Part 7

The fisherman being resolved to follow the genie’s advice, forbore casting in his nets a second time; and returned to the town very well satisfied; and making a thousand reflections upon his adventure. He went immediately to the sultan’s palace, to offer his fish. But, sir, said Scheherazade, I perceive day, and must stop here.

Dear sister, said Dinarzade, how surprising are the last events you have told us? I can hardly believe that any thing you have to say can be more surprising. Sister, replied the sultaness, if the sultan, my master, will let me live till tomorrow, I am persuaded you will find the sequel of the history of the fisherman more wonderful than the beginning of it, and incomparably more diverting. Schahriar, being curious to know if the remainder of this story would be such as the sultaness said, put off once more the execution of his cruel sentence.

NINETEENTH NIGHT.

Towards morning, Dinarzade called the sultaness, and said, Dear sister, it will be day speedily, therefore pray continue the history of the fisherman; I am extremely impatient to know what the issue of it was. Scheherazade having demanded permission, resumed her discourse as follows: I leave it to your majesty to think how much the sultan was surprised, when he saw the four fish which the fisherman presented. He took them up one after another, and viewed them with attention; and after having admired them a long time, Take those fish, said he to his vizier, and carry them to the cook, whom the emperor of the Greeks has sent me. I cannot imagine but that they must be as good as they are beautiful.

The vizier carried them as he was directed, and delivering them to the cook, said, Here are four fish just brought to the sultan; he orders you to dress them: he then returned to the sultan his master, who ordered him to give the fisherman four hundred pieces of gold of the coin of that country, which he did accordingly.

The fisherman, who had never seen so much money, could scarcely believe his good fortune, but thought the whole must be a dream, until he found it otherwise, by being able to provide necessaries for his family with the produce of his fish.

But, sir, said Scheherazade, having told you what happened to the fisherman, I must acquaint you next with what befel the sultan’s cook, whom we shall find in great perplexity. As soon as she had gutted the fish, she put them upon the fire in a frying pan, with oil, and when she thought them fried enough on one side, she turned them upon the other; but, O, monstrous prodigy! scarcely were they turned, when the wall of the kitchen divided, and a young lady of wonderful beauty entered from the opening. She was clad in flowered satin, after the Egyptian manner, with pendants in her ears, a necklace of large pearls, and bracelets of gold set with rubies, with a rod in her hand. She moved towards the frying-pan, to the great amazement of the cook, who continued fixed by the sight, and striking one of the fish with the end of the rod, said, “Fish, fish, are you in duty?” The fish having answered nothing, she repeated these words, and then the four fish lifted up their heads, and replied, “Yes, yes: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we overcome, and are content.” As soon as they had finished these words, the lady overturned the frying-pan, and entered again into the open part of the wall, which shut immediately, and became as it was before.

The cook maid was mightily frightened at this, and coming a little to herself, went to take up the fishes that had fallen on the hearth, but found them blacker than coal, and not fit to be carried to the sultan. This grievously troubled her, and she fell to weeping most bitterly. Alas! said she, what will become of me! If I tell the sultan what I have seen, I am sure he will not believe me, but will be enraged against me.

While she was thus bewailing herself, the grand vizier entered, and asked her if the fish were ready? She told him all that had occurred, which we may easily imagine astonished him; but without speaking a word of it to the sultan, he invented an excuse that satisfied him, and sending immediately for the fisherman, bid him bring four more such fish, for a misfortune had befallen the others, so that they are not fit to be carried to the sultan. The fisherman, without saying any thing of what the genie had told him, in order to excuse himself from bringing them that day, told the vizier he had a great way to go for them, but would certainly bring them on the morrow.

Accordingly the fisherman went away by night, and coming to the pond, threw in his nets betimes next morning, took four fish like the former, and brought them to the vizier at the hour appointed. The minister took them himself, carried them to the kitchen, and shutting himself up with the cook, she gutted them, and put them on the fire, as she had done the four others the day before. When they were fried on one side, and she had turned them upon the other, the kitchen wall again opened, and the same lady came in, with the rod in her hand, struck one of the fish, spoke to it as before, and all four gave her the same answer. But, sir, said Scheherazade, day appears, which obliges me to leave off. What I have told you, is indeed very singular; but if I be alive to-morrow, I will tell you other things, which are yet better worth your hearing. Schahriar, conceiving that the sequel must be very curious, resolved to hear her next night.

TWENTIETH NIGHT.

Next morning, the sultan prevented Dinarzade, and said to Scheherazade, madam, I pray you finish the story of the fisherman, I am impatient to hear it; upon which the sultaness continued thus:

After the four fish had answered the young lady, she overturned the frying-pan with her rod, and retired into the same place of the wall from whence she came out. The grand vizier being witness of what had passed; This is too wonderful and extraordinary, said he, to be concealed from the sultan: I will inform him of this prodigy; which he did accordingly, and gave him a very faithful account of all that had happened.

The sultan, being much surprised, was impatient to see this himself, he sent immediately for the fisherman, and said to him, Friend, cannot you bring me four more such fish? The fisherman replied, If your majesty will be pleased to allow me three days’ time, I will do it. Having obtained his time, he went to the pond immediately, and at the first throwing in of his net, he caught four such fish, and brought them presently to the sultan: who was so much the more rejoiced, as he did not expect them so soon, and ordered him other four hundred pieces of gold. As soon as the sultan had the fish, he ordered them to be carried into the closet, with all that was necessary for frying them; and having shut himself up there with the vizier, the minister gutted them, put them into the pan, and when they were fried on one side, turned them upon the other; then the wall of the closet opened, but instead of the young lady, there came out a black, in the habit of a slave, of a gigantic stature, with a great green baton in his hand. He advanced towards the pan, and touching one of the fish with his baton, said with a terrible voice, “Fish, are you in your duty?” At these words, the fish raised up their heads, and answered, “Yes, yes; we are: if you reckon, we reckon; if you pay your debts, we pay ours; if you fly, we overcome, and are content.”

The fish had no sooner finished these words, than the black threw the pan into the middle of the closet, and reduced the fish to a coal. Having done this, he retired fiercely, and entered again into the aperture, it closed, and the wall appeared just as it did before.

After what I have seen, said the sultan to the vizier, it will be impossible for me to be easy in my mind; these fish, without doubt, signify something extraordinary, in which I have a mind to be satisfied. He sent for the fisherman, and when he came, said to him, Fisherman, the fish you have brought us, make me very uneasy; where did you catch them? Sir, answered he, I fish for them in a pond situated betwixt four hills, beyond the mountain that we see from hence. Know’st not thou that pond? said the sultan to the vizier. No, sir, replied the vizier, I never so much as heard of it, although I have for sixty years hunted beyond that mountain. The sultan asked the fisherman, how far the pond might be from the palace? The fisherman answered, it was not above three hours journey; upon this assurance, and there being day enough beforehand, the sultan commanded all his court to take horse, and the fisherman served them for a guide. They all ascended the mountain, and at the foot of it, they saw, to their great surprise, a vast plain, that nobody had observed till then, and at last they came to the pond, which they found actually to be situated betwixt four hills, as the fisherman had described. The water was so transparent, that they observed all the fish were like those which the fisherman had brought to the palace.

The sultan stood upon the bank of the pond, and after beholding the fish with admiration, he demanded of his emirs and all his courtiers, if it were possible they had never seen this pond, which was within so short a distance of the town. They all answered, that they had never so much as heard of it.

Since you all agree, said he, that you never heard of it, and as I am no less astonished than you are, at this novelty, I am resolved not to return to my palace till I know how this pond came here, and why all the fish in it are of four colours. Having spoke thus, he ordered his court to encamp; and immediately his pavilion, and the tents of his household, were planted upon the banks of the pond.

When night came, the sultan retired under his pavilion, and spoke to the grand vizier, by himself, thus: Vizier, my mind is very uneasy: this pond transported hither, the black that appeared to us in my closet, and the fishes that we heard speak, all this does so much excite my curiosity, that I cannot resist the impatient desire which I have to be satisfied in it. To this end, I am resolved to withdraw alone from the camp, and I order you to keep my absence secret; stay in my pavilion, and tomorrow morning, when the emirs and courtiers come to attend my levee, send them away, and tell them that I am somewhat indisposed, and have a mind to be alone; and the following day tell them the same thing, till I return.

The grand vizier said several things to divert the sultan from this design: he represented to him the danger to which he might be exposed, and that all his labour might perhaps be in vain; but it was to no purpose, the sultan was resolved on it, and would go. He put on a suit fit for walking, and took his scimitar; and as soon as he saw that all was quiet in the camp, he went out alone, and went over one of the hills without much difficulty. He found the descent still more easy, and when he came to the plain, walked on till the sun arose, and then he saw before him, at a considerable distance, a great building. He rejoiced at the sight, in hopes to be informed there of what he wanted to know. When he came near, he found it was a magnificent palace, or rather a very strong castle, of fine black polished marble, and covered with fine steel, as smooth as a looking-glass. Being highly pleased that he had so speedily met with something worthy his curiosity, he stopped before the front of the castle, and considered it with attention.

He afterwards came up to the gate, which had two leaves, one of them open; though he might have entered when he would, yet he thought it best to knock. He knocked, at first softly, and waited for some time; seeing nobody, and supposing they had not heard him, he knocked harder the second time, but neither seeing nor hearing any body, he knocked again and again, but nobody appearing, it surprised him extremely; for he could not think that a castle in so good repair was without inhabitants. If there be nobody in it, says he to himself, I have nothing to fear; and if there be, I have wherewith to defend myself.

At last he entered, and when he came within the porch, he cried, Is there nobody here to receive a stranger, who comes in for some refreshment as he passes by? He repeated the same two or three times; but though he spoke very high, nobody answered. The silence increased his astonishment: he came into a very spacious court, and looking on every side, to see if he could perceive any body, he saw no living thing. But, sir, says Scheherazade, day appears, and I must stop.

Ah! sister, says Dinarzade, you break off at the very best of the story. It is true, answered the sultaness; but, sister, you see I am forced to do so. If my lord, the sultan, pleases, you may hear the rest tomorrow. Schahriar agreed to this, not so much to please Dinarzade, as to satisfy his own curiosity, being impatient to know what adventure the prince met with in the castle.

TWENTY-FIRST NIGHT.

Dinarzade, to make amends for her neglect the night before, never closed her eyes, and when she thought it was time, awaked the sultaness, saying to her, My dear sister, pray give us an account of what happened in the fine castle where you left us yesterday.

Scheherazade forthwith resumed her story, and addressing herself to Schahriar, said, sir, the sultan perceiving nobody in the court, entered the great halls, which were hung with silk tapestry, the alcoves and sofas were covered with stuffs of Mecca, and the porches with the richest stuffs of India, mixed with gold and silver. He came afterwards into an admirable saloon, in the middle of which there was a great fountain, with a lion of massy gold at each corner: water issued from the mouths of the four lions, and this water, as it fell, formed diamonds and pearls, that very well answered a jet of water, which, springing from the middle of the fountain, rose as high almost as the bottom of a cupola painted after the Arabian manner.

The castle, on three sides, was encompassed by a garden, with flower-pots, water-works, groves, and a thousand other fine things concurring to embellish it; and to complete the beauty of the place, an infinite number of birds filled the air with their harmonious notes, and always stayed there, nets being spread over the trees, and fastened to the palace to keep them in. The sultan walked a long time from apartment to apartment, where he found every thing very grand and magnificent. Being tired with walking, he set down in an open closet, which had a view over the garden, and there reflecting upon what he had already seen, and then saw, all of a sudden he heard the voice of one complaining accompanied with lamentable cries. He listened with attention, and heard distinctly these sad words: “O, fortune! thou who wouldest not suffer me longer to enjoy a happy lot, and hast made me the most unfortunate man in the world, forbear to persecute me, and by a speedy death put an end to my sorrows. Alas! is it possible that I am still alive, after so many torments as I have suffered.”

The sultan, being affected with these pitiful complaints, rose up, and made toward the place where he heard the voice; and when he came to the gate of a great hall, he opened it, and saw a handsome young man, richly habited, set upon a throne raised a little above the ground. Melancholy was painted on his looks. The sultan drew near and saluted him; the young man returned him his salute, by a low bow with his head; but not being able to rise up, he said to the sultan, My lord, I am very well satisfied that you deserve I should rise up to receive you, and do you all possible honour; but I am hindered from doing so, by a very sad reason, and therefore hope you will not take it ill. My lord, replies the sultan, I am very much obliged to you for having so good an opinion of me; as to the reason of your not rising, whatever your apology be, I heartily accept it. Being drawn hither by your complaints, and afflicted by your grief, I come to offer you my help; would to God that it lay in my power to ease you of your trouble; I would do my utmost to effect it. I flatter myself that you would willingly tell me the history of your misfortunes; but pray tell me first the meaning of the pond near the palace, where the fishes are of four colours? what this castle is? how you came to be here? and why you are alone?

Instead of answering these questions, the young man began to weep bitterly. How inconstant is fortune! cried he: she takes pleasure to pull down those she had raised up. Where are they who enjoy quietly the happiness which they hold of her, and whose day is always clear and serene?

The sultan, moved with compassion to see him in that condition, prayed him forthwith to tell him the cause of his excessive grief. Alas! my lord, replies the young man, how is it possible but I should grieve, and my eyes be inexhaustible fountains of tears? At these words, lifting up his gown, he shewed the sultan that he was a man only from the head to the girdle, and that the other half of his body was black marble. Here Scheherazade broke off and told the sultan that day appeared.

Schahriar was so much charmed with the story, and became so much in love with Scheherazade, that he resolved to let her live a month. He rose, however, as usual, without acquainting her with his resolution.

TWENTY-SECOND NIGHT.

