The Arabian nights

REFERENCE

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NY PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE BRANCH LIBRARIES

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THE NEW YORK

JFU^LIC LIBRARY

Copyright, 1913,

BY

HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY

. August, I93a

Printed in the U. S. A.

Editor's Preface

OF all the foLk-literature adapted for children,
none is more richly imaginative, warm in
colour, and full of varied adventures than
the "Arabian Nights' Entertainments," for
which reason a volume of selections from the same
should be in every child's own library.

This edition of selected tales edited for young people
is based on the version of the Oriental scholar, Edward
William Lane. His translation from the Cairo text,
although it is the standard, classic household version
for adults, may not be given unexpurgated to children
as it contains much that is unfit for them to read. It
has, however, great educational values, the chief of
which lie in its epic treatment, so characteristic of
primitive people; in its thrilling adventures, related with
convincing details: and in its d'gnified style, resembling
that of Bible narrative. Its educational values are in-
creased by Lane's pair-iing, as with a large, free brush,
desert scenes, and life in the great Oriental cities; and
in his depicting Eastern oUstoros and religious beliefs
which control the "faithful" Mohammedan's daily
actions.

The tales abound in Genii with their heads in the
clouds, their feet resting upon the earth, their heads
like domes, their hands like winnowing-forks, their legs
like masts, their mouths like caverns, their nostrils like
trumpets, their eyes resembling lamps, and hair dust-

iv Editor's Preface

coloured and dishevelled ; and with damsels as beautiful
as the shining moon, with eyes like those of gazelles,
cheeks like anemonies, mouths like the seal of Solomon,
and figures like the waving branch. The stories also
describe Oriental cities crowned with domes and mina-
rets, subterranean abodes, flying Genii; and verdant
gardens in which are flowing rivers, blossoming flowers,
and trees full of birds proclaiming the praises of Allah
the One, the Omnipotent.

The pages of the original Lane edition are illustrated
with the delicate drawings of William Harvey, who in
true Oriental spirit depicts the buildings, costumes and
life of Mohammedans. As it is almost impossible to
reproduce satisfactorily these old engravings, coloured
illustrations are here substituted for the Harvey draw-
ings.

Several of the stories included will be new to most
children. Of these are "The Story of the City of
Brass," which relates the search for bottled Genii; "The
Adventures of Hassan of Balsora," which describes the
wonders of the enchanted Islands of Wak Wak, and
the humorous stcry oi "Caliph the Fisherman."

Two stories, *'Aldddin" and "All 3aba," are not in-
cluded in the Cairo text, and as an edition for children
of the Arabian Nighty would be incomplete without
these tales I have added tbe^ro, editing the versions of
Jonathan Scott, translated from the French of Galland.

In rendering these stories I have retained the original
language as far as possible. The familiar forms of
proper names are given instead of Lane's more accurate
but uninteresting transliterations, and English equiv-
alents have been substituted for some Arabic words.
Long sentences are shortened, tedious conversations

Editor's Preface v

condensed, and lengthy stories broken into chapters.
Those parts of the stories unsuitable for children are
removed, which in a few cases necessitates slight changes
in the plots. I have, however, conscientiously tried to
preserve the original matter, and the genius and customs
of the Arabians, making only such alterations as the
interests of the children demand.

Frances Jenkins Olcott.
July, 1913.

Contents

PAGE

STORY OF KING SHAHRIAR AND SHEHERAZADE i

Chapter I

STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE 6

STORY OF THE GRECIAN KING AND THE SAGE DOUBAN lo

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND
THE GENIE i6

STORY OF THE YOUNG KING OF THE BLACK ISLES 2i

Chapter II

STORY OF THE PORTER AND THE LADIES OF BAGDAD
AND THE THREE ROYAL MENDICANTS 28

STORY OF THE FIRST ROYAL MENDICANT— THE LOST
TOMB 3S

STORY OF THE SECOND ROYAL MENDICANT— THE
LEARNED APE 41

STORY OF THE THIRD ROYAL MENDICANT— KING AGIB 51

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF THE PORTER AND
THE LADIES OF BAGDAD AND THE THREE ROYAL MEN-
DICANTS 63

STORY OF THE FIRST OF THE THREE LADIES OF BAG-
DAD—THE TWO HOUNDS 64

STORY OF THE SECOND OF THE THREE LADIES OF BAG-
DAD—THE BITTEN CHEEK 71

vii

viii Contents

PAGE

CONCLUSION OF THE STORY OF THE PORTER AND THE
LADIES OF BAGDAD AND THE THREE ROYAL MENDI-
CANTS 76

Chapter III
STORY OF THE MAGIC HORSE 79

Chapter IV

STORY OF THE SEVEN VOYAGES OF SINDBAD OF THE SEA 93

SINDBAD'S FIRST VOYAGE— THE ISLAND-FISH. . 95

SINDBAD'S SECOND VOYAGE— THE VALLEY OF
DIAMONDS 102

SINDBAD'S THIRD VOYAGE— THE WONDER-
VOYAGE IC3g

SINDBAD'S FOURTH VOYAGE— THE BURIAL CAVE 117

SINDBAD'S FIFTH VOYAGE— THE OLD MAN OF
THE SEA 125

SINDBAD'S SIXTH VOYAGE— THE TREASURE
WRECKS 133

SINDBAD'S SEVENTH VOYAGE— THE ELEPHANT
HUNT 140

CONCLUSION OF THE STORY OF THE SEVEN VOYAGES OF
SINDBAD OF THE SEA 145

Chapter V
STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS

THE BOTTLED GENII 146

THE AFRITE OF THE BLACK STONE PILLAR... 151
THE ENCHANTED CITY 156

Contents ix

Chapter VI

PAGE

STORY OF THE ADVENTURES OF HASSAN OF BALSORA

THE FIRE-WORSHIPPER 165

THE BIRD-DAMSELS 177

THE ISLANDS OF WAK WAK 189

THE SEVEN KINGS OF THE GENII 208

Chapter VII

STORY OF CALIPH THE FISHERMAN

THE LUCK APES 216

CALIPH THE PIPER 221

KOUTELKULOUB, THE BEAUTIFUL SLAVE 226

Chapter VIII
STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES 235

Chapter IX
STORY OF ALADDIN AND THE WONDERFUL LAMP 256

Conclusion
OF THE STORY OF KING SHAHRIAR AND SHEHERAZADE 293

List of Illustrations

THE MAGIC CARPET Frontispiece

PAGE

THE PEOPLE FLED WITH THEIR DAUGHTERS 4

THE SMOKE COLLECTED AND BECAME AN AFRITE 8

THERE ARRIVED A GREAT SAGE VERSED IN THE WISDOM

OF THE PHILOSOPHERS 12

"BE RESTORED TO THY ORIGINAL FORM" 50

HE PLACED HER BEHIND HIM, AND SOARED UPWARD

INTO THE SKY 86

WHEN WE BEHELD HIM WE WERE FILLED WITH DREAD

AND TERROR 112

THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA 128

THE SHEIKH ABDELSAMAD 148

"GIVE ME WHAT IS MY DUE, THATI MAYGO" 228

THE CALIPH SMILED 232

ALI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES 236

"AS SOON AS I THROW SOME STONES OUT OF MY CHAMBER

WINDOW, COME OUT" 250

IMMEDIATELY A GENIE OF ENORMOUS SIZE ROSE OUT OF

THE EARTH 262

"WHO WILL CHANGE OLD LAMPS FOR NEW ONES?" 28a

Zl

In the name of Allah ^ the Compassionate, the Merciful

Shahriar and Sheherazade

HP

HERE was in ancient times a King of India
and China, possessing numerous troops and
■ guards and servants, and he had two sons.

M Both of these princes were brave horsemen,

but especially the elder, who inherited the kingdom of
his father, and governed his subjects with such justice
that the inhabitants of his country and whole empire
loved him. He was called King Shahriar. His younger
brother was named Shahzeman, and was King of
Samarcand. Each of them ruled over his subjects
with justice for the period of twenty years with the
utmost enjoyment and happiness.

At the end of twenty years the elder King felt a
strong desire to see his brother and ordered his Vizier
to repair to him, and bring him. He prepared for his
brother handsome presents, such as horses adorned with
gold and costly jewels, and also memlooks, and female
slaves and expensive stuffs. He then wrote a letter to
King Shahzeman, expressing his great desire to see him,
and having sealed it, and given it to the Vizier, together
with the presents, he ordered him to strain his nerves,
and tuck up his skirts, and make haste to go and re-
turn.

The Vizier answered: "I hear and obey," and forth-
with prepared for the journey. He proceeded night
and day over deserts and wastes, until he drew near to

2 The Arabian Nights

the city of Samarcand, when he sent forth a messenger
to inform King Shahzeman of his approach. Where-
upon the King ordered the chief officers of his court,
and the great men of his kingdom, to go forth a day's
journey to meet him, and they did so, and walked by
his stirrups until they returned to the city. The Vizier
presented himself before King Shahzeman, greeted him
with a prayer for the continuance of his power and
blessing, kissed the ground before him, and handed him
the letter. The King took it, and read it, and said to
the Vizier: "I will not go until I have entertained thee
three days." Accordingly he lodged him in a palace
befitting his rank, accommodated his troops in tents,
and so they remained three days.

On the fourth day the King equipped himself for the
journey, made ready his baggage, and collected costly
presents for his brother. He then sent forth his tents,
camels and mules and servants, appointed his Vizier to
be governor of the country during his absence, and set
out towards his brother's dominion. King Shahriar,
rejoicing at the tidings of his approach, went forth to
meet him, saluted him, and welcomed him with the
utmost delight. He ordered that the houses and shops
should be decorated on the occasion, and, escorting his
brother into the city, entertained him with sports,
mirth and hunting.

Now it happened one day that the two Kings went
forth alone, from a private door of the palace to walk by
the sea. They walked until they arrived at a tree in the
midst of a meadow, by a spring of water, on the sea
shore. They drank of this spring, and sat down to
rest, and, lo, the sea became troubled, and there arose
from it a black pillar, ascending towards the sky, and

The Arabian Nights 3

approaching the meadow. Struck with fear at the
sight, they cHmbed up into the tree, which was lofty;
and, behold, the black pillar was a Genie of gigantic
stature, broad-fronted and bulky, bearing on his head
a chest.

The Genie landed, and came to the tree into which
the two Kings had climbed, and having seated himself
beneath it, opened the chest, and took out of it another
box, which he also opened. There came forth from it a
young woman fair and beautiful hke the shining sun.
When the Genie cast his eye upon her he said: "O Lady
of noble race, whom I carried off on thy wedding-night,
I desire to sleep a httle." And he placed his head
upon her knee and slept.

The damsel raised her head and saw the two Kings
in the tree. She removed the head of the Genie from
her knee, and, having placed it on the ground, stood
under the tree, and made signs to the two men, saying:
"Come down, fear not this Afrite. But if ye do not
come down I will rouse him, and he shall put you to a
cruel death!" So, being afraid, the Kings came down
to her. She then took from her pocket a purse, and drew
from this a string upon which were ninety-eight seal
rings. "Know," said she, "that the owners of these
rings, unknown to this foolish Afrite, gave me all
these, therefore give me your two rings, ye brothers!"
So they gave her their two rings from their fingers.
Then said she to them, "This evil Afrite whom I hate,
carried me off on my wedding-night, and put me in this
box, and placed the box in the chest, and affixed to the
chest seven locks, and deposited me, thus imprisoned,
in the bottom of the roaring sea, beneath the dashing
waves, not knowing that some day, while he sleeps, I

4 The Arabian Nights

shall surely slay him! In accordance with this says one
of the poets :

* Never trust in women, nor rely upon their vows.

They offer a false affection, for perfidy lurks within their

clothing.
For greatly indeed to be wondered at is he who hath kept

himself safe from woman's artifice!'"

"When the two Kings heard these words from her
lips they said one to the other: "If this Afrite hath so
great a calamity, what will befall us if we have aught
to do with women.'' From now on let us keep ourselves
safe from the artifice of women!" And immediately
they departed and returned to the city.

As soon as they had entered the palace, King Shahriar
caused his wife to be beheaded. And henceforth he took
a new wife every day and he ordered her to be killed
the morning after the marriage festivities. Thus he
continued to do for three years, and the people raised
an outcry against him, and fled with their daughters.
Such was the case when one day the King ordered the
Vizier to bring him a bride according to custom. The
Vizier went forth, and searched, and found none, and
went back to his house in great fear of what the King
might do to him.

Now the Vizier had two daughters, the elder of whom
was called Sheherazade, and the younger Dinarzade.
The elder daughter, seeing her father sorrowful, said:
"Why do I see thee thus changed and oppressed with
solicitude.'^" When the Vizier heard these words from
his daughter he related to her all that had happened.
*'0 my father," said Sheherazade, "give me in marriage
to this King, and either I shall die, and be a ransom

•nil': rhoi'i.K hj-.d w i i m imiii; d \l f.irn-RS

The Arabian Nights 5

for one of the daughters of my people, or I shall live
and be the cause of their deliverance from him." "I
conjure thee," exclaimed her father, "that thou expose
not thyself to such peril!" But Sheherazade persisted
in her determination and persuaded him until he ar-
rayed her and took her in to King Shahriar.

Now Sheherazade had read many histories of ancient
Kings and works of poets, and before going to King
Shahriar she gave directions to her younger sister saying
to her: "When I have gone to the King I will send
to request thee to come. When thou comest do thou
say: 'O my sister, relate to me some strange story to
beguile our waking hours,' and I will relate a story that
shall, if it be the will of Allah, deliver me from death."

So her father the Vizier took Sheherazade to the
King, who, when he saw her, rejoiced because of her
goodness and beauty. But Sheherazade wept and
said: "O King, I have a young sister, and I wish to take
leave of her." So the King sent for Dinarzade and she
came to her sister and embraced her, and after she had
waited for a proper opportunity, she said: "O my sister,
relate to us a story to beguile the waking hours of our
night." "Most willingly," answered Sheherazade:
"if this virtuous King permit me." The King hearing
these words and being restless was pleased with the
idea of listening to a story, and thus on the first night
of the thousand and one, Sheherazade commenced her
story-telling.

Chapter I

THE STORY OF THE FISHERMAN AND
THE GENIE

THERE was a certain poor fisherman, who had
a wife and three children. It was his custom
to cast his net every day no more than four
times. One day he went forth at the hour of
noon to the shore of the sea, and put down his basket,
and cast his net, and waited until it was motionless in
the water, when he drew together the strings, and found
it to be heavy. He pulled but could not draw it up.
He then stripped himself, and dived around the net, and
pulled until he drew it out. But when he came to ex-
amine the net he found in it the carcass of an ass.

He then disencumbered his net of the dead ass, and
descending into the sea, cast the net again, and waited
until it had sunk and was still, when he pulled it, and
found it more heavy than before. He therefore con-
cluded that it was full of fish, so he stripped, and
plunged, and dived, and pulled until he raised it, and
drew it upon the shore, when he found in it only a
large jar full of sand and mud.

He threw the jar aside, cleansed his net, and begging
the forgiveness of Allah for his impatience, returned to
the sea the third time, and threw his net. He waited

6

The Arabian Nights 7

until it had sunk and was motionless, he then drew it
out, and found in it only a quantity of broken jars and
pots.

Upon this he raised his head towards Heaven, ancj
said: "0 Allah, thou knowest that I cast my net not
more than four times, and I have now cast it three
times!" Then exclaiming, "In the name of Allah!"
he cast the net again into the sea, and waited until it
was still. When he attempted to draw it up he could
not, for it clung to the bottom, so he dived again and
raised it to the shore. When he opened it he found in it
a bottle of brass, filled with something, and having its
mouth closed with a stopper of lead, bearing the im-
pression of the seal of our lord Solomon.

At the sight of this, the fisherman was rejoiced. He
shook the bottle and found it to be heavy, and said:
"I must open it, and see what is in it, and then I will
sell the bottle in the copper-market for it is worth ten
pieces of gold!" So he took out a knife, and picked at
the lead until he extracted it from the bottle. He then
laid the bottle on the ground and shook it, but there
came forth from it nothing but smoke, which ascended
to the sky, and spread over the face of the earth. And
after a little while the smoke collected, and became an
Afrite whose head was in the clouds, while his feet
rested upon the earth. His head was like a dome, his
hands were like winnowing-forks, his legs like masts,
his mouth resembled a cavern, his teeth were like stones,
his nostrils like trumpets, and his eyes like lamps, and
he had dishevelled and dust-coloured hair.

When the fisherman beheld this Afrite, the muscles
of his side quivered, his teeth were locked together, his
spittle dried up, and he saw not his way. But the Afrite,

8 The Arabian Nights

as soon as he perceived him, exclaimed: "There is no
deity but Allah! Solomon is the Prophet of Allah! O
Prophet of Allah, slay me not, for I will never again
oppose thee in word, or rebel against thee in deed!"
**0 evil Genie," said the fisherman, "Solomon hath
been dead a thousand and eight hundred years. What
is thy history, and what is thy tale, and what was the
cause of thy entering this bottle?"

When the Afrite heard these words of the fisherman
he said: "There is no deity but Allah! Receive news,
O fisherman, of thy being instantly put to a most
cruel death." "Wherefore," exclaimed the fisherman,
"wouldst thou kill me, when I have liberated thee from
the bottle, rescued thee from the bottom of the sea, and
brought thee up on dry land.'^" The Afrite answered:
" Choose what kind of death thou wilt die, and in what
manner thou shalt be killed." "What is my offence,"
said the fisherman, "that this should be my reward
from thee.''" "Hear my story, O fisherman," the
Afrite replied. "Tell it then," said the fisherman, "and
short be thy words, for my soul hath sunk to my feet."

"Know then," said the Afrite, "that I am one of the
heretical Genii. I rebelled against Solomon the son of
David, and he sent to me his Vizier, who came upon me
forcibly, and took me to him in bonds, and placed me
before him. When Solomon saw me he offered up a
prayer for protection against me, and exhorted me to
embrace the faith, but I refused. Upon which he called
for this bottle and confined me in it, and closed it with
a leaden stopper, which he stamped with the Most
Great Name. He then gave orders to a Genie, who
carried me away, and threw me into the midst of the
sea. There I remained a hundred years, and I said in

THE SMOKE COLLECTED AND BECAME AN AFRITE

The Arabian Nights 9

my heart, Whosoever shall liberate me, I will enrich
him for ever! But the hundred years passed over,
and no one hberated me. I entered upon another hun-
dred years, and I said: Whosoever shall liberate me,
I will open to him the treasures of the earth! But no
one did so. And four hundred years passed over me, and
I said, Whosoever shall liberate me, I will perform
for him three wishes! But still no one hberated me.
I then fell in a rage and said within myself: Whosoever
shall liberate me now, I will kill him. I will only suffer
him to choose in what manner he shall die! And, lo,
now thou hast liberated me, and I have given thee thy
choice of the manner in which thou shalt die."

When the fisherman heard the story of the Afrite he
said within himself: "This is a Genie, and I am a man,
and Allah hath given me sound reason, therefore I will
now plot the destruction of this evil one with my reason
and my art." So he said to the Afrite, "By the Most
Great Name engraved upon the seal of Solomon, I will
ask thee one question, and wilt thou answer it to me
truly?" On hearing the mention of the Most Great
Name, the Afrite trembled and replied: "Yes, ask and
be brief." The fisherman then said: "How wast thou
in this bottle? It will not contain thy hand or thy foot,
how then can it contain thy whole body?" "Dost thou
not believe that I was in it?" exclaimed the Afrite,
and he shook and became converted again into smoke,
which rose to the sky, and then became condensed, and
entered the bottle little by little, until it was all en-
closed. The fisherman hastily snatched the leaden
stopper, and having replaced it in the mouth of the
bottle, called out to the Afrite: "Choose what manner of
death thou wilt die!"

lo The Arabian Nights

On hearing these words of the fisherman, the Afrlte
endeavoured to escape, but could not. The fisherman
then took the bottle to the brink of the sea, saying:
"I will assuredly throw thee here into the sea." The
Af rite exclaimed : "Nay, nay ! " To which the fisherman
answered, "Yea, without fail. I will throw thee into
the sea, and if thou hast been there a thousand and
eight hundred years, I will make thee to remain there
until the hour of judgment!" "Open to me," said the
Afrite, "that I may confer benefits upon thee." The
fisherman replied, "Thou liest, thou accursed. I and
thou are like the Vizier of the Grecian King and the
sage Douban." "What," said the Afrite, "was the
case of the Vizier of the Grecian King, and the sage
Douban, and what is their story?" The fisherman
answered as follows:

STORY OF THE GRECIAN KING AND
THE SAGE DOUBAN

KNOW, O Afrite, there was in former times, a mon-
arch who was King of the Grecians, possessing
great treasure, and numerous and valiant forces, and
troops of every description. But he was afflicted with
leprosy, which the physicians and sages had failed to
cure, neither their potions nor powders, nor ointments
were of any benefit to him.

At length there arrived at the city of this King a
great sage, stricken in years, called the sage Douban.
He was acquainted with languages, medicine and
astrology, as well as with the properties of plants, dried

The Arabian Nights 1 1

and fresh, and he was versed in the wisdom of the
philosophers.

After the sage had arrived in the city he heard of the
King, and of the leprosy which aflflicted him. So one
morning he attired himseK in the richest of his apparel,
and presented himself before the King. He kissed the
ground before him and said, *'0 King, I have heard of
the disease which hath attacked thee, and I will cure
thee without giving thee to drink any potion, or anoint-
ing thee with ointment."

When the King heard his words he said: "Verily,
if thou cure me, I will enrich thee and thy children's
children! I will heap favours upon thee, and what-
soever thou shalt desire shall be thine, and thou
shalt be my companion and friend." He then be-
stowed upon the sage a robe of honour and other
presents.

The sage went out from the presence of the King and
returned to his abode. He selected certain medicines
and drugs, and made a golf-stick, with a hollow handle,
into which he put the medicines and drugs. He then
made a ball, skilfully formed. The following day he
went again to the King, and kissed the ground before
him and directed him to repair to the horse-course, and
to play with ball and goK-stick. The King attended by
his Emirs, and Viziers, went thither. As soon as he
arrived there the sage Douban handed him the golf-
stick saying: "Take this golf -stick, grasp it thus, and
ride along the horse-course, and strike the ball with all
thy force, until the palm of thy hand becomes moist,
when the medicines will penetrate into thy hand, and
pervade thy whole body, then shalt thou find thyself
cured, and peace be on thee." So the King did as the

12 The Arabian Nights

sage directed, and the leprosy left him, and his skin
was clear as white silver.

On the following morning the King entered the council-
chamber, and sat upon his throne, and the chamber-
lains and other great officers of his court came before
him. The sage Douban also presented himself, and
when the King saw him he rose in haste, and seated him
by his side. And food was set before them, and the
sage ate with the King, and remained as his guest all
day. And the King made him his companion and
familiar friend, and gave him two thousand pieces of
gold, besides dresses of honour and other presents, and
mounted him on his own horse, and so the sage returned
to his house.

Now there was among the King's Viziers, one of ill
aspect, and of evil star, sordid, avaricious, and of an
envious and malicious disposition. When he saw that
the King had made the sage Douban his friend, he
envied him, and meditated evil against him. So he
approached the King, and kissed the ground before
him, and said: "O glorious King! It hath been said by
the ancients:

*He who looketh not to results,
Fortune will not attend him.'

Now I have seen that the King is in a way that is not
right since he hath bestowed favours upon his enemy,
and upon him who desireth the downfall of his dominion.
He hath treated him with kindness, and made him his
friend. I fear therefore for the Kjng, the consequence
of this conduct."

At this the King was troubled: "Who," a?ked he, "is
mine enemy, to whom I show kindness.^*" "0 King,"

MMUMMIMIMW
THKRK ARRIVI-D A GREAT SAGE VERSED IN TUV. WISDOM OF THK I'HILOSOPHERS

The Arabian Nights 13

replied the Vizier, "if thou hast been asleep, awake!
I allude to the sage Douban. If thou trust in this
sage, he will kill thee in the foulest manner. He cured
thee by the means of a thing thou heldest in thy hand.
What will prevent him from killing thee by a thing that
thou shalt hold in the like manner?" The King an-
swered: "Thou hast spoken the truth! It is probable
that this sage came as a spy to accomplish my death.
What then, O Vizier, shall be done to him?" The
Vizier answered: "Send for him immediately, and
strike off his head. Betray him, before he betray
thee!"

The King immediately sent for the sage, who came
full of joy, not knowing what was decreed to befall
him. "Knowest thou," said the King, "wherefore I
have summoned thee?" The sage answered: "None
knoweth what is secret but Allah, whose name be
exalted!" Then said the King, "I have summoned
thee that I might take thy life away. It hath been told
me that thou art a spy, and that thou hast come hither
to kill me, but I will prevent thee, by killing thee first!"
and so saying, he called out to the executioner: "Strike
off the head of this traitor, and relieve me from his
wickedness." The executioner then advanced, and
bandaged the eyes of the sage, and having drawn his
sword waited for the signal of the King.

"Spare me!" said the sage, "spare me, and so may
Allah spare thee, and destroy me not lest Allah destroy
thee ! Wherefore wouldst thou kill me, and what offence
hath been committed by me? Wouldst thou return
me the recompense of the crocodile?" "What," said
the King, "is the story of the crocodile?" "I cannot
relate it while in this condition," the sage answered.

14 The Arabian Nights

"but I conjure thee by Allah to spare me, and so may
He spare thee!" And he wept bitterly. Then one of
the chief officers of the King arose, and said: "O King,
give up to me the blood of this sage. We have not
seen him commit any offence against thee, but he cured
thee of thy disease." "He is a spy," the King answered,
"that hath come hither to kill me. I must therefore
kill him, and then I shall feel myself safe."

Now when the sage Douban heard these words he
knew there was no escape for him, so he said: "O King,
grant me some respite so that I may return to my house,
and give directions to my family and neighbours to bury
me, and dispose of my medical books. Among my
books is one of especial value which I offer as a present
to thee. When thou hast cut off my head, if thou open
this book, and count three leaves, and then read three
lines on the page to the left, the head will speak to
thee, and answer whatever thou shalt ask."

At this the King was excessively astonished and
shook with delight, and he sent the sage in the custody
of guards, bidding him descend to his house, to settle
with all speed his affairs. On the following day he
went up to the court, and the Emirs, and Viziers and
all the great officers of the state went thither also, and
the court resembled a flower-garden.

When the sage had entered he presented himself
before the King bearing an old book, and a small pot
containing a powder. He sat down, and said, "Bring
me a tray." So they brought one, and he poured out
the powder in it, and spread it. Then said he: "O
King, take this book and when thou hast cut off my
head, place it upon this tray, and press it down upon
the powder, then open the book." As soon as the sage

The Arabian Nights 15

had said that the King gave orders to strike off his
head, and it was done.

The King then took the sage's head, placed it on a
tray, opened the book, and found that its pages were
stuck together, so he put his finger to his mouth, and
moistened it, and opened the first leaf and the second
and the third. He opened six leaves, and looked at
them, but found on them no writing. So he said: "0
sage, there is nothing written in it." The head of the
sage answered, "Turn over more pages." The King
did so, and in a little while poison from the leaves pene-
trated his body, for the book was poisoned, and the
King fell back and cried out. Upon this the head of
the sage said :

"Thou madest use of thy power, and used It tyrannically.
Soon it became as though it never had existed !

This is the reward of thy conduct, and Fortune is blame-
less!"

When the head of the sage Douban had uttered these
words, the King immediately fell down dead.

Here Sheherazade perceived the light of day, and dis-
continued her story. "How excellent, how pleasant is
thy story!" said Dinarzade her sister. "It is nothing,"
answered Sheherazade, "compared to the story I will
tell to-night, if I live and the King spare me ! " " Verily,"
exclaimed the King, "I will not kill thee until I hear the
remainder of thy story ! "

When the King went forth to the hall of judgment,
the Vizier went thither with his daughter's grave-clothes
under his arm. But the King gave judgment, and
transacted the business of his empire, without ordering

1 6 The Arabian Nights

Sheherazade to be put to death, and the Vizier was
much astonished. The court then dissolved, and the
King returned to the privacy of his palace.

When night was come, Sheherazade again commenced
her story- telling, and related as follows:

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OF
THE FISHERMAN AND THE GENIE

NOW, O Afrite," continued the fisherman, "know
that if the King of the Grecians had spared the
sage Douban, Allah had spared him. But he refused
to spare the sage, therefore Allah destroyed him, and
thou Afrite, if thou hadst spared me, Allah had spared
thee, and I had spared thee. But thou desiredst my
death, therefore will I put thee to death, imprisoned in
this bottle, and will throw thee here into the sea."

The Afrite, upon this, cried out: "I conjure thee by
Allah, O fisherman, that thou do it not! Spare me in
generosity, and be not angry with me for what I did)
Display humanity and liberate me, and I vow to thee
that I will never do thee harm, but, on the contrary,
I will enrich thee forever!"

Upon this the fisherman bound the Afrite by oaths
and vows, and made him swear by the Most Great
Name of Allah, that he would do him no harm. Then
the fisherman opened the bottle and the smoke ascended
and collected, and became as before an Afrite of hideous
form, and the Afrite kicked the bottle into the sea.
When the fisherman saw this he was filled with fear,
but the Afrite laughed, and walking on before him^

The Arabian Nights 17

said: "0 fisherman, follow me." The fisherman did so,
not believing in his escape. They quitted the neigh-
bourhood of the city, and ascended a mountain, and
descended into a wide desert tract, in the midst of
which was a lake of water. Here the Af rite stopped and
ordered the fisherman to cast his net and take some fish.

And the fisherman looking into the lake saw in it
fish of different colours, white and red and blue and
yellow. He cast his net, and drew it in, and found in
it four fish, each of a different colour. The Afrite then
said: "Take them to the Sultan, and present them to
him, and he will give thee what will enrich thee. At
present I know of no other way of rewarding thee,
having been in the sea a thousand and eight hundred
years, and not having seen the surface of the earth
until now. Take not the fish from the lake more than
once each day, and now I commend thee to the care
of Allah." Having said thus he struck the earth with
his foot, and it clove asunder, and swallowed him.

The fisherman then went back to the city, and going
up unto the King he presented him with the fish. The
King in return gave him four hundred pieces of gold,
and the fisherman took them in his lap, and returned
to his wife joyful and happy. The King was excessively
astonished at the fish, for he had never seen any like
them in the course of his life, and he said: "Give these
to the slave cook-maid and bid her prepare them for
me." Now this maid had been sent as a present to him
by the Kjng of the Grecians, three days before, and he
had not yet tried her skill. The Vizier therefore gave
her the fish and ordered her to fry them.

The cook-maid took the fish, cleaned them, and
arranged them in the frying-pan, and left them until

1 8 The Arabian Nights

one side was cooked, and turned them over on the other
side. And, lo, the wall of the kitchen clove asunder,
and there came forth from it a tall damsel, smooth-
cheeked and beautiful in countenance, wearing on her
head a blue handkerchief, and rings in her ears, and
bracelets on her wrists, and rings set with precious
jewels on her fingers. She dipped the end of a rod in the
frying-pan and said: "O fish, O fish, are ye remaining
faithful to your covenant?" The fish raised their
heads from the frying-pan and answered:

"Yes, yes! If thou return, we return. If thou come, we
come.
If thou forsake, we verily do the same."

Then the damsel overturned the frying-pan and de-
parted by the way she had entered, and the wall of the
kitchen closed up again.

The cook-maid, terrified, arose, and, behold, the
four fish were burnt like charcoal! As she sat reproach-
ing herself, the Vizier approached and said to her:
"Bring the fish to the Sultan." And the maid wept and
told him what had happened. The Vizier was aston-
ished, and sending for the fisherman ordered him to
bring four more fish like the others.

The fisherman accordingly went to the lake, and
threw his net, and, when he had drawn it, found in it
four fish as before. He took them to the Vizier who
went with them to the maid, and bade her fry them in
his presence. The maid prepared the fish, and put
them in the frying-pan, left them until one side was
cooked, then turned them over . In a little while the
wall clove asunder, and the damsel appeared, clad as
before, and holding the rod. She dipped the end of the
rod into the frying-pan, and said: "O fish, O fish, are

The Arabian Nights 19

ye remaining faithful to your convenant?" The fish
raised their heads and answered as before:

"Yes, yes! If thou return, we return. If thou come, we
come.
If thou forsake, we verily do the same.'*

And the damsel overturned the frying-pan with the
rod and returned by the way she had entered, and
the wall closed up again.

The Vizier astonished went to the King, and informed
him of what had happened. The King said: "I must
see with mine own eyes." He sent therefore to the
fisherman commanding him to bring four fish like the
former. The next day the fisherman repaired to the
lake, and brought the fish hence to the King, who gave
him again four hundred pieces of gold. The King then
ordered the Vizier to cook the fish in his presence, and
he replied: "I hear and obey."

The Vizier brought the frying-pan, and, after he had
cleaned the fish, he threw them into it. As soon as he
had turned them over, the wall clove asunder, and there
came forth from it a negro, as big as a bull, holding in
his hand a branch of a green tree, and he said in a
terrible voice: "O fish, O fish, are ye remaining faithful
to your covenant.? " And the fish raised their heads and
answered :

"Yes, yes! If thou return, we return. If thou come, we
come.
If thou forsake, we verily do the same."

The black then approached the frying-pan and over-
turned it, and the fish became like charcoal, and he
went away through the wall, which closed again as
before.

2 0 The Arabian Nights

Then said the Ejng: "There must be some strange
tale connected with these fish." So he sent for the
fisherman and asked him whence the fish came. "From
a lake between four mountains," the fisherman an-
swered, "about half an hour's journey from this city."
At this the King was astonished, and ordering his
troops, he set out immediately with them and the fisher-
man. They ascended the mountain and descended into
a wide valley tract, which they had never seen before in
all their lives. And between four mountains was a
lake, and in it fish red and white and yellow and blue.
The King paused in astonishment, and said to his
troops: "Have any of you seen this lake before.? " They
all answered: "No." Then said the King: "Verily, I will
not enter my city, nor will I sit upon my throne, until I
know the true history of this lake and of its fish."

And having called for his Vizier, the King gave him
charge of all the troops. He then disguised himself,
and slung on his sword, and departed secretly by night.
He journeyed night and day for the space of two days,
when there appeared in the distance a black object.
He approached, and found it to be a palace built of
black stone, overlaid with iron. One of the leaves of its
door was open, the other shut.

The King knocked gently, but heard no answer.
He knocked a second and a third time, but again heard
no answer. He knocked a fourth time with violence,
but no one answered. Thinking the palace was empty,
he took courage, and entered the passage, and passed
into the court which was in the midst of the palace,
and he found no one there. The court was magnifi-
cently furnished, and in the centre was a fountain with
four lions of red gold, which poured forth water from

The Arabian Nights 2 i

their mouths, hke pearls and jewels. Around the foun-
tain were birds and over the top of the court was ex-
tended a net, which prevented their flying out. But he
saw no person whom he could ask about the lake, and
the fish, and the mountain, and the palace.

While he was reflecting upon these things, he heard
a voice of lamentation, and sorrow, which proceeded
from the direction of a curtain suspended before the
door of a chamber. He raised the curtain and beheld
a young man sitting on a sofa. He was a handsome
youth, of pleasant voice and rosy cheeks, and was clad
in a vest of silk embroidered with gold. The King
saluted him, and the young man returned the saluta-
tion, saying: "O my master, excuse my not rising!"
"0 youth," answered the King, "tell me the meaning
of the lake, and of its fish of various colours, and of
this palace, and of the reason of thy being alone, and
of thy lamentation!"

When the young man heard these words he wept
bitterly. He stretched forth his hand, and lifted up the
skirts of his clothes, and, lo, half of him, from his waist
to the soles of his feet, was stone. He then said : " Know,
O King, that the story of the fish is extraordinary!"
and he related as follows:

THE STORY OF THE YOUNG KING
OF THE BLACK ISLES

MY father was king of the city which was situated
here. His name was Mahmoud, and he was lord
of the Black Isles, and of the four mountains. After
a reign of seventy years he died, and I succeeded to hia

2 2 The Arabian Nights

throne. Whereupon I took as my wife the daughter of
my uncle, and we hved together happily for five years.

One day my wife went to the bath. I commanded
the cook to prepare the supper, and entered this palace
and lay down to sleep. I had ordered two maids to
fan me, and one of them sat at my head and the other
at my feet. But I was restless and could not sleep, my
eyes were closed, but my spirit was awake, and I heard
the maid at my head say to her at my feet: "Verily our
lord is unfortunate, and what a pity it is that he should
have such a wicked wife! For every night when he
drinketh his cup of wine, she putteth a sleeping potion
into it, in consequence he sleepeth so soundly that he
knoweth not what happeneth. After she hath given
him the wine to drink, she dresseth herself, and goeth
out, and is absent until daybreak. When she returneth,
she burneth a perfume under his nose, and he waketh
from his sleep."

When I heard these words, the light became darkness
before my face, and I was overcome with horror. My
wife returned from the bath, the table was prepared,
and we ate and drank as usual. I then called for the
wine which I was accustomed to drink before I lay
down to sleep. She handed me the cup, but I turned
away, and, pretending to drink it, poured it into my
bosom, and immediately lay down, and closed my
eyes. Then said she: "Sleep on! I wish that thou
wouldst never wake again! I abhor thee, and abhor
thy person, and my soul is weary of thy company!**

She then arose and attired herself in her most mag-
nificent apparel, and having perfumed herself, and
fllung on her sword, opened the door of the palace and
went out. I got up immediately, and followed her

The Arabian Nights 23

through the streets to the city gates. She pronounced
some words which I understood not, and the locks
fell off, and the gates opened. She went out, I still
following her without her knowledge. She proceeded
until she came to a building, made of mud, and having
a dome. She entered and I climbed upon the roof of the
building, and, looking down through an aperture,
I beheld there a black slave, whose large lips, one of
which overlapped the other, gathered up the sand from
the pebbly floor, while he lay upon a few stalks of sugar-
cane.

My wife entered, and kissed the ground before this
slave, and he raised his head towards her and said:
"Woe unto thee, thou miserable woman! Wherefore
hast thou remained away until this hour? Prepare me
something to eat. Uncover the dough-pan. It con-
tains some cooked rats' bones. Bring to me then the
earthen pot of barley-beer."

So she arose, and uncovered the dough-pan, and gave
him to eat of the cooked rats' bones, and brought to
him the earthen pot of barley-beer, and she waited on
him like a slave. When I saw her do this I became filled
with rage. I descended from the roof of the building,
entered, concealed my face in my cloak, and lifting my
sword, I struck the slave a blow upon his neck. I
thought I had killed him, but the blow instead of sever-
ing his neck, only cut the gullet and skin and flesh.
When I thought that I had disposed of him I returned
to my palace, and lay down upon my bed.

On the following day, I observed that my wife had
cut off her hair and put on mourning apparel, and she
said to me: "O my husband, blame me not for what I
do, for I have received news that my mother is dead.

2 4 The Arabian Nights

and that my father hath been slain, and that one of my
two brothers hath died of a poisonous sting, and the
other by the fall of a house. It is natural, therefore, that
I should weep and mourn ! " Accordingly she continued
mourning and weeping and wailing a whole year. After
which she said to me: "I wish to build in thy palace
a tomb, that I may repair thither to mourn alone."
I replied: "Do what thou seest fit."

So she built a tomb, after which she removed thither
the slave, and there she lodged him. He was exces-
sively weak, for from the day on which I had wounded
him, he had never spoken. My wife visited him every
day, to weep and mourn over him, and took him wine
to drink and boiled meats. When I discovered this I
entered her apartment with a drawn sword in my hand,
and I was about to strike off her head, but she arose and
standing before me, pronounced some words which I
understood not, and said: "May Allah by means of my
enchantment make thee to be half of stone and half of
flesh." Whereupon I became as thou seest, unable to
move, neither dead nor alive! She enchanted the city
and its markets and fields. The inhabitants of our
city were Mohammetans, and Christians, and Jews, and
Magians, and she transformed them into fish. The
white are Mohammetans, the red the Magians, the blue
the Christians, and the yellow the Jews. She also trans-
formed the four islands into four mountains and placed
them around the lake. Every day she tortures me,
inflicting upon me a hundred lashes with a leather whip,
until the blood flows from my wounds. Having said
thus the young man wept and lamented aloud.

The King on hearing this story was filled with rage.
He arose and slung on his sword, and went to the place

The Arabian Nights 25

where the slave lay. After remarking the candles and
lamps and perfumes and ointments, he approached the
slave, and with a blow of his sword slew him. He then
carried him on his back, and threw him into a well,
which he found in the palace. Returning to the tomb,
he clad himself in the slave's clothes, and lay down with
the drawn sword by his side.

Soon after the vile enchantress came to her husband,
and having pulled off his clothes, took the whip and
regardless of his cries beat him. She then put on his
garments, and repaired to the slave with a cup of wine
and a bowl of boiled meat. Entering the tomb she
wept and wailed, exclaiming: "O my master, answer me!
O my master, speak to me ! " Upon this the King speak-
ing in a low voice ejaculated: "Ah, ah, there is no
strength nor power but in Allah!" On hearing these
words she screamed with joy, exclaiming: "Possibly
my master is restored to health!" The King again
lowering his voice, replied: "Thou wretched woman!
Thou deservest not that I should address thee because
all day long thou tormentest thy husband, while he
calleth out and imploreth the aid of Allah." "Then,
with thy permission," she replied, "I will liberate him
from his sufferings." "Liberate him," said the King,
**and return here to me."

She replied: "I hear and obey," and immediately
arose, and, taking a cup of water, pronounced certain
words over it, upon which it began to boil like a caul-
dron. She then went to her husband, sprinkled some
of it upon him, saying: "By virtue of what I have
uttered, be changed from stone to flesh!" And in-
stantly he shook, and stood upon his feet rejoicing in
his liberation. And she cried out in his face: "D^

2 6 The Arabian Nights

part, and return not hither, or I will kill thee!" And
he departed.

She returned to the tomb and said: "O my master,
I have accomplished thy desire. Come forth to me
that I may see thee." "The people of this city," the
King replied, "are still enchanted. Every night, at the
middle hour, the fish raise their heads, and imprecate
vengeance upon thee. Liberate them, then come and
take my hand and raise me." On hearing these words
she sprang up full of happiness, and hastened to the
lake, where taking a little of the water she pronounced
some words over it, whereupon the fish raised their
heads, and immediately became men again. The
enchantment was removed from the city, and the
mountains also became changed into islands as they
were at first.

The enchantress returned to the King, whom she
still imagined to be the slave, and said to him: "O my
beloved, stretch forth thy honoured hand that I may
kiss it!" But the King having his keen-edged sword
ready in his hand, thrust it into her bosom, and clove
her in twain.

He then went forth, and found the young man who
had been enchanted, waiting for his return. The young
Prince kissed his hand and thanked him, then said the
King, " Wilt thou remain in thy city or come with me to
my capital V " O King of the age," answered the young
man, " dost thou know that between thee and thy city
is a distance of a year's journey.? Thou camest in two
days and a half only because the city was enchanted.
But, O King, I will never quit thee for the twinkling of
an eye!"

The King rejoiced at his words and said, "Praise be

The Arabian Nights 27

to Allah, who hath given thee to me! Thou art my son,
for I have never been blessed with a son!" And they
embraced each other. The young Prince, who had been
enchanted, then went to his palace, arranged the affairs
of his kingdom and prepared everything needful for a
journey, and he departed with the King, whose heart
burned with desire to see again his own country.

They continued their journey night and day for a
whole year until they drew near to the city of the Bang.
The Vizier and the troops, who had lost all hopes of his
return, came forth joyfully to meet him, and he en-
tered his city and sat upon his throne.

And when all things were restored to order, the
King said to his Vizier: "Bring hither the fisherman who
presented to me the fish." So the fisherman came, and
the King invested him with a dress of honour, and asked
if he had any children. The fisherman informed him
that he had a son and two daughters. The King on
hearing this took as his wife one of the daughters, and
the young Prince married the other. The King also
conferred upon the son the oflBce of treasurer. He then
sent the Vizier to the city of the young prince, the
capital of the Black Isles, and invested him with its
sovereignty. As to the fisherman he became the wealth-
iest of the people of his age, and his daughters continued
to be the wives of the King and the Prince until they
died.

"But this," added Sheherazade, "is not more won-
derful than what happened to the porter."

Chapter II

STORY OF THE PORTER AND THE

LADIES OF BAGDAD AND THE

THREE ROYAL MENDICANTS

THERE was in the days of the Caliph Haroun
Er Raschid a man who was a porter of the
city of Bagdad, and one day as he sat in
the market, rechning against his crate, there
came to him a lady wrapped in a mantle of gold em-
broidered silk, with a border of gold lace. She raised
her face-veil and displayed beneath it a pair of black
eyes with long lashes, and features of perfect beauty.
She said, with a sweet voice: "Bring thy crate and fol-
low me."

The porter took up his crate and followed her to a
shop, where she bought for a piece of gold a quantity of
olives and two large vessels of wine, which she placed
in the crate, saying to the porter: "Take it up and
follow me." He took up the crate and followed her to
the shop of a fruiterer where she bought Syrian apples,
and Othmanee quinces, and peaches of Oman, and
jasmine of Aleppo, and water-lilies of Damascus, and
Sultanee citrons, and cucumbers and limes of the Nile.
She bought also sweet-scented myrtle, and sprigs of the
henna-tree, and chamomile, anemonies, violets, and

The Arabian Nights 29

pomegranate-flowers and eglantine. All these she put
into the porter's crate, and said to him: "Take it up,
and follow me."

So he took it up and followed her until she stopped
at the shop of a butcher, to whom she said: "Cut oflf
ten pounds of meat." The butcher cut it ofT for her,
and she wrapped it in a banana leaf, and put it in the
crate, and said again: "Take it up, O porter." He did
so, and followed her to the shop of a confectioner, where
she bought a dish and filled it with sweets of every
kind, and put it into the crate. Then said the porter,
"If thou hadst told me beforehand I would hav?
brought a mule to carry all these things!" The ladj-
smiled at this remark, and next stopped at a perfumer's,
where she bought ten kinds of scented waters, rose-water,
orange-flower-water, willow-flower-water, together with
sugar, and a sprinkling-bottle of rose-water infused with
musk. She bought also frankincense, aloes-wood, am-
bergris, and musk, and wax candles, and placing these in
the crate she said: "Take up thy crate, and follow me."

The porter, therefore, took up his crate, and followed
her until she came to a handsome and lofty house, with
an ebony door, overlaid with plates of red gold. The
lady knocked, whereupon the door was opened by a
portress, who was a damsel tall and fair and beautiful
and of elegant form, with a forehead like the bright
new moon, eyes like those of gazelles, cheeks like
anemonies, and a mouth like the seal of Solomon.
When the porter beheld her he was overcome by her
beauty, and the crate nearly fell from his head.

The portress, standing within the door said to the
cateress and the porter: "Ye are welcome." And they
entered, and followed her into a spacious saloon, dec-

30 The Arabian Nights

orated with various colours, and carved wood-work,
and fountains, and benches, and closets with curtains
hanging before them. At the upper end of the saloon
was a sofa of alabaster, inlaid with large pearls and
jewels, with a curtain of red satin suspended over it,
and on this sofa was seated a young lady of the most
extraordinary beauty.

This third lady, rising from the sofa, advanced with
a slow and elegant gait to the middle of the saloon.
"0 my sisters," said she, "why stand ye still.'* Lift
down the burden from the head of this poor porter."
Then the cateress placed herself before him, and the
portress behind him, and the third lady assisting them,
they lifted the crate down from his head. They then
took the things out of the crate and gave the porter two
pieces of gold, saying, "Depart, O porter."

But the porter stood looking at the ladies and ad-
miring their beauty, for he had never seen any more
handsome. When he saw that they had not a man
among them, and when he gazed on the wine and
fruits and sweet-scented flowers, he was full of astonish-
ment, and hesitated to go out. Then said one of the
ladies to him: "Why dost thou not go.'* Is thy hire too
httle?" "Verily, O my mistress," exclaimed the
porter, "I am satisfied with my hire, but I wonder at
seeing no man among you, to amuse you with his
company. Ye are three only and have need of a fourth,
who should be a man of sense, discreet, and a concealer
of secrets." " We are maidens," they replied, " who fear
to impart our secret to him who will not keep it, for we
have read in a certain book this verse :

* Guard thy secret from another, intrust it not.
For he who intrusteth a secret hath lost it.' "

The Arabian Nights 31

"By your existence," said the porter, "I am a man of
sense and act in accordance with the saying of the poet :

* A secret is with me as a house with a lock.
Whose key is lost and whose door is sealed.' "

When the ladies heard these words they consulted
together and then said to the porter: "Stay, thou art
welcome, but first read what is inscribed upon the
door." Accordingly he went to the door and found
written upon it in letters of gold.

Speak not of that which concerns thee not!
Lest thou hear that which will not please thee!

Then said the porter: "Bear witness to my promise
that I will not speak of that which does not concern
me."

The cateress arose, and prepared the table by the
pool of the fountain. She strained the wine and ar-
ranged the bottles, and lighted the candles and burned
some aloes-wood. She made ready the feast and they
sat down to the table, the porter, sitting with them,
thinking that he was in a dream !

While they were eating and drinking they heard a
knock at the door, and, lo, there stood without three
foreigners, each blind of the left eye, and they begged a
night's lodging. The ladies consulted together, then
the mistress of the house said: "Let them enter on con-
dition that they speak not of that which concerns them
not, lest they hear that which will not please them."

So the portress brought in the three men, each blind
of one eye, and being mendicants they drew back and
saluted, but the ladies arose, and seated them, and
handed to them food and drink. When they were satis-

32 The Arabian Nights

fied the portress brought a tambourine, a lute and a
Persian harp, and the mendicants arose, one took the
tambourine, another the lute and the third the harp,
and they played, while the ladies accompanied them
with songs. While they were thus amusing themselves
somebody knocked at the door, and the portress went
to see who was there. Now the cause of the knocking
was this.

The Caliph Haroun Er Raschid had gone forth this
night in search of adventure, accompanied by Jaafar
his Vizier and Mesrour his chief executioner. He was
disguised as a merchant, and as he went through the
city he happened to pass the house of these ladies and
hearing the sound of music and jollity he said to Jaafar,
"I wish to enter this house, and to see who is giving this
concert." Jaafar therefore knocked at the door, and
when the portress opened it, he begged for food and a
night's lodging. The portress seeing them dressed like
merchants and that they had a respectable air, re-
turned, and consulted her sisters, and they said: "Admit
them."

So the Caliph entered, with Jaafar and Mesrour, and
the ladies saluted them saying: "Welcome are our
guests, but we have a condition to impose upon you,
that ye speak not of that which concerns you not, lest
ye hear that which will not please you." "Good,"
they answered, "we accept the condition."

And they all sat down to feast and make merry.
And the ladies brought wine to the Caliph, but he drew
back and refused it, saying: "I drink not wine for I
have a vow." Whereupon the portress spread before
him an embroidered cloth, and placed upon it a china
bottle of willow-flower-water. She added to it a lump

The Arabian Nights 33

of ice, and sweetened it with sugar. The Caliph thanked
her, and said to himself: "To-morrow I will reward
her for this kind act."

After a while the mistress of the house arose, and said
to the cateress: "Arise, O my sister, and let us fulfil our
debt." The cateress left the saloon, and soon returned
leading two black hounds, with chains around their
necks. She dragged them into the midst of the saloon,
and the mistress of the house tucked up her sleeves
above her wrist, and taking a whip, fell to beating one
of the hounds who whined, and howled and shed tears.
Then the lady threw down the whip, and pressed the
hound to her bosom, and wiped away its tears, and
kissed its head. She then said to the cateress: "Take
her back, and give me the other." And she whipped it
even as she had whipped the first.

