Arabian Nights

by abc

  Then Maimoune turning to the genie said: "Well, are you satisfied

  that my prince surpasses your princess? Another time pray believe

  me when I assert anything."

  Then turning to Caschcasch: "My thanks to you, and now do you

  and Danhasch bear the princess back to her own home."

  The two genii hastened to obey, and Maimoune returned to her well.

  On waking next morning the first thing Prince Camaralzaman did

  was to look round for the lovely lady he had seen at night,

  and the next to question the slave who waited on him about her.

  But the slave persisted so strongly that he knew nothing of any lady,

  and still less of how she got into the tower, that the prince lost

  all patience, and after giving him a good beating tied a rope round him

  and ducked him in the well till the unfortunate man cried out that he

  would tell everything. Then the prince drew him up all dripping wet,

  but the slave begged leave to change his clothes first, and as soon

  as the prince consented hurried off just as he was to the palace.

  Here he found the king talking to the grand-vizir of all the anxiety

  his son had caused him. The slave was admitted at once and cried:

  "Alas, Sire! I bring sad news to your Majesty. There can be no

  doubt that the prince has completely lost his senses. He declares

  that he saw a lady sleeping on his couch last night, and the state

  you see me in proves how violent contradiction makes him."

  He then gave a minute account of all the prince had said and done.

  The king, much moved, begged the vizir to examine into this

  new misfortune, and the latter at once went to the tower, where he

  found the prince quietly reading a book. After the first exchange

  of greetings the vizir said:

  "I feel really very angry with your slave for alarming his Majesty

  by the news he brought him."

  "What news?" asked the prince.

  "Ah!" replied the vizir, "something absurd, I feel sure, seeing how

  I find you."

  "Most likely," said the prince; "but now that you are here I am

  glad of the opportunity to ask you where is the lady who slept

  in this room last night?"

  The grand-vizir felt beside himself at this question.

  "Prince!" he exclaimed, "how would it be possible for any man,

  much less a woman, to enter this room at night without walking over

  your slave on the threshold? Pray consider the matter, and you

  will realise that you have been deeply impressed by some dream."

  But the prince angrily insisted on knowing who and where the lady was,

  and was not to be persuaded by all the vizir's protestations to the

  contrary that the plot had not been one of his making. At last,

  losing patience, he seized the vizir by the beard and loaded him

  with blows.

  "Stop, Prince," cried the unhappy vizir, "stay and hear what I

  have to say."

  The prince, whose arm was getting tired, paused.

  "I confess, Prince," said the vizir, "that there is some foundation

  for what you say. But you know well that a minister has to carry

  out his master's orders. Allow me to go and to take to the king

  any message you may choose to send."

  "Very well," said the prince; "then go and tell him that I consent

  to marry the lady whom he sent or brought here last night.

  Be quick and bring me back his answer."

  The vizir bowed to the ground and hastened to leave the room and tower.

  "Well," asked the king as soon as he appeared, "and how did you

  find my son?"

  "Alas, sire," was the reply, "the slave's report is only too true!"

  He then gave an exact account of his interview with Camaralzaman

  and of the prince's fury when told that it was not possible for any

  lady to have entered his room, and of the treatment he himself

  had received. The king, much distressed, determined to clear

  up the matter himself, and, ordering the vizir to follow him,

  set out to visit his son.

  The prince received his father with profound respect, and the king,

  making him sit beside him, asked him several questions, to which

  Camaralzaman replied with much good sense. At last the king said:

  "My son, pray tell me about the lady who, it is said, was in your room

  last night."

  "Sire," replied the prince, "pray do not increase my distress

  in this matter, but rather make me happy by giving her to me

  in marriage. However much I may have objected to matrimony formerly,

  the sight of this lovely girl has overcome all my prejudices,

  and I will gratefully receive her from your hands."

  The king was almost speechless on hearing his son, but after a time

  assured him most solemnly that he knew nothing whatever about

  the lady in question, and had not connived at her appearance.

  He then desired the prince to relate the whole story to him.

  Camaralzaman did so at great length, showed the ring, and implored

  his father to help to find the bride he so ardently desired.

  "After all you tell me," remarked the king, "I can no longer doubt

  your word; but how and whence the lady came, or why she should

  have stayed so short a time I cannot imagine. The whole affair

  is indeed mysterious. Come, my dear son, let us wait together

  for happier days."

