Part 6

Scheherazadè, at this instant, perceiving it was day, and knowing that the sultan rose early to his prayers, and then to hold a council, broke off. “What a wonderful story,” said Dinarzadè, “have you pitched upon.”--“The conclusion,” answered Scheherazadè, “is still more surprising, as you would confess, if the sultan would suffer me to live another day, and in the morning permit me to continue the relation.”--Schahriar, who had listened with much pleasure to the narration, determined, in his own mind, to wait till to-morrow; intending to order her execution after she had finished her story. Having resolved to defer her death till the following day, he arose, and having prayed, went to the council. [2]

The grand vizier, in the mean time, was in a state of cruel suspense. Unable to sleep, he passed the night in lamenting the approaching fate of his daughter, whose executioner he was compelled to be. Dreading, therefore, in this melancholy situation, to meet the sultan, how great was his surprise in seeing him enter the council-chamber, without giving him the horrible orders he expected.

The sultan spent the day, as usual, in regulating the affairs of his kingdom, and on the approach of night retired with Scheherazadè to his apartment. The next morning, before the day appeared, Dinarzadè did not fail to remind her sister: “My dear sister,” she said, “if you are not asleep, I entreat you, before the morning breaks, to continue your story.” The sultan did not wait for Scheherazadè to ask permission, but said, “Finish the tale of the genius and the merchant: I am curious to hear the end of it.” Scheherazadè immediately went on as follows.

When the merchant, sire, perceived that the genius was about to execute his purpose, he cried aloud, “One word more, I entreat you; have the goodness to grant me a little delay; give me only time to go and take leave of my wife and children, and divide my estates among them, as I have not yet made my will, that they may not be obliged to have recourse to any legal process after my death; and when I have done this, I promise to return to this spot, and submit myself entirely to your pleasure.”--“But if I grant you the respite you demand,” replied the genius, “I fear you will not return.”--“If my oath will assure you of it,” added the merchant, “I swear by the God of heaven and earth, that I will not fail to repair thither.”--“What length of time do you require?” said the genius.--“It will take me a full year to arrange every thing, and enable me to bear, with composure, the loss of life. I therefore promise you, that you shall find me to-morrow twelvemonths under these trees, waiting to deliver myself into your hands.”--“Take thy God to witness of the promise thou hast made me,” said the other. “Again I swear,” replied he, “and you may rely on my oath.” On this the genius left him near the fountain, and immediately disappeared.

The merchant having recovered from his fright, mounted his horse, and continued his journey. But if, on the one hand, he rejoiced at escaping from the great peril he was in, he was, on the other, much distressed, when he recollected the fatal oath he had taken. When he arrived at home, his wife and family received him with signs of the greatest joy; but instead of returning their embraces, he wept so bitterly, that they supposed something very extraordinary had happened. His wife inquired the cause of his tears, and of that grief which appeared so violent. “We were rejoicing,” she said, “at your return, and you alarm us all by the situation we see you in; explain, I entreat you, the cause of your violent sorrow.” --“Alas!” he replied, “how should I feel otherwise, when I have only a year to live?” He then related to them what had passed, and that he had given his word to return, at the end of a year, to receive his death.

When they heard this melancholy tale they were in despair. The wife uttered the most lamentable groans, tearing her hair, and beating her breast; the children made the house resound with their grief; while the father, overcome by affection, mingled his tears with theirs. In short, the whole was a most affecting scene.

The next day the merchant began to settle his affairs, and first of all to pay his debts. He made many presents to his different friends, and large donations to the poor. He set at liberty many of his slaves of both sexes; divided his property among his children; appointed guardians for such as were young; and in returning to his wife all the fortune she brought him, he added as much more as the law would permit.

The year soon passed away, and he was compelled to depart. He took, in his portmanteau, the garment he wished to be buried in; but when he attempted to take leave of his wife and children, his grief quite overcame him. They could not bear his loss, and almost resolved to accompany him, and all perish together. Compelled at length to tear himself away from objects so dear, he addressed these words to them: “In leaving you, my children, I obey the command of God; imitate me, and submit, with fortitude, to this necessity. Remember, that to die is the inevitable destiny of man.” Having said this, he snatched himself away from them, and set out. He arrived at the destined spot on the very day he had promised. He got off his horse, and seating himself by the side of the fountain, with such sorrowful sensations as may easily be imagined, waited the arrival of the genius.

While he was kept in this cruel suspense, there appeared an old man leading a hind, who came near to him. Having saluted each other, the old man said, “May I ask of you, brother, what brought you to this desert place, which is so full of evil genii there is no safety. From the appearance of these trees, one might suppose it was inhabited; but it is, in fact, a solitude, where it is dangerous to stay long.”

