himself with a close veil, followed the old woman to her house,
and listened at the door to know if the daughter would accept his
present. When he found that she had put on the dress, he was
overcome with rapture, and hastening back to his palace, sent
again for the old lady, to whom he signified his wish to marry
her daughter. When the princess was informed of the offer she
consented, and the sultan, attended by a splendid cavalcade,
conducted her that evening to his palace, where the cauzee united
them in marriage. A general feast was made for all the
inhabitants of the city for seven days successively, and the
sultan and the princess enjoyed the height of felicity. In the
course of five years the Almighty blessed them with a son and two
daughters.
The eldest princess on the wreck of the ship having clung to a
piece of timber, was after much distress floated on shore, where
she found a man's habit, and thinking it a safe disguise for the
protection of her honour, she dressed herself in it, and
proceeded to a city which appeared near the coast. On her
entrance she was accosted by a maker of cotton wallets for
travelling, who observing that she was a stranger, and supposing
her a man, asked if she would live with him, as he wanted an
assistant. Being glad to secure any asylum, she accepted his
offer of maintenance, and daily wages of half a dirhem. He
conducted her to his house, and treated her with kindness. The
next day she entered upon her business, and so neat was the work
she executed, that in a short time her master's shop was more
frequented than any other.
It happened that the shop was situated near the palace of the
sultan. One morning the princess his daughter looking through the
lattice of a balcony beheld the seeming young man at work, with
the sleeves of his vest drawn up to his shoulder: his arms were
white and polished as silver, and his countenance brilliant as
the sun unobscured by clouds. The daughter of the sultan was
captivated in the snare of love.
The sultan's daughter continued gazing at the supposed young man
till he withdrew from work, when she retired to her apartment;
but so much was she fascinated by his charms, that she became
restless, and at length indisposed. Her nurse who attended her
felt her pulse, and asked her several questions, but could find
no symptoms of bodily illness upon her. She said, "My dear
daughter, I am convinced that nothing has afflicted thee but
desire of some youth with whom thou art in love." The princess
exclaimed, "My dear mother, as thou hast discovered my secret,
thou wilt, I trust, not only keep it sacred, but bring to me the
man I love." The nurse replied, "No one can keep a secret closer
than myself, so that you may safely confide it to my care." The
princess then said, "Mother, my heart is captivated by the young
man who works in the shop opposite my windows, and if I cannot
meet him I shall die of grief."
The nurse replied, "My dear mistress, he is the most beautiful
youth of the age, and the women of the whole city are distracted
with his charms; yet he is so bashful as to answer no advances,
and shrinks from notice like a school-boy, but I will endeavour
to overcome his shyness, and procure you a meeting." Having said
thus, she went immediately to the wallet-maker's, and giving him
a piece of gold, desired he would let his assistant accompany her
home with two of his best wallets. The man was pleased with her
generosity, and selecting his choicest manufacture, commanded his
journeyman to accompany the nurse.
The old woman led the disguised princess through by-paths to a
private passage of the palace, and introduced her into the
apartments of the daughter of the sultan, who received her
supposed beloved with emotions of joy too violent to be
concealed. Pretending to admire the goods, she asked some
questions, and giving him twenty pieces of gold, desired him to
return with more goods on the following evening, to which the
seeming journeyman replied, "To hear is to obey."
The disguised princess on her return home delivered the twenty
pieces of gold to her employer, who was alarmed, and inquired
from whence they came: upon which she informed him of her
adventure, when the wallet-maker was in greater terror than
before, and said to himself, "If this intrigue goes on, the
sultan will discover it, I shall be put to death, and my family
ruined on account of this young man and his follies." He then
besought him not to repeat his visit, but he answered, "I cannot
forbear, though I dread my death may be the consequence." In
short, the disguised princess went every evening with the old
nurse to the apartments of the sultan's daughter, till at length
the sultan one night suddenly entered, and perceiving, he
supposed, a man with the princess, commanded him to be seized and
bound hand and foot.
The sultan then sent for an executioner, resolved to put the
culprit to death. The executioner on his arrival seized the
disguised princess; but what was the surprise of all present,
when, on taking off the turban and vest, they discovered her sex.
