his grandmother so hastily, without staying to hear from her an
explanation of the news that had been brought. But he was, on the
other hand, overjoyed to find that the king his uncle had rendered
himself master of the king of Samandal's person, not doubting but he
would consent to give up the princess for his liberty. "Adorable
princess," continued he, "your concern is most just, but it is easy to
put an end both to that and your father's captivity. You will agree
with me, when I shall tell you that I am Beder, king of Persia, and
King Saleh is my uncle: I assure you, madam, he has no design to seize
the king your father's dominions; his only intention is to obtain your
father's consent, that I may have the honour and happiness of being
his son-in-law. I had already given my heart to you, upon the bare
relation of your beauty and charms; and now, far from repenting, I beg
of you to accept it, and to be assured that I will love you as long as
I live. I dare flatter myself you will not refuse this favour, but be
ready to acknowledge that a king, who quitted his dominions purely on
your account, deserves some acknowledgment. Permit me then, beauteous
princess! to have the honour to present you to the king my uncle; and
the king your father shall no sooner have consented to our marriage,
than King Saleh will leave him sovereign of his dominions as before."
This declaration of King Beder did not produce the effect he
expected. It is true, the princess no sooner saw him, than his
person, air, and the grace wherewith he accosted her, led her to
regard him as one who would not have been disagreeable to her;
but when she heard that he had been the occasion of all the ill
treatment her father had suffered, of the grief and fright she
had endured, and especially the necessity she was reduced to of
flying her country; she looked upon him as an enemy with whom she
ought to have no connection. Whatever inclination she might have
to agree to the marriage which he desired, she determined never
to consent, reflecting that one of the reasons her father might
have against this match might be, that King Beder was son of a
king of the earth.
She would not, however, let King Beder know her resentment; but
sought an occasion to deliver herself dexterously out of his
hands; and seeming in the meantime to have a great kindness for
him, "Are you then," said she, with all possible civility, "son
of the Queen Gulnare, so famous for her wit and beauty? I am glad
of it, and rejoice that you are the son of so worthy a mother.
The king my father was much in the wrong so strongly to oppose
our union: had he but seen you, he must have consented to make us
happy." Saying so, she reached forth her hand to him as a token
of friendship.
King Beder, believing himself arrived at the very pinnacle of
happiness, held forth his hand, and taking that of the princess,
stooped down to kiss it, when she, pushing him back, and spitting
in his face for want of water to throw at him, said, "Wretch,
quit the form of a man, and take that of a white bird, with a red
bill and feet." Upon her pronouncing these words, King Beder was
immediately changed into a bird of that description, to his great
surprise and mortification. "Take him," said she to one of her
women, "and carry him to the Dry Island." This island was only
one frightful rock, where not a drop of water was to be had.
The waiting-woman took the bird, but in executing her princess's
orders, had compassion on King Beder's misfortune. "It would be
great pity," said she to herself, "to let a prince so worthy to
live die of hunger and thirst. The princess, who is good and
gentle, will, it may be, repent of this cruel order, when she
comes to herself; it were better that I carried him to a place
where he may die a natural death." She accordingly carried him to
a well-frequented island, and left him in a charming plain,
planted with all sorts of fruit-trees, and watered by divers
rivulets.
Let us return to King Saleh. After he had sought for the princess
Jehaun-ara to no purpose, he caused the king of Samandal to be
shut up in his own palace, under a strong guard; and having given
the necessary orders for governing the kingdom in his absence,
returned to give the queen his mother an account of what he had
done. The first question he asked on his arrival was, "Where was
the king his nephew?" and he learned with great surprise and
vexation that he could not be found. "News being brought me,"
said the queen, "of the danger you were in at the palace of the
king of Samandal, whilst I was giving orders to send you other
troops to avenge you, he disappeared. He must have been alarmed
at hearing of your being in such great danger, and did not think
himself in sufficient security with us."
