Arabian Nights

by abc

  she did not lose her presence of mind, but decided on a courageous,

  though very unusual step.

  Only the princess and her women knew of Camaralzaman's disappearance,

  for the rest of the party were sleeping or resting in their tents.

  Fearing some treason should the truth be known, she ordered her

  women not to say a word which would give rise to any suspicion,

  and proceeded to change her dress for one of her husband's, to whom,

  as has been already said, she bore a strong likeness.

  In this disguise she looked so like the prince that when she gave

  orders next morning to break up the camp and continue the journey no

  one suspected the change. She made one of her women enter her litter,

  whilst she herself mounted on horseback and the march began.

  After a protracted journey by land and sea the princess, still under

  the name and disguise of Prince Camaralzaman, arrived at the capital

  of the Ebony Island whose king was named Armanos.

  No sooner did the king hear that the ship which was just in port

  had on board the son of his old friend and ally than he hurried

  to meet the supposed prince, and had him and his retinue brought

  to the palace, where they were lodged and entertained sumptuously.

  After three days, finding that his guest, to whom he had taken

  a great fancy, talked of continuing his journey, King Armanos said

  to him:

  "Prince, I am now an old man, and unfortunately 1 have no son

  to whom to leave my kingdom. It has pleased Heaven to give me

  only one daughter, who possesses such great beauty and charm

  that I could only give her to a prince as highly born and as

  accomplished as yourself. Instead, therefore, of returning to your

  own country, take my daughter and my crown and stay with us.

  I shall feel that I have a worthy successor, and shall cheerfully

  retire from the fatigues of government."

  The king's offer was naturally rather embarrassing to the Princess

  Badoura. She felt that it was equally impossible to confess that she

  had deceived him, or to refuse the marriage on which he had set his heart;

  a refusal which might turn all his kindness to hatred and persecution.

  All things considered, she decided to accept, and after a few moments

  silence said with a blush, which the king attributed to modesty:

  "Sire, I feel so great an obligation for the good opinion

  your Majesty has expressed for my person and of the honour

  you do me, that, though I am quite unworthy of it,

  I dare not refuse. But, sire, I can only accept such

  an alliance if you give me your promise to assist me with your counsels."

  The marriage being thus arranged, the ceremony was fixed for the

  following day, and the princess employed the intervening time in

  informing the officers of her suite of what had happened, assuring them

  that the Princess Badoura had given her full consent to the marriage.

  She also told her women, and bade them keep her secret well.

  King Armanos, delighted with the success of his plans, lost no

  time in assembling his court and council, to whom he presented

  his successor, and placing his future son-in-law on the throne

  made everyone do homage and take oaths of allegiance to the new king.

  At night the whole town was filled with rejoicings, and with much pomp

  the Princess Haiatelnefous (this was the name of the king's daughter)

  was conducted to the palace of the Princess Badoura.

  Now Badoura had thought much of the difficulties of her first

  interview with King Armanos' daughter, and she felt the only thing

  to do was at once to take her into her confidence.

  Accordingly, as soon as they were alone she took Haiatelnefous

  by the hand and said:

  "Princess, I have a secret to tell you, and must throw myself

  on your mercy. I am not Prince Camaralzaman, but a princess

  like yourself and his wife, and I beg you to listen to my story,

  then I am sure you will forgive my imposture, in consideration

  of my sufferings."

  She then related her whole history, and at its close Haiatelnefous

  embraced her warmly, and assured her of her entire sympathy

  and affection.

  The two princesses now planned out their future action, and agreed

  to combine to keep up the deception and to let Badoura continue

  to play a man's part until such time as there might be news

  of the real Camaralzaman.

  Whilst these things were passing in the Ebony Island Prince

  Camaralzaman continued to find shelter in the gardeners cottage

  in the town of the idolaters.

  Early one morning the gardener said to the prince:

  "To-day is a public holiday, and the people of the town not only

  do not work themselves but forbid others to do so. You had better

  therefore take a good rest whilst I go to see some friends, and as

  the time is near for the arrival of the ship of which I told you I

  will make inquiries about it, and try to bespeak a passage for you."

  He then put on his best clothes and went out, leaving the prince,

  who strolled into the garden and was soon lost in thoughts of his

  dear wife and their sad separation.

  As he walked up and down he was suddenly disturbed in his reverie

  by the noise two large birds were making in a tree.