The sultan commanded her to be conducted to his haram, and
inquired her story, when having no resource but the truth, she
related her adventures.
When the princess had informed the sultan of the treachery of the
vizier, the consequent conduct of her father, the distress of her
mother, her sisters and herself, their being relieved, and her
escape from shipwreck, with what had happened since, he was
filled with wonder and compassion, and ordered his daughter to
accommodate her in the haram. The love of the latter was now
changed to sincere friendship, and under her care and attentions
the unfortunate princess in a few months recovered her former
beauty. It chanced that the sultan visiting his daughter was
fascinated with the charms of the princess, but unwilling to
infringe the rules of hospitality concealed his love, till at
length he became dangerously ill, when the daughter suspecting
the matter, prevailed upon him to reveal the cause of his
complaint. She then informed her friend, and entreated her to
accept her father in marriage; but the princess said, at the same
time weeping bitterly, "Misfortune hath separated me from my
family; I know not whether my sisters, my father and my mother,
are living, or, if so, what is their condition. How can I be
happy or merry, while they are perhaps involved in misery?"
The daughter of the sultan did not refrain from comforting the
unfortunate princess, at the same time representing the hopeless
condition of her father, till at length she consented to the
marriage. This joyful intelligence speedily revived the love-lorn
sultan, and the nuptials were celebrated with the utmost joy and
magnificence.
The aged sultan and sultana continued to lament the loss of their
daughters for some years, when at length the former resolved to
travel in search of them, and having left the government in
charge of his wife, departed, attended only by his vizier. They
both assumed the habit of dervishes, and after a month's
uninterrupted travelling reached a large city extending along the
sea coast, close upon which the sultan of it had erected a
magnificent pleasure house, where the pretended dervishes beheld
him sitting in one of the pavilions with his two sons, one six
and the other seven years old. They approached, made their
obeisance, and uttered a long invocation, agreeably to the usage
of the religious, for his prosperity. The sultan returned their
compliment, desired them to be seated, and having conversed with
them till evening, dismissed them with a present, when they
repaired to a caravanserai, and hired an apartment. On the
following day, after amusing themselves with viewing the city,
they again repaired to the beach, and saw the sultan sitting with
his children, as before. While they were admiring the beauty of
the structure, the younger prince, impelled by an unaccountable
impulse, came up to them, gazed eagerly at them, and when they
retired followed them to their lodging, which they did not
perceive till he had entered with them and sat down. The old
sultan was astonished at the child's behaviour, took him in his
arms, kissed and fondled him, after which he desired him to
return to his parents, but the boy insisted upon staying, and
remained four days, during which the pretended dervishes did not
stir from their caravanserai.
The sultan missing his son, supposed that he had gone to his
mother, and she imagined that he was still with his father; but
on the latter entering the haram the loss was discovered.
Messengers were despatched every way, but no tidings of the boy
could be obtained. The miserable parents now supposed that he had
fallen into the sea and was drowned. Nets were dragged, and
divers employed for three days, but in vain. On the fifth day
orders were issued to search every house in the city, when the
infant prince was at length discovered at the caravanserai in the
apartment of the pretended dervishes, who were ignominiously
dragged before the sultan.
The sultan was transported with joy at the recovery of his son,
but supposing the dervishes had meant to steal him away, he
ordered them instantly to be put to death. The executioners
seized them, bound their hands behind them, and were going to
strike, when the child with loud outcries ran up, and clinging to
the knees of the elder victim could not be forced away. The
sultan was astonished, and ordering the execution for the present
to be delayed, went and informed the mother of the child of his
wonderful behaviour.
The sultana, on hearing it, was no less surprised than the
sultan, and felt a curiosity to hear from the dervish himself on
what account he had enticed away her son. She said, "It is truly
extraordinary that the boy should express such affection for a
strange dervish. Send for him to your closet, and order him to
relate his adventures, to which I will listen from behind a
curtain."
