If you be not asleep, sister, said Dinarzade, next morning, before
it was day, I would pray you to resume the story of Zobeide, and
acquaint us with what passed between her and the young man that she
found alive in the palace you gave us so fine a description of. --I
will immediately satisfy you, said the sultaness. Zobeide went on
with her story thus:
Madam, said the young man, you have given me to understand you have
a knowledge of the true God, by the prayer you just now addressed to
him. I will acquaint you with the most remarkable effect of his
greatness and power. You must know, that this city was the
metropolis of a mighty kingdom, over which the king my father did
reign. That prince, his whole court, the inhabitants of the city,
and all his other subjects, were magi, worshippers of fire, and of
Nardoun, the ancient king of the giants, who rebelled against God.
And though I was begotten and born of an idolatrous father and
mother, I had the good fortune in my youth to have a governess who
was a good mussulman; I had the Koran by heart, and understood the
explanation of it perfectly well. Dear prince, would she oftentimes
say, there is but one true God; take heed that you do not
acknowledge and adore any other. She taught me to read Arabic, and
the book she gave me to preach upon was the Koran. As soon as I was
capable of understanding it, she explained to me all the heads of
this excellent book, and infused piety into my mind, unknown to my
father, or any body else. She happened to die, but not before she
had perfectly instructed me in all that was necessary to convince me
of the mussulman religion. After her death, I persisted with
constancy in the belief I was in; and I abhor the false god Nardoun,
and the adoration of fire.
It is about three years and some months ago, that a thundering voice
was heard all of a sudden so distinctly through the whole city, that
nobody could miss hearing it. The words were these: ‘Inhabitants,
abandon the worship of Nardoun, and of fire, and worship the only
God that shows mercy.’
This voice was heard three years successively, but nobody was
converted; so the last day of the year, at four o’clock in the
morning, all the inhabitants in general were changed in an instant
into stone, every one in the same condition and posture they
happened to be then in. The king, my father, had the same fate, for
he was metamorphosed into a black stone, as he is to be seen in this
palace; and the queen, my mother, had the like destiny.
I am the only person that did not suffer under that heavy judgment,
and ever since I have continued to serve God with more fervency than
before. I am persuaded, dear lady, that he has sent you hither for
my comfort, for which I render him infinite thanks; for I must own
that this solitary life is very uneasy.
All these expressions, and particularly the last, increased my love
to him extremely. Prince, said I, there is no doubt but Providence
hath brought me into your port, to present you with an opportunity
of withdrawing from this dismal place. The ship that I came in may
in some measure persuade you that I am in some esteem at Bagdad,
where I have left also a considerable estate; and I dare engage to
promise you sanctuary there, until the mighty commander of the
faithful, who is vice-regent to our prophet, whom you acknowledge,
show you the honour that is due to your merit. This renowned prince
lives at Bagdad, and as soon as he is informed of your arrival in
his capital, you will find that it is not in vain to implore his
assistance. It is impossible you can stay any longer in a city where
all the objects you see must renew your grief: my vessel is at your
service, where you may absolutely command as you shall think fit. He
accepted the offer, and we discoursed the remaining part of the
night about our embarkment.
As soon as it was day we left the palace, and came aboard my ship,
where we found my sisters, the captain, and the slaves, all very
much troubled for my absence. After I had presented my sisters to
the prince, I told them what had hindered my return to the vessel
the day before, how I had met with the young prince, his story, and
the cause of the desolation of so fine a city.
The seamen were taken up several days in unlading the merchandise I
brought along with me, and embarking, instead of that, all the
precious things in the palace, as jewels, gold, and money. We left
the furniture and goods, which consisted of an infinite quantity of
plate, &c. because our vessel could not carry it, for it would have
required several vessels more to carry all the riches to Bagdad that
we might have chosen to take with us.
After we had laded the vessel with what we thought fit, we took such
provisions and water aboard as were necessary for our voyage (for we
had still a great deal of those provisions left that we had taken in
at Balsora:) at last we set sail with a wind as favourable as we
could wish.
Here Scheherazade saw day, and stopped her discourse; the sultan
arose without speaking a word; but he proposed to himself to hear
the end of Zobeide’s story, and the wonderful deliverance of this
young prince.