The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01Anonymous
General
The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01
Anonymous
Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Folklore -- Arab countries
I stopped near the castle, and sat down to admire its admirable
structure, and to rest a while. I had not taken such a full view
of this magnificent building, as it deserved, when I saw ten
handsome young men coming along as if they had been taking a
walk; but that which most surprised me was, that they were all
blind of the right eye; they accompanied an old man, who was very
tall, and of a venerable aspect.
I could not but wonder at the sight of so many half-blind men all
together, and every one of the same eye. As I was thinking in my
mind by what adventure all these could come together, they came
up to me, and seemed to be mighty glad to see me. After the first
compliments were passed, they inquired what had brought me
hither? I told them my story would be somewhat tedious, but, if
they would take the trouble to sit down, I would satisfy their
request. They did so, and I related unto them all that had
happened unto me since I left my kingdom, which filled them with
astonishment.
After I had ended my discourse, the young gentlemen prayed me to
go with them into the castle; I accepted the proffer, and we
passed through a great many halls, antichambers, bedchambers, and
closets, very well furnished, and arrived at last in a spacious
hall, where there were ten small blue sofas set round, and
separate from each other, upon which they sat by day, and slept
by night. In the middle of this round there stood an eleventh
sofa, not so high as the rest, but of the same colour, upon which
the old man before mentioned sat down, and the young gentlemen
made use of the other ten, whereas each sofa could only contain
one man. One of the young men says to me, Comrade, sit down upon
that carpet in the middle of the room, and do not inquire into
any thing that concerns us, nor the reason why we are all blind
of the right eye; be content with what you see, and let not your
curiosity go any further.
The old man, having sat a little while, rose up, and went out;
but he returned in a minute or two, brought in supper for the ten
gentlemen, distributed to each man his proportion by himself, and
likewise brought me mine, which I ate by myself, as the rest did,
and when supper was almost done, he presented to each of us a cup
of wine.
They thought my story so extraordinary, that they made me repeat
it after supper, and this gave occasion to discourses which
lasted a good part of the night. One of the gentlemen, observing
that it was late, said to the old man, You see it is time to go
to bed, and you do not bring us that with which we may acquit
ourselves of our duty. At these words the old man rose, and went
into a closet, from whence he brought out upon his head ten
basons, one after another, all covered with blue stuff: He set
one before every gentleman, together with a light.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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