Schahriar, and the princess his spouse, passed this night in the
same manner as they had done the former; and before break of day,
Dinarzade awaked them with these words, addressed to the sultaness:
I pray you, sister, to resume the story of the fisherman. With all
my heart, said Scheherazade, I am willing to satisfy you, with the
sultan’s permission.
The genie, continued she, having promised to speak the truth, the
fisherman says to him, --I would know if you were actually in this
vessel: dare you swear it by the name of the great God? Yes, replied
the genie, I do swear by that great name that I was, and it is a
certain truth. In good faith, answered the fisherman, I cannot
believe you; the vessel is not capable of holding one of your feet,
and how should it be possible that your whole body could lie in it?
I swear to thee, notwithstanding, replied the genie, that I was
there just as you see me here: Is it possible, that thou dost not
believe me after this great oath that I have taken? Truly, not I,
said the fisherman; nor will I believe you, unless you show it me.
Upon which the body of the genic was dissolved, and changed itself
into smoke, extending itself as formerly upon the sea and shore: and
then at last being gathered together, it began to re-enter the
vessel, which it continued to do successively by a slow and equal
motion, after a smooth and exact way, till nothing was left out; and
immediately, a voice came forth, which said to the fisherman, Well,
now, incredulous fellow, I am all in the vessel, do not you believe
me now.
The fisherman, instead of answering the genie, took the cover of
lead, and having speedily shut the vessel, Genie, cries he, now it
is your turn to beg my favour, and to choose which way I shall put
you to death; but not so, it is better that I should throw you into
the sea, whence I took you: and then I will build a house upon the
bank, where I will dwell, to give notice to all fishermen who come
to throw in their nets, to beware of such a wicked genie as thou
art, who hast made an oath to kill him that shall set thee at
liberty.
The genie, enraged at those expressions, did all he could to get out
of the vessel again; but it was not possible for him to do it; for
the impression of Solomon’s seal prevented him. So perceiving that
the fisherman had got the advantage of him, he thought fit to
dissemble his anger; Fisherman, said he, in a pleasant tone, take
heed you do not do what you say, for what I spoke to you before was
only by way of jest, and you are to take it no otherwise. O, genie!
replies the fisherman, thou who wast but a moment ago the greatest
of all genie, and now art the least of them, thy crafty discourse
will signify nothing to thee, but to the sea thou shalt return. If
thou hast staid there already so long as thou hast told me, thou
mayst very well stay there till the day of judgment. I begged of
thee in God’s name, not to take away my life, and thou didst
reject my prayers; I am obliged to treat thee in the same manner.
The genie omitted nothing that could prevail upon the fisherman;
Open the vessel, says he, give me my liberty, I pray thee, and I
promise to satisfy thee to thy own content. Thou art a mere traitor,
replies the fisherman; I should deserve to lose my life, if I were
such a fool as to trust thee; thou wilt not fail to treat me in the
same manner as a certain Grecian king treated the physician Douban.
It is a story I have a mind to tell thee, therefore listen to it.
The Story of the Grecian King and the Physician Douban.
There was in the country of Zouman, in Persia, a king, whose
subjects were originally Greeks. This king was all over leprous, and
his physicians in vain endeavoured his cure; and when they were at
their wits end what to prescribe to him, a very able physician,
called Douban, arrived at his court.
This physician had learned his science in Greek, Persian, Turkish,
Arabian, Latin, Syriac, and Hebrew books; and besides that, he was
an expert philosopher, and fully understood the good and bad
qualities of all sorts of plants and drugs. As soon as he was
informed of the king’s distemper, and understood that his
physicians had given him over, he clad himself in the best habits he
could procure, and found means to present himself to the king. Sir,
says he, I know that all your majesty’s physicians have not been
able to cure you the leprosy; but if you will do me the honour to
accept my service, I will engage myself to cure you without potions,
or external applications.
The king listened to what he said, and answered, If you be able to
perform what you do promise, I will enrich you and your posterity;
and besides the presents I shall make you, you shall be my chief
favourite. Do you assure me, then, that you will cure me of my
leprosy, without making me take any potion, or applying any external
medicine? Yes, sir, replies the physician; I promise myself success,
through God’s assistance, and to-morrow I will make trial of it.
The physician returned to his quarters, and made a mallet, hollow
within, and at the handle he put in his drugs: he made also a ball
in such a manner as suited his purpose, with which, next morning, he
went to present himself before the king, and falling down at his
feet, kissed the ground. Here Scheherazade, perceiving day,
acquainted the sultan with it, and held her peace.
I wonder, sister, says Dinarzade, where you learn so many fine
things. You shall hear a great many others to-morrow, replies
Scheherazade, if the sultan, my master, will be pleased to prolong
my life farther. Schahriar, who longed as much as Dinarzade, to hear
the sequel of the story of Douban, the physician, did not order the
sultaness to be put to death that day.