Zobeide

“ These one-eyed calenders are the cause of this misfortune; there is not even a city that would not be ruined by men of such ill-favoured countenances. I entreat you, madam, not to confound the first with the last; and remember, it is much more commendable to pardon a miserable wretch like me, deprived of all assistance, than to overwhelm him with your power, and sacrifice him to your resentment.”
Zobeidè, in spite of her anger, could not help laughing inwardly at the lamentations of the porter. ”

“ The caliph, his grand vizier, and the chief of the eunuchs, being introduced by the fair Safie, very courteously saluted the ladies and the calenders; the ladies returned them the like civilities, supposing them to be merchants. Zobeide, as the chief, says to them, with a grave and serious countenance, which was natural to her, You are welcome; but, before I proceed further, I hope you will not take it ill if we desire one favour of you. Alas! said the vizier, what favour? We can refuse nothing to such fair ladies. Zobeide replied, It is, that you would only have eyes, but no tongues ”

“ After they had partaken of these delicacies, and drunk some delicious wine, the caliph conducted Aboulcassem to Zobeide's apartment. This princess was seated on a throne of gold, surrounded by her slaves, who were ranged standing on each side of her; some had tambourines, others flutes and harps. At that moment their instruments were mute, all being attentively engaged in listening to a young girl whose charming voice rang through the saloon like the warblings of a nightingale. As soon as Zobeide perceived the caliph and the son of Abdelaziz, she descended from her throne to receive them. ”

“ And will you not own that you have lost your wager?"
"How, sir," replied Zobeide, who would not believe one word Mesrour said, "do you think that I regard that impertinent fellow of a slave, who knows not what he says? I am not blind or mad. With these eyes I saw Nouzhatoul-aouadat in the greatest affliction; I spoke to her myself, and she told me that her husband was dead." "Madam," replied Mesrour, "I swear to you by your own life, and that of the commander of the faithful, which are both dear to me, that Nouzhatoul-aouadat is dead, and Abou Hassan is living." ”

“ Golden Sleeve pauses before an old figure curled among the bottles and lost in reverie, saturated, it seems, with opium, and dreaming its dreams. This is Zobeide's doctor. He had evidently the elixir of life among those sweet potions, and has deeply drunk. Life he has preserved; but little else that is human remains, except the love that is stronger than life. For as he opens his vague eyes and beholds us, they kindle with an inward fire, as if they looked upon the Philosopher's Stone. ”

“ Zobéide, reassured by the monotony of his voice, decided at last to come out of her shell. First she showed the point of her little horny nose, then her black eyes, her flat-pointed tail, and finally her strong little claw-tipped feet. Seeing the melon, she made a gesture of assent, and began to eat.
"Nothing in the world will happen!" remarked the Rev. John Feathercock rather doubtfully. ”

“ I know, and shall never forget, ‘that what belongs to the master is forbidden to the slave;' but I loved you before you told me that you were engaged to the caliph; it is not in my power to overcome a passion which, though now in its infancy, has all the force of a love strengthened by a perfect of situation. I wish your august and most fortunate lover may avenge you of the malice of Zobeide, by calling you back to him; and when you shall be restored to his wishes, that you may remember the unfortunate Ganem, who is no less your conquest than the caliph. ”

“ Being, however, at length informed of it, "Madam," said he to the caliph's fair favourite, "you are supposed in Bagdad to be dead, and I do not question but that Zobeide herself believes it. I bless heaven that I am the cause, and the happy witness of your being alive; would to God, that, taking advantage of this false report, you would share my fortune, and go far from hence to reign in my heart! But whither does this pleasing transport carry me? I do not consider that you are born to make the greatest prince in the world happy; and that only Haroon al Rusheed is worthy of you. ”

“ Zobeide, notwithstanding her anger, could not but laugh within herself at the porter's lamentation: but without replying to him, she spoke a second time to the rest; "Answer me, and say who you are, otherwise you shall not live one moment longer: I cannot believe you to be honest men, or persons of authority or distinction in your own countries ”

“ The porter did as he was commanded; the bitch that he held in his hand began to cry, and, turning towards Zobeide, held her head up in a begging posture; but Zobeide, having no regard to the sad countenance of the bitch, which would have moved pity, nor her cries that sounded through ail the house, whipped her with the rod till she was out of breath; and having spent her strength that she could strike no more, she threw down the rod, and, taking the chain from the porter, lifted up the bitch by her paws, and looking upon her with a sad and pitiful countenance, they both wept ”

“ When the third calender had finished the recital of his history, Zobeidè, addressing herself both to him and his brethren, said, “Depart; you are all three at liberty to go wherever you please.”—“Pardon, madam,” answered one of them, “we beg of you, our curiosity, and permit us to stay and hear the adventures of these gentlemen who have not yet spoken. The lady then turned to the side where the caliph, the vizier Giafar, and Mesrour, of whose real situation and character she was still ignorant, were, and desired each of them to relate his history. ”

“ In the mean time this unhappy prince, Giafar, Mesrour, the porter, and the calenders, were upon the point of losing their lives by their indiscreet curiosity. But, before they would strike the fatal blow, one of the slaves says to Zobeide and her sisters, High, mighty, and adorable mistresses, do you command us to cut their throats? Stay, says Zobeide, I must examine them first. The frightened porter interrupted her thus: In the name of Heaven, do not make me die for another man's crime. I am innocent, they are to blame. Alas! ”

“ Entirely desolate, and deprived of every succour, I had recourse to my dear sister Zobeidè, who has already related her history to your majesty; and I informed her of my misfortune. She received me with her accustomed goodness, and exhorted me to bear my afflictions with patience. “Such is the world,” she said: “it generally deprives us either of our fortunes, our friends, or our lovers, and sometimes even of all.” To prove, at the same time, the truth of what she said to me, she gave me an account of the death of the young prince, which was occasioned by her two sisters’ jealousy. ”

