The physician then arranged all his affairs, and as the news got abroad that an unheard-of prodigy was to happen after his execution, the viziers, emirs, officers of the guard, in short all the court, flocked the next day to the hall of audience, to witness such an extraordinary event.
Douban, the physician, appeared directly after, and advanced to the foot of the throne with a very large volume in his hand. He then placed it on a vase, and unfolded the cover in which the book was wrapt; and in presenting it, he thus addressed the king: “If it be your pleasure, Sire, receive this book; and as soon as my head shall be struck off, order one of your officers to place it on the vase upon the cover of the book; as soon as it is there the blood will cease to flow; then open the book, and my head shall answer all your questions. But, Sire,” added Douban, “permit me once more to implore your mercy. Consider, I beg of you, in the name of God, that I protest to you that I am innocent.”—“Thy prayers,” answered the king, “are useless, and were it only to hear your head speak after your death, I would wish for your execution.” In saying this; he took the book from the hands of the physician, and ordered the officer to do his duty.
The head was so adroitly cut off, that it fell into the vase, and it had hardly been on the cover an instant before the blood stopt. Then, to the astonishment of the king and all the spectators, it opened its eyes, and said, “Will your majesty now open the book?” The king did so, and finding that the leaf stuck to the second, he put his finger to his mouth, and moistened it, in order to turn it over more easily. He went on doing so till he came to the sixth leaf; and observing nothing written upon the appointed page, “Physician,” said he to the head, “there is no writing.”—“Turn over then a few more leaves,” replied the head. The king continued turning them over, still putting his finger frequently to his mouth, till the poison, in which each leaf had been dipped, began to produce its effect. The prince then felt himself suddenly agitated in a most extraordinary manner; his sight failed him, and he fell at the foot of the throne in the greatest convulsions.
When the physician Douban, or rather his head, saw that the poison had taken effect, and that the king had only a few moments to live, “Tyrant,” he exclaimed, “behold how those princes are treated, who abuse their power, and sacrifice the innocent. God, sooner or later, punishes their injustice and their cruelty.” The head had no sooner repeated those words, than the king expired; and at the same time the small portion of life that remained in the head itself, was wasted.
“Such, Sire,” continued Scheherazadè, “was the end of the Greek king and the physician Douban. I shall now return to the fisherman and the Genius.
As soon as the fisherman had finished the history of the Greek king and the physician Douban, he applied it to the Genius, whom he still kept confined in the vase. “If,” said he, “the Greek king had permitted Douban to live, God would also have bestowed the same benefit on him: but he rejected the humble prayers of the physician. God, therefore, punished him. This, O Genius, is the case with you. If I had been able to make you relent, and could have obtained the favor I asked of you, I should have pitied the state in which you now are: but since you persisted in your determination to kill me, in spite of the obligation you were under to me for setting you at liberty, I ought, in my turn, to shew no mercy. In leaving you within this vase, and casting you into the sea, I shall deprive you of the use of your existence till the end of time. This is the revenge I have been taught by you.”
“Once more, my good friend,” replied the Genius, “I entreat you not to be guilty of so cruel an act; remember that revenge is not a part of virtue; on the contrary, it is praise-worthy to return good for evil. Do not then serve me as Imma formerly treated Ateca.”—“And how was that?” asked the fisherman. “If you wish to be informed of it, open this vase,” answered the Genius, “do you think that I am in the humour, while confined in this narrow prison, to relate stories? I will tell you as many as you please when you shall have let me out.”—“No, no,” said the fisherman, “I will not release you; it is better for me to cast you to the bottom of the sea.”—“One word more, fisherman,” cried the Genius: “I will teach you how to become as rich as possible.”
The hope of being no longer in want at once disarmed the fisherman. “I would listen to you,” he cried, “if I had the least ground to believe you; swear to me, by the great name of God, that you will faithfully observe what you say, and I will open the vase. I do not believe that you will be sufficiently bold to violate such an oath.” The Genius did so; and the fisherman immediately took off the covering. The smoke instantly issued from it, and the first thing the Genius did, after he had reassumed his usual form, was to kick the vase into the sea: this action rather alarmed the fisherman. “What do you mean, O Genius, by this; do you not intend to keep the oath you have taken? Or must I address the same words to you which the physician Douban did to the Greek king? “Suffer me to live, and God will prolong your days.”
The fear expressed by him made the Genius laugh; “Be of good heart, fisherman,” answered he, “I have thrown the vase into the sea only for diversion, and to see whether you would be alarmed: but to shew you that I intend to keep my word, take your nets and follow me.” They passed by the city and went over the top of a mountain, from whence they descended into a vast plain, which led them to a pond situated between four small hills.
When they were arrived on the borders of the pond, the Genius said to the fisherman, “Throw your nets, and catch fish.” The fisherman did not doubt that he should take some, for he saw a great quantity in the pond; but how great was his surprise at finding them of four different colours; white, red, blue, and yellow. He threw his nets and caught four, one of each colour. As he had never seen any similar to them, he could hardly cease admiring them, and judging that he could dispose of them for a considerable sum, he expressed great joy. “Carry these fish to the palace,” said the Genius, “and present them to the sultan, and he will give you more money than you ever handled in all your life. You may come every day and fish in this pond, but observe and throw your nets only once each day; if you act otherwise, some evil will befal you, therefore take care. This is my advice, and if you follow it exactly you will do well.” Having said this, he struck his foot against the ground, which opened, and having sunk into it, the earth closed as before.