with two such handsome princes, and said, "He might have had
children as old, if the queen, who had suffered the punishment of
her misfortune, had been more fortunate in her lyings-in."
The first thing that the emperor did when he arrived at his
palace was to conduct the princes into the principal apartments;
who praised without affectation, like persons conversant in such
matters, the beauty and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness
of the furniture and ornaments. Afterwards a magnificent repast
was served up, and the emperor made them sit with him, which they
at first refused; but finding it was his pleasure, they obeyed.
The emperor, who had himself much learning, particularly in
history, foresaw that the princes, out of modesty and respect,
would not take the liberty of beginning any conversation.
Therefore, to give them an opportunity, he furnished them with
subjects all dinner-time. But whatever subject he introduced,
they shewed so much wit, judgment, and discernment, that he was
struck with admiration. "Were these my own children," said he to
himself, "and I had improved their talents by suitable education,
they could not have been more accomplished or better informed."
In short, he took such great pleasure in their conversation, that
after having sat longer than usual he led them into his closet,
where he pursued his conversation with them, and at last said, "I
never supposed that there were among my subjects in the country
youths so well brought up, so lively, so capable; and I never was
better pleased with any conversation than yours: but it is time
now we should relax our minds with some diversion; and as nothing
is more capable of enlivening the mind than music, you shall hear
a vocal and instrumental concert which may not be disagreeable to
you."
The emperor had no sooner spoken for them than the musicians, who
had orders to attend, entered, and answered fully the
expectations the princes had been led to entertain of their
abilities. After the concerts, an excellent farce was acted, and
the entertainment was concluded by dancers of both sexes.
The two princes seeing night approach, prostrated themselves at
the emperor's feet; and having first thanked him for the favours
and honours he had heaped upon them, asked his permission to
retire; which was granted by the emperor, who, in dismissing
them, said, "I give you leave to go; but remember I brought you
to the palace myself only to shew you the way; you will be always
welcome, and the oftener you come the greater pleasure you will
do me."
Before they went out of the emperor's presence, prince Bahman
said, "Sir, may we presume to request that your majesty will do
us and our sister the honour to pass by our house, and rest and
refresh yourself after your fatigue, the first time you take the
diversion of hunting in that neighbourhood? It is not worthy your
presence; but monarchs sometimes have vouchsafed to take shelter
in a cottage." "My children," replied the emperor; "your house
cannot be otherwise than beautiful, and worthy of its owners. I
will call and see it with pleasure, which will be the greater for
having for my hosts you and your sister, who is already dear to
me from the account you give me of the rare qualities with which
she is endowed; and this satisfaction I will defer no longer than
to-morrow. Early in the morning I will be at the place where I
shall never forget that I first saw you. Meet me, and you shall
be my guides."
When the princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home, they gave
the princess an account of the distinguished reception the
emperor had given them; and told her that they had invited him to
do them the honour, as he passed by, to call at their house; and
that he had appointed the next day.
"If it be so," replied the princess, "we must think of preparing
a repast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it
would be proper we should consult the speaking bird, he will tell
us perhaps what meats the emperor likes best." The princes
approved of her plan, and after they had retired she consulted
the bird alone. "Bird," said she, "the emperor will do us the
honour to-morrow to come and see our house, and we are to
entertain him; tell us what we shall do to acquit ourselves to
his satisfaction."
"Good mistress," replied the bird, "you have excellent cooks, let
them do the best they can; but above all things, let them prepare
a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set
before the emperor in the first course before all the other
dishes."
"Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!" cried princess Perie-zadeh,
with amazement; "surely, bird, you do not know what you say; it
is an unheard-of dish. The emperor may admire it as a piece of
magnificence, but he will sit down to eat, and not to admire
pearls; besides, all the pearls I possess are not enough for such
a dish."
