O KING of the Age, my history is more wonderful than those of my two
associates. Their misfortunes were fashioned by the finger of Fate,
while mine were the outcome of my own self-will. Yet in the event we
are equal, since we each account to thee for the loss of an eye.
Know then, O King, that I, who stand before thee, am a King, and the
son of a King. At my father's death, I ascended the throne, and ruled
my subjects wisely, as he had done. Yet, unlike him, I was by nature
a seafarer, and would often absent myself for the space of a month or
more on voyages to parts beyond my kingdom. And it so chanced that from
one of these I never returned to my City. And the cause of this I will
set before thee.
I had been voyaging for some twenty days with a fleet of ten ships,
when we were suddenly becalmed. A few hours later, the master of the
vessel I was in came to me in a state of consternation, and told me
we were drifting in a rapid current, so wide as to include all the
ten ships of the fleet. At this, we signalled to the other ships,
and all tried with oars to escape this current; but its width was
beyond us; it seemed to flow from all sides to a centre. Then, on a
closer scrutiny, we saw that our ships were out-stripping the current,
propelled, or attracted, by we knew not what. At this, the master gave
a great cry, and plucked his beard, and flung his turban on the deck.
"O Sire," he said, "we are doomed! I know now the fate that awaits us.
We are speeding towards a great mountain of loadstone, of which I have
heard--a great black mountain, which attracteth everything that cometh
near it. Soon the very nails of all these ships will be drawn to this
mountain, and the ships themselves will fall to pieces."
At this I was dumbfounded. I could not believe that such a thing were
possible; and yet there was no denying that we were being drawn by some
unseen influence ever more and more rapidly through the water. "Tell
me," I said, "what is the history of this mountain?"
"It is black, steep, and inaccessible," he replied. "On its summit is
a dome of brass, supported by ten pillars of brass; and on this dome
is a brazen horseman, mounted on a brazen horse, bearing in his hand a
spear of brass, and on his breast a plate of lead, engraven with mystic
signs. Sire, while that horseman sits upon his horse, the spell of the
loadstone spares no ship in the surrounding sea, for without iron no
ship is built."
The master's words were only too true, for soon the ships were rushing
more swiftly through the sea, and it was not long before we sighted
the black mountain, of which he had spoken. Our velocity increased.
The cleavage of the water rose from our bows. Our ships groaned with
the strain, which every moment grew more and more intense. Swifter and
swifter we sped on, as nearer loomed the mountain; and we all knew what
was before us, and cried out to God for help. At last, our speed was
so excessive that no ship could any longer endure the strain. With a
creaking and groaning and rending of planks, the nails and ironwork
were wrenched away; and every ship fell asunder, and spread itself in
wreckage on the sea.
Many were drowned immediately, while some few clung to floating spars.
I was one of these, and I know not if others, beside myself, survived,
for I could only cling to my plank, and call on God, so great and
boisterous were the waves. Hours later I found myself cast up on the
strip of shore at the foot of the great black mountain. I praised God
for my deliverance, and then, being both hungry and thirsty, I searched
for fruit among some trees growing upon the slopes. I soon found some
hard by a small stream, and, when I had eaten and drunk, I noticed a
pathway by the stream, and followed it. Presently I came to the steep
ascent of the hill where the path took the form of rugged steps.
Recalling the legend of the horseman, and praying devoutly that I might
overthrow him, I toiled up and up the mountain side by this roughest of
paths. By the grace of God I at length reached the summit, and found
there the great dome surmounted by the horseman. Too fatigued to do
more than climb into the dome, I flung myself down there and slept.
And, as I slept, a voice spake to me in a dream: "O valiant one, know
that in the ground beneath thy feet lie a bow of brass and three arrows
of lead, all engraven with talismanic signs. Search for these, and,
having found them, shoot the three arrows at the horseman, whereupon
thy bow will fall from thy hand, and he and his horse will be hurled
down into the midst of the sea. Take thy bow, and bury it again; and,
as soon as thou shalt have done this, the sea will rise swiftly up the
mountain sides, until it reaches the foot of the dome. Then, before
thee, thou wilt perceive a man in a boat, with an oar in each hand--he
being of metal also, but different from the horseman. Embark with him
in his boat, and within ten days he will convey thee to a calm sea, and
to a ship which will bear thee to thine own land. But beware, O Prince,
lest in all these things thou utter the name of God, for, by so doing,
thou wilt be in extreme peril."
