Arabian Nights

by abc

  as we are very hungry?"

  The prince at once saw the danger he was in. He now knew that the

  lady who said she was the daughter of an Indian king was an ogress,

  who lived in desolate places, and who by a thousand wiles surprised

  and devoured passers-by. He was terrified, and threw himself on

  his horse. The pretended princess appeared at this moment, and seeing

  that she had lost her prey, she said to him, "Do not be afraid.

  What do you want?"

  "I am lost," he answered, "and I am looking for the road."

  "Keep straight on," said the ogress, "and you will find it."

  The prince could hardly believe his ears, and rode off as hard

  as he could. He found his way, and arrived safe and sound at

  his father's house, where he told him of the danger he had run

  because of the grand-vizir's carelessness. The king was very angry,

  and had him strangled immediately.

  "Sire," went on the vizir to the Greek king, "to return to

  the physician, Douban. If you do not take care, you will repent

  of having trusted him. Who knows what this remedy, with which

  he has cured you, may not in time have a bad effect on you?"

  The Greek king was naturally very weak, and did not perceive

  the wicked intention of his vizir, nor was he firm enough to keep

  to his first resolution.

  "Well, vizir," he said, "you are right. Perhaps he did come to take

  my life. He might do it by the mere smell of one of his drugs.

  I must see what can be done."

  "The best means, sire, to put your life in security, is to send

  for him at once, and to cut off his head directly he comes,"

  said the vizir.

  "I really think," replied the king, "that will be the best way."

  He then ordered one of his ministers to fetch the physician,

  who came at once.

  "I have had you sent for," said the king, "in order to free myself

  from you by taking your life."

  The physician was beyond measure astonished when he heard he was

  to die.

  "What crimes have I committed, your majesty?"

  "I have learnt," replied the king, "that you are a spy, and intend

  to kill me. But I will be first, and kill you. Strike," he added

  to an executioner who was by, "and rid me of this assassin."

  At this cruel order the physician threw himself on his knees.

  "Spare my life," he cried, "and yours will be spared."

  The fisherman stopped here to say to the genius: "You see what

  passed between the Greek king and the physician has just passed

  between us two. The Greek king," he went on, "had no mercy on him,

  and the executioner bound his eyes."

  All those present begged for his life, but in vain.

  The physician on his knees, and bound, said to the king:

  "At least let me put my affairs in order, and leave my books

  to persons who will make good use of them. There is one which I

  should like to present to your majesty. It is very precious,

  and ought to be kept carefully in your treasury. It contains

  many curious things the chief being that when you cut off my head,

  if your majesty will turn to the sixth leaf, and read the third

  line of the left-hand page, my head will answer all the questions

  you like to ask it."

  The king, eager to see such a wonderful thing, put off his execution

  to the next day, and sent him under a strong guard to his house.

  There the physician put his affairs in order, and the next day

  there was a great crowd assembled in the hall to see his death,

  and the doings after it. The physician went up to the foot

  of the throne with a large book in his hand. He carried a basin,

  on which he spread the covering of the book, and presenting it to

  the king, said: "Sire, take this book, and when my head is cut off,

  let it be placed in the basin on the covering of this book; as soon

  as it is there, the blood will cease to flow. Then open the book,

  and my head will answer your questions. But, sire, I implore your mercy,

  for I am innocent."

  "Your prayers are useless, and if it were only to hear your head

  speak when you are dead, you should die."

  So saying, he took the book from the physician's hands, and ordered

  the executioner to do his duty.

  The head was so cleverly cut off that it fell into the basin,

  and directly the blood ceased to flow. Then, to the great astonishment

  of the king, the eyes opened, and the head said, "Your majesty,

  open the book." The king did so, and finding that the first leaf

  stuck against the second, he put his finger in his mouth, to turn it

  more easily. He did the same thing till he reached the sixth page,

  and not seeing any writing on it, "Physician," he said, "there is

  no writing."

  "Turn over a few more pages," answered the head. The king went

  on turning, still putting his finger in his mouth, till the poison

  in which each page was dipped took effect. His sight failed him,

  and he fell at the foot of his throne.

  When the physician's head saw that the poison had taken effect,

  and that the king had only a few more minutes to live,

  "Tyrant," it cried, "see how cruelty and injustice are punished."

  Scarcely had it uttered these words than the king died, and the head

  lost also the little life that had remained in it.

