"Well," said Keejeepaa, "look at this pledge I bring;" dropping the
diamond wrapped in leaves into the sultan's lap.
When the sultan opened the leaves and saw the great, sparkling jewel,
he was overcome with astonishment. At last he said, "Well?"
"I have brought this pledge," said the gazelle, "from my master,
Sultan Daaraa'ee. He has heard that you have a daughter, so he sent
you this jewel, hoping you will forgive him for not sending something
more worthy of your acceptance than this trifle."
"Goodness!" said the sultan to himself; "he calls this a trifle!" Then
to the gazelle: "Oh, that's all right; that's all right. I'm
satisfied. The Sultan Daaraaee has my consent to marry my daughter,
and I don't want a single thing from him. Let him come empty-handed. If
he has more of these trifles, let him leave them at home. This is my
message, and I hope you will make it perfectly clear to your master."
The gazelle assured him that he would explain everything
satisfactorily, adding: "And now, master, I take my leave. I go
straight to our own town, and hope that in about eleven days we shall
return to be your guests." So, with mutual compliments, they parted.
In the meantime, Haamdaanee was having an exceedingly tough
time. Keejeepaa having disappeared, he wandered about the town moaning,
"Oh, my poor gazelle! my poor gazelle!" while the neighbors laughed
and jeered at him, until, between them and his loss, he was nearly
out of his mind.
But one evening, when he had gone to bed, Keejeepaa walked in. Up
he jumped, and began to embrace the gazelle, and weep over it, and
carry on at a great rate.
When he thought there had been about enough of this kind of thing,
the gazelle said: "Come, come; keep quiet, my master. I've brought
you good news." But the beggar man continued to cry and fondle,
and declare that he had thought his gazelle was dead.
At last Keejeepaa said: "Oh, well, master, you see I'm all right. You
must brace up, and prepare to hear my news, and do as I advise you."
"Go on; go on," replied his master; "explain what you will, I'll
do whatever you require me to do. If you were to say, 'Lie down on
your back, that I may roll you over the side of the hill,' I would
lie down."
"Well," said the gazelle, "there is not much to explain just now,
but I'll tell you this: I've seen many kinds of food, food that is
desirable and food that is objectionable, but this food I'm about to
offer you is very sweet indeed."
"What?" said Haamdaanee. "Is it possible that in this world there
is anything that is positively good? There must be good and bad in
everything. Food that is both sweet and bitter is good food, but if
food were nothing but sweetness would it not be injurious?"
"H'm!" yawned the gazelle; "I'm too tired to talk philosophy. Let's
go to sleep now, and when I call you in the morning, all you have to
do is to get up and follow me."
So at dawn they set forth, the gazelle leading the way, and for five
days they journeyed through the forest.
On the fifth day they came to a stream, and Keejeepaa said to his
master, "Lie down here." When he had done so, the gazelle set to and
beat him so soundly that he cried out: "Oh, let up, I beg of you!"
"Now," said the gazelle, "I'm going away, and when I return I
expect to find you right here; so don't you leave this spot on any
account." Then he ran away, and about ten o'clock that morning he
arrived at the house of the sultan.
Now, ever since the day Keejeepaa left the town, soldiers had been
placed along the road to watch for and announce the approach of Sultan
Daaraaee; so one of them, when he saw the gazelle in the distance,
rushed up and cried to the sultan, "Sultan Daaraaee is coming! I've
seen the gazelle running as fast as it can in this direction."
The sultan and his attendants immediately set out to meet his guests;
but when they had gone a little way beyond the town they met the
gazelle coming along alone, who, on reaching the sultan, said,
"Good day, my master." The sultan replied in kind, and asked the
news, but Keejeepaa said: "Ah, do not ask me. I can scarcely walk,
and my news is bad!"
"Why, how is that?" asked the sultan.
"Oh, dear!" sighed the gazelle; "such misfortune and misery! You see,
Sultan Daaraaee and I started alone to come here, and we got along
all right until we came to the thick part of the forest yonder, when
we were met by robbers, who seized my master, bound him, beat him,
and took everything he had, even stripping off every stitch of his
clothing. Oh, dear! oh, dear!"
"Dear me!" said the sultan; "we must attend to this at once." So,
hurrying back with his attendants to his house, he called a groom,
to whom he said, "Saddle the best horse in my stable, and put on him
my finest harness." Then he directed a woman servant to open the
big inlaid chest and bring him a bag of clothes. When she brought
it he picked out a loin-cloth, and a long white robe, and a black
overjacket, and a shawl for the waist, and a turban cloth, all of
the very finest. Then he sent for a curved sword with a gold hilt,
and a curved dagger with gold filigree, and a pair of elegant sandals,
and a fine walking-cane.
