The Arabian Nights Entertainments
Mussulman, and this town is almost entirely inhabited by idolaters, who
hate and persecute all of our faith. It seems almost a miracle that
has led you to this house, and I am indeed glad that you have found a
place of safety."
Camaralzaman warmly thanked the kind old man for offering him shelter,
and was about to say more, but the gardener interrupted him with:
"Leave compliments alone. You are weary and must be hungry. Come in,
eat, and rest." So saying he led the prince into his cottage, and
after satisfying his hunger begged to learn the cause of his arrival.
Camaralzaman told him all without disguise, and ended by inquiring the
shortest way to his father's capital. "For," added he, "if I tried to
rejoin the princess, how should I find her after eleven days'
separation. Perhaps, indeed, she may be no longer alive!" At this
terrible thought he burst into tears.
The gardener informed Camaralzaman that they were quite a year's land
journey to any Mahomedan country, but that there was a much shorter
route by sea to the Ebony Island, from whence the Isles of the Children
of Khaledan could be easily reached, and that a ship sailed once a year
for the Ebony Island by which he might get so far as his very home.
"If only you had arrived a few days sooner," he said, "you might have
embarked at once. As it is you must now wait till next year, but if
you care to stay with me I offer you my house, such as it is, with all
my heart."
Prince Camaralzaman thought himself lucky to find some place of refuge,
and gladly accepted the gardener's offer. He spent his days working in
the garden, and his nights thinking of and sighing for his beloved wife.
Let us now see what had become during this time of the Princess Badoura.
On first waking she was much surprised not to find the prince near her.
She called her women and asked if they knew where he was, and whilst
they were telling her that they had seen him enter the tent, but had
not noticed his leaving it, she took up her belt and perceived that the
little pouch was open and the talisman gone.
She at once concluded that her husband had taken it and would shortly
bring it back. She waited for him till evening rather impatiently, and
wondering what could have kept him from her so long. When night came
without him she felt in despair and abused the talisman and its maker
roundly. In spite of her grief and anxiety however, she did not lose
her presence of mind, but decided on a courageous, though very unusual
step.
Only the princess and her women knew of Camaralzaman's disappearance,
for the rest of the party were sleeping or resting in their tents.
Fearing some treason should the truth be known, she ordered her women
not to say a word which would give rise to any suspicion, and proceeded
to change her dress for one of her husband's, to whom, as has been
already said, she bore a strong likeness.
In this disguise she looked so like the prince that when she gave
orders next morning to break up the camp and continue the journey no
one suspected the change. She made one of her women enter her litter,
whilst she herself mounted on horseback and the march began.
After a protracted journey by land and sea the princess, still under
the name and disguise of Prince Camaralzaman, arrived at the capital of
the Ebony Island whose king was named Armanos.
No sooner did the king hear that the ship which was just in port had on
board the son of his old friend and ally than he hurried to meet the
supposed prince, and had him and his retinue brought to the palace,
where they were lodged and entertained sumptuously.
After three days, finding that his guest, to whom he had taken a great
fancy, talked of continuing his journey, King Armanos said to him:
"Prince, I am now an old man, and unfortunately I have no son to whom
to leave my kingdom. It has pleased Heaven to give me only one
daughter, who possesses such great beauty and charm that I could only
give her to a prince as highly born and as accomplished as yourself.
Instead, therefore, of returning to your own country, take my daughter
and my crown and stay with us. I shall feel that I have a worthy
successor, and shall cheerfully retire from the fatigues of government."
The king's offer was naturally rather embarrassing to the Princess
Badoura. She felt that it was equally impossible to confess that she
had deceived him, or to refuse the marriage on which he had set his
heart; a refusal which might turn all his kindness to hatred and
persecution.
All things considered, she decided to accept, and after a few moments
silence said with a blush, which the king attributed to modesty:
"Sire, I feel so great an obligation for the good opinion your Majesty
has expressed for my person and of the honour you do me, that, though I
am quite unworthy of it, I dare not refuse. But, sire, I can only
accept such an alliance if you give me your promise to assist me with
your counsels."
The marriage being thus arranged, the ceremony was fixed for the
following day, and the princess employed the intervening time in
informing the officers of her suite of what had happened, assuring them
that the Princess Badoura had given her full consent to the marriage.
She also told her women, and bade them keep her secret well.
King Armanos, delighted with the success of his plans, lost no time in
assembling his court and council, to whom he presented his successor,
and placing his future son-in-law on the throne made everyone do homage
and take oaths of allegiance to the new king.
At night the whole town was filled with rejoicings, and with much pomp
the Princess Haiatelnefous (this was the name of the king's daughter)
was conducted to the palace of the Princess Badoura.
