The Arabian Nights Entertainments
Now to cure the princess the dervish must pull out seven of these white
hairs, burn three, and with their smoke perfume the head of the
princess. This will deliver her so completely that Maimoum, the son of
Dimdim, will never dare to approach her again."
The fairies and genii ceased talking, but the dervish did not forget a
word of all they had said; and when morning came he perceived a place
in the side of the well which was broken, and where he could easily
climb out.
The dervishes, who could not imagine what had become of him, were
enchanted at his reappearance. He told them of the attempt on his life
made by his guest of the previous day, and then retired into his cell.
He was soon joined here by the black cat of which the voice had spoken,
who came as usual to say good-morning to his master. He took him on
his knee and seized the opportunity to pull seven white hairs out of
his tail, and put them on one side till they were needed.
The sun had not long risen before the Sultan, who was anxious to leave
nothing undone that might deliver the princess, arrived with a large
suite at the gate of the monastery, and was received by the dervishes
with profound respect. The Sultan lost no time in declaring the object
of his visit, and leading the chief of the dervishes aside, he said to
him, "Noble scheik, you have guessed perhaps what I have come to ask
you?"
"Yes, sire," answered the dervish; "if I am not mistaken, it is the
illness of the princess which has procured me this honour."
"You are right," returned the Sultan, "and you will give me fresh life
if you can by your prayers deliver my daughter from the strange malady
that has taken possession of her."
"Let your highness command her to come here, and I will see what I can
do."
The Sultan, full of hope, sent orders at once that the princess was to
set out as soon as possible, accompanied by her usual staff of
attendants. When she arrived, she was so thickly veiled that the
dervish could not see her face, but he desired a brazier to be held
over her head, and laid the seven hairs on the burning coals. The
instant they were consumed, terrific cries were heard, but no one could
tell from whom they proceeded. Only the dervish guessed that they were
uttered by Maimoum the son of Dimdim, who felt the princess escaping
him.
All this time she had seemed unconscious of what she was doing, but now
she raised her hand to her veil and uncovered her face. "Where am I?"
she said in a bewildered manner; "and how did I get here?"
The Sultan was so delighted to hear these words that he not only
embraced his daughter, but kissed the hand of the dervish. Then,
turning to his attendants who stood round, he said to them, "What
reward shall I give to the man who has restored me my daughter?"
They all replied with one accord that he deserved the hand of the
princess.
"That is my own opinion," said he, "and from this moment I declare him
to be my son-in-law."
Shortly after these events, the grand-vizir died, and his post was
given to the dervish. But he did not hold it for long, for the Sultan
fell a victim to an attack of illness, and as he had no sons, the
soldiers and priests declared the dervish heir to the throne, to the
great joy of all the people.
One day, when the dervish, who had now become Sultan, was making a
royal progress with his court, he perceived the envious man standing in
the crowd. He made a sign to one of his vizirs, and whispered in his
ear, "Fetch me that man who is standing out there, but take great care
not to frighten him." The vizir obeyed, and when the envious man was
brought before the Sultan, the monarch said to him, "My friend, I am
delighted to see you again." Then turning to an officer, he added,
"Give him a thousand pieces of gold out of my treasury, and twenty
waggon-loads of merchandise out of my private stores, and let an escort
of soldiers accompany him home." He then took leave of the envious
man, and went on his way.
Now when I had ended my story, I proceeded to show the genius how to
apply it to himself. "O genius," I said, "you see that this Sultan was
not content with merely forgiving the envious man for the attempt on
his life; he heaped rewards and riches upon him."
But the genius had made up his mind, and could not be softened. "Do
not imagine that you are going to escape so easily," he said. "All I
can do is to give you bare life; you will have to learn what happens to
people who interfere with me."
As he spoke he seized me violently by the arm; the roof of the palace
opened to make way for us, and we mounted up so high into the air that
the earth looked like a little cloud. Then, as before, he came down
with the swiftness of lightning, and we touched the ground on a
mountain top.
Then he stooped and gathered a handful of earth, and murmured some
words over it, after which he threw the earth in my face, saying as he
did so, "Quit the form of a man, and assume that of a monkey." This
done, he vanished, and I was in the likeness of an ape, and in a
country I had never seen before.
However there was no use in stopping where I was, so I came down the
mountain and found myself in a flat plain which was bounded by the sea.
I travelled towards it, and was pleased to see a vessel moored about
half a mile from shore. There were no waves, so I broke off the branch
of a tree, and dragging it down to the water's edge, sat across it,
while, using two sticks for oars, I rowed myself towards the ship.
The deck was full of people, who watched my progress with interest, but
when I seized a rope and swung myself on board, I found that I had only
escaped death at the hands of the genius to perish by those of the
sailors, lest I should bring ill-luck to the vessel and the merchants.