The mistress of the house then seated herself upon a
sofa of alabaster, overlaid with gold and silver, and said
to the portress and cateress: "Now perform your parts."
The portress seated herself upon the sofa, and the cater-
ess brought from a closet a bag of satin, with green
fringe, and took from it a lute. She tuned the lute, and
played upon it a plaintive air accompanying it with a
song, and as soon as the portress heard the song, she
cried out, rent her clothes, and fell fainting on the
floor, and the Caliph perceived upon her bosom marks
of beatings. The cateress sprinkled rose-water on her
face and she recovered.

The Caliph was filled with astonishment at all he
saw, and said to Jaafar: "Seest thou this woman, and
the marks of beatings upon her.? Verily I cannot
keep silence, nor rest, until I know the history of this
damsel and of the two hounds." But Jaafar replied:

34 The Arabian Nights

"O my lord, these damsels have made us vow that we
would not speak of that which concerned us not, lest
we should hear that which would not please us!" The
Caliph then turned to the mendicants and said: "Are
ye of this house?" "No," they answered, "we thought
that this house belonged to the man who is sitting with
thee." But at this the porter exclaimed: "Verily, I
have never seen this place before to-night! I wish
that I had passed the night among the mounds, rather
than here!" Then the men all consulted together and
said : " We are seven men, and they are but three women,
therefore we will force them to tell us their history."
And they all agreed to this except Jaafar. "This is not
right or honourable," he said, "for we are their guests,
and they made a covenant with us that we should not
ask concerning what we saw." Words followed words,
at last it was decided that the porter should question
the ladies.

The porter approached the mistress of the house and
said: "O my mistress, I ask thee and conjure thee, by
Allah, that thou tellest us the story of these two hounds,
and why thy sister bears the scars of beatings." The
lady turned to the other men, and inquired: "Did ye
bid him ask this?" They answered: "Yes," excepting
Jaafar, who was silent. Then the mistress of the house
became filled with anger, and she tucked up her sleeve
above her wrist, and struck the floor three times, and
immediately a door opened and there rushed forth from
it seven black slaves, each having in his hand a drawn
sword. The lady said to them: "Tie behind them the
hands of these men of many words. But give them a
short respite, until I have inquired of them their his-
tories, before ye behead them." And the black slaves

The Arabian Nights 35

threw the men to the ground and bound their hands
behind them.

"By Allah, O my mistress," exclaimed the porter, "kill
me not for the offence of others ! Verily our night would
have been pleasant, if it had not been for these men-
dicants, whose presence is enough to convert a well-
peopled city into a heap of ruins ! And as the poet says :

* How good it is to pardon one able to resist!
How much better to pardon one who is helpless!' "

On hearing these words the lady's anger changed to
laughter, and turning to the Caliph and Jaafar she
said: "Were ye not persons of high distinction, I would
behead you immediately. But each of the others shall
relate his story, and the cause of his coming to our
abode, and then go his way in peace and safety!"
The first to advance was the porter, who said: "O my
mistress, I am a porter. This cateress loaded me and
brought me here. This is my story, and peace be on
thee." Then said the lady: "Go in peace!" "Nay,"
answered the porter, "I will not go until I have heard
the stories of my companions." The first mendicant
then advanced and related as follows :

STORY OF THE FIRST ROYAL MEN-
DICANT—THE LOST TOMB

17' NOW, O my mistress, that the cause of my hav-
AV ing lost my eye is this: My father was a King,
and he had a brother who was also a King. It happened
that I was bom on the same day that the son of my
uncle was born, and years and days passed away until
we attained to manhood.

36 The Arabian Nights

Now it was my custom to visit my uncle yearly, and
to remain with him several months. On one of these
occasions my uncle was absent, and my cousin paid me
great honour. He slaughtered sheep for me, and strained
the wine, and we sat down to feast. Then said my
cousin: "O son of my uncle, wilt thou assist me in
a great afiFair? I beg that thou wilt not oppose me in
that which I desire to do!" and he made me swear
to him with great oaths that I would aid him to at-
tain his desire. Rising immediately he absented him-
self for a while, and then returned, followed by a
woman veiled and magnificently dressed. He said to
me: "Take this woman to the burial-ground, and wait
there for me."

I could not oppose him, or refuse to comply with his
request, on account of the oaths I had sworn, so I
took the woman, and went with her to the burial-
ground. When we had sat there a short time, my
cousin came, bearing a basin of water, and a bag of
plaster, and a small adze. Going to a tomb in the midst
of the burial-ground, he pried apart the stones and dug
up the earth with the adze, and uncovered a flat stone,
under which was a vaulted staircase. He then looked
towards me and said: "O son of my uncle, when I have
descended into this place, replace the trap-door and the
earth above it as they were before. Do thou then
knead together the plaster in this bag and the water in
this basin, and plaster the stones of the tomb, so that
no man may know that it hath been opened. For a
whole year I have been preparing this place, and no one
knew of it but Allah! May Allah never deprive thy
friends of thy presence! Farewell, O son of mine
uncle!" And having uttered these words, he took the

The Arabian Nights 37

woman by the hand, and together they descended the
stairs.

When they had disappeared, I replaced the trap-door,
doing as my cousin had ordered me, until the tomb was
restored to the state in which it was at first. After
which I returned to the palace of mine uncle, who was
still absent on a hunting excursion. I slept that night,
and when morning came I repented of what I had done
for my cousin, but repentance was of no avail. I went
out to the burial-ground, and searched for the tomb,
but could not discover it. I ceased not my search until
the approach of night, but not finding the place, re-
turned to the palace. I neither ate nor drank. My
heart was troubled respecting my cousin, since I knew
not what had become of him, and I fell into excessive
grief, I passed the night sorrowful until morning, and
went again to the burial-ground, where I searched
among all the tombs, but I could not find the one for
which I looked. My grief increased until I almost
went mad, so I departed and returned to my father's
country.

On my arrival at his capital, a party of men at the
city-gate, sprang upon me, and bound me. I was
struck with utmost astonishment and excessive fear
for I was the son of the Sultan of that city, and the
men who bound me were the servants of my father.
I asked the cause of this conduct, and one of them who
had been my servant said: "Fortune hath betrayed thy
father! The troops have been false to him, and his
Vizier hath killed him, and we were lying in wait to
take thee." And the men took me bound before the
Vizier.

Now the Vizier hated me, and the cause of his enmity

38 The Arabian Nights

was this: as a boy I was fond of shooting with the cross-
bow. It happened one day that as I was standing on
the roof of my palace, a bird ahghted on the roof of the
palace of the Vizier who was standing there at that
time. I aimed at the bird, but the bullet missed it and
struck the eye of the Vizier, and knocked it out. When
I had thus put out his eye he could say nothing, because
my father was King of the city. This was the cause of
the enmity between him and me.

I stood before the Vizier with my hands bound, and
he pointed to the place where his eye had been, and said:
"If thou didst this unintentionally, I will do the same
to thee purposely!" And he thrust hi^ finger into my
left eye, and pulled it out. He then placed me bound in
a chest, and said to the executioner, "Take this fellow,
and convey him without the city, and put him to
death with thy sword, and let the wild beasts devour
him."

Accordingly the executioner went forth with me from
the city, and having taken me from the chest, bound
hand and foot, was about to bandage my eye, and kill
me. Whereupon I wept and besought him to save me.
He had served my father, and I had shown kindness to
him, so he said: "Depart with thy life, and return not
to this country, lest thou perish, and cause me to perish
with thee." As soon as he had said this I kissed his
hands, and fled from his presence.

I journeyed to my uncle's capital, and presenting
myself before him, informed him of the death of my
father, and of the manner in which I had lost my eye.
Upon this he wept bitterly, saying: "Thou hast added
to my trouble and grief, for thy cousin has been lost
for some days, and I know not what hath happened

The Arabian Nights 39

to him!" Seeing his grief I could no longer keep silence
respecting my cousin, so I informed him of all that had
happened.

My uncle on hearing this news rejoiced exceedingly.
"Show me the tomb," he said. "By Allah, O my
uncle," I replied, "I know not where it is. I searched
for it several times, but could not recognize its place."
Whereupon my uncle and I went together to the burial-
ground, and looking to the right and left, lo, I dis-
covered it.

When we had removed the earth, and lifted up
the trap-door, we entered the tomb. We descended
fifty steps, and arriving at the bottom of the stairs,
there issued a smoke from the tomb that nearly blinded
our eyes, whereupon my uncle exclaimed: "There is
no strength, nor power but in Allah, the High, the
Great!" and we proceeded further, and found ourselves
in a saloon, filled with flour and grain and different
kinds of food. A curtain was suspended over a couch,
my uncle lifted the curtain, and found there his son,
and the woman who had descended with him, con-
verted into black charcoal, as if they had been thrown
into a pit of fire.

When my uncle saw this spectacle, he spat in his
son's face and exclaimed: "This is what thou deservest,
O wretch!" and struck him with his shoes. Astonished
at this action, and grieved for my cousin, I said: "O my
uncle, what is this that hath happened to thy son?
And why are he and the damsel converted into black
charcoal.'*" "O son of my brother," he replied, "know
that this my son loved an evil enchantress, and wished
to marry her, and I forbade the marriage. But the
Devil got possession of him, and he made this place

40 The Arabian Nights

beneath the ground, and stocked it with the provisions
thou seest here. He then took advantage of my absence
and married the evil woman, and brought her here.
But the fire of truth hath consumed them, and con-
verted them into charcoal, and the punishment of the
world to come will be more severe and lasting!"

We then ascended, and, having replaced the trap-
door, and the earth above it, returned to our abode.
Scarcely had we seated ourselves in the palace, when we
heard the sound of drums and trumpets. Warriors
galloped about, and the air was filled with dust, and,
lo, the Vizi^er who had slain my father, had come with
his army to assault the city unawares. The inhabitants
not being able to withstand, submitted to him.

Knowing that if the Vizier should see me he would
kill and destroy me, I shaved off my beard, and put
on the garments of a mendicant, and came hither, to
this Abode of Peace, in the hope that some one would
introduce me to the Prince of the Faithful, the Caliph
of the Lord of all creatures, that I might relate to him
my story. I arrived in this city to-night, and as I
stood perplexed, not knowing where to turn, I saw this
mendicant and joined him. So we walked on together,
and darkness overtook us, and Destiny directed us to
thy abode.

The lady, having heard the story ot the first royal
mendicant, said to him: "Depart and go thy way in
peace!" But he rephed: "I will not depart until I
have heard the stories of the others."

The second mendicant then advanced, and having
kissed the ground, began his story.

The Arabian Nights 41

STORY OF THE SECOND ROYAL MEN-
DICANT-THE LEARNED APE

I WAS not born with only one eye. I am a King
and the son of a King. I studied the science of
the stars, and the writings of the poets, and, under the
tuition of learned professors, I made myself proficient
in all the sciences. I surpassed the people of my age!
My handwriting was extolled by all scribes, and my
fame spread among all countries, and my history among
all Kings.

The King of India, hearing of me, sent gifts and
curious presents, and requested my father to allow
me to visit him. My father therefore prepared for me
six ships, and I embarked with my attendants. We
sailed for six months, after which we came to land, and,
having disembarked, we loaded ten camels with presents
and commenced our journey. Soon there appeared a
cloud of dust, which rose and spread until it filled the
air. When it cleared we saw approaching us rapidly
sixty horsemen, like fierce lions, whom we perceived
to be Arab highwaymen. When they saw that we were
a small company, and that we had ten loads of presents
for the King of India, they galloped towards us, pointing
their weapons at us. They attacked us, and slew some
of the young men, and the rest fled. I also fled after
receiving a severe wound, while the Arabs remained
and took possession of the treasure and presents.

I proceeded not knowing whither to direct my steps,
until I arrived at the summit of a mountain, where I
took refuge in a cavern until the next morning. I then

42 The Arabian Nights

resumed my journey and arrived at a flourishing city.
I entered and saw a tailor sitting in his shop. I saluted
him and he returned my salutation, and welcomed me,
and asked me the reason of my having come hither.
I acquainted him with all that had befallen me from
first to last, and he was grieved for me, and said: "O
young man, reveal not thy case to any one, for I fear
what the King of this city might do to thee, since he is
the greatest of thy father's enemies."

The tailor then placed food and drink before me, and
we ate together. I remained with him for three days.
Then as I knew no trade or occupation, by which to
earn my bread, the tailor bought for me an axe and a
rope, and sent me with a party of wood-cutters to cut
firewood in the desert. Accordingly I went forth with
them, and cut some wood, and brought back a load
upon my head, and sold it for half a piece of gold.

Thus I continued to do for the space of a year. One
day I went into the desert, according to my custom.
I came to a tree around which I dug. As I was remov-
ing the earth from its roots, the axe struck against a
ring of brass, and I cleared away the earth from it, and
found that it was fastened to a trap-door of wood. I
lifted the trap-door, and beneath it was a staircase.
I descended, and at the bottom I passed through a
door into a palace, strongly constructed, where I found
a lady as beautiful as a pearl of great price.

When the lady saw me she exclaimed: "Art thou a
man or a Genie.''" I answered her: "I am a man."
"And who," she asked, "hath brought thee to this
place, in which I have lived for five and twenty years
without ever seeing a human being.'*" Her words
sounded sweetly to me and I related to her my story

The Arabian Nights 43

from beginning to end. She was grieved at my case and
wept and said: "I also will acquaint thee with my story."

"Know then," said the lady, "that I am the daughter
of the King of India, the Lord of the Ebony Island. My
father married me to the son of my uncle, and on my
wedding night, the Afrite, Jarjarees, a descendant of the
accursed Eblis, carried me off, and soaring with me
through the air, alighted in this place, to which he
conveyed ornaments, garments, linen, furniture and
food and drink. Once in every ten days he visiteth me.
If I desire to see him at any other time, I touch with
my hand the lines inscribed on this cabinet, and as
soon as I remove my hand he is before me."

After this the lady took me by the hand and con-
ducted me through an arched door into a small and
elegant apartment. Here she seated me by her side
upon a mattress, and served sherbet of sugar infused
with musk, and she then placed food before me, and we
ate and drank together. I had never seen the like of
her in my whole life, and I was filled with joy, and said
to her: "Shall I take thee up from this subterranean
palace? Shall I release thee from this Genie? Verily
I will instantly demolish this cabinet upon which is the
inscription, and let the Afrite come, that I may kill
him!" The lady entreated me to refrain, but paying
no attention to her words, I kicked the cabinet with
violence, and immediately the lady exclaimed: "The
Afrite has come! Save thyself! Ascend by the way
that thou camest!"

In great fear I forgot my sandals and my axe, and
ascended the stairs, and turning around to look I saw
the ground open, and there arose from it an Afrite of
hideous aspect, who said: "Wherefore is this disturb-

44 The Arabian Nights

ance? What misfortune has befallen thee?" Then
looking about the palace to the right and left, he saw
the sandals and the axe. "Accursed woman," he
exclaimed in great rage, "these are the property of a
human being, who hath visited thee! Verily, I will
punish thee for thy disobedience!" So saying he began
to beat her with violence, after which he cut off her
head with his sword.

Not being able to endure her cries nor the sight of
her death, I ascended the stairs, overpowered with
fear, and arriving at the top, replaced the trap-door as
it was at first, and covered it over with earth. Re-
turning to my companion the tailor, I found him await-
ing me with great anxiety caused by my long absence.
I thanked him for his tender concern for me, and en-
tered my apartment. As I sat meditating upon what
had befallen me, and blaming myself for having kicked
the cabinet, the tailor came to me and said: "In the
shop is a foreigner who asks for thee, he has thine axe
and sandals." On hearing these words I turned pale
and trembled, but immediately the floor of my chamber
clove asunder, and there arose from it the stranger, and,
lo, he was the Afrite! He seized me, and soared with
me through the sky, to such a height that I beheld
the world beneath me as though it were a bowl of water.
Alighting upon a mountain, he took up a little dust,
and having muttered and pronounced certain words
over it, sprinkled me with it, saying: "Quit this form,
and take the form of an ape!" And instantly I became
an ape of a hundred years of age. And the Genie flew
away and left me.

When I saw myself changed to this form, I wept,
but determined to be patient under the tyranny of

The Arabian Nights 45

fortune. I descended from the summit of the mountain,
and after having journeyed for the space of a month,
arrived at the sea shore, and I saw a vessel in the midst
of the sea, with a favourable wind, approaching the land.
I hid myself behind a rock on the beach, and when the
ship came close by I sprang into the midst of it. But
as soon as the sailors and merchants on board saw me
they cried out: "Turn out this unlucky brute from the
ship! Kill him with the sword!" At this tears flowed
from my eyes, at the sight of which the captain took
compassion on me, and said to the passengers: "O
merchants, this ape hath sought my aid, and I will
give it to him. He is under my protection, let no one
therefore trouble him." The captain then treated me
with kindness and I became his servant.

We continued our journey for fifty days with a fair
wind, and cast anchor under a large city. When we
had moored our vessel there came to us some mem-
looks from the King of the city. They complimented
the merchants on their safe arrival, saying: "Our King
greeteth you, rejoicing in your safety. He hath sent
to you this roll of paper, desiring that each of you shall
write a fine upon it, for the King's Vizier, who was a
great scribe, is dead, and the King hath sworn that he
will not appoint any one to his office who cannot write
equally well."

Though I was in the form of an ape, I arose and
snatched the paper from their hands. Fearing that
I would tear it or throw it into the sea, they cried out
against me, and would have killed me, but the captain
said: "Suffer him to write, and if he write well I will
adopt him as my son, for I never saw a more intelligent
ape." So I took the pen and ink, and wrote in an

46 The Arabian Nights

epistolary hand, and in a more formal, large hand, and
in two different and smaller hands, and returned the
paper to the memlooks. They took it back to the
King, and the hand of no one pleased him except mine.
The memlooks then explained to him that I was an
ape, and the King was astonished at their words. He
shook with delight, and sent messengers to the ship with
a mule and a dress of honour, saying: "Purchase this
ape, and clothe him with this dress, and mount him
upon the mule and bring him hither."

So they brought me to the King, and I kissed the
ground before him three times, and the persons present
were astonished at my polite manners, especially the
King who presently ordered his people to retire. They
did so, none remaining but the Kjng, and a eunuch,
and a young memlook and myself. The King then
commanded that a repast should be brought, and they
placed before him delicious viands, and the King made
a sign to me that I should eat, whereupon I arose and,
having kissed the ground before him seven times, sat
down to eat with him. After the table was removed I
washed my hands, and taking the ink-case and the pen
and paper, I wrote two verses. The King looking at
what I had written was filled with astonishment. He
then sent for a chess-table. I advanced and arranged
the pieces, and I played with him twice, and beat him,
and the King was filled with wonder at my skill.

The King then said to the eunuch: "Go to thy mis-
tress, and tell her to come and see this wonderful ape ! '*
The eunuch went and returned with his mistress, the
King's daughter, who as soon as she saw me, veiled
her face, and said: "O my father, how is it that thou art
pleased to send for me, and suffer a strange man to see

The Arabian Nights 47

me!" "0 my daughter," answered the King, "there
is no one here but the young memlook, and the eunuch
who brought thee up, and this ape, with myself, thy
father. From whom then dost thou veil thy face?"
"This ape," she said, "is the son of a King whom the
Afrite, Jarjarees, the descendant of the accursed Eblis,
hath enchanted. This whom thou supposedst to be an
ape, is a learned and wise man."

The King was amazed at his daughter's words, and
said to her: "By what means didst thou discover that
he was enchanted?" "O my father," she answered,
"an old woman who was a cunning enchantress taught
me the art of enchantment. I know a hundred and
seventy modes of performing it, by the least of which I
could transport the stones of thy city beyond Mount
Kaf, which is at the end of the world, and make its
site to be an abyss of the sea, and convert its inhab-
itants into fish in the midst of it!" "I conjure thee,
then, in the name of Allah," said her father, "to restore
this young man that I may make him my Vizier."
"With pleasure, O my father!" replied the King's
daughter, and taking a knife upon which were en-
graved some Hebrew names, she marked with it a circle
on the floor. Within this she wrote names and talis-
mans, and soon the palace became immersed in a
fearful gloom, and, lo, the Afrite appeared before us in a
most hideous shape, with hands like winnowing-forks,
and legs like masts, and eyes like burning torches, so
that we were terrified at him.

The Afrite instantly assumed the form of a lion, and^
opening his mouth, rushed upon the lady. But she
plucked a hair from her head, and muttered with her
lips, and the hair became a piercing sword, with which

48 The Arabian Nights

she struck the Hon, and cleft him in twain by the blow,
but his head was changed into a scorpion. The lady
immediately transformed herself into an enormous
serpent, and crept after the scorpion. A sharp contest
ensued between them, and the scorpion became an
eagle, and the serpent changing into a vulture pursued
the eagle.

The latter then transformed himself into a black
cat, and the King's daughter became a wolf, and they
fought long and fiercely together, till the cat seeing
himself overcome changed himself into a large red
pomegranate which fell into a pool.

The wolf pursued the pomegranate which flew into
the air, and then fell upon the pavement of the palace,
and broke in pieces, and the grains were scattered all
about the palace. The wolf seeing this transformed
himself into a cock, and picked up the grains, all ex-
cept one which remained hidden by the side of the pool
of the fountain. The cock began to cry and flap his
wings, but when he saw the grain which had lain hid
by the side of the pool, he uttered a great cry and
pounced upon it, but the grain fell into the midst of
the water, and became a fish, and sank into the water.
The cock became a fish of a larger size and plunged in
after the other.

For a while the fish were absent from our sight, but
at length we heard a terrible cry, and the Afrite arose
as a fiame of fire, casting fire from his mouth, and fire
and smoke from his eyes and his nostrils. The King's
daughter also became a vast body of flame, and over-
took the Afrite, and blew fire in his face. Some sparks
struck us from both him and her; her sparks did us no
harm, but one from him struck me in my eye and

The Arabian Nights 49

destroyed it, and a spark from him reached the face of
the King, and burned his beard and mouth, and struck
out his lower teeth; another spark fell on the breast
of the eunuch who was burned and died immediately.

We expected destruction, and gave up all hope of
preserving our lives, when we heard the King's daughter
exclaim: "Allah is most great! Allah is most great! He
hath conquered and aided the faithful, but hath aban-
doned the denier of the faith of Mohammed, the chief of
mankind!" And we looked towards the Afrite, and, lo,
he had become a heap of ashes.

The lady then said: "Bring me a cup of water,"
and it was brought to her. She pronounced over it
some words, and sprinkling me with it, said: "Be
restored by the virtue of the name of Truth to thy
original form." And immediately I became a man as
I was at first, except that my eye was destroyed.

After this she cried out: "The fire! The fire! O my
father, I shall no longer live ! I picked up all the grains
of the pomegranate, excepting the one in which was the
life of the Genie. Had I picked up that he had died
instantly, but I saw it not, and suddenly he came upon
me, and a fierce contest ensued between us, under the
earth, and in the air, and in the water. Every time he
tried a new mode, I employed against him one more
potent, until he tried against me the mode of fire.
Rarely does one escape against whom fire is employed.
Destiny aided me so that I burned him first, but a
spark from him entered my breast, and now I die, and
may Allah supply my place with thee!"

And having thus said, lo, a spark ascended from
her breast to her face, and she wept and exclaimed:
"I testify that there is no deity but Allah, and Mo-

50 The Arabian Nights

hammed is His prophet!" She then became a heap of
ashes.

The King on beholding his daughter in this state,
plucked out the remainder of his beard and slapped
his face, and rent his clothes. I also did the same,
while we both wept for her. Then came the chamber-
lains and other great officers of the court, who finding
the King with two heaps of ashes before him, were
astonished. He informed them what had befallen his
daughter with the Afrite, and great was their grief.
The women shrieked with the female slaves, and con-
tinued their mourning seven days. The King gave
orders to build, over the ashes of his daughter, a great
tomb with a dome, and illuminated with candles and
lamps. But the ashes of the Afrite they scattered in the
wind, exposing them to the curse of Allah.

The King then fell ill, and was near unto death. His
illness lasted a month, but after this he recovered his
health, and, summoning me to his presence, said:
"O young man, we passed our days in the enjoyment
of the utmost happiness, until thou camest to us.
Would that I had never seen thee nor thy ugly form!
I have lost my daughter, who was worth a hundred
men, and I have been burned, and have lost my teeth,
my eunuch also is dead ! It was not in thy power to
prevent these afflictions, but they happened on thy
account, therefore, O my son, go forth from my city,
and depart in peace."

So I departed, O my mistress, from his presence, but
before I quitted the city, I entered a public bath and
shaved my beard. I traversed various regions, and
passed through great cities, and bent my course to the
Abode of Peace, Bagdad, in the hope of obtaining an

■pp

:;r^

BE RtblURtU lO IHY URICINAL KORM

The Arabian Nights 51

interview with the Prince of the Faithful, that I might
relate to him all that had befallen me.

And the third mendicant then advanced and thus
related his story:

THE STORY OF THE THIRD ROYAL
MENDICANT— KING AGIB

r\ ILLUSTRIOUS lady, my story is not hke those
^^ of my two companions, but more wonderful! My
name is Agib. I was a King and the son of a King,
and when my father died, I succeeded to his throne, and
governed my subjects with justice and beneficence.
I took pleasure in sea-voyages, and my capital was on
the shore of an extensive sea, interspersed with fortified
and garrisoned islands, which I desired for my amuse-
ment to visit. I therefore embarked with a fleet of
ten ships, and took with me provisions suflScient for a
whole month.

I proceeded twenty days, after which there arose
against us a contrary wind, but at day-break it ceased,
and the sea became calm, and we arrived at an island*
where we landed and cooked some provisions and ate.
We remained on the island two days. We then con-,
tinued our journey, and when twenty days more had
passed, we found ourselves in strange waters, unknown
to the captain. And behold we perceived something
looming in the distance sometimes black, and some-
times white.

When the captain perceived this strange object, he
threw his turban on the deck, and plucked his beard
and said to those who were with him: "Destruction

52 The Arabian Nights

awaits us! Not one will escape! Know that we have
wandered out of our course and that we have no wind
to carry us back from the fate that awaits us, and to-
morrow we shall arrive at a mountain of black stone,
called loadstone. The current is now bearing us
violently towards it, and the ships will fall to pieces,
and every nail in them will fly to the mountain, and
adhere to it, for Allah hath given to the loadstone a
secret property by virtue of which everything of iron
is attracted towards it. There is upon the summit of
that mountain a cupola of brass supported by ten
columns. Upon the top of this cupola is a horseman of
brass, having in his hand a brazen spear, and upon his
neck suspended a tablet of lead, upon which are en-
graved mysterious names and talismans. As long as
this horseman remains upon the horse, so long will
every ship that approaches be destroyed, with every
person on board, and all the iron contained in it will
cleave to the mountain, and no one will be safe until
the horseman shall have fallen from the horse." The
captain then wept bitterly, and we felt that our destruc-
tion was sure, and every one of us bade adieu to his
friend.

On the following morning we drew near to the moun-
tain. The current carried us towards it with great
violence, and when the ships were close to it, they fell
asunder, and all the nails, and everything else that was
of iron, flew from the ships towards the loadstone. It
was near the close of day when the ships fell to pieces.
Some of us were drowned and some escaped, and I
know not what became of those that were saved. As
for myself, I clung to a plank, and the wind and waves
cast it upon the mountain.

The Arabian Nights 53

When I had landed I found a way to the summit,
rtsembhng steps cut in the rock. So I exclaimed:
*'In the name of Allah," and ascended, holding fast to
the notches, and arrived safely at the summit. Rejoic-
ing greatly at my escape, I immediately entered the
cupola, and performed my prayers, after which I slept.
I heard in my dream a voice saying to me: "O Agib, son
of Elhaseeb, when thou awakest from thy sleep, dig
beneath thy feet, and thou wilt find a bow of brass,
and three arrows of lead, whereon are engraved talis-
mans. Take the bow and the arrows, and shoot at the
horseman that is upon the top of the cupola. When
thou hast shot at the horseman, he will fall into the
sea, the bow also will fall, and do thou bury it in its
place. As soon as thou hast done this the sea will
swell and rise until it reaches the summit of the moun-
tain, and there will appear upon it a boat bearing a
man. He will come to thee having an oar in his hand.
Do thou embark with him, but utter not the name of
Allah, and he will convey thee in ten days to a safe sea,
where on thy arrival thou wilt find one who will take
thee to thy city. All this shall be done if thou utter
not the name of Allah."

Awaking from my sleep, I sprang up, and did as the
voice had directed. I shot the horseman, and he fell
into the sea, and the bow having fallen from my hand,
I buried it. The sea then became troubled and rose
to the summit of the mountain. In a little while I
beheld a boat in the midst of the sea, approaching me.
When the boat came to me I found in it a man of brass,
with a tablet of lead upon his breast, engraved with
names and talismans. Without uttering a word 1
embarked in the boat. The man rowed me ten sue-

54 The Arabian Nights

cessive days, after which I beheld the islands where I
should soon be in safety. In the excess of my joy, I
exclaimed: "In the name of Allah! There is no deity
but Allah! Allah is most great!" As soon as I had
said this the man of brass cast me out of the boat, and
sank into the sea.

Being able to swim, I swam until night, and a great
wave like a vast castle, threw me upon the land. I
»iscended the shore, and after I had wrung out my
clothes, and spread them upon the ground to dry, I
slept. In the morning I put on my clothes, and looking
about me, found that I was upon a small island in the
midst of the sea.

While I was reflecting upon my misfortunes, I beheld
a vessel bearing a number of men. I arose immediately,
and climbed into a tree, and, lo, the vessel came to the
shore, and there landed from it ten black slaves, bearing
axes. They proceeded to the middle of the island, and
digging up the earth, uncovered and lifted up a trap-
door. After which they returned to the vessel, and
brought from it bread and flour and clarified butter and
sheep and every needful thing. There then came from
the vessel an old sheikh, enfeebled and wasted by
extreme age, leading by the hand a young man of great
beauty. He was like a fresh and tender twig, enchant'
ing and captivating every heart with his elegant form.
The party proceeded to the trap-door, and entering
it became concealed from my eyes.

They remained beneath about two hours, after which
the sheikh and the slaves came out but the youth came
not with them. They replaced the earth, and embarked,
and set sail. Soon after I descended from the tree, and
went to the excavation. I removed the earth, and

The Arabian Nights ^^

entering, saw a flight of wooden steps, which I de-
scended. At the bottom I beheld a handsome dwelhng
place, furnished with silk carpets, and there was the
youth, sitting upon a high mattress, with sweet-smelling
flowers and fruits placed before him. On seeing me he
became pale, but I saluted him and said: "Fear not,
O my master! O delight of mine eye! I am a man
like thyseK and the son of a King. Fate hath impelled
me to thee that I may cheer thee in thy solitude."

The youth when he heard me thus address him,
rejoiced exceedingly at my arrival, his colour returned,
and he said: "O my brother, my story is wonderful.
My father is a jeweller. On the day that I was born the
astrologers came to him and said: 'Thy son will live
fifteen years. There is in the sea a mountain called the
Mountain of Loadstone, whereon is a horseman oi'
brass, and when the horseman shall be thrown down
from his horse thy son will be slain. The person who
is to slay him is he who will throw down the horseman,
and his name is King Agib.'

"My father was greatly afflicted by this announce-
ment, and when I had nearly attained the age of fifteen
years, the astrologers came again, and informed him
that the horseman had fallen into the sea, and that it
had been thrown down by King Agib. On hearing this
my father prepared for me this dwelling, and here
left me to remain until the fateful period be passed, of
this there now remaineth but ten days. All this he did
from fear lest King Agib should kill me."

When I heard this I was filled with wonder and said
within myself: "I am King Agib, and it was I who
threw down the horseman, but verily I will neither
kill him nor do him any injury!" Then I said to the

56 The Arabian Nights

youth: "Far from thee be both destruction and harm!
Thou hast nothing to fear. I will remain with thee to
serve thee, and will go forth with thee to thy father,
and beg of him to send me back to my country." The
youth rejoiced at my words, and I sat and conversed
with him until night, when I spread his bed, and covered
him, and slept near to his side. In the morning I
brought him water and he washed his face, and said to
me: "May Allah requite thee with every blessing! If
I escape from King Agib, I will make my father reward
thee abundantly." "Never," I replied, "may the day
arrive that would bring thee misfortune!" I then
placed before him refreshments, and after we had eaten
together, we passed the day conversing with the utmost
cheerfulness.

I continued to serve him for nine days, and on the
tenth the youth rejoiced at finding himself in safety.
"O my brother," he said, "I wish that thou wouldst
in thy kindness warm for me some water, that I may
wash myself and change my clothes." " With pleasure,"
I replied, and I arose and warmed the water, after
which he entered a place concealed from my view,
and, having washed himself and changed his clothes,
laid himself down upon a mattress to rest after his
bath.

He then said to me: "Cut up, O my brother, a water-
melon, and mix its juice with some sugar." So I arose,
and taking a melon brought it upon a plate, and said
to him: "Knowest thou, O my master, where is the
knife?" "See here it is," he answered, "upon the shelf
over my head." I sprang up hastily, and took the
knife from its sheath, and, as I was drawing back, my
foot slipped, as Allah had decreed, and I fell upon the

The Arabian Nights 57

youth, grasping in my hand the knife, which entered
his body, and he died instantly.

When I perceived that he was dead, and that I had
killed him, I uttered a loud shriek, and beat my face
and rent my clothes, saying: "O what a calamity! O
what a calamity! O Allah, I implore thy pardon, and
declare to thee my innocence of his death!"

With these reflections I ascended the steps, and hav-
ing replaced the trap-door, looked over the sea, where
I saw the vessel that had come before, approaching
and cleaving the waves in its rapid course. So I climbed
into a tree, and, concealing myself among its leaves,
sat there until the vessel cast anchor, when the slaves
landed with the old sheikh, the father of the youth.

They went to the place, and were surprised at finding
the earth moist, and when they descended the steps,
discovered the youth lying on his back, showing a
face of beaming beauty, though dead, and clad in white,
clean clothing, with the knife remaining in his body.
They all wept at the sight, and the father fell down in a
swoon, which lasted so long that the slaves thought he
was dead. At length, however, he recovered, and came
out with the slaves, who had wrapped the body of the
youth in his clothes. They then took back all that
was in the subterranean dwelling to the vessel, and
departed.

I remained by day hiding myself in a tree, and at
night walking about the open part of the island. Thus
I continued for the space of two months, when I per-
ceived that on the Western side of the island, the water
of the sea every day retired, until the land that had been
beneath it became dry. I crossed this dry tract, and
arrived at an expanse of sand. I then saw in the dis-

58 The Arabian Nights

tance what appeared to be a fire, and advancing towards
it, found it to be a palace, overlaid with plates of
copper, which, reflecting the rays of the sun, seemed
from the distance to be fire.

When I drew near to the palace, there approached
me an old sheikh, accompanied by ten young men who
were each blind of one eye. As soon as they saw me they
saluted me, and asked my story, which I related from
first to last, and they were filled with wonder. They
conducted me into the palace, where I saw ten benches,
upon each of which was a mattress covered with blue
stuff, and each of the young men seated himself upon
one of these benches, while the sheikh took his place on
a smaller one. After which they said to me: "Sit down,
young man, and ask no question concerning our being
blind of one eye."

We ate and drank together, and then the sheikh
arose, and brought from a closet, upon his head, ten
covered trays. Placing these upon the floor, he lighted
ten candles, and stuck one of them upon each tray. He
then removed the covers and, lo, each tray was filled
with ashes mixed with pounded charcoal. The young
men tucked up their sleeves above the elbows, and
blackened their faces, and slapped their cheeks, ex-
claiming: "We were reposing at our ease, and our
impertinent curiosity suffered us not to remain so!"
Thus they did until morning, when the sheikh brought
them some hot water, and they washed their faces,
and put on other clothes.

I remained with the young men a whole month,
during which every night they did the same, and my
heart was troubled at their strange behaviour. At
length I said to them: "I conjure you, by Allah, to

The Arabian Nights 59

remove this disquiet from my mind, and to inform me
of the cause of your exclaiming: 'We were reposing at
our ease, and our impertinent curiosity suffered us not
to remain so.' If ye inform me not I will leave you and
go my way." On hearing these words they replied:
"We have concealed this affair from thee, lest thou
shouldst become blind of one eye like us, and, know, O
young man, if this befall thee, thou wilt be banished
from our company."

But I still persisted in my request, whereupon they
all arose and taking a ram, slaughtered and skinned it,
and said to me: "Take this knife with thee, and get
into the skin of the ram, and we will sew thee up in it,
and go away. Presently a bird called a Roc will come,
and taking thee up by its talons, will fly away, and
set thee down upon a mountain. Cut open the skin
with this knife and the bird will fly away. Thou must
arise as soon as it hath gone, and journey for half a
day, and thou wilt see before thee a lofty palace, en-
cased with red gold, and set with precious stones, such
as emeralds and rubies. If thou enter it thy misfortune
will be as ours, for our entrance into that palace was the
cause of our being blind."

They then sewed me up in the skin and entered their
palace. Soon after came an enormous, white bird,
which seized me, and flew away, and set me down upon
the mountain. Whereupon I cut open the skin, and
got out, and the bird as soon as it saw me flew away.
I rose up quickly and proceeded towards a palace en-
cased in red gold. When I entered it I beheld, at the
upper end of a saloon, forty young damsels, beautiful
as so many moons, and magnificently attired. As soon
as they saw me they exclaimed: "Welcome! Welcome!

6o The Arabian Nights

O our master and our lord! We have been a month
expecting thee." They then seated me upon a mattress,
and brought to me some refreshments, and, when I
had eaten, they sat and conversed with me, full of joy
and happiness.

At the approach of night, they all assembled around
me, and placed before me a table of dried and fresh
fruits, with other delicacies that the tongue cannot
describe, and one began to sing, while another played
upon the lute. And I passed an evening of such enjoy-
ment as I had never before experienced.

Thus I continued to hve in the palace of red gold
for the space of a whole year. On the first day of the
new year, the damsels seated themselves around me and
began to weep, and they bade me adieu, clinging to my
skirts. "What calamity hath befallen you?" asked I.
"Know," they answered, "that we are the daughters
of Kings. It is our custom every year to absent our-
selves for forty days, after which we return for a year of
feasting and joy. We are now about to depart, and we
deliver to thee the keys of the palace, which are a hun-
dred in number, belonging to a hundred closets. Open
each of these, and amuse thyself, and eat and drink,
and refresh thyself, but do not open the closet that
hath a door of red gold. If thou open this, the con-
sequence will be a separation between us and thee!
Our hearts whisper to us that thou wilt not regard our
warning, therefore we weep!" Upon hearing this, I
swore to them that I would not open the closet, and they
departed urging me to be faithful to my promise.

I remained alone in the palace, and at the approach
of evening I opened the first closet. Entering I found a
mansion like a paradise, with a garden containing green

The Arabian Nights 6i

trees, loaded with ripe fruit, abounding with singing
birds, and watered with copious streams. I wandered
among the trees, scenting the fragrance of the flowers,
and Hstening to the warbhng of the birds as they sang
the praises of Allah, the One, the Almighty. After ad-
miring the mingled colours of the apple, the sweet smell-
ing quince diffusing an odour like musk and ambergris,
and the plum shining as the ruby, I retired from the
garden, and having locked the door, opened that of the
next closet.

Within this I beheld a spacious tract planted with
numerous palm-trees, and watered by a river flowing
among roses, jasmine, marjoram, eglantine, and nar-
cissus and gilliflower, the odours of which, diffused in
every direction by the wind, filled me with utmost
delight. I locked again the door of the second closet
and opened that of the third.

Within this I found a large saloon, paved with various
coloured marbles, and with costly minerals and pre-
cious gems, and containing cages of sandal and aloes-
wood, full of singing birds and other birds, upon the
branches of the trees planted there. My heart way
charmed and I slept there until morning.

When daylight came I opened the door of the fourth
closet and within I found a great building in which were
forty closets with open doors. Entering these I beheld
pearls, rubies, chrysolites, emeralds and other precious
jewels such as the tongue cannot describe. I was
astonished at the sight and said: "Such things as these
are not to be found in the treasury of any King ! I am
now the King of my age, and all these riches, through
the goodness of Allah, are mine, together with the
forty damsels ! "

62 The Arabian Nights

Thus I continued to amuse myself, opening door after
door, and passing from one room to another, until
thirty-nine days had elapsed, and I had opened all
the doors excepting that which they had forbidden me
to open. My heart was then disturbed by curiosity re-
specting this hundredth closet, and the Devil, in order
to plunge me into misery, induced me to open it. When
I had entered I perceived a fragant odour which in-
toxicated me so that I fell down insensible, and re-
mained for some time in this state; but at length recov-
ering, I fortified my heart and proceeded. I found the
floor overspread with saffron, and the place illuminated
with golden lamps and candles, which diffused the
odours of musk and ambergris. Two large perfuming-
vessels filled with aloes-wood and ambergris, and a
perfume compounded with honey, spread fragrance
through the whole place. And, lo, I saw a black horse,
of the hue of the blackest night, before which was a
manger of white crystal filled with sesame, and also
another manger containing rose-water infused with
musk. He was saddled and bridled, and his saddle was
of red gold.

Wondering at the sight of him I said within myself:
"This must be an animal of extraordinary quality!"
and I led him out and mounted him, but he moved not
from his place. I kicked him with my heel, but still he
moved not. So I took a cane and struck him with it,
and as soon as he felt the blow he uttered a sound like
thunder, and, expanding a pair of wings, soared with
me to an immense height through the air, and then
alighted upon the roof of another palace, where he
threw me from his back, and, by a violent blow with
his tail upon my face, struck out my eye and left me.

The Arabian Nights 63

In this state I descended from the roof, and below
I found the ten one-eyed young men, who as soon as
they beheld me exclaimed: "No welcome to thee!"
"Receive me into your company," said I, but they re-
phed: "Verily thou shalt not remain with us, so get
thee hence!" I departed from them with mournful
heart and weeping eye, and, Allah having decreed me a
safe journey hither, I arrived at Bagdad, after I had
shaved my beard and become a mendicant.

CONTINUATION OF THE STORY OI
THE PORTER AND THE LADIES OF
BAGDAD AND THE THREE
ROYAL MENDICANTS

THE mistress of the house then liberated all the
men. They accordingly departed, and when they
had gone out into the street, the Caliph inquired of
the mendicants whither they were going. They an-
swered that they knew not whither to go. Whereupon
the Caliph said to Jaafar: "Take them home with
thee, and bring them before me to-morrow, and we will
then see what we can do for them." Jaafar did as he
was commanded, and the Caliph returned to his palace,
but was unable to sleep during the remainder of the
night.

On the following morning the Caliph sat upon his
throne, and when his courtiers had presented them-
selves and gone away, excepting Jaafar, he said:
"Bring before me the three ladies, and the two hounds,
and the mendicants." So Jaafar arose and brought

64 The Arabian Nights

them, and, placing the ladies behind curtains, said to
them: "Fear naught for ye are forgiven because of your
kindness to us, and because ye knew us not. Know
that ye are now in the presence of the Prince of the
Faithful, the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid, therefore
relate to him nothing but the truth." And when the
ladies heard these words the eldest of them advanced
and related her story.

THE STORY OF THE FIRST OF THE

THREE LADIES OF BAGDAD—

THE TWO HOUNDS

O

PRINCE of the Faithful, my story is wonderful,
for these two hounds are my sisters. After the
death of my father, who left us five thousand pieces
of gold, these my two sisters married. When they had
resided some time with their husbands, each of the
latter prepared a stock of merchandise, and received
from his wife a thousand pieces of gold, and they all
set forth on a journey together, leaving me here. After
they had been absent four years, my sisters' husbands
lost all their property, and abandoned them in a strange
land, and my sisters returned to me in the garb of beg-
gars.

When I recognized them, I exclaimed: "How is it
that ye are in this condition.?" and they told me all
that had happened. Thereupon I sent them to the
bath, and clad them in new apparel, and said to them:
"O my sisters, ye are my elders, and I am young, so ye
shall be to me in the place of my father and my mother!

The Arabian Nights 65

The inheritance, which I shared with you, Allah hath
blessed, partake therefore of its increase, for my affairs
are prosperous, and I and ye shall fare alike!"

They remained a whole year with me during which I
treated them with the utmost kindness. After this
period they married again without my consent, yet I
gave them dowries from my own property. They went
to their husbands, who, after they had resided with
them for a short time, defrauded them of all they
possessed, and, setting forth on a journey, left them
destitute. So my sisters again returned to me in a
state of beggary. They implored my forgiveness, say-
ing: "Be not angry with us! We promise thee that we
will never again marry." I replied: "Ye are welcome,
0 my sisters, for I have no one dearer to me than your-
selves." And I received them and treated them with
every kindness, and we remained happily together for
the space of a year.

After this I resolved to fit out a vessel for a mercan-
tile voyage. Accordingly I stocked a large ship with
various goods, and necessary provisions, and my sisters
desiring to accompany me, I took them, and set sail.
But first I divided my property in two equal portions,
one of which I took with me, and the other I left behind
concealed; for I thought that possibly some evil ac-
cident might happen to our ship, and if our lives were
saved, we should fiLad the concealed property of service
to us.

We continued our voyage night and day, till at
length the vessel lost its course, and the captain knew
not whither to steer. For ten days we had a pleasant
wind, and after that a strange city loomed before us.
We asked the captain the name of this city but he did

66 The Arabian Nights

not know it, nor did he know the sea which we were
navigating; he suggested, however, that we should land
our goods and enter the city and sell and exchange
there.

So we entered the port and the captain landed, and
after a while returned to us saying: "Arise and go up
into the city, and see what Allah hath done unto his
creatures, and pray to be preserved from his anger!"
So we entered the city, and found all its inhabitants
changed into black stones. We were amazed at the
sight, and as we walked through the market-streets,
we saw the merchandise, and the gold, and the silver
in their original state. We then separated, each of us
attracted from his companions by the wealth and stuffs
in the shops.

Alone I ascended to the citadel, and entering the
King's palace, found all the vessels of gold and silver
in their places, and the King himself changed into black
stone and seated in the midst of his chamberlains and
viceroys and viziers, and clad in apparel of astonishing
richness. He was sitting upon a throne adorned with
pearls and jewels, every one of the pearls shining like
a star. His dress was embroidered with gold, and
around him stood fifty memlooks, attired in divers
silks, and having in their hands drawn swords.

Stupefied at this spectacle, I entered the saloon of the
women's apartment, upon the walls of which were
hung silken curtains. Here I beheld the Queen, attired
in a dress embroidered with fresh pearls, and having
on her head a jewelled diadem, and necklaces of different
kinds upon her neck. All her clothing remained as they
were at first, though she herself was changed into black
stone.

The Arabian Nights 67

Here also I found an open door. Entering it I saw
a flight of seven steps, by which I ascended to an
apartment paved with marble, furnished with gold-
embroidered carpets, and containing a sofa of alabaster,
ornamented with pearls and jewels, and covered with
rich silks. My eyes were attracted by a gleam of light,
and when I approached the spot whence it proceeded,
I found a brilliant jewel, of the size of an ostrich egg,
placed upon a small stool, diffusing a light like a candle.
In this apartment I likewise observed some lighted
candles, and reflecting that there must then have been
some person to light them, I passed thence to another
part of the palace, and continued to explore the dif-
ferent apartments, until the approach of night.

When I would have left the palace I could not find
the door, so I returned to the place in which there were
the lighted candles, and there I laid myself upon the
sofa, and covering myself with a quilt, repeated some
words of the Koran, and composed myself to sleep.
At midnight I heard a recitation of the Koran per-
formed by a melodious and soft voice. I arose and
looking about saw a closet with an open door. I en-
tered it and found it to be an oratory, lighted lamps
were suspended in it, and upon a prayer-carpet spread
upon the floor sat a young man of handsome aspect.

Wondering that he had escaped the fate of the other
inhabitants of the city, I saluted him, and he raised his
eyes, and returned my salutation. I then said to him:
"I conjure thee by the truth of the Koran which thou
art reading, that thou answer the question which I am
about to ask thee." Whereupon he smiled, and replied:
"Do thou first acquaint me with the cause of thine
entrance into this palace, then I will answer thy ques-

68 The Arabian Nights

tion." So I told him my story and inquired of him the
history of this city.

He closed the Koran and having put it in a bag of
satin, seated me by his side, and he thus addressed me:
"Know that this city belonged to my father, and he is
the King whom thou hast seen changed into stone, and
the Queen whom thou hast seen is my mother. They
were all Magians worshipping fire in the place of
Allah, the Almighty. They swore by the fire and
the hght and the shade and the heat, and the revolv-
ing orb.

" My father had no son until in his declining years he
was blessed with me, whom he reared until I attained
manhood. Happily for me there was in my family an
old woman who was a Mohammetan. My father com-
mitted me to her care, saying: 'Take him, and rear
him, and educate him, and serve him in the best man-
ner.' The old woman received me, but took care to
instruct me in the faith of Mohammet, and she made me
commit to memory the whole of the Koran. After a
few years the old woman died.

"The inhabitants of the city now increased in their
impiety and arrogance. While they were in this state
they heard an invisible and mysterious crier proclaim
in a voice like thunder: 'O inhabitants of this city,
abstain from the worship of fire, and worship Allah,
the Almighty!' The people were struck with conster-
nation, and flocking to my father, the King of the city,
said to him : ' What is this alarming voice which hath
astounded us by its terrible sound .'^' But he answered
them: 'Let not the voice terrify you, nor let it turn
you from your faith.' And their hearts inclined to his
words. So they persevered in the worship of fire, and

The Arabian Nights 69

remained in their impiety for another year. Then was
the voice heard a second time, and again in the next
year they heard it a third time, but still they persisted
in their evil ways, drawing upon themselves the abhor-
rence and indignation of Heaven.

"One morning shortly after daybreak all the inhab-
itants of this city were changed into black stones,
together with their beasts and all their cattle. Not
one of the inhabitants escaped excepting myself. From
the day on which this catastrophe happened I have
continued, as thou seest, in prayer and fasting, and
reading the Koran, but I have become weary of this
solitary state, having no one to cheer me with his com-
pany."

On hearing these words I said to the young man:
*'Wilt thou go with me to the city of Bagdad.? If so, I
have here a ship laden with merchandise which will
carry thee thither." I continued to persuade him until
he gave his consent. In the morning we arose and enter-
ing the treasuries, took away much wealth. We de-
scended from the citadel into the city, where we met
the slaves and the captain of the ship, who were
searching for me. They rejoiced at seeing me, and
I related to them the history of the young man, and
the cause of the enchantment of the people of the cityj
and of what had befallen them, and they were filled
with wonder. But when my two sisters saw the young
man, they envied me on his account, and plotted evil
against me.

We embarked again, and spread our sails and de-
parted. We continued our voyage with a favourable
wind until we drew near to the city of Balsora, the
buildings of which loomed before us at the approach of

70 The Arabian Nights

evening. As soon as we had fallen asleep my sisters
took up both myself and the young man and threw us
into the sea. The youth being unable to swim was
drowned, but I awoke and found myself in the sea, and
the providence of Allah supplied me with a piece of
timber, upon which I placed myself, and the waves cast
me upon the shore of an island.

During the remainder of the night I walked along
this island, and in the morning I saw a neck of land,
bearing the marks of a man's feet, and united with the
main land. The sun having risen, I dried my clothes
in its rays, and proceeded along the path across the
neck of land, until I drew near to the shore upon which
stands the city of Balsora. And, lo, I beheld a snake
approaching me, followed by a serpent which was trying
to destroy it. The tongue of the snake was hanging
from its mouth, because of its fatigue, and I was filled
with compassion. So I took up a stone and threw it at
the head of the serpent, which instantly died. The
snake then extended a pair of wings, and soared aloft
into the sky, leaving me in wonder at the sight.

