Extended Reading 1
Tales from the Arabian Nights
When students engage in longer, continuous texts rather than assorted short paragraphs, they have a chance to get more involved in the story and may find that reading is easier because they have gotten accustomed to the vocabulary used and the writer’s style. Students can read and/or listen to this adaptation of a section of the Arabian Nights.
1.
Once there was a businessman who was very rich. He often needed to travel for his business. One day before a long business trip, he packed his bags and took along a small bag in which he had put a few biscuits and dates, because he had to pass through the desert where no food was available. He arrived without any problem, and after taking care of his business, began his return home. On the fourth day of his trip, the heat of the sun was very great, and he stopped by the side of the road to rest under some trees. He found a fountain of clear, running water at the foot of a large tree. He got off his horse, tied it to a tree, and sat by the fountain. He took some dates and biscuits from his bag and ate them. When he finished his simple meal, he washed his face and hands in the fountain.
Suddenly a large Genie, white with rage, came towards him with a sword in his hand.
“Get up,” cried the Genie in a terrible voice, “and let me kill you as you have killed my son!”
As he spoke he gave a terrible yell. The businessman, frightened by the words and ugly face of the monster, answered him in a weak voice, “Good sir, what can I have done to you to deserve death?”
“I shall kill you,” repeated the Genie, “because you have killed my son.”
2.
“But,” said the businessman, “how can I have killed your son? I do not know him, and I have never even seen him.”
“When you arrived here didn’t you sit down on the ground, take some dates from your bag, and throw the pits out as you ate them?” asked the Genie.
“Yes,” said the businessman, “I certainly did.”
“Then,” said the Genie, “you have killed my son, for one the pits hit my son in the eye and killed him. Now I shall kill you.”
“Ah, forgive me!” cried the businessman.
“I will have no mercy on you,” answered the Genie.
“But I killed your son by accident, so I beg you to spare my life.”
“No,” said the Genie, “I shall kill you as you killed my son,” and so saying, he seized the businessman by the arm, threw him on the ground, and lifted his sword to cut off his head.
The businessman, protesting his innocence, cried for his wife and children, and tried change the Genie’s mind. The Genie, waited with his sword raised, till he had finished, but was not in the least touched.
When the businessman saw that the Genie was determined to cut off his head, he said: “One word more, I beg you. Grant me a little delay; just a short time to go home and say goodbye to my wife and children and to write my will. When I have done this I will come back here, and you can kill me.”
3.
“But,” said the Genie, “if I give you the delay you ask, I am afraid that you will not come back.”
“I give you my word of honor,” answered the businessman, “that I will come back without fail.”
“How long do you need?” asked the Genie.
“I ask you for one year,” replied the businessman. “I promise you that one year from tomorrow, I shall be waiting under this tree to give myself up to you.”
Then the Genie left him near the fountain and disappeared.
The businessman, having recovered from his fright, got on his horse and went on his way.
When he arrived home, his wife and children received him with the greatest joy. But instead of embracing them he began to cry and they soon guessed that something terrible had happened.
“Tell us what happened,” said his wife.
“Oh!” answered her husband, “I have only a year to live.”
Then he told them what had passed between him and the Genie, and how he had given his word to return at the end of a year to be killed. When they heard this sad news they were very sad, and cried out loud.
The next day the businessman began to settle his affairs. First of all he paid all his debts. He gave presents to his friends, and charity to the poor. He set his slaves free and made sure there was enough money for his wife and children.
4.
The year soon passed away, and it was time for him to go. When he tried to say goodbye he was overcome with grief, and with difficulty tore himself away. He traveled until he came to the place where he had first seen the Genie and arrived on the day he promised. He got off his horse, sat down at the edge of the fountain, and waited for the Genie.
While he was waiting, an old man leading a goat came towards him. They greeted one another, and then the old man said to him, “May I ask, brother, what brought you to this desert place, where there are so many evil genies? This is a dangerous place to stay.”
The businessman explained why he had come and the old man listened attentively.
“This is an amazing story. I would like to be a witness of your interview with the Genie.” The businessman said that he didn’t mind and the old man sat down next to him.
After a while, another old man came up, followed by two black dogs. He greeted them, and asked what they were waiting for. The old man with the goat told him about the adventure of the businessman and the Genie. After the second old man heard the story, he too sat down to wait and see what would happen. He had not been sitting too long before a third old man arrived. He asked why the businessman looked so sad and they told him the story.
5.
The third old man also decided to see what would pass between the Genie and the businessman, so he waited with the others. They soon saw in the distance a thick smoke, like a cloud of dust. This smoke came nearer and nearer, and then, all at once, it vanished, and they saw the Genie, who, without speaking to them, approached the businessman, sword in hand, and, taking him by the arm, said, “Get up and let me kill you as you killed my son.”
