Arabian Nights Read online

  killed when I have heard the end of her story."

  All this time the grand-vizir was in a terrible state of anxiety.

  But he was much delighted when he saw the Sultan enter the council-chamber

  without giving the terrible command that he was expecting.

  The next morning, before the day broke, Dinarzade said to her sister,

  "Dear sister, if you are awake I pray you to go on with your story."

  The Sultan did not wait for Scheherazade to ask his leave.

  "Finish," said he, "the story of the genius and the merchant.

  I am curious to hear the end."

  So Scheherazade went on with the story. This happened every morning.

  The Sultana told a story, and the Sultan let her live to finish it.

  When the merchant saw that the genius was determined to cut off his head,

  he said: "One word more, I entreat you. Grant me a little delay;

  just a short time to go home and bid my wife and children farewell,

  and to make my will. When I have done this I will come back here,

  and you shall kill me."

  "But," said the genius, "if I grant you the delay you ask, I am

  afraid that you will not come back."

  "I give you my word of honour," answered the merchant, "that I

  will come back without fail."

  "How long do you require?" asked the genius.

  "I ask you for a year's grace," replied the merchant. "I promise

  you that to-morrow twelvemonth, I shall be waiting under these trees

  to give myself up to you."

  On this the genius left him near the fountain and disappeared.

  The merchant, having recovered from his fright, mounted his horse

  and went on his road.

  When he arrived home his wife and children received him with the

  greatest joy. But instead of embracing them he began to weep so

  bitterly that they soon guessed that something terrible was the matter.

  "Tell us, I pray you," said his wife, "what has happened."

  "Alas!" answered her husband, "I have only a year to live."

  Then he told them what had passed between him and the genius,

  and how he had given his word to return at the end of a year

  to be killed. When they heard this sad news they were in despair,

  and wept much.

  The next day the merchant began to settle his affairs, and first

  of all to pay his debts. He gave presents to his friends,

  and large alms to the poor. He set his slaves at liberty,

  and provided for his wife and children. The year soon passed away,

  and he was obliged to depart. When he tried to say good-bye he was

  quite overcome with grief, and with difficulty tore himself away.

  At length he reached the place where he had first seen the genius,

  on the very day that he had appointed. He dismounted, and sat

  down at the edge of the fountain, where he awaited the genius in

  terrible suspense.

  Whilst he was thus waiting an old man leading a hind came towards him.

  They greeted one another, and then the old man said to him,

  "May I ask, brother, what brought you to this desert place,

  where there are so many evil genii about? To see these beautiful

  trees one would imagine it was inhabited, but it is a dangerous

  place to stop long in."

  The merchant told the old man why he was obliged to come there.

  He listened in astonishment.

  "This is a most marvellous affair. I should like to be a witness of

  your interview with the genius." So saying he sat down by the merchant.

  While they were talking another old man came up, followed by two black

  dogs. He greeted them, and asked what they were doing in this place.

  The old man who was leading the hind told him the adventure of the

  merchant and the genius. The second old man had not sooner heard

  the story than he, too, decided to stay there to see what would happen.

  He sat down by the others, and was talking, when a third old

  man arrived. He asked why the merchant who was with them looked

  so sad. They told him the story, and he also resolved to see what

  would pass between the genius and the merchant, so waited with the rest.

  They soon saw in the distance a thick smoke, like a cloud of dust.

  This smoke came nearer and nearer, and then, all at once,

  it vanished, and they saw the genius, who, without speaking to them,

  approached the merchant, sword in hand, and, taking him by the arm,

  said, "Get up and let me kill you as you killed my son."

  The merchant and the three old men began to weep and groan.

  Then the old man leading the hind threw himself at the monster's

  feet and said, "O Prince of the Genii, I beg of you to stay

  your fury and to listen to me. I am going to tell you my story

  and that of the hind I have with me, and if you find it more

  marvellous than that of the merchant whom you are about to kill,

  I hope that you will do away with a third part of his punishment?"

  The genius considered some time, and then he said, "Very well,

  I agree to this."

  The Story of the First Old Man and of the Hind

  I am now going to begin my story (said the old man), so please attend.

  This hind that you see with me is my wife. We have no children

  of our own, therefore I adopted the son of a favorite slave,

  and determined to make him my heir.

  My wife, however, took a great dislike to both mother and child,

  which she concealed from me till too late. When my adopted

  son was about ten years old I was obliged to go on a journey.

