THE DELIVERANCE.
One day the old man appeared and led him into the garden; but he had
not been there more than a quarter of an hour, when he returned,
called him in, and then quickly retired with marks of disquietude.
Haschem also remarked that the white bird, which he loved more every
day, sat at the bottom of its cage, more mournful than usual after his
visit. He drew near, and observed a little door, which he had never
before seen. He examined it closely, and found a fine bolt which
passed into a ring of gold wire. These were made so skilfully, like
concealed ornaments, that nobody could have discovered them if his
attention had not been drawn to them by accident. Haschem pushed back
the bolt and opened the door; the bird moved as if some sudden joy had
seized it, hopped out, and as soon as it touched the floor, it was
transformed, and in its stead a young maiden stood before Haschem,
clothed in a white silk robe; beautiful dark locks streamed over her
neck and shoulders, and a thin fragrant veil fell over them, fastened
to a forehead-band set with precious stones; her finely-formed
countenance was as white as ivory, relieved by the softest shade of a
rose.
Surprised and astonished, Haschem started back and said, "By the beard
of the Prophet, I conjure you to tell me whether you are of human
race, or whether you belong to the genii?"
"I am a weak maiden," said she, "and implore you to deliver me from
the hands of this cruel magician. I will reward you handsomely for it.
Know, I am the only daughter of Kadga Singa, King of Selandia; and
this wicked enchanter has cunningly carried me off from my father's
palace, and shut me up in this cage. He has one son, as ugly as night,
whom he wishes me to take for my husband. Every ninth day he comes,
brings him with him, and praises his excellent qualities--presses me
for my consent, and threatens me with cruel tortures if I give it not
at the next new moon. On that day he will have kept me a year in
imprisonment, and longer than a year he says he will not wait, and
still give good words: then will the time of my punishment begin. I
conjure you, therefore, to help me!"
At these words she burst into a flood of tears.
"Noble royal maiden," answered Haschem, "how willingly would I help
you! but, alas, I am only a weak man, and cannot free myself. But tell
me--how is it possible? You say the enchanter brings his hateful son
with him: why, then, have I never seen him?"
"He always sends you away when he comes," answered the Princess.
"Well," pursued Haschem, "the son could not conceal himself from me on
the steps, or in the narrow passage."
"Well, well," she answered, "he carries him in his pocket."
Then Haschem cried out in his astonishment, "In his pocket! How can
that be?"
The Princess related to him that the young man was every time a white
bird, like herself; that the enchanter put him into the cage with her,
and that she felt such a dislike to him that she always fluttered
about the cage to avoid getting near him; but that he, with his
contrary friendly feeling, would follow her and settle confidingly
near her.
"Oh," she continued, "you must have remarked how tired and mournful I
always was when you returned on the ninth day."
Haschem, astonished at this explanation, assured her of his
willingness to help her, but bewailed his helplessness. But the
Princess would not give up hopes of their safety.
"It seems to me," said she, "a good omen that the enchanter has to-day
received a message which caused him to leave so early and in such
haste that he did not securely close the cage, and that you returned
so early to-day from the garden. This day is my birthday, the only day
that I can be delivered from the magician's power. On any other day I
should still have remained a dumb bird if you had freed me from my
cage; only on this day has my touching the floor restored me to my
natural form: the enchantment lies in the cage."
Haschem then seized the cage, and said, "If it be so, we will break
the enchantment." He threw the cage to the ground, stamped on it with
his feet till it was quite flat and its shape no longer
distinguishable, then he rolled it together, and threw it into a
corner of the hall.
At this moment a frightful noise resounded through the air like
violent thunder, a gale of wind seemed to shake the hall, and suddenly
the doors opened, the curtains were drawn aside, and the magician
stood before them with a countenance full of anger.
"Ah!" cried he, "weak worms, what have you presumed to do? How did you
learn to break my charm in this manner? Who bid you destroy the cage?"
Haschem, terrified, could answer nothing. Then the enchanter turned to
the Maiden, and cried,
"And you, you thought this miserable worm could defend you against my
power: I will show you how useless it is to oppose me."
He felt in the pocket of his black robe, and pulled out a thin box.
This he opened, and a white bird flew out and perched on the table.
