Part 7

My wife proved to be a fairy, consequently possessed of supernatural power; you may therefore imagine she was not hurt. As for myself, I should certainly have perished without her aid. I had hardly, however, fallen into the water before she took me up, and transported me into an island. As soon as it was day the fairy thus addressed me: “You may observe, my husband, that in saving your life, I have not ill rewarded the good you have done me. You must know, that I am a fairy, and being upon the shore when you were about to sail, I felt a great inclination for you. I wished to try the goodness of your heart, and for this purpose I presented myself before you in the disguise you saw. You acted most generously; and I am therefore delighted in finding an occasion of shewing my gratitude: but I am enraged against your brothers, nor shall I be satisfied till I have taken their lives.”

I listened with astonishment to the discourse of the fairy, and thanked her, as well as I was able, for the great obligation she had conferred on me: “But madam,” said I to her, “I must entreat you to pardon my brothers; for although I have the greatest reason to complain of their conduct, yet I am not so cruel as to wish their ruin.” I related to her what I had done for each of them, and my account only increased her anger. “I must instantly fly after these ungrateful wretches,” cried she, “and bring them to a just punishment; I will sink their vessel, and precipitate them to the bottom of the sea.”--“No, beautiful lady,” replied I, “for Heaven’s sake moderate your indignation, and do not execute so dreadful an intention; remember they are still my brothers, and that we are bound to return good for evil.”

I appeased the fairy by these words; and no sooner had I pronounced them, than she transported me in an instant from the island where we were, to the top of my own house, which was terraced, and then disappeared. I descended, opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins which I had hidden. I afterwards repaired to my shop, opened it, and received the congratulations of the merchants in the neighbourhood on my arrival. When I returned home I perceived these two black dogs, which came towards me with a submissive air. I could not imagine what this meant, but the fairy, who soon appeared, satisfied my curiosity. “My dear husband,” said she, “be not surprised at seeing these two dogs in your house; they are your brothers.” My blood ran cold on hearing this, and I enquired by what power they had been transformed into that state. “It is I,” replied the fairy, “who have done it; at least it is one of my sisters, to whom I gave the commission, and she has also sunk their ship; you will lose the merchandize it contained, but I shall recompense you in some other way; as to your brothers, I have condemned them to remain under this form for ten years, as a punishment for their perfidy.” Then informing me where I might hear of her, she disappeared.

The ten years are now completed, and I am travelling in search of her. As I was passing this way I met this merchant, and the good old man, who is leading his hind, and here I staid. This, O Prince of the Genii, is my history; does it not appear to you of a most extraordinary nature?”--“Yes,” replied the Genius. “I confess it is wonderful, and therefore I remit the second third of the merchant’s punishment.”

When the second old man had finished his story the third began, by asking the Genius, as the others had done, if he would forgive the other third of the merchant’s crime, provided his history surpassed the other two, in the singularity and uncommonness of its events: the Genius repeated his former promise.

The third old man, Sire, related his history to the Genius, but as it has not yet come to my knowledge, I cannot repeat it, but I know it was so much beyond the others, from the variety of wonderful adventures it contained, that the Genius was astonished. He had no sooner heard the conclusion than he said, “I grant you the remaining third part of the merchant’s pardon; and he ought to be infinitely obliged to you all for having freed him from his dangerous situation by the relation of your adventures; for without your aid he would not now have been in this world.” Having said this, he disappeared, to the great joy of the whole party.

The merchant did not omit to bestow many thanks upon his liberators. They rejoiced with him at being out of danger, and then bidding him adieu, each went his several way. The merchant returned home to his wife and children, and spent the remainder of his days with them in tranquillity. But, Sire,” added Scheherazadè, “however beautiful those tales, which I have related to your majesty, may be, they are not equal to that of the fisherman.” Dinarzadè, observing that the sultan made no answer, said, “Since there is still some time, my sister, pray recount his history; the sultan, I hope, will not object to it.” Schahriar consented to it, and Scheherazadè went on as follows.

THE HISTORY OF THE FISHERMAN.

There was formerly, Sire, a very old fisherman, who was so poor, that he could barely obtain food for himself, his wife, and three children, of which his family consisted. He went out very early every morning to his employment; and he made it an absolute rule that he would throw his nets only four times a day.

