The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01

by Anonymous

I cannot enough express, Madam, said the calender how much I was astonished, when I saw the king my uncle abuse the prince his son, thus, after he was dead. Sir, said I, whatever grief this dismal sight is capable to impress upon me, I am forced to suspend it, on purpose to ask your majesty what crime the prince my cousin may have committed, that his corpse should deserve this sort of treatment? Nephew, replied the king, I must tell you that my son (who is unworthy of that name) loved his sister from his infancy, and so she did him: I did not hinder their growing love, because I did not foresee the pernicious consequences of it. This tenderness increased as they grew in years, and came to such a height, that I dreaded the end of it. At last I applied such remedies as were in my power; I not only gave my son a severe reprimand in private, laying before him the foulness of the passion he was entertaining, and the eternal disgrace he would bring upon my family if he persisted in such criminal courses, but I also represented the same thing to my daughter; and besides I shut her up so close, that she could have no conversation with her brother. But that unfortunate creature had swallowed so much of the poision, that all the obstacles, which by my prudence I could lay in the way, served only the more to inflame her love.

My son, being persuaded of his sister's constancy, on pretence of building a tomb, caused this subterraneous habitation to be made, in hopes to find one day or other an opportunity to possess himself of that object which was the cause of his flame, and to bring her hither. He laid hold on the time of my absence to enter by force into the place of his sister's confinement; but that is a thing which my honour would not suffer me to make public; and, after so damnable an action, he came and enclosed himself and her in this place, which he has supplied, as you see, with all sorts of provisions, that he might enjoy his detestable pleasures for a long time, which ought to be a subject of horror to all the world: but God, who would not suffer such an abomination, has justly punished them both. At these words he melted into tears, and I joined mine with his.

After a while, casting his eyes upon me, Dear nephew, cried he, embracing me, if I have lost that unworthy son, I shall happily find in you one who will better supply his place. And, upon some other reflections he made on the doleful end of the prince and princess, we both fell into a new fit of weeping.

We went up the same stairs again, and departed at last from this dismal place. We let down again the trapdoor, and covered it with earth, and such other materials as the tomb was built of, on purpose to hide, as much as lay in our power; so terrible an effect of the wrath of God.

We had not been very long got back to the palace unperceived by anyone, before we heard a confused noise of trumpets, drums, and other instruments of war: We soon understood, by the thick cloud of dust which almost darkened the air, that it was the arrival of a formidable army; and it proved to be the same vizier that had dethroned my father, and usurped his throne, who, with a vast number of troops, was also come to possess himself of that of the king my uncle.

That prince, who then had only his usual guards about him, could not resist so many enemies; they invested the city, and the gates being opened to them without any resistance, they very soon became masters of the city, and broke into the palace where the king my uncle was, who defended himself till he was killed, and sold his life at a dear rate. For my part I fought as well as I could for a while, but, seeing we were forced to submit to a superior power, I thought on my retreat and safety, which I had the good fortune to effect by some back ways, and got to one of the king's servants, on whose fidelity I could depend.

Being thus surrounded with sorrows, and persecuted by fortune, I had recourse to a stratagem, which was the only means left me to save my life; I caused my beard and eyebrows to be shaved, and putting on a calender's habit, I passed, unknown by any, out of the city: After that, by degrees, I found it easy to get out of my uncle's kingdom by taking the byeroads.

I avoided passing through towns, until I was got into the empire of the mighty governor of the Mussulmen, the glorious and renowned Caliph Haroun Alraschid, when I thought myself out of danger; and, considering what I was to do, I resolved to come to Bagdad, intending to throw myself at the monarch's feet, whose generosity is every where applauded. I shall move him to compassion, said I to myself, by the relation of my surprising misfortunes, and without doubt he will take pity on such an unfortunate prince, and not suffer me to implore his assistance in vain.

In short, after a journey of several months, I arrived yesterday at the gate of this city, into which I entered about the dusk of the evening, and standing still a little while to revive my spirits, and to consider on which hand I was to turn, this other calender you see here next me came also along; he saluted me, and I him. You appear, said I, to be a stranger, as I am. You are not mistaken, replied he. He had no sooner returned this answer, than this third calender you see there overtook us. He saluted us, and told us he was a stranger newly come to Bagdad; so that as brethren we joined together, resolving not to separate from one another.

Meanwhile it was late, and we knew not where to seek a lodging in the city, where we had no acquaintance, nor had ever been before. But good fortune having brought us before your gate, we made bold to knock, when you received us with so much kindness, that we are incapable to return you suitable thanks. This, madam, (said he,) is, in obedience to your commands, the account I was, to give you why I lost my right eye, wherefore my beard and eye-brows are shaved, and how I came to be with you at this present time.