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

quit the garden till forced by her attendants to take shelter from the falling dews of night. We now return to her lover.

Fatigue and the consoling assurances of the friendly hermit had greatly composed the mind of Ins al Wujjood, who enjoyed a refreshing sleep, nor did he awake till the sun was mounted high in the heavens, when he joined his venerable host in his devotions; after which they partook of a repast of bread, milk, and fresh fruits. This ended, the old man requested him to fetch from the forest a bundle of the filaments of palm bark, which, when brought to him, he plaited into a, shape resembling a little boat, and giving it to Ins al Wujjood, said, “Repair to the lake, and put this into the water, when it will become instantly large enough to hold thee, then embark in it, and trust to Heaven for the rest. Farewell!”

Ins al Wujjood having taken leave of his venerable friend the hermit, with many thanks, did as he had been commanded, and soon arrived on the margin of the lake, into which he launched his.

little vessel, when, to his great surprise, it instantaneously became a handsome boat with the sails set. He got into it, and a fair wind springing up was soon out of sight of land. For some days he was wafted over the deep; but at length the shore of an island appeared, on which he landed, and made his boat fast to the trunk of a large tree. He then walked into the country, and found it beautifully interspersed with green meadows, clear streams, and shady groves of bending fruit trees, on the branches of which all sorts of birds were warbling in their different strains. Having refreshed himself with several fruits, he proceeded onwards, and at length came in sight of a superb edifice, to the gateway of which he advanced; but found it locked. For three days he waited in hopes of seeing some of its inhabitants, but in vain. However on the fourth morning the gate was opened by a man, who seeing Ins al Wujjood, advanced towards him, and inquired who he was, whence he came, and what was his reason for waiting at the gate. “I am of Ispahaun,” replied Ins al Wujjood, “and was shipwrecked in a trading voyage upon this coast, to the shore of which I alone of all my companions had the good fortune to escape.” Upon hearing this the man burst into tears, embraced him, and said, “May God preserve thee from future calamities! I am also a native of Ispahaun, where also dwelt my cousin, whom I dearly loved, and by whom I was beloved. At this happy period of my youth a nation stronger than ours made war against us, overcame us, and among other captives forced me from my country; after which they sold me as a slave to my present master: but come, my dear countryman, enter the palace, and repose thyself in my apartment, where we will endeavour to console each other under our misfortunes till Providence shall restore us to our homes.”

Ins al Wujjood gladly accepted such a friendly invitation, and on entering the court beheld a lofty and wide-spreading tree, from the branches of which were suspended several golden cages, each inhabited by a beautiful bird, and each striving to rival the other in melody, as if in welcome of his approach. He inquired of his host to whom the splendid edifice belonged, and was informed to the vizier of sultan Shamikh; who, to secure his daughter from the vicissitudes of fortune, had lodged her here, and only visited her annually to inquire after her health, and bring the necessary supplies for her convenience and the support of her attendants in the castle. Upon hearing the above circumstances, Ins al Wujjood was nearly overcome with ecstacy; but restraining his feelings, exclaimed to himself, “At length I have reached the abode of my beloved, and may hope for success;” which was yet, however, afar off. His charming mistress, little thinking that her lover was so near, and weary of absence and the solitude of her abode, had that very evening resolved to escape from confinement. In the darkness of night she accordingly let herself down from the battlements by a silken rope, which she had twisted from slips of various robes, and reached the ground unhurt. With haste she fled towards the sea shore, where she perceived a fishing boat, the owner of which, though at first alarmed, supposing her, from her dazzling appearance (for she was covered with jewels), to be an ensnaring genie, at length, on her assurances that she was really a woman, admitted her into his vessel. She thanked him for his kindness, which she rewarded by the gift of many rich jewels, and requested to be conveyed across the lake. The fisherman hoisted sail, and for some hours the wind was prosperous; but now a heavy tempest arose, which tossed them constantly in imminent danger for three days, and drove them far from their intended course. At length the gale subsided, the sea became assuaged, and land appeared. As they approached the shore a stately city rose to their view, the buildings of which seemed unusually magnificent. Under the terrace of the sultan’s palace they safely, at last, cast anchor; and it chanced that the prince, who was named Dara, was then sitting with his daughter in a balcony to enjoy the fresh sea breeze, and the view of the extensive harbour, crowded with the vessels of every country.

