of architecture was completed. One day the sisters of the princess
passed that way. They were going to see their parents, and a joyous
escort accompanied them, playing on a thousand instruments in order to
make the journey pleasant.
"My gentle pages," exclaimed the eldest, perceiving the palace, "to whom
does this magnificent building belong? Is it the home of the fairies?"
"Gracious queen," responded one of the pages, "no one knows."
"Go, then," said the princess, "and find out, and say that we desire to
visit this wonderful palace."
When the messengers announced to Mirza the wishes of the princess, she
exclaimed, rapturously:
"These are my sisters—the children of my mother—who come to visit me.
Happy day! Pages, return and tell them that I await them."
But the pages did not move. Each one seemed to be petrified with
surprise and admiration. While Mirza was speaking the most beautiful
and fragrant roses fell from her lips, and at her feet hundreds of
precious stones, pearls, rubies, amethysts, and diamonds sparkled and
glittered. Finally the messengers returned to the princesses, and when
the latter found that this beautiful palace belonged to their younger
sister, they could not refrain from shedding tears of joy. Immediately
they made their way to the palace, and soon they had the pleasure of
embracing the sister whom they had long given up for lost.
The two princesses stayed a long time at the grand palace, their eyes
dazzled at everything they saw. They were much astonished at the
magnificent gifts showered on them by their sister. They went away from
the palace with regret, and they were very sorry they could not carry
away with them, in addition to their gifts, pieces of the precious
stones with which the courtyard was paved.
The renown of Mirza soon spread throughout all the neighboring
kingdoms, and everyone praised her beauty and marvelled at her riches.
The prince of a strange country fell desperately in love with her,
and he sent an ambassador to sue for her hand. Mirza consented, and
promised to become the wife of the prince as soon as the orange-trees
blossomed. The ambassador was delighted, and hastened to announce the
joyous news to his master. Magnificent feasts were given at the court
of the prince, and soon everything was ready for the wedding.
As soon as the orange-trees bloomed, Mirza started on her journey to
the home of the prince, accompanied by the waiting-maid who had served
her in her misfortune. On the way, the princess became very hungry,
and asked for something to eat. Instead of giving her sweet cakes and
luscious fruits, the maid gave her bread that was so salty and so
bitter the princess could scarcely swallow it. Soon she was seized with
a devouring thirst.
"My good friend," she exclaimed to her maid, "what have you for me to
drink?"
"Nothing, my amiable mistress," said the maid.
"What! not even a glass of water?" said the princess.
"No, your majesty."
The princess withstood the thirst as long as she could, and finally
said:
"I pray you, my good friend, go and find a stream, and bring me some
water to quench my thirst—only a few drops."
At this, the waiting-maid said:
"Alas! we are in a very strange country. Here, water is the dearest of
all beverages."
"Well," said the princess, "take a handful of diamonds and offer them
to the charitable person who will take pity on me and give me some
water."
The waiting-maid started out, but she did not go a hundred steps when
she hid herself behind a bush. Very soon she returned with an air of
distress, and with a sad voice she spoke thus:
"Powerful princess, in this country, water is so dear that you will
have to pay for a single goblet-full with one of your eyes."
In her despair, the young princess pulled out an eye, and gave it to
the waiting-maid.
"Go," said the princess, "run quick, or I die."
The cruel waiting-maid returned, bringing a little water, but scarcely
did it quench her thirst for an instant. Not long afterward the
princess began lamenting again:
"I am still thirsty," said she, "and I feel that I am perishing."
"Give me your remaining eye," said the servant, "and hereafter you
shall be satisfied."
The bewildered young princess consented to make the sacrifice. This
time, she thought, she could drink to her heart's content. Night
came and the sun sank behind the horizon, and the perfidious servant
stripped her mistress of her fine clothes and gave them to her own
daughter, Calamir. The poor blind girl was left by the roadside, and
the waiting-maid and her daughter continued their journey toward the
city where the prince resided.
When they arrived all the bells in the churches rang out their joyous
chimes. The people went out to meet her, and the prince tenderly
embraced the one whom he thought was his betrothed. Never had such a
scene been witnessed in that city. The wedding feast was brilliant and
splendid. One thing, however, disturbed the prince. He had been told
that a rose fell from the lips of the princess at each smile, and that
under her feet diamonds sprung. He did not see any of these things.
