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

he treated him as his familiar friend, and ordered him a suit out of his wardrobe.

The Bermecide found my brother to be a man of so much wit and understanding, that in a few days after he trusted him with his household, and all his affairs. My brother acquitted himself very well in that employment for twenty years, at the end of which the generous Bermecide died, and, leaving no heirs, all his estate was confiscated to the use of the prince; upon which my brother was reduced to his first condition, and joined a caravan of pilgrims going to Mecca, designing to accomplish that pilgrimage upon their charity; but by misfortune the caravan was attacked and plundered by a number of Beduins [Footnote: Vagabond Arabians, who wander in the deserts, and plunder the caravans when they are not strong enough to resist them.] superior to that of the pilgrims. My brother was then taken as a slave by one of the Beduins, who put him under the bastinado for several days, to oblige him to ransom himself. Schacabac protested to him that it was all in vain. I am your slave, said he, you may dispose of me as you please: but I declare unto you that I am extremely poor, and not able to redeem myself. In a word, my brother discovered to him all his misfortunes, and endeavoured to soften him with tears; but the Beduin had no mercy; and, being vexed to find himself disappointed of a considerable sum, which he reckoned he was sure of, he took his knife, and slit my brother's lips, to avenge himself, by this inhumanity, for the loss that he imagined he had sustained.

The Beduin had a handsome wife; and frequently, when he went on his courses, he left my brother alone with her, and then she used all her endeavours to comfort my brother under the rigour of his slavery: she gave him tokens enough that she loved him; but he durst not yield to her passion, for fear he should repent it, and therefore he shunned to be alone with her, as much as she sought the opportunity to be alone with him. She had so great a custom of toying and jesting with the miserable Schacabac, whenever she saw him, that one day she happened to do it in presence of her husband. My brother, without taking notice that he observed them, (so his stars would have it) jested likewise with her. The Beduin, immediately supposing that they lived together in a criminal manner, fell upon my brother in a rage, and after he had mangled him in a barbarous manner, he carried him on a camel to the top of a desert mountain, where he left him. The mountain was on the way to Bagdad, so that the passengers who passed that road gave me an account of the place where he was. I went thither speedily, where I found the unfortunate Schacabac in a deplorable condition: I gave him what help he stood in need of, and brought him back to the city.

This is what I told the caliph, added the barber; that prince applauded me with new fits of laughter. Now, said he, I cannot doubt that they justly gave you the surname of Silent; nobody can say the contrary. For certain reasons, however, I command you to depart this town immediately, and let me hear no more of your discourse. I yielded to necessity, and went to travel several years in far countries. I understood at last that the caliph was dead, and returned to Bagdad, where I found not one of my brethren alive. It was on my return to this town that I did the important service to the same young man which you have heard. You are, however, witness of his ingratitude, and of the injurious manner in which he treated me. Instead of testifying his acknowledgments, he chose rather to fly from me, and to leave his own country. When I understood that he was not at Bagdad, though nobody could tell me truly whither he was gone, yet I did not forbear to go and seek him. I travelled from province to province a long time; and when I had given over all hopes, I met him this day; but I did not think to find him so incensed against me.

The tailor made an end of telling the sultan of Casgar the history of the lame young man, and the barber of Bagdad, after that manner I had the honour to tell your majesty.

When the barber, continued he, had finished his story, we found that the young man was not to blame for calling him a great prattler. However, we were pleased that he would stay with us, and par take of the treat which the master of the house had prepared for us. We sat down to table, and were merry together till afternoon prayers; then all the company parted, and I went to my shop, till it was time for me to return home.

It was during this interval that Hump-back came half drunk before my shop, where he sung and taboured. I thought that, by carrying him home with me, I should divert my wife; therefore I brought him along. My wife gave us a dish of fish, and I presented Hump-back with some, which he ate without taking notice of a bone. He fell down dead before us; and, after having in vain essayed to help him, in the trouble occasioned us by such an unlucky accident, and through the fear of punishment, we carried the corpse out, and dexterously lodged it with the Jewish doctor. The Jewish doctor put it into the chamber of the purveyor, and the purveyor carried it forth into the street, where it was believed the merchant had killed him. This, sir, added the tailor, is what I had to say to satisfy your majesty, who must pronounce whether we be worthy of mercy or wrath, life or death.

The sultan of Casgar looked with a contented air, and gave the tailor and his comrades their lives. I cannot but acknowledge, said he, that I am more amazed at the history of the young cripple, at that of the barber, and at the adventures of his brothers, than at the story of my jester; but before I send you all four away, and before we bury Hump, I would see the barber, who is the cause that I have pardoned you. Since he is in my capital, it is easy to satisfy my curiosity. At the same time he sent a serjeant with the tailor to find him.

