Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 6 (of 6)
General
Supplemental Nights to the Book of the Thousand and One Nights — Volume 6 (of 6)
Fairy tales; Tales -- Arab countries
Two women sent by the youngest princess each took a piece of the body of the
prince, and brought it to their mistress, who put them together, reunited
them, and restored life to the prince by applying water [of life ?] to the
wounds. She then asked the prince where he came from, and it seemed to him
that he had just awakened from sleep; and she then recalled everything to his
recollection. But this did not weaken his firm resolve to kill the genius. The
fairy begged him to eat, but he refused; and she then urged that Morhagian was
her father, and that he could only be killed by his own sword, which the
prince could not obtain.[FN#434] "You may say what you please," answered the
prince; "but there is no help for it, and he must die by my hand [to atone for
the wrongs which my brothers and I have suffered from him]."
Then the princess made him swear solemnly to take her as his bride, and taught
him how he might succeed in killing the genius. "You cannot hope to kill him
while he wakes," said she, "but when he sleeps it is not quite impossible. If
he sleeps, you will hear him snore, but he will sleep with his eyes open,
which is a sign that he has fallen into a very profound slumber. As he fills
the whole room, step upon him and seize his sword which hangs above his head,
and then strike him on the neck. The blow will not kill him, but as he wakes,
he will tell you to strike him a second time. But beware of doing this [for if
you strike him again, the wound will heal of itself, and he will spring up and
kill you, and me after you]."
Then Badialzaman returned to Morhagian's room, and found him snoring so loud
that everything around him shook. The prince entered, though not without
trembling, and walked over him till he was able to seize the sword when he
struck him a violent blow on the neck. Morhagian awoke, cursing his daughter,
and cried out to the prince, whom he recognised, "Make an end of me." The
prince answered that what he had done was enough, and he left him, and
Morhagian died.
The prince carried off Morhagian's sword, which he thought would be useful to
him in other encounters; and as he went, he passed a magnificent stable in
which he saw a splendid horse. He returned to the fairy and related to her
what he had done, and added that he would like to carry off the horse, but he
feared it would be very difficult. "Not so difficult as you think," said she.
"Go and cut off some hair from his tail, and take care of it, and whenever you
are in need, burn one or two of the hairs, and he will be with you immediately
[and will bring you whatever you require]."
After this the three fairies assembled together, and the prince promised that
the two princes, his brothers, should marry the other two sisters. Each fairy
reduced her palace to the size of a small ball, which she gave to the prince
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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