Arabian Nights

by abc

  by the king in the city of Schiraz, taking part in the magnificent

  spectacles prepared by his subjects to do honour to the festival.

  The sun was setting, and the monarch was about to give his court the

  signal to retire, when suddenly an Indian appeared before his throne,

  leading a horse richly harnessed, and looking in every respect

  exactly like a real one.

  "Sire," said he, prostrating himself as he spoke, "although I make

  my appearance so late before your Highness, I can confidently

  assure you that none of the wonders you have seen during the day

  can be compared to this horse, if you will deign to cast your eyes

  upon him."

  "I see nothing in it," replied the king, "except a clever imitation

  of a real one; and any skilled workman might do as much."

  "Sire," returned the Indian, "it is not of his outward form that I

  would speak, but of the use that I can make of him. I have only

  to mount him, and to wish myself in some special place, and no

  matter how distant it may be, in a very few moments I shall find

  myself there. It is this, Sire, that makes the horse so marvellous,

  and if your Highness will allow me, you can prove it for yourself."

  The King of Persia, who was interested in every thing out of the common,

  and had never before come across a horse with such qualities,

  bade the Indian mount the animal, and show what he could do.

  In an instant the man had vaulted on his back, and inquired where

  the monarch wished to send him.

  "Do you see that mountain?" asked the king, pointing to a huge

  mass that towered into the sky about three leagues from Schiraz;

  "go and bring me the leaf of a palm that grows at the foot."

  The words were hardly out of the king's mouth when the Indian

  turned a screw placed in the horse's neck, close to the saddle,

  and the animal bounded like lightning up into the air, and was soon

  beyond the sight even of the sharpest eyes. In a quarter of an

  hour the Indian was seen returning, bearing in his hand the palm,

  and, guiding his horse to the foot of the throne, he dismounted,

  and laid the leaf before the king.

  Now the monarch had no sooner proved the astonishing speed of which the

  horse was capable than he longed to possess it himself, and indeed,

  so sure was he that the Indian would be quite ready to sell it,

  that he looked upon it as his own already.

  "I never guessed from his mere outside how valuable an animal he was,"

  he remarked to the Indian, "and I am grateful to you for having shown

  me my error," said he. "If you will sell it, name your own price."

  "Sire," replied the Indian, "I never doubted that a sovereign so wise

  and accomplished as your Highness would do justice to my horse,

  when he once knew its power; and I even went so far as to think it

  probable that you might wish to possess it. Greatly as I prize it,

  I will yield it up to your Highness on one condition. The horse

  was not constructed by me, but it was given me by the inventor,

  in exchange for my only daughter, who made me take a solemn oath that I

  would never part with it, except for some object of equal value."

  "Name anything you like," cried the monarch, interrupting him.

  "My kingdom is large, and filled with fair cities. You have only

  to choose which you would prefer, to become its ruler to the end

  of your life."

  "Sire," answered the Indian, to whom the proposal did not seem

  nearly so generous as it appeared to the king, "I am most

  grateful to your Highness for your princely offer, and beseech

  you not to be offended with me if I say that I can only deliver

  up my horse in exchange for the hand of the princess your daughter."

  A shout of laughter burst from the courtiers as they heard these words,

  and Prince Firouz Schah, the heir apparent, was filled with anger

  at the Indian's presumption. The king, however, thought that it

  would not cost him much to part from the princess in order to gain

  such a delightful toy, and while he was hesitating as to his answer

  the prince broke in.

  "Sire," he said, "it is not possible that you can doubt for an

  instant what reply you should give to such an insolent bargain.

  Consider what you owe to yourself, and to the blood of your ancestors."

  "My son," replied the king, "you speak nobly, but you do not

  realise either the value of the horse, or the fact that if I reject

  the proposal of the Indian, he will only make the same to some

  other monarch, and I should be filled with despair at the thought

  that anyone but myself should own this Seventh Wonder of the World.

  Of course I do not say that I shall accept his conditions,

  and perhaps he may be brought to reason, but meanwhile I should

  like you to examine the horse, and, with the owner's permission,

  to make trial of its powers."

  The Indian, who had overheard the king's speech, thought that he

  saw in it signs of yielding to his proposal, so he joyfully agreed

  to the monarch's wishes, and came forward to help the prince to mount

  the horse, and show him how to guide it: but, before he had finished,

  the young man turned the screw, and was soon out of sight.

  They waited some time, expecting that every moment he might be seen

  returning in the distance, but at length the Indian grew frightened,

  and prostrating himself before the throne, he said to the king,

  "Sire, your Highness must have noticed that the prince,

  in his impatience, did not allow me to tell him what it was necessary

  to do in order to return to the place from which he started.

  I implore you not to punish me for what was not my fault, and not

  to visit on me any misfortune that may occur."

  "But why," cried the king in a burst of fear and anger, "why did

  you not call him back when you saw him disappearing?"

  "Sire," replied the Indian, "the rapidity of his movements took me

  so by surprise that he was out of hearing before I recovered my speech.

  But we must hope that he will perceive and turn a second screw,

  which will have the effect of bringing the horse back to earth."

  "But supposing he does!" answered the king, "what is to hinder

  the horse from descending straight into the sea, or dashing him

  to pieces on the rocks?"

  "Have no fears, your Highness," said the Indian; "the horse has

  the gift of passing over seas, and of carrying his rider wherever

  he wishes to go."

  "Well, your head shall answer for it," returned the monarch, "and if

  in three months he is not safe back with me, or at any rate does

  not send me news of his safety, your life shall pay the penalty."

  So saying, he ordered his guards to seize the Indian and throw him

  into prison.

  Meanwhile, Prince Firouz Schah had gone gaily up into the air,

  and for the space of an hour continued to ascend higher and higher,

  till the very mountains were not distinguishable from the plains.

  Then he began to think it was time to come down, and took for granted

  that, in order to do this, it was only needful to turn the screw

  the reverse way; but, to his surprise and horror, he found that,r />
  turn as he might, he did not make the smallest impression.

  He then remembered that he had never waited to ask how he was to get

  back to earth again, and understood the danger in which he stood.

  Luckily, he did not lose his head, and set about examining the

  horse's neck with great care, till at last, to his intense joy,

  he discovered a tiny little peg, much smaller than the other,

  close to the right ear. This he turned, and found him-self dropping

  to the earth, though more slowly than he had left it.

  It was now dark, and as the prince could see nothing, he was obliged,

  not without some feeling of disquiet, to allow the horse to direct

  his own course, and midnight was already passed before Prince Firouz

  Schah again touched the ground, faint and weary from his long ride,

  and from the fact that he had eaten nothing since early morning.

  The first thing he did on dismounting was to try to find out where

  he was, and, as far as he could discover in the thick darkness,

  he found himself on the terraced roof of a huge palace, with a

  balustrade of marble running round. In one corner of the terrace stood

  a small door, opening on to a staircase which led down into the palace.

  Some people might have hesitated before exploring further, but not

  so the prince. "I am doing no harm," he said, "and whoever the owner

  may be, he will not touch me when he sees I am unarmed," and in dread

  of making a false step, he went cautiously down the staircase.

  On a landing, he noticed an open door, beyond which was a faintly

  lighted hall.

  Before entering, the prince paused and listened, but he heard

  nothing except the sound of men snoring. By the light of a lantern

  suspended from the roof, he perceived a row of black guards sleeping,

  each with a naked sword lying by him, and he understood that the hall

  must form the ante-room to the chamber of some queen or princess.

  Standing quite still, Prince Firouz Schah looked about him, till his

  eyes grew accustomed to the gloom, and he noticed a bright light

  shining through a curtain in one corner. He then made his way softly

  towards it, and, drawing aside its folds, passed into a magnificent

  chamber full of sleeping women, all lying on low couches, except one,

  who was on a sofa; and this one, he knew, must be the princess.

  Gently stealing up to the side of her bed he looked at her, and saw

  that she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever beheld.

  But, fascinated though he was, he was well aware of the danger

  of his position, as one cry of surprise would awake the guards,

  and cause his certain death.

  So sinking quietly on his knees, he took hold of the sleeve of

  the princess and drew her arm lightly towards him. The princess

  opened her eyes, and seeing before her a handsome well-dressed man,

  she remained speechless with astonishment.

  This favourable moment was seized by the prince, who bowing low

  while he knelt, thus addressed her:

  "You behold, madame, a prince in distress, son to the King of Persia,

  who, owing to an adventure so strange that you will scarcely

  believe it, finds himself here, a suppliant for your protection.

  But yesterday, I was in my father's court, engaged in the celebration

  of our most solemn festival; to-day, I am in an unknown land,

  in danger of my life."

  Now the princess whose mercy Prince Firouz Schah implored was the eldest

  daughter of the King of Bengal, who was enjoying rest and change in the

  palace her father had built her, at a little distance from the capital.

