One Thousand and One Nights

by Richard Burton

  The princess’s joy was the more inexpressible, because the conquest she had made had cost her the lives of two beloved brothers, and given her more trouble and danger than she could have imagined, notwithstanding what the dervish had represented to her. “Bird,” said she, “it was my intention to have told you that I wish for many things which are of importance; but I am overjoyed that you have shewn your good-will and prevented me. I have been told that there is not far off a golden water, the property of which is very wonderful; before all things, I ask you to tell me where it is.” The bird shewed her the place, which was just by, and she went and filled a little silver flagon which she had brought with her. She returned to the bird and said, “Bird, this is not enough; I want also the singing tree; tell me where it is.” “Turn about,” said the bird, “and you will see behind you a wood, where you will find this tree.” The princess went into the wood, and by the harmonious concert she heard soon knew the tree among many others, but it was very large and high. She came back to the bird, and said to it, “Bird, I have found the singing tree, but I can neither pull it up by the roots, nor carry it.” The bird replied, “It is not necessary that you should take it up by the roots; it will be sufficient to break off a branch, and carry it to plant in your garden; it will take root as soon as it is put into the earth, and in a little time will grow to as fine a tree as that you have seen.”

  When the princess had obtained possession of the three things which the devout woman had told her of, and for which she had conceived so great a desire, she said again to the bird, “Bird, what you have yet done for me is not sufficient. You have been the cause of the death of my two brothers, who must be among the black stones which I saw as I ascended the mountain. I wish to take them home with me.”

  The bird seemed reluctant to satisfy the princess in this point, and indeed made some difficulty to comply. “Bird,” said the princess, “remember you told me that you were my slave. You are so; and your life is in my disposal.” “That I cannot deny,” answered the bird; “but although what you now ask is more difficult than all the rest, yet I will do it for you. Cast your eyes around,” added he, “and look if you can see a little pitcher.” “I see it already,” said the princess. “Take it then,” said he, “and as you descend the mountain, sprinkle a little of the water that is in it upon every black stone.”

  The princess took up the pitcher accordingly, carried with her the cage and bird, the flagon of golden water, and the branch of the singing tree, and as she descended the mountain, threw a little of the water on every black stone, which was changed immediately into a man; and as she did not miss one stone, all the horses, both of the princes her brothers, and of the other gentlemen, resumed their natural forms. She instantly recognized Bahman and Perviz, as they did her, and ran to embrace her. She returned their embraces, and expressed her amazement. “What do you here, my dear brothers?” said she; they told her they had been asleep. “Yes,” replied she, “and if it had not been for me, perhaps you might have slept till the day of judgment. Do not you remember that you came to fetch the speaking bird, the singing tree, and the yellow water? and did not you see, as you came along, the place covered with black stones? Look and see if there be any now. The gentlemen and their horses who surround us, and you yourselves, were these black stones. If you desire to know how this wonder was performed,” continued she, shewing the pitcher, which she set down at the foot of the mountain, having no further use for it, “it was done by virtue of the water which was in this pitcher, with which I sprinkled every stone. After I had made the speaking bird (which you see in this cage) my slave, by his directions I found out the singing tree, a branch of which I have now in my hand; and the yellow water, which this flagon is filled with; but being still unwilling to return without taking you with me, I constrained the bird, by the power I had over him, to afford me the means. He told me where to find this pitcher, and the use I was to make of it.”

  The princes Bahman and Perviz learnt by this relation the obligation they had to the princess their sister; as did all the other gentlemen, who were collected round, and expressed to the princess, that, far from envying her happiness in the conquest she had made, and which they all had aspired to, they thought they could not any otherwise acknowledge the favour she had done them, or better express their gratitude to her for restoring them to life again, than by declaring themselves all her slaves, and that they were ready to obey her in whatever she should command.

  “Gentlemen,” replied the princess, “if you had given any attention to my words you might have observed that I had no other intention in what I have done than to recover my brothers; therefore, if you have received any benefit, you owe me no obligation, and I have no further share in your compliment than your politeness towards me, for which I return you my thanks. In other respects, I regard each of you individually as free as you were before your misfortunes, and I rejoice with you at the happiness which has accrued to you by my means. Let us however stay no longer in a place where we have nothing to detain us; but mount our horses, and return to our respective homes.”

  The princess took her horse, which stood in the place where she had left him. — Before she mounted, prince Bahman desired her to give him the cage to carry. “Brother,” replied the princess, “the bird is my slave, and I will carry him myself; if you will take the pains to carry the branch of the singing tree, there it is; only hold the cage while I get on horseback.” When she had mounted her horse; and prince Bahman had given her the cage, she turned about and said to prince Perviz, “I leave the flagon of golden water to your care, if it will not be too much trouble for you to carry it.” Prince Perviz took charge of it with pleasure.

  When Bahman, Perviz, and all the gentlemen had mounted their horses, the princess waited for some of them to lead the way. The two princes paid that compliment to the gentlemen, and they again to the princess, who, finding that none of them would accept of the honour, but that it was reserved for her, addressed herself to them and said, “Gentlemen, I expect that some of you should lead the way;” to which one who was nearest to her, in the name of the rest, replied, “Madam, were we ignorant of the respect due to your sex, yet after what you have done for us there is no deference we would not willingly pay you, notwithstanding your modesty; we entreat you no longer to deprive us of the happiness of following you.”

  “Gentlemen,” said the princess, “I do not deserve the honour you do me, and accept it only because you desire it.” At the same time she led the way, and the two princes and the gentlemen followed.

  This illustrious company called upon the dervish as they passed, to thank him for his reception and wholesome advice, which they had all found to be sincere. But he was dead: whether of old age, or because he was no longer necessary to shew the way to the obtaining the three rarities which the princess Perie-zadeh had secured, did not appear. They pursued their route, but lessened in their numbers every day. The gentlemen who, as we said before, had come from different countries, after severally repeating their obligations to the princess and her brothers, took leave of them one after another as they approached the road they had come.

  As soon as the princess reached home, she placed the cage in the garden; and the bird no sooner began to warble than he was surrounded by nightingales, chaffinches, larks, linnets, goldfinches, and every species of birds of the country. And the branch of the singing tree was no sooner set in the midst of the parterre, a little distance from the house, than it took root, and in a short time became a large tree, the leaves of which gave as harmonious a concert as those of the tree from which it was gathered. A large basin of beautiful marble was placed in the garden; and when it was finished, the princess poured into it all the yellow water from the flagon, which instantly increased and swelled so much that it soon reached up to the edges of the basin, and afterwards formed in the middle a fountain twenty feet high, which fell again into the basin perpetually without running over.

  The report of these wonders was pre
sently spread abroad, and as the gates of the house and those of the gardens were shut to nobody, a great number of people came to admire them.

  Some days after, when the princes Bahman and Perviz had recovered from the fatigue of their journey, they resumed their former way of living; and as their usual diversion was hunting, they mounted their horses and went for the first time since their return, not to their own demesne, but two or three leagues from their house. As they pursued their sport, the emperor of Persia came in pursuit of game upon the same ground. When they perceived by the number of horsemen in different places that he would soon be up, they resolved to discontinue their chase, and retire to avoid encountering him; but in the very road they took they chanced to meet him in so narrow a way that they could not retreat without being seen. In their surprise they had only time to alight, and prostrate themselves before the emperor, without lifting up their heads to look at him. The emperor, who saw they were as well mounted and dressed as if they had belonged to his court, had the curiosity to see their faces. He stopped, and commanded them to rise. The princes rose up, and stood before him with an easy and graceful air, accompanied with respectful modest countenances. The emperor took some time to view them before he spoke: and after he had admired their good air and mien, asked them who they were, and where they lived.

  “Sir,” said prince Bahman, “we are the sons of the late intendant of your majesty’s gardens: and live in a house which he built a little before he died, till we should be fit to serve your majesty, and ask of you some employ when opportunity offered.”

  “By what I perceive,” replied the emperor, “you love hunting.” “Sir,” replied prince Bahman, “it is our common exercise, and what none of your majesty’s subjects who intend to bear arms in your armies ought, according to the ancient custom of the kingdom, to neglect.” The emperor, charmed with so prudent an answer, said, “Since it is so, I should be glad to see your expertness in the chase; choose your own game.”

  The princes mounted their horses again, and followed the emperor; but had not gone far before they saw many wild beasts together. Prince Bahman chose a lion, and prince Perviz a bear; and pursued them with so much intrepidity, that the emperor was surprised. They came up with their game nearly at the same time, and darted their javelins with so much skill and address, that they pierced, the one the lion, and the other the bear, so effectually, that the emperor saw them fall one after the other. Immediately afterwards prince Bahman pursued another bear, and prince Perviz another lion, and killed them in a short time, and would have beaten out for fresh game, but the emperor would not let them, and sent to them to come to him. When they approached he said, “If I would have given you leave, you would soon have destroyed all my game: but it is not that which I would preserve, but your persons; for I am so well assured your bravery may one time or other be serviceable to me, that from this moment your lives will be always dear to me.”

  The emperor, in short, conceived so great a kindness for the two princes, that he invited them immediately to make him a visit: to which prince Bahman replied, “Your majesty does us an honour we do not deserve; and we beg you will excuse us.”

  The emperor, who could not comprehend what reason the princes could have to refuse this token of his favour, pressed them to tell him why they excused themselves. “Sir,” said prince Bahman, “we have a sister younger than ourselves, with whom we live in such perfect union, that we undertake nothing before we consult her, nor she any thing without asking our advice.” “I commend your brotherly affection,” answered the emperor. “Consult your sister, meet me here tomorrow, and give me an answer.”

