For the love of heaven, sister, said Dinarzade, before it was day,
if you be not asleep, tell us how the two black bitches were brought
to their former shape, and what became of the three calenders. --I
will satisfy your curiosity, said Scheherazade. Then addressing her
discourse to Schahriar, she pursued it thus:
Sir, the caliph having satisfied his curiosity, thought himself
obliged to give some marks of grandeur and generosity to the
calender princes, and also to give the three ladies some proofs of
his bounty. He himself, without making use of his minister, the
grand vizier, spoke to Zobeide: Madam, this fairy, that shewed
herself to you in the shape of a serpent, and imposed such a
rigorous command upon you, did she not tell you where her place of
abode was? Or rather, did she not promise to see you, and restore
those bitches to their natural shape?
Commander of the faithful, answered Zobeide, I forgot to tell your
majesty, that the fairy left with me a bundle of hair, saying
withal, that her presence would one day be of use to me; and then,
if I only burnt two tufts of this hair, she would be with me in a
moment, though she were beyond mount Caucasus. --Madam, said the
caliph, where is the bundle of hair? She answered, ever since that
time, I have had such a particular care of it, that I always carry
it about me. Upon which she pulled it out, just opened the case
where it was, and showed it to him. Well then, said the caliph, let
us make the fairy come hither; you could not call her in a better
time, for I long to see her.
Zobeide having consented to it, fire was brought in, and she threw
the whole bundle of hair into it. The palace began to shake at that
very instant, and the fairy appeared before the caliph, in the shape
of a lady very richly dressed.
Commander of the faithful, said she to the prince, you see I am
ready to come and receive your commands. The lady who gave me this
call by your order did me a particular piece of service; to make my
gratitude appear, I revenged her of her sisters inhumanity by
changing them into bitches; but if your majesty commands it, I will
restore them to their former shape.
Handsome fairy, said the caliph, you cannot do me a greater
pleasure; vouchsafe them that favour, and after that I will find
some means to comfort them for their hard penance. But besides, I
have another boon to ask in favour of that lady, who has had such
cruel usage from an unknown husband; and as you undoubtedly know a
great many things, we have reason to believe that you cannot be
ignorant of this. Oblige me with the name of this barbarous fellow,
who could not be contented to exercise his barbarous cruelty upon
her person, but has also most unjustly taken from her all her
substance. I only wonder how such an unjust and inhuman action could
be performed in spite of my authority, and not come to my ears.
To oblige your majesty, answered the fairy, I will restore the two
bitches to their former state, and I will so cure the lady of her
scars, that it shall never appear she was so beaten; and at last I
will tell you who it was that did it.
The caliph sent for the two bitches from Zobeide’s house; and when
they came a glass of water was brought to the fairy by her desire;
she pronounced over it some words, which nobody understood; then
throwing some part of it upon Amine, and the rest upon the bitches,
the latter became two ladies of surprising beauty, and the scars
that were upon Amine vanished away. After which, the fairy said to
the caliph, Commander of the faithful, I must now discover to you
the unknown husband you inquire after; he is very near related to
yourself, for it is prince Amin, your eldest son, who falling
passionately in love with this lady, by the fame he had heard of her
beauty, by an intrigue got her brought to his house, where he
married her. As to the strokes he caused to be given her, he is in
some measure excusable; for the lady, his spouse, had been a little
too easy, and the excuses she had made were capable of making him
believe she was more faulty than she really was. This is all I can
say to satisfy your curiosity; and at these words she saluted the
caliph, and vanished.
The prince being filled with admiration, and having much
satisfaction in the changes that had happened through his means, did
such things as will perpetuate his memory to all ages. First, he
sent for his son Amin, and told him that he was informed of his
secret marriage, and how he had wounded Amine upon a very slight
cause. Upon this the prince did not wait for his father’s
commands, but received her again immediately.
After which the caliph declared that he would give his own heart and
hand to Zobeide, and offered the other three sisters to the
calenders, who were sons of kings, who accepted them for their
brides with much joy. The caliph assigned each of them a magnificent
palace in the city of Bagdad, promoted them to the highest dignities
of his empire, and admitted them to his counsels.
The town-clerk of Bagdad being called, with witnesses, wrote the
contracts of marriage; and the famous caliph Haroun Alraschid, by
making the fortune of so many persons that had suffered such
incredible calamities, drew a thousand blessings upon himself.
The Story of Sindbad, the Sailor.
Dinarzade having awakened her sister the sultaness, as usual, and
prayed her to tell another story, Scheherazade asked leave of the
sultan, and having obtained it, began thus:
Sir, in the reign of the same caliph Haroun Alraschid, whom I
formerly mentioned, there lived at Bagdad a poor porter called
Hindbad. [4] One day, when the weather was excessively hot, he was
employed to carry a heavy burden from one end of the town to the
other. Being very weary, and having still a great way to go, he came
into a street where a delicate western breeze blew on his face, and
the pavement of the street being sprinkled with rose-water, he could
not desire a better place to rest in; therefore, laying off his
burden, he sat down by it, near a great house.
He was mightily pleased that he stopt in this place, for an
agreeable smell of wood of aloes, and of pastils, that came from the
house, mixing with the scent of rose-water, did completely perfume
and embalm the air; besides, he heard from within a concert of
several sorts of instrumental music, accompanied with the harmonious
notes of nightingales, and other birds, peculiar to that climate.
This charming melody, and the smell of several sorts of victuals,
made the porter think there was a feast, and great rejoicings within.
His occasions leading him seldom that way, he knew not who dwelt in
the house; but to satisfy his curiosity, he went to some of the
servants, whom he saw standing at the gate in magnificent apparel,
and asked the name of the master of the house. How, replied one of
them, do you live in Bagdad, and know not that this is the house of
Signor Sindbad, the sailor, that famous traveller, who has sailed
round the world?
The porter, who had heard of this Sindbad’s riches, could not but
envy a man whose condition he thought to be as happy as his own was
deplorable; and his mind being fretted with those reflections, he
lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, loud enough to be heard,
Almighty Creator of all things, consider the difference between
Sindbad and me: I am every day exposed to fatigues and calamities,
and can scarce get coarse barley-bread for myself and my family,
whilst happy Sindbad profusely expends immense riches, and leads a
life of continual pleasure. What has he done to obtain from thee a
lot so agreeable? And what have I done to deserve one so miserable?
Having finished his expostulation, he struck his foot against the
ground, like a man swallowed up of grief and despair.
Whilst the porter was thus indulging his melancholy, a servant came
out of the house, and taking him by the arm, bid him follow him, for
Signor Sindbad, his master, wanted to speak with him. --Here day
beginning to appear, Scheherazade broke off her story, but resumed
it again next morning as follows: