The Arabian Nights Entertainments by - (carter reed TXT) 📕

dispute of the caliph and Zobeide brought on another between Mesrour and the nurse, who had wagered as well as they; each affirmed to have won, and at length they proceeded to abuse each other very grossly.

At last the caliph, reflecting on what had passed, began to think that Zobeide had as much reason as himself to maintain that she had won. In this embarrassment of not being able to find out the truth, he advanced towards the corpses, and sat down at the head, searching for some expedient that might gain him the victory over Zobeide. “I swear,” cried he presently after, “by the holy name of God, that I will give a thousand pieces of gold to him who can tell me which of these two died first.”

No sooner were these words out of the caliph’s mouth, than he heard a voice under Abou Hassan’s piece of brocade say, “Commander of the faithful, I died first, give me the thousand pieces of gold.” At the same instant Abou Hassan threw off the piece of brocade, and springing up, prostrated himself at his feet, while his wife did the same to Zobeide, keeping on her piece of brocade out of decency. The princess at first shrieked out, but recovering herself, expressed great joy to see her dear slave rise again, just when she was almost inconsolable at having seen her dead. “Ah! wicked Nouzhatoulaouadat,” cried she, “what have I suffered for your sake? However, I forgive you from my heart, since you are not dead.”

The caliph was not so much surprised, when he heard Abou Hassan’s voice: but thought he should have died with laughing at this unravelling of the mystery, and to hear Abou Hassan ask so seriously for the thousand pieces of gold. “What, Abou Hassan,”

said he, continuing to laugh aloud, “hast thou conspired against my life, to kill me a second time with laughing? How came this thought into your head, to surprise Zobeide and me thus, when we least thought of such a trick?”

“Commander of the faithful,” replied Abou Hassan, “I will declare to your majesty the whole truth, without the least reserve. Your majesty knows that I always loved to eat and drink well’ and the wife you gave me rather increased than restrained this propensity. With these dispositions your majesty may easily suppose we might spend a good estate; and to make short of my story, we were not sparing of what your majesty so generously gave us. This morning, accounting with our caterer, who took care to provide every thing for us, and paying what we owed him, we found we had nothing left. Then, reflections on what was past, and resolutions to manage better for the future, crowded into our thoughts; we formed a thousand projects, all of which we rejected. At last, the shame of seeing ourselves reduced to so low a condition, and not daring to tell your majesty, made us contrive this stratagem to relieve our necessities, and to divert you, which we hope your majesty will be pleased to pardon.”

The caliph was satisfied with Abou Hassan’s sincerity, and Zobeide, who had till now been very serious, began to laugh at the thought of Abou Hassan’s scheme. The caliph, who had not ceased laughing at the singularity of the adventure, rising, said to Abou Hassan and his wife, “Follow me; I will give you the thousand pieces of gold I promised, for joy to find you are not dead.” Zobeide desired him to let her make her slave a present of the same sum, for the same reason. By this means Abou Hassan and his wife Nouzhatoulaouadat preserved the favour of the caliph Haroon al Rusheed and the princess Zobeide, and by their liberalities were enabled to pursue their pleasures.

THE STORY OF ALLA AD DEEN; OR, THE

WONDERFUL LAMP.

In the capital of one of the large and rich provinces of the kingdom of China, the name of which I do not recollect, there lived a tailor, named Mustapha, who was so poor, that he could hardly, by his daily labour, maintain himself and his family, which consisted of a wife and son.

His son, who was called Alla ad Deen, had been brought up in a very careless and idle manner, and by that means had contracted many vicious habits. He was wicked, obstinate, and disobedient to his father and mother, who, when he grew up, could not keep him within doors. He was in the habit of going out early in the morning, and would stay out all day, playing in the streets and public places with idle children of his own age.

When he was old enough to learn a trade, his father not being able to put him out to any other, took him into his own shop, and taught him how to use his needle: but neither fair words nor the fear of chastisement were capable of fixing his lively genius.

All his father’s endeavours to keep him to his work were in vain; for no sooner was his back turned, than he was gone for that day.

Mustapha chastised him, but Alla ad Deen was incorrigible, and his father, to his great grief, was forced to abandon him to his idleness: and was so much troubled at not being able to reclaim him, that it threw him into a fit of sickness, of which he died in a few months.