Puzzled at this, he inquired of his wife's mother:
"Madam, how is it that roses do not fall from the lips of your child,
and that precious stones do not appear when she walks?"
"My dear prince, my child is fatigued at the long journey she undertook
to come to you. Have patience, and you will soon be satisfied."
During all this time, the poor Mirza, the real princess, wandered
alone in the frightful desert in which she had been forsaken. She
called for help, but no one came to her assistance. Her cries grew
louder, and at last they attracted the attention of an old woman who
was gathering herbs for the purpose of making medicine.
"What do you wish, my beautiful child?" inquired the old woman.
"Good mother, what are you doing here?" cried the princess.
"I am looking for herbs that are necessary to make my medicine."
"You can do better than that," said the princess. "Pick up the pearls
that you find at my feet, and go into the city and sell them."
The old woman obeyed, and returned with an apron full of gold, saying:
"My child, what shall I do with this fortune?"
"It is for you, my good woman, but on one condition."
"What is that?"
The poor blind girl smiled, and from her lips fell a rose so beautiful
and sweet that there had been none like it before. Mirza answered:
"Take this rose and go into the prince's city, and call out, 'Who will
buy this flower? who will buy this rose?'"
"And in order to please you," said the old woman, "how much must I sell
it for?"
"You must give it," said the princess, "for neither gold nor silver."
"And for what shall I sell it?" said the old woman.
"You shall demand an eye for it," said the princess.
The old woman followed the directions to the letter. When she arrived
in the city of the prince, she cried out:
"Who will buy this flower? Who will buy this rose?"
At these words, Mirza's deceitful servant ran to the window of the
palace and asked:
"Tell me, good woman, for what will you sell such a beautiful rose?"
"I will sell it for an eye," said the old woman.
"Heavens! what would you do with an eye?" said the maid-servant.
"That is my affair," said the old woman.
"Well, then," said the waiting-maid, "stay a moment;" and she ran to
her room; and as she had been careful enough to save the eyes of her
mistress, she took one and gave it to the old woman.
"Take this, good woman," she exclaimed.
"And here is your rose," said the old woman.
At night, when the prince returned to the palace, his mother-in-law
said to him:
"See this beautiful rose. There is none like it in the flower-gardens.
My daughter made it with a smile."
"It came in good time," said the young prince, "but I can scarcely
believe it. A thousand times I have seen your daughter smile, and
nothing has fallen from her lips."
All this time, the old woman, who had sold her rose for the eye, was on
her way to the Princess Mirza. But as she went along, the eye fell from
her hand and was lost. She hunted for it a long time, but meanwhile the
eye, apparently directed by the good fairies, made its way to the blind
girl, who put it in its place and immediately she saw clearly. The old
woman returned disconsolate.
"Alas! my beautiful child," she exclaimed, weeping, "I sold your rose
as you directed me, but, unfortunately, the eye I received as the price
escaped from my hands and I could not find it, though I hunted for it
far and wide."
"Do not trouble yourself, my good woman," and Mirza smiled, and another
rose fell from her lips.
"Go," said she again, "and sell this flower on the same conditions."
The rose was carried to the castle as the other had been, and sold for
the other eye.
The princess recovered her sight, and regained her beauty. Shortly
afterward, the beautiful Mirza said to her companion:
"Go into the towns and villages, and inquire by which road the king of
this country goes on his hunting excursions."
This order having been obeyed, the young princess sent for a number of
workmen and an architect. On her way in search of these, the old woman
met a little gray man who had a hump on his back.
"Where are you going, Margaret?" cried the little hunchback.
"I am hunting for workmen and for an architect," she replied.
"I am your man," exclaimed the dwarf.
"Are you capable?" asked the old woman.
"Patience, Margaret! patience!" exclaimed the little gray man. "Of that
you will have to judge later."
Mirza accepted the dwarf as her architect, but she could not help
saying to him:
"Little gray man, where are your workmen? Do you think to build by
yourself the palace I desire?"
Scarcely had she finished speaking, when, at the sound of a low whistle
from the little gray man, there appeared on all sides hundreds and
thousands of brownies, who were cutting all sorts of antics and capers.
Some jumped, some ran, some walked on their hands, and some floated
in the air as light as thistle-down. But each of them, when he passed
before the little gray man, said:
"Your Majesty, what do you wish to-day of your faithful subjects?"
