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+Project Gutenberg's Folk-Lore and Legends: Oriental, by Charles John Tibbitts
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Folk-Lore and Legends: Oriental
+
+Author: Charles John Tibbitts
+
+Release Date: February 20, 2011 [EBook #35334]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FOLK-LORE AND LEGENDS: ORIENTAL ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Barbara Tozier, Bill Tozier, Sam W. and the
+Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+          FOLK-LORE
+             AND
+           LEGENDS
+
+          ORIENTAL
+
+
+        [Decoration]
+
+
+       W. W. GIBBINGS
+  18 BURY ST., LONDON, W.C.
+            1889
+
+
+
+
+PREFATORY NOTE
+
+
+The East is rich in Folklore, and the lorist is not troubled to discover
+material, but to select only that which it is best worth his while to
+preserve. The conditions under which the people live are most favourable
+to the preservation of the ancient legends, and the cultivation of the
+powers of narration fits the Oriental to present his stories in a more
+polished style than is usual in the Western countries. The reader of
+these tales will observe many points of similarity between them and the
+popular fictions of the West--similarity of thought and incident--and
+nothing, perhaps, speaks more eloquently the universal brotherhood of
+man than this oneness of folk-fiction. At the same time, the Tales of
+the East are unique, lighted up as they are by a gorgeous extravagance
+of imagination which never fails to attract and delight.
+
+                                                    C. J. T.
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS
+
+
+                                                             PAGE
+
+    The Cobbler Astrologer,                                     1
+
+    The Legend of the Terrestrial Paradise of Sheddád,
+        the Son of 'A'd,                                       21
+
+    The Tomb of Noosheerwân,                                   30
+
+    Ameen and the Ghool,                                       37
+
+    The Relations of Ssidi Kur,                                47
+      The Adventures of the Rich Youth,                        53
+      The Adventures of the Beggar's Son,                      58
+      The Adventures of Massang,                               68
+      The Magician with the Swine's Head,                      77
+      The History of Sunshine and his Brother,                 89
+      The Wonderful Man who overcame the Chan,                 96
+      The Bird-Man,                                           101
+      The Painter and the Wood-carver,                        106
+      The Stealing of the Heart,                              110
+      The Man and his Wife,                                   115
+      Of the Maiden Ssuwarandari,                             119
+
+    The Two Cats,                                             127
+
+    Legend of Dhurrumnath,                                    132
+
+    The Traveller's Adventure,                                135
+
+    The Seven Stages of Roostem,                              141
+
+    The Man who never Laughed,                                151
+
+    The Fox and the Wolf,                                     162
+
+    The Shepherd and the Jogie,                               184
+
+    The Perfidious Vizier,                                    186
+
+
+
+
+THE COBBLER ASTROLOGER.
+
+
+In the great city of Isfahan lived Ahmed the cobbler, an honest and
+industrious man, whose wish was to pass through life quietly; and he
+might have done so, had he not married a handsome wife, who, although
+she had condescended to accept of him as a husband, was far from being
+contented with his humble sphere of life.
+
+Sittâra, such was the name of Ahmed's wife, was ever forming foolish
+schemes of riches and grandeur; and though Ahmed never encouraged
+them, he was too fond a husband to quarrel with what gave her
+pleasure. An incredulous smile or a shake of the head was his only
+answer to her often-told day-dreams; and she continued to persuade
+herself that she was certainly destined to great fortune.
+
+It happened one evening, while in this temper of mind, that she went
+to the Hemmâm, where she saw a lady retiring dressed in a magnificent
+robe, covered with jewels, and surrounded by slaves. This was the very
+condition Sittâra had always longed for, and she eagerly inquired the
+name of the happy person who had so many attendants and such fine
+jewels. She learned it was the wife of the chief astrologer to the
+king. With this information she returned home. Her husband met her at
+the door, but was received with a frown, nor could all his caresses
+obtain a smile or a word; for several hours she continued silent, and
+in apparent misery. At length she said--
+
+"Cease your caresses, unless you are ready to give me a proof that you
+do really and sincerely love me."
+
+"What proof of love," exclaimed poor Ahmed, "can you desire which I
+will not give?"
+
+"Give over cobbling; it is a vile, low trade, and never yields more
+than ten or twelve dinars a day. Turn astrologer! your fortune will be
+made, and I shall have all I wish, and be happy."
+
+"Astrologer!" cried Ahmed,--"astrologer! Have you forgotten who I
+am--a cobbler, without any learning--that you want me to engage in a
+profession which requires so much skill and knowledge?"
+
+"I neither think nor care about your qualifications," said the enraged
+wife; "all I know is, that if you do not turn astrologer immediately I
+will be divorced from you to-morrow."
+
+The cobbler remonstrated, but in vain. The figure of the astrologer's
+wife, with her jewels and her slaves, had taken complete possession of
+Sittâra's imagination. All night it haunted her; she dreamt of
+nothing else, and on awaking declared she would leave the house if her
+husband did not comply with her wishes. What could poor Ahmed do? He
+was no astrologer, but he was dotingly fond of his wife, and he could
+not bear the idea of losing her. He promised to obey, and, having sold
+his little stock, bought an astrolabe, an astronomical almanac, and a
+table of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Furnished with these he went
+to the market-place, crying, "I am an astrologer! I know the sun, and
+the moon, and the stars, and the twelve signs of the zodiac; I can
+calculate nativities; I can foretell everything that is to happen!"