Being fatigued I laid myself down and slept, but I
woke after a little while and found a damsel seated at
my feet, and gently rubbing them with her hands.
I immediately sat up, feeling ashamed that she should
do this for me, and said to her: "Who art thou.'* What
dost thou want ? " " How soon thou hast forgotten me ! ' '
ishe exclaimed. "I am she to whom thou hast just done
a kindness by killing my enemy, for I am a daughter of
the Genii and the serpent was a Genie at enmity with
me. As soon as thou hadst rescued me I flew to the
ship, from which thy sisters cast thee, and transported
9\\ that it contained to thy house. I then transformed

The Arabian Nights 71

thy sisters by enchantment into two black hounds,
for I knew all that they had done to thee."

Having thus said she took me up, and placed me
with the two black hounds on the roof of my house.
I found all the treasures that the ship had contained
in the midst of my house, nothing was lost. Then
said the daughter of the Genii to me: "I swear by that
which was engraved upon the seal of Solomon, that
if thou do not inflict three hundred lashes on these
hounds every day, I will come and transform thee in
like manner." So I have continued ever since to in-
flict upon them these stripes, though pitying them
while I do so.

The Caliph heard this story with astonishment, and
then said to the second lady: " And what occasioned the
stripes of which thou bearest the marks?" She an-
swered as follows :

THE STORY OF THE SECOND OF THE

THREE LADIES OF BAGDAD—

THE BITTEN CHEEK

O PRINCE of the Faithful, my father at his death
left considerable property, and soon after that
event I married one of the wealthiest men of the age,
who a year after our marriage died, and I inherited
from him eighty thousand pieces of gold.

As I was sitting one day there entered my apartment
an old woman, disgustingly ugly, who saluted me, and
said: "I have an orphan whose marriage I am to cel-
ebrate this night. Will you not be present at her nuptial

72 The Arabian Nights

festival, as she is broken-hearted, having none to
befriend her but Allah, whose name be exalted!" The
old woman then wept, and being moved with pity and
compassion, I assented, upon which she desired me to
prepare myself, telling me that she would come at the
hour of nightfall and take me. So saying she kissed my
hand and departed.

I arose immediately and attired myself, and when I
had completed my preparations, the old woman re-
turned. So I put on my outer garments, and taking my
female slaves with me, proceeded until we arrived at a
street in which a soft wind was delightfully playing,
where we saw a gateway overarched with a marble
vault, forming the entrance to a palace which rose from
the earth to the sky.

The old woman knocked at the door of the palace,
and when it was opened, we entered a carpeted passage,
illuminated by lamps and candles, and decorated with
jewels and precious metals. Through this passage
we passed into a magnificent saloon, furnished with
mattresses covered with silk, lighted by hanging lamps
and by candles, and having, at its upper end, a couch of
alabaster decorated with pearls and jewels, and can-
opied by curtains of satin. There arose from the couch
a lady beautiful as the moon, who exclaimed: "Most
welcome art thou, O my sister, thou delightest me by
thy company, and refreshest my heart! I have a
brother who hath seen thee at a fete. He is a young
man, more handsome than myself, and his heart is
enchained by thy love, and he hath bribed this old
woman to go to thee and obtain for me an interview.
My brother desireth to marry thee this night, according
to the ordinance of Allah and his apostle."

The Arabian Nights 73

When I heard these words, and saw myself thus
confined in the house so that I could not escape, I
consented, and the lady rejoicing clapped her hands,
and opened a door, and there entered a young man so
surpassingly handsome that my heart immediately
inclined to him. No sooner had he sat down than the
Cadi and four witnesses entered. They saluted us,
and proceeded to perform the ceremony of the marriage
contract between me and the young man, which having
done they departed.

We lived together in utmost happiness for the space
of a year, after which I begged that he would allow me
to go to the bazaar in order to purchase some stuffs
for dresses. Having obtained his permission I went
thither in company with the old woman, and seated
myself at the shop of a young merchant with whom she
was acquainted. She desired him to show me his most
costly stuffs. He produced for us what we wanted, and
when we handed him the money, he refused to take it
saying: "It is an offering of hospitahty to you for your
visit this day." Whereupon I said to the old woman: "If
he will not take money, return to him his stuff." But he
would not receive it again, and exclaimed: "Verily I will
take nothing from thee save a single kiss, which I shall
value more than the entire contents of my shop!" "What
will a kiss profit thee?" asked the old woman. Then
turning to me she said : " O my daughter, thou hast heard
what the youth hath said, no harm will befall thee if he
give thee a kiss, and thou shalt take what goods thou
wantest. Let him kiss thee without thy speaking, and
thou shalt take back thy money." Thus she continued
to persuade me, until I consented, and held the edge of
my veil in such a manner as to prevent the passers-by

74 The Arabian Nights

from seeing me. Whereupon the young man put his
mouth to my cheek beneath the veil, but instead of kiss-
ing me, he gave my cheek a violent bite. I fell into a
swoon from the pain, and the old woman laid me on her
lap till I recovered, when I found the shop closed, and
the old woman uttering expressions of grief.

I returned home in a state of great uneasiness and
fear. My husband came in to me and asked: "What
hath befallen thee, O my mistress, during this excur-
sion.?" I answered: "I am not well." "And what is
this wound," said he, "that is on thy cheek?" I an-
swered: "When I went out to-day, to purchase some
stuff for a dress, a camel loaded with fire-wood drove
against me in the crowded, narrow street and tore my
veil, and wounded my cheek." "To-morrow then,"
he exclaimed, "I will ask the governor to hang every
seller of fire-wood in the city!" "Verily," said I,
"burden not thyself by an injury to any one. The
truth is that I was riding upon an ass, which took
fright, and I fell upon the ground, and a stick lacerated
my cheek." "If that be so," he replied, "I will go
to-morrow to Jaafar and ask him to kill every ass-
driver in this city." "Wilt thou," said I, "kill these
men on my account, when this which befell me was
decreed by Allah.?"

Upon this my husband seized me violently, then
sprang up, and uttered a loud cry. A door opened and
there came forth from it seven black slaves, who dragged
me, and threw me down in the middle of the apart-
ment. Thereupon my husband ordered one of them
to hold me by my shoulders and to sit upon my head,
and another to sit upon my knees and to hold my
feet. A third then came with a sword in his hand, and

The Arabian Nights 75

said: "0 my lord, shall I strike her with the sword,
and cleave her in twain, that each of these slaves may
take a half and throw it into the Tigris for the fish to
devour? " My husband answered : " Strike her, O Saad !
Cleave her in twain!" So the slave approached me,
and I now felt assured of my death, but suddenly the
old woman threw herself at my husband's feet, and
kissing them exclaimed: "O my son, by the care with
which I nursed thee, I beg thee to pardon this damsel,
for she hath committed no offence that deserveth
such a punishment!" And she wept and importuned
him until at length he said: "I pardon her, but must
cause her to bear upon her body such marks of her
offence as shall last for the remainder of her life!"
So saying he commanded the slaves to strip off my vest,
and, taking a quince-stick, he beat me upon my back
and sides until I became insensible from the violence
of the blows. He then ordered the slaves to take me
away as soon as it was night, and to throw me into my
house, in which I formerly resided.

The slaves accordingly executed their lord's com-
mands, and when they had deposited me in my house,
I applied myself to the healing of my wounds, but after
I had cured myself my sides still bore the marks of
having been beaten with canes. I continued to apply
remedies for four months before I was restored. Then
I repaired to view the house in which this event had
happened, but I found it reduced to ruin, and the whole
street pulled down, and the site of the house occupied
by mounds of rubbish.

Under these circumstances I went to reside with my
sister, and I found with her these two hounds. Having
saluted her I informed her of all that had happened to

76 The Arabian Nights

me. She then related to me her own story, and that of
her sisters, and I remained with her, and neither of us
ever mentioned the subject of marriage. Afterwards
we were joined by this our sister, the cateress, who
every day goes out to purchase for us whatever we
happen to want.

CONCLUSION OF THE STORY OF THE

PORTER AND THE LADIES OF

BAGDAD AND THE THREE

ROYAL MENDICANTS

THE Caliph was astonished at this story, and or-
dered it to be recorded in a book, as history,
and to be deposited in his library. He then said to
the first lady: "Knowest thou where the daughter of
the Genii, who enchanted thy sisters, is to be found?"
"O Prince of the Faithful," answered the lady, "she
gave me a lock of her hair, and said, 'When thou desirest
my presence, burn a few of these hairs, and I will be
with thee quickly, though I should be beyond Mount
Kaf!'"

"Bring then the hair," said the Caliph. The lady
produced it, and the Cahph burned a portion of it.
Immediately the palace shook, and there was a sound
like thunder, and, lo, the daughter of the Genii appeared
before them. She was a Mohammetan, therefore she
greeted the Caliph by saying: "Peace be on thee, O
Caliph of Allah!" To which he replied: "On thee be
peace, and the mercy of Allah and his blessings!"

The daughter of the Genii then said: "Know that

The Arabian Nights 77

this lady rescued me from death by killing my enemy,
and I, having seen what her sisters had done to her,
transformed them by enchantment into two hounds.
But, if now thou desire their restoration, O Prince of
the Faithful, I will restore them as a favour to thee and
to her." "Do so," said the Caliph, "and then we will
consider the affair of this lady who hath been beaten.
If she hath told the truth, I will punish him who hath
oppressed her." The daughter of the Genii replied:
"0 Prince of the Faithful, I will guide thee to the dis-
covery of him, who oppressed this lady, and took her
property. He is thy nearest relative."

She took a cup of water, and, having pronounced a
spell over it, sprinkled the faces of the two hounds,
saying: "Be restored to your original forms." Where-
upon the hounds became again two young damsels.
Having done this the daughter of the Genii said:
"O Prince of the Faithful, he who beat the lady is thy
son Elemeen, who had heard of her beauty and loveli-
ness." The Caliph was astonished, and immediately
summoned before him his son Elemeen, and inquired
of him the history of the lady, and the young prince
related to him the entire truth.

The Caliph then sent for the Cadis and witnesses,
and the first lady and her two sisters, who had been
transformed into hounds, he married to the three men-
dicants, who were sons of Kings, and these he made
chamberlains of his court. The lady who had been
beaten he restored to his son Elemeen, giving her a
large property, and ordering that the house should
be rebuilt in a more handsome style. Lastly, the lady
cateress he took as his own wife. He appointed her a
separate lodging for herself, with female slaves to wait

78 The Arabian Nights

upon her. He also allotted her a regular income, and
afterwards built for her a palace.

"And this," said Sheherazade, "is not as wonderful as
the story of the Magic Horse."

Chapter III

STORY OF THE MAGIC HORSE

THERE was in ancient times, in the country
of the Persians, a mighty King who had a
daughter hke the shining moon and a flower-
ing garden, and a son as beautiful as the
day. Now this King on a certain time held a festi-
val, and opened his palace, and gave gifts to his lords
and chamberlains and to the people of his dominion.
While he was sitting upon his throne, on the second
day of the festival, there came to him a sage, leading
a horse of ivory and ebony. The sage advanced, kissed
the ground before the King, and said to him: "O King
of the age, whenever I mount this magic horse, and
turn the pin in his ear, he will transport me through
the air to the most distant part of the world. Accept
thou this wonderful horse, and in return bestow upon
me thy daughter."

The King's son hearing this advanced and said:
**0 my father, permit me first to mount this horse and
make a trial of it?" "Do so, O my son," the King
replied, "and try it as thou desirest." The Prince
accordingly arose, mounted the horse, turned the pin
in the horse's ear, and, lo, the horse moved, and soared
with him towards the upper regions of the air, and con-

70

8o The Arabian Nights

tinued its flight with hghtning rapidity until it was out
of sight of the people. The horse continued to ascend
with terrible velocity, until the Prince became filled
with alarm. But he knew no way of returning to the
earth, and he repented of having mounted the horse.

He then examined the animal, and perceived on its
left shoulder a button formed hke the head of a cock.
He turned this, and, lo, the horse began to descend,
little by little, and he ceased not to descend for the
whole remainder of the day, until approaching the
earth, the Prince discerned strange countries and cities,
and among them a wonderful city in the midst of a
land beautifully verdant with trees and rivers. The
name of that place was Sana.

The day had nearly departed, and the sun was set
when the Prince arrived at the city. He flew around it
viewing it right and left, and he said to himself: "I will
pass the night here and in the morning return to my
father." And he searched for a place to descend in
safety, where no one might see him. Now in the midst
of the city a palace rose high in air, surrounded with
walls and battlements, so he turned the pin of descent,
and the horse flew steadily downward to the flat roof
of the palace, where the Prince dismounted, and sat
upon the roof until he knew that the inmates had be-
taken themselves to rest.

Hunger and thirst pained him, for since he had
parted from his father he had not eaten food, and he
said to himself: "Verily such a place as this is not
devoid of the necessities of life!" He then left the
horse and finding a flight of steps, he descended by
them to a court paved with marble, in the midst of the
building, but he heard not any sound, nor the cheering

The Arabian Nights 8i

voice of an inhabitant. So he paused in perplexity,
and looked right and left not knowing whither to go.

While he stood thus, he beheld a hght approaching,
and he saw a party of female slaves, among them a
damsel radiant like the splendid full moon. She was
the daughter of the King of the city, and her father,
who loved her with great affection, had built for her
this palace. She came hither this night to divert her-
self, and she walked among her female slaves, attended
by a eunuch armed with a drawn sword. They entered
the court of the palace, and the female slaves spread
the carpets and cushions, scattered sweet odours from
perfuming vessels, and sported and rejoiced together.

While they were thus engaged, the King's son rushed
upon the eunuch, struck him a blow which laid him
prostrate, and, taking the sword from his hand, dis-
persed the female slaves to the right and left. And
when the King's daughter saw his beauty and loveliness,
she said: "Perhaps thou art he who yesterday demanded
me in marriage of my father, and whom he rejected
saying that he was of hideous aspect. Verily my father
lied, for thou art a handsome person ! " For the son of the
King of India had requested her of her father, and he
had rejected him because he was of frightful appearance,
and she imagined that the Prince now before her was
he who had asked her in marriage. So she came to
him, embraced, and kissed him, and seated him beside
her.

The eunuch recovered from the blow, and arose, and
seeing the King's daughter sitting with the Prince, he
was filled with consternation, for the King had charged
him with the oflBce of guarding her from misfortune
and evil accident. He ran shrieking to the King, and

82 The Arabian Nights

he rent his clothes, and threw dust upon his head.
"O King," he cried, "go to the assistance of thy daugh-
ter, for a devil of a Genie, in human form, hath got-
ten possession of her!"

When the King heard these words he rose hastily,
and went to the palace. He entered the passage leading
to the court, and stationing himself at a door, raised a
curtain httle by little, and beheld the Prince sitting
with his daughter, conversing, and the young man was
of the most comely form, with a face like the shining
full moon.

The King was enraged, and he raised the curtain,
and rushed in upon them with a drawn sword in his
hand. The Prince sprang upon his feet, and, taking
his own sword in his hand, shouted at the King with an
amazing cry which terrified him, and was about to
attack him with the sword, but the King perceiving
that the Prince was stronger than he sheathed his
weapon, and met him with courtesy. "O young man,"
said he, "art thou a human being or a Genie.''" "How
is it that thou takest me for a devil .'^" the Prince re-
plied, "I am of the sons of the ancient Persian Kings,
who, if they wished to take thy kingdom, would make
thee to totter from thy glory and dominion, and despoil
thee of thy goods!"

The King hearing these words feared him, and trem-
bled, but answered: "If thou be of the sons of Kings,
how is it that thou hast entered my palace, and without
my permission visitest my daughter? I have killed
the Kings and the sons of the Kings on their demanding
her of me in marriage! Who will save thee from my
power if I command my slaves to kill thee? Who then
can deliver thee from my hand!" "Verily," answered

The Arabian Nights 83

the Prince, "I wonder at thee, and at the foolishness
of thy judgment! Dost thou wish for thy daughter a
better husband than myself? Hast thou seen anyone
more firm of heart, and more glorious in authority and
troops and guards than I am?" "No, by Allah,"
answered the King, "but I would that thou demand
her in marriage publicly." "Thou hast said well,"
rejoined the Prince, "but, O King, if thy slaves and
servants and troops were to assemble against me, and
slay me, thou wouldst disgrace thyself! Now what I
propose to thee is this, either that thou meet me in
single combat, and he who killeth the other shall be
worthy of the kingdom, or else, when the morning
Cometh, that thou send forth to me thy soldiers and thy
troops. I will then convince thee that I am a Prince
that the King should desire for a son-in-law!" To this
last the King consented and they sat and conversed
together until morning.

When day dawned, the King sent for his Vizier and
commanded him to collect all his troops, and equip
them with arms and mount them on horses. The Vizier
summoned the chiefs of the army, and the grandees of
the empire, and ordered them to mount their horses,
and go forth, armed for battle, to the plain in front of
the palace.

The King then arose and went to the plain, where he
caused an excellent horse, equipped with handsome
saddle and bridle, to be brought for the Prince, but he
refused it saying: "O King, none of thy horses pleaseth
me. I will mount none but the horse on which I
came." "And where," asked the King, "is thy horse?"
"It is on the roof of thy palace," answered the Prince.
And when the King heard these words he was astonished

84 The Arabian Nights

beyond measure, and exclaimed: "Woe to thee\ Verily
thou liest, for how can a horse be upon the roof?"

He then gave orders to his chief officers to go to the
roof and bring what they might find. They ascended
and beheld the horse standing there. They approached
with wonder, and found it to be of ebony and ivory.
They then raised it, and carried it without stopping,
until they placed it before the King, and the people
gathered around it, amazed at the beauty of its make,
and at the richness of its saddle and bridle.

The King likewise admired and wondered at it, and
said to the Prince: "O young man, is this thy horse.''"
"Yes, O King," answered he, "but I will not mount it,
unless the troops retire to a distance." So the King
commanded the troops that were about him to retire
as far as an arrow might be shot.

The Prince then seated himself firmly upon his horse,
and turned the pin of ascent. Immediately his horse
bestirred itself, and moved about with violent action,
and its body became filled with air. Then it^arose and
ascended into the sky. When the King saw that the
Prince had arisen and ascended aloft, he called out to
his troops: "Woe to you! Take him before he can es-
cape!" But his viziers and lieutenants replied: "O
King, can anyone catch a flying bird? This is no other
than a great enchanter. Allah hath saved thee from
him, therefore praise Him, whose name be exalted, for
thine escape!"

The King returned to his palace, and acquainted
his daughter with all that which had happened, and
when she heard that the Prince had flown away, she
lamented greatly, and fell into a violent sickness. And
when her father saw her in this state, he pressed her

The Arabian Nights 85

to his bosom, kissed her between the eyes, and en-
deavoured to comfort her, but her weeping and wailing
increased in violence. Thus was the case of the King's
daughter.

Now, as to the Prince, when he had ascended into
the air, he began to reflect on the beauty of the damsel
and her loveliness, and his heart was moved with love
for her. When night came he returned to the city of
Sana, and descended upon the roof of the palace. He
left his horse, and walked down stealthily until he came
to the chamber of the King's daughter. She had taken
to her pillow, and around her were her female slaves and
nurses. The Prince went in and saluted them, and when
the damsel heard his voice, she rose up and embraced
him, saying: "Thou hast rendered me desolate, and
hadst thou been absent from me any longer I had
perished!" "Were it not for my love for thee, O most
beautiful of all damsels," answered the Prince, "I would
have slain thy father, but I love him for thy sake!"

He then persuaded her with many words, to journey
with him to his father, and his kingdom, and there
become his wife. She consented, and the Prince re-
joicing took her by the hand, and led her to the roof
of the palace. He mounted his horse, and placed her
behind him, turned the pin of ascent in the shoulder of
the horse, and soared upward into the sky. He ceased
not to journey with her in his course through the air,
until he arrived at the city of his father.

He deposited the King's daughter in one of the royal
gardens, in a pavilion, and placed the ebony horse
before the door, and charged the damsel, saying:
"Sit here until I send to thee my messenger, for I am
going to my father to ask him to prepare for thee a

86 The Arabian Nights

palace and a suitable reception, so that thou mayest
enter the city with all due honour."

So the Prince left her, and proceeded until he arrived
at the royal palace. And when his father saw him, he
rejoiced at his coming and met and welcomed him.
"O my father," said the Prince, "know that I have
brought the daughter of the King of Sana, and I have
left her in one of the royal gardens, so that thou mayest
prepare the procession of state, and go forth to meet
her."

The King, delighted at this news, commanded the
people of the city to decorate their shops and houses,
and rode forth magnificently robed, with all his soldiers
and the grandees of the empire, and all his memlooks
and servants. The Prince took forth from his palace,
ornaments and rich garments fit for kings, and pre-
pared for the King's daughter a camel-litter of green,
red and yellow brocade, in which he seated Indian and
Greek and Abyssinian slave-girls.

He accompanied the litter to the garden, and left
it without while he entered and sought the pavilion
where he had left the King's daughter. He searched
for her but found her not, nor did he find the horse.
He slapped his face, and rent his clothes, and began to
search throughout the garden, but he found not the
damsel. He sought the keepers of the garden and
asked: "Have ye seen anyone pass or enter the garden.'*"
They answered: "We have not seen anyone enter this
garden, except the Persian sage. He came to gather
herbs." So when the Prince heard their words he knew
that the Persian sage had stolen the damsel and the
horse.

Now, it had happened, in accordance with destiny,

HE I'LACED HER BEHIND HIM, AND SOARED UPWARD INTO THE SKY

The Arabian Nights 87

that when the Prince had left the damsel in the pavilion,
that the Persian sage entered the garden and he smelt
the odour of musk and other perfumes, which sweet
scent was from the garments of the King's daughter.
The sage proceeded in the direction of this odour, until
he came to the pavilion, where he saw the horse that
he had made standing at the door, and his heart was
filled with joy and gladness, for he had mourned after
it greatly. He entered the pavilion, and found the
damsel sitting there, resembling in her beauty the shin-
ing sun in the clear sky. As soon as he beheld her, he
knew that she was of high birth, and that the Prince had
brought her upon the horse, and had left her in the
royal garden, while he returned to the city to prepare
for her a stately procession.

When the King's daughter raised her eyes she saw
the sage, and was filled with fear, for he was of most
hideous and foul aspect. But he kissed the ground
before her humbly and said: "O my mistress, I am the
messenger of the Prince, who has sent me to remove
thee to another garden. Let not the hideousness of
my face afTright thee, for the Prince chose to send me,
on account of my frightful aspect, as he was jealous of
thee."

The damsel believed the sage's words, and she arose
and went with him, placing her hand in his. Then he
mounted the ebony horse, and placed the damsel
behind him, binding her tightly. He turned the pin of
ascent and the body of the horse became filled with
air, ascended into the sky, and with great rapidity bore
them out of sight of the city. When the damsel saw
this she was filled with anxiety. "O thou," she ex-
claimed, "what means it that we leave the city behind?

88 The Arabian Nights

Why dost thou disobey thy lord?" "He is not my
lord!" replied the sage. "May Allah curse hira for he is
base and vile ! Verily he stole my horse, and made him-
self master of it, and now I have again obtained posses-
sion of it, and of thee too, and I will torture his heart
as he has tortured mine! But be of good courage and
cheerful eye for I shall be a better husband unto thee
than he." When the King's daughter heard this she
slapped her face, cried out, and wept violently, but the
sage continued his flight until he arrived at the land
of the Greeks, where he descended into a verdant
meadow, with rivers and trees.

This meadow was near to a city, in which dwelt a
King of great dignity, and it happened on that day he
went forth to hunt, accompanied by the grandees of
his empire, and passing by the meadow he saw the sage,
with the ebony horse and the damsel by his side.
The sage was not aware of their approach until the
slaves of the King rushed upon him, and took him to-
gether with the damsel and the horse. They placed all
before the King, who when he saw the evil aspect of the
sage, and the beauty and loveliness of the damsel,
said to her: "O my mistress, what relation art thou to
this sheikh?" The sage answered him hastily: "She
is my wife," but the King's daughter hearing this was
indignant. " O King," she said, " I know him not ! He is
not my husband, but he took me away by force and
stratagem." Then the King commanded his attendants
to seize the sage, beat him and carry him to the city,
and imprison him there, and they did so. He then
took the damsel and the ebony horse to his palace.
Thus did it befall the sage and the damsel.

As for the Prince, he prepared for travel, and taking

The Arabian Nights 89

what money he required, he journeyed forth, seeking
the damsel and the sage from town to town and city
to city. At length he arrived at the country of the
Greeks, he alighted at an inn, and overheard a party of
merchants talking together. And he heard one say:
"O my companions, I have met with a wonderful thing!
I was in such and such a city, and the people told me a
strange tale, how the King of that city went forth to
hunt attended by a party of the grandees of his empire.
They passed a verdant meadow, and found a man
standing, and by his side a woman of great beauty and
elegance, and with him a horse of ebony. The man
was of hideous aspect, and the woman endowed with
perfect grace, and the ebony horse was a wonderful
thing!"

When the Prince heard this he approached the
merchant, and questioned him with mildness and
courtesy, until he learned the name of the city and the
name of the King. He passed the night happy and in
the morning set forth on his journey. He arrived at
the city at eventide, and the gate keepers took him
and put him in prison, intending in the morning to
present him to the King. But the jailors when they
saw how comely he was could not bear to imprison him,
so they seated him with themselves and shared with
him their food, until he was satisfied.

"From what country art thou.?" they asked. He
answered, "I am from the land of Persia." Then
one of the jailors said: "We have with us in the prison a
Persian, who is a great liar. He pretendeth that he is a
sage. The King found him with a woman of surpassing
beauty, and a wonderful ebony horse. The King took
the woman, and desired to marry her, but she went

90 The Arabian Nights

mad, and he is now searching for a remedy for hef
malady." Now when the Prince heard this he cast
about in his mind for means by which to attain the
dehverance of the King's daughter.

When the jailors desired to sleep, they put him in
prison, and closed the doors. The morning came, and
the gate keepers took him, and presented him to the
King who questioned him, and said: "What is thy name,
and what thy art or trade, and what is the reason of
thy coming unto this city.''" "O great King," the
Prince answered, "my name is Harjeh, and I come from
the land of the Persians." The King rejoicing exceed-
ingly, answered, "O excellent sage, thou hast come at a
time when we need thee most!" We have in the palace
a mad woman, and if thou canst cure her I will heap
thee with riches and honours."

The King then conducted him to the chamber in
which was the damsel. And the Prince found her
beating herself, and falling down prostrate. And when
she saw the youth, and heard his voice, she knew him,
and uttered a great cry, and fainted away. When she
was restored the Prince put his mouth to her ear, and
whispered: "O my mistress, keep silent, spare thy life
and mine ! Be patient and firm ! For we stand in need of
patience and good management in order to escape from
this tyrannical King."

Then the Prince arose, and went forth full of joy and
happiness. "O fortunate King," said he, "I have dis-
covered her remedy and cure. Her recovery will be
effected by the means of the ebony horse, which thou
foundest with her. Therefore go thou forth to the
place where thou first sawest her and take with thee
the ebony horse, and the damsel."

The Arabian Nights 91

Accordingly the King sent forth the horse which
he had found with the damsel and the Persian sage, and
taking the damsel with him he went to the meadow.
The Prince ordered that the damsel and the horse
should be placed as far from the King and his attendants
as the eye could reach. He then mounted the horse,
and placed the damsel behind him. He pressed her to
him and bound her firmly, and turned the pin of ascent,
whereupon the horse rose with them into the air. The
troops continued to gaze at him with wonder, until he
disappeared before their eyes. And the King remained
half a day expecting his return. At last in despair and
grief he took his troops, and went to his city.

As for the Prince he bent his course towards the city
of his father, and ceased not his journey until he de-
scended upon the roof of his palace. He then repaired
to his father and his mother, and saluted them and
acquainted them with the arrival of the damsel, and
they rejoiced exceedingly. They prepared the marriage
festivities and the rejoicings lasted a month, after which
the King broke the ebony horse, and destroyed its power
so that it could fly no more.

The Prince wrote a letter to the King of Sana in-
forming him that he had married his daughter, and that
she was happy and well, and he sent it by a messenger
bearing precious presents and rarities. The messenger
transmitted the letter to the King of Sana, who treated
him with honour and sent in return a magnificent pres-
ent to his son-in-law.

Thus the Prince and the Bang's daughter lived
happily until the King, the father of the young man,
was taken from the world, and the Prince reigned after
him over his dominions. He ruled his subjects with

92 The Arabian Nights

justice, and the people obeyed him. Thus the King
and the King's daughter continued to live, passing a
most agreeable and pleasant life until they were visited
by the terminator of delights and the separator of com-
panions, f

And Sheherazade, having finished the story of the
Magic Horse, proceeded to relate the wonderful adven-
tures of Sindbad of the Sea.

Chapter IV

STORY OF THE SEVEN VOYAGES OF
SINDBAD OF THE SEA

TEffiRE was in the time of the Caliph, the
Prince of the Faithful, Haroun Er Raschid,
in the city of Bagdad, a man called Sindbad
the Porter. He was a poor man and carried
burdens for hire upon his head. It happened one day
that he carried a heavy burden, and the day was hot,
so that he was wearied by the load. In this state he
passed by the house of a merchant. The ground before
it was swept and sprinkled, and the air was cool, and
by the side of the door was a wide bench. There came
forth from the door a pleasant, gentle gale laden with
an exquisite odour, so that the Porter was delighted
and sat down upon the bench and listened to the
melodious sounds of stringed instruments, and to joyous
voices laughing and singing. He also heard the voices
of black birds, nightingales, turtle doves and ring
doves, warbling and praising Allah, whose name be
exalted.

The Porter was moved with curiosity and delight,
and he advanced to the door and looked in and saw
within the house a great garden, wherein he beheld
pages, slaves and servants, hurrying to and fro, and

93

94 The Arabian Nights

there blew upon him an odour of deUcious and exquisite
viands, and of dehcate wine. Upon this he raised his
eyes, and said: "O Allah! O Creator! Thou enrichest
whom thou wilt, and whom Thou wilt Thou abasest!
Thou hast bestowed wealth upon the owner of this
palace, while I am wretched and weary, and spend the
day carrying other people's burdens!" Scarcely had
Sindbad the Porter finished lamenting, when, lo, there
came forth from the door a handsome page, in magnif-
icent apparel. He took the Porter by the hand and
said to him: "Enter. Answer the summons of my mas-
ter, for he calleth for thee."

The Porter left his burden with the door-keeper in the
passage, and entered the house with the page. He found
himself in a grand chamber, in which he beheld noble-
men and great lords. A feast was spread with all kinds
of flowers and sweet scents, and fresh and dried fruits,
together with an abundance of delicious viands, and
beverages prepared from the fruit of the choicest
graipe-vines. On both sides of the hall were ranged
beautiful slave-girls performing upon instruments of
music, and at the upper end of the chamber was
a great and venerable man. He was handsome in
countenance, with an aspect of gravity, dignity, and
majesty.

Sindbad the Porter was confounded when he saw all
this, and said to himself: "Verily this is Paradise, or
the palace of the King or Sultan ! " He then saluted the
assembly, kissed the ground before them, after which
he stood hanging his head in humility. But the master
of tne house requested him to seat himself, and placed
before him delicious food. So Sindbad the Porter
advanced and having said: "In the name of Allah, the

The Arabian Nights 95

Compassionate, the Merciful," ate until he was satisfied,
and then said: "Praise be to Allah," and washed his
hands, and thanked his host.

"Thou art welcome," said the master of the house.
"What is thy name, and what trade dost thou follow?"
*'0 my master," answered the porter, "my name is
Sindbad the Porter, and I carry burdens for hire." At
this the master of the house smiled, and said: "Know,
0 porter, that my name is like thine for I am Sindbad
of the Sea. I heard thy lamentation at my door, and I
will now inform thee of all that happened to me, and
befell me before I attained this prosperity. My story
is wonderful, for I have sufifered severe fatigue, and great
troubles and many terrors. I have performed seven
voyages, and connected with each voyage is a wonder-
ful tale."

Thereupon Sindbad of the Sea related as follows:

SINDBAD'S FIRST VOYAGE— THE
ISLAND-FISH

KNOW, 0 masters, that my father was a merchant^
of first rank, who possessed abundant wealth and
ample fortune. He died when I was a young child,
leaving me wealth and buildings and fields. When I
grew up, I ate and drank well, associated with young
men, and wore handsome apparel. I ceased not to live
in this manner until I returned to my reason, and found
that my wealth had passed away.

Repenting of my prodigality, I arose and sold my
apparel, and furniture, and buildings, and all that my

96 The Arabian Nights

hand possessed, and amassed three thousand pieces of
silver. I remembered the saying of one of the poets:

"He who diveth in the Sea seeking for pearls,
Acquireth lordship, and good fortune!"

Accordingly I decided to perform a sea-voyage. I
bought commodities and merchandise, and such other
things as were required for travel. I embarked in a
ship, with a company of merchants, and we traversed
the seas for many days and nights. We passed by is-
land after island, and from sea to sea, and from land to
land, and in every place we bought and .sold, and ex-
changed merchandise.

We continued our journey until we arrived at an
island like one of the gardens of Paradise, and at that
island the master of the ship brought us to anchor.
All who were on the ship landed, and took with them
fire-pots, and lighted fire in them. Some cooked, others
washed, and others amused themselves. I was among
those who were amusing themselves upon the shore of
the sea.

Suddenly the master of the ship called out in his
loudest voice: "O ye passengers! whom may Allah
preserve! Come quickly into the ship. Hasten to
embark I Flee for your lives ! This apparent island upon
which ye are, is not really an island, but it is a great
fish that hath become stationary in the midst of the
sea, and the sand hath accumulated upon it, and trees
have grown upon it, until it looks like an island ! W^hen
ye lighted the fires, it felt the heat, and put itself in
motion, and now it will descend with you to the bottom
of the sea!" The passengers hearing these words,
hastened to the vessel, leaving their merchandise and

The Arabian Nights 97

their fire-pots and their copper cooking vessels. Some
reached the ship, and others reached it not. The
island moved, and descended to the bottom of the sea,
with all that were upon it, and the roaring sea closed
over it.

I was among those who remained behind upon the
island, so I sank into the sea with the rest. But Allah,
whose name be exalted, delivered me and saved me from
drowning. There floated towards me a great wooden
bowl, in which the passengers had been washing, and
I laid hold of it, and got into it, and beat the water with
my feet, like oars, while the waves sported with me,
tossing me from right to left.

The master of the vessel caused her sails to be spread,
and pursued his voyage regardless of those who were
in the sea, and I ceased not to look at that vessel until
it disappeared from sight. When night came I felt
sure of destruction, but I remained safe for a day and a
night, and the winds and the waves aided me until the
bowl stopped under a high island, whereon were trees
overhanging the sea. I laid hold upon the branch of a
lofty tree, and clung to it, and climbing up by its
means I landed upon the island. I found that my
legs were benumbed, and saw marks upon them of the
nibbling of fish, of which I had been insensible by reason
of the violence of my anguish and fatigue !

I threw myself upon the island like one dead, and
became unconscious, and I remained in this condition
until the next day. The sun having risen, I awoke
and found that my feet were swollen, and that I was
reduced to a state of excessive weakness. I dragged
myself along in a sitting posture, and then I crawled
upon my knees. There were in the island fruits in

98 The Arabian Nights

abundance, and springs of sweet water. I ate some of
the fruits and drank the water, and continued to live
in this manner for several days. My spirit then revived,
and my power of motion returned, and having made
myself a stafiF to lean upon I walked along the shore,
until there appeared a peculiar object in the distance.
I imagined that it was a wild beast or one of the beasts
of the sea, and I walked towards it, and, lo, it was a
mare of superb appearance, picketed in a part of the
island near the sea shore.

I approached her but she cried out with a great cry,
and I trembled and was about to retire, when behold
a man came forth from a hole in the earth, and called
to me, and pursued me saying: "Who art thou?
Whence hast thou come? What is the cause of thy
arrival in this place?" So I answered him: "O my
master, I am a stranger, and I was in a ship, and was
submerged in the sea with certain of the other passen-
gers, but Allah supplied me with a wooden bowl, and
I got into it and it bore me along until it cast me upon
this island."

The man then laid hold of my hand and said: "Come
with me." I therefore went with him, and he descended
into a grotto beneath the earth, and conducting me
into a large subterranean chamber, he seated me and
brought food. I was hungry so I ate until I was satis-
fied, and my soul was at ease. He then asked me what
had happened to me, and I acquainted him with my
whole affair from beginning to end, and he wondered
at my story.

Then said the man: "Know that we are a party dis-
persed in this island, and we are the grooms of the
King Mihrage, having under our care all his horses."

The Arabian Nights 99

And even as he spoke his companions came, each lead-
ing a mare, and seeing me with him, they inquired
who I might be, and when they understood the case
-they drew near and spread the table, and ate, and
invited me to eat with them. After which they arose,
and mounted the horses, taking me with them.

We journeyed until we arrived at the city of King
Mihrage, and the grooms went in to him, and related my
story. After which they presented me to him, and he
welcomed me in an honourable manner, saying: "O my
son, verily thou hast experienced an extraordinary
preservation! Praise be to Allah for thy safety!"
He then treated me with beneficence, and made me
keeper of the sea-port. He invested me with a hand-
some and costly dress, and I became a person of high
importance.

I remained in his service for a long time, and, when-
ever I went to the shore of the sea, I used to inquire
of the merchants and sailors if they knew the direction
of the city of Bagdad, but none knew it, or knew any-
one who went there. I was weary at the length of my
absence from home, and I longed to return thither.
In this state I continued for some time, during which I
amused myself with the sight of the islands belonging
to King Mihrage. I saw there an island called Kasil,
in which at night is heard mysterious beatings of
tambourines and drums, and the people told me that
it is inhabited by that strange being called Dagial,
the false and one-eyed. I saw also in the sea, in which
is that island, a fish two hundred cubits long, and a
fish whose face is like an owl's. I likewise saw many
other wonderful and strange things, such as if I related
them to you, the description would be too long.

loo The Arabian Nights

I continued to amuse myself with the sight of those
islands, until I stood one day on the shore of the sea,
with, a staff in my hand, as was my custom, and, lo, a
great vessel approached the harbour of the city. The
master furled its sails, brought it tq anchor, and put
Forth a landing plank, and the sailors brought out every-
thing that was in the vessel to the shore. Then said I
to the master: "Doth aught remain in thy vessel.'*"
"Yes, my master," he answered, "I have goods in the
hold, but their owner was drowned, and we desire to
sell them, in order to convey their price to his family
in the city of Bagdad, the Abode of Peace." "And
what," said I, "was the name of this man, the owner of
the goods.'*" "His name was Sindbad of the Sea,"
answered the master, "and he was drowned on his
voyage with us."

When I heard this I looked attentively at the master,
and recognized him, and I cried out with a great cry: "I
am the owner of the goods ! I am Sindbad of the Sea,"
and I told him all that had happened to me. But the
master said: "Thou verily art a deceiver! Because
thou heardest me say that I had goods whose owner
was drowned, therefore thou desirest to take them
without price! We saw Sindbad when he sank, and
with him were many of the passengers, not one of
whom escaped." But I related to the master all that I
had done from the time that I went forth with him from
the city of Bagdad, and I related to him some circum-
stances that had occurred between him and me, and the
master and merchants were convinced of my truthful-
ness and recognized me.

They then gave me my goods and I found nothing
missing. So I opened the bales and took forth precious

The Arabian Nights loi

and costly things and carried them as a present to
the King. When he heard what had occurred he treated
me with exceeding honour, giving me a large gift in
return. Then I sold my bales, and purchased other
goods and commodities of that city, after which I
begged the King to grant me permission to depart to
my country and my family. So he bade me farewell,
and gave me an abundance of rich and costly things.

I embarked in the vessel, and Fortune aided us, so
that we arrived in safety at the city of Balsora. There
we landed, and remained a short time, and after that
I repaired to the city of Bagdad, the Abode of Peace.
I had an abundance of bales, and goods, and mer-
chandise of great value, and with it I procured servants,
and memlooks, and slave-girls, and black slaves, so
that I had a large establishment, and I purchased
houses and furniture, more than I had at first. I en-
joyed the society of my friends and companions, and
forgot the fatigue and difficulty and terror of travel.
I occupied myself with delights and pleasures, and
delicious meats and exquisite drinks, and continued
to live in this manner for some time. Such were the
events of my first voyage, and to-morrow if it be the
will of Allah, whose name be exalted, I will relate to you
the tale of the second of my seven voyages.

Sindbad of the Sea then made Sindbad the Porter
sup with him, after which he presented him with a
hundred pieces of gold, and the Porter thanked him, and
went his way. He slept that night in his own abode»
and when the morning came he performed his morning-
prayers and repaired to the house of Sindbad of the
Sea, who welcomed him with honour. After the rest
of his companions had come, and food and drink were

I02 The Arabian Nights

set before them, and they were merry, then Sindbad of
the Sea began his story thus :

SINDBAD'S SECOND VOYAGE— THE
VALLEY OF DIAMONDS

KNOW, O my brothers, I lived most comfortably
as I told ye yesterday, imtil one day I felt a long-
ing to travel again to lands of other peoples, and for the
pleasure of seeing the countries and islands of the
world. I decided to set forth at once, and taking a
large sum of money I purchased with it goods and
merchandise suitable for travel, and packed them up.
Then I went to the banks of the river, and found a
handsome new vessel, with sails of comely canvas, and
manned by a numerous crew. So I embarked my bales
in it, as did also a party of merchants and we set sail
that day.

The voyage was pleasant, and we passed from sea to
sea, and from island to island, and at every place where
we cast anchor, we met merchants and great men, and
we sold, bought and exchanged goods. Thus we con-
tinued to voyage until we arrived at a beautiful island,
abounding with trees of ripe fruit, and where flowers
diffused their fragrance, and birds warbled, and pure
rivers flowed, but there was not an inhabitant on the
whole island. The master anchored our vessel, and the
merchants and other passengers landed to amuse them-
selves. I also landed upon the island with the rest, and
sat by a spring of pure water among the trees. The
zephyr was sweet, and the time was pleasant, and I fell

The Arabian Nights 103

asleep, enjoying that sweet zephyr and the fragrant
gale. When I awoke, I found that the master had for-
gotten me, and the vessel had sailed with the passengers,
and not one had remembered me, neither merchant nor
sailor, so I was left alone in the island.

I had with me neither food nor drink, nor worldly
goods, and I was desolate, weary of soul, and despairing
of life. I began to weep and wail, and to blame myself
for having undertaken the voyage and fatigue, when
I was reposing at ease in my abode and country, in
ample happiness, enjoying good food, and good drink,
and good apparel, not being in want of anything, either
of money or goods or merchandise. I repented of having
gone forth from the city of Bagdad, and of having set
out on a voyage over sea.

After a while I comforted myself, and arose, and
walked about the island. I climbed up a lofty tree, and
saw naught save sky and water, and trees and birds,
and islands and sand. Looking attentively, I saw, on
the island, an enormous white object, indistinctly seen
in the distance. I descended from the tree, and pro-
ceeded in that direction without stopping. And, lo, it
was a huge white dome, of great height and immense
circumference. I drew near to it, and walked around
it, but found no door, and I could not climb it because
of its excessive smoothness. I made a mark at the place
where I stood, and went around the dome measuring
it, and, lo, it was fifty full paces!

Suddenly the sky became dark, and the sun was
hidden. I imagined a cloud had passed over it, and I
raised my head, and saw a bird of enormous size,
bulky body, and wide wings, flying in the air, and this
it was that concealed the sun, and darkened the island.

I04 The Arabian Nights

My wonder increased, and I remembered a story, which
travellers and voyagers had told me long before. How
in certain islands there is a bird of enormous size called
the Roc, and it feedeth its young ones with elephants.
I was convinced therefore that the dome was the egg
of a Roc, and I wondered at the works of Allah, whose
name be exalted !

While I was considering this wonder, lo, the bird
alighted upon the dome, and brooding over it with its
wings, stretched out its legs behind upon the ground,
and slept over it. Thereupon I arose, and unwound my
turban from my head, and twisted it into a rope. I
fastened it tightly about my waist, and tied myself to
one of the feet of the bird, saying to myself: "Perhaps
this bird will convey me to a land of cities and inhab-
itants, and that will be better than my remaining on
this island."

I passed the night sleepless, and, when the dawn
came and the morning appeared, the bird rose from
its egg, uttered a great cry and flew up into the
sky, drawing me with it. It ascended, and soared
higher and higher, then it descended gradually, until it
alighted with me upon the earth. When I reached the
ground, I hastily unbound myself from its foot, loosed
my turban, shaking with fear as I did so, and walked
away. The Roc took something from the earth in its
talons, and soared aloft, and I looked at the thing and
saw that it was a serpent of enormous size, which the
bird had taken, and was carrying off towards the sea.

I walked about the place, and found myseK in a
large, deep, wide valley, and by its side a great moun-
tain, very high, whose summit I could not see because
of its excessive height, and I could not ascend it because

The Arabian Nights 105

of its steepness. Seeing this, I blamed myself for what
I had done: "Would that I had remained on the is-
land," I said, "since it is better than this deserted place!
For in that island are fruits that I might have eaten,
and I might have drunk from its rivers, but in this place
are neither trees nor fruits nor rivers! Verily every
time I escape from one calamity I fall into another that
is greater and more severe!" Then I arose, and en-
couraging myself, walked down the valley, and, lo,
its ground was composed of magnificent diamonds, a
stone so hard that neither iron nor rock can have any
effect upon it, nor can anyone cut it or break it except
by the means of the lead-stone.

All that valley was likewise occupied by venomous
serpents, of enormous size, big enough to swallow an
elephant. These serpents came out of their holes in
the night, and during the day they hid themselves
fearing lest the Rocs should carry them off, and tear
them to pieces. The day departed, and I began to
search for a place in which to pass the night, fearing
the serpents who were beginning to come forth. I found
a cave near by with a narrow entrance, I therefore
entered, and seeing a large stone I pushed it and stopped
up the mouth of the cave. I said to myself I am safe
in this cave, and, when daylight cometh, I will go forth,
and look for some means of escape from this valley.

I prepared to repose, when looking towards the upper
end of the cave I saw a huge serpent sleeping over its
eggs. At this my flesh quaked, and I raised my head,
and passed the night sleepless, until dawn arose and
shone, then I removed the stone with which I had
closed the entrance to the cave, and went forth from it,
giddy from sleeplessness and hunger and fear.

io6 The Arabian Nights

I walked along the valley, and, lo, a great slaughtered
animal fell before me. I looked but could see no one, so
I wondered extremely, and I remembered a story which
I had heard long ago from merchants and travellers;
how in the mountains of diamonds are experienced
great horrors, and that no one can gain access to the
diamonds. To obtain these stones the merchants
employ a stratagem. They take a sheep and slaughter
it, and skin it, and cut up its flesh, which they throw
down from the mountain to the bottom of the valley,
and the meat being fresh and moist some of the dia-
monds stick to it. The merchants leave it until midday,
when large birds descend to the valley, and taking the
meat up in their talons, carry it to the top of the moun-
tain, whereupon the merchants cry out, and frighten
away the birds. They then remove the diamonds
sticking to the meat, and carry them to their own
country leaving the flesh for the birds and wild beasts.
No one can procure the diamonds but by this strata-
gem.

Therefore when I beheld that slaughtered animal,
and remembered this story, I arose and selected a
great number of large and beautiful diamonds, which I
put into my pocket, and wrapped in my turban, and
within my clothes. While I was doing this behold
another great slaughtered animal fell before me. I
bound myself to it with my turban, and lying down on
my back, placed the meat upon my bosom, and grasped
it firmly. Immediately an enormous bird descended
upon it, seized it with its talons, and flew up with it
into the air, with me attached to it. It soared to the
summit of the mountain where it alighted. Then a
great and loud cry arose near by, and a piece of wood

The Arabian Nights 107

fell clattering upon the mountain, and the bird fright-
ened flew away.

I disengaged myself from the slaughtered animal, and
stood up by its side, when, lo, the merchant, who had
cried out at the bird, advanced and saw me standing
there. He was very much terrified, and when he saw
that there were no diamonds on the meat he uttered a
cry of disappointment. "Who art thou," exclaimed he,
"who hath brought this misfortune upon me.^*" "Fear
not, nor be alarmed," answered I, "for I am a human
being, a merchant like thyself, and my tale is prodigious,
and my story wonderful ! I have with me an abundance
of diamonds, and I will share them with thee to repay
thee for those thou hast lost." The man thanked me
for this and conversed with me, and, behold, the other
merchants heard me talking with their companion,
and they came and saluted me. I acquainted them
with my whole story, relating to them all I had suffered
upon the voyage. Then I gave the owner of the slaugh-
tered animal to which I had attached myself, a number
of the diamonds that I had brought with me from the
valley. And I passed the night with the merchants,
full of utmost joy at my escape from the valley of
serpents.

When the next day came we arose, and journeyed
over that great mountain. At length we arrived at a
garden in a great and beautiful island, wherein were
camphor trees, and under the shade of each a hun-
dred men might rest. Camphor is obtained from a
tree by making a perforation in the upper part. The
liquid camphor is the juice of the tree, and floweth
from the perforation and hardens into gum. After
this operation the tree dries up and dies. In the island

io8 The Arabian Nights

too is a wild beast, called a rhinoceros. It is a huge
beast, with a single thick horn, in the middle of its
head. It is so strong that it lif teth a great elephant upon
its horn, and pastureth upon the shore without being
conscious of the weight, and the elephant dieth, and
its fat melted by the heat of the sun, flowing down the
horn of the rhinoceros, entereth its eyes, so that it
becometh blind. Then the beast lieth down upon the
shore, and the Roc cometh and carrieth it off with the
elephant still on its horn, and the bird feedeth his
young ones wuth both the rhinoceros and the elephant.
I saw also in that island an abundance of buffaloes, the
like of which existeth not among us.

We continued our journey and soon arrived at a city,
where I exchanged a part of my diamonds for mer-
chandise and gold and silver. After which I journeyed
from country to country, and from city to city, selling
and buying, until I arrived at the city of Bagdad, the
Abode of Peace. I entered my house, bringing with me
a great quantity of diamonds and money and goods.
I made presents to my family and relations, and be-
stowed alms and gifts, and feasted with my friends and
companions, and thus I forgot all that I had suffered.
This is the end of the account of what befell and hap-
pened to me during the second voyage. To-morrow,
if it be the will of Allah, whose name be exalted, I will
relate to you the events of the third of my seven
voyages.

WTien Sindbad of the Sea had finished his story, all
the company marvelled. They supped with him, and
he presented to Sindbad the Porter a hundred pieces of
gold; the latter took them and went his way wondering
at the things that Sindbad of the Sea had suffered.

The Arabian Nights 109

When morning came the Porter arose, performed his
morning prayers, and repaired to the house of Sindbad
of the Sea. When the rest of the party had come, and
after they had eaten and drunk, and enjoyed them-
selves, and were merry and happy, Sindbad of the Sea
began thus:

SINDBAD'S THIRD VOYAGE— THE
WONDER VOYAGE

KNOW, 0 my brothers, that my third voyage was
more wonderful than the preceding ones. When I
returned from my second voyage, I resided in the city
of Bagdad for a length of time, in the most perfect
prosperity, delight, joy and happiness. Then my soul
became desirous of travel and diversion. So I consid-
ered the matter, and decided to set forth immediately.
I bought an abundance of goods suited to a sea- voyage,
and packed them up, and departed to the city of
Balsora. There I beheld, near the bank of the river, a
great vessel, in which were many merchants and other
passengers. I therefore embarked in that vessel, and
we departed relying on the blessing of Allah, whose
name be exalted. We proceeded from sea to sea, and
from island to island, and from city to city, and at
every place, we amused ourselves, and bought and
sold.

One day we pursued our course in the midst of a
raging sea, when, lo, the master, standing at the side
of the vessel, suddenly slapped his face, furled the
sails, cast the anchors, plucked his beard, rent his

1 1 o The Arabian Nights

clothes and uttered a great cry. "Know, O passengers,"
exclaimed he, "that the wind hath driven us out of our
course in the midst of the sea, and destiny hath cast
us, through our evil fortune, towards the Mountain of
Apes. No one hath ever arrived at this place, and
escaped!"

