finest linens, he said to Aladdin: "As you are soon to be a merchant, it
+is proper you should frequent these shops, and be acquainted with them."
+He then showed him the largest and finest mosques, carried him to the
+khans or inns where the merchants and travellers lodged, and afterward
+to the sultan's palace, where he had free access; and at last brought
+him to his own khan, where, meeting with some merchants he had become
+acquainted with since his arrival, he gave them a treat, to bring them
+and his pretended nephew acquainted.
+
+This entertainment lasted till night, when Aladdin would have taken
+leave of his uncle to go home, but the magician would not let him go by
+himself, but conducted him to his mother, who, as soon as she saw him so
+well dressed, was transported with joy, and bestowed a thousand
+blessings upon the magician, for being at so great an expense for her
+child. "Generous relation!" said she, "I know not how to thank you for
+your liberality! I wish you may live long enough to witness my son's
+gratitude, which he cannot better shew than by regulating his conduct by
+your good advice."
+
+"Aladdin," replied the magician, "is a good boy, and I believe we shall
+do very well; but I am sorry for one thing, which is, that I cannot
+perform to-morrow what I promised, because, as it is Friday, the shops
+will be shut up, and therefore we cannot hire or furnish one till
+Saturday. I will, however, call on him to-morrow and take him to walk in
+the gardens, where people of the best fashion generally resort. Perhaps
+he has never seen these amusements, he has only hitherto been among
+children; but now he must see men." The African magician then took his
+leave of the mother and the son, and retired.
+
+Aladdin rose early the next morning, dressed himself to be ready, and
+after he had waited some time began to be impatient and stood watching
+at the door; but as soon as he perceived his uncle coming, he told his
+mother, took his leave of her, and ran to meet him.
+
+The magician caressed Aladdin, and said: "Come, my dear child, and I
+will shew you fine things." He then led him out at one of the gates of
+the city, to some magnificent palaces, to each of which belonged
+beautiful gardens, into which anybody might enter. At every building he
+came to, he asked Aladdin if he did not think it fine; and the youth was
+ready to answer when any one presented itself, crying out: "Here is a
+finer house, uncle, than any we have seen yet." By this artifice, the
+cunning magician led Aladdin some way into the country; and as he meant
+to carry him farther, pretending to be tired, he took an opportunity to
+sit down in one of the gardens on the brink of a fountain of clear
+water, which discharged itself by a lion's mouth of bronze into a basin:
+"Come, nephew," said he, "you must be weary as well as I; let us rest
+ourselves, and we shall be better able to pursue our walk."
+
+After they had sat down, the magician pulled from his girdle a
+handkerchief with cakes and fruit, which he had provided, and laid them
+on the edge of the basin. He broke a cake in two, gave one half to
+Aladdin and ate the other himself; and in regard to the fruit, left him
+at liberty to take which sort he liked best. During this short repast,
+he exhorted his nephew to leave off keeping company with vagabonds, and
+seek that of wise and prudent men, to improve by their conversation;
+"For," said he, "you will soon be at man's estate, and you cannot too
+early begin to imitate their example." When they had eaten as much as
+they liked, they pursued their walk through gardens separated from one
+another only by small ditches, which marked out the limits without
+interrupting the communication; so great was the confidence the
+inhabitants reposed in each other. By this means, the African magician
+drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the gardens, and crossed the country,
+till they nearly reached the mountains.
+
+Aladdin, who had never been so far before, began to find himself much
+tired, and said to the magician: "Where are we going, uncle? We have
+left the gardens a great way behind us, and I see nothing but mountains;
+if we go much farther, I do not know whether I shall be able to reach
+the town again!" "Never fear, nephew," said the false uncle; "I will
+shew you another garden which surpasses all we have yet seen; and when
+we come there, you will say that you would have been sorry to have been
+so nigh, and not seen it." Aladdin was soon persuaded; and the magician,
+to make the way seem shorter and less fatiguing, told him a great many
+stories.
+
+At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height, and equal
+size, divided by a narrow valley, which was the place where the magician
+intended to execute the design that had brought him from Africa to
+China. "We will go no farther now," said he to Aladdin: "I will shew you
+here some extraordinary things, which, when you have seen, you will
+thank me for: but while I strike a light, gather up all the loose dry
+sticks you can see, to kindle a fire with."
+
+Aladdin collected a great heap and the magician presently set them on
+fire, and when they were in a blaze, threw in some incense which raised
+a cloud of smoke. This he dispersed on each side, by pronouncing several
+magical words which the lad did not understand.
+
+At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the magician,
+and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass ring fixed into
+the middle. Aladdin was so frightened at what he saw, that he would have
+run away; but the magician caught hold of him, abused him, and gave him
+such a box on the ear that he knocked him down. Aladdin got up
+trembling, and with tears in his eyes, said to the magician: "What have
+I done, uncle, to be treated in this severe manner?" "I have my
+reasons," answered the magician; "I am your uncle, I supply the place of
+your father, and you ought to make no reply. But, child," added he,
+softening, "do not be afraid; for I shall not ask anything of you, but
+that you obey me punctually, if you would reap the advantages which I
+intend you." These fair promises calmed Aladdin's fears and resentment;
+and when the magician saw that he was appeased, he said to him: "You see
+what I have done by virtue of my incense, and the words I pronounced.
+Know then, that under this stone there is hidden a treasure, destined to
+be yours, and which will make you richer than the greatest monarch in
+the world: no person but yourself is permitted to lift this stone, or
+enter the cave; so you must punctually execute what I may command, for
+it is a matter of great consequence both to you and me."
+
+Aladdin, amazed at all he saw and heard the magician say of the treasure
+which was to make him happy forevermore, forgot what was past, and
+rising, said: "Well, uncle, what is to be done? Command me, I am ready
+to obey." "I am overjoyed, child," said the African magician, embracing
+him; "take hold of the ring, and lift up that stone." "Indeed, uncle,"
+replied Aladdin, "I am not strong enough; you must help me." "You have
+no occasion for my assistance," answered the magician; "if I help you,
+we shall be able to do nothing; take hold of the ring, pronounce
+the names of your father and grandfather, then lift it up, and you will
+find it will come easily." Aladdin did as the magician bade him, raised
+the stone with ease, and laid it on one side.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the magician,
+and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass ring fixed into
+the middle._
+
+When the stone was pulled up, there appeared a cavity of about three or
+four feet deep, with a little door, and steps to go down lower.
+"Observe, my son," said the African magician, "what I direct. Descend
+into the cave, and when you are at the bottom of those steps you will
+find a door which will lead you into a spacious vault, divided into
+three great halls, in each of which you will see four large brass
+cisterns placed on each side, full of gold and silver; but take care you
+do not meddle with them. Before you enter the first hall, be sure to
+tuck up your vest, wrap it about you, and then pass through the second
+into the third without stopping. Above all, have a care that you do not
+touch the walls; for if you do, you will die instantly. At the end of
+the third hall, you will find a door which opens into a garden planted
+with fine trees loaded with fruit; walk directly across the garden by a
+path which will lead you to five steps that will bring you upon a
+terrace, where you will see a niche before you, and in that niche a
+lighted lamp. Take the lamp down, and extinguish it: when you have
+thrown away the wick, and poured out the liquor, put it in your vestband
+and bring it to me. Do not be afraid that the liquor will spoil your
+clothes, for it is not oil; and the lamp will be dry as soon as it is
+thrown out. If you should wish for any of the fruit of the garden, you
+may gather as much as you please."
+
+After these words, the magician drew a ring off his finger, and put it
+on one of Aladdin's, telling him that it was a preservative against all
+evil, while he should observe what he had prescribed to him. After this
+instruction he said: "Go down boldly, child, and we shall both be rich
+all our lives."
+
+Aladdin jumped into the cave, descended the steps, and found the three
+halls just as the African magician had described. He went through them
+with all the precaution the fear of death could inspire; crossed the
+garden without stopping, took down the lamp from the niche, threw out
+the wick and the liquor, and, as the magician had desired, put it in his
+vestband. But as he came down from the terrace, he stopped in the garden
+to observe the fruit, which he only had a glimpse of in crossing it. All
+the trees were loaded with extraordinary fruit, of different colours on
+each tree. Some bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and
+transparent as crystal; some pale red, and others deeper; some green,
+blue, and purple, and others yellow: in short, there was fruit of all
+colours. The white were pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the
+deep red, rubies; the green, emeralds; the blue, turquoises; the purple,
+amethysts; and those that were of yellow cast, sapphires. Aladdin was
+altogether ignorant of their worth, and would have preferred figs and
+grapes, or any other fruits. But though he took them only for coloured
+glass of little value, yet he was so pleased with the variety of the
+colours, and the beauty and extraordinary size of the seeming fruit,
+that he resolved to gather some of every sort; and accordingly filled
+the two new purses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes. Some
+he wrapped up in the skirts of his vest, which was of silk, large and
+full, and he crammed his bosom as full as it could hold.
+
+Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches, returned through the
+three halls with the same precaution, made all the haste he could, that
+he might not make his uncle wait, and soon arrived at the mouth of the
+cave, where the African magician expected him with the utmost
+impatience. As soon as Aladdin saw him, he cried out: "Pray, uncle, lend
+me your hand, to help me out." "Give me the lamp first," replied the
+magician; "it will be troublesome to you." "Indeed, uncle," answered
+Aladdin, "I cannot now; it is not troublesome to me: but I will as soon
+as I am up." The African magician was so obstinate, that he would have
+the lamp before he would help him up; and Aladdin, who had encumbered
+himself so much with his fruit that he could not well get at it, refused
+to give it to him till he was out of the cave. The African magician,
+provoked at this obstinate refusal, flew into a passion, threw a little
+of his incense into the fire, which he had taken care to keep in, and no
+sooner pronounced two magical words, than the stone which had closed the
+mouth of the cave moved into its place, with the earth over it in the
+same manner as it lay at the arrival of the magician and Aladdin.
+
+This action of the African magician's plainly shewed him to be neither
+Aladdin's uncle, nor Mustapha the tailor's brother; but a true African.
+Africa is a country whose inhabitants delight most in magic of any in
+the whole world, and he had applied himself to it from his youth. After
+forty years' experience in enchantments and reading of magic books, he
+had found out that there was in the world a wonderful lamp, the
+possession of which would render him more powerful than any monarch; and
+by a late operation of geomancy, he had discovered that this lamp lay
+concealed in a subterranean place in the midst of China. Fully persuaded
+of the truth of this discovery, he set out from the farthest part of
+Africa; and after a long and fatiguing journey came to the town nearest
+to this treasure. But though he had a certain knowledge of the place
+where the lamp was, he was not permitted to take it himself, nor to
+enter the subterranean place, but must receive it from the hands of
+another person. For this reason he had addressed himself to Aladdin,
+whom he looked upon as a lad fit to serve his purpose, resolving, as
+soon as he should get the lamp into his hands, to sacrifice him to his
+avarice and wickedness, by making the fumigation mentioned before, and
+repeating two magical words, the effect of which would remove the stone
+into its place, so that no witness would remain of the transaction.
+
+The blow he had given Aladdin was intended to make him obey the more
+readily, and give him the lamp as soon as he should ask for it. But his
+too great precipitation, and his fear lest somebody should come that way
+and discover what he wished to keep secret, produced an effect quite
+contrary to what he had proposed.
+
+When the African magician saw that all his hopes were frustrated
+forever, he returned the same day for Africa; but went quite round the
+town, and at some distance from it, lest some persons who had observed
+him walk out with the boy, on seeing him come back without him, should
+entertain suspicions, and stop him.
+
+According to all appearances, there was no prospect of Aladdin being
+heard of any more. But the magician, when he had contrived his death,
+forgot the ring he had put upon his finger, which preserved him, though
+he knew not its virtue. It may seem astonishing that the loss of that,
+together with the lamp, did not drive the magician to despair; but
+magicians are so much used to misfortunes that they do not lay them to
+heart, but still feed themselves, to the end of life, with unsubstantial
+notions and chimeras.
+
+The surprise of Aladdin, who had never suspected this treachery from his
+pretended uncle, is more easily to be imagined than expressed. When he
+found himself buried alive, he cried, and called out to his uncle, to
+tell him he was ready to give him the lamp; but in vain, since his cries
+could not be heard. He descended to the bottom of the steps, with a
+design to get into the garden, but the door, which was opened before by
+enchantment, was now shut by the same means. He then redoubled his
+cries, sat down on the steps, without any hopes of ever seeing light
+again, and in a melancholy certainty of passing from the present
+darkness into that of a speedy death.
+
+Aladdin remained in this state two days, without eating or drinking, and
+on the third looked upon death as inevitable. Clasping his hands with
+resignation to the will of God, he said: "There is no strength or power
+but in the great and high God." In joining his hands he rubbed the ring
+which the magician had put on his finger, and of which he knew not yet
+the virtue. Immediately a genie of enormous size and frightful aspect
+rose out of the earth, his head reaching the roof of the vault, and said
+to him: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as the slave of
+all who may possess the ring on thy finger; I, and the other slaves of
+that ring."
+
+At another time, Aladdin, who had not been used to such appearances,
+would have been so frightened at the sight of so extraordinary a figure
+that he would not have been able to speak; but the danger he was in made
+him answer without hesitation: "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this
+place, if thou art able." He had no sooner spoken these words, than he
+found himself on the very spot where the magician had caused the earth
+to open.
+
+It was some time before his eyes could bear the light, after being so
+long in total darkness: but after he had endeavoured by degrees to
+support it, and began to look about him, he was much surprised not to
+find the earth open, and could not comprehend how he had got so soon out
+of its bowels. There was nothing to be seen but the place where the fire
+had been, by which he could nearly judge the situation of the cave. Then
+turning himself toward the town, he perceived it at a distance in the
+midst of the gardens that surrounded it, and saw the way by which the
+magician had brought him. Returning God thanks to find himself once more
+in the world, he made the best of his way home. When he got within his
+mother's door, the joy of seeing her and his weakness for want of food
+for three days made him faint, and he remained for a long time as dead.
+His mother, who had given him over for lost, seeing him in this
+condition, omitted nothing to bring him to himself. As soon as he
+recovered, the first words he spoke were: "Pray, mother, give me
+something to eat, for I have not put a morsel of anything into my mouth
+these three days." His mother brought what she had, and set it before
+him. "My son," said she, "be not too eager, for it is dangerous; eat but
+little at a time, and take care of yourself. Besides, I would not have
+you talk; you will have time enough to tell me what has happened to you
+when you are recovered. It is a great comfort to me to see you again,
+after the affliction I have been in since Friday, and the pains I have
+taken to learn what was become of you."
+
+Aladdin took his mother's advice, and ate and drank moderately. When he
+had done, "Mother," said he to her, "I cannot help complaining of you,
+for abandoning me so easily to the discretion of a man who had a design
+to kill me, and who at this very moment thinks my death certain. You
+believed he was my uncle, as well as I; and what other thoughts could we
+entertain of a man who was so kind to me? but I must tell you, mother,
+he is a rogue and a cheat, and only made me those promises to accomplish
+my death; but for what reason neither you nor I can guess. You shall
+judge yourself, when you have heard all that passed from the time I left
+you, till he came to the execution of his wicked design."
+
+Aladdin then related to his mother all that had happened to him, from
+the Friday when the magician took him to see the palaces and gardens
+about the town, till they came to the place between the two mountains
+where the great deed was to be performed; how, with incense which the
+magician threw into the fire, and some magical words which he
+pronounced, the earth opened, and discovered a cave, which led to an
+inestimable treasure. He did not forget the blow the magician had given
+him, and in what manner he softened again, and engaged him by great
+promises, and putting a ring on his finger, to go down into the cave. He
+did not omit the least circumstance of what he saw in crossing the three
+halls and the garden, and his taking the lamp, which he pulled out of
+his bosom and shewed to his mother: as well as the transparent fruit of
+different colours, which he had gathered in the garden as he returned.
+But, though these fruits were precious stones, brilliant as the sun, she
+was as ignorant of their worth as her son. She had been bred in a low
+rank of life, and her husband's poverty prevented his being possessed of
+jewels, nor had she, her relations, or neighbours ever seen any; so that
+we must not wonder that she regarded them as things of no value.
+
+Aladdin put them behind one of the cushions of the sofa, and continued
+his story. When he had come to an end, Aladdin said to his mother: "I
+need say no more! this is my adventure, and the dangers I have been
+exposed to since you saw me."
+
+His mother heard with much interest this surprising relation,
+notwithstanding it could be no small affliction to a mother who loved
+her son tenderly; but yet in the most moving part, which discovered the
+perfidy of the African magician, she could not help showing, by marks of
+the greatest indignation, how much she detested him; and when her son
+had finished his story, she broke out into a thousand reproaches against
+that vile impostor. She called him perfidious traitor, barbarian,
+assassin, deceiver, magician, and an enemy and destroyer of mankind.
+"Without doubt, child," added she, "he is a magician, and they are
+plagues to the world, and by their enchantments and sorceries have
+commerce with the devil. Bless God for preserving you from his wicked
+designs; for your death would have been inevitable, if you had not
+called upon Him, and implored His assistance." She said a great deal
+more against the magician's treachery; but finding that whilst she
+talked, Aladdin began to doze, she left him to his repose, and retired.
+
+Aladdin, who had not closed his eyes while he was in the subterranean
+abode, slept very soundly till late the next morning; when the first
+thing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something to eat, and
+that she could not do him a greater kindness than to give him his
+breakfast. "Alas! child," said she, "I have not a bit of bread to give
+you, you ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but
+have a little patience, and it shall not be long before I will bring you
+some: I have a little cotton, which I have spun; I will go and sell it,
+buy bread, and something for our dinner." "Mother," replied Aladdin,
+"keep your cotton for another time, and give me the lamp I brought home
+with me yesterday; I will go and sell it, and the money I shall get for
+it will serve both for breakfast and dinner, and perhaps supper too."
+
+Aladdin's mother took the lamp, and said to her son: "Here it is, but it
+is very dirty; if it was a little cleaner I believe it would bring
+something more." She took some fine sand and water to clean it; but had
+no sooner begun to rub it, than in an instant a hideous genie of
+gigantic size appeared before her, and said to her in a voice like
+thunder: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I and the
+other slaves of the lamp."
+
+Aladdin's mother, terrified at the sight of the genie, fainted; when the
+lad, who had seen such another phantom in the cavern, snatched the lamp
+out of his mother's hand, and said to the genie boldly: "I am hungry,
+bring me something to eat." The genie disappeared immediately, and in an
+instant returned with a large silver tray, holding twelve covered dishes
+of the same metal, which contained the most delicious viands; six large
+white bread-cakes on two plates, two flagons of wine, and two silver
+cups. All these he placed upon a carpet, and disappeared: this was done
+before Aladdin's mother recovered from her swoon.
+
+Aladdin fetched some water, and sprinkled it in her face, to recover
+her: whether that or the smell of the meat brought her to life again, it
+was not long before she came to herself. "Mother," said Aladdin, "do not
+mind this; here is what will put you in heart, and at the same time
+satisfy my extreme hunger: do not let such delicious meat get cold."
+
+His mother was much surprised to see the great tray, twelve dishes, six
+loaves, the two flagons and cups, and to smell the savoury odour which
+exhaled from the dishes. "Child," said she, "to whom are we obliged for
+this great plenty and liberality; has the sultan been made acquainted
+with our poverty, and had compassion on us?" "It is no matter, mother,"
+said Aladdin; "let us sit down and eat, for you have almost as much need
+of breakfast as myself; when we have done, I will tell you."
+Accordingly, both mother and son sat down, and ate with the better
+relish as the table was so well furnished. But all the time Aladdin's
+mother could not forbear looking at and admiring the dishes, though she
+could not judge whether they were silver or any other metal, and the
+novelty more than the value attracted her attention.
+
+The mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and then
+they thought it would be best to put the two meals together; yet after
+this they found they should have enough left for supper, and two meals
+for the next day.
+
+When Aladdin's mother had taken away what was left, she went and sat by
+her son on the sofa, saying: "I expect now that you should satisfy my
+impatience, and tell me exactly what passed between the genie and you
+while I was in a swoon;" which he readily complied with.
+
+She was in as great amazement at what her son told her, as at the
+appearance of the genie; and said to him: "But, son, what have we to do
+with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had ever seen
+one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me, and not to you,
+to whom he had appeared before in the cave?" "Mother," answered Aladdin,
+"the genie you saw is not the one who appeared to me, though he
+resembles him in size; no, they had quite different persons and habits;
+they belong to different masters. If you remember, he that I first saw
+called himself the slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw,
+called himself the slave of the lamp you had in your hand: but I believe
+you did not hear him, for I think you fainted as soon as he began to
+speak."
+
+"What!" cried the mother, "was your lamp then the occasion of that
+cursed genie's addressing himself rather to me than to you? Ah! my son,
+take it out of my sight, and put it where you please. I will never touch
+it. I had rather you would sell it, than run the hazard of being
+frightened to death again by touching it: and if you would take my
+advice, you would part also with the ring, and not have anything to do
+with genies, who, as our prophet has told us, are only devils."
+
+"With your leave, mother," replied Aladdin, "I shall take care how I
+sell a lamp which may be so serviceable both to you and me. Have you not
+been an eye-witness of what it has procured us? and it shall still
+continue to furnish us with subsistence. My false and wicked uncle would
+not have taken so much pains, and undertaken so long a journey, if it
+had not been to get into his possession this wonderful lamp, which he
+preferred before all the gold and silver which he knew was in the halls.
+He knew too well the worth of this lamp, not to prefer it to so great a
+treasure; and since chance hath discovered the virtue of it to us, let
+us make a profitable use of it, without making any great show, and
+exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbours. However, since the
+genies frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put
+it where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot resolve to part
+with; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I am
+alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I might not be so some moments
+hence; therefore I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear
+it always on my finger. Who knows what dangers you and I may be exposed
+to, which neither of us can foresee, and from which it may deliver us?"
+As Aladdin's arguments were just, his mother had nothing to say against
+them; she only replied, that he might do what he pleased; for her part,
+she would have nothing to do with genies, but would wash her hands of
+them.
+
+By the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had
+brought: and the next day Aladdin, who could not bear the thought of
+hunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out early
+to sell it, and addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the streets,
+took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he would buy it.
+The cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found that
+it was good silver, asked Aladdin at how much he valued it. Aladdin, who
+knew not its value, and never had been used to such traffic, told him he
+would trust to his judgment and honour. The Jew was somewhat confounded
+at this plain dealing; and doubting whether Aladdin understood the
+material or the full value of what he offered to sell, took a piece of
+gold out of his purse and gave it to him, though it was but the sixtieth
+part of the worth of the plate. Aladdin, taking the money very eagerly,
+retired with so much haste, that the Jew, not content with the
+exorbitancy of his profit, was vexed he had not penetrated into his
+ignorance, and was going to run after him, to endeavour to get some
+change out of the piece of gold; but the lad ran so fast, and had got so
+far, that it would have been impossible for him to overtake him.
+
+Before Aladdin went home, he called at a baker's, bought some cakes of
+bread, changed his money, and on his return gave the rest to his mother,
+who went and purchased provisions enough to last them some time. After
+this manner they lived, till Aladdin had sold the twelve dishes singly,
+as necessity pressed, to the Jew, for the same money; who, after the
+first time, durst not offer him less, for fear of losing so good a
+bargain. When he had sold the last dish, he had recourse to the tray,
+which weighed ten times as much as the dishes, and would have carried it
+to his old purchaser, but that it was too large and cumbersome;
+therefore he was obliged to bring him home with him to his mother's,
+where, after the Jew had examined the weight of the tray, he laid down
+ten pieces of gold, with which Aladdin was very well satisfied.
+
+They lived on these ten pieces in a frugal manner, for Aladdin, though
+formerly used to an idle life, had left off playing with young lads of
+his own age ever since his adventure with the African magician. He spent
+his time in walking about, and conversing with decent people, with whom
+he gradually got acquainted. Sometimes he would stop at the principal
+merchants' shops, where people of distinction met, and listen to their
+discourse, by which he gained some little knowledge of the world.
+
+When all the money was spent, Aladdin had recourse again to the lamp. He
+took it in his hand, looked for the part where his mother had rubbed it
+with the sand, and rubbed it also, when the genie immediately appeared,
+and said: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I, and the
+other slaves of the lamp." "I am hungry," said Aladdin; "bring me
+something to eat." The genie disappeared, and presently returned with a
+tray, and the same number of covered dishes as before, set them down,
+and vanished.
+
+Aladdin's mother, knowing what her son was going to do, went out about
+some business, on purpose to avoid being in the way when the genie came;
+and when she returned, was almost as much surprised as before at the
+prodigious effect of the lamp. However, she sat down with her son, and
+when they had eaten as much as they liked, she set enough by to last
+them two or three days.
+
+As soon as Aladdin found that their provisions were expended, he took
+one of the dishes, and went to look for his Jew again; but passing by
+the shop of a goldsmith, who had the character of a very fair and honest
+man, the goldsmith perceiving him, called to him, and said: "My lad, I
+have often observed you go by, loaded as you are at present, and talk
+with such a Jew, and then come back again empty-handed. I imagine that
+you carry something which you sell to him; but perhaps you do not know
+that he is the greatest rogue even among the Jews, and that nobody of
+prudence will have anything to do with him. If you will shew me what you
+now carry, and it is to be sold, I will give you the full worth of it;
+or I will direct you to other merchants who will not cheat you."
+
+The hopes of getting more money for his plate induced Aladdin to pull it
+from under his vest, and shew it to the goldsmith, who at first sight
+saw that it was made of the finest silver and asked him if he had sold
+such as that to the Jew, when Aladdin told him that he had sold him
+twelve such, for a piece of gold each. "What a villain!" cried the
+goldsmith; "but," added he, "my son, what is past cannot be recalled. By
+shewing you the value of this plate, which is of the finest silver we
+use in our shops, I will let you see how much the Jew has cheated you."
+
+The goldsmith took a pair of scales, weighed the dish, and after he had
+mentioned how much an ounce of fine silver was worth, assured him that
+his plate would fetch by weight sixty pieces of gold, which he offered
+to pay down immediately. "If you dispute my honesty," said he, "you may
+go to any other of our trade, and if he gives you more, I will be bound
+to forfeit twice as much!"
+
+Aladdin thanked him for his fair dealing, so greatly to his advantage,
+took the gold, and never after went to any other person, but sold him
+all his dishes and the tray.
+
+Though Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure in their
+lamp, and might have had whatever they wished for, yet they lived with
+the same frugality as before, except that Aladdin dressed better; as for
+his mother, she wore no clothes but what she earned by spinning cotton.
+After their manner of living, it may easily be supposed that the money
+for which Aladdin had sold the dishes and tray was sufficient to
+maintain them for some time.
+
+During this interval, Aladdin frequented the shops of the principal
+merchants, where they sold cloth of gold and silver, linens, silk
+stuffs, and jewelry, and oftentimes joining in their conversation,
+acquired a knowledge of the world, and respectable demeanour. By his
+acquaintance among the jewellers, he came to know that the fruits which
+he had gathered when he took the lamp were, instead of coloured glass,
+stones of inestimable value; but he had the prudence not to mention this
+to any one, not even to his mother.
+
+One day as Aladdin was walking about the town, he heard an order
+proclaimed, commanding the people to shut up their shops and houses, and
+keep within doors, while the Princess Badroulboudour, the sultan's
+daughter, went to the baths and returned.
+
+This proclamation inspired Aladdin with eager curiosity to see the
+princess's face, which he could not do without admission into the house
+of some acquaintance, and then only through a window; but to gratify his
+curiosity, he presently thought of a scheme, which succeeded; it was to
+place himself behind the door of the bath, which was so situated that he
+could not fail of seeing her face.
+
+Aladdin had not waited long before the princess came, and he could see
+her plainly through a chink of the door without being discovered. She
+was attended by a great crowd of ladies, slaves, and eunuchs, who walked
+on each side, and behind her. When she came within three or four paces
+of the door of the baths, she took off her veil, and gave Aladdin an
+opportunity of a full view.
+
+As soon as Aladdin had seen the princess, his heart could not withstand
+those inclinations so charming an object always inspires. She was the
+most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes were large, lively, and
+sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose was of a just proportion
+and without a fault, her mouth small, her lips of a vermilion red; in a
+word, all the features of her face were perfectly regular. It is not
+therefore surprising that Aladdin, who had never before seen such a
+blaze of charms, was dazzled, and his senses ravished by such an
+assemblage. With all these perfections the princess had so majestic an
+air, that the sight of her was sufficient to inspire love and
+admiration.
+
+After the princess had passed by, and entered the baths, Aladdin
+remained some time astonished and in a kind of ecstasy, retracing and
+imprinting the idea of so charming an object deeply in his mind, but at
+last, he resolved to quit his hiding-place and go home. He could not so
+far conceal his uneasiness but that his mother perceived it, was
+surprised to see him so much more thoughtful than usual; and asked if he
+were ill? He returned her no answer, but sat carelessly down on the
+sofa, and remained silently musing on the image of the charming
+Badroulboudour.
+
+After supper, his mother asked him again why he was so melancholy, but
+could get no information, and he determined to go to bed rather than
+give her the least satisfaction. As he sat next day on the sofa,
+opposite his mother, however, as she was spinning cotton, he spoke to
+her in these words: "I perceive, mother, that my silence yesterday has
+much troubled you; I was not, nor am I ill; but I assure you, that what
+I felt then, and now endure, is worse than any disease.
+
+"It was not proclaimed in this quarter of the town, and therefore you
+could know nothing of it, that the sultan's daughter was yesterday to go
+to the baths. I had a great curiosity to see her face; and as it
+occurred to me that when she came nigh the bath, she would pull her veil
+off, I resolved to conceal myself behind the door. She did so and I had
+the happiness of seeing her lovely face with the greatest security.
+This, mother, was the cause of my silence yesterday; I love the princess
+with more violence than I can express; and as my passion increases every
+moment, I am resolved to ask her in marriage of the sultan, her
+father."
+
+Aladdin's mother listened with interest to what her son told her; but
+when he talked of asking the princess in marriage, she could not help
+bursting out into a loud laugh. He would have gone on with his rhapsody,
+but she interrupted him: "Alas! child," said she, "what are you thinking
+of? you must be mad to talk thus."
+
+"I assure you, mother," replied Aladdin, "that I am not mad, but in my
+right senses; I foresaw that you would reproach me with folly and
+extravagance; but I must tell you once more, that I am resolved to
+demand the princess in marriage!"
+
+"Indeed, son," replied the mother seriously, "I cannot help telling you
+that you have forgotten yourself, and I do not see who will venture to
+make the proposal for you." "You yourself," replied he immediately. "I
+go to the sultan!" answered the mother, amazed. "I shall be cautious how
+I engage in such an errand. Why, who are you, son," continued she, "that
+you can have the assurance to think of your sultan's daughter? Have you
+forgotten that your father was one of the poorest tailors in the
+capital, and that I am of no better extraction; and do not you know that
+sultans never marry their daughters but to sons of sovereigns like
+themselves?"
+
+"Mother," answered Aladdin, "I foresaw all that you have said, or can
+say: and tell you that neither your discourse nor your remonstrances
+shall make me change my mind. I have told you that you must ask the
+princess in marriage for me. I beg of you not to refuse, unless you
+would rather see me in my grave, than by your compliance give me new
+life."
+
+The good old woman was much embarrassed, when she found Aladdin
+persisting in so wild a design. "My son," said she again, "I am your
+mother, and there is nothing that is reasonable but I would readily do
+for you. If I were to go and treat about your marriage with some
+neighbour's daughter, I would do it with all my heart; and even then
+they would expect you should have some little estate, or be of some
+trade. When such poor folks as we are wish to marry, the first thing
+they ought to think of, is how to live. But without reflecting on the
+meanness of your birth, and the little fortune you have to recommend
+you, you aim at the highest pitch of exaltation; and your pretensions
+are no less than to demand in marriage the daughter of your sovereign,
+who with one single word can crush you to pieces. How could so
+extraordinary a thought come into your head, as that I should go to the
+sultan and ask him to give his daughter in marriage to you? Suppose I
+had the impudence to present myself before the sultan, to whom should I
+address myself to be introduced to his majesty? Do you not think the
+first person I should speak to would take me for a mad woman, and
+chastise me as I should deserve? I know there is no difficulty to those
+who go to petition for justice, which the sultan distributes equally
+among his subjects; I know, too, that to those who ask a favour he
+grants it with pleasure when he sees it is deserved. But do you think
+you have merited the honour you would have me ask? What have you done to
+claim such a favour, either for your prince or country? How can I open
+my mouth to make the proposal to the sultan? His majestic presence and
+the lustre of his court would absolutely confound me. There is another
+reason, my son, which you do not think of, which is that nobody ever
+goes to ask a favour of the sultan without a present. But what presents
+have you to make? and what proportion could they bear to the favour you
+would ask? Therefore, reflect well, and consider that you aspire to an
+object which it is impossible for you to obtain."
+
+Aladdin heard very calmly all that his mother could say to dissuade him
+from his design, and after he had weighed her representations replied:
+"I own, mother, it is great rashness in me to presume to carry my
+pretensions so far; and a great want of consideration to ask you to go
+and make the proposal to the sultan, without first taking proper
+measures to procure a favourable reception, and I therefore beg your
+pardon. But be not surprised that I did not at first see every measure
+necessary to procure me the happiness I seek. I love the princess, and
+shall always persevere in my design of marrying her. I am obliged to you
+for the hint you have given me, and look upon it as the first step I
+ought to take to procure the happy issue I promise myself.
+
+"You say it is not customary to go to the sultan without a present, and
+that I have nothing worthy of his acceptance. Do not you think, mother,
+that what I brought home with me the day on which I was delivered from
+death may be an acceptable present? I mean those things that you and I
+both took for coloured glass: but now I can tell you that they are
+jewels of inestimable value. I know the worth of them by frequenting the
+shops; and you may take my word that all the precious stones which I saw
+in the jewellers' shops were not to be compared to those we have, either
+for size or beauty; I am persuaded that they will be received very
+favourably by the sultan: you have a large porcelain dish fit to hold
+them; fetch it, and let us see how they will look, when we have arranged
+them according to their different colours."
+
+Aladdin's mother brought the china dish, when he took the jewels out of
+the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in order
+according to his fancy. But the brightness and lustre they emitted in
+the daytime so dazzled the eyes both of mother and son, that they were
+astonished beyond measure; for they had only seen them by the light of a
+lamp; and though the latter had beheld them pendent on the trees like
+fruit beautiful to the eye, yet as he was then but a boy, he looked on
+them only as glittering playthings.
+
+After they had admired the beauty of the jewels some time, Aladdin said
+to his mother: "Now you cannot excuse yourself from going to the sultan,
+under pretext of not having a present to make him, since here is one
+which will gain you a favourable reception."
+
+Though the good widow did not believe the precious stones so valuable as
+her son estimated them, she thought such a present might nevertheless be
+agreeable to the sultan, but she still hesitated. "My son," said she, "I
+cannot conceive that the sultan will look upon me with a favourable eye;
+I am sure, that if I attempt to deliver your strange message, I shall
+have no power to open my mouth; therefore I shall not only lose my
+labour, but the present, which you say is so valuable, and shall return
+home again in confusion, to tell you that your hopes are frustrated.
+But," added she, "I will do my best to please you, though certainly the
+sultan will either laugh at me, or be in so great a rage, as to make us
+both the victims of his fury."
+
+She used many other arguments to endeavour to make Aladdin change his
+mind; but he persisted in importuning his mother to execute his
+resolution, and she, out of tenderness, complied with his request.
+
+As it was now late, and the time for admission to the palace was passed,
+the visit was put off till the next day. The mother and son talked of
+different matters the remaining hours; and Aladdin strove to encourage
+her in the task she had undertaken; while she could not persuade herself
+she should succeed; and it must be confessed she had reason enough to
+doubt. "Child," said she to Aladdin, "if the sultan should hear my
+proposal with calmness, and after this should think of asking me where
+lie your riches and your estate, what answer would you have me return
+him?"
+
+"Let us not be uneasy, mother," replied Aladdin, "about what may never
+happen. First, let us see how the sultan receives, and what answer he
+gives you. If he desires to be informed of what you mention, I am
+confident that the lamp will not fail me in time of need."
+
+The tailor's widow reflected that the lamp might be capable of doing
+greater wonders than just providing victuals for them, and this removed
+all the difficulties which might have prevented her from undertaking the
+service she had promised. Aladdin, who penetrated into his mother's
+thoughts, said to her: "Above all things, mother, be sure to keep secret
+our possession of the lamp, for thereon depends the success we have to
+expect;" and after this caution they parted to go to rest. Aladdin rose
+before daybreak, awakened his mother, pressing her to get herself
+dressed to go to the sultan's palace, and to get admittance, if
+possible, before the great officers of state went in to take their seats
+in the divan, where the sultan always assisted in person.
+
+Aladdin's mother took the china dish, in which they had put the jewels
+the day before, wrapped in two napkins, one finer than the other, which
+was tied at the four corners for more easy carriage, and set out for the
+palace. When she came to the gates, the grand vizier, the other viziers,
+and most distinguished lords of the court, were just gone in; but,
+notwithstanding the great crowd of people who had business there, she
+got into the divan, a spacious hall, the entrance into which was very
+magnificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, grand vizier,
+and the great lords, who sat in council, on his right and left hand.
+Several causes were called, according to their order, pleaded and
+adjudged, until the time the divan generally broke up, when the sultan
+rising, returned to his apartment, attended by the grand vizier; the
+other viziers and ministers of state then retired, as also did all those
+whose business had called them thither; some pleased with gaining their
+causes, others dissatisfied at the sentences pronounced against them,
+and some in expectation of being heard the next sitting.
+
+Aladdin's mother, seeing the sultan retire, and all the people depart,
+judged rightly that he would not sit again that day, and resolved to go
+home. When Aladdin saw her return with the present, he knew not what to
+think, and in fear lest she should bring him some ill news, had not
+courage to ask her any questions; but she, who had never set foot into
+the sultan's palace before, and knew not what was every day practised
+there, freed him from his embarrassment, and said to him: "Son, I have
+seen the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me too; for I
+placed myself just before him; but he was so much taken up with those
+who attended on all sides of him, that I pitied him, and wondered at his
+patience. At last I believe he was heartily tired, for he rose up
+suddenly, and would not hear a great many who were ready prepared to
+speak to him, but went away, at which I was well pleased, for indeed I
+began to lose all patience, and was extremely fatigued with staying so
+long. But there is no harm done; I will go again to-morrow; perhaps the
+sultan may not be so busy."
+
+Though his passion was very violent, Aladdin was forced to be satisfied,
+and to fortify himself with patience. He had at least the satisfaction
+to find that his mother had got over the greatest difficulty, which was
+to procure access to the sultan, and hoped that the example of those she
+saw speak to him would embolden her to acquit herself better of her
+commission when a favourable opportunity might offer.
+
+The next morning she repaired to the sultan's palace with the present,
+as early as the day before, but when she came there, she found the gates
+of the divan shut, and understood that the council sat but every other
+day, therefore she must come again the next. This news she carried to
+her son, whose only relief was to guard himself with patience. She went
+six times afterward on the days appointed and placed herself always
+directly before the sultan, but with as little success as the first
+morning, and might have perhaps come a thousand times to as little
+purpose, if luckily the sultan himself had not taken particular notice
+of her.
+
+On the sixth day, after the divan was broken up, when the sultan
+returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier: "I have for
+some time observed a certain woman, who attends constantly every day
+that I give audience, with something wrapped up in a napkin: she always
+stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of the audience, and
+affects to place herself just before me. Do you know what she wants?"
+
+"Sir," replied the grand vizier, who knew no more than the sultan what
+she wanted, but did not wish to seem uninformed, "your majesty knows
+that women often make complaints on trifles; perhaps she may come to
+complain that somebody has sold her some bad flour, or some such
+trifling matter." The sultan was not satisfied with this answer, but
+replied: "If this woman comes to our next audience, do not fail to call
+her, that I may hear what she has to say." The grand vizier made answer
+by lowering his hand, and then lifting it up above his head, signifying
+his willingness to lose it if he failed.
+
+By this time, the tailor's widow was so much used to go to audience, and
+stand before the sultan, that she did not think it any trouble, if she
+could but satisfy her son that she neglected nothing that lay in her
+power to please him: so the next audience-day she went to the divan and
+placed herself in front of the sultan as usual; and before the grand
+vizier had made his report of business, the sultan perceived her, and
+compassionating her for having waited so long, said to the vizier:
+"Before you enter upon any business, remember the woman I spoke to you
+about; bid her come near, and let us despatch her business first." The
+grand vizier immediately called the chief of the mace-bearers, and
+pointing to her, bade him tell her to come before the sultan.
+
+The chief of the officers went to Aladdin's mother, and at a sign he
+gave her, she followed him to the foot of the sultan's throne, where he
+left her, and retired to his place by the grand vizier. The old woman
+bowed her head down to the carpet, which covered the platform of the
+throne, and remained in that posture till the sultan bade her rise, when
+he said to her: "Good woman, I have observed you to stand from the
+beginning to the rising of the divan; what business brings you here?"
+
+After these words, Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time;
+and when she arose, said: "Monarch of monarchs, before I tell your
+majesty the extraordinary and incredible business which brings me before
+your high throne, I beg of you to pardon the boldness of the demand I am
+going to make, which is so uncommon, that I tremble, and am ashamed to
+propose it to my sovereign." In order to give her the more freedom to
+explain herself, the sultan ordered all to quit the divan but the grand
+vizier, and then told her she might speak without restraint.
+
+Aladdin's mother, not content with this favour of the sultan's to save
+her the confusion of speaking before so many people, was,
+notwithstanding, a little apprehensive; therefore, resuming her
+discourse, she said: "I beg of your majesty, if you should think my
+demand the least offensive, to assure me first of your forgiveness."
+"Well," replied the sultan, "I will forgive you, be it what it may, and
+no hurt shall come to you: speak boldly."
+
+When Aladdin's mother had taken all these precautions, she told him
+faithfully how Aladdin had seen the Princess Badroulboudour, the violent
+love that fatal sight had inspired him with, the declaration he had made
+to her when he came home, and what she had said to dissuade him. "But,"
+continued she, "my son, instead of taking my advice and reflecting on
+his presumption, was so obstinate as to persevere, and to threaten me
+with some desperate act, if I refused to come and ask the princess in
+marriage of your majesty; and it was not without the greatest reluctance
+that I was led to accede to his request, for which I beg your majesty
+once more to pardon not only me, but also Aladdin my son, for
+entertaining so rash a project."
+
+The sultan hearkened to this discourse without shewing the least anger;
+but before he gave her any answer, asked her what she had brought tied
+up in the napkin? She took the china dish, which she had set down at the
+foot of the throne before she prostrated herself before him, untied it,
+and presented it to the sultan.
+
+The monarch's amazement and surprise were inexpressible, when he saw so
+many large, beautiful, and valuable jewels collected in the dish. He
+remained for some time motionless with admiration. At last, when he had
+recovered himself, he received the present, crying out in a transport of
+joy: "How rich, how beautiful!" After he had admired and handled all the
+jewels, one after another, he turned to his grand vizier, and shewing
+him the dish, said: "Behold, admire, wonder, and confess that your eyes
+never beheld jewels so rich and beautiful before." The vizier was
+charmed. "Well," continued the sultan, "what sayest thou to such a
+present? Is it not worthy of the princess, my daughter? And ought I not
+to bestow her on one who values her at so great price?"
+
+These words put the grand vizier into extreme agitation. The sultan had
+some time before signified to him his intention of bestowing the
+princess on a son of his; therefore he was afraid, and not without
+grounds, that the present might change his majesty's mind. Therefore
+going to him, and whispering him in the ear, he said: "I cannot but own
+that the present is worthy of the princess; but I beg of your majesty to
+grant me three months before you come to a final resolution. I hope,
+before that time, my son, on whom you have had the goodness to look with
+a favourable eye, will be able to make a nobler present than Aladdin,
+who is an entire stranger to your majesty."
+
+The sultan, though he was fully persuaded that it was not possible for
+the vizier to provide so considerable a present for his son, yet
+hearkened to him, and granted his request. Turning therefore to the old
+widow, he said to her: "Good woman, go home, and tell your son that I
+agree to the proposal you have made me; but I cannot marry the princess,
+my daughter, till the paraphernalia I design for her be got ready, which
+cannot be finished these three months; but at the expiration of that
+time, come again."
+
+The widow returned home much more gratified than she had expected, since
+she had met with a favourable answer.
+
+Aladdin thought himself the most happy of all men at hearing this news,
+and thanked his mother for the pains she had taken in the affair, the
+good success of which was of so great importance to his peace.
+
+When two of the three months were passed, his mother one evening going
+to light the lamp, and finding no oil in the house, went out to buy
+some, and when she came into the city, found a general rejoicing. The
+shops were open, dressed with foliage, silks, and carpeting, every one
+striving to shew their zeal in the most distinguished manner according
+to their ability. The streets were crowded with officers in habits of
+ceremony, mounted on horses richly caparisoned, each attended by a great
+many footmen. Aladdin's mother asked the oil-merchant what was the
+meaning of all this preparation of public festivity? "Whence come you,
+good woman," said he, "that you do not know that the grand vizier's son
+is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour, the sultan's daughter,
+to-night? She will presently return from the baths; and these officers
+whom you see are to assist at the cavalcade to the palace, where the
+ceremony is to be solemnised."
+
+This was news enough for Aladdin's mother. She ran till she was quite
+out of breath home to her son, who little suspected any such event.
+"Child," cried she, "you are undone! you depend upon the sultan's fine
+promises, but they will come to nothing." Aladdin was alarmed at these
+words. "Mother," replied he, "how do you know the sultan has been guilty
+of a breach of promise?" "This night," answered the mother, "the grand
+vizier's son is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour." She then related
+how she had heard it; so that he had no reason to doubt the truth of
+what she said.
+
+At this account, Aladdin was thunderstruck. Any other man would have
+sunk under the shock; but a sudden hope of disappointing his rival soon
+roused his spirits, and he bethought himself of the lamp, which had in
+every emergency been so useful to him; and without venting his rage in
+empty words against the sultan, the vizier, or his son, he only said:
+"Perhaps, mother, the vizier's son may not be so happy to-night as he
+promises himself: while I go into my chamber a moment, do you get
+supper ready." She accordingly went about it, but guessed that her son
+was going to make use of the lamp, to prevent, if possible, the
+consummation of the marriage.
+
+When Aladdin had got into his chamber, he took the lamp, rubbed it in
+the same place as before, when immediately the genie appeared, and said
+to him: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their possession; I and
+the other slaves of the lamp." "Hear me," said Aladdin; "thou hast
+hitherto brought me whatever I wanted as to provisions; but now I have
+business of the greatest importance for thee to execute. I have demanded
+the Princess Badroulboudour in marriage of the sultan, her father; he
+promised her to me, only requiring three months' delay; but instead of
+keeping that promise, has this night planned to marry her to the grand
+vizier's son. What I ask of you is, that as soon as the two are made
+one, you bring them both hither to me." "Master," replied the genie, "I
+will obey you. Have you any other commands?" "None at present," answered
+Aladdin, and then the genie disappeared.
+
+Aladdin having left his chamber, supped with his mother, with the same
+tranquillity of mind as usual; and after supper talked of the princess's
+marriage as of an affair wherein he had not the least concern; he then
+retired to his own chamber again, but sat up waiting the execution of
+his orders to the genie.
+
+In the meantime, everything was prepared with the greatest magnificence
+in the sultan's palace to celebrate the princess's nuptials; and the
+evening was spent with all the usual ceremonies and great rejoicings.
+
+No sooner had the bride and bridegroom slipped away from the company,
+however, than the genie, as the faithful slave of the lamp, and punctual
+in executing the command of those who possessed it, to the great
+amazement of them both, took them up and transported them in an instant
+to Aladdin's chamber, where he set them down.
+
+Aladdin had waited impatiently for this moment. "Take this new-married
+man," said he to the genie, "shut him up in the house of office, and
+come again to-morrow morning before daybreak." The genie instantly
+carried the vizier's son whither Aladdin had commanded him; and after he
+had breathed upon him, which prevented his stirring, left him there.
+
+Passionate as was Aladdin's love for the princess, he did not talk much
+to her when they were alone; but only said with a respectful air: "Fear
+nothing, adorable princess; you are here in safety. If I have been
+forced to come to this extremity, it is to prevent an unjust rival's
+possessing you, contrary to your father's promise in favour of myself."
+
+The princess, who knew nothing of these particulars, gave very little
+attention to what Aladdin could say. The fright and amazement of so
+surprising an adventure had alarmed her so much that he could not get
+one word from her. Badroulboudour never passed a night so ill in her
+life; and if we consider the condition in which the genie left the grand
+vizier's son, we may imagine that the new bridegroom spent it much
+worse.
+
+Aladdin had no occasion the next morning to rub the lamp to call the
+genie; who appeared at the hour appointed, and said to him: "I am here,
+master; what are your commands?" "Go," said Aladdin, "fetch the vizier's
+son out of the place where you left him, and carry the pair to the
+sultan's palace, from whence you brought them." The genie presently
+returned with the vizier's son, and in an instant they were transported
+into the same chamber of the palace from whence they had been brought.
+But we must observe, that all this time the genie never was visible
+either to the princess or the grand vizier's son. His hideous form would
+have made them die with fear. Neither did they hear anything of the
+discourse between Aladdin and him; they only perceived the motion
+through the air, and their transportation from one place to another;
+which we may well imagine was enough to alarm them.
+
+The sultan went to the room of the princess next morning and kissed her
+between the eyes, according to custom, wishing her a good morrow, but
+was extremely surprised to see her so melancholy. She only cast at him a
+sorrowful look, expressive of great affliction. He said a few words to
+her; but finding that he could not get an answer, was forced to retire.
+Nevertheless, he suspected that there was something extraordinary in
+this silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness's
+apartment, told her in what a state he had found the princess, and how
+she had received him. "Sir," said the sultaness, "I will go and see her;
+I am much deceived if she receives me in the same manner."
+
+As soon as the sultaness was dressed, she went to the princess's
+apartment, who was still in bed. She undrew the curtain, wished her good
+morrow, and kissed her. But how great was her surprise when she returned
+no answer; and looking more attentively at her, she perceived her to be
+much dejected, which made her judge that something had happened, which
+she did not understand. "How comes it, child," said the sultaness, "that
+you do not return my caresses? Ought you to treat your mother after this
+manner? I am induced to believe something extraordinary has happened;
+come, tell me freely, and leave me no longer in a painful suspense."
+
+At last the princess broke silence with a deep sigh, and said: "Alas!
+most honoured mother, forgive me if I have failed in the respect I owe
+you. My mind is so full of the extraordinary circumstances which have
+befallen me that I have not yet recovered from my amazement and alarm."
+She then related her surprising adventures, which the sultaness heard
+very patiently, but could scarcely believe. "You did well, child," said
+she, "not to speak of this to your father: take care not to mention it
+to anybody; for you will certainly be thought mad if you talk in this
+manner." "Madam," replied the princess, "I can assure you I am in my
+right senses; ask my husband and he will tell you the same
+circumstances." "I will," said the sultaness; "but if he should talk in
+the same manner, I shall not be better persuaded of the truth. Come,
+rise, and throw off this idle fancy; it will be strange if all the
+feasts and rejoicings in the kingdom should be interrupted by such a
+vision. Do not you hear the trumpets of congratulation, and concerts of
+the finest music? Cannot these inspire you with joy and make you forget
+the fancies of a dream?" At the same time the sultaness called the
+princess's women, and after she had seen her get up, went to the
+sultan's apartment, told him that her daughter had got some odd notions
+in her head, but that there was nothing in them but idle phantasy.
+
+She then sent for the vizier's son, to know of him something of what the
+princess had told her; but he, thinking himself highly honoured to be
+allied to the sultan, and not willing to lose the princess, denied what
+had happened. "That is enough," answered the sultaness; "I ask no more.
+I see you are wiser than my daughter."
+
+The rejoicings lasted all that day in the palace, and the sultaness, who
+never left the princess, forgot nothing to divert her, and induce her to
+take part in the various diversions and shows; but she was so struck
+with the idea of what had happened to her in the night, that it was easy
+to see her thoughts were entirely taken up with it. Neither was the
+grand vizier's son in less tribulation, though his ambition made him
+disguise his feelings so well, that nobody doubted of his being a happy
+bridegroom.
+
+Aladdin, who was well acquainted with what passed in the palace, was
+resolved that the troublesome adventure of the night before should again
+disturb the unhappy pair, and therefore had recourse to his lamp, and
+when the genie appeared and offered his service, he said to him: "Bring
+the grand vizier's son and the Princess Badroulboudour hither to-night,
+as thou didst yesterday."
+
+The genie obeyed as faithfully and exactly as the day before; the grand
+vizier's son passed the night as coldly and disagreeably, and the
+princess had the same alarm and mortification. The genie, according to
+orders, came the next morning, and returned the new-married couple again
+to the palace.
+
+The sultan, after the reception the princess had given him, was very
+anxious to know how she had passed the second night, and therefore went
+into her chamber as early as the morning before. After the same caresses
+he had given her the former morning, he bade her good-morrow. "Well,
+daughter," said he, "are you in a better humour than yesterday?" Still
+the princess was silent, and the sultan, perceiving her to be in greater
+confusion than before, doubted not that something very extraordinary was
+the cause; but provoked that his daughter should conceal it, he said to
+her in a rage, with his sabre in his hand: "Daughter, tell me what is
+the matter, or I will cut off your head immediately."
+
+The princess, more frightened at the tone of the enraged sultan than at
+the sight of the drawn sabre, at last broke silence, and said with tears
+in her eyes: "My dear father and sultan, I ask your majesty's pardon if
+I have offended you, and hope that out of your goodness you will have
+compassion on me."
+
+After this preamble, which appeased the sultan, she told him what had
+happened to her in so moving a manner, that he, who loved her tenderly,
+was most sensibly grieved. She added: "If your majesty doubts the truth
+of this account, you may inform yourself from my husband, who will tell
+you the same thing."
+
+The sultan immediately felt all the uneasiness so surprising an
+adventure must have given the princess. "Daughter," said he, "you are
+much to blame for not telling me this yesterday, since it concerns me as
+much as yourself. I did not marry you to make you miserable, but that
+you might enjoy all the happiness you might hope for from a husband, who
+to me seemed agreeable to you. Efface all these troublesome ideas from
+your memory; I will take care that you shall have no more such
+disagreeable experiences."
+
+As soon as the sultan had returned to his own apartment, he sent for the
+grand vizier: "Vizier," said he, "have you seen your son, and has he
+told you anything?" The vizier replied: "No." The sultan related all the
+circumstances of which the princess had informed him, and afterward
+said: "I do not doubt but that my daughter has told me the truth; but
+nevertheless I should be glad to have it confirmed by your son,
+therefore go and ask him how it was."
+
+The grand vizier went immediately to his son, communicated what the
+sultan had told him, and enjoined him to conceal nothing, but to relate
+the whole truth. "I will disguise nothing from you, father," replied the
+son, "for indeed all that the princess has stated is true. Yet I must
+tell you, that all these experiences do not in the least lessen those
+sentiments of love and gratitude I entertain for her; but I must
+confess, that notwithstanding all the honour that attends marrying my
+sovereign's daughter, I would much rather die than continue in so
+exalted an alliance, if I must undergo much longer what I have already
+endured. I do not doubt but that the princess entertains the same
+sentiments, and that she will readily agree to a separation which is so
+necessary both for her repose and mine. Therefore, father, I beg, by the
+same tenderness which led you to procure me so great an honour, to
+obtain the sultan's consent that our marriage may be declared null and
+void."
+
+Notwithstanding the grand vizier's ambition to have his son allied to
+the sultan, the firm resolution he saw he had formed to be separated
+from the princess caused the father to give his majesty a full account
+of what had passed, begging him finally to give his son leave to retire
+from the palace, alleging it was not just that the princess should be a
+moment longer exposed to so terrible a persecution upon his son's
+account.
+
+The grand vizier found no great difficulty to obtain what he asked, as
+the sultan had determined upon it already; orders were given to put a
+stop to all rejoicings in the palace and town, and expresses despatched
+to all parts of his dominions to countermand his first orders; and in a
+short time, all merry-making ceased.
+
+This sudden change gave rise both in the city and kingdom to various
+speculations and inquiries; but no other account could be given of it,
+except that both the vizier and his son went out of the palace much
+dejected. Nobody but Aladdin knew the secret, who rejoiced at the happy
+success procured by his lamp. Neither the sultan nor the grand vizier,
+who had forgotten Aladdin and his request, had the least thought that he
+had any concern in the enchantment which caused the dissolution of the
+marriage.
+
+Aladdin waited till the three months were completed, which the sultan
+had appointed for the consummation of the marriage between the Princess
+Badroulboudour and himself; and the next day sent his mother to the
+palace, to remind the sultan of his promise.
+
+The widow went to the palace, and stood in the same place as before in
+the hall of audience. The sultan no sooner cast his eyes upon her than
+he knew her again, remembered her business, and how long he had put her
+off: therefore, when the grand vizier was beginning to make his report,
+the sultan interrupted him, and said: "Vizier, I see the good woman who
+made me the present of jewels some months ago; forbear your report, till
+I have heard what she has to say." The vizier, looking about the divan,
+perceived the tailor's widow, and sent the chief of the mace-bearers to
+conduct her to the sultan.
+
+Aladdin's mother came to the foot of the throne, prostrated herself as
+usual, and when she rose, the sultan asked her what she would have.
+"Sir," said she, "I come to represent to your majesty, in the name of my
+son, Aladdin, that the three months, at the end of which you ordered me
+to come again, are expired; and to beg you to remember your promise."
+
+The sultan, when he had fixed a time to answer the request of this good
+woman, little thought of hearing any more of a marriage, which he
+imagined would be very disagreeable to the princess; so this summons for
+him to fulfil his promise was somewhat embarrassing; he declined giving
+an answer till he had consulted his vizier, and signified to him the
+little inclination he had to conclude a match for his daughter with a
+stranger, whose rank he supposed to be very mean.
+
+The grand vizier freely told the sultan his thoughts, and said to him:
+"In my opinion, sir, there is an infallible way for your majesty to
+avoid a match so disproportionate, without giving Aladdin, were he known
+to your majesty, any cause of complaint; which is, to set so high a
+price upon the princess that, however rich he may be, he cannot comply
+with it. This is the only way to make him desist from so bold an
+undertaking."
+
+The sultan, approving of the grand vizier's advice, turned to the
+tailor's widow and said to her: "Good woman, it is true sultans ought to
+abide by their words, and I am ready to keep mine, by making your son
+happy in marriage with the princess, my daughter. But as I cannot marry
+her without some further valuable consideration from your son, you may
+tell him, I will fulfil my promise as soon as he shall send me forty
+trays of massy gold, full of the same sort of jewels you have already
+made me a present of, and carried by the like number of black slaves,
+who shall be led by as many young and handsome white slaves, all dressed
+magnificently. On these conditions I am ready to bestow the princess, my
+daughter, upon him; therefore, good woman, go and tell him so, and I
+will wait till you bring me his answer."
+
+Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time before the sultan's
+throne, and retired. On her way home, she laughed within herself at her
+son's foolish imagination. "Where," said she, "can he get so many large
+gold trays, and such precious stones to fill them? Must he go again to
+that subterranean abode and gather them off the trees? and where will he
+get so many such slaves as the sultan requires? It is altogether out of
+his power, and I believe he will not be much pleased with my embassy
+this time." When she came home, full of these thoughts, she said to her
+son: "Indeed, child, I would not have you think any farther of your
+marriage with the princess. The sultan received me very kindly, and I
+believe he was well inclined to you; but if I am not much deceived the
+grand vizier has made him change his mind." She then gave her son an
+exact account of what the sultan had said to her, and the conditions on
+which he consented to the match. Afterward she said to him: "The sultan
+expects your answer immediately; but," continued she, laughing, "I
+believe he may wait long enough."
+
+"Not so long, mother, as you imagine," replied Aladdin; "the sultan is
+mistaken, if he thinks by this exorbitant demand to prevent my
+entertaining thoughts of the princess. I expected that he would have set
+a higher price upon her incomparable charms. His demand is but a trifle
+to what I could have done for her. But while I think of satisfying his
+request, go and get something for our dinner, and leave the rest to me."
+
+As soon as his mother was gone out, Aladdin took the lamp, and rubbing
+it, the genie appeared, and offered his service as usual. "The sultan,"
+said Aladdin to him, "gives me the princess his daughter in marriage;
+but demands first, forty large trays of massy gold, full of the fruits
+of the garden from whence I took this lamp; and these he expects to have
+carried by as many black slaves, each preceded by a young handsome white
+slave, richly clothed. Go, and fetch me this present as soon as
+possible, that I may send it to him before the divan breaks up." The
+genie told him his command should be immediately obeyed, and
+disappeared.
+
+In a little time afterward the genie returned with forty black slaves,
+each bearing on his head a heavy tray of pure gold, full of pearls,
+diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and every sort of precious stones, all
+larger and more beautiful than those formerly presented to the sultan.
+Each tray was covered with silver tissue, embroidered with flowers of
+gold: these, together with the white slaves, quite filled the house,
+which was but a small one, the little court before it, and a small
+garden behind. The genie asked if he had any other commands, and Aladdin
+telling him that he wanted nothing further, he disappeared.
+
+When Aladdin's mother came from market, she was much surprised to see so
+many people and such vast riches. As soon as she had laid down her
+provisions, she was going to pull off her veil; but her son prevented
+her, and said: "Mother, let us lose no time; before the sultan and the
+divan rise, I would have you return to the palace with this present as
+the dowry demanded for the princess, that he may judge by my diligence
+of the ardent desire I have to procure myself the honour of this
+alliance." Without waiting for his mother's reply, Aladdin opened the
+street-door, and made the slaves walk out; each white slave followed by
+a black with a tray upon his head. When they were all out, the mother
+followed the last black slave; he shut the door, and then retired to his
+chamber, full of hopes that the sultan, after this present, which was
+such as he required, would receive him as his son-in-law.
+
+The first white slave who went out made all the people who were going by
+stop; and before they were all clear of the house, the streets were
+crowded with spectators, who ran to see so extraordinary and magnificent
+a procession. The dress of each slave was so rich, both for the stuff
+and the jewels, that those who were dealers in them valued each at no
+less than a million of money; besides, the neatness and propriety of the
+dress, the noble air, fine shape and proportion of each slave were
+unparalleled; their grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the
+lustre of the jewels, curiously set in their girdles of gold, and the
+egrets of precious stones in their turbans, put the spectators into such
+great admiration, that they could not avoid following them with their
+eyes as far as possible. As soon as the first of these slaves arrived at
+the palace gate, the porters formed themselves into order, taking him
+for a prince from the magnificence of his habit, and were going to kiss
+the hem of his garment; but the slave, who was instructed by the genie,
+prevented them, and said: "We are only slaves, our master will appear at
+a proper time."
+
+The first slave, followed by the rest, advanced into the second court,
+which was very spacious, and in which the sultan's household was ranged
+during the sitting of the divan. The magnificence of the officers, who
+stood at the head of their troops, was considerably eclipsed by the
+slaves who bore Aladdin's present, of which they themselves made a part.
+
+As the sultan, who had been informed of their approach to the palace,
+had given orders for them to be admitted, they went into the divan in
+regular order, one part filing to the right, and the other to the left.
+After they were all entered, and had formed a semicircle before the
+sultan's throne, the black slaves laid the golden trays on the carpet,
+prostrating themselves, and at the same time the white slaves did the
+same. When they rose, the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then all
+stood with their arms crossed over their breasts.
+
+In the meantime Aladdin's mother advanced to the foot of the throne, and
+having paid her respects, said to the sultan: "Sir, my son is sensible
+that this present, which he has sent your majesty, is much below the
+Princess Badroulboudour's worth; but hopes, nevertheless, that your
+majesty will accept of it."
+
+The sultan was not able to give the least attention to this compliment.
+The moment he cast his eyes on the forty trays, full of the most
+precious and beautiful jewels he had ever seen, and the fourscore
+slaves, who appeared by the elegance of their persons, and the
+magnificence of their dress, like so many princes, he was overwhelmed.
+Instead of answering the compliment of Aladdin's mother, he addressed
+himself to the grand vizier, who could not any more than the sultan
+comprehend from whence such a profusion of richness could come. "Well,
+vizier," said he aloud, "who do you think it can be that has sent me so
+extraordinary a present? Do you think him worthy of the Princess
+Badroulboudour, my daughter?"
+
+The vizier, notwithstanding his envy and grief at seeing a stranger
+preferred to his son, durst not disguise his sentiments. It was too
+visible that Aladdin's present was more than sufficient to merit his
+being received into royal alliance; therefore, consulting his master's
+feelings, he returned this answer: "I am so far from having any thoughts
+that the person who has made your majesty so noble a present is unworthy
+of the honour you would do him, that I should say he deserved much more,
+if I were not persuaded that the greatest treasure in the world ought
+not to be put in competition with the princess, your majesty's
+daughter."
+
+The sultan made no longer hesitation, nor thought of informing himself
+whether Aladdin was endowed with all the qualifications requisite in one
+who aspired to be his son-in-law. The sight alone of such immense
+riches, and Aladdin's quickness in satisfying his demand, without
+starting the least difficulty at the exorbitant conditions he had
+imposed, easily persuaded him that he could want nothing to render him
+accomplished, and such as he desired. Therefore, to send Aladdin's
+mother back with all the satisfaction she could desire, he said to her:
+"My good lady, go and tell your son that I wait with open arms to
+embrace him, and the more haste he makes to come and receive the
+princess, my daughter, from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do
+me."
+
+As soon as the tailor's widow had retired, overjoyed to see her son
+raised to such exalted fortune, the sultan put an end to the audience;
+and rising from his throne, ordered that the princess's eunuchs should
+come and carry the trays into their mistress's apartment, whither he
+went himself to examine them with her at his leisure. The fourscore
+slaves were conducted into the palace; and the sultan, telling the
+princess of their magnificent appearance, ordered them to be brought
+before her apartment, that she might see through the lattices that he
+had not exaggerated in his account of them.
+
+In the meantime, Aladdin's mother got home, and shewed in her
+countenance the good news she brought her son. "My son," said she to
+him, "you have now all the reason in the world to be pleased. The
+sultan, with the approbation of the whole court, has declared that you
+are worthy to possess the Princess Badroulboudour, and waits to embrace
+you, and conclude your marriage; therefore, you must think of making
+preparations for your interview, which may answer the high opinion he
+has formed of your person."
+
+Aladdin, enraptured with this news, made little reply, but retired to
+his chamber. There, after he had rubbed the lamp, which had never failed
+him, the obedient genie appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I want to
+bathe immediately, and you must afterward provide me the richest and
+most magnificent habit ever worn by a monarch." No sooner were the words
+out of his mouth than the genie rendered him invisible, and transported
+him into a bath of the finest marble, where he was undressed, without
+seeing by whom, in a magnificent and spacious hall. From the hall he was
+led to the bath, which was of a moderate heat, and he was there rubbed
+with various scented waters. After he had passed through several degrees
+of heat, he came out quite a different man from what he was before. His
+skin was clear white and red, his body lightsome and free; and when he
+returned into the hall, he found, instead of his own, a suit the
+magnificence of which astonished him. The genie helped him to dress, and
+when he had done, transported him back to his own chamber, where he
+asked him if he had any other commands? "Yes," answered Aladdin, "I
+expect you to bring me as soon as possible a charger that surpasses in
+beauty and goodness the best in the sultan's stables, with a saddle,
+bridle, and other caparisons worth a million of money. I want also
+twenty slaves, as richly clothed as those who carried the present to the
+sultan, to walk by my side, and twenty more to go before me in two
+ranks. Besides these, bring my mother six women slaves to attend her, as
+richly dressed at least as any of the Princess Badroulboudour's, each
+carrying a complete dress fit for any sultaness. I want also ten
+thousand pieces of gold in ten purses; go, and make haste."
+
+As soon as Aladdin had given these orders, the genie disappeared, but
+presently returned with the horse, the forty slaves, ten of whom carried
+each a purse containing ten thousand pieces of gold, and six women
+slaves, each carrying on her head a different dress for Aladdin's
+mother, wrapped up in a piece of silver tissue.
+
+Of the ten purses Aladdin took four, which he gave to his mother,
+telling her, those were to supply her with necessaries; the other six he
+left in the hands of the slaves who brought them, with an order to throw
+them by handfuls among the people as they went to the sultan's palace.
+The six slaves who carried the purses he ordered likewise to march
+before him, three on the right hand and three on the left. Afterward he
+presented the six women slaves to his mother, telling her that they were
+her slaves, and that the dresses they had brought were for her use.
+
+When Aladdin had thus settled matters, he told the genie he would call
+for him when he wanted him, and thereupon the genie disappeared.
+Aladdin's thoughts now were only upon answering, as soon as possible,
+the desire the sultan had shewn to see him. He despatched one of the
+forty slaves to the palace, with an order to address himself to the
+chief of the porters, to know when he might have the honour to come and
+throw himself at the sultan's feet. The slave soon acquitted himself of
+his commission, and brought for answer that the sultan waited for him
+with impatience.
+
+Aladdin immediately mounted his charger, and though he never was on
+horseback before, appeared with such extraordinary grace, that the most
+experienced horseman would not have taken him for a novice. The streets
+through which he was to pass were almost instantly filled with an
+innumerable concourse of people, who made the air echo with their
+acclamations, especially every time the six slaves who carried the
+purses threw handfuls of gold among the populace. Neither did these
+shouts of joy come from those alone who scrambled for the money, but
+from a superior rank of people, who could not forbear applauding
+Aladdin's generosity. Not only those who knew him when he played in the
+streets like a vagabond did not recollect him, but those who saw him but
+a little while before hardly recognised him, so much were his features
+altered: such were the effects of the lamp, as to procure by degrees to
+those who possessed it perfections suitable to the rank to which the
+right use of it advanced them. Much more attention was paid to Aladdin's
+person than to the pomp and magnificence of his attendants, as a similar
+show had been seen the day before, when the slaves walked in procession
+with the present to the sultan. Nevertheless, the horse was much admired
+by good judges, who knew how to discern his beauties, without being
+dazzled by the jewels and richness of his furniture. When the report was
+everywhere spread that the sultan was going to give the princess in
+marriage to Aladdin, nobody regarded his birth, nor envied his good
+fortune, so worthy he seemed of it in the public opinion.
+
+When he arrived at the palace, everything was prepared for his
+reception; and when he came to the gate of the second court, he would
+have alighted from his horse, agreeably to the custom observed by the
+grand vizier, the commander-in-chief of the empire, and governors of
+provinces of the first rank; but the chief of the mace-bearers, who
+waited on him by the sultan's order, prevented him, and attended him to
+the grand hall of audience, where he helped him to dismount. The
+officers formed themselves into two ranks at the entrance of the hall.
+The chief put Aladdin on his right hand, and through the midst of them
+led him to the sultan's throne.
+
+As soon as the sultan perceived Aladdin, he was no less surprised to see
+him more richly and magnificently habited than ever he had been himself,
+than struck at his good mien, fine shape, and a certain air of
+unexpected dignity, very different from the meanness of his mother's
+late appearance.
+
+But, notwithstanding, his amazement and surprise did not hinder him from
+rising off his throne, and descending two or three steps, quickly enough
+to prevent Aladdin's throwing himself at his feet. He embraced him with
+all possible demonstrations of joy at his arrival. After this civility
+Aladdin would have thrown himself at his feet again; but he held him
+fast by the hand, and obliged him to sit close to the throne.
+
+Aladdin then addressed the sultan, saying: "I receive the honour which
+your majesty out of your great condescension is pleased to confer; but
+permit me to assure you that I know the greatness of your power, and
+that I am not insensible how much my birth is below the lustre of the
+high rank to which I am raised. I ask your majesty's pardon for my
+rashness, but I cannot dissemble that I should die with grief were I to
+lose my hopes of seeing myself united to the divine princess who is the
+object of my wishes."
+
+"My son," answered the sultan, embracing him a second time, "you would
+wrong me to doubt for a moment of my sincerity: your life from this
+moment is too dear to me not to preserve it, by presenting you with the
+remedy which is at my disposal."
+
+After these words, the sultan gave a signal, and immediately the air
+echoed with the sound of trumpets, hautboys, and other musical
+instruments: and at the same time he led Aladdin into a magnificent
+hall, where was laid out a most splendid collation. The sultan and
+Aladdin ate by themselves, while the grand vizier and the great lords of
+the court, according to their dignity and rank, sat at different tables.
+The conversation turned on different subjects; but all the while the
+sultan took so much pleasure in looking at his intended son-in-law, that
+he hardly ever took his eyes off him; and throughout the whole of their
+conversation Aladdin shewed so much good sense, as confirmed the sultan
+in the high opinion he had formed of him.
+
+After the feast, the sultan sent for the chief judge of his capital, and
+ordered him to draw up immediately a contract of marriage between the
+Princess Badroulboudour, his daughter, and Aladdin.
+
+When the judge had drawn up the contract in all the requisite forms, the
+sultan asked Aladdin if he would stay in the palace, and solemnise the
+ceremonies of marriage that day; to which he answered: "Sir, though
+great is my impatience to enjoy your majesty's goodness, yet I beg of
+you to give me leave to defer it till I have built a palace fit to
+receive the princess; therefore I petition you to grant me a convenient
+spot of ground near your abode, that I may the more frequently pay my
+respects, and I will take care to have it finished with all diligence."
+"Son," said the sultan, "take what ground you think proper, there is
+space enough on every quarter round my palace; but consider, I cannot
+see you too soon united with my daughter, which alone is wanting to
+complete my happiness." After these words he embraced Aladdin again, who
+took his leave with as much politeness as if he had been bred up and had
+always lived at court.
+
+Aladdin returned home in the order he had come, amidst the acclamations
+of the people, who wished him all happiness and prosperity. As soon as
+he dismounted, he retired to his own chamber, took the lamp, and called
+the genie as before, who in the usual manner made him a tender of his
+service. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I have every reason to commend your
+exactness in executing hitherto punctually whatever I have demanded; but
+now, if you have any regard for the lamp, your protector, you must shew,
+if possible, more zeal and diligence than ever. I would have you build
+me, as soon as you can, a palace opposite, but at a proper distance
+from, the sultan's, fit to receive my spouse, the Princess
+Badroulboudour. I leave the choice of the materials to you, that is to
+say, porphyry, jasper, agate, lapis lazuli, or the finest marble of
+various colours, and also the architecture of the building. But I expect
+that on the terraced roof of this palace you will build me a large hall
+crowned with a dome, and having four equal fronts; and that instead of
+layers of bricks, the walls be formed of massy gold and silver, laid
+alternately: that each front shall contain six windows, the lattices of
+all of which (except one, which must be left unfinished) shall be so
+enriched in the most tasteful workmanship, with diamonds, rubies, and
+emeralds, that they shall exceed anything of the kind ever seen in the
+world. I would have an inner and outer court in front of the palace, and
+a spacious garden; but above all things, take care that there be laid in
+a place which you shall point out to me, a treasure of gold and silver
+coin. Besides, the edifice must be well provided with kitchens and
+offices, storehouses, and rooms to keep choice furniture in, for every
+season of the year. I must have stables full of the finest horses, with
+their equerries and grooms, and hunting equipage. There must be officers
+to attend the kitchens and offices, and women slaves to wait on the
+princess. You understand what I mean; therefore go about it, and come
+and tell me when all is finished."
+
+By the time Aladdin had instructed the genie respecting the building of
+his palace, the sun was set. The next morning, before break of day, our
+bridegroom, whose love for the princess would not let him sleep, was up,
+when the genie presented himself and said: "Sir, your palace is
+finished; come and see how you like it." Aladdin had no sooner signified
+his consent, than the genie transported him thither in an instant, and
+he found it so much beyond his expectation, that he could not enough
+admire it. The genie led him through all the apartments, where he met
+with nothing but what was rich and magnificent, with officers and slaves
+all habited according to their rank and the services to which they were
+appointed. The genie then shewed him the treasury, which was opened by a
+treasurer, where Aladdin saw heaps of purses, of different sizes, piled
+up to the top of the ceiling, and disposed in most excellent order. The
+genie assured him of the treasurer's fidelity, and thence led him to the
+stables, where he shewed him some of the finest horses in the world, and
+the grooms busy in dressing them; from thence they went to the
+storehouses, which were filled with all things necessary, both for food
+and ornament.
+
+When Aladdin had examined the palace from top to bottom, and
+particularly the hall with the four and twenty windows, and found it
+much beyond whatever he could have imagined, he said: "Genie, no one can
+be better satisfied than I am; and indeed I should be much to blame if I
+found any fault. There is only one thing wanting which I forgot to
+mention; that is, to lay from the sultan's palace to the door of the
+apartment designed for the princess, a carpet of fine velvet for her to
+walk upon." The genie immediately disappeared, and Aladdin saw what he
+desired executed in an instant. The genie then returned, and carried him
+home before the gates of the sultan's palace were opened.
+
+When the porters, who had always been used to an open prospect, came to
+open the gates, they were amazed to find it obstructed, and to see a
+carpet of velvet spread from the grand entrance. They did not
+immediately look how far it extended, but when they could discern
+Aladdin's palace distinctly, their surprise was increased. The news of
+so extraordinary a wonder was presently spread through the palace. The
+grand vizier, who arrived soon after the gates were open, being no less
+amazed than others at this novelty, ran and acquainted the sultan, but
+endeavoured to make him believe it to be all enchantment. "Vizier,"
+replied the sultan, "why will you have it to be enchantment? You know as
+well as I that it must be Aladdin's palace, which I gave him leave to
+build, for the reception of my daughter. After the proof we have had of
+his riches, can we think it strange that he should raise a palace in so
+short a time? He wished to surprise us, and let us see what wonders are
+to be done with money in only one night. Confess sincerely that the
+enchantment you talk of proceeds from a little envy on account of your
+son's disappointment."
+
+When Aladdin had been conveyed home, and had dismissed the genie, he
+found his mother up, and dressing herself in one of those suits which
+had been brought her. By the time the sultan rose from the council,
+Aladdin had prepared his mother to go to the palace with her slaves, and
+desired her, if she saw the sultan, to tell him she should do herself
+the honour toward evening to attend the princess to her palace.
+Accordingly she went; but though she and the women slaves who followed
+her were all dressed like sultanesses, yet the crowd was not near so
+great as the preceding day, because they were all veiled, and each had
+on an upper garment agreeable to the richness and magnificence of their
+habits. Aladdin, taking care not to forget his wonderful lamp, mounted
+his horse, left his paternal home forever, and went to the palace in the
+same pomp as the day before.
+
+As soon as the porters of the sultan's palace saw Aladdin's mother, they
+went and informed the sultan, who immediately ordered the bands of
+trumpets, cymbals, drums, fifes, and hautboys, placed in different parts
+of the palace, to play, so that the air resounded with concerts which
+inspired the whole city with joy: the merchants began to adorn their
+shops and houses with fine carpets and silks, and to prepare
+illuminations against night. The artisans of every description left
+their work, and the populace repaired to the great space between the
+royal palace and that of Aladdin; which last drew all their attention,
+not only because it was new to them, but because there was no comparison
+between the two buildings. But their amazement was to comprehend by what
+unheard-of miracle so magnificent a palace could have been so soon
+erected, it being apparent to all that there were no prepared materials,
+or any foundations laid the day before.
+
+Aladdin's mother was received in the palace with honour, and introduced
+into the Princess Badroulboudour's apartment by the chief of the
+eunuchs. As soon as the princess saw her, she rose, saluted, and desired
+her to sit down on a sofa; and while her women finished dressing, and
+adorning her with the jewels which Aladdin had presented to her, a
+collation was served up. At the same time the sultan, who wished to be
+as much with his daughter as possible before he parted with her, came in
+and paid the old lady great respect. Aladdin's mother had talked to the
+sultan in public, but he had never seen her with her veil off, as she
+was then; and though she was somewhat advanced in years, she had the
+remains of a good face, which showed what she had been in her youth. The
+sultan, who had always seen her dressed very meanly, not to say poorly,
+was surprised to find her as richly and magnificently attired as the
+princess, his daughter. This made him think Aladdin equally prudent and
+wise in whatever he undertook.
+
+When it was night, the princess left her own apartment for Aladdin's
+palace, with his mother on her left hand carried in a superb litter,
+followed by a hundred women slaves, dressed with surprising
+magnificence. All the bands of music, which had played from the time
+Aladdin's mother arrived, being joined together, led the procession,
+followed by a hundred state ushers, and the like number of black
+eunuchs, in two files, with their officers at their head. Four hundred
+of the sultan's young pages carried flambeaux on each side, which,
+together with the illuminations of the sultan's and Aladdin's palaces,
+made it as light as day.
+
+At length the princess arrived at the new palace and Aladdin ran with
+all imaginable joy to receive her at the grand entrance. His mother had
+taken care to point him out to the princess, in the midst of the
+officers who surrounded him, and she was charmed with his person.
+"Adorable princess," said Aladdin, accosting her, and saluting her
+respectfully, as soon as she had entered her apartment, "if I have the
+misfortune to have displeased you by my boldness in aspiring to the
+possession of so lovely a creature, I must tell you, that you ought to
+blame your bright eyes and charms, not me." "Prince," answered the
+princess, "I am obedient to the will of my father; and it is enough for
+me to have seen you, to tell you that I obey without reluctance."
+
+Aladdin, charmed with so agreeable an answer, would not keep the
+princess standing; but took her by the hand, which he kissed with the
+greatest demonstration of joy, and led her into a large hall,
+illuminated with an infinite number of wax candles; where, by the care
+of the genie, a noble feast was served up. The dishes were of massy
+gold, and contained the most delicate viands, and all the other
+ornaments and embellishments of the hall were answerable to this
+display. The princess, dazzled to see so much riches, said to Aladdin:
+"I thought, prince, that nothing in the world was so beautiful as the
+sultan my father's palace, but the sight of this hall alone is
+sufficient to shew I was deceived."
+
+Then Aladdin led the princess to the place appointed for her, and as
+soon as she and his mother were seated, a band of the most harmonious
+instruments, accompanied with the voices of beautiful ladies, began a
+concert, which lasted without intermission to the end of the repast. The
+princess was so charmed, that she declared she had never heard anything
+like it in the sultan her father's court; but she knew not that these
+musicians were fairies chosen by the genie, the slave of the lamp.
+
+When the supper was ended, there entered a company of female dancers,
+who performed, according to the custom of the country, several figure
+dances, singing at the same time verses in praise of the bride and
+bridegroom. About midnight the happy pair retired to their apartments
+and the nuptial ceremonies were at an end.
+
+The next morning, when Aladdin arose, his attendants presented
+themselves to dress him, and brought him another habit as magnificent as
+that worn the day before. He then ordered one of the horses appointed
+for his use to be got ready, mounted him, and went in the midst of a
+large troop of slaves to the sultan's palace. The sultan received him
+with the same honours as before, embraced him, placed him on the throne
+near him, and ordered a collation. Aladdin said: "I beg your majesty
+will dispense with my eating with you to-day; I came to entreat you to
+take a repast in the princess's palace, attended by your grand vizier,
+and all the lords of your court." The sultan consented with pleasure,
+rose up immediately, and, preceded by the principal officers of his
+palace, and followed by all the great lords of his court, accompanied
+Aladdin.
+
+The nearer the sultan approached Aladdin's palace, the more he was
+struck with its beauty, but was much more amazed when he entered it; and
+could not forbear breaking out into exclamations of approbation. But
+when he came into the hall, and cast his eyes on the windows, enriched
+with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all large perfect stones, he was so
+much surprised, that he remained some time motionless. After he
+recovered himself, he said to his vizier; "Is it possible that there
+should be such a stately palace so near my own, and I be an utter
+stranger to it till now?" "Sir," replied the grand vizier, "your majesty
+may remember that the day before yesterday you gave Aladdin, whom you
+accepted for a son-in-law, leave to build a palace opposite your own,
+and that very day at sunset there was no palace on this spot, but
+yesterday I had the honour first to tell you that the palace was built
+and finished." "I remember," replied the sultan, "but never imagined
+that the palace was one of the wonders of the world; for where in all
+the world besides shall we find walls built of massy gold and silver,
+instead of brick, stone, or marble; and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds
+composing the windows!"
+
+The sultan would examine and admire the beauty of all the windows, and
+counting them, found that there were but three and twenty so richly
+adorned, and he was greatly astonished that the twenty-fourth was left
+imperfect. "Vizier," said he, for that minister made a point of never
+leaving him, "I am surprised that a hall of this magnificence should be
+left thus imperfect." "Sir," replied the grand vizier, "without doubt
+Aladdin only wanted time to finish this window like the rest; for it is
+not to be supposed but that he has sufficient jewels for the purpose, or
+that he will not complete it at the first opportunity."
+
+Aladdin, who had left the sultan to go and give some orders, returned
+just as the vizier had finished his remark. "Son," said the sultan to
+him, "this hall is the most worthy of admiration of any in the world;
+there is only one thing that surprises me, which is, to find one of the
+windows unfinished. Is it from the forgetfulness or negligence of the
+workmen, or want of time, that they have not put the finishing stroke to
+so beautiful a piece of architecture?" "Sir," answered Aladdin, "it was
+for none of these reasons that your majesty sees it in this state. The
+omission was by design; it was by my orders that the workmen left it
+thus, since I wished that your majesty should have the glory of
+finishing this hall." "If you did it with this intention," replied the
+sultan, "I take it kindly, and will give orders about it immediately."
+He accordingly sent for the most considerable jewellers and goldsmiths
+in his capital.
+
+Aladdin then conducted the sultan into the saloon where he had regaled
+his bride the preceding night. The princess entered immediately
+afterward, and received her father with an air that shewed how much she
+was satisfied with her marriage. Two tables were immediately spread with
+the most delicious meats, all served up in gold dishes. The sultan was
+much pleased with the cookery, and owned he had never eaten anything
+more excellent. He said the same of the wines, which were delicious; but
+what he most of all admired were four large buffets, profusely furnished
+with large flagons, basins, and cups, all of massy gold, set with
+jewels.
+
+When the sultan rose from table, he was informed that the jewellers and
+goldsmiths attended; upon which he returned to the hall, and shewed them
+the window which was unfinished: "I sent for you," said he, "to fit up
+this window in as great perfection as the rest; examine well, and make
+all the despatch you can."
+
+The jewellers and goldsmiths examined the three and twenty windows with
+great attention, and after they had consulted together they returned and
+presented themselves before the sultan, when the principal jeweller,
+undertaking to speak for the rest, said: "Sir, we are all willing to
+exert our utmost care and industry to obey your majesty; but among us
+all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so great a work." "I have more
+than are necessary," said the sultan; "come to my palace, and you shall
+choose what may answer your purpose."
+
+When the sultan returned to his palace, he ordered his jewels to be
+brought out, and the jewellers took a great quantity, particularly those
+Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used, without making
+any great advance in their work. They came again several times for more,
+and in a month's time had not finished half their work. In short, they
+used all the jewels the sultan had, and borrowed of the vizier, but yet
+the work was not half done.
+
+Aladdin, who knew that all the sultan's endeavours to make this window
+like the rest were in vain, sent for the jewellers and goldsmiths, and
+not only commanded them to desist from their work, but ordered them to
+undo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back to the
+sultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had been
+six weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the hall. He took
+the lamp, which he carried about him, rubbed it, and presently the genie
+appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I ordered thee to leave one of the
+four and twenty windows of this hall imperfect and thou hast executed my
+commands punctually; now I would have thee make it like the rest." The
+genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin went out of the hall, and
+returning soon after, found the window like the others.
+
+In the meantime, the jewellers and goldsmiths repaired to the palace,
+and were introduced into the sultan's presence; where the chief
+jeweller, presenting the precious stones which he had brought back,
+said, in the name of all the rest: "Your majesty knows how long we have
+been upon the work you were pleased to set us about, in which we used
+all imaginable industry. It was far advanced, when Prince Aladdin
+commanded us not only to leave off, but to undo what we had already
+begun, and bring your majesty your jewels back." The sultan asked them
+if Aladdin had given them any reason for so doing, and they answering
+that he had given them none, he ordered a horse to be brought, which he
+mounted, and rode to his son-in-law's palace, with some few attendants
+on foot. When he came there, he alighted at the staircase, which led to
+the hall with the twenty-four windows, and went directly up to it,
+without giving previous notice to Aladdin; but it happened that at that
+very juncture Aladdin was opportunely there, and had just time to
+receive him at the door.
+
+The sultan, without giving Aladdin time to complain obligingly of his
+not having given notice, that he might have acquitted himself with the
+more becoming respect, said to him: "Son, I come myself to know the
+reason why you commanded the jewellers to desist from work, and take to
+pieces what they had done."
+
+Aladdin disguised the true reason, which was, that the sultan was not
+rich enough in jewels to be at so great an expense, but said: "I beg of
+you now to see if anything is wanting."
+
+The sultan went directly to the window which was left imperfect, and
+when he found it like the rest, fancied that he was mistaken, examined
+the two windows on each side, and afterward all the four and twenty; but
+when he was convinced that the window which several workmen had been so
+long about was finished in so short a time, he embraced Aladdin, and
+kissed him between his eyes. "My son," said he, "what a man you are to
+do such surprising things always in the twinkling of an eye: there is
+not your fellow in the world; the more I know, the more I admire you."
+
+Aladdin received these praises from the sultan with modesty, and replied
+in these words: "Sir, it is a great honour to me to deserve your
+majesty's goodwill and approbation, and I assure you, I shall study to
+deserve them more."
+
+The sultan returned to his palace, but would not let Aladdin attend him.
+When he came there, he found his grand vizier waiting, to whom he
+related the wonder he had witnessed with the utmost admiration, and in
+such terms as left the minister no room to doubt but that the fact was
+as the sultan related it; though he was the more confirmed in his
+belief that Aladdin's palace was the effect of enchantment, as he had
+told the sultan the first moment he saw it. He was going to repeat the
+observation, but the sultan interrupted him, and said: "You told me so
+once before; I see, vizier, you have not forgotten your son's espousals
+to my daughter." The grand vizier plainly saw how much the sultan was
+prepossessed, therefore avoided disputes, and let him remain in his own
+opinion. The sultan as soon as he rose every morning went into the
+closet, to look at Aladdin's palace, and would go many times in a day to
+contemplate and admire it.
+
+Aladdin did not confine himself in his palace; but took care to show
+himself once or twice a week in the town, by going sometimes to one
+mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers; or to visit the grand
+vizier, who affected to pay his court to him on certain days; or to do
+the principal lords of the court the honour to return their visits after
+he had regaled them at his palace. Every time he went out, he caused two
+slaves, who walked by the side of his horse, to throw handfuls of money
+among the people as he passed through the streets and squares, which
+were generally on these occasions crowded. Besides, no one came to his
+palace gates to ask alms but returned satisfied with his liberality. In
+short, he so divided his time, that not a week passed but he went either
+once or twice a-hunting, sometimes in the environs of the city,
+sometimes farther off; at which time the villages through which he
+passed felt the effects of his generosity, which gained him the love and
+blessings of the people; and it was common for them to swear by his
+head. With all these good qualities he showed a zeal for the public good
+which could not be sufficiently applauded. He gave sufficient proofs of
+both in a revolt on the borders of the kingdom; for he no sooner
+understood that the sultan was levying an army to disperse the rebels
+than he begged the command of it, which he found not difficult to
+obtain. As soon as he was empowered, he marched with so much expedition,
+that the sultan heard of the defeat of the rebels before he had received
+an account of his son-in-law's arrival in the army.
+
+Aladdin had conducted himself in this manner several years, when the
+African magician, who undesignedly had been the instrument of raising
+him to so high a pitch of prosperity, recalled him to his recollection
+in Africa, whither, after his expedition, he had returned. And though he
+was almost persuaded that Aladdin must have died miserably in the
+subterranean abode where he had left him, yet he had the curiosity to
+inform himself about his end with certainty; and as he was a great
+geomancer, he took out of a cupboard a square, covered box, which he
+used in his geomantic observations. After he had prepared and levelled
+the sand which was in it with an intention to discover whether or not
+Aladdin had died, he cast the points, drew the figures, and formed a
+horoscope, by which, when he came to examine it, he found that instead
+of dying in the cave, his victim had made his escape, lived splendidly,
+was in possession of the wonderful lamp, had married a princess, and was
+much honoured and respected.
+
+The magician no sooner understood, by the rules of his diabolical art,
+that Aladdin had arrived to this height of good fortune, than his face
+became inflamed with anger, and he cried out in a rage: "This sorry
+tailor's son has discovered the secret and virtue of the lamp! I
+believed his death to be certain; but find that he enjoys the fruit of
+my labour and study! I will, however, prevent his enjoying it long, or
+perish in the attempt." He was not a great while deliberating on what he
+should do, but the next morning mounted a barb, set forward, and never
+stopped but to refresh himself and his horse, till he arrived at the
+capital of China. He alighted, took up his lodging in a khan, and stayed
+there the remainder of the day and the night.
+
+The next day, his first object was to inquire what people said of
+Aladdin; and, taking a walk through the town, he went to the most public
+and frequented places, where persons of the best distinction met to
+drink a certain warm liquor, which he had drunk often during his former
+visit. As soon as he had seated himself, he was presented with a cup of
+it, which he took; but listening at the same time to the discourse of
+the company on each side of him, he heard them talking of Aladdin's
+palace. When he had drunk off his liquor, he joined them, and taking
+this opportunity, inquired particularly of what palace they spoke with
+so much commendation. "From whence come you?" said the person to whom he
+addressed himself; "you must certainly be a stranger not to have seen or
+heard talk of Prince Aladdin's palace. I do not say," continued the man,
+"that it is one of the wonders of the world, but that it is the only
+wonder of the world; since nothing so grand, rich, and magnificent was
+ever beheld. Go and see it, and then judge whether I have told you more
+than the truth." "Forgive my ignorance," replied the African magician;
+"I arrived here but yesterday from the farthest part of Africa, where
+the fame of this palace had not reached when I came away. The business
+which brought me hither was so urgent, that my sole object was to arrive
+as soon as I could, without stopping anywhere, or making any
+acquaintance. But I will not fail to go and see it, if you will do me
+the favour to show me the way thither."
+
+The person to whom the African magician addressed himself took a
+pleasure in showing him the way to Aladdin's palace, and he got up and
+went thither instantly. When he came to the palace, and had examined it
+on all sides, he doubted not but that Aladdin had made use of the lamp
+to build it. Without attending to the inability of a poor tailor's son,
+he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp, could have
+performed such wonders; and piqued to the quick at Aladdin's happiness
+and splendour, he returned to the khan where he lodged.
+
+The next point was to ascertain where the lamp was; whether Aladdin
+carried it about with him, or where he kept it; and this he was to
+discover by an operation of geomancy. As soon as he entered his lodging,
+he took his square box of sand, which he always carried with him when he
+travelled, and after he had performed some operations, he found that the
+lamp was in Aladdin's palace, and so great was his joy at the discovery
+that he could hardly contain himself. "Well," said he, "I shall have the
+lamp, and I defy Aladdin to prevent my carrying it off, thus making him
+sink to his original meanness, from which he has taken so high a
+flight."
+
+It was Aladdin's misfortune at that time to be absent in the chase for
+eight days, and only three were expired, which the magician came to
+know. After he had performed the magical operation he went to the
+superintendent of the khan, entered into conversation with him on
+indifferent subjects, and among the rest, told him he had been to see
+Aladdin's palace; and after exaggerating on all that he had seen most
+worthy of observation, added: "But my curiosity leads me further, and I
+shall not be satisfied till I have seen the person to whom this
+wonderful edifice belongs." "That will be no difficult matter," replied
+the master of the khan; "there is not a day passes but he gives an
+opportunity when he is in town, but at present he has been gone these
+three days on a hunting-match, which will last eight."
+
+The magician wanted to know no more; he took his leave of the
+superintendent of the khan, and returning to his own chamber, said to
+himself: "This is an opportunity I ought by no means to neglect." To
+that end, he went to a coppersmith and asked for a dozen copper lamps:
+the master of the shop told him he had not so many by him, but if he
+would have patience till the next day, he would have them ready. The
+magician appointed his time, and desired him to take care that they
+should be handsome and well polished. After promising to pay him well,
+he returned to his inn.
+
+The next day the magician called for the twelve lamps, paid the man his
+full price, put them into a basket which he bought on purpose, and with
+the basket hanging on his arm, went directly to Aladdin's palace; as he
+approached beginning to cry: "Who will change old lamps for new ones?"
+As he went along, a crowd of children collected, who hooted, and thought
+him, as did all who chanced to be passing by, a madman or a fool.
+
+The African magician regarded not their scoffs, hootings, or all they
+could say to him, but still continued crying: "Who will change old lamps
+for new?" He repeated this so often, walking backward and forward in
+front of the palace, that the princess, who was then in the hall with
+the four and twenty windows, hearing a man cry something and not being
+able to distinguish his words, owing to the hooting of the children, and
+increasing mob about him, sent one of her women slaves to know what he
+cried.
+
+The slave was not long before she returned, and ran into the hall,
+laughing so heartily that the princess could not forbear herself. "Well,
+giggler," said the princess, "will you tell me what you laugh at?"
+"Madam," answered the slave, laughing still, "who can forbear laughing,
+to see a fool with a basket on his arm, full of fine new lamps, ask to
+change them for old ones?"
+
+Another female slave hearing this, said: "Now you speak of lamps, I know
+not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an old one
+upon a shelf of the prince's robing-room. If the princess chooses, she
+may have the pleasure of trying if this fool is so silly as to give a
+new lamp for an old one, without taking anything for the exchange."
+
+The lamp this slave spoke of was the wonderful lamp, which Aladdin had
+laid upon the shelf before he departed for the chase: this he had done
+several times before; but neither the princess, the slaves, nor the
+eunuchs had ever taken notice of it. At all other times except when
+hunting he carried it about his person.
+
+The princess, who knew not the value of this lamp, and the interest that
+Aladdin, not to mention herself, had to keep it safe, entered into the
+pleasantry, and commanded a eunuch to take it and make the exchange. The
+eunuch obeyed, went out of the hall, and no sooner got to the palace
+gates than he saw the African magician, called to him, and showing him
+the old lamp, said: "Give me a new lamp for this?"
+
+The magician never doubted but this was the lamp he wanted. There could
+be no other such in the palace, where every utensil was gold or silver.
+He snatched it eagerly out of the eunuch's hand, and thrusting it as far
+as he could into his breast, offered him his basket, and bade him choose
+which he liked best. The eunuch picked out one, and carried it to the
+princess; but the exchange was no sooner made than the place rang with
+the shouts of the children, deriding the magician's folly.
+
+The African magician gave everybody leave to laugh as much as they
+pleased; he stayed not long near the palace, but made the best of his
+way, without crying any longer; "New lamps for old ones." His end was
+answered, and by his silence he got rid of the children and the mob.
+
+As soon as he was out of the square between the two palaces, he hastened
+down the streets which were the least frequented; and having no more
+occasion for his lamps or basket, set all down in an alley where nobody
+saw him: then going down another street or two, he walked till he came
+to one of the city gates, and pursuing his way through the suburbs,
+which were very extensive, at length reached a lonely spot, where he
+stopped for a time to execute the design he had in contemplation, never
+caring for his horse which he had left at the khan; but thinking himself
+perfectly compensated by the treasure he had acquired.
+
+In this place the African magician passed the remainder of the day, till
+the darkest time of night, when he pulled the lamp out of his breast and
+rubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared, and said: "What wouldst
+thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
+those who have that lamp in their hands; both I and the other slaves of
+the lamp." "I command thee," replied the magician, "to transport me
+immediately and the palace which thou and the other slaves of the lamp
+have built in this city, with all the people in it, to Africa." The
+genie made no reply, but with the assistance of the other genies, the
+slaves of the lamp immediately transported him, and the palace entire,
+to the spot whither he was desired to convey it.
+
+As soon as the sultan rose the next morning, according to custom, he
+went into his closet, to have the pleasure of contemplating and admiring
+Aladdin's palace; but when he first looked that way, and instead of a
+palace saw an empty space such as it was before the palace was built, he
+thought he was mistaken, and rubbed his eyes; but when he looked again,
+he still saw nothing more the second time than the first, though the
+weather was fine, the sky clear, and the dawn advancing had made all
+objects very distinct. He looked again in front, to the right and left,
+but beheld nothing more than he had formerly been used to see from his
+window. His amazement was so great, that he stood for some time turning
+his eyes to the spot where the palace had stood, but where it was no
+longer to be seen. He could not comprehend how so large a palace as
+Aladdin's, which he had seen plainly every day for some years, and but
+the day before, should vanish so soon, and not leave the least remains
+behind.
+
+"Certainly," said he to himself, "I am not mistaken; it stood there: if
+it had fallen, the materials would have lain in heaps; and if it had
+been swallowed up by an earthquake, there would be some mark left." At
+last he retired to his apartment, not without looking behind him before
+he quitted the spot, ordered the grand vizier to be sent for with
+expedition, and in the meantime sat down, his mind agitated by so many
+different conjectures that he knew not what to resolve.
+
+The grand vizier did not make the sultan wait long for him, but came
+with so much precipitation, that neither he nor his attendants, as they
+passed, missed Aladdin's palace; neither did the porters, when they
+opened the palace gates, observe any alteration.
+
+When he came into the sultan's presence, he said to him: "The haste in
+which your majesty sent for me makes me believe something extraordinary
+has happened, since you know this is a day of public audience, and I
+should not have failed of attending at the usual time." "Indeed," said
+the sultan, "it is something very extraordinary, as you say, and you
+will allow it to be so: tell me what is become of Aladdin's palace?"
+"His palace!" replied the grand vizier in amazement; "I thought as I
+passed it stood in its usual place." "Go into my closet," said the
+sultan, "and tell me if you can see it."
+
+The grand vizier went into the closet, where he was struck with no less
+amazement than the sultan had been. When he was well assured that there
+was not the least appearance of the palace, he returned to the sultan.
+"Well," said the sultan, "have you seen Aladdin's palace?" "No,"
+answered the vizier, "but your majesty may remember, that I had the
+honour to tell you, that the edifice, which was the subject of your
+admiration, was only the work of magic and a magician; but your majesty
+would not pay the least attention to what I said." The sultan, who could
+not deny what the grand vizier had represented to him, flew into the
+greater passion: "Where is that impostor, that wicked wretch," said he,
+"that I may have his head taken off immediately?" "Sir," replied the
+grand vizier, "it is some days since he came to take his leave of your
+majesty, on pretence of hunting; he ought to be sent for, to know what
+is become of his palace, since he cannot be ignorant of what has been
+transacted." "To send for him would be too great an indulgence," replied
+the sultan: "command a detachment of horse to bring him to me loaded
+with chains." The grand vizier gave orders for a detachment, and
+instructed the officer who commanded the men how they were to act, that
+Aladdin might not escape. The detachment pursued its orders; and about
+five or six leagues from the town met him returning from the chase. The
+officer advanced respectfully, and informed him the sultan was so
+impatient to see him, that he had sent his party to accompany him home.
+
+Aladdin had not the least suspicion of the true reason of their meeting
+him; but when he came within half a league of the city, the detachment
+surrounded him, when the officer addressed himself to him, and said;
+"Prince, it is with great regret that I declare to you the sultan's
+order to arrest you, and to carry you before him as a criminal: I beg
+of you not to take it ill that we acquit ourselves of our duty, and to
+forgive us." Aladdin, who felt himself innocent, was much surprised at
+this declaration, and asked the officer if he knew what crime he was
+accused of; who replied, he did not. Then Aladdin, finding that his
+retinue was much inferior to this detachment, alighted from his horse,
+and said to the officers: "Execute your orders; I am not conscious that
+I have committed any offence against the sultan's person or government."
+A heavy chain was immediately put about his neck, and fastened round his
+body, so that both his arms were pinioned down; the officer then put
+himself at the head of the detachment, and one of the troopers taking
+hold of the end of the chain and proceeding after the officer, led
+Aladdin, who was obliged to follow him on foot, into the city.
+
+When this detachment entered the suburbs, the people, who saw Aladdin
+thus led as a state criminal, never doubted but that his head was to be
+cut off; and as he was generally beloved, some took sabres and other
+arms; and those who had none gathered stones, and followed the escort.
+Their numbers presently increased so much, that the soldiery began to
+think it would be well if they could get into the sultan's palace before
+Aladdin was rescued; to prevent which, according to the different extent
+of the streets, they took care to cover the ground by extending or
+closing. In this manner they with much difficulty arrived at the palace
+square, and there drew up in a line, till their officer and troopers
+with Aladdin had got within the gates, which were immediately shut.
+
+Aladdin was carried before the sultan, who waited for him, attended by
+the grand vizier; and as soon as he saw him he ordered the executioner,
+who waited there for the purpose, to strike off his head without hearing
+him, or giving him leave to clear himself. As soon as the executioner
+had taken off the chain that was fastened about Aladdin's neck and body,
+he made the supposed criminal kneel down, and tied a bandage over his
+eyes. Then drawing his sabre, he took his aim by flourishing it three
+times in the air, waiting for the sultan's giving the signal to strike.
+
+At that instant the grand vizier perceiving that the populace had
+crowded the great square before the palace, and were scaling the walls
+in several places, said to the sultan, before he gave the signal: "I beg
+of your majesty to consider what you are going to do, since you will
+hazard your palace being destroyed; and who knows what fatal consequence
+may follow?" "My palace forced!" replied the sultan; "who can have that
+audacity?" "Sir," answered the grand vizier, "if your majesty will but
+cast your eyes toward the great square, and on the palace walls, you
+will perceive the truth of what I say."
+
+The sultan was so much alarmed when he saw so great a crowd, and how
+enraged they were, that he ordered the executioner to put his sabre
+immediately into the scabbard, to unbind Aladdin, and at the same time
+commanded the porters to declare to the people that the sultan had
+pardoned him, and that they might retire. Those who had already got upon
+the walls abandoned their design and got quickly down, overjoyed that
+they had saved the life of a man they dearly loved, and published the
+news amongst the rest, which was presently confirmed by the mace-bearers
+from the top of the terraces. The justice which the sultan had done to
+Aladdin soon disarmed the populace of their rage; the tumult abated and
+the mob dispersed.
+
+When Aladdin found himself at liberty, he turned toward the balcony, and
+perceiving the sultan, raised his voice, and said to him in a moving
+manner: "I beg of your majesty to add one favour more to that which I
+have already received, which is, to let me know my crime?" "Your
+crime," answered the sultan; "perfidious wretch! Do you not know it?
+Come hither, and I will show it you." Aladdin went up, when the sultan,
+going before him without looking at him, said: "Follow me;" and then led
+him into his closet. When he came to the door, he said: "Go in; you
+ought to know whereabouts your palace stood: look round and tell me what
+is become of it?"
+
+Aladdin looked, but saw nothing. He perceived the spot upon which his
+palace had stood; but not being able to divine how it had disappeared,
+was thrown into such great confusion and amazement that he could not
+return one word of answer. The sultan, growing impatient, demanded of
+him again: "Where is your palace, and what is become of my daughter?"
+Aladdin, breaking silence, replied: "Sir, I perceive and own that the
+palace which I have built is not in its place, but is vanished; neither
+can I tell your majesty where it may be, but can assure you I had no
+concern in its removal."
+
+"I am not so much concerned about your palace," replied the sultan; "I
+value my daughter ten thousand times more, and would have you find her
+out, otherwise I will cause your head to be struck off, and no
+consideration shall divert me from my purpose."
+
+"I beg of your majesty," answered Aladdin, "to grant me forty days to
+make my inquiries; and if in that time I have not the success I wish, I
+will offer my head at the foot of your throne, to be disposed of at your
+pleasure." "I give you the forty days you ask," said the sultan; "but
+think not to escape my resentment if you fail; for I will find you out
+in whatsoever part of the world you may conceal yourself."
+
+Aladdin went out of the sultan's presence with great humiliation, and in
+a condition worthy of pity. He crossed the courts of the palace,
+hanging down his head, and in such great confusion that he durst not
+lift up his eyes. The principal officers of the court, who had all
+professed themselves his friends, instead of going up to him to comfort
+him, turned their backs to avoid seeing him. But had they accosted him
+with an offer of service, they would have no more known Aladdin. He did
+not know himself, and was no longer in his senses, as plainly appeared
+by his asking everybody he met, and at every house, if they had seen his
+palace, or could tell him any news of it. These questions made the
+generality believe that Aladdin was mad. Some laughed at him, but people
+of sense and humanity, particularly those who had had any connection of
+business or friendship with him, really pitied him. For three days he
+rambled about the city in this manner, without coming to any resolution
+or eating anything but what some compassionate people forced him to take
+out of charity. At last he took the road to the country; and after he
+had traversed several fields in wild uncertainty, at the approach of
+night came to the bank of a river. There, possessed by his despair, he
+said to himself: "Where shall I seek my palace? In what province,
+country, or part of the world, shall I find that and my dear princess? I
+shall never succeed; I would better free myself at once from fruitless
+endeavours, and such bitter grief as preys upon me." He was just going
+to throw himself into the river, but, as a good Mussulman, true to his
+religion, he thought he should not do it without first saying his
+prayers. Going to prepare himself, he went to the river's brink, in
+order to perform the usual ablutions. The place being steep and
+slippery, he slid down, and had certainly fallen into the river, but for
+a little rock, which projected about two feet out of the earth. Happily
+also for him, he still had on the ring which the African magician had
+put on his finger before he went down into the subterranean abode to
+fetch the precious lamp. In slipping down the bank he rubbed the ring so
+hard by holding on the rock, that immediately the same genie appeared
+whom he had seen in the cave where the magician had left him. "What
+wouldst thou have?" said the genie. "I am ready to obey thee as thy
+slave, and the slave of all those that have that ring on their finger;
+both I and the other slaves of the ring."
+
+Aladdin, agreeably surprised at an apparition he so little expected in
+his present calamity, replied; "Save my life, genie, a second time,
+either by showing me to the place where the palace I caused to be built
+now stands, or immediately transporting it back where it first stood."
+"What you command me," answered the genie, "is not wholly in my power; I
+am only the slave of the ring; you must address yourself to the slave of
+the lamp." "If that be the case," replied Aladdin, "I command thee, by
+the power of the ring, to transport me to the spot where my palace
+stands, in what part of the world soever it may be, and set me down
+under the window of the Princess Badroulboudour." These words were no
+sooner out of his mouth than the genie transported him into Africa, to
+the midst of a large plain, where his palace stood, and placing him
+exactly under the window of the princess's apartment, left him. All this
+was done almost in an instant. Aladdin, notwithstanding the darkness of
+the night, knew his palace again; but as the night was far advanced and
+all was quiet, he retired to some distance, and sat down at the foot of
+a large tree. There, full of hopes, and reflecting on his happiness, for
+which he was indebted to chance, he found himself in a much more
+comfortable situation than when he was arrested and carried before the
+sultan, being now delivered from the immediate danger of losing his
+life. He amused himself for some time with these agreeable thoughts; but
+not having slept for two days, was unable to resist the drowsiness
+which came upon him, but fell fast asleep.
+
+The next morning, as soon as day appeared, Aladdin was agreeably
+awakened by the singing not only of the birds which had roosted in the
+tree under which he had passed the night, but also of those which
+frequented the thick groves of the palace garden. When he cast his eyes
+on that wonderful edifice, he felt inexpressible joy at thinking he
+might soon be master of it again, and once more greet his dear Princess
+Badroulboudour. Pleased with these hopes, he immediately arose, went
+toward the princess's apartment, and walked some time under her window
+in expectation of her rising, that he might see her. During this
+expectation, he began to consider with himself whence the cause of his
+misfortune had proceeded; and after mature reflection, no longer doubted
+that it was owing to having trusted the lamp out of his sight. He
+accused himself of negligence in letting it be a moment away from him.
+But what puzzled him most was, that he could not imagine who had been so
+envious of his happiness. He would soon have guessed this, if he had
+known that both he and his palace were now in Africa, the very name of
+which would soon have made him remember the magician, his declared
+enemy; but the genie, the slave of the ring, had not made mention of the
+name of the country, nor had Aladdin inquired.
+
+The princess rose earlier that morning than she had done since her
+transportation into Africa by the magician, whose presence she was
+forced to support once a day, because he was master of the palace;
+though she had always treated him so harshly that he dared not reside in
+it. As she was dressing, one of the women looking through the window
+perceived Aladdin, and instantly told her mistress. The princess, who
+could not believe the joyful tidings, hastened herself to the window,
+and seeing Aladdin, immediately opened it. The noise of opening the
+window made Aladdin turn his head that way, and perceiving the princess
+he saluted her with joy. "To lose no time," said she to him, "I have
+sent to have the private door opened for you; enter, and come up." The
+private door, which was just under the princess's apartment, was soon
+opened, and Aladdin conducted up into the chamber. It is impossible to
+express the joy of both at seeing each other, after so cruel a
+separation. After embracing and shedding tears of joy, they sat down,
+and Aladdin said: "I beg of you, princess, in Heaven's name, before we
+talk of anything else, to tell me, both for your own sake, the sultan
+your father's, and mine, what is become of an old lamp which I left upon
+a shelf in my robing-chamber, when I departed for the chase."
+
+"Alas! dear husband," answered the princess, "I was afraid our
+misfortune might be owing to that lamp: and what grieves me most is,
+that I have been the cause of it." "Princess," replied Aladdin, "do not
+blame yourself, for I ought to have taken more care of it. But let us
+now think only of repairing the loss; tell me what has happened, and
+into whose hands it has fallen." The princess then related how she had
+changed the old lamp for a new one, and how the next morning she found
+herself in the unknown country they were then in, which she was told was
+Africa, by the traitor who had transported her thither by his magic art.
+
+"Princess," said Aladdin, interrupting her, "you have informed me who
+the traitor is, by telling me we are in Africa. He is the most
+perfidious of men; but this is neither a time nor place to give you a
+full account of his villainies. I desire you only to tell me what he has
+done with the lamp, and where he has put it." "He carries it carefully
+wrapt up in his bosom," said the princess; "and this I can assure you,
+because he pulled it out before me, and showed it to me in triumph."
+
+"Princess," said Aladdin, "do not be displeased that I trouble you with
+so many questions, since they are equally important to us both. But to
+come to what most particularly concerns me: tell me, I conjure you, how
+so wicked and perfidious a man treats you?" "Since I have been here,"
+replied the princess, "he repairs once every day to see me; and I am
+persuaded the little satisfaction he receives from his visits makes him
+come no oftener. All his addresses tend to persuade me to break that
+faith I have pledged to you, and to take him for my husband; giving me
+to understand I need not entertain hopes of ever seeing you again, for
+that you were dead, having had your head struck off by my father's
+order. He added, to justify himself, that you were an ungrateful wretch;
+that your good fortune was owing to him, and a great many other things
+of that nature which I forbear to repeat: but as he received no other
+answer from me but grievous complaints and tears, he was always forced
+to retire with as little satisfaction as he came. I doubt not his
+intention is to allow me time to overcome my grief, in hopes that
+afterward I may change my sentiments. But my dear husband's presence
+removes all my apprehensions."
+
+"I am confident my attempts to punish the magician will not be in vain,"
+replied Aladdin, "since my princess's fears are removed, and I think I
+have found the means to deliver you from both your enemy and mine; to
+execute this design, it is necessary for me to go to the town. I shall
+return by noon, will then communicate my design, and what must be done
+by you to ensure success. But that you may not be surprised, I think it
+proper to acquaint you that I shall change my apparel, and beg of you
+to give orders that I may not wait long at the private door, but that it
+may be opened at the first knock."
+
+When Aladdin was out of the palace, he looked round him on all sides,
+and perceiving a peasant going into the country, hastened after him; and
+when he had overtaken him, made a proposal to him to change habits,
+which the man agreed to. When they had made the exchange, the countryman
+went about his business, and Aladdin to the city. After traversing
+several streets, he came to that part of the town where all descriptions
+of merchants had their particular streets, according to their trades. He
+went into that of the druggists; and going into one of the largest and
+best-furnished shops, asked the druggist if he had a certain powder
+which he named. The druggist, judging Aladdin by his habit to be very
+poor, and that he had not money enough to pay for it, told him he had
+it, but that it was very dear; upon which Aladdin penetrating his
+thoughts, pulled out his purse, and showing him some gold, asked for
+half a drachm of the powder; which the druggist weighed, wrapped up in
+paper, and gave him, telling him the price was a piece of gold. Aladdin
+put the money into his hand, and returned to the palace, where he waited
+not long at the private door. When he came into the princess's
+apartment, he said to her: "Princess, perhaps the aversion you tell me
+you have for your captor may be an objection to your executing what I am
+going to propose; but permit me to say it is proper that you should
+dissemble a little, and do violence to your inclinations, if you would
+deliver yourself from him.
+
+"If you will take my advice," continued he, "dress yourself this moment
+in one of your richest habits, and when the African magician comes, make
+no difficulty to give him the best reception; so that he may imagine
+time has removed your disgust at his addresses. In your conversation let
+him understand that you strive to forget me; and that he may be the
+more fully convinced, invite him to sup with you, and tell him you
+should be glad to taste of some of the best wines of his country. He
+will presently go to fetch you some. During his absence, put into one of
+the cups which you are accustomed to drink of, this powder, and setting
+it by, charge the slave you may order that night to attend you, on a
+signal you shall agree upon, to bring that cup to you. When the magician
+and you have eaten and drunk as much as you choose, let her bring you
+the cup, and then change cups with him. He will esteem it so great a
+favour that he will not refuse, but eagerly quaff it off; but no sooner
+will he have drunk, than you will see him fall backward."
+
+When Aladdin had finished, "I own," answered the princess, "I shall do
+myself violence in consenting to make the magician such advances; but
+what cannot one resolve to do against a cruel enemy? I will therefore
+follow your advice, since both my repose and yours depend upon it."
+After the princess had agreed to the measures proposed by Aladdin, he
+took his leave and went and spent the rest of the day in the
+neighbourhood of the palace till it was night, and he might safely
+return to the private door.
+
+The princess, who had remained inconsolable at being parted from her
+husband, had, ever since their cruel separation, lived in great neglect
+of her person. She had almost forgotten the neatness so becoming persons
+of her sex and quality, particularly after the first time the magician
+paid her a visit and she had understood by some of the women, who knew
+him again, that it was he who had taken the old lamp in exchange for a
+new one. However, the opportunity of taking the revenge he deserved made
+her resolve to gratify Aladdin. As soon, therefore, as he was gone, she
+sat down to dress, and was attired by her women to the best advantage
+in the richest habit of her wardrobe. Her girdle was of the finest and
+largest diamonds set in gold, her necklace of pearls, six on a side, so
+well proportioned to that in the middle, which was the largest ever
+seen, that the greatest sultanesses would have been proud to have been
+adorned with only two of the smallest. Her bracelets, which were of
+diamonds and rubies intermixed, corresponded admirably to the richness
+of the girdle and necklace.
+
+When the Princess Badroulboudour was completely dressed, she consulted
+her glass and women upon her adjustment; and when she found she wanted
+no charms to flatter the foolish passion of the African magician, she
+sat down on a sofa expecting his arrival. The magician came at the usual
+hour, and as soon as he entered the great hall where the princess waited
+to receive him, she rose with an enchanting grace and smile, and pointed
+with her hand to the most honourable place, waiting till he sat down,
+that she might sit at the same time, which was a civility she had never
+shown him before.
+
+The African magician, dazzled more with the lustre of the princess's
+eyes than the glittering of her jewels, was much surprised. The smiling
+air with which she received him, so opposite to her former behaviour,
+quite fascinated his heart. When he was seated, the princess, to free
+him from his embarrassment, broke silence first, looking at him all the
+time in such a manner as to make him believe that he was not so odious
+to her as she had given him to understand hitherto, and said; "You are
+doubtless amazed to find me so much altered to-day; but your surprise
+will not be so great when I acquaint you, that I am naturally of a
+disposition so opposite to melancholy and grief, that I always strive to
+put them as far away as possible when I find the subject of them is
+past. I have reflected on what you told me of Aladdin's fate, and know
+my father's temper so well that I am persuaded, with you, he could not
+escape the terrible effects of the sultan's rage: therefore, should I
+continue to lament him all my life, my tears cannot recall him. For this
+reason, since I have paid all the duties decency requires of me to his
+memory, now he is in the grave I think I ought to endeavour to comfort
+myself. These are the motives of the change you see in me; I am resolved
+to banish melancholy entirely; and persuaded that you will bear me
+company to-night, I have ordered a supper to be prepared; but as I have
+no wines but those of China, I have a great desire to taste of the
+produce of Africa, and doubt not your procuring some of the best."
+
+The African magician, who had looked upon the happiness of getting so
+soon and so easily into the Princess Badroulboudour's good graces as
+impossible, could not think of words expressive enough to testify how
+sensible he was of her favours: but to put an end the sooner to a
+conversation which would have embarrassed him, if he had engaged farther
+in it, he turned it upon the wines of Africa, and said: "Of all the
+advantages Africa can boast, that of producing the most excellent wines
+is one of the principal. I have a vessel of seven years old, which has
+never been broached; and it is indeed not praising it too much to say it
+is the finest wine in the world. If my princess," added he, "will give
+me leave, I will go and fetch two bottles, and return again
+immediately." "I should be sorry to give you that trouble," replied the
+princess; "you had better send for them." "It is necessary I should go
+myself," answered the African magician, "for nobody but myself knows
+where the key of the cellar is laid, or has the secret to unlock the
+door." "If it be so," said the princess, "make haste back; for the
+longer you stay the greater will be my impatience, and we shall sit down
+to supper as soon as you return." The African magician, full of hopes
+of his expected happiness, rather flew than ran, and returned quickly
+with the wine. The princess, not doubting but he would make haste, put
+with her own hand the powder Aladdin had given her into the cup set
+apart for that purpose. They sat down at the table opposite to each
+other, the magician's back toward the buffet. The princess presented him
+with the best at the table, and said to him: "If you please, I will
+entertain you with a concert of vocal and instrumental music; but as we
+are only two, I think conversation may be more agreeable." This the
+magician took as a new favour. After they had eaten some time, the
+princess called for some wine, drank the magician's health, and
+afterward said to him: "Indeed you had a full right to commend your
+wine, since I never tasted any so delicious." "Charming princess," said
+he, holding in his hand the cup which had been presented to him, "my
+wine becomes more exquisite by your approbation." "Then drink my
+health," replied the princess: "you will find I understand wines." He
+drank the princess's health, and returning the cup said; "I think myself
+fortunate, princess, that I reserved this wine for so happy an occasion;
+and own I never before drank any in every respect so excellent." When
+they had each drunk two or three cups more, the princess, who had
+completely charmed the African magician by her obliging behaviour, gave
+the signal to the slave who served them with wine, bidding her bring the
+cup which had been filled for herself, and at the same time bring the
+magician a full goblet. When they both had their cups in their hands,
+she said to him: "I know not how you express your loves in these parts
+when drinking together. With us in China lovers reciprocally exchange
+cups, and drink each other's health:" at the same time she presented to
+him the cup which was in her hand, and held out her hand to receive his.
+He hastened to make the exchange with the more pleasure, because he
+looked upon this favour as a token of conquest over the princess, which
+raised his rapture to the highest pitch. Before he drank, he said to
+her, with the cup in his hand: "Indeed, princess, we Africans are not so
+refined in the art of love as you Chinese: and your instructing me in a
+lesson I was ignorant of, informs me how sensible I ought to be of the
+favour done me. I shall never, lovely princess, forget my recovering, by
+drinking out of your cup, that life, which your cruelty, had it
+continued, must have made me despair of."
+
+The princess, who began to be tired with his declarations, interrupted
+him and said: "Let us drink first, and then say what you will
+afterward:" at the same time she set the cup to her lips, while the
+African magician, who was eager to get his wine off first, drank up the
+very last drop. In finishing it, he leaned his head back to show his
+eagerness, and remained some time in that state. The princess kept the
+cup at her lips till she saw his eyes turn in his head, when he fell
+backward lifeless on the sofa. The princess had no occasion to order the
+private door to be opened to Aladdin; for her women were so disposed
+from the great hall to the foot of the staircase, that the word was no
+sooner given that the magician was fallen, than the door was immediately
+opened. As soon as Aladdin entered the hall, he saw the magician
+stretched backward on the sofa. The princess rose from her seat, and ran
+overjoyed to embrace him; but he stopped her and said: "Princess, it is
+not yet time; let me be left alone a moment, while I endeavour to
+transport you back to China as speedily as you were brought from
+thence." When the princess, her women and eunuchs, were gone out of the
+hall, Aladdin shut the door, and, going directly to the dead body of the
+magician, opened his vest, took out the lamp which was carefully
+wrapped up, as the princess had told him, and unfolding and rubbing it,
+the genie immediately appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I have called to
+command thee, on the part of thy good mistress, this lamp, to transport
+this palace instantly into China, to the place from whence it was
+brought hither." The genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and
+disappeared. Immediately the palace was transported into China, and its
+removal was only felt by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted
+up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short interval of
+time.
+
+From the time of the transportation of Aladdin's palace, the princess's
+father had been inconsolable for the loss of her. Before the disaster he
+used to go every morning into his closet to please himself with viewing
+the palace; he went now many times in the day to renew his tears, and
+plunge himself into the deepest melancholy, by reflecting how he had
+lost what was most dear to him in this world.
+
+The very morning of the return to the palace, the sultan went into his
+closet to indulge his sorrows. Absorbed in himself, and in a pensive
+mood, he cast his eyes toward the spot, expecting only to see an open
+space; but perceiving the vacancy filled up, he at first imagined the
+appearance to be the effect of a fog; looking more attentively, he was
+convinced beyond the power of doubt that it was his son-in-law's palace.
+Joy and gladness succeeded to sorrow and grief. He returned immediately
+into his apartment, and ordered a horse to be saddled and brought to him
+without delay, which he mounted that instant, thinking he could not make
+haste enough to the palace.
+
+Aladdin, who foresaw what would happen, rose that morning by daybreak,
+put on one of the most magnificent habits his wardrobe afforded, and
+went up into the hall of twenty-four windows, from whence he perceived
+the sultan approaching, and got down soon enough to receive him at the
+foot of the great staircase. "Aladdin," said the sultan, "I cannot speak
+to you till I have seen and embraced my daughter." The happy father was
+then led to the princess's apartment and embraced her with his face
+bathed in tears of joy. The sultan was some time before he could open
+his lips, so great was his surprise and joy to find his daughter again,
+after he had given her up for lost; and the princess, upon seeing her
+father, let fall tears of rapture and affection.
+
+At last the sultan broke silence, and said: "I would believe, daughter,
+your joy to see me makes you seem as little changed as if no misfortune
+had befallen you; yet I cannot be persuaded but that you have suffered
+much alarm; for a large palace cannot be so suddenly transported as
+yours has been, without causing great fright and apprehension. I would
+have you tell me all that has happened, and conceal nothing from me."
+
+The princess, who took great pleasure in giving the sultan the
+satisfaction he demanded, said: "If I appear so little altered, I beg of
+your majesty to consider that I received new life yesterday morning by
+the presence of my dear husband and deliverer, Aladdin, whom I looked
+upon and bewailed as lost to me. My greatest suffering was to find
+myself forced not only from your majesty, but from my dear husband; not
+only from the love I bore him, but from the uneasiness I laboured under
+through fear that he, though innocent, might feel the effects of your
+anger. As to what relates to my transportation, I was myself the
+innocent cause of it." To persuade the sultan of the truth of what she
+said, she gave him a full account of how the African magician had
+disguised himself, and offered to change new lamps for old ones; how she
+had amused herself in making that exchange; how the palace and herself
+were carried away and transported into Africa, with the magician, who
+was recognised by two of her women and the eunuch who made the exchange
+of the lamp, when he had the audacity, after the success of his daring
+enterprise, to propose himself for her husband; how he persecuted her
+till Aladdin's arrival; how they had concerted measures to get the lamp
+from him again, and the success they had fortunately met with by her
+dissimulation in inviting him to supper, and giving him the cup with the
+powder prepared for him. "For the rest," added she, "I leave it to
+Aladdin to recount."
+
+Aladdin had not much to tell the sultan, but only said: "When the
+private door was opened I went up into the great hall, where I found the
+magician lying dead on the sofa; and as I thought it not proper for the
+princess to stay there any longer, I desired her to go down into her own
+apartment, with her women and eunuchs. As soon as I was alone, and had
+taken the lamp out of the magician's breast, I made use of the same
+secret he had done, to remove the palace, and carry off the princess;
+and by that means the palace was reconveyed to the place where it stood
+before; and I have the happiness to restore the princess to your
+majesty. But that your majesty may not think that I impose upon you, if
+you will give yourself the trouble to go up into the hall, you may see
+the magician punished as he deserved."
+
+The sultan rose instantly and went into the hall, where, when he saw the
+African magician dead, and his face already livid by the strength of the
+poison, he embraced Aladdin with great tenderness, and said: "My son, be
+not displeased at my proceedings against you; they arose from my
+paternal love; and therefore you ought to forgive the excesses to which
+it hurried me." "Sir," replied Aladdin, "I have not the least reason to
+complain of your majesty's conduct, since you did nothing but what your
+duty required. This infamous magician, the basest of men, was the sole
+cause of my misfortune. When your majesty has leisure, I will give you
+an account of another villainous action he was guilty of toward me,
+which was no less black and base than this." "I will take an
+opportunity, and that very shortly," replied the sultan, "to hear it;
+but in the meantime let us think only of rejoicing."
+
+The sultan then commanded the drums, trumpets, cymbals, and other
+instruments of music to announce his joy to the public, and a festival
+of ten days to be proclaimed for the return of the princess and Aladdin.
+
+Within a few years afterward, the sultan died in a good old age, and as
+he left no male children, the Princess Badroulboudour, as lawful heir of
+the throne, succeeded him, and communicating the power to Aladdin, they
+reigned together many years, and left a numerous and illustrious
+progeny.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF PRINCE AGIB
+
+
+I was a king, and the son of a king; and when my father died, I
+succeeded to his throne, and governed my subjects with justice and
+beneficence. I took pleasure in sea-voyages; and my capital was on the
+shore of an extensive sea, interspersed with fortified and garrisoned
+islands, which I desired, for my amusement, to visit; I therefore
+embarked with a fleet of ten ships, and took with me provisions
+sufficient for a whole month. I proceeded twenty days, after which there
+arose against us a contrary wind; but at daybreak it ceased, and the sea
+became calm, and we arrived at an island, where we landed, and cooked
+some provisions and ate; after which we remained there two days. We then
+continued our voyage; and when twenty days more had passed, we found
+ourselves in strange waters, unknown to the captain, and desired the
+watch to look out from the mast head: so he went aloft, and when he had
+come down he said to the captain: "I saw, on my right hand, fish
+floating upon the surface of the water; and looking toward the midst of
+the sea, I perceived something looming in the distance, sometimes black,
+and sometimes white."
+
+When the captain heard this report of the watch, he threw his turban on
+the deck, and plucked his beard, and said to those who were with him:
+"Receive warning of our destruction, which will befall all of us: not
+one will escape!" So saying, he began to weep; and all of us in like
+manner bewailed our lot. I desired him to inform us of that which the
+watch had seen. "O my lord," he replied, "know that we have wandered
+from our course since the commencement of the contrary wind that was
+followed in the morning by a calm, in consequence of which we remained
+stationary two days: from that period we have deviated from our course
+for twenty-one days, and we have no wind to carry us back from the fate
+which awaits us after this day. To-morrow we shall arrive at a mountain
+of black stone, called loadstone: the current is now bearing us
+violently toward it, and the ships will fall in pieces, and every nail
+in them will fly to the mountain, and adhere to it; for God hath given
+to the loadstone a secret property by virtue of which everything of iron
+is attracted toward it. On that mountain is such a quantity of iron as
+no one knoweth but God, whose name be exalted; for from times of old
+great numbers of ships have been destroyed by the influence of that
+mountain. There is, upon the summit of the mountain, a cupola of brass
+supported by ten columns, and upon the top of this is a horseman upon a
+horse of brass, having in his hand a brazen spear, and upon his breast
+suspended a tablet of lead, upon which are engraved mysterious names and
+talismans: and as long, O King, as this horseman remains upon the horse,
+so long will every ship that approaches be destroyed, with every person
+on board, and all the iron contained in it will cleave to the mountain:
+no one will be safe until the horseman shall have fallen from the
+horse." The captain then wept bitterly; and we felt assured that our
+destruction was inevitable, and every one of us bade adieu to his
+friend.
+
+On the following morning we drew near to the mountain; the current
+carried us toward it with violence, and when the ships were almost close
+to it, they fell asunder, and all the nails, and everything else that
+was of iron, flew from them toward the loadstone. It was near the close
+of day when the ships fell in pieces. Some of us were drowned, and some
+escaped; but the greater number were drowned, and of those who saved
+their lives none know what became of the others, so stupefied were they
+by the waves and the boisterous wind. As for myself, God, whose name be
+exalted, spared me on account of the trouble and torment and affliction
+that He had predestined to befall me. I placed myself upon a plank, and
+the wind and waves cast it upon the mountain; and when I had landed, I
+found a practicable way to the summit, resembling steps cut in the rock:
+so I exclaimed: "In the name of God!" and offered up a prayer, and
+attempted the ascent, holding fast by the notches; and presently God
+stilled the wind, so that I arrived in safety at the summit. Rejoicing
+greatly in my escape, I immediately entered the cupola, and performed
+prayers in gratitude to God for my preservation; after which I slept
+beneath the cupola, and heard a voice saying to me: "O son of Khasib,
+when thou awakest, dig beneath thy feet, and thou wilt find a bow of
+brass, and three arrows of lead, whereon are engraved talismans: then
+take the bow and arrows and shoot at the horseman that is upon the top
+of the cupola, and relieve mankind from this great affliction; for when
+thou hast shot at the horseman he will fall into the sea; the bow will
+also fall, and do thou bury it in its place; and as soon as thou hast
+done this, the sea will swell and rise until it attains the summit of
+the mountain; and there will appear upon it a boat bearing a man,
+different from him whom thou shalt have cast down, and he will come to
+thee, having an oar in his hand: then do thou embark with him; but utter
+not the name of God; and he will convey thee in ten days to a safe sea,
+where, on thy arrival, thou wilt find one who will take thee to thy
+city. All this shall be done if thou utter not the name of God."
+
+Awaking from my sleep, I sprang up, and did as the voice had directed. I
+shot at the horseman, and he fell into the sea; and the bow having
+fallen from my hand, I buried it: the sea then became troubled, and rose
+to the summit of the mountain, and when I had stood waiting there a
+little while, I beheld a boat in the midst of the sea, approaching me. I
+praised God, whose name be exalted, and when the boat came to me, I
+found in it a man of brass, with a tablet of lead upon his breast,
+engraven with names and talismans. Without uttering a word, I embarked
+in the boat, and the man rowed me ten successive days, after which I
+beheld the islands of security, whereupon, in the excess of my joy, I
+exclaimed: "There is no deity but God! God is most great!"--and as soon
+as I had done this, the man cast me out of the boat, and sank in the
+sea.
+
+Being able to swim, I swam until night, when my arms and shoulders were
+tired, and, in this perilous situation, I repeated the profession of the
+faith, and gave myself up as lost; but the sea rose with the violence of
+the wind, and a wave like a vast castle threw me upon the land, in order
+to the accomplishment of the purpose of God. I ascended the shore, and
+after I had wrung out my clothes, and spread them upon the ground to
+dry, I slept; and in the morning I put on my clothes again, and, looking
+about to see which way I should go, I found a tract covered with trees;
+and when I had walked round it, I found that I was upon a small island
+in the midst of the sea; upon which I said within myself: "Every time
+that I escape from one calamity I fall into another that is worse:" but
+while I was reflecting upon my unfortunate case, and wishing for death,
+I beheld a vessel bearing a number of men. I arose immediately, and
+climbed into a tree; and lo, the vessel came to the shore, and there
+landed from it ten black slaves bearing axes. They proceeded to the
+middle of the island, and, digging up the earth, uncovered and lifted up
+a trap-door, after which they returned to the vessel, and brought from
+it bread and flour, and clarified butter and honey, and sheep and
+everything that the wants of an inhabitant would require, continuing to
+pass backward and forward between the vessel and the trap-door, bringing
+loads from the former, and entering the latter, until they had removed
+all the stores from the ship. They then came out of the vessel with
+various clothes of the most beautiful description, and in the midst of
+them was an old sheikh, enfeebled and wasted by extreme age, leading by
+the hand a young man cast in the mould of graceful symmetry, and
+invested with such perfect beauty as deserved to be a subject for
+proverbs. He was like a fresh and slender twig, enchanting and
+captivating every heart by his elegant form. The party proceeded to the
+trap-door, and, entering it, became concealed from my eyes.
+
+They remained beneath about two hours, or more; after which, the sheikh
+and the slaves came out; but the youth came not with them; and they
+replaced the earth, and embarked and set sail. Soon after, I descended
+from the tree, and went to the excavation. I removed the earth, and,
+entering the aperture, saw a flight of wooden steps, which I descended;
+and, at the bottom, I beheld a handsome dwelling-place, furnished with a
+variety of silken carpets; and there was the youth, sitting upon a high
+mattress, with sweet-smelling flowers and fruits placed before him. On
+seeing me, his countenance became pale; but I saluted him, and said:
+"Let thy mind be composed, O my master: thou hast nothing to fear; for I
+am a man, and the son of a king, like thyself: fate hath impelled me to
+thee, that I may cheer thee in thy solitude." The youth, when he heard
+me thus address him, and was convinced that I was one of his own
+species, rejoiced exceedingly at my arrival, his colour returned, and,
+desiring me to approach him, he said: "O my brother, my story is
+wonderful: my father is a jeweller; he had slaves who made voyages
+by his orders, for the purposes of commerce, and he had dealings with
+kings; but he had never been blest with a son; and he dreamt that he was
+soon to have a son, but one whose life would be short; and he awoke
+sorrowful. Shortly after, in accordance with the decrees of God, my
+mother gave birth to me; and my father was greatly rejoiced: the
+astrologers, however, came to him, and said: Thy son will live fifteen
+years: his fate is intimated by the fact that there is in the sea a
+mountain called the Mountain of Loadstone, whereon is a horseman on a
+horse of brass, on the former of which is a tablet of lead suspended to
+his neck; and when the horseman shall be thrown down from his horse, thy
+son will be slain: the person who is to slay him is he who will throw
+down the horseman, and his name is King Agib, the son of King Khasib. My
+father was greatly afflicted at this announcement; and when he had
+reared me until I had nearly attained the age of fifteen years, the
+astrologers came again, and informed him that the horseman had fallen
+into the sea, and that it had been thrown down by King Agib, the son of
+King Khasib; on hearing which, he prepared for me this dwelling, and
+here left me to remain until the completion of the term, of which there
+now remain ten days. All this he did from fear lest King Agib should
+kill me."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_And when the boat came to me I found in it a man of brass, with a
+tablet of lead upon his breast, engraven with names and talismans._
+
+When I heard this, I was filled with wonder, and said within myself: "I
+am King Agib, the son of King Khasib, and it was I who threw down the
+horseman; but, by Allah, I will neither kill him nor do him any injury."
+Then said I to the youth: "Far from thee be both destruction and harm,
+if it be the will of God: thou hast nothing to fear: I will remain with
+thee to serve thee, and will go forth with thee to thy father, and beg
+of him to send me back to my country, for the which he will obtain a
+reward." The youth rejoiced at my words, and I sat and conversed with
+him until night, when I spread his bed for him, and covered him, and
+slept near to his side. And in the morning I brought him water, and he
+washed his face, and said to me: "May God requite thee for me with every
+blessing. If I escape from King Agib, I will make my father reward thee
+with abundant favours." "Never," I replied, "may the day arrive that
+would bring thee misfortune!" I then placed before him some
+refreshments, and after we had eaten together, we passed the day
+conversing with the utmost cheerfulness.
+
+I continued to serve him for nine days; and on the tenth day the youth
+rejoiced at finding himself in safety, and said to me: "O my brother, I
+wish that thou wouldst in thy kindness warm for me some water, that I
+may wash myself and change my clothes; for I have smelt the odour of
+escape from death, in consequence of thy assistance." "With pleasure," I
+replied; and I arose, and warmed the water; after which, he entered a
+place concealed from my view, and, having washed himself and changed his
+clothes, laid himself upon the mattress to rest after his bath. He then
+said to me: "Cut up for me, O my brother, a water-melon, and mix its
+juice with some sugar:" so I arose, and, taking a melon, brought it upon
+a plate, and said to him; "Knowest thou, O my master, where is the
+knife?" "See, here it is," he answered, "upon the shelf over my head." I
+sprang up hastily, and took it from its sheath, and as I was drawing
+back, my foot slipped, as God had decreed, and I fell upon the youth,
+grasping in my hand the knife, which entered his body, and he died
+instantly. When I perceived that he was dead, and that I had killed him,
+I uttered a loud shriek, and beat my face, and rent my clothes: saying:
+"This is, indeed, a calamity! O my Lord, I implore thy pardon, and
+declare to Thee my innocence of his death! Would that I had died before
+him!"
+
+With these reflections I ascended the steps, and, having replaced the
+trap-door, returned to my first station, and looked over the sea, where
+I saw the vessel that had come before, approaching, and cleaving the
+waves in its rapid course. Upon this I said within myself: "Now will the
+men come forth from the vessel, and find the youth slain, and they will
+slay me also:" so I climbed into a tree, and concealed myself among its
+leaves, and sat there till the vessel arrived and cast anchor, when the
+slaves landed with the old sheikh, the father of the youth, and went to
+the place, and removed the earth. They were surprised at finding it
+moist, and, when they had descended the steps, they discovered the youth
+lying on his back, exhibiting a face beaming with beauty, though dead,
+and clad in white and clean clothing, with the knife remaining in his
+body. They all wept at the sight, and the father fell down in a swoon,
+which lasted so long that the slaves thought he was dead. At length,
+however, he recovered, and came out with the slaves, who had wrapped the
+body of the youth in his clothes. They then took back all that was in
+the subterranean dwelling to the vessel, and departed.
+
+I remained, by day hiding myself in a tree, and at night walking about
+the open part of the island. Thus I continued for the space of two
+months; and I perceived that, on the western side of the island, the
+water of the sea every day retired, until, after three months, the land
+that had been beneath it became dry. Rejoicing at this, and feeling
+confident now in my escape, I traversed this dry tract, and arrived at
+an expanse of sand; whereupon I emboldened myself, and crossed it. I
+then saw in the distance an appearance of fire, and, advancing toward
+it, found it to be a palace, overlaid with plates of red copper, which,
+reflecting the rays of the sun, seemed from a distance to be fire: and
+when I drew near to it, reflecting upon this sight, there approached me
+an old sheikh, accompanied by ten young men who were all blind of one
+eye, at which I was extremely surprised. As soon as they saw me, they
+saluted me, and asked me my story, which I related to them from first to
+last; and they were filled with wonder. They then conducted me into the
+palace, where I saw ten benches, upon each of which was a mattress
+covered with a blue stuff; and each of the young men seated himself upon
+one of these benches, while the sheikh took his place upon a smaller
+one; after which they said to me: "Sit down, O young man, and ask no
+question respecting our condition, nor respecting our being blind of one
+eye." Then the sheikh arose, and brought to each of them some food, and
+the same to me also; and next he brought to each of us some wine: and
+after we had eaten, we sat drinking together until the time for sleep,
+when the young men said to the sheikh: "Bring to us our accustomed
+supply"--upon which the sheikh arose, and entered a closet, from which
+he brought, upon his head, ten covered trays. Placing these upon the
+floor, he lighted ten candles, and stuck one of them upon each tray;
+and, having done this, he removed the covers, and there appeared beneath
+them ashes mixed with pounded charcoal. The young men then tucked up
+their sleeves above the elbow, and blackened their faces, and slapped
+their cheeks, exclaiming: "We were reposing at our ease, and our
+impertinent curiosity suffered us not to remain so!" Thus they did until
+the morning, when the sheikh brought them some hot water, and they
+washed their faces, and put on other clothes.
+
+On witnessing this conduct, my reason was confounded, my heart was so
+troubled that I forgot my own misfortunes, and I asked them the cause of
+their strange behaviour; upon which they looked toward me, and said: "O
+young man, ask not respecting that which doth not concern thee; but be
+silent; for in silence is security from error." I remained with them a
+whole month, during which, every night they did the same, and at length
+I said to them: "I conjure you by Allah to remove this disquiet from my
+mind, and to inform me of the cause of your acting in this manner, and
+of your exclaiming; 'We were reposing at our ease, and our impertinent
+curiosity suffered us not to remain so!' if ye inform me not, I will
+leave you, and go my way." On hearing these words, they replied: "We
+have not concealed this affair from thee but in our concern for thy
+welfare, lest thou shouldst become like us, and the same affliction that
+hath befallen us happen also to thee." I said, however: "Ye must
+positively inform me of this matter." "We give thee good advice," said
+they, "and do thou receive it, and ask us not respecting our case;
+otherwise thou wilt become blind of one eye, like us"--but I still
+persisted in my request; whereupon they said: "O young man, if this
+befall thee, know that thou wilt be banished from our company." They
+then all arose, and, taking a ram, slaughtered and skinned it, and said
+to me: "Take this knife with thee, and introduce thyself into the skin
+of the ram, and we will sew thee up in it, and go away; whereupon a bird
+called the roc will come to thee, and, taking thee up by its talons,
+will fly away with thee, and set thee down upon a mountain: then cut
+open the skin with this knife, and get out, and the bird will fly away.
+Thou must arise, as soon as it hath gone, and journey for half a day,
+and thou wilt see before thee a lofty palace, encased with red gold, set
+with various precious stones such as emeralds and rubies; and if thou
+enter it thy case will be as ours; for our entrance into that palace was
+the cause of our being blind of one eye; and if one of us would relate
+to thee all that hath befallen him, his story would be too long for thee
+to hear."
+
+They then sewed me up in the skin, and entered their palace; and soon
+after, there came an enormous white bird, which seized me, and flew away
+with me, and set me down upon the mountain; whereupon I cut open the
+skin, and got out; and the bird, as soon as it saw me, flew away. I rose
+up quickly, and proceeded toward the palace, which I found to be as they
+had described it to me; and when I had entered it, I beheld, at the
+upper end of a saloon, forty young damsels, beautiful as so many moons,
+and magnificently attired, who, as soon as they saw me, exclaimed:
+"Welcome! Welcome! O our master and our lord! We have been for a month
+expecting thee. Praise be to God who hath blessed us with one who is
+worthy of us, and one of whom we are worthy!" After having thus greeted
+me, they seated me upon a mattress, and said; "Thou art from this day
+our master and prince, and we are thy handmaids, and entirely under thy
+authority." They then brought to me some refreshments, and, when I had
+eaten and drunk, they sat and conversed with me, full of joy and
+happiness. So lovely were these ladies, that even a devotee, if he saw
+them, would gladly consent to be their servant, and to comply with all
+that they would desire. At the approach of night they all assembled
+around me, and placed before me a table of fresh and dried fruits, with
+other delicacies that the tongue cannot describe, and wine; and one
+began to sing, while another played upon the lute. The wine-cups
+circulated among us, and joy overcame me to such a degree as to
+obliterate from my mind every earthly care, and make me exclaim: "This
+is indeed a delightful life!" I passed a night of such enjoyment as I
+had never before experienced; and on the morrow I entered the bath; and,
+after I had washed myself, they brought me a suit of the richest
+clothing, and we again sat down to a repast.
+
+In this manner I lived with them a whole year; but on the first day of
+the new year, they seated themselves around me, and began to weep, and
+bade me farewell, clinging to my skirts. "What calamity hath befallen
+you?" said I. "Ye are breaking my heart." They answered: "Would that we
+had never known thee; for we have associated with many men, but have
+seen none like thee. May God, therefore, not deprive us of thy company."
+And they wept afresh. I said to them: "I wish that you would acquaint me
+with the cause of this weeping." "Thou," they replied, "art the cause;
+yet now, if thou wilt attend to what we tell thee, we shall never be
+parted; but if thou act contrary to it, we are separated from this time;
+and our hearts whisper to us that thou wilt not regard our warning."
+"Inform me," said I, "and I will attend to your directions." And they
+replied: "If then thou wouldst inquire respecting our history, know that
+we are the daughters of kings: for many years it hath been our custom to
+assemble here, and every year we absent ourselves during a period of
+forty days; then returning, we indulge ourselves for a year in feasting
+and drinking. This is our usual practice; and now we fear that thou wilt
+disregard our directions when we are absent from thee. We deliver to
+thee the keys of the palace, which are a hundred in number, belonging to
+a hundred closets. Open each of these, and amuse thyself, and eat and
+drink, and refresh thyself, excepting the closet that hath a door of red
+gold; for if thou open this, the consequence will be a separation
+between us and thee. We conjure thee, therefore, to observe our
+direction, and to be patient during this period." Upon hearing this, I
+swore to them that I would never open the closet to which they alluded;
+and they departed, urging me to be faithful to my promise.
+
+I remained alone in the palace, and at the approach of evening I opened
+the first closet, and, entering it, found a mansion like paradise, with
+a garden containing green trees loaded with ripe fruits, abounding with
+singing birds, and watered by copious streams. My heart was soothed by
+the sight, and I wandered among the trees, scenting the fragrance of the
+flowers, and listening to the warbling of the birds as they sang the
+praises of the One, the Almighty. After admiring the mingled colours of
+the apple resembling the hue upon the cheek of the beloved maid and the
+sallow countenance of the perplexed and timid lover, the sweet-smelling
+quince diffusing an odour like musk and ambergris, and the plum shining
+as the ruby, I retired from this place, and, having locked the door,
+opened that of the next closet, within which I beheld a spacious tract
+planted with numerous palm-trees, and watered by a river flowing among
+rose-trees, and jasmine, and marjoram, and eglantine, and narcissus, and
+gilliflower, the odours of which, diffused in every direction by the
+wind, inspired me with the utmost delight. I locked again the door of
+the second closet, and opened that of the third. Within this I found a
+large saloon, paved with marbles of various colours, and with costly
+minerals and precious gems, and containing cages constructed of sandal
+and aloes-wood with singing birds within them, and others upon the
+branches of trees which were planted there. My heart was charmed, my
+trouble was dissipated, and I slept there until the morning. I then
+opened the door of the fourth closet, and within this door I found a
+great building in which were forty closets with open doors; and entering
+these, I beheld pearls, and rubies, and chrysolites, and emeralds, and
+other precious jewels such as the tongue cannot describe. I was
+astonished at the sight, and said: "Such things as these, I imagine, are
+not found in the treasury of any king. I am now the King of my age, and
+all these treasures, through the goodness of God, are mine."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering it,
+found a mansion like paradise._
+
+Thus I continued to amuse myself, passing from one place to another,
+until thirty-nine days had elapsed, and I had opened the doors of all
+the closets excepting that which they had forbidden me to open. My heart
+was then disturbed by curiosity respecting this hundredth closet, and
+the Devil, in order to plunge me into misery, induced me to open it. I
+had not patience to abstain, though there remained of the appointed
+period only one day: so I approached the closet, and opened the door;
+and when I had entered, I perceived a fragrant odour, such as I had
+never before smelt, which intoxicated me so that I fell down insensible,
+and remained some time in this state: but at length recovering, I
+fortified my heart, and proceeded. I found the floor overspread with
+saffron, and the place illuminated by golden lamps and by candles, which
+diffused the odours of musk and ambergris. I saw also a black horse, of
+the hue of the darkest night, before which was a manger of white crystal
+filled with cleansed sesame, and another, similar to it, containing
+rose-water infused with musk: he was saddled and bridled, and his saddle
+was of red gold. Wondering at the sight of him, I said within myself:
+"This must be an animal of extraordinary qualities;" and, seduced by the
+Devil, I led him out, and mounted him; but he moved not from his place.
+I kicked him with my heel; but still he moved not: so I took a switch
+and struck him with it; and as soon as he felt the blow he uttered a
+sound like thunder, and, expanding a pair of wings, soared with me to an
+immense height through the air, and then alighted upon the roof of
+another palace, where he threw me from his back, and, by a violent blow
+with his tail upon my face, struck out my eye, and left me.
+
+Thus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the
+predictions of the ten young men. The horse again took wing, and soon
+disappeared. I got up much vexed at the misfortune I had brought upon
+myself. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye with one of my hands,
+for it pained me exceedingly, and then descended, and entered into a
+hall. I soon discovered by the ten benches in a circle, and the eleventh
+in the middle, smaller than the rest, that I was in the castle whence I
+had been carried by the roc.
+
+The ten young men were not in the hall when I entered; but came in soon
+after, attended by the sheikh. They seemed not at all surprised to see
+me, nor at the loss of my eye; but said: "We are sorry that we cannot
+congratulate you on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the
+cause of your misfortune." "I should do you wrong," I replied, "to lay
+it to your charge; I have only myself to accuse." "If," said they, "it
+be a subject of consolation to the afflicted to know that others share
+their sufferings, you have in us this alleviation of your misfortune.
+All that has happened to you we have also endured; we each of us tasted
+the same pleasures during a year; and we had still continued to enjoy
+them, had we not opened the golden door, when the princesses were
+absent. You have been no wiser than we, and have incurred the same
+punishment. We would gladly receive you into our company, to join with
+us in the penance to which we are bound, and the duration of which we
+know not. But we have already stated to you the reasons that render this
+impossible: depart, therefore, and proceed to the court of Bagdad, where
+you will meet with the person who is to decide your destiny." After they
+had explained to me the road I was to travel, I departed from them, with
+mournful heart and weeping eye, and, God having decreed me a safe
+journey hither, I arrived at Bagdad, after I had shaved my beard, and
+become a mendicant. Praise be to God, whose name be exalted, and whose
+purposes concerning me are as yet hid in darkness.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS
+
+
+There was, in olden time, in Damascus of Syria, a king, named
+Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and he was sitting, one day, having with
+him the great men of his empire, consisting of kings and sultans, when a
+discussion took place among them, respecting the traditions of former
+nations. They called to mind the stories of Solomon, son of David, and
+the dominion which God had bestowed upon him over mankind, and the
+genies, and the birds, and the wild beasts, and they said: "We have
+heard from those who were before us, that God bestowed not upon any one
+the power which He bestowed upon Solomon, so that he used to imprison
+the genies and the devils in bottles of brass, and pour molten lead over
+them, and seal a cover over them with his signet."
+
+Then Talib, one of the sultans, related, that a man once embarked in a
+ship with a company of others, and they voyaged to the island of Sicily
+and ceased not in their course until there arose against them a wind
+which bore them away to an unknown land. This happened during the black
+darkness of night, and when the day shone forth, there came out to them,
+from caves in that land, people of black complexion and with naked
+bodies, like wild beasts, not understanding speech. They had a king of
+their own race, and none of them knew Arabic save their king. So when
+they saw the ship and those who were in her, he came forth to them
+attended by a party of his companions, and saluted them and welcomed
+them: They acquainted him with their state; and he said to them, "No
+harm shall befall you; there hath not come to us any one of the sons of
+Adam before you." And he entertained them with a banquet of the flesh of
+birds and of wild beasts and of fish. And after this, the people of the
+ship went down to divert themselves in the city, and they found one of
+the fishermen who had cast his net in the sea to catch fish, and he drew
+it up, and, lo, in it was a bottle of brass stopped with lead, which was
+sealed with the signet of Solomon the son of David. And the fisherman
+came forth and broke it; whereupon there proceeded from it a blue smoke,
+which united with the clouds of heaven; and they heard a horrible voice,
+saying: "Repentance! repentance! O Prophet of God!" Then, of that smoke
+there was formed a person of terrible aspect, of terrific make, whose
+head would reach as high as a mountain; and he disappeared from before
+their eyes. As to the people of the ship, their hearts were almost
+eradicated; but the blacks thought nothing of the event. And a man
+returned to the king, and asked him respecting this; and the king
+answered him: "Know that this is one of the genies whom Solomon, the son
+of David, when he was incensed against them, imprisoned in these
+bottles, and he poured lead over them, and threw them into the sea. When
+the fisherman casteth his net, it generally bringeth up these bottles;
+and when they are broken, there cometh forth from them a genie, who
+imagineth that Solomon is still living; wherefore he repenteth, and
+saith: 'Repentance! O Prophet of God!'"
+
+And the Prince of the Faithful, Abd-El-Melik, wondered at these words,
+and said: "By Allah, I desire to see some of these bottles!" So Talib
+replied: "O Prince of the Faithful, thou art able to do so, and yet
+remain in thy country. Send to thy brother Abd-El-Azeez, that he may
+write orders to the Emeer Moosa to journey from the Western Country to
+this mountain which we have mentioned, and to bring thee what thou
+desirest of these bottles; for the furthest tract of his province is
+adjacent to this mountain." And the Prince of the Faithful approved of
+his advice, and said: "O Talib, thou hast spoken truth and I desire that
+thou be my messenger to Moosa for this purpose." To this, Talib replied:
+"Most willingly, O Prince of the Faithful." And the king said to him:
+"Go in dependence on the blessing of God, and his aid." Then he gave
+orders that they should write for him a letter to his brother
+Abd-El-Azeez, his viceroy in Egypt, and another letter to Moosa, his
+viceroy in the Western Country, commanding him to journey, himself, in
+search of the bottles of Solomon. He sealed the two letters, and
+delivered them to Talib, commanding him to hasten, and he gave him
+riches and riders and footmen to aid him in his way.
+
+So Talib went forth on his way to Egypt, and when the Emeer Moosa knew
+of his approach, he went forth to him and met him, and rejoiced at his
+arrival; and Talib handed to him the letter. So he took it and read it,
+and understood its meaning; and he put it upon his head, saying: "I hear
+and obey the command of the Prince of the Faithful." He determined to
+summon his great men; and they presented themselves; and he inquired of
+them respecting that which had been made known to him by the letter;
+whereupon they said: "O Emeer, if thou desire him who will guide thee to
+that place, have recourse to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad; for he is a
+knowing man, and hath travelled much, and he is acquainted with the
+deserts and wastes and the seas, and their inhabitants and their
+wonders, and the countries and their districts. Have recourse therefore
+to him, and he will direct thee to the object of thy desire."
+Accordingly he gave orders to bring him, and he came before him; and,
+lo, he was a very old man, whom the vicissitudes of years and times had
+rendered decrepit. The Emeer Moosa saluted him, and said to him: "O
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, our lord, the Prince of the Faithful, hath
+commanded us thus and thus, and I possess little knowledge of that land,
+and it hath been told me that thou art acquainted with that country and
+the routes. Hast thou then a wish to accomplish the affair of the Prince
+of the Faithful?" The sheikh replied: "Know, O Emeer, that this route is
+difficult, far extending, with few tracks." The emeer said to him: "How
+long a period doth it require?" He answered: "It is a journey of two
+years and some months going, and the like returning; and on the way are
+difficulties and horrors, and extraordinary and wonderful things. But,"
+he said, "God will assuredly make this affair easy to us through the
+blessing attendant upon thee, O Viceroy of the Prince of the Faithful."
+
+After this they departed, and they continued their journey until they
+arrived at a palace; whereupon the sheikh said: "Advance with us to this
+palace, which presenteth a lesson to him who will be admonished." So the
+Emeer Moosa advanced thither, together with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad and
+his chief companions, till they came to its entrance. And they found it
+open, and having lofty angles, and steps, among which were two wide
+steps of coloured marbles, the like of which hath not been seen: the
+ceilings and walls were decorated with gold and silver and minerals, and
+over the entrance was a slab, whereon was an inscription in ancient
+Greek; and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said: "Shall I read it, O Emeer?" The
+emeer answered; "Advance and read." So he read it; and, lo, it was
+poetry; and it was this:
+
+  Here was a people whom, after their works, thou shalt see wept over for
+    their lost dominion;
+  And in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in
+    the dust.
+
+  Death hath destroyed them and disunited them, and in the dust they have
+    lost what they amassed;
+  As though they had only put down their loads to rest a while: quickly
+    have they departed!
+
+And the Emeer Moosa wept and said: "There is no deity but God, the
+Living, the Enduring without failure!"
+
+Then they attentively viewed the palace; and, lo, it was devoid of
+inhabitants, destitute of household and occupants: its courts were
+desolate, and its apartments were deserted; and in the midst of it was a
+chamber covered with a lofty dome, rising high into the air, around
+which were four hundred tombs.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa drew near to the dome-crowned chamber, and, lo, it
+had eight doors of sandalwood, with nails of gold, ornamented with stars
+of silver set with various jewels, and he beheld in it a long tomb, of
+terrible appearance, whereon was a tablet of iron of China; and the
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to it, and read its inscription; and, lo,
+on it was written:
+
+  Shouldst thou think upon me after the length of my age, and the
+    vicissitudes of days and circumstances,
+  I am the son of Sheddad, who held dominion over mankind and each tract of
+    the whole earth.
+  All the stubborn troops became abject unto me, and Esh-Sham from Misr
+    unto Adnan.
+  In glory I reigned, abasing their kings, the people of the earth fearing
+    my dominion;
+  And I beheld the tribes and armies in my power, and saw the countries and
+    their inhabitants dread me.
+  When I mounted, I beheld my army comprising a million bridles upon
+     neighing steeds;
+  And I possessed wealth that could not be calculated, which I treasured up
+    against misfortunes,
+  Determining to devote the whole of my property for the purpose of
+    extending the term of my life.
+
+  But the Deity would nought save the execution of his purpose; and thus I
+    became separated from my brethren.
+  Death, the disuniter of mankind, came to me, and I was removed from
+    grandeur to the mansion of contempt;
+  And I found the recompense of all my past actions, for which I am
+    pledged: for I was sinful!
+  Then raise thyself, lest thou be upon a brink; and beware of calamities!
+    Mayest thou be led aright!
+
+And again the Emeer Moosa wept, in considering the fates of the people;
+after which, as they were going about through the different apartments
+of the palace, and viewing attentively its chambers and its places of
+diversion, they came to a table upon four legs of alabaster, whereon was
+inscribed:
+
+  Upon this table have eaten a thousand one-eyed kings, and a thousand
+  kings each sound in both eyes. All of them have quitted the world, and
+  taken up their abode in the burial-grounds and the graves.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa wrote down all this. Then he went forth, and took
+not with him from the palace aught save the table.
+
+The soldiers proceeded, with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad before them shewing
+them the way, until all the first day had passed, and the second, and
+the third. They then came to a high hill, at which they looked, and, lo,
+upon it was a horseman of brass, on the top of whose spear was a wide
+and glistening head that almost deprived the beholder of sight, and on
+it was inscribed:
+
+  O thou who comest unto me, if thou know not the way that leadeth to
+  the City of Brass, rub the hand of the horseman, and he will turn, and
+  then will stop, and in whatsoever direction he stoppeth, thither
+  proceed, without fear and without difficulty; for it will lead thee to
+  the City of Brass.
+
+And when the Emeer Moosa had rubbed the hand of the horseman, it turned
+like the blinding lightning, and faced a different direction from that
+in which they were travelling.
+
+The party therefore turned thither and journeyed on, and it was the
+right way. They took that route, and continued their course the same day
+and the next night until they had traversed a wide tract of country. And
+as they were proceeding, one day, they came to a pillar of black stone,
+wherein was a person sunk to his arm-pits, and he had two huge wings,
+and four arms; two of them like those of the sons of Adam, and two like
+the fore-legs of lions, with claws. He had hair upon his head like the
+tails of horses, and two eyes like two burning coals, and he had a third
+eye, in his forehead, like the eye of the lynx, from which there
+appeared sparks of fire. He was black and tall; and he was crying out:
+"Extolled be the perfection of my Lord, who hath appointed me this
+severe affliction and painful torture until the day of resurrection!"
+When the party beheld him, their reason fled from them, and they were
+stupefied at the sight of his form, and retreated in flight; and the
+Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: "What is this?" He
+answered: "I know not what he is." And the emeer said: "Draw near to
+him, and investigate his case: perhaps he will discover it, and perhaps
+thou wilt learn his history." So the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to
+him, and said to him: "O thou person, what is thy name, and what is thy
+nature, and what hath placed thee here in this manner?" And the person
+answered him: "As to me, I am an efreet of the genies, and my name is
+Dahish, and I am restrained here by the majesty of God." Then the Emeer
+Moosa said: "O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, ask him what is the cause of his
+confinement in this pillar." He therefore asked respecting that, and the
+efreet answered him: "Verily my story is wonderful; and it is this:
+
+"There belonged to one of the sons of Iblees an idol of red carnelian,
+of which I was made guardian; and there used to worship it one of the
+Kings of the Sea, of great glory, leading, among his troops of the
+genies, a million warriors who smote with swords before him, and who
+answered his prayer in cases of difficulty. These genies who obeyed him
+were under my command and authority, following my words when I ordered
+them: all of them were in rebellion against Solomon, the son of David;
+and I used to enter the body of the idol, and command them and forbid
+them. Now the daughter of that king was a frequent adorer of the idol,
+assiduous in the worship of it, and she was the handsomest of the people
+of her age, endowed with beauty and loveliness, and elegance and
+perfection; and I described her to Solomon, on whom be peace! So he sent
+to her father, saying to him: 'Marry to me thy daughter, and break thy
+carnelian-idol, and bear witness that there is no deity but God, and
+that Solomon is the Prophet of God. But if thou refuse, I will come to
+thee with forces that shall leave thee like yesterday that hath passed.'
+And when the messenger of Solomon came to him, the King of the Sea was
+insolent, and magnified himself and was proud. Then he said to his
+viziers: 'What say ye respecting the affair of Solomon? For he hath sent
+demanding my daughter, and commanding me to break my carnelian-idol, and
+to adopt his faith.' And they replied: 'O great King, can Solomon do
+aught unto thee, when thou art in the midst of this vast sea? He cannot
+prevail against thee; since the genies will fight on thy side; and thou
+shalt seek aid against him of thine idol that thou worshippest. The
+right opinion is, that thou consult thy red carnelian-idol, and hear
+what will be his reply: if he counsel thee to fight him, fight him; but
+otherwise, do not.' And upon this the king went immediately, and, going
+in to his idol, after he had offered a sacrifice and slain victims, fell
+down before it prostrate, and began to weep, and to seek counsel.
+
+"Thereupon I entered the body of the idol, by reason of my ignorance,
+and my solicitude respecting the affair of Solomon, and recited this
+couplet:
+
+  'As for me, I am not in fear of him; for I am acquainted with everything.
+  If he wish to wage war with me, I will go forth, and I will snatch his
+    soul from him.'
+
+So when the king heard my reply to him, his heart was strengthened, and
+he determined to wage war with Solomon the Prophet of God and to fight
+against him. Accordingly, when the messenger of Solomon came, he
+inflicted upon him a painful beating, and returned him a shameful reply;
+and he sent to threaten Solomon, saying to him, by the messenger: 'Dost
+thou threaten me with false words? Either come thou to me, or I will go
+to thee.'
+
+"Then the messenger returned to Solomon, and acquainted him with all
+that had occurred. And when the Prophet of God heard that, his
+resolution was roused, and he prepared his forces, consisting of genies
+and men, and wild beasts, and birds and reptiles. He commanded his
+vizier, Ed-Dimiryat, the king of the genies, to collect them from every
+place: so he collected for him, of the devils, six hundred millions. He
+also commanded Asaf, his vizier of men, to collect his soldiers of
+mankind; and their number was one million, or more. He made ready the
+accoutrements and weapons, and mounted, with his forces, upon the magic
+carpet, with the birds flying over his head, and the wild beasts beneath
+the carpet marching, until he alighted upon his enemy's coast, and
+surrounded his island, having filled the land with the forces. He then
+sent to our king, saying to him: 'Behold, I have arrived: therefore
+submit thyself to my authority, and acknowledge my mission, and break
+thine idol, and worship the One, the Adored God, and marry to me thy
+daughter according to law, and say thou, and those who are with thee, I
+testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Solomon is
+the Prophet of God. If thou say that, peace and safety shall be thy lot.
+But if thou refuse, thy defending thyself from me in this island shall
+not prevent thee: for God hath commanded the wind to obey me, and I will
+order it to convey me unto thee on the carpet, and will make thee an
+example to restrain others.' So the messenger came to him, and
+communicated to him the message of the Prophet! But the king said to
+him: 'There is no way for the accomplishment of this thing that he
+requireth: therefore inform him that I am coming forth unto him.'
+Accordingly the messenger returned to Solomon, and gave him the reply.
+The king then sent to the people of his country, and collected for
+himself, of the genies that were under his authority, a million; and to
+these he added others, of the devils that were in the islands and on the
+mountains; after which he made ready his forces, and opened the
+armouries, and distributed to them the weapons. And as to the Prophet of
+God, he disposed his troops, commanding the wild beasts to form
+themselves into two divisions, on the right of the people and on their
+left, and commanding the birds to be upon the islands. He ordered them
+also when the assault should be made, to tear out the eyes of their
+antagonists with their beaks, and to beat their faces with their wings;
+and he ordered the wild beasts to tear in pieces their horses; and they
+replied: 'We hear and obey God and thee, O Prophet of God!' Then Solomon
+set for himself a couch of alabaster adorned with jewels, and plated
+with plates of red gold, and he placed his vizier Asaf on the right
+side, and his vizier, Ed-Dimiryat, on the left side, and the kings of
+mankind on his right, and the kings of the genies on his left, and the
+wild beasts and the vipers and serpents before him.
+
+"After this, they came upon us all together, and we contended with him
+in a wide tract for a period of two days; and calamity befell us on the
+third day, and the decree of God was executed among us. The first who
+charged upon Solomon were I and my troops; and I said to my companions:
+'Keep in your places in the battle-field while I go forth to them and
+challenge Ed-Dimiryat.' And, lo, he came forth, like a great mountain,
+his fires flaming, and his smoke ascending; and he approached, and
+smote me with a flaming fire; and his arrow prevailed over my fire. He
+cried out at me with a prodigious cry, so that I imagined the heaven had
+fallen, and the mountains shook at his voice. Then he commanded his
+companions, and they charged upon us all together: we also charged upon
+them: the fires rose and the smoke ascended, the hearts of the
+combatants were almost cleft asunder, and the battle raged. The birds
+fought in the air; and the wild beasts in the dust; and I contended with
+Ed-Dimiryat until he wearied me and I wearied him; after which my
+companions and troops were enervated, and my tribes were routed. I flew
+from before Ed-Dimiryat; but he followed me a journey of three months,
+until he overtook me. I had fallen down through fatigue, and he rushed
+upon me, and made me a prisoner. So I said to him: 'By Him who hath
+exalted thee and abased me, pity me, and take me before Solomon.' But
+when I came before Solomon, he met me in a most evil manner: he caused
+this pillar to be brought, and hollowed it, and put me in it, and sealed
+me with his signet; after which, he chained me, and Ed-Dimiryat conveyed
+me to this place, where he set me down as thou seest me; and this pillar
+is my prison until the day of resurrection."
+
+The party therefore wondered at him, and at the horrible nature of his
+form; and the Emeer Moosa said: "There is no deity but God!" And the
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said to the efreet: "O thou, I ask thee concerning a
+thing of which do thou inform us." The efreet replied: "Ask concerning
+what thou wilt." And the sheikh said: "Are there in this place any of
+the efreets confined in bottles of brass from the time of Solomon?" He
+answered: "Yes, in the Sea of El-Karkar, where are a people of the
+descendants of Noah, whose country the deluge reached not, and they are
+separated there from the rest of the sons of Adam." "And where," said
+the sheikh, "is the way to the City of Brass, and the place wherein are
+the bottles? What distance is there between us and it?" The efreet
+answered: "It is near." So the party left him, and proceeded; and there
+appeared to them in the distance a great black object, with two fires
+corresponding with each other in position; whereupon the Emeer Moosa
+said to the sheikh: "What is this great black object, and these two
+corresponding fires?" The guide answered him: "Be rejoiced, O Emeer; for
+this is the City of Brass, and this is the appearance of it that I find
+described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that its wall is of black
+stones, and it hath two towers of brass, which the beholder seeth
+resembling two corresponding fires; and thence it is named the City of
+Brass." They ceased not to proceed until they arrived at it; and, lo, it
+was lofty, strongly fortified, rising high into the air, impenetrable:
+the height of its walls was eighty cubits, and it had five and twenty
+gates, none of which would open but by means of some artifice. They
+stopped before it, and endeavoured to discover one of its gates; but
+they could not; and the Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: "O
+sheikh, I see not to this city any gate." The sheikh replied: "O Emeer,
+thus do I find it described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that it
+hath five and twenty gates, and that none of its gates may be opened but
+from within the city." "And how," said the emeer, "can we contrive to
+enter it, and divert ourselves with a view of its wonders?"
+
+Then the Emeer Moosa ordered one of his young men to mount a camel, and
+ride round the city, in the hope that he might discover a trace of a
+gate. So one of his young men mounted, and proceeded around it for two
+days with their nights, prosecuting his journey with diligence, and not
+resting; and when the third day arrived, he came in sight of his
+companions, and he was astounded at that which he beheld of the extent
+of the city, and its height. Then he said: "O Emeer, the easiest place
+in it is this place at which ye have alighted." And thereupon the Emeer
+Moosa took Talib and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, and they ascended a
+mountain opposite the city, and overlooking it; and when they had
+ascended that mountain, they saw a city than which eyes had not beheld
+any greater. Its pavilions were lofty, and its domes were shining; its
+rivers were running, its trees were fruitful, and its gardens bore ripe
+produce. It was a city with impenetrable gates, empty, still, without a
+voice but the owl hooting in its quarters, and the raven croaking in its
+thoroughfare-streets, and bewailing those who had been in it.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa fainted with sorrow; his tears ran down upon his
+cheeks, and he said: "By Allah, indifference to the world is the most
+appropriate and the most sure course!"