This news exceedingly afflicted King Saleh, who now repented
being so easily wrought upon by King Beder as to carry him away
with him without his mother's consent. He sent everywhere to seek
for him, but could hear no tidings of him; and instead of the joy
he felt at having carried on so far the marriage, which he looked
upon as his own work, his grief for this accident was more
mortifying. Whilst he was under this suspense about his nephew,
he left his kingdom under the administration of his mother, and
went to govern that of the king of Samandal, whom he continued to
keep with great vigilance, though with all due respect to his
character.
The same day that King Saleh returned to the kingdom of Samandal,
Queen Gulnare arrived at the court of the queen her mother. The
princess was not at all surprised to find her son did not return
the same day he set out: it being not uncommon for him to go
farther than he proposed in the heat of the chase; but when she
saw he neither returned the next day, nor the day after, she
began to be alarmed, as may easily be imagined from her affection
for him. This alarm was augmented, when the officers, who had
accompanied the king, and were obliged to return after they had
for a long time sought in vain both for him and his uncle, came
and told her majesty they must of necessity have come to some
harm, or must be together in some place which they could not
guess; since, notwithstanding all the diligence they had used,
they could hear no tidings of them. Their horses indeed they had
found, but as for their persons, they knew not where to look for
them. The queen hearing this, had resolved to dissemble and
conceal her affliction, bidding the officers to search once more
with their utmost diligence; but in the meantime she plunged into
the sea, to satisfy herself as to the suspicion she had
entertained that king Saleh must have carried his nephew with
him.
This great queen would have been more affectionately received by
her mother, had she not, on first seeing her, guessed the
occasion of her coming. "Daughter," said she, "I plainly perceive
you are not come hither to visit me; you come to inquire after
the king your son; and the only news I can tell you will augment
both your grief and mine. I no sooner saw him arrive in our
territories, than I rejoiced; yet when I came to understand he
had come away without your knowledge, I began to participate with
you the concern you must needs suffer." Then she related to her
with what zeal King Saleh went to demand the Princess Jehaun-ara
in marriage for King Beder, and what had happened, till her son
disappeared. "I have sought diligently after him," added she,
"and the king my son, who is but just gone to govern the kingdom
of Samandal, has done all that lay in his power. All our
endeavours have hitherto proved unsuccessful, but we must hope
nevertheless to see him again, perhaps when we least expect it."
Queen Gulnare was not satisfied with this hope: she looked upon
the king her son as lost, and lamented him bitterly, laying all
the blame on the king his uncle. The queen her mother made her
consider the necessity of not yielding too much to grief. "The
king your brother," said she, "ought not, it is true, to have
talked to you so inconsiderately about that marriage, nor ever
have consented to carry away the king my grandson, without
acquainting you; yet, since it is not certain that the king of
Persia is absolutely lost, you ought to neglect nothing to
preserve his kingdom for him: lose then no more time, but return
to your capital; your presence there will be necessary, and it
will not be difficult for you to preserve the public peace, by
causing it to be published, that the king of Persia was gone to
visit his grandmother."
This was sufficient to oblige Queen Gulnare to yield. She took
leave of the queen her mother, and returned to the palace of the
capital of Persia before she had been missed. She immediately
despatched persons to recall the officers she had sent after the
king, to tell them that she knew where his majesty was, and that
they should soon see him again. She also caused the same report
to be spread throughout the city, and governed, in concert with
the prime minister and council, with the same tranquillity as if
the king had been present.
To return to King Beder, whom the Princess Jehaun-ara's
waiting-woman had left in the island before mentioned; that
monarch was not a little surprised when he found himself alone,
and under the form of a bird. He esteemed himself yet more
unhappy, in that he knew not where he was, or in what part of the
world the kingdom of Persia lay. But if he had known, and had
tried the force of his wings, to hazard the traversing so many
extensive watery regions, and had reached it, what could he have
gained, but the mortification to continue still in the same form,
and not to be accounted even a man, much less acknowledged king
of Persia? He was forced to remain where he was, live upon such
food as birds of his kind were wont to have, and to pass the
night on a tree.
