Each time, continued the vizier Giafar, (for your majesty will recollect it was he that was still addressing himself to the caliph Haroun Alraschid,) each time the bride changed her dress, which it was her custom to do seven different times, [13] she arose, and followed by her women, passed before the groom, without deigning to look at him, and went to present herself to Bedreddin Hassan, to show herself to him in her new ornaments. Bedreddin then, according to the instructions he had received from the Genius, put his hand into the purse, and drew it out full of sequins, which he distributed to the women who attended the bride. He did not forget the musicians and dancers, and gave them some also. It was a pleasure to see them all pushing and scrambling for the sequins: they testified their gratitude, and told him by signs, that they wished him to marry the bride, instead of the hunchback groom. The women who were about her, said the same thing to her, not caring whether the hunchback heard them; for they played him all kinds of tricks, to the great amusement of the spectators.
When the ceremony of changing the dresses so many times was completed, the musicians ceased to play, and retired, making signs to Bedreddin to remain. The ladies did the same thing, and took their leave, together with all those who did not belong to the house. The bride went into a closet, where her women followed to undress her, and there remained no one in the hall except the hunchback groom, Bedreddin Hassan, and some servants. The hunchback, who was furiously enraged with Bedreddin, gave him a scowling look out of the corner of his eyes, “What art thou waiting for?” he called out, “Why dost thou not depart with the rest? walk off.” As Bedreddin had no pretext for remaining there, he retired, rather embarrassed; but he was scarcely out of the vestibule, when the Genius and the fairy presented themselves before him, and stopped him. “Where art thou going?” said the Genius, “return, for the hunchback has left the hall; you have nothing to do, but to go in and make your way to the chamber of the bride. When you are alone with her, tell her confidently, that you are her husband; that the sultan only intended to divert himself with the hunchback, and that to appease this pretended husband you have ordered him a large dish of cream in his stable. Then tell her all you can think of, to persuade her of the truth of this. With such a person as yours, you will not find much difficulty in it, and she will be delighted with so agreeable an exchange. We are now going to regulate matters so, that the hunchback shall not return to prevent you from passing the night with your bride; for she is yours, not his.”
While the Genius was thus encouraging Bedreddin, and instructing him in what he was to do, the hunchback had really quitted the hall. The Genius went to the place he had retired to, and assuming the figure of a large black cat, began to mew in a terrific manner; the hunchback clapped his hands, and made a noise to frighten it away, but the cat, instead of retreating, made a high back, and fixed its eyes, almost darting fire, fiercely on him, mewing still louder than before. It then increased in size so much, that it shortly appeared larger than an ass. The hunchback at this sight was going to call for assistance, but he was so terrified, that he could not utter a sound, and remained with his mouth open, unable to speak. To increase his terror, the Genius suddenly changed into a large buffalo, and under this shape cried with a loud voice “Base hunchback.” At these words the frightened groom fell on the floor, and covering his head with his robe to avoid seeing this horrible beast, he replied, trembling: “Sovereign prince of the buffaloes, what do you require of me?”—“Ill befal thee!” replied the Genius, “thou hast the temerity to dare to marry my mistress?”—“Ah, sir,” cried the hunchback, “I entreat you to pardon me; if I am criminal, it is through ignorance alone. I did not know that the lady had a buffalo for her lover; command me in whatever you please, I swear I am ready to obey.”—“By death!” resumed the Genius, “if thou quittest this spot, or break silence before the sun rises; nay, if thou utterest but a syllable, I will crush thy head to atoms. By that time I permit thee to leave this house, but I command thee to fly quickly, and not to look back; and if thou hast ever the audacity to return, it shall cost thee thy life.” Thus saying, the Genius transformed himself into a man, and took the hunchback by the heels; then, after holding him against the wall, his head downwards, he added, “If thou darest to stir before the sun rises, I will, as I have said, take thee by the feet and dash thy head into a thousand pieces against this wall.”
But to return to Bedreddin Hassan, who, encouraged by the Genius and by the fairy, who was present, had re-entered the hall, and had gone privately into the nuptial chamber, where he seated himself, waiting, with anxious expectation, the success of his adventure. At the expiration of some time the bride arrived, conducted by an old woman, who stopped at the door to wish the bridegroom happiness, without looking if it was the hunchback or another; she then shut it, and retired.
