"More Fairy Tales from the Arabian Nights" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dixons Version)

Next morning the sultan got up before dawn, and, in order to execute his design, he hid in a corner his upper garment, which would have encumbered him, and went to the Palace of Tears. He found it lit up with an infinite number of tapers of white wax, and a delicious scent issued from several boxes of fine gold, of admirable workmanship, all ranged in excellent order As soon as he saw the bed where the Indian lay, he drew his scimitar, killed the wretch without resistance, dragged his corpse into the court of the castle, and threw it into a well. After this, he went and lay down in the wretch's bed, took his scimitar with him under the counterpane, and waited there to execute his plan.
The magician arrived after a little time. She first went into the chamber where her husband the King of the Black Islands was, stripped him, and beat him with the ox-goad in a most barbarous manner. The poor prince filled the palace with his lamentations to no purpose, and implored her in the most touching manner to have pity on him; but the cruel woman would not give over till she had given him an hundred blows.
'You had no compassion,' said she, 'and you are to expect none from me.'
After the enchantress had given the king, her husband, an hundred blows with the ox-goad, she put on again his covering of goat's-hair, and his brocade gown over all; then she went to the Palace of Tears, and, as she entered, she renewed her tears and lamentations; then approaching the bed, where she thought the Indian was: 'Alas!' cried she, addressing herself unawares to the sultan; 'my sun, my life,' will you always be silent? Are you resolved to let me die, without giving me one word of comfort. My soul, speak one word to me at least, I implore you.'
The sultan, as if he had waked out of a deep sleep, and counterfeiting the language of the Indians, answered the queen in a grave tone, 'There is no strength or power but in God alone, who is almighty.'
At these words the enchantress, who did not expect them, gave a great shout, to signify her excessive joy. 'My dear lord,' cried she, 'do I deceive myself? Is it certain that I hear you, and that you speak to me?'
'Unhappy wretch,' said the sultan, 'art thou worthy that I should answer thee?'
'Alas!' replied the queen, 'why do you reproach me thus?'
'The cries,' replied he, 'the groans and tears of thy husband, whom thou treatest every day with so much indignity and barbarity, hinder me from sleeping night and day. I should have been cured long ago, and have recovered the use of my speech, hadst thou disenchanted him. That is the cause of the silence which you complain of.'
'Very well,' said the enchantress; 'to pacify you, I am ready to do whatever you command me. Would you have me restore him as he was?'
'Yes,' replied the sultan, 'make haste and set him at liberty, that I be no more disturbed with his cries.'
The enchantress went immediately out of the Palace of Tears. she took a cup of water, and pronounced words over it, which caused it to boil, as if it had been on the fire. Then she went into the hall, to the young king her husband, and threw the water upon him, saying, 'If the Creator of all things did form thee so as thou art at present, or if He be angry with thee, do not change. But if thou art in that condition merely by virtue of my enchantments, resume thy natural shape, and become what thou wast before.'
She had scarcely spoken these words, when the prince, finding himself restored to his former condition, rose up freely, with all imaginable joy, and returned thanks to God.
Then the enchantress said to him, 'Get thee gone from this castle, and never return here on pain of death!'
The young king, yielding to necessity, went away from the enchantress, without replying a word, and retired to a remote place, where he patiently awaited the success of the plan which the sultan had so happily begun.
Meanwhile the enchantress returned to the Palace of Tears and, supposing that she still spoke to the black man, said 'Dearest, I have done what you ordered.'
The sultan continued to counterfeit the language of the blacks. 'That which you have just now done,' said he, 'is not sufficient for my cure. You have only eased me of part of my disease; you must cut it up by the roots.'
'My lovely black man,' replied she, ' what do you mean by the roots?'
'Unfortunate woman,' replied the sultan, 'do you not understand that I mean the town, and its inhabitants, and the four islands, which thou hast destroyed by thy enchantments? The fishes every night at midnight raise their heads out of the pond, and cry for vengeance against thee and me. This is the root cause of the delay of my cure. Go speedily, restore things as they were, and at thy return I will give thee my hand, and thou shalt help me to rise.'