Then the sultan said to Keejeepaa, "Take some of my soldiers, and
let them convey these things to Sultan Daaraaee, that he may dress
himself and come to me."
But the gazelle answered: "Ah, my master, can I take these soldiers
with me and put Sultan Daaraaee to shame? There he lies, beaten and
robbed, and I would not have any one see him. I can take everything
by myself."
"Why," exclaimed the sultan, "here is a horse, and there are clothes
and arms. I don't see how a little gazelle can manage all those
things."
But the gazelle had them fasten everything on the horse's back, and
tie the end of the bridle around his own neck, and then he set off
alone, amidst the wonder and admiration of the people of that city,
high and low.
When he arrived at the place where he had left the beggar-man, he
found him lying waiting for him, and overjoyed at his return.
"Now," said he, "I have brought you the sweet food I promised. Come,
get up and bathe yourself."
With the hesitation of a person long unaccustomed to such a thing,
the man stepped into the stream and began to wet himself a little.
"Oh," said the gazelle, impatiently, "a little water like that won't
do you much good; get out into the deep pool."
"Dear me!" said the man, timidly; "there is so much water there;
and where there is much water there are sure to be horrible animals."
"Animals! What kind of animals?"
"Well, crocodiles, water lizards, snakes, and, at any rate, frogs;
and they bite people, and I'm terribly afraid of all of them."
"Oh, well," said Keejeepaa, "do the best you can in the stream; but
rub yourself well with earth, and, for goodness' sake, scrub your
teeth well with sand; they are awfully dirty."
So the man obeyed, and soon made quite a change in his appearance.
Then the gazelle said: "Here, hurry up and put on these things. The
sun has gone down, and we ought to have started before this."
So the man dressed himself in the fine clothes the sultan had sent,
and then he mounted the horse, and they started; the gazelle trotting
on ahead.
When they had gone some distance, the gazelle stopped, and said,
"See here: nobody who sees you now would suspect that you are the man
who scratched in the dust heap yesterday. Even if we were to go back to
our town the neighbors would not recognize you, if it were only for the
fact that your face is clean and your teeth are white. Your appearance
is all right, but I have a caution to give you. Over there, where we
are going, I have procured for you the sultan's daughter for a wife,
with all the usual wedding gifts. Now, you must keep quiet. Say nothing
except, 'How d'ye do?' and 'What's the news?' Let me do the talking."
"All right," said the man; "that suits me exactly."
"Do you know what your name is?"
"Of course I do."
"Indeed? Well, what is it?"
"Why, my name is Haamdaanee."
"Not much," laughed Keejeepaa; "your name is Sultan Daaraaee."
"Oh, is it?" said his master. "That's good."
So they started forward again, and in a little while they saw soldiers
running in every direction, and fourteen of these joined them to
escort them. Then they saw ahead of them the sultan, and the vizirs,
and the emirs, and the judges, and the great men of the city, coming
to meet them.
"Now, then," said Keejeepaa, "get off your horse and salute your
father-in-law. That's him in the middle, wearing the sky-blue jacket."
"All right," said the man, jumping off his horse, which was then led
by a soldier.
So the two met, and the sultans shook hands, and kissed each other,
and walked up to the palace together.
Then they had a great feast, and made merry and talked until night,
at which time Sultan Daaraaee and the gazelle were put into an inner
room, with three soldiers at the door to guard and attend upon them.
When the morning came, Keejeepaa went to the sultan and said: "Master,
we wish to attend to the business which brought us here. We want
to marry your daughter, and the sooner the ceremony takes place,
the better it will please the Sultan Daaraaee."
"Why, that's all right," said the sultan; "the bride is ready. Let
some one call the teacher, Mwaalee'moo, and tell him to come at once."
When Mwaaleemoo arrived, the sultan said, "See here, we want you to
marry this gentleman to my daughter right away."
"All right; I'm ready," said the teacher. So they were married.
Early the next morning the gazelle said to his master: "Now I'm off on
a journey. I shall be gone about a week; but however long I am gone,
don't you leave the house till I return. Good-bye."
Then he went to the real sultan and said: "Good master, Sultan Daaraaee
has ordered me to return to our town and put his house in order; he
commands me to be here again in a week; if I do not return by that
time, he will stay here until I come."
The sultan asked him if he would not like to have some soldiers go
with him; but the gazelle replied that he was quite competent to
take care of himself, as his previous journeys had proved, and he
preferred to go alone; so with mutual good wishes they parted.
But Keejeepaa did not go in the direction of the old village. He
struck off by another road through the forest, and after a time came
to a very fine town, of large, handsome houses. As he went through
the principal street, right to the far end, he was greatly astonished
to observe that the town seemed to have no inhabitants, for he saw
neither man, woman, nor child in all the place.
