The Arabian Nights Entertainments, - [best autobiographies to read .txt] 📗

pleasure in their conversation, that after having sat longer than usual he led them into his closet, where he pursued his conversation with them, and at last said, “I never supposed that there were among my subjects in the country youths so well brought up, so lively, so capable; and I never was better pleased with any conversation than yours: but it is time now we should relax our minds with some diversion; and as nothing is more capable of enlivening the mind than music, you shall hear a vocal and instrumental concert which may not be disagreeable to you.”

The emperor had no sooner spoken for them than the musicians, who had orders to attend, entered, and answered fully the expectations the princes had been led to entertain of their abilities. After the concerts, an excellent farce was acted, and the entertainment was concluded by dancers of both sexes.

The two princes seeing night approach, prostrated themselves at the emperor’s feet; and having first thanked him for the favours and honours he had heaped upon them, asked his permission to retire; which was granted by the emperor, who, in dismissing them, said, “I give you leave to go; but remember I brought you to the palace myself only to shew you the way; you will be always welcome, and the oftener you come the greater pleasure you will do me.”

Before they went out of the emperor’s presence, prince Bahman said, “Sir, may we presume to request that your majesty will do us and our sister the honour to pass by our house, and rest and refresh yourself after your fatigue, the first time you take the diversion of hunting in that neighbourhood? It is not worthy your presence; but monarchs sometimes have vouchsafed to take shelter in a cottage.” “My children,” replied the emperor; “your house cannot be otherwise than beautiful, and worthy of its owners. I will call and see it with pleasure, which will be the greater for having for my hosts you and your sister, who is already dear to me from the account you give me of the rare qualities with which she is endowed; and this satisfaction I will defer no longer than tomorrow. Early in the morning I will be at the place where I shall never forget that I first saw you. Meet me, and you shall be my guides.”

When the princes Bahman and Perviz had returned home, they gave the princess an account of the distinguished reception the emperor had given them; and told her that they had invited him to do them the honour, as he passed by, to call at their house; and that he had appointed the next day.

“If it be so,” replied the princess, “we must think of preparing a repast fit for his majesty; and for that purpose I think it would be proper we should consult the speaking bird, he will tell us perhaps what meats the emperor likes best.” The princes approved of her plan, and after they had retired she consulted the bird alone. “Bird,” said she, “the emperor will do us the honour tomorrow to come and see our house, and we are to entertain him; tell us what we shall do to acquit ourselves to his satisfaction.”

“Good mistress,” replied the bird, “you have excellent cooks, let them do the best they can; but above all things, let them prepare a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, which must be set before the emperor in the first course before all the other dishes.”

“Cucumbers stuffed full of pearls!” cried princess Perie-zadeh, with amazement; “surely, bird, you do not know what you say; it is an unheard-of dish. The emperor may admire it as a piece of magnificence, but he will sit down to eat, and not to admire pearls; besides, all the pearls I possess are not enough for such a dish.”

“Mistress,” said the bird, “do what I say, and be not uneasy about what may happen. Nothing but good will follow. As for the pearls, go early tomorrow morning to the foot of the first tree on your right hand in the park, dig under it, and you will find more than you want.”

That night the princess ordered a gardener to be ready to attend her, and the next morning early led him to the tree which the bird had told her of, and bade him dig at its foot. When the gardener came to a certain depth, he found some resistance to the spade, and presently discovered a gold box about a foot square, which he shewed the princess. “This,” said she, “is what I brought you for; take care not to injure it with the spade.”

When the gardener took up the box, he gave it into the princess’s hands, who, as it was only fastened with neat little hasps, soon opened it, and found it full of pearls of a moderate size, but equal, and fit for the use that was to be made of them. Very well satisfied with having found this treasure, after she had shut the box again she put it under her arm, and went back to the house, while the gardener threw the earth into the hole at the foot of the tree as it had been before.

The princes Bahman and Perviz, who, as they were dressing themselves in their own apartments, saw the princess their sister in the garden earlier than usual, as soon as they could get out went to her, and met her as she was returning, with a gold box under her arm, which much surprised them. “Sister,” said Bahman, “you carried nothing with you when we saw you before with the gardener, and now we see you have a golden box: is this some treasure found by the gardener, and did he come and tell you of it?”

