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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.
Heading One
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."
Heading Two
"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.
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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.
- Item one
- Item two
- Item three
"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 waters 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.
Continued
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