At the end of the main street he came upon the largest and most
beautiful house he had ever seen, built of sapphire, and turquoise,
and costly marbles.
"Oh, my!" said the gazelle; "this house would just suit my master. I'll
have to pluck up my courage and see whether this is deserted like
the other houses in this mysterious town."
So Keejeepaa knocked at the door, and called, "Hullo, there!" several
times; but no one answered. And he said to himself: "This is
strange! If there were no one inside, the door would be fastened
on the outside. Perhaps they are in another part of the house, or
asleep. I'll call again, louder."
So he called again, very loud and long, "Hul-lo, th-e-re! Hul-lo!" And
directly an old woman inside answered, "Who is that calling so loudly?"
"It is I, your grandchild, good mistress," said Keejeepaa.
"If you are my grandchild," replied the old woman, "go back to your
home at once; don't come and die here, and bring me to my death also."
"Oh, come," said he, "open the door, mistress; I have just a few
words I wish to say to you."
"My dear grandson," she replied, "the only reason why I do not open
the door is because I fear to endanger both your life and my own."
"Oh, don't worry about that; I guess your life and mine are safe enough
for a while. Open the door, anyhow, and hear the little I have to say."
So the old woman opened the door.
Then they exchanged salutations and compliments, after which she
asked the gazelle, "What's the news from your place, grandson?"
"Oh, everything is going along pretty well," said he; "what's the
news around here?"
"Ah!" sighed the old creature; "the news here is very bad. If you're
looking for a place to die in, you've struck it here. I've not the
slightest doubt you'll see all you want of death this very day."
"Huh!" replied Keejeepaa, lightly; "for a fly to die in honey is not
bad for the fly, and doesn't injure the honey."
"It may be all very well for you to be easy about it," persisted the
old person; "but if people with swords and shields did not escape,
how can a little thing like you avoid danger? I must again beg of
you to go back to the place you came from. Your safety seems of more
interest to me than it is to you."
"Well, you see, I can't go back just now; and besides, I want to find
out more about this place. Who owns it?"
"Ah, grandson, in this house are enormous wealth, numbers of people,
hundreds of horses, and the owner is Neeo'ka Mkoo', the wonderfully
big snake. He owns this whole town, also."
"Oho! Is that so?" said Keejeepaa. "Look here, old lady; can't you
put me on to some plan of getting near this big snake, that I may
kill him?"
"Mercy!" cried the old woman, in affright; "don't talk like
that. You've put my life in danger already, for I'm sure Neeoka Mkoo
can hear what is said in this house, wherever he is. You see I'm a
poor old woman, and I have been placed here, with those pots and pans,
to cook for him. Well, when the big snake is coming, the wind begins
to blow and the dust flies as it would do in a great storm. Then,
when he arrives in the courtyard, he eats until he is full, and
after that, goes inside there to drink water. When he has finished,
he goes away again. This occurs every other day, just when the sun
is overhead. I may add that Neeoka Mkoo has seven heads. Now, then,
do you think yourself a match for him?"
"Look here, mother," said the gazelle, "don't you worry about me. Has
this big snake a sword?"
"He has. This is it," said she, taking from its peg a very keen
and beautiful blade, and handing it to him; "but what's the use in
bothering about it? We are dead already."
"We shall see about that," said Keejeepaa.
Just at that moment the wind began to blow, and the dust to fly,
as if a great storm were approaching.
"Do you hear the great one coming?" cried the old woman.
"Pshaw!" said the gazelle; "I'm a great one also--and I have the
advantage of being on the inside. Two bulls can't live in one
cattle-pen. Either he will live in this house, or I will."
Notwithstanding the terror the old lady was in, she had to smile at
the assurance of this little undersized gazelle, and repeated over
again her account of the people with swords and shields who had been
killed by the big snake.
"Ah, stop your gabbling!" said the gazelle; "you can't always judge
a banana by its color or size. Wait and see, grandma."
In a very little while the big snake, Neeoka Mkoo, came into the
courtyard, and went around to all the pots and ate their contents. Then
he came to the door.
"Hullo, old lady," said he; "how is it I smell a new kind of odor
inside there?"
"Oh, that's nothing, good master," replied the old woman; "I've been
so busy around here lately I haven't had time to look after myself;
but this morning I used some perfume, and that's what you smell."
Now, Keejeepaa had drawn the sword, and was standing just inside
the doorway; so, when the big snake put his head in, it was cut off
so quickly that its owner did not know it was gone. When he put in
his second head it was cut off with the same quickness; and, feeling
a little irritation, he exclaimed, "Who's inside there, scratching
me?" He then thrust in his third head, and that was cut off also.
This continued until six heads had been disposed of, when Neeoka Mkoo
unfolded his rings and lashed around so that the gazelle and the old
woman could not see one another through the dust.