  So saying the king took Camaralzaman by the hand and led him back

  to the palace, where the prince took to his bed and gave himself up

  to despair, and the king shutting himself up with his son entirely

  neglected the affairs of state.

  The prime minister, who was the only person admitted, felt it his

  duty at last to tell the king how much the court and all the people

  complained of his seclusion, and how bad it was for the nation.

  He urged the sultan to remove with the prince to a lovely little

  island close by, whence he could easily attend public audiences,

  and where the charming scenery and fine air would do the invalid so

  much good as to enable him to bear his father's occasional absence.

  The king approved the plan, and as soon as the castle on the island

  could be prepared for their reception he and the prince arrived there,

  Schahzaman never leaving his son except for the prescribed public

  audiences twice a week.

  Whilst all this was happening in the capital of Schahzaman the two

  genii had carefully borne the Princess of China back to her own

  palace and replaced her in bed. On waking next morning she first

  turned from one side to another and then, finding herself alone,

  called loudly for her women.

  "Tell me," she cried, "where is the young man I love so dearly,

  and who slept near me last night?"

  "Princess," exclaimed the nurse, "we cannot tell what you allude

  to without more explanation."

  "Why," continued the princess, "the most charming and beautiful young

  man lay sleeping beside me last night. I did my utmost to wake him,

  but in vain."

  "Your Royal Highness wishes to make game of us," said the nurse.

  "Is it your pleasure to rise?"

  "I am quite in earnest," persisted the princess, "and I want to know

  where he is."

  "But, Princess," expostulated the nurs
e, "we left you quite alone

  last night, and we have seen no one enter your room since then."

  At this the princess lost all patience, and taking the nurse by her

  hair she boxed her ears soundly, crying out: "You shall tell me,

  you old witch, or I'll kill you."

  The nurse had no little trouble in escaping, and hurried off to

  the queen, to whom she related the whole story with tears in her eyes.

  "You see, madam," she concluded, "that the princess must be out

  of her mind. If only you will come and see her, you will be able

  to judge for yourself."

  The queen hurried to her daughter's apartments, and after tenderly

  embracing her, asked her why she had treated her nurse so badly.

  "Madam," said the princess, "I perceive that your Majesty wishes

  to make game of me, but I can assure you that I will never marry

  anyone except the charming young man whom I saw last night.

  You must know where he is, so pray send for him."

  The queen was much surprised by these words, but when she

  declared that she knew nothing whatever of the matter the

  princess lost all respect, and answered that if she were not

  allowed to marry as she wished she should kill herself, and

  it was in vain that the queen tried to pacify her and bring her to reason.

  The king himself came to hear the rights of the matter, but the

  princess only persisted in her story, and as a proof showed the ring

  on her finger. The king hardly knew what to make of it all, but ended

  by thinking that his daughter was more crazy than ever, and without

  further argument he had her placed in still closer confinement,

  with only her nurse to wait on her and a powerful guard to keep the door.

  Then he assembled his council, and having told them the sad state

  of things, added: "If any of you can succeed in curing the princess,

  I will give her to him in marriage, and he shall be my heir."

  An elderly emir present, fired with the desire to possess a young

  and lovely wife and to rule over a great kingdom, offered to try

  the magic arts with which he was acquainted.

  "You are welcome to try," said the king, "but I make one condition,

  which is, that should you fail you will lose your life."

  The emir accepted the condition, and the king led him to the princess,

  who, veiling her face, remarked, "I am surprised, sire, that you

  should bring an unknown man into my presence."

  "You need not be shocked," said the king; "this is one of my emirs

  who asks your hand in marriage."

  "Sire," replied the princess, "this is not the one you gave me

  before and whose ring I wear. Permit me to say that I can accept

  no other."

  The emir, who had expected to hear the princess talk nonsense,

  finding how calm and reasonable she was, assured the king that he

  could not venture to undertake a cure, but placed his head at his

  Majesty's disposal, on which the justly irritated monarch promptly

  had it cut off.

  This was the first of many suitors for the princess whose inability

  to cure her cost them their lives.

  Now it happened that after things had been going on in this way for

  some time the nurse's son Marzavan returned from his travels. He had

  been in many countries and learnt many things, including astrology.

