The Pacha of Many Tales Part 42

The great Youantee spoke from his celestial throne--"Return my thanks to the great khan your master, for his considerate conduct, and tell him, that he well deserves a bride from our celestial empire, but the pearl beyond all price is wedded to the brother of the sun and moon. Any other maiden in our empire shall be sent to him with gifts worthy to be offered by the great Youantee, and worthy to be accepted by the great khan of Tartary. Let it be an edict."

But the Tartar replied, "O great monarch, the great khan my master does not require an edict, but the peerless Chaoukeun. If I return without her, he enters the celestial city, and spares not man, or woman, or child." Then fell at the celestial feet all the princes and mandarins of every cla.s.s, performing solemnly the great _kow tow_, and the chief minister of state spoke thus:--"Lord of the universe, brother of the sun and moon, who governs the world with thine edicts, whose armies are invincible, and numerous as the sands upon the sh.o.r.es of the four seas, listen to thy faithful slaves. Surrender up to this barbarian the pearl beyond all price, so shall we all live to humble ourselves before thee."

And all the princes and mandarins cried out with one voice, "Surrender up the pearl beyond all price." And all the brave generals drew their swords, and waved them in the air, crying out, "Surrender up to this barbarian the pearl beyond all price." And all the army and all the people joined in the request.

Then rose up Youantee in great wrath, and ordered that the prime minister, and all the mandarins, and the princes, and all the generals, and all the army, and all the people, should be disgraced and decapitated forthwith. "Let it be an _edict_." But as there was no one left to put the great Youantee's edict into force, it was not obeyed.

And the brother of the sun and moon perceived that he was in the minority; concealing therefore his bile, he graciously ordered refreshments for the envoy, saying, "Let the dog be fed," and retired to the apartment of the peerless Chaoukeun.

Ti-tum, tilly-lilly, ti-tum, tilly-lilly, ti-tum, ti.

Now the beauteous empress had listened to all which had taken place in the great hall of audience, and she threw herself at the celestial feet, saying, "Let me be sacrificed--it is my destiny. Send your slave to the great khan to do with me as he pleases--I am all submission. They say he is a handsome man, and of great size and strength. It is my destiny."

Then did the great Youantee shed bitter tears at his bitter fate; but he knew it was his destiny--and O destiny, who can resist thee? He wiped his celestial eyes, and leading forth the peerless Chaoukeun, put her into the hands of the barbarian envoy, saying, "I send your master the pearl beyond all price. I have worn her for some time, but still she is as good as new. And now let your master the great khan return, with his hundred thousand warriors, to the confines of our territories, as it was agreed. Thou hearest. It is an edict."

"It is enough that my great master hath given his word, and the great Youantee hath given the pearl beyond all price. There needs not an edict," replied the envoy, departing with the peerless Chaoukeun. Thus was the magnificent Youantee left without a bride.

Now when the envoy had brought the peerless Chaoukeun in a close litter to the tent of the great khan, he forthwith commanded his army to return. Much to the mortification of the peerless damsel, he did not express any curiosity to behold her, but commenced a rapid retreat, and, in a few days, arrived at the confines of the celestial territory, which was separated from the Tartar dominions by an impetuous river. As soon as he had forded the river, he encamped on the other side, and sat down with his generals to a sumptuous feast of horseflesh and qua.s.s. When the liquor had mounted into his brain, he desired that the litter of the pearl beyond price should be brought nigh to his tent, that he might send for her, if so inclined. And the peerless Chaoukeun peeped out of the litter, and beheld the great khan as he caroused; and when she beheld his hairy form, his gleaming eyes, his pug-nose, and his tremendously wide mouth--when she perceived that he had the form and features of a ghoul, or evil spirit, she wrung her hands, and wept bitterly, and all her love returned for the magnificent Youantee.

Now the great khan was drunk with qua.s.s, and he ordered the pearl beyond price to be brought to him, and she replied, trembling, saying, "Tell your lord that I am not fit to appear in his sublime presence until I have washed myself in the river." And those who had charge of her took back her message to the great khan, who replied, "Let her wash, since she is so dirty."

Then was the litter of the peerless Chaoukeun taken down to the banks of the river, and she stood upon a rock which overhung the black waters.

"How callest thou this river?" said she to her attendants.

And they replied, "This river, O princess, divides the territory of Tartary from China, and it is called the river of the Black Dragon."

"Then is the prophecy fulfilled," cried the pearl beyond price. "It is my destiny; and destiny who shall resist?"

She raised up her arms to heaven, and uttering a loud shriek at her unhappy fate, she plunged headlong into the boiling waters and disappeared for ever.

Thus was the prophecy fulfilled. The brother of the sun and moon had wed--beauty had been laid at the golden feet--the pearl beyond price had been found and lost. There had been joy and there had been sorrow in life--and sorrow in death. The Black Dragon had proved the foe to the celestial empire, for it had swallowed up the pearl beyond all price.

Ti-tum, ti-tum, tilly-lilly, tilly-lilly, ti-tum, ti.

The tw.a.n.g of the rude instrument awoke the pacha, who had been fast asleep for some time.

"Is it finished, Mustapha?" said he, rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, your highness; and the destiny foretold was truly accomplished."

"Bismillah! but I'm glad of it. Before he had whined ten minutes, I foretold that I should go to sleep. My destiny has also been accomplished."

"Will your highness foretell the destiny of this dog with two tails?"

"Two tails! that reminds me that we have only had one out of him as yet.

Let's have him again to-morrow, and have another. At all events, we shall have a good nap. G.o.d is great."

VOLUME THREE, CHAPTER FIVE.

"Mustapha," said the pacha, "I feel as the caliph Haroun Alraschid, in the tale of Yussuf, related by _Menouni_, full of care; my soul is weary--my heart is burnt as roast meat."

Mustapha, who had wit enough to perceive that he was to act the part of Giaffar, the vizier, immediately replied, "O pacha! great and manifold are the cares of state. If thy humble slave may be permitted to advise, thou wilt call in the Chinese dog with two tails, who hath as yet repeated but one of his tales."

"Not so," replied the pacha, "I am weary of his eternal ti-tum, tilly-lilly, which yet ringeth in mine ears. What else canst thou propose?"

"Alem penah! refuge of the world, wilt thou be pleased to order out thy troops, and witness their exercise of djireed? The moon is high in the heavens, and it is light as day."

"Not so," replied the pacha; "I am tired of war and all that appertains to it. Let the troops sleep in peace."

"Then, O pacha! will you permit your slave to send for some bottles of the fire-water of the Giaour, that we may drink and smoke until we are elevated to the seven heavens?"

"Nay, good vizier, that is as a last resource, for it is forbidden by the laws of the Prophet. Think once more, and thou must have no more brains than a water-melon, if this time thou proposest not that which will give me ease."

"Thy slave lives but to hear, and hears but to obey," replied Mustapha.

"Then will it please my lord to disguise himself, and walk through the streets of Cairo; the moon is bright, and the hyena prowls not now, but mingles his howlings with those of the jackal afar off."

"Your face is whitened, Mustapha, and it pleaseth us. Let the disguises be prepared, and we will sally forth."

In a short time the disguises were ready, the vizier taking care that they should be those of Armenian merchants, knowing that the pacha would be pleased with the similarity to those worn by the great Alraschid: two black slaves, with their swords, followed the pacha and his vizier at a short distance. The streets were quite empty, and they met with nothing living except here and there a dog preying on the garbage and offal, who snapped and snarled as they pa.s.sed by. The night promised nothing of adventure, and the pacha was in no very good humour, when Mustapha perceived a light through the c.h.i.n.ks of a closed window in a small hovel, and heard the sound of a voice. He peeped through, the pacha standing by his side. After a few seconds the vizier made signs to the pacha to look in. The pacha was obliged to strain his fat body to its utmost alt.i.tude, standing on the tips of his toes to enable his eyes to reach the cranny. The interior of the hovel was without furniture, a chest in the centre of the mud floor appeared to serve as table and repository of every thing in it, for the walls were bare. At the fireplace, in which were a few embers, crouched an old woman, a personification of age, poverty, and starvation. She was warming her shrivelled hands over the embers, and occasionally pa.s.sed one of her hands along her bony arm, saying, "Yes, the time has been--the time has been."

"What can she mean," said the pacha to Mustapha, "by the time has been?"

"It requires explanation," replied the vizier; "this is certain, that it must mean something."

"Thou hast said well, Mustapha; let us knock, and obtain admittance."

Mustapha knocked at the door of the hovel.

"There's nothing to steal, so you may as well go," screamed the old woman; "but," continued she, talking to herself, "the time has been--the time has been."

The pacha desired Mustapha to knock louder. Mustapha applied the hilt of his dagger, and thumped against the door.

"Ay--ay--you may venture to knock now, the sultan's slippers are not at the door," said the old woman; "but," continued she, as before, "the time has been--the time has been."

"Sultan's slippers! and time has been!" cried the pacha. "What does the old hag mean? Knock again, Mustapha."

Mustapha reiterated his blows.

"Ay--knock--knock--my door is like my mouth; I open it when I choose, and I keep it shut when I choose, as once was well known. The time has been--the time has been."

"We have been a long time standing here, and I am tired of waiting; so, Mustapha, I think the time is come to kick the door open. Let it be done."

Whereupon Mustapha put his foot to the door, but it resisted his efforts. "Let me a.s.sist," said the pacha, and retreated a few paces; he and Mustapha backed against the door with all their force. It flew open, and they rolled together on the floor of the hovel. The old woman screamed, and then, jumping on the body of the pacha, caught him by the throat, crying, "Thieves! murder!" Mustapha hastened to the a.s.sistance of his master, as did the two black slaves, when they heard the cries, and with some difficulty the talons of the old Jezebel were disengaged from the throat of the pacha, who, in his wrath, would have immediately sacrificed her. "Lahnet be s.h.i.tan! Curses on the devil!" exclaimed the pacha; "but this is pretty treatment for a pacha."

"Knowest thou, vile wretch, that thou hast taken by the throat, and nearly strangled, the Lord of Life--the pacha himself," said Mustapha.

"Well," replied the old woman coolly, "the time has been--the time has been."

"What meanest thou, cursed hag, that the time has been?"