Читать книгу The Arabian Nights Entertainments. Volume 01 - Unknown - Страница 2

Great prince of genies, says the old man, you must know that we are three brothers, I and the two black dogs you see: Our father left each of us, when he died, one thousand sequins; with that sum we all entered into the same way of living, and became merchants. A little time after we had opened shop, my eldest brother, one of these two dogs, resolved to travel and trade in foreign countries. Upon this design, he sold his estate, and bought goods proper for the trade he intended.

He went away, and was absent a whole year; at the end of which, a poor man, who, I thought, had come to ask alms, presented himself before me in my shop. I said to him, God help you. God help you also, answered he, is it possible you do not know me? Upon this, I looked to him narrowly, and knew him. Ah, my brother! cried I, embracing him, how could I know you in this condition? I made him come into my house, and asked him concerning his health, and the success of his travels. Do not ask me that question, says he; when you see me, you see all. It would only renew my grief to tell you all the particulars of the misfortunes that have befallen me, and reduced me to this condition, since I left you.

I immediately shut up my shop, and, carrying him to a bath, gave him the best clothes I had by me; and examining my books, and finding that I had doubled my stock, that is to say, that I was worth two thousand sequins, I gave him one half. With that, said I, brother, you may make up your loss. He joyfully accepted the proffer, recovered himself, and we lived together as before.

Some time after, my second brother, who is the other of these two dogs, would also sell his estate. I and his other brother did all we could to divert him from it, but could not; He sold it, and with the money bought such goods as were suitable for the trade he designed. He joined a caravan; and took a journey. He returned at the end of the year in the same condition as my other brother; and I having gained another thousand sequins, gave him them, with which he furnished his shop, and continued to follow his trade.

Some time after, one of my brothers comes to me to propose a trading voyage with them; I immediately rejected their proposal. You have travelled, said I, and what have you gained by it? Who can assure me that I shall be more successful than you have been? They represented to me in vain all that they thought fit to prevail upon me to engage in that design with them, for I constantly refused; but they importuned me so much, that after having resisted their solicitations five whole. years, they overcame me at last: but when we were to make preparations for our voyage, and to buy goods necessary for the undertaking, I found they had spent all, and that they had not one farthing left of the thousand sequins I had given each of them. I did not, however, upbraid them in the least with it. On the contrary, my stock being six thousand sequins, I shared the half of it with them, telling them, My brothers, we must venture these three thousand sequins, and hide the rest in some sure place, that, in case our voyage be no more successful than yours was formerly, we may have wherewith to assist us, and to follow our ancient way of living. I gave each of them a thousand sequins; and keeping as much for myself, I buried the other three thousand in a corner of my house. We bought our goods; and, after having embarked them on board a vessel, which we freighted betwixt us three, we put to sea with a favourable wind. After a month's sail—But I see day, says Scheherazade, I must stop here.

Sister, says Dinarzade, this story promises a great deal; I fancy the rest of it must be very extraordinary. You are not mistaken, answered the sultaness; and if the sultan will allow me to tell it you, I am persuaded it will very much divert you. Schahriar got up, as he did the day before, without explaining his mind; but gave no order to the grand vizier to kill his daughter.

The Seventh Night.

When the seventh night drew near a close, Dinarzade awaked the sultaness, and prayed her to continue the story of the second old man. I will, answered Scheherazade, provided the sultan, my lord and master, do not oppose it. Not at all, says Shahriar; I am so far from opposing it, that I desire you earnestly to go on with it.

To resume the thread of the story, says Scheherazade, you must know that the old man, who led the two dogs, continued his story to the genie, the other two old men, and the merchant, thus: In short, says he, after two months sail, we arrived happily at a port, where we landed, and had a very great vent for our goods. I especially sold mine so well, that I gained ten to one; and we bought commodities of that country to transport and sell in our own.

When we were ready to embark in order to return, I met, upon the banks of the sea, a lady handsome enough, but poorly clad. She came up to me presently, kissed my hand, prayed me, with the greatest earnestness imaginable, to marry her, and take her along with me. I made some difficulty to agree to it; but she said so many things to persuade me that I ought to make no objections to her poverty, and that I should have all the reason in the world to be satisfied with her conduct, that I yielded. I ordered fit apparel to be made for her; and, after having married her according to form, I took her on board, and we set sail.

During the navigation, I found the wife I had taken had so many good qualities, that I loved her every day more and more. In the mean time my two brothers, who had not managed their affairs so well as I did mine, envied my prosperity; and their fury carried them so far as to conspire against my life; so that one night, when my wife and I were asleep, they threw us both into the sea.