  Before I went I entrusted to my wife's keeping both the mother

  and child, and begged her to take care of them during my absence,

  which lasted a whole year. During this time she studied magic

  in order to carry out her wicked scheme. When she had learnt enough

  she took my son into a distant place and changed him into a calf.

  Then she gave him to my steward, and told him to look after a calf she

  had bought. She also changed the slave into a cow, which she sent

  to my steward.

  When I returned I inquired after my slave and the child.

  "Your slave is dead," she said, "and as for your son, I have

  not seen him for two months, and I do not know where he is."

  I was grieved to hear of my slave's death, but as my son had only

  disappeared, I thought I should soon find him. Eight months, however,

  passed, and still no tidings of him; then the feast of Bairam came.

  To celebrate it I ordered my steward to bring me a very fat cow to

  sacrifice. He did so. The cow that he brought was my unfortunate slave.

  I bound her, but just as I was about to kill her she began to low

  most piteously, and I saw that her eyes were streaming with tears.

  It seemed to me most extraordinary, and, feeling a movement of pity,

  I ordered the steward to lead her away and bring another. My wife,

  who was present, scoffed at my compassion, which made her malice

  of no avail. "What are you doing?" she cried. "Kill this cow.

  It is the best we have to sacrifice."

  To please her, I tried again, but again the animal's lows and tears

  disarmed me.

  "Take her away," I said to the steward, "and kill her; I cannot."

  The steward killed her, but on skinning her found that she was

  nothing but bones, although she appeare
d so fat. I was vexed.

  "Keep her for yourself," I said to the steward, "and if you have

  a fat calf, bring that in her stead."

  In a short time he brought a very fat calf, which, although I did

  not know it, was my son. It tried hard to break its cord and come

  to me. It threw itself at my feet, with its head on the ground,

  as if it wished to excite my pity, and to beg me not to take away

  its life.

  I was even more surprised and touched at this action than I had

  been at the tears of the cow.

  "Go," I said to the steward, "take back this calf, take great care

  of it, and bring me another in its place instantly."

  As soon as my wife heard me speak this she at once cried out,

  "What are you doing, husband? Do not sacrifice any calf but this."

  "Wife," I answered, "I will not sacrifice this calf," and in spite

  of all her remonstrances, I remained firm.

  I had another calf killed; this one was led away. The next day

  the steward asked to speak to me in private.

  "I have come," he said, "to tell you some news which I think you will

  like to hear. I have a daughter who knows magic. Yesterday, when I

  was leading back the calf which you refused to sacrifice, I noticed

  that she smiled, and then directly afterwards began to cry.

  I asked her why she did so."

  "Father," she answered, "this calf is the son of our master.

  I smile with joy at seeing him still alive, and I weep to think

  of his mother, who was sacrificed yesterday as a cow. These changes

  have been wrought by our master's wife, who hated the mother

  and son."

  "At these words, of Genius," continued the old man, "I leave you

  to imagine my astonishment. I went immediately with the steward

  to speak with his daughter myself. First of all I went to the stable

  to see my son, and he replied in his dumb way to all my caresses.

  When the steward's daughter came I asked her if she could change my

  son back to his proper shape."

  "Yes, I can," she replied, "on two conditions. One is that you

  will give him to me for a husband, and the other is that you will let

  me punish the woman who changed him into a calf."

  "To the first condition," I answered, "I agree with all my heart,

  and I will give you an ample dowry. To the second I also agree,

  I only beg you to spare her life."

  "That I will do," she replied; "I will treat her as she treated

  your son."

  Then she took a vessel of water and pronounced over it some words

  I did not understand; then, on throwing the water over him,

  he became immediately a young man once more.

  "My son, my dear son," I exclaimed, kissing him in a transport of joy.

  "This kind maiden has rescued you from a terrible enchantment,

  and I am sure that out of gratitude you will marry her."

  He consented joyfully, but before they were married, the young girl

  changed my wife into a hind, and it is she whom you see before you.

  I wished her to have this form rather than a stranger one, so that we

  could see her in the family without repugnance.

  Since then my son has become a widower and has gone travelling.

  I am now going in search of him, and not wishing to confide my wife

  to the care of other people, I am taking her with me. Is this not

  a most marvellous tale?