When I awoke, I marvelled at the vividness of this dream, and,
remembering all the voice had said, I dug in the ground where my feet
had lain. There I discovered the bow and the three arrows, and, taking
them forth, I shot at the horseman. Twice my aim failed, but the third
arrow struck him, and lo, he and his horse fell headlong down the
mountain into the sea. Then, the bow having fallen from my hand, I
took it and buried it within the dome. As soon as I had done this, I
perceived the sea surging rapidly up the mountain sides. Up and up it
came, boiling and seething, until at last it reached the foot of the
dome, than which it rose no further. Presently a boat drew near from
the midst of the sea, rowed by a man of gleaming metal. Remembering
the warning not to utter the name of God, I entered the boat, and the
man rowed me away over the sea for many days, until we came in sight
of some beautiful islands. When I set eyes on these habitable spots of
safety then my heart leapt for joy, and, forgetting the warning of my
dream, I cried in my delight, "God be praised!" No sooner had the words
escaped my lips than the boat and the man sank in the sea, leaving me
upon the surface. My peril was now extreme, for unless I could gain the
land I must surely drown. The islands were distant, but they were my
only hope, so I swam towards them hour after hour, until night fell.
Still I swam on and on in the dark, and at last, when I was spent,
and about to sink, I felt a great wave rise beneath me, and hurl me
forward. It carried me high up on the shore of an island, where it left
me utterly exhausted, but safe from the sea.
The next day, as I was walking along the shore in search of food, I
heard voices coming from behind a bend. Thinking not to lose a chance
of being taken on board some vessel, I looked round the bend, and saw
ten black slaves of evil aspect, landing from a vessel and bearing
spades and axes. I liked not the faces of these men, and feared to
expose myself to their view; moreover, being curious as to their
mission, I resolved to watch them. Noting the direction they were
taking, I ran along the shore for some distance, and then, turning
inland, I proceeded until I came to a high tree, into the topmost
branches of which I climbed. Presently I saw the slaves pass by and
stop at a spot in the middle of the island, where they dug up the
ground, until at length they came upon a trap door, which they lifted
and set on one side. Then they returned to the vessel, and brought
from it loads of provisions, necessaries and even luxuries of every
kind. Many times they went and came, and by their loads, it was evident
they were preparing some underground dwelling for habitation. At
length, after many journeys to and fro, they returned from the vessel
laden with beautiful garments of every kind; and with them came an
aged sheik, leading by the hand a young man, whose grace and beauty
could scarce be expressed in poems. They and the slaves entered the
underground abode, and when, two hours later, I counted those who came
forth, the young man was not of the number. When they had closed the
trap door, and replaced the earth upon it, the slaves conducted the
sheik back to the vessel, and sailed away.
These doings caused me great wonder in my tree, and I resolved to see
what they meant. I made haste to descend, and, having reached the spot,
I ceased not to scrape away the earth until I had found the trap door.
I removed this, and descended a flight of wooden steps, which led me to
a large apartment, luxuriously furnished; and there, reclining upon
a couch, with flowers and fruits before him, was the handsome youth.
"Fear me not," I said, when I saw that he had turned pale on observing
my sudden intrusion; "I am a man, like thyself. Destiny hath led me
hither, to relieve thy solitude." Then, seeing that he greeted me with
delight, I said to him: "O, my brother, tell me how it is that thou
art here in this secret place." And he complied with my request, and
related to me his history.
"O brother," he said, "my fate has been exceeding strange. My father is
a rich dealer in jewels, and his business lies with kings. Many years
ago he was wont to grieve that, though God had given him wealth, He
had not blest him with a son. Shortly after, he dreamed that a male
child would be born to him, but that its life would be cut off at the
age of sixteen, and he awoke weeping. His dream was fulfilled, in so
far that within a year my mother gave birth to me. Great was his joy
at this, but, remembering the further prophecy of his dream, he called
in the astrologers, who, by their calculations, confirmed it. 'Thy
son's fate,' they said, 'is connected with a great mountain in the sea,
called the Mountain of Loadstone, on the summit of which is a horseman
of brass, bearing on his breast a tablet of lead, with mystic signs
engraven. Sixteen years hence a king, the son of a king, will arise,
and hurl that horseman down into the sea, shortly after which he will
slay thy son.'