  That is the end of the story of the Greek king, and now let us

  return to the fisherman and the genius.

  "If the Greek king," said the fisherman, "had spared the physician,

  he would not have thus died. The same thing applies to you.

  Now I am going to throw you into the sea."

  "My friend," said the genius, "do not do such a cruel thing.

  Do not treat me as Imma treated Ateca."

  "What did Imma do to Ateca?" asked the fisherman.

  "Do you think I can tell you while I am shut up in here?"

  replied the genius. "Let me out, and I will make you rich."

  The hope of being no longer poor made the fisherman give way.

  "If you will give me your promise to do this, I will open the lid.

  I do not think you will dare to break your word."

  The genius promised, and the fisherman lifted the lid. He came

  out at once in smoke, and then, having resumed his proper form,

  the first thing he did was to kick the vase into the sea.

  This frightened the fisherman, but the genius laughed and said,

  "Do not be afraid; I only did it to frighten you, and to show you

  that I intend to keep my word; take your nets and follow me."

  He began to walk in front of the fisherman, who followed him

  with some misgivings. They passed in front of the town, and went

  up a mountain and then down into a great plain, where there

  was a large lake lying between four hills.

  When they reached the lake the genius said to the fisherman,

  "Throw your nets and catch fish."

  The fisherman did as he was told, hoping for a good catch,

  as he saw plenty of fish. What was his astonishment at seeing

  that there were four quite different kinds, some white, some red,

  some blue, and some yellow. He caught four, one of each colour.

  As he had never seen any like them he admired them very much,

  and
he was very pleased to think how much money he would get

  for them.

  "Take these fish and carry them to the Sultan, who will give you more

  money for them than you have ever had in your life. You can come

  every day to fish in this lake, but be careful not to throw your nets

  more than once every day, otherwise some harm will happen to you.

  If you follow my advice carefully you will find it good."

  Saying these words, he struck his foot against the ground,

  which opened, and when he had disappeared, it closed immediately.

  The fisherman resolved to obey the genius exactly, so he did

  not cast his nets a second time, but walked into the town to sell

  his fish at the palace.

  When the Sultan saw the fish he was much astonished. He looked at

  them one after the other, and when he had admired them long enough,

  "Take these fish," he said to his first vizir, "and given them

  to the clever cook the Emperor of the Greeks sent me. I think they

  must be as good as they are beautiful."

  The vizir took them himself to the cook, saying, "Here are four fish

  that have been brought to the Sultan. He wants you to cook them."

  Then he went back to the Sultan, who told him to give the fisherman

  four hundred gold pieces. The fisherman, who had never before

  possessed such a large sum of money at once, could hardly believe

  his good fortune. He at once relieved the needs of his family,

  and made good use of it.

  But now we must return to the kitchen, which we shall find

  in great confusion. The cook, when she had cleaned the fish,

  put them in a pan with some oil to fry them. When she thought

  them cooked enough on one side she turned them on the other.

  But scarcely had she done so when the walls of the kitchen opened,

  and there came out a young and beautiful damsel. She was dressed

  in an Egyptian dress of flowered satin, and she wore earrings,

  and a necklace of white pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies,

  and she held a wand of myrtle in her hand.

  She went up to the pan, to the great astonishment of the cook,

  who stood motionless at the sight of her. She struck one of the fish

  with her rod, "Fish, fish," said she, "are you doing your duty?"

  The fish answered nothing, and then she repeated her question,

  whereupon they all raised their heads together and answered

  very distinctly, "Yes, yes. If you reckon, we reckon. If you

  pay your debts, we pay ours. If you fly, we conquer, and we

  are content."

  When they had spoken the girl upset the pan, and entered the opening

  in the wall, which at once closed, and appeared the same as before.

  When the cook had recovered from her fright she lifted up the fish

  which had fallen into the ashes, but she found them as black as cinders,

  and not fit to serve up to the Sultan. She began to cry.

  "Alas! what shall I say to the Sultan? He will be so angry with me,

  and I know he will not believe me!"

  Whilst she was crying the grand-vizir came in and asked

  if the fish were ready. She told him all that had happened,

  and he was much surprised. He sent at once for the fisherman,

  and when he came said to him, "Fisherman, bring me four

  more fish like you have brought already, for an accident

  has happened to them so that they cannot be served up to the Sultan."

