agreed to stand that test, and accordingly took a piece of tart;
but his stomach rising against it, he was obliged to spit it out
of his mouth. Yet he still pursued the lie, and pretended he had
over-eaten himself the day before, and had not recovered his
appetite. The vizier irritated with all the eunuch's frivolous
presences, and convinced of his guilt, ordered him to be soundly
bastinadoed. In undergoing this punishment, the poor wretch
shrieked out aloud, and at last confessed the truth; "I own,"
cried he, "that we did eat a cream-tart at the pastry cook's, and
that it was much better than that upon the table."
The widow of Noor ad Deen thought it was out of spite to her, and
with a desire to mortify her, that Shubbaunee commended the
pastry-cook's tart; and accordingly said, "I cannot believe the
cook's tarts are better than mine; I am resolved to satisfy
myself upon that head. Where does he live? Go immediately and buy
me one of his tarts." The eunuch repaired to Buddir ad Deen's
shop, and said, "Let me have one of your cream-tarts; one of our
ladies wants to taste them." Buddir ad Deen chose one of the
best, and gave it to the eunuch.
Shubbaunee returned speedily to the tents, gave the tart to Noor
ad Deen's widow, who, snatching it greedily, broke a piece off;
but no sooner put it to her mouth, than she cried out and swooned
away. The vizier was extremely surprised at the accident; he
threw water upon her face, and was very active in recovering her.
As soon as she came to herself, "My God!" cried she, "it must
needs be my son, my dear Buddir ad Deen who made this tart."
When the vizier Shumse ad Deen heard his sister-in-law say, that
the maker of the tart, brought by the eunuch, must needs be her
son, he was overjoyed; but reflecting that his joy might prove
groundless, and the conjecture of Noor ad Deen's widow be false,
"Madam," said he, "do you think there may not be a pastry-cook in
the world, who knows how to make cream-tarts as well as your
son?" "I own," replied she, "there may be pastry-cooks that can
make as good tarts as he; but as I make them in a peculiar
manner, and only my son was let into the secret, it must
absolutely be he that made this. Come, my brother," added she in
a transport, "let us call up mirth and joy; we have at last found
what we have been so long looking for." "Madam," said the vizier
answer, "I entreat you to moderate your impatience, for we shall
quickly know the truth. All we have to do, is to bring the
pastry-cook hither; and then you and my daughter will readily
distinguish whether he be your son or not. But you must both be
concealed so as to have a view of Buddir ad Deen while he cannot
see you; for I would not have our interview and mutual discovery
happen at Damascus. My design is to delay the discovery till we
return to Cairo."
This said, he left the ladies in their tent, and retired to his
own; where he called for fifty of his men, and said to them:
"Take each of you a stick in your hands, and follow Shubbaunee,
who will conduct you to a pastry-cook in this city. When you
arrive there, break and dash in pieces all you find in the shop:
if he demand the reason of your outrage, only ask him in return
if it was not he that made the cream-tart that was brought from
his house. If he answer in the affirmative, seize his person,
fetter him, and bring him along with you; but take care you do
not beat him, nor do him the least harm. Go, and lose no time."
The vizier's orders were immediately executed. The detachment,
conducted by the black eunuch, went with expedition to Buddir ad
Deen's house, broke in pieces the plates, kettles, copper pans,
and all the other moveables and utensils they met with, and
inundated the sherbet-shop with cream and comfits. Buddir ad
Deen, astonished at the sight, said with a pitiful tone, "Pray,
good people, why do you serve me so? What is the matter? What
have I done?" "Was it not you," said they, "that sold this eunuch
the cream-tart?" "Yes," replied he, "I am the man; and who says
any thing against it? I defy any one to make a better." Instead
of giving him an answer, they continued to break all round them,
and the oven itself was not spared.
In the mean time the neighbours took the alarm, and surprised to
see fifty armed men committing such a disorder, asked the reason
of such violence; and Buddir ad Deen said once more to the
rioters, "Pray tell me what crime I have committed to deserve
this usage?" "Was it not you," replied they, "that made the
cream-tart you sold to the eunuch?" "Yes, yes, it was I," replied
he; "I maintain it is a good one. I do not deserve this
treatment." However, without listening to him, they seized his
person, and, snatching the cloth off his turban, tied his hands
with it behind his back, and, after dragging him by force out of
his shop, marched off.