  The princes went home, but neglected to speak of their adventure in meeting the emperor, and hunting with him, and also of the honour he had done them, by asking them to go home with him; yet did not the next morning fail to meet him at the place appointed. “Well,” said the emperor, “have you spoken to your sister? And has she consented to the pleasure I expect of seeing you?” The two princes looked at each other and blushed. “Sir,” said prince Bahman, “we beg your majesty to excuse us: for both my brother and I forgot.” “Then remember to-day,” replied the emperor, “and be sure to bring me an answer to-morrow.”

  The princes were guilty of the same fault a second time, and the emperor was so good-natured as to forgive their negligence; but to prevent their forgetfulness the third time, he pulled three little golden balls out of a purse, and put them into prince Bahman’s bosom. “These balls,” said he, smiling, “will prevent your forgetting a third time what I wish you to do for my sake; since the noise they will make by falling on the floor, when you undress, will remind you, if you do not recollect it before.” The event happened just as the emperor foresaw; and without these balls the princes had not thought of speaking to their sister of this affair. For as prince Bahman unloosed his girdle to go to bed the balls dropped on the floor, upon which he ran into prince Perviz’s chamber, when both went into the princess Perie-zadeh’s apartment, and after they had asked her pardon for coming at so unseasonable a time, they told her all the circumstances of their meeting the emperor.

  The princess was somewhat surprised at this intelligence. “Your meeting with the emperor,” said she, “is happy and honourable, and may in the end be highly advantageous to you, but it is very disagreeable and distrustful to me. It was on my account, I know, you refused the emperor, and I am infinitely obliged to you for doing so. I know by this your affection is equal to my own, since you would rather be guilty of incivility towards the emperor than violate the brotherly union we have sworn to each other. You judge right, for if you had once gone you would insensibly have been engaged to leave me, to devote yourselves to him. But do you think it an easy matter absolutely to refuse the emperor what he seems so earnestly to desire? Monarchs will be obeyed in their desires, and it may be dangerous to oppose them; therefore, if to follow my inclination I should dissuade you from shewing the complaisance he expects from you, it may expose you to his resentment, and may render myself and you miserable. These are my sentiments: but before we conclude upon any thing let us consult the speaking bird, and hear what he says; he is penetrating, and has promised his assistance in all difficulties.”

  The princess sent for the cage, and after she had related the circumstances to the bird in the presence of her brothers, asked him what they should do in this perplexity? The bird answered, “The princes your brothers must conform to the emperor’s pleasure, and in their turn invite him to come and see your house.”

  “But, bird,” replied the princess, “my brothers and I love one another, and our friendship is yet undisturbed. Will not this step be injurious to that friendship?” “Not at all,” replied the bird; “it will tend rather to cement it.” “Then,” answered the princess, “the emperor will see me.” The bird told her it was necessary he should, and that everything would go better afterwards.

  Next morning the princes met the emperor hunting, who, at as great a distance as he could make himself be heard, asked them if they had remembered to speak to their sister? Prince Bahman approached, and answered, “Sir, your majesty may dispose of us as you please; we are ready to obey you; for we have not only obtained our sister’s consent with great ease, but she took it amiss that we should pay her that deference in a matter wherein our duty to your majesty was concerned. But if we have offended, we hope you will pardon us.” “Do not be uneasy on that account,” replied the emperor; “so far from taking amiss what you have done, I highly approve of your conduct, and hope you will have the same deference and attachment to my person, if I have ever so little share in your friendship.” The princes, confounded at the emperor’s goodness, returned no other answer but a low obeisance, to shew the great respect with which they received it.

  The emperor, contrary to his usual custom, did not hunt long that day. Presuming that the princes possessed wit equal to their courage and bravery, he longed with impatience to converse with them more at liberty. He made them ride on each side
of him, an honour which, without speaking of the principal courtiers who accompanied him, was envied by the grand vizier, who was much mortified to see them preferred before him.

  When the emperor entered his capital, the eyes of the people, who stood in crowds in the streets, were fixed upon the two princes Bahman and Perviz; and they were earnest to know who they might be, whether foreigners or natives.

  All, however, agreed in wishing that the emperor had been blessed with two such handsome princes, and said, “He might have had children as old, if the queen, who had suffered the punishment of her misfortune, had been more fortunate in her lyings-in.”

  The first thing that the emperor did when he arrived at his palace was to conduct the princes into the principal apartments; who praised without affectation, like persons conversant in such matters, the beauty and symmetry of the rooms, and the richness of the furniture and ornaments. Afterwards a magnificent repast was served up, and the emperor made them sit with him, which they at first refused; but finding it was his pleasure, they obeyed.

  The emperor, who had himself much learning, particularly in history, foresaw that the princes, out of modesty and respect, would not take the liberty of beginning any conversation. Therefore, to give them an opportunity, he furnished them with subjects all dinner-time. But whatever subject he introduced, they shewed so much wit, judgment, and discernment, that he was struck with admiration. “Were these my own children,” said he to himself, “and I had improved their talents by suitable education, they could not have been more accomplished or better informed.” In short, he took such great 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.”