Dinarzade was so impatient to hear out the story, that she called her sister next morning sooner than usual, and said to her, sister, pray continue the wonderful story you began, but could not make an end of yesterday morning. I agree to it, replies the sultaness; hearken, then:

You may easily imagine, continued she, that the sultan was strangely surprised, when he saw the deplorable condition of the young man. That which you show me, says he, while it fills me with horror, excites my curiosity, so that I am impatient to hear your history, which, no doubt, is very extraordinary, and I am persuaded that the pond and the fishes make some part of it; therefore I conjure you to tell it me; you will find some comfort in it, since it is certain, that unfortunate people will find some sort of ease in telling their misfortunes. I will not refuse you this satisfaction, replies the young man, though I cannot do it without renewing my grief. But I give you notice beforehand, to prepare your ears, your mind, and even your eyes, for things which surpass all that the most extraordinary imagination can conceive.

The History of the young King of the Black Isles.

You must know, my lord, continued he, that my father, who was called Mahmoud, was king of this country. This is the kingdom of the Black Isles, which takes its name from the four little neighbouring mountains; for those mountains were formerly isles: the capital, where the king my father had his residence, was where that pond you now see is. The sequel of my history will inform you of all those changes.

The king my father died when he was seventy years of age; I had no sooner succeeded him, but I married, and the lady I chose to share the royal dignity with me, was my cousin. I had all the reason imaginable to be satisfied in her love to me; and, for my part, I had so much tenderness for her, that nothing was comparable to the good understanding betwixt us, which lasted five years, at the end of which time I perceived the queen, my cousin, had no more delight in me.

One day, while she was at the bath, I found myself inclined to sleep after dinner, and lay down upon a sofa. Two of her ladies, who were then in my chamber, came and sat down, one at my head, and the other at my feet, with fans in their hands, to moderate the heat, and to hinder the flies from troubling me in my sleep. They thought I was fast, and spoke very low; but I only shut my eyes, and heard every word they said.

One of them says to the other, Is not the queen much in the wrong, not to love such an amiable prince as this? Certainly, replies the other; for my part, I do not understand it; and I know not why she goes out every night, and leaves him alone! Is it possible that he does not perceive it! Alas! says the first, how would you have him perceive it? She mixes every evening in his drink, the juice of a certain herb, which makes him sleep so sound all night, that she has time to go where she pleases; and as day begins to appear, she comes and lies down by him again, and wakes him by the smell of something she puts under his nose.

You may guess, my lord, how much I was surprised at this conversation, and with what sentiments it inspired me; yet, whatever emotions it excited in me, I had command enough over myself to dissemble, and feigned to awake without having heard one word of it.

The queen returned from the bath, we supped together, and before we went to bed, she, with her own hand, presented me with a cup full of such water as I was accustomed to drink: but instead of putting it into my mouth, I went to a window that was open, and threw out the water so quickly, that she did not perceive it, and I put the cup again into her hands, to persuade her that I had drank it.

We went to bed together, and soon after, believing that I was asleep, though I was not, she got up with so little precaution, that she said so loud that I could hear it distinctly, Sleep, and may you never wake again! She dressed herself speedily, and went out of the chamber. As Scheherazade spoke these words, she saw day appear, and stopped.

Dinarzade had heard her sister with a great deal of pleasure, and Schahriar thought the history of the king of the Black Isles so worthy of his curiosity, that he rose up full of impatience for the rest of it.

TWENTY-THIRD NIGHT.

An hour before day, Dinarzade being awake, failed not to call upon the sultaness, and said, Pray, dear sister, go on with the history of the young king of the four Black Islands; Scheherazade, calling to mind where she had left off, resumed the story thus:

As soon as the queen my wife went out, continued the king of the Black Islands, I got up, dressed me in haste, took my scimitar, and followed her so quick, that I soon heard the sound of her feet before me, and then walked softly after her, for fear of being heard. She passed through several gates, which opened upon her pronouncing some magical words; and the last she opened was that of the garden, which she entered. I stopped at that gate, that she might not perceive me as she crossed a plat, and looking after her as far as the darkness of the night permitted, I perceived that she entered a little wood, whose walks were guarded by thick pallisades. I went thither by another way, and slipping behind the pallisades of a long walk, I saw her walking there with a man.

I was very attentive to their discourse, and heard her say thus to her gallant: I do not deserve to be upbraided by you for want of diligence; you know very well what hinders me; but if all the tokens of love that I have already given you, be not enough, I am ready to give you greater: you need but command me, you know my power. I will, if you desire it, before sun-rising, change this great city, and this fine palace, into frightful ruins, which shall be inhabited by nothing but wolves, owls, and ravens. If you wish me to transport all the stones of those walls so solidly built, beyond mount Caucasus, and out of the bounds of the habitable world, speak but the word, and all those places shall undergo a change.

As the queen finished these words, her gallant and she came to the end of the walk, turned to enter another, and passed before me. I had already drawn my scimitar, and her gallant being next me, I struck him in the neck, and made him fall to the ground. I thought I had killed him, and therefore retired speedily, without making myself known to the queen, whom I chose to spare because she was my kinswoman.