The merchant satisfied the old man’s curiosity, and related his adventure. He listened with astonishment to the account, and having heard it, he said, “nothing in the world surely can be more surprising; and you have kept your oath inviolable! In truth I should like to be a witness to your interview with the genius.” Having said this, he sat down near the merchant, and while they were talking, another old man, followed by two black dogs, came in sight. As soon as he was near enough, he saluted them, and inquired the reason of their stay in that place. The first old man related the adventure of the merchant exactly as he had told it; and added, that this was the appointed day, and therefore he was determined to remain, in order to see the event.

The second old man, thinking it also very curious, resolved to do the same; and sitting down, joined in the conversation. He had hardly done so, when a third arrived, and addressing himself to the other two, asked, why the merchant, who was then with them, appeared so melancholy. They related the cause, which seemed to him so wonderful, that he also resolved to be witness to what passed between the genius and the merchant. He therefore sat down with them for this purpose.

They immediately perceived, towards the plain, a thick vapour or smoke, like a column of dust, raised by the wind. This vapour approached them, and then suddenly disappearing, they saw the genius, who, without noticing them, went towards the merchant with his scimitar in his hand; and taking him by the arm, “Get up,” said he, “that I may kill thee, as thou hast slain my son.” Both the merchant and the three old men were so alarmed they began to weep, and fill the air with their lamentations.

When the old man who conducted the hind saw the genius lay hold of the merchant, and about to murder him without mercy, he threw himself at the monster’s feet, and, kissing them, said, “Prince of the genii, I humbly entreat you to suspend your rage, and do me the favor to listen to me. I wish to relate my own history, and that of the hind, which you see; and if you find it more wonderful and surprising than the adventure of this merchant, whose life you wish to take, may I not hope that you will at least remit a third part of the punishment of this unfortunate man.” After meditating some time, the genius answered, “Well then, I agree to it.”

THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST OLD MAN AND THE HIND.

I am now going, said he, to begin my tale, and I request your attention. The hind, whom you see here, is my cousin; nay, more, she is my wife. When I married her, she was only twelve years old; and she ought therefore not only to look upon me as her relation and husband, but even as her father.

We lived together thirty years, without having any children; this, however, was no draw-back upon my kindness and regard. Still my desire of offspring was so great, that for this purpose, and for this only, I purchased a female slave, who bore me a son of great promise and expectation. Soon after, my wife became infected with jealousy, and consequently took a great aversion to both mother and child; yet she so well concealed her sentiments, that I became acquainted with them, alas, too late.

In the mean time my son grew up; and he was about ten years old, when I was obliged to make a journey. I recommended both the slave and the child to my wife, before my departure, as I had no distrust of her, and prayed her to take great care of them during my absence, which would not be less than a year. During this time she endeavoured to satiate her hatred. She applied herself to the study of magic; and when she was sufficiently skilled in that diabolical art to execute the horrible design she meditated, the wretch carried my son to a distant place. When there, by her enchantments, she changed him into a calf, gave him to my steward, and ordered him to bring him up as a calf, which she said she had bought. She was not, however, satisfied with this infamous action, but metamorphosed the slave into a cow, which she also sent to my steward.

Immediately on my return I inquired after my child and his mother. “Your slave is dead,” said she, “and it is now more than two months since I have beheld your son; nor do I know what is become of him.” I was sensibly affected at the death of the slave; but as my son only disappeared, I flattered myself that he would soon be found. Eight months however passed, and he did not return; nor could I learn any tidings of him. In order to celebrate the festival of the great Bairam, which was approaching, I ordered my steward to bring me the fattest cow I had for a sacrifice. He obeyed my commands; and the cow he brought me was my own slave, the unfortunate mother of my son. Having bound her, I was about to make the sacrifice, when at the very instant she lowed most sorrowfully, and the tears even fell from her eyes. This seemed to me so extraordinary, that I could not but feel compassion for her, and was unable to give the fatal blow. I therefore ordered her to be taken away, and another brought.

My wife, who was present, seemed angry at my compassion, and opposed an order which defeated her malice. “What are you about, my husband?” said she, “why not sacrifice this cow? Your steward has not a more beautiful one, nor one more proper for the purpose.” Wishing to oblige my wife, I again approached the cow; and struggling with my pity, which suspended the sacrifice, I was again going to give the mortal blow, when the victim a second time disarmed me by her redoubled tears and moanings. I then delivered the instruments into the hands of my steward. “Take them,” I cried, “and make the sacrifice yourself, the lamentations and tears of the animal have overcome me.”

The steward was less compassionate, and sacrificed her. On taking off the skin we found hardly any thing but bones, though she appeared very fat. “Take her away,” said I to the steward, truly chagrined, “I give her to you to do as you please with; regale both yourself and whomsoever you wish; and if you have a very fat calf, bring it in her place. I did not inquire what he did with the cow, but he had not been gone long, before I saw a remarkable fine calf brought. Although I was ignorant that this calf was my own son, yet I felt a sensation of pity arise in my breast at first sight. As soon also as he perceived me, he made so great an effort to come to me, that he broke his cord. He lay down at my feet, with his head on the ground, as if he endeavoured to excite my compassion, and not have the cruelty to take away his life: striving, in this manner, to make me comprehend that he was my son.

I was still more surprised and affected by this action, than I had been by the tears of the cow. I felt a kind of tender pity, which interested me much for him; or, to speak more correctly, my blood guided me to what was my duty. “Go back.” I cried, “and take all possible care of this calf, and, in its room, bring another directly.”

No sooner did my wife hear this than she exclaimed, “What are you about, my husband? do not, I pray, sacrifice any other than this.” --“Wife,” answered I, “I will not sacrifice him; I wish to favour him, do not you therefore oppose it.”--This wicked woman, however, did not agree to my proposal; she hated my son too much to suffer him to remain in safety; and she continued to demand his sacrifice so obstinately, that I was compelled to yield. I bound the calf, and, taking the fatal knife, was going to bury it in the throat of my son, when he turned his eyes, filled with tears, so persuasively upon me, that I had no power to execute my intention. The knife fell from my hand, and I told my wife I was determined to have another calf. She tried every means to induce me to alter my mind; I continued firm, however, in my resolution, in spite of all she could say; promising, for the sake of appeasing her, to sacrifice this calf at the feast of Bairam on the following year.

The next morning my steward desired to speak with me in private. “I am come,” said he, “to give you some information, which, I trust, will afford you pleasure. I have a daughter, who has some little knowledge of magic; and as I was bringing the calf back yesterday which you were unwilling to sacrifice, I observed, that she smiled at seeing it, and the next moment began to weep. I enquired of her the cause of these two contrary emotions. ‘My dear father,’ she answered, ‘that calf, which you bring back, is the son of our master; I smiled with joy at seeing him still alive, and wept at the recollection of his mother, who was yesterday sacrificed in the shape of a cow. These two metamorphoses have been contrived by the enchantments of our master’s wife, who hated both the mother and the child.’--This,” continued the steward, “is what my daughter said, and I come to report it to you.” Imagine, O Genius, my surprise at hearing these words: I immediately set out with my steward, to speak to his daughter myself. On my arrival I went first to the stable, where my son had been placed; he could not return my caresses; but he received them in a way, which convinced me that he was really my son.

When the daughter of the steward made her appearance, I asked her if she could restore him to his former shape. “Yes,” replied she, “I can.”--“Ah,” exclaimed I, “if you can perform such a miracle, I will make you the mistress of all I possess.”--She then answered with a smile, “You are our master, and I know how much we are bound to you; but I must mention, that I can restore your son to his own form, only on two conditions; first, that you bestow him upon me for my husband; and secondly, that I may be permitted to punish her who changed him into a calf.”--“To the first,” I replied, “I agree with all my heart; I will do still more, I will give you, for your own separate use, a considerable sum of money, independant of what I destine for my son. In short, you shall perceive how I can acknowledge the important service you do me. I agree also to that which regards my wife; a person, who has been capable of so criminal an action, is worthy of punishment. I abandon her to you, do what you please with her; I only entreat you to spare her life.”--“I will treat her then,” she said, “in the same manner as she has treated your son.”--To this I gave my consent, provided she first restored my son to me.

The damsel then took a vessel full of water, and pronouncing over it some words I did not understand, she thus addressed herself to the calf: “O calf, if thou hast been created by the all-powerful Sovereign of the world, as thou now appearest, retain that form; but if thou art a man, and hast been changed by enchantment into a calf, reassume, by permission of thy divine Creator, thy natural figure!”--In saying this she threw the water over him, and he instantly regained his own form.

“My child! my dear child,” I immediately exclaimed, and embraced him with a transport I could not restrain; “it is the Almighty, who hath sent this damsel to us, to destroy the horrible charm with which you were surrounded, and to avenge the evil that has been done to you and your mother. I am sure gratitude will induce you to accept her for a wife, as I have already promised for you.”--He joyfully consented; but before they were united the damsel changed my wife into this hind, which you see here. I wished her to have this form in preference to any other more unpleasant, that we might see her, without repugnance, in our family.