Then he took a small box from his girdle and opened it: it was filled
with grains of millet. From these he took one, laid it before the
bird, who had scarcely eaten it before such a distorted man stood in
its place, that both Haschem and the Princess screamed aloud. His head
was large and thick, his eyes red and dark, his nose small and pressed
quite flat, his lips thick and bluish-red, his chin broad and
projecting, and on his head grew a few stiff white hairs; a hump grew
out of his breast, and a similar one from his back, and his shoulders
were quite drawn up: his head was so jammed between them that his ears
could not be seen. His head and upper part of his body were so
unshapely, and his legs so weak and thin, that it was wonderful how
they supported him: he tottered about incessantly, balancing himself
first on one leg, then on the other.
"Go in, my son," said the enchanter to this misformed creature:
"behold! there is your bride. She does not wish to wait till the new
moon, which I fixed upon for your betrothal: to-day she has effected
her change by the help of this friend. Go, my son, give your bride a
kiss, and then thank this young man."
The deformed creature approached the Princess with a horrible fiendish
laugh. She averted her face with disgust, and stretched out her arms,
motioning him away. And now courage returned to Haschem. Resolved to
venture all, he stepped before the Princess, and gave the deformity
such a blow that he reeled. He instantly assumed the form of a
terrible dragon; but Haschem, drawing a scimitar which he still wore,
cut him down. He fell with such violence on the corner of the pedestal
of one of the marble pillars that it was broken to pieces: a stream of
blood flowed from the wound, and, resuming his former shape, the
monster gave a hollow groan. Now Haschem thought of the father's rage
and revenge, and gave up his life for lost. But the enchanter stood
quite confounded as he observed his son's mortal wound; then, threw
himself down beside him, and examined it, and wrung his hands,
forgetting his revenge in his sorrow. Haschem quickly seized the hand
of the Princess, and led her through the door and down the steps. All
the doors were open, and they fortunately came into the garden. Soon
they stood before the lattice of the iron wicket, which was closed to
them.
"Of what use is our flight?" said Haschem; "we are still in the power
of the enchanter; and even if we were on the other side of the wicket,
and concealed ourselves in the deepest cavern, he would discover us by
his knowledge, and wreak his vengeance on us."
"I am of a different opinion," said the Princess. "I know there are
things of which men think little, but on which the superior power of
the magician depends. It appears to me that if we could get out of
this place, we should be safe."
They went farther, and came to a spot where many trees had been
uprooted by a hurricane. One of these lay overturned, with its crown
resting on the lattice, and its boughs and branches hanging far over
the other side. At this sight the young man rejoiced: he climbed
quickly up the trunk, pulled the Princess after him, and led her with
great care and tenderness into the crown of the tree. They then
clambered over the spiked top of the wicket, and let themselves down
on the other side by the overhanging branches. They did not quite
reach to the ground, but near enough for them to leap down: when they
let go their hands, they fell softly to the earth. They quickly jumped
up, and proceeded as rapidly as the strength of the Princess and the
unknown way would allow them through the thickets, underwood, and
plains studded with prickly plants, towards the distant mountains.
After the two fugitives had continued their flight for several
successive hours without looking back on the scene of their
imprisonment, the Princess felt her strength exhausted, and could go
no farther; she begged her companion to repose for a short time.
Haschem sought a place free from bushes, and clad with moss and long
grass. They seated themselves there, and Haschem entreated her to
relate her history. She was soon ready, and commenced thus:
"My early history is very simple and unimportant. I am called Handa,
the only daughter of the Sultan of the island Selandia. My mother was
brought from beyond Arabia and Mount Caucasus over the wide-stretching
sea, and was sold to him as a slave. Soon attracted by her excessive
beauty and pleasing manners, he raised her to the dignity of his
principal wife. My earliest youth was spent in pleasing sports under
my mother's eyes. She died before I had passed the age of childhood,
as the change from the mild climate of her land to the heat of my
father's shortened her days. After the loss of my mother, which did
not much affect me, as I was too young to feel it, I enjoyed many
happy days. My father loved me as his greatest treasure, and was wise
enough to confide me to a careful nurse. Every evening I passed
several hours with him, as soon as he was released from the cares of
government, and one whole day in each week he devoted to conversation
with me. We then went together in a light bark to a neighbouring
promontory, where he had a beautiful palace and gardens. The air
there blew cooler and more refreshing, the trees and shrubs were
clothed with fresher green than in the shut-up garden in the capital,
and we passed the whole day in the open air. In the meantime I had
outgrown childhood, and was beloved by a Prince, the son of a
neighbouring King, to whom I was betrothed, and who was to succeed my
father in his kingdom. This Prince, whose name was Mundian Oppu, also
often took part in these visits to the castle on the promontory.
"It happened one day, as we were sitting on a terrace by the sea, a
foreign ship anchored just below us. A foreigner caused himself to be
landed in a little boat, and asked us permission to appear before us,
as he had many costly wares to offer for sale. I was desirous to see
the stranger's wares, and begged my father to grant the desired
petition. The man laid many costly trinkets of gold and precious
stones before us, and my father bought some, with which I was much
pleased. I remarked that the merchant watched me closely, but he did
this with such evident pleasure that my vanity ascribed it to his
opinion of my pleasing expression, and found no harm in it. Whilst he
shewed his wares, he let fall some words which intimated that he had
left his most precious articles behind in the ship. He had there many
curious birds, particularly a snow-white bird, which was the most
beautiful of all creatures of this kind. He managed thus to raise my
desires so much that I begged my father to allow me to go with the
stranger to his ship to see these silken stuffs: my father was weak
enough to comply with this unreasonable wish. A suitable train should
have accompanied me, but the stranger prevented this. He said his boat
had only room in it for three people, and that he should not like to
show his wares if many people came into his ship. 'They are only
things for the royal Princess,' he said, 'and I dare not expose her to
danger. I can never forget that a powerful King has entrusted his only
daughter to my care; therefore your betrothed Prince Mundian Oppu may
accompany you as a watchful protector.' We went with the merchant to
the ship. There we found an immense number of extraordinary things and
unknown animals. In the place where in other ships the rowers sat
were great apes; on high on the mast sat an eagle; in the inner rooms
were many large and small cages of smooth ebony with thick gold bars,
behind which moved a confused multitude of animals.
"My desire was now directed to the snow-white bird, about which I made
inquiry. He showed it me high up in a box, and as I could not see it
distinctly, he took it out and put it on my hand. 'It is quite
singular,' said he, 'when the bird is here, it can only remain a few
days alive, but I have found the corn of life, which I give it each
week, and it is then refreshed for nine days.' We asked for the corn
of life, of which we had never heard, and he opened a little box and
took out three grains. He gave me one to give the bird, the other I
was to try, and the third Prince Mundian Oppu. When I offered the
grain to the bird, it refused to peck it; and when I pressed my hand
closer, the bird drew back, lost its balance, and fell down with
outspread wings. I hastened to it, picked it up perhaps somewhat
roughly, and as it tried to escape, I held some of its tail-feathers
fast, so that it lay fluttering in my hand. I was very much
frightened, and the merchant seemed so also. He soon laughed with
malicious joy, and said that I should swallow the corn, because it
would prevent the flight of the frightened prisoner. He said the same
to the Prince, and we swallowed the grains in the same moment. I felt
a wonderful transformation pass over me, and found that I was changed
into a snow-white bird; and when I looked towards the Prince, in his
stead I saw a black bird. Now the stranger, who was no other than the
enchanter, seized me, and shut me up in the golden cage which you have
trodden to pieces. The apes began to ply the oars, and the ship moved
with unusual swiftness over the sea. I still saw my father sitting on
the terrace, and the wonder of the servants as they saw the ship
depart: I believed that I heard their voices calling us back. But what
could I do in my cage? The black bird flew to the promontory; and from
that moment I have neither heard nor seen anything of Prince Mundian
Oppu.
"When my home was far in the distance, and even the summit of the
mountain could no longer be distinguished, the enchanter rose with my
cage high in the air, leaving his ship behind, and bore me into the
hall of the tower. How he brought the other white bird, I don't know:
I only know that he took it out of his pocket and put it into the
cage. 'Now you have a companion,' said he. As I took him for a real
bird, I considered myself, though unfortunate, superior to him, and
drew myself back into a corner. But the bird came nearer, and followed
me. At last I lost patience, and pecked his eyes. When the enchanter
saw this, he took out a little box, and took from it a grain, which he
laid before the bird, who picked it immediately. It was then changed
into a man, as ugly as you saw him in the tower. He desired me, as I
have already told you, to take that deformity for my husband, and
promised me that, on my consent, I should be immediately restored to
my proper form, and assured me that otherwise I should always remain
as a bird, except on my birthday. I have now no other wish than to
return to my father in Selandia, because I know he is living in great
affliction, if, indeed, sorrow at my loss have not already brought him
to the grave."