THE VILLAINY OF GARROFAT AND DOOLA. THE PRINCE SOLVES THE RIDDLE OF
THE RUG, AND FINDS A NEW TASK AWAITING HIM
Now when the Vizier Garrofat returned he was angered to find the
princess conversing with the strangers, and remarked sourly, "Much
wisdom, my lords, may be found in the complaints of women. Azalia has
doubtless been telling you of the riddle of the Mankalah rug, forgetting
that it is unseemly in a maiden to point the way to the possession of
her charms."
To which Bright-Wits quickly replied, "Learn then, O Garrofat, that I
would fain solve the riddle of the rug, and do proclaim my willingness
to be whipped forth from the gates of your city, if seven days hence I
have not accomplished the task."
"Bright eyes stir dull wits," sneered Garrofat. "Let us pray to Allah
that your skin is as thick as your vanity is great; for my slaves have
stout arms and heavy whips. Know then that I accept your offer and warn
thee against failure. Now enter with me into the palace, where you will
find refreshment; and on the morrow I will have the rug conveyed to the
apartment which you shall occupy while you dwell with us, that you may
begin your task without delay."
During the week which followed, Bright-Wits, and Ablano the Brahman,
made numerous excursions into the city and even out into the surrounding
country. At every opportunity the prince sought the society of Azalia;
and as the holy Brahman Ablano was ever present at their meetings,
Garrofat could offer no objection, much as he frowned on their ripening
friendship.
On these occasions Azalia told her new friends of many suspicious acts
of the crafty vizier; which clearly indicated that he was plotting to
secure the hand of the princess for himself, and the entire control of
the kingdom into the bargain. "He has assumed the royal red robes," said
Azalia, "and he has issued orders that he be addressed only as rajah. He
has elevated his cunning brother Doola to be head of the Council of
Emirs with the rank of vizier; and has given him the richest province of
my father's kingdom to govern." When relating these things the princess
would give way to her grief.
But Ablano comforted her, saying, "Peace, my child. Be not disheartened.
Always must thou remember that as happiness passeth away so passeth away
anxiety and sorrow."
At last on the evening of the sixth day, Garrofat summoned the prince to
his presence and warned him to be in attendance in the great hall of the
palace on the morrow. Now when morning came, Bright-Wits was escorted by
a strong guard of slaves to the Hall of Audience from which he was to
emerge victorious as the accepted suitor for the hand of Azalia, or with
the whips of Garrofat's stout slaves singing in his ears and stinging
his shoulders.
Entering boldly, Bright-Wits found Garrofat seated upon the royal
throne, while at his right stood the eight governors of the provinces.
The prince easily distinguished Doola from Azalia's description. Like
his brother, he was beardless; while a golden crown surmounted by a red
cone shaped hat was perched above his rust coloured hair.
As Bright-Wits advanced to the throne, Garrofat cried out with derision,
"Comes the Prince of Boasters to receive his reward? My slaves are
impatient to stretch their whips across your shoulders."
"My business is neither with slaves nor whips," answered the prince with
scorn. "I come to announce that I have solved the riddle of the rug."
Then salaaming deeply, he presented to Garrofat a small roll of
parchment. "On this," he said, "you will find a plan of the rug, so that
should it by any mischance come apart again it may be readily repaired."
Two slaves now entered bearing the rug; and when they had spread it upon
the floor, it was found to be perfectly put together.
"By Allah!" gasped Garrofat, "he must be a genie."
Doola was the first to recover from the general surprise, and stepping
quickly to his brother's side he whispered in his ear. Now the counsel
must have been pleasing; for Garrofat chuckled and thus addressed the
prince. "Let me congratulate you," he said with a grin, "but before I
can consider you as a suitor for the hand of Azalia, I must have further
proof that you are as wise as you pretend. Else, would I be false to my
duty as her guardian.
"Now just before your entrance we were considering a question of grave
importance to the welfare of the kingdom. You will observe that there
hangs on the wall beside you what appear to be four charts, but which
are really the parts of one chart. Know then that this kingdom consists
of eight provinces; ruled over by the eight emirs you see here
assembled. Now these eight emirs are so jealous of each other that
fierce battles occur whenever two of them chance to meet upon the road.
Only our presence now restrains them. Anxious to put an end to these
disgraceful brawls within the kingdom, the great Rajah Onalba had drawn
yonder plan of the eight provinces. On it as you see he laid down roads
running north and south, and east and west. Other roads cross these in
every direction, so that any one of the eight emirs might leave his
castle and travel by any route across the kingdom without passing the
castle of another emir on the way. Now by some misfortune the
chart was cut into four pieces before the roads were built, and we
have never been able to arrange them in their original position. There
on the wall are the four pieces. The lines represent the roads, and the
eight spots the castles of the emirs. This matter must be adjusted at
once, and as you are a suitor for the hand of Azalia I expect you to
prove your claim to wisdom by solving the puzzle of the chart."
[Illustration: THE EIGHT PROVINCES.]
[Illustration: THE EIGHT PROVINCES.]
[Illustration: THE EIGHT PROVINCES.]
When Garrofat had concluded, Bright-Wits, in obedience to the counsel of
Ablano, expressed his willingness to attempt the solution of this new
riddle. Whipping from the gates to be the penalty of failure.
At a signal from the vizier, the audience was now dismissed; Bright-Wits
bearing away to his apartments the pieces of the torn chart.
_The reader may cut out the four pieces of the chart which he will
find on a page at the back of the book. Cut along the dotted lines
and endeavour to arrange the four parts so that no two castles will
appear on any straight lines. He can thus learn Bright-Wits' chance
of success._