Fairy Tales from the Arabian Nights Part 8

Prince Ahmed could not long withstand the fairy. 'Madam,' said he, 'G.o.d prolong the sultan my father's life, and bless him to the end of his days. I left him alive, and in perfect health: therefore that is not the cause of the melancholy you perceive in me. The sultan has imposed upon me the disagreeable task of worrying you.

You know the care I have taken, with your approbation, to conceal from him my happiness at home with you. How he has been informed of it I cannot tell.'

Here the fairy Pari Banou interrupted Prince Ahmed, and said, 'But I know. Remember what I told you of the woman who made you believe she was ill, on whom you took so much compa.s.sion. It is she who has acquainted the sultan your father with what you took so much care to hide from him. I told you that she was no more sick than you or I, for, after the two women whom I charged to take care of her had given her the water sovereign against all fevers, which, however, she had no occasion for, she pretended that the water had cured her, and was brought to take leave of me, that she might go sooner to give an account of the success of her undertaking. She was in so much haste that she would have gone away without seeing my palace, if I had not, by bidding my two women show it her, given her to understand that it was worth her seeing. But go on and tell me what is the necessity your father has imposed on you which has made you feel troublesome to me, which I desire you will be persuaded you can never be.'

'Madam,' pursued Prince Ahmed, 'you may have observed that hitherto I have never asked you any favour, for what, after the possession of so kind a wife, can I desire more? I know how great your power is, but I have taken care not to make trial of it. Consider then, I beg you, that it is not me, but the sultan my father, who, indiscreetly, as I think, asks of you a pavilion large enough to shelter him, his court, and his army, from the violence of the weather, when he takes the field, and yet small enough for a man to carry in his hand. Once more remember it is not I, but the sultan my father who asks this favour.'

'Prince,' replied the fairy, smiling, 'I am sorry that so small a matter should disturb you, and make you so uneasy. I see plainly two things have contributed towards it: one is, the law you have imposed upon yourself, to be content with loving me and being beloved by me, and to deny yourself the liberty of asking me the least favour that might try my power. The other, I do not doubt, whatever you may say, was that you thought what your father asked of me was out of my power. As to the first, I commend you for it, and shall love you the better, if possible; and for the second, I must tell you that what the sultan your father asks of me is a trifle; and upon occasion, I can do much more difficult things.

Therefore be easy, and persuaded that, far from feeling worried, I shall always take great pleasure in whatever you can desire me to do for your sake.' Then the fairy sent for her treasurer, to whom she said 'Nourgihan' (which was her name), 'bring me the largest pavilion in my treasury.' Nourgihan returned presently with a pavilion, which could not only be held but concealed in the palm of the hand when it was closed, and presented it to her mistress, who gave it to Prince Ahmed to look at.

When Prince Ahmed saw the pavilion, which the fairy called the largest in her treasury, he fancied she was joking, and his surprise appeared in his face. Pari Banou burst out laughing.

'What! Prince,' cried she, 'do you think I jest with you? You will see presently that I am in earnest. Nourgihan' said she to her treasurer, taking the tent out of Prince Ahmed's hands, 'go and set it up, that the prince may judge whether the sultan his father will think it large enough.'

The treasurer immediately went out from the palace, and carried it to such a distance that when she had set it up one end reached to the palace. The prince, so far from thinking it small, found it large enough to shelter two armies as numerous as that of the sultan his father; and then said to Pari Banou, 'I ask my princess a thousand pardons for my incredulity: after what I have seen, I believe there is nothing impossible to you.'

'You see,' said the fairy, 'that the pavilion is larger than your father may have occasion for; but you are to observe that it becomes larger or smaller, according to the army it is to cover, without being touched.'

The treasurer took down the tent again, reduced it to its first size, and brought it and put it into the prince's hands. He took it, and next day mounted his horse and went with the usual attendants to the sultan his father.

The sultan, who was persuaded that such a tent as he asked for was beyond all possibility, was in great surprise at the prince's diligence. He took the tent and admired its smallness. But when he had set it up in the great plain, and found it large enough to shelter an army twice as large as he could bring into the field, his amazement was so great that he could not recover himself. As he thought this might be troublesome in use, Prince Ahmed told him that its size would always be proportionate to his army.