+
+No man was better known than Ahmed the cobbler. A crowd soon gathered
+round him. "What! friend Ahmed," said one, "have you worked till your
+head is turned?" "Are you tired of looking down at your last," cried
+another, "that you are now looking up at the planets?" These and a
+thousand other jokes assailed the ears of the poor cobbler, who,
+notwithstanding, continued to exclaim that he was an astrologer,
+having resolved on doing what he could to please his beautiful wife.
+
+It so happened that the king's jeweller was passing by. He was in
+great distress, having lost the richest ruby belonging to the crown.
+Every search had been made to recover this inestimable jewel, but to
+no purpose; and as the jeweller knew he could no longer conceal its
+loss from the king, he looked forward to death as inevitable. In this
+hopeless state, while wandering about the town, he reached the crowd
+around Ahmed and asked what was the matter. "Don't you know Ahmed the
+cobbler?" said one of the bystanders, laughing; "he has been inspired,
+and is become an astrologer."
+
+A drowning man will catch at a broken reed: the jeweller no sooner
+heard the sound of the word astrologer, than he went up to Ahmed, told
+him what had happened, and said, "If you understand your art, you must
+be able to discover the king's ruby. Do so, and I will give you two
+hundred pieces of gold. But if you do not succeed within six hours, I
+will use all my influence at court to have you put to death as an
+impostor."
+
+Poor Ahmed was thunderstruck. He stood long without being able to move
+or speak, reflecting on his misfortunes, and grieving, above all, that
+his wife, whom he so loved, had, by her envy and selfishness, brought
+him to such a fearful alternative. Full of these sad thoughts, he
+exclaimed aloud, "O woman, woman! thou art more baneful to the
+happiness of man than the poisonous dragon of the desert!"
+
+The lost ruby had been secreted by the jeweller's wife, who,
+disquieted by those alarms which ever attend guilt, sent one of her
+female slaves to watch her husband. This slave, on seeing her master
+speak to the astrologer, drew near; and when she heard Ahmed, after
+some moments of apparent abstraction, compare a woman to a poisonous
+dragon, she was satisfied that he must know everything. She ran to her
+mistress, and, breathless with fear, cried, "You are discovered, my
+dear mistress, you are discovered by a vile astrologer. Before six
+hours are past the whole story will be known, and you will become
+infamous, if you are even so fortunate as to escape with life, unless
+you can find some way of prevailing on him to be merciful." She then
+related what she had seen and heard; and Ahmed's exclamation carried
+as complete conviction to the mind of the terrified mistress as it had
+done to that of her slave.
+
+The jeweller's wife, hastily throwing on her veil, went in search of
+the dreaded astrologer. When she found him, she threw herself at his
+feet, crying, "Spare my honour and my life, and I will confess
+everything!"
+
+"What can you have to confess to me?" exclaimed Ahmed in amazement.
+
+"Oh, nothing! nothing with which you are not already acquainted. You
+know too well that I stole the ruby from the king's crown. I did so to
+punish my husband, who uses me most cruelly; and I thought by this
+means to obtain riches for myself, and to have him put to death. But
+you, most wonderful man, from whom nothing is hidden, have discovered
+and defeated my wicked plan. I beg only for mercy, and will do
+whatever you command me."
+
+An angel from heaven could not have brought more consolation to Ahmed
+than did the jeweller's wife. He assumed all the dignified solemnity
+that became his new character, and said, "Woman! I know all thou hast
+done, and it is fortunate for thee that thou hast come to confess thy
+sin and beg for mercy before it was too late. Return to thy house, put
+the ruby under the pillow of the couch on which thy husband sleeps;
+let it be laid on the side furthest from the door; and be satisfied
+thy guilt shall never be even suspected."
+
+The jeweller's wife returned home, and did as she was desired. In an
+hour Ahmed followed her, and told the jeweller he had made his
+calculations, and found by the aspect of the sun and moon, and by the
+configuration of the stars, that the ruby was at that moment lying
+under the pillow of his couch, on the side furthest from the door. The
+jeweller thought Ahmed must be crazy; but as a ray of hope is like a
+ray from heaven to the wretched, he ran to his couch, and there, to
+his joy and wonder, found the ruby in the very place described. He
+came back to Ahmed, embraced him, called him his dearest friend and
+the preserver of his life, and gave him the two hundred pieces of
+gold, declaring that he was the first astrologer of the age.
+
+These praises conveyed no joy to the poor cobbler, who returned home
+more thankful to God for his preservation than elated by his good
+fortune. The moment he entered the door his wife ran up to him and
+exclaimed, "Well, my dear astrologer! what success?"
+
+"There!" said Ahmed, very gravely,--"there are two hundred pieces of
+gold. I hope you will be satisfied now, and not ask me again to hazard
+my life, as I have done this morning." He then related all that had
+passed. But the recital made a very different impression on the lady
+from what these occurrences had made on Ahmed. Sittâra saw nothing but
+the gold, which would enable her to vie with the chief astrologer's
+wife at the Hemmâm. "Courage!" she said, "courage! my dearest husband.
