The Arabian Nights Entertainments
Now the princess hoped that, by bringing about a meeting between the
prince and her father, the King would be so struck with the young man's
distinguished air and fine manners, that he would offer him his
daughter to wife. But the reply of the Prince of Persia to her
suggestion was not quite what she wished.
"Madame," he said, "by taking advantage of your proposal to visit the
palace of the King of Bengal, I should satisfy not merely my curiosity,
but also the sentiments of respect with which I regard him. But,
Princess, I am persuaded that you will feel with me, that I cannot
possibly present myself before so great a sovereign without the
attendants suitable to my rank. He would think me an adventurer."
"If that is all," she answered, "you can get as many attendants here as
you please. There are plenty of Persian merchants, and as for money,
my treasury is always open to you. Take what you please."
Prince Firouz Schah guessed what prompted so much kindness on the part
of the princess, and was much touched by it. Still his passion, which
increased every moment, did not make him forget his duty. So he
replied without hesitation:
"I do not know, Princess, how to express my gratitude for your obliging
offer, which I would accept at once if it were not for the recollection
of all the uneasiness the King my father must be suffering on my
account. I should be unworthy indeed of all the love he showers upon
me, if I did not return to him at the first possible moment. For,
while I am enjoying the society of the most amiable of all princesses,
he is, I am quite convinced, plunged in the deepest grief, having lost
all hope of seeing me again. I am sure you will understand my
position, and will feel that to remain away one instant longer than is
necessary would not only be ungrateful on my part, but perhaps even a
crime, for how do I know if my absence may not break his heart?
"But," continued the prince, "having obeyed the voice of my conscience,
I shall count the moments when, with your gracious permission, I may
present myself before the King of Bengal, not as a wanderer, but as a
prince, to implore the favour of your hand. My father has always
informed me that in my marriage I shall be left quite free, but I am
persuaded that I have only to describe your generosity, for my wishes
to become his own."
The Princess of Bengal was too reasonable not to accept the explanation
offered by Prince Firouz Schah, but she was much disturbed at his
intention of departing at once, for she feared that, no sooner had he
left her, than the impression she had made on him would fade away. So
she made one more effort to keep him, and after assuring him that she
entirely approved of his anxiety to see his father, begged him to give
her a day or two more of his company.
In common politeness the prince could hardly refuse this request, and
the princess set about inventing every kind of amusement for him, and
succeeded so well that two months slipped by almost unnoticed, in
balls, spectacles and in hunting, of which, when unattended by danger,
the princess was passionately fond. But at last, one day, he declared
seriously that he could neglect his duty no longer, and entreated her
to put no further obstacles in his way, promising at the same time to
return, as soon as he could, with all the magnificence due both to her
and to himself.
"Princess," he added, "it may be that in your heart you class me with
those false lovers whose devotion cannot stand the test of absence. If
you do, you wrong me; and were it not for fear of offending you, I
would beseech you to come with me, for my life can only be happy when
passed with you. As for your reception at the Persian Court, it will
be as warm as your merits deserve; and as for what concerns the King of
Bengal, he must be much more indifferent to your welfare than you have
led me to believe if he does not give his consent to our marriage."
The princess could not find words in which to reply to the arguments of
the Prince of Persia, but her silence and her downcast eyes spoke for
her, and declared that she had no objection to accompanying him on his
travels.
The only difficulty that occurred to her was that Prince Firouz Schah
did not know how to manage the horse, and she dreaded lest they might
find themselves in the same plight as before. But the prince soothed
her fears so successfully, that she soon had no other thought than to
arrange for their flight so secretly, that no one in the palace should
suspect it.
This was done, and early the following morning, when the whole palace
was wrapped in sleep, she stole up on to the roof, where the prince was
already awaiting her, with his horse's head towards Persia. He mounted
first and helped the princess up behind; then, when she was firmly
seated, with her hands holding tightly to his belt, he touched the
screw, and the horse began to leave the earth quickly behind him.
He travelled with his accustomed speed, and Prince Firouz Schah guided
him so well that in two hours and a half from the time of starting, he
saw the capital of Persia lying beneath him. He determined to alight
neither in the great square from which he had started, nor in the
Sultan's palace, but in a country house at a little distance from the
town. Here he showed the princess a beautiful suite of rooms, and
begged her to rest, while he informed his father of their arrival, and
prepared a public reception worthy of her rank. Then he ordered a
horse to be saddled, and set out.
All the way through the streets he was welcomed with shouts of joy by
the people, who had long lost all hope of seeing him again. On
reaching the palace, he found the Sultan surrounded by his ministers,
all clad in the deepest mourning, and his father almost went out of his
mind with surprise and delight at the mere sound of his son's voice.
When he had calmed down a little, he begged the prince to relate his
adventures.
