Then the princess Djouher went out of her tent. The rain was falling in
torrents. The princess, fleeing precipitately, walked during the whole
night, not knowing where she was going. She had walked many hours when
day broke. The princess arrived thus near a tree in the midst of the
plain, and, having measured its height with her eyes, she climbed into
it. At this moment there passed along the road a merchant who had made
his sales and was returning to the city of Bassrah. His name was
Biyapri. Passing beneath the tree he raised his eyes and beheld a woman
seated in the tree.
"Who are you?" he said; "are you woman or djinn?"
"I am neither demon nor djinn, but a descendant of the prophet of God
(may blessings rest upon him), a disciple of the prophet Mahomet, envoy
of God."
Biyapri climbed up the tree, put her on his camel, and taking up his
journey conducted her to the country of Bassrah. Arriving at his house
he desired to marry her. But she put him off saying: "Wait, for I have
made a solemn vow before God not to look upon the face of a man for
forty days. When the time expires, that will be possible. But if these
forty days have not yet run I should surely die." So Biyapri installed
her on his latticed roof and lavished attention and care upon her.
Immediately after the flight of the princess Djouher-Mani-kam the
minister commanded the whole escort to return and present itself to the
King Chah Djouhou. He said to his people: "O all your servants of the
Queen, see what has been her conduct. Her three children are dead, and
it is she who killed them. After that she disappeared. Where has she
taken refuge? Nobody in the world knows that. As for you, depart, bear
the bodies of his three children to King Chah Djouhou, and tell him all
the circumstances."
Arriving in the presence of the King, they reported all the
circumstances of the minister's treachery toward the princess, and the
murder of his three children. They added that the minister had
departed, leaving word that he had gone to find the princess, and had
taken with him his own three sons, forty soldiers, and the treasure.
When the prince had heard these words he was struck with a stupor. But
his sorrow at having let the princess go without him was useless. He
caused the three young princes to be buried. The King shed tears, and
all the people of the household filled the air with cries and sobs, so
that the noise seemed like the bursts of thunder, while the funeral
ceremonies were proceeding according to the customs of the greatest
kings. After that the King descended from his royal throne and became a
dervish, the better to seek in all lands his well-beloved spouse. He
had with him three slaves only. One of them was named Hestri.
"Go," he said to him, "go seek your mistress in all countries." And he
gave him a horse and some provisions.
Hestri said: "May your Majesty be happy! O lord, King of the world,
whatever be your commands, your servant places them upon his head."
Hestri bowed low, then mounted his horse and rode away toward the city
of Bassrah.
After proceeding some time he reached Bassrah, and passed by the house
of Biyapri. At this very moment the princess Djouher-Manikam was
sitting on the roof of Biyapri's house. She looked attentively at the
face of Hestri as he was passing by the house and called to him saying:
"Hestri, what brings you here?"
Hestri, casting his glance toward the roof, saw the princess Djouher-
Manikam and said to her: "I was sent by your husband to seek you,
princess."
She replied: "Go away, for the present. Come back when it is night. As
it is broad daylight now I fear lest Biyapri should discover our
departure."
Hestri, bowing low, replied, "Very well, princess." He walked here and
there, waiting till night should come. When it was dark he returned to
the house of Biyapri and waited a few minutes. Then he called the
princess.
"Wait," she said, "for Biyapri is still watching." Hestri stooped down,
and fell asleep near Biyapri's house, having first of all tied the
bridle of the horse to his girdle.
The princess Djouher-Manikam descended from the roof, and mounted the
horse while Hestri was yet sleeping. She sat on the horse waiting till
Hestri should awake. But an Æthiopian robber, who had come to rob the
storehouse of Biyapri, saw the horse whose bridle was attached to the
belt of Hestri. He unfastened the bridle and led the horse to the
middle of the plain. In the mind of the princess it was Hestri who was
thus leading the horse. But the moon having risen, the Æthiopian saw
seated upon the horse a woman of a striking and marvellous beauty. The
heart of the Æthiopian was filled with joy. He said in his heart:
"For a very long time have I been stealing riches. Truly, I have
acquired no small store of jewels, pearls, precious stones, gold and
silver, and magnificent vestments of all sorts. But all that is nothing
in comparison with the marvel I have just now found and who will become
my wife, the light of my eyes, and the fruit of my heart. Now shall I
enjoy in peace the happiness of having such a wife."
The house of the Æthiopian robber was seated on the top of a hill. He
conducted the princess thither, showed her all it contained, and gave
it to her, saying: "O my future bride, it is to you that all which this
house contains belongs. Make use of it according to your good
pleasure." The princess said, "First of all, be tranquil." And she
thought in her heart: "This is my destiny. First I was with Biyapri,
and now I have fallen into the hands of an Aethiopian robber. It is by
the will of God that this has happened to his servant." The Æthiopian
robber was bent on having the marriage celebrated at once, but the
princess said: "I cannot be married now, for I have made a vow to God
the most high not to see the face of a man for three days."
The Æthiopian robber desired to drink, and said: "Come, let us drink
together."
"In my opinion," observed the princess, "if we begin to drink both
together you will become heavy with wine, and I, too. Then they will
take me far from you and kill you. Come, I will fill your cup and you
shall drink first. When you have drunk enough, then I will drink in my
turn, and you shall fill my cup."
The Æthiopian robber was very joyful at these words of the princess.
"What you say is true," said he. He received with great pleasure the
cup from the hands of the princess and drank. After emptying the cup
many times he fell down in the stupor of intoxication, losing his
senses and becoming like a dead man. The princess Djouher-Manikam put
on a magnificent costume of a man, and adding a weapon something like a
_kandjar_, went out of the house. Then mounting her horse she rode
forward quickly and came to the foot of the hill. She directed her
course toward the country of Roum, and continuing her journey from
forest to forest, and from plain to plain, she reached the gate of the
fortifications of the city of Roum at the moment when the King of that
country had just died.
When the princess Djouher-Manikam had arrived outside the
fortifications of Roum, she sat down in the _baley, near the fort. She
was marvellously beautiful, and her vestments, all sparkling with gold,
were adorned with precious stones, pearls, and rubies. A man happening
to pass by saw her, and was seized with astonishment and admiration.
For in the country of Roum there was nobody who could compare with this
young man, so handsome and so magnificently attired. He asked:
"Whence come you and why did you come here?"
The princess answered: "I know not the place where I am at this moment.
I came from the city of Damas."
This citizen of Roum took leave and went away to present himself to the
vezir and tell what he had seen. The vezir, having heard him, went out
promptly to find the young man. As soon as he had approached him and
had seen his remarkable beauty and his splendid vestments decorated
with precious stones, pearls, and rubies, the vezir seated himself by
him and said:
"Young man, whence do you come, and why did you come to this land?"
The princess answered: "I wish to travel through the world for my
pleasure. That is my will."
The vezir replied: "Would you like to have us make you King of this
country?" The princess replied: "For what reason should I wish to be
king in this country? And by what means could it be achieved?"