The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Anonymous (best novels to read in english .TXT) 📗

says Zobeide, I must examine them first. The frightened porter interrupted her thus: In the name of Heaven, do not make me die for another man's crime. I am innocent, they are to blame. Alas! says he, crying, how pleasantly did we pass our time! those blind calenders are the cause of this misfortune; there is no town in the world but goes to ruin, wherever these inauspicious fellows come. Madam, I beg you not to destroy the innocent with the guilty, and consider that it is more glorious to pardon such a wretch as I, who have no way to help myself, than to sacrifice me to your resentment.

Zobeide, notwithstanding her anger, could not but laugh within herself at the porters lamentation; but, without answering him, she spoke a second time to the rest: Answer me, says she, and tell me who you are, otherwise you shall not live one moment longer. I cannot believe you to be honest men, nor persons of authority or distinction in your own countries; for, if you were, you would have been more modest and more respectful to us.

The caliph, who was naturally impatient, was infinitely more so than the rest, to find his life depend upon the command of a lady justly incensed; but he began to conceive some hopes when he saw she would know who they all were; for he imagined she would not take away his life when once she came to be informed who he was; therefore he spoke with a low voice to the vizier, who was near him, to declare speedily who he was; but the vizier, being more prudent, resolved to save his master's honour, and not to let the world know the affront he had brought upon himself by his own weakness; and therefore answered, We have what we deserve. But, if he would have spoken in obedience to the caliph, Zobeide did not give him time; for having turned to the calenders, and seeing them all three blind of one eye, she asked if they were brothers. One of them answered, No, madam, no otherwise than as we are all calenders; that is to say, as we observe the same rules. Were you born blind of the right eye? replied she. No, madam, answers he, I lost my eye in such a surprising adventure, that it would be instructive to every body, were it in writing. After this misfortune, I shaved my beard and eye-brows, and took the habit of a calender, which I now wear.

Zobeide asked the other two calenders the same question, and had the same answer; but he that spoke last added, Madam, to show you that we are no common fellows, and that you may have some consideration for us, be pleased to know, that we are all three sons of kings; and though we never met together till this evening, yet we have had time enough to make that known to one another; and I assure you that the kings from whom we derive our being made some noise in the world.

At this discourse Zobeide assuaged her anger, and said to the slaves, Give them their liberty a while, but stay here. Those who tell us their history, and the occasion of their coming, do them no hurt, let them go where they please, but do not spare those who refuse to give vis that satisfaction.

Scheherazade demanded leave of the sultan, and having obtained it, Sir, says she, the three calenders, the caliph, the grand vizier Giafar, the eunuch Mesrour, and the porter, were all in the middle of the hall, set upon a foot-carpet, in the presence of the three ladies, who sat upon a sofa, and the slaves stood ready to do whatever their mistresses should command.

The porter, understanding that he might rid himself of his danger by telling his history, spoke first, and said, Madam, you know my history already, and the occasion of coming hither; so that what I have to say will be very short. My lady, your sister there, called me this morning at the place where I plied as a porter to see if anybody would employ me, that I might get my bread; I followed her to a vintner's, then to an herb-woman's, then to one that sold oranges, lemons, and citrons, then to a grocer's, next to a confectioner's and a druggist's, with my basket upon my head, as full as I was able to carry it; then I came hither, where you had the goodness to suffer me to continue till now; a favour that I shall never forget. This, Madam, is my history.

When the porter had done, Zobeide says to him, Go, march; let us see you no more here. Madam, replies the porter, I beg you to let me stay; it would be just, after the rest have had the pleasure to hear my history, that I should also have the satisfaction to hear theirs. And having spoken thus, he sat him down at the end of the sofa, glad to the heart to have escaped the danger that had frightened him so much. After him, one of the three calenders, directing his speech to Zobeide, as the principal of the three ladies, and the person that commanded him to speak, began his history thus;

THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST CALENDER, A KING'S SON.

Madam, in order to inform you how I lost my right eye, and why I was obliged to put myself into a calender's habit, I must tell you that I am king's son born; the king my father had a brother that reigned, as he did, over a neighbouring kingdom; and the prince his son and I were almost of one age.

After I had learned my exercises, and that the king my father granted me such liberty as suited my dignity, I went regularly every year to see my uncle, at whose court I diverted myself during a month or two, and then returned again to my father's. These several journies gave occasion of contracting a very firm and particular friendship between the prince my cousin and myself. The last time I saw him, he received me with greater demonstrations of tenderness than he had done at any time before; and resolving one day to give me a treat, he made great preparations for that purpose. We continued a long time at table, and after we had both supped very well, Cousin, says he, you will hardly be able to guess how I have been employed since your last departure from hence, now about a year past. I have had a great many men at work to perfect a design I have had in my mind; I have caused an edifice to be built, which is now finished so well as one may dwell in it: You will not be displeased if I show'it you. But first you are to promise me, upon oath, that you will keep my secret, according to the confidence I repose in you.

The love and familiarity existing between us would not allow me to refuse him any thing. I very readily took the oath required of me: Upon which he says to me, Stay here till I return; I will be with you in a moment: and accordingly he came with a lady in his hand, of singular beauty, and magnificently apparrelled. He did not discover who she was, neither did I think it was polite in me to make inquiry. We sat down again with this lady at table, where we continued some time entertaining ourselves with discourses upon indifferent subjects; and now and then a full glass to drink one another's health. After which the prince said, Cousin, we must lose no time, therefore pray oblige me to take this lady along with you, and conduct her to such a place, where you will see a tomb newly built in the form of a dome; you will easily know it; the gate is open; go in there together, and tarry till I come, which will be very speedily.

Being true to my oath, I made no further inquiry, but took the lady by the hand, and by the directions which the prince my cousin had given me, I brought her to the place, by the light of the moon, without losing one step of the way. We were scarcely got thither, when we saw the prince following after, carrying a little pitcher with water, a hatchet, and a little bag with plaister.

The hatchet served him to break down the empty sepulchre in the middle of the tomb; he took away the stones one after another, and laid them in a corner. When all this was taken away, he digged up the ground, where I saw a trap-door under the sepulchre, which he lifted up, and underneath perceived the head of a staircase leading into a vault. Then my cousin, speaking to the lady, said, Madam, it is by this way that we are to go to the place I told you of. Upon which the lady drew nigh and went down, and the prince began to follow after, but, turning first to me, said, My dear cousin, I am infinitely obliged to you for the trouble you have been at; I thank you: Adieu. I cried, Dear cousin, what is the meaning of this? Be content, replied he; you may return back the same way you came.

Madam, said the calender to Zobeide, I could get nothing further from him, but was obliged to take leave of him; as I returned to my uncle's palace, the vapours of the wine got up into my head; however, I got to my apartment, and went to bed. Next morning, when I awaked, I began to reflect upon what befel me the night before, and, after recollecting all the circumstances of such a singular adventure, I fancied it was nothing but a dream. Being full of these thoughts, I sent to see if the prince my cousin was ready to receive a visit from me; but when they brought back word that he did not lie in his own lodgings that night, they knew not what was become of him, and were in much trouble about it, I conceived that the strange event of the tomb was but too true. I was sensibly afflicted at it, and, stealing away privately from my people, I went to the public burying-place, where there was a vast number of tombs like that which I had seen. I spent the day in viewing them one after another, but could not find that I sought for; and thus I spent four days successively in vain.

You must know all this while the king my uncle was absent, and had been a-hunting for several days. I grew weary of staying for him, and having prayed his ministers to make my apology to him at his return, I left his palace, and set towards my father's court, from which I had never been so long absent before. I left the ministers of the king my uncle in great trouble to think what had become of the prince my cousin; but, because of the oath I had made to keep his secret, I durst not tell them any thing of what I had seen or knew, in order to make them easy.

I arrived at my father's capital, the usual place of his residence, where, contrary to custom, I found a great guard at the gate of the palace, who surrounded me as I entered. I asked the reason, and the commanding officer replied, Prince, the army proclaimed the grand vizier king instead of your father, who is dead; and I take you prisoner in the name of the new king. At these words the guards laid hold of me, and carried me before the tyrant. I leave you to judge, madam, how much I was surprised and grieved.

The rebel vizier had entertained a mortal hatred against me for a long time upon this occasion: When,I was a stripling, I loved to shoot with a cross-bow; and being one day upon the terrace of the palace with my bow, a bird happened to come by; I shot, but missed him, and the ball by misfortune hit the vizier, who was taking the air upon the terrace of his own house, and put out one of his eyes. As soon as I understood it, I not only sent to make my excuse to him, but did it in person; yet he always resented it, and, as