The Arabian Nights

by Padraic Colum

  The girl then took my brother’s hand, and conducted him into the house (the same which he had entered before), and after she had sat with him a short time, she rose, saying to him, Quit not this place until I return to thee:—and she retired; and my brother had remained not long after when the man came to him with the drawn sword, and said to him, Rise, thou unlucky! So my brother rose, and, as the man walked before him, he put his hand to the sword which was concealed beneath his clothes, and struck the man with it, and cut off his head; after which he dragged him by his feet to the vault, and called out, Where is El-Melihah? The girl, therefore, came, having in her hand the tray containing the salt; but when she saw my brother with the sword in his hand, she turned back and fled: my brother, however, overtook her. He called out, Where is the old woman?—and she came; and he said to her, Dost thou know me, O malevolent hag? She answered, No, O my lord.—I am, said he, the man who had the pieces of gold, and in whose house thou performedst the ablution, and prayedst; after which, devising a stratagem against me, thou betrayedst me into this place.—The old woman exclaimed, Fear God in thy treatment of me!—but my brother struck her with the sword.

  He then went to search for the chief damsel, and when she saw him, her reason fled, and she implored his pardon; whereupon he granted her his pardon, and said to her, What occasioned thy falling into the hands of this witch? She answered, I was a servant to one of the merchants, and this old woman used to visit me; and one day she said to me, We are celebrating a festivity, the like of which no one hath seen, and I have a desire that thou shouldest witness it. I replied, I hear and obey:—and arose, and clad myself in the best of my attire, and, taking with me a purse containing a hundred pieces of gold, proceeded with her until she entered this house, and I have continued in this state three years, through the stratagem of the old witch.

  My brother then said to her, Is there any property in the house?—Abundance, she answered; and if thou canst remove it, do so:—and upon this, he arose and went with her, when she opened to him chests filled with purses, at the sight of which he was confounded; and she said to him, Go now, and leave me here, and bring some person to remove the property. So he went out, and, having hired ten men, returned; but on his arrival at the door, he found it open, and saw neither the damsel nor the purses; he found, however, some little money remaining, and the stuffs. He discovered, therefore, that she had eluded him; and he took the money that remained, and, opening the closets, took all the stuffs which they contained, leaving nothing in the house.

  He passed the next night full of happiness; but when the morning came, he found at the door twenty soldiers, and on his going forth to them, they laid hold upon him, saying, the Wali7 summoneth thee. So they took him, and conducted him to the Wali, who, when he saw him, said to him, Whence obtainedst thou these stuffs?—My brother related to him all that had befallen him with the old woman from first to last, and the flight of the damsel; adding,—and of that which I have taken, take thou what thou wilt; but leave me wherewith to procure my food. The Wali thereupon demanded the whole of the money and the stuffs; but fearing that the Sultan might become acquainted with the matter, he retained a portion only, and gave the rest to my brother, saying to him, Quit this city, or I will hang thee. My brother replied, I hear and obey:—and went forth to one of the surrounding cities.

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  7. Wali, a magistrate.

  The Story of the Magic Horse

  There was, in ancient times, in the country of the Persians, a mighty King, of great dignity, who had three daughters, like shining full moons and flowery gardens; and he had a male child, like the moon. He observed two annual festivals, that of the New-year’s-day, and that of the Autumnal Equinox; and it was his custom, on these occasions, to open his palaces, and give his gifts, and make proclamation of safety and security, and promote the chamberlains and lieutenants: the people of his dominions also used to go in to him and salute him, and congratulate him on the festival, offering him presents, and he loved philosophy and geometry. And while the King was sitting on the throne of his dominions, on a certain day, during one of these festivals, there came in to him three sages: with one of them was a peacock of gold; and with the second, a trumpet of brass; and with the third, a horse of ivory and ebony: whereupon the King said to them, What are these things, and what is their use? The owner of the peacock answered, The use of this peacock is, that whenever an hour of the night or day passeth, it will flap its wings, and utter a cry. And the owner of the trumpet said, If this trumpet be placed at the gate of the city, it will be as a defender of it; for if an enemy enter the city, this trumpet will send forth a sound against him; so he will be known and arrested. And the owner of the horse said, O my lord, the use of this horse is, that if a man mount it, it will convey him to whatever country he desireth.

  Upon this the King said, I will not bestow any favor upon you until I make trial of the uses of these things. Then he made trial of the peacock, and found it to be as its owner had said. And he made trial of the trumpet, and found it as its owner had said. He therefore said to the two sages (the owners of the peacock and the trumpet), Request of me what ye will. And they replied, We request of thee that thou marry to each of us one of thy daughters. Whereupon the King bestowed upon them two of his daughters. Then the third sage, the owner of the horse, advanced, and, having kissed the ground before the King, said to him, O King of the age, bestow upon me like as thou hast bestowed upon my companions. The King replied, When I shall have made trial of that which thou hast brought. And upon this, the King’s son advanced and said, O my father, I will mount this horse, and make trial of it, and obtain proof of its use. So the King replied, O my son, try it as thou desirest.

  The King’s son accordingly arose, and mounted the horse, and urged it with his feet; but it moved not from its place. He therefore said, O sage, where is its rapidity of pace of which thou boastedst? And on hearing this, the sage came to him, and shewed him a turning-pin, by which to make it ascend; saying to him, Turn this pin. And the King’s son turned it, and, lo, the horse moved, and soared with him toward the upper region of the sky, and ceased not its flight with him until he was out of sight of the people; whereupon the prince was perplexed at his case, and repented of his having mounted the horse. He said, The sage hath made use of a stratagem to destroy me. He began to examine all the members of the horse; and while he was doing so, he saw a thing like the head of a rooster, on the horse’s right shoulder, and the same on the left shoulder: so he said, I see not any indication except these two buttons. And he turned the button that was on the right shoulder; upon which the horse bore him upward with increased velocity into the sky: so he took off his hand from that button, and, looking at the left shoulder, and seeing the button that was there, he turned it; and the movements of the horse became lessened in velocity, and changed from ascending to descending. It ceased not to descend with him toward the earth by little and little, while he continued to exercise caution for his safety; and when he saw this, and knew the uses of the horse, his heart was filled with joy and happiness, and he thanked God (whose name be exalted!) for the favor that He had shewn him in saving him from destruction. He ceased not to descend for the whole of the remainder of the day; for in his ascent, the earth had become distant from him; and he turned about the face of the horse as he desired, while it descended with him: when he would, he was carried downward by it; and when he would, he was borne by it upward.

  Now when he had obtained what he desired with respect to the horse, he proceeded on it toward the earth, and began to look at its countries and cities, which he knew not; for he had never seen them before during the whole of his life. And among the objects that he beheld was a city constructed in the most excellent manner, in the midst of a land beautifully verdant, with trees and rivers: upon which he meditated in his mind, and said, Would that I knew what is the name of this city, and in what region it is. He then made a circuit around the city, viewing it attentively, right and left. The day h
ad nearly departed, and the sun was about to set: so he said within himself, I have not found any place in which to pass the night better than this city: I will therefore pass this night in it, and in the morning I will return to my family and my royal residence, and acquaint my family and my father with that which hath happened to me, and inform him of the things that mine eyes have seen. Accordingly he began to search for a place in which he might feel secure of the safety of himself and his horse, and where no one might see him; and while he was thus engaged, lo, he beheld, in the midst of the city, a palace rising high into the air, surrounded by a large wall with high battlements; whereupon he said within himself, This place is agreeable.

  He turned the button that caused the horse to descend, and ceased not to be carried downward on it until he descended steadily on the flat roof of the palace, when he alighted from the horse, and began to go around it, and to examine it, and said, By Allah, he who made thee thus was an expert sage; and if God (whose name be exalted!) extend the term of my life, and restore me to my country and my family in safety, and reunite me with my father, I will assuredly bestow every favor upon this sage, and treat him with the utmost beneficence. He then sat upon the roof of the palace until he knew that the inmates had betaken themselves to sleep. Hunger and thirst pained him; for since he had parted from his father he had not eaten food; and he said within himself, Verily such a palace as this is not devoid of the necessaries of life. He therefore left the horse in a place alone, and walked down to seek for something to eat; and finding a flight of steps, he descended by them to the lower part of the building, where he found a court paved with marble; and he wondered at this place, and at the beauty of its construction; but he heard not in the palace any sound, nor the cheering voice of an inhabitant. So he paused in perplexity, and looked to the right and left, not knowing whither to go. Then he said within himself, there is no better course for me than to return to the place in which is my horse, and to pass the night by it; and when the morning cometh, to mount and depart.

  But while he was addressing himself with these words, he beheld a light approaching the place where he stood, and, looking attentively at that light, he found that it was with a party of female servants, among whom was a beautiful damsel, resembling the splendid full moon.

  That damsel was the daughter of the King of this city; and her father loved her with so great an affection that he built for her this palace; and whenever her heart was contracted, she used to come hither, together with her attendants, and to remain here a day, or two days, or more; after which she returned to the palace where she generally resided. It happened that she came that night for the sake of diversion and dilatation of the mind. When the women entered the palace, they spread the furniture, and gave vent to the odors from the perfuming-vessels, and sported and rejoiced. Now while they were thus engaged, the King’s son rushed upon that guard, and, taking the sword from his hand, ran upon the servants who were with the King’s daughter, and dispersed them to the right and left. And when the King’s daughter saw his beauty and loveliness, she said, Perhaps thou art he who demanded me in marriage yesterday, and whom my father rejected, and whom he asserted to be of hideous aspect. By Allah, my father lied in saying those words; for thou art none other than a handsome person.

  Now the son of the King of India had requested her of her father, and he had rejected him, because he was disagreeable in aspect; and she imagined that the prince now before her was he who had demanded her in marriage. She then came to him, and embraced and kissed him, and seated herself with him. The servants, however, said to her, O our mistress, this is not the person who demanded thee in marriage of thy father; for that person was hideous, and this is handsome; and he who demanded thee of thy father, and whom he rejected, is not fit to be a servant to this person: but, O our mistress, verily this young man is one of high dignity.