To these questions the little gray man replied:
"Make the most beautiful palace to be found in all the world."
Mirza, the princess, was filled with astonishment. Never before had she
seen so many brownies gathered together in one place, and she said to
herself, "Surely these must be the children of the fairies;" and, full
of happiness, she went here and there, speaking a kind word to all, and
at every step she took hundreds of precious stones were scattered under
her feet, and, at each smile a rose fell.
At last all the brownies were set to work under the direction of the
little gray man. Some felled the great trees of the forest and trimmed
them, some delved in the mines for marble and precious stones, and
others forged the rare metals out of which the vast columns of the
palace were to be made.
Rapidly the new palace was built, and when it was finished it shone in
the land like a rare jewel in the bosom of a beautiful woman.
"Now, then," said the little gray man to the beautiful Mirza, "are you
satisfied with my work, and do you repent having chosen me for your
architect?"
"Powerful and most generous King of the Brownies," she said to the
little gray man, "how can I be dissatisfied at the sight of this rare
palace, which you have built for me?"
"This being so," said the little gray man, "what is to be my reward?"
At this the young girl smiled, and a beautiful rose dropped from her
lips.
"This shall be your reward," said she, giving him the flower.
"Thanks! thanks!" exclaimed the little gray man, and he instantly
disappeared. The brownies were paid in the same way, and the young girl
soon found herself alone with the old woman.
One day passed, then two, then three, and still the prince did not come
hunting. At this Mirza grew impatient, and she said to the old woman.
"Go to the top of the hill and see if the prince is not coming."
The old woman went to the top of the hill, and looked around on all
sides, but there was nothing in sight. The roads on every side were
dusty and deserted, and she returned to her mistress.
"What did you see?" inquired the princess.
"Nothing, your majesty, but the floating clouds and the beautiful
flowers."
"Go, then, and look again," said Mirza.
The old woman looked again and then returned.
"What have you seen?" inquired the princess.
"The waters flowing, the grasses growing, and in the limbs of the trees
I heard the breezes murmuring."
"Return and look again."
So the woman went, and when she had come back the princess said:
"What have you seen?"
"Away in the distance, on the dusty road, I saw horsemen coming."
"It is the prince," said Mirza; and, sure enough, the prince, followed
by his retainers, his huntsmen, and his dogs, soon made his appearance.
Suddenly, the prince, seized with admiration, paused and looked around
him. Here, where there had been only briars and brambles, there arose
before his view the marvellous palace that had been erected by the
little gray man.
"To whom does this dazzling palace belong?" asked the prince, but
no one could answer him. "Await me here," said the prince to his
followers, "I will go and inquire, but I will return immediately."
He approached the door and knocked, but there was no response, and one
would have supposed the palace was uninhabited. He knocked again, but
everything was silent except the clamorous echoes which he himself had
aroused. Then the prince climbed up to the nearest window, opened the
blinds, and found himself in a marvellous saloon which was uninhabited.
He pursued his way through beautiful halls and apartments, until he
came to a room more beautiful than the rest.
On a bed of gold, Mirza was reclining, and as he approached she arose
and exclaimed:
"Who has dared enter my palace?"
"Powerful princess," said the young man, "I am your slave. Do with me
as you will."
"Who are you?" she cried.
"The king of all this country—the most unfortunate of men since I have
seen you."
At these words the young girl smiled, and from her lips fell a rose.
She took a few steps forward, and precious stones covered the carpet
where she walked.
"What do I see?" exclaimed the prince, filled with astonishment. "Are
you not Mirza, my affianced?"
"Yes," cried the happy girl, "I am Mirza, who loves you; I am Mirza,
whose hand you demanded in marriage through an ambassador."
At the remembrance of her misfortunes tears shone in her eyes, and
pearls fell therefrom.
The prince was overjoyed; he had been deceived, but he was now happy.
Mirza told him all, and he would have had the deceitful servants burned
at the stake, but the princess interceded for them and they were
banished from the country. The prince and Mirza lived long and happily
together.
XII
THE KING OF THE LIONS
A Donkey one day thought that the time had come for him to go and seek
his fortune; so he broke his halter and ran away into the broad fields.
The grass was high and rank, and there was no lack of thistles. Happy
over his good fortune, Brother Donkey brayed so loud and so joyously
that Mr. Lion, who happened to be passing that way, stopped to inquire
what the matter could be.
At the sight of Brother Donkey, Mr. Lion was paralyzed with
astonishment. Never, in all his wanderings, had he seen such a
creature. Mr. Lion looked at Brother Donkey from a distance. Then he
approached a little nearer, and finally mustered up courage to say:
"Who are you, and what is your name?"
"My name is Brother Donkey," replied the other, "and I am the ruler of
all Donkeydom."
"I do not know that country," said Mr. Lion, "but I myself am a monarch,
and the most of the other animals have chosen me for their king."
"If that is the case," said Brother Donkey, "we are brothers, and we
will continue our travels together."
"With the greatest pleasure," responded Mr. Lion. "One can only gain by
being in good company."
So the two started on their journey together. As they went along, Mr.
Lion thought he saw that Brother Donkey was not as formidable as he
had at first appeared. There was something in his gait, something in
his appearance, that led to this suspicion, and when he saw a tiger, he
seemed to be so frightened that the King of the Desert said:
"Come, my friend, and let us wrestle together for fun."
"No, no, my comrade," exclaimed Brother Donkey, "for I am so strong that
in spite of myself I should be compelled to crush you with my feet."
Mr. Lion, thinking this was true, made a profound bow to the King
of Donkeydom, and the two continued on their journey together. It
so happened that they had to cross a river. With one bound Mr. Lion
reached the other side, but, on the contrary, Brother Donkey went down
into the water and began to swim in a very awkward manner; so awkward,
indeed, that it seemed he was in danger of drowning.
"How is it," exclaimed Mr. Lion, in astonishment, "that you cannot
swim?"
"What, I?" said Brother Donkey. "I split the water more rapidly than a
boat, and the fishes themselves could not beat me in a race."
"If that is true," said Mr. Lion, "why does it take you so long to
cross a stream?"
"Ah," exclaimed Brother Donkey, "it was because I had caught with my
tail an eel so large and heavy that I was about to sink, and I was
compelled to turn it loose in order to rejoin you."
Mr. Lion was satisfied with this answer, and the two friends resumed
their journey. As they went along they soon came to a high stone wall.
Mr. Lion leaped over it at a bound, but Brother Donkey was unable to
get over so quickly. He raised himself on his hindlegs, placed his
forefeet on the wall, and hung suspended there. Mr. Lion, seeing this,
cried out:
"What are you doing there?"
"Do you not see," said Brother Donkey, "that I am weighing myself? I
want to see if the part of my body in front is as heavy as the part
that is behind."
Brother Donkey, after great effort, at last succeeded in getting over
the wall. Mr. Lion then said to his companion:
"Powerful King of Donkeydom, my esteemed friend! I believe that you are
making sport of me. I believe that your strength, at its best, is no
greater than that of a child."
"Do you have such a thought as that?" said Brother Donkey, with a
smile. "You make a serious mistake, great King of Beasts. Let us make
a trial of strength right here. Let us see which of us is able to
destroy that great wall. The one that is victorious will be known as
the king of the animals."
"This is a good idea," exclaimed Mr. Lion, heartily, "and I accept your
conditions with pleasure."
Immediately Mr. Lion made an effort to show his power. He struck the
wall with his paws, and then with his tail. He struck it on the right
and on the left, but he only wounded himself. He did not succeed in
making one stone fall. At the end of a quarter of an hour he gave up in
despair.
"I cannot make an impression on this strong wall," said Mr. Lion. "Let
us see if you will be more fortunate."
At once Brother Donkey began to bray and kick, and he used his heels
with such effect that in a few minutes the wall was knocked down and
destroyed.
"What do you think of this?" cried Brother Donkey. "Do you still think
you are stronger than I am?"
"No," said Mr. Lion, humbly. "Until to-day I had thought myself the
king of animals, but I was mistaken, and the title belongs to you
hereafter."
"But even yet," said Brother Donkey, "you do not know what I can do."
"Then," said Mr. Lion, "what can you do that is so extraordinary?"
"Well," replied Brother Donkey, "I can eat thorns."
"Thorns!" exclaimed Mr. Lion. "Do you really mean what you say?"
"Of course," said Brother Donkey, "I am telling you the simple truth."