Perceiving the boat, the sultan commanded his officers to bring the master and his crew to the presence. Great was his surprise at the introduction of the beautiful Wird al Ikmaum. From her rich dress, dignified air, and demeanour, he concluded her to be of superior rank, and having seated her near his daughter, he graciously requested to be informed of the name of her country, and the cause of her having travelled to his capital; to which she replied in eloquent language, giving a summary detail of all her adventures. The sultan consoled her by encouraging assurances of his protection, promised to exert his authority to effect a union with her beloved, and immediately dispatched his vizier with costly presents to sultan Shamikh, requesting him to send Ins al Wujjood to his court.

The vizier, after a prosperous voyage, having reached the capital of sultan Shamikh, presented his offerings, and made known the request of his master; to which the sultan replied, That nearly a year had elapsed since Ins al Wujjood had, to his great regret, absented himself from his court, nor had any tidings been obtained of the place of his retirement; but that he would order his vizier to accompany the ambassador in search of his retreat, being willing to oblige his master the sultan to the utmost of his power. Accordingly, after a repose of some days, the two viziers departed in search of Ins al Wujjood, but without knowing where to bend their journey. At length they reached the shore of the ocean of Kunnooz, on which they embarked in a hired vessel, and sailed to the mountainous island of Tukkalla, of which the vizier of sultan Shamikh gave to his companion the following account. “This island was some ages back inhabited by genii; a princess of whom became violently enamoured of a handsome young man, a son of an ameer of the city of Misr, or Cairo, whom she beheld in her flight sleeping in his father’s garden in the heat of the day. She sat down by him, and having gently awoke him, the youth, on looking up, to his astonishment and rapture saw a most beautiful damsel who courted his addresses: he was not backward in offering them; and mutual protestations of love and constancy took place. After some hours of happiness the genie princess took an affectionate leave, promising soon to visit him again, and vanished from sight. The youth remained musing on his fortunate adventure till the dews of night began to fall, when his parents, fearful of some injury, sent attendants to conduct him to their palace, but he refused to go; and talked, as it appeared to them, so incoherently concerning his beloved, that they thought him distracted; seized him roughly, and forced him homewards. His father and mother were alarmed: it was in vain that they courted him to partake of refreshment; he was sullen and gloomy, and at length abruptly retired to his chamber, where he remained in restless anxiety all night, waiting impatiently for morning, that he might revisit the happy spot where his charmer had promised again to meet him.

“At early dawn the ameer’s son repaired to the garden, and was soon gratified with the sight of his beloved; but while they were exchanging mutual protestations of regard, the mother of the genie princess, who had suspected from her daughter’s conduct that she was carrying on some intrigue, and had followed her in the air unperceived, suddenly appeared. Rushing upon the lovers, she seized her daughter by the hair, beat, and abused her in the harshest language for having disgraced the honour of the genii by an amour with a wretched son of mortality: to all which the genie princess replied, that her remonstrances were vain; she had fixed her affections, and would rather be torn into a thousand pieces than desert the object of her heart. The mother upon this finding the case desperate, and being herself softened by the uncommon beauty of the youth, who had fallen at her feet, entreating mercy for his beloved, at length relented, and agreed to sanctify their loves by her consent to theii marriage. It was accordingly celebrated; and this island, which after the name of the genie princess was called Tukkalla, was fixed upon for the place of their residence. Its magnificent palace still remains, after the lapse of many ages, and is at present in my possession. Here 1

hope to meet my only daughter, whom I brought to reside in it nearly a year ago, to secure her from the attempts of a young courtier, on whom she had, against my consent, fixed her affections.”

The two viziers now disembarked, and proceeded up the island; but what was the astonishment and mortification of Ibrahim on learning, when he arrived at the palace, that his daughter had escaped, nor had the attendants heard of her since her departure, though they had repeatedly searched every quarter of the island.

Perceiving among his attendants whom he had left at the palace a strange young man of pallid countenance, wasted frame, and melancholy air, the vizier inquired how he had come among them; and received for reply, that he was a shipwrecked merchant of Ispahaun, whom they had taken in for the sake of charity. Ibrahim now requested of the vizier of sultan Dara that he would return to his master, and inform him of their vain search after Ins al Wujjood; at the same time desiring him to receive into his suite the supposed merchant as far as the city of Ispahaun, which lay in his route. To this the vizier of sultan Dara consented: and the two ministers having taken a friendly leave of each other separated, and departed for their several capitals.

The vizier of sultan Dara, in the course of the journey, became so pleased with the agreeable manners of the supposed merchant, that he often conversed with him familiarly; and at length the young man, emboldened by his condescending attention, ventured to inquire the cause of his travels to regions so distant from his own country: upon which he was informed of the arrival of the beautiful Wird al Ikmaum at the court of sultan Dara; of the compassion of that sultan for her misfortunes; his generous protection; and