Princes, said she, I am of a country too remote from hence: and, besides that it would be an imposition on your generosity to oblige you to travel so far, I must own to you that I am come from my native country for ever. I told you a while ago that I was a lady of Grand Cairo; but since you have shown me so much favour, and I am so highly obliged to you, added she, looking upon Codadad, I should be much in the wrong in concealing the truth from you. I am a king’s daughter; an usurper has possessed himself of my father’s throne after having murdered him, and I have been forced to fly to save my life.
Then Codadad and his brothers desired the princess to tell them her story, assuring her they were highly concerned at her misfortunes, and fully disposed to spare for nothing that might contribute towards rendering her more happy. After thanks returned for their fresh protestations of readiness to serve her, she could not refuse satisfying their curiosity, and began the recital of her adventures in the following manner.
STORY OF THE PRINCESS OF DERYABAR.
There is, in a certain island, a great city called Deryabar. It has been long governed by a potent, magnificent, and virtuous king. That prince had no children, which was the only thing wanting to make him happy. He continually addressed his prayers to Heaven; but Heaven granted his requests by halves; for the queen his wife, after a long expectation, brought forth a daughter.
I am the unfortunate princess. My father was rather troubled than pleased at my birth; but he submitted to the will of God, and caused me to be educated with all possible care, being resolved, since he had no son, to teach me the art of ruling, that I might supply his place after his death.
One day, when he was taking the diversion of hunting, he spied a wild ass, which he chased, lost his company, and was carried away so far in that heat, as to ride on till night, without reflecting that he was quite out of the way. He then alighted, and sat down at the edge of a wood, into which he had observed the ass had taken. No sooner was the day shut in, than he discovered a light among the trees, which made him conclude that he was not far from some village: he rejoiced at it, hoping that he might pass the night there, and find some person to send to his followers to acquaint them where he was; and accordingly he got up and walked towards the light, which served to guide him.
He soon found he had been deceived, that light being no other than a fire lighted in a hut: however, he drew near, and with amazement beheld a great black, or rather a dreadful giant, sitting on a sofa. Before the monster was a great pitcher of wine, and he was roasting a bullock he had newly killed. Sometimes he drank out of the pitcher, and then cut slices off the bullock and ate them. But that which most drew the king my father’s attention was a beautiful woman he saw in the hut. She seemed to be overwhelmed with grief; her hands were bound, and at her feet was a small child, about two or three years old, who, as if he was sensible of his mother’s misfortunes, continually wept, and rent the air with cries.
My father being moved with that object of pity, thought at first to have gone into the hut and attack the giant; but considering it would be an unequal combat, he stopped, and resolved, since he had not strength enough to prevail by open force, to use art.
In the mean time the giant, having emptied the pitcher and devoured above half the bullock, turned to the woman, and said, Beautiful princess, why do you oblige me by your obstinacy to treat you with severity? It is in your own power to be happy. You need only to resolve to love and be true to me, and I shall express my affection to you. Thou hideous satyr, answered the lady, never expect that time should wear away the aversion I have for you. Thou wilt ever be a monster in my eyes. To these words she added so many reproaches, that the giant grew enraged. This is too much, cried he, in a furious tone; my love undervalued is turned into rage. Your hatred has at last caused mine; I find it prevails above my desires, and that I now wish your death rather than enjoyment. Having spoken these words, he took that wretched lady by the hair, held her up with one hand in the air, and drawing his scimitar with the other, was just going to strike off her head, when the king my father let fly an arrow, which pierced the giant’s breast, so that he staggered and dropped down dead.
My father entered the hut, unbound the lady’s hands, asked her who she was, and how she came thither. Sir, said she, there are some families of Saracens along the sea-coast, who live under a prince who is my husband; this giant you have killed was one of his principal officers. The wretch fell desperately in love with me, but took special care to conceal it, till he could put in execution the designs he had laid of stealing me away. Fortune oftener favours wicked designs than the virtuous. The giant one day surprised me and my child in a by-place. He seized us both; and, to disappoint the search he well knew my husband would cause to be made on account of this rape, he removed far from the country inhabited by those Saracens, and brought us into this wood, where he has kept me some days. As deplorable as my condition is, it is still a great satisfaction to me to think that the giant, though so brutal and amorous, never used force to obtain that which I always refused to his entreaties: not but that he has threatened me a hundred times that he would have recourse to the worst of extremities, in case he could not otherwise prevail upon me; and, I must confess to you, that a while ago, when I provoked his anger by my words, I was less concerned for my life than for my honour.