“No, brother,” answered the princess; “I took the gardener to the place where this casket was concealed, and shewed him where to dig: but you will be more amazed when you see what it contains.”

The princess opened the box, and when the princes saw that it was full of pearls, which, though small, were of great value; they asked her how she came to the knowledge of this treasure?

“Brothers,” said she, “if nothing more pressing calls you elsewhere, come with me, and I will tell you.” “What more pressing business,” said prince Perviz, “can we have than to be informed of what concerns us so much? We have nothing to do to prevent our attending you.” The princess, as they returned to the house, gave them an account of her having consulted the bird, as they had agreed she should, and the answer he had given her; the objection she had raised to preparing a dish of cucumbers stuffed full of pearls, and how he had told her where to find this box.

The princes and princess formed many conjectures to penetrate into what the bird could mean by ordering them to prepare such a dish; and after much conversation, though they could not by any means guess at his reason, they nevertheless agreed to follow his advice exactly.

As soon as the princess entered the house, she called for the head cook; and after she had given him directions about the entertainment for the emperor, said to him, “Besides all this, you must dress an extraordinary dish for the emperor’s own eating, which nobody else must have any thing to do with besides yourself. This dish must be of cucumbers stuffed with these pearls;” and at the same time she opened him the box, and shewed him the pearls.

The chief cook, who had never heard of such a dish, started back, and shewed his thoughts by his looks; which the princess penetrating, said, “I see you take me to be mad to order such a dish, which you never heard of, and which one may say with certainty was never made. I know this as well as you; but I am not mad, and give you these orders with the most perfect recollection. You must invent and do the best you can, and bring me back what pearls are left.” The cook could make no reply, but took the box and retired: and afterwards the princess gave directions to all the domestics to have every thing in order, both in the house and gardens, to receive the emperor.

Next day the two princes went to the place appointed; and as soon as the emperor of Persia arrived the chase began, which lasted till the heat of the sun obliged him to leave off. While prince Bahman stayed to conduit the emperor to their house, prince Perviz rode before to shew the way, and when he came in sight of the house, spurred his horse, to inform the princess Perie-zadeh that the emperor was approaching; but she had been told by some servants whom she had placed to give notice, and the prince found her waiting ready to receive him.

When the emperor had entered the court-yard, and alighted at the portico, the princess came and threw herself at his feet, and the two princes informed him she was their sister, and besought him to accept her respects.

The emperor stooped to raise her, and after he had gazed some time on her beauty, struck with her fine person and dignified air, he said, “The brothers are worthy of the sister, and she worthy of them; since, if I may judge of her understanding by her person, I am not amazed that the brothers would do nothing without their sister’s consent; but,” added he, “I hope to be better acquainted with you, my daughter, after I have seen the house.”

“Sir,” said the princess, “it is only a plain country residence, fit for such people as we are, who live retired from the great world. It is not to be compared with houses in great cities, much less with the magnificent palaces of emperors.” “I cannot perfectly agree with you in opinion,” said the emperor very obligingly, “for its first appearance makes me suspect you; however, I will not pass my judgment upon it till I have seen it all; therefore be pleased to conduct me through the apartments.”

The princess led the emperor through all the rooms except the hall; and, after he had considered them very attentively and admired their variety, “My daughter,” said he to the princess, “do you call this a country house? The finest and largest cities would soon be deserted, if all country houses were like yours. I am no longer surprised that you take so much delight in it, and despise the town. Now let me see the garden, which I doubt not is answerable to the house.”

The princess opened a door which led into the garden; and the first object which presented itself to the emperor’s view was the golden fountain. Surprised at so rare an object, he asked from whence that wonderful water, which gave so much pleasure to behold, had been procured; where was its source; and by what art it was made to play so high, that he thought nothing in the world was to be compared to it? He said he would presently take a nearer view of it.

The princess then led him to the spot where the harmonious tree was planted; and there the emperor heard a concert, different from all he had ever heard before; and stopping to see where the musicians were, he could discern nobody far or near; but still distinctly heard the music, which ravished his senses. “My daughter,” said he to the princess, “where are the musicians whom I hear? Are they under ground, or invisible in the air? Such excellent performers will hazard nothing by being seen; on the contrary, they would please the more.”

“Sir,” answered the