Part 13

In a considerable town, two persons dwelt next door to one another: one of them conceived such a violent hatred against the other, that he who was hated resolved to remove his dwelling farther off, being persuaded that their being neighbours was the only cause of his animosity; for though he had done him several pieces of service, he found, nevertheless, that his hatred was nothing diminished; therefore he sold his house, with what goods he had left, and retired to the capital city of that kingdom, which was not far distant. He bought a little spot of ground, which lay about half a league from the city; he had a house convenient enough, with a fine garden, and a pretty spacious court, wherein there was a deep well, which was not in use.

The honest man having made this purchase, put on a dervise’s or monk’s habit, to lead a retired life, and caused several cells to be made in the house, where in a short time he established a numerous society of dervises. He soon came to be publicly known by his virtue, through which he acquired the esteem of many people, as well of the commonalty as of the chief of the city: in short, he was extremely honoured and cherished by every one. People came from afar to recommend themselves to his prayers; and all who came to live with him published what blessings they received through his means.

The great reputation of this honest man having spread to the town from whence he came, it touched the envious man so much to the quick, that he left his house and affairs with a resolution to go and ruin him. With this intent he went to the new convent of dervises, of which his former neighbour was the head, who received him with all imaginable tokens of friendship. The envious man told him that he was come on purpose to communicate a business of importance to him, which he could not do but in private; and that nobody may hear us, let us, said he, take a walk in your court; and seeing night begins to draw on, command your dervises to retire to their cells. The head of the dervises did as he required.

When the envious man saw that he was alone with this good man, he began to tell his errand, walking side by side in the court, till he saw his opportunity; and getting the good man near the brink of the well, he gave him a thrust, and pushed him into it, without any body being witness to so wicked an action. Having done thus, he marched off immediately, got out at the gate of the convent without being known to any one, and went home to his own house, well satisfied with his journey, being fully persuaded that the object of his hatred was no more in this world; but he found himself highly mistaken.

Scheherazade could go no farther, because day began to appear. The sultan conceived great indignation against the envious man, and said to himself, I heartily wish that no hurt may have come to this honest man: I hope to hear to-morrow that Heaven did not forsake him on this occasion.

FORTY-SEVENTH NIGHT.

If you be not asleep, sister, said Dinarzade, next morning, I conjure you to tell us if the honest dervise came safe and sound out of the well. --Yes, replied Scheherazade, and the second calender pursued his story thus: This old well, said he, was inhabited by fairies and genies, which happened luckily for the relief of the head of the convent: for they received and supported him, and carried him to the bottom, so that he got no hurt. He perceived well enough that there was something extraordinary in his fall, which must otherwise have cost him his life; whereas he neither saw nor felt any thing. But he soon heard a voice, which said, Do you know what honest man this is, to whom we have done this piece of service? Another voice answered, No. To which the first replied, Then I will tell you. This man, out of charity, the greatest that ever was known, left the town he lived in, and has established himself in this place, in hopes to cure one of his neighbours of the envy he had conceived against him; he had acquired such a general esteem, that the envious man, not able to endure it, came hither on purpose to ruin him, which he had performed, had it not been for the assistance which we have given this honest man, whose reputation is so great, that the sultan, who keeps his residence in the neighbouring city, was to pay him a visit tomorrow, to recommend the princess his daughter to his prayers.

Another voice asked, What need had the princess of the dervise’s prayers? To which the first answered, You do not know, it seems, that she is possessed by genie Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, who is fallen in love with her. But I know well how this good head of the dervises may cure her; the thing is very easy, and I will tell it you. He has a black cat in his convent, with a white spot at the end of her tail, about the bigness of a small piece of Arabian money; let him only pull seven hairs out of the white spot, burn them, and smoke the princess’s head with the fume, she will not only be presently cured, but be so safely delivered from Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, that he will never dare to come near her a second time.

The head of the dervises remembered every word of the discourse between the fairies and the genies, who were very silent all the night after. The next morning by break of day, when he could discern one thing from another, the well being broken down in several places, he saw a hole, by which he crept out with ease.

The other dervises, who had been seeking for him, were rejoiced to see him: he gave them a brief account of the wickedness of that man to whom he had given so kind a reception the day before, and retired into his cell. It was not long till the black cat, of whom the fairies and the genies had made mention in their discourses the night before, came to fawn upon her master, as she was accustomed to do: he took her up, and pulled out seven hairs of the white spot that was upon her tail, and laid them aside for his use when occasion should serve.

The sun was not high, when the sultan, who would leave no means untried that he thought could restore the princess to perfect health, arrived at the gate of the convent. He commanded his guards to halt, whilst he with his principal officers went in. The dervises received him with profound respect.