Since this, my son is become a widower, and is now travelling. Many years have passed since I have heard any thing of him; I have therefore now set out with a view to gain some information; and as I did not like to trust my wife to the care of any one during my search, I thought proper to carry her along with me. This is the history of myself and this hind; can any thing be more wonderful?” --“I agree with you,” said the Genius, “and in consequence I grant a third of my pardon to this merchant.”

“As soon as the first old man, Sire, had finished his history,” continued the sultana, “the second, who led the two black dogs, said to the Genius, “I will relate to you what has happened to me and these two dogs which you see, and I am sure you will find my history still more astonishing than that which you have heard. But when I have told it, will you grant to this merchant another third of his pardon?--“Yes,” answered the Genius, “provided your history surpasses that of the hind.” This being settled, the second old man began.”

THE HISTORY OF THE SECOND OLD MAN AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS.

Great Prince of the Genii, you must know, that these two black dogs, which you see here, and myself, are three brothers. Our father left us, when he died, one thousand sequins each. With this sum we all embarked in the same profession; namely, as merchants. Soon after we had opened our warehouse, my eldest brother, who is now one of these dogs, resolved to travel, and carry on his business in foreign countries. With this view he sold all his goods, and bought such other sorts of merchandize as were adapted to the different countries he proposed visiting.

He set out, and was absent a whole year. At the end of this time, a poor man who seemed to me to be asking charity, presented himself at my warehouse, “God help you,” said I.--“And you also,” answered he: “is it possible you do not know me?”--On looking attentively at him, I recognized his person, “Ah, my brother,” I cried, embracing him, “how should I possibly know you in this state?” I made him come in directly, and enquired both after his health and the success of his voyage.--“Do not ask me,” he replied; “in beholding me you see the whole. To enter into a detail of all the misfortunes that I have suffered in the last year, and which have reduced me to the state you see, would only be to renew my affliction.”

I instantly shut up my shop, and neglecting everything else, I took him to the bath, and dressed him in the best apparel my wardrobe afforded. I examined the state of my business, and finding, by my accounts, that I had just doubled my capital, that is, that I was now worth two thousand sequins, I presented him with the half. “Let this, my brother,” I said, “make you forget your losses.” He joyfully accepted the thousand sequins; again settled his affairs; and we lived together as before.

Some time after this, my second brother, which is the other of these black dogs, wished also to dispose of his property. Both his elder brother and myself tried every thing in our power to dissuade him from it, but in vain. He sold all, and with the money he bought such merchandize as he wished for his journey. He took his departure, and joined a caravan. At the end of a year he also returned in the same condition as his brother did. I furnished him with clothes; and as I had gained another thousand sequins, I gave them to him. He directly bought a shop, and continued to exercise his business.

One day both my brothers came to me, and proposed that I should make a voyage with them, for the purpose of traffic. “You have travelled,” said I, rejecting at first their scheme, “and what have you gained? Who will insure, that I shall be more fortunate than you?” In vain did they use every argument they thought could induce me to try my fortune. I still refused to consent to their design. They returned, however, so often to the subject, that, after having withstood their solicitations for five years, I at length yielded.

When it became necessary to prepare for the voyage, and we were consulting on the sort of merchandize to be bought, I discovered that they had consumed their capital and that nothing remained of the thousand sequins I had given to each. I did not, however, reproach them: on the contrary, as my capital was increased to six thousand sequins, I divided the half with them, and said, “We must, my brothers, risk only three thousand sequins, and endeavour to conceal the other in some secure place; that if our voyage be not more successful than those you have already made, we shall, with this sum, be able to console ourselves and begin our former profession. I will give one thousand sequins to each, and keep one myself; and I will conceal the other three thousand in a corner of my house.” We purchased our goods; embarked in a vessel, which we ourselves freighted; and set sail with a favourable wind. After sailing about a month, we arrived, without any accident, at a port, where we landed, and had a most advantageous sale for our merchandize. I, in particular, sold mine so well, that I gained ten for one. We then purchased the produce of that country, in order to traffic with it in our own.

About the time that we were ready to embark on our return, I accidentally met on the sea-shore a female, of a very fine figure, but poorly dressed. She accosted me by kissing my hand, and entreated me most earnestly to permit her to go with me, and take her for my wife. I started many difficulties to such a plan; but at length she said so much to persuade me that I ought not to regard her poverty, and that I should be well satisfied with her conduct, I was quite overcome. I directly procured proper dresses for her, and after marrying her in due form, she embarked with me, and we set sail.

During our voyage, I found my wife possessed of so many good qualities, that I loved her every day more and more. In the meantime my two brothers, who had not traded so advantageously as myself, and who were jealous of my prosperity, began to feel exceedingly envious. They even went so far as to conspire against my life; for one night, while my wife and I were asleep, they threw us into the sea.