The mob gathering, from compassion to Buddir ad Deen, took his
part; but officers from the governor of the city dispersed the
people, and favoured the carrying off of Buddir ad Deen, for
Shumse ad Deen Mahummud had in the mean time gone to the
governor's house to acquaint him with the order he had given, and
to demand the interposition of force to favour the execution; and
the governor, who commanded all Syria in the name of the sultan
of Egypt, was unwilling to refuse any thing to his master's
vizier.
It was in vain for Buddir ad Deen to ask those who carried him
off, what fault had been found with his cream-tart: they gave him
no answer. In short, they conducted him to the tents, and made
him wait there till Shumse ad Deen returned from the governor of
Damascus.
Upon the vizier's return, the pretended culprit was brought
before him. "My lord," said Buddir ad Deen, with tears in his
eyes, "pray do me the favour to let me know wherein I have
displeased you." "Why, you wretch," exclaimed the vizier "was it
not you that made the cream-tart you sent me?" "I own I am the
man," replied Buddir ad Deen, "but pray what crime is that?" "I
will punish you according to your deserts," said Shumse ad Deen,
"it shall cost you your life, for sending me such a sorry tart."
"Ah!" exclaimed Buddir ad Deen, "is it a capital crime to make a
bad cream-tart?" "Yes," said the vizier "and you are to expect no
other usage from me."
While this interview lasted, the ladies, who were concealed
behind curtains, saw Buddir ad Deen, and recognized him,
notwithstanding he had been so long absent. They were so
transported with joy, that they swooned away; and when they
recovered, would fain have run up and fallen upon his neck, but
the promise they had made to the vizier of not discovering
themselves, restrained the tender emotions of love and of nature.
Shumse ad Deen having resolved to set out that night, ordered the
tents to be struck, and the necessary preparations to be made for
his journey. He ordered Buddir ad Deen to be secured in a sort of
cage, and laid on a camel. The vizier and his retinue began their
march, and travelled the rest of that night, and all the next
day, without stopping In the evening they halted, and Buddir ad
Deen was taken out of his cage, in order to be served with the
necessary refreshments, but still carefully kept at a distance
from his mother and his wife; and during the whole expedition,
which lasted twenty days, was served in the same manner.
When they arrived at Cairo, they encamped in the neighbourhood of
the city; Shumse ad Deen called for Buddir ad Deen, and gave
orders, in his presence, to prepare a stake. "Alas!" said Buddir
ad Deen, "what do you mean to do with a stake?" "Why, to impale
you," replied Shumse ad Deen, "and then to have you carried
through all the quarters of the town, that the people may have
the spectacle of a worthless pastry-cook, who makes cream-tarts
without pepper." This said, Buddir ad Deen cried out so
ludicrously, that Shumse ad Deen could hardly keep his
countenance: "Alas!" said he, "must I suffer a death as cruel as
it is ignominious, for not putting pepper in a cream-tart?"
"How," said Buddir ad Deen, "must I be rifled; must I be imprisoned in
a chest, and at last impaled, and all for not putting pepper in a
cream-tart? Are these the actions of Moosulmauns, of persons who make
a profession of probity, justice, and good works?" With these words he
shed tears, and then renewing his complaint; "No," continued he,
"never was a man used so unjustly, nor so severely. Is it possible
they should be capable of taking a man's life for not putting pepper
in a cream-tart? Cursed be all cream-tarts, as well as the hour in
which I was born! Would to God I had died that minute!"
The disconsolate Buddir ad Deen did not cease his lamentations;
and when the stake was brought, cried out bitterly at the horrid
sight. "Heaven!" said he, "can you suffer me to die an
ignominious and painful death? And all this, for what crime? not
for robbery or murder, or renouncing my religion, but for not
putting pepper in a cream tart."
