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obstinacy, now commanded the infant to be cut in two; when she, whom he had said was the mother, fell into agonies, and besought its life; but the other was unmoved, and assented to the death of the child. He then ordered her to be severely punished, and committed the boy to its afflicted mother.

On being asked on what proofs he had grounded his decision, he replied, “On two: the first, because the milk of a woman having produced a male child is always heavier than that of the mother of a female infant: the second, because the pretended mother consented to the boy’s death; and I supposed it impossible for a woman to agree to the destruction of her offspring, which is a part of herself.”

THE SULTAN AND THE TRAVELLER MHAMOOD AL

HYJEMMEE.

There was a sultan, who one evening being somewhat low-spirited, sent for his vizier, and said, “I know not the cause, but my mind is uneasy, and I want something to divert it.” “If so,” replied the vizier, “I have a friend, named Mhamood al Hyjemmee, a celebrated traveller, who has witnessed many wonderful occurrences, and can relate a variety of astonishing narratives.

Shall I send for him to the presence?” “By all means,” answered the sultan, “that I may hear his relations.” The minister departed, and informed his friend that the sultan desired to see him. “To hear is to obey,” replied Mhamood, and hastened with the vizier to the palace.

When they had entered the palace, Mhamood made the obeisance usual to the caliphs, and uttered a poetical invocation for the prosperity of the sultan, who returned his salute; and after desiring him to be seated, said, “Mhamood, my mind is uneasy, and as I hear you are acquainted with many curious events, I wish you to relate some of them to amuse me.” Mhamood replied, “To hear is to obey;” and thus began an adventure of his own.

The Koord Robber.

Some years ago I took a journey from my own country to the land of Yemen, accompanied by a slave, who was a lad of much ready wit, and who carried a wallet containing a few necessaries. As we were entering a town, a rascally koord snatched the wallet from his hands, and asserted that it was his own, which we had stolen from him: upon which, I called out to some passengers to assist me in the recovery of my property, and they helped me to carry the sharper before the cauzee, to whom I complained of his assault. The magistrate asked the koord what he had to allege in his defence; to which he replied, “My lord, I lost this wallet some days since, and found it in possession of the complainant, who pretends that it is his own, and will not resign it.” “If it be thine,” rejoined the cauzee, “describe to me what it contains, when I shall be satisfied that thou speakest the truth.”

The koord assented, and with a loud voice cried out, “In this wallet, my lord, are two chests, in which are collyrium for the eyes, a number of rich napkins, drinking vessels of gold, lamps, cooking utensils, dishes, basins, and ewers; also bales of merchandize, jewels, gold, silks, and other precious articles, with a variety of wearing apparel, carpets, cushions, eating cloths, and other things too tedious to enumerate; besides, I can bring a number of my brother koords to testify to the truth of what I have said, and that the wallet is mine.”

When the koord had finished, the cauzee smiled, and asked me and my slave what we could describe to be in the wallet: upon which, my slave said, “My lord, there is nothing in it of what the koord has mentioned, for it contains only both worlds, with all their lands, seas, cities, habitations, men, animals, and productions of every kind.” The cauzee laughed, and turning to the koord, said, “Friend, thou hast heard what has past; what further canst thou say?” “The bag is mine,” continued the koord: upon which, the cauzee ordered it to be emptied; when, lo! there were found in it some cakes of bread, a few limes, a little pepper, and a cruet of oil. Seeing this, the koord exclaimed, “Pardon me, my lord the cauzee, I have been mistaken, the wallet is not mine; but I must away and search for the thief who has stolen my valuable property.” Having said this, he ran off, leaving the cauzee, myself, and the spectators bursting with laughter at his impudent knavery.

The sultan was much diverted with the relation of Mhamood, and requested him to relate another story, which he did as follows.

Story of the Husbandman.

A certain husbandman having reared some choice vegetables and fruits earlier than usual, resolved to present them to the sultan, in hopes of receiving a handsome present. He accordingly loaded his ass and set off for the capital, on the road to which he met the sultan, whom he had never before seen; and who being on a hunting excursion had separated from his attendants. The sultan inquired where he was going, and what he carried. “I am repairing,” said the husbandman, “to our lord the sultan, in hopes that he will reward me with a handsome price for my fruits and vegetables, which I have reared earlier than usual.” “What dost thou mean to ask him?” replied the sultan. “A thousand deenars,” answered the husbandman; “which if he refuses to give, I will demand five hundred; should he think that sum too much, I will come down to two hundred; and if he declines to give so much, I will ask thirty deenars, from which price I will not depart.”

