"That is what I had in my thoughts," said the sultan; "and I make him
my son-in-law from this moment."
Some time after, the prime vizier died, and the sultan conferred the
office on the dervish. Then the sultan himself died, without heirs
male; upon which the religious orders and the army consulted together,
and the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by general
consent.
The honest dervish ascended the throne of his father-in-law. One day
as he was in the midst of his courtiers on a march, he espied the
envious man among the crowd that stood as he passed along. Calling one
of the viziers that attended him, he whispered in his ear, "Go bring
me that man you see there; but take care you do not frighten him."
The vizier obeyed, and when the envious man was brought into his
presence the sultan said, "Friend, I am extremely glad to see you."
Then he called an officer. "Go immediately," said he, "and cause to be
paid to this man out of my treasury,[19] one hundred pieces of gold.
Let him have also twenty loads of the richest merchandise in my
storehouses, and a sufficient guard to conduct him to his house."
[Footnote 19: A favorite story is related of the benevolence of one of
the sons of Ali. In serving at table, a slave had inadvertently
dropped a dish of scalding broth on his master. The heedless wretch
fell prostrate to deprecate his punishment, and repeated a verse of
the Koran: "Paradise is for those who command their anger." "I am not
angry." "And for those who pardon offenses." "I pardon your offense."
"And for those who return good for evil." "I give you your liberty,
and four hundred pieces of silver."--Gibbon's _Decline and Fall._]
After he had given this charge to the officer he bade the envious man
farewell, and proceeded on his march.
* * * * *
When I had finished the recital of this story to the genie I employed
all my eloquence to persuade him to imitate so good an example, and to
grant me pardon; but it was impossible to move his compassion.
"All that I can do for thee," said he, "is to grant thee thy life, but
I must place thee under enchantments." So saying, he seized me
violently, and carried me through the arched roof of the subterranean
palace, which opened to give him passage. He ascended with me into the
air to such a height that the earth appeared like a little white
cloud. He then descended again like lightning, and alighted upon the
summit of a mountain.
Here he took up a handful of earth, and, muttering some words which I
did not understand, threw it upon me. "Quit," said he, "the form of a
man, and take that of an ape."
He instantly disappeared, and left me alone, transformed into an ape,
and overwhelmed with sorrow, in a strange country, not knowing whether
I was near or far from my father's dominions.
I descended the mountain, and entered a plain, level country, which
took me a month to travel over, and then I came to the seaside. It
happened at the time to be perfectly calm, and I espied a vessel
about half a league from the shore. Unwilling to lose so good an
opportunity, I broke off a large branch from a tree, carried it into
the sea, and placed myself astride upon it, with a stick in each hand,
to serve me for oars.
I launched out on this frail bark, and rowed toward the ship. When I
had approached sufficiently near to be seen, the seamen and passengers
on the deck regarded me with astonishment. In the meantime I got on
board, and laying hold of a rope, jumped upon the deck, but having
lost my speech, I found myself in great perplexity. And indeed the
risk I ran was not less than when I was at the mercy of the genie.
The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, thought if
they received me on board I should be the occasion of some misfortune
to them during their voyage. On this account they said, "Let us throw
him into the sea." Some one of them would not have failed to carry
this threat into execution had I not gone to the captain, thrown
myself at his feet, and taken hold of his skirt in a supplicating
posture. This action, together with the tears which he saw gush from
my eyes, moved his compassion. He took me under his protection, and
loaded me with a thousand caresses. On my part, though I had not power
to speak, I showed by my gestures every mark of gratitude in my power.
The wind that succeeded the calm continued to blow in the same
direction for fifty days, and brought us safe to the port of a city,
well peopled, and of great trade, where we cast anchor.
Our vessel was instantly surrounded with multitudes of boats full of
people. Among the rest, some officers of the sultan came on board,
and said "Our master rejoices in your safe arrival, and he beseeches
each of you to write a few lines upon this roll. The prime vizier,
who, besides possessing great abilities for the management of public
affairs, could write in the highest perfection, died a few days since,
and the sultan has made a solemn vow not to give the place to any one
who cannot write equally well. No one in the empire has been judged
worthy to supply the vizier's place."
Those of the merchants who thought they could write well enough to
aspire to this high dignity wrote one after another what they thought
fit. After they had done, I advanced, and took the roll, but all the
people cried out that I would tear it or throw it into the sea, till
they saw how properly I held the roll, and made a sign that I would
write in my turn. Their apprehensions then changed into wonder.
However, as they had never seen an ape that could write, and could not
be persuaded that I was more ingenious than others of my kind, they
wished to take the roll out of my hand; but the captain took my part
once more.
"Let him alone," said he; "allow him to write."
Perceiving that no one opposed my design, I took the pen, and wrote
six sorts of hands used among the Arabians, and each specimen
contained an extemporary distich or quatrain (a stanza of four lines)
in praise of the sultan. When I had done, the officers took the roll,
and carried it to the sultan.
The sultan took little notice of any of the writings except mine,
which pleased him so much that he said to the officers, "Take the
finest horse in my stable, with the richest trappings, and a robe of
the most sumptuous brocade to put on the person who wrote the six
hands, and bring him hither."
At this command the officers could not forbear laughing. The sultan
was incensed at their rudeness, and would have punished them, had they
not explained.
"Sir," said they, "we humbly beg your majesty's pardon. These hands
were not written by a man, but by an ape."
"What do you say?" exclaimed the sultan. "Those admirable characters,
are they not written by the hands of a man?"
"No, sir," replied the officers; "we assure your majesty that it was
an ape, who wrote them in our presence."
The sultan was too much surprised at this account not to desire a
sight of me, and therefore said, "Do what I command you, and bring me
speedily that wonderful ape."
The officers returned to the vessel, and showed the captain their
order, who answered, "The sultan's command must be obeyed." Whereupon
they clothed me with the rich brocade robe, and carried me ashore,
where they set me on horseback, while the sultan waited for me at his
palace with a great number of courtiers.
The procession commenced; the harbor, the streets, the public places,
windows, terraces, palaces, and houses were filled with an infinite
number of people of all ranks, who flocked from every part of the city
to see me; for the rumor was spread in a moment that the sultan had
chosen an ape to be his grand vizier; and after having served for a
spectacle to the people, who could not forbear to express their
surprise by redoubling their shouts and cries, I arrived at the
sultan's palace.
I found the prince on his throne in the midst of the grandees; I made
my obeisance three times very low, and at last kneeled and kissed the
ground before him, and afterward took my seat in the posture of an
ape. The whole assembly viewed me with admiration, and could not
comprehend how it was possible that an ape should so well understand
how to pay the sultan his due respect; and he himself was more
astonished than any. In short, the usual ceremony of the audience
would have been complete, could I have added speech to my behavior.
The sultan dismissed his courtiers, and none remained by him but the
chief of the attendants of the palace, a little young slave, and
myself. He went from his chamber of audience into his own apartment,
where he ordered dinner to be brought. As he sat at table, he made me
a sign to approach and eat with them. To show my obedience, I kissed
the ground, arose, and placed myself at the table, and ate.
Before the table was cleared, I espied a standish, which I made a sign
to have brought me; having got it, I wrote upon a large peach some
verses expressive of my acknowledgment to the sultan; who, having read
them, after I had presented the peach to him, was still more
astonished. When the things were removed, they brought him a
particular liquor, of which he caused them to give me a glass. I
drank, and wrote upon the glass some new verses, which explained the
state of happiness I was now in, after many sufferings. The sultan
read these likewise, and said, "A man that was capable of composing
such poetry would rank among the greatest of men."
The sultan caused to be brought to him a chessboard,[20] and asked me
by a sign if I understood that game, and would play with him. I kissed
the ground; and laying my hand upon my head, signified that I was
ready to receive that honor. He won the first game; but I won the
second and third; and perceiving he was somewhat displeased at my
success, I made a stanza to pacify him, in which I told him that two
potent armies had been fighting furiously all day, but that they
concluded a peace toward the evening, and passed the remaining part of
the night very amicably together upon the field of battle.
[Footnote 20: Chess is said to have had its origin in the East, and to
have been introduced into Europe after the Crusades.]
So many circumstances appearing to the sultan beyond what had ever
either been seen or known of apes, he determined not to be the only
witness of these prodigies himself, but having a daughter, called the
Lady of Beauty, sent for her, that she should share his pleasure.
The princess, who had her face unveiled, no sooner came into the room
than she put on her veil, and said to the sultan, "Sir, I am surprised
that you have sent for me to appear before a man. That seeming ape is
a young prince, son of a powerful sultan, and has been metamorphosed
into an ape by enchantment. When I was just out of the nursery, an old
lady who waited on me was a most expert magician, and taught me
seventy rules of magic. By this science I know all enchanted persons
at first sight: I know who they are, and by whom they have been
enchanted; therefore do not be surprised if I should forthwith restore
this prince, in spite of the enchantments, to his own form."
"Do so, then," interrupted the sultan, "for you cannot give me
greater pleasure, as I wish to have him for my grand vizier, and
bestow you upon him for a wife."
"I am ready, sire," answered the princess, "to obey you in all things
you please to command."
The princess, the Lady of Beauty, went into her apartment, and brought
thence a knife, which had some Hebrew words engraved on the blade: she
made the sultan, the little slave, and myself, descend into a private
court of the palace, and there left us under a gallery that went round
it. She placed herself in the middle of the court, where she made a
great circle, and within it she wrote several words in ancient Arabian
characters.
When she had finished and prepared the circle, she placed herself in
the center of it, where she began incantations, and repeated verses of
the Koran. The air grew insensibly dark, as if it had been night; we
found ourselves struck with consternation, and our fear increased when
we saw the genie appear suddenly in the shape of a lion[21] of
gigantic size.
[Footnote 21: This same power of changing the form has found a place
in ancient and modern story. The Proteus of heathen mythology ever
found means of safety and protection by his sudden assumption of some
new form and shape.]
"Thou shalt pay dearly," said the lion, "for the trouble thou hast
given me in coming here." In saying this, he opened his horrible jaws,
and advanced to devour her; but she, being on her guard, jumped back,
and had just time to pluck out a hair; and pronouncing two or three
words, she changed it into a sharp scythe, with which she immediately
cut the lion in two pieces, through the middle.
The two parts of the lion directly disappeared, and the head changed
into a large scorpion. The princess then took the form of a serpent,
and fought the scorpion, which, finding itself defeated, changed into
an eagle, and flew away. But the serpent then became another eagle,
black, and very large, and went in pursuit of it. We now lost sight of
them for some time.
Shortly after they had disappeared, the earth opened before us, and a
black and white cat appeared, the hairs of which stood quite on end,
and which made a most horrible mewing. A black wolf directly followed
after her, and gave her no time to rest. The cat, being thus hard
pressed, changed into a worm, and hid itself in a pomegranate which
lay by accident on the ground; but the pomegranate swelled
immediately, and became as big as a gourd, which, lifting itself up to
the roof of the gallery, rolled there for some time backward and
forward; it then fell down again into the court, and broke into
several pieces.
The wolf had in the meanwhile transformed itself into a cock, and now
fell to picking up the seeds of the pomegranate one after another; but
finding no more, he came toward us with his wings spread, making a
great noise, as if he would ask us whether there were any more seed.
There was one lying on the brink of the canal, which the cock
perceiving as he went back, ran speedily thither; but just as he was
going to pick it up the seed rolled into a fountain and turned into a
little fish.
The cock, flying toward the fountain, turned into a pike, and pursued
the small fish; they both continued under water above two hours, and
we knew not what was become of them; but suddenly we heard terrible
cries, which made us tremble, and a little while after we saw the
genie and princess all in flames. They threw ashes of fire out of
their mouths at each other, till they came to close combat; then the
two fires increased, with a thick, burning smoke, which mounted so
high that we had reason to apprehend it would set the palace on fire.
But we very soon had a more pressing occasion of fear, for the genie,
having got loose from the princess, came to the gallery where we
stood, and blew flames of fire upon us. We must all have perished had
not the princess, running to our assistance, forced him to retire, and
to defend himself against her; yet, notwithstanding all her exertions,
she could not hinder the sultan's beard from being burned, and his
face scorched, and a spark from entering my right eye, and making it
blind. The sultan and I expected nothing but death, when we heard a
cry of "Victory, victory!" and instantly the princess appeared in her
natural shape; but the genie was reduced to a heap of ashes.