Night being then pretty far advanced, the vizier ordered Buddir
ad Deen to be conveyed again to his cage, saying to him, "Stay
there till to-morrow; the day shall not elapse before I give
orders for your death." The chest or cage then was carried away
and laid upon the camel that had brought it from Damascus: at the
same time all the other camels were loaded again; and the vizier
mounting his horse, ordered the camel that carried his nephew to
march before him, and entered the city with all his suit. After
passing through several streets, where no one appeared, he
arrived at his palace, where he ordered the chest to be taken
down, but not opened till farther orders.
While his retinue were unlading the other camels, he took Buddir
ad Deen's mother and his daughter aside; and addressed himself to
the latter: "God be praised," said he, "my child, for this happy
occasion of meeting your cousin and your husband! You remember,
of course, what order your chamber was in on your wedding night:
go and put all things as they were then placed; and if your
memory do not serve you, I can aid it by a written account, which
I caused to be taken upon that occasion."
The beautiful lady went joyfully to execute her father's orders; and
he at the same time commanded the hall to be adorned as when Buddir ad
Deen Houssun was there with the sultan of Egypt's hunch-backed groom.
As he went over his manuscript, his domestics placed every moveable in
the described order. The throne was not forgotten, nor the lighted wax
candles. When every thing was arranged in the hall, the vizier went
into his daughter's chamber and put in their due place Buddir ad
Deen's apparel, with the purse of sequins. This done, he said to the
beautiful lady, "Undress yourself, my child, and go to bed. As soon as
Buddir ad Deen enters your room, complain of his being from you so
long, and tell him, that when you awoke, you were astonished you did
not find him by you. Press him to come to bed again; and to-morrow
morning you will divert your mother-in-law and me, by giving us an
account of your interview." This said, he went from his daughter's
apartment, and left her to undress herself and go to bed.
Shumse ad Deen Mahummud ordered all his domestics to depart the
hall, excepting two or three, whom he desired to remain. These he
commanded to go and take Buddir ad Deen out of the cage, to strip
him to his under vest and drawers, to conduct him in that
condition to the hall, to leave him there alone, and shut the
door upon him.
Buddir ad Deen, though overwhelmed with grief, was asleep so
soundly, that the vizier's domestics had taken him out of the
chest and stripped him before he awoke; and they carried him so
suddenly into the hall, that they did not give him time to see
where he was. When he found himself alone in the hall, he looked
round him, and the objects he beheld recalling to his memory the
circumstances of his marriage, he perceived, with astonishment,
that it was the place where he had seen the sultan's groom of the
stables. His surprise was still the greater, when approaching
softly the door of a chamber which he found open, he spied his
own raiments where he remembered to have left them on his wedding
night. "My God!" said he, rubbing his eyes, "am I asleep or
awake?"
The beautiful lady, who in the mean time was diverting herself
with his astonishment, opened the curtains of her bed suddenly,
and bending her head forward, "My dear lord," said she, with a
soft, tender air, "what do you do at the door? You have been out
of bed a long time. I was strangely surprised when I awoke in not
finding you by me." Buddir ad Deen was enraptured; he entered the
room, but reverting to all that had passed during a ten years'
interval, and not being able to persuade himself that it could
all have happened in the compass of one night, he went to the
place where his vestments lay with the purse of sequins; and
after examining them very carefully, exclaimed, "By Allah these
are mysteries which I can by no means comprehend!" The lady, who
was pleased to see his confusion, said, once more, "My lord, what
do you wait for?" He stepped towards the bed, and said to her,
"Is it long since I left you?" "The question," answered she,
"surprises me. Did not you rise from me but now? Surely your mind
is deranged." "Madam," replied Buddir ad Deen, "I do assure you
my thoughts are not very composed. I remember indeed to have been
with you, but I remember at the same time, that I have since
lived ten years at Damascus. Now, if I was actually in bed with
you this night, I cannot have been from you so long. These two
points are inconsistent. Pray tell me what I am to think; whether
my marriage with you is an illusion, or whether my absence from
you is only a dream?" "Yes, my lord," cried she, "doubtless you
were light-headed when you thought you were at Damascus." Upon
this Buddir ad Deen laughed heartily, and said, "What a comical
fancy is this! I assure you, madam, this dream of mine will be
very pleasant to you. Do but imagine, if you please, that I was
at the gate of Damascus in my shirt and drawers, as I am here
now; that I entered the town with the halloo of a mob who
followed and insulted me; that I fled to a pastry cook who
adopted me, taught me his trade, and left me all he had when he
died; that after his death I kept a shop. In fine, I had an
infinity of other adventures, too tedious to recount: and all I
can say is, that it was well that I awoke, for they were going to
impale me!" "And for what," cried the lady, feigning
astonishment, "would they have used you so cruelly? Surely you
must have committed some enormous crime." "Not the least,"
replied Buddir ad Deen; "it was for nothing but a mere trifle,
the most ridiculous thing you can imagine. All the crime I was
charged with, was selling a cream-tart that had no pepper in it."