"My father grieved very greatly at this, and ceased not to love me
the more throughout my youth. When I was nearing the age of sixteen,
he again summoned the astrologers, who told him that the horseman had
already been cast down into the sea, and there remained now only ten
days of my life. Then my father arose and prepared this place for me,
so that I might dwell here in secret until the completion of the days,
for the astrologers had said that if, by the will of God, I passed
safely out of my sixteenth year, I should live to a great age. And thus
it is that I am here, O my brother."
"What strange thing is this?" said I within myself on hearing his
words. "It was I who cast down the horseman, but, by Allah! it will not
be I who will slay this gracious youth." Then, turning to him, I said:
"Fear nothing, sweet youth! Here, at least, thou art safe. I myself
will protect thee, and, when the term is expired, I will go forth with
thee to thy father, and he shall restore me to my country, and so reap
a great reward." He rejoiced at my words, and was comforted, and so
far was I from wishing him harm that I waited upon him, and during
the night slept by his side. Once he awoke from dreams, crying: "The
horseman is down! He hath fallen into the sea! Whither, oh! whither
shall I flee for safety?" But I quieted him, and comforted him, saying:
"Never will such a calamity as thou fearest come to thee while I am by
thy side."
For nine days I served him, sparing no trouble for his comfort; and on
the tenth I could not conceal my joy, for I knew that, if it rested
with me to slay him, he would be alive on the morrow. My happiness
infected him, and he begged me to heat some water that he might bathe
and array himself in bright garments, and then, with me, celebrate
the hour of his release. I prepared all he required, and he bathed,
and arrayed himself in costly robes, and reclined upon the couch to
rest. It was the hour of sunset: a little while remained till the term
expired. "O brother," he said to me, "wilt thou in thy kindness cut
me up a water melon, and sprinkle it with sugar?" "O brother mine,"
I replied, "I see here a melon, but where is the knife?" He pointed
to the shelf above his head, saying, "Thou wilt find one there, O my
creditor." Then I stepped up on the side of the couch, and found the
knife, and drew it from its sheath; but, having done this, my foot
slipped, and I fell headlong. The next thing I knew was that the knife
was buried in the youth's breast, with my hand upon the haft. I uttered
a loud cry, and beat my bosom. Oh! the grief of it! Dead! And by my
hand! O God! by what cruel misfortunes dost thou convince mortals that
Fate and Destiny are thine instruments!
[Illustration: Abu-l-Hasan entertains the strangers with dancing and
music. Page 204]
Long I wept by the side of the youth, imploring pardon from those cold
lips; one glance of forgiveness from those glazed eyes. Then, sad and
sorrowful, I arose and ascended the steps; and, having replaced and
covered the trap door, departed from that place. I remained upon the
island, nursing a heavy weight of grief. From a place of hiding I saw
them come and take the youth's dead body away. I saw his aged father's
sorrow, as he followed weeping, and watched the vessel sail away out
of sight. But great as was this calamity, I was destined to further
trouble.
In my daily wanderings about the island, I discovered that on one
side of it the sea had been gradually receding. When another week had
passed, there was a considerable extent of land that had risen above
the water. I watched this day by day for a space of some months, at
the end of which time dry land stretched into the distance so far
that I resolved to set forth upon it, hoping to come at length to an
inhabited region. I had proceeded some leagues when I saw before me,
in the distance, an upland with a splendid palace upon it, shining all
golden in the rays of the sun. When I drew near, almost dazzled at the
sight of it, an old man came out to meet me; and following him
were ten young men, each lacking an eye--a thing which caused me great
astonishment. They and the old man saluted me, and asked me whence I
came, whereupon I told them my story, which they listened to with looks
of wonder. Then they invited me into the palace, and one of them said:
"Be welcome, O brother, but see to it that thou ask us not respecting
our condition, nor yet how it is we each lack an eye." Presently
the old man brought food and wine, and we ate and drank together,
conversing on many things until it was time to sleep. Then one of them
called to the old man to bring the materials for penance, and he arose
and placed before each a basin full of ashes and powdered charcoal.
