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.