+
+And when they came back to the troops, they passed the day devising
+means of entering the city; and the Emeer Moosa said to those of his
+chief officers who were around him: "How shall we contrive to enter the
+city, that we may see its wonders? Perhaps we shall find in it something
+by which we may ingratiate ourselves with the Prince of the Faithful."
+Talib replied: "Let us make a ladder, and mount upon it, and perhaps we
+shall gain access to the gate from within." And the emeer said: "This is
+what occurred to my mind, and excellent is the advice." Then he called
+to the carpenters and blacksmiths, and ordered them to make straight
+some pieces of wood, and to construct a ladder covered with plates of
+iron. And they did so, and made it strong. They employed themselves in
+constructing it a whole month, and many men were occupied in making it.
+And they set it up and fixed it against the wall, and it proved to be
+equal to the wall in height, as though it had been made for it before
+that day. So the Emeer Moosa wondered at it, and said: "God bless you!
+It seemeth, from the excellence of your work, as though ye had adapted
+it by measurement to the wall." He then said to the people: "Which of
+you will ascend this ladder, and mount upon the wall, and walk along it,
+and contrive means of descending into the city, that he may see how the
+case is, and then inform us of the mode of opening the gate?" And one of
+them answered: "I will ascend it, O Emeer, and descend and open the
+gate." The emeer therefore replied: "Mount. God bless thee!"
+Accordingly, the man ascended the ladder until he reached the top of it;
+when he stood, and fixed his eyes toward the city, clapped his hands,
+and cried out with his loudest voice, saying: "Thou art beautiful!" Then
+he cast himself down into the city, and was destroyed. So the Emeer
+Moosa said: "If we do thus with all our companions, there will not
+remain of them one; and we shall be unable to accomplish our affair, and
+the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. Depart ye; for we have no
+concern with this city." But one of them said: "Perhaps another than
+this may be more steady than he." And a second ascended, and a third,
+and a fourth, and a fifth; and they ceased not to ascend by that ladder
+to the top of the wall, one after another, until twelve men of them had
+gone, acting as acted the first. Therefore the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said:
+"There is none for this affair but myself, and the experienced is not
+like the inexperienced." But the Emeer Moosa said to him: "Thou shalt
+not do that, nor will I allow thee to ascend to the top of this wall;
+for shouldst thou die, thou wouldst be the cause of the death of us all,
+and there would not remain of us one; since thou art the guide of the
+party." The sheikh, however, replied: "Perhaps the object will be
+accomplished by my means, through the will of God, whose name be
+exalted!" And thereupon all the people agreed to his ascending.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than which
+eyes had not beheld any greater._
+
+Then Abd-Es-Samad arose, and, having said: "In the name of God, the
+Compassionate, the Merciful!"--he ascended the ladder, repeating the
+praises of God, and reciting the Verses of Safety, until he reached the
+top of the wall; when he clapped his hands, and fixed his eyes. The
+people therefore all called out to him, and said: "O Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad, do not cast thyself down! If Abd-Es-Samad fall, we all
+perish!" Then Abd-Es-Samad sat a long time repeating the praises of God,
+and reciting the Verses of Safety; after which he rose with energy, and
+called out with his loudest voice: "O Emeer, no harm shall befall you;
+for God hath averted from me the effect of the artifice of the Devil."
+So the emeer said to him: "What hast thou seen, O Sheikh?" He answered:
+"When I reached the top of the wall I beheld ten damsels, like moons,
+who made a sign with their hands, as though they would say: 'Come to
+us!' And it seemed to me that beneath me was a sea of water; whereupon I
+desired to cast myself down, as our companions did: but I beheld them
+dead; so I withheld myself from them, and recited some words of the book
+of God, whereupon He averted from me the influence of those damsels, and
+they departed; therefore I cast not myself down. There is no doubt that
+this is an enchantment which the people of this city contrived in order
+to repel from it every one who should wish to obtain access to it."
+
+He then walked along the wall till he came to the two towers of brass,
+when he saw that they had gates of gold, without any sign of the means
+of opening them. Therefore the sheikh, looking attentively, saw in the
+middle of one of the gates a figure of a horseman of brass, having one
+hand extended, as though he were pointing with it, and on it was an
+inscription, which the sheikh read, and, lo, it contained these words:
+
+  Turn the pin that is in the middle of the front of the horseman's body
+  twelve times, and then the gate will open.
+
+So he turned the pin twelve times; whereupon the gate opened
+immediately, with a noise like thunder; and the sheikh entered. He was a
+learned man, acquainted with all languages and characters. And he walked
+on until he entered a long passage, whence he descended some steps, and
+he found a place with handsome wooden benches, on which were people
+dead, and over their heads were elegant shields, and keen swords, and
+strung bows, and notched arrows. And behind the next gate were a bar of
+iron, and barricades of wood, and locks of delicate fabric, and strong
+apparatus. Upon this, the sheikh said within himself: "Perhaps the keys
+are with these people." Then he looked, and, lo, there was a sheikh who
+appeared to be the oldest of them, and he was upon a high wooden bench
+among the dead men. So Abd-Es-Samad said: "May not the keys of the city
+be with this sheikh! Perhaps he was the gate-keeper of the city, and
+these were under his authority." He therefore drew near to him, and
+lifted up his garments, and, lo, the keys were hung to his waist. At the
+sight of them, Abd-Es-Samad rejoiced exceedingly; and he took the keys,
+opened the locks, and pulled the gate and the barricades and other
+apparatus, which opened and the gate also opened, with a noise like
+thunder. Upon this the sheikh exclaimed: "God is most great!" and the
+people made the same exclamation with him, rejoicing at the event. The
+Emeer Moosa also rejoiced at the safety of Abd-Es-Samad, and at the
+opening of the gate of the city; the people thanked him for that which
+he had done, and all the troops hastened to enter the gate. But the
+Emeer Moosa cried out to them, saying to them: "O people, if all of us
+enter, we shall not be secure from accident. Half shall enter, and half
+shall remain behind."
+
+The Emeer Moosa then entered the gate, and with him half of the people,
+who bore their weapons of war. And the party saw their companions lying
+dead: so they buried them. They saw also the gate-keepers and servants
+and chamberlains and lieutenants lying upon beds of silk, all of them
+dead. And they entered the market of the city, and beheld that the shops
+were open, and the scales hung up, and the utensils of brass ranged in
+order, and the stores were full of all kinds of goods. And they saw the
+merchants dead in their shops: their skins were dried, and they had
+become examples to him who would be admonished. And they left this
+place, and passed on to the silk-market, in which were silks and
+brocades interwoven with red gold and white silver upon various colours,
+and the owners were dead, lying upon skins, and appearing almost as
+though they would speak. Leaving these, they went on to the market of
+jewels and pearls and jacinths; and they left it, and passed on to the
+market of the money-changers, whom they found dead, with varieties of
+silks beneath them, and their shops were filled with gold and silver.
+These they left, and they proceeded to the markets of the perfumers;
+and, lo, their shops were filled with varieties of perfumes, and bags of
+musk, and ambergris, and aloes-wood, and camphor; and the owners were
+all dead, not having with them any food. And when they went forth from
+the market of the perfumers, they found near unto it a palace,
+decorated, and strongly constructed; and they entered it, and found
+banners unfurled, and drawn swords, and strung bows and shields hung up
+by chains of gold and silver, and helmets gilded with red gold. And in
+the passages of that palace were benches of ivory, ornamented with
+plates of brilliant gold, and with silk, on which were men whose skins
+had dried upon the bones; the ignorant would imagine them to be
+sleeping; but, from the want of food, they had died, and tasted
+mortality.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa went on into the interior of the palace. There he
+beheld a great hall, and four large and lofty chambers, each one
+fronting another, wide, decorated with gold and silver and with various
+colours. In the midst of the hall was a great fountain of alabaster,
+over which was a canopy of brocade; and in those chambers were fountains
+lined with marble; and channels of water flowed along the floors of
+those chambers, the four streams meeting in a great tank lined with
+marbles of various colours. The Emeer Moosa then said to the Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad: "Enter these chambers with us." So they entered the first
+chamber; and they found it filled with gold and with white silver, and
+pearls and jewels, and jacinths and precious minerals. They found in it
+also chests full of red and yellow and white brocades. And they went
+thence to the second chamber, and opened a closet in it, and, lo, it was
+filled with arms and weapons of war, consisting of gilded helmets, and
+coats of mail, and swords, and lances, and maces, and other instruments
+of war and battle. Then they passed thence to the third chamber, in
+which they found closets having upon their doors closed locks, and over
+them were curtains worked with various kinds of embroidery. They opened
+one of these closets, and found it filled with weapons decorated with
+varieties of gold and silver and jewels. And they went thence to the
+fourth chamber, where also they found closets, one of which they opened,
+and they found it full of utensils for food and drink, consisting of
+various vessels of gold and silver, and saucers of crystal, and cups set
+with brilliant pearls and cups of carnelian, and other things. So they
+began to take what suited them of those things, and each of the soldiers
+carried off what he could. And when they determined to go forth from
+those chambers, they saw there a door inlaid with ivory and ebony, and
+adorned with plates of brilliant gold. Over it was hung a curtain of
+silk worked with various kinds of embroidery, and upon it were locks of
+white silver, to be opened by artifice, without a key. The Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad therefore advanced to those locks, and he opened them by
+his knowledge and excellent skill. And the party entered a passage paved
+with marble, upon the sides of which were curtains whereon were figured
+various wild beasts and birds, all these being worked with red gold and
+white silver, and their eyes were of pearls and jacinths: whosoever
+beheld them was confounded.
+
+They then passed on, and found a saloon constructed of polished marble
+adorned with jewels. The beholder imagined that upon its floor was
+running water, and if any one walked upon it he would slip. The Emeer
+Moosa therefore ordered the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad to throw upon it
+something that they might be enabled to walk on it; and he did this, and
+contrived so that they passed on. And they found in it a great dome
+constructed of stones gilded with red gold. The party had not beheld, in
+all that they had seen, anything more beautiful than it. And in the
+midst of that dome was a great dome-crowned structure of alabaster,
+around which were lattice windows, decorated, and adorned with oblong
+emeralds, such as none of the kings could procure. In it was a pavilion
+of brocade, raised upon columns of red gold, and within this were birds,
+the feet of which were of emeralds; beneath each bird was a net of
+brilliant pearls, spread over a fountain; and by the brink of the
+fountain was placed a couch adorned with pearls and jewels and jacinths,
+whereon was a damsel resembling the shining sun. Eyes had not beheld
+one more beautiful. Upon her was a garment of brilliant pearls, on her
+head was a crown of red gold, with a fillet of jewels, on her neck was a
+necklace of jewels in the middle of which were refulgent gems, and upon
+her forehead were two jewels the light of which was like that of the
+sun; and she seemed as though she were looking at the people, and
+observing them to the right and left. When the Emeer Moosa beheld this
+damsel, he wondered extremely at her loveliness, and was confounded by
+her beauty and the redness of her cheeks and the blackness of her hair.
+Any beholder would imagine that she was alive, and not dead. And they
+said to her: "Peace be on thee, O damsel!" But Talib said to the emeer:
+"May God amend thy state! Know that this damsel is dead. There is no
+life in her. How then can she return the salutation?" And he added: "O
+Emeer, she is skilfully embalmed; and her eyes have been taken out after
+her death, and quicksilver hath been put beneath them, after which they
+have been restored to their places; so they gleam; and whenever the air
+putteth them in motion, the beholder imagineth that she twinkleth her
+eyes, though she is dead."
+
+And as to the couch upon which was the damsel, it had steps, and upon
+the steps were two slaves, one of them white and the other black; and in
+the hand of one of them was a weapon of steel, and in the hand of the
+other a jewelled sword that blinded the eyes; and before the two slaves
+was a tablet of gold, whereon was read an inscription, which was this:
+
+  In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God,
+  the Creator of Man; and He is the Lord of lords, and the Cause of
+  causes. O thou, if thou know me not, I will acquaint thee with my name
+  and my descent. I am Tedmur, the daughter of the King of the
+  Amalekites. I possessed what none of the kings possessed, and ruled
+  with justice, and acted impartially toward my subjects: I gave and
+  bestowed, and I lived a long time in the enjoyment of happiness and an
+  easy life, and possessing emancipated female and male slaves. Thus I
+  did until the summoner of death came to my abode, and disasters
+  occurred before me. And the case was this: Seven years in succession
+  came upon us, during which no water descended on us from heaven, nor
+  did any grass grow for us on the face of the earth. So we ate what
+  food we had in our dwellings, and after that, we fell upon the beasts
+  and ate them, and there remained nothing. Upon this, therefore, I
+  caused the wealth to be brought, and meted it with a measure, and sent
+  it by trusty men, who went about with it through all the districts,
+  not leaving unvisited a single large city, to seek for some food. But
+  they found it not; and they returned to us with the wealth, after a
+  long absence. So thereupon we exposed to view our riches and our
+  treasures, locked the gates of the fortresses in our city, and
+  submitted ourselves to the decree of our Lord, committing our case to
+  our Master; and thus we all died, as thou beholdest, and left what we
+  had built and what we had treasured. This is our story: Whoso arriveth
+  at our city, and entereth it, let him take of the wealth what he can,
+  but not touch anything that is on my body; for it is the covering of
+  my person. Therefore let him fear God, and not seize aught of it; for
+  he would destroy himself. Peace be on you! I beg God, moreover, to
+  save you from the evil of trials and sickness.
+
+The Emeer Moosa, when he heard these words, again wept and was
+admonished by what he witnessed. He then said to his companions: "Bring
+the sacks, and fill them with part of these riches and these vessels and
+rarities and jewels." And thereupon, Talib, the son of Sahl, said to the
+Emeer Moosa: "O Emeer, shall we leave this damsel with the things that
+are upon her? They are things that have no equal, nor is the like of
+them at any time found, and they are more than the riches thou hast
+taken, and will be the best present by which thou mayest ingratiate
+thyself with the Prince of the Faithful." But the emeer replied:
+"Heardest thou not that which the damsel hath given as a charge, in the
+inscription upon this tablet? Moreover, and especially, she hath given
+it as a charge offered in confidence, and we are not of the people of
+treachery." The Vizier Talib, however, said: "And on account of these
+words wilt thou leave these riches and these jewels, when she is dead?
+What then should she do with these things, which are the ornaments of
+the world, and the decoration of the living? With a garment of cotton
+might this damsel be covered, and we are more worthy of the things than
+she." Then he drew near to the steps, and ascended them until he reached
+the spot between the two slaves, when, lo, one of these two smote him
+upon his back, and the other smote him with the sword that was in his
+hand, and struck off his head, and he fell down dead. So the Emeer Moosa
+said: "May God not regard with mercy thy resting-place! There was, in
+these riches, a sufficiency; and covetousness doth dishonour the person
+in whom it existeth!" He thereupon gave orders for the entry of the
+troops, who accordingly entered, and they loaded the camels with part of
+those riches and minerals; after which the Emeer Moosa commanded them to
+close the gate as it was before.
+
+They then proceeded along the sea-coast until they came in sight of a
+high mountain overlooking the sea. In it were many caves, and, lo, in
+these was a people of the blacks, clad in hides, and with burnouses of
+hides upon their heads, whose language was not known. And when they saw
+the troops, they ran away from them, and fled, while their women and
+their children stood at the entrances of the caves. So the Emeer Moosa
+said: "O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, what are these people?" And he answered:
+"These are the objects of the inquiry of the Prince of the Faithful."
+They therefore alighted, and the tents were pitched, and the riches were
+put down; and they had not rested when the king of the blacks came down
+from the mountain, and drew near to the troops. He was acquainted with
+the Arabic language; wherefore, when he came to the Emeer Moosa, he
+saluted him; and the emeer returned his salutation, and treated him with
+honour. Then the king of the blacks said to the emeer: "Are ye of
+mankind, or of the genies?" The emeer answered: "As to us, we are of
+mankind; and as to you, there is no doubt but that ye are of the
+genies, because of your seclusion in this mountain that is separated
+from the world, and because of the greatness of your make." But the king
+of the blacks replied: "Nay, we are a people of the race of Adam, of the
+sons of Ham, the son of Noah, on whom be peace! And as to this sea, it
+is known by the name of El-Karkar."
+
+The Emeer Moosa then said to him: "We are the associates of the King of
+El-Islam, Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and we have come on account of
+the bottles of brass that are here in your sea, and wherein are the
+devils imprisoned from the time of Solomon, the son of David. He hath
+commanded us to bring him some of them, that he may see them, and divert
+himself by the view of them." And the king of the blacks replied: "Most
+willingly." Then he feasted him with fish, and ordered the divers to
+bring up from the sea some of the bottles of Solomon; and they brought
+up for them twelve bottles; wherewith the Emeer Moosa was delighted, and
+the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad also, and the soldiers, on account of the
+accomplishment of the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. The Emeer
+Moosa thereupon presented to the king of the blacks many presents, and
+gave him large gifts. In like manner, too, the king of the blacks gave
+to the Emeer Moosa a present consisting of wonders of the sea.
+
+Then they bade him farewell, and they journeyed back until they came to
+the land of Syria, and went in to the Prince of the Faithful; whereupon
+the Emeer Moosa acquainted him with all that he had seen, and all that
+had occurred to him with respect to the verses and histories and
+admonitions, and told him of the case of Talib the son of Sahl. And the
+Prince of the Faithful said to him: "Would that I had been with you,
+that I might have beheld what ye beheld!" He then took the bottles, and
+proceeded to open one after another, and the devils came forth from
+them, saying: "Repentance, O Prophet of God! We will not return to the
+like conduct ever!" And Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan wondered at this.
+After this, the Prince of the Faithful caused the riches to be brought
+before him, and divided them among the people. And he said: "God hath
+not bestowed upon any one the like of what He bestowed upon Solomon the
+son of David."
+
+This is the end of that which hath come down to us, of the history of
+the City of Brass, entire. And God is all-knowing.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
+
+
+In a town in Persia, there lived two brothers, one named Cassim, the
+other Ali Baba. Their father left them scarcely anything; but as he had
+divided his little property equally between them, it would seem that
+their fortune ought to have been equal; but chance determined otherwise.
+
+Cassim married a wife, who soon after became heiress to a large sum, and
+to a warehouse full of rich goods; so that he all at once became one of
+the richest and most considerable merchants, and lived at his ease. Ali
+Baba, on the other hand, who had married a woman as poor as himself,
+lived in a very wretched habitation, and had no other means to maintain
+his wife and children but his daily labour of cutting wood, and bringing
+it to town to sell, upon three asses, which were his whole substance.
+
+One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, and had just cut wood enough
+to load his asses, he saw at a distance a great cloud of dust, which
+seemed to be driven toward him: he observed it very attentively, and
+distinguished soon after a body of horse. Though there had been no
+rumour of robbers in that country, Ali Baba began to think that they
+might prove such, and without considering what might become of his
+asses, was resolved to save himself. He climbed up a large, thick tree,
+whose branches, at a little distance from the ground, were so close to
+one another that there was but little space between them. He placed
+himself in the middle, from whence he could see all that passed without
+being discovered; and the tree stood at the base of a single rock, so
+steep and craggy that nobody could climb up it.
+
+The troop, who were all well mounted and armed, came to the foot of this
+rock, and there dismounted. Ali Baba counted forty of them, and, from
+their looks and equipage, was assured that they were robbers. Nor was he
+mistaken in his opinion; for they were a troop of banditti, who, without
+doing any harm to the neighbourhood, robbed at a distance, and made that
+place their rendezvous; but what confirmed him in his opinion was, that
+every man unbridled his horse, tied him to some shrub, and hung about
+his neck a bag of corn which they brought behind them. Then each of them
+took his saddle wallet, which seemed to Ali Baba to be full of gold and
+silver from its weight. One, who was the most personable amongst them,
+and whom he took to be their captain, came with his wallet on his back
+under the tree in which Ali Baba was concealed, and making his way
+through some shrubs, pronounced these words so distinctly: "_Open,
+Sesame_," that Ali Baba heard him. As soon as the captain of the robbers
+had uttered these words, a door opened in the rock; and after he had
+made all his troop enter before him, he followed them, when the door
+shut again of itself. The robbers stayed some time within the rock, and
+Ali Baba, who feared that some one, or all of them together, might come
+out and catch him, if he should endeavour to make his escape, was
+obliged to sit patiently in the tree. He was nevertheless tempted to get
+down, mount one of their horses, and lead another, driving his asses
+before him with all the haste he could to town; but the uncertainty of
+the event made him choose the safest course.
+
+At last the door opened again, and the forty robbers came out. As the
+captain went in last, he came out first, and stood to see them all pass
+by him, when Ali Baba heard him make the door close by pronouncing these
+words: "_Shut, Sesame_." Every man went and bridled his horse, fastened
+his wallet, and mounted again; and when the captain saw them all ready,
+he put himself at their head, and they returned the way they had come.
+Ali Baba did not immediately quit his tree; for, said he to himself,
+they may have forgotten something and may come back again, and then I
+shall be taken. He followed them with his eyes as far as he could see
+them; and afterward stayed a considerable time before he descended.
+Remembering the words the captain of the robbers used to cause the door
+to open and shut, he had the curiosity to try if his pronouncing them
+would have the same effect. Accordingly, he went among the shrubs, and
+perceiving the door concealed behind them, stood before it, and said:
+"_Open, Sesame!"_ The door instantly flew wide open. Ali Baba, who
+expected a dark dismal cavern, was surprised to see it well lighted and
+spacious, in the form of a vault, which received the light from an
+opening at the top of the rock. He saw all sorts of provisions, rich
+bales of silk stuff, brocade, and valuable carpeting, piled upon one
+another; gold and silver ingots in great heaps, and money in bags. The
+sight of all these riches made him suppose that this cave must have been
+occupied for ages by robbers, who had succeeded one another. Ali Baba
+did not stand long to consider what he should do, but went immediately
+into the cave, and as soon as he had entered, the door shut of itself,
+but this did not disturb him, because he knew the secret to open it
+again. He never regarded the silver, but made the best use of his time
+in carrying out as much of the gold coin as he thought his three asses
+could carry. He collected his asses, which were dispersed, and when he
+had loaded them with the bags, laid wood over in such a manner that they
+could not be seen. When he had done he stood before the door, and
+pronouncing the words: "_Shut, Sesame!"_ the door closed after him, for
+it had shut of itself while he was within, but remained open while he
+was out. He then made the best of his way to town.
+
+When Ali Baba got home, he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the
+gates very carefully, threw off the wood that covered the bags, carried
+them into his house, and ranged them in order before his wife, who sat
+on a sofa. His wife handled the bags, and finding them full of money,
+suspected that her husband had been robbing, insomuch that she could not
+help saying: "Ali Baba, have you been so unhappy as to----" "Be quiet,
+wife," interrupted Ali Baba, "do not frighten yourself; I am no robber,
+unless he may be one who steals from robbers. You will no longer
+entertain an ill opinion of me, when I shall tell you my good fortune."
+He then emptied the bags, which raised such a great heap of gold as
+dazzled his wife's eyes; and when he had done, told her the whole
+adventure from beginning to end; and, above all, recommended her to keep
+it secret. The wife, cured of her fears, rejoiced with her husband at
+their good fortune, and would count all the gold piece by piece. "Wife,"
+replied Ali Baba, "you do not know what you undertake, when you pretend
+to count the money; you will never have done. I will dig a hole, and
+bury it; there is no time to be lost." "You are in the right, husband,"
+replied she; "but let us know, as nigh as possible, how much we have. I
+will borrow a small measure in the neighbourhood, and measure it, while
+you dig the hole." "What you are going to do is to no purpose, wife,"
+said Ali Baba; "if you would take my advice, you had better let it
+alone; but keep the secret, and do what you please." Away the wife ran
+to her brother-in-law Cassim, who lived just by, but was not then at
+home; and addressing herself to his wife, desired her to lend her a
+measure for a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her, whether she
+would have a great or a small one. The wife asked for a small one. The
+sister-in-law agreed to lend one, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty,
+she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure,
+and artfully putting some suet at the bottom of the measure, brought it
+to her with an excuse, that she was sorry that she had made her stay so
+long, but that she could not find it sooner. Ali Baba's wife went home,
+set the measure upon the heap of gold, filled it and emptied it often
+upon the sofa, till she had done: when she was very well satisfied to
+find the number of measures amounted to so many as they did, and went to
+tell her husband, who had almost finished digging the hole. While Ali
+Baba was burying the gold, his wife, to show her exactness and diligence
+to her sister-in-law, carried the measure back again, but without taking
+notice that a piece of gold had stuck to the bottom. "Sister," said she,
+giving it to her again, "you see that I have not kept your measure long;
+I am obliged to you for it, and return it with thanks."
+
+As soon as her sister-in-law was gone, Cassim's wife looked at the
+bottom of the measure, and was inexpressibly surprised to find a piece
+of gold stuck to it. Envy immediately possessed her breast. "What!" said
+she, "has Ali Baba gold so plentiful as to measure it? Where has that
+poor wretch got all this wealth?" Cassim, her husband, was not at home,
+but at his counting-house, which he left always in the evening. His wife
+waited for him, and thought the time an age; so great was her impatience
+to tell him the circumstance, at which she guessed he would be as much
+surprised as herself.
+
+When Cassim came home, his wife said to him: "Cassim, I know you think
+yourself rich, but you are much mistaken; Ali Baba is infinitely richer
+than you; he does not count his money, but measures it." Cassim desired
+her to explain the riddle, which she did, by telling him the stratagem
+she had used to make the discovery, and showed him the piece of money,
+which was so old that they could not tell in what prince's reign it was
+coined. Cassim, instead of being pleased, conceived a base envy at his
+brother's prosperity; he could not sleep all that night, and went to him
+in the morning before sunrise, although after he had married the rich
+widow, he had never treated him as a brother, but neglected him. "Ali
+Baba," said he, accosting him, "you are very reserved in your affairs;
+you pretend to be miserably poor, and yet you measure gold." "How,
+brother?" replied Ali Baba; "I do not know what you mean: explain
+yourself." "Do not pretend ignorance," replied Cassim, showing him the
+piece of gold his wife had given him. "How many of these pieces," added
+he, "have you? My wife found this at the bottom of the measure you
+borrowed yesterday."
+
+By this discourse, Ali Baba perceived that Cassim and his wife, through
+his own wife's folly, knew what they had so much reason to conceal; but
+what was done could not be recalled; therefore, without shewing the
+least surprise or trouble, he confessed all, told his brother by what
+chance he had discovered this retreat of the thieves, in what place it
+was; and offered him part of his treasure to keep the secret. "I expect
+as much," replied Cassim haughtily; "but I must know exactly where this
+treasure is, and how I may visit it myself when I choose; otherwise I
+will go and inform against you, and then you will not only get no more,
+but will lose all you have, and I shall have a share for my
+information."
+
+Ali Baba, more out of his natural good temper, than frightened by the
+menaces of his unnatural brother, told him all he desired, and even the
+very words he was to use to gain admission into the cave.
+
+Cassim, who wanted no more of Ali Baba, left him, resolving to be
+beforehand with him, and hoping to get all the treasure to himself. He
+rose the next morning long before the sun, and set out for the forest
+with ten mules bearing great chests, which he designed to fill; and
+followed the road which Ali Baba had pointed out to him. He was not long
+before he reached the rock, and found out the place by the tree, and
+other marks, which his brother had given him. When he reached the
+entrance of the cavern, he pronounced the words: "_Open, Sesame!_" and
+the door immediately opened, and when he was in, closed upon him. In
+examining the cave, he was in great admiration to find much more riches
+than he had apprehended from Ali Baba's account. He was so covetous, and
+greedy of wealth, that he could have spent the whole day in feasting his
+eyes with so much treasure, if the thought that he came to carry some
+away had not hindered him. He laid as many bags of gold as he could
+carry at the door of the cavern, but his thoughts were so full of the
+great riches he should possess, that he could not think of the necessary
+word to make it open, but instead of "_Sesame_," said: "_Open, Barley!_"
+and was much amazed to find that the door remained fast shut. He named
+several sorts of grain, but still the door would not open. Cassim had
+never expected such an incident, and was so alarmed at the danger he was
+in, that the more he endeavoured to remember the word "_Sesame_," the
+more his memory was confounded, and he had as much forgotten it as if he
+had never heard it mentioned. He threw down the bags he had loaded
+himself with and walked distractedly up and down the cave, without
+having the least regard to the riches that were round him. About noon
+the robbers chanced to visit their cave, and at some distance from it
+saw Cassim's mules straggling about the rock, with great chests on their
+backs. Alarmed at this novelty, they galloped full speed to the cave.
+They drove away the mules, which Cassim had neglected to fasten, and
+they strayed through the forest so far, that they were soon out of
+sight. The robbers never gave themselves the trouble to pursue them,
+being more concerned to know to whom they belonged, and while some of
+them searched about the rock, the captain and the rest went directly to
+the door, with their naked sabres in their hands, and pronouncing the
+proper words, it opened.
+
+Cassim, who heard the noise of the horses' feet from the middle of the
+cave, never doubted of the arrival of the robbers, and his approaching
+death; but was resolved to make one effort to escape from them. To this
+end he rushed to the door, and no sooner heard the word _Sesame_, which
+he had forgotten, and saw the door open, than he ran out and threw the
+leader down, but could not escape the other robbers, who with their
+sabres soon deprived him of life. The first care of the robbers after
+this was to examine the cave. They found all the bags which Cassim had
+brought to the door, to be ready to load his mules, and carried them
+again to their places, without missing what Ali Baba had taken away
+before. Then holding a council, and deliberating upon this occurrence,
+they guessed that Cassim, when he was in, could not get out again; but
+could not imagine how he had entered. It came into their heads that he
+might have got down by the top of the cave; but the aperture by which it
+received light was so high, and the rocks so inaccessible without, that
+they gave up this conjecture. That he came in at the door they could not
+believe, however, unless he had the secret of making it open. In short,
+none of them could imagine which way he had entered; for they were all
+persuaded nobody knew their secret, little imagining that Ali Baba had
+watched them. It was a matter of the greatest importance to them to
+secure their riches. They agreed therefore to cut Cassim's body
+into quarters, to hang two on one side and two on the other, within the
+door of the cave, to terrify any person who should attempt again to
+enter. They had no sooner taken this resolution than they put it in
+execution, and when they had nothing more to detain them, left the place
+of their hoards well closed. They then mounted their horses, went to
+beat the roads again, and to attack the caravans they might meet.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the more he
+endeavoured to remember the word Sesame the more his memory was
+confounded._
+
+In the meantime, Cassim's wife was very uneasy when night came, and her
+husband was not returned. She ran to Ali Baba in alarm, and said: "I
+believe, brother-in-law, that you know Cassim, your brother, is gone to
+the forest, and upon what account; it is now night, and he is not
+returned; I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him." Ali Baba,
+who had expected that his brother, after what he had said, would go to
+the forest, had declined going himself that day, for fear of giving him
+any umbrage; therefore told her, without any reflection upon her
+husband's unhandsome behaviour, that she need not frighten herself, for
+that certainly Cassim would not think it proper to come into the town
+till the night should be pretty far advanced.
+
+Cassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep the
+business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her
+brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till midnight.
+She repented of her foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of
+penetrating into the affairs of her brother and sister-in-law. She spent
+all the night in weeping; and as soon as it was day, went to them,
+telling them, by her tears, the cause of her coming. Ali Baba did not
+wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go and see what was become
+of Cassim, but departed immediately with his three asses, begging of her
+first to moderate her affliction. He went to the forest, and when he
+came near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor the mules in his
+way, was seriously alarmed at finding some blood spilt near the door,
+which he took for an ill omen; but when he had pronounced the word, and
+the door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of
+his brother's body. Without adverting to the little fraternal affection
+his brother had shewn for him, Ali Baba went into the cave to find
+something to enshroud his remains, and having loaded one of his asses
+with them, covered them over with wood. The other two asses he loaded
+with bags of gold, covering them with wood also as before; and then
+bidding the door shut, came away; but was so cautious as to stop some
+time at the end of the forest, that he might not go into the town before
+night. When he came home, he drove the two asses loaded with gold into
+his little yard, and left the care of unloading them to his wife, while
+he led the other to his sister-in-law's house.
+
+Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by Morgiana, an
+intelligent slave, fruitful in inventions to insure success in the most
+difficult undertakings: and Ali Baba knew her to be such. When he came
+into the court, he unloaded the ass, and taking Morgiana aside, said to
+her: "The first thing I ask of you is an inviolable secrecy, both for
+your mistress's sake and mine. Your master's body is contained in these
+two bundles, and our business is, to bury him as if he had died a
+natural death. Go, tell your mistress I want to speak with her; and mind
+what I have said to you."
+
+Morgiana went to her mistress, and Ali Baba followed her. "Well,
+brother," said she, with impatience, "what news do you bring me of my
+husband? I perceive no comfort in your countenance." "Sister," answered
+Ali Baba, "I cannot satisfy your inquiries unless you hear my story
+without speaking a word; for it is of as great importance to you as to
+me to keep what has happened secret." "Alas!" said she, "this preamble
+lets me know that my husband is not to be found; but at the same time I
+know the necessity of secrecy, and I must constrain myself: say on, I
+will hear you."
+
+Ali Baba then detailed the incidents of his journey, till he came to the
+finding of Cassim's body. "Now," said he, "sister, I have something to
+relate which will afflict you the more, because it is what you so little
+expect; but it cannot now be remedied; if my endeavours can comfort you,
+I offer to put that which God hath sent me to what you have, and marry
+you: assuring you that my wife will not be jealous, and that we shall
+live happily together. If this proposal is agreeable to you, we must
+think of acting so that my brother should appear to have died a natural
+death. I think you may leave the management of the business to Morgiana,
+and I will contribute all that lies in my power to your consolation."
+What could Cassim's widow do better than accept of this proposal? for
+though her first husband had left behind him a plentiful substance, his
+brother was now much richer, and by the discovery of this treasure might
+be still more so. Instead, therefore, of rejecting the offer, she
+regarded it as the sure means of comfort; and drying up her tears, which
+had begun to flow abundantly, and suppressing the outcries usual with
+women who have lost their husbands, showed Ali Baba that she approved of
+his proposal. Ali Baba left the widow, recommended to Morgiana to act
+her part well, and then returned home with his ass.
+
+Morgiana went out at the same time to an apothecary, and asked for a
+sort of lozenges which he prepared, and were very efficacious in the
+most dangerous disorders. The apothecary inquired who was ill at her
+master's? She replied with a sigh, her good master Cassim himself: that
+they knew not what his disorder was, but that he could neither eat nor
+speak. After these words, Morgiana carried the lozenges home with her,
+and the next morning went to the same apothecary's again, and with tears
+in her eyes, asked for an essence which they used to give to sick people
+only when at the last extremity. "Alas!" said she, taking it from the
+apothecary, "I am afraid that this remedy will have no better effect
+than the lozenges; and that I shall lose my good master." On the other
+hand, as Ali Baba and his wife were often seen to go between Cassim's
+and their own house all that day, and to seem melancholy, nobody was
+surprised in the evening to hear the lamentable shrieks and cries of
+Cassim's wife and Morgiana, who gave out everywhere that her master was
+dead. The next morning, soon after day appeared, Morgiana, who knew a
+certain old cobbler that opened his stall early, before other people,
+went to him, and bidding him good morrow, put a piece of gold into his
+hand. "Well," said Baba Mustapha, which was his name, and who was a
+merry old fellow, looking at the gold, "this is good hansel: what must I
+do for it? I am ready."
+
+"Baba Mustapha," said Morgiana, "you must take with you your sewing
+tackle, and go with me; but I must tell you, I shall blindfold you when
+you come to such a place." Baba Mustapha seemed to hesitate a little at
+these words. "Oh! oh!" replied he, "you would have me do something
+against my conscience or against my honour?" "God forbid!" said
+Morgiana, putting another piece of gold into his hand, "that I should
+ask anything that is contrary to your honour; only come along with me,
+and fear nothing."
+
+Baba Mustapha went with Morgiana, who, after she had bound his eyes with
+a handkerchief, conveyed him to her deceased master's house, and never
+unloosed his eyes till he had entered the room where she had put the
+corpse together. "Baba Mustapha," said she, "you must make haste and sew
+these quarters together; and when you have done, I will give you another
+piece of gold." After Baba Mustapha had finished his task, she
+blindfolded him again, gave him the third piece of gold as she had
+promised, and recommending secrecy to him, carried him back to the place
+where she first bound his eyes, pulled off the bandage, and let him go
+home, but watched him that he returned toward his stall, till he was
+quite out of sight, for fear he should have the curiosity to return and
+track her.
+
+By the time Morgiana had warmed some water to wash the body, Ali Baba
+came with incense to embalm it, after which it was sewn up in a
+winding-sheet. Not long after, the joiner, according to Ali Baba's
+orders, brought the bier, which Morgiana received at the door, and
+helped Ali Baba to put the body into it; when she went to the mosque to
+inform the imaum that they were ready. The people of the mosque, whose
+business it was to wash the dead, offered to perform their duty, but she
+told them that it was done already. Morgiana had scarcely got home
+before the imaum and the other ministers of the mosque arrived. Four
+neighbours carried the corpse on their shoulders to the burying-ground,
+following the imaum, who recited some prayers. Morgiana, as a slave to
+the deceased, followed the corpse, weeping, beating her breast, and
+tearing her hair; and Ali Baba came after with some neighbours, who
+often relieved the others in carrying the corpse to the burying-ground.
+Cassim's wife stayed at home mourning, uttering lamentable cries with
+the women of the neighbourhood, who came according to custom during the
+funeral, and joining their lamentations with hers, filled the quarter
+far and near with sorrow. In this manner Cassim's melancholy death was
+concealed and hushed up between Ali Baba, his wife, Cassim's widow, and
+Morgiana, with so much contrivance, that nobody in the city had the
+least knowledge or suspicion of the cause of it.
+
+Three or four days after the funeral, Ali Baba removed his few goods
+openly to the widow's house; but the money he had taken from the robbers
+he conveyed thither by night: soon after the marriage with his
+sister-in-law was published, and as these marriages are common in the
+Mussulman religion, nobody was surprised. As for Cassim's warehouse, Ali
+Baba gave it to his own eldest son, promising that if he managed it
+well, he would soon give him a fortune to marry very advantageously
+according to his situation.
+
+Let us now leave Ali Baba to enjoy the beginning of his good fortune,
+and return to the forty robbers. They came again at the appointed time
+to visit their retreat in the forest; but great was their surprise to
+find Cassim's body taken away, with some of their bags of gold. "We are
+certainly discovered," said the captain, "and if we do not speedily
+apply some remedy, shall gradually lose all the riches which we have,
+with so much pains and danger, been so many years amassing together. All
+that we can think of the loss which we have sustained is, that the thief
+whom we surprised had the secret of opening the door, and we arrived
+luckily as he was coming out: but his body being removed, and with it
+some of our money, plainly shows that he had an accomplice; and as it is
+likely that there were but two who had discovered our secret, and one
+has been caught, we must look narrowly after the other. What say you, my
+lads?" All the robbers thought the captain's proposal so advisable, that
+they unanimously approved of it, and agreed that they must lay all other
+enterprises aside, to follow this closely, and not give it up till they
+had succeeded.
+
+"I expected no less," said the captain, "from your fidelity: but, first
+of all, one of you who is artful, and enterprising, must go into the
+town disguised as a traveller, to try if he can hear any talk of the
+strange death of the man whom we have killed, as he deserved; and
+endeavour to find out who he was, and where he lived. This is a matter
+of the first importance for us to ascertain, that we may do nothing
+which we may have reason to repent of, by discovering ourselves in a
+country where we have lived so long unknown. But to warn him who shall
+take upon himself this commission, and to prevent our being deceived by
+his giving us a false report, I ask you all, if you do not think that in
+case of treachery, or even error of judgment, he should suffer death?"
+Without waiting for the suffrages of his companions, one of the robbers
+started up, and said: "I submit to this condition, and think it an
+honour to expose my life, by taking the commission upon me; but
+remember, at least, if I do not succeed, that I neither wanted courage
+nor good will to serve the troop." After this robber had received great
+commendations from the captain, he disguised himself, and taking his
+leave of the troop that night, went into the town just at daybreak; and
+walked up and down, till accidentally he came to Baba Mustapha's stall,
+which was always open before any of the shops.
+
+Baba Mustapha was seated with an awl in his hand, just going to work.
+The robber saluted him, bidding him good morrow; and perceiving that he
+was old, said: "Honest man, you begin to work very early: is it possible
+that one of your age can see so well? I question, even if it were
+somewhat lighter, whether you could see to stitch."
+
+"Certainly," replied Baba Mustapha, "you must be a stranger, and do not
+know me; for old as I am, I have extraordinarily good eyes; and you will
+not doubt it when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a
+place where I had not so much light as I have now." The robber was
+overjoyed to think that he had addressed himself, at his first coming
+into the town, to a man who in all probability could give him the
+intelligence he wanted. "A dead body!" replied he with affected
+amazement. "What could you sew up a dead body for? You mean you sewed up
+his winding-sheet." "No, no," answered Baba Mustapha, "I perceive your
+meaning; you want to have me speak out, but you shall know no more." The
+robber wanted no farther assurance to be persuaded that he had
+discovered what he sought. He pulled out a piece of gold, and putting it
+into Baba Mustapha's hand, said to him: "I do not want to learn your
+secret, though I can assure you I would not divulge it, if you trusted
+me with it; the only thing which I desire of you is, to do me the favour
+to shew me the house where you stitched up the dead body."
+
+"If I were disposed to do you that favour," replied Baba Mustapha,
+holding the money in his hand, ready to return it, "I assure you I
+cannot. I was taken to a certain place, where I was blinded, I was then
+led to the house, and afterward brought back again in the same manner;
+you see, therefore, the impossibility of my doing what you desire."
+
+"Well," replied the robber, "you may, however, remember a little of the
+way that you were led blindfolded. Come, let me blind your eyes at the
+same place. We will walk together; perhaps you may recognise some part;
+and as everybody ought to be paid for his trouble, there is another
+piece of gold for you; gratify me in what I ask you." So saying, he put
+another piece of gold into his hand.
+
+The two pieces of gold were great temptations to Baba Mustapha. He
+looked at them a long time in his hand, without saying a word, thinking
+with himself what he should do; but at last he pulled out his purse,
+and put them in. "I cannot assure you," said he to the robber, "that I
+can remember the way exactly; but since you desire, I will try what I
+can do." At these words Baba Mustapha rose up, to the great joy of the
+robber, and without shutting his shop, where he had nothing valuable to
+lose, he led the robber to the place where Morgiana had bound his eyes.
+"It was here," said Baba Mustapha, "I was blindfolded; and I turned as
+you see me." The robber, who had his handkerchief ready, tied it over
+his eyes, walked by him till he stopped, partly leading, and partly
+guided by him. "I think," said Baba Mustapha, "I went no farther," and
+he had now stopped directly at Cassim's house, where Ali Baba then
+lived. The thief, before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a
+piece of chalk, which he had ready in his hand; and then asked him if he
+knew whose house that was; to which Baba Mustapha replied, that as he
+did not live in that neighbourhood he could not tell. The robber,
+finding he could discover no more from Baba Mustapha, thanked him for
+the trouble he had taken, and left him to go back to his stall, while he
+returned to the forest, persuaded that he should be very well received.
+A little after the robber and Baba Mustapha had parted, Morgiana went
+out of Ali Baba's house upon some errand, and upon her return, seeing
+the mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it. "What can be the
+meaning of this mark?" said she to herself. "Somebody intends my master
+no good: however, with whatever intention it was done, it is advisable
+to guard against the worst." Accordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk,
+and marked two or three doors on each side in the same manner, without
+saying a word to her master or mistress.
+
+In the meantime the thief rejoined his troop in the forest, and
+recounted to them his success. All the robbers listened to him with the
+utmost satisfaction; when the captain, after commending his diligence,
+addressing himself to them all, said: "Comrades, we have no time to
+lose: let us set off well armed; but that we may not excite any
+suspicion, let only one or two go into the town together, and join at
+our rendezvous, which shall be the great square. In the meantime, our
+comrade who brought us the good news, and I, will go and find out the
+house, that we may consult what had best be done."
+
+This plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready. They filed
+off in parties of two each, and got into the town without being in the
+least suspected. The captain, and he who had visited the town in the
+morning as spy, came in the last. He led the captain into the street
+where he had marked Ali Baba's residence; and when they came to the
+first of the houses which Morgiana had marked, he pointed it out. But
+the captain observed that the next door was chalked in the same manner:
+and shewing it to his guide, asked him which house it was, that, or the
+first? The guide was so confounded, that he knew not what answer to
+make; but still more puzzled, when he saw five or six houses similarly
+marked. He assured the captain, with an oath, that he had marked but
+one, and could not tell who had chalked the rest so that he could not
+distinguish the house which the cobbler had stopped at.
+
+The captain, finding that their design had proved abortive, went
+directly to the place of rendezvous, and told the first of his troop
+whom he met that they had lost their labour, and must return to their
+cave. When the troop was all got together, the captain told them the
+reason of their returning; and presently the conductor was declared by
+all worthy of death. He condemned himself, acknowledging that he ought
+to have taken better precaution, and prepared to receive the stroke from
+him who was appointed to cut off his head. Another of the gang, who
+promised himself that he should succeed better, immediately presented
+himself, and his offer being accepted, he went and corrupted Baba
+Mustapha, as the other had done; and being shewn the house, marked it in
+a place more remote from sight, with red chalk.
+
+Not long after, Morgiana, whose eyes nothing could escape, went out, and
+seeing the red chalk, and arguing with herself as she had done before,
+marked the other neighbours' houses in the same place and manner. The
+robber, at his return to his company, valued himself much on the
+precaution he had taken, which he looked upon as an infallible way of
+distinguishing Ali Baba's house from the others; and the captain and all
+of them thought it must succeed. They conveyed themselves into the town
+with the same precaution as before; but when the robber and his captain
+came to the street, they found the same difficulty: at which the captain
+was enraged, and the robber in as great confusion as his predecessor.
+Thus the captain and his troop were forced to retire a second time, and
+much more dissatisfied; while the unfortunate robber, who had been the
+author of the mistake, underwent the same punishment; which he willingly
+submitted to.
+
+The captain, having lost two brave fellows of his troop, was afraid of
+diminishing it too much by pursuing this plan to get information of the
+residence of their plunderer. He found by their example that their heads
+were not so good as their hands on such occasions; and therefore
+resolved to take upon himself the important commission. Accordingly, he
+went and addressed himself to Baba Mustapha, who did him the same
+service he had done to the other robbers. He did not set any particular
+mark on the house, but examined and observed it so carefully, by
+passing often by it, that it was impossible for him to mistake it.
+
+The captain, well satisfied with his attempt, and informed of what he
+wanted to know, returned to the forest; and when he came into the cave,
+where the troop waited for him, said: "Now, comrades, nothing can
+prevent our full revenge, as I am certain of the house, and in my way
+hither I have thought how to put it into execution, but if any one can
+form a better expedient, let him communicate it." He then told them his
+contrivance; and as they approved of it, ordered them to go into the
+villages about, and buy nineteen mules, with thirty-eight large leather
+jars, one full of oil, and the others empty. In two or three days' time
+the robbers had purchased the mules and jars, and as the mouths of the
+jars were rather too narrow for his purpose, the captain caused them to
+be widened; and after having put one of his men into each, with the
+weapons which he thought fit, leaving open the seam which had been
+undone to leave them room to breathe, he rubbed the jars on the outside
+with oil from the full vessel. Things being thus prepared, when the
+nineteen mules were loaded with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the
+jar of oil, the captain, as their driver, set out with them, and reached
+the town by the dusk of the evening, as he had intended. He led them
+through the streets till he came to Ali Baba's, at whose door he
+designed to have knocked; but was prevented by his sitting there after
+supper to take a little fresh air. He stopped his mules, addressed
+himself to him, and said: "I have brought some oil a great way, to sell
+at to-morrow's market; and it is now so late that I do not know where to
+lodge. If I should not be troublesome to you, do me the favour to let me
+pass the night with you, and I shall be very much obliged by your
+hospitality."
+
+Though Ali Baba had seen the captain of the robbers in the forest, and
+had heard him speak, it was hardly possible to know him in the disguise
+of an oil-merchant. He told him he should be welcome, and immediately
+opened his gates for the mules to go into the yard. At the same time he
+called to a slave, and ordered him, when the mules were unloaded, to put
+them into the stable, and give them fodder; and then went to Morgiana,
+to bid her get a good supper. He did more. When he saw the captain had
+unloaded his mules, and that they were put into the stables as he had
+ordered, and he was looking for a place to pass the night in the air, he
+brought him into the hall where he received his company, telling him he
+would not suffer him to be in the court. The captain excused himself on
+pretence of not being troublesome; but really to have room to execute
+his design, and it was not till after the most pressing importunity that
+he yielded. Ali Baba, not content to keep company, till supper was
+ready, with the man who had a design on his life, continued talking with
+him till it was ended, and repeating his offer of service. The captain
+rose up at the same time with his host; and while Ali Baba went to speak
+to Morgiana he withdrew into the yard, under pretence of looking at his
+mules. Ali Baba, after charging Morgiana afresh to take care of his
+guest, said to her: "To-morrow morning I design to go to the bath before
+day; take care my bathing linens be ready, give them to Abdoollah,"
+which was the slave's name, "and make me some good broth against I
+return." After this he went to bed.
+
+In the meantime, the captain went from the stable to give his people
+orders what to do; and beginning at the first jar, and so on to the
+last, said to each man: "As soon as I throw some stones out of the
+chamber window where I lie, do not fail to cut the jar open with the
+knife you have about you for the purpose, and come out, and I will
+immediately join you." After this he returned into the house, when
+Morgiana, taking up a light, conducted him to his chamber, where she
+left him; and he, to avoid any suspicion, put the light out soon after,
+and laid himself down in his clothes, that he might be the more ready to
+rise.
+
+Morgiana, remembering Ali Baba's orders, got his bathing linens ready,
+and ordered Abdoollah to set on the pot for the broth; but while she was
+preparing it, the lamp went out, and there was no more oil in the house,
+nor any candles. What to do she did not know, for the broth must be
+made. Abdoollah seeing her very uneasy, said: "Do not fret and tease
+yourself, but go into the yard, and take some oil out of one of the
+jars." Morgiana thanked Abdoollah for his advice, took the oil-pot, and
+went into the yard; when as she came nigh the first jar, the robber
+within said softly: "Is it time?" Though the robber spoke low, Morgiana
+was struck with the voice the more, because the captain, when he
+unloaded the mules, had taken the lids off this and all the other jars
+to give air to his men, who were ill enough at their ease, almost
+wanting room to breathe. As much surprised as Morgiana naturally was at
+finding a man in a jar, instead of the oil she wanted, many would have
+made such an outcry as to have given an alarm; whereas Morgiana
+comprehending immediately the importance of keeping silence, and the
+necessity of applying a speedy remedy without noise, conceived at once
+the means, and collecting herself without shewing the least emotion,
+answered: "Not yet, but presently." She went in this manner to all the
+jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.
+
+By this means, Morgiana found that her master Ali Baba, who thought that
+he had entertained an oil merchant, had admitted thirty-eight robbers
+into his house, regarding this pretended merchant as their captain. She
+made what haste she could to fill her oil-pot, and returned into her
+kitchen; where, as soon as she had lighted her lamp, she took a great
+kettle, went again to the oil-jar, filled the kettle, set it on a large
+wood-fire, and as soon as it boiled went and poured enough into every
+jar to stifle and destroy the robber within.
+
+When this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed
+without any noise, she returned into the kitchen with the empty kettle;
+and having put out the great fire she had made to boil the oil, and
+leaving just enough to make the broth, put out the lamp also, and
+remained silent; resolving not to go to rest till she had observed what
+might follow through a window of the kitchen, which opened into the
+yard.
+
+She had not waited long before the captain of the robbers got up, opened
+the window, and finding no light, and hearing no noise, or any one
+stirring in the house, gave the appointed signal, by throwing little
+stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the sound
+they gave. He then listened, but not hearing or perceiving anything
+whereby he could judge that his companions stirred, he began to grow
+very uneasy, threw stones again a second and also a third time, and
+could not comprehend the reason that none of them should answer his
+signal. Much alarmed, he went softly down into the yard, and going to
+the first jar, whilst asking the robber, whom he thought alive, if he
+was in readiness, smelt the hot boiled oil, which sent forth a steam out
+of the jar. Hence he suspected that his plot to murder Ali Baba and
+plunder his house was discovered. Examining all the jars one after
+another, he found that all the members of his gang were dead; and by the
+oil he missed out of the last jar guessed the means and manner of their
+death. Enraged to despair at having failed in his design, he forced the
+lock of a door that led from the yard to the garden, and climbing over
+the walls, made his escape.
+
+When Morgiana heard no noise, and found, after waiting some time, that
+the captain did not return, she concluded that he had chosen rather to
+make his escape by the garden than the street door, which was
+double-locked. Satisfied and pleased to have succeeded so well, in
+saving her master and family, she went to bed.
+
+Ali Baba rose before day, and, followed by his slave, went to the baths,
+entirely ignorant of the important event which had happened at home; for
+Morgiana had not thought it safe to wake him before, for fear of losing
+her opportunity; and after her successful exploit she thought it
+needless to disturb him.
+
+When he returned from the baths, the sun was risen; he was very much
+surprised to see the oil jars and that the merchant was not gone with
+the mules. He asked Morgiana, who opened the door, and had let all
+things stand as they were, that he might see them, the reason of it. "My
+good master," answered she, "God preserve you and all your family; you
+will be better informed of what you wish to know when you have seen what
+I have to show you, if you will but give yourself the trouble to follow
+me."
+
+As soon as Morgiana had shut the door, Ali Baba followed her; when she
+requested him to look into the first jar and see if there was any oil.
+Ali Baba did so, and seeing a man, started back in alarm, and cried out.
+"Do not be afraid," said Morgiana; "the man you see there can neither do
+you nor anybody else any harm. He is dead." "Ah, Morgiana!" said Ali
+Baba, "what is it you show me? Explain yourself." "I will," replied
+Morgiana; "moderate your astonishment, and do not excite the curiosity
+of your neighbours. Look into all the other jars."
+
+Ali Baba examined all the other jars, and when he came to that which had
+the oil in, found it prodigiously sunk, and stood for some time
+motionless, sometimes looking at the jars, and sometimes at Morgiana,
+without saying a word, so great was his surprise: at last, when he had
+recovered himself, he said: "And what is become of the merchant?"
+
+"Merchant!" answered she, "he is as much one as I am; I will tell you
+who he is, and what is become of him: but you had better hear the story
+in your own chamber; for it is time for your health that you had your
+broth after your bathing."
+
+While Ali Baba retired to his chamber, Morgiana went into the kitchen to
+fetch the broth, but before he would drink it, he first entreated her to
+satisfy his impatience, and tell him what had happened, with all the
+circumstances; and she obeyed him.
+
+"This," she said, when she had completed her story, "is the account you
+asked of me; and I am convinced it is the consequence of what I observed
+some days ago, but did not think fit to acquaint you with; for when I
+came in one morning early I found our street door marked with white
+chalk, and the next morning with red; upon which, both times without
+knowing what was the intention of those chalks, I marked two or three
+neighbours' doors on each side in the same manner. If you reflect on
+this, and what has since happened, you will find it to be a plot of the
+robbers of the forest, of whose gang there are two wanting, and now they
+are reduced to three: all this shows that they had sworn your
+destruction, and it is proper you should be upon your guard, while there
+is one of them alive: for my part, I shall neglect nothing necessary to
+your preservation, as I am in duty bound."
+
+When Morgiana had left off speaking, Ali Baba was so sensible of the
+great service she had done him, that he said to her: "I will not die
+without rewarding you as you deserve; I owe my life to you, and for the
+first token of my acknowledgment, give you your liberty from this
+moment, till I can complete your recompense as I intend. I am persuaded
+with you, that the forty robbers have laid snares for my destruction.
+God, by your means, has delivered me from them as yet, and I hope will
+continue to preserve me from their wicked designs, and deliver the world
+from their persecution. All that we have to do is to bury the bodies of
+these pests of mankind immediately, and with all the secrecy imaginable,
+that nobody may suspect what is become of them. But that labour
+Abdoollah and I will undertake."
+
+Ali Baba's garden was very long, and shaded at the farther end by a
+great number of large trees. Under these he and the slave dug a trench,
+long and wide enough to hold all the robbers. Afterward they lifted the
+bodies out of the jars, took away their weapons, carried them to the end
+of the garden, laid them in the trench, and levelled the ground again.
+When this was done, Ali Baba hid the jars and weapons; and as he had no
+occasion for the mules, he sent them at different times to be sold in
+the market by his slave.
+
+While Ali Baba took these measures to prevent the public from knowing
+how he came by his riches in so short a time, the captain of the forty
+robbers returned to the forest with inconceivable mortification; and in
+his confusion at his ill success, so contrary to what he had promised
+himself, entered the cave, not being able, all the way from the town, to
+come to any resolution how to revenge himself of Ali Baba.
+
+The loneliness of the gloomy cavern became frightful to him. "Where are
+you, my brave lads," cried he, "old companions of my watchings, inroads,
+and labour? What can I do without you? Did I collect you only to lose
+you by so base a fate, and so unworthy of your courage! Had you died
+with your sabres in your hands, like brave men, my regret had been less!
+When shall I enlist so gallant a troop again? And if I could, can I
+undertake it without exposing so much gold and treasure to him who hath
+already enriched himself out of it? I cannot, I ought not to think of
+it, before I have taken away his life. I will undertake that alone,
+which I could not accomplish with your powerful assistance; and when I
+have taken measures to secure this treasure from being pillaged, I will
+provide for it new masters and successors after me, who shall preserve
+and augment it to all posterity." This resolution being taken, he was
+not at a loss how to execute his purpose; but full of hopes, slept all
+that night very quietly.
+
+When he awoke early next morning, he dressed himself, agreeably to the
+project he had formed, went to the town, and took a lodging in a khan.
+As he expected what had happened at Ali Baba's might make a great noise,
+he asked his host what news there was in the city? Upon which the
+innkeeper told him a great many circumstances, which did not concern him
+in the least. He judged by this, that the reason why Ali Baba kept his
+affairs so secret, was for fear people should know where the treasure
+lay; and because he knew his life would be sought on account of it. This
+urged him the more to neglect nothing to rid himself of so cautious an
+enemy.
+
+The captain now assumed the character of a merchant, and conveyed
+gradually a great many sorts of rich stuffs and fine linen to his
+lodging from the cavern, but with all the necessary precautions
+imaginable to conceal the place whence he brought them. In order to
+dispose of the merchandise, when he had amassed them together, he took a
+warehouse, which happened to be opposite to Cassim's, which Ali Baba's
+son had occupied since the death of his uncle.
+
+He took the name of Khaujeh Houssain, and as a newcomer, was, according
+to custom, extremely civil and complaisant to all the merchants his
+neighbours. Ali Baba's son was from his vicinity one of the first to
+converse with Khaujeh Houssain, who strove to cultivate his friendship
+more particularly when, two or three days after he was settled, he
+recognised Ali Baba, who came to see his son, and stopped to talk with
+him as he was accustomed to do. When he was gone, the impostor learnt
+from his son who he was. He increased his assiduities, caressed him in
+the most engaging manner, made him some small presents, and often asked
+him to dine and sup with him.
+
+Ali Baba's son did not choose to lie under such obligation to Khaujeh
+Houssain, without making the like return; but was so much straitened for
+want of room in his house, that he could not entertain him so well as he
+wished; he therefore acquainted his father Ali Baba with his intention,
+and told him that it did not look well for him to receive such favours
+from Khaujeh Houssain without inviting him in return.
+
+Ali Baba, with great pleasure, took the treat upon himself. "Son," said
+he, "to-morrow being Friday, which is a day that the shops of such great
+merchants as Khaujeh Houssain and yourself are shut, get him to take a
+walk with you, and as you come back, pass by my door and call in. It
+will look better to have it happen accidentally, than if you gave him a
+formal invitation. I will go and order Morgiana to provide a supper."
+
+The next day Ali Baba's son and Khaujeh Houssain met by appointment,
+took their walk, and as they returned, Ali Baba's son led Khaujeh
+Houssain through the street where his father lived; and when they came
+to the house, stopped and knocked at the door. "This, sir," said he, "is
+my father's house; who, from the account I have given him of your
+friendship, charged me to procure him the honour of your acquaintance."
+
+Though it was the sole aim of Khaujeh Houssain to introduce himself into
+Ali Baba's house, that he might kill him without hazarding his own life
+or making any noise; yet he excused himself, and offered to take his
+leave. But a slave having opened the door, Ali Baba's son took him
+obligingly by the hand, and in a manner forced him in.
+
+Ali Baba received Khaujeh Houssain with a smiling countenance, and in
+the most obliging manner. He thanked him for all the favours he had done
+his son; adding withal, the obligation was the greater, as he was a
+young man not much acquainted with the world.
+
+Khaujeh Houssain returned the compliment, by assuring Ali Baba, that
+though his son might not have acquired the experience of older men, he
+had good sense equal to the knowledge of many others. After a little
+more conversation on different subjects, he offered again to take his
+leave; when Ali Baba, stopping him, said: "Where are you going, sir, in
+so much haste? I beg you would do me the honour to sup with me, though
+what I have to give you is not worth your acceptance; but such as it is,
+I hope you will accept it as heartily as I give it." "Sir," replied
+Khaujeh Houssain, "I am thoroughly persuaded of your good will; and if I
+ask the favour of you not to take it ill that I do not accept your
+obliging invitation, I beg of you to believe that it does not proceed
+from any slight or intention to affront, but from a reason which you
+would approve if you knew it.
+
+"And what may that reason be, sir," replied Ali Baba, "if I may be so
+bold as to ask you?" "It is," answered Khaujeh Houssain, "that I can eat
+no victuals that have any salt in them; therefore judge how I should
+feel at your table." "If that is the only reason," said Ali Baba, "it
+ought not to deprive me of the honour of your company at supper; for, in
+the first place, there is no salt ever put into my bread, and as to the
+meat we shall have to-night, I promise you there shall be none in that.
+Therefore you must do me the favour to stay. I will return immediately."
+
+Ali Baba went into the kitchen, and ordered Morgiana to put no salt to
+the meat that was to be dressed that night; and to make quickly two or
+three ragouts besides what he had ordered, but be sure to put no salt in
+them.
+
+Morgiana, who was always ready to obey her master, could not help
+seeming somewhat dissatisfied at his strange order. "Who is this
+difficult man," said she, "who eats no salt with his meat? Your supper
+will be spoiled, if I keep it back so long." "Do not be angry,
+Morgiana," replied Ali Baba; "he is an honest man; therefore do as I bid
+you."
+
+Morgiana obeyed, though with no little reluctance, and had a curiosity
+to see this man who ate no salt. To this end, when she had finished what
+she had to do in the kitchen, she helped Abdoollah to carry up the
+dishes; and looking at Khaujeh Houssain, knew him at first sight,
+notwithstanding his disguise, to be the captain of the robbers, and
+examining him very carefully, perceived that he had a dagger under his
+garment. "I am not in the least amazed," said she to herself, "that this
+wicked wretch, who is my master's greatest enemy, would eat no salt with
+him, since he intends to assassinate him; but I will prevent him."
+
+Morgiana, while they were eating, made the necessary preparations for
+executing one of the boldest acts ever meditated, and had just
+determined, when Abdoollah came for the dessert of fruit, which she
+carried up, and as soon as he had taken the meat away, set upon the
+table; after that, she placed three glasses by Ali Baba, and going out,
+took Abdoollah with her to sup, and to give Ali Baba the more liberty of
+conversation with his guest.
+
+Khaujeh Houssain, or rather the captain of the robbers, thought he had
+now a favourable opportunity of being revenged on Ali Baba. "I will,"
+said he to himself, "make the father and son both drunk: the son, whose
+life I intend to spare, will not be able to prevent my stabbing his
+father to the heart; and while the slaves are at supper, or asleep in
+the kitchen, I can make my escape over the gardens as before."
+
+Instead of going to supper, Morgiana, who had penetrated the intentions
+of the counterfeit Khaujeh Houssain, would not give him time to put his
+villainous design into execution, but dressed herself neatly with a
+suitable head-dress like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt
+girdle, to which there hung a poniard with a hilt and guard of the same
+metal, and put a handsome mask on her face. When she had thus disguised
+herself, she said to Abdoollah: "Take your tabor, and let us go and
+divert our master and his son's guest, as we do sometimes when he is
+alone."
+
+Abdoollah took his tabor and played all the way into the hall before
+Morgiana, who when she came to the door made a low obeisance, with a
+deliberate air, in order to draw attention, and by way of asking leave
+to exhibit her skill. Abdoollah, seeing that his master had a mind to
+say something, left off playing. "Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba,
+"and let Khaujeh Houssain see what you can do, that he may tell us what
+he thinks of you. But, sir," said he, turning toward his guest, "do not
+think that I put myself to any expense to give you this diversion, since
+these are my slave and my cook and housekeeper; and I hope you will not
+find the entertainment they give us disagreeable."
+
+Khaujeh Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began
+to fear he should not be able to improve the opportunity he thought he
+had found: but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure it another
+time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the father and son;
+therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would have declined the
+dance, he had the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he
+saw pleased his host.
+
+As soon as Abdoollah saw that Ali Baba and Khaujeh Houssain had done
+talking, he began to play on the tabor, and accompanied it with an air;
+to which Morgiana, who was an excellent performer, danced in such a
+manner as would have created admiration in any other company besides
+that before which she now exhibited, among whom, perhaps, none but the
+false Khaujeh Houssain was in the least attentive to her, the rest
+having seen her so frequently.
+
+After she had danced several dances with equal propriety and grace, she
+drew the poniard, and holding it in her hand, began a dance, in which
+she outdid herself, by the many different figures, light movements, and
+the surprising leaps and wonderful exertions with which she accompanied
+it. Sometimes she presented the poniard to one person's breast,
+sometimes to another's, and oftentimes seemed to strike her own. At
+last, as if she was out of breath, she snatched the tabor from Abdoollah
+with her left hand, and holding the dagger in her right, presented the
+other side of the tabor, after the manner of those who get a livelihood
+by dancing, and solicit the liberality of the spectators.
+
+Ali Baba put a piece of gold into the tabor, as did also his son: and
+Khaujeh Houssain, seeing that she was coming to him, had pulled his
+purse out of his bosom to make her a present; but while he was putting
+his hand into it, Morgiana, with a courage and resolution worthy of
+herself, plunged the poniard into his heart. Ali Baba and his son,
+shocked at this action, cried out aloud. "Unhappy wretch!" exclaimed Ali
+Baba, "what have you done to ruin me and my family?" "It was to
+preserve, not to ruin you," answered Morgiana; "for see here," continued
+she (opening the pretended Khaujeh Houssain's garment, and showing the
+dagger), "what an enemy you had entertained! Look well at him, and you
+will find him to be both the fictitious oil-merchant, and the captain of
+the gang of forty robbers. Remember, too, that he would eat no salt with
+you; and what would you have more to persuade you of his wicked design?
+Before I saw him, I suspected him as soon as you told me you had such a
+guest. I knew him, and you now find that my suspicion was not
+groundless."
+
+Ali Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to Morgiana for
+saving his life a second time, embraced her: "Morgiana," said he, "I
+gave you your liberty, and then promised you that my gratitude should
+not stop there, but that I would soon give you higher proofs of its
+sincerity, which I now do by making you my daughter-in-law." Then
+addressing himself to his son, he said: "I believe you, son, to be so
+dutiful a child, that you will not refuse Morgiana for your wife. You
+see that Khaujeh Houssain sought your friendship with a treacherous
+design to take away my life; and, if he had succeeded, there is no doubt
+but he would have sacrificed you also to his revenge. Consider, that by
+marrying Morgiana you marry the preserver of my family and your own."
+
+The son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
+marriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but also
+because it was agreeable to his inclination.
+
+After this, they thought of burying the captain of the robbers with his
+comrades, and did it so privately that nobody discovered their bones
+till many years after, when no one had any concern in the publication of
+this remarkable history.
+
+A few days afterward, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of his son and
+Morgiana with great solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the usual dancing
+and spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his friends and
+neighbours, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true motives of the
+marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with Morgiana's good
+qualities commended his generosity and goodness of heart.
+
+Ali Baba forbore, after this marriage, from going again to the robbers'
+cave, as he had done, for fear of being surprised, from the time he had
+brought away his brother Cassim's mangled remains. He had kept away
+after the death of the thirty-seven robbers and their captain, supposing
+the other two, whom he could get no account of, might be alive.
+
+At the year's end, when he found that they had not made any attempt to
+disturb him, he had the curiosity to make another journey, taking the
+necessary precautions for his safety. He mounted his horse, and when he
+came to the cave, and saw no footsteps of men or beasts, looked upon it
+as a good sign. He alighted, tied his horse to a tree, then approaching
+the entrance and pronouncing the words, _Open, Sesame!_ the door opened.
+He entered the cavern, and by the condition he found things in, judged
+that nobody had been there since the false Khaujeh Houssain, when he had
+fetched the goods for his shop; that the gang of forty robbers was
+completely destroyed, and no longer doubted that he was the only person
+in the world who had the secret of opening the cave, so that all the
+treasure was at his sole disposal. Having brought with him a wallet, he
+put into it as much gold as his horse would carry, and returned to town.
+
+Afterward Ali Baba carried his son to the cave, and taught him the
+secret, which they handed down to their posterity, who, using their good
+fortune with moderation, lived in great honour and splendour.
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS
+
+
+There formerly reigned in the city of Harran a most magnificent and
+potent sultan, who loved his subjects, and was equally beloved by them.
+He was endued with all virtues, and wanted nothing to complete his
+happiness but an heir. He continually prayed to Heaven for a child; and
+one night in his sleep, a prophet appeared to him and said: "Your
+prayers are heard; you have obtained what you have desired; rise as soon
+as you awake, go to your prayers, and make two genuflexions; then walk
+into the garden of your palace, call your gardener, and bid him bring
+you a pomegranate; eat as many of the seeds as you please, and your
+wishes shall be accomplished."
+
+The sultan calling to mind his dream when he awoke, returned thanks to
+Heaven, got up, prayed, made two genuflexions, and then went into his
+garden, where he took fifty pomegranate seeds, which he counted, and
+ate. Some time afterward forty-nine of his wives presented him with
+sons, each one as vigorous as a young palm-tree, but Pirouzè, the
+fiftieth wife, remained childless. The sultan, therefore, took an
+aversion to this lady and would have had her put to death had not his
+vizier prevented him, advising rather that she be sent to Samaria, to
+her brother, Sultan Samer, with orders that she be well treated.
+
+Not long after Pirouzè had been retired to her brother's country, a most
+beautiful prince was born to her. The prince of Samaria wrote
+immediately to the sultan of Harran, to acquaint him with the birth of a
+son, and to congratulate him on the occasion. The sultan was much
+rejoiced at this intelligence, and answered Prince Samer as follows:
+"Cousin, all my other wives have each presented me with a prince. I
+desire you to educate the child of Pirouzè, to give him the name of
+Codadad, and to send him to me when I may apply for him."
+
+The prince of Samaria spared nothing that might improve the education of
+his nephew. He taught him to ride, draw the bow, and all other
+accomplishments becoming the son of a sovereign; so that Codadad, at
+eighteen years of age, was looked upon as a prodigy. The young prince,
+being inspired with a courage worthy his birth, said one day to his
+mother: "Madam, I begin to grow weary of Samaria; I feel a passion for
+glory; give me leave to seek it amidst the perils of war. My father the
+sultan of Harran has many enemies. Why does he not call me to his
+assistance? Must I spend my life in sloth, when all my brothers have the
+happiness to be fighting by his side?" "My son," answered Pirouzè, "I am
+no less impatient to have your name become famous; I could wish you had
+already signalised yourself against your father's enemies; but we must
+wait till he requires it." "No, madam," replied Codadad, "I have already
+waited too long. I burn to see the sultan, and am tempted to offer him
+my service, as a young stranger: no doubt but he will accept of it, and
+I will not discover myself till I have performed some glorious actions."
+Pirouzè approved of his generous resolutions, and Codadad departed from
+Samaria, as if he had been going to the chase, without acquainting
+Prince Samer, lest he should thwart his design.
+
+He was mounted on a white charger, who had a bit and shoes of gold, his
+housing was of blue satin embroidered with pearls; the hilt of his
+cimeter was of one single diamond, and the scabbard of sandalwood,
+adorned with emeralds and rubies, and on his shoulder he carried his bow
+and quiver. In this equipage, which greatly set off his handsome
+person, he arrived at the city of Harran, and soon found means to offer
+his service to the sultan; who being charmed with his beauty, and
+perhaps indeed by natural sympathy, gave him a favourable reception, and
+asked his name and quality. "Sir," answered Codadad, "I am son to an
+emir of Grand Cairo; an inclination to travel has made me quit my
+country, and understanding that you were engaged in war, I am come to
+your court to offer your majesty my service." The sultan, upon hearing
+this, shewed him extraordinary kindness, and gave him a command in his
+army.
+
+The young prince soon gained the esteem of the officers, and was admired
+by the soldiers. Having no less wit than courage, he so far advanced
+himself in the sultan's esteem, as to become his favourite. All the
+ministers and other courtiers daily resorted to Codadad, and were so
+eager to purchase his friendship, that they neglected the sultan's sons.
+The princes could not but resent this conduct, and all conceived an
+implacable hatred against him; but the sultan's affection daily
+increasing, he was never weary of giving him fresh testimonies of his
+regard. He always would have him near his person; and to shew his high
+opinion of his wisdom and prudence, committed to his care the other
+princes, though he was of the same age as they; so that Codadad was made
+governor of his brothers.
+
+This only served to heighten their hatred. "Is it come to this," said
+they, "that the sultan, not satisfied with loving a stranger more than
+us, will have him to be our governor, and not allow us to act without
+his leave? This is not to be endured. We must rid ourselves of this
+foreigner." "Let us go together," said one of them, "and despatch him."
+"No, no," answered another; "we had better be cautious how we sacrifice
+ourselves. His death would render us odious to the sultan. Let us
+destroy him by some stratagem. We will ask his permission to hunt, and,
+when at a distance from the palace, proceed to some other city and stay
+there some time. The sultan will wonder at our absence, and perceiving
+we do not return, perhaps put the stranger to death, or at least will
+banish him from court, for suffering us to leave the palace."
+
+All the princes applauded this artifice. They went together to Codadad,
+and desired him to allow them to take the diversion of hunting,
+promising to return the same day. Pirouzè's son was taken in the snare,
+and granted the permission his brothers desired. They set out, but never
+returned. They had been three days absent, when the sultan asked Codadad
+where the princes were, for it was long since he had seen them. "Sir,"
+answered Codadad, after making a profound reverence, "they have been
+hunting these three days, but they promised me they would return
+sooner." The sultan grew uneasy, and his uneasiness increased when he
+perceived the princes did not return the next day. He could not check
+his anger: "Indiscreet stranger," said he to Codadad, "why did you let
+my sons go without bearing them company? Go, seek them immediately, and
+bring them to me, or your life shall be forfeited."
+
+These words chilled with alarm Pirouzè's unfortunate son. He armed
+himself, departed from the city, and like a shepherd who had lost his
+flock, searched the country for his brothers, inquiring at every village
+whether they had been seen; but hearing no news of them, abandoned
+himself to the most lively grief. He was inconsolable for having given
+the princes permission to hunt, or for not having borne them company.
+
+After some days spent in fruitless search, he came to a plain of
+prodigious extent, in the midst whereof was a palace built of black
+marble. He drew near, and at one of the windows beheld a most beautiful
+lady; but set off with no other ornament than her own charms; for her
+hair was dishevelled, her garments torn, and on her countenance appeared
+all the marks of affliction. As soon as she saw Codadad, and judged he
+might hear her, she directed her discourse to him, saying: "Young man,
+depart from this fatal place, or you will soon fall into the hands of
+the monster that inhabits it: a black, who feeds only on human blood,
+resides in this palace; he seizes all persons whom their ill fate
+conducts to this plain, and shuts them up in his dungeons, whence they
+are never released, but to be devoured by him."
+
+"Madam," answered Codadad, "tell me who you are, and be not concerned
+for myself." "I am a lady of quality of Grand Cairo," replied the
+captive; "I was passing by this castle yesterday, on my way to Bagdad,
+and met with the black, who killed all my attendants, and brought me
+hither. I beg of you," she cried, "to make your escape: the black will
+soon return; he is gone out to pursue some travellers he espied at a
+distance on the plain. Lose no time, but fly."
+
+She had scarcely done speaking before the black appeared. He was of
+monstrous bulk, and of a dreadful aspect, mounted on a large Tartar
+horse, and bore a heavy cimeter, that none but himself could wield. The
+prince seeing him, was amazed at his gigantic stature, directed his
+prayers to Heaven to assist him, then drew his own cimeter, and firmly
+awaited his approach. The monster, despising so inconsiderable an enemy,
+called to him to submit without fighting. Codadad by his conduct shewed
+that he was resolved to defend his life; for rushing upon the black, he
+wounded him on the knee. The monster, feeling himself wounded, uttered
+such a dreadful yell as made all the plain resound. He grew furious and
+foamed with rage, and raising himself on his stirrups, made at Codadad
+with his dreadful cimeter. The blow was so violent, that it would have
+put an end to the young prince, had not he avoided it by a sudden
+spring. The cimeter made a horrible hissing in the air: but, before the
+black could have time to make a second blow, Codadad struck him on his
+right arm with such force that he cut it off. The dreadful cimeter fell
+with the hand that held it, and the black, yielding under the violence
+of the stroke, lost his stirrups, and made the earth shake with the
+weight of his fall. The prince alighted at the same time, and cut off
+his enemy's head. Just then the lady, who had been a spectator of the
+combat, and was still offering up her earnest prayers to Heaven for the
+young hero, uttered a shriek of joy, and said to Codadad: "Prince and
+Deliverer, finish the work you have begun; the black has the keys of
+this castle, take them and deliver me out of prison."
+
+The prince searched the wretch as he lay stretched on the ground, and
+found several keys. He opened the first door, and entered a court, where
+he saw the lady coming to meet him; she would have cast herself at his
+feet, the better to express her gratitude, but he would not permit her.
+She commended his valour, and extolled him above all the heroes in the
+world. He returned her compliments; and she appeared still more lovely
+to him near, than she had done at a distance. I know not whether she
+felt more joy at being delivered from the desperate danger she had been
+in, than he for having done so considerable a service to so beautiful a
+person.
+
+Their conversation was interrupted by dismal cries and groans. "What do
+I hear?" said Codadad; "whence come these miserable lamentations, which
+pierce my ears?" "My lord," said the lady, pointing to a little door in
+the court, "they come from thence. There are I know not how many
+wretched persons whom fate has thrown into the hands of the black. They
+are all chained, and the monster drew out one every day to devour."
+
+"It is an addition to my joy," answered the young prince, "to understand
+that my victory will save the lives of those unfortunate beings. Come
+with me, madam, to partake in the satisfaction of giving them their
+liberty." Having so said, they advanced toward the door of the dungeon,
+where Codadad, pitying them, and impatient to put an end to their
+sufferings, presently put one of the keys into the lock. The noise made
+all the unfortunate captives, who concluded it was the black coming,
+according to custom, to seize one of them to devour, redouble their
+cries and groans.
+
+In the meantime, the prince had opened the door; he went down a steep
+staircase into a deep vault, which received some feeble light from a
+little window, and in which there were above a hundred persons, bound to
+stakes. "Unfortunate travellers," said he to them, "who only expected
+the moment of an approaching death, give thanks to Heaven which has this
+day delivered you by my means. I have slain the black by whom you were
+to be devoured, and am come to knock off your chains." The prisoners
+hearing these words, gave a shout of mingled joy and surprise. Codadad
+and the lady began to unbind them; and as soon as any of them were
+loose, they helped to take off the fetters from the rest; so that in a
+short time they were all at liberty.
+
+They then kneeled down, and having returned thanks to Codadad for what
+he had done for them, went out of the dungeon; but when they were come
+into the court, how was the prince surprised to see among the prisoners
+those he was in search of, and almost without hopes to find! "Princes,"
+cried he, "is it you whom I behold? May I flatter myself that it is in
+my power to restore you to the sultan your father, who is inconsolable
+for the loss of you? Are you all here alive? Alas! the death of one of
+you will suffice to damp the joy I feel for having delivered you."
+
+The forty-nine princes all made themselves known to Codadad, who
+embraced them one after another, and told them how uneasy their father
+was on account of their absence. They gave their deliverer all the
+commendations he deserved, as did the other prisoners, who could not
+find words expressive enough to declare their gratitude. Codadad, with
+them, searched the whole castle, where was immense wealth: curious
+silks, gold brocades, Persian carpets, China satins, and an infinite
+quantity of other goods, which the black had taken from the caravans he
+had plundered, a considerable part whereof belonged to the prisoners
+Codadad had then liberated. Every man knew and claimed his property. The
+prince restored them their own, and divided the rest of the merchandise
+among them. Then he said to them: "How will you carry away your goods?
+We are here in a desert place, and there is no likelihood of your
+getting horses." "My lord," answered one of the prisoners, "the black
+robbed us of our camels, as well as of our goods, and perhaps they may
+be in the stables of this castle." "That is not unlikely," replied
+Codadad; "let us examine." Accordingly they went to the stables, where
+they not only found the camels, but also the horses belonging to the
+sultan of Harran's sons. All the merchants, overjoyed that they had
+recovered their goods and camels, together with their liberty, thought
+of nothing but prosecuting their journey; but first repeated their
+thanks to their deliverer.
+
+When they were gone, Codadad, directing his discourse to the lady, said:
+"What place, madam, do you desire to go to? I intend to bear you company
+to the spot you shall choose for your retreat, and I question not but
+that all these princes will do the same." The sultan of Harran's sons
+protested to the lady, that they would not leave her till she was
+restored to her friends.
+
+"Princes," said she, "I am of a country too remote from here; and,
+besides that, it would be abusing your generosity to oblige you to
+travel so far. I must confess that I have left my native country for
+ever. I told you that I was a lady of Grand Cairo; but since you have
+shewn me so much favour, I should be much in the wrong in concealing the
+truth from you: I am a sultan's daughter. A usurper has possessed
+himself of my father's throne, after having murdered him, and I have
+been forced to fly to save my life."
+
+Codadad and his brothers requested the princess to tell them her story,
+and after thanking them for their repeated protestations of readiness to
+serve her, she could not refuse to satisfy their curiosity, and began
+the recital of her adventures in the following manner.
+
+"There was in a certain island," said the princess, "a great city called
+Deryabar, governed by a magnificent and virtuous sultan, who had no
+children, which was the only blessing wanting to make him happy. He
+continually addressed his prayers to Heaven, but Heaven only partially
+granted his requests, for the queen his wife, after a long expectation,
+brought forth a daughter.
+
+"I am that unfortunate princess; my father was rather grieved than
+pleased at my birth; but he submitted to the will of God, and caused me
+to be educated with all possible care, being resolved, since he had no
+son, to teach me the art of ruling, that I might supply his place after
+his death.
+
+"There was, at the court of Deryabar, an orphan youth of good birth whom
+the sultan, my father, had befriended and educated according to his
+rank. He was very handsome, and, not wanting ability, found means to
+please my father, who conceived a great friendship for him. All the
+courtiers perceived it, and guessed that the young man might in the end
+be my husband. In this idea, and looking on him already as heir to the
+crown, they made their court to him, and every one endeavoured to gain
+his favour. He soon saw into their designs, and forgetting the distance
+there was between our conditions, flattered himself with the hopes that
+my father was fond enough of him to prefer him before all the princes in
+the world. He went farther; for the sultan not offering me to him as
+soon as he could have wished, he had the boldness to ask me of him.
+Whatever punishment his insolence deserved, my father was satisfied with
+telling him he had other thoughts in relation to me. The youth was
+incensed at this refusal; he resented the contempt, as if he had asked
+some maid of ordinary extraction, or as if his birth had been equal to
+mine. Nor did he stop here, but resolved to be revenged on the sultan,
+and with unparalleled ingratitude conspired against him. In short, he
+murdered him, and caused himself to be proclaimed sovereign of Deryabar.
+The grand vizier, however, while the usurper was butchering my father
+came to carry me away from the palace, and secured me in a friend's
+house, till a vessel he had provided was ready to sail. I then left the
+island, attended only by a governess and that generous minister, who
+chose rather to follow his master's daughter than to submit to a tyrant.
+
+"The grand vizier designed to carry me to the courts of the neighbouring
+sultans, to implore their assistance, and excite them to revenge my
+father's death; but Heaven did not concur in a resolution we thought so
+just. When we had been but a few days at sea, there arose such a furious
+storm, that our vessel, carried away by the violence of the winds and
+waves, was dashed in pieces against a rock. My governess, the grand
+vizier, and all that attended me, were swallowed up by the sea. I lost
+my senses; and whether I was thrown upon the coast, or whether Heaven
+wrought a miracle for my deliverance, I found myself on shore when my
+senses returned.
+
+"In my despair and horror I was on the point of casting myself into the
+sea again; when I heard behind me a great noise of men and horses. I
+looked about to see what it might be, and espied several armed horsemen,
+among whom was one mounted on an Arabian charger. He had on a garment
+embroidered with silver, a girdle set with precious stones, and a crown
+of gold on his head. Though his habit had not convinced me that he was
+chief of the company, I should have judged it by the air of grandeur
+which appeared in his person. He was a young man extraordinarily well
+shaped, and perfectly beautiful. Surprised to see a young lady alone in
+that place, he sent some of his officers to ask who I was. I answered
+only by weeping. The shore being covered with the wreck of our ship,
+they concluded that I was certainly some person who had escaped from the
+vessel. This conjecture excited the curiosity of the officers, who began
+to ask me a thousand questions, with assurances that their master was a
+generous prince, and that I should receive protection at his court.
+
+"The sultan, impatient to know who I was, grew weary of waiting the
+return of his officers, and drew near to me. He gazed on me very
+earnestly, and observing that I did not cease weeping, without being
+able to return an answer to their questions, he forbade them troubling
+me any more; and directing his discourse to me: 'Madam,' said he, 'I
+conjure you to moderate your excessive affliction. I dare assure you
+that, if your misfortunes are capable of receiving any relief, you shall
+find it in my dominions. You shall live with the queen my mother, who
+will endeavour by her kindness to ease your affliction. I know not yet
+who you are, but I find I already take an interest in your welfare.'
+
+"I thanked the young sultan for his goodness to me, accepted his
+obliging offer; and to convince him that I was not unworthy of them,
+told him my condition. When I had done speaking, the prince assured me
+that he was deeply concerned at my misfortunes. He then conducted me to
+his palace, and presented me to the queen his mother, to whom I was
+obliged again to repeat my misfortunes. The queen seemed very sensible
+of my trouble, and conceived extreme affection for me. On the other
+hand, the sultan her son fell desperately in love with me, and soon
+offered me his hand and his crown. I was so taken up with the thoughts
+of my calamities, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not
+make so great an impression on me as he might have done at another time.
+However, gratitude prevailing, I did not refuse to make him happy, and
+our nuptials were concluded with all imaginable splendour.
+
+"While the people were taken up with the celebration of their
+sovereign's nuptials, a neighbouring prince, his enemy, made a descent
+by night on the island with a great number of troops and surprised and
+cut to pieces my husband's subjects. We escaped very narrowly, for he
+had already entered the palace with some of his followers; but we found
+means to slip away and to get to the sea-coast, where we threw ourselves
+into a fishing-boat which we had the good fortune to meet with. Two days
+we were driven about by the winds, without knowing what would become of
+us. The third day we espied a vessel making toward us under sail. We
+rejoiced at first, believing it had been a merchant-ship which might
+take us aboard; but what was our consternation, when, as it drew near,
+we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck. Having boarded,
+five or six of them leaped into our boat, seized us, bound the prince,
+and conveyed us into their ship, where they immediately took off my
+veil. My youth and features touched them, and they all declared how much
+they were charmed at the sight of me. Instead of casting lots, each of
+them claimed the preference, and me as his right. The dispute grew warm,
+they came to blows, and fought like madmen. The deck was soon covered
+with dead bodies, and they were all killed but one, who, being left sole
+possessor of me, said: 'You are mine. I will carry you to Grand Cairo,
+to deliver you to a friend of mine, to whom I have promised a beautiful
+slave. But who,' added he, looking upon the sultan, my husband, 'is that
+man? What relation does he bear to you? Are you allied by blood or
+love?' 'Sir,' answered I, 'he is my husband.' 'If so,' replied the
+pirate, 'in pity I must rid myself of him: it would be too great an
+affliction to him to see you disposed of to another.' Having spoken
+these words, he took up the unhappy prince, who was bound, and threw him
+into the sea, notwithstanding all my endeavours to prevent him.
+
+"I shrieked in a dreadful manner at the sight of what he had done, and
+had certainly cast myself into the sea also, but that the pirate held
+me. He saw my design, and therefore bound me with cords to the
+main-mast, then hoisting sail, made toward the land, and got ashore. He
+unbound me and led me to a little town, where he bought camels, tents,
+and slaves, and then set out for Grand Cairo, designing, as he still
+said, to present me to his friend, according to his promise.
+
+"We had been several days upon the road, when, as we were crossing this
+plain yesterday, we descried the black who inhabited this castle. At a
+distance we took him for a tower, and when near us, could scarcely
+believe him to be a man. He drew his huge cimeter, and summoned the
+pirate to yield himself prisoner, with all his slaves and the lady he
+was conducting. You know the end of this dreadful adventure and can
+foresee what would have been my fate had you, generous prince, not come
+to my deliverance."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_As it drew near we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck._
+
+As soon as the princess had finished the recital of her adventures,
+Codadad declared to her that he was deeply concerned at her misfortunes.
+"But, madam," added he, "it shall be your own fault if you do not live
+at ease for the future. The sultan of Harran's sons offer you a safe
+retreat in the court of their father; be pleased to accept of it, and if
+you do not disdain the affection of your deliverer, permit me to assure
+you of it, and to espouse you before all these princes; let them be
+witnesses to our contract." The princess consented, and the marriage was
+concluded that very day in the castle, where they found all sorts of
+provisions, with an abundance of delicious wine and other liquors.
+
+They all sat down at table; and after having eaten and drunk
+plentifully, took with them the rest of the provisions, and set out for
+the sultan of Harran's court. They travelled several days, encamping in
+the pleasantest places they could find, and were within one day's
+journey of Harran, when Codadad, directing his discourse to all his
+company, said: "Princes, I have too long concealed from you who I am.
+Behold your brother Codadad! I, as well as you, received my being from
+the sultan of Harran, the prince of Samaria brought me up, and the
+Princess Pirouzè is my mother. Madam," added he, addressing himself to
+the princess of Deryabar, "do you also forgive me for having concealed
+my birth from you? Perhaps, by discovering it sooner, I might have
+prevented some disagreeable reflections, which may have been occasioned
+by a match you may have thought unequal." "No, sir," answered the
+princess "the opinion I at first conceived of you heightened every
+moment and you did not stand in need of the extraction you now discover
+to make me happy."
+
+The princes congratulated Codadad on his birth, and expressed much
+satisfaction at being made acquainted with it. But in reality, instead
+of rejoicing, their hatred of so amiable a brother was increased. They
+met together at night, and forgetting that had it not been for the brave
+son of Pirouzè they must have been devoured by the black, agreed among
+themselves to murder him. "We have no other course to choose," said one
+of them, "for the moment our father shall come to understand that this
+stranger, of whom he is already so fond, is our brother, he will declare
+him his heir, and we shall all be obliged to obey and fall down before
+him." He added much more, which made such an impression on their
+unnatural minds, that they immediately repaired to Codadad, then asleep,
+stabbed him repeatedly, and leaving him for dead in the arms of the
+princess of Deryabar, proceeded on their journey to the city of Harran,
+where they arrived the next day.
+
+The sultan their father conceived the greater joy at their return,
+because he had despaired of ever seeing them again: he asked what had
+been the occasion of their stay. But they took care not to acquaint him
+with it, making no mention either of the black or of Codadad; and only
+said, that being curious to see different countries, they had spent some
+time in the neighbouring cities.
+
+In the meantime Codadad lay in his tent weltering in his blood and
+little differing from a dead man, with the princess his wife, who seemed
+to be in not much better condition than himself. She rent the air with
+her dismal shrieks, tore her hair, and bathing her husband's body with
+her tears, "Alas! Codadad, my dear Codadad," cried she, "is it you whom
+I behold just departing this life? Can I believe these are your brothers
+who have treated you so unmercifully, those brothers whom thy valour had
+saved? O Heaven! which has condemned me to lead a life of calamities, if
+you will not permit me to have a consort, why did you permit me to find
+one? Behold, you have now robbed me of two, just as I began to be
+attached to them."
+
+By these and other moving expressions the afflicted princess of Deryabar
+vented her sorrow, fixing her eyes on the unfortunate Codadad, who could
+not hear her; but he was not dead, and his consort, observing that he
+still breathed, ran to a large town she espied in the plain, to inquire
+for a surgeon. She was directed to one, who went immediately with her;
+but when they came to the tent, they could not find Codadad, which made
+them conclude he had been dragged away by some wild beast to be
+devoured. The princess renewed her complaints and lamentations in a most
+affecting manner. The surgeon was moved, and being unwilling to leave
+her in so distressed a condition, proposed to her to return to the town,
+offering her his house and service.
+
+She suffered herself to be prevailed upon. The surgeon conducted her to
+his house, and without knowing, as yet, who she was, treated her with
+all imaginable courtesy and respect. He used all his endeavours to
+comfort her, but it was vain to think of removing her sorrow. "Madam,"
+said he to her one day, "be pleased to recount to me your misfortunes;
+tell me your country and your condition. Perhaps I may give you some
+good advice, when I am acquainted with all the circumstances of your
+calamity."
+
+The surgeon's words were so efficacious, that they wrought on the
+princess, who recounted to him all her adventures; and when she had
+done, the surgeon directed his discourse to her: "Madam," said he, "you
+ought not thus to give way to your sorrow; you ought rather to arm
+yourself with resolution, and perform what the duty of a wife requires
+of you. You are bound to avenge your husband. If you please, I will wait
+on you as your attendant. Let us go to the sultan of Harran's court; he
+is a good and a just prince. You need only represent to him in lively
+colours, how Prince Codadad has been treated by his brothers. I am
+persuaded he will do you justice." "I submit to your reasoning,"
+answered the princess; "it is my duty to endeavour to avenge Codadad;
+and since you are so generous as to offer to attend me, I am ready to
+set out." No sooner had she fixed this resolution, than the surgeon
+ordered two camels to be made ready, on which the princess and he
+mounted, and repaired to Harran.
+
+They alighted at the first caravanserai they found, and inquired of the
+host the news at court. "Deryabar," said he, "is in very great
+perplexity. The sultan had a son, who lived long with him as a stranger,
+and none can tell what is become of the young prince. One of the
+sultan's wives, named Pirouzè, is his mother; she has made all possible
+inquiry, but to no purpose. The sultan has forty-nine other sons, all by
+different mothers, but not one of them has virtue enough to comfort him
+for the death of Codadad; I say, his death, because it is impossible he
+should be still alive, since no intelligence has been heard of him,
+notwithstanding so much search has been made."
+
+The surgeon, having heard this account from the host, concluded that the
+best course the princess of Deryabar could take was to wait upon
+Pirouzè; but that step required much precaution: for it was to be feared
+that if the sultan of Harran's sons should happen to hear of the arrival
+of their sister-in-law and her design, they might cause her to be
+conveyed away before she could discover herself. The surgeon weighed all
+these circumstances, and therefore, that he might manage matters with
+discretion, desired the princess to remain in the caravanserai, whilst
+he repaired to the palace, to observe which might be the safest way to
+conduct her to Pirouzè.
+
+He went accordingly into the city, and was walking toward the palace,
+when he beheld a lady mounted on a mule richly accoutred. She was
+followed by several ladies mounted also on mules, with a great number of
+guards and black slaves. All the people formed a lane to see her pass
+along, and saluted her by prostrating themselves on the ground. The
+surgeon paid her the same respect, and then asked a calendar, who
+happened to stand by him, whether that lady was one of the sultan's
+wives. "Yes, brother," answered the calendar, "she is, and the most
+honoured and beloved by the people, because she is the mother of Prince
+Codadad, of whom you must have heard."
+
+The surgeon asked no more questions, but followed Pirouzè to a mosque,
+into which she went to distribute alms, and assist at the public prayers
+which the sultan had ordered to be offered up for the safe return of
+Codadad. The surgeon broke through the throng and advanced to Pirouzè's
+guards. He waited the conclusion of the prayers, and when the princess
+went out, stepped up to one of her slaves, and whispered him in the ear:
+"Brother, I have a secret of moment to impart to the Princess Pirouzè:
+may not I be introduced into her apartment?" "If that secret," answered
+the slave, "relates to Prince Codadad I dare promise you shall have
+audience of her; but if it concern not him, it is needless for you to be
+introduced; for her thoughts are all engrossed by her son." "It is only
+about that dear son," replied the surgeon, "that I wish to speak to
+her." "If so," said the slave, "you need but follow us to the palace,
+and you shall soon have the opportunity."
+
+Accordingly, as soon as Pirouzè was returned to her apartment, the slave
+acquainted her that a person unknown had some important information to
+communicate to her, and that it related to Prince Codadad. No sooner had
+he uttered these words, than Pirouzè expressed her impatience to see the
+stranger. The slave immediately conducted him into the princess's closet
+who ordered all her women to withdraw, except two, from whom she
+concealed nothing. As soon as she saw the surgeon, she asked him eagerly
+what news he had to tell her of Codadad. "Madam," answered the surgeon,
+after having prostrated himself on the ground, "I have a long account to
+give you, and such as will surprise you." He then related all the
+particulars of what had passed between Codadad and his brothers, which
+she listened to with eager attention; but when he came to speak of the
+murder, the tender mother fainted away on her sofa, as if she had
+herself been stabbed like her son. Her two women soon brought her to
+herself and the surgeon continued his relation; and when he had
+concluded, Pirouzè said to him: "Go back to the princess of Deryabar,
+and assure her from me that the sultan shall soon own her for his
+daughter-in-law; and as for yourself, your services shall be rewarded as
+liberally as they deserve."
+
+When the surgeon was gone, Pirouzè remained on the sofa in such a state
+of affliction as may easily be imagined; and yielding to her tenderness
+at the recollection of Codadad, "O my son!" said she, "I must never then
+expect to see you more! Unfortunate Codadad, why did you leave me?"
+While she uttered these words, she wept bitterly, and her two
+attendants, moved by her grief, mingled their tears with hers.
+
+Whilst they were all three in this manner vying in affliction, the
+sultan came into the closet, and seeing them in this condition, asked
+Pirouzè whether she had received any bad news concerning Codadad. "Alas!
+sir," said she, "all is over, my son has lost his life, and to add to my
+sorrow, I cannot pay him the funeral rites; for, in all probability,
+wild beasts have devoured him." She then told him all she had heard from
+the surgeon, and did not fail to enlarge on the inhuman manner in which
+Codadad had been murdered by his brothers.
+
+The sultan did not give Pirouzè time to finish her relation, but
+transported with anger, and giving way to his passion, "Madam," said he
+to the princess, "those perfidious wretches who cause you to shed these
+tears, and are the occasion of mortal grief to their father, shall soon
+feel the punishment due to their guilt." The sultan, having spoken these
+words, with indignation in his countenance, went directly to the
+presence-chamber, where all his courtiers attended, and such of the
+people as had petitions to present to him. They were alarmed to see him
+in passion, and thought his anger had been kindled against them. He
+ascended the throne, and causing his grand vizier to approach, "Hassan,"
+said he, "go immediately, take a thousand of my guards, and seize all
+the princes, my sons; shut them up in the tower used as a prison for
+murderers, and let this be done in a moment." All who were present
+trembled at this extraordinary command; and the grand vizier, without
+uttering a word, laid his hand on his head, to express his obedience,
+and hastened from the hall to execute his orders. In the meantime the
+sultan dismissed those who attended for audience, and declared he would
+not hear of any business for a month to come. He was still in the hall
+when the vizier returned. "Are all my sons," demanded he, "in the
+tower?" "They are, sir," answered the vizier; "I have obeyed your
+orders." "This is not all," replied the sultan, "I have farther commands
+for you:" and so saying he went out of the hall of audience, and
+returned to Pirouzè's apartment, the vizier following him. He asked the
+princess where Codadad's widow had taken up her lodging. Pirouzè's women
+told him, for the surgeon had not forgotten that in his relation. The
+sultan then turning to his minister, "Go," said he, "to this
+caravanserai, and conduct a young princess who lodges there, with all
+the respect due to her quality, to my palace."
+
+The vizier was not long in performing what he was ordered. He mounted on
+horseback with all the emirs and courtiers, and repaired to the
+caravanserai, where the princess of Deryabar was lodged, whom he
+acquainted with his orders; and presented her, from the sultan, with a
+fine white mule, whose saddle and bridle were adorned with gold, rubies,
+and diamonds. She mounted, and proceeded to the palace. The surgeon
+attended her, mounted on a beautiful Tartar horse which the vizier had
+provided for him. All the people were at their windows, or in the
+streets, to see the cavalcade; and it being given out that the princess,
+whom they conducted in such state to court, was Codadad's wife, the city
+resounded with acclamations, the air rung with shouts of joy, which
+would have been turned into lamentations had that prince's fatal
+adventure been known, so much was he beloved by all.
+
+The princess of Deryabar found the sultan at the palace gate waiting to
+receive her: he took her by the hand and led her to Pirouzè's apartment,
+where a very moving scene took place. Codadad's wife found her
+affliction redouble at the sight of her husband's father and mother; as,
+on the other hand, those parents could not look on their son's wife
+without being much affected. She cast herself at the sultan's feet, and
+having bathed them with tears, was so overcome with grief that she was
+not able to speak. Pirouzè was in no better state, and the sultan, moved
+by these affecting objects, gave way to his own feelings and wept. At
+length the princess of Deryabar, being somewhat recovered, recounted the
+adventure of the castle and Codadad's disaster. Then she demanded
+justice for the treachery of the princes. "Yes, madam," said the sultan,
+"those ungrateful wretches shall perish; but Codadad's death must be
+first made public, that the punishment of his brothers may not cause my
+subjects to rebel; and though we have not my son's body, we will not
+omit paying him the last duties." This said, he directed his discourse
+to the vizier, and ordered him to cause to be erected a dome of white
+marble, in a delightful plain, in the midst of which the city of Harran
+stands. Then he appointed the princess of Deryabar a suitable apartment
+in his palace, acknowledging her for his daughter-in-law.
+
+Hassan caused the work to be carried on with such diligence, and
+employed so many workmen, that the dome was soon finished. Within it was
+erected a tomb, which was covered with gold brocade. When all was
+completed, the sultan ordered prayers to be said, and appointed a day
+for the obsequies of his son.
+
+On that day all the inhabitants of the city went out upon the plain to
+see the ceremony performed. The gate of the dome was then closed, and
+all the people returned to the city. Next day there were public prayers
+in all the mosques, and the same was continued for eight days
+successively. On the ninth the king resolved to cause the princes his
+sons to be beheaded. The people, incensed at their cruelty toward
+Codadad, impatiently expected to see them executed. The scaffolds were
+erecting, but the execution was respited, because, on a sudden,
+intelligence was brought that the neighbouring princes who had before
+made war on the sultan of Harran, were advancing with more numerous
+forces than on the first invasion, and were then not far from the city.
+This news gave new cause to lament the loss of Codadad, who had
+signalised himself in the former war against the same enemies. The
+sultan, nothing dismayed, formed a considerable army, and being too
+brave to await the enemies' attack within his walls, marched out to meet
+them. They, on their side, being informed that the sultan of Harran was
+marching to engage them, halted in the plain, and formed their army.
+
+As soon as the sultan discovered them, he also drew up his forces, and
+ranged them in order of battle. The signal was given, and he attacked
+them with extraordinary vigour; nor was the opposition inferior. Much
+blood was shed on both sides, and the victory long remained dubious; but
+at length it seemed to incline to the sultan of Harran's enemies, who,
+being more numerous, were upon the point of surrounding him, when a
+great body of cavalry appeared on the plain, and approached the two
+armies. The sight of this fresh party daunted both sides, neither
+knowing what to think of them; but their doubts were soon cleared; for
+they fell upon the flank of the sultan of Harran's enemies with such a
+furious charge, that they soon broke and routed them. Nor did they stop
+here; they pursued them, and cut most of them in pieces.
+
+The sultan of Harran, who had attentively observed all that passed,
+admired the bravery of this strange body of cavalry, whose unexpected
+arrival had given the victory to his army. But, above all, he was
+charmed with their chief, whom he had seen fighting with a more than
+ordinary valour. He longed to know the name of the generous hero.
+Impatient to see and thank him, he advanced toward him, but perceived he
+was coming to prevent him. The two princes drew near, and the sultan of
+Harran, discovering Codadad in the brave warrior who had just defeated
+his enemies, became motionless with joy and surprise. "Father," said
+Codadad to him, "you have sufficient cause to be astonished at the
+sudden appearance of a man whom perhaps you concluded to be dead. I
+should have been so, had not Heaven preserved me still to serve you
+against your enemies." "O my son," cried the sultan, "is it possible
+that you are restored to me? Alas! I despaired of seeing you more." So
+saying, he stretched out his arms to the young prince, who flew to such
+a tender embrace.
+
+"I know all, my son," said the sultan again, after having long held him
+in his arms. "I know what return your brothers have made you for
+delivering them out of the hands of the black; but you shall be revenged
+to-morrow. Let us now go to the palace where your mother, who has shed
+so many tears on your account, expects to rejoice with us on the defeat
+of our enemies. What a joy will it be to her to be informed that my
+victory is your work!" "Sir," said Codadad, "give me leave to ask how
+you could know the adventure of the castle? Have any of my brothers,
+repenting, owned it to you?" "No," answered the sultan; "the princess of
+Deryabar has given us an account of everything, for she is in my palace,
+and came thither to demand justice against your brothers." Codadad was
+transported with joy, to learn that the princess his wife was at the
+court. "Let us go, sir," cried he to his father in rapture, "let us go
+to my mother, who waits for us. I am impatient to dry her tears, as well
+as those of the princess of Deryabar."
+
+The sultan immediately returned to the city with his army, and
+re-entered his palace victorious, amidst the acclamations of the people,
+who followed him in crowds, praying to Heaven to prolong his life, and
+extolling Codadad to the skies. They found Pirouzè and her
+daughter-in-law waiting to congratulate the sultan; but words cannot
+express the transports of joy they felt when they saw the young prince
+with him: their embraces were mingled with tears of a very different
+kind from those they had before shed for him. When they had sufficiently
+yielded to all the emotions that the ties of blood and love inspired,
+they asked Codadad by what miracle he came to be still alive.
+
+He answered that a peasant mounted on a mule happening accidentally to
+come into the tent where he lay senseless, and perceiving him alone and
+stabbed in several places, had made him fast on his mule, and carried
+him to his house, where he applied to his wounds certain herbs, which
+recovered him. "When I found myself well," added he, "I returned thanks
+to the peasant, and gave him all the diamonds I had. I then made for the
+city of Harran; but being informed by the way that some neighbouring
+princes had gathered forces, and were on their march against the
+sultan's subjects, I made myself known to the villagers, and stirred
+them up to undertake his defence. I armed a great number of young men,
+and heading them, happened to arrive at the time when the two armies
+were engaged."
+
+When he had done speaking, the sultan said: "Let us return thanks to God
+for having preserved Codadad; but it is requisite that the traitors who
+would have destroyed him should perish." "Sir," answered the generous
+prince, "though they are wicked and ungrateful, consider they are your
+own flesh and blood: they are my brothers; I forgive their offence, and
+beg you to pardon them." This generosity drew tears from the sultan, who
+caused the people to be assembled, and declared Codadad his heir. He
+then ordered the princes, who were prisoners, to be brought out loaded
+with irons. Pirouzè's son struck off their chains, and embraced them
+all successively with as much sincerity and affection as he had done in
+the black's castle. The people were charmed with Codadad's generosity,
+and loaded him with applause. The surgeon was next nobly rewarded in
+requital of the services he had done the princess of Deryabar and the
+court of Harran remained thereafter in perfect joy and felicity.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF SINBAD THE VOYAGER
+
+
+In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid, there lived at Bagdad a
+poor porter called Hindbad. One day, when the weather was excessively
+hot, he was employed to carry a heavy burden from one end of the town to
+the other. Having still a great way to go, he came into a street where a
+refreshing breeze blew on his face, and the pavement was sprinkled with
+rose water. As he could not desire a better place to rest, he took off
+his load, and sat upon it, near a large mansion.
+
+He was much pleased that he stopped in this place; for the agreeable
+smell of wood of aloes, and of pastils, that came from the house, mixing
+with the scent of the rose-water, completely perfumed the air. Besides,
+he heard from within a concert of instrumental music, accompanied with
+the harmonious notes of nightingales. This charming melody, and the
+smell of savoury dishes, made the porter conclude there was a feast
+within. His business seldom leading him that way, he knew not to whom
+the mansion belonged; but to satisfy his curiosity he went to some of
+the servants, whom he saw standing at the gate in magnificent apparel,
+and asked the name of the proprietor. "How," replied one of them, "do
+you live in Bagdad, and know not that this is the house of Sinbad the
+sailor, that famous voyager, who has sailed round the world?" The
+porter, who had heard of this Sinbad's riches, lifted up his eyes to
+Heaven, and said, loud enough to be heard: "Almighty creator of all
+things, consider the difference between Sinbad and me! I am every day
+exposed to fatigues and calamities, and can scarcely get barley-bread
+for myself and my family, whilst happy Sinbad expends immense riches and
+leads a life of pleasure. What has he done to obtain a lot so agreeable?
+And what have I done to deserve one so wretched?"
+
+Whilst the porter was thus indulging his melancholy, a servant came out
+of the house, and taking him by the arm, bade him follow him, for
+Sinbad, his master, wanted to speak to him.
+
+The servants brought him into a great hall, where a number of people sat
+round a table, covered with all sorts of savoury dishes. At the upper
+end sat a venerable gentleman, with a long white beard, and behind him
+stood a number of officers and domestics, all ready to attend his
+pleasure. This personage was Sinbad. The porter, whose fear was
+increased at the sight of so many people, and of a banquet so sumptuous,
+saluted the company trembling. Sinbad bade him draw near, and seating
+him at his right hand, served him himself, and gave him a cup of
+excellent wine.
+
+When the repast was over, Sinbad addressed his conversation to Hindbad,
+and inquired his name and employment. "My lord," answered he, "my name
+is Hindbad." "I am very glad to see you," replied Sinbad; "but I wish to
+hear from your own mouth what it was you lately said in the street."
+Sinbad had himself heard the porter complain through the window, and
+this it was that induced him to have him brought in.
+
+At this request, Hindbad hung down his head in confusion, and replied:
+"My lord, I confess that my fatigue put me out of humour, and occasioned
+me to utter some indiscreet words, which I beg you to pardon." "Do not
+think I am so unjust," resumed Sinbad, "as to resent such a complaint,
+but I must rectify your error concerning myself. You think, no doubt,
+that I have acquired, without labour and trouble, the ease which I now
+enjoy. But do not mistake; I did not attain to this happy condition,
+without enduring for several years more trouble of body and mind than
+can well be imagined. Yes, gentlemen," he added, speaking to the whole
+company, "I can assure you my troubles were so extraordinary, that they
+were calculated to discourage the most covetous from undertaking such
+voyages as I did, to acquire riches. Perhaps you have never heard a
+distinct account of my wonderful adventures; and since I have this
+opportunity, I will give you a faithful account of them, not doubting
+but it will be acceptable."
+
+
+THE FIRST VOYAGE
+
+"I inherited from my father considerable property, the greater part of
+which I squandered in my youth in dissipation; but I perceived my error,
+and reflected that riches were perishable, and quickly consumed by such
+ill managers as myself, I further considered, that by my irregular way
+of living I wretchedly misspent my time; which is, of all things, the
+most valuable. Struck with these reflections, I collected the remains of
+my fortune, and sold all my effects by public auction. I then entered
+into a contract with some merchants, who traded by sea. I took the
+advice of such as I thought most capable, and resolving to improve what
+money I had, I embarked with several merchants on board a ship which we
+had jointly fitted out.
+
+"We set sail, and steered our course toward the Indies through the
+Persian Gulf, which is formed by the coasts of Arabia Felix on the
+right, and by those of Persia on the left. At first I was troubled with
+sea-sickness, but speedily recovered my health, and was not afterward
+subject to that complaint.
+
+"In our voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or exchanged
+our goods. One day, whilst under sail, we were becalmed near a small
+island, but little elevated above the level of the water, and resembling
+a green meadow. The captain ordered his sails to be furled, and
+permitted such persons as were so inclined to land; of which number I
+was one.
+
+"But while we were enjoying ourselves in eating and drinking, and
+recovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on a sudden
+trembled, and shook us terribly.
+
+"The motion was perceived on board the ship, and we were called upon to
+re-embark speedily, or we should all be lost; for what we took for an
+island proved to be the back of a sea monster. The nimblest got into the
+sloop, others betook themselves to swimming; but for myself, I was still
+upon the back of the creature when he dived into the sea, and I had time
+only to catch hold of a piece of wood that we had brought out of the
+ship. Meanwhile, the captain, having received those on board who were in
+the sloop, and taken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the
+favourable gale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails, pursued his
+voyage, so that it was impossible for me to recover the ship.
+
+"Thus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves all the rest of the day
+and the following night. By this time I found my strength gone, and
+despaired of saving my life, when happily a wave threw me against an
+island. The bank was high and rugged; so that I could scarcely have got
+up, had it not been for some roots of trees, which chance placed within
+reach. Having gained the land, I lay down upon the ground half dead,
+until the sun appeared. Then, though I was very feeble, both from hard
+labour and want of food, I crept along to find some herbs fit to eat,
+and had the good luck not only to procure some, but likewise to discover
+a spring of excellent water, which contributed much to recover me. After
+this I advanced farther into the island, and at last reached a fine
+plain, where at a great distance I perceived some horses feeding. I went
+toward them, and as I approached heard the voice of a man, who
+immediately appeared, and asked me who I was. I related to him my
+adventure, after which, taking me by the hand, he led me into a cave,
+where there were several other people, no less amazed to see me than I
+was to see them.
+
+"I partook of some provisions which they offered me. I then asked them
+what they did in such a desert place, to which they answered, that they
+were grooms belonging to the Maha-raja, sovereign of the island, and
+that every year, at the same season they brought thither the king's
+horses for pasturage. They added, that they were to return home on the
+morrow, and had I been one day later, I must have perished, because the
+inhabited part of the island was at a great distance, and it would have
+been impossible for me to have got thither without a guide.
+
+"Next morning they returned to the capital of the island, took me with
+them, and presented me to the Maha-raja. He asked me who I was, and by
+what adventure I had come into his dominions. After I had satisfied him,
+he told me he was much concerned for my misfortune, and at the same time
+ordered that I should want nothing; which commands his officers were so
+generous as to see exactly fulfilled.
+
+"Being a merchant, I frequented men of my own profession, and
+particularly inquired for those who were strangers, that perchance I
+might hear news from Bagdad, or find an opportunity to return. They put
+a thousand questions respecting my country; and I, being willing to
+inform myself as to their laws and customs, asked them concerning
+everything which I thought worth knowing.
+
+"There belongs to this king an island named Cassel. They assured me that
+every night a noise of drums was heard there, whence the mariners
+fancied that it was the residence of Degial. I determined to visit this
+wonderful place, and in my way thither saw fishes of one hundred and two
+hundred cubits long, that occasion more fear than hurt, for they are so
+timorous, that they will fly upon the rattling of two sticks or boards.
+I saw likewise other fish about a cubit in length, that had heads like
+owls.
+
+"As I was one day at the port after my return, a ship arrived, and as
+soon as she cast anchor, they began to unload her, and the merchants on
+board ordered their goods to be carried into the custom-house. As I cast
+my eye upon some bales, and looked to the name, I found my own, and
+perceived the bales to be the same that I had embarked at Bussorah. I
+also knew the captain; but being persuaded that he believed me to be
+drowned, I went, and asked him whose bales these were. He replied that
+they belonged to a merchant of Bagdad, called Sinbad, who came to sea
+with him; but had unfortunately perished on the voyage, and that he had
+resolved to trade with the bales, until he met with some of his family,
+to whom he might return the profit. 'I am that Sinbad,' said I, 'whom
+you thought to be dead, and those bales are mine.'
+
+"When the captain heard me speak thus, 'Heavens!' he exclaimed, 'whom
+can we trust in these times? There is no faith left among men. I saw
+Sinbad perish with my own eyes, as did also the passengers on board, and
+yet you tell me you are that Sinbad. What impudence is this? You tell a
+horrible falsehood, in order to possess yourself of what does not
+belong to you.' 'Have patience,' replied I; 'do me the favour to hear
+what I have to say.' Then I told him how I had escaped, and by what
+adventure I met with the grooms of the Maha-raja, who had brought me to
+his court.
+
+"The captain was at length persuaded that I was no cheat; for there came
+people from his ship who knew me, and expressed much joy at seeing me
+alive. At last he recollected me himself, and embracing me, 'Heaven be
+praised,' said he, 'for your happy escape. I cannot express the joy it
+affords me; there are your goods, take and do with them as you please.'
+I thanked him, acknowledged his probity, and offered him part of my
+goods as a present, which he generously refused.
+
+"I took out what was most valuable in my bales, and presented them to
+the Maha-raja, who, knowing my misfortune, asked me how I came by such
+rarities. I acquainted him with the circumstance of their recovery. He
+was pleased at my good luck, accepted my present, and in return gave me
+one much more considerable. Upon this, I took leave of him, and went
+aboard the same ship, after I had exchanged my goods for the commodities
+of that country. I carried with me wood of aloes, sandal, camphire,
+nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger. We passed by several islands, and
+at last arrived at Bussorah, from whence I came to this city, with the
+value of one hundred thousand sequins. My family and I received one
+another with sincere affection. I bought slaves and a landed estate, and
+built a magnificent house. Thus I settled myself, resolving to forget
+the miseries I had suffered, and to enjoy the pleasures of life."
+
+Sinbad stopped here, and ordered the musicians to proceed with their
+concert, which the story had interrupted. The company continued enjoying
+themselves till the evening, when Sinbad sent for a purse of a hundred
+sequins, and giving it to the porter, said: "Take this, Hindbad, return
+to your home, and come back to-morrow to hear more of my adventures."
+The porter went away, astonished at the honour done, and the present
+made him. The account of this adventure proved very agreeable to his
+wife and children, who did not fail to return thanks to God for what
+providence had sent them by the hand of Sinbad.
+
+Hindbad put on his best apparel next day, and returned to the bountiful
+traveller, who welcomed him heartily. When all the guests had arrived,
+dinner was served. When it was ended, Sinbad, addressing himself to the
+company, said, "Gentlemen, be pleased to listen to the adventures of my
+second voyage; they deserve your attention even more than those of the
+first." Upon this every one held his peace, and Sinbad proceeded.
+
+
+THE SECOND VOYAGE
+
+"I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at
+Bagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life. My
+inclination to trade revived. I bought goods proper for the commerce I
+intended, and put to sea a second time with merchants of known probity.
+We embarked on board a good ship, and after recommending ourselves to
+God, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged
+commodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered
+with several sorts of fruit-trees, but we could see neither man nor
+animal. We went to take a little fresh air in the meadows, along the
+streams that watered them. Whilst some diverted themselves with
+gathering flowers, and others fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and
+sat down near a stream betwixt two high trees which formed a thick
+shade. I made a good meal, and afterward fell asleep. I cannot tell how
+long I slept, but when I awoke the ship was gone.
+
+"I got up and looked around me, but could not see one of the merchants
+who landed with me. I perceived the ship under sail, but at such a
+distance, that I lost sight of her in a short time.
+
+"In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in
+agony, and threw myself upon the ground, where I lay some time in
+despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times for not being content with
+the produce of my first voyage, that might have sufficed me all my life.
+But all this was in vain, and my repentance came too late.
+
+"At last I resigned myself to the will of God. Not knowing what to do, I
+climbed up to the top of a lofty tree, from whence I looked about on all
+sides, to see if I could discover anything that could give me hopes.
+When I gazed toward the sea I could see nothing but sky and water; but
+looking over the land I beheld something white; and coming down, I took
+what provision I had left, and went toward it, the distance being so
+great that I could not distinguish what it was.
+
+"As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious
+height and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found it
+to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side, but
+saw that it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as it
+was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.
+
+"By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky
+became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was much
+astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it
+occasioned by a bird of a monstrous size, that came flying toward me. I
+remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous bird
+called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much
+admired must be its egg. As I perceived the roc coming, I crept close to
+the egg, so that I had before me one of the bird's legs, which was as
+big as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban,
+in hopes that next morning she would carry me with her out of this
+desert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird
+flew away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high, that I
+could not discern the earth; she afterward descended with so much
+rapidity that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground, I
+speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so, when the roc, having
+taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew away.
+
+"The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains,
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity: so
+that when I compared this place with the desert island from which the
+roc had brought me I found that I had gained nothing by the change.
+
+"As I walked through this valley, I perceived it was strewed with
+diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took pleasure in
+looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as greatly
+diminished my satisfaction, namely, a great number of serpents, so
+monstrous, that the least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant.
+They retired in the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves
+from the roc, their enemy, and came out only in the night.
+
+"I spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at times
+in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on, I went
+into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I secured the
+entrance with a great stone to preserve me from the serpents; but not so
+far as to exclude the light. I supped on part of my provisions, but the
+serpents, which began hissing round me, put me into such extreme fear,
+that I could not sleep. When day appeared, the serpents retired, and I
+came out of the cave trembling. I can justly say, that I walked upon
+diamonds, without feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat
+down, and notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes
+during the night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my
+provision. But I had scarcely shut my eyes, when something that fell by
+me with a great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and
+at the same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in
+different places.
+
+"I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
+relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
+merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
+stated nothing but truth. For the fact is, that the merchants come to
+the neighbourhood of this valley when the eagles have young ones; and,
+throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds upon whose
+points they fall stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger in this
+country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of
+meat, and carry them to their nests on the rocks to feed their young;
+the merchants at this time run to the nests, drive off the eagles by
+their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.
+
+"Until I perceived the device I had concluded it to be impossible for me
+to leave this abyss, which I regarded as my grave; but now I changed my
+opinion, and began to think upon the means of my deliverance. I began to
+collect the largest diamonds I could find, and put them into the leather
+bag in which I used to carry my provisions. I afterward took the
+largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with the cloth of
+my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my face downward,
+the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.
+
+"I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when the eagles came. Each
+of them seized a piece of meat, and one of the strongest having taken me
+up, with the piece of meat to which I was fastened, carried me to his
+nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants immediately began their
+shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit
+their prey, one of them came to the nest where I was. He was much
+alarmed when he saw me; but recovering himself, instead of inquiring how
+I came thither, began to quarrel with me, and asked, why I stole his
+goods. 'You will treat me,' replied I, 'with more civility when you know
+me better. Do not be uneasy, I have diamonds enough for you and myself,
+more than all the other merchants together. What ever they have, they
+owe to chance, but I selected for myself in the bottom of the valley
+those which you see in this bag.' I had scarcely done speaking, when the
+other merchants came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but
+they were much more surprised when I told them my story.
+
+"They conducted me to their encampment, and there having opened my bag,
+they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed that
+in all the courts which they had visited they had never seen any of such
+size and perfection. I prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I
+had been carried (for every merchant had his own), to take as many for
+his share as he pleased. He contented himself with one, and that the
+least of them; and when I pressed him to take more, 'No,' said he, 'I am
+very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough to save me the
+trouble of making any more voyages, and will raise as great a fortune as
+I desire.'
+
+"I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
+second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I could
+not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the danger I have
+mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could scarcely believe
+myself out of danger.
+
+"The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
+several days, and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
+had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning and travelled
+near high mountains, where there were serpents of a prodigious length,
+which we had the good fortune to escape. We took shipping at the first
+port we reached, and touched at the isle of Roha, where the trees grow
+that yield camphire. This tree is so large, and its branches so thick,
+that one hundred men may easily sit under its shade. The juice of which
+the camphire is made exudes from a hole bored in the upper part of the
+tree, is received in a vessel, where it thickens to a consistency, and
+becomes what we call camphire; after the juice is thus drawn out, the
+tree withers and dies.
+
+"In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
+elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
+about a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cleft through the
+middle. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, runs his horn into his
+belly, and carries him off upon his head; but the blood and the fat of
+the elephant running into his eyes, and making him blind, he falls to
+the ground; and then, strange to relate! the roc comes and carries them
+both away in her claws, for food for her young ones.
+
+"In this island I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From
+hence we went to other ports, and at last, having touched at several
+trading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I
+proceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the
+poor, and lived honourably upon the vast riches I had gained with so
+much fatigue."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley._
+
+Thus Sinbad ended his relation, gave Hindbad another hundred sequins,
+and invited him to come the next day to hear the account of the third
+voyage.
+
+
+THE THIRD VOYAGE
+
+"I soon lost the remembrance of the perils I had encountered in my two
+former voyages," said Sinbad, "and being in the flower of my age, I grew
+weary of living without business, and went from Bagdad to Bussorah with
+the richest commodities of the country. There I embarked again with some
+merchants. We made a long voyage and touched at several ports, where we
+carried on a considerable trade. One day, being out in the main ocean,
+we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which drove us from our course.
+The tempest continued several days, and brought us before the port of an
+island, which the captain was very unwilling to enter, but we were
+obliged to cast anchor. When we had furled our sails, the captain told
+us that this, and some other neighbouring islands, were inhabited by
+hairy savages, who would speedily attack us; and, though they were but
+dwarfs, yet we must make no resistance, for they were more in number
+than the locusts; and if we happened to kill one of them they would all
+fall upon us and destroy us.
+
+"We soon found that what he had told us was but too true; an innumerable
+multitude of frightful savages, about two feet high, covered all over
+with red hair, came swimming towards us, and encompassed our ship. They
+spoke to us as they came near, but we understood not their language and
+they climbed up the sides of the ship with such agility as surprised us.
+They took down our sails, cut the cables, and hauling to the shore, made
+us all get out, and afterward carried the ship into another island, from
+whence they had come.
+
+"We went forward into the island, where we gathered some fruits and
+herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected nothing
+but death. As we advanced, we perceived at a distance a vast pile of
+buildings, and made toward it. We found it to be a palace, elegantly
+built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony, which we forced open. We
+entered the court, where we saw before us a large apartment, with a
+porch, having on one side a heap of human bones, and on the other a vast
+number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being
+fatigued with travelling, fell to the ground, seized with deadly
+apprehension, and lay a long time motionless.
+
+"The sun set, the gate of the apartment opened with a loud crash, and
+there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as tall as a lofty
+palm-tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead,
+where it looked as red as a burning coal. His fore-teeth were very long
+and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as deep as that of a
+horse. His upper lip hung down upon his breast. His ears resembled those
+of an elephant, and covered his shoulders; and his nails were as long
+and crooked as the talons of the greatest birds. At the sight of so
+frightful a giant we became insensible, and lay like dead men.
+
+"At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking
+at us. When he had considered us well, he advanced toward us, and laying
+his hand upon me, took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round
+as a butcher would do a sheep's head. After having examined me, and
+perceiving me to be so lean that I had nothing but skin and bone, he let
+me go. He took up all the rest one by one, and viewed them in the same
+manner. The captain being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I
+would do a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he then kindled a
+great fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment for his supper. Having
+finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and fell
+asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till morning. As to
+ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest, so that we
+passed the night in the most painful apprehension that can be imagined.
+When day appeared the giant awoke, got up, went out, and left us in the
+palace.
+
+"When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melancholy silence we
+had preserved the whole of the night, and filled the palace with our
+lamentations and groans.
+
+"We spent the day in traversing the island, supporting ourselves with
+fruits and herbs as we had done the day before. In the evening we sought
+for some place of shelter, but found none; so that we were forced,
+whether we would or not, to go back to the palace.
+
+"The giant failed not to return, and supped once more upon one of our
+companions, after which he slept and snored till day, and then went out
+and left us as before. Our situation appeared to us so dreadful that
+several of my comrades designed to throw themselves into the sea, rather
+than die so painful a death, upon which one of the company answered that
+it would be much more reasonable to devise some method to rid ourselves
+of the monster.
+
+"Having thought of a project for this purpose, I communicated it to my
+comrades, who approved it. 'Brethren,' said I, 'you know there is much
+timber floating upon the coast; if you will be advised by me, let us
+make several rafts capable of bearing us. In the meantime, we will
+carry out the design I proposed to you for our deliverance from the
+giant, and if it succeed, we may remain here patiently awaiting the
+arrival of some ship; but if it happen to miscarry, we will take to our
+rafts and put to sea.' My advice was approved, and we made rafts capable
+of carrying three persons on each.
+
+"We returned to the palace toward the evening, and the giant arrived
+shortly after. We were forced to submit to seeing another of our
+comrades roasted, but at last we revenged ourselves on the brutish giant
+in the following manner. After he had finished his supper he lay down on
+his back and fell asleep. As soon as we heard him snore, according to
+his custom, nine of the boldest among us, and myself, took each of us a
+spit, and putting the points of them into the fire till they were
+burning hot, we thrust them into his eye all at once and blinded him.
+The pain made him break out into a frightful yell: he started up, and
+stretched out his hands, in order to sacrifice some of us to his rage:
+but we ran to such places as he could not reach; and after having sought
+for us in vain, he groped for the gate and went out, howling in agony.
+
+"We quitted the palace after the giant and came to the shore, where we
+had left our rafts, and put them immediately to sea. We waited till day,
+in order to get upon them in case the giant should come toward us with
+any guide of his own species; but we hoped if he did not appear by
+sunrise, and gave over his howling, which we still heard, that he would
+prove to be dead; and if that happened, we resolved to stay in that
+island, and not to risk our lives upon the rafts. But day had scarcely
+appeared when we perceived our cruel enemy, accompanied with two others
+almost of the same size, leading him; and a great number more coming
+before him at a quick pace.
+
+"We did not hesitate to take to our rafts, and put to sea with all the
+speed we could. The giants, who perceived this, took up great stones,
+and running to the shore, entered the water up to the middle, and threw
+so exactly that they sunk all the rafts but that I was upon; and all my
+companions, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our
+might, and escaped the giants, but when we got out to sea we were
+exposed to the mercy of the waves and winds, and spent that night and
+the following day under the most painful uncertainty as to our fate; but
+next morning we had the good fortune to be thrown upon an island, where
+we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit, which afforded us
+great relief and recruited our strength.
+
+"At night we went to sleep on the sea shore; but were awakened by the
+noise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness, whose scales made
+a rustling noise as he wound himself along. It swallowed up one of my
+comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries, and the efforts he made to
+extricate himself from it; dashing him several times against the ground,
+it crushed him, and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor wretch's
+bones, though we had fled to a considerable distance.
+
+"As we walked about, when day returned, we saw a tall tree, upon which
+we designed to pass the following night, for our security; and having
+satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it before the dusk had
+fallen. Shortly after, the serpent came hissing to the foot of the tree;
+raised itself up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade,
+who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off.
+
+"I remained upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more like
+a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate as my two companions.
+This filled me with horror, and I advanced some steps to throw myself
+into the sea; but I withstood this dictate of despair, and submitted
+myself to the will of God.
+
+"In the meantime I collected a great quantity of small wood, brambles,
+and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a wide circle with
+them round the tree, and also tied some of them to the branches over my
+head. Having done this, when the evening came I shut myself up within
+this circle, feeling that I had neglected nothing which could preserve
+me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent
+failed not to come at the usual hour, and went round the tree, seeking
+for an opportunity to devour me, but was prevented by the rampart I had
+made; so that he lay till day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse
+that has fortunately reached a place of safety. When day appeared he
+retired, but I dared not to leave my fort until the sun arose.
+
+"I felt so much fatigued by the labour to which it had put me, and
+suffered so much from the serpent's poisonous breath, that death seemed
+more eligible to me than the horrors of such a state. I came down from
+the tree, and was going to throw myself into the sea, when God took
+compassion on me and I perceived a ship at a considerable distance. I
+called as loud as I could, and taking the linen from my turban,
+displayed it, that they might observe me. This had the desired effect;
+the crew perceived me, and the captain sent his boat for me. As soon as
+I came on board, the merchants and seamen flocked about me, to know how
+I came into that desert island; and after I had related to them all that
+had befallen me, the oldest among them said that they had often heard of
+the giants that dwelt in that island, that they were cannibals; and as
+to the serpents, they added, that there were abundance of them that hid
+themselves by day, and came abroad by night. After having testified
+their joy at my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of
+their provisions; and the captain, seeing that I was in rags, was so
+generous as to give me one of his own suits. We continued at sea for
+some time, touched at several islands, and at last landed at that of
+Salabat, where sandal wood is obtained, which is of great use in
+medicine. We entered the port, and came to anchor. The merchants began
+to unload their goods, in order to sell or exchange them. In the
+meantime, the captain came to me and said: 'Brother, I have here some
+goods that belonged to a merchant, who sailed some time on board this
+ship, and he being dead, I design to dispose of them for the benefit of
+his heirs.' The bales he spoke of lay on the deck, and showing them to
+me, he said: 'There are the goods; I hope you will take care to sell
+them, and you shall have factorage.' I thanked him for thus affording me
+an opportunity of employing myself, because I hated to be idle.
+
+"The clerk of the ship took an account of all the bales, with the names
+of the merchants to whom they belonged, and when he asked the captain in
+whose name he should enter those he had given me the charge of, 'Enter
+them,' said the captain, 'in the name of Sinbad.' I could not hear
+myself named without some emotion; and looking steadfastly on the
+captain, I knew him to be the person who, in my second voyage, had left
+me in the island where I fell asleep.
+
+"I was not surprised that he, believing me to be dead, did not recognise
+me. 'Captain,' said I, 'was the merchant's name, to whom those bales
+belonged, Sinbad?' 'Yes,' replied he, 'that was his name; he came from
+Bagdad, and embarked on board my ship at Bussorah.' 'You believe him,
+then, to be dead?' said I. 'Certainly,' answered he. 'No, captain,'
+resumed I; 'look at me, and you may know that I am Sinbad.'
+
+"The captain, having considered me attentively, recognised me. 'God be
+praised,' said he, embracing me, 'I rejoice that fortune has rectified
+my fault. There are your goods, which I always took care to preserve.' I
+took them from him, and made him the acknowledgments to which he was
+entitled.
+
+"From the isle of Salabat, we went to another, where I furnished myself
+with cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. As we sailed from this island,
+we saw a tortoise twenty cubits in length and breadth. We observed also
+an amphibious animal like a cow, which gave milk; its skin is so hard,
+that they usually make bucklers of it.
+
+"In short, after a long voyage I arrived at Bussorah, and from thence
+returned to Bagdad, with so much wealth that I knew not its extent. I
+gave a great deal to the poor, and bought another considerable estate in
+addition to what I had already."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and
+fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder._
+
+Thus Sinbad finished the history of his third voyage; gave another
+hundred sequins to Hindbad, and invited him to dinner again the next day
+to hear the story of his fourth series of adventures.
+
+
+THE FOURTH VOYAGE
+
+"The pleasures which I enjoyed after my third voyage had not charms
+sufficient to divert me from another. My passion for trade, and my love
+of novelty, again prevailed. I therefore settled my affairs, and having
+provided a stock of goods fit for the traffic I designed to engage in, I
+set out on my journey. I took the route of Persia, travelled over
+several provinces, and then arrived at a port, where I embarked. We
+hoisted our sails, and touched at several ports of the continent, and
+then put out to sea; when we were overtaken by such a sudden gust of
+wind, as obliged the captain to lower his yards, and take all other
+necessary precautions to prevent the danger that threatened us. But all
+was in vain; our endeavours had no effect, the sails were split in a
+thousand pieces, and the ship was stranded; several of the merchants and
+seamen were drowned, and the cargo was lost.
+
+"I had the good fortune, with several of the merchants and mariners, to
+get upon some planks, and we were carried by the current to an island
+which lay before us. There we found fruit and spring water, which
+preserved our lives. We stayed all night near the place where we had
+been cast ashore and next morning, as soon as the sun was up, advancing
+into the island, saw some houses, which we approached. As soon as we
+drew near, we were encompassed by a great number of negroes, who seized
+us and carried us to their respective habitations.
+
+"I, and five of my comrades, were carried to one place; here they made
+us sit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs to us to
+eat. My comrades, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it
+themselves, thought only of satisfying their hunger, and ate with
+greediness. But I, suspecting some trick, would not so much as taste it,
+which happened well for me; for in a little time after, I perceived my
+companions had lost their senses, and that when they spoke to me, they
+knew not what they said.
+
+"The negroes fed us afterward with rice, prepared with oil of
+cocoa-nuts; and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it
+greedily. I also partook of it, but very sparingly. They gave us that
+herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses, that we might not
+be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us; and they supplied us with
+rice to fatten us; for, being cannibals, their design was to eat us as
+soon as we grew fat. This accordingly happened, for they devoured my
+comrades, who were not sensible of their condition; but my senses being
+entire, you may easily guess that instead of growing fat I grew leaner
+every day. The fear of death under which I laboured caused me to fall
+into a languishing distemper, which proved my safety; for the negroes,
+having eaten my companions, seeing me to be withered, and sick, deferred
+my death.
+
+"Meanwhile I had much liberty, so that scarcely any notice was taken of
+what I did, and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a distance
+from the houses and to make my escape. An old man, who saw me and
+suspected my design, called to me as loud as he could to return; but I
+redoubled my speed, and quickly got out of sight. At that time there was
+none but the old man about the houses, the rest being abroad, and not to
+return till night, which was usual with them. Therefore, being sure that
+they could not arrive in time enough to pursue me, I went on till night,
+when I stopped to rest a little, and to eat some of the provisions I had
+secured; but I speedily set forward again, and travelled seven days,
+avoiding those places which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the
+most part upon cocoa-nuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On
+the eighth day I came near the sea, and saw some white people like
+myself, gathering pepper, of which there was great plenty in that place.
+This I took to be a good omen, and went to them without any scruple.
+They came to meet me as soon as they saw me, and asked me in Arabic who
+I was, and whence I came. I was overjoyed to hear them speak in my own
+language, and satisfied their curiosity by giving them an account of my
+shipwreck, and how I fell into the hands of the negroes. 'Those
+negroes,' replied they, 'eat men, and by what miracle did you escape
+their cruelty?' I related to them the circumstances I have just
+mentioned, at which they were wonderfully surprised.
+
+"I stayed with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper, and
+then sailed with them to the island from whence they had come. They
+presented me to their king, who was a good prince. He had the patience
+to hear the relation of my adventures; and he afterward gave me clothes,
+and commanded care to be taken of me.
+
+"The island was very well peopled, plentiful in everything, and the
+capital a place of great trade. This agreeable retreat was very
+comfortable to me, after my misfortunes, and the kindness of this
+generous prince completed my satisfaction. In a word, there was not a
+person more in favour with him than myself; and consequently every man
+in court and city sought to oblige me; so that in a very little time I
+was looked upon rather as a native than a stranger.
+
+"I observed one thing which to me appeared very extraordinary. All the
+people, the king himself not excepted, rode their horses without bridle
+or stirrups. This made me one day take the liberty to ask the king how
+it came to pass. His Majesty answered, that I talked to him of things
+which nobody knew the use of in his dominions.
+
+"I went immediately to a workman, and gave him a model for making the
+stock of a saddle. When that was done, I covered it myself with velvet
+and leather, and embroidered it with gold. I afterward went to a smith,
+who made me a bit, according to the pattern I showed him, and also some
+stirrups. When I had all things completed, I presented them to the king,
+and put them upon one of his horses. His Majesty mounted immediately,
+and was so pleased with them, that he testified his satisfaction by
+large presents.
+
+"As I paid my court very constantly to the king, he said to me one day:
+'Sinbad, I love thee and I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou
+must grant.' 'Sir,' answered I, 'there is nothing but I will do, as a
+mark of my obedience to your Majesty.' 'I have a mind thou shouldst
+marry,' replied he, 'that so thou mayest stay in my dominions, and think
+no more of thy own country.' I durst not resist the prince's will, and
+he gave me one of the ladies of his court, noble, beautiful, and rich.
+The ceremonies of marriage being over, I went and dwelt with my wife,
+and for some time we lived together in perfect harmony. I was not,
+however, satisfied with my banishment, therefore designed to make my
+escape the first opportunity, and to return to Bagdad.
+
+"At this time the wife of one of my neighbours fell sick, and died. I
+went to see and comfort him in his affliction, and finding him absorbed
+in sorrow, I said to him as soon as I saw him: 'God preserve you and
+grant you a long life.' 'Alas!' replied he, 'how do you think I should
+obtain the favour you wish me? I have not above an hour to live.'
+'Pray,' said I, 'do not entertain such a melancholy thought; I hope I
+shall enjoy your company many years.' 'I wish you,' he replied, 'a long
+life; but my days are at an end, for I must be buried this day with my
+wife. This is a law which our ancestors established in this island, and
+it is always observed. The living husband is interred with the dead
+wife, and the living wife with the dead husband. Nothing can save me;
+every one must submit to this law.'
+
+"While he was giving me an account of this barbarous custom, the very
+relation of which chilled my blood, his kindred, friends, and neighbours
+came in a body to assist at the funeral. They dressed the corpse of the
+woman in her richest apparel, and all her jewels, as if it had been her
+wedding day; then they placed her in an open coffin, and began their
+march to the place of burial, the husband walking at the head of the
+company. They proceeded to a high mountain, and when they had reached
+the place of their destination, they took up a large stone, which
+covered the mouth of a deep pit, and let down the corpse with all its
+apparel and jewels. Then the husband embracing his kindred and friends,
+suffered himself, without resistance, to be put into another open coffin
+with a pot of water, and seven small loaves, and was let down in the
+same manner. The ceremony being over, the aperture was again covered
+with the stone, and the company returned.
+
+"It is needless for me to tell you that I was a melancholy spectator of
+this funeral, while the rest were scarcely moved, the custom was to them
+so familiar. I could not forbear communicating to the king my sentiment
+respecting the practice: 'Sir,' I said, 'I cannot but feel astonished at
+the strange usage observed in this country, of burying the living with
+the dead. I have been a great traveller, and seen many countries, but
+never heard of so cruel a law.' 'What do you mean, Sinbad?' replied the
+king: 'it is a common law. I shall be interred with the queen, my wife,
+if she die first.' 'But, sir,' said I, 'may I presume to ask your
+Majesty, if strangers be obliged to observe this law?' 'Without doubt,'
+returned the king; 'they are not exempted, if they be married in this
+island.'
+
+"I returned home much depressed by this answer; for the fear of my
+wife's dying first and that I should be interred alive with her,
+occasioned me very uneasy reflections. But there was no remedy; I must
+have patience, and submit to the will of God. I trembled, however, at
+every little indisposition of my wife, and, alas! in a little time my
+fears were realised, for she fell sick and died.
+
+"The king and all his court expressed their wish to honour the funeral
+with their presence, and the most considerable people of the city did
+the same. When all was ready for the ceremony, the corpse was put into a
+coffin with all her jewels and her most magnificent apparel. The
+procession began, and as second actor in this doleful tragedy, I went
+next the corpse, with my eyes full of tears, bewailing my deplorable
+fate. Before we reached the mountain, I made an attempt to affect the
+minds of the spectators: I addressed myself to the king first, and then
+to all those that were round me; bowing before them to the earth, and
+kissing the border of their garments, I prayed them to have compassion
+upon me. 'Consider,' said I, 'that I am a stranger, and ought not to be
+subject to this rigorous law, and that I have another wife and children
+in my own country.' Although I spoke in the most pathetic manner, no one
+was moved by my address; on the contrary, they ridiculed my dread of
+death as cowardly, made haste to let my wife's corpse into the pit, and
+lowered me down the next moment in an open coffin with a vessel full of
+water and seven loaves.
+
+"As I approached the bottom, I discovered by the aid of the little light
+that came from above the nature of this subterranean place; it seemed an
+endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathoms deep.
+
+"Instead of losing my courage and calling death to my assistance in that
+miserable condition, however, I felt still an inclination to live, and
+to do all I could to prolong my days. I went groping about, for the
+bread and water that was in my coffin, and took some of it. Though the
+darkness of the cave was so great that I could not distinguish day and
+night, yet I always found my coffin again, and the cave seemed to be
+more spacious than it had appeared to be at first. I lived for some days
+upon my bread and water, which being all spent, I at last prepared for
+death.
+
+"I was offering up my last devotions when I heard something tread, and
+breathing or panting as it walked. I advanced toward that side from
+whence I heard the noise, and on my approach the creature puffed and
+blew harder, as if running away from me. I followed the noise, and the
+thing seemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and blew as I
+approached. I pursued it for a considerable time, till at last I
+perceived a light, resembling a star; I went on, sometimes lost sight of
+it, but always found it again, and at last discovered that it came
+through a hole in the rock, large enough to admit a man.
+
+"Upon this, I stopped some time to rest, being much fatigued with the
+rapidity of my progress: afterward coming up to the hole, I got through,
+and found myself upon the seashore. I leave you to guess the excess of
+my joy: it was such that I could scarcely persuade myself that the whole
+was not a dream.
+
+"But when I was recovered from my surprise, and convinced of the reality
+of my escape, I perceived what I had followed to be a creature which
+came out of the sea, and was accustomed to enter the cavern when the
+tides were high.
+
+"I examined the mountain, and found it to be situated betwixt the sea
+and the town, but without any passage to or communication with the
+latter; the rocks on the sea side being high and perpendicularly steep.
+I prostrated myself on the shore to thank God for this mercy, and
+afterward entered the cave again to fetch bread and water, which I ate
+by daylight with a better appetite than I had done since my interment in
+the dark cavern.
+
+"I returned thither a second time, and groped among the coffins for all
+the diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold bracelets, and rich stuffs I could
+find; these I brought to the shore, and tying them up neatly into
+bales, I laid them together upon the beach, waiting till some ship might
+appear.
+
+"After two or three days, I perceived a ship just come out of the
+harbour, making for the place where I was. I made a sign with the linen
+of my turban, and called to the crew as loud as I could. They heard me,
+and sent a boat to bring me on board, when they asked by what misfortune
+I came thither; I told them that I had suffered shipwreck two days
+before, and made shift to get ashore with the goods they saw. It was
+fortunate for me that these people did not consider the place where I
+was, nor inquire into the probability of what I told them; but without
+hesitation took me on board. When I came to the ship, the captain was so
+well pleased to have saved me, and so much taken up with his own
+affairs, that he also took the story of my pretended shipwreck upon
+trust, and generously refused some jewels which I offered him.
+
+"We passed by several islands, and among others that called the isle of
+Bells, about ten days' sail from Serendib, and six from that of Kela,
+where we landed. This island produces lead mines, Indian canes, and
+excellent camphire.
+
+"The King of the isle of Kela is very rich and powerful, and the isle of
+Bells, which is about two days' journey in extent, is also subject to
+him. The inhabitants are so barbarous that they still eat human flesh.
+After we had finished our traffic in that island, we put to sea again,
+and touched at several other ports; at last I arrived happily at Bagdad
+with infinite riches. Out of gratitude to God for His mercies, I
+contributed liberally toward the support of several mosques, and the
+subsistence of the poor, and gave myself up to the society of my kindred
+and friends, enjoying myself with them in festivities and amusements."
+
+Here Sinbad finished the relation of his fourth voyage. He made a new
+present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad, whom he requested to return
+with the rest next day at the same hour to dine with him, and hear the
+story of his fifth voyage. Hindbad and the other guests took their leave
+and retired. Next morning when they all met, they sat down at table, and
+when dinner was over, Sinbad began the relation of his fifth voyage as
+follows:
+
+
+THE FIFTH VOYAGE
+
+"All the troubles and calamities I had undergone," said he, "could not
+cure me of my inclination to make new voyages. I therefore bought goods,
+departed with them for the best seaport; and that I might not be obliged
+to depend upon a captain, but have a ship at my own command, I remained
+there till one was built on purpose. When the ship was ready, I went on
+board with my goods: but not having enough to load her, I agreed to take
+with me several merchants of different nations with their merchandise.
+
+"We sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long navigation, the
+first place we touched at was a desert island, where we found an egg of
+a roc, equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. There was a young roc
+in it just ready to be hatched, and its bill had begun to appear. The
+merchants whom I had taken on board, and who landed with me, broke the
+egg with hatchets, pulled out the young roc, piecemeal, and roasted it.
+I had earnestly entreated them not to meddle with the egg, but they
+would not listen to me.
+
+"Scarcely had they finished their repast, when there appeared in the air
+at a considerable distance from us two great clouds. The captain whom I
+had hired to navigate my ship, said they were the male and female roc
+that belonged to the young one and pressed us to re-embark with all
+speed, to prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise befall us.
+We hastened on board, and set sail with all possible expedition.
+
+"In the meantime, the two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which
+they redoubled when they saw the egg broken, and their young one gone.
+They flew back in the direction they had come, and disappeared for some
+time, while we made all the sail we could to endeavour to prevent that
+which unhappily befell us.
+
+"They soon returned, and we observed that each of them carried between
+its talons rocks of a monstrous size. When they came directly over my
+ship, they hovered, and one of them let fall a stone, but by the
+dexterity of the steersman it missed us. The other roc, to our
+misfortune, threw his burden so exactly upon the middle of the ship, as
+to split it into a thousand pieces. The mariners and passengers were all
+crushed to death, or sank. I myself was of the number of the latter; but
+as I came up again, I fortunately caught hold of a piece of the wreck,
+and swimming sometimes with one hand, and sometimes with the other, I
+came to an island, and got safely ashore.
+
+"I sat down upon the grass, to recover myself from my fatigue, after
+which I went into the island to explore it. I found trees everywhere,
+some of them bearing green, and others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh
+pure water. I ate of the fruits, which I found excellent; and drank of
+the water, which was very good.
+
+"When I was a little advanced into the island, I saw an old man, who
+appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a stream,
+and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like myself.
+I went toward him and saluted him, but he only slightly bowed his head.
+I asked him why he sat so still, but instead of answering me, he made a
+sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over the brook,
+signifying that it was to gather fruit.
+
+"I believed him really to stand in need of my assistance, took him upon
+my back, and having carried him over, bade him get down, and for that
+end stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of doing so
+(which I laugh at every time I think of it) the old man, who to me
+appeared quite decrepit, clasped his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat
+astride upon my shoulders, and held my throat so tight, that I thought
+he would have strangled me, the apprehension of which made me swoon and
+fall down.
+
+"Notwithstanding my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow kept fast about
+my neck, but opened his legs a little to give me time to recover my
+breath. When I had done so, he thrust one of his feet against my
+stomach, and struck me so rudely on the side with the other that he
+forced me to rise up against my will. Having arisen, he made me walk
+under the trees, and forced me now and then to stop, to gather and eat
+fruit. He never left me all day, and when I lay down to rest at night,
+laid himself down with me, holding always fast about my neck. Every
+morning he pushed me to make me awake, and afterward obliged me to get
+up and walk, and pressed me with his feet.
+
+"One day I found in my way several dry calabashes that had fallen from a
+tree. I took a large one, and after cleaning it, pressed into it some
+juice of grapes, which abounded in the island; having filled the
+calabash, I put it by in a convenient place, and going thither again
+some days after, I tasted it, and found the wine so good, that it soon
+made me forget my sorrow, gave me new vigour, and so exhilarated my
+spirits, that I began to sing and dance as I walked along.
+
+"The old man, perceiving the effect which this liquor had upon me, and
+that I carried him with more ease than before, made me a sign to give
+him some of it. I handed him the calabash, and the liquor pleasing his
+palate, he drank it all off. There being a considerable quantity of it,
+he became intoxicated, and the fumes getting up into his head, he began
+to sing after his manner, and to dance, thus loosening his legs from
+about me by degrees. Finding that he did not press me as before, I threw
+him upon the ground, where he lay without motion; I then took up a great
+stone, and crushed him.
+
+"I was extremely glad to be thus freed forever from this troublesome
+fellow. I now walked toward the beach, where I met the crew of a ship
+that had cast anchor, to take in water. They were surprised to see me,
+but more so at hearing the particulars of my adventures. 'You fell,'
+said they, 'into the hands of the Old Man of the Sea, and are the first
+who ever escaped strangling by his malicious tricks. He never quits
+those he has once made himself master of till he has destroyed them, and
+he has made this island notorious by the number of men he has slain.'
+
+"After having informed me of these things, they carried me with them to
+the ship, and the captain received me with great kindness, when they
+told him what had befallen me. He put out again to sea, and after some
+days' sail, we arrived at the harbour of a great city.
+
+"One of the merchants who had taken me into his friendship invited me to
+go along with him, and carried me to a place appointed for the
+accommodation of foreign merchants. He gave me a large bag, and having
+recommended me to some people of the town, who used to gather
+cocoa-nuts, desired them to take me with them. 'Go,' said he, 'follow
+them, and act as you see them do, but do not separate from them,
+otherwise you may endanger your life.' Having thus spoken, he gave me
+provisions for the journey, and I went with them.
+
+"We came to a thick forest of cocoa-trees, very lofty, with trunks so
+smooth that it was not possible to climb to the branches that bore the
+fruit. When we entered the forest we saw a great number of apes of
+several sizes, who fled as soon as they perceived us, and climbed up to
+the top of the trees with surprising swiftness.
+
+"The merchants with whom I was, gathered stones and threw them at the
+apes on the trees. I did the same, and the apes out of revenge threw
+cocoa-nuts at us so fast, and with such gestures, as sufficiently
+testified their anger and resentment. We gathered up the cocoa-nuts, and
+from time to time threw stones to provoke the apes; so that by this
+stratagem we filled our bags with cocoa-nuts, which it had been
+impossible otherwise to have done.
+
+"When we had gathered our number, we returned to the city, where the
+merchant who had sent me to the forest gave me the value of the cocoas I
+brought: 'Go on,' said he, 'and do the like every day, until you have
+got money enough to carry you home.' I thanked him for his advice, and
+gradually collected as many cocoa-nuts as produced me a considerable
+sum.
+
+"The vessel in which I had come sailed with some merchants who loaded
+her with cocoa-nuts. I embarked in her all the nuts I had, and when she
+was ready to sail took leave of the merchant who had been so kind to me.
+
+"We sailed toward the islands, where pepper grows in great plenty. From
+thence we went to the isle of Comari, where the best species of wood of
+aloes grows. I exchanged my cocoa in those two islands for pepper and
+wood of aloes, and went with other merchants a pearl-fishing. I hired
+divers, who brought me up some that were very large and pure. I embarked
+in a vessel that happily arrived at Bussorah; from thence I returned to
+Bagdad, where I made vast sums from my pepper, wood of aloes, and
+pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains in alms, as I had done upon my
+return from my other voyages, and endeavoured to dissipate my fatigues
+by amusements of different kinds."
+
+When Sinbad had finished his story, he ordered one hundred sequins to be
+given to Hindbad, who retired with the other guests; but next morning
+the same company returned to dine; when Sinbad requested their
+attention, and gave the following account of his sixth voyage:
+
+
+THE SIXTH VOYAGE
+
+"You long without doubt to know," said he, "how, after having been
+shipwrecked five times, and escaped so many dangers, I could resolve
+again to tempt fortune, and expose myself to new hardships. I am,
+myself, astonished at my conduct when I reflect upon it, and must
+certainly have been actuated by my destiny. But be that as it may, after
+a year's rest I prepared for a sixth voyage, notwithstanding the
+entreaties of my kindred, who did all in their power to dissuade me.
+
+"Instead of taking my way by the Persian Gulf, I travelled once more
+through several provinces of Persia and the Indies, and arrived at a
+seaport, where I embarked in a ship, the captain of which was bound on a
+long voyage. It was long indeed, for the captain and pilot lost their
+course. They, however, at last discovered where they were, but we had no
+reason to rejoice at the circumstance. Suddenly we saw the captain quit
+his post, uttering loud lamentations. He threw off his turban, pulled
+his beard, and beat his head like a madman. We asked him the reason,
+and he answered, that he was in the most dangerous place in all the
+ocean. 'A rapid current carries the ship along with it,' said he, 'and
+we shall all perish in less than a quarter of an hour. Pray to God to
+deliver us from this peril; we cannot escape, if He do not take pity on
+us.' At these words he ordered the sails to be lowered; but all the
+ropes broke, and the ship was carried by the current to the foot of an
+inaccessible mountain, where she struck and went to pieces, yet in such
+a manner that we saved our lives, our provisions, and the best of our
+goods.
+
+"This being over, the captain said to us: 'God has done what pleased
+Him. Each of us may dig his grave, and bid the world adieu; for we are
+all in so fatal a place, that none shipwrecked here ever returned to
+their homes.' His discourse afflicted us sensibly, and we embraced each
+other, bewailing our deplorable lot.
+
+"The mountain at the foot of which we were wrecked formed part of the
+coast of a very large island. It was covered with wrecks, with human
+bones, and with a vast quantity of goods and riches. In all other
+places, rivers run from their channels into the sea, but here a river of
+fresh water runs out of the sea into a dark cavern, whose entrance is
+very high and spacious. What is most remarkable in this place is, that
+the stones of the mountain are of crystal, rubies, or other precious
+stones. Here is also a sort of fountain of pitch or bitumen, that runs
+into the sea, which the fish swallow, and turn into ambergris: and this
+the waves throw up on the beach in great quantities. Trees also grow
+here, most of which are wood of aloes, equal in goodness to those of
+Comari.
+
+"To finish the description of this place, which may well be called a
+gulf, since nothing ever returns from it, it is not possible for ships
+to get off when once they approach within a certain distance. If they
+be driven thither by a wind from the sea, the wind and the current impel
+them; and if they come into it when a land-wind blows, the height of the
+mountain stops the wind, and occasions a calm, so that the force of the
+current carries them ashore: and what completes the misfortune is, that
+there is no possibility of ascending the mountain, or of escaping by
+sea.
+
+"We continued upon the shore in a state of despair, and expected death
+every day. At first we divided our provisions as equally as we could,
+and thus every one lived a longer or shorter time, according to his
+temperance, and the use he made of his provisions.
+
+"I survived all my companions, yet when I buried the last, I had so
+little provision remaining that I thought I could not long endure and I
+dug a grave, resolving to lie down in it because there was no one left
+to inter me.
+
+"But it pleased God once more to take compassion on me, and put it in my
+mind to go to the bank of the river which ran into the great cavern.
+Considering its probable course with great attention, I said to myself:
+'This river, which runs thus under ground, must somewhere have an issue.
+If I make a raft, and leave myself to the current, it will convey me to
+some inhabited country, or I shall perish. If I be drowned, I lose
+nothing, but only change one kind of death for another.'
+
+"I immediately went to work upon large pieces of timber and cables, for
+I had choice of them, and tied them together so strongly that I soon
+made a very solid raft. When I had finished, I loaded it with rubies,
+emeralds, ambergris, rock-crystal, and bales of rich stuffs. Having
+balanced my cargo exactly, and fastened it well to the raft, I went on
+board with two oars that I had made, and leaving it to the course of the
+river, resigned myself to the will of God.
+
+"As soon as I entered the cavern I lost all light, and the stream
+carried me I knew not whither. Thus I floated some days in perfect
+darkness, and once found the arch so low, that it very nearly touched my
+head, which made me cautious afterward to avoid the like danger. All
+this while I ate nothing but what was just necessary to support nature;
+yet, notwithstanding my frugality, all my provisions were spent. Then a
+pleasing stupor seized upon me. I cannot tell how long it continued; but
+when I revived, I was surprised to find myself in an extensive plain on
+the brink of a river, where my raft was tied, amidst a great number of
+negroes. I got up as soon as I saw them, and saluted them. They spoke to
+me, but I did not understand their language. I was so transported with
+joy, that I knew not whether I was asleep or awake; but being persuaded
+that I was not asleep, I recited aloud the following words in Arabic:
+'Call upon the Almighty, He will help thee; thou needest not perplex
+thyself about anything else: shut thy eyes, and while thou art asleep,
+God will change thy bad fortune into good.'
+
+"One of the blacks, who understood Arabic, hearing me speak thus, came
+toward me and said: 'Brother, be not surprised to see us; we are
+inhabitants of this country, and came hither to-day to water our fields.
+We observed something floating upon the water, and, perceiving your
+raft, one of us swam into the river and brought it hither, where we
+fastened it, as you see, until you should awake. Pray tell us your
+history, for it must be extraordinary; how did you venture yourself into
+this river, and whence did you come?' I begged of them first to give me
+something to eat, and then I would satisfy their curiosity. They gave me
+several sorts of food, and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related all
+that had befallen me, which they listened to with attentive surprise. As
+soon as I had finished, they told me, by the person who spoke Arabic
+and interpreted to them what I said, that it was one of the most
+wonderful stories they had ever heard, and that I must go along with
+them, and tell it to their king myself; it being too extraordinary to be
+related by any other than the person to whom the events had happened.
+
+"They immediately sent for a horse, which was brought in a little time;
+and having helped me to mount, some of them walked before to shew the
+way, while the rest took my raft and cargo and followed.
+
+"We marched till we came to the capital of Serendib, for it was in that
+island I had landed. The blacks presented me to their king; I approached
+his throne, and saluted him as I used to do the Kings of the Indies;
+that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet. The prince ordered me
+to rise, received me with an obliging air, and made me sit down near
+him.
+
+"I related to the king all that I have told you, and his majesty was so
+surprised and pleased, that he commanded my adventures to be written in
+letters of gold, and laid up in the archives of his kingdom. At last my
+raft was brought in, and the bales opened in his presence: he admired
+the quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris; but, above all, the rubies
+and emeralds, for he had none in his treasury that equalled them.
+
+"Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, I fell prostrate
+at his feet, and took the liberty to say to him: 'Sir, not only my
+person is at your majesty's service, but the cargo of the raft, and I
+would beg of you to dispose of it as your own.' He answered me with a
+smile: 'Sinbad, I will take care not to covet anything of yours, or to
+take anything from you that God has given you; far from lessening your
+wealth, I design to augment it, and will not let you quit my dominions
+without marks of my liberality.' He then charged one of his officers to
+take care of me, and ordered people to serve me at his own expense. The
+officer was very faithful in the execution of his commission, and caused
+all the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided for me.
+
+"I went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king, and spent
+the rest of my time in viewing the city, and what was most worthy of
+notice.
+
+"The capital of Serendib stands at the end of a fine valley, in the
+middle of the island, encompassed by mountains the highest in the world.
+Rubies and several sorts of minerals abound, and the rocks are for the
+most part composed of a metalline stone made use of to cut and polish
+other precious stones. All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there,
+especially cedars and cocoa-nut. There is also a pearl-fishing in the
+mouth of its principal river; and in some of its valleys are found
+diamonds. I made, by way of devotion, a pilgrimage to the place where
+Adam was confined after his banishment from Paradise, and had the
+curiosity to go to the top of the mountain.
+
+"When I returned to the city, I prayed the king to allow me to return to
+my own country, and he granted me permission in the most honourable
+manner. He would needs force a rich present upon me; and when I went to
+take my leave of him, he gave me one much more considerable, and at the
+same time charged me with a letter for the Commander of the Faithful,
+our sovereign, saying to me: 'I pray you give this present from me, and
+this letter, to the Caliph, and assure him of my friendship.' I took the
+present and letter and promised his majesty punctually to execute the
+commission with which he was pleased to honour me.
+
+"The letter from the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a
+certain animal of great value, because of its being so scarce, and of a
+yellowish colour. The characters of this letter were of azure, and the
+contents as follows:
+
+  "'The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred elephants, who
+  lives in a palace that shines with one hundred thousand rubies, and
+  who has in his treasury twenty thousand crowns enriched with diamonds,
+  to Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid:--
+
+  "'Though the present we send you be inconsiderable, receive it,
+  however, as a brother, in consideration of the hearty friendship which
+  we bear for you, and of which we are willing to give you proof. We
+  desire the same part in your friendship, considering that we believe
+  it to be our merit, being of the same dignity with yourself. We
+  conjure you this in quality of a brother. Adieu.'
+
+"The present consisted, first, of one single ruby made into a cup, about
+half a foot high, an inch thick, and filled with round pearls of half a
+drachm each. 2. The skin of a serpent, whose scales were as large as an
+ordinary piece of gold, and had the virtue to preserve from sickness
+those who lay upon it. 3. Fifty thousand drachms of the best wood of
+aloes, with thirty grains of camphire as big as pistachios. And, 4. A
+female slave of ravishing beauty, whose apparel was all covered over
+with jewels.
+
+"The ship set sail, and after a very successful navigation we landed at
+Bussorah, and from thence I went to Bagdad, where the first thing I did
+was to acquit myself of my commission.
+
+"I took the king of Serendib's letter and went to present myself at the
+gate of the Commander of the Faithful, followed by the beautiful slave,
+and such of my own family as carried the gifts. I stated the reason of
+my coming, and was immediately conducted to the throne of the caliph. I
+made my reverence, and, after a short speech, gave him the letter and
+present. When he had read what the king of Serendib wrote to him, he
+asked me if the prince were really so rich and potent as he represented
+himself in his letter. I prostrated myself a second time, and rising
+again, said: 'Commander of the Faithful, I can assure your majesty he
+doth not exceed the truth. Nothing is more worthy of admiration than the
+magnificence of his palace. When the prince appears in public he has a
+throne fixed on the back of an elephant, and marches betwixt two ranks
+of his ministers, favourites, and other people of his court; before him,
+upon the same elephant, an officer carries a golden lance in his hand;
+and behind the throne there is another, who stands upright, with a
+column of gold, on the top of which is an emerald half a foot long and
+an inch thick; before him march a guard of one thousand men, clad in
+cloth of gold and silk, and mounted on elephants richly caparisoned.
+
+"While the king is on his march, the officer who is before him on the
+same elephant cries from time to time, with a loud voice: 'Behold the
+great monarch, the potent and redoubtable Sultan of the Indies, whose
+palace is covered with one hundred thousand rubies, and who possesses
+twenty thousand crowns of diamonds. Behold the monarch greater than
+Solomon, and the powerful Maha-raja.' After he has pronounced those
+words, the officer behind the throne cries in his turn: 'This monarch,
+so great and so powerful, must die, must die, must die.' And the officer
+before replies: 'Praise be to him who liveth for ever.'
+
+"Furthermore, the King of Serendib is so just that there are no judges
+in his dominions. His people have no need of them. They understand and
+observe justice rigidly of themselves.'
+
+"The caliph was much pleased with my account. 'The wisdom of that king,'
+said he, 'appears in his letter, and after what you tell me, I must
+confess, that his wisdom is worthy of his people, and his people deserve
+so wise a prince.' Having spoken thus, he dismissed me, and sent me home
+with a rich present."
+
+Sinbad left off, and his company retired, Hindbad having first received
+one hundred sequins; and next day they returned to hear the relation of
+his seventh and last voyage.
+
+
+THE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE
+
+"Being returned from my sixth voyage," said Sinbad, "I absolutely laid
+aside all thoughts of travelling; for, besides that my age now required
+rest, I was resolved no more to expose myself to such risks as I had
+encountered; so that I thought of nothing but to pass the rest of my
+days in tranquillity. One day, however, as I was treating my friends,
+one of my servants came and told me that an officer of the caliph's
+inquired for me. I rose from table, and went to him. 'The caliph,' said
+he, 'has sent me to tell you that he must speak with you.' I followed
+the officer to the palace, where, being presented to the caliph, I
+saluted him by prostrating myself at his feet. 'Sinbad,' said he to me,
+'I stand in need of your service; you must carry my answer and present
+to the King of Serendib. It is but just I should return his civility.'
+
+"This command of the caliph was to me like a clap of thunder. 'Commander
+of the Faithful,' I replied, 'I am ready to do whatever your majesty
+shall think fit to command; but I beseech you most humbly to consider
+what I have undergone. I have also made a vow never to go out of
+Bagdad.' Hence I took occasion to give him a full and particular account
+of all my adventures, which he had the patience to hear out.
+
+"As soon as I had finished, 'I confess,' said he, 'that the things you
+tell me are very extraordinary, yet you must for my sake undertake this
+voyage which I propose to you. You will only have to go to the isle of
+Serendib, and deliver the commission which I give you, for you know it
+would not comport with my dignity to be indebted to the king of that
+island.' Perceiving that the caliph insisted upon my compliance, I
+submitted, and told him that I was willing to obey. He was very well
+pleased, and ordered me one thousand sequins for the expenses of my
+journey.
+
+"I prepared for my departure in a few days, and as soon as the caliph's
+letter and present were delivered to me, I went to Bussorah, where I
+embarked, and had a very happy voyage. Having arrived at the isle of
+Serendib, I acquainted the king's ministers with my commission, and
+prayed them to get me speedy audience. They did so, and I was conducted
+to the palace, where I saluted the king by prostration, according to
+custom. That prince knew me immediately, and testified very great joy at
+seeing me, 'Sinbad,' said he, 'you are welcome; I have many times
+thought of you since you departed; I bless the day on which we see one
+another once more.' I made my compliments to him, and after having
+thanked him for his kindness, delivered the caliph's letter and present,
+which he received with all imaginable satisfaction.
+
+"The caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold, valued at
+one thousand sequins; fifty robes of rich stuff, a hundred of white
+cloth, the finest of Cairo, Suez, and Alexandria; a vessel of agate
+broader than deep, an inch thick, and half a foot wide, the bottom of
+which represented in bas-relief a man with one knee on the ground, who
+held a bow and an arrow, ready to discharge at a lion. He sent him also
+a rich tablet, which, according to tradition, belonged to the great
+Solomon. The caliph's letter was as follows:
+
+  "'Greeting, in the name of the sovereign guide of the right way, from
+  the dependant on God, Haroun-al-Raschid, whom God hath set in the
+  place of vicegerent to his prophet, after his ancestors of happy
+  memory, to the potent and esteemed Raja of Serendib:--
+
+  'We received your letter with joy, and send you this from our imperial
+  residence, the garden of superior wits. We hope when you look upon it,
+  you will perceive our good intention and be pleased with it. Adieu.'
+
+"The King of Serendib was highly gratified that the caliph answered his
+friendship. A little time after this audience, I solicited leave to
+depart, and had much difficulty to obtain it. I procured it, however, at
+last, and the king, when he dismissed me, made me a very considerable
+present. I embarked immediately to return to Bagdad, but had not the
+good fortune to arrive there so speedily as I had hoped. God ordered it
+otherwise.
+
+"Three or four days after my departure, we were attacked by corsairs,
+who easily seized upon our ship, because it was no vessel of force. Some
+of the crew offered resistance, which cost them their lives. But for
+myself and the rest, who were not so imprudent, the corsairs saved us on
+purpose to make slaves of us.
+
+"We were all stripped, and instead of our own clothes, they gave us
+sorry rags, and carried us into a remote island, where they sold us.
+
+"I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought me,
+carried me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely for a
+slave. Some days after, not knowing who I was, he asked me if I
+understood any trade. I answered, that I was no mechanic, but a
+merchant, and that the corsairs who sold me, had robbed me of all I
+possessed. 'But tell me,' replied he, 'can you shoot with a bow?' I
+answered, that the bow was one of my exercises in my youth. He gave me a
+bow and arrows, and, taking me behind him upon an elephant, carried me
+to a thick forest some leagues from the town. We penetrated a great way
+into the wood, and he bade me alight; then, shewing me a great tree,
+'Climb up that,' said he, 'and shoot at the elephants as you see them
+pass by, for there is a prodigious number of them in this forest, and if
+any of them fall, come and give me notice.' Having spoken this, he left
+me victuals, and returned to the town, and I continued upon the tree all
+night.
+
+"I saw no elephant during the night, but next morning, as soon as the
+sun was up, I perceived a great number. I shot several arrows among
+them, and at last one of the elephants fell, when the rest retired
+immediately, and left me at liberty to go and acquaint my patron with my
+booty. When I had informed him, he gave me a good meal, commended my
+dexterity, and caressed me highly. We went afterwards together to the
+forest, where we dug a hole for the elephant; my patron designing to
+return when it had fallen to pieces and take its teeth to trade with.
+
+"I continued this employment for two months, and killed an elephant
+every day, getting sometimes upon one tree, and sometimes upon another.
+One morning, as I looked for the elephants, I perceived with extreme
+amazement that, instead of passing by me across the forest as usual,
+they stopped, and came to me with a horrible noise, in such number that
+the plain was covered, and shook under them. They encompassed the tree
+in which I was concealed, with their trunks extended, and all fixed
+their eyes upon me. At this alarming spectacle I continued immovable,
+and was so much terrified, that my bow and arrows fell out of my hand.
+
+"My fears were not without cause; for after the elephants had stared
+upon me some time, one of the largest of them put his trunk round the
+foot of the tree, plucked it up, and threw it on the ground. I fell with
+the tree; and the elephant, taking me up with his trunk, laid me on his
+back, where I sat more like one dead than alive, with my quiver on my
+shoulder. He put himself afterward at the head of the rest, who followed
+him in troops, carried me a considerable way, then laid me down on the
+ground, and retired with all his companions. After having lain some
+time, and seeing the elephants gone, I got up, and found I was upon a
+long and broad hill, almost covered with the bones and teeth of
+elephants. I confess to you, that this object furnished me with
+abundance of reflections. I admired the instinct of those animals; I
+doubted not but that was their burying-place, and that they carried me
+thither on purpose to tell me that I should forbear to persecute them,
+since I did it only for their teeth. I did not stay on the hill, but
+turned toward the city, and, after having travelled a day and a night, I
+came to my patron.
