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.