“ It was for this reason that he whispered to his vizier, who was near him, instantly to declare who he was. But this wise and prudent minister, wishing to preserve the honour of his master, and being unwilling to make public the great affront he had brought upon himself, answered, “We suffer only what we deserve.” When, however, in obedience to the caliph, he wished to speak, Zobeidè would not give them time. She immediately addressed herself to the three calenders, and observing that they were all three blind with one eye, she asked if they were brothers. ”

“ The ladies fell a-laughing at the porter's reasoning; after which Zobeide gravely addressed him, "Friend, you presume rather too much; and though you do not deserve it, I have no objection to inform you that we are three sisters, who transact our affairs with so much secrecy that no one knows anything of them. A good author says, 'Keep thy own secret, and do not reveal it to any one. He that maketh his secret known is no longer its master. ”

“ Zobeide perceiving that the porter was not deficient in wit, but thinking he wished to share in their festivity, answered him, smiling, "You know that we have been making preparations to regale ourselves, and that, as you have seen, at a considerable expense; it is not just that you should now partake of the entertainment without contributing to the cost." ”

“ Zobeide told her she agreed to it, only she had a mind to see you first, in order to judge whether she had made a good choice: if she had, Zobeide meant to defray the charges of the wedding. Thus you see your felicity is certain; since you have pleased the favourite, you will be equally agreeable to the mistress, who seeks only to oblige her favourite, and would by no means thwart her inclination. In fine, all you have to do is to come to the palace. I am sent hither to call you, so you will please to come to a resolution. My resolution is formed already, said I ”

“ Zobeide thought at first that the porter staid only to take his breath; but perceiving that he staid too long, What do you wait for, says she, are you not well enough paid? And turning to Amine, says, Sister, give him something more, that he may depart satisfied. Madam, replies the porter, it is not that which stays me. I am over and above paid; I am sensible that I am unmannerly to stay longer than I ought, but, I hope you will be so good as to pardon me, if I tell you that I am astonished to see that there is no man with three ladies of such extraordinary beauty ”

“ This lady was called Zobeide, she who opened the gate Safie, and she who went to buy the provisions was named Amene.
Zobeide said to the two ladies, when she came to them, "Sisters, do not you see that this honest man is ready to sink under his burden, why do not you ease him of it?" Then Amene and Safie took the basket, the one before and the other behind; Zobeide also assisted, and all three together set it on the ground; then emptied it; and when they had done, the beautiful Amene took out money, and paid the porter liberally. ”

“ Then taking the whip, she served this in the same manner; she then wept with it, dried its tears, kissed it, and returned it to the porter.
The three calenders, with the caliph and his companions, were extremely surprised at this exhibition, and could not comprehend why Zobeide, after having so furiously beaten those two dogs, that by the Mussulman religion are reckoned unclean [12] animals, should weep with them, wipe off their tears, and kiss them. They muttered among themselves ”

“ And he publicly expressed the pleasure and astonishment which these narratives had afforded him. When the caliph had thus satisfied his curiosity, he wished to give some proofs of his generosity and magnificence to the calenders who were princes; and also to make the three ladies feel the consequences of his bounty. Without therefore employing the intervention of his grand vizier, he himself said to Zobeidè, “Has not that fairy, madam, whom you first beheld under the form of a serpent, and who has imposed so rigorous a law upon you, given you any information were she lives ”

“ Your ill temper has given him so much vexation, that you have at last brought him to his grave." Nouzhatoul-aouadat seemed much hurt at the reproaches of Zobeide: "Ah, madam," cried she, "I do not think I ever gave your majesty, while I was your slave, reason to entertain so disadvantageous an opinion of my conduct to a husband who was so dear to me. I should think myself the most wretched of women if you were persuaded of this. I behaved to Abou Hassan as a wife should do to a husband for whom she has a sincere affection ”

“ It is but just to punish them for their violence against him; they are unworthy of the situations they occupy."
He immediately wrote to the king of Basra and despatched the courier. He then went to the apartment of the princess Zobeide to inform her of the success of his journey, and presented her with the little page, the tree, and the peacock. He also gave her a beautiful female slave. Zobeide found this slave so charming that she smilingly told the caliph she accepted this gift with more pleasure than all his other presents. The prince kept only the cup for himself ”

“ As soon as the calenders had finished, Zobeidè got up, and taking Aminè by the hand, said to her, “Come, sister, the company shall not think that we will put them under any restraint; nor shall their presence prevent us from doing as we have always been accustomed.” Aminè, who perfectly understood what her sister meant, got up and took away the dishes, tables, bottles, glasses, and also the instruments on which the calenders had played. Nor did Safiè remain idle; she swept the hall, put every thing in its proper place, snuffed the candles, and added more aloe wood and ambergris. ”

“ I will cure the lady of all her scars so perfectly, that no one shall be able to tell that she has ever been wounded; and I will then inform you of the name of him who has treated her so ill.”
The caliph instantly sent to Zobeidè’s house for the two dogs; when they were come, the fairy asked for a cup-full of water, which they gave her. She pronounced some words over it, which they did not understand, and then threw some of it over Aminè and the two dogs. The latter were immediately changed into two females of most extraordinary beauty, and the scars of the former disappeared. ”

“ Here Safie laughed so heartily, that the two sisters and the porter could not refrain from laughing also. "My dear sisters," said she, "you will permit them to come in; it is impossible but that with such persons as I have described them to be, we shall finish the day better than we began it; they will afford us diversion enough, and put us to no charge, because they desire shelter only for this night, and resolve to leave us as soon as day appears."
Zobeide and Amene made some difficulty to grant Safie's request, for reasons which she herself well knew. ”