  "It is indeed," said the genius, "and because of it I grant to you

  the third part of the punishment of this merchant."

  When the first old man had finished his story, the second,

  who was leading the two black dogs, said to the genius, "I am

  going to tell you what happened to me, and I am sure that you

  will find my story even more astonishing than the one to which you

  have just been listening. But when I have related it, will you

  grant me also the third part of the merchant's punishment?"

  "Yes," replied the genius, "provided that your story surpasses

  that of the hind."

  With this agreement the second old man began in this way.

  The Story of the Second Old Man, and of the Two Black Dogs

  Great prince of the genii, you must know that we are three brothers--

  these two black dogs and myself. Our father died, leaving us

  each a thousand sequins. With this sum we all three took up

  the same profession, and became merchants. A short time after we

  had opened our shops, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs,

  resolved to travel in foreign countries for the sake of merchandise.

  With this intention he sold all he had and bought merchandise suitable

  to the voyages he was about to make. He set out, and was away

  a whole year. At the end of this time a beggar came to my shop.

  "Good-day," I said. "Good-day," he answered; "is it possible that

  you do not recognise me?" Then I looked at him closely and saw he

  was my brother. I made him come into my house, and asked him how he

  had fared in his enterprise.

  "Do not question me," he replied, "see me, you see all I have.

  It would but renew my trouble to tell of all the misfortunes that

  have befallen me in a year, and have brought me to this state."

  I shut up my shop, paid him every attention, taking him to the bath,

  giving him my most beautiful robes. I examined my accounts, and found

  that I had doubled my capital--that is, that I now possessed two

  thousand sequins. I gave my brother half, saying: "Now, brother,

  you can forget your losses." He accepted them with joy, and we

  lived together as we had before.

  Some time afterwards my second brother wished also to sell his business

  and travel. My eldest brother and I did all we could to dissuade him,

  but it was of no use. He joined a caravan and set out. He came

  back at the end of a year in the same state as his elder brother.

  I took care of him, and as I had a thousand sequins to spare I gave

  them to him, and he re-opened his shop.

  One day, my two brothers came to me to propose that we should make

  a journey and trade. At first I refused to go. "You travelled,"

  I said, "and what did you gain?" But they came to me repeatedly,

  and after having held out for five years I at last gave way.

  But when they had made their preparation, and they began to buy

  the merchandise we needed, they found they had spent every piece

  of the thousand sequins I had given them. I did not reproach them.

  I divided my six thousand sequins with them, giving a thousand to each

  and keeping one for myself, and the other three I buried in a corner

  of my house. We bought merchandise, loaded a vessel with it, and set

  forth with a favorable wind.

  After two months' sailing we arrived at a seaport, where we

  disembarked and did a great trade. Then we bought the merchandise

  of the country, and were just going to sail once more, when I was

  stopped on the shore by a beautiful though poorly dressed woman.

  She came up to me, kissed my hand, and implored me to marry her,

  and take her on board. At first I refused, but she begged so hard

  and promised to be such a good wife to me, that at last I consented.

  I got her some beautiful dresses, and after having married her,

  we embarked and set
sail. During the voyage, I discovered so many

  good qualities in my wife that I began to lover her more and more.

  But my brothers began to be jealous of my prosperity, and set to work

  to plot against my life. One night when we were sleeping they threw

  my wife and myself into the sea. My wife, however, was a fairy,

  and so she did not let me drown, but transported me to an island.

  When the day dawned, she said to me,

  "When I saw you on the sea-shore I took a great fancy to you,

  and wished to try your good nature, so I presented myself in the

  disguise you saw. Now I have rewarded you by saving your life.

  But I am very angry with your brothers, and I shall not rest till I

  have taken their lives."

  I thanked the fairy for all that she had done for me, but I begged

  her not to kill my brothers.

  I appeased her wrath, and in a moment she transported me from

  the island where we were to the roof of my house, and she

  disappeared a moment afterwards. I went down, and opened the doors,

  and dug up the three thousand sequins which I had buried. I went

  to the place where my shop was, opened it, and received from my

  fellow-merchants congratulations on my return. When I went home,

  I saw two black dogs who came to meet me with sorrowful faces.

  I was much astonished, but the fairy who reappeared said to me,

  "Do not be surprised to see these dogs; they are your two brothers.

  I have condemned them to remain for ten years in these shapes."

  Then having told me where I could hear news of her, she vanished.