To outward appearance the sultan expressed great obligation to the prince his son for so n.o.ble a present, desiring him to return his thanks to the fairy Pari Banou; and to show what a value he set on it, he ordered it to be carefully laid up in his treasury. But within himself he became more jealous than ever; considering that by the fairy's a.s.sistance the prince his son might perform things that were infinitely above his own power, notwithstanding his greatness and riches; and, therefore, more intent upon his ruin, he went to consult the magician again, who advised him to request the prince to bring him some of the water of the fountain of lions.

In the evening, when the sultan was surrounded as usual by all his court, and the prince came to pay his respects among the rest, he said to him: 'Son, I have already expressed how much I am obliged to you for the present of the tent you have procured me, which I look upon as the most valuable thing in my treasury; but you must do one thing more for me. I am informed that the fairy your wife makes use of a certain water, called the water of the fountain of lions, which cures all sorts of fevers, even the most dangerous; and as I am perfectly sure that my health is dear to you, I do not doubt that you will ask her for a bottle of that water for me, and bring it me as a sovereign remedy, which I may make use of when I have occasion. Do me this service, and complete the duty of a good son towards a tender father.'

Prince Ahmed, who had believed that the sultan his father would have been satisfied with so singular and useful a tent as that which he had brought, and that he would not have imposed any new task upon him which might hazard the fairy's displeasure; was thunderstruck at this new request, notwithstanding the a.s.surance she had given him of granting him whatever lay in her power. After a long silence, he said, 'I beg of your majesty to be a.s.sured that there is nothing I would not undertake to prolong your life, but I wish it might not be by means of my wife. For this reason I dare not promise to bring the water. All I can do is to a.s.sure you I will ask her; but it will be with as great reluctance as when I asked for the tent.'

The next morning Prince Ahmed returned to the fairy Pari Banou, and related to her sincerely and faithfully all that had pa.s.sed at the sultan his father's court, from the giving of the tent, which he told her he received with the utmost grat.i.tude, to the new request he had charged him to make, and when he had done, he added: 'but, my princess, I only tell you this as a plain account of what pa.s.sed between me and my father. I leave you to your own discretion to gratify or reject this new desire. It shall be as you please.'

'No, no,' replied the fairy Pari Banou, 'whatever advice the magician can give him (for I see that he hearkens to her), he shall find no fault with you or me. There is a great deal of wickedness in this demand, as you will understand by what I am going to tell you. The fountain of lions is situated in the middle of a court of a great castle, the entrance into which is guarded by four fierce lions, two of which sleep while the other two are awake alternately. But let not that frighten you. I will give you means to pa.s.s by them without any danger.'

The fairy Pari Banou was at that time hard at work with her needle; and as she had by her several b.a.l.l.s of thread, she took up one, and presenting it to Prince Ahmed, said, 'First take this ball of thread; I will tell you presently the use of it. In the second place, you must have two horses; one you will ride yourself, and the other you will lead, which must be loaded with a sheep cut into four quarters, and killed to-day. In the third place, you must be provided with a bottle, which I will give you, to bring the water in. Set out early to-morrow morning, and when you have pa.s.sed the iron gate, throw before you the ball of thread, which will roll till it comes to the gates of the castle. When it stops, as the gates will be open, you will see the four lions. The two that are awake will, by their roaring, wake the other two. Be not frightened, but throw each of them a quarter of the sheep, and then clap spurs to your horse, and ride to the fountain. Fill your bottle without alighting, and then return with the same speed. The lions will be so busy eating that they will let you pa.s.s.'

Prince Ahmed set out the next morning at the time appointed by the fairy, and followed her directions carefully. When he arrived at the gates of the castle, he distributed the quarters of the sheep among the four lions, and pa.s.sing through the midst of them with haste, got to the fountain, filled his bottle, and returned as safe and sound as he went. When he was a little distance from the castle gates, he turned round; and perceiving two of the lions coming after him, he drew his sabre, and prepared for defence. But as he went forward, he saw one of them turned off the road, and showed by his head and tail that he did not come to do him any harm, but only to go before him, and that the other stayed behind to follow. He therefore put his sword again into its scabbard. Guarded in this manner he arrived at the capital of the Indies; but the lions never left him till they had conducted him to the gates of the sultan's palace; after which they returned the way they came, though not without frightening all that saw them, who fled or hid themselves, though they walked gently, and showed no signs of fierceness.

A great many officers came to attend the prince while he dismounted, and conducted him to the apartments of the sultan, who was at that time conversing with his favourites. He approached the throne, laid the bottle at the sultan's feet, kissed the rich carpet which covered the footstool, and rising, said, 'I have brought you, sir, the health-giving water which your majesty so much desired to keep in your treasury; but at the same time wish you such health that you may never have occasion to make use of it.'

After the prince had finished speaking, the sultan placed him on his right hand, and then said, 'Son, I am very much obliged to you for this valuable present; also for the great danger you have exposed yourself to upon my account, which I have been informed of by the magician who knows the fountain of lions; but do me the pleasure,' continued he, 'to tell me by what incredible power you have been preserved.'

'Sir,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'I have no share in the compliment your majesty is pleased to make me; all the honour is due to the fairy my wife; I merely followed her good advice.' The sultan showed outwardly all the demonstrations of joy, but secretly became more and more jealous, retired into an inner apartment, and sent for the magician.

After conferring with her, the sultan next day said to the prince, in the midst of all his courtiers, 'Son, I have one thing more to ask of you; after which, I shall expect nothing more from your obedience, nor your influence with your wife. This request is, to bring me a man not above a foot and a half high, whose beard is thirty feet long, who carries upon his shoulders a bar of iron of five hundredweight which he uses as a quarterstaff, and who can speak.'

Prince Ahmed, who did not believe that there was such a man in the world as his father described, would gladly have excused himself; but the sultan persisted in his demand, and told him that the fairy could do more incredible things.

Next day the prince returned to the subterranean kingdom of Pari Banou, to whom he told his father's new demand, which, he said, he looked upon as more impossible than the first two; 'for,' added he, 'I cannot imagine that there is or can be such a man in the world: either he has a mind to try whether I am silly enough to go and seek him; or if there is such a man, he seeks my ruin. How can he suppose that I should get hold of a man so small, armed as he describes? What arms could I make use of to reduce him to submission?'

'Do not affright yourself, prince,' replied the fairy; 'you ran a risk in fetching the water of the fountain of lions for your father; but there is no danger in finding this man. It is my brother, Schaibar, who is so far from being like me, though we both had the same father, that he is of so violent a nature that nothing can prevent his giving gory marks of his resentment for a slight offence; yet, on the other hand, he is so good as to oblige any one in whatever they desire. He is made exactly as the sultan your father has described him; and he has no other arms than a bar of iron five hundred pounds in weight, without which he never stirs, and which makes him respected. I will send for him, and you shall judge of the truth of what I tell you; and prepare not to be frightened when you see him.'

'What! my queen,' replied Prince Ahmed, 'do you say Schaibar is your brother? Let him be ever so ugly or deformed, I shall love and honour him, and consider him as my nearest relation.'

The fairy ordered a gold chafing-dish to be set with a fire in it under the porch of her palace, with a box of the same metal. Taking some incense out of this, and throwing it into the fire, there arose a thick cloud of smoke.

Some moments after, the fairy said to Prince Ahmed, 'Prince, here comes my brother; do you see him?'

The prince immediately perceived Schaibar, who was but a foot and a half high, coming gravely with his heavy bar on his shoulder; his beard, thirty feet long, supported itself before him, and a pair of thick moustaches were tucked up to his ears, almost covering his face: his eyes were very small, like a pig's, and sunk deep in his head, which was of an enormous size, and on which he wore a pointed cap: besides all this, he had a hump behind and before.

If Prince Ahmed had not known that Schaibar was Pari Banou's brother, he would not have been able to look at him without fear; but knowing beforehand who he was, he waited for him with the fairy, and received him without the least concern.

Schaibar, as he came forward, looked at the prince with an eye that might have chilled his soul in his body, and asked Pari Banou who that man was.

To which she replied: 'He is my husband, brother; his name is Ahmed; he is son to the Sultan of the Indies. The reason why I did not invite you to my wedding was that I was unwilling to divert you from the expedition you were engaged in, and from which I heard with pleasure that you returned victorious; on his account I have taken the liberty now to send for you.'

At these words, Schaibar, looking at Prince Ahmed with a favourable eye, which however diminished neither his fierceness nor his savage look, said, 'Is there anything, sister, in which I can serve him?

he has only to speak. It is enough for me that he is your husband.'

'The sultan his father,' replied Pari Banou, 'has a curiosity to see you, and I desire he may be your guide to the Sultan's court.'

'He need but lead the way; I will follow him,' replied Schaibar.

'Brother,' replied Pari Banou, 'it is too late to go to-day, therefore stay till to-morrow morning; and in the meantime, as it is desirable that you should know all that has pa.s.sed between the Sultan of the Indies and Prince Ahmed since our marriage, I will tell you this evening.'

Next morning, after Schaibar had been informed of all that was proper for him to know, he set out with Prince Ahmed, who was to present him to the sultan. When they arrived at the gates of the capital, the people no sooner saw Schaibar than they ran and hid themselves in their shops and houses, and shut their doors; while others took to their heels, and communicated their fear to all they met, who did not wait to look behind them, but ran too; insomuch that Schaibar and Prince Ahmed, as they went along, found all the streets and squares deserted, till they came to the palace, where the porters, instead of preventing Schaibar from entering, also ran away; so that the prince and he advanced without any obstacle to the council-hall, where the sultan was seated on his throne giving audience. Here likewise the officers, at the approach of Schaibar, abandoned their posts.

Schaibar, carrying his head erect, went fiercely up to the throne, without waiting to be introduced by Prince Ahmed, and accosted the Sultan of the Indies in these words:

'You have asked for me, see, here I am: what do you want with me?'

The sultan, instead of answering, clapt his hands before his eyes, and turned away his head, to avoid the sight of so terrible an object. Schaibar was so much provoked at this uncivil and rude reception, after the Sultan had given him the trouble to come so far, that he instantly lifted up his iron bar, and saying, 'Speak then,' let it fall on his head, and killed him before Prince Ahmed could intercede in his behalf. All that he could do was to prevent his killing the grand vizier, who sat not far from him on his right hand, representing to him that he had always given the sultan his father good advice.

'These are they then,' said Schaibar, 'who gave him bad advice;'

and as he p.r.o.nounced these words, he killed all the other viziers on the right and left, flatterers and favourites of the sultan, who were Prince Ahmed's enemies. Every time he struck, he killed some one or other, and none escaped but they who, not rendered motionless by fear, saved themselves by flight.

When this terrible execution was over, Schaibar came out of the council-hall into the midst of the court-yard with the iron bar on his shoulder, and looking at the grand vizier, who owed his life to Prince Ahmed, he said, 'I know there is a certain sorceress, who is a greater enemy of the prince my brother-in-law than all those base favourites I have chastised; let her be brought to me at once.' The grand vizier immediately sent for her, and as soon as she was brought, Schaibar said, knocking her down with his iron bar, 'Take the reward of thy pernicious counsel, and learn to feign illness again:' and left her dead on the spot.

After this he said, 'This is not enough; I will treat the whole city in the same manner, if they do not immediately acknowledge Prince Ahmed my brother-in-law for their sultan, and Sultan of the Indies.' Then all that were present made the air ring with the repeated acclamations of 'Long life to Sultan Ahmed'; and immediately afterwards he was proclaimed throughout the whole town Schaibar made him be clothed in the royal vestments, installed him on the throne, and after he had made all do homage and fidelity to him, went and fetched his sister Pari Banou, whom he brought with great pomp, and made her acknowledged Sultaness of the Indies.

As for Prince Ali and Princess Nouronnihar, as they had no hand in the conspiracy against Prince Ahmed, nor knew of any such conspiracy, Prince Ahmed a.s.signed them a considerable province, with its capital, where they spent the rest of their lives.

Afterwards he sent an officer to Prince Houssain to acquaint him with the change, and to make him an offer of whichever province he liked best; but that prince thought himself so happy in his solitude that he bade the officer return the Sultan his brother thanks for his kindness, a.s.suring him of his submission; and saying that the only favour he desired was leave to live retired in the place he had made choice of for his retreat.

PRINCE CAMARALZAMAN AND THE PRINCESS OF CHINA.

About twenty days' sail from the coast of Persia, in the Islands of the Children of Khaledan, there lived a king who had an only son, Prince Camaralzaman. He was brought up with all imaginable care; and when he came to a proper age, his father appointed him an experienced governor and able tutors. As he grew up he learned all the knowledge which a prince ought to possess, and acquitted himself so well that he charmed all that saw him, and particularly the sultan his father.