Fairy tales

by Wilhelm Hauff

The overseer of the slaves was full of anger over the young man’s effrontery, and bade him roughly hold his peace, but the slave only showed surprise, and asked the Sheik in what way his story had displeased him. So the Sheik raised his head from his hands and said: “Calm yourselves, my friends. This young man has been but three days beneath my roof and quite possibly does not know of my sorrowful history. It is possible, considering the cruelties the Franks perpetrate, there may be another story similar to mine, or even this Almansor might be—” The Sheik did not finish his sentence, but bade the slave continue his story.

“The young Almansor,” said he, “was, as I said, carried away to the camp of the Franks, where he did not fare so badly, for one of the generals took a fancy to him, and was amused at the boy’s answers to his questions, which were interpreted to him by a dragoman. He saw that he was well cared for and had all the food required, but that did not compensate the boy for the loss of his father and mother.

“He wept bitterly, but his tears did not melt the hard hearts of his captors. When the camp was broken up Almansor hoped he would be sent home, but no, the army moved on and on in pursuit of the Mamelukes, and young Almansor was carried in its train.

“In vain he begged and implored the officers to send him back to his father; they told him he was the only security they had for his father’s good faith.

“But all of a sudden a great commotion took place, all the soldiers began packing in great haste, and Almansor heard that the army had been recalled. He felt certain that if the Franks returned to their own country he would be restored to his home, and was happy in the thought of so soon seeing his parents again. The retreat towards the sea-shore was a hurried one, and Almansor very soon saw the great ships lying at anchor. The soldiers began to embark at once, but by nightfall only a small number were on board. Almansor tried hard to remain awake, for he believed he was to be set free immediately, but in spite of his efforts he fell into a deep sleep. Afterwards he felt sure that the Franks must have drugged him, for he slept so soundly that when he awoke it was broad daylight, and he found himself in quite a different room to the one in which he had gone to sleep.

“He sprang from his couch, but no sooner touched the floor than he fell down, for the floor seemed to sway up and down, and everything in the room went round and round. He rose and steadied himself by the wall, so that he might be able to get out of the room.

“A most extraordinary splashing and roaring noise was all around him, and he scarcely knew whether he was awake or dreaming, for he had never heard anything like it before. He managed to reach a little staircase and climbed it. What was his horror to see around him nothing but sea and sky, and he discovered that he was on a ship. He wept bitterly and begged to be taken back. He tried to fling himself into the sea in order that he might swim ashore. But the Franks held him fast, and one of the officers ordered him to be brought to him and promised him that, if he were good and obedient, he should be sent home, but told him it had not been possible for them to spare time to take him to his father, and had they left him behind by himself he would have perished miserably.

“But the Franks did not keep their promise, for after many days, when the ship at length reached the shore, it was not in Egypt they landed, but on the coast of France, which was the name of the country they came from. During the voyage and whilst he had been in the camp, Almansor had learnt a good deal of the Frankish language, and he found this very useful, now that he was in a country where no one understood a word of his language.

“For many days he marched with the army into the interior of the country, and crowds came flocking to see him, for his companions gave out that he was the King of Egypt’s son, who had been sent to France to be educated. This they said in order that the people might believe that they had conquered Egypt and made peace with that country.

“At length they reached a very large town, which was the end of the journey. He was handed over to a doctor, who took him into his house and instructed him in the manners and customs of the country.