The enchantress, filled with hope from these words, cried out in a transport of joy, 'My heart, my soul, you shall soon be restored to health, for I will immediately do what you command me.' Accordingly she went that moment, and when she came to the brink of the pond, she took a little water in her hand, and sprinkling it, she pronounced some words over the fishes and the pond, and the city was immediately restored. The fishes became men, women, and children; Mahometans, Christians, Persians, or Jews; freemen or slaves, as they were before; every one having recovered his natural form. The houses and shops were immediately filled with their inhabitants, who found all things as they were before the enchantment. The sultan's numerous retinue, who had encamped in the largest square, were astonished to see themselves in an instant in the middle of a large, handsome, and well-peopled city.
To return to the enchantress. As soon as she had effected this wonderful change, she returned with all diligence to the Palace of Tears. 'My dear,' she cried, as she entered, 'I come to rejoice with you for the return of your health: I have done all that you required of me; then pray rise, and give me your hand.'
'Come near,' said the sultan, still counterfeiting the language of the blacks. She did so. 'You are not near enough,' said he, 'come nearer.' She obeyed. Then he rose up, and seized her by the arm so suddenly, that she had not time to discover who it was, and with a blow of his scimitar cut her in two, so that one half fell one way, and the other another. This done, he left the carcass at the place, and going out of the Palace of Tears, he went to look for the young King of the Black Isles, who was waiting for him with great impatience. 'Prince,' said he, embracing him, 'rejoice; you have nothing to fear now; your cruel enemy is dead.'
The young prince returned thanks to the sultan in such a manner as showed that he was thoroughly sensible of the kindness that he had done him, and in return, wished him a long life and all happiness. 'You may henceforward,' said the sultan, 'dwell peaceably in your capital, unless you will go to mine, where you shall be very welcome, and have as much honour and respect shown you as if you were at home.'
'Potent monarch, to whom I am so much indebted,' replied the king, 'you think, then, that you are very near your capital?'
'Yes,' said the sultan, 'I know it; it is not above four or five hours' journey.'
'It will take you a whole year,' said the prince. 'I do believe, indeed, that you came hither from your capital in the time you speak of, because mine was enchanted; but since the enchantment is taken off, things are changed. However, this shall not prevent my following you, were it to the utmost corners of the earth. You are my deliverer, and that I may show you that I shall acknowledge this during my whole life, I am willing to accompany you, and to leave my kingdom without regret.'
The sultan was extremely surprised to learn that he was so far from his dominions, and could not imagine how it could be. But the young King of the Black Islands convinced him beyond a possibility of doubt. Then the sultan replied, 'It is no matter: the trouble of returning to my own country is sufficiently recompensed by the satisfaction of having obliged you, and by acquiring you for a son; for since you will do me the honour to accompany me, as I have no child, I look upon you as such, and from this moment I appoint you my heir and successor.'
The conversation between the sultan and the King of the Black Islands concluded with the most affectionate embraces; after which the young prince was totally taken up in making preparations for his journey, which were finished in three weeks' time, to the great regret of his court and subjects, who agreed to receive at his hands one of his nearest kindred for their king.
At last the sultan and the young prince began their journey, with a hundred camels laden with inestimable riches from the treasury of the young king, followed by fifty handsome gentlemen on horseback, well mounted and dressed. They had a very happy journey; and when the sultan, who had sent couriers to give notice of his delay, and of the adventure which had occasioned it, came near his capital, the principal officers he had left there came to receive him, and to assure him that his long absence had occasioned no alteration in his empire. The inhabitants came out also in great crowds, received him with acclamations, and made public rejoicings for several days.
On the day after his arrival, the sultan gave all his courtiers a very ample account of the events which, contrary to his expectation, had detained him so long. He told them he had adopted the King of the Four Black Islands, who was willing to leave a great kingdom to accompany and live with him; and as a reward for their loyalty, he made each of them presents according to their rank.
As for the fisherman, since he was the first cause of the deliverance of the young prince, the sultan gave him a plentiful fortune, which made him and his family happy for the rest of their days.
THE HISTORY OF AGIB.


y name is Agib, and I am the son of a king called Cassib. After his death I took possession of his dominions, and resided in the same city. This city is situated on the sea coast; it has one of the finest and safest harbours in the world, an arsenal capable of fitting out for sea one hundred and fifty men of war that are always ready, and fifty merchant men, besides light frigates and pleasure-boats. My kingdom consists of several fine provinces upon the main land, and a number of spacious islands, every one of which lies almost in sight of my capital.