+
+"As soon as he saw me, 'Ah, poor Sinbad,' exclaimed he, 'I was in great
+trouble to know what was become of you. I have been at the forest, where
+I found a tree newly pulled up, and a bow and arrows on the ground, and
+I despaired of ever seeing you more. Pray tell me what befell you, and
+by what good chance you are still alive.' I satisfied his curiosity, and
+going both of us next morning to the hill, he found to his great joy
+that what I had told him was true. We loaded the elephant which had
+carried us with as many teeth as he could bear; and when we were
+returned, 'Brother,' said my patron, 'for I will treat you no more as my
+slave, after having made such a discovery as will enrich me, God bless
+you with all happiness and prosperity. I declare before Him, that I give
+you your liberty. I concealed from you what I am now going to tell you.
+
+"'The elephants of our forest have every year killed a great many
+slaves, whom we sent to seek ivory. God has delivered you from their
+fury, and has bestowed that favour upon you only. It is a sign that He
+loves you, and has some use for your service in the world. You have
+procured me incredible wealth. Formerly we could not procure ivory but
+by exposing the lives of our slaves, and now our whole city is enriched
+by your means. I could engage all our inhabitants to contribute toward
+making your fortune, but I will have the glory of doing it myself.'
+
+"To this obliging declaration I replied: 'Patron, God preserve you. Your
+giving me my liberty is enough to discharge what you owe me, and I
+desire no other reward for the service I had the good fortune to do to
+you, and your city, but leave to return to my own country.' 'Very well,'
+said he, 'the monsoon will in a little time bring ships for ivory. I
+will then send you home, and give you wherewith to bear your charges.' I
+thanked him again for my liberty and his good intentions toward me. I
+stayed with him expecting the monsoon; and during that time, we made so
+many journeys to the hill that we filled all our warehouses with ivory.
+The other merchants, who traded in it, did the same, for it could not be
+long concealed from them.
+
+"The ships arrived at last, and my patron, himself having made choice of
+the ship wherein I was to embark, loaded half of it with ivory on my
+account, laid in provisions in abundance for my passage, and besides
+obliged me to accept a present of some curiosities of the country of
+great value. After I had returned him a thousand thanks for all his
+favours, I went aboard. We set sail, and as the adventure which procured
+me this liberty was very extraordinary, I had it continually in my
+thoughts.
+
+"We stopped at some islands to take in fresh provisions. Our vessel
+being come to a port on the main land in the Indies, we touched there,
+and not being willing to venture by sea to Bussorah, I landed my
+proportion of the ivory, resolving to proceed on my journey by land. I
+made vast sums by my ivory, bought several rarities for presents, and
+when my equipage was ready, set out in company with a large caravan of
+merchants. I was a long time on the way, and suffered much, but endured
+all with patience, when I considered that I had nothing to fear from the
+seas, from pirates, from serpents, or from the other perils to which I
+had been exposed.
+
+"All these fatigues ended at last, and I arrived safe at Bagdad. I went
+immediately to wait upon the caliph, and gave him an account of my
+embassy. That prince said he had been uneasy as I was so long in
+returning, but that he always hoped God would preserve me. When I told
+him the adventure of the elephants, he seemed much surprised, and would
+never have given any credit to it had he not known my veracity. He
+deemed this story, and the other relations I had given him, to be so
+curious, that he ordered one of his secretaries to write them in
+characters of gold, and lay them up in his treasury. I retired well
+satisfied with the honours I received, and the presents which he gave
+me; and ever since I have devoted myself wholly to my family, kindred
+and friends."
+
+Sinbad here finished the relation of his seventh and last voyage, and
+then, addressing himself to Hindbad, "Well, friend," said he, "did you
+ever hear of any person that suffered so much as I have done, or of any
+mortal that has gone through so many vicissitudes? Is it not reasonable
+that, after all this, I should enjoy a quiet and pleasant life?" As he
+said this, Hindbad drew near to him, and kissing his hand, said, "I must
+acknowledge sir, that you have gone through many imminent dangers; my
+troubles are not comparable to yours; if they afflict me for a time, I
+comfort myself with the thoughts of the profit I get by them. You not
+only deserve a quiet life, but are worthy of all the riches you enjoy,
+because you make of them such a good and generous use. May you therefore
+continue to live in happiness till the day of your death!" Sinbad then
+gave him one hundred sequins more, received him into the number of his
+friends and desired him to quit his porter's employment, and come and
+dine every day with him, that he might have ample reason to remember
+Sinbad the voyager and his adventures.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Arabian Nights, by Unknown
+
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+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
+  <head>
+    <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" />
+    <title>
+      The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Arabian Nights.
+    </title>
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+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Arabian Nights, by Unknown
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Arabian Nights
+       Their Best-known Tales
+
+Author: Unknown
+
+Editor: Kate Douglas Wiggin
+        Nora A. Smith
+
+Illustrator: Maxfield Parrish
+
+Release Date: March 27, 2007 [EBook #20916]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Irma Špehar, Graeme Mackreth, and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+<p class="center" style="margin-bottom: 3em; margin-top: 5em;">
+<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt="cover"  />
+</p>
+
+<h1> THE ARABIAN NIGHTS</h1>
+
+
+<p class="center" style="margin-top: 2em;">
+<img src="images/illus02.jpg" alt="title page"  />
+</p>
+
+
+
+
+<p class='center' style="margin-top: 5em;"><small>Copyright, 1909, by<br />
+<span class="smcap">Charles Scribner's Sons</span><br />
+<br />
+Published October, 1909</small>
+</p>
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus03.jpg" alt="verso"  />
+</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>PREFACE</h2>
+
+<p><i>Little excuse is needed, perhaps, for any fresh selection from the
+famous "Tales of a Thousand and One Nights," provided it be
+representative enough, and worthy enough, to enlist a new army of
+youthful readers. Of the two hundred and sixty-four bewildering,
+unparalleled stories, the true lover can hardly spare one, yet there
+must always be favourites, even among these. We have chosen some of the
+most delightful, in our opinion; some, too, that chanced to appeal
+particularly to the genius of the artist. If, enticed by our choice and
+the beauty of the pictures, we manage to attract a few thousand more
+true lovers to the fountain-book, we shall have served our humble turn.
+The only real danger lies in neglecting it, in rearing a child who does
+not know it and has never fallen under its spell.</i></p>
+
+<p><i>You remember Maimoune, in the story of Prince Camaralzaman, and what she
+said to Danhasch, the genie who had just arrived from the farthest
+limits of China? "Be sure thou tellest me nothing but what is true or I
+shall clip thy wings!" This is what the modern child sometimes says to
+the genies of literature, and his own wings are too often clipped in
+consequence.</i></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 12em;"><i>
+"The Empire of the Fairies is no more.<br />
+Reason has banished them from ev'ry shore;<br />
+Steam has outstripped their dragons and their cars,<br />
+Gas has eclipsed their glow-worms and their stars."<br /></i>
+</p>
+
+<p><i>&Eacute;douard Laboulaye says in his introduction to Nouveaux Contes Bleus:
+"Mothers who love your children, do not set them too soon to the study
+of history; let them dream while they are young. Do not close the soul
+to the first breath of poetry. Nothing affrights me so much as the
+reasonable, practical child who believes in nothing that he cannot
+touch. These sages of ten years are, at twenty, dullards, or what is
+still worse, egoists."</i></p>
+
+<p><i>When a child has once read of Prince Agib, of Gulnare or Periezade,
+Sinbad or Codadad, in this or any other volume of its kind, the magic
+will have been instilled into the blood, for the Oriental flavour in the
+Arab tales is like nothing so much as magic. True enough they are a vast
+storehouse of information concerning the manners and the customs, the
+spirit and the life of the Moslem East (and the youthful reader does not
+have to study Lane's learned foot-notes to imbibe all this), but beyond
+and above the knowledge of history and geography thus gained, there
+comes something finer and subtler as well as something more vital. The
+scene is Indian, Egyptian, Arabian, Persian; but Bagdad and Balsora,
+Grand Cairo, the silver Tigris, and the blooming gardens of Damascus,
+though they can be found indeed on the map, live much more truly in that
+enchanted realm that rises o'er "the foam of perilous seas in faery
+lands forlorn." What craft can sail those perilous seas like the book
+that has been called a great three-decker to carry tired people to
+Islands of the Blest? "The immortal fragment," says Sir Richard Burton,
+who perhaps knew the Arabian Nights as did no other European, "will
+never be superseded in the infallible judgment of childhood. The
+marvellous imaginativeness of the Tales produces an insensible
+brightness of mind and an increase of fancy-power, making one dream that
+behind them lies the new and unseen, the strange and unexpected&mdash;in
+fact, all the glamour of the unknown."</i></p>
+
+<p><i>It would be a delightful task to any boy or girl to begin at the
+beginning and read the first English version of these famous stories,
+made from the collection of M. Galland, Professor of Arabic in the Royal
+College of Paris. The fact that they had passed from Arabic into French
+and from French into English did not prevent their instantaneous
+popularity. This was in 1704 or thereabouts, and the world was not so
+busy as it is nowadays, or young men would not have gathered in the
+middle of the night under M. Galland's window and cried: "O vous, qui
+savez de si jolis contes, et qui les racontez si bien, racontez nous en
+un!"</i></p>
+
+<p><i>You can also read them in Scott's edition or in Lane's (both of which,
+but chiefly the former, we have used as the foundation of our text),
+while your elders&mdash;philologists or Orientalists&mdash;are studying the
+complete versions of John Payne or Sir Richard Burton. You may leave the
+wiseacres to wonder which were told in China or India, Arabia or Persia,
+and whether the first manuscript dates back to 1450 or earlier.</i></p>
+
+<p><i>We, like many other editors, have shortened the stories here and there,
+omitting some of the tedious repetitions that crept in from time to time
+when Arabian story-tellers were adding to the text to suit their
+purposes.</i></p>
+
+<p><i>Mr. Andrew Lang says amusingly that he has left out of his special
+versions "all the pieces that are suitable only for Arabs and old
+gentlemen," and we have done the same; but we have taken no undue
+liberties. We have removed no genies nor magicians, however terrible;
+have cut out no base deed of Vizier nor noble deed of Sultan; have
+diminished the size of no roc's egg, nor omitted any single allusion to
+the great and only Haroun Al-raschid, Caliph of Bagdad, Commander of the
+Faithful, who must have been a great inspirer of good stories.</i></p>
+
+<p><i>Enter into this "treasure house of pleasant things," then, and make
+yourself at home in the golden palaces, the gem-studded caves, the
+bewildering gardens. Sit by its mysterious fountains, hear the plash of
+its gleaming cascades, unearth its magic lamps and talismans, behold its
+ensorcelled princes and princesses.</i></p>
+
+<p><i>Nowhere in the whole realm of literature will you find such a Marvel,
+such a Wonder, such a Nonesuch of a book; nowhere will you find
+impossibilities so real and so convincing; nowhere but in what Henley
+calls:</i></p>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 15em;"><i>
+"... that blessed brief<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of what is gallantest and best</span><br />
+In all the full-shelved Libraries of Romance.<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">The Book of rocs,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sandalwood, ivory, turbans, ambergris,</span><br />
+Cream-tarts, and lettered apes, and Calenders,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And ghouls, and genies&mdash;O so huge</span><br />
+They might have overed the tall Minster Tower,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hands down, as schoolboys take a post;</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">In truth the Book of Camaralzaman,</span><br />
+Schemselnihar and Sinbad, Scheherezade<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The peerless, Bedreddin, Badroulbadour,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Cairo and Serendib and Candahar,</span><br />
+And Caspian, and the dim, terrific bulk&mdash;<br />
+Ice-ribbed, fiend-visited, isled in spells and storms&mdash;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Of Kaf ... That centre of miracles</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The sole, unparalleled Arabian Nights."</span></i></p>
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;">
+<span class="smcap">Kate Douglas Wiggin.</span></p>
+<p>August, 1909.
+</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>CONTENTS</h2>
+
+<p>
+<a href="#THE_TALKING_BIRD_THE_SINGING_TREE_AND_THE_GOLDEN_WATER"><span class="smcap">The Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water</span></a> <br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_THE_FISHERMAN_AND_THE_GENIE"><span class="smcap">The Story of the Fisherman and the Genie</span></a><br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_HISTORY_OF_THE_YOUNG_KING_OF_THE_BLACK_ISLES"><span class="smcap">The History of the Young King of the Black Isles</span> </a><br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_GULNARE_OF_THE_SEA"><span class="smcap">The Story of Gulnare of the Sea</span></a><br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_ALADDIN_OR_THE_WONDERFUL_LAMP"><span class="smcap">The Story of Aladdin; or, the Wonderful Lamp</span></a><br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_PRINCE_AGIB"><span class="smcap">The Story of Prince Agib</span></a> <br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_THE_CITY_OF_BRASS"><span class="smcap">The Story of the City of Brass</span></a><br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_ALI_BABA_AND_THE_FORTY_THIEVES"><span class="smcap">The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves</span></a> <br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_HISTORY_OF_CODADAD_AND_HIS_BROTHERS"><span class="smcap">The History of Codadad and His Brothers</span></a>  <br />
+<br />
+<a href="#THE_STORY_OF_SINBAD_THE_VOYAGER"><span class="smcap">The Story of Sinbad the Voyager</span></a>  <br />
+</p>
+
+
+<h2>
+ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+<h4>FROM DRAWINGS IN COLORS<br />
+BY MAXFIELD PARRISH</h4>
+
+
+<p>
+<a href='#illus04'><span class="smcap">The Talking Bird</span></a>
+</p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%;'>It will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to
+plant in your garden</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus05'>
+<span class="smcap">The Fisherman and the Genie</span></a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%;'>
+The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along
+the sea and upon the shore formed a great mist</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus06'>
+<span class="smcap">The Young King of the Black Isles</span></a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%;'>
+When he came to this part of his narrative the young king
+could not restrain his tears</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus07'>
+<span class="smcap">Gulnare of the Sea</span> </a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%;'>
+And she proceeded to burn perfume and repeat spells until the
+sea foamed and was agitated</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus08'>
+<span class="smcap">Aladdin</span> </a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the
+magician, and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a
+brass ring fixed into the middle</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus09'>
+<span class="smcap">Prince Agib</span> </a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+And when the boat came to me I found in it a man
+of brass, with a tablet of lead upon his breast,
+engraven with names and talismans</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus10'>
+<span class="smcap">Prince Agib</span> </a> </p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering
+it, found a mansion like paradise</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus11'>
+<span class="smcap">The City of Brass</span> </a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than
+which eyes had not beheld any greater</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus12'>
+<span class="smcap">The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves</span></a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the
+more he endeavoured to remember the word <i>Sesame</i> the more
+his memory was confounded</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus13'>
+<span class="smcap">The History of Codadad and His Brothers</span> </a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+As it drew near we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus14'>
+<span class="smcap">Second Voyage of Sinbad</span> </a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;' >
+The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that
+there was no possibility of getting out of the valley</p>
+<p>
+<a href='#illus15'>
+<span class="smcap">Third Voyage of Sinbad</span></a></p>
+<p style='margin-left:5%; margin-right:10%;'>
+Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay
+and fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder
+</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2>THE ARABIAN NIGHTS</h2>
+
+<p style="margin-left: 15em;">
+<br />
+"When the breeze of a joyful dawn blew free<br />
+In the silken sail of infancy,<br />
+The tide of time flow'd back with me,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The forward-flowing time of time;</span><br />
+And many a sheeny summer morn,<br />
+Adown the Tigris I was borne,<br />
+By Bagdat's shrines of fretted gold,<br />
+High-walled gardens green and old;<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">True Mussulman was I and sworn,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">For it was in the golden prime</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 3em;">Of good Haroun Alraschid.</span><br />
+<br />
+"Anight my shallop, rustling thro'<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The low and bloom&egrave;d foliage, drove</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">The fragrant, glistening deeps, and clove</span><br />
+The citron-shadows in the blue:<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">By garden porches on the brim,</span><br />
+The costly doors flung open wide,<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gold glittering thro' lamplight dim,</span><br />
+And broider'd sofas on each side:<br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">In sooth it was a goodly time,</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 1em;">For it was in the golden prime</span><br />
+<span style="margin-left: 2em;">Of good Haroun Alraschid."</span><br />
+</p>
+<p style="margin-left: 25em;"><span class="smcap">Alfred, Lord Tennyson.</span><br />
+</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_TALKING_BIRD_THE_SINGING_TREE_AND_THE_GOLDEN_WATER" id="THE_TALKING_BIRD_THE_SINGING_TREE_AND_THE_GOLDEN_WATER"></a>THE TALKING BIRD, THE SINGING TREE, AND THE GOLDEN WATER</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was an emperor of Persia named Kosrouschah, who, when he first
+came to his crown, in order to obtain a knowledge of affairs, took great
+pleasure in night excursions, attended by a trusty minister. He often
+walked in disguise through the city, and met with many adventures, one
+of the most remarkable of which happened to him upon his first ramble,
+which was not long after his accession to the throne of his father.</p>
+
+<p>After the ceremonies of his father's funeral rites and his own
+inauguration were over, the new sultan, as well from inclination as from
+duty, went out one evening attended by his grand vizier, disguised like
+himself, to observe what was transacting in the city. As he was passing
+through a street in that part of the town inhabited only by the meaner
+sort, he heard some people talking very loud; and going close to the
+house whence the noise proceeded, and looking through a crack in the
+door, perceived a light, and three sisters sitting on a sofa, conversing
+together after supper. By what the eldest said he presently understood
+the subject of their conversation was wishes: "for," said she, "since we
+are talking about wishes, mine shall be to have the sultan's baker for
+my husband, for then I shall eat my fill of that bread, which by way of
+excellence is called the sultan's; let us see if your tastes are as good
+as mine." "For my part," replied the second sister, "I wish I was wife
+to the sultan's chief cook, for then I should eat of the most excellent
+dishes; and as I am persuaded that the sultan's bread is common in the
+palace, I should not want any of that; therefore you see," addressing
+herself to her eldest sister, "that I have a better taste than you." The
+youngest sister, who was very beautiful, and had more charms and wit
+than the two elder, spoke in her turn: "For my part, sisters," said she,
+"I shall not limit my desires to such trifles, but take a higher flight;
+and since we are upon wishing, I wish to be the emperor's queen-consort.
+I would make him father of a prince, whose hair should be gold on one
+side of his head, and silver on the other; when he cried, the tears from
+his eyes should be pearls; and when he smiled, his vermilion lips should
+look like a rosebud fresh-blown."</p>
+
+<p>The three sisters' wishes, particularly that of the youngest, seemed so
+singular to the sultan, that he resolved to gratify them in their
+desires; but without communicating his design to his grand vizier, he
+charged him only to take notice of the house, and bring the three
+sisters before him the following day.</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier, in executing the emperor's orders, would but just give
+the sisters time to dress themselves to appear before his majesty,
+without telling them the reason. He brought them to the palace, and
+presented them to the emperor, who said to them, "Do you remember the
+wishes you expressed last night, when you were all in so pleasant a
+mood? Speak the truth; I must know what they were." At these unexpected
+words of the emperor, the three sisters were much confounded. They cast
+down their eyes and blushed, and the colour which rose in the cheeks of
+the youngest quite captivated the emperor's heart. Modesty, and fear
+lest they might have offended by their conversation, kept them silent.
+The emperor, perceiving their confusion, said to encourage them, "Fear
+nothing, I did not send for you to distress you; and since I see that
+without my intending it, this is the effect of the question I asked, as
+I know the wish of each, I will relieve you from your fears. You," added
+he, "who wished to be my wife, shall have your desire this day; and
+you," continued he, addressing himself to the two elder sisters, "shall
+also be married to my chief baker and cook."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultan had declared his pleasure, the youngest sister,
+setting her elders an example, threw herself at the emperor's feet to
+express her gratitude. "Sir," said she, "my wish, since it is come to
+your majesty's knowledge, was expressed only in the way of conversation
+and amusement. I am unworthy of the honour you do me, and supplicate
+your pardon for my presumption." The other two sisters would have
+excused themselves also, but the emperor, interrupting them, said, "No,
+no; it shall be as I have declared; the wishes of all shall be
+fulfilled." The nuptials were all celebrated that day, as the emperor
+had resolved, but in a different manner. The youngest sister's were
+solemnized with all the rejoicings usual at the marriages of the
+emperors of Persia; and those of the other two sisters according to the
+quality and distinction of their husbands; the one as the sultan's chief
+baker, and the other as head cook.</p>
+
+<p>The two elder felt strongly the disproportion of their marriages to that
+of their younger sister. This consideration made them far from being
+content, though they were arrived at the utmost height of their late
+wishes, and much beyond their hopes. They gave themselves up to an
+excess of jealousy, which not only disturbed their joy, but was the
+cause of great trouble and affliction to the queen-consort, their
+younger sister. They had not an opportunity to communicate their
+thoughts to each other on the preference the emperor had given her, but
+were altogether employed in preparing themselves for the celebration of
+their marriages. Some days afterward, when they had an opportunity of
+seeing each other at the public baths, the eldest said to the other:
+"Well, what say you to our sister's great fortune? Is not she a fine
+person to be a queen!" "I must own," said the other sister, "I cannot
+conceive what charms the emperor could discover to be so bewitched by
+her. Was it a reason sufficient for him not to cast his eyes on you,
+because she was somewhat younger? You were as worthy of his throne, and
+in justice he ought to have preferred you."</p>
+
+<p>"Sister," said the elder, "I should not have regretted if his majesty
+had but pitched upon you; but that he should choose that little
+simpleton really grieves me. But I will revenge myself; and you, I
+think, are as much concerned as I; therefore, I propose that we should
+contrive measures and act in concert: communicate to me what you think
+the likeliest way to mortify her, while I, on my side, will inform you
+what my desire of revenge shall suggest to me." After this wicked
+agreement, the two sisters saw each other frequently, and consulted how
+they might disturb and interrupt the happiness of the queen. They
+proposed a great many ways, but in deliberating about the manner of
+executing them, found so many difficulties that they durst not attempt
+them. In the meantime, with a detestable dissimulation, they often went
+together to make her visits, and every time showed her all the marks of
+affection they could devise, to persuade her how overjoyed they were to
+have a sister raised to so high a fortune. The queen, on her part,
+constantly received them with all the demonstrations of esteem they
+could expect from so near a relative. Some time after her marriage, the
+expected birth of an heir gave great joy to the queen and emperor, which
+was communicated to all the court, and spread throughout the empire.
+Upon this news the two sisters came to pay their compliments, and
+proffered their services, desiring her, if not provided with nurses, to
+accept of them.</p>
+
+<p>The queen said to them most obligingly: "Sisters, I should desire
+nothing more, if it were in my power to make the choice. I am, however,
+obliged to you for your goodwill, but must submit to what the emperor
+shall order on this occasion. Let your husbands employ their friends to
+make interest, and get some courtier to ask this favour of his majesty,
+and if he speaks to me about it, be assured that I shall not only
+express the pleasure he does me but thank him for making choice of you."</p>
+
+<p>The two husbands applied themselves to some courtiers, their patrons,
+and begged of them to use their interest to procure their wives the
+honour they aspired to. Those patrons exerted themselves so much in
+their behalf that the emperor promised them to consider of the matter,
+and was as good as his word; for in conversation with the queen he told
+her that he thought her sisters were the most proper persons to be about
+her, but would not name them before he had asked her consent. The queen,
+sensible of the deference the emperor so obligingly paid her, said to
+him, "Sir, I was prepared to do as your majesty might please to command.
+But since you have been so kind as to think of my sisters, I thank you
+for the regard you have shown them for my sake, and therefore I shall
+not dissemble that I had rather have them than strangers." The emperor
+therefore named the queen's two sisters to be her attendants; and from
+that time they went frequently to the palace, overjoyed at the
+opportunity they would have of executing the detestable wickedness they
+had meditated against the queen.</p>
+
+<p>Shortly afterward a young prince, as bright as the day, was born to the
+queen; but neither his innocence nor beauty could move the cruel hearts
+of the merciless sisters. They wrapped him up carelessly in his cloths
+and put him into a basket, which they abandoned to the stream of a small
+canal that ran under the queen's apartment, and declared that she had
+given birth to a puppy. This dreadful intelligence was announced to the
+emperor, who became so angry at the circumstance, that he was likely to
+have occasioned the queen's death, if his grand vizier had not
+represented to him that he could not, without injustice, make her
+answerable for the misfortune.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, the basket in which the little prince was exposed was
+carried by the stream beyond a wall which bounded the prospect of the
+queen's apartment, and from thence floated with the current down the
+gardens. By chance the intendant of the emperor's gardens, one of the
+principal officers of the kingdom, was walking in the garden by the side
+of this canal, and, perceiving a basket floating, called to a gardener
+who was not far off, to bring it to shore that he might see what it
+contained. The gardener, with a rake which he had in his hand, drew the
+basket to the side of the canal, took it up, and gave it to him. The
+intendant of the gardens was extremely surprised to see in the basket a
+child, which, though he knew it could be but just born, had very fine
+features. This officer had been married several years, but though he had
+always been desirous of having children, Heaven had never blessed him
+with any. This accident interrupted his walk: he made the gardener
+follow him with the child, and when he came to his own house, which was
+situated at the entrance to the gardens of the palace, went into his
+wife's apartment. "Wife," said he, "as we have no children of our own,
+God has sent us one. I recommend him to you; provide him a nurse, and
+take as much care of him as if he were our own son; for, from this
+moment, I acknowledge him as such." The intendant's wife received the
+child with great joy, and took particular pleasure in the care of him.
+The intendant himself would not inquire too narrowly whence the infant
+came. He saw plainly it came not far off from the queen's apartment, but
+it was not his business to examine too closely into what had passed, nor
+to create disturbances in a place where peace was so necessary.</p>
+
+<p>The following year another prince was born, on whom the unnatural
+sisters had no more compassion than on his brother, but exposed him
+likewise in a basket and set him adrift in the canal, pretending, this
+time, that the sultana had given birth to a cat. It was happy also for
+this child that the intendant of the gardens was walking by the canal
+side, for he had it carried to his wife, and charged her to take as much
+care of it as of the former, which was as agreeable to her inclination
+as it was to his own.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor of Persia was more enraged this time against the queen than
+before, and she had felt the effects of his anger if the grand vizier's
+remonstrances had not prevailed. The third year the queen gave birth to
+a princess, which innocent babe underwent the same fate as her brothers,
+for the two sisters, being determined not to desist from their
+detestable schemes till they had seen the queen cast off and humbled,
+claimed that a log of wood had been born and exposed this infant also on
+the canal. But the princess, as well as her brothers, was preserved from
+death by the compassion and charity of the intendant of the gardens.</p>
+
+<p>Kosrouschah could no longer contain himself, when he was informed of the
+new misfortune. He pronounced sentence of death upon the wretched queen
+and ordered the grand vizier to see it executed.</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier and the courtiers who were present cast themselves at
+the emperor's feet, to beg of him to revoke the sentence. "Your majesty,
+I hope, will give me leave," said the grand vizier, "to represent to
+you, that the laws which condemn persons to death were made to punish
+crimes; the three extraordinary misfortunes of the queen are not crimes,
+for in what can she be said to have contributed toward them? Your
+majesty may abstain from seeing her, but let her live. The affliction in
+which she will spend the rest of her life, after the loss of your
+favour, will be a punishment sufficiently distressing."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor of Persia considered with himself, and, reflecting that it
+was unjust to condemn the queen to death for what had happened, said:
+"Let her live then; I will spare her life, but it shall be on this
+condition: that she shall desire to die more than once every day. Let a
+wooden shed be built for her at the gate of the principal mosque, with
+iron bars to the windows, and let her be put into it, in the coarsest
+habit; and every Mussulman that shall go into the mosque to prayers
+shall heap scorn upon her. If any one fail, I will have him exposed to
+the same punishment; and that I may be punctually obeyed, I charge you,
+vizier, to appoint persons to see this done." The emperor pronounced his
+sentence in such a tone that the grand vizier durst not further
+remonstrate; and it was executed, to the great satisfaction of the two
+envious sisters. A shed was built, and the queen, truly worthy of
+compassion, was put into it and exposed ignominiously to the contempt of
+the people, which usage she bore with a patient resignation that excited
+the compassion of those who were discriminating and judged of things
+better than the vulgar.</p>
+
+<p>The two princes and the princess were, in the meantime, nursed and
+brought up by the intendant of the gardens and his wife with the
+tenderness of a father and mother; and as they advanced in age, they all
+showed marks of superior dignity, which discovered itself every day by a
+certain air which could only belong to exalted birth. All this increased
+the affections of the intendant and his wife, who called the eldest
+prince Bahman, and the second Perviz, both of them names of the most
+ancient emperors of Persia, and the princess, Periezade, which name also
+had been borne by several queens and princesses of the kingdom.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the two princes were old enough, the intendant provided
+proper masters to teach them to read and write; and the princess, their
+sister, who was often with them, showing a great desire to learn, the
+intendant, pleased with her quickness, employed the same master to teach
+her also. Her vivacity and piercing wit made her, in a little time, as
+great a proficient as her brothers. From that time the brothers and
+sister had the same masters in geography, poetry, history, and even the
+secret sciences, and made so wonderful a progress that their tutors were
+amazed, and frankly owned that they could teach them nothing more. At
+the hours of recreation, the princess learned to sing and play upon all
+sorts of instruments; and when the princes were learning to ride she
+would not permit them to have that advantage over her, but went through
+all the exercises with them, learning to ride also, to bend the bow, and
+dart the reed or javelin, and oftentimes outdid them in the race and
+other contests of agility.</p>
+
+<p>The intendant of the gardens was so overjoyed to find his adopted
+children so accomplished in all the perfections of body and mind, and
+that they so well requited the expense he had been at in their
+education, that he resolved to be at a still greater; for, as he had
+until then been content simply with his lodge at the entrance of the
+garden, and kept no country-house, he purchased a mansion at a short
+distance from the city, surrounded by a large tract of arable land,
+meadows, and woods. As the house was not sufficiently handsome nor
+convenient, he pulled it down, and spared no expense in building a more
+magnificent residence. He went every day to hasten, by his presence, the
+great number of workmen he employed, and as soon as there was an
+apartment ready to receive him, passed several days together there when
+his presence was not necessary at court; and by the same exertions, the
+interior was furnished in the richest manner, in consonance with the
+magnificence of the edifice. Afterward he made gardens, according to a
+plan drawn by himself. He took in a large extent of ground, which he
+walled around, and stocked with fallow deer, that the princes and
+princess might divert themselves with hunting when they chose.</p>
+
+<p>When this country seat was finished and fit for habitation, the
+intendant of the gardens went and cast himself at the emperor's feet,
+and, after representing how long he had served, and the infirmities of
+age which he found growing upon him, begged that he might be permitted
+to resign his charge into his majesty's disposal and retire. The emperor
+gave him leave, with the more pleasure, because he was satisfied with
+his long services, both in his father's reign and his own, and when he
+granted it, asked what he should do to recompense him. "Sir," replied
+the intendant of the gardens, "I have received so many obligations from
+your majesty and the late emperor, your father, of happy memory, that I
+desire no more than the honour of dying in your favour." He took his
+leave of the emperor and retired with the two princes and the princess
+to the country retreat he had built. His wife had been dead some years,
+and he himself had not lived above six months with his charges before he
+was surprised by so sudden a death that he had not time to give them the
+least account of the manner in which he had discovered them. The Princes
+Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Periezade, who knew no other father
+than the intendant of the emperor's gardens, regretted and bewailed him
+as such, and paid all the honours in his funeral obsequies which love
+and filial gratitude required of them. Satisfied with the plentiful
+fortune he had left them, they lived together in perfect union, free
+from the ambition of distinguishing themselves at court, or aspiring to
+places of honour and dignity, which they might easily have obtained.</p>
+
+<p>One day when the two princes were hunting, and the princess had remained
+at home, a religious old woman came to the gate, and desired leave to go
+in to say her prayers, it being then the hour. The servants asked the
+princess's permission, who ordered them to show her into the oratory,
+which the intendant of the emperor's gardens had taken care to fit up in
+his house, for want of a mosque in the neighbourhood. She bade them,
+also, after the good woman had finished her prayers, to show her the
+house and gardens and then bring her to the hall.</p>
+
+<p>The old woman went into the oratory, said her prayers, and when she came
+out two of the princess's women invited her to see the residence, which
+civility she accepted, followed them from one apartment to another, and
+observed, like a person who understood what belonged to furniture, the
+nice arrangement of everything. They conducted her also into the garden,
+the disposition of which she found so well planned, that she admired it,
+observing that the person who had formed it must have been an excellent
+master of his art. Afterward she was brought before the princess, who
+waited for her in the great hall, which in beauty and richness exceeded
+all that she had admired in the other apartments.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the princess saw the devout woman, she said to her: "My good
+mother, come near and sit down by me. I am overjoyed at the happiness of
+having the opportunity of profiting for some moments by the example and
+conversation of such a person as you, who have taken the right way by
+dedicating yourself to the service of God. I wish every one were as
+wise."</p>
+
+<p>The devout woman, instead of sitting on a sofa, would only sit upon the
+edge of one. The princess would not permit her to do so, but rising from
+her seat and taking her by the hand, obliged her to come and sit by her.
+The good woman, sensible of the civility, said: "Madam, I ought not to
+have so much respect shown me; but since you command, and are mistress
+of your own house, I will obey you." When she had seated herself, before
+they entered into any conversation, one of the princess's women brought
+a low stand of mother-of-pearl and ebony, with a china dish full of
+cakes upon it, and many others set round it full of fruits in season,
+and wet and dry sweetmeats.</p>
+
+<p>The princess took up one of the cakes, and presenting her with it, said:
+"Eat, good mother, and make choice of what you like best; you had need
+to eat after coming so far." "Madam," replied the good woman, "I am not
+used to eat such delicacies, but will not refuse what God has sent me by
+so liberal a hand as yours."</p>
+
+<p>While the devout woman was eating, the princess ate a little too, to
+bear her company, and asked her many questions upon the exercise of
+devotion which she practised and how she lived; all of which she
+answered with great modesty. Talking of various things, at last the
+princess asked her what she thought of the house, and how she liked it.</p>
+
+<p>"Madam," answered the devout woman, "I must certainly have very bad
+taste to disapprove anything in it, since it is beautiful, regular, and
+magnificently furnished with exactness and judgment, and all its
+ornaments adjusted in the best manner. Its situation is an agreeable
+spot, and no garden can be more delightful; but yet, if you will give me
+leave to speak my mind freely, I will take the liberty to tell you that
+this house would be incomparable if it had three things which are
+wanting to complete it." "My good mother," replied the Princess
+Periezade, "what are those? I entreat you to tell me what they are; I
+will spare nothing to get them."</p>
+
+<p>"Madam," replied the devout woman, "the first of these three things is
+the Talking Bird, so singular a creature, that it draws round it all the
+songsters of the neighbourhood which come to accompany its voice. The
+second is the Singing Tree, the leaves of which are so many mouths which
+form an harmonious concert of different voices and never cease. The
+third is the Golden Water, a single drop of which being poured into a
+vessel properly prepared, it increases so as to fill it immediately, and
+rises up in the middle like a fountain, which continually plays, and yet
+the basin never overflows."</p>
+
+<p>"Ah! my good mother," cried the princess, "how much am I obliged to you
+for the knowledge of these curiosities! I never before heard there were
+such rarities in the world; but as I am persuaded that you know, I
+expect that you should do me the favour to inform me where they are to
+be found."</p>
+
+<p>"Madam," replied the good woman, "I should be unworthy the hospitality
+you have shown me if I should refuse to satisfy your curiosity on that
+point, and am glad to have the honour to tell you that these curiosities
+are all to be met with in the same spot on the confines of this kingdom,
+toward India. The road lies before your house, and whoever you send
+needs but follow it for twenty days, and on the twentieth only let him
+ask the first person he meets where the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree,
+and the Golden Water are, and he will be informed." After saying this,
+she rose from her seat, took her leave, and went her way.</p>
+
+<p>The Princess Periezade's thoughts were so taken up with the Talking
+Bird, Singing Tree, and Golden Water, that she never perceived the
+devout woman's departure, till she wanted to ask her some question for
+her better information; for she thought that what she had been told was
+not a sufficient reason for exposing herself by undertaking a long
+journey. However, she would not send after her visitor, but endeavoured
+to remember all the directions, and when she thought she had recollected
+every word, took real pleasure in thinking of the satisfaction she
+should have if she could get these curiosities into her possession; but
+the difficulties she apprehended and the fear of not succeeding made her
+very uneasy.</p>
+
+<p>She was absorbed in these thoughts when her brothers returned from
+hunting, who, when they entered the great hall, instead of finding her
+lively and gay, as she was wont to be, were amazed to see her so pensive
+and hanging down her head as if something troubled her.</p>
+
+<p>"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "what is become of all your mirth and
+gaiety? Are you not well? or has some misfortune befallen you? Tell us,
+that we may know how to act, and give you some relief. If any one has
+affronted you, we will resent his insolence."</p>
+
+<p>The princess remained in the same posture some time without answering,
+but at last lifted up her eyes to look at her brothers, and then held
+them down again, telling them nothing disturbed her.</p>
+
+<p>"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "you conceal the truth from us; there must
+be something of consequence. It is impossible we could observe so sudden
+a change if nothing was the matter with you. You would not have us
+satisfied with the evasive answer you have given; do not conceal
+anything, unless you would have us suspect that you renounce the strict
+union which has hitherto subsisted between us."</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who had not the smallest intention to offend her brothers,
+would not suffer them to entertain such a thought, but said: "When I
+told you nothing disturbed me, I meant nothing that was of importance to
+you, but to me it is of some consequence; and since you press me to tell
+you by our strict union and friendship, which are so dear to me, I will.
+You think, and I always believed so too, that this house was so complete
+that nothing was wanting. But this day I have learned that it lacks
+three rarities which would render it so perfect that no country seat in
+the world could be compared with it. These three things are the Talking
+Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water." After she had informed
+them wherein consisted the excellency of these rarities, "A devout
+woman," added she, "has made this discovery to me, told me the place
+where they are to be found, and the way thither. Perhaps you may imagine
+these things of little consequence; that without these additions our
+house will always be thought sufficiently elegant, and that we can do
+without them. You may think as you please, but I cannot help telling you
+that I am persuaded they are absolutely necessary, and I shall not be
+easy without them. Therefore, whether you value them or not, I desire
+you to consider what person you may think proper for me to send in
+search of the curiosities I have mentioned."</p>
+
+<p>"Sister," replied Prince Bahman, "nothing can concern you in which we
+have not an equal interest. It is enough that you desire these things to
+oblige us to take the same interest; but if you had not, we feel
+ourselves inclined of our own accord and for our own individual
+satisfaction. I am persuaded my brother is of the same opinion, and
+therefore we ought to undertake this conquest, for the importance and
+singularity of the undertaking deserve that name. I will take the charge
+upon myself; only tell me the place and the way to it, and I will defer
+my journey no longer than till to-morrow."</p>
+
+<p>"Brother," said Prince Perviz, "it is not proper that you, who are the
+head of our family, should be absent. I desire my sister should join
+with me to oblige you to abandon your design, and allow me to undertake
+it. I hope to acquit myself as well as you, and it will be a more
+regular proceeding." "I am persuaded of your goodwill, brother," replied
+Prince Bahman, "and that you would succeed as well as myself in this
+journey; but I have resolved and will undertake it. You shall stay at
+home with our sister, and I need not recommend her to you."</p>
+
+<p>The next morning Bahman mounted his horse, and Perviz and the princess
+embraced and wished him a good journey. But in the midst of their
+adieus, the princess recollected what she had not thought of before.
+"Brother," said she, "I had quite forgotten the accidents which attend
+travellers. Who knows whether I shall ever see you again? Alight, I
+beseech you, and give up this journey. I would rather be deprived of the
+sight and possession of the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water, than run the risk of never seeing you more."</p>
+
+<p>"Sister," replied Bahman, smiling at her sudden fears, "my resolution is
+fixed. The accidents you speak of befall only those who are unfortunate;
+but there are more who are not so. However, as events are uncertain, and
+I may fail in this undertaking, all I can do is to leave you this
+knife."</p>
+
+<p>Bahman pulling a knife from his vestband, and presenting it to the
+princess in the sheath, said: "Take this knife, sister, and give
+yourself the trouble sometimes to pull it out of the sheath; while you
+see it clean as it is now, it will be a sign that I am alive; but if you
+find it stained with blood, then you may believe me dead and indulge me
+with your prayers."</p>
+
+<p>The princess could obtain nothing more of Bahman. He bade adieu to her
+and Prince Perviz for the last time and rode away. When he got into the
+road, he never turned to the right hand nor to the left, but went
+directly forward toward India. The twentieth day he perceived on the
+roadside a hideous old man, who sat under a tree near a thatched house,
+which was his retreat from the weather.</p>
+
+<p>His eyebrows were as white as snow, as was also the hair of his head;
+his whiskers covered his mouth, and his beard and hair reached down to
+his feet. The nails of his hands and feet were grown to an extensive
+length, while a flat, broad umbrella covered his head. He had no
+clothes, but only a mat thrown round his body. This old man was a
+dervish for so many years retired from the world to give himself up
+entirely to the service of God that at last he had become what we have
+described.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Bahman, who had been all that morning very attentive, to see if
+he could meet with anybody who could give him information of the place
+he was in search of, stopped when he came near the dervish, alighted, in
+conformity to the directions which the devout woman had given the
+Princess Periezade, and leading his horse by the bridle, advanced toward
+him and saluting him, said: "God prolong your days, good father, and
+grant you the accomplishment of your desires."</p>
+
+<p>The dervish returned the prince's salutation, but so unintelligibly that
+he could not understand one word he said and Prince Bahman, perceiving
+that this difficulty proceeded from the dervish's whiskers hanging over
+his mouth, and unwilling to go any further without the instructions he
+wanted, pulled out a pair of scissors he had about him, and having tied
+his horse to a branch of the tree, said: "Good dervish, I want to have
+some talk with you, but your whiskers prevent my understanding what you
+say; and if you will consent, I will cut off some part of them and of
+your eyebrows, which disfigure you so much that you look more like a
+bear than a man."</p>
+
+<p>The dervish did not oppose the offer, and when the prince had cut off as
+much hair as he thought fit, he perceived that the dervish had a good
+complexion, and that he was not as old as he seemed. "Good dervish,"
+said he, "if I had a glass I would show you how young you look: you are
+now a man, but before, nobody could tell what you were."</p>
+
+<p>The kind behaviour of Prince Bahman made the dervish smile and return
+his compliment. "Sir," said he, "whoever you are, I am obliged by the
+good office you have performed, and am ready to show my gratitude by
+doing anything in my power for you. You must have alighted here upon
+some account or other. Tell me what it is, and I will endeavour to serve
+you."</p>
+
+<p>"Good dervish," replied Prince Bahman, "I am in search of the Talking
+Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water; I know these three
+rarities are not far from hence, but cannot tell exactly the place where
+they are to be found; if you know, I conjure you to show me the way,
+that I may not lose my labour after so long a journey."</p>
+
+<p>The prince, while he spoke, observed that the dervish changed
+countenance, held down his eyes, looked very serious, and remained
+silent, which obliged him to say to him again: "Good father, tell me
+whether you know what I ask you, that I may not lose my time, but inform
+myself somewhere else."</p>
+
+<p>At last the dervish broke silence. "Sir," said he to Prince Bahman, "I
+know the way you ask of me; but the regard which I conceived for you the
+first moment I saw you, and which is grown stronger by the service you
+have done me, kept me in suspense as to whether I should give you the
+satisfaction you desire." "What motive can hinder you?" replied the
+prince; "and what difficulties do you find in so doing?" "I will tell
+you," replied the dervish; "the danger to which you are going to expose
+yourself is greater than you may suppose. A number of gentlemen of as
+much bravery as you can possibly possess have passed this way, and asked
+me the same question. When I had used all my endeavours to persuade them
+to desist, they would not believe me; at last I yielded to their
+importunities; I was compelled to show them the way, and I can assure
+you they have all perished, for I have not seen one come back.
+Therefore, if you have any regard for your life, take my advice, go no
+farther, but return home."</p>
+
+<p>Prince Bahman persisted in his resolution. "I will not suppose," said he
+to the dervish, "but that your advice is sincere. I am obliged to you
+for the friendship you express for me; but whatever may be the danger,
+nothing shall make me change my intention: whoever attacks me, I am well
+armed, and can say I am as brave as any one." "But they who will attack
+you are not to be seen," replied the dervish; "how will you defend
+yourself against invisible persons?" "It is no matter," answered the
+prince, "all you say shall not persuade me to do anything contrary to my
+duty. Since you know the way, I conjure you once more to inform me."</p>
+
+<p>When the dervish found he could not prevail upon Prince Bahman, and that
+he was obstinately bent to pursue his journey, notwithstanding his
+friendly remonstrance, he put his hand into a bag that lay by him and
+pulled out a bowl, which he presented to him. "Since I cannot prevail on
+you to attend to my advice," said he, "take this bowl and when you are
+on horseback throw it before you, and follow it to the foot of a
+mountain, where it will stop. As soon as the bowl stops, alight, leave
+your horse with the bridle over his neck, and he will stand in the same
+place till you return. As you ascend you will see on your right and
+left a great number of large black stones, and will hear on all sides a
+confusion of voices, which will utter a thousand abuses to discourage
+you, and prevent your reaching the summit of the mountain. Be not
+afraid; but, above all things, do not turn your head to look behind you,
+for in that instant you will be changed into such a black stone as those
+you see, which are all youths who have failed in this enterprise. If you
+escape the danger of which I give you but a faint idea, and get to the
+top of the mountain, you will see a cage, and in that cage is the bird
+you seek; ask him which are the Singing Tree and the Golden Water, and
+he will tell you. I have nothing more to say; this is what you have to
+do, and if you are prudent you will take my advice and not expose your
+life. Consider once more while you have time that the difficulties are
+almost insuperable."</p>
+
+<p>"I am obliged to you for your advice," replied Prince Bahman, after he
+had received the bowl, "but cannot follow it. However, I will endeavour
+to conform myself to that part of it which bids me not to look behind
+me, and I hope to come and thank you when I have obtained what I am
+seeking." After these words, to which the dervish made no other answer
+than that he should be overjoyed to see him again, the prince mounted
+his horse, took leave of the dervish with a respectful salute, and threw
+the bowl before him.</p>
+
+<p>The bowl rolled away with as much swiftness as when Prince Bahman first
+hurled it from his hand, which obliged him to put his horse to the same
+pace to avoid losing sight of it, and when it had reached the foot of
+the mountain it stopped. The prince alighted from his horse, laid the
+bridle on his neck, and having first surveyed the mountain and seen the
+black stones, began to ascend, but had not gone four steps before he
+heard the voices mentioned by the dervish, though he could see nobody.
+Some said: "Where is that fool going? Where is he going? What would he
+have? Do not let him pass." Others: "Stop him, catch him, kill him:" and
+others with a voice like thunder: "Thief! assassin! murderer!" while
+some in a gibing tone cried: "No, no, do not hurt him; let the pretty
+fellow pass, the cage and bird are kept for him."</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding all these troublesome voices, Prince Bahman ascended
+with resolution for some time, but the voices redoubled with so loud a
+din, both behind and before, that at last he was seized with dread, his
+legs trembled under him, he staggered, and finding that his strength
+failed him, he forgot the dervish's advice, turned about to run down the
+hill, and was that instant changed into a black stone; a metamorphosis
+which had happened to many before him who had attempted the ascent. His
+horse, likewise, underwent the same change.</p>
+
+<p>From the time of Prince Bahman's departure, the Princess Periezade
+always wore the knife and sheath in her girdle, and pulled it out
+several times in a day, to know whether her brother was alive. She had
+the consolation to understand he was in perfect health and to talk of
+him frequently with Prince Perviz. On the fatal day that Prince Bahman
+was transformed into a stone, as Prince Perviz and the princess were
+talking together in the evening, as usual, the prince desired his sister
+to pull out the knife to know how their brother did. The princess
+readily complied, and seeing the blood run down the point was seized
+with so much horror that she threw it down. "Ah! my dear brother," cried
+she, "I have been the cause of your death, and shall never see you more!
+Why did I tell you of the Talking Bird, Singing Tree, and Golden Water;
+or rather, of what importance was it to me to know whether the devout
+woman thought this house ugly or handsome, or complete or not? I wish
+to Heaven she had never addressed herself to me!"</p>
+
+<p>Prince Perviz was as much afflicted at the death of Prince Bahman as the
+princess, but not to waste time in needless regret, as he knew that she
+still passionately desired possession of the marvellous treasures, he
+interrupted her, saying: "Sister, our regret for our brother is vain;
+our lamentations cannot restore him to life; it is the will of God; we
+must submit and adore the decrees of the Almighty without searching into
+them. Why should you now doubt of the truth of what the holy woman told
+you? Do you think she spoke to you of three things that were not in
+being, and that she invented them to deceive you who had received her
+with so much goodness and civility? Let us rather believe that our
+brother's death is owing to some error on his part, or some accident
+which we cannot conceive. It ought not therefore to prevent us from
+pursuing our object. I offered to go this journey, and am now more
+resolved than ever; his example has no effect upon my resolution;
+to-morrow I will depart."</p>
+
+<p>The princess did all she could to dissuade Prince Perviz, conjuring him
+not to expose her to the danger of losing two brothers; but he was
+obstinate, and all the remonstrances she could urge had no effect upon
+him. Before he went, that she might know what success he had, he left
+her a string of a hundred pearls, telling her that if they would not run
+when she should count them upon the string, but remain fixed, that would
+be a certain sign he had undergone the same fate as his brother; but at
+the same time told her he hoped it would never happen, but that he
+should have the delight of seeing her again.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Perviz, on the twentieth day after his departure, met the same
+dervish in the same place as his brother Bahman had done before him. He
+went directly up to him, and after he had saluted, asked him if he
+could tell him where to find the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water. The dervish urged the same remonstrances as he had done to
+Prince Bahman, telling him that a young gentleman, who very much
+resembled him, was with him a short time before; that, overcome by his
+importunity, he had shown him the way, given him a guide, and told him
+how he should act to succeed, but that he had not seen him since, and
+doubted not but he had shared the same fate as all other adventurers.</p>
+
+<p>"Good dervish," answered Prince Perviz, "I know whom you speak of; he
+was my elder brother, and I am informed of the certainty of his death,
+but know not the cause." "I can tell you," replied the dervish; "he was
+changed into a black stone, as all I speak of have been; and you must
+expect the same transformation, unless you observe more exactly than he
+has done the advice I gave him, in case you persist in your resolution,
+which I once more entreat you to renounce."</p>
+
+<p>"Dervish," said Prince Perviz, "I cannot sufficiently express how much I
+am obliged for the concern you take in my life, who am a stranger to
+you, and have done nothing to deserve your kindness; but I thoroughly
+considered this enterprise before I undertook it; therefore I beg of you
+to do me the same favour you have done my brother. Perhaps I may have
+better success in following your directions." "Since I cannot prevail
+with you," said the dervish, "to give up your obstinate resolution, if
+my age did not prevent me, and I could stand, I would get up to reach
+you a bowl I have here, which will show you the way."</p>
+
+<p>Without giving the dervish time to say more, the prince alighted from
+his horse and went to the dervish, who had taken a bowl out of his bag,
+in which he had a great many, and gave it him, with the same directions
+he had given Prince Bahman; and after warning him not to be discouraged
+by the voices he should hear, however threatening they might be, but to
+continue his way up the hill till he saw the cage and bird, he let him
+depart.</p>
+
+<p>Prince Perviz thanked the dervish, and when he had remounted and taken
+leave, threw the bowl before his horse, and spurring him at the same
+time, followed it. When the bowl came to the bottom of the hill it
+stopped, the prince alighted, and stood some time to recollect the
+dervish's directions. He encouraged himself, and began to walk up with a
+resolution to reach the summit; but before he had gone above six steps,
+he heard a voice, which seemed to be near, as of a man behind him, say
+in an insulting tone: "Stay, rash youth, that I may punish you for your
+presumption."</p>
+
+<p>Upon this affront the prince, forgetting the dervish's advice, clapped
+his hand upon his sword, drew it, and turned about to revenge himself;
+but had scarcely time to see that nobody followed him before he and his
+horse were changed into black stones.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime the Princess Periezade, several times a day after her
+brother's departure, counted her chaplet. She did not omit it at night,
+but when she went to bed put it about her neck, and in the morning when
+she awoke counted over the pearls again to see if they would slide.</p>
+
+<p>The day that Prince Perviz was transformed into a stone she was counting
+over the pearls as she used to do, when all at once they became
+immovably fixed, a certain token that the prince, her brother, was dead.
+As she had determined what to do in case it should so happen, she lost
+no time in outward demonstrations of grief, which she concealed as much
+as possible, but having disguised herself in man's apparel, she mounted
+her horse the next morning, armed and equipped, having told her servants
+she should return in two or three days, and took the same road that her
+brothers had done.</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who had been used to ride on horseback in hunting,
+supported the fatigue of so long a journey better than most ladies could
+have done; and as she made the same stages as her brothers, she also met
+with the dervish on the twentieth day. When she came near him, she
+alighted from her horse, leading him by the bridle, went and sat down by
+the dervish, and after she had saluted him, said: "Good dervish, give me
+leave to rest myself; and do me the favour to tell me if you have not
+heard that there are somewhere in this neighbourhood a Talking Bird, a
+Singing Tree, and Golden Water."</p>
+
+<p>"Princess," answered the dervish, "for so I must call you, since by your
+voice I know you to be a woman disguised in man's apparel, I know the
+place well where these things are to be found; but what makes you ask me
+this question?"</p>
+
+<p>"Good dervish," replied the princess, "I have had such a flattering
+relation of them given me, that I have a great desire to possess them."
+"Madam," replied the dervish, "you have been told the truth. These
+curiosities are more singular than they have been represented, but you
+have not been made acquainted with the difficulties which must be
+surmounted in order to obtain them. If you had been fully informed of
+these, you would not have undertaken so dangerous an enterprise. Take my
+advice, return, and do not urge me to contribute toward your ruin."</p>
+
+<p>"Good father," said the princess, "I have travelled a great way, and
+should be sorry to return without executing my design. You talk of
+difficulties and danger of life, but you do not tell me what those
+difficulties are, and wherein the danger consists. This is what I desire
+to know, that I may consider and judge whether I can trust my courage
+and strength to brave them."</p>
+
+<p>The dervish repeated to the princess what he had said to the Princes
+Bahman and Perviz, exaggerating the difficulties of climbing up to the
+top of the mountain, where she was to make herself mistress of the Bird,
+which would inform her of the Singing Tree and Golden Water. He
+magnified the din of the terrible threatening voices which she would
+hear on all sides of her, and the great number of black stones alone
+sufficient to strike terror. He entreated her to reflect that those
+stones were so many brave gentlemen, so metamorphosed for having omitted
+to observe the principal condition of success in the perilous
+undertaking, which was not to look behind them before they had got
+possession of the cage.</p>
+
+<p>When the dervish had done, the princess replied: "By what I comprehend
+from your discourse, the difficulties of succeeding in this affair are,
+first, the getting up to the cage without being frightened at the
+terrible din of voices I shall hear; and, secondly, not to look behind
+me. For this last, I hope I shall be mistress enough of myself to
+observe it; as to the first, I own that voices, such as you represent
+them to be, are capable of striking terror into the most undaunted; but
+as in all enterprises and dangers every one may use stratagem, I desire
+to know of you if I may use any in one of so great importance." "And
+what stratagem is it you would employ?" said the dervish. "To stop my
+ears with cotton," answered the princess, "that the voices, however
+terrible, may make the less impression upon my imagination, and my mind
+remain free from that disturbance which might cause me to lose the use
+of my reason."</p>
+
+<p>"Princess," replied the dervish, "of all the persons who have addressed
+themselves to me for information, I do not know that ever one made use
+of the contrivance you propose. All I know is that they all perished. If
+you persist in your design, you may make the experiment. You will be
+fortunate if it succeeds, but I would advise you not to expose yourself
+to the danger."</p>
+
+<p>"My good father," replied the princess, "I am sure my precaution will
+succeed, and am resolved to try the experiment. Nothing remains for me
+but to know which way I must go, and I conjure you not to deny me that
+information." The dervish exhorted her again to consider well what she
+was going to do; but finding her resolute, he took out a bowl, and
+presenting it to her, said: "Take this bowl, mount your horse again, and
+when you have thrown it before you, follow it through all its windings,
+till it stops at the bottom of the mountain; there alight and ascend the
+hill. Go, you know the rest."</p>
+
+<p>After the princess had thanked the dervish, and taken her leave of him,
+she mounted her horse, threw the bowl before her, and followed it till
+it stopped at the foot of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>She then alighted, stopped her ears with cotton, and after she had well
+examined the path leading to the summit began with a moderate pace and
+walked up with intrepidity. She heard the voices and perceived the great
+service the cotton was to her. The higher she went, the louder and more
+numerous the voices seemed, but they were not capable of making any
+impression upon her. She heard a great many affronting speeches and
+raillery very disagreeable to a woman, which she only laughed at. "I
+mind not," said she to herself, "all that can be said, were it worse; I
+only laugh at them and shall pursue my way." At last, she climbed so
+high that she could perceive the cage and the Bird which endeavoured, in
+company with the voices, to frighten her, crying in a thundering tone,
+notwithstanding the smallness of its size: "Retire, fool, and approach
+no nearer."</p>
+
+<p>The princess, encouraged by this sight, redoubled her speed, and by
+effort gained the summit of the mountain, where the ground was level;
+then running directly to the cage and clapping her hand upon it, cried:
+"Bird, I have you, and you shall not escape me."</p>
+
+<p>While Periezade was pulling the cotton out of her ears the Bird said to
+her: "Heroic princess, be not angry with me for joining with those who
+exerted themselves to preserve my liberty. Though in a cage, I was
+content with my condition; but since I am destined to be a slave, I
+would rather be yours than any other person's, since you have obtained
+me so courageously. From this instant, I swear entire submission to all
+your commands. I know who you are. You do not; but the time will come
+when I shall do you essential service, for which I hope you will think
+yourself obliged to me. As a proof of my sincerity, tell me what you
+desire and I am ready to obey you."</p>
+
+<p>The princess's joy was the more inexpressible, because the conquest she
+had made had cost her the lives of two beloved brothers, and given her
+more trouble and danger than she could have imagined. "Bird," said she,
+"it was my intention to have told you that I wish for many things which
+are of importance, but I am overjoyed that you have shown your goodwill
+and prevented me. I have been told that there is not far off a Golden
+Water, the property of which is very wonderful; before all things, I ask
+you to tell me where it is." The Bird showed her the place, which was
+just by, and she went and filled a little silver flagon which she had
+brought with her. She returned at once and said: "Bird, this is not
+enough; I want also the Singing Tree; tell me where it is." "Turn
+about," said the Bird, "and you will see behind you a wood where you
+will find the tree." The princess went into the wood, and by the
+harmonious concert she heard, soon knew the tree among many others, but
+it was very large and high. She came back again and said: "Bird, I have
+found the Singing Tree, but I can neither pull it up by the roots nor
+carry it." The Bird replied: "It is not necessary that you should take
+it up; it will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to plant
+in your garden; it will take root as soon as it is put into the earth,
+and in a little time will grow to as fine a tree as that you have seen."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus04.jpg" alt="sufficient"  />
+<a id="illus04" name="illus04"></a>
+</p>
+
+
+
+<p class='center'><i>It will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to plant in
+your garden.</i></p>
+
+<p>When the princess had obtained possession of the three things for which
+she had conceived so great a desire, she said again: "Bird, what you
+have yet done for me is not sufficient. You have been the cause of the
+death of my two brothers, who must be among the black stones I saw as I
+ascended the mountain. I wish to take the princes home with me."</p>
+
+<p>The Bird seemed reluctant to satisfy the princess in this point, and
+indeed made some difficulty to comply. "Bird," said the princess,
+"remember you told me that you were my slave. You are so; and your life
+is in my disposal." "That I cannot deny," answered the bird; "but
+although what you now ask is more difficult than all the rest, yet I
+will do it for you. Cast your eyes around," added he, "and look if you
+can see a little pitcher." "I see it already," said the princess. "Take
+it then," said he, "and as you descend the mountain, sprinkle a little
+of the water that is in it upon every black stone."</p>
+
+<p>The princess took up the pitcher accordingly, carried with her the cage
+and Bird, the flagon of Golden Water, and the branch of the Singing
+Tree, and as she descended the mountain, threw a little of the water on
+every black stone, which was changed immediately into a man; and as she
+did not miss one stone, all the horses, both of her brothers and of the
+other gentlemen, resumed their natural forms also. She instantly
+recognised Bahman and Perviz, as they did her, and ran to embrace her.
+She returned their embraces and expressed her amazement. "What do you
+here, my dear brothers?" said she, and they told her they had been
+asleep. "Yes," replied she, "and if it had not been for me, perhaps you
+might have slept till the day of judgment. Do not you remember that you
+came to fetch the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water,
+and did not you see, as you came along, the place covered with black
+stones? Look and see if there be any now. The gentlemen and their horses
+who surround us, and you yourselves, were these black stones. If you
+desire to know how this wonder was performed," continued she, showing
+the pitcher, which she set down at the foot of the mountain, "it was
+done by virtue of the water which was in this pitcher, with which I
+sprinkled every stone. After I had made the Talking Bird (which you see
+in this cage) my slave, by his directions I found out the Singing Tree,
+a branch of which I have now in my hand; and the Golden Water, with
+which this flagon is filled; but being still unwilling to return without
+taking you with me, I constrained the Bird, by the power I had over him,
+to afford me the means. He told me where to find this pitcher, and the
+use I was to make of it."</p>
+
+<p>The Princes Bahman and Perviz learned by this relation the obligation
+they had to their sister, as did all the other gentlemen, who expressed
+to her that, far from envying her happiness in the conquest she had
+made, and which they all had aspired to, they thought they could not
+better express their gratitude for restoring them to life again, than by
+declaring themselves her slaves, and that they were ready to obey her in
+whatever she should command.</p>
+
+<p>"Gentlemen," replied the princess, "if you had given any attention to my
+words, you might have observed that I had no other intention in what I
+have done than to recover my brothers; therefore, if you have received
+any benefit, you owe me no obligation, and I have no further share
+in your compliment than your politeness toward me, for which I return
+you my thanks. In other respects, I regard each of you as quite as free
+as you were before your misfortunes, and I rejoice with you at the
+happiness which has accrued to you by my means. Let us, however, stay no
+longer in a place where we have nothing to detain us, but mount our
+horses and return to our respective homes."</p>
+
+<p>The princess took her horse, which stood in the place where she had left
+him. Before she mounted, Prince Bahman desired her to give him the cage
+to carry. "Brother," replied the princess, "the Bird is my slave and I
+will carry him myself; if you will take the pains to carry the branch of
+the Singing Tree, there it is; only hold the cage while I get on
+horseback." When she had mounted her horse, and Prince Bahman had given
+her the cage, she turned about and said to Prince Perviz: "I leave the
+flagon of Golden Water to your care, if it will not be too much trouble
+for you to carry it," and Prince Perviz accordingly took charge of it
+with pleasure.</p>
+
+<p>When Bahman, Perviz, and all the gentlemen had mounted their horses, the
+princess waited for some of them to lead the way. The two princes paid
+that compliment to the gentlemen, and they again to the princess, who,
+finding that none of them would accept the honour, but that it was
+reserved for her, addressed herself to them and said: "Gentlemen, I
+expect that some of you should lead the way:" to which one who was
+nearest to her, in the name of the rest, replied: "Madam, were we
+ignorant of the respect due to your sex, yet after what you have done
+for us there is no deference we would not willingly pay you,
+notwithstanding your modesty; we entreat you no longer to deprive us of
+the happiness of following you."</p>
+
+<p>"Gentlemen," said the princess, "I do not deserve the honour you do me,
+and accept it only because you desire it." At the same time she led the
+way, and the two princes and the gentlemen followed.</p>
+
+<p>This illustrious company called upon the dervish as they passed, to
+thank him for his reception and wholesome advice, which they had all
+found to be sincere. He was dead, however; whether of old age, or
+because he was no longer necessary to show the way to obtaining the
+three rarities, did not appear. They pursued their route, but lessened
+in their numbers every day. The gentlemen who, as we said before, had
+come from different countries, after severally repeating their
+obligations to the princess and her brothers, took leave of them one
+after another as they approached the road by which they had come.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the princess reached home, she placed the cage in the garden,
+and the Bird no sooner began to warble than he was surrounded by
+nightingales, chaffinches, larks, linnets, goldfinches, and every
+species of birds of the country. The branch of the Singing Tree was no
+sooner set in the midst of the parterre, a little distance from the
+house, than it took root and in a short time became a large tree, the
+leaves of which gave as harmonious a concert as those of the parent from
+which it was gathered. A large basin of beautiful marble was placed in
+the garden, and when it was finished, the princess poured into it all
+the Golden Water from the flagon, which instantly increased and swelled
+so much that it soon reached up to the edges of the basin, and afterward
+formed in the middle a fountain twenty feet high, which fell again into
+the basin perpetually, without running over.</p>
+
+<p>The report of these wonders was presently spread abroad, and as the
+gates of the house and those of the gardens were shut to nobody, a great
+number of people came to admire them.</p>
+
+<p>Some days after, when the Princes Bahman and Perviz had recovered from
+the fatigue of their journey, they resumed their former way of living;
+and as their usual diversion was hunting, they mounted their horses and
+went for the first time since their return, not to their own demesne,
+but two or three leagues from their house. As they pursued their sport,
+the emperor of Persia came in pursuit of game upon the same ground. When
+they perceived, by the number of horsemen in different places, that he
+would soon be up, they resolved to discontinue their chase, and retire
+to avoid encountering him; but in the very road they took they chanced
+to meet him in so narrow a way that they could not retreat without being
+seen. In their surprise they had only time to alight and prostrate
+themselves before the emperor, without lifting up their heads to look at
+him. The emperor, who saw they were as well mounted and dressed as if
+they had belonged to his court, had a curiosity to see their faces. He
+stopped and commanded them to rise. The princes rose up and stood before
+him with an easy and graceful air, accompanied with modest countenances.
+The emperor took some time to view them before he spoke, and after he
+had admired their good air and mien, asked them who they were and where
+they lived.</p>
+
+<p>"Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we are the sons of the late intendant of
+your majesty's gardens, and live in a house which he built a little
+before he died, till we should be fit to serve your majesty and ask of
+you some employ when opportunity offered."</p>
+
+<p>"By what I perceive," replied the emperor, "you love hunting." "Sir,"
+replied Prince Bahman, "it is our common exercise, and what none of your
+majesty's subjects who intend to bear arms in your armies, ought,
+according to the ancient custom of the kingdom, to neglect." The
+emperor, charmed with so prudent an answer, said: "Since it is so, I
+should be glad to see your expertness in the chase; choose your own
+game."</p>
+
+<p>The princes mounted their horses again and followed the emperor, but had
+not gone far before they saw many wild beasts together. Prince Bahman
+chose a lion and Prince Perviz a bear, and pursued them with so much
+intrepidity that the emperor was surprised. They came up with their game
+nearly at the same time, and darted their javelins with so much skill
+and address that they pierced the one the lion and the other the bear so
+effectually that the emperor saw them fall one after the other.
+Immediately afterward Prince Bahman pursued another bear, and Prince
+Perviz another lion, and killed them in a short time, and would have
+beaten out for fresh game, but the emperor would not let them, and sent
+to them to come to him. When they approached he said: "If I had given
+you leave, you would soon have destroyed all my game; but it is not that
+which I would preserve, but your persons; for I am so well assured your
+bravery may one time or other be serviceable to me, that from this
+moment your lives will be always dear to me."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor, in short, conceived so great a kindness for the two
+princes, that he invited them immediately to make him a visit, to which
+Prince Bahman replied: "Your majesty does us an honour we do not
+deserve, and we beg you will excuse us."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor, who could not comprehend what reason the princes could have
+to refuse this token of his favour, pressed them to tell him why they
+excused themselves. "Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we have a sister younger
+than ourselves, with whom we live in such perfect union, that we
+undertake nothing before we consult her, nor she anything without asking
+our advice." "I commend your brotherly affection," answered the emperor.
+"Consult your sister, meet me to-morrow, and give me an answer."</p>
+
+<p>The princes went home, but neglected to speak of their adventure in
+meeting the emperor and hunting with him, and also of the honour he had
+done them, yet did not the next morning fail to meet him at the place
+appointed. "Well," said the emperor, "have you spoken to your sister,
+and has she consented to the pleasure I expect of seeing you?" The two
+princes looked at each other and blushed. "Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we
+beg your majesty to excuse us, for both my brother and I forgot." "Then
+remember to-day," replied the emperor, "and be sure to bring me an
+answer to-morrow."</p>
+
+<p>The princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the emperor
+was so good-natured as to forgive their negligence; but to prevent their
+forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little golden balls out of
+a purse, and put them into Prince Bahman's bosom. "These balls," said
+he, smiling, "will prevent your forgetting a third time what I wish you
+to do for my sake; since the noise they will make by falling on the
+floor when you undress will remind you, if you do not recollect it
+before." The event happened just as the emperor foresaw; and without
+these balls the princes had not thought of speaking to their sister of
+this affair, for as Prince Bahman unloosed his girdle to go to bed the
+balls dropped on the floor, upon which he ran into Prince Perviz's
+chamber, when both went into the Princess Periezade's apartment, and
+after they had asked her pardon for coming at so unseasonable a time,
+they told her all the circumstances of their meeting the emperor.</p>
+
+<p>The princess was somewhat surprised at this intelligence. "Your meeting
+with the emperor," said she, "is happy and honourable and may in the end
+be highly advantageous to you, but it places me in an awkward position.
+It was on my account, I know, you refused the emperor, and I am
+infinitely obliged to you for doing so. I know by this that you would
+rather be guilty of incivility toward the emperor than violate the union
+we have sworn to each other. You judge right, for if you had once gone
+you would insensibly have been engaged to devote yourselves to him. But
+do you think it an easy matter absolutely to refuse the emperor what he
+seems so earnestly to desire? Monarchs will be obeyed in their desires,
+and it may be dangerous to oppose them; therefore, if to follow my
+inclination I should dissuade you from obeying him, it may expose you to
+his resentment, and may render myself and you miserable. These are my
+sentiments; but before we conclude upon anything let us consult the
+Talking Bird and hear what he says; he is penetrating, and has promised
+his assistance in all difficulties."</p>
+
+<p>The princess sent for the cage, and after she had related the
+circumstances to the Bird in the presence of her brothers, asked him
+what they should do in this perplexity. The Bird answered: "The princes,
+your brothers, must conform to the emperor's pleasure, and in their turn
+invite him to come and see your house."</p>
+
+<p>"But, Bird," replied the princess, "my brothers and I love one another,
+and our friendship is yet undisturbed. Will not this step be injurious
+to that friendship?" "Not at all," replied the Bird; "it will tend
+rather to cement it." "Then," answered the princess, "the emperor will
+see me." The Bird told her it was necessary he should, and that
+everything would go better afterward.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning the princes met the emperor hunting, who asked them if they
+had remembered to speak to their sister. Prince Bahman approached and
+answered: "Sir, we are ready to obey you, for we have not only obtained
+our sister's consent with great ease, but she took it amiss that we
+should pay her that deference in a matter wherein our duty to your
+majesty was concerned. If we have offended, we hope you will pardon
+us." "Do not be uneasy," replied the emperor. "I highly approve of your
+conduct, and hope you will have the same deference and attachment to my
+person, if I have ever so little share in your friendship." The princes,
+confounded at the emperor's goodness, returned no other answer but a low
+obeisance.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor, contrary to his usual custom, did not hunt long that day.
+Presuming that the princes possessed wit equal to their courage and
+bravery, he longed with impatience to converse with them more at
+liberty. He made them ride on each side of him, an honour which was
+envied by the grand vizier, who was much mortified to see them preferred
+before him.</p>
+
+<p>When the emperor entered his capital, the eyes of the people, who stood
+in crowds in the streets, were fixed upon the two Princes Bahman and
+Perviz; and they were earnest to know who they might be.</p>
+
+<p>All, however, agreed in wishing that the emperor had been blessed with
+two such handsome princes, and said that his children would have been
+about the same age, if the queen had not been so unfortunate as to lose
+them.</p>
+
+<p>The first thing the emperor did when he arrived at his palace was to
+conduct the princes into the principal apartments, who praised without
+affectation the beauty and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness of
+the furniture and ornaments. Afterward a magnificent repast was served
+up, and the emperor made them sit with him, which they at first refused;
+but finding it was his pleasure, they obeyed.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor, who had himself much learning, particularly in history,
+foresaw that the princes, out of modesty and respect, would not take the
+liberty of beginning any conversation. Therefore, to give them an
+opportunity, he furnished them with subjects all dinner-time. But
+whatever subject he introduced, they shewed so much wit, judgment, and
+discernment, that he was struck with admiration. "Were these my own
+children," said he to himself, "and I had improved their talents by
+suitable education, they could not have been more accomplished or better
+informed." In short, he took such great pleasure in their conversation,
+that, after having sat longer than usual, he led them into his closet,
+where he pursued his conversation with them, and at last said: "I never
+supposed that there were among my subjects in the country youths so well
+brought up, so lively, so capable; and I never was better pleased with
+any conversation than yours; but it is time now we should relax our
+minds with some diversion; and as nothing is more capable of enlivening
+the mind than music, you shall hear a vocal and instrumental concert
+which may not be disagreeable to you."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor had no sooner spoken than the musicians, who had orders to
+attend, entered, and answered fully the expectations the princes had
+been led to entertain of their abilities. After the concerts, an
+excellent farce was acted, and the entertainment was concluded by
+dancers of both sexes.</p>
+
+<p>The two princes, seeing night approach, prostrated themselves at the
+emperor's feet; and having first thanked him for the favours and honours
+he had heaped upon them, asked his permission to retire; which was
+granted by the emperor, who, in dismissing them, said: "I give you leave
+to go; but remember, you will be always welcome, and the oftener you
+come the greater pleasure you will do me."</p>
+
+<p>Before they went out of the emperor's presence, Prince Bahman said:
+"Sir, may we presume to request that your majesty will do us and our
+sister the honour to pass by our house, and refresh yourself after your
+fatigue, the first time you take the diversion of hunting in that
+neighbourhood? It is not worthy of your presence; but monarchs sometimes
+have vouchsafed to take shelter in a cottage." "My children," replied
+the emperor, "your house cannot be otherwise than beautiful and worthy
+of its owners. I will call and see it with pleasure, which will be the
+greater for having for my hosts you and your sister, who is already dear
+to me from the account you give me of the rare qualities with which she
+is endowed: and this satisfaction I will defer no longer than to-morrow.
+Early in the morning I will be at the place where I shall never forget
+that I first saw you. Meet me, and you shall be my guides."</p>
+
+<p>When the Princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home, they gave the
+princess an account of the distinguished reception the emperor had given
+them, and told her that they had invited him to do them the honour, as
+he passed by, to call at their house, and that he had appointed the next
+day.</p>
+
+<p>"If it be so," replied the princess, "we must think of preparing a
+repast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it would be
+proper we should consult the Talking Bird, who will tell us, perhaps,
+what meats the emperor likes best." The princes approved of her plan,
+and after they had retired she consulted the Bird alone. "Bird," said
+she, "the emperor will do us the honour to-morrow to come and see our
+house, and we are to entertain him; tell us what we shall do to acquit
+ourselves to his satisfaction."</p>
+
+<p>"Good mistress," replied the Bird, "you have excellent cooks, let them
+do the best they can; but above all things, let them prepare a dish of
+cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set before the emperor
+in the first course before all the other dishes."</p>
+
+<p>"Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!" cried Princess Periezade with
+amazement; "surely, Bird, you do not know what you say; it is an unheard
+of dish. The emperor may admire it as a piece of magnificence, but he
+will sit down to eat, and not to admire pearls; besides, all the pearls
+I possess are not enough for such a dish."</p>
+
+<p>"Mistress," said the Bird, "do what I say, and be not uneasy about what
+may happen. Nothing but good will follow. As for the pearls, go early
+to-morrow morning to the foot of the first tree on your right hand in
+the park, dig under it, and you will find more than you want."</p>
+
+<p>That night the princess ordered a gardener to be ready to attend her,
+and the next morning early, led him to the tree which the Bird had told
+her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the gardener came to a
+certain depth, he found some resistance to the spade, and presently
+discovered a gold box about a foot square, which he showed the princess.
+"This," said she, "is what I brought you for; take care not to injure it
+with the spade."</p>
+
+<p>When the gardener took up the box, he gave it into the princess's hands,
+who, as it was only fastened with neat little hasps, soon opened it, and
+found it full of pearls of a moderate size, but equal and fit for the
+use that was to be made of them. Very well satisfied with having found
+this treasure, after she had shut the box again, she put it under her
+arm and went back to the house, while the gardener threw the earth into
+the hole at the foot of the tree as it had been before.</p>
+
+<p>The Princes Bahman and Perviz, who, as they were dressing themselves in
+their own apartments, saw their sister in the garden earlier than usual,
+as soon as they could get out went to her, and met her as she was
+returning with a gold box under her arm, which much surprised them.
+"Sister," said Bahman, "you carried nothing with you when we saw you
+before with the gardener, and now we see you have a golden box; is this
+some treasure found by the gardener, and did he come and tell you of
+it?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, brother," answered the princess, "I took the gardener to the place
+where this casket was concealed, and showed him where to dig; but you
+will be more amazed when you see what it contains."</p>
+
+<p>The princess opened the box, and when the princes saw that it was full
+of pearls, which, though small, were of great value, they asked her how
+she came to the knowledge of this treasure. "Brothers," said she, "come
+with me and I will tell you." The princess, as they returned to the
+house, gave them an account of her having consulted the Bird, as they
+had agreed she should, and the answer he had given her; the objection
+she had raised to preparing a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of pearls,
+and how he had told her where to find this box. The sister and brothers
+formed many conjectures to penetrate into what the Bird could mean by
+ordering them to prepare such a dish; but after much conversation, they
+agreed to follow his advice exactly.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the princess entered the house, she called for the head cook;
+and after she had given him directions about the entertainment for the
+emperor, said to him: "Besides all this, you must dress an extraordinary
+dish for the emperor's own eating, which nobody else must have anything
+to do with besides yourself. This dish must be of cucumbers stuffed with
+these pearls:" and at the same time she opened him the box, and showed
+him the jewels.</p>
+
+<p>The chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back, and
+showed his thoughts by his looks; which the princess penetrating, said:
+"I see you take me to be mad to order such a dish, which one may say
+with certainty was never made. I know this as well as you; but I am not
+mad, and give you these orders with the most perfect recollection. You
+must invent and do the best you can, and bring me back what pearls are
+left." The cook could make no reply, but took the box and retired; and
+afterward the princess gave directions to all the domestics to have
+everything in order, both in the house and gardens, to receive the
+emperor.</p>
+
+<p>Next day the two princes went to the place appointed, and as soon as the
+emperor of Persia arrived the chase began and lasted till the heat of
+the sun obliged him to leave off. While Prince Bahman stayed to conduct
+the emperor to their house, Prince Perviz rode before to show the way,
+and when he came in sight of the house, spurred his horse, to inform the
+princess that the emperor was approaching; but she had been told by some
+servants whom she had placed to give notice, and the prince found her
+waiting ready to receive him.</p>
+
+<p>When the emperor had entered the court-yard and alighted at the portico,
+the princess came and threw herself at his feet, and the two princes
+informed him she was their sister, and besought him to accept her
+respects.</p>
+
+<p>The emperor stooped to raise her, and after he had gazed some time on
+her beauty, struck with her fine person and dignified air, he said: "The
+brothers are worthy of the sister, and she worthy of them; since, if I
+may judge of her understanding by her person, I am not amazed that the
+brothers would do nothing without their sister's consent; but," added
+he, "I hope to be better acquainted with you, my daughter, after I have
+seen the house."</p>
+
+<p>"Sir," said the princess, "it is only a plain country residence, fit for
+such people as we are, who live retired from the great world. It is not
+to be compared with the magnificent palaces of emperors." "I cannot
+perfectly agree with you in opinion," said the emperor very obligingly,
+"for its first appearance makes me suspect you; however, I will not pass
+my judgment upon it till I have seen it all; therefore be pleased to
+conduct me through the apartments."</p>
+
+<p>The princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the hall; and,
+after he had considered them very attentively, and admired their
+variety, "My daughter," said he to the princess, "do you call this a
+country house? The finest and largest cities would soon be deserted if
+all country houses were like yours. I am no longer surprised that you
+despise the town. Now let me see the garden, which I doubt not is
+answerable to the house."</p>
+
+<p>The princess opened a door which led into the garden, and the first
+object which presented itself to the emperor's view was the golden
+fountain. Surprised at so rare an object, he asked from whence that
+wonderful water, which gave so much pleasure to behold, had been
+procured; where was its source, and by what art it was made to play so
+high. He said he would presently take a nearer view of it.</p>
+
+<p>The princess then led him to the spot where the harmonious tree was
+planted; and there the emperor heard a concert, different from all he
+had ever heard before; and stopping to see where the musicians were, he
+could discern nobody far or near, but still distinctly heard the music
+which ravished his senses. "My daughter," said he to the princess,
+"where are the musicians whom I hear? Are they under ground, or
+invisible in the air? Such excellent performers will hazard nothing by
+being seen; on the contrary, they would please the more."</p>
+
+<p>"Sir," answered the princess, smiling, "they are not musicians, but the
+leaves of the tree your majesty sees before you, which form this
+concert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to go a little
+nearer, you will be convinced, and the voices will be the more
+distinct."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor went nearer and was so charmed with the sweet harmony that
+he would never have been tired with hearing it, but that his desire to
+have a nearer view of the fountain of golden water forced him away.
+"Daughter," said he, "tell me, I pray you, whether this wonderful tree
+was found in your garden by chance, or was a present made to you, or
+have you procured it from some foreign country? It must certainly have
+come from a great distance, otherwise curious as I am after natural
+rarities I should have heard of it. What name do you call it by?"</p>
+
+<p>"Sir," replied the princess, "this tree has no other name than that of
+the Singing Tree, and is not a native of this country. It would at
+present take up too much time to tell your majesty by what adventures it
+came here; its history is connected with the Golden Water and the
+Talking Bird, which came to me at the same time, and which your majesty
+may presently see. But if it be agreeable to your majesty, after you
+have rested yourself and recovered the fatigue of hunting, which must be
+the greater because of the sun's intense heat, I will do myself the
+honour of relating it to you."</p>
+
+<p>"My daughter," replied the emperor, "my fatigue is so well recompensed
+by the wonderful things you have shown me, that I do not feel it in the
+least. Let me see the Golden Water, for I am impatient to see and admire
+afterward the Talking Bird."</p>
+
+<p>When the emperor came to the Golden Water, his eyes were fixed so
+steadfastly upon the fountain, that he could not take them off. At last,
+addressing himself to the princess, he said: "As you tell me, daughter,
+that this water has no spring or communication, I conclude that it is
+foreign, as well as the Singing Tree."</p>
+
+<p>"Sir," replied the princess, "it is as your majesty conjectures; and to
+let you know that this water has no communication with any spring, I
+must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so that the water
+cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But what your majesty will
+think most wonderful is that all this water proceeded but from one small
+flagon, emptied into this basin, which increased to the quantity you
+see, by a property peculiar to itself, and formed this fountain."
+"Well," said the emperor, going from the fountain, "this is enough for
+one time. I promise myself the pleasure to come and visit it often; but
+now let us go and see the Talking Bird."</p>
+
+<p>As he went toward the hall, the emperor perceived a prodigious number of
+singing birds in the trees around, filling the air with their songs and
+warblings, and asked why there were so many there and none on the other
+trees in the garden. "The reason, sir," answered the princess, "is
+because they come from all parts to accompany the song of the Talking
+Bird, which your majesty may see in a cage in one of the windows of the
+hall we are approaching; and if you attend, you will perceive that his
+notes are sweeter than those of any of the other birds, even the
+nightingale's."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor went into the hall; and as the Bird continued singing, the
+princess raised her voice, and said, "My slave, here is the emperor, pay
+your compliments to him." The Bird left off singing that instant, when
+all the other birds ceased also, and said: "The emperor is welcome; God
+prosper him and prolong his life!" As the entertainment was served on
+the sofa near the window where the Bird was placed, the sultan replied,
+as he was taking his seat: "Bird, I thank you, and am overjoyed to find
+in you the sultan and king of birds."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the emperor saw the dish of cucumbers set before him,
+thinking they were prepared in the best manner, he reached out his hand
+and took one; but when he cut it, was in extreme surprise to find it
+stuffed with pearls. "What novelty is this?" said he; "and with what
+design were these cucumbers stuffed thus with pearls, since pearls are
+not to be eaten?" He looked at his hosts to ask them the meaning when
+the Bird interrupting him, said: "Can your majesty be in such great
+astonishment at cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which you see with your
+own eyes, and yet so easily believe that the queen, your wife, gave
+birth to a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood?" "I believed those things,"
+replied the emperor, "because the attendants assured me of the facts."
+"Those attendants, sir," replied the Bird, "were the queen's two
+sisters, who, envious of her happiness in being preferred by your
+majesty before them, to satisfy their envy and revenge, have abused your
+majesty's credulity. If you interrogate them, they will confess their
+crime. The two brothers and the sister whom you see before you are your
+own children, whom they exposed, and who were taken in by the intendant
+of your gardens, who provided nurses for them, and took care of their
+education."</p>
+
+<p>This speech presently cleared up the emperor's understanding. "Bird,"
+cried he, "I believe the truth which you discover to me. The inclination
+which drew me to them told me plainly they must be of my own blood. Come
+then, my sons, come, my daughter, let me embrace you, and give you the
+first marks of a father's love and tenderness." The emperor then rose,
+and after having embraced the two princes and the princess, and mingled
+his tears with theirs, said: "It is not enough, my children; you must
+embrace each other, not as the children of the intendant of my gardens,
+to whom I have been so much obliged for preserving your lives, but as my
+own children, of the royal blood of the monarchs of Persia, whose
+glory, I am persuaded you will maintain."</p>
+
+<p>After the two princes and princess had embraced mutually with new
+satisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished his
+meal in haste; and when he had done, said: "My children, you see in me
+your father; to-morrow I will bring the queen, your mother, therefore
+prepare to receive her."</p>
+
+<p>The emperor afterward mounted his horse, and returned with expedition to
+his capitol. The first thing he did, as soon as he had alighted and
+entered his palace, was to command the grand vizier to seize the queen's
+two sisters. They were taken from their houses separately, convicted,
+and condemned to death; which sentence was put in execution within an
+hour.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, the Emperor Kosrouschah, followed by all the lords of
+his court who were then present, went on foot to the door of the great
+mosque; and after he had taken the queen out of the strict confinement
+she had languished under for so many years, embracing her in the
+miserable condition to which she was then reduced, said to her with
+tears in his eyes: "I come to entreat your pardon for the injustice I
+have done you, and to make you the reparation I ought; which I have
+begun, by punishing the unnatural wretches who put the abominable cheat
+upon me; and I hope you will look upon it as complete, when I present to
+you two accomplished princes and a lovely princess, our children. Come
+and resume your former rank, with all the honours which are your due."
+All this was done and said before great crowds of people who flocked
+from all parts at the first news of what was passing, and immediately
+spread the joyful intelligence through the city.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning early the emperor and queen, whose mournful humiliating
+dress was changed for magnificent robes, went with all their court to
+the house built by the intendant of the gardens, where the emperor
+presented the Princes Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Periezade to
+their enraptured mother. "These, much injured wife," said he, "are the
+two princes your sons, and the princess your daughter; embrace them with
+the same tenderness I have done, since they are worthy both of me and
+you." The tears flowed plentifully down their cheeks at these tender
+embraces, especially the queen's, from the comfort and joy of having two
+such princes for her sons, and such a princess for her daughter, on
+whose account she had so long endured the severest afflictions.</p>
+
+<p>The two princes and the princess had prepared a magnificent repast for
+the emperor and queen and their court. As soon as that was over, the
+emperor led the queen into the garden, and shewed her the Harmonious
+Tree and the beautiful effect of the Golden Fountain. She had seen the
+Bird in his cage, and the emperor had spared no panegyric in his praise
+during the repast.</p>
+
+<p>When there was nothing to detain the emperor any longer, he took horse,
+and with the Princes Bahman and Perviz on his right hand, and the queen
+consort and the princess at his left, preceded and followed by all the
+officers of his court, according to their rank, returned to his capital.
+Crowds of people came out to meet them, and with acclamations of joy
+ushered them into the city, where all eyes were fixed not only upon the
+queen, and her royal children, but also upon the Bird, which the
+princess carried before her in his cage, admiring his sweet notes, which
+had drawn all the other birds about him, and followed him flying from
+tree to tree in the country, and from one house top to another in the
+city. The Princes Bahman and Perviz and the Princess Periezade were at
+length brought to the palace with pomp, and nothing was to be seen or
+heard all that night but illuminations and rejoicings both in the palace
+and in the utmost parts of the city, which lasted many days, and were
+continued throughout the empire of Persia, as intelligence of the joyful
+event reached the several provinces.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_THE_FISHERMAN_AND_THE_GENIE" id="THE_STORY_OF_THE_FISHERMAN_AND_THE_GENIE"></a>THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was once an aged fisherman who was so poor that he could scarcely
+earn as much as would maintain himself, his wife, and three children. He
+went every day to fish betimes in the morning, and imposed it as a law
+upon himself not to cast his nets above four times a day. He went one
+morning by moonlight, and coming to the seaside, undressed himself, and
+cast in his nets. As he drew them toward the shore, he found them very
+heavy, and thought he had a good draught of fish, at which he rejoiced;
+but a moment after, perceiving that instead of fish his net contained
+nothing but the carcass of an ass, he was much vexed.</p>
+
+<p>When he had mended his nets, which the carcass of the ass had broken in
+several places, he threw them in a second time; and when he drew them,
+found a great deal of resistance, which made him think he had taken
+abundance of fish; but he found nothing except a basket full of gravel
+and slime, which grieved him extremely. "O Fortune!" cried he, with a
+lamentable tone, "be not angry with me, nor persecute a wretch who prays
+thee to spare him. I came hither from my house to seek for my
+livelihood, and thou pronouncest against me a sentence of death. I have
+no other trade but this to subsist by, and, notwithstanding all my care,
+I can scarcely provide what is necessary for my family. But I am to
+blame to complain of thee; thou takest pleasure to persecute honest
+people, and advancest those who have no virtue to recommend them."</p>
+
+<p>Having finished this complaint, he fretfully threw away the basket, and,
+washing his nets from the slime, cast them a third time, but brought up
+nothing except stones, shells, and mud. No language can express his
+disappointment; he was almost distracted. However, when day began to
+appear, he did not forget to say his prayers like a good Mussulman, and
+he added to them this petition: "Lord, thou knowest that I cast my nets
+only four times a day; I have already drawn them three times, without
+the least reward for my labour: I am only to cast them once more; I pray
+thee to render the sea favourable to me, as thou didst to Moses."</p>
+
+<p>The fisherman, having finished this prayer, cast his nets the fourth
+time; and when he thought it was proper, drew them as formerly with
+great difficulty; but instead of fish found nothing in them but a vessel
+of yellow copper, which, from its weight, seemed not to be empty; and he
+observed that it was fastened and closed with lead, having the
+impression of a seal upon it. This turn of fortune rejoiced him: "I will
+sell it," said he, "to the founder, and with the money buy a measure of
+corn." He examined the vessel on all sides, and shook it to see if its
+contents made any noise, but heard nothing. This circumstance, with the
+impression of the seal upon the cover, made him think it enclosed
+something precious. To try this, he took a knife and opened it with very
+little labour. He turned the mouth downward, but nothing came out, which
+surprised him extremely. He placed it before him, but while he viewed it
+attentively, there burst forth a very thick smoke, which obliged him to
+retire two or three paces back.</p>
+
+<p>The smoke ascended to the clouds, and, extending itself along the sea
+and upon the shore, formed a great mist, which filled the fisherman
+with astonishment. When the smoke was all out of the vessel, it
+reunited, and became a solid body, of which was formed a genie twice as
+high as the greatest of giants. At the sight of such a monster the
+fisherman would fain have fled, but was so frightened that he could not
+move.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus05.jpg" alt="smoke"  />
+<a id="illus05" name="illus05"></a>
+</p>
+
+
+<p class='center'><i>The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along the sea
+and upon the shore formed a great mist.</i></p>
+
+<p>"Solomon," cried the genie immediately, "Solomon, the great prophet,
+pardon, pardon; I will never more oppose your will, I will obey all your
+commands."</p>
+
+<p>The fisherman, when he heard these words of the genie, recovered his
+courage and said to him: "Thou proud spirit, what is it you say? It is
+above eighteen hundred years since the prophet Solomon died, and we are
+now at the end of time. Tell me your history, and how you came to be
+shut up in this vessel."</p>
+
+<p>The genie, turning to the fisherman with a fierce look, said: "Thou must
+address me with more courtesy; thou art a presumptuous fellow to call me
+a proud spirit; speak to me more respectfully, or I will kill thee."
+"Ah!" replied the fisherman, "why should you kill me? Did I not just now
+set you at liberty, and have you already forgotten my services?"</p>
+
+<p>"No, I remember it," said the genie, "but that shall not save thy life:
+I have only one favour to grant thee." "And what is that?" asked the
+fisherman. "It is," answered the genie, "to give thee thy choice in what
+manner thou wouldst have me put thee to death." "But wherein have I
+offended you?" demanded the fisherman. "Is that your reward for the
+service I have rendered you?" "I cannot treat thee otherwise," said the
+genie; "and that thou mayest know the reason, hearken to my story."</p>
+
+<p>"I am one of those rebellious spirits that opposed the will of Solomon,
+the son of David, and to avenge himself, that monarch sent Asaph, the
+son of Barakhia, his chief minister, to apprehend me. Asaph seized
+my person, and brought me by force before his master's throne.</p>
+
+<p>"Solomon commanded me to acknowledge his power, and to submit to his
+commands. I bravely refused, and told him I would rather expose myself
+to his resentment, than swear fealty as he required. To punish me, he
+shut me up in this copper vessel; and that I might not break my prison,
+he himself stamped upon this leaden cover his seal with the great name
+of God engraven upon it. He then gave the vessel to one of the genies
+who had submitted, with orders to throw me into the sea.</p>
+
+<p>"During the first hundred years of my imprisonment, I swore that if any
+one should deliver me before the expiration of that period, I would make
+him rich, even after his death; but that century ran out, and nobody did
+me the good office. During the second, I made an oath that I would open
+all the treasures of the earth to any one that might set me at liberty;
+but with no better success. In the third, I promised to make my
+deliverer a potent monarch, and to grant him every day three requests,
+of what nature soever they might be; but this century passed as well as
+the two former, and I continued in prison. At last, being angry to find
+myself a prisoner so long, I swore that if afterward any one should
+deliver me, I would kill him without mercy, and grant him no favour but
+to choose the manner of his death; and, therefore, since thou hast
+delivered me to-day, I give thee that choice."</p>
+
+<p>This discourse afflicted the fisherman extremely: "I am very
+unfortunate," cried he, "to come hither to do such a kindness to one
+that is so ungrateful. I beg you to consider your injustice, and revoke
+such an unreasonable oath; pardon me, and Heaven will pardon you; if you
+grant me my life, Heaven will protect you from all attempts against your
+own." "No, thy death is resolved on," said the genie, "only choose in
+what manner thou wilt die." The fisherman, perceiving the genie to be
+resolute, was extremely grieved, not so much for himself, as on account
+of his three children, and bewailed the misery they must be reduced to
+by his death. He endeavoured still to appease the genie, and said,
+"Alas! be pleased to take pity on me, in consideration of the service I
+have done you." "I have told thee already," replied the genie, "it is
+for that very reason I must kill thee." "That is strange," said the
+fisherman, "are you resolved to reward good with evil? The proverb truly
+says, 'He who does good to one who deserves it not, is always ill
+rewarded.'" "Do not lose time," interrupted the genie; "all thy
+chattering shall not divert me from my purpose; make haste, and tell me
+what kind of death thou preferrest?"</p>
+
+<p>Necessity is the mother of invention. The fisherman bethought himself of
+a stratagem. "Since I must die then," said he to the genie, "I submit to
+the will of Heaven; but before I choose the manner of my death, I
+conjure you, by the great name which was engraven upon the seal of the
+prophet Solomon, to answer me truly the question I am going to ask you."</p>
+
+<p>The genie finding himself obliged to a positive answer by this
+adjuration, trembled, and replied to the fisherman: "Ask what thou wilt,
+but make haste."</p>
+
+<p>The genie having thus promised to speak the truth, the fisherman said to
+him: "I wish to know if you were actually in this vessel: dare you swear
+it by the name of the great God?" "Yes," replied the genie, "I do swear
+by His great name that I was." "In good faith," answered the fisherman,
+"I cannot believe you; the vessel is not capable of holding one of your
+size, and how should it be possible that your whole body could lie in
+it?" "I swear to thee, notwithstanding," replied the genie, "that I was
+there just as you see me here. Is it possible that thou dost not believe
+me after the solemn oath I have taken?" "Truly not I," said the
+fisherman; "nor will I believe you, unless you go into the vessel
+again."</p>
+
+<p>Upon this the body of the genie dissolved and changed itself into smoke,
+extending as before upon the seashore; and at last being collected, it
+began to re-enter the vessel, which it continued to do by a slow and
+equal motion, till no part remained out; when immediately a voice came
+forth, which said to the fisherman: "Well, incredulous fellow, dost thou
+not believe me now?"</p>
+
+<p>The fisherman, instead of answering the genie, took the cover of lead,
+and having speedily replaced it on the vessel, "Genie," cried he, "now
+it is your turn to beg my favour, and to choose which way I shall put
+you to death; but it is better that I should throw you into the sea,
+whence I took you: and then I will build a house upon the shore, where I
+will reside and give notice to all fishermen who come to throw in their
+nets, to beware of such a wicked genie as you are, who have made an oath
+to kill him that shall set you at liberty."</p>
+
+<p>The genie, enraged at these expressions, struggled to free himself; but
+it was impossible, for the impression of Solomon's seal prevented him.
+Perceiving that the fisherman had the advantage of him, he thought fit
+to dissemble his anger; "Fisherman," said he, "take heed you do not what
+you threaten; for what I spoke to you was only by way of jest." "O
+genie!" replied the fisherman, "thou who wast but a moment ago the
+greatest of all genies, and now art the least of them, thy crafty
+discourse will signify nothing, to the sea thou shalt return. If thou
+hast been there already so long as thou hast told me, thou mayest very
+well stay there till the day of judgment. I begged of thee, in God's
+name, not to take away my life, and thou didst reject my prayers; I am
+obliged to treat thee in the same manner."</p>
+
+<p>The genie omitted nothing that he thought likely to prevail with the
+fisherman: "Open the vessel," said he, "give me my liberty, and I
+promise to satisfy you to your own content." "Thou art a traitor,"
+replied the fisherman, "I should deserve to lose my life, if I were such
+a fool as to trust thee."</p>
+
+<p>"My good fisherman," replied the genie, "I conjure you once more not to
+be guilty of such cruelty; consider that it is not good to avenge one's
+self, and that, on the other hand, it is commendable to do good for
+evil; do not treat me as Imama formerly treated Ateca." "And what did
+Imama to Ateca?" inquired the fisherman. "Ho!" cried the genie, "if you
+have a mind to be informed, open the vessel: do you think that I can be
+in a humour to relate stories in so strait a prison? I will tell you as
+many as you please, when you have let me out." "No," said the fisherman,
+"I will not let thee out; it is in vain to talk of it; I am just going
+to throw thee into the bottom of the sea." "Hear me one word more,"
+cried the genie; "I promise to do you no hurt; nay, far from that, I
+will show you a way to become exceedingly rich."</p>
+
+<p>The hope of delivering himself from poverty prevailed with the
+fisherman. "I could listen to thee," said he, "were there any credit to
+be given to thy word; swear to me, by the great name of God, that thou
+wilt faithfully perform what thou promisest, and I will open the vessel;
+I do not believe thou wilt dare to break such an oath."</p>
+
+<p>The genie swore to him, upon which the fisherman immediately took off
+the covering of the vessel. At that instant the smoke ascended, and the
+genie, having resumed his form, the first thing he did was to kick the
+vessel into the sea. This action alarmed the fisherman. "Genie," said
+he, "will not you keep the oath you just now made?"</p>
+
+<p>The genie laughed at his fear, and answered: "Fisherman, be not afraid,
+I only did it to divert myself, and to see if you would be alarmed at
+it; but to convince you that I am in earnest, take your nets and follow
+me." As he spoke these words, he walked before the fisherman, who having
+taken up his nets, followed him, but with some distrust. They passed by
+the town, and came to the top of a mountain, from whence they descended
+into a vast plain, which brought them to a lake that lay betwixt four
+hills.</p>
+
+<p>When they reached the side of the lake, the genie said to the fisherman:
+"Cast in your nets and catch fish." The fisherman did not doubt of
+taking some, because he saw a great number in the water; but he was
+extremely surprised when he found they were of four colours; white, red,
+blue, and yellow. He threw in his nets and brought out one of each
+colour. Having never seen the like before, he could not but admire them,
+and, judging that he might get a considerable sum for them, he was very
+joyful. "Carry those fish," said the genie to him, "and present them to
+your sultan; he will give you more money for them. You may come daily to
+fish in this lake; but I give you warning not to throw in your nets
+above once a day, otherwise you will repent." Having spoken thus, he
+struck his foot upon the ground, which opened, and after it had
+swallowed him up, closed again.</p>
+
+<p>The fisherman, being resolved to follow the genie's advice, forbore
+casting in his nets a second time, and returned to the town very well
+satisfied, and making a thousand reflections upon his adventure. He went
+immediately to the sultan's palace to offer his fish, and his majesty
+was much surprised when he saw the wonders which the fisherman
+presented. He took them up one after another, and viewed them with
+attention; and after having admired them a long time, "Take those fish,"
+said he to his vizier, "and carry them to the cook whom the emperor of
+the Greeks has sent me. I cannot imagine but that they must be as good
+as they are beautiful."</p>
+
+<p>The vizier carried them as he was directed, and delivering them to the
+cook, said: "Here are four fish just brought to the sultan; he orders
+you to dress them." He then returned to the sultan, who commanded him to
+give the fisherman four hundred pieces of gold, which he did
+accordingly.</p>
+
+<p>The fisherman, who had never seen so much money, could scarcely believe
+his good fortune, but thought the whole must be a dream, until he found
+it otherwise, by being able to provide necessaries for his family with
+the produce of his nets.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultan's cook had cleaned the fish, she put them upon the
+fire in a frying-pan, with oil, and when she thought them fried enough
+on one side, she turned them upon the other; but, O monstrous prodigy!
+scarcely were they turned, when the wall of the kitchen divided, and a
+young lady of wonderful beauty entered from the opening. She held a rod
+in her hand and was clad in flowered satin, with pendants in her ears, a
+necklace of large pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies. She
+moved toward the frying-pan, to the great amazement of the cook, and
+striking one of the fish with the end of the rod, said: "Fish, fish, are
+you in your duty?" The fish having answered nothing, she repeated these
+words, and then the four fish lifted up their heads, and replied: "Yes,
+yes: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if
+you fly, we overcome, and are content." As soon as they had finished
+these words, the lady overturned the frying-pan, and returned into the
+open part of the wall, which closed immediately, and became as it was
+before.</p>
+
+<p>The cook was greatly frightened at what had happened, and coming a
+little to herself went to take up the fish that had fallen on the
+hearth, but found them blacker than coal and not fit to be carried to
+the sultan. This grievously troubled her, and she fell to weeping most
+bitterly. "Alas!" said she, "what will become of me? If I tell the
+sultan what I have seen, I am sure he will not believe me, but will be
+enraged against me."</p>
+
+<p>While she was thus bewailing herself, the grand vizier entered, and
+asked her if the fish were ready. She told him all that had occurred,
+which we may easily imagine astonished him; but without speaking a word
+of it to the sultan he invented an excuse that satisfied him, and
+sending immediately for the fisherman bid him bring four more such fish,
+for a misfortune had befallen the others, so that they were not fit to
+be carried to the royal table. The fisherman, without saying anything of
+what the genie had told him, told the vizier he had a great way to go
+for them, in order to excuse himself from bringing them that day, but
+said that he would certainly bring them on the morrow.</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and coming to the lake,
+threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four fish like the former,
+and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed. The minister took
+them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and shutting himself up with
+the cook, she cleaned them and put them on the fire. When they were
+fried on one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the kitchen
+wall again opened, and the same lady came in with the rod in her hand,
+struck one of the fish, spoke to it as before, and all four gave her the
+same answer.</p>
+
+<p>After they had spoken to the young lady, she overturned the frying-pan
+with her rod, and retired into the wall. The grand vizier being witness
+to what had passed, "This is too wonderful and extraordinary," said he,
+"to be concealed from the sultan; I will inform him of this prodigy."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, being much surprised, sent immediately for the fisherman,
+and said to him: "Friend, cannot you bring me four more such fish?" The
+fisherman replied: "If your majesty will be pleased to allow me three
+days, I will do it." Having obtained his time, he went to the lake
+immediately, and at the first throwing in of his net he caught four
+fish, and brought them directly to the sultan, who was so much the more
+rejoiced, as he did not expect them so soon, and ordered him four
+hundred pieces of gold. As soon as the sultan had the fish, he ordered
+them to be carried into his closet, with all that was necessary for
+frying them; and having shut himself up with the vizier, the minister
+cleaned them, put them into the pan, and when they were fried on one
+side, turned them upon the other; then the wall of the closet opened,
+but instead of the young lady, there came out a black, in the habit of a
+slave, and of a gigantic stature, with a great green staff in his hand.
+He advanced toward the pan, and touching one of the fish with his staff,
+said, with a terrible voice: "Fish, are you in your duty?" At these
+words the fish raised up their heads, and answered: "Yes, yes; we are;
+if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you
+fly, we overcome and are content."</p>
+
+<p>The fish had no sooner finished these words, than the black threw the
+pan into the middle of the closet, and reduced them to a coal. Having
+done this, he retired fiercely, and entering again into the aperture, it
+closed, and the wall appeared just as it did before.</p>
+
+<p>"After what I have seen," said the sultan to the vizier, "it will not be
+possible for me to be easy; these fish, without doubt, signify something
+extraordinary." He sent for the fisherman, and when he came, said to
+him: "Fisherman, the fish you have brought us make me very uneasy; where
+did you catch them?" "Sir," answered he, "I fished for them in a lake
+situated betwixt four hills, beyond the mountain that we see from
+hence." "Know'st thou not that lake?" said the sultan to the vizier.
+"No," replied the vizier, "I never so much as heard of it, although I
+have for sixty years hunted beyond that mountain." The sultan asked the
+fisherman how far the lake might be from the palace. The fisherman
+answered it was not above three hours' journey; upon this assurance the
+sultan commanded all his court to take horse, and the fisherman served
+them for a guide. They all ascended the mountain, and at the foot of it
+they saw, to their great surprise, a vast plain that nobody had observed
+till then, and at last they came to the lake, which they found to be
+situated betwixt four hills, as the fisherman had described. The water
+was so transparent that they observed all the fish to be like those
+which the fisherman had brought to the palace.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan stood upon the bank of the lake, and after beholding the fish
+with admiration, demanded of his courtiers if it were possible they had
+never seen this lake which was within so short a distance of the town.
+They all answered that they had never so much as heard of it.</p>
+
+<p>"Since you all agree that you never heard of it," said the sultan, "and
+as I am no less astonished than you are at this novelty, I am resolved
+not to return to my palace till I learn how this lake came here, and why
+all the fish in it are of four colours." Having spoken thus, he ordered
+his court to encamp; and immediately his pavilion and the tents of his
+household were planted upon the banks of the lake.</p>
+
+<p>When night came the sultan retired under his pavilion, and spoke to the
+grand vizier thus: "Vizier, my mind is uneasy; this lake transported
+hither, the black that appeared to us in my closet, and the fish that we
+heard speak; all these things so much excite my curiosity that I cannot
+resist my impatient desire to have it satisfied. To this end I am
+resolved to withdraw alone from the camp, and I order you to keep my
+absence secret: stay in my pavilion, and to-morrow morning, when the
+emirs and courtiers come to attend my levee, send them away and tell
+them that I am somewhat indisposed and wish to be alone; and the
+following days tell them the same thing, till I return."</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier endeavoured to divert the sultan from this design; he
+represented to him the danger to which he might be exposed, and that all
+his labour might perhaps be in vain; but it was to no purpose; the
+sultan was resolved. He put on a suit fit for walking and took his
+cimeter; and as soon as he found that all was quiet in the camp, went
+out alone, and passed over one of the hills without much difficulty; he
+found the descent still more easy, and when he came to the plain, walked
+on till the sun arose, and then he saw before him, at a considerable
+distance, a vast building. He rejoiced at the sight, in hopes of
+receiving there the information he sought. When he drew near, he found
+it was a magnificent palace, or rather a strong castle, of black
+polished marble, and covered with fine steel, as smooth as glass. Being
+highly pleased that he had so speedily met with something worthy his
+curiosity, he stopped before the front of the castle, and considered it
+with attention.</p>
+
+<p>He then advanced toward the gate, which had two leaves, one of them
+open; though he might immediately have entered, yet he thought it best
+to knock. This he did at first softly, and waited for some time; but
+seeing no one, and supposing he had not been heard, he knocked harder
+the second time, and after that he knocked again and again, but no one
+yet appearing, he was exceedingly surprised; for he could not think
+that a castle in such repair was without inhabitants. "If there be no
+one in it," said he to himself, "I have nothing to fear; and if it be
+inhabited, I have wherewith to defend myself."</p>
+
+<p>At last he entered, and when he came within the porch, he cried: "Is
+there no one here to receive a stranger who comes in for some
+refreshment as he passes by?" He repeated the same words two or three
+times; but though he spoke very loud, he was not answered. The silence
+increased his astonishment: he came into a spacious court, and looked on
+every side for inhabitants, but discovered none.</p>
+
+<p>Perceiving nobody in the court, he entered the grand halls, which were
+hung with silk tapestry, the alcoves and sofas covered with stuffs of
+Mecca, and the porches with the richest stuffs of India. He came
+afterward into a superb saloon, in the middle of which was a fountain,
+with a lion of massy gold at each angle: water issued from the mouths of
+the four lions, and as it fell, formed diamonds and pearls resembling a
+jet d'eau, which, springing from the middle of the fountain, rose nearly
+to the top of a cupola painted in Arabesque.</p>
+
+<p>The castle, on three sides, was encompassed by a garden, with parterres
+of flowers and shrubbery; and to complete the beauty of the place, an
+infinite number of birds filled the air with their harmonious notes, and
+always remained there, nets being spread over the garden, and fastened
+to the palace to confine them. The sultan walked from apartment to
+apartment, where he found everything rich and magnificent. Being tired
+with walking, he sat down in a veranda, which had a view over the
+garden, reflecting upon what he had seen, when suddenly he heard the
+voice of one complaining, in lamentable tones. He listened with
+attention, and heard distinctly these words: "O fortune! thou who
+wouldst not suffer me longer to enjoy a happy lot, forbear to persecute
+me, and by a speedy death put an end to my sorrows. Alas! is it possible
+that I am still alive, after so many torments as I have suffered!"</p>
+
+<p>The sultan rose up, advanced toward the place whence he heard the voice,
+and coming to the door of a great hall, opened it, and saw a handsome
+young man, richly habited, seated upon a throne raised a little above
+the ground. Melancholy was painted on his countenance. The sultan drew
+near and saluted him; the young man returned his salutation, by an
+inclination of his head, not being able to rise, at the same time
+saying: "My lord, I should rise to receive you, but am hindered by sad
+necessity, and therefore hope you will not be offended." "My lord,"
+replied the sultan, "I am much obliged to you for having so good an
+opinion of me: as to the reason of your not rising, whatever your
+apology be, I heartily accept it. Being drawn hither by your complaints,
+and afflicted by your grief, I come to offer you my help. I flatter
+myself that you will relate to me the history of your misfortunes; but
+inform me first of the meaning of the lake near the palace, where the
+fish are of four colours; whose castle is this; how you came to be here;
+and why you are alone."</p>
+
+<p>Instead of answering these questions, the young man began to weep
+bitterly. "How inconstant is fortune!" cried he; "she takes pleasure to
+pull down those she has raised. Where are they who enjoy quietly the
+happiness which they hold of her, and whose day is always clear and
+serene?"</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, moved with compassion to see him in such a condition, prayed
+him to relate the cause of his excessive grief. "Alas! my lord," replied
+the young man, "how is it possible but I should grieve, and my eyes be
+inexhaustible fountains of tears?" At these words, lifting up his robe,
+he showed the sultan that he was a man only from the head to the girdle,
+and that the other half of his body was black marble.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan was much surprised when he saw the deplorable condition of
+the young man. "That which you show me," said he, "while it fills me
+with horror, excites my curiosity, so that I am impatient to hear your
+history, which, no doubt, must be extraordinary, and I am persuaded that
+the lake and the fish make some part of it; therefore I conjure you to
+relate it. You will find some comfort in so doing, since it is certain
+that the unfortunate find relief in making known their distress." "I
+will not refuse your request," replied the young man, "though I cannot
+comply without renewing my grief. But I give you notice beforehand, to
+prepare your ears, your mind, and even your eyes, for things which
+surpass all that the imagination can conceive."</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_HISTORY_OF_THE_YOUNG_KING_OF_THE_BLACK_ISLES" id="THE_HISTORY_OF_THE_YOUNG_KING_OF_THE_BLACK_ISLES"></a>THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES</h2>
+
+
+<p>"You must know, my lord," said the wretched prisoner, "that my father,
+named Mahmoud, was monarch of this country. This is the kingdom of the
+Black Isles, which takes its name from the four small neighbouring
+mountains; for those mountains were formerly isles, and the capital
+where the king, my father, resided was situated on the spot now occupied
+by the lake you have seen. The sequel of my history will inform you of
+the reason for those changes.</p>
+
+<p>"The king, my father, died when he was seventy years of age; I had no
+sooner succeeded him than I married, and the lady I chose to share the
+royal dignity with me was my cousin. I had so much reason to be
+satisfied with her affection, and, on my part, loved her with so much
+tenderness, that nothing could surpass the harmony of our union. This
+lasted five years, at the end of which time I perceived the queen ceased
+to delight in my attentions.</p>
+
+<p>"One day, after dinner, while she was at the bath, I found myself
+inclined to repose, and lay down upon a sofa. Two of her ladies, who
+were then in my chamber, came and sat down, one at my head and the other
+at my feet, with fans in their hands to moderate the heat, and to
+prevent the flies from disturbing me. They thought I was asleep, and
+spoke in whispers; but as I only closed my eyes, I heard all their
+conversation.</p>
+
+<p>"One of them said to the other, 'Is not the queen wrong, not to love so
+amiable a prince?' 'Certainly,' replied her companion; 'I do not
+understand the reason, neither can I conceive why she goes out every
+night, and leaves him alone! Is it possible that he does not perceive
+it?' 'Alas!' said the first, 'how should he? She mixes every evening in
+his liquor the juice of a certain herb, which makes him sleep so sound
+all night that she has time to go where she pleases, and as day begins
+to appear she comes and wakes him by the smell of something she puts
+under his nostrils.'</p>
+
+<p>"You may guess, my lord, how much I was surprised at this conversation,
+and with what sentiments it inspired me; yet whatever emotion it excited
+I had sufficient self-command to dissemble, and feigned to awake without
+having heard a word.</p>
+
+<p>"The queen returned from the bath, we supped together, and she presented
+me with a cup full of such liquid as I was accustomed to drink; but
+instead of putting it to my mouth, I went to a window that was open,
+threw out the water so quickly that she did not perceive it, and
+returned.</p>
+
+<p>"Soon after, believing that I was asleep, she arose with so little
+precaution, that she whispered loud enough for me to hear her
+distinctly, 'Sleep on, and may you never wake again!' and so saying, she
+dressed herself, and went out of the chamber.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as the queen, my wife, was gone, I arose in haste, took my
+cimeter, and followed her so quickly that I soon heard the sound of her
+feet before me, and then walked softly after her. She passed through
+several gates, which opened upon her pronouncing some magical words, and
+the last she opened was that of the garden, which she entered. I stopped
+at this gate, that she might not perceive me as she passed along a
+parterre; then looking after her as far as the darkness of the night
+permitted, I saw her enter a little wood, whose walks were guarded by
+thick palisadoes. I went thither by another way, and concealing myself,
+I saw her walking there with a man.</p>
+
+<p>"I did not fail to lend the most attentive ear to their discourse, and
+heard her address herself thus to her gallant: 'I do not deserve,' she
+said, 'to be reproached by you for want of diligence. You well know the
+reason; but if all the proofs of affection I have already given you be
+not sufficient to convince you of my sincerity, I am ready to give you
+others more decisive: you need but command me, you know my power; I
+will, if you desire it, before sunrise convert this great city, and this
+superb palace, into frightful ruins, inhabited only by wolves, owls, and
+ravens. If you would have me transport all the stones of those walls so
+solidly built, beyond Mount Caucasus, the bounds of the habitable world,
+speak but the word, and all shall be changed.'</p>
+
+<p>"As the queen finished this speech she and her companion came to the end
+of the walk, turned to enter another, and passed before me. I had
+already drawn my cimeter, and the man being next me, I struck him on the
+neck, and brought him to the ground. I concluded I had killed him, and
+therefore retired speedily without making myself known to the queen,
+whom I chose to spare, because she was my kinswoman.</p>
+
+<p>"The wound I had given her companion was mortal; but by her enchantments
+she preserved him in an existence in which he could not be said to be
+either dead or alive. As I crossed the garden to return to the palace, I
+heard the queen loudly lamenting, and judging by her cries how much she
+was grieved, I was pleased that I had spared her life.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as I had reached my apartment, I went to bed, and being
+satisfied with having punished the villain who had injured me, fell
+asleep.</p>
+
+<p>"Next morning I arose, went to my closet, and dressed myself. I
+afterward held my council. At my return, the queen, clad in mourning,
+her hair dishevelled, and part of it torn off, presented herself before
+me, and said: 'I come to beg your majesty not to be surprised to see me
+in this condition. My heavy affliction is occasioned by intelligence of
+three distressing events which I have just received.' 'Alas! what are
+they, madam?' said I. 'The death of the queen, my dear mother,' she
+replied, 'that of the king, my father, killed in battle, and of one of
+my brothers, who has fallen down a precipice.'</p>
+
+<p>"I was not displeased that she used these pretexts to conceal the true
+cause of her grief. 'Madam,' said I, 'so far from blaming, I assure you
+I heartily commiserate your sorrow. I should feel surprise if you were
+insensible to such heavy calamities: weep on; your tears are so many
+proofs of your tenderness; but I hope that time and reflection will
+moderate your grief.'</p>
+
+<p>"She retired into her apartment, where, giving herself wholly up to
+sorrow, she spent a whole year in mourning and lamentation. At the end
+of that period, she begged permission to erect a burying-place for
+herself, within the bounds of the palace, where she would continue, she
+told me, to the end of her days: I consented, and she built a stately
+edifice, and called it the Palace of Tears. When it was finished, she
+caused the object of her care to be conveyed thither; she had hitherto
+prevented his dying, by potions which she had administered to him; and
+she continued to convey them to him herself every day after he came to
+the Palace of Tears.</p>
+
+<p>"Yet, with all her enchantments, she could not cure the wretch; he was
+not only unable to walk or support himself, but had also lost the use of
+his speech, and exhibited no sign of life except in his looks.</p>
+
+<p>"Every day the queen made him two long visits. I was well apprised of
+this, but pretended ignorance. One day my curiosity induced me to go to
+the Palace of Tears, to observe how my consort employed herself, and
+from a place where she could not see me, I heard her thus address the
+wounded ruffian: 'I am afflicted to the highest degree to behold you in
+this condition,' she cried, 'I am as sensible as yourself of the
+tormenting pain you endure; but, dear soul, I am continually speaking to
+you, and you do not answer me: how long will you remain silent? Speak
+only one word: alas! the sweetest moments of my life are these I spend
+here in partaking of your grief.'</p>
+
+<p>"At these words, which were several times interrupted by her sighs, I
+lost all patience: and discovering myself, came up to her, and said,
+'Madam, you have wept enough, it is time to give over this sorrow, which
+dishonours us both; you have too much forgotten what you owe to me and
+to yourself.' 'Sire,' said she, 'if you have any kindness or compassion
+for me left, I beseech you to put no restraint upon me; allow me to
+indulge my grief, which it is impossible for time to assuage.'</p>
+
+<p>"When I perceived that my remonstrance, instead of restoring her to a
+sense of duty, served only to increase her anguish, I ceased speaking
+and retired. She continued every day to visit her charge, and for two
+whole years abandoned herself to grief and despair.</p>
+
+<p>"I went a second time to the Palace of Tears, while she was there. I
+concealed myself again, and heard her thus cry out: 'It is now three
+years since you spoke one word to me; you answer not the proofs I give
+you of my devotion by my sighs and lamentations. Is it from
+insensibility, or contempt? O tomb! tell me by what miracle thou
+becamest the depository of the rarest treasure the world ever
+contained.'</p>
+
+<p>"I must confess, my lord, I was enraged at these expressions; for, in
+truth, this adored mortal was by no means what you would imagine him to
+have been. He was a black Indian, one of the original natives of this
+country. I was so enraged at the language addressed to him, that I
+discovered myself, and apostrophising the tomb in my turn, I cried, 'O
+tomb! why dost thou not swallow up that monster so revolting to human
+nature, or rather why dost thou not swallow up this pair of monsters?'</p>
+
+<p>"I had scarcely uttered these words, when the queen, who sat by the
+black, rose up like a fury: 'Miscreant!' said she, 'thou art the cause
+of my grief; do not think I am ignorant of this, I have dissembled too
+long. It was thy barbarous hand that brought the object of my fondness
+into this lamentable condition; and thou hast the cruelty to come and
+insult me.' 'Yes,' said I, in a rage, 'it was I who chastised that
+monster, according to his desert; I ought to have treated thee in the
+same manner; I now repent that I did not; thou hast too long abused my
+goodness.' As I spoke these words, I drew out my cimeter, and lifted up
+my hand to punish her; but regarding me steadfastly, she said with a
+jeering smile, 'Moderate thine anger.' At the same time she pronounced
+words I did not understand; and afterward added, 'By virtue of my
+enchantments, I command thee to become half marble and half man.'
+Immediately, my lord, I became what you see, a dead man among the
+living, and a living man among the dead. After this cruel sorceress,
+unworthy of the name of queen, had metamorphosed me thus, and brought me
+into this hall, by another enchantment she destroyed my capital, which
+was very flourishing and populous; she annihilated the houses, the
+public places and markets, and reduced the site of the whole to the lake
+and desert plain you have seen; the fishes of four colours in the waters
+are the four kinds of inhabitants, of different religions, which the
+city contained. The white are the Mussulmans; the red, the Persians, who
+worship fire; the blue, the Christians; and the yellow, the Jews. The
+four little hills were the four islands that gave name to this kingdom.
+I learned all this from the enchantress, who, to add to my affliction,
+related to me these effects of her rage. But this is not all; her
+revenge not being satisfied with the destruction of my dominions, and
+the metamorphosis of my person, she comes every day, and gives me over
+my naked shoulders a hundred lashes with a whip until I am covered with
+blood. When she has finished this part of my punishment, she throws over
+me a coarse stuff of goat's hair, and over that this robe of brocade,
+not to honour, but to mock me."</p>
+
+<p>When he came to this part of his narrative, the young king could not
+restrain his tears; and the sultan was himself so affected by the
+relation, that he could not find utterance for any words of consolation.
+Shortly after, the young king, lifting up his eyes to heaven, exclaimed,
+"Mighty creator of all things, I submit myself to Thy judgments, and to
+the decrees of Thy providence: I endure my calamities with patience,
+since it is Thy will that things should be as they are; but I hope that
+Thy infinite goodness will ultimately reward me."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus06.jpg" alt="narrative"  />
+<a id="illus06" name="illus06"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>When he came to this part of his narrative the young king could not
+restrain his tears.</i></p>
+
+
+<p>The sultan, greatly moved by the recital of this affecting story, and
+anxious to avenge the sufferings of the unfortunate prince, said to him:
+"Inform me whither this perfidious sorceress retires, and where may be
+found the vile wretch, who is entombed before his death." "My lord,"
+replied the prince, "the Indian, as I have already told you, is lodged
+in the Palace of Tears, in a superb tomb constructed in the form of a
+dome: this palace joins the castle on the side in which the gate is
+placed. As to the queen, I cannot tell you precisely whither she
+retires, but every day at sunrise she goes to visit her charge, after
+having executed her bloody vengeance upon me; and you see I am not in a
+condition to defend myself. She carries to him the potion with which she
+has hitherto prevented his dying, and always complains of his never
+having spoken to her since he was wounded."</p>
+
+<p>"Prince," said the sultan, "your condition can never be sufficiently
+deplored: no one can be more sensibly affected by your misfortune than I
+am. Never did anything so extraordinary befall any man! One thing only
+is wanting; the revenge to which you are entitled, and I will omit
+nothing in my power to effect it."</p>
+
+<p>In his subsequent conversation with the young prince the sultan told him
+who he was, and for what purpose he had entered the castle; and
+afterward informed him of a mode of revenge which he had devised. They
+agreed upon the measures they were to take for accomplishing their
+design, but deferred the execution of it till the following day. In the
+meantime, the night being far spent, the sultan took some rest; but the
+young prince passed the night as usual, without sleep, never having
+slept since he was enchanted.</p>
+
+<p>Next morning the sultan arose with the dawn, and prepared to execute his
+design, by proceeding to the Palace of Tears. He found it lighted up
+with an infinite number of flambeaux of white wax, and perfumed by a
+delicious scent issuing from several censers of fine gold of admirable
+workmanship. As soon as he perceived the bed where the Indian lay, he
+drew his cimeter and deprived him of his wretched life, dragged his
+corpse into the court of the castle, and threw it into a well. After
+this he went and lay down in the black's bed, placed his cimeter under
+the covering, and waited to complete his design.</p>
+
+<p>The queen arrived shortly after. She first went into the chamber of her
+husband, the king of the Black Islands, stripped him, and with
+unexampled barbarity gave him a hundred stripes. The unfortunate prince
+filled the palace with his lamentations, and conjured her in the most
+affecting tone to take pity on him; but the cruel wretch ceased not till
+she had given the usual number of blows. "You had no compassion," said
+she, "and you are to expect none from me."</p>
+
+<p>After the enchantress had given her husband a hundred blows with the
+whip, she put on again his covering of goat's hair, and his brocade gown
+over all; she went afterward to the Palace of Tears, and as she entered
+renewed her tears and lamentations; then approaching the bed, where she
+thought the Indian lay: "Alas!" said she, addressing herself to the
+sultan, conceiving him to be the black, "My sun, my life, will you
+always be silent? Are you resolved to let me die without affording me
+the comfort of hearing your voice?"</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, as if he had awaked out of a deep sleep, and counterfeiting
+the pronunciation of the blacks, answered the queen with a grave tone:
+"There is no strength or power but in God alone, who is almighty." At
+these words the enchantress, who did not expect them, uttered a loud
+exclamation of joy. "My dear lord," cried she, "do I not deceive myself;
+is it certain that I hear you, and that you speak to me?" "Unhappy
+woman," said the sultan, "art thou worthy that I should answer thee?"
+"Alas!" replied the queen, "why do you reproach me thus?" "The cries,"
+returned the sultan, "the groans and tears of thy husband, whom thou
+treatest every day with so much indignity and barbarity, prevent my
+sleeping night or day. Hadst thou disenchanted him, I should long since
+have been cured, and have recovered the use of my speech. This is the
+cause of my silence, of which you complain." "Well," said the
+enchantress, "to pacify you, I am ready to execute your commands; would
+you have me restore him?" "Yes," replied the sultan; "make haste to set
+him at liberty, that I be no longer disturbed by his lamentations." The
+enchantress went immediately out of the Palace of Tears; she took a cup
+of water, and pronounced some words over it, which caused it to boil, as
+if it had been on the fire. She afterward proceeded to the young king,
+and threw the water upon him, saying: "If the Creator of all things did
+form thee as thou art at present, or if He be angry with thee, do not
+change; but if thou art in that condition merely by virtue of my
+enchantments, resume thy natural shape, and become what thou wast
+before." She had scarcely spoken these words when the prince, finding
+himself restored to his former condition, rose up and returned thanks to
+God. The enchantress then said to him, "Get thee from this castle, and
+never return on pain of death." The young king, yielding to necessity,
+went away without replying a word, and retired to a remote place, where
+he patiently awaited the event of the design which the sultan had so
+happily begun. Meanwhile the enchantress returned to the Palace of
+Tears, and supposing that she still spoke to the black, said, "Dear
+love, I have done what you required; nothing now prevents your rising
+and giving me the satisfaction of which I have so long been deprived."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, still counterfeiting the pronunciation of the black, said:
+"What you have now done is by no means sufficient for my cure; you have
+only removed a part of the evil; you must cut it up by the root." "My
+lovely black," resumed the queen, "what do you mean by the root?"
+"Wretched woman," replied the sultan, "understand you not that I allude
+to the town and its inhabitants, and the four islands, destroyed by thy
+enchantments? The fish every night at midnight raise their heads out of
+the lake, and cry for vengeance against thee and me. This is the true
+cause of the delay of my cure. Go speedily, restore things to their
+former state, and at thy return I will give thee my hand, and thou shalt
+help me to arise."</p>
+
+<p>The enchantress, inspired with hope from these words, cried out in a
+transport of joy, "My heart, my soul, you shall soon be restored to your
+health, for I will immediately do as you command me." Accordingly she
+went that instant, and when she came to the brink of the lake she took a
+little water in her hand, and sprinkling it, she pronounced some words
+over the fish and the lake, and the city was immediately restored. The
+fish became men, women, and children; Mohammedans, Christians, Persians,
+or Jews; freemen or slaves, as they were before: every one having
+recovered his natural form. The houses and shops were immediately filled
+with their inhabitants, who found all things as they were before the
+enchantment. The sultan's numerous retinue, who found themselves
+encamped in the largest square, were astonished to see themselves in an
+instant in the middle of a large, handsome, well-peopled city.</p>
+
+<p>To return to the enchantress: As soon as she had effected this wonderful
+change, she returned with all expedition to the Palace of Tears, that
+she might receive her reward. "My dear lord," cried she, as she entered,
+"I have done all that you required of me, then pray rise and give me
+your hand." "Come near," said the sultan, still counterfeiting the
+pronunciation of the black. She did so. "You are not near enough," he
+continued; "approach nearer." She obeyed. He then rose up, and seizing
+her by the arm so suddenly that she had not time to discover him, he
+with a blow of his cimeter cut her in two, so that one half fell one way
+and the other another. This done, he left the body on the spot, and
+going out of the Palace of Tears, went to seek the young king of the
+Black Isles, who waited for him with great impatience. When he found
+him, "Prince," said he, embracing him, "rejoice; you have now nothing to
+fear; your cruel enemy is dead."</p>
+
+<p>The young prince returned thanks to the sultan in a manner that
+sufficiently evinced his gratitude, and in return wished him long life
+and happiness. "You may henceforward," said the sultan, "dwell peaceably
+in your capital, unless you will accompany me to mine, which is near:
+you shall there be welcome, and have as much honour shown you as if you
+were in your own kingdom." "Potent monarch, to whom I am so much
+indebted," replied the king, "you think, then, that you are near your
+capital." "Yes," said the sultan, "I know it is not above four or five
+hours' journey." "It will take you a whole year to return," said the
+prince. "I do indeed believe that you came hither from your capital in
+the time you mention, because mine was enchanted; but since the
+enchantment is taken off, things are changed: however, this shall not
+prevent my following you, were it to the utmost corners of the earth.
+You are my deliverer, and that I may give you proofs of my
+acknowledgment of this during my whole life, I am willing to accompany
+you, and to leave my kingdom without regret."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan was extremely surprised to understand that he was so far from
+his dominions, and could not imagine how it could be, but the young king
+of the Black Islands convinced him beyond a possibility of doubt. Then
+the sultan replied: "It is no matter; the trouble of returning to my own
+country is sufficiently recompensed by the satisfaction of having
+obliged you, and by acquiring you for a son; for since you will do me
+the honour to accompany me, as I have no child, I look upon you as such,
+and from this moment appoint you my heir and successor."</p>
+
+<p>The young prince then employed himself in making preparations for his
+journey, which were finished in three weeks, to the great regret of his
+court and subjects, who agreed to receive at his hands one of his
+nearest kindred for their monarch.</p>
+
+<p>At length the sultan and the young prince began their journey, with a
+hundred camels laden with inestimable riches from the treasury, followed
+by fifty handsome gentlemen on horseback, perfectly well mounted and
+dressed. They had a pleasant journey; and when the sultan, who had sent
+couriers to give advice of his delay, and of the adventure which had
+occasioned it, approached his capital, the principal officers came to
+receive him, and to assure him that his long absence had occasioned no
+alteration in his empire. The inhabitants also came out in great crowds,
+received him with acclamations, and made public rejoicings for several
+days.</p>
+
+<p>The day after his arrival the sultan acquainted his courtiers with his
+adoption of the king of the Four Black Islands, who was willing to leave
+a great kingdom to accompany and live with him; and in reward for their
+loyalty, he made each of them presents according to their rank.</p>
+
+<p>As for the fisherman, as he was the first cause of the deliverance of
+the young prince, the sultan gave him a plentiful fortune, which made
+him and his family happy the rest of his days.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_GULNARE_OF_THE_SEA" id="THE_STORY_OF_GULNARE_OF_THE_SEA"></a>THE STORY OF GULNARE OF THE SEA</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was, in olden time, and in an ancient age and period, in the land
+of the Persians, a king named Shahzeman, and the place of his residence
+was Khorassan. He had not been blest, during his whole life, with a male
+child nor a female; and he reflected upon this, one day, and lamented
+that the greater portion of his life had passed, and he had no heir to
+take the kingdom after him as he had inherited it from his fathers and
+forefathers. So the utmost grief befell him on this account.</p>
+
+<p>Now while he was sitting one day, one of his mamelukes came in to him,
+and said to him: "O my lord, at the door is a slave-girl with a
+merchant: none more beautiful than she hath been seen." And he replied:
+"Bring to me the merchant and the slave-girl." The merchant and the
+slave-girl therefore came to him; and when he saw her, he found her to
+resemble the lance in straightness and slenderness. She was wrapped in a
+garment of silk embroidered with gold, and the merchant uncovered her
+face, whereupon the place was illuminated by her beauty, and there hung
+down from her forehead seven locks of hair reaching to her anklets. The
+King, therefore, wondered at the sight of her, and at her beauty, and
+her stature and justness of form; and he said to the merchant: "O
+sheikh, for how much is this damsel to be sold?" The merchant answered:
+"O my lord, I purchased her for two thousand pieces of gold of the
+merchant who owned her before me, and I have been for three years
+travelling with her, and she hath cost, to the period of her arrival at
+this place, three thousand pieces of gold; and she is a present from me
+unto thee." Upon this, the king conferred upon him a magnificent robe of
+honour, and gave orders to present him with ten thousand pieces of gold.
+So he took them, and kissed the hands of the king, thanking him for his
+beneficence, and departed. Then the king committed the damsel to the
+tirewomen, saying to them: "Amend the state of this damsel, and deck
+her, and furnish for her a private chamber, and take her into it." He
+also gave orders to his chamberlains that everything which she required
+should be conveyed to her. The seat of government where he resided was
+on the shore of the sea, and his city was called the White City. And
+they conducted the damsel into a private chamber, which chamber had
+windows overlooking the sea; and the king commanded his chamberlains to
+close all the doors upon her after taking to her all that she required.</p>
+
+<p>The king then went in to visit the damsel; but she rose not to him, nor
+took any notice of him. So the king said: "It seemeth that she hath been
+with people who have not taught her good manners." And looking at the
+damsel, he saw her to be a person surpassing in loveliness, her face was
+like the disk of the moon at the full, or the shining sun in the clear
+sky; and he wondered at her beauty, extolling the perfection of God, the
+Creator: then the king advanced to the damsel, and seated himself by her
+side, pressed her to his bosom, and kissed her lips, which he found to
+be sweeter than honey. After this, he gave orders to bring tables of the
+richest viands, comprising dishes of every kind; and he ate, and put
+morsels into her mouth until she was satisfied; but she spoke not a
+single word. The king talked to her, and inquired of her her name; but
+she was silent, not uttering a word, nor returning him an answer,
+ceasing not to hang down her head toward the ground; and what protected
+her from the anger of the king was her beauty, and her tenderness of
+manner. So the king said within himself: "Extolled be the perfection of
+God, the Creator of this damsel! How elegant is she, saving that she
+doth not speak!"&mdash;Then the king asked the female slaves whether she had
+spoken; and they answered him: "From the time of her arrival to the
+present moment she hath not spoken one word, and we have not heard her
+talk." The king therefore caused some of them to come, and sing to her,
+and make merry with her, thinking that then she might perhaps speak.
+Accordingly the female slaves played before her with all kinds of
+musical instruments, and enacted sports and other performances, and they
+sang so that every one who was present was moved with delight, except
+the damsel, who looked at them and was silent, neither laughing nor
+speaking. So the heart of the king was contracted. He however inclined
+to her entirely, paying no regard to others, but relinquishing all the
+rest of his favourites.</p>
+
+<p>He remained with her a whole year, which seemed as one day, and still
+she spoke not; and he said to her one day, when his passion was
+excessive: "O desire of souls, verily the love that I have for thee is
+great, and I have relinquished for thy sake all my worldly portion, and
+been patient with thee a whole year. I beg God that He will, in His
+grace, soften thy heart toward me, and that thou mayest speak to me. Or,
+if thou be dumb, inform me by a sign, that I may give up hope of thy
+speaking. I also beg of God that He will bless thee with a son that may
+inherit my kingdom after me; for I am solitary, having none to be my
+heir, and my age hath become great. I conjure thee, then, by Allah, if
+thou love me, that thou return me a reply." And upon this, the damsel
+hung her head toward the ground, meditating. Then she raised her head,
+and smiled in the face of the king, whereat it appeared to the king that
+lightning filled the private chamber; and she said: "O magnanimous King,
+God hath answered thy prayer; for I am about to bring thee a child, and
+the time is almost come. And were it not that I knew this thing, I had
+not spoken to thee one word." And when the king heard what she said, his
+face brightened up with happiness, and he kissed her hands by reason of
+the violence of his joy, and said: "Praise be to God who hath favoured
+me with things that I desired; the first, thy speaking; and the second,
+thy information that thou art about to bring me a child." Then the king
+arose and went forth from her, and seated himself upon the throne of his
+kingdom in a state of exceeding happiness; and he ordered the vizier to
+give out to the poor and the needy a hundred thousand pieces of gold as
+a thank-offering to God. So the vizier did as the king had commanded
+him. And after that, the king went in to the damsel, and embraced her,
+saying to her: "O my mistress, wherefore hath been this silence, seeing
+that thou hast been with me a whole year, awake and asleep, yet hast not
+spoken to me, except on this day?"</p>
+
+<p>The damsel answered: "Hear, O King of the age, and know that I am a poor
+person, a stranger, broken-hearted: I have become separated from my
+mother, and my family, and my brother." And when the king heard her
+words, he knew her desire, and he replied: "As to thy saying that thou
+art poor, there is no occasion for such an assertion; for all my kingdom
+and possessions are at thy service, and as to thy saying, 'I have become
+separated from my mother and my family and my brother'&mdash;inform me in
+what place they are, and I will send to them, and bring them to thee."
+So she said to him: "Know, O King, that my name is Gulnare (<i>Pomegranate
+Flower</i>) of the Sea. My father was one of the Kings of the Sea, and he
+died, and left to us the kingdom; but while we were enjoying it, another
+of the kings came upon us, and took the kingdom from our hands. I have
+also a brother named Saleh, and my mother is of the women of the sea;
+and I quarrelled with my brother, and swore that I would throw myself
+into the hands of a man of the inhabitants of the land. Accordingly I
+came forth from the sea, and sat upon the shore of an island in the
+moonlight, and there passed by a man who took me and sold me to this man
+from whom thou tookest me, and he was an excellent, virtuous man, a
+person of religion and fidelity and kindness. But had not thy heart
+loved me, and hadst thou not preferred me above all thy wives, I had not
+remained with thee one hour; for I should have cast myself into the sea
+from this window, and gone to my mother and my people. I was ashamed,
+however, to go to them; for they would imagine evil of me, and would not
+believe me, even though I should swear to them, were I to tell them that
+a king had purchased me with his money, and chosen me in preference to
+his other wives and all that his right hand possessed. This is my story,
+and peace be on thee!" And when he heard her words, he thanked her, and
+kissed her between the eyes, and said to her: "By Allah, O my mistress,
+and light of my eyes, I cannot endure separation from thee for one hour;
+and if thou quit me, I shall die instantly. How then shall the affair
+be?" She answered: "O my master, the time of the birth is near, and my
+family must come." "And how," said the king, "do they walk in the sea
+without being wetted?" She answered: "We walk in the sea as ye walk upon
+the land, through the influence of the names engraved upon the seal of
+Solomon, the son of David, upon both of whom be peace! But, O King,
+when my family and my brethren come, I will inform them that thou
+boughtest me with thy money, and hast treated me with beneficence, and
+it will be meet that thou confirm my assertion to them. They will also
+see thy state with their eyes, and will know that thou art a king, the
+son of a king." And thereupon the king said: "O my mistress, do what
+seemeth fit to thee, and what thou wishest; for I will comply with thy
+desire in all that thou wilt do." And the damsel said: "Know, O King of
+the age, that we walk in the sea with our eyes open, and see what is in
+it, and we see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the sky as on
+the face of the earth, and this hurteth us not. Know also, that in the
+sea are many peoples and various forms of all the kinds that are on the
+land; and know, moreover, that all that is on the land, in comparison
+with what is in the sea, is a very small matter." And the king wondered
+at her words.</p>
+
+<p>Then the damsel took a bit of aloes-wood and, having lighted a fire in a
+perfuming-vessel, threw into it that bit, and she proceeded to speak
+words which no one understood; whereupon a great smoke arose, while the
+king looked on. After this, she said to the king: "O my lord, arise and
+conceal thyself in a closet, that I may shew thee my brother and my
+mother and my family without their seeing thee; for I desire to bring
+them, and thou shalt see in this place, at this time, a wonder, and
+shalt marvel at the various shapes and strange forms that God hath
+created." So the king arose immediately, and entered a closet, and
+looked to see what she would do. And she proceeded to burn perfume and
+repeat spells until the sea foamed and was agitated, and there came
+forth from it a young man of comely form, of beautiful countenance, like
+the moon at the full, with shining forehead, and red cheeks, and hair
+resembling pearls and jewels; he was, of all the creation, the most
+like to his sister, and the tongue of the case itself seemed to recite
+in his praise these verses:&mdash;</p>
+
+<div class='blockquot'><p>
+The moon becometh perfect once in each month; but the loveliness of thy
+face is perfect every day.<br />
+Its abode is in the heart of one sign at a time; but thine abode is in all
+hearts at once.
+</p></div>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus07.jpg" alt="perfume"  />
+<a id="illus07" name="illus07"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>And she proceeded to burn perfume and repeat spells until the sea
+foamed and was agitated.</i></p>
+
+<p>Afterward, there came forth from the sea a grizzly-haired old woman, and
+with her five damsels, resembling moons and bearing a likeness to the
+damsel whose name was Gulnare. Then the king saw the young man and the
+old woman and the damsels walk upon the surface of the water until they
+came to Gulnare; and when they drew near to the window, and she beheld
+them, she rose to them and met them with joy. On their seeing her, they
+knew her, and they went in to her and embraced her, weeping violently;
+and they said to her: "O Gulnare, how is it that thou leavest us for
+four years, and we know not the place in which thou art? By Allah, we
+had no delight in food nor in drink a single day, weeping night and day
+on account of the excess of our longing to see thee." Then the damsel
+began to kiss the hand of her brother, and the hand of her mother, and
+so also the hands of the daughters of her uncle, and they sat with her
+awhile, asking her respecting her state, and the things that had
+happened to her, and her present condition.</p>
+
+<p>So she said to them: "Know ye, that when I quitted you, and came forth
+from the sea, I sat upon the shore of an island, and a man took me, and
+sold me to a merchant, and the merchant brought me to this city, and
+sold me to its king for ten thousand pieces of gold. Then he treated me
+with attention, and forsook all his favourites for my sake, and was
+diverted by his regard for me from everything that he possessed and what
+was in his city." And when her brother heard her words, he said:
+"Praise be to God who hath reunited us! But it is my desire, O my
+sister, that thou wouldst arise and go with us to our country and our
+family." So when the king heard the words of her brother, his reason
+fled in consequence of his fear lest the damsel should accept the
+proposal of her kindred, and he could not prevent her, though he was
+inflamed with love of her; wherefore he became perplexed in violent fear
+of her separation. But as to the damsel Gulnare, on hearing the words of
+her brother she said: "By Allah, O my brother, the man who purchased me
+is the king of this city, and he is a great king, and a man of wisdom,
+generous, of the utmost liberality. He hath treated me with honour, and
+he is a person of kindness, and of great wealth, but hath no male child
+nor a female. He hath shewn me favour too, and acted well to me in every
+respect; and from the day when I came to him to the present time, I have
+not heard from him a word to grieve my heart; but he hath not ceased to
+treat me with courtesy, and I am living with him in the most perfect of
+enjoyments. Moreover, if I quitted him, he would perish: for he can
+never endure my separation even for a single hour. I also, if I quitted
+him, should die of my love for him in consequence of his kindness to me
+during the period of my residence with him; for if my father were
+living, my condition with him would not be like my condition with this
+great, glorious king. God (whose name be exalted!) afflicted me not, but
+compensated me well; and as the king hath not a male child nor a female,
+I beg God to bless me with a son that may inherit of this great king
+these palaces and possessions." And when her brother, and the daughters
+of her uncle, heard her words, their eyes became cheerful thereat, and
+they said to her: "O Gulnare, thou art acquainted with our affection for
+thee, and thou art assured that thou art the dearest of all persons to
+us, and art certain that we desire for thee comfort, without trouble or
+toil. Therefore if thou be not in a state of comfort, arise and
+accompany us to our country and our family; but if thou be comfortable
+here, in honour and happiness, this is our desire and wish." And Gulnare
+replied: "By Allah, I am in a state of the utmost enjoyment, in honour
+and desirable happiness." So when the king heard these words from her,
+he rejoiced, and he thanked her for them; his love for her penetrated to
+his heart's core, and he knew that she loved him as he loved her, and
+that she desired to remain with him to see his child which she was to
+bring to him.</p>
+
+<p>Then the damsel Gulnare of the Sea gave orders to the female slaves to
+bring forward viands of all kinds; and Gulnare herself was the person
+who superintended the preparation of the viands in the kitchen. So the
+female slaves brought to them the viands, and the sweetmeats, and the
+fruits; and she ate with her family. But afterward they said to her: "O
+Gulnare, thy master is a man who is a stranger to us, and we have
+entered his abode without his permission, and thou praisest to us his
+excellence, and hast also brought to us his food, and we have eaten, but
+have not seen him, nor hath he seen us, nor come into our presence, nor
+eaten with us, that the bond of bread and salt might be established
+between us." And they all desisted from eating, and were enraged at her,
+and fire began to issue from their mouths as from cressets. So when the
+king beheld this, his reason fled, in consequence of the violence of his
+fear of them. Then Gulnare rose to them, and soothed their hearts; after
+which she walked along until she entered the closet in which was the
+king her master; and she said to him: "O my master, didst thou see, and
+didst thou hear my thanks to thee, and my praise of thee in the presence
+of my family; and didst thou hear what they said to me, that they
+desired to take me with them to our family and our country?" The king
+answered her: "I heard and saw. May God recompense thee! By Allah, I
+knew not the extent of the love that thou feelest for me until this
+blessed hour." She replied: "O my master, is the recompense of
+beneficence aught but beneficence? How then could my heart be happy to
+quit thee, and to depart from thee? Now I desire of thy goodness that
+thou come and salute my family, that they may see thee, and that
+pleasure and mutual friendship may ensue. For know, O King, that my
+brother and my mother and the daughters of my uncle have conceived a
+great love for thee in consequence of my praising thee to them, and they
+have said, 'We will not depart from thee to our country until we have an
+interview with the king, and salute him.'" And the king said to her: "I
+hear and obey; for this is what I desire." He then rose from his place,
+and went to them, and saluted them with the best salutation; and they
+hastened to rise to him; they met him in the most polite manner, and he
+sat with them in the pavilion, ate with them at the table, and remained
+with them for a period of thirty days. Then they desired to return to
+their country and abode. So they took leave of the king and Queen
+Gulnare of the Sea, and departed from them, after the king had treated
+them with the utmost honour.</p>
+
+<p>After this, Gulnare gave birth to a boy, resembling the moon at the
+full, whereat the king experienced the utmost happiness, because he had
+not before been blessed with a son nor a daughter during his life. They
+continued the rejoicings, and the decoration of the city, for a period
+of seven days, in the utmost happiness and enjoyment; and on the seventh
+day, the mother of Gulnare, and her brother, and the daughters of her
+uncle, all came, when they knew that she had given birth to her child.
+The king met them, rejoicing at their arrival, and said to them: "I said
+that I would not name my son until ye should come, and that ye should
+name him according to your knowledge." And they named him Bedr Basim
+(<i>Smiling Full Moon</i>), all of them agreeing as to this name. They then
+presented the boy to his maternal uncle, Saleh, who took him upon his
+hands, and, rising with him from among them, walked about the palace to
+the right and left; after which he went forth with him from the palace,
+descended with him to the sea, and walked on until he became concealed
+from the eye of the king. So when the king saw that he had taken his
+son, and disappeared from him at the bottom of the sea, he despaired of
+him, and began to weep and wail. But Gulnare, seeing him in this state,
+said to him, "O King of the age, fear not nor grieve for thy son; for I
+love my child more than thou, and my child is with my brother; therefore
+fear not his being drowned. If my brother knew that any injury would
+betide the little one, he had not done what he hath done; and presently
+he will bring thee thy son safe, if it be the will of God, whose name be
+exalted!" And but a short time had elapsed when the sea was agitated,
+and the uncle of the little one came forth from it, having with him the
+king's son safe, and he flew from the sea until he came to them, with
+the little one in his arms, silent, and his face resembling the moon in
+the night of its fulness. Then the uncle of the little one looked toward
+the king, and said to him: "Perhaps thou fearedst some injury to thy son
+when I descended into the sea, having him with me." So he replied: "Yes,
+O my master, I feared for him, and I did not imagine that he would ever
+come forth from it safe." And Saleh said to him: "O King of the Land, we
+applied to his eyes a lotion that we know, and repeated over him the
+names engraved upon the seal of Solomon, the son of David; for when a
+child is born among us, we do to him as I have told thee. Fear not
+therefore, on his account, drowning, nor suffocation, nor all the seas
+if he descend into them. Like as ye walk upon the land, we walk in the
+sea."</p>
+
+<p>He then took forth from his pocket a case, written upon, and sealed; and
+he broke its seal, and scattered its contents, whereupon there fell from
+it strung jewels, consisting of all kinds of jacinths and other gems,
+together with three hundred oblong emeralds, and three hundred oblong
+large jewels, of the size of the eggs of the ostrich, the light of which
+was more resplendent than the light of the sun and the moon. And he
+said: "O King of the age, these jewels and jacinths are a present from
+me unto thee; for we never brought thee a present, because we knew not
+the place of Gulnare's abode. So when we saw thee to have become united
+to her, and that we all had become one, we brought thee this present;
+and after every period of a few days, we will bring thee the like of it.
+For these jewels and jacinths with us are more plentiful than the gravel
+upon the land, and we know the excellent among them, and the bad, and
+the places where they are found, and they are easy of access to
+us."&mdash;And when the king looked at those jewels, his reason was
+confounded and his mind was bewildered, and he said: "By Allah, one of
+these jewels is worth my kingdom!" Then the king thanked Saleh of the
+Sea for his generosity, and looking toward the Queen Gulnare said to
+her: "I am abashed at thy brother; for he hath shewn favour to me, and
+presented me with this magnificent present, which the people of the
+earth would fail to procure." So Gulnare thanked her brother for that
+which he had done; but her brother said: "O King of the age, to thank
+thee hath been incumbent on us; for thou hast treated my sister with
+beneficence, and we have entered thine abode, and eaten of thy
+provision." Then Saleh said: "If we stood serving thee, O King of the
+age, a thousand years, regarding nothing else, we could not requite
+thee, and our doing so would be but a small thing in comparison with thy
+desert." And Saleh remained with the king, he and his mother and the
+daughters of his uncle, forty days; after which he arose and kissed the
+ground before the king, the husband of his sister. So the king said to
+him: "What dost thou desire, O Saleh?" And he answered: "O King of the
+age, we desire of thy goodness that thou wouldst give us permission to
+depart; for we have become desirous of seeing again our family and our
+country and our relations and our homes. We will not, however,
+relinquish the service of thee, nor that of my sister nor the son of my
+sister; and by Allah, O King of the age, to quit you is not pleasant to
+my heart; but how can we act, when we have been reared in the sea, and
+the land is not agreeable to us?" So when the king heard his words, he
+rose upon his feet, and bade farewell to Saleh of the Sea and his mother
+and the daughters of his uncle, and they wept together on account of the
+separation. Then they said to the king: "We will never relinquish you,
+but after every period of a few days we will visit you." And after this,
+they flew toward the sea, and descended into it, and disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>The king treated Gulnare with beneficence, and honoured her exceedingly,
+and the little one grew up well; and his maternal uncle, with his
+grandmother and the daughters of his uncle, after every period of a few
+days used to come to the residence of the king, and to remain with him a
+month, and then return to their places. The boy ceased not to increase
+in beauty and loveliness until his age became fifteen years; and he was
+incomparable in his perfect beauty, and his stature and his justness of
+form. He had learned writing and reading, and history and grammar and
+philology, and archery; and he learned to play with the spear; and he
+also learned horsemanship, and all that the sons of the kings required.
+There was not one of the children of the inhabitants of the city, men
+and women, that talked not of the charms of that young man; for he was
+of surpassing loveliness and perfection; and the king loved him greatly.
+Then the king summoned the vizier and the emeers, and the lords of the
+empire, and the great men of the kingdom, and made them swear by binding
+oaths that they would make Bedr Basim king over them after his father;
+so they swore to him by binding oaths, and rejoiced thereat; and the
+king himself was beneficent to the people, courteous in speech and of
+auspicious aspect. And on the following day, the king mounted, together
+with the lords of the empire and all the emeers, and all the soldiers,
+and they ceased not to proceed until they arrived at the vestibule of
+the palace; the king's son riding. Thereupon he alighted, and his father
+embraced him, he and the emeers, and they seated him upon the throne of
+the kingdom, while his father stood, as also did the emeers, before him.
+Then Bedr Basim judged the people, displaced the tyrannical and invested
+the just, and continued to give judgment until near midday, when he rose
+from the throne of the kingdom, and went in to his mother, Gulnare of
+the Sea, having upon his head the crown, and resembling the moon. So
+when his mother saw him, and the king before him, she rose to him and
+kissed him, and congratulated him on his elevation to the dignity of
+sultan; and she offered up a prayer in favour of him and his father for
+length of life, and victory over their enemies. He then sat with his
+mother and rested; and when the time of afternoon-prayers arrived, he
+rode with the emeers before him until he came to the horse-course, where
+he played with arms till the time of nightfall, together with his
+father and the lords of his empire; after which he returned to the
+palace, with all the people before him. Every day he used to ride to the
+horse-course; and when he returned, he sat to judge the people, and
+administered justice between the emeer and the poor man. He ceased not
+to do thus for a whole year; and after that, he used to ride to the
+chase, and go about through the cities and provinces that were under his
+rule making proclamation of safety and security, and doing as do the
+kings; and he was incomparable among the people of his age in glory and
+courage, and in justice to the people.</p>
+
+<p>Now it came to pass that the old king, the father of Bedr Basim, fell
+sick one day, whereupon his heart throbbed, and he felt that he was
+about to be removed to the mansion of eternity. Then his malady
+increased so that he was at the point of death. He therefore summoned
+his son, and charged him to take care of his subjects and his mother and
+all the lords of his empire and all the dependants. He also made them
+swear, and covenanted with them a second time, that they would obey his
+son; and he confided in their oaths. And after this he remained a few
+days, and was admitted to the mercy of God, whose name be exalted! His
+son Bedr Basim, and his wife Gulnare and the emeers and viziers and the
+lords of the empire, mourned over him; and they made for him a tomb, and
+buried him in it, and continued the ceremonies of mourning for him a
+whole month. Saleh, the brother of Gulnare, and her mother, and the
+daughters of her uncle, also came, and consoled them for the loss of the
+king; and they said: "O Gulnare, if the king hath died, he hath left
+this ingenuous youth, and he who hath left such as he is hath not died.
+This is he who hath not an equal, the crushing lion, and the splendid
+moon." Then the lords of the empire, and the grandees, went in to the
+King Bedr Basim, and said to him: "O King, there is no harm in mourning
+for the king; but mourning becometh not any save women; therefore
+trouble not thy heart and ours by mourning for thy father; for he hath
+died and left thee, and he who hath left such as thou art hath not
+died." They proceeded to address him with soft words, and to console
+him, and after that they conducted him into the bath; and when he came
+forth from the bath, he put on a magnificent suit woven of gold, adorned
+with jewels and jacinths, and he put the royal crown upon his head,
+seated himself upon the throne of his kingdom, and performed the affairs
+of the people, deciding equitably between the strong and the weak, and
+exacting for the poor man his due from the emeer; wherefore the people
+loved him exceedingly. Thus he continued to do for the space of a whole
+year; and after every short period, his family of the sea visited him;
+so his life was pleasant, and his eye was cheerful: and he ceased not to
+live in this state until he was visited by the terminator of delights
+and the separator of companions. This is the end of their story. The
+mercy of God be on them all!</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_ALADDIN_OR_THE_WONDERFUL_LAMP" id="THE_STORY_OF_ALADDIN_OR_THE_WONDERFUL_LAMP"></a>THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the capital of one of the large and rich provinces of the kingdom of
+China there lived a tailor, named Mustapha, who was so poor that he
+could hardly, by his daily labour, maintain himself and his family,
+which consisted of a wife and son.</p>
+
+<p>His son, who was called Aladdin, had been brought up in a very careless
+and idle manner, and by that means had contracted many vicious habits.
+He was obstinate, and disobedient to his father and mother, who, when he
+grew up, could not keep him within doors. He was in the habit of going
+out early in the morning, and would stay out all day, playing in the
+streets with idle children of his own age.</p>
+
+<p>When he was old enough to learn a trade, his father, not being able to
+put him out to any other, took him into his own shop, and taught him how
+to use his needle: but neither fair words nor the fear of chastisement
+were capable of fixing his lively genius. All his father's endeavours to
+keep him to his work were in vain; for no sooner was his back turned,
+than he was gone for that day. Mustapha chastised him, but Aladdin was
+incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief, was forced to abandon
+him to his idleness: and was so much troubled at not being able to
+reclaim him, that it threw him into a fit of sickness, of which he died
+in a few months.</p>
+
+<p>The mother, finding that her son would not follow his father's business,
+shut up the shop, sold off the implements of trade, and with the money
+she received for them, and what she could get by spinning cotton,
+thought to maintain herself and her son.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father, and
+who cared so little for his mother that whenever she chid him he would
+abuse her, gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never
+out of the streets from his companions. This course he followed till he
+was fifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or
+the least reflection on what would become of him. In this situation, as
+he was one day playing with his vagabond associates, a stranger passing
+by stood to observe him.</p>
+
+<p>This stranger was a sorcerer, called the African magician; as he was a
+native of Africa, and had been but two days arrived from thence.</p>
+
+<p>The African magician, who was a good physiognomist, observing in
+Aladdin's countenance something absolutely necessary for the execution
+of the design he was engaged in, inquired artfully about his family, who
+he was, and what were his inclinations; and when he had learned all he
+desired to know, went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades,
+said: "Child, was not your father called Mustapha, the tailor?" "Yes,
+sir," answered the boy; "but he has been dead a long time."</p>
+
+<p>At these words, the African magician threw his arms about Aladdin's
+neck, and kissed him several times with tears in his eyes. Aladdin, who
+observed his tears, asked him what made him weep. "Alas! my son," cried
+the African magician with a sigh, "how can I forbear? I am your uncle;
+your worthy father was my own brother. I have been many years abroad,
+and now I am come home with the hopes of seeing him, you tell me he is
+dead. But it is some relief to my affliction, that I knew you at first
+sight, you are so like him." Then he asked Aladdin, putting his hand
+into his purse, where his mother lived, and as soon as he had informed
+him, gave him a handful of small money, saying: "Go, my son, to your
+mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her
+to-morrow, that I may have the satisfaction of seeing where my good
+brother lived so long."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the African magician left his newly-adopted nephew, Aladdin
+ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given him.
+"Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" "No, child," replied his mother,
+"you have no uncle by your father's side, or mine." "I am just now
+come," said Aladdin, "from a man who says he is my uncle on my father's
+side. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was dead; and to
+show you that what I tell you is truth," added he, pulling out the
+money, "see what he has given me; he charged me to give his love to you,
+and to tell you that to-morrow he will come and pay you a visit, that he
+may see the house my father lived and died in." "Indeed, child," replied
+the mother, "your father had a brother, but he has been dead a long
+time, and I never heard of another."</p>
+
+<p>The mother and son talked no more then of the African magician; but the
+next day Aladdin's uncle found him playing in another part of the town
+with other youths, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold
+into his hand, and said to him: "Carry this, child, to your mother, tell
+her that I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something
+for supper; but first show me the house where you live."</p>
+
+<p>After Aladdin had showed the African magician the house, he carried the
+two pieces of gold to his mother, and when he had told her of his
+uncle's intention, she went out and bought provisions. She spent the
+whole day in preparing the supper; and at night, when it was ready, said
+to her son: "Perhaps your uncle knows not how to find our house; go and
+bring him if you meet with him."</p>
+
+<p>Though Aladdin had showed the magician the house, he was ready to go,
+when somebody knocked at the door, which he immediately opened; and the
+magician came in loaded with wine, and all sorts of fruits, which he
+brought for a dessert.</p>
+
+<p>After the African magician had given what he brought into Aladdin's
+hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to shew him the place
+where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when she had so
+done, he fell down and kissed it several times, crying out with tears in
+his eyes: "My poor brother! how unhappy am I, not to have come soon
+enough to give you one last embrace." Aladdin's mother desired him to
+sit down in the same place, but he declined. "No," said he, "but give me
+leave to sit opposite, that although I am deprived of the satisfaction
+of seeing one so dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of
+beholding the place where he used to sit."</p>
+
+<p>When the magician had sat down, he began to enter into discourse with
+Aladdin's mother: "My good sister," said he, "do not be surprised at
+your never having seen me all the time you were married to my brother
+Mustapha. I have been forty years absent from this country, which is my
+native place, as well as my late brother's; and during that time have
+travelled into the Indies, Persia, Arabia, Syria, and Egypt; have
+resided in the finest towns of those countries; and afterward crossed
+over into Africa, where I made a longer stay. At last, as it is natural
+for a man to remember his native country, I was desirous to see mine
+again, and to embrace my dear brother; and finding I had strength enough
+to undertake so long a journey, I immediately made the necessary
+preparations, and set out. I will not tell you the length of time it
+took me, all the obstacles I met with, and what fatigues I have endured
+to come hither; but nothing ever afflicted me so much, as hearing of my
+brother's death. I observed his features in the face of my nephew, your
+son, and distinguished him among a number of lads with whom he was at
+play; he can tell you how I received the most melancholy news that ever
+reached my ears. But God be praised for all things! it is a comfort for
+me to find, as it were, my brother in a son, who has his most remarkable
+features."</p>
+
+<p>The African magician, perceiving that the widow began to weep at the
+remembrance of her husband, changed the conversation, and turning toward
+her son, asked him his name. "I am called Aladdin," said he. "Well,
+Aladdin," replied the magician, "what business do you follow? Are you of
+any trade?"</p>
+
+<p>At this question the youth hung down his head, and was not a little
+abashed when his mother answered: "Aladdin is an idle fellow; his
+father, when alive, strove all he could to teach him his trade, but
+could not succeed; and since his death he does nothing but idle away his
+time in the streets, as you saw him, without considering he is no longer
+a child; and if you do not make him ashamed of it, I despair of his ever
+coming to any good. He knows that his father left him no fortune, and
+sees me endeavour to get bread by spinning cotton; for my part, I am
+resolved one of these days to turn him out of doors, and let him provide
+for himself."</p>
+
+<p>After these words, Aladdin's mother burst into tears; and the magician
+said: "This is not well, nephew; you must think of getting your
+livelihood. There are many sorts of trades, consider if you have not an
+inclination to some of them; perhaps you did not like your father's and
+would prefer another; come, do not disguise your sentiments from me; I
+will endeavour to help you." But finding that Aladdin returned no
+answer, "If you have no mind," continued he, "to learn any handicraft, I
+will take a shop for you, furnish it with all sorts of fine stuffs and
+linens; and with the money you make of them lay in fresh goods, and then
+you will live in an honourable way. Consult your inclination, and tell
+me freely what you think of my proposal."</p>
+
+<p>This plan greatly flattered Aladdin, who hated work but had sense enough
+to know that such shops were much frequented and the owners respected.
+He told the magician he had a greater inclination to that business than
+to any other, and that he should be much obliged to him for his
+kindness. "Since this profession is agreeable to you," said the African
+magician, "I will carry you with me to-morrow, clothe you as handsomely
+as the best merchants in the city, and afterward we will think of
+opening a shop as I mentioned."</p>
+
+<p>The widow, who never till then could believe that the magician was her
+husband's brother, no longer doubted after his promises of kindness to
+her son. She thanked him for his good intentions; and after having
+exhorted Aladdin to render himself worthy of his uncle's favour by good
+behaviour, served up supper, at which they talked of several indifferent
+matters; and then the magician, who saw that the night was pretty far
+advanced, took his leave, and retired.</p>
+
+<p>He came again the next day, as he had promised, and took Aladdin with
+him to a merchant, who sold all sorts of clothes for different ages and
+ranks ready made, and a variety of fine stuffs. He asked to see some
+that suited Aladdin in size; and Aladdin, charmed with the liberality of
+his new uncle, made choice of one, and the magician immediately paid for
+it.</p>
+
+<p>When the boy found himself so handsomely equipped, he returned his uncle
+thanks; who promised never to forsake him, but always to take him along
+with him; which he did to the most frequented places in the city, and
+particularly where the principal merchants kept their shops. When he
+brought him into the street where they sold the richest stuffs and
+finest linens, he said to Aladdin: "As you are soon to be a merchant, it
+is proper you should frequent these shops, and be acquainted with them."
+He then showed him the largest and finest mosques, carried him to the
+khans or inns where the merchants and travellers lodged, and afterward
+to the sultan's palace, where he had free access; and at last brought
+him to his own khan, where, meeting with some merchants he had become
+acquainted with since his arrival, he gave them a treat, to bring them
+and his pretended nephew acquainted.</p>
+
+<p>This entertainment lasted till night, when Aladdin would have taken
+leave of his uncle to go home, but the magician would not let him go by
+himself, but conducted him to his mother, who, as soon as she saw him so
+well dressed, was transported with joy, and bestowed a thousand
+blessings upon the magician, for being at so great an expense for her
+child. "Generous relation!" said she, "I know not how to thank you for
+your liberality! I wish you may live long enough to witness my son's
+gratitude, which he cannot better shew than by regulating his conduct by
+your good advice."</p>
+
+<p>"Aladdin," replied the magician, "is a good boy, and I believe we shall
+do very well; but I am sorry for one thing, which is, that I cannot
+perform to-morrow what I promised, because, as it is Friday, the shops
+will be shut up, and therefore we cannot hire or furnish one till
+Saturday. I will, however, call on him to-morrow and take him to walk in
+the gardens, where people of the best fashion generally resort. Perhaps
+he has never seen these amusements, he has only hitherto been among
+children; but now he must see men." The African magician then took his
+leave of the mother and the son, and retired.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin rose early the next morning, dressed himself to be ready, and
+after he had waited some time began to be impatient and stood watching
+at the door; but as soon as he perceived his uncle coming, he told his
+mother, took his leave of her, and ran to meet him.</p>
+
+<p>The magician caressed Aladdin, and said: "Come, my dear child, and I
+will shew you fine things." He then led him out at one of the gates of
+the city, to some magnificent palaces, to each of which belonged
+beautiful gardens, into which anybody might enter. At every building he
+came to, he asked Aladdin if he did not think it fine; and the youth was
+ready to answer when any one presented itself, crying out: "Here is a
+finer house, uncle, than any we have seen yet." By this artifice, the
+cunning magician led Aladdin some way into the country; and as he meant
+to carry him farther, pretending to be tired, he took an opportunity to
+sit down in one of the gardens on the brink of a fountain of clear
+water, which discharged itself by a lion's mouth of bronze into a basin:
+"Come, nephew," said he, "you must be weary as well as I; let us rest
+ourselves, and we shall be better able to pursue our walk."</p>
+
+<p>After they had sat down, the magician pulled from his girdle a
+handkerchief with cakes and fruit, which he had provided, and laid them
+on the edge of the basin. He broke a cake in two, gave one half to
+Aladdin and ate the other himself; and in regard to the fruit, left him
+at liberty to take which sort he liked best. During this short repast,
+he exhorted his nephew to leave off keeping company with vagabonds, and
+seek that of wise and prudent men, to improve by their conversation;
+"For," said he, "you will soon be at man's estate, and you cannot too
+early begin to imitate their example." When they had eaten as much as
+they liked, they pursued their walk through gardens separated from one
+another only by small ditches, which marked out the limits without
+interrupting the communication; so great was the confidence the
+inhabitants reposed in each other. By this means, the African magician
+drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the gardens, and crossed the country,
+till they nearly reached the mountains.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who had never been so far before, began to find himself much
+tired, and said to the magician: "Where are we going, uncle? We have
+left the gardens a great way behind us, and I see nothing but mountains;
+if we go much farther, I do not know whether I shall be able to reach
+the town again!" "Never fear, nephew," said the false uncle; "I will
+shew you another garden which surpasses all we have yet seen; and when
+we come there, you will say that you would have been sorry to have been
+so nigh, and not seen it." Aladdin was soon persuaded; and the magician,
+to make the way seem shorter and less fatiguing, told him a great many
+stories.</p>
+
+<p>At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height, and equal
+size, divided by a narrow valley, which was the place where the magician
+intended to execute the design that had brought him from Africa to
+China. "We will go no farther now," said he to Aladdin: "I will shew you
+here some extraordinary things, which, when you have seen, you will
+thank me for: but while I strike a light, gather up all the loose dry
+sticks you can see, to kindle a fire with."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin collected a great heap and the magician presently set them on
+fire, and when they were in a blaze, threw in some incense which raised
+a cloud of smoke. This he dispersed on each side, by pronouncing several
+magical words which the lad did not understand.</p>
+
+<p>At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the magician,
+and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass ring fixed into
+the middle. Aladdin was so frightened at what he saw, that he would have
+run away; but the magician caught hold of him, abused him, and gave him
+such a box on the ear that he knocked him down. Aladdin got up
+trembling, and with tears in his eyes, said to the magician: "What have
+I done, uncle, to be treated in this severe manner?" "I have my
+reasons," answered the magician; "I am your uncle, I supply the place of
+your father, and you ought to make no reply. But, child," added he,
+softening, "do not be afraid; for I shall not ask anything of you, but
+that you obey me punctually, if you would reap the advantages which I
+intend you." These fair promises calmed Aladdin's fears and resentment;
+and when the magician saw that he was appeased, he said to him: "You see
+what I have done by virtue of my incense, and the words I pronounced.
+Know then, that under this stone there is hidden a treasure, destined to
+be yours, and which will make you richer than the greatest monarch in
+the world: no person but yourself is permitted to lift this stone, or
+enter the cave; so you must punctually execute what I may command, for
+it is a matter of great consequence both to you and me."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus08.jpg" alt="trembling"  />
+<a id="illus08" name="illus08"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the magician,
+and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass ring fixed into
+the middle.</i></p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, amazed at all he saw and heard the magician say of the treasure
+which was to make him happy forevermore, forgot what was past, and
+rising, said: "Well, uncle, what is to be done? Command me, I am ready
+to obey." "I am overjoyed, child," said the African magician, embracing
+him; "take hold of the ring, and lift up that stone." "Indeed, uncle,"
+replied Aladdin, "I am not strong enough; you must help me." "You have
+no occasion for my assistance," answered the magician; "if I help you,
+we shall be able to do nothing; take hold of the ring, pronounce
+the names of your father and grandfather, then lift it up, and you will
+find it will come easily." Aladdin did as the magician bade him, raised
+the stone with ease, and laid it on one side.</p>
+
+<p>When the stone was pulled up, there appeared a cavity of about three or
+four feet deep, with a little door, and steps to go down lower.