"As for that matter," said the beautiful lady laughing heartily,
"I must say they did you great injustice." "Ah!" replied he,
"that was not all. For this cursed cream-tart was every thing in
my shop broken to pieces, myself bound and fettered, and flung
into a chest, where I lay so close, that methinks I am there
still, but thanks be to God all was a dream."
Buddir ad Deen was not easy all night. He awoke from time to time, and
put the question to himself, whether he dreamed or was awake. He
distrusted his felicity; and, to be sure whether it was true or not,
looked round the room. "I am not mistaken," said he; "this is the same
chamber where I entered instead of the hunch-backed groom of the
stables; and I am now in bed with the fair lady designed for him."
Day-light, which then appeared, had not yet dispelled his uneasiness,
when the vizier Shumse ad Deen, his uncle, knocked at the door, and at
the same time went in to bid him good morrow.
Buddir ad Deen was extremely surprised to see a man he knew so
well, and who now appeared with a different air from that with
which he pronounced the terrible sentence of death against him.
"Ah!" cried Buddir ad Deen, "it was you who condemned me so
unjustly to a kind of death, the thoughts of which make me
shudder, and all for a cream-tart without pepper." The vizier
fell a laughing, and to put him out of suspense, told him how, by
the ministry of a genie (for hunch-back's relation made him
suspect the adventure), he had been at his palace, and had
married his daughter instead of the sultan's groom of the
stables; then he acquainted him that he had discovered him to be
his nephew by the memorandum of his father, and pursuant to that
discovery had gone from Cairo to Bussorah in quest of him. "My
dear nephew," added he, embracing him with every expression of
tenderness, "I ask your pardon for all I have made you undergo
since I discovered you. I resolved to bring you to my palace
before I told you your happiness; which ought now to be so much
the dearer to you, as it has cost you so much perplexity and
distress. To atone for all your afflictions, comfort yourself
with the joy of being in the company of those who ought to be
dearest to you. While you are dressing yourself I will go and
acquaint your mother, who is beyond measure impatient to see you;
and will likewise bring to you your son, whom you saw at
Damascus, and for whom, without knowing him, you shewed so much
affection."
No words can adequately express the joy of Buddir ad Deen, when
he saw his mother and his son. They embraced, and shewed all the
transports that love and tenderness could inspire. The mother
spoke to Buddir ad Deen in the most moving terms; she mentioned
the grief she had felt for his long absence, and the tears she
had shed. Little Ajib, instead of flying his father's embraces,
as at Damascus, received them with all the marks of pleasure. And
Buddir ad Deen Houssun, divided between two objects so worthy of
his love, thought he could not give sufficient testimonies of his
affection.
While this passed, the vizier was gone to the palace, to give the
sultan an account of the happy success of his travels; and the
sultan was so moved with the recital of the story, that he
ordered it to be taken down in writing, and carefully preserved
among the archives of the kingdom. After Shumse ad Deen's return
to his palace, he sat down with his family, and all the household
passed the day in festivity and mirth.
The vizier Jaaffier having thus concluded the story of Buddir ad
Deen, told the caliph that this was what he had to relate to his
majesty. The caliph found the story so surprising, that without
farther hesitation he granted his slave Rihan's pardon; and to
console the young man for the grief of having unhappily deprived
himself of a woman whom he had loved so tenderly, married him to
one of his slaves, bestowed liberal gifts upon him, and
maintained him till he died.
THE HISTORY OF GANEM, SON OF ABOU AYOUB,
AND KNOWN BY THE SURNAME OF LOVE'S SLAVE.
There was formerly at Damascus a merchant, who had by care and
industry acquired great wealth, on which he lived in a very
honourable manner. His name was Abou Ayoub, and he had one son
and a daughter. The son was called Ganem, but afterwards surnamed
Love's slave. His person was graceful, and the excellent
qualities of his mind had been improved by able masters. The
daughter's name was Alcolom, signifying Ravisher of hearts,
because her beauty was so perfect that whoever saw her could not
avoid loving her.
Abou Ayoub died, and left immense riches: a hundred loads of
brocades and other silks that lay in his warehouse were the least
part. The loads were ready made up, and on every bale was written
in large characters, "For Bagdad."
Mahummud, the son of Soliman, surnamed Zinebi, reigned at that
time at Damascus, the capital of Syria. His kinsman, Haroon al
Rusheed, had bestowed that kingdom on him as his tributary.
Soon after the death of Abou Ayoub, Ganem conversed with his
mother about their domestic affairs, and concerning the loads of
merchandize in the warehouse, asked her the meaning of what was
written upon each bale. "My son," answered his mother, "your
father used to travel sometimes into one province, and sometimes
into another; and it was customary with him, before he set out,
to write the name of the city he designed to repair to on every
bade. He had provided all things to take a journey to Bagdad, and
was on the point of setting out, when death"----She had not power
to finish; the lively remembrance of the loss of her husband
would not permit her to say more, and drew from her a shower of
tears.
Ganem could not see his mother so sensibly affected, without
being equally so himself. They continued some time silent; but at
length he recovered himself, and as soon as he found his mother
calm enough to listen to him, said, "Since my father designed
these goods for Bagdad, I will prepare myself to perform that
journey; and I think it will be proper for me to hasten my
departure, for fear those commodities should perish, or that we
should lose the opportunity of selling them to the best
advantage."
Abou Ayoub's widow, who tenderly loved her son, was much
concerned at this resolution, and replied, "My dear child, I
cannot but commend you for designing to follow your father's
example; but consider, that you are too young, inexperienced, and
unaccustomed to the fatigue of travelling. Besides, can you think
of leaving me, and adding to that sorrow with which I am already
oppressed? Is it not better to sell those goods to the merchants
of Damascus, and take up with a moderate profit, than expose
yourself to the danger of perishing?"
It was in vain for her to oppose Ganem's resolution by the
strongest arguments; they had no weight with him. An inclination
to travel, and to accomplish himself by a thorough knowledge of
the world, urged him to set out, and prevailed over all his
mother's remonstrances, her entreaties, and even her tears. He
went to the market where slaves were sold, and bought such as
were able-bodied, hired a hundred camels, and having provided all
other necessaries, entered upon his journey, with five or six
merchants of Damascus, who were going to trade at Bagdad.
Those merchants, attended by their slaves, and accompanied by
several other travellers, made up such a considerable caravan,
that they had nothing to fear from the Bedouin Arabs, who make it
their only profession to range the country; and attack and
plunder the caravans when they are not strong enough to repulse
them. They had no other difficulty to encounter, than the usual
fatigues of a long journey, which were easily forgotten when they
came in sight of the city of Bagdad, where they arrived in
safety.
They alighted at the most magnificent and most frequented khan in
the city; but Ganem chose to be lodged conveniently, and by
himself. He only left his goods there in a warehouse for their
greater security, and hired a spacious house in the
neighbourhood, richly furnished, having a garden which was very
delightful, on account of its many waterworks and shady groves.
Some days after this young merchant had been settled in his
house, and perfectly recovered of the fatigue of his journey, he
dressed himself richly, and repaired to the public place, where
the merchants met to transact business. A slave followed him,
carrying a parcel of fine stuffs and silks.
The merchants received Ganem very courteously, and their syndic,
or chief, to whom he first made application, bought all his
parcel, at the price set down in the ticket annexed to every
piece of stuff. Ganem continued his trade so successfully, that
he every day sold all the goods he exposed.
He had but one bale left, which he had caused to be carried from
the warehouse to his own house; he then went to the public
rendezvous, where he found all the shops shut. This seemed
somewhat extraordinary to him and having asked the cause, he was
told, that one of the first merchants, whom he knew, was dead,
and that all his brother traders were gone to his funeral.