+This is only your first labour in your new and noble profession. Go on
+and prosper, and we shall become rich and happy."
+
+In vain Ahmed remonstrated and represented the danger; she burst into
+tears, and accused him of not loving her, ending with her usual threat
+of insisting upon a divorce.
+
+Ahmed's heart melted, and he agreed to make another trial.
+Accordingly, next morning he sallied forth with his astrolabe, his
+twelve signs of the zodiac, and his almanac, exclaiming, as before, "I
+am an astrologer! I know the sun, and the moon, and the stars, and the
+twelve signs of the zodiac; I can calculate nativities; I can
+foretell everything that is to happen!" A crowd again gathered round
+him, but it was now with wonder, and not ridicule; for the story of
+the ruby had gone abroad, and the voice of fame had converted the poor
+cobbler Ahmed into the ablest and most learned astrologer that was
+ever seen at Isfahan.
+
+While everybody was gazing at him, a lady passed by veiled. She was
+the wife of one of the richest merchants in the city, and had just
+been at the Hemmâm, where she had lost a valuable necklace and
+earrings. She was now returning home in great alarm lest her husband
+should suspect her of having given her jewels to a lover. Seeing the
+crowd around Ahmed, she asked the reason of their assembling, and was
+informed of the whole story of the famous astrologer: how he had been
+a cobbler, was inspired with supernatural knowledge, and could, with
+the help of his astrolabe, his twelve signs of the zodiac, and his
+almanac, discover all that ever did or ever would happen in the world.
+The story of the jeweller and the king's ruby was then told her,
+accompanied by a thousand wonderful circumstances which had never
+occurred. The lady, quite satisfied of his skill, went up to Ahmed and
+mentioned her loss, saying: "A man of your knowledge and penetration
+will easily discover my jewels; find them, and I will give you fifty
+pieces of gold."
+
+The poor cobbler was quite confounded, and looked down, thinking only
+how to escape without a public exposure of his ignorance. The lady, in
+pressing through the crowd, had torn the lower part of her veil.
+Ahmed's downcast eyes noticed this; and wishing to inform her of it in
+a delicate manner, before it was observed by others, he whispered to
+her, "Lady, look down at the rent." The lady's head was full of her
+loss, and she was at that moment endeavouring to recollect how it
+could have occurred. Ahmed's speech brought it at once to her mind,
+and she exclaimed in delighted surprise: "Stay here a few moments,
+thou great astrologer. I will return immediately with the reward thou
+so well deservest." Saying this, she left him, and soon returned,
+carrying in one hand the necklace and earrings, and in the other a
+purse with the fifty pieces of gold. "There is gold for thee," she
+said, "thou wonderful man, to whom all the secrets of Nature are
+revealed! I had quite forgotten where I laid the jewels, and without
+thee should never have found them. But when thou desiredst me to look
+at the rent below, I instantly recollected the rent near the bottom of
+the wall in the bathroom, where, before undressing, I had hid them. I
+can now go home in peace and comfort; and it is all owing to thee,
+thou wisest of men!"
+
+After these words she walked away, and Ahmed returned to his home,
+thankful to Providence for his preservation, and fully resolved never
+again to tempt it. His handsome wife, however, could not yet rival
+the chief astrologer's lady in her appearance at the Hemmâm, so she
+renewed her entreaties and threats, to make her fond husband continue
+his career as an astrologer.
+
+About this time it happened that the king's treasury was robbed of
+forty chests of gold and jewels, forming the greater part of the
+wealth of the kingdom. The high treasurer and other officers of state
+used all diligence to find the thieves, but in vain. The king sent for
+his astrologer, and declared that if the robbers were not detected by
+a stated time, he, as well as the principal ministers, should be put
+to death. Only one day of the short period given them remained. All
+their search had proved fruitless, and the chief astrologer, who had
+made his calculations and exhausted his art to no purpose, had quite
+resigned himself to his fate, when one of his friends advised him to
+send for the wonderful cobbler, who had become so famous for his
+extraordinary discoveries. Two slaves were immediately despatched for
+Ahmed, whom they commanded to go with them to their master. "You see
+the effects of your ambition," said the poor cobbler to his wife; "I
+am going to my death. The king's astrologer has heard of my
+presumption, and is determined to have me executed as an impostor."
+
+On entering the palace of the chief astrologer, he was surprised to
+see that dignified person come forward to receive him, and lead him to
+the seat of honour, and not less so to hear himself thus addressed:
+"The ways of Heaven, most learned and excellent Ahmed, are
+unsearchable. The high are often cast down, and the low are lifted up.
+The whole world depends upon fate and fortune. It is my turn now to be
+depressed by fate; it is thine to be exalted by fortune."
+
+His speech was here interrupted by a messenger from the king, who,
+having heard of the cobbler's fame, desired his attendance. Poor Ahmed
+now concluded that it was all over with him, and followed the king's
+messenger, praying to God that he would deliver him from this peril.