The sultan sent for the supposed dervish, and commanding all his
attendants to retire, withdrew with him into his closet, and
desired him to be seated; after which he said, "Wicked dervish,
what could have induced thee to entice away my son, or to visit
my kingdom?" He replied, "Heaven knows, O sultan, I did not
entice him. The boy followed me to my lodging, when I said, 'My
son, return to thy father,' but he would not; and I remained in
continual dread till what was decreed occurred." The sultan was
softened, spoke kindly to him, and begged him to relate his
adventures, when the pretended dervish wept, and said, "My
history is a wonderful one. I had a friend whom I left as my
agent and guardian to my family, while I was performing a
pilgrimage to Mecca; but had scarcely left my house ten days,
when accidently seeing my wife he endeavoured to debauch her, and
sent an old woman with a rich present to declare his adulterous
love. My wife was enraged, and put the infamous messenger to
death. He sent a second, and a third, whom she also killed."
These last words were scarcely spoken, when the sultana bursting
from her concealment ran up to the dervish, fell upon his neck,
and embraced him: upon which, the sultan her husband was enraged,
put his hand to his cimeter, and exclaimed, "What means this
shameless behaviour?" The sultana, at once laughing and crying
with rapture, informed him that the supposed dervish was her
father: upon which the sultan also fell at his feet and welcomed
him. He then ordered the other dervish his vizier to be released,
commanded royal robes to be brought for his father-in-law, and a
suite of apartments in the palace to be prepared for his
reception, with an attendance befitting his dignity.
When the old sultan had spent some time with his youngest
daughter thus happily recovered, he became anxious to search
after the others, and signified his intention of departing; but
his son-in-law declared that he would accompany him on the
expedition with a number of his nobles, and an army, lest some
fatal accident might occur from his being unattended.
Preparations were accordingly made for march, the two sultans
encamped without the city, and in a few days began their
expedition, which proved successful to their wishes. The aged
monarch having recovered his children retired to his own kingdom,
where he reigned prosperously till the angel of death summoned
him to Paradise.
STORY OF THE BANG-EATER AND THE CAUZEE.
In a certain city there was a vagabond fellow much addicted to
the use of bang, who got his livelihood by fishing. When he had
sold the product of his day's labour, he laid part of it out in
provisions and part in bang, with which (his day's, work over) he
solaced himself till he became intoxicated, and such was his
constant practice. One night, having indulged more than ordinary,
his senses were unusually stupefied; and in this, condition he
had occasion to come down into the square in which was his
lodging. It happened to be the fourteenth night of the moon, when
she shone uncommonly bright, and shed such a lustre upon the
ground, that the bang-eater from the dizziness of his head
mistook the bright undulations of her reflection on the pavement
for water, and fancied he was upon the brink of the river. He
returned to his chamber, and brought down his line, supposing
that he should catch his usual prey.
The bang-eater threw out his line, made of strong cord, and
baited on several hooks with bits of flesh, into the square, when
a dog, allured by the scent, swallowed one of the pieces, and
feeling pain from the hook which stuck in his throat, pulled
strongly at the cord. The bang-eater, supposing he had caught a
monstrous fish, lugged stoutly, but in vain. The dog, agonized by
the hook, resisted; at the same time yelping hideously, when the
bang-eater, unwilling to quit his prey, yet fearing he should be
dragged into the imaginary river, bellowed aloud for help. The
watch came up, seized him, and perceiving him intoxicated,
carried him bound to the cauzee.
It happened that the cauzee often privately indulged himself with
bang. Seeing the intoxicated situation of the fisherman, he
pitied his condition, and ordered him to be put into a chamber to
sleep off his disorder; at the same time saying to himself, "This
is a man after my own heart, and to-morrow evening I will enjoy
myself with him." The fisherman was well taken care of during the
day, and at night the cauzee sent for him to his apartment;
where, after eating, they took each a powerful dose of bang,
which soon operating upon their brains, they began to sing,
dance, and commit a thousand extravagancies.
The noise which they made attracted the notice of the sultan, who
with his vizier was traversing the city, disguised as merchants.
