The sultaness being awakened as usual, gave the sultan an account
that the second calender continued his story thus: Being desirous,
said he, to spare the lady the trouble to come to me, I made haste
to meet her: and as I was saluting her with a low bow, she asked me,
What are you, a man or a genie? --A man, madam, said I: I have no
correspondence with genies. --By what adventure, said she, fetching
a deep sigh, are you come hither? I have lived here these
twenty-five years, and never saw any man but yourself during that
time.
Her great beauty, which had already smitten me, and the sweetness
and civility wherewith she received me, emboldened me to say to her,
Madam, before I have the honour to satisfy your curiosity, give me
leave to tell you, that I am infinitely satisfied with this
unexpected meeting, which offers me an occasion of consolation in
the midst of my affliction; and perhaps it may give me an
opportunity to make you also more happy than you are. I gave her a
true account by what strange accident she saw me, the son of a king,
in such a condition as then I appeared in her presence; and how
fortune directed that I should discover the entrance into that
magnificent prison where I had found her, but, according to
appearance, in an unpleasant situation.
Alas! prince, said she, sighing once more, you have just cause to
believe this rich and pompous prison cannot be otherwise than a most
wearisome abode; the most charming place in the world being no way
delightful when we are detained there contrary to our will. It is
not possible but you have heard of the great Epitimarus, king of the
isle of Ebene, so called from that precious wood it produces in
abundance; I am the princess his daughter.
The king, my father, had chosen for me a husband, a prince that was
my cousin: but, on my wedding-night, in the midst of the rejoicing
that was in the court and the capital city of the kingdom of the
isle of Ebene, before I was given to my husband, a genie took me
away. I fainted at the same moment, and lost my senses; but when I
came to myself again, I found myself in this place. I was a long
time inconsolable, but time and necessity have accustomed me to see
and receive the genie. Twenty-five years, as I told you before, I
have continued in this place; where, I must confess, I have every
thing that I can wish for necessary to life, and also every thing
that can satisfy a princess fond of dress and fashions.
Every ten days, said the princess, the genie comes hither to lie
with me one night, which he never exceeds; and the excuse he makes
for it is, that he is married to another wife, who would grow
jealous if she came to know how unfaithful he was to her. Meanwhile,
if I have occasion for him by day or night, as soon as I touch a
talisman, which is at the entrance into my chamber, the genie
appears. It is now the fourth day since he was here, and I do not
expect him before the end of six more: so, if you please, you may
stay five days and keep me company, and I will endeavour to
entertain you according to your quality and merit. I thought myself
too fortunate, to have obtained so great a favour without asking it,
to refuse so obliging a proffer. The princess made me go into a
bagnio, which was the most handsome, the most commodious, and the
most sumptuous that could be imagined; and when I came forth,
instead of my own clothes, I found another very costly suit, which I
did not esteem so much for its richness, as because it made me look
worthy to be in her company. We sat down on a sofa covered with rich
tapestry, with cushions to lean upon of the rarest Indian brocade;
and some time after she covered a table with several dishes of
delicate meats. We ate together, and passed the remaining part of
the day with much satisfaction; and at night she received me to her
bed.
The next day, as she contrived every means to please me, she brought
in, at dinner, a bottle of old wine, the most excellent that ever
was tasted; and out of complaisance, she drank some part of it with
me. When my head grew hot with the agreeable liquor, Fair princess,
said I, you have been too long thus buried alive: follow me, and
enjoy the real day, from which you have been deprived so many years,
and abandon this false light that you have here. --Prince, replied
she, with a smile, leave this discourse; if you out of ten days will
grant me nine, and resign the last to the genie, the fairest day
that ever was would be nothing in my esteem. --Princess, said I, it
is the fear of the genie that makes you speak thus; for my part, I
value him so little, that I will break in pieces his talisman, with
the conjuration that is written about it. Let him come, I will
expect him; and how brave or redoubtable soever he be, I will make
him feel the weight of my arm: I swear solemnly that I will
extirpate all the genies in the world, and him first. The princess,
who knew the consequence, conjured me not to touch the talisman; for
that would be a means, said she, to rum both you and me: I know what
belongs to genies better than you. The fumes of the wine did not
suffer me to hearken to her reasons; but I gave the talisman a kick
with my foot, and broke it in several pieces.
At these words Scheherazade perceiving day, grew silent, and the
sultan got up, not doubting but the breaking of the talisman had
some remarkable event, and therefore resolved to hear that story to
the end.