Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales; Folklore -- Arab countries
When the concert was ended, he bit his finger and cried loud enough for
the caliph to hear him, Alas! I am fallen again into the same dream and
illusion that happened to me a month ago, and must expect again the
bull’s pizzle and mad-house. Almighty God, added he, I commit myself into
the hands of thy divine providence. He was a wicked man that I
entertained at my house last night, who has been the cause of this
illusion, and the miserable hardships I must undergo. The base wretch
swore to shut the door after him, and he did not do it; and the devil
came in, and filled my head full of this wicked dream of being commander
of the faithful, and other phantoms, which bewitch my eyes. May thou be
confounded, Satan, and crushed under some mountain!
After these words, Abon Hassan closed his eyes, and remained some time
thoughtful, and very much perplexed; then opening them again, and looking
about him, cried out a second time, Great God! I commit myself into the
hands of thy providence; preserve me from the temptation of Satan. Then
shutting them again, he said, All that I know is, I will go and sleep
till Satan leaves me, and returns as he came; when one of the ladies
approached, and sitting down on a sofa by him, said to him, Commander of
the Faithful, I beg of your majesty to forgive me for taking the liberty
to tell you not to go to sleep; day appears, and it is time to rise. Be
gone, Satan! answered Abon Hassan, raising his voice: but looking upon
the lady, he said, Is it I you call the commander of the faithful?
Certainly you take me for somebody else. It is to your majesty I give
that title, replied the lady, to whom it belongs, as you are sovereign of
the world and the Mussulmans, and I am your most humble slave.
Undoubtedly your majesty, added she, pretends to have forgot yourself, or
this is the effect of some troublesome dream; but if you would but open
your eyes, the mists which may disturb your imagination will soon be
dispelled, and you will find yourself in your own palace, surrounded by
your officers and slaves, who all wait your commands: and that your
majesty may not be surprised to find yourself in this hall, and not in
bed, I beg leave to tell you, that you fell so suddenly asleep last
night, that we were unwilling to wake you, to conduct you to your own
chamber, but laid you carefully upon this sofa. In short, she urged so
many things to him that were so very probable, that at last he sat upon
his breech, and knew all the ladies again. Then she who spoke first,
assuming the discourse, said, Commander of the Faithful, and the
prophet’s vicar on earth, be not displeased if I acquaint your majesty
once more, that it is time to rise, for day appears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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