A few days afterwards, a peasant, skilled in taking birds with
nets, chanced to come to the place where he was; when perceiving
so fine a bird, the like of which he had never seen, though he
had followed that employment for a long while, he began greatly
to rejoice. He employed all his art to ensnare him; and at length
succeeded and took him. Overjoyed at so great a prize, which he
looked upon to be of more worth than all the other birds he
commonly took, he shut it up in a cage, and carried it to the
city. As soon as he was come into the market, a citizen stops
him, and asked how much he would have for his bird?
Instead of answering, the peasant demanded of the citizen what he
would do with him in case he should buy him? "What wouldst thou
have me to do with him," answered the citizen, "but roast and eat
him?" "If that be the case," replied the peasant, "I suppose you
would think me very well paid, if you should give me the smallest
piece of silver for him. I set a much higher value upon him, and
you should not have him for a piece of gold. Although I am
advanced in years, I never saw such a bird in my life. I intend
to make a present of him to the king; he will know its value
better than you."
Without staying any longer in the market, the peasant went
directly to the palace, and placed himself exactly before the
king's apartment. His majesty, being at a window where he could
see all that passed in the court, no sooner cast his eyes on this
beautiful bird, than he sent an officer of his eunuchs to buy it
for him. The officer going to the peasant, demanded of him how
much he would have for the bird? "If it be for his majesty,"
answered the peasant, "I humbly beg of him to accept it of me as
a present, and I desire you to carry it to him." The officer took
the bird to the king, who found it so great a rarity, that he
ordered the same officer to take ten pieces of gold, and carry
them to the peasant, who departed very well satisfied. The king
ordered the bird to be put into a magnificent cage, and gave it
corn and water in rich vessels.
The king being then ready to mount on horseback to go a hunting,
had not time to consider the bird, therefore had it brought to
him as soon as he returned. The officer brought the cage, and the
king, that he might the better view the bird, took it out
himself; and perched it upon his hand. Looking earnestly upon it,
he demanded of the officer, if he had seen it eat. "Sir," replied
the officer, "your majesty may observe the vessel with his food
is still full, and I have not observed that he has touched any of
it." Then the king ordered him meat of divers sorts, that he
might take what he liked best.
The table being spread, and dinner served up just as the king had
given these orders, as soon as the dishes were placed, the bird,
clapping his wings, leaped off the king's hand, flew upon the
table, where he began to peck the bread and victuals, sometimes
on one plate and sometimes on another. The king was so surprised
that he immediately sent the officer of the eunuchs to desire the
queen to come and see this wonder. The officer related it to her
majesty, and she came forthwith; but she no sooner saw the bird,
than she covered her face with her veil, and would have retired.
The king, surprised at her proceeding, as there was none present
in the chamber but the eunuchs and the women who attended her,
asked the reason of her conduct.
"Sir," answered the queen, "your majesty will no longer be
surprised, when you understand, that this is not as you suppose a
bird, but a man." "Madam," said the king, more astonished than
before, "you mean to banter me; but you shall never persuade me
that a bird can be a man." "Sir," replied the queen, "far be it
from me to banter your majesty; nothing is more certain than what
I have had the honour to tell you. I can assure your majesty, it
is the king of Persia, named Beder, son of the celebrated
Gulnare, princess of one of the largest kingdoms of the sea,
nephew of Saleh, king of that kingdom, and grandson of Queen
Farasche, mother of Gulnare and Saleh; and it was the Princess
Jehaun-ara, daughter of the king of Samandal, who thus
metamorphosed him into a bird." That the king might no longer
doubt of what she affirmed, she told him the whole story, and
stated that the Princess Jehaun-ara had thus revenged herself for
the ill treatment which King Saleh had used towards the king of
Samandal her father.
The king had the less difficulty to believe this assertion of the
queen, as he knew her to be a skilful magician. And as she knew
everything which passed in every part of the world, he was always
by her means timely informed of the designs of the kings his
neighbours against him, and prevented them. His majesty had
compassion on the king of Persia, and earnestly besought his
queen to break the enchantment, that he might return to his own
form.