+When he came into the king's presence, he bent his body to the ground,
+and wished his majesty long life and prosperity. "Tell me, Ahmed,"
+said the king, "who has stolen my treasure?"
+
+"It was not one man," answered Ahmed, after some consideration; "there
+were forty thieves concerned in the robbery."
+
+"Very well," said the king; "but who were they? and what have they
+done with my gold and jewels?"
+
+"These questions," said Ahmed, "I cannot now answer; but I hope to
+satisfy your Majesty, if you will grant me forty days to make my
+calculations."
+
+"I grant you forty days," said the king; "but when they are past, if
+my treasure is not found, your life shall pay the forfeit."
+
+Ahmed returned to his house well pleased; for he resolved to take
+advantage of the time allowed him to fly from a city where his fame
+was likely to be his ruin.
+
+"Well, Ahmed," said his wife, as he entered, "what news at Court?"
+
+"No news at all," said he, "except that I am to be put to death at the
+end of forty days, unless I find forty chests of gold and jewels which
+have been stolen from the royal treasury."
+
+"But you will discover the thieves."
+
+"How? By what means am I to find them?"
+
+"By the same art which discovered the ruby and the lady's necklace."
+
+"The same art!" replied Ahmed. "Foolish woman! thou knowest that I
+have no art, and that I have only pretended to it for the sake of
+pleasing thee. But I have had sufficient skill to gain forty days,
+during which time we may easily escape to some other city; and with
+the money I now possess, and the aid of my former occupation, we may
+still obtain an honest livelihood."
+
+"An honest livelihood!" repeated his lady, with scorn. "Will thy
+cobbling, thou mean, spiritless wretch, ever enable me to go to the
+Hemmâm like the wife of the chief astrologer? Hear me, Ahmed! Think
+only of discovering the king's treasure. Thou hast just as good a
+chance of doing so as thou hadst of finding the ruby, and the necklace
+and earrings. At all events, I am determined thou shalt not escape;
+and shouldst thou attempt to run away, I will inform the king's
+officers, and have thee taken up and put to death, even before the
+forty days are expired. Thou knowest me too well, Ahmed, to doubt my
+keeping my word. So take courage, and endeavour to make thy fortune,
+and to place me in that rank of life to which my beauty entitles me."
+
+The poor cobbler was dismayed at this speech; but knowing there was no
+hope of changing his wife's resolution, he resigned himself to his
+fate. "Well," said he, "your will shall be obeyed. All I desire is to
+pass the few remaining days of my life as comfortably as I can. You
+know I am no scholar, and have little skill in reckoning; so there are
+forty dates: give me one of them every night after I have said my
+prayers, that I may put them in a jar, and, by counting them may
+always see how many of the few days I have to live are gone."
+
+The lady, pleased at carrying her point, took the dates, and promised
+to be punctual in doing what her husband desired.
+
+Meanwhile the thieves who had stolen the king's treasure, having been
+kept from leaving the city by fear of detection and pursuit, had
+received accurate information of every measure taken to discover them.
+One of them was among the crowd before the palace on the day the king
+sent for Ahmed; and hearing that the cobbler had immediately declared
+their exact number, he ran in a fright to his comrades, and exclaimed,
+"We are all found out! Ahmed, the new astrologer, has told the king
+that there are forty of us."
+
+"There needed no astrologer to tell that," said the captain of the
+gang. "This Ahmed, with all his simple good-nature, is a shrewd
+fellow. Forty chests having been stolen, he naturally guessed that
+there must be forty thieves, and he has made a good hit, that is all;
+still it is prudent to watch him, for he certainly has made some
+strange discoveries. One of us must go to-night, after dark, to the
+terrace of this cobbler's house, and listen to his conversation with
+his handsome wife; for he is said to be very fond of her, and will, no
+doubt, tell her what success he has had in his endeavours to detect
+us."
+
+Everybody approved of this scheme; and soon after nightfall one of the
+thieves repaired to the terrace. He arrived there just as the cobbler
+had finished his evening prayers, and his wife was giving him the
+first date. "Ah!" said Ahmed, as he took it, "there is one of the
+forty."
+
+The thief, hearing these words, hastened in consternation to the gang,
+and told them that the moment he took his post he had been perceived
+by the supernatural knowledge of Ahmed, who immediately told his wife
+that one of them was there. The spy's tale was not believed by his
+hardened companions; something was imputed to his fears; he might have
+been mistaken;--in short, it was determined to send two men the next
+night at the same hour. They reached the house just as Ahmed, having
+finished his prayers, had received the second date, and heard him
+exclaim, "My dear wife, to-night there are two of them!"
+
+The astonished thieves fled, and told their still incredulous comrades
+what they had heard. Three men were consequently sent the third night,
+four the fourth, and so on. Being afraid of venturing during the day,
+they always came as evening closed in, and just as Ahmed was receiving
+his date, hence they all in turn heard him say that which convinced
+them he was aware of their presence. On the last night they all went,
+and Ahmed exclaimed aloud, "The number is complete! To-night the whole
+forty are here!"
+
+All doubts were now removed. It was impossible that Ahmed should have
+discovered them by any natural means. How could he ascertain their
+exact number? and night after night, without ever once being mistaken?
+He must have learnt it by his skill in astrology. Even the captain now
+yielded, in spite of his incredulity, and declared his opinion that it
+was hopeless to elude a man thus gifted; he therefore advised that
+they should make a friend of the cobbler, by confessing everything to
+him, and bribing him to secrecy by a share of the booty.
+
+His advice was approved of, and an hour before dawn they knocked at
+Ahmed's door. The poor man jumped out of bed, and supposing the
+soldiers were come to lead him to execution, cried out, "Have
+patience! I know what you are come for. It is a very unjust and wicked
+deed."
+
+"Most wonderful man!" said the captain, as the door was opened, "we
+are fully convinced that thou knowest why we are come, nor do we mean
+to justify the action of which thou speakest. Here are two thousand
+pieces of gold, which we will give thee, provided thou wilt swear to
+say nothing more about the matter."
+
+"Say nothing about it!" said Ahmed. "Do you think it possible I can
+suffer such gross wrong and injustice without complaining, and making
+it known to all the world?"
+
+"Have mercy upon us!" exclaimed the thieves, falling on their knees;
+"only spare our lives, and we will restore the royal treasure."
+
+The cobbler started, rubbed his eyes to see if he were asleep or
+awake; and being satisfied that he was awake, and that the men before
+him were really the thieves, he assumed a solemn tone, and said:
+"Guilty men! ye are persuaded that ye cannot escape from my
+penetration, which reaches unto the sun and moon, and knows the
+position and aspect of every star in the heavens. Your timely
+repentance has saved you. But ye must immediately restore all that ye
+have stolen. Go straightway, and carry the forty chests exactly as ye
+found them, and bury them a foot deep under the southern wall of the
+old ruined Hemmâm, beyond the king's palace. If ye do this punctually,
+your lives are spared; but if ye fail in the slightest degree,
+destruction will fall upon you and your families."
+
+The thieves promised obedience to his commands and departed. Ahmed
+then fell on his knees, and returned thanks to God for this signal
+mark of his favour. About two hours after the royal guards came, and
+desired Ahmed to follow them. He said he would attend them as soon as
+he had taken leave of his wife, to whom he determined not to impart
+what had occurred until he saw the result. He bade her farewell very
+affectionately; she supported herself with great fortitude on this
+trying occasion, exhorting her husband to be of good cheer, and said a
+few words about the goodness of Providence. But the fact was, Sittâra
+fancied that if God took the worthy cobbler to himself, her beauty
+might attract some rich lover, who would enable her to go to the
+Hemmâm with as much splendour as the astrologer's lady, whose image,
+adorned with jewels and fine clothes, and surrounded by slaves, still
+haunted her imagination.
+
+The decrees of Heaven are just: a reward suited to their merits
+awaited Ahmed and his wife. The good man stood with a cheerful
+countenance before the king, who was impatient for his arrival, and
+immediately said, "Ahmed, thy looks are promising; hast thou
+discovered my treasure?"
+
+"Does your Majesty require the thieves or the treasure? The stars will
+only grant one or the other," said Ahmed, looking at his table of
+astrological calculations. "Your Majesty must make your choice. I can
+deliver up either, but not both."
+
+"I should be sorry not to punish the thieves," answered the king; "but
+if it must be so, I choose the treasure."
+
+"And you give the thieves a full and free pardon?"
+
+"I do, provided I find my treasure untouched."
+
+"Then," said Ahmed, "if your majesty will follow me, the treasure
+shall be restored to you."
+
+The king and all his nobles followed the cobbler to the ruins of the
+old Hemmâm. There, casting his eyes towards heaven, Ahmed muttered
+some sounds, which were supposed by the spectators to be magical
+conjurations, but which were in reality the prayers and thanksgivings
+of a sincere and pious heart to God for his wonderful deliverance.
+When his prayer was finished, he pointed to the southern wall, and
+requested that his majesty would order his attendants to dig there.
+The work was hardly begun, when the whole forty chests were found in
+the same state as when stolen, with the treasurer's seal upon them
+still unbroken.
+
+The king's joy knew no bounds; he embraced Ahmed, and immediately
+appointed him his chief astrologer, assigned to him an apartment in
+the palace, and declared that he should marry his only daughter, as it
+was his duty to promote the man whom God had so singularly favoured,
+and had made instrumental in restoring the treasures of his kingdom.
+The young princess, who was more beautiful than the moon, was not
+dissatisfied with her father's choice; for her mind was stored with
+religion and virtue, and she had learnt to value beyond all earthly
+qualities that piety and learning which she believed Ahmed to possess.
+The royal will was carried into execution as soon as formed. The wheel
+of fortune had taken a complete turn. The morning had found Ahmed in a
+wretched hovel, rising from a sorry bed, in the expectation of losing
+his life; in the evening he was the lord of a rich palace, and married
+to the only daughter of a powerful king. But this change did not alter
+his character. As he had been meek and humble in adversity, he was
+modest and gentle in prosperity. Conscious of his own ignorance, he
+continued to ascribe his good fortune solely to the favour of
+Providence. He became daily more attached to the beautiful and
+virtuous princess whom he had married; and he could not help
+contrasting her character with that of his former wife, whom he had
+ceased to love, and of whose unreasonable and unfeeling vanity he was
+now fully sensible.