One and all then bared their arms and blackened their faces with the
mixture, crying continually, "Once we were dwelling in happiness, but
now we are wretched; and this is the result of our idle curiosity."
This they kept up till daybreak, when they washed their faces and
changed their clothes and slept.
Next day, being unable to cast off my curiosity regarding this strange
behaviour, I beseeched them to tell me the reason thereof, and one
of them replied: "O young man, ask not what doth not concern thee,
lest thou hear what may not please thee." But I was not content with
this answer, and continued to entreat them to tell me the reason of
their actions, and also the cause of each having lost an eye. "Nay, be
silent," said another; "what the mind doth not know, the heart doth
not grieve." Yet I still pestered them with my questions, giving them
no peace. At length they lost patience, and, after conversing together
awhile, one of them said to me: "O young man, if thou dost above all
things desire to know the cause of these things, submit thyself to our
hands, and thou shalt learn." And I answered, "I desire nothing more
than to know;" for my curiosity had become a fever.
Then they slaughtered a ram and flayed it, and, placing a knife in my
hand, sewed me up in the skin and carried me to a hilltop at a little
distance, where they left me. Presently I heard the flapping of giant
wings, and then the ram's skin, with me inside it, was seized by the
talons of a great bird and borne up and away. After a long flight, the
bird set me down upon a high plateau. Remembering the knife they had
placed in my hand, I ripped open the skin, and emerged. The gigantic
bird, on seeing me, flew off screaming.
Far in the distance, at the side of a hill, I saw a splendid palace,
sparkling in the sunlight. It was the only habitation that I could
discern, so I made my way towards it. After some hours' journey, I
reached its gates, and seeing them open, entered, and soon found myself
in a great chamber of indescribable splendour, where forty beautiful
damsels, each one like a goddess, welcomed me with cries of joy. "O our
Master and Prince," they said, "why hast thou tarried so long? We, thy
handmaids, have waited many weeks for thy coming." And they set food
and wine before me, and while I ate and drank, some sang and others
danced; and they were so wildly beautiful that any one of them would
have melted the heart of an anchorite.
Thus suddenly was I launched into a life of pure delight, and I dwelt
among these rare and radiant damsels, their sole Lord and Master, in
luxury and joy. Thus it continued for a whole year, with never a shadow
of dulness in our days; but, on the first morning of the new year, they
all came to me weeping, and bidding me farewell, as each in turn clung
to me with the sadness of parting. "Wherefore this?" I cried. "Ye will
break my heart if ye leave me." And one replied, "Nay, O master; we
love thee most of any on earth, but we must leave thee for a time, and
we fear to lose thee." And she fell to weeping afresh, and the others
added their tears to hers. "Tell me what this means," I said to her. "O
my master, if thou wouldst know," she replied, "we are the daughters
of kings, and for many years it has been our practice to dwell in this
palace, returning only to our fathers for forty days at the beginning
of each year. To-day we must go, and we fear that, before we return,
thou wilt disregard our directions, in which case thou wilt be lost to
us. Here are the keys, a hundred in number, which will unlock a hundred
doors for thee, admitting to gardens of various kinds, in which thou
wilt find a hundred different delights; but we do entreat thee, open
not the door which is fashioned of pure gold, for if thou dost, we
shall never see thee again, and that is what we fear."
I took the keys, greatly wondering, and when I had embraced them all,
and said farewell, they departed, with sad looks, leaving me alone in
the palace. Many times I swore to myself that I would never open the
golden door, and even as I swore, the wish to do it came uppermost. But
I forced it down, saying: "There are ninety-nine doors without this
one: surely it is enough!" And that evening, feeling sad and lonely,
and longing for entertainment, I took the keys, and, selecting one
engraven with a character corresponding to that on the first door, I
opened and entered.
Within lay a garden like paradise, with running streams, and hanging
fruits, and birds that sang the praises of their Creator. Every kind of
delicate perfume breathed from the rarest of flowers, and the bosom
of the dreamy trees moved in the soft wind as if langorous with love.