The businessman and the three old men began to beg and cry.
Then the old man leading the goat threw himself at the Genie’s feet and said, “O Prince of the Genies, I beg of you to have mercy and to listen to me. I am going to tell you my story and that of the goat I have with me, and if you find the story interesting, I ask that you reduce the punishment of this man by one-third. “
The Genie thought about his proposal and finally said, “Very well, I agree to this.”
I am now going to begin my story,” said the old man, “so please pay attention.”
This goat that you see with me is my wife. We have no children of our own, and therefore I adopted the son of a favorite slave, and decided to make him my heir. My wife, however, hated both mother and child, but I didn’t know it till it was too late.
6.
When my adopted son was about ten years old, I had to go away on a long trip. Before I went, I asked my wife to care for both the mother and child while I was away. But while I was gone, my wife studied magic in order to carry out her wicked scheme. When she had learned enough, she took my son into a distant place and changed him into a calf. Then she gave him to my servant and told him to look after a calf she had bought. She also changed the slave into a cow, which she sent to my servant.
When I returned, I asked about my slave and the child. “Your slave is dead,” she said, “and as for your son, I have not seen him for two months, and I do not know where he is.”
I was sad to hear of my slave’s death, but as my son had only disappeared, I thought I would soon find him. Eight months passed, however, and I still had no news of him; then the feast of Bairam came.
To celebrate it I ordered my servant to bring me a very fat cow to sacrifice. He did so. The cow that he brought was my unfortunate slave. I tied her up, but just as I was about to kill her she began to make the most pitiful sounds, and I saw that her eyes were full of tears.
7.
The behavior of the cow seemed very strange to me, and, feeling pity, I ordered my servant to lead her away and bring another. My wife, who was present, became very angry with me. “What are you doing?” she cried. “Kill this cow. It is the best we have to sacrifice.”
To please her, I tried again, but again the animal’s cries and tears made me uncomfortable.
“Take her away,” I said to the servant, “and kill her; I cannot.”
The servant killed her, but found that she was nothing but bones, although she appeared so fat. I was very upset.
“Keep her for yourself,” I said to the servant, “and if you have a fat calf, bring that instead.”
In a short time he brought a very fat calf, which, although I did not know it, was my son. It tried hard to break its rope. It threw itself at my feet, with its head on the ground, as if it wished to excite my pity, and to beg me not to take away its life.
I was even more surprised and touched at this action than I had been at the tears of the cow.
“Go,” I said to the servant, “and take back this calf; take great care of it, and bring me another in its place instantly.”
As soon as my wife heard me say this she at once cried out, “What are you doing, husband? Do not sacrifice any calf but this.”
8.
“Wife,” I answered, “I will not sacrifice this calf,” and in spite of all her complaints, I remained firm.
I had another calf killed; this one was led away. The next day the servant asked to speak to me in private.
“I have come,” the servant said, “to tell you some news which I think you should hear. I have a daughter who knows magic. Yesterday, when I was leading back the calf which you refused to sacrifice, I noticed that she smiled, and then directly afterwards began to cry. I asked her why she did so.”
“Father,” she answered, “this calf is the son of our master. I smile with joy at seeing him still alive, and I weep to think of his mother, who was sacrificed yesterday as a cow. These changes were the work of our master’s wife, who hated the mother and son.”
“You can imagine my shock when I heard these words. I went immediately with the servant to speak with his daughter myself. First of all I went to the stable to see my son, and he replied in his dumb way to all my caresses. When the servant’s daughter came I asked her if she could change my son back to his proper shape.”
“Yes, I can,” she replied, “on two conditions. One is that you give him to me as a husband, and the other is that you will let me punish the woman who changed him into a calf.”
9.
“To the first condition,” I answered, “I agree with all my heart, and I will give you a generous dowry. To the second I also agree. I only beg you to spare her life.”
“That I will do,” she replied; “I will treat her as she treated your son.”
Then she took a bowl of water and pronounced some words I did not understand over it; then, on throwing the water over the calf, he became immediately a young man once more.
“My son, my dear son,” I exclaimed, full of joy. “This kind lady has rescued you from a terrible magic spell, and I am sure that out of gratitude you will marry her.”
He agreed happily, but before they were married, the young girl changed my wife into a goat, and it is she whom you see before you. I wished her to have this form rather than a stranger one, so that we could see her in the family without feeling complete disgust.
Since then my son has become a widower and has gone traveling. I am now going in search of him, and not wishing to give my wife to the care of other people, I am taking her with me. Isn’t this an interesting and unusual story?