Scarcely had the master spoken before a band of
apes, numerous as locusts, surrounded the ship on
every side. Their numbers were so excessive that we
feared to kill one or strike him or drive him away, lest
the others should fall upon us and destroy us. They
were the most hideous of beasts, and covered with
hair like black felt. They had yellow eyes, and black
faces, and were of small size. They climbed up the
cables and severed them with their teeth, and they
severed all the ropes so that the vessel inclined with
the wind, and stopped at the island. The apes then
put all the merchants and passengers ashore, and taking
the ship sailed away in it, leaving us upon the island,
and we knew not whither they went.

We wandered about until we discovered a pavilion,
with high walls, having an entrance with folding doors
which were open, and the doors were made of ebony.
We entered and found a wide, large court, around
which were many lofty doors. Over the fire-pots hung
cooking utensils, and on the floor were many bones.
As we were fatigued, we sat down on a great bench,
and fell asleep. Suddenly the earth trembled, and we
heard a dreadful noise, and there entered the pavilion a
creature of enormous size in human form. He was
black, of lofty stature like a great palm-tree. He had
two eyes like two flames, and tusks like the tusks of
swine, and a mouth of prodigous size, and lips like the

The Arabian Nights 1 1 1

lips of a camel, hanging down upon his bosom. His
ears hung down upon his shoulders, and the nails of
his hands were like the claws of lions.

When we beheld him we were so filled with dread
and terror that we became as dead men. The creature
came to us and seized me in his hand, lifted me from the
ground, and felt me and turned me over, and I was in
his hand like a little mouthful. He continued to feel
me as a butcher feeleth the sheep that he is about to
slaughter, but he found me lean and having no flesh.
He therefore put me down, and took another from
among my companions, and turned him over, then let
him go. In this manner he felt us, and turned us over
one by one, until he came to the master of our ship,
who was a fat, broad-shouldered man. He seized him
as does the butcher the animal that he is about to
slaughter, and having thrown him upon the ground,
put his foot upon his neck and broke it.

Then he brought a long spit and thrust it through
him. After which he built a fierce fire, and placed over
it the spit, turning it about over the burning coals,
until the master was thoroughly roasted, when he
took him off the fire, and separated his joints as a man
separates the joints of a chicken. He ate his flesh, and
after gnawing his bones, tossed them by the side of the
fire-pot. He then threw himself down, and slept upon
the bench, making a fearful noise with his throat.

We wept and said: "Would that we had been drowned
in the sea, or that the apes had eaten us ! For it would
be better than being roasted upon burning coals!"
We then arose, and went forth to find a place to hide
in. But we could find no hiding place, and, when night
came, we returned to the pavilion by reason of our

112 The Arabian Nights

fear. We had sat there a Httle while, and, lo, the earth
trembled beneath us, and the black creature ap-
proached us, and took us one by one, and turned us
over, until one pleased him, whereupon he seized him,
and killed and roasted him as he had done with the
master of the ship. He then slept, making a dreadful
noise with his throat, as before. When morning came
he arose, and went his way.

Then said one of our company: "Verily we must
contrive some stratagem to kill him, and rid the earth
of such a monster!" "Hear, O my brothers," I an-
swered, "if we must kill him, let us first make some
rafts of this fire-wood, each raft to bear three men,
after which we will kill him, and embark on our rafts,
and proceed over the sea to whatsoever place Allah
shall desire. And if we be not able to kill him, we will
embark anyway, and if we be drowned we shall be
preserved from being roasted over the fire!" We all
agreed upon this matter, and commenced the work. We
removed the pieces of fire-wood out of the pavilion, and
constructed rafts, moored them to the shore, stowed
upon them some provisions, after which we returned to
the pavilion.

When it was evening, lo, the earth trembled beneath
us, and the black came in like a biting dog ! He turned
us over, and felt us, one after another, and having taken
one of us, did with him as he had done with the others.
He ate him, and slept upon the bench, and the noise in
his throat was like thunder.

We then arose, and took two iron spits, and put them
in the fierce fire until they were red hot, and became
like burning coals. We grasped them firmly, and went
to the black, while he lay asleep snoring, and thrust

WHEN WE BEHELD HIM WE WERE FILLED WITH DREAD AND TERROR

The Arabian Nights 113

them into his eyes, all of us pressing upon them with our
united strength and force. Thus we pushed them into
his eyes as he slept, and his eyes were destroyed, and
he uttered a terrible cry. He arose, and began to
search for us, while we fled in every direction, and he
saw us not for his sight was blinded. Then he sought
the door, feeling for it, and went forth crying out so
that the earth trembled.

We hastened to the rafts, and scarcely had we
reached them before the black returned, accompanied by
a female, greater than he, and more hideous in form.
As soon as we beheld the horrible female with him, we
loosed the rafts, and pushed them out to sea. But
each of the two blacks took masses of rock, and they
cast them at us, until they had destroyed all the rafts
but one, and the persons upon them were drowned.
There remained of us only three, I and two others,
and the raft we were on conveyed us to another island.

We landed, and walked about this island until the
close of day, when night overtook us, so we slept a
little. We awoke from our sleep and, lo, a serpent of
enormous size, of large body and wide belly, had sur-
rounded us. It approached one of us, and swallowed
him to his shoulders, then it swallowed the rest of him,
and we heard his ribs crack. After which the serpent
went away. We mourned for our companion, and were
in the utmost fear for ourselves, saying: "Verily every
death we witness is more horrible than the preceding
one!"

We arose, and walked about the island, eating and
drinking of its rivers, and when night came my com-
panion and myself found a lofty tree, so we climbed
up it, and slept. When it was day, the serpent came,

114 The Arabian Nights

looking to the right and left, and advancing to the tree
upon which we were, chmbed to my companion, swal-
lowed him to his shoulders, and then it wound itself
around the tree, and I heard his bones break. The
serpent swallowed him entire, descended from the
tree, and went its way.

I remained upon that tree the rest of the night, and
when day came I descended more dead than alive from
excessive fear and terror. I desired to cast myself into
the sea, but it was no light matter, for to live was sweet,
so I tied a wide piece of wood upon the soles of my feet
crosswise, and I tied one like it upon my left side, and a
similar one on my right side, and another on the front
of my body, and I tied a long and wide one on the top
of my head, crosswise, like that which was on the soles
of my feet. I bound them tightly, and threw myself
upon the ground. Thus I lay in the midst of the pieces
of wood, and they enclosed me like a box.

When evening arrived, the serpent approached, but
could not swallow me, as I had the pieces of wood on
every side. It went round me, then retired from me,
and returned again to me. Every time it tried to
swallow me the pieces of wood prevented it. It con-
tinued to attack me thus, from sunset until daybreak
arrived and the light appeared, then the serpent went
its way in the utmost vexation and rage.

I loosed myself from the pieces of wood in a state
like that of the dead. I arose, and walked along the
island, and looking towards the sea, beheld a ship in
the distance, in the midst of the deep. I took a great
branch of a tree, and made signs with it, calling out,
and the sailors saw me. They approached the shore,
and took me with them in the ship. They asked me my

The Arabian Nights 115

story, and I informed them of all that had happened to
me from beginning to end. They then clad me in some
of their garments, and put food before me, and I ate
until I was satisfied, and my soul was comforted.

We proceeded on our voyage, until we came in sight
of an island, called the Isle of Selahit, where sandal-
wood is abundant. The master anchored the ship,
and the merchants and other passengers took forth
their goods to sell and buy. Then said the master to
me: "Thou art a stranger and poor, and hast suffered
many horrors, and I desire to aid thee to reach thy
country. Know, that there was with us a merchant,
who was lost at sea, and I will commit to thee his bales
of goods, that thou mayest sell them in this island,
after which we will take the price to his family. If
thou wilt take charge of the sale we will give thee
something for thy trouble and service." For this kind
and beneficent offer I was full of gratitude, and readily
agreed to look after the goods.

The master ordered the porters and sailors to land
the goods upon the island, and to deliver them to me.
"Write upon them," said he, "the name of Sindbad of
the Sea, who was left behind at the island of the Roc,
and of whom no tidings have come to us." Upon this
I uttered a great cry, saying: "O master, I am Sindbad
of the Sea! I was not drowned," and I told him all
that had happened unto me. And when the merchants
and passengers heard my words, they gathered around
me, some of them believed me, and others disbelieved.
While we were talking, lo, one of the merchants, on
hearing me mention the Valley of Diamonds, advanced
and said : "Hear, O company, my words. I have already
related to you the wonderful thing I saw on my travels.

1 1 6 The Arabian Nights

I told you that when I cast my slaughtered animal
into the Valley of Diamonds, that there came up with
my beast a man attached to it, and ye beheved me not,
but accused me of lying. This is the man, and he gave
me diamonds of high price, and he informed me that
his name was Sindbad of the Sea, and he told me how
the ship had left him in the island of the Roc."

When the master heard the words of the merchant,
he looked at me a while with a searching glance, then
said: "What is the mark of thy goods.?" "Know,"
I answered, "that the mark of my goods is of such and
such a kind." He therefore was convinced that I was
Sindbad of the Sea, and embraced and saluted me, and
congratulated me upon my safety.

I disposed of my merchandise with great gain, selling
and buying at the islands, until we arrived at Balsora,
where I remained a few days. Then I came to the
city of Bagdad, and entered my house, and saluted my
family, companions and friends. I rejoiced at my
safety, and gave alms to the poor, and clad the widows
and orphans. And I ceased not to live thus, eating and
drinking, and making merry with my friends, and I
forgot all the horrors I had suffered. Such was the
most wonderful of the things that I beheld during that
voyage, and to-morrow, if it be the will of Allah, whose
name be exalted, I will relate to thee the story of my
fourth voyage, for it is more wonderful than the stories
of the preceding voyages.

Then Sindbad of the Sea gave the porter a hundred
pieces of gold, and commanded the attendants to spread
the table. So they spread it, and the company supped
wondering at that story, and at the events described.
Sindbad the Porter took the gold, and went his way.

The Arabian Nights 117

and passed the night in his house. When the morning
came, and diffused its hght, he arose, and performed
the morning-prayers, and walked to the house of Sind-
bad of the Sea, who received him with joy. As soon as
the rest of the company came, the servants brought
forth food, and the party ate and drank and enjoyed
themselves. Then Sindbad of the Sea related to them
the fourth story, saying:

SINDBAD'S FOURTH VOYAGE — THE
BURIAL CAVE

KNOW, O my brothers, that after I returned to the
city of Bagdad, and met my friends and com-
panions, and was enjoying the utmost pleasure, leading
the most delightful life, my wicked soul suggested to me
to travel again to other countries, and I felt a longing to
see different races, and for selling and gains. So I
resolved upon this, and purchased precious goods,
suitable to a sea-voyage and, having packed up my
merchandise, I went to the city of Balsora, where I
embarked my bales, and joined myseK to a party of the
chief men of that city, and we set forth.

The vessel proceeded with us over the roaring sea,
agitated with waves, but the voyage was pleasant, and
we went from island to island, and from sea to sea, until
a contrary wind arose. The master cast anchor, and
stayed the ship in the midst of the sea, fearing that she
would sink in the deep. Suddenly a great tempest
arose, which rent the sails, and the merchants were
submerged with their commodities and wealth. I was

1 1 8 The Arabian Nights

submerged among the rest, and swam in the sea for
half a day. But Allah, whose name be exalted, enabled
me to lay hold of one of the planks from the ship, and
I and a party of merchants got upon it. The next
day a wind arose against us, the sea became boisterous,
and the waves and wind violent, and the water cast
us upon an island.

We walked along the shore of the island, and found
abundant herbs, so we ate some, and then passed the
night on the shore. When morning came we walked
until there appeared a building in the distance. When
we reached its door, lo, there came forth from it a party
of naked black men. Without speaking, they seized
us, and carried us to their Kjng. He commanded us to
sit down, and the blacks brought us disgusting food,
which my stomach revolted against, therefore I ate
scarcely any, but my companions ate most ravenously.
As soon as they had eaten thus their minds became
stupefied, and they devoured like madmen. Then the
blacks brought to them cocoa-nut-oil, and when my
companions drank it their eyes became turned in their
faces, and they proceeded to consume more food after
the manner of wild beasts.

I was filled with fear for myself and my companions,
and I observed the naked men attentively, and, lo,
they were fire-worshippers, and the King of their land
was a ghoul. Every one who arrived at their country,
or whom they met in the valleys or roads, they caught
and they brought to their King, and they fed the cap-
tive with strange food, and gave him cocoa-nut-oil to
drink, in consequence of which his body became en-
larged, and his mind stupefied so that he became an
idiot. They fed him until he became fat, when they

The Arabian Nights 119

slaughtered and roasted him, and served him as meat
to their King. But as to the servants of the King, they
ate the flesh of men, without roasting or otherwise
cooking it. When I saw the blacks feed my companions
thus, I was in utmost anguish. As for myself I became,
through hunger and fear, wasted and thin, and my flesh
dried on my bones. When the blacks saw me in this
state they left me, and forgot all about me.

One day as I walked along the island, I saw a herds-
man sitting in the distance, and he was pasturing my
companions like cattle. As soon as the man beheld
me he called out: "Turn back! Go along the road to
the right and thou wilt soon reach the King's highway."
Accordingly I turned back, and seeing a road on my
right hand, I proceeded along it day and night until I
came to the other side of the island.

I was tired and hungry, so I began to eat of the herbs
and vegetables, and to drink of the springs, after which
I arose and walked on, whenever I was hungry eating of
the vegetables. In this manner I proceeded for seven
days, and on the morning of the eighth day, I saw
a faint object in the distance. I approached it, and, lo,
it was a party of men gathering peppers. When they
saw me, they surrounded me on every side, saying:
"Who art thou.'^ Whence hast thou come.?" I in-
formed them of my whole case, and of the horrors and
distresses that I had suffered.

They made me sit among them until they had fin-
ished their work, and brought me good food, of which
I ate. Their work being completed, they embarked
with me in a ship, and went to their island and their
abodes. They then took me to their King, who wel-
comed me and treated me with honour, and inquired of

I20 The Arabian Nights

me my story. So I related to him all my experiences
from the day of my going forth from the city of Bagdad,
until I had come to him. The King wondered at my
story, and commanded a repast to be spread. After
I had eaten I arose, and leaving his presence, diverted
myself with a sight of his city. It was a flourishing
place, abounding with inhabitants and wealth, and with
food and markets and goods and sellers and buyers.

After I had remained in the city for a few days, I
saw that its great men and little, rode excellent, fine
horses without saddles, whereat I wondered. On in-
quiry I discovered that no one in that land had ever
seen a saddle, or knew of its make or use. I sought
out a clever carpenter, and took wool, and leather,
and felt, and caused a saddle to be made, I then sought
a blacksmith, and described to him the form of stirrups,
and he forged an excellent pair, to which I attached a
fringe of silk.

Having done this, I fastened the saddle to one of the
King's horses, attached to it the stirrups, bridled the
horse, and led him forward to the King, who thanked
me, and seated himself upon it, and was greatly de-
lighted with that saddle and gave me a large present
as a reward. When his Vizier saw that I had made a
saddle, he desired one hke it, so I made one for him.
The grandees and great lords likewise desired saddles,
and I made them, with the help of the carpenter and
blacksmith, and for these I received large sums. Thus
I collected abundant wealth, and became in high estima-
tion with all the people.

I sat one day with the King in the utmost happiness
and honour, and he said to me: "Know, O thou, that
thou art honoured among us, and we cannot part with

The Arabian Nights 12 i

thee, nor can we suffer thee to depart from our city.
Therefore I desire to marry thee to a beautiful wife,
possessed of wealth and loveliness. I will lodge thee
by me in a palace, so do not oppose me in this matter."
I could not refuse to do as the King commanded me,
so he sent immediately for the Cadi and witnesses to
come, and married me forthwith to a woman of high
rank and surprising beauty, possessing abundant wealth
and fortune. He presented me with a great and hand-
some house, and gave me servants and other depend-
ants. I loved my wife, and she loved me with great
affection, and we lived together in a most delightful
manner.

One day the wife of my neighbour and companion
died, and I went in to console him. He was anxious,
weary in soul and body, and I comforted him saying:
"Mourn not for thy wife, for Allah will perhaps give
thee one better than she!" But he wept bitterly and
said: "O my companion, how can I marry another
when I have but one more day to live! This day they
will bury my wife, and they will bury me with her in the
sepulchre, for it is a custom in our country, when the
wife dieth to bury with her the husband alive, and when
the husband dieth they bury with him the wife alive,
that neither of them may enjoy life after the other."

While he was thus speaking behold the people of the
city came. They prepared the body for burial, accord-
ing to their custom, brought a bier and carried the
woman on it, with all her apparel, ornaments and
wealth. Taking the husband with them, they went
forth from the city, and came to a mountain by the
sea. They advanced to a certain spot, and lifted up a
great stone from the mouth of a hole like a well, and

122 The Arabian Nights

threw the woman into a pit beneath the mountain.
They brought the man, tied beneath his arms a rope of
fibres of the palm-tree, and lowered him into the pit.
They let down to him a great jug of sweet water, and
seven cakes of bread. When they had let him down, he
loosed himself from the rope, and they drew it up,
and covered the mouth of the pit with that great stone,
as it was before.

On my return to the city I went to the King, and said
to him: "O King of the age, if the wife of a foreigner
like myself die, do ye do with him after the manner of
the country!" "Yea, verily," answered the King,
"we bury him with her and do with him as thou hast
seen." WTien I heard these words, my mind was
stupefied, and I became fearful lest my wife should
die before me, and they should bury me alive with
her.

But a short time elapsed before my wife fell sick of a
fever, and she remained ill for a few days, and died.
Great numbers of people assembled to console me,
and the King also came to comfort me. They washed
my wife and decked her with the richest of her apparel,
and ornaments of gold, and necklaces and jewels.
They then placed her on the bier, and carried her to
the mountain, and lifted the stone from the mouth of
the pit, and cast her in. The family of my wife then
advanced to bid me farewell, but I cried out that I was
a foreigner, and would not submit to their custom.
They laid hold upon me, and bound me by force, tying
to me seven cakes of bread and a jug of sweet water,
and let me down into the pit. They commanded me to
loose myself from the ropes, but I would not do so,
thereupon they threw down the ropes upon me, and

The Arabian Nights 123

covered the mouth of the pit with the great stone, and
went their way.

I found that I was in an immense cavern beneath the
mountain, and all about me lay the dead. I walked
about feeling the sides of the cavern, and found that
it was spacious and had many cavities in its sides, and
in one of these I made a place for myself and sat down.
"Alas!" said I, "would that I had not married in this
country ! Would that I had been drowned at sea, or had
died upon the mountains! It would have been better
than this evil death!" I continued in this manner
blaming m.yself, until hunger and thirst assailed me,
and I felt for the bread, and ate a little, and I drank a
little water. After which I slept.

I remained in this condition for several days, eating
and drinking a little at a time, fearing to exhaust the
food and water. One day I awoke from my sleep and
heard something make a noise in the cavern. I arose
and walked toward it, and when it heard me coming it
fled from me, and, lo, it was a wild beast! I followed it
to the upper end of the cavern, where a light appeared
hke a star. I advanced and the light grew larger, so
that I was convinced that it was a hole in the cavern,
communicating with open country. I continued to
advance and, lo, it was an aperture in the back of the
mountain, which wild beasts had made, and through
which they entered the cavern. I managed to force
my way through the hole, and found myself on the
shore of the sea, with a great mountain between me and
the city from whence I came.

I praised Allah, whose name be exalted, and rejoiced
exceedingly, and my heart was strengthened. I re-
turned through the hole to the cavern, where I collected

124 The Arabian Nights

an abundance of jewels, necklaces of pearls, ornaments
of gold and silver, which had been buried with the dead,
and these I carried forth to the shore of the sea. Every
day I entered the cavern and explored it, until I had
removed all the ornaments and rarities I could find.
Thus I continued to do for some time, when one day
I was sitting upon the shore of the sea, and I beheld a
vessel passing along through the midst of the roaring
waves. So I took a white cloth and tied it to a staff,
and ran along the sea shore, signalling the sailors until
they saw me. They sent a boat to me and carried me to
the master, who kindly embarked me and my goods in
his ship. I offered him a considerable portion of my
property, but he would not accept it of me, saying:
"We take nothing from anyone whom we find stranded
on a lonely shore, or on an island; instead we act to-
wards him with kindness and favor for the sake of
Allah, whose name be exalted."

We proceeded on our voyage from island to island,
and from sea to sea, until at length we reached the city
of Balsora, where I landed and remained a few days,
after which I departed for Bagdad. I entered my house,
saluted my family and companions, stored all my com-
modities, gave alms and presents, and clad widows and
orphans. I then returned to my former habits of in-
dulging in sport and merriment with mj'^ companions
and brothers. Such were the most wonderful events
that happened to me in the course of my fourth voyage.
But, O Porter, if thou wilt sup with me to-morrow, I
will inform thee what befell me during my fifth voyage,
for it was more wonderful and extraordinary than the
preceding voyage.

Sindbad of the Sea then presented the Porter with a

The Arabian Nights 125

hundred pieces of gold, and the table was spread and
the party supped, after which they went their ways
wondering extremely. Sindbad the Porter went to his
house, and passed the night in the utmost happiness and
joy. When the morning came he arose, and performed
his morning-prayers, and walked on until he entered
the house of Sindbad of the Sea, who welcomed him,
and sat with him until the rest of the companions came,
after which they all ate and drank and were merry.
Then Sindbad of the Sea began his narrative saying
thus:

SINDBAD'S FIFTH VOYAGE— THE OLD
MAN OF THE SEA

KNOW, O my brothers, that when I returned from
my fourth voyage I became immersed in sport and
merriment, so that I forgot all that I had suffered. Then
my mind again suggested to me to travel, and to divert
myself with the sight of other countries and peoples.
So I arose, and bought precious goods suitable to a
sea-voyage. I packed up the bales, and departed
from the city of Bagdad to the city of Balsora, and
walking along the river bank I saw a great, handsome,
lofty ship, and it pleased me, so I purchased it. I
hired a master and sailors, and bought black slaves,
and embarked with my bales. There came a company
of merchants who embarked with me and we set sail
in the utmost joy and happiness, and pursued our voy-
age from island to island, and from sea to sea, buying
and selling goods.

We arrived one day at a large island, deserted and

126 The Arabian Nights

desolate, but on it was an enormous white dome, of
great bulk, and, lo, it was the egg of a Roc. When
the merchants had landed, to amuse themselves, not
knowing that it was the egg of a Roc, they struck it with
stones, so that it broke, and there poured from it a
great quantity of liquid, and the young Roc appeared
within the shell. The merchants pulled it out, killed
it, and cut from it an abundance of meat. I was then
in the ship, and knew not of it, and looking forth I saw
the merchants striking the egg. I called out to them:
"Do not this deed! It is a Roc's egg, and the bird
will come, and demolish our ship, and destroy us!"
But they would not hear my words.

Suddenly the sun was veiled, and the day grew dark,
and we raised our eyes, and, lo, the wings of the Roc
darkened the sky! When the bird came, and beheld
its egg broken, it cried out fiercely, whereupon its
mate, the female bird, came to it, and they flew in
circles over the ship, uttering cries like thunder. So I
called out to the master and sailors: "Push off the ves-
sel and seek safety before we perish!" The master
hastened, and the merchants having embarked, he
loosed the ship, and we departed from the island. When
the Rocs saw that w^e had put out to sea, they flew away,
and soon returned, each of them having in its claws a
huge mass of stone from a mountain. The male bird
threw upon us the stone he had brought, but the master
steered away the ship, and the stone missed it and fell
into the sea. Then the mate of the male Roc threw
upon us the stone she had brought, and it fell upon the
stern of the ship and crushed it, and the vessel sunk
with all that was in it.

I strove to save myself, and Allah, whose name be

The Arabian Nights 127

exalted, placed within my reach a plank from the
ship, so I caught hold of it, and got upon it, and the
wind and the waves helped me forward and cast me on
the shore of an island. I landed, exhausted with hunger
and fatigue, and threw myself down, and remained thus
for some time. At last I arose, and walked along the
island, and saw that it resembled a garden of Paradise.
There was an abundance of trees and fruits and flowers.
So I ate of the fruits until I was satisfied, and I drank of
the flowing rivers. Then I lay down, and slept.

In the morning I arose, and walked among the trees,
and I beheld an old man sitting beside a stream, and
he was clad from the waist down in a covering made of
the leaves of trees. I approached, and saluted him, but
he returned the salutation by a sign, without speaking.
"O sheikh," said I, "what is the reason of thy sitting
in this place .f^" He shook his head and sighed, and
made a sign as though to say: "Carry me upon thy
back, and transport me across this stream."

I said to myself: "I will act kindly to this old man,
and perhaps I shall obtain a reward in Heaven!" So
I stooped, and took him upon my shoulders, and
carried him over the stream to the place he had in-
dicated. When I said, "Descend in peace," he did not
descend from my shoulders. He had wound his legs
round my neck, and I looked at them, and saw that they
were black and rough like the hide of a buffalo. I was
frightened and tried to throw him from my shoulders,
but he pressed his feet on my neck, and squeezed my
throat, so that the world became black before my face,
and I fell upon the ground in a fit. He then raised his
legs, and beat me upon my back and shoulders, and
caused me such violent pain that I was forced to rise.

12 8 The Arabian Nights

He still kept his seat upon my shoulders, and, when
I became fatigued with bearing him, he made a sign
that I should go among the trees, to the best of the
fruit. If I disobeyed him, he inflicted upon me with his
feet blows more violent than those of whips, and he
directed me with his hand to every place where he
desired to go, and to that place I went with him. If I
loitered or went leisurely, he beat me, and I was a
captive to him. He descended not from my shoulders
by night nor by day, and when he desired to sleep, he
would wind his legs about my neck, and sleep a little,
and then he would beat me until I arose.

Thus I remained for some time, until one day I carried
the old man to a place in the island where I found an
abundance of dried pumpkins. I took a large one, and
cleansed it. I then went to a grape-vine, and filled the
pumpkin with the juice of the grapes. I stopped up the
aperture, and put the juice in the sun and left it for
some days until it became pure wine. Every day I
used to drink of it to help me endure the fatigue. So
seeing me one day drinking, the old man made a
sign with his hand for me to hand him the pumpkin,
and fearing greatly I handed it to him immediately.
Whereupon he drank all the wine that remained, and
threw the pumpkin upon the ground. He then became
intoxicated, and began to sway from side to side upon
my shoulders. When I knew that he was drunk, I
put my hand to his feet and loosed them from my neck,
and I stooped with him, and sat down, and threw him
upon the ground. Fearing lest he should rise from his
intoxication, and torment me, I took a great mass of
stone and struck him upon the head until he was dead.

After that I walked about the island, with a happy

^

^" f

Y''

'I'HE OLD MAN OK THE i>tA

The Arabian Nights 129

mind, and came to the place where I was at first, on
the shore of the sea, and, lo, a vessel approached from
the midst of the roaring waves, and it ceased not its
course until it anchored at the island. The passengers
landed, and when they saw me, they approached, and
inquired the cause of my coming to that place. I
therefore acquainted them with all that had befallen
me. Whereat they wondered extremely and said:
*'This old man who rode upon thy shoulders is called
the Old Man of the Sea, and no one was ever beneath his
limbs and escaped from him excepting thee."

They then brought me food, and I ate until I was
satisfied, and they gave me clothes which I put on,
covering myself decently. After this they took me
with them to their ship, and proceeded night and day,
until destiny drove us to a city of lofty buildings, over-
looking the sea. That city is called the City of Apes.

I landed to divert myself, and the ship set sail without
my knowledge. I repented of having landed, and while
I sat weeping and mourning, a man of the city ap-
proached me. "O my master," said he, "art thou a
stranger in this country?" "Yes," I replied, "I am a
stranger and a poor man! I was in a ship which an-
chored here, and I landed from it to divert myself,
and the ship sailed without me." "Arise," said he,
" and embark with us in this boat, for if thou remain in
the city during the night, the apes will destroy thee."
So I immediately embarked with the people, and they
pushed the boat off from the land, and passed the night
on the water. Such hath always been their custom
every night, for if anyone remaineth in the city, the
apes come down from the mountains and destroy him.
In the daytime the apes leave the city, and eat the

130 The Arabian Nights

fruits of the gardens, and sleep in the mountains, until
evening, when they return to the city.

The next day, a person of the party with whom I had
passed the night, said to me: "Hast thou any trade or
art whereby thou may est earn thy bread?" "No,
my brother," I answered, "I am acquainted with no art,
nor do I know how to make anything." Upon this the
man brought me a cotton bag, and said to me: "Take
this bag, and fill it with pebbles." He then led me out
of the city, and I picked up small pebbles, with which
I filled my bag. And, lo, a party of men came forth
from the gates, and my companion said to them: "This
is a stranger, so take him with you, and teach him your
mode of earning your livelihood, perhaps he may in
this way gain means of providing himself with food
and drink, and ye will obtain a reward and recompense
from Allah, whose name be exalted!"

The men welcomed me, and took me with them, each
one having a bag like mine, full of pebbles. We walked
until we arrived at a wide valley, wherein were lofty
trees, which no one could climb. In that valley were
many apes, and when they saw us they fled, and as-
cended the trees. Then the men began to pelt the
apes with stones from their bags, and the apes plucked
off the fruit of the trees, and threw them at the men.
I looked at the fruit which they threw down, and, lo,
they were cocoa-nuts.

I chose a tree in which were many apes, and pro-
ceeded to pelt them with stones, and they broke off
the nuts from the tree, and threw them at me. So I
collected a great quantity, and when the men returned
home I carried off as many nuts as I could. Entering
the city I went to the man, my companion, and gave

The Arabian Nights 131

him all the cocoa-nuts I had collected and thanked
him for his kindness. "Take these," he said, "and
sell them and make use of the price." I did as he told
me, and continued every day to go forth with the men,
and do as they did. I collected a great quantity of
good cocoa-nuts, which I sold, and for which I received
a large sum of money. I bought everything I saw that
pleased me, and my time was pleasant, and my good
fortune increased.

One day I was standing by the sea-side, and, lo, a
vessel arrived at the city, and cast anchor by the shore.
In it were merchants, who proceeded to exchange their
goods for cocoa-nuts and other things. So I bade
farewell to my companion, and embarked in that
vessel with my cocoa-nuts and the other merchandise
I had collected; after which we set sail the same day.
We continued our course from island to island, and
from sea to sea, and at every island where we cast
anchor, I sold cocoa-nuts and received for them large
sums.

We passed by an island in which are cinnamon and
pepper, and there I exchanged cocoa-nuts for a great
quantity of each. We passed also the island of Asirat,
wherein is aloes-wood, and after that we passed by
another island, the extent of which is five days' journey,
and in it is the Sanfi aloes-wood, which is superior to
that of the island of Asirat, but the inhabitants of this
island love depravity, and the drinking of wines, and
know not how to pray. After that we came to the
pearl-fisheries, where I gave the divers some cocoa-
nuts, and said: "Dive for my luck!" Accordingly
they dived in the bay, and brought up a great number
of large and valuable pearls, so I took them, and we

132 The Arabian Nights

proceeded on our way relying upon the blessing of
Allah, whose name be exalted !

We continued our voyage until we arrived at the
city of Balsora, where I landed, and stayed a short
time. I went thence to the city of Bagdad, and entered
my house and saluted my family and friends. I stored
all my goods and commodities, clothed the widows
and orphans, made presents to my family, my com-
panions, and my friends. Allah had compensated me
with four times as much as I had lost, and I forgot all
the fatigue and terror I had suffered, and resumed
my feasting and merrymaking. Such were the most
wonderful things that happened to me in the course of
my fifth voyage, but sup ye, and to-morrow come again,
and I will relate to you the events of my sixth voyage,
for it is more wonderful than this.

Then the attendants spread the table, and the party
supped. When they had finished, Sindbad of the Sea
presented Sindbad the Porter, with one hundred pieces
of gold. He took them and departed, wondering at
this affair. He passed the night in his abode, and when
morning came, he arose and performed his morning-
prayers, after which he walked to the house of Sindbad
of the Sea, who welcomed him, and conversed with
him until the rest of his companions had come. The
servants spread the table, and the party ate, drank, and
were merry. Then Sindbad of the Sea began to relate
to them the story of the sixth voyage, saying:

The Arabian Nights 133

SINDBAD'S SIXTH VOYAGE — THE
TREASURE WRECKS

KNOW, O my brothers and my friends and my com-
panions, that when I returned from my fifth voy-
age, I forgot what I had suffered, by reason of sport and
merriment, and enjoyment. I continued thus until
one day I saw a party of merchants bearing marks of
travel, then I remembered the days of my travel, and
my soul longed again to see other countries. So I
determined to set forth. I bought precious and sump-
tuous goods, suitable for a sea-voyage, packed my
bales, and went from the city of Bagdad, to the city
of Balsora. There I beheld a large vessel, in which
were merchants with their precious goods. I therefore
embarked my bales in this ship, and we departed in
safety from Balsora. We continued our voyage from
place to place, and from city to city, selling and buying,
and diverting ourselves with viewing different coun-
tries, and Fortune and the voyage were pleasant to us.

We were proceeding one day, and, lo, the master
of the ship called out in grief and rage, threw down his
turban, slapped his face, plucked his beard, and fell
in the hold of the ship. The merchants and other
passengers gathered about him, saying: "O master,
what is the matter.'^" "Know, O company," he an-
swered, "that we have wandered from our course, and
have entered an unknown sea! K Allah help us not to
escape, we shall perish!"

Then the master arose, and ascended the mast,
and tried to loose the sails, but the wind became violentj

134 The Arabian Nights

and drove back the ship, and her rudder broke near a
lofty mountain. The waves threw the vessel upon
rocks and it broke to pieces, its planks were scattered,
and the merchants fell into the sea. Some of them were
drowned, and some were thrown upon the mountain.

I was of the number of those who landed upon this
mountain. We crossed it and on the other side found a
wide shore, whereon were treasures thrown up by the
sea from ships that had been wrecked. My reason was
confounded by the abundance of commodities and
wealth cast up on the shore. And I beheld there a
river of sweet water, flowing forth from beneath the near-
est part of the mountain, and entering at the furthest
part of it; and in the bed of this stream were various
kinds of jewels, jacinths and large pearls suitable for
Kings. They were like gravel in the channel of the
river, which flowed through the fields, and all the
bottom of the stream glittered by reason of ornaments
of gold and silver.

In that land there is an abundance of aloes-wood,
and there gusheth from the ground a spring of crude
ambergris, which floweth like wax, and spreadeth upon
the sea shore. The monsters of the deep come up from
the sea and swallow the ambergris, and descend into
the sea. When it becometh hot in their stomachs, they
eject it and it riseth and congealeth on the surface of
the water, and the waves cast it upon the shore, so
travellers and merchants gather and sell it. As to the
ambergris which is not swallowed but remaineth near
the spring, it floweth over the side of the fountain, and
congealeth upon the ground, and when the sun shineth
upon it, it melteth, and it filleth the land with an odour
like musk.

The Arabian Nights 135

We continued to wander about the island, and col-
lected from the wreckage of the ship a small quantity
of food, which we used sparingly, eating of it every
day or two days, only one meal. At last our stock
became exhausted, and my companions died one by
one. Each one who died, we washed, shrouded and
buried in the clothes and linen, which the sea cast up.
Thus it happened until all my companions had died,
and left me alone upon the shore. Then I wept and
said: "Would that I had died before my companions!"
and I blamed myself for leaving my country and my
people, after all that I had suffered during my former
voyages.

Then thought I: "This river must have a beginning
and an end, and it must have a place of egress into an
inhabited country. I will construct for myself a raft,
and I will depart on it, and if I find safety, I am safe,
and if not it will be better to die in the river than in this
place!" Accordingly I arose, and collected pieces of
aloes-wood, and bound them together with ropes from
the ships that had been wrecked. I brought some
planks from the shore, and fastened them upon those
pieces of wood. I made the raft to suit the width of the
river, and bound it well and firmly. I piled it high with
jewels and ornaments of gold and silver, and with the
pearls that were like gravel, and with some of the crude
ambergris. I then launched the raft upon the river,
and made for it two pieces of wood like oars.

And so I departed on the raft following the current
towards the mountain, and entered a tunnel through
which the river ran. There was intense darkness within,
and the raft continued to carry me along to a narrow
place beneath tho mountain, where my head rubbed the

136 The Arabian Nights

roof of the tunnel. I was unable to turn about, and I
blamed myself for the situation, saying: "If this place
becomes narrower, the raft will scarcely pass through,
and it cannot return, so I shall perish miserably!'*
I threw myself down upon my face on the raft, and
continued to proceed not knowing night from day, by
reason of the darkness in which I was, and my terror
and fear lest I should perish. In this state I continued
my course along the river, which sometimes widened
and at other times contracted, but the intensity of the
darkness wearied me so that I was overcome with
slumber, and the current ceased not to bear me along
while I slept.

At length I awoke, and found myself in the light, and
opening my eyes beheld wide fields on either side of the
river, and the raft tied to the shore of an island, and
around me a company of Indians and Abyssinians.
When they saw that I had awakened they spoke to me
in their language, but I knew not what they said, and
imagined that it was a dream, and that this occurred in
sleep. Then a man from among them advanced, and
said to me in the Arabic language: "Peace be on thee,
O our brother! Who art thou,'* Whence hast thou
come? And what was the cause of thy coming to this
place? We are people of the sown lands and the fields,
and we came to irrigate our lands, and we found thee
asleep upon thy raft. We tied it here, waiting for thee
to arise at thy leisure. Now tell us what is the cause
of thy coming unto this place."

"O my master," I replied, "I entreat thee to bring
to me some food, for I am hungry, and after that ask
of me concerning what thou wilt!" Thereupon he
hastened, and brought food, and I ate until I was

The Arabian Nights 137

satiated, and was at ease, and my fear subsided, and
my soul returned to me, and I praised Allah, whose
name be exalted! I then acquainted the people with
all that had happened to me from beginning to end,
and with what I had experienced upon the river.

They took me with them, and conveyed with me the
raft, together with all that was upon it of riches and
goods, and jewels and minerals, and ornaments of
gold and silver, and they led me to their King who was
the King of India, and acquainted him with my story.
He wondered at this exceedingly, and welcomed me
with great honours, and congratulated me on my safety.
Then I arose and took a quantity of jewels, and aloes-
wood and ambergris, and presented them to the King.
He accepted it all, treated me with the greatest honour,
and lodged me in a place in his abode. I associated with
the lords and grandees of his empire, who paid me
high respect, and I quitted not the abode of the King.

The capital of that country lies between a lofty
mountain and a deep valley. This mountain is seen at a
distance of three days, and it containeth varieties of
jacinths, and minerals, and trees of all sorts of spices.
Its surface is covered with emery, wherewith jewels are
cut into shape. In its rivers are diamonds, and pearls
are in its valleys. I ascended to the summit of the
mountain, and viewed its wonders, which are not to be
described !

I remained in this country for some time, then begged
of the King that I might return to my own land. He
gave me permission after great pressing, and bestowed
upon me abundant gifts from his treasury. He also
gave me a present and a sealed letter, saying: "Convey
these to the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid, and give him

138 The Arabian Nights

many salutations from us." The letter was on yellow
parchment, and the writing was ultramarine. The
words that he wrote to the Caliph were these :

"Peace be on thee, from the King of India,
before whom are a thousand elephants, and
on the battlements of whose palace are a
thousand jewels.

"To proceed: we have sent to thee a trifling
present, accept it then from us. Thou art to us
a brother and sincere friend, and the affection
for you that is in our hearts is great; therefore
favour us by a reply. The present is not suited
to thy dignity; but we beg thee, O brother, to
accept it graciously. And peace be on thee!"

And the present was a ruby cup, a span high, the
inside of which was set with precious pearls; and a bed
covered with the spotted skin of the serpent that
swalloweth an elephant; and a hundred thousand
mithkals of Indian aloes- wood; and a slave-girl like the
shining full moon.

So I embarked, and departed thence, and we con-
tinued our voyage from island to island, and from
country to country, until we arrived at Bagdad, where-
upon I entered my house and met my family and my
brethren, after which I took the present of the King
of India, to the Caliph the Prince of the Faithful,
Haroun Er Raschid. On entering his presence I kissed
his hand, and placed before him the ruby cup, the
serpent's skin, and the other things, all of which pleased
the Caliph greatly, and he read the letter, and showed
me utmost honour, and said: "O Sindbad, is that true
which this King hath stated in his letter? " And I kissed
the ground and answered: "O my lord, I witnessed in

The Arabian Nights 139

his kingdom much more than he hath mentioned.
On the day of his pubhc appearance a throne is set
for the King upon a huge elephant, eleven cubits high,
and he sitteth upon it, with his chief officers and pages
and guests standing in two ranks, on his right and on
his left. At his head standeth a man holding a golden
javelin in his hand, and behind him a man in whose
hand is a mace of gold, at the top of which is an emerald
of the thickness of a thumb. And when the King mount-
eth he is accompanied by a thousand horsemen clad
in gold and silk. Moreover by reason of the King's
justice and good government, there is no need of a
Cadi in his city, and all the people of his country know
the truth from falsity."

And the Caliph wondered at my words, and con-
ferred favours upon me and commanded me to depart
to my abode. I did so and continued to live in the same
pleasant manner as at present. I forgot the arduous
troubles that I had experienced, and betook myself
to eating and drinking, and pleasures and joy.

And when Sindbad of the Sea had finished his story,
every one present wondered at the events that had
happened to him. He then ordered his treasurer to
give to Sindbad the Porter a hundred pieces of gold, and
commanded him to depart, and to return the next
day with the boon-companions, to hear the seventh
story. So the Porter went away happy to his abode,
and on the morrow he was present with the rest of the
company, and they sat and enjoyed themselves, eating
and drinking in enjoyment until the end of the day,
when Sindbad of the Sea made a sign to them that they
should hear his seventh story, and said:

140 The Arabian Nights

SINDBAD'S SEVENTH VOYAGE— THE
ELEPHANT HUNT

A FTER my sixth voyage I determined to go to sea
■^^ no more, and my time was spent in joy and pleas-
ures. But one day, some one knocked on the door of my
house, and the door-keeper opened, and a page entered,
and summoned me to the Cahph. I immediately went
with him, and kissed the ground before the Prince of
the Faithful, who said: "O Sindbad, I have an affair
for thee to perform. I desire that thou go to the King
of India, and convey to him our letter and our present.'*
I trembled thereat, and replied, "O my lord, I have
a horror of voyaging, and when it is mentioned to me
my limbs tremble! And this is because of the terrors
and troubles I have experienced! Moreover, I have
bound myself by an oath not to go forth from Bagdad."
Then I informed the Caliph of all that had befallen me
from first to last, and he wondered exceedingly thereat
and said: "Verily, O Sindbad, it hath not been heard
from times of old that such events have befallen any-
one as have befallen thee! But for our sake thou wilt
go forth this time, and convey our letter and our present
to the King of India." So I replied : " I hear and obey,"
being unable to oppose this command.

I went from Bagdad to the sea, and embarked in a
ship, and we proceeded nights and days, by the aid of
Allah, whose name be exalted, until we arrived at the
capital of India. As soon as I entered the city, I took
the present and the letter, and went in with them to the

The Arabian Nights 141

King, and kissed the ground before him. "A friendly
welcome to thee, O Sindbad," said he. "We have
longed to see thee, and praise be to Allah, who hath
shown us thy face a second time ! " Then he took me by
the hand, and seated me by his side, and treated me
with familiar kindness. "O my lord," I said, "I have
brought thee a present and a letter from the Caliph
Haroun Er Raschid." I then offered to him the letter,
and the present which consisted of a horse worth ten
thousand pieces of gold, with a saddle adorned with
gold set with jewels; and a book; and a sumptuous
dress; and a hundred different kinds of white cloths and
silks of Egypt; and Greek carpets; and a wonderful, ex-
traordinary cup of crystal; and also the table of Sol-
omon, the son of David, on whom be peace!

And the contents of the letter were as follows:

** Peace from the King Er Raschid, strength-
ened by Allah (who hath given to him and to
his ancestors the rank of nobles and wide
spread glory), on the fortunate Sultan!

"To proceed: thy letter hath reached us, and
we rejoiced thereat. And we send thee the book
entitled 'The Delight of the Intelligent, and
the Rare Present for Friends;' together with
varieties of royal rarities. Therefore do us the
honour to accept them, and peace be on thee!"

Then the King bestowed upon me abundant gifts and
treated me with the utmost honour. After some days
I begged his permission to depart, but he permitted me
not save after great pressing. Thereupon I took leave
of him, and went forth from his city, and set out on my
journey, without any desire for travel or commerce.

142 The Arabian Nights

We continued our voyage until we had passed many
islands. When we were halfway over the sea, we were
surrounded by a number of boats, and in them were
men like devils, clad in coats of mail, and having in
their hands swords, daggers and bows. They smote us,
and wounded and killed some, while others they took
captive, and having seized the ship, they conveyed us
to an island, where they sold us as slaves.

A rich man purchased me, and took me to his house,
fed me and gave me to drink, and clad and treated me
in a friendly manner. So my soul was tranquillized,
and I rested a little. One day my master said to me:
"Dost thou know any art or trade?" I answered him:
"O my lord, I am a merchant. I know nothing but
traffic." "But dost thou know," he asked, "the art of
shooting with the bow and arrow?" "Yes," I answered,
"I know that." Thereupon he brought me a bow and
arrows, and mounted me behind him upon an elephant.
He departed from the city at the close of night, and
conveyed me to a grove of large trees, where selecting
a lofty, firm tree, he made me climb it, and gave me the
bow and arrows, saying: "Sit here, and when the
elephants come in the daytime, shoot at them with
the arrows. If thou kill one, come and inform me."
He then left me and departed.

I was terrified and frightened. I remained concealed
in the tree until the sun rose, when the elephants came
forth wandering through the grove. I discharged my
arrows until I shot one, and then I went to my master
and informed him of this. He was delighted with me,
and treated me with honour and removed the slain
elephant. In this way I continued every day shooting
one, and my master coming and removing it, until

The Arabian Nights 143

one day I was sitting in the tree, concealed, when
suddenly elephants innumerable came towards me
roaring and growling so that the earth trembled be-
neath them. They surrounded the tree in which I was
sitting, and a huge elephant, enormously great, wound
his trunk around it, pulled it up by the roots, and cast
it upon the ground.

I fell down senseless among the elephants, and the
great one approached me, wound his trunk around
me, raised me on his back, and went away with me, the
other elephants following. He carried me a long dis-
tance, then threw me from his back, and departed, the
other elephants accompanying him. When my terror
had subsided, I looked about, and found myself among
the bones of elephants, and the ground was covered
with ivory tusks. I knew then that this was the burial
place of the elephants, and that the great one had
brought me here on account of the tusks.

I arose, and journeyed a night and a day, until I
arrived at the house of my master, who saw that I was
pale from fright and hunger. "Verily thou hast pained
my heart," said he, "for I went, and found the tree
torn up, and I imagined that the elephants had de-
stroyed thee. Tell me what happened to thee." So I
informed him of all that had occurred, and he took me
upon his elephant, and together we journeyed to the
burial place. When my master beheld those numerous
ivory tusks, he rejoiced greatly, and carried away as
many as he desired, and we returned to his house.

He treated me with increased favour, and said: "O my
son, thou hast directed me to a means of very great
gain! May Allah recompense thee well! Thou art
freed for the sake of Allah, whose name be exalted!

144 The Arabian Nights

Those elephants used to destroy many of us, but Allah
hath preserved thee from them." "O my master,"
I replied, "may Allah bless thee! And I request, O my
master, that thou give me permission to depart to
mine own country." "Verily," answered he, "thou
shalt return to thy home. We have a fair at which
merchants come to purchase ivory. The time of the
fair is now near. When the merchants arrive I will
send thee with them, and they will convey thee to thy
country."

Some days after this the merchants came as he had
said, and bought, and sold, and exchanged. So I arose,
-and my master sent me with them. He paid the money
for my passage, and gave me a large quantity of goods.
We embarked and pursued our voyage from island to
island, until we had crossed the sea, and landed on the
shore. I sold my goods at an excellent rate, and bought
rarities and sumptuous merchandise. I likewise bought
for myself a beast to ride, and we went forth, and
crossed the deserts, from country to country, until I
arrived at Bagdad.

I then went in to the Caliph, and having saluted him,
I informed him of all that had befallen me, whereupon
he rejoiced at my safety, and thanked Allah, whose
name be exalted! And he caused my story to be
written in letters of gold. I then entered my house,
and met my family and my brethren. And this is the
end of the history of the events that happened to me
during my seven voyages, and praise be to Allah, the
One, the Creator, the Maker!

The Arabian Nights 145

CONCLUSION OF THE STORY OF THE
SEVEN VOYAGES OF SINDBAD
OF THE SEA

AND when Sindbad of the Sea had finished his story,
he ordered his servant to give Sindbad the Porter a
hundred pieces of gold, saying: "How now, brother?
Hast thou heard the Hke of these afflictions and calam-
ities, and distresses? Have such troubles as these be-
fallen anyone else, hath anyone suffered such hard-
ships as I have suffered? Know then that my present
pleasures are a compensation for the toil and humilia-
tion I have endured."

And Sindbad the Porter advanced, and kissed the
hands of Sindbad of the Sea, and said to him: "O my
lord, thou hast undergone great horrors, and hast
deserved these abundant blessings! Continue then,
my lord, in joy and security ! May Allah remove from
thee the evils of fortune, and bless thy days forever!"
And upon this Sindbad of the Sea bestowed favours
on the Porter, and made him his boon companion, and
he quitted him not by day nor by night, as long as they
both lived.

And Sheherazade, having finished the relation of the
seven wonderful voyages of Sindbad of the Sea, began
next to relate the story of the enchanted City of Brass.

Chapter V

THE STORY OF THE CITY OF BRASS-^
THE BOTTLED GENII

THERE was in olden time, in Damascus of
Syria, a King named Abdelmelik. He was
sitting one day among the kings and sultans
of his empire, when they began to relate to
each other the stories of ancient peoples. They called
to mind the stories of our lord Solomon, the son of
David (on both of whom be peace), and of his authority
and dominion over mankind and the Genii, and over
the birds and wild beasts and other things, and how
Solomon used to imprison the disobedient Genii, Marids,
and Devils in bottles of brass, and pour molten lead over
them, and seal them with his signet.

Then Talib, the son of Sahl, related how there was
once a man who embarked with others in a ship, and
how during the black darkness of the night a wind
arose, and carried them to the coasts of a strange land.
And when the sun arose there came forth from caves
people of black complexion, with naked bodies like
wild beasts. They had a King of their own race, and he
came attended by his people, and saluted the ship's
company, saying: "No harm shall befall you." He

146

The Arabian Nights 147

then invited the people of the ship to a banquet of
the flesh of birds and wild beasts.

When the feast was over the people of the ship went
down to enjoy themselves upon the shore of the sea.
And they found a fisherman who was casting his net,
and when he drew it up, lo, in it was a bottle of brass,
stopped with lead, which was sealed with the signet
of Solomon the son of David, on both of whom be peace!
The fisherman broke the seal, and there came forth
from the bottle a blue smoke, that reached the clouds
of Heaven, and a terrible voice was heard crying:
"Repentance, repentance, O Prophet of Allah!" Then
the smoke became a being of terrific aspect, and of
dreadful make, whose head reached as high as a moun-
tain, and he disappeared before their eyes. When the
people of the ship saw this their hearts melted within
them for fear. And the Ejng of that land said to them :
"Know that this is one of the disobedient Genii, whom
Solomon the son of David imprisoned in bottles, and
he poured lead over them, and threw them into the sea.
Often when the fishermen cast their nets they bring
up these bottles, and, when the seals are broken, there
come forth Genii who think that Solomon is still living,
whereupon they cry out : ' Repentance, repentance, O
Prophet of Allah!'"