"Mistress," said the bird, "do what I say, and be not uneasy
about what may happen. Nothing but good will follow. As for the
pearls, go early to-morrow morning to the foot of the first tree
on your right hand in the park, dig under it, and you will find
more than you want."
That night the princess ordered a gardener to be ready to attend
her, and the next morning early led him to the tree which the
bird had told her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the
gardener came to a certain depth, he found some resistance to the
spade, and presently discovered a gold box about a foot square,
which he shewed the princess. "This," said she, "is what I
brought you for; take care not to injure it with the spade."
When the gardener took up the box, he gave it into the princess's
hands, who, as it was only fastened with neat little hasps, soon
opened it, and found it full of pearls of a moderate size, but
equal, and fit for the use that was to be made of them. Very well
satisfied with having found this treasure, after she had shut the
box again she put it under her arm, and went back to the house,
while the gardener threw the earth into the hole at the foot of
the tree as it had been before.
The princes Bahman and Perviz, who, as they were dressing
themselves in their own apartments, saw the princess their sister
in the garden earlier than usual, as soon as they could get out
went to her, and met her as she was returning, with a gold box
under her arm, which much surprised them. "Sister," said Bahman,
"you carried nothing with you when we saw you before with the
gardener, and now we see you have a golden box: is this some
treasure found by the gardener, and did he come and tell you of
it?"
"No, brother," answered the princess; "I took the gardener to the
place where this casket was concealed, and shewed him where to
dig: but you will be more amazed when you see what it contains."
The princess opened the box, and when the princes saw that it was
full of pearls, which, though small, were of great value; they
asked her how she came to the knowledge of this treasure?
"Brothers," said she, "if nothing more pressing calls you
elsewhere, come with me, and I will tell you." "What more
pressing business," said prince Perviz, "can we have than to be
informed of what concerns us so much? We have nothing to do to
prevent our attending you." The princess, as they returned to the
house, gave them an account of her having consulted the bird, as
they had agreed she should, and the answer he had given her; the
objection she had raised to preparing a dish of cucumbers stuffed
full of pearls, and how he had told her where to find this box.
The princes and princess formed many conjectures to penetrate
into what the bird could mean by ordering them to prepare such a
dish; and after much conversation, though they could not by any
means guess at his reason, they nevertheless agreed to follow his
advice exactly.
As soon as the princess entered the house, she called for the
head cook; and after she had given him directions about the
entertainment for the emperor, said to him, "Besides all this,
you must dress an extraordinary dish for the emperor's own
eating, which nobody else must have any thing to do with besides
yourself. This dish must be of cucumbers stuffed with these
pearls;" and at the same time she opened him the box, and shewed
him the pearls.
The chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back,
and shewed his thoughts by his looks; which the princess
penetrating, said, "I see you take me to be mad to order such a
dish, which you never heard of, and which one may say with
certainty was never made. I know this as well as you; but I am
not mad, and give you these orders with the most perfect
recollection. You must invent and do the best you can, and bring
me back what pearls are left." The cook could make no reply, but
took the box and retired: and afterwards the princess gave
directions to all the domestics to have every thing in order,
both in the house and gardens, to receive the emperor.
Next day the two princes went to the place appointed; and as soon
as the emperor of Persia arrived the chase began, which lasted
till the heat of the sun obliged him to leave off. While prince
Bahman stayed to conduit the emperor to their house, prince
Perviz rode before to shew the way, and when he came in sight of
the house, spurred his horse, to inform the princess Perie-zadeh
that the emperor was approaching; but she had been told by some
servants whom she had placed to give notice, and the prince found
her waiting ready to receive him.
When the emperor had entered the court-yard, and alighted at the
portico, the princess came and threw herself at his feet, and the
two princes informed him she was their sister, and besought him
to accept her respects.