Now Badoura had thought much of the difficulties of her first interview
with King Armanos' daughter, and she felt the only thing to do was at
once to take her into her confidence.
Accordingly, as soon as they were alone she took Haiatelnefous by the
hand and said:
"Princess, I have a secret to tell you, and must throw myself on your
mercy. I am not Prince Camaralzaman, but a princess like yourself and
his wife, and I beg you to listen to my story, then I am sure you will
forgive my imposture, in consideration of my sufferings."
She then related her whole history, and at its close Haiatelnefous
embraced her warmly, and assured her of her entire sympathy and
affection.
The two princesses now planned out their future action, and agreed to
combine to keep up the deception and to let Badoura continue to play a
man's part until such time as there might be news of the real
Camaralzaman.
Whilst these things were passing in the Ebony Island Prince
Camaralzaman continued to find shelter in the gardeners cottage in the
town of the idolaters.
Early one morning the gardener said to the prince:
"To-day is a public holiday, and the people of the town not only do not
work themselves but forbid others to do so. You had better therefore
take a good rest whilst I go to see some friends, and as the time is
near for the arrival of the ship of which I told you I will make
inquiries about it, and try to bespeak a passage for you." He then put
on his best clothes and went out, leaving the prince, who strolled into
the garden and was soon lost in thoughts of his dear wife and their sad
separation.
As he walked up and down he was suddenly disturbed in his reverie by
the noise two large birds were making in a tree.
Camaralzaman stood still and looked up, and saw that the birds were
fighting so savagely with beaks and claws that before long one fell
dead to the ground, whilst the conqueror spread his wings and flew
away. Almost immediately two other larger birds, who had been watching
the duel, flew up and alighted, one at the head and the other at the
feet of the dead bird. They stood there some time sadly shaking their
heads, and then dug up a grave with their claws in which they buried
him.
As soon as they had filled in the grave the two flew off, and ere long
returned, bringing with them the murderer, whom they held, one by a
wing and the other by a leg, with their beaks, screaming and struggling
with rage and terror. But they held tight, and having brought him to
his victim's grave, they proceeded to kill him, after which they tore
open his body, scattered the inside and once more flew away.
The prince, who had watched the whole scene with much interest, now
drew near the spot where it happened, and glancing at the dead bird he
noticed something red lying near which had evidently fallen out of its
inside. He picked it up, and what was his surprise when he recognised
the Princess Badoura's talisman which had been the cause of many
misfortunes. It would be impossible to describe his joy; he kissed the
talisman repeatedly, wrapped it up, and carefully tied it round his
arm. For the first time since his separation from the princess he had
a good night, and next morning he was up at day-break and went
cheerfully to ask what work he should do.
The gardener told him to cut down an old fruit tree which had quite
died away, and Camaralzaman took an axe and fell to vigorously. As he
was hacking at one of the roots the axe struck on something hard. On
pushing away the earth he discovered a large slab of bronze, under
which was disclosed a staircase with ten steps. He went down them and
found himself in a roomy kind of cave in which stood fifty large bronze
jars, each with a cover on it. The prince uncovered one after another,
and found them all filled with gold dust. Delighted with his discovery
he left the cave, replaced the slab, and having finished cutting down
the tree waited for the gardener's return.
The gardener had heard the night before that the ship about which he
was inquiring would start ere long, but the exact date not being yet
known he had been told to return next day for further information. He
had gone therefore to inquire, and came back with good news beaming in
his face.
"My son," said he, "rejoice and hold yourself ready to start in three
days' time. The ship is to set sail, and I have arranged all about
your passage with the captain.
"You could not bring me better news," replied Camaralzaman, "and in
return I have something pleasant to tell you. Follow me and see the
good fortune which has befallen you."
He then led the gardener to the cave, and having shown him the treasure
stored up there, said how happy it made him that Heaven should in this
way reward his kind host's many virtues and compensate him for the
privations of many years.
"What do you mean?" asked the gardener. "Do you imagine that I should
appropriate this treasure? It is yours, and I have no right whatever
to it. For the last eighty years I have dug up the ground here without
discovering anything. It is clear that these riches are intended for
you, and they are much more needed by a prince like yourself than by an
old man like me, who am near my end and require nothing. This treasure
comes just at the right time, when you are about to return to your own
country, where you will make good use of it."
But the prince would not hear of this suggestion, and finally after
much discussion they agreed to divide the gold. When this was done the
gardener said:
"My son, the great thing now is to arrange how you can best carry off
this treasure as secretly as possible for fear of losing it. There are
no olives in the Ebony Island, and those imported from here fetch a
high price. As you know, I have a good stock of the olives which grew
in this garden. Now you must take fifty jars, fill each half full of
gold dust and fill them up with the olives. We will then have them
taken on board ship when you embark."