The prince at once seized the opening thus given him, and told the
whole story of his treatment by the Princess of Bengal, not even
concealing the fact that she had fallen in love with him. "And, Sire,"
ended the prince, "having given my royal word that you would not refuse
your consent to our marriage, I persuaded her to return with me on the
Indian's horse. I have left her in one of your Highness's country
houses, where she is waiting anxiously to be assured that I have not
promised in vain."
As he said this the prince was about to throw himself at the feet of
the Sultan, but his father prevented him, and embracing him again, said
eagerly:
"My son, not only do I gladly consent to your marriage with the
Princess of Bengal, but I will hasten to pay my respects to her, and to
thank her in my own person for the benefits she has conferred on you.
I will then bring her back with me, and make all arrangements for the
wedding to be celebrated to-day."
So the Sultan gave orders that the habits of mourning worn by the
people should be thrown off and that there should be a concert of
drums, trumpets and cymbals. Also that the Indian should be taken from
prison, and brought before him.
His commands were obeyed, and the Indian was led into his presence,
surrounded by guards. "I have kept you locked up," said the Sultan,
"so that in case my son was lost, your life should pay the penalty. He
has now returned; so take your horse, and begone for ever."
The Indian hastily quitted the presence of the Sultan, and when he was
outside, he inquired of the man who had taken him out of prison where
the prince had really been all this time, and what he had been doing.
They told him the whole story, and how the Princess of Bengal was even
then awaiting in the country palace the consent of the Sultan, which at
once put into the Indian's head a plan of revenge for the treatment he
had experienced. Going straight to the country house, he informed the
doorkeeper who was left in charge that he had been sent by the Sultan
and by the Prince of Persia to fetch the princess on the enchanted
horse, and to bring her to the palace.
The doorkeeper knew the Indian by sight, and was of course aware that
nearly three months before he had been thrown into prison by the
Sultan; and seeing him at liberty, the man took for granted that he was
speaking the truth, and made no difficulty about leading him before the
Princess of Bengal; while on her side, hearing that he had come from
the prince, the lady gladly consented to do what he wished.
The Indian, delighted with the success of his scheme, mounted the
horse, assisted the princess to mount behind him, and turned the peg at
the very moment that the prince was leaving the palace in Schiraz for
the country house, followed closely by the Sultan and all the court.
Knowing this, the Indian deliberately steered the horse right above the
city, in order that his revenge for his unjust imprisonment might be
all the quicker and sweeter.
When the Sultan of Persia saw the horse and its riders, he stopped
short with astonishment and horror, and broke out into oaths and
curses, which the Indian heard quite unmoved, knowing that he was
perfectly safe from pursuit. But mortified and furious as the Sultan
was, his feelings were nothing to those of Prince Firouz Schah, when he
saw the object of his passionate devotion being borne rapidly away.
And while he was struck speechless with grief and remorse at not having
guarded her better, she vanished swiftly out of his sight. What was he
to do? Should he follow his father into the palace, and there give
reins to his despair? Both his love and his courage alike forbade it;
and he continued his way to the palace.
The sight of the prince showed the doorkeeper of what folly he had been
guilty, and flinging himself at his master's feet, implored his pardon.
"Rise," said the prince, "I am the cause of this misfortune, and not
you. Go and find me the dress of a dervish, but beware of saying it is
for me."
At a short distance from the country house, a convent of dervishes was
situated, and the superior, or scheih, was the doorkeeper's friend. So
by means of a false story made up on the spur of the moment, it was
easy enough to get hold of a dervish's dress, which the prince at once
put on, instead of his own. Disguised like this and concealing about
him a box of pearls and diamonds he had intended as a present to the
princess, he left the house at nightfall, uncertain where he should go,
but firmly resolved not to return without her.
Meanwhile the Indian had turned the horse in such a direction that,
before many hours had passed, it had entered a wood close to the
capital of the kingdom of Cashmere. Feeling very hungry, and supposing
that the princess also might be in want of food, he brought his steed
down to the earth, and left the princess in a shady place, on the banks
of a clear stream.
At first, when the princess had found herself alone, the idea had
occurred to her of trying to escape and hide herself. But as she had
eaten scarcely anything since she had left Bengal, she felt she was too
weak to venture far, and was obliged to abandon her design. On the
return of the Indian with meats of various kinds, she began to eat
voraciously, and soon had regained sufficient courage to reply with
spirit to his insolent remarks. Goaded by his threats she sprang to
her feet, calling loudly for help, and luckily her cries were heard by
a troop of horsemen, who rode up to inquire what was the matter.
Now the leader of these horsemen was the Sultan of Cashmere, returning
from the chase, and he instantly turned to the Indian to inquire who he
was, and whom he had with him. The Indian rudely answered that it was