  And, after this, the servants went to the prostrated guard, and roused him; whereupon he sprang up in alarm, and searched for his sword, not finding it in his hand. So the servants said to him, He who took thy sword, and laid thee prostrate, is sitting with the King’s daughter.—Now the King had charged this guard with the office of protecting his daughter, in his fear for her from misfortunes and evil accidents.—The guard therefore arose, and went to the curtain, and when he raised it, he saw the King’s daughter sitting with the King’s son, and they were conversing together; and as soon as he beheld them, he said to the King’s son, O my master, art thou a human being or a Jinni? To which the King’s son replied, How is it that thou regardest the sons of the royal Kisras as of the unbelieving devils?—Then, taking the sword in his hand, he said to him, I am the son-in-law of the King, and he hath married me to his daughter. So when the guard heard these words from him, he said to him, O my master, if thou be of the human species, as thou hast asserted, she is suited to none but thee, and thou art more worthy of her than any other.

  The guard then went shrieking to the King; and he tore his clothes, and threw dust upon his head. And when the King heard his crying, he said to him, What hath befallen thee; for thou hast agitated my heart? Acquaint me quickly, and be brief in thy words.—He therefore answered him, O King, go to the assistance of thy daughter; for a devil of the Jinn, in the garb of human beings, and having the form of the sons of the Kings, hath got possession of her: therefore seize him. And when the King heard these words from him, he thought to slay him, and said to him, How came it to pass that thou wast neglectful of my daughter, so that this event befell her? He then went to the palace wherein was his daughter, and on his arrival he found the servants standing there, and said to them, What is it that hath happened to my daughter? They answered him, O King, while we were sitting with her, suddenly there rushed upon us this young man, who resembleth the full moon, and than whom we have never seen anyone more handsome in countenance, with a drawn sword in his hand; and we inquired of him respecting his business, and he asserted that thou hadst married to him thy daughter: we know nothing more than this and we know not whether he be a human being or a Jinni. So when the King heard their words, his rage was cooled. He then raised the curtain by little and little, and looked, and beheld the King’s son sitting with his daughter, conversing; and he was of most comely form, with a face like the shining full moon.

  The King could not control himself, through his jealousy for his daughter. He therefore raised the curtain and entered, with a drawn sword in his hand, and rushed upon them. The King’s son, on seeing him, said to her, Is this thy father? She answered, Yes. And upon this, he sprang upon his feet, and, taking his sword in his hand, shouted at the King with an amazing cry which terrified him. The King, perceiving that the prince was stronger than he, sheathed his sword, and stood until the King’s son came up to him, when he met him with courtesy, and said to him, O young man, art thou a human being or a Jinni? The King’s son replied, Were it not that I respect thy right and the honor of thy daughter, I had shed thy blood. How is it that thou derivest me from the devils, when I am of the sons of the royal Kisras, who, if they desired to take thy kingdom, would make thee totter from thy glory and dominion, and despoil thee of all that is in thy dwellings?—So the King, on hearing his words, dreaded and feared him; but said to him, If thou be of the sons of the Kings, as thou hast asserted, how is it that thou hast entered my palace without my permission, and dishonored me, and come unto my daughter, asserting that thou art her husband, and pretending that I had married thee to her, when I have killed the Kings and the sons of the Kings on their demanding her of me in marriage? And who will save thee from my power, when, if I cried out to my soldiers and commanded them to slay thee, they would slay thee immediately? Who then can deliver thee from my hand?

  The King’s son, however, when he heard these words from him, said to the King, Verily I wonder at thee, and at the smallness of thy penetration. Dost thou covet for thy daughter a husband better than myself; and hast thou seen anyone more firm of heart, and superior in requital, and more glorious in authority a
nd troops and guards than I am?—The King answered him, No, by Allah: but I would, O young man, that thou demand her in marriage publicly, that I may marry her to thee; for if I marry her to thee privately, thou wilt disgrace me by so taking her. And the King’s son replied, Thou hast said well; but, O King, if thy servants and troops were to assemble against me and slay me, as thou hast imagined, thou wouldst disgrace thyself, and the people would be divided with respect to thee, some believing, and others accusing thee by falsehood. It is my opinion that thou shouldst relinquish this idea, and adopt the course that I will point out to thee.—So the King said, Propose what thou wilt. And the King’s son rejoined, What I propose to thee is this: either that thou meet me in single combat, and he who killeth the other shall be more deserving and worthy of the kingdom; or else, that thou leave me this night, and when the morning cometh, that thou send forth to me thy soldiers and troops. When the day beginneth, send them forth to me, and say to them, This person hath demanded of me my daughter in marriage on the condition that he will meet you all in combat; and he hath pretended that he will overcome and subdue you, and that ye cannot prevail against him. Then leave me with them to combat them; and if they kill me, the result will be more proper for the concealment of thy secret and the preserving of thine honor; but if I overcome and subdue them, then am I such a person as the King should desire for his son-in-law.—And when the King heard his words, he approved of his advice and accepted it, notwithstanding that he wondered at his saying, and was struck with terror at his determination to meet in combat all his army that he had described unto him.