  Camaralzaman stood still and looked up, and saw that the birds were

  fighting so savagely with beaks and claws that before long one fell dead

  to the ground, whilst the conqueror spread his wings and flew away.

  Almost immediately two other larger birds, who had been watching the duel,

  flew up and alighted, one at the head and the other at the feet of

  the dead bird. They stood there some time sadly shaking their heads,

  and then dug up a grave with their claws in which they buried him.

  As soon as they had filled in the grave the two flew off, and ere

  long returned, bringing with them the murderer, whom they held,

  one by a wing and the other by a leg, with their beaks, screaming and

  struggling with rage and terror. But they held tight, and having

  brought him to his victim's grave, they proceeded to kill him,

  after which they tore open his body, scattered the inside and once

  more flew away.

  The prince, who had watched the whole scene with much interest,

  now drew near the spot where it happened, and glancing at the dead

  bird he noticed something red lying near which had evidently fallen

  out of its inside. He picked it up, and what was his surprise when he

  recognised the Princess Badoura's talisman which had been the cause

  of many misfortunes. It would be impossible to describe his joy;

  he kissed the talisman repeatedly, wrapped it up, and carefully

  tied it round his arm. For the first time since his separation

  from the princess he had a good night, and next morning he was up

  at day-break and went cheerfully to ask what work he should do.

  The gardener told him to cut down an old fruit tree which had quite

  died away, and Camaralzaman took an axe and fell to vigorously.

  As he was hacking at one of the roots the axe struck on something hard.

  On pushing away the earth he discovered a large slab of bronze,

&n
bsp; under which was disclosed a staircase with ten steps.

  He went down them and found himself in a roomy kind of cave

  in which stood fifty large bronze jars, each with a cover on it.

  The prince uncovered one after another, and found them all filled

  with gold dust. Delighted with his discovery he left the cave,

  replaced the slab, and having finished cutting down the tree waited

  for the gardener's return.

  The gardener had heard the night before that the ship about which he

  was inquiring would start ere long, but the exact date not being yet

  known he had been told to return next day for further information.

  He had gone therefore to inquire, and came back with good news

  beaming in his face.

  "My son," said he, "rejoice and hold yourself ready to start

  in three days' time. The ship is to set sail, and I have arranged

  all about your passage with the captain

  "You could not bring me better news," replied Camaralzaman,

  "and in return I have something pleasant to tell you. Follow me

  and see the good fortune which has befallen you."

  He then led the gardener to the cave, and having shown him the

  treasure stored up there, said how happy it made him that Heaven

  should in this way reward his kind host's many virtues and compensate

  him for the privations of many years.

  "What do you mean?" asked the gardener. "Do you imagine that I should

  appropriate this treasure? It is yours, and I have no right whatever

  to it. For the last eighty years I have dug up the ground here without

  discovering anything. It is clear that these riches are intended

  for you, and they are much more needed by a prince like yourself

  than by an old man like me, who am near my end and require nothing.

  This treasure comes just at the right time, when you are about

  to return to your own country, where you will make good use of it."

  But the prince would not hear of this suggestion, and finally

  after much discussion they agreed to divide the gold. When this

  was done the gardener said:

  "My son, the great thing now is to arrange how you can best carry

  off this treasure as secretly as possible for fear of losing it.

  There are no olives in the Ebony Island, and those imported from

  here fetch a high price. As you know, I have a good stock of the

  olives which grew in this garden. Now you must take fifty jars,

  fill each half full of gold dust and fill them up with the olives.

  We will then have them taken on board ship when you embark."

  The prince took this advice, and spent the rest of the day filling

  the fifty jars, and fearing lest the precious talisman might slip

  from his arm and be lost again, he took the precaution of putting

  it in one of the jars, on which he made a mark so as to be able

  to recognise it. When night came the jars were all ready,

  and the prince and his host went to bed.

  Whether in consequence of his great age, or of the fatigues and excitement

  of the previous day, I do not know, but the gardener passed a very

  bad night. He was worse next day, and by the morning of the third day was

  dangerously ill. At daybreak the ship's captain and some of his sailors

  knocked at the garden door and asked for the passenger who was to embark.

  "I am he," said Camaralzaman, who had opened the door.

  "The gardener who took my passage is ill and cannot see you,

  but please come in and take these jars of olives and my bag,

  and I will follow as soon as I have taken leave of him."