Then the snake thrust in his seventh head, and the gazelle, crying:
"Now your time has come; you've climbed many trees, but this you can
not climb," severed it, and immediately fell down in a fainting fit.
Well, that old woman, although she was seventy-five years of age,
jumped, and shouted, and laughed, like a girl of nine. Then she ran
and got water, and sprinkled the gazelle, and turned him this way
and that way, until at last he sneezed; which greatly pleased the
old person, who fanned him and tended him until he was quite recovered.
"Oh, my!" said she; "who would have thought you could be a match for
him, my grandson?"
"Well, well," said Keejeepaa; "that's all over. Now show me everything
around this place."
So she showed him everything, from top to bottom: store-rooms
full of goods, chambers full of expensive foods, rooms containing
handsome people who had been kept prisoners for a long time, slaves,
and everything.
Next he asked her if there was any person who was likely to lay
claim to the place or make any trouble; and she answered: "No one;
everything here belongs to you."
"Very well, then," said he, "you stay here and take care of these
things until I bring my master. This place belongs to him now."
Keejeepaa stayed three days examining the house, and said to himself:
"Well, when my master comes here he will be much pleased with what I
have done for him, and he'll appreciate it after the life he's been
accustomed to. As to his father-in-law, there is not a house in his
town that can compare with this."
On the fourth day he departed, and in due time arrived at the
town where the sultan and his master lived. Then there were great
rejoicings; the sultan being particularly pleased at his return,
while his master felt as if he had received a new lease of life.
After everything had settled down a little, Keejeepaa told his master
he must be ready to go, with his wife, to his new home after four
days. Then he went and told the sultan that Sultan Daaraaee desired
to take his wife to his own town in four days; to which the sultan
strongly objected; but the gazelle said it was his master's wish,
and at last everything was arranged.
On the day of the departure a great company assembled to escort Sultan
Daaraaee and his bride. There were the bride's ladies-in-waiting,
and slaves, and horsemen, and Keejeepaa leading them all.
So they traveled three days, resting when the sun was overhead, and
stopping each evening about five o'clock to eat and sleep; arising
next morning at day-break, eating, and going forward again. And all
this time the gazelle took very little rest, going all through the
company, from the ladies to the slaves, and seeing that every one was
well supplied with food and quite comfortable; therefore the entire
company loved him and valued him like the apples of their eyes.
On the fourth day, during the afternoon, many houses came into
view, and some of the folks called Keejeepaa's attention to
them. "Certainly," said he; "that is our town, and that house you
see yonder is the palace of Sultan Daaraaee."
So they went on, and all the company filed into the courtyard, while
the gazelle and his master went into the house.
When the old woman saw Keejeepaa, she began to dance, and shout, and
carry on, just as she did when he killed Neeoka Mkoo, and taking up
his foot she kissed it; but Keejeepaa said: "Old lady, let me alone;
the one to be made much of is this my master, Sultan Daaraaee. Kiss
his feet; he has the first honors whenever he is present."
The old woman excused herself for not knowing the master, and
then Sultan Daaraaee and the gazelle went around on a tour of
inspection. The sultan ordered all the prisoners to be released,
the horses to be sent out to pasture, all the rooms to be swept,
the furniture to be dusted, and, in the meantime, servants were busy
preparing food. Then every one had apartments assigned to him, and
all were satisfied.
After they had remained there some time, the ladies who had accompanied
the bride expressed a desire to return to their own homes. Keejeepaa
begged them not to hurry away, but after a while they departed, each
loaded with gifts by the gazelle, for whom they had a thousand times
more affection than for his master. Then things settled down to their
regular routine.
One day the gazelle said to the old woman: "I think the conduct of
my master is very singular. I have done nothing but good for him
all the time I have been with him. I came to this town and braved
many dangers for him, and when all was over I gave everything to
him. Yet he has never asked: 'How did you get this house? How did
you get this town? Who is the owner of this house? Have you rented
all these things, or have they been given you? What has become of
the inhabitants of the place?' I don't understand him. And further:
although I have done nothing but good for him, he has never done one
good thing for me. Nothing here is really his. He never saw such a
house or town as this since the day he was born, and he doesn't own
anything of it. I believe the old folks were right when they said,
'If you want to do any person good, don't do too much; do him a little
harm occasionally, and he'll think more of you.' However, I've done
all I can now, and I'd like to see him make some little return."
Next morning the old woman was awakened early by the gazelle calling,
"Mother! Mother!" When she went to him she found he was sick in his
stomach, feverish, and all his legs ached.
"Go," said he, "and tell my master I am very ill."
So she went upstairs and found the master and mistress sitting on a
marble couch, covered with a striped silk scarf from India.
"Well," said the master, "what do you want, old woman?"
"Oh, my master," cried she, "Keejeepaa is sick!"