+"Observe, my son," said the African magician, "what I direct. Descend
+into the cave, and when you are at the bottom of those steps you will
+find a door which will lead you into a spacious vault, divided into
+three great halls, in each of which you will see four large brass
+cisterns placed on each side, full of gold and silver; but take care you
+do not meddle with them. Before you enter the first hall, be sure to
+tuck up your vest, wrap it about you, and then pass through the second
+into the third without stopping. Above all, have a care that you do not
+touch the walls; for if you do, you will die instantly. At the end of
+the third hall, you will find a door which opens into a garden planted
+with fine trees loaded with fruit; walk directly across the garden by a
+path which will lead you to five steps that will bring you upon a
+terrace, where you will see a niche before you, and in that niche a
+lighted lamp. Take the lamp down, and extinguish it: when you have
+thrown away the wick, and poured out the liquor, put it in your vestband
+and bring it to me. Do not be afraid that the liquor will spoil your
+clothes, for it is not oil; and the lamp will be dry as soon as it is
+thrown out. If you should wish for any of the fruit of the garden, you
+may gather as much as you please."</p>
+
+<p>After these words, the magician drew a ring off his finger, and put it
+on one of Aladdin's, telling him that it was a preservative against all
+evil, while he should observe what he had prescribed to him. After this
+instruction he said: "Go down boldly, child, and we shall both be rich
+all our lives."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin jumped into the cave, descended the steps, and found the three
+halls just as the African magician had described. He went through them
+with all the precaution the fear of death could inspire; crossed the
+garden without stopping, took down the lamp from the niche, threw out
+the wick and the liquor, and, as the magician had desired, put it in his
+vestband. But as he came down from the terrace, he stopped in the garden
+to observe the fruit, which he only had a glimpse of in crossing it. All
+the trees were loaded with extraordinary fruit, of different colours on
+each tree. Some bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and
+transparent as crystal; some pale red, and others deeper; some green,
+blue, and purple, and others yellow: in short, there was fruit of all
+colours. The white were pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the
+deep red, rubies; the green, emeralds; the blue, turquoises; the purple,
+amethysts; and those that were of yellow cast, sapphires. Aladdin was
+altogether ignorant of their worth, and would have preferred figs and
+grapes, or any other fruits. But though he took them only for coloured
+glass of little value, yet he was so pleased with the variety of the
+colours, and the beauty and extraordinary size of the seeming fruit,
+that he resolved to gather some of every sort; and accordingly filled
+the two new purses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes. Some
+he wrapped up in the skirts of his vest, which was of silk, large and
+full, and he crammed his bosom as full as it could hold.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches, returned through the
+three halls with the same precaution, made all the haste he could, that
+he might not make his uncle wait, and soon arrived at the mouth of the
+cave, where the African magician expected him with the utmost
+impatience. As soon as Aladdin saw him, he cried out: "Pray, uncle, lend
+me your hand, to help me out." "Give me the lamp first," replied the
+magician; "it will be troublesome to you." "Indeed, uncle," answered
+Aladdin, "I cannot now; it is not troublesome to me: but I will as soon
+as I am up." The African magician was so obstinate, that he would have
+the lamp before he would help him up; and Aladdin, who had encumbered
+himself so much with his fruit that he could not well get at it, refused
+to give it to him till he was out of the cave. The African magician,
+provoked at this obstinate refusal, flew into a passion, threw a little
+of his incense into the fire, which he had taken care to keep in, and no
+sooner pronounced two magical words, than the stone which had closed the
+mouth of the cave moved into its place, with the earth over it in the
+same manner as it lay at the arrival of the magician and Aladdin.</p>
+
+<p>This action of the African magician's plainly shewed him to be neither
+Aladdin's uncle, nor Mustapha the tailor's brother; but a true African.
+Africa is a country whose inhabitants delight most in magic of any in
+the whole world, and he had applied himself to it from his youth. After
+forty years' experience in enchantments and reading of magic books, he
+had found out that there was in the world a wonderful lamp, the
+possession of which would render him more powerful than any monarch; and
+by a late operation of geomancy, he had discovered that this lamp lay
+concealed in a subterranean place in the midst of China. Fully persuaded
+of the truth of this discovery, he set out from the farthest part of
+Africa; and after a long and fatiguing journey came to the town nearest
+to this treasure. But though he had a certain knowledge of the place
+where the lamp was, he was not permitted to take it himself, nor to
+enter the subterranean place, but must receive it from the hands of
+another person. For this reason he had addressed himself to Aladdin,
+whom he looked upon as a lad fit to serve his purpose, resolving, as
+soon as he should get the lamp into his hands, to sacrifice him to his
+avarice and wickedness, by making the fumigation mentioned before, and
+repeating two magical words, the effect of which would remove the stone
+into its place, so that no witness would remain of the transaction.</p>
+
+<p>The blow he had given Aladdin was intended to make him obey the more
+readily, and give him the lamp as soon as he should ask for it. But his
+too great precipitation, and his fear lest somebody should come that way
+and discover what he wished to keep secret, produced an effect quite
+contrary to what he had proposed.</p>
+
+<p>When the African magician saw that all his hopes were frustrated
+forever, he returned the same day for Africa; but went quite round the
+town, and at some distance from it, lest some persons who had observed
+him walk out with the boy, on seeing him come back without him, should
+entertain suspicions, and stop him.</p>
+
+<p>According to all appearances, there was no prospect of Aladdin being
+heard of any more. But the magician, when he had contrived his death,
+forgot the ring he had put upon his finger, which preserved him, though
+he knew not its virtue. It may seem astonishing that the loss of that,
+together with the lamp, did not drive the magician to despair; but
+magicians are so much used to misfortunes that they do not lay them to
+heart, but still feed themselves, to the end of life, with unsubstantial
+notions and chimeras.</p>
+
+<p>The surprise of Aladdin, who had never suspected this treachery from his
+pretended uncle, is more easily to be imagined than expressed. When he
+found himself buried alive, he cried, and called out to his uncle, to
+tell him he was ready to give him the lamp; but in vain, since his cries
+could not be heard. He descended to the bottom of the steps, with a
+design to get into the garden, but the door, which was opened before by
+enchantment, was now shut by the same means. He then redoubled his
+cries, sat down on the steps, without any hopes of ever seeing light
+again, and in a melancholy certainty of passing from the present
+darkness into that of a speedy death.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin remained in this state two days, without eating or drinking, and
+on the third looked upon death as inevitable. Clasping his hands with
+resignation to the will of God, he said: "There is no strength or power
+but in the great and high God." In joining his hands he rubbed the ring
+which the magician had put on his finger, and of which he knew not yet
+the virtue. Immediately a genie of enormous size and frightful aspect
+rose out of the earth, his head reaching the roof of the vault, and said
+to him: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as the slave of
+all who may possess the ring on thy finger; I, and the other slaves of
+that ring."</p>
+
+<p>At another time, Aladdin, who had not been used to such appearances,
+would have been so frightened at the sight of so extraordinary a figure
+that he would not have been able to speak; but the danger he was in made
+him answer without hesitation: "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this
+place, if thou art able." He had no sooner spoken these words, than he
+found himself on the very spot where the magician had caused the earth
+to open.</p>
+
+<p>It was some time before his eyes could bear the light, after being so
+long in total darkness: but after he had endeavoured by degrees to
+support it, and began to look about him, he was much surprised not to
+find the earth open, and could not comprehend how he had got so soon out
+of its bowels. There was nothing to be seen but the place where the fire
+had been, by which he could nearly judge the situation of the cave. Then
+turning himself toward the town, he perceived it at a distance in the
+midst of the gardens that surrounded it, and saw the way by which the
+magician had brought him. Returning God thanks to find himself once more
+in the world, he made the best of his way home. When he got within his
+mother's door, the joy of seeing her and his weakness for want of food
+for three days made him faint, and he remained for a long time as dead.
+His mother, who had given him over for lost, seeing him in this
+condition, omitted nothing to bring him to himself. As soon as he
+recovered, the first words he spoke were: "Pray, mother, give me
+something to eat, for I have not put a morsel of anything into my mouth
+these three days." His mother brought what she had, and set it before
+him. "My son," said she, "be not too eager, for it is dangerous; eat but
+little at a time, and take care of yourself. Besides, I would not have
+you talk; you will have time enough to tell me what has happened to you
+when you are recovered. It is a great comfort to me to see you again,
+after the affliction I have been in since Friday, and the pains I have
+taken to learn what was become of you."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin took his mother's advice, and ate and drank moderately. When he
+had done, "Mother," said he to her, "I cannot help complaining of you,
+for abandoning me so easily to the discretion of a man who had a design
+to kill me, and who at this very moment thinks my death certain. You
+believed he was my uncle, as well as I; and what other thoughts could we
+entertain of a man who was so kind to me? but I must tell you, mother,
+he is a rogue and a cheat, and only made me those promises to accomplish
+my death; but for what reason neither you nor I can guess. You shall
+judge yourself, when you have heard all that passed from the time I left
+you, till he came to the execution of his wicked design."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin then related to his mother all that had happened to him, from
+the Friday when the magician took him to see the palaces and gardens
+about the town, till they came to the place between the two mountains
+where the great deed was to be performed; how, with incense which the
+magician threw into the fire, and some magical words which he
+pronounced, the earth opened, and discovered a cave, which led to an
+inestimable treasure. He did not forget the blow the magician had given
+him, and in what manner he softened again, and engaged him by great
+promises, and putting a ring on his finger, to go down into the cave. He
+did not omit the least circumstance of what he saw in crossing the three
+halls and the garden, and his taking the lamp, which he pulled out of
+his bosom and shewed to his mother: as well as the transparent fruit of
+different colours, which he had gathered in the garden as he returned.
+But, though these fruits were precious stones, brilliant as the sun, she
+was as ignorant of their worth as her son. She had been bred in a low
+rank of life, and her husband's poverty prevented his being possessed of
+jewels, nor had she, her relations, or neighbours ever seen any; so that
+we must not wonder that she regarded them as things of no value.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin put them behind one of the cushions of the sofa, and continued
+his story. When he had come to an end, Aladdin said to his mother: "I
+need say no more! this is my adventure, and the dangers I have been
+exposed to since you saw me."</p>
+
+<p>His mother heard with much interest this surprising relation,
+notwithstanding it could be no small affliction to a mother who loved
+her son tenderly; but yet in the most moving part, which discovered the
+perfidy of the African magician, she could not help showing, by marks of
+the greatest indignation, how much she detested him; and when her son
+had finished his story, she broke out into a thousand reproaches against
+that vile impostor. She called him perfidious traitor, barbarian,
+assassin, deceiver, magician, and an enemy and destroyer of mankind.
+"Without doubt, child," added she, "he is a magician, and they are
+plagues to the world, and by their enchantments and sorceries have
+commerce with the devil. Bless God for preserving you from his wicked
+designs; for your death would have been inevitable, if you had not
+called upon Him, and implored His assistance." She said a great deal
+more against the magician's treachery; but finding that whilst she
+talked, Aladdin began to doze, she left him to his repose, and retired.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who had not closed his eyes while he was in the subterranean
+abode, slept very soundly till late the next morning; when the first
+thing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something to eat, and
+that she could not do him a greater kindness than to give him his
+breakfast. "Alas! child," said she, "I have not a bit of bread to give
+you, you ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but
+have a little patience, and it shall not be long before I will bring you
+some: I have a little cotton, which I have spun; I will go and sell it,
+buy bread, and something for our dinner." "Mother," replied Aladdin,
+"keep your cotton for another time, and give me the lamp I brought home
+with me yesterday; I will go and sell it, and the money I shall get for
+it will serve both for breakfast and dinner, and perhaps supper too."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother took the lamp, and said to her son: "Here it is, but it
+is very dirty; if it was a little cleaner I believe it would bring
+something more." She took some fine sand and water to clean it; but had
+no sooner begun to rub it, than in an instant a hideous genie of
+gigantic size appeared before her, and said to her in a voice like
+thunder: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I and the
+other slaves of the lamp."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother, terrified at the sight of the genie, fainted; when the
+lad, who had seen such another phantom in the cavern, snatched the lamp
+out of his mother's hand, and said to the genie boldly: "I am hungry,
+bring me something to eat." The genie disappeared immediately, and in an
+instant returned with a large silver tray, holding twelve covered dishes
+of the same metal, which contained the most delicious viands; six large
+white bread-cakes on two plates, two flagons of wine, and two silver
+cups. All these he placed upon a carpet, and disappeared: this was done
+before Aladdin's mother recovered from her swoon.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin fetched some water, and sprinkled it in her face, to recover
+her: whether that or the smell of the meat brought her to life again, it
+was not long before she came to herself. "Mother," said Aladdin, "do not
+mind this; here is what will put you in heart, and at the same time
+satisfy my extreme hunger: do not let such delicious meat get cold."</p>
+
+<p>His mother was much surprised to see the great tray, twelve dishes, six
+loaves, the two flagons and cups, and to smell the savoury odour which
+exhaled from the dishes. "Child," said she, "to whom are we obliged for
+this great plenty and liberality; has the sultan been made acquainted
+with our poverty, and had compassion on us?" "It is no matter, mother,"
+said Aladdin; "let us sit down and eat, for you have almost as much need
+of breakfast as myself; when we have done, I will tell you."
+Accordingly, both mother and son sat down, and ate with the better
+relish as the table was so well furnished. But all the time Aladdin's
+mother could not forbear looking at and admiring the dishes, though she
+could not judge whether they were silver or any other metal, and the
+novelty more than the value attracted her attention.</p>
+
+<p>The mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and then
+they thought it would be best to put the two meals together; yet after
+this they found they should have enough left for supper, and two meals
+for the next day.</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin's mother had taken away what was left, she went and sat by
+her son on the sofa, saying: "I expect now that you should satisfy my
+impatience, and tell me exactly what passed between the genie and you
+while I was in a swoon;" which he readily complied with.</p>
+
+<p>She was in as great amazement at what her son told her, as at the
+appearance of the genie; and said to him: "But, son, what have we to do
+with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had ever seen
+one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me, and not to you,
+to whom he had appeared before in the cave?" "Mother," answered Aladdin,
+"the genie you saw is not the one who appeared to me, though he
+resembles him in size; no, they had quite different persons and habits;
+they belong to different masters. If you remember, he that I first saw
+called himself the slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw,
+called himself the slave of the lamp you had in your hand: but I believe
+you did not hear him, for I think you fainted as soon as he began to
+speak."</p>
+
+<p>"What!" cried the mother, "was your lamp then the occasion of that
+cursed genie's addressing himself rather to me than to you? Ah! my son,
+take it out of my sight, and put it where you please. I will never touch
+it. I had rather you would sell it, than run the hazard of being
+frightened to death again by touching it: and if you would take my
+advice, you would part also with the ring, and not have anything to do
+with genies, who, as our prophet has told us, are only devils."</p>
+
+<p>"With your leave, mother," replied Aladdin, "I shall take care how I
+sell a lamp which may be so serviceable both to you and me. Have you not
+been an eye-witness of what it has procured us? and it shall still
+continue to furnish us with subsistence. My false and wicked uncle would
+not have taken so much pains, and undertaken so long a journey, if it
+had not been to get into his possession this wonderful lamp, which he
+preferred before all the gold and silver which he knew was in the halls.
+He knew too well the worth of this lamp, not to prefer it to so great a
+treasure; and since chance hath discovered the virtue of it to us, let
+us make a profitable use of it, without making any great show, and
+exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbours. However, since the
+genies frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put
+it where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot resolve to part
+with; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I am
+alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I might not be so some moments
+hence; therefore I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear
+it always on my finger. Who knows what dangers you and I may be exposed
+to, which neither of us can foresee, and from which it may deliver us?"
+As Aladdin's arguments were just, his mother had nothing to say against
+them; she only replied, that he might do what he pleased; for her part,
+she would have nothing to do with genies, but would wash her hands of
+them.</p>
+
+<p>By the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had
+brought: and the next day Aladdin, who could not bear the thought of
+hunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out early
+to sell it, and addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the streets,
+took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he would buy it.
+The cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found that
+it was good silver, asked Aladdin at how much he valued it. Aladdin, who
+knew not its value, and never had been used to such traffic, told him he
+would trust to his judgment and honour. The Jew was somewhat confounded
+at this plain dealing; and doubting whether Aladdin understood the
+material or the full value of what he offered to sell, took a piece of
+gold out of his purse and gave it to him, though it was but the sixtieth
+part of the worth of the plate. Aladdin, taking the money very eagerly,
+retired with so much haste, that the Jew, not content with the
+exorbitancy of his profit, was vexed he had not penetrated into his
+ignorance, and was going to run after him, to endeavour to get some
+change out of the piece of gold; but the lad ran so fast, and had got so
+far, that it would have been impossible for him to overtake him.</p>
+
+<p>Before Aladdin went home, he called at a baker's, bought some cakes of
+bread, changed his money, and on his return gave the rest to his mother,
+who went and purchased provisions enough to last them some time. After
+this manner they lived, till Aladdin had sold the twelve dishes singly,
+as necessity pressed, to the Jew, for the same money; who, after the
+first time, durst not offer him less, for fear of losing so good a
+bargain. When he had sold the last dish, he had recourse to the tray,
+which weighed ten times as much as the dishes, and would have carried it
+to his old purchaser, but that it was too large and cumbersome;
+therefore he was obliged to bring him home with him to his mother's,
+where, after the Jew had examined the weight of the tray, he laid down
+ten pieces of gold, with which Aladdin was very well satisfied.</p>
+
+<p>They lived on these ten pieces in a frugal manner, for Aladdin, though
+formerly used to an idle life, had left off playing with young lads of
+his own age ever since his adventure with the African magician. He spent
+his time in walking about, and conversing with decent people, with whom
+he gradually got acquainted. Sometimes he would stop at the principal
+merchants' shops, where people of distinction met, and listen to their
+discourse, by which he gained some little knowledge of the world.</p>
+
+<p>When all the money was spent, Aladdin had recourse again to the lamp. He
+took it in his hand, looked for the part where his mother had rubbed it
+with the sand, and rubbed it also, when the genie immediately appeared,
+and said: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I, and the
+other slaves of the lamp." "I am hungry," said Aladdin; "bring me
+something to eat." The genie disappeared, and presently returned with a
+tray, and the same number of covered dishes as before, set them down,
+and vanished.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother, knowing what her son was going to do, went out about
+some business, on purpose to avoid being in the way when the genie came;
+and when she returned, was almost as much surprised as before at the
+prodigious effect of the lamp. However, she sat down with her son, and
+when they had eaten as much as they liked, she set enough by to last
+them two or three days.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Aladdin found that their provisions were expended, he took
+one of the dishes, and went to look for his Jew again; but passing by
+the shop of a goldsmith, who had the character of a very fair and honest
+man, the goldsmith perceiving him, called to him, and said: "My lad, I
+have often observed you go by, loaded as you are at present, and talk
+with such a Jew, and then come back again empty-handed. I imagine that
+you carry something which you sell to him; but perhaps you do not know
+that he is the greatest rogue even among the Jews, and that nobody of
+prudence will have anything to do with him. If you will shew me what you
+now carry, and it is to be sold, I will give you the full worth of it;
+or I will direct you to other merchants who will not cheat you."</p>
+
+<p>The hopes of getting more money for his plate induced Aladdin to pull it
+from under his vest, and shew it to the goldsmith, who at first sight
+saw that it was made of the finest silver and asked him if he had sold
+such as that to the Jew, when Aladdin told him that he had sold him
+twelve such, for a piece of gold each. "What a villain!" cried the
+goldsmith; "but," added he, "my son, what is past cannot be recalled. By
+shewing you the value of this plate, which is of the finest silver we
+use in our shops, I will let you see how much the Jew has cheated you."</p>
+
+<p>The goldsmith took a pair of scales, weighed the dish, and after he had
+mentioned how much an ounce of fine silver was worth, assured him that
+his plate would fetch by weight sixty pieces of gold, which he offered
+to pay down immediately. "If you dispute my honesty," said he, "you may
+go to any other of our trade, and if he gives you more, I will be bound
+to forfeit twice as much!"</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin thanked him for his fair dealing, so greatly to his advantage,
+took the gold, and never after went to any other person, but sold him
+all his dishes and the tray.</p>
+
+<p>Though Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure in their
+lamp, and might have had whatever they wished for, yet they lived with
+the same frugality as before, except that Aladdin dressed better; as for
+his mother, she wore no clothes but what she earned by spinning cotton.
+After their manner of living, it may easily be supposed that the money
+for which Aladdin had sold the dishes and tray was sufficient to
+maintain them for some time.</p>
+
+<p>During this interval, Aladdin frequented the shops of the principal
+merchants, where they sold cloth of gold and silver, linens, silk
+stuffs, and jewelry, and oftentimes joining in their conversation,
+acquired a knowledge of the world, and respectable demeanour. By his
+acquaintance among the jewellers, he came to know that the fruits which
+he had gathered when he took the lamp were, instead of coloured glass,
+stones of inestimable value; but he had the prudence not to mention this
+to any one, not even to his mother.</p>
+
+<p>One day as Aladdin was walking about the town, he heard an order
+proclaimed, commanding the people to shut up their shops and houses, and
+keep within doors, while the Princess Badroulboudour, the sultan's
+daughter, went to the baths and returned.</p>
+
+<p>This proclamation inspired Aladdin with eager curiosity to see the
+princess's face, which he could not do without admission into the house
+of some acquaintance, and then only through a window; but to gratify his
+curiosity, he presently thought of a scheme, which succeeded; it was to
+place himself behind the door of the bath, which was so situated that he
+could not fail of seeing her face.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had not waited long before the princess came, and he could see
+her plainly through a chink of the door without being discovered. She
+was attended by a great crowd of ladies, slaves, and eunuchs, who walked
+on each side, and behind her. When she came within three or four paces
+of the door of the baths, she took off her veil, and gave Aladdin an
+opportunity of a full view.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Aladdin had seen the princess, his heart could not withstand
+those inclinations so charming an object always inspires. She was the
+most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes were large, lively, and
+sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose was of a just proportion
+and without a fault, her mouth small, her lips of a vermilion red; in a
+word, all the features of her face were perfectly regular. It is not
+therefore surprising that Aladdin, who had never before seen such a
+blaze of charms, was dazzled, and his senses ravished by such an
+assemblage. With all these perfections the princess had so majestic an
+air, that the sight of her was sufficient to inspire love and
+admiration.</p>
+
+<p>After the princess had passed by, and entered the baths, Aladdin
+remained some time astonished and in a kind of ecstasy, retracing and
+imprinting the idea of so charming an object deeply in his mind, but at
+last, he resolved to quit his hiding-place and go home. He could not so
+far conceal his uneasiness but that his mother perceived it, was
+surprised to see him so much more thoughtful than usual; and asked if he
+were ill? He returned her no answer, but sat carelessly down on the
+sofa, and remained silently musing on the image of the charming
+Badroulboudour.</p>
+
+<p>After supper, his mother asked him again why he was so melancholy, but
+could get no information, and he determined to go to bed rather than
+give her the least satisfaction. As he sat next day on the sofa,
+opposite his mother, however, as she was spinning cotton, he spoke to
+her in these words: "I perceive, mother, that my silence yesterday has
+much troubled you; I was not, nor am I ill; but I assure you, that what
+I felt then, and now endure, is worse than any disease.</p>
+
+<p>"It was not proclaimed in this quarter of the town, and therefore you
+could know nothing of it, that the sultan's daughter was yesterday to go
+to the baths. I had a great curiosity to see her face; and as it
+occurred to me that when she came nigh the bath, she would pull her veil
+off, I resolved to conceal myself behind the door. She did so and I had
+the happiness of seeing her lovely face with the greatest security.
+This, mother, was the cause of my silence yesterday; I love the princess
+with more violence than I can express; and as my passion increases every
+moment, I am resolved to ask her in marriage of the sultan, her
+father."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother listened with interest to what her son told her; but
+when he talked of asking the princess in marriage, she could not help
+bursting out into a loud laugh. He would have gone on with his rhapsody,
+but she interrupted him: "Alas! child," said she, "what are you thinking
+of? you must be mad to talk thus."</p>
+
+<p>"I assure you, mother," replied Aladdin, "that I am not mad, but in my
+right senses; I foresaw that you would reproach me with folly and
+extravagance; but I must tell you once more, that I am resolved to
+demand the princess in marriage!"</p>
+
+<p>"Indeed, son," replied the mother seriously, "I cannot help telling you
+that you have forgotten yourself, and I do not see who will venture to
+make the proposal for you." "You yourself," replied he immediately. "I
+go to the sultan!" answered the mother, amazed. "I shall be cautious how
+I engage in such an errand. Why, who are you, son," continued she, "that
+you can have the assurance to think of your sultan's daughter? Have you
+forgotten that your father was one of the poorest tailors in the
+capital, and that I am of no better extraction; and do not you know that
+sultans never marry their daughters but to sons of sovereigns like
+themselves?"</p>
+
+<p>"Mother," answered Aladdin, "I foresaw all that you have said, or can
+say: and tell you that neither your discourse nor your remonstrances
+shall make me change my mind. I have told you that you must ask the
+princess in marriage for me. I beg of you not to refuse, unless you
+would rather see me in my grave, than by your compliance give me new
+life."</p>
+
+<p>The good old woman was much embarrassed, when she found Aladdin
+persisting in so wild a design. "My son," said she again, "I am your
+mother, and there is nothing that is reasonable but I would readily do
+for you. If I were to go and treat about your marriage with some
+neighbour's daughter, I would do it with all my heart; and even then
+they would expect you should have some little estate, or be of some
+trade. When such poor folks as we are wish to marry, the first thing
+they ought to think of, is how to live. But without reflecting on the
+meanness of your birth, and the little fortune you have to recommend
+you, you aim at the highest pitch of exaltation; and your pretensions
+are no less than to demand in marriage the daughter of your sovereign,
+who with one single word can crush you to pieces. How could so
+extraordinary a thought come into your head, as that I should go to the
+sultan and ask him to give his daughter in marriage to you? Suppose I
+had the impudence to present myself before the sultan, to whom should I
+address myself to be introduced to his majesty? Do you not think the
+first person I should speak to would take me for a mad woman, and
+chastise me as I should deserve? I know there is no difficulty to those
+who go to petition for justice, which the sultan distributes equally
+among his subjects; I know, too, that to those who ask a favour he
+grants it with pleasure when he sees it is deserved. But do you think
+you have merited the honour you would have me ask? What have you done to
+claim such a favour, either for your prince or country? How can I open
+my mouth to make the proposal to the sultan? His majestic presence and
+the lustre of his court would absolutely confound me. There is another
+reason, my son, which you do not think of, which is that nobody ever
+goes to ask a favour of the sultan without a present. But what presents
+have you to make? and what proportion could they bear to the favour you
+would ask? Therefore, reflect well, and consider that you aspire to an
+object which it is impossible for you to obtain."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin heard very calmly all that his mother could say to dissuade him
+from his design, and after he had weighed her representations replied:
+"I own, mother, it is great rashness in me to presume to carry my
+pretensions so far; and a great want of consideration to ask you to go
+and make the proposal to the sultan, without first taking proper
+measures to procure a favourable reception, and I therefore beg your
+pardon. But be not surprised that I did not at first see every measure
+necessary to procure me the happiness I seek. I love the princess, and
+shall always persevere in my design of marrying her. I am obliged to you
+for the hint you have given me, and look upon it as the first step I
+ought to take to procure the happy issue I promise myself.</p>
+
+<p>"You say it is not customary to go to the sultan without a present, and
+that I have nothing worthy of his acceptance. Do not you think, mother,
+that what I brought home with me the day on which I was delivered from
+death may be an acceptable present? I mean those things that you and I
+both took for coloured glass: but now I can tell you that they are
+jewels of inestimable value. I know the worth of them by frequenting the
+shops; and you may take my word that all the precious stones which I saw
+in the jewellers' shops were not to be compared to those we have, either
+for size or beauty; I am persuaded that they will be received very
+favourably by the sultan: you have a large porcelain dish fit to hold
+them; fetch it, and let us see how they will look, when we have arranged
+them according to their different colours."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother brought the china dish, when he took the jewels out of
+the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in order
+according to his fancy. But the brightness and lustre they emitted in
+the daytime so dazzled the eyes both of mother and son, that they were
+astonished beyond measure; for they had only seen them by the light of a
+lamp; and though the latter had beheld them pendent on the trees like
+fruit beautiful to the eye, yet as he was then but a boy, he looked on
+them only as glittering playthings.</p>
+
+<p>After they had admired the beauty of the jewels some time, Aladdin said
+to his mother: "Now you cannot excuse yourself from going to the sultan,
+under pretext of not having a present to make him, since here is one
+which will gain you a favourable reception."</p>
+
+<p>Though the good widow did not believe the precious stones so valuable as
+her son estimated them, she thought such a present might nevertheless be
+agreeable to the sultan, but she still hesitated. "My son," said she, "I
+cannot conceive that the sultan will look upon me with a favourable eye;
+I am sure, that if I attempt to deliver your strange message, I shall
+have no power to open my mouth; therefore I shall not only lose my
+labour, but the present, which you say is so valuable, and shall return
+home again in confusion, to tell you that your hopes are frustrated.
+But," added she, "I will do my best to please you, though certainly the
+sultan will either laugh at me, or be in so great a rage, as to make us
+both the victims of his fury."</p>
+
+<p>She used many other arguments to endeavour to make Aladdin change his
+mind; but he persisted in importuning his mother to execute his
+resolution, and she, out of tenderness, complied with his request.</p>
+
+<p>As it was now late, and the time for admission to the palace was passed,
+the visit was put off till the next day. The mother and son talked of
+different matters the remaining hours; and Aladdin strove to encourage
+her in the task she had undertaken; while she could not persuade herself
+she should succeed; and it must be confessed she had reason enough to
+doubt. "Child," said she to Aladdin, "if the sultan should hear my
+proposal with calmness, and after this should think of asking me where
+lie your riches and your estate, what answer would you have me return
+him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Let us not be uneasy, mother," replied Aladdin, "about what may never
+happen. First, let us see how the sultan receives, and what answer he
+gives you. If he desires to be informed of what you mention, I am
+confident that the lamp will not fail me in time of need."</p>
+
+<p>The tailor's widow reflected that the lamp might be capable of doing
+greater wonders than just providing victuals for them, and this removed
+all the difficulties which might have prevented her from undertaking the
+service she had promised. Aladdin, who penetrated into his mother's
+thoughts, said to her: "Above all things, mother, be sure to keep secret
+our possession of the lamp, for thereon depends the success we have to
+expect;" and after this caution they parted to go to rest. Aladdin rose
+before daybreak, awakened his mother, pressing her to get herself
+dressed to go to the sultan's palace, and to get admittance, if
+possible, before the great officers of state went in to take their seats
+in the divan, where the sultan always assisted in person.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother took the china dish, in which they had put the jewels
+the day before, wrapped in two napkins, one finer than the other, which
+was tied at the four corners for more easy carriage, and set out for the
+palace. When she came to the gates, the grand vizier, the other viziers,
+and most distinguished lords of the court, were just gone in; but,
+notwithstanding the great crowd of people who had business there, she
+got into the divan, a spacious hall, the entrance into which was very
+magnificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, grand vizier,
+and the great lords, who sat in council, on his right and left hand.
+Several causes were called, according to their order, pleaded and
+adjudged, until the time the divan generally broke up, when the sultan
+rising, returned to his apartment, attended by the grand vizier; the
+other viziers and ministers of state then retired, as also did all those
+whose business had called them thither; some pleased with gaining their
+causes, others dissatisfied at the sentences pronounced against them,
+and some in expectation of being heard the next sitting.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother, seeing the sultan retire, and all the people depart,
+judged rightly that he would not sit again that day, and resolved to go
+home. When Aladdin saw her return with the present, he knew not what to
+think, and in fear lest she should bring him some ill news, had not
+courage to ask her any questions; but she, who had never set foot into
+the sultan's palace before, and knew not what was every day practised
+there, freed him from his embarrassment, and said to him: "Son, I have
+seen the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me too; for I
+placed myself just before him; but he was so much taken up with those
+who attended on all sides of him, that I pitied him, and wondered at his
+patience. At last I believe he was heartily tired, for he rose up
+suddenly, and would not hear a great many who were ready prepared to
+speak to him, but went away, at which I was well pleased, for indeed I
+began to lose all patience, and was extremely fatigued with staying so
+long. But there is no harm done; I will go again to-morrow; perhaps the
+sultan may not be so busy."</p>
+
+<p>Though his passion was very violent, Aladdin was forced to be satisfied,
+and to fortify himself with patience. He had at least the satisfaction
+to find that his mother had got over the greatest difficulty, which was
+to procure access to the sultan, and hoped that the example of those she
+saw speak to him would embolden her to acquit herself better of her
+commission when a favourable opportunity might offer.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning she repaired to the sultan's palace with the present,
+as early as the day before, but when she came there, she found the gates
+of the divan shut, and understood that the council sat but every other
+day, therefore she must come again the next. This news she carried to
+her son, whose only relief was to guard himself with patience. She went
+six times afterward on the days appointed and placed herself always
+directly before the sultan, but with as little success as the first
+morning, and might have perhaps come a thousand times to as little
+purpose, if luckily the sultan himself had not taken particular notice
+of her.</p>
+
+<p>On the sixth day, after the divan was broken up, when the sultan
+returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier: "I have for
+some time observed a certain woman, who attends constantly every day
+that I give audience, with something wrapped up in a napkin: she always
+stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of the audience, and
+affects to place herself just before me. Do you know what she wants?"</p>
+
+<p>"Sir," replied the grand vizier, who knew no more than the sultan what
+she wanted, but did not wish to seem uninformed, "your majesty knows
+that women often make complaints on trifles; perhaps she may come to
+complain that somebody has sold her some bad flour, or some such
+trifling matter." The sultan was not satisfied with this answer, but
+replied: "If this woman comes to our next audience, do not fail to call
+her, that I may hear what she has to say." The grand vizier made answer
+by lowering his hand, and then lifting it up above his head, signifying
+his willingness to lose it if he failed.</p>
+
+<p>By this time, the tailor's widow was so much used to go to audience, and
+stand before the sultan, that she did not think it any trouble, if she
+could but satisfy her son that she neglected nothing that lay in her
+power to please him: so the next audience-day she went to the divan and
+placed herself in front of the sultan as usual; and before the grand
+vizier had made his report of business, the sultan perceived her, and
+compassionating her for having waited so long, said to the vizier:
+"Before you enter upon any business, remember the woman I spoke to you
+about; bid her come near, and let us despatch her business first." The
+grand vizier immediately called the chief of the mace-bearers, and
+pointing to her, bade him tell her to come before the sultan.</p>
+
+<p>The chief of the officers went to Aladdin's mother, and at a sign he
+gave her, she followed him to the foot of the sultan's throne, where he
+left her, and retired to his place by the grand vizier. The old woman
+bowed her head down to the carpet, which covered the platform of the
+throne, and remained in that posture till the sultan bade her rise, when
+he said to her: "Good woman, I have observed you to stand from the
+beginning to the rising of the divan; what business brings you here?"</p>
+
+<p>After these words, Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time;
+and when she arose, said: "Monarch of monarchs, before I tell your
+majesty the extraordinary and incredible business which brings me before
+your high throne, I beg of you to pardon the boldness of the demand I am
+going to make, which is so uncommon, that I tremble, and am ashamed to
+propose it to my sovereign." In order to give her the more freedom to
+explain herself, the sultan ordered all to quit the divan but the grand
+vizier, and then told her she might speak without restraint.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother, not content with this favour of the sultan's to save
+her the confusion of speaking before so many people, was,
+notwithstanding, a little apprehensive; therefore, resuming her
+discourse, she said: "I beg of your majesty, if you should think my
+demand the least offensive, to assure me first of your forgiveness."
+"Well," replied the sultan, "I will forgive you, be it what it may, and
+no hurt shall come to you: speak boldly."</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin's mother had taken all these precautions, she told him
+faithfully how Aladdin had seen the Princess Badroulboudour, the violent
+love that fatal sight had inspired him with, the declaration he had made
+to her when he came home, and what she had said to dissuade him. "But,"
+continued she, "my son, instead of taking my advice and reflecting on
+his presumption, was so obstinate as to persevere, and to threaten me
+with some desperate act, if I refused to come and ask the princess in
+marriage of your majesty; and it was not without the greatest reluctance
+that I was led to accede to his request, for which I beg your majesty
+once more to pardon not only me, but also Aladdin my son, for
+entertaining so rash a project."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan hearkened to this discourse without shewing the least anger;
+but before he gave her any answer, asked her what she had brought tied
+up in the napkin? She took the china dish, which she had set down at the
+foot of the throne before she prostrated herself before him, untied it,
+and presented it to the sultan.</p>
+
+<p>The monarch's amazement and surprise were inexpressible, when he saw so
+many large, beautiful, and valuable jewels collected in the dish. He
+remained for some time motionless with admiration. At last, when he had
+recovered himself, he received the present, crying out in a transport of
+joy: "How rich, how beautiful!" After he had admired and handled all the
+jewels, one after another, he turned to his grand vizier, and shewing
+him the dish, said: "Behold, admire, wonder, and confess that your eyes
+never beheld jewels so rich and beautiful before." The vizier was
+charmed. "Well," continued the sultan, "what sayest thou to such a
+present? Is it not worthy of the princess, my daughter? And ought I not
+to bestow her on one who values her at so great price?"</p>
+
+<p>These words put the grand vizier into extreme agitation. The sultan had
+some time before signified to him his intention of bestowing the
+princess on a son of his; therefore he was afraid, and not without
+grounds, that the present might change his majesty's mind. Therefore
+going to him, and whispering him in the ear, he said: "I cannot but own
+that the present is worthy of the princess; but I beg of your majesty to
+grant me three months before you come to a final resolution. I hope,
+before that time, my son, on whom you have had the goodness to look with
+a favourable eye, will be able to make a nobler present than Aladdin,
+who is an entire stranger to your majesty."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, though he was fully persuaded that it was not possible for
+the vizier to provide so considerable a present for his son, yet
+hearkened to him, and granted his request. Turning therefore to the old
+widow, he said to her: "Good woman, go home, and tell your son that I
+agree to the proposal you have made me; but I cannot marry the princess,
+my daughter, till the paraphernalia I design for her be got ready, which
+cannot be finished these three months; but at the expiration of that
+time, come again."</p>
+
+<p>The widow returned home much more gratified than she had expected, since
+she had met with a favourable answer.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin thought himself the most happy of all men at hearing this news,
+and thanked his mother for the pains she had taken in the affair, the
+good success of which was of so great importance to his peace.</p>
+
+<p>When two of the three months were passed, his mother one evening going
+to light the lamp, and finding no oil in the house, went out to buy
+some, and when she came into the city, found a general rejoicing. The
+shops were open, dressed with foliage, silks, and carpeting, every one
+striving to shew their zeal in the most distinguished manner according
+to their ability. The streets were crowded with officers in habits of
+ceremony, mounted on horses richly caparisoned, each attended by a great
+many footmen. Aladdin's mother asked the oil-merchant what was the
+meaning of all this preparation of public festivity? "Whence come you,
+good woman," said he, "that you do not know that the grand vizier's son
+is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour, the sultan's daughter,
+to-night? She will presently return from the baths; and these officers
+whom you see are to assist at the cavalcade to the palace, where the
+ceremony is to be solemnised."</p>
+
+<p>This was news enough for Aladdin's mother. She ran till she was quite
+out of breath home to her son, who little suspected any such event.
+"Child," cried she, "you are undone! you depend upon the sultan's fine
+promises, but they will come to nothing." Aladdin was alarmed at these
+words. "Mother," replied he, "how do you know the sultan has been guilty
+of a breach of promise?" "This night," answered the mother, "the grand
+vizier's son is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour." She then related
+how she had heard it; so that he had no reason to doubt the truth of
+what she said.</p>
+
+<p>At this account, Aladdin was thunderstruck. Any other man would have
+sunk under the shock; but a sudden hope of disappointing his rival soon
+roused his spirits, and he bethought himself of the lamp, which had in
+every emergency been so useful to him; and without venting his rage in
+empty words against the sultan, the vizier, or his son, he only said:
+"Perhaps, mother, the vizier's son may not be so happy to-night as he
+promises himself: while I go into my chamber a moment, do you get
+supper ready." She accordingly went about it, but guessed that her son
+was going to make use of the lamp, to prevent, if possible, the
+consummation of the marriage.</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin had got into his chamber, he took the lamp, rubbed it in
+the same place as before, when immediately the genie appeared, and said
+to him: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their possession; I and
+the other slaves of the lamp." "Hear me," said Aladdin; "thou hast
+hitherto brought me whatever I wanted as to provisions; but now I have
+business of the greatest importance for thee to execute. I have demanded
+the Princess Badroulboudour in marriage of the sultan, her father; he
+promised her to me, only requiring three months' delay; but instead of
+keeping that promise, has this night planned to marry her to the grand
+vizier's son. What I ask of you is, that as soon as the two are made
+one, you bring them both hither to me." "Master," replied the genie, "I
+will obey you. Have you any other commands?" "None at present," answered
+Aladdin, and then the genie disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin having left his chamber, supped with his mother, with the same
+tranquillity of mind as usual; and after supper talked of the princess's
+marriage as of an affair wherein he had not the least concern; he then
+retired to his own chamber again, but sat up waiting the execution of
+his orders to the genie.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, everything was prepared with the greatest magnificence
+in the sultan's palace to celebrate the princess's nuptials; and the
+evening was spent with all the usual ceremonies and great rejoicings.</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had the bride and bridegroom slipped away from the company,
+however, than the genie, as the faithful slave of the lamp, and punctual
+in executing the command of those who possessed it, to the great
+amazement of them both, took them up and transported them in an instant
+to Aladdin's chamber, where he set them down.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had waited impatiently for this moment. "Take this new-married
+man," said he to the genie, "shut him up in the house of office, and
+come again to-morrow morning before daybreak." The genie instantly
+carried the vizier's son whither Aladdin had commanded him; and after he
+had breathed upon him, which prevented his stirring, left him there.</p>
+
+<p>Passionate as was Aladdin's love for the princess, he did not talk much
+to her when they were alone; but only said with a respectful air: "Fear
+nothing, adorable princess; you are here in safety. If I have been
+forced to come to this extremity, it is to prevent an unjust rival's
+possessing you, contrary to your father's promise in favour of myself."</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who knew nothing of these particulars, gave very little
+attention to what Aladdin could say. The fright and amazement of so
+surprising an adventure had alarmed her so much that he could not get
+one word from her. Badroulboudour never passed a night so ill in her
+life; and if we consider the condition in which the genie left the grand
+vizier's son, we may imagine that the new bridegroom spent it much
+worse.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had no occasion the next morning to rub the lamp to call the
+genie; who appeared at the hour appointed, and said to him: "I am here,
+master; what are your commands?" "Go," said Aladdin, "fetch the vizier's
+son out of the place where you left him, and carry the pair to the
+sultan's palace, from whence you brought them." The genie presently
+returned with the vizier's son, and in an instant they were transported
+into the same chamber of the palace from whence they had been brought.
+But we must observe, that all this time the genie never was visible
+either to the princess or the grand vizier's son. His hideous form would
+have made them die with fear. Neither did they hear anything of the
+discourse between Aladdin and him; they only perceived the motion
+through the air, and their transportation from one place to another;
+which we may well imagine was enough to alarm them.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan went to the room of the princess next morning and kissed her
+between the eyes, according to custom, wishing her a good morrow, but
+was extremely surprised to see her so melancholy. She only cast at him a
+sorrowful look, expressive of great affliction. He said a few words to
+her; but finding that he could not get an answer, was forced to retire.
+Nevertheless, he suspected that there was something extraordinary in
+this silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness's
+apartment, told her in what a state he had found the princess, and how
+she had received him. "Sir," said the sultaness, "I will go and see her;
+I am much deceived if she receives me in the same manner."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultaness was dressed, she went to the princess's
+apartment, who was still in bed. She undrew the curtain, wished her good
+morrow, and kissed her. But how great was her surprise when she returned
+no answer; and looking more attentively at her, she perceived her to be
+much dejected, which made her judge that something had happened, which
+she did not understand. "How comes it, child," said the sultaness, "that
+you do not return my caresses? Ought you to treat your mother after this
+manner? I am induced to believe something extraordinary has happened;
+come, tell me freely, and leave me no longer in a painful suspense."</p>
+
+<p>At last the princess broke silence with a deep sigh, and said: "Alas!
+most honoured mother, forgive me if I have failed in the respect I owe
+you. My mind is so full of the extraordinary circumstances which have
+befallen me that I have not yet recovered from my amazement and alarm."
+She then related her surprising adventures, which the sultaness heard
+very patiently, but could scarcely believe. "You did well, child," said
+she, "not to speak of this to your father: take care not to mention it
+to anybody; for you will certainly be thought mad if you talk in this
+manner." "Madam," replied the princess, "I can assure you I am in my
+right senses; ask my husband and he will tell you the same
+circumstances." "I will," said the sultaness; "but if he should talk in
+the same manner, I shall not be better persuaded of the truth. Come,
+rise, and throw off this idle fancy; it will be strange if all the
+feasts and rejoicings in the kingdom should be interrupted by such a
+vision. Do not you hear the trumpets of congratulation, and concerts of
+the finest music? Cannot these inspire you with joy and make you forget
+the fancies of a dream?" At the same time the sultaness called the
+princess's women, and after she had seen her get up, went to the
+sultan's apartment, told him that her daughter had got some odd notions
+in her head, but that there was nothing in them but idle phantasy.</p>
+
+<p>She then sent for the vizier's son, to know of him something of what the
+princess had told her; but he, thinking himself highly honoured to be
+allied to the sultan, and not willing to lose the princess, denied what
+had happened. "That is enough," answered the sultaness; "I ask no more.
+I see you are wiser than my daughter."</p>
+
+<p>The rejoicings lasted all that day in the palace, and the sultaness, who
+never left the princess, forgot nothing to divert her, and induce her to
+take part in the various diversions and shows; but she was so struck
+with the idea of what had happened to her in the night, that it was easy
+to see her thoughts were entirely taken up with it. Neither was the
+grand vizier's son in less tribulation, though his ambition made him
+disguise his feelings so well, that nobody doubted of his being a happy
+bridegroom.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who was well acquainted with what passed in the palace, was
+resolved that the troublesome adventure of the night before should again
+disturb the unhappy pair, and therefore had recourse to his lamp, and
+when the genie appeared and offered his service, he said to him: "Bring
+the grand vizier's son and the Princess Badroulboudour hither to-night,
+as thou didst yesterday."</p>
+
+<p>The genie obeyed as faithfully and exactly as the day before; the grand
+vizier's son passed the night as coldly and disagreeably, and the
+princess had the same alarm and mortification. The genie, according to
+orders, came the next morning, and returned the new-married couple again
+to the palace.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, after the reception the princess had given him, was very
+anxious to know how she had passed the second night, and therefore went
+into her chamber as early as the morning before. After the same caresses
+he had given her the former morning, he bade her good-morrow. "Well,
+daughter," said he, "are you in a better humour than yesterday?" Still
+the princess was silent, and the sultan, perceiving her to be in greater
+confusion than before, doubted not that something very extraordinary was
+the cause; but provoked that his daughter should conceal it, he said to
+her in a rage, with his sabre in his hand: "Daughter, tell me what is
+the matter, or I will cut off your head immediately."</p>
+
+<p>The princess, more frightened at the tone of the enraged sultan than at
+the sight of the drawn sabre, at last broke silence, and said with tears
+in her eyes: "My dear father and sultan, I ask your majesty's pardon if
+I have offended you, and hope that out of your goodness you will have
+compassion on me."</p>
+
+<p>After this preamble, which appeased the sultan, she told him what had
+happened to her in so moving a manner, that he, who loved her tenderly,
+was most sensibly grieved. She added: "If your majesty doubts the truth
+of this account, you may inform yourself from my husband, who will tell
+you the same thing."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan immediately felt all the uneasiness so surprising an
+adventure must have given the princess. "Daughter," said he, "you are
+much to blame for not telling me this yesterday, since it concerns me as
+much as yourself. I did not marry you to make you miserable, but that
+you might enjoy all the happiness you might hope for from a husband, who
+to me seemed agreeable to you. Efface all these troublesome ideas from
+your memory; I will take care that you shall have no more such
+disagreeable experiences."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultan had returned to his own apartment, he sent for the
+grand vizier: "Vizier," said he, "have you seen your son, and has he
+told you anything?" The vizier replied: "No." The sultan related all the
+circumstances of which the princess had informed him, and afterward
+said: "I do not doubt but that my daughter has told me the truth; but
+nevertheless I should be glad to have it confirmed by your son,
+therefore go and ask him how it was."</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier went immediately to his son, communicated what the
+sultan had told him, and enjoined him to conceal nothing, but to relate
+the whole truth. "I will disguise nothing from you, father," replied the
+son, "for indeed all that the princess has stated is true. Yet I must
+tell you, that all these experiences do not in the least lessen those
+sentiments of love and gratitude I entertain for her; but I must
+confess, that notwithstanding all the honour that attends marrying my
+sovereign's daughter, I would much rather die than continue in so
+exalted an alliance, if I must undergo much longer what I have already
+endured. I do not doubt but that the princess entertains the same
+sentiments, and that she will readily agree to a separation which is so
+necessary both for her repose and mine. Therefore, father, I beg, by the
+same tenderness which led you to procure me so great an honour, to
+obtain the sultan's consent that our marriage may be declared null and
+void."</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding the grand vizier's ambition to have his son allied to
+the sultan, the firm resolution he saw he had formed to be separated
+from the princess caused the father to give his majesty a full account
+of what had passed, begging him finally to give his son leave to retire
+from the palace, alleging it was not just that the princess should be a
+moment longer exposed to so terrible a persecution upon his son's
+account.</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier found no great difficulty to obtain what he asked, as
+the sultan had determined upon it already; orders were given to put a
+stop to all rejoicings in the palace and town, and expresses despatched
+to all parts of his dominions to countermand his first orders; and in a
+short time, all merry-making ceased.</p>
+
+<p>This sudden change gave rise both in the city and kingdom to various
+speculations and inquiries; but no other account could be given of it,
+except that both the vizier and his son went out of the palace much
+dejected. Nobody but Aladdin knew the secret, who rejoiced at the happy
+success procured by his lamp. Neither the sultan nor the grand vizier,
+who had forgotten Aladdin and his request, had the least thought that he
+had any concern in the enchantment which caused the dissolution of the
+marriage.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin waited till the three months were completed, which the sultan
+had appointed for the consummation of the marriage between the Princess
+Badroulboudour and himself; and the next day sent his mother to the
+palace, to remind the sultan of his promise.</p>
+
+<p>The widow went to the palace, and stood in the same place as before in
+the hall of audience. The sultan no sooner cast his eyes upon her than
+he knew her again, remembered her business, and how long he had put her
+off: therefore, when the grand vizier was beginning to make his report,
+the sultan interrupted him, and said: "Vizier, I see the good woman who
+made me the present of jewels some months ago; forbear your report, till
+I have heard what she has to say." The vizier, looking about the divan,
+perceived the tailor's widow, and sent the chief of the mace-bearers to
+conduct her to the sultan.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother came to the foot of the throne, prostrated herself as
+usual, and when she rose, the sultan asked her what she would have.
+"Sir," said she, "I come to represent to your majesty, in the name of my
+son, Aladdin, that the three months, at the end of which you ordered me
+to come again, are expired; and to beg you to remember your promise."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, when he had fixed a time to answer the request of this good
+woman, little thought of hearing any more of a marriage, which he
+imagined would be very disagreeable to the princess; so this summons for
+him to fulfil his promise was somewhat embarrassing; he declined giving
+an answer till he had consulted his vizier, and signified to him the
+little inclination he had to conclude a match for his daughter with a
+stranger, whose rank he supposed to be very mean.</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier freely told the sultan his thoughts, and said to him:
+"In my opinion, sir, there is an infallible way for your majesty to
+avoid a match so disproportionate, without giving Aladdin, were he known
+to your majesty, any cause of complaint; which is, to set so high a
+price upon the princess that, however rich he may be, he cannot comply
+with it. This is the only way to make him desist from so bold an
+undertaking."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, approving of the grand vizier's advice, turned to the
+tailor's widow and said to her: "Good woman, it is true sultans ought to
+abide by their words, and I am ready to keep mine, by making your son
+happy in marriage with the princess, my daughter. But as I cannot marry
+her without some further valuable consideration from your son, you may
+tell him, I will fulfil my promise as soon as he shall send me forty
+trays of massy gold, full of the same sort of jewels you have already
+made me a present of, and carried by the like number of black slaves,
+who shall be led by as many young and handsome white slaves, all dressed
+magnificently. On these conditions I am ready to bestow the princess, my
+daughter, upon him; therefore, good woman, go and tell him so, and I
+will wait till you bring me his answer."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time before the sultan's
+throne, and retired. On her way home, she laughed within herself at her
+son's foolish imagination. "Where," said she, "can he get so many large
+gold trays, and such precious stones to fill them? Must he go again to
+that subterranean abode and gather them off the trees? and where will he
+get so many such slaves as the sultan requires? It is altogether out of
+his power, and I believe he will not be much pleased with my embassy
+this time." When she came home, full of these thoughts, she said to her
+son: "Indeed, child, I would not have you think any farther of your
+marriage with the princess. The sultan received me very kindly, and I
+believe he was well inclined to you; but if I am not much deceived the
+grand vizier has made him change his mind." She then gave her son an
+exact account of what the sultan had said to her, and the conditions on
+which he consented to the match. Afterward she said to him: "The sultan
+expects your answer immediately; but," continued she, laughing, "I
+believe he may wait long enough."</p>
+
+<p>"Not so long, mother, as you imagine," replied Aladdin; "the sultan is
+mistaken, if he thinks by this exorbitant demand to prevent my
+entertaining thoughts of the princess. I expected that he would have set
+a higher price upon her incomparable charms. His demand is but a trifle
+to what I could have done for her. But while I think of satisfying his
+request, go and get something for our dinner, and leave the rest to me."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as his mother was gone out, Aladdin took the lamp, and rubbing
+it, the genie appeared, and offered his service as usual. "The sultan,"
+said Aladdin to him, "gives me the princess his daughter in marriage;
+but demands first, forty large trays of massy gold, full of the fruits
+of the garden from whence I took this lamp; and these he expects to have
+carried by as many black slaves, each preceded by a young handsome white
+slave, richly clothed. Go, and fetch me this present as soon as
+possible, that I may send it to him before the divan breaks up." The
+genie told him his command should be immediately obeyed, and
+disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>In a little time afterward the genie returned with forty black slaves,
+each bearing on his head a heavy tray of pure gold, full of pearls,
+diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and every sort of precious stones, all
+larger and more beautiful than those formerly presented to the sultan.
+Each tray was covered with silver tissue, embroidered with flowers of
+gold: these, together with the white slaves, quite filled the house,
+which was but a small one, the little court before it, and a small
+garden behind. The genie asked if he had any other commands, and Aladdin
+telling him that he wanted nothing further, he disappeared.</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin's mother came from market, she was much surprised to see so
+many people and such vast riches. As soon as she had laid down her
+provisions, she was going to pull off her veil; but her son prevented
+her, and said: "Mother, let us lose no time; before the sultan and the
+divan rise, I would have you return to the palace with this present as
+the dowry demanded for the princess, that he may judge by my diligence
+of the ardent desire I have to procure myself the honour of this
+alliance." Without waiting for his mother's reply, Aladdin opened the
+street-door, and made the slaves walk out; each white slave followed by
+a black with a tray upon his head. When they were all out, the mother
+followed the last black slave; he shut the door, and then retired to his
+chamber, full of hopes that the sultan, after this present, which was
+such as he required, would receive him as his son-in-law.</p>
+
+<p>The first white slave who went out made all the people who were going by
+stop; and before they were all clear of the house, the streets were
+crowded with spectators, who ran to see so extraordinary and magnificent
+a procession. The dress of each slave was so rich, both for the stuff
+and the jewels, that those who were dealers in them valued each at no
+less than a million of money; besides, the neatness and propriety of the
+dress, the noble air, fine shape and proportion of each slave were
+unparalleled; their grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the
+lustre of the jewels, curiously set in their girdles of gold, and the
+egrets of precious stones in their turbans, put the spectators into such
+great admiration, that they could not avoid following them with their
+eyes as far as possible. As soon as the first of these slaves arrived at
+the palace gate, the porters formed themselves into order, taking him
+for a prince from the magnificence of his habit, and were going to kiss
+the hem of his garment; but the slave, who was instructed by the genie,
+prevented them, and said: "We are only slaves, our master will appear at
+a proper time."</p>
+
+<p>The first slave, followed by the rest, advanced into the second court,
+which was very spacious, and in which the sultan's household was ranged
+during the sitting of the divan. The magnificence of the officers, who
+stood at the head of their troops, was considerably eclipsed by the
+slaves who bore Aladdin's present, of which they themselves made a part.</p>
+
+<p>As the sultan, who had been informed of their approach to the palace,
+had given orders for them to be admitted, they went into the divan in
+regular order, one part filing to the right, and the other to the left.
+After they were all entered, and had formed a semicircle before the
+sultan's throne, the black slaves laid the golden trays on the carpet,
+prostrating themselves, and at the same time the white slaves did the
+same. When they rose, the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then all
+stood with their arms crossed over their breasts.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Aladdin's mother advanced to the foot of the throne, and
+having paid her respects, said to the sultan: "Sir, my son is sensible
+that this present, which he has sent your majesty, is much below the
+Princess Badroulboudour's worth; but hopes, nevertheless, that your
+majesty will accept of it."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan was not able to give the least attention to this compliment.
+The moment he cast his eyes on the forty trays, full of the most
+precious and beautiful jewels he had ever seen, and the fourscore
+slaves, who appeared by the elegance of their persons, and the
+magnificence of their dress, like so many princes, he was overwhelmed.
+Instead of answering the compliment of Aladdin's mother, he addressed
+himself to the grand vizier, who could not any more than the sultan
+comprehend from whence such a profusion of richness could come. "Well,
+vizier," said he aloud, "who do you think it can be that has sent me so
+extraordinary a present? Do you think him worthy of the Princess
+Badroulboudour, my daughter?"</p>
+
+<p>The vizier, notwithstanding his envy and grief at seeing a stranger
+preferred to his son, durst not disguise his sentiments. It was too
+visible that Aladdin's present was more than sufficient to merit his
+being received into royal alliance; therefore, consulting his master's
+feelings, he returned this answer: "I am so far from having any thoughts
+that the person who has made your majesty so noble a present is unworthy
+of the honour you would do him, that I should say he deserved much more,
+if I were not persuaded that the greatest treasure in the world ought
+not to be put in competition with the princess, your majesty's
+daughter."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan made no longer hesitation, nor thought of informing himself
+whether Aladdin was endowed with all the qualifications requisite in one
+who aspired to be his son-in-law. The sight alone of such immense
+riches, and Aladdin's quickness in satisfying his demand, without
+starting the least difficulty at the exorbitant conditions he had
+imposed, easily persuaded him that he could want nothing to render him
+accomplished, and such as he desired. Therefore, to send Aladdin's
+mother back with all the satisfaction she could desire, he said to her:
+"My good lady, go and tell your son that I wait with open arms to
+embrace him, and the more haste he makes to come and receive the
+princess, my daughter, from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do
+me."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the tailor's widow had retired, overjoyed to see her son
+raised to such exalted fortune, the sultan put an end to the audience;
+and rising from his throne, ordered that the princess's eunuchs should
+come and carry the trays into their mistress's apartment, whither he
+went himself to examine them with her at his leisure. The fourscore
+slaves were conducted into the palace; and the sultan, telling the
+princess of their magnificent appearance, ordered them to be brought
+before her apartment, that she might see through the lattices that he
+had not exaggerated in his account of them.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, Aladdin's mother got home, and shewed in her
+countenance the good news she brought her son. "My son," said she to
+him, "you have now all the reason in the world to be pleased. The
+sultan, with the approbation of the whole court, has declared that you
+are worthy to possess the Princess Badroulboudour, and waits to embrace
+you, and conclude your marriage; therefore, you must think of making
+preparations for your interview, which may answer the high opinion he
+has formed of your person."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, enraptured with this news, made little reply, but retired to
+his chamber. There, after he had rubbed the lamp, which had never failed
+him, the obedient genie appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I want to
+bathe immediately, and you must afterward provide me the richest and
+most magnificent habit ever worn by a monarch." No sooner were the words
+out of his mouth than the genie rendered him invisible, and transported
+him into a bath of the finest marble, where he was undressed, without
+seeing by whom, in a magnificent and spacious hall. From the hall he was
+led to the bath, which was of a moderate heat, and he was there rubbed
+with various scented waters. After he had passed through several degrees
+of heat, he came out quite a different man from what he was before. His
+skin was clear white and red, his body lightsome and free; and when he
+returned into the hall, he found, instead of his own, a suit the
+magnificence of which astonished him. The genie helped him to dress, and
+when he had done, transported him back to his own chamber, where he
+asked him if he had any other commands? "Yes," answered Aladdin, "I
+expect you to bring me as soon as possible a charger that surpasses in
+beauty and goodness the best in the sultan's stables, with a saddle,
+bridle, and other caparisons worth a million of money. I want also
+twenty slaves, as richly clothed as those who carried the present to the
+sultan, to walk by my side, and twenty more to go before me in two
+ranks. Besides these, bring my mother six women slaves to attend her, as
+richly dressed at least as any of the Princess Badroulboudour's, each
+carrying a complete dress fit for any sultaness. I want also ten
+thousand pieces of gold in ten purses; go, and make haste."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Aladdin had given these orders, the genie disappeared, but
+presently returned with the horse, the forty slaves, ten of whom carried
+each a purse containing ten thousand pieces of gold, and six women
+slaves, each carrying on her head a different dress for Aladdin's
+mother, wrapped up in a piece of silver tissue.</p>
+
+<p>Of the ten purses Aladdin took four, which he gave to his mother,
+telling her, those were to supply her with necessaries; the other six he
+left in the hands of the slaves who brought them, with an order to throw
+them by handfuls among the people as they went to the sultan's palace.
+The six slaves who carried the purses he ordered likewise to march
+before him, three on the right hand and three on the left. Afterward he
+presented the six women slaves to his mother, telling her that they were
+her slaves, and that the dresses they had brought were for her use.</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin had thus settled matters, he told the genie he would call
+for him when he wanted him, and thereupon the genie disappeared.
+Aladdin's thoughts now were only upon answering, as soon as possible,
+the desire the sultan had shewn to see him. He despatched one of the
+forty slaves to the palace, with an order to address himself to the
+chief of the porters, to know when he might have the honour to come and
+throw himself at the sultan's feet. The slave soon acquitted himself of
+his commission, and brought for answer that the sultan waited for him
+with impatience.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin immediately mounted his charger, and though he never was on
+horseback before, appeared with such extraordinary grace, that the most
+experienced horseman would not have taken him for a novice. The streets
+through which he was to pass were almost instantly filled with an
+innumerable concourse of people, who made the air echo with their
+acclamations, especially every time the six slaves who carried the
+purses threw handfuls of gold among the populace. Neither did these
+shouts of joy come from those alone who scrambled for the money, but
+from a superior rank of people, who could not forbear applauding
+Aladdin's generosity. Not only those who knew him when he played in the
+streets like a vagabond did not recollect him, but those who saw him but
+a little while before hardly recognised him, so much were his features
+altered: such were the effects of the lamp, as to procure by degrees to
+those who possessed it perfections suitable to the rank to which the
+right use of it advanced them. Much more attention was paid to Aladdin's
+person than to the pomp and magnificence of his attendants, as a similar
+show had been seen the day before, when the slaves walked in procession
+with the present to the sultan. Nevertheless, the horse was much admired
+by good judges, who knew how to discern his beauties, without being
+dazzled by the jewels and richness of his furniture. When the report was
+everywhere spread that the sultan was going to give the princess in
+marriage to Aladdin, nobody regarded his birth, nor envied his good
+fortune, so worthy he seemed of it in the public opinion.</p>
+
+<p>When he arrived at the palace, everything was prepared for his
+reception; and when he came to the gate of the second court, he would
+have alighted from his horse, agreeably to the custom observed by the
+grand vizier, the commander-in-chief of the empire, and governors of
+provinces of the first rank; but the chief of the mace-bearers, who
+waited on him by the sultan's order, prevented him, and attended him to
+the grand hall of audience, where he helped him to dismount. The
+officers formed themselves into two ranks at the entrance of the hall.
+The chief put Aladdin on his right hand, and through the midst of them
+led him to the sultan's throne.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultan perceived Aladdin, he was no less surprised to see
+him more richly and magnificently habited than ever he had been himself,
+than struck at his good mien, fine shape, and a certain air of
+unexpected dignity, very different from the meanness of his mother's
+late appearance.</p>
+
+<p>But, notwithstanding, his amazement and surprise did not hinder him from
+rising off his throne, and descending two or three steps, quickly enough
+to prevent Aladdin's throwing himself at his feet. He embraced him with
+all possible demonstrations of joy at his arrival. After this civility
+Aladdin would have thrown himself at his feet again; but he held him
+fast by the hand, and obliged him to sit close to the throne.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin then addressed the sultan, saying: "I receive the honour which
+your majesty out of your great condescension is pleased to confer; but
+permit me to assure you that I know the greatness of your power, and
+that I am not insensible how much my birth is below the lustre of the
+high rank to which I am raised. I ask your majesty's pardon for my
+rashness, but I cannot dissemble that I should die with grief were I to
+lose my hopes of seeing myself united to the divine princess who is the
+object of my wishes."</p>
+
+<p>"My son," answered the sultan, embracing him a second time, "you would
+wrong me to doubt for a moment of my sincerity: your life from this
+moment is too dear to me not to preserve it, by presenting you with the
+remedy which is at my disposal."</p>
+
+<p>After these words, the sultan gave a signal, and immediately the air
+echoed with the sound of trumpets, hautboys, and other musical
+instruments: and at the same time he led Aladdin into a magnificent
+hall, where was laid out a most splendid collation. The sultan and
+Aladdin ate by themselves, while the grand vizier and the great lords of
+the court, according to their dignity and rank, sat at different tables.
+The conversation turned on different subjects; but all the while the
+sultan took so much pleasure in looking at his intended son-in-law, that
+he hardly ever took his eyes off him; and throughout the whole of their
+conversation Aladdin shewed so much good sense, as confirmed the sultan
+in the high opinion he had formed of him.</p>
+
+<p>After the feast, the sultan sent for the chief judge of his capital, and
+ordered him to draw up immediately a contract of marriage between the
+Princess Badroulboudour, his daughter, and Aladdin.</p>
+
+<p>When the judge had drawn up the contract in all the requisite forms, the
+sultan asked Aladdin if he would stay in the palace, and solemnise the
+ceremonies of marriage that day; to which he answered: "Sir, though
+great is my impatience to enjoy your majesty's goodness, yet I beg of
+you to give me leave to defer it till I have built a palace fit to
+receive the princess; therefore I petition you to grant me a convenient
+spot of ground near your abode, that I may the more frequently pay my
+respects, and I will take care to have it finished with all diligence."
+"Son," said the sultan, "take what ground you think proper, there is
+space enough on every quarter round my palace; but consider, I cannot
+see you too soon united with my daughter, which alone is wanting to
+complete my happiness." After these words he embraced Aladdin again, who
+took his leave with as much politeness as if he had been bred up and had
+always lived at court.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin returned home in the order he had come, amidst the acclamations
+of the people, who wished him all happiness and prosperity. As soon as
+he dismounted, he retired to his own chamber, took the lamp, and called
+the genie as before, who in the usual manner made him a tender of his
+service. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I have every reason to commend your
+exactness in executing hitherto punctually whatever I have demanded; but
+now, if you have any regard for the lamp, your protector, you must shew,
+if possible, more zeal and diligence than ever. I would have you build
+me, as soon as you can, a palace opposite, but at a proper distance
+from, the sultan's, fit to receive my spouse, the Princess
+Badroulboudour. I leave the choice of the materials to you, that is to
+say, porphyry, jasper, agate, lapis lazuli, or the finest marble of
+various colours, and also the architecture of the building. But I expect
+that on the terraced roof of this palace you will build me a large hall
+crowned with a dome, and having four equal fronts; and that instead of
+layers of bricks, the walls be formed of massy gold and silver, laid
+alternately: that each front shall contain six windows, the lattices of
+all of which (except one, which must be left unfinished) shall be so
+enriched in the most tasteful workmanship, with diamonds, rubies, and
+emeralds, that they shall exceed anything of the kind ever seen in the
+world. I would have an inner and outer court in front of the palace, and
+a spacious garden; but above all things, take care that there be laid in
+a place which you shall point out to me, a treasure of gold and silver
+coin. Besides, the edifice must be well provided with kitchens and
+offices, storehouses, and rooms to keep choice furniture in, for every
+season of the year. I must have stables full of the finest horses, with
+their equerries and grooms, and hunting equipage. There must be officers
+to attend the kitchens and offices, and women slaves to wait on the
+princess. You understand what I mean; therefore go about it, and come
+and tell me when all is finished."</p>
+
+<p>By the time Aladdin had instructed the genie respecting the building of
+his palace, the sun was set. The next morning, before break of day, our
+bridegroom, whose love for the princess would not let him sleep, was up,
+when the genie presented himself and said: "Sir, your palace is
+finished; come and see how you like it." Aladdin had no sooner signified
+his consent, than the genie transported him thither in an instant, and
+he found it so much beyond his expectation, that he could not enough
+admire it. The genie led him through all the apartments, where he met
+with nothing but what was rich and magnificent, with officers and slaves
+all habited according to their rank and the services to which they were
+appointed. The genie then shewed him the treasury, which was opened by a
+treasurer, where Aladdin saw heaps of purses, of different sizes, piled
+up to the top of the ceiling, and disposed in most excellent order. The
+genie assured him of the treasurer's fidelity, and thence led him to the
+stables, where he shewed him some of the finest horses in the world, and
+the grooms busy in dressing them; from thence they went to the
+storehouses, which were filled with all things necessary, both for food
+and ornament.</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin had examined the palace from top to bottom, and
+particularly the hall with the four and twenty windows, and found it
+much beyond whatever he could have imagined, he said: "Genie, no one can
+be better satisfied than I am; and indeed I should be much to blame if I
+found any fault. There is only one thing wanting which I forgot to
+mention; that is, to lay from the sultan's palace to the door of the
+apartment designed for the princess, a carpet of fine velvet for her to
+walk upon." The genie immediately disappeared, and Aladdin saw what he
+desired executed in an instant. The genie then returned, and carried him
+home before the gates of the sultan's palace were opened.</p>
+
+<p>When the porters, who had always been used to an open prospect, came to
+open the gates, they were amazed to find it obstructed, and to see a
+carpet of velvet spread from the grand entrance. They did not
+immediately look how far it extended, but when they could discern
+Aladdin's palace distinctly, their surprise was increased. The news of
+so extraordinary a wonder was presently spread through the palace. The
+grand vizier, who arrived soon after the gates were open, being no less
+amazed than others at this novelty, ran and acquainted the sultan, but
+endeavoured to make him believe it to be all enchantment. "Vizier,"
+replied the sultan, "why will you have it to be enchantment? You know as
+well as I that it must be Aladdin's palace, which I gave him leave to
+build, for the reception of my daughter. After the proof we have had of
+his riches, can we think it strange that he should raise a palace in so
+short a time? He wished to surprise us, and let us see what wonders are
+to be done with money in only one night. Confess sincerely that the
+enchantment you talk of proceeds from a little envy on account of your
+son's disappointment."</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin had been conveyed home, and had dismissed the genie, he
+found his mother up, and dressing herself in one of those suits which
+had been brought her. By the time the sultan rose from the council,
+Aladdin had prepared his mother to go to the palace with her slaves, and
+desired her, if she saw the sultan, to tell him she should do herself
+the honour toward evening to attend the princess to her palace.
+Accordingly she went; but though she and the women slaves who followed
+her were all dressed like sultanesses, yet the crowd was not near so
+great as the preceding day, because they were all veiled, and each had
+on an upper garment agreeable to the richness and magnificence of their
+habits. Aladdin, taking care not to forget his wonderful lamp, mounted
+his horse, left his paternal home forever, and went to the palace in the
+same pomp as the day before.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the porters of the sultan's palace saw Aladdin's mother, they
+went and informed the sultan, who immediately ordered the bands of
+trumpets, cymbals, drums, fifes, and hautboys, placed in different parts
+of the palace, to play, so that the air resounded with concerts which
+inspired the whole city with joy: the merchants began to adorn their
+shops and houses with fine carpets and silks, and to prepare
+illuminations against night. The artisans of every description left
+their work, and the populace repaired to the great space between the
+royal palace and that of Aladdin; which last drew all their attention,
+not only because it was new to them, but because there was no comparison
+between the two buildings. But their amazement was to comprehend by what
+unheard-of miracle so magnificent a palace could have been so soon
+erected, it being apparent to all that there were no prepared materials,
+or any foundations laid the day before.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin's mother was received in the palace with honour, and introduced
+into the Princess Badroulboudour's apartment by the chief of the
+eunuchs. As soon as the princess saw her, she rose, saluted, and desired
+her to sit down on a sofa; and while her women finished dressing, and
+adorning her with the jewels which Aladdin had presented to her, a
+collation was served up. At the same time the sultan, who wished to be
+as much with his daughter as possible before he parted with her, came in
+and paid the old lady great respect. Aladdin's mother had talked to the
+sultan in public, but he had never seen her with her veil off, as she
+was then; and though she was somewhat advanced in years, she had the
+remains of a good face, which showed what she had been in her youth. The
+sultan, who had always seen her dressed very meanly, not to say poorly,
+was surprised to find her as richly and magnificently attired as the
+princess, his daughter. This made him think Aladdin equally prudent and
+wise in whatever he undertook.</p>
+
+<p>When it was night, the princess left her own apartment for Aladdin's
+palace, with his mother on her left hand carried in a superb litter,
+followed by a hundred women slaves, dressed with surprising
+magnificence. All the bands of music, which had played from the time
+Aladdin's mother arrived, being joined together, led the procession,
+followed by a hundred state ushers, and the like number of black
+eunuchs, in two files, with their officers at their head. Four hundred
+of the sultan's young pages carried flambeaux on each side, which,
+together with the illuminations of the sultan's and Aladdin's palaces,
+made it as light as day.</p>
+
+<p>At length the princess arrived at the new palace and Aladdin ran with
+all imaginable joy to receive her at the grand entrance. His mother had
+taken care to point him out to the princess, in the midst of the
+officers who surrounded him, and she was charmed with his person.
+"Adorable princess," said Aladdin, accosting her, and saluting her
+respectfully, as soon as she had entered her apartment, "if I have the
+misfortune to have displeased you by my boldness in aspiring to the
+possession of so lovely a creature, I must tell you, that you ought to
+blame your bright eyes and charms, not me." "Prince," answered the
+princess, "I am obedient to the will of my father; and it is enough for
+me to have seen you, to tell you that I obey without reluctance."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, charmed with so agreeable an answer, would not keep the
+princess standing; but took her by the hand, which he kissed with the
+greatest demonstration of joy, and led her into a large hall,
+illuminated with an infinite number of wax candles; where, by the care
+of the genie, a noble feast was served up. The dishes were of massy
+gold, and contained the most delicate viands, and all the other
+ornaments and embellishments of the hall were answerable to this
+display. The princess, dazzled to see so much riches, said to Aladdin:
+"I thought, prince, that nothing in the world was so beautiful as the
+sultan my father's palace, but the sight of this hall alone is
+sufficient to shew I was deceived."</p>
+
+<p>Then Aladdin led the princess to the place appointed for her, and as
+soon as she and his mother were seated, a band of the most harmonious
+instruments, accompanied with the voices of beautiful ladies, began a
+concert, which lasted without intermission to the end of the repast. The
+princess was so charmed, that she declared she had never heard anything
+like it in the sultan her father's court; but she knew not that these
+musicians were fairies chosen by the genie, the slave of the lamp.</p>
+
+<p>When the supper was ended, there entered a company of female dancers,
+who performed, according to the custom of the country, several figure
+dances, singing at the same time verses in praise of the bride and
+bridegroom. About midnight the happy pair retired to their apartments
+and the nuptial ceremonies were at an end.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning, when Aladdin arose, his attendants presented
+themselves to dress him, and brought him another habit as magnificent as
+that worn the day before. He then ordered one of the horses appointed
+for his use to be got ready, mounted him, and went in the midst of a
+large troop of slaves to the sultan's palace. The sultan received him
+with the same honours as before, embraced him, placed him on the throne
+near him, and ordered a collation. Aladdin said: "I beg your majesty
+will dispense with my eating with you to-day; I came to entreat you to
+take a repast in the princess's palace, attended by your grand vizier,
+and all the lords of your court." The sultan consented with pleasure,
+rose up immediately, and, preceded by the principal officers of his
+palace, and followed by all the great lords of his court, accompanied
+Aladdin.</p>
+
+<p>The nearer the sultan approached Aladdin's palace, the more he was
+struck with its beauty, but was much more amazed when he entered it; and
+could not forbear breaking out into exclamations of approbation. But
+when he came into the hall, and cast his eyes on the windows, enriched
+with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all large perfect stones, he was so
+much surprised, that he remained some time motionless. After he
+recovered himself, he said to his vizier; "Is it possible that there
+should be such a stately palace so near my own, and I be an utter
+stranger to it till now?" "Sir," replied the grand vizier, "your majesty
+may remember that the day before yesterday you gave Aladdin, whom you
+accepted for a son-in-law, leave to build a palace opposite your own,
+and that very day at sunset there was no palace on this spot, but
+yesterday I had the honour first to tell you that the palace was built
+and finished." "I remember," replied the sultan, "but never imagined
+that the palace was one of the wonders of the world; for where in all
+the world besides shall we find walls built of massy gold and silver,
+instead of brick, stone, or marble; and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds
+composing the windows!"</p>
+
+<p>The sultan would examine and admire the beauty of all the windows, and
+counting them, found that there were but three and twenty so richly
+adorned, and he was greatly astonished that the twenty-fourth was left
+imperfect. "Vizier," said he, for that minister made a point of never
+leaving him, "I am surprised that a hall of this magnificence should be
+left thus imperfect." "Sir," replied the grand vizier, "without doubt
+Aladdin only wanted time to finish this window like the rest; for it is
+not to be supposed but that he has sufficient jewels for the purpose, or
+that he will not complete it at the first opportunity."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who had left the sultan to go and give some orders, returned
+just as the vizier had finished his remark. "Son," said the sultan to
+him, "this hall is the most worthy of admiration of any in the world;
+there is only one thing that surprises me, which is, to find one of the
+windows unfinished. Is it from the forgetfulness or negligence of the
+workmen, or want of time, that they have not put the finishing stroke to
+so beautiful a piece of architecture?" "Sir," answered Aladdin, "it was
+for none of these reasons that your majesty sees it in this state. The
+omission was by design; it was by my orders that the workmen left it
+thus, since I wished that your majesty should have the glory of
+finishing this hall." "If you did it with this intention," replied the
+sultan, "I take it kindly, and will give orders about it immediately."
+He accordingly sent for the most considerable jewellers and goldsmiths
+in his capital.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin then conducted the sultan into the saloon where he had regaled
+his bride the preceding night. The princess entered immediately
+afterward, and received her father with an air that shewed how much she
+was satisfied with her marriage. Two tables were immediately spread with
+the most delicious meats, all served up in gold dishes. The sultan was
+much pleased with the cookery, and owned he had never eaten anything
+more excellent. He said the same of the wines, which were delicious; but
+what he most of all admired were four large buffets, profusely furnished
+with large flagons, basins, and cups, all of massy gold, set with
+jewels.</p>
+
+<p>When the sultan rose from table, he was informed that the jewellers and
+goldsmiths attended; upon which he returned to the hall, and shewed them
+the window which was unfinished: "I sent for you," said he, "to fit up
+this window in as great perfection as the rest; examine well, and make
+all the despatch you can."</p>
+
+<p>The jewellers and goldsmiths examined the three and twenty windows with
+great attention, and after they had consulted together they returned and
+presented themselves before the sultan, when the principal jeweller,
+undertaking to speak for the rest, said: "Sir, we are all willing to
+exert our utmost care and industry to obey your majesty; but among us
+all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so great a work." "I have more
+than are necessary," said the sultan; "come to my palace, and you shall
+choose what may answer your purpose."</p>
+
+<p>When the sultan returned to his palace, he ordered his jewels to be
+brought out, and the jewellers took a great quantity, particularly those
+Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used, without making
+any great advance in their work. They came again several times for more,
+and in a month's time had not finished half their work. In short, they
+used all the jewels the sultan had, and borrowed of the vizier, but yet
+the work was not half done.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who knew that all the sultan's endeavours to make this window
+like the rest were in vain, sent for the jewellers and goldsmiths, and
+not only commanded them to desist from their work, but ordered them to
+undo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back to the
+sultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had been
+six weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the hall. He took
+the lamp, which he carried about him, rubbed it, and presently the genie
+appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I ordered thee to leave one of the
+four and twenty windows of this hall imperfect and thou hast executed my
+commands punctually; now I would have thee make it like the rest." The
+genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin went out of the hall, and
+returning soon after, found the window like the others.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, the jewellers and goldsmiths repaired to the palace,
+and were introduced into the sultan's presence; where the chief
+jeweller, presenting the precious stones which he had brought back,
+said, in the name of all the rest: "Your majesty knows how long we have
+been upon the work you were pleased to set us about, in which we used
+all imaginable industry. It was far advanced, when Prince Aladdin
+commanded us not only to leave off, but to undo what we had already
+begun, and bring your majesty your jewels back." The sultan asked them
+if Aladdin had given them any reason for so doing, and they answering
+that he had given them none, he ordered a horse to be brought, which he
+mounted, and rode to his son-in-law's palace, with some few attendants
+on foot. When he came there, he alighted at the staircase, which led to
+the hall with the twenty-four windows, and went directly up to it,
+without giving previous notice to Aladdin; but it happened that at that
+very juncture Aladdin was opportunely there, and had just time to
+receive him at the door.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan, without giving Aladdin time to complain obligingly of his
+not having given notice, that he might have acquitted himself with the
+more becoming respect, said to him: "Son, I come myself to know the
+reason why you commanded the jewellers to desist from work, and take to
+pieces what they had done."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin disguised the true reason, which was, that the sultan was not
+rich enough in jewels to be at so great an expense, but said: "I beg of
+you now to see if anything is wanting."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan went directly to the window which was left imperfect, and
+when he found it like the rest, fancied that he was mistaken, examined
+the two windows on each side, and afterward all the four and twenty; but
+when he was convinced that the window which several workmen had been so
+long about was finished in so short a time, he embraced Aladdin, and
+kissed him between his eyes. "My son," said he, "what a man you are to
+do such surprising things always in the twinkling of an eye: there is
+not your fellow in the world; the more I know, the more I admire you."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin received these praises from the sultan with modesty, and replied
+in these words: "Sir, it is a great honour to me to deserve your
+majesty's goodwill and approbation, and I assure you, I shall study to
+deserve them more."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan returned to his palace, but would not let Aladdin attend him.
+When he came there, he found his grand vizier waiting, to whom he
+related the wonder he had witnessed with the utmost admiration, and in
+such terms as left the minister no room to doubt but that the fact was
+as the sultan related it; though he was the more confirmed in his
+belief that Aladdin's palace was the effect of enchantment, as he had
+told the sultan the first moment he saw it. He was going to repeat the
+observation, but the sultan interrupted him, and said: "You told me so
+once before; I see, vizier, you have not forgotten your son's espousals
+to my daughter." The grand vizier plainly saw how much the sultan was
+prepossessed, therefore avoided disputes, and let him remain in his own
+opinion. The sultan as soon as he rose every morning went into the
+closet, to look at Aladdin's palace, and would go many times in a day to
+contemplate and admire it.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin did not confine himself in his palace; but took care to show
+himself once or twice a week in the town, by going sometimes to one
+mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers; or to visit the grand
+vizier, who affected to pay his court to him on certain days; or to do
+the principal lords of the court the honour to return their visits after
+he had regaled them at his palace. Every time he went out, he caused two
+slaves, who walked by the side of his horse, to throw handfuls of money
+among the people as he passed through the streets and squares, which
+were generally on these occasions crowded. Besides, no one came to his
+palace gates to ask alms but returned satisfied with his liberality. In
+short, he so divided his time, that not a week passed but he went either
+once or twice a-hunting, sometimes in the environs of the city,
+sometimes farther off; at which time the villages through which he
+passed felt the effects of his generosity, which gained him the love and
+blessings of the people; and it was common for them to swear by his
+head. With all these good qualities he showed a zeal for the public good
+which could not be sufficiently applauded. He gave sufficient proofs of
+both in a revolt on the borders of the kingdom; for he no sooner
+understood that the sultan was levying an army to disperse the rebels
+than he begged the command of it, which he found not difficult to
+obtain. As soon as he was empowered, he marched with so much expedition,
+that the sultan heard of the defeat of the rebels before he had received
+an account of his son-in-law's arrival in the army.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had conducted himself in this manner several years, when the
+African magician, who undesignedly had been the instrument of raising
+him to so high a pitch of prosperity, recalled him to his recollection
+in Africa, whither, after his expedition, he had returned. And though he
+was almost persuaded that Aladdin must have died miserably in the
+subterranean abode where he had left him, yet he had the curiosity to
+inform himself about his end with certainty; and as he was a great
+geomancer, he took out of a cupboard a square, covered box, which he
+used in his geomantic observations. After he had prepared and levelled
+the sand which was in it with an intention to discover whether or not
+Aladdin had died, he cast the points, drew the figures, and formed a
+horoscope, by which, when he came to examine it, he found that instead
+of dying in the cave, his victim had made his escape, lived splendidly,
+was in possession of the wonderful lamp, had married a princess, and was
+much honoured and respected.</p>
+
+<p>The magician no sooner understood, by the rules of his diabolical art,
+that Aladdin had arrived to this height of good fortune, than his face
+became inflamed with anger, and he cried out in a rage: "This sorry
+tailor's son has discovered the secret and virtue of the lamp! I
+believed his death to be certain; but find that he enjoys the fruit of
+my labour and study! I will, however, prevent his enjoying it long, or
+perish in the attempt." He was not a great while deliberating on what he
+should do, but the next morning mounted a barb, set forward, and never
+stopped but to refresh himself and his horse, till he arrived at the
+capital of China. He alighted, took up his lodging in a khan, and stayed
+there the remainder of the day and the night.</p>
+
+<p>The next day, his first object was to inquire what people said of
+Aladdin; and, taking a walk through the town, he went to the most public
+and frequented places, where persons of the best distinction met to
+drink a certain warm liquor, which he had drunk often during his former
+visit. As soon as he had seated himself, he was presented with a cup of
+it, which he took; but listening at the same time to the discourse of
+the company on each side of him, he heard them talking of Aladdin's
+palace. When he had drunk off his liquor, he joined them, and taking
+this opportunity, inquired particularly of what palace they spoke with
+so much commendation. "From whence come you?" said the person to whom he
+addressed himself; "you must certainly be a stranger not to have seen or
+heard talk of Prince Aladdin's palace. I do not say," continued the man,
+"that it is one of the wonders of the world, but that it is the only
+wonder of the world; since nothing so grand, rich, and magnificent was
+ever beheld. Go and see it, and then judge whether I have told you more
+than the truth." "Forgive my ignorance," replied the African magician;
+"I arrived here but yesterday from the farthest part of Africa, where
+the fame of this palace had not reached when I came away. The business
+which brought me hither was so urgent, that my sole object was to arrive
+as soon as I could, without stopping anywhere, or making any
+acquaintance. But I will not fail to go and see it, if you will do me
+the favour to show me the way thither."</p>
+
+<p>The person to whom the African magician addressed himself took a
+pleasure in showing him the way to Aladdin's palace, and he got up and
+went thither instantly. When he came to the palace, and had examined it
+on all sides, he doubted not but that Aladdin had made use of the lamp
+to build it. Without attending to the inability of a poor tailor's son,
+he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp, could have
+performed such wonders; and piqued to the quick at Aladdin's happiness
+and splendour, he returned to the khan where he lodged.</p>
+
+<p>The next point was to ascertain where the lamp was; whether Aladdin
+carried it about with him, or where he kept it; and this he was to
+discover by an operation of geomancy. As soon as he entered his lodging,
+he took his square box of sand, which he always carried with him when he
+travelled, and after he had performed some operations, he found that the
+lamp was in Aladdin's palace, and so great was his joy at the discovery
+that he could hardly contain himself. "Well," said he, "I shall have the
+lamp, and I defy Aladdin to prevent my carrying it off, thus making him
+sink to his original meanness, from which he has taken so high a
+flight."</p>
+
+<p>It was Aladdin's misfortune at that time to be absent in the chase for
+eight days, and only three were expired, which the magician came to
+know. After he had performed the magical operation he went to the
+superintendent of the khan, entered into conversation with him on
+indifferent subjects, and among the rest, told him he had been to see
+Aladdin's palace; and after exaggerating on all that he had seen most
+worthy of observation, added: "But my curiosity leads me further, and I
+shall not be satisfied till I have seen the person to whom this
+wonderful edifice belongs." "That will be no difficult matter," replied
+the master of the khan; "there is not a day passes but he gives an
+opportunity when he is in town, but at present he has been gone these
+three days on a hunting-match, which will last eight."</p>
+
+<p>The magician wanted to know no more; he took his leave of the
+superintendent of the khan, and returning to his own chamber, said to
+himself: "This is an opportunity I ought by no means to neglect." To
+that end, he went to a coppersmith and asked for a dozen copper lamps:
+the master of the shop told him he had not so many by him, but if he
+would have patience till the next day, he would have them ready. The
+magician appointed his time, and desired him to take care that they
+should be handsome and well polished. After promising to pay him well,
+he returned to his inn.</p>
+
+<p>The next day the magician called for the twelve lamps, paid the man his
+full price, put them into a basket which he bought on purpose, and with
+the basket hanging on his arm, went directly to Aladdin's palace; as he
+approached beginning to cry: "Who will change old lamps for new ones?"
+As he went along, a crowd of children collected, who hooted, and thought
+him, as did all who chanced to be passing by, a madman or a fool.</p>
+
+<p>The African magician regarded not their scoffs, hootings, or all they
+could say to him, but still continued crying: "Who will change old lamps
+for new?" He repeated this so often, walking backward and forward in
+front of the palace, that the princess, who was then in the hall with
+the four and twenty windows, hearing a man cry something and not being
+able to distinguish his words, owing to the hooting of the children, and
+increasing mob about him, sent one of her women slaves to know what he
+cried.</p>
+
+<p>The slave was not long before she returned, and ran into the hall,
+laughing so heartily that the princess could not forbear herself. "Well,
+giggler," said the princess, "will you tell me what you laugh at?"
+"Madam," answered the slave, laughing still, "who can forbear laughing,
+to see a fool with a basket on his arm, full of fine new lamps, ask to
+change them for old ones?"</p>
+
+<p>Another female slave hearing this, said: "Now you speak of lamps, I know
+not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an old one
+upon a shelf of the prince's robing-room. If the princess chooses, she
+may have the pleasure of trying if this fool is so silly as to give a
+new lamp for an old one, without taking anything for the exchange."</p>
+
+<p>The lamp this slave spoke of was the wonderful lamp, which Aladdin had
+laid upon the shelf before he departed for the chase: this he had done
+several times before; but neither the princess, the slaves, nor the
+eunuchs had ever taken notice of it. At all other times except when
+hunting he carried it about his person.</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who knew not the value of this lamp, and the interest that
+Aladdin, not to mention herself, had to keep it safe, entered into the
+pleasantry, and commanded a eunuch to take it and make the exchange. The
+eunuch obeyed, went out of the hall, and no sooner got to the palace
+gates than he saw the African magician, called to him, and showing him
+the old lamp, said: "Give me a new lamp for this?"</p>
+
+<p>The magician never doubted but this was the lamp he wanted. There could
+be no other such in the palace, where every utensil was gold or silver.
+He snatched it eagerly out of the eunuch's hand, and thrusting it as far
+as he could into his breast, offered him his basket, and bade him choose
+which he liked best. The eunuch picked out one, and carried it to the
+princess; but the exchange was no sooner made than the place rang with
+the shouts of the children, deriding the magician's folly.</p>
+
+<p>The African magician gave everybody leave to laugh as much as they
+pleased; he stayed not long near the palace, but made the best of his
+way, without crying any longer; "New lamps for old ones." His end was
+answered, and by his silence he got rid of the children and the mob.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as he was out of the square between the two palaces, he hastened
+down the streets which were the least frequented; and having no more
+occasion for his lamps or basket, set all down in an alley where nobody
+saw him: then going down another street or two, he walked till he came
+to one of the city gates, and pursuing his way through the suburbs,
+which were very extensive, at length reached a lonely spot, where he
+stopped for a time to execute the design he had in contemplation, never
+caring for his horse which he had left at the khan; but thinking himself
+perfectly compensated by the treasure he had acquired.</p>
+
+<p>In this place the African magician passed the remainder of the day, till
+the darkest time of night, when he pulled the lamp out of his breast and
+rubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared, and said: "What wouldst
+thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
+those who have that lamp in their hands; both I and the other slaves of
+the lamp." "I command thee," replied the magician, "to transport me
+immediately and the palace which thou and the other slaves of the lamp
+have built in this city, with all the people in it, to Africa." The
+genie made no reply, but with the assistance of the other genies, the
+slaves of the lamp immediately transported him, and the palace entire,
+to the spot whither he was desired to convey it.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultan rose the next morning, according to custom, he
+went into his closet, to have the pleasure of contemplating and admiring
+Aladdin's palace; but when he first looked that way, and instead of a
+palace saw an empty space such as it was before the palace was built, he
+thought he was mistaken, and rubbed his eyes; but when he looked again,
+he still saw nothing more the second time than the first, though the
+weather was fine, the sky clear, and the dawn advancing had made all
+objects very distinct. He looked again in front, to the right and left,
+but beheld nothing more than he had formerly been used to see from his
+window. His amazement was so great, that he stood for some time turning
+his eyes to the spot where the palace had stood, but where it was no
+longer to be seen. He could not comprehend how so large a palace as
+Aladdin's, which he had seen plainly every day for some years, and but
+the day before, should vanish so soon, and not leave the least remains
+behind.</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly," said he to himself, "I am not mistaken; it stood there: if
+it had fallen, the materials would have lain in heaps; and if it had
+been swallowed up by an earthquake, there would be some mark left." At
+last he retired to his apartment, not without looking behind him before
+he quitted the spot, ordered the grand vizier to be sent for with
+expedition, and in the meantime sat down, his mind agitated by so many
+different conjectures that he knew not what to resolve.</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier did not make the sultan wait long for him, but came
+with so much precipitation, that neither he nor his attendants, as they
+passed, missed Aladdin's palace; neither did the porters, when they
+opened the palace gates, observe any alteration.</p>
+
+<p>When he came into the sultan's presence, he said to him: "The haste in
+which your majesty sent for me makes me believe something extraordinary
+has happened, since you know this is a day of public audience, and I
+should not have failed of attending at the usual time." "Indeed," said
+the sultan, "it is something very extraordinary, as you say, and you
+will allow it to be so: tell me what is become of Aladdin's palace?"
+"His palace!" replied the grand vizier in amazement; "I thought as I
+passed it stood in its usual place." "Go into my closet," said the
+sultan, "and tell me if you can see it."</p>
+
+<p>The grand vizier went into the closet, where he was struck with no less
+amazement than the sultan had been. When he was well assured that there
+was not the least appearance of the palace, he returned to the sultan.
+"Well," said the sultan, "have you seen Aladdin's palace?" "No,"
+answered the vizier, "but your majesty may remember, that I had the
+honour to tell you, that the edifice, which was the subject of your
+admiration, was only the work of magic and a magician; but your majesty
+would not pay the least attention to what I said." The sultan, who could
+not deny what the grand vizier had represented to him, flew into the
+greater passion: "Where is that impostor, that wicked wretch," said he,
+"that I may have his head taken off immediately?" "Sir," replied the
+grand vizier, "it is some days since he came to take his leave of your
+majesty, on pretence of hunting; he ought to be sent for, to know what
+is become of his palace, since he cannot be ignorant of what has been
+transacted." "To send for him would be too great an indulgence," replied
+the sultan: "command a detachment of horse to bring him to me loaded
+with chains." The grand vizier gave orders for a detachment, and
+instructed the officer who commanded the men how they were to act, that
+Aladdin might not escape. The detachment pursued its orders; and about
+five or six leagues from the town met him returning from the chase. The
+officer advanced respectfully, and informed him the sultan was so
+impatient to see him, that he had sent his party to accompany him home.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had not the least suspicion of the true reason of their meeting
+him; but when he came within half a league of the city, the detachment
+surrounded him, when the officer addressed himself to him, and said;
+"Prince, it is with great regret that I declare to you the sultan's
+order to arrest you, and to carry you before him as a criminal: I beg
+of you not to take it ill that we acquit ourselves of our duty, and to
+forgive us." Aladdin, who felt himself innocent, was much surprised at
+this declaration, and asked the officer if he knew what crime he was
+accused of; who replied, he did not. Then Aladdin, finding that his
+retinue was much inferior to this detachment, alighted from his horse,
+and said to the officers: "Execute your orders; I am not conscious that
+I have committed any offence against the sultan's person or government."
+A heavy chain was immediately put about his neck, and fastened round his
+body, so that both his arms were pinioned down; the officer then put
+himself at the head of the detachment, and one of the troopers taking
+hold of the end of the chain and proceeding after the officer, led
+Aladdin, who was obliged to follow him on foot, into the city.</p>
+
+<p>When this detachment entered the suburbs, the people, who saw Aladdin
+thus led as a state criminal, never doubted but that his head was to be
+cut off; and as he was generally beloved, some took sabres and other
+arms; and those who had none gathered stones, and followed the escort.
+Their numbers presently increased so much, that the soldiery began to
+think it would be well if they could get into the sultan's palace before
+Aladdin was rescued; to prevent which, according to the different extent
+of the streets, they took care to cover the ground by extending or
+closing. In this manner they with much difficulty arrived at the palace
+square, and there drew up in a line, till their officer and troopers
+with Aladdin had got within the gates, which were immediately shut.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin was carried before the sultan, who waited for him, attended by
+the grand vizier; and as soon as he saw him he ordered the executioner,
+who waited there for the purpose, to strike off his head without hearing
+him, or giving him leave to clear himself. As soon as the executioner
+had taken off the chain that was fastened about Aladdin's neck and body,
+he made the supposed criminal kneel down, and tied a bandage over his
+eyes. Then drawing his sabre, he took his aim by flourishing it three
+times in the air, waiting for the sultan's giving the signal to strike.</p>
+
+<p>At that instant the grand vizier perceiving that the populace had
+crowded the great square before the palace, and were scaling the walls
+in several places, said to the sultan, before he gave the signal: "I beg
+of your majesty to consider what you are going to do, since you will
+hazard your palace being destroyed; and who knows what fatal consequence
+may follow?" "My palace forced!" replied the sultan; "who can have that
+audacity?" "Sir," answered the grand vizier, "if your majesty will but
+cast your eyes toward the great square, and on the palace walls, you
+will perceive the truth of what I say."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan was so much alarmed when he saw so great a crowd, and how
+enraged they were, that he ordered the executioner to put his sabre
+immediately into the scabbard, to unbind Aladdin, and at the same time
+commanded the porters to declare to the people that the sultan had
+pardoned him, and that they might retire. Those who had already got upon
+the walls abandoned their design and got quickly down, overjoyed that
+they had saved the life of a man they dearly loved, and published the
+news amongst the rest, which was presently confirmed by the mace-bearers
+from the top of the terraces. The justice which the sultan had done to
+Aladdin soon disarmed the populace of their rage; the tumult abated and
+the mob dispersed.</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin found himself at liberty, he turned toward the balcony, and
+perceiving the sultan, raised his voice, and said to him in a moving
+manner: "I beg of your majesty to add one favour more to that which I
+have already received, which is, to let me know my crime?" "Your
+crime," answered the sultan; "perfidious wretch! Do you not know it?
+Come hither, and I will show it you." Aladdin went up, when the sultan,
+going before him without looking at him, said: "Follow me;" and then led
+him into his closet. When he came to the door, he said: "Go in; you
+ought to know whereabouts your palace stood: look round and tell me what
+is become of it?"</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin looked, but saw nothing. He perceived the spot upon which his
+palace had stood; but not being able to divine how it had disappeared,
+was thrown into such great confusion and amazement that he could not
+return one word of answer. The sultan, growing impatient, demanded of
+him again: "Where is your palace, and what is become of my daughter?"
+Aladdin, breaking silence, replied: "Sir, I perceive and own that the
+palace which I have built is not in its place, but is vanished; neither
+can I tell your majesty where it may be, but can assure you I had no
+concern in its removal."</p>
+
+<p>"I am not so much concerned about your palace," replied the sultan; "I
+value my daughter ten thousand times more, and would have you find her
+out, otherwise I will cause your head to be struck off, and no
+consideration shall divert me from my purpose."</p>
+
+<p>"I beg of your majesty," answered Aladdin, "to grant me forty days to
+make my inquiries; and if in that time I have not the success I wish, I
+will offer my head at the foot of your throne, to be disposed of at your
+pleasure." "I give you the forty days you ask," said the sultan; "but
+think not to escape my resentment if you fail; for I will find you out
+in whatsoever part of the world you may conceal yourself."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin went out of the sultan's presence with great humiliation, and in
+a condition worthy of pity. He crossed the courts of the palace,
+hanging down his head, and in such great confusion that he durst not
+lift up his eyes. The principal officers of the court, who had all
+professed themselves his friends, instead of going up to him to comfort
+him, turned their backs to avoid seeing him. But had they accosted him
+with an offer of service, they would have no more known Aladdin. He did
+not know himself, and was no longer in his senses, as plainly appeared
+by his asking everybody he met, and at every house, if they had seen his
+palace, or could tell him any news of it. These questions made the
+generality believe that Aladdin was mad. Some laughed at him, but people
+of sense and humanity, particularly those who had had any connection of
+business or friendship with him, really pitied him. For three days he
+rambled about the city in this manner, without coming to any resolution
+or eating anything but what some compassionate people forced him to take
+out of charity. At last he took the road to the country; and after he
+had traversed several fields in wild uncertainty, at the approach of
+night came to the bank of a river. There, possessed by his despair, he
+said to himself: "Where shall I seek my palace? In what province,
+country, or part of the world, shall I find that and my dear princess? I
+shall never succeed; I would better free myself at once from fruitless
+endeavours, and such bitter grief as preys upon me." He was just going
+to throw himself into the river, but, as a good Mussulman, true to his
+religion, he thought he should not do it without first saying his
+prayers. Going to prepare himself, he went to the river's brink, in
+order to perform the usual ablutions. The place being steep and
+slippery, he slid down, and had certainly fallen into the river, but for
+a little rock, which projected about two feet out of the earth. Happily
+also for him, he still had on the ring which the African magician had
+put on his finger before he went down into the subterranean abode to
+fetch the precious lamp. In slipping down the bank he rubbed the ring so
+hard by holding on the rock, that immediately the same genie appeared
+whom he had seen in the cave where the magician had left him. "What
+wouldst thou have?" said the genie. "I am ready to obey thee as thy
+slave, and the slave of all those that have that ring on their finger;
+both I and the other slaves of the ring."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, agreeably surprised at an apparition he so little expected in
+his present calamity, replied; "Save my life, genie, a second time,
+either by showing me to the place where the palace I caused to be built
+now stands, or immediately transporting it back where it first stood."
+"What you command me," answered the genie, "is not wholly in my power; I
+am only the slave of the ring; you must address yourself to the slave of
+the lamp." "If that be the case," replied Aladdin, "I command thee, by
+the power of the ring, to transport me to the spot where my palace
+stands, in what part of the world soever it may be, and set me down
+under the window of the Princess Badroulboudour." These words were no
+sooner out of his mouth than the genie transported him into Africa, to
+the midst of a large plain, where his palace stood, and placing him
+exactly under the window of the princess's apartment, left him. All this
+was done almost in an instant. Aladdin, notwithstanding the darkness of
+the night, knew his palace again; but as the night was far advanced and
+all was quiet, he retired to some distance, and sat down at the foot of
+a large tree. There, full of hopes, and reflecting on his happiness, for
+which he was indebted to chance, he found himself in a much more
+comfortable situation than when he was arrested and carried before the
+sultan, being now delivered from the immediate danger of losing his
+life. He amused himself for some time with these agreeable thoughts; but
+not having slept for two days, was unable to resist the drowsiness
+which came upon him, but fell fast asleep.</p>
+
+<p>The next morning, as soon as day appeared, Aladdin was agreeably
+awakened by the singing not only of the birds which had roosted in the
+tree under which he had passed the night, but also of those which
+frequented the thick groves of the palace garden. When he cast his eyes
+on that wonderful edifice, he felt inexpressible joy at thinking he
+might soon be master of it again, and once more greet his dear Princess
+Badroulboudour. Pleased with these hopes, he immediately arose, went
+toward the princess's apartment, and walked some time under her window
+in expectation of her rising, that he might see her. During this
+expectation, he began to consider with himself whence the cause of his
+misfortune had proceeded; and after mature reflection, no longer doubted
+that it was owing to having trusted the lamp out of his sight. He
+accused himself of negligence in letting it be a moment away from him.
+But what puzzled him most was, that he could not imagine who had been so
+envious of his happiness. He would soon have guessed this, if he had
+known that both he and his palace were now in Africa, the very name of
+which would soon have made him remember the magician, his declared
+enemy; but the genie, the slave of the ring, had not made mention of the
+name of the country, nor had Aladdin inquired.</p>
+
+<p>The princess rose earlier that morning than she had done since her
+transportation into Africa by the magician, whose presence she was
+forced to support once a day, because he was master of the palace;
+though she had always treated him so harshly that he dared not reside in
+it. As she was dressing, one of the women looking through the window
+perceived Aladdin, and instantly told her mistress. The princess, who
+could not believe the joyful tidings, hastened herself to the window,
+and seeing Aladdin, immediately opened it. The noise of opening the
+window made Aladdin turn his head that way, and perceiving the princess
+he saluted her with joy. "To lose no time," said she to him, "I have
+sent to have the private door opened for you; enter, and come up." The
+private door, which was just under the princess's apartment, was soon
+opened, and Aladdin conducted up into the chamber. It is impossible to
+express the joy of both at seeing each other, after so cruel a
+separation. After embracing and shedding tears of joy, they sat down,
+and Aladdin said: "I beg of you, princess, in Heaven's name, before we
+talk of anything else, to tell me, both for your own sake, the sultan
+your father's, and mine, what is become of an old lamp which I left upon
+a shelf in my robing-chamber, when I departed for the chase."</p>
+
+<p>"Alas! dear husband," answered the princess, "I was afraid our
+misfortune might be owing to that lamp: and what grieves me most is,
+that I have been the cause of it." "Princess," replied Aladdin, "do not
+blame yourself, for I ought to have taken more care of it. But let us
+now think only of repairing the loss; tell me what has happened, and
+into whose hands it has fallen." The princess then related how she had
+changed the old lamp for a new one, and how the next morning she found
+herself in the unknown country they were then in, which she was told was
+Africa, by the traitor who had transported her thither by his magic art.</p>
+
+<p>"Princess," said Aladdin, interrupting her, "you have informed me who
+the traitor is, by telling me we are in Africa. He is the most
+perfidious of men; but this is neither a time nor place to give you a
+full account of his villainies. I desire you only to tell me what he has
+done with the lamp, and where he has put it." "He carries it carefully
+wrapt up in his bosom," said the princess; "and this I can assure you,
+because he pulled it out before me, and showed it to me in triumph."</p>
+
+<p>"Princess," said Aladdin, "do not be displeased that I trouble you with
+so many questions, since they are equally important to us both. But to
+come to what most particularly concerns me: tell me, I conjure you, how
+so wicked and perfidious a man treats you?" "Since I have been here,"
+replied the princess, "he repairs once every day to see me; and I am
+persuaded the little satisfaction he receives from his visits makes him
+come no oftener. All his addresses tend to persuade me to break that
+faith I have pledged to you, and to take him for my husband; giving me
+to understand I need not entertain hopes of ever seeing you again, for
+that you were dead, having had your head struck off by my father's
+order. He added, to justify himself, that you were an ungrateful wretch;
+that your good fortune was owing to him, and a great many other things
+of that nature which I forbear to repeat: but as he received no other
+answer from me but grievous complaints and tears, he was always forced
+to retire with as little satisfaction as he came. I doubt not his
+intention is to allow me time to overcome my grief, in hopes that
+afterward I may change my sentiments. But my dear husband's presence
+removes all my apprehensions."</p>
+
+<p>"I am confident my attempts to punish the magician will not be in vain,"
+replied Aladdin, "since my princess's fears are removed, and I think I
+have found the means to deliver you from both your enemy and mine; to
+execute this design, it is necessary for me to go to the town. I shall
+return by noon, will then communicate my design, and what must be done
+by you to ensure success. But that you may not be surprised, I think it
+proper to acquaint you that I shall change my apparel, and beg of you
+to give orders that I may not wait long at the private door, but that it
+may be opened at the first knock."</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin was out of the palace, he looked round him on all sides,
+and perceiving a peasant going into the country, hastened after him; and
+when he had overtaken him, made a proposal to him to change habits,
+which the man agreed to. When they had made the exchange, the countryman
+went about his business, and Aladdin to the city. After traversing
+several streets, he came to that part of the town where all descriptions
+of merchants had their particular streets, according to their trades. He
+went into that of the druggists; and going into one of the largest and
+best-furnished shops, asked the druggist if he had a certain powder
+which he named. The druggist, judging Aladdin by his habit to be very
+poor, and that he had not money enough to pay for it, told him he had
+it, but that it was very dear; upon which Aladdin penetrating his
+thoughts, pulled out his purse, and showing him some gold, asked for
+half a drachm of the powder; which the druggist weighed, wrapped up in
+paper, and gave him, telling him the price was a piece of gold. Aladdin
+put the money into his hand, and returned to the palace, where he waited
+not long at the private door. When he came into the princess's
+apartment, he said to her: "Princess, perhaps the aversion you tell me
+you have for your captor may be an objection to your executing what I am
+going to propose; but permit me to say it is proper that you should
+dissemble a little, and do violence to your inclinations, if you would
+deliver yourself from him.</p>
+
+<p>"If you will take my advice," continued he, "dress yourself this moment
+in one of your richest habits, and when the African magician comes, make
+no difficulty to give him the best reception; so that he may imagine
+time has removed your disgust at his addresses. In your conversation let
+him understand that you strive to forget me; and that he may be the
+more fully convinced, invite him to sup with you, and tell him you
+should be glad to taste of some of the best wines of his country. He
+will presently go to fetch you some. During his absence, put into one of
+the cups which you are accustomed to drink of, this powder, and setting
+it by, charge the slave you may order that night to attend you, on a
+signal you shall agree upon, to bring that cup to you. When the magician
+and you have eaten and drunk as much as you choose, let her bring you
+the cup, and then change cups with him. He will esteem it so great a
+favour that he will not refuse, but eagerly quaff it off; but no sooner
+will he have drunk, than you will see him fall backward."</p>
+
+<p>When Aladdin had finished, "I own," answered the princess, "I shall do
+myself violence in consenting to make the magician such advances; but
+what cannot one resolve to do against a cruel enemy? I will therefore
+follow your advice, since both my repose and yours depend upon it."
+After the princess had agreed to the measures proposed by Aladdin, he
+took his leave and went and spent the rest of the day in the
+neighbourhood of the palace till it was night, and he might safely
+return to the private door.</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who had remained inconsolable at being parted from her
+husband, had, ever since their cruel separation, lived in great neglect
+of her person. She had almost forgotten the neatness so becoming persons
+of her sex and quality, particularly after the first time the magician
+paid her a visit and she had understood by some of the women, who knew
+him again, that it was he who had taken the old lamp in exchange for a
+new one. However, the opportunity of taking the revenge he deserved made
+her resolve to gratify Aladdin. As soon, therefore, as he was gone, she
+sat down to dress, and was attired by her women to the best advantage
+in the richest habit of her wardrobe. Her girdle was of the finest and
+largest diamonds set in gold, her necklace of pearls, six on a side, so
+well proportioned to that in the middle, which was the largest ever
+seen, that the greatest sultanesses would have been proud to have been
+adorned with only two of the smallest. Her bracelets, which were of
+diamonds and rubies intermixed, corresponded admirably to the richness
+of the girdle and necklace.</p>
+
+<p>When the Princess Badroulboudour was completely dressed, she consulted
+her glass and women upon her adjustment; and when she found she wanted
+no charms to flatter the foolish passion of the African magician, she
+sat down on a sofa expecting his arrival. The magician came at the usual
+hour, and as soon as he entered the great hall where the princess waited
+to receive him, she rose with an enchanting grace and smile, and pointed
+with her hand to the most honourable place, waiting till he sat down,
+that she might sit at the same time, which was a civility she had never
+shown him before.</p>
+
+<p>The African magician, dazzled more with the lustre of the princess's
+eyes than the glittering of her jewels, was much surprised. The smiling
+air with which she received him, so opposite to her former behaviour,
+quite fascinated his heart. When he was seated, the princess, to free
+him from his embarrassment, broke silence first, looking at him all the
+time in such a manner as to make him believe that he was not so odious
+to her as she had given him to understand hitherto, and said; "You are
+doubtless amazed to find me so much altered to-day; but your surprise
+will not be so great when I acquaint you, that I am naturally of a
+disposition so opposite to melancholy and grief, that I always strive to
+put them as far away as possible when I find the subject of them is
+past. I have reflected on what you told me of Aladdin's fate, and know
+my father's temper so well that I am persuaded, with you, he could not
+escape the terrible effects of the sultan's rage: therefore, should I
+continue to lament him all my life, my tears cannot recall him. For this
+reason, since I have paid all the duties decency requires of me to his
+memory, now he is in the grave I think I ought to endeavour to comfort
+myself. These are the motives of the change you see in me; I am resolved
+to banish melancholy entirely; and persuaded that you will bear me
+company to-night, I have ordered a supper to be prepared; but as I have
+no wines but those of China, I have a great desire to taste of the
+produce of Africa, and doubt not your procuring some of the best."</p>
+
+<p>The African magician, who had looked upon the happiness of getting so
+soon and so easily into the Princess Badroulboudour's good graces as
+impossible, could not think of words expressive enough to testify how
+sensible he was of her favours: but to put an end the sooner to a
+conversation which would have embarrassed him, if he had engaged farther
+in it, he turned it upon the wines of Africa, and said: "Of all the
+advantages Africa can boast, that of producing the most excellent wines
+is one of the principal. I have a vessel of seven years old, which has
+never been broached; and it is indeed not praising it too much to say it
+is the finest wine in the world. If my princess," added he, "will give
+me leave, I will go and fetch two bottles, and return again
+immediately." "I should be sorry to give you that trouble," replied the
+princess; "you had better send for them." "It is necessary I should go
+myself," answered the African magician, "for nobody but myself knows
+where the key of the cellar is laid, or has the secret to unlock the
+door." "If it be so," said the princess, "make haste back; for the
+longer you stay the greater will be my impatience, and we shall sit down
+to supper as soon as you return." The African magician, full of hopes
+of his expected happiness, rather flew than ran, and returned quickly
+with the wine. The princess, not doubting but he would make haste, put
+with her own hand the powder Aladdin had given her into the cup set
+apart for that purpose. They sat down at the table opposite to each
+other, the magician's back toward the buffet. The princess presented him
+with the best at the table, and said to him: "If you please, I will
+entertain you with a concert of vocal and instrumental music; but as we
+are only two, I think conversation may be more agreeable." This the
+magician took as a new favour. After they had eaten some time, the
+princess called for some wine, drank the magician's health, and
+afterward said to him: "Indeed you had a full right to commend your
+wine, since I never tasted any so delicious." "Charming princess," said
+he, holding in his hand the cup which had been presented to him, "my
+wine becomes more exquisite by your approbation." "Then drink my
+health," replied the princess: "you will find I understand wines." He
+drank the princess's health, and returning the cup said; "I think myself
+fortunate, princess, that I reserved this wine for so happy an occasion;
+and own I never before drank any in every respect so excellent." When
+they had each drunk two or three cups more, the princess, who had
+completely charmed the African magician by her obliging behaviour, gave
+the signal to the slave who served them with wine, bidding her bring the
+cup which had been filled for herself, and at the same time bring the
+magician a full goblet. When they both had their cups in their hands,
+she said to him: "I know not how you express your loves in these parts
+when drinking together. With us in China lovers reciprocally exchange
+cups, and drink each other's health:" at the same time she presented to
+him the cup which was in her hand, and held out her hand to receive his.
+He hastened to make the exchange with the more pleasure, because he
+looked upon this favour as a token of conquest over the princess, which
+raised his rapture to the highest pitch. Before he drank, he said to
+her, with the cup in his hand: "Indeed, princess, we Africans are not so
+refined in the art of love as you Chinese: and your instructing me in a
+lesson I was ignorant of, informs me how sensible I ought to be of the
+favour done me. I shall never, lovely princess, forget my recovering, by
+drinking out of your cup, that life, which your cruelty, had it
+continued, must have made me despair of."</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who began to be tired with his declarations, interrupted
+him and said: "Let us drink first, and then say what you will
+afterward:" at the same time she set the cup to her lips, while the
+African magician, who was eager to get his wine off first, drank up the
+very last drop. In finishing it, he leaned his head back to show his
+eagerness, and remained some time in that state. The princess kept the
+cup at her lips till she saw his eyes turn in his head, when he fell
+backward lifeless on the sofa. The princess had no occasion to order the
+private door to be opened to Aladdin; for her women were so disposed
+from the great hall to the foot of the staircase, that the word was no
+sooner given that the magician was fallen, than the door was immediately
+opened. As soon as Aladdin entered the hall, he saw the magician
+stretched backward on the sofa. The princess rose from her seat, and ran
+overjoyed to embrace him; but he stopped her and said: "Princess, it is
+not yet time; let me be left alone a moment, while I endeavour to
+transport you back to China as speedily as you were brought from
+thence." When the princess, her women and eunuchs, were gone out of the
+hall, Aladdin shut the door, and, going directly to the dead body of the
+magician, opened his vest, took out the lamp which was carefully
+wrapped up, as the princess had told him, and unfolding and rubbing it,
+the genie immediately appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I have called to
+command thee, on the part of thy good mistress, this lamp, to transport
+this palace instantly into China, to the place from whence it was
+brought hither." The genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and
+disappeared. Immediately the palace was transported into China, and its
+removal was only felt by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted
+up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short interval of
+time.</p>
+
+<p>From the time of the transportation of Aladdin's palace, the princess's
+father had been inconsolable for the loss of her. Before the disaster he
+used to go every morning into his closet to please himself with viewing
+the palace; he went now many times in the day to renew his tears, and
+plunge himself into the deepest melancholy, by reflecting how he had
+lost what was most dear to him in this world.</p>
+
+<p>The very morning of the return to the palace, the sultan went into his
+closet to indulge his sorrows. Absorbed in himself, and in a pensive
+mood, he cast his eyes toward the spot, expecting only to see an open
+space; but perceiving the vacancy filled up, he at first imagined the
+appearance to be the effect of a fog; looking more attentively, he was
+convinced beyond the power of doubt that it was his son-in-law's palace.
+Joy and gladness succeeded to sorrow and grief. He returned immediately
+into his apartment, and ordered a horse to be saddled and brought to him
+without delay, which he mounted that instant, thinking he could not make
+haste enough to the palace.</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin, who foresaw what would happen, rose that morning by daybreak,
+put on one of the most magnificent habits his wardrobe afforded, and
+went up into the hall of twenty-four windows, from whence he perceived
+the sultan approaching, and got down soon enough to receive him at the
+foot of the great staircase. "Aladdin," said the sultan, "I cannot speak
+to you till I have seen and embraced my daughter." The happy father was
+then led to the princess's apartment and embraced her with his face
+bathed in tears of joy. The sultan was some time before he could open
+his lips, so great was his surprise and joy to find his daughter again,
+after he had given her up for lost; and the princess, upon seeing her
+father, let fall tears of rapture and affection.</p>
+
+<p>At last the sultan broke silence, and said: "I would believe, daughter,
+your joy to see me makes you seem as little changed as if no misfortune
+had befallen you; yet I cannot be persuaded but that you have suffered
+much alarm; for a large palace cannot be so suddenly transported as
+yours has been, without causing great fright and apprehension. I would
+have you tell me all that has happened, and conceal nothing from me."</p>
+
+<p>The princess, who took great pleasure in giving the sultan the
+satisfaction he demanded, said: "If I appear so little altered, I beg of
+your majesty to consider that I received new life yesterday morning by
+the presence of my dear husband and deliverer, Aladdin, whom I looked
+upon and bewailed as lost to me. My greatest suffering was to find
+myself forced not only from your majesty, but from my dear husband; not
+only from the love I bore him, but from the uneasiness I laboured under
+through fear that he, though innocent, might feel the effects of your
+anger. As to what relates to my transportation, I was myself the
+innocent cause of it." To persuade the sultan of the truth of what she
+said, she gave him a full account of how the African magician had
+disguised himself, and offered to change new lamps for old ones; how she
+had amused herself in making that exchange; how the palace and herself
+were carried away and transported into Africa, with the magician, who
+was recognised by two of her women and the eunuch who made the exchange
+of the lamp, when he had the audacity, after the success of his daring
+enterprise, to propose himself for her husband; how he persecuted her
+till Aladdin's arrival; how they had concerted measures to get the lamp
+from him again, and the success they had fortunately met with by her
+dissimulation in inviting him to supper, and giving him the cup with the
+powder prepared for him. "For the rest," added she, "I leave it to
+Aladdin to recount."</p>
+
+<p>Aladdin had not much to tell the sultan, but only said: "When the
+private door was opened I went up into the great hall, where I found the
+magician lying dead on the sofa; and as I thought it not proper for the
+princess to stay there any longer, I desired her to go down into her own
+apartment, with her women and eunuchs. As soon as I was alone, and had
+taken the lamp out of the magician's breast, I made use of the same
+secret he had done, to remove the palace, and carry off the princess;
+and by that means the palace was reconveyed to the place where it stood
+before; and I have the happiness to restore the princess to your
+majesty. But that your majesty may not think that I impose upon you, if
+you will give yourself the trouble to go up into the hall, you may see
+the magician punished as he deserved."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan rose instantly and went into the hall, where, when he saw the
+African magician dead, and his face already livid by the strength of the
+poison, he embraced Aladdin with great tenderness, and said: "My son, be
+not displeased at my proceedings against you; they arose from my
+paternal love; and therefore you ought to forgive the excesses to which
+it hurried me." "Sir," replied Aladdin, "I have not the least reason to
+complain of your majesty's conduct, since you did nothing but what your
+duty required. This infamous magician, the basest of men, was the sole
+cause of my misfortune. When your majesty has leisure, I will give you
+an account of another villainous action he was guilty of toward me,
+which was no less black and base than this." "I will take an
+opportunity, and that very shortly," replied the sultan, "to hear it;
+but in the meantime let us think only of rejoicing."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan then commanded the drums, trumpets, cymbals, and other
+instruments of music to announce his joy to the public, and a festival
+of ten days to be proclaimed for the return of the princess and Aladdin.</p>
+
+<p>Within a few years afterward, the sultan died in a good old age, and as
+he left no male children, the Princess Badroulboudour, as lawful heir of
+the throne, succeeded him, and communicating the power to Aladdin, they
+reigned together many years, and left a numerous and illustrious
+progeny.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_PRINCE_AGIB" id="THE_STORY_OF_PRINCE_AGIB"></a>THE STORY OF PRINCE AGIB</h2>
+
+
+<p>I was a king, and the son of a king; and when my father died, I
+succeeded to his throne, and governed my subjects with justice and
+beneficence. I took pleasure in sea-voyages; and my capital was on the
+shore of an extensive sea, interspersed with fortified and garrisoned
+islands, which I desired, for my amusement, to visit; I therefore
+embarked with a fleet of ten ships, and took with me provisions
+sufficient for a whole month. I proceeded twenty days, after which there
+arose against us a contrary wind; but at daybreak it ceased, and the sea
+became calm, and we arrived at an island, where we landed, and cooked
+some provisions and ate; after which we remained there two days. We then
+continued our voyage; and when twenty days more had passed, we found
+ourselves in strange waters, unknown to the captain, and desired the
+watch to look out from the mast head: so he went aloft, and when he had
+come down he said to the captain: "I saw, on my right hand, fish
+floating upon the surface of the water; and looking toward the midst of
+the sea, I perceived something looming in the distance, sometimes black,
+and sometimes white."</p>
+
+<p>When the captain heard this report of the watch, he threw his turban on
+the deck, and plucked his beard, and said to those who were with him:
+"Receive warning of our destruction, which will befall all of us: not
+one will escape!" So saying, he began to weep; and all of us in like
+manner bewailed our lot. I desired him to inform us of that which the
+watch had seen. "O my lord," he replied, "know that we have wandered
+from our course since the commencement of the contrary wind that was
+followed in the morning by a calm, in consequence of which we remained
+stationary two days: from that period we have deviated from our course
+for twenty-one days, and we have no wind to carry us back from the fate
+which awaits us after this day. To-morrow we shall arrive at a mountain
+of black stone, called loadstone: the current is now bearing us
+violently toward it, and the ships will fall in pieces, and every nail
+in them will fly to the mountain, and adhere to it; for God hath given
+to the loadstone a secret property by virtue of which everything of iron
+is attracted toward it. On that mountain is such a quantity of iron as
+no one knoweth but God, whose name be exalted; for from times of old
+great numbers of ships have been destroyed by the influence of that
+mountain. There is, upon the summit of the mountain, a cupola of brass
+supported by ten columns, and upon the top of this is a horseman upon a
+horse of brass, having in his hand a brazen spear, and upon his breast
+suspended a tablet of lead, upon which are engraved mysterious names and
+talismans: and as long, O King, as this horseman remains upon the horse,
+so long will every ship that approaches be destroyed, with every person
+on board, and all the iron contained in it will cleave to the mountain:
+no one will be safe until the horseman shall have fallen from the
+horse." The captain then wept bitterly; and we felt assured that our
+destruction was inevitable, and every one of us bade adieu to his
+friend.</p>
+
+<p>On the following morning we drew near to the mountain; the current
+carried us toward it with violence, and when the ships were almost close
+to it, they fell asunder, and all the nails, and everything else that
+was of iron, flew from them toward the loadstone. It was near the close
+of day when the ships fell in pieces. Some of us were drowned, and some
+escaped; but the greater number were drowned, and of those who saved
+their lives none know what became of the others, so stupefied were they
+by the waves and the boisterous wind. As for myself, God, whose name be
+exalted, spared me on account of the trouble and torment and affliction
+that He had predestined to befall me. I placed myself upon a plank, and
+the wind and waves cast it upon the mountain; and when I had landed, I
+found a practicable way to the summit, resembling steps cut in the rock:
+so I exclaimed: "In the name of God!" and offered up a prayer, and
+attempted the ascent, holding fast by the notches; and presently God
+stilled the wind, so that I arrived in safety at the summit. Rejoicing
+greatly in my escape, I immediately entered the cupola, and performed
+prayers in gratitude to God for my preservation; after which I slept
+beneath the cupola, and heard a voice saying to me: "O son of Khasib,
+when thou awakest, dig beneath thy feet, and thou wilt find a bow of
+brass, and three arrows of lead, whereon are engraved talismans: then
+take the bow and arrows and shoot at the horseman that is upon the top
+of the cupola, and relieve mankind from this great affliction; for when
+thou hast shot at the horseman he will fall into the sea; the bow will
+also fall, and do thou bury it in its place; and as soon as thou hast
+done this, the sea will swell and rise until it attains the summit of
+the mountain; and there will appear upon it a boat bearing a man,
+different from him whom thou shalt have cast down, and he will come to
+thee, having an oar in his hand: then do thou embark with him; but utter
+not the name of God; and he will convey thee in ten days to a safe sea,
+where, on thy arrival, thou wilt find one who will take thee to thy
+city. All this shall be done if thou utter not the name of God."</p>
+
+<p>Awaking from my sleep, I sprang up, and did as the voice had directed. I
+shot at the horseman, and he fell into the sea; and the bow having
+fallen from my hand, I buried it: the sea then became troubled, and rose
+to the summit of the mountain, and when I had stood waiting there a
+little while, I beheld a boat in the midst of the sea, approaching me. I
+praised God, whose name be exalted, and when the boat came to me, I
+found in it a man of brass, with a tablet of lead upon his breast,
+engraven with names and talismans. Without uttering a word, I embarked
+in the boat, and the man rowed me ten successive days, after which I
+beheld the islands of security, whereupon, in the excess of my joy, I
+exclaimed: "There is no deity but God! God is most great!"&mdash;and as soon
+as I had done this, the man cast me out of the boat, and sank in the
+sea.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus09.jpg" alt="boat"  />
+<a id="illus09" name="illus09"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>And when the boat came to me I found in it a man of brass, with a
+tablet of lead upon his breast, engraven with names and talismans.</i></p>
+
+<p>Being able to swim, I swam until night, when my arms and shoulders were
+tired, and, in this perilous situation, I repeated the profession of the
+faith, and gave myself up as lost; but the sea rose with the violence of
+the wind, and a wave like a vast castle threw me upon the land, in order
+to the accomplishment of the purpose of God. I ascended the shore, and
+after I had wrung out my clothes, and spread them upon the ground to
+dry, I slept; and in the morning I put on my clothes again, and, looking
+about to see which way I should go, I found a tract covered with trees;
+and when I had walked round it, I found that I was upon a small island
+in the midst of the sea; upon which I said within myself: "Every time
+that I escape from one calamity I fall into another that is worse:" but
+while I was reflecting upon my unfortunate case, and wishing for death,
+I beheld a vessel bearing a number of men. I arose immediately, and
+climbed into a tree; and lo, the vessel came to the shore, and there
+landed from it ten black slaves bearing axes. They proceeded to the
+middle of the island, and, digging up the earth, uncovered and lifted up
+a trap-door, after which they returned to the vessel, and brought from
+it bread and flour, and clarified butter and honey, and sheep and
+everything that the wants of an inhabitant would require, continuing to
+pass backward and forward between the vessel and the trap-door, bringing
+loads from the former, and entering the latter, until they had removed
+all the stores from the ship. They then came out of the vessel with
+various clothes of the most beautiful description, and in the midst of
+them was an old sheikh, enfeebled and wasted by extreme age, leading by
+the hand a young man cast in the mould of graceful symmetry, and
+invested with such perfect beauty as deserved to be a subject for
+proverbs. He was like a fresh and slender twig, enchanting and
+captivating every heart by his elegant form. The party proceeded to the
+trap-door, and, entering it, became concealed from my eyes.</p>
+
+<p>They remained beneath about two hours, or more; after which, the sheikh
+and the slaves came out; but the youth came not with them; and they
+replaced the earth, and embarked and set sail. Soon after, I descended
+from the tree, and went to the excavation. I removed the earth, and,
+entering the aperture, saw a flight of wooden steps, which I descended;
+and, at the bottom, I beheld a handsome dwelling-place, furnished with a
+variety of silken carpets; and there was the youth, sitting upon a high
+mattress, with sweet-smelling flowers and fruits placed before him. On
+seeing me, his countenance became pale; but I saluted him, and said:
+"Let thy mind be composed, O my master: thou hast nothing to fear; for I
+am a man, and the son of a king, like thyself: fate hath impelled me to
+thee, that I may cheer thee in thy solitude." The youth, when he heard
+me thus address him, and was convinced that I was one of his own
+species, rejoiced exceedingly at my arrival, his colour returned, and,
+desiring me to approach him, he said: "O my brother, my story is
+wonderful: my father is a jeweller; he had slaves who made voyages
+by his orders, for the purposes of commerce, and he had dealings with
+kings; but he had never been blest with a son; and he dreamt that he was
+soon to have a son, but one whose life would be short; and he awoke
+sorrowful. Shortly after, in accordance with the decrees of God, my
+mother gave birth to me; and my father was greatly rejoiced: the
+astrologers, however, came to him, and said: Thy son will live fifteen
+years: his fate is intimated by the fact that there is in the sea a
+mountain called the Mountain of Loadstone, whereon is a horseman on a
+horse of brass, on the former of which is a tablet of lead suspended to
+his neck; and when the horseman shall be thrown down from his horse, thy
+son will be slain: the person who is to slay him is he who will throw
+down the horseman, and his name is King Agib, the son of King Khasib. My
+father was greatly afflicted at this announcement; and when he had
+reared me until I had nearly attained the age of fifteen years, the
+astrologers came again, and informed him that the horseman had fallen
+into the sea, and that it had been thrown down by King Agib, the son of
+King Khasib; on hearing which, he prepared for me this dwelling, and
+here left me to remain until the completion of the term, of which there
+now remain ten days. All this he did from fear lest King Agib should
+kill me."</p>
+
+<p>When I heard this, I was filled with wonder, and said within myself: "I
+am King Agib, the son of King Khasib, and it was I who threw down the
+horseman; but, by Allah, I will neither kill him nor do him any injury."
+Then said I to the youth: "Far from thee be both destruction and harm,
+if it be the will of God: thou hast nothing to fear: I will remain with
+thee to serve thee, and will go forth with thee to thy father, and beg
+of him to send me back to my country, for the which he will obtain a
+reward." The youth rejoiced at my words, and I sat and conversed with
+him until night, when I spread his bed for him, and covered him, and
+slept near to his side. And in the morning I brought him water, and he
+washed his face, and said to me: "May God requite thee for me with every
+blessing. If I escape from King Agib, I will make my father reward thee
+with abundant favours." "Never," I replied, "may the day arrive that
+would bring thee misfortune!" I then placed before him some
+refreshments, and after we had eaten together, we passed the day
+conversing with the utmost cheerfulness.</p>
+
+<p>I continued to serve him for nine days; and on the tenth day the youth
+rejoiced at finding himself in safety, and said to me: "O my brother, I
+wish that thou wouldst in thy kindness warm for me some water, that I
+may wash myself and change my clothes; for I have smelt the odour of
+escape from death, in consequence of thy assistance." "With pleasure," I
+replied; and I arose, and warmed the water; after which, he entered a
+place concealed from my view, and, having washed himself and changed his
+clothes, laid himself upon the mattress to rest after his bath. He then
+said to me: "Cut up for me, O my brother, a water-melon, and mix its
+juice with some sugar:" so I arose, and, taking a melon, brought it upon
+a plate, and said to him; "Knowest thou, O my master, where is the
+knife?" "See, here it is," he answered, "upon the shelf over my head." I
+sprang up hastily, and took it from its sheath, and as I was drawing
+back, my foot slipped, as God had decreed, and I fell upon the youth,
+grasping in my hand the knife, which entered his body, and he died
+instantly. When I perceived that he was dead, and that I had killed him,
+I uttered a loud shriek, and beat my face, and rent my clothes: saying:
+"This is, indeed, a calamity! O my Lord, I implore thy pardon, and
+declare to Thee my innocence of his death! Would that I had died before
+him!"</p>
+
+<p>With these reflections I ascended the steps, and, having replaced the
+trap-door, returned to my first station, and looked over the sea, where
+I saw the vessel that had come before, approaching, and cleaving the
+waves in its rapid course. Upon this I said within myself: "Now will the
+men come forth from the vessel, and find the youth slain, and they will
+slay me also:" so I climbed into a tree, and concealed myself among its
+leaves, and sat there till the vessel arrived and cast anchor, when the
+slaves landed with the old sheikh, the father of the youth, and went to
+the place, and removed the earth. They were surprised at finding it
+moist, and, when they had descended the steps, they discovered the youth
+lying on his back, exhibiting a face beaming with beauty, though dead,
+and clad in white and clean clothing, with the knife remaining in his
+body. They all wept at the sight, and the father fell down in a swoon,
+which lasted so long that the slaves thought he was dead. At length,
+however, he recovered, and came out with the slaves, who had wrapped the
+body of the youth in his clothes. They then took back all that was in
+the subterranean dwelling to the vessel, and departed.</p>
+
+<p>I remained, by day hiding myself in a tree, and at night walking about
+the open part of the island. Thus I continued for the space of two
+months; and I perceived that, on the western side of the island, the
+water of the sea every day retired, until, after three months, the land
+that had been beneath it became dry. Rejoicing at this, and feeling
+confident now in my escape, I traversed this dry tract, and arrived at
+an expanse of sand; whereupon I emboldened myself, and crossed it. I
+then saw in the distance an appearance of fire, and, advancing toward
+it, found it to be a palace, overlaid with plates of red copper, which,
+reflecting the rays of the sun, seemed from a distance to be fire: and
+when I drew near to it, reflecting upon this sight, there approached me
+an old sheikh, accompanied by ten young men who were all blind of one
+eye, at which I was extremely surprised. As soon as they saw me, they
+saluted me, and asked me my story, which I related to them from first to
+last; and they were filled with wonder. They then conducted me into the
+palace, where I saw ten benches, upon each of which was a mattress
+covered with a blue stuff; and each of the young men seated himself upon
+one of these benches, while the sheikh took his place upon a smaller
+one; after which they said to me: "Sit down, O young man, and ask no
+question respecting our condition, nor respecting our being blind of one
+eye." Then the sheikh arose, and brought to each of them some food, and
+the same to me also; and next he brought to each of us some wine: and
+after we had eaten, we sat drinking together until the time for sleep,
+when the young men said to the sheikh: "Bring to us our accustomed
+supply"&mdash;upon which the sheikh arose, and entered a closet, from which
+he brought, upon his head, ten covered trays. Placing these upon the
+floor, he lighted ten candles, and stuck one of them upon each tray;
+and, having done this, he removed the covers, and there appeared beneath
+them ashes mixed with pounded charcoal. The young men then tucked up
+their sleeves above the elbow, and blackened their faces, and slapped
+their cheeks, exclaiming: "We were reposing at our ease, and our
+impertinent curiosity suffered us not to remain so!" Thus they did until
+the morning, when the sheikh brought them some hot water, and they
+washed their faces, and put on other clothes.</p>
+
+<p>On witnessing this conduct, my reason was confounded, my heart was so
+troubled that I forgot my own misfortunes, and I asked them the cause of
+their strange behaviour; upon which they looked toward me, and said: "O
+young man, ask not respecting that which doth not concern thee; but be
+silent; for in silence is security from error." I remained with them a
+whole month, during which, every night they did the same, and at length
+I said to them: "I conjure you by Allah to remove this disquiet from my
+mind, and to inform me of the cause of your acting in this manner, and
+of your exclaiming; 'We were reposing at our ease, and our impertinent
+curiosity suffered us not to remain so!' if ye inform me not, I will
+leave you, and go my way." On hearing these words, they replied: "We
+have not concealed this affair from thee but in our concern for thy
+welfare, lest thou shouldst become like us, and the same affliction that
+hath befallen us happen also to thee." I said, however: "Ye must
+positively inform me of this matter." "We give thee good advice," said
+they, "and do thou receive it, and ask us not respecting our case;
+otherwise thou wilt become blind of one eye, like us"&mdash;but I still
+persisted in my request; whereupon they said: "O young man, if this
+befall thee, know that thou wilt be banished from our company." They
+then all arose, and, taking a ram, slaughtered and skinned it, and said
+to me: "Take this knife with thee, and introduce thyself into the skin
+of the ram, and we will sew thee up in it, and go away; whereupon a bird
+called the roc will come to thee, and, taking thee up by its talons,
+will fly away with thee, and set thee down upon a mountain: then cut
+open the skin with this knife, and get out, and the bird will fly away.
+Thou must arise, as soon as it hath gone, and journey for half a day,
+and thou wilt see before thee a lofty palace, encased with red gold, set
+with various precious stones such as emeralds and rubies; and if thou
+enter it thy case will be as ours; for our entrance into that palace was
+the cause of our being blind of one eye; and if one of us would relate
+to thee all that hath befallen him, his story would be too long for thee
+to hear."</p>
+
+<p>They then sewed me up in the skin, and entered their palace; and soon
+after, there came an enormous white bird, which seized me, and flew away
+with me, and set me down upon the mountain; whereupon I cut open the
+skin, and got out; and the bird, as soon as it saw me, flew away. I rose
+up quickly, and proceeded toward the palace, which I found to be as they
+had described it to me; and when I had entered it, I beheld, at the
+upper end of a saloon, forty young damsels, beautiful as so many moons,
+and magnificently attired, who, as soon as they saw me, exclaimed:
+"Welcome! Welcome! O our master and our lord! We have been for a month
+expecting thee. Praise be to God who hath blessed us with one who is
+worthy of us, and one of whom we are worthy!" After having thus greeted
+me, they seated me upon a mattress, and said; "Thou art from this day
+our master and prince, and we are thy handmaids, and entirely under thy
+authority." They then brought to me some refreshments, and, when I had
+eaten and drunk, they sat and conversed with me, full of joy and
+happiness. So lovely were these ladies, that even a devotee, if he saw
+them, would gladly consent to be their servant, and to comply with all
+that they would desire. At the approach of night they all assembled
+around me, and placed before me a table of fresh and dried fruits, with
+other delicacies that the tongue cannot describe, and wine; and one
+began to sing, while another played upon the lute. The wine-cups
+circulated among us, and joy overcame me to such a degree as to
+obliterate from my mind every earthly care, and make me exclaim: "This
+is indeed a delightful life!" I passed a night of such enjoyment as I
+had never before experienced; and on the morrow I entered the bath; and,
+after I had washed myself, they brought me a suit of the richest
+clothing, and we again sat down to a repast.</p>
+
+<p>In this manner I lived with them a whole year; but on the first day of
+the new year, they seated themselves around me, and began to weep, and
+bade me farewell, clinging to my skirts. "What calamity hath befallen
+you?" said I. "Ye are breaking my heart." They answered: "Would that we
+had never known thee; for we have associated with many men, but have
+seen none like thee. May God, therefore, not deprive us of thy company."
+And they wept afresh. I said to them: "I wish that you would acquaint me
+with the cause of this weeping." "Thou," they replied, "art the cause;
+yet now, if thou wilt attend to what we tell thee, we shall never be
+parted; but if thou act contrary to it, we are separated from this time;
+and our hearts whisper to us that thou wilt not regard our warning."
+"Inform me," said I, "and I will attend to your directions." And they
+replied: "If then thou wouldst inquire respecting our history, know that
+we are the daughters of kings: for many years it hath been our custom to
+assemble here, and every year we absent ourselves during a period of
+forty days; then returning, we indulge ourselves for a year in feasting
+and drinking. This is our usual practice; and now we fear that thou wilt
+disregard our directions when we are absent from thee. We deliver to
+thee the keys of the palace, which are a hundred in number, belonging to
+a hundred closets. Open each of these, and amuse thyself, and eat and
+drink, and refresh thyself, excepting the closet that hath a door of red
+gold; for if thou open this, the consequence will be a separation
+between us and thee. We conjure thee, therefore, to observe our
+direction, and to be patient during this period." Upon hearing this, I
+swore to them that I would never open the closet to which they alluded;
+and they departed, urging me to be faithful to my promise.</p>
+
+<p>I remained alone in the palace, and at the approach of evening I opened
+the first closet, and, entering it, found a mansion like paradise, with
+a garden containing green trees loaded with ripe fruits, abounding with
+singing birds, and watered by copious streams. My heart was soothed by
+the sight, and I wandered among the trees, scenting the fragrance of the
+flowers, and listening to the warbling of the birds as they sang the
+praises of the One, the Almighty. After admiring the mingled colours of
+the apple resembling the hue upon the cheek of the beloved maid and the
+sallow countenance of the perplexed and timid lover, the sweet-smelling
+quince diffusing an odour like musk and ambergris, and the plum shining
+as the ruby, I retired from this place, and, having locked the door,
+opened that of the next closet, within which I beheld a spacious tract
+planted with numerous palm-trees, and watered by a river flowing among
+rose-trees, and jasmine, and marjoram, and eglantine, and narcissus, and
+gilliflower, the odours of which, diffused in every direction by the
+wind, inspired me with the utmost delight. I locked again the door of
+the second closet, and opened that of the third. Within this I found a
+large saloon, paved with marbles of various colours, and with costly
+minerals and precious gems, and containing cages constructed of sandal
+and aloes-wood with singing birds within them, and others upon the
+branches of trees which were planted there. My heart was charmed, my
+trouble was dissipated, and I slept there until the morning. I then
+opened the door of the fourth closet, and within this door I found a
+great building in which were forty closets with open doors; and entering
+these, I beheld pearls, and rubies, and chrysolites, and emeralds, and
+other precious jewels such as the tongue cannot describe. I was
+astonished at the sight, and said: "Such things as these, I imagine, are
+not found in the treasury of any king. I am now the King of my age, and
+all these treasures, through the goodness of God, are mine."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus10.jpg" alt="evening"  />
+<a id="illus10" name="illus10"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering it,
+found a mansion like paradise.</i></p>
+
+<p>Thus I continued to amuse myself, passing from one place to another,
+until thirty-nine days had elapsed, and I had opened the doors of all
+the closets excepting that which they had forbidden me to open. My heart
+was then disturbed by curiosity respecting this hundredth closet, and
+the Devil, in order to plunge me into misery, induced me to open it. I
+had not patience to abstain, though there remained of the appointed
+period only one day: so I approached the closet, and opened the door;
+and when I had entered, I perceived a fragrant odour, such as I had
+never before smelt, which intoxicated me so that I fell down insensible,
+and remained some time in this state: but at length recovering, I
+fortified my heart, and proceeded. I found the floor overspread with
+saffron, and the place illuminated by golden lamps and by candles, which
+diffused the odours of musk and ambergris. I saw also a black horse, of
+the hue of the darkest night, before which was a manger of white crystal
+filled with cleansed sesame, and another, similar to it, containing
+rose-water infused with musk: he was saddled and bridled, and his saddle
+was of red gold. Wondering at the sight of him, I said within myself:
+"This must be an animal of extraordinary qualities;" and, seduced by the
+Devil, I led him out, and mounted him; but he moved not from his place.
+I kicked him with my heel; but still he moved not: so I took a switch
+and struck him with it; and as soon as he felt the blow he uttered a
+sound like thunder, and, expanding a pair of wings, soared with me to an
+immense height through the air, and then alighted upon the roof of
+another palace, where he threw me from his back, and, by a violent blow
+with his tail upon my face, struck out my eye, and left me.</p>
+
+<p>Thus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the
+predictions of the ten young men. The horse again took wing, and soon
+disappeared. I got up much vexed at the misfortune I had brought upon
+myself. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye with one of my hands,
+for it pained me exceedingly, and then descended, and entered into a
+hall. I soon discovered by the ten benches in a circle, and the eleventh
+in the middle, smaller than the rest, that I was in the castle whence I
+had been carried by the roc.</p>
+
+<p>The ten young men were not in the hall when I entered; but came in soon
+after, attended by the sheikh. They seemed not at all surprised to see
+me, nor at the loss of my eye; but said: "We are sorry that we cannot
+congratulate you on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the
+cause of your misfortune." "I should do you wrong," I replied, "to lay
+it to your charge; I have only myself to accuse." "If," said they, "it
+be a subject of consolation to the afflicted to know that others share
+their sufferings, you have in us this alleviation of your misfortune.
+All that has happened to you we have also endured; we each of us tasted
+the same pleasures during a year; and we had still continued to enjoy
+them, had we not opened the golden door, when the princesses were
+absent. You have been no wiser than we, and have incurred the same
+punishment. We would gladly receive you into our company, to join with
+us in the penance to which we are bound, and the duration of which we
+know not. But we have already stated to you the reasons that render this
+impossible: depart, therefore, and proceed to the court of Bagdad, where
+you will meet with the person who is to decide your destiny." After they
+had explained to me the road I was to travel, I departed from them, with
+mournful heart and weeping eye, and, God having decreed me a safe
+journey hither, I arrived at Bagdad, after I had shaved my beard, and
+become a mendicant. Praise be to God, whose name be exalted, and whose
+purposes concerning me are as yet hid in darkness.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_THE_CITY_OF_BRASS" id="THE_STORY_OF_THE_CITY_OF_BRASS"></a>THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS</h2>
+
+
+<p>There was, in olden time, in Damascus of Syria, a king, named
+Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and he was sitting, one day, having with
+him the great men of his empire, consisting of kings and sultans, when a
+discussion took place among them, respecting the traditions of former
+nations. They called to mind the stories of Solomon, son of David, and
+the dominion which God had bestowed upon him over mankind, and the
+genies, and the birds, and the wild beasts, and they said: "We have
+heard from those who were before us, that God bestowed not upon any one
+the power which He bestowed upon Solomon, so that he used to imprison
+the genies and the devils in bottles of brass, and pour molten lead over
+them, and seal a cover over them with his signet."</p>
+
+<p>Then Talib, one of the sultans, related, that a man once embarked in a
+ship with a company of others, and they voyaged to the island of Sicily
+and ceased not in their course until there arose against them a wind
+which bore them away to an unknown land. This happened during the black
+darkness of night, and when the day shone forth, there came out to them,
+from caves in that land, people of black complexion and with naked
+bodies, like wild beasts, not understanding speech. They had a king of
+their own race, and none of them knew Arabic save their king. So when
+they saw the ship and those who were in her, he came forth to them
+attended by a party of his companions, and saluted them and welcomed
+them: They acquainted him with their state; and he said to them, "No
+harm shall befall you; there hath not come to us any one of the sons of
+Adam before you." And he entertained them with a banquet of the flesh of
+birds and of wild beasts and of fish. And after this, the people of the
+ship went down to divert themselves in the city, and they found one of
+the fishermen who had cast his net in the sea to catch fish, and he drew
+it up, and, lo, in it was a bottle of brass stopped with lead, which was
+sealed with the signet of Solomon the son of David. And the fisherman
+came forth and broke it; whereupon there proceeded from it a blue smoke,
+which united with the clouds of heaven; and they heard a horrible voice,
+saying: "Repentance! repentance! O Prophet of God!" Then, of that smoke
+there was formed a person of terrible aspect, of terrific make, whose
+head would reach as high as a mountain; and he disappeared from before
+their eyes. As to the people of the ship, their hearts were almost
+eradicated; but the blacks thought nothing of the event. And a man
+returned to the king, and asked him respecting this; and the king
+answered him: "Know that this is one of the genies whom Solomon, the son
+of David, when he was incensed against them, imprisoned in these
+bottles, and he poured lead over them, and threw them into the sea. When
+the fisherman casteth his net, it generally bringeth up these bottles;
+and when they are broken, there cometh forth from them a genie, who
+imagineth that Solomon is still living; wherefore he repenteth, and
+saith: 'Repentance! O Prophet of God!'"</p>
+
+<p>And the Prince of the Faithful, Abd-El-Melik, wondered at these words,
+and said: "By Allah, I desire to see some of these bottles!" So Talib
+replied: "O Prince of the Faithful, thou art able to do so, and yet
+remain in thy country. Send to thy brother Abd-El-Azeez, that he may
+write orders to the Emeer Moosa to journey from the Western Country to
+this mountain which we have mentioned, and to bring thee what thou
+desirest of these bottles; for the furthest tract of his province is
+adjacent to this mountain." And the Prince of the Faithful approved of
+his advice, and said: "O Talib, thou hast spoken truth and I desire that
+thou be my messenger to Moosa for this purpose." To this, Talib replied:
+"Most willingly, O Prince of the Faithful." And the king said to him:
+"Go in dependence on the blessing of God, and his aid." Then he gave
+orders that they should write for him a letter to his brother
+Abd-El-Azeez, his viceroy in Egypt, and another letter to Moosa, his
+viceroy in the Western Country, commanding him to journey, himself, in
+search of the bottles of Solomon. He sealed the two letters, and
+delivered them to Talib, commanding him to hasten, and he gave him
+riches and riders and footmen to aid him in his way.</p>
+
+<p>So Talib went forth on his way to Egypt, and when the Emeer Moosa knew
+of his approach, he went forth to him and met him, and rejoiced at his
+arrival; and Talib handed to him the letter. So he took it and read it,
+and understood its meaning; and he put it upon his head, saying: "I hear
+and obey the command of the Prince of the Faithful." He determined to
+summon his great men; and they presented themselves; and he inquired of
+them respecting that which had been made known to him by the letter;
+whereupon they said: "O Emeer, if thou desire him who will guide thee to
+that place, have recourse to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad; for he is a
+knowing man, and hath travelled much, and he is acquainted with the
+deserts and wastes and the seas, and their inhabitants and their
+wonders, and the countries and their districts. Have recourse therefore
+to him, and he will direct thee to the object of thy desire."
+Accordingly he gave orders to bring him, and he came before him; and,
+lo, he was a very old man, whom the vicissitudes of years and times had
+rendered decrepit. The Emeer Moosa saluted him, and said to him: "O
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, our lord, the Prince of the Faithful, hath
+commanded us thus and thus, and I possess little knowledge of that land,
+and it hath been told me that thou art acquainted with that country and
+the routes. Hast thou then a wish to accomplish the affair of the Prince
+of the Faithful?" The sheikh replied: "Know, O Emeer, that this route is
+difficult, far extending, with few tracks." The emeer said to him: "How
+long a period doth it require?" He answered: "It is a journey of two
+years and some months going, and the like returning; and on the way are
+difficulties and horrors, and extraordinary and wonderful things. But,"
+he said, "God will assuredly make this affair easy to us through the
+blessing attendant upon thee, O Viceroy of the Prince of the Faithful."</p>
+
+<p>After this they departed, and they continued their journey until they
+arrived at a palace; whereupon the sheikh said: "Advance with us to this
+palace, which presenteth a lesson to him who will be admonished." So the
+Emeer Moosa advanced thither, together with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad and
+his chief companions, till they came to its entrance. And they found it
+open, and having lofty angles, and steps, among which were two wide
+steps of coloured marbles, the like of which hath not been seen: the
+ceilings and walls were decorated with gold and silver and minerals, and
+over the entrance was a slab, whereon was an inscription in ancient
+Greek; and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said: "Shall I read it, O Emeer?" The
+emeer answered; "Advance and read." So he read it; and, lo, it was
+poetry; and it was this:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>
+Here was a people whom, after their works, thou shalt see wept over for
+their lost dominion;<br />
+And in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in
+the dust.<br />
+Death hath destroyed them and disunited them, and in the dust they have
+lost what they amassed;<br />
+As though they had only put down their loads to rest a while: quickly have
+they departed!</p></div>
+
+
+<p>And the Emeer Moosa wept and said: "There is no deity but God, the
+Living, the Enduring without failure!"</p>
+
+<p>Then they attentively viewed the palace; and, lo, it was devoid of
+inhabitants, destitute of household and occupants: its courts were
+desolate, and its apartments were deserted; and in the midst of it was a
+chamber covered with a lofty dome, rising high into the air, around
+which were four hundred tombs.</p>
+
+<p>And the Emeer Moosa drew near to the dome-crowned chamber, and, lo, it
+had eight doors of sandalwood, with nails of gold, ornamented with stars
+of silver set with various jewels, and he beheld in it a long tomb, of
+terrible appearance, whereon was a tablet of iron of China; and the
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to it, and read its inscription; and, lo,
+on it was written:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>
+Shouldst thou think upon me after the length of my age, and the
+vicissitudes of days and circumstances,<br />
+I am the son of Sheddad, who held dominion over mankind and each tract of
+the whole earth.<br />
+All the stubborn troops became abject unto me, and Esh-Sham from Misr unto
+Adnan.<br />
+In glory I reigned, abasing their kings, the people of the earth fearing
+my dominion;<br />
+And I beheld the tribes and armies in my power, and saw the countries and
+their inhabitants dread me.<br />
+When I mounted, I beheld my army comprising a million bridles upon neighing
+steeds;<br />
+And I possessed wealth that could not be calculated, which I treasured up
+against misfortunes,<br />
+Determining to devote the whole of my property for the purpose of extending
+the term of my life.<br />
+<br />
+But the Deity would nought save the execution of his purpose; and thus I
+became separated from my brethren.<br />
+Death, the disuniter of mankind, came to me, and I was removed from
+grandeur to the mansion of contempt;<br />
+
+And I found the recompense of all my past actions, for which I am pledged:
+for I was sinful!<br />
+Then raise thyself, lest thou be upon a brink; and beware of calamities!
+Mayest thou be led aright!</p></div>
+
+<p>And again the Emeer Moosa wept, in considering the fates of the people;
+after which, as they were going about through the different apartments
+of the palace, and viewing attentively its chambers and its places of
+diversion, they came to a table upon four legs of alabaster, whereon was
+inscribed:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>Upon this table have eaten a thousand one-eyed kings, and a thousand
+kings each sound in both eyes. All of them have quitted the world, and
+taken up their abode in the burial-grounds and the graves.</p></div>
+
+<p>And the Emeer Moosa wrote down all this. Then he went forth, and took
+not with him from the palace aught save the table.</p>
+
+<p>The soldiers proceeded, with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad before them shewing
+them the way, until all the first day had passed, and the second, and
+the third. They then came to a high hill, at which they looked, and, lo,
+upon it was a horseman of brass, on the top of whose spear was a wide
+and glistening head that almost deprived the beholder of sight, and on
+it was inscribed:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>O thou who comest unto me, if thou know not the way that leadeth to
+the City of Brass, rub the hand of the horseman, and he will turn, and
+then will stop, and in whatsoever direction he stoppeth, thither
+proceed, without fear and without difficulty; for it will lead thee to
+the City of Brass.</p></div>
+
+<p>And when the Emeer Moosa had rubbed the hand of the horseman, it turned
+like the blinding lightning, and faced a different direction from that
+in which they were travelling.</p>
+
+<p>The party therefore turned thither and journeyed on, and it was the
+right way. They took that route, and continued their course the same day
+and the next night until they had traversed a wide tract of country. And
+as they were proceeding, one day, they came to a pillar of black stone,
+wherein was a person sunk to his arm-pits, and he had two huge wings,
+and four arms; two of them like those of the sons of Adam, and two like
+the fore-legs of lions, with claws. He had hair upon his head like the
+tails of horses, and two eyes like two burning coals, and he had a third
+eye, in his forehead, like the eye of the lynx, from which there
+appeared sparks of fire. He was black and tall; and he was crying out:
+"Extolled be the perfection of my Lord, who hath appointed me this
+severe affliction and painful torture until the day of resurrection!"
+When the party beheld him, their reason fled from them, and they were
+stupefied at the sight of his form, and retreated in flight; and the
+Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: "What is this?" He
+answered: "I know not what he is." And the emeer said: "Draw near to
+him, and investigate his case: perhaps he will discover it, and perhaps
+thou wilt learn his history." So the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to
+him, and said to him: "O thou person, what is thy name, and what is thy
+nature, and what hath placed thee here in this manner?" And the person
+answered him: "As to me, I am an efreet of the genies, and my name is
+Dahish, and I am restrained here by the majesty of God." Then the Emeer
+Moosa said: "O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, ask him what is the cause of his
+confinement in this pillar." He therefore asked respecting that, and the
+efreet answered him: "Verily my story is wonderful; and it is this:</p>
+
+<p>"There belonged to one of the sons of Iblees an idol of red carnelian,
+of which I was made guardian; and there used to worship it one of the
+Kings of the Sea, of great glory, leading, among his troops of the
+genies, a million warriors who smote with swords before him, and who
+answered his prayer in cases of difficulty. These genies who obeyed him
+were under my command and authority, following my words when I ordered
+them: all of them were in rebellion against Solomon, the son of David;
+and I used to enter the body of the idol, and command them and forbid
+them. Now the daughter of that king was a frequent adorer of the idol,
+assiduous in the worship of it, and she was the handsomest of the people
+of her age, endowed with beauty and loveliness, and elegance and
+perfection; and I described her to Solomon, on whom be peace! So he sent
+to her father, saying to him: 'Marry to me thy daughter, and break thy
+carnelian-idol, and bear witness that there is no deity but God, and
+that Solomon is the Prophet of God. But if thou refuse, I will come to
+thee with forces that shall leave thee like yesterday that hath passed.'
+And when the messenger of Solomon came to him, the King of the Sea was
+insolent, and magnified himself and was proud. Then he said to his
+viziers: 'What say ye respecting the affair of Solomon? For he hath sent
+demanding my daughter, and commanding me to break my carnelian-idol, and
+to adopt his faith.' And they replied: 'O great King, can Solomon do
+aught unto thee, when thou art in the midst of this vast sea? He cannot
+prevail against thee; since the genies will fight on thy side; and thou
+shalt seek aid against him of thine idol that thou worshippest. The
+right opinion is, that thou consult thy red carnelian-idol, and hear
+what will be his reply: if he counsel thee to fight him, fight him; but
+otherwise, do not.' And upon this the king went immediately, and, going
+in to his idol, after he had offered a sacrifice and slain victims, fell
+down before it prostrate, and began to weep, and to seek counsel.</p>
+
+<p>"Thereupon I entered the body of the idol, by reason of my ignorance,
+and my solicitude respecting the affair of Solomon, and recited this
+couplet:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>
+'As for me, I am not in fear of him; for I am acquainted with everything.<br />
+If he wish to wage war with me, I will go forth, and I will snatch his
+soul from him.'</p></div>
+
+
+<p>So when the king heard my reply to him, his heart was strengthened, and
+he determined to wage war with Solomon the Prophet of God and to fight
+against him. Accordingly, when the messenger of Solomon came, he
+inflicted upon him a painful beating, and returned him a shameful reply;
+and he sent to threaten Solomon, saying to him, by the messenger: 'Dost
+thou threaten me with false words? Either come thou to me, or I will go
+to thee.'</p>
+
+<p>"Then the messenger returned to Solomon, and acquainted him with all
+that had occurred. And when the Prophet of God heard that, his
+resolution was roused, and he prepared his forces, consisting of genies
+and men, and wild beasts, and birds and reptiles. He commanded his
+vizier, Ed-Dimiryat, the king of the genies, to collect them from every
+place: so he collected for him, of the devils, six hundred millions. He
+also commanded Asaf, his vizier of men, to collect his soldiers of
+mankind; and their number was one million, or more. He made ready the
+accoutrements and weapons, and mounted, with his forces, upon the magic
+carpet, with the birds flying over his head, and the wild beasts beneath
+the carpet marching, until he alighted upon his enemy's coast, and
+surrounded his island, having filled the land with the forces. He then
+sent to our king, saying to him: 'Behold, I have arrived: therefore
+submit thyself to my authority, and acknowledge my mission, and break
+thine idol, and worship the One, the Adored God, and marry to me thy
+daughter according to law, and say thou, and those who are with thee, I
+testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Solomon is
+the Prophet of God. If thou say that, peace and safety shall be thy lot.
+But if thou refuse, thy defending thyself from me in this island shall
+not prevent thee: for God hath commanded the wind to obey me, and I will
+order it to convey me unto thee on the carpet, and will make thee an
+example to restrain others.' So the messenger came to him, and
+communicated to him the message of the Prophet! But the king said to
+him: 'There is no way for the accomplishment of this thing that he
+requireth: therefore inform him that I am coming forth unto him.'
+Accordingly the messenger returned to Solomon, and gave him the reply.
+The king then sent to the people of his country, and collected for
+himself, of the genies that were under his authority, a million; and to
+these he added others, of the devils that were in the islands and on the
+mountains; after which he made ready his forces, and opened the
+armouries, and distributed to them the weapons. And as to the Prophet of
+God, he disposed his troops, commanding the wild beasts to form
+themselves into two divisions, on the right of the people and on their
+left, and commanding the birds to be upon the islands. He ordered them
+also when the assault should be made, to tear out the eyes of their
+antagonists with their beaks, and to beat their faces with their wings;
+and he ordered the wild beasts to tear in pieces their horses; and they
+replied: 'We hear and obey God and thee, O Prophet of God!' Then Solomon
+set for himself a couch of alabaster adorned with jewels, and plated
+with plates of red gold, and he placed his vizier Asaf on the right
+side, and his vizier, Ed-Dimiryat, on the left side, and the kings of
+mankind on his right, and the kings of the genies on his left, and the
+wild beasts and the vipers and serpents before him.</p>
+
+<p>"After this, they came upon us all together, and we contended with him
+in a wide tract for a period of two days; and calamity befell us on the
+third day, and the decree of God was executed among us. The first who
+charged upon Solomon were I and my troops; and I said to my companions:
+'Keep in your places in the battle-field while I go forth to them and
+challenge Ed-Dimiryat.' And, lo, he came forth, like a great mountain,
+his fires flaming, and his smoke ascending; and he approached, and
+smote me with a flaming fire; and his arrow prevailed over my fire. He
+cried out at me with a prodigious cry, so that I imagined the heaven had
+fallen, and the mountains shook at his voice. Then he commanded his
+companions, and they charged upon us all together: we also charged upon
+them: the fires rose and the smoke ascended, the hearts of the
+combatants were almost cleft asunder, and the battle raged. The birds
+fought in the air; and the wild beasts in the dust; and I contended with
+Ed-Dimiryat until he wearied me and I wearied him; after which my
+companions and troops were enervated, and my tribes were routed. I flew
+from before Ed-Dimiryat; but he followed me a journey of three months,
+until he overtook me. I had fallen down through fatigue, and he rushed
+upon me, and made me a prisoner. So I said to him: 'By Him who hath
+exalted thee and abased me, pity me, and take me before Solomon.' But
+when I came before Solomon, he met me in a most evil manner: he caused
+this pillar to be brought, and hollowed it, and put me in it, and sealed
+me with his signet; after which, he chained me, and Ed-Dimiryat conveyed
+me to this place, where he set me down as thou seest me; and this pillar
+is my prison until the day of resurrection."</p>
+
+<p>The party therefore wondered at him, and at the horrible nature of his
+form; and the Emeer Moosa said: "There is no deity but God!" And the
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said to the efreet: "O thou, I ask thee concerning a
+thing of which do thou inform us." The efreet replied: "Ask concerning
+what thou wilt." And the sheikh said: "Are there in this place any of
+the efreets confined in bottles of brass from the time of Solomon?" He
+answered: "Yes, in the Sea of El-Karkar, where are a people of the
+descendants of Noah, whose country the deluge reached not, and they are
+separated there from the rest of the sons of Adam." "And where," said
+the sheikh, "is the way to the City of Brass, and the place wherein are
+the bottles? What distance is there between us and it?" The efreet
+answered: "It is near." So the party left him, and proceeded; and there
+appeared to them in the distance a great black object, with two fires
+corresponding with each other in position; whereupon the Emeer Moosa
+said to the sheikh: "What is this great black object, and these two
+corresponding fires?" The guide answered him: "Be rejoiced, O Emeer; for
+this is the City of Brass, and this is the appearance of it that I find
+described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that its wall is of black
+stones, and it hath two towers of brass, which the beholder seeth
+resembling two corresponding fires; and thence it is named the City of
+Brass." They ceased not to proceed until they arrived at it; and, lo, it
+was lofty, strongly fortified, rising high into the air, impenetrable:
+the height of its walls was eighty cubits, and it had five and twenty
+gates, none of which would open but by means of some artifice. They
+stopped before it, and endeavoured to discover one of its gates; but
+they could not; and the Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: "O
+sheikh, I see not to this city any gate." The sheikh replied: "O Emeer,
+thus do I find it described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that it
+hath five and twenty gates, and that none of its gates may be opened but
+from within the city." "And how," said the emeer, "can we contrive to
+enter it, and divert ourselves with a view of its wonders?"</p>
+
+<p>Then the Emeer Moosa ordered one of his young men to mount a camel, and
+ride round the city, in the hope that he might discover a trace of a
+gate. So one of his young men mounted, and proceeded around it for two
+days with their nights, prosecuting his journey with diligence, and not
+resting; and when the third day arrived, he came in sight of his
+companions, and he was astounded at that which he beheld of the extent
+of the city, and its height. Then he said: "O Emeer, the easiest place
+in it is this place at which ye have alighted." And thereupon the Emeer
+Moosa took Talib and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, and they ascended a
+mountain opposite the city, and overlooking it; and when they had
+ascended that mountain, they saw a city than which eyes had not beheld
+any greater. Its pavilions were lofty, and its domes were shining; its
+rivers were running, its trees were fruitful, and its gardens bore ripe
+produce. It was a city with impenetrable gates, empty, still, without a
+voice but the owl hooting in its quarters, and the raven croaking in its
+thoroughfare-streets, and bewailing those who had been in it.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus11.jpg" alt="mountain"  />
+<a id="illus11" name="illus11"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than which
+eyes had not beheld any greater.</i></p>
+
+<p>And the Emeer Moosa fainted with sorrow; his tears ran down upon his
+cheeks, and he said: "By Allah, indifference to the world is the most
+appropriate and the most sure course!"</p>
+
+<p>And when they came back to the troops, they passed the day devising
+means of entering the city; and the Emeer Moosa said to those of his
+chief officers who were around him: "How shall we contrive to enter the
+city, that we may see its wonders? Perhaps we shall find in it something
+by which we may ingratiate ourselves with the Prince of the Faithful."
+Talib replied: "Let us make a ladder, and mount upon it, and perhaps we
+shall gain access to the gate from within." And the emeer said: "This is
+what occurred to my mind, and excellent is the advice." Then he called
+to the carpenters and blacksmiths, and ordered them to make straight
+some pieces of wood, and to construct a ladder covered with plates of
+iron. And they did so, and made it strong. They employed themselves in
+constructing it a whole month, and many men were occupied in making it.
+And they set it up and fixed it against the wall, and it proved to be
+equal to the wall in height, as though it had been made for it before
+that day. So the Emeer Moosa wondered at it, and said: "God bless you!
+It seemeth, from the excellence of your work, as though ye had adapted
+it by measurement to the wall." He then said to the people: "Which of
+you will ascend this ladder, and mount upon the wall, and walk along it,
+and contrive means of descending into the city, that he may see how the
+case is, and then inform us of the mode of opening the gate?" And one of
+them answered: "I will ascend it, O Emeer, and descend and open the
+gate." The emeer therefore replied: "Mount. God bless thee!"
+Accordingly, the man ascended the ladder until he reached the top of it;
+when he stood, and fixed his eyes toward the city, clapped his hands,
+and cried out with his loudest voice, saying: "Thou art beautiful!" Then
+he cast himself down into the city, and was destroyed. So the Emeer
+Moosa said: "If we do thus with all our companions, there will not
+remain of them one; and we shall be unable to accomplish our affair, and
+the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. Depart ye; for we have no
+concern with this city." But one of them said: "Perhaps another than
+this may be more steady than he." And a second ascended, and a third,
+and a fourth, and a fifth; and they ceased not to ascend by that ladder
+to the top of the wall, one after another, until twelve men of them had
+gone, acting as acted the first. Therefore the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said:
+"There is none for this affair but myself, and the experienced is not
+like the inexperienced." But the Emeer Moosa said to him: "Thou shalt
+not do that, nor will I allow thee to ascend to the top of this wall;
+for shouldst thou die, thou wouldst be the cause of the death of us all,
+and there would not remain of us one; since thou art the guide of the
+party." The sheikh, however, replied: "Perhaps the object will be
+accomplished by my means, through the will of God, whose name be
+exalted!" And thereupon all the people agreed to his ascending.</p>
+
+<p>Then Abd-Es-Samad arose, and, having said: "In the name of God, the
+Compassionate, the Merciful!"&mdash;he ascended the ladder, repeating the
+praises of God, and reciting the Verses of Safety, until he reached the
+top of the wall; when he clapped his hands, and fixed his eyes. The
+people therefore all called out to him, and said: "O Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad, do not cast thyself down! If Abd-Es-Samad fall, we all
+perish!" Then Abd-Es-Samad sat a long time repeating the praises of God,
+and reciting the Verses of Safety; after which he rose with energy, and
+called out with his loudest voice: "O Emeer, no harm shall befall you;
+for God hath averted from me the effect of the artifice of the Devil."
+So the emeer said to him: "What hast thou seen, O Sheikh?" He answered:
+"When I reached the top of the wall I beheld ten damsels, like moons,
+who made a sign with their hands, as though they would say: 'Come to
+us!' And it seemed to me that beneath me was a sea of water; whereupon I
+desired to cast myself down, as our companions did: but I beheld them
+dead; so I withheld myself from them, and recited some words of the book
+of God, whereupon He averted from me the influence of those damsels, and
+they departed; therefore I cast not myself down. There is no doubt that
+this is an enchantment which the people of this city contrived in order
+to repel from it every one who should wish to obtain access to it."</p>
+
+<p>He then walked along the wall till he came to the two towers of brass,
+when he saw that they had gates of gold, without any sign of the means
+of opening them. Therefore the sheikh, looking attentively, saw in the
+middle of one of the gates a figure of a horseman of brass, having one
+hand extended, as though he were pointing with it, and on it was an
+inscription, which the sheikh read, and, lo, it contained these words:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>Turn the pin that is in the middle of the front of the horseman's body
+twelve times, and then the gate will open.</p></div>
+
+<p>So he turned the pin twelve times; whereupon the gate opened
+immediately, with a noise like thunder; and the sheikh entered. He was a
+learned man, acquainted with all languages and characters. And he walked
+on until he entered a long passage, whence he descended some steps, and
+he found a place with handsome wooden benches, on which were people
+dead, and over their heads were elegant shields, and keen swords, and
+strung bows, and notched arrows. And behind the next gate were a bar of
+iron, and barricades of wood, and locks of delicate fabric, and strong
+apparatus. Upon this, the sheikh said within himself: "Perhaps the keys
+are with these people." Then he looked, and, lo, there was a sheikh who
+appeared to be the oldest of them, and he was upon a high wooden bench
+among the dead men. So Abd-Es-Samad said: "May not the keys of the city
+be with this sheikh! Perhaps he was the gate-keeper of the city, and
+these were under his authority." He therefore drew near to him, and
+lifted up his garments, and, lo, the keys were hung to his waist. At the
+sight of them, Abd-Es-Samad rejoiced exceedingly; and he took the keys,
+opened the locks, and pulled the gate and the barricades and other
+apparatus, which opened and the gate also opened, with a noise like
+thunder. Upon this the sheikh exclaimed: "God is most great!" and the
+people made the same exclamation with him, rejoicing at the event. The
+Emeer Moosa also rejoiced at the safety of Abd-Es-Samad, and at the
+opening of the gate of the city; the people thanked him for that which
+he had done, and all the troops hastened to enter the gate. But the
+Emeer Moosa cried out to them, saying to them: "O people, if all of us
+enter, we shall not be secure from accident. Half shall enter, and half
+shall remain behind."</p>
+
+<p>The Emeer Moosa then entered the gate, and with him half of the people,
+who bore their weapons of war. And the party saw their companions lying
+dead: so they buried them. They saw also the gate-keepers and servants
+and chamberlains and lieutenants lying upon beds of silk, all of them
+dead. And they entered the market of the city, and beheld that the shops
+were open, and the scales hung up, and the utensils of brass ranged in
+order, and the stores were full of all kinds of goods. And they saw the
+merchants dead in their shops: their skins were dried, and they had
+become examples to him who would be admonished. And they left this
+place, and passed on to the silk-market, in which were silks and
+brocades interwoven with red gold and white silver upon various colours,
+and the owners were dead, lying upon skins, and appearing almost as
+though they would speak. Leaving these, they went on to the market of
+jewels and pearls and jacinths; and they left it, and passed on to the
+market of the money-changers, whom they found dead, with varieties of
+silks beneath them, and their shops were filled with gold and silver.
