The Arabian Nights Entertainments, Anonymous [summer beach reads .txt] 📗

in his eyes, the cruel commands he had received. Believe me, princes, said he, it is next to death to obey your father, who chose me to execute what he ordered concerning you. Would to Heaven I could avoid it! The princes replied, Do your duty; we know well you are not the cause of our deaths, and pardon you freely.

Then they embraced, and bid each other adieu with so much tenderness, that it was a long time before they could leave one another's arms. Prince Assad was the first who prepared himself for the fatal stroke. Begin with me, Giendar, said he, that I may not have the affliction to see my clear brother Amgrad die. Amgrad opposed him in this; and Giendar could not, without, weeping more than before, be witness of this dispute between them, which showed how perfect and sincere their friendship was.

They at last determined the contest by desiring Giendar to tie them together, and put them in the most convenient posture to kill them at one blow. Do not refuse two unfortunate brothers the poor comfort of dying together, said the generous princes; for all things, even our innocence, are common between us.

Giendar agreed to it, and, as they desired, tied them to each ether, breast to breast, close; and when he had placed them so as he thought he might strike the blow with the more surety to answer their request, and cut off their heads at once, he asked if they had any thing to command him before they died?

We have only one thing to desire, replied the princes; which is, to assure our father, on your return, that we are innocent; but do not charge him with our deaths, knowing he is not well informed of the truth of the crime of which we are accused.

Giendar promised to do what they would have him, and drew his sabre. His horse, being tied to a tree just by, started at the sight of the sabre, which glittered against the sun, broke his bridle, and ran away with all speed into the country. Giendar set a great price upon him, being a very good horse; besides, being richly harnessed, the emir could not well bear the loss. This accident so troubled him, that, instead of beheading the two princes, he threw down his sabre, and ran after his horse to catch him.

The horse gallopped on before him, and led him several miles out of his way into a wood. Giendar followed, and the horse's neighing roused a lion that was asleep not far off. The lion started up, and, instead of running after the horse, made directly towards Giendar, who thought no more of his horse, but how to avoid the lion, and save his life. He ran into the thickest of the wood, the lion pursuing him. Driven to this extremity, he said to himself, Heaven had not punished me in this manner, but to show the innocence of the princes whom I was commanded to put to death; and now, to add to my misfortune, I have not my sabre to defend myself!

While Giendar was gone, the two princes were seized with a violent thirst, occasioned by the fear of death, notwithstanding their steadfast resolution to submit to the king their father's cruel order.

Prince Amgrad showed his brother a fountain not far off. Ah, brother! said Assad, we have but a short time to live, and what need have we to quench our thirst? We can bear it a few minutes longer.

Amgrad, taking no notice of his brother's remonstrance, unbound himself, and his brother likewise, whether he would or not. They went to the fountain, and, having refreshed themselves, heard the roaring of a lion, who, in pursuit of his prey, had got to the end of the wood near where the princes were. They also heard Giendar's dreadful cries; on which Amgrad seized Giendar's sabre, which lay on the ground, saying to Assad, Come, brother, let us go and help poor Giendar; perhaps we may arrive soon enough to deliver him from the danger in which he now is.

The two princes ran to the wood, and entered it just as the lion was going to fall upon Giendar. The beast, seeing prince Amgrad advancing towards him with a sabre in his hand, left his prey, and came against him with fury. The prince met him intrepidly, and gave him a blow so forcibly and dexterously, that it felled him to the ground.

When Giendar saw that the two princes were the men who saved his life, he threw himself at their feet, and thanked them for the great obligation he had to them, in words which sufficiently showed his gratitude. Princes, said he, rising up and kissing their hands, with tears in his eyes, God forbid that ever I should attempt any thing against your lives, especially after having so humanely and bravely saved mine! It shall never be said that the emir Giendar was guilty of such ingratitude.

The service we have done, answered the princes, ought not to hinder you from executing the orders you have received. Let us catch your horse, and then return to the place where you left us.

They were at no great trouble to take the horse, whose mettle was come down a little with running. When they had restored him to Giendar, and were near the fountain, they begged and argued with him to do as their father had commanded; but all to no purpose. I only take the liberty to desire you, said Giendar, and I pray you not to deny me, that you will divide my clothes between you, and give me yours; and go so far, that the king your father may never hear of you more.

The princes were forced to comply. Each of them gave him his clothes, and covered themselves with what he could spare of his. He also gave them all the gold he had, and took his leave of them.

When emir Giendar parted from the princes, he passed through the wood where Amgrad had killed the lion, in whose blood he dipped their clothes; which having done, he proceeded on his way to the capital city of the isle of Ebene.

On his arrival, king Camaralzaman asked him if he had done what he ordered? Giendar, replied, See, sir, the faithful witnesses of my obedience, giving him, at the same time, the clothes of the princes.

