The Arabian Nights Entertainments by Anonymous (best books to read .txt) 📕

After the old man and his slaves were gone with the vessel, I was left alone upon the island. I lay that night in the subterranean dwelling, which they had shut up; and when the day came, I walked round the isle, and stopped in such places as I thought most proper to repose in when I had need.

I led this wearisome life for a month together; after which I perceived the sea to be mightily fallen, the island to be much larger, and the main-land seemed to be drawing nearer me. In effect, the water grew so low, that there was but a small stream between me and the Terra Firma. I crossed it, and the water did not come above the middle of my leg. I marched so long upon the slime and sands that I was very weary; at last I got upon firm ground, and, when at a good distance from the sea, I saw a good way before me somewhat like a great fire, which gave me some comfort, for I said to myself, I shall find somebody or other, it not being possible that this fire should kindle of itself; but when I came nearer, I found my error, and saw that what I had taken to be fire was a castle of red copper, which the beams of the sun made look, at a distance, as if it had been in flames.

I stopped near the castle, and sat down to admire its admirable structure, and to rest a while. I had not taken such a full view of this magnificent building, as it deserved, when I saw ten handsome young men coming along as if they had been taking a walk; but that which most surprised me was, that they were all blind of the right eye; they accompanied an old man, who was very tall, and of a venerable aspect.

I could not but wonder at the sight of so many half-blind men all together, and every one of the same eye. As I was thinking in my mind by what adventure all these could come together, they came up to me, and seemed to be mighty glad to see me. After the first compliments were passed, they inquired what had brought me hither? I told them my story would be somewhat tedious, but, if they would take the trouble to sit down, I would satisfy their request. They did so, and I related unto them all that had happened unto me since I left my kingdom, which filled them with astonishment.

After I had ended my discourse, the young gentlemen prayed me to go with them into the castle; I accepted the proffer, and we passed through a great many halls, antichambers, bedchambers, and closets, very well furnished, and arrived at last in a spacious hall, where there were ten small blue sofas set round, and separate from each other, upon which they sat by day, and slept by night. In the middle of this round there stood an eleventh sofa, not so high as the rest, but of the same colour, upon which the old man before mentioned sat down, and the young gentlemen made use of the other ten, whereas each sofa could only contain one man. One of the young men says to me, Comrade, sit down upon that carpet in the middle of the room, and do not inquire into any thing that concerns us, nor the reason why we are all blind of the right eye; be content with what you see, and let not your curiosity go any further.

The old man, having sat a little while, rose up, and went out; but he returned in a minute or two, brought in supper for the ten gentlemen, distributed to each man his proportion by himself, and likewise brought me mine, which I ate by myself, as the rest did, and when supper was almost done, he presented to each of us a cup of wine.

They thought my story so extraordinary, that they made me repeat it after supper, and this gave occasion to discourses which lasted a good part of the night. One of the gentlemen, observing that it was late, said to the old man, You see it is time to go to bed, and you do not bring us that with which we may acquit ourselves of our duty. At these words the old man rose, and went into a closet, from whence he brought out upon his head ten basons, one after another, all covered with blue stuff: He set one before every gentleman, together with a light.

They uncovered their basons, in, which there were ashes, coal- dust, and lamp-black; they mixed all together, and rubbed and bedaubed their faces with it in such a manner, that they looked very frightful. After having thus blackened themselves, they fell a-weeping and lamenting, beating their heads and breasts, and cried continually, This is the fruit of our idleness and debauches.

They continued this almost the whole night, and when they left off, the old man brought them water, with which they washed their faces and hands; they also changed their clothes, which were spoiled, and put on others; so that they did not look in the least as if they had been doing so strange an action.

You may judge, Madam, how uneasy I was all the while; I had a mind a thousand times to break the silence which these young gentlemen had imposed upon me, and ask questions; nor was it possible for me to sleep that night.

After we got up next day, we went out to walk, and then I told them, Gentlemen, I declare to you that I must renounce that law which you prescribed to me last night, for I cannot observe it. You are men of sense, and all of you have wit in abundance; you have convinced me of it, yet I have seen you do such actions, as none but madmen could be capable of. Whatever misfortune befals me, I cannot forbear asking, why you bedaubed your faces with black? How it comes that each of you have but one eye? Some singular thing must have been the cause of it, therefore I conjure you to satisfy my curiosity. To these pressing instances they answered nothing, but that it was none of my business to ask such questions, and that I should do well to hold my peace.