Finding the doors open, they entered, and beheld the cauzee and
his companion in the height of their mirth, who welcomed them,
and they sat down. At length, after many ridiculous tricks, the
fisherman starting up, exclaimed, "I am the sultan!" "And I,"
rejoined the cauzee, "am my lord the bashaw!" "Bashaw!" continued
the fisherman, "if I choose I can strike off thy head." "I know
it," returned the cauzee, "but at present I am not worth
beheading; give me first a rich government, that I may be worth
punishing." "Thou sayest true," answered the fisherman; "I must
make thee fat before thou wilt be fit for killing."
The sultan laughed at their extravagancies, and said to his
vizier, "I will amuse myself with these vagabonds to-morrow
evening:" then rising up, he and his minister departed.
The next evening the cauzee and the fisherman indulged themselves
as before, and while they were making merry, the sultan and his
vizier entered, but in different disguises from those they had
worn on the former night. They brought with them a strong
confection of opium, which they presented to their hosts, who,
highly delighted, greedily devoured it, and such were the effects
that they became madder than ever. At length, the fisherman
starting up, exclaimed, "The sultan is deposed, and I am
sovereign in his stead." "Suppose the sultan should hear thee,"
replied the prince. "If he opposes me," cried the fisherman, "I
will order my bashaw to strike off his head; but I will now
punish thee for thy insolent question." He then ran up and seized
the sultan by the nose, the cauzee at the same time attacking the
vizier: it was with difficulty that they made their escape from
the house.
The sultan, notwithstanding his tweak by the nose, resolved to divert
himself further with the bang-eaters, and the next evening putting on
a fresh disguise, repaired to the cauzee's house with his vizier;
where he found the happy companions in high glee. They had taken it
into their heads to dance, which they did with such vehemence, and for
so long a time, that at length they fell down with fatigue. When they
had rested a little, the fisherman perceiving the sultan, said,
"Whence comest thou?" "We are strangers," replied the sultan, "and
only reached this city to-night; but on our way through the streets,
hearing your mirth, we made bold to enter, that we might participate
it with you. Are ye not, however, fearful lest the sultan should hear
you on his rounds, and punish you for an infringement of the laws?"
"How should the sultan hear us?" answered the fisherman; "he is in his
palace, and we in our own house, though, perhaps, much merrier than
he, poor fellow, with the cares of state upon his mind,
notwithstanding his splendour."
"How comes it," rejoined the sovereign, "that you have not
visited the sultan? for you are merry fellows, and I think he
would encourage you." "We fear," replied the fisherman, "his
guards would beat us away." "Never mind them," said the sultan;
"if you choose I will give you a letter of recommendation, which
I am sure he will pay attention to, for we were intimate when
youths." "Let us have it," cried the fisherman. The sultan wrote
a note, directed to himself, and departed.
In the morning the cauzee and the fisherman repaired to the
palace, and delivered the note to one of the guards, who, on
sight of it, placed it on his head, prostrated himself to the
ground, and then introduced them to the sultan. Having read the
letter, the sultan commanded them to be led into separate
apartments, and to be treated respectfully. At noon a handsome
collation was served up to each, and at sunset a full service,
after which they were presented with coffee. When about two hours
of the night had passed, the sultan ordered them into his
presence, and on their making their obeisance returned their
salutes, and desired them to be seated, saying, "Where is the
person who gave you this letter?"
"Mighty sultan," replied the fisherman, "two men who last night
visited our house inquired why we did not repair to your majesty,
and partake of your bounty. We replied, that we feared the guards
would drive us away; when one of them gave us this note, saying,
'Fear not; take this recommendation to the sultan, with whom in
my youth I was intimate.' We followed his direction, and have
found his words to be true. We inquired whence they came; but
they would not tell us more than that they were strangers in this
city." "It is," continued the sultan, "absolutely necessary that
you should bring them to my presence, for it is long since I have
beheld my old friends." "Permit us then to return home, where
they may possibly visit us again," said the fisherman, "and we
will oblige them to come with us." "How can you do that," replied
the sultan, "when the other evening you could not prevent your
guest escaping, though you had him by the nose?"