How did they take the punishment I commanded to be executed on them? Giendar answered, With wonderful constancy, sir, and a holy resignation to the decrees of Heaven; which showed how sincerely they professed their religion. But, particularly, they behaved themselves with great respect towards your majesty, and an entire submission to the sentence of death. We die innocent, said they; however, we do not murmur; we take our death as from the hand of Heaven, and forgive our father; for we know very well he has not been rightly informed of the truth.

Camaralzaman was sensibly touched at emir Giendar's relation, and, putting his hand into prince Amgrad's pocket, he found an open billet. He no sooner knew that queen Haiatalnefous wrote it, as well by a lock of her hair which was in it, as by her handwriting, than he froze with horror. He then, trembling, put his hand into the pocket of Assad, and, finding there likewise queen Badoura's billet, his surprise was so great and so lively that he swooned away.

Never did man grieve like Camaralzaman when he was recovered from swooning. Barbarous father as thou art! cried he, what hast thou done? Thou hast murdered thy own children, thy innocent children! Did not their wisdom, their modesty, their obedience, their submission to thy will in all things, their virtue; did not these all plead in their behalf—Blind and insensible father! dost thou deserve to live after the execrable crime which thou hast committed? I have brought this abomination on my own head, and Heaven chastises me for not persevering in the aversion to women with which I was born. And, oh ye detestable wives! I will not—no, I will not, as ye deserve—wash off the guilt of your sins with your blood; ye are unworthy of my rage; but perdition seize me if ever I see you more!

King Camaralzaman was a man of too much religion to break his vow. He commanded the two queens to be lodged in separate apartments that very day, where they were kept under strong guards, and never afterwards saw them.

While the king of the isle of Ebene afflicted himself for the loss of the princes his sons, of which he thought he had been the author by too rashly condemning them, the royal youths wandered through deserts, endeavouring to avoid all places that were inhabited, and the sight of any human creature. They lived on herbs and wild fruits, and drank only stinking rainwater, which they found in the crevices of the rocks. They slept and watched by turns at night, for fear of wild beasts.

When they had travelled about a month, they came to the foot of a high mountain inaccessible for its cragginess; the stones being black, and so rugged, that it was impossible to ascend over them to the summit of the hill. At last, they discovered a kind of path; but it was so narrow and difficult, they durst not venture up it. This obliged them to go along by the foot of the mountain, in hopes of finding a more easy way to reach the top. They went round it five days, but could see nothing like a path; so they were obliged to return to that which they had neglected. They still thought it would be in vain to attempt going up by it. They deliberated on what they should do for a long time; and at last, encouraging one another, resolved to ascend the hill.

The more they advanced, they thought it was the higher and steeper, which made them think several times of giving up the enterprise. When one was weary, the other stopped, and both rested together. Sometimes they were both so tired, that they wanted strength to go further; then, despairing of being able to reach the top, they thought they must lie down, and die of fatigue and weariness. When they found they had recovered a little strength, they would animate each other, and go on.

Notwithstanding all their endeavours and their courage, they could not get to the top that day. Night came on, and prince Assad was so much fatigued, that he stopped, and said to prince Amgrad, I can go no further; I am ready to die. Stay as long as you will, replied prince Amgrad; let us rest ourselves, and have a good heart; it is but a little way to the top, and the moon befriends us.

They rested about half an hour, when Assad having attained more strength, proceeded on their way to the mountain's summit, where they at last arrived, and lay down. Amgrad rose first, and, advancing, saw a tree at a little distance: he went to it, and found it was a pomegranate-tree, with large fruit upon it, and a fountain near the foot. He ran to his brother Assad to tell him the good news, and conducted him to the tree which grew by the side of the fountain. They both refreshed themselves there by eating each a pomegranate; after which they fell asleep.

Next morning, when they awoke, Come, brother, said Amgrad to Assad, let us go on; I see the mountain is easier to be travelled over on this side than the other; all our way now is down hill. But Assad was so fatigued with the last day's journey, that he wanted three or four days' repose to recruit his strength.

They spent them, as they had done many before, in discoursing on their mother's inordinate desires, and deploring their misfortunes. But, said they, since Heaven has so visibly declared itself in our favour, we ought to bear them with patience, and comfort ourselves with hopes that we shall soon see an end of them.

At the end of three days' rest, the two brothers continued their travels, and were five days in descending the hill before they came into the valley. Then they discovered a great city, at which they were very joyful: Brother, said Amgrad to Assad, are not you of my opinion, which is, that you should stay in some place out of the city, where I may come to you again, while I go to learn the language, and inform myself of the name of the city, and in what country we are? and when I come back, I will bring provisions with me. It is not convenient for us to go there together; there may