We passed that day in discourses upon different subjects, and when night was come, and every man had supped, the old man brought in the blue basons, and the young gentlemen bedaubed their faces, wept, and beat themselves, crying, This is the fruit of our idleness and debauches, as before, and continued the same actions the following night. At last, not being able to resist my curiosity, I earnestly prayed them to satisfy me, or to show me how to return to my own kingdom, for it was impossible for me to keep them company any longer, and to see every night such an odd spectacle, without being permitted to know the reason.

One of the gentlemen answered in behalf of the rest, Do not wonder at our conduct in regard to yourself; and that hitherto we have not granted your request; it is out of mere kindness, and to prevent the sorrow of your being reduced to the same condition with us. If you have a mind to try our unfortunate destiny, you need but speak, and we will give you the satisfaction you desire. I told them I was resolved on it, let come what will. Once more, said the same gentleman, we advise you to restrain your curiosity; it will cost you the loss of your right eye. No matter, said I; I declare to you, that if such a misfortune befal me, I will not impute it to you, but to myself. He further represented to me, that when I had lost an eye, I must not hope to stay with them, if I were so minded, because their number was complete, and no addition could be made to it. I told them, that it would be a great satisfaction to me never to part from such honest gentlemen, but, if there was necessity for it, I was ready to submit; and, let it cost what it would, I begged them to grant my request.

The ten gentlemen, perceiving that I was positive in my resolution, took a sheep and killed it, and, after they had taken off the skin, presented me with the knife, telling me it would be useful to me on a certain occasion, which they should tell me of presently. We must sew you into this skin, said they, and then leave you; upon which a fowl of monstrous size, called a roc, will appear in the air, and, taking you to be a sheep, will come down upon you, and carry you up to the very sky; but let not that frighten you, he will come down again with you, and lay you upon the top of a mountain. When you find yourself upon the ground, cut the skin with the knife, and throw it off. As soon as the roc sees you, he will fly away for fear, and leave you at liberty. Do not stay, but walk on till you come to a prodigious castle, all covered with plates of gold, large emeralds, and other precious stones: Go up to the gate, which always stands open, and walk in: We have been in the castle as long as we have been here: We will tell you nothing of what we saw, or what befel us there, because you will learn it yourself; all that we can inform you is, that it has cost each of us our right eye, and the penance which you have been witness to is what we are obliged to do, because we have been there. The history of each of us in particular is so full of extraordinary adventures, that a large volume would not contain them; but we must explain ourselves no further.

When the gentleman had ended this discourse, I wrapt myself in the sheep's skin, held fast the knife which was given me; and after those young gentlemen had been at the trouble to sew the skin about me, they retired into the hall, and left me on the place. The roc they had spoken of was not long a-coming; he fell down upon me, took me up between his talons like a sheep, and carried me to the top of the mountain. When I found myself upon the ground, I made use of the knife, cut the skin, and throwing it off, the roc at the first sight of me flew away. This roc is a white bird of a monstrous size; his strength is such that he can lift up elephants from the plains, and carry them to the tops of mountains, where he feeds upon them. Being impatient till I reached the castle, I lost no time, but made so much haste, that I got thither in half a day's journey, and I must say, that I found it surpassed the description they had given me of it. The gate being open, I entered into a court that was square, and so large, that there were round it ninety-nine gates of wood of sanders and aloes, with one of gold, without counting those of several magnificent stair-cases that led up to apartments above, besides many more I could not see. The hundred doors I spoke of opened into gardens or store-houses full of riches, or into palaces that contained things wonderful to be seen. I saw a door standing open just before me, through which I entered into a large hall, where I found forty voung ladies of such perfect beauty, that imagination could not go beyond it; they were all most sumptuously apparelled; and as soon as they saw me, they rose up, and, without expecting my compliments, said to me, with demonstrations of joy, Noble sir, you are very welcome. And one spoke to me in the name of the rest thus: We have been in expectation a long while of such a gentleman as you; your mien assures us that you are master of all the good qualities we can wish for, and we hope you will not find our company disagreeable or unworthy of yours. They forced me, notwithstanding all the opposition I could make, to sit down on a seat that was higher than theirs, and though I signified that I was uneasy. That is your place, said they;