When the seventh night drew near a close, Dinarzade awaked the
sultaness, and prayed her to continue the story of the second old
man. I will, answered Scheherazade, provided the sultan, my lord and
master, does not oppose it. Not at all, says Schahriar; I am so far
from opposing it, that I desire you earnestly to go on with it.
To resume the thread of the story, says Scheherazade, you must know,
that the old man who led the two dogs, continued his story to the
genie, the other two old men, and the merchant, thus: In short, says
he, after two months’ sail, we arrived happily at port, where we
landed and had a very great vent for our goods. I, especially, sold
mine so well, that I gamed ten to one, and we bought commodities of
that country, to transport and sell in our own.
When we were ready to embark, in order to return, I met upon the
bank of the sea a lady, handsome enough, but poorly clad. She came
up to me presently, kissed my hand, prayed me, with the greatest
earnestness imaginable, to marry her, and take her along with me. I
made some difficulty to agree to it; but she said so many things to
persuade me that I ought to make no objection to her poverty, and
that I should have all the reason in the world to be satisfied with
her conduct, that I yielded. I ordered proper apparel to be made for
her; and after having married her, according to form, I took her on
board, and we set sail. During the navigation, I found the wife I
had taken had so many good qualities, that I loved her every day
more and more. In the mean time, my two brothers, who had not
managed their affairs so well as I did mine, envied my prosperity;
and their fury carried them so far as to conspire against my life;
so that, one night, when my wife and I were asleep, they threw us
both into the sea.
My wife was a fairy, and, by consequence, a genie, you know well she
could not be drowned; but for me, it is certain I had been lost
without her help. I had scarce fallen into the water when she took
me up, and carried me to an island. When it was day, the fairy said
to me, You see, husband, that, by saving your life, I have not
rewarded you ill for your kindness to me. You must know, that I am a
fairy, and that, being upon the bank of the sea when you were going
to embark, I found I had a strong inclination for you: I had a mind
to try your goodness, and presented myself before you in that
disguise wherein you saw me. You have dealt very generously with me,
and I am very glad to have found an opportunity of testifying my
acknowledgment to you. But I am incensed against your brothers, and
nothing will satisfy me but their lives.
I listened to this discourse of the fairy with admiration; I thanked
her, as well as I could, for the great kindness she had done me:
but, madam, says I, as for my brothers, I beg you to pardon them;
whatever cause they have given me, I am not cruel enough to desire
their death. I told her the particulars of what I had done for them,
which increased her indignation so that she cried out, I must
immediately pursue those ungrateful traitors, and take speedy
vengeance on them: I will drown their vessel, and throw them into
the bottom of the sea. No, my good lady, replied I, for Heaven’s
sake, do not so; moderate your anger; consider that they are my
brothers, and that we must do good for evil.
I pacified the fairy by those words; and, as soon as I had spoken
them, she transported me, in a moment, from the island where we were
to the roof of my own house, which was terrassed, and disappeared in
a moment. I went down, opened the doors, and dug up the three
thousand sequins I had hid. I went afterwards to the place where my
shop was, which I also opened; and was complimented by the
merchants, my neighbours, upon my return. When I went to my house, I
perceived two black dogs, which came to me in a very submissive
manner: I knew not what it meant, but was much astonished at it. But
the fairy, who appeared immediately, says to me, husband, be not
surprised to see these two black dogs by you; they are your two
brothers. I was troubled at these words, and asked her by what power
they were so transformed. It was I who did it, says she; at least, I
gave commission to one of my sisters to do it, who at the same time
sunk their ship. You have lost the goods you had on board, but I
will make it up to you another way. As to your two brothers, I have
condemned them to remain five years in that shape: their
perfidiousness too well deserves such a penance. And, in short,
after having told me where I might hear of her, she disappeared.
Now, the five years being out, I am travelling in quest of her; and,
as I passed this way, I met this merchant and the good old man that
led the hind, and sat down by them. This is my history, O prince of
genii! do not you think it very extraordinary? I own it, says the
genie; and, upon that account, I remit the merchant the second third
of the crime which he committed against me.
As soon as the second old man had finished his story, the third
began, and made the like request of the genie with the two first;
that is to say, to pardon the merchant the other third of his crime,
provided the story he had to tell him exceeded the two he had
already heard for singular events. The genie made him the same
promise as he had done the other two. Hearken, then, says the old
man to him --but day appears, says Scheherazade; I must stop here.
I cannot enough admire, sister, says Dinarzade, the adventures you
have told me. I know abundance more, says the sultaness, that are
still more wonderful. Schahriar, willing to know if the story of the
third old man would be as agreeable as that of the second, put off
the execution of Scheherazade till the next day.