The Arabian Nights, Volume I of IV

by Unknown

I determined in my own mind to attend to the advice they had given me, not to open the golden door; but as I was permitted, with that one exception, to satisfy my curiosity, I took the keys belonging to the others, which were regularly arranged, and opened the first door. I entered a fruit-garden, to which I thought nothing in the world was comparable; not even that which our religion promises us the enjoyment of after death. The admirable order and arrangement in which the trees were disposed, the abundance and variety of the fruits, many of which were unknown to me, together with their freshness and beauty, and the elegant neatness apparent in every spot, ravished me with astonishment. I must not either neglect to inform you that this delightful garden was watered in a most singular manner: small channels cut out with great art and regularity, and of different sizes, conveyed the water in great abundance to the roots of some trees which required it in order to send forth their first leaves and flowers; while others, whose fruits were already set, received it with a more sparing hand; and those where the fruit was much swelled had still less, while a fourth sort, having the fruit come to its full size, had just what was sufficient to ripen it. The size also, which all the fruits acquired, very much exceeded what we are accustomed to observe in our gardens. Besides which, these channels that conducted the water to the trees on which the fruit was ripe, had barely enough to preserve it in the same state without decaying it.

I could not sufficiently examine and admire so beautiful a spot; and I should never have left it if I had not from this beginning conceived a still higher idea of the things which I had not yet seen. I returned with my mind full of the wonders I had beheld. I then closed that door, and opened the next.

In the place of a fruit-garden I now discovered one of flowers, which was not in its kind less singular. It contained a spacious parterre, not watered with such abundance as the preceding, but with greater skill and management, as it did not supply each flower with more than it wanted. The rose, the jessamine, the violet, the narcissus, the hyacinth, the anemone, the tulip, the ranunculus, the carnation, the lily, and an infinity of other flowers, which in other places bloom at various times, come all into flower at once in this spot; and nothing can be softer than the air you breathe in this garden.

I then opened the third door, where I discovered a very large aviary. It was paved with different coloured marbles, of the finest and least common sort. The cages were of sandal-wood and aloes; and contained a great number of nightingales, goldfinches, canaries, larks, and other birds, whose notes were sweeter and more melodious than any I had ever heard before. The vases which contained their food and water, were of jaspar or the most valuable agate. This aviary also was kept with the greatest degree of neatness; and from its vast extent I conceive that it would employ not less than a hundred persons to keep it in the state it then was; and yet no one appeared either here or in the other gardens, in none of which did I observe a single weed that was noxious, nor the least superfluous thing that could offend the sight.

The sun was already set, and I retired much delighted with the warbling of the multitude of birds, which were then flying about to find the most commodious place to perch and enjoy the repose of the night. I went back to my apartment, and determined to open all the other doors on the succeeding days, except the hundredth. The next day I did not fail to go to the fourth door and open it. But if that which I had seen on the foregoing days was capable of surprising me, what I now beheld put me in ecstacy. I first entered into a large court, surrounded by a building of a very singular sort of architecture, of which, to avoid being very prolix, I will not give you a description.

This building had forty doors, all open: each of which was an entrance into a sort of treasury, containing more riches than many kingdoms. The first contained large quantities of pearls, and what is almost incredible, the most valuable, which were as large as pigeons’ eggs, were more numerous than the smaller. The second was filled with diamonds, carbuncles, and rubies; the third with emeralds; the fourth contained gold in ingots; the fifth gold in money; the sixth ingots of silver; and the two following silver money. The rest were filled with amethists, chrysolites, topazes, opals, turquoises, hyacinths, and every other sort of precious stone we are acquainted with; not to mention agate, jaspar, cornelian, and coral, both in branches and whole trees, with which one apartment was entirely filled. Struck with surprise and admiration at the sight of all these riches, I exclaimed, “It is impossible that all the treasures of every potentate in the universe, if they were collected in the same spot, can equal these! How happy am I in possessing all these treasures as well as such amiable princesses!”

I will not detain you, madam, by giving you an account of all the wonderful and valuable things which I saw on the following days; I will only inform you that it took me up nine and thirty days in opening the ninety-nine doors, and in admiration of every thing that offered itself to my view. There now remained only the hundredth, which I was forbidden to touch. The fortieth day since the departure of the charming princesses now arrived. If I had been able, only for that one day, to have had the power over myself I ought to have had, I should have been the happiest instead of the most miserable of men. They would have returned the next day, and the pleasure I should have experienced in receiving them, ought to have acted as a restraint upon my curiosity; but through a weakness which I shall never cease to lament, I yielded to the temptation of some demon, who did not suffer me to rest till I had subjected myself to the pain and punishment I have since experienced.

I opened the fatal door, though I had promised not to attempt it. Before I even set my foot within-side, a very agreeable odour struck me, but so powerful it made me faint. I soon however recovered, but instead of profiting by such warning, instantly shutting the door and giving up all idea of satisfying my curiosity, I entered; having first waited till the odour was lessened and dispersed through the air. I then felt no inconvenience from it. I found a very large and vaulted room, the floor of which was strewed with saffron. It was illuminated with lights made of aloe-wood and ambergris, and placed on golden stands: these afforded a strong smell. The brightness caused by these was still farther heightened by many lamps of silver and gold, which were filled with oil composed of many perfumes.

Among the numerous objects which attracted my attention, was a black horse, the best formed and most beautiful that ever was seen. I went close to it in order to observe it more attentively. The saddle and bridle which were on it were of massive gold, richly worked. On one side of its manger there was clean barley and sesame, and the other was filled with rose-water; I then took hold of its bridle, and led it towards the light to examine it the better. I mounted it and endeavoured to make it go: but as it would not move, I struck it with a switch which I had found in its magnificent stable. It had hardly felt the stroke before it began to neigh in a most dreadful manner; then spreading its wings, which I had not till that moment perceived, it rose so high in the air, that I lost sight of the ground. I now thought only of holding fast on its back; nor did I experience any injury, if I except the great terror with which I was seized. At length it began to descend towards the earth, and lighted upon the terraced roof of a castle; then, without giving me time to get down, it shook me so violently that I fell off behind, and with the end of its tail it put out my right eye.

This was the way I became blind, and the prediction of the ten young lords was now instantly brought to my recollection. The horse itself immediately after spread its wings, took flight, and disappeared. I rose up, much afflicted at the misfortune which I had thus voluntarily brought upon myself. I traversed the whole terrace, keeping my hand up to my eye, as I experienced very considerable pain from the stroke. I then went down, and came to a saloon, which I immediately recognised from observing ten sofas disposed in a circle, and a single one in the middle less elevated: it was in fact in the very castle whence I had been carried up by the roc.