The young bride was extremely surprised at seeing, instead of the hunchback, Bedreddin Hassan, who presented himself to her with the utmost grace imaginable, “Ha! my friend,” exclaimed she, “how came you here at this hour? I suppose you are one of my husband’s comrades.”—“No, madam,” replied Bedreddin, “I am in a different situation from that disgusting hunchback.”—“But,” replied she, “you do not seem to be aware, that you are abusing my husband.”—“He your husband, madam!” returned Bedreddin, “can you remain so long in this opinion? Be undeceived: such beauty will not be sacrificed to the most despicable of men. I, madam, am the happy mortal for whom it is reserved. The sultan chose to amuse himself with imposing this little deceit on the vizier, your father, and has fixed on me for your true husband. You must have observed, that the ladies, the musicians, the dancers, your women, in short every one belonging to your house, were diverted with this comedy. We have dismissed the poor hunchback to his stable, where he is now regaling himself with a dish of cream; and you may rest assured, that he will never more appear before your beautiful eyes.”
At this discourse the daughter of the vizier, who had entered the nuptial chamber more dead than alive, changed countenance, and assumed an air of gaiety, which added so much to her beauty, that Bedreddin was quite charmed with her. “I did not expect,” said she, “so agreeable a surprise, I considered myself as condemned to pass the rest of my days in misery, but my happiness is so much greater, as I am going to be united to a man so worthy of my affection.” She then undressed herself and went to bed. Bedreddin Hassan, on his part, was delighted to find himself in possession of so many charms, and quickly undressed. He put his clothes on a chair, together with the purse, which the Jew had given him, and which was still full, notwithstanding all he had taken from it. He took off his turban to put on one for the night, which had been prepared for the hunchback, and he laid down in his shirt and drawers. [14] The drawers were of blue satin, and tied with a golden cord.
When the two lovers were asleep, the Genius, who had rejoined the fairy, told her it was now time to complete what they had so well begun, and so happily conducted thus far. “Let us not be surprised,” said he, “by day-light, which will now soon appear; go and take away the young man without waking him.”
The fairy repaired to the chamber of the lovers, who were both in a profound sleep, and stole away Bedreddin Hassan, drest as he was in his shirt and drawers: then flying with wonderful swiftness to the gates of Damascus, in Syria, whither she was accompanied by the Genius, they arrived precisely at the time, when the minister, appointed for that purpose, was calling the people to prayers at break of day. [15] The fairy gently placed Bedreddin on the ground, near the gate, and then retired with the Genius.
The gates were opened: and the people, who had assembled in great numbers to go out, were extremely surprised at seeing Bedreddin Hassan extended on the ground in only his shirt and drawers. One said, “He was obliged to decamp from his mistress in such haste, he had not time to dress himself.”—“See,” said another, “to what accidents one is exposed; he has passed the night in drinking with his friends, and being inebriated, went out for some purpose, and instead of returning he has wandered here, not knowing what he did, and has been overtaken by sleep.” Others formed different opinions, but no one could guess by what chance he got there. A slight breeze, which was beginning to rise, blew aside his shirt, and exposed a bosom whiter than snow. They were all so surprised with the whiteness of his skin, that they exclaimed with admiration so loud as to awaken the young man. His astonishment was not less than theirs on finding himself at the gate of a city where he had never been, and surrounded by a crowd of people, who were examining him attentively. “Gentlemen,” said he, “I entreat you to inform me where I am, and what you want of me.” One of them replied, “Young man, the gates of this city are but just opened, and when we came out, we found you lying here, just as you now are; and we stopped to look at you. Have you passed the night here, and do you know, that you are at one of the gates of Damascus?”—“At one of the gates of Damascus!” exclaimed Bedreddin, “you are joking with me; when I went to bed last night I was at Cairo.” At these words some of the people, moved with compassion, said it was a pity, that so handsome a youth should have lost his senses, and then passed on.
“My son,” said a good old man to him, “you must be mistaken; for how could you be last night at Cairo, and this morning at Damascus? That cannot be.”—“It is very true notwithstanding,” replied Bedreddin, “and I protest to you also, that I passed the whole of yesterday at Balsora.” He had scarcely pronounced these words, when they all burst into a laugh, and cried, “he is mad, he is mad.” Some however pitied him, on account of his extreme youth; and a man, who was present, said, “My son, you have lost your reason: you know not what you say. How is it possible that a man should be in the day at Balsora, in the night at Cairo, and in the morning at Damascus? You surely cannot be awake: collect your thoughts a little.”—“What I tell you,” rejoined Bedreddin, “is so true, that I was last night married in the city of Cairo.” All those who had laughed before, now redoubled their laughter at hearing this. “Take care,” resumed the person who addressed him before, “you must have dreamt all this, and the illusion still remains impressed on your mind.”—“I know what I say,” replied the youth, “tell me then how I should have dreamt I was at Cairo, where I am persuaded I was in reality; where my bride was conducted seven times before me, each time in a different dress; and where I saw a frightful hunchback, to whom they were going to marry her? Tell me too, what is become of my robe, my turban, and the purse of sequins I had at Cairo.”