“It is indeed,” said the Genie, “and because of it I will reduce by one-third the punishment of this businessman.”
10.
When the first old man had finished his story, the second, who was leading the two black dogs, said to the Genie, “I am going to tell you what happened to me, and I am sure that you will find my story even more amazing than the one you have just heard. But when I have told it, will you reduce the businessman’s punishment by another third?”
“Yes,” replied the Genie, “if your story is better than that of the man with the goat.”
With this agreement the second old man began his story.
Great Genie, you must understand that we are three brothers — these two black dogs and myself. Our father died, leaving us each a thousand gold coins. With this money we all three took up the same profession, and became merchants. A short time after we had opened our shops, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs, decided to travel in foreign countries for the sake of buying merchandise. With this intention he sold all he had and bought supplies for the voyages he was about to make. He set out, and was away a whole year. At the end of this time, a beggar came to my shop. “Hello,” I said. “Hello,” he answered; “is it possible that you do not recognize me?” Then I looked at him closely and saw he was my brother. I made him come into my house, and asked him how he had done in his enterprise.
11.
“Do not question me,” he replied. “Look at me; you see all I have. I couldn’t stand to tell about all the troubles and misfortunes I have had during the year that have brought me to the condition you see me in now.”
I shut up my shop, took him to my house, fed him with the best food, and clothed him in my finest clothing. I examined my accounts, and found that I had doubled my capital–that is, that I now had two thousand gold coins. I gave my brother half, saying: “Now, brother, you can forget your losses.” He accepted them with joy, and we lived together as we had before.
Some time afterwards my second brother wished also to sell his business and travel. My eldest brother and I did all we could to persuade him not to, but it was of no use. He joined a caravan and set out. He came back at the end of a year in the same condition as his elder brother. I took care of him, and as I had a thousand gold coins to spare, I gave them to him, and he re-opened his shop.
One day, my two brothers came to me to propose that we should make a journey together. At first I refused to go. “You traveled,” I said, “and what did you gain?” But they came to me repeatedly, and after having held out for five years I at last gave in.
12.
When they had made their preparations, and they began to buy the supplies we needed, they found they had spent every piece of the thousand gold coins I had given them. I did not criticize them. I divided my six thousand gold coins with them, giving a thousand to each and keeping one for myself, and the other three I buried in a corner of my house. We bought supplies, loaded them into a boat, and set forth with a favorable wind.
After sailing for two months, we arrived at a seaport, where we disembarked and did a great trade. Then we bought the merchandise of the country, and were just going to sail once more, when I was stopped on the shore by a beautiful though poorly dressed woman. She came up to me, kissed my hand, and begged me to marry her and take her on board. At first I refused, but she begged so hard and promised to be such a good wife to me, that at last I agreed. I bought her some beautiful dresses, and after marrying her, we set sail. During the voyage, I discovered so many good qualities in my wife that I began to love her more and more. But my brothers began to be jealous of my prosperity, and set to work to plot against my life. One night when we were sleeping they threw my wife and me into the sea.
13.
My wife, however, turned out to be a fairy, and so she did not let me drown, but brought me safely to an island. When the day dawned, she said to me, “When I saw you on the seashore I took a great fancy to you, and so I presented myself in the disguise you saw. Now I have rewarded you by saving your life. But I am very angry with your brothers, and I shall not rest till I have taken their lives.”
I thanked the fairy for all that she had done for me, but I begged her not to kill my brothers.
Finally, I persuaded her and then she transported me from the island where we were to my own house, and she disappeared a moment afterwards. I went down, and opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand gold coins which I had buried. I went to the place where my shop was, opened it, and was welcomed back by my fellow-merchants. When I went home, I saw two black dogs who came to meet me with sorrowful faces. I was very surprised, but then the fairy who had been my wife appeared said to me, “Do not be surprised to see these dogs; they are your two brothers. I have changed them in these shapes for ten years.” She told me where I could find her when the ten years were up and then she disappeared.
14.
The ten years are nearly passed, and I am on the road to find her. Along the way I met this businessman and the old man with the goat.
This is my story, Great Genie! Don’t you think it is a wonderful tale?
“Yes, indeed,” replied the Genie, “and as I promised, I will reduce the businessman’s punishment by one-third.”
Then the third old man made the same request to the Genie as the other two had done, and the Genie promised him to reduce the businessman’s punishment by one-third if his story was even better than the others’.