  The sailors did as he asked, and the captain before leaving charged

  Camaralzaman to lose no time, as the wind was fair, and he wished

  to set sail at once.

  As soon as they were gone the prince returned to the cottage

  to bid farewell to his old friend, and to thank him once more

  for all his kindness. But the old man was at his last gasp,

  and had barely murmured his confession of faith when he expired.

  Camaralzaman was obliged to stay and pay him the last offices,

  so having dug a grave in the garden he wrapped the kind old man up

  and buried him. He then locked the door, gave up the key to the owner

  of the garden, and hurried to the quay only to hear that the ship

  had sailed long ago, after waiting three hours for him.

  It may well be believed that the prince felt in despair at this

  fresh misfortune, which obliged him to spend another year in a strange

  and distasteful country. Moreover, he had once more lost the Princess

  Badoura's talisman, which he feared he might never see again.

  There was nothing left for him but to hire the garden as the old man

  had done, and to live on in the cottage. As he could not well cultivate

  the garden by himself, he engaged a lad to help him, and to secure

  the rest of the treasure he put the remaining gold dust into fifty more

  jars, filling them up with olives so as to have them ready for transport.

  Whilst the prince was settling down to this second year of toil

  and privation, the ship made a rapid voyage and arrived safely

  at the Ebony Island.

  As the palace of the new king, or rather of the Princess Badoura,

  overlooked the harbour, she saw the ship entering it and asked what

  vessel it was coming in so gaily decked with flags, and was told

  that it was a ship from the Island of the Idolaters which yearly

  brought rich merchandise.

  The princess, ever on the look out for any chance of news of her

  beloved husband, went down to the harbour attended by some officers

  of the court, and arrived just as the captain was landing. She sent for

  him and asked many questions as to his country, voyage, what passengers

  he had, and what his vessel was laden with. The captain answered all

  her questions, and said that his passengers consisted entirely of traders

  who brought rich stuffs from various countries, fine muslins, precious

  stones, musk, amber, spices, drugs, olives, and many other things.

  As soon as he mentioned olives, the princess, who was very partial

  to them, exclaimed:

  "I will take all you have on board. Have them unloaded and we

  will make our bargain at once, and tell the other merchants to let

  me see all their best wares before showing them to other people."

  "Sire," replied the captain, "I have on board fifty very large

  pots of olives. They belong to a merchant who was left behind,

  as in spite of waiting for him he delayed so long that I was obliged

  to set sail without him."

  "Never mind," said the princess, "unload them all the same, and we

  will arrange the price."

  The captain accordingly sent his boat off to the ship and it soon

  returned laden with the fifty pots of olives. The princess asked

  what they might be worth.

  "Sire," replied the captain, "the merchant is very poor. Your Majesty

  will not overpay him if you give him a thousand pieces of silver."

  "In order to satisfy him and as he is so poor," said the princess,

  "I will order a thousand pieces of gold to be given you, which you

  will be sure to remit to him."

  So saying she gave orders for the payment and returned to the palace,

  having the jars carried befo
re her. When evening came the Princess

  Badoura retired to the inner part of the palace, and going to the

  apartments of the Princess Haiatelnefous she had the fifty jars

  of olives brought to her. She opened one to let her friend taste

  the olives and to taste them herself, but great was her surprise when,

  on pouring some into a dish, she found them all powdered with

  gold dust. "What an adventure! how extraordinary!" she cried.

  Then she had the other jars opened, and was more and more surprised

  to find the olives in each jar mixed with gold dust.

  But when at length her talisman was discovered in one of the jars

  her emotion was so great that she fainted away. The Princess

  Haiatelnefous and her women hastened to restore her, and as soon

  as she recovered consciousness she covered the precious talisman

  with kisses.

  Then, dismissing the attendants, she said to her friend:

  "You will have guessed, my dear, that it was the sight of this

  talisman which has moved me so deeply. This was the cause

  of my separation from my dear husband, and now, I am convinced,

  it will be the means of our reunion."

  As soon as it was light next day the Princess Badoura sent

  for the captain, and made further inquiries about the merchant

  who owned the olive jars she had bought.

  In reply the captain told her all he knew of the place where the

  young man lived, and how, after engaging his passage, he came

  to be left behind.

  "If that is the case," said the princess, "you must set sail

  at once and go back for him. He is a debtor of mine and must be

  brought here at once, or I will confiscate all your merchandise.