  The fisherman did not say what the genius had told him, but he

  excused himself from bringing them that day on account of the length

  of the way, and he promised to bring them next day.

  In the night he went to the lake, cast his nets, and on drawing

  them in found four fish, which were like the others, each of

  a different colour.

  He went back at once and carried them to the grand-vizir as he

  had promised.

  He then took them to the kitchen and shut himself up with the cook,

  who began to cook them as she had done the four others on the

  previous day. When she was about to turn them on the other side,

  the wall opened, the damsel appeared, addressed the same words

  to the fish, received the same answer, and then overturned the pan

  and disappeared.

  The grand-vizir was filled with astonishment. "I shall tell

  the Sultan all that has happened," said he. And he did so.

  The Sultan was very much astounded, and wished to see this marvel

  for himself. So he sent for the fisherman, and asked him to procure

  four more fish. The fisherman asked for three days, which were granted,

  and he then cast his nets in the lake, and again caught four different

  coloured fish. The sultan was delighted to see he had got them,

  and gave him again four hundred gold pieces.

  As soon as the Sultan had the fish he had them carried to his room

  with all that was needed to cook them.

  Then he shut himself up with the grand-vizir, who began to prepare

  them and cook them. When they were done on one side he turned them

  over on the other. Then the wall of the room opened, but instead

  of the maiden a black slave came out. He was enormously tall,

  and carried a large green stick with which he touched the fish,

  saying in a terrible voice, "Fish, fish, are you doing your duty?"

  To these words the fish lifting up their heads replied, "Yes, yes.

  If you reckon, we reckon. If you pay your debts, we pay ours.

  If you fly, we conquer, and are content."

  The black slave overturned the pan in the middle of the room,

  and the fish were turned to cinders. Then he stepped proudly back

  into the wall, which closed round him.

  "After having seen this," said the Sultan, "I cannot rest.

  These fish signify some mystery I must clear up."

  He sent for the fisherman. "Fisherman," he said, "the fish you

  have brought us have caused me some anxiety. Where did you get

  them from?"

  "Sire," he answered, "I got them from a lake which lies in the

  middle of four hills beyond yonder mountains."

  "Do you know this lake?" asked the Sultan of the grand-vizir.

  "No; though I have hunted many times round that mountain, I have

  never heard of it," said the vizir.

  As the fisherman said it was only three hours' journey away,

  the sultan ordered his whole court to mount and ride thither,

  and the fisherman led them.

  They climbed the mountain, and then, on the other side, saw the

  lake as the fisherman had described. The water was so clear

  that they could see the four kinds of fish swimming about in it.

  They looked at them for some time, and then the Sultan ordered them

  to make a camp by the edge of the water.

  When night came the Sultan called his vizir, and said to him,

  "I have resolved to clear up this mystery. I am going out alone,

  and do you stay here in my tent, and when my ministers come to-morrow,

  say I am not well, and cannot see them. Do this each day till

  I return."

  The grand-vizir tried to persuade the Sultan not to go, but in vain.

  The Sultan took off his state robe and put on his sword, and when he

  saw all was quiet in the camp he set forth alone.

  He climbed one of the hills, and then crossed the great plain, till,

/>   just as the sun rose, he beheld far in front of him a large building.

  When he came near to it he saw it was a splendid palace of beautiful

  black polished marble, covered with steel as smooth as a mirror.

  He went to the gate, which stood half open, and went in, as nobody

  came when he knocked. He passed through a magnificent courtyard

  and still saw no one, though he called aloud several times.

  He entered large halls where the carpets were of silk, the lounges

  and sofas covered with tapestry from Mecca, and the hangings of the most

  beautiful Indian stuffs of gold and silver. Then he found himself

  in a splendid room, with a fountain supported by golden lions.

  The water out of the lions' mouths turned into diamonds and pearls,

  and the leaping water almost touched a most beautifully-painted dome.

  The palace was surrounded on three sides by magnificent gardens,

  little lakes, and woods. Birds sang in the trees, which were netted

  over to keep them always there.

  Still the Sultan saw no one, till he heard a plaintive cry,

  and a voice which said, "Oh that I could die, for I am too unhappy

  to wish to live any longer!"

  The Sultan looked round to discover who it was who thus bemoaned

  his fate, and at last saw a handsome young man, richly clothed,

  who was sitting on a throne raised slightly from the ground.

  His face was very sad.

  The sultan approached him and bowed to him. The young man bent