Arabs -- Folklore; Fairy tales -- Arab countries; Tales -- Arab countries
The prince had heard enough to convince him of the danger he was in:
he plainly perceived, that she, who represented herself as the
daughter of an Indian king, was no other than the wife of one of
those savage demons, called Ogres, who live in desert places, and
make use of a thousand wiles to surprise and devour the unfortunate
passengers. He trembled with fear, and instantly mounted his horse.
The pretended princess at that moment made her appearance, and
finding she had failed in her scheme, “Do not be afraid,” she
cried, “but tell me who you are, and what you are looking for?”
--“I have lost my way,” he replied, “and am endeavouring to
find it.”--“If you are lost,” she said, “recommend yourself
to God, and he will deliver you from your difficulty.”
The young prince could not believe that she spoke sincerely, but
that she considered him as already within her power; he lifted up
his hands therefore towards Heaven, and said, “Cast thine eyes
upon me, O all powerful Lord, and deliver me from this mine
enemy!” At this prayer, the Ogre went back to the ruin, and the
prince rode off as fast as possible. He fortunately discovered the
right road, and arrived safely at home, and related to his father,
word for word, the great danger he had encountered, through the
neglect of the grand vizier. The king was so enraged at him, that he
ordered this minister to be instantly strangled.
“Sire,” continued the vizier of the Greek king, “to return to
the physician Douban; if you do not take care, the confidence you
place in him will turn out unfortunate. I well know, that he is a
spy, sent by your enemies to attempt your majesty’s life. He has
cured you, you say, but who can tell that? He has perhaps only cured
you in appearance, and not radically; and who can tell, whether this
remedy, in the end, will not produce the most pernicious effects?”
The Greek king was naturally rather weak, and had not penetration
enough to discover the wicked intention of his vizier, nor
sufficient firmness to persist in his first opinion. This
conversation staggered him. “You are right, vizier,” said he,
“he may be come for the express purpose of taking my life, which
he can easily accomplish, even by the mere smell of some of his
drugs. We must consider what is to be done in this conjuncture!”
When the vizier perceived the king in the disposition be wished, he
said to him, “The best and most certain means, Sire, to ensure
your repose, and put your person in safety, is instantly to send to
Douban, and on his appearance, order him to be beheaded.”
--“Indeed,” replied the king, “I think I ought to prevent his
designs.”--Having said this, he called one of his officers, and
ordered him to find the physician, who, without knowing what the
king wished, hastened to the palace.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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