The sultan called their head aside, and said, Good sheich, it may be you know already the cause of my coming hither. --Yes, sir, replied he very gravely, if I do not mistake, it is the disease of the princess which procures me this unmerited honour.

That is the very thing, replied the sultan. You will give me new life, if your prayers, as I hope they will, can procure my daughter’s health. --Sir, said the good man, if your majesty will be pleased to let her come hither, I am in hopes, through God’s assistance and favour, she shall return in perfect health.

The prince, transported with joy, sent immediately to fetch his daughter, who very soon appeared with a numerous train of ladies and eunuchs, but masked, so that her face was not seen. The chief of the dervises caused a pall to be held over her head, and he had no sooner thrown the seven hairs upon the burning coals, but the genie Maimoun, the son of Dimdim, gave a great cry, without any thing being seen, and left the princess at liberty; upon which she took off the veil from her face, and rose up to see where she was, saying, Where am I, and who brought me hither? At which words, the sultan, overcome with excess of joy, embraced his daughter, and kissed her eyes? he also kissed the chief of the dervises’ hands, and said to his officers, Tell me your opinion, what reward does he deserve, that has thus cured my daughter? They all cried, he deserves her in marriage. --This is what I had in my thoughts, said the sultan; and I make him my son-in-law from this moment. Some time after the prime vizier died, and the sultan conferred the place on the dervise. The sultan himself also died without heirs male; upon which, the religious orders and the militia gathered together, and the good man was declared and acknowledged sultan by general consent.

Day light appearing, Scheherazade was obliged to break off her story. Schahriar looked upon the dervise to be worthy of the crown he had got, but was desirous to know if the envious man did not die for spite; and got up with an intention to hear it next night.

FORTY-EIGHTH NIGHT.

Dinarzade, when it was time, addressed her speech to the sultaness thus: My dear sister, said she, if you be not asleep, I would pray you to continue the story of the hated and envious man. With all my heart, answered Scheherazade. The second calender continued his story thus: The honest dervise, said he, being mounted on the throne of his father-in-law, as he was one day in the midst of his courtiers upon a march, he espied the envious man among the crowd of people that stood as he passed along, and calling one of the viziers that attended him, whispered him in his ear thus; Go bring me that man you see there; but, take care you do not frighten him. The vizier obeyed, and when the envious man was brought into his presence, the sultan said, Friend, I am extremely glad to see you. Upon which he called an officer, Go immediately, said he, and cause to be paid the man out of my treasury one hundred pieces of gold: let him have also twenty loads of the richest merchandize in my storehouses, and a sufficient guard to conduct him to his house. After he had given this charge to the officer, he bid the envious man farewell, and proceeded on his march.

When I had finished the recital of this story to the genie, the murderer of the princess of the isle of Ebene, I made the application to himself thus: O genie! you see here, that this bountiful sultan did not content himself with forgetting the design of the envious man to take away his life, but treated him kindly, and sent him back with all the favours which I just now related. In short, I made use of all my eloquence, praying him to imitate so good an example, and to grant me pardon; but it was impossible for me to move his compassion.

All that I can do for thee, said he, is, that I will not take thy life: do not flatter thyself that I will send thee safe and sound back; I must let thee feel what I am able to do by my enchantments. So saying, he laid violent hands on me, and carried me across the vault of the subterranean palace, which opened to give him passage; he flew up with me so high, that the earth seemed to be only a little white cloud; from thence he came down again like lightning, and alighted upon the ridge of a mountain.

There he took up a handful of earth, and pronounced or rather muttered some words which I did not understand, and threw it upon me: Quit the shape of a man, said he to me, and take on thee that of an ape. He vanished immediately, and left me alone, transformed into an ape, overwhelmed with sorrow, in a strange country, not knowing whether I was near or far from my father’s dominions.

I went down from the top of the mountain, and came into a plain country, which took me a month’s time to travel through, and then I came to the sea-side. It happened to be then a great calm, and I espied a vessel about half a league from the shore: unwilling to lose this good opportunity, I broke off a large branch from a tree, which I carried with me to the sea-side, and set myself astride upon it, with a stick in each hand to serve me for oars.

I launched out in this posture, and advanced near the ship. When I was nigh enough to be known, the seamen and passengers that were upon the deck thought it an extraordinary sight, and all of them looked upon me with great astonishment. In the mean time I got aboard, and laying hold of a rope, I jumped upon the deck, but having lost my speech, I found myself in great perplexity; and indeed the risk I ran then was nothing less than when I was at the mercy of the genie.

The merchants, being both superstitious and scrupulous, believed I should occasion some mischief to their voyage, if they received me; therefore, said one, I will knock him down with a handspike; says another, I will shoot an arrow through his guts: says a third, Let us throw him into the sea. Some of them would not have failed to have executed their design, if I had not got to that side where the captain was, when I threw myself at his feet, and took him by the coat in a begging posture. This action, together with the tears which he saw gush from my eyes, moved his compassion, so that he took me under his protection, threatening to be revenged on him that would do me the least hurt; and he himself made very much of me, while I on my part, though I had no power to speak, showed all possible signs of gratitude by my gestures.

The wind that succeeded the calm was gentle and favourable, and did not change for fifty days, but brought us safe to the port of a fine city, well peopled, and of great trade, the capital of a powerful state, where we came to an anchor.

Our vessel was speedily surrounded with an infinite number of boats full of people, who came to congratulate their friends upon their safe arrival, or to inquire for those they had left behind them in the country from whence they came, or out of curiosity to see a ship that came from a far country.

Amongst the rest, some officers came on hoard, desiring to speak with the merchants, in the name of the sultan. The merchants appearing, one of the officers told them, The sultan, our master, hath commanded us to acquaint you, that he is glad of your safe arrival, and prays you to take the trouble, every one of you, to write some lines upon this roll of paper: and that his design by this may be understood, you must know that we had a prime vizier, who, besides a great capacity to manage affairs, understood writing to the highest perfection. This minister is lately dead, at which the sultan is very much troubled: and since he can never behold his writing without admiration, he has made a solemn vow, not to give the place to any man but to him who can write as well as he did. Many people have presented their writings; but, to this day, nobody in all this empire, has been judged worthy to supply the vizier’s place.

Those merchants that believed they could write well enough to pretend to this high dignity, wrote one after another what they thought fit. After they had done, I advanced, and look the roll out of the gentleman’s hand; but all the people, especially the merchants, cried out, He will tear it, or throw it into the sea; till they saw how properly I held the roll, and made a sign that I would write in my turn: then they were of another opinion, and their fear turned into admiration. However, since they had never seen an ape that could write, nor could be persuaded that I was more ingenious than other apes, they offered to snatch the roll out of my hand; but the captain took my part once more. Let him alone, said he; suffer him to write. If he only scribbles the paper, I promise you that I will punish him upon the spot; if, on the contrary, he writes well, as I hope he will, because I never saw an ape so clever and ingenious, and so quick of apprehension, I do declare that I will own him as my son. I had one that had not half the wit that he has. Perceiving that nobody opposed my design, I took the pen, and wrote six sorts of hands used among the Arabians, and each specimen contained an extemporary distich or quatrain in praise of the sultan. My writing did not only excel that of the merchants, but, I venture to say, they had not before seen any such fair writing in that country. When I had done, the officers took the roll, and carried it to the sultan.

Thus far was Scheherazade come in her story, when day-light appeared. Sir, said she to Schahriar, if I had time to continue, I would give your majesty an account of things far more surprising than what I have already told. The sultan, who had resolved to hear the end of the story, got up without saying a word.

FORTY-NINTH NIGHT.

The next morning, Dinarzade, being awake before day, called the sultaness, and said, Sister, if you be not asleep, pray let us hear the rest of the adventures that befel the ape. I believe my lord the sultan is no less curious to know it than myself. You shall both be soon satisfied, answered Scheherazade. The second calender continued his story thus:--

The sultan took little notice of any of the other writings, but considered mine, which was so much to his liking, that he said to the officers, Take the finest horse in my stable, with the richest harness, and a robe of the most sumptuous brocade, to put upon that person who wrote the six hands, and bring him hither to me. At this command the officers could not forbear laughing; the sultan grew angry at their boldness, and was ready to punish them; till they told him, Sir, we humbly beg your majesty’s pardon: these hands were not written by a man, but by an ape. What do you say? said the sultan: those admirable characters, are they not written by the hands of a man? No, sir, replied the officers: we do assure your majesty that it was an ape, who wrote them in our presence. The sultan was too much surprised at this account not to desire a sight of me; and therefore said, Do what I command you, and bring me speedily that wonderful ape.

The officers returned to the vessel, and shewed the captain their order, who answered, The sultan’s command must be obeyed. Whereupon they clothed me with that rich brocade robe, and carried me ashore, where they set me on horseback, whilst the sultan waited for me at his palace, with a great number of courtiers, whom he gathered together to do me the more honour.

The cavalcade being begun, the harbour, the streets, the public places, windows, terraces, palaces, and houses, were filled with an infinite number of people of all sorts, who flocked from all parts of the city to see me; for the rumour was spread in a moment, that the sultan had chosen an ape to be his grand vizier; and after having served for a spectacle to the people, who could not forbear to express their surprise by redoubling their shouts and cries, I arrived at the palace of the sultan.