The first thing I did was to visit the provinces: I afterwards caused the whole fleet to be fitted out and manned, and went to the islands to gain the hearts of my subjects by my presence, and to confirm them in their loyalty; and after some time I went thither again. These voyages gave me some taste for navigation, and I took so much pleasure in it that I resolved to make some discoveries beyond my islands; to which end I caused only ten ships to be fitted out, embarked, and set sail.
Our voyage was very successful for forty days together, but on the forty-first night the wind become contrary, and so boisterous that we were nearly lost in the storm. About break of day the wind grew calm, the clouds dispersed, and, the sun having brought back fair weather, we came close to an island, where we remained for two days to take in fresh provisions; after which we put off again to sea. After ten days' sail we were in hopes of seeing land, for the tempests we had gone through had so much abated my curiosity that I gave orders to steer back to my own coast; but I perceived at the same time that the pilot knew not where we were. Upon the tenth day a seaman being sent to look out for land from the main-mast head, gave notice that on starboard and larboard he could see nothing but the sky and the sea, which bounded the horizon; but that just before us he saw a great blackness.
At this the pilot changed colour and, throwing his turban on the deck with one hand, and beating his breast with the other, cried, 'Oh, sir, we are all lost; not one of us will escape; and with all my skill it is not in my power to prevent it.' Having spoken thus, he fell a-crying like a man who foresaw unavoidable ruin: his despair put the whole ship's crew in fear. I asked him the reason. He told me that the tempest, which we had outlived, had brought us so far out of our course that to- morrow about noon we should come near to the black place, which was nothing else than the black mountain. 'That,' said he, 'is a mine of adamant, which at this very minute is drawing all your fleet towards it, by virtue of the iron and the nails that are in your ships; and when we come to-morrow within a certain distance, the adamant will have such a force that all the nails will be drawn out of the sides and bottom of the ships, and fasten to the mountain, so that your vessel will fall to pieces, and sink to the bottom: and as the adamant draws all iron to it, this mountain on the side of the sea is covered over with nails, drawn out of an infinite number of vessels that have perished here.
'The mountain,' continued the pilot, 'is very rugged; on the top of it there is a dome of fine brass, supported by pillars of the same, and upon the top of that dome there stands a horse of the same metal, with a rider on his back, who has a plate of lead fixed to his breast, upon which some talismanic characters are engraver. Sir, the tradition is that this statue is the chief reason why so many ships and men have been lost and sunk in this place, and that it will ever continue to be fatal to all who have the misfortune to come near to it, until it is thrown down.'
The pilot, having ended his explanation, began to weep afresh, and all the rest of the ship's company did the like. I had no other thought but that my days were then and there to have an end. In the meantime every one began to provide for his own safety, and took all imaginable precautions, and all made one another their heirs, by virtue of a will, for the benefit of those that should happen to be saved.
The next morning we perceived the black mountain very plainly, and the idea we had formed of it made it appear more frightful than it was. About noon we had come so near that we found what the pilot had foretold to be true; for we saw all the nails and iron about the ships fly towards the mountain, where they fixed, by the violence of the attraction, with a horrible noise: the ships split asunder, and sank into the sea, which was so deep about the place that we could not sound it. All my people were drowned; but I was permitted to save myself by means of a plank, which the wind drove ashore just at the foot of the mountain. I did not receive the least hurt; and my good fortune brought me to a landing-place, where there were steps that went up to the top of the mountain.
At the sight of these steps, for there was not a bit of ground on either the right or the left whereon a man could set his foot, I gave thanks to God, and recommended myself to His holy protection. I then began to mount the steps, which were so narrow, rugged, and hard to get up that, had the wind blown ever so little, it would have thrown me down into the sea. But at last I got up to the top without any accident.
I passed the night under the dome; and in my sleep a grave old man appeared to me, and said, 'Hearken, Agib; as soon as thou art awake, dig up the ground under thy feet: thou shalt find a bow of brass, and three arrows of lead, that are made under certain constellations, to deliver mankind from the many calamities that threaten them. Shoot the three arrows at the statue, and the rider will fall into the sea, but the horse will fall down by thy side. Thou must bury him in the place from whence thou tookest the bow and arrows: this being done, the sea will swell and rise up to the foot of the dome that stands upon the top of the mountain. When it comes up so high, thou shalt see a boat, with one man holding an oar in each hand; this man is also of metal, but different from the one thou hast thrown down; step on board to him, without mentioning the name of God, and let him conduct thee. In ten days' time he will bring thee into another sea, where thou shalt find an opportunity to get home to thy country safe and sound, provided, as I have told thee, thou dost not mention the name of God during the whole voyage.'
