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

As soon as I was able to walk and go abroad, I resolved to go to the house which was my own by my first husband, but I could not find the place. My second husband, in the heat of his wrath, was not content to have it razed to the ground, but caused all the street where it stood to be pulled down. I believe such a violent proceeding was never heard of before; but against whom should I make my complaint? The author had taken such care, that he was not to be found, neither could I know him again if I saw him; and suppose I had known him, is it not easily seen that the treatment I met with proceeded from absolute power? How then dared I make any complaints.

Being destitute and unprovided of every thing, I had recourse to my dear sister Zobeide, who gave your majesty just now an account of her adventures; to her I made known my misfortune; she received me with her accustomed goodness, and advised me to bear it with patience. This is the way of the world, said she, which either robs us of our means, our friends, or our lovers, and oftentimes of all at once; and at the same time, to confirm what she had said, she gave me an account of the loss of the young prince, occasioned by the jealousy of her two sisters; she told me also by what accident they were transformed into bitches; and, in the last place, after a thousand testimonials of her love towards me, she showed me my youngest sister, who had likewise taken sanctuary wish her after the death of her mother.

Thus we gave God thanks, who had brought us together again, resolving to live a single life, and never to separate any more, for we have enjoyed this peaceable way of living many years; and as it was my business to mind the affairs of the house, I always took pleasure to go myself, and buy in what we wanted. I happened to go abroad yesterday, and the things I bought I caused to be brought home by a porter, who proved to be a sensible and jocose fellow, and we kept him by us for a little diversion. Three calenders happened to come to our door as it began to grow dark, and prayed us to giye them shelter until next morning: we gave them entrance upon certain conditions, to which they agreed; and after we had made them sit down at the table by us, they gave us a concert of music after their fashion, and at the same time we heard a knocking at our gate. These were the three merchants of Moussol, men of a very good mien, who begged the same favour which the calenders had obtained before: we consented upon the same conditions, but neither of them kept their promise; and though we had power as well as justice on our side to punish them, yet we contented ourselves with demanding from them the history of their lives, and consequently bounded our revenge with dismissing them after they had done, and depriving them of the lodging they demanded.

The caliph Haroun Alraschid was very well satisfied with these strange stories, and declared publicly his astonishment at what he had heard. Having satisfied his curiosity, he thought himself obliged to give some marks of grandeur and generosity to the calender princes, and also to give the three ladies some proofs of his bounty. He himself, without making use of his minister the grand vizier, said to Zobeide, Madam, did not this fairy, that showed herself to you in the shape of a serpent, and imposed such a rigorous command upon you, tell you where her place of abode was? or rather did she not promise to see you, and restore those bitches to their natural shape? Commander of the faithful, answered Zobeide, I forgot to tell your majesty, that the fairy left with me a bundle of hair, saying withal that her presence would one day stand me in stead; and then, if I only burnt two tufts of this hair, she would be with me in a moment, though she were beyond mount Caucasus. Madam, says the caliph, where is the bundle of hair? She answered, Ever since that time, I have had such a particular care of it, that I always carry it about with me: Upon which she pulled it out, opened the case a little where it was, and showed it him. Well, then, said the caliph, let us make the fairy come hither; you could not call her in a better time, for I long to see her. Zobeide having consented to it, fire was brought in, and she threw the whole bundle of hair into it. The Palace began to shake at that very instant, and the fairy appeared before the caliph in the shape of a lady very richly dressed. Commander of the faithful, said she to the prince, you see I am ready to come and receive your commands. The lady that gave me this call by your order, did me a particular piece of service: to make my gratitude appear, I revenged her of her sisters' inhumanity by changing them into bitches; but, if your majesty command, I shall restore them to their former shape. Handsome fairy, said the caliph, you cannot do me a greater pleasure; vouchsafe them that favour, and after that I will find out some means to comfort them for their hard penance; But, besides, I have another boon to ask in favour of this lady who has had such cruel usage from an unknown husband; and as you undoubtedly know a great many things, we have reason to believe you cannot, be ignorant of this; oblige me with the name of this unfeeling fellow, who could not be contented to exercise his cruelty upon her person, but has also most unjustly taken from her all the substance she had I only wonder that such an unjust and inhuman action could be performed in spite of my authority, and not come to my ears. To serve your majesty, answered the fairy, I will restore the two bitches to their former state, and cure the lady of her scars, so that it will never appear she was so beaten; after which I will tell you who it was that did it. The caliph sent for the two bitches from Zobeide's house, and when they came, a glass of water was brought to the fairy at her desire: she pronounced some words over it which nobody understood; then throwing some part of it upon Amine, and the rest upon the bitches, the latter became two ladies of surprising beauty, and the scars that were upon Amine vanished away. After which the fairy said to the caliph, Commander of the faithful, I must now discover to you, the unknown husband you inquire after: he is very nearly related to yourself; for it is Prince Amin, your eldest son, who, falling passionately in love with this lady by the fame he had heard of her beauty, by an intrigue got her brought to his house, where he married her. As to the strokes he caused to be given her, he is in some measure excusable; for his spouse had been a little too easy, and the excuses she made were calculated to make him believe that she was more faulty than she really was. This is all I can say to satisfy your curiosity. At these words she saluted the caliph, and vanished.