When Talib had finished his tale the King Abdel-
melik wondered greatly. "Verily," said he, "I desire
to see some of these bottles!" "O Prince of the Faith-
ful," answered Talib, "thou art able to do so. Write
orders to the Emir Mousa to journey from the Western
country to this sea we have mentioned, and to bring to
thee some of the bottles."

And King Abdelmelik approved of his advice, and

148 The Arabian Nights

said: "O Talib, thou hast spoken the truth in what
thou hast said, and I desire that thou shalt be my
messenger to Mousa, the son of Nuseir, and thou shalt
be equipped for thy journey with all wealth and dig-
nity, and I will watch over thy family during thy
absence. Therefore go in dependence on the blessing
of Allah, and his aid!" And the King ordered his
Vizier to write a letter to Mousa, his viceroy in the
Western country, commanding him to journey in
search of the bottles of Solomon, and to leave his son
to govern the Western country in his stead, and to take
with him guides and troops. And he sealed the letter
and gave it to Talib, the son of Sahl, commanding him
to hasten, and he gave him riches and riders and foot-
men to help him on his way.

So Talib set forth, and journeyed to the Western
country. And when the Emir Mousa knew of Talib's
approach, he went forth, and met him and welcomed
him with joy, and Talib handed to him the letter. So
the Emir took it and read it, and put it upon his head,
saying: "I hear and obey the command of the Prince of
the Faithful."

And Mousa summoned his great men, and asked their
advice respecting the matter. "O Emir," they an-
swered, "if thou desirest one who will guide thee to
that place, have recourse to the sheikh Abdelsamad,
for he is a knowing man, and hath travelled much, and
he is acquainted with the deserts and the wastes and
the seas, and with their inhabitants and wonders."

Accordingly the Emir sent for the sheikh, who came
before him, and, lo, he was a very old man, decrepit
from age and experience. The Emir Mousa saluted
him, and said: "0 sheikh, our lord the Prince of the

THE SHEIKH ABDELSAMAD

The Arabian Nights 149

Faithful, Abdelmelik, hath commanded us thus and
thus, and I possess Httle knowledge of the land, and
it hath been told me that thou art acquainted with
the country and its routes. Art thou willing to help
accomplish the affair of the Prince of the Faithful?"

"Know, O Emir," the sheikh replied, "it is a journey
of two years. On the way are difficulties and horrors,
and extraordinary and wonderful things. But Allah
will assuredly make this affair easy for us, through the
blessing attendant upon thee, O viceroy of the Prince
of the Faithful!" Then said the Emir Mousa: "It is
well, let us depart immediately." And he made his
son Haroun viceroy in his place, and departed together
with Talib, and the sheikh Abdelsamad, and accom^
panied by troops of footmen and riders.

They proceeded night and day without stopping
until they arrived at a silent palace. "Enter," the
sheikh Abdelsamad said, "and be admonished by the
fate of its inhabitants!" They advanced and found
the door open, and entering they saw a great hall, the
ceilings and walls of which were decorated with gold
and silver. They went through the palace, and, lo, it
was devoid of inhabitants, its courts were desolate, and
its apartments deserted. In the midst of the building
was a chamber covered by a lofty dome, rising high
in the air. The chamber had eight doors of sandal-
wood, with nails of gold, ornamented with stars of
silver and set with precious jewels. Around about
this chamber were four hundred tombs, and in the
centre was a tomb of terrible appearance, whereupon
was a tablet of iron, inscribed with words.

The sheikh Abdelsamad drew near to the tomb, and
read the inscription, and, lo, on it was written :

i^o The Arabian Nights

"In the name of Allah, the Mighty, the
Powerful! O thou, who arrivest at this place,
be admonished by our misfortunes and calami-
ties. Be not deceived by the world and its
beauties, for it is a flatterer, a cheat, and a
traitor! For I possessed four thousand bay
horses; and I married a thousand damsels of
the daughters of Kings; and I was blessed with a
thousand children; and I lived a thousand
years; and I amassed riches such as the Kings
of the earth could not procure ! I imagined that
my enjoyments would continue for ever, but
Allah decreed otherwise and the thunder of
Truth fell upon us, and there died of us every
day two, until a great company had perished.
I had an army of a thousand thousand hardy
men, having spears and coats of mail, and sharp
swords, and I said: 'O companies of soldiers,
can ye prevent that which hath befallen us
from Allah the Almighty? Bring to me my
wealth, a thousand hundredweight of red gold,
the like quantity of white silver, and varieties
of pearls and jewels. Perhaps by the means of
these riches ye may purchase for me one more
day of life ! ' And they brought the riches to me,
and said: 'Alas, who can contend against the
decrees of Allah!' So they resigned them-
selves to their fate, and perished, and I sub-
mitted to Allah with patience, until he took my
soul. And if thou ask my name, I am Kosh
the son of Sheddard, the son of Ad the Greater."

And the Emir Mousa wept when he heard this in-
scription, for he sorrowed for the fate of these people,
and he passed on to another apartment of the palace,
where he saw a table upon four legs of alabaster,
whereupon was inscribed:
"Upon this table have eaten a thousand one-eyed Kings
Also a thousand Kings each sound in both eyes."

The Arabian Nights 151

The Emir read all this. Then he went forth from the
palace and took with him naught save the table.

And the party proceeded, with the sheikh Abdel-
samad before them showing the way, until after the
first day had passed, and the second and the third.
They then came to a high hill, and, lo, upon it was a
horseman of brass, holding in his hand a spear. On
it was inscribed :

" If thou wouldst know the way to the City of Brass

Rub the hand of the horseman, and he will point thither!"

And wten the Emir Mousa had rubbed the hand of
the horseman, the figure turned and pointed with his
spear towards another direction from that in which
they were travelling, so the party turned and journeyed
thither.

THE AFRITE OF THE BLACK STONE
PILLAR

AS they were proceeding one day they came to a
pillar of black stone, wherein was a being sunk
to his armpits, and he had two huge wings, and four
arms — two human arms and two like the forelegs of a
lion with claws. He had hair upon his head like tails of
horses, and two eyes like burning coals, and he had a
third eye in his forehead, like the eye of the lynx, from
which came sparks of fire. He was tall and black,
and was continually crying out: "Extolled be the per-
fection of Allah, who hath appointed me this affliction
and torture, until the day of Resurrection!"

152 The Arabian Nights

When the people of Emir Mousa beheld this being
their reason fled, and they retreated in flight. But
the Emir said to the sheikh: "What is this?" "I know
not what it is," he answered. "Draw near to him," the
Emir said, "and learn his history." So the sheikh
drew near, and said to the creature: "O thou, what is
thy name, and what is thy nature, and what hath
placed thee here in this manner .f*" And the being
answered and said: "I am an Afrite of the disobedient
Genii and my name is Dahish the son of Elamash.
Verily my story is wonderful ! It is this :

There belonged to one of the sons of Eblis, an idol
of red carnelian, and I was made its guardian. And
there used to worship it one of the Kings of the sea.
He was a King of illustrious dignity and great glory,
and he had among his troops a million evil warrior
Genii who smote with swords before him. These
Genii, were under my command.

Now this King had a daughter, who was endowed
with beauty and loveliness, and elegance and perfec-
tion, and I described her to Solomon, on whom be
peace. So he sent to her father saying: "Marry me to
thy daughter, and break thy red carnelian idol, and
bear witness that there is no other deity but Allah, and
that Solomon is his Prophet. If thou refusest to do
this, I will come to thee with forces that shall fill thy
land, and leave thee like yesterday that hath passed ! "

The King was insolent to the messenger of Solomon,
and magnified himself and was proud. Then said he to
his Viziers: "What say ye respecting the affair of
Solomon the son of David? For he hath sent demand-
ing my daughter, and commanding me to break my
red carnehan idol, and to adopt his faith." "O great

The Arabian Nights 153

King," answered his Viziers, "can Solomon do unto
thee any injury, when thou art in the midst of this
vast sea? If he come unto thee, he cannot prevail
against thee, since the hordes of the Genii will fight
on thy side. But do thou now consult thy red carnelian
idol, and hear his reply."

Upon this the King went immediately to his idol,
and after he had offered a sacrifice and slain victims,
he fell down prostrate before it, and wept. And I
Dahish, the son of Elamash, entered into the body of
that idol and spake to the King saying: "Fear not.
If Solomon wishes to wage war against thee, go forth,
and I will snatch his soul from him!" And when the
King heard these words, his heart strengthened, and he
determined to wage war with Solomon the son of
David — on whom be peace! Accordingly he inflicted a
painful beating on the messenger and returned a
shameful answer, saying: "Dost thou threaten me with
false words .f^ Either come thou to me, or I will go to
thee!"

When the Prophet of Allah, Solomon, heard these
words, his fury rose, and he prepared his forces, con-
sisting of obedient Genii, and men, and wild beasts and
birds and reptiles. He made ready his weapons, and he
mounted with his forces, upon his magic carpet, with the
birds flying over his head, and the wild beast marching
beneath the carpet, and he flew until he alighted upon
his enemy's coast, and surrounded his island, having
filled the land with the forces.

And Solomon sent to our King saying: "Behold, I
have arrived, therefore submit thyself to my authority,
and break thy red carnelian idol, and marry me to thy
daughter, and testify that there is no deity but Allah,

154 The Arabian Nights

and that Solomon is his Prophet." But our King
answered the messenger: "There is no way for my
doing this thing that he requireth of me, therefore
inform him that I am coming forth unto him." Ac-
cordingly the messenger returned to Solomon and gave
him the reply.

Our King then sent to the people of his country and
collected troops of a million disobedient Genii, to these
he added Marids and Devils that were in the islands of
the sea and on the tops of mountains. After this he
made ready his forces, and opened his armouries, and
distributed weapons.

As to the Prophet of Allah, Solomon, on whom be
peace, he disposed his troops, commanding the wild
beasts to form themselves into two divisions, on the
right of the people, and on their left, and commanding
the birds to be upon the islands. And the wild beasts
and birds replied: "We hear and obey, O Prophet of
Allah!" Then Solomon the Prophet of Allah set for
himself a couch of alabaster, adorned with jewels, and
plated with plates of red gold. He placed his Vizier
Asaph, and the Kings of mankind on the right side, and
his Vizier Dimiriat, and the Kings of the obedient Genii
on his left, and the vipers and serpents before him.

And after this the two armies met upon a wide tract,
and contended together. I refrained my troops of
Marids and Devils from attacking Solomon and his
army, saying: "Keep your places in the battlefield, while
I go forth and challenge Dimiriat." I did so and, lo,
the King of the obedient Genii came forth like a great
mountain, his smoke ascending, and he approached,
and smote me with a flaming fire. He cried out at me
with a prodigious cry, so that I imagined the heavens

The Arabian Nights 155

had fallen and closed over me, and the mountains
shook at his voice. Then he commanded his com-
panions and they charged upon us all together. We
also charged upon them and we cried out one to another.
The fires rose, and the smoke ascended, the hearts
of the combatants were almost cleft asunder, and the
battle raged. The birds fought in the air, and the wild
beasts in the dust. And my companions and troops
were overcome, and my tribes were routed, and defeat
befell our King, and we became unto Solomon a spoil.

And I contended with Dimiriat until I grew weak,
and he vanquished me. And he rushed upon me and
took me prisoner and led me bound before Solomon.
The King treated me in a most evil manner, he caused
this pillar to be brought, and put me in it, and sealed
me with his signet, after which he chained me, and
Dimiriat conveyed me to this place, and this pillar is
my prison until the day of Resurrection."

Now when the Afrite had finished his story, the party
wondered at the terrible nature of his form. And the
sheikh Abdelsamad said to the Afrite: "Are there in
this place any of the disobedient Genii confined in bottles
of brass, from the time of Solomon on whom be peace?"
"Yes," answered the Afrite, "in the sea of Kakar, where
are a people who are descendants of Noah, whose country
the deluge reached not." "And where," said the
sheikh, "is the City of Brass?" The Afrite answered,
"It is near!"

156 The Arabian Nights

THE ENCHANTED CITY

00 the party left him, and proceeded until there
*^ appeared in the distance a great, black object, near
which were what seemed to be two fires. "O sheikh,"
said the Emir Mousa, "what is this we see?" "Be
rejoiced," the sheikh answered, "for this is the City
of Brass, and thus is it described in the Book of Hidden
Treasures. Its wall is of black stones, and it hath two
towers of brass, which seem to the beholder like two
fires."

And they approached the City of Brass, and, lo, it
was lofty, strongly fortified, rising high in the air,
impenetrable. The height of its wall was eighty cubits,
and it had five and twenty invisible gates. The party
stopped before the wall, and endeavoured to discover
one of its gates but they could not.

"And how," said the Emir, "can we contrive to enter
this city, and divert ourselves with its wonders.'*"
He then ordered one of his young men to mount a
camel and ride round the city, in the hope that he might
discover a gate. So one of the youths mounted, and
proceeded round the city for two days and nights, and
on the third day came in sight of his companions.
"O Emir," he said, "I found no gates, and the low-
est part of the whole wall is here where ye have
alighted."

Then the Emir Mousa took Talib, the son of Sahl,
and the sheikh Abdelsamad, and they ascended a
mountain opposite the city, and overlooking it, and
they saw a city than which eyes had not beheld a

The Arabian Nights 157

greater! Its pavilions were lofty, and its domes were
shining, its rivers were running, and its trees were
fruitful. It was a city of impenetrable gates, empty
and still, without the voice of people. The owls hooted
in its gardens, the birds skimmed above it in circles,
and the ravens croaked in its streets. The Emir, sorrow-
ing for its lost inhabitants, descended from the moun-
tain and returned to his troops.

They passed the day devising means of entering the
city. At last Talib, the son of Sahl, said: "Let us make
a ladder and mount upon it, and perhaps we shall
gain access to the gate from within." So the Emir
called the carpenters and blacksmiths, and ordered
them to make a ladder covered with plates of iron.
They did so, and set it up, and fixed it against the wall.
Then said the Emir to his young men: "Which of you
will ascend this ladder, and mount upon the wall, and
walk along it, and contrive some means of descending
into the city?" And one of them answered: "I will
ascend, O Emir, and descend and open the gate."
"Mount," said the Emir, "and Allah bless thee!"

Accordingly the man ascended the ladder until he
reached the top. He looked over the wall into the
city, and clapped his hands, and cried out: "Thou art
beautiful!" Then he cast himself down into the city,
and his flesh became mashed with his bones. Then said
one of the party: "Perhaps another may be more
steady than he." So a second ascended, and a third,
and a fourth, and a fifth, and they ceased not to ascend
by that ladder to the top of the wall, one after another,
until twelve men had ascended, and like the first they
cast themselves down into the city, and their flesh was
mashed with their bones.

158

The Arabian Nights

Then the sheikh Abdelsamad arose and having en-
couraged himself, saying: "In the name of Allah, the
Compassionate, the Merciful!" he ascended the ladder,
repeating the praises of Allah, whose name be exalted,
until he reached the top, when he clapped his hands,
and fixed his eyes on the city. He then laughed im-
moderately and called out in a loud voice: "O Emir,
no harm shall befall thee and thy troop! For Allah, to
whom be ascribed glory and might, hath averted from
me the artifice of the Devil!" "O sheikh," called the
Emir, "what hast thou seen?" "When I reached the
top of the wall," answered the sheikh, "I beheld ten
damsels as beautiful as moons, and they stretched out
their hands to me as though they would say: 'Come to
us.' And it seemed to me that beneath me was a sea of
water, and I desired to cast myself down as our com-
panions did, but I beheld them dead, and I withheld
myself from the temptation, and recited a part of the
Koran, and the damsels departed from me, therefore
I cast not myself down. This is no doubt an enchant-
ment contrived to keep out those wishing to enter the
city."

The sheikh Abdelsamad then walked along the wall
until he came to the two towers of brass, and between
them were two gates of gold, without locks upon them,
or any sign of the means of opening them. And looking
attentively he saw in the middle of one of the gates a
figure of a horseman of brass, having one hand extended
as though he were pointing with it, and on it was an
inscription, which the sheikh read, and, lo, it contained
these words:

"In the middle of the front of the horseman's body is a pin.
Turn it twelve times, and then the gate will open! "

The Arabian Nights 159

So the sheikh examined the horseman, and found the
pin, strong, firm and well fixed. He turned it twelve
times, and the gate opened immediately, with a noise
like thunder.

The sheikh descended, and all the troops hastened
to enter the city. But the Emir Mousa cried out to
them saying: "O people, if all of us enter, and harm
come to us within this city, we shall all perish, therefore
half shall enter, and half remain behind." So the Emir
and half the troop then entered, and found within the
gates, handsome benches, on which were people dead,
and over their heads were elegant shields, and keen
swords, and strung bows, and notched arrows. They
saw also the gate-keepers, and servants, and lieutenants,
lying upon beds of silk, all of them dead. And the
party saw their companions lying dead, so they buried
them.

They then entered the market of the city, and beheld
lofty buildings, and the shops open, full of all kinds of
goods and wealth. They passed on to the silk-market
in which were silks and brocades interwoven with red
gold and white silver, and the owners were dead, lying
upon skins, and appearing as though they would speak.
Leaving these they went on to the market of jewels
and pearls and jacinths, and they left it and passed on to
the market of the money-changers, whom they found
dead, with varieties of silks beneath them, and their
shops filled with gold and silver. They next visited the
market of the perfumers, and, lo, their shops were
filled with varieties of perfumes, bags of musk, and
ambergris, and aloes-wood and camphor and other
things.

And when they went forth from the market of the

i6o The Arabian Nights

perfumers, they found near unto it a silent palace, and
they entered, and found banners unfurled, and drawn
swords and strung bows, and shields hung up by chains
of gold and silver, and helmets gilded with red gold.
And in the passages of that palace were benches of
ivory, ornamented with plates of brilliant gold, and
with silk.

They passed hence into the interior of the palace.
There the Emir Mousa beheld a great hall and opening
out of the hall were four large and lofty chambers,
decorated with gold and silver, and with various colours.
In the midst of the hall was a great fountain of alabaster
over which was a canopy of brocade, and in the four
chambers were decorated fountains, and pools of water
in basins lined with marble, and canals of water flowed
from the pools along the floors of those chambers,
the four streams meeting in a large basin in the midst
of the great hall.

They entered the first chamber, and they found it
filled with gold, and white silver, and pearls and ja-
cinths and other precious jewels. They found in it also
chests of red and yellow and white brocades. And they
went thence to the second chamber, and opened a
closet in it and, lo, it was filled with arms and weapons
of war, and in the third chamber they found closets
filled with weapons inlaid with varieties of gold, silver
and jewels. And passing thence they found in the
fourth chamber vessels of gold and silver, and saucers of
crystal, and cups set with brilliant pearls, and cups of
carnelian, and other utensils for food and drink. So they
began to take what suited them of these things, and each
of the soldiers carried off what he could.

In the large hall they saw a door of teak-wood inlaid

The Arabian Nights i6i

with ivory, and adorned with plates of brilliant gold.
Over it hung a silken curtain, worked with various
kinds of embroidery, and upon the door were locks of
white silver. The sheikh approached the locks, and
opened them by his knowledge and skill. The party
entered a passage paved with marble, upon the walls of
which were silken hangings, whereon were figured wild
beasts and birds, all worked with red gold and white
silver, and their eyes were of pearls and jacinths.
Next they entered a saloon built of polished marble,
adorned with jewels. And they found in the centre
of that saloon a dome-shaped chamber constructed of
stones gilded with red gold, and within the chamber was
a structure of alabaster, with lattice windows adorned
with oblong pearls, and within the alabaster structure
was a pavilion of brocade, raised upon columns of red
gold, and within the pavilion was a fountain, decorated
with birds, the feet of which were of emeralds. By the
brink of the fountain was placed a couch adorned with
pearls, jewels and jacinths, whereon was a damsel as
beautiful as the shining sun. Eyes have not beheld one
more beautiful! Upon her was a garment of brilliant
pearls, on her head was a crown of red gold, on her neck
was a necklace of refulgent gems, and upon her forehead
were two jewels the light of which was like that of the sun.
The couch upon which the damsel was had steps, and
on the steps were two slaves, one of them white, and the
other black, and in the hand of one was a weapon of
steel, and in the hand of the other a jewelled sword.
And upon a tablet of gold was read this inscription :

"In the name of Allah, the Compassionate,
the Merciful! I am Tadmor, the daughter of
the King of the Amalekites. I possessed what

1 62 The Arabian Nights

none of the Kings possessed, and ruled with
justice, and now I rest in eternal sleep. \Mio-
ever thou art who arrivest at our city, take of
the wealth what thou canst, but touch not
anything that is upon my body. Fear Allah
and seize naught of it! I cause this to be a
charge that I give thee in confidence. And
peace be on thee!"

The Emir Mousa was confounded when he read this
and looked at the damsel, and he wondered at her
loveliness, and the redness of her cheeks and the black-
ness of her hair. Then said he to his companions:
"Bring the sacks, and fiill them with part of these
riches and these vessels and rarities and jewels."
Thereupon Talib said: "O Emir, shall we leave this
damsel with the things that are upon her.? They are
things which have no equal!" But the Emir replied:
"Heardest thou not that which the damsel hath given
in charge.? Moreover she hath given it as a charge
offered in confidence, and we are not people of treach-
ery ! " " On account of these words wilt thou leave these
riches and these jewels.? " said Talib. " What should the
damsel do with these things.? With a garment of cotton
might she be covered. We are more worthy of these
things than she."

Then Talib, the son of Sahl, approached the steps
of the damsel's couch and ascended them until he
reached the spot between the two slaves when, lo, one
of these smote him on the back, and the other smote
him with a sword, and struck off his head, and Talib
fell down dead. So the Emir Mousa seeing the fate
which had overcome Talib, the covetous, said: "May
Allah not show^ mercy on thy resting place ! " So saying
he gave orders for the entry of the troops and the

The Arabian Nights 163

soldiers who loaded the camels with part of those
riches, rareties and gold; after which the Emir com-
manded them to leave the city and to close the gate as it
was before, and they did so.

They then proceeded along the sea-coast until they
came in sight of a high mountain overlooking the sea.
In it were many caves, and in these was a people of
the blacks clad all in skins. And when they saw the
troops they fled to the caves. The Emir and the troops
alighted, and the tents were pitched, and the riches
were put down, and the party had not rested long when
the King of the blacks came down from the mountain
and drew near to them. When he came to the Emir
Mousa he saluted him, and asked: "Are ye of mankind
or of the Genii?'* "We are of mankind,'* the Emir
answered. "We are subjects of King Abdelmelik, and
we have come on account of the bottles of brass which
are here in your sea, and wherein are the Devils im-
prisoned from the time of Solomon, the son of David,
on both of whom be peace ! Our King hath commanded
us to bring him some bottles that he may see the Genii.'*
The King of the blacks rephed: "Most willingly."

He then feasted the Emir Mousa with fish and or-
dered the divers to bring up from the sea some of the
bottles of Solomon, and they brought up twelve bottles
wherewith the Emir was delighted. He presented the
King of the blacks with many presents and gave him
large gifts. In like manner the King of the blacks gave
to the Emir Mousa a present of wonders of the sea in
the form of human beings.

Then they bade the King of the blacks farewell, and
they journeyed back until they came to the land of
Syria, and went in to the Prince of the Faithful, to

164 The Arabian Nights

whom they recounted all that they had seen and done.
And the King Abdelmelik said: "Would that I had
been with you, that I might have beheld all these
wonders!" He then took the bottles of Solomon and
opened them one after another and the Genii came
forth from them crying: "Repentance, repentance, O
Prophet of Allah! We will not return to the like con-
duct ever!" And at this the King marvelled greatly.
He then caused the riches to be brought, and divided
among the troops, and he said: "Allah hath not
bestowed upon anyone the like of glory and power
which he bestowed upon Solomon, the son of David,
on both of whom be peace!"

This is the end of that which hath come down to us
of the history of the City of Brass, entire. And Allah
is all-knowing.

"And this," said Sheherazade, "is not nearly as
wonderful as the adventures of Hassan of Balsora."

Chapter VI

STORY OF THE ADVENTURES OF

HASSAN OF BALSORA —THE

FIRE WORSHIPPER

THERE was in ancient times a certain mer-
chant residing in Balsora, and that merchant
had two sons and great wealth. And it
happened, as Allah decreed, that the mer-
chant died, so his two sons prepared him for the grave,
and buried him. After which they divided the wealth
between them equally, and each took his portion and
opened a shop. One was a dealer in copper wares and
the other was a goldsmith. The name of the young
goldsmith was Hassan.

Now, while Hassan the goldsmith was sitting in his
shop one day, lo, a Persian walked along the market
street and approaching the shop accosted him saying:
"O my son, thou art a comely young man. I have
not a son and I know a wonderful art, numbers of
people have asked me to teach it them and I would
not. But my soul inclineth to thee, so that I would
teach thee, and drive poverty from thy door, then thou
shalt not need any more to labour with the hammer and
the charcoal and the fire." "O my master," answered

I6S

i66 The Arabian Nights

Hassan, "when wilt thou teach me this wonderful art?**
The Persian replied : " To-morrow I will come to thee and
will make for thee, of copper, pure gold in thy presence."

Upon this Hassan rejoiced and he bade farewell to the
Persian, and went to his mother. He entered, and
saluted her, and ate with her, and told her all that had
happened. But his mother said: "O my son, beware of
listening to Persians for they are great deceivers, who
know the art of alchemy and trick people, and take their
wealth, and despoil them." But he replied: "O my
mother, we are poor people, we have nothing to covet
that anyone should trick us. The Persian who came
to me is a dignified sheikh and a virtuous man, and
Allah hath inclined him towards me." Thereupon his
mother kept silence in her anger.

When the morning came Hassan rose, took the keys,
and opened the shop, and, lo, the Persian approached
him. So he rose and desired to kiss his hand but the
Persian refused and would not permit his doing that.
"O Hassan," he said, "prepare the crucible and place
the bellows." He therefore did as the Persian ordered
him, and lighted the charcoal, after which the Persian
said to him: "O my son, hast thou any copper.''" And
Hassan brought forth from a press a broken copper
plate. Then the Persian ordered him to take the
shears and to cut the plate into small pieces, and he
did as he told him. He cut it into small pieces, and
threw it into the crucible, and blew upon it with the
bellows until it became liquid. The Persian put his
hand to his turban and took forth a folded paper. He
opened it and sprinkled some of its contents into the
crucible and the copper in the crucible became a lump
of gold.

The Arabian Nights 167

So when Hassan beheld this he was overcome by
joy. He took the lump and turned it over, and he took
the file and filed it, and saw it to be of pure gold of the
very best quality. Then he bent over the hand of the
Persian to kiss it, and the Persian said to him: "Take
this lump to the market and sell it, and take its price
quickly, without speaking." Accordingly Hassan went
down to the market and gave the lump to the broker,
who took it and rubbed it on the touchstone and found
it to be of pure gold, and he bought it for fifteen thou-
sand pieces of silver. And Hassan went heme and re-
lated to his mother all that he had done, and she kept
silence in her anger.

Now on the next day, as Hassan was sitting in his
shop, he looked and, lo, the Persian approached and
entered. "O my son," he said, "dost thou desire to
make gold this day,'^ If so, let us repair to thy house
and I will teach thee there." So Hassan arose, closed
his shop and went with the Persian. He entered his
house, and found his mother and informed her that
the Persian stood at the door. So she put in order a
chamber, and spread the carpets and cushions, and
departed to a neighbour's house.

Then Hassan taking the Persian by the hand, drew
him into the chamber, and placed food and drink
before him saying: "Eat, O my master, that the bond
of bread and salt may be established between us. May
Allah, whose name be exalted, execute vengeance upon
him who is unfaithful to the bond of bread and salt!"
"Thou hast spoken the truth, O my son," answered the
Persian, "who knoweth the true value of the bond of
bread and salt?" and he ate with Hassan until they
were satisfied. The Persian then took secretly forth

1 68 The Arabian Nights

a packet from his turban, unfolded it and wrapped its
contents in a piece of sweetmeat. "O Hassan," said
he, "thou art now my son, and hast become dearer
to me than my soul or my wealth, and I have a daughter
to whom I will marry thee," and he handed to him the
piece of sweetmeat. Hassan took it, kissed his hand,
and put the sweetmeat into his mouth not knowing
what was secretly decreed to befall him. He swal-
lowed the piece and immediately lost his senses and his
head sank down to his feet. When the Persian saw
Hassan in this state he rejoiced exceedingly. Rising
to his feet he said to him: "Thou hast fallen into the
snare, O young wretch! O dog of the Arabs! For
many years have I been searching for thee until I have
now gotten thee, O Hassan!"

He then tied Hassan's hands behind his back, and
bound his feet to his hands. After which he took a
chest, emptied it of the things that were in it, put
Hassan into it, and locked it upon him. He emptied
also another chest and put into it all the wealth that
was in Hassan's abode. Then he went forth running to
the market, and brought a porter, who carried off the
two chests to the river bank, where was waiting a
moored ship. That vessel was fitted out for the Per-
sian, and her master was expecting him, so when her
crew saw the Persian, they came and carried the two
chests, and put them on board the ship. The master
then cried out to the sailors: "Pull up the anchor,
and loose the sails!" And the ship proceeded with a
fair wind. — Such was the case with the Persian and Has-
san.

But as to the mother of Hassan, when she came to
the house, and beheld no one in it, nor found the chests

The Arabian Nights 169

nor the wealth, she knew her son was lost and that
Fate had overtaken him. She slapped her face, and
rent her garments, and cried out, and wailed. And
she ceased not to weep during the hours of the night
and the periods of the day, and she built in the midst
of the house a tomb, on which she inscribed the name of
Hassan, with the date of his loss. She quitted not the
tomb, but sat by it night and day.

Now, to return to Hassan and the Persian. The
Persian was a Magian, a wicked, vile alchemist. The
name of that accursed wretch was Bahram the Magian.
He used every year to take a Mohammetan youth, and
to slaughter him over a hidden treasure. And having
now treacherously stolen Hassan the goldsmith he pro-
ceeded with him that day and night.

At sunrise the next morning, Bahram the Magian
ordered his black slaves to bring to him the chest in
which was Hassan. They brought the chest and
opened it and took him forth. The Magian then poured
some vinegar into his nostrils, and blew a powder
into his nose, whereupon Hassan sneezed and opening
his eyes, looked right and left, and found himself on
shipboard in the midst of the sea, with the Persian
sitting by him. He knew then that the cursed one had
done it, and that he had fallen into the calamity against
which his mother had cautioned him. So Hassan
pronounced the words: "There is no strength nor power
but in Allah, the High, the Great! Verily unto Allah
we belong, and verily unto him we return! O Allah,
act graciously with me and make me to endure with
patience thine affliction. O Lord of all creatures!"
Then looking towards the Persian he spoke to him with
soft words, and said to him: "O my father, what are

lyo The Arabian Nights

these deeds? Where is thy respect for the bond of
bread and salt, and the oath thou swarest to me?'*
"O dog," answered the Persian, "doth such a one as
myself know any obligation imposed by bread and
salt? I have slain a thousand youths like thee, save one
youth, and thou shalt complete the thousand."

Then Barham the Magian rose and ordered Hassan's
bonds to be loosed, saying: "By the fire and the light
and the shade and the heat I did not imagine that
thou wouldest fall so easily into my net! But the fire
strengthened me against thee, and aided me to seize
thee, and now I will make thee a sacrifice to it!" So
Hassan replied: "Thou hast been unfaithful to the bond
of bread and salt!" Upon this the Magian raised his
hand, and gave him a blow, and he fell and bit the deck
with his teeth, and fainted, the tears running down his
cheeks.

The Magian then ordered his slaves to light for him a
fire, saying: "This is the fire that emitteth light and
sparks, and it is what I worship. If thou wilt worship
it as I do, I will give thee half my wealth and marry
thee to my daughter." But Hassan cried out: "Woe to
thee! Thou art surely an infidel Magian, and wor-
shippest the fire instead of Allah, the Almighty King,
the Creator of the night and the day!" Thereupon
the accursed Magian was enraged, and arose, and
prostrated himself to the fire, and ordered his slaves
to throw Hassan down upon his face. So they threw
him down and the Magian proceeded to beat him with a
whip of plaited thongs. Then he ordered the slaves
to bring Hassan food and drink, and they brought it,
but he could not eat or drink. The Magian proceeded
to torture him night and day during the voyage.

The Arabian Nights 171

And they pursued their voyage over the sea for the
period of three months, during which time the Magian
continued to torture Hassan. At the end of the three
months Allah, whose name be exalted, sent against the
ship a wind, and the sea became black, and tossed the
ship. And the master of the ship, and the sailors were
terrified and said: "Surely Allah sends this storm be-
cause for three months the young man has been tor-
tured by this Magian!" Then they rose against the
Magian to slay him, but he spoke to them softly,
persuading them, and he loosed Hassan from his bonds,
pulled off from him his tattered garments and clad him
in fresh raiment. And he made his peace with him
saying: "0 my son, be not offended with me, for I did
these deeds to test thy patience! I am going to the
Mountain of the Clouds, on which is an elixir which
I use in my alchemy, and I swear to thee by the fire
and the light that I will not harm thee in any way."
So the heart of Hassan was comforted, and he rejoiced,
and ate, and drank, and slept, and was content. Then
the sailors rejoiced at Hassan's release, and the winds
were stilled, and the darkness was withdrawn, and the
voyage became pleasant.

They continued their voyage for three months more,
and, at the end of that time, the vessel cast anchor
on a long coast, beyond which was a desert intermina-
ble. The pebbles of that coast were white and yellow
and blue and black and of every other colour. And the
Magian arose, and took Hassan, and descended from the
ship. They walked together until they were far from the
ship and could no longer see the ship's crew. Whereupon
the Magian seated himself and took from his pocket
a drum of copper and a drumstick covered with silk.

172 The Arabian Nights

worked with gold, inscribed with tahsmans. He beat
the drum, and instantly there appeared a dust from
the further part of the desert. The dust dispersed,
and, lo, there came toward them three she-camels.
The Magian mounted one of them and Hassan mounted
one, and they put their provisions on the third, and they
proceeded for seven days. On the eighth day they
beheld a cupola erected on four columns of red gold.
They alighted from the she-camels, entered the cupola
and ate, drank, and rested. Hassan happened to look
about him, and he saw in the distance a lofty palace.
"What is that, O my uncle?" he asked. The Magian
answered: "That is the palace of mine enemy, and it
is the abode of Genii, ghouls, and Devils." Then he
beat the drum, and the she-camels approached and the
two mounted and journeyed on until they arrived at a
great and lofty mountain called the Mountain of
Clouds.

Then Bahram the Magian alighted from his camel,
and ordered Hassan to alight also. The Magian opened
a leathern bag, and took forth from it a mill and a
quantity of wheat. He ground the wheat in the mill,
after which he kneaded the flour, and made of it three
round cakes. He lighted a fire, and baked the cakes.
He then took a camel, slaughtered it, and stripped
off its skin. Then said he to Hassan: "Enter this
skin and I will sew it up over thee. The Rocs will
come, and carry thee off, and fly with thee to the sum-
mit of this mountain. Take this knife with thee, and
when the birds set thee down on the mountain top,
cut open the skin, and look down from the mountain,
and I will tell thee what to do."

Then Bahram the Magian gave Hassan the three

The Arabian Nights 173

cakes and a leathern bottle of water, and he put him
in the skin, and sewed him up. And the Rocs came, and
carried him off, and flew with him to the summit of the
mountain, and there put him down. So Hassan cut
open the skin, and came forth, and spoke to the Magian
who on hearing his words rejoiced, and danced by
reason of the violence of his joy. And he called to
Hassan: "Behind thee thou wilt see many rotten bones,
and beside them much wood. Make of the wood six
bundles, and throw them down to me, for this wood I
use in my alchemy." So Hassan threw down six bun-
dles. And when the Magian saw that those bundles
had come down to him, he cried out: "O young wretch,
thou hast now accomplished all I desired! Remain
upon this mountain and perish, or cast thyself down to
the ground and perish there." Then the Magian
departed.

Now Hassan found himself alone on the summit of the
steep and lofty mountain, and he was filled with grief
and despair. He looked to the right and left and walked
along the summit until he came to the other side of
the mountain, and at its foot he saw a blue sea, agitated
with foamy waves, and every wave like a great moun-
tain. He recited a portion of the Koran, and prayed
to Allah for deliverance, and then cast himself into the
sea. And, as Allah decreed, the waves bore Hassan
along safely, and cast him up on the shore.

He then arose, and walked along searching for some-
thing to eat. And he walked for a while, and, lo, he saw
a great palace rising high in the air, and it was the same
which Bahram the Magian had said belonged to his
enemy, and was the abode of Genii, ghouls, and Devils.
Hassan approached, and entered the palace, and saw

174 -^^^ Arabian Nights

a bench in the entrance-passage, and on the bench sat
two damsels Hke moons, with a chess-table before them,
and they were playing. And one of the damsels raised
her head when she saw him. "0 my sister," she cried
out with joy, "here is a human being, and I imagine
he is the youth whom Bahram the Magian brought
this year!" And Hassan cast himself down before the
damsels. "O my mistresses," he entreated, "I am
indeed that poor man ! " Then said the younger damsel
to her sister: "Bear witness, 0 my sister, that I take
this young man for my brother by a covenant and
compact before Allah. I will die for his death, and live
for his hfe, rejoice for his joy, and mourn for his mourn-
ing." And the youngest damsel arose, and embraced
Hassan, and kissed him, and taking him by the hand
led him into the palace. She pulled off his tattered
clothes, and brought him a suit of royal apparel, with
which she clad him. She prepared for him viands of
every kind and served him, and both she and her sister
sat and ate with him.

Then said the damsels to Hassan: "Relate to us thine
adventure with that wicked dog, the enchanter."
And he related to them all that had befallen him. Then
said to him the youngest damsel: "I will now relate to
thee in return our whole story, so thou mayest know
what manner of damsels we are."

"Know, O my brother," said the youngest damsel,
" that we are of the daughters of the Kings. Our father
is one of the Kings of the Genii, of great dignity, and
he hath troops and guards and servants. Allah, whose
name be exalted, blessed him with seven daughters,
but our father was filled with such folly, jealousy and
pride, that he would marry us to no one, therefore he

The Arabian Nights 175

had us conveyed to this palace which is named the
Palace of the Mountain of Clouds. It is separated from
the rest of the world, and none can gain access to it,
neither of mankind nor of the Genii. Around it are
trees, and fruits, and rivers and running water sweeter
than honey and colder than snow. We have five sisters
who have gone to hunt in the desert, for in it are wild
beasts that cannot be numbered."

And even as the damsel spoke the five sisters re-
turned from the chase, and the youngest damsel ac-
quainted them with the case of Hassan. Whereupon
the damsels rejoiced and congratulated him on his
safety. And he remained with them a year, passing the
most pleasant life. And he used to go forth with them
to the chase, and slaughter the game. He amused and
diverted himself with the damsels in that decorated
palace, and in the gardens and among the flowers,
while the damsels treated him with courtesy and
cheered him so that his sadness ceased.

Now, in the following year Bahram the Magian, the
accursed, came again, having with him a comely young
man, a Mohammetan, resembling the moon in its beauty,
shackled, and tortured in the most cruel manner; and
he alighted with him beneath the Palace of the Moun-
tain of Clouds. Hassan was sitting by the river,
beneath the trees when he beheld the Magian. In
great anger he struck his hands together and said to
the damsels: "O my sisters, aid me to slay this accursed
wretch ! He hath now fallen into your hands, and with
him is a young Mohammetan, a captive, whom he is
torturing with painful torture." And the damsels
replied: "We hear and obey Allah and thee, O Hassan."
And they equipped themselves with armour and slung

176 The Arabian Nights

on the swords. They brought to him a courser richly
caparisoned, and they armed him with beautiful
weapons.

Having done this, they proceeded all together, and
they found that the Magian had slaughtered a camel,
and skinned it, and was tormenting the young man,
saying to him: "Enter this skin!" So Hassan came
behind him, and cried out: "Withhold thy hand, O
accursed! O enemy of Allah! O dog! O perfidious
wretch! O thou who worshippest fire, and swearest
by the shade and the heat!" The Magian looked
around, and seeing Hassan, said to him: "O my son,
how didst thou escape.?" Hassan answered: "Allah
delivered me! Thou hast been unfaithful to the bond
of bread and salt, therefore hath Allah thrown thee into
my power." And Hassan advanced and quickly smote
him upon the shoulders, so that the sword came forth
glittering from his vitals. And Bahram the Magian
fell down dead.

Then Hassan took the leathern bag, opened it, and
drew forth the drum and drumstick. He beat the drum,
whereupon the camels came to him like lightning. He
loosed the young man from his bonds, mounted him
upon a camel, gave him the remaining food and water,
and said to him: "Return thou in peace to thy home."
And the young man departed rejoicing. Then the
damsels, when they had seen Hassan smite the neck of
the Magian, came around him admiring his courage,
and thanking him for what he had done. And he and
the damsels returned to the Palace of the Mountain
of Clouds.

The Arabian Nights 177

THE BIRD-DAMSELS

TTASSAN continued to reside with the damsels
•*■ ■*• passing a most pleasant Hfe, and he forgot his
mother. One morning there arose a great dust from
the further part of the desert, and the sky was darkened.
So the damsels said to him: "Arise, Hassan, enter thy
private chamber, and conceal thyself or, if thou wilt,
enter the garden, and hide thyself among the trees and
grape-vines, and no harm shall befall thee." And he
arose and went in and concealed himself in his private
chamber.

After a while the dust dispersed, and there ap-
proached numerous troops like the roaring sea, sent
from the King the father of the damsels. When the
troops arrived, the damsels entertained them for three
days, after which the commander of the troops said:
*' We have come from the King your father to summon
you to him. One of the Kings celebrateth a marriage-
festivity, and your father desireth that ye should be
present that ye may divert yourselves." The damsels
arose and went in to Hassan, and told him of the
summons, and they said to him: "Verily this place is
thy place, and our house is thy house. Be of good
heart and cheerful eye, and fear not nor grieve, for no
one can come nigh unto thee in this place; therefore be
of tranquil heart and joyful mind, until we come to thee
again. These keys of our private chambers we leave
with thee; but, O our brother, we beg thee by the bond
of brotherhood that thou open not yonder door." Then
they bade him farewell, and departed with the troops.

178 The Arabian Nights

So Hassan remained in the palace alone. And he was
solitary and sad, and he mourned for the damsels.
He used to go alone to hunt in the desert, and bring
back the game, and slaughter it, and eat alone. His
gloominess and loneliness became excessive. So he
arose, and went through the palace, and opened the
private chambers, and he saw in them riches such as
ravished his mind. And the fire of curiosity burned
in his heart, and made him long to open the secret
door, which the damsels had forbidden him to go near.
And he said to himself: "I will arise, and open this
door, and see what is within, though within be death!"

Accordingly he took the key, and opened the door,
and saw therein a flight of steps, vaulted with stones
of onyx. He ascended the steps to the roof of the
palace, and he looked down from one side of the palace
upon a strange country beneath, where were sown
fields, gardens, and trees and flowers, and where wan-
dered wild beasts, while birds warbled and proclaimed
the perfection of Allah, the One, the Omnipotent. And
he gazed from the other side of the palace upon a roar-
ing sea, with foaming waves.

Now in the centre of the roof of the palace Hassan saw
a pavilion supported by four columns, and built of
bricks of gold, silver, jacinth and emerald. In the
midst of that pavilion was a pool of water, over which
was a trellis of sandal-wood and aloes-wood, ornamented
with bars of red gold and oblong emeralds, and adorned
with jewels and pearls, every bead of which was as
large as a pigeon's egg. By the side of the pool was a
couch of aloes-wood, adorned with large pearls and
with jewels. And around the pavilion birds warbled,
proclaiming the perfection of Allah, whose name be ex-

The Arabian Nights 179

alted. So Hassan was amazed when he beheld it, and
he sat in the pavihon, looking at what was around it.

And while he sat wondering at the beauty of the
pavilion, and at the lustre of the large pearls, lo, he
beheld ten birds approach from the direction of the
desert, coming to that pavilion and pool. So Hassan
concealed himself, fearing lest they would see him, and
fly away. The birds alighted on a great and beautiful
tree which grew near the pavilion. And he saw among
them a stately bird, the handsomest of them all. The
ten birds seated themselves, and each proceeded to
rend open its skin with its talons, and, lo, there came
forth from the feathers, ten damsels more beautiful
than the moon. They all descended into the pool, and
washed, and played, and jested together. And, as
Hassan gazed on the most beautiful damsel of them all,
who had been the handsomest bird, he lost his reason,
and his heart became entangled in the snare of her love.
And he continued to gaze on the loveliness of the chief
damsel, sighing and weeping, for she had hair blacker
than night, a mouth like the seal of Solomon, eyes like
those of gazelles, cheeks like anemonies, lips like coral,
and a figure like a willow-branch. And while he stood
gazing, behold the damsels came up out of the pool,
and each put on her dress of feathers and became a
bird again, and they all flew away together.

And Hassan despaired at the disappearance of the
damsel, and he descended to the lower part of the palace
and dragged himself to his own chamber, where he lay
upon his side, sick, without eating or drinking, and thus
he remained for two days. Now, while he was in this
state of violent grief, lo, a dust arose from the desert,
and but a little while elapsed when the troops of the

i8o The Arabian Nights

damsels alighted, and encompassed the palace. The
seven damsels also alighted, and entered the palace,
and took off their arms and weapons of war, except the
youngest damsel his sister, for when she saw not Hassan
she searched for him. She found him in his chamber
languid and wasted, his complexion was sallow and his
eyes were sunk in his face because of the little food
and drink he had taken. When his sister saw him in
this state she sorrowed, and questioned him as to what
had befallen. So he told her all that had happened to
him. And she wept with pity and compassion, and bade
him refrain from confiding his secret to the other
damsels, lest they should slay him on account of his
having opened the secret door, and she said to him:
"O my brother, be of good heart and cheerful eye, for
I will expose myself to peril for thee and will contrive
a stratagem to help thee to gain that which thou
desirest." So Hassan was comforted, and arose, and
greeted the damsels.

Now at the end of a month the damsels mounted,
and taking with them provisions for twenty days, went
forth to hunt, but the youngest damsel remained in the
palace with Hassan. When the sisters were far from
the palace, the youngest damsel said to Hassan: "Arise,
and show me the place where thou sawest the flying
damsel." So he arose, opened the secret door, and
went with her to the roof of the palace, where he showed
her the pavilion and the pool. Then said his sister:
"Know, O my brother, that this damsel is the daughter
of the King of all the Genii. Her father hath dominion
over men and Genii, enchanters and diviners, tribes and
guards, and regions and cities in great numbers, and
hath vast riches. He hath an army of damsels who

I

The Arabian Nights i 8 i

smite with swords and thrust with spears, five and
twenty thousand in number. He hath seven daughters
to whom he hath assigned a vast kingdom, encompassed
by a great river, so that no one can gain access to the
place, neither man nor Genie. And over this kingdom
he hath set to rule his eldest daughter, the chief of her
sisters, and she it is whom thou lovest. The damsels
who were with her are the favourite ladies of her empire,
and the feathered skins in which they fly are the work
of the enchanters of the Genii. Now if thou desirest to
marry this damsel thou must do all that I tell thee.
On the first day of every month the Queen and her
damsels come here to the pool to bathe. Sit thou in a
place so thou shalt see them, but they shall not see thee.
When they take off their dresses, seize thou the dress of
feathers belonging to the chief damsel. When she
imploreth thee with tender words, give not back her
dress, or she will slay thee and fly away. But do thou
grasp her by the hair, and drag her to thee, and lift her
up, and carrying her descend to thine apartment. Take
care of the dress of feathers, for as long as thou pos-
essest that she is in thy power, and cannot fly away to
her own country." So when Hassan heard these words
of his sister he was comforted and he returned with her
to the lower part of the palace and waited with patience
for the first day of the following month.

Now, on the first day of the new moon Hassan opened
the secret door, and ascended the steps to the roof of
the palace. He hid himself near the pavilion and, lo,
he saw ten birds approach like lightning. The birds
alighted, opened their dresses and the damsels de-
scended into the pool, where they played and sported
together. And Hassan seized the feather dress of the

1 82 The Arabian Nights

chief damsel and hid it. When the damsels came forth
from the pool, each put on her dress of feathers except
his beloved, she found hers not. Upon this she cried
out, and slapped her face, and tore her clothes. And
when the others knew her dress was lost they wept,
and cried out, then flew away and left her. Then
Hassan heard the chief damsel implore: "O thou, who
hast taken my dress I beg thee restore it to me!" But
he rose from his place, and ran forward, and rushed upon
her, and laid hold of her. Then lifting her he de-
scended with her to the lower part of the palace, and
placed her in his private chamber. He locked the
door upon her, and went to his sister, and told her how
he had gotten possession of the chief damsel, and had
brought her down to his private chamber, and said he:
"She is now sitting weeping and biting her hands."
His sister, when she heard his words, arose, and going
into the private chamber, saw the King's daughter
weeping and mourning. She kissed the ground before
her, and saluted her and the chief damsel said: "Who
are ye that do such evil deeds to the daughter of the
King? Thou knowest that my father is a great King,
and that the Kings of all the Genii fear his awful
power, and that he hath under his authority enchanters,
sages, diviners, Devils and Marids without number.
How is it right for you, O daughter of the Genii, to
lodge a human being in your palace, and to acquaint
him with our customs.'* K ye did not so, how could
this man have gained access to us.'*" So the sister of
Hassan answered her: "O daughter of the King, verily
this human being is kindly and noble, and he loveth
you." And she related to the chief damsel all that
Hassan had done.

The Arabian Nights 183

Then the sister of Hassan arose, and brought a
sumptuous dress in which she clad the chief damsel.
She also brought to her some food and drink, and ate
with her, and comforted her heart, and appeased her
terror. She ceased not to caress her with gentleness
and kindness until she was content.

The sister of Hassan then went forth to him and said :
"Arise, go in to her, and kiss her hands and feet."
He therefore entered, and kissed her between the eyes,
and said: "O mistress of beauties, and life of souls, be
tranquil in heart. I desire to marry thee, and to
journey to my country, and I will reside with thee in
the city of Bagdad. I will purchase for thee female
slaves and male slaves, and I have a mother, the best
of women, who will be thy servant."

But while he was addressing her, lo, the damsels,
the mistresses of the palace, returned from the chase.
They alighted from their horses and entered the palace.
They brought with them an abundance of gazelles, and
wild oxen and hares, and lions and hyenas, and other
beasts. Hassan advanced to meet the eldest damsel
and kissed her hand, and the youngest damsel his sister
said: "O my sisters, he hath caught a bird of the air
and he desireth ye to aid him to make her his wife."
And the eldest damsel said to Hassan: "Tell thy tale
and conceal naught of it." So he related all that had
happened. And she said: "Show her to us." So he
conducted them to the private chamber in which was
the King's daughter. When they saw her they kissed
the ground before her, wondering at her beauty and her
elegance. And they consented to the marriage, and
drew up the contract, after which they celebrated the
marriage festivities in a manner befitting the daughter

184 The Arabian Nights

of Kings. And for forty days the festivities continued
with pleasure, happiness, delight and joy, and the dam-
sels presented Hassan and his bride with many gifts
and rarities.

Now, after forty days Hassan was sleeping, and he
saw his mother mourning for him. So he woke from his
sleep weeping and lamenting, the tears running down
his cheeks like rain. In the morning he arose and calling
the damsels acquainted them with his dream and im-
plored them to hasten his departure. The damsels were
moved with pity for his state, and they arose, and pre-
pared the provisions. They adorned his bride with
ornaments and costly apparel, and gave to him rarities
without number. After that they beat the drum, and
the she-camels came to them from every quarter. They
mounted the damsel and Hassan, and put upon the
camels five and twenty chests full of gold and fifty of
silver. And they bade him farewell with tears and
embraces.

