Dinarzade perceiving it was time to call upon the sultaness, said,
Sister, if you be not asleep, pray resume the story of the third
calender. Scheherazade gave her no occasion to repeat her request,
and went on in this manner:--
The young man, continued the third calender, recovered himself at
these words, and prayed me, with a smiling countenance, to sit down
by him; which when I had done, he said, Prince, I am to acquaint you
with a matter so extraordinary in itself, that it cannot but
surprise you.
My father is a merchant jeweller, who, through his ingenuity in his
calling, has acquired a great estate. He has many slaves and also
deputies, whom he employs to go as supercargoes to sea with his own
ships, on purpose to maintain the correspondence he has at several
courts, which he furnishes with such precious stones as they want.
He had been married a long while, and without issue, when he
understood by a dream that he should have a son, though his life
would be but short; at which he was very much concerned when he
awoke. --Some days after, my mother acquainted him that she was with
child: and what she supposed to be the time of her conception agreed
exactly with the day of his dream. She was brought to bed of me at
the end of nine months, which occasioned great joy in the family.
My father, who had observed the very moment of my birth, consulted
astrologers about my nativity, who told him, Your son shall live
very happily till the age of fifteen, when he will be in danger of
losing his life, and hardly be able to escape it: but if his good
destiny preserve him beyond that time, he will live to grow very
old. It will be (said they) when the statue of brass, that stands
upon the top of the mountain of adamant, shall be thrown down into
the sea by prince Agib, son of king Cassib; and, as the stars
prognosticate, your son shall be killed fifty days afterwards by
that prince.
As the event of this part of the prediction about the statue agrees
exactly with my father’s dream, it afflicted him so much, that he
was struck to the very heart with it. In the mean time, he took all
imaginable care of my education until this present year, which is
the fifteenth of my age; and he had notice given him yesterday, that
the statue of brass had been thrown into the sea about ten days ago,
by that same prince I told you of. This news has cost him so many
tears, and has alarmed him so much, that he looks not like himself.
Upon these predictions of the astrologers, he has sought by all
means possible to falsify my horoscope, and to preserve my life. It
is not long since he took the precaution to build me this
subterranean habitation to hide me in till the expiration of the
fifty days after the throwing down of the statue; and therefore,
since it was ten days ago that this had happened, he came hastily
hither to hide me, and promised at the end of forty days to come
again, and fetch me out. As for my own part, I am in good hope, and
cannot believe that prince Agib will come to seek for me in a place
under ground in the midst of a desert island. This, my lord, is what
I have to say to you.
While the jeweller’s son was telling me this story, I laughed
within myself at those astrologers who had foretold that I should
take away his life; for I thought myself so far from being likely to
verify what they said, that he had scarce done speaking, when I told
him, with great joy, Dear sir, put your confidence in the goodness
of God, and fear nothing: you may consider it as a debt you was to
pay, but that you are acquitted of it from this very hour. I am glad
that, after my shipwreck, I came so fortunately hither to defend you
against all those that would attempt your death. I will not leave
you till the forty days are expired, of which the foolish
astrologers have made you apprehensive; and, in the mean while, I
will do you all the service that lies in my power; after which, I
shall have the benefit of getting to the main land in your vessel,
with leave of your father, and yourself; and when I am returned into
my kingdom, I shall remember the obligations I owe you, and
endeavour to demonstrate my acknowledgments in a suitable manner.
This my discourse encouraged the jeweller’s son, and inspired him
with confidence in me. I took care not to tell him I was the very
Agib whom he dreaded, lest I should put him into a fright, and took
as much care not to give him any cause to suspect it. We passed the
time in several discourses till night came on: I found the young lad
of ready wit, and partook with him of his provisions, of which he
had enough to have lasted beyond the forty days, though he had more
guests than myself. After supper we continued some time in
discourse: at last we went to bed. The next day, when we got up, I
held the basin and water to him; I also provided dinner, and set it
on the table in due time; after we had done, I invented a play to
divert ourselves, not only for that day, but for those that
followed. I prepared supper after the same manner as I had prepared
dinner; and having supped, we went to bed as formerly. We had time
enough to contract friendship. I found he loved me, and for my part,
I had so great a respect for him, that I have often said to myself,
Those astrologers who predicted to his father, that his son should
die by my hand, were impostors; for it is not possible that I could
commit so base an action. In short, madam, we spent thirty-nine days
in the pleasantest manner that could be, in a place like that under
ground.
The fortieth day appeared; and in the morning, when the young man
awoke, he said to me, with a transport of joy that he could not
restrain, Prince, this is the fortieth day; I am not dead, thanks to
God and your good company. My father will not fail to be here anon,
to give you a testimony of his gratitude for it, and shall furnish
you with all that is necessary for your return to your kingdom: but
in the mean time, said he, I beg you to get ready some water very
warm, to wash my whole body in that portable bagnio, that I may
clean myself, and change my clothes, to receive my father more
cheerfully.
I set the water on the fire, and when it was hot, put it into the
moveable bagnio; the youth went in, and I myself washed and rubbed
him. At last he came out, and laid himself down in his bed that I
had prepared, and covered him with his bed clothes. After he had
slept a while, he awoke, and said, Dear prince, pray do me the
favour to fetch me a melon and some sugar, that I may eat some, and
refresh me.
Out of several melons that remained, I took the best, and laid it on
a plate; and because I could not find a knife to cut it with, I
asked the young man if he knew where there was one. There is one,
said he, upon this cornice over my head. I accordingly saw it there,
and made so much haste to reach it, that while I had it in my hand,
my foot being entangled in the covering, I fell most unhappily upon
the young man, and the knife run into his heart in a minute.
At this spectacle I cried out most hideously; I beat my head, my
face, and breast; I tore my clothes; I threw myself on the ground
with unspeakable sorrow and grief. Alas! I cried, there were only
some hours wanting to have put him out of that danger from which he
sought sanctuary here; and when I myself thought the danger past,
then I became his murderer, and verified the prediction. But, O
Lord! said I, lifting up my face and hands to heaven, I intreat thy
pardon, and if I be guilty of his death, let me not live any longer.
Scheherazade perceiving day, was obliged to break off this doleful
story. The sultan of the Indies was moved with it, and felt very
uneasy to think what would become of the calender after this; and
resolved that Scheherazade should not die that day, because she was
the only person that could resolve him.