The princess approached us and hastily called for a cupful of water,
which the young slave, who had received no hurt, brought her. She took
it, and after pronouncing some words over it, threw it upon me,
saying, "If thou art become an ape by enchantment, change thy shape,
and take that of a man, which thou hadst before." These words were
hardly uttered when I again became a man in every respect as I was
before my transformation, excepting the loss of my eye.
I was preparing to return the princess my thanks, but she prevented me
by addressing herself to her father: "Sire, I have gained the victory
over the genie; but it is a victory that costs me dear. I have but a
few minutes to live; the fire has pierced me during the terrible
combat, and I find it is gradually consuming me. This would not have
happened had I perceived the last of the pomegranate seeds, and
swallowed it, as I did the others when I was changed into a cock; the
genie had fled thither as to his last intrenchment, and upon that the
success of the combat depended. This oversight obliged me to have
recourse to fire, and to fight with those mighty arms as I did,
between heaven and earth, in your presence; for in spite of all, I
made the genie know that I understood more than he; I have conquered,
and reduced him to ashes, but I cannot escape death, which is
approaching."
Suddenly the princess exclaimed, "I burn, I burn!" She found that the
fire had at last seized upon her vital parts, which made her still
cry, "I burn!" until death had put an end to her intolerable pain. The
effect of that fire was so extraordinary, that in a few moments she
was wholly reduced to ashes, as the genie had been.
I cannot tell you, madam, how much I was grieved at so dismal a
spectacle; I had rather all my life have continued an ape or a dog,
than to have seen my benefactress thus miserably perish. The sultan
cried piteously, and beat himself on his head and breast, until, being
quite overcome with grief, he fainted away. In the meantime, the
attendants and officers came running at the sultan's lamentations, and
with much difficulty brought him to himself.
When the knowledge of the death of the princess had spread through the
palace and the city, all the people greatly bewailed. Public mourning
was observed for seven days, and many ceremonies were performed. The
ashes of the genie were thrown into the air; but those of the princess
were collected into a precious urn, to be preserved; and the urn was
deposited in a superb mausoleum[22] constructed for that purpose on
the spot where the princess had been consumed.
The grief of the sultan for the loss of his daughter confined him to
his chamber for a whole month. Before he had fully recovered his
strength, he sent for me and said, "You are the cause of all these
misfortunes; depart hence therefore in peace, without further delay,
and take care never again to appear in my dominions on penalty of thy
life."
I was obliged to quit the palace, again cast down to a low estate, and
an outcast from the world. Before I left the city I went into a
bagnio, where I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and put on
a calender's robe. I passed through many countries without making
myself known; at last I resolved to visit Bagdad, in hopes of meeting
with the Commander of the Faithful, to move his compassion by relating
to him my unfortunate adventures. I arrived this evening; and the
first man I met was this calender, our brother, who spoke before me.
[Footnote 22: The erection of these tombs over the supposed effigy, or
the real remains, of the deceased, is often mentioned in these tales.
The same type of tomb, with its dome or cupola, prevails throughout. A
structure of a similar fashion is celebrated in history as the Taj
Mahal at Agra, erected by the Shah Jehan, in memory of his queen,
Mumtaz Mahal. It stands on a marble terrace over the Jamna, and is
surrounded by extensive gardens. The building itself on the outside is
of white marble, with a high cupola and four minarets. In the center
of the inside is a lofty hall of a circular form under a dome, in the
middle of which is the tomb, inclosed within an open screen of
elaborate tracery formed of marble and mosaics. The materials are
lapis lazuli, jasper, bloodstone, a sort of golden stone (not well
understood), agates, carnelian, jade, and various other stones. A
single flower in the screen contains a hundred stones; "and yet," says
Bishop Heber; "though everything is finished like an ornament for a
drawing-room chimney-piece, the general effect is rather solemn and
impressive than gaudy."--Elphinstone's _India_, p. 528; and _Asiatic
Researches_, Vol. V, p. 434.]
You know the remaining part, madam, and the cause of my having the
honor to be here.
* * * * *
When the second calender had concluded his story, Zobeide, to whom he
had addressed his speech, said, "It is well; you are at liberty": but
instead of departing he also petitioned the lady to show him the same
favor vouchsafed to the first calender, and went and sat down by him.
Then the third calender, knowing it was his turn to speak, addressed
himself, like the others, to Zobeide, and began his history as
follows: