extraordinarily kind to me, and has done all she could to
persuade me that she loves me faithfully; but I observed
something last night, which gives me just reason to suspect that
all her kindness was but dissimulation. Whilst she thought me
asleep, although I was really awake, she stole from me with a
great deal of precaution, which made me suspect her intention,
and therefore I resolved to watch her, still feigning myself
asleep." He then related to Abdallah in what manner he had seen
her make the cake; and then added, "Hitherto," said he, "I must
needs confess, I had almost forgotten, not only you, but all the
advice you gave me concerning the wickedness of this queen; but
this last action of hers gives me reason to fear she intends to
observe none of her promises or solemn oaths .to you. I thought
of you immediately, and I esteem myself happy that I have
obtained permission to come to you."
"You are not mistaken," replied old Abdallah with a smile, which
showed he did not himself believe she would have acted otherwise;
"nothing is capable of obliging a perfidious woman to amend. But
fear nothing. I know how to make the mischief she intends you
fall upon herself. You are alarmed in time; and you could not
have done better than to have recourse to me. It is her ordinary
practice to keep her lovers only forty days; and after that time,
instead of seeding them home, to turn them into animals, to stock
her forests and parks; but I thought of measures yesterday to
prevent her doing you the same harm. The earth has borne this
monster long enough, and it is now high time she should be
treated as she deserves."
So saying, Abdallah put two cakes into king Beder's hands,
bidding him keep them to be used as he should direct. "You told
me," continued he, "the sorceress made a cake last night; it was
for you to eat; but do not touch it. Nevertheless, do not refuse
to receive it, when she offers it you; but instead of tasting it,
break off part of one of the two I shall give you, unobserved,
and eat that. As soon as she thinks you have swallowed it, she
will not fail to attempt transforming you into some animal, but
she shall not succeed; when she sees that she has failed, she
will immediately turn her proceeding into pleasantry, as if what
she had done was only out of joke to frighten you; but she will
conceal a mortal grief in her heart, and think she has omitted
something in the composition of her cake. As for the other cake,
you shall make a present of it to her, and press her to eat it;
which she will not refuse to do, were it only to convince you she
does not mistrust you, though she has given you so much reason to
mistrust her. When she has eaten of it, take a little water in
the hollow of your hand, and throwing it in her face, say, "Quit
that form you now wear, and take that of such or such animal," as
you shall think fit; which done, come to me with the animal, and
I will tell you what you shall do afterwards."
King Beder expressed to Abdallah, in the warmest terms, his great
obligations to him, for his endeavours to defend him from the
power of a pestilent sorceress; and after some further
conversation took his leave of him, and returned to the palace.
Upon his arrival, he understood that the queen waited for him
with great impatience in the garden. He went to her, and she no
sooner perceived him, than she came in great haste to meet him.
"My dear Beder!" exclaimed she, "it is said, with a great deal of
reason, that nothing more forcibly shews the excess of love than
absence from the object beloved. I have had no quiet since I saw
you, and it seems ages since I have been separated from you. If
you had stayed ever so little longer, I was preparing to come and
fetch you once more to my arms."
"Madam," replied king Beder, "I can assure your majesty, I was no
less impatient to rejoin you; but I could not refuse to stay with
an uncle who loves me, and had not seen me for so long a time. He
would have kept me still longer, but I tore myself away from him,
to come where love calls me. Of all the collations he prepared
for me, I have only brought away this cake, which I desire your
majesty to accept." King Beder, having wrapped up one of the two
cakes in a handkerchief, took it out, and presented it to the
queen, saying, "I beg your majesty to accept of it."
"I do accept it with all my heart," replied the queen, receiving
it, "and will eat it with pleasure for yours and your good
uncle's sake; but before I taste of it, I desire you will, for my
sake, eat a piece of this, which I have made for you during your
absence." "Fair queen," answered king Beder, receiving it with
great respect, "such hands as your majesty's can never make
anything but what is excellent, and I cannot sufficiently
acknowledge the favour you do me."
King Beder then artfully substituted in the place of the queen's
cake the other which old Abdallah had given him, and having
broken off a piece, he put it in his mouth, and cried, while he
was eating, "Ah! queen, I never tasted anything so excellent in
my life." They being near a cascade, the sorceress seeing him
swallow one bit of the cake, and ready to eat another, took a
little water in the palm of her hand, and throwing it in the
king's face, said, "Wretch! quit that form ofa man, and take that
of a vile horse, blind and lame."
These words not having the desired effect, the sorceress was
strangely surprised to find King Beder still in the same form,
and that he only started for fear. Her cheeks reddened; and as
she saw that she had missed her aim, "Dear Beder," cried she,
"this is nothing; recover yourself. I did not intend you any
harm; I only did it to see what you would say. I should be the
most miserable and most execrable of women, should I attempt so
black a deed; not only on account of all the oaths I have sworn,
but also of the many testimonies of love I have given you."
"Puissant queen," replied King Beder, "persuaded as I am, that
what your majesty did was only to divert yourself, I could not
help being surprised. What could hinder me from being a little
moved at the pronouncing of so strange a transformation? But,
madam," continued he, "let us drop this discourse; and since I
have eaten of your cake, would you do me the favour to taste
mine?"
Queen Labe, who could not better justify herself than by showing
this mark of confidence in the king of Persia, broke off a piece
of his cake and ate it. She had no sooner swallowed it than she
appeared much troubled, and remained as it were motionless. King
Beder lost no time, but took water out of the same basin, and
throwing it in her face, cried, "Abominable sorceress ! quit the
form of woman, and be turned instantly into a mare."
The same moment, Queen Labe was transformed into a very beautiful
mare; and her confusion was so great to find herself in that
condition, that she shed tears in great abundance. She bowed her
head to the feet of King Beder, thinking to move him to
compassion; but though he could have been so moved, it was
absolutely out of his power to repair the mischief he had done.
He led her into the stable belonging to the palace, and put her
into the hands of a groom, to bridle and saddle; but of all the
bridles which the groom tried upon her, not one would fit. This
made him cause two horses to be saddled, one for the groom and
the other for himself; and the groom led the mare after him to
old Abdallah's.
Abdallah seeing at a distance King Beder coming with the mare,
doubted not but he had done what he had advised him. "Cursed
sorceress!" said he immediately to himself in a transport of joy,
"heaven has at length punished thee as thou deservest." King
Beder alighted at Abdallah's door and entered with him into the
shop, embracing and thanking him for all the signal services he
had done him. He related to him the whole matter, with all its
circumstances, and moreover told him, he could find no bridle fit
for the mare. Abdallah bridled the mare himself, and as soon as
King Beder had sent back the groom with the two horses, he said
to him, "My lord, you have no reason to stay any longer in this
city: mount the mare, and return to your kingdom. I have but one
thing more to recommend to you; and that is, if you should ever
happen to part with the mare, be sure not to give up the bridle."
King Beder promised to remember this; and having taken leave of
the good old man, he departed.
The young king of Persia had no sooner got out of the city, than
he began to reflect with joy on his deliverance, and that he had
the sorceress in his power, who had given him so much cause to
tremble. Three days after he arrived at a great city, where,
entering the suburbs, he met a venerable old man, walking towards
a pleasure- house. "Sir," said the old man, stopping him, "may I
presume to ask from what part of the world you come?" The king
halted to satisfy him, and as they were conversing together, an
old woman came up; who, stopping likewise, wept and sighed
heavily at the sight of the mare.
King Beder and the old man left off discoursing, to look at the
old woman, whom the king asked, what cause she had to be so much
afflicted? "Alas ! sir," replied she, "it is because your mare
resembles so perfectly one my son had, and which I still mourn
the loss of on his account, and should think yours were the same,
did I not know she was dead. Sell her to me, I beseech you; I
will give you more than she is worth and thank you too.'
"Good woman," replied King Beder, "I am heartily sorry I cannot
comply with your request: my mare is not to be sold." "Alas!
sir," continued the old woman, "do not refuse me this favour for
the love of God. My son and I shall certainly die with grief, if
you do not grant it." "Good mother," replied the king, "I would
grant it with all my heart, if I were disposed to part with so
good a beast; but if I were so disposed, I believe you would
hardly give a thousand pieces of gold for her, and I could not
sell her for less." "Why should I not give so much?" replied the
old woman: "if that be the lowest price, you need only say you
will take it, and I will fetch you the money."
King Beder, seeing the old woman so poorly dressed, could not
imagine she could find such a sum; and said, to try her, "Go,
fetch me the money, and the mare is yours." The old woman
immediately unloosed a purse she carried fastened to her girdle,
and desiring him to alight, bade him tell over the money, and in
case he found it came short of the sum demanded, she said her
house was not far off; and she could quickly fetch the rest.
The surprise of King Beder, at the sight of the purse, was not
small. "Good woman," said he, "do you not perceive I have
bantered you all this while? I assure you my mare is not to be
sold."
The old man, who had been witness to all that had passed, now
began to speak. "Son," said he to King Beder, "it is necessary
you should know one thing, which I find you are ignorant of; and
that is, that in this city it is not permitted to any one to tell
a lie, on any account whatsoever, on pain of death. You cannot
refuse taking this good woman's money, and delivering your mare,
when she gives you the sum according to the agreement; and this
you had better do without any noise, than expose yourself to what
may ensue."
King Beder, mortified to find himself thus trapped by his rash
proffer, alighted with great regret. The old woman stood ready to
seize the reins, immediately unbridled the mare, and taking some
water in her hand, from a stream that ran in the middle of the
street, threw it in the mare's face, uttering these words,
"Daughter, quit that strange shape, and re-assume thy own." The
transformation was effected in a moment, and king Beder, who
swooned as soon as he saw Queen Labe appear, would have fallen to
the ground, if the old man had not hindered him.
The old woman, who was the mother of queen Labe, and had
instructed her in all her magic secrets, had no sooner embraced
her daughter, than to shew her fury, she in an instant by
whistling, caused to rise a genie of a gigantic form and stature.
This genie immediately took King Beder on one shoulder, and the
old woman with the magic queen on the other, and transported them
in a few minutes to the palace of Queen Labe in the City of
Enchantments.
The magic queen immediately fell upon King Beder, reproaching him
violently. "Is it thus," said she, "ungrateful wretch! that thy
unworthy uncle and thou repay me for all the kindnesses I have
done you? I shall soon make you both feel what you deserve." She
said no more, but taking water in her hand, threw it in his face
with these words, "Quit the form of man, and take that of an
owl." These words were soon followed by the effect, and
immediately she commanded one of her women to shut up the owl in
a cage, and give him neither meat nor drink.
The woman took the cage, but without regarding what the queen had
ordered, gave him both meat and drink; and being old Abdallah's
friend, sent him word privately how the queen had treated his
nephew, and apprised him of her design to destroy both him and
King Beder, that he might take measures to prevent her
intentions, and secure himself.
Abdallah knew no common means would do with Queen Labe: he
therefore whistled in a peculiar manner, and there immediately
arose a giant, with four wings, who presenting himself before
him, asked what he would have?" Lightning," said Abdallah to him
(for so was the genie called), "I command you to preserve the
life of King Beder, son of Queen Gulnare. Go to the palace of the
magic queen, and transport immediately to the capital of Persia
the compassionate woman who has the cage in custody, to the end
she may inform Queen Gulnare of the danger the king her son is
in, and the occasion he has for her assistance. Take care not to
frighten her when you come before her, and acquaint her from me
what she ought to do."
Lightning immediately disappeared, and in an instant reached the
palace of the magic queen. He instructed the woman, lifted her up
into the air, and transported her to the capital of Persia, where
he placed her on the terrace of Gulnare's palace. She descended
into her apartment, and there found Queen Gulnare and Queen
Farasche her mother lamenting their mutual misfortunes. She made
them a profound reverence, and by the relation she gave them,
they soon understood the great need King Beder had of their
assistance.
Queen Gulnare was so overjoyed at the news, that rising from her
seat, she went and embraced the good woman, telling her how much
she was obliged to her for the service she had done her. Then
going immediately out, she commanded the trumpets to sound, and
the drums to beat, to acquaint the city, that the king of Persia
would suddenly return safe to his kingdom. She then went, and
found King Saleh her brother, whom Farasche had caused to come
speedily thither by a certain fumigation. "Brother," said she to
him, "the king your nephew, my dear son, is in the City of
Enchantments, under the power of Queen Labe. Both you and I must
go to deliver him, for there is no time to be lost."
