Aunt Judy's Tales Part 20

"His riches were unlimited, his palaces magnificent, and his dresses and jewels of the most costly description. He never condescended to wear a diamond unless it was inconveniently large for his fingers, and the fiery opals which adorned his turban (like those in the mineral-room at the British Museum) shimmered and blazed in such a surprising manner, that people were obliged to lower their eyes before the light of them.

"Powerful as well as rich, King Schelim could have anything in the world he wished for, but--such is the perversity of human nature--he cared very little for anything except smoking his pipe; of which, to say the truth, he was so fond, that he would have been well contented to have done nothing else all day long. It seemed to him the nearest approach to the sublimest of all ideas of human happiness--the having NOTHING TO DO.

"He caused his four sons to be brought up in luxurious ease, his wish for them being, that they should remain ignorant of pain and sorrow for as long a period of their lives as was possible. So he built a palace for them, at the summit of one of his beautiful hills, where nothing disagreeable or distressing could ever meet their eyes, and he gave orders to their attendants, that they should never be thwarted in anything.

"Every wish of their hearts, therefore, was gratified from their baby days; but so far from being in consequence the happiest, they were the most discontented children in his dominions.

"From the first year of their birth, King Schelim had never been able to smoke his pipe in peace. There were always messages coming from the royal nursery to the smoking-room, asking for something fresh for the four young princes, who were, owing to some mysterious cause, incapable of enjoying any of their luxurious indulgences for more than a few hours together.

"At first these incessant demands for one thing or another for the children, surprised and annoyed their papa considerably, but by degrees he got used to it, and took the arrival of the messengers as a matter of course.

"The very nurses began it:-

"'May it please your Majesty, the young princes, your Majesty's incomparable sons--may their shadows never be less!--are tired of their jewelled rattles, and have thrown them on the floor. Doubtless they would like India-rubber rings with bells better.'

"'Then get them India-rubber rings with bells,' was all King Schelim said, and turned to his pipe again.

"And so it went on perpetually, until one day it came to, -

"'May it please your Majesty, the young princes, your Majesty's incomparable sons--may their shadows never be less!--have thrown their hobbyhorses into the river, and want to have live ponies instead.'

"At the first moment the king gave his usual answer, 'Then get them live ponies instead,' from a sort of mechanical habit, but the words were scarcely uttered when he recalled them. This request awoke even his sleepy soul out of its smoke-dream, and inquiring into the ages of his sons, and finding that they were of years to learn as well as to ride, he dismissed their nurses, placed them in the hands of tutors, and procured for them the best masters of every description.

"'For,' said he, 'what saith the proverb? "Kings govern the earth, but wise men govern kings." My sons shall be wise as well as kingly, and then they can govern themselves.'

"And after settling this so cleverly, King Schelim resumed his pipe, in the confident hope, that now, at last, he should smoke it in peace.

"'For,' said he, 'when my sons shall become wise through learning, they will be more moderate in their desires.'

"I do not know whether his Majesty's incomparable sons relished this change from nurses to tutors, but on that particular point they were allowed no choice; so if they bemoaned themselves in their palace on the hill, their father knew nothing of it.

"And to soften the disagreeableness of the restraint which learning imposes, King Schelim gave more strict orders than ever, that, provided the young gentlemen only learnt their lessons well, every whim that came into their heads should be complied with soon as expressed.

"In spite of all his ingenious arrangements, however, the royal father did not enjoy the amount of repose he expected. All was quiet enough during lesson-hours, it is true; but as soon as ever that period had elapsed, the young princes became as restless as ever.

Nay--the older they grew, the more they wanted, and the less pleased they became with what was granted.

"From very early days of the tutorship, the old story began:-

"'May it please your Majesty, the young princes, your Majesty's incomparable sons--may their shadows never be less!--are tired of their ponies, and want horses instead.'

"The king was a little disappointed at this, and actually laid down his pipe to talk.

"'Is anything the matter with the ponies?' he asked.

"'May it please your Majesty, no; only that your incomparable sons call them SLOW.'

"'Spirited lads!' thought the king, quite consoled, and gave the answer as usual:-

"'Then get them horses instead.' But when only a few days afterwards he was informed that his incomparable sons had wearied of their horses, because they also were 'slow,' and wished to ride on elephants instead, his Majesty began to feel disturbed in mind, and wonder what would come next, and how it was that the teaching of the tutors did not make his sons more moderate in their desires.

"'Nevertheless,' said he, 'what saith the proverb, "Thou a man, and lackest patience?" And again,

"Early ripe, early rotten, Early wise, soon forgotten."

My sons are but children yet.'

"After which reflection he returned to his pipe as before, and disturbed himself as little as possible, when messenger after messenger arrived, to announce the fresh vagaries of the young princes.

"It is impossible to enumerate all the luxuries, amus.e.m.e.nts, and delights, they asked for, obtained, and wearied of during several years. But the longer it went on, the more hardened and indifferent their father became.

"'For,' said he, 'what saith the proverb? "The longest lane turns at last." At last my sons will have everything man can wish for, and then they will cease from asking, and I shall smoke my pipe in peace.'

"One day, however, the messenger entered the royal smoking-room in a greater hurry than ever, and was about to commence his usual elaborate peroration respecting the incomparable sons, when his Majesty held up his hand to stop him, and called out:-

"'What is it now?'

"'May it please your Majesty, your Majesty's in--'

"'What is it they WANT?' cried the king, interrupting him.

"'May it please your Majesty, SOMETHING TO DO.'

"'Something to do?' repeated the perplexed king of the hills; 'something to do, when half the riches of my empire have been expended upon providing them with the means of doing everything in the world that was delightful to the soul of man?

"'Surely, oh son of a dog, thou art laughing at my beard, to come to me with such a message from my sons.'

"'Nevertheless, may it please your Majesty, I have spoken but the truth. Your Majesty's in--'

"'Hush with that nonsense,' interrupted the king.

"'Your Majesty's sons, in fact, then, have sickened and pined for three mortal days, because they have got NOTHING TO DO.'

"'Now, then, my sons are mad!' exclaimed poor King Schelim, laying down his pipe, and rising from his rec.u.mbent position; 'and it is time that I bestir myself.'

"And thereupon he summoned his attendants, and sent for the royal Hakim, that is to say, physician; and the most learned and experienced Dervish, that is to say, religious teacher of the neighbourhood.

"'For,' said he, 'who knows whether this sickness is of the body or the soul?'

"And having explained to them how he had brought up his children, the indulgences with which he had surrounded them, the learning which he had had instilled into them, and the way in which he had preserved them from every annoying sight and sound, he concluded:-

"'What more could I have done for the happiness of my children than I have done, and how is it that their reason has departed from them, so that they are at a loss for something to do? Speak one or other of you and explain.'

"Then the Dervish stepped forward, and opening his mouth, began to make answer.

"'And,' said he, 'oh King of the Hills, in the bringing up of thy sons, surely thou hast forgotten the proverb which saith, "He that would know good manners, let him learn them from him who hath them not." For even so may the wise man say of happiness, "He that would know he is happy, must learn it from him who is not." But again, doth not another proverb say, "Will thy candle burn less brightly for lighting mine?" Wherefore the happiness which a man has, when he has discovered it, he is bound to impart to those that have it not. Have I spoken well?'