Seeing this wonderful place, I was impelled by curiosity to explore
what lay behind the second door. Accordingly, I opened it and entered.
Here was a large domain of forest and meadow, watered by a crystal
river. Uplands on which the sunlight slept, led up to mountain peaks
towering against the sides of heaven. I noted all this with wonder,
saying, "I will return, and enjoy this at my leisure; meanwhile, I die
to know what fresh joy is concealed by the third door."
When I entered the third place of delight, I found it to be a spacious
aviary, containing all the birds of song and of rare plumage that could
be found on earth. This vast place was paven with many-coloured marble,
and graced with patches of forest and greensward. The birds drank from
crystal fountains, and, flying off, sang gloriously. The streams of
these fountains were of different colours, and when I drank of one, I
found it was pure wine. So I wandered from one to another sipping the
rarest vintages I had ever known, until, coming to a soft couch of
moss, I reclined, and was lulled to sleep by the songs of countless
nightingales.
When I awoke next morning, I opened the fourth door and found beyond it
a treasury passing the imagination of kings. Jewels and precious stones
there were beyond reckoning. "These," I said, "are mine, and forty
priceless damsels are also mine: what Sultan can compare with me?"
That day, and on the following days, I opened one door after another,
finding within each the strangest and most wonderful things man ever
beheld; until, on the thirty-ninth day, I had opened every door except
the last,--the one fashioned of pure gold. Long I looked at it,
recalling my oath, and fortifying myself against temptation. Many times
I turned away from it, with the key in my hand, but always the Devil
drove me back again. Then, at last, my curiosity became acute, and I
could not refrain.
I opened the door, and passed within. I was met by an odour fragrant
beyond conception, which mastered my brain so that I fell in a faint.
But I soon recovered, and, rising to my feet, went on, treading on
golden tiles spread with saffron, and lighted on my way by golden
lamps, from which were wafted the odours of musk and ambergris. I
soon saw that the place was, in effect, a stable, though words fail
to describe its splendour. There, standing at a crystal manger full
of choice sesame, with a trough adjoining filled with rose-water,
stood a magnificent steed, as black as night. Never had I seen his
equal. He was saddled and bridled, and his trappings were of gold and
thread-of-gold, sparkling with gems. "This is the steed of my desire,"
I said, and then, as I approached him, he turned his head towards me,
and neighed. Urged by the Devil, I led him forth and mounted him. But
when I jerked the reins, he stood stock still. I persuaded him with
my heels, but he did not move. Then I espied a whip deposited in the
saddle. I took this and struck him a violent blow. With a neigh like
thunder, he rose in the air, and soared up and up to a great height.
Then he flew with me over hills and valleys, until at last he alighted
on the roof of another palace. There he plunged and reared, and finally
shook me off behind him; and, as I fell, a blow from his tail struck
out my eye. Leaving me thus, he soared up and away, and was soon lost
to sight.
When I descended from the roof, I found I was back in the Palace of
the ten young men. When they beheld me, and saw that my eye was gone,
they cried with one voice, "No welcome to thee, O curious one! Thou art
now in like case with us, having been chastised for thine impertinent
curiosity. For know that we have all opened that golden door and
ridden that black horse, and that is why we do nightly penance for our
foolishness." I then begged them to receive me into their company,
but they refused, saying their number was complete. So I went my way
dejected, and wandered as a mendicant, ever on and on towards Baghdad,
the Abode of Peace, resolved to seek the Khalifeh of the Lord of all
Creatures and set my case before him.
* * * * *
"Verily," exclaimed Harun-er-Rashid as the Third Royal Calender retired
to his place, "this is the most astounding tale of all. Hear me now,
all of you. These men have suffered greatly, but Fate hath no further
trouble in store for them. By Allah! my armies are great, and I will
restore each to his throne. As for you, O ladies," he continued,
turning to the three sisters, "my Seraglio is dull and lifeless without
you. Will you grace it with your presence?" "Yes, O Commander of the
Faithful," cried they all, laughing merrily and clapping their hands,
for they thought him a perfect impersonator; "we will come to thee."