I found the prince on his throne in the midst of the grandees: I made my bow three times very low, and at last kneeled and kissed the ground before him, and afterwards sat down on my seat in the posture of an ape. The whole assembly admired me, and could not comprehend how it was possible that an ape should understand so well to pay the sultan his due respect; and he himself was more astonished than any. In short, the usual ceremony of the audience would have been complete, could I have added speech to my behaviour; but apes do never speak, and the advantage I had of having been a man did not allow me that privilege.

The sultan dismissed his courtiers, and none remained by him but the chief of the eunuchs, a little young slave, and myself. He went from his chamber of audience into his own apartment, where he ordered dinner to be brought. As he sat at table, he gave me a sign to come near and eat with them: to show my obedience, I kissed the ground, stood up, sat down at table, and ate with discretion and moderation.

Before the table was uncovered, I espied a writing-desk, which I made a sign should be brought me: having got it, I wrote upon a large peach some verses after my way, which testified my acknowledgment to the sultan; who having read them after my presenting him the peach, it increased his astonishment. When the table was uncovered, they brought him a particular liquor, of which he caused them to give me a glass. I drank and wrote upon it some new verses, which explained the state I was reduced to, after many sufferings. The sultan read them likewise, and said, A man that was capable of doing so much would be above the greatest of men.

The sultan caused them to bring in a chess-board, and asked me by a sign, if I understood that game, and would play with him? I kissed the ground, and laying my hand upon my head, signified that I was ready to receive that honour. He won the first game, but I won the second and third; and perceiving he was somewhat displeased at it, I made a quatrain to pacify him; in which I told him, that two potent armies had been fighting furiously all day, but that they made up a piece towards the evening, and passed the remaining part of the night very peaceably together upon the field of battle.

So many circumstances appearing to the sultan far beyond what ever any one had either seen or known of the cleverness or sense of apes, he determined not to be the only witness of those prodigies himself, but having a daughter, called the Lady of Beauty, on whom the chief of the eunuchs, then present waited, Go, said the sultan to him, and bid your lady come hither: I am desirous she should share my pleasure.

The eunuch went, and immediately brought the princess, who had her face uncovered; but she was no sooner come into the room, than she put on her veil, and said to the sultan, Sir, your majesty must needs have forgotten yourself: I am very much surprised that your majesty has sent for me to appear among men. How, daughter! said the sultan, you do not know what you say: here is nobody but the little slave, the eunuch your governor, and myself, who have the liberty to see your face; and yet you lower your veil, and blame me for having sent for you hither. --Sir, said the princess, your majesty shall soon understand that I am not in the wrong. That ape you see before you, though he has the shape of an ape, is a young prince, son of a great king; he has been metamorphosed into an ape by enchantment. A genie, the son of the daughter of Eblis, has maliciously done him this wrong, after having cruelly taken away the life of the princess of the isle of Ebene, daughter to the king Epitimarus.

The sultan, astonished at this discourse, turned towards me, and spoke no more by signs, but in plain words asked me, if it was true what his daughter said? Seeing I could not speak, I put my hand to my head to signify that what the princess spoke was true. Upon this the sultan said again to his daughter, How do you know that this prince has been transformed by enchantment into an ape? --Sir, replied the Lady of Beauty, your majesty may remember that when I was past my infancy, I had an old lady waited upon me; she was a most expert magician, and taught me seventy rules of magic, by virtue of which I can transport your capital city into the midst of the sea in the twinkling of an eye, or beyond mount Caucasus. By this science I know all enchanted persons at first sight; I know who they are, and by whom they have been enchanted; therefore do not be surprised if I should forthwith relieve this prince, in spite of the enchantment, from that which hinders him to appear in your sight what he naturally is. Daughter, said the sultan, I did not believe you to have understood so much. --Sir, replied the princess, these things are curious and worth knowing: but I think I ought not to boast of them. --Since it is so, said the sultan, you can dispel the prince’s enchantment. --Yes, sir, said the princess, I can restore him to his first shape again. --Do it then, said the sultan, you cannot do me a greater pleasure; for I will have him to be my vizier, and he shall marry you. --Sir, said the princess, I am ready to obey you in all that you should be pleased to command me.

Scheherazade, as she spoke, espied day, and broke off her story of the second calender: and Schahriar, judging the sequel would be as diverting as the former part of it, resolved to hear it next day.

FIFTIETH NIGHT.

Dinarzade called the sultaness at the usual hour, saying, Sister, if you be not asleep, pray do us the favour to tell us how the Lady of Beauty restored the second calender to his former shape. You shall hear it, said Scheherazade: The calender resumed his discourse thus: