Arabian Nights

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  administered to him, that he was left more dead than alive; then Saouy

  threw him into the darkest and deepest dungeon, and fed him only

  on bread and water. After ten days Saouy determined to put an end

  to Noureddin's life, but dared not without the king's authority.

  To gain this end, he loaded several of his own slaves with rich gifts,

  and presented himself at their head to the king, saying that they

  were from the new king on his coronation.

  "What!" said the king; "is that wretch still alive? Go and behead

  him at once. I authorise you."

  "Sire," said Saouy, "I thank your Majesty for the justice you

  do me. I would further beg, as Noureddin publicly affronted me,

  that the execution might be in front of the palace, and that it

  might be proclaimed throughout the city, so that no one may be

  ignorant of it."

  The king granted these requests, and the announcement caused

  universal grief, for the memory of Noureddin's father was still fresh

  in the hearts of his people. Saouy, accompanied by twenty of his

  own slaves, went to the prison to fetch Noureddin, whom he mounted on

  a wretched horse without a saddle. Arrived at the palace, Saouy went

  in to the king, leaving Noureddin in the square, hemmed in not only

  by Saouy's slaves but by the royal guard, who had great difficulty

  in preventing the people from rushing in and rescuing Noureddin.

  So great was the indignation against Saouy that if anyone had set

  the example he would have been stoned on his way through the streets.

  Saouy, who witnessed the agitation of the people from the windows

  of the king's privy chambers, called to the executioner to strike

  at once. The king, however, ordered him to delay; not only was

  he jealous of Saouy's interference, but he had another reason.

  A troop of horsemen was seen at that moment riding at full gallop

  towards the square. Saouy suspected who they might be, and urged

  the king to give the signal for the execution without delay,

  but this the king refused to do till he knew who the horsemen were.

  Now, they were the vizir Giafar and his suite arriving at full speed

  from Bagdad. For several days after Noureddin's departure with the

  letter the Caliph had forgotten to send the express with the patent,

  without which the letter was useless. Hearing a beautiful voice

  one day in the women's part of the palace uttering lamentations,

  he was informed that it was the voice of the fair Persian,

  and suddenly calling to mind the patent, he sent for Giafar,

  and ordered him to make for Balsora with the utmost speed--

  if Noureddin were dead, to hang Saouy; if he were still alive,

  to bring him at once to Bagdad along with the king and Saouy.

  Giafar rode at full speed through the square, and alighted

  at the steps of the palace, where the king came to greet him.

  The vizir's first question was whether Noureddin were still alive.

  The king replied that he was, and he was immediately led forth,

  though bound hand and foot. By the vizir's orders his bonds

  were immediately undone, and Saouy was tied with the same cords.

  Next day Giafar returned to Bagdad, bearing with him the king, Saouy,

  and Noureddin.

  When the Caliph heard what treatment Noureddin had received,

  he authorised him to behead Saouy with his own hands, but he

  declined to shed the blood of his enemy, who was forthwith handed

  over to the executioner. The Caliph also desired Noureddin to reign

  over Balsora, but this, too, he declined, saying that after what had

  passed there he preferred never to return, but to enter the service

  of the Caliph. He became one of his most intimate courtiers, and lived

  long in great happiness with the fair Persian. As to the king,

  the Caliph contented himself with sending him back to Balsora, with the

  recommendation to be more careful in future in the choice of his vizir.

  Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp

  There once lived a poor tailor, who had a son called Aladdin,

  a careless, idle boy who would do nothing but play all day long

  in the streets with little idle boys like himself. This so grieved

  the father that he died; yet, in spite of his mother's tears

  and prayers, Aladdin did not mend his ways. One day, when he

  was playing in the streets as usual, a stranger asked him his age,

  and if he were not the son of Mustapha the tailor.

  "I am, sir," replied Aladdin; "but he died a long while ago."

  On this the stranger, who was a famous African magician, fell on his

  neck and kissed him, saying: "I am your uncle, and knew you from your

  likeness to my brother. Go to your mother and tell her I am coming."

  Aladdin ran home, and told his mother of his newly found uncle.

  "Indeed, child," she said, "your father had a brother, but I always

  thought he was dead."

  However, she prepared supper, and bade Aladdin seek his uncle,

  who came laden with wine and fruit. He presently fell down and kissed

  the place where Mustapha used to sit, bidding Aladdin's mother not

  to be surprised at not having seen him before, as he had been forty

  years out of the country. He then turned to Aladdin, and asked him

  his trade, at which the boy hung his head, while his mother burst

  into tears. On learning that Aladdin was idle and would learn no trade,

  he offered to take a shop for him and stock it with merchandise.