It happened that the Genie was very impressed with the story of the third old man and pardoned the businessman completely so that he escaped any punishment. This is the story that the third old man told to the Genie:
I used to be a fisherman but was so poor that I could scarcely support my wife and three children. I went to fish very early every day, and each day I made a rule not to throw my nets more than four times. I started out one morning by moonlight and came to the seashore. I threw my nets, and as I was drawing them towards the bank I felt a great weight. I thought I had caught a large fish, and was very pleased. But a moment afterwards, I saw that I didn’t have a fish but only the dead body of an old donkey and I was very disappointed.
15.
I removed the donkey from my net and threw it again. Soon again I felt a heavy weight and thought the net was full of fish. But when I brought the net in, I found it contained only a large basket full of rubbish and was very annoyed.
I threw away the rubbish, and after having washed his nets clean of the dirt, I threw them for the third time. When I felt a weight, I brought it in but it contained only stones, shells, and mud.
Finally, I threw my net for the fourth and final time. When I thought I had a fish, I drew it in with a great deal of trouble. There was no fish however, but only a yellow pot, which by its weight seemed full of something. The pot was covered and sealed. Even though I didn’t catch a fish, I was happy because I thought I could sell the pot and get some money to buy food.
I examined the pot carefully and shook it. I thought there might be something valuable inside so I took my knife and opened it. I turned it upside down, but nothing came out, which surprised me very much. Then I put it down and suddenly a thick smoke came out of it. This smoke rose up to the clouds, and stretched over the sea and the shore. When all the smoke was out of the pot, it gathered itself together, and began to take the form of a giant Genie.
16.
At first I was very afraid but then I asked the Genie to tell me its story and how it came to be locked up in the pot. Then the Genie said in a terrible voice, “I will give you one wish – you can choose the way that you want me to kill you.”
“Why do you want to kill me?” I cried. “I have just freed you from the pot”
“That,” answered the Genie, “will not prevent me from killing you; and I am only going to grant you one favor, and that is to choose the manner of your death.”
“But what have I done to you?” I asked.
“I cannot treat you in any other way,” said the Genie, “and if you want to know why, listen to my story.
“I criticized the king of the Genies. To punish me, he shut me up in this pot to prevent my coming out. Then he threw the pot into the sea. During the first period of my captivity I vowed that if anyone should free me before a hundred years passed, I would make him rich. But that century passed, and no one freed me. In the second century I vowed that I would give all the treasures in the world to anyone who freed me, but nobody came.
“In the third century, I promised to make the person who freed me a king, to be always near him, and to grant him three wishes every day; but that century passed away and I remained locked in the pot.”
17.
“Finally, I grew angry at being captive for so long, and I vowed that if anyone released me I would kill him at once, and would only allow him to choose how to die. Since you have freed me, choose how you want to die.”
I was very unhappy. “What an unlucky man I am to have freed you! I beg you to spare my life.”
“I have told you,” said the Genie, “that it is impossible. Choose quickly; you are wasting time.”
I began to think of a plan. “Since I must die,” I said, “before you kill me, tell me if you really were inside that pot.”
“Yes, I was” answered the Genie.
“I really cannot believe it,” I said. “That pot could not contain even one of your feet, so how could your whole body go in? I cannot believe it unless I see you go inside.”
Then the Genie began to change himself into smoke, which, as before, spread over the sea and the shore, and which, then collecting itself together, began to go back into the pot slowly and evenly till there was nothing left outside. Then a voice came from the vase which said, “Well, unbelieving fisherman, here I am in the pot; do you believe me now?”
Instead of answering I took the lid and quickly put it back on the pot.
I was about to throw the pot back into the sea and leave a warning for others not to open it if they found it when the Genie began to speak to me and beg me to release him.
18.
The Genie promised not to kill me and to reward me in a wonderful way. I did not trust the Genie and was afraid to remove the lid, but finally he made a promise and I released him.
He came out at once in smoke, and then, having resumed his proper shape, he kicked the pot into the sea. This frightened me, but the Genie only laughed and said, “Do not worry. I promised not to hurt you and I will keep my promise. Now, pick up your net and follow me.”
He walked in front of me and we passed through the town, went up a mountain, and then came to a large lake between four hills. When we reached the lake, the Genie said, “Throw your net and catch fish.”
I did as I was told, hoping for a good catch. I was amazed to see that there were four different kinds of fish in my net, a white one, a red one, a blue one, and a yellow one. I had never seen any fish like these before and was very pleased to think how much money I would get for them.
“Take these fish and carry them to the Sultan,” said the Genie, “and he will give you more money for them than you have ever had in your life. You can come every day to fish in this lake, but be careful not to throw your net more than once every day, or some harm will happen to you. If you follow my advice carefully you will find it good.”
19.
Saying these words, the Genie struck his foot against the ground, which opened, and when he had disappeared, it closed immediately.