The serjeant and the tailor went immediately, and brought the barber, whom they presented to the sultan. The barber was an old man of ninety years; his eye-brows and beard were as white as snow, his ears hung down, and he had a very long nose. The sultan could not forbear laughing when he saw him. Silent man, said he to him, I understand that you know wonderful stories; will you tell me some of them? Sir, answered the barber, let us forbear the stories, if you please, at present. I most humbly beg your majesty to permit me to ask what that Christian, that Jew, that Mussulman, and that dead Hump-back, who lies on the ground, do here before your majesty. The sultan smiled at the barber's liberty, and replied, Why do you ask? Sir, replied the barber, it concerns me to ask, that your majesty may know that I am not so great a talker as some pretend, but a man justly called Silent.

The sultan of Casgar was so complaisant as to satisfy the barber's curiosity. He commanded them to tell him the story of the Hump-back, which he earnestly wished for. When the barber heard it, he shook his head, as if he would say, there was something under this which he did not understand. Truly, cried he, this is a surprising story; but I am willing to examine Hump-back a little closely. He drew near him, sat down on the ground, put his head between his knees, and after he had looked upon him steadfastly, he fell into so great a fit of laughter, and had so little command of himself, that he fell backwards on the ground, without considering that he was before the sultan of Casgar. As soon as he came to himself, It is said, cried he, and without reason, that no man dies without a cause. If ever any history deserved to be written in letters of gold, it is this of Hump-back.

At this all the people looked on the barber as a buffoon, or a doting old man. Silent man, said the sultan, speak to me; why do you laugh so hard? Sir, answered the barber, I swear by your majesty's good humour that Hump-back is not dead! he is yet alive; and I shall be willing to pass for a madman, if I do not let you sec it this minute. Having said these words, he took a box, wherein he had several medicines, that he carried about to make use of on occasion; and took out a phial with balsam, with which he rubbed Hump-back's neck a long time; then he took out of his case a neat iron instrument, which he put betwixt his teeth, and, after he had opened his mouth, he thrust down his throat a pair of pincers, with which he took out a bit offish and bone, which he showed to all the people. Immediately Hump-back sneezed, stretched forth his arms and feet, and gave several other signs of life.

The sultan of Casgar, and those with him, who were witnesses to this operation, were less surprised to see Hump-back revive, after he had passed a whole night and great part of a day without giving any signs of life, than at the merit and capacity of the barber who performed this; and, notwithstanding all his faults, began to look upon him as a great person. The sultan, ravished with joy and admiration, ordered the story of Hump-back to be recorded, with that of the barber, that the memory of it might, as it deserved, be preserved for ever. Nor did he stop here; but that the tailor, Jewish doctor, purveyor, and Christian merchant, might remember, with pleasure, the adventure which the accident of Hump-back had occasioned to them, he did not send them away till he had given each of them a very rich robe, with which he caused them to be clothed in his presence. As for the barber, he honoured him with a great pension, and kept him near his person.

Thus the sultaness finished this long train of adventures, to which the pretended death of Hump-back gave occasion; then held her peace, because day appeared; upon which her sister Dinarzade said to her, My princess, my sultaness, I am so much the more charmed with the story you just now told, because it concludes with an incident I did not expect. I verily thought Hump-back was dead. This surprise pleases me, said Schahriar, as much as the adventures of the barber's brothers. The story of the lame young man of Bagdad diverted me also very much, replied Dinarzade. I am very glad of it, dear sister, said the sultaness; and since I have the good fortune not to tire out the patience of the sultan, our lord and master, if his majesty will still be so gracious as to preserve my life, I shall have the honour to give him an account to-morrow of the history of the amours of Aboulhassen Ali Ebn Becar and Schemselnihar, favourite of the caliph Haroun Alraschid, which is no less worthy of your notice than the history of Hump-back.

The sultan of the Indies, who was very well satisfied with the stories which Scheherazade had told him hitherto, was willing to hear the history which she promised. He rose, however, to go to prayers, and hold his council, without giving any signification of his pleasure towards the sultaness.

Dinarzade, being always careful to awake her sister, called this night at the ordinary hour. My dear sister, said she, day will soon appear. I earnestly beg of you to tell us some of your fine stories. We need no other, said Schahriar, but that of the amours of Aboulhassen Ali Ebn Becar and Schemselnihar, the favourite of caliph Haroun Alraschid. Sir, said Scheherazade, I will satisfy your curiosity; and began thus.

THE HISTORY OF ABOULHASSEN ALI EBN BECAR, AND SCHEMSELNIHAR, FAVOURITE OF CALIPH