  Next day he bought Aladdin a fine suit of clothes, and took him

  all over the city, showing him the sights, and brought him home at

  nightfall to his mother, who was overjoyed to see her son so fine.

  Next day the magician led Aladdin into some beautiful gardens

  a long way outside the city gates. They sat down by a fountain,

  and the magician pulled a cake from his girdle, which he divided

  between them. They then journeyed onwards till they almost reached

  the mountains. Aladdin was so tired that he begged to go back,

  but the magician beguiled him with pleasant stories, and led him on

  in spite of himself.

  At last they came to two mountains divided by a narrow valley.

  "We will go no farther," said the false uncle. "I will show you

  something wonderful; only do you gather up sticks while I kindle

  a fire."

  When it was lit the magician threw on it a powder he had about him,

  at the same time saying some magical words. The earth trembled a little

  and opened in front of them, disclosing a square flat stone with a

  brass ring in the middle to raise it by. Aladdin tried to run away,

  but the magician caught him and gave him a blow that knocked him down.

  "What have I done, uncle?" he said piteously; whereupon the magician

  said more kindly: "Fear nothing, but obey me. Beneath this stone

  lies a treasure which is to be yours, and no one else may touch it,

  so you must do exactly as I tell you."

  At the word treasure, Aladdin forgot his fears, and grasped the ring

  as he was told, saying the names of his father and grandfather.

  The stone came up quite easily and some steps appeared.

  "Go down," said the magician; "at the foot of those steps you will find

  an open door leading into three l
arge halls. Tuck up your gown and go

  through them without touching anything, or you will die instantly.

  These halls lead into a garden of fine fruit trees. Walk on till

  you come to a niche in a terrace where stands a lighted lamp.

  Pour out the oil it contains and bring it to me."

  He drew a ring from his finger and gave it to Aladdin,

  bidding him prosper.

  Aladdin found everything as the magician had said, gathered some

  fruit off the trees, and, having got the lamp, arrived at the mouth

  of the cave. The magician cried out in a great hurry:

  "Make haste and give me the lamp." This Aladdin refused to do until

  he was out of the cave. The magician flew into a terrible passion,

  and throwing some more powder on the fire, he said something,

  and the stone rolled back into its place.

  The magician left Persia for ever, which plainly showed that he

  was no uncle of Aladdin's, but a cunning magician who had read in

  his magic books of a wonderful lamp, which would make him the most

  powerful man in the world. Though he alone knew where to find it,

  he could only receive it from the hand of another. He had picked

  out the foolish Aladdin for this purpose, intending to get the lamp

  and kill him afterwards.

  For two days Aladdin remained in the dark, crying and lamenting.

  At last he clasped his hands in prayer, and in so doing rubbed the ring,

  which the magician had forgotten to take from him. Immediately an

  enormous and frightful genie rose out of the earth, saying:

  "What wouldst thou with me? I am the Slave of the Ring, and will

  obey thee in all things."

  Aladdin fearlessly replied: "Deliver me from this place!"

  whereupon the earth opened, and he found himself outside.

  As soon as his eyes could bear the light he went home, but fainted

  on the threshold. When he came to himself he told his mother

  what had passed, and showed her the lamp and the fruits he had

  gathered in the garden, which were in reality precious stones.

  He then asked for some food.

  "Alas! child," she said, "I have nothing in the house, but I have

  spun a little cotton and will go and sell it."

  Aladdin bade her keep her cotton, for he would sell the lamp instead.

  As it was very dirty she began to rub it, that it might fetch a

  higher price. Instantly a hideous genie appeared, and asked what she

  would have. She fainted away, but Aladdin, snatching the lamp,

  said boldly:

  "Fetch me something to eat!"

  The genie returned with a silver bowl, twelve silver plates

  containing rich meats, two silver cups, and two bottles of wine.

  Aladdin's mother, when she came to herself, said:

  "Whence comes this splendid feast?"

  "Ask not, but eat," replied Aladdin.

  So they sat at breakfast till it was dinner-time, and Aladdin

  told his mother about the lamp. She begged him to sell it,

  and have nothing to do with devils.

  "No," said Aladdin, "since chance has made us aware of its virtues,

  we will use it and the ring likewise, which I shall always wear

  on my finger." When they had eaten all the genie had brought,

  Aladdin sold one of the silver plates, and so on till none were left.

  He then had recourse to the genie, who gave him another set of plates,

  and thus they lived for many years.