  Needless to say that one of the first things his mother told him

  was the sad condition of the princess, his foster-sister. Marzavan

  asked if she could not manage to let him see the princess without

  the king's knowledge.

  After some consideration his mother consented, and even persuaded

  the eunuch on guard to make no objection to Marzavan's entering

  the royal apartment.

  The princess was delighted to see her foster-brother again,

  and after some conversation she confided to him all her history

  and the cause of her imprisonment.

  Marzavan listened with downcast eyes and the utmost attention.

  When she had finished speaking he said,

  "If what you tell me, Princess, is indeed the case, I do not despair

  of finding comfort for you. Take patience yet a little longer.

  I will set out at once to explore other countries, and when you hear

  of my return be sure that he for whom you sigh is not far off."

  So saying, he took his leave and started next morning on his travels.

  Marzavan journeyed from city to city and from one island and province

  to another, and wherever he went he heard people talk of the strange

  story of the Princess Badoura, as the Princess of China was named.

  After four months he reached a large populous seaport town named Torf,

  and here he heard no more of the Princess Badoura but a great deal

  of Prince Camaralzaman, who was reported ill, and whose story

  sounded very similar to that of the Princess Badoura.

  Marzavan was rejoiced, and set out at once for Prince

  Camaralzaman's residence. The ship on which he embarked had

  a prosperous voyage till she got within sight of the capital

  of King Schahzaman, but when just about to enter the harbour she

  suddenly struck on a rock, and foundered within sight of the

  palace where the prince was living with his father and the grand-vizir.

  Marzavan, who swam well, threw himself into the sea and managed

  to land close to the palace, where he was kindly received,

  and after having a change of clothing given him was brought before

  the grand-vizir. The vizir was at once attracted by the young man's

  superior air and intelligent conversation, and perceiving that he

  had gained much experience in the course of his travels, he said,

  "Ah, how I wish you had learnt some secret which might enable you

  to cure a malady which has plunged this court into affliction

  for some time past!"

  Marzavan replied that if he knew what the illness was he might

  possibly be able to suggest a remedy, on which the vizir related

  to him the whole history of Prince Camaralzaman.

  On hearing this Marzavan rejoiced inwardly, for he felt sure that he

  had at last discovered the object of the Princess Badoura's infatuation.

  However, he said nothing, but begged to be allowed to see the prince.

  On entering the royal apartment the first thing which struck

  him was the prince himself, who lay stretched out on his bed

  with his eyes closed. The king sat near him, but, without paying

  any regard to his presence, Marzavan exclaimed, "Heavens! what a

  striking likeness!" And, indeed, there was a good deal of resemblance

  between the features of Camaralzaman and those of the Princess of China.

  These words caused the prince to open his eyes with languid curiosity,

  and Marzavan seized this moment to pay him his compliments,

  contriving at the same time to express the condition of the Princess

  of China in terms unintelligible, indeed, to the Sultan and his vizir,

  but which left the prince in no doubt that his visitor could give

  him some welcome information.

  The prince begged his father to allow him the favour of a private

  interview with Marzavan, and the king was only too pleased to find

  his son taking an interest in anyone or anything. As soon as they

  were left alone
Marzavan told the prince the story of the Princess

  Badoura and her sufferings, adding, "I am convinced that you alone

  can cure her; but before starting on so long a journey you must

  be well and strong, so do your best to recover as quickly as may be."

  These words produced a great effect on the prince, who was so much

  cheered by the hopes held out that he declared he felt able

  to get up and be dressed. The king was overjoyed at the result

  of Marzavan's interview, and ordered public rejoicings in honour

  of the prince's recovery.

  Before long the prince was quite restored to his original state

  of health, and as soon as he felt himself really strong he took

  Marzavan aside and said:

  "Now is the time to perform your promise. I am so impatient to see

  my beloved princess once more that I am sure I shall fall ill

  again if we do not start soon. The one obstacle is my father's

  tender care of me, for, as you may have noticed, he cannot bear

  me out of his sight."

  "Prince," replied Marzavan, "I have already thought over the matter,

  and this is what seems to me the best plan. You have not been

  out of doors since my arrival. Ask the king's permission to go

  with me for two or three days' hunting, and when he has given

  leave order two good horses to be held ready for each of us.

  Leave all the rest to me."

  Next day the prince seized a favourable opportunity for making

  his request, and the king gladly granted it on condition that