The mother, finding that her son would not follow his father’s business, shut up the shop, sold off the implements of trade, and with the money she received for them, and what she could get by spinning cotton, thought to maintain herself and her son. Alla ad Deen, who was now no longer restrained by the fear of a father, and who cared so little for his mother, that whenever she chid him, he would abuse her, gave himself entirely over to his idle habits, and was never out of the streets from his companions.

This course he followed till he was fifteen years old, without giving his mind to any useful pursuit, or the least reflection on what would become of him. In this situation, as he was one day playing according to custom in the street, with his vagabond associates, a stranger passing by stood to observe him.

This stranger was a sorcerer, called by the writer of this story, the African magician; he was a native of Africa, and had been but two days arrived from thence.

The African magician, who was a good physiognomist, observing in Alla ad Deen’s countenance something absolutely necessary for the execution of the design he was engaged in, inquired artfully about his family, who he was, and what were his inclinations; and when he had learned all he desired to know, went up to him, and taking him aside from his comrades, said, “Child, was not your father called Mustapha the tailor?” “Yes, sir,” answered the boy; “but he has been dead a long time.”

At these words, the African magician threw his arms about Alla ad Deen’s neck, and kissed him several times with tears in his eyes.

Alla ad Deen, who observed his tears, asked him what made him weep. “Alas! my son,” cried the African magician with a sigh, “how can I forbear?

“I am your uncle; your worthy father was my own brother. I have been many years abroad, and now I am come home with the hopes of seeing him, you tell me he is dead. I assure you it is a sensible grief to me to be deprived of the comfort I expected. But it is some relief to my affliction, that as far as I can remember him, I knew you at first sight, you are so like him; and I see I am not deceived.” Then he asked Alla ad Deen, putting his hand into his purse, where his mother lived; and as soon as he had informed him, gave him a handful of small money, saying, “Go, my son, to your mother, give my love to her, and tell her that I will visit her tomorrow, if I have time, that I may have the satisfaction of seeing where my good brother lived so long, and ended his days.”

As soon as the African magician left his newly-adopted nephew, Alla ad Deen ran to his mother, overjoyed at the money his uncle had given him. “Mother,” said he, “have I an uncle?” “No, child,”

replied his mother, “you have no uncle by your father’s side, or mine.” “I am just now come,” said Alla ad Deen, “from a man who says he is my uncle by my father’s side, assuring me that he is his brother. He cried and kissed me when I told him my father was dead; and to shew you that what I tell you is truth,” added he, pulling out the money, “see what he has given me. He charged me to give his love to you, and to tell you, if he has any time tomorrow, he will come and pay you a visit, that he may see the house my father lived and died in.” “Indeed, child,” replied the mother, “your father had a brother, but he has been dead a long time, and I never heard of another.”

The mother and son talked no more then of the African magician; but the next day Alla ad Deen’s uncle found him playing in another part of the town with other children, and embracing him as before, put two pieces of gold into his hand, and said to him, “Carry this, child, to your mother, tell her that I will come and see her tonight, and bid her get us something for supper; but first shew me the house where you live.”

After Alla ad Deen had shewed the African magician the house, he carried the two pieces of gold to his mother, and when he had told her of his uncle’s intention, she went out and bought provisions; and considering she wanted various utensils, borrowed them of her neighbours. She spent the whole day in preparing the supper; and at night when it was ready, said to her son, “Perhaps your uncle knows not how to find our house; go and bring him if you meet with him.”

Though Alla ad Deen had shewed the magician the house, he was ready to go, when somebody knocked at the door, which he immediately opened: and the magician came in loaded with wine, and all sorts of fruits, which he brought for a dessert.

After the African magician had given what he brought into Alla ad Deen’s hands, he saluted his mother, and desired her to shew him the place where his brother Mustapha used to sit on the sofa; and when she had so done, he fell down and kissed it several times, crying out with tears in his eyes, “My poor brother! How unhappy am I, not to have come soon enough to give you one last embrace.”

Alla ad Deen’s mother desired him to sit down in the same place, but he declined. “No,” said he, “I shall take care how I do that; but give me leave to sit opposite to it, that although I am deprived of the satisfaction of seeing the master of a family so dear to me, I may at least have the pleasure of beholding the place where he used to sit.” The widow pressed him no farther, but left him at liberty to sit where he pleased.

When the magician had made choice of a place, and sat down, he began to enter into discourse with Alla ad Deen’s mother. “My good sister,” said he, “do not be surprised at your never having seen me all the time you have been married to my brother Mustapha of happy memory. I have been forty