🧚 Opening, part 15

“The sultan his father,” replied Perie Banou, “has a curiosity to see you, and I desire he may be your guide to the sultan’s court.”1

“He needs but lead the way; I will follow him,” replied Schaibar.2

The next morning, Schaibar set out with Prince Ahmed to visit the sultan.3 When they arrived at the gates of the capital, the people, as soon as they saw Schaibar, either hid themselves in their shops and houses, and shut their doors, or they took to their heels, and communicated their fear to all they met.4 They stayed not to look behind them; insomuch that Schaibar and Prince Ahmed, as they went along, found all the streets and squares desolate, till they came to the palace, where the guards, instead of preventing Schaibar from entering, ran away too.5 Thus the prince and he advanced without any obstacle to the council-hall, where the sultan was seated on his throne surrounded by his councillors.6

Schaibar haughtily approached the throne, and without waiting for Prince Ahmed to present him, thus addressed the sultan: “Thou hast sent for me.7 What dost thou wish?”8

The sultan, instead of answering, put his hands before his eyes to exclude so frightful a sight.9 Schaibar, enraged at this reception, lifted up his bar of iron.10 “Wilt thou not speak, then?” he exclaimed, and let it fall directly on the sultan’s head, and crushed him to the earth.11

He did this before Prince Ahmed had the power to interfere.12 Then he destroyed all the councillors who were the enemies of Prince Ahmed, and only spared the grand vizier at Prince Ahmed’s earnest entreaty.13 Having completed this dreadful execution, Schaibar left the hall of audience, and went into the middle of the court with the bar of iron on his shoulder.14 “I know there is a certain sorceress who stirred up the sultan to demand my presence here,” he cried, looking at the grand vizier, standing beside Prince Ahmed.15 “Let her be brought before me.”16

The grand vizier immediately sent for her, when Schaibar, as he crushed her with his bar of iron, said, “Learn the consequence of giving wicked advice.”17

“Vizier!” exclaimed Schaibar, “this is not sufficient.18 Prince Ahmed, my brother-in-law, must be instantly acknowledged as Sultan of India.”19

All those who were present cheerfully assented, and made the air resound with cries of “Long live Sultan Ahmed,” and in a short time the whole city echoed with the same shouts.20 Schaibar next ordered the prince clothed in the robes of the sultan, and had him instantly installed.21 And after having paid him homage, and taken an oath of fidelity, he went for his sister, Perie Banou, conducted her to the city in great pomp, and caused her to be acknowledged as Sultana of India.22

Prince Ahmed gave to Prince Ali and the Princess Nouronnihar a very considerable province, with its capital, for their establishment.23 Afterwards he sent an officer to Houssain to acquaint him with the change, and made him an offer of any province he might choose; but that prince thought himself so happy in his solitude, that he desired the officer to return his brother thanks for the kindness he designed him, assuring him of his submission; but that the only favor he desired was, to be indulged with leave to live retired in the place he had chosen for his retreat.24

THE WIDOW’S SON25

In a little house at the edge of a village lived a widow with her only son, and they were very happy together.26 The son was kind to his mother, and they made their living by growing rice in clearings on the mountain side and by hunting wild pig in the forest.27

One evening when their supply of meat was low, the boy said:28

“Mother, I am going to hunt pig in the morning, and I wish you would prepare rice for me before daylight.”29

So the widow rose early and cooked the rice, and at dawn the boy started out with his spear and dog.30

Some distance from the village he entered the thick forest.31 He walked on and on, ever on the lookout for game, but none appeared.32 At last, when he had travelled far and the sun was hot, he sat down on a rock to rest and took out his brass box to get a piece of betel-nut.33 He prepared the nut and leaf for chewing, and as he did so he wondered why it was that he had been so unsuccessful that day.34 But even as he pondered he heard his dog barking sharply, and cramming the betel-nut into his mouth he leaped up and ran toward the dog.35

As he drew near he could see that the game was a fine large pig, all black save its four legs, which were white.36 He lifted his spear and took aim, but before he could throw the pig started to run, and instead of going toward a water course it ran straight up the mountain.37 The boy went on in hot pursuit, and when the pig paused he again took aim, but before he could throw, it ran on.38

Six times the pig stopped just long enough for the boy to take aim, and then started on before he could throw.39 The seventh time, however, it halted on the top of a large flat rock, and the boy succeeded in killing it.40

He tied its legs together with a piece of rattan and was about to start for home with the pig on his back, when to his surprise a door in the large stone swung open and a man stepped out.41

“Why have you killed my master’s pig?” asked the man.42

“I did not know that this pig belonged to anyone,” replied the widow’s son.43 “I was hunting, as I often do, and when my dog found the pig I helped him to catch it.”44

“Come in and see my master,” said the man, and the boy followed him into the stone where he found himself in a large room.45 The ceiling and floor were covered with peculiar cloth that had seven wide strips of red alternating with a like number of yellow stripes.46 When the master of the place appeared his trousers were of seven colors, as were also his jacket and the kerchief about his head.47

The master ordered betel-nut, and when it was brought they chewed together.48 Then he called for wine, and it was brought in a jar so large that it had to be set on the ground under the house, and even then the top came so high above the floor that they brought a seat for the widow’s son, and it raised him just high enough to drink from the reed in the top of the jar.49 He drank seven cups of wine, and then they ate rice and fish and talked together.50

The master did not blame the boy for killing the pig, and declared that he wished to make a brother of him.51 So they became friends, and the boy remained seven days in the stone.52 At the end of that time he said that he must return to his mother, who would be worried about him.53 In the early morning he left the strange house and started for home.54

At first he walked briskly, but as the morning wore on he went more slowly, and finally when the sun was high he sat down on a rock to rest.55 Suddenly looking up, he saw before him seven men, each armed with a spear, a shield, and a sword.56 They were dressed in different colors, and each man had eyes the same color as his clothes.57 The leader, who was dressed all in red, with red eyes to match, spoke first, asking the boy where he was going.58 The boy replied that he was going home to his mother who would be looking for him, and added:59