Hassan proceeded night and day, traversing with
his wife the deserts and wastes and the valleys and
rugged tracts, during midday-heat and early dawn, and
Allah decreed them safety. So they were safe, and
arrived at the city of Balsora, and they ceased not to
pursue their way until they made their camels kneel
at the door of his house. He dismissed the camels and
advanced to the door to open it, and he heard his mother
weeping with a soft voice. And Hassan wept when
he heard his mother weeping and lamenting, and he
knocked at the door with alarming violence. So his
mother said: "Who is at the door?" And he replied:
"Open." Whereupon she opened the door and looked
at him and fell down in a faint. He caressed her untiJ

The Arabian Nights 185

she recovered, when he embraced her, and she embraced
him and kissed him.

He conveyed his goods and property into the house,
while the damsel looked at him and his mother. He
told his mother all that had happened to him with
the Persian and with his sisters in the Palace of the
Mountain of Clouds. And when his mother heard his
story she wondered, and gazing on the damsel she was
stupefied by her beauty and loveliness. She seated
herseK beside the damsel to comfort and welcome her.

Then said his mother to Hassan: "O my son, with
this wealth we cannot live in this city, for the people
know that we are poor, and they will accuse us of
practising alchemy. Therefore let us arise and go to
the city of Bagdad, the Abode of Peace, that we may
reside under the protection of the Caliph Haroun Er
Raschid."

When Hassan heard these words he approved them.
He arose immediately, sold his house, and summoned
the she-camels, and put upon them all his riches and
goods, together with his wife and his mother. He set
forth and journeyed until he reached the city of Bagdad.
He bought in that city a house ample and handsome for
a hundred thousand pieces of gold. To this he removed
his furniture, rarities, and chests of gold and silver.
And he resided in ease with his wife for the space of
three years during which he was blesssed by her with
two boys, named Nasir and Mansour.

Now, at the end of three years, Hassan remembered
his sisters, the damsels of the Palace of the Mountain of
Clouds, and he longed to see them. He went forth to
the markets of the city and bought ornaments and
costly stuffs, and dried fruits, the like of which hia

1 86 The Arabian Nights

sisters had never seen nor known. And returning to
his house he called his mother and said unto her:
"Ejiow, O my mother, I go on a long journey. In this
closet, buried in the earth, is a chest in which is a dress
of feathers belonging to my wife. Be careful lest she
find it and take it and fly away with the children.
Know also that she is the daughter of the King of the
Genii. She is the mistress of her people, and the dearest
thing that her father hath. Allow her not to go forth
from the door, or to look from a window, or from over a
wall, for if anything should befall her I shall slay myself
on her account." And his wife heard his words to his
mother, and they knew it not.

Hassan arose, went forth from the city and beat the
drum and immediately the she-camels came to him.
He laded twenty with rarities, after which he bade
farewell to his wife and children. He then mounted
and journeyed to his sisters. He pursued his journey
night and day, traversing the valleys and the moun-
tains, and the plains and the rugged tracts, for the
space of ten da-ys, and on the eleventh he arrived at the
palace and went in to his sisters. And when they saw
him they rejoiced at his arrival, and welcomed him
exceedingly. He remained with them, entertained and
treated with honour, for three months, and he passed
his time in joy and happiness and in hunting.

Now, after Hassan had set forth on his journey, it
happened one day that his wife longed to visit the
public bath. So she entreated his mother, and gave
her no rest until she arose, and prepared the things
required and took the damsel and her two children,
and went to the bath. When they entered all the
women looked at the damsel, wondering at her beauty.

The Arabian Nights 187

Now, it happened there came to the bath that day one of
the slave-girls of the Prince of the Faithful, the Caliph
Haroun Er Raschid, called Tofeh, the lute-player.
She sat confounded at the sight of the damsel, who
had made an end of washing, and had come forth, and
had put on her clothes, when she appeared still more
beautiful. The damsel then went forth to her abode.

Tofeh, the lute-player, the slave-girl of the Caliph,
arose and went forth with the damsel until she knew
her house. She then returned to the palace of the
Caliph. She went in to the Lady Zobeide, and kissed
the ground before her, and said: "O my mistress, I have
been to the bath, where I saw a wonder! A damsel
having with her two young children like two moons.
None hath beheld the like of her nor doth there exist
the like of her in the whole world! I fear, O my mis-
tress, that the Prince of the Faithful may hear of her
and that he will disobey the law, and slay her husband,
and marry her." "Is this damsel endowed with such
beauty and loveliness ! " said the Lady Zobeide. " Verily
I must see her, and if she be not as thou hast described,
I will give orders to strike off thy head, O thou wicked
woman!"

So the Lady Zobeide summoned Mesrour, and bade
him bring quickly the damsel and the two children.
And Mesrour replied: "I hear and obey." He went
forth, and proceeded to the house of Hassan, and he
took the wife and mother of Hassan, together with
the two children, and brought them to the Lady
Zobeide.

The damsel had her face covered, and the Lady
Zobeide commanded her to remove her veil. She did
so, and displayed a face of dazzling beauty, and the

1 88 The Arabian Nights

Lady Zobeide was amazed, and pressed the damsel
to her bosom, and seated her with herself upon the
couch. And she gave orders to bring a suit of the most
magnificent apparel and a necklace of the most precious
jewels, and she decked the damsel with them, saying:
"O mistress of beauties! Thou hast filled mine eye
with delight! What hast thou among thy treasures?'*
"I have a dress of feathers," the damsel answered.
"If I were to put it on, thou wouldst see a thing of
wonderful make!" "And where," said the Lady
Zobeide, "is this thy dress?" "It is in the possession
of the mother of my husband," she answered," it is in a
chest buried in a closet in my husband's house, his
mother hath the key."

At this the Lady Zobeide cried out to Hassan's
mother, and took the key from her. She then called
Mesrour, and bade him proceed immediately to the
house of Hassan, to enter the cupboard, dig up the
chest, break it open, and to bring to her the dress of
feathers. Mesrour took the key, and did all that the
Lady Zobeide commanded, and, wrapping the dress
of feathers in a napkin, he brought it to her.

She gave it to the damsel, who rising with delight,
took her children in her bosom, and, wrapping herself
in the dress of feathers, became a bird. She expanded
her wings, and flew with her children through the
window saying: "O mother of Hassan, when thy son
cometh, and sorrow and despair oppress him, bid him
come to me in the Islands of Wak Wak." And she
flew away with her children, and sought her country.
And the mother of Hassan returned to her home, and
would not be comforted.

The Arabian Nights 189

THE ISLANDS OF WAK WAK

NOW, as to Hassan, at the end of three months
he bade farewell to the damsels his sisters, and
setting forth he journeyed night and day and arrived at
the city of Bagdad, the Abode of Peace. He entered
his house, and found his mother weeping and groaning,
so that she could not speak. He went about the house
searching for his wife and children, and found not any
trace of them. Then he looked into the closet, and
found it open, and the chest also open, and the dress
gone. So he knew that his wife had got possession of
the dress of feathers, and taken it, and flown away,
taking her children with her. He returned to his
mother, and she told him all that had come to pass,
and how the damsel had taken the children in her bosom,
and wrapped the dress of feathers about her, and, as she
flew away, had said: "O mother of Hassan, when thy
son Cometh, and sorrow and despair oppress him, bid
him come to me in the Islands of Wak Wak."

When Hassan heard the words of his mother he ut-
tered a great cry, and fell down in a faint, and, when he
revived, he went about the house weeping and wailing
for the period of five days, during which he tasted not
food nor drink. His mother attempted to console
him, but he would listen to naught she said, and he
continued to mourn for the space of a whole month.

When a month had passed, it occurred to Hassan
that his sisters, the seven damsels, might aid him to
regain his wife. So he summoned the she-camels,
loaded fifty with rarities and costly stuffs. He bade

190 The Arabian Nights

farewell to his mother, mounted, and pursued his way
until he arrived at the palace of the damsels by the
Mountain of Clouds. He went in and presented them
with his gifts, and acquainted them with all that had
befallen during his absence from home, and they be-
took themselves to soothing him, and exhorting him
to have patience, and to praying for his reunion with
his wife.

Now the eldest sister had an uncle, and his name was
Abdelcadus, and she could summon him by means of a
certain incense cast upon the fire. So the damsel said
to her youngest sister: "Arise, strike the steel upon the
flint, and bring me the box of incense." The youngest
damsel arose joyfully, and brought the box of incense.
The eldest damsel took it, and threw a small quantity
of the incense upon the fire, calling on the name of her
uncle. The fumes of the incense had not ceased before
a dust appeared from the further part of the desert.
Then the dust dispersed, and there appeared beneath
it a sheikh riding upon an elephant, which was crying
out beneath him. He approached the palace, and
alighted from the elephant, and the damsels met, and
embraced him, and kissed his hands, and saluted him.

And Abdelcadus said: "I was just now sitting with
the wife of your uncle, and I smelled the incense, so
I came to thee upon this elephant. What dost thou
desire, O daughter of my brother?" Then the eldest
damsel related to him all the story of Hassan of Balsora,
and how his wife had bid him come to her in the Islands
of Wak Wak. Upon this Abdelcadus shook his head,
and hung his head towards the ground, and began to
make marks upon the ground with the end of his finger.
Then he shook his head again, and said to Hassan:

The Arabian Nights 191

**0 my son, thou art in great peril, for thou canst not
gain access to the Islands of Wak Wak, even if the
Flying Genii and the wandering stars assist thee, since
between thee and those islands are seven valleys and
seven seas and seven mountains of vast magnitude."

Now, when Hassan heard the words of the sheikh
Abdelcadus he wept until he fainted, and the damsels
sat around him weeping. So when the sheikh saw
them in this state of grief and mourning, he pitied them,
and said to Hassan: "If it be the will of Allah, whose
name be exalted, thine affair will be accomplished,
therefore, O my son, arise, and brace up thy nerves,
and follow me."

The sheikh Abdelcadus then called the elephant and
mounted him, putting Hassan behind him, and pro-
ceeded with him for the space of three days and three
nights, like blinding lightning, until he came to a vast
blue mountain, in the side of which was a cavern which
had a door of iron. The sheikh put down Hassan,
dismounted, and dismissed the elephant. He advanced
to the door of the cavern, and knocked. The door
opened, and there came forth a black slave, resembling
an Afrite, and having in his right hand a sword, and
in the other, a shield of steel. When he saw the sheikh
Abdelcadus he threw down the sword and shield, and
kissed the sheikh's hand. Then Abdelcadus took the
hand of Hassan, and entered with him, and the slave
shut the door behind them. Hassan found himself in a
large and wide cave from which led a vaulted passage.
They proceeded down the passage for a mile, until
they came to two great doors of cast brass. The sheikh
Abdelcadus opened one of the doors, entered and closed
it. He remained absent an hour. He then came forth

192 The Arabian Nights

having with him a horse saddled and bridled, which
when he went along flew, and when he flew the dust
overtook him not. The sheikh led him forward to
Hassan and said: "Mount." And the sheikh opened
the other door and, lo, beyond was an extensive desert.
So Hassan mounted the horse and the two passed
through the door into the desert.

Then said the sheikh to Hassan: "O my son, take
this letter. Proceed upon this horse to the place to
which he will convey thee. When he stops at a door
of a cavern like this, descend from his back, put his
rein upon the pommel, and dismiss him, and he will
enter the cavern, but enter not thou with him. Stay
at the door of the cavern for five days, and be not weary.
On the sixth day there will come forth a black sheikh,
clad in black apparel, and with a beard white and long
descending to his waist. When thou seest him, kiss
his hands, and lay hold of his skirt, and weep before
him, that he may have pity on thee. He will ask thee
what thou desirest. Give him this letter, and, if he will,
he can aid thee and if he will not, his young men will
slay thee. This sheikh's name is Aboulruish, the son
of Balkis, the daughter of the accursed Eblis. He is my
sheikh and my teacher, and all mankind and the Genii
humble themselves to him. Go in reliance upon the
blessing of Allah."

Hassan therefore departed, giving rein to the horse,
which fled with him more rapidly than lightning. He
sped along on the horse for ten days until he beheld a
huge object, blacker than night. When he drew near
to it his horse neighed, and instantly he was surrounded
by horses numerous as the drops of rain, and they began
to rub against Hassan's horse. So Hassan feared them.

The Arabian Nights 193

and was terrified. He proceeded with the horses press-
ing around him, until he arrived at the cavern which
the sheikh Abdelcadus had described to him. The
horse stopped at its entrance, and Hassan alighted
from him, and put his rein upon his saddle. The horse
then entered the cavern, but Hassan stayed at the
entrance as the sheikh Abdelcadus had ordered him.

He continued at the entrance of the cavern five days
and nights, sleepless and mournful. And on the sixth
day, lo, the sheikh Aboulruish came forth. He was black,
and clad in black apparel, and when Hassan saw him
he threw himself upon him, and rubbed his cheeks
upon his feet, and taking his foot he placed it upon
his head, and wept before him. And the sheikh said
to him: "What is thine affair, O my son? " And Hassan
handed the letter to the sheikh, who received it, and
entered the cavern without returning him a reply.

And Hassan remained at the entrance of the cavern
for five days more. And on the sixth day, lo, the sheikh
Aboulruish came forth clad in white apparel. He took
Hassan by the hand, and led him into the cavern, and
proceeded with him for half a day, after which they
arrived at an arched doorway, with a door of steel,
which the sheikh opened, and he and Hassan entered a
passage vaulted over with variegated stones and dec-
orated with gold. They went down the passage until
they came to a great and spacious saloon, in the midst
of which was a garden full of all kinds of trees, flowers
and fruits; and birds warbled on the trees proclaiming
the perfection of Allah, the Omnipotent King.

In the saloon were four platforms, and on each
platform a chair, and a fountain, and at each corner of
each fountain was a lion of gold. Upon each chair was

194 The Arabian Nights

seated a sheikh with a great number of books before
him, and perfuming-vessels of gold containing fire
and incense. And before each of these sheikhs were
students reading to him the books.

The sheikh Aboulruish made a sign to the four
sheikhs that they should dismiss the students. So
they dismissed them, and the four sheikhs arose, and
seated themselves before the sheikh Aboulruish, who
related to them all the story of Hassan of Balsora. Then
the four sheikhs said to Aboulruish: "O sheikh of the
sheikhs, this young man is to be pitied, and perhaps
thou wilt assist him to deliver his wife and his children.
Wilt thou not act kindly towards him for the sake of thy
brother the sheikh Abdelcadus.''" The sheikh Aboul-
ruish answered: "O my brothers, verily this is a perilous
affair. Ye know that the Islands of Wak Wak are
diflBcult of access, and that no one ever arrived at them
without exposing himself to peril, and ye know the
strength of their inhabitants and their guards. Verily
this young man is a pitiable person, and he knoweth
not what he is undertaking, but we will assist him as
far as possible."

Thereupon the sheikh Aboulruish wrote a letter, and
sealed it, and gave it to Hassan. He likewise gave him
a small bag of leather, containing incense and instru-
ments for striking fire, and said to him: "Take care of
this bag. When thou fallest into a difficulty burn a
little of the incense and call on my name, and I will be
present with thee to deliver from the difficulty." The
sheikh Aboulruish then summoned an Afrite of the
Flying Genii, who immediately came. The sheikh put
his mouth to the ear of the Afrite, and said to him
some words, whereat the Afrite shook his head. Then

The Arabian Nights 195

said the sheikh to Hassan: "O my son, arise, mount
upon the shoulders of this Afrite, Dahnash the Flyer,
but when he hath taken thee up to Heaven, and thou
hearest the praises of the Angels in the sky, utter not
thou any words of praise, for if thou do thou wilt perish,
and so will he. To-morrow he will put thee down, a
little before daybreak, upon a white, clean land like
camphor. When he hath put thee there, walk on ten
days, until thou arrivest at the gate of a city. On thy
arrival enter, and ask for its king. Salute him, kiss his
hand, and give him this letter." So Hassan answered:
"I hear and obey." He arose, and mounted upon the
shoulders of the Afrite, and the four sheikhs arose,
and prayed for his safety.

Now, when Dahnash the Afrite had taken Hassan upon
his shoulders, he rose with him to the clouds of Heaven,
until he heard the praises of the Angels in Heaven, and
when the dawn came he put him down upon a land
white like camphor, and left him, and departed. So
when Hassan saw he was upon the earth, he went on
night and day for ten days, until he arrived at the gate
of the city of King Hasoun, King of the Land of Cam-
phor and the Castle of Crystal. He inquired for the
King and went in unto him and kissed the ground
before him, and kissed the letter, and handed it to him.

The King took the letter, and read it, and shook his
head and said: "O Hassan, thou hast come unto me
desiring to enter the Islands of Wak Wak, as the
sheikh of the sheikhs hath said. And for the sake of
the sheikh of the sheikhs Aboulruish, I cannot send
thee back to him without thy having accomplished
thine affair. Know, O my son, I will send thee to the
Islands of Wak Wak, but in thy way are many dangers,

196 The Arabian Nights

and thirsty deserts abounding with fearful spots. Be
patient, however, and naught but good will happen, for
I will employ a stratagem and cause thee to attain thy
will, if it be the will of Allah, whose name be exalted!
Soon there will come a ship to us from the Islands of
Wak Wak. I will embark thee in it. When the ship
moors at the Islands of Wak Wak do thou land. Thou
wilt see many settees in all quarters of the shore. Do
thou choose one of them, and sit beneath it, and move
not. At night an army of women will come, and sur-
round the merchandise. Stretch forth thy hand, and
lay hold upon the owner of the settee beneath which
thou hast placed thyself, and beg protection. If she
protect thee, thou wilt accomplish thine affair, and
gain access to thy wife and thy children. But, if she
protect thee not, mourn for thyself, and despair of
life, and be sure of thy destruction!"

The King then commanded Hassan to retire to the
mansion of entertainment, and ordered his attendants
to carry to him all that he required of food and drink
and apparel, fit for Kings. And after a month had
passed a ship came from the Islands of Wak Wak.
Whereupon the King summoned Hassan before him,
prepared for him what he required for the journey,
and conferred upon him great favours. Then he
called the master of that ship, and said to him: "Take
this young man secretly with thee into the ship.
Convey him to the Islands of Wak Wak, and leave him
there, and bring him not back." And the master said:
"I hear and obey." So he took Hassan, and put him
into a chest, and embarked him in a boat; and took him
to the ship when the people were occupied in removing
the goods.

The Arabian Nights 197

After that the ship departed and pursued its course
for ten days, and on the eleventh day it reached the
shore. The master landed Hassan from the ship, and
when he went up on the shore he saw there settees, the
number of which none knoweth but Allah! And he
walked on until he came to a settee more beautiful than
the rest and he hid himself beneath it.

And when night approached there came a crowd of
women soldiers, like scattered locusts, advancing on
foot, with their swords in their hands, and they were
enveloped in coats of mail, and on seeing the ship's
goods, they busied themselves with them. And after
that they sat to take rest, and one of them seated her-
self upon the settee beneath which was Hassan. He
therefore laid hold of the edge of her skirt, and throwing
himself down began to kiss her hands and her feet,
weeping. So she said to him: "O thou, arise and stand
up before anyone see thee and slay thee." And Hassan
came forth from beneath the settee, and rose upon his
feet, kissed her hands, and said to her: "O my mistress,
I throw myself upon thy protection. Have mercy upon
me, who am parted from my wife and my children."
When the woman heard his words she had compassion
upon him and her heart was moved with pity for him,
and she knew that he had not exposed himself to peril,
and come to this place save for a great affair. "O my
son," said she, *'be of good heart and cheerful eye,
comfort thy heart and thy soul, and return to thy place,
and hide thyself beneath the settee until to-morrow
night, and Allah will do as He desireth. Then she bade
him farewell, and Hassan entered beneath the settee
as before. The army passed the night until morning,
having lighted candles made of aloes-wood and amber-

198 The Arabian Nights

gris. And when daylight came the army occupied
itself with the ship's goods until night approached, while
Hassan remained beneath the settee with weeping eye
and mourning heart.

Now, when night came the woman soldier, whose
protection he had begged, approached him, and handed
to him a coat of mail and a sword and a gilt girdle
and a lance; after which she departed from him, fearing
the troops. Hassan arose, clad himself in the armour,
and went forth and mixed with the troops, and at
break of day went with them to their camp. He
entered the tent of one of the soldiers, and, lo, it was
that of his companion, whose protection he had begged.
When she entered, she threw down her arms, and pulled
off the coat of mail and the veil, and Hassan found her
to be blue-eyed with a large nose. She was a calamity
among calamities, of the most hideous form, with a
face marked with smallpox, and hairless eyebrows, and
broken teeth, and puffed cheeks, and grey hair, and a
mouth running with saliva. Her hair was falling off,
and she was like a speckled, black and white serpent.
And she was the chief of the troops, and the person of
authority among them, and their leader.

Now, when she looked at Hassan, she asked him
respecting his case, and wondered at his arrival. And
Hassan related to her all that had happened to him from
beginning to end. The woman wondered at his tale,
and said: "Comfort thy heart and comfort thy soul.
Now that thou hast come unto me, no harm shall
befall thee, nor will I suffer any one of all who are in the
Islands of Wak Wak to do thee any injury, and I will
aid thee to attain thy desire, if it be the will of Allah,
whose name be exalted! Know, 0 my son, that thy

The Arabian Nights 199

wife is in the seventh island of the Islands of Wak Wak,
and the distance between us and it is seven months'
journey, night and day. For we proceed hence until we
arrive at a land called the Land of Birds, and by reason
of the vehemence of the cries of the birds, and the
flapping of their wings, we shall hear nothing else.
Then we pass forth from it to a land called the Land of
the "Wild Beasts, and by reason of the vehemence of
the cries of the beasts of prey and the hyenas, and other
wild beasts, and the howling of the wolves and the
roaring of the lions, we shall hear nothing else. We
then pass forth from it to a land called the Land of the
Genii, where by the reason of the vehemence of the
cries of the Genii, and the rising of the flames, and the
flying about of the sparks, and the smoke from their
mouths, and the harsh sounds from their throats, and
their insolence, they will obstruct our way, and our ears
will be deafened, and our eyes will be covered with
darkness, so that we shall neither hear nor see, nor will
any of us be able to look behind him, for by so doing he
would perish. After which there will be a vast mountain
and a running river, which extend to the Islands of
Wak Wak. On the banks of this river is a tree called
Wak Wak, whose branches resemble the heads of the
sons of Adam. When the sun riseth those heads all
cry out : * Wak Wak ! Extolled be the perfection of the
King, the Excellent Creator!' In like manner also
when the sun setteth those beads cry out the same
words. A queen ruleth over the land and under her
authority are the tribes of the Genii, Marids, and
Devils, also innumerable enchanters. Now, if thou
fear, I will transport thee in a vessel, and convey thee
to thine own country, but, if it be agreeable to thy

2 00 The Arabian Nights

heart to remain with us, I will not prevent thee." Then
said Hassan: "O my mistress, I will not quit thee until
I meet with my wife, or my life shall be lost."

The old woman, whose name was Shawahi, gave
orders to beat the drum for departure, and the army
proceeded, Hassan in company with the old woman.
They ceased not to journey until they arrived at the
first of the seven islands, which was the Island of Birds.
They entered it and, in consequence of the vehemence
of the cries, Hassan's head ached and his mind was
bewildered, his eyes were blinded and his ears stopped
and he feared violently and made sure of death. But
they passed forth from the Land of Birds and entered
the Land of Wild Beasts, where the roaring and the
raging of the hyenas, wolves and lions and other beasts
of prey made Hassan to quake with horror. Then they
passed forth to the land of smoke and flying sparks and
flames, the Land of the Genii. And when Hassan be-
held it he feared, and repented of having entered it.
And they escaped from the Land of the Genii, and
arrived at the river, and alighting beneath a vast and
lofty mountain, they pitched their tents upon the river
bank. The old woman placed for Hassan a couch
of alabaster, set with fine pearls, and with jewels and
bars of red gold, by the side of the river. They ate, and
drank, and slept in security, for they had arrived at
their own country.

The next morning Shawahi said to Hassan: "O
my son, describe to me thy wife, for I know every
damsel in the Islands of Wak Wak, as I am the leader
of the damsels and their commander, and, if thou
describe her to me, I shall know her, and will contrive
means for thy taking her." Accordingly he described

The Arabian Nights 201

her. Thereupon the old woman hung down her head
towards the ground, then she raised it and exclaimed:
"Verily I am afflicted, O Hassan! Would that I had
not known thee! Thy wife is the daughter of the
supreme King, his eldest daughter who ruleth over all
the Islands of Wak Wak. It is impossible for thee to
ever gain access to her. Return, O my son, and cast
not thyself into destruction, and me with thee!" And
she feared for herself and for him.

But Hassan wept, and pleaded with her until he
touched her heart, and the old woman pitied him, and
had compassion on him, and said kindly: "Let thy soul
be happy, and thine eye cheerful, and let thy mind
be free from anxiety. For with the help of Allah I will
expose my soul to peril with thee, until thou shalt
attain thy desire, or my death shall overtake me!"

The old woman conducted Hassan into the city, and
hid him. When she saw him burning with desire to
meet with his wife and his children, she arose, and
repaired to the palace of the Queen Nour Elhada, and
went in to her, and kissed the ground before her. Now
Shawahi was in favour because she had reared all the
daughters of the King, and was held in honour by them,
and was dear unto the King. So when she went in the
Queen rose, and embraced her, and seated her by her
side, and asked her respecting her journey.

So the old woman acquainted the Queen with the
story of Hassan from beginning to end. She trembled
like the reed in the day of the stormy wind, until she
fell down before the daughter of the King imploring
her to aid Hassan and to give him access to his wife and
his children. When the Queen heard her words she was
violently enraged and said: "O ill-omened old woman.

2 02 The Arabian Nights

hath thy wickedness occasioned thee to bring a man to
the Islands of Wak Wak! By the head of the Bang,
were it not for the claim thou hast upon me, I would
slay thee and him this instant, in the most abominable
manner! Go forth and bring him immediately, that I
may see him."

The old woman went forth confounded, and she
went to Hassan, and said to him: "Arise, answer the
summons of the Queen, O thou, whose last day hath
drawn near." So he arose, and went with her, and
presented himself before Queen Nour Elhada, and he
saw her with a veil over her face. And she questioned
him, and he told her all that had befallen him, and
implored her to have compassion on him, and to restore
to him his wife and children ; then he wept and lamented.
Then said the Queen Nour Elhada: "I have compassion
on thee and pity thee, and I will display to thee every
damsel in the city and in my islands, and, if thou know
thy wife, I will deliver her to thee, but, if thou know
her not, I will slay thee, and crucify thee on the door of
the house of the old woman."

The Queen therefore introduced the damsels to
Hassan, a hundred after a hundred, until there remained
not a damsel in the city whom she did not display
to him. But he saw not his wife among them. Then
was the Queen enraged, and about to slay Hassan, but
Shawahi advanced to the Queen, and kissed the ground
before her and said: "O Queen, hasten not to punish
him, for the poor man is a stranger. He hath entered
our country, and eaten our food, so it is expedient that
we give him his due. Now there remaineth not any
of the women to display excepting thee, therefore sho\*
him thy face."

The Arabian Nights 203

At this the Queen smiled, and uncovered her face,
and when Hassan saw it he uttered a great cry and
exclaimed: "Verily this Queen is either my wife or
she is more like her than any other person!" And the
Queen laughed until she fell backwards. "Verily,"
said she, "this stranger is mad, or disordered in mind!"
Then turning to Hassan she asked: "What is there in
thy wife that resembleth me?" "O my mistress,"
he answered, "all that thou hast of beauty and loveli-
ness, and elegance and sweetness of speech, resembleth
her!" The Queen then looking towards Shawahi said:
"0 my mother, take him back to his place immediately,
and return to me, speedily."

So the old woman went forth, and took Hassan to
her house. She then returned to the Queen with speed.
And the Queen ordered her to arm herself, and to take
with her a thousand brave horsemen, and to go to the
abode of her younger sister Menar Elsena, the daughter
of the supreme King, and bid her clothe her two sons
in two coats of mail, and send them to their aunt the
Queen. "And, O my mother," said Queen Nour
Elhada, "conceal the matter from Hassan, and when
thou hast received the two children, say to my sister
that I invite her to visit me, and to come at her leisure."

So the old woman set forth, and did all that Queen
Nour Elhada commanded, and brought to her the two
children. And when the Queen saw them she embraced
them, and pressed them to her bosom, then looking
toward the old woman she said: "Bring now Hassan."
Then turning to her chamberlain and twenty mem-
looks, "Go with this old woman," she said, "and bring
the young man who is in her house, with speed."

So the old woman went forth, dragged along by the

2 04 The Arabian Nights

chamberlain and memlooks. Her complexion had
turned sallow, and the muscles of her side quivered.
She entered her abode and said: "Arise, and answer the
summons of this wicked, sinful, oppressive, tyrannical
woman!" So Hassan arose, broken-spirited, with
mourning heart, fearing, and saying: "O Allah of peace,
preserve me!" He repaired with the twenty mem-
looks and the chamberlain and the old woman, and went
in to the Queen. His sons Nasir and Mansour were
sitting in her lap and she was playing with them. When
his eye fell upon them he knew them, and uttered a
great cry, and the two children knew him, and climbing
from the lap of the Queen they exclaimed: "O our
father!" and Hassan embraced his children.

Now when the Queen knew that the little ones were
the children of Hassan, and that her sister Menar
Elsena was his wife, she was enraged with a violent
rage. She cried out to her memlooks to drag Hassan
forth on his face, and to throw him out, and they did so.

Now, as to his wife, Menar Elsena, she began her
journey on the second day after that on which the old
woman set forth with the children. When she arrived
at the city of Queen Nour Elhada, she ascended to the
palace, and went in to her, and she heard her children
crying out: "O our father!" So the tears flowed from
her eyes, and she wept, and pressed her children to her
bosom. But when the Queen saw that she pressed her
children to her bosom she said: "O wicked woman,
whose children are these? Hast thou married without
the knowledge of thy father? Wherefore didst thou
quit thy husband and take thy children? Thou hast
concealed thy children from us, but we knew it, and
FK)w thy shameful secret has been exposed."

The Arabian Nights 205

The Queen ordered her guards to lay hold upon
Menar Elsena. So they seized her, and bound her
hands behind her, and shackled her with shackles of
iron, and inflicted upon her a painful beating. Then
the Queen caused a ladder of wood to be brought to
her, and extended her sister upon it, and ordered the
servants to bind her on her back on the ladder, and they
stretched forth her arms, and tied them with cords,
uncovered her head, and wound her hair upon the
ladder. Then the Queen ordered the pages to bring
her a palm-stick, so they brought it, and she arose, and
tucked up her sleeves, and fell to beating Menar Elsena
from her head to her feet, then she called for a plaited
whip, such as elephants are beaten with, and she fell
to beating her with that until she fainted. Now when
the old woman, Shawahi, saw this that the Queen did,
she went forth fleeing from before her, weeping and
cursing. But the Queen cried out to her servants to
lay hold on the old woman and to drag her along on her
face, and turn her out. Accordingly they dragged her,
and turned her out.

As to Hassan, he arose with firmness, and walked
along the bank of the river, and turned his face towards
the desert. As he was proceeding he came to a lonely
and perilous place, and, lo, on the ground was a rod of
brass, engraved with talismans, and by the side of the
rod was a cap of leather whereon were worked in steel
names and characters of seals, and with the rod and
cap was a parchment on which was inscribed: "Now as
to the cap its secret property is this, that whosoever
putteth it on his head he will become invisible. And
as to the rod, this is its secret property, that whosoever
possesseth it he hath authority over seven tribes of the

2o6 The Arabian Nights

Genii, and all of them will serve this rod. When he
who possesseth it smiteth the ground its Kings will
humble themselves to him, and all the Genii will be at
his service."

So Hassan rejoiced and he returned and entered the
city wearing the cap, and having the rod in his hand,
and none of the people saw him. He entered the palace,
and ascended to the place where was Shawahi, and he
went in still wearing the cap, and she saw him not. And
he drew near to a shelf which was over her head, and on
which were vessels of glass and china, and he shook it
with his hand so that the things that were upon it fell
to the floor. "I conjure thee, O devil," Shawahi cried
out, "by the characters on the seal of Solomon, the
son of David, (on both of whom be peace), that thou
speak to me!" "I am not a devil," Hassan replied,
"I am Hassan the distracted, the perplexed!" and he
pulled off his cap, and the old woman knew him.

Hassan showed her the rod and the cap, and the
old woman rejoiced exceedingly. " O my son," said she,
"now thou canst gain possession of thy wife and thy
children. I can no longer abide in the abode of this
wicked woman, so I am about to depart to the cavern
of the enchanters, to live with them until I die. But
do thou, O my son, put on the cap and take the rod in
thy hand and rescue thy wife and thy children."

Hassan then bade her farewell, and putting on the
cap and taking the rod, he entered the place in which
was his wife. He saw her extended on the ladder
with her hair bound to it, and with a weeping eye and a
mournful heart. Her children were beneath the ladder
playing, and when Hassan saw the torment and abase-
ment and contempt she was suffering he wept, and

The Arabian Nights 207

removed his cap, whereupon the children saw him and
cried out: "O our father!" And when his wife saw him
she uttered a loud cry. *'How earnest thou here?"
she exclaimed, "hast thou descended from the sky, or
risen from the earth?" And her eyes filled with tears.
"O my mistress," Hassan replied, "and mistress of
every queen, I have exposed my life to peril and come
hither, and either I will die or I will deliver thee from
the trouble in which thou art and I and thou and my
children will journey to my country in spite of this
wicked woman, thy sister. I came to deliver thee by
the means of this rod and by the means of this cap."
And he related to her the properties of the cap and the
rod.

Then Hassan waited until night approached. He
loosed his wife, and kissed her head, pressed her to
his bosom, and kissed her between the eyes. He then
took up the elder child, and she took up the younger
child, and they went forth from the palace. Allah let
down the veil of his protection over them so they ar-
rived in safety at the outside of the palace. They
stopped at the outer door, but found it locked. And
while they were despairing of escape, they heard a
voice on the other side of the door saying: "I am
Shawahi, I will open the door to thee if thou wilt swear
to take me with thee, and not leave me with this
wicked woman ! " So they swore as she desired and she
opened the door, and they went forth, and found her
riding upon a red earthen jar, upon the neck of which
was a rope of the fibres of the palm-tree, and it was
turning about beneath her, and moving with great
speed.

She rode before them, and said to them: "Follow me.

2o8 The Arabian Nights

and be not terrified, for I know forty modes of enchant-
ment, by the least of which I could make this city a
roaring sea agitated with waves, and enchant every
damsel in it so that she would become a fish, but I was
unable to do anything because of my fear of the King,
the father of Nour Elhada. However I will show you
the wonders of my enchantment. Follow me, relying
upon the blessing of Allah, whose name be exalted!"
So Hassan and his wife rejoiced and felt sure of escape.

THE SEVEN KINGS OF THE GENII

THEY went forth from the city, and Hassan, tak-
ing the rod in his hand, struck with it the
ground. And, lo, the earth clove asunder, and there
came forth from it seven Airites, each of them having
his feet on the earth and his head in the clouds. They
kissed the ground before Hassan three times, and said
with one voice: "At thy service, O our master, and
ruler over us, what dost thou command.? If thou
desirest we will dry up for thee the seas, and remove
for thee the mountains. Know we are seven Kings, and
each King of us ruleth over seven tribes of the Genii,
and the Devils and the Marids, including Flyers and
Divers, and dwellers in the mountains and the deserts
and the wastes, and the inhabitants of the sea. Order
us to do as thou wilt, for we are the servants and slaves
of the rod."

Then said Hassan: "Show me your company and
your troops and your guards." "O our master," they
replied, "if we should show thee our company we would

The Arabian Nights 209

fear for thee and for those with thee, for we have numer-
ous troops, of various forms and makes and faces and
bodies. Some of us are heads without bodies, and
bodies without heads, and among us are some Hke wild
beasts and animals of prey. But, what dost thou
desire of us now?" "I desire," said Hassan, "that ye
carry me and my wife and this virtuous woman im-
mediately to Bagdad." When they heard these words
they hung their heads, "O master and ruler over us,"
they replied, "Solomon the son of David (on both of
whom be peace) made us swear that we would not
carry any of the sons of Adam upon our backs, but we
will immediately saddle for thee horses of the Genii,
which will convey thee to thy country, thee and those
that are with thee. The distance between us and Bag-
dad is a seven years' journey to the ordinary horseman.
But the sheikh Abdelcadus, who mounted thee upon
the elephant, traversed with thee in ten days a space
of three years' journey, and the Afrite Dahnash trav-
ersed with thee in a night and day, the space of three
years' journey. And from Bagdad to the palace of the
damsels is a year's journey. So these make up the
seven years. But our horses will arrive with thee at
Bagdad in less than a year, after thou shalt have en-
dured diflSculties, troubles and horrors, and traversed
thirsty valleys, and dismal wastes, and deserts and
dangerous places. Perhaps the people of these islands,
the enchanters and sorcerers, will overcome us and
take thee from us. But be thou resolute, and fear not,
for we are at thy service until thou arrivest at thine
own country." And Hassan thanked them and said:
"Hasten with the horses!" And they replied: "We
hear and obey."

2 I o The Arabian Nights

They then struck the ground with their feet, and it
clove asunder, and they descended into the earth.
And after a while, lo, they came up bringing with them
three horses saddled and bridled. On the front of each
saddle was a pair of saddle-bags, containing food and
a leather bottle of water. Hassan mounted a courser,
taking a child before him, and his wife mounted the
second courser, and took a child before her. Then
Shawahi, the old woman, alighted from her red earthen
jar and mounted the third courser.

So they departed and travelled all that night and the
next day, until they arrived at a mountain. And, lo,
they beheld a phantom-like form, resembling a pillar,
and it was lofty, like smoke ascending to the sky.
When they drew near to that black object they found it
to be an Afrite, whose head was like a huge dome, and
his dog-teeth were like hooks, and his nostrils like
ewers, and his ears like shields, and his mouth like a
cavern, and his hands like winnowing-forks, and his
legs like masts, his head was amid the clouds and his
feet were upon the earth.

And the Afrite bowed himself before Hassan, and
kissed the ground and said: "O Hassan, fear me not
for I am chief of the inhabitants of this land, and this is
the first island of Wak Wak. I am a Mohammetan and
I will be thy guide until thou goest forth from these
islands, and I will not appear save at night." Accord-
ingly the Afrite went before them, and their hearts
became happy, and they rejoiced exceedingly, and
felt sure of escape.

They ceased not to traverse the valleys and the wastes
for the space of a whole month. On the thirty-first
day there arose a dust, and the day was darkened by

The Arabian Nights 2 1 1

it. So when Hassan beheld it he became pale with fear.
And they heard alarming noises, and the old woman
said to Hassan: "O my son, these are the troops of the
Islands of Wak Wak. Strike the earth with the rod!"
Whereupon he did so, and the seven Kings came up,
and saluted him, and said to him: "Fear not nor grieve.
Ascend with thy wife and thy children, and her who is
with thee, upon the mountain, and leave us with these
troops. We know ye are in the right and they are in the
wrong, and Allah will defend us against them." Hassan
and his wife and his children and the old woman
alighted, and ascended the side of the mountain.

The seven Kjngs called forth their troops from the
earth, and the Queen Nour Elhada approached, with
troops disposed on the right and left, and the chiefs
went around them and ranged them company by
company. The two armies met, and the two hosts
dashed against each other, and the fires raged, and the
heroes advanced boldly, and the cowards fled, and the
Genii cast forth from their mouths burning sparks,
and the fires of war raged among them. They ceased
not to fight, and contend until the troops of Wak Wak
were defeated, and the Queen Nour Elhada taken
captive, together with the grandees of her kingdom and
her chief officers.

When the morning came the seven Kings presented
themselves before Hassan, and set for him a couch of
alabaster ornamented with fine pearls and jewels, and
he seated himself upon it. They also set by it another
couch for the Lady Menar Elsena, and that couch was
of ivory overlaid with brilliant gold. And they set
another couch for the old woman Shawahi. They then
brought forward the prisoners, among them the Queen

2 12 The Arabian Nights

Nour Elhada, who had her hands bound behind her.
and her feet shackled. When Shawahi saw her she said:
*'0 wicked, tyrannical woman! Thou shalt be tied to
the tails of horses, and driven to the sea, that thy skin
may be lacerated!" Thereupon Hassan gave orders
to slay all the captives, and the old woman cried out:
"Slay ye them ! Let not one of them remain ! "

But, when the Lady Menar Elsena saw her sister in
this state, shackled and in captivity, she wept for her,
and implored Hassan to save her alive. "Her torture
of thee was abominable," he replied, "but whatever
thou desirest do it." Thereupon the Lady Menar
Elsena gave orders to loose all the prisoners, and they
loosed them for the sake of her sister, and they loosed
her sister also, after which Menar Elsena advanced to
her and embraced her, and made a reconciliation be-
tween her and the old woman, and their hearts were
comforted. They then passed the night conversing
together till morning. When the sun arose, they bade
each other farewell. Hassan and his wife journeyed
to the right and Queen Nour Elhada together with
Shawahi journeyed to the left, and all went to their own
countries.

Hassan ceased not to proceed with his wife and his
children for the space of a whole month, after which
they came in sight of a city around which were fruits
and rivers. When they arrived at the trees, they
alighted from the backs of their horses, and sat down
to rest, and, lo, many horses advanced towards them.
When Hassan saw them he arose to his feet, and met
them, and, behold, they were King Hasoun, the Lord
of the Land of Camphor and the Castle of Crystal, and
his attendants. Hassan advanced to the King, and

The Arabian Nights 213

kissed his hands, and saluted him. The King ahghted
from the back of his courser, and seated himself with
Hassan upon furniture spread beneath the trees.
Hassan acquainted him with all these events, and the
King wondered at them. "O my son," he said, "no
one ever obtained access to the Islands of Wak Wak,
and returned from them, excepting thee, and thy case
is wonderful! But praise be to Allah for thy safety!"
Then the King arose, and took Hassan and his wife
and his children to the mansion of entertainment. They
remained with the Kjng three days eating, and drink-
ing, and enjoying sport and mirth.

Hassan then begged King Hasoun that he might
journey to his country, and he gave him permission.
So he mounted with his wife and children, and the King
mounted with them, and they proceeded ten days, and
when the King desired to return he bade Hassan fare-
well, and Hassan continued his journey.

And they journeyed on for the space of another
month, when they came to a great cavern, the ground of
which was of brass. And, lo, the sheikh Aboulruish
came forth from the entrance of the cavern. And Has-
san saw him, and alighted from his courser, and kissed
his hands, and the sheikh rejoiced at his coming,
and conducted him into the cavern. Hassan proceeded
to tell the sheikh all that had happened to him in the
Islands of Wak Wak.

Now while they were talking some one knocked on the
door of the cavern. The sheikh Aboulruish opened
the door, and he found that the sheikh Abdelcadus
had come riding upon the elephant. The sheikh
Aboulruish advanced, and saluted, and embraced him,
then said to Hassan: "Relate to the sheikh Abdelcadus

2 14 The Arabian Nights

all that hath happened to thee, O Hassan." So Hassan
proceeded to relate to the sheikh all that had happened
to him from the first to the last, until he came to the
story of the rod and cap, whereupon he presented the
cap to the sheikh Aboulruish and said unto the sheikh
Abdelcadus: "Accompany me to my country, and I
will give thee the rod." And the two sheikhs rejoiced
thereat exceedingly, and prepared for Hassan riches
and treasures that cannot be described.

Hassan remained with them three days, then he
mounted his beast, and his wife mounted another.
The sheikh Abdelcadus whistled, and, lo, the huge ele-
phant advanced trotting from the further part of the
desert. The sheikh Abdelcadus took him, and mounted,
and proceeded with Hassan, his wife and his children.
They pursued their journey traversing the land in its
length and breadth, until, lo, the green cupola and the
pool, and the green palace, and the Mountain of Clouds
appeared to them in the distance.

They drew near to the palace, and alighted, and
behold the damsels of the palace came forth to meet
them. They saluted their uncle, and they embraced
Hassan, and it was to them as a festival-day. Then
Hassan gave the rod to Abdelcadus, who mounted, and
returned to his abode.

Hassan remained with the damsels ten days eating,
drinking, and in joy and happiness, and after the ten
days he made ready for his journey. His youngest
sister arose, and prepared for him wealth and rarities
that cannot be described. He bade the damsels fare-
well, and mounted, with his wife and his children, and
departed from the Palace of the Mountain of Clouds.
He proceeded over a desert tract for the space of two

The Arabian Nights 215

months and ten days, until he arrived at the city of
Bagdad, the Abode of Peace. And he came to his house
and knocked, and his mother opened the door. When
she saw Hassan she embraced him, and wept, and cried
out saying: "Praise be to Allah, O my son, for thy
safety, and for that of thy wife and thy children!"
When the morning came Hassan put on a suit of the
most beautiful stuff, and went forth to the market.
He bought male black slaves, and female slaves, and
stuffs and precious ornaments and apparel, and furni-
ture and costly vessels, of which the like existed not in
the possession of Kings. He bought also houses and
gardens, and other things. He resided with his children
and his wife and his mother, eating, drinking, and
delighting. And they ceased not to pass a most comfort-
able life, until they were visited by the exterminator
V)f delights and the separator of companions.

"This story is indeed wonderful," said Sheherazade,
"but it is not more wonderful than what befell Caliph
the fisherman and the beautiful Koutelkuloub, the
slave-girl of the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid," and
Sheherazade related as follows:

Chapter VII

THE STORY OF CALIPH THE FISHER^
MAN— THE LUCK APES

THERE was in ancient times, in the city of
Bagdad, a poor fisherman named CaHph.
Early one morning he took his net, and went
with it to the River Tigris. When he arrived
at the river he spread his net, and cast it the first, and
the second time, but nothing came up in it. He ceased
not to cast until he had done so ten times, but nothing
whatever came up. So his heart was heavy, and he sat
upon the bank, hanging down his head toward the
ground. Then after saying a prayer he thought to him-
self: "I will cast the net this time also and rely on the
goodness of Allah!"

Accordingly he advanced, and cast his net as far as he
could into the river, and he folded his cord, and waited
a while. Then he drew the net, and found it heavy.
He managed, it gently, and drew it until it came up on
the bank, and, lo,in it was a one-eyed, lame apje who had
about his waist a piece of ragged stuff.

When Caliph saw him he cried out with horror and
amazement. He seized the ape, and bound him with a
rope, and tied him to a tree, and began to beat him with
a whip. But the ape cried out with a hiiman tongue;

9l6

The Arabian Nights 217

"0 Caliph, beat me not, for I am thy luck ape! Leave
me tied to this tree, and go to the river, and cast thy
net, relying upon Allah."

When Caliph heard the words of the ape he wondered,
but he advanced to the river, and cast the net, and
slackened the cord, and waited. He drew, and found
the net heavier than the first time, and he ceased not
to draw until it came up on the bank. And, lo, in it was
another ape, but this ape was red, and around his
waist was a blue garment.

Then said Caliph to the red ape: "Verily this is a
day of wonders! This day is a day of apes! And who
art thou, O thou unlucky one?"

"Dost thou not know me, O Caliph.?" answered the
second ape, "I am the Good Luck Ape of Abussaadat,
the money-changer. I bring to him in the morning
five pieces of gold, and again five pieces of gold in the
evening.'*

When Caliph heard this he looked angrily at the
first ape. "See," he said, "O thou unlucky, how gen-
erous are the apes of other people! Thou camest to
me this morning, lame and one-eyed, with thine un-
lucky face, and I became a pauper, a bankrupt, hun-
gry!" He then took the whip, and whirled it round in
the air three times, and was about to beat his luck ape,
but the ape of Abussaadat called out: "Leave him, O
Caliph, and come to me and I will make thee rich.
Take thy net and cast it into the river, and whatever
Cometh up, bring it to me."

So Caliph took his net, recited a prayer, and cast
his net into the river, and waited a while. And he
drew, and, lo, in the net there was a large fish, with a
great head. Its tail was like a ladle, and its eyes were

2 1 8 The Arabian Nights

big like two pieces of gold. And when Caliph saw it he
rejoiced for he had not caught the like of it in all his
life. He took the fish, wondering at it, and brought
it to the ape of Abussaadat, the money-changer.

The ape said to him: "O Caliph, bring some green
grass, and put half of it into a basket, and put the fish
upon it, and cover it with the other half. Then place
the basket upon thy shoulder, and go into the city of
Bagdad until thou enterest the market of the money-
changers. Thou wilt find at the upper end of the market
the shop of Abussaadat, the sheikh of the money-
changers, and thou wilt see him sitting upon a mattress,
with a pillow behind him, and before him two chests,
one of gold and the other of silver, and with him his
memlooks and black slaves and pages. Advance to
him. Put thy basket down before him and say: 'O
Abussaadat, I went forth to-day to fish, and cast the
net in thy name, and Allah sent this fish.' Thereupon
he will say: * Hast thou shown it to anyone beside me?*
and do thou answer, ' No.' Then he will take the fish
and give thee a piece of gold for it, but do thou return
it to him. And he will give thee two pieces of gold, but
return them to him. So he will say to thee : ' Tell me
what thou desirest.' Then shalt thou tell him that thou
wilt not sell the fish save for two sayings, and bid him
rise upon his feet, and proclaim these words : ' Bear
witness, O ye who are present in the market, that I
have exchanged my ape for the ape of Caliph the
fisherman, and have exchanged for his lot my lot,
and for his fortune my good fortune.' And," con-
tinued the ape, "If Abussaadat pronounce these two
sayings, then every day will I present myself to thee
in the morning and evening, and will bestow on thee

The Arabian Nights 219

every day ten pieces of gold, while this lame, one-eyed
ape will present himself in the morning to Abussaadat,
and will inflict him every day with a debt which he
will be obliged to pay, until he is reduced to poverty,
and is possessed of nothing. Now unbind thou this
lame ape and let us both go into the water." And
CaHph the fisherman replied: "O King of Apes, I hear
and obey." And he loosed the apes and th^y descended
into the water.

He then took the fish, washed it, and put beneath it
some green grass in a basket, covered it also with grass,
and, placing it on his shoulder, proceeded singing:

"Commit thine affairs to Allah, and thou wilt be safe;
Act kindly throughout thy life, and thou wilt not repent;
Associate not with the suspected, for thou wouldst be sus-
pected;
Keep thy tongue from reviling, for thou wouldst be reviled."

He ceased not to walk until he entered the city of
Bagdad, and until he came to the market of the money-
changers, as the ape had directed him.

And he found Abussaadat, the sheikh of the money-
changers, sitting at the upper end of the market. And,
lo, all came to pass even as the ape had said, and Abus-
saadat rose to his feet and proclaimed the two sayings,
and took the fish, and Caliph departed rejoicing.

So Caliph the fisherman left the money market, and
taking his basket and net, went to the River Tigris and
cast the net. Then he drew it and found it heavy, and
when he pulled it forth, lo, it was full of fish of all kinds.
And there came to him a strange woman, having a
plate, and she bought a fish for a piece of gold. And
there came to him a strange eunuch also, who bought of

2 20 The Arabian Nights

him for a piece of gold. Thus it happened until he had
sold ten fish for ten pieces of gold. And he ceased not to
sell every day ten fish for ten pieces of gold until the
end of ten days, so that he amassed a hundred pieces of
gold.

Now on the eleventh morning when Caliph arose from
sleep, he thought upon the hundred pieces of gold and
said to himself: "If I leave them in the house robbers
will steal them, and if I put them in a belt some one will
see them and will lie in wait to slay me." So he arose
and sewed a pocket in the upper border of his vest, and
tying the hundred pieces of gold in a purse, he put
them in the pocket.

He then took his net, his basket and his staff and went
to the River Tigris, and cast his net. He drew and
nothing came up in it. He removed to another place
and cast again and nothing came up for him. He
ceased not to remove from place to place, casting the
net on the way, but still there came not up for him
aught. So he said to himself: "I will cast but this once,
in the name of Allah." So he cast with all his force,
and with the violence of rage, and the purse in which
was the hundred pieces of gold, flew from his bosom, fell
into the river, and was carried away by the force of the
current.

