Eastern Tales by Many Story Tellers Part 44

Of what chapter in my book do you wish to understand the text or the explanation?"

The book, of which this man seemed to speak, was a small square plank of cedar, on which there were no characters. Giafar asked what book it was.

"What! do you not distinguish in these characters the finger of G.o.d, and the inspiration of the angel Gabriel? A Mussulman not know the divine Koran, nor discover in him who presents it, according as he was inspired, the great prophet Mahomet!"

Upon this exclamation, the Vizier rose up and withdrew.

Having joined the Caliph, "Commander of the Faithful," said he, "I have been forced to abandon my project. The man whom I have left makes me tremble at his blasphemy: he says he is the Great Prophet."

"It is not certain that he blasphemes," replied the Caliph: "every man may call himself a prophet, provided he proves his mission by miracles. Go and ask him concerning this point."

Giafar obeyed, and returned to his place.

"If you are Mahomet," said he to the old madman, "who has put you in a place like this?"

"My ungrateful people," replied the pretended prophet. "They would not believe in me, and this has vexed rather than surprised me, for they scarcely believe in Allah."

"But a prophet proves his mission by miracles. Why have you wrought none?"

"My people should first have demanded them from me; but they were afraid of being convinced: they seek to believe nothing."

"You could work miracles, then?"

"Do you doubt the power of Mahomet?"

"Work them immediately."

"Your request shall not be refused. Ascend to the top of this spire by this outer stair, and throw yourself down from it without hesitation.

When you are at the earth, though you were in a thousand pieces, with one word I will set you upon your feet, straighter and with a better carriage than you now have."

"I would rather," said Giafar as he was going away, "believe you a prophet than oblige you to prove yourself one."

He came and gave the Caliph an account of the proposal which had been made to him.

"You can learn very little," said Haroun to him, "for you will make no trial."

"If any one wishes to be instructed in this matter," replied Giafar, "the man and the tower are there, he may try the adventure--I will not be jealous of his success."

The conversation of the Prince and his ministers was a little interrupted by some persons who accosted them. One of them was Caliph, and came to propose Haroun's quitting his habit of dervish, and accepting the place of Vizier. He intended to clothe him in a magnificent robe: it was an old piece of stuff, full of holes, dirty, and devoured by vermin. Another, with a basket full of nut-sh.e.l.ls, came to sell him confections.

These short and public scenes did not answer the design of Haroun, nor the purpose of the agreement into which he had entered with his ministers. It was his turn to go into a cell, where, like his two companions in adventure, he might have a private conversation. He pa.s.sed near one, which appeared larger and better furnished than the rest. A young man, of a soft and engaging figure, was sitting upon a sofa, and appeared to be in deep melancholy: he held in his hand the Koran. The Caliph accosted and saluted him, addressing him in that kind and familiar tone which the robe of a dervish authorized him to a.s.sume.

"Young man," said he, "why is a man so rational as you appear to be, to be found among mad people?"

At this question, the young man shut his book, modestly opened his eyes, looked at the dervish, and answered him: "All the actions of my life have not been rational; I have given reason for the abuse which is now made of power in keeping me here."

"And could not I," said the dervish, "learn from you your history, when you appear to be so well qualified for giving it?"

"Pious dervish," answered the young man, "were you the Caliph, I would persuade you to sit down by me, and I would open to you my heart.

Every day do I beseech G.o.d to send me this equitable Prince; but it would serve no purpose to have any other confidant. You see here a victim of his Grand Vizier Giafar, by whose orders I was brought hither, for a reason which appeared well founded; but I can declare that there is no reason why I should be still detained; and without the support of religion, I should sink under the weight of my misfortune and the horror of my situation."

The Caliph was greatly astonished to hear so reasonable and connected a discourse. He called Giafar and Mesrour, and repeated what he had heard. The Grand Vizier attentively considered the young man, and a.s.sured the Caliph that the prisoner and his history were totally unknown to him. Haroun's curiosity grew stronger, and made him anxious to hear his history. He entered the cell with that freedom which dervishes generally use, and sat down beside the supposed victim of Giafar's orders.

"Unfortunate young man," said he to him, "you know that people of my character have many privileges, and especially that of approaching the great, and of speaking to them the truth. The Commander of the Faithful is to us of all men the easiest of access: depend upon my zeal; it may be possible for me to serve you; you will entrust your misfortunes to a prudent ear, and to a soul truly charitable."

The young man again sighed, mused a short time, shed some tears, and thus began his history:

"My name is Halechalbe, and my father is syndic of the trade of Bagdad. One evening he invited to supper the princ.i.p.al merchants in the city, each of whom brought with him his eldest son. After the repast, which was plentiful and gay, the guests began to converse concerning the disposal of their children.

"One had sent his son to a foreign counting-house; another had entrusted to his a vessel full of merchandise; a third had given up a certain branch of his trade; in short, it appeared from what I heard, that all my contemporaries were either advantageously placed or settled in life. After fully discoursing of these different arrangements, the company retired.

"Remaining behind with my father, I observed to him, that though the son of the first in our profession, I alone was unemployed. He allowed the force of the observation, and proposed that I should open a warehouse of whatever goods I chose, in one of the quarters of Bagdad.

"This proposal was agreeable to my inclination for trade and independence. I accepted it; and next day was put into possession of a large a.s.sortment of the most beautiful Persian and Indian stuffs. I had slaves who were skilled in trade, and who relieved me of the troublesome part of the business.

"Being surrounded during the day with all the n.o.bility of Bagdad, with whom I had an opportunity of getting acquainted, I returned in the evening to my father's house. In the management of my business I led a very active and busy life--a life, in short, agreeable to my own taste. My father often visited me in my shop, and was pleased to see the concourse of virtuosi and customers of both s.e.xes. He never received anything uncommon from abroad but he was happy to send it to me; the manager of his own trade had orders to that purpose.

"I was one day surrounded with a great many people in my counting-house, when two women of a fine external appearance came in.

Civility made the other customers give place; and one of the two women put aside her veil sufficiently to discover charms which dazzled the sight.

"They sat down upon a sofa, asked for the richest stuffs, bargained with me, and bought them for three thousand crowns. By this bargain, from calculation, I was a gainer of five hundred crowns. The goods were folded up, and, by the orders of one of the women who appeared mistress, were carried away by slaves. I was preparing to hold out my hand for payment, when the young lady began to speak.

"'Halechalbe,' said she to me, 'I have brought no money with me; but be not uneasy about what is owing to you: I will return in a few days and bring it with me, at which time I intend to make very considerable purchases from you.'

"'The other woman then spoke.

"'Madam,' said she, 'do you speak to a son of the chief of trade, a man of acknowledged opulence, and whose worth is known to the Caliph himself, as if you supposed that he would not reckon it an honour to give so trifling a credit to a lady like you?'

"The discourse of this woman, the impression made upon me by the beautiful eyes of her mistress, in consequence of the derangement of her veil, and my natural timidity, prevented me not only from venturing to ask payment, but even from insisting to know the name of the lady to whom I gave credit. She left me, after saluting me in a very graceful manner; and I remained at my door, fixed like a post, without taking the precaution to cause a slave to follow her, and observe the place of her abode.

"When I was alone, the imprudence of which I had been guilty presented itself to my mind in the strongest colours. To whom had I given my goods? Could I forget, after the lessons I had received from my father, that Bagdad swarmed with adventurers, who could appear in any form and a.s.sume any tone? Everything, even the beautiful eyes which she had allowed me to see, then became suspicious. I believed myself cheated out of my goods, and returned to my father's house, trembling for the reproaches which I thought I had brought upon myself.

"My mother soon perceived my distress. She well knew how to draw from me a confession of the cause, and endeavoured, as much as she could, to calm my apprehensions.

"'The merchant who knows not how to lose,' said she, 'deserves not to gain. If you are embarra.s.sed in your accounts with your father, my purse will supply the defect.'

"I returned next day to my shop, hurt at being duped and at the loss which I had sustained. I had some hopes, however, that the lady would return; but the evening came, and she had not made her appearance.

This unhappy day was followed by two others of the same kind, and my mother saw my distress increase, without being able to give it any relief.

"In vain did she tell me that she would supply this loss out of her own purse, and that I should consider what had happened to me as a useful misfortune, for it was only by experience that man could learn wisdom.

"All her discourses were in vain: nothing could console me for having allowed myself to be cheated by a pair of fine eyes, by mere compliment and show; my vanity, which was hurt, tormented my soul.

"On the fourth day the unknown lady at last came to my shop, and threw a large purse upon my counter.

"'Fair young man,' said she, 'I bring you your money; see if the account is right.'

"At this desirable and unexpected sight my fears and anxieties vanished, and I felt myself suddenly recover new life.