"On the head and the eye?" "Yea, O King, on the head and the eye is our
promise given." At this the Khalifeh turned to his two officials. "O
Vizier," he said, "I call thee to witness; and thee also, O Mesrur."
And they answered smiling, for they liked the pretence of his pretence,
"King of the Age, we hear and obey."
Then the Khalifeh approached the porter, who was asleep upon the
floor, and stirred him with his foot so that he awoke and sat up. "O
thou carrier of goods and vast quantities of wine," said the Khalifeh,
"wouldst thou be the Wag of Harun-er-Rashid, Fifth Khalifeh of the
House of Abbas?" The porter grinned. "O Prince of the Faithful,"
said he, "I was born with that ambition, for they say that when the
Khalifeh's Wag waggeth his tongue no other tongue may wag." And with
this he kissed the ground seven times in mock obeisance. "It is well,"
said the Khalifeh, "for verily thou art a wag." And they all applauded
his seeming royalty and said one among another, "Never have we seen
such an excellent impersonation of a king."
The Khalifeh then pointed to the first signs of day in the east,
saying, "There was never so pleasant a night but morning ended it."
And then, with Ja'far and Mesrur, he set about taking his departure,
thanking the ladies for their kind hospitality and bidding them
remember the promise they had given. The Three Royal Calenders and the
porter also bade the sisters farewell, and, when they were outside the
house, the Calenders were directed to a Khan, while the porter took his
own way home and the Khalifeh and his two officials returned to the
palace.
On the following morning the Khalifeh of Baghdad sat on his throne,
and his first thought was to send for the Three Royal Calenders, the
three ladies, and the porter. "Lose no time in bringing them hither, O
Vizier," said the Khalifeh to Ja'far. The Vizier sent in great haste,
and, when the messengers returned with all of them, Er-Rashid received
them in private audience.
Not one of them recognised the three merchants of the former evening,
and their faces showed fear and surprise, for they knew not why they
had been thus summoned. The Khalifeh spoke. "Know, O ye people, that
I, Harun-er-Rashid, of the house of Abbas, do not forget my promises.
I promised Three Royal Calenders that I would restore them to their
thrones, and, by Allah! this shall be done. Three beautiful ladies of
Baghdad promised me that they would come into my Seraglio, which thou
didst witness, O Ja'far; and thou, too, O Mesrur." The two officials
bowed low, confirming this. "But," continued the Khalifeh, "I have
since decided to make them queens by bestowing them in marriage upon
these three kings." And he indicated the Calenders. Then, turning
towards the porter, he continued: "I also promised that a carrier of
goods,--a merry fellow,--should be my Wag. This shall be, and his first
duty will be to solve this riddle. Which is easier: for the Khalifeh to
play the merchant, or the merchant to play the Khalifeh? Meanwhile, do
you all agree to what I have proposed?"
[Illustration: Abu-l-Hasan awakens in the bed of the Khalifeh. Page 206]
They were all dumbfounded as they realised that their actor of the
previous night had played his part so well, because he was indeed the
Khalifeh himself. For some moments no one spoke; then they all made
obeisance to him and kissed the ground. "O King of the Age," said one
of the ladies, "I answer for my sisters and myself. We will obey thy
commands willingly and with joy." Then one of the Calenders added, "O
Prince of the Faithful, we also hear and obey, with equal willingness
and equal joy." "And as for me, O King," said the porter, "I, being a
wag, and also a liar of some excellence, knew that indeed thou wert the
Khalifeh of the Lord of All Creatures, but I was compelled to dissemble
for fear of thine Executioner's sword. Thus I solve thy riddle,
O King: The Khalifeh played better than the merchant, whose play was
equally good." The Khalifeh smiled and, turning to Ja'far, said, "O
Vizier, bestow upon him the Robe of the Wag."
Then the Khalifeh arose, and, descending from his throne, placed the
hands of the three ladies in those of the Three Royal Calenders. The
Kadi and witnesses were summoned and the marriage contracts were signed
and sealed. He then bestowed upon each of the three wedded pairs a
splendid palace and sufficient money for their needs until such time
as he had succeeded in restoring them to their thrones. And so did
Harun-er-Rashid draw upon himself ten thousand blessings.
[Illustration]