  She listened kindly to what he had to say, and then answered:

  "Prince, be not uneasy; hospitality and humanity are practised

  as widely in Bengal as they are in Persia. The protection you ask

  will be given you by all. You have my word for it." And as the

  prince was about to thank her for her goodness, she added quickly,

  "However great may be my curiosity to learn by what means you

  have travelled here so speedily, I know that you must be faint

  for want of food, so I shall give orders to my women to take you

  to one of my chambers, where you will be provided with supper,

  and left to repose."

  By this time the princess's attendants were all awake, and listening

  to the conversation. At a sign from their mistress they rose,

  dressed themselves hastily, and snatching up some of the tapers which

  lighted the room, conducted the prince to a large and lofty room,

  where two of the number prepared his bed, and the rest went down

  to the kitchen, from which they soon returned with all sorts

  of dishes. Then, showing him cupboards filled with dresses and linen,

  they quitted the room.

  During their absence the Princess of Bengal, who had been greatly struck

  by the beauty of the prince, tried in vain to go to sleep again.

  It was of no use: she felt broad awake, and when her women entered

  the room, she inquired eagerly if the prince had all he wanted,

  and what they thought of him.

  "Madame," they replied, "it is of course impossible for us to tell

  what impression this young man has made on you. For ourselves,

  we think you would be fortunate if the king your father should

  allow you to marry anyone so amiable. Certainly there is no one

  in the Court of Bengal who can be compared with him."

  These flattering observations were by no means displeasing to

  the princess, but as she did not wish to betray her own feelings she

  merely said, "You are all a set of chatterboxes; go back to bed,

  and let me sleep."

  When she dressed the following morning, her maids noticed that,

  contrary to her usual habit, the princess was very particular about

  her toilette, and insisted on her hair being dressed two or three

  times over. "For," she said to herself, "if my appearance was not

  displeasing to the prince when he saw me in the condition I was,

  how much more will he be struck with me when he beholds me with all

  my charms."

  Then she placed in her hair the largest and most brilliant diamonds

  she could find, with a necklace, bracelets and girdle, all of

  precious stones. And over her shoulders her ladies put a robe of the

  richest stuff in all the Indies, that no one was allowed to wear except

  members of the royal family. When she was fully dressed according

  to her wishes, she sent to know if the Prince of Persia was awake

  and ready to receive her, as she desired to present herself before him.

  When the princess's messenger entered his room, Prince Firouz Schah

  was in the act of leaving it, to inquire if he might be allowed to pay

  his homage to her mistress: but on hearing the princess's wishes,

  he at once gave way. "Her will is my law," he said, "I am only

  here to obey her orders."

  In a few moments the princess herself appeared, and after the usual

  compliments had passed between them, the princess sat down on a sofa,

  and began to explain to the prince her reasons for not giving him

  an audience in her own apartments. "Had I done so," she said,

  "we might have been interrupted at any hour by the chief of the eunuchs,
<
br />   who has the right to enter whenever it pleases him, whereas this

  is forbidden ground. I am all impatience to learn the wonderful

  accident which has procured the pleasure of your arrival, and that

  is why I have come to you here, where no one can intrude upon us.

  Begin then, I entreat you, without delay."

  So the prince began at the beginning, and told all the story of the

  festival of Nedrouz held yearly in Persia, and of the splendid spectacles

  celebrated in its honour. But when he came to the enchanted horse,

  the princess declared that she could never have imagined anything

  half so surprising. "Well then," continued the prince, "you can

  easily understand how the King my father, who has a passion for

  all curious things, was seized with a violent desire to possess

  this horse, and asked the Indian what sum he would take for it.

  "The man's answer was absolutely absurd, as you will agree, when I

  tell you that it was nothing less than the hand of the princess

  my sister; but though all the bystanders laughed and mocked,

  and I was beside myself with rage, I saw to my despair that my

  father could not make up his mind to treat the insolent proposal

  as it deserved. I tried to argue with him, but in vain. He only

  begged me to examine the horse with a view (as I quite understood)

  of making me more sensible of its value."

  "To please my father, I mounted the horse, and, without waiting

  for any instructions from the Indian, turned the peg as I had seen

  him do. In an instant I was soaring upwards, much quicker than

  an arrow could fly, and I felt as if I must be getting so near

  the sky that I should soon hit my head against it! I could see

  nothing beneath me, and for some time was so confused that I

  did not even know in what direction I was travelling. At last,