If you be not asleep, sister, said Dinarzade, next morning, I
conjure you to tell us if the honest dervise came safe and sound out
of the well. --Yes, replied Scheherazade, and the second calender
pursued his story thus: This old well, said he, was inhabited by
fairies and genies, which happened luckily for the relief of the
head of the convent: for they received and supported him, and
carried him to the bottom, so that he got no hurt. He perceived well
enough that there was something extraordinary in his fall, which
must otherwise have cost him his life; whereas he neither saw nor
felt any thing. But he soon heard a voice, which said, Do you know
what honest man this is, to whom we have done this piece of service?
Another voice answered, No. To which the first replied, Then I will
tell you. This man, out of charity, the greatest that ever was
known, left the town he lived in, and has established himself in
this place, in hopes to cure one of his neighbours of the envy he
had conceived against him; he had acquired such a general esteem,
that the envious man, not able to endure it, came hither on purpose
to ruin him, which he had performed, had it not been for the
assistance which we have given this honest man, whose reputation is
so great, that the sultan, who keeps his residence in the
neighbouring city, was to pay him a visit tomorrow, to recommend the
princess his daughter to his prayers.
Another voice asked, What need had the princess of the dervise’s
prayers? To which the first answered, You do not know, it seems,
that she is possessed by genie Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, who is
fallen in love with her. But I know well how this good head of the
dervises may cure her; the thing is very easy, and I will tell it
you. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white spot at the end
of her tail, about the bigness of a small piece of Arabian money;
let him only pull seven hairs out of the white spot, burn them, and
smoke the princess’s head with the fume, she will not only be
presently cured, but be so safely delivered from Maimoun, the son of
Dimdim, that he will never dare to come near her a second time.
The head of the dervises remembered every word of the discourse
between the fairies and the genies, who were very silent all the
night after. The next morning by break of day, when he could discern
one thing from another, the well being broken down in several
places, he saw a hole, by which he crept out with ease.
The other dervises, who had been seeking for him, were rejoiced to
see him: he gave them a brief account of the wickedness of that man
to whom he had given so kind a reception the day before, and retired
into his cell. It was not long till the black cat, of whom the
fairies and the genies had made mention in their discourses the
night before, came to fawn upon her master, as she was accustomed to
do: he took her up, and pulled out seven hairs of the white spot
that was upon her tail, and laid them aside for his use when
occasion should serve.
The sun was not high, when the sultan, who would leave no means
untried that he thought could restore the princess to perfect
health, arrived at the gate of the convent. He commanded his guards
to halt, whilst he with his principal officers went in. The dervises
received him with profound respect.
The sultan called their head aside, and said, Good sheich, it may be
you know already the cause of my coming hither. --Yes, sir, replied
he very gravely, if I do not mistake, it is the disease of the
princess which procures me this unmerited honour.
That is the very thing, replied the sultan. You will give me new
life, if your prayers, as I hope they will, can procure my
daughter’s health. --Sir, said the good man, if your majesty will
be pleased to let her come hither, I am in hopes, through God’s
assistance and favour, she shall return in perfect health.
The prince, transported with joy, sent immediately to fetch his
daughter, who very soon appeared with a numerous train of ladies and
eunuchs, but masked, so that her face was not seen. The chief of the
dervises caused a pall to be held over her head, and he had no
sooner thrown the seven hairs upon the burning coals, but the genie
Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, gave a great cry, without any thing
being seen, and left the princess at liberty; upon which she took
off the veil from her face, and rose up to see where she was,
saying, Where am I, and who brought me hither? At which words, the
sultan, overcome with excess of joy, embraced his daughter, and
kissed her eyes? he also kissed the chief of the dervises’ hands,
and said to his officers, Tell me your opinion, what reward does he
deserve, that has thus cured my daughter? They all cried, he
deserves her in marriage. --This 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 place on
the dervise. The sultan himself also died without heirs male; upon
which, the religious orders and the militia gathered together, and
the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by general consent.
Day light appearing, Scheherazade was obliged to break off her
story. Schahriar looked upon the dervise to be worthy of the crown
he had got, but was desirous to know if the envious man did not die
for spite; and got up with an intention to hear it next night.