The sultan now left the husbandman, and hastening to the city, entered the palace, where the latter soon after arrived with his fruits, and was introduced to the presence. Having made his obeisance, the sultan returning his salute, said, “Father, what hast thou brought with thee?” “Fruits, reared earlier than usual,” answered the husbandman: to which the sultan replied, “They are acceptable,” and uncovering them, sent a part by the eunuchs into his haram, and distributed the rest to his courtiers, excepting a few which he ate himself, talking all the while to the countryman, whose sensible remarks gave him much pleasure. He presented him with two hundred deenars, and the ladies of the haram sent him a present of half that sum. The sultan then desired him to return home, give the money to his family, and come back with speed, as he wished to enjoy his conversation. The husbandman having replied, “To hear is to obey,” blessed the sultan for his bounty, and hastening home gave the deenars to his wife, informing her that he was invited to spend the evening at court, and took his leave. It was sunset when he arrived at the palace, and the sultan being at his evening meal invited him to partake. When they were satisfied, they performed their ablutions, and having said the evening prayer, and read a portion of the Koraun, the sultan, desiring him to be seated, commanded the husbandman to relate him some narrative. The husbandman being seated, thus began.

Story of the Three Princes and Enchanting Bird.

It has been lately related that there was formerly a sovereign of the East who had three sons, the eldest of whom had heard some traveller describe a particular country where there was a bird called Bulbul al Syach, who transformed any passenger who came near him into stone. The prince resolved to see this wonderful bird; and requested leave to travel from his father, who endeavoured in vain to divert him from his purpose. He took leave, and on his departure, pulling off a ring set with a magical gem, gave it to his second brother, saying, “Whenever you perceive this ring press hard upon your finger, be assured that I am lost beyond recovery.” Having begun his journey, he did not cease travelling till he reached the spot where was the bird’s cage, in which it used to pass the night, but in the daytime it flew about for exercise and food.

It was the custom of the bird to return about sunset to the cage; when, if it perceived any person near, it would cry out in a plaintive tone, “Who will say to a poor wanderer, Lodge? who will say to an unhappy Bulbul, Lodge?” and if the person replied, “Lodge, poor bird!” it immediately hovered over his head, and scattering upon him some earth from its bill, the person became transformed into a stone. Such proved the fate of the unfortunate prince.

The transformation of the eldest prince had no sooner taken place than the ring pressed hard upon the finger of the second, who exclaimed, “Alas! alas! my brother is lost; but I will travel, and endeavour to find out his condition.” It was in vain that the sultan his father, and the sultana his mother, remonstrated. He departed after he had delivered the magical ring to his younger brother, and journeyed till he reached the cage of the bird; who having ensnared him to pronounce the word lodge, scattered some earth upon his head, when he, also, immediately became transformed into stone.

At this instant the youngest prince was sitting at a banquet with his father; when the ring pressed so hard to his finger, as to put him to much pain. He rose up, and exclaimed, “There is no refuge or asylum but with God; for his we are, and to him we must return.” The sultan, upon this, inquired the cause of his grief; when he said, “My brother has perished.”

The old sultan was loudly lamenting the loss of his two children, when the youngest continued, “I will travel and learn the fate of my brothers.” “Alas!” said the father, “is it not enough that I have lost them, but thou also wilt rush into destruction? I entreat thee not to leave me.” “Father,” replied the prince, “fate impels me to search for my brothers, whom, perhaps, I may recover; but if I fail, I shall only have done my duty.” Having said this, he departed, in spite of the tears and lamentations of his parents, and travelled till he had reached the residence of the bird; where he found his brothers transformed into images of stone. At sunset the bird began its usual tone; but the prince suspecting some deceit, forbore to speak, till at length the Bulbul retired to his cage, and fell asleep; when watching the opportunity, the prince darted upon it, and fastened the door.

The bird awoke at the noise, and seeing himself caught, said, “Thou hast won the prize, O glorious son of a mighty sultan!” “If so,” exclaimed the prince, “inform me by what means thou hast enchanted so many persons as I see around me changed into images of marble, and how I may release them from their unhappy state.”

“Behold,” replied the bird, “yonder two heaps of earth, one white and the other blue. The blue enchants, and the other will recover from transformation.”

The prince immediately took up handfuls of the white earth, and scattering it over the numerous images, they instantly became animated and restored to all their functions. He embraced his two brothers, and received their thanks; also those of the sons of many sultans, bashaws, and great personages, for giving them new life. They informed him that near the spot was a city, all the inhabitants of which had been, like them, transformed into stone.

To this he repaired, and having relieved them from their enchantment, the people out of gratitude made him rich presents, and would have chosen him for their sovereign, but he declined their offer, and resolved to conduct his brothers in safety to their father.

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