When Caliph saw this he threw down his net, stripped
off his clothes, and leaving them upon the bank de-
scended into the river, and dived for the purse, and he
dived, and came up about a hundred times, until he
became weak, but he found not that purse. And he
returned to the bank and sought his clothes but they
had disappeared. And filled with despair he unfolded
his net and wrapped himself in it, and, taking his stafiF

The Arabian Nights 221

in his hand, and the basket upon his shoulder, he went
trotting along like a stray camel, running to the right
and left, and backwards and forwards, with dishevelled
hair and dust-coloured, like a disobedient Genie let loose
from Solomon's prison. — Such was the case of Caliph
the fisherman.

CALIPH THE PIPER

NOW the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid was sitting
one day in his chamber when there came to him
a jeweller having with him a female slave who was
endowed with beauty and loveliness and fine stature.
She was versed in the sciences and arts, and composed
verses, and played on all kinds of musical instruments,
and her name was Koutelkuloub. And the Caliph
gave orders to pay the jeweller ten thousand pieces of
gold as the price of that slave-girl.

Then the Caliph's heart became engrossed by
Koutelkuloub, so that he forgot the Lady Zobeide,
and neglected the affairs of his realm. This conduct
was grievous to the lords of the empire, and they com-
plained thereof to the Vizier Jaafar. So the Vizier
waited until the time of Friday-prayers, when he en-
tered the mosque and met the Prince of the Faithful,
and related to him many stories of extraordinary love,
in order that he might draw forth a statement of his
feelings.

Then said the Caliph: "O Jaafar, my heart is en-
tangled in the snare of love, and I know not what is to
be done!" "Know, O Prince of the Faithful," the
Vizier Jaafar replied, "that the best of the Kings and

222 The Arabian Nights

the sons of the Kings glory in hunting and sports, if
thou doest Hkewise thou wilt probably forget this
slave-girl, Koutelkuloub." "Excellent is thy advice,
O Jaafar," said the Caliph, "let us go forth imme-
diately to hunt."

So, when the Friday-prayers were over, they both
went forth from the mosque and mounted, and went
to hunt, accompanied by the troops. And when they
came to the desert the heat was oppressive, so Er
Raschid said: "O Jaafar, I am violently thirsty."
"Behold, O Prince of the Faithful," answered Jaafar,
"I see a distant object on a high mound. It is either
the keeper of a garden, or the keeper of a ground for
melons and cucumbers. In either case he must have
water there. I will go to him and bring thee some."
But Er Raschid replied: "My mule is more swift than
thine. I will go and drink and return. Stay thou here
with the troops."

So the Caliph urged his mule, which went like the
wind, and bore him in the twinkling of an eye to the
distant object, which he found to be no other than
Caliph the fisherman, with his naked body wrapped in
the net, and his eyes red like burning lamps. His
form was horrible, his figure bending, and with dis-
hevelled hair and dust-coloured, he resembled an Afrite,
or a lion.

Er Raschid saluted him and Caliph the fisherman
returned his greeting with rage, his breath would have
kindled fires. And Er Raschid said to him: "O man,
hast thou by thee any water?" And Caliph replied:
"0 thou, art thou blind or mad? Go to the River
Tigris, for it is behind this mound." So Er Raschid
went round behind the mound and descended to the

The Arabian Nights 223

River Tigris, and drank and watered his mule. Then
he went up and returning to CaHph the fisherman said
to him: "Wherefore, O man, art thou standing here,
and what is thine occupation? " " Verily this question,"
Caliph replied, "is more foolish than thy question re-
specting water. Dost thou not see the net and the bas-
ket on my shoulder?" Then said Er Raschid: "It
seemeth that thou art a fisherman, but where are thy
garments?" Now when Caliph the fisherman heard
Er Raschid mention his garments he imagined that
this was the man who had taken his clothes from the
banks of the river. So he descended from the top of the
mound, more swiftly than blinding lightning, and
seizing the bridle of the mule of the Caliph, said: "O
man, give me my things, and desist from sport and
jesting, or I'll beat thee with tliis staff." Now, when
the Caliph saw the staff in the hands of Caliph the
fisherman, he thought: "I cannot endure from this
pauper half a blow with this staff!" and as he wore a
long vest of embroidered satin, he pulled it off and said
to the fisherman: "O man, take this vest instead of
thy clothes." Caliph the fisherman therefore took it,
and turned it over, and said: "Verily my clothes are
worth ten such things as this variegated cloak!" He
then put the vest on, and, seeing it was too long for
him, he took his knife, and cut off one-third so that
the garment reached but just below his knees.

Now Er Raschid had large cheeks and a small mouth,
wherefore Caliph the fisherman thought him a singer
or a piper. He then looked towards Er Raschid and
said: "By Allah, I conjure thee, O piper, that thou tell
me the amount of thy wages that thou receivest every
month from thy master, for the art of piping." "My

2 24 The Arabian Nights

wages," replied the Caliph, "are ten pieces of gold.'*
*'0, poor man,'* said the fisherman, "the sum of ten
pieces of gold I gain every day! Wilt thou be my serv-
ant? If so I will teach thee the art of fishing, and share
my gain with thee, and I will protect thee from thy
master with this staff." And Er Raschid answered him :
"I consent to that."

So Caliph the fisherman caused the Caliph Haroun
Er Raschid to descend from the back of his mule. He
made him to tie his mule, to tuck up his skirts into
his girdle, and to hold the net, and cast it into the River
Tigris. And Er Raschid did all as the fisherman told
him. He cast the net into the river, and pulled it, but
could not draw it up. Caliph came to him and pulled
it with him; but together they could not draw it up.
So the fisherman said : " O ill-omened piper, if I took
thy cloak instead of my clothes the first time, this
time I will take thine ass, if I see my net mangled, and
I will beat thee until thou shalt be in an abominable
condition!" Er Raschid replied: "Let thee and me
again pull together." And the two together pulled the
net and when they had drawn it up with difficulty,
they looked and, lo, it was full of all kinds of fish. Then
said Caliph to Er Raschid, "O piper, verily thou art an
ugly fellow, but after a while thou wilt become an ex-
cellent fisherman. Now mount thine ass and go to the
market, and bring two great baskets, and I will take
care of the fish until thou come again. Hasten and de-
lay not." And the Caliph repHed:"! hear and obey."

Er Raschid left him, and left the fish, and urged on
his mule, being in a state of utmost joy. He ceased
not to laugh at what had happened to him until he
came to Jaafar. When Jaafar saw him, he kissed the

The Arabian Nights 225

ground before him and said: *'0 Prince of the Faithful,
what was the cause of thy delay, what happened to
thee?" "An extraordinary event," the Caliph an-
swered, "a mirth-exciting, w^onderful thing hath hap-
pened to me!" and he repeated the story of Caliph the
fisherman, and of his saying: "Thou hast stolen my
clothes," and how Er Raschid had given his vest and
how the fisherman had cut off a third of it, and entirely
spoiled it. "And, O Jaafar," said the Caliph, "I am
fatigued by my fishing in the river, for I caught a great
quantity of fish, and they are on the river bank with
my teacher Caliph. He is standing there waiting for
me to return to him, and to take to him two great bas-
kets. Then I and he are to go to the market, and we are
to sell the fish, and divide the price. Proclaim now, O
Jaafar, that to every one who bringeth to me a fish from
Caliph my teacher, I will give for it a piece of gold."
The crier therefore proclaimed among the troops:
"Go ye forth and purchase fish for the Prince of the
Faithful."

Accordingly the memlooks went forth to the river
bank, and while Caliph the fisherman was waiting for the
Prince of the Faithful to bring to him two great baskets,
lo, the memlooks pounced upon him like eagles, and took
the fish, and put them in gold-embroidered handkerchiefs,
and proceeded to beat each other to get at him. So
Caliph said: "No doubt these fish are fish of Paradise!"
so seizing two of them in his right hand and two in his
left, he descended into the water to his throat. And
as he stood thus, lo, a black slave advanced to him, and
that slave was chief of all the black slaves that were
in the palace of the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid. And
he saw Caliph the fisherman standing in the water with

2 26 The Arabian Nights

the fish in his hands, and he took the fish from Caliph,
and placed them in a handkerchief, and said: "O fisher-
man, verily thy fortune is unlucky ! I have not with me
any money. But to-morrow come thou to the palace
of the Caliph, and ask for the eunuch Sandal. Where-
upon the eunuchs will bring thee to me, and I will pay
thee what I owe," and the slave took the fish and went
his way.

And Caliph seeing that his fish were all sold put his
net upon his shoulder, and returned home. And on
his way he passed by the shop of the tailor of the Prince
of the Faitliful, and when the tailor saw the fisherman
wearing a cloak worth a thousand pieces of gold, of the
apparel of the Caliph, he said, "O Caliph, whence
obtainedst thou this cloak.'*" "I received it from a
young man," Caliph replied, "to whom I taught the
art of fishing. He stole my clothes, and gave me this
cloak instead of them." The tailor then knew that the
Caliph Haroun Er Raschid had passed by while Caliph
was fishing, and had jested with him and given him the
cloak. Then the fisherman went to his own abode.

KOUTELKULOUB, THE BEAUTIFUL
SLAVE

NOW when the Lady Zobeide, the wife of the
Prince of the Faithful, knew that her husband
was gone forth to hunt, she ordered the female slaves
to spread the carpets and cushions in the palace, and
commanded viands to be prepared, among these a
China dish containing sweetmeat of the most dainty

The Arabian Nights 227

kind, in tliis she put a sleeping potion. She then ordered
one of the eunuchs to go to the slave-girl Koutelkuloub
and invite her to partake of the feast of the Lady Zo-
beide, and to say to her: "The wife of the Prince of
the Faithful desireth to amuse herself with thy music and
sweet melody." And Koutelkuloub replied: "I hear
and obey Allah and the Lady Zobeide." She then
arose and taking with her musical instruments, went
in unto the Lady Zobeide and kissed the ground before
her many times.

The Lady Zobeide raised her head, and contemplated
the slave-girl's beauty and loveliness. She saw a damsel
with smooth cheeks, a brilliant countenance, and large
black eyes. Her face was beauteously bright. The
splendour of her countenance was like the rising sun, the
hair over her forehead like the darkness of the night,
her odour like the fragrance of musk, her forehead like
the moon, and her figure like the waving branch. She
amazed by her beauty every one who beheld her.

And the Lady Zobeide said to her: "A friendly and
free and ample welcome to thee, O Koutelkuloub.
Sit and amuse us with thy music and art." So she
replied: "I hear and obey." She sat, and took the
tambourine, and after that the flute, and next the lute,
and she played fourteen times, and sang till she moved
with delight her hearers. After that she exhibited
her skill in juggling and sleights, and every pleasing
art. Then the damsel kissed the ground before Zobeide,
and sat down. And the slaves presented to her the
viands, and afterwards the sweetmeat in which was
the sleeping potion. And Koutelkuloub ate of it and
fell on the floor asleep.

Then said the Lady Zobeide: "Bring a chest." And

22 8 The Arabian Nights

one of the eunuchs brought a chest, and the Lady Zo-
beide put the damsel in it and said to the eunuch: "Sell
the chest, and make it a condition that the purchaser
buy the chest locked; then give the price in alms."
And the eunuch took the chest, and went forth to do
as he was commanded.

And, lo, the Caliph then came back from the chase,
and his first inquiry was for the damsel Koutelkuloub.
And one of his eunuchs advanced to him and kissed
the ground before him and said: "O my lord, may thy
head long survive, know for certain that Koutelkuloub
hath vanished away." "May Allah not rejoice thee
with good tidings, O wicked slave!" answered the Caliph;
and he arose and entered the palace and heard of the
mysterious disappearance from every one in it, and he
wept and mourned for Koutelkuloub. And thus it
happened to the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid.

Now, as to Caliph the fisherman, when the morning
came, and diffused its light, he said to himself: "This
day will I go to the eunuch who bought of me the fish."
He then set forth to the palace of the Prince of the
Faithful, and when he arrived there he found the mem-
looks and the black slaves and the eunuchs sitting and
standing. And, lo, the eunuch who took from him the
fish was sitting with the memlooks in attendance upon
him. When Sandal the eunuch saw Caliph the fisher-
man, he laughed, and put his hand to his pocket. But
just then a great clamour arose, and, lo, the Vizier Jaa-
far came forth from the Caliph's apartments. "WTien
Sandal saw him he rose to meet him, and walked be-
fore him, and they conversed together.

Cahph the fisherman waited a while, during which
the eunuch looked not towards him. So the fisherman

'C;iVK ME WHAT IS MY ULh. 1 HA 1 I .\i w

The Arabian Nights 229

became impatient, and, placing himself before the
Vizier, he made a sign with his hand, and said to the
eunuch: "O delayer of the payment of thy debt, may
Allah disgrace thee! Give me what is my due, that I
may go ! " And the eunuch heard him, and was ashamed
before Jaafar. "O eunuch," said Jaafar, frowning,
" what doth this poor beggar demand of thee? " Sandal
the eunuch answered: "Dost thou not know this man,
0 our lord the Vizier? This is the fisherman whose fish
we seized on the banks of the Tigris." Then said
Jaafar: "This is the teacher of the Prince of the Faithful,
and his partner! Our lord the Caliph hath arisen this
day with a mourning heart and a troubled mind, and
perchance this fisherman will divert him. So let him
not go until I consult the Caliph."

The Vizier Jaafar went in to the Caliph. He saw
him sitting, and mourning, and hanging down his head
towards the ground. And Jaafar standing before him
said: "Peace be on thee, O Prince of the Faithful, and
defender of the religion." The Caliph raised his head
and answered: "On thee be peace, and the mercy of
Allah and his blessings!" Then said Jaafar: "I went
forth, O my lord, from thee, and I saw thy master and
thy teacher and thy partner. Caliph the fisherman,
standing at the gate."

When the Caliph heard Jaafar's words he smiled
and his trouble left him. "By my life, Jaafar," he
said, "I conjure thee to tell me, is it true that the fisher-
man is standing at the gate?" Jaafar answered: "By
thy hfe, O Prince of the Faithful, he is standing at the
gate." Then said the Caliph: "I will assuredly give
him whatever Allah hath ordained, either misery or
prosperity!" And he took a piece of paper, and cut

230 The Arabian Nights

it in pieces. " O Jaafar," he said," write on these papers,
twenty sums of money, from a piece of gold to a thousand
pieces of gold; and write also the post of police magis-
trate to that of Vizier, and twenty different kinds of
punishment, from the slightest chastisement to slaugh-
ter," and Jaafar said, "I hear and obey, O Prince of the
Faithful." He wrote the papers with his own hand as
the Caliph commanded him. Then said the Caliph:
"Bring in the fisherman and let him take one of these
papers and whatever is written upon it will I do unto
him accordingly."

Now, when Jaafar heard these words, he trembled
at what might befall the fisherman. But he went out,
and laid hold of his hand, and brought him surrounded
by memlooks, behind and before him, through seven
chambers to the apartment of the Caliph; then said he
to Caliph: "Woe to thee, O fisherman! Thou wilt now
stand before the Prince of the Faithful, and the de-
fender of the religion." He raised the grand curtain,
and the eye of Caliph the fisherman fell upon the
Caliph Haroun Er Raschid who was sitting upon his
couch, with the lords of the empire standing in attend-
ance upon him.

When the fisherman saw the Caliph he knew him,
and advancing said: "A friendly and free welcome to
thee, O piper. It was not right for thee to leave me sit-
ting to watch over the fish, and go, and not return, so
that the memlooks advanced upon beasts of various
colours, and snatched the fish from me. All this was
caused by thee, for if thou hadst come with the great
baskets, we should have sold the fish for a hundred pieces
of gold. When I came to demand my due they im-
prisoned me. Who imprisoned thee also in this place?"

The Arabian Nights 231

The Caliph smiled, and lifting up the edge of the
curtain, put forth his head from beneath it, and said
to the fisherman: "Advance and take one of these
papers." And Jaafar added, "Take the paper speedily,,
without talking, and do as the Prince of the Faithful
hath commanded thee."

Accordingly Caliph the fisherman approached, and
took one of the papers, and handed it to the Caliph,
who handed it to the Vizier Jaafar. And Jaafar looked
at it, and said: "O Prince of the Faithful, there is
written here that the fisherman shall receive a hundred
blows with the staff!" Thereupon the Caliph ordered
that the fisherman should have a hundred blows with
the staff inflicted upon him. And the attendants did
as they were commanded and they gave the fisherman
a gold piece and sent him away.

And when Caliph the fisherman came to the gate.
Sandal the eunuch saw him. "Come hither, O fisher-
man," he said," and bestow on us a part of the present
which the Prince of the Faithful hath given thee."^
"Dost thou desire to share with me, O black-skinned.''"
Caliph replied, "I have received a hundred blows with
the staff and one piece of gold!" and he threw down
the piece of gold, and ran forth, the tears running down
his cheeks. So when the eunuch saw him in this state
he pitied him and called out to the pages, "Bring him
back," and they brought him back. And Sandal put
his hand to his pocket, and took forth a red purse, and,
lo, in it were a hundred pieces of gold. "O fisherman, "
he said, "take this gold as the price of thy fish and go
thy way." So Caliph the fisherman rejoiced and he
took the gold, and the Caliph's piece of gold, and went
forth, and he forgot his beating.

232 The Arabian Nights

Returning to his abode he passed through the market
for female slaves. And he saw a large ring of people.
And he drew near and looked and, lo, there was a
sheikh, with a chest before him, on which was sitting
a eunuch. The sheikh was crying out: "O merchants,
who will buy this chest, of which the contents is un-
known, from the palace of the Lady Zobeide?" And
Caliph the fisherman called: "Be it mine for a hundred
pieces of gold and one." And the merchants thought
that Caliph was jesting so they laughed at him, and
said: "O eunuch, sell it to Cahph for a hundred pieces
of gold and one!" And the eunuch said: "Take it, O
fisherman, and give me the gold." And Caliph took
forth the gold and gave it to the eunuch and the con-
tract was concluded.

Caliph the fisherman then took the chest upon his
head, and carried it to his abode. He laboured to open
it, and was not able to do so, therefore he said: "To-
morrow I will open it." And he lay down upon the
chest and slept. After a while something moved within
it and Caliph rose in fear, and said : " It must be a Genie !"
He beat the lock with a stone, and broke it, and opened
the chest, and, behold, in it was a damsel as beautiful
as the moon. She unclosed her eyes, and gazing on
Caliph the fisherman said: "I am Koutelkuloub the
slave-girl of the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid. The Lady
Zobeide stupefied me with a sleeping potion and put
me in the chest. But this has happened to me for thy
good fortune for the Prince of the Faithful will reward
thee richly." "But," said Caliph, "is not this the Er
Raschid in whose palace I was imprisoned? I have
never beheld anyone more avaricious than he, that
piper of little goodness and intellect! For he caused

IHE CALIPH SMILED

The Arabian Nights 233

me yesterday to receive a hundred blows with the staff,
and gave me but one piece of gold, although I had
taught him the art of fisliing!" "Abstain from this
foul language," answered Koutelkuloub. "Open
thine eyes and behave respectfully when thou seest
him, and it will be for thy good fortune." And when
Caliph heard her words, it was as though his judgment
awoke, and as though scales had been removed from
his eyes.

Then Koutelkuloub arose from the chest, and laid
herself down to sleep until morning. And when day
came they proceeded together to the palace of the
Prince of the Faithful. And Koutelkuloub went in
unto the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid, and she took
Caliph the fisherman with her. When the Caliph saw
her he greeted her with great joy and amazement,
and Koutelkuloub kissed the ground before him, and
related all that had happened, after which she said:
"0 Prince of the Faithful, this poor fisherman hath
told me that he hath a reckoning to make with our
lord, the Prince of the Faithful, on account of a partner-
ship in the trade of fishing."

And Caliph the fisherman drew near and kissed the
ground before the Caliph Haroun Er Raschid, and
prayed for the continuance of his glory and blessings.
And the fisherman told the story of the eunuch and how
he had given him the hundred gold pieces. He told also
of his entering the market and of his buying the chest
for the hundred pieces of gold and one, not knowing
what was in it, and he related the story from beginning
to end.

Then the Caliph gave orders to present Caliph the
fisherman with fifty thousand pieces of gold, and he

2 34 The Arabian Nights

assigned him a monthly allowance of fifty gold pieces.
And thus the fisherman acquired great dignity, and
high rank, and honour and respect. He purchased a
handsome house and took in marriage one of the
daughters of the chief men of the city, and continued
to live henceforth in happiness, glory and hilarity, en-
joying abundant wealth, a pleasant and agreeable life,
and pure and grateful delight until he was visited by
the exterminator of delights and the separator of com-
panions.

Sheherazade having finished this story, proceeded
to relate the story of Ali Baba, and of the forty thieves
destroyed by a faithful slave.

Chapter VIII

STORY OF ALI BABA AND THE FORTY
THIEVES

THERE lived in ancient times, in Persia, two
brothers, one named Cassim, the other Ali
Baba. Their father left them scarcely any-
thing, but he divided the little property he
had equally between them.

Cassim married a wife, who soon after became an
heiress to a large sum, and a warehouse full of rich
goods; so that he all at once became one of the wealth-
iest and most considerable merchants, and lived at his
ease.

Ali Baba on the other hand, who had married a
woman as poor as himself, lived in a very wretched
habitation, and maintained his wife and children by
cutting wood, which he carried to town upon his three
asses, and there sold.

One day, when Ali Baba was in the forest, and had
cut wood enough to load his asses, he saw at a distance
a great cloud of dust, and soon he perceived a troop
of horsemen coming towards him. Fearing that they
might be thieves, he climbed into a large tree, whose
branches were so thick that he was completely hidden.

23s

236 The Arabian Nights

He placed himself in the middle of the tree, from whence
he could see all that passed without being discovered.
The tree stood at the base of a rock, so steep and
craggy that nobody could climb up. ,

The troop of men, who were all well mounted, came
to the foot of this rock, and there dismounted. Ali Baba
counted forty of them, and, from their looks, was
assured that they were thieves. Nor was he mistaken,
for they were a band of robbers, who without doing any
harm to the neighbourhood, robbed at a distance.
Every man unbridled his horse, tied him to a shrub,
and hung about his neck a bag of corn. Then each of
them took a wallet from his horse, which from its weight
seemed to Ali Baba to be full of gold and silver. One
who seemed to be the captain of the band, came, with
his wallet upon his back, under the tree in which
Ali Baba was concealed, and making his way through
the shrubs, he stood before the rock, and pronounced
distinctly these words: "Open Sesame." As soon as
the captain of the robbers had uttered these words
a door opened in the rock, and after he had made all
his band enter before him, the captain followed, and
the door shut again of itself.

The robbers stayed some time within the rock, and
Ali Baba, who feared that one of them might come
out and catch him, if he should endeavour to make his
escape, was obliged to sit patiently in the tree. At
last the door opened again, and the forty robbers came
out. The captain came first, and stood to see the others
all pass by him, then he pronounced these words:
"Shut Sesame," and instantly the door of the rock
closed again as it was before. Every man bridled
his horse, fastened his wallet, and mounted, and when

AU LALA ANU THi: tORTY THlEVEs

The Arabian Nights 237

the captain saw them ready, he put himself at their
head, and they returned by the way they had come.

AU Baba did not immediately quit his tree, but
followed the band of robbers with his eyes as far as
he could see them. He then descended, and remember-
ing the words the robber captain had used to cause
the door to open and shut, he was filled with curiosity
to try if his pronouncing them would have the same
effect. Accordingly he went among the shrubs, and
perceiving the door concealed behind them, stood be-
fore it, and said: "Open Sesame." The door instantly
flew wide open.

Ali Baba was surprised to find a cavern well lighted
and spacious, in the form of a vault, which received
the light from an opening at the top of the rock. He
saw rich bales of silk stuff, brocade, and valuable
carpeting, piled upon one another; gold and silver
ingots in great heaps, and money in bags. The sight
of all these riches made him suppose that this cave
must have been occupied for ages by bands of robbers,
who had succeeded one another.

Ali Baba immediately entered the cave, and as soon
a-s he did so, the door shut of itself. This did not
disturb him, because he knew the secret with which to
open it again. He paid no attention to the silver, but
carried out much of the gold coin, which was in bags.
He collected his asses, which had strayed away, and
when he had loaded them with the bags, laid wood
over in such a manner, that the bags could not be seen.
When he had done this he stood before the door, and
pronounced the words: "Shut Sesame," and the door
closed after him. He then made the best of his way
to town.

238 The Arabian Nights

When Ali Baba reached home, he drove his asses
into a Httle yard, shut the gates very carefully, threw
off the wood that covered the bags, and carried them
into the house, and ranged them in order before his
wife. He then emptied the bags, which raised such a
heap of gold, as dazzled her eyes, and when he had
done this he told her the whole adventure from begin-
ning to end, and, above all, charged her to keep it secret.

Ali Baba found the heap of gold so large that it
was impossible to count so much in one night; he
therefore sent his wife out to borrow a small measure
in the neighbourhood. Away she ran to her brother-in-
law Cassim, who lived near by, and asked his wife
to lend her a measure for a little while. The sister-in-
law did so, but as she knew Ali Baba's poverty, she
was curious to discover what sort of grain his wife
wanted to measure, and she artfully put some suet
in the bottom of the measure.

Ali Baba's wife went home, and measured the heap
of gold, and carried the measure back again to her
sister-in-law, but without noticing that a piece had
stuck to the bottom. As soon as she was gone, Cassim's
wife examined the measure, and was inexpressibly
surprised to find a piece of gold stuck to it. Envy
immediately possessed her breast. "What!" said
she, "has Ali Baba gold so plentiful as to measure it.''
Where has that poor wretch got all his wealth?"
Cassim, her husband, was not at home, and she waited
for his return, with great impatience.

When Cassim came home, his wife said to him:
"Cassim, I know that thou thinkest thyself rich, but
thou art mistaken. Ali Baba is infinitely richer than
thou. He does not count his money, but measures it!"

The Arabian Nights 239

Cassim desired her to explain the riddle, which she did,
by telling him of the stratagem she had used to make
the discovery, and she showed him the piece of money,
which was so old that they could not tell in what
prince's reign it had been coined.

Cassim, instead of being pleased, conceived a base
envy of his brother's prosperity. He could not sleep
all that night, and in the morning went to him before
sunrise. "Ah Baba," said he, showing him the piece
of money, which his wife had given him, "thou pre-
tendest to be miserably poor, and yet thou measurest
gold! How many of these pieces hast thou.^^ My wife
found this at the bottom of the measure thou borrowed-
est yesterday."

Ali Baba, perceiving that Cassim and his wife knew
all, told his brother, without showing the least surprise
or trouble, by what chance he had discovered this
retreat of thieves. He told him also in what place it
was, and offered him part of his treasure to keep the
secret. "I expect as much," replied Cassim haughtily,
"but I must know exactly where this treasure is, and
how I may visit it myself when I choose; otherwise
I will go and inform the Cadi, that thou hast this gold.
Thou wilt then lose all thou hast, and I shall have a
share for my information."

Ali Baba, more out of good nature, than because
he was frightened by the insulting menaces of his
unnatural brother, told him all he desired, and taught
him the very words he was to use to gain admission
into the cave. Cassim, who wanted no more of Ali
Baba, left him, and immediately set out for the forest
with ten mules bearing great chests, which he designed
to fill with treasure. He followed the road which Ali

240 The Arabian Nights

Baba had pointed out to him, and it was not long
before he reached the rock, and found out the place
by the tree, and by the other marks which his brother
had described.

When he discovered the entrance to the cave he
pronounced the words: "Open Sesame." The door
opened immediately, and when he had entered, closed
upon him. In examining the cave, he found much
more riches than he had imagined. He was so covetous,
and greedy of wealth, that he could have spent the
whole day feasting his eyes upon so much treasure, if
the thought that he had come to carry away some had
not hindered him.

He laid as many bags of gold as he could carry at
the door of the cavern, but his thoughts were so full
of the great riches he should possess, that he could not
think of the words to make the door open, but instead
of Sesame, said: "Open Barley," and was much amazed
to find that the door remained fast shut. He named
several sorts of grains, but still the door would not open,
and the more he endeavoured to remember the word
Sesame, the more his memory was confounded. He
threw down the bags he had loaded himself with, and
walked distractedly up and down the cave, without
the least regard to the riches that were around him.

About noon the robbers chanced to visit their cave,
and at some distance saw Cassim's mules straggling
about the rock, with great chests upon their backs.
Alarmed at this the robbers galloped at full speed to
the cave. They dismounted, and while some of them
searched about the rock, the captain and the rest went
directly to the door, with their naked sabres in their
hands, and pronouncing the proper words it opened.

The Arabian Nights 241

Cassim, seeing the door open, rushed towards it in
order to escape, but the robbers with their sabres soon
deprived him of his hfe.

The first care of the robbers, after this, was to ex-
amine the cave. They found all the bags which Cassim
had brought to the door to be ready to load his mules,
and they carried them again to their places, without
missing what Ali Baba had taken before. Then, hold-
ing a council, they deliberated on the occurrence. They
could not imagine how Cassim had gained entrance into
the cave, for they were all persuaded that nobody
knew their secret, little thinking that Ali Baba had
watched them. It was a matter of the greatest im-
portance to them to secure their riches. They agreed,
therefore, to cut Cassim's body into four quarters,
to hang two on one side and two on the other, within
the door of the cave, in order to terrify any person,
who should attempt to enter. They had no sooner
taken this resolution than they put it into execution.
They then left the place, closed the door, mounted
their horses, and departed to attack any caravans they
might meet.

In the meantime, Cassim's wife was very uneasy
when darkness approached, and her husband had not
returned. She spent the night in tears, and when
morning came she ran to Ali Baba in alarm. He did
not wait for his sister-in-law to desire him to see what
had become of Cassim, but departed immediately with
his three asses, begging her first to moderate her anxiety.

He went to the forest, and when he came near the
rock was seriously alarmed at finding some blood spilt
near the door, but when he pronounced the words,
*'Open Sesame," and the door opened, he was struck

242 The Arabian Nights

with horror at the dismal sight of his brother's quarters.
He entered the cave, took down the remains, and having
loaded one of his asses with them, covered them over
with wood. The other two asses he loaded with bags
of gold, covering them with wood also as before, then
bidding the door shut he left the cave. When he came
home, he drove the two asses loaded with gold into
his little yard, and left the care of unloading them to
his wife, while he led the other to his sister-in-law's
house.

Ali Baba knocked at the door, which was opened by
Morgiana, an intelligent slave, whom Ali Baba knew
to be faithful and resourceful in the most difficult
undertakings. When he came into the court, he un-
loaded the ass, and taking Morgiana aside, said to
her: "The first thing I ask of thee is inviolable se-
crecy, which thou wilt find is necessary both for thy
mistress's sake and mine. Thy master's body is
contained in these two bundles, and our business is
to bury him as though he had died a natural death.
Go tell thy mistress that I wish to speak to her, and
mind what I have said to thee."

Morgiana went to her mistress and AH Baba followed
her. Ali Baba then detailed the incidents of his journey,
and of Cassim's death. He endeavoured to comfort
the widow, and said to her: "I offer to add the treasures
which Allah hath sent me, to what thou hast, and
marry thee, assuring thee that my wife will not be
jealous, and that we shall be happy together. If this
proposal is agreeable to thee, I think that thou mayest
leave the management of Cassim's funeral to Morgiana,
the faithful slave, and I will contribute all that lies
in my power to thy consolation."

The Arabian Nights 243

What could Cassim's widow do better than accept
this proposal? She therefore dried her tears, which
had begun to flow abundantly, and showed AH Baba
that she approved of his proposal. He then left the
widow, recommended Morgiana to care for her master's
body, and returned home with his ass.

The next morning, soon after day appeared, Morgiana,
knowing an old cobbler who opened his stall early,
went to him and bidding him good-morrow, put a
piece of gold into his hand. "Well," said Baba Musta-
pha, which was his name, "what must I do for it.?
I am ready!" "Baba Mustapha," said Morgiana,
"thou must take thy sewing materials, and come with
me, and I will blindfold thee until thou comest to a
certain place."

Baba Mustapha hesitated a little at these words,
but after some persuasion he went with Morgiana,
who, when she had bound his eyes with a handkerchief,
led him to her deceased master's house, and never
unbandaged his eyes until he had entered the room
where she had put the quarters. "Baba Mustapha,"
said she, "make haste and sew these quarters together,
and when thou hast done so, I will give thee another
piece of gold."

After Baba Mustapha had finished his task, Morgiana
blindfolded him, gave him another piece of gold, and
recommending secrecy, led him to his shop, and un-
bandaged his eyes. She then returned home, and pre-
pared Cassim's body for the funeral, which was held
the next day with the usual pomp and ceremony.

Three or four days after the funeral Ali Baba re-
moved his few goods openly to the widow's house, but
the money he had taken from the robbers he conveyed

244 The Arabian Nights

thither by night. Soon after his marriage with his
sister-in-law was celebrated, and as these marriages
were customary in his country, nobody was surprised.
As for Cassim's warehouse Ali Baba gave it to his
eldest son.

Let us now leave Ali Baba to enjoy the beginning of
his fortune, and return to the forty thieves. They
came again to their retreat in the forest, but great
was their surprise to find Cassim's body taken away,
with some of their bags of gold. "We are certainly
discovered," said the captain, "and if we do not
speedily apply some remedy, shall gradually lose all
the riches which our ancestors and ourselves have
been many years amassing with so much pain and
danger. It is evident that the thief whom we surprised,
has an accomplice, and now that one of the villains
has been caught we must discover the other. One
of you who is bold, artful and enterprising must go into
the town, disguised as a traveller. He will thus be
able to ascertain whether any man has lately died
a strange death. But in case this messenger return
to us with a false report, I ask you all, if ye do not
think that he should suffer death.?" All the robbers
found the captain's proposal so advisable that they
unanimously approved of it. Thereupon one of the
robbers started up and requested to be sent into the
town. He received great commendation from the
captain and his comrades, disguised himself and taking
his leave of the band, went into the town just before
daybreak. He walked up and down until accidentally
he came to Baba Mustapha's stall, which was always
open before any of the other shops.

Baba Mustapha was seated with an awl in his hand.

The Arabian Nights 245

The robber saluted him, and perceiving that he was
old, said: "Honest man, thou beginnest work very
early. Is it possible that one of thine age can see
so well?" "Certainly," said Baba Mustapha, "thou
must be a stranger, and do not know me. I have
extraordinary eyes, and thou wilt not doubt it, when
I tell thee that I sewed a dead body together, in a place
where I had not so much light as I have now."

The robber was overjoyed at this information, and
proceeded to question Baba Mustapha until he learned
all that had occurred. He then pulled out a piece of
gold and putting it into the cobbler's hand, said to
him: "I can assure thee that I will never divulge thy
secret. All that I ask of thee is to show me the house
where thou stitchedst up the dead body. Come, let
me blind thine eyes at the same place, where the slave
girl bound them. We will walk on together, and per-
haps thou mayest go direct to the house, where occurred
thy mysterious adventure. As everybody ought to be
paid for his trouble, here is a second piece of gold for
thee." So saying he put another piece of gold in Baba
Mustapha's hand.

The two pieces of gold were a great temptation to
the cobbler. He looked at them a long time, without
saying a word, thinking what he should do, but at
last he pulled out his purse, and put them into it.
He then rose up, to the great joy of the robber, and
said: "I do not assure thee that I shall be able to re-
member the way, but since thou desirest it, I will
try what I can do."

The robber, who had his handkerchief ready, tied
it over Baba Mustapha's eyes and walked by him until
he stopped, partly leading him, and partly guided by

246 The Arabian Nights

him. "I think," said Baba Mustapha, "that I went
no farther," and he had now stopped before Cassim*s
house, where AH Baba hved. The robber before he
pulled off the bandage from the cobbler's eyes, marked
the door with a piece of chalk, which he had ready in
his hand, and finding that he could discover nothing
more from Baba Mustapha, he thanked him for the
trouble he had taken, and let him go back to his stall.
After this the robber rejoined his band in the forest,
and triumphantly related his good fortune.

A little after the robber and Baba Mustapha had
departed, Morgiana went out of Ali B aba's house upon
an errand, and upon her return, seeing the mark that
the robber had made, stopped to observe it. "What
can be the meaning of this mark?" said she to herself,
"somebody means my master no good!" Accordingly
she fetched a piece of chalk, and marked two or three
doors on each side, in the same manner, without saying
a word to her master or mistress.

Meanwhile the robber captain had armed his men,
and he said to them: "Comrades, we have no time to
lose, let us set off well armed, but without its appear-
ing who we are. That it may not excite suspicion, let
only one or two go into the town together, and join
our rendezvous, which shall be the great square. In
the meantime I will go with our comrade, who brought
us the good news, and find the house, that we may
decide what had best be done."

This speech and plan were approved of by all, and
soon they were ready. They filed off in parties of two
«ach, and got into the town without being in the least
suspected. The robber who had visited the town in
the morning, led the captain into the street where he

The Arabian Nights 247

had marked Ali Baba's residence, and when they came
to the first of the houses, which Morgiana had marked,
he pointed it out. But the captain observed that the
next door was marked in the same manner. The robber
was so confounded that he knew not what explanation
to make, but was still more puzzled when he saw five
or six houses similarly marked.

The captain finding that their expedition had failed,
went directly to the place of rendezvous, and told the
members of the band that all was lost, and that they
must return to their cave. He himself set them the
example, and they all returned secretly as they had
come. When they were gathered together, the captain
told his comrades what had occurred, and the robber
spy was declared by all to be worthy of death. The
spy condemned himself, acknowledging that he ought
to have taken more precaution and he received with
courage the stroke from him who was appointed to
cut oflF his head.

But as the safety of the band required that an injury
should not go unpunished, another robber offered to
go into the town and see what he could discover. His
offer being accepted, he went, and finding Baba Musta-
pha, gave him a gold piece, and, being shown Ali Baba's
house, marked it, in an inconspicuous place, with red
chalk. Not long after Morgiana, whose eye nothing
could escape, went out, and seeing the red chalk,
marked the other neighbours' houses in the same place
and manner.

The second robber spy, on his return to the cave,
reported his adventure, and the captain and all the
band were overjoyed at the thought of immediate
success. They went into the town, with the same pre-

248 The Arabian Nights

cautions as before, but when the robber and his captain
came to the street, they found a number of houses
marked aHke with red chalk. At this the captain was
enraged, and retired with his band to the cave, where the
robber spy was condemned to death, and was immedi-
ately beheaded.

The captain, having lost two brave fellows of his
band, and being afraid lest he should lose more, re-
solved to take upon himself the important commission.
Accordingly he went and addressed himself to Baba
Mustapha who did him the same service he had done
for the other robbers. The captain did not mark the
house with chalk, but examined it so carefully, that it
was impossible for him to mistake it. Well satisfied
with his attempt, he returned to the forest, and when
he came to the cave, where the band awaited him, said :
"Now, comrades, nothing can prevent our full revenge,
as I am certain of the house." He then ordered the
members of the band to go into the villages round
about, and buy nineteen mules, and thirty-eight large
leathern jars, one full of oil, and the others empty.

In two or three days' time the robbers had purchased
the mules and the jars. The captain, after putting one
of his men into each jar, rubbed the outside of the
vessels with oil. Things being thus prepared, when the
nineteen mules were loaded with the thirty-seven rob-
bers in jars, and the jar of oil, the captain, as their
driver, set out with them, and reached the town by
the dusk of the evening, as he had intended. He led
the mules through the streets, until he came to Ali
Baba's house, at whose door he stopped. Ali Baba was
sitting there after supper to take a little fresh air, and
the captain addressed him and said: ''I have brought

The Arabian Nights 249

some oil a great distance, to sell at to-morrow's market,
and it is now so late that I do not know where to lodge.
If I should not be troublesome to thee, do me the favour
to let me pass the night in thy house." Though Ali
Baba had seen the robber captain in the forest, and had
heard him speak, it was impossible to know him in the
disguise of an oil merchant. He told him that he should
be welcome, and immediately opened his gates for the
mules to pass through into the yard. At the same time
he called a slave, and ordered him to fodder the mules.
He then went to Morgiana, to bid her prepare a good
supper for his guest.

Supper was served, after which the robber captain
withdrew to the yard, under pretence of looking after
his mules. Beginning at the first jar, and so on to the
last, he said to each man: "As soon as I throw some
stones out of my chamber window, cut the jar open
with the knife thou hast for that purpose, and come
out, and I will immediately join thee." After this he
returned to the house, and Morgiana, taking a light,
conducted him to his chamber, where she left him.

Now, Morgiana, returning to her kitchen, found that
there was no oil in the house, and, as her lamp went
out, she did not know what to do, but presently be-
thinking herself of the oil jars, she went into the yard.
When she came nigh to the first jar, the robber within
said softly: "Is it time.?" Though the robber spoke
low, Morgiana heard him distinctly, for the captain,
when he unloaded the mules, had taken the lids off
the jars to give air to his men, who were ill at ease,
and needed room to breathe.

Morgiana was naturally surprised at finding a man in
a jar instead of the oil she wanted, but she immediately

250 The Arabian Nights

comprehended the danger to Ali Baba, and his family,
and the necessity of applying a speedy remedy without
noise. Collecting herself, without showing the least
emotion, she answered: "Not yet, but presently."
She went in this manner to all the jars, giving the same
answer, until she came to the jar of oil.

By this means, Morgiana found that her master,
Ali Baba, who thought that he was entertaining an
oil-merchant, had really admitted thirty-eight robbers
into his house, including the pretended oil-merchant,
who was their captain. She made what haste she could
to fill her oil pot, and returned to her kitchen, and, as
soon as she lighted her lamp, she took a great kettle,
went again to the oil jar, filled the kettle, set it upon
a large wood fire, and as soon as it boiled, went, and
poured enough into every jar to stifle and destroy the
robber within. She then returned to her kitchen, put
out the light, and resolved that she would not go to
rest, until she had observed what might happen,
through a window which opened into the yard.

She had not waited long before the captain of the
robbers gave the appointed signal, by throwing little
stones, several of which hit the jars. He then listened,
and not hearing or perceiving any movement among
his companions, became uneasy and descended softly
into the yard. Going to the first jar he smelt the boiled
oil, which sent forth a steam, and examining the jars
one after the other he found all of his band dead, and
by the oil that he missed out of the last jar, guessed
the means and manner of their death. Hence he sus-
pected that his plot to murder Ali Baba and plunder
his house was discovered. Enraged to despair at having
failed in his design, he forced the lock of a door that

•as soon as a throw some blONES OLT OF MV LHA.MliKR WINDOW,
COME OUT"

The Arabian Nights 251

led from the yard to the garden, and climbing over
the walls, he made his escape. Morgiana satisfied and
pleased to have succeeded so well, in saving her master
and his family, went to bed.

The next morning Morgiana took Ali Baba aside
and communicated to him the events of the preceding
night. Astonished beyond measure Ali Baba exam-
ined all the jars, in each of which was a dead robber.
He stood for some time motionless, now looking at the
jars, and now at Morgiana, without saying a word, so
great was his surprise. At last, when he had recovered
himself, he said: "I will not die without rewarding thee
as thou deservest! I owe my life to thee, and, as the
first token of my gratitude, I give thee thy liberty
from this moment, and later I will complete thy recom-
pense ! I am persuaded with thee that the forty robbers
had laid snares for my destruction. Allah by thy
means hath delivered me from their wicked designs,
and I hope he will continue to do so, and that he will
deliver the world from their persecution and from their
cursed race. All we now have to do, is to bury the
bodies of these pests of mankind."

Ali Baba garden's was very long, and there he and
his slaves dug a pit in which they buried the robbers,
and levelled the ground again. After which Ali Baba
returned to his house and hid the jars and weapons,
the mules he sold in the market. While Ali Baba was
thus employed, the captain of the forty robbers re-
turned to the forest, and entered the cave. He there
sat down to consider how he could revenge himself
upon Ali Baba.

The loneliness of the gloomy cavern became frightful
to him. "Where are ye, my brave comrades," cried he.

252 The Arabian Nights

"old companions of my watchings, and labours? What
can I do without you? Did I collect you only to lose
you by so base a fate, and so unworthy of your courage?
Had ye died with your sabres in your hands, like brave
men, my regret had been less! When shall I enlist so
gallant a band again? I will truly revenge you upon
this miserable Ah Baba, and will provide new masters
for all this gold and treasure, who shall preserve and
augment it to all posterity!" This resolution being
taken, the captain feeling more easy in his mind, and full
of hopes, slept all night very quietly.

When he awoke early next morning, he disguised him-
self as a merchant, and going into the town, took a lodg-
ing at an inn. He gradually conveyed, from the cavern
to the inn, a great many rich stuffs, and fine linens. He
then took a shop opposite to Cassim's warehouse, which
Ali Baba's son had occupied since the death of his uncle.
Within a few days the pretended merchant had culti-
vated a friendship with the son, caressed him in the
most engaging manner, made him small presents, and
asked him to dine and sup with him.

Ali Baba's son did not choose to lie under such obliga-
tions to the pretended merchant, without making the
like return; he therefore acquainted his father with his
desire to return these favours. Ali Baba, with great
pleasure, took the entertainment upon himself, and
invited his son to bring his friend to supper; he then
gave orders to Morgiana to prepare a fine repast.

The pretended merchant accompanied the son to
Ah Baba's house, and after the usual salutations,
said: "I beg of thee not to take it amiss that I do not
remain for supper, for I eat nothing that has salt in it,
therefore judge how I should feel at thy table!" "If

The Arabian Nights 253

that be all," replied Ali Baba, "it ought not to deprive
me of thy company at supper, for I promise thee that
no salt shall be put in any meat or bread served this
night. Therefore thou must do me the favour to re-
main."

Ali Baba then went into the kitchen, and commanded
Morgiana to put no salt in the meat that was dressed
that night. Morgiana, who was always ready to obey
her master, was much dissatisfied at this peculiar or-
der. "Who is this strange man," she asked, "who eats
no salt in his meat? Does he not know that the eating
of salt by host and guest cements forever the bond of
friendship.?" "Do not be angry, Morgiana," said
Ali Baba, "he is an honest man, therefore do as I bid."

Morgiana obeyed, though with reluctance, and was
filled with curiosity to see this man who would eat
no salt with his host. To this end she helped Ali Baba
to carry up the dishes, and looking at the pretended
merchant, she knew him at first sight, notwithstanding
his disguise, to be the captain of the forty robbers,
and examining him carefully, she perceived that he
had a dagger under his garment.

Thus having penetrated the wicked design of the
pretended merchant, Morgiana left the hall, and re-
tiring to her own chamber, dressed herself as a dancer,
and girded her waist with a silver girdle, to which there
hung a poniard. When she had thus clad herself she
said to a slave: "Take thy tabour, and let us go, and
divert our master and his son's guest." The slave took
his tabour, and played all the way into the hall before
Morgiana, who immediately began to dance in such a
manner as would have created admiration in any com-
pany.

2 54 The Arabian Nights

After she had danced several dances with equal
grace, she drew the poniard, and holding it in her hand,
began a dance of light movements, and surprising
leaps. Sometimes she presented the poniard to one
breast, then to another, and oftentimes seemed to
strike her own. At length Morgiana presented the
poniard to the breast of the pretended merchant, and
with a courage worthy of herself, plunged it into his
heart.

Ali Baba and his son shocked at this action, cried
out aloud. "Unhappy wretch!" exclaimed Ali Baba,
"what hast thou done to ruin me and my family!"
"It was to preserve, not to ruin thee," answered Mor-
giana, opening the pretended merchant's garment,
and showing the dagger. "See what an enemy thou
hast entertained! Look well at him, and thou wilt find
both the false oil-merchant, and the captain of the band
of forty robbers. Remember too that he would eat no
salt with thee, and wouldest thou have more to per-
suade thee of his wicked design?"

Ali Baba, overcome with gratitude, embraced Mor-
giana, and said: "Morgiana, I gave thee thy liberty,
and now I will marry thee to my son, who will consider
himself fortunate to wed the preserver of his family."
Ali Baba then turned and questioned his son, who far
from showing any dislike, readily consented to the
marriage, not only because he wished to obey his father,
but because it was agreeable to his inclinations. A
few days after, Ali Baba celebrated the nuptials of
his son and Morgiana, with great solemnity, a sumptu-
ous feast, and the usual dancing.

Ali Baba and his son buried the captain of the robbers
with his comrades, and at the end of a year, seeing that

The Arabian Nights 255

he had not been molested by any other robbers, Ali
Baba mounted his horse, and set out for the cave.
When he arrived there he pronounced the words:
"Open Sesame," and the door immediately opened.
From the condition of the treasures, he judged that
no one had visited the cave since the band of forty
robbers had been destroyed. He put upon his horse
as much gold as he could carry, and returned home.

Afterwards Ali Baba took his son to the cave, taught
him its secret, which they handed down to their pos-
terity, who ever after, using their good fortune with
moderation, lived in great honour and splendour.

"All the preceding tales are indeed wonderful,'*
said Sheherazade, "but I will now relate the most
wonderful of all my stories," and she forthwith began
the story of Aladdin and the Princess Badroulboudour.

Chapter IX

STORY OF ALADDIN AND THE WON-
DERFUL LAMP

THERE lived in ancient times, in the capital
of China, a tailor named Mustapha, who was
so poor that he could scarcely support his
wife and son. Now, his son, whose name was
Aladdin, was idle and careless and disobedient to his
father and mother, and he played from morning till night
in the streets, with other bad and idle lads. Mustapha
chastised him, but Aladdin remained incorrigible,
and his father was so much troubled that he became
ill and died in a few months. His mother finding that
Aladdin would not work did all she could by spinning
cotton to maintain herself and him.

Now Aladdin, who was no longer restrained by fear
of a father, gave himself over entirely to his idle habits.
As he was one day playing, according to custom, with
his vagabond associates, a stranger passing by stood
and regarded him earnestly. This stranger was a
sorcerer, an African magician. By means of his magic,
he saw in Aladdin's face something necessary for the
accomplishment of a deed in which he was engaged.
And the wily magician, taking Aladdin aside from his

3c6

The Arabian Nights 257

companions, said: "Boy, is not thy father called
Mustapha, the tailor?" "Yes," answered the boy,
"but he has been dead a long time."

At these words, the African magician threw his arms
about Aladdin's neck, and kissed him several times,
with tears in his eyes. "Alas, O my son," he cried,
"I am thine uncle. I have been abroad for many years,
and now I am come home with the hopes of seeing
thy father, but thou tellest me that he is dead! I
knew thee at first sight because thou art so like him,
and I see that I was not deceived!" Then putting
his hand into his pocket, he asked Aladdin where his
mother lived, and gave him a small handful of money,
saying: "Go, O my son, to thy mother, and give her
my love, and tell her that I will visit her to-morrow.'*

As soon as the African magician had departed,
Aladdin ran to his mother overjoyed. "Mother," he
said, " I have met my uncle ! " " No, my son," answered
his mother, "thou hast no uncle by thy father's side or
mine." Then Aladdin related to her all that the African
magician had told him.

The next day, Aladdin's mother made ready a re-
past, and when night came some one knocked upon
the door. Aladdin opened it, and the African magician
entered, laden with wine and various fruits. He saluted
Aladdin's mother, and shed tears, and lamented that
he had not arrived in time to see his brother Mustapha.
"I have been forty years absent from my country,"
said the wily magician, "travelling in the Indies,
Persia, Arabia, Syria, and Egypt. At last I was
desirous of seeing, and embracing my dear brother, so
I immediately prepared for the journey, and set out.
Reaching this city I wandered through the streets.

258 The Arabian Nights

where I observed my brother's features in the face of
my nephew, thy son."

