The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01Anonymous
General
The Arabian Nights Entertainments - Volume 01
Anonymous
Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Folklore -- Arab countries
Though Dinarzade was very curious to hear the rest of the story
of the Grecian king, she did not awake that night so soon as
usual, so that it was almost day before she called upon the
sultaness; and then said, I pray you, sister, to continue the
wonderful story of the Greek king; but make haste, I beseech you,
for it will speedily be day.
Scheherazade resumed the story where she left off the day before.
Sir, says she to the sultan, when the physician Douban, or rather
his head, saw that the poison had taken effect, and that the king
had but a few moments to live: Tyrant, it cried, now you see how
princes are treated, who, abusing, their authority, cut off
innocent men: God punishes, soon or late, their injustice and
cruelty. Scarcely had the head spoken these words, when the king
fell down dead, and the head itself lost what life it had.
Sir, continues Scheherazade, such was the end of the Grecian
king, and the physician Douban; I must return now to the story of
the fisherman and the genie; but it is not worth while to begin
it now, for it is day. The sultan, who always observed his hours
regularly, could stay no longer, but got up; and having a mind to
hear the sequel of the story of the genie and, the fisherman, he
bid the sultaness prepare to tell it him next night.
The Eighteenth Night.
Dinarzade made amends this night for last night's neglect; she
awaked long before day, and calling upon Scheherazade, Sister,
says she, if you be not asleep, pray give us the rest of the
story of the fisherman and the genie; you know the sultan desires
to hear it as well as I.
I shall soon satisfy his curiosity and yours, answers the
sultaness; and then, addressing herself to Schahriar, Sir,
continued she, as soon as the fisherman had concluded the history
of the Greek king and his physician Douban, he made the
application to the genie, whom he still kept shut up in the
vessel. If the Grecian king, says he, would have suffered him to
live; but he rejected his most humble prayers; and it is the same
with thee, O genie. Could I have prevailed with thee to grant me
the favour I demanded, I should now have had pity upon thee; but
since, notwithstanding the extreme obligation thou wast under to
me for having set thee at liberty, thou didst persist in thy
design to kill me, I am obliged in my turn to be as hard-hearted
to thee.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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