+
+
+
+
+THE LEGEND OF THE TERRESTRIAL PARADISE OF SHEDDÁD, THE SON OF 'A'D.
+
+
+It is related that 'Abd Allah, the son of Aboo Kilábeh, went forth to
+seek a camel that had run away, and while he was proceeding over the
+deserts of El-Yemen and the district of Seba, he chanced to arrive at
+a vast city encompassed by enormous fortifications, around the circuit
+of which were pavilions rising high into the sky. So when he
+approached it, he imagined that there must be inhabitants within it,
+of whom he might inquire for his camel; and, accordingly, he advanced,
+but on coming to it he found that it was desolate, without any one to
+cheer its solitude.
+
+"I alighted," says he, "from my she-camel, and tied up her foot; and
+then, composing my mind, entered the city. On approaching the
+fortifications, I found that they had two enormous gates, the like of
+which, for size and height, have never been seen elsewhere in the
+world, set with a variety of jewels and jacinths, white and red, and
+yellow and green; and when I beheld this, I was struck with the
+utmost wonder at it, and the sight astonished me. I entered the
+fortifications in a state of terror and with a wandering mind, and saw
+them to be of the same large extent as the city, and to comprise
+elevated pavilions, every one of these containing lofty chambers, and
+all of them constructed of gold and silver, and adorned with rubies
+and chrysolites and pearls and various-coloured jewels. The
+folding-doors of these pavilions were like those of the fortifications
+in beauty, and the floors were overlaid with large pearls, and with
+balls like hazel-nuts, composed of musk and ambergris and saffron. And
+when I came into the midst of the city, I saw not in it a created
+being of the sons of Adam; and I almost died of terror. I then looked
+down from the summits of the lofty chambers and pavilions, and saw
+rivers running beneath them; and in the great thoroughfare-streets of
+the city were fruit-bearing trees and tall palm-trees. And the
+construction of the city was of alternate bricks of gold and silver;
+so I said within myself, No doubt this is the paradise promised in the
+world to come.
+
+"I carried away of the jewels which were as its gravel, and the musk
+that was as its dust, as much as I could bear, and returned to my
+district, where I acquainted the people with the occurrence. And the
+news reached Mo'áwiyeh, the son of Aboo Sufyán (who was then Caliph),
+in the Hejáz; so he wrote to his lieutenant in San'a of El-Yemen,
+saying, 'Summon that man, and inquire of him the truth of the matter!'
+His lieutenant therefore caused me to be brought, and demanded of me
+an account of my adventure, and of what had befallen me; and I
+informed him of what I had seen. He then sent me to Mo'áwiyeh, and I
+acquainted him also with that which I had seen, but he disbelieved it;
+so I produced to him some of those pearls and the little balls of
+ambergris and musk and saffron. The latter retained somewhat of their
+sweet scent; but the pearls had become yellow and discoloured.
+
+"At the sight of these Mo'áwiyeh wondered, and he sent and caused Kaab
+el-Ahbár to be brought before him, and said to him, 'O Kaab el-Ahbár,
+I have called thee on account of a matter of which I desire to know
+the truth, and I hope that thou mayest be able to certify me of it.'
+'And what is it, O Prince of the Faithful?' asked Kaab el-Ahbár.
+Mo'áwiyeh said, 'Hast thou any knowledge of the existence of a city
+constructed of gold and silver, the pillars whereof are of chrysolite
+and ruby, and the gravel of which is of pearls, and of balls like
+hazel-nuts, composed of musk and ambergris and saffron?' He answered,
+'Yes, O Prince of the Faithful! It is Irem Zat-el-'Emád, the like of
+which hath never been constructed in the regions of the earth; and
+Sheddád, the son of 'A'd the Greater, built it.' 'Relate to us,' said
+Mo'áwiyeh, 'somewhat of its history.' And Kaab el-Ahbár replied
+thus:--
+
+"''A'd the Greater had two sons, Shedeed and Sheddád, and when their
+father perished they reigned conjointly over the countries after him,
+and there was no one of the kings of the earth who was not subject to
+them. And Shedeed the son of 'A'd died, so his brother Sheddád ruled
+alone over the earth after him. He was fond of reading the ancient
+books; and when he met with the description of the world to come, and
+of paradise, with its pavilions and lofty chambers, and its trees and
+fruits, and of the other things in paradise, his heart enticed him to
+construct its like on the earth, after this manner which hath been
+above mentioned. He had under his authority a hundred thousand kings,
+under each of whom were a hundred thousand valiant chieftains, and
+under each of these were a hundred thousand soldiers. And he summoned
+them all before him, and said to them, "I find in the ancient books
+and histories the description of the paradise that is in the other
+world, and I desire to make its like upon the earth. Depart ye
+therefore to the most pleasant and most spacious vacant tract in the
+earth, and build for me in it a city of gold and silver, and spread,
+as its gravel, chrysolites and rubies and pearls, and as the supports
+of the vaulted roofs of that city make columns of chrysolite, and fill
+it with pavilions, and over the pavilions construct lofty chambers,
+and beneath them plant, in the by-streets and great-thoroughfare
+streets, varieties of trees bearing different kinds of ripe fruits,
+and make rivers to run beneath them in channels of gold and silver."