The emperor stooped to raise her, and after he had gazed some
time on her beauty, struck with her fine person and dignified
air, he said, "The brothers are worthy of the sister, and she
worthy of them; since, if I may judge of her understanding by her
person, I am not amazed that the brothers would do nothing
without their sister's consent; but," added he, "I hope to be
better acquainted with you, my daughter, after I have seen the
house."
"Sir," said the princess, "it is only a plain country residence,
fit for such people as we are, who live retired from the great
world. It is not to be compared with houses in great cities, much
less with the magnificent palaces of emperors." "I cannot
perfectly agree with you in opinion," said the emperor very
obligingly, "for its first appearance makes me suspect you;
however, I will not pass my judgment upon it till I have seen it
all; therefore be pleased to conduct me through the apartments."
The princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the
hall; and, after he had considered them very attentively and
admired their variety, "My daughter," said he to the princess,
"do you call this a country house? The finest and largest cities
would soon be deserted, if all country houses were like yours. I
am no longer surprised that you take so much delight in it, and
despise the town. Now let me see the garden, which I doubt not is
answerable to the house."
The princess opened a door which led into the garden; and the
first object which presented itself to the emperor's view was the
golden fountain. Surprised at so rare an object, he asked from
whence that wonderful water, which gave so much pleasure to
behold, had been procured; where was its source; and by what art
it was made to play so high, that he thought nothing in the world
was to be compared to it? He said he would presently take a
nearer view of it.
The princess then led him to the spot where the harmonious tree
was planted; and there the emperor heard a concert, different
from all he had ever heard before; and stopping to see where the
musicians were, he could discern nobody far or near; but still
distinctly heard the music, which ravished his senses. "My
daughter," said he to the princess, "where are the musicians whom
I hear? Are they under ground, or invisible in the air? Such
excellent performers will hazard nothing by being seen; on the
contrary, they would please the more."
"Sir," answered the princess smiling, "they are not musicians,
but the leaves of the trees your majesty sees before you, which
form this concert; and if you will give yourself the trouble to
go a little nearer, you will be convinced, and the voices will be
the more distinct."
The emperor went nearer, and was so charmed with the sweet
harmony, that he would never have been tired with hearing it, but
that his desire to have a nearer view of the fountain of yellow
water forced him away. "Daughter," said he, "tell me, I pray you,
whether this wonderful tree was found in your garden by chance,
or was a present made to you, or have you procured it from some
foreign country? It must certainly have come from a great
distance, otherwise, curious as I am after natural rarities, I
should have heard of it. What name do you call it by?"
"Sir," replied the princess, "this tree has no other name than
that of the singing tree, and is not a native of this country. It
would at present take up too much time to tell your majesty by
what adventures it came here; its history is connected with the
yellow water, and the speaking bird, which came to me at the same
time, and which your majesty may see after you have taken a
nearer view of the golden water. But if it be agreeable to your
majesty, after you have rested yourself, and recovered the
fatigue of hunting, which must be the greater because of the
sun's intense heat, I will do myself the honour of relating it to
you."
"My daughter," replied the emperor, "my fatigue is so well
recompensed by the wonderful things you have shewn me, that I do
not feel it the least. I think only of the trouble I give you.
Let us finish by seeing the yellow water. I am impatient to see
and admire the speaking bird."
When the emperor came to the yellow water, his eyes were fixed so
steadfastly upon the fountain, that he could not take them off.
At last, addressing himself to the princess, he said, "As you
tell me, daughter, that this water has no spring or
communication, I conclude that it is foreign, as well as the
singing tree."
"Sir," replied the princess, "it is as your majesty conjectures;
and to let you know that this water has no communication with any
spring, I must inform you that the basin is one entire stone, so
that the water cannot come in at the sides or underneath. But
what your majesty will think most wonderful is, that all this
water proceeded but from one small flagon, emptied into this
basin, which increased to the quantity you see, by a property
peculiar to itself, and formed this fountain." "Well," said the
emperor, going from the fountain, "this is enough for one time. I
promise myself the pleasure to come and visit it often; but now
let us go and see the speaking bird."