The queen consented with great willingness. "Sir," said she to
the king, "be pleased to take the bird into your closet, and I
will shew you a king worthy of the consideration you have for
him." The bird, which had ceased eating, and attended to what the
king and queen said, would not give his majesty the trouble to
take him, but hopped into the closet before him; and the queen
came in soon after, with a vessel full of water in her hand. She
pronounced over the vessel some words unknown to the king, till
the water began to boil; when she took some of it in her hand,
and sprinkling a little upon the bird, said, "By virtue of those
holy and mysterious words I have just pronounced, and in the name
of the Creator of heaven and earth, who raises the dead, and
supports the universe, quit the form of a bird, and re-assume
that received from thy Creator."
The words were scarcely out of the queen's mouth, when, instead
of a bird, the king saw a young prince of good shape, air, and
mien. King Beder immediately fell on his knees, and thanked God
for the favour that had been bestowed upon him. He then took the
king's hand, who helped him up, and kissed it in token of
gratitude; but the king embraced him with great joy, and
testified to him the satisfaction he had to see him. He would
then have made his acknowledgments to the queen, but she was
already retired to her apartment. The king made him sit at the
table with him, and prayed him to relate how the Princess
Jehaun-ara could have the inhumanity to transform into a bird so
amiable a prince; and the king of Persia immediately satisfied
him. When he had ended, the king, provoked at the proceeding of
the princess, could not help blaming her. "It was commendable,"
said he, "in the princess of Samandal not to be insensible of the
king her father's ill treatment; but to carry her vengeance so
far, and especially against a prince who was not culpable, was
what she could never be able to justify herself for. But let us
have done with this subject, and tell me, I beseech you, in what
I can farther serve you."
"Sir," answered King Beder, "my obligation to your majesty is so
great, that I ought to remain with you all my life to testify my
gratitude; but since your majesty sets no limits to your
generosity, I entreat you to grant me one of your ships to
transport me to Persia, where I fear my absence, which has been
but too long, may have occasioned some disorder, and that the
queen my mother, from whom I concealed my departure, may be
distracted under the uncertainty whether I am alive or dead."
The king readily granted what he desired, and immediately gave
orders for equipping one of his largest ships, and the best
sailors in his numerous fleet. The ship was soon furnished with
all its complement of men, provisions, and ammunition; and as
soon as the wind became fair, King Beder embarked, after having
taken leave of the king, and thanked him for all his favours.
The ship sailed before the wind for ten days together, but on the
eleventh the wind changed, and there followed a furious tempest.
The ship was not only driven out of its course, but so violently
tossed, that all its masts were brought by the board; and driving
along at the pleasure of the wind, it at length struck against a
rock and bulged.
The greatest part of the people were instantly drowned. Some few
were saved by swimming, and others by getting on pieces of the
wreck. King Beder was among the latter, when, after having been
tossed about for some time by the waves and torrents, under great
uncertainty of his fate, he at length perceived himself near the
shore, and not far from a city that seemed of great extent. He
exerted his remaining strength to reach the land, and was at
length so fortunate as to be able to touch the ground with his
feet. He immediately abandoned his piece of wood, which had been
of such great service to him; but when he came pretty near the
shore, was greatly surprised to see horses, camels, mules, asses,
oxen, cows, bulls, and other animals crowding to the shore, and
putting themselves in a posture to oppose his landing. He had the
utmost difficulty to conquer their obstinacy and force his way,
but at length he succeeded, and sheltered himself among the rocks
till he had recovered his breath, and dried his clothes in the
sun.
When the prince advanced to enter the city, he met with the same
opposition from these animals, who seemed to intend to make him
forego his design, and give him to understand it was dangerous to
proceed.
King Beder, however, entered the city, and saw many fair and
spacious streets, but was surprised to find no human beings. This
made him think it was not without cause that so many animals had
opposed his passage. Going forward, nevertheless, he observed
divers shops open, which gave him reason to believe the place was
not so destitute of inhabitants as he imagined. He approached one
of these shops, where several sorts of fruits were exposed for
sale, and saluted very courteously an old man who was sitting
within.