"I would not dispute your word," said Mr. Lion, "but I am really
anxious to see you perform this wonderful feat."
"Do you see the thistles growing over there in that field?" inquired
Brother Donkey.
"I do, indeed," said Mr. Lion.
"Well," said Brother Donkey, "I am going to eat them."
Then Brother Donkey, who had not eaten since morning, began to devour
the thistles. Astonished at this, Mr. Lion said to Brother Donkey:
"I think you are the most extraordinary creature I ever saw, and I want
you to be recognized as King of the Lions. Do you consent?"
"With pleasure," Brother Donkey replied.
The next day, or shortly thereafter, a convention of all the lions
was held, and Brother Donkey was elected king without any opposition
whatever. He reigned over them many years, and he was the better able
to do this from the fact that he never disputed with his subjects over
their prey. Brother Donkey ate his thistles and the lions ate their
fresh meat, and all was peace in that country.
XIII
THE VIZIER, THE MONKEY, THE
LION, AND THE SERPENT
Once on a time a ruler who was the king of men, as well as the king
of beasts, called his Vizier, Rustem, to whom he had confided the
education of his only son, and said:
"Tell me, does my son follow your advice, and does he give promise of
making a worthy successor of his father?"
"Though he is still youthful, the young prince bids fair to become the
king of men," said Rustem; "your son is already fitted to rule both man
and beast."
Never was a vizier so untruthful; never had a tutor so corrupted a
young prince. He had implanted in his pupil's mind the vices which
were his own. He had made him greedy, unjust, and impatient at the
least contradiction. The Vizier had made the young prince believe that
the people whom he was one day to govern were a lot of miserable cattle
who were to be imposed on at the King's will.
It happened in those days that a merchant came to the King's palace,
having for sale a collection of rich jewels. He had them of all kinds
and all prices—diamonds, pearls, rubies, and emeralds—all heaped
together in a beautiful casket of carved cedarwood. The Prince remained
for hours admiring this marvellous collection of treasures.
"Ah," he exclaimed, "how I wish I had money enough to buy all that I
see!"
"Prince," said the Vizier, "are you not the master? Command, and these
treasures are yours."
"Well, then," said the Prince, "so be it;" and with that his slaves
took possession of the casket and drove the poor merchant away from the
palace.
The merchant, however, was not willing to submit to such an injustice.
He went about making his charges and his complaints in the public
places, until at last the matter became a scandal that could not be
overlooked. So the powerful young Prince had him whipped with such
severity that he expired not far from the palace.
The news of this terrible crime came speedily to the ears of the King,
who became enraged with his son and with the perfidious Rustem. He
drove them both from the palace. The tutor was banished from the court,
and the young Prince was placed in a castle at some distance from
his father's palace. Forgetting the irreparable injury he had caused,
the Vizier one day went to see his former pupil. He fancied he would
be received with open arms, as in the past; but what was his surprise
to find himself loaded with reproaches. With a significant gesture
the young Prince ordered his old tutor from his presence. The Vizier
retired in confusion. It was night, and for a long time he wandered in
the forest.
Vaguely walking about he fell in a pit that had been set as a trap
for wild animals. What was his terror to find himself in the company
of a Lion, a Monkey, and a Serpent, each of whom had fallen into the
pit. When morning came the ex-vizier found himself in the midst of sad
reflection. He was fearful that he would lose by hunger the life these
beasts had left him, when, all of a sudden, he saw a man peering over
the edge of the pitfall. Then the Vizier set up a terrible cry, and the
traveller, touched with pity, threw him a rope so that he could escape
from his perilous position.
The Monkey, nimbler than the Vizier, seized the rope and ran up it,
much to the surprise of the traveller, who had expected a different
visitor.
"You will not be sorry for this," said the Monkey, by way of apology.
"I know how to be grateful for a service, and I know how to cherish a
benefactor. To prove to you that I am in earnest, I will give you a
piece of advice. Do not rescue the man whose voice you heard in the
pitfall. He is a knave, and he will soon cause you to repent of your
generosity. I live at the foot of the mountain yonder, where I hope to
meet you some day and be of service to you. Farewell!"
The traveller was not much impressed with the words of the Monkey, but
he allowed the creature to go its way, and threw the rope again into
the pitfall in the hope of rescuing his fellow-man, whose voice he had
heard.