King Saleh forthwith assembled a puissant body of his marine
troops, who soon rose out of the sea. He also called to his
assistance the genii his allies, who appeared with a much more
numerous army than his own. As soon as the two armies were
joined, he put himself at the head of them, with Queen Farasche,
Queen Gulnare, and the princesses, who would all have their share
in this enterprize. They then ascended into the air, and soon
poured down on the palace and City of Enchantments, where the
magic queen, her mother, and all the adorers of fire, were
destroyed in an instant.
Queen Gulnare had ordered the woman who brought the account of
queen Labe's transforming and imprisoning her son, to follow her
close, and bade her, in the confusion, go and seize the cage, and
bring it to her. This order was executed as she wished, and queen
Gulnare was no sooner in possession of the cage, than she opened
it, and took out the owl, saying, as she sprinkled a little water
upon him, "My dear son, quit that strange form, and resume thy
natural one of a man."
In a moment Queen Gulnare, instead of the hideous owl, beheld
King Beder her son. She immediately embraced him with an excess
of joy, her tears supplying more forcibly the place of words. She
could not let him go; and Queen Farasche was obliged to force him
from her in her turn. After her, he was likewise embraced by the
king his uncle and his relations.
Queen Gulnare's first care was to look out for old Abdallah, to
whom she had been obliged for the recovery of the king of Persia;
and who being brought to her, she said to him, "My obligations to
you have been so great, that there is nothing within my power but
I would freely do for you, as a token of my acknowledgment. Do
but inform me in what I can serve you." "Great queen," replied
Abdallah, "if the lady whom I sent to your majesty will but
consent to the marriage I offer her, and the king of Persia will
give me leave to reside at his court, I will spend the remainder
of my days in his service." The queen then turned to the lady who
was present, and finding by her modest shame that she was not
averse to the match proposed, she caused them to join hands, and
the king of Persia and she took care of their fortune.
This marriage occasioned the king of Persia to speak thus to the
queen: "Madam," said he, "I am heartily glad of this match which
your majesty has just made. There remains one more, which I
desire you to think of." Queen Gulnare did not at first
comprehend what marriage he meant; but after a little
considering, she said, "Of yours, you mean, son. I consent to it
with all my heart." Then turning, and looking at her brother's
sea attendants, and the genii who were still present, "Go," said
she, "and traverse both sea and land, to seek the most lovely and
amiable princess, worthy of the king my son, and when you have
found her, come and tell us."
"Madam," replied king Beder, "it is to no purpose for them to
take all that trouble. You have no doubt heard that I have
already given my heart to the princess of Samandal upon the bare
relation of her beauty. I have seen her, and do not repent of the
present I then made her. In a word, neither earth nor sea, in my
opinion, can furnish a princess like her. It is true upon my
declaring my love, she treated me in a way that would have
extinguished any flame less strong than mine. But I hold her
excused; she could not treat me with less rigour, after your
imprisoning the king her father, of which I was the innocent
cause. But the king of Samandal may, perhaps, have changed his
resolution; and his daughter the princess may consent to love me,
when she sees her father has agreed to it."
"Son," replied queen Gulnare, "if only the Princess Jehaun-ara
can make you happy, it is not my design to oppose you. The king
your uncle need only have the king of Samandal brought, and we
shall see whether he be still of the same untractable temper."
Strictly as the king of Samandal had been kept during his
captivity by King Saleh's orders, yet he always had great respect
shewn him. King Saleh caused a chafing-dish of coals to be
brought, into which he threw a certain composition, uttering at
the same time some mysterious words. As soon as the smoke began
to arise, the palace shook, and immediately the king of Samandal,
with King Saleh's officers, appeared. The king of Persia cast
himself at the king of Samandal's feet, and, kneeling, said, "It
is no longer King Saleh that demands of your majesty the honour
of your alliance for the king of Persia; it is the king of Persia
himself that humbly begs that boon; and I persuade myself your
majesty will not persist in being the cause of the death of a
king, who can no longer live if he does not share life with the
amiable Princess Jehaun-ara."