The prince, being filled with admiration, and having much satisfaction the changes that had happened through his means, did such things as will perpetuate his memory to future ages. First, he sent for his son Amin, and told him that he was informed of his secret marriage, and how he had wounded Amine upon a very slight cause; upon which the prince did not wait for his father's commands, but received her again immediately. After this, the caliph declared that he would give his own heart and hand to Zobeide, and offered the other three sisters to the calenders, who accepted them with a great deal of joy. The caliph assigned to each a magnificent palace in the city of Bagdad, promoted them to the highest dignities, and admitted them to his councils. The town-clerk of Bagdad, being called with witnesses, wrote the contracts of marriage; and the famous caliph Haroun Alraschid, by making the fortunes of so many persons who had undergone such incredible misfortunes, drew a thousand blessings upon himself.

THE STORY OF SINDBAD THE SAlLOR.

Dinarzade having awaked her sister the sultaness as usual, prayed her to tell her another story. Scheherazade asked leave of the sultan, and having obtained it, began thus: Sir, in the reign of the same caliph Haroun Alraschid, whom I formerly mentioned, there lived at Bagdad a poor porter called Hindbad. One day, when the weather was very hot, he was employed to carry a heavy burden from one end of the town to the other. Being very weary, and having still a great way to go, he came into a street, where the delicate western breeze blew on his face, and the pavement of the street being sprinkled with rose water, he could not desire a better place to rest in; therefore, laying off his burden, he sat down by it near a great house. He was mightily pleased that he had stopped in this place, for an agreeable smell of wood of aloes and of pastils, that came from the house, mixing with the scent of the rose water, did completely perfume the air. Besides, he heard from within a concert of several sorts of instrumental music, accompanied with the harmonies of nightingales, and other birds peculiar to that climate. This charming melody, and the smell of several sorts of victuals, made the porter think there was a feast, with great rejoicings within. His occasions leading him seldom that way, he knew not who dwelt in the house; but, to satisfy his curiosity, he went to some of the servants, whom he saw standing at the gate in magnificent apparel, and asked the name of the master of the house. How, replied one of them, do you live in Bagdad, and know not that this is the house of Signior Sindbad, the sailor, that famous traveller who has sailed round the world? The porter, who had heard of Sindbad's riches, could not but envy a man whose condition he thought to be as happy as his own was deplorable; and his mind being fretted with these reflections, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and says, loud enough to be heard, Almighty Creator of all things, consider the difference between Sindbad and me. I am every day exposed to fatigues and calamities, and can scarcely get coarse barley bread for myself and family, whilst happy Sindbad profusely expends immense riches, and leads a life of continual pleasure. What has he done to obtain from thee a lot so agreeable, and what have I done to deserve one so miserable? Having finished this expostulation, he struck his foot against the ground, like a man overwhelmed with grief and despair. While the porter was thus indulging his melancholy, a servant came out of the house, and taking him by the arm, bid him follow him, for Signior Sindbad, his master, wanted to speak with him.

Your majesty may easily imagine that poor Hindbad was not a little surprised at this compliment; for, considering what he had said, he was afraid Sindbad had sent for him to punish him; therefore he would have excused himself, alleging that he could not leave his burden in the middle of the street. But Sindbad's servants assured him they would look to it, and pressed the porter so that he was obliged to yield. The servants brought him into a large hall, where a number of people sat round a table covered with all sorts of fine