One morning he set out before the moon had disappeared: when he had got to the sea-shore, he undressed himself, and threw his nets. In drawing them to land he perceived a considerable resistance; and began to imagine he should have an excellent haul; at which he was much pleased. But the moment after, finding that instead of fish he had got the body of an ass in his nets, he was much vexed and afflicted at having had so bad a draught. When he had mended his nets, which the weight of the ass had torn in many places, he threw them a second time. He again found considerable resistance in drawing them up, and again he thought they were filled with fish; how great was his disappointment, in discovering only a large pannier or basket, filled with sand and mud. “O fortune!” he exclaimed, in the greatest affliction, and with a melancholy voice, “cease to be enraged against me. Persecute not an unfortunate being, who thus supplicates thee to spare him. I came from home to seek after life, and you announce my death. I have no other trade, by which I can subsist, and even with all my care, I can hardly supply the most pressing wants of my family; but I am wrong to complain of thee, who takest a pleasure in abusing the virtuous, and leaving great men in obscurity, while thou favorest the wicked, and exaltest those who possess no virtue to recommend them.”

Having thus vented his complaints, he angrily threw aside the pannier, and washing his nets from the mud, he threw them a third time. He brought up only stones, shells, and filth. It is impossible to describe his despair, which almost deprived him of his senses. The day now began to break, and like a good mussulman, he did not neglect his prayers, to which he added the following: “Thou knowest, O Lord, that I throw my nets only four times a day; three times have I cast them into the sea, without any profit for my labour. Once more alone remains; and I entreat thee to render the sea favourable, as thou formerly didst to Moses.”

When the fisherman had finished this prayer, he threw his nets for the fourth time. Again he supposed he had caught a great quantity of fish, as he drew them with as much difficulty as before. He nevertheless found none; but discovered a vase of yellow copper, which seemed, from its weight, to be filled with something; and he observed that it was shut up and fastened with lead, on which there was the impression of a seal. “I will sell this to a founder,” said he with joy, “and with the money I shall get for it, I will purchase a measure of corn.”

He had examined the vase on all sides; he shook it, in order to discover whether its contents would rattle. He could hear nothing; and this, together with the impression of the seal on the lead, made him think it was filled with something valuable. In order to find this out, he took his knife, and got it open without much difficulty. He directly turned the top downwards, and was much surprised to find nothing come out: he set it down before him, and while he was attentively observing it, there issued from it so thick a smoke, that he was obliged to step back a few paces. This smoke, by degrees, rose almost to the clouds, and spread itself over both the water and the shore, appearing like a thick fog. The fisherman, as may easily be imagined, was a good deal surprised at this sight. When the smoke had all come out from the vase, it again collected itself, and became a solid body, and then took the shape of a Genius, twice as large as any of the giants. At the appearance of so enormous a monster, the fisherman wished to run away, but his fears were so great, he was unable to move.

“Solomon, Solomon,” cried the Genius, “great prophet of God, pardon, I pray. I will never more oppose your will; but will obey all your commands.”

The fisherman, Sire, had no sooner heard these words spoken by the Genius, than he regained his courage, and said, “Proud spirit, what is this you say? Solomon the prophet of the most High has been dead more than eighteen hundred years. Inform me, I pray, of your history, and on what account you were shut up in this vase?”

To this speech the Genius, looking disdainfully at the fisherman, answered, “Speak more civilly; thou art very bold to call me a proud spirit.”--“Perhaps then,” returned the fisherman, “it will be more civil to call you an owl of good luck.”--“I tell thee,” said the Genius, “speak to me more civilly, before I kill thee.”--“And for what reason, pray, will you kill me?” answered the fisherman, “Have you already forgotten, that I have set you at liberty?”--“I remember it very well,” returned he, “but that shall not prevent my destroying thee, and I will only grant thee one favour.”--“And pray what is that?” said the fisherman.--“It is,” replied the Genius, “to permit thee to choose the manner of thy death.”--“But in what” added the other, “have I offended you? Is it thus you wish to recompense me for the good I have done you?”--“I can treat thee no otherwise,” said the Genius, “and, to convince thee of it, attend to my history.

“I am one of those spirits who rebelled against the sovereignty of God. All the other Genii acknowledged the great Solomon, the prophet of God, and submitted to him. Sacar and myself were the only ones who were above humbling ourselves. In order to revenge himself, this powerful monarch charged Assaf, the son of Barakhia, his first minister, to come and seize me. This was done; and Assaf took and brought me, in spite of myself, before the throne of the king, his master.

“Solomon, the son of David, commanded me to quit my mode of life, acknowledge his authority, and submit to his laws. I haughtily refused to obey him; and rather exposed myself to his resentment, than take the oath of fidelity and submission, which he required of me. In order, therefore, to punish me, he enclosed me in this copper vase; and to prevent my forcing my way out, he put upon the leaden cover the impression of his seal, on which the great name of God is engraven. This done, he gave the vase to one of those Genii who obeyed him, and ordered him to throw me into the sea; which, to my great sorrow, was performed directly.