"Throw him into the sea!" cried one. "Knock him on the head with a
hammer," exclaimed another. "Let me shoot him with an arrow," said a
third; and certainly somebody would have had his way if I had not flung
myself at the captain's feet and grasped tight hold of his dress. He
appeared touched by my action and patted my head, and declared that he
would take me under his protection, and that no one should do me any
harm.
At the end of about fifty days we cast anchor before a large town, and
the ship was immediately surrounded by a multitude of small boats
filled with people, who had come either to meet their friends or from
simple curiosity. Among others, one boat contained several officials,
who asked to see the merchants on board, and informed them that they
had been sent by the Sultan in token of welcome, and to beg them each
to write a few lines on a roll of paper. "In order to explain this
strange request," continued the officers, "it is necessary that you
should know that the grand-vizir, lately dead, was celebrated for his
beautiful handwriting, and the Sultan is anxious to find a similar
talent in his successor. Hitherto the search has been a failure, but
his Highness has not yet given up hope."
One after another the merchants set down a few lines upon the roll, and
when they had all finished, I came forward, and snatched the paper from
the man who held it. At first they all thought I was going to throw it
into the sea, but they were quieted when they saw I held it with great
care, and great was their surprise when I made signs that I too wished
to write something.
"Let him do it if he wants to," said the captain. "If he only makes a
mess of the paper, you may be sure I will punish him for it. But if,
as I hope, he really can write, for he is the cleverest monkey I ever
saw, I will adopt him as my son. The one I lost had not nearly so much
sense!"
No more was said, and I took the pen and wrote the six sorts of writing
in use among the Arabs, and each sort contained an original verse or
couplet, in praise of the Sultan. And not only did my handwriting
completely eclipse that of the merchants, but it is hardly too much to
say that none so beautiful had ever before been seen in that country.
When I had ended the officials took the roll and returned to the Sultan.
As soon as the monarch saw my writing he did not so much as look at the
samples of the merchants, but desired his officials to take the finest
and most richly caparisoned horse in his stables, together with the
most magnificent dress they could procure, and to put it on the person
who had written those lines, and bring him to court.
The officials began to laugh when they heard the Sultan's command, but
as soon as they could speak they said, "Deign, your highness, to excuse
our mirth, but those lines were not written by a man but by a monkey."
"A monkey!" exclaimed the Sultan.
"Yes, sire," answered the officials. "They were written by a monkey in
our presence."
"Then bring me the monkey," he replied, "as fast as you can."
The Sultan's officials returned to the ship and showed the royal order
to the captain.
"He is the master," said the good man, and desired that I should be
sent for.
Then they put on me the gorgeous robe and rowed me to land, where I was
placed on the horse and led to the palace. Here the Sultan was
awaiting me in great state surrounded by his court.
All the way along the streets I had been the object of curiosity to a
vast crowd, which had filled every doorway and every window, and it was
amidst their shouts and cheers that I was ushered into the presence of
the Sultan.
I approached the throne on which he was seated and made him three low
bows, then prostrated myself at his feet to the surprise of everyone,
who could not understand how it was possible that a monkey should be
able to distinguish a Sultan from other people, and to pay him the
respect due to his rank. However, excepting the usual speech, I
omitted none of the common forms attending a royal audience.
When it was over the Sultan dismissed all the court, keeping with him
only the chief of the eunuchs and a little slave. He then passed into
another room and ordered food to be brought, making signs to me to sit
at table with him and eat. I rose from my seat, kissed the ground, and
took my place at the table, eating, as you may suppose, with care and
in moderation.
Before the dishes were removed I made signs that writing materials,
which stood in one corner of the room, should be laid in front of me.
I then took a peach and wrote on it some verses in praise of the
Sultan, who was speechless with astonishment; but when I did the same
thing on a glass from which I had drunk he murmured to himself, "Why, a
man who could do as much would be cleverer than any other man, and this
is only a monkey!"
Supper being over chessmen were brought, and the Sultan signed to me to
know if I would play with him. I kissed the ground and laid my hand on
my head to show that I was ready to show myself worthy of the honour.
He beat me the first game, but I won the second and third, and seeing
that this did not quite please I dashed off a verse by way of
consolation.
The Sultan was so enchanted with all the talents of which I had given
proof that he wished me to exhibit some of them to other people. So
turning to the chief of the eunuchs he said, "Go and beg my daughter,
Queen of Beauty, to come here. I will show her something she has never
seen before."
The chief of the eunuchs bowed and left the room, ushering in a few
moments later the princess, Queen of Beauty. Her face was uncovered,
but the moment she set foot in the room she threw her veil over her
head. "Sire," she said to her father, "what can you be thinking of to
summon me like this into the presence of a man?"
"I do not understand you," replied the Sultan. "There is nobody here
but the eunuch, who is your own servant, the little slave, and myself,