The old man, who was busy about something, lifted up his head,
and seeing a youth who had an appearance of grandeur in his air,
started, asked him whence he came, and what business had brought
him there? King Beder satisfied him in a few words; and the old
man farther asked him if he had met anybody on the road? "You are
the first person I have seen," answered the king, "and I cannot
comprehend how so fine and large a city comes to be without
inhabitants." "Come in, sir; stay no longer upon the threshold,"
replied the old man, "or peradventure some misfortune may happen
to you. I will satisfy your curiosity at leisure, and give you a
reason why it is necessary you should take this precaution."
King Beder entered the shop, and sat down by the old man. The
latter, who had received from him an account of his misfortunes,
knew he must want nourishment, therefore immediately presented
him what was necessary to recover his strength; and although King
Beder was very earnest to know why he had taken the precaution to
make him enter the shop, he would nevertheless not be prevailed
upon to tell him anything till he had done eating, for fear the
sad things he had to relate might spoil his appetite. When he
found he ate no longer, he said to him, "You have great reason to
thank God that you got hither without any accident." "Alas! why?"
demanded King Beder, much surprised and alarmed.
"Because," answered he, "this city is the City of Enchantments,
and is governed by a queen, who is not only one of the finest of
her sex, but likewise a notorious and dangerous sorceress. You
will be convinced of this," added he, "when you know that these
horses, mules, and other animals which you have seen, are so many
men, like ourselves, whom she has transformed by her diabolical
art. And when young men, like you, enter the city, she has
persons planted to stop and bring them, either by fair means or
force, before her. She receives them in the most obliging manner;
caresses them, regales them, lodges them magnificently, and gives
them so many reasons to believe that she loves them, that she
never fails of success. But she does not suffer them long to
enjoy this happiness. There is not one of them but she has
transformed into some animal or bird at the end of forty days.
You told me all these animals presented themselves to oppose your
landing, and hinder you entering the city. This was the only way
in which they could make you comprehend the danger you were going
to expose yourself to, and they did all in their power to prevent
you."
This account exceedingly afflicted the young king of Persia:
"Alas!" cried he, "to what extremities has my ill fortune reduced
me! I am hardly freed from one enchantment, which I look back
upon with horror, but I find myself exposed to another much more
terrible." This gave him occasion to relate his story to the old
man more at length, and to acquaint him of his birth, quality,
his passion for the princess of Samandal, and her cruelty in
changing him into a bird the very moment he had seen her and
declared his love to her.
When the prince came to speak of his good fortune in finding a
queen who broke the enchantment, the old man to encourage him
said, "Notwithstanding all I have told you of the magic queen is
true, that ought not to give you the least disquiet, since I am
generally beloved throughout the city, and am not unknown to the
queen herself, who has much respect for me; therefore it was your
peculiar good fortune which led you to address yourself to me
rather than to anyone else. You are secure in my house, where I
advise you to continue, if you think fit; and, provided you do
not stray from hence, I dare assure you, you will have no just
cause to complain of my insincerity."
King Beder thanked the old man for his kind reception, and the
protection he was pleased so readily to afford him. He sat down
at the entrance of the shop, where he no sooner appeared, but his
youth and good person attracted the eyes of all who passed that
way. Many stopped and complimented the old man on his having
acquired so fine a slave, as they imagined the king to be; and
they were the more surprised as they could not comprehend how so
beautiful a youth could escape the queen's knowledge. "Believe
not," said the old man, "this is a slave: you all know that I am
not rich enough nor of rank to have one of this consequence. He
is my nephew, son of a brother of mine who is dead; and as I had
no children of my own, I sent for him to keep me company." They
congratulated his good fortune in having so fine a young man for
his relation; but could not help telling him they feared the
queen would take him from him. "You know her well," said they to
him, "and you cannot be ignorant of the danger to which you are
exposed, after all the examples you have seen. How grieved would
you be if she should serve him as she has done so many others
whom we knew."