The king of Samandal did not long suffer the king of Persia to
remain at his feet. He embraced him, and obliging him to rise,
said, "I shall be sorry to have contributed in the least to the
death of a monarch who is so worthy to live. If it be true that
so precious a life cannot be preserved without the possession of
my daughter, live, sir, she is yours. She has always been
obedient to my will, and I cannot think she will now oppose it."
Speaking these words, he ordered one of his officers, whom King
Saleh had permitted to attend him, to go for the princess, and
bring her to him immediately.
The princess continued where the king of Persia had left her. The
officer perceived her, and brought her soon with her women. The
king of Samandal embraced her, and said, "Daughter, I have
provided a husband for you; it is the king of Persia, the most
accomplished monarch at present in the universe. The preference
he has given you over all other princesses obliges us both to
express our gratitude."
"Sir," replied the princess Jehaun-ara, "your majesty well knows
I never have presumed to disobey your will: I shall always be
ready to obey you; and I hope the king of Persia will forget my
ill treatment of him, and consider it was duty, not inclination,
that forced me to it."
The nuptials were celebrated in the palace of the City of
Enchantments, with the greatest solemnity, as all the lovers of
the magic queen, who had resumed their pristine forms as soon as
she ceased to live, assisted at them, and came to return their
thanks to the king of Persia, Queen Gulnare, and King Saleh. They
were all sons of kings, princes, or persons of high rank.
King Saleh conducted the king of Samandal to his dominions, and
put him again in possession of his throne. The king of Persia, at
the height of his wishes, returned to his capital with Queen
Gulnare, Queen Farasche, and the princesses; the Queen Farasche
and the princesses continued there till King Saleh came to
reconduct them to his kingdom under the waves of the sea.
THE HISTORY OF PRINCE ZEYN ALASNAM AND
THE SULTAN OF THE GENII.
A sultan of Bussorah, who possessed great wealth, and was well
beloved by his subjects, had no children, which occasioned him
great affliction; and therefore he made presents to all the holy
persons in his dominions, to engage them to beg a son for him of
Heaven: and their prayers being effectual, the queen proved with
child, and was happily delivered of a prince who was named Zeyn
Alasnam, which signifies Ornament of the Statues.
The sultan caused all the astrologers in his kingdom to be
assembled, and ordered them to calculate the infant's nativity.
They found by their observations that he would live long, and be
very brave; but that all his courage would be little enough to
carry him through the misfortunes that threatened him. The
sultan was not daunted at this prediction: "My son," said he, "is
not to be pitied, since he will be brave: it is fit that princes
should have a taste of misfortunes; for adversity tries virtue,
and they are the better qualified to reign."
He rewarded the astrologers, and dismissed them; and caused Zeyn
to be educated with the greatest care, appointing him able
masters as soon as he was of age to receive their instructions.
In short, he proposed to make him an accomplished prince, when on
a sudden this good sultan fell sick of a disorder, which all the
skill of his physicians could not cure. Perceiving his disease
was mortal, he sent for his son, and among other things advised
him rather to endeavour to be loved, than to be feared by his
people; not to give ear to flatterers; to be as slow in rewarding
as in punishing, because it often happens that monarchs misled by
false appearances, load wicked men with favours, and oppress the
innocent.
As soon as the sultan was dead, prince Zeyn went into mourning,
which he wore seven days, and on the eighth he ascended the
throne, taking his father's seal off the royal treasury, and
putting on his own, beginning thus to taste the sweets of ruling,
the pleasure of seeing all his courtiers bow down before him, and
make it their whole study to shew their zeal and obedience. In a
word, the sovereign power was too agreeable to him. He only
regarded what his subjects owed to him, without considering what
was his duty towards them, and consequently took little care to
govern them well. He revelled in all sorts of debauchery among
the voluptuous youth, on whom he conferred the prime employments
in the kingdom. He lost all command of his power. Being
naturally prodigal, he set no bounds to his grants, so that his
women and his favourites insensibly drained his treasury.