As he went towards the hall, the emperor perceived a prodigious
number of singing birds in the trees around, filling the air with
their songs and warblings, and asked, why there were so many
there, and none on the other trees in the garden? "The reason,
sir," answered the princess, "is, because they come from all
parts to accompany the song of the speaking bird, which your
majesty may see in a cage in one of the windows of the hall we
are approaching; and if you attend, you will perceive that his
notes are sweeter than those of any of the other birds, even the
nightingale."
The emperor went into the hall; and as the bird continued
singing, the princess raised her voice, and said, "My slave, here
is the emperor, pay your compliments to him." The bird left off
singing that instant, when all the other birds ceased also, and
it said, "The emperor is welcome; God prosper him, and prolong
his life." As the entertainment was served on the sofa near the
window where the bird was placed, the sultan replied, as he was
taking his seat, "Bird, I thank you, and am overjoyed to find in
you the sultan and king of birds."
As soon as the emperor saw the dish of cucumbers set before him,
thinking it was stuffed in the best manner, he reached out his
hand and took one; but when he cut it, was in extreme surprise to
find it stuffed with pearls. "What novelty is this?" said he "and
with what design were these cucumbers stuffed thus with pearls,
since pearls are not to be eaten?" He looked at the two princes
and princess to ask them the meaning: when the bird interrupting
him, said, "Can your majesty be in such great astonishment at
cucumbers stuffed with pearls, which you see with your own eyes,
and yet so easily believe that the queen your wife was delivered
of a dog, a cat, and a piece of wood?" "I believed these things,"
replied the emperor, "because the midwives assured me of the
facts." "Those midwives, sir," replied the bird, "were the
queen's two sisters, who, envious of her happiness in being
preferred by your majesty before them, to satisfy their envy and
revenge, have abused your majesty's credulity. If you interrogate
them, they will confess their crime. The two brothers and the
sister whom you see before you are your own children, whom they
exposed, and who were taken in by the intendant of your gardens,
who provided nurses for them, and took care of their education."
This speech of the bird's presently cleared up the emperor's
understanding. "Bird," cried he, "I believe the truth which you
discover to me. The inclination which drew me to them told me
plainly they must be my own blood. Come then, my sons, come, my
daughter, let me embrace you, and give you the first marks of a
father's love and tenderness." The emperor then rose, and after
having embraced the two princes and the princess, and mingled his
tears with theirs, said, "It is not enough, my children; you must
embrace each other, not as the children of the intendant of my
gardens, to whom I have been so much obliged for preserving your
lives, but as my own children, of the royal blood of the monarchs
of Persia, whose glory, I am persuaded, you will maintain."
After the two princes and princess had embraced mutually with new
satisfaction, the emperor sat down again with them, and finished
his meal in haste; and when he had done, said, "My children, you
see in me your father; to-morrow I will bring the queen your
mother, therefore prepare to receive her."
The emperor afterwards mounted his horse, and returned with
expedition to his capital. The first thing he did, as soon as he
had alighted and entered his palace, was to command the grand
vizier to seize the queen's two sisters. They were taken from
their houses separately, convicted, and condemned to be
quartered; which sentence was put in execution within an hour.
In the mean time the emperor Khoosroo Shaw, followed by all the
lords of his court who were then present, went on foot to the
door of the great mosque; and after he had taken the queen out of
the strict confinement she had languished under for so many
years, embracing her in the miserable condition to which she was
then reduced, said to her with tears in his eyes, "I come to
entreat your pardon for the injustice I have done you, and to
make you the reparation I ought; which I have begun, by punishing
the unnatural wretches who put the abominable cheat upon me; and
I hope you will look upon it as complete, when I present to you
two accomplished princes, and a lovely princess, our children.
Come and resume your former rank, with all the honours which are
your due." All this was done and said before great crowds of
people, who flocked from all parts at the first news of what was
passing, and immediately spread the joyful intelligence through
the city.