I made up my mind to obey the Genie exactly, so I did not throw my net a second time, but walked into the town to sell the fish at the palace.
When the Sultan saw the fish he was very surprised. He looked at them one after the other, and after he had admired them for a while said to his servant, “Take these fish and give them to the cook. I think they must taste as good as they are beautiful.”
The servant took them to the cook and said, “Here are four fish that have been brought to the Sultan. He wants you to cook them.”
Then he went back to the Sultan, who told him to give me four hundred gold pieces. I had never before had so much money at once and could hardly believe my good fortune. I at once took care of the needs of my family, and made good use of it.
Back in the kitchen, there was great confusion. The cook had cleaned the fish and put them in a pan with some oil to fry them. When she thought them cooked enough on one side she turned them on the other. But scarcely had she done so when the walls of the kitchen opened, and out came a beautiful lady. She was dressed in an Egyptian dress, and she wore earrings, and a necklace of white pearls, and bracelets of gold and rubies, and she held a wand in her hand.
20.
She went up to the pan, to the great astonishment of the cook, who stood motionless at the sight of her. “Fish, fish,” said she, “are you doing your duty?” The fish all raised their heads together and answered very distinctly, “Yes, yes. We are your subjects and are ready to do your will.”
When they had spoken the lady turned the pan upside down, and entered the opening in the wall, which at once closed and took its normal shape.
When the cook recovered from her fright, she lifted up the fish, which had fallen into the ashes, but they were all black and not fit to serve to the Sultan. She began to cry.
“What shall I say to the Sultan? He will be so angry with me, and I know he will not believe me!”
While she was crying the servant came in and asked if the fish were ready. She told him what had happened and he was very surprised. He sent for me again and when I arrived he said, “Fisherman, bring me four more fish just like the ones you have brought already, for an accident has happened to them so that they cannot be served to the Sultan.”
I remembered what the Genie had told me, and said that I would bring the fish the next day. So the next day I went back to the lake, threw my net, and caught four more fish, each one a different color, just like the day before. I gave them to the Sultan’s servant and he was very pleased.
21.
The servant then took the fish to the kitchen and shut himself up with the cook, who began to cook them as she had done on the previous day. When she was about to turn them on the other side, the wall opened and the lady appeared. She spoke the same words to the fish, received the same answer, and then overturned the pan and disappeared.
The servant was filled with astonishment. “I shall tell the Sultan all that has happened,” said he. And he did so.
The Sultan was very surprised, and wished to see it for himself. So he sent for me and asked for four more fish. I told him I would bring them the next day. Once again I returned to the lake, threw my net and caught four more fish of different colors. The Sultan was delighted and gave me four hundred gold pieces.
The Sultan brought the fish into the kitchen and gave them to the cook. Then he and his servant stayed in the kitchen while the cook began to prepare the fish. When they were done on one side, the cook turned them over and the wall of the room opened. But instead of the lady, a black slave came out. He was very tall, and carried a large green stick with which he touched the fish, saying in a terrible voice, “Fish, fish, are you doing your duty?” To these words the fish lifted up their heads and replied, “Yes, yes. We are your subjects and are ready to do your will.”
22.
The black slave turned the pan over in the middle of the room, and the fish turned black. Then he stepped proudly back into the wall, which closed around him.
“Now that I have seen this,” said the Sultan, “I cannot rest. These fish are connected to some kind of mystery that I must clear up.”
Once again he sent for me and asked where I got the fish.
“Sir, “I answered, “I got them from a lake which lies in the middle of four hills beyond the high mountains.”
“Do you know this lake?” the Sultan asked his servant.
“No; though I have hunted many times around that mountain, I have never heard of it,” answered the servant.
I told the Sultan and his servant that the lake was only a three hour journey away. The Sultan ordered his servant to gather a company of soldiers to accompany us to the lake.
We climbed the mountain, and on the other side, we saw the lake. The water was so clear that we could see the four kinds of fish swimming about in it. We looked at them for some time, and then the Sultan ordered us to make camp by the edge of the water.
When night came the Sultan called his servant, and said to him, “I have decided to clear up this mystery. I am going out alone, and want you to stay here in my tent. If I do not return in three days, I want you and the soldiers to look for me.”
23.
The servant tried to persuade the Sultan not to go, but was not successful. The Sultan took his sword and went out alone.
He climbed one of the hills, and then crossed the great plain, till, just as the sun rose, he saw in front of him a large building. When he came near to it he saw it was a splendid palace of beautiful black polished marble, covered with steel as smooth as a mirror.
He went to the gate and knocked but nobody came, so he went in since it was not locked. He passed through a magnificent courtyard and still saw no one, though he called aloud several times.
He entered a large hall which had beautiful Persian carpets and sofas covered with tapestry from Mecca. The hall was richly decorated with expensive cloth from India and ornaments of gold and silver. In the middle of the room was a fountain supported by golden lions. The water out of the lions’ mouths turned into diamonds and pearls. The palace was surrounded on three sides by magnificent gardens, little lakes, and woods. The trees were full of singing birds.
Still the Sultan saw no one, till he heard a sad cry, and a voice which said, “Oh I wish I would die, for I am too unhappy to want to live any longer!”
The Sultan looked round to see who it was complaining so much about his fate, and at last saw a handsome young man, richly clothed, who was sitting on a throne raised slightly from the ground. His face was very sad.
24.
The Sultan approached him and bowed to him. The young man bent his head very low, but did not rise.
“Sir,” he said to the Sultan, “I am sorry that I cannot rise to greet you.”
“Sir,” answered the Sultan, “I am sure you have a good reason for not doing so, and having heard your cry of distress, I want to offer you my help. Whose palace is this, and why is it so empty?”
Instead of answering, the young man lifted up his robe, and showed the Sultan that, from the waist downwards, he was a block of black marble.
The Sultan was horrified, and begged the young man to tell him his story.
“I will gladly tell you my sad story,” said the young man, and then he began.
My father was Mahmoud, the king of this country called the Black Isles because of the four little mountains which were once islands. The capital was the place where the great lake is now. I will tell you how these changes came about.
My father died when he was sixty-six, and I succeeded him. I married my cousin, whom I loved dearly, and I thought she loved me too.
But one afternoon, when I was half asleep, I heard one of her maids say to another, “What a pity it is that our mistress no longer loves our master! I believe she would like to kill him if she could, for she knows magic.”
I soon found that they were right, and when I wounded one of her slaves who had committed a great crime, she was very angry. She kept him alive with her magic but he could no longer speak or move his body. I begged her to stop taking care of him, but she turned to me in a rage and said some magic words which turned me into what you now see — half man and half marble.
25.
Then this wicked woman changed the capital, which was a very populous and flourishing city, into the lake and desert you saw. The fish of four colors are the people of different races who used to live in the town; the four hills are the four islands, which give the name to my kingdom. And every day, my wife comes and beats me with a whip.
When the young prince had finished his sad story he burst once more into tears, and the Sultan was much moved.
“Tell me,” he cried, “where is this wicked woman, and where is the slave she is keeping alive?”
“I do not know where she lives,” answered the unhappy prince, “but every day at sunrise, after she has beaten me, she goes to see if the slave can speak to her yet.”
“Unfortunate prince,” said the Sultan, “I will do what I can to help you.”
The Sultan and the prince talked for a long time and made a plan. Then the Sultan and the prince rested so they would be ready to carry out their plan the next day. In the morning, the Sultan got up and went to the palace in the garden where the black slave was. He took his sword and destroyed the little life that remained in him, and then threw the body down a well. He then lay down on the couch where the slave had been, and waited for the woman.
26.
She went first to the prince and beat him with a hundred blows.
Then she came to the room where she thought the wounded slave was, but where the Sultan really lay.
She came near his couch and said, “Are you better today, my dear slave? Please speak to me.”
“I feel well,” answered the Sultan, but am so tired because the cries of your husband keep me from sleeping”
“What a joy to hear you speak!” said the queen. “Do you want me to restore my husband to his proper shape?”
“Yes,” said the Sultan; “please change him so that I no longer have to hear his cries.”
The queen at once went out and got a cup of water. She said over it some words that made it boil as if it were on the fire. Then she threw it over the prince, who at once regained his own form. He was filled with joy, but the woman said, “Go away from this place and never come back, or I will kill you.”
Then the prince hid himself to see the end of the Sultan’s plan.
The woman went back to the slave and said, “Now I have done what you wished.”
“What you have done,” said the Sultan, “is not enough to cure me. Every day at midnight all the people whom you have changed into fish lift their heads out of the lake and cry for help. Go quickly, and give them their proper shape.”
27.
The woman hurried away and said some words over the lake.
The fish then became men, women, and children, and the houses and shops were once more filled. The Sultan’s men who were camped by the lake, were amazed to find themselves in the middle of a large and beautiful town.
When she finished, the woman went back to the palace.
“Are you quite well now?” she said.
“Yes,” said the Sultan. Now come here. Come nearer.”
She obeyed. Then he jumped up, and with one blow of his sword, he cut her in two.
Then he went and found the prince.
“Rejoice,” he said, “your cruel enemy is dead.”
The prince thanked him again and again.
“And now,” said the Sultan. “I will go back to my capital, which I am glad to say, is very near yours.”
“Near mine!” said the King of the Black Isles, with a laugh. “Do you know it is a whole year’s journey from here? You came here in a few hours because of magic. But I will accompany you on your journey.”
“It will give me much pleasure if you will escort me,” said the Sultan, “and as I have no children, I will make you my heir.” The Sultan announced to all of us who had accompanied him that the prince would be his heir and that they would all travel together back to their own capital, but that the journey back would take much longer than the journey to the lake.
28.
The Sultan rewarded me with many valuable gifts because I was the reason that he discovered the prince. I traveled together with the Sultan and his men. On the long trip, we shared many wonderful stories and I would like to repeat to you a story that the young prince told to us.
In the olden days there lived in Baghdad a poor man named Hindbad. On a very hot day was sent to carry a heavy load from one end of the city to the other. Before he had gone half the distance he became very tired. Finding himself in a quiet street where the pavement was sprinkled with rose water, and a cool breeze was blowing, he set his load down on the ground, and sat down to rest in the shade of a grand house. Very soon he realized that he could not have chosen a better place to rest. From inside the house came the delightful sound of music and the aroma of wonderful foods being prepared. He wondered who lived in this magnificent house which he had never seen before. The street in which it stood was one he had never been on before. To satisfy his curiosity he went up to some splendidly dressed servants who stood at the door, and asked one of them the name of the master of the mansion.
“What,” replied the servant, “do you live in Baghdad and not know that this is the house of the noble Sindbad the Sailor, that famous traveler who sailed over every sea upon which the sun shines?”
29.
Hinbad, who had often heard people speak of the immense wealth of Sindbad, could not help feeling envious of one whose life seemed to be as happy as his own was miserable. Looking up at the sky he exclaimed aloud, “Consider, Mighty Creator of all things, the differences between Sindbad’s life and mine. Every day I suffer a thousand hardships and misfortunes, and have to do hard work to get even a little bread to keep myself and my family alive, while the lucky Sindbad spends money right and left and lives on the fat of the land! What has he done that you should give him this pleasant life and what have I done to deserve so hard a fate?”
So saying he stamped his foot on the ground in his anger. Just then a servant came out of the palace, and taking him by the arm said, “Come with me, the noble Sindbad, my master, wishes to speak to you.”
Hindbad was very surprised at this invitation, and feared that his careless words might have angered Sindbad, so he tried to excuse himself saying that he could not leave his load in the street. However the servant promised him that it should be taken care of, and urged him to follow him to Sinbad.
He followed the servant into a large room, where many people were seated around a table covered with all sorts of fancy foods. At the head of the table sat a tall man with a long white beard. Behind his chair stood a crowd of servants. This was the famous Sindbad himself.
30.
Hindbad, more alarmed than ever at the sight of so much magnificence, nervously saluted the noble company. Sindbad, making a sign to him to approach, had him seated at his right hand, filled his plate with delicious food, and poured some excellent wine into his glass. When the meal was finished, Sindbad spoke to Hindbad in a friendly way and asked his name and occupation.
“Sir,” he replied, “I am called Hindbad.”
“I am glad to see you here,” said Sindbad. “And I will answer for the rest of the company that they are equally pleased, but I wish you to tell me what it was that you said just now in the street.” For Sindbad, passing by the open window before the feast began, had heard his complaint and therefore had sent for him.
On hearing this question Hindbad was embarrassed, and hanging down his head, replied, “Sir, I confess that tired and weary as I was, I spoke indiscreet words, which I hope you will pardon.”
“Oh!” replied Sindbad, “do not imagine that I am so unjust as to blame you. On the contrary, I understand your situation and pity you. Only you appear to be mistaken about me, and I wish to set you right. You probably think that I have acquired all the wealth and luxury that you see me enjoy without difficulty or danger, but this is far from being the case. I have only reached this happy state after having suffered every possible kind of toil and danger.
31.
“Yes, my noble friends,” he continued, addressing the company, “l assure you that my adventures have been strange and difficult enough to deter even the most ambitious men from seeking wealth by crossing the seas. Since you have, perhaps, heard inaccurate accounts of my seven voyages, and the dangers and wonders that I have met with by sea and land, I will now give you a full and true account of them, which I think you will be well pleased to hear.”
And so, Sindbad began telling the story of his voyages.
I had inherited considerable wealth from my parents, and being young and foolish I at first squandered it on every kind of pleasure, but soon, finding that riches are quickly spent, I began to think about how I could make the best of what still remained to me. I sold all my household goods and joined a company of merchants who traded by sea, embarking with them on a ship.