This was the substance of the old man's discourse. When I awoke I was very much comforted by the vision, and did not fail to observe everything that he had commanded me. I took the bow and arrows out of the ground, shot at the horseman, and with the third arrow I overthrew him: he fell into the sea, and the horse fell by my side, and I buried him in the place whence I took the bow and arrows. In the meantime the sea swelled and rose up by degrees: when it came as high as the foot of the dome that stood upon the top of the mountain, I saw, afar off, a boat rowing towards me, and I returned God thanks that everything had happened according to my dream.
At last the boat made for land, and I saw the man was made of metal, as I had dreamt. I stepped aboard, and took great heed not to pronounce the name of God, neither spoke I one word; I sat down, and the man of metal began to row off from the mountain. He rowed without ceasing till the ninth day, when I saw some islands, which gave me hope that I should escape all the danger that I feared. The excess of my joy made me forget what I was forbidden to do: 'Blessed be God,' said I, 'God be praised.'
No sooner had I spoken these words than the boat sank with the man of metal, leaving me upon the surface. I swam for the remaining part of the day towards that land which appeared nearest to me. A very dark night succeeded, and, not knowing where I was, I swam haphazard. My strength at last began to fail, and I despaired of being able to save myself, when the wind began to blow, and a wave, as big as a mountain, threw me on a flat coast, where it left me, and drew back. I made haste to get ashore, fearing another wave might wash me back again. The first thing I did was to strip and wring the water out of my clothes, and I then laid them out on the dry sand, which was still pretty warm from the heat of the day.
Next morning the sun dried my clothes early; I put them on, and went forward to see where I was. I had not walked very far before I found I was upon a little desert island, very pleasant, where there grew several sorts of trees and wild fruit; but I perceived it was very far from the continent, which much diminished my joy in having escaped the danger of the sea. I, notwithstanding, commended myself to God, and prayed Him to dispose of me according to His good will and pleasure. Just then I saw a vessel coming from the main land, before the wind, direct to the island. I doubted not that they were coming to anchor there, and being uncertain what sort of people they might be, whether friends or foes, I thought it not safe for me to be seen, so I got up into a very thick tree, from whence I might safely look at them. The vessel came into a little creek. Ten slaves landed, carrying a spade and other instruments for digging. They went towards the middle of the island, where I saw them stop and dig the ground for a long while, after which I thought I saw them lift up a trap-door. They returned again to the vessel, and unladed provisions and furniture, which they carried to the place where they had broken ground, and so went downward, which made me suppose it was a subterranean dwelling.
Once more I saw them go to the ship, and soon return with an old man, who led a very handsome lad by the hand, of about fourteen or fifteen years of age. They all went down at the trapdoor. When they came up again they let down the trap-door, and covered it over with earth, and returned to the creek where the ship lay. But I saw not the young man in their company; this made me believe that he remained behind in that place underground, at which I could not but be extremely astonished.
The old man and the slaves went aboard again, and the vessel being got under sail, steered its course towards the mainland. When they were too far off to see me, I came down from the tree, and went direct to the place where I had seen the ground broken. I removed the earth by degrees till I found a stone two or three feet square. I lifted it up, and saw that it covered the head of the stairs, which were also of stone. I went down, and came into a large room, where there was a carpet, and a couch covered with tapestry, and cushions of rich stuff, upon which the young man sat, with a fan in his hand. I saw all this, also the fruits and flower-pots he had standing about him, by the light of two tapers. The young lad was startled at the sight of me, but to rid him of his fear I said as I came in, 'Whoever you are, sir, do not fear anything: a king, and the son of a king, as I am, is not capable of doing you any harm. On the contrary, it is probable that your good destiny has brought me hither to deliver you out of this tomb, where it seems they have buried you alive, for reasons unknown to me. But what makes me wonder is that you have suffered yourself to be buried in this place without any resistance.'
The young man recovered himself at these words, and begged me, with a smiling countenance, to sit down by him. 'Prince,' he said, 'I will tell you something so extraordinary that it cannot but surprise you.'