Next morning early the emperor and queen, whose mournful
humiliating dress was changed for magnificent robes, went with
all their court to the house built by the intendant of the
gardens, where the emperor presented the princes Bahman and
Perviz, and the princess Perie-zadeh, to their enraptured mother.
"These, much injured wife," said he, "are the two princes your
sons, and this princess your daughter; embrace them with the same
tenderness I have done, since they are worthy both of me and
you." The tears flowed plentifully down their cheeks at these
tender embraces, especially the queen's, from the comfort and joy
of having two such princes for her sons, and such a princess for
her daughter, on whose account she had so long endured the
severest afflictions.
The two princes and the princess had prepared a magnificent
repast for the emperor and queen, and their court. As soon as
that was over, the emperor led the queen into the garden, and
shewed her the harmonious tree and the beautiful effect of the
yellow fountain. She had seen the bird in his cage, and the
emperor had spared no panegyric in his praise during the repast.
When there was nothing to detain the emperor any longer, he took
horse, and with the princes Bahman and Perviz on his right hand,
and the queen consort and the princess at his left, preceded and
followed by all the officers of his court, according to their
rank, returned to his capital. Crowds of people came out to meet
them, and with acclamations of joy ushered them into the city,
where all eyes were fixed not only upon the queen, the two
princes, and the princess, but also upon the bird, which the
princess carried before her in his cage, admiring his sweet
notes, which had drawn all the other birds about him, which
followed him, flying from tree to tree in the country, and from
one house-top to another in the city. The princes Bahman and
Perviz, and the princess Perie-zadeh, where at length brought to
the palace with this pomp, and nothing was to be seen or heard
all that night but illuminations and rejoicings both in the
palace and in the utmost parts of the city, which lasted many
days, and were continued throughout the empire of Persia, as
intelligence of the joyful event reached the several provinces.
STORY OF THE SULTAN OF YEMEN AND HIS THREE
SONS.
There was in the land of Yemen (Arabia Felix) a sultan, under
whom were three tributary princes. He had four children, three
sons and a daughter. He possessed greater treasures than could be
estimated, as well as innumerable camels, horses, and flocks of
sheep; and was held in awe by all contemporary sovereigns.
After a long and prosperous reign, age brought with it infirmity,
and he at length became incapable of appearing in his hall of
audience; upon which he commanded his sons to his presence, and
said to them, "My wish is to divide among you, before my death,
all my possessions, that you may be satisfied, and live in
unanimity and brotherly affection with each other, and in
obedience to my dying commands." They exclaimed, "To hear is to
obey."
The sultan then said, "My will is, that the eldest be sovereign
in my room; that the second possess my treasures; and the third
every description of animals. Let no, one encroach upon another,
but all assist each other." He then caused them to sign an
agreement to abide by his bequests, and shortly afterwards was
received into the mercy of the Almighty; upon which his sons
prepared what was suitable to his dignity for his funeral. They
washed the corpse, enshrouded it, prayed over it, and having
committed it to the earth, returned to their palaces; where the
viziers, officers of state, and inhabitants of the metropolis,
high and low, rich and poor, attended to console with them on the
loss of their father. The news of the death of the sultan was
soon spread abroad into all the provinces, and deputations from
every city came to condole with the princes.
After these ceremonies, the eldest prince demanded that he should
be inaugurated sultan in the room of the deceased monarch,
agreeably to his will; but this was not possible, as each of the
other brothers was ambitious of being sovereign. Contention and
disputes now arose between them for the government, till at
length the elder brother, wishing to avoid civil war, said, "Let
us go and submit to the arbitration of one of the tributary
sultans, and to let him whom he adjudges the kingdom peaceably
enjoy it." To this they assented, as did also the viziers; and
they departed, unattended, towards the capital of one of the
tributary sultans.