Achmed Abdullah

“ He interfered by ordering a tiny honey-bee that had been sucking at the rose’s sugary heart to fly out suddenly with a whirring of brown-and-gold wings, to light on the Mongol Prince’s hand before he could touch the blossom, to sting him painfully, and to cause him to recede a few steps. A moment later, perhaps to make assurance doubly sure, the Angel of the Scrolls ordered the same little honey-bee to fly from Cham Sheng’s hand unto the back of Ahmed’s horse. The horse became frightened. ”

“ And they ran off while—bang! banng! bannng!—thumped the distant kettle drums, while the Princes of Asia rode through the crowded streets of Bagdad, and while Zobeid watched from behind her screened window.
Early that morning, while Fount-in-the-Forest had slipped from the apartment upon a devious and gliding purpose of her own, Zobeid had called to Zemzem, her faithful Arab slave.
“Zemzem!” the Princess had said. “I am afraid of the future. Allah! Allah! What does the future hold for me?” ”

“ For her soul was seared with hate against the Arabs, the Moslems, who had enslaved her, and there was in her the wish and hope that Cham Sheng, her, countryman, might wed Zobeid and, after the Caliph’s death, bring the dominion of Bagdad under the Mongols’ spurred heel. ”

“ There was a loud bellowing and roaring and trumpeting as a huge white elephant ambled through the gate, carrying upon its back, sit ting cross-legged in a golden howdah, a tall man attired in a splendid cloth-of-silver costume, the arms encircled by jeweled bracelets, shimmering necklaces of pearls and moon stones hanging to his waist shawl, a naked, straight, six-foot blade across his knees. ”

“ And then we shall enter the palace ...”
“Enter the palace? How?” asked the Thief of Bagdad.
“Ahee!” laughed Bird-of-Evil. “Why does love render its victims so helpless, so foolish, so utterly silly?” He was silent as from the distance came the loud rubbing and thumping of silver kettle drums and the bull-like roar of long-stemmed trumpets. “Listen to the drums,” he went on. “The heralds are announcing the arrival of the princely suitors at the city gates. Come! We have little time to lose.” He took Ahmed by the arm and ran with him across the Square. ”

“ There was here the banner of the White Tiger, the banner of the Red Tiger, of the Azure Dragon, of the Purple Light, of Sublime Union, and a hundred more; and, greater than all the other banners, carried by two gigantic, yellow-skinned priests, the banner of the Buddha of the Paradise of the West and the banner of the Buddha of the Light without Measure.
Thus the procession entered the grounds, while the Caliph’s herald announced the princely visitor:
“Cham Sheng, Prince of the Mongols, King of Ho Sho, Khan of the Golden Horde, Khan of the Silver Horde. ...” ”

“ For, whatever his tough-thewed ancestors, this Prince of Persia had forgotten their prowess in the pleasures of the table, was valiant with steel only where the carving of juicy mutton joints and not the cutting-off of enemies’ heads was concerned; and the ancient Arab chronicles relate that it took three strong men to lift him to his throne, and seven yards of cloth to make a shawl for his enormous stomach. ”

“ Fount-in-the-Forest stood by her mistress’ side. She wondered, puzzled: who was this Prince of the Isles? Where had she seen him. ...?
Down in the garden Wong K’ai was whispering to his master that, as to this new suitor’s rank and titles, he would look into them presently; but in the meantime ... “Please, O Great Dragon! Remember the fortuneteller’s prophecy! Remember the Arab superstition! Whoever is first to touch the rose tree. ...”
“Yes, yes!” replied Cham Sheng.
He stepped forward; and while, horror-struck, Zobeid watched, he raised a thin, yellow hand to pluck one of the flowers. ”

“ She was helpless. Propelled by the pricking, tickling dagger, she preceded Ahmed to a narrow door set into the farther wall. With the help of a small cushion that he had picked up on the way he propped the hilt of the dagger against the door jamb and quickly withdrew his hand so that the point of the weapon still remained resting lightly against the slave girl’s bare, smooth skin. ”