The African magician perceiving that the widow
began to weep at these words, turned to Aladdin, and
asked him what trade or occupation he had chosen.
At this question Aladdin hung down his head, blushing
and abashed, while his mother replied that he was an
idle fellow, hving on the streets. "This is not well,"
said the magician. "If thou hast no desire to learn a
handicraft, I will take a shop for thee, and furnish it
with fine hnens and rich stuffs." This plan greatly
flattered Aladdin, for he knew that the owners of such
shops were much respected, so he thanked the African
magician, saying that he preferred such a shop to any
trade or handicraft. Aladdin's mother, who had not
till then believed that the magician was the brother of
her husband, now could no longer doubt. She thanked
him for his kindness to Aladdin, and exhorted the
lad to repay his uncle with good behaviour.

The next day, early in the morning, the African
magician came again, and took Aladdin to a merchant,
who provided the lad with a rich and handsome suit,
after which the magician took him to visit the principal
shops, where they sold the richest stufiFs and linens.
He showed him also the largest and finest mosques,
and entertained him at the most frequented inns.'
Then the magician escorted Aladdin to his mother, who,
when she saw her son so magnificently attired, be-
stowed a thousand blessings upon his benefactor.

Aladdin rose early the next morning, and dressed
himself in his elegant, new garments. Soon after this the
African magician approached the house, and entered it,
and, caressing him, said: "Come, my dear son, and I will

The Arabian Nights 259

show thee fine things to-day!" He then led the lad
out of the city, through magnificent parks and gardens,
past fine palaces and buildings; enticing him beyond
the gardens, across the country, until they arrived at
some mountains. He amused Aladdin all the way
by relating to him pleasant stories, and feasting him
with cakes and fruit.

When at last they arrived at a valley, between two
mountains of great height, the magician said to Aladdin :
*'We will go no farther. I will now show thee some
extraordinary things. While I strike a light, do thou
gather up loose sticks for a fire." Aladdin collected a
pile of sticks, and the African magician set fire to them,
and, when they began to burn, he muttered several
magical words, and cast a perfume upon the fire.
Immediately a great smoke arose, and the earth,
trembling, opened, and uncovered a stone with a brass
ring fixed in the middle.

Aladdin became so frightened at what he saw that
he would have run away, but the magician caught hold
of him, and gave him such a box on the ear that he
knocked him down. Aladdin rose up trembling with
tears in his eyes, and inquired what he had done to merit
such a punishment. "I have my reasons," answered
the magician harshly, "thou seest what I have just
done! But, my son," continued he softening, "know
that under this stone is hidden a treasure destined to
be thine. It will make thee richer than the greatest
monarch in the world. Fate decrees that no one but
thou mayest lift the stone, or enter the cave, but to
do this successfully thou must promise to obey my in-
structions."

Aladdin was amazed at all he saw, and, hearing

2 6o The Arabian Nights

that the treasure was to be his, his anger was appeased,
and he said quickly: "Command me, uncle, for I
promise to obey." The magician then directed him
to take hold of the ring and lift the stone, and to pro-
nounce at the same time the names of his father and
grandfather. Aladdin did as he was bidden, and raised
the heavy stone with ease, and laid it on one side.
When the stone was pulled up there appeared a cave
several feet deep with a Uttle door, and with steps to
go further down.

"Observe, my son," said the African magician,
"what I direct. Descend and at the bottom of these
steps, thou wilt find a door open. Beyond the door are
three great halls in each of which thou wilt see four
large brass cisterns, full of gold and silver. Take care
that thou dost not touch any of the wealth. Before
thou enterest the first hall, tuck up thy vest, and pass
through the first and the second and the third hall
without stopping. Above all things do not touch the
walls, not even with thy clothing, for if thou do so,
thou wilt die instantly.

"At the end of the third hall, thou wilt find a door
which opens into a garden planted with fine trees,
loaded with fruits. Walk directly across the garden
by a path that will lead thee to five steps which will
bring thee to a terrace, where thou wilt see a niche,
and in that niche a lighted lamp. Take down the lamp,
extinguish the flame, throw away the wick, pour out
the oil, and put the lamp into thy bosom, and bring
it to me. If thou shouldst wish for any of the fruits
of the garden, thou mayest gather as much as thou
pleasest."

The magician then took a ring from his finger, and

The Arabian Nights 261

placed it upon Aladdin's hand, telling him that it would
preserve him from all evil. Aladdin sprang into the
cave, descended the steps, and found the three halls
just as the African magician had described. He passed
through, taking care not to touch the walls, crossed
the garden without stopping, took down the lamp
from the niche, threw away the wick, poured out the
oil, and placed the lamp in his bosom.

But as he came down from the terrace, he stopped
to observe the fruits. All the trees were loaded with
extraordinary fruits, of different colours. Some trees
hore fruit entirely white, and some clear and transparent
as crystal ; some red, some green, blue, purple and others
yellow, in short there were fruits of all colours. The
white were pearls; the clear and transparent, diamonds;
the red, rubies; the green, emeralds; the blue, tur-
quoises; the purple, amethysts; and those that were
yellow, sapphires. Aladdin was altogether ignorant
of their worth, and would have preferred figs and grapes,
or any other fruits. But though he took them for
coloured glass of little value, yet he was so pleased with
the variety of bright colours, and with the beauty and
extraordinary size of the seeming fruits, that he gathered
some of every sort, and filled the two new purses his
ancle had given him, and crammed his bosom as full
as it could hold.

Aladdin, having thus loaded himself with riches,
he knew not the value of, returned, through the three
halls, to the mouth of the cave, where the magician
was expecting him with the utmost impatience. Now
the African magician intended, as soon as he should
receive the lamp from Aladdin, to push the lad back
into the cave, so that there should remain no witness of

262 The Arabian Nights

the affair. But as soon as Aladdin saw him he cried
out: "Pray, uncle, lend me thy hand to help me out."
"Give me the lamp first," said the magician, "it will
be troublesome to thee." "Indeed, uncle," answered
Aladdin, "I am unable to give it to thee now, but I
will do so as soon as I am up." But the African magi-
cian was obstinate and insisted on having the lamp, and
Aladdin, whose bosom was so stuffed with the fruits
that he could not well get at it, refused to give up the
lamp until he was out of the cave. The magician pro-
voked at this refusal, flew into a rage, threw some
incense into the fire, pronounced two magical words,
and instantly the stone, which had covered the mouth of
the cave, moved back into its place. Then the African
magician, having lost all hope of obtaining the wonder-
ful lamp, returned that same day to Africa.

When Aladdin found himself thus buried alive, he
cried, and called out to his uncle that he was ready
to give him the lamp, but in vain, since his cries could
not be heard. He descended to the bottom of the steps,
desiring to enter the garden, but the door, which had
been open before by enchantment, was now closed by
the same means. He then redoubled his cries and tears,
and sat down upon the steps, without any hopes of
ever seeing the light again.

Aladdin remained in this state for two days, without
eating or drinking. On the third day, clasping his hands
in despair, he accidentally rubbed the ring which the
magician had placed upon his finger. Immediately
a Genie of enormous size, and frightful aspect, rose
out of the earth, his head reaching the roof of the cave,
and said to him: "What wouldest thou have.?* I will
obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all who may

;)iATELY A c;enie of i-.nor.mols sue rose out of the earth

The Arabian Nights 263

possess the ring on thy finger, I and the other slaves
of that ring!"

At any other time Aladdin would have been fright-
ened at the sight of so extraordinary a figure, but the
danger that he was in made him answer without hesita-
tion: "Whoever thou art, deliver me from this place!'*
He had no sooner spoken these words than he found
himself on the very spot, where the magician had caused
the earth to open.

Thankful to find himself safe, he quickly made his
way home. When he reached his mother's door, the
joy at seeing her, and the weakness due to lack of food,
made him faint, and he remained for a long time as dead.
His mother did all she could to bring him to himself,
and the first words he spoke were: "Pray, mother,
give me something to eat." His mother brought what
she had, and set it before him.

Aladdin then related to his mother all that had hap-
pened to him, and showed her the transparent fruits of
different colours, which he had gathered in the garden.
But though these fruits were precious stones, brilliant
as the sun, the mother was ignorant of their worth, and
she laid them carelessly aside.

Aladdin slept very soundly till the next morning,
but on waking he found that there was nothing to
eat in the house, nor any money with which to buy
food.

"Alas, my son," said his mother, "I have not a bit
of bread to give thee, but I have a little cotton, which
I have spun, and I will go and sell it." "Mother,'*
replied Aladdin, "keep thy cotton for another time,
and give me the lamp I brought home with me yesterday.
I will go and sell it, and the money I shall get for it

264 The Arabian Nights

will serve both for breakfast and dinner, and perhaps
for supper also."

Aladdin's mother brought the lamp, and as it was
very dirty she took some fine sand and water to clean
it, but she no sooner began to rub, than in an instant
a hideous Genie, of gigantic size, appeared before her,
and said in a voice like thunder: "What wouldest thou
have? I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the
slave of all those who hold the lamp in their hands, I
and the other slaves of the lamp!"

Aladdin's mother, terrified at the sight of the Genie,
fainted, but Aladdin snatched the lamp out of her
hand, and said to him: "I am hungry. Bring me some-
thing to eat." The Genie disappeared immediately,
and in an instant returned with a large silver tray,
holding twelve covered dishes of the same metal,
which contained the most delicious viands; six large,
white bread cakes, two flagons of wine, and two silver
cups. All these he placed upon a carpet, and disap-
peared. This was done before Aladdin's mother re-
covered from her swoon.

Aladdin fetched some water and sprinkled it in her
face, and she recovered. Great was her surprise to see
the silver tray, twelve dishes, six loaves, the two
flagons and cups, and to smell the savoury odour which
exhaled from the dishes. When, however, Aladdin
informed her that they were brought by the Genie,
whom she had seen, she was greatly alarmed and urged
him to sell the enchanted lamp and have nothing to do
with the Genie. "With thy leave, mother," answered
Aladdin, "I will keep the lamp as it hath been of
service to us. Thou may est be sure that my false
and wicked uncle would not have taken so much pains.

The Arabian Nights 265

and undertaken such a long journey, if he had not known
that this wonderful lamp was worth more than all the
gold and silver which were in those three halls. He
knew too well the worth of this lamp not to prefer it
to so great a treasure. Let us make profitable use
of it, without exciting the envy and jealousy of our
neighbours. However, since the Genie frightens thee
I will take the lamp out of thy sight, and put it where
I may find it when I want it." His mother, convinced
by his arguments, said he might do as he wished, but
for herself she would have nothing to do with Genii.

The mother and son then sat down to breakfast,
and when they were satisfied, they found that they
had enough food left for dinner and supper, and also
for two meals for the next day. By the following
night they had eaten all the provisions the Genie had
brought, and the next day, Aladdin, putting one of
the silver dishes under his vest, went to the silver-
market and sold it. Before returning home he called
at the baker's and bought bread, and on his return gave
the rest of the money to his mother, who went and
purchased provisions enough to last for some time.

After this manner they lived, till Aladdin had sold all
the dishes and the silver tray. When the money was
spent he had recourse again to the lamp. He took it in
his hand, rubbed it, and immediately the Genie ap-
peared, and said: "What wouldest thou have.? I am
ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
those who hold that lamp in their hands, I and the other
slaves of the lamp!" "I am hungry," said Aladdin,
"bring me something to eat." The Genie immediately
disappeared, and instantly returned with a tray con-
taining the same number of dishes as before, and he

2 66 The Arabian Nights

set them down, and vanished. And when the pro-
visions were gone, Aladdin sold the tray and dishes as
before. Thus he and his mother continued to live for
some time, and, though they had an inexhaustible
treasure in their lamp, they dwelt quietly with fru-
gality.

Meanwhile Aladdin frequented the shops of the
principal merchants, where they sold cloth of gold,
and silver, Hnens, silk stuffs, and jewellery, and often-
times joining in their conversation, he acquired a knowl-
edge of the world, and a polished manner. By his ac-
quaintance among the jewellers, he came to know that
the fruits, which he had gathered in the subterranean
garden, instead of being coloured glass, were jewels of
inestimable value.

One day as Aladdin was walking about the town,
he heard an order proclaimed, commanding the people
to close their shops and houses, and to keep within
doors, while the Princess Badroulboudour, the Sultan's
daughter, went to the baths and returned. When
Aladdin heard this he became filled with curiosity to
see the face of the Princess. So he placed himself
behind the outer door of the bath, which was so situ-
ated that he could not fail to see her.

He had not long to wait, before the Princess came,
and he could see her plainly through a chink in the door,
without being discovered. She was attended by a great
crowd of ladies, and slaves, and eunuchs, who walked
on each side, and behind her. When she came near
to the door of the bath she took off her veil, and Aladdin
saw her face.

The Princess was the most beautiful brunette in
the world. Her eyes were large, lively and sparkling,

The Arabian Nights 267

her looks sweet and modest, her nose without a fault,
her mouth small, and her lips vermilion red. It was
not surprising that Aladdin, who had never before seen
such a blaze of charms, was dazzled, and that his heart
became filled with admiration and love.

After the Princess had passed by, Aladdin returned
home in a state of great dejection, which he could not
conceal from his mother, who was surprised to see him
thoughtful and melancholy. She inquired the cause
of this, and Aladdin told her all that had occurred, say-
ing: "This, my mother, is the cause of my melancholy!
I love the Princess more than I can express, I cannot live
without the beautiful Badroulboudour, and I am re-
solved to ask her in marriage of the Sultan, her
father."

Aladdin's mother listened in surprise to what her
son told her, but when he spoke of asking the Princess
in marriage, she burst into a loud laugh. "Alas, my
son," she said, "what art thou thinking of? Thou
must be mad to talk thus!" "I assure thee, my
mother, " replied Aladdin, "that I am not mad, but
I am resolved to demand the Princess in marriage,
and thy remonstrances shall not prevent me, instead I
will expect thee to use thy persuasion with the Sultan."
"I go to the Sultan!" answered his mother, amazed
and surprised, "I assure thee I cannot undertake such
an errand. And who art thou, my son, " continued she,
"to think of the Sultan's daughter? Hast thou for-
gotten that thy father was one of the poorest tailors
in the city? How can I open my mouth to make such
a proposal to the Sultan? His majestic presence, and the
lustre of his court would confound me ! There is another
reason, my son, which thou dost not think of, which is

2 68 The Arabian Nights

that no one ever asks a favour of the Sultan without
taking him a fitting present."

Aladdin heard very calmly all that his mother had
to say, then he replied: "I love the Princess, or rather
I adore her, and shall always persevere in my design
to marry her. Thou sayest that it is not customary
to go to the Sultan without a present. Would not those
fruits, that I brought home from the subterranean
garden, make an acceptable present.? For what thou
and I took for coloured glass, are really jewels of in-
estimable value, and I am persuaded that they will
be favourably received by the Sultan, Thou hast a
large porcelain dish fit to hold them, fetch it, and let
us see how the stones will look when we have arranged
them according to their different colours."

Aladdin's mother brought the porcelain dish, and he
arranged the jewels on it according to his fancy. But
the brightness and lustre they emitted in daylight,
and the variety of colours, so dazzled the eyes of both
mother and son, that they were astonished beyond
measure. After they had admired the beauty of the
jewels, Aladdin said to his mother: "Now thou canst
not excuse thyself from going to the Sultan, under the
pretext of not having a present for him!" But his
mother did not believe in the beauty and value of the
stones, and she used many arguments to make her son
change his mind. Aladdin, however, could not be
changed from his purpose, and continued to persuade
her until out of tenderness she complied with his re-
quest.

The next morning, Aladdin's mother took the porce-
lain dish, in which were the jewels, and, wrapping it
in two fine napkins, set out for the Sultan's palace.

The Arabian Nights 269

She entered the audience chamber, and placed herself
just before the Sultan, the Grand Vizier, and the great
lords of the court, who sat in council, but she did not
venture to declare her business, and when the audience
chamber closed for the day she returned home. The
next morning she again repaired to the audience cham-
ber and left when it closed without having dared to
address the Sultan, and she continued to do thus daily,
until at last one morning the chief officer of the court
approached her, and at a sign from him, she followed
him to the Sultan's throne, where he left her.

Aladdin's mother saluted the Sultan, and kissing the
ground before him, bowed her head down to the carpet,
which covered the steps of the throne, and remained in
that posture until he bade her rise, which she had no
sooner done, than he said to her: "My good woman,
I have observed thee to stand for a long time, from
the opening to the closing of the audience chamber.
What business brings thee hither.?"

When Aladdin's mother heard these words, she pros-
trated herself a second time, and when she arose said:
"O King of Kings, I will indeed tell thee the incredible
and extraordinary business that brings me, but I pre-
sume to beg of thee to hear what I have to say in pri-
vate." The Sultan then ordered all but the Grand Vizier
to leave the audience chamber, and directed her to
proceed with her tale.

Thus encouraged Aladdin's mother humbly en-
treated the Sultan's pardon for what she was about to
say. She then told him faithfully how Aladdin had
seen the Princess Badroulboudour, and of the love that
the fatal sight had inspired him with, and she ended
by formally demanding the Princess in marriage for

270 The Arabian Nights

her son. After which she took the porcelain dish,
which she had set down at the foot of the throne, un-
wrapped it, and presented it to the Sultan.

The Sultan's amazement and surprise were inexpres-
sible, when he saw so many large, beautiful, and valu-
able jewels. He remained for some time motionless
with admiration. At length, when he had recovered
himself, he received the present from the hand of Alad-
din's mother, crying out in a transport of joy: "How
rich, how beautiful!" After he had admired and han-
dled all the jewels, one by one, he turned to his Grand
Vizier, and showing him the dish, said: "Behold, ad-
mire, wonder! Confess that thine eyes never beheld
precious stones so rich and beautiful before! What
sayest thou to such a present, is it not worthy of the
Princess, my daughter?"

These words agitated the Grand Vizier, for the Sultan
had for some time intended to bestow the Princess
his daughter upon the Vizier's son. Therefore going to
the Sultan the Vizier whispered in his ear and said:
"I cannot but own that the present is worthy of the
Princess, but I beg thee to grant me three months*
delay, and before the end of that time, I hope that my
son may be able to make a nobler present than Aladdin,
who is an entire stranger to thy majesty."

The Sultan granted his request, and turning to
Aladdin's mother said to her: "My good woman, go
home, and tell thy son that I agree to the proposal thou
hast made me, but that I cannot marry the Princess,
my daughter, until the end of three months. At the
expiration of that time, come again." Aladdin's
mother, overjoyed at these words, hastened home and
informed Aladdin of all the Sultan had said. Aladdin

The Arabian Nights 271

thought himself the most happy of all men at hearing
this news. He waited with great impatience for the
expiration of the three months, counting not only the
hours, days, and weeks, but every moment.

When two of the three months were passed, his
mother, one evening, finding no oil in the house, went
out to purchase some. She found in the city a general
rejoicing. The shops were decorated with foliage, silks,
and gay carpets; the streets were crowded with officers,
magnificently dressed, mounted on horses richly capari-
soned, each attended by numerous footmen. Aladdin's
mother asked the oil-merchant what was the meaning
of all this festivity. "Whence comest thou, my good
woman!" he answered, "know that to-night the Grand
Vizier's son is to marry the Princess Badroulboudour,
the Sultan's daughter!"

Aladdin's mother hastened home, and related all the
news to Aladdin. He was thunderstruck on hearing
her words, and hastening to his chamber, closed the
door, took the lamp in his hand, rubbed it in the same
place as before, and immediately the Genie appeared,
and said to him: "What wouldest thou have? I am
ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
those who hold that lamp in their hands, I and the
other slaves of the lamp!" "Genie," said Aladdin,
" I have demanded the Princess Badroulboudour in mar-
riage of the Sultan her father. He promised her to me,
only requiring three months' delay. But instead of
keeping his word, he has this night married her to the
Grand Vizier's son. What I require of thee is this,
as soon as the bride and bridegroom are alone, bring
them both hither."

"Master," said the Genie, "I hear and obey!" The

2']2 The Arabian Nights

Genie then disappeared, flew to the palace, took up
the bed with the bride and bridegroom in it, returned,
and set it down in Aladdin's room. The Genie then
took the bridegroom, who was trembling with fear,
and shut him up in a dark closet. Aladdin then ap-
proached the Princess, and said most respectfully:
"Adorable Princess, thou art here in safety! The
Sultan thy father promised thee in marriage to me,
and as he has now broken his word I am thus forced to
carry thee away, in order to prevent thy marriage with
the Grand Vizier's son. Sleep in peace until morning,
when I will restore thee to the Sultan thy father."
Having thus reassured the Princess, Aladdin laid him-
self down, and slept until morning.

Aladdin had no occasion the next morning to summon
the Genie, who appeared at the hour appointed. He
brought the bridegroom from the closet, and placing
him beside the Princess, transported the bed to the
royal palace. The bridegroom pale and trembling with
fear sought the Sultan, related to him all that had
happened, and implored him to break off his marriage
with the Princess. The Sultan did so and commanded
all rejoicings to cease.

Aladdin waited until the three months were com-
pleted, and the next day sent his mother to the palace
to remind the Sultan of his promise. The Sultan no
sooner saw her than he remembered her business, and as
he did not wish to give his daughter to a stranger,
thought to put her off by a request impossible of fulfil-
ment. "My good woman," he said, "it is true that sul-
tans should keep their promises, and I am willing to do
so as soon as thy son shall send me forty trays of massy
gold, full of the same sort of jewels, thou hast already

The Arabian Nights 273

made me a present of. The trays must be carried by a
like number of black slaves, who shall be led by as
many young and handsome white slaves magnificently
dressed."

Aladdin's mother prostrated herself a second time
before the Sultan's throne, and retired. She hastened
home laughing within herself at her son's foolish ambi-
tion. She then gave him an exact account of what the
Sultan had said to her, and the conditions on which
he consented to the marriage. Aladdin immediately
retired to his room, took the lamp, and rubbed it.
The Genie appeared, and with the usual salutation
offered his services. "Genie," said Aladdin, "the
Sultan gives me the Princess his daughter in marriage,
but demands first forty large trays of massy gold, full
of the fruits of the subterranean garden; these he ex-
pects to be carried by as many black slaves, each
preceded by a young and handsome white slave, richly
clothed. Go, and fetch me this present as soon as pos-
sible." The Genie told him that his command should
be instantly obeyed, and disappeared.

In a short time the Genie returned with forty black
slaves, each bearing upon his head a heavy tray of pure
gold, full of pearls, diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and
every sort of precious stone, all larger and more beauti-
ful than those already presented to the Sultan. Each
tray was covered with silver tissue, richly embroidered
with flowers of gold. These together with the white
slaves quite filled the house, which was but a small
one, as well as the little court before it, and a small
garden behind. The Genie having thus fulfilled his
orders, disappeared.

Aladdin found his mother in great amazement at

2 74 The Arabian Nights

seeing so many people and such vast riches. "Mother,**
he said, "I would have you return to the palace with
this present as a dowry, that the Sultan may judge
by the rapidity with which I fulfil his demands of the
ardent and sincere love I have for the Princess his
daughter." And without waiting for his mother's reply,
Aladdin opened the door into the street, and made the
slaves walk out, each white slave followed by a black
with a tray upon his head. When they were all out
his mother followed the last black slave, and Aladdin
shut the door and retired to his chamber, full of hopes.

The procession of slaves proceeded through the streets,
and the people ran together to see so extraordinary
and magnificent a spectacle. The dress of each slave
was rich in stuff and decorated with jewels, and the
noble air and fine shape of each was unparalleled. Their
grave walk, at an equal distance from each other, the
lustre of the jewels curiously set in their girdles of gold,
the aigrets of precious stones in their turbans, all filled
the spectators with wonder and amazement. At
length they arrived at the Sultan's palace, and the first
slave, followed by the rest, advanced into the audience
chamber, where the Sultan was seated on his throne,
surrounded by his viziers and the chief officers of the
court. After all the slaves were entered, they formed
a semicircle before the Sultan's throne, the black slaves
laid the golden trays upon the carpet, and all the slaves
prostrated themselves, touching the ground with their
foreheads. They then arose, the black slaves uncover-
ing the trays, and stood with their arms crossed over
their breasts.

In the meantime Aladdin's mother advanced to the
foot of the throne and prostrated herself before the

The Arabian Nights 275

Sultan. When he cast his eyes on the forty trays filled
with the most precious and brilliant jewels, and gazed
upon the fourscore slaves so richly attired, he no
longer hesitated, as the sight of such immense riches,
and Aladdin's quickness in satisfying his demand, easily
persuaded him that the young man would make a most
desirable son-in-law. Therefore he said to Aladdin's
mother: "Go and tell thy son, that I wait with open
arms to embrace him, and the more haste he makes to
come and receive the Princess my daughter, the greater
pleasure he will do me."

Aladdin's mother hastened home, and informed her
son of this joyful news. He, enraptured at the prospect
of his marriage with the Princess, retired to his chamber,
again rubbed the lamp, and the obedient Genie appeared
as before. "Genie," said Aladdin, "provide me with
the richest and most magnificent raiment ever worn
by a king, and with a charger, that surpasses in beauty
the best in the Sultan's stable, with a saddle, bridle,
and other caparisons worth a million of gold pieces.
I want also twenty slaves, richly clothed, to walk by
my side and follow me, and twenty more to go before
me in two ranks. Besides these, bring my mother
six female slaves to attend her, as richly dressed as
any of the Princess Badroulboudour's, each carrying
a dress fit for a sultan's wife. I want also ten thou-
sand pieces of gold, in ten purses. Go and make
haste."

As soon as Aladdin had given these orders, the Genie
disappeared, but returned instantly with the horse,
the forty slaves, ten of whom carried each a purse
containing ten thousand pieces of gold, and six female
slaves, each carrying on her head a dress for Aladdin's

276 The Arabian Nights

mother, wrapped in silver tissue. The Genie presented
all these to Aladdin and disappeared.

Of the ten purses, Aladdin took four, which he gave
to his mother, the other six he left in the hands of the
slaves who brought them, with an order to throw
the gold by handfuls among the people, as they went
to the Sultan's palace. The six slaves who carried the
purses he ordered likewise to march before him, three
on the right hand, and three on the left.

Aladdin then clad himself in his new garments, and
mounting his charger, began the march to the Sultan's
palace. The streets through which he passed were
instantly filled with a vast concourse of people, who
rent the air with their acclamations. When he ar-
rived at the palace everything was prepared for his
reception. He was met at the gate by the Grand Vizier,
and the chief oflficers of the empire. The officers formed
themselves into two ranks at the entrance of the
audience chamber, and their chief led Aladdin to the
Sultan's throne.

When the Sultan perceived Aladdin, he was sur-
prised at the elegance of his attire, and at his fine shape,
and air of dignity, very different from the meanness
of his mother's late appearance. Rising quickly from
the throne, the Sultan descended two or three steps,
and prevented Aladdin from throwing himself at his
feet. He embraced him with demonstrations of joy,
held him fast by the hand, and obliged him to sit close
to the throne.

The marriage feast was begun, and the Sultan ordered
that the contract of marriage between the Princess
Badroulboudour and Aladdin, should be immediately
drawn up; he then asked Aladdin if he wished the

The Arabian Nights 277

ceremony solemnized that day. To which Aladdin
answered: "Though great is my impatience, I beg
leave to defer it until I have built a palace fit to re-
ceive the Princess, therefore, I pray thee, give me a
spot of ground near thy palace, where I may build.**
"My son," said the Sultan, "take what ground thou
thinkest proper," and he embraced Aladdin, who took
his leave with as much politeness as though he had
always lived at a court.

As soon as Aladdin reached home, he dismounted,
retired to his own chamber, took the lamp, and called
the Genie as before, who in the usual manner offered
him his services. "Genie," said Aladdin, "I would
have thee build me, as soon as possible, a palace near
the Sultan's, fit to receive my wife, the Princess Bad-
roulboudour. Build it of porphyry, jasper, lapis lazuli,
or the finest marbles of various colours. On the terraced
roof build me a large hall, crowned with a dome. Let
the walls be of massy gold and silver. On each of the
four sides of this hall let there be six windows. Leave
one window lattice unfinished, but enrich all the others
with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. I would have
also a spacious garden, and a treasury full of gold and
silver. There must be kitchens, offices, storehouses,
and stables full of the finest horses. I want also male
and female slaves, and equerries and grooms. Come and
tell me when all is finished."

The next morning before break of day, the Genie
presented himself to Aladdin and said: "Master, thy
palace is finished, come and see if it pleaseth thee."
Aladdin had no sooner signified his consent, than the
Genie transported him thither in an instant, and led
him through richly furnished apartments, and Aladdin

278 The Arabian Nights

found nothing but what was magnificent. Officers,
slaves and grooms were busy at their tasks, and the
treasury was piled to the ceiling with purses of gold,
and the stables were filled with the finest horses in the
world. When Aladdin had examined the palace from
top to bottom, and particularly the hall with four and
twenty windows, he found all beyond anything he had
imagined. "Genie," he said, "there is only one thing
wanting, which I forgot to mention, that is a carpet
of fine velvet for the Princess to walk upon, between
my palace and the Sultan's." The Genie disappeared,
and instantly a carpet of fine velvet stretched across
the park to the door of the Sultan's palace.

When the porters of the Sultan's palace came to
open the gates, they were amazed to see a carpet of
velvet stretching from the grand entrance across the
park, to a new and magnificent palace. The Grand
Vizier, who arrived soon after the gates were opened,
being no less amazed than the others, hastened to
acquaint the Sultan with the wonderful news. The
hour of going to the audience chamber put an end to
their conjectures, but scarcely were they seated before
Aladdin's mother arrived, dressed in her most sumptuous
garments, and attended by the six female slaves, who
were clad richly and magnificently. She was received
at the palace with honour, and introduced into the
Princess Badroulboudour's apartment, by the chief
of the eunuchs. As soon as the Princess saw her, she
arose, and saluted her, and desired her to sit beside
her upon a sofa. A collation was served, and then the
slaves finished dressing the Princess, and adorning her
with the jewels which Aladdin had presented to her,

The Sultan immediately ordered band« of trumpets,

The Arabian Nights 279

cymbals, drums, fifes, and hautboys, placed in different
parts of the palace, to play, so that the air resounded
with concerts which inspired the city with joy. The
merchants began to adorn their shops and houses with
fine carpets, and silks, and to prepare illuminations
for the coming festival.

When night arrived the Princess took tender leave
of the Sultan her father, and, accompanied by Aladdin's
mother, set out across the velvet carpet, amid the
sound of trumpets, and lighted by a thousand torches.
Aladdin received her with joy, and led her into the large,
illuminated hall, where was spread a magnificent repast.
The dishes were of massy gold, and contained the most
delicious viands, and after the supper there was a
concert of the most ravishing music, accompanied by
graceful dancing, performed by a number of female
slaves.

The next morning Aladdin mounted, and went in
the midst of a large troop of slaves to the Sultan's
palace. The Sultan received him with honours, em-
braced him, placed him upon the throne, near him, and
ordered a collation. Aladdin then said: "I entreat thee
to dispense with my eating with thee this day, as I came
to invite thee to partake of a repast in the Princess's
palace, attended by thy Grand Vizier, and all the lords
of thy court." The Sultan consented with pleasure,
rose up immediately, and, followed by all the oflBcers
of his court, accompanied Aladdin.

The nearer the Sultan approached Aladdin's palace
the more he was struck with its beauty, but he was much
more amazed when he entered it, and could not for-
bear breaking out into exclamations of wonder. But
when he came into the hall of the four and twenty

2 8o The Arabian Nights

windows enriched with diamonds, rubies, emeralds,
all large and perfect stones, he was so much surprised
that he remained for some time motionless. "This
palace," exclaimed he at length, "is surely one of the
wonders of the world, for where in all the world besides
shall we find walls built of massy gold and silver, and
diamonds, pearls, and rubies adorning the windows!"

The Sultan examined and admired all the windows,
but on counting them he found that there were but
three and twenty so richly adorned and that the fourth
and twentieth was left imperfect, and in great astonish-
ment he inquired the reason of tliis. "It was by my
orders that the workmen left it thus," said Aladdin,
"since I wished that thou shouldest have the glory
of finishing this hall." The Sultan was much pleased
with this compliment, and immediately ordered his
jewellers and goldsmiths to complete the four and twen-
tieth window. When the Sultan returned to his palace
he ordered his jewels to be brought out, and the jewellers
took a great quantity, which they soon used without
making any great advance in their work. They worked
steadily for a whole month, but could not finish half
the window, although they used all the jewels the Sultan
had, and borrowed of the Vizier.

Aladdin, who knew that all the Sultan's endeavours
to complete the window were in vain, sent for the
jewellers and goldsmiths, and commanded them not
only to desist but to undo the work they had done, and
to return the jewels to the Sultan, and to the Grand
Vizier. They undid in a few hours what they had
accomplished in a month, and retired, leaving Aladdin
alone in the hall. He took the lamp, which he carried
about with him, rubbed it, and the Genie appeared.

The Arabian Nights 281

"Genie/* said Aladdin, "I order thee to complete the
four and twentieth window." And immediately the
window became perfect like the others.

Scarcely was the window completed when the Sultan
arrived to question Aladdin, as to why the jewellers
and goldsmiths had desisted from their work. Aladdin
received him at the door, and conducted him directly
to the hall, where he was amazed to see the window
perfect like the rest. "My son," exclaimed the Sultan,
embracing him, " what a man thou art to do all this in
the twinkling of an eye! Verily, the more I know thee
the more I admire thee!" And the Sultan returned to
his palace content.

After this Aladdin lived in great state. He visited
mosques, attended prayers, and returned the visits
of the principal lords of the court. Every time he
went out he caused two slaves, who walked by the side
of his horse, to throw handfuls of money among the
people, as he passed through the streets and the squares;
and no one came to his palace gates to ask alms, but
returned satisfied with his liberality, which gained him
the love and blessings of the people.

Aladdin had conducted himself in this manner for
several years, when the African magician, who had
undesignedly been the instrument of Aladdin's pros-
perity, became curious to know whether he had per-
ished in the subterranean garden. He employed his
magic arts to discover the truth, and he found that
Aladdin, instead of having perished miserably in the
cave, had made his escape, and was living splendidly,
and that he was in possession of the wonderful lamp,
and had married a princess. The magician no sooner
learned this than his face became inflamed with anger.

282 The Arabian Nights

and he cried out in a rage: "This miserable tailor's
son has discovered the secret and the virtue of the
lamp! I will, however, prevent his enjoying it long!"

The next morning he mounted a horse, set forwards,
and never stopped until he arrived at the capital of
China, where he alighted, and took up his residence at
an inn. The next day his first object was to inquire
what people said of Aladdin, and, taking a walk through
the town, he heard them talking of the wonderful
palace and of Aladdin's marriage to the Princess. He
went instantly and viewed the palace from all sides,
and he doubted not but that Aladdin had made use
of the lamp to build it, for none but Genii, the slaves of
the lamp, could have performed such wonders. Piqued
to the quick at Aladdin's happiness and splendour, he
returned to the inn, where he lodged.

As soon as he entered his chamber, he ascertained
by the means of his magic arts, that Aladdin was absent
on the hunt, and that the lamp was in the palace.
He then went to a copper-smith's and bought a dozen
copper lamps. These he placed in a basket, which he
bought for the purpose, and with the basket on his arm,
went directly to Aladdin's palace. As he approached
he began crying: "Who will change old lamps for new
ones? Who will change old lamps for new ones?'*
And all who passed by thought him a madman or a
fool to offer to change new lamps for old.

Now the Princess Badroulboudour who was in the
hall with the four and twenty windows, heard a man
varying: "Who will change old lamps for new ones?"
rind remembering the old lamp, which Aladdin had laid
*ipon a shelf before he went to the chase, the Princess,
who knew not the value of the lamp, commanded a

WHO WILL CHANGli OLIJ LAMPS FOk NEW ONLS

The Arabian Nights 283

eunuch to take it and make the exchange. The eunuch
did so, and the African magician, as soon as he saw
the lamp, snatched it eagerly from his hand, and gave
him a new one in its place.

The magician then hastened away, until he reached
a lonely spot in the country; when he pulled the lamp
out of his bosom, and rubbed it. At that summons the
Genie appeared, and said: "What wouldest thou have?
I am ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of
all those who hold that lamp in their hands, I and the
other slaves of the lamp!" "I command thee," replied
that magician, "to transport me immediately, and the
palace, which thou and the other slaves of the lamp
have built in this city, with all the people in it, to
Africa." The Genie disappeared, and immediately
the magician, and the palace, and all its inhabitants,
were lifted up, and transported from the capital of
China and set down in Africa.

As soon as the Sultan arose the next morning, he went
according to his custom to the window to contemplate
and admire Aladdin's palace. When he looked that
way, instead of a palace, he saw an empty space. He
thought that he was mistaken, and looked again in
front, to the right and left, and beheld only empty
space where formerly had stood the palace. His amaze-
ment was so great that he remained for some time turn-
ing his eyes towards the spot, and at last convinced
that no palace stood opposite his own, he returned to
his apartment, and ordered his Grand Vizier to be sent
for with expedition.

The Grand Vizier came with much precipitation.
**Tell me," said the Sultan, "what has become of
Aladdin's palace. " "His palace ! ' ' exclaimed the Vizier,

284 The Arabian Nights

"is it not in its usual place?" "Go to my window,"
answered the Sultan, "and tell me if thou canst see it."
The Grand Vizier went to the window, where he was
struck with no less amazement than the Sultan had
been. When he was well assured that there was not
the least appearance of the palace, he returned to the
Sultan. "Well," said the Sultan, "hast thou seen
Aladdin's palace?" "Alas," answered the Grand
Vizier, "it has vanished completely! I have always
thought that the edifice, which was the object of thy
admiration, with all its immense riches, was only the
work of magic and a magician."

At these words the Sultan flew into a passion. " Where
is that impostor, that wicked wretch," cried he, "that
I may have his head taken off immediately? Go thou,
bring him to me loaded with chains!" The Grand
Vizier hastened to obey these orders, and commanded
a detachment of horse to meet Aladdin returning from
the chase, and to arrest him, and bring him before the
Sultan.

The detachment pursued their orders, and about
five or six leagues from the city met Aladdin returning
from the chase. Without explanation, they arrested
him, and fastened a heavy chain about his neck, and
one around his body, so that both his arms were pinioned
to his sides. In this state they carried him before the
Sultan, who ordered him to be put to death immediately.
But a multitude of people had followed Aladdin, as
he was led in chains through the city, and they threat-
ened a riot, if any harm should befall him. The Sultan,
terrified at this menace, ordered the executioner to
put up his sabre, to unbind Aladdin, and at the same
time commanded the porters to declare unto the people

The Arabian Nights 285

that the Sultan had pardoned him, and that they might
retire.

When Aladdin found himself at liberty, he turned
towards the Sultan, and said: "I know not what I
have done to lose thy favour! Wilt thou not tell me
what crime I have committed?" "Your crime, perfidi-
ous wretch!" answered the Sultan. "Dost thou not
know it? Where is thy palace? What has become
of the Princess my daughter?" Aladdin looked from
the window and perceiving the empty spot where his
palace had stood, was thrown into such confusion and
amazement, that he could not return one word of
answer. At length breaking the silence he said: "I
know not whither my palace has vanished! Neither
can I tell thee where it may be! Grant me but forty
days in which to make inquiry, and if, at the end of
that time, I have not the success I wish, I will offer
my head at the foot of thy throne, to be disposed of
at thy pleasure." "Go," said the Sultan, "I give
thee the forty days thou askest for, but if thou dost not
find my daughter, thou shalt not escape my wrath.
I will find thee out in whatsoever part of the world
thou mayest conceal theyself , and I will cause thy head
to be struck off!"

Aladdin went out of the Sultan's presence in great
humiliation, and filled with confusion. For three days
he wandered about the city making inquiries, but all
in vain, he could find no trace of the vanished palace.
At last he wandered into the country, and, at the
approach of night, came to the banks of a river, where
he sat down to rest. Clasping his hands in despair
he accidentally rubbed the ring, which the African
magician had placed upon his finger, before he went

2 86 The Arabian Nights

down into the subterranean abode to fetch the precious
lamp. Immediately the same Genie appeared, whom he
had seen in the cave, where the magician had left him.
"What wouldest thou have?" said the Genie, "I am
ready to obey thee as thy slave, and the slave of all
those who have that ring on their fingers, I and the
other slaves of the ring!"

Aladdin, agreeably surprised at an apparition he
so little expected, replied: "Save my life, Genie, by
showing me the place where the palace I caused to be
built now stands, or immediately transport it back
where it first stood." "What thou commandest is not
in my power," answered the Genie, "I am only the slave
of the ring, thou must address thyself to the slave of
the lamp." "If that be the case," replied Aladdin,
"I command thee by the power of the ring, to transport
me to the spot, where my palace stands, in what part
of the world soever it may be, and set me down under
the window of the Princess Badroulboudour."

These words were no sooner out of his mouth, than
the Genie transported him into Africa, to the middle
of a large plain, where his palace stood, and placing
him exactly under the window of the Princess Bad-
roulboudour's apartment, left him. The next morning
when the Princess looked out of her window she per-
ceived Aladdin sitting beneath it. Scarcely believing
her eyes, she opened the window, and motioned to him
to come up. Aladdin hastened to her apartment, and
it is impossible to express the joy of both at seeing
each other, after so cruel a separation.

After embracing and shedding tears of joy, they sat
down, and Aladdin said: "I beg of thee. Princess,
both for thine own sake, and the Sultan thy father's,

The Arabian Nights 287

and mine, tell me what became of an old lamp which
I left upon a shelf in my robing-room, when I departed
for the chase?" "Alas! dear husband," answered the
Princess, "I was afraid our misfortune might be ow-
ing to that lamp, and what grieves me most is that
I have been the cause of it!" "Princess," replied
Aladdin, "do not blame thyself, but tell me what has
happened, and into whose hands it has fallen."

The Princess then related how she had changed the
old lamp for a new, and how the next morning she had
found herself in an unknown country, which she was
told was Africa, by the traitor, who had transported
her hither by his magic arts. She also told how the
wicked magician visited her daily, forcing upon her
his unwelcome attentions, and how he daily tried to
persuade her to take him for a husband in the place
of Aladdin. "And," added the Princess, "he carries
the wonderful lamp carefully wrapped in his bosom,
and this I can assure thee of, because he pulled it out
before me, and showed it to me in triumph."

"Princess," said Aladdin, "this magician is a most
perfidious wretch, and I have here the means to punish
him, and to deliver thee from both thine enemy and
mine. To accomplish this thou must obey my direc-
tions most carefully. When the African magician comes
to-night, place this powder in his cup of wine, offer him
the cup, and he will esteem it so great a favour that he
will not refuse, but will eagerly quaff it off. No sooner
will he have drunk than thou wilt see him fall back-
wards." After the Princess had agreed to the measures
proposed by Aladdin, he took his leave, and spent the
rest of the day in the neighbourhood of the palace till it
was night, and he might safely return by a private door.

2 88 The Arabian Nights

When the evening arrived the magician came at
the usual hour, and as soon as he was seated, the Prin-
cess handed him a cup of wine, in which the powder
had been dissolved. The magician reclined his head
back to show his eagerness, drank the wine to the very
last drop, turned his eyes in his head, and fell to the
floor dead. At a signal from the Princess, Aladdin en-
tered the hall, and he requested her to retire imme-
diately to her own apartment.

When the Princess, her women, and eunuchs, were
gone out of the hall, Aladdin shut the door, and going
to the magician opened his vest, took out the lamp which
was carefully wrapped up, and unfolded and rubbed it,
whereupon the Genie immediately appeared. "Genie,"
said Aladdin, "transport this palace instantly to China,
to the place from whence it was brought hither.'*
The Genie bowed his head in token of obedience, and
disappeared. Immediately the palace was lifted up
and transported to China.

The morning of the return of Aladdin's palace,
the Sultan stood at his window absorbed in grief.
He cast his eyes towards the spot where the palace
had once stood, and which he now expected to find
vacant, but to his surprise and amazement, there
stood Aladdin's palace in all its former grandeur.
He immediately ordered a horse to be saddled and
bridled, and brought to him without delay, which he
mounted that instant, thinking that he could not make
haste enough to reach the palace.

Aladdin received the Sultan at the foot of the great
staircase, helped him to dismount, and led him into
the Princess's apartment. The happy father embraced
her with his face bathed in tears of joy, and the Princess

The Arabian Nights 289

related to him all that had happened to her from the
time the palace was transported to Africa, to the death
of the African magician.

Aladdin ordered the magician's body to be removed,
and in the meantime the Sultan commanded the drums,
trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments of music to
announce his joy to the public, and a festival of ten
days to be proclaimed for the return of the Princess
and Aladdin.

Now the African magician had a younger brother
who was equally skilful in magic, and who surpassed
him in villainy and evil designs. Some time after
the African magician had failed in his enteqDrise against
Aladdin, this younger brother, who had heard no tidings
of him, resorted to his magic arts. He learned that
his brother was no longer living, and that the person
who had caused his death was Aladdin, and he learned
also that Aladdin resided in the capital of the Kingdom
of China.

When the magician had informed himself of his
brother's fate, resolving to revenge his death, he de-
parted for China, where after crossing plains, rivers,
mountains, deserts, and a long tract of country, with-
out delay he arrived after incredible fatigue. As
soon as he came to the capital of China, he went to
the cell of a holy woman, called Fatima, murdered her,
and disguised himself in her habit, he then went im-
mediately to Aladdin's palace, and inquired for the
Princess Badroulboudour. The Princess, who had long
heard of Fatima but had never seen her, was very
desirous to converse with her, and sent four eunuchs
to bring the holy woman. When the magician, who,
under a holy garment, disguised a wicked heart, was

290 The Arabian Nights

introduced into the great hall, and perceived the Prin-
cess, he began a prayer for her health and prosperity,
and that she might have everything she desired. When
the pretended Fatima had finished his long prayer,
the Princess thanked him for his good wishes, and re-
quested him to sit beside her. After some conversation,
the Princess said: "My good mother, I am overjoyed
to have the company of so holy a woman as thyself,
who will bestow a blessing upon this palace. And now
that I am speaking of the palace, pray how dost thou
like it.'' And before I show it to thee tell me first what
thou thinkest of this hall."

Upon this question the counterfeit Fatima affected
to hang down the head, and, at last looking up, sur-
veyed the hall from one end to the other. When he
had examined it well, he said to the Princess: "This
hall is truly admirable and most beautiful; there wants
but one thing! If a Roc's egg were hung in the middle
of the dome, this hall would have no parallel in the
four quarters of the world, and thy palace would be
the wonder of the universe." "My good mother,"
said the Princess, "what bird is a Roc? And where
may one find an egg?" "Princess," replied the pre-
tended Fatima, "the Roc is a bird of prodigious size,
which inhabits the summit of Mount Caucasus. The
architect, who built thy palace, can get thee an egg."

The Princess thanked the False Fatima, and con-
versed with him upon other matters, but could not
forget the Roc's egg, which she resolved to request of
Aladdin, when he returned from hunting. He had been
gone six days, which the magician knew, therefore
he had taken advantage of his absence. The Princess
invited the false Fatima to remain for the night, and

The Arabian Nights 291

scarcely had he retired to the apartment assigned to
him, when Aladdin returned from the chase.

As soon as he arrived he went directly to the Princess's
apartment, saluted and embraced her, but she seemed
to receive him coldly. "My Princess," said he, "has
anything happened during my absence, which has
displeased thee, or given thee trouble.'*" "I have
always believed," answered the Princess, "that our
palace was the most superb, magnificent, and complete
in the world, but I tell thee now what I find fault with,
upon examining the hall of the four and twenty windows.
Dost thou not think that it would be complete if a
Roc's egg were hung up in the midst of the dome?"
"Princess," replied Aladdin, "it is enough that thou
desirest such an ornament. I will supply the deficiency
immediately, for there is nothing which I would not
do for thy sake."

Aladdin left the Princess Badroulboudour that mo^.
ment, and went up into the hall of the four and twenty
windows, where pulling out of his bosom the lamp,
which he now always carried with him, he rubbed it,
upon which the Genie immediately appeared. " Genie,"
said Aladdin, "this hall is imperfect without a Roc's
egg hung up in the midst of the dome. I command
thee, in the name of the lamp, to repair the deficiency."
Aladdin had no sooner uttered these words, than the
Genie gave so loud and terrible a cry, that the hall
shook, and Aladdin could scarcely stand upright.
"What, wretch!" said the Genie, in a voice like thunder,
"is it not enough that I and my companions have done
everything for thee, but thou, ungrateful one, must
command me to bring my master, and hang him up
in the midst of this dome? Well it is that this request

292 The Arabian Nights

does not come from thee, or else I would reduce thee,
thy wife, and thy palace immediately to ashes! Know
then that the true author is the brother of the African
magician, thy enemy. He is now in thy palace, dis-
guised in the habit of the holy woman Fatima, whom he
has murdered, and it is he who suggested to thy wife
to make this pernicious demand. His design is to kill
thee, therefore take care of thyself!" After these
words the Genie disappeared.

Pondering on the words of the Genie, Aladdin re-
turned to the Princess's apartment, and without
mentioning what had happened, requested her to send
for the false Fatima. When the pretended holy woman
entered, he advanced towards Aladdin with his hand
on a dagger, concealed in his girdle under his gown.
Aladdin, observing this, seized his hand before he could
draw his dagger, and pierced him to the heart with a
sword.

"Alas!" cried the Princess in horror, "What hast
thou done! Thou hast killed the holy Fatima!" "No,
my Princess," replied Aladdin, "I have not killed
Fatima, but a villain, who would have assassinated
me, if I had not prevented him. This wicked wretch,"
he added, "is the brother to the African magician!"
Aladdin then ordered the body of the false Fatima to
be removed, and related to the Princess all that had
happened.

Thus was Aladdin delivered from the persecution
of two brothers, who were magicians. Within a few
years the Sultan died in a good old age, and the Princess
Badroulboudour, and her husband Aladdin succeeded
him. They reigned together many years, and left a
numerous and illustrious posterity.

Conclusion

OF THE STORY OF KING SHAHRIAR
AND SHEHERAZADE

SHEHERAZADE during this period of story-
telling had borne the King three handsome
sons, and when she ended these tales, she
kissed the ground before the King, saying:
*'0 King of the age, and incomparable one! Verily I
am thy slave, and during a thousand and one nights
I have related to thee many stories of the people of
former times, then have I any claim upon thy majesty,
that I may request thee to grant me a wish?"

"Request what thou wishest, and thou wilt receive
it, Sheherazade," answered the Eling. So she called
to the nurses and eunuchs, and said: "Bring ye my
children." And they brought them to her quickly.
One of them walked, one crept, and the other was a
little child in arms.

Sheherazade took the little ones, and having placed
them before the King, she said: "0 King of the age,
these are thy children, and I request thee that thou kill
me not as a favour to these infants, for if thou slay me,
these little ones will be without a mother!" And the
King wept, and pressed his children to his bosom, and

293

2 94 The Arabian Nights

said: "O Sheherazade, in the name of Allah, whose name
be exalted, I pardoned thee long ago, because I saw
thee to be womanly, gentle and pious. May Allah
bless thee, and thy father and thy mother and thy root
and thy branch!" So Sheherazade kissed his hands,
and rejoiced with exceeding happiness.

Joy spread through the King's palace, and throughout
the city. And the King conferred upon his Vizier,
the father of Sheherazade, a magnificent robe of honour,
saying: "May Allah protect thee, since thou hast
married me to thy generous daughter! Who hath
made me to repent of slaying the daughters of the
people." Then he conferred robes of honour upon all
his viziers, emirs, and lords of the empire, and gave or-
ders to decorate the city for thirty days. He bestowed
alms upon the poor and needy, and extended his gener-
osity to all his subjects, and to all the people of his
dominions. And he and Sheherazade continued in
prosperity and joy, and delight and happiness until
they were visited by the exterminator of delights and
the separator of companions.

Praise he to Allah, the Mighty, the Omnipotent, the
Strong, the Eminent in power, the Creator of Heaven and
earth, and of the land and the sea!

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