  One day Aladdin heard an order from the Sultan proclaimed that everyone

  was to stay at home and close his shutters while the princess,

  his daughter, went to and from the bath. Aladdin was seized by a desire

  to see her face, which was very difficult, as she always went veiled.

  He hid himself behind the door of the bath, and peeped through

  a chink. The princess lifted her veil as she went in, and looked

  so beautiful that Aladdin fell in love with her at first sight.

  He went home so changed that his mother was frightened. He told her

  he loved the princess so deeply that he could not live without her,

  and meant to ask her in marriage of her father. His mother,

  on hearing this, burst out laughing, but Aladdin at last prevailed

  upon her to go before the Sultan and carry his request. She fetched

  a napkin and laid in it the magic fruits from the enchanted garden,

  which sparkled and shone like the most beautiful jewels. She took

  these with her to please the Sultan, and set out, trusting in the lamp.

  The grand-vizir and the lords of council had just gone in as she

  entered the hall and placed herself in front of the Sultan.

  He, however, took no notice of her. She went every day for a week,

  and stood in the same place.

  When the council broke up on the sixth day the Sultan said

  to his vizir: "I see a certain woman in the audience-chamber

  every day carrying something in a napkin. Call her next time,

  that I may find out what she wants."

  Next day, at a sign from the vizir, she went up to the foot of

  the throne, and remained kneeling till the Sultan said to her:

  "Rise, good woman, and tell me what you want."

  She hesitated, so the Sultan sent away all but the vizir, and bade

  her speak freely, promising to forgive her beforehand for anything she

  might say. She then told him of her son's violent love for the princess.

  "I prayed him to forget her," she said, "but in vain; he threatened

  to do some desperate deed if I refused to go and ask your Majesty

  for the hand of the princess. Now I pray you to forgive not me alone,

  but my son Aladdin."

  The Sultan asked her kindly what she had in the napkin, whereupon she

  unfolded the jewels and presented them.

  He was thunderstruck, and turning to the vizir said: "What sayest thou?

  Ought I not to bestow the princess on one who values her at such

  a price?"

  The vizir, who wanted her for his own son, begged the Sultan to withhold

  her for three months, in the course of which he hoped his son would

  contrive to make him a richer present. The Sultan granted this,

  and told Aladdin's mother that, though he consented to the marriage,

  she must not appear before him again for three months.

  Aladdin waited patiently for nearly three months, but after

  two had elapsed his mother, going into the city to buy oil,

  found everyone rejoicing, and asked what was going on.

  "Do you not know," was the answer, "that the son of the grand-vizir

  is to marry the Sultan's daughter to-night?"

  Breathless, she ran and told Aladdin, who was overwhelmed at first,

  but presently bethought him of the lamp. He rubbed it, and the

  genie appeared, saying: "What is thy will?"

  Aladdin replied: "The Sultan, as thou knowest, has broken

  his promise to me, and the vizir's son is to have the princess.

  My command is that to-night you bring hither the bride and bridegroom."

  "Master, I obey," said the genie.

  Aladdin then went to his chamber, where, sure enough at midnight the

  genie transported the bed containing the vizir's son and the princess.

  "Take this new-married man," he said, "and put him outside in the cold,

  and return at daybreak."

  Whereupon the genie took the vizir's son out of bed, leaving Aladdin

  wit
h the princess.

  "Fear nothing," Aladdin said to her; "you are my wife, promised to

  me by your unjust father, and no harm shall come to you."

  The princess was too frightened to speak, and passed the most miserable

  night of her life, while Aladdin lay down beside her and slept soundly.

  At the appointed hour the genie fetched in the shivering bridegroom,

  laid him in his place, and transported the bed back to the palace.

  Presently the Sultan came to wish his daughter good-morning.

  The unhappy vizir's son jumped up and hid himself, while the princess

  would not say a word, and was very sorrowful.

  The Sultan sent her mother to her, who said: "How comes it,

  child, that you will not speak to your father? What has happened?"

  The princess sighed deeply, and at last told her mother how,

  during the night, the bed had been carried into some strange house,

  and what had passed there. Her mother did not believe her in the least,

  but bade her rise and consider it an idle dream.

  The following night exactly the same thing happened, and next morning,

  on the princess's refusing to speak, the Sultan threatened to cut

  off her head. She then confessed all, bidding him ask the vizir's

  son if it were not so. The Sultan told the vizir to ask his son,

  who owned the truth, adding that, dearly as he loved the princess,

  he had rather die than go through another such fearful night,

  and wished to be separated from her. His wish was granted, and there

  was an end of feasting and rejoicing.

  When the three months were over, Aladdin sent his mother to remind

  the Sultan of his promise. She stood in the same place as before,