+To this they all replied, "How can we accomplish that which thou hast
+described to us, and how can we procure the chrysolites and rubies and
+pearls that thou hast mentioned?" But he said, "Know ye not that the
+kings of the world are obedient to me, and under my authority, and
+that no one who is in it disobeyeth my command?" They answered, "Yes,
+we know that." "Depart then," said he, "to the mines of chrysolite and
+ruby, and to the places where pearls are found, and gold and silver,
+and take forth and collect their contents from the earth, and spare no
+exertions. Take also for me, from the hands of me, such of those
+things as ye find, and spare none, nor let any escape you; and beware
+of disobedience!"
+
+"'He then wrote a letter to each of the kings in the regions of the
+earth, commanding them to collect all the articles of the kinds above
+mentioned that their subjects possessed, and to repair to the mines in
+which these things were found, and extract the precious stones that
+they contained, even from the beds of the seas. And they collected the
+things that he required in the space of twenty years; after which he
+sent forth the geometricians and sages, and labourers and artificers,
+from all the countries and regions, and they dispersed themselves
+through the deserts and wastes, and tracts and districts, until they
+came to a desert wherein was a vast open plain, clear from hills and
+mountains, and in it were springs gushing forth, and rivers running.
+So they said, "This is the kind of place which the king commanded us
+to seek, and called us to find." They then busied themselves in
+building the city according to the direction of the King Sheddád, king
+of the whole earth, in its length and breadth; and they made through
+it the channels for the rivers, and laid the foundations conformably
+with the prescribed extent. The kings of the various districts of the
+earth sent thither the jewels and stones, and large and small pearls,
+and carnelian and pure gold, upon camels over the deserts and wastes,
+and sent great ships with them over the seas; and a quantity of those
+things, such as cannot be described nor calculated nor defined, was
+brought to the workmen, who laboured in the construction of this city
+three hundred years. And when they had finished it, they came to the
+king and acquainted him with the completion; and he said to them,
+"Depart, and make around it impregnable fortifications of great
+height, and construct around the circuit of the fortifications a
+thousand pavilions, each with a thousand pillars beneath it, in order
+that there may be in each pavilion a vizier." So they went
+immediately, and did this in twenty years; after which they presented
+themselves before Sheddád, and informed him of the accomplishment of
+his desire.
+
+"'He therefore ordered his viziers, who were a thousand in number, and
+his chief officers, and such of his troops and others as he confided
+in, to make themselves ready for departure, and to prepare themselves
+for removal to Irem Zat-el-'Emád, in attendance upon the king of the
+world, Sheddád, the son of 'A'd. He ordered also such as he chose of
+his women and his hareem, as his female slaves and his eunuchs, to fit
+themselves out. And they passed twenty years in equipping themselves.
+Then Sheddád proceeded with his troops, rejoiced at the accomplishment
+of his desire, until there remained between him and Irem Zat-el-'Emád
+one day's journey, when God sent down upon him and upon the obstinate
+infidels who accompanied him a loud cry from the heaven of His power,
+and it destroyed them all by the vehemence of its sound. Neither
+Sheddád nor any of those who were with him arrived at the city, or
+came in sight of it, and God obliterated the traces of the road that
+led to it, but the city remaineth as it was in its place until the
+hour of the judgment!'
+
+"At this narrative, related by Kaab el-Ahbár, Mo'áwiyeh wondered, and
+he said to him, 'Can any one of mankind arrive at that city?' 'Yes,'
+answered Kaab el-Ahbár; 'a man of the companions of Mohammed (upon
+whom be blessing and peace!), in appearance like this man who is
+sitting here, without any doubt.' Esh-Shaabee also saith, 'It is
+related, on the authority of the learned men of Hemyer, in El-Yemen,
+that when Sheddád and those who were with him were destroyed by the
+loud cry, his son Sheddád the Less reigned after him; for his father,
+Sheddád the Greater, had left him as successor to his kingdom, in the
+land of Hadramót and Seba, on his departure with the troops who
+accompanied him to Irem Zat-el-'Emád. And as soon as the news reached
+him of the death of his father, on the way before his arrival at the
+city of Irem, he gave orders to carry his father's body from those
+desert tracts to Hadramót, and to excavate the sepulchre for him in a
+cavern. And when they had done this, he placed his body in it, upon a
+couch of gold, and covered the corpse with seventy robes, interwoven
+with gold and adorned with precious jewels; and he placed at his head
+a tablet of gold, whereon were inscribed these verses:--
+
+    "'Be admonished, O thou who art deceived by a prolonged life!
+    I am Sheddád, the son of 'A'd, the lord of a strong fortress,
+    The lord of power and might, and of excessive valour.
+    The inhabitants of the earth obeyed me, fearing my severity
+            and threats;
+    And I held the east and west under a strong dominion.
+    And a preacher of the true religion invited us to the right way;
+    But we opposed him, and said, Is there no refuge from it?
+    And a loud cry assaulted us from a tract of the distant horizon;
+    Whereupon we fell down like corn in the midst of a plain at harvest;
+    And now, beneath the earth, we await the threatened day.'
+
+"Eth-Tha'álibee also saith, 'It happened that two men entered this
+cavern, and found at its upper end some steps, and having descended
+these, they found an excavation, the length whereof was a hundred
+cubits, and its breadth forty cubits, and its height a hundred cubits.
+And in the midst of this excavation was a couch of gold, upon which
+was a man of enormous bulk, occupying its whole length and breadth,
+covered with ornaments and with robes interwoven with gold and silver;
+and at his head was a tablet of gold, whereon was an inscription. And
+they took that tablet, and carried away from the place as much as they
+could of bars of gold and silver and other things.'"
+
+
+
+
+THE TOMB OF NOOSHEERWÂN.
+
+
+The caliph Hâroon-oor-Rasheed went to visit the tomb of the celebrated
+Noosheerwân, the most famous of all the monarchs who ever governed
+Persia. Before the tomb was a curtain of gold cloth, which, when
+Hâroon touched it, fell to pieces. The walls of the tomb were covered
+with gold and jewels, whose splendour illumined its darkness. The body
+was placed in a sitting posture on a throne enchased with jewels, and
+had so much the appearance of life that, on the first impulse, the
+Commander of the Faithful bent to the ground, and saluted the remains
+of the just Noosheerwân.
+
+Though the face of the departed monarch was like that of a living man,
+and the whole of the body in a state of preservation, which showed the
+admirable skill of those who embalmed it, yet when the caliph touched
+the garments they mouldered into dust. Hâroon upon this took his own
+rich robes and threw them over the corpse; he also hung up a new
+curtain richer than that he had destroyed, and perfumed the whole
+tomb with camphor, and other sweet scents.
+
+It was remarked that no change was perceptible in the body of
+Noosheerwân, except that the ears had become white. The whole scene
+affected the caliph greatly; he burst into tears, and repeated from
+the Koran--"What I have seen is a warning to those who have eyes." He
+observed some writing upon the throne, which he ordered the Moobids
+(priests), who were learned in the Pehlevee language, to read and
+explain. They did so: it was as follows:--
+
+    "This world remains not; the man who thinks least of it is
+    the wisest.
+
+    "Enjoy this world before thou becomest its prey.
+
+    "Bestow the same favour on those below thee as thou desirest
+    to receive from those above thee.
+
+    "If thou shouldst conquer the whole world, death will at
+    last conquer thee.
+
+    "Be careful that thou art not the dupe of thine own fortune.
+
+    "Thou shalt be paid exactly for what thou hast done; no
+    more, no less."
+
+The caliph observed a dark ruby-ring on the finger of Noosheerwân, on
+which was written--
+
+    "Avoid cruelty, study good, and never be precipitate in
+    action.
+
+    "If thou shouldst live for a hundred years, never for one
+    moment forget death.
+
+    "Value above all things the society of the wise."
+
+Around the right arm of Noosheerwân was a clasp of gold, on which was
+engraved--
+
+    "On a certain year, on the 10th day of the month
+    Erdebehisht, a caliph of the race of Adean, professing the
+    faith of Mahomed, accompanied by four good men, and one bad,
+    shall visit my tomb."
+
+Below this sentence were the names of the forefathers of the caliph.
+Another prophecy was added concerning Hâroon's pilgrimage to
+Noosheerwân's tomb.
+
+    "This prince will honour me, and do good unto me, though I
+    have no claim upon him; and he will clothe me in a new vest,
+    and besprinkle my tomb with sweet-scented essences, and then
+    depart unto his home. But the bad man who accompanies him
+    shall act treacherously towards me. I pray that God may send
+    one of my race to repay the great favours of the caliph, and
+    to take vengeance on his unworthy companion. There is, under
+    my throne, an inscription which the caliph must read and
+    contemplate. Its contents will remind him of me, and make
+    him pardon my inability to give him more."
+
+The caliph, on hearing this, put his hand under the throne, and found
+the inscription, which consisted of some lines, inscribed on a ruby as
+large as the palm of the hand. The Moobids read this also. It
+contained information where would be found concealed a treasure of
+gold and arms, with some caskets of rich jewels; under this was
+written--
+
+    "These I give to the caliph in return for the good he has
+    done me; let him take them and be happy."
+
+When Hâroon-oor-Rasheed was about to leave the tomb, Hoosein-ben-Sâhil,
+his vizier, said to him: "O Lord of the Faithful, what is the use of
+all these precious gems which ornament the abode of the dead, and are
+of no benefit to the living? Allow me to take some of them." The caliph
+replied with indignation, "Such a wish is more worthy of a thief than
+of a great or wise man." Hoosein was ashamed of his speech, and said to
+the servant who had been placed at the entrance of the tomb, "Go thou,
+and worship the holy shrine within." The man went into the tomb; he was
+above a hundred years old, but he had never seen such a blaze of
+wealth. He felt inclined to plunder some of it, but was at first
+afraid; at last, summoning all his courage, he took a ring from the
+finger of Noosheerwân, and came away.
+
+Hâroon saw this man come out, and observing him alarmed, he at once
+conjectured what he had been doing. Addressing those around him, he
+said, "