We set sail and took our course towards the East Indies by the Persian Gulf, having the coast of Persia on our left hand and upon our right the shores of Arabia. I was at first much troubled by the motion of the ship, but soon recovered my health, and since that time have never again been bothered by sea-sickness.
From time to time we landed at various islands, where we sold or exchanged our merchandise, and one day, when the wind dropped suddenly, we found ourselves stuck near a small island, which only rose slightly above the surface of the water.
32.
The captain gave permission to all who wished to land for a while and amuse themselves. I was among those who left the ship. After we walked about for some time, we made a fire and sat down to enjoy some dinner. Suddenly, we were startled by a sudden and violent trembling of the island, while those on the ship shouted to us to get back on the ship. What we had thought was an island was really the back of a sleeping whale. Those who were nearest to the boat threw themselves into it, others sprang into the sea, but before I could save myself the whale plunged suddenly into the ocean, leaving me clinging to a piece of the wood which we had brought to make our fire. Meanwhile a breeze had sprung up, and in the confusion that followed on the boat, no one missed me and I was left at the mercy of the waves. All that day I floated up and down, now beaten this way, now that, and when night fell I despaired for my life; but, weary as I was, I held on to the little piece of wood. You can imagine my joy when the morning light showed me that I had drifted against an island.
The cliffs were high and steep, but luckily there were some tree-roots I could climb up and at last I stretched myself out and lay there, more dead than alive, till the sun was high in the heavens.
33.
By that time I was very hungry. After some searching, I found some plants that I could eat and a spring of clear water. Much refreshed, I set out to explore the island. Soon I reached a great plain where a horse was tied, and as I stood looking at it I heard voices and in a moment a man appeared who asked me how I came to the island. I told him about my adventures, and heard in return that he was a servant of Mihrage, the king of the island, and that each year they came to feed their master’s horses in this plain. He took me to a cave where his companions were assembled, and when I had eaten of the food they set before me, they told me I was lucky to have come upon them when I did, since they were going back to their master the next day, and without their aid I could certainly never have found my way to the inhabited part of the island.
Early the next morning we set out, and when we reached the capital I was politely received by the king. I told him about my adventures and he ordered that I should be well cared for and provided with such things as I needed. Since I was a merchant, I looked for men of my own profession, and particularly those who came from foreign countries, since I hoped to hear news from Baghdad, and find out some means of returning there.
34.
One day I saw a ship had arrived and people were busy unloading cargo. When I got nearer I noticed that my own name was marked upon some of the packages, and then I realized that they were my own merchandise being removed from the ship I had been on. I walked up to the captain and asked who owned the packages that I was looking at.
“There was on my ship,” he replied, “a merchant of Baghdad named Sindbad. One day he and several of my other passengers landed upon what we supposed to be an island, but which was really a huge whale floating asleep on the waves. The whale plunged back into the sea and several of the people who were upon it died, including this unlucky Sindbad. This merchandise is his, and after it is sold, I will give the money to his poor family.”
“Captain,” said I, “I am that Sindbad whom you believe to be dead, and these are my possessions!”
When the captain heard these words he became very angry “What is the world coming to? In these days there is not an honest man to be found. I saw Sindbad drown with my own eyes, and now you have the audacity to tell me that you are Sindbad!”
“Have patience, and listen to my story,” said I. So I told him about my escape and of my fortunate meeting with the king’s servants. Then some of the other merchants from the ship came by and they recognized me, and the captain understood that I was really Sindbad.
35.
I thanked the captain and praised him for his honesty and tried to give him a reward out of gratitude, but he would take nothing. I did give valuable presents to King Mihrage, who was at first amazed since I had told him that I had lost all my possessions. When I had explained to him how my merchandise had been miraculously restored to me, he graciously accepted my gifts, and in return gave me many valuable things. I then took leave of him and got back on my old ship and traded so successfully upon our homeward voyage that when I arrived home I had a great deal of money. My family received me with as much joy as I felt upon seeing them once more. I bought land and slaves, and built a great house in which I hoped to live happily in the enjoyment of all the pleasures of life and to forget my past sufferings.
Here Sindbad paused, and asked the musicians to play again, while the feasting continued until evening. When the time came for Hindbad to leave, Sindbad gave him a purse containing one hundred gold coins, saying, “Take this, Hindbad, and go home, but to-morrow come again. You have heard about my first voyage, but I had many more adventures even more wonderful. When you return, you will hear more amazing stories.
Hindbad said goodbye and departed, amazed at his good luck in coming across such an interesting and generous man. He couldn’t wait to get home and tell his wife and children about his good news.