My wife was a fairy, and by consequence, genie, you know well, she could not be drowned; but for me, it is certain, I had been lost without her help. I had scarcely fallen into the water, till she took me up, and carried me to an island. When it was day, the fairy said to me, You see, husband, that, by saving your life, I have not rewarded you ill for your kindness to me. You must know that I am a fairy, and that, being upon the bank of the sea, when you were going to embark, I found I had a strong inclination for you: I had a mind to try your goodness, and presented myself before you in the disguise wherein you saw me. You have dealt very generously with me, and I am mighty glad to have found an opportunity of testifying my acknowledgment to you: But I am incensed against your two brothers, and nothing will satisfy me but their lives.

I listened to this discourse of the fairy with admiration. I thanked her as well as I could for the great kindness she had done me; but, Madam, said I, for my brothers, I beg you to pardon them; whatever cause they have given me, I am not cruel enough to desire their death. I told her the particulars of what I had done for them, which increased her indignation so, that she cried out, I must immediately fly after those ungrateful traitors, and take speedy vengeance on them; I will drown their vessel, and throw them into the bottom of the sea. No, my good lady, replied I, for the sake of Heaven do not so; moderate your anger, consider that they are my brothers, and that we must do good for evil.

I pacified the fairy by these words; and as soon as I had spoken them, she transported me in an instant from the island where we were to the roof of my own house, which was terrassed, and disappeared in a moment. I went down, opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins I had hid. I went afterwards to the place where my shop was, which I also opened, and was complimented by the merchants, my neighbours, upon my return. When I went to my house, I perceived two black dogs, which came to me in a very submissive manner; I knew not what it meant, but was much astonished at it. But the fairy, who appeared immediately, says to me, Husband, do not be surprised to see these two black dogs by you; they are your two brothers. I was troubled at these words, and asked her by what power they were so transformed. It was I that did it, says she, at least I gave commission to one of my sisters to do it, who, at the same time, sunk their ship. You have lost the goods you had on board, but I will make it up to you in another way. As to your two brothers, I have condemned them to remain five years in that shape. Their perfidiousness too well deserves such a penance; and, in short, after having told me where I might hear of her, she disappeared.

Now the five years being out, I am travelling in quest of her; and as I passed this way, I met this merchant, and the good old man that led the bitch, and sat down by them. This is my history, O prince of genies, do not you think it very extraordinary? I own it, says the genie, and, upon that account, remit the merchant the second third of the crime which he has committed against me.

As soon as the second old man had finished his story, the third began, and made the like demand of the genie with the two first; that is to say, to pardon the merchant the other third of his crime, provided the story he had to tell him exceeded the two he had already heard for singular events. The genie made him the same promise as he had done the other two. Hearken then, says the old man to him. But day appears, says Scheherazade, I must stop here.

I cannot enough admire, sister, says Dinarzade, the adventures you have told me. I know abundance more, answers the sultaness, that are still more wonderful. Schahriar, willing to know if the story of the third old man would be as agreeable as that of the second, put off the execution of Scheherazade till the next night.

The Eighth Night.

As soon as Dinarzade perceived it was time to call the sultaness, she says, Sister, I have been awake a long time, and have a great mind to awake you, I am so impatient to hear the story of the third old man. The sultan answered, I can hardly think that the third story will surpass the two former ones.

Sir, replies the sultaness, the third old man told his story to the genie; I cannot tell it you, because it is not come to my knowledge, but I know that it did so much exceed the two former stories in the variety of wonderful adventures that the genie was astonished at it; and no sooner heard the end of it, but he said to the third old man, I remit the other third part of the merchant's crime upon the account of your story. He is very much obliged to all three of you, for having delivered him out of this danger by your stories; without which he had not now been in the world. And, having spoken thus, he disappeared to the great contentment of the company.

The merchant failed not to give his three deliverers the thanks he owed them. They rejoiced to see him out of danger; after which he bid them adieu, and each of them went on his way. The merchant returned to his wife and children, and passed the rest of his days with them in peace. But, Sir, added Scheherazade, how pleasant soever these stories may be, that I have told your majesty hitherto, they do not come near that of the fisherman. Dinarzade, perceiving that the sultaness demurred, says to her, Sister, since there is still some time remaining, pray tell us the story of the fisherman, if the sultan is willing. Schahriar agreed to it, and Scheherazade, resuming her discourse, pursued it in this manner.