“During the first period of my captivity, I swore, that if any one delivered me before the first hundred years were passed, I would make him rich even after his death. The time elapsed, and no one assisted me: during the second century I swore, that if any released me, I would discover to him all the treasures of the earth; still I was not more fortunate. During the third, I promised to make my deliverer a most powerful monarch, to be always hovering near him, and to grant him every day any three requests he chose. This age too, like the former, passed away, and I remained in the same situation. Enraged, at last, to be so long a prisoner, I swore, that I would without mercy kill whoever should in future release me, and the only favour I would grant him, should be to choose what manner of death he pleased. Since, therefore, thou hast come here to-day, and hast delivered me, fix upon whatever kind of death thou wilt.”

The fisherman was much afflicted at this speech. “How unfortunate,” he exclaimed, “am I, to come here and render so great a service to such an ungrateful object! Consider, I entreat you, of your injustice; and revoke so unreasonable an oath. Pardon me, and God will in like manner pardon you. If you generously suffer me to live, he will defend you from all attempts that may be made against your life.”--“No,” answered the Genius, “thy death is sure; determine only how I shall kill thee.”--The fisherman was in great distress, and finding him thus resolved on his death, not so much on his own account as on that of his three children, whose wretched state they greatly deplored, when they would be reduced by his death. He still endeavoured to appease the Genius. “Alas!” he cried, “have pity on me, in consideration of what I have done for you.”--“I have already told thee,” replied the Genius, “that it is for that very reason that I am obliged to take thy life.”--“It is very strange,” added the fisherman, “that you are determined to return evil for good. The proverb says, that he who does good to him that does not deserve it, is always ill rewarded. I did think, I own, that it was false, because nothing is more contrary to reason, and the rights of society: yet I cruelly find it too true.”--“Let us lose no time,” cried the Genius, “your arguments will not alter my resolution. Make haste, and tell me how you wish to die.”

Necessity is the spur to invention; and the fisherman thought of a stratagem. “Since then,” said he, “I cannot escape death, I submit to the will of God; but before I choose the sort of death, I conjure you, by the great name of God, which is graven upon the seal of the prophet Solomon, the son of David, answer me truly to a question I am going to put to you.” When the Genius found that he should be compelled to answer positively, he trembled, and said to the fisherman, “Ask what thou wilt, and make haste.”

The Genius had no sooner promised to speak the truth, than the fisherman said to him, “I wish to know whether you really were in that vase; dare you swear it by the great name of God?” --“Yes,” answered the Genius, “I do swear by the great name of God, that I most certainly was.”--“In truth,” replied the fisherman, “I cannot believe you. This vase cannot contain one of your feet; how then can it hold your whole body?”--“I swear to thee, notwithstanding,” replied he, “that I was there just as thou seest me. Wilt thou not believe me after the solemn oath I have taken?”--“No truly,” added the fisherman, “I shall not believe you, unless I were to see it.”

Immediately the form of the Genius began to change into smoke, and extended itself as before over both the shore and the sea; and then, collecting itself, began to enter the vase, and continued to do so in a slow and equal manner, till nothing remained without. A voice immediately issued forth, saying, “Now then, thou credulous fisherman, dost thou believe me now I am in the vase?” But instead of answering the Genius, he immediately took the leaden cover, and put it on the vase. “Genius,” he cried, “it is now your turn to ask pardon, and choose what sort of death is most agreeable to you. But no, it is better that I should throw you again into the sea, and I will build on the very spot where you are cast, a house upon the shore, in which I will live, to warn all fishermen that shall come and throw their nets, not to fish up so wicked a Genius as you are, who make an oath to kill him who shall set you at liberty.”

At this offensive speech the enraged Genius tried every method to get out of the vase, but in vain; for the impression of the seal of Solomon, the prophet, the Son of David, prevented him. Knowing, then, that the fisherman had the advantage over him, he began to conceal his rage. “Take care,” said he, in a softened tone, “what you are about, fisherman. Whatever I did was merely in joke, and you ought not to take it seriously.”--“O Genius,” answered the fisherman, “you, who were a moment ago the greatest of all the Genii, are now the most insignificant; and do not suppose that your flattering speeches will be of any use to you. You shall assurely return to the sea: and if you passed all the time there you said, you may as well remain till the day of judgment. I entreated you in the name of God not to take my life, and you rejected my prayers; I ought to reject yours likewise.

The Genius tried every argument to move the fisherman’s pity, but in vain. “I conjure you to open the vase,” said be; “if you give me my liberty again, you shall have reason to be satisfied with my gratitude.”--“You are too treacherous for me to trust you,” returned the fisherman: “I should deserve to lose my life, if I had the imprudence to put it in your power a second time. You would most likely treat me as a Greek king treated Douban, the physician. Listen, and I will tell you the story.

THE HISTORY OF THE GREEK KING AND DOUBAN THE PHYSICIAN.

In the country of Zouman, in Persia, there lived a king, whose subjects were originally Greeks. This king was sorely afflicted with a leprosy, and his physicians had unsuccessfully tried every remedy they were acquainted with, when a very ingenious physician, called Douban, arrived at the court.

He had acquired his profound learning by studying different authors in the Greek, Latin, Persian, Arabic, Turkish, Syriac, and Hebrew languages; and besides having a consummate knowledge of philosophy, he was also well acquainted with the good and bad properties of all kinds of plants and drugs.

As soon as he was informed of the king’s illness, and that the physicians had given him up, he dressed himself as neatly as possible, and obtained permission to be presented to the king. “Sire,” said he, “I know that all the physicians who have attended your majesty, have been unable to remove your leprosy; but, if you will do me the honour to accept of my services, I will engage to cure you without either internal or topical applications.” The king, pleased with this proposition, replied, “If you are really so skilful as you pretend, I promise to confer affluence on you and your posterity; and without reckoning the presents you will have, you shall be my first favourite; but do you assure me then, that you will remove my leprosy without making me swallow any potion or applying any remedy externally?”--“Yes, Sire,” replied the physician, “I flatter myself I shall succeed, with the help of God; and to-morrow I will begin my operations.”

Douban returned to his house, and made a sort of racket or bat, with a hollow in the handle to admit the drug he meant to use; that being done, he also prepared a sort of round ball, or bowl, in the manner he intended, and the following day he presented himself before the king, and prostrating himself at his feet, kissed the ground.

Douban then arose, and having made a profound reverence, told the king that he must ride on horseback to the place where he was accustomed to play at bowls. The king did as he was desired, and when he had reached the bowling-green, the physician approached him, and putting into his hand the bat which he had prepared, “Sire,” said he, “exercise yourself with striking that bowl about with this bat, till you find yourself in a profuse perspiration. When the remedy I have enclosed in its handle is warmed by your hand, it will penetrate through your whole body; you may then leave off, for the drug will have taken effect; and when you return to your palace get into a warm bath, and be well rubbed and washed, then go to bed, and to-morrow you will be quite cured.

The king took the bat, and spurred his horse after the bowl till he struck it; it was sent back again to him by the officers who were playing with him, and he struck it again; and thus the game continued for a considerable time, till he found his hand as well as his whole body in a perspiration, which made the remedy in the bat operate as the physician had said; the king then left the game, returned to the palace, bathed, and observed very punctually all the directions that had been given him.

He soon found the good effects of the prescription; for when he arose the next morning, he perceived, with equal surprise and joy, that his leprosy was entirely cured, and that his body was as clear as if he had never been attacked by that malady. As soon as he was dressed, he went into the audience-room, where he mounted his throne and received the congratulations of all his courtiers who had assembled on that day, partly to gratify their curiosity and partly to testify their joy.

Douban entered, and went to prostrate himself at the foot of the throne, with his face towards the ground. The king seeing him, called to him, and made him sit by his side; and shewing him to the assembly, gave him in that public way all the praise he so well deserved; nay, he did not stop here, for there being a grand entertainment at court on that day, he placed him at his own table to dine only with him.

The Greek king, (proceeded the fisherman,) was not satisfied with admitting the physician to his own table; towards evening, when the courtiers were about to depart, he put him on a long rich robe resembling that which the courtiers usually wore in his presence, and in addition, made him a present of two thousand sequins. The following days he did nothing but caress him; in short, this prince, thinking he could never repay the obligations he owed to so skilful a physician, was continually conferring on him some fresh proof of his gratitude.

The king had a grand vizier, who was avaricious, envious, and by nature capable of every species of crime. He observed, not without pain, the presents which had been bestowed upon the physician, whose great character and merit he was determined to lessen and destroy in the mind of the king. To accomplish this, he went to him, and said in private, that he had some intelligence of the greatest moment to communicate. The king asked him what it was. “Sire,” replied he, “it is very dangerous for a monarch to place any confidence in a man, of whose fidelity he is not assured. In overwhelming the physician Douban with your favors, and bestowing all this kindness and regard upon him, you are ignorant that he is a traitor, who has introduced himself to the court, in order to assassinate you.” --“What is this you dare tell me?” answered the king, “Recollect to whom you speak, and that you advance an assertion which I shall not easily give credit to.”--“Sire,” added the vizier, “I am accurately informed of what I have the honor to represent to you; do not, therefore, continue to repose such a dangerous confidence in him. If your majesty is, as it were, in a dream, it is time to awake; for I again repeat, that the physician Douban has not travelled from the farther part of Greece, his own country, but for the horrible design I have mentioned.”