+These they left, and they proceeded to the markets of the perfumers;
+and, lo, their shops were filled with varieties of perfumes, and bags of
+musk, and ambergris, and aloes-wood, and camphor; and the owners were
+all dead, not having with them any food. And when they went forth from
+the market of the perfumers, they found near unto it a palace,
+decorated, and strongly constructed; and they entered it, and found
+banners unfurled, and drawn swords, and strung bows and shields hung up
+by chains of gold and silver, and helmets gilded with red gold. And in
+the passages of that palace were benches of ivory, ornamented with
+plates of brilliant gold, and with silk, on which were men whose skins
+had dried upon the bones; the ignorant would imagine them to be
+sleeping; but, from the want of food, they had died, and tasted
+mortality.</p>
+
+<p>And the Emeer Moosa went on into the interior of the palace. There he
+beheld a great hall, and four large and lofty chambers, each one
+fronting another, wide, decorated with gold and silver and with various
+colours. In the midst of the hall was a great fountain of alabaster,
+over which was a canopy of brocade; and in those chambers were fountains
+lined with marble; and channels of water flowed along the floors of
+those chambers, the four streams meeting in a great tank lined with
+marbles of various colours. The Emeer Moosa then said to the Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad: "Enter these chambers with us." So they entered the first
+chamber; and they found it filled with gold and with white silver, and
+pearls and jewels, and jacinths and precious minerals. They found in it
+also chests full of red and yellow and white brocades. And they went
+thence to the second chamber, and opened a closet in it, and, lo, it was
+filled with arms and weapons of war, consisting of gilded helmets, and
+coats of mail, and swords, and lances, and maces, and other instruments
+of war and battle. Then they passed thence to the third chamber, in
+which they found closets having upon their doors closed locks, and over
+them were curtains worked with various kinds of embroidery. They opened
+one of these closets, and found it filled with weapons decorated with
+varieties of gold and silver and jewels. And they went thence to the
+fourth chamber, where also they found closets, one of which they opened,
+and they found it full of utensils for food and drink, consisting of
+various vessels of gold and silver, and saucers of crystal, and cups set
+with brilliant pearls and cups of carnelian, and other things. So they
+began to take what suited them of those things, and each of the soldiers
+carried off what he could. And when they determined to go forth from
+those chambers, they saw there a door inlaid with ivory and ebony, and
+adorned with plates of brilliant gold. Over it was hung a curtain of
+silk worked with various kinds of embroidery, and upon it were locks of
+white silver, to be opened by artifice, without a key. The Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad therefore advanced to those locks, and he opened them by
+his knowledge and excellent skill. And the party entered a passage paved
+with marble, upon the sides of which were curtains whereon were figured
+various wild beasts and birds, all these being worked with red gold and
+white silver, and their eyes were of pearls and jacinths: whosoever
+beheld them was confounded.</p>
+
+<p>They then passed on, and found a saloon constructed of polished marble
+adorned with jewels. The beholder imagined that upon its floor was
+running water, and if any one walked upon it he would slip. The Emeer
+Moosa therefore ordered the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad to throw upon it
+something that they might be enabled to walk on it; and he did this, and
+contrived so that they passed on. And they found in it a great dome
+constructed of stones gilded with red gold. The party had not beheld, in
+all that they had seen, anything more beautiful than it. And in the
+midst of that dome was a great dome-crowned structure of alabaster,
+around which were lattice windows, decorated, and adorned with oblong
+emeralds, such as none of the kings could procure. In it was a pavilion
+of brocade, raised upon columns of red gold, and within this were birds,
+the feet of which were of emeralds; beneath each bird was a net of
+brilliant pearls, spread over a fountain; and by the brink of the
+fountain was placed a couch adorned with pearls and jewels and jacinths,
+whereon was a damsel resembling the shining sun. Eyes had not beheld
+one more beautiful. Upon her was a garment of brilliant pearls, on her
+head was a crown of red gold, with a fillet of jewels, on her neck was a
+necklace of jewels in the middle of which were refulgent gems, and upon
+her forehead were two jewels the light of which was like that of the
+sun; and she seemed as though she were looking at the people, and
+observing them to the right and left. When the Emeer Moosa beheld this
+damsel, he wondered extremely at her loveliness, and was confounded by
+her beauty and the redness of her cheeks and the blackness of her hair.
+Any beholder would imagine that she was alive, and not dead. And they
+said to her: "Peace be on thee, O damsel!" But Talib said to the emeer:
+"May God amend thy state! Know that this damsel is dead. There is no
+life in her. How then can she return the salutation?" And he added: "O
+Emeer, she is skilfully embalmed; and her eyes have been taken out after
+her death, and quicksilver hath been put beneath them, after which they
+have been restored to their places; so they gleam; and whenever the air
+putteth them in motion, the beholder imagineth that she twinkleth her
+eyes, though she is dead."</p>
+
+<p>And as to the couch upon which was the damsel, it had steps, and upon
+the steps were two slaves, one of them white and the other black; and in
+the hand of one of them was a weapon of steel, and in the hand of the
+other a jewelled sword that blinded the eyes; and before the two slaves
+was a tablet of gold, whereon was read an inscription, which was this:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God,
+the Creator of Man; and He is the Lord of lords, and the Cause of
+causes. O thou, if thou know me not, I will acquaint thee with my name
+and my descent. I am Tedmur, the daughter of the King of the
+Amalekites. I possessed what none of the kings possessed, and ruled
+with justice, and acted impartially toward my subjects: I gave and
+bestowed, and I lived a long time in the enjoyment of happiness and an
+easy life, and possessing emancipated female and male slaves. Thus I
+did until the summoner of death came to my abode, and disasters
+occurred before me. And the case was this: Seven years in succession
+came upon us, during which no water descended on us from heaven, nor
+did any grass grow for us on the face of the earth. So we ate what
+food we had in our dwellings, and after that, we fell upon the beasts
+and ate them, and there remained nothing. Upon this, therefore, I
+caused the wealth to be brought, and meted it with a measure, and sent
+it by trusty men, who went about with it through all the districts,
+not leaving unvisited a single large city, to seek for some food. But
+they found it not; and they returned to us with the wealth, after a
+long absence. So thereupon we exposed to view our riches and our
+treasures, locked the gates of the fortresses in our city, and
+submitted ourselves to the decree of our Lord, committing our case to
+our Master; and thus we all died, as thou beholdest, and left what we
+had built and what we had treasured. This is our story: Whoso arriveth
+at our city, and entereth it, let him take of the wealth what he can,
+but not touch anything that is on my body; for it is the covering of
+my person. Therefore let him fear God, and not seize aught of it; for
+he would destroy himself. Peace be on you! I beg God, moreover, to
+save you from the evil of trials and sickness.</p></div>
+
+<p>The Emeer Moosa, when he heard these words, again wept and was
+admonished by what he witnessed. He then said to his companions: "Bring
+the sacks, and fill them with part of these riches and these vessels and
+rarities and jewels." And thereupon, Talib, the son of Sahl, said to the
+Emeer Moosa: "O Emeer, shall we leave this damsel with the things that
+are upon her? They are things that have no equal, nor is the like of
+them at any time found, and they are more than the riches thou hast
+taken, and will be the best present by which thou mayest ingratiate
+thyself with the Prince of the Faithful." But the emeer replied:
+"Heardest thou not that which the damsel hath given as a charge, in the
+inscription upon this tablet? Moreover, and especially, she hath given
+it as a charge offered in confidence, and we are not of the people of
+treachery." The Vizier Talib, however, said: "And on account of these
+words wilt thou leave these riches and these jewels, when she is dead?
+What then should she do with these things, which are the ornaments of
+the world, and the decoration of the living? With a garment of cotton
+might this damsel be covered, and we are more worthy of the things than
+she." Then he drew near to the steps, and ascended them until he reached
+the spot between the two slaves, when, lo, one of these two smote him
+upon his back, and the other smote him with the sword that was in his
+hand, and struck off his head, and he fell down dead. So the Emeer Moosa
+said: "May God not regard with mercy thy resting-place! There was, in
+these riches, a sufficiency; and covetousness doth dishonour the person
+in whom it existeth!" He thereupon gave orders for the entry of the
+troops, who accordingly entered, and they loaded the camels with part of
+those riches and minerals; after which the Emeer Moosa commanded them to
+close the gate as it was before.</p>
+
+<p>They then proceeded along the sea-coast until they came in sight of a
+high mountain overlooking the sea. In it were many caves, and, lo, in
+these was a people of the blacks, clad in hides, and with burnouses of
+hides upon their heads, whose language was not known. And when they saw
+the troops, they ran away from them, and fled, while their women and
+their children stood at the entrances of the caves. So the Emeer Moosa
+said: "O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, what are these people?" And he answered:
+"These are the objects of the inquiry of the Prince of the Faithful."
+They therefore alighted, and the tents were pitched, and the riches were
+put down; and they had not rested when the king of the blacks came down
+from the mountain, and drew near to the troops. He was acquainted with
+the Arabic language; wherefore, when he came to the Emeer Moosa, he
+saluted him; and the emeer returned his salutation, and treated him with
+honour. Then the king of the blacks said to the emeer: "Are ye of
+mankind, or of the genies?" The emeer answered: "As to us, we are of
+mankind; and as to you, there is no doubt but that ye are of the
+genies, because of your seclusion in this mountain that is separated
+from the world, and because of the greatness of your make." But the king
+of the blacks replied: "Nay, we are a people of the race of Adam, of the
+sons of Ham, the son of Noah, on whom be peace! And as to this sea, it
+is known by the name of El-Karkar."</p>
+
+<p>The Emeer Moosa then said to him: "We are the associates of the King of
+El-Islam, Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and we have come on account of
+the bottles of brass that are here in your sea, and wherein are the
+devils imprisoned from the time of Solomon, the son of David. He hath
+commanded us to bring him some of them, that he may see them, and divert
+himself by the view of them." And the king of the blacks replied: "Most
+willingly." Then he feasted him with fish, and ordered the divers to
+bring up from the sea some of the bottles of Solomon; and they brought
+up for them twelve bottles; wherewith the Emeer Moosa was delighted, and
+the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad also, and the soldiers, on account of the
+accomplishment of the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. The Emeer
+Moosa thereupon presented to the king of the blacks many presents, and
+gave him large gifts. In like manner, too, the king of the blacks gave
+to the Emeer Moosa a present consisting of wonders of the sea.</p>
+
+<p>Then they bade him farewell, and they journeyed back until they came to
+the land of Syria, and went in to the Prince of the Faithful; whereupon
+the Emeer Moosa acquainted him with all that he had seen, and all that
+had occurred to him with respect to the verses and histories and
+admonitions, and told him of the case of Talib the son of Sahl. And the
+Prince of the Faithful said to him: "Would that I had been with you,
+that I might have beheld what ye beheld!" He then took the bottles, and
+proceeded to open one after another, and the devils came forth from
+them, saying: "Repentance, O Prophet of God! We will not return to the
+like conduct ever!" And Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan wondered at this.
+After this, the Prince of the Faithful caused the riches to be brought
+before him, and divided them among the people. And he said: "God hath
+not bestowed upon any one the like of what He bestowed upon Solomon the
+son of David."</p>
+
+<p>This is the end of that which hath come down to us, of the history of
+the City of Brass, entire. And God is all-knowing.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_ALI_BABA_AND_THE_FORTY_THIEVES" id="THE_STORY_OF_ALI_BABA_AND_THE_FORTY_THIEVES"></a>THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES</h2>
+
+
+<p>In a town in Persia, there lived two brothers, one named Cassim, the
+other Ali Baba. Their father left them scarcely anything; but as he had
+divided his little property equally between them, it would seem that
+their fortune ought to have been equal; but chance determined otherwise.</p>
+
+<p>Cassim married a wife, who soon after became heiress to a large sum, and
+to a warehouse full of rich goods; so that he all at once became one of
+the richest and most considerable merchants, and lived at his ease. Ali
+Baba, on the other hand, who had married a woman as poor as himself,
+lived in a very wretched habitation, and had no other means to maintain
+his wife and children but his daily labour of cutting wood, and bringing
+it to town to sell, upon three asses, which were his whole substance.</p>
+
+<p>One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, and had just cut wood enough
+to load his asses, he saw at a distance a great cloud of dust, which
+seemed to be driven toward him: he observed it very attentively, and
+distinguished soon after a body of horse. Though there had been no
+rumour of robbers in that country, Ali Baba began to think that they
+might prove such, and without considering what might become of his
+asses, was resolved to save himself. He climbed up a large, thick tree,
+whose branches, at a little distance from the ground, were so close to
+one another that there was but little space between them. He placed
+himself in the middle, from whence he could see all that passed without
+being discovered; and the tree stood at the base of a single rock, so
+steep and craggy that nobody could climb up it.</p>
+
+<p>The troop, who were all well mounted and armed, came to the foot of this
+rock, and there dismounted. Ali Baba counted forty of them, and, from
+their looks and equipage, was assured that they were robbers. Nor was he
+mistaken in his opinion; for they were a troop of banditti, who, without
+doing any harm to the neighbourhood, robbed at a distance, and made that
+place their rendezvous; but what confirmed him in his opinion was, that
+every man unbridled his horse, tied him to some shrub, and hung about
+his neck a bag of corn which they brought behind them. Then each of them
+took his saddle wallet, which seemed to Ali Baba to be full of gold and
+silver from its weight. One, who was the most personable amongst them,
+and whom he took to be their captain, came with his wallet on his back
+under the tree in which Ali Baba was concealed, and making his way
+through some shrubs, pronounced these words so distinctly: "<i>Open,
+Sesame</i>," that Ali Baba heard him. As soon as the captain of the robbers
+had uttered these words, a door opened in the rock; and after he had
+made all his troop enter before him, he followed them, when the door
+shut again of itself. The robbers stayed some time within the rock, and
+Ali Baba, who feared that some one, or all of them together, might come
+out and catch him, if he should endeavour to make his escape, was
+obliged to sit patiently in the tree. He was nevertheless tempted to get
+down, mount one of their horses, and lead another, driving his asses
+before him with all the haste he could to town; but the uncertainty of
+the event made him choose the safest course.</p>
+
+<p>At last the door opened again, and the forty robbers came out. As the
+captain went in last, he came out first, and stood to see them all pass
+by him, when Ali Baba heard him make the door close by pronouncing these
+words: "<i>Shut, Sesame</i>." Every man went and bridled his horse, fastened
+his wallet, and mounted again; and when the captain saw them all ready,
+he put himself at their head, and they returned the way they had come.
+Ali Baba did not immediately quit his tree; for, said he to himself,
+they may have forgotten something and may come back again, and then I
+shall be taken. He followed them with his eyes as far as he could see
+them; and afterward stayed a considerable time before he descended.
+Remembering the words the captain of the robbers used to cause the door
+to open and shut, he had the curiosity to try if his pronouncing them
+would have the same effect. Accordingly, he went among the shrubs, and
+perceiving the door concealed behind them, stood before it, and said:
+"<i>Open, Sesame!"</i> The door instantly flew wide open. Ali Baba, who
+expected a dark dismal cavern, was surprised to see it well lighted and
+spacious, in the form of a vault, which received the light from an
+opening at the top of the rock. He saw all sorts of provisions, rich
+bales of silk stuff, brocade, and valuable carpeting, piled upon one
+another; gold and silver ingots in great heaps, and money in bags. The
+sight of all these riches made him suppose that this cave must have been
+occupied for ages by robbers, who had succeeded one another. Ali Baba
+did not stand long to consider what he should do, but went immediately
+into the cave, and as soon as he had entered, the door shut of itself,
+but this did not disturb him, because he knew the secret to open it
+again. He never regarded the silver, but made the best use of his time
+in carrying out as much of the gold coin as he thought his three asses
+could carry. He collected his asses, which were dispersed, and when he
+had loaded them with the bags, laid wood over in such a manner that they
+could not be seen. When he had done he stood before the door, and
+pronouncing the words: "<i>Shut, Sesame!"</i> the door closed after him, for
+it had shut of itself while he was within, but remained open while he
+was out. He then made the best of his way to town.</p>
+
+<p>When Ali Baba got home, he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the
+gates very carefully, threw off the wood that covered the bags, carried
+them into his house, and ranged them in order before his wife, who sat
+on a sofa. His wife handled the bags, and finding them full of money,
+suspected that her husband had been robbing, insomuch that she could not
+help saying: "Ali Baba, have you been so unhappy as to&mdash;&mdash;" "Be quiet,
+wife," interrupted Ali Baba, "do not frighten yourself; I am no robber,
+unless he may be one who steals from robbers. You will no longer
+entertain an ill opinion of me, when I shall tell you my good fortune."
+He then emptied the bags, which raised such a great heap of gold as
+dazzled his wife's eyes; and when he had done, told her the whole
+adventure from beginning to end; and, above all, recommended her to keep
+it secret. The wife, cured of her fears, rejoiced with her husband at
+their good fortune, and would count all the gold piece by piece. "Wife,"
+replied Ali Baba, "you do not know what you undertake, when you pretend
+to count the money; you will never have done. I will dig a hole, and
+bury it; there is no time to be lost." "You are in the right, husband,"
+replied she; "but let us know, as nigh as possible, how much we have. I
+will borrow a small measure in the neighbourhood, and measure it, while
+you dig the hole." "What you are going to do is to no purpose, wife,"
+said Ali Baba; "if you would take my advice, you had better let it
+alone; but keep the secret, and do what you please." Away the wife ran
+to her brother-in-law Cassim, who lived just by, but was not then at
+home; and addressing herself to his wife, desired her to lend her a
+measure for a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her, whether she
+would have a great or a small one. The wife asked for a small one. The
+sister-in-law agreed to lend one, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty,
+she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure,
+and artfully putting some suet at the bottom of the measure, brought it
+to her with an excuse, that she was sorry that she had made her stay so
+long, but that she could not find it sooner. Ali Baba's wife went home,
+set the measure upon the heap of gold, filled it and emptied it often
+upon the sofa, till she had done: when she was very well satisfied to
+find the number of measures amounted to so many as they did, and went to
+tell her husband, who had almost finished digging the hole. While Ali
+Baba was burying the gold, his wife, to show her exactness and diligence
+to her sister-in-law, carried the measure back again, but without taking
+notice that a piece of gold had stuck to the bottom. "Sister," said she,
+giving it to her again, "you see that I have not kept your measure long;
+I am obliged to you for it, and return it with thanks."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as her sister-in-law was gone, Cassim's wife looked at the
+bottom of the measure, and was inexpressibly surprised to find a piece
+of gold stuck to it. Envy immediately possessed her breast. "What!" said
+she, "has Ali Baba gold so plentiful as to measure it? Where has that
+poor wretch got all this wealth?" Cassim, her husband, was not at home,
+but at his counting-house, which he left always in the evening. His wife
+waited for him, and thought the time an age; so great was her impatience
+to tell him the circumstance, at which she guessed he would be as much
+surprised as herself.</p>
+
+<p>When Cassim came home, his wife said to him: "Cassim, I know you think
+yourself rich, but you are much mistaken; Ali Baba is infinitely richer
+than you; he does not count his money, but measures it." Cassim desired
+her to explain the riddle, which she did, by telling him the stratagem
+she had used to make the discovery, and showed him the piece of money,
+which was so old that they could not tell in what prince's reign it was
+coined. Cassim, instead of being pleased, conceived a base envy at his
+brother's prosperity; he could not sleep all that night, and went to him
+in the morning before sunrise, although after he had married the rich
+widow, he had never treated him as a brother, but neglected him. "Ali
+Baba," said he, accosting him, "you are very reserved in your affairs;
+you pretend to be miserably poor, and yet you measure gold." "How,
+brother?" replied Ali Baba; "I do not know what you mean: explain
+yourself." "Do not pretend ignorance," replied Cassim, showing him the
+piece of gold his wife had given him. "How many of these pieces," added
+he, "have you? My wife found this at the bottom of the measure you
+borrowed yesterday."</p>
+
+<p>By this discourse, Ali Baba perceived that Cassim and his wife, through
+his own wife's folly, knew what they had so much reason to conceal; but
+what was done could not be recalled; therefore, without shewing the
+least surprise or trouble, he confessed all, told his brother by what
+chance he had discovered this retreat of the thieves, in what place it
+was; and offered him part of his treasure to keep the secret. "I expect
+as much," replied Cassim haughtily; "but I must know exactly where this
+treasure is, and how I may visit it myself when I choose; otherwise I
+will go and inform against you, and then you will not only get no more,
+but will lose all you have, and I shall have a share for my
+information."</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba, more out of his natural good temper, than frightened by the
+menaces of his unnatural brother, told him all he desired, and even the
+very words he was to use to gain admission into the cave.</p>
+
+<p>Cassim, who wanted no more of Ali Baba, left him, resolving to be
+beforehand with him, and hoping to get all the treasure to himself. He
+rose the next morning long before the sun, and set out for the forest
+with ten mules bearing great chests, which he designed to fill; and
+followed the road which Ali Baba had pointed out to him. He was not long
+before he reached the rock, and found out the place by the tree, and
+other marks, which his brother had given him. When he reached the
+entrance of the cavern, he pronounced the words: "<i>Open, Sesame!</i>" and
+the door immediately opened, and when he was in, closed upon him. In
+examining the cave, he was in great admiration to find much more riches
+than he had apprehended from Ali Baba's account. He was so covetous, and
+greedy of wealth, that he could have spent the whole day in feasting his
+eyes with so much treasure, if the thought that he came to carry some
+away had not hindered him. He laid as many bags of gold as he could
+carry at the door of the cavern, but his thoughts were so full of the
+great riches he should possess, that he could not think of the necessary
+word to make it open, but instead of "<i>Sesame</i>," said: "<i>Open, Barley!</i>"
+and was much amazed to find that the door remained fast shut. He named
+several sorts of grain, but still the door would not open. Cassim had
+never expected such an incident, and was so alarmed at the danger he was
+in, that the more he endeavoured to remember the word "<i>Sesame</i>," the
+more his memory was confounded, and he had as much forgotten it as if he
+had never heard it mentioned. He threw down the bags he had loaded
+himself with and walked distractedly up and down the cave, without
+having the least regard to the riches that were round him. About noon
+the robbers chanced to visit their cave, and at some distance from it
+saw Cassim's mules straggling about the rock, with great chests on their
+backs. Alarmed at this novelty, they galloped full speed to the cave.
+They drove away the mules, which Cassim had neglected to fasten, and
+they strayed through the forest so far, that they were soon out of
+sight. The robbers never gave themselves the trouble to pursue them,
+being more concerned to know to whom they belonged, and while some of
+them searched about the rock, the captain and the rest went directly to
+the door, with their naked sabres in their hands, and pronouncing the
+proper words, it opened.</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus12.jpg" alt="password"  />
+<a id="illus12" name="illus12"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the more he
+endeavoured to remember the word Sesame the more his memory was
+confounded.</i></p>
+
+<p>Cassim, who heard the noise of the horses' feet from the middle of the
+cave, never doubted of the arrival of the robbers, and his approaching
+death; but was resolved to make one effort to escape from them. To this
+end he rushed to the door, and no sooner heard the word <i>Sesame</i>, which
+he had forgotten, and saw the door open, than he ran out and threw the
+leader down, but could not escape the other robbers, who with their
+sabres soon deprived him of life. The first care of the robbers after
+this was to examine the cave. They found all the bags which Cassim had
+brought to the door, to be ready to load his mules, and carried them
+again to their places, without missing what Ali Baba had taken away
+before. Then holding a council, and deliberating upon this occurrence,
+they guessed that Cassim, when he was in, could not get out again; but
+could not imagine how he had entered. It came into their heads that he
+might have got down by the top of the cave; but the aperture by which it
+received light was so high, and the rocks so inaccessible without, that
+they gave up this conjecture. That he came in at the door they could not
+believe, however, unless he had the secret of making it open. In short,
+none of them could imagine which way he had entered; for they were all
+persuaded nobody knew their secret, little imagining that Ali Baba had
+watched them. It was a matter of the greatest importance to them to
+secure their riches. They agreed therefore to cut Cassim's body
+into quarters, to hang two on one side and two on the other, within the
+door of the cave, to terrify any person who should attempt again to
+enter. They had no sooner taken this resolution than they put it in
+execution, and when they had nothing more to detain them, left the place
+of their hoards well closed. They then mounted their horses, went to
+beat the roads again, and to attack the caravans they might meet.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, Cassim's wife was very uneasy when night came, and her
+husband was not returned. She ran to Ali Baba in alarm, and said: "I
+believe, brother-in-law, that you know Cassim, your brother, is gone to
+the forest, and upon what account; it is now night, and he is not
+returned; I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him." Ali Baba,
+who had expected that his brother, after what he had said, would go to
+the forest, had declined going himself that day, for fear of giving him
+any umbrage; therefore told her, without any reflection upon her
+husband's unhandsome behaviour, that she need not frighten herself, for
+that certainly Cassim would not think it proper to come into the town
+till the night should be pretty far advanced.</p>
+
+<p>Cassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep the
+business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her
+brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till midnight.
+She repented of her foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of
+penetrating into the affairs of her brother and sister-in-law. She spent
+all the night in weeping; and as soon as it was day, went to them,
+telling them, by her tears, the cause of her coming. Ali Baba did not
+wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go and see what was become
+of Cassim, but departed immediately with his three asses, begging of her
+first to moderate her affliction. He went to the forest, and when he
+came near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor the mules in his
+way, was seriously alarmed at finding some blood spilt near the door,
+which he took for an ill omen; but when he had pronounced the word, and
+the door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of
+his brother's body. Without adverting to the little fraternal affection
+his brother had shewn for him, Ali Baba went into the cave to find
+something to enshroud his remains, and having loaded one of his asses
+with them, covered them over with wood. The other two asses he loaded
+with bags of gold, covering them with wood also as before; and then
+bidding the door shut, came away; but was so cautious as to stop some
+time at the end of the forest, that he might not go into the town before
+night. When he came home, he drove the two asses loaded with gold into
+his little yard, and left the care of unloading them to his wife, while
+he led the other to his sister-in-law's house.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by Morgiana, an
+intelligent slave, fruitful in inventions to insure success in the most
+difficult undertakings: and Ali Baba knew her to be such. When he came
+into the court, he unloaded the ass, and taking Morgiana aside, said to
+her: "The first thing I ask of you is an inviolable secrecy, both for
+your mistress's sake and mine. Your master's body is contained in these
+two bundles, and our business is, to bury him as if he had died a
+natural death. Go, tell your mistress I want to speak with her; and mind
+what I have said to you."</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana went to her mistress, and Ali Baba followed her. "Well,
+brother," said she, with impatience, "what news do you bring me of my
+husband? I perceive no comfort in your countenance." "Sister," answered
+Ali Baba, "I cannot satisfy your inquiries unless you hear my story
+without speaking a word; for it is of as great importance to you as to
+me to keep what has happened secret." "Alas!" said she, "this preamble
+lets me know that my husband is not to be found; but at the same time I
+know the necessity of secrecy, and I must constrain myself: say on, I
+will hear you."</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba then detailed the incidents of his journey, till he came to the
+finding of Cassim's body. "Now," said he, "sister, I have something to
+relate which will afflict you the more, because it is what you so little
+expect; but it cannot now be remedied; if my endeavours can comfort you,
+I offer to put that which God hath sent me to what you have, and marry
+you: assuring you that my wife will not be jealous, and that we shall
+live happily together. If this proposal is agreeable to you, we must
+think of acting so that my brother should appear to have died a natural
+death. I think you may leave the management of the business to Morgiana,
+and I will contribute all that lies in my power to your consolation."
+What could Cassim's widow do better than accept of this proposal? for
+though her first husband had left behind him a plentiful substance, his
+brother was now much richer, and by the discovery of this treasure might
+be still more so. Instead, therefore, of rejecting the offer, she
+regarded it as the sure means of comfort; and drying up her tears, which
+had begun to flow abundantly, and suppressing the outcries usual with
+women who have lost their husbands, showed Ali Baba that she approved of
+his proposal. Ali Baba left the widow, recommended to Morgiana to act
+her part well, and then returned home with his ass.</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana went out at the same time to an apothecary, and asked for a
+sort of lozenges which he prepared, and were very efficacious in the
+most dangerous disorders. The apothecary inquired who was ill at her
+master's? She replied with a sigh, her good master Cassim himself: that
+they knew not what his disorder was, but that he could neither eat nor
+speak. After these words, Morgiana carried the lozenges home with her,
+and the next morning went to the same apothecary's again, and with tears
+in her eyes, asked for an essence which they used to give to sick people
+only when at the last extremity. "Alas!" said she, taking it from the
+apothecary, "I am afraid that this remedy will have no better effect
+than the lozenges; and that I shall lose my good master." On the other
+hand, as Ali Baba and his wife were often seen to go between Cassim's
+and their own house all that day, and to seem melancholy, nobody was
+surprised in the evening to hear the lamentable shrieks and cries of
+Cassim's wife and Morgiana, who gave out everywhere that her master was
+dead. The next morning, soon after day appeared, Morgiana, who knew a
+certain old cobbler that opened his stall early, before other people,
+went to him, and bidding him good morrow, put a piece of gold into his
+hand. "Well," said Baba Mustapha, which was his name, and who was a
+merry old fellow, looking at the gold, "this is good hansel: what must I
+do for it? I am ready."</p>
+
+<p>"Baba Mustapha," said Morgiana, "you must take with you your sewing
+tackle, and go with me; but I must tell you, I shall blindfold you when
+you come to such a place." Baba Mustapha seemed to hesitate a little at
+these words. "Oh! oh!" replied he, "you would have me do something
+against my conscience or against my honour?" "God forbid!" said
+Morgiana, putting another piece of gold into his hand, "that I should
+ask anything that is contrary to your honour; only come along with me,
+and fear nothing."</p>
+
+<p>Baba Mustapha went with Morgiana, who, after she had bound his eyes with
+a handkerchief, conveyed him to her deceased master's house, and never
+unloosed his eyes till he had entered the room where she had put the
+corpse together. "Baba Mustapha," said she, "you must make haste and sew
+these quarters together; and when you have done, I will give you another
+piece of gold." After Baba Mustapha had finished his task, she
+blindfolded him again, gave him the third piece of gold as she had
+promised, and recommending secrecy to him, carried him back to the place
+where she first bound his eyes, pulled off the bandage, and let him go
+home, but watched him that he returned toward his stall, till he was
+quite out of sight, for fear he should have the curiosity to return and
+track her.</p>
+
+<p>By the time Morgiana had warmed some water to wash the body, Ali Baba
+came with incense to embalm it, after which it was sewn up in a
+winding-sheet. Not long after, the joiner, according to Ali Baba's
+orders, brought the bier, which Morgiana received at the door, and
+helped Ali Baba to put the body into it; when she went to the mosque to
+inform the imaum that they were ready. The people of the mosque, whose
+business it was to wash the dead, offered to perform their duty, but she
+told them that it was done already. Morgiana had scarcely got home
+before the imaum and the other ministers of the mosque arrived. Four
+neighbours carried the corpse on their shoulders to the burying-ground,
+following the imaum, who recited some prayers. Morgiana, as a slave to
+the deceased, followed the corpse, weeping, beating her breast, and
+tearing her hair; and Ali Baba came after with some neighbours, who
+often relieved the others in carrying the corpse to the burying-ground.
+Cassim's wife stayed at home mourning, uttering lamentable cries with
+the women of the neighbourhood, who came according to custom during the
+funeral, and joining their lamentations with hers, filled the quarter
+far and near with sorrow. In this manner Cassim's melancholy death was
+concealed and hushed up between Ali Baba, his wife, Cassim's widow, and
+Morgiana, with so much contrivance, that nobody in the city had the
+least knowledge or suspicion of the cause of it.</p>
+
+<p>Three or four days after the funeral, Ali Baba removed his few goods
+openly to the widow's house; but the money he had taken from the robbers
+he conveyed thither by night: soon after the marriage with his
+sister-in-law was published, and as these marriages are common in the
+Mussulman religion, nobody was surprised. As for Cassim's warehouse, Ali
+Baba gave it to his own eldest son, promising that if he managed it
+well, he would soon give him a fortune to marry very advantageously
+according to his situation.</p>
+
+<p>Let us now leave Ali Baba to enjoy the beginning of his good fortune,
+and return to the forty robbers. They came again at the appointed time
+to visit their retreat in the forest; but great was their surprise to
+find Cassim's body taken away, with some of their bags of gold. "We are
+certainly discovered," said the captain, "and if we do not speedily
+apply some remedy, shall gradually lose all the riches which we have,
+with so much pains and danger, been so many years amassing together. All
+that we can think of the loss which we have sustained is, that the thief
+whom we surprised had the secret of opening the door, and we arrived
+luckily as he was coming out: but his body being removed, and with it
+some of our money, plainly shows that he had an accomplice; and as it is
+likely that there were but two who had discovered our secret, and one
+has been caught, we must look narrowly after the other. What say you, my
+lads?" All the robbers thought the captain's proposal so advisable, that
+they unanimously approved of it, and agreed that they must lay all other
+enterprises aside, to follow this closely, and not give it up till they
+had succeeded.</p>
+
+<p>"I expected no less," said the captain, "from your fidelity: but, first
+of all, one of you who is artful, and enterprising, must go into the
+town disguised as a traveller, to try if he can hear any talk of the
+strange death of the man whom we have killed, as he deserved; and
+endeavour to find out who he was, and where he lived. This is a matter
+of the first importance for us to ascertain, that we may do nothing
+which we may have reason to repent of, by discovering ourselves in a
+country where we have lived so long unknown. But to warn him who shall
+take upon himself this commission, and to prevent our being deceived by
+his giving us a false report, I ask you all, if you do not think that in
+case of treachery, or even error of judgment, he should suffer death?"
+Without waiting for the suffrages of his companions, one of the robbers
+started up, and said: "I submit to this condition, and think it an
+honour to expose my life, by taking the commission upon me; but
+remember, at least, if I do not succeed, that I neither wanted courage
+nor good will to serve the troop." After this robber had received great
+commendations from the captain, he disguised himself, and taking his
+leave of the troop that night, went into the town just at daybreak; and
+walked up and down, till accidentally he came to Baba Mustapha's stall,
+which was always open before any of the shops.</p>
+
+<p>Baba Mustapha was seated with an awl in his hand, just going to work.
+The robber saluted him, bidding him good morrow; and perceiving that he
+was old, said: "Honest man, you begin to work very early: is it possible
+that one of your age can see so well? I question, even if it were
+somewhat lighter, whether you could see to stitch."</p>
+
+<p>"Certainly," replied Baba Mustapha, "you must be a stranger, and do not
+know me; for old as I am, I have extraordinarily good eyes; and you will
+not doubt it when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a
+place where I had not so much light as I have now." The robber was
+overjoyed to think that he had addressed himself, at his first coming
+into the town, to a man who in all probability could give him the
+intelligence he wanted. "A dead body!" replied he with affected
+amazement. "What could you sew up a dead body for? You mean you sewed up
+his winding-sheet." "No, no," answered Baba Mustapha, "I perceive your
+meaning; you want to have me speak out, but you shall know no more." The
+robber wanted no farther assurance to be persuaded that he had
+discovered what he sought. He pulled out a piece of gold, and putting it
+into Baba Mustapha's hand, said to him: "I do not want to learn your
+secret, though I can assure you I would not divulge it, if you trusted
+me with it; the only thing which I desire of you is, to do me the favour
+to shew me the house where you stitched up the dead body."</p>
+
+<p>"If I were disposed to do you that favour," replied Baba Mustapha,
+holding the money in his hand, ready to return it, "I assure you I
+cannot. I was taken to a certain place, where I was blinded, I was then
+led to the house, and afterward brought back again in the same manner;
+you see, therefore, the impossibility of my doing what you desire."</p>
+
+<p>"Well," replied the robber, "you may, however, remember a little of the
+way that you were led blindfolded. Come, let me blind your eyes at the
+same place. We will walk together; perhaps you may recognise some part;
+and as everybody ought to be paid for his trouble, there is another
+piece of gold for you; gratify me in what I ask you." So saying, he put
+another piece of gold into his hand.</p>
+
+<p>The two pieces of gold were great temptations to Baba Mustapha. He
+looked at them a long time in his hand, without saying a word, thinking
+with himself what he should do; but at last he pulled out his purse,
+and put them in. "I cannot assure you," said he to the robber, "that I
+can remember the way exactly; but since you desire, I will try what I
+can do." At these words Baba Mustapha rose up, to the great joy of the
+robber, and without shutting his shop, where he had nothing valuable to
+lose, he led the robber to the place where Morgiana had bound his eyes.
+"It was here," said Baba Mustapha, "I was blindfolded; and I turned as
+you see me." The robber, who had his handkerchief ready, tied it over
+his eyes, walked by him till he stopped, partly leading, and partly
+guided by him. "I think," said Baba Mustapha, "I went no farther," and
+he had now stopped directly at Cassim's house, where Ali Baba then
+lived. The thief, before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a
+piece of chalk, which he had ready in his hand; and then asked him if he
+knew whose house that was; to which Baba Mustapha replied, that as he
+did not live in that neighbourhood he could not tell. The robber,
+finding he could discover no more from Baba Mustapha, thanked him for
+the trouble he had taken, and left him to go back to his stall, while he
+returned to the forest, persuaded that he should be very well received.
+A little after the robber and Baba Mustapha had parted, Morgiana went
+out of Ali Baba's house upon some errand, and upon her return, seeing
+the mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it. "What can be the
+meaning of this mark?" said she to herself. "Somebody intends my master
+no good: however, with whatever intention it was done, it is advisable
+to guard against the worst." Accordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk,
+and marked two or three doors on each side in the same manner, without
+saying a word to her master or mistress.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime the thief rejoined his troop in the forest, and
+recounted to them his success. All the robbers listened to him with the
+utmost satisfaction; when the captain, after commending his diligence,
+addressing himself to them all, said: "Comrades, we have no time to
+lose: let us set off well armed; but that we may not excite any
+suspicion, let only one or two go into the town together, and join at
+our rendezvous, which shall be the great square. In the meantime, our
+comrade who brought us the good news, and I, will go and find out the
+house, that we may consult what had best be done."</p>
+
+<p>This plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready. They filed
+off in parties of two each, and got into the town without being in the
+least suspected. The captain, and he who had visited the town in the
+morning as spy, came in the last. He led the captain into the street
+where he had marked Ali Baba's residence; and when they came to the
+first of the houses which Morgiana had marked, he pointed it out. But
+the captain observed that the next door was chalked in the same manner:
+and shewing it to his guide, asked him which house it was, that, or the
+first? The guide was so confounded, that he knew not what answer to
+make; but still more puzzled, when he saw five or six houses similarly
+marked. He assured the captain, with an oath, that he had marked but
+one, and could not tell who had chalked the rest so that he could not
+distinguish the house which the cobbler had stopped at.</p>
+
+<p>The captain, finding that their design had proved abortive, went
+directly to the place of rendezvous, and told the first of his troop
+whom he met that they had lost their labour, and must return to their
+cave. When the troop was all got together, the captain told them the
+reason of their returning; and presently the conductor was declared by
+all worthy of death. He condemned himself, acknowledging that he ought
+to have taken better precaution, and prepared to receive the stroke from
+him who was appointed to cut off his head. Another of the gang, who
+promised himself that he should succeed better, immediately presented
+himself, and his offer being accepted, he went and corrupted Baba
+Mustapha, as the other had done; and being shewn the house, marked it in
+a place more remote from sight, with red chalk.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after, Morgiana, whose eyes nothing could escape, went out, and
+seeing the red chalk, and arguing with herself as she had done before,
+marked the other neighbours' houses in the same place and manner. The
+robber, at his return to his company, valued himself much on the
+precaution he had taken, which he looked upon as an infallible way of
+distinguishing Ali Baba's house from the others; and the captain and all
+of them thought it must succeed. They conveyed themselves into the town
+with the same precaution as before; but when the robber and his captain
+came to the street, they found the same difficulty: at which the captain
+was enraged, and the robber in as great confusion as his predecessor.
+Thus the captain and his troop were forced to retire a second time, and
+much more dissatisfied; while the unfortunate robber, who had been the
+author of the mistake, underwent the same punishment; which he willingly
+submitted to.</p>
+
+<p>The captain, having lost two brave fellows of his troop, was afraid of
+diminishing it too much by pursuing this plan to get information of the
+residence of their plunderer. He found by their example that their heads
+were not so good as their hands on such occasions; and therefore
+resolved to take upon himself the important commission. Accordingly, he
+went and addressed himself to Baba Mustapha, who did him the same
+service he had done to the other robbers. He did not set any particular
+mark on the house, but examined and observed it so carefully, by
+passing often by it, that it was impossible for him to mistake it.</p>
+
+<p>The captain, well satisfied with his attempt, and informed of what he
+wanted to know, returned to the forest; and when he came into the cave,
+where the troop waited for him, said: "Now, comrades, nothing can
+prevent our full revenge, as I am certain of the house, and in my way
+hither I have thought how to put it into execution, but if any one can
+form a better expedient, let him communicate it." He then told them his
+contrivance; and as they approved of it, ordered them to go into the
+villages about, and buy nineteen mules, with thirty-eight large leather
+jars, one full of oil, and the others empty. In two or three days' time
+the robbers had purchased the mules and jars, and as the mouths of the
+jars were rather too narrow for his purpose, the captain caused them to
+be widened; and after having put one of his men into each, with the
+weapons which he thought fit, leaving open the seam which had been
+undone to leave them room to breathe, he rubbed the jars on the outside
+with oil from the full vessel. Things being thus prepared, when the
+nineteen mules were loaded with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the
+jar of oil, the captain, as their driver, set out with them, and reached
+the town by the dusk of the evening, as he had intended. He led them
+through the streets till he came to Ali Baba's, at whose door he
+designed to have knocked; but was prevented by his sitting there after
+supper to take a little fresh air. He stopped his mules, addressed
+himself to him, and said: "I have brought some oil a great way, to sell
+at to-morrow's market; and it is now so late that I do not know where to
+lodge. If I should not be troublesome to you, do me the favour to let me
+pass the night with you, and I shall be very much obliged by your
+hospitality."</p>
+
+<p>Though Ali Baba had seen the captain of the robbers in the forest, and
+had heard him speak, it was hardly possible to know him in the disguise
+of an oil-merchant. He told him he should be welcome, and immediately
+opened his gates for the mules to go into the yard. At the same time he
+called to a slave, and ordered him, when the mules were unloaded, to put
+them into the stable, and give them fodder; and then went to Morgiana,
+to bid her get a good supper. He did more. When he saw the captain had
+unloaded his mules, and that they were put into the stables as he had
+ordered, and he was looking for a place to pass the night in the air, he
+brought him into the hall where he received his company, telling him he
+would not suffer him to be in the court. The captain excused himself on
+pretence of not being troublesome; but really to have room to execute
+his design, and it was not till after the most pressing importunity that
+he yielded. Ali Baba, not content to keep company, till supper was
+ready, with the man who had a design on his life, continued talking with
+him till it was ended, and repeating his offer of service. The captain
+rose up at the same time with his host; and while Ali Baba went to speak
+to Morgiana he withdrew into the yard, under pretence of looking at his
+mules. Ali Baba, after charging Morgiana afresh to take care of his
+guest, said to her: "To-morrow morning I design to go to the bath before
+day; take care my bathing linens be ready, give them to Abdoollah,"
+which was the slave's name, "and make me some good broth against I
+return." After this he went to bed.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, the captain went from the stable to give his people
+orders what to do; and beginning at the first jar, and so on to the
+last, said to each man: "As soon as I throw some stones out of the
+chamber window where I lie, do not fail to cut the jar open with the
+knife you have about you for the purpose, and come out, and I will
+immediately join you." After this he returned into the house, when
+Morgiana, taking up a light, conducted him to his chamber, where she
+left him; and he, to avoid any suspicion, put the light out soon after,
+and laid himself down in his clothes, that he might be the more ready to
+rise.</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana, remembering Ali Baba's orders, got his bathing linens ready,
+and ordered Abdoollah to set on the pot for the broth; but while she was
+preparing it, the lamp went out, and there was no more oil in the house,
+nor any candles. What to do she did not know, for the broth must be
+made. Abdoollah seeing her very uneasy, said: "Do not fret and tease
+yourself, but go into the yard, and take some oil out of one of the
+jars." Morgiana thanked Abdoollah for his advice, took the oil-pot, and
+went into the yard; when as she came nigh the first jar, the robber
+within said softly: "Is it time?" Though the robber spoke low, Morgiana
+was struck with the voice the more, because the captain, when he
+unloaded the mules, had taken the lids off this and all the other jars
+to give air to his men, who were ill enough at their ease, almost
+wanting room to breathe. As much surprised as Morgiana naturally was at
+finding a man in a jar, instead of the oil she wanted, many would have
+made such an outcry as to have given an alarm; whereas Morgiana
+comprehending immediately the importance of keeping silence, and the
+necessity of applying a speedy remedy without noise, conceived at once
+the means, and collecting herself without shewing the least emotion,
+answered: "Not yet, but presently." She went in this manner to all the
+jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.</p>
+
+<p>By this means, Morgiana found that her master Ali Baba, who thought that
+he had entertained an oil merchant, had admitted thirty-eight robbers
+into his house, regarding this pretended merchant as their captain. She
+made what haste she could to fill her oil-pot, and returned into her
+kitchen; where, as soon as she had lighted her lamp, she took a great
+kettle, went again to the oil-jar, filled the kettle, set it on a large
+wood-fire, and as soon as it boiled went and poured enough into every
+jar to stifle and destroy the robber within.</p>
+
+<p>When this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed
+without any noise, she returned into the kitchen with the empty kettle;
+and having put out the great fire she had made to boil the oil, and
+leaving just enough to make the broth, put out the lamp also, and
+remained silent; resolving not to go to rest till she had observed what
+might follow through a window of the kitchen, which opened into the
+yard.</p>
+
+<p>She had not waited long before the captain of the robbers got up, opened
+the window, and finding no light, and hearing no noise, or any one
+stirring in the house, gave the appointed signal, by throwing little
+stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the sound
+they gave. He then listened, but not hearing or perceiving anything
+whereby he could judge that his companions stirred, he began to grow
+very uneasy, threw stones again a second and also a third time, and
+could not comprehend the reason that none of them should answer his
+signal. Much alarmed, he went softly down into the yard, and going to
+the first jar, whilst asking the robber, whom he thought alive, if he
+was in readiness, smelt the hot boiled oil, which sent forth a steam out
+of the jar. Hence he suspected that his plot to murder Ali Baba and
+plunder his house was discovered. Examining all the jars one after
+another, he found that all the members of his gang were dead; and by the
+oil he missed out of the last jar guessed the means and manner of their
+death. Enraged to despair at having failed in his design, he forced the
+lock of a door that led from the yard to the garden, and climbing over
+the walls, made his escape.</p>
+
+<p>When Morgiana heard no noise, and found, after waiting some time, that
+the captain did not return, she concluded that he had chosen rather to
+make his escape by the garden than the street door, which was
+double-locked. Satisfied and pleased to have succeeded so well, in
+saving her master and family, she went to bed.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba rose before day, and, followed by his slave, went to the baths,
+entirely ignorant of the important event which had happened at home; for
+Morgiana had not thought it safe to wake him before, for fear of losing
+her opportunity; and after her successful exploit she thought it
+needless to disturb him.</p>
+
+<p>When he returned from the baths, the sun was risen; he was very much
+surprised to see the oil jars and that the merchant was not gone with
+the mules. He asked Morgiana, who opened the door, and had let all
+things stand as they were, that he might see them, the reason of it. "My
+good master," answered she, "God preserve you and all your family; you
+will be better informed of what you wish to know when you have seen what
+I have to show you, if you will but give yourself the trouble to follow
+me."</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Morgiana had shut the door, Ali Baba followed her; when she
+requested him to look into the first jar and see if there was any oil.
+Ali Baba did so, and seeing a man, started back in alarm, and cried out.
+"Do not be afraid," said Morgiana; "the man you see there can neither do
+you nor anybody else any harm. He is dead." "Ah, Morgiana!" said Ali
+Baba, "what is it you show me? Explain yourself." "I will," replied
+Morgiana; "moderate your astonishment, and do not excite the curiosity
+of your neighbours. Look into all the other jars."</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba examined all the other jars, and when he came to that which had
+the oil in, found it prodigiously sunk, and stood for some time
+motionless, sometimes looking at the jars, and sometimes at Morgiana,
+without saying a word, so great was his surprise: at last, when he had
+recovered himself, he said: "And what is become of the merchant?"</p>
+
+<p>"Merchant!" answered she, "he is as much one as I am; I will tell you
+who he is, and what is become of him: but you had better hear the story
+in your own chamber; for it is time for your health that you had your
+broth after your bathing."</p>
+
+<p>While Ali Baba retired to his chamber, Morgiana went into the kitchen to
+fetch the broth, but before he would drink it, he first entreated her to
+satisfy his impatience, and tell him what had happened, with all the
+circumstances; and she obeyed him.</p>
+
+<p>"This," she said, when she had completed her story, "is the account you
+asked of me; and I am convinced it is the consequence of what I observed
+some days ago, but did not think fit to acquaint you with; for when I
+came in one morning early I found our street door marked with white
+chalk, and the next morning with red; upon which, both times without
+knowing what was the intention of those chalks, I marked two or three
+neighbours' doors on each side in the same manner. If you reflect on
+this, and what has since happened, you will find it to be a plot of the
+robbers of the forest, of whose gang there are two wanting, and now they
+are reduced to three: all this shows that they had sworn your
+destruction, and it is proper you should be upon your guard, while there
+is one of them alive: for my part, I shall neglect nothing necessary to
+your preservation, as I am in duty bound."</p>
+
+<p>When Morgiana had left off speaking, Ali Baba was so sensible of the
+great service she had done him, that he said to her: "I will not die
+without rewarding you as you deserve; I owe my life to you, and for the
+first token of my acknowledgment, give you your liberty from this
+moment, till I can complete your recompense as I intend. I am persuaded
+with you, that the forty robbers have laid snares for my destruction.
+God, by your means, has delivered me from them as yet, and I hope will
+continue to preserve me from their wicked designs, and deliver the world
+from their persecution. All that we have to do is to bury the bodies of
+these pests of mankind immediately, and with all the secrecy imaginable,
+that nobody may suspect what is become of them. But that labour
+Abdoollah and I will undertake."</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba's garden was very long, and shaded at the farther end by a
+great number of large trees. Under these he and the slave dug a trench,
+long and wide enough to hold all the robbers. Afterward they lifted the
+bodies out of the jars, took away their weapons, carried them to the end
+of the garden, laid them in the trench, and levelled the ground again.
+When this was done, Ali Baba hid the jars and weapons; and as he had no
+occasion for the mules, he sent them at different times to be sold in
+the market by his slave.</p>
+
+<p>While Ali Baba took these measures to prevent the public from knowing
+how he came by his riches in so short a time, the captain of the forty
+robbers returned to the forest with inconceivable mortification; and in
+his confusion at his ill success, so contrary to what he had promised
+himself, entered the cave, not being able, all the way from the town, to
+come to any resolution how to revenge himself of Ali Baba.</p>
+
+<p>The loneliness of the gloomy cavern became frightful to him. "Where are
+you, my brave lads," cried he, "old companions of my watchings, inroads,
+and labour? What can I do without you? Did I collect you only to lose
+you by so base a fate, and so unworthy of your courage! Had you died
+with your sabres in your hands, like brave men, my regret had been less!
+When shall I enlist so gallant a troop again? And if I could, can I
+undertake it without exposing so much gold and treasure to him who hath
+already enriched himself out of it? I cannot, I ought not to think of
+it, before I have taken away his life. I will undertake that alone,
+which I could not accomplish with your powerful assistance; and when I
+have taken measures to secure this treasure from being pillaged, I will
+provide for it new masters and successors after me, who shall preserve
+and augment it to all posterity." This resolution being taken, he was
+not at a loss how to execute his purpose; but full of hopes, slept all
+that night very quietly.</p>
+
+<p>When he awoke early next morning, he dressed himself, agreeably to the
+project he had formed, went to the town, and took a lodging in a khan.
+As he expected what had happened at Ali Baba's might make a great noise,
+he asked his host what news there was in the city? Upon which the
+innkeeper told him a great many circumstances, which did not concern him
+in the least. He judged by this, that the reason why Ali Baba kept his
+affairs so secret, was for fear people should know where the treasure
+lay; and because he knew his life would be sought on account of it. This
+urged him the more to neglect nothing to rid himself of so cautious an
+enemy.</p>
+
+<p>The captain now assumed the character of a merchant, and conveyed
+gradually a great many sorts of rich stuffs and fine linen to his
+lodging from the cavern, but with all the necessary precautions
+imaginable to conceal the place whence he brought them. In order to
+dispose of the merchandise, when he had amassed them together, he took a
+warehouse, which happened to be opposite to Cassim's, which Ali Baba's
+son had occupied since the death of his uncle.</p>
+
+<p>He took the name of Khaujeh Houssain, and as a newcomer, was, according
+to custom, extremely civil and complaisant to all the merchants his
+neighbours. Ali Baba's son was from his vicinity one of the first to
+converse with Khaujeh Houssain, who strove to cultivate his friendship
+more particularly when, two or three days after he was settled, he
+recognised Ali Baba, who came to see his son, and stopped to talk with
+him as he was accustomed to do. When he was gone, the impostor learnt
+from his son who he was. He increased his assiduities, caressed him in
+the most engaging manner, made him some small presents, and often asked
+him to dine and sup with him.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba's son did not choose to lie under such obligation to Khaujeh
+Houssain, without making the like return; but was so much straitened for
+want of room in his house, that he could not entertain him so well as he
+wished; he therefore acquainted his father Ali Baba with his intention,
+and told him that it did not look well for him to receive such favours
+from Khaujeh Houssain without inviting him in return.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba, with great pleasure, took the treat upon himself. "Son," said
+he, "to-morrow being Friday, which is a day that the shops of such great
+merchants as Khaujeh Houssain and yourself are shut, get him to take a
+walk with you, and as you come back, pass by my door and call in. It
+will look better to have it happen accidentally, than if you gave him a
+formal invitation. I will go and order Morgiana to provide a supper."</p>
+
+<p>The next day Ali Baba's son and Khaujeh Houssain met by appointment,
+took their walk, and as they returned, Ali Baba's son led Khaujeh
+Houssain through the street where his father lived; and when they came
+to the house, stopped and knocked at the door. "This, sir," said he, "is
+my father's house; who, from the account I have given him of your
+friendship, charged me to procure him the honour of your acquaintance."</p>
+
+<p>Though it was the sole aim of Khaujeh Houssain to introduce himself into
+Ali Baba's house, that he might kill him without hazarding his own life
+or making any noise; yet he excused himself, and offered to take his
+leave. But a slave having opened the door, Ali Baba's son took him
+obligingly by the hand, and in a manner forced him in.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba received Khaujeh Houssain with a smiling countenance, and in
+the most obliging manner. He thanked him for all the favours he had done
+his son; adding withal, the obligation was the greater, as he was a
+young man not much acquainted with the world.</p>
+
+<p>Khaujeh Houssain returned the compliment, by assuring Ali Baba, that
+though his son might not have acquired the experience of older men, he
+had good sense equal to the knowledge of many others. After a little
+more conversation on different subjects, he offered again to take his
+leave; when Ali Baba, stopping him, said: "Where are you going, sir, in
+so much haste? I beg you would do me the honour to sup with me, though
+what I have to give you is not worth your acceptance; but such as it is,
+I hope you will accept it as heartily as I give it." "Sir," replied
+Khaujeh Houssain, "I am thoroughly persuaded of your good will; and if I
+ask the favour of you not to take it ill that I do not accept your
+obliging invitation, I beg of you to believe that it does not proceed
+from any slight or intention to affront, but from a reason which you
+would approve if you knew it.</p>
+
+<p>"And what may that reason be, sir," replied Ali Baba, "if I may be so
+bold as to ask you?" "It is," answered Khaujeh Houssain, "that I can eat
+no victuals that have any salt in them; therefore judge how I should
+feel at your table." "If that is the only reason," said Ali Baba, "it
+ought not to deprive me of the honour of your company at supper; for, in
+the first place, there is no salt ever put into my bread, and as to the
+meat we shall have to-night, I promise you there shall be none in that.
+Therefore you must do me the favour to stay. I will return immediately."</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba went into the kitchen, and ordered Morgiana to put no salt to
+the meat that was to be dressed that night; and to make quickly two or
+three ragouts besides what he had ordered, but be sure to put no salt in
+them.</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana, who was always ready to obey her master, could not help
+seeming somewhat dissatisfied at his strange order. "Who is this
+difficult man," said she, "who eats no salt with his meat? Your supper
+will be spoiled, if I keep it back so long." "Do not be angry,
+Morgiana," replied Ali Baba; "he is an honest man; therefore do as I bid
+you."</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana obeyed, though with no little reluctance, and had a curiosity
+to see this man who ate no salt. To this end, when she had finished what
+she had to do in the kitchen, she helped Abdoollah to carry up the
+dishes; and looking at Khaujeh Houssain, knew him at first sight,
+notwithstanding his disguise, to be the captain of the robbers, and
+examining him very carefully, perceived that he had a dagger under his
+garment. "I am not in the least amazed," said she to herself, "that this
+wicked wretch, who is my master's greatest enemy, would eat no salt with
+him, since he intends to assassinate him; but I will prevent him."</p>
+
+<p>Morgiana, while they were eating, made the necessary preparations for
+executing one of the boldest acts ever meditated, and had just
+determined, when Abdoollah came for the dessert of fruit, which she
+carried up, and as soon as he had taken the meat away, set upon the
+table; after that, she placed three glasses by Ali Baba, and going out,
+took Abdoollah with her to sup, and to give Ali Baba the more liberty of
+conversation with his guest.</p>
+
+<p>Khaujeh Houssain, or rather the captain of the robbers, thought he had
+now a favourable opportunity of being revenged on Ali Baba. "I will,"
+said he to himself, "make the father and son both drunk: the son, whose
+life I intend to spare, will not be able to prevent my stabbing his
+father to the heart; and while the slaves are at supper, or asleep in
+the kitchen, I can make my escape over the gardens as before."</p>
+
+<p>Instead of going to supper, Morgiana, who had penetrated the intentions
+of the counterfeit Khaujeh Houssain, would not give him time to put his
+villainous design into execution, but dressed herself neatly with a
+suitable head-dress like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt
+girdle, to which there hung a poniard with a hilt and guard of the same
+metal, and put a handsome mask on her face. When she had thus disguised
+herself, she said to Abdoollah: "Take your tabor, and let us go and
+divert our master and his son's guest, as we do sometimes when he is
+alone."</p>
+
+<p>Abdoollah took his tabor and played all the way into the hall before
+Morgiana, who when she came to the door made a low obeisance, with a
+deliberate air, in order to draw attention, and by way of asking leave
+to exhibit her skill. Abdoollah, seeing that his master had a mind to
+say something, left off playing. "Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba,
+"and let Khaujeh Houssain see what you can do, that he may tell us what
+he thinks of you. But, sir," said he, turning toward his guest, "do not
+think that I put myself to any expense to give you this diversion, since
+these are my slave and my cook and housekeeper; and I hope you will not
+find the entertainment they give us disagreeable."</p>
+
+<p>Khaujeh Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began
+to fear he should not be able to improve the opportunity he thought he
+had found: but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure it another
+time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the father and son;
+therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would have declined the
+dance, he had the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he
+saw pleased his host.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as Abdoollah saw that Ali Baba and Khaujeh Houssain had done
+talking, he began to play on the tabor, and accompanied it with an air;
+to which Morgiana, who was an excellent performer, danced in such a
+manner as would have created admiration in any other company besides
+that before which she now exhibited, among whom, perhaps, none but the
+false Khaujeh Houssain was in the least attentive to her, the rest
+having seen her so frequently.</p>
+
+<p>After she had danced several dances with equal propriety and grace, she
+drew the poniard, and holding it in her hand, began a dance, in which
+she outdid herself, by the many different figures, light movements, and
+the surprising leaps and wonderful exertions with which she accompanied
+it. Sometimes she presented the poniard to one person's breast,
+sometimes to another's, and oftentimes seemed to strike her own. At
+last, as if she was out of breath, she snatched the tabor from Abdoollah
+with her left hand, and holding the dagger in her right, presented the
+other side of the tabor, after the manner of those who get a livelihood
+by dancing, and solicit the liberality of the spectators.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba put a piece of gold into the tabor, as did also his son: and
+Khaujeh Houssain, seeing that she was coming to him, had pulled his
+purse out of his bosom to make her a present; but while he was putting
+his hand into it, Morgiana, with a courage and resolution worthy of
+herself, plunged the poniard into his heart. Ali Baba and his son,
+shocked at this action, cried out aloud. "Unhappy wretch!" exclaimed Ali
+Baba, "what have you done to ruin me and my family?" "It was to
+preserve, not to ruin you," answered Morgiana; "for see here," continued
+she (opening the pretended Khaujeh Houssain's garment, and showing the
+dagger), "what an enemy you had entertained! Look well at him, and you
+will find him to be both the fictitious oil-merchant, and the captain of
+the gang of forty robbers. Remember, too, that he would eat no salt with
+you; and what would you have more to persuade you of his wicked design?
+Before I saw him, I suspected him as soon as you told me you had such a
+guest. I knew him, and you now find that my suspicion was not
+groundless."</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to Morgiana for
+saving his life a second time, embraced her: "Morgiana," said he, "I
+gave you your liberty, and then promised you that my gratitude should
+not stop there, but that I would soon give you higher proofs of its
+sincerity, which I now do by making you my daughter-in-law." Then
+addressing himself to his son, he said: "I believe you, son, to be so
+dutiful a child, that you will not refuse Morgiana for your wife. You
+see that Khaujeh Houssain sought your friendship with a treacherous
+design to take away my life; and, if he had succeeded, there is no doubt
+but he would have sacrificed you also to his revenge. Consider, that by
+marrying Morgiana you marry the preserver of my family and your own."</p>
+
+<p>The son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
+marriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but also
+because it was agreeable to his inclination.</p>
+
+<p>After this, they thought of burying the captain of the robbers with his
+comrades, and did it so privately that nobody discovered their bones
+till many years after, when no one had any concern in the publication of
+this remarkable history.</p>
+
+<p>A few days afterward, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of his son and
+Morgiana with great solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the usual dancing
+and spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his friends and
+neighbours, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true motives of the
+marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with Morgiana's good
+qualities commended his generosity and goodness of heart.</p>
+
+<p>Ali Baba forbore, after this marriage, from going again to the robbers'
+cave, as he had done, for fear of being surprised, from the time he had
+brought away his brother Cassim's mangled remains. He had kept away
+after the death of the thirty-seven robbers and their captain, supposing
+the other two, whom he could get no account of, might be alive.</p>
+
+<p>At the year's end, when he found that they had not made any attempt to
+disturb him, he had the curiosity to make another journey, taking the
+necessary precautions for his safety. He mounted his horse, and when he
+came to the cave, and saw no footsteps of men or beasts, looked upon it
+as a good sign. He alighted, tied his horse to a tree, then approaching
+the entrance and pronouncing the words, <i>Open, Sesame!</i> the door opened.
+He entered the cavern, and by the condition he found things in, judged
+that nobody had been there since the false Khaujeh Houssain, when he had
+fetched the goods for his shop; that the gang of forty robbers was
+completely destroyed, and no longer doubted that he was the only person
+in the world who had the secret of opening the cave, so that all the
+treasure was at his sole disposal. Having brought with him a wallet, he
+put into it as much gold as his horse would carry, and returned to town.</p>
+
+<p>Afterward Ali Baba carried his son to the cave, and taught him the
+secret, which they handed down to their posterity, who, using their good
+fortune with moderation, lived in great honour and splendour.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_HISTORY_OF_CODADAD_AND_HIS_BROTHERS" id="THE_HISTORY_OF_CODADAD_AND_HIS_BROTHERS"></a>THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS</h2>
+
+
+<p>There formerly reigned in the city of Harran a most magnificent and
+potent sultan, who loved his subjects, and was equally beloved by them.
+He was endued with all virtues, and wanted nothing to complete his
+happiness but an heir. He continually prayed to Heaven for a child; and
+one night in his sleep, a prophet appeared to him and said: "Your
+prayers are heard; you have obtained what you have desired; rise as soon
+as you awake, go to your prayers, and make two genuflexions; then walk
+into the garden of your palace, call your gardener, and bid him bring
+you a pomegranate; eat as many of the seeds as you please, and your
+wishes shall be accomplished."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan calling to mind his dream when he awoke, returned thanks to
+Heaven, got up, prayed, made two genuflexions, and then went into his
+garden, where he took fifty pomegranate seeds, which he counted, and
+ate. Some time afterward forty-nine of his wives presented him with
+sons, each one as vigorous as a young palm-tree, but Pirouz&egrave;, the
+fiftieth wife, remained childless. The sultan, therefore, took an
+aversion to this lady and would have had her put to death had not his
+vizier prevented him, advising rather that she be sent to Samaria, to
+her brother, Sultan Samer, with orders that she be well treated.</p>
+
+<p>Not long after Pirouz&egrave; had been retired to her brother's country, a most
+beautiful prince was born to her. The prince of Samaria wrote
+immediately to the sultan of Harran, to acquaint him with the birth of a
+son, and to congratulate him on the occasion. The sultan was much
+rejoiced at this intelligence, and answered Prince Samer as follows:
+"Cousin, all my other wives have each presented me with a prince. I
+desire you to educate the child of Pirouz&egrave;, to give him the name of
+Codadad, and to send him to me when I may apply for him."</p>
+
+<p>The prince of Samaria spared nothing that might improve the education of
+his nephew. He taught him to ride, draw the bow, and all other
+accomplishments becoming the son of a sovereign; so that Codadad, at
+eighteen years of age, was looked upon as a prodigy. The young prince,
+being inspired with a courage worthy his birth, said one day to his
+mother: "Madam, I begin to grow weary of Samaria; I feel a passion for
+glory; give me leave to seek it amidst the perils of war. My father the
+sultan of Harran has many enemies. Why does he not call me to his
+assistance? Must I spend my life in sloth, when all my brothers have the
+happiness to be fighting by his side?" "My son," answered Pirouz&egrave;, "I am
+no less impatient to have your name become famous; I could wish you had
+already signalised yourself against your father's enemies; but we must
+wait till he requires it." "No, madam," replied Codadad, "I have already
+waited too long. I burn to see the sultan, and am tempted to offer him
+my service, as a young stranger: no doubt but he will accept of it, and
+I will not discover myself till I have performed some glorious actions."
+Pirouz&egrave; approved of his generous resolutions, and Codadad departed from
+Samaria, as if he had been going to the chase, without acquainting
+Prince Samer, lest he should thwart his design.</p>
+
+<p>He was mounted on a white charger, who had a bit and shoes of gold, his
+housing was of blue satin embroidered with pearls; the hilt of his
+cimeter was of one single diamond, and the scabbard of sandalwood,
+adorned with emeralds and rubies, and on his shoulder he carried his bow
+and quiver. In this equipage, which greatly set off his handsome
+person, he arrived at the city of Harran, and soon found means to offer
+his service to the sultan; who being charmed with his beauty, and
+perhaps indeed by natural sympathy, gave him a favourable reception, and
+asked his name and quality. "Sir," answered Codadad, "I am son to an
+emir of Grand Cairo; an inclination to travel has made me quit my
+country, and understanding that you were engaged in war, I am come to
+your court to offer your majesty my service." The sultan, upon hearing
+this, shewed him extraordinary kindness, and gave him a command in his
+army.</p>
+
+<p>The young prince soon gained the esteem of the officers, and was admired
+by the soldiers. Having no less wit than courage, he so far advanced
+himself in the sultan's esteem, as to become his favourite. All the
+ministers and other courtiers daily resorted to Codadad, and were so
+eager to purchase his friendship, that they neglected the sultan's sons.
+The princes could not but resent this conduct, and all conceived an
+implacable hatred against him; but the sultan's affection daily
+increasing, he was never weary of giving him fresh testimonies of his
+regard. He always would have him near his person; and to shew his high
+opinion of his wisdom and prudence, committed to his care the other
+princes, though he was of the same age as they; so that Codadad was made
+governor of his brothers.</p>
+
+<p>This only served to heighten their hatred. "Is it come to this," said
+they, "that the sultan, not satisfied with loving a stranger more than
+us, will have him to be our governor, and not allow us to act without
+his leave? This is not to be endured. We must rid ourselves of this
+foreigner." "Let us go together," said one of them, "and despatch him."
+"No, no," answered another; "we had better be cautious how we sacrifice
+ourselves. His death would render us odious to the sultan. Let us
+destroy him by some stratagem. We will ask his permission to hunt, and,
+when at a distance from the palace, proceed to some other city and stay
+there some time. The sultan will wonder at our absence, and perceiving
+we do not return, perhaps put the stranger to death, or at least will
+banish him from court, for suffering us to leave the palace."</p>
+
+<p>All the princes applauded this artifice. They went together to Codadad,
+and desired him to allow them to take the diversion of hunting,
+promising to return the same day. Pirouz&egrave;'s son was taken in the snare,
+and granted the permission his brothers desired. They set out, but never
+returned. They had been three days absent, when the sultan asked Codadad
+where the princes were, for it was long since he had seen them. "Sir,"
+answered Codadad, after making a profound reverence, "they have been
+hunting these three days, but they promised me they would return
+sooner." The sultan grew uneasy, and his uneasiness increased when he
+perceived the princes did not return the next day. He could not check
+his anger: "Indiscreet stranger," said he to Codadad, "why did you let
+my sons go without bearing them company? Go, seek them immediately, and
+bring them to me, or your life shall be forfeited."</p>
+
+<p>These words chilled with alarm Pirouz&egrave;'s unfortunate son. He armed
+himself, departed from the city, and like a shepherd who had lost his
+flock, searched the country for his brothers, inquiring at every village
+whether they had been seen; but hearing no news of them, abandoned
+himself to the most lively grief. He was inconsolable for having given
+the princes permission to hunt, or for not having borne them company.</p>
+
+<p>After some days spent in fruitless search, he came to a plain of
+prodigious extent, in the midst whereof was a palace built of black
+marble. He drew near, and at one of the windows beheld a most beautiful
+lady; but set off with no other ornament than her own charms; for her
+hair was dishevelled, her garments torn, and on her countenance appeared
+all the marks of affliction. As soon as she saw Codadad, and judged he
+might hear her, she directed her discourse to him, saying: "Young man,
+depart from this fatal place, or you will soon fall into the hands of
+the monster that inhabits it: a black, who feeds only on human blood,
+resides in this palace; he seizes all persons whom their ill fate
+conducts to this plain, and shuts them up in his dungeons, whence they
+are never released, but to be devoured by him."</p>
+
+<p>"Madam," answered Codadad, "tell me who you are, and be not concerned
+for myself." "I am a lady of quality of Grand Cairo," replied the
+captive; "I was passing by this castle yesterday, on my way to Bagdad,
+and met with the black, who killed all my attendants, and brought me
+hither. I beg of you," she cried, "to make your escape: the black will
+soon return; he is gone out to pursue some travellers he espied at a
+distance on the plain. Lose no time, but fly."</p>
+
+<p>She had scarcely done speaking before the black appeared. He was of
+monstrous bulk, and of a dreadful aspect, mounted on a large Tartar
+horse, and bore a heavy cimeter, that none but himself could wield. The
+prince seeing him, was amazed at his gigantic stature, directed his
+prayers to Heaven to assist him, then drew his own cimeter, and firmly
+awaited his approach. The monster, despising so inconsiderable an enemy,
+called to him to submit without fighting. Codadad by his conduct shewed
+that he was resolved to defend his life; for rushing upon the black, he
+wounded him on the knee. The monster, feeling himself wounded, uttered
+such a dreadful yell as made all the plain resound. He grew furious and
+foamed with rage, and raising himself on his stirrups, made at Codadad
+with his dreadful cimeter. The blow was so violent, that it would have
+put an end to the young prince, had not he avoided it by a sudden
+spring. The cimeter made a horrible hissing in the air: but, before the
+black could have time to make a second blow, Codadad struck him on his
+right arm with such force that he cut it off. The dreadful cimeter fell
+with the hand that held it, and the black, yielding under the violence
+of the stroke, lost his stirrups, and made the earth shake with the
+weight of his fall. The prince alighted at the same time, and cut off
+his enemy's head. Just then the lady, who had been a spectator of the
+combat, and was still offering up her earnest prayers to Heaven for the
+young hero, uttered a shriek of joy, and said to Codadad: "Prince and
+Deliverer, finish the work you have begun; the black has the keys of
+this castle, take them and deliver me out of prison."</p>
+
+<p>The prince searched the wretch as he lay stretched on the ground, and
+found several keys. He opened the first door, and entered a court, where
+he saw the lady coming to meet him; she would have cast herself at his
+feet, the better to express her gratitude, but he would not permit her.
+She commended his valour, and extolled him above all the heroes in the
+world. He returned her compliments; and she appeared still more lovely
+to him near, than she had done at a distance. I know not whether she
+felt more joy at being delivered from the desperate danger she had been
+in, than he for having done so considerable a service to so beautiful a
+person.</p>
+
+<p>Their conversation was interrupted by dismal cries and groans. "What do
+I hear?" said Codadad; "whence come these miserable lamentations, which
+pierce my ears?" "My lord," said the lady, pointing to a little door in
+the court, "they come from thence. There are I know not how many
+wretched persons whom fate has thrown into the hands of the black. They
+are all chained, and the monster drew out one every day to devour."</p>
+
+<p>"It is an addition to my joy," answered the young prince, "to understand
+that my victory will save the lives of those unfortunate beings. Come
+with me, madam, to partake in the satisfaction of giving them their
+liberty." Having so said, they advanced toward the door of the dungeon,
+where Codadad, pitying them, and impatient to put an end to their
+sufferings, presently put one of the keys into the lock. The noise made
+all the unfortunate captives, who concluded it was the black coming,
+according to custom, to seize one of them to devour, redouble their
+cries and groans.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime, the prince had opened the door; he went down a steep
+staircase into a deep vault, which received some feeble light from a
+little window, and in which there were above a hundred persons, bound to
+stakes. "Unfortunate travellers," said he to them, "who only expected
+the moment of an approaching death, give thanks to Heaven which has this
+day delivered you by my means. I have slain the black by whom you were
+to be devoured, and am come to knock off your chains." The prisoners
+hearing these words, gave a shout of mingled joy and surprise. Codadad
+and the lady began to unbind them; and as soon as any of them were
+loose, they helped to take off the fetters from the rest; so that in a
+short time they were all at liberty.</p>
+
+<p>They then kneeled down, and having returned thanks to Codadad for what
+he had done for them, went out of the dungeon; but when they were come
+into the court, how was the prince surprised to see among the prisoners
+those he was in search of, and almost without hopes to find! "Princes,"
+cried he, "is it you whom I behold? May I flatter myself that it is in
+my power to restore you to the sultan your father, who is inconsolable
+for the loss of you? Are you all here alive? Alas! the death of one of
+you will suffice to damp the joy I feel for having delivered you."</p>
+
+<p>The forty-nine princes all made themselves known to Codadad, who
+embraced them one after another, and told them how uneasy their father
+was on account of their absence. They gave their deliverer all the
+commendations he deserved, as did the other prisoners, who could not
+find words expressive enough to declare their gratitude. Codadad, with
+them, searched the whole castle, where was immense wealth: curious
+silks, gold brocades, Persian carpets, China satins, and an infinite
+quantity of other goods, which the black had taken from the caravans he
+had plundered, a considerable part whereof belonged to the prisoners
+Codadad had then liberated. Every man knew and claimed his property. The
+prince restored them their own, and divided the rest of the merchandise
+among them. Then he said to them: "How will you carry away your goods?
+We are here in a desert place, and there is no likelihood of your
+getting horses." "My lord," answered one of the prisoners, "the black
+robbed us of our camels, as well as of our goods, and perhaps they may
+be in the stables of this castle." "That is not unlikely," replied
+Codadad; "let us examine." Accordingly they went to the stables, where
+they not only found the camels, but also the horses belonging to the
+sultan of Harran's sons. All the merchants, overjoyed that they had
+recovered their goods and camels, together with their liberty, thought
+of nothing but prosecuting their journey; but first repeated their
+thanks to their deliverer.</p>
+
+<p>When they were gone, Codadad, directing his discourse to the lady, said:
+"What place, madam, do you desire to go to? I intend to bear you company
+to the spot you shall choose for your retreat, and I question not but
+that all these princes will do the same." The sultan of Harran's sons
+protested to the lady, that they would not leave her till she was
+restored to her friends.</p>
+
+<p>"Princes," said she, "I am of a country too remote from here; and,
+besides that, it would be abusing your generosity to oblige you to
+travel so far. I must confess that I have left my native country for
+ever. I told you that I was a lady of Grand Cairo; but since you have
+shewn me so much favour, I should be much in the wrong in concealing the
+truth from you: I am a sultan's daughter. A usurper has possessed
+himself of my father's throne, after having murdered him, and I have
+been forced to fly to save my life."</p>
+
+<p>Codadad and his brothers requested the princess to tell them her story,
+and after thanking them for their repeated protestations of readiness to
+serve her, she could not refuse to satisfy their curiosity, and began
+the recital of her adventures in the following manner.</p>
+
+<p>"There was in a certain island," said the princess, "a great city called
+Deryabar, governed by a magnificent and virtuous sultan, who had no
+children, which was the only blessing wanting to make him happy. He
+continually addressed his prayers to Heaven, but Heaven only partially
+granted his requests, for the queen his wife, after a long expectation,
+brought forth a daughter.</p>
+
+<p>"I am that unfortunate princess; my father was rather grieved than
+pleased at my birth; but he submitted to the will of God, and caused me
+to be educated with all possible care, being resolved, since he had no
+son, to teach me the art of ruling, that I might supply his place after
+his death.</p>
+
+<p>"There was, at the court of Deryabar, an orphan youth of good birth whom
+the sultan, my father, had befriended and educated according to his
+rank. He was very handsome, and, not wanting ability, found means to
+please my father, who conceived a great friendship for him. All the
+courtiers perceived it, and guessed that the young man might in the end
+be my husband. In this idea, and looking on him already as heir to the
+crown, they made their court to him, and every one endeavoured to gain
+his favour. He soon saw into their designs, and forgetting the distance
+there was between our conditions, flattered himself with the hopes that
+my father was fond enough of him to prefer him before all the princes in
+the world. He went farther; for the sultan not offering me to him as
+soon as he could have wished, he had the boldness to ask me of him.
+Whatever punishment his insolence deserved, my father was satisfied with
+telling him he had other thoughts in relation to me. The youth was
+incensed at this refusal; he resented the contempt, as if he had asked
+some maid of ordinary extraction, or as if his birth had been equal to
+mine. Nor did he stop here, but resolved to be revenged on the sultan,
+and with unparalleled ingratitude conspired against him. In short, he
+murdered him, and caused himself to be proclaimed sovereign of Deryabar.
+The grand vizier, however, while the usurper was butchering my father
+came to carry me away from the palace, and secured me in a friend's
+house, till a vessel he had provided was ready to sail. I then left the
+island, attended only by a governess and that generous minister, who
+chose rather to follow his master's daughter than to submit to a tyrant.</p>
+
+<p>"The grand vizier designed to carry me to the courts of the neighbouring
+sultans, to implore their assistance, and excite them to revenge my
+father's death; but Heaven did not concur in a resolution we thought so
+just. When we had been but a few days at sea, there arose such a furious
+storm, that our vessel, carried away by the violence of the winds and
+waves, was dashed in pieces against a rock. My governess, the grand
+vizier, and all that attended me, were swallowed up by the sea. I lost
+my senses; and whether I was thrown upon the coast, or whether Heaven
+wrought a miracle for my deliverance, I found myself on shore when my
+senses returned.</p>
+
+<p>"In my despair and horror I was on the point of casting myself into the
+sea again; when I heard behind me a great noise of men and horses. I
+looked about to see what it might be, and espied several armed horsemen,
+among whom was one mounted on an Arabian charger. He had on a garment
+embroidered with silver, a girdle set with precious stones, and a crown
+of gold on his head. Though his habit had not convinced me that he was
+chief of the company, I should have judged it by the air of grandeur
+which appeared in his person. He was a young man extraordinarily well
+shaped, and perfectly beautiful. Surprised to see a young lady alone in
+that place, he sent some of his officers to ask who I was. I answered
+only by weeping. The shore being covered with the wreck of our ship,
+they concluded that I was certainly some person who had escaped from the
+vessel. This conjecture excited the curiosity of the officers, who began
+to ask me a thousand questions, with assurances that their master was a
+generous prince, and that I should receive protection at his court.</p>
+
+<p>"The sultan, impatient to know who I was, grew weary of waiting the
+return of his officers, and drew near to me. He gazed on me very
+earnestly, and observing that I did not cease weeping, without being
+able to return an answer to their questions, he forbade them troubling
+me any more; and directing his discourse to me: 'Madam,' said he, 'I
+conjure you to moderate your excessive affliction. I dare assure you
+that, if your misfortunes are capable of receiving any relief, you shall
+find it in my dominions. You shall live with the queen my mother, who
+will endeavour by her kindness to ease your affliction. I know not yet
+who you are, but I find I already take an interest in your welfare.'</p>
+
+<p>"I thanked the young sultan for his goodness to me, accepted his
+obliging offer; and to convince him that I was not unworthy of them,
+told him my condition. When I had done speaking, the prince assured me
+that he was deeply concerned at my misfortunes. He then conducted me to
+his palace, and presented me to the queen his mother, to whom I was
+obliged again to repeat my misfortunes. The queen seemed very sensible
+of my trouble, and conceived extreme affection for me. On the other
+hand, the sultan her son fell desperately in love with me, and soon
+offered me his hand and his crown. I was so taken up with the thoughts
+of my calamities, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not
+make so great an impression on me as he might have done at another time.
+However, gratitude prevailing, I did not refuse to make him happy, and
+our nuptials were concluded with all imaginable splendour.</p>
+
+<p>"While the people were taken up with the celebration of their
+sovereign's nuptials, a neighbouring prince, his enemy, made a descent
+by night on the island with a great number of troops and surprised and
+cut to pieces my husband's subjects. We escaped very narrowly, for he
+had already entered the palace with some of his followers; but we found
+means to slip away and to get to the sea-coast, where we threw ourselves
+into a fishing-boat which we had the good fortune to meet with. Two days
+we were driven about by the winds, without knowing what would become of
+us. The third day we espied a vessel making toward us under sail. We
+rejoiced at first, believing it had been a merchant-ship which might
+take us aboard; but what was our consternation, when, as it drew near,
+we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck. Having boarded,
+five or six of them leaped into our boat, seized us, bound the prince,
+and conveyed us into their ship, where they immediately took off my
+veil. My youth and features touched them, and they all declared how much
+they were charmed at the sight of me. Instead of casting lots, each of
+them claimed the preference, and me as his right. The dispute grew warm,
+they came to blows, and fought like madmen. The deck was soon covered
+with dead bodies, and they were all killed but one, who, being left sole
+possessor of me, said: 'You are mine. I will carry you to Grand Cairo,
+to deliver you to a friend of mine, to whom I have promised a beautiful
+slave. But who,' added he, looking upon the sultan, my husband, 'is that
+man? What relation does he bear to you? Are you allied by blood or
+love?' 'Sir,' answered I, 'he is my husband.' 'If so,' replied the
+pirate, 'in pity I must rid myself of him: it would be too great an
+affliction to him to see you disposed of to another.' Having spoken
+these words, he took up the unhappy prince, who was bound, and threw him
+into the sea, notwithstanding all my endeavours to prevent him.</p>
+
+<p>"I shrieked in a dreadful manner at the sight of what he had done, and
+had certainly cast myself into the sea also, but that the pirate held
+me. He saw my design, and therefore bound me with cords to the
+main-mast, then hoisting sail, made toward the land, and got ashore. He
+unbound me and led me to a little town, where he bought camels, tents,
+and slaves, and then set out for Grand Cairo, designing, as he still
+said, to present me to his friend, according to his promise.</p>
+
+<p>"We had been several days upon the road, when, as we were crossing this
+plain yesterday, we descried the black who inhabited this castle. At a
+distance we took him for a tower, and when near us, could scarcely
+believe him to be a man. He drew his huge cimeter, and summoned the
+pirate to yield himself prisoner, with all his slaves and the lady he
+was conducting. You know the end of this dreadful adventure and can
+foresee what would have been my fate had you, generous prince, not come
+to my deliverance."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus13.jpg" alt="pirates"  />
+<a id="illus13" name="illus13"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>As it drew near we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck.</i></p>
+
+<p>As soon as the princess had finished the recital of her adventures,
+Codadad declared to her that he was deeply concerned at her misfortunes.
+"But, madam," added he, "it shall be your own fault if you do not live
+at ease for the future. The sultan of Harran's sons offer you a safe
+retreat in the court of their father; be pleased to accept of it, and if
+you do not disdain the affection of your deliverer, permit me to assure
+you of it, and to espouse you before all these princes; let them be
+witnesses to our contract." The princess consented, and the marriage was
+concluded that very day in the castle, where they found all sorts of
+provisions, with an abundance of delicious wine and other liquors.</p>
+
+<p>They all sat down at table; and after having eaten and drunk
+plentifully, took with them the rest of the provisions, and set out for
+the sultan of Harran's court. They travelled several days, encamping in
+the pleasantest places they could find, and were within one day's
+journey of Harran, when Codadad, directing his discourse to all his
+company, said: "Princes, I have too long concealed from you who I am.
+Behold your brother Codadad! I, as well as you, received my being from
+the sultan of Harran, the prince of Samaria brought me up, and the
+Princess Pirouz&egrave; is my mother. Madam," added he, addressing himself to
+the princess of Deryabar, "do you also forgive me for having concealed
+my birth from you? Perhaps, by discovering it sooner, I might have
+prevented some disagreeable reflections, which may have been occasioned
+by a match you may have thought unequal." "No, sir," answered the
+princess "the opinion I at first conceived of you heightened every
+moment and you did not stand in need of the extraction you now discover
+to make me happy."</p>
+
+<p>The princes congratulated Codadad on his birth, and expressed much
+satisfaction at being made acquainted with it. But in reality, instead
+of rejoicing, their hatred of so amiable a brother was increased. They
+met together at night, and forgetting that had it not been for the brave
+son of Pirouz&egrave; they must have been devoured by the black, agreed among
+themselves to murder him. "We have no other course to choose," said one
+of them, "for the moment our father shall come to understand that this
+stranger, of whom he is already so fond, is our brother, he will declare
+him his heir, and we shall all be obliged to obey and fall down before
+him." He added much more, which made such an impression on their
+unnatural minds, that they immediately repaired to Codadad, then asleep,
+stabbed him repeatedly, and leaving him for dead in the arms of the
+princess of Deryabar, proceeded on their journey to the city of Harran,
+where they arrived the next day.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan their father conceived the greater joy at their return,
+because he had despaired of ever seeing them again: he asked what had
+been the occasion of their stay. But they took care not to acquaint him
+with it, making no mention either of the black or of Codadad; and only
+said, that being curious to see different countries, they had spent some
+time in the neighbouring cities.</p>
+
+<p>In the meantime Codadad lay in his tent weltering in his blood and
+little differing from a dead man, with the princess his wife, who seemed
+to be in not much better condition than himself. She rent the air with
+her dismal shrieks, tore her hair, and bathing her husband's body with
+her tears, "Alas! Codadad, my dear Codadad," cried she, "is it you whom
+I behold just departing this life? Can I believe these are your brothers
+who have treated you so unmercifully, those brothers whom thy valour had
+saved? O Heaven! which has condemned me to lead a life of calamities, if
+you will not permit me to have a consort, why did you permit me to find
+one? Behold, you have now robbed me of two, just as I began to be
+attached to them."</p>
+
+<p>By these and other moving expressions the afflicted princess of Deryabar
+vented her sorrow, fixing her eyes on the unfortunate Codadad, who could
+not hear her; but he was not dead, and his consort, observing that he
+still breathed, ran to a large town she espied in the plain, to inquire
+for a surgeon. She was directed to one, who went immediately with her;
+but when they came to the tent, they could not find Codadad, which made
+them conclude he had been dragged away by some wild beast to be
+devoured. The princess renewed her complaints and lamentations in a most
+affecting manner. The surgeon was moved, and being unwilling to leave
+her in so distressed a condition, proposed to her to return to the town,
+offering her his house and service.</p>
+
+<p>She suffered herself to be prevailed upon. The surgeon conducted her to
+his house, and without knowing, as yet, who she was, treated her with
+all imaginable courtesy and respect. He used all his endeavours to
+comfort her, but it was vain to think of removing her sorrow. "Madam,"
+said he to her one day, "be pleased to recount to me your misfortunes;
+tell me your country and your condition. Perhaps I may give you some
+good advice, when I am acquainted with all the circumstances of your
+calamity."</p>
+
+<p>The surgeon's words were so efficacious, that they wrought on the
+princess, who recounted to him all her adventures; and when she had
+done, the surgeon directed his discourse to her: "Madam," said he, "you
+ought not thus to give way to your sorrow; you ought rather to arm
+yourself with resolution, and perform what the duty of a wife requires
+of you. You are bound to avenge your husband. If you please, I will wait
+on you as your attendant. Let us go to the sultan of Harran's court; he
+is a good and a just prince. You need only represent to him in lively
+colours, how Prince Codadad has been treated by his brothers. I am
+persuaded he will do you justice." "I submit to your reasoning,"
+answered the princess; "it is my duty to endeavour to avenge Codadad;
+and since you are so generous as to offer to attend me, I am ready to
+set out." No sooner had she fixed this resolution, than the surgeon
+ordered two camels to be made ready, on which the princess and he
+mounted, and repaired to Harran.</p>
+
+<p>They alighted at the first caravanserai they found, and inquired of the
+host the news at court. "Deryabar," said he, "is in very great
+perplexity. The sultan had a son, who lived long with him as a stranger,
+and none can tell what is become of the young prince. One of the
+sultan's wives, named Pirouz&egrave;, is his mother; she has made all possible
+inquiry, but to no purpose. The sultan has forty-nine other sons, all by
+different mothers, but not one of them has virtue enough to comfort him
+for the death of Codadad; I say, his death, because it is impossible he
+should be still alive, since no intelligence has been heard of him,
+notwithstanding so much search has been made."</p>
+
+<p>The surgeon, having heard this account from the host, concluded that the
+best course the princess of Deryabar could take was to wait upon
+Pirouz&egrave;; but that step required much precaution: for it was to be feared
+that if the sultan of Harran's sons should happen to hear of the arrival
+of their sister-in-law and her design, they might cause her to be
+conveyed away before she could discover herself. The surgeon weighed all
+these circumstances, and therefore, that he might manage matters with
+discretion, desired the princess to remain in the caravanserai, whilst
+he repaired to the palace, to observe which might be the safest way to
+conduct her to Pirouz&egrave;.</p>
+
+<p>He went accordingly into the city, and was walking toward the palace,
+when he beheld a lady mounted on a mule richly accoutred. She was
+followed by several ladies mounted also on mules, with a great number of
+guards and black slaves. All the people formed a lane to see her pass
+along, and saluted her by prostrating themselves on the ground. The
+surgeon paid her the same respect, and then asked a calendar, who
+happened to stand by him, whether that lady was one of the sultan's
+wives. "Yes, brother," answered the calendar, "she is, and the most
+honoured and beloved by the people, because she is the mother of Prince
+Codadad, of whom you must have heard."</p>
+
+<p>The surgeon asked no more questions, but followed Pirouz&egrave; to a mosque,
+into which she went to distribute alms, and assist at the public prayers
+which the sultan had ordered to be offered up for the safe return of
+Codadad. The surgeon broke through the throng and advanced to Pirouz&egrave;'s
+guards. He waited the conclusion of the prayers, and when the princess
+went out, stepped up to one of her slaves, and whispered him in the ear:
+"Brother, I have a secret of moment to impart to the Princess Pirouz&egrave;:
+may not I be introduced into her apartment?" "If that secret," answered
+the slave, "relates to Prince Codadad I dare promise you shall have
+audience of her; but if it concern not him, it is needless for you to be
+introduced; for her thoughts are all engrossed by her son." "It is only
+about that dear son," replied the surgeon, "that I wish to speak to
+her." "If so," said the slave, "you need but follow us to the palace,
+and you shall soon have the opportunity."</p>
+
+<p>Accordingly, as soon as Pirouz&egrave; was returned to her apartment, the slave
+acquainted her that a person unknown had some important information to
+communicate to her, and that it related to Prince Codadad. No sooner had
+he uttered these words, than Pirouz&egrave; expressed her impatience to see the
+stranger. The slave immediately conducted him into the princess's closet
+who ordered all her women to withdraw, except two, from whom she
+concealed nothing. As soon as she saw the surgeon, she asked him eagerly
+what news he had to tell her of Codadad. "Madam," answered the surgeon,
+after having prostrated himself on the ground, "I have a long account to
+give you, and such as will surprise you." He then related all the
+particulars of what had passed between Codadad and his brothers, which
+she listened to with eager attention; but when he came to speak of the
+murder, the tender mother fainted away on her sofa, as if she had
+herself been stabbed like her son. Her two women soon brought her to
+herself and the surgeon continued his relation; and when he had
+concluded, Pirouz&egrave; said to him: "Go back to the princess of Deryabar,
+and assure her from me that the sultan shall soon own her for his
+daughter-in-law; and as for yourself, your services shall be rewarded as
+liberally as they deserve."</p>
+
+<p>When the surgeon was gone, Pirouz&egrave; remained on the sofa in such a state
+of affliction as may easily be imagined; and yielding to her tenderness
+at the recollection of Codadad, "O my son!" said she, "I must never then
+expect to see you more! Unfortunate Codadad, why did you leave me?"
+While she uttered these words, she wept bitterly, and her two
+attendants, moved by her grief, mingled their tears with hers.</p>
+
+<p>Whilst they were all three in this manner vying in affliction, the
+sultan came into the closet, and seeing them in this condition, asked
+Pirouz&egrave; whether she had received any bad news concerning Codadad. "Alas!
+sir," said she, "all is over, my son has lost his life, and to add to my
+sorrow, I cannot pay him the funeral rites; for, in all probability,
+wild beasts have devoured him." She then told him all she had heard from
+the surgeon, and did not fail to enlarge on the inhuman manner in which
+Codadad had been murdered by his brothers.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan did not give Pirouz&egrave; time to finish her relation, but
+transported with anger, and giving way to his passion, "Madam," said he
+to the princess, "those perfidious wretches who cause you to shed these
+tears, and are the occasion of mortal grief to their father, shall soon
+feel the punishment due to their guilt." The sultan, having spoken these
+words, with indignation in his countenance, went directly to the
+presence-chamber, where all his courtiers attended, and such of the
+people as had petitions to present to him. They were alarmed to see him
+in passion, and thought his anger had been kindled against them. He
+ascended the throne, and causing his grand vizier to approach, "Hassan,"
+said he, "go immediately, take a thousand of my guards, and seize all
+the princes, my sons; shut them up in the tower used as a prison for
+murderers, and let this be done in a moment." All who were present
+trembled at this extraordinary command; and the grand vizier, without
+uttering a word, laid his hand on his head, to express his obedience,
+and hastened from the hall to execute his orders. In the meantime the
+sultan dismissed those who attended for audience, and declared he would
+not hear of any business for a month to come. He was still in the hall
+when the vizier returned. "Are all my sons," demanded he, "in the
+tower?" "They are, sir," answered the vizier; "I have obeyed your
+orders." "This is not all," replied the sultan, "I have farther commands
+for you:" and so saying he went out of the hall of audience, and
+returned to Pirouz&egrave;'s apartment, the vizier following him. He asked the
+princess where Codadad's widow had taken up her lodging. Pirouz&egrave;'s women
+told him, for the surgeon had not forgotten that in his relation. The
+sultan then turning to his minister, "Go," said he, "to this
+caravanserai, and conduct a young princess who lodges there, with all
+the respect due to her quality, to my palace."</p>
+
+<p>The vizier was not long in performing what he was ordered. He mounted on
+horseback with all the emirs and courtiers, and repaired to the
+caravanserai, where the princess of Deryabar was lodged, whom he
+acquainted with his orders; and presented her, from the sultan, with a
+fine white mule, whose saddle and bridle were adorned with gold, rubies,
+and diamonds. She mounted, and proceeded to the palace. The surgeon
+attended her, mounted on a beautiful Tartar horse which the vizier had
+provided for him. All the people were at their windows, or in the
+streets, to see the cavalcade; and it being given out that the princess,
+whom they conducted in such state to court, was Codadad's wife, the city
+resounded with acclamations, the air rung with shouts of joy, which
+would have been turned into lamentations had that prince's fatal
+adventure been known, so much was he beloved by all.</p>
+
+<p>The princess of Deryabar found the sultan at the palace gate waiting to
+receive her: he took her by the hand and led her to Pirouz&egrave;'s apartment,
+where a very moving scene took place. Codadad's wife found her
+affliction redouble at the sight of her husband's father and mother; as,
+on the other hand, those parents could not look on their son's wife
+without being much affected. She cast herself at the sultan's feet, and
+having bathed them with tears, was so overcome with grief that she was
+not able to speak. Pirouz&egrave; was in no better state, and the sultan, moved
+by these affecting objects, gave way to his own feelings and wept. At
+length the princess of Deryabar, being somewhat recovered, recounted the
+adventure of the castle and Codadad's disaster. Then she demanded
+justice for the treachery of the princes. "Yes, madam," said the sultan,
+"those ungrateful wretches shall perish; but Codadad's death must be
+first made public, that the punishment of his brothers may not cause my
+subjects to rebel; and though we have not my son's body, we will not
+omit paying him the last duties." This said, he directed his discourse
+to the vizier, and ordered him to cause to be erected a dome of white
+marble, in a delightful plain, in the midst of which the city of Harran
+stands. Then he appointed the princess of Deryabar a suitable apartment
+in his palace, acknowledging her for his daughter-in-law.</p>
+
+<p>Hassan caused the work to be carried on with such diligence, and
+employed so many workmen, that the dome was soon finished. Within it was
+erected a tomb, which was covered with gold brocade. When all was
+completed, the sultan ordered prayers to be said, and appointed a day
+for the obsequies of his son.</p>
+
+<p>On that day all the inhabitants of the city went out upon the plain to
+see the ceremony performed. The gate of the dome was then closed, and
+all the people returned to the city. Next day there were public prayers
+in all the mosques, and the same was continued for eight days
+successively. On the ninth the king resolved to cause the princes his
+sons to be beheaded. The people, incensed at their cruelty toward
+Codadad, impatiently expected to see them executed. The scaffolds were
+erecting, but the execution was respited, because, on a sudden,
+intelligence was brought that the neighbouring princes who had before
+made war on the sultan of Harran, were advancing with more numerous
+forces than on the first invasion, and were then not far from the city.
+This news gave new cause to lament the loss of Codadad, who had
+signalised himself in the former war against the same enemies. The
+sultan, nothing dismayed, formed a considerable army, and being too
+brave to await the enemies' attack within his walls, marched out to meet
+them. They, on their side, being informed that the sultan of Harran was
+marching to engage them, halted in the plain, and formed their army.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as the sultan discovered them, he also drew up his forces, and
+ranged them in order of battle. The signal was given, and he attacked
+them with extraordinary vigour; nor was the opposition inferior. Much
+blood was shed on both sides, and the victory long remained dubious; but
+at length it seemed to incline to the sultan of Harran's enemies, who,
+being more numerous, were upon the point of surrounding him, when a
+great body of cavalry appeared on the plain, and approached the two
+armies. The sight of this fresh party daunted both sides, neither
+knowing what to think of them; but their doubts were soon cleared; for
+they fell upon the flank of the sultan of Harran's enemies with such a
+furious charge, that they soon broke and routed them. Nor did they stop
+here; they pursued them, and cut most of them in pieces.</p>
+
+<p>The sultan of Harran, who had attentively observed all that passed,
+admired the bravery of this strange body of cavalry, whose unexpected
+arrival had given the victory to his army. But, above all, he was
+charmed with their chief, whom he had seen fighting with a more than
+ordinary valour. He longed to know the name of the generous hero.
+Impatient to see and thank him, he advanced toward him, but perceived he
+was coming to prevent him. The two princes drew near, and the sultan of
+Harran, discovering Codadad in the brave warrior who had just defeated
+his enemies, became motionless with joy and surprise. "Father," said
+Codadad to him, "you have sufficient cause to be astonished at the
+sudden appearance of a man whom perhaps you concluded to be dead. I
+should have been so, had not Heaven preserved me still to serve you
+against your enemies." "O my son," cried the sultan, "is it possible
+that you are restored to me? Alas! I despaired of seeing you more." So
+saying, he stretched out his arms to the young prince, who flew to such
+a tender embrace.</p>
+
+<p>"I know all, my son," said the sultan again, after having long held him
+in his arms. "I know what return your brothers have made you for
+delivering them out of the hands of the black; but you shall be revenged
+to-morrow. Let us now go to the palace where your mother, who has shed
+so many tears on your account, expects to rejoice with us on the defeat
+of our enemies. What a joy will it be to her to be informed that my
+victory is your work!" "Sir," said Codadad, "give me leave to ask how
+you could know the adventure of the castle? Have any of my brothers,
+repenting, owned it to you?" "No," answered the sultan; "the princess of
+Deryabar has given us an account of everything, for she is in my palace,
+and came thither to demand justice against your brothers." Codadad was
+transported with joy, to learn that the princess his wife was at the
+court. "Let us go, sir," cried he to his father in rapture, "let us go
+to my mother, who waits for us. I am impatient to dry her tears, as well
+as those of the princess of Deryabar."</p>
+
+<p>The sultan immediately returned to the city with his army, and
+re-entered his palace victorious, amidst the acclamations of the people,
+who followed him in crowds, praying to Heaven to prolong his life, and
+extolling Codadad to the skies. They found Pirouz&egrave; and her
+daughter-in-law waiting to congratulate the sultan; but words cannot
+express the transports of joy they felt when they saw the young prince
+with him: their embraces were mingled with tears of a very different
+kind from those they had before shed for him. When they had sufficiently
+yielded to all the emotions that the ties of blood and love inspired,
+they asked Codadad by what miracle he came to be still alive.</p>
+
+<p>He answered that a peasant mounted on a mule happening accidentally to
+come into the tent where he lay senseless, and perceiving him alone and
+stabbed in several places, had made him fast on his mule, and carried
+him to his house, where he applied to his wounds certain herbs, which
+recovered him. "When I found myself well," added he, "I returned thanks
+to the peasant, and gave him all the diamonds I had. I then made for the
+city of Harran; but being informed by the way that some neighbouring
+princes had gathered forces, and were on their march against the
+sultan's subjects, I made myself known to the villagers, and stirred
+them up to undertake his defence. I armed a great number of young men,
+and heading them, happened to arrive at the time when the two armies
+were engaged."</p>
+
+<p>When he had done speaking, the sultan said: "Let us return thanks to God
+for having preserved Codadad; but it is requisite that the traitors who
+would have destroyed him should perish." "Sir," answered the generous
+prince, "though they are wicked and ungrateful, consider they are your
+own flesh and blood: they are my brothers; I forgive their offence, and
+beg you to pardon them." This generosity drew tears from the sultan, who
+caused the people to be assembled, and declared Codadad his heir. He
+then ordered the princes, who were prisoners, to be brought out loaded
+with irons. Pirouz&egrave;'s son struck off their chains, and embraced them
+all successively with as much sincerity and affection as he had done in
+the black's castle. The people were charmed with Codadad's generosity,
+and loaded him with applause. The surgeon was next nobly rewarded in
+requital of the services he had done the princess of Deryabar and the
+court of Harran remained thereafter in perfect joy and felicity.</p>
+
+
+
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<h2><a name="THE_STORY_OF_SINBAD_THE_VOYAGER" id="THE_STORY_OF_SINBAD_THE_VOYAGER"></a>THE STORY OF SINBAD THE VOYAGER</h2>
+
+
+<p>In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid, there lived at Bagdad a
+poor porter called Hindbad. One day, when the weather was excessively
+hot, he was employed to carry a heavy burden from one end of the town to
+the other. Having still a great way to go, he came into a street where a
+refreshing breeze blew on his face, and the pavement was sprinkled with
+rose water. As he could not desire a better place to rest, he took off
+his load, and sat upon it, near a large mansion.</p>
+
+<p>He was much pleased that he stopped in this place; for the agreeable
+smell of wood of aloes, and of pastils, that came from the house, mixing
+with the scent of the rose-water, completely perfumed the air. Besides,
+he heard from within a concert of instrumental music, accompanied with
+the harmonious notes of nightingales. This charming melody, and the
+smell of savoury dishes, made the porter conclude there was a feast
+within. His business seldom leading him that way, he knew not to whom
+the mansion belonged; but to satisfy his curiosity he went to some of
+the servants, whom he saw standing at the gate in magnificent apparel,
+and asked the name of the proprietor. "How," replied one of them, "do
+you live in Bagdad, and know not that this is the house of Sinbad the
+sailor, that famous voyager, who has sailed round the world?" The
+porter, who had heard of this Sinbad's riches, lifted up his eyes to
+Heaven, and said, loud enough to be heard: "Almighty creator of all
+things, consider the difference between Sinbad and me! I am every day
+exposed to fatigues and calamities, and can scarcely get barley-bread
+for myself and my family, whilst happy Sinbad expends immense riches and
+leads a life of pleasure. What has he done to obtain a lot so agreeable?
+And what have I done to deserve one so wretched?"</p>
+
+<p>Whilst the porter was thus indulging his melancholy, a servant came out
+of the house, and taking him by the arm, bade him follow him, for
+Sinbad, his master, wanted to speak to him.</p>
+
+<p>The servants brought him into a great hall, where a number of people sat
+round a table, covered with all sorts of savoury dishes. At the upper
+end sat a venerable gentleman, with a long white beard, and behind him
+stood a number of officers and domestics, all ready to attend his
+pleasure. This personage was Sinbad. The porter, whose fear was
+increased at the sight of so many people, and of a banquet so sumptuous,
+saluted the company trembling. Sinbad bade him draw near, and seating
+him at his right hand, served him himself, and gave him a cup of
+excellent wine.</p>
+
+<p>When the repast was over, Sinbad addressed his conversation to Hindbad,
+and inquired his name and employment. "My lord," answered he, "my name
+is Hindbad." "I am very glad to see you," replied Sinbad; "but I wish to
+hear from your own mouth what it was you lately said in the street."
+Sinbad had himself heard the porter complain through the window, and
+this it was that induced him to have him brought in.</p>
+
+<p>At this request, Hindbad hung down his head in confusion, and replied:
+"My lord, I confess that my fatigue put me out of humour, and occasioned
+me to utter some indiscreet words, which I beg you to pardon." "Do not
+think I am so unjust," resumed Sinbad, "as to resent such a complaint,
+but I must rectify your error concerning myself. You think, no doubt,
+that I have acquired, without labour and trouble, the ease which I now
+enjoy. But do not mistake; I did not attain to this happy condition,
+without enduring for several years more trouble of body and mind than
+can well be imagined. Yes, gentlemen," he added, speaking to the whole
+company, "I can assure you my troubles were so extraordinary, that they
+were calculated to discourage the most covetous from undertaking such
+voyages as I did, to acquire riches. Perhaps you have never heard a
+distinct account of my wonderful adventures; and since I have this
+opportunity, I will give you a faithful account of them, not doubting
+but it will be acceptable."</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE FIRST VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"I inherited from my father considerable property, the greater part of
+which I squandered in my youth in dissipation; but I perceived my error,
+and reflected that riches were perishable, and quickly consumed by such
+ill managers as myself, I further considered, that by my irregular way
+of living I wretchedly misspent my time; which is, of all things, the
+most valuable. Struck with these reflections, I collected the remains of
+my fortune, and sold all my effects by public auction. I then entered
+into a contract with some merchants, who traded by sea. I took the
+advice of such as I thought most capable, and resolving to improve what
+money I had, I embarked with several merchants on board a ship which we
+had jointly fitted out.</p>
+
+<p>"We set sail, and steered our course toward the Indies through the
+Persian Gulf, which is formed by the coasts of Arabia Felix on the
+right, and by those of Persia on the left. At first I was troubled with
+sea-sickness, but speedily recovered my health, and was not afterward
+subject to that complaint.</p>
+
+<p>"In our voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or exchanged
+our goods. One day, whilst under sail, we were becalmed near a small
+island, but little elevated above the level of the water, and resembling
+a green meadow. The captain ordered his sails to be furled, and
+permitted such persons as were so inclined to land; of which number I
+was one.</p>
+
+<p>"But while we were enjoying ourselves in eating and drinking, and
+recovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on a sudden
+trembled, and shook us terribly.</p>
+
+<p>"The motion was perceived on board the ship, and we were called upon to
+re-embark speedily, or we should all be lost; for what we took for an
+island proved to be the back of a sea monster. The nimblest got into the
+sloop, others betook themselves to swimming; but for myself, I was still
+upon the back of the creature when he dived into the sea, and I had time
+only to catch hold of a piece of wood that we had brought out of the
+ship. Meanwhile, the captain, having received those on board who were in
+the sloop, and taken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the
+favourable gale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails, pursued his
+voyage, so that it was impossible for me to recover the ship.</p>
+
+<p>"Thus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves all the rest of the day
+and the following night. By this time I found my strength gone, and
+despaired of saving my life, when happily a wave threw me against an
+island. The bank was high and rugged; so that I could scarcely have got
+up, had it not been for some roots of trees, which chance placed within
+reach. Having gained the land, I lay down upon the ground half dead,
+until the sun appeared. Then, though I was very feeble, both from hard
+labour and want of food, I crept along to find some herbs fit to eat,
+and had the good luck not only to procure some, but likewise to discover
+a spring of excellent water, which contributed much to recover me. After
+this I advanced farther into the island, and at last reached a fine
+plain, where at a great distance I perceived some horses feeding. I went
+toward them, and as I approached heard the voice of a man, who
+immediately appeared, and asked me who I was. I related to him my
+adventure, after which, taking me by the hand, he led me into a cave,
+where there were several other people, no less amazed to see me than I
+was to see them.</p>
+
+<p>"I partook of some provisions which they offered me. I then asked them
+what they did in such a desert place, to which they answered, that they
+were grooms belonging to the Maha-raja, sovereign of the island, and
+that every year, at the same season they brought thither the king's
+horses for pasturage. They added, that they were to return home on the
+morrow, and had I been one day later, I must have perished, because the
+inhabited part of the island was at a great distance, and it would have
+been impossible for me to have got thither without a guide.</p>
+
+<p>"Next morning they returned to the capital of the island, took me with
+them, and presented me to the Maha-raja. He asked me who I was, and by
+what adventure I had come into his dominions. After I had satisfied him,
+he told me he was much concerned for my misfortune, and at the same time
+ordered that I should want nothing; which commands his officers were so
+generous as to see exactly fulfilled.</p>
+
+<p>"Being a merchant, I frequented men of my own profession, and
+particularly inquired for those who were strangers, that perchance I
+might hear news from Bagdad, or find an opportunity to return. They put
+a thousand questions respecting my country; and I, being willing to
+inform myself as to their laws and customs, asked them concerning
+everything which I thought worth knowing.</p>
+
+<p>"There belongs to this king an island named Cassel. They assured me that
+every night a noise of drums was heard there, whence the mariners
+fancied that it was the residence of Degial. I determined to visit this
+wonderful place, and in my way thither saw fishes of one hundred and two
+hundred cubits long, that occasion more fear than hurt, for they are so
+timorous, that they will fly upon the rattling of two sticks or boards.
+I saw likewise other fish about a cubit in length, that had heads like
+owls.</p>
+
+<p>"As I was one day at the port after my return, a ship arrived, and as
+soon as she cast anchor, they began to unload her, and the merchants on
+board ordered their goods to be carried into the custom-house. As I cast
+my eye upon some bales, and looked to the name, I found my own, and
+perceived the bales to be the same that I had embarked at Bussorah. I
+also knew the captain; but being persuaded that he believed me to be
+drowned, I went, and asked him whose bales these were. He replied that
+they belonged to a merchant of Bagdad, called Sinbad, who came to sea
+with him; but had unfortunately perished on the voyage, and that he had
+resolved to trade with the bales, until he met with some of his family,
+to whom he might return the profit. 'I am that Sinbad,' said I, 'whom
+you thought to be dead, and those bales are mine.'</p>
+
+<p>"When the captain heard me speak thus, 'Heavens!' he exclaimed, 'whom
+can we trust in these times? There is no faith left among men. I saw
+Sinbad perish with my own eyes, as did also the passengers on board, and
+yet you tell me you are that Sinbad. What impudence is this? You tell a
+horrible falsehood, in order to possess yourself of what does not
+belong to you.' 'Have patience,' replied I; 'do me the favour to hear
+what I have to say.' Then I told him how I had escaped, and by what
+adventure I met with the grooms of the Maha-raja, who had brought me to
+his court.</p>
+
+<p>"The captain was at length persuaded that I was no cheat; for there came
+people from his ship who knew me, and expressed much joy at seeing me
+alive. At last he recollected me himself, and embracing me, 'Heaven be
+praised,' said he, 'for your happy escape. I cannot express the joy it
+affords me; there are your goods, take and do with them as you please.'
+I thanked him, acknowledged his probity, and offered him part of my
+goods as a present, which he generously refused.</p>
+
+<p>"I took out what was most valuable in my bales, and presented them to
+the Maha-raja, who, knowing my misfortune, asked me how I came by such
+rarities. I acquainted him with the circumstance of their recovery. He
+was pleased at my good luck, accepted my present, and in return gave me
+one much more considerable. Upon this, I took leave of him, and went
+aboard the same ship, after I had exchanged my goods for the commodities
+of that country. I carried with me wood of aloes, sandal, camphire,
+nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger. We passed by several islands, and
+at last arrived at Bussorah, from whence I came to this city, with the
+value of one hundred thousand sequins. My family and I received one
+another with sincere affection. I bought slaves and a landed estate, and
+built a magnificent house. Thus I settled myself, resolving to forget
+the miseries I had suffered, and to enjoy the pleasures of life."</p>
+
+<p>Sinbad stopped here, and ordered the musicians to proceed with their
+concert, which the story had interrupted. The company continued enjoying
+themselves till the evening, when Sinbad sent for a purse of a hundred
+sequins, and giving it to the porter, said: "Take this, Hindbad, return
+to your home, and come back to-morrow to hear more of my adventures."
+The porter went away, astonished at the honour done, and the present
+made him. The account of this adventure proved very agreeable to his
+wife and children, who did not fail to return thanks to God for what
+providence had sent them by the hand of Sinbad.</p>
+
+<p>Hindbad put on his best apparel next day, and returned to the bountiful
+traveller, who welcomed him heartily. When all the guests had arrived,
+dinner was served. When it was ended, Sinbad, addressing himself to the
+company, said, "Gentlemen, be pleased to listen to the adventures of my
+second voyage; they deserve your attention even more than those of the
+first." Upon this every one held his peace, and Sinbad proceeded.</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE SECOND VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at
+Bagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life. My
+inclination to trade revived. I bought goods proper for the commerce I
+intended, and put to sea a second time with merchants of known probity.
+We embarked on board a good ship, and after recommending ourselves to
+God, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged
+commodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered
+with several sorts of fruit-trees, but we could see neither man nor
+animal. We went to take a little fresh air in the meadows, along the
+streams that watered them. Whilst some diverted themselves with
+gathering flowers, and others fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and
+sat down near a stream betwixt two high trees which formed a thick
+shade. I made a good meal, and afterward fell asleep. I cannot tell how
+long I slept, but when I awoke the ship was gone.</p>
+
+<p>"I got up and looked around me, but could not see one of the merchants
+who landed with me. I perceived the ship under sail, but at such a
+distance, that I lost sight of her in a short time.</p>
+
+<p>"In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in
+agony, and threw myself upon the ground, where I lay some time in
+despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times for not being content with
+the produce of my first voyage, that might have sufficed me all my life.
+But all this was in vain, and my repentance came too late.</p>
+
+<p>"At last I resigned myself to the will of God. Not knowing what to do, I
+climbed up to the top of a lofty tree, from whence I looked about on all
+sides, to see if I could discover anything that could give me hopes.
+When I gazed toward the sea I could see nothing but sky and water; but
+looking over the land I beheld something white; and coming down, I took
+what provision I had left, and went toward it, the distance being so
+great that I could not distinguish what it was.</p>
+
+<p>"As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious
+height and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found it
+to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side, but
+saw that it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as it
+was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.</p>
+
+<p>"By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky
+became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was much
+astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it
+occasioned by a bird of a monstrous size, that came flying toward me. I
+remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous bird
+called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much
+admired must be its egg. As I perceived the roc coming, I crept close to
+the egg, so that I had before me one of the bird's legs, which was as
+big as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban,
+in hopes that next morning she would carry me with her out of this
+desert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird
+flew away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high, that I
+could not discern the earth; she afterward descended with so much
+rapidity that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground, I
+speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so, when the roc, having
+taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew away.</p>
+
+<p>"The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains,
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity: so
+that when I compared this place with the desert island from which the
+roc had brought me I found that I had gained nothing by the change.</p>
+
+<p>"As I walked through this valley, I perceived it was strewed with
+diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took pleasure in
+looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as greatly
+diminished my satisfaction, namely, a great number of serpents, so
+monstrous, that the least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant.
+They retired in the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves
+from the roc, their enemy, and came out only in the night.</p>
+
+<p>"I spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at times
+in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on, I went
+into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I secured the
+entrance with a great stone to preserve me from the serpents; but not so
+far as to exclude the light. I supped on part of my provisions, but the
+serpents, which began hissing round me, put me into such extreme fear,
+that I could not sleep. When day appeared, the serpents retired, and I
+came out of the cave trembling. I can justly say, that I walked upon
+diamonds, without feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat
+down, and notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes
+during the night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my
+provision. But I had scarcely shut my eyes, when something that fell by
+me with a great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and
+at the same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in
+different places.</p>
+
+<p>"I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
+relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
+merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
+stated nothing but truth. For the fact is, that the merchants come to
+the neighbourhood of this valley when the eagles have young ones; and,
+throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds upon whose
+points they fall stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger in this
+country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of
+meat, and carry them to their nests on the rocks to feed their young;
+the merchants at this time run to the nests, drive off the eagles by
+their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.</p>
+
+<p>"Until I perceived the device I had concluded it to be impossible for me
+to leave this abyss, which I regarded as my grave; but now I changed my
+opinion, and began to think upon the means of my deliverance. I began to
+collect the largest diamonds I could find, and put them into the leather
+bag in which I used to carry my provisions. I afterward took the
+largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with the cloth of
+my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my face downward,
+the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.</p>
+
+<p>"I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when the eagles came. Each
+of them seized a piece of meat, and one of the strongest having taken me
+up, with the piece of meat to which I was fastened, carried me to his
+nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants immediately began their
+shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit
+their prey, one of them came to the nest where I was. He was much
+alarmed when he saw me; but recovering himself, instead of inquiring how
+I came thither, began to quarrel with me, and asked, why I stole his
+goods. 'You will treat me,' replied I, 'with more civility when you know
+me better. Do not be uneasy, I have diamonds enough for you and myself,
+more than all the other merchants together. What ever they have, they
+owe to chance, but I selected for myself in the bottom of the valley
+those which you see in this bag.' I had scarcely done speaking, when the
+other merchants came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but
+they were much more surprised when I told them my story.</p>
+
+<p>"They conducted me to their encampment, and there having opened my bag,
+they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed that
+in all the courts which they had visited they had never seen any of such
+size and perfection. I prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I
+had been carried (for every merchant had his own), to take as many for
+his share as he pleased. He contented himself with one, and that the
+least of them; and when I pressed him to take more, 'No,' said he, 'I am
+very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough to save me the
+trouble of making any more voyages, and will raise as great a fortune as
+I desire.'</p>
+
+<p>"I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
+second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I could
+not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the danger I have
+mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could scarcely believe
+myself out of danger.</p>
+
+<p>"The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
+several days, and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
+had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning and travelled
+near high mountains, where there were serpents of a prodigious length,
+which we had the good fortune to escape. We took shipping at the first
+port we reached, and touched at the isle of Roha, where the trees grow
+that yield camphire. This tree is so large, and its branches so thick,
+that one hundred men may easily sit under its shade. The juice of which
+the camphire is made exudes from a hole bored in the upper part of the
+tree, is received in a vessel, where it thickens to a consistency, and
+becomes what we call camphire; after the juice is thus drawn out, the
+tree withers and dies.</p>
+
+<p>"In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
+elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
+about a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cleft through the
+middle. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, runs his horn into his
+belly, and carries him off upon his head; but the blood and the fat of
+the elephant running into his eyes, and making him blind, he falls to
+the ground; and then, strange to relate! the roc comes and carries them
+both away in her claws, for food for her young ones.</p>
+
+<p>"In this island I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From
+hence we went to other ports, and at last, having touched at several
+trading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I
+proceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the
+poor, and lived honourably upon the vast riches I had gained with so
+much fatigue."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus14.jpg" alt="spot"  />
+<a id="illus14" name="illus14"></a>
+</p>
+
+
+<p class="center"><i>The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley.</i></p>
+
+<p>Thus Sinbad ended his relation, gave Hindbad another hundred sequins,
+and invited him to come the next day to hear the account of the third
+voyage.</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE THIRD VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"I soon lost the remembrance of the perils I had encountered in my two
+former voyages," said Sinbad, "and being in the flower of my age, I grew
+weary of living without business, and went from Bagdad to Bussorah with
+the richest commodities of the country. There I embarked again with some
+merchants. We made a long voyage and touched at several ports, where we
+carried on a considerable trade. One day, being out in the main ocean,
+we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which drove us from our course.
+The tempest continued several days, and brought us before the port of an
+island, which the captain was very unwilling to enter, but we were
+obliged to cast anchor. When we had furled our sails, the captain told
+us that this, and some other neighbouring islands, were inhabited by
+hairy savages, who would speedily attack us; and, though they were but
+dwarfs, yet we must make no resistance, for they were more in number
+than the locusts; and if we happened to kill one of them they would all
+fall upon us and destroy us.</p>
+
+<p>"We soon found that what he had told us was but too true; an innumerable
+multitude of frightful savages, about two feet high, covered all over
+with red hair, came swimming towards us, and encompassed our ship. They
+spoke to us as they came near, but we understood not their language and
+they climbed up the sides of the ship with such agility as surprised us.
+They took down our sails, cut the cables, and hauling to the shore, made
+us all get out, and afterward carried the ship into another island, from
+whence they had come.</p>
+
+<p>"We went forward into the island, where we gathered some fruits and
+herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected nothing
+but death. As we advanced, we perceived at a distance a vast pile of
+buildings, and made toward it. We found it to be a palace, elegantly
+built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony, which we forced open. We
+entered the court, where we saw before us a large apartment, with a
+porch, having on one side a heap of human bones, and on the other a vast
+number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being
+fatigued with travelling, fell to the ground, seized with deadly
+apprehension, and lay a long time motionless.</p>
+
+<p>"The sun set, the gate of the apartment opened with a loud crash, and
+there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as tall as a lofty
+palm-tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead,
+where it looked as red as a burning coal. His fore-teeth were very long
+and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as deep as that of a
+horse. His upper lip hung down upon his breast. His ears resembled those
+of an elephant, and covered his shoulders; and his nails were as long
+and crooked as the talons of the greatest birds. At the sight of so
+frightful a giant we became insensible, and lay like dead men.</p>
+
+<p>"At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking
+at us. When he had considered us well, he advanced toward us, and laying
+his hand upon me, took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round
+as a butcher would do a sheep's head. After having examined me, and
+perceiving me to be so lean that I had nothing but skin and bone, he let
+me go. He took up all the rest one by one, and viewed them in the same
+manner. The captain being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I
+would do a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he then kindled a
+great fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment for his supper. Having
+finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and fell
+asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till morning. As to
+ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest, so that we
+passed the night in the most painful apprehension that can be imagined.
+When day appeared the giant awoke, got up, went out, and left us in the
+palace.</p>
+
+<p>"When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melancholy silence we
+had preserved the whole of the night, and filled the palace with our
+lamentations and groans.</p>
+
+<p>"We spent the day in traversing the island, supporting ourselves with
+fruits and herbs as we had done the day before. In the evening we sought
+for some place of shelter, but found none; so that we were forced,
+whether we would or not, to go back to the palace.</p>
+
+<p>"The giant failed not to return, and supped once more upon one of our
+companions, after which he slept and snored till day, and then went out
+and left us as before. Our situation appeared to us so dreadful that
+several of my comrades designed to throw themselves into the sea, rather
+than die so painful a death, upon which one of the company answered that
+it would be much more reasonable to devise some method to rid ourselves
+of the monster.</p>
+
+<p>"Having thought of a project for this purpose, I communicated it to my
+comrades, who approved it. 'Brethren,' said I, 'you know there is much
+timber floating upon the coast; if you will be advised by me, let us
+make several rafts capable of bearing us. In the meantime, we will
+carry out the design I proposed to you for our deliverance from the
+giant, and if it succeed, we may remain here patiently awaiting the
+arrival of some ship; but if it happen to miscarry, we will take to our
+rafts and put to sea.' My advice was approved, and we made rafts capable
+of carrying three persons on each.</p>
+
+<p>"We returned to the palace toward the evening, and the giant arrived
+shortly after. We were forced to submit to seeing another of our
+comrades roasted, but at last we revenged ourselves on the brutish giant
+in the following manner. After he had finished his supper he lay down on
+his back and fell asleep. As soon as we heard him snore, according to
+his custom, nine of the boldest among us, and myself, took each of us a
+spit, and putting the points of them into the fire till they were
+burning hot, we thrust them into his eye all at once and blinded him.
+The pain made him break out into a frightful yell: he started up, and
+stretched out his hands, in order to sacrifice some of us to his rage:
+but we ran to such places as he could not reach; and after having sought
+for us in vain, he groped for the gate and went out, howling in agony.</p>
+
+<p>"We quitted the palace after the giant and came to the shore, where we
+had left our rafts, and put them immediately to sea. We waited till day,
+in order to get upon them in case the giant should come toward us with
+any guide of his own species; but we hoped if he did not appear by
+sunrise, and gave over his howling, which we still heard, that he would
+prove to be dead; and if that happened, we resolved to stay in that
+island, and not to risk our lives upon the rafts. But day had scarcely
+appeared when we perceived our cruel enemy, accompanied with two others
+almost of the same size, leading him; and a great number more coming
+before him at a quick pace.</p>
+
+<p>"We did not hesitate to take to our rafts, and put to sea with all the
+speed we could. The giants, who perceived this, took up great stones,
+and running to the shore, entered the water up to the middle, and threw
+so exactly that they sunk all the rafts but that I was upon; and all my
+companions, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our
+might, and escaped the giants, but when we got out to sea we were
+exposed to the mercy of the waves and winds, and spent that night and
+the following day under the most painful uncertainty as to our fate; but
+next morning we had the good fortune to be thrown upon an island, where
+we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit, which afforded us
+great relief and recruited our strength.</p>
+
+<p>"At night we went to sleep on the sea shore; but were awakened by the
+noise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness, whose scales made
+a rustling noise as he wound himself along. It swallowed up one of my
+comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries, and the efforts he made to
+extricate himself from it; dashing him several times against the ground,
+it crushed him, and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor wretch's
+bones, though we had fled to a considerable distance.</p>
+
+<p>"As we walked about, when day returned, we saw a tall tree, upon which
+we designed to pass the following night, for our security; and having
+satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it before the dusk had
+fallen. Shortly after, the serpent came hissing to the foot of the tree;
+raised itself up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade,
+who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off.</p>
+
+<p>"I remained upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more like
+a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate as my two companions.
+This filled me with horror, and I advanced some steps to throw myself
+into the sea; but I withstood this dictate of despair, and submitted
+myself to the will of God.</p>
+
+<p>"In the meantime I collected a great quantity of small wood, brambles,
+and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a wide circle with
+them round the tree, and also tied some of them to the branches over my
+head. Having done this, when the evening came I shut myself up within
+this circle, feeling that I had neglected nothing which could preserve
+me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent
+failed not to come at the usual hour, and went round the tree, seeking
+for an opportunity to devour me, but was prevented by the rampart I had
+made; so that he lay till day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse
+that has fortunately reached a place of safety. When day appeared he
+retired, but I dared not to leave my fort until the sun arose.</p>
+
+<p>"I felt so much fatigued by the labour to which it had put me, and
+suffered so much from the serpent's poisonous breath, that death seemed
+more eligible to me than the horrors of such a state. I came down from
+the tree, and was going to throw myself into the sea, when God took
+compassion on me and I perceived a ship at a considerable distance. I
+called as loud as I could, and taking the linen from my turban,
+displayed it, that they might observe me. This had the desired effect;
+the crew perceived me, and the captain sent his boat for me. As soon as
+I came on board, the merchants and seamen flocked about me, to know how
+I came into that desert island; and after I had related to them all that
+had befallen me, the oldest among them said that they had often heard of
+the giants that dwelt in that island, that they were cannibals; and as
+to the serpents, they added, that there were abundance of them that hid
+themselves by day, and came abroad by night. After having testified
+their joy at my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of
+their provisions; and the captain, seeing that I was in rags, was so
+generous as to give me one of his own suits. We continued at sea for
+some time, touched at several islands, and at last landed at that of
+Salabat, where sandal wood is obtained, which is of great use in
+medicine. We entered the port, and came to anchor. The merchants began
+to unload their goods, in order to sell or exchange them. In the
+meantime, the captain came to me and said: 'Brother, I have here some
+goods that belonged to a merchant, who sailed some time on board this
+ship, and he being dead, I design to dispose of them for the benefit of
+his heirs.' The bales he spoke of lay on the deck, and showing them to
+me, he said: 'There are the goods; I hope you will take care to sell
+them, and you shall have factorage.' I thanked him for thus affording me
+an opportunity of employing myself, because I hated to be idle.</p>
+
+<p>"The clerk of the ship took an account of all the bales, with the names
+of the merchants to whom they belonged, and when he asked the captain in
+whose name he should enter those he had given me the charge of, 'Enter
+them,' said the captain, 'in the name of Sinbad.' I could not hear
+myself named without some emotion; and looking steadfastly on the
+captain, I knew him to be the person who, in my second voyage, had left
+me in the island where I fell asleep.</p>
+
+<p>"I was not surprised that he, believing me to be dead, did not recognise
+me. 'Captain,' said I, 'was the merchant's name, to whom those bales
+belonged, Sinbad?' 'Yes,' replied he, 'that was his name; he came from
+Bagdad, and embarked on board my ship at Bussorah.' 'You believe him,
+then, to be dead?' said I. 'Certainly,' answered he. 'No, captain,'
+resumed I; 'look at me, and you may know that I am Sinbad.'</p>
+
+<p>"The captain, having considered me attentively, recognised me. 'God be
+praised,' said he, embracing me, 'I rejoice that fortune has rectified
+my fault. There are your goods, which I always took care to preserve.' I
+took them from him, and made him the acknowledgments to which he was
+entitled.</p>
+
+<p>"From the isle of Salabat, we went to another, where I furnished myself
+with cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. As we sailed from this island,
+we saw a tortoise twenty cubits in length and breadth. We observed also
+an amphibious animal like a cow, which gave milk; its skin is so hard,
+that they usually make bucklers of it.</p>
+
+<p>"In short, after a long voyage I arrived at Bussorah, and from thence
+returned to Bagdad, with so much wealth that I knew not its extent. I
+gave a great deal to the poor, and bought another considerable estate in
+addition to what I had already."</p>
+
+<p class="center">
+<img src="images/illus15.jpg" alt="repast"  />
+<a id="illus15" name="illus15"></a>
+</p>
+
+<p class='center'><i>Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and
+fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder.</i></p>
+
+<p>Thus Sinbad finished the history of his third voyage; gave another
+hundred sequins to Hindbad, and invited him to dinner again the next day
+to hear the story of his fourth series of adventures.</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE FOURTH VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"The pleasures which I enjoyed after my third voyage had not charms
+sufficient to divert me from another. My passion for trade, and my love
+of novelty, again prevailed. I therefore settled my affairs, and having
+provided a stock of goods fit for the traffic I designed to engage in, I
+set out on my journey. I took the route of Persia, travelled over
+several provinces, and then arrived at a port, where I embarked. We
+hoisted our sails, and touched at several ports of the continent, and
+then put out to sea; when we were overtaken by such a sudden gust of
+wind, as obliged the captain to lower his yards, and take all other
+necessary precautions to prevent the danger that threatened us. But all
+was in vain; our endeavours had no effect, the sails were split in a
+thousand pieces, and the ship was stranded; several of the merchants and
+seamen were drowned, and the cargo was lost.</p>
+
+<p>"I had the good fortune, with several of the merchants and mariners, to
+get upon some planks, and we were carried by the current to an island
+which lay before us. There we found fruit and spring water, which
+preserved our lives. We stayed all night near the place where we had
+been cast ashore and next morning, as soon as the sun was up, advancing
+into the island, saw some houses, which we approached. As soon as we
+drew near, we were encompassed by a great number of negroes, who seized
+us and carried us to their respective habitations.</p>
+
+<p>"I, and five of my comrades, were carried to one place; here they made
+us sit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs to us to
+eat. My comrades, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it
+themselves, thought only of satisfying their hunger, and ate with
+greediness. But I, suspecting some trick, would not so much as taste it,
+which happened well for me; for in a little time after, I perceived my
+companions had lost their senses, and that when they spoke to me, they
+knew not what they said.</p>
+
+<p>"The negroes fed us afterward with rice, prepared with oil of
+cocoa-nuts; and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it
+greedily. I also partook of it, but very sparingly. They gave us that
+herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses, that we might not
+be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us; and they supplied us with
+rice to fatten us; for, being cannibals, their design was to eat us as
+soon as we grew fat. This accordingly happened, for they devoured my
+comrades, who were not sensible of their condition; but my senses being
+entire, you may easily guess that instead of growing fat I grew leaner
+every day. The fear of death under which I laboured caused me to fall
+into a languishing distemper, which proved my safety; for the negroes,
+having eaten my companions, seeing me to be withered, and sick, deferred
+my death.</p>
+
+<p>"Meanwhile I had much liberty, so that scarcely any notice was taken of
+what I did, and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a distance
+from the houses and to make my escape. An old man, who saw me and
+suspected my design, called to me as loud as he could to return; but I
+redoubled my speed, and quickly got out of sight. At that time there was
+none but the old man about the houses, the rest being abroad, and not to
+return till night, which was usual with them. Therefore, being sure that
+they could not arrive in time enough to pursue me, I went on till night,
+when I stopped to rest a little, and to eat some of the provisions I had
+secured; but I speedily set forward again, and travelled seven days,
+avoiding those places which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the
+most part upon cocoa-nuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On
+the eighth day I came near the sea, and saw some white people like
+myself, gathering pepper, of which there was great plenty in that place.
+This I took to be a good omen, and went to them without any scruple.
+They came to meet me as soon as they saw me, and asked me in Arabic who
+I was, and whence I came. I was overjoyed to hear them speak in my own
+language, and satisfied their curiosity by giving them an account of my
+shipwreck, and how I fell into the hands of the negroes. 'Those
+negroes,' replied they, 'eat men, and by what miracle did you escape
+their cruelty?' I related to them the circumstances I have just
+mentioned, at which they were wonderfully surprised.</p>
+
+<p>"I stayed with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper, and
+then sailed with them to the island from whence they had come. They
+presented me to their king, who was a good prince. He had the patience
+to hear the relation of my adventures; and he afterward gave me clothes,
+and commanded care to be taken of me.</p>
+
+<p>"The island was very well peopled, plentiful in everything, and the
+capital a place of great trade. This agreeable retreat was very
+comfortable to me, after my misfortunes, and the kindness of this
+generous prince completed my satisfaction. In a word, there was not a
+person more in favour with him than myself; and consequently every man
+in court and city sought to oblige me; so that in a very little time I
+was looked upon rather as a native than a stranger.</p>
+
+<p>"I observed one thing which to me appeared very extraordinary. All the
+people, the king himself not excepted, rode their horses without bridle
+or stirrups. This made me one day take the liberty to ask the king how
+it came to pass. His Majesty answered, that I talked to him of things
+which nobody knew the use of in his dominions.</p>
+
+<p>"I went immediately to a workman, and gave him a model for making the
+stock of a saddle. When that was done, I covered it myself with velvet
+and leather, and embroidered it with gold. I afterward went to a smith,
+who made me a bit, according to the pattern I showed him, and also some
+stirrups. When I had all things completed, I presented them to the king,
+and put them upon one of his horses. His Majesty mounted immediately,
+and was so pleased with them, that he testified his satisfaction by
+large presents.</p>
+
+<p>"As I paid my court very constantly to the king, he said to me one day:
+'Sinbad, I love thee and I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou
+must grant.' 'Sir,' answered I, 'there is nothing but I will do, as a
+mark of my obedience to your Majesty.' 'I have a mind thou shouldst
+marry,' replied he, 'that so thou mayest stay in my dominions, and think
+no more of thy own country.' I durst not resist the prince's will, and
+he gave me one of the ladies of his court, noble, beautiful, and rich.
+The ceremonies of marriage being over, I went and dwelt with my wife,
+and for some time we lived together in perfect harmony. I was not,
+however, satisfied with my banishment, therefore designed to make my
+escape the first opportunity, and to return to Bagdad.</p>
+
+<p>"At this time the wife of one of my neighbours fell sick, and died. I
+went to see and comfort him in his affliction, and finding him absorbed
+in sorrow, I said to him as soon as I saw him: 'God preserve you and
+grant you a long life.' 'Alas!' replied he, 'how do you think I should
+obtain the favour you wish me? I have not above an hour to live.'
+'Pray,' said I, 'do not entertain such a melancholy thought; I hope I
+shall enjoy your company many years.' 'I wish you,' he replied, 'a long
+life; but my days are at an end, for I must be buried this day with my
+wife. This is a law which our ancestors established in this island, and
+it is always observed. The living husband is interred with the dead
+wife, and the living wife with the dead husband. Nothing can save me;
+every one must submit to this law.'</p>
+
+<p>"While he was giving me an account of this barbarous custom, the very
+relation of which chilled my blood, his kindred, friends, and neighbours
+came in a body to assist at the funeral. They dressed the corpse of the
+woman in her richest apparel, and all her jewels, as if it had been her
+wedding day; then they placed her in an open coffin, and began their
+march to the place of burial, the husband walking at the head of the
+company. They proceeded to a high mountain, and when they had reached
+the place of their destination, they took up a large stone, which
+covered the mouth of a deep pit, and let down the corpse with all its
+apparel and jewels. Then the husband embracing his kindred and friends,
+suffered himself, without resistance, to be put into another open coffin
+with a pot of water, and seven small loaves, and was let down in the
+same manner. The ceremony being over, the aperture was again covered
+with the stone, and the company returned.</p>
+
+<p>"It is needless for me to tell you that I was a melancholy spectator of
+this funeral, while the rest were scarcely moved, the custom was to them
+so familiar. I could not forbear communicating to the king my sentiment
+respecting the practice: 'Sir,' I said, 'I cannot but feel astonished at
+the strange usage observed in this country, of burying the living with
+the dead. I have been a great traveller, and seen many countries, but
+never heard of so cruel a law.' 'What do you mean, Sinbad?' replied the
+king: 'it is a common law. I shall be interred with the queen, my wife,
+if she die first.' 'But, sir,' said I, 'may I presume to ask your
+Majesty, if strangers be obliged to observe this law?' 'Without doubt,'
+returned the king; 'they are not exempted, if they be married in this
+island.'</p>
+
+<p>"I returned home much depressed by this answer; for the fear of my
+wife's dying first and that I should be interred alive with her,
+occasioned me very uneasy reflections. But there was no remedy; I must
+have patience, and submit to the will of God. I trembled, however, at
+every little indisposition of my wife, and, alas! in a little time my
+fears were realised, for she fell sick and died.</p>
+
+<p>"The king and all his court expressed their wish to honour the funeral
+with their presence, and the most considerable people of the city did
+the same. When all was ready for the ceremony, the corpse was put into a
+coffin with all her jewels and her most magnificent apparel. The
+procession began, and as second actor in this doleful tragedy, I went
+next the corpse, with my eyes full of tears, bewailing my deplorable
+fate. Before we reached the mountain, I made an attempt to affect the
+minds of the spectators: I addressed myself to the king first, and then
+to all those that were round me; bowing before them to the earth, and
+kissing the border of their garments, I prayed them to have compassion
+upon me. 'Consider,' said I, 'that I am a stranger, and ought not to be
+subject to this rigorous law, and that I have another wife and children
+in my own country.' Although I spoke in the most pathetic manner, no one
+was moved by my address; on the contrary, they ridiculed my dread of
+death as cowardly, made haste to let my wife's corpse into the pit, and
+lowered me down the next moment in an open coffin with a vessel full of
+water and seven loaves.</p>
+
+<p>"As I approached the bottom, I discovered by the aid of the little light
+that came from above the nature of this subterranean place; it seemed an
+endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathoms deep.</p>
+
+<p>"Instead of losing my courage and calling death to my assistance in that
+miserable condition, however, I felt still an inclination to live, and
+to do all I could to prolong my days. I went groping about, for the
+bread and water that was in my coffin, and took some of it. Though the
+darkness of the cave was so great that I could not distinguish day and
+night, yet I always found my coffin again, and the cave seemed to be
+more spacious than it had appeared to be at first. I lived for some days
+upon my bread and water, which being all spent, I at last prepared for
+death.</p>
+
+<p>"I was offering up my last devotions when I heard something tread, and
+breathing or panting as it walked. I advanced toward that side from
+whence I heard the noise, and on my approach the creature puffed and
+blew harder, as if running away from me. I followed the noise, and the
+thing seemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and blew as I
+approached. I pursued it for a considerable time, till at last I
+perceived a light, resembling a star; I went on, sometimes lost sight of
+it, but always found it again, and at last discovered that it came
+through a hole in the rock, large enough to admit a man.</p>
+
+<p>"Upon this, I stopped some time to rest, being much fatigued with the
+rapidity of my progress: afterward coming up to the hole, I got through,
+and found myself upon the seashore. I leave you to guess the excess of
+my joy: it was such that I could scarcely persuade myself that the whole
+was not a dream.</p>
+
+<p>"But when I was recovered from my surprise, and convinced of the reality
+of my escape, I perceived what I had followed to be a creature which
+came out of the sea, and was accustomed to enter the cavern when the
+tides were high.</p>
+
+<p>"I examined the mountain, and found it to be situated betwixt the sea
+and the town, but without any passage to or communication with the
+latter; the rocks on the sea side being high and perpendicularly steep.
+I prostrated myself on the shore to thank God for this mercy, and
+afterward entered the cave again to fetch bread and water, which I ate
+by daylight with a better appetite than I had done since my interment in
+the dark cavern.</p>
+
+<p>"I returned thither a second time, and groped among the coffins for all
+the diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold bracelets, and rich stuffs I could
+find; these I brought to the shore, and tying them up neatly into
+bales, I laid them together upon the beach, waiting till some ship might
+appear.</p>
+
+<p>"After two or three days, I perceived a ship just come out of the
+harbour, making for the place where I was. I made a sign with the linen
+of my turban, and called to the crew as loud as I could. They heard me,
+and sent a boat to bring me on board, when they asked by what misfortune
+I came thither; I told them that I had suffered shipwreck two days
+before, and made shift to get ashore with the goods they saw. It was
+fortunate for me that these people did not consider the place where I
+was, nor inquire into the probability of what I told them; but without
+hesitation took me on board. When I came to the ship, the captain was so
+well pleased to have saved me, and so much taken up with his own
+affairs, that he also took the story of my pretended shipwreck upon
+trust, and generously refused some jewels which I offered him.</p>
+
+<p>"We passed by several islands, and among others that called the isle of
+Bells, about ten days' sail from Serendib, and six from that of Kela,
+where we landed. This island produces lead mines, Indian canes, and
+excellent camphire.</p>
+
+<p>"The King of the isle of Kela is very rich and powerful, and the isle of
+Bells, which is about two days' journey in extent, is also subject to
+him. The inhabitants are so barbarous that they still eat human flesh.
+After we had finished our traffic in that island, we put to sea again,
+and touched at several other ports; at last I arrived happily at Bagdad
+with infinite riches. Out of gratitude to God for His mercies, I
+contributed liberally toward the support of several mosques, and the
+subsistence of the poor, and gave myself up to the society of my kindred
+and friends, enjoying myself with them in festivities and amusements."</p>
+
+<p>Here Sinbad finished the relation of his fourth voyage. He made a new
+present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad, whom he requested to return
+with the rest next day at the same hour to dine with him, and hear the
+story of his fifth voyage. Hindbad and the other guests took their leave
+and retired. Next morning when they all met, they sat down at table, and
+when dinner was over, Sinbad began the relation of his fifth voyage as
+follows:</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE FIFTH VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"All the troubles and calamities I had undergone," said he, "could not
+cure me of my inclination to make new voyages. I therefore bought goods,
+departed with them for the best seaport; and that I might not be obliged
+to depend upon a captain, but have a ship at my own command, I remained
+there till one was built on purpose. When the ship was ready, I went on
+board with my goods: but not having enough to load her, I agreed to take
+with me several merchants of different nations with their merchandise.</p>
+
+<p>"We sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long navigation, the
+first place we touched at was a desert island, where we found an egg of
+a roc, equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. There was a young roc
+in it just ready to be hatched, and its bill had begun to appear. The
+merchants whom I had taken on board, and who landed with me, broke the
+egg with hatchets, pulled out the young roc, piecemeal, and roasted it.
+I had earnestly entreated them not to meddle with the egg, but they
+would not listen to me.</p>
+
+<p>"Scarcely had they finished their repast, when there appeared in the air
+at a considerable distance from us two great clouds. The captain whom I
+had hired to navigate my ship, said they were the male and female roc
+that belonged to the young one and pressed us to re-embark with all
+speed, to prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise befall us.
+We hastened on board, and set sail with all possible expedition.</p>
+
+<p>"In the meantime, the two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which
+they redoubled when they saw the egg broken, and their young one gone.
+They flew back in the direction they had come, and disappeared for some
+time, while we made all the sail we could to endeavour to prevent that
+which unhappily befell us.</p>
+
+<p>"They soon returned, and we observed that each of them carried between
+its talons rocks of a monstrous size. When they came directly over my
+ship, they hovered, and one of them let fall a stone, but by the
+dexterity of the steersman it missed us. The other roc, to our
+misfortune, threw his burden so exactly upon the middle of the ship, as
+to split it into a thousand pieces. The mariners and passengers were all
+crushed to death, or sank. I myself was of the number of the latter; but
+as I came up again, I fortunately caught hold of a piece of the wreck,
+and swimming sometimes with one hand, and sometimes with the other, I
+came to an island, and got safely ashore.</p>
+
+<p>"I sat down upon the grass, to recover myself from my fatigue, after
+which I went into the island to explore it. I found trees everywhere,
+some of them bearing green, and others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh
+pure water. I ate of the fruits, which I found excellent; and drank of
+the water, which was very good.</p>
+
+<p>"When I was a little advanced into the island, I saw an old man, who
+appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a stream,
+and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like myself.
+I went toward him and saluted him, but he only slightly bowed his head.
+I asked him why he sat so still, but instead of answering me, he made a
+sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over the brook,
+signifying that it was to gather fruit.</p>
+
+<p>"I believed him really to stand in need of my assistance, took him upon
+my back, and having carried him over, bade him get down, and for that
+end stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of doing so
+(which I laugh at every time I think of it) the old man, who to me
+appeared quite decrepit, clasped his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat
+astride upon my shoulders, and held my throat so tight, that I thought
+he would have strangled me, the apprehension of which made me swoon and
+fall down.</p>
+
+<p>"Notwithstanding my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow kept fast about
+my neck, but opened his legs a little to give me time to recover my
+breath. When I had done so, he thrust one of his feet against my
+stomach, and struck me so rudely on the side with the other that he
+forced me to rise up against my will. Having arisen, he made me walk
+under the trees, and forced me now and then to stop, to gather and eat
+fruit. He never left me all day, and when I lay down to rest at night,
+laid himself down with me, holding always fast about my neck. Every
+morning he pushed me to make me awake, and afterward obliged me to get
+up and walk, and pressed me with his feet.</p>
+
+<p>"One day I found in my way several dry calabashes that had fallen from a
+tree. I took a large one, and after cleaning it, pressed into it some
+juice of grapes, which abounded in the island; having filled the
+calabash, I put it by in a convenient place, and going thither again
+some days after, I tasted it, and found the wine so good, that it soon
+made me forget my sorrow, gave me new vigour, and so exhilarated my
+spirits, that I began to sing and dance as I walked along.</p>
+
+<p>"The old man, perceiving the effect which this liquor had upon me, and
+that I carried him with more ease than before, made me a sign to give
+him some of it. I handed him the calabash, and the liquor pleasing his
+palate, he drank it all off. There being a considerable quantity of it,
+he became intoxicated, and the fumes getting up into his head, he began
+to sing after his manner, and to dance, thus loosening his legs from
+about me by degrees. Finding that he did not press me as before, I threw
+him upon the ground, where he lay without motion; I then took up a great
+stone, and crushed him.</p>
+
+<p>"I was extremely glad to be thus freed forever from this troublesome
+fellow. I now walked toward the beach, where I met the crew of a ship
+that had cast anchor, to take in water. They were surprised to see me,
+but more so at hearing the particulars of my adventures. 'You fell,'
+said they, 'into the hands of the Old Man of the Sea, and are the first
+who ever escaped strangling by his malicious tricks. He never quits
+those he has once made himself master of till he has destroyed them, and
+he has made this island notorious by the number of men he has slain.'</p>
+
+<p>"After having informed me of these things, they carried me with them to
+the ship, and the captain received me with great kindness, when they
+told him what had befallen me. He put out again to sea, and after some
+days' sail, we arrived at the harbour of a great city.</p>
+
+<p>"One of the merchants who had taken me into his friendship invited me to
+go along with him, and carried me to a place appointed for the
+accommodation of foreign merchants. He gave me a large bag, and having
+recommended me to some people of the town, who used to gather
+cocoa-nuts, desired them to take me with them. 'Go,' said he, 'follow
+them, and act as you see them do, but do not separate from them,
+otherwise you may endanger your life.' Having thus spoken, he gave me
+provisions for the journey, and I went with them.</p>
+
+<p>"We came to a thick forest of cocoa-trees, very lofty, with trunks so
+smooth that it was not possible to climb to the branches that bore the
+fruit. When we entered the forest we saw a great number of apes of
+several sizes, who fled as soon as they perceived us, and climbed up to
+the top of the trees with surprising swiftness.</p>
+
+<p>"The merchants with whom I was, gathered stones and threw them at the
+apes on the trees. I did the same, and the apes out of revenge threw
+cocoa-nuts at us so fast, and with such gestures, as sufficiently
+testified their anger and resentment. We gathered up the cocoa-nuts, and
+from time to time threw stones to provoke the apes; so that by this
+stratagem we filled our bags with cocoa-nuts, which it had been
+impossible otherwise to have done.</p>
+
+<p>"When we had gathered our number, we returned to the city, where the
+merchant who had sent me to the forest gave me the value of the cocoas I
+brought: 'Go on,' said he, 'and do the like every day, until you have
+got money enough to carry you home.' I thanked him for his advice, and
+gradually collected as many cocoa-nuts as produced me a considerable
+sum.</p>
+
+<p>"The vessel in which I had come sailed with some merchants who loaded
+her with cocoa-nuts. I embarked in her all the nuts I had, and when she
+was ready to sail took leave of the merchant who had been so kind to me.</p>
+
+<p>"We sailed toward the islands, where pepper grows in great plenty. From
+thence we went to the isle of Comari, where the best species of wood of
+aloes grows. I exchanged my cocoa in those two islands for pepper and
+wood of aloes, and went with other merchants a pearl-fishing. I hired
+divers, who brought me up some that were very large and pure. I embarked
+in a vessel that happily arrived at Bussorah; from thence I returned to
+Bagdad, where I made vast sums from my pepper, wood of aloes, and
+pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains in alms, as I had done upon my
+return from my other voyages, and endeavoured to dissipate my fatigues
+by amusements of different kinds."</p>
+
+<p>When Sinbad had finished his story, he ordered one hundred sequins to be
+given to Hindbad, who retired with the other guests; but next morning
+the same company returned to dine; when Sinbad requested their
+attention, and gave the following account of his sixth voyage:</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE SIXTH VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"You long without doubt to know," said he, "how, after having been
+shipwrecked five times, and escaped so many dangers, I could resolve
+again to tempt fortune, and expose myself to new hardships. I am,
+myself, astonished at my conduct when I reflect upon it, and must
+certainly have been actuated by my destiny. But be that as it may, after
+a year's rest I prepared for a sixth voyage, notwithstanding the
+entreaties of my kindred, who did all in their power to dissuade me.</p>
+
+<p>"Instead of taking my way by the Persian Gulf, I travelled once more
+through several provinces of Persia and the Indies, and arrived at a
+seaport, where I embarked in a ship, the captain of which was bound on a
+long voyage. It was long indeed, for the captain and pilot lost their
+course. They, however, at last discovered where they were, but we had no
+reason to rejoice at the circumstance. Suddenly we saw the captain quit
+his post, uttering loud lamentations. He threw off his turban, pulled
+his beard, and beat his head like a madman. We asked him the reason,
+and he answered, that he was in the most dangerous place in all the
+ocean. 'A rapid current carries the ship along with it,' said he, 'and
+we shall all perish in less than a quarter of an hour. Pray to God to
+deliver us from this peril; we cannot escape, if He do not take pity on
+us.' At these words he ordered the sails to be lowered; but all the
+ropes broke, and the ship was carried by the current to the foot of an
+inaccessible mountain, where she struck and went to pieces, yet in such
+a manner that we saved our lives, our provisions, and the best of our
+goods.</p>
+
+<p>"This being over, the captain said to us: 'God has done what pleased
+Him. Each of us may dig his grave, and bid the world adieu; for we are
+all in so fatal a place, that none shipwrecked here ever returned to
+their homes.' His discourse afflicted us sensibly, and we embraced each
+other, bewailing our deplorable lot.</p>
+
+<p>"The mountain at the foot of which we were wrecked formed part of the
+coast of a very large island. It was covered with wrecks, with human
+bones, and with a vast quantity of goods and riches. In all other
+places, rivers run from their channels into the sea, but here a river of
+fresh water runs out of the sea into a dark cavern, whose entrance is
+very high and spacious. What is most remarkable in this place is, that
+the stones of the mountain are of crystal, rubies, or other precious
+stones. Here is also a sort of fountain of pitch or bitumen, that runs
+into the sea, which the fish swallow, and turn into ambergris: and this
+the waves throw up on the beach in great quantities. Trees also grow
+here, most of which are wood of aloes, equal in goodness to those of
+Comari.</p>
+
+<p>"To finish the description of this place, which may well be called a
+gulf, since nothing ever returns from it, it is not possible for ships
+to get off when once they approach within a certain distance. If they
+be driven thither by a wind from the sea, the wind and the current impel
+them; and if they come into it when a land-wind blows, the height of the
+mountain stops the wind, and occasions a calm, so that the force of the
+current carries them ashore: and what completes the misfortune is, that
+there is no possibility of ascending the mountain, or of escaping by
+sea.</p>
+
+<p>"We continued upon the shore in a state of despair, and expected death
+every day. At first we divided our provisions as equally as we could,
+and thus every one lived a longer or shorter time, according to his
+temperance, and the use he made of his provisions.</p>
+
+<p>"I survived all my companions, yet when I buried the last, I had so
+little provision remaining that I thought I could not long endure and I
+dug a grave, resolving to lie down in it because there was no one left
+to inter me.</p>
+
+<p>"But it pleased God once more to take compassion on me, and put it in my
+mind to go to the bank of the river which ran into the great cavern.
+Considering its probable course with great attention, I said to myself:
+'This river, which runs thus under ground, must somewhere have an issue.
+If I make a raft, and leave myself to the current, it will convey me to
+some inhabited country, or I shall perish. If I be drowned, I lose
+nothing, but only change one kind of death for another.'</p>
+
+<p>"I immediately went to work upon large pieces of timber and cables, for
+I had choice of them, and tied them together so strongly that I soon
+made a very solid raft. When I had finished, I loaded it with rubies,
+emeralds, ambergris, rock-crystal, and bales of rich stuffs. Having
+balanced my cargo exactly, and fastened it well to the raft, I went on
+board with two oars that I had made, and leaving it to the course of the
+river, resigned myself to the will of God.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as I entered the cavern I lost all light, and the stream
+carried me I knew not whither. Thus I floated some days in perfect
+darkness, and once found the arch so low, that it very nearly touched my
+head, which made me cautious afterward to avoid the like danger. All
+this while I ate nothing but what was just necessary to support nature;
+yet, notwithstanding my frugality, all my provisions were spent. Then a
+pleasing stupor seized upon me. I cannot tell how long it continued; but
+when I revived, I was surprised to find myself in an extensive plain on
+the brink of a river, where my raft was tied, amidst a great number of
+negroes. I got up as soon as I saw them, and saluted them. They spoke to
+me, but I did not understand their language. I was so transported with
+joy, that I knew not whether I was asleep or awake; but being persuaded
+that I was not asleep, I recited aloud the following words in Arabic:
+'Call upon the Almighty, He will help thee; thou needest not perplex
+thyself about anything else: shut thy eyes, and while thou art asleep,
+God will change thy bad fortune into good.'</p>
+
+<p>"One of the blacks, who understood Arabic, hearing me speak thus, came
+toward me and said: 'Brother, be not surprised to see us; we are
+inhabitants of this country, and came hither to-day to water our fields.
+We observed something floating upon the water, and, perceiving your
+raft, one of us swam into the river and brought it hither, where we
+fastened it, as you see, until you should awake. Pray tell us your
+history, for it must be extraordinary; how did you venture yourself into
+this river, and whence did you come?' I begged of them first to give me
+something to eat, and then I would satisfy their curiosity. They gave me
+several sorts of food, and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related all
+that had befallen me, which they listened to with attentive surprise. As
+soon as I had finished, they told me, by the person who spoke Arabic
+and interpreted to them what I said, that it was one of the most
+wonderful stories they had ever heard, and that I must go along with
+them, and tell it to their king myself; it being too extraordinary to be
+related by any other than the person to whom the events had happened.</p>
+
+<p>"They immediately sent for a horse, which was brought in a little time;
+and having helped me to mount, some of them walked before to shew the
+way, while the rest took my raft and cargo and followed.</p>
+
+<p>"We marched till we came to the capital of Serendib, for it was in that
+island I had landed. The blacks presented me to their king; I approached
+his throne, and saluted him as I used to do the Kings of the Indies;
+that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet. The prince ordered me
+to rise, received me with an obliging air, and made me sit down near
+him.</p>
+
+<p>"I related to the king all that I have told you, and his majesty was so
+surprised and pleased, that he commanded my adventures to be written in
+letters of gold, and laid up in the archives of his kingdom. At last my
+raft was brought in, and the bales opened in his presence: he admired
+the quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris; but, above all, the rubies
+and emeralds, for he had none in his treasury that equalled them.</p>
+
+<p>"Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, I fell prostrate
+at his feet, and took the liberty to say to him: 'Sir, not only my
+person is at your majesty's service, but the cargo of the raft, and I
+would beg of you to dispose of it as your own.' He answered me with a
+smile: 'Sinbad, I will take care not to covet anything of yours, or to
+take anything from you that God has given you; far from lessening your
+wealth, I design to augment it, and will not let you quit my dominions
+without marks of my liberality.' He then charged one of his officers to
+take care of me, and ordered people to serve me at his own expense. The
+officer was very faithful in the execution of his commission, and caused
+all the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided for me.</p>
+
+<p>"I went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king, and spent
+the rest of my time in viewing the city, and what was most worthy of
+notice.</p>
+
+<p>"The capital of Serendib stands at the end of a fine valley, in the
+middle of the island, encompassed by mountains the highest in the world.
+Rubies and several sorts of minerals abound, and the rocks are for the
+most part composed of a metalline stone made use of to cut and polish
+other precious stones. All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there,
+especially cedars and cocoa-nut. There is also a pearl-fishing in the
+mouth of its principal river; and in some of its valleys are found
+diamonds. I made, by way of devotion, a pilgrimage to the place where
+Adam was confined after his banishment from Paradise, and had the
+curiosity to go to the top of the mountain.</p>
+
+<p>"When I returned to the city, I prayed the king to allow me to return to
+my own country, and he granted me permission in the most honourable
+manner. He would needs force a rich present upon me; and when I went to
+take my leave of him, he gave me one much more considerable, and at the
+same time charged me with a letter for the Commander of the Faithful,
+our sovereign, saying to me: 'I pray you give this present from me, and
+this letter, to the Caliph, and assure him of my friendship.' I took the
+present and letter and promised his majesty punctually to execute the
+commission with which he was pleased to honour me.</p>
+
+<p>"The letter from the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a
+certain animal of great value, because of its being so scarce, and of a
+yellowish colour. The characters of this letter were of azure, and the
+contents as follows:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"'The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred elephants, who
+lives in a palace that shines with one hundred thousand rubies, and
+who has in his treasury twenty thousand crowns enriched with diamonds,
+to Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"'Though the present we send you be inconsiderable, receive it,
+however, as a brother, in consideration of the hearty friendship which
+we bear for you, and of which we are willing to give you proof. We
+desire the same part in your friendship, considering that we believe
+it to be our merit, being of the same dignity with yourself. We
+conjure you this in quality of a brother. Adieu.'</p></div>
+
+<p>"The present consisted, first, of one single ruby made into a cup, about
+half a foot high, an inch thick, and filled with round pearls of half a
+drachm each. 2. The skin of a serpent, whose scales were as large as an
+ordinary piece of gold, and had the virtue to preserve from sickness
+those who lay upon it. 3. Fifty thousand drachms of the best wood of
+aloes, with thirty grains of camphire as big as pistachios. And, 4. A
+female slave of ravishing beauty, whose apparel was all covered over
+with jewels.</p>
+
+<p>"The ship set sail, and after a very successful navigation we landed at
+Bussorah, and from thence I went to Bagdad, where the first thing I did
+was to acquit myself of my commission.</p>
+
+<p>"I took the king of Serendib's letter and went to present myself at the
+gate of the Commander of the Faithful, followed by the beautiful slave,
+and such of my own family as carried the gifts. I stated the reason of
+my coming, and was immediately conducted to the throne of the caliph. I
+made my reverence, and, after a short speech, gave him the letter and
+present. When he had read what the king of Serendib wrote to him, he
+asked me if the prince were really so rich and potent as he represented
+himself in his letter. I prostrated myself a second time, and rising
+again, said: 'Commander of the Faithful, I can assure your majesty he
+doth not exceed the truth. Nothing is more worthy of admiration than the
+magnificence of his palace. When the prince appears in public he has a
+throne fixed on the back of an elephant, and marches betwixt two ranks
+of his ministers, favourites, and other people of his court; before him,
+upon the same elephant, an officer carries a golden lance in his hand;
+and behind the throne there is another, who stands upright, with a
+column of gold, on the top of which is an emerald half a foot long and
+an inch thick; before him march a guard of one thousand men, clad in
+cloth of gold and silk, and mounted on elephants richly caparisoned.</p>
+
+<p>"While the king is on his march, the officer who is before him on the
+same elephant cries from time to time, with a loud voice: 'Behold the
+great monarch, the potent and redoubtable Sultan of the Indies, whose
+palace is covered with one hundred thousand rubies, and who possesses
+twenty thousand crowns of diamonds. Behold the monarch greater than
+Solomon, and the powerful Maha-raja.' After he has pronounced those
+words, the officer behind the throne cries in his turn: 'This monarch,
+so great and so powerful, must die, must die, must die.' And the officer
+before replies: 'Praise be to him who liveth for ever.'</p>
+
+<p>"Furthermore, the King of Serendib is so just that there are no judges
+in his dominions. His people have no need of them. They understand and
+observe justice rigidly of themselves.'</p>
+
+<p>"The caliph was much pleased with my account. 'The wisdom of that king,'
+said he, 'appears in his letter, and after what you tell me, I must
+confess, that his wisdom is worthy of his people, and his people deserve
+so wise a prince.' Having spoken thus, he dismissed me, and sent me home
+with a rich present."</p>
+
+<p>Sinbad left off, and his company retired, Hindbad having first received
+one hundred sequins; and next day they returned to hear the relation of
+his seventh and last voyage.</p>
+
+
+<h4>THE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE</h4>
+
+<p>"Being returned from my sixth voyage," said Sinbad, "I absolutely laid
+aside all thoughts of travelling; for, besides that my age now required
+rest, I was resolved no more to expose myself to such risks as I had
+encountered; so that I thought of nothing but to pass the rest of my
+days in tranquillity. One day, however, as I was treating my friends,
+one of my servants came and told me that an officer of the caliph's
+inquired for me. I rose from table, and went to him. 'The caliph,' said
+he, 'has sent me to tell you that he must speak with you.' I followed
+the officer to the palace, where, being presented to the caliph, I
+saluted him by prostrating myself at his feet. 'Sinbad,' said he to me,
+'I stand in need of your service; you must carry my answer and present
+to the King of Serendib. It is but just I should return his civility.'</p>
+
+<p>"This command of the caliph was to me like a clap of thunder. 'Commander
+of the Faithful,' I replied, 'I am ready to do whatever your majesty
+shall think fit to command; but I beseech you most humbly to consider
+what I have undergone. I have also made a vow never to go out of
+Bagdad.' Hence I took occasion to give him a full and particular account
+of all my adventures, which he had the patience to hear out.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as I had finished, 'I confess,' said he, 'that the things you
+tell me are very extraordinary, yet you must for my sake undertake this
+voyage which I propose to you. You will only have to go to the isle of
+Serendib, and deliver the commission which I give you, for you know it
+would not comport with my dignity to be indebted to the king of that
+island.' Perceiving that the caliph insisted upon my compliance, I
+submitted, and told him that I was willing to obey. He was very well
+pleased, and ordered me one thousand sequins for the expenses of my
+journey.</p>
+
+<p>"I prepared for my departure in a few days, and as soon as the caliph's
+letter and present were delivered to me, I went to Bussorah, where I
+embarked, and had a very happy voyage. Having arrived at the isle of
+Serendib, I acquainted the king's ministers with my commission, and
+prayed them to get me speedy audience. They did so, and I was conducted
+to the palace, where I saluted the king by prostration, according to
+custom. That prince knew me immediately, and testified very great joy at
+seeing me, 'Sinbad,' said he, 'you are welcome; I have many times
+thought of you since you departed; I bless the day on which we see one
+another once more.' I made my compliments to him, and after having
+thanked him for his kindness, delivered the caliph's letter and present,
+which he received with all imaginable satisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>"The caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold, valued at
+one thousand sequins; fifty robes of rich stuff, a hundred of white
+cloth, the finest of Cairo, Suez, and Alexandria; a vessel of agate
+broader than deep, an inch thick, and half a foot wide, the bottom of
+which represented in bas-relief a man with one knee on the ground, who
+held a bow and an arrow, ready to discharge at a lion. He sent him also
+a rich tablet, which, according to tradition, belonged to the great
+Solomon. The caliph's letter was as follows:</p>
+
+<div class="blockquot"><p>"'Greeting, in the name of the sovereign guide of the right way, from
+the dependant on God, Haroun-al-Raschid, whom God hath set in the place
+of vicegerent to his prophet, after his ancestors of happy memory, to
+the potent and esteemed Raja of Serendib:&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>'We received your letter with joy, and send you this from our imperial
+residence, the garden of superior wits. We hope when you look upon it,
+you will perceive our good intention and be pleased with it. Adieu.'</p></div>
+
+<p>"The King of Serendib was highly gratified that the caliph answered his
+friendship. A little time after this audience, I solicited leave to
+depart, and had much difficulty to obtain it. I procured it, however, at
+last, and the king, when he dismissed me, made me a very considerable
+present. I embarked immediately to return to Bagdad, but had not the
+good fortune to arrive there so speedily as I had hoped. God ordered it
+otherwise.</p>
+
+<p>"Three or four days after my departure, we were attacked by corsairs,
+who easily seized upon our ship, because it was no vessel of force. Some
+of the crew offered resistance, which cost them their lives. But for
+myself and the rest, who were not so imprudent, the corsairs saved us on
+purpose to make slaves of us.</p>
+
+<p>"We were all stripped, and instead of our own clothes, they gave us
+sorry rags, and carried us into a remote island, where they sold us.</p>
+
+<p>"I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought me,
+carried me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely for a
+slave. Some days after, not knowing who I was, he asked me if I
+understood any trade. I answered, that I was no mechanic, but a
+merchant, and that the corsairs who sold me, had robbed me of all I
+possessed. 'But tell me,' replied he, 'can you shoot with a bow?' I
+answered, that the bow was one of my exercises in my youth. He gave me a
+bow and arrows, and, taking me behind him upon an elephant, carried me
+to a thick forest some leagues from the town. We penetrated a great way
+into the wood, and he bade me alight; then, shewing me a great tree,
+'Climb up that,' said he, 'and shoot at the elephants as you see them
+pass by, for there is a prodigious number of them in this forest, and if
+any of them fall, come and give me notice.' Having spoken this, he left
+me victuals, and returned to the town, and I continued upon the tree all
+night.</p>
+
+<p>"I saw no elephant during the night, but next morning, as soon as the
+sun was up, I perceived a great number. I shot several arrows among
+them, and at last one of the elephants fell, when the rest retired
+immediately, and left me at liberty to go and acquaint my patron with my
+booty. When I had informed him, he gave me a good meal, commended my
+dexterity, and caressed me highly. We went afterwards together to the
+forest, where we dug a hole for the elephant; my patron designing to
+return when it had fallen to pieces and take its teeth to trade with.</p>
+
+<p>"I continued this employment for two months, and killed an elephant
+every day, getting sometimes upon one tree, and sometimes upon another.
+One morning, as I looked for the elephants, I perceived with extreme
+amazement that, instead of passing by me across the forest as usual,
+they stopped, and came to me with a horrible noise, in such number that
+the plain was covered, and shook under them. They encompassed the tree
+in which I was concealed, with their trunks extended, and all fixed
+their eyes upon me. At this alarming spectacle I continued immovable,
+and was so much terrified, that my bow and arrows fell out of my hand.</p>
+
+<p>"My fears were not without cause; for after the elephants had stared
+upon me some time, one of the largest of them put his trunk round the
+foot of the tree, plucked it up, and threw it on the ground. I fell with
+the tree; and the elephant, taking me up with his trunk, laid me on his
+back, where I sat more like one dead than alive, with my quiver on my
+shoulder. He put himself afterward at the head of the rest, who followed
+him in troops, carried me a considerable way, then laid me down on the
+ground, and retired with all his companions. After having lain some
+time, and seeing the elephants gone, I got up, and found I was upon a
+long and broad hill, almost covered with the bones and teeth of
+elephants. I confess to you, that this object furnished me with
+abundance of reflections. I admired the instinct of those animals; I
+doubted not but that was their burying-place, and that they carried me
+thither on purpose to tell me that I should forbear to persecute them,
+since I did it only for their teeth. I did not stay on the hill, but
+turned toward the city, and, after having travelled a day and a night, I
+came to my patron.</p>
+
+<p>"As soon as he saw me, 'Ah, poor Sinbad,' exclaimed he, 'I was in great
+trouble to know what was become of you. I have been at the forest, where
+I found a tree newly pulled up, and a bow and arrows on the ground, and
+I despaired of ever seeing you more. Pray tell me what befell you, and
+by what good chance you are still alive.' I satisfied his curiosity, and
+going both of us next morning to the hill, he found to his great joy
+that what I had told him was true. We loaded the elephant which had
+carried us with as many teeth as he could bear; and when we were
+returned, 'Brother,' said my patron, 'for I will treat you no more as my
+slave, after having made such a discovery as will enrich me, God bless
+you with all happiness and prosperity. I declare before Him, that I give
+you your liberty. I concealed from you what I am now going to tell you.</p>
+
+<p>"'The elephants of our forest have every year killed a great many
+slaves, whom we sent to seek ivory. God has delivered you from their
+fury, and has bestowed that favour upon you only. It is a sign that He
+loves you, and has some use for your service in the world. You have
+procured me incredible wealth. Formerly we could not procure ivory but
+by exposing the lives of our slaves, and now our whole city is enriched
+by your means. I could engage all our inhabitants to contribute toward
+making your fortune, but I will have the glory of doing it myself.'</p>
+
+<p>"To this obliging declaration I replied: 'Patron, God preserve you. Your
+giving me my liberty is enough to discharge what you owe me, and I
+desire no other reward for the service I had the good fortune to do to
+you, and your city, but leave to return to my own country.' 'Very well,'
+said he, 'the monsoon will in a little time bring ships for ivory. I
+will then send you home, and give you wherewith to bear your charges.' I
+thanked him again for my liberty and his good intentions toward me. I
+stayed with him expecting the monsoon; and during that time, we made so
+many journeys to the hill that we filled all our warehouses with ivory.
+The other merchants, who traded in it, did the same, for it could not be
+long concealed from them.</p>
+
+<p>"The ships arrived at last, and my patron, himself having made choice of
+the ship wherein I was to embark, loaded half of it with ivory on my
+account, laid in provisions in abundance for my passage, and besides
+obliged me to accept a present of some curiosities of the country of
+great value. After I had returned him a thousand thanks for all his
+favours, I went aboard. We set sail, and as the adventure which procured
+me this liberty was very extraordinary, I had it continually in my
+thoughts.</p>
+
+<p>"We stopped at some islands to take in fresh provisions. Our vessel
+being come to a port on the main land in the Indies, we touched there,
+and not being willing to venture by sea to Bussorah, I landed my
+proportion of the ivory, resolving to proceed on my journey by land. I
+made vast sums by my ivory, bought several rarities for presents, and
+when my equipage was ready, set out in company with a large caravan of
+merchants. I was a long time on the way, and suffered much, but endured
+all with patience, when I considered that I had nothing to fear from the
+seas, from pirates, from serpents, or from the other perils to which I
+had been exposed.</p>
+
+<p>"All these fatigues ended at last, and I arrived safe at Bagdad. I went
+immediately to wait upon the caliph, and gave him an account of my
+embassy. That prince said he had been uneasy as I was so long in
+returning, but that he always hoped God would preserve me. When I told
+him the adventure of the elephants, he seemed much surprised, and would
+never have given any credit to it had he not known my veracity. He
+deemed this story, and the other relations I had given him, to be so
+curious, that he ordered one of his secretaries to write them in
+characters of gold, and lay them up in his treasury. I retired well
+satisfied with the honours I received, and the presents which he gave
+me; and ever since I have devoted myself wholly to my family, kindred
+and friends."</p>
+
+<p>Sinbad here finished the relation of his seventh and last voyage, and
+then, addressing himself to Hindbad, "Well, friend," said he, "did you
+ever hear of any person that suffered so much as I have done, or of any
+mortal that has gone through so many vicissitudes? Is it not reasonable
+that, after all this, I should enjoy a quiet and pleasant life?" As he
+said this, Hindbad drew near to him, and kissing his hand, said, "I must
+acknowledge sir, that you have gone through many imminent dangers; my
+troubles are not comparable to yours; if they afflict me for a time, I
+comfort myself with the thoughts of the profit I get by them. You not
+only deserve a quiet life, but are worthy of all the riches you enjoy,
+because you make of them such a good and generous use. May you therefore
+continue to live in happiness till the day of your death!" Sinbad then
+gave him one hundred sequins more, received him into the number of his
+friends and desired him to quit his porter's employment, and come and
+dine every day with him, that he might have ample reason to remember
+Sinbad the voyager and his adventures.</p>
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Arabian Nights, by Unknown
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+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Arabian Nights, by Unknown
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: The Arabian Nights
+       Their Best-known Tales
+
+Author: Unknown
+
+Editor: Kate Douglas Wiggin
+        Nora A. Smith
+
+Illustrator: Maxfield Parrish
+
+Release Date: March 27, 2007 [EBook #20916]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE ARABIAN NIGHTS ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Irma Spehar, Graeme Mackreth, and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
+
+
+
+
+THE
+ARABIAN NIGHTS
+
+THEIR BEST-KNOWN TALES
+
+EDITED BY
+
+KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN
+AND
+NORA A. SMITH
+
+ILLUSTRATED BY MAXFIELD PARRISH
+
+NEW YORK
+CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
+MCMIX
+
+Copyright, 1909, by
+CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
+
+Published October, 1909
+
+
+
+
+PREFACE
+
+_Little excuse is needed, perhaps, for any fresh selection from the
+famous "Tales of a Thousand and One Nights," provided it be
+representative enough, and worthy enough, to enlist a new army of
+youthful readers. Of the two hundred and sixty-four bewildering,
+unparalleled stories, the true lover can hardly spare one, yet there
+must always be favourites, even among these. We have chosen some of the
+most delightful, in our opinion; some, too, that chanced to appeal
+particularly to the genius of the artist. If, enticed by our choice and
+the beauty of the pictures, we manage to attract a few thousand more
+true lovers to the fountain-book, we shall have served our humble turn.
+The only real danger lies in neglecting it, in rearing a child who does
+not know it and has never fallen under its spell._
+
+_You remember Maimoune, in the story of Prince Camaralzaman, and what she
+said to Danhasch, the genie who had just arrived from the farthest
+limits of China? "Be sure thou tellest me nothing but what is true or I
+shall clip thy wings!" This is what the modern child sometimes says to
+the genies of literature, and his own wings are too often clipped in
+consequence._
+
+   _"The Empire of the Fairies is no more.
+   Reason has banished them from ev'ry shore;
+   Steam has outstripped their dragons and their cars,
+   Gas has eclipsed their glow-worms and their stars."_
+
+_Edouard Laboulaye says in his introduction to Nouveaux Contes Bleus:
+"Mothers who love your children, do not set them too soon to the study
+of history; let them dream while they are young. Do not close the soul
+to the first breath of poetry. Nothing affrights me so much as the
+reasonable, practical child who believes in nothing that he cannot
+touch. These sages of ten years are, at twenty, dullards, or what is
+still worse, egoists."_
+
+_When a child has once read of Prince Agib, of Gulnare or Periezade,
+Sinbad or Codadad, in this or any other volume of its kind, the magic
+will have been instilled into the blood, for the Oriental flavour in the
+Arab tales is like nothing so much as magic. True enough they are a vast
+storehouse of information concerning the manners and the customs, the
+spirit and the life of the Moslem East (and the youthful reader does not
+have to study Lane's learned foot-notes to imbibe all this), but beyond
+and above the knowledge of history and geography thus gained, there
+comes something finer and subtler as well as something more vital. The
+scene is Indian, Egyptian, Arabian, Persian; but Bagdad and Balsora,
+Grand Cairo, the silver Tigris, and the blooming gardens of Damascus,
+though they can be found indeed on the map, live much more truly in that
+enchanted realm that rises o'er "the foam of perilous seas in faery
+lands forlorn." What craft can sail those perilous seas like the book
+that has been called a great three-decker to carry tired people to
+Islands of the Blest? "The immortal fragment," says Sir Richard Burton,
+who perhaps knew the Arabian Nights as did no other European, "will
+never be superseded in the infallible judgment of childhood. The
+marvellous imaginativeness of the Tales produces an insensible
+brightness of mind and an increase of fancy-power, making one dream that
+behind them lies the new and unseen, the strange and unexpected--in
+fact, all the glamour of the unknown."_
+
+_It would be a delightful task to any boy or girl to begin at the
+beginning and read the first English version of these famous stories,
+made from the collection of M. Galland, Professor of Arabic in the Royal
+College of Paris. The fact that they had passed from Arabic into French
+and from French into English did not prevent their instantaneous
+popularity. This was in 1704 or thereabouts, and the world was not so
+busy as it is nowadays, or young men would not have gathered in the
+middle of the night under M. Galland's window and cried: "O vous, qui
+savez de si jolis contes, et qui les racontez si bien, racontez nous en
+un!"_
+
+_You can also read them in Scott's edition or in Lane's (both of which,
+but chiefly the former, we have used as the foundation of our text),
+while your elders--philologists or Orientalists--are studying the
+complete versions of John Payne or Sir Richard Burton. You may leave the
+wiseacres to wonder which were told in China or India, Arabia or Persia,
+and whether the first manuscript dates back to 1450 or earlier._
+
+_We, like many other editors, have shortened the stories here and there,
+omitting some of the tedious repetitions that crept in from time to time
+when Arabian story-tellers were adding to the text to suit their
+purposes._
+
+_Mr. Andrew Lang says amusingly that he has left out of his special
+versions "all the pieces that are suitable only for Arabs and old
+gentlemen," and we have done the same; but we have taken no undue
+liberties. We have removed no genies nor magicians, however terrible;
+have cut out no base deed of Vizier nor noble deed of Sultan; have
+diminished the size of no roc's egg, nor omitted any single allusion to
+the great and only Haroun Al-raschid, Caliph of Bagdad, Commander of the
+Faithful, who must have been a great inspirer of good stories._
+
+_Enter into this "treasure house of pleasant things," then, and make
+yourself at home in the golden palaces, the gem-studded caves, the
+bewildering gardens. Sit by its mysterious fountains, hear the plash of
+its gleaming cascades, unearth its magic lamps and talismans, behold its
+ensorcelled princes and princesses._
+
+_Nowhere in the whole realm of literature will you find such a Marvel,
+such a Wonder, such a Nonesuch of a book; nowhere will you find
+impossibilities so real and so convincing; nowhere but in what Henley
+calls:_
+
+   _"... that blessed brief
+     Of what is gallantest and best
+   In all the full-shelved Libraries of Romance.
+       The Book of rocs,
+     Sandalwood, ivory, turbans, ambergris,
+   Cream-tarts, and lettered apes, and Calenders,
+     And ghouls, and genies--O so huge
+   They might have overed the tall Minster Tower,
+     Hands down, as schoolboys take a post;
+     In truth the Book of Camaralzaman,
+   Schemselnihar and Sinbad, Scheherezade
+     The peerless, Bedreddin, Badroulbadour,
+       Cairo and Serendib and Candahar,
+   And Caspian, and the dim, terrific bulk--
+   Ice-ribbed, fiend-visited, isled in spells and storms--
+     Of Kaf ... That centre of miracles
+     The sole, unparalleled Arabian Nights."_
+
+KATE DOUGLAS WIGGIN.
+August, 1909.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+THE TALKING BIRD, THE SINGING TREE, AND THE
+GOLDEN WATER                                                          3
+
+THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE                             52
+
+THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES                     67
+
+THE STORY OF GULNARE OF THE SEA                                      81
+
+THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP                         97
+
+THE STORY OF PRINCE AGIB                                            190
+
+THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS                                      205
+
+THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES                         229
+
+THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS                             264
+
+THE STORY OF SINBAD THE VOYAGER                                     290
+
+
+ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+FROM DRAWINGS IN COLORS
+BY MAXFIELD PARRISH
+
+
+THE TALKING BIRD                                                     32
+
+It will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to
+plant in your garden
+
+THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE                                          54
+
+The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along
+the sea and upon the shore formed a great mist
+
+THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES                                    74
+
+When he came to this part of his narrative the young king
+could not restrain his tears
+
+GULNARE OF THE SEA                                                   86
+
+And she proceeded to burn perfume and repeat spells until the
+sea foamed and was agitated
+
+ALADDIN                                                             106
+
+At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the
+magician, and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a
+brass ring fixed into the middle
+
+PRINCE AGIB                                                         194
+
+And when the boat came to me I found in it a man
+of brass, with a tablet of lead upon his breast,
+engraven with names and talismans
+
+PRINCE AGIB                                                         202
+
+At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering
+it, found a mansion like paradise
+
+THE CITY OF BRASS                                                   218
+
+And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than
+which eyes had not beheld any greater
+
+THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES                         236
+
+Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the
+more he endeavoured to remember the word _Sesame_ the more
+his memory was confounded
+
+THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS                             276
+
+As it drew near we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck
+
+SECOND VOYAGE OF SINBAD                                             300
+
+The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that
+there was no possibility of getting out of the valley
+
+THIRD VOYAGE OF SINBAD                                              306
+
+Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay
+and fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder
+
+
+
+
+THE ARABIAN NIGHTS
+
+   "When the breeze of a joyful dawn blew free
+   In the silken sail of infancy,
+   The tide of time flow'd back with me,
+     The forward-flowing time of time;
+   And many a sheeny summer morn,
+   Adown the Tigris I was borne,
+   By Bagdat's shrines of fretted gold,
+   High-walled gardens green and old;
+     True Mussulman was I and sworn,
+       For it was in the golden prime
+         Of good Haroun Alraschid.
+
+   "Anight my shallop, rustling thro'
+     The low and bloomed foliage, drove
+     The fragrant, glistening deeps, and clove
+   The citron-shadows in the blue:
+     By garden porches on the brim,
+   The costly doors flung open wide,
+     Gold glittering thro' lamplight dim,
+   And broider'd sofas on each side:
+     In sooth it was a goodly time,
+     For it was in the golden prime
+       Of good Haroun Alraschid."
+
+ALFRED, LORD TENNYSON.
+
+
+
+
+THE TALKING BIRD, THE SINGING TREE, AND THE GOLDEN WATER
+
+
+There was an emperor of Persia named Kosrouschah, who, when he first
+came to his crown, in order to obtain a knowledge of affairs, took great
+pleasure in night excursions, attended by a trusty minister. He often
+walked in disguise through the city, and met with many adventures, one
+of the most remarkable of which happened to him upon his first ramble,
+which was not long after his accession to the throne of his father.
+
+After the ceremonies of his father's funeral rites and his own
+inauguration were over, the new sultan, as well from inclination as from
+duty, went out one evening attended by his grand vizier, disguised like
+himself, to observe what was transacting in the city. As he was passing
+through a street in that part of the town inhabited only by the meaner
+sort, he heard some people talking very loud; and going close to the
+house whence the noise proceeded, and looking through a crack in the
+door, perceived a light, and three sisters sitting on a sofa, conversing
+together after supper. By what the eldest said he presently understood
+the subject of their conversation was wishes: "for," said she, "since we
+are talking about wishes, mine shall be to have the sultan's baker for
+my husband, for then I shall eat my fill of that bread, which by way of
+excellence is called the sultan's; let us see if your tastes are as good
+as mine." "For my part," replied the second sister, "I wish I was wife
+to the sultan's chief cook, for then I should eat of the most excellent
+dishes; and as I am persuaded that the sultan's bread is common in the
+palace, I should not want any of that; therefore you see," addressing
+herself to her eldest sister, "that I have a better taste than you." The
+youngest sister, who was very beautiful, and had more charms and wit
+than the two elder, spoke in her turn: "For my part, sisters," said she,
+"I shall not limit my desires to such trifles, but take a higher flight;
+and since we are upon wishing, I wish to be the emperor's queen-consort.
+I would make him father of a prince, whose hair should be gold on one
+side of his head, and silver on the other; when he cried, the tears from
+his eyes should be pearls; and when he smiled, his vermilion lips should
+look like a rosebud fresh-blown."
+
+The three sisters' wishes, particularly that of the youngest, seemed so
+singular to the sultan, that he resolved to gratify them in their
+desires; but without communicating his design to his grand vizier, he
+charged him only to take notice of the house, and bring the three
+sisters before him the following day.
+
+The grand vizier, in executing the emperor's orders, would but just give
+the sisters time to dress themselves to appear before his majesty,
+without telling them the reason. He brought them to the palace, and
+presented them to the emperor, who said to them, "Do you remember the
+wishes you expressed last night, when you were all in so pleasant a
+mood? Speak the truth; I must know what they were." At these unexpected
+words of the emperor, the three sisters were much confounded. They cast
+down their eyes and blushed, and the colour which rose in the cheeks of
+the youngest quite captivated the emperor's heart. Modesty, and fear
+lest they might have offended by their conversation, kept them silent.
+The emperor, perceiving their confusion, said to encourage them, "Fear
+nothing, I did not send for you to distress you; and since I see that
+without my intending it, this is the effect of the question I asked, as
+I know the wish of each, I will relieve you from your fears. You," added
+he, "who wished to be my wife, shall have your desire this day; and
+you," continued he, addressing himself to the two elder sisters, "shall
+also be married to my chief baker and cook."
+
+As soon as the sultan had declared his pleasure, the youngest sister,
+setting her elders an example, threw herself at the emperor's feet to
+express her gratitude. "Sir," said she, "my wish, since it is come to
+your majesty's knowledge, was expressed only in the way of conversation
+and amusement. I am unworthy of the honour you do me, and supplicate
+your pardon for my presumption." The other two sisters would have
+excused themselves also, but the emperor, interrupting them, said, "No,
+no; it shall be as I have declared; the wishes of all shall be
+fulfilled." The nuptials were all celebrated that day, as the emperor
+had resolved, but in a different manner. The youngest sister's were
+solemnized with all the rejoicings usual at the marriages of the
+emperors of Persia; and those of the other two sisters according to the
+quality and distinction of their husbands; the one as the sultan's chief
+baker, and the other as head cook.
+
+The two elder felt strongly the disproportion of their marriages to that
+of their younger sister. This consideration made them far from being
+content, though they were arrived at the utmost height of their late
+wishes, and much beyond their hopes. They gave themselves up to an
+excess of jealousy, which not only disturbed their joy, but was the
+cause of great trouble and affliction to the queen-consort, their
+younger sister. They had not an opportunity to communicate their
+thoughts to each other on the preference the emperor had given her, but
+were altogether employed in preparing themselves for the celebration of
+their marriages. Some days afterward, when they had an opportunity of
+seeing each other at the public baths, the eldest said to the other:
+"Well, what say you to our sister's great fortune? Is not she a fine
+person to be a queen!" "I must own," said the other sister, "I cannot
+conceive what charms the emperor could discover to be so bewitched by
+her. Was it a reason sufficient for him not to cast his eyes on you,
+because she was somewhat younger? You were as worthy of his throne, and
+in justice he ought to have preferred you."
+
+"Sister," said the elder, "I should not have regretted if his majesty
+had but pitched upon you; but that he should choose that little
+simpleton really grieves me. But I will revenge myself; and you, I
+think, are as much concerned as I; therefore, I propose that we should
+contrive measures and act in concert: communicate to me what you think
+the likeliest way to mortify her, while I, on my side, will inform you
+what my desire of revenge shall suggest to me." After this wicked
+agreement, the two sisters saw each other frequently, and consulted how
+they might disturb and interrupt the happiness of the queen. They
+proposed a great many ways, but in deliberating about the manner of
+executing them, found so many difficulties that they durst not attempt
+them. In the meantime, with a detestable dissimulation, they often went
+together to make her visits, and every time showed her all the marks of
+affection they could devise, to persuade her how overjoyed they were to
+have a sister raised to so high a fortune. The queen, on her part,
+constantly received them with all the demonstrations of esteem they
+could expect from so near a relative. Some time after her marriage, the
+expected birth of an heir gave great joy to the queen and emperor, which
+was communicated to all the court, and spread throughout the empire.
+Upon this news the two sisters came to pay their compliments, and
+proffered their services, desiring her, if not provided with nurses, to
+accept of them.
+
+The queen said to them most obligingly: "Sisters, I should desire
+nothing more, if it were in my power to make the choice. I am, however,
+obliged to you for your goodwill, but must submit to what the emperor
+shall order on this occasion. Let your husbands employ their friends to
+make interest, and get some courtier to ask this favour of his majesty,
+and if he speaks to me about it, be assured that I shall not only
+express the pleasure he does me but thank him for making choice of you."
+
+The two husbands applied themselves to some courtiers, their patrons,
+and begged of them to use their interest to procure their wives the
+honour they aspired to. Those patrons exerted themselves so much in
+their behalf that the emperor promised them to consider of the matter,
+and was as good as his word; for in conversation with the queen he told
+her that he thought her sisters were the most proper persons to be about
+her, but would not name them before he had asked her consent. The queen,
+sensible of the deference the emperor so obligingly paid her, said to
+him, "Sir, I was prepared to do as your majesty might please to command.
+But since you have been so kind as to think of my sisters, I thank you
+for the regard you have shown them for my sake, and therefore I shall
+not dissemble that I had rather have them than strangers." The emperor
+therefore named the queen's two sisters to be her attendants; and from
+that time they went frequently to the palace, overjoyed at the
+opportunity they would have of executing the detestable wickedness they
+had meditated against the queen.
+
+Shortly afterward a young prince, as bright as the day, was born to the
+queen; but neither his innocence nor beauty could move the cruel hearts
+of the merciless sisters. They wrapped him up carelessly in his cloths
+and put him into a basket, which they abandoned to the stream of a small
+canal that ran under the queen's apartment, and declared that she had
+given birth to a puppy. This dreadful intelligence was announced to the
+emperor, who became so angry at the circumstance, that he was likely to
+have occasioned the queen's death, if his grand vizier had not
+represented to him that he could not, without injustice, make her
+answerable for the misfortune.
+
+In the meantime, the basket in which the little prince was exposed was
+carried by the stream beyond a wall which bounded the prospect of the
+queen's apartment, and from thence floated with the current down the
+gardens. By chance the intendant of the emperor's gardens, one of the
+principal officers of the kingdom, was walking in the garden by the side
+of this canal, and, perceiving a basket floating, called to a gardener
+who was not far off, to bring it to shore that he might see what it
+contained. The gardener, with a rake which he had in his hand, drew the
+basket to the side of the canal, took it up, and gave it to him. The
+intendant of the gardens was extremely surprised to see in the basket a
+child, which, though he knew it could be but just born, had very fine
+features. This officer had been married several years, but though he had
+always been desirous of having children, Heaven had never blessed him
+with any. This accident interrupted his walk: he made the gardener
+follow him with the child, and when he came to his own house, which was
+situated at the entrance to the gardens of the palace, went into his
+wife's apartment. "Wife," said he, "as we have no children of our own,
+God has sent us one. I recommend him to you; provide him a nurse, and
+take as much care of him as if he were our own son; for, from this
+moment, I acknowledge him as such." The intendant's wife received the
+child with great joy, and took particular pleasure in the care of him.
+The intendant himself would not inquire too narrowly whence the infant
+came. He saw plainly it came not far off from the queen's apartment, but
+it was not his business to examine too closely into what had passed, nor
+to create disturbances in a place where peace was so necessary.
+
+The following year another prince was born, on whom the unnatural
+sisters had no more compassion than on his brother, but exposed him
+likewise in a basket and set him adrift in the canal, pretending, this
+time, that the sultana had given birth to a cat. It was happy also for
+this child that the intendant of the gardens was walking by the canal
+side, for he had it carried to his wife, and charged her to take as much
+care of it as of the former, which was as agreeable to her inclination
+as it was to his own.
+
+The emperor of Persia was more enraged this time against the queen than
+before, and she had felt the effects of his anger if the grand vizier's
+remonstrances had not prevailed. The third year the queen gave birth to
+a princess, which innocent babe underwent the same fate as her brothers,
+for the two sisters, being determined not to desist from their
+detestable schemes till they had seen the queen cast off and humbled,
+claimed that a log of wood had been born and exposed this infant also on
+the canal. But the princess, as well as her brothers, was preserved from
+death by the compassion and charity of the intendant of the gardens.
+
+Kosrouschah could no longer contain himself, when he was informed of the
+new misfortune. He pronounced sentence of death upon the wretched queen
+and ordered the grand vizier to see it executed.
+
+The grand vizier and the courtiers who were present cast themselves at
+the emperor's feet, to beg of him to revoke the sentence. "Your majesty,
+I hope, will give me leave," said the grand vizier, "to represent to
+you, that the laws which condemn persons to death were made to punish
+crimes; the three extraordinary misfortunes of the queen are not crimes,
+for in what can she be said to have contributed toward them? Your
+majesty may abstain from seeing her, but let her live. The affliction in
+which she will spend the rest of her life, after the loss of your
+favour, will be a punishment sufficiently distressing."
+
+The emperor of Persia considered with himself, and, reflecting that it
+was unjust to condemn the queen to death for what had happened, said:
+"Let her live then; I will spare her life, but it shall be on this
+condition: that she shall desire to die more than once every day. Let a
+wooden shed be built for her at the gate of the principal mosque, with
+iron bars to the windows, and let her be put into it, in the coarsest
+habit; and every Mussulman that shall go into the mosque to prayers
+shall heap scorn upon her. If any one fail, I will have him exposed to
+the same punishment; and that I may be punctually obeyed, I charge you,
+vizier, to appoint persons to see this done." The emperor pronounced his
+sentence in such a tone that the grand vizier durst not further
+remonstrate; and it was executed, to the great satisfaction of the two
+envious sisters. A shed was built, and the queen, truly worthy of
+compassion, was put into it and exposed ignominiously to the contempt of
+the people, which usage she bore with a patient resignation that excited
+the compassion of those who were discriminating and judged of things
+better than the vulgar.
+
+The two princes and the princess were, in the meantime, nursed and
+brought up by the intendant of the gardens and his wife with the
+tenderness of a father and mother; and as they advanced in age, they all
+showed marks of superior dignity, which discovered itself every day by a
+certain air which could only belong to exalted birth. All this increased
+the affections of the intendant and his wife, who called the eldest
+prince Bahman, and the second Perviz, both of them names of the most
+ancient emperors of Persia, and the princess, Periezade, which name also
+had been borne by several queens and princesses of the kingdom.
+
+As soon as the two princes were old enough, the intendant provided
+proper masters to teach them to read and write; and the princess, their
+sister, who was often with them, showing a great desire to learn, the
+intendant, pleased with her quickness, employed the same master to teach
+her also. Her vivacity and piercing wit made her, in a little time, as
+great a proficient as her brothers. From that time the brothers and
+sister had the same masters in geography, poetry, history, and even the
+secret sciences, and made so wonderful a progress that their tutors were
+amazed, and frankly owned that they could teach them nothing more. At
+the hours of recreation, the princess learned to sing and play upon all
+sorts of instruments; and when the princes were learning to ride she
+would not permit them to have that advantage over her, but went through
+all the exercises with them, learning to ride also, to bend the bow, and
+dart the reed or javelin, and oftentimes outdid them in the race and
+other contests of agility.
+
+The intendant of the gardens was so overjoyed to find his adopted
+children so accomplished in all the perfections of body and mind, and
+that they so well requited the expense he had been at in their
+education, that he resolved to be at a still greater; for, as he had
+until then been content simply with his lodge at the entrance of the
+garden, and kept no country-house, he purchased a mansion at a short
+distance from the city, surrounded by a large tract of arable land,
+meadows, and woods. As the house was not sufficiently handsome nor
+convenient, he pulled it down, and spared no expense in building a more
+magnificent residence. He went every day to hasten, by his presence, the
+great number of workmen he employed, and as soon as there was an
+apartment ready to receive him, passed several days together there when
+his presence was not necessary at court; and by the same exertions, the
+interior was furnished in the richest manner, in consonance with the
+magnificence of the edifice. Afterward he made gardens, according to a
+plan drawn by himself. He took in a large extent of ground, which he
+walled around, and stocked with fallow deer, that the princes and
+princess might divert themselves with hunting when they chose.
+
+When this country seat was finished and fit for habitation, the
+intendant of the gardens went and cast himself at the emperor's feet,
+and, after representing how long he had served, and the infirmities of
+age which he found growing upon him, begged that he might be permitted
+to resign his charge into his majesty's disposal and retire. The emperor
+gave him leave, with the more pleasure, because he was satisfied with
+his long services, both in his father's reign and his own, and when he
+granted it, asked what he should do to recompense him. "Sir," replied
+the intendant of the gardens, "I have received so many obligations from
+your majesty and the late emperor, your father, of happy memory, that I
+desire no more than the honour of dying in your favour." He took his
+leave of the emperor and retired with the two princes and the princess
+to the country retreat he had built. His wife had been dead some years,
+and he himself had not lived above six months with his charges before he
+was surprised by so sudden a death that he had not time to give them the
+least account of the manner in which he had discovered them. The Princes
+Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Periezade, who knew no other father
+than the intendant of the emperor's gardens, regretted and bewailed him
+as such, and paid all the honours in his funeral obsequies which love
+and filial gratitude required of them. Satisfied with the plentiful
+fortune he had left them, they lived together in perfect union, free
+from the ambition of distinguishing themselves at court, or aspiring to
+places of honour and dignity, which they might easily have obtained.
+
+One day when the two princes were hunting, and the princess had remained
+at home, a religious old woman came to the gate, and desired leave to go
+in to say her prayers, it being then the hour. The servants asked the
+princess's permission, who ordered them to show her into the oratory,
+which the intendant of the emperor's gardens had taken care to fit up in
+his house, for want of a mosque in the neighbourhood. She bade them,
+also, after the good woman had finished her prayers, to show her the
+house and gardens and then bring her to the hall.
+
+The old woman went into the oratory, said her prayers, and when she came
+out two of the princess's women invited her to see the residence, which
+civility she accepted, followed them from one apartment to another, and
+observed, like a person who understood what belonged to furniture, the
+nice arrangement of everything. They conducted her also into the garden,
+the disposition of which she found so well planned, that she admired it,
+observing that the person who had formed it must have been an excellent
+master of his art. Afterward she was brought before the princess, who
+waited for her in the great hall, which in beauty and richness exceeded
+all that she had admired in the other apartments.
+
+As soon as the princess saw the devout woman, she said to her: "My good
+mother, come near and sit down by me. I am overjoyed at the happiness of
+having the opportunity of profiting for some moments by the example and
+conversation of such a person as you, who have taken the right way by
+dedicating yourself to the service of God. I wish every one were as
+wise."
+
+The devout woman, instead of sitting on a sofa, would only sit upon the
+edge of one. The princess would not permit her to do so, but rising from
+her seat and taking her by the hand, obliged her to come and sit by her.
+The good woman, sensible of the civility, said: "Madam, I ought not to
+have so much respect shown me; but since you command, and are mistress
+of your own house, I will obey you." When she had seated herself, before
+they entered into any conversation, one of the princess's women brought
+a low stand of mother-of-pearl and ebony, with a china dish full of
+cakes upon it, and many others set round it full of fruits in season,
+and wet and dry sweetmeats.
+
+The princess took up one of the cakes, and presenting her with it, said:
+"Eat, good mother, and make choice of what you like best; you had need
+to eat after coming so far." "Madam," replied the good woman, "I am not
+used to eat such delicacies, but will not refuse what God has sent me by
+so liberal a hand as yours."
+
+While the devout woman was eating, the princess ate a little too, to
+bear her company, and asked her many questions upon the exercise of
+devotion which she practised and how she lived; all of which she
+answered with great modesty. Talking of various things, at last the
+princess asked her what she thought of the house, and how she liked it.
+
+"Madam," answered the devout woman, "I must certainly have very bad
+taste to disapprove anything in it, since it is beautiful, regular, and
+magnificently furnished with exactness and judgment, and all its
+ornaments adjusted in the best manner. Its situation is an agreeable
+spot, and no garden can be more delightful; but yet, if you will give me
+leave to speak my mind freely, I will take the liberty to tell you that
+this house would be incomparable if it had three things which are
+wanting to complete it." "My good mother," replied the Princess
+Periezade, "what are those? I entreat you to tell me what they are; I
+will spare nothing to get them."
+
+"Madam," replied the devout woman, "the first of these three things is
+the Talking Bird, so singular a creature, that it draws round it all the
+songsters of the neighbourhood which come to accompany its voice. The
+second is the Singing Tree, the leaves of which are so many mouths which
+form an harmonious concert of different voices and never cease. The
+third is the Golden Water, a single drop of which being poured into a
+vessel properly prepared, it increases so as to fill it immediately, and
+rises up in the middle like a fountain, which continually plays, and yet
+the basin never overflows."
+
+"Ah! my good mother," cried the princess, "how much am I obliged to you
+for the knowledge of these curiosities! I never before heard there were
+such rarities in the world; but as I am persuaded that you know, I
+expect that you should do me the favour to inform me where they are to
+be found."
+
+"Madam," replied the good woman, "I should be unworthy the hospitality
+you have shown me if I should refuse to satisfy your curiosity on that
+point, and am glad to have the honour to tell you that these curiosities
+are all to be met with in the same spot on the confines of this kingdom,
+toward India. The road lies before your house, and whoever you send
+needs but follow it for twenty days, and on the twentieth only let him
+ask the first person he meets where the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree,
+and the Golden Water are, and he will be informed." After saying this,
+she rose from her seat, took her leave, and went her way.
+
+The Princess Periezade's thoughts were so taken up with the Talking
+Bird, Singing Tree, and Golden Water, that she never perceived the
+devout woman's departure, till she wanted to ask her some question for
+her better information; for she thought that what she had been told was
+not a sufficient reason for exposing herself by undertaking a long
+journey. However, she would not send after her visitor, but endeavoured
+to remember all the directions, and when she thought she had recollected
+every word, took real pleasure in thinking of the satisfaction she
+should have if she could get these curiosities into her possession; but
+the difficulties she apprehended and the fear of not succeeding made her
+very uneasy.
+
+She was absorbed in these thoughts when her brothers returned from
+hunting, who, when they entered the great hall, instead of finding her
+lively and gay, as she was wont to be, were amazed to see her so pensive
+and hanging down her head as if something troubled her.
+
+"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "what is become of all your mirth and
+gaiety? Are you not well? or has some misfortune befallen you? Tell us,
+that we may know how to act, and give you some relief. If any one has
+affronted you, we will resent his insolence."
+
+The princess remained in the same posture some time without answering,
+but at last lifted up her eyes to look at her brothers, and then held
+them down again, telling them nothing disturbed her.
+
+"Sister," said Prince Bahman, "you conceal the truth from us; there must
+be something of consequence. It is impossible we could observe so sudden
+a change if nothing was the matter with you. You would not have us
+satisfied with the evasive answer you have given; do not conceal
+anything, unless you would have us suspect that you renounce the strict
+union which has hitherto subsisted between us."
+
+The princess, who had not the smallest intention to offend her brothers,
+would not suffer them to entertain such a thought, but said: "When I
+told you nothing disturbed me, I meant nothing that was of importance to
+you, but to me it is of some consequence; and since you press me to tell
+you by our strict union and friendship, which are so dear to me, I will.
+You think, and I always believed so too, that this house was so complete
+that nothing was wanting. But this day I have learned that it lacks
+three rarities which would render it so perfect that no country seat in
+the world could be compared with it. These three things are the Talking
+Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water." After she had informed
+them wherein consisted the excellency of these rarities, "A devout
+woman," added she, "has made this discovery to me, told me the place
+where they are to be found, and the way thither. Perhaps you may imagine
+these things of little consequence; that without these additions our
+house will always be thought sufficiently elegant, and that we can do
+without them. You may think as you please, but I cannot help telling you
+that I am persuaded they are absolutely necessary, and I shall not be
+easy without them. Therefore, whether you value them or not, I desire
+you to consider what person you may think proper for me to send in
+search of the curiosities I have mentioned."
+
+"Sister," replied Prince Bahman, "nothing can concern you in which we
+have not an equal interest. It is enough that you desire these things to
+oblige us to take the same interest; but if you had not, we feel
+ourselves inclined of our own accord and for our own individual
+satisfaction. I am persuaded my brother is of the same opinion, and
+therefore we ought to undertake this conquest, for the importance and
+singularity of the undertaking deserve that name. I will take the charge
+upon myself; only tell me the place and the way to it, and I will defer
+my journey no longer than till to-morrow."
+
+"Brother," said Prince Perviz, "it is not proper that you, who are the
+head of our family, should be absent. I desire my sister should join
+with me to oblige you to abandon your design, and allow me to undertake
+it. I hope to acquit myself as well as you, and it will be a more
+regular proceeding." "I am persuaded of your goodwill, brother," replied
+Prince Bahman, "and that you would succeed as well as myself in this
+journey; but I have resolved and will undertake it. You shall stay at
+home with our sister, and I need not recommend her to you."
+
+The next morning Bahman mounted his horse, and Perviz and the princess
+embraced and wished him a good journey. But in the midst of their
+adieus, the princess recollected what she had not thought of before.
+"Brother," said she, "I had quite forgotten the accidents which attend
+travellers. Who knows whether I shall ever see you again? Alight, I
+beseech you, and give up this journey. I would rather be deprived of the
+sight and possession of the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water, than run the risk of never seeing you more."
+
+"Sister," replied Bahman, smiling at her sudden fears, "my resolution is
+fixed. The accidents you speak of befall only those who are unfortunate;
+but there are more who are not so. However, as events are uncertain, and
+I may fail in this undertaking, all I can do is to leave you this
+knife."
+
+Bahman pulling a knife from his vestband, and presenting it to the
+princess in the sheath, said: "Take this knife, sister, and give
+yourself the trouble sometimes to pull it out of the sheath; while you
+see it clean as it is now, it will be a sign that I am alive; but if you
+find it stained with blood, then you may believe me dead and indulge me
+with your prayers."
+
+The princess could obtain nothing more of Bahman. He bade adieu to her
+and Prince Perviz for the last time and rode away. When he got into the
+road, he never turned to the right hand nor to the left, but went
+directly forward toward India. The twentieth day he perceived on the
+roadside a hideous old man, who sat under a tree near a thatched house,
+which was his retreat from the weather.
+
+His eyebrows were as white as snow, as was also the hair of his head;
+his whiskers covered his mouth, and his beard and hair reached down to
+his feet. The nails of his hands and feet were grown to an extensive
+length, while a flat, broad umbrella covered his head. He had no
+clothes, but only a mat thrown round his body. This old man was a
+dervish for so many years retired from the world to give himself up
+entirely to the service of God that at last he had become what we have
+described.
+
+Prince Bahman, who had been all that morning very attentive, to see if
+he could meet with anybody who could give him information of the place
+he was in search of, stopped when he came near the dervish, alighted, in
+conformity to the directions which the devout woman had given the
+Princess Periezade, and leading his horse by the bridle, advanced toward
+him and saluting him, said: "God prolong your days, good father, and
+grant you the accomplishment of your desires."
+
+The dervish returned the prince's salutation, but so unintelligibly that
+he could not understand one word he said and Prince Bahman, perceiving
+that this difficulty proceeded from the dervish's whiskers hanging over
+his mouth, and unwilling to go any further without the instructions he
+wanted, pulled out a pair of scissors he had about him, and having tied
+his horse to a branch of the tree, said: "Good dervish, I want to have
+some talk with you, but your whiskers prevent my understanding what you
+say; and if you will consent, I will cut off some part of them and of
+your eyebrows, which disfigure you so much that you look more like a
+bear than a man."
+
+The dervish did not oppose the offer, and when the prince had cut off as
+much hair as he thought fit, he perceived that the dervish had a good
+complexion, and that he was not as old as he seemed. "Good dervish,"
+said he, "if I had a glass I would show you how young you look: you are
+now a man, but before, nobody could tell what you were."
+
+The kind behaviour of Prince Bahman made the dervish smile and return
+his compliment. "Sir," said he, "whoever you are, I am obliged by the
+good office you have performed, and am ready to show my gratitude by
+doing anything in my power for you. You must have alighted here upon
+some account or other. Tell me what it is, and I will endeavour to serve
+you."
+
+"Good dervish," replied Prince Bahman, "I am in search of the Talking
+Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water; I know these three
+rarities are not far from hence, but cannot tell exactly the place where
+they are to be found; if you know, I conjure you to show me the way,
+that I may not lose my labour after so long a journey."
+
+The prince, while he spoke, observed that the dervish changed
+countenance, held down his eyes, looked very serious, and remained
+silent, which obliged him to say to him again: "Good father, tell me
+whether you know what I ask you, that I may not lose my time, but inform
+myself somewhere else."
+
+At last the dervish broke silence. "Sir," said he to Prince Bahman, "I
+know the way you ask of me; but the regard which I conceived for you the
+first moment I saw you, and which is grown stronger by the service you
+have done me, kept me in suspense as to whether I should give you the
+satisfaction you desire." "What motive can hinder you?" replied the
+prince; "and what difficulties do you find in so doing?" "I will tell
+you," replied the dervish; "the danger to which you are going to expose
+yourself is greater than you may suppose. A number of gentlemen of as
+much bravery as you can possibly possess have passed this way, and asked
+me the same question. When I had used all my endeavours to persuade them
+to desist, they would not believe me; at last I yielded to their
+importunities; I was compelled to show them the way, and I can assure
+you they have all perished, for I have not seen one come back.
+Therefore, if you have any regard for your life, take my advice, go no
+farther, but return home."
+
+Prince Bahman persisted in his resolution. "I will not suppose," said he
+to the dervish, "but that your advice is sincere. I am obliged to you
+for the friendship you express for me; but whatever may be the danger,
+nothing shall make me change my intention: whoever attacks me, I am well
+armed, and can say I am as brave as any one." "But they who will attack
+you are not to be seen," replied the dervish; "how will you defend
+yourself against invisible persons?" "It is no matter," answered the
+prince, "all you say shall not persuade me to do anything contrary to my
+duty. Since you know the way, I conjure you once more to inform me."
+
+When the dervish found he could not prevail upon Prince Bahman, and that
+he was obstinately bent to pursue his journey, notwithstanding his
+friendly remonstrance, he put his hand into a bag that lay by him and
+pulled out a bowl, which he presented to him. "Since I cannot prevail on
+you to attend to my advice," said he, "take this bowl and when you are
+on horseback throw it before you, and follow it to the foot of a
+mountain, where it will stop. As soon as the bowl stops, alight, leave
+your horse with the bridle over his neck, and he will stand in the same
+place till you return. As you ascend you will see on your right and
+left a great number of large black stones, and will hear on all sides a
+confusion of voices, which will utter a thousand abuses to discourage
+you, and prevent your reaching the summit of the mountain. Be not
+afraid; but, above all things, do not turn your head to look behind you,
+for in that instant you will be changed into such a black stone as those
+you see, which are all youths who have failed in this enterprise. If you
+escape the danger of which I give you but a faint idea, and get to the
+top of the mountain, you will see a cage, and in that cage is the bird
+you seek; ask him which are the Singing Tree and the Golden Water, and
+he will tell you. I have nothing more to say; this is what you have to
+do, and if you are prudent you will take my advice and not expose your
+life. Consider once more while you have time that the difficulties are
+almost insuperable."
+
+"I am obliged to you for your advice," replied Prince Bahman, after he
+had received the bowl, "but cannot follow it. However, I will endeavour
+to conform myself to that part of it which bids me not to look behind
+me, and I hope to come and thank you when I have obtained what I am
+seeking." After these words, to which the dervish made no other answer
+than that he should be overjoyed to see him again, the prince mounted
+his horse, took leave of the dervish with a respectful salute, and threw
+the bowl before him.
+
+The bowl rolled away with as much swiftness as when Prince Bahman first
+hurled it from his hand, which obliged him to put his horse to the same
+pace to avoid losing sight of it, and when it had reached the foot of
+the mountain it stopped. The prince alighted from his horse, laid the
+bridle on his neck, and having first surveyed the mountain and seen the
+black stones, began to ascend, but had not gone four steps before he
+heard the voices mentioned by the dervish, though he could see nobody.
+Some said: "Where is that fool going? Where is he going? What would he
+have? Do not let him pass." Others: "Stop him, catch him, kill him:" and
+others with a voice like thunder: "Thief! assassin! murderer!" while
+some in a gibing tone cried: "No, no, do not hurt him; let the pretty
+fellow pass, the cage and bird are kept for him."
+
+Notwithstanding all these troublesome voices, Prince Bahman ascended
+with resolution for some time, but the voices redoubled with so loud a
+din, both behind and before, that at last he was seized with dread, his
+legs trembled under him, he staggered, and finding that his strength
+failed him, he forgot the dervish's advice, turned about to run down the
+hill, and was that instant changed into a black stone; a metamorphosis
+which had happened to many before him who had attempted the ascent. His
+horse, likewise, underwent the same change.
+
+From the time of Prince Bahman's departure, the Princess Periezade
+always wore the knife and sheath in her girdle, and pulled it out
+several times in a day, to know whether her brother was alive. She had
+the consolation to understand he was in perfect health and to talk of
+him frequently with Prince Perviz. On the fatal day that Prince Bahman
+was transformed into a stone, as Prince Perviz and the princess were
+talking together in the evening, as usual, the prince desired his sister
+to pull out the knife to know how their brother did. The princess
+readily complied, and seeing the blood run down the point was seized
+with so much horror that she threw it down. "Ah! my dear brother," cried
+she, "I have been the cause of your death, and shall never see you more!
+Why did I tell you of the Talking Bird, Singing Tree, and Golden Water;
+or rather, of what importance was it to me to know whether the devout
+woman thought this house ugly or handsome, or complete or not? I wish
+to Heaven she had never addressed herself to me!"
+
+Prince Perviz was as much afflicted at the death of Prince Bahman as the
+princess, but not to waste time in needless regret, as he knew that she
+still passionately desired possession of the marvellous treasures, he
+interrupted her, saying: "Sister, our regret for our brother is vain;
+our lamentations cannot restore him to life; it is the will of God; we
+must submit and adore the decrees of the Almighty without searching into
+them. Why should you now doubt of the truth of what the holy woman told
+you? Do you think she spoke to you of three things that were not in
+being, and that she invented them to deceive you who had received her
+with so much goodness and civility? Let us rather believe that our
+brother's death is owing to some error on his part, or some accident
+which we cannot conceive. It ought not therefore to prevent us from
+pursuing our object. I offered to go this journey, and am now more
+resolved than ever; his example has no effect upon my resolution;
+to-morrow I will depart."
+
+The princess did all she could to dissuade Prince Perviz, conjuring him
+not to expose her to the danger of losing two brothers; but he was
+obstinate, and all the remonstrances she could urge had no effect upon
+him. Before he went, that she might know what success he had, he left
+her a string of a hundred pearls, telling her that if they would not run
+when she should count them upon the string, but remain fixed, that would
+be a certain sign he had undergone the same fate as his brother; but at
+the same time told her he hoped it would never happen, but that he
+should have the delight of seeing her again.
+
+Prince Perviz, on the twentieth day after his departure, met the same
+dervish in the same place as his brother Bahman had done before him. He
+went directly up to him, and after he had saluted, asked him if he
+could tell him where to find the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the
+Golden Water. The dervish urged the same remonstrances as he had done to
+Prince Bahman, telling him that a young gentleman, who very much
+resembled him, was with him a short time before; that, overcome by his
+importunity, he had shown him the way, given him a guide, and told him
+how he should act to succeed, but that he had not seen him since, and
+doubted not but he had shared the same fate as all other adventurers.
+
+"Good dervish," answered Prince Perviz, "I know whom you speak of; he
+was my elder brother, and I am informed of the certainty of his death,
+but know not the cause." "I can tell you," replied the dervish; "he was
+changed into a black stone, as all I speak of have been; and you must
+expect the same transformation, unless you observe more exactly than he
+has done the advice I gave him, in case you persist in your resolution,
+which I once more entreat you to renounce."
+
+"Dervish," said Prince Perviz, "I cannot sufficiently express how much I
+am obliged for the concern you take in my life, who am a stranger to
+you, and have done nothing to deserve your kindness; but I thoroughly
+considered this enterprise before I undertook it; therefore I beg of you
+to do me the same favour you have done my brother. Perhaps I may have
+better success in following your directions." "Since I cannot prevail
+with you," said the dervish, "to give up your obstinate resolution, if
+my age did not prevent me, and I could stand, I would get up to reach
+you a bowl I have here, which will show you the way."
+
+Without giving the dervish time to say more, the prince alighted from
+his horse and went to the dervish, who had taken a bowl out of his bag,
+in which he had a great many, and gave it him, with the same directions
+he had given Prince Bahman; and after warning him not to be discouraged
+by the voices he should hear, however threatening they might be, but to
+continue his way up the hill till he saw the cage and bird, he let him
+depart.
+
+Prince Perviz thanked the dervish, and when he had remounted and taken
+leave, threw the bowl before his horse, and spurring him at the same
+time, followed it. When the bowl came to the bottom of the hill it
+stopped, the prince alighted, and stood some time to recollect the
+dervish's directions. He encouraged himself, and began to walk up with a
+resolution to reach the summit; but before he had gone above six steps,
+he heard a voice, which seemed to be near, as of a man behind him, say
+in an insulting tone: "Stay, rash youth, that I may punish you for your
+presumption."
+
+Upon this affront the prince, forgetting the dervish's advice, clapped
+his hand upon his sword, drew it, and turned about to revenge himself;
+but had scarcely time to see that nobody followed him before he and his
+horse were changed into black stones.
+
+In the meantime the Princess Periezade, several times a day after her
+brother's departure, counted her chaplet. She did not omit it at night,
+but when she went to bed put it about her neck, and in the morning when
+she awoke counted over the pearls again to see if they would slide.
+
+The day that Prince Perviz was transformed into a stone she was counting
+over the pearls as she used to do, when all at once they became
+immovably fixed, a certain token that the prince, her brother, was dead.
+As she had determined what to do in case it should so happen, she lost
+no time in outward demonstrations of grief, which she concealed as much
+as possible, but having disguised herself in man's apparel, she mounted
+her horse the next morning, armed and equipped, having told her servants
+she should return in two or three days, and took the same road that her
+brothers had done.
+
+The princess, who had been used to ride on horseback in hunting,
+supported the fatigue of so long a journey better than most ladies could
+have done; and as she made the same stages as her brothers, she also met
+with the dervish on the twentieth day. When she came near him, she
+alighted from her horse, leading him by the bridle, went and sat down by
+the dervish, and after she had saluted him, said: "Good dervish, give me
+leave to rest myself; and do me the favour to tell me if you have not
+heard that there are somewhere in this neighbourhood a Talking Bird, a
+Singing Tree, and Golden Water."
+
+"Princess," answered the dervish, "for so I must call you, since by your
+voice I know you to be a woman disguised in man's apparel, I know the
+place well where these things are to be found; but what makes you ask me
+this question?"
+
+"Good dervish," replied the princess, "I have had such a flattering
+relation of them given me, that I have a great desire to possess them."
+"Madam," replied the dervish, "you have been told the truth. These
+curiosities are more singular than they have been represented, but you
+have not been made acquainted with the difficulties which must be
+surmounted in order to obtain them. If you had been fully informed of
+these, you would not have undertaken so dangerous an enterprise. Take my
+advice, return, and do not urge me to contribute toward your ruin."
+
+"Good father," said the princess, "I have travelled a great way, and
+should be sorry to return without executing my design. You talk of
+difficulties and danger of life, but you do not tell me what those
+difficulties are, and wherein the danger consists. This is what I desire
+to know, that I may consider and judge whether I can trust my courage
+and strength to brave them."
+
+The dervish repeated to the princess what he had said to the Princes
+Bahman and Perviz, exaggerating the difficulties of climbing up to the
+top of the mountain, where she was to make herself mistress of the Bird,
+which would inform her of the Singing Tree and Golden Water. He
+magnified the din of the terrible threatening voices which she would
+hear on all sides of her, and the great number of black stones alone
+sufficient to strike terror. He entreated her to reflect that those
+stones were so many brave gentlemen, so metamorphosed for having omitted
+to observe the principal condition of success in the perilous
+undertaking, which was not to look behind them before they had got
+possession of the cage.
+
+When the dervish had done, the princess replied: "By what I comprehend
+from your discourse, the difficulties of succeeding in this affair are,
+first, the getting up to the cage without being frightened at the
+terrible din of voices I shall hear; and, secondly, not to look behind
+me. For this last, I hope I shall be mistress enough of myself to
+observe it; as to the first, I own that voices, such as you represent
+them to be, are capable of striking terror into the most undaunted; but
+as in all enterprises and dangers every one may use stratagem, I desire
+to know of you if I may use any in one of so great importance." "And
+what stratagem is it you would employ?" said the dervish. "To stop my
+ears with cotton," answered the princess, "that the voices, however
+terrible, may make the less impression upon my imagination, and my mind
+remain free from that disturbance which might cause me to lose the use
+of my reason."
+
+"Princess," replied the dervish, "of all the persons who have addressed
+themselves to me for information, I do not know that ever one made use
+of the contrivance you propose. All I know is that they all perished. If
+you persist in your design, you may make the experiment. You will be
+fortunate if it succeeds, but I would advise you not to expose yourself
+to the danger."
+
+"My good father," replied the princess, "I am sure my precaution will
+succeed, and am resolved to try the experiment. Nothing remains for me
+but to know which way I must go, and I conjure you not to deny me that
+information." The dervish exhorted her again to consider well what she
+was going to do; but finding her resolute, he took out a bowl, and
+presenting it to her, said: "Take this bowl, mount your horse again, and
+when you have thrown it before you, follow it through all its windings,
+till it stops at the bottom of the mountain; there alight and ascend the
+hill. Go, you know the rest."
+
+After the princess had thanked the dervish, and taken her leave of him,
+she mounted her horse, threw the bowl before her, and followed it till
+it stopped at the foot of the mountain.
+
+She then alighted, stopped her ears with cotton, and after she had well
+examined the path leading to the summit began with a moderate pace and
+walked up with intrepidity. She heard the voices and perceived the great
+service the cotton was to her. The higher she went, the louder and more
+numerous the voices seemed, but they were not capable of making any
+impression upon her. She heard a great many affronting speeches and
+raillery very disagreeable to a woman, which she only laughed at. "I
+mind not," said she to herself, "all that can be said, were it worse; I
+only laugh at them and shall pursue my way." At last, she climbed so
+high that she could perceive the cage and the Bird which endeavoured, in
+company with the voices, to frighten her, crying in a thundering tone,
+notwithstanding the smallness of its size: "Retire, fool, and approach
+no nearer."
+
+The princess, encouraged by this sight, redoubled her speed, and by
+effort gained the summit of the mountain, where the ground was level;
+then running directly to the cage and clapping her hand upon it, cried:
+"Bird, I have you, and you shall not escape me."
+
+While Periezade was pulling the cotton out of her ears the Bird said to
+her: "Heroic princess, be not angry with me for joining with those who
+exerted themselves to preserve my liberty. Though in a cage, I was
+content with my condition; but since I am destined to be a slave, I
+would rather be yours than any other person's, since you have obtained
+me so courageously. From this instant, I swear entire submission to all
+your commands. I know who you are. You do not; but the time will come
+when I shall do you essential service, for which I hope you will think
+yourself obliged to me. As a proof of my sincerity, tell me what you
+desire and I am ready to obey you."
+
+The princess's joy was the more inexpressible, because the conquest she
+had made had cost her the lives of two beloved brothers, and given her
+more trouble and danger than she could have imagined. "Bird," said she,
+"it was my intention to have told you that I wish for many things which
+are of importance, but I am overjoyed that you have shown your goodwill
+and prevented me. I have been told that there is not far off a Golden
+Water, the property of which is very wonderful; before all things, I ask
+you to tell me where it is." The Bird showed her the place, which was
+just by, and she went and filled a little silver flagon which she had
+brought with her. She returned at once and said: "Bird, this is not
+enough; I want also the Singing Tree; tell me where it is." "Turn
+about," said the Bird, "and you will see behind you a wood where you
+will find the tree." The princess went into the wood, and by the
+harmonious concert she heard, soon knew the tree among many others, but
+it was very large and high. She came back again and said: "Bird, I have
+found the Singing Tree, but I can neither pull it up by the roots nor
+carry it." The Bird replied: "It is not necessary that you should take
+it up; it will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to plant
+in your garden; it will take root as soon as it is put into the earth,
+and in a little time will grow to as fine a tree as that you have seen."
+
+When the princess had obtained possession of the three things for which
+she had conceived so great a desire, she said again: "Bird, what you
+have yet done for me is not sufficient. You have been the cause of the
+death of my two brothers, who must be among the black stones I saw as I
+ascended the mountain. I wish to take the princes home with me."
+
+The Bird seemed reluctant to satisfy the princess in this point, and
+indeed made some difficulty to comply. "Bird," said the princess,
+"remember you told me that you were my slave. You are so; and your life
+is in my disposal." "That I cannot deny," answered the bird; "but
+although what you now ask is more difficult than all the rest, yet I
+will do it for you. Cast your eyes around," added he, "and look if you
+can see a little pitcher." "I see it already," said the princess. "Take
+it then," said he, "and as you descend the mountain, sprinkle a little
+of the water that is in it upon every black stone."
+
+The princess took up the pitcher accordingly, carried with her the cage
+and Bird, the flagon of Golden Water, and the branch of the Singing
+Tree, and as she descended the mountain, threw a little of the water on
+every black stone, which was changed immediately into a man; and as she
+did not miss one stone, all the horses, both of her brothers and of the
+other gentlemen, resumed their natural forms also. She instantly
+recognised Bahman and Perviz, as they did her, and ran to embrace her.
+She returned their embraces and expressed her amazement. "What do you
+here, my dear brothers?" said she, and they told her they had been
+asleep. "Yes," replied she, "and if it had not been for me, perhaps you
+might have slept till the day of judgment. Do not you remember that you
+came to fetch the Talking Bird, the Singing Tree, and the Golden Water,
+and did not you see, as you came along, the place covered with black
+stones? Look and see if there be any now. The gentlemen and their horses
+who surround us, and you yourselves, were these black stones. If you
+desire to know how this wonder was performed," continued she, showing
+the pitcher, which she set down at the foot of the mountain, "it was
+done by virtue of the water which was in this pitcher, with which I
+sprinkled every stone. After I had made the Talking Bird (which you see
+in this cage) my slave, by his directions I found out the Singing Tree,
+a branch of which I have now in my hand; and the Golden Water, with
+which this flagon is filled; but being still unwilling to return without
+taking you with me, I constrained the Bird, by the power I had over him,
+to afford me the means. He told me where to find this pitcher, and the
+use I was to make of it."
+
+The Princes Bahman and Perviz learned by this relation the obligation
+they had to their sister, as did all the other gentlemen, who expressed
+to her that, far from envying her happiness in the conquest she had
+made, and which they all had aspired to, they thought they could not
+better express their gratitude for restoring them to life again, than by
+declaring themselves her slaves, and that they were ready to obey her in
+whatever she should command.
+
+"Gentlemen," replied the princess, "if you had given any attention to my
+words, you might have observed that I had no other intention in what I
+have done than to recover my brothers; therefore, if you have received
+any benefit, you owe me no obligation, and I have no further share
+in your compliment than your politeness toward me, for which I return
+you my thanks. In other respects, I regard each of you as quite as free
+as you were before your misfortunes, and I rejoice with you at the
+happiness which has accrued to you by my means. Let us, however, stay no
+longer in a place where we have nothing to detain us, but mount our
+horses and return to our respective homes."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_It will be sufficient to break off a branch and carry it to plant in
+your garden._
+
+The princess took her horse, which stood in the place where she had left
+him. Before she mounted, Prince Bahman desired her to give him the cage
+to carry. "Brother," replied the princess, "the Bird is my slave and I
+will carry him myself; if you will take the pains to carry the branch of
+the Singing Tree, there it is; only hold the cage while I get on
+horseback." When she had mounted her horse, and Prince Bahman had given
+her the cage, she turned about and said to Prince Perviz: "I leave the
+flagon of Golden Water to your care, if it will not be too much trouble
+for you to carry it," and Prince Perviz accordingly took charge of it
+with pleasure.
+
+When Bahman, Perviz, and all the gentlemen had mounted their horses, the
+princess waited for some of them to lead the way. The two princes paid
+that compliment to the gentlemen, and they again to the princess, who,
+finding that none of them would accept the honour, but that it was
+reserved for her, addressed herself to them and said: "Gentlemen, I
+expect that some of you should lead the way;" to which one who was
+nearest to her, in the name of the rest, replied: "Madam, were we
+ignorant of the respect due to your sex, yet after what you have done
+for us there is no deference we would not willingly pay you,
+notwithstanding your modesty; we entreat you no longer to deprive us of
+the happiness of following you."
+
+"Gentlemen," said the princess, "I do not deserve the honour you do me,
+and accept it only because you desire it." At the same time she led the
+way, and the two princes and the gentlemen followed.
+
+This illustrious company called upon the dervish as they passed, to
+thank him for his reception and wholesome advice, which they had all
+found to be sincere. He was dead, however; whether of old age, or
+because he was no longer necessary to show the way to obtaining the
+three rarities, did not appear. They pursued their route, but lessened
+in their numbers every day. The gentlemen who, as we said before, had
+come from different countries, after severally repeating their
+obligations to the princess and her brothers, took leave of them one
+after another as they approached the road by which they had come.
+
+As soon as the princess reached home, she placed the cage in the garden,
+and the Bird no sooner began to warble than he was surrounded by
+nightingales, chaffinches, larks, linnets, goldfinches, and every
+species of birds of the country. The branch of the Singing Tree was no
+sooner set in the midst of the parterre, a little distance from the
+house, than it took root and in a short time became a large tree, the
+leaves of which gave as harmonious a concert as those of the parent from
+which it was gathered. A large basin of beautiful marble was placed in
+the garden, and when it was finished, the princess poured into it all
+the Golden Water from the flagon, which instantly increased and swelled
+so much that it soon reached up to the edges of the basin, and afterward
+formed in the middle a fountain twenty feet high, which fell again into
+the basin perpetually, without running over.
+
+The report of these wonders was presently spread abroad, and as the
+gates of the house and those of the gardens were shut to nobody, a great
+number of people came to admire them.
+
+Some days after, when the Princes Bahman and Perviz had recovered from
+the fatigue of their journey, they resumed their former way of living;
+and as their usual diversion was hunting, they mounted their horses and
+went for the first time since their return, not to their own demesne,
+but two or three leagues from their house. As they pursued their sport,
+the emperor of Persia came in pursuit of game upon the same ground. When
+they perceived, by the number of horsemen in different places, that he
+would soon be up, they resolved to discontinue their chase, and retire
+to avoid encountering him; but in the very road they took they chanced
+to meet him in so narrow a way that they could not retreat without being
+seen. In their surprise they had only time to alight and prostrate
+themselves before the emperor, without lifting up their heads to look at
+him. The emperor, who saw they were as well mounted and dressed as if
+they had belonged to his court, had a curiosity to see their faces. He
+stopped and commanded them to rise. The princes rose up and stood before
+him with an easy and graceful air, accompanied with modest countenances.
+The emperor took some time to view them before he spoke, and after he
+had admired their good air and mien, asked them who they were and where
+they lived.
+
+"Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we are the sons of the late intendant of
+your majesty's gardens, and live in a house which he built a little
+before he died, till we should be fit to serve your majesty and ask of
+you some employ when opportunity offered."
+
+"By what I perceive," replied the emperor, "you love hunting." "Sir,"
+replied Prince Bahman, "it is our common exercise, and what none of your
+majesty's subjects who intend to bear arms in your armies, ought,
+according to the ancient custom of the kingdom, to neglect." The
+emperor, charmed with so prudent an answer, said: "Since it is so, I
+should be glad to see your expertness in the chase; choose your own
+game."
+
+The princes mounted their horses again and followed the emperor, but had
+not gone far before they saw many wild beasts together. Prince Bahman
+chose a lion and Prince Perviz a bear, and pursued them with so much
+intrepidity that the emperor was surprised. They came up with their game
+nearly at the same time, and darted their javelins with so much skill
+and address that they pierced the one the lion and the other the bear so
+effectually that the emperor saw them fall one after the other.
+Immediately afterward Prince Bahman pursued another bear, and Prince
+Perviz another lion, and killed them in a short time, and would have
+beaten out for fresh game, but the emperor would not let them, and sent
+to them to come to him. When they approached he said: "If I had given
+you leave, you would soon have destroyed all my game; but it is not that
+which I would preserve, but your persons; for I am so well assured your
+bravery may one time or other be serviceable to me, that from this
+moment your lives will be always dear to me."
+
+The emperor, in short, conceived so great a kindness for the two
+princes, that he invited them immediately to make him a visit, to which
+Prince Bahman replied: "Your majesty does us an honour we do not
+deserve, and we beg you will excuse us."
+
+The emperor, who could not comprehend what reason the princes could have
+to refuse this token of his favour, pressed them to tell him why they
+excused themselves. "Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we have a sister younger
+than ourselves, with whom we live in such perfect union, that we
+undertake nothing before we consult her, nor she anything without asking
+our advice." "I commend your brotherly affection," answered the emperor.
+"Consult your sister, meet me to-morrow, and give me an answer."
+
+The princes went home, but neglected to speak of their adventure in
+meeting the emperor and hunting with him, and also of the honour he had
+done them, yet did not the next morning fail to meet him at the place
+appointed. "Well," said the emperor, "have you spoken to your sister,
+and has she consented to the pleasure I expect of seeing you?" The two
+princes looked at each other and blushed. "Sir," said Prince Bahman, "we
+beg your majesty to excuse us, for both my brother and I forgot." "Then
+remember to-day," replied the emperor, "and be sure to bring me an
+answer to-morrow."
+
+The princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the emperor
+was so good-natured as to forgive their negligence; but to prevent their
+forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little golden balls out of
+a purse, and put them into Prince Bahman's bosom. "These balls," said
+he, smiling, "will prevent your forgetting a third time what I wish you
+to do for my sake; since the noise they will make by falling on the
+floor when you undress will remind you, if you do not recollect it
+before." The event happened just as the emperor foresaw; and without
+these balls the princes had not thought of speaking to their sister of
+this affair, for as Prince Bahman unloosed his girdle to go to bed the
+balls dropped on the floor, upon which he ran into Prince Perviz's
+chamber, when both went into the Princess Periezade's apartment, and
+after they had asked her pardon for coming at so unseasonable a time,
+they told her all the circumstances of their meeting the emperor.
+
+The princess was somewhat surprised at this intelligence. "Your meeting
+with the emperor," said she, "is happy and honourable and may in the end
+be highly advantageous to you, but it places me in an awkward position.
+It was on my account, I know, you refused the emperor, and I am
+infinitely obliged to you for doing so. I know by this that you would
+rather be guilty of incivility toward the emperor than violate the union
+we have sworn to each other. You judge right, for if you had once gone
+you would insensibly have been engaged to devote yourselves to him. But
+do you think it an easy matter absolutely to refuse the emperor what he
+seems so earnestly to desire? Monarchs will be obeyed in their desires,
+and it may be dangerous to oppose them; therefore, if to follow my
+inclination I should dissuade you from obeying him, it may expose you to
+his resentment, and may render myself and you miserable. These are my
+sentiments; but before we conclude upon anything let us consult the
+Talking Bird and hear what he says; he is penetrating, and has promised
+his assistance in all difficulties."
+
+The princess sent for the cage, and after she had related the
+circumstances to the Bird in the presence of her brothers, asked him
+what they should do in this perplexity. The Bird answered: "The princes,
+your brothers, must conform to the emperor's pleasure, and in their turn
+invite him to come and see your house."
+
+"But, Bird," replied the princess, "my brothers and I love one another,
+and our friendship is yet undisturbed. Will not this step be injurious
+to that friendship?" "Not at all," replied the Bird; "it will tend
+rather to cement it." "Then," answered the princess, "the emperor will
+see me." The Bird told her it was necessary he should, and that
+everything would go better afterward.
+
+Next morning the princes met the emperor hunting, who asked them if they
+had remembered to speak to their sister. Prince Bahman approached and
+answered: "Sir, we are ready to obey you, for we have not only obtained
+our sister's consent with great ease, but she took it amiss that we
+should pay her that deference in a matter wherein our duty to your
+majesty was concerned. If we have offended, we hope you will pardon
+us." "Do not be uneasy," replied the emperor. "I highly approve of your
+conduct, and hope you will have the same deference and attachment to my
+person, if I have ever so little share in your friendship." The princes,
+confounded at the emperor's goodness, returned no other answer but a low
+obeisance.
+
+The emperor, contrary to his usual custom, did not hunt long that day.
+Presuming that the princes possessed wit equal to their courage and
+bravery, he longed with impatience to converse with them more at
+liberty. He made them ride on each side of him, an honour which was
+envied by the grand vizier, who was much mortified to see them preferred
+before him.
+
+When the emperor entered his capital, the eyes of the people, who stood
+in crowds in the streets, were fixed upon the two Princes Bahman and
+Perviz; and they were earnest to know who they might be.
+
+All, however, agreed in wishing that the emperor had been blessed with
+two such handsome princes, and said that his children would have been
+about the same age, if the queen had not been so unfortunate as to lose
+them.
+
+The first thing the emperor did when he arrived at his palace was to
+conduct the princes into the principal apartments, who praised without
+affectation the beauty and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness of
+the furniture and ornaments. Afterward a magnificent repast was served
+up, and the emperor made them sit with him, which they at first refused;
+but finding it was his pleasure, they obeyed.
+
+The emperor, who had himself much learning, particularly in history,
+foresaw that the princes, out of modesty and respect, would not take the
+liberty of beginning any conversation. Therefore, to give them an
+opportunity, he furnished them with subjects all dinner-time. But
+whatever subject he introduced, they shewed so much wit, judgment, and
+discernment, that he was struck with admiration. "Were these my own
+children," said he to himself, "and I had improved their talents by
+suitable education, they could not have been more accomplished or better
+informed." In short, he took such great pleasure in their conversation,
+that, after having sat longer than usual, he led them into his closet,
+where he pursued his conversation with them, and at last said: "I never
+supposed that there were among my subjects in the country youths so well
+brought up, so lively, so capable; and I never was better pleased with
+any conversation than yours; but it is time now we should relax our
+minds with some diversion; and as nothing is more capable of enlivening
+the mind than music, you shall hear a vocal and instrumental concert
+which may not be disagreeable to you."
+
+The emperor had no sooner spoken than the musicians, who had orders to
+attend, entered, and answered fully the expectations the princes had
+been led to entertain of their abilities. After the concerts, an
+excellent farce was acted, and the entertainment was concluded by
+dancers of both sexes.
+
+The two princes, seeing night approach, prostrated themselves at the
+emperor's feet; and having first thanked him for the favours and honours
+he had heaped upon them, asked his permission to retire; which was
+granted by the emperor, who, in dismissing them, said: "I give you leave
+to go; but remember, you will be always welcome, and the oftener you
+come the greater pleasure you will do me."
+
+Before they went out of the emperor's presence, Prince Bahman said:
+"Sir, may we presume to request that your majesty will do us and our
+sister the honour to pass by our house, and refresh yourself after your
+fatigue, the first time you take the diversion of hunting in that
+neighbourhood? It is not worthy of your presence; but monarchs sometimes
+have vouchsafed to take shelter in a cottage." "My children," replied
+the emperor, "your house cannot be otherwise than beautiful and worthy
+of its owners. I will call and see it with pleasure, which will be the
+greater for having for my hosts you and your sister, who is already dear
+to me from the account you give me of the rare qualities with which she
+is endowed: and this satisfaction I will defer no longer than to-morrow.
+Early in the morning I will be at the place where I shall never forget
+that I first saw you. Meet me, and you shall be my guides."
+
+When the Princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home, they gave the
+princess an account of the distinguished reception the emperor had given
+them, and told her that they had invited him to do them the honour, as
+he passed by, to call at their house, and that he had appointed the next
+day.
+
+"If it be so," replied the princess, "we must think of preparing a
+repast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it would be
+proper we should consult the Talking Bird, who will tell us, perhaps,
+what meats the emperor likes best." The princes approved of her plan,
+and after they had retired she consulted the Bird alone. "Bird," said
+she, "the emperor will do us the honour to-morrow to come and see our
+house, and we are to entertain him; tell us what we shall do to acquit
+ourselves to his satisfaction."
+
+"Good mistress," replied the Bird, "you have excellent cooks, let them
+do the best they can; but above all things, let them prepare a dish of
+cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set before the emperor
+in the first course before all the other dishes."
+
+"Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!" cried Princess Periezade with
+amazement; "surely, Bird, you do not know what you say; it is an unheard
+of dish. The emperor may admire it as a piece of magnificence, but he
+will sit down to eat, and not to admire pearls; besides, all the pearls
+I possess are not enough for such a dish."
+
+"Mistress," said the Bird, "do what I say, and be not uneasy about what
+may happen. Nothing but good will follow. As for the pearls, go early
+to-morrow morning to the foot of the first tree on your right hand in
+the park, dig under it, and you will find more than you want."
+
+That night the princess ordered a gardener to be ready to attend her,
+and the next morning early, led him to the tree which the Bird had told
+her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the gardener came to a
+certain depth, he found some resistance to the spade, and presently
+discovered a gold box about a foot square, which he showed the princess.
+"This," said she, "is what I brought you for; take care not to injure it
+with the spade."
+
+When the gardener took up the box, he gave it into the princess's hands,
+who, as it was only fastened with neat little hasps, soon opened it, and
+found it full of pearls of a moderate size, but equal and fit for the
+use that was to be made of them. Very well satisfied with having found
+this treasure, after she had shut the box again, she put it under her
+arm and went back to the house, while the gardener threw the earth into
+the hole at the foot of the tree as it had been before.
+
+The Princes Bahman and Perviz, who, as they were dressing themselves in
+their own apartments, saw their sister in the garden earlier than usual,
+as soon as they could get out went to her, and met her as she was
+returning with a gold box under her arm, which much surprised them.
+"Sister," said Bahman, "you carried nothing with you when we saw you
+before with the gardener, and now we see you have a golden box; is this
+some treasure found by the gardener, and did he come and tell you of
+it?"
+
+"No, brother," answered the princess, "I took the gardener to the place
+where this casket was concealed, and showed him where to dig; but you
+will be more amazed when you see what it contains."
+
+The princess opened the box, and when the princes saw that it was full
+of pearls, which, though small, were of great value, they asked her how
+she came to the knowledge of this treasure. "Brothers," said she, "come
+with me and I will tell you." The princess, as they returned to the
+house, gave them an account of her having consulted the Bird, as they
+had agreed she should, and the answer he had given her; the objection
+she had raised to preparing a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of pearls,
+and how he had told her where to find this box. The sister and brothers
+formed many conjectures to penetrate into what the Bird could mean by
+ordering them to prepare such a dish; but after much conversation, they
+agreed to follow his advice exactly.
+
+As soon as the princess entered the house, she called for the head cook;
+and after she had given him directions about the entertainment for the
+emperor, said to him: "Besides all this, you must dress an extraordinary
+dish for the emperor's own eating, which nobody else must have anything
+to do with besides yourself. This dish must be of cucumbers stuffed with
+these pearls;" and at the same time she opened him the box, and showed
+him the jewels.
+
+The chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back, and
+showed his thoughts by his looks; which the princess penetrating, said:
+"I see you take me to be mad to order such a dish, which one may say
+with certainty was never made. I know this as well as you; but I am not
+mad, and give you these orders with the most perfect recollection. You
+must invent and do the best you can, and bring me back what pearls are
+left." The cook could make no reply, but took the box and retired; and
+afterward the princess gave directions to all the domestics to have
+everything in order, both in the house and gardens, to receive the
+emperor.
+
+Next day the two princes went to the place appointed, and as soon as the
+emperor of Persia arrived the chase began and lasted till the heat of
+the sun obliged him to leave off. While Prince Bahman stayed to conduct
+the emperor to their house, Prince Perviz rode before to show the way,
+and when he came in sight of the house, spurred his horse, to inform the
+princess that the emperor was approaching; but she had been told by some
+servants whom she had placed to give notice, and the prince found her
+waiting ready to receive him.
+
+When the emperor had entered the court-yard and alighted at the portico,
+the princess came and threw herself at his feet, and the two princes
+informed him she was their sister, and besought him to accept her
+respects.
+
+The emperor stooped to raise her, and after he had gazed some time on
+her beauty, struck with her fine person and dignified air, he said: "The
+brothers are worthy of the sister, and she worthy of them; since, if I
+may judge of her understanding by her person, I am not amazed that the
+brothers would do nothing without their sister's consent; but," added
+he, "I hope to be better acquainted with you, my daughter, after I have
+seen the house."
+
+"Sir," said the princess, "it is only a plain country residence, fit for
+such people as we are, who live retired from the great world. It is not
+to be compared with the magnificent palaces of emperors." "I cannot
+perfectly agree with you in opinion," said the emperor very obligingly,
+"for its first appearance makes me suspect you; however, I will not pass
+my judgment upon it till I have seen it all; therefore be pleased to
+conduct me through the apartments."
+
+The princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the hall; and,
+after he had considered them very attentively, and admired their
+variety, "My daughter," said he to the princess, "do you call this a
+country house? The finest and largest cities would soon be deserted if
+all country houses were like yours. I am no longer surprised that you
+despise the town. Now let me see the garden, which I doubt not is
+answerable to the house."
+
+The princess opened a door which led into the garden, and the first
+object which presented itself to the emperor's view was the golden
+fountain. Surprised at so rare an object, he asked from whence that
+wonderful water, which gave so much pleasure to behold, had been
+procured; where was its source, and by what art it was made to play so
+high. He said he would presently take a nearer view of it.
+
+The princess then led him to the spot where the harmonious tree was
+planted; and there the emperor heard a concert, different from all he
+had ever heard before; and stopping to see where the musicians were, he
+could discern nobody far or near, but still distinctly heard the music
+which ravished his senses. "My daughter," said he to the princess,
+"where are the musicians whom I hear? Are they under ground, or
+invisible in the air? Such excellent performers will hazard nothing by
+being seen; on the contrary, they would please the more."
+
+"Sir," answered the princess, smiling, "they are not musicians, but the
+leaves of the tree your majesty sees before you, which form this
+concert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to go a little
+nearer, you will be convinced, and the voices will be the more
+distinct."
+
+The emperor went nearer and was so charmed with the sweet harmony that
+he would never have been tired with hearing it, but that his desire to
+have a nearer view of the fountain of golden water forced him away.
+"Daughter," said he, "tell me, I pray you, whether this wonderful tree
+was found in your garden by chance, or was a present made to you, or
+have you procured it from some foreign country? It must certainly have
+come from a great distance, otherwise curious as I am after natural
+rarities I should have heard of it. What name do you call it by?"
+
+"Sir," replied the princess, "this tree has no other name than that of
+the Singing Tree, and is not a native of this country. It would at
+present take up too much time to tell your majesty by what adventures it
+came here; its history is connected with the Golden Water and the
+Talking Bird, which came to me at the same time, and which your majesty
+may presently see. But if it be agreeable to your majesty, after you
+have rested yourself and recovered the fatigue of hunting, which must be
+the greater because of the sun's intense heat, I will do myself the
+honour of relating it to you."
+
+"My daughter," replied the emperor, "my fatigue is so well recompensed
+by the wonderful things you have shown me, that I do not feel it in the
+least. Let me see the Golden Water, for I am impatient to see and admire
+afterward the Talking Bird."
+
+When the emperor came to the Golden Water, his eyes were fixed so
+steadfastly upon the fountain, that he could not take them off. At last,
+addressing himself to the princess, he said: "As you tell me, daughter,
+that this water has no spring or communication, I conclude that it is
+foreign, as well as the Singing Tree."
+
+"Sir," replied the princess, "it is as your majesty conjectures; and to
+let you know that this water has no communication with any spring, I
+must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so that the water
+cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But what your majesty will
+think most wonderful is that all this water proceeded but from one small
+flagon, emptied into this basin, which increased to the quantity you
+see, by a property peculiar to itself, and formed this fountain."
+"Well," said the emperor, going from the fountain, "this is enough for
+one time. I promise myself the pleasure to come and visit it often; but
+now let us go and see the Talking Bird."
+
+As he went toward the hall, the emperor perceived a prodigious number of
+singing birds in the trees around, filling the air with their songs and
+warblings, and asked why there were so many there and none on the other
+trees in the garden. "The reason, sir," answered the princess, "is
+because they come from all parts to accompany the song of the Talking
+Bird, which your majesty may see in a cage in one of the windows of the
+hall we are approaching; and if you attend, you will perceive that his
+notes are sweeter than those of any of the other birds, even the
+nightingale's."
+
+The emperor went into the hall; and as the Bird continued singing, the
+princess raised her voice, and said, "My slave, here is the emperor, pay
+your compliments to him." The Bird left off singing that instant, when
+all the other birds ceased also, and said: "The emperor is welcome; God
+prosper him and prolong his life!" As the entertainment was served on
+the sofa near the window where the Bird was placed, the sultan replied,
+as he was taking his seat: "Bird, I thank you, and am overjoyed to find
+in you the sultan and king of birds."
+
+As soon as the emperor saw the dish of cucumbers set before him,
+thinking they were prepared in the best manner, he reached out his hand
+and took one; but when he cut it, was in extreme surprise to find it
+stuffed with pearls. "What novelty is this?" said he; "and with what
+design were these cucumbers stuffed thus with pearls, since pearls are
+not to be eaten?" He looked at his hosts to ask them the meaning when
+the Bird interrupting him, said: "Can your majesty be in such great
+astonishment at cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which you see with your
+own eyes, and yet so easily believe that the queen, your wife, gave
+birth to a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood?" "I believed those things,"
+replied the emperor, "because the attendants assured me of the facts."
+"Those attendants, sir," replied the Bird, "were the queen's two
+sisters, who, envious of her happiness in being preferred by your
+majesty before them, to satisfy their envy and revenge, have abused your
+majesty's credulity. If you interrogate them, they will confess their
+crime. The two brothers and the sister whom you see before you are your
+own children, whom they exposed, and who were taken in by the intendant
+of your gardens, who provided nurses for them, and took care of their
+education."
+
+This speech presently cleared up the emperor's understanding. "Bird,"
+cried he, "I believe the truth which you discover to me. The inclination
+which drew me to them told me plainly they must be of my own blood. Come
+then, my sons, come, my daughter, let me embrace you, and give you the
+first marks of a father's love and tenderness." The emperor then rose,
+and after having embraced the two princes and the princess, and mingled
+his tears with theirs, said: "It is not enough, my children; you must
+embrace each other, not as the children of the intendant of my gardens,
+to whom I have been so much obliged for preserving your lives, but as my
+own children, of the royal blood of the monarchs of Persia, whose
+glory, I am persuaded you will maintain."
+
+After the two princes and princess had embraced mutually with new
+satisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished his
+meal in haste; and when he had done, said: "My children, you see in me
+your father; to-morrow I will bring the queen, your mother, therefore
+prepare to receive her."
+
+The emperor afterward mounted his horse, and returned with expedition to
+his capitol. The first thing he did, as soon as he had alighted and
+entered his palace, was to command the grand vizier to seize the queen's
+two sisters. They were taken from their houses separately, convicted,
+and condemned to death; which sentence was put in execution within an
+hour.
+
+In the meantime, the Emperor Kosrouschah, followed by all the lords of
+his court who were then present, went on foot to the door of the great
+mosque; and after he had taken the queen out of the strict confinement
+she had languished under for so many years, embracing her in the
+miserable condition to which she was then reduced, said to her with
+tears in his eyes: "I come to entreat your pardon for the injustice I
+have done you, and to make you the reparation I ought; which I have
+begun, by punishing the unnatural wretches who put the abominable cheat
+upon me; and I hope you will look upon it as complete, when I present to
+you two accomplished princes and a lovely princess, our children. Come
+and resume your former rank, with all the honours which are your due."
+All this was done and said before great crowds of people who flocked
+from all parts at the first news of what was passing, and immediately
+spread the joyful intelligence through the city.
+
+Next morning early the emperor and queen, whose mournful humiliating
+dress was changed for magnificent robes, went with all their court to
+the house built by the intendant of the gardens, where the emperor
+presented the Princes Bahman and Perviz, and the Princess Periezade to
+their enraptured mother. "These, much injured wife," said he, "are the
+two princes your sons, and the princess your daughter; embrace them with
+the same tenderness I have done, since they are worthy both of me and
+you." The tears flowed plentifully down their cheeks at these tender
+embraces, especially the queen's, from the comfort and joy of having two
+such princes for her sons, and such a princess for her daughter, on
+whose account she had so long endured the severest afflictions.
+
+The two princes and the princess had prepared a magnificent repast for
+the emperor and queen and their court. As soon as that was over, the
+emperor led the queen into the garden, and shewed her the Harmonious
+Tree and the beautiful effect of the Golden Fountain. She had seen the
+Bird in his cage, and the emperor had spared no panegyric in his praise
+during the repast.
+
+When there was nothing to detain the emperor any longer, he took horse,
+and with the Princes Bahman and Perviz on his right hand, and the queen
+consort and the princess at his left, preceded and followed by all the
+officers of his court, according to their rank, returned to his capital.
+Crowds of people came out to meet them, and with acclamations of joy
+ushered them into the city, where all eyes were fixed not only upon the
+queen, and her royal children, but also upon the Bird, which the
+princess carried before her in his cage, admiring his sweet notes, which
+had drawn all the other birds about him, and followed him flying from
+tree to tree in the country, and from one house top to another in the
+city. The Princes Bahman and Perviz and the Princess Periezade were at
+length brought to the palace with pomp, and nothing was to be seen or
+heard all that night but illuminations and rejoicings both in the palace
+and in the utmost parts of the city, which lasted many days, and were
+continued throughout the empire of Persia, as intelligence of the joyful
+event reached the several provinces.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE
+
+
+There was once an aged fisherman who was so poor that he could scarcely
+earn as much as would maintain himself, his wife, and three children. He
+went every day to fish betimes in the morning, and imposed it as a law
+upon himself not to cast his nets above four times a day. He went one
+morning by moonlight, and coming to the seaside, undressed himself, and
+cast in his nets. As he drew them toward the shore, he found them very
+heavy, and thought he had a good draught of fish, at which he rejoiced;
+but a moment after, perceiving that instead of fish his net contained
+nothing but the carcass of an ass, he was much vexed.
+
+When he had mended his nets, which the carcass of the ass had broken in
+several places, he threw them in a second time; and when he drew them,
+found a great deal of resistance, which made him think he had taken
+abundance of fish; but he found nothing except a basket full of gravel
+and slime, which grieved him extremely. "O Fortune!" cried he, with a
+lamentable tone, "be not angry with me, nor persecute a wretch who prays
+thee to spare him. I came hither from my house to seek for my
+livelihood, and thou pronouncest against me a sentence of death. I have
+no other trade but this to subsist by, and, notwithstanding all my care,
+I can scarcely provide what is necessary for my family. But I am to
+blame to complain of thee; thou takest pleasure to persecute honest
+people, and advancest those who have no virtue to recommend them."
+
+Having finished this complaint, he fretfully threw away the basket, and,
+washing his nets from the slime, cast them a third time, but brought up
+nothing except stones, shells, and mud. No language can express his
+disappointment; he was almost distracted. However, when day began to
+appear, he did not forget to say his prayers like a good Mussulman, and
+he added to them this petition: "Lord, thou knowest that I cast my nets
+only four times a day; I have already drawn them three times, without
+the least reward for my labour: I am only to cast them once more; I pray
+thee to render the sea favourable to me, as thou didst to Moses."
+
+The fisherman, having finished this prayer, cast his nets the fourth
+time; and when he thought it was proper, drew them as formerly with
+great difficulty; but instead of fish found nothing in them but a vessel
+of yellow copper, which, from its weight, seemed not to be empty; and he
+observed that it was fastened and closed with lead, having the
+impression of a seal upon it. This turn of fortune rejoiced him: "I will
+sell it," said he, "to the founder, and with the money buy a measure of
+corn." He examined the vessel on all sides, and shook it to see if its
+contents made any noise, but heard nothing. This circumstance, with the
+impression of the seal upon the cover, made him think it enclosed
+something precious. To try this, he took a knife and opened it with very
+little labour. He turned the mouth downward, but nothing came out, which
+surprised him extremely. He placed it before him, but while he viewed it
+attentively, there burst forth a very thick smoke, which obliged him to
+retire two or three paces back.
+
+The smoke ascended to the clouds, and, extending itself along the sea
+and upon the shore, formed a great mist, which filled the fisherman
+with astonishment. When the smoke was all out of the vessel, it
+reunited, and became a solid body, of which was formed a genie twice as
+high as the greatest of giants. At the sight of such a monster the
+fisherman would fain have fled, but was so frightened that he could not
+move.
+
+"Solomon," cried the genie immediately, "Solomon, the great prophet,
+pardon, pardon; I will never more oppose your will, I will obey all your
+commands."
+
+The fisherman, when he heard these words of the genie, recovered his
+courage and said to him: "Thou proud spirit, what is it you say? It is
+above eighteen hundred years since the prophet Solomon died, and we are
+now at the end of time. Tell me your history, and how you came to be
+shut up in this vessel."
+
+The genie, turning to the fisherman with a fierce look, said: "Thou must
+address me with more courtesy; thou art a presumptuous fellow to call me
+a proud spirit; speak to me more respectfully, or I will kill thee."
+"Ah!" replied the fisherman, "why should you kill me? Did I not just now
+set you at liberty, and have you already forgotten my services?"
+
+"No, I remember it," said the genie, "but that shall not save thy life:
+I have only one favour to grant thee." "And what is that?" asked the
+fisherman. "It is," answered the genie, "to give thee thy choice in what
+manner thou wouldst have me put thee to death." "But wherein have I
+offended you?" demanded the fisherman. "Is that your reward for the
+service I have rendered you?" "I cannot treat thee otherwise," said the
+genie; "and that thou mayest know the reason, hearken to my story."
+
+"I am one of those rebellious spirits that opposed the will of Solomon,
+the son of David, and to avenge himself, that monarch sent Asaph, the
+son of Barakhia, his chief minister, to apprehend me. Asaph seized
+my person, and brought me by force before his master's throne.
+
+"Solomon commanded me to acknowledge his power, and to submit to his
+commands. I bravely refused, and told him I would rather expose myself
+to his resentment, than swear fealty as he required. To punish me, he
+shut me up in this copper vessel; and that I might not break my prison,
+he himself stamped upon this leaden cover his seal with the great name
+of God engraven upon it. He then gave the vessel to one of the genies
+who had submitted, with orders to throw me into the sea.
+
+"During the first hundred years of my imprisonment, I swore that if any
+one should deliver me before the expiration of that period, I would make
+him rich, even after his death; but that century ran out, and nobody did
+me the good office. During the second, I made an oath that I would open
+all the treasures of the earth to any one that might set me at liberty;
+but with no better success. In the third, I promised to make my
+deliverer a potent monarch, and to grant him every day three requests,
+of what nature soever they might be; but this century passed as well as
+the two former, and I continued in prison. At last, being angry to find
+myself a prisoner so long, I swore that if afterward any one should
+deliver me, I would kill him without mercy, and grant him no favour but
+to choose the manner of his death; and, therefore, since thou hast
+delivered me to-day, I give thee that choice."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_The smoke ascended to the clouds, and extending itself along the sea
+and upon the shore formed a great mist._
+
+This discourse afflicted the fisherman extremely: "I am very
+unfortunate," cried he, "to come hither to do such a kindness to one
+that is so ungrateful. I beg you to consider your injustice, and revoke
+such an unreasonable oath; pardon me, and Heaven will pardon you; if you
+grant me my life, Heaven will protect you from all attempts against your
+own." "No, thy death is resolved on," said the genie, "only choose in
+what manner thou wilt die." The fisherman, perceiving the genie to be
+resolute, was extremely grieved, not so much for himself, as on account
+of his three children, and bewailed the misery they must be reduced to
+by his death. He endeavoured still to appease the genie, and said,
+"Alas! be pleased to take pity on me, in consideration of the service I
+have done you." "I have told thee already," replied the genie, "it is
+for that very reason I must kill thee." "That is strange," said the
+fisherman, "are you resolved to reward good with evil? The proverb truly
+says, 'He who does good to one who deserves it not, is always ill
+rewarded.'" "Do not lose time," interrupted the genie; "all thy
+chattering shall not divert me from my purpose; make haste, and tell me
+what kind of death thou preferrest?"
+
+Necessity is the mother of invention. The fisherman bethought himself of
+a stratagem. "Since I must die then," said he to the genie, "I submit to
+the will of Heaven; but before I choose the manner of my death, I
+conjure you, by the great name which was engraven upon the seal of the
+prophet Solomon, to answer me truly the question I am going to ask you."
+
+The genie finding himself obliged to a positive answer by this
+adjuration, trembled, and replied to the fisherman: "Ask what thou wilt,
+but make haste."
+
+The genie having thus promised to speak the truth, the fisherman said to
+him: "I wish to know if you were actually in this vessel: dare you swear
+it by the name of the great God?" "Yes," replied the genie, "I do swear
+by His great name that I was." "In good faith," answered the fisherman,
+"I cannot believe you; the vessel is not capable of holding one of your
+size, and how should it be possible that your whole body could lie in
+it?" "I swear to thee, notwithstanding," replied the genie, "that I was
+there just as you see me here. Is it possible that thou dost not believe
+me after the solemn oath I have taken?" "Truly not I," said the
+fisherman; "nor will I believe you, unless you go into the vessel
+again."
+
+Upon this the body of the genie dissolved and changed itself into smoke,
+extending as before upon the seashore; and at last being collected, it
+began to re-enter the vessel, which it continued to do by a slow and
+equal motion, till no part remained out; when immediately a voice came
+forth, which said to the fisherman: "Well, incredulous fellow, dost thou
+not believe me now?"
+
+The fisherman, instead of answering the genie, took the cover of lead,
+and having speedily replaced it on the vessel, "Genie," cried he, "now
+it is your turn to beg my favour, and to choose which way I shall put
+you to death; but it is better that I should throw you into the sea,
+whence I took you: and then I will build a house upon the shore, where I
+will reside and give notice to all fishermen who come to throw in their
+nets, to beware of such a wicked genie as you are, who have made an oath
+to kill him that shall set you at liberty."
+
+The genie, enraged at these expressions, struggled to free himself; but
+it was impossible, for the impression of Solomon's seal prevented him.
+Perceiving that the fisherman had the advantage of him, he thought fit
+to dissemble his anger; "Fisherman," said he, "take heed you do not what
+you threaten; for what I spoke to you was only by way of jest." "O
+genie!" replied the fisherman, "thou who wast but a moment ago the
+greatest of all genies, and now art the least of them, thy crafty
+discourse will signify nothing, to the sea thou shalt return. If thou
+hast been there already so long as thou hast told me, thou mayest very
+well stay there till the day of judgment. I begged of thee, in God's
+name, not to take away my life, and thou didst reject my prayers; I am
+obliged to treat thee in the same manner."
+
+The genie omitted nothing that he thought likely to prevail with the
+fisherman: "Open the vessel," said he, "give me my liberty, and I
+promise to satisfy you to your own content." "Thou art a traitor,"
+replied the fisherman, "I should deserve to lose my life, if I were such
+a fool as to trust thee."
+
+"My good fisherman," replied the genie, "I conjure you once more not to
+be guilty of such cruelty; consider that it is not good to avenge one's
+self, and that, on the other hand, it is commendable to do good for
+evil; do not treat me as Imama formerly treated Ateca." "And what did
+Imama to Ateca?" inquired the fisherman. "Ho!" cried the genie, "if you
+have a mind to be informed, open the vessel: do you think that I can be
+in a humour to relate stories in so strait a prison? I will tell you as
+many as you please, when you have let me out." "No," said the fisherman,
+"I will not let thee out; it is in vain to talk of it; I am just going
+to throw thee into the bottom of the sea." "Hear me one word more,"
+cried the genie; "I promise to do you no hurt; nay, far from that, I
+will show you a way to become exceedingly rich."
+
+The hope of delivering himself from poverty prevailed with the
+fisherman. "I could listen to thee," said he, "were there any credit to
+be given to thy word; swear to me, by the great name of God, that thou
+wilt faithfully perform what thou promisest, and I will open the vessel;
+I do not believe thou wilt dare to break such an oath."
+
+The genie swore to him, upon which the fisherman immediately took off
+the covering of the vessel. At that instant the smoke ascended, and the
+genie, having resumed his form, the first thing he did was to kick the
+vessel into the sea. This action alarmed the fisherman. "Genie," said
+he, "will not you keep the oath you just now made?"
+
+The genie laughed at his fear, and answered: "Fisherman, be not afraid,
+I only did it to divert myself, and to see if you would be alarmed at
+it; but to convince you that I am in earnest, take your nets and follow
+me." As he spoke these words, he walked before the fisherman, who having
+taken up his nets, followed him, but with some distrust. They passed by
+the town, and came to the top of a mountain, from whence they descended
+into a vast plain, which brought them to a lake that lay betwixt four
+hills.
+
+When they reached the side of the lake, the genie said to the fisherman:
+"Cast in your nets and catch fish." The fisherman did not doubt of
+taking some, because he saw a great number in the water; but he was
+extremely surprised when he found they were of four colours; white, red,
+blue, and yellow. He threw in his nets and brought out one of each
+colour. Having never seen the like before, he could not but admire them,
+and, judging that he might get a considerable sum for them, he was very
+joyful. "Carry those fish," said the genie to him, "and present them to
+your sultan; he will give you more money for them. You may come daily to
+fish in this lake; but I give you warning not to throw in your nets
+above once a day, otherwise you will repent." Having spoken thus, he
+struck his foot upon the ground, which opened, and after it had
+swallowed him up, closed again.
+
+The fisherman, being resolved to follow the genie's advice, forbore
+casting in his nets a second time, and returned to the town very well
+satisfied, and making a thousand reflections upon his adventure. He went
+immediately to the sultan's palace to offer his fish, and his majesty
+was much surprised when he saw the wonders which the fisherman
+presented. He took them up one after another, and viewed them with
+attention; and after having admired them a long time, "Take those fish,"
+said he to his vizier, "and carry them to the cook whom the emperor of
+the Greeks has sent me. I cannot imagine but that they must be as good
+as they are beautiful."
+
+The vizier carried them as he was directed, and delivering them to the
+cook, said: "Here are four fish just brought to the sultan; he orders
+you to dress them." He then returned to the sultan, who commanded him to
+give the fisherman four hundred pieces of gold, which he did
+accordingly.
+
+The fisherman, who had never seen so much money, could scarcely believe
+his good fortune, but thought the whole must be a dream, until he found
+it otherwise, by being able to provide necessaries for his family with
+the produce of his nets.
+
+As soon as the sultan's cook had cleaned the fish, she put them upon the
+fire in a frying-pan, with oil, and when she thought them fried enough
+on one side, she turned them upon the other; but, O monstrous prodigy!
+scarcely were they turned, when the wall of the kitchen divided, and a
+young lady of wonderful beauty entered from the opening. She held a rod
+in her hand and was clad in flowered satin, with pendants in her ears, a
+necklace of large pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies. She
+moved toward the frying-pan, to the great amazement of the cook, and
+striking one of the fish with the end of the rod, said: "Fish, fish, are
+you in your duty?" The fish having answered nothing, she repeated these
+words, and then the four fish lifted up their heads, and replied: "Yes,
+yes: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if
+you fly, we overcome, and are content." As soon as they had finished
+these words, the lady overturned the frying-pan, and returned into the
+open part of the wall, which closed immediately, and became as it was
+before.
+
+The cook was greatly frightened at what had happened, and coming a
+little to herself went to take up the fish that had fallen on the
+hearth, but found them blacker than coal and not fit to be carried to
+the sultan. This grievously troubled her, and she fell to weeping most
+bitterly. "Alas!" said she, "what will become of me? If I tell the
+sultan what I have seen, I am sure he will not believe me, but will be
+enraged against me."
+
+While she was thus bewailing herself, the grand vizier entered, and
+asked her if the fish were ready. She told him all that had occurred,
+which we may easily imagine astonished him; but without speaking a word
+of it to the sultan he invented an excuse that satisfied him, and
+sending immediately for the fisherman bid him bring four more such fish,
+for a misfortune had befallen the others, so that they were not fit to
+be carried to the royal table. The fisherman, without saying anything of
+what the genie had told him, told the vizier he had a great way to go
+for them, in order to excuse himself from bringing them that day, but
+said that he would certainly bring them on the morrow.
+
+Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and coming to the lake,
+threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four fish like the former,
+and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed. The minister took
+them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and shutting himself up with
+the cook, she cleaned them and put them on the fire. When they were
+fried on one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the kitchen
+wall again opened, and the same lady came in with the rod in her hand,
+struck one of the fish, spoke to it as before, and all four gave her the
+same answer.
+
+After they had spoken to the young lady, she overturned the frying-pan
+with her rod, and retired into the wall. The grand vizier being witness
+to what had passed, "This is too wonderful and extraordinary," said he,
+"to be concealed from the sultan; I will inform him of this prodigy."
+
+The sultan, being much surprised, sent immediately for the fisherman,
+and said to him: "Friend, cannot you bring me four more such fish?" The
+fisherman replied: "If your majesty will be pleased to allow me three
+days, I will do it." Having obtained his time, he went to the lake
+immediately, and at the first throwing in of his net he caught four
+fish, and brought them directly to the sultan, who was so much the more
+rejoiced, as he did not expect them so soon, and ordered him four
+hundred pieces of gold. As soon as the sultan had the fish, he ordered
+them to be carried into his closet, with all that was necessary for
+frying them; and having shut himself up with the vizier, the minister
+cleaned them, put them into the pan, and when they were fried on one
+side, turned them upon the other; then the wall of the closet opened,
+but instead of the young lady, there came out a black, in the habit of a
+slave, and of a gigantic stature, with a great green staff in his hand.
+He advanced toward the pan, and touching one of the fish with his staff,
+said, with a terrible voice: "Fish, are you in your duty?" At these
+words the fish raised up their heads, and answered: "Yes, yes; we are;
+if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you
+fly, we overcome and are content."
+
+The fish had no sooner finished these words, than the black threw the
+pan into the middle of the closet, and reduced them to a coal. Having
+done this, he retired fiercely, and entering again into the aperture, it
+closed, and the wall appeared just as it did before.
+
+"After what I have seen," said the sultan to the vizier, "it will not be
+possible for me to be easy; these fish, without doubt, signify something
+extraordinary." He sent for the fisherman, and when he came, said to
+him: "Fisherman, the fish you have brought us make me very uneasy; where
+did you catch them?" "Sir," answered he, "I fished for them in a lake
+situated betwixt four hills, beyond the mountain that we see from
+hence." "Know'st thou not that lake?" said the sultan to the vizier.
+"No," replied the vizier, "I never so much as heard of it, although I
+have for sixty years hunted beyond that mountain." The sultan asked the
+fisherman how far the lake might be from the palace. The fisherman
+answered it was not above three hours' journey; upon this assurance the
+sultan commanded all his court to take horse, and the fisherman served
+them for a guide. They all ascended the mountain, and at the foot of it
+they saw, to their great surprise, a vast plain that nobody had observed
+till then, and at last they came to the lake, which they found to be
+situated betwixt four hills, as the fisherman had described. The water
+was so transparent that they observed all the fish to be like those
+which the fisherman had brought to the palace.
+
+The sultan stood upon the bank of the lake, and after beholding the fish
+with admiration, demanded of his courtiers if it were possible they had
+never seen this lake which was within so short a distance of the town.
+They all answered that they had never so much as heard of it.
+
+"Since you all agree that you never heard of it," said the sultan, "and
+as I am no less astonished than you are at this novelty, I am resolved
+not to return to my palace till I learn how this lake came here, and why
+all the fish in it are of four colours." Having spoken thus, he ordered
+his court to encamp; and immediately his pavilion and the tents of his
+household were planted upon the banks of the lake.
+
+When night came the sultan retired under his pavilion, and spoke to the
+grand vizier thus: "Vizier, my mind is uneasy; this lake transported
+hither, the black that appeared to us in my closet, and the fish that we
+heard speak; all these things so much excite my curiosity that I cannot
+resist my impatient desire to have it satisfied. To this end I am
+resolved to withdraw alone from the camp, and I order you to keep my
+absence secret: stay in my pavilion, and to-morrow morning, when the
+emirs and courtiers come to attend my levee, send them away and tell
+them that I am somewhat indisposed and wish to be alone; and the
+following days tell them the same thing, till I return."
+
+The grand vizier endeavoured to divert the sultan from this design; he
+represented to him the danger to which he might be exposed, and that all
+his labour might perhaps be in vain; but it was to no purpose; the
+sultan was resolved. He put on a suit fit for walking and took his
+cimeter; and as soon as he found that all was quiet in the camp, went
+out alone, and passed over one of the hills without much difficulty; he
+found the descent still more easy, and when he came to the plain, walked
+on till the sun arose, and then he saw before him, at a considerable
+distance, a vast building. He rejoiced at the sight, in hopes of
+receiving there the information he sought. When he drew near, he found
+it was a magnificent palace, or rather a strong castle, of black
+polished marble, and covered with fine steel, as smooth as glass. Being
+highly pleased that he had so speedily met with something worthy his
+curiosity, he stopped before the front of the castle, and considered it
+with attention.
+
+He then advanced toward the gate, which had two leaves, one of them
+open; though he might immediately have entered, yet he thought it best
+to knock. This he did at first softly, and waited for some time; but
+seeing no one, and supposing he had not been heard, he knocked harder
+the second time, and after that he knocked again and again, but no one
+yet appearing, he was exceedingly surprised; for he could not think
+that a castle in such repair was without inhabitants. "If there be no
+one in it," said he to himself, "I have nothing to fear; and if it be
+inhabited, I have wherewith to defend myself."
+
+At last he entered, and when he came within the porch, he cried: "Is
+there no one here to receive a stranger who comes in for some
+refreshment as he passes by?" He repeated the same words two or three
+times; but though he spoke very loud, he was not answered. The silence
+increased his astonishment: he came into a spacious court, and looked on
+every side for inhabitants, but discovered none.
+
+Perceiving nobody in the court, he entered the grand halls, which were
+hung with silk tapestry, the alcoves and sofas covered with stuffs of
+Mecca, and the porches with the richest stuffs of India. He came
+afterward into a superb saloon, in the middle of which was a fountain,
+with a lion of massy gold at each angle: water issued from the mouths of
+the four lions, and as it fell, formed diamonds and pearls resembling a
+jet d'eau, which, springing from the middle of the fountain, rose nearly
+to the top of a cupola painted in Arabesque.
+
+The castle, on three sides, was encompassed by a garden, with parterres
+of flowers and shrubbery; and to complete the beauty of the place, an
+infinite number of birds filled the air with their harmonious notes, and
+always remained there, nets being spread over the garden, and fastened
+to the palace to confine them. The sultan walked from apartment to
+apartment, where he found everything rich and magnificent. Being tired
+with walking, he sat down in a veranda, which had a view over the
+garden, reflecting upon what he had seen, when suddenly he heard the
+voice of one complaining, in lamentable tones. He listened with
+attention, and heard distinctly these words: "O fortune! thou who
+wouldst not suffer me longer to enjoy a happy lot, forbear to persecute
+me, and by a speedy death put an end to my sorrows. Alas! is it possible
+that I am still alive, after so many torments as I have suffered!"
+
+The sultan rose up, advanced toward the place whence he heard the voice,
+and coming to the door of a great hall, opened it, and saw a handsome
+young man, richly habited, seated upon a throne raised a little above
+the ground. Melancholy was painted on his countenance. The sultan drew
+near and saluted him; the young man returned his salutation, by an
+inclination of his head, not being able to rise, at the same time
+saying: "My lord, I should rise to receive you, but am hindered by sad
+necessity, and therefore hope you will not be offended." "My lord,"
+replied the sultan, "I am much obliged to you for having so good an
+opinion of me: as to the reason of your not rising, whatever your
+apology be, I heartily accept it. Being drawn hither by your complaints,
+and afflicted by your grief, I come to offer you my help. I flatter
+myself that you will relate to me the history of your misfortunes; but
+inform me first of the meaning of the lake near the palace, where the
+fish are of four colours; whose castle is this; how you came to be here;
+and why you are alone."
+
+Instead of answering these questions, the young man began to weep
+bitterly. "How inconstant is fortune!" cried he; "she takes pleasure to
+pull down those she has raised. Where are they who enjoy quietly the
+happiness which they hold of her, and whose day is always clear and
+serene?"
+
+The sultan, moved with compassion to see him in such a condition, prayed
+him to relate the cause of his excessive grief. "Alas! my lord," replied
+the young man, "how is it possible but I should grieve, and my eyes be
+inexhaustible fountains of tears?" At these words, lifting up his robe,
+he showed the sultan that he was a man only from the head to the girdle,
+and that the other half of his body was black marble.
+
+The sultan was much surprised when he saw the deplorable condition of
+the young man. "That which you show me," said he, "while it fills me
+with horror, excites my curiosity, so that I am impatient to hear your
+history, which, no doubt, must be extraordinary, and I am persuaded that
+the lake and the fish make some part of it; therefore I conjure you to
+relate it. You will find some comfort in so doing, since it is certain
+that the unfortunate find relief in making known their distress." "I
+will not refuse your request," replied the young man, "though I cannot
+comply without renewing my grief. But I give you notice beforehand, to
+prepare your ears, your mind, and even your eyes, for things which
+surpass all that the imagination can conceive."
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES
+
+
+"You must know, my lord," said the wretched prisoner, "that my father,
+named Mahmoud, was monarch of this country. This is the kingdom of the
+Black Isles, which takes its name from the four small neighbouring
+mountains; for those mountains were formerly isles, and the capital
+where the king, my father, resided was situated on the spot now occupied
+by the lake you have seen. The sequel of my history will inform you of
+the reason for those changes.
+
+"The king, my father, died when he was seventy years of age; I had no
+sooner succeeded him than I married, and the lady I chose to share the
+royal dignity with me was my cousin. I had so much reason to be
+satisfied with her affection, and, on my part, loved her with so much
+tenderness, that nothing could surpass the harmony of our union. This
+lasted five years, at the end of which time I perceived the queen ceased
+to delight in my attentions.
+
+"One day, after dinner, while she was at the bath, I found myself
+inclined to repose, and lay down upon a sofa. Two of her ladies, who
+were then in my chamber, came and sat down, one at my head and the other
+at my feet, with fans in their hands to moderate the heat, and to
+prevent the flies from disturbing me. They thought I was asleep, and
+spoke in whispers; but as I only closed my eyes, I heard all their
+conversation.
+
+"One of them said to the other, 'Is not the queen wrong, not to love so
+amiable a prince?' 'Certainly,' replied her companion; 'I do not
+understand the reason, neither can I conceive why she goes out every
+night, and leaves him alone! Is it possible that he does not perceive
+it?' 'Alas!' said the first, 'how should he? She mixes every evening in
+his liquor the juice of a certain herb, which makes him sleep so sound
+all night that she has time to go where she pleases, and as day begins
+to appear she comes and wakes him by the smell of something she puts
+under his nostrils.'
+
+"You may guess, my lord, how much I was surprised at this conversation,
+and with what sentiments it inspired me; yet whatever emotion it excited
+I had sufficient self-command to dissemble, and feigned to awake without
+having heard a word.
+
+"The queen returned from the bath, we supped together, and she presented
+me with a cup full of such liquid as I was accustomed to drink; but
+instead of putting it to my mouth, I went to a window that was open,
+threw out the water so quickly that she did not perceive it, and
+returned.
+
+"Soon after, believing that I was asleep, she arose with so little
+precaution, that she whispered loud enough for me to hear her
+distinctly, 'Sleep on, and may you never wake again!' and so saying, she
+dressed herself, and went out of the chamber.
+
+"As soon as the queen, my wife, was gone, I arose in haste, took my
+cimeter, and followed her so quickly that I soon heard the sound of her
+feet before me, and then walked softly after her. She passed through
+several gates, which opened upon her pronouncing some magical words, and
+the last she opened was that of the garden, which she entered. I stopped
+at this gate, that she might not perceive me as she passed along a
+parterre; then looking after her as far as the darkness of the night
+permitted, I saw her enter a little wood, whose walks were guarded by
+thick palisadoes. I went thither by another way, and concealing myself,
+I saw her walking there with a man.
+
+"I did not fail to lend the most attentive ear to their discourse, and
+heard her address herself thus to her gallant: 'I do not deserve,' she
+said, 'to be reproached by you for want of diligence. You well know the
+reason; but if all the proofs of affection I have already given you be
+not sufficient to convince you of my sincerity, I am ready to give you
+others more decisive: you need but command me, you know my power; I
+will, if you desire it, before sunrise convert this great city, and this
+superb palace, into frightful ruins, inhabited only by wolves, owls, and
+ravens. If you would have me transport all the stones of those walls so
+solidly built, beyond Mount Caucasus, the bounds of the habitable world,
+speak but the word, and all shall be changed.'
+
+"As the queen finished this speech she and her companion came to the end
+of the walk, turned to enter another, and passed before me. I had
+already drawn my cimeter, and the man being next me, I struck him on the
+neck, and brought him to the ground. I concluded I had killed him, and
+therefore retired speedily without making myself known to the queen,
+whom I chose to spare, because she was my kinswoman.
+
+"The wound I had given her companion was mortal; but by her enchantments
+she preserved him in an existence in which he could not be said to be
+either dead or alive. As I crossed the garden to return to the palace, I
+heard the queen loudly lamenting, and judging by her cries how much she
+was grieved, I was pleased that I had spared her life.
+
+"As soon as I had reached my apartment, I went to bed, and being
+satisfied with having punished the villain who had injured me, fell
+asleep.
+
+"Next morning I arose, went to my closet, and dressed myself. I
+afterward held my council. At my return, the queen, clad in mourning,
+her hair dishevelled, and part of it torn off, presented herself before
+me, and said: 'I come to beg your majesty not to be surprised to see me
+in this condition. My heavy affliction is occasioned by intelligence of
+three distressing events which I have just received.' 'Alas! what are
+they, madam?' said I. 'The death of the queen, my dear mother,' she
+replied, 'that of the king, my father, killed in battle, and of one of
+my brothers, who has fallen down a precipice.'
+
+"I was not displeased that she used these pretexts to conceal the true
+cause of her grief. 'Madam,' said I, 'so far from blaming, I assure you
+I heartily commiserate your sorrow. I should feel surprise if you were
+insensible to such heavy calamities: weep on; your tears are so many
+proofs of your tenderness; but I hope that time and reflection will
+moderate your grief.'
+
+"She retired into her apartment, where, giving herself wholly up to
+sorrow, she spent a whole year in mourning and lamentation. At the end
+of that period, she begged permission to erect a burying-place for
+herself, within the bounds of the palace, where she would continue, she
+told me, to the end of her days: I consented, and she built a stately
+edifice, and called it the Palace of Tears. When it was finished, she
+caused the object of her care to be conveyed thither; she had hitherto
+prevented his dying, by potions which she had administered to him; and
+she continued to convey them to him herself every day after he came to
+the Palace of Tears.
+
+"Yet, with all her enchantments, she could not cure the wretch; he was
+not only unable to walk or support himself, but had also lost the use of
+his speech, and exhibited no sign of life except in his looks.
+
+"Every day the queen made him two long visits. I was well apprised of
+this, but pretended ignorance. One day my curiosity induced me to go to
+the Palace of Tears, to observe how my consort employed herself, and
+from a place where she could not see me, I heard her thus address the
+wounded ruffian: 'I am afflicted to the highest degree to behold you in
+this condition,' she cried, 'I am as sensible as yourself of the
+tormenting pain you endure; but, dear soul, I am continually speaking to
+you, and you do not answer me: how long will you remain silent? Speak
+only one word: alas! the sweetest moments of my life are these I spend
+here in partaking of your grief.'
+
+"At these words, which were several times interrupted by her sighs, I
+lost all patience: and discovering myself, came up to her, and said,
+'Madam, you have wept enough, it is time to give over this sorrow, which
+dishonours us both; you have too much forgotten what you owe to me and
+to yourself.' 'Sire,' said she, 'if you have any kindness or compassion
+for me left, I beseech you to put no restraint upon me; allow me to
+indulge my grief, which it is impossible for time to assuage.'
+
+"When I perceived that my remonstrance, instead of restoring her to a
+sense of duty, served only to increase her anguish, I ceased speaking
+and retired. She continued every day to visit her charge, and for two
+whole years abandoned herself to grief and despair.
+
+"I went a second time to the Palace of Tears, while she was there. I
+concealed myself again, and heard her thus cry out: 'It is now three
+years since you spoke one word to me; you answer not the proofs I give
+you of my devotion by my sighs and lamentations. Is it from
+insensibility, or contempt? O tomb! tell me by what miracle thou
+becamest the depository of the rarest treasure the world ever
+contained.'
+
+"I must confess, my lord, I was enraged at these expressions; for, in
+truth, this adored mortal was by no means what you would imagine him to
+have been. He was a black Indian, one of the original natives of this
+country. I was so enraged at the language addressed to him, that I
+discovered myself, and apostrophising the tomb in my turn, I cried, 'O
+tomb! why dost thou not swallow up that monster so revolting to human
+nature, or rather why dost thou not swallow up this pair of monsters?'
+
+"I had scarcely uttered these words, when the queen, who sat by the
+black, rose up like a fury: 'Miscreant!' said she, 'thou art the cause
+of my grief; do not think I am ignorant of this, I have dissembled too
+long. It was thy barbarous hand that brought the object of my fondness
+into this lamentable condition; and thou hast the cruelty to come and
+insult me.' 'Yes,' said I, in a rage, 'it was I who chastised that
+monster, according to his desert; I ought to have treated thee in the
+same manner; I now repent that I did not; thou hast too long abused my
+goodness.' As I spoke these words, I drew out my cimeter, and lifted up
+my hand to punish her; but regarding me steadfastly, she said with a
+jeering smile, 'Moderate thine anger.' At the same time she pronounced
+words I did not understand; and afterward added, 'By virtue of my
+enchantments, I command thee to become half marble and half man.'
+Immediately, my lord, I became what you see, a dead man among the
+living, and a living man among the dead. After this cruel sorceress,
+unworthy of the name of queen, had metamorphosed me thus, and brought me
+into this hall, by another enchantment she destroyed my capital, which
+was very flourishing and populous; she annihilated the houses, the
+public places and markets, and reduced the site of the whole to the lake
+and desert plain you have seen; the fishes of four colours in the waters
+are the four kinds of inhabitants, of different religions, which the
+city contained. The white are the Mussulmans; the red, the Persians, who
+worship fire; the blue, the Christians; and the yellow, the Jews. The
+four little hills were the four islands that gave name to this kingdom.
+I learned all this from the enchantress, who, to add to my affliction,
+related to me these effects of her rage. But this is not all; her
+revenge not being satisfied with the destruction of my dominions, and
+the metamorphosis of my person, she comes every day, and gives me over
+my naked shoulders a hundred lashes with a whip until I am covered with
+blood. When she has finished this part of my punishment, she throws over
+me a coarse stuff of goat's hair, and over that this robe of brocade,
+not to honour, but to mock me."
+
+When he came to this part of his narrative, the young king could not
+restrain his tears; and the sultan was himself so affected by the
+relation, that he could not find utterance for any words of consolation.
+Shortly after, the young king, lifting up his eyes to heaven, exclaimed,
+"Mighty creator of all things, I submit myself to Thy judgments, and to
+the decrees of Thy providence: I endure my calamities with patience,
+since it is Thy will that things should be as they are; but I hope that
+Thy infinite goodness will ultimately reward me."
+
+The sultan, greatly moved by the recital of this affecting story, and
+anxious to avenge the sufferings of the unfortunate prince, said to him:
+"Inform me whither this perfidious sorceress retires, and where may be
+found the vile wretch, who is entombed before his death." "My lord,"
+replied the prince, "the Indian, as I have already told you, is lodged
+in the Palace of Tears, in a superb tomb constructed in the form of a
+dome: this palace joins the castle on the side in which the gate is
+placed. As to the queen, I cannot tell you precisely whither she
+retires, but every day at sunrise she goes to visit her charge, after
+having executed her bloody vengeance upon me; and you see I am not in a
+condition to defend myself. She carries to him the potion with which she
+has hitherto prevented his dying, and always complains of his never
+having spoken to her since he was wounded."
+
+"Prince," said the sultan, "your condition can never be sufficiently
+deplored: no one can be more sensibly affected by your misfortune than I
+am. Never did anything so extraordinary befall any man! One thing only
+is wanting; the revenge to which you are entitled, and I will omit
+nothing in my power to effect it."
+
+In his subsequent conversation with the young prince the sultan told him
+who he was, and for what purpose he had entered the castle; and
+afterward informed him of a mode of revenge which he had devised. They
+agreed upon the measures they were to take for accomplishing their
+design, but deferred the execution of it till the following day. In the
+meantime, the night being far spent, the sultan took some rest; but the
+young prince passed the night as usual, without sleep, never having
+slept since he was enchanted.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_When he came to this part of his narrative the young king could not
+restrain his tears._
+
+Next morning the sultan arose with the dawn, and prepared to execute his
+design, by proceeding to the Palace of Tears. He found it lighted up
+with an infinite number of flambeaux of white wax, and perfumed by a
+delicious scent issuing from several censers of fine gold of admirable
+workmanship. As soon as he perceived the bed where the Indian lay, he
+drew his cimeter and deprived him of his wretched life, dragged his
+corpse into the court of the castle, and threw it into a well. After
+this he went and lay down in the black's bed, placed his cimeter under
+the covering, and waited to complete his design.
+
+The queen arrived shortly after. She first went into the chamber of her
+husband, the king of the Black Islands, stripped him, and with
+unexampled barbarity gave him a hundred stripes. The unfortunate prince
+filled the palace with his lamentations, and conjured her in the most
+affecting tone to take pity on him; but the cruel wretch ceased not till
+she had given the usual number of blows. "You had no compassion," said
+she, "and you are to expect none from me."
+
+After the enchantress had given her husband a hundred blows with the
+whip, she put on again his covering of goat's hair, and his brocade gown
+over all; she went afterward to the Palace of Tears, and as she entered
+renewed her tears and lamentations; then approaching the bed, where she
+thought the Indian lay: "Alas!" said she, addressing herself to the
+sultan, conceiving him to be the black, "My sun, my life, will you
+always be silent? Are you resolved to let me die without affording me
+the comfort of hearing your voice?"
+
+The sultan, as if he had awaked out of a deep sleep, and counterfeiting
+the pronunciation of the blacks, answered the queen with a grave tone:
+"There is no strength or power but in God alone, who is almighty." At
+these words the enchantress, who did not expect them, uttered a loud
+exclamation of joy. "My dear lord," cried she, "do I not deceive myself;
+is it certain that I hear you, and that you speak to me?" "Unhappy
+woman," said the sultan, "art thou worthy that I should answer thee?"
+"Alas!" replied the queen, "why do you reproach me thus?" "The cries,"
+returned the sultan, "the groans and tears of thy husband, whom thou
+treatest every day with so much indignity and barbarity, prevent my
+sleeping night or day. Hadst thou disenchanted him, I should long since
+have been cured, and have recovered the use of my speech. This is the
+cause of my silence, of which you complain." "Well," said the
+enchantress, "to pacify you, I am ready to execute your commands; would
+you have me restore him?" "Yes," replied the sultan; "make haste to set
+him at liberty, that I be no longer disturbed by his lamentations." The
+enchantress went immediately out of the Palace of Tears; she took a cup
+of water, and pronounced some words over it, which caused it to boil, as
+if it had been on the fire. She afterward proceeded to the young king,
+and threw the water upon him, saying: "If the Creator of all things did
+form thee as thou art at present, or if He be angry with thee, do not
+change; but if thou art in that condition merely by virtue of my
+enchantments, resume thy natural shape, and become what thou wast
+before." She had scarcely spoken these words when the prince, finding
+himself restored to his former condition, rose up and returned thanks to
+God. The enchantress then said to him, "Get thee from this castle, and
+never return on pain of death." The young king, yielding to necessity,
+went away without replying a word, and retired to a remote place, where
+he patiently awaited the event of the design which the sultan had so
+happily begun. Meanwhile the enchantress returned to the Palace of
+Tears, and supposing that she still spoke to the black, said, "Dear
+love, I have done what you required; nothing now prevents your rising
+and giving me the satisfaction of which I have so long been deprived."
+
+The sultan, still counterfeiting the pronunciation of the black, said:
+"What you have now done is by no means sufficient for my cure; you have
+only removed a part of the evil; you must cut it up by the root." "My
+lovely black," resumed the queen, "what do you mean by the root?"
+"Wretched woman," replied the sultan, "understand you not that I allude
+to the town and its inhabitants, and the four islands, destroyed by thy
+enchantments? The fish every night at midnight raise their heads out of
+the lake, and cry for vengeance against thee and me. This is the true
+cause of the delay of my cure. Go speedily, restore things to their
+former state, and at thy return I will give thee my hand, and thou shalt
+help me to arise."
+
+The enchantress, inspired with hope from these words, cried out in a
+transport of joy, "My heart, my soul, you shall soon be restored to your
+health, for I will immediately do as you command me." Accordingly she
+went that instant, and when she came to the brink of the lake she took a
+little water in her hand, and sprinkling it, she pronounced some words
+over the fish and the lake, and the city was immediately restored. The
+fish became men, women, and children; Mohammedans, Christians, Persians,
+or Jews; freemen or slaves, as they were before: every one having
+recovered his natural form. The houses and shops were immediately filled
+with their inhabitants, who found all things as they were before the
+enchantment. The sultan's numerous retinue, who found themselves
+encamped in the largest square, were astonished to see themselves in an
+instant in the middle of a large, handsome, well-peopled city.
+
+To return to the enchantress: As soon as she had effected this wonderful
+change, she returned with all expedition to the Palace of Tears, that
+she might receive her reward. "My dear lord," cried she, as she entered,
+"I have done all that you required of me, then pray rise and give me
+your hand." "Come near," said the sultan, still counterfeiting the
+pronunciation of the black. She did so. "You are not near enough," he
+continued; "approach nearer." She obeyed. He then rose up, and seizing
+her by the arm so suddenly that she had not time to discover him, he
+with a blow of his cimeter cut her in two, so that one half fell one way
+and the other another. This done, he left the body on the spot, and
+going out of the Palace of Tears, went to seek the young king of the
+Black Isles, who waited for him with great impatience. When he found
+him, "Prince," said he, embracing him, "rejoice; you have now nothing to
+fear; your cruel enemy is dead."
+
+The young prince returned thanks to the sultan in a manner that
+sufficiently evinced his gratitude, and in return wished him long life
+and happiness. "You may henceforward," said the sultan, "dwell peaceably
+in your capital, unless you will accompany me to mine, which is near:
+you shall there be welcome, and have as much honour shown you as if you
+were in your own kingdom." "Potent monarch, to whom I am so much
+indebted," replied the king, "you think, then, that you are near your
+capital." "Yes," said the sultan, "I know it is not above four or five
+hours' journey." "It will take you a whole year to return," said the
+prince. "I do indeed believe that you came hither from your capital in
+the time you mention, because mine was enchanted; but since the
+enchantment is taken off, things are changed: however, this shall not
+prevent my following you, were it to the utmost corners of the earth.
+You are my deliverer, and that I may give you proofs of my
+acknowledgment of this during my whole life, I am willing to accompany
+you, and to leave my kingdom without regret."
+
+The sultan was extremely surprised to understand that he was so far from
+his dominions, and could not imagine how it could be, but the young king
+of the Black Islands convinced him beyond a possibility of doubt. Then
+the sultan replied: "It is no matter; the trouble of returning to my own
+country is sufficiently recompensed by the satisfaction of having
+obliged you, and by acquiring you for a son; for since you will do me
+the honour to accompany me, as I have no child, I look upon you as such,
+and from this moment appoint you my heir and successor."
+
+The young prince then employed himself in making preparations for his
+journey, which were finished in three weeks, to the great regret of his
+court and subjects, who agreed to receive at his hands one of his
+nearest kindred for their monarch.
+
+At length the sultan and the young prince began their journey, with a
+hundred camels laden with inestimable riches from the treasury, followed
+by fifty handsome gentlemen on horseback, perfectly well mounted and
+dressed. They had a pleasant journey; and when the sultan, who had sent
+couriers to give advice of his delay, and of the adventure which had
+occasioned it, approached his capital, the principal officers came to
+receive him, and to assure him that his long absence had occasioned no
+alteration in his empire. The inhabitants also came out in great crowds,
+received him with acclamations, and made public rejoicings for several
+days.
+
+The day after his arrival the sultan acquainted his courtiers with his
+adoption of the king of the Four Black Islands, who was willing to leave
+a great kingdom to accompany and live with him; and in reward for their
+loyalty, he made each of them presents according to their rank.
+
+As for the fisherman, as he was the first cause of the deliverance of
+the young prince, the sultan gave him a plentiful fortune, which made
+him and his family happy the rest of his days.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF GULNARE OF THE SEA
+
+
+There was, in olden time, and in an ancient age and period, in the land
+of the Persians, a king named Shahzeman, and the place of his residence
+was Khorassan. He had not been blest, during his whole life, with a male
+child nor a female; and he reflected upon this, one day, and lamented
+that the greater portion of his life had passed, and he had no heir to
+take the kingdom after him as he had inherited it from his fathers and
+forefathers. So the utmost grief befell him on this account.
+
+Now while he was sitting one day, one of his mamelukes came in to him,
+and said to him: "O my lord, at the door is a slave-girl with a
+merchant: none more beautiful than she hath been seen." And he replied:
+"Bring to me the merchant and the slave-girl." The merchant and the
+slave-girl therefore came to him; and when he saw her, he found her to
+resemble the lance in straightness and slenderness. She was wrapped in a
+garment of silk embroidered with gold, and the merchant uncovered her
+face, whereupon the place was illuminated by her beauty, and there hung
+down from her forehead seven locks of hair reaching to her anklets. The
+King, therefore, wondered at the sight of her, and at her beauty, and
+her stature and justness of form; and he said to the merchant: "O
+sheikh, for how much is this damsel to be sold?" The merchant answered:
+"O my lord, I purchased her for two thousand pieces of gold of the
+merchant who owned her before me, and I have been for three years
+travelling with her, and she hath cost, to the period of her arrival at
+this place, three thousand pieces of gold; and she is a present from me
+unto thee." Upon this, the king conferred upon him a magnificent robe of
+honour, and gave orders to present him with ten thousand pieces of gold.
+So he took them, and kissed the hands of the king, thanking him for his
+beneficence, and departed. Then the king committed the damsel to the
+tirewomen, saying to them: "Amend the state of this damsel, and deck
+her, and furnish for her a private chamber, and take her into it." He
+also gave orders to his chamberlains that everything which she required
+should be conveyed to her. The seat of government where he resided was
+on the shore of the sea, and his city was called the White City. And
+they conducted the damsel into a private chamber, which chamber had
+windows overlooking the sea; and the king commanded his chamberlains to
+close all the doors upon her after taking to her all that she required.
+
+The king then went in to visit the damsel; but she rose not to him, nor
+took any notice of him. So the king said: "It seemeth that she hath been
+with people who have not taught her good manners." And looking at the
+damsel, he saw her to be a person surpassing in loveliness, her face was
+like the disk of the moon at the full, or the shining sun in the clear
+sky; and he wondered at her beauty, extolling the perfection of God, the
+Creator: then the king advanced to the damsel, and seated himself by her
+side, pressed her to his bosom, and kissed her lips, which he found to
+be sweeter than honey. After this, he gave orders to bring tables of the
+richest viands, comprising dishes of every kind; and he ate, and put
+morsels into her mouth until she was satisfied; but she spoke not a
+single word. The king talked to her, and inquired of her her name; but
+she was silent, not uttering a word, nor returning him an answer,
+ceasing not to hang down her head toward the ground; and what protected
+her from the anger of the king was her beauty, and her tenderness of
+manner. So the king said within himself: "Extolled be the perfection of
+God, the Creator of this damsel! How elegant is she, saving that she
+doth not speak!"--Then the king asked the female slaves whether she had
+spoken; and they answered him: "From the time of her arrival to the
+present moment she hath not spoken one word, and we have not heard her
+talk." The king therefore caused some of them to come, and sing to her,
+and make merry with her, thinking that then she might perhaps speak.
+Accordingly the female slaves played before her with all kinds of
+musical instruments, and enacted sports and other performances, and they
+sang so that every one who was present was moved with delight, except
+the damsel, who looked at them and was silent, neither laughing nor
+speaking. So the heart of the king was contracted. He however inclined
+to her entirely, paying no regard to others, but relinquishing all the
+rest of his favourites.
+
+He remained with her a whole year, which seemed as one day, and still
+she spoke not; and he said to her one day, when his passion was
+excessive: "O desire of souls, verily the love that I have for thee is
+great, and I have relinquished for thy sake all my worldly portion, and
+been patient with thee a whole year. I beg God that He will, in His
+grace, soften thy heart toward me, and that thou mayest speak to me. Or,
+if thou be dumb, inform me by a sign, that I may give up hope of thy
+speaking. I also beg of God that He will bless thee with a son that may
+inherit my kingdom after me; for I am solitary, having none to be my
+heir, and my age hath become great. I conjure thee, then, by Allah, if
+thou love me, that thou return me a reply." And upon this, the damsel
+hung her head toward the ground, meditating. Then she raised her head,
+and smiled in the face of the king, whereat it appeared to the king that
+lightning filled the private chamber; and she said: "O magnanimous King,
+God hath answered thy prayer; for I am about to bring thee a child, and
+the time is almost come. And were it not that I knew this thing, I had
+not spoken to thee one word." And when the king heard what she said, his
+face brightened up with happiness, and he kissed her hands by reason of
+the violence of his joy, and said: "Praise be to God who hath favoured
+me with things that I desired; the first, thy speaking; and the second,
+thy information that thou art about to bring me a child." Then the king
+arose and went forth from her, and seated himself upon the throne of his
+kingdom in a state of exceeding happiness; and he ordered the vizier to
+give out to the poor and the needy a hundred thousand pieces of gold as
+a thank-offering to God. So the vizier did as the king had commanded
+him. And after that, the king went in to the damsel, and embraced her,
+saying to her: "O my mistress, wherefore hath been this silence, seeing
+that thou hast been with me a whole year, awake and asleep, yet hast not
+spoken to me, except on this day?"
+
+The damsel answered: "Hear, O King of the age, and know that I am a poor
+person, a stranger, broken-hearted: I have become separated from my
+mother, and my family, and my brother." And when the king heard her
+words, he knew her desire, and he replied: "As to thy saying that thou
+art poor, there is no occasion for such an assertion; for all my kingdom
+and possessions are at thy service, and as to thy saying, 'I have become
+separated from my mother and my family and my brother'--inform me in
+what place they are, and I will send to them, and bring them to thee."
+So she said to him: "Know, O King, that my name is Gulnare (_Pomegranate
+Flower_) of the Sea. My father was one of the Kings of the Sea, and he
+died, and left to us the kingdom; but while we were enjoying it, another
+of the kings came upon us, and took the kingdom from our hands. I have
+also a brother named Saleh, and my mother is of the women of the sea;
+and I quarrelled with my brother, and swore that I would throw myself
+into the hands of a man of the inhabitants of the land. Accordingly I
+came forth from the sea, and sat upon the shore of an island in the
+moonlight, and there passed by a man who took me and sold me to this man
+from whom thou tookest me, and he was an excellent, virtuous man, a
+person of religion and fidelity and kindness. But had not thy heart
+loved me, and hadst thou not preferred me above all thy wives, I had not
+remained with thee one hour; for I should have cast myself into the sea
+from this window, and gone to my mother and my people. I was ashamed,
+however, to go to them; for they would imagine evil of me, and would not
+believe me, even though I should swear to them, were I to tell them that
+a king had purchased me with his money, and chosen me in preference to
+his other wives and all that his right hand possessed. This is my story,
+and peace be on thee!" And when he heard her words, he thanked her, and
+kissed her between the eyes, and said to her: "By Allah, O my mistress,
+and light of my eyes, I cannot endure separation from thee for one hour;
+and if thou quit me, I shall die instantly. How then shall the affair
+be?" She answered: "O my master, the time of the birth is near, and my
+family must come." "And how," said the king, "do they walk in the sea
+without being wetted?" She answered: "We walk in the sea as ye walk upon
+the land, through the influence of the names engraved upon the seal of
+Solomon, the son of David, upon both of whom be peace! But, O King,
+when my family and my brethren come, I will inform them that thou
+boughtest me with thy money, and hast treated me with beneficence, and
+it will be meet that thou confirm my assertion to them. They will also
+see thy state with their eyes, and will know that thou art a king, the
+son of a king." And thereupon the king said: "O my mistress, do what
+seemeth fit to thee, and what thou wishest; for I will comply with thy
+desire in all that thou wilt do." And the damsel said: "Know, O King of
+the age, that we walk in the sea with our eyes open, and see what is in
+it, and we see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the sky as on
+the face of the earth, and this hurteth us not. Know also, that in the
+sea are many peoples and various forms of all the kinds that are on the
+land; and know, moreover, that all that is on the land, in comparison
+with what is in the sea, is a very small matter." And the king wondered
+at her words.
+
+Then the damsel took a bit of aloes-wood and, having lighted a fire in a
+perfuming-vessel, threw into it that bit, and she proceeded to speak
+words which no one understood; whereupon a great smoke arose, while the
+king looked on. After this, she said to the king: "O my lord, arise and
+conceal thyself in a closet, that I may shew thee my brother and my
+mother and my family without their seeing thee; for I desire to bring
+them, and thou shalt see in this place, at this time, a wonder, and
+shalt marvel at the various shapes and strange forms that God hath
+created." So the king arose immediately, and entered a closet, and
+looked to see what she would do. And she proceeded to burn perfume and
+repeat spells until the sea foamed and was agitated, and there came
+forth from it a young man of comely form, of beautiful countenance, like
+the moon at the full, with shining forehead, and red cheeks, and hair
+resembling pearls and jewels; he was, of all the creation, the most
+like to his sister, and the tongue of the case itself seemed to recite
+in his praise these verses:--
+
+   The moon becometh perfect once in each month; but the loveliness of thy
+     face is perfect every day.
+   Its abode is in the heart of one sign at a time; but thine abode is in
+     all hearts at once.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_And she proceeded to burn perfume and repeat spells until the sea
+foamed and was agitated._
+
+Afterward, there came forth from the sea a grizzly-haired old woman, and
+with her five damsels, resembling moons and bearing a likeness to the
+damsel whose name was Gulnare. Then the king saw the young man and the
+old woman and the damsels walk upon the surface of the water until they
+came to Gulnare; and when they drew near to the window, and she beheld
+them, she rose to them and met them with joy. On their seeing her, they
+knew her, and they went in to her and embraced her, weeping violently;
+and they said to her: "O Gulnare, how is it that thou leavest us for
+four years, and we know not the place in which thou art? By Allah, we
+had no delight in food nor in drink a single day, weeping night and day
+on account of the excess of our longing to see thee." Then the damsel
+began to kiss the hand of her brother, and the hand of her mother, and
+so also the hands of the daughters of her uncle, and they sat with her
+awhile, asking her respecting her state, and the things that had
+happened to her, and her present condition.
+
+So she said to them: "Know ye, that when I quitted you, and came forth
+from the sea, I sat upon the shore of an island, and a man took me, and
+sold me to a merchant, and the merchant brought me to this city, and
+sold me to its king for ten thousand pieces of gold. Then he treated me
+with attention, and forsook all his favourites for my sake, and was
+diverted by his regard for me from everything that he possessed and what
+was in his city." And when her brother heard her words, he said:
+"Praise be to God who hath reunited us! But it is my desire, O my
+sister, that thou wouldst arise and go with us to our country and our
+family." So when the king heard the words of her brother, his reason
+fled in consequence of his fear lest the damsel should accept the
+proposal of her kindred, and he could not prevent her, though he was
+inflamed with love of her; wherefore he became perplexed in violent fear
+of her separation. But as to the damsel Gulnare, on hearing the words of
+her brother she said: "By Allah, O my brother, the man who purchased me
+is the king of this city, and he is a great king, and a man of wisdom,
+generous, of the utmost liberality. He hath treated me with honour, and
+he is a person of kindness, and of great wealth, but hath no male child
+nor a female. He hath shewn me favour too, and acted well to me in every
+respect; and from the day when I came to him to the present time, I have
+not heard from him a word to grieve my heart; but he hath not ceased to
+treat me with courtesy, and I am living with him in the most perfect of
+enjoyments. Moreover, if I quitted him, he would perish: for he can
+never endure my separation even for a single hour. I also, if I quitted
+him, should die of my love for him in consequence of his kindness to me
+during the period of my residence with him; for if my father were
+living, my condition with him would not be like my condition with this
+great, glorious king. God (whose name be exalted!) afflicted me not, but
+compensated me well; and as the king hath not a male child nor a female,
+I beg God to bless me with a son that may inherit of this great king
+these palaces and possessions." And when her brother, and the daughters
+of her uncle, heard her words, their eyes became cheerful thereat, and
+they said to her: "O Gulnare, thou art acquainted with our affection for
+thee, and thou art assured that thou art the dearest of all persons to
+us, and art certain that we desire for thee comfort, without trouble or
+toil. Therefore if thou be not in a state of comfort, arise and
+accompany us to our country and our family; but if thou be comfortable
+here, in honour and happiness, this is our desire and wish." And Gulnare
+replied: "By Allah, I am in a state of the utmost enjoyment, in honour
+and desirable happiness." So when the king heard these words from her,
+he rejoiced, and he thanked her for them; his love for her penetrated to
+his heart's core, and he knew that she loved him as he loved her, and
+that she desired to remain with him to see his child which she was to
+bring to him.
+
+Then the damsel Gulnare of the Sea gave orders to the female slaves to
+bring forward viands of all kinds; and Gulnare herself was the person
+who superintended the preparation of the viands in the kitchen. So the
+female slaves brought to them the viands, and the sweetmeats, and the
+fruits; and she ate with her family. But afterward they said to her: "O
+Gulnare, thy master is a man who is a stranger to us, and we have
+entered his abode without his permission, and thou praisest to us his
+excellence, and hast also brought to us his food, and we have eaten, but
+have not seen him, nor hath he seen us, nor come into our presence, nor
+eaten with us, that the bond of bread and salt might be established
+between us." And they all desisted from eating, and were enraged at her,
+and fire began to issue from their mouths as from cressets. So when the
+king beheld this, his reason fled, in consequence of the violence of his
+fear of them. Then Gulnare rose to them, and soothed their hearts; after
+which she walked along until she entered the closet in which was the
+king her master; and she said to him: "O my master, didst thou see, and
+didst thou hear my thanks to thee, and my praise of thee in the presence
+of my family; and didst thou hear what they said to me, that they
+desired to take me with them to our family and our country?" The king
+answered her: "I heard and saw. May God recompense thee! By Allah, I
+knew not the extent of the love that thou feelest for me until this
+blessed hour." She replied: "O my master, is the recompense of
+beneficence aught but beneficence? How then could my heart be happy to
+quit thee, and to depart from thee? Now I desire of thy goodness that
+thou come and salute my family, that they may see thee, and that
+pleasure and mutual friendship may ensue. For know, O King, that my
+brother and my mother and the daughters of my uncle have conceived a
+great love for thee in consequence of my praising thee to them, and they
+have said, 'We will not depart from thee to our country until we have an
+interview with the king, and salute him.'" And the king said to her: "I
+hear and obey; for this is what I desire." He then rose from his place,
+and went to them, and saluted them with the best salutation; and they
+hastened to rise to him; they met him in the most polite manner, and he
+sat with them in the pavilion, ate with them at the table, and remained
+with them for a period of thirty days. Then they desired to return to
+their country and abode. So they took leave of the king and Queen
+Gulnare of the Sea, and departed from them, after the king had treated
+them with the utmost honour.
+
+After this, Gulnare gave birth to a boy, resembling the moon at the
+full, whereat the king experienced the utmost happiness, because he had
+not before been blessed with a son nor a daughter during his life. They
+continued the rejoicings, and the decoration of the city, for a period
+of seven days, in the utmost happiness and enjoyment; and on the seventh
+day, the mother of Gulnare, and her brother, and the daughters of her
+uncle, all came, when they knew that she had given birth to her child.
+The king met them, rejoicing at their arrival, and said to them: "I said
+that I would not name my son until ye should come, and that ye should
+name him according to your knowledge." And they named him Bedr Basim
+(_Smiling Full Moon_), all of them agreeing as to this name. They then
+presented the boy to his maternal uncle, Saleh, who took him upon his
+hands, and, rising with him from among them, walked about the palace to
+the right and left; after which he went forth with him from the palace,
+descended with him to the sea, and walked on until he became concealed
+from the eye of the king. So when the king saw that he had taken his
+son, and disappeared from him at the bottom of the sea, he despaired of
+him, and began to weep and wail. But Gulnare, seeing him in this state,
+said to him, "O King of the age, fear not nor grieve for thy son; for I
+love my child more than thou, and my child is with my brother; therefore
+fear not his being drowned. If my brother knew that any injury would
+betide the little one, he had not done what he hath done; and presently
+he will bring thee thy son safe, if it be the will of God, whose name be
+exalted!" And but a short time had elapsed when the sea was agitated,
+and the uncle of the little one came forth from it, having with him the
+king's son safe, and he flew from the sea until he came to them, with
+the little one in his arms, silent, and his face resembling the moon in
+the night of its fulness. Then the uncle of the little one looked toward
+the king, and said to him: "Perhaps thou fearedst some injury to thy son
+when I descended into the sea, having him with me." So he replied: "Yes,
+O my master, I feared for him, and I did not imagine that he would ever
+come forth from it safe." And Saleh said to him: "O King of the Land, we
+applied to his eyes a lotion that we know, and repeated over him the
+names engraved upon the seal of Solomon, the son of David; for when a
+child is born among us, we do to him as I have told thee. Fear not
+therefore, on his account, drowning, nor suffocation, nor all the seas
+if he descend into them. Like as ye walk upon the land, we walk in the
+sea."
+
+He then took forth from his pocket a case, written upon, and sealed; and
+he broke its seal, and scattered its contents, whereupon there fell from
+it strung jewels, consisting of all kinds of jacinths and other gems,
+together with three hundred oblong emeralds, and three hundred oblong
+large jewels, of the size of the eggs of the ostrich, the light of which
+was more resplendent than the light of the sun and the moon. And he
+said: "O King of the age, these jewels and jacinths are a present from
+me unto thee; for we never brought thee a present, because we knew not
+the place of Gulnare's abode. So when we saw thee to have become united
+to her, and that we all had become one, we brought thee this present;
+and after every period of a few days, we will bring thee the like of it.
+For these jewels and jacinths with us are more plentiful than the gravel
+upon the land, and we know the excellent among them, and the bad, and
+the places where they are found, and they are easy of access to
+us."--And when the king looked at those jewels, his reason was
+confounded and his mind was bewildered, and he said: "By Allah, one of
+these jewels is worth my kingdom!" Then the king thanked Saleh of the
+Sea for his generosity, and looking toward the Queen Gulnare said to
+her: "I am abashed at thy brother; for he hath shewn favour to me, and
+presented me with this magnificent present, which the people of the
+earth would fail to procure." So Gulnare thanked her brother for that
+which he had done; but her brother said: "O King of the age, to thank
+thee hath been incumbent on us; for thou hast treated my sister with
+beneficence, and we have entered thine abode, and eaten of thy
+provision." Then Saleh said: "If we stood serving thee, O King of the
+age, a thousand years, regarding nothing else, we could not requite
+thee, and our doing so would be but a small thing in comparison with thy
+desert." And Saleh remained with the king, he and his mother and the
+daughters of his uncle, forty days; after which he arose and kissed the
+ground before the king, the husband of his sister. So the king said to
+him: "What dost thou desire, O Saleh?" And he answered: "O King of the
+age, we desire of thy goodness that thou wouldst give us permission to
+depart; for we have become desirous of seeing again our family and our
+country and our relations and our homes. We will not, however,
+relinquish the service of thee, nor that of my sister nor the son of my
+sister; and by Allah, O King of the age, to quit you is not pleasant to
+my heart; but how can we act, when we have been reared in the sea, and
+the land is not agreeable to us?" So when the king heard his words, he
+rose upon his feet, and bade farewell to Saleh of the Sea and his mother
+and the daughters of his uncle, and they wept together on account of the
+separation. Then they said to the king: "We will never relinquish you,
+but after every period of a few days we will visit you." And after this,
+they flew toward the sea, and descended into it, and disappeared.
+
+The king treated Gulnare with beneficence, and honoured her exceedingly,
+and the little one grew up well; and his maternal uncle, with his
+grandmother and the daughters of his uncle, after every period of a few
+days used to come to the residence of the king, and to remain with him a
+month, and then return to their places. The boy ceased not to increase
+in beauty and loveliness until his age became fifteen years; and he was
+incomparable in his perfect beauty, and his stature and his justness of
+form. He had learned writing and reading, and history and grammar and
+philology, and archery; and he learned to play with the spear; and he
+also learned horsemanship, and all that the sons of the kings required.
+There was not one of the children of the inhabitants of the city, men
+and women, that talked not of the charms of that young man; for he was
+of surpassing loveliness and perfection; and the king loved him greatly.
+Then the king summoned the vizier and the emeers, and the lords of the
+empire, and the great men of the kingdom, and made them swear by binding
+oaths that they would make Bedr Basim king over them after his father;
+so they swore to him by binding oaths, and rejoiced thereat; and the
+king himself was beneficent to the people, courteous in speech and of
+auspicious aspect. And on the following day, the king mounted, together
+with the lords of the empire and all the emeers, and all the soldiers,
+and they ceased not to proceed until they arrived at the vestibule of
+the palace; the king's son riding. Thereupon he alighted, and his father
+embraced him, he and the emeers, and they seated him upon the throne of
+the kingdom, while his father stood, as also did the emeers, before him.
+Then Bedr Basim judged the people, displaced the tyrannical and invested
+the just, and continued to give judgment until near midday, when he rose
+from the throne of the kingdom, and went in to his mother, Gulnare of
+the Sea, having upon his head the crown, and resembling the moon. So
+when his mother saw him, and the king before him, she rose to him and
+kissed him, and congratulated him on his elevation to the dignity of
+sultan; and she offered up a prayer in favour of him and his father for
+length of life, and victory over their enemies. He then sat with his
+mother and rested; and when the time of afternoon-prayers arrived, he
+rode with the emeers before him until he came to the horse-course, where
+he played with arms till the time of nightfall, together with his
+father and the lords of his empire; after which he returned to the
+palace, with all the people before him. Every day he used to ride to the
+horse-course; and when he returned, he sat to judge the people, and
+administered justice between the emeer and the poor man. He ceased not
+to do thus for a whole year; and after that, he used to ride to the
+chase, and go about through the cities and provinces that were under his
+rule making proclamation of safety and security, and doing as do the
+kings; and he was incomparable among the people of his age in glory and
+courage, and in justice to the people.
+
+Now it came to pass that the old king, the father of Bedr Basim, fell
+sick one day, whereupon his heart throbbed, and he felt that he was
+about to be removed to the mansion of eternity. Then his malady
+increased so that he was at the point of death. He therefore summoned
+his son, and charged him to take care of his subjects and his mother and
+all the lords of his empire and all the dependants. He also made them
+swear, and covenanted with them a second time, that they would obey his
+son; and he confided in their oaths. And after this he remained a few
+days, and was admitted to the mercy of God, whose name be exalted! His
+son Bedr Basim, and his wife Gulnare and the emeers and viziers and the
+lords of the empire, mourned over him; and they made for him a tomb, and
+buried him in it, and continued the ceremonies of mourning for him a
+whole month. Saleh, the brother of Gulnare, and her mother, and the
+daughters of her uncle, also came, and consoled them for the loss of the
+king; and they said: "O Gulnare, if the king hath died, he hath left
+this ingenuous youth, and he who hath left such as he is hath not died.
+This is he who hath not an equal, the crushing lion, and the splendid
+moon." Then the lords of the empire, and the grandees, went in to the
+King Bedr Basim, and said to him: "O King, there is no harm in mourning
+for the king; but mourning becometh not any save women; therefore
+trouble not thy heart and ours by mourning for thy father; for he hath
+died and left thee, and he who hath left such as thou art hath not
+died." They proceeded to address him with soft words, and to console
+him, and after that they conducted him into the bath; and when he came
+forth from the bath, he put on a magnificent suit woven of gold, adorned
+with jewels and jacinths, and he put the royal crown upon his head,
+seated himself upon the throne of his kingdom, and performed the affairs
+of the people, deciding equitably between the strong and the weak, and
+exacting for the poor man his due from the emeer; wherefore the people
+loved him exceedingly. Thus he continued to do for the space of a whole
+year; and after every short period, his family of the sea visited him;
+so his life was pleasant, and his eye was cheerful: and he ceased not to
+live in this state until he was visited by the terminator of delights
+and the separator of companions. This is the end of their story. The
+mercy of God be on them all!
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF ALADDIN; OR, THE WONDERFUL LAMP
+
+
+In the capital of one of the large and rich provinces of the kingdom of
+China there lived a tailor, named Mustapha, who was so poor that he
+could hardly, by his daily labour, maintain himself and his family,
+which consisted of a wife and son.
+
+His son, who was called Aladdin, had been brought up in a very careless
+and idle manner, and by that means had contracted many vicious habits.
+He was obstinate, and disobedient to his father and mother, who, when he
+grew up, could not keep him within doors. He was in the habit of going
+out early in the morning, and would stay out all day, playing in the
+streets with idle children of his own age.
+
+When he was old enough to learn a trade, his father, not being able to
+put him out to any other, took him into his own shop, and taught him how
+to use his needle: but neither fair words nor the fear of chastisement
+were capable of fixing his lively genius. All his father's endeavours to
+keep him to his work were in vain; for no sooner was his back turned,
+than he was gone for that day. Mustapha chastised him, but Aladdin was
+incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief, was forced to abandon
+him to his idleness: and was so much troubled at not being able to
+reclaim him, that it threw him into a fit of sickness, of which he died
+in a few months.
+
+The mother, finding that her son would not follow his father's business,
+shut up the shop, sold off the implements of trade, and with the money
+she received for them, and what she could get by spinning cotton,
+thought to maintain herself and her son.
+
+Aladdin, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father, and
+who cared so little for his mother that whenever she chid him he would
+abuse her, gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never
+out of the streets from his companions. This course he followed till he
+was fifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or
+the least reflection on what would become of him. In this situation, as
+he was one day playing with his vagabond associates, a stranger passing
+by stood to observe him.
+
+This stranger was a sorcerer, called the African magician; as he was a
+native of Africa, and had been but two days arrived from thence.
+
+The African magician, who was a good physiognomist, observing in
+Aladdin's countenance something absolutely necessary for the execution
+of the design he was engaged in, inquired artfully about his family, who
+he was, and what were his inclinations; and when he had learned all he
+desired to know, went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades,
+said: "Child, was not your father called Mustapha, the tailor?" "Yes,
+sir," answered the boy; "but he has been dead a long time."
+
+At these words, the African magician threw his arms about Aladdin's
+neck, and kissed him several times with tears in his eyes. Aladdin, who
+observed his tears, asked him what made him weep. "Alas! my son," cried
+the African magician with a sigh, "how can I forbear? I am your uncle;
+your worthy father was my own brother. I have been many years abroad,
+and now I am come home with the hopes of seeing him, you tell me he is
+dead. But it is some relief to my affliction, that I knew you at first
+sight, you are so like him." Then he asked Aladdin, putting his hand
+into his purse, where his mother lived, and as soon as he had informed
+him, gave him a handful of small money, saying: "Go, my son, to your
+mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her
+to-morrow, that I may have the satisfaction of seeing where my good
+brother lived so long."
+
+As soon as the African magician left his newly-adopted nephew, Aladdin
+ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given him.
+"Mother," said he, "have I an uncle?" "No, child," replied his mother,
+"you have no uncle by your father's side, or mine." "I am just now
+come," said Aladdin, "from a man who says he is my uncle on my father's
+side. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was dead; and to
+show you that what I tell you is truth," added he, pulling out the
+money, "see what he has given me; he charged me to give his love to you,
+and to tell you that to-morrow he will come and pay you a visit, that he
+may see the house my father lived and died in." "Indeed, child," replied
+the mother, "your father had a brother, but he has been dead a long
+time, and I never heard of another."
+
+The mother and son talked no more then of the African magician; but the
+next day Aladdin's uncle found him playing in another part of the town
+with other youths, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold
+into his hand, and said to him: "Carry this, child, to your mother, tell
+her that I will come and see her to-night, and bid her get us something
+for supper; but first show me the house where you live."
+
+After Aladdin had showed the African magician the house, he carried the
+two pieces of gold to his mother, and when he had told her of his
+uncle's intention, she went out and bought provisions. She spent the
+whole day in preparing the supper; and at night, when it was ready, said
+to her son: "Perhaps your uncle knows not how to find our house; go and
+bring him if you meet with him."
+
+Though Aladdin had showed the magician the house, he was ready to go,
+when somebody knocked at the door, which he immediately opened; and the
+magician came in loaded with wine, and all sorts of fruits, which he
+brought for a dessert.
+
+After the African magician had given what he brought into Aladdin's
+hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to shew him the place
+where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when she had so
+done, he fell down and kissed it several times, crying out with tears in
+his eyes: "My poor brother! how unhappy am I, not to have come soon
+enough to give you one last embrace." Aladdin's mother desired him to
+sit down in the same place, but he declined. "No," said he, "but give me
+leave to sit opposite, that although I am deprived of the satisfaction
+of seeing one so dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of
+beholding the place where he used to sit."
+
+When the magician had sat down, he began to enter into discourse with
+Aladdin's mother: "My good sister," said he, "do not be surprised at
+your never having seen me all the time you were married to my brother
+Mustapha. I have been forty years absent from this country, which is my
+native place, as well as my late brother's; and during that time have
+travelled into the Indies, Persia, Arabia, Syria, and Egypt; have
+resided in the finest towns of those countries; and afterward crossed
+over into Africa, where I made a longer stay. At last, as it is natural
+for a man to remember his native country, I was desirous to see mine
+again, and to embrace my dear brother; and finding I had strength enough
+to undertake so long a journey, I immediately made the necessary
+preparations, and set out. I will not tell you the length of time it
+took me, all the obstacles I met with, and what fatigues I have endured
+to come hither; but nothing ever afflicted me so much, as hearing of my
+brother's death. I observed his features in the face of my nephew, your
+son, and distinguished him among a number of lads with whom he was at
+play; he can tell you how I received the most melancholy news that ever
+reached my ears. But God be praised for all things! it is a comfort for
+me to find, as it were, my brother in a son, who has his most remarkable
+features."
+
+The African magician, perceiving that the widow began to weep at the
+remembrance of her husband, changed the conversation, and turning toward
+her son, asked him his name. "I am called Aladdin," said he. "Well,
+Aladdin," replied the magician, "what business do you follow? Are you of
+any trade?"
+
+At this question the youth hung down his head, and was not a little
+abashed when his mother answered: "Aladdin is an idle fellow; his
+father, when alive, strove all he could to teach him his trade, but
+could not succeed; and since his death he does nothing but idle away his
+time in the streets, as you saw him, without considering he is no longer
+a child; and if you do not make him ashamed of it, I despair of his ever
+coming to any good. He knows that his father left him no fortune, and
+sees me endeavour to get bread by spinning cotton; for my part, I am
+resolved one of these days to turn him out of doors, and let him provide
+for himself."
+
+After these words, Aladdin's mother burst into tears; and the magician
+said: "This is not well, nephew; you must think of getting your
+livelihood. There are many sorts of trades, consider if you have not an
+inclination to some of them; perhaps you did not like your father's and
+would prefer another; come, do not disguise your sentiments from me; I
+will endeavour to help you." But finding that Aladdin returned no
+answer, "If you have no mind," continued he, "to learn any handicraft, I
+will take a shop for you, furnish it with all sorts of fine stuffs and
+linens; and with the money you make of them lay in fresh goods, and then
+you will live in an honourable way. Consult your inclination, and tell
+me freely what you think of my proposal."
+
+This plan greatly flattered Aladdin, who hated work but had sense enough
+to know that such shops were much frequented and the owners respected.
+He told the magician he had a greater inclination to that business than
+to any other, and that he should be much obliged to him for his
+kindness. "Since this profession is agreeable to you," said the African
+magician, "I will carry you with me to-morrow, clothe you as handsomely
+as the best merchants in the city, and afterward we will think of
+opening a shop as I mentioned."
+
+The widow, who never till then could believe that the magician was her
+husband's brother, no longer doubted after his promises of kindness to
+her son. She thanked him for his good intentions; and after having
+exhorted Aladdin to render himself worthy of his uncle's favour by good
+behaviour, served up supper, at which they talked of several indifferent
+matters; and then the magician, who saw that the night was pretty far
+advanced, took his leave, and retired.
+
+He came again the next day, as he had promised, and took Aladdin with
+him to a merchant, who sold all sorts of clothes for different ages and
+ranks ready made, and a variety of fine stuffs. He asked to see some
+that suited Aladdin in size; and Aladdin, charmed with the liberality of
+his new uncle, made choice of one, and the magician immediately paid for
+it.
+
+When the boy found himself so handsomely equipped, he returned his uncle
+thanks; who promised never to forsake him, but always to take him along
+with him; which he did to the most frequented places in the city, and
+particularly where the principal merchants kept their shops. When he
+brought him into the street where they sold the richest stuffs and
+finest linens, he said to Aladdin: "As you are soon to be a merchant, it
+is proper you should frequent these shops, and be acquainted with them."
+He then showed him the largest and finest mosques, carried him to the
+khans or inns where the merchants and travellers lodged, and afterward
+to the sultan's palace, where he had free access; and at last brought
+him to his own khan, where, meeting with some merchants he had become
+acquainted with since his arrival, he gave them a treat, to bring them
+and his pretended nephew acquainted.
+
+This entertainment lasted till night, when Aladdin would have taken
+leave of his uncle to go home, but the magician would not let him go by
+himself, but conducted him to his mother, who, as soon as she saw him so
+well dressed, was transported with joy, and bestowed a thousand
+blessings upon the magician, for being at so great an expense for her
+child. "Generous relation!" said she, "I know not how to thank you for
+your liberality! I wish you may live long enough to witness my son's
+gratitude, which he cannot better shew than by regulating his conduct by
+your good advice."
+
+"Aladdin," replied the magician, "is a good boy, and I believe we shall
+do very well; but I am sorry for one thing, which is, that I cannot
+perform to-morrow what I promised, because, as it is Friday, the shops
+will be shut up, and therefore we cannot hire or furnish one till
+Saturday. I will, however, call on him to-morrow and take him to walk in
+the gardens, where people of the best fashion generally resort. Perhaps
+he has never seen these amusements, he has only hitherto been among
+children; but now he must see men." The African magician then took his
+leave of the mother and the son, and retired.
+
+Aladdin rose early the next morning, dressed himself to be ready, and
+after he had waited some time began to be impatient and stood watching
+at the door; but as soon as he perceived his uncle coming, he told his
+mother, took his leave of her, and ran to meet him.
+
+The magician caressed Aladdin, and said: "Come, my dear child, and I
+will shew you fine things." He then led him out at one of the gates of
+the city, to some magnificent palaces, to each of which belonged
+beautiful gardens, into which anybody might enter. At every building he
+came to, he asked Aladdin if he did not think it fine; and the youth was
+ready to answer when any one presented itself, crying out: "Here is a
+finer house, uncle, than any we have seen yet." By this artifice, the
+cunning magician led Aladdin some way into the country; and as he meant
+to carry him farther, pretending to be tired, he took an opportunity to
+sit down in one of the gardens on the brink of a fountain of clear
+water, which discharged itself by a lion's mouth of bronze into a basin:
+"Come, nephew," said he, "you must be weary as well as I; let us rest
+ourselves, and we shall be better able to pursue our walk."
+
+After they had sat down, the magician pulled from his girdle a
+handkerchief with cakes and fruit, which he had provided, and laid them
+on the edge of the basin. He broke a cake in two, gave one half to
+Aladdin and ate the other himself; and in regard to the fruit, left him
+at liberty to take which sort he liked best. During this short repast,
+he exhorted his nephew to leave off keeping company with vagabonds, and
+seek that of wise and prudent men, to improve by their conversation;
+"For," said he, "you will soon be at man's estate, and you cannot too
+early begin to imitate their example." When they had eaten as much as
+they liked, they pursued their walk through gardens separated from one
+another only by small ditches, which marked out the limits without
+interrupting the communication; so great was the confidence the
+inhabitants reposed in each other. By this means, the African magician
+drew Aladdin insensibly beyond the gardens, and crossed the country,
+till they nearly reached the mountains.
+
+Aladdin, who had never been so far before, began to find himself much
+tired, and said to the magician: "Where are we going, uncle? We have
+left the gardens a great way behind us, and I see nothing but mountains;
+if we go much farther, I do not know whether I shall be able to reach
+the town again!" "Never fear, nephew," said the false uncle; "I will
+shew you another garden which surpasses all we have yet seen; and when
+we come there, you will say that you would have been sorry to have been
+so nigh, and not seen it." Aladdin was soon persuaded; and the magician,
+to make the way seem shorter and less fatiguing, told him a great many
+stories.
+
+At last they arrived between two mountains of moderate height, and equal
+size, divided by a narrow valley, which was the place where the magician
+intended to execute the design that had brought him from Africa to
+China. "We will go no farther now," said he to Aladdin: "I will shew you
+here some extraordinary things, which, when you have seen, you will
+thank me for: but while I strike a light, gather up all the loose dry
+sticks you can see, to kindle a fire with."
+
+Aladdin collected a great heap and the magician presently set them on
+fire, and when they were in a blaze, threw in some incense which raised
+a cloud of smoke. This he dispersed on each side, by pronouncing several
+magical words which the lad did not understand.
+
+At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the magician,
+and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass ring fixed into
+the middle. Aladdin was so frightened at what he saw, that he would have
+run away; but the magician caught hold of him, abused him, and gave him
+such a box on the ear that he knocked him down. Aladdin got up
+trembling, and with tears in his eyes, said to the magician: "What have
+I done, uncle, to be treated in this severe manner?" "I have my
+reasons," answered the magician; "I am your uncle, I supply the place of
+your father, and you ought to make no reply. But, child," added he,
+softening, "do not be afraid; for I shall not ask anything of you, but
+that you obey me punctually, if you would reap the advantages which I
+intend you." These fair promises calmed Aladdin's fears and resentment;
+and when the magician saw that he was appeased, he said to him: "You see
+what I have done by virtue of my incense, and the words I pronounced.
+Know then, that under this stone there is hidden a treasure, destined to
+be yours, and which will make you richer than the greatest monarch in
+the world: no person but yourself is permitted to lift this stone, or
+enter the cave; so you must punctually execute what I may command, for
+it is a matter of great consequence both to you and me."
+
+Aladdin, amazed at all he saw and heard the magician say of the treasure
+which was to make him happy forevermore, forgot what was past, and
+rising, said: "Well, uncle, what is to be done? Command me, I am ready
+to obey." "I am overjoyed, child," said the African magician, embracing
+him; "take hold of the ring, and lift up that stone." "Indeed, uncle,"
+replied Aladdin, "I am not strong enough; you must help me." "You have
+no occasion for my assistance," answered the magician; "if I help you,
+we shall be able to do nothing; take hold of the ring, pronounce
+the names of your father and grandfather, then lift it up, and you will
+find it will come easily." Aladdin did as the magician bade him, raised
+the stone with ease, and laid it on one side.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_At the same time the earth, trembling, opened just before the magician,
+and uncovered a stone, laid horizontally, with a brass ring fixed into
+the middle._
+
+When the stone was pulled up, there appeared a cavity of about three or
+four feet deep, with a little door, and steps to go down lower.
+"Observe, my son," said the African magician, "what I direct. Descend
+into the cave, and when you are at the bottom of those steps you will
+find a door which will lead you into a spacious vault, divided into
+three great halls, in each of which you will see four large brass
+cisterns placed on each side, full of gold and silver; but take care you
+do not meddle with them. Before you enter the first hall, be sure to
+tuck up your vest, wrap it about you, and then pass through the second
+into the third without stopping. Above all, have a care that you do not
+touch the walls; for if you do, you will die instantly. At the end of
+the third hall, you will find a door which opens into a garden planted
+with fine trees loaded with fruit; walk directly across the garden by a
+path which will lead you to five steps that will bring you upon a
+terrace, where you will see a niche before you, and in that niche a
+lighted lamp. Take the lamp down, and extinguish it: when you have
+thrown away the wick, and poured out the liquor, put it in your vestband
+and bring it to me. Do not be afraid that the liquor will spoil your
+clothes, for it is not oil; and the lamp will be dry as soon as it is
+thrown out. If you should wish for any of the fruit of the garden, you
+may gather as much as you please."
+
+After these words, the magician drew a ring off his finger, and put it
+on one of Aladdin's, telling him that it was a preservative against all
+evil, while he should observe what he had prescribed to him. After this
+instruction he said: "Go down boldly, child, and we shall both be rich
+all our lives."
+
+Aladdin jumped into the cave, descended the steps, and found the three
+halls just as the African magician had described. He went through them
+with all the precaution the fear of death could inspire; crossed the
+garden without stopping, took down the lamp from the niche, threw out
+the wick and the liquor, and, as the magician had desired, put it in his
+vestband. But as he came down from the terrace, he stopped in the garden
+to observe the fruit, which he only had a glimpse of in crossing it. All
+the trees were loaded with extraordinary fruit, of different colours on
+each tree. Some bore fruit entirely white, and some clear and
+transparent as crystal; some pale red, and others deeper; some green,
+blue, and purple, and others yellow: in short, there was fruit of all
+colours. The white were pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds; the
+deep red, rubies; the green, emeralds; the blue, turquoises; the purple,
+amethysts; and those that were of yellow cast, sapphires. Aladdin was
+altogether ignorant of their worth, and would have preferred figs and
+grapes, or any other fruits. But though he took them only for coloured
+glass of little value, yet he was so pleased with the variety of the
+colours, and the beauty and extraordinary size of the seeming fruit,
+that he resolved to gather some of every sort; and accordingly filled
+the two new purses his uncle had bought for him with his clothes. Some
+he wrapped up in the skirts of his vest, which was of silk, large and
+full, and he crammed his bosom as full as it could hold.
+
+Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches, returned through the
+three halls with the same precaution, made all the haste he could, that
+he might not make his uncle wait, and soon arrived at the mouth of the
+cave, where the African magician expected him with the utmost
+impatience. As soon as Aladdin saw him, he cried out: "Pray, uncle, lend
+me your hand, to help me out." "Give me the lamp first," replied the
+magician; "it will be troublesome to you." "Indeed, uncle," answered
+Aladdin, "I cannot now; it is not troublesome to me: but I will as soon
+as I am up." The African magician was so obstinate, that he would have
+the lamp before he would help him up; and Aladdin, who had encumbered
+himself so much with his fruit that he could not well get at it, refused
+to give it to him till he was out of the cave. The African magician,
+provoked at this obstinate refusal, flew into a passion, threw a little
+of his incense into the fire, which he had taken care to keep in, and no
+sooner pronounced two magical words, than the stone which had closed the
+mouth of the cave moved into its place, with the earth over it in the
+same manner as it lay at the arrival of the magician and Aladdin.
+
+This action of the African magician's plainly shewed him to be neither
+Aladdin's uncle, nor Mustapha the tailor's brother; but a true African.
+Africa is a country whose inhabitants delight most in magic of any in
+the whole world, and he had applied himself to it from his youth. After
+forty years' experience in enchantments and reading of magic books, he
+had found out that there was in the world a wonderful lamp, the
+possession of which would render him more powerful than any monarch; and
+by a late operation of geomancy, he had discovered that this lamp lay
+concealed in a subterranean place in the midst of China. Fully persuaded
+of the truth of this discovery, he set out from the farthest part of
+Africa; and after a long and fatiguing journey came to the town nearest
+to this treasure. But though he had a certain knowledge of the place
+where the lamp was, he was not permitted to take it himself, nor to
+enter the subterranean place, but must receive it from the hands of
+another person. For this reason he had addressed himself to Aladdin,
+whom he looked upon as a lad fit to serve his purpose, resolving, as
+soon as he should get the lamp into his hands, to sacrifice him to his
+avarice and wickedness, by making the fumigation mentioned before, and
+repeating two magical words, the effect of which would remove the stone
+into its place, so that no witness would remain of the transaction.
+
+The blow he had given Aladdin was intended to make him obey the more
+readily, and give him the lamp as soon as he should ask for it. But his
+too great precipitation, and his fear lest somebody should come that way
+and discover what he wished to keep secret, produced an effect quite
+contrary to what he had proposed.
+
+When the African magician saw that all his hopes were frustrated
+forever, he returned the same day for Africa; but went quite round the
+town, and at some distance from it, lest some persons who had observed
+him walk out with the boy, on seeing him come back without him, should
+entertain suspicions, and stop him.
+
+According to all appearances, there was no prospect of Aladdin being
+heard of any more. But the magician, when he had contrived his death,
+forgot the ring he had put upon his finger, which preserved him, though
+he knew not its virtue. It may seem astonishing that the loss of that,
+together with the lamp, did not drive the magician to despair; but
+magicians are so much used to misfortunes that they do not lay them to
+heart, but still feed themselves, to the end of life, with unsubstantial
+notions and chimeras.
+
+The surprise of Aladdin, who had never suspected this treachery from his
+pretended uncle, is more easily to be imagined than expressed. When he
+found himself buried alive, he cried, and called out to his uncle, to
+tell him he was ready to give him the lamp; but in vain, since his cries
+could not be heard. He descended to the bottom of the steps, with a
+design to get into the garden, but the door, which was opened before by
+enchantment, was now shut by the same means. He then redoubled his
+cries, sat down on the steps, without any hopes of ever seeing light
+again, and in a melancholy certainty of passing from the present
+darkness into that of a speedy death.
+
+Aladdin remained in this state two days, without eating or drinking, and
+on the third looked upon death as inevitable. Clasping his hands with
+resignation to the will of God, he said: "There is no strength or power
+but in the great and high God." In joining his hands he rubbed the ring
+which the magician had put on his finger, and of which he knew not yet
+the virtue. Immediately a genie of enormous size and frightful aspect
+rose out of the earth, his head reaching the roof of the vault, and said
+to him: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as the slave of
+all who may possess the ring on thy finger; I, and the other slaves of
+that ring."
+
+At another time, Aladdin, who had not been used to such appearances,
+would have been so frightened at the sight of so extraordinary a figure
+that he would not have been able to speak; but the danger he was in made
+him answer without hesitation: "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this
+place, if thou art able." He had no sooner spoken these words, than he
+found himself on the very spot where the magician had caused the earth
+to open.
+
+It was some time before his eyes could bear the light, after being so
+long in total darkness: but after he had endeavoured by degrees to
+support it, and began to look about him, he was much surprised not to
+find the earth open, and could not comprehend how he had got so soon out
+of its bowels. There was nothing to be seen but the place where the fire
+had been, by which he could nearly judge the situation of the cave. Then
+turning himself toward the town, he perceived it at a distance in the
+midst of the gardens that surrounded it, and saw the way by which the
+magician had brought him. Returning God thanks to find himself once more
+in the world, he made the best of his way home. When he got within his
+mother's door, the joy of seeing her and his weakness for want of food
+for three days made him faint, and he remained for a long time as dead.
+His mother, who had given him over for lost, seeing him in this
+condition, omitted nothing to bring him to himself. As soon as he
+recovered, the first words he spoke were: "Pray, mother, give me
+something to eat, for I have not put a morsel of anything into my mouth
+these three days." His mother brought what she had, and set it before
+him. "My son," said she, "be not too eager, for it is dangerous; eat but
+little at a time, and take care of yourself. Besides, I would not have
+you talk; you will have time enough to tell me what has happened to you
+when you are recovered. It is a great comfort to me to see you again,
+after the affliction I have been in since Friday, and the pains I have
+taken to learn what was become of you."
+
+Aladdin took his mother's advice, and ate and drank moderately. When he
+had done, "Mother," said he to her, "I cannot help complaining of you,
+for abandoning me so easily to the discretion of a man who had a design
+to kill me, and who at this very moment thinks my death certain. You
+believed he was my uncle, as well as I; and what other thoughts could we
+entertain of a man who was so kind to me? but I must tell you, mother,
+he is a rogue and a cheat, and only made me those promises to accomplish
+my death; but for what reason neither you nor I can guess. You shall
+judge yourself, when you have heard all that passed from the time I left
+you, till he came to the execution of his wicked design."
+
+Aladdin then related to his mother all that had happened to him, from
+the Friday when the magician took him to see the palaces and gardens
+about the town, till they came to the place between the two mountains
+where the great deed was to be performed; how, with incense which the
+magician threw into the fire, and some magical words which he
+pronounced, the earth opened, and discovered a cave, which led to an
+inestimable treasure. He did not forget the blow the magician had given
+him, and in what manner he softened again, and engaged him by great
+promises, and putting a ring on his finger, to go down into the cave. He
+did not omit the least circumstance of what he saw in crossing the three
+halls and the garden, and his taking the lamp, which he pulled out of
+his bosom and shewed to his mother: as well as the transparent fruit of
+different colours, which he had gathered in the garden as he returned.
+But, though these fruits were precious stones, brilliant as the sun, she
+was as ignorant of their worth as her son. She had been bred in a low
+rank of life, and her husband's poverty prevented his being possessed of
+jewels, nor had she, her relations, or neighbours ever seen any; so that
+we must not wonder that she regarded them as things of no value.
+
+Aladdin put them behind one of the cushions of the sofa, and continued
+his story. When he had come to an end, Aladdin said to his mother: "I
+need say no more! this is my adventure, and the dangers I have been
+exposed to since you saw me."
+
+His mother heard with much interest this surprising relation,
+notwithstanding it could be no small affliction to a mother who loved
+her son tenderly; but yet in the most moving part, which discovered the
+perfidy of the African magician, she could not help showing, by marks of
+the greatest indignation, how much she detested him; and when her son
+had finished his story, she broke out into a thousand reproaches against
+that vile impostor. She called him perfidious traitor, barbarian,
+assassin, deceiver, magician, and an enemy and destroyer of mankind.
+"Without doubt, child," added she, "he is a magician, and they are
+plagues to the world, and by their enchantments and sorceries have
+commerce with the devil. Bless God for preserving you from his wicked
+designs; for your death would have been inevitable, if you had not
+called upon Him, and implored His assistance." She said a great deal
+more against the magician's treachery; but finding that whilst she
+talked, Aladdin began to doze, she left him to his repose, and retired.
+
+Aladdin, who had not closed his eyes while he was in the subterranean
+abode, slept very soundly till late the next morning; when the first
+thing he said to his mother was, that he wanted something to eat, and
+that she could not do him a greater kindness than to give him his
+breakfast. "Alas! child," said she, "I have not a bit of bread to give
+you, you ate up all the provisions I had in the house yesterday; but
+have a little patience, and it shall not be long before I will bring you
+some: I have a little cotton, which I have spun; I will go and sell it,
+buy bread, and something for our dinner." "Mother," replied Aladdin,
+"keep your cotton for another time, and give me the lamp I brought home
+with me yesterday; I will go and sell it, and the money I shall get for
+it will serve both for breakfast and dinner, and perhaps supper too."
+
+Aladdin's mother took the lamp, and said to her son: "Here it is, but it
+is very dirty; if it was a little cleaner I believe it would bring
+something more." She took some fine sand and water to clean it; but had
+no sooner begun to rub it, than in an instant a hideous genie of
+gigantic size appeared before her, and said to her in a voice like
+thunder: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I and the
+other slaves of the lamp."
+
+Aladdin's mother, terrified at the sight of the genie, fainted; when the
+lad, who had seen such another phantom in the cavern, snatched the lamp
+out of his mother's hand, and said to the genie boldly: "I am hungry,
+bring me something to eat." The genie disappeared immediately, and in an
+instant returned with a large silver tray, holding twelve covered dishes
+of the same metal, which contained the most delicious viands; six large
+white bread-cakes on two plates, two flagons of wine, and two silver
+cups. All these he placed upon a carpet, and disappeared: this was done
+before Aladdin's mother recovered from her swoon.
+
+Aladdin fetched some water, and sprinkled it in her face, to recover
+her: whether that or the smell of the meat brought her to life again, it
+was not long before she came to herself. "Mother," said Aladdin, "do not
+mind this; here is what will put you in heart, and at the same time
+satisfy my extreme hunger: do not let such delicious meat get cold."
+
+His mother was much surprised to see the great tray, twelve dishes, six
+loaves, the two flagons and cups, and to smell the savoury odour which
+exhaled from the dishes. "Child," said she, "to whom are we obliged for
+this great plenty and liberality; has the sultan been made acquainted
+with our poverty, and had compassion on us?" "It is no matter, mother,"
+said Aladdin; "let us sit down and eat, for you have almost as much need
+of breakfast as myself; when we have done, I will tell you."
+Accordingly, both mother and son sat down, and ate with the better
+relish as the table was so well furnished. But all the time Aladdin's
+mother could not forbear looking at and admiring the dishes, though she
+could not judge whether they were silver or any other metal, and the
+novelty more than the value attracted her attention.
+
+The mother and son sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and then
+they thought it would be best to put the two meals together; yet after
+this they found they should have enough left for supper, and two meals
+for the next day.
+
+When Aladdin's mother had taken away what was left, she went and sat by
+her son on the sofa, saying: "I expect now that you should satisfy my
+impatience, and tell me exactly what passed between the genie and you
+while I was in a swoon;" which he readily complied with.
+
+She was in as great amazement at what her son told her, as at the
+appearance of the genie; and said to him: "But, son, what have we to do
+with genies? I never heard that any of my acquaintance had ever seen
+one. How came that vile genie to address himself to me, and not to you,
+to whom he had appeared before in the cave?" "Mother," answered Aladdin,
+"the genie you saw is not the one who appeared to me, though he
+resembles him in size; no, they had quite different persons and habits;
+they belong to different masters. If you remember, he that I first saw
+called himself the slave of the ring on my finger; and this you saw,
+called himself the slave of the lamp you had in your hand: but I believe
+you did not hear him, for I think you fainted as soon as he began to
+speak."
+
+"What!" cried the mother, "was your lamp then the occasion of that
+cursed genie's addressing himself rather to me than to you? Ah! my son,
+take it out of my sight, and put it where you please. I will never touch
+it. I had rather you would sell it, than run the hazard of being
+frightened to death again by touching it: and if you would take my
+advice, you would part also with the ring, and not have anything to do
+with genies, who, as our prophet has told us, are only devils."
+
+"With your leave, mother," replied Aladdin, "I shall take care how I
+sell a lamp which may be so serviceable both to you and me. Have you not
+been an eye-witness of what it has procured us? and it shall still
+continue to furnish us with subsistence. My false and wicked uncle would
+not have taken so much pains, and undertaken so long a journey, if it
+had not been to get into his possession this wonderful lamp, which he
+preferred before all the gold and silver which he knew was in the halls.
+He knew too well the worth of this lamp, not to prefer it to so great a
+treasure; and since chance hath discovered the virtue of it to us, let
+us make a profitable use of it, without making any great show, and
+exciting the envy and jealousy of our neighbours. However, since the
+genies frighten you so much, I will take it out of your sight, and put
+it where I may find it when I want it. The ring I cannot resolve to part
+with; for without that you had never seen me again; and though I am
+alive now, perhaps, if it was gone, I might not be so some moments
+hence; therefore I hope you will give me leave to keep it, and to wear
+it always on my finger. Who knows what dangers you and I may be exposed
+to, which neither of us can foresee, and from which it may deliver us?"
+As Aladdin's arguments were just, his mother had nothing to say against
+them; she only replied, that he might do what he pleased; for her part,
+she would have nothing to do with genies, but would wash her hands of
+them.
+
+By the next night they had eaten all the provisions the genie had
+brought: and the next day Aladdin, who could not bear the thought of
+hunger, putting one of the silver dishes under his vest, went out early
+to sell it, and addressing himself to a Jew whom he met in the streets,
+took him aside, and pulling out the plate, asked him if he would buy it.
+The cunning Jew took the dish, examined it, and as soon as he found that
+it was good silver, asked Aladdin at how much he valued it. Aladdin, who
+knew not its value, and never had been used to such traffic, told him he
+would trust to his judgment and honour. The Jew was somewhat confounded
+at this plain dealing; and doubting whether Aladdin understood the
+material or the full value of what he offered to sell, took a piece of
+gold out of his purse and gave it to him, though it was but the sixtieth
+part of the worth of the plate. Aladdin, taking the money very eagerly,
+retired with so much haste, that the Jew, not content with the
+exorbitancy of his profit, was vexed he had not penetrated into his
+ignorance, and was going to run after him, to endeavour to get some
+change out of the piece of gold; but the lad ran so fast, and had got so
+far, that it would have been impossible for him to overtake him.
+
+Before Aladdin went home, he called at a baker's, bought some cakes of
+bread, changed his money, and on his return gave the rest to his mother,
+who went and purchased provisions enough to last them some time. After
+this manner they lived, till Aladdin had sold the twelve dishes singly,
+as necessity pressed, to the Jew, for the same money; who, after the
+first time, durst not offer him less, for fear of losing so good a
+bargain. When he had sold the last dish, he had recourse to the tray,
+which weighed ten times as much as the dishes, and would have carried it
+to his old purchaser, but that it was too large and cumbersome;
+therefore he was obliged to bring him home with him to his mother's,
+where, after the Jew had examined the weight of the tray, he laid down
+ten pieces of gold, with which Aladdin was very well satisfied.
+
+They lived on these ten pieces in a frugal manner, for Aladdin, though
+formerly used to an idle life, had left off playing with young lads of
+his own age ever since his adventure with the African magician. He spent
+his time in walking about, and conversing with decent people, with whom
+he gradually got acquainted. Sometimes he would stop at the principal
+merchants' shops, where people of distinction met, and listen to their
+discourse, by which he gained some little knowledge of the world.
+
+When all the money was spent, Aladdin had recourse again to the lamp. He
+took it in his hand, looked for the part where his mother had rubbed it
+with the sand, and rubbed it also, when the genie immediately appeared,
+and said: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their hands; I, and the
+other slaves of the lamp." "I am hungry," said Aladdin; "bring me
+something to eat." The genie disappeared, and presently returned with a
+tray, and the same number of covered dishes as before, set them down,
+and vanished.
+
+Aladdin's mother, knowing what her son was going to do, went out about
+some business, on purpose to avoid being in the way when the genie came;
+and when she returned, was almost as much surprised as before at the
+prodigious effect of the lamp. However, she sat down with her son, and
+when they had eaten as much as they liked, she set enough by to last
+them two or three days.
+
+As soon as Aladdin found that their provisions were expended, he took
+one of the dishes, and went to look for his Jew again; but passing by
+the shop of a goldsmith, who had the character of a very fair and honest
+man, the goldsmith perceiving him, called to him, and said: "My lad, I
+have often observed you go by, loaded as you are at present, and talk
+with such a Jew, and then come back again empty-handed. I imagine that
+you carry something which you sell to him; but perhaps you do not know
+that he is the greatest rogue even among the Jews, and that nobody of
+prudence will have anything to do with him. If you will shew me what you
+now carry, and it is to be sold, I will give you the full worth of it;
+or I will direct you to other merchants who will not cheat you."
+
+The hopes of getting more money for his plate induced Aladdin to pull it
+from under his vest, and shew it to the goldsmith, who at first sight
+saw that it was made of the finest silver and asked him if he had sold
+such as that to the Jew, when Aladdin told him that he had sold him
+twelve such, for a piece of gold each. "What a villain!" cried the
+goldsmith; "but," added he, "my son, what is past cannot be recalled. By
+shewing you the value of this plate, which is of the finest silver we
+use in our shops, I will let you see how much the Jew has cheated you."
+
+The goldsmith took a pair of scales, weighed the dish, and after he had
+mentioned how much an ounce of fine silver was worth, assured him that
+his plate would fetch by weight sixty pieces of gold, which he offered
+to pay down immediately. "If you dispute my honesty," said he, "you may
+go to any other of our trade, and if he gives you more, I will be bound
+to forfeit twice as much!"
+
+Aladdin thanked him for his fair dealing, so greatly to his advantage,
+took the gold, and never after went to any other person, but sold him
+all his dishes and the tray.
+
+Though Aladdin and his mother had an inexhaustible treasure in their
+lamp, and might have had whatever they wished for, yet they lived with
+the same frugality as before, except that Aladdin dressed better; as for
+his mother, she wore no clothes but what she earned by spinning cotton.
+After their manner of living, it may easily be supposed that the money
+for which Aladdin had sold the dishes and tray was sufficient to
+maintain them for some time.
+
+During this interval, Aladdin frequented the shops of the principal
+merchants, where they sold cloth of gold and silver, linens, silk
+stuffs, and jewelry, and oftentimes joining in their conversation,
+acquired a knowledge of the world, and respectable demeanour. By his
+acquaintance among the jewellers, he came to know that the fruits which
+he had gathered when he took the lamp were, instead of coloured glass,
+stones of inestimable value; but he had the prudence not to mention this
+to any one, not even to his mother.
+
+One day as Aladdin was walking about the town, he heard an order
+proclaimed, commanding the people to shut up their shops and houses, and
+keep within doors, while the Princess Badroulboudour, the sultan's
+daughter, went to the baths and returned.
+
+This proclamation inspired Aladdin with eager curiosity to see the
+princess's face, which he could not do without admission into the house
+of some acquaintance, and then only through a window; but to gratify his
+curiosity, he presently thought of a scheme, which succeeded; it was to
+place himself behind the door of the bath, which was so situated that he
+could not fail of seeing her face.
+
+Aladdin had not waited long before the princess came, and he could see
+her plainly through a chink of the door without being discovered. She
+was attended by a great crowd of ladies, slaves, and eunuchs, who walked
+on each side, and behind her. When she came within three or four paces
+of the door of the baths, she took off her veil, and gave Aladdin an
+opportunity of a full view.
+
+As soon as Aladdin had seen the princess, his heart could not withstand
+those inclinations so charming an object always inspires. She was the
+most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes were large, lively, and
+sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose was of a just proportion
+and without a fault, her mouth small, her lips of a vermilion red; in a
+word, all the features of her face were perfectly regular. It is not
+therefore surprising that Aladdin, who had never before seen such a
+blaze of charms, was dazzled, and his senses ravished by such an
+assemblage. With all these perfections the princess had so majestic an
+air, that the sight of her was sufficient to inspire love and
+admiration.
+
+After the princess had passed by, and entered the baths, Aladdin
+remained some time astonished and in a kind of ecstasy, retracing and
+imprinting the idea of so charming an object deeply in his mind, but at
+last, he resolved to quit his hiding-place and go home. He could not so
+far conceal his uneasiness but that his mother perceived it, was
+surprised to see him so much more thoughtful than usual; and asked if he
+were ill? He returned her no answer, but sat carelessly down on the
+sofa, and remained silently musing on the image of the charming
+Badroulboudour.
+
+After supper, his mother asked him again why he was so melancholy, but
+could get no information, and he determined to go to bed rather than
+give her the least satisfaction. As he sat next day on the sofa,
+opposite his mother, however, as she was spinning cotton, he spoke to
+her in these words: "I perceive, mother, that my silence yesterday has
+much troubled you; I was not, nor am I ill; but I assure you, that what
+I felt then, and now endure, is worse than any disease.
+
+"It was not proclaimed in this quarter of the town, and therefore you
+could know nothing of it, that the sultan's daughter was yesterday to go
+to the baths. I had a great curiosity to see her face; and as it
+occurred to me that when she came nigh the bath, she would pull her veil
+off, I resolved to conceal myself behind the door. She did so and I had
+the happiness of seeing her lovely face with the greatest security.
+This, mother, was the cause of my silence yesterday; I love the princess
+with more violence than I can express; and as my passion increases every
+moment, I am resolved to ask her in marriage of the sultan, her
+father."
+
+Aladdin's mother listened with interest to what her son told her; but
+when he talked of asking the princess in marriage, she could not help
+bursting out into a loud laugh. He would have gone on with his rhapsody,
+but she interrupted him: "Alas! child," said she, "what are you thinking
+of? you must be mad to talk thus."
+
+"I assure you, mother," replied Aladdin, "that I am not mad, but in my
+right senses; I foresaw that you would reproach me with folly and
+extravagance; but I must tell you once more, that I am resolved to
+demand the princess in marriage!"
+
+"Indeed, son," replied the mother seriously, "I cannot help telling you
+that you have forgotten yourself, and I do not see who will venture to
+make the proposal for you." "You yourself," replied he immediately. "I
+go to the sultan!" answered the mother, amazed. "I shall be cautious how
+I engage in such an errand. Why, who are you, son," continued she, "that
+you can have the assurance to think of your sultan's daughter? Have you
+forgotten that your father was one of the poorest tailors in the
+capital, and that I am of no better extraction; and do not you know that
+sultans never marry their daughters but to sons of sovereigns like
+themselves?"
+
+"Mother," answered Aladdin, "I foresaw all that you have said, or can
+say: and tell you that neither your discourse nor your remonstrances
+shall make me change my mind. I have told you that you must ask the
+princess in marriage for me. I beg of you not to refuse, unless you
+would rather see me in my grave, than by your compliance give me new
+life."
+
+The good old woman was much embarrassed, when she found Aladdin
+persisting in so wild a design. "My son," said she again, "I am your
+mother, and there is nothing that is reasonable but I would readily do
+for you. If I were to go and treat about your marriage with some
+neighbour's daughter, I would do it with all my heart; and even then
+they would expect you should have some little estate, or be of some
+trade. When such poor folks as we are wish to marry, the first thing
+they ought to think of, is how to live. But without reflecting on the
+meanness of your birth, and the little fortune you have to recommend
+you, you aim at the highest pitch of exaltation; and your pretensions
+are no less than to demand in marriage the daughter of your sovereign,
+who with one single word can crush you to pieces. How could so
+extraordinary a thought come into your head, as that I should go to the
+sultan and ask him to give his daughter in marriage to you? Suppose I
+had the impudence to present myself before the sultan, to whom should I
+address myself to be introduced to his majesty? Do you not think the
+first person I should speak to would take me for a mad woman, and
+chastise me as I should deserve? I know there is no difficulty to those
+who go to petition for justice, which the sultan distributes equally
+among his subjects; I know, too, that to those who ask a favour he
+grants it with pleasure when he sees it is deserved. But do you think
+you have merited the honour you would have me ask? What have you done to
+claim such a favour, either for your prince or country? How can I open
+my mouth to make the proposal to the sultan? His majestic presence and
+the lustre of his court would absolutely confound me. There is another
+reason, my son, which you do not think of, which is that nobody ever
+goes to ask a favour of the sultan without a present. But what presents
+have you to make? and what proportion could they bear to the favour you
+would ask? Therefore, reflect well, and consider that you aspire to an
+object which it is impossible for you to obtain."
+
+Aladdin heard very calmly all that his mother could say to dissuade him
+from his design, and after he had weighed her representations replied:
+"I own, mother, it is great rashness in me to presume to carry my
+pretensions so far; and a great want of consideration to ask you to go
+and make the proposal to the sultan, without first taking proper
+measures to procure a favourable reception, and I therefore beg your
+pardon. But be not surprised that I did not at first see every measure
+necessary to procure me the happiness I seek. I love the princess, and
+shall always persevere in my design of marrying her. I am obliged to you
+for the hint you have given me, and look upon it as the first step I
+ought to take to procure the happy issue I promise myself.
+
+"You say it is not customary to go to the sultan without a present, and
+that I have nothing worthy of his acceptance. Do not you think, mother,
+that what I brought home with me the day on which I was delivered from
+death may be an acceptable present? I mean those things that you and I
+both took for coloured glass: but now I can tell you that they are
+jewels of inestimable value. I know the worth of them by frequenting the
+shops; and you may take my word that all the precious stones which I saw
+in the jewellers' shops were not to be compared to those we have, either
+for size or beauty; I am persuaded that they will be received very
+favourably by the sultan: you have a large porcelain dish fit to hold
+them; fetch it, and let us see how they will look, when we have arranged
+them according to their different colours."
+
+Aladdin's mother brought the china dish, when he took the jewels out of
+the two purses in which he had kept them, and placed them in order
+according to his fancy. But the brightness and lustre they emitted in
+the daytime so dazzled the eyes both of mother and son, that they were
+astonished beyond measure; for they had only seen them by the light of a
+lamp; and though the latter had beheld them pendent on the trees like
+fruit beautiful to the eye, yet as he was then but a boy, he looked on
+them only as glittering playthings.
+
+After they had admired the beauty of the jewels some time, Aladdin said
+to his mother: "Now you cannot excuse yourself from going to the sultan,
+under pretext of not having a present to make him, since here is one
+which will gain you a favourable reception."
+
+Though the good widow did not believe the precious stones so valuable as
+her son estimated them, she thought such a present might nevertheless be
+agreeable to the sultan, but she still hesitated. "My son," said she, "I
+cannot conceive that the sultan will look upon me with a favourable eye;
+I am sure, that if I attempt to deliver your strange message, I shall
+have no power to open my mouth; therefore I shall not only lose my
+labour, but the present, which you say is so valuable, and shall return
+home again in confusion, to tell you that your hopes are frustrated.
+But," added she, "I will do my best to please you, though certainly the
+sultan will either laugh at me, or be in so great a rage, as to make us
+both the victims of his fury."
+
+She used many other arguments to endeavour to make Aladdin change his
+mind; but he persisted in importuning his mother to execute his
+resolution, and she, out of tenderness, complied with his request.
+
+As it was now late, and the time for admission to the palace was passed,
+the visit was put off till the next day. The mother and son talked of
+different matters the remaining hours; and Aladdin strove to encourage
+her in the task she had undertaken; while she could not persuade herself
+she should succeed; and it must be confessed she had reason enough to
+doubt. "Child," said she to Aladdin, "if the sultan should hear my
+proposal with calmness, and after this should think of asking me where
+lie your riches and your estate, what answer would you have me return
+him?"
+
+"Let us not be uneasy, mother," replied Aladdin, "about what may never
+happen. First, let us see how the sultan receives, and what answer he
+gives you. If he desires to be informed of what you mention, I am
+confident that the lamp will not fail me in time of need."
+
+The tailor's widow reflected that the lamp might be capable of doing
+greater wonders than just providing victuals for them, and this removed
+all the difficulties which might have prevented her from undertaking the
+service she had promised. Aladdin, who penetrated into his mother's
+thoughts, said to her: "Above all things, mother, be sure to keep secret
+our possession of the lamp, for thereon depends the success we have to
+expect;" and after this caution they parted to go to rest. Aladdin rose
+before daybreak, awakened his mother, pressing her to get herself
+dressed to go to the sultan's palace, and to get admittance, if
+possible, before the great officers of state went in to take their seats
+in the divan, where the sultan always assisted in person.
+
+Aladdin's mother took the china dish, in which they had put the jewels
+the day before, wrapped in two napkins, one finer than the other, which
+was tied at the four corners for more easy carriage, and set out for the
+palace. When she came to the gates, the grand vizier, the other viziers,
+and most distinguished lords of the court, were just gone in; but,
+notwithstanding the great crowd of people who had business there, she
+got into the divan, a spacious hall, the entrance into which was very
+magnificent. She placed herself just before the sultan, grand vizier,
+and the great lords, who sat in council, on his right and left hand.
+Several causes were called, according to their order, pleaded and
+adjudged, until the time the divan generally broke up, when the sultan
+rising, returned to his apartment, attended by the grand vizier; the
+other viziers and ministers of state then retired, as also did all those
+whose business had called them thither; some pleased with gaining their
+causes, others dissatisfied at the sentences pronounced against them,
+and some in expectation of being heard the next sitting.
+
+Aladdin's mother, seeing the sultan retire, and all the people depart,
+judged rightly that he would not sit again that day, and resolved to go
+home. When Aladdin saw her return with the present, he knew not what to
+think, and in fear lest she should bring him some ill news, had not
+courage to ask her any questions; but she, who had never set foot into
+the sultan's palace before, and knew not what was every day practised
+there, freed him from his embarrassment, and said to him: "Son, I have
+seen the sultan, and am very well persuaded he has seen me too; for I
+placed myself just before him; but he was so much taken up with those
+who attended on all sides of him, that I pitied him, and wondered at his
+patience. At last I believe he was heartily tired, for he rose up
+suddenly, and would not hear a great many who were ready prepared to
+speak to him, but went away, at which I was well pleased, for indeed I
+began to lose all patience, and was extremely fatigued with staying so
+long. But there is no harm done; I will go again to-morrow; perhaps the
+sultan may not be so busy."
+
+Though his passion was very violent, Aladdin was forced to be satisfied,
+and to fortify himself with patience. He had at least the satisfaction
+to find that his mother had got over the greatest difficulty, which was
+to procure access to the sultan, and hoped that the example of those she
+saw speak to him would embolden her to acquit herself better of her
+commission when a favourable opportunity might offer.
+
+The next morning she repaired to the sultan's palace with the present,
+as early as the day before, but when she came there, she found the gates
+of the divan shut, and understood that the council sat but every other
+day, therefore she must come again the next. This news she carried to
+her son, whose only relief was to guard himself with patience. She went
+six times afterward on the days appointed and placed herself always
+directly before the sultan, but with as little success as the first
+morning, and might have perhaps come a thousand times to as little
+purpose, if luckily the sultan himself had not taken particular notice
+of her.
+
+On the sixth day, after the divan was broken up, when the sultan
+returned to his own apartment, he said to his grand vizier: "I have for
+some time observed a certain woman, who attends constantly every day
+that I give audience, with something wrapped up in a napkin: she always
+stands up from the beginning to the breaking up of the audience, and
+affects to place herself just before me. Do you know what she wants?"
+
+"Sir," replied the grand vizier, who knew no more than the sultan what
+she wanted, but did not wish to seem uninformed, "your majesty knows
+that women often make complaints on trifles; perhaps she may come to
+complain that somebody has sold her some bad flour, or some such
+trifling matter." The sultan was not satisfied with this answer, but
+replied: "If this woman comes to our next audience, do not fail to call
+her, that I may hear what she has to say." The grand vizier made answer
+by lowering his hand, and then lifting it up above his head, signifying
+his willingness to lose it if he failed.
+
+By this time, the tailor's widow was so much used to go to audience, and
+stand before the sultan, that she did not think it any trouble, if she
+could but satisfy her son that she neglected nothing that lay in her
+power to please him: so the next audience-day she went to the divan and
+placed herself in front of the sultan as usual; and before the grand
+vizier had made his report of business, the sultan perceived her, and
+compassionating her for having waited so long, said to the vizier:
+"Before you enter upon any business, remember the woman I spoke to you
+about; bid her come near, and let us despatch her business first." The
+grand vizier immediately called the chief of the mace-bearers, and
+pointing to her, bade him tell her to come before the sultan.
+
+The chief of the officers went to Aladdin's mother, and at a sign he
+gave her, she followed him to the foot of the sultan's throne, where he
+left her, and retired to his place by the grand vizier. The old woman
+bowed her head down to the carpet, which covered the platform of the
+throne, and remained in that posture till the sultan bade her rise, when
+he said to her: "Good woman, I have observed you to stand from the
+beginning to the rising of the divan; what business brings you here?"
+
+After these words, Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time;
+and when she arose, said: "Monarch of monarchs, before I tell your
+majesty the extraordinary and incredible business which brings me before
+your high throne, I beg of you to pardon the boldness of the demand I am
+going to make, which is so uncommon, that I tremble, and am ashamed to
+propose it to my sovereign." In order to give her the more freedom to
+explain herself, the sultan ordered all to quit the divan but the grand
+vizier, and then told her she might speak without restraint.
+
+Aladdin's mother, not content with this favour of the sultan's to save
+her the confusion of speaking before so many people, was,
+notwithstanding, a little apprehensive; therefore, resuming her
+discourse, she said: "I beg of your majesty, if you should think my
+demand the least offensive, to assure me first of your forgiveness."
+"Well," replied the sultan, "I will forgive you, be it what it may, and
+no hurt shall come to you: speak boldly."
+
+When Aladdin's mother had taken all these precautions, she told him
+faithfully how Aladdin had seen the Princess Badroulboudour, the violent
+love that fatal sight had inspired him with, the declaration he had made
+to her when he came home, and what she had said to dissuade him. "But,"
+continued she, "my son, instead of taking my advice and reflecting on
+his presumption, was so obstinate as to persevere, and to threaten me
+with some desperate act, if I refused to come and ask the princess in
+marriage of your majesty; and it was not without the greatest reluctance
+that I was led to accede to his request, for which I beg your majesty
+once more to pardon not only me, but also Aladdin my son, for
+entertaining so rash a project."
+
+The sultan hearkened to this discourse without shewing the least anger;
+but before he gave her any answer, asked her what she had brought tied
+up in the napkin? She took the china dish, which she had set down at the
+foot of the throne before she prostrated herself before him, untied it,
+and presented it to the sultan.
+
+The monarch's amazement and surprise were inexpressible, when he saw so
+many large, beautiful, and valuable jewels collected in the dish. He
+remained for some time motionless with admiration. At last, when he had
+recovered himself, he received the present, crying out in a transport of
+joy: "How rich, how beautiful!" After he had admired and handled all the
+jewels, one after another, he turned to his grand vizier, and shewing
+him the dish, said: "Behold, admire, wonder, and confess that your eyes
+never beheld jewels so rich and beautiful before." The vizier was
+charmed. "Well," continued the sultan, "what sayest thou to such a
+present? Is it not worthy of the princess, my daughter? And ought I not
+to bestow her on one who values her at so great price?"
+
+These words put the grand vizier into extreme agitation. The sultan had
+some time before signified to him his intention of bestowing the
+princess on a son of his; therefore he was afraid, and not without
+grounds, that the present might change his majesty's mind. Therefore
+going to him, and whispering him in the ear, he said: "I cannot but own
+that the present is worthy of the princess; but I beg of your majesty to
+grant me three months before you come to a final resolution. I hope,
+before that time, my son, on whom you have had the goodness to look with
+a favourable eye, will be able to make a nobler present than Aladdin,
+who is an entire stranger to your majesty."
+
+The sultan, though he was fully persuaded that it was not possible for
+the vizier to provide so considerable a present for his son, yet
+hearkened to him, and granted his request. Turning therefore to the old
+widow, he said to her: "Good woman, go home, and tell your son that I
+agree to the proposal you have made me; but I cannot marry the princess,
+my daughter, till the paraphernalia I design for her be got ready, which
+cannot be finished these three months; but at the expiration of that
+time, come again."
+
+The widow returned home much more gratified than she had expected, since
+she had met with a favourable answer.
+
+Aladdin thought himself the most happy of all men at hearing this news,
+and thanked his mother for the pains she had taken in the affair, the
+good success of which was of so great importance to his peace.
+
+When two of the three months were passed, his mother one evening going
+to light the lamp, and finding no oil in the house, went out to buy
+some, and when she came into the city, found a general rejoicing. The
+shops were open, dressed with foliage, silks, and carpeting, every one
+striving to shew their zeal in the most distinguished manner according
+to their ability. The streets were crowded with officers in habits of
+ceremony, mounted on horses richly caparisoned, each attended by a great
+many footmen. Aladdin's mother asked the oil-merchant what was the
+meaning of all this preparation of public festivity? "Whence come you,
+good woman," said he, "that you do not know that the grand vizier's son
+is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour, the sultan's daughter,
+to-night? She will presently return from the baths; and these officers
+whom you see are to assist at the cavalcade to the palace, where the
+ceremony is to be solemnised."
+
+This was news enough for Aladdin's mother. She ran till she was quite
+out of breath home to her son, who little suspected any such event.
+"Child," cried she, "you are undone! you depend upon the sultan's fine
+promises, but they will come to nothing." Aladdin was alarmed at these
+words. "Mother," replied he, "how do you know the sultan has been guilty
+of a breach of promise?" "This night," answered the mother, "the grand
+vizier's son is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour." She then related
+how she had heard it; so that he had no reason to doubt the truth of
+what she said.
+
+At this account, Aladdin was thunderstruck. Any other man would have
+sunk under the shock; but a sudden hope of disappointing his rival soon
+roused his spirits, and he bethought himself of the lamp, which had in
+every emergency been so useful to him; and without venting his rage in
+empty words against the sultan, the vizier, or his son, he only said:
+"Perhaps, mother, the vizier's son may not be so happy to-night as he
+promises himself: while I go into my chamber a moment, do you get
+supper ready." She accordingly went about it, but guessed that her son
+was going to make use of the lamp, to prevent, if possible, the
+consummation of the marriage.
+
+When Aladdin had got into his chamber, he took the lamp, rubbed it in
+the same place as before, when immediately the genie appeared, and said
+to him: "What wouldst thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave,
+and the slave of all those who have that lamp in their possession; I and
+the other slaves of the lamp." "Hear me," said Aladdin; "thou hast
+hitherto brought me whatever I wanted as to provisions; but now I have
+business of the greatest importance for thee to execute. I have demanded
+the Princess Badroulboudour in marriage of the sultan, her father; he
+promised her to me, only requiring three months' delay; but instead of
+keeping that promise, has this night planned to marry her to the grand
+vizier's son. What I ask of you is, that as soon as the two are made
+one, you bring them both hither to me." "Master," replied the genie, "I
+will obey you. Have you any other commands?" "None at present," answered
+Aladdin, and then the genie disappeared.
+
+Aladdin having left his chamber, supped with his mother, with the same
+tranquillity of mind as usual; and after supper talked of the princess's
+marriage as of an affair wherein he had not the least concern; he then
+retired to his own chamber again, but sat up waiting the execution of
+his orders to the genie.
+
+In the meantime, everything was prepared with the greatest magnificence
+in the sultan's palace to celebrate the princess's nuptials; and the
+evening was spent with all the usual ceremonies and great rejoicings.
+
+No sooner had the bride and bridegroom slipped away from the company,
+however, than the genie, as the faithful slave of the lamp, and punctual
+in executing the command of those who possessed it, to the great
+amazement of them both, took them up and transported them in an instant
+to Aladdin's chamber, where he set them down.
+
+Aladdin had waited impatiently for this moment. "Take this new-married
+man," said he to the genie, "shut him up in the house of office, and
+come again to-morrow morning before daybreak." The genie instantly
+carried the vizier's son whither Aladdin had commanded him; and after he
+had breathed upon him, which prevented his stirring, left him there.
+
+Passionate as was Aladdin's love for the princess, he did not talk much
+to her when they were alone; but only said with a respectful air: "Fear
+nothing, adorable princess; you are here in safety. If I have been
+forced to come to this extremity, it is to prevent an unjust rival's
+possessing you, contrary to your father's promise in favour of myself."
+
+The princess, who knew nothing of these particulars, gave very little
+attention to what Aladdin could say. The fright and amazement of so
+surprising an adventure had alarmed her so much that he could not get
+one word from her. Badroulboudour never passed a night so ill in her
+life; and if we consider the condition in which the genie left the grand
+vizier's son, we may imagine that the new bridegroom spent it much
+worse.
+
+Aladdin had no occasion the next morning to rub the lamp to call the
+genie; who appeared at the hour appointed, and said to him: "I am here,
+master; what are your commands?" "Go," said Aladdin, "fetch the vizier's
+son out of the place where you left him, and carry the pair to the
+sultan's palace, from whence you brought them." The genie presently
+returned with the vizier's son, and in an instant they were transported
+into the same chamber of the palace from whence they had been brought.
+But we must observe, that all this time the genie never was visible
+either to the princess or the grand vizier's son. His hideous form would
+have made them die with fear. Neither did they hear anything of the
+discourse between Aladdin and him; they only perceived the motion
+through the air, and their transportation from one place to another;
+which we may well imagine was enough to alarm them.
+
+The sultan went to the room of the princess next morning and kissed her
+between the eyes, according to custom, wishing her a good morrow, but
+was extremely surprised to see her so melancholy. She only cast at him a
+sorrowful look, expressive of great affliction. He said a few words to
+her; but finding that he could not get an answer, was forced to retire.
+Nevertheless, he suspected that there was something extraordinary in
+this silence, and thereupon went immediately to the sultaness's
+apartment, told her in what a state he had found the princess, and how
+she had received him. "Sir," said the sultaness, "I will go and see her;
+I am much deceived if she receives me in the same manner."
+
+As soon as the sultaness was dressed, she went to the princess's
+apartment, who was still in bed. She undrew the curtain, wished her good
+morrow, and kissed her. But how great was her surprise when she returned
+no answer; and looking more attentively at her, she perceived her to be
+much dejected, which made her judge that something had happened, which
+she did not understand. "How comes it, child," said the sultaness, "that
+you do not return my caresses? Ought you to treat your mother after this
+manner? I am induced to believe something extraordinary has happened;
+come, tell me freely, and leave me no longer in a painful suspense."
+
+At last the princess broke silence with a deep sigh, and said: "Alas!
+most honoured mother, forgive me if I have failed in the respect I owe
+you. My mind is so full of the extraordinary circumstances which have
+befallen me that I have not yet recovered from my amazement and alarm."
+She then related her surprising adventures, which the sultaness heard
+very patiently, but could scarcely believe. "You did well, child," said
+she, "not to speak of this to your father: take care not to mention it
+to anybody; for you will certainly be thought mad if you talk in this
+manner." "Madam," replied the princess, "I can assure you I am in my
+right senses; ask my husband and he will tell you the same
+circumstances." "I will," said the sultaness; "but if he should talk in
+the same manner, I shall not be better persuaded of the truth. Come,
+rise, and throw off this idle fancy; it will be strange if all the
+feasts and rejoicings in the kingdom should be interrupted by such a
+vision. Do not you hear the trumpets of congratulation, and concerts of
+the finest music? Cannot these inspire you with joy and make you forget
+the fancies of a dream?" At the same time the sultaness called the
+princess's women, and after she had seen her get up, went to the
+sultan's apartment, told him that her daughter had got some odd notions
+in her head, but that there was nothing in them but idle phantasy.
+
+She then sent for the vizier's son, to know of him something of what the
+princess had told her; but he, thinking himself highly honoured to be
+allied to the sultan, and not willing to lose the princess, denied what
+had happened. "That is enough," answered the sultaness; "I ask no more.
+I see you are wiser than my daughter."
+
+The rejoicings lasted all that day in the palace, and the sultaness, who
+never left the princess, forgot nothing to divert her, and induce her to
+take part in the various diversions and shows; but she was so struck
+with the idea of what had happened to her in the night, that it was easy
+to see her thoughts were entirely taken up with it. Neither was the
+grand vizier's son in less tribulation, though his ambition made him
+disguise his feelings so well, that nobody doubted of his being a happy
+bridegroom.
+
+Aladdin, who was well acquainted with what passed in the palace, was
+resolved that the troublesome adventure of the night before should again
+disturb the unhappy pair, and therefore had recourse to his lamp, and
+when the genie appeared and offered his service, he said to him: "Bring
+the grand vizier's son and the Princess Badroulboudour hither to-night,
+as thou didst yesterday."
+
+The genie obeyed as faithfully and exactly as the day before; the grand
+vizier's son passed the night as coldly and disagreeably, and the
+princess had the same alarm and mortification. The genie, according to
+orders, came the next morning, and returned the new-married couple again
+to the palace.
+
+The sultan, after the reception the princess had given him, was very
+anxious to know how she had passed the second night, and therefore went
+into her chamber as early as the morning before. After the same caresses
+he had given her the former morning, he bade her good-morrow. "Well,
+daughter," said he, "are you in a better humour than yesterday?" Still
+the princess was silent, and the sultan, perceiving her to be in greater
+confusion than before, doubted not that something very extraordinary was
+the cause; but provoked that his daughter should conceal it, he said to
+her in a rage, with his sabre in his hand: "Daughter, tell me what is
+the matter, or I will cut off your head immediately."
+
+The princess, more frightened at the tone of the enraged sultan than at
+the sight of the drawn sabre, at last broke silence, and said with tears
+in her eyes: "My dear father and sultan, I ask your majesty's pardon if
+I have offended you, and hope that out of your goodness you will have
+compassion on me."
+
+After this preamble, which appeased the sultan, she told him what had
+happened to her in so moving a manner, that he, who loved her tenderly,
+was most sensibly grieved. She added: "If your majesty doubts the truth
+of this account, you may inform yourself from my husband, who will tell
+you the same thing."
+
+The sultan immediately felt all the uneasiness so surprising an
+adventure must have given the princess. "Daughter," said he, "you are
+much to blame for not telling me this yesterday, since it concerns me as
+much as yourself. I did not marry you to make you miserable, but that
+you might enjoy all the happiness you might hope for from a husband, who
+to me seemed agreeable to you. Efface all these troublesome ideas from
+your memory; I will take care that you shall have no more such
+disagreeable experiences."
+
+As soon as the sultan had returned to his own apartment, he sent for the
+grand vizier: "Vizier," said he, "have you seen your son, and has he
+told you anything?" The vizier replied: "No." The sultan related all the
+circumstances of which the princess had informed him, and afterward
+said: "I do not doubt but that my daughter has told me the truth; but
+nevertheless I should be glad to have it confirmed by your son,
+therefore go and ask him how it was."
+
+The grand vizier went immediately to his son, communicated what the
+sultan had told him, and enjoined him to conceal nothing, but to relate
+the whole truth. "I will disguise nothing from you, father," replied the
+son, "for indeed all that the princess has stated is true. Yet I must
+tell you, that all these experiences do not in the least lessen those
+sentiments of love and gratitude I entertain for her; but I must
+confess, that notwithstanding all the honour that attends marrying my
+sovereign's daughter, I would much rather die than continue in so
+exalted an alliance, if I must undergo much longer what I have already
+endured. I do not doubt but that the princess entertains the same
+sentiments, and that she will readily agree to a separation which is so
+necessary both for her repose and mine. Therefore, father, I beg, by the
+same tenderness which led you to procure me so great an honour, to
+obtain the sultan's consent that our marriage may be declared null and
+void."
+
+Notwithstanding the grand vizier's ambition to have his son allied to
+the sultan, the firm resolution he saw he had formed to be separated
+from the princess caused the father to give his majesty a full account
+of what had passed, begging him finally to give his son leave to retire
+from the palace, alleging it was not just that the princess should be a
+moment longer exposed to so terrible a persecution upon his son's
+account.
+
+The grand vizier found no great difficulty to obtain what he asked, as
+the sultan had determined upon it already; orders were given to put a
+stop to all rejoicings in the palace and town, and expresses despatched
+to all parts of his dominions to countermand his first orders; and in a
+short time, all merry-making ceased.
+
+This sudden change gave rise both in the city and kingdom to various
+speculations and inquiries; but no other account could be given of it,
+except that both the vizier and his son went out of the palace much
+dejected. Nobody but Aladdin knew the secret, who rejoiced at the happy
+success procured by his lamp. Neither the sultan nor the grand vizier,
+who had forgotten Aladdin and his request, had the least thought that he
+had any concern in the enchantment which caused the dissolution of the
+marriage.
+
+Aladdin waited till the three months were completed, which the sultan
+had appointed for the consummation of the marriage between the Princess
+Badroulboudour and himself; and the next day sent his mother to the
+palace, to remind the sultan of his promise.
+
+The widow went to the palace, and stood in the same place as before in
+the hall of audience. The sultan no sooner cast his eyes upon her than
+he knew her again, remembered her business, and how long he had put her
+off: therefore, when the grand vizier was beginning to make his report,
+the sultan interrupted him, and said: "Vizier, I see the good woman who
+made me the present of jewels some months ago; forbear your report, till
+I have heard what she has to say." The vizier, looking about the divan,
+perceived the tailor's widow, and sent the chief of the mace-bearers to
+conduct her to the sultan.
+
+Aladdin's mother came to the foot of the throne, prostrated herself as
+usual, and when she rose, the sultan asked her what she would have.
+"Sir," said she, "I come to represent to your majesty, in the name of my
+son, Aladdin, that the three months, at the end of which you ordered me
+to come again, are expired; and to beg you to remember your promise."
+
+The sultan, when he had fixed a time to answer the request of this good
+woman, little thought of hearing any more of a marriage, which he
+imagined would be very disagreeable to the princess; so this summons for
+him to fulfil his promise was somewhat embarrassing; he declined giving
+an answer till he had consulted his vizier, and signified to him the
+little inclination he had to conclude a match for his daughter with a
+stranger, whose rank he supposed to be very mean.
+
+The grand vizier freely told the sultan his thoughts, and said to him:
+"In my opinion, sir, there is an infallible way for your majesty to
+avoid a match so disproportionate, without giving Aladdin, were he known
+to your majesty, any cause of complaint; which is, to set so high a
+price upon the princess that, however rich he may be, he cannot comply
+with it. This is the only way to make him desist from so bold an
+undertaking."
+
+The sultan, approving of the grand vizier's advice, turned to the
+tailor's widow and said to her: "Good woman, it is true sultans ought to
+abide by their words, and I am ready to keep mine, by making your son
+happy in marriage with the princess, my daughter. But as I cannot marry
+her without some further valuable consideration from your son, you may
+tell him, I will fulfil my promise as soon as he shall send me forty
+trays of massy gold, full of the same sort of jewels you have already
+made me a present of, and carried by the like number of black slaves,
+who shall be led by as many young and handsome white slaves, all dressed
+magnificently. On these conditions I am ready to bestow the princess, my
+daughter, upon him; therefore, good woman, go and tell him so, and I
+will wait till you bring me his answer."
+
+Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time before the sultan's
+throne, and retired. On her way home, she laughed within herself at her
+son's foolish imagination. "Where," said she, "can he get so many large
+gold trays, and such precious stones to fill them? Must he go again to
+that subterranean abode and gather them off the trees? and where will he
+get so many such slaves as the sultan requires? It is altogether out of
+his power, and I believe he will not be much pleased with my embassy
+this time." When she came home, full of these thoughts, she said to her
+son: "Indeed, child, I would not have you think any farther of your
+marriage with the princess. The sultan received me very kindly, and I
+believe he was well inclined to you; but if I am not much deceived the
+grand vizier has made him change his mind." She then gave her son an
+exact account of what the sultan had said to her, and the conditions on
+which he consented to the match. Afterward she said to him: "The sultan
+expects your answer immediately; but," continued she, laughing, "I
+believe he may wait long enough."
+
+"Not so long, mother, as you imagine," replied Aladdin; "the sultan is
+mistaken, if he thinks by this exorbitant demand to prevent my
+entertaining thoughts of the princess. I expected that he would have set
+a higher price upon her incomparable charms. His demand is but a trifle
+to what I could have done for her. But while I think of satisfying his
+request, go and get something for our dinner, and leave the rest to me."
+
+As soon as his mother was gone out, Aladdin took the lamp, and rubbing
+it, the genie appeared, and offered his service as usual. "The sultan,"
+said Aladdin to him, "gives me the princess his daughter in marriage;
+but demands first, forty large trays of massy gold, full of the fruits
+of the garden from whence I took this lamp; and these he expects to have
+carried by as many black slaves, each preceded by a young handsome white
+slave, richly clothed. Go, and fetch me this present as soon as
+possible, that I may send it to him before the divan breaks up." The
+genie told him his command should be immediately obeyed, and
+disappeared.
+
+In a little time afterward the genie returned with forty black slaves,
+each bearing on his head a heavy tray of pure gold, full of pearls,
+diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and every sort of precious stones, all
+larger and more beautiful than those formerly presented to the sultan.
+Each tray was covered with silver tissue, embroidered with flowers of
+gold: these, together with the white slaves, quite filled the house,
+which was but a small one, the little court before it, and a small
+garden behind. The genie asked if he had any other commands, and Aladdin
+telling him that he wanted nothing further, he disappeared.
+
+When Aladdin's mother came from market, she was much surprised to see so
+many people and such vast riches. As soon as she had laid down her
+provisions, she was going to pull off her veil; but her son prevented
+her, and said: "Mother, let us lose no time; before the sultan and the
+divan rise, I would have you return to the palace with this present as
+the dowry demanded for the princess, that he may judge by my diligence
+of the ardent desire I have to procure myself the honour of this
+alliance." Without waiting for his mother's reply, Aladdin opened the
+street-door, and made the slaves walk out; each white slave followed by
+a black with a tray upon his head. When they were all out, the mother
+followed the last black slave; he shut the door, and then retired to his
+chamber, full of hopes that the sultan, after this present, which was
+such as he required, would receive him as his son-in-law.
+
+The first white slave who went out made all the people who were going by
+stop; and before they were all clear of the house, the streets were
+crowded with spectators, who ran to see so extraordinary and magnificent
+a procession. The dress of each slave was so rich, both for the stuff
+and the jewels, that those who were dealers in them valued each at no
+less than a million of money; besides, the neatness and propriety of the
+dress, the noble air, fine shape and proportion of each slave were
+unparalleled; their grave walk at an equal distance from each other, the
+lustre of the jewels, curiously set in their girdles of gold, and the
+egrets of precious stones in their turbans, put the spectators into such
+great admiration, that they could not avoid following them with their
+eyes as far as possible. As soon as the first of these slaves arrived at
+the palace gate, the porters formed themselves into order, taking him
+for a prince from the magnificence of his habit, and were going to kiss
+the hem of his garment; but the slave, who was instructed by the genie,
+prevented them, and said: "We are only slaves, our master will appear at
+a proper time."
+
+The first slave, followed by the rest, advanced into the second court,
+which was very spacious, and in which the sultan's household was ranged
+during the sitting of the divan. The magnificence of the officers, who
+stood at the head of their troops, was considerably eclipsed by the
+slaves who bore Aladdin's present, of which they themselves made a part.
+
+As the sultan, who had been informed of their approach to the palace,
+had given orders for them to be admitted, they went into the divan in
+regular order, one part filing to the right, and the other to the left.
+After they were all entered, and had formed a semicircle before the
+sultan's throne, the black slaves laid the golden trays on the carpet,
+prostrating themselves, and at the same time the white slaves did the
+same. When they rose, the black slaves uncovered the trays, and then all
+stood with their arms crossed over their breasts.
+
+In the meantime Aladdin's mother advanced to the foot of the throne, and
+having paid her respects, said to the sultan: "Sir, my son is sensible
+that this present, which he has sent your majesty, is much below the
+Princess Badroulboudour's worth; but hopes, nevertheless, that your
+majesty will accept of it."
+
+The sultan was not able to give the least attention to this compliment.
+The moment he cast his eyes on the forty trays, full of the most
+precious and beautiful jewels he had ever seen, and the fourscore
+slaves, who appeared by the elegance of their persons, and the
+magnificence of their dress, like so many princes, he was overwhelmed.
+Instead of answering the compliment of Aladdin's mother, he addressed
+himself to the grand vizier, who could not any more than the sultan
+comprehend from whence such a profusion of richness could come. "Well,
+vizier," said he aloud, "who do you think it can be that has sent me so
+extraordinary a present? Do you think him worthy of the Princess
+Badroulboudour, my daughter?"
+
+The vizier, notwithstanding his envy and grief at seeing a stranger
+preferred to his son, durst not disguise his sentiments. It was too
+visible that Aladdin's present was more than sufficient to merit his
+being received into royal alliance; therefore, consulting his master's
+feelings, he returned this answer: "I am so far from having any thoughts
+that the person who has made your majesty so noble a present is unworthy
+of the honour you would do him, that I should say he deserved much more,
+if I were not persuaded that the greatest treasure in the world ought
+not to be put in competition with the princess, your majesty's
+daughter."
+
+The sultan made no longer hesitation, nor thought of informing himself
+whether Aladdin was endowed with all the qualifications requisite in one
+who aspired to be his son-in-law. The sight alone of such immense
+riches, and Aladdin's quickness in satisfying his demand, without
+starting the least difficulty at the exorbitant conditions he had
+imposed, easily persuaded him that he could want nothing to render him
+accomplished, and such as he desired. Therefore, to send Aladdin's
+mother back with all the satisfaction she could desire, he said to her:
+"My good lady, go and tell your son that I wait with open arms to
+embrace him, and the more haste he makes to come and receive the
+princess, my daughter, from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do
+me."
+
+As soon as the tailor's widow had retired, overjoyed to see her son
+raised to such exalted fortune, the sultan put an end to the audience;
+and rising from his throne, ordered that the princess's eunuchs should
+come and carry the trays into their mistress's apartment, whither he
+went himself to examine them with her at his leisure. The fourscore
+slaves were conducted into the palace; and the sultan, telling the
+princess of their magnificent appearance, ordered them to be brought
+before her apartment, that she might see through the lattices that he
+had not exaggerated in his account of them.
+
+In the meantime, Aladdin's mother got home, and shewed in her
+countenance the good news she brought her son. "My son," said she to
+him, "you have now all the reason in the world to be pleased. The
+sultan, with the approbation of the whole court, has declared that you
+are worthy to possess the Princess Badroulboudour, and waits to embrace
+you, and conclude your marriage; therefore, you must think of making
+preparations for your interview, which may answer the high opinion he
+has formed of your person."
+
+Aladdin, enraptured with this news, made little reply, but retired to
+his chamber. There, after he had rubbed the lamp, which had never failed
+him, the obedient genie appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I want to
+bathe immediately, and you must afterward provide me the richest and
+most magnificent habit ever worn by a monarch." No sooner were the words
+out of his mouth than the genie rendered him invisible, and transported
+him into a bath of the finest marble, where he was undressed, without
+seeing by whom, in a magnificent and spacious hall. From the hall he was
+led to the bath, which was of a moderate heat, and he was there rubbed
+with various scented waters. After he had passed through several degrees
+of heat, he came out quite a different man from what he was before. His
+skin was clear white and red, his body lightsome and free; and when he
+returned into the hall, he found, instead of his own, a suit the
+magnificence of which astonished him. The genie helped him to dress, and
+when he had done, transported him back to his own chamber, where he
+asked him if he had any other commands? "Yes," answered Aladdin, "I
+expect you to bring me as soon as possible a charger that surpasses in
+beauty and goodness the best in the sultan's stables, with a saddle,
+bridle, and other caparisons worth a million of money. I want also
+twenty slaves, as richly clothed as those who carried the present to the
+sultan, to walk by my side, and twenty more to go before me in two
+ranks. Besides these, bring my mother six women slaves to attend her, as
+richly dressed at least as any of the Princess Badroulboudour's, each
+carrying a complete dress fit for any sultaness. I want also ten
+thousand pieces of gold in ten purses; go, and make haste."
+
+As soon as Aladdin had given these orders, the genie disappeared, but
+presently returned with the horse, the forty slaves, ten of whom carried
+each a purse containing ten thousand pieces of gold, and six women
+slaves, each carrying on her head a different dress for Aladdin's
+mother, wrapped up in a piece of silver tissue.
+
+Of the ten purses Aladdin took four, which he gave to his mother,
+telling her, those were to supply her with necessaries; the other six he
+left in the hands of the slaves who brought them, with an order to throw
+them by handfuls among the people as they went to the sultan's palace.
+The six slaves who carried the purses he ordered likewise to march
+before him, three on the right hand and three on the left. Afterward he
+presented the six women slaves to his mother, telling her that they were
+her slaves, and that the dresses they had brought were for her use.
+
+When Aladdin had thus settled matters, he told the genie he would call
+for him when he wanted him, and thereupon the genie disappeared.
+Aladdin's thoughts now were only upon answering, as soon as possible,
+the desire the sultan had shewn to see him. He despatched one of the
+forty slaves to the palace, with an order to address himself to the
+chief of the porters, to know when he might have the honour to come and
+throw himself at the sultan's feet. The slave soon acquitted himself of
+his commission, and brought for answer that the sultan waited for him
+with impatience.
+
+Aladdin immediately mounted his charger, and though he never was on
+horseback before, appeared with such extraordinary grace, that the most
+experienced horseman would not have taken him for a novice. The streets
+through which he was to pass were almost instantly filled with an
+innumerable concourse of people, who made the air echo with their
+acclamations, especially every time the six slaves who carried the
+purses threw handfuls of gold among the populace. Neither did these
+shouts of joy come from those alone who scrambled for the money, but
+from a superior rank of people, who could not forbear applauding
+Aladdin's generosity. Not only those who knew him when he played in the
+streets like a vagabond did not recollect him, but those who saw him but
+a little while before hardly recognised him, so much were his features
+altered: such were the effects of the lamp, as to procure by degrees to
+those who possessed it perfections suitable to the rank to which the
+right use of it advanced them. Much more attention was paid to Aladdin's
+person than to the pomp and magnificence of his attendants, as a similar
+show had been seen the day before, when the slaves walked in procession
+with the present to the sultan. Nevertheless, the horse was much admired
+by good judges, who knew how to discern his beauties, without being
+dazzled by the jewels and richness of his furniture. When the report was
+everywhere spread that the sultan was going to give the princess in
+marriage to Aladdin, nobody regarded his birth, nor envied his good
+fortune, so worthy he seemed of it in the public opinion.
+
+When he arrived at the palace, everything was prepared for his
+reception; and when he came to the gate of the second court, he would
+have alighted from his horse, agreeably to the custom observed by the
+grand vizier, the commander-in-chief of the empire, and governors of
+provinces of the first rank; but the chief of the mace-bearers, who
+waited on him by the sultan's order, prevented him, and attended him to
+the grand hall of audience, where he helped him to dismount. The
+officers formed themselves into two ranks at the entrance of the hall.
+The chief put Aladdin on his right hand, and through the midst of them
+led him to the sultan's throne.
+
+As soon as the sultan perceived Aladdin, he was no less surprised to see
+him more richly and magnificently habited than ever he had been himself,
+than struck at his good mien, fine shape, and a certain air of
+unexpected dignity, very different from the meanness of his mother's
+late appearance.
+
+But, notwithstanding, his amazement and surprise did not hinder him from
+rising off his throne, and descending two or three steps, quickly enough
+to prevent Aladdin's throwing himself at his feet. He embraced him with
+all possible demonstrations of joy at his arrival. After this civility
+Aladdin would have thrown himself at his feet again; but he held him
+fast by the hand, and obliged him to sit close to the throne.
+
+Aladdin then addressed the sultan, saying: "I receive the honour which
+your majesty out of your great condescension is pleased to confer; but
+permit me to assure you that I know the greatness of your power, and
+that I am not insensible how much my birth is below the lustre of the
+high rank to which I am raised. I ask your majesty's pardon for my
+rashness, but I cannot dissemble that I should die with grief were I to
+lose my hopes of seeing myself united to the divine princess who is the
+object of my wishes."
+
+"My son," answered the sultan, embracing him a second time, "you would
+wrong me to doubt for a moment of my sincerity: your life from this
+moment is too dear to me not to preserve it, by presenting you with the
+remedy which is at my disposal."
+
+After these words, the sultan gave a signal, and immediately the air
+echoed with the sound of trumpets, hautboys, and other musical
+instruments: and at the same time he led Aladdin into a magnificent
+hall, where was laid out a most splendid collation. The sultan and
+Aladdin ate by themselves, while the grand vizier and the great lords of
+the court, according to their dignity and rank, sat at different tables.
+The conversation turned on different subjects; but all the while the
+sultan took so much pleasure in looking at his intended son-in-law, that
+he hardly ever took his eyes off him; and throughout the whole of their
+conversation Aladdin shewed so much good sense, as confirmed the sultan
+in the high opinion he had formed of him.
+
+After the feast, the sultan sent for the chief judge of his capital, and
+ordered him to draw up immediately a contract of marriage between the
+Princess Badroulboudour, his daughter, and Aladdin.
+
+When the judge had drawn up the contract in all the requisite forms, the
+sultan asked Aladdin if he would stay in the palace, and solemnise the
+ceremonies of marriage that day; to which he answered: "Sir, though
+great is my impatience to enjoy your majesty's goodness, yet I beg of
+you to give me leave to defer it till I have built a palace fit to
+receive the princess; therefore I petition you to grant me a convenient
+spot of ground near your abode, that I may the more frequently pay my
+respects, and I will take care to have it finished with all diligence."
+"Son," said the sultan, "take what ground you think proper, there is
+space enough on every quarter round my palace; but consider, I cannot
+see you too soon united with my daughter, which alone is wanting to
+complete my happiness." After these words he embraced Aladdin again, who
+took his leave with as much politeness as if he had been bred up and had
+always lived at court.
+
+Aladdin returned home in the order he had come, amidst the acclamations
+of the people, who wished him all happiness and prosperity. As soon as
+he dismounted, he retired to his own chamber, took the lamp, and called
+the genie as before, who in the usual manner made him a tender of his
+service. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I have every reason to commend your
+exactness in executing hitherto punctually whatever I have demanded; but
+now, if you have any regard for the lamp, your protector, you must shew,
+if possible, more zeal and diligence than ever. I would have you build
+me, as soon as you can, a palace opposite, but at a proper distance
+from, the sultan's, fit to receive my spouse, the Princess
+Badroulboudour. I leave the choice of the materials to you, that is to
+say, porphyry, jasper, agate, lapis lazuli, or the finest marble of
+various colours, and also the architecture of the building. But I expect
+that on the terraced roof of this palace you will build me a large hall
+crowned with a dome, and having four equal fronts; and that instead of
+layers of bricks, the walls be formed of massy gold and silver, laid
+alternately: that each front shall contain six windows, the lattices of
+all of which (except one, which must be left unfinished) shall be so
+enriched in the most tasteful workmanship, with diamonds, rubies, and
+emeralds, that they shall exceed anything of the kind ever seen in the
+world. I would have an inner and outer court in front of the palace, and
+a spacious garden; but above all things, take care that there be laid in
+a place which you shall point out to me, a treasure of gold and silver
+coin. Besides, the edifice must be well provided with kitchens and
+offices, storehouses, and rooms to keep choice furniture in, for every
+season of the year. I must have stables full of the finest horses, with
+their equerries and grooms, and hunting equipage. There must be officers
+to attend the kitchens and offices, and women slaves to wait on the
+princess. You understand what I mean; therefore go about it, and come
+and tell me when all is finished."
+
+By the time Aladdin had instructed the genie respecting the building of
+his palace, the sun was set. The next morning, before break of day, our
+bridegroom, whose love for the princess would not let him sleep, was up,
+when the genie presented himself and said: "Sir, your palace is
+finished; come and see how you like it." Aladdin had no sooner signified
+his consent, than the genie transported him thither in an instant, and
+he found it so much beyond his expectation, that he could not enough
+admire it. The genie led him through all the apartments, where he met
+with nothing but what was rich and magnificent, with officers and slaves
+all habited according to their rank and the services to which they were
+appointed. The genie then shewed him the treasury, which was opened by a
+treasurer, where Aladdin saw heaps of purses, of different sizes, piled
+up to the top of the ceiling, and disposed in most excellent order. The
+genie assured him of the treasurer's fidelity, and thence led him to the
+stables, where he shewed him some of the finest horses in the world, and
+the grooms busy in dressing them; from thence they went to the
+storehouses, which were filled with all things necessary, both for food
+and ornament.
+
+When Aladdin had examined the palace from top to bottom, and
+particularly the hall with the four and twenty windows, and found it
+much beyond whatever he could have imagined, he said: "Genie, no one can
+be better satisfied than I am; and indeed I should be much to blame if I
+found any fault. There is only one thing wanting which I forgot to
+mention; that is, to lay from the sultan's palace to the door of the
+apartment designed for the princess, a carpet of fine velvet for her to
+walk upon." The genie immediately disappeared, and Aladdin saw what he
+desired executed in an instant. The genie then returned, and carried him
+home before the gates of the sultan's palace were opened.
+
+When the porters, who had always been used to an open prospect, came to
+open the gates, they were amazed to find it obstructed, and to see a
+carpet of velvet spread from the grand entrance. They did not
+immediately look how far it extended, but when they could discern
+Aladdin's palace distinctly, their surprise was increased. The news of
+so extraordinary a wonder was presently spread through the palace. The
+grand vizier, who arrived soon after the gates were open, being no less
+amazed than others at this novelty, ran and acquainted the sultan, but
+endeavoured to make him believe it to be all enchantment. "Vizier,"
+replied the sultan, "why will you have it to be enchantment? You know as
+well as I that it must be Aladdin's palace, which I gave him leave to
+build, for the reception of my daughter. After the proof we have had of
+his riches, can we think it strange that he should raise a palace in so
+short a time? He wished to surprise us, and let us see what wonders are
+to be done with money in only one night. Confess sincerely that the
+enchantment you talk of proceeds from a little envy on account of your
+son's disappointment."
+
+When Aladdin had been conveyed home, and had dismissed the genie, he
+found his mother up, and dressing herself in one of those suits which
+had been brought her. By the time the sultan rose from the council,
+Aladdin had prepared his mother to go to the palace with her slaves, and
+desired her, if she saw the sultan, to tell him she should do herself
+the honour toward evening to attend the princess to her palace.
+Accordingly she went; but though she and the women slaves who followed
+her were all dressed like sultanesses, yet the crowd was not near so
+great as the preceding day, because they were all veiled, and each had
+on an upper garment agreeable to the richness and magnificence of their
+habits. Aladdin, taking care not to forget his wonderful lamp, mounted
+his horse, left his paternal home forever, and went to the palace in the
+same pomp as the day before.
+
+As soon as the porters of the sultan's palace saw Aladdin's mother, they
+went and informed the sultan, who immediately ordered the bands of
+trumpets, cymbals, drums, fifes, and hautboys, placed in different parts
+of the palace, to play, so that the air resounded with concerts which
+inspired the whole city with joy: the merchants began to adorn their
+shops and houses with fine carpets and silks, and to prepare
+illuminations against night. The artisans of every description left
+their work, and the populace repaired to the great space between the
+royal palace and that of Aladdin; which last drew all their attention,
+not only because it was new to them, but because there was no comparison
+between the two buildings. But their amazement was to comprehend by what
+unheard-of miracle so magnificent a palace could have been so soon
+erected, it being apparent to all that there were no prepared materials,
+or any foundations laid the day before.
+
+Aladdin's mother was received in the palace with honour, and introduced
+into the Princess Badroulboudour's apartment by the chief of the
+eunuchs. As soon as the princess saw her, she rose, saluted, and desired
+her to sit down on a sofa; and while her women finished dressing, and
+adorning her with the jewels which Aladdin had presented to her, a
+collation was served up. At the same time the sultan, who wished to be
+as much with his daughter as possible before he parted with her, came in
+and paid the old lady great respect. Aladdin's mother had talked to the
+sultan in public, but he had never seen her with her veil off, as she
+was then; and though she was somewhat advanced in years, she had the
+remains of a good face, which showed what she had been in her youth. The
+sultan, who had always seen her dressed very meanly, not to say poorly,
+was surprised to find her as richly and magnificently attired as the
+princess, his daughter. This made him think Aladdin equally prudent and
+wise in whatever he undertook.
+
+When it was night, the princess left her own apartment for Aladdin's
+palace, with his mother on her left hand carried in a superb litter,
+followed by a hundred women slaves, dressed with surprising
+magnificence. All the bands of music, which had played from the time
+Aladdin's mother arrived, being joined together, led the procession,
+followed by a hundred state ushers, and the like number of black
+eunuchs, in two files, with their officers at their head. Four hundred
+of the sultan's young pages carried flambeaux on each side, which,
+together with the illuminations of the sultan's and Aladdin's palaces,
+made it as light as day.
+
+At length the princess arrived at the new palace and Aladdin ran with
+all imaginable joy to receive her at the grand entrance. His mother had
+taken care to point him out to the princess, in the midst of the
+officers who surrounded him, and she was charmed with his person.
+"Adorable princess," said Aladdin, accosting her, and saluting her
+respectfully, as soon as she had entered her apartment, "if I have the
+misfortune to have displeased you by my boldness in aspiring to the
+possession of so lovely a creature, I must tell you, that you ought to
+blame your bright eyes and charms, not me." "Prince," answered the
+princess, "I am obedient to the will of my father; and it is enough for
+me to have seen you, to tell you that I obey without reluctance."
+
+Aladdin, charmed with so agreeable an answer, would not keep the
+princess standing; but took her by the hand, which he kissed with the
+greatest demonstration of joy, and led her into a large hall,
+illuminated with an infinite number of wax candles; where, by the care
+of the genie, a noble feast was served up. The dishes were of massy
+gold, and contained the most delicate viands, and all the other
+ornaments and embellishments of the hall were answerable to this
+display. The princess, dazzled to see so much riches, said to Aladdin:
+"I thought, prince, that nothing in the world was so beautiful as the
+sultan my father's palace, but the sight of this hall alone is
+sufficient to shew I was deceived."
+
+Then Aladdin led the princess to the place appointed for her, and as
+soon as she and his mother were seated, a band of the most harmonious
+instruments, accompanied with the voices of beautiful ladies, began a
+concert, which lasted without intermission to the end of the repast. The
+princess was so charmed, that she declared she had never heard anything
+like it in the sultan her father's court; but she knew not that these
+musicians were fairies chosen by the genie, the slave of the lamp.
+
+When the supper was ended, there entered a company of female dancers,
+who performed, according to the custom of the country, several figure
+dances, singing at the same time verses in praise of the bride and
+bridegroom. About midnight the happy pair retired to their apartments
+and the nuptial ceremonies were at an end.
+
+The next morning, when Aladdin arose, his attendants presented
+themselves to dress him, and brought him another habit as magnificent as
+that worn the day before. He then ordered one of the horses appointed
+for his use to be got ready, mounted him, and went in the midst of a
+large troop of slaves to the sultan's palace. The sultan received him
+with the same honours as before, embraced him, placed him on the throne
+near him, and ordered a collation. Aladdin said: "I beg your majesty
+will dispense with my eating with you to-day; I came to entreat you to
+take a repast in the princess's palace, attended by your grand vizier,
+and all the lords of your court." The sultan consented with pleasure,
+rose up immediately, and, preceded by the principal officers of his
+palace, and followed by all the great lords of his court, accompanied
+Aladdin.
+
+The nearer the sultan approached Aladdin's palace, the more he was
+struck with its beauty, but was much more amazed when he entered it; and
+could not forbear breaking out into exclamations of approbation. But
+when he came into the hall, and cast his eyes on the windows, enriched
+with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, all large perfect stones, he was so
+much surprised, that he remained some time motionless. After he
+recovered himself, he said to his vizier; "Is it possible that there
+should be such a stately palace so near my own, and I be an utter
+stranger to it till now?" "Sir," replied the grand vizier, "your majesty
+may remember that the day before yesterday you gave Aladdin, whom you
+accepted for a son-in-law, leave to build a palace opposite your own,
+and that very day at sunset there was no palace on this spot, but
+yesterday I had the honour first to tell you that the palace was built
+and finished." "I remember," replied the sultan, "but never imagined
+that the palace was one of the wonders of the world; for where in all
+the world besides shall we find walls built of massy gold and silver,
+instead of brick, stone, or marble; and diamonds, rubies, and emeralds
+composing the windows!"
+
+The sultan would examine and admire the beauty of all the windows, and
+counting them, found that there were but three and twenty so richly
+adorned, and he was greatly astonished that the twenty-fourth was left
+imperfect. "Vizier," said he, for that minister made a point of never
+leaving him, "I am surprised that a hall of this magnificence should be
+left thus imperfect." "Sir," replied the grand vizier, "without doubt
+Aladdin only wanted time to finish this window like the rest; for it is
+not to be supposed but that he has sufficient jewels for the purpose, or
+that he will not complete it at the first opportunity."
+
+Aladdin, who had left the sultan to go and give some orders, returned
+just as the vizier had finished his remark. "Son," said the sultan to
+him, "this hall is the most worthy of admiration of any in the world;
+there is only one thing that surprises me, which is, to find one of the
+windows unfinished. Is it from the forgetfulness or negligence of the
+workmen, or want of time, that they have not put the finishing stroke to
+so beautiful a piece of architecture?" "Sir," answered Aladdin, "it was
+for none of these reasons that your majesty sees it in this state. The
+omission was by design; it was by my orders that the workmen left it
+thus, since I wished that your majesty should have the glory of
+finishing this hall." "If you did it with this intention," replied the
+sultan, "I take it kindly, and will give orders about it immediately."
+He accordingly sent for the most considerable jewellers and goldsmiths
+in his capital.
+
+Aladdin then conducted the sultan into the saloon where he had regaled
+his bride the preceding night. The princess entered immediately
+afterward, and received her father with an air that shewed how much she
+was satisfied with her marriage. Two tables were immediately spread with
+the most delicious meats, all served up in gold dishes. The sultan was
+much pleased with the cookery, and owned he had never eaten anything
+more excellent. He said the same of the wines, which were delicious; but
+what he most of all admired were four large buffets, profusely furnished
+with large flagons, basins, and cups, all of massy gold, set with
+jewels.
+
+When the sultan rose from table, he was informed that the jewellers and
+goldsmiths attended; upon which he returned to the hall, and shewed them
+the window which was unfinished: "I sent for you," said he, "to fit up
+this window in as great perfection as the rest; examine well, and make
+all the despatch you can."
+
+The jewellers and goldsmiths examined the three and twenty windows with
+great attention, and after they had consulted together they returned and
+presented themselves before the sultan, when the principal jeweller,
+undertaking to speak for the rest, said: "Sir, we are all willing to
+exert our utmost care and industry to obey your majesty; but among us
+all we cannot furnish jewels enough for so great a work." "I have more
+than are necessary," said the sultan; "come to my palace, and you shall
+choose what may answer your purpose."
+
+When the sultan returned to his palace, he ordered his jewels to be
+brought out, and the jewellers took a great quantity, particularly those
+Aladdin had made him a present of, which they soon used, without making
+any great advance in their work. They came again several times for more,
+and in a month's time had not finished half their work. In short, they
+used all the jewels the sultan had, and borrowed of the vizier, but yet
+the work was not half done.
+
+Aladdin, who knew that all the sultan's endeavours to make this window
+like the rest were in vain, sent for the jewellers and goldsmiths, and
+not only commanded them to desist from their work, but ordered them to
+undo what they had begun, and to carry all their jewels back to the
+sultan and to the vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had been
+six weeks about, and retired, leaving Aladdin alone in the hall. He took
+the lamp, which he carried about him, rubbed it, and presently the genie
+appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I ordered thee to leave one of the
+four and twenty windows of this hall imperfect and thou hast executed my
+commands punctually; now I would have thee make it like the rest." The
+genie immediately disappeared. Aladdin went out of the hall, and
+returning soon after, found the window like the others.
+
+In the meantime, the jewellers and goldsmiths repaired to the palace,
+and were introduced into the sultan's presence; where the chief
+jeweller, presenting the precious stones which he had brought back,
+said, in the name of all the rest: "Your majesty knows how long we have
+been upon the work you were pleased to set us about, in which we used
+all imaginable industry. It was far advanced, when Prince Aladdin
+commanded us not only to leave off, but to undo what we had already
+begun, and bring your majesty your jewels back." The sultan asked them
+if Aladdin had given them any reason for so doing, and they answering
+that he had given them none, he ordered a horse to be brought, which he
+mounted, and rode to his son-in-law's palace, with some few attendants
+on foot. When he came there, he alighted at the staircase, which led to
+the hall with the twenty-four windows, and went directly up to it,
+without giving previous notice to Aladdin; but it happened that at that
+very juncture Aladdin was opportunely there, and had just time to
+receive him at the door.
+
+The sultan, without giving Aladdin time to complain obligingly of his
+not having given notice, that he might have acquitted himself with the
+more becoming respect, said to him: "Son, I come myself to know the
+reason why you commanded the jewellers to desist from work, and take to
+pieces what they had done."
+
+Aladdin disguised the true reason, which was, that the sultan was not
+rich enough in jewels to be at so great an expense, but said: "I beg of
+you now to see if anything is wanting."
+
+The sultan went directly to the window which was left imperfect, and
+when he found it like the rest, fancied that he was mistaken, examined
+the two windows on each side, and afterward all the four and twenty; but
+when he was convinced that the window which several workmen had been so
+long about was finished in so short a time, he embraced Aladdin, and
+kissed him between his eyes. "My son," said he, "what a man you are to
+do such surprising things always in the twinkling of an eye: there is
+not your fellow in the world; the more I know, the more I admire you."
+
+Aladdin received these praises from the sultan with modesty, and replied
+in these words: "Sir, it is a great honour to me to deserve your
+majesty's goodwill and approbation, and I assure you, I shall study to
+deserve them more."
+
+The sultan returned to his palace, but would not let Aladdin attend him.
+When he came there, he found his grand vizier waiting, to whom he
+related the wonder he had witnessed with the utmost admiration, and in
+such terms as left the minister no room to doubt but that the fact was
+as the sultan related it; though he was the more confirmed in his
+belief that Aladdin's palace was the effect of enchantment, as he had
+told the sultan the first moment he saw it. He was going to repeat the
+observation, but the sultan interrupted him, and said: "You told me so
+once before; I see, vizier, you have not forgotten your son's espousals
+to my daughter." The grand vizier plainly saw how much the sultan was
+prepossessed, therefore avoided disputes, and let him remain in his own
+opinion. The sultan as soon as he rose every morning went into the
+closet, to look at Aladdin's palace, and would go many times in a day to
+contemplate and admire it.
+
+Aladdin did not confine himself in his palace; but took care to show
+himself once or twice a week in the town, by going sometimes to one
+mosque, and sometimes to another, to prayers; or to visit the grand
+vizier, who affected to pay his court to him on certain days; or to do
+the principal lords of the court the honour to return their visits after
+he had regaled them at his palace. Every time he went out, he caused two
+slaves, who walked by the side of his horse, to throw handfuls of money
+among the people as he passed through the streets and squares, which
+were generally on these occasions crowded. Besides, no one came to his
+palace gates to ask alms but returned satisfied with his liberality. In
+short, he so divided his time, that not a week passed but he went either
+once or twice a-hunting, sometimes in the environs of the city,
+sometimes farther off; at which time the villages through which he
+passed felt the effects of his generosity, which gained him the love and
+blessings of the people; and it was common for them to swear by his
+head. With all these good qualities he showed a zeal for the public good
+which could not be sufficiently applauded. He gave sufficient proofs of
+both in a revolt on the borders of the kingdom; for he no sooner
+understood that the sultan was levying an army to disperse the rebels
+than he begged the command of it, which he found not difficult to
+obtain. As soon as he was empowered, he marched with so much expedition,
+that the sultan heard of the defeat of the rebels before he had received
+an account of his son-in-law's arrival in the army.
+
+Aladdin had conducted himself in this manner several years, when the
+African magician, who undesignedly had been the instrument of raising
+him to so high a pitch of prosperity, recalled him to his recollection
+in Africa, whither, after his expedition, he had returned. And though he
+was almost persuaded that Aladdin must have died miserably in the
+subterranean abode where he had left him, yet he had the curiosity to
+inform himself about his end with certainty; and as he was a great
+geomancer, he took out of a cupboard a square, covered box, which he
+used in his geomantic observations. After he had prepared and levelled
+the sand which was in it with an intention to discover whether or not
+Aladdin had died, he cast the points, drew the figures, and formed a
+horoscope, by which, when he came to examine it, he found that instead
+of dying in the cave, his victim had made his escape, lived splendidly,
+was in possession of the wonderful lamp, had married a princess, and was
+much honoured and respected.
+
+The magician no sooner understood, by the rules of his diabolical art,
+that Aladdin had arrived to this height of good fortune, than his face
+became inflamed with anger, and he cried out in a rage: "This sorry
+tailor's son has discovered the secret and virtue of the lamp! I
+believed his death to be certain; but find that he enjoys the fruit of
+my labour and study! I will, however, prevent his enjoying it long, or
+perish in the attempt." He was not a great while deliberating on what he
+should do, but the next morning mounted a barb, set forward, and never
+stopped but to refresh himself and his horse, till he arrived at the
+capital of China. He alighted, took up his lodging in a khan, and stayed
+there the remainder of the day and the night.
+
+The next day, his first object was to inquire what people said of
+Aladdin; and, taking a walk through the town, he went to the most public
+and frequented places, where persons of the best distinction met to
+drink a certain warm liquor, which he had drunk often during his former
+visit. As soon as he had seated himself, he was presented with a cup of
+it, which he took; but listening at the same time to the discourse of
+the company on each side of him, he heard them talking of Aladdin's
+palace. When he had drunk off his liquor, he joined them, and taking
+this opportunity, inquired particularly of what palace they spoke with
+so much commendation. "From whence come you?" said the person to whom he
+addressed himself; "you must certainly be a stranger not to have seen or
+heard talk of Prince Aladdin's palace. I do not say," continued the man,
+"that it is one of the wonders of the world, but that it is the only
+wonder of the world; since nothing so grand, rich, and magnificent was
+ever beheld. Go and see it, and then judge whether I have told you more
+than the truth." "Forgive my ignorance," replied the African magician;
+"I arrived here but yesterday from the farthest part of Africa, where
+the fame of this palace had not reached when I came away. The business
+which brought me hither was so urgent, that my sole object was to arrive
+as soon as I could, without stopping anywhere, or making any
+acquaintance. But I will not fail to go and see it, if you will do me
+the favour to show me the way thither."
+
+The person to whom the African magician addressed himself took a
+pleasure in showing him the way to Aladdin's palace, and he got up and
+went thither instantly. When he came to the palace, and had examined it
+on all sides, he doubted not but that Aladdin had made use of the lamp
+to build it. Without attending to the inability of a poor tailor's son,
+he knew that none but the genies, the slaves of the lamp, could have
+performed such wonders; and piqued to the quick at Aladdin's happiness
+and splendour, he returned to the khan where he lodged.
+
+The next point was to ascertain where the lamp was; whether Aladdin
+carried it about with him, or where he kept it; and this he was to
+discover by an operation of geomancy. As soon as he entered his lodging,
+he took his square box of sand, which he always carried with him when he
+travelled, and after he had performed some operations, he found that the
+lamp was in Aladdin's palace, and so great was his joy at the discovery
+that he could hardly contain himself. "Well," said he, "I shall have the
+lamp, and I defy Aladdin to prevent my carrying it off, thus making him
+sink to his original meanness, from which he has taken so high a
+flight."
+
+It was Aladdin's misfortune at that time to be absent in the chase for
+eight days, and only three were expired, which the magician came to
+know. After he had performed the magical operation he went to the
+superintendent of the khan, entered into conversation with him on
+indifferent subjects, and among the rest, told him he had been to see
+Aladdin's palace; and after exaggerating on all that he had seen most
+worthy of observation, added: "But my curiosity leads me further, and I
+shall not be satisfied till I have seen the person to whom this
+wonderful edifice belongs." "That will be no difficult matter," replied
+the master of the khan; "there is not a day passes but he gives an
+opportunity when he is in town, but at present he has been gone these
+three days on a hunting-match, which will last eight."
+
+The magician wanted to know no more; he took his leave of the
+superintendent of the khan, and returning to his own chamber, said to
+himself: "This is an opportunity I ought by no means to neglect." To
+that end, he went to a coppersmith and asked for a dozen copper lamps:
+the master of the shop told him he had not so many by him, but if he
+would have patience till the next day, he would have them ready. The
+magician appointed his time, and desired him to take care that they
+should be handsome and well polished. After promising to pay him well,
+he returned to his inn.
+
+The next day the magician called for the twelve lamps, paid the man his
+full price, put them into a basket which he bought on purpose, and with
+the basket hanging on his arm, went directly to Aladdin's palace; as he
+approached beginning to cry: "Who will change old lamps for new ones?"
+As he went along, a crowd of children collected, who hooted, and thought
+him, as did all who chanced to be passing by, a madman or a fool.
+
+The African magician regarded not their scoffs, hootings, or all they
+could say to him, but still continued crying: "Who will change old lamps
+for new?" He repeated this so often, walking backward and forward in
+front of the palace, that the princess, who was then in the hall with
+the four and twenty windows, hearing a man cry something and not being
+able to distinguish his words, owing to the hooting of the children, and
+increasing mob about him, sent one of her women slaves to know what he
+cried.
+
+The slave was not long before she returned, and ran into the hall,
+laughing so heartily that the princess could not forbear herself. "Well,
+giggler," said the princess, "will you tell me what you laugh at?"
+"Madam," answered the slave, laughing still, "who can forbear laughing,
+to see a fool with a basket on his arm, full of fine new lamps, ask to
+change them for old ones?"
+
+Another female slave hearing this, said: "Now you speak of lamps, I know
+not whether the princess may have observed it, but there is an old one
+upon a shelf of the prince's robing-room. If the princess chooses, she
+may have the pleasure of trying if this fool is so silly as to give a
+new lamp for an old one, without taking anything for the exchange."
+
+The lamp this slave spoke of was the wonderful lamp, which Aladdin had
+laid upon the shelf before he departed for the chase: this he had done
+several times before; but neither the princess, the slaves, nor the
+eunuchs had ever taken notice of it. At all other times except when
+hunting he carried it about his person.
+
+The princess, who knew not the value of this lamp, and the interest that
+Aladdin, not to mention herself, had to keep it safe, entered into the
+pleasantry, and commanded a eunuch to take it and make the exchange. The
+eunuch obeyed, went out of the hall, and no sooner got to the palace
+gates than he saw the African magician, called to him, and showing him
+the old lamp, said: "Give me a new lamp for this?"
+
+The magician never doubted but this was the lamp he wanted. There could
+be no other such in the palace, where every utensil was gold or silver.
+He snatched it eagerly out of the eunuch's hand, and thrusting it as far
+as he could into his breast, offered him his basket, and bade him choose
+which he liked best. The eunuch picked out one, and carried it to the
+princess; but the exchange was no sooner made than the place rang with
+the shouts of the children, deriding the magician's folly.
+
+The African magician gave everybody leave to laugh as much as they
+pleased; he stayed not long near the palace, but made the best of his
+way, without crying any longer; "New lamps for old ones." His end was
+answered, and by his silence he got rid of the children and the mob.
+
+As soon as he was out of the square between the two palaces, he hastened
+down the streets which were the least frequented; and having no more
+occasion for his lamps or basket, set all down in an alley where nobody
+saw him: then going down another street or two, he walked till he came
+to one of the city gates, and pursuing his way through the suburbs,
+which were very extensive, at length reached a lonely spot, where he
+stopped for a time to execute the design he had in contemplation, never
+caring for his horse which he had left at the khan; but thinking himself
+perfectly compensated by the treasure he had acquired.
+
+In this place the African magician passed the remainder of the day, till
+the darkest time of night, when he pulled the lamp out of his breast and
+rubbed it. At that summons the genie appeared, and said: "What wouldst
+thou have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
+those who have that lamp in their hands; both I and the other slaves of
+the lamp." "I command thee," replied the magician, "to transport me
+immediately and the palace which thou and the other slaves of the lamp
+have built in this city, with all the people in it, to Africa." The
+genie made no reply, but with the assistance of the other genies, the
+slaves of the lamp immediately transported him, and the palace entire,
+to the spot whither he was desired to convey it.
+
+As soon as the sultan rose the next morning, according to custom, he
+went into his closet, to have the pleasure of contemplating and admiring
+Aladdin's palace; but when he first looked that way, and instead of a
+palace saw an empty space such as it was before the palace was built, he
+thought he was mistaken, and rubbed his eyes; but when he looked again,
+he still saw nothing more the second time than the first, though the
+weather was fine, the sky clear, and the dawn advancing had made all
+objects very distinct. He looked again in front, to the right and left,
+but beheld nothing more than he had formerly been used to see from his
+window. His amazement was so great, that he stood for some time turning
+his eyes to the spot where the palace had stood, but where it was no
+longer to be seen. He could not comprehend how so large a palace as
+Aladdin's, which he had seen plainly every day for some years, and but
+the day before, should vanish so soon, and not leave the least remains
+behind.
+
+"Certainly," said he to himself, "I am not mistaken; it stood there: if
+it had fallen, the materials would have lain in heaps; and if it had
+been swallowed up by an earthquake, there would be some mark left." At
+last he retired to his apartment, not without looking behind him before
+he quitted the spot, ordered the grand vizier to be sent for with
+expedition, and in the meantime sat down, his mind agitated by so many
+different conjectures that he knew not what to resolve.
+
+The grand vizier did not make the sultan wait long for him, but came
+with so much precipitation, that neither he nor his attendants, as they
+passed, missed Aladdin's palace; neither did the porters, when they
+opened the palace gates, observe any alteration.
+
+When he came into the sultan's presence, he said to him: "The haste in
+which your majesty sent for me makes me believe something extraordinary
+has happened, since you know this is a day of public audience, and I
+should not have failed of attending at the usual time." "Indeed," said
+the sultan, "it is something very extraordinary, as you say, and you
+will allow it to be so: tell me what is become of Aladdin's palace?"
+"His palace!" replied the grand vizier in amazement; "I thought as I
+passed it stood in its usual place." "Go into my closet," said the
+sultan, "and tell me if you can see it."
+
+The grand vizier went into the closet, where he was struck with no less
+amazement than the sultan had been. When he was well assured that there
+was not the least appearance of the palace, he returned to the sultan.
+"Well," said the sultan, "have you seen Aladdin's palace?" "No,"
+answered the vizier, "but your majesty may remember, that I had the
+honour to tell you, that the edifice, which was the subject of your
+admiration, was only the work of magic and a magician; but your majesty
+would not pay the least attention to what I said." The sultan, who could
+not deny what the grand vizier had represented to him, flew into the
+greater passion: "Where is that impostor, that wicked wretch," said he,
+"that I may have his head taken off immediately?" "Sir," replied the
+grand vizier, "it is some days since he came to take his leave of your
+majesty, on pretence of hunting; he ought to be sent for, to know what
+is become of his palace, since he cannot be ignorant of what has been
+transacted." "To send for him would be too great an indulgence," replied
+the sultan: "command a detachment of horse to bring him to me loaded
+with chains." The grand vizier gave orders for a detachment, and
+instructed the officer who commanded the men how they were to act, that
+Aladdin might not escape. The detachment pursued its orders; and about
+five or six leagues from the town met him returning from the chase. The
+officer advanced respectfully, and informed him the sultan was so
+impatient to see him, that he had sent his party to accompany him home.
+
+Aladdin had not the least suspicion of the true reason of their meeting
+him; but when he came within half a league of the city, the detachment
+surrounded him, when the officer addressed himself to him, and said;
+"Prince, it is with great regret that I declare to you the sultan's
+order to arrest you, and to carry you before him as a criminal: I beg
+of you not to take it ill that we acquit ourselves of our duty, and to
+forgive us." Aladdin, who felt himself innocent, was much surprised at
+this declaration, and asked the officer if he knew what crime he was
+accused of; who replied, he did not. Then Aladdin, finding that his
+retinue was much inferior to this detachment, alighted from his horse,
+and said to the officers: "Execute your orders; I am not conscious that
+I have committed any offence against the sultan's person or government."
+A heavy chain was immediately put about his neck, and fastened round his
+body, so that both his arms were pinioned down; the officer then put
+himself at the head of the detachment, and one of the troopers taking
+hold of the end of the chain and proceeding after the officer, led
+Aladdin, who was obliged to follow him on foot, into the city.
+
+When this detachment entered the suburbs, the people, who saw Aladdin
+thus led as a state criminal, never doubted but that his head was to be
+cut off; and as he was generally beloved, some took sabres and other
+arms; and those who had none gathered stones, and followed the escort.
+Their numbers presently increased so much, that the soldiery began to
+think it would be well if they could get into the sultan's palace before
+Aladdin was rescued; to prevent which, according to the different extent
+of the streets, they took care to cover the ground by extending or
+closing. In this manner they with much difficulty arrived at the palace
+square, and there drew up in a line, till their officer and troopers
+with Aladdin had got within the gates, which were immediately shut.
+
+Aladdin was carried before the sultan, who waited for him, attended by
+the grand vizier; and as soon as he saw him he ordered the executioner,
+who waited there for the purpose, to strike off his head without hearing
+him, or giving him leave to clear himself. As soon as the executioner
+had taken off the chain that was fastened about Aladdin's neck and body,
+he made the supposed criminal kneel down, and tied a bandage over his
+eyes. Then drawing his sabre, he took his aim by flourishing it three
+times in the air, waiting for the sultan's giving the signal to strike.
+
+At that instant the grand vizier perceiving that the populace had
+crowded the great square before the palace, and were scaling the walls
+in several places, said to the sultan, before he gave the signal: "I beg
+of your majesty to consider what you are going to do, since you will
+hazard your palace being destroyed; and who knows what fatal consequence
+may follow?" "My palace forced!" replied the sultan; "who can have that
+audacity?" "Sir," answered the grand vizier, "if your majesty will but
+cast your eyes toward the great square, and on the palace walls, you
+will perceive the truth of what I say."
+
+The sultan was so much alarmed when he saw so great a crowd, and how
+enraged they were, that he ordered the executioner to put his sabre
+immediately into the scabbard, to unbind Aladdin, and at the same time
+commanded the porters to declare to the people that the sultan had
+pardoned him, and that they might retire. Those who had already got upon
+the walls abandoned their design and got quickly down, overjoyed that
+they had saved the life of a man they dearly loved, and published the
+news amongst the rest, which was presently confirmed by the mace-bearers
+from the top of the terraces. The justice which the sultan had done to
+Aladdin soon disarmed the populace of their rage; the tumult abated and
+the mob dispersed.
+
+When Aladdin found himself at liberty, he turned toward the balcony, and
+perceiving the sultan, raised his voice, and said to him in a moving
+manner: "I beg of your majesty to add one favour more to that which I
+have already received, which is, to let me know my crime?" "Your
+crime," answered the sultan; "perfidious wretch! Do you not know it?
+Come hither, and I will show it you." Aladdin went up, when the sultan,
+going before him without looking at him, said: "Follow me;" and then led
+him into his closet. When he came to the door, he said: "Go in; you
+ought to know whereabouts your palace stood: look round and tell me what
+is become of it?"
+
+Aladdin looked, but saw nothing. He perceived the spot upon which his
+palace had stood; but not being able to divine how it had disappeared,
+was thrown into such great confusion and amazement that he could not
+return one word of answer. The sultan, growing impatient, demanded of
+him again: "Where is your palace, and what is become of my daughter?"
+Aladdin, breaking silence, replied: "Sir, I perceive and own that the
+palace which I have built is not in its place, but is vanished; neither
+can I tell your majesty where it may be, but can assure you I had no
+concern in its removal."
+
+"I am not so much concerned about your palace," replied the sultan; "I
+value my daughter ten thousand times more, and would have you find her
+out, otherwise I will cause your head to be struck off, and no
+consideration shall divert me from my purpose."
+
+"I beg of your majesty," answered Aladdin, "to grant me forty days to
+make my inquiries; and if in that time I have not the success I wish, I
+will offer my head at the foot of your throne, to be disposed of at your
+pleasure." "I give you the forty days you ask," said the sultan; "but
+think not to escape my resentment if you fail; for I will find you out
+in whatsoever part of the world you may conceal yourself."
+
+Aladdin went out of the sultan's presence with great humiliation, and in
+a condition worthy of pity. He crossed the courts of the palace,
+hanging down his head, and in such great confusion that he durst not
+lift up his eyes. The principal officers of the court, who had all
+professed themselves his friends, instead of going up to him to comfort
+him, turned their backs to avoid seeing him. But had they accosted him
+with an offer of service, they would have no more known Aladdin. He did
+not know himself, and was no longer in his senses, as plainly appeared
+by his asking everybody he met, and at every house, if they had seen his
+palace, or could tell him any news of it. These questions made the
+generality believe that Aladdin was mad. Some laughed at him, but people
+of sense and humanity, particularly those who had had any connection of
+business or friendship with him, really pitied him. For three days he
+rambled about the city in this manner, without coming to any resolution
+or eating anything but what some compassionate people forced him to take
+out of charity. At last he took the road to the country; and after he
+had traversed several fields in wild uncertainty, at the approach of
+night came to the bank of a river. There, possessed by his despair, he
+said to himself: "Where shall I seek my palace? In what province,
+country, or part of the world, shall I find that and my dear princess? I
+shall never succeed; I would better free myself at once from fruitless
+endeavours, and such bitter grief as preys upon me." He was just going
+to throw himself into the river, but, as a good Mussulman, true to his
+religion, he thought he should not do it without first saying his
+prayers. Going to prepare himself, he went to the river's brink, in
+order to perform the usual ablutions. The place being steep and
+slippery, he slid down, and had certainly fallen into the river, but for
+a little rock, which projected about two feet out of the earth. Happily
+also for him, he still had on the ring which the African magician had
+put on his finger before he went down into the subterranean abode to
+fetch the precious lamp. In slipping down the bank he rubbed the ring so
+hard by holding on the rock, that immediately the same genie appeared
+whom he had seen in the cave where the magician had left him. "What
+wouldst thou have?" said the genie. "I am ready to obey thee as thy
+slave, and the slave of all those that have that ring on their finger;
+both I and the other slaves of the ring."
+
+Aladdin, agreeably surprised at an apparition he so little expected in
+his present calamity, replied; "Save my life, genie, a second time,
+either by showing me to the place where the palace I caused to be built
+now stands, or immediately transporting it back where it first stood."
+"What you command me," answered the genie, "is not wholly in my power; I
+am only the slave of the ring; you must address yourself to the slave of
+the lamp." "If that be the case," replied Aladdin, "I command thee, by
+the power of the ring, to transport me to the spot where my palace
+stands, in what part of the world soever it may be, and set me down
+under the window of the Princess Badroulboudour." These words were no
+sooner out of his mouth than the genie transported him into Africa, to
+the midst of a large plain, where his palace stood, and placing him
+exactly under the window of the princess's apartment, left him. All this
+was done almost in an instant. Aladdin, notwithstanding the darkness of
+the night, knew his palace again; but as the night was far advanced and
+all was quiet, he retired to some distance, and sat down at the foot of
+a large tree. There, full of hopes, and reflecting on his happiness, for
+which he was indebted to chance, he found himself in a much more
+comfortable situation than when he was arrested and carried before the
+sultan, being now delivered from the immediate danger of losing his
+life. He amused himself for some time with these agreeable thoughts; but
+not having slept for two days, was unable to resist the drowsiness
+which came upon him, but fell fast asleep.
+
+The next morning, as soon as day appeared, Aladdin was agreeably
+awakened by the singing not only of the birds which had roosted in the
+tree under which he had passed the night, but also of those which
+frequented the thick groves of the palace garden. When he cast his eyes
+on that wonderful edifice, he felt inexpressible joy at thinking he
+might soon be master of it again, and once more greet his dear Princess
+Badroulboudour. Pleased with these hopes, he immediately arose, went
+toward the princess's apartment, and walked some time under her window
+in expectation of her rising, that he might see her. During this
+expectation, he began to consider with himself whence the cause of his
+misfortune had proceeded; and after mature reflection, no longer doubted
+that it was owing to having trusted the lamp out of his sight. He
+accused himself of negligence in letting it be a moment away from him.
+But what puzzled him most was, that he could not imagine who had been so
+envious of his happiness. He would soon have guessed this, if he had
+known that both he and his palace were now in Africa, the very name of
+which would soon have made him remember the magician, his declared
+enemy; but the genie, the slave of the ring, had not made mention of the
+name of the country, nor had Aladdin inquired.
+
+The princess rose earlier that morning than she had done since her
+transportation into Africa by the magician, whose presence she was
+forced to support once a day, because he was master of the palace;
+though she had always treated him so harshly that he dared not reside in
+it. As she was dressing, one of the women looking through the window
+perceived Aladdin, and instantly told her mistress. The princess, who
+could not believe the joyful tidings, hastened herself to the window,
+and seeing Aladdin, immediately opened it. The noise of opening the
+window made Aladdin turn his head that way, and perceiving the princess
+he saluted her with joy. "To lose no time," said she to him, "I have
+sent to have the private door opened for you; enter, and come up." The
+private door, which was just under the princess's apartment, was soon
+opened, and Aladdin conducted up into the chamber. It is impossible to
+express the joy of both at seeing each other, after so cruel a
+separation. After embracing and shedding tears of joy, they sat down,
+and Aladdin said: "I beg of you, princess, in Heaven's name, before we
+talk of anything else, to tell me, both for your own sake, the sultan
+your father's, and mine, what is become of an old lamp which I left upon
+a shelf in my robing-chamber, when I departed for the chase."
+
+"Alas! dear husband," answered the princess, "I was afraid our
+misfortune might be owing to that lamp: and what grieves me most is,
+that I have been the cause of it." "Princess," replied Aladdin, "do not
+blame yourself, for I ought to have taken more care of it. But let us
+now think only of repairing the loss; tell me what has happened, and
+into whose hands it has fallen." The princess then related how she had
+changed the old lamp for a new one, and how the next morning she found
+herself in the unknown country they were then in, which she was told was
+Africa, by the traitor who had transported her thither by his magic art.
+
+"Princess," said Aladdin, interrupting her, "you have informed me who
+the traitor is, by telling me we are in Africa. He is the most
+perfidious of men; but this is neither a time nor place to give you a
+full account of his villainies. I desire you only to tell me what he has
+done with the lamp, and where he has put it." "He carries it carefully
+wrapt up in his bosom," said the princess; "and this I can assure you,
+because he pulled it out before me, and showed it to me in triumph."
+
+"Princess," said Aladdin, "do not be displeased that I trouble you with
+so many questions, since they are equally important to us both. But to
+come to what most particularly concerns me: tell me, I conjure you, how
+so wicked and perfidious a man treats you?" "Since I have been here,"
+replied the princess, "he repairs once every day to see me; and I am
+persuaded the little satisfaction he receives from his visits makes him
+come no oftener. All his addresses tend to persuade me to break that
+faith I have pledged to you, and to take him for my husband; giving me
+to understand I need not entertain hopes of ever seeing you again, for
+that you were dead, having had your head struck off by my father's
+order. He added, to justify himself, that you were an ungrateful wretch;
+that your good fortune was owing to him, and a great many other things
+of that nature which I forbear to repeat: but as he received no other
+answer from me but grievous complaints and tears, he was always forced
+to retire with as little satisfaction as he came. I doubt not his
+intention is to allow me time to overcome my grief, in hopes that
+afterward I may change my sentiments. But my dear husband's presence
+removes all my apprehensions."
+
+"I am confident my attempts to punish the magician will not be in vain,"
+replied Aladdin, "since my princess's fears are removed, and I think I
+have found the means to deliver you from both your enemy and mine; to
+execute this design, it is necessary for me to go to the town. I shall
+return by noon, will then communicate my design, and what must be done
+by you to ensure success. But that you may not be surprised, I think it
+proper to acquaint you that I shall change my apparel, and beg of you
+to give orders that I may not wait long at the private door, but that it
+may be opened at the first knock."
+
+When Aladdin was out of the palace, he looked round him on all sides,
+and perceiving a peasant going into the country, hastened after him; and
+when he had overtaken him, made a proposal to him to change habits,
+which the man agreed to. When they had made the exchange, the countryman
+went about his business, and Aladdin to the city. After traversing
+several streets, he came to that part of the town where all descriptions
+of merchants had their particular streets, according to their trades. He
+went into that of the druggists; and going into one of the largest and
+best-furnished shops, asked the druggist if he had a certain powder
+which he named. The druggist, judging Aladdin by his habit to be very
+poor, and that he had not money enough to pay for it, told him he had
+it, but that it was very dear; upon which Aladdin penetrating his
+thoughts, pulled out his purse, and showing him some gold, asked for
+half a drachm of the powder; which the druggist weighed, wrapped up in
+paper, and gave him, telling him the price was a piece of gold. Aladdin
+put the money into his hand, and returned to the palace, where he waited
+not long at the private door. When he came into the princess's
+apartment, he said to her: "Princess, perhaps the aversion you tell me
+you have for your captor may be an objection to your executing what I am
+going to propose; but permit me to say it is proper that you should
+dissemble a little, and do violence to your inclinations, if you would
+deliver yourself from him.
+
+"If you will take my advice," continued he, "dress yourself this moment
+in one of your richest habits, and when the African magician comes, make
+no difficulty to give him the best reception; so that he may imagine
+time has removed your disgust at his addresses. In your conversation let
+him understand that you strive to forget me; and that he may be the
+more fully convinced, invite him to sup with you, and tell him you
+should be glad to taste of some of the best wines of his country. He
+will presently go to fetch you some. During his absence, put into one of
+the cups which you are accustomed to drink of, this powder, and setting
+it by, charge the slave you may order that night to attend you, on a
+signal you shall agree upon, to bring that cup to you. When the magician
+and you have eaten and drunk as much as you choose, let her bring you
+the cup, and then change cups with him. He will esteem it so great a
+favour that he will not refuse, but eagerly quaff it off; but no sooner
+will he have drunk, than you will see him fall backward."
+
+When Aladdin had finished, "I own," answered the princess, "I shall do
+myself violence in consenting to make the magician such advances; but
+what cannot one resolve to do against a cruel enemy? I will therefore
+follow your advice, since both my repose and yours depend upon it."
+After the princess had agreed to the measures proposed by Aladdin, he
+took his leave and went and spent the rest of the day in the
+neighbourhood of the palace till it was night, and he might safely
+return to the private door.
+
+The princess, who had remained inconsolable at being parted from her
+husband, had, ever since their cruel separation, lived in great neglect
+of her person. She had almost forgotten the neatness so becoming persons
+of her sex and quality, particularly after the first time the magician
+paid her a visit and she had understood by some of the women, who knew
+him again, that it was he who had taken the old lamp in exchange for a
+new one. However, the opportunity of taking the revenge he deserved made
+her resolve to gratify Aladdin. As soon, therefore, as he was gone, she
+sat down to dress, and was attired by her women to the best advantage
+in the richest habit of her wardrobe. Her girdle was of the finest and
+largest diamonds set in gold, her necklace of pearls, six on a side, so
+well proportioned to that in the middle, which was the largest ever
+seen, that the greatest sultanesses would have been proud to have been
+adorned with only two of the smallest. Her bracelets, which were of
+diamonds and rubies intermixed, corresponded admirably to the richness
+of the girdle and necklace.
+
+When the Princess Badroulboudour was completely dressed, she consulted
+her glass and women upon her adjustment; and when she found she wanted
+no charms to flatter the foolish passion of the African magician, she
+sat down on a sofa expecting his arrival. The magician came at the usual
+hour, and as soon as he entered the great hall where the princess waited
+to receive him, she rose with an enchanting grace and smile, and pointed
+with her hand to the most honourable place, waiting till he sat down,
+that she might sit at the same time, which was a civility she had never
+shown him before.
+
+The African magician, dazzled more with the lustre of the princess's
+eyes than the glittering of her jewels, was much surprised. The smiling
+air with which she received him, so opposite to her former behaviour,
+quite fascinated his heart. When he was seated, the princess, to free
+him from his embarrassment, broke silence first, looking at him all the
+time in such a manner as to make him believe that he was not so odious
+to her as she had given him to understand hitherto, and said; "You are
+doubtless amazed to find me so much altered to-day; but your surprise
+will not be so great when I acquaint you, that I am naturally of a
+disposition so opposite to melancholy and grief, that I always strive to
+put them as far away as possible when I find the subject of them is
+past. I have reflected on what you told me of Aladdin's fate, and know
+my father's temper so well that I am persuaded, with you, he could not
+escape the terrible effects of the sultan's rage: therefore, should I
+continue to lament him all my life, my tears cannot recall him. For this
+reason, since I have paid all the duties decency requires of me to his
+memory, now he is in the grave I think I ought to endeavour to comfort
+myself. These are the motives of the change you see in me; I am resolved
+to banish melancholy entirely; and persuaded that you will bear me
+company to-night, I have ordered a supper to be prepared; but as I have
+no wines but those of China, I have a great desire to taste of the
+produce of Africa, and doubt not your procuring some of the best."
+
+The African magician, who had looked upon the happiness of getting so
+soon and so easily into the Princess Badroulboudour's good graces as
+impossible, could not think of words expressive enough to testify how
+sensible he was of her favours: but to put an end the sooner to a
+conversation which would have embarrassed him, if he had engaged farther
+in it, he turned it upon the wines of Africa, and said: "Of all the
+advantages Africa can boast, that of producing the most excellent wines
+is one of the principal. I have a vessel of seven years old, which has
+never been broached; and it is indeed not praising it too much to say it
+is the finest wine in the world. If my princess," added he, "will give
+me leave, I will go and fetch two bottles, and return again
+immediately." "I should be sorry to give you that trouble," replied the
+princess; "you had better send for them." "It is necessary I should go
+myself," answered the African magician, "for nobody but myself knows
+where the key of the cellar is laid, or has the secret to unlock the
+door." "If it be so," said the princess, "make haste back; for the
+longer you stay the greater will be my impatience, and we shall sit down
+to supper as soon as you return." The African magician, full of hopes
+of his expected happiness, rather flew than ran, and returned quickly
+with the wine. The princess, not doubting but he would make haste, put
+with her own hand the powder Aladdin had given her into the cup set
+apart for that purpose. They sat down at the table opposite to each
+other, the magician's back toward the buffet. The princess presented him
+with the best at the table, and said to him: "If you please, I will
+entertain you with a concert of vocal and instrumental music; but as we
+are only two, I think conversation may be more agreeable." This the
+magician took as a new favour. After they had eaten some time, the
+princess called for some wine, drank the magician's health, and
+afterward said to him: "Indeed you had a full right to commend your
+wine, since I never tasted any so delicious." "Charming princess," said
+he, holding in his hand the cup which had been presented to him, "my
+wine becomes more exquisite by your approbation." "Then drink my
+health," replied the princess: "you will find I understand wines." He
+drank the princess's health, and returning the cup said; "I think myself
+fortunate, princess, that I reserved this wine for so happy an occasion;
+and own I never before drank any in every respect so excellent." When
+they had each drunk two or three cups more, the princess, who had
+completely charmed the African magician by her obliging behaviour, gave
+the signal to the slave who served them with wine, bidding her bring the
+cup which had been filled for herself, and at the same time bring the
+magician a full goblet. When they both had their cups in their hands,
+she said to him: "I know not how you express your loves in these parts
+when drinking together. With us in China lovers reciprocally exchange
+cups, and drink each other's health:" at the same time she presented to
+him the cup which was in her hand, and held out her hand to receive his.
+He hastened to make the exchange with the more pleasure, because he
+looked upon this favour as a token of conquest over the princess, which
+raised his rapture to the highest pitch. Before he drank, he said to
+her, with the cup in his hand: "Indeed, princess, we Africans are not so
+refined in the art of love as you Chinese: and your instructing me in a
+lesson I was ignorant of, informs me how sensible I ought to be of the
+favour done me. I shall never, lovely princess, forget my recovering, by
+drinking out of your cup, that life, which your cruelty, had it
+continued, must have made me despair of."
+
+The princess, who began to be tired with his declarations, interrupted
+him and said: "Let us drink first, and then say what you will
+afterward:" at the same time she set the cup to her lips, while the
+African magician, who was eager to get his wine off first, drank up the
+very last drop. In finishing it, he leaned his head back to show his
+eagerness, and remained some time in that state. The princess kept the
+cup at her lips till she saw his eyes turn in his head, when he fell
+backward lifeless on the sofa. The princess had no occasion to order the
+private door to be opened to Aladdin; for her women were so disposed
+from the great hall to the foot of the staircase, that the word was no
+sooner given that the magician was fallen, than the door was immediately
+opened. As soon as Aladdin entered the hall, he saw the magician
+stretched backward on the sofa. The princess rose from her seat, and ran
+overjoyed to embrace him; but he stopped her and said: "Princess, it is
+not yet time; let me be left alone a moment, while I endeavour to
+transport you back to China as speedily as you were brought from
+thence." When the princess, her women and eunuchs, were gone out of the
+hall, Aladdin shut the door, and, going directly to the dead body of the
+magician, opened his vest, took out the lamp which was carefully
+wrapped up, as the princess had told him, and unfolding and rubbing it,
+the genie immediately appeared. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I have called to
+command thee, on the part of thy good mistress, this lamp, to transport
+this palace instantly into China, to the place from whence it was
+brought hither." The genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and
+disappeared. Immediately the palace was transported into China, and its
+removal was only felt by two little shocks, the one when it was lifted
+up, the other when it was set down, and both in a very short interval of
+time.
+
+From the time of the transportation of Aladdin's palace, the princess's
+father had been inconsolable for the loss of her. Before the disaster he
+used to go every morning into his closet to please himself with viewing
+the palace; he went now many times in the day to renew his tears, and
+plunge himself into the deepest melancholy, by reflecting how he had
+lost what was most dear to him in this world.
+
+The very morning of the return to the palace, the sultan went into his
+closet to indulge his sorrows. Absorbed in himself, and in a pensive
+mood, he cast his eyes toward the spot, expecting only to see an open
+space; but perceiving the vacancy filled up, he at first imagined the
+appearance to be the effect of a fog; looking more attentively, he was
+convinced beyond the power of doubt that it was his son-in-law's palace.
+Joy and gladness succeeded to sorrow and grief. He returned immediately
+into his apartment, and ordered a horse to be saddled and brought to him
+without delay, which he mounted that instant, thinking he could not make
+haste enough to the palace.
+
+Aladdin, who foresaw what would happen, rose that morning by daybreak,
+put on one of the most magnificent habits his wardrobe afforded, and
+went up into the hall of twenty-four windows, from whence he perceived
+the sultan approaching, and got down soon enough to receive him at the
+foot of the great staircase. "Aladdin," said the sultan, "I cannot speak
+to you till I have seen and embraced my daughter." The happy father was
+then led to the princess's apartment and embraced her with his face
+bathed in tears of joy. The sultan was some time before he could open
+his lips, so great was his surprise and joy to find his daughter again,
+after he had given her up for lost; and the princess, upon seeing her
+father, let fall tears of rapture and affection.
+
+At last the sultan broke silence, and said: "I would believe, daughter,
+your joy to see me makes you seem as little changed as if no misfortune
+had befallen you; yet I cannot be persuaded but that you have suffered
+much alarm; for a large palace cannot be so suddenly transported as
+yours has been, without causing great fright and apprehension. I would
+have you tell me all that has happened, and conceal nothing from me."
+
+The princess, who took great pleasure in giving the sultan the
+satisfaction he demanded, said: "If I appear so little altered, I beg of
+your majesty to consider that I received new life yesterday morning by
+the presence of my dear husband and deliverer, Aladdin, whom I looked
+upon and bewailed as lost to me. My greatest suffering was to find
+myself forced not only from your majesty, but from my dear husband; not
+only from the love I bore him, but from the uneasiness I laboured under
+through fear that he, though innocent, might feel the effects of your
+anger. As to what relates to my transportation, I was myself the
+innocent cause of it." To persuade the sultan of the truth of what she
+said, she gave him a full account of how the African magician had
+disguised himself, and offered to change new lamps for old ones; how she
+had amused herself in making that exchange; how the palace and herself
+were carried away and transported into Africa, with the magician, who
+was recognised by two of her women and the eunuch who made the exchange
+of the lamp, when he had the audacity, after the success of his daring
+enterprise, to propose himself for her husband; how he persecuted her
+till Aladdin's arrival; how they had concerted measures to get the lamp
+from him again, and the success they had fortunately met with by her
+dissimulation in inviting him to supper, and giving him the cup with the
+powder prepared for him. "For the rest," added she, "I leave it to
+Aladdin to recount."
+
+Aladdin had not much to tell the sultan, but only said: "When the
+private door was opened I went up into the great hall, where I found the
+magician lying dead on the sofa; and as I thought it not proper for the
+princess to stay there any longer, I desired her to go down into her own
+apartment, with her women and eunuchs. As soon as I was alone, and had
+taken the lamp out of the magician's breast, I made use of the same
+secret he had done, to remove the palace, and carry off the princess;
+and by that means the palace was reconveyed to the place where it stood
+before; and I have the happiness to restore the princess to your
+majesty. But that your majesty may not think that I impose upon you, if
+you will give yourself the trouble to go up into the hall, you may see
+the magician punished as he deserved."
+
+The sultan rose instantly and went into the hall, where, when he saw the
+African magician dead, and his face already livid by the strength of the
+poison, he embraced Aladdin with great tenderness, and said: "My son, be
+not displeased at my proceedings against you; they arose from my
+paternal love; and therefore you ought to forgive the excesses to which
+it hurried me." "Sir," replied Aladdin, "I have not the least reason to
+complain of your majesty's conduct, since you did nothing but what your
+duty required. This infamous magician, the basest of men, was the sole
+cause of my misfortune. When your majesty has leisure, I will give you
+an account of another villainous action he was guilty of toward me,
+which was no less black and base than this." "I will take an
+opportunity, and that very shortly," replied the sultan, "to hear it;
+but in the meantime let us think only of rejoicing."
+
+The sultan then commanded the drums, trumpets, cymbals, and other
+instruments of music to announce his joy to the public, and a festival
+of ten days to be proclaimed for the return of the princess and Aladdin.
+
+Within a few years afterward, the sultan died in a good old age, and as
+he left no male children, the Princess Badroulboudour, as lawful heir of
+the throne, succeeded him, and communicating the power to Aladdin, they
+reigned together many years, and left a numerous and illustrious
+progeny.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF PRINCE AGIB
+
+
+I was a king, and the son of a king; and when my father died, I
+succeeded to his throne, and governed my subjects with justice and
+beneficence. I took pleasure in sea-voyages; and my capital was on the
+shore of an extensive sea, interspersed with fortified and garrisoned
+islands, which I desired, for my amusement, to visit; I therefore
+embarked with a fleet of ten ships, and took with me provisions
+sufficient for a whole month. I proceeded twenty days, after which there
+arose against us a contrary wind; but at daybreak it ceased, and the sea
+became calm, and we arrived at an island, where we landed, and cooked
+some provisions and ate; after which we remained there two days. We then
+continued our voyage; and when twenty days more had passed, we found
+ourselves in strange waters, unknown to the captain, and desired the
+watch to look out from the mast head: so he went aloft, and when he had
+come down he said to the captain: "I saw, on my right hand, fish
+floating upon the surface of the water; and looking toward the midst of
+the sea, I perceived something looming in the distance, sometimes black,
+and sometimes white."
+
+When the captain heard this report of the watch, he threw his turban on
+the deck, and plucked his beard, and said to those who were with him:
+"Receive warning of our destruction, which will befall all of us: not
+one will escape!" So saying, he began to weep; and all of us in like
+manner bewailed our lot. I desired him to inform us of that which the
+watch had seen. "O my lord," he replied, "know that we have wandered
+from our course since the commencement of the contrary wind that was
+followed in the morning by a calm, in consequence of which we remained
+stationary two days: from that period we have deviated from our course
+for twenty-one days, and we have no wind to carry us back from the fate
+which awaits us after this day. To-morrow we shall arrive at a mountain
+of black stone, called loadstone: the current is now bearing us
+violently toward it, and the ships will fall in pieces, and every nail
+in them will fly to the mountain, and adhere to it; for God hath given
+to the loadstone a secret property by virtue of which everything of iron
+is attracted toward it. On that mountain is such a quantity of iron as
+no one knoweth but God, whose name be exalted; for from times of old
+great numbers of ships have been destroyed by the influence of that
+mountain. There is, upon the summit of the mountain, a cupola of brass
+supported by ten columns, and upon the top of this is a horseman upon a
+horse of brass, having in his hand a brazen spear, and upon his breast
+suspended a tablet of lead, upon which are engraved mysterious names and
+talismans: and as long, O King, as this horseman remains upon the horse,
+so long will every ship that approaches be destroyed, with every person
+on board, and all the iron contained in it will cleave to the mountain:
+no one will be safe until the horseman shall have fallen from the
+horse." The captain then wept bitterly; and we felt assured that our
+destruction was inevitable, and every one of us bade adieu to his
+friend.
+
+On the following morning we drew near to the mountain; the current
+carried us toward it with violence, and when the ships were almost close
+to it, they fell asunder, and all the nails, and everything else that
+was of iron, flew from them toward the loadstone. It was near the close
+of day when the ships fell in pieces. Some of us were drowned, and some
+escaped; but the greater number were drowned, and of those who saved
+their lives none know what became of the others, so stupefied were they
+by the waves and the boisterous wind. As for myself, God, whose name be
+exalted, spared me on account of the trouble and torment and affliction
+that He had predestined to befall me. I placed myself upon a plank, and
+the wind and waves cast it upon the mountain; and when I had landed, I
+found a practicable way to the summit, resembling steps cut in the rock:
+so I exclaimed: "In the name of God!" and offered up a prayer, and
+attempted the ascent, holding fast by the notches; and presently God
+stilled the wind, so that I arrived in safety at the summit. Rejoicing
+greatly in my escape, I immediately entered the cupola, and performed
+prayers in gratitude to God for my preservation; after which I slept
+beneath the cupola, and heard a voice saying to me: "O son of Khasib,
+when thou awakest, dig beneath thy feet, and thou wilt find a bow of
+brass, and three arrows of lead, whereon are engraved talismans: then
+take the bow and arrows and shoot at the horseman that is upon the top
+of the cupola, and relieve mankind from this great affliction; for when
+thou hast shot at the horseman he will fall into the sea; the bow will
+also fall, and do thou bury it in its place; and as soon as thou hast
+done this, the sea will swell and rise until it attains the summit of
+the mountain; and there will appear upon it a boat bearing a man,
+different from him whom thou shalt have cast down, and he will come to
+thee, having an oar in his hand: then do thou embark with him; but utter
+not the name of God; and he will convey thee in ten days to a safe sea,
+where, on thy arrival, thou wilt find one who will take thee to thy
+city. All this shall be done if thou utter not the name of God."
+
+Awaking from my sleep, I sprang up, and did as the voice had directed. I
+shot at the horseman, and he fell into the sea; and the bow having
+fallen from my hand, I buried it: the sea then became troubled, and rose
+to the summit of the mountain, and when I had stood waiting there a
+little while, I beheld a boat in the midst of the sea, approaching me. I
+praised God, whose name be exalted, and when the boat came to me, I
+found in it a man of brass, with a tablet of lead upon his breast,
+engraven with names and talismans. Without uttering a word, I embarked
+in the boat, and the man rowed me ten successive days, after which I
+beheld the islands of security, whereupon, in the excess of my joy, I
+exclaimed: "There is no deity but God! God is most great!"--and as soon
+as I had done this, the man cast me out of the boat, and sank in the
+sea.
+
+Being able to swim, I swam until night, when my arms and shoulders were
+tired, and, in this perilous situation, I repeated the profession of the
+faith, and gave myself up as lost; but the sea rose with the violence of
+the wind, and a wave like a vast castle threw me upon the land, in order
+to the accomplishment of the purpose of God. I ascended the shore, and
+after I had wrung out my clothes, and spread them upon the ground to
+dry, I slept; and in the morning I put on my clothes again, and, looking
+about to see which way I should go, I found a tract covered with trees;
+and when I had walked round it, I found that I was upon a small island
+in the midst of the sea; upon which I said within myself: "Every time
+that I escape from one calamity I fall into another that is worse:" but
+while I was reflecting upon my unfortunate case, and wishing for death,
+I beheld a vessel bearing a number of men. I arose immediately, and
+climbed into a tree; and lo, the vessel came to the shore, and there
+landed from it ten black slaves bearing axes. They proceeded to the
+middle of the island, and, digging up the earth, uncovered and lifted up
+a trap-door, after which they returned to the vessel, and brought from
+it bread and flour, and clarified butter and honey, and sheep and
+everything that the wants of an inhabitant would require, continuing to
+pass backward and forward between the vessel and the trap-door, bringing
+loads from the former, and entering the latter, until they had removed
+all the stores from the ship. They then came out of the vessel with
+various clothes of the most beautiful description, and in the midst of
+them was an old sheikh, enfeebled and wasted by extreme age, leading by
+the hand a young man cast in the mould of graceful symmetry, and
+invested with such perfect beauty as deserved to be a subject for
+proverbs. He was like a fresh and slender twig, enchanting and
+captivating every heart by his elegant form. The party proceeded to the
+trap-door, and, entering it, became concealed from my eyes.
+
+They remained beneath about two hours, or more; after which, the sheikh
+and the slaves came out; but the youth came not with them; and they
+replaced the earth, and embarked and set sail. Soon after, I descended
+from the tree, and went to the excavation. I removed the earth, and,
+entering the aperture, saw a flight of wooden steps, which I descended;
+and, at the bottom, I beheld a handsome dwelling-place, furnished with a
+variety of silken carpets; and there was the youth, sitting upon a high
+mattress, with sweet-smelling flowers and fruits placed before him. On
+seeing me, his countenance became pale; but I saluted him, and said:
+"Let thy mind be composed, O my master: thou hast nothing to fear; for I
+am a man, and the son of a king, like thyself: fate hath impelled me to
+thee, that I may cheer thee in thy solitude." The youth, when he heard
+me thus address him, and was convinced that I was one of his own
+species, rejoiced exceedingly at my arrival, his colour returned, and,
+desiring me to approach him, he said: "O my brother, my story is
+wonderful: my father is a jeweller; he had slaves who made voyages
+by his orders, for the purposes of commerce, and he had dealings with
+kings; but he had never been blest with a son; and he dreamt that he was
+soon to have a son, but one whose life would be short; and he awoke
+sorrowful. Shortly after, in accordance with the decrees of God, my
+mother gave birth to me; and my father was greatly rejoiced: the
+astrologers, however, came to him, and said: Thy son will live fifteen
+years: his fate is intimated by the fact that there is in the sea a
+mountain called the Mountain of Loadstone, whereon is a horseman on a
+horse of brass, on the former of which is a tablet of lead suspended to
+his neck; and when the horseman shall be thrown down from his horse, thy
+son will be slain: the person who is to slay him is he who will throw
+down the horseman, and his name is King Agib, the son of King Khasib. My
+father was greatly afflicted at this announcement; and when he had
+reared me until I had nearly attained the age of fifteen years, the
+astrologers came again, and informed him that the horseman had fallen
+into the sea, and that it had been thrown down by King Agib, the son of
+King Khasib; on hearing which, he prepared for me this dwelling, and
+here left me to remain until the completion of the term, of which there
+now remain ten days. All this he did from fear lest King Agib should
+kill me."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_And when the boat came to me I found in it a man of brass, with a
+tablet of lead upon his breast, engraven with names and talismans._
+
+When I heard this, I was filled with wonder, and said within myself: "I
+am King Agib, the son of King Khasib, and it was I who threw down the
+horseman; but, by Allah, I will neither kill him nor do him any injury."
+Then said I to the youth: "Far from thee be both destruction and harm,
+if it be the will of God: thou hast nothing to fear: I will remain with
+thee to serve thee, and will go forth with thee to thy father, and beg
+of him to send me back to my country, for the which he will obtain a
+reward." The youth rejoiced at my words, and I sat and conversed with
+him until night, when I spread his bed for him, and covered him, and
+slept near to his side. And in the morning I brought him water, and he
+washed his face, and said to me: "May God requite thee for me with every
+blessing. If I escape from King Agib, I will make my father reward thee
+with abundant favours." "Never," I replied, "may the day arrive that
+would bring thee misfortune!" I then placed before him some
+refreshments, and after we had eaten together, we passed the day
+conversing with the utmost cheerfulness.
+
+I continued to serve him for nine days; and on the tenth day the youth
+rejoiced at finding himself in safety, and said to me: "O my brother, I
+wish that thou wouldst in thy kindness warm for me some water, that I
+may wash myself and change my clothes; for I have smelt the odour of
+escape from death, in consequence of thy assistance." "With pleasure," I
+replied; and I arose, and warmed the water; after which, he entered a
+place concealed from my view, and, having washed himself and changed his
+clothes, laid himself upon the mattress to rest after his bath. He then
+said to me: "Cut up for me, O my brother, a water-melon, and mix its
+juice with some sugar:" so I arose, and, taking a melon, brought it upon
+a plate, and said to him; "Knowest thou, O my master, where is the
+knife?" "See, here it is," he answered, "upon the shelf over my head." I
+sprang up hastily, and took it from its sheath, and as I was drawing
+back, my foot slipped, as God had decreed, and I fell upon the youth,
+grasping in my hand the knife, which entered his body, and he died
+instantly. When I perceived that he was dead, and that I had killed him,
+I uttered a loud shriek, and beat my face, and rent my clothes: saying:
+"This is, indeed, a calamity! O my Lord, I implore thy pardon, and
+declare to Thee my innocence of his death! Would that I had died before
+him!"
+
+With these reflections I ascended the steps, and, having replaced the
+trap-door, returned to my first station, and looked over the sea, where
+I saw the vessel that had come before, approaching, and cleaving the
+waves in its rapid course. Upon this I said within myself: "Now will the
+men come forth from the vessel, and find the youth slain, and they will
+slay me also:" so I climbed into a tree, and concealed myself among its
+leaves, and sat there till the vessel arrived and cast anchor, when the
+slaves landed with the old sheikh, the father of the youth, and went to
+the place, and removed the earth. They were surprised at finding it
+moist, and, when they had descended the steps, they discovered the youth
+lying on his back, exhibiting a face beaming with beauty, though dead,
+and clad in white and clean clothing, with the knife remaining in his
+body. They all wept at the sight, and the father fell down in a swoon,
+which lasted so long that the slaves thought he was dead. At length,
+however, he recovered, and came out with the slaves, who had wrapped the
+body of the youth in his clothes. They then took back all that was in
+the subterranean dwelling to the vessel, and departed.
+
+I remained, by day hiding myself in a tree, and at night walking about
+the open part of the island. Thus I continued for the space of two
+months; and I perceived that, on the western side of the island, the
+water of the sea every day retired, until, after three months, the land
+that had been beneath it became dry. Rejoicing at this, and feeling
+confident now in my escape, I traversed this dry tract, and arrived at
+an expanse of sand; whereupon I emboldened myself, and crossed it. I
+then saw in the distance an appearance of fire, and, advancing toward
+it, found it to be a palace, overlaid with plates of red copper, which,
+reflecting the rays of the sun, seemed from a distance to be fire: and
+when I drew near to it, reflecting upon this sight, there approached me
+an old sheikh, accompanied by ten young men who were all blind of one
+eye, at which I was extremely surprised. As soon as they saw me, they
+saluted me, and asked me my story, which I related to them from first to
+last; and they were filled with wonder. They then conducted me into the
+palace, where I saw ten benches, upon each of which was a mattress
+covered with a blue stuff; and each of the young men seated himself upon
+one of these benches, while the sheikh took his place upon a smaller
+one; after which they said to me: "Sit down, O young man, and ask no
+question respecting our condition, nor respecting our being blind of one
+eye." Then the sheikh arose, and brought to each of them some food, and
+the same to me also; and next he brought to each of us some wine: and
+after we had eaten, we sat drinking together until the time for sleep,
+when the young men said to the sheikh: "Bring to us our accustomed
+supply"--upon which the sheikh arose, and entered a closet, from which
+he brought, upon his head, ten covered trays. Placing these upon the
+floor, he lighted ten candles, and stuck one of them upon each tray;
+and, having done this, he removed the covers, and there appeared beneath
+them ashes mixed with pounded charcoal. The young men then tucked up
+their sleeves above the elbow, and blackened their faces, and slapped
+their cheeks, exclaiming: "We were reposing at our ease, and our
+impertinent curiosity suffered us not to remain so!" Thus they did until
+the morning, when the sheikh brought them some hot water, and they
+washed their faces, and put on other clothes.
+
+On witnessing this conduct, my reason was confounded, my heart was so
+troubled that I forgot my own misfortunes, and I asked them the cause of
+their strange behaviour; upon which they looked toward me, and said: "O
+young man, ask not respecting that which doth not concern thee; but be
+silent; for in silence is security from error." I remained with them a
+whole month, during which, every night they did the same, and at length
+I said to them: "I conjure you by Allah to remove this disquiet from my
+mind, and to inform me of the cause of your acting in this manner, and
+of your exclaiming; 'We were reposing at our ease, and our impertinent
+curiosity suffered us not to remain so!' if ye inform me not, I will
+leave you, and go my way." On hearing these words, they replied: "We
+have not concealed this affair from thee but in our concern for thy
+welfare, lest thou shouldst become like us, and the same affliction that
+hath befallen us happen also to thee." I said, however: "Ye must
+positively inform me of this matter." "We give thee good advice," said
+they, "and do thou receive it, and ask us not respecting our case;
+otherwise thou wilt become blind of one eye, like us"--but I still
+persisted in my request; whereupon they said: "O young man, if this
+befall thee, know that thou wilt be banished from our company." They
+then all arose, and, taking a ram, slaughtered and skinned it, and said
+to me: "Take this knife with thee, and introduce thyself into the skin
+of the ram, and we will sew thee up in it, and go away; whereupon a bird
+called the roc will come to thee, and, taking thee up by its talons,
+will fly away with thee, and set thee down upon a mountain: then cut
+open the skin with this knife, and get out, and the bird will fly away.
+Thou must arise, as soon as it hath gone, and journey for half a day,
+and thou wilt see before thee a lofty palace, encased with red gold, set
+with various precious stones such as emeralds and rubies; and if thou
+enter it thy case will be as ours; for our entrance into that palace was
+the cause of our being blind of one eye; and if one of us would relate
+to thee all that hath befallen him, his story would be too long for thee
+to hear."
+
+They then sewed me up in the skin, and entered their palace; and soon
+after, there came an enormous white bird, which seized me, and flew away
+with me, and set me down upon the mountain; whereupon I cut open the
+skin, and got out; and the bird, as soon as it saw me, flew away. I rose
+up quickly, and proceeded toward the palace, which I found to be as they
+had described it to me; and when I had entered it, I beheld, at the
+upper end of a saloon, forty young damsels, beautiful as so many moons,
+and magnificently attired, who, as soon as they saw me, exclaimed:
+"Welcome! Welcome! O our master and our lord! We have been for a month
+expecting thee. Praise be to God who hath blessed us with one who is
+worthy of us, and one of whom we are worthy!" After having thus greeted
+me, they seated me upon a mattress, and said; "Thou art from this day
+our master and prince, and we are thy handmaids, and entirely under thy
+authority." They then brought to me some refreshments, and, when I had
+eaten and drunk, they sat and conversed with me, full of joy and
+happiness. So lovely were these ladies, that even a devotee, if he saw
+them, would gladly consent to be their servant, and to comply with all
+that they would desire. At the approach of night they all assembled
+around me, and placed before me a table of fresh and dried fruits, with
+other delicacies that the tongue cannot describe, and wine; and one
+began to sing, while another played upon the lute. The wine-cups
+circulated among us, and joy overcame me to such a degree as to
+obliterate from my mind every earthly care, and make me exclaim: "This
+is indeed a delightful life!" I passed a night of such enjoyment as I
+had never before experienced; and on the morrow I entered the bath; and,
+after I had washed myself, they brought me a suit of the richest
+clothing, and we again sat down to a repast.
+
+In this manner I lived with them a whole year; but on the first day of
+the new year, they seated themselves around me, and began to weep, and
+bade me farewell, clinging to my skirts. "What calamity hath befallen
+you?" said I. "Ye are breaking my heart." They answered: "Would that we
+had never known thee; for we have associated with many men, but have
+seen none like thee. May God, therefore, not deprive us of thy company."
+And they wept afresh. I said to them: "I wish that you would acquaint me
+with the cause of this weeping." "Thou," they replied, "art the cause;
+yet now, if thou wilt attend to what we tell thee, we shall never be
+parted; but if thou act contrary to it, we are separated from this time;
+and our hearts whisper to us that thou wilt not regard our warning."
+"Inform me," said I, "and I will attend to your directions." And they
+replied: "If then thou wouldst inquire respecting our history, know that
+we are the daughters of kings: for many years it hath been our custom to
+assemble here, and every year we absent ourselves during a period of
+forty days; then returning, we indulge ourselves for a year in feasting
+and drinking. This is our usual practice; and now we fear that thou wilt
+disregard our directions when we are absent from thee. We deliver to
+thee the keys of the palace, which are a hundred in number, belonging to
+a hundred closets. Open each of these, and amuse thyself, and eat and
+drink, and refresh thyself, excepting the closet that hath a door of red
+gold; for if thou open this, the consequence will be a separation
+between us and thee. We conjure thee, therefore, to observe our
+direction, and to be patient during this period." Upon hearing this, I
+swore to them that I would never open the closet to which they alluded;
+and they departed, urging me to be faithful to my promise.
+
+I remained alone in the palace, and at the approach of evening I opened
+the first closet, and, entering it, found a mansion like paradise, with
+a garden containing green trees loaded with ripe fruits, abounding with
+singing birds, and watered by copious streams. My heart was soothed by
+the sight, and I wandered among the trees, scenting the fragrance of the
+flowers, and listening to the warbling of the birds as they sang the
+praises of the One, the Almighty. After admiring the mingled colours of
+the apple resembling the hue upon the cheek of the beloved maid and the
+sallow countenance of the perplexed and timid lover, the sweet-smelling
+quince diffusing an odour like musk and ambergris, and the plum shining
+as the ruby, I retired from this place, and, having locked the door,
+opened that of the next closet, within which I beheld a spacious tract
+planted with numerous palm-trees, and watered by a river flowing among
+rose-trees, and jasmine, and marjoram, and eglantine, and narcissus, and
+gilliflower, the odours of which, diffused in every direction by the
+wind, inspired me with the utmost delight. I locked again the door of
+the second closet, and opened that of the third. Within this I found a
+large saloon, paved with marbles of various colours, and with costly
+minerals and precious gems, and containing cages constructed of sandal
+and aloes-wood with singing birds within them, and others upon the
+branches of trees which were planted there. My heart was charmed, my
+trouble was dissipated, and I slept there until the morning. I then
+opened the door of the fourth closet, and within this door I found a
+great building in which were forty closets with open doors; and entering
+these, I beheld pearls, and rubies, and chrysolites, and emeralds, and
+other precious jewels such as the tongue cannot describe. I was
+astonished at the sight, and said: "Such things as these, I imagine, are
+not found in the treasury of any king. I am now the King of my age, and
+all these treasures, through the goodness of God, are mine."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_At the approach of evening I opened the first closet and, entering it,
+found a mansion like paradise._
+
+Thus I continued to amuse myself, passing from one place to another,
+until thirty-nine days had elapsed, and I had opened the doors of all
+the closets excepting that which they had forbidden me to open. My heart
+was then disturbed by curiosity respecting this hundredth closet, and
+the Devil, in order to plunge me into misery, induced me to open it. I
+had not patience to abstain, though there remained of the appointed
+period only one day: so I approached the closet, and opened the door;
+and when I had entered, I perceived a fragrant odour, such as I had
+never before smelt, which intoxicated me so that I fell down insensible,
+and remained some time in this state: but at length recovering, I
+fortified my heart, and proceeded. I found the floor overspread with
+saffron, and the place illuminated by golden lamps and by candles, which
+diffused the odours of musk and ambergris. I saw also a black horse, of
+the hue of the darkest night, before which was a manger of white crystal
+filled with cleansed sesame, and another, similar to it, containing
+rose-water infused with musk: he was saddled and bridled, and his saddle
+was of red gold. Wondering at the sight of him, I said within myself:
+"This must be an animal of extraordinary qualities;" and, seduced by the
+Devil, I led him out, and mounted him; but he moved not from his place.
+I kicked him with my heel; but still he moved not: so I took a switch
+and struck him with it; and as soon as he felt the blow he uttered a
+sound like thunder, and, expanding a pair of wings, soared with me to an
+immense height through the air, and then alighted upon the roof of
+another palace, where he threw me from his back, and, by a violent blow
+with his tail upon my face, struck out my eye, and left me.
+
+Thus it was I became blind of one eye. I then recollected the
+predictions of the ten young men. The horse again took wing, and soon
+disappeared. I got up much vexed at the misfortune I had brought upon
+myself. I walked upon the terrace, covering my eye with one of my hands,
+for it pained me exceedingly, and then descended, and entered into a
+hall. I soon discovered by the ten benches in a circle, and the eleventh
+in the middle, smaller than the rest, that I was in the castle whence I
+had been carried by the roc.
+
+The ten young men were not in the hall when I entered; but came in soon
+after, attended by the sheikh. They seemed not at all surprised to see
+me, nor at the loss of my eye; but said: "We are sorry that we cannot
+congratulate you on your return, as we could wish; but we are not the
+cause of your misfortune." "I should do you wrong," I replied, "to lay
+it to your charge; I have only myself to accuse." "If," said they, "it
+be a subject of consolation to the afflicted to know that others share
+their sufferings, you have in us this alleviation of your misfortune.
+All that has happened to you we have also endured; we each of us tasted
+the same pleasures during a year; and we had still continued to enjoy
+them, had we not opened the golden door, when the princesses were
+absent. You have been no wiser than we, and have incurred the same
+punishment. We would gladly receive you into our company, to join with
+us in the penance to which we are bound, and the duration of which we
+know not. But we have already stated to you the reasons that render this
+impossible: depart, therefore, and proceed to the court of Bagdad, where
+you will meet with the person who is to decide your destiny." After they
+had explained to me the road I was to travel, I departed from them, with
+mournful heart and weeping eye, and, God having decreed me a safe
+journey hither, I arrived at Bagdad, after I had shaved my beard, and
+become a mendicant. Praise be to God, whose name be exalted, and whose
+purposes concerning me are as yet hid in darkness.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS
+
+
+There was, in olden time, in Damascus of Syria, a king, named
+Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and he was sitting, one day, having with
+him the great men of his empire, consisting of kings and sultans, when a
+discussion took place among them, respecting the traditions of former
+nations. They called to mind the stories of Solomon, son of David, and
+the dominion which God had bestowed upon him over mankind, and the
+genies, and the birds, and the wild beasts, and they said: "We have
+heard from those who were before us, that God bestowed not upon any one
+the power which He bestowed upon Solomon, so that he used to imprison
+the genies and the devils in bottles of brass, and pour molten lead over
+them, and seal a cover over them with his signet."
+
+Then Talib, one of the sultans, related, that a man once embarked in a
+ship with a company of others, and they voyaged to the island of Sicily
+and ceased not in their course until there arose against them a wind
+which bore them away to an unknown land. This happened during the black
+darkness of night, and when the day shone forth, there came out to them,
+from caves in that land, people of black complexion and with naked
+bodies, like wild beasts, not understanding speech. They had a king of
+their own race, and none of them knew Arabic save their king. So when
+they saw the ship and those who were in her, he came forth to them
+attended by a party of his companions, and saluted them and welcomed
+them: They acquainted him with their state; and he said to them, "No
+harm shall befall you; there hath not come to us any one of the sons of
+Adam before you." And he entertained them with a banquet of the flesh of
+birds and of wild beasts and of fish. And after this, the people of the
+ship went down to divert themselves in the city, and they found one of
+the fishermen who had cast his net in the sea to catch fish, and he drew
+it up, and, lo, in it was a bottle of brass stopped with lead, which was
+sealed with the signet of Solomon the son of David. And the fisherman
+came forth and broke it; whereupon there proceeded from it a blue smoke,
+which united with the clouds of heaven; and they heard a horrible voice,
+saying: "Repentance! repentance! O Prophet of God!" Then, of that smoke
+there was formed a person of terrible aspect, of terrific make, whose
+head would reach as high as a mountain; and he disappeared from before
+their eyes. As to the people of the ship, their hearts were almost
+eradicated; but the blacks thought nothing of the event. And a man
+returned to the king, and asked him respecting this; and the king
+answered him: "Know that this is one of the genies whom Solomon, the son
+of David, when he was incensed against them, imprisoned in these
+bottles, and he poured lead over them, and threw them into the sea. When
+the fisherman casteth his net, it generally bringeth up these bottles;
+and when they are broken, there cometh forth from them a genie, who
+imagineth that Solomon is still living; wherefore he repenteth, and
+saith: 'Repentance! O Prophet of God!'"
+
+And the Prince of the Faithful, Abd-El-Melik, wondered at these words,
+and said: "By Allah, I desire to see some of these bottles!" So Talib
+replied: "O Prince of the Faithful, thou art able to do so, and yet
+remain in thy country. Send to thy brother Abd-El-Azeez, that he may
+write orders to the Emeer Moosa to journey from the Western Country to
+this mountain which we have mentioned, and to bring thee what thou
+desirest of these bottles; for the furthest tract of his province is
+adjacent to this mountain." And the Prince of the Faithful approved of
+his advice, and said: "O Talib, thou hast spoken truth and I desire that
+thou be my messenger to Moosa for this purpose." To this, Talib replied:
+"Most willingly, O Prince of the Faithful." And the king said to him:
+"Go in dependence on the blessing of God, and his aid." Then he gave
+orders that they should write for him a letter to his brother
+Abd-El-Azeez, his viceroy in Egypt, and another letter to Moosa, his
+viceroy in the Western Country, commanding him to journey, himself, in
+search of the bottles of Solomon. He sealed the two letters, and
+delivered them to Talib, commanding him to hasten, and he gave him
+riches and riders and footmen to aid him in his way.
+
+So Talib went forth on his way to Egypt, and when the Emeer Moosa knew
+of his approach, he went forth to him and met him, and rejoiced at his
+arrival; and Talib handed to him the letter. So he took it and read it,
+and understood its meaning; and he put it upon his head, saying: "I hear
+and obey the command of the Prince of the Faithful." He determined to
+summon his great men; and they presented themselves; and he inquired of
+them respecting that which had been made known to him by the letter;
+whereupon they said: "O Emeer, if thou desire him who will guide thee to
+that place, have recourse to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad; for he is a
+knowing man, and hath travelled much, and he is acquainted with the
+deserts and wastes and the seas, and their inhabitants and their
+wonders, and the countries and their districts. Have recourse therefore
+to him, and he will direct thee to the object of thy desire."
+Accordingly he gave orders to bring him, and he came before him; and,
+lo, he was a very old man, whom the vicissitudes of years and times had
+rendered decrepit. The Emeer Moosa saluted him, and said to him: "O
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, our lord, the Prince of the Faithful, hath
+commanded us thus and thus, and I possess little knowledge of that land,
+and it hath been told me that thou art acquainted with that country and
+the routes. Hast thou then a wish to accomplish the affair of the Prince
+of the Faithful?" The sheikh replied: "Know, O Emeer, that this route is
+difficult, far extending, with few tracks." The emeer said to him: "How
+long a period doth it require?" He answered: "It is a journey of two
+years and some months going, and the like returning; and on the way are
+difficulties and horrors, and extraordinary and wonderful things. But,"
+he said, "God will assuredly make this affair easy to us through the
+blessing attendant upon thee, O Viceroy of the Prince of the Faithful."
+
+After this they departed, and they continued their journey until they
+arrived at a palace; whereupon the sheikh said: "Advance with us to this
+palace, which presenteth a lesson to him who will be admonished." So the
+Emeer Moosa advanced thither, together with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad and
+his chief companions, till they came to its entrance. And they found it
+open, and having lofty angles, and steps, among which were two wide
+steps of coloured marbles, the like of which hath not been seen: the
+ceilings and walls were decorated with gold and silver and minerals, and
+over the entrance was a slab, whereon was an inscription in ancient
+Greek; and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said: "Shall I read it, O Emeer?" The
+emeer answered; "Advance and read." So he read it; and, lo, it was
+poetry; and it was this:
+
+  Here was a people whom, after their works, thou shalt see wept over for
+    their lost dominion;
+  And in this palace is the last information respecting lords collected in
+    the dust.
+
+  Death hath destroyed them and disunited them, and in the dust they have
+    lost what they amassed;
+  As though they had only put down their loads to rest a while: quickly
+    have they departed!
+
+And the Emeer Moosa wept and said: "There is no deity but God, the
+Living, the Enduring without failure!"
+
+Then they attentively viewed the palace; and, lo, it was devoid of
+inhabitants, destitute of household and occupants: its courts were
+desolate, and its apartments were deserted; and in the midst of it was a
+chamber covered with a lofty dome, rising high into the air, around
+which were four hundred tombs.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa drew near to the dome-crowned chamber, and, lo, it
+had eight doors of sandalwood, with nails of gold, ornamented with stars
+of silver set with various jewels, and he beheld in it a long tomb, of
+terrible appearance, whereon was a tablet of iron of China; and the
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to it, and read its inscription; and, lo,
+on it was written:
+
+  Shouldst thou think upon me after the length of my age, and the
+    vicissitudes of days and circumstances,
+  I am the son of Sheddad, who held dominion over mankind and each tract of
+    the whole earth.
+  All the stubborn troops became abject unto me, and Esh-Sham from Misr
+    unto Adnan.
+  In glory I reigned, abasing their kings, the people of the earth fearing
+    my dominion;
+  And I beheld the tribes and armies in my power, and saw the countries and
+    their inhabitants dread me.
+  When I mounted, I beheld my army comprising a million bridles upon
+     neighing steeds;
+  And I possessed wealth that could not be calculated, which I treasured up
+    against misfortunes,
+  Determining to devote the whole of my property for the purpose of
+    extending the term of my life.
+
+  But the Deity would nought save the execution of his purpose; and thus I
+    became separated from my brethren.
+  Death, the disuniter of mankind, came to me, and I was removed from
+    grandeur to the mansion of contempt;
+  And I found the recompense of all my past actions, for which I am
+    pledged: for I was sinful!
+  Then raise thyself, lest thou be upon a brink; and beware of calamities!
+    Mayest thou be led aright!
+
+And again the Emeer Moosa wept, in considering the fates of the people;
+after which, as they were going about through the different apartments
+of the palace, and viewing attentively its chambers and its places of
+diversion, they came to a table upon four legs of alabaster, whereon was
+inscribed:
+
+  Upon this table have eaten a thousand one-eyed kings, and a thousand
+  kings each sound in both eyes. All of them have quitted the world, and
+  taken up their abode in the burial-grounds and the graves.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa wrote down all this. Then he went forth, and took
+not with him from the palace aught save the table.
+
+The soldiers proceeded, with the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad before them shewing
+them the way, until all the first day had passed, and the second, and
+the third. They then came to a high hill, at which they looked, and, lo,
+upon it was a horseman of brass, on the top of whose spear was a wide
+and glistening head that almost deprived the beholder of sight, and on
+it was inscribed:
+
+  O thou who comest unto me, if thou know not the way that leadeth to
+  the City of Brass, rub the hand of the horseman, and he will turn, and
+  then will stop, and in whatsoever direction he stoppeth, thither
+  proceed, without fear and without difficulty; for it will lead thee to
+  the City of Brass.
+
+And when the Emeer Moosa had rubbed the hand of the horseman, it turned
+like the blinding lightning, and faced a different direction from that
+in which they were travelling.
+
+The party therefore turned thither and journeyed on, and it was the
+right way. They took that route, and continued their course the same day
+and the next night until they had traversed a wide tract of country. And
+as they were proceeding, one day, they came to a pillar of black stone,
+wherein was a person sunk to his arm-pits, and he had two huge wings,
+and four arms; two of them like those of the sons of Adam, and two like
+the fore-legs of lions, with claws. He had hair upon his head like the
+tails of horses, and two eyes like two burning coals, and he had a third
+eye, in his forehead, like the eye of the lynx, from which there
+appeared sparks of fire. He was black and tall; and he was crying out:
+"Extolled be the perfection of my Lord, who hath appointed me this
+severe affliction and painful torture until the day of resurrection!"
+When the party beheld him, their reason fled from them, and they were
+stupefied at the sight of his form, and retreated in flight; and the
+Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: "What is this?" He
+answered: "I know not what he is." And the emeer said: "Draw near to
+him, and investigate his case: perhaps he will discover it, and perhaps
+thou wilt learn his history." So the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to
+him, and said to him: "O thou person, what is thy name, and what is thy
+nature, and what hath placed thee here in this manner?" And the person
+answered him: "As to me, I am an efreet of the genies, and my name is
+Dahish, and I am restrained here by the majesty of God." Then the Emeer
+Moosa said: "O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, ask him what is the cause of his
+confinement in this pillar." He therefore asked respecting that, and the
+efreet answered him: "Verily my story is wonderful; and it is this:
+
+"There belonged to one of the sons of Iblees an idol of red carnelian,
+of which I was made guardian; and there used to worship it one of the
+Kings of the Sea, of great glory, leading, among his troops of the
+genies, a million warriors who smote with swords before him, and who
+answered his prayer in cases of difficulty. These genies who obeyed him
+were under my command and authority, following my words when I ordered
+them: all of them were in rebellion against Solomon, the son of David;
+and I used to enter the body of the idol, and command them and forbid
+them. Now the daughter of that king was a frequent adorer of the idol,
+assiduous in the worship of it, and she was the handsomest of the people
+of her age, endowed with beauty and loveliness, and elegance and
+perfection; and I described her to Solomon, on whom be peace! So he sent
+to her father, saying to him: 'Marry to me thy daughter, and break thy
+carnelian-idol, and bear witness that there is no deity but God, and
+that Solomon is the Prophet of God. But if thou refuse, I will come to
+thee with forces that shall leave thee like yesterday that hath passed.'
+And when the messenger of Solomon came to him, the King of the Sea was
+insolent, and magnified himself and was proud. Then he said to his
+viziers: 'What say ye respecting the affair of Solomon? For he hath sent
+demanding my daughter, and commanding me to break my carnelian-idol, and
+to adopt his faith.' And they replied: 'O great King, can Solomon do
+aught unto thee, when thou art in the midst of this vast sea? He cannot
+prevail against thee; since the genies will fight on thy side; and thou
+shalt seek aid against him of thine idol that thou worshippest. The
+right opinion is, that thou consult thy red carnelian-idol, and hear
+what will be his reply: if he counsel thee to fight him, fight him; but
+otherwise, do not.' And upon this the king went immediately, and, going
+in to his idol, after he had offered a sacrifice and slain victims, fell
+down before it prostrate, and began to weep, and to seek counsel.
+
+"Thereupon I entered the body of the idol, by reason of my ignorance,
+and my solicitude respecting the affair of Solomon, and recited this
+couplet:
+
+  'As for me, I am not in fear of him; for I am acquainted with everything.
+  If he wish to wage war with me, I will go forth, and I will snatch his
+    soul from him.'
+
+So when the king heard my reply to him, his heart was strengthened, and
+he determined to wage war with Solomon the Prophet of God and to fight
+against him. Accordingly, when the messenger of Solomon came, he
+inflicted upon him a painful beating, and returned him a shameful reply;
+and he sent to threaten Solomon, saying to him, by the messenger: 'Dost
+thou threaten me with false words? Either come thou to me, or I will go
+to thee.'
+
+"Then the messenger returned to Solomon, and acquainted him with all
+that had occurred. And when the Prophet of God heard that, his
+resolution was roused, and he prepared his forces, consisting of genies
+and men, and wild beasts, and birds and reptiles. He commanded his
+vizier, Ed-Dimiryat, the king of the genies, to collect them from every
+place: so he collected for him, of the devils, six hundred millions. He
+also commanded Asaf, his vizier of men, to collect his soldiers of
+mankind; and their number was one million, or more. He made ready the
+accoutrements and weapons, and mounted, with his forces, upon the magic
+carpet, with the birds flying over his head, and the wild beasts beneath
+the carpet marching, until he alighted upon his enemy's coast, and
+surrounded his island, having filled the land with the forces. He then
+sent to our king, saying to him: 'Behold, I have arrived: therefore
+submit thyself to my authority, and acknowledge my mission, and break
+thine idol, and worship the One, the Adored God, and marry to me thy
+daughter according to law, and say thou, and those who are with thee, I
+testify that there is no deity but God, and I testify that Solomon is
+the Prophet of God. If thou say that, peace and safety shall be thy lot.
+But if thou refuse, thy defending thyself from me in this island shall
+not prevent thee: for God hath commanded the wind to obey me, and I will
+order it to convey me unto thee on the carpet, and will make thee an
+example to restrain others.' So the messenger came to him, and
+communicated to him the message of the Prophet! But the king said to
+him: 'There is no way for the accomplishment of this thing that he
+requireth: therefore inform him that I am coming forth unto him.'
+Accordingly the messenger returned to Solomon, and gave him the reply.
+The king then sent to the people of his country, and collected for
+himself, of the genies that were under his authority, a million; and to
+these he added others, of the devils that were in the islands and on the
+mountains; after which he made ready his forces, and opened the
+armouries, and distributed to them the weapons. And as to the Prophet of
+God, he disposed his troops, commanding the wild beasts to form
+themselves into two divisions, on the right of the people and on their
+left, and commanding the birds to be upon the islands. He ordered them
+also when the assault should be made, to tear out the eyes of their
+antagonists with their beaks, and to beat their faces with their wings;
+and he ordered the wild beasts to tear in pieces their horses; and they
+replied: 'We hear and obey God and thee, O Prophet of God!' Then Solomon
+set for himself a couch of alabaster adorned with jewels, and plated
+with plates of red gold, and he placed his vizier Asaf on the right
+side, and his vizier, Ed-Dimiryat, on the left side, and the kings of
+mankind on his right, and the kings of the genies on his left, and the
+wild beasts and the vipers and serpents before him.
+
+"After this, they came upon us all together, and we contended with him
+in a wide tract for a period of two days; and calamity befell us on the
+third day, and the decree of God was executed among us. The first who
+charged upon Solomon were I and my troops; and I said to my companions:
+'Keep in your places in the battle-field while I go forth to them and
+challenge Ed-Dimiryat.' And, lo, he came forth, like a great mountain,
+his fires flaming, and his smoke ascending; and he approached, and
+smote me with a flaming fire; and his arrow prevailed over my fire. He
+cried out at me with a prodigious cry, so that I imagined the heaven had
+fallen, and the mountains shook at his voice. Then he commanded his
+companions, and they charged upon us all together: we also charged upon
+them: the fires rose and the smoke ascended, the hearts of the
+combatants were almost cleft asunder, and the battle raged. The birds
+fought in the air; and the wild beasts in the dust; and I contended with
+Ed-Dimiryat until he wearied me and I wearied him; after which my
+companions and troops were enervated, and my tribes were routed. I flew
+from before Ed-Dimiryat; but he followed me a journey of three months,
+until he overtook me. I had fallen down through fatigue, and he rushed
+upon me, and made me a prisoner. So I said to him: 'By Him who hath
+exalted thee and abased me, pity me, and take me before Solomon.' But
+when I came before Solomon, he met me in a most evil manner: he caused
+this pillar to be brought, and hollowed it, and put me in it, and sealed
+me with his signet; after which, he chained me, and Ed-Dimiryat conveyed
+me to this place, where he set me down as thou seest me; and this pillar
+is my prison until the day of resurrection."
+
+The party therefore wondered at him, and at the horrible nature of his
+form; and the Emeer Moosa said: "There is no deity but God!" And the
+Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said to the efreet: "O thou, I ask thee concerning a
+thing of which do thou inform us." The efreet replied: "Ask concerning
+what thou wilt." And the sheikh said: "Are there in this place any of
+the efreets confined in bottles of brass from the time of Solomon?" He
+answered: "Yes, in the Sea of El-Karkar, where are a people of the
+descendants of Noah, whose country the deluge reached not, and they are
+separated there from the rest of the sons of Adam." "And where," said
+the sheikh, "is the way to the City of Brass, and the place wherein are
+the bottles? What distance is there between us and it?" The efreet
+answered: "It is near." So the party left him, and proceeded; and there
+appeared to them in the distance a great black object, with two fires
+corresponding with each other in position; whereupon the Emeer Moosa
+said to the sheikh: "What is this great black object, and these two
+corresponding fires?" The guide answered him: "Be rejoiced, O Emeer; for
+this is the City of Brass, and this is the appearance of it that I find
+described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that its wall is of black
+stones, and it hath two towers of brass, which the beholder seeth
+resembling two corresponding fires; and thence it is named the City of
+Brass." They ceased not to proceed until they arrived at it; and, lo, it
+was lofty, strongly fortified, rising high into the air, impenetrable:
+the height of its walls was eighty cubits, and it had five and twenty
+gates, none of which would open but by means of some artifice. They
+stopped before it, and endeavoured to discover one of its gates; but
+they could not; and the Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: "O
+sheikh, I see not to this city any gate." The sheikh replied: "O Emeer,
+thus do I find it described in the Book of Hidden Treasures; that it
+hath five and twenty gates, and that none of its gates may be opened but
+from within the city." "And how," said the emeer, "can we contrive to
+enter it, and divert ourselves with a view of its wonders?"
+
+Then the Emeer Moosa ordered one of his young men to mount a camel, and
+ride round the city, in the hope that he might discover a trace of a
+gate. So one of his young men mounted, and proceeded around it for two
+days with their nights, prosecuting his journey with diligence, and not
+resting; and when the third day arrived, he came in sight of his
+companions, and he was astounded at that which he beheld of the extent
+of the city, and its height. Then he said: "O Emeer, the easiest place
+in it is this place at which ye have alighted." And thereupon the Emeer
+Moosa took Talib and the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, and they ascended a
+mountain opposite the city, and overlooking it; and when they had
+ascended that mountain, they saw a city than which eyes had not beheld
+any greater. Its pavilions were lofty, and its domes were shining; its
+rivers were running, its trees were fruitful, and its gardens bore ripe
+produce. It was a city with impenetrable gates, empty, still, without a
+voice but the owl hooting in its quarters, and the raven croaking in its
+thoroughfare-streets, and bewailing those who had been in it.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa fainted with sorrow; his tears ran down upon his
+cheeks, and he said: "By Allah, indifference to the world is the most
+appropriate and the most sure course!"
+
+And when they came back to the troops, they passed the day devising
+means of entering the city; and the Emeer Moosa said to those of his
+chief officers who were around him: "How shall we contrive to enter the
+city, that we may see its wonders? Perhaps we shall find in it something
+by which we may ingratiate ourselves with the Prince of the Faithful."
+Talib replied: "Let us make a ladder, and mount upon it, and perhaps we
+shall gain access to the gate from within." And the emeer said: "This is
+what occurred to my mind, and excellent is the advice." Then he called
+to the carpenters and blacksmiths, and ordered them to make straight
+some pieces of wood, and to construct a ladder covered with plates of
+iron. And they did so, and made it strong. They employed themselves in
+constructing it a whole month, and many men were occupied in making it.
+And they set it up and fixed it against the wall, and it proved to be
+equal to the wall in height, as though it had been made for it before
+that day. So the Emeer Moosa wondered at it, and said: "God bless you!
+It seemeth, from the excellence of your work, as though ye had adapted
+it by measurement to the wall." He then said to the people: "Which of
+you will ascend this ladder, and mount upon the wall, and walk along it,
+and contrive means of descending into the city, that he may see how the
+case is, and then inform us of the mode of opening the gate?" And one of
+them answered: "I will ascend it, O Emeer, and descend and open the
+gate." The emeer therefore replied: "Mount. God bless thee!"
+Accordingly, the man ascended the ladder until he reached the top of it;
+when he stood, and fixed his eyes toward the city, clapped his hands,
+and cried out with his loudest voice, saying: "Thou art beautiful!" Then
+he cast himself down into the city, and was destroyed. So the Emeer
+Moosa said: "If we do thus with all our companions, there will not
+remain of them one; and we shall be unable to accomplish our affair, and
+the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. Depart ye; for we have no
+concern with this city." But one of them said: "Perhaps another than
+this may be more steady than he." And a second ascended, and a third,
+and a fourth, and a fifth; and they ceased not to ascend by that ladder
+to the top of the wall, one after another, until twelve men of them had
+gone, acting as acted the first. Therefore the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said:
+"There is none for this affair but myself, and the experienced is not
+like the inexperienced." But the Emeer Moosa said to him: "Thou shalt
+not do that, nor will I allow thee to ascend to the top of this wall;
+for shouldst thou die, thou wouldst be the cause of the death of us all,
+and there would not remain of us one; since thou art the guide of the
+party." The sheikh, however, replied: "Perhaps the object will be
+accomplished by my means, through the will of God, whose name be
+exalted!" And thereupon all the people agreed to his ascending.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than which
+eyes had not beheld any greater._
+
+Then Abd-Es-Samad arose, and, having said: "In the name of God, the
+Compassionate, the Merciful!"--he ascended the ladder, repeating the
+praises of God, and reciting the Verses of Safety, until he reached the
+top of the wall; when he clapped his hands, and fixed his eyes. The
+people therefore all called out to him, and said: "O Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad, do not cast thyself down! If Abd-Es-Samad fall, we all
+perish!" Then Abd-Es-Samad sat a long time repeating the praises of God,
+and reciting the Verses of Safety; after which he rose with energy, and
+called out with his loudest voice: "O Emeer, no harm shall befall you;
+for God hath averted from me the effect of the artifice of the Devil."
+So the emeer said to him: "What hast thou seen, O Sheikh?" He answered:
+"When I reached the top of the wall I beheld ten damsels, like moons,
+who made a sign with their hands, as though they would say: 'Come to
+us!' And it seemed to me that beneath me was a sea of water; whereupon I
+desired to cast myself down, as our companions did: but I beheld them
+dead; so I withheld myself from them, and recited some words of the book
+of God, whereupon He averted from me the influence of those damsels, and
+they departed; therefore I cast not myself down. There is no doubt that
+this is an enchantment which the people of this city contrived in order
+to repel from it every one who should wish to obtain access to it."
+
+He then walked along the wall till he came to the two towers of brass,
+when he saw that they had gates of gold, without any sign of the means
+of opening them. Therefore the sheikh, looking attentively, saw in the
+middle of one of the gates a figure of a horseman of brass, having one
+hand extended, as though he were pointing with it, and on it was an
+inscription, which the sheikh read, and, lo, it contained these words:
+
+  Turn the pin that is in the middle of the front of the horseman's body
+  twelve times, and then the gate will open.
+
+So he turned the pin twelve times; whereupon the gate opened
+immediately, with a noise like thunder; and the sheikh entered. He was a
+learned man, acquainted with all languages and characters. And he walked
+on until he entered a long passage, whence he descended some steps, and
+he found a place with handsome wooden benches, on which were people
+dead, and over their heads were elegant shields, and keen swords, and
+strung bows, and notched arrows. And behind the next gate were a bar of
+iron, and barricades of wood, and locks of delicate fabric, and strong
+apparatus. Upon this, the sheikh said within himself: "Perhaps the keys
+are with these people." Then he looked, and, lo, there was a sheikh who
+appeared to be the oldest of them, and he was upon a high wooden bench
+among the dead men. So Abd-Es-Samad said: "May not the keys of the city
+be with this sheikh! Perhaps he was the gate-keeper of the city, and
+these were under his authority." He therefore drew near to him, and
+lifted up his garments, and, lo, the keys were hung to his waist. At the
+sight of them, Abd-Es-Samad rejoiced exceedingly; and he took the keys,
+opened the locks, and pulled the gate and the barricades and other
+apparatus, which opened and the gate also opened, with a noise like
+thunder. Upon this the sheikh exclaimed: "God is most great!" and the
+people made the same exclamation with him, rejoicing at the event. The
+Emeer Moosa also rejoiced at the safety of Abd-Es-Samad, and at the
+opening of the gate of the city; the people thanked him for that which
+he had done, and all the troops hastened to enter the gate. But the
+Emeer Moosa cried out to them, saying to them: "O people, if all of us
+enter, we shall not be secure from accident. Half shall enter, and half
+shall remain behind."
+
+The Emeer Moosa then entered the gate, and with him half of the people,
+who bore their weapons of war. And the party saw their companions lying
+dead: so they buried them. They saw also the gate-keepers and servants
+and chamberlains and lieutenants lying upon beds of silk, all of them
+dead. And they entered the market of the city, and beheld that the shops
+were open, and the scales hung up, and the utensils of brass ranged in
+order, and the stores were full of all kinds of goods. And they saw the
+merchants dead in their shops: their skins were dried, and they had
+become examples to him who would be admonished. And they left this
+place, and passed on to the silk-market, in which were silks and
+brocades interwoven with red gold and white silver upon various colours,
+and the owners were dead, lying upon skins, and appearing almost as
+though they would speak. Leaving these, they went on to the market of
+jewels and pearls and jacinths; and they left it, and passed on to the
+market of the money-changers, whom they found dead, with varieties of
+silks beneath them, and their shops were filled with gold and silver.
+These they left, and they proceeded to the markets of the perfumers;
+and, lo, their shops were filled with varieties of perfumes, and bags of
+musk, and ambergris, and aloes-wood, and camphor; and the owners were
+all dead, not having with them any food. And when they went forth from
+the market of the perfumers, they found near unto it a palace,
+decorated, and strongly constructed; and they entered it, and found
+banners unfurled, and drawn swords, and strung bows and shields hung up
+by chains of gold and silver, and helmets gilded with red gold. And in
+the passages of that palace were benches of ivory, ornamented with
+plates of brilliant gold, and with silk, on which were men whose skins
+had dried upon the bones; the ignorant would imagine them to be
+sleeping; but, from the want of food, they had died, and tasted
+mortality.
+
+And the Emeer Moosa went on into the interior of the palace. There he
+beheld a great hall, and four large and lofty chambers, each one
+fronting another, wide, decorated with gold and silver and with various
+colours. In the midst of the hall was a great fountain of alabaster,
+over which was a canopy of brocade; and in those chambers were fountains
+lined with marble; and channels of water flowed along the floors of
+those chambers, the four streams meeting in a great tank lined with
+marbles of various colours. The Emeer Moosa then said to the Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad: "Enter these chambers with us." So they entered the first
+chamber; and they found it filled with gold and with white silver, and
+pearls and jewels, and jacinths and precious minerals. They found in it
+also chests full of red and yellow and white brocades. And they went
+thence to the second chamber, and opened a closet in it, and, lo, it was
+filled with arms and weapons of war, consisting of gilded helmets, and
+coats of mail, and swords, and lances, and maces, and other instruments
+of war and battle. Then they passed thence to the third chamber, in
+which they found closets having upon their doors closed locks, and over
+them were curtains worked with various kinds of embroidery. They opened
+one of these closets, and found it filled with weapons decorated with
+varieties of gold and silver and jewels. And they went thence to the
+fourth chamber, where also they found closets, one of which they opened,
+and they found it full of utensils for food and drink, consisting of
+various vessels of gold and silver, and saucers of crystal, and cups set
+with brilliant pearls and cups of carnelian, and other things. So they
+began to take what suited them of those things, and each of the soldiers
+carried off what he could. And when they determined to go forth from
+those chambers, they saw there a door inlaid with ivory and ebony, and
+adorned with plates of brilliant gold. Over it was hung a curtain of
+silk worked with various kinds of embroidery, and upon it were locks of
+white silver, to be opened by artifice, without a key. The Sheikh
+Abd-Es-Samad therefore advanced to those locks, and he opened them by
+his knowledge and excellent skill. And the party entered a passage paved
+with marble, upon the sides of which were curtains whereon were figured
+various wild beasts and birds, all these being worked with red gold and
+white silver, and their eyes were of pearls and jacinths: whosoever
+beheld them was confounded.
+
+They then passed on, and found a saloon constructed of polished marble
+adorned with jewels. The beholder imagined that upon its floor was
+running water, and if any one walked upon it he would slip. The Emeer
+Moosa therefore ordered the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad to throw upon it
+something that they might be enabled to walk on it; and he did this, and
+contrived so that they passed on. And they found in it a great dome
+constructed of stones gilded with red gold. The party had not beheld, in
+all that they had seen, anything more beautiful than it. And in the
+midst of that dome was a great dome-crowned structure of alabaster,
+around which were lattice windows, decorated, and adorned with oblong
+emeralds, such as none of the kings could procure. In it was a pavilion
+of brocade, raised upon columns of red gold, and within this were birds,
+the feet of which were of emeralds; beneath each bird was a net of
+brilliant pearls, spread over a fountain; and by the brink of the
+fountain was placed a couch adorned with pearls and jewels and jacinths,
+whereon was a damsel resembling the shining sun. Eyes had not beheld
+one more beautiful. Upon her was a garment of brilliant pearls, on her
+head was a crown of red gold, with a fillet of jewels, on her neck was a
+necklace of jewels in the middle of which were refulgent gems, and upon
+her forehead were two jewels the light of which was like that of the
+sun; and she seemed as though she were looking at the people, and
+observing them to the right and left. When the Emeer Moosa beheld this
+damsel, he wondered extremely at her loveliness, and was confounded by
+her beauty and the redness of her cheeks and the blackness of her hair.
+Any beholder would imagine that she was alive, and not dead. And they
+said to her: "Peace be on thee, O damsel!" But Talib said to the emeer:
+"May God amend thy state! Know that this damsel is dead. There is no
+life in her. How then can she return the salutation?" And he added: "O
+Emeer, she is skilfully embalmed; and her eyes have been taken out after
+her death, and quicksilver hath been put beneath them, after which they
+have been restored to their places; so they gleam; and whenever the air
+putteth them in motion, the beholder imagineth that she twinkleth her
+eyes, though she is dead."
+
+And as to the couch upon which was the damsel, it had steps, and upon
+the steps were two slaves, one of them white and the other black; and in
+the hand of one of them was a weapon of steel, and in the hand of the
+other a jewelled sword that blinded the eyes; and before the two slaves
+was a tablet of gold, whereon was read an inscription, which was this:
+
+  In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful. Praise be to God,
+  the Creator of Man; and He is the Lord of lords, and the Cause of
+  causes. O thou, if thou know me not, I will acquaint thee with my name
+  and my descent. I am Tedmur, the daughter of the King of the
+  Amalekites. I possessed what none of the kings possessed, and ruled
+  with justice, and acted impartially toward my subjects: I gave and
+  bestowed, and I lived a long time in the enjoyment of happiness and an
+  easy life, and possessing emancipated female and male slaves. Thus I
+  did until the summoner of death came to my abode, and disasters
+  occurred before me. And the case was this: Seven years in succession
+  came upon us, during which no water descended on us from heaven, nor
+  did any grass grow for us on the face of the earth. So we ate what
+  food we had in our dwellings, and after that, we fell upon the beasts
+  and ate them, and there remained nothing. Upon this, therefore, I
+  caused the wealth to be brought, and meted it with a measure, and sent
+  it by trusty men, who went about with it through all the districts,
+  not leaving unvisited a single large city, to seek for some food. But
+  they found it not; and they returned to us with the wealth, after a
+  long absence. So thereupon we exposed to view our riches and our
+  treasures, locked the gates of the fortresses in our city, and
+  submitted ourselves to the decree of our Lord, committing our case to
+  our Master; and thus we all died, as thou beholdest, and left what we
+  had built and what we had treasured. This is our story: Whoso arriveth
+  at our city, and entereth it, let him take of the wealth what he can,
+  but not touch anything that is on my body; for it is the covering of
+  my person. Therefore let him fear God, and not seize aught of it; for
+  he would destroy himself. Peace be on you! I beg God, moreover, to
+  save you from the evil of trials and sickness.
+
+The Emeer Moosa, when he heard these words, again wept and was
+admonished by what he witnessed. He then said to his companions: "Bring
+the sacks, and fill them with part of these riches and these vessels and
+rarities and jewels." And thereupon, Talib, the son of Sahl, said to the
+Emeer Moosa: "O Emeer, shall we leave this damsel with the things that
+are upon her? They are things that have no equal, nor is the like of
+them at any time found, and they are more than the riches thou hast
+taken, and will be the best present by which thou mayest ingratiate
+thyself with the Prince of the Faithful." But the emeer replied:
+"Heardest thou not that which the damsel hath given as a charge, in the
+inscription upon this tablet? Moreover, and especially, she hath given
+it as a charge offered in confidence, and we are not of the people of
+treachery." The Vizier Talib, however, said: "And on account of these
+words wilt thou leave these riches and these jewels, when she is dead?
+What then should she do with these things, which are the ornaments of
+the world, and the decoration of the living? With a garment of cotton
+might this damsel be covered, and we are more worthy of the things than
+she." Then he drew near to the steps, and ascended them until he reached
+the spot between the two slaves, when, lo, one of these two smote him
+upon his back, and the other smote him with the sword that was in his
+hand, and struck off his head, and he fell down dead. So the Emeer Moosa
+said: "May God not regard with mercy thy resting-place! There was, in
+these riches, a sufficiency; and covetousness doth dishonour the person
+in whom it existeth!" He thereupon gave orders for the entry of the
+troops, who accordingly entered, and they loaded the camels with part of
+those riches and minerals; after which the Emeer Moosa commanded them to
+close the gate as it was before.
+
+They then proceeded along the sea-coast until they came in sight of a
+high mountain overlooking the sea. In it were many caves, and, lo, in
+these was a people of the blacks, clad in hides, and with burnouses of
+hides upon their heads, whose language was not known. And when they saw
+the troops, they ran away from them, and fled, while their women and
+their children stood at the entrances of the caves. So the Emeer Moosa
+said: "O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, what are these people?" And he answered:
+"These are the objects of the inquiry of the Prince of the Faithful."
+They therefore alighted, and the tents were pitched, and the riches were
+put down; and they had not rested when the king of the blacks came down
+from the mountain, and drew near to the troops. He was acquainted with
+the Arabic language; wherefore, when he came to the Emeer Moosa, he
+saluted him; and the emeer returned his salutation, and treated him with
+honour. Then the king of the blacks said to the emeer: "Are ye of
+mankind, or of the genies?" The emeer answered: "As to us, we are of
+mankind; and as to you, there is no doubt but that ye are of the
+genies, because of your seclusion in this mountain that is separated
+from the world, and because of the greatness of your make." But the king
+of the blacks replied: "Nay, we are a people of the race of Adam, of the
+sons of Ham, the son of Noah, on whom be peace! And as to this sea, it
+is known by the name of El-Karkar."
+
+The Emeer Moosa then said to him: "We are the associates of the King of
+El-Islam, Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan; and we have come on account of
+the bottles of brass that are here in your sea, and wherein are the
+devils imprisoned from the time of Solomon, the son of David. He hath
+commanded us to bring him some of them, that he may see them, and divert
+himself by the view of them." And the king of the blacks replied: "Most
+willingly." Then he feasted him with fish, and ordered the divers to
+bring up from the sea some of the bottles of Solomon; and they brought
+up for them twelve bottles; wherewith the Emeer Moosa was delighted, and
+the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad also, and the soldiers, on account of the
+accomplishment of the affair of the Prince of the Faithful. The Emeer
+Moosa thereupon presented to the king of the blacks many presents, and
+gave him large gifts. In like manner, too, the king of the blacks gave
+to the Emeer Moosa a present consisting of wonders of the sea.
+
+Then they bade him farewell, and they journeyed back until they came to
+the land of Syria, and went in to the Prince of the Faithful; whereupon
+the Emeer Moosa acquainted him with all that he had seen, and all that
+had occurred to him with respect to the verses and histories and
+admonitions, and told him of the case of Talib the son of Sahl. And the
+Prince of the Faithful said to him: "Would that I had been with you,
+that I might have beheld what ye beheld!" He then took the bottles, and
+proceeded to open one after another, and the devils came forth from
+them, saying: "Repentance, O Prophet of God! We will not return to the
+like conduct ever!" And Abd-El-Melik the son of Marwan wondered at this.
+After this, the Prince of the Faithful caused the riches to be brought
+before him, and divided them among the people. And he said: "God hath
+not bestowed upon any one the like of what He bestowed upon Solomon the
+son of David."
+
+This is the end of that which hath come down to us, of the history of
+the City of Brass, entire. And God is all-knowing.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES
+
+
+In a town in Persia, there lived two brothers, one named Cassim, the
+other Ali Baba. Their father left them scarcely anything; but as he had
+divided his little property equally between them, it would seem that
+their fortune ought to have been equal; but chance determined otherwise.
+
+Cassim married a wife, who soon after became heiress to a large sum, and
+to a warehouse full of rich goods; so that he all at once became one of
+the richest and most considerable merchants, and lived at his ease. Ali
+Baba, on the other hand, who had married a woman as poor as himself,
+lived in a very wretched habitation, and had no other means to maintain
+his wife and children but his daily labour of cutting wood, and bringing
+it to town to sell, upon three asses, which were his whole substance.
+
+One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, and had just cut wood enough
+to load his asses, he saw at a distance a great cloud of dust, which
+seemed to be driven toward him: he observed it very attentively, and
+distinguished soon after a body of horse. Though there had been no
+rumour of robbers in that country, Ali Baba began to think that they
+might prove such, and without considering what might become of his
+asses, was resolved to save himself. He climbed up a large, thick tree,
+whose branches, at a little distance from the ground, were so close to
+one another that there was but little space between them. He placed
+himself in the middle, from whence he could see all that passed without
+being discovered; and the tree stood at the base of a single rock, so
+steep and craggy that nobody could climb up it.
+
+The troop, who were all well mounted and armed, came to the foot of this
+rock, and there dismounted. Ali Baba counted forty of them, and, from
+their looks and equipage, was assured that they were robbers. Nor was he
+mistaken in his opinion; for they were a troop of banditti, who, without
+doing any harm to the neighbourhood, robbed at a distance, and made that
+place their rendezvous; but what confirmed him in his opinion was, that
+every man unbridled his horse, tied him to some shrub, and hung about
+his neck a bag of corn which they brought behind them. Then each of them
+took his saddle wallet, which seemed to Ali Baba to be full of gold and
+silver from its weight. One, who was the most personable amongst them,
+and whom he took to be their captain, came with his wallet on his back
+under the tree in which Ali Baba was concealed, and making his way
+through some shrubs, pronounced these words so distinctly: "_Open,
+Sesame_," that Ali Baba heard him. As soon as the captain of the robbers
+had uttered these words, a door opened in the rock; and after he had
+made all his troop enter before him, he followed them, when the door
+shut again of itself. The robbers stayed some time within the rock, and
+Ali Baba, who feared that some one, or all of them together, might come
+out and catch him, if he should endeavour to make his escape, was
+obliged to sit patiently in the tree. He was nevertheless tempted to get
+down, mount one of their horses, and lead another, driving his asses
+before him with all the haste he could to town; but the uncertainty of
+the event made him choose the safest course.
+
+At last the door opened again, and the forty robbers came out. As the
+captain went in last, he came out first, and stood to see them all pass
+by him, when Ali Baba heard him make the door close by pronouncing these
+words: "_Shut, Sesame_." Every man went and bridled his horse, fastened
+his wallet, and mounted again; and when the captain saw them all ready,
+he put himself at their head, and they returned the way they had come.
+Ali Baba did not immediately quit his tree; for, said he to himself,
+they may have forgotten something and may come back again, and then I
+shall be taken. He followed them with his eyes as far as he could see
+them; and afterward stayed a considerable time before he descended.
+Remembering the words the captain of the robbers used to cause the door
+to open and shut, he had the curiosity to try if his pronouncing them
+would have the same effect. Accordingly, he went among the shrubs, and
+perceiving the door concealed behind them, stood before it, and said:
+"_Open, Sesame!"_ The door instantly flew wide open. Ali Baba, who
+expected a dark dismal cavern, was surprised to see it well lighted and
+spacious, in the form of a vault, which received the light from an
+opening at the top of the rock. He saw all sorts of provisions, rich
+bales of silk stuff, brocade, and valuable carpeting, piled upon one
+another; gold and silver ingots in great heaps, and money in bags. The
+sight of all these riches made him suppose that this cave must have been
+occupied for ages by robbers, who had succeeded one another. Ali Baba
+did not stand long to consider what he should do, but went immediately
+into the cave, and as soon as he had entered, the door shut of itself,
+but this did not disturb him, because he knew the secret to open it
+again. He never regarded the silver, but made the best use of his time
+in carrying out as much of the gold coin as he thought his three asses
+could carry. He collected his asses, which were dispersed, and when he
+had loaded them with the bags, laid wood over in such a manner that they
+could not be seen. When he had done he stood before the door, and
+pronouncing the words: "_Shut, Sesame!"_ the door closed after him, for
+it had shut of itself while he was within, but remained open while he
+was out. He then made the best of his way to town.
+
+When Ali Baba got home, he drove his asses into a little yard, shut the
+gates very carefully, threw off the wood that covered the bags, carried
+them into his house, and ranged them in order before his wife, who sat
+on a sofa. His wife handled the bags, and finding them full of money,
+suspected that her husband had been robbing, insomuch that she could not
+help saying: "Ali Baba, have you been so unhappy as to----" "Be quiet,
+wife," interrupted Ali Baba, "do not frighten yourself; I am no robber,
+unless he may be one who steals from robbers. You will no longer
+entertain an ill opinion of me, when I shall tell you my good fortune."
+He then emptied the bags, which raised such a great heap of gold as
+dazzled his wife's eyes; and when he had done, told her the whole
+adventure from beginning to end; and, above all, recommended her to keep
+it secret. The wife, cured of her fears, rejoiced with her husband at
+their good fortune, and would count all the gold piece by piece. "Wife,"
+replied Ali Baba, "you do not know what you undertake, when you pretend
+to count the money; you will never have done. I will dig a hole, and
+bury it; there is no time to be lost." "You are in the right, husband,"
+replied she; "but let us know, as nigh as possible, how much we have. I
+will borrow a small measure in the neighbourhood, and measure it, while
+you dig the hole." "What you are going to do is to no purpose, wife,"
+said Ali Baba; "if you would take my advice, you had better let it
+alone; but keep the secret, and do what you please." Away the wife ran
+to her brother-in-law Cassim, who lived just by, but was not then at
+home; and addressing herself to his wife, desired her to lend her a
+measure for a little while. Her sister-in-law asked her, whether she
+would have a great or a small one. The wife asked for a small one. The
+sister-in-law agreed to lend one, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty,
+she was curious to know what sort of grain his wife wanted to measure,
+and artfully putting some suet at the bottom of the measure, brought it
+to her with an excuse, that she was sorry that she had made her stay so
+long, but that she could not find it sooner. Ali Baba's wife went home,
+set the measure upon the heap of gold, filled it and emptied it often
+upon the sofa, till she had done: when she was very well satisfied to
+find the number of measures amounted to so many as they did, and went to
+tell her husband, who had almost finished digging the hole. While Ali
+Baba was burying the gold, his wife, to show her exactness and diligence
+to her sister-in-law, carried the measure back again, but without taking
+notice that a piece of gold had stuck to the bottom. "Sister," said she,
+giving it to her again, "you see that I have not kept your measure long;
+I am obliged to you for it, and return it with thanks."
+
+As soon as her sister-in-law was gone, Cassim's wife looked at the
+bottom of the measure, and was inexpressibly surprised to find a piece
+of gold stuck to it. Envy immediately possessed her breast. "What!" said
+she, "has Ali Baba gold so plentiful as to measure it? Where has that
+poor wretch got all this wealth?" Cassim, her husband, was not at home,
+but at his counting-house, which he left always in the evening. His wife
+waited for him, and thought the time an age; so great was her impatience
+to tell him the circumstance, at which she guessed he would be as much
+surprised as herself.
+
+When Cassim came home, his wife said to him: "Cassim, I know you think
+yourself rich, but you are much mistaken; Ali Baba is infinitely richer
+than you; he does not count his money, but measures it." Cassim desired
+her to explain the riddle, which she did, by telling him the stratagem
+she had used to make the discovery, and showed him the piece of money,
+which was so old that they could not tell in what prince's reign it was
+coined. Cassim, instead of being pleased, conceived a base envy at his
+brother's prosperity; he could not sleep all that night, and went to him
+in the morning before sunrise, although after he had married the rich
+widow, he had never treated him as a brother, but neglected him. "Ali
+Baba," said he, accosting him, "you are very reserved in your affairs;
+you pretend to be miserably poor, and yet you measure gold." "How,
+brother?" replied Ali Baba; "I do not know what you mean: explain
+yourself." "Do not pretend ignorance," replied Cassim, showing him the
+piece of gold his wife had given him. "How many of these pieces," added
+he, "have you? My wife found this at the bottom of the measure you
+borrowed yesterday."
+
+By this discourse, Ali Baba perceived that Cassim and his wife, through
+his own wife's folly, knew what they had so much reason to conceal; but
+what was done could not be recalled; therefore, without shewing the
+least surprise or trouble, he confessed all, told his brother by what
+chance he had discovered this retreat of the thieves, in what place it
+was; and offered him part of his treasure to keep the secret. "I expect
+as much," replied Cassim haughtily; "but I must know exactly where this
+treasure is, and how I may visit it myself when I choose; otherwise I
+will go and inform against you, and then you will not only get no more,
+but will lose all you have, and I shall have a share for my
+information."
+
+Ali Baba, more out of his natural good temper, than frightened by the
+menaces of his unnatural brother, told him all he desired, and even the
+very words he was to use to gain admission into the cave.
+
+Cassim, who wanted no more of Ali Baba, left him, resolving to be
+beforehand with him, and hoping to get all the treasure to himself. He
+rose the next morning long before the sun, and set out for the forest
+with ten mules bearing great chests, which he designed to fill; and
+followed the road which Ali Baba had pointed out to him. He was not long
+before he reached the rock, and found out the place by the tree, and
+other marks, which his brother had given him. When he reached the
+entrance of the cavern, he pronounced the words: "_Open, Sesame!_" and
+the door immediately opened, and when he was in, closed upon him. In
+examining the cave, he was in great admiration to find much more riches
+than he had apprehended from Ali Baba's account. He was so covetous, and
+greedy of wealth, that he could have spent the whole day in feasting his
+eyes with so much treasure, if the thought that he came to carry some
+away had not hindered him. He laid as many bags of gold as he could
+carry at the door of the cavern, but his thoughts were so full of the
+great riches he should possess, that he could not think of the necessary
+word to make it open, but instead of "_Sesame_," said: "_Open, Barley!_"
+and was much amazed to find that the door remained fast shut. He named
+several sorts of grain, but still the door would not open. Cassim had
+never expected such an incident, and was so alarmed at the danger he was
+in, that the more he endeavoured to remember the word "_Sesame_," the
+more his memory was confounded, and he had as much forgotten it as if he
+had never heard it mentioned. He threw down the bags he had loaded
+himself with and walked distractedly up and down the cave, without
+having the least regard to the riches that were round him. About noon
+the robbers chanced to visit their cave, and at some distance from it
+saw Cassim's mules straggling about the rock, with great chests on their
+backs. Alarmed at this novelty, they galloped full speed to the cave.
+They drove away the mules, which Cassim had neglected to fasten, and
+they strayed through the forest so far, that they were soon out of
+sight. The robbers never gave themselves the trouble to pursue them,
+being more concerned to know to whom they belonged, and while some of
+them searched about the rock, the captain and the rest went directly to
+the door, with their naked sabres in their hands, and pronouncing the
+proper words, it opened.
+
+Cassim, who heard the noise of the horses' feet from the middle of the
+cave, never doubted of the arrival of the robbers, and his approaching
+death; but was resolved to make one effort to escape from them. To this
+end he rushed to the door, and no sooner heard the word _Sesame_, which
+he had forgotten, and saw the door open, than he ran out and threw the
+leader down, but could not escape the other robbers, who with their
+sabres soon deprived him of life. The first care of the robbers after
+this was to examine the cave. They found all the bags which Cassim had
+brought to the door, to be ready to load his mules, and carried them
+again to their places, without missing what Ali Baba had taken away
+before. Then holding a council, and deliberating upon this occurrence,
+they guessed that Cassim, when he was in, could not get out again; but
+could not imagine how he had entered. It came into their heads that he
+might have got down by the top of the cave; but the aperture by which it
+received light was so high, and the rocks so inaccessible without, that
+they gave up this conjecture. That he came in at the door they could not
+believe, however, unless he had the secret of making it open. In short,
+none of them could imagine which way he had entered; for they were all
+persuaded nobody knew their secret, little imagining that Ali Baba had
+watched them. It was a matter of the greatest importance to them to
+secure their riches. They agreed therefore to cut Cassim's body
+into quarters, to hang two on one side and two on the other, within the
+door of the cave, to terrify any person who should attempt again to
+enter. They had no sooner taken this resolution than they put it in
+execution, and when they had nothing more to detain them, left the place
+of their hoards well closed. They then mounted their horses, went to
+beat the roads again, and to attack the caravans they might meet.
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Cassim ... was so alarmed at the danger he was in that the more he
+endeavoured to remember the word Sesame the more his memory was
+confounded._
+
+In the meantime, Cassim's wife was very uneasy when night came, and her
+husband was not returned. She ran to Ali Baba in alarm, and said: "I
+believe, brother-in-law, that you know Cassim, your brother, is gone to
+the forest, and upon what account; it is now night, and he is not
+returned; I am afraid some misfortune has happened to him." Ali Baba,
+who had expected that his brother, after what he had said, would go to
+the forest, had declined going himself that day, for fear of giving him
+any umbrage; therefore told her, without any reflection upon her
+husband's unhandsome behaviour, that she need not frighten herself, for
+that certainly Cassim would not think it proper to come into the town
+till the night should be pretty far advanced.
+
+Cassim's wife, considering how much it concerned her husband to keep the
+business secret, was the more easily persuaded to believe her
+brother-in-law. She went home again, and waited patiently till midnight.
+She repented of her foolish curiosity, and cursed her desire of
+penetrating into the affairs of her brother and sister-in-law. She spent
+all the night in weeping; and as soon as it was day, went to them,
+telling them, by her tears, the cause of her coming. Ali Baba did not
+wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to go and see what was become
+of Cassim, but departed immediately with his three asses, begging of her
+first to moderate her affliction. He went to the forest, and when he
+came near the rock, having seen neither his brother nor the mules in his
+way, was seriously alarmed at finding some blood spilt near the door,
+which he took for an ill omen; but when he had pronounced the word, and
+the door had opened, he was struck with horror at the dismal sight of
+his brother's body. Without adverting to the little fraternal affection
+his brother had shewn for him, Ali Baba went into the cave to find
+something to enshroud his remains, and having loaded one of his asses
+with them, covered them over with wood. The other two asses he loaded
+with bags of gold, covering them with wood also as before; and then
+bidding the door shut, came away; but was so cautious as to stop some
+time at the end of the forest, that he might not go into the town before
+night. When he came home, he drove the two asses loaded with gold into
+his little yard, and left the care of unloading them to his wife, while
+he led the other to his sister-in-law's house.
+
+Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by Morgiana, an
+intelligent slave, fruitful in inventions to insure success in the most
+difficult undertakings: and Ali Baba knew her to be such. When he came
+into the court, he unloaded the ass, and taking Morgiana aside, said to
+her: "The first thing I ask of you is an inviolable secrecy, both for
+your mistress's sake and mine. Your master's body is contained in these
+two bundles, and our business is, to bury him as if he had died a
+natural death. Go, tell your mistress I want to speak with her; and mind
+what I have said to you."
+
+Morgiana went to her mistress, and Ali Baba followed her. "Well,
+brother," said she, with impatience, "what news do you bring me of my
+husband? I perceive no comfort in your countenance." "Sister," answered
+Ali Baba, "I cannot satisfy your inquiries unless you hear my story
+without speaking a word; for it is of as great importance to you as to
+me to keep what has happened secret." "Alas!" said she, "this preamble
+lets me know that my husband is not to be found; but at the same time I
+know the necessity of secrecy, and I must constrain myself: say on, I
+will hear you."
+
+Ali Baba then detailed the incidents of his journey, till he came to the
+finding of Cassim's body. "Now," said he, "sister, I have something to
+relate which will afflict you the more, because it is what you so little
+expect; but it cannot now be remedied; if my endeavours can comfort you,
+I offer to put that which God hath sent me to what you have, and marry
+you: assuring you that my wife will not be jealous, and that we shall
+live happily together. If this proposal is agreeable to you, we must
+think of acting so that my brother should appear to have died a natural
+death. I think you may leave the management of the business to Morgiana,
+and I will contribute all that lies in my power to your consolation."
+What could Cassim's widow do better than accept of this proposal? for
+though her first husband had left behind him a plentiful substance, his
+brother was now much richer, and by the discovery of this treasure might
+be still more so. Instead, therefore, of rejecting the offer, she
+regarded it as the sure means of comfort; and drying up her tears, which
+had begun to flow abundantly, and suppressing the outcries usual with
+women who have lost their husbands, showed Ali Baba that she approved of
+his proposal. Ali Baba left the widow, recommended to Morgiana to act
+her part well, and then returned home with his ass.
+
+Morgiana went out at the same time to an apothecary, and asked for a
+sort of lozenges which he prepared, and were very efficacious in the
+most dangerous disorders. The apothecary inquired who was ill at her
+master's? She replied with a sigh, her good master Cassim himself: that
+they knew not what his disorder was, but that he could neither eat nor
+speak. After these words, Morgiana carried the lozenges home with her,
+and the next morning went to the same apothecary's again, and with tears
+in her eyes, asked for an essence which they used to give to sick people
+only when at the last extremity. "Alas!" said she, taking it from the
+apothecary, "I am afraid that this remedy will have no better effect
+than the lozenges; and that I shall lose my good master." On the other
+hand, as Ali Baba and his wife were often seen to go between Cassim's
+and their own house all that day, and to seem melancholy, nobody was
+surprised in the evening to hear the lamentable shrieks and cries of
+Cassim's wife and Morgiana, who gave out everywhere that her master was
+dead. The next morning, soon after day appeared, Morgiana, who knew a
+certain old cobbler that opened his stall early, before other people,
+went to him, and bidding him good morrow, put a piece of gold into his
+hand. "Well," said Baba Mustapha, which was his name, and who was a
+merry old fellow, looking at the gold, "this is good hansel: what must I
+do for it? I am ready."
+
+"Baba Mustapha," said Morgiana, "you must take with you your sewing
+tackle, and go with me; but I must tell you, I shall blindfold you when
+you come to such a place." Baba Mustapha seemed to hesitate a little at
+these words. "Oh! oh!" replied he, "you would have me do something
+against my conscience or against my honour?" "God forbid!" said
+Morgiana, putting another piece of gold into his hand, "that I should
+ask anything that is contrary to your honour; only come along with me,
+and fear nothing."
+
+Baba Mustapha went with Morgiana, who, after she had bound his eyes with
+a handkerchief, conveyed him to her deceased master's house, and never
+unloosed his eyes till he had entered the room where she had put the
+corpse together. "Baba Mustapha," said she, "you must make haste and sew
+these quarters together; and when you have done, I will give you another
+piece of gold." After Baba Mustapha had finished his task, she
+blindfolded him again, gave him the third piece of gold as she had
+promised, and recommending secrecy to him, carried him back to the place
+where she first bound his eyes, pulled off the bandage, and let him go
+home, but watched him that he returned toward his stall, till he was
+quite out of sight, for fear he should have the curiosity to return and
+track her.
+
+By the time Morgiana had warmed some water to wash the body, Ali Baba
+came with incense to embalm it, after which it was sewn up in a
+winding-sheet. Not long after, the joiner, according to Ali Baba's
+orders, brought the bier, which Morgiana received at the door, and
+helped Ali Baba to put the body into it; when she went to the mosque to
+inform the imaum that they were ready. The people of the mosque, whose
+business it was to wash the dead, offered to perform their duty, but she
+told them that it was done already. Morgiana had scarcely got home
+before the imaum and the other ministers of the mosque arrived. Four
+neighbours carried the corpse on their shoulders to the burying-ground,
+following the imaum, who recited some prayers. Morgiana, as a slave to
+the deceased, followed the corpse, weeping, beating her breast, and
+tearing her hair; and Ali Baba came after with some neighbours, who
+often relieved the others in carrying the corpse to the burying-ground.
+Cassim's wife stayed at home mourning, uttering lamentable cries with
+the women of the neighbourhood, who came according to custom during the
+funeral, and joining their lamentations with hers, filled the quarter
+far and near with sorrow. In this manner Cassim's melancholy death was
+concealed and hushed up between Ali Baba, his wife, Cassim's widow, and
+Morgiana, with so much contrivance, that nobody in the city had the
+least knowledge or suspicion of the cause of it.
+
+Three or four days after the funeral, Ali Baba removed his few goods
+openly to the widow's house; but the money he had taken from the robbers
+he conveyed thither by night: soon after the marriage with his
+sister-in-law was published, and as these marriages are common in the
+Mussulman religion, nobody was surprised. As for Cassim's warehouse, Ali
+Baba gave it to his own eldest son, promising that if he managed it
+well, he would soon give him a fortune to marry very advantageously
+according to his situation.
+
+Let us now leave Ali Baba to enjoy the beginning of his good fortune,
+and return to the forty robbers. They came again at the appointed time
+to visit their retreat in the forest; but great was their surprise to
+find Cassim's body taken away, with some of their bags of gold. "We are
+certainly discovered," said the captain, "and if we do not speedily
+apply some remedy, shall gradually lose all the riches which we have,
+with so much pains and danger, been so many years amassing together. All
+that we can think of the loss which we have sustained is, that the thief
+whom we surprised had the secret of opening the door, and we arrived
+luckily as he was coming out: but his body being removed, and with it
+some of our money, plainly shows that he had an accomplice; and as it is
+likely that there were but two who had discovered our secret, and one
+has been caught, we must look narrowly after the other. What say you, my
+lads?" All the robbers thought the captain's proposal so advisable, that
+they unanimously approved of it, and agreed that they must lay all other
+enterprises aside, to follow this closely, and not give it up till they
+had succeeded.
+
+"I expected no less," said the captain, "from your fidelity: but, first
+of all, one of you who is artful, and enterprising, must go into the
+town disguised as a traveller, to try if he can hear any talk of the
+strange death of the man whom we have killed, as he deserved; and
+endeavour to find out who he was, and where he lived. This is a matter
+of the first importance for us to ascertain, that we may do nothing
+which we may have reason to repent of, by discovering ourselves in a
+country where we have lived so long unknown. But to warn him who shall
+take upon himself this commission, and to prevent our being deceived by
+his giving us a false report, I ask you all, if you do not think that in
+case of treachery, or even error of judgment, he should suffer death?"
+Without waiting for the suffrages of his companions, one of the robbers
+started up, and said: "I submit to this condition, and think it an
+honour to expose my life, by taking the commission upon me; but
+remember, at least, if I do not succeed, that I neither wanted courage
+nor good will to serve the troop." After this robber had received great
+commendations from the captain, he disguised himself, and taking his
+leave of the troop that night, went into the town just at daybreak; and
+walked up and down, till accidentally he came to Baba Mustapha's stall,
+which was always open before any of the shops.
+
+Baba Mustapha was seated with an awl in his hand, just going to work.
+The robber saluted him, bidding him good morrow; and perceiving that he
+was old, said: "Honest man, you begin to work very early: is it possible
+that one of your age can see so well? I question, even if it were
+somewhat lighter, whether you could see to stitch."
+
+"Certainly," replied Baba Mustapha, "you must be a stranger, and do not
+know me; for old as I am, I have extraordinarily good eyes; and you will
+not doubt it when I tell you that I sewed a dead body together in a
+place where I had not so much light as I have now." The robber was
+overjoyed to think that he had addressed himself, at his first coming
+into the town, to a man who in all probability could give him the
+intelligence he wanted. "A dead body!" replied he with affected
+amazement. "What could you sew up a dead body for? You mean you sewed up
+his winding-sheet." "No, no," answered Baba Mustapha, "I perceive your
+meaning; you want to have me speak out, but you shall know no more." The
+robber wanted no farther assurance to be persuaded that he had
+discovered what he sought. He pulled out a piece of gold, and putting it
+into Baba Mustapha's hand, said to him: "I do not want to learn your
+secret, though I can assure you I would not divulge it, if you trusted
+me with it; the only thing which I desire of you is, to do me the favour
+to shew me the house where you stitched up the dead body."
+
+"If I were disposed to do you that favour," replied Baba Mustapha,
+holding the money in his hand, ready to return it, "I assure you I
+cannot. I was taken to a certain place, where I was blinded, I was then
+led to the house, and afterward brought back again in the same manner;
+you see, therefore, the impossibility of my doing what you desire."
+
+"Well," replied the robber, "you may, however, remember a little of the
+way that you were led blindfolded. Come, let me blind your eyes at the
+same place. We will walk together; perhaps you may recognise some part;
+and as everybody ought to be paid for his trouble, there is another
+piece of gold for you; gratify me in what I ask you." So saying, he put
+another piece of gold into his hand.
+
+The two pieces of gold were great temptations to Baba Mustapha. He
+looked at them a long time in his hand, without saying a word, thinking
+with himself what he should do; but at last he pulled out his purse,
+and put them in. "I cannot assure you," said he to the robber, "that I
+can remember the way exactly; but since you desire, I will try what I
+can do." At these words Baba Mustapha rose up, to the great joy of the
+robber, and without shutting his shop, where he had nothing valuable to
+lose, he led the robber to the place where Morgiana had bound his eyes.
+"It was here," said Baba Mustapha, "I was blindfolded; and I turned as
+you see me." The robber, who had his handkerchief ready, tied it over
+his eyes, walked by him till he stopped, partly leading, and partly
+guided by him. "I think," said Baba Mustapha, "I went no farther," and
+he had now stopped directly at Cassim's house, where Ali Baba then
+lived. The thief, before he pulled off the band, marked the door with a
+piece of chalk, which he had ready in his hand; and then asked him if he
+knew whose house that was; to which Baba Mustapha replied, that as he
+did not live in that neighbourhood he could not tell. The robber,
+finding he could discover no more from Baba Mustapha, thanked him for
+the trouble he had taken, and left him to go back to his stall, while he
+returned to the forest, persuaded that he should be very well received.
+A little after the robber and Baba Mustapha had parted, Morgiana went
+out of Ali Baba's house upon some errand, and upon her return, seeing
+the mark the robber had made, stopped to observe it. "What can be the
+meaning of this mark?" said she to herself. "Somebody intends my master
+no good: however, with whatever intention it was done, it is advisable
+to guard against the worst." Accordingly, she fetched a piece of chalk,
+and marked two or three doors on each side in the same manner, without
+saying a word to her master or mistress.
+
+In the meantime the thief rejoined his troop in the forest, and
+recounted to them his success. All the robbers listened to him with the
+utmost satisfaction; when the captain, after commending his diligence,
+addressing himself to them all, said: "Comrades, we have no time to
+lose: let us set off well armed; but that we may not excite any
+suspicion, let only one or two go into the town together, and join at
+our rendezvous, which shall be the great square. In the meantime, our
+comrade who brought us the good news, and I, will go and find out the
+house, that we may consult what had best be done."
+
+This plan was approved of by all, and they were soon ready. They filed
+off in parties of two each, and got into the town without being in the
+least suspected. The captain, and he who had visited the town in the
+morning as spy, came in the last. He led the captain into the street
+where he had marked Ali Baba's residence; and when they came to the
+first of the houses which Morgiana had marked, he pointed it out. But
+the captain observed that the next door was chalked in the same manner:
+and shewing it to his guide, asked him which house it was, that, or the
+first? The guide was so confounded, that he knew not what answer to
+make; but still more puzzled, when he saw five or six houses similarly
+marked. He assured the captain, with an oath, that he had marked but
+one, and could not tell who had chalked the rest so that he could not
+distinguish the house which the cobbler had stopped at.
+
+The captain, finding that their design had proved abortive, went
+directly to the place of rendezvous, and told the first of his troop
+whom he met that they had lost their labour, and must return to their
+cave. When the troop was all got together, the captain told them the
+reason of their returning; and presently the conductor was declared by
+all worthy of death. He condemned himself, acknowledging that he ought
+to have taken better precaution, and prepared to receive the stroke from
+him who was appointed to cut off his head. Another of the gang, who
+promised himself that he should succeed better, immediately presented
+himself, and his offer being accepted, he went and corrupted Baba
+Mustapha, as the other had done; and being shewn the house, marked it in
+a place more remote from sight, with red chalk.
+
+Not long after, Morgiana, whose eyes nothing could escape, went out, and
+seeing the red chalk, and arguing with herself as she had done before,
+marked the other neighbours' houses in the same place and manner. The
+robber, at his return to his company, valued himself much on the
+precaution he had taken, which he looked upon as an infallible way of
+distinguishing Ali Baba's house from the others; and the captain and all
+of them thought it must succeed. They conveyed themselves into the town
+with the same precaution as before; but when the robber and his captain
+came to the street, they found the same difficulty: at which the captain
+was enraged, and the robber in as great confusion as his predecessor.
+Thus the captain and his troop were forced to retire a second time, and
+much more dissatisfied; while the unfortunate robber, who had been the
+author of the mistake, underwent the same punishment; which he willingly
+submitted to.
+
+The captain, having lost two brave fellows of his troop, was afraid of
+diminishing it too much by pursuing this plan to get information of the
+residence of their plunderer. He found by their example that their heads
+were not so good as their hands on such occasions; and therefore
+resolved to take upon himself the important commission. Accordingly, he
+went and addressed himself to Baba Mustapha, who did him the same
+service he had done to the other robbers. He did not set any particular
+mark on the house, but examined and observed it so carefully, by
+passing often by it, that it was impossible for him to mistake it.
+
+The captain, well satisfied with his attempt, and informed of what he
+wanted to know, returned to the forest; and when he came into the cave,
+where the troop waited for him, said: "Now, comrades, nothing can
+prevent our full revenge, as I am certain of the house, and in my way
+hither I have thought how to put it into execution, but if any one can
+form a better expedient, let him communicate it." He then told them his
+contrivance; and as they approved of it, ordered them to go into the
+villages about, and buy nineteen mules, with thirty-eight large leather
+jars, one full of oil, and the others empty. In two or three days' time
+the robbers had purchased the mules and jars, and as the mouths of the
+jars were rather too narrow for his purpose, the captain caused them to
+be widened; and after having put one of his men into each, with the
+weapons which he thought fit, leaving open the seam which had been
+undone to leave them room to breathe, he rubbed the jars on the outside
+with oil from the full vessel. Things being thus prepared, when the
+nineteen mules were loaded with thirty-seven robbers in jars, and the
+jar of oil, the captain, as their driver, set out with them, and reached
+the town by the dusk of the evening, as he had intended. He led them
+through the streets till he came to Ali Baba's, at whose door he
+designed to have knocked; but was prevented by his sitting there after
+supper to take a little fresh air. He stopped his mules, addressed
+himself to him, and said: "I have brought some oil a great way, to sell
+at to-morrow's market; and it is now so late that I do not know where to
+lodge. If I should not be troublesome to you, do me the favour to let me
+pass the night with you, and I shall be very much obliged by your
+hospitality."
+
+Though Ali Baba had seen the captain of the robbers in the forest, and
+had heard him speak, it was hardly possible to know him in the disguise
+of an oil-merchant. He told him he should be welcome, and immediately
+opened his gates for the mules to go into the yard. At the same time he
+called to a slave, and ordered him, when the mules were unloaded, to put
+them into the stable, and give them fodder; and then went to Morgiana,
+to bid her get a good supper. He did more. When he saw the captain had
+unloaded his mules, and that they were put into the stables as he had
+ordered, and he was looking for a place to pass the night in the air, he
+brought him into the hall where he received his company, telling him he
+would not suffer him to be in the court. The captain excused himself on
+pretence of not being troublesome; but really to have room to execute
+his design, and it was not till after the most pressing importunity that
+he yielded. Ali Baba, not content to keep company, till supper was
+ready, with the man who had a design on his life, continued talking with
+him till it was ended, and repeating his offer of service. The captain
+rose up at the same time with his host; and while Ali Baba went to speak
+to Morgiana he withdrew into the yard, under pretence of looking at his
+mules. Ali Baba, after charging Morgiana afresh to take care of his
+guest, said to her: "To-morrow morning I design to go to the bath before
+day; take care my bathing linens be ready, give them to Abdoollah,"
+which was the slave's name, "and make me some good broth against I
+return." After this he went to bed.
+
+In the meantime, the captain went from the stable to give his people
+orders what to do; and beginning at the first jar, and so on to the
+last, said to each man: "As soon as I throw some stones out of the
+chamber window where I lie, do not fail to cut the jar open with the
+knife you have about you for the purpose, and come out, and I will
+immediately join you." After this he returned into the house, when
+Morgiana, taking up a light, conducted him to his chamber, where she
+left him; and he, to avoid any suspicion, put the light out soon after,
+and laid himself down in his clothes, that he might be the more ready to
+rise.
+
+Morgiana, remembering Ali Baba's orders, got his bathing linens ready,
+and ordered Abdoollah to set on the pot for the broth; but while she was
+preparing it, the lamp went out, and there was no more oil in the house,
+nor any candles. What to do she did not know, for the broth must be
+made. Abdoollah seeing her very uneasy, said: "Do not fret and tease
+yourself, but go into the yard, and take some oil out of one of the
+jars." Morgiana thanked Abdoollah for his advice, took the oil-pot, and
+went into the yard; when as she came nigh the first jar, the robber
+within said softly: "Is it time?" Though the robber spoke low, Morgiana
+was struck with the voice the more, because the captain, when he
+unloaded the mules, had taken the lids off this and all the other jars
+to give air to his men, who were ill enough at their ease, almost
+wanting room to breathe. As much surprised as Morgiana naturally was at
+finding a man in a jar, instead of the oil she wanted, many would have
+made such an outcry as to have given an alarm; whereas Morgiana
+comprehending immediately the importance of keeping silence, and the
+necessity of applying a speedy remedy without noise, conceived at once
+the means, and collecting herself without shewing the least emotion,
+answered: "Not yet, but presently." She went in this manner to all the
+jars, giving the same answer, till she came to the jar of oil.
+
+By this means, Morgiana found that her master Ali Baba, who thought that
+he had entertained an oil merchant, had admitted thirty-eight robbers
+into his house, regarding this pretended merchant as their captain. She
+made what haste she could to fill her oil-pot, and returned into her
+kitchen; where, as soon as she had lighted her lamp, she took a great
+kettle, went again to the oil-jar, filled the kettle, set it on a large
+wood-fire, and as soon as it boiled went and poured enough into every
+jar to stifle and destroy the robber within.
+
+When this action, worthy of the courage of Morgiana, was executed
+without any noise, she returned into the kitchen with the empty kettle;
+and having put out the great fire she had made to boil the oil, and
+leaving just enough to make the broth, put out the lamp also, and
+remained silent; resolving not to go to rest till she had observed what
+might follow through a window of the kitchen, which opened into the
+yard.
+
+She had not waited long before the captain of the robbers got up, opened
+the window, and finding no light, and hearing no noise, or any one
+stirring in the house, gave the appointed signal, by throwing little
+stones, several of which hit the jars, as he doubted not by the sound
+they gave. He then listened, but not hearing or perceiving anything
+whereby he could judge that his companions stirred, he began to grow
+very uneasy, threw stones again a second and also a third time, and
+could not comprehend the reason that none of them should answer his
+signal. Much alarmed, he went softly down into the yard, and going to
+the first jar, whilst asking the robber, whom he thought alive, if he
+was in readiness, smelt the hot boiled oil, which sent forth a steam out
+of the jar. Hence he suspected that his plot to murder Ali Baba and
+plunder his house was discovered. Examining all the jars one after
+another, he found that all the members of his gang were dead; and by the
+oil he missed out of the last jar guessed the means and manner of their
+death. Enraged to despair at having failed in his design, he forced the
+lock of a door that led from the yard to the garden, and climbing over
+the walls, made his escape.
+
+When Morgiana heard no noise, and found, after waiting some time, that
+the captain did not return, she concluded that he had chosen rather to
+make his escape by the garden than the street door, which was
+double-locked. Satisfied and pleased to have succeeded so well, in
+saving her master and family, she went to bed.
+
+Ali Baba rose before day, and, followed by his slave, went to the baths,
+entirely ignorant of the important event which had happened at home; for
+Morgiana had not thought it safe to wake him before, for fear of losing
+her opportunity; and after her successful exploit she thought it
+needless to disturb him.
+
+When he returned from the baths, the sun was risen; he was very much
+surprised to see the oil jars and that the merchant was not gone with
+the mules. He asked Morgiana, who opened the door, and had let all
+things stand as they were, that he might see them, the reason of it. "My
+good master," answered she, "God preserve you and all your family; you
+will be better informed of what you wish to know when you have seen what
+I have to show you, if you will but give yourself the trouble to follow
+me."
+
+As soon as Morgiana had shut the door, Ali Baba followed her; when she
+requested him to look into the first jar and see if there was any oil.
+Ali Baba did so, and seeing a man, started back in alarm, and cried out.
+"Do not be afraid," said Morgiana; "the man you see there can neither do
+you nor anybody else any harm. He is dead." "Ah, Morgiana!" said Ali
+Baba, "what is it you show me? Explain yourself." "I will," replied
+Morgiana; "moderate your astonishment, and do not excite the curiosity
+of your neighbours. Look into all the other jars."
+
+Ali Baba examined all the other jars, and when he came to that which had
+the oil in, found it prodigiously sunk, and stood for some time
+motionless, sometimes looking at the jars, and sometimes at Morgiana,
+without saying a word, so great was his surprise: at last, when he had
+recovered himself, he said: "And what is become of the merchant?"
+
+"Merchant!" answered she, "he is as much one as I am; I will tell you
+who he is, and what is become of him: but you had better hear the story
+in your own chamber; for it is time for your health that you had your
+broth after your bathing."
+
+While Ali Baba retired to his chamber, Morgiana went into the kitchen to
+fetch the broth, but before he would drink it, he first entreated her to
+satisfy his impatience, and tell him what had happened, with all the
+circumstances; and she obeyed him.
+
+"This," she said, when she had completed her story, "is the account you
+asked of me; and I am convinced it is the consequence of what I observed
+some days ago, but did not think fit to acquaint you with; for when I
+came in one morning early I found our street door marked with white
+chalk, and the next morning with red; upon which, both times without
+knowing what was the intention of those chalks, I marked two or three
+neighbours' doors on each side in the same manner. If you reflect on
+this, and what has since happened, you will find it to be a plot of the
+robbers of the forest, of whose gang there are two wanting, and now they
+are reduced to three: all this shows that they had sworn your
+destruction, and it is proper you should be upon your guard, while there
+is one of them alive: for my part, I shall neglect nothing necessary to
+your preservation, as I am in duty bound."
+
+When Morgiana had left off speaking, Ali Baba was so sensible of the
+great service she had done him, that he said to her: "I will not die
+without rewarding you as you deserve; I owe my life to you, and for the
+first token of my acknowledgment, give you your liberty from this
+moment, till I can complete your recompense as I intend. I am persuaded
+with you, that the forty robbers have laid snares for my destruction.
+God, by your means, has delivered me from them as yet, and I hope will
+continue to preserve me from their wicked designs, and deliver the world
+from their persecution. All that we have to do is to bury the bodies of
+these pests of mankind immediately, and with all the secrecy imaginable,
+that nobody may suspect what is become of them. But that labour
+Abdoollah and I will undertake."
+
+Ali Baba's garden was very long, and shaded at the farther end by a
+great number of large trees. Under these he and the slave dug a trench,
+long and wide enough to hold all the robbers. Afterward they lifted the
+bodies out of the jars, took away their weapons, carried them to the end
+of the garden, laid them in the trench, and levelled the ground again.
+When this was done, Ali Baba hid the jars and weapons; and as he had no
+occasion for the mules, he sent them at different times to be sold in
+the market by his slave.
+
+While Ali Baba took these measures to prevent the public from knowing
+how he came by his riches in so short a time, the captain of the forty
+robbers returned to the forest with inconceivable mortification; and in
+his confusion at his ill success, so contrary to what he had promised
+himself, entered the cave, not being able, all the way from the town, to
+come to any resolution how to revenge himself of Ali Baba.
+
+The loneliness of the gloomy cavern became frightful to him. "Where are
+you, my brave lads," cried he, "old companions of my watchings, inroads,
+and labour? What can I do without you? Did I collect you only to lose
+you by so base a fate, and so unworthy of your courage! Had you died
+with your sabres in your hands, like brave men, my regret had been less!
+When shall I enlist so gallant a troop again? And if I could, can I
+undertake it without exposing so much gold and treasure to him who hath
+already enriched himself out of it? I cannot, I ought not to think of
+it, before I have taken away his life. I will undertake that alone,
+which I could not accomplish with your powerful assistance; and when I
+have taken measures to secure this treasure from being pillaged, I will
+provide for it new masters and successors after me, who shall preserve
+and augment it to all posterity." This resolution being taken, he was
+not at a loss how to execute his purpose; but full of hopes, slept all
+that night very quietly.
+
+When he awoke early next morning, he dressed himself, agreeably to the
+project he had formed, went to the town, and took a lodging in a khan.
+As he expected what had happened at Ali Baba's might make a great noise,
+he asked his host what news there was in the city? Upon which the
+innkeeper told him a great many circumstances, which did not concern him
+in the least. He judged by this, that the reason why Ali Baba kept his
+affairs so secret, was for fear people should know where the treasure
+lay; and because he knew his life would be sought on account of it. This
+urged him the more to neglect nothing to rid himself of so cautious an
+enemy.
+
+The captain now assumed the character of a merchant, and conveyed
+gradually a great many sorts of rich stuffs and fine linen to his
+lodging from the cavern, but with all the necessary precautions
+imaginable to conceal the place whence he brought them. In order to
+dispose of the merchandise, when he had amassed them together, he took a
+warehouse, which happened to be opposite to Cassim's, which Ali Baba's
+son had occupied since the death of his uncle.
+
+He took the name of Khaujeh Houssain, and as a newcomer, was, according
+to custom, extremely civil and complaisant to all the merchants his
+neighbours. Ali Baba's son was from his vicinity one of the first to
+converse with Khaujeh Houssain, who strove to cultivate his friendship
+more particularly when, two or three days after he was settled, he
+recognised Ali Baba, who came to see his son, and stopped to talk with
+him as he was accustomed to do. When he was gone, the impostor learnt
+from his son who he was. He increased his assiduities, caressed him in
+the most engaging manner, made him some small presents, and often asked
+him to dine and sup with him.
+
+Ali Baba's son did not choose to lie under such obligation to Khaujeh
+Houssain, without making the like return; but was so much straitened for
+want of room in his house, that he could not entertain him so well as he
+wished; he therefore acquainted his father Ali Baba with his intention,
+and told him that it did not look well for him to receive such favours
+from Khaujeh Houssain without inviting him in return.
+
+Ali Baba, with great pleasure, took the treat upon himself. "Son," said
+he, "to-morrow being Friday, which is a day that the shops of such great
+merchants as Khaujeh Houssain and yourself are shut, get him to take a
+walk with you, and as you come back, pass by my door and call in. It
+will look better to have it happen accidentally, than if you gave him a
+formal invitation. I will go and order Morgiana to provide a supper."
+
+The next day Ali Baba's son and Khaujeh Houssain met by appointment,
+took their walk, and as they returned, Ali Baba's son led Khaujeh
+Houssain through the street where his father lived; and when they came
+to the house, stopped and knocked at the door. "This, sir," said he, "is
+my father's house; who, from the account I have given him of your
+friendship, charged me to procure him the honour of your acquaintance."
+
+Though it was the sole aim of Khaujeh Houssain to introduce himself into
+Ali Baba's house, that he might kill him without hazarding his own life
+or making any noise; yet he excused himself, and offered to take his
+leave. But a slave having opened the door, Ali Baba's son took him
+obligingly by the hand, and in a manner forced him in.
+
+Ali Baba received Khaujeh Houssain with a smiling countenance, and in
+the most obliging manner. He thanked him for all the favours he had done
+his son; adding withal, the obligation was the greater, as he was a
+young man not much acquainted with the world.
+
+Khaujeh Houssain returned the compliment, by assuring Ali Baba, that
+though his son might not have acquired the experience of older men, he
+had good sense equal to the knowledge of many others. After a little
+more conversation on different subjects, he offered again to take his
+leave; when Ali Baba, stopping him, said: "Where are you going, sir, in
+so much haste? I beg you would do me the honour to sup with me, though
+what I have to give you is not worth your acceptance; but such as it is,
+I hope you will accept it as heartily as I give it." "Sir," replied
+Khaujeh Houssain, "I am thoroughly persuaded of your good will; and if I
+ask the favour of you not to take it ill that I do not accept your
+obliging invitation, I beg of you to believe that it does not proceed
+from any slight or intention to affront, but from a reason which you
+would approve if you knew it.
+
+"And what may that reason be, sir," replied Ali Baba, "if I may be so
+bold as to ask you?" "It is," answered Khaujeh Houssain, "that I can eat
+no victuals that have any salt in them; therefore judge how I should
+feel at your table." "If that is the only reason," said Ali Baba, "it
+ought not to deprive me of the honour of your company at supper; for, in
+the first place, there is no salt ever put into my bread, and as to the
+meat we shall have to-night, I promise you there shall be none in that.
+Therefore you must do me the favour to stay. I will return immediately."
+
+Ali Baba went into the kitchen, and ordered Morgiana to put no salt to
+the meat that was to be dressed that night; and to make quickly two or
+three ragouts besides what he had ordered, but be sure to put no salt in
+them.
+
+Morgiana, who was always ready to obey her master, could not help
+seeming somewhat dissatisfied at his strange order. "Who is this
+difficult man," said she, "who eats no salt with his meat? Your supper
+will be spoiled, if I keep it back so long." "Do not be angry,
+Morgiana," replied Ali Baba; "he is an honest man; therefore do as I bid
+you."
+
+Morgiana obeyed, though with no little reluctance, and had a curiosity
+to see this man who ate no salt. To this end, when she had finished what
+she had to do in the kitchen, she helped Abdoollah to carry up the
+dishes; and looking at Khaujeh Houssain, knew him at first sight,
+notwithstanding his disguise, to be the captain of the robbers, and
+examining him very carefully, perceived that he had a dagger under his
+garment. "I am not in the least amazed," said she to herself, "that this
+wicked wretch, who is my master's greatest enemy, would eat no salt with
+him, since he intends to assassinate him; but I will prevent him."
+
+Morgiana, while they were eating, made the necessary preparations for
+executing one of the boldest acts ever meditated, and had just
+determined, when Abdoollah came for the dessert of fruit, which she
+carried up, and as soon as he had taken the meat away, set upon the
+table; after that, she placed three glasses by Ali Baba, and going out,
+took Abdoollah with her to sup, and to give Ali Baba the more liberty of
+conversation with his guest.
+
+Khaujeh Houssain, or rather the captain of the robbers, thought he had
+now a favourable opportunity of being revenged on Ali Baba. "I will,"
+said he to himself, "make the father and son both drunk: the son, whose
+life I intend to spare, will not be able to prevent my stabbing his
+father to the heart; and while the slaves are at supper, or asleep in
+the kitchen, I can make my escape over the gardens as before."
+
+Instead of going to supper, Morgiana, who had penetrated the intentions
+of the counterfeit Khaujeh Houssain, would not give him time to put his
+villainous design into execution, but dressed herself neatly with a
+suitable head-dress like a dancer, girded her waist with a silver-gilt
+girdle, to which there hung a poniard with a hilt and guard of the same
+metal, and put a handsome mask on her face. When she had thus disguised
+herself, she said to Abdoollah: "Take your tabor, and let us go and
+divert our master and his son's guest, as we do sometimes when he is
+alone."
+
+Abdoollah took his tabor and played all the way into the hall before
+Morgiana, who when she came to the door made a low obeisance, with a
+deliberate air, in order to draw attention, and by way of asking leave
+to exhibit her skill. Abdoollah, seeing that his master had a mind to
+say something, left off playing. "Come in, Morgiana," said Ali Baba,
+"and let Khaujeh Houssain see what you can do, that he may tell us what
+he thinks of you. But, sir," said he, turning toward his guest, "do not
+think that I put myself to any expense to give you this diversion, since
+these are my slave and my cook and housekeeper; and I hope you will not
+find the entertainment they give us disagreeable."
+
+Khaujeh Houssain, who did not expect this diversion after supper, began
+to fear he should not be able to improve the opportunity he thought he
+had found: but hoped, if he now missed his aim, to secure it another
+time, by keeping up a friendly correspondence with the father and son;
+therefore, though he could have wished Ali Baba would have declined the
+dance, he had the complaisance to express his satisfaction at what he
+saw pleased his host.
+
+As soon as Abdoollah saw that Ali Baba and Khaujeh Houssain had done
+talking, he began to play on the tabor, and accompanied it with an air;
+to which Morgiana, who was an excellent performer, danced in such a
+manner as would have created admiration in any other company besides
+that before which she now exhibited, among whom, perhaps, none but the
+false Khaujeh Houssain was in the least attentive to her, the rest
+having seen her so frequently.
+
+After she had danced several dances with equal propriety and grace, she
+drew the poniard, and holding it in her hand, began a dance, in which
+she outdid herself, by the many different figures, light movements, and
+the surprising leaps and wonderful exertions with which she accompanied
+it. Sometimes she presented the poniard to one person's breast,
+sometimes to another's, and oftentimes seemed to strike her own. At
+last, as if she was out of breath, she snatched the tabor from Abdoollah
+with her left hand, and holding the dagger in her right, presented the
+other side of the tabor, after the manner of those who get a livelihood
+by dancing, and solicit the liberality of the spectators.
+
+Ali Baba put a piece of gold into the tabor, as did also his son: and
+Khaujeh Houssain, seeing that she was coming to him, had pulled his
+purse out of his bosom to make her a present; but while he was putting
+his hand into it, Morgiana, with a courage and resolution worthy of
+herself, plunged the poniard into his heart. Ali Baba and his son,
+shocked at this action, cried out aloud. "Unhappy wretch!" exclaimed Ali
+Baba, "what have you done to ruin me and my family?" "It was to
+preserve, not to ruin you," answered Morgiana; "for see here," continued
+she (opening the pretended Khaujeh Houssain's garment, and showing the
+dagger), "what an enemy you had entertained! Look well at him, and you
+will find him to be both the fictitious oil-merchant, and the captain of
+the gang of forty robbers. Remember, too, that he would eat no salt with
+you; and what would you have more to persuade you of his wicked design?
+Before I saw him, I suspected him as soon as you told me you had such a
+guest. I knew him, and you now find that my suspicion was not
+groundless."
+
+Ali Baba, who immediately felt the new obligation he had to Morgiana for
+saving his life a second time, embraced her: "Morgiana," said he, "I
+gave you your liberty, and then promised you that my gratitude should
+not stop there, but that I would soon give you higher proofs of its
+sincerity, which I now do by making you my daughter-in-law." Then
+addressing himself to his son, he said: "I believe you, son, to be so
+dutiful a child, that you will not refuse Morgiana for your wife. You
+see that Khaujeh Houssain sought your friendship with a treacherous
+design to take away my life; and, if he had succeeded, there is no doubt
+but he would have sacrificed you also to his revenge. Consider, that by
+marrying Morgiana you marry the preserver of my family and your own."
+
+The son, far from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
+marriage; not only because he would not disobey his father, but also
+because it was agreeable to his inclination.
+
+After this, they thought of burying the captain of the robbers with his
+comrades, and did it so privately that nobody discovered their bones
+till many years after, when no one had any concern in the publication of
+this remarkable history.
+
+A few days afterward, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of his son and
+Morgiana with great solemnity, a sumptuous feast, and the usual dancing
+and spectacles; and had the satisfaction to see that his friends and
+neighbours, whom he invited, had no knowledge of the true motives of the
+marriage; but that those who were not unacquainted with Morgiana's good
+qualities commended his generosity and goodness of heart.
+
+Ali Baba forbore, after this marriage, from going again to the robbers'
+cave, as he had done, for fear of being surprised, from the time he had
+brought away his brother Cassim's mangled remains. He had kept away
+after the death of the thirty-seven robbers and their captain, supposing
+the other two, whom he could get no account of, might be alive.
+
+At the year's end, when he found that they had not made any attempt to
+disturb him, he had the curiosity to make another journey, taking the
+necessary precautions for his safety. He mounted his horse, and when he
+came to the cave, and saw no footsteps of men or beasts, looked upon it
+as a good sign. He alighted, tied his horse to a tree, then approaching
+the entrance and pronouncing the words, _Open, Sesame!_ the door opened.
+He entered the cavern, and by the condition he found things in, judged
+that nobody had been there since the false Khaujeh Houssain, when he had
+fetched the goods for his shop; that the gang of forty robbers was
+completely destroyed, and no longer doubted that he was the only person
+in the world who had the secret of opening the cave, so that all the
+treasure was at his sole disposal. Having brought with him a wallet, he
+put into it as much gold as his horse would carry, and returned to town.
+
+Afterward Ali Baba carried his son to the cave, and taught him the
+secret, which they handed down to their posterity, who, using their good
+fortune with moderation, lived in great honour and splendour.
+
+
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF CODADAD AND HIS BROTHERS
+
+
+There formerly reigned in the city of Harran a most magnificent and
+potent sultan, who loved his subjects, and was equally beloved by them.
+He was endued with all virtues, and wanted nothing to complete his
+happiness but an heir. He continually prayed to Heaven for a child; and
+one night in his sleep, a prophet appeared to him and said: "Your
+prayers are heard; you have obtained what you have desired; rise as soon
+as you awake, go to your prayers, and make two genuflexions; then walk
+into the garden of your palace, call your gardener, and bid him bring
+you a pomegranate; eat as many of the seeds as you please, and your
+wishes shall be accomplished."
+
+The sultan calling to mind his dream when he awoke, returned thanks to
+Heaven, got up, prayed, made two genuflexions, and then went into his
+garden, where he took fifty pomegranate seeds, which he counted, and
+ate. Some time afterward forty-nine of his wives presented him with
+sons, each one as vigorous as a young palm-tree, but Pirouze, the
+fiftieth wife, remained childless. The sultan, therefore, took an
+aversion to this lady and would have had her put to death had not his
+vizier prevented him, advising rather that she be sent to Samaria, to
+her brother, Sultan Samer, with orders that she be well treated.
+
+Not long after Pirouze had been retired to her brother's country, a most
+beautiful prince was born to her. The prince of Samaria wrote
+immediately to the sultan of Harran, to acquaint him with the birth of a
+son, and to congratulate him on the occasion. The sultan was much
+rejoiced at this intelligence, and answered Prince Samer as follows:
+"Cousin, all my other wives have each presented me with a prince. I
+desire you to educate the child of Pirouze, to give him the name of
+Codadad, and to send him to me when I may apply for him."
+
+The prince of Samaria spared nothing that might improve the education of
+his nephew. He taught him to ride, draw the bow, and all other
+accomplishments becoming the son of a sovereign; so that Codadad, at
+eighteen years of age, was looked upon as a prodigy. The young prince,
+being inspired with a courage worthy his birth, said one day to his
+mother: "Madam, I begin to grow weary of Samaria; I feel a passion for
+glory; give me leave to seek it amidst the perils of war. My father the
+sultan of Harran has many enemies. Why does he not call me to his
+assistance? Must I spend my life in sloth, when all my brothers have the
+happiness to be fighting by his side?" "My son," answered Pirouze, "I am
+no less impatient to have your name become famous; I could wish you had
+already signalised yourself against your father's enemies; but we must
+wait till he requires it." "No, madam," replied Codadad, "I have already
+waited too long. I burn to see the sultan, and am tempted to offer him
+my service, as a young stranger: no doubt but he will accept of it, and
+I will not discover myself till I have performed some glorious actions."
+Pirouze approved of his generous resolutions, and Codadad departed from
+Samaria, as if he had been going to the chase, without acquainting
+Prince Samer, lest he should thwart his design.
+
+He was mounted on a white charger, who had a bit and shoes of gold, his
+housing was of blue satin embroidered with pearls; the hilt of his
+cimeter was of one single diamond, and the scabbard of sandalwood,
+adorned with emeralds and rubies, and on his shoulder he carried his bow
+and quiver. In this equipage, which greatly set off his handsome
+person, he arrived at the city of Harran, and soon found means to offer
+his service to the sultan; who being charmed with his beauty, and
+perhaps indeed by natural sympathy, gave him a favourable reception, and
+asked his name and quality. "Sir," answered Codadad, "I am son to an
+emir of Grand Cairo; an inclination to travel has made me quit my
+country, and understanding that you were engaged in war, I am come to
+your court to offer your majesty my service." The sultan, upon hearing
+this, shewed him extraordinary kindness, and gave him a command in his
+army.
+
+The young prince soon gained the esteem of the officers, and was admired
+by the soldiers. Having no less wit than courage, he so far advanced
+himself in the sultan's esteem, as to become his favourite. All the
+ministers and other courtiers daily resorted to Codadad, and were so
+eager to purchase his friendship, that they neglected the sultan's sons.
+The princes could not but resent this conduct, and all conceived an
+implacable hatred against him; but the sultan's affection daily
+increasing, he was never weary of giving him fresh testimonies of his
+regard. He always would have him near his person; and to shew his high
+opinion of his wisdom and prudence, committed to his care the other
+princes, though he was of the same age as they; so that Codadad was made
+governor of his brothers.
+
+This only served to heighten their hatred. "Is it come to this," said
+they, "that the sultan, not satisfied with loving a stranger more than
+us, will have him to be our governor, and not allow us to act without
+his leave? This is not to be endured. We must rid ourselves of this
+foreigner." "Let us go together," said one of them, "and despatch him."
+"No, no," answered another; "we had better be cautious how we sacrifice
+ourselves. His death would render us odious to the sultan. Let us
+destroy him by some stratagem. We will ask his permission to hunt, and,
+when at a distance from the palace, proceed to some other city and stay
+there some time. The sultan will wonder at our absence, and perceiving
+we do not return, perhaps put the stranger to death, or at least will
+banish him from court, for suffering us to leave the palace."
+
+All the princes applauded this artifice. They went together to Codadad,
+and desired him to allow them to take the diversion of hunting,
+promising to return the same day. Pirouze's son was taken in the snare,
+and granted the permission his brothers desired. They set out, but never
+returned. They had been three days absent, when the sultan asked Codadad
+where the princes were, for it was long since he had seen them. "Sir,"
+answered Codadad, after making a profound reverence, "they have been
+hunting these three days, but they promised me they would return
+sooner." The sultan grew uneasy, and his uneasiness increased when he
+perceived the princes did not return the next day. He could not check
+his anger: "Indiscreet stranger," said he to Codadad, "why did you let
+my sons go without bearing them company? Go, seek them immediately, and
+bring them to me, or your life shall be forfeited."
+
+These words chilled with alarm Pirouze's unfortunate son. He armed
+himself, departed from the city, and like a shepherd who had lost his
+flock, searched the country for his brothers, inquiring at every village
+whether they had been seen; but hearing no news of them, abandoned
+himself to the most lively grief. He was inconsolable for having given
+the princes permission to hunt, or for not having borne them company.
+
+After some days spent in fruitless search, he came to a plain of
+prodigious extent, in the midst whereof was a palace built of black
+marble. He drew near, and at one of the windows beheld a most beautiful
+lady; but set off with no other ornament than her own charms; for her
+hair was dishevelled, her garments torn, and on her countenance appeared
+all the marks of affliction. As soon as she saw Codadad, and judged he
+might hear her, she directed her discourse to him, saying: "Young man,
+depart from this fatal place, or you will soon fall into the hands of
+the monster that inhabits it: a black, who feeds only on human blood,
+resides in this palace; he seizes all persons whom their ill fate
+conducts to this plain, and shuts them up in his dungeons, whence they
+are never released, but to be devoured by him."
+
+"Madam," answered Codadad, "tell me who you are, and be not concerned
+for myself." "I am a lady of quality of Grand Cairo," replied the
+captive; "I was passing by this castle yesterday, on my way to Bagdad,
+and met with the black, who killed all my attendants, and brought me
+hither. I beg of you," she cried, "to make your escape: the black will
+soon return; he is gone out to pursue some travellers he espied at a
+distance on the plain. Lose no time, but fly."
+
+She had scarcely done speaking before the black appeared. He was of
+monstrous bulk, and of a dreadful aspect, mounted on a large Tartar
+horse, and bore a heavy cimeter, that none but himself could wield. The
+prince seeing him, was amazed at his gigantic stature, directed his
+prayers to Heaven to assist him, then drew his own cimeter, and firmly
+awaited his approach. The monster, despising so inconsiderable an enemy,
+called to him to submit without fighting. Codadad by his conduct shewed
+that he was resolved to defend his life; for rushing upon the black, he
+wounded him on the knee. The monster, feeling himself wounded, uttered
+such a dreadful yell as made all the plain resound. He grew furious and
+foamed with rage, and raising himself on his stirrups, made at Codadad
+with his dreadful cimeter. The blow was so violent, that it would have
+put an end to the young prince, had not he avoided it by a sudden
+spring. The cimeter made a horrible hissing in the air: but, before the
+black could have time to make a second blow, Codadad struck him on his
+right arm with such force that he cut it off. The dreadful cimeter fell
+with the hand that held it, and the black, yielding under the violence
+of the stroke, lost his stirrups, and made the earth shake with the
+weight of his fall. The prince alighted at the same time, and cut off
+his enemy's head. Just then the lady, who had been a spectator of the
+combat, and was still offering up her earnest prayers to Heaven for the
+young hero, uttered a shriek of joy, and said to Codadad: "Prince and
+Deliverer, finish the work you have begun; the black has the keys of
+this castle, take them and deliver me out of prison."
+
+The prince searched the wretch as he lay stretched on the ground, and
+found several keys. He opened the first door, and entered a court, where
+he saw the lady coming to meet him; she would have cast herself at his
+feet, the better to express her gratitude, but he would not permit her.
+She commended his valour, and extolled him above all the heroes in the
+world. He returned her compliments; and she appeared still more lovely
+to him near, than she had done at a distance. I know not whether she
+felt more joy at being delivered from the desperate danger she had been
+in, than he for having done so considerable a service to so beautiful a
+person.
+
+Their conversation was interrupted by dismal cries and groans. "What do
+I hear?" said Codadad; "whence come these miserable lamentations, which
+pierce my ears?" "My lord," said the lady, pointing to a little door in
+the court, "they come from thence. There are I know not how many
+wretched persons whom fate has thrown into the hands of the black. They
+are all chained, and the monster drew out one every day to devour."
+
+"It is an addition to my joy," answered the young prince, "to understand
+that my victory will save the lives of those unfortunate beings. Come
+with me, madam, to partake in the satisfaction of giving them their
+liberty." Having so said, they advanced toward the door of the dungeon,
+where Codadad, pitying them, and impatient to put an end to their
+sufferings, presently put one of the keys into the lock. The noise made
+all the unfortunate captives, who concluded it was the black coming,
+according to custom, to seize one of them to devour, redouble their
+cries and groans.
+
+In the meantime, the prince had opened the door; he went down a steep
+staircase into a deep vault, which received some feeble light from a
+little window, and in which there were above a hundred persons, bound to
+stakes. "Unfortunate travellers," said he to them, "who only expected
+the moment of an approaching death, give thanks to Heaven which has this
+day delivered you by my means. I have slain the black by whom you were
+to be devoured, and am come to knock off your chains." The prisoners
+hearing these words, gave a shout of mingled joy and surprise. Codadad
+and the lady began to unbind them; and as soon as any of them were
+loose, they helped to take off the fetters from the rest; so that in a
+short time they were all at liberty.
+
+They then kneeled down, and having returned thanks to Codadad for what
+he had done for them, went out of the dungeon; but when they were come
+into the court, how was the prince surprised to see among the prisoners
+those he was in search of, and almost without hopes to find! "Princes,"
+cried he, "is it you whom I behold? May I flatter myself that it is in
+my power to restore you to the sultan your father, who is inconsolable
+for the loss of you? Are you all here alive? Alas! the death of one of
+you will suffice to damp the joy I feel for having delivered you."
+
+The forty-nine princes all made themselves known to Codadad, who
+embraced them one after another, and told them how uneasy their father
+was on account of their absence. They gave their deliverer all the
+commendations he deserved, as did the other prisoners, who could not
+find words expressive enough to declare their gratitude. Codadad, with
+them, searched the whole castle, where was immense wealth: curious
+silks, gold brocades, Persian carpets, China satins, and an infinite
+quantity of other goods, which the black had taken from the caravans he
+had plundered, a considerable part whereof belonged to the prisoners
+Codadad had then liberated. Every man knew and claimed his property. The
+prince restored them their own, and divided the rest of the merchandise
+among them. Then he said to them: "How will you carry away your goods?
+We are here in a desert place, and there is no likelihood of your
+getting horses." "My lord," answered one of the prisoners, "the black
+robbed us of our camels, as well as of our goods, and perhaps they may
+be in the stables of this castle." "That is not unlikely," replied
+Codadad; "let us examine." Accordingly they went to the stables, where
+they not only found the camels, but also the horses belonging to the
+sultan of Harran's sons. All the merchants, overjoyed that they had
+recovered their goods and camels, together with their liberty, thought
+of nothing but prosecuting their journey; but first repeated their
+thanks to their deliverer.
+
+When they were gone, Codadad, directing his discourse to the lady, said:
+"What place, madam, do you desire to go to? I intend to bear you company
+to the spot you shall choose for your retreat, and I question not but
+that all these princes will do the same." The sultan of Harran's sons
+protested to the lady, that they would not leave her till she was
+restored to her friends.
+
+"Princes," said she, "I am of a country too remote from here; and,
+besides that, it would be abusing your generosity to oblige you to
+travel so far. I must confess that I have left my native country for
+ever. I told you that I was a lady of Grand Cairo; but since you have
+shewn me so much favour, I should be much in the wrong in concealing the
+truth from you: I am a sultan's daughter. A usurper has possessed
+himself of my father's throne, after having murdered him, and I have
+been forced to fly to save my life."
+
+Codadad and his brothers requested the princess to tell them her story,
+and after thanking them for their repeated protestations of readiness to
+serve her, she could not refuse to satisfy their curiosity, and began
+the recital of her adventures in the following manner.
+
+"There was in a certain island," said the princess, "a great city called
+Deryabar, governed by a magnificent and virtuous sultan, who had no
+children, which was the only blessing wanting to make him happy. He
+continually addressed his prayers to Heaven, but Heaven only partially
+granted his requests, for the queen his wife, after a long expectation,
+brought forth a daughter.
+
+"I am that unfortunate princess; my father was rather grieved than
+pleased at my birth; but he submitted to the will of God, and caused me
+to be educated with all possible care, being resolved, since he had no
+son, to teach me the art of ruling, that I might supply his place after
+his death.
+
+"There was, at the court of Deryabar, an orphan youth of good birth whom
+the sultan, my father, had befriended and educated according to his
+rank. He was very handsome, and, not wanting ability, found means to
+please my father, who conceived a great friendship for him. All the
+courtiers perceived it, and guessed that the young man might in the end
+be my husband. In this idea, and looking on him already as heir to the
+crown, they made their court to him, and every one endeavoured to gain
+his favour. He soon saw into their designs, and forgetting the distance
+there was between our conditions, flattered himself with the hopes that
+my father was fond enough of him to prefer him before all the princes in
+the world. He went farther; for the sultan not offering me to him as
+soon as he could have wished, he had the boldness to ask me of him.
+Whatever punishment his insolence deserved, my father was satisfied with
+telling him he had other thoughts in relation to me. The youth was
+incensed at this refusal; he resented the contempt, as if he had asked
+some maid of ordinary extraction, or as if his birth had been equal to
+mine. Nor did he stop here, but resolved to be revenged on the sultan,
+and with unparalleled ingratitude conspired against him. In short, he
+murdered him, and caused himself to be proclaimed sovereign of Deryabar.
+The grand vizier, however, while the usurper was butchering my father
+came to carry me away from the palace, and secured me in a friend's
+house, till a vessel he had provided was ready to sail. I then left the
+island, attended only by a governess and that generous minister, who
+chose rather to follow his master's daughter than to submit to a tyrant.
+
+"The grand vizier designed to carry me to the courts of the neighbouring
+sultans, to implore their assistance, and excite them to revenge my
+father's death; but Heaven did not concur in a resolution we thought so
+just. When we had been but a few days at sea, there arose such a furious
+storm, that our vessel, carried away by the violence of the winds and
+waves, was dashed in pieces against a rock. My governess, the grand
+vizier, and all that attended me, were swallowed up by the sea. I lost
+my senses; and whether I was thrown upon the coast, or whether Heaven
+wrought a miracle for my deliverance, I found myself on shore when my
+senses returned.
+
+"In my despair and horror I was on the point of casting myself into the
+sea again; when I heard behind me a great noise of men and horses. I
+looked about to see what it might be, and espied several armed horsemen,
+among whom was one mounted on an Arabian charger. He had on a garment
+embroidered with silver, a girdle set with precious stones, and a crown
+of gold on his head. Though his habit had not convinced me that he was
+chief of the company, I should have judged it by the air of grandeur
+which appeared in his person. He was a young man extraordinarily well
+shaped, and perfectly beautiful. Surprised to see a young lady alone in
+that place, he sent some of his officers to ask who I was. I answered
+only by weeping. The shore being covered with the wreck of our ship,
+they concluded that I was certainly some person who had escaped from the
+vessel. This conjecture excited the curiosity of the officers, who began
+to ask me a thousand questions, with assurances that their master was a
+generous prince, and that I should receive protection at his court.
+
+"The sultan, impatient to know who I was, grew weary of waiting the
+return of his officers, and drew near to me. He gazed on me very
+earnestly, and observing that I did not cease weeping, without being
+able to return an answer to their questions, he forbade them troubling
+me any more; and directing his discourse to me: 'Madam,' said he, 'I
+conjure you to moderate your excessive affliction. I dare assure you
+that, if your misfortunes are capable of receiving any relief, you shall
+find it in my dominions. You shall live with the queen my mother, who
+will endeavour by her kindness to ease your affliction. I know not yet
+who you are, but I find I already take an interest in your welfare.'
+
+"I thanked the young sultan for his goodness to me, accepted his
+obliging offer; and to convince him that I was not unworthy of them,
+told him my condition. When I had done speaking, the prince assured me
+that he was deeply concerned at my misfortunes. He then conducted me to
+his palace, and presented me to the queen his mother, to whom I was
+obliged again to repeat my misfortunes. The queen seemed very sensible
+of my trouble, and conceived extreme affection for me. On the other
+hand, the sultan her son fell desperately in love with me, and soon
+offered me his hand and his crown. I was so taken up with the thoughts
+of my calamities, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not
+make so great an impression on me as he might have done at another time.
+However, gratitude prevailing, I did not refuse to make him happy, and
+our nuptials were concluded with all imaginable splendour.
+
+"While the people were taken up with the celebration of their
+sovereign's nuptials, a neighbouring prince, his enemy, made a descent
+by night on the island with a great number of troops and surprised and
+cut to pieces my husband's subjects. We escaped very narrowly, for he
+had already entered the palace with some of his followers; but we found
+means to slip away and to get to the sea-coast, where we threw ourselves
+into a fishing-boat which we had the good fortune to meet with. Two days
+we were driven about by the winds, without knowing what would become of
+us. The third day we espied a vessel making toward us under sail. We
+rejoiced at first, believing it had been a merchant-ship which might
+take us aboard; but what was our consternation, when, as it drew near,
+we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck. Having boarded,
+five or six of them leaped into our boat, seized us, bound the prince,
+and conveyed us into their ship, where they immediately took off my
+veil. My youth and features touched them, and they all declared how much
+they were charmed at the sight of me. Instead of casting lots, each of
+them claimed the preference, and me as his right. The dispute grew warm,
+they came to blows, and fought like madmen. The deck was soon covered
+with dead bodies, and they were all killed but one, who, being left sole
+possessor of me, said: 'You are mine. I will carry you to Grand Cairo,
+to deliver you to a friend of mine, to whom I have promised a beautiful
+slave. But who,' added he, looking upon the sultan, my husband, 'is that
+man? What relation does he bear to you? Are you allied by blood or
+love?' 'Sir,' answered I, 'he is my husband.' 'If so,' replied the
+pirate, 'in pity I must rid myself of him: it would be too great an
+affliction to him to see you disposed of to another.' Having spoken
+these words, he took up the unhappy prince, who was bound, and threw him
+into the sea, notwithstanding all my endeavours to prevent him.
+
+"I shrieked in a dreadful manner at the sight of what he had done, and
+had certainly cast myself into the sea also, but that the pirate held
+me. He saw my design, and therefore bound me with cords to the
+main-mast, then hoisting sail, made toward the land, and got ashore. He
+unbound me and led me to a little town, where he bought camels, tents,
+and slaves, and then set out for Grand Cairo, designing, as he still
+said, to present me to his friend, according to his promise.
+
+"We had been several days upon the road, when, as we were crossing this
+plain yesterday, we descried the black who inhabited this castle. At a
+distance we took him for a tower, and when near us, could scarcely
+believe him to be a man. He drew his huge cimeter, and summoned the
+pirate to yield himself prisoner, with all his slaves and the lady he
+was conducting. You know the end of this dreadful adventure and can
+foresee what would have been my fate had you, generous prince, not come
+to my deliverance."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_As it drew near we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck._
+
+As soon as the princess had finished the recital of her adventures,
+Codadad declared to her that he was deeply concerned at her misfortunes.
+"But, madam," added he, "it shall be your own fault if you do not live
+at ease for the future. The sultan of Harran's sons offer you a safe
+retreat in the court of their father; be pleased to accept of it, and if
+you do not disdain the affection of your deliverer, permit me to assure
+you of it, and to espouse you before all these princes; let them be
+witnesses to our contract." The princess consented, and the marriage was
+concluded that very day in the castle, where they found all sorts of
+provisions, with an abundance of delicious wine and other liquors.
+
+They all sat down at table; and after having eaten and drunk
+plentifully, took with them the rest of the provisions, and set out for
+the sultan of Harran's court. They travelled several days, encamping in
+the pleasantest places they could find, and were within one day's
+journey of Harran, when Codadad, directing his discourse to all his
+company, said: "Princes, I have too long concealed from you who I am.
+Behold your brother Codadad! I, as well as you, received my being from
+the sultan of Harran, the prince of Samaria brought me up, and the
+Princess Pirouze is my mother. Madam," added he, addressing himself to
+the princess of Deryabar, "do you also forgive me for having concealed
+my birth from you? Perhaps, by discovering it sooner, I might have
+prevented some disagreeable reflections, which may have been occasioned
+by a match you may have thought unequal." "No, sir," answered the
+princess "the opinion I at first conceived of you heightened every
+moment and you did not stand in need of the extraction you now discover
+to make me happy."
+
+The princes congratulated Codadad on his birth, and expressed much
+satisfaction at being made acquainted with it. But in reality, instead
+of rejoicing, their hatred of so amiable a brother was increased. They
+met together at night, and forgetting that had it not been for the brave
+son of Pirouze they must have been devoured by the black, agreed among
+themselves to murder him. "We have no other course to choose," said one
+of them, "for the moment our father shall come to understand that this
+stranger, of whom he is already so fond, is our brother, he will declare
+him his heir, and we shall all be obliged to obey and fall down before
+him." He added much more, which made such an impression on their
+unnatural minds, that they immediately repaired to Codadad, then asleep,
+stabbed him repeatedly, and leaving him for dead in the arms of the
+princess of Deryabar, proceeded on their journey to the city of Harran,
+where they arrived the next day.
+
+The sultan their father conceived the greater joy at their return,
+because he had despaired of ever seeing them again: he asked what had
+been the occasion of their stay. But they took care not to acquaint him
+with it, making no mention either of the black or of Codadad; and only
+said, that being curious to see different countries, they had spent some
+time in the neighbouring cities.
+
+In the meantime Codadad lay in his tent weltering in his blood and
+little differing from a dead man, with the princess his wife, who seemed
+to be in not much better condition than himself. She rent the air with
+her dismal shrieks, tore her hair, and bathing her husband's body with
+her tears, "Alas! Codadad, my dear Codadad," cried she, "is it you whom
+I behold just departing this life? Can I believe these are your brothers
+who have treated you so unmercifully, those brothers whom thy valour had
+saved? O Heaven! which has condemned me to lead a life of calamities, if
+you will not permit me to have a consort, why did you permit me to find
+one? Behold, you have now robbed me of two, just as I began to be
+attached to them."
+
+By these and other moving expressions the afflicted princess of Deryabar
+vented her sorrow, fixing her eyes on the unfortunate Codadad, who could
+not hear her; but he was not dead, and his consort, observing that he
+still breathed, ran to a large town she espied in the plain, to inquire
+for a surgeon. She was directed to one, who went immediately with her;
+but when they came to the tent, they could not find Codadad, which made
+them conclude he had been dragged away by some wild beast to be
+devoured. The princess renewed her complaints and lamentations in a most
+affecting manner. The surgeon was moved, and being unwilling to leave
+her in so distressed a condition, proposed to her to return to the town,
+offering her his house and service.
+
+She suffered herself to be prevailed upon. The surgeon conducted her to
+his house, and without knowing, as yet, who she was, treated her with
+all imaginable courtesy and respect. He used all his endeavours to
+comfort her, but it was vain to think of removing her sorrow. "Madam,"
+said he to her one day, "be pleased to recount to me your misfortunes;
+tell me your country and your condition. Perhaps I may give you some
+good advice, when I am acquainted with all the circumstances of your
+calamity."
+
+The surgeon's words were so efficacious, that they wrought on the
+princess, who recounted to him all her adventures; and when she had
+done, the surgeon directed his discourse to her: "Madam," said he, "you
+ought not thus to give way to your sorrow; you ought rather to arm
+yourself with resolution, and perform what the duty of a wife requires
+of you. You are bound to avenge your husband. If you please, I will wait
+on you as your attendant. Let us go to the sultan of Harran's court; he
+is a good and a just prince. You need only represent to him in lively
+colours, how Prince Codadad has been treated by his brothers. I am
+persuaded he will do you justice." "I submit to your reasoning,"
+answered the princess; "it is my duty to endeavour to avenge Codadad;
+and since you are so generous as to offer to attend me, I am ready to
+set out." No sooner had she fixed this resolution, than the surgeon
+ordered two camels to be made ready, on which the princess and he
+mounted, and repaired to Harran.
+
+They alighted at the first caravanserai they found, and inquired of the
+host the news at court. "Deryabar," said he, "is in very great
+perplexity. The sultan had a son, who lived long with him as a stranger,
+and none can tell what is become of the young prince. One of the
+sultan's wives, named Pirouze, is his mother; she has made all possible
+inquiry, but to no purpose. The sultan has forty-nine other sons, all by
+different mothers, but not one of them has virtue enough to comfort him
+for the death of Codadad; I say, his death, because it is impossible he
+should be still alive, since no intelligence has been heard of him,
+notwithstanding so much search has been made."
+
+The surgeon, having heard this account from the host, concluded that the
+best course the princess of Deryabar could take was to wait upon
+Pirouze; but that step required much precaution: for it was to be feared
+that if the sultan of Harran's sons should happen to hear of the arrival
+of their sister-in-law and her design, they might cause her to be
+conveyed away before she could discover herself. The surgeon weighed all
+these circumstances, and therefore, that he might manage matters with
+discretion, desired the princess to remain in the caravanserai, whilst
+he repaired to the palace, to observe which might be the safest way to
+conduct her to Pirouze.
+
+He went accordingly into the city, and was walking toward the palace,
+when he beheld a lady mounted on a mule richly accoutred. She was
+followed by several ladies mounted also on mules, with a great number of
+guards and black slaves. All the people formed a lane to see her pass
+along, and saluted her by prostrating themselves on the ground. The
+surgeon paid her the same respect, and then asked a calendar, who
+happened to stand by him, whether that lady was one of the sultan's
+wives. "Yes, brother," answered the calendar, "she is, and the most
+honoured and beloved by the people, because she is the mother of Prince
+Codadad, of whom you must have heard."
+
+The surgeon asked no more questions, but followed Pirouze to a mosque,
+into which she went to distribute alms, and assist at the public prayers
+which the sultan had ordered to be offered up for the safe return of
+Codadad. The surgeon broke through the throng and advanced to Pirouze's
+guards. He waited the conclusion of the prayers, and when the princess
+went out, stepped up to one of her slaves, and whispered him in the ear:
+"Brother, I have a secret of moment to impart to the Princess Pirouze:
+may not I be introduced into her apartment?" "If that secret," answered
+the slave, "relates to Prince Codadad I dare promise you shall have
+audience of her; but if it concern not him, it is needless for you to be
+introduced; for her thoughts are all engrossed by her son." "It is only
+about that dear son," replied the surgeon, "that I wish to speak to
+her." "If so," said the slave, "you need but follow us to the palace,
+and you shall soon have the opportunity."
+
+Accordingly, as soon as Pirouze was returned to her apartment, the slave
+acquainted her that a person unknown had some important information to
+communicate to her, and that it related to Prince Codadad. No sooner had
+he uttered these words, than Pirouze expressed her impatience to see the
+stranger. The slave immediately conducted him into the princess's closet
+who ordered all her women to withdraw, except two, from whom she
+concealed nothing. As soon as she saw the surgeon, she asked him eagerly
+what news he had to tell her of Codadad. "Madam," answered the surgeon,
+after having prostrated himself on the ground, "I have a long account to
+give you, and such as will surprise you." He then related all the
+particulars of what had passed between Codadad and his brothers, which
+she listened to with eager attention; but when he came to speak of the
+murder, the tender mother fainted away on her sofa, as if she had
+herself been stabbed like her son. Her two women soon brought her to
+herself and the surgeon continued his relation; and when he had
+concluded, Pirouze said to him: "Go back to the princess of Deryabar,
+and assure her from me that the sultan shall soon own her for his
+daughter-in-law; and as for yourself, your services shall be rewarded as
+liberally as they deserve."
+
+When the surgeon was gone, Pirouze remained on the sofa in such a state
+of affliction as may easily be imagined; and yielding to her tenderness
+at the recollection of Codadad, "O my son!" said she, "I must never then
+expect to see you more! Unfortunate Codadad, why did you leave me?"
+While she uttered these words, she wept bitterly, and her two
+attendants, moved by her grief, mingled their tears with hers.
+
+Whilst they were all three in this manner vying in affliction, the
+sultan came into the closet, and seeing them in this condition, asked
+Pirouze whether she had received any bad news concerning Codadad. "Alas!
+sir," said she, "all is over, my son has lost his life, and to add to my
+sorrow, I cannot pay him the funeral rites; for, in all probability,
+wild beasts have devoured him." She then told him all she had heard from
+the surgeon, and did not fail to enlarge on the inhuman manner in which
+Codadad had been murdered by his brothers.
+
+The sultan did not give Pirouze time to finish her relation, but
+transported with anger, and giving way to his passion, "Madam," said he
+to the princess, "those perfidious wretches who cause you to shed these
+tears, and are the occasion of mortal grief to their father, shall soon
+feel the punishment due to their guilt." The sultan, having spoken these
+words, with indignation in his countenance, went directly to the
+presence-chamber, where all his courtiers attended, and such of the
+people as had petitions to present to him. They were alarmed to see him
+in passion, and thought his anger had been kindled against them. He
+ascended the throne, and causing his grand vizier to approach, "Hassan,"
+said he, "go immediately, take a thousand of my guards, and seize all
+the princes, my sons; shut them up in the tower used as a prison for
+murderers, and let this be done in a moment." All who were present
+trembled at this extraordinary command; and the grand vizier, without
+uttering a word, laid his hand on his head, to express his obedience,
+and hastened from the hall to execute his orders. In the meantime the
+sultan dismissed those who attended for audience, and declared he would
+not hear of any business for a month to come. He was still in the hall
+when the vizier returned. "Are all my sons," demanded he, "in the
+tower?" "They are, sir," answered the vizier; "I have obeyed your
+orders." "This is not all," replied the sultan, "I have farther commands
+for you:" and so saying he went out of the hall of audience, and
+returned to Pirouze's apartment, the vizier following him. He asked the
+princess where Codadad's widow had taken up her lodging. Pirouze's women
+told him, for the surgeon had not forgotten that in his relation. The
+sultan then turning to his minister, "Go," said he, "to this
+caravanserai, and conduct a young princess who lodges there, with all
+the respect due to her quality, to my palace."
+
+The vizier was not long in performing what he was ordered. He mounted on
+horseback with all the emirs and courtiers, and repaired to the
+caravanserai, where the princess of Deryabar was lodged, whom he
+acquainted with his orders; and presented her, from the sultan, with a
+fine white mule, whose saddle and bridle were adorned with gold, rubies,
+and diamonds. She mounted, and proceeded to the palace. The surgeon
+attended her, mounted on a beautiful Tartar horse which the vizier had
+provided for him. All the people were at their windows, or in the
+streets, to see the cavalcade; and it being given out that the princess,
+whom they conducted in such state to court, was Codadad's wife, the city
+resounded with acclamations, the air rung with shouts of joy, which
+would have been turned into lamentations had that prince's fatal
+adventure been known, so much was he beloved by all.
+
+The princess of Deryabar found the sultan at the palace gate waiting to
+receive her: he took her by the hand and led her to Pirouze's apartment,
+where a very moving scene took place. Codadad's wife found her
+affliction redouble at the sight of her husband's father and mother; as,
+on the other hand, those parents could not look on their son's wife
+without being much affected. She cast herself at the sultan's feet, and
+having bathed them with tears, was so overcome with grief that she was
+not able to speak. Pirouze was in no better state, and the sultan, moved
+by these affecting objects, gave way to his own feelings and wept. At
+length the princess of Deryabar, being somewhat recovered, recounted the
+adventure of the castle and Codadad's disaster. Then she demanded
+justice for the treachery of the princes. "Yes, madam," said the sultan,
+"those ungrateful wretches shall perish; but Codadad's death must be
+first made public, that the punishment of his brothers may not cause my
+subjects to rebel; and though we have not my son's body, we will not
+omit paying him the last duties." This said, he directed his discourse
+to the vizier, and ordered him to cause to be erected a dome of white
+marble, in a delightful plain, in the midst of which the city of Harran
+stands. Then he appointed the princess of Deryabar a suitable apartment
+in his palace, acknowledging her for his daughter-in-law.
+
+Hassan caused the work to be carried on with such diligence, and
+employed so many workmen, that the dome was soon finished. Within it was
+erected a tomb, which was covered with gold brocade. When all was
+completed, the sultan ordered prayers to be said, and appointed a day
+for the obsequies of his son.
+
+On that day all the inhabitants of the city went out upon the plain to
+see the ceremony performed. The gate of the dome was then closed, and
+all the people returned to the city. Next day there were public prayers
+in all the mosques, and the same was continued for eight days
+successively. On the ninth the king resolved to cause the princes his
+sons to be beheaded. The people, incensed at their cruelty toward
+Codadad, impatiently expected to see them executed. The scaffolds were
+erecting, but the execution was respited, because, on a sudden,
+intelligence was brought that the neighbouring princes who had before
+made war on the sultan of Harran, were advancing with more numerous
+forces than on the first invasion, and were then not far from the city.
+This news gave new cause to lament the loss of Codadad, who had
+signalised himself in the former war against the same enemies. The
+sultan, nothing dismayed, formed a considerable army, and being too
+brave to await the enemies' attack within his walls, marched out to meet
+them. They, on their side, being informed that the sultan of Harran was
+marching to engage them, halted in the plain, and formed their army.
+
+As soon as the sultan discovered them, he also drew up his forces, and
+ranged them in order of battle. The signal was given, and he attacked
+them with extraordinary vigour; nor was the opposition inferior. Much
+blood was shed on both sides, and the victory long remained dubious; but
+at length it seemed to incline to the sultan of Harran's enemies, who,
+being more numerous, were upon the point of surrounding him, when a
+great body of cavalry appeared on the plain, and approached the two
+armies. The sight of this fresh party daunted both sides, neither
+knowing what to think of them; but their doubts were soon cleared; for
+they fell upon the flank of the sultan of Harran's enemies with such a
+furious charge, that they soon broke and routed them. Nor did they stop
+here; they pursued them, and cut most of them in pieces.
+
+The sultan of Harran, who had attentively observed all that passed,
+admired the bravery of this strange body of cavalry, whose unexpected
+arrival had given the victory to his army. But, above all, he was
+charmed with their chief, whom he had seen fighting with a more than
+ordinary valour. He longed to know the name of the generous hero.
+Impatient to see and thank him, he advanced toward him, but perceived he
+was coming to prevent him. The two princes drew near, and the sultan of
+Harran, discovering Codadad in the brave warrior who had just defeated
+his enemies, became motionless with joy and surprise. "Father," said
+Codadad to him, "you have sufficient cause to be astonished at the
+sudden appearance of a man whom perhaps you concluded to be dead. I
+should have been so, had not Heaven preserved me still to serve you
+against your enemies." "O my son," cried the sultan, "is it possible
+that you are restored to me? Alas! I despaired of seeing you more." So
+saying, he stretched out his arms to the young prince, who flew to such
+a tender embrace.
+
+"I know all, my son," said the sultan again, after having long held him
+in his arms. "I know what return your brothers have made you for
+delivering them out of the hands of the black; but you shall be revenged
+to-morrow. Let us now go to the palace where your mother, who has shed
+so many tears on your account, expects to rejoice with us on the defeat
+of our enemies. What a joy will it be to her to be informed that my
+victory is your work!" "Sir," said Codadad, "give me leave to ask how
+you could know the adventure of the castle? Have any of my brothers,
+repenting, owned it to you?" "No," answered the sultan; "the princess of
+Deryabar has given us an account of everything, for she is in my palace,
+and came thither to demand justice against your brothers." Codadad was
+transported with joy, to learn that the princess his wife was at the
+court. "Let us go, sir," cried he to his father in rapture, "let us go
+to my mother, who waits for us. I am impatient to dry her tears, as well
+as those of the princess of Deryabar."
+
+The sultan immediately returned to the city with his army, and
+re-entered his palace victorious, amidst the acclamations of the people,
+who followed him in crowds, praying to Heaven to prolong his life, and
+extolling Codadad to the skies. They found Pirouze and her
+daughter-in-law waiting to congratulate the sultan; but words cannot
+express the transports of joy they felt when they saw the young prince
+with him: their embraces were mingled with tears of a very different
+kind from those they had before shed for him. When they had sufficiently
+yielded to all the emotions that the ties of blood and love inspired,
+they asked Codadad by what miracle he came to be still alive.
+
+He answered that a peasant mounted on a mule happening accidentally to
+come into the tent where he lay senseless, and perceiving him alone and
+stabbed in several places, had made him fast on his mule, and carried
+him to his house, where he applied to his wounds certain herbs, which
+recovered him. "When I found myself well," added he, "I returned thanks
+to the peasant, and gave him all the diamonds I had. I then made for the
+city of Harran; but being informed by the way that some neighbouring
+princes had gathered forces, and were on their march against the
+sultan's subjects, I made myself known to the villagers, and stirred
+them up to undertake his defence. I armed a great number of young men,
+and heading them, happened to arrive at the time when the two armies
+were engaged."
+
+When he had done speaking, the sultan said: "Let us return thanks to God
+for having preserved Codadad; but it is requisite that the traitors who
+would have destroyed him should perish." "Sir," answered the generous
+prince, "though they are wicked and ungrateful, consider they are your
+own flesh and blood: they are my brothers; I forgive their offence, and
+beg you to pardon them." This generosity drew tears from the sultan, who
+caused the people to be assembled, and declared Codadad his heir. He
+then ordered the princes, who were prisoners, to be brought out loaded
+with irons. Pirouze's son struck off their chains, and embraced them
+all successively with as much sincerity and affection as he had done in
+the black's castle. The people were charmed with Codadad's generosity,
+and loaded him with applause. The surgeon was next nobly rewarded in
+requital of the services he had done the princess of Deryabar and the
+court of Harran remained thereafter in perfect joy and felicity.
+
+
+
+
+THE STORY OF SINBAD THE VOYAGER
+
+
+In the reign of the Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid, there lived at Bagdad a
+poor porter called Hindbad. One day, when the weather was excessively
+hot, he was employed to carry a heavy burden from one end of the town to
+the other. Having still a great way to go, he came into a street where a
+refreshing breeze blew on his face, and the pavement was sprinkled with
+rose water. As he could not desire a better place to rest, he took off
+his load, and sat upon it, near a large mansion.
+
+He was much pleased that he stopped in this place; for the agreeable
+smell of wood of aloes, and of pastils, that came from the house, mixing
+with the scent of the rose-water, completely perfumed the air. Besides,
+he heard from within a concert of instrumental music, accompanied with
+the harmonious notes of nightingales. This charming melody, and the
+smell of savoury dishes, made the porter conclude there was a feast
+within. His business seldom leading him that way, he knew not to whom
+the mansion belonged; but to satisfy his curiosity he went to some of
+the servants, whom he saw standing at the gate in magnificent apparel,
+and asked the name of the proprietor. "How," replied one of them, "do
+you live in Bagdad, and know not that this is the house of Sinbad the
+sailor, that famous voyager, who has sailed round the world?" The
+porter, who had heard of this Sinbad's riches, lifted up his eyes to
+Heaven, and said, loud enough to be heard: "Almighty creator of all
+things, consider the difference between Sinbad and me! I am every day
+exposed to fatigues and calamities, and can scarcely get barley-bread
+for myself and my family, whilst happy Sinbad expends immense riches and
+leads a life of pleasure. What has he done to obtain a lot so agreeable?
+And what have I done to deserve one so wretched?"
+
+Whilst the porter was thus indulging his melancholy, a servant came out
+of the house, and taking him by the arm, bade him follow him, for
+Sinbad, his master, wanted to speak to him.
+
+The servants brought him into a great hall, where a number of people sat
+round a table, covered with all sorts of savoury dishes. At the upper
+end sat a venerable gentleman, with a long white beard, and behind him
+stood a number of officers and domestics, all ready to attend his
+pleasure. This personage was Sinbad. The porter, whose fear was
+increased at the sight of so many people, and of a banquet so sumptuous,
+saluted the company trembling. Sinbad bade him draw near, and seating
+him at his right hand, served him himself, and gave him a cup of
+excellent wine.
+
+When the repast was over, Sinbad addressed his conversation to Hindbad,
+and inquired his name and employment. "My lord," answered he, "my name
+is Hindbad." "I am very glad to see you," replied Sinbad; "but I wish to
+hear from your own mouth what it was you lately said in the street."
+Sinbad had himself heard the porter complain through the window, and
+this it was that induced him to have him brought in.
+
+At this request, Hindbad hung down his head in confusion, and replied:
+"My lord, I confess that my fatigue put me out of humour, and occasioned
+me to utter some indiscreet words, which I beg you to pardon." "Do not
+think I am so unjust," resumed Sinbad, "as to resent such a complaint,
+but I must rectify your error concerning myself. You think, no doubt,
+that I have acquired, without labour and trouble, the ease which I now
+enjoy. But do not mistake; I did not attain to this happy condition,
+without enduring for several years more trouble of body and mind than
+can well be imagined. Yes, gentlemen," he added, speaking to the whole
+company, "I can assure you my troubles were so extraordinary, that they
+were calculated to discourage the most covetous from undertaking such
+voyages as I did, to acquire riches. Perhaps you have never heard a
+distinct account of my wonderful adventures; and since I have this
+opportunity, I will give you a faithful account of them, not doubting
+but it will be acceptable."
+
+
+THE FIRST VOYAGE
+
+"I inherited from my father considerable property, the greater part of
+which I squandered in my youth in dissipation; but I perceived my error,
+and reflected that riches were perishable, and quickly consumed by such
+ill managers as myself, I further considered, that by my irregular way
+of living I wretchedly misspent my time; which is, of all things, the
+most valuable. Struck with these reflections, I collected the remains of
+my fortune, and sold all my effects by public auction. I then entered
+into a contract with some merchants, who traded by sea. I took the
+advice of such as I thought most capable, and resolving to improve what
+money I had, I embarked with several merchants on board a ship which we
+had jointly fitted out.
+
+"We set sail, and steered our course toward the Indies through the
+Persian Gulf, which is formed by the coasts of Arabia Felix on the
+right, and by those of Persia on the left. At first I was troubled with
+sea-sickness, but speedily recovered my health, and was not afterward
+subject to that complaint.
+
+"In our voyage we touched at several islands, where we sold or exchanged
+our goods. One day, whilst under sail, we were becalmed near a small
+island, but little elevated above the level of the water, and resembling
+a green meadow. The captain ordered his sails to be furled, and
+permitted such persons as were so inclined to land; of which number I
+was one.
+
+"But while we were enjoying ourselves in eating and drinking, and
+recovering ourselves from the fatigue of the sea, the island on a sudden
+trembled, and shook us terribly.
+
+"The motion was perceived on board the ship, and we were called upon to
+re-embark speedily, or we should all be lost; for what we took for an
+island proved to be the back of a sea monster. The nimblest got into the
+sloop, others betook themselves to swimming; but for myself, I was still
+upon the back of the creature when he dived into the sea, and I had time
+only to catch hold of a piece of wood that we had brought out of the
+ship. Meanwhile, the captain, having received those on board who were in
+the sloop, and taken up some of those that swam, resolved to improve the
+favourable gale that had just risen, and hoisting his sails, pursued his
+voyage, so that it was impossible for me to recover the ship.
+
+"Thus was I exposed to the mercy of the waves all the rest of the day
+and the following night. By this time I found my strength gone, and
+despaired of saving my life, when happily a wave threw me against an
+island. The bank was high and rugged; so that I could scarcely have got
+up, had it not been for some roots of trees, which chance placed within
+reach. Having gained the land, I lay down upon the ground half dead,
+until the sun appeared. Then, though I was very feeble, both from hard
+labour and want of food, I crept along to find some herbs fit to eat,
+and had the good luck not only to procure some, but likewise to discover
+a spring of excellent water, which contributed much to recover me. After
+this I advanced farther into the island, and at last reached a fine
+plain, where at a great distance I perceived some horses feeding. I went
+toward them, and as I approached heard the voice of a man, who
+immediately appeared, and asked me who I was. I related to him my
+adventure, after which, taking me by the hand, he led me into a cave,
+where there were several other people, no less amazed to see me than I
+was to see them.
+
+"I partook of some provisions which they offered me. I then asked them
+what they did in such a desert place, to which they answered, that they
+were grooms belonging to the Maha-raja, sovereign of the island, and
+that every year, at the same season they brought thither the king's
+horses for pasturage. They added, that they were to return home on the
+morrow, and had I been one day later, I must have perished, because the
+inhabited part of the island was at a great distance, and it would have
+been impossible for me to have got thither without a guide.
+
+"Next morning they returned to the capital of the island, took me with
+them, and presented me to the Maha-raja. He asked me who I was, and by
+what adventure I had come into his dominions. After I had satisfied him,
+he told me he was much concerned for my misfortune, and at the same time
+ordered that I should want nothing; which commands his officers were so
+generous as to see exactly fulfilled.
+
+"Being a merchant, I frequented men of my own profession, and
+particularly inquired for those who were strangers, that perchance I
+might hear news from Bagdad, or find an opportunity to return. They put
+a thousand questions respecting my country; and I, being willing to
+inform myself as to their laws and customs, asked them concerning
+everything which I thought worth knowing.
+
+"There belongs to this king an island named Cassel. They assured me that
+every night a noise of drums was heard there, whence the mariners
+fancied that it was the residence of Degial. I determined to visit this
+wonderful place, and in my way thither saw fishes of one hundred and two
+hundred cubits long, that occasion more fear than hurt, for they are so
+timorous, that they will fly upon the rattling of two sticks or boards.
+I saw likewise other fish about a cubit in length, that had heads like
+owls.
+
+"As I was one day at the port after my return, a ship arrived, and as
+soon as she cast anchor, they began to unload her, and the merchants on
+board ordered their goods to be carried into the custom-house. As I cast
+my eye upon some bales, and looked to the name, I found my own, and
+perceived the bales to be the same that I had embarked at Bussorah. I
+also knew the captain; but being persuaded that he believed me to be
+drowned, I went, and asked him whose bales these were. He replied that
+they belonged to a merchant of Bagdad, called Sinbad, who came to sea
+with him; but had unfortunately perished on the voyage, and that he had
+resolved to trade with the bales, until he met with some of his family,
+to whom he might return the profit. 'I am that Sinbad,' said I, 'whom
+you thought to be dead, and those bales are mine.'
+
+"When the captain heard me speak thus, 'Heavens!' he exclaimed, 'whom
+can we trust in these times? There is no faith left among men. I saw
+Sinbad perish with my own eyes, as did also the passengers on board, and
+yet you tell me you are that Sinbad. What impudence is this? You tell a
+horrible falsehood, in order to possess yourself of what does not
+belong to you.' 'Have patience,' replied I; 'do me the favour to hear
+what I have to say.' Then I told him how I had escaped, and by what
+adventure I met with the grooms of the Maha-raja, who had brought me to
+his court.
+
+"The captain was at length persuaded that I was no cheat; for there came
+people from his ship who knew me, and expressed much joy at seeing me
+alive. At last he recollected me himself, and embracing me, 'Heaven be
+praised,' said he, 'for your happy escape. I cannot express the joy it
+affords me; there are your goods, take and do with them as you please.'
+I thanked him, acknowledged his probity, and offered him part of my
+goods as a present, which he generously refused.
+
+"I took out what was most valuable in my bales, and presented them to
+the Maha-raja, who, knowing my misfortune, asked me how I came by such
+rarities. I acquainted him with the circumstance of their recovery. He
+was pleased at my good luck, accepted my present, and in return gave me
+one much more considerable. Upon this, I took leave of him, and went
+aboard the same ship, after I had exchanged my goods for the commodities
+of that country. I carried with me wood of aloes, sandal, camphire,
+nutmegs, cloves, pepper, and ginger. We passed by several islands, and
+at last arrived at Bussorah, from whence I came to this city, with the
+value of one hundred thousand sequins. My family and I received one
+another with sincere affection. I bought slaves and a landed estate, and
+built a magnificent house. Thus I settled myself, resolving to forget
+the miseries I had suffered, and to enjoy the pleasures of life."
+
+Sinbad stopped here, and ordered the musicians to proceed with their
+concert, which the story had interrupted. The company continued enjoying
+themselves till the evening, when Sinbad sent for a purse of a hundred
+sequins, and giving it to the porter, said: "Take this, Hindbad, return
+to your home, and come back to-morrow to hear more of my adventures."
+The porter went away, astonished at the honour done, and the present
+made him. The account of this adventure proved very agreeable to his
+wife and children, who did not fail to return thanks to God for what
+providence had sent them by the hand of Sinbad.
+
+Hindbad put on his best apparel next day, and returned to the bountiful
+traveller, who welcomed him heartily. When all the guests had arrived,
+dinner was served. When it was ended, Sinbad, addressing himself to the
+company, said, "Gentlemen, be pleased to listen to the adventures of my
+second voyage; they deserve your attention even more than those of the
+first." Upon this every one held his peace, and Sinbad proceeded.
+
+
+THE SECOND VOYAGE
+
+"I designed, after my first voyage, to spend the rest of my days at
+Bagdad, but it was not long ere I grew weary of an indolent life. My
+inclination to trade revived. I bought goods proper for the commerce I
+intended, and put to sea a second time with merchants of known probity.
+We embarked on board a good ship, and after recommending ourselves to
+God, set sail. We traded from island to island, and exchanged
+commodities with great profit. One day we landed on an island covered
+with several sorts of fruit-trees, but we could see neither man nor
+animal. We went to take a little fresh air in the meadows, along the
+streams that watered them. Whilst some diverted themselves with
+gathering flowers, and others fruits, I took my wine and provisions, and
+sat down near a stream betwixt two high trees which formed a thick
+shade. I made a good meal, and afterward fell asleep. I cannot tell how
+long I slept, but when I awoke the ship was gone.
+
+"I got up and looked around me, but could not see one of the merchants
+who landed with me. I perceived the ship under sail, but at such a
+distance, that I lost sight of her in a short time.
+
+"In this sad condition, I was ready to die with grief. I cried out in
+agony, and threw myself upon the ground, where I lay some time in
+despair. I upbraided myself a hundred times for not being content with
+the produce of my first voyage, that might have sufficed me all my life.
+But all this was in vain, and my repentance came too late.
+
+"At last I resigned myself to the will of God. Not knowing what to do, I
+climbed up to the top of a lofty tree, from whence I looked about on all
+sides, to see if I could discover anything that could give me hopes.
+When I gazed toward the sea I could see nothing but sky and water; but
+looking over the land I beheld something white; and coming down, I took
+what provision I had left, and went toward it, the distance being so
+great that I could not distinguish what it was.
+
+"As I approached, I thought it to be a white dome, of a prodigious
+height and extent; and when I came up to it, I touched it, and found it
+to be very smooth. I went round to see if it was open on any side, but
+saw that it was not, and that there was no climbing up to the top, as it
+was so smooth. It was at least fifty paces round.
+
+"By this time the sun was about to set, and all of a sudden the sky
+became as dark as if it had been covered with a thick cloud. I was much
+astonished at this sudden darkness, but much more when I found it
+occasioned by a bird of a monstrous size, that came flying toward me. I
+remembered that I had often heard mariners speak of a miraculous bird
+called the roc, and conceived that the great dome which I so much
+admired must be its egg. As I perceived the roc coming, I crept close to
+the egg, so that I had before me one of the bird's legs, which was as
+big as the trunk of a tree. I tied myself strongly to it with my turban,
+in hopes that next morning she would carry me with her out of this
+desert island. After having passed the night in this condition, the bird
+flew away as soon as it was daylight, and carried me so high, that I
+could not discern the earth; she afterward descended with so much
+rapidity that I lost my senses. But when I found myself on the ground, I
+speedily untied the knot, and had scarcely done so, when the roc, having
+taken up a serpent of a monstrous length in her bill, flew away.
+
+"The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains,
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley. This was a new perplexity: so
+that when I compared this place with the desert island from which the
+roc had brought me I found that I had gained nothing by the change.
+
+"As I walked through this valley, I perceived it was strewed with
+diamonds, some of which were of a surprising bigness. I took pleasure in
+looking upon them; but shortly saw at a distance such objects as greatly
+diminished my satisfaction, namely, a great number of serpents, so
+monstrous, that the least of them was capable of swallowing an elephant.
+They retired in the daytime to their dens, where they hid themselves
+from the roc, their enemy, and came out only in the night.
+
+"I spent the day in walking about in the valley, resting myself at times
+in such places as I thought most convenient. When night came on, I went
+into a cave, where I thought I might repose in safety. I secured the
+entrance with a great stone to preserve me from the serpents; but not so
+far as to exclude the light. I supped on part of my provisions, but the
+serpents, which began hissing round me, put me into such extreme fear,
+that I could not sleep. When day appeared, the serpents retired, and I
+came out of the cave trembling. I can justly say, that I walked upon
+diamonds, without feeling any inclination to touch them. At last I sat
+down, and notwithstanding my apprehensions, not having closed my eyes
+during the night, fell asleep, after having eaten a little more of my
+provision. But I had scarcely shut my eyes, when something that fell by
+me with a great noise awaked me. This was a large piece of raw meat; and
+at the same time I saw several others fall down from the rocks in
+different places.
+
+"I had always regarded as fabulous what I had heard sailors and others
+relate of the valley of diamonds, and of the stratagems employed by
+merchants to obtain jewels from thence; but now I found that they had
+stated nothing but truth. For the fact is, that the merchants come to
+the neighbourhood of this valley when the eagles have young ones; and,
+throwing great joints of meat into the valley, the diamonds upon whose
+points they fall stick to them; the eagles, which are stronger in this
+country than anywhere else, pounce with great force upon those pieces of
+meat, and carry them to their nests on the rocks to feed their young;
+the merchants at this time run to the nests, drive off the eagles by
+their shouts, and take away the diamonds that stick to the meat.
+
+"Until I perceived the device I had concluded it to be impossible for me
+to leave this abyss, which I regarded as my grave; but now I changed my
+opinion, and began to think upon the means of my deliverance. I began to
+collect the largest diamonds I could find, and put them into the leather
+bag in which I used to carry my provisions. I afterward took the
+largest of the pieces of meat, tied it close round me with the cloth of
+my turban, and then laid myself upon the ground with my face downward,
+the bag of diamonds being made fast to my girdle.
+
+"I had scarcely placed myself in this posture when the eagles came. Each
+of them seized a piece of meat, and one of the strongest having taken me
+up, with the piece of meat to which I was fastened, carried me to his
+nest on the top of the mountain. The merchants immediately began their
+shouting to frighten the eagles; and when they had obliged them to quit
+their prey, one of them came to the nest where I was. He was much
+alarmed when he saw me; but recovering himself, instead of inquiring how
+I came thither, began to quarrel with me, and asked, why I stole his
+goods. 'You will treat me,' replied I, 'with more civility when you know
+me better. Do not be uneasy, I have diamonds enough for you and myself,
+more than all the other merchants together. What ever they have, they
+owe to chance, but I selected for myself in the bottom of the valley
+those which you see in this bag.' I had scarcely done speaking, when the
+other merchants came crowding about us, much astonished to see me; but
+they were much more surprised when I told them my story.
+
+"They conducted me to their encampment, and there having opened my bag,
+they were surprised at the largeness of my diamonds, and confessed that
+in all the courts which they had visited they had never seen any of such
+size and perfection. I prayed the merchant who owned the nest to which I
+had been carried (for every merchant had his own), to take as many for
+his share as he pleased. He contented himself with one, and that the
+least of them; and when I pressed him to take more, 'No,' said he, 'I am
+very well satisfied with this, which is valuable enough to save me the
+trouble of making any more voyages, and will raise as great a fortune as
+I desire.'
+
+"I spent the night with the merchants, to whom I related my story a
+second time, for the satisfaction of those who had not heard it. I could
+not moderate my joy when I found myself delivered from the danger I have
+mentioned. I thought myself in a dream, and could scarcely believe
+myself out of danger.
+
+"The merchants had thrown their pieces of meat into the valley for
+several days, and each of them being satisfied with the diamonds that
+had fallen to his lot, we left the place the next morning and travelled
+near high mountains, where there were serpents of a prodigious length,
+which we had the good fortune to escape. We took shipping at the first
+port we reached, and touched at the isle of Roha, where the trees grow
+that yield camphire. This tree is so large, and its branches so thick,
+that one hundred men may easily sit under its shade. The juice of which
+the camphire is made exudes from a hole bored in the upper part of the
+tree, is received in a vessel, where it thickens to a consistency, and
+becomes what we call camphire; after the juice is thus drawn out, the
+tree withers and dies.
+
+"In this island is also found the rhinoceros, an animal less than the
+elephant, but larger than the buffalo. It has a horn upon its nose,
+about a cubit in length; this horn is solid, and cleft through the
+middle. The rhinoceros fights with the elephant, runs his horn into his
+belly, and carries him off upon his head; but the blood and the fat of
+the elephant running into his eyes, and making him blind, he falls to
+the ground; and then, strange to relate! the roc comes and carries them
+both away in her claws, for food for her young ones.
+
+"In this island I exchanged some of my diamonds for merchandise. From
+hence we went to other ports, and at last, having touched at several
+trading towns of the continent, we landed at Bussorah, from whence I
+proceeded to Bagdad. There I immediately gave large presents to the
+poor, and lived honourably upon the vast riches I had gained with so
+much fatigue."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_The spot where she left me was encompassed on all sides by mountains
+that seemed to reach above the clouds, and so steep that there was no
+possibility of getting out of the valley._
+
+Thus Sinbad ended his relation, gave Hindbad another hundred sequins,
+and invited him to come the next day to hear the account of the third
+voyage.
+
+
+THE THIRD VOYAGE
+
+"I soon lost the remembrance of the perils I had encountered in my two
+former voyages," said Sinbad, "and being in the flower of my age, I grew
+weary of living without business, and went from Bagdad to Bussorah with
+the richest commodities of the country. There I embarked again with some
+merchants. We made a long voyage and touched at several ports, where we
+carried on a considerable trade. One day, being out in the main ocean,
+we were overtaken by a dreadful tempest, which drove us from our course.
+The tempest continued several days, and brought us before the port of an
+island, which the captain was very unwilling to enter, but we were
+obliged to cast anchor. When we had furled our sails, the captain told
+us that this, and some other neighbouring islands, were inhabited by
+hairy savages, who would speedily attack us; and, though they were but
+dwarfs, yet we must make no resistance, for they were more in number
+than the locusts; and if we happened to kill one of them they would all
+fall upon us and destroy us.
+
+"We soon found that what he had told us was but too true; an innumerable
+multitude of frightful savages, about two feet high, covered all over
+with red hair, came swimming towards us, and encompassed our ship. They
+spoke to us as they came near, but we understood not their language and
+they climbed up the sides of the ship with such agility as surprised us.
+They took down our sails, cut the cables, and hauling to the shore, made
+us all get out, and afterward carried the ship into another island, from
+whence they had come.
+
+"We went forward into the island, where we gathered some fruits and
+herbs to prolong our lives as long as we could; but we expected nothing
+but death. As we advanced, we perceived at a distance a vast pile of
+buildings, and made toward it. We found it to be a palace, elegantly
+built, and very lofty, with a gate of ebony, which we forced open. We
+entered the court, where we saw before us a large apartment, with a
+porch, having on one side a heap of human bones, and on the other a vast
+number of roasting spits. We trembled at this spectacle, and being
+fatigued with travelling, fell to the ground, seized with deadly
+apprehension, and lay a long time motionless.
+
+"The sun set, the gate of the apartment opened with a loud crash, and
+there came out the horrible figure of a black man, as tall as a lofty
+palm-tree. He had but one eye, and that in the middle of his forehead,
+where it looked as red as a burning coal. His fore-teeth were very long
+and sharp, and stood out of his mouth, which was as deep as that of a
+horse. His upper lip hung down upon his breast. His ears resembled those
+of an elephant, and covered his shoulders; and his nails were as long
+and crooked as the talons of the greatest birds. At the sight of so
+frightful a giant we became insensible, and lay like dead men.
+
+"At last we came to ourselves, and saw him sitting in the porch looking
+at us. When he had considered us well, he advanced toward us, and laying
+his hand upon me, took me up by the nape of my neck, and turned me round
+as a butcher would do a sheep's head. After having examined me, and
+perceiving me to be so lean that I had nothing but skin and bone, he let
+me go. He took up all the rest one by one, and viewed them in the same
+manner. The captain being the fattest, he held him with one hand, as I
+would do a sparrow, and thrust a spit through him; he then kindled a
+great fire, roasted, and ate him in his apartment for his supper. Having
+finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and fell
+asleep, snoring louder than thunder. He slept thus till morning. As to
+ourselves, it was not possible for us to enjoy any rest, so that we
+passed the night in the most painful apprehension that can be imagined.
+When day appeared the giant awoke, got up, went out, and left us in the
+palace.
+
+"When we thought him at a distance, we broke the melancholy silence we
+had preserved the whole of the night, and filled the palace with our
+lamentations and groans.
+
+"We spent the day in traversing the island, supporting ourselves with
+fruits and herbs as we had done the day before. In the evening we sought
+for some place of shelter, but found none; so that we were forced,
+whether we would or not, to go back to the palace.
+
+"The giant failed not to return, and supped once more upon one of our
+companions, after which he slept and snored till day, and then went out
+and left us as before. Our situation appeared to us so dreadful that
+several of my comrades designed to throw themselves into the sea, rather
+than die so painful a death, upon which one of the company answered that
+it would be much more reasonable to devise some method to rid ourselves
+of the monster.
+
+"Having thought of a project for this purpose, I communicated it to my
+comrades, who approved it. 'Brethren,' said I, 'you know there is much
+timber floating upon the coast; if you will be advised by me, let us
+make several rafts capable of bearing us. In the meantime, we will
+carry out the design I proposed to you for our deliverance from the
+giant, and if it succeed, we may remain here patiently awaiting the
+arrival of some ship; but if it happen to miscarry, we will take to our
+rafts and put to sea.' My advice was approved, and we made rafts capable
+of carrying three persons on each.
+
+"We returned to the palace toward the evening, and the giant arrived
+shortly after. We were forced to submit to seeing another of our
+comrades roasted, but at last we revenged ourselves on the brutish giant
+in the following manner. After he had finished his supper he lay down on
+his back and fell asleep. As soon as we heard him snore, according to
+his custom, nine of the boldest among us, and myself, took each of us a
+spit, and putting the points of them into the fire till they were
+burning hot, we thrust them into his eye all at once and blinded him.
+The pain made him break out into a frightful yell: he started up, and
+stretched out his hands, in order to sacrifice some of us to his rage:
+but we ran to such places as he could not reach; and after having sought
+for us in vain, he groped for the gate and went out, howling in agony.
+
+"We quitted the palace after the giant and came to the shore, where we
+had left our rafts, and put them immediately to sea. We waited till day,
+in order to get upon them in case the giant should come toward us with
+any guide of his own species; but we hoped if he did not appear by
+sunrise, and gave over his howling, which we still heard, that he would
+prove to be dead; and if that happened, we resolved to stay in that
+island, and not to risk our lives upon the rafts. But day had scarcely
+appeared when we perceived our cruel enemy, accompanied with two others
+almost of the same size, leading him; and a great number more coming
+before him at a quick pace.
+
+"We did not hesitate to take to our rafts, and put to sea with all the
+speed we could. The giants, who perceived this, took up great stones,
+and running to the shore, entered the water up to the middle, and threw
+so exactly that they sunk all the rafts but that I was upon; and all my
+companions, except the two with me, were drowned. We rowed with all our
+might, and escaped the giants, but when we got out to sea we were
+exposed to the mercy of the waves and winds, and spent that night and
+the following day under the most painful uncertainty as to our fate; but
+next morning we had the good fortune to be thrown upon an island, where
+we landed with much joy. We found excellent fruit, which afforded us
+great relief and recruited our strength.
+
+"At night we went to sleep on the sea shore; but were awakened by the
+noise of a serpent of surprising length and thickness, whose scales made
+a rustling noise as he wound himself along. It swallowed up one of my
+comrades, notwithstanding his loud cries, and the efforts he made to
+extricate himself from it; dashing him several times against the ground,
+it crushed him, and we could hear it gnaw and tear the poor wretch's
+bones, though we had fled to a considerable distance.
+
+"As we walked about, when day returned, we saw a tall tree, upon which
+we designed to pass the following night, for our security; and having
+satisfied our hunger with fruit, we mounted it before the dusk had
+fallen. Shortly after, the serpent came hissing to the foot of the tree;
+raised itself up against the trunk of it, and meeting with my comrade,
+who sat lower than I, swallowed him at once, and went off.
+
+"I remained upon the tree till it was day, and then came down, more like
+a dead man than one alive, expecting the same fate as my two companions.
+This filled me with horror, and I advanced some steps to throw myself
+into the sea; but I withstood this dictate of despair, and submitted
+myself to the will of God.
+
+"In the meantime I collected a great quantity of small wood, brambles,
+and dry thorns, and making them up into faggots, made a wide circle with
+them round the tree, and also tied some of them to the branches over my
+head. Having done this, when the evening came I shut myself up within
+this circle, feeling that I had neglected nothing which could preserve
+me from the cruel destiny with which I was threatened. The serpent
+failed not to come at the usual hour, and went round the tree, seeking
+for an opportunity to devour me, but was prevented by the rampart I had
+made; so that he lay till day, like a cat watching in vain for a mouse
+that has fortunately reached a place of safety. When day appeared he
+retired, but I dared not to leave my fort until the sun arose.
+
+"I felt so much fatigued by the labour to which it had put me, and
+suffered so much from the serpent's poisonous breath, that death seemed
+more eligible to me than the horrors of such a state. I came down from
+the tree, and was going to throw myself into the sea, when God took
+compassion on me and I perceived a ship at a considerable distance. I
+called as loud as I could, and taking the linen from my turban,
+displayed it, that they might observe me. This had the desired effect;
+the crew perceived me, and the captain sent his boat for me. As soon as
+I came on board, the merchants and seamen flocked about me, to know how
+I came into that desert island; and after I had related to them all that
+had befallen me, the oldest among them said that they had often heard of
+the giants that dwelt in that island, that they were cannibals; and as
+to the serpents, they added, that there were abundance of them that hid
+themselves by day, and came abroad by night. After having testified
+their joy at my escaping so many dangers, they brought me the best of
+their provisions; and the captain, seeing that I was in rags, was so
+generous as to give me one of his own suits. We continued at sea for
+some time, touched at several islands, and at last landed at that of
+Salabat, where sandal wood is obtained, which is of great use in
+medicine. We entered the port, and came to anchor. The merchants began
+to unload their goods, in order to sell or exchange them. In the
+meantime, the captain came to me and said: 'Brother, I have here some
+goods that belonged to a merchant, who sailed some time on board this
+ship, and he being dead, I design to dispose of them for the benefit of
+his heirs.' The bales he spoke of lay on the deck, and showing them to
+me, he said: 'There are the goods; I hope you will take care to sell
+them, and you shall have factorage.' I thanked him for thus affording me
+an opportunity of employing myself, because I hated to be idle.
+
+"The clerk of the ship took an account of all the bales, with the names
+of the merchants to whom they belonged, and when he asked the captain in
+whose name he should enter those he had given me the charge of, 'Enter
+them,' said the captain, 'in the name of Sinbad.' I could not hear
+myself named without some emotion; and looking steadfastly on the
+captain, I knew him to be the person who, in my second voyage, had left
+me in the island where I fell asleep.
+
+"I was not surprised that he, believing me to be dead, did not recognise
+me. 'Captain,' said I, 'was the merchant's name, to whom those bales
+belonged, Sinbad?' 'Yes,' replied he, 'that was his name; he came from
+Bagdad, and embarked on board my ship at Bussorah.' 'You believe him,
+then, to be dead?' said I. 'Certainly,' answered he. 'No, captain,'
+resumed I; 'look at me, and you may know that I am Sinbad.'
+
+"The captain, having considered me attentively, recognised me. 'God be
+praised,' said he, embracing me, 'I rejoice that fortune has rectified
+my fault. There are your goods, which I always took care to preserve.' I
+took them from him, and made him the acknowledgments to which he was
+entitled.
+
+"From the isle of Salabat, we went to another, where I furnished myself
+with cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. As we sailed from this island,
+we saw a tortoise twenty cubits in length and breadth. We observed also
+an amphibious animal like a cow, which gave milk; its skin is so hard,
+that they usually make bucklers of it.
+
+"In short, after a long voyage I arrived at Bussorah, and from thence
+returned to Bagdad, with so much wealth that I knew not its extent. I
+gave a great deal to the poor, and bought another considerable estate in
+addition to what I had already."
+
+[Illustration]
+
+_Having finished his repast, he returned to his porch, where he lay and
+fell asleep, snoring louder than thunder._
+
+Thus Sinbad finished the history of his third voyage; gave another
+hundred sequins to Hindbad, and invited him to dinner again the next day
+to hear the story of his fourth series of adventures.
+
+
+THE FOURTH VOYAGE
+
+"The pleasures which I enjoyed after my third voyage had not charms
+sufficient to divert me from another. My passion for trade, and my love
+of novelty, again prevailed. I therefore settled my affairs, and having
+provided a stock of goods fit for the traffic I designed to engage in, I
+set out on my journey. I took the route of Persia, travelled over
+several provinces, and then arrived at a port, where I embarked. We
+hoisted our sails, and touched at several ports of the continent, and
+then put out to sea; when we were overtaken by such a sudden gust of
+wind, as obliged the captain to lower his yards, and take all other
+necessary precautions to prevent the danger that threatened us. But all
+was in vain; our endeavours had no effect, the sails were split in a
+thousand pieces, and the ship was stranded; several of the merchants and
+seamen were drowned, and the cargo was lost.
+
+"I had the good fortune, with several of the merchants and mariners, to
+get upon some planks, and we were carried by the current to an island
+which lay before us. There we found fruit and spring water, which
+preserved our lives. We stayed all night near the place where we had
+been cast ashore and next morning, as soon as the sun was up, advancing
+into the island, saw some houses, which we approached. As soon as we
+drew near, we were encompassed by a great number of negroes, who seized
+us and carried us to their respective habitations.
+
+"I, and five of my comrades, were carried to one place; here they made
+us sit down, and gave us a certain herb, which they made signs to us to
+eat. My comrades, not taking notice that the blacks ate none of it
+themselves, thought only of satisfying their hunger, and ate with
+greediness. But I, suspecting some trick, would not so much as taste it,
+which happened well for me; for in a little time after, I perceived my
+companions had lost their senses, and that when they spoke to me, they
+knew not what they said.
+
+"The negroes fed us afterward with rice, prepared with oil of
+cocoa-nuts; and my comrades, who had lost their reason, ate of it
+greedily. I also partook of it, but very sparingly. They gave us that
+herb at first on purpose to deprive us of our senses, that we might not
+be aware of the sad destiny prepared for us; and they supplied us with
+rice to fatten us; for, being cannibals, their design was to eat us as
+soon as we grew fat. This accordingly happened, for they devoured my
+comrades, who were not sensible of their condition; but my senses being
+entire, you may easily guess that instead of growing fat I grew leaner
+every day. The fear of death under which I laboured caused me to fall
+into a languishing distemper, which proved my safety; for the negroes,
+having eaten my companions, seeing me to be withered, and sick, deferred
+my death.
+
+"Meanwhile I had much liberty, so that scarcely any notice was taken of
+what I did, and this gave me an opportunity one day to get at a distance
+from the houses and to make my escape. An old man, who saw me and
+suspected my design, called to me as loud as he could to return; but I
+redoubled my speed, and quickly got out of sight. At that time there was
+none but the old man about the houses, the rest being abroad, and not to
+return till night, which was usual with them. Therefore, being sure that
+they could not arrive in time enough to pursue me, I went on till night,
+when I stopped to rest a little, and to eat some of the provisions I had
+secured; but I speedily set forward again, and travelled seven days,
+avoiding those places which seemed to be inhabited, and lived for the
+most part upon cocoa-nuts, which served me both for meat and drink. On
+the eighth day I came near the sea, and saw some white people like
+myself, gathering pepper, of which there was great plenty in that place.
+This I took to be a good omen, and went to them without any scruple.
+They came to meet me as soon as they saw me, and asked me in Arabic who
+I was, and whence I came. I was overjoyed to hear them speak in my own
+language, and satisfied their curiosity by giving them an account of my
+shipwreck, and how I fell into the hands of the negroes. 'Those
+negroes,' replied they, 'eat men, and by what miracle did you escape
+their cruelty?' I related to them the circumstances I have just
+mentioned, at which they were wonderfully surprised.
+
+"I stayed with them till they had gathered their quantity of pepper, and
+then sailed with them to the island from whence they had come. They
+presented me to their king, who was a good prince. He had the patience
+to hear the relation of my adventures; and he afterward gave me clothes,
+and commanded care to be taken of me.
+
+"The island was very well peopled, plentiful in everything, and the
+capital a place of great trade. This agreeable retreat was very
+comfortable to me, after my misfortunes, and the kindness of this
+generous prince completed my satisfaction. In a word, there was not a
+person more in favour with him than myself; and consequently every man
+in court and city sought to oblige me; so that in a very little time I
+was looked upon rather as a native than a stranger.
+
+"I observed one thing which to me appeared very extraordinary. All the
+people, the king himself not excepted, rode their horses without bridle
+or stirrups. This made me one day take the liberty to ask the king how
+it came to pass. His Majesty answered, that I talked to him of things
+which nobody knew the use of in his dominions.
+
+"I went immediately to a workman, and gave him a model for making the
+stock of a saddle. When that was done, I covered it myself with velvet
+and leather, and embroidered it with gold. I afterward went to a smith,
+who made me a bit, according to the pattern I showed him, and also some
+stirrups. When I had all things completed, I presented them to the king,
+and put them upon one of his horses. His Majesty mounted immediately,
+and was so pleased with them, that he testified his satisfaction by
+large presents.
+
+"As I paid my court very constantly to the king, he said to me one day:
+'Sinbad, I love thee and I have one thing to demand of thee, which thou
+must grant.' 'Sir,' answered I, 'there is nothing but I will do, as a
+mark of my obedience to your Majesty.' 'I have a mind thou shouldst
+marry,' replied he, 'that so thou mayest stay in my dominions, and think
+no more of thy own country.' I durst not resist the prince's will, and
+he gave me one of the ladies of his court, noble, beautiful, and rich.
+The ceremonies of marriage being over, I went and dwelt with my wife,
+and for some time we lived together in perfect harmony. I was not,
+however, satisfied with my banishment, therefore designed to make my
+escape the first opportunity, and to return to Bagdad.
+
+"At this time the wife of one of my neighbours fell sick, and died. I
+went to see and comfort him in his affliction, and finding him absorbed
+in sorrow, I said to him as soon as I saw him: 'God preserve you and
+grant you a long life.' 'Alas!' replied he, 'how do you think I should
+obtain the favour you wish me? I have not above an hour to live.'
+'Pray,' said I, 'do not entertain such a melancholy thought; I hope I
+shall enjoy your company many years.' 'I wish you,' he replied, 'a long
+life; but my days are at an end, for I must be buried this day with my
+wife. This is a law which our ancestors established in this island, and
+it is always observed. The living husband is interred with the dead
+wife, and the living wife with the dead husband. Nothing can save me;
+every one must submit to this law.'
+
+"While he was giving me an account of this barbarous custom, the very
+relation of which chilled my blood, his kindred, friends, and neighbours
+came in a body to assist at the funeral. They dressed the corpse of the
+woman in her richest apparel, and all her jewels, as if it had been her
+wedding day; then they placed her in an open coffin, and began their
+march to the place of burial, the husband walking at the head of the
+company. They proceeded to a high mountain, and when they had reached
+the place of their destination, they took up a large stone, which
+covered the mouth of a deep pit, and let down the corpse with all its
+apparel and jewels. Then the husband embracing his kindred and friends,
+suffered himself, without resistance, to be put into another open coffin
+with a pot of water, and seven small loaves, and was let down in the
+same manner. The ceremony being over, the aperture was again covered
+with the stone, and the company returned.
+
+"It is needless for me to tell you that I was a melancholy spectator of
+this funeral, while the rest were scarcely moved, the custom was to them
+so familiar. I could not forbear communicating to the king my sentiment
+respecting the practice: 'Sir,' I said, 'I cannot but feel astonished at
+the strange usage observed in this country, of burying the living with
+the dead. I have been a great traveller, and seen many countries, but
+never heard of so cruel a law.' 'What do you mean, Sinbad?' replied the
+king: 'it is a common law. I shall be interred with the queen, my wife,
+if she die first.' 'But, sir,' said I, 'may I presume to ask your
+Majesty, if strangers be obliged to observe this law?' 'Without doubt,'
+returned the king; 'they are not exempted, if they be married in this
+island.'
+
+"I returned home much depressed by this answer; for the fear of my
+wife's dying first and that I should be interred alive with her,
+occasioned me very uneasy reflections. But there was no remedy; I must
+have patience, and submit to the will of God. I trembled, however, at
+every little indisposition of my wife, and, alas! in a little time my
+fears were realised, for she fell sick and died.
+
+"The king and all his court expressed their wish to honour the funeral
+with their presence, and the most considerable people of the city did
+the same. When all was ready for the ceremony, the corpse was put into a
+coffin with all her jewels and her most magnificent apparel. The
+procession began, and as second actor in this doleful tragedy, I went
+next the corpse, with my eyes full of tears, bewailing my deplorable
+fate. Before we reached the mountain, I made an attempt to affect the
+minds of the spectators: I addressed myself to the king first, and then
+to all those that were round me; bowing before them to the earth, and
+kissing the border of their garments, I prayed them to have compassion
+upon me. 'Consider,' said I, 'that I am a stranger, and ought not to be
+subject to this rigorous law, and that I have another wife and children
+in my own country.' Although I spoke in the most pathetic manner, no one
+was moved by my address; on the contrary, they ridiculed my dread of
+death as cowardly, made haste to let my wife's corpse into the pit, and
+lowered me down the next moment in an open coffin with a vessel full of
+water and seven loaves.
+
+"As I approached the bottom, I discovered by the aid of the little light
+that came from above the nature of this subterranean place; it seemed an
+endless cavern, and might be about fifty fathoms deep.
+
+"Instead of losing my courage and calling death to my assistance in that
+miserable condition, however, I felt still an inclination to live, and
+to do all I could to prolong my days. I went groping about, for the
+bread and water that was in my coffin, and took some of it. Though the
+darkness of the cave was so great that I could not distinguish day and
+night, yet I always found my coffin again, and the cave seemed to be
+more spacious than it had appeared to be at first. I lived for some days
+upon my bread and water, which being all spent, I at last prepared for
+death.
+
+"I was offering up my last devotions when I heard something tread, and
+breathing or panting as it walked. I advanced toward that side from
+whence I heard the noise, and on my approach the creature puffed and
+blew harder, as if running away from me. I followed the noise, and the
+thing seemed to stop sometimes, but always fled and blew as I
+approached. I pursued it for a considerable time, till at last I
+perceived a light, resembling a star; I went on, sometimes lost sight of
+it, but always found it again, and at last discovered that it came
+through a hole in the rock, large enough to admit a man.
+
+"Upon this, I stopped some time to rest, being much fatigued with the
+rapidity of my progress: afterward coming up to the hole, I got through,
+and found myself upon the seashore. I leave you to guess the excess of
+my joy: it was such that I could scarcely persuade myself that the whole
+was not a dream.
+
+"But when I was recovered from my surprise, and convinced of the reality
+of my escape, I perceived what I had followed to be a creature which
+came out of the sea, and was accustomed to enter the cavern when the
+tides were high.
+
+"I examined the mountain, and found it to be situated betwixt the sea
+and the town, but without any passage to or communication with the
+latter; the rocks on the sea side being high and perpendicularly steep.
+I prostrated myself on the shore to thank God for this mercy, and
+afterward entered the cave again to fetch bread and water, which I ate
+by daylight with a better appetite than I had done since my interment in
+the dark cavern.
+
+"I returned thither a second time, and groped among the coffins for all
+the diamonds, rubies, pearls, gold bracelets, and rich stuffs I could
+find; these I brought to the shore, and tying them up neatly into
+bales, I laid them together upon the beach, waiting till some ship might
+appear.
+
+"After two or three days, I perceived a ship just come out of the
+harbour, making for the place where I was. I made a sign with the linen
+of my turban, and called to the crew as loud as I could. They heard me,
+and sent a boat to bring me on board, when they asked by what misfortune
+I came thither; I told them that I had suffered shipwreck two days
+before, and made shift to get ashore with the goods they saw. It was
+fortunate for me that these people did not consider the place where I
+was, nor inquire into the probability of what I told them; but without
+hesitation took me on board. When I came to the ship, the captain was so
+well pleased to have saved me, and so much taken up with his own
+affairs, that he also took the story of my pretended shipwreck upon
+trust, and generously refused some jewels which I offered him.
+
+"We passed by several islands, and among others that called the isle of
+Bells, about ten days' sail from Serendib, and six from that of Kela,
+where we landed. This island produces lead mines, Indian canes, and
+excellent camphire.
+
+"The King of the isle of Kela is very rich and powerful, and the isle of
+Bells, which is about two days' journey in extent, is also subject to
+him. The inhabitants are so barbarous that they still eat human flesh.
+After we had finished our traffic in that island, we put to sea again,
+and touched at several other ports; at last I arrived happily at Bagdad
+with infinite riches. Out of gratitude to God for His mercies, I
+contributed liberally toward the support of several mosques, and the
+subsistence of the poor, and gave myself up to the society of my kindred
+and friends, enjoying myself with them in festivities and amusements."
+
+Here Sinbad finished the relation of his fourth voyage. He made a new
+present of one hundred sequins to Hindbad, whom he requested to return
+with the rest next day at the same hour to dine with him, and hear the
+story of his fifth voyage. Hindbad and the other guests took their leave
+and retired. Next morning when they all met, they sat down at table, and
+when dinner was over, Sinbad began the relation of his fifth voyage as
+follows:
+
+
+THE FIFTH VOYAGE
+
+"All the troubles and calamities I had undergone," said he, "could not
+cure me of my inclination to make new voyages. I therefore bought goods,
+departed with them for the best seaport; and that I might not be obliged
+to depend upon a captain, but have a ship at my own command, I remained
+there till one was built on purpose. When the ship was ready, I went on
+board with my goods: but not having enough to load her, I agreed to take
+with me several merchants of different nations with their merchandise.
+
+"We sailed with the first fair wind, and after a long navigation, the
+first place we touched at was a desert island, where we found an egg of
+a roc, equal in size to that I formerly mentioned. There was a young roc
+in it just ready to be hatched, and its bill had begun to appear. The
+merchants whom I had taken on board, and who landed with me, broke the
+egg with hatchets, pulled out the young roc, piecemeal, and roasted it.
+I had earnestly entreated them not to meddle with the egg, but they
+would not listen to me.
+
+"Scarcely had they finished their repast, when there appeared in the air
+at a considerable distance from us two great clouds. The captain whom I
+had hired to navigate my ship, said they were the male and female roc
+that belonged to the young one and pressed us to re-embark with all
+speed, to prevent the misfortune which he saw would otherwise befall us.
+We hastened on board, and set sail with all possible expedition.
+
+"In the meantime, the two rocs approached with a frightful noise, which
+they redoubled when they saw the egg broken, and their young one gone.
+They flew back in the direction they had come, and disappeared for some
+time, while we made all the sail we could to endeavour to prevent that
+which unhappily befell us.
+
+"They soon returned, and we observed that each of them carried between
+its talons rocks of a monstrous size. When they came directly over my
+ship, they hovered, and one of them let fall a stone, but by the
+dexterity of the steersman it missed us. The other roc, to our
+misfortune, threw his burden so exactly upon the middle of the ship, as
+to split it into a thousand pieces. The mariners and passengers were all
+crushed to death, or sank. I myself was of the number of the latter; but
+as I came up again, I fortunately caught hold of a piece of the wreck,
+and swimming sometimes with one hand, and sometimes with the other, I
+came to an island, and got safely ashore.
+
+"I sat down upon the grass, to recover myself from my fatigue, after
+which I went into the island to explore it. I found trees everywhere,
+some of them bearing green, and others ripe fruits, and streams of fresh
+pure water. I ate of the fruits, which I found excellent; and drank of
+the water, which was very good.
+
+"When I was a little advanced into the island, I saw an old man, who
+appeared very weak and infirm. He was sitting on the bank of a stream,
+and at first I took him to be one who had been shipwrecked like myself.
+I went toward him and saluted him, but he only slightly bowed his head.
+I asked him why he sat so still, but instead of answering me, he made a
+sign for me to take him upon my back, and carry him over the brook,
+signifying that it was to gather fruit.
+
+"I believed him really to stand in need of my assistance, took him upon
+my back, and having carried him over, bade him get down, and for that
+end stooped, that he might get off with ease; but instead of doing so
+(which I laugh at every time I think of it) the old man, who to me
+appeared quite decrepit, clasped his legs nimbly about my neck. He sat
+astride upon my shoulders, and held my throat so tight, that I thought
+he would have strangled me, the apprehension of which made me swoon and
+fall down.
+
+"Notwithstanding my fainting, the ill-natured old fellow kept fast about
+my neck, but opened his legs a little to give me time to recover my
+breath. When I had done so, he thrust one of his feet against my
+stomach, and struck me so rudely on the side with the other that he
+forced me to rise up against my will. Having arisen, he made me walk
+under the trees, and forced me now and then to stop, to gather and eat
+fruit. He never left me all day, and when I lay down to rest at night,
+laid himself down with me, holding always fast about my neck. Every
+morning he pushed me to make me awake, and afterward obliged me to get
+up and walk, and pressed me with his feet.
+
+"One day I found in my way several dry calabashes that had fallen from a
+tree. I took a large one, and after cleaning it, pressed into it some
+juice of grapes, which abounded in the island; having filled the
+calabash, I put it by in a convenient place, and going thither again
+some days after, I tasted it, and found the wine so good, that it soon
+made me forget my sorrow, gave me new vigour, and so exhilarated my
+spirits, that I began to sing and dance as I walked along.
+
+"The old man, perceiving the effect which this liquor had upon me, and
+that I carried him with more ease than before, made me a sign to give
+him some of it. I handed him the calabash, and the liquor pleasing his
+palate, he drank it all off. There being a considerable quantity of it,
+he became intoxicated, and the fumes getting up into his head, he began
+to sing after his manner, and to dance, thus loosening his legs from
+about me by degrees. Finding that he did not press me as before, I threw
+him upon the ground, where he lay without motion; I then took up a great
+stone, and crushed him.
+
+"I was extremely glad to be thus freed forever from this troublesome
+fellow. I now walked toward the beach, where I met the crew of a ship
+that had cast anchor, to take in water. They were surprised to see me,
+but more so at hearing the particulars of my adventures. 'You fell,'
+said they, 'into the hands of the Old Man of the Sea, and are the first
+who ever escaped strangling by his malicious tricks. He never quits
+those he has once made himself master of till he has destroyed them, and
+he has made this island notorious by the number of men he has slain.'
+
+"After having informed me of these things, they carried me with them to
+the ship, and the captain received me with great kindness, when they
+told him what had befallen me. He put out again to sea, and after some
+days' sail, we arrived at the harbour of a great city.
+
+"One of the merchants who had taken me into his friendship invited me to
+go along with him, and carried me to a place appointed for the
+accommodation of foreign merchants. He gave me a large bag, and having
+recommended me to some people of the town, who used to gather
+cocoa-nuts, desired them to take me with them. 'Go,' said he, 'follow
+them, and act as you see them do, but do not separate from them,
+otherwise you may endanger your life.' Having thus spoken, he gave me
+provisions for the journey, and I went with them.
+
+"We came to a thick forest of cocoa-trees, very lofty, with trunks so
+smooth that it was not possible to climb to the branches that bore the
+fruit. When we entered the forest we saw a great number of apes of
+several sizes, who fled as soon as they perceived us, and climbed up to
+the top of the trees with surprising swiftness.
+
+"The merchants with whom I was, gathered stones and threw them at the
+apes on the trees. I did the same, and the apes out of revenge threw
+cocoa-nuts at us so fast, and with such gestures, as sufficiently
+testified their anger and resentment. We gathered up the cocoa-nuts, and
+from time to time threw stones to provoke the apes; so that by this
+stratagem we filled our bags with cocoa-nuts, which it had been
+impossible otherwise to have done.
+
+"When we had gathered our number, we returned to the city, where the
+merchant who had sent me to the forest gave me the value of the cocoas I
+brought: 'Go on,' said he, 'and do the like every day, until you have
+got money enough to carry you home.' I thanked him for his advice, and
+gradually collected as many cocoa-nuts as produced me a considerable
+sum.
+
+"The vessel in which I had come sailed with some merchants who loaded
+her with cocoa-nuts. I embarked in her all the nuts I had, and when she
+was ready to sail took leave of the merchant who had been so kind to me.
+
+"We sailed toward the islands, where pepper grows in great plenty. From
+thence we went to the isle of Comari, where the best species of wood of
+aloes grows. I exchanged my cocoa in those two islands for pepper and
+wood of aloes, and went with other merchants a pearl-fishing. I hired
+divers, who brought me up some that were very large and pure. I embarked
+in a vessel that happily arrived at Bussorah; from thence I returned to
+Bagdad, where I made vast sums from my pepper, wood of aloes, and
+pearls. I gave the tenth of my gains in alms, as I had done upon my
+return from my other voyages, and endeavoured to dissipate my fatigues
+by amusements of different kinds."
+
+When Sinbad had finished his story, he ordered one hundred sequins to be
+given to Hindbad, who retired with the other guests; but next morning
+the same company returned to dine; when Sinbad requested their
+attention, and gave the following account of his sixth voyage:
+
+
+THE SIXTH VOYAGE
+
+"You long without doubt to know," said he, "how, after having been
+shipwrecked five times, and escaped so many dangers, I could resolve
+again to tempt fortune, and expose myself to new hardships. I am,
+myself, astonished at my conduct when I reflect upon it, and must
+certainly have been actuated by my destiny. But be that as it may, after
+a year's rest I prepared for a sixth voyage, notwithstanding the
+entreaties of my kindred, who did all in their power to dissuade me.
+
+"Instead of taking my way by the Persian Gulf, I travelled once more
+through several provinces of Persia and the Indies, and arrived at a
+seaport, where I embarked in a ship, the captain of which was bound on a
+long voyage. It was long indeed, for the captain and pilot lost their
+course. They, however, at last discovered where they were, but we had no
+reason to rejoice at the circumstance. Suddenly we saw the captain quit
+his post, uttering loud lamentations. He threw off his turban, pulled
+his beard, and beat his head like a madman. We asked him the reason,
+and he answered, that he was in the most dangerous place in all the
+ocean. 'A rapid current carries the ship along with it,' said he, 'and
+we shall all perish in less than a quarter of an hour. Pray to God to
+deliver us from this peril; we cannot escape, if He do not take pity on
+us.' At these words he ordered the sails to be lowered; but all the
+ropes broke, and the ship was carried by the current to the foot of an
+inaccessible mountain, where she struck and went to pieces, yet in such
+a manner that we saved our lives, our provisions, and the best of our
+goods.
+
+"This being over, the captain said to us: 'God has done what pleased
+Him. Each of us may dig his grave, and bid the world adieu; for we are
+all in so fatal a place, that none shipwrecked here ever returned to
+their homes.' His discourse afflicted us sensibly, and we embraced each
+other, bewailing our deplorable lot.
+
+"The mountain at the foot of which we were wrecked formed part of the
+coast of a very large island. It was covered with wrecks, with human
+bones, and with a vast quantity of goods and riches. In all other
+places, rivers run from their channels into the sea, but here a river of
+fresh water runs out of the sea into a dark cavern, whose entrance is
+very high and spacious. What is most remarkable in this place is, that
+the stones of the mountain are of crystal, rubies, or other precious
+stones. Here is also a sort of fountain of pitch or bitumen, that runs
+into the sea, which the fish swallow, and turn into ambergris: and this
+the waves throw up on the beach in great quantities. Trees also grow
+here, most of which are wood of aloes, equal in goodness to those of
+Comari.
+
+"To finish the description of this place, which may well be called a
+gulf, since nothing ever returns from it, it is not possible for ships
+to get off when once they approach within a certain distance. If they
+be driven thither by a wind from the sea, the wind and the current impel
+them; and if they come into it when a land-wind blows, the height of the
+mountain stops the wind, and occasions a calm, so that the force of the
+current carries them ashore: and what completes the misfortune is, that
+there is no possibility of ascending the mountain, or of escaping by
+sea.
+
+"We continued upon the shore in a state of despair, and expected death
+every day. At first we divided our provisions as equally as we could,
+and thus every one lived a longer or shorter time, according to his
+temperance, and the use he made of his provisions.
+
+"I survived all my companions, yet when I buried the last, I had so
+little provision remaining that I thought I could not long endure and I
+dug a grave, resolving to lie down in it because there was no one left
+to inter me.
+
+"But it pleased God once more to take compassion on me, and put it in my
+mind to go to the bank of the river which ran into the great cavern.
+Considering its probable course with great attention, I said to myself:
+'This river, which runs thus under ground, must somewhere have an issue.
+If I make a raft, and leave myself to the current, it will convey me to
+some inhabited country, or I shall perish. If I be drowned, I lose
+nothing, but only change one kind of death for another.'
+
+"I immediately went to work upon large pieces of timber and cables, for
+I had choice of them, and tied them together so strongly that I soon
+made a very solid raft. When I had finished, I loaded it with rubies,
+emeralds, ambergris, rock-crystal, and bales of rich stuffs. Having
+balanced my cargo exactly, and fastened it well to the raft, I went on
+board with two oars that I had made, and leaving it to the course of the
+river, resigned myself to the will of God.
+
+"As soon as I entered the cavern I lost all light, and the stream
+carried me I knew not whither. Thus I floated some days in perfect
+darkness, and once found the arch so low, that it very nearly touched my
+head, which made me cautious afterward to avoid the like danger. All
+this while I ate nothing but what was just necessary to support nature;
+yet, notwithstanding my frugality, all my provisions were spent. Then a
+pleasing stupor seized upon me. I cannot tell how long it continued; but
+when I revived, I was surprised to find myself in an extensive plain on
+the brink of a river, where my raft was tied, amidst a great number of
+negroes. I got up as soon as I saw them, and saluted them. They spoke to
+me, but I did not understand their language. I was so transported with
+joy, that I knew not whether I was asleep or awake; but being persuaded
+that I was not asleep, I recited aloud the following words in Arabic:
+'Call upon the Almighty, He will help thee; thou needest not perplex
+thyself about anything else: shut thy eyes, and while thou art asleep,
+God will change thy bad fortune into good.'
+
+"One of the blacks, who understood Arabic, hearing me speak thus, came
+toward me and said: 'Brother, be not surprised to see us; we are
+inhabitants of this country, and came hither to-day to water our fields.
+We observed something floating upon the water, and, perceiving your
+raft, one of us swam into the river and brought it hither, where we
+fastened it, as you see, until you should awake. Pray tell us your
+history, for it must be extraordinary; how did you venture yourself into
+this river, and whence did you come?' I begged of them first to give me
+something to eat, and then I would satisfy their curiosity. They gave me
+several sorts of food, and when I had satisfied my hunger, I related all
+that had befallen me, which they listened to with attentive surprise. As
+soon as I had finished, they told me, by the person who spoke Arabic
+and interpreted to them what I said, that it was one of the most
+wonderful stories they had ever heard, and that I must go along with
+them, and tell it to their king myself; it being too extraordinary to be
+related by any other than the person to whom the events had happened.
+
+"They immediately sent for a horse, which was brought in a little time;
+and having helped me to mount, some of them walked before to shew the
+way, while the rest took my raft and cargo and followed.
+
+"We marched till we came to the capital of Serendib, for it was in that
+island I had landed. The blacks presented me to their king; I approached
+his throne, and saluted him as I used to do the Kings of the Indies;
+that is to say, I prostrated myself at his feet. The prince ordered me
+to rise, received me with an obliging air, and made me sit down near
+him.
+
+"I related to the king all that I have told you, and his majesty was so
+surprised and pleased, that he commanded my adventures to be written in
+letters of gold, and laid up in the archives of his kingdom. At last my
+raft was brought in, and the bales opened in his presence: he admired
+the quantity of wood of aloes and ambergris; but, above all, the rubies
+and emeralds, for he had none in his treasury that equalled them.
+
+"Observing that he looked on my jewels with pleasure, I fell prostrate
+at his feet, and took the liberty to say to him: 'Sir, not only my
+person is at your majesty's service, but the cargo of the raft, and I
+would beg of you to dispose of it as your own.' He answered me with a
+smile: 'Sinbad, I will take care not to covet anything of yours, or to
+take anything from you that God has given you; far from lessening your
+wealth, I design to augment it, and will not let you quit my dominions
+without marks of my liberality.' He then charged one of his officers to
+take care of me, and ordered people to serve me at his own expense. The
+officer was very faithful in the execution of his commission, and caused
+all the goods to be carried to the lodgings provided for me.
+
+"I went every day at a set hour to make my court to the king, and spent
+the rest of my time in viewing the city, and what was most worthy of
+notice.
+
+"The capital of Serendib stands at the end of a fine valley, in the
+middle of the island, encompassed by mountains the highest in the world.
+Rubies and several sorts of minerals abound, and the rocks are for the
+most part composed of a metalline stone made use of to cut and polish
+other precious stones. All kinds of rare plants and trees grow there,
+especially cedars and cocoa-nut. There is also a pearl-fishing in the
+mouth of its principal river; and in some of its valleys are found
+diamonds. I made, by way of devotion, a pilgrimage to the place where
+Adam was confined after his banishment from Paradise, and had the
+curiosity to go to the top of the mountain.
+
+"When I returned to the city, I prayed the king to allow me to return to
+my own country, and he granted me permission in the most honourable
+manner. He would needs force a rich present upon me; and when I went to
+take my leave of him, he gave me one much more considerable, and at the
+same time charged me with a letter for the Commander of the Faithful,
+our sovereign, saying to me: 'I pray you give this present from me, and
+this letter, to the Caliph, and assure him of my friendship.' I took the
+present and letter and promised his majesty punctually to execute the
+commission with which he was pleased to honour me.
+
+"The letter from the King of Serendib was written on the skin of a
+certain animal of great value, because of its being so scarce, and of a
+yellowish colour. The characters of this letter were of azure, and the
+contents as follows:
+
+  "'The King of the Indies, before whom march one hundred elephants, who
+  lives in a palace that shines with one hundred thousand rubies, and
+  who has in his treasury twenty thousand crowns enriched with diamonds,
+  to Caliph Haroun-al-Raschid:--
+
+  "'Though the present we send you be inconsiderable, receive it,
+  however, as a brother, in consideration of the hearty friendship which
+  we bear for you, and of which we are willing to give you proof. We
+  desire the same part in your friendship, considering that we believe
+  it to be our merit, being of the same dignity with yourself. We
+  conjure you this in quality of a brother. Adieu.'
+
+"The present consisted, first, of one single ruby made into a cup, about
+half a foot high, an inch thick, and filled with round pearls of half a
+drachm each. 2. The skin of a serpent, whose scales were as large as an
+ordinary piece of gold, and had the virtue to preserve from sickness
+those who lay upon it. 3. Fifty thousand drachms of the best wood of
+aloes, with thirty grains of camphire as big as pistachios. And, 4. A
+female slave of ravishing beauty, whose apparel was all covered over
+with jewels.
+
+"The ship set sail, and after a very successful navigation we landed at
+Bussorah, and from thence I went to Bagdad, where the first thing I did
+was to acquit myself of my commission.
+
+"I took the king of Serendib's letter and went to present myself at the
+gate of the Commander of the Faithful, followed by the beautiful slave,
+and such of my own family as carried the gifts. I stated the reason of
+my coming, and was immediately conducted to the throne of the caliph. I
+made my reverence, and, after a short speech, gave him the letter and
+present. When he had read what the king of Serendib wrote to him, he
+asked me if the prince were really so rich and potent as he represented
+himself in his letter. I prostrated myself a second time, and rising
+again, said: 'Commander of the Faithful, I can assure your majesty he
+doth not exceed the truth. Nothing is more worthy of admiration than the
+magnificence of his palace. When the prince appears in public he has a
+throne fixed on the back of an elephant, and marches betwixt two ranks
+of his ministers, favourites, and other people of his court; before him,
+upon the same elephant, an officer carries a golden lance in his hand;
+and behind the throne there is another, who stands upright, with a
+column of gold, on the top of which is an emerald half a foot long and
+an inch thick; before him march a guard of one thousand men, clad in
+cloth of gold and silk, and mounted on elephants richly caparisoned.
+
+"While the king is on his march, the officer who is before him on the
+same elephant cries from time to time, with a loud voice: 'Behold the
+great monarch, the potent and redoubtable Sultan of the Indies, whose
+palace is covered with one hundred thousand rubies, and who possesses
+twenty thousand crowns of diamonds. Behold the monarch greater than
+Solomon, and the powerful Maha-raja.' After he has pronounced those
+words, the officer behind the throne cries in his turn: 'This monarch,
+so great and so powerful, must die, must die, must die.' And the officer
+before replies: 'Praise be to him who liveth for ever.'
+
+"Furthermore, the King of Serendib is so just that there are no judges
+in his dominions. His people have no need of them. They understand and
+observe justice rigidly of themselves.'
+
+"The caliph was much pleased with my account. 'The wisdom of that king,'
+said he, 'appears in his letter, and after what you tell me, I must
+confess, that his wisdom is worthy of his people, and his people deserve
+so wise a prince.' Having spoken thus, he dismissed me, and sent me home
+with a rich present."
+
+Sinbad left off, and his company retired, Hindbad having first received
+one hundred sequins; and next day they returned to hear the relation of
+his seventh and last voyage.
+
+
+THE SEVENTH AND LAST VOYAGE
+
+"Being returned from my sixth voyage," said Sinbad, "I absolutely laid
+aside all thoughts of travelling; for, besides that my age now required
+rest, I was resolved no more to expose myself to such risks as I had
+encountered; so that I thought of nothing but to pass the rest of my
+days in tranquillity. One day, however, as I was treating my friends,
+one of my servants came and told me that an officer of the caliph's
+inquired for me. I rose from table, and went to him. 'The caliph,' said
+he, 'has sent me to tell you that he must speak with you.' I followed
+the officer to the palace, where, being presented to the caliph, I
+saluted him by prostrating myself at his feet. 'Sinbad,' said he to me,
+'I stand in need of your service; you must carry my answer and present
+to the King of Serendib. It is but just I should return his civility.'
+
+"This command of the caliph was to me like a clap of thunder. 'Commander
+of the Faithful,' I replied, 'I am ready to do whatever your majesty
+shall think fit to command; but I beseech you most humbly to consider
+what I have undergone. I have also made a vow never to go out of
+Bagdad.' Hence I took occasion to give him a full and particular account
+of all my adventures, which he had the patience to hear out.
+
+"As soon as I had finished, 'I confess,' said he, 'that the things you
+tell me are very extraordinary, yet you must for my sake undertake this
+voyage which I propose to you. You will only have to go to the isle of
+Serendib, and deliver the commission which I give you, for you know it
+would not comport with my dignity to be indebted to the king of that
+island.' Perceiving that the caliph insisted upon my compliance, I
+submitted, and told him that I was willing to obey. He was very well
+pleased, and ordered me one thousand sequins for the expenses of my
+journey.
+
+"I prepared for my departure in a few days, and as soon as the caliph's
+letter and present were delivered to me, I went to Bussorah, where I
+embarked, and had a very happy voyage. Having arrived at the isle of
+Serendib, I acquainted the king's ministers with my commission, and
+prayed them to get me speedy audience. They did so, and I was conducted
+to the palace, where I saluted the king by prostration, according to
+custom. That prince knew me immediately, and testified very great joy at
+seeing me, 'Sinbad,' said he, 'you are welcome; I have many times
+thought of you since you departed; I bless the day on which we see one
+another once more.' I made my compliments to him, and after having
+thanked him for his kindness, delivered the caliph's letter and present,
+which he received with all imaginable satisfaction.
+
+"The caliph's present was a complete suit of cloth of gold, valued at
+one thousand sequins; fifty robes of rich stuff, a hundred of white
+cloth, the finest of Cairo, Suez, and Alexandria; a vessel of agate
+broader than deep, an inch thick, and half a foot wide, the bottom of
+which represented in bas-relief a man with one knee on the ground, who
+held a bow and an arrow, ready to discharge at a lion. He sent him also
+a rich tablet, which, according to tradition, belonged to the great
+Solomon. The caliph's letter was as follows:
+
+  "'Greeting, in the name of the sovereign guide of the right way, from
+  the dependant on God, Haroun-al-Raschid, whom God hath set in the
+  place of vicegerent to his prophet, after his ancestors of happy
+  memory, to the potent and esteemed Raja of Serendib:--
+
+  'We received your letter with joy, and send you this from our imperial
+  residence, the garden of superior wits. We hope when you look upon it,
+  you will perceive our good intention and be pleased with it. Adieu.'
+
+"The King of Serendib was highly gratified that the caliph answered his
+friendship. A little time after this audience, I solicited leave to
+depart, and had much difficulty to obtain it. I procured it, however, at
+last, and the king, when he dismissed me, made me a very considerable
+present. I embarked immediately to return to Bagdad, but had not the
+good fortune to arrive there so speedily as I had hoped. God ordered it
+otherwise.
+
+"Three or four days after my departure, we were attacked by corsairs,
+who easily seized upon our ship, because it was no vessel of force. Some
+of the crew offered resistance, which cost them their lives. But for
+myself and the rest, who were not so imprudent, the corsairs saved us on
+purpose to make slaves of us.
+
+"We were all stripped, and instead of our own clothes, they gave us
+sorry rags, and carried us into a remote island, where they sold us.
+
+"I fell into the hands of a rich merchant, who, as soon as he bought me,
+carried me to his house, treated me well, and clad me handsomely for a
+slave. Some days after, not knowing who I was, he asked me if I
+understood any trade. I answered, that I was no mechanic, but a
+merchant, and that the corsairs who sold me, had robbed me of all I
+possessed. 'But tell me,' replied he, 'can you shoot with a bow?' I
+answered, that the bow was one of my exercises in my youth. He gave me a
+bow and arrows, and, taking me behind him upon an elephant, carried me
+to a thick forest some leagues from the town. We penetrated a great way
+into the wood, and he bade me alight; then, shewing me a great tree,
+'Climb up that,' said he, 'and shoot at the elephants as you see them
+pass by, for there is a prodigious number of them in this forest, and if
+any of them fall, come and give me notice.' Having spoken this, he left
+me victuals, and returned to the town, and I continued upon the tree all
+night.
+
+"I saw no elephant during the night, but next morning, as soon as the
+sun was up, I perceived a great number. I shot several arrows among
+them, and at last one of the elephants fell, when the rest retired
+immediately, and left me at liberty to go and acquaint my patron with my
+booty. When I had informed him, he gave me a good meal, commended my
+dexterity, and caressed me highly. We went afterwards together to the
+forest, where we dug a hole for the elephant; my patron designing to
+return when it had fallen to pieces and take its teeth to trade with.
+
+"I continued this employment for two months, and killed an elephant
+every day, getting sometimes upon one tree, and sometimes upon another.
+One morning, as I looked for the elephants, I perceived with extreme
+amazement that, instead of passing by me across the forest as usual,
+they stopped, and came to me with a horrible noise, in such number that
+the plain was covered, and shook under them. They encompassed the tree
+in which I was concealed, with their trunks extended, and all fixed
+their eyes upon me. At this alarming spectacle I continued immovable,
+and was so much terrified, that my bow and arrows fell out of my hand.
+
+"My fears were not without cause; for after the elephants had stared
+upon me some time, one of the largest of them put his trunk round the
+foot of the tree, plucked it up, and threw it on the ground. I fell with
+the tree; and the elephant, taking me up with his trunk, laid me on his
+back, where I sat more like one dead than alive, with my quiver on my
+shoulder. He put himself afterward at the head of the rest, who followed
+him in troops, carried me a considerable way, then laid me down on the
+ground, and retired with all his companions. After having lain some
+time, and seeing the elephants gone, I got up, and found I was upon a
+long and broad hill, almost covered with the bones and teeth of
+elephants. I confess to you, that this object furnished me with
+abundance of reflections. I admired the instinct of those animals; I
+doubted not but that was their burying-place, and that they carried me
+thither on purpose to tell me that I should forbear to persecute them,
+since I did it only for their teeth. I did not stay on the hill, but
+turned toward the city, and, after having travelled a day and a night, I
+came to my patron.
+
+"As soon as he saw me, 'Ah, poor Sinbad,' exclaimed he, 'I was in great
+trouble to know what was become of you. I have been at the forest, where
+I found a tree newly pulled up, and a bow and arrows on the ground, and
+I despaired of ever seeing you more. Pray tell me what befell you, and
+by what good chance you are still alive.' I satisfied his curiosity, and
+going both of us next morning to the hill, he found to his great joy
+that what I had told him was true. We loaded the elephant which had
+carried us with as many teeth as he could bear; and when we were
+returned, 'Brother,' said my patron, 'for I will treat you no more as my
+slave, after having made such a discovery as will enrich me, God bless
+you with all happiness and prosperity. I declare before Him, that I give
+you your liberty. I concealed from you what I am now going to tell you.
+
+"'The elephants of our forest have every year killed a great many
+slaves, whom we sent to seek ivory. God has delivered you from their
+fury, and has bestowed that favour upon you only. It is a sign that He
+loves you, and has some use for your service in the world. You have
+procured me incredible wealth. Formerly we could not procure ivory but
+by exposing the lives of our slaves, and now our whole city is enriched
+by your means. I could engage all our inhabitants to contribute toward
+making your fortune, but I will have the glory of doing it myself.'
+
+"To this obliging declaration I replied: 'Patron, God preserve you. Your
+giving me my liberty is enough to discharge what you owe me, and I
+desire no other reward for the service I had the good fortune to do to
+you, and your city, but leave to return to my own country.' 'Very well,'
+said he, 'the monsoon will in a little time bring ships for ivory. I
+will then send you home, and give you wherewith to bear your charges.' I
+thanked him again for my liberty and his good intentions toward me. I
+stayed with him expecting the monsoon; and during that time, we made so
+many journeys to the hill that we filled all our warehouses with ivory.
+The other merchants, who traded in it, did the same, for it could not be
+long concealed from them.
+
+"The ships arrived at last, and my patron, himself having made choice of
+the ship wherein I was to embark, loaded half of it with ivory on my
+account, laid in provisions in abundance for my passage, and besides
+obliged me to accept a present of some curiosities of the country of
+great value. After I had returned him a thousand thanks for all his
+favours, I went aboard. We set sail, and as the adventure which procured
+me this liberty was very extraordinary, I had it continually in my
+thoughts.
+
+"We stopped at some islands to take in fresh provisions. Our vessel
+being come to a port on the main land in the Indies, we touched there,
+and not being willing to venture by sea to Bussorah, I landed my
+proportion of the ivory, resolving to proceed on my journey by land. I
+made vast sums by my ivory, bought several rarities for presents, and
+when my equipage was ready, set out in company with a large caravan of
+merchants. I was a long time on the way, and suffered much, but endured
+all with patience, when I considered that I had nothing to fear from the
+seas, from pirates, from serpents, or from the other perils to which I
+had been exposed.
+
+"All these fatigues ended at last, and I arrived safe at Bagdad. I went
+immediately to wait upon the caliph, and gave him an account of my
+embassy. That prince said he had been uneasy as I was so long in
+returning, but that he always hoped God would preserve me. When I told
+him the adventure of the elephants, he seemed much surprised, and would
+never have given any credit to it had he not known my veracity. He
+deemed this story, and the other relations I had given him, to be so
+curious, that he ordered one of his secretaries to write them in
+characters of gold, and lay them up in his treasury. I retired well
+satisfied with the honours I received, and the presents which he gave
+me; and ever since I have devoted myself wholly to my family, kindred
+and friends."
+
+Sinbad here finished the relation of his seventh and last voyage, and
+then, addressing himself to Hindbad, "Well, friend," said he, "did you
+ever hear of any person that suffered so much as I have done, or of any
+mortal that has gone through so many vicissitudes? Is it not reasonable
+that, after all this, I should enjoy a quiet and pleasant life?" As he
+said this, Hindbad drew near to him, and kissing his hand, said, "I must
+acknowledge sir, that you have gone through many imminent dangers; my
+troubles are not comparable to yours; if they afflict me for a time, I
+comfort myself with the thoughts of the profit I get by them. You not
+only deserve a quiet life, but are worthy of all the riches you enjoy,
+because you make of them such a good and generous use. May you therefore
+continue to live in happiness till the day of your death!" Sinbad then
+gave him one hundred sequins more, received him into the number of his
+friends and desired him to quit his porter's employment, and come and
+dine every day with him, that he might have ample reason to remember
+Sinbad the voyager and his adventures.
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Arabian Nights, by Unknown
+
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