The poor fisherman, and his companion the cauzee, were now
confounded at the discovery that it was the sultan himself who
had witnessed their intoxication and ridiculous transports. They
trembled, turned pale, and fell prostrate to the ground, crying,
"Pardon, pardon, gracious sovereign, for the offences we have
committed, and the insult which in our madness we offered to the
sacred person of your majesty."
The sultan, after laughing heartily at their distress, replied,
"Your pardon is granted, for the insult was involuntary, though
deserved, as I was an impertinent intruder on your privacy; make
yourselves easy, and sit down; but you must each of you relate to
me your adventures, or some story that you have heard." The
cauzee and the fisherman, having recovered from their confusion,
obeyed the commands of the sultan, and being seated, the latter
related the following tale.
Story of the Bang-eater and His Wife.
There lived formerly, near Bagdad, a half-witted fellow, who was
much addicted to the use of bang. Being reduced to poverty, he
was obliged to sell his stock. One day he went to the market to
dispose of a cow; but the animal being in bad order, no one would
bid for it, and after waiting till he was weary he returned
homewards. On the way he stopped to repose himself under a tree,
and tied the cow to one of the branches while he ate some bread,
and drank of an infusion of his beloved bang, which he always
carried with him. In a short time it began to operate, so as to
bereave him of the little sense he possessed, and his head was
filled with ridiculous reveries. While he was musing, a magpie
beginning to chatter from her nest in the tree, he fancied it was
a human voice, and that some woman had asked to purchase his cow:
upon which he said, "Reverend mother of Solomon, dost thou wish
to buy my cow?" The bird croaked again. "Well," replied he, "what
wilt thou give if I will sell her a bargain." The bird repeated
her croak. "Never mind," said the foolish fellow, "for though
thou hast forgotten to bring thy purse, yet, as I dare say thou
art an honest woman, and hast bidden me ten deenars, I will trust
thee with the cow, and call on Friday for the money." The bird
renewed her croaking, which he fancied to be thanks for his
confidence; so leaving the cow tied to the branch of the tree, he
returned home exulting in the good bargain he had made for the
animal.
When he entered the house, his wife inquired what he had gotten
for the cow; to which he replied, that he had sold her to an
honest woman named Am Solomon, who had promised to pay him on the
next Friday ten pieces of gold. The wife was contented, and when
Friday arrived, her idiot of a husband having, as usual, taken a
dose of bang, repaired to the tree, and hearing the bird
chattering, as before, said, "Well, my good mother, hast thou
brought the gold?" The bird croaked. Supposing the imaginary
woman refused to pay him, he became angry, and threw up his
spade, which frightening the bird, it flew from the nest, and
alighted on a heap of soil at some distance. He fancied that Am
Solomon had desired him to take his money from the heap, into
which he dug with his spade, and found a brazen vessel full of
gold coin. This discovery convinced him he was right, and being,
notwithstanding his weakness, naturally honest, he only took ten
pieces; then replacing the soil, said, "May Allah requite thee
for thy punctuality, good mother!" and returned to his wife, to
whom he gave the money, informing her at the same time of the
great treasure his friend Am Solomon possessed, and where it was
concealed. The wife waited till night, when she went and brought
away the pot of gold; which her husband observing, said, "It is
dishonest to rob one who has paid us so punctually, and if thou
dost not return it to its place, I will inform the (walee)
officer of police."
The wife laughed at his folly; but fearing the ill consequences
of his executing his threat, she planned a stratagem to prevent
them. Going to the market, she purchased some broiled meat and
fish ready dressed, which she brought privately home, and
concealed in the house. At night, the husband having regaled
himself with his beloved bang, retired to sleep off his
intoxication; but about midnight she strewed the provisions she
had brought at the door, and awakening her partner, cried out, in
pretended astonishment, "Dear husband, a most wonderful
phenomenon has occurred; there has been a violent storm while you
slept, and, strange to tell, it has rained pieces of broiled meat
and fish, which now lie at the door!" The husband, still in a
state of stupefaction from the bang, got up, went to the door,
and seeing the provisions, was persuaded of the truth of his
wife's story. The fish and flesh were gathered up, and he partook
with much glee of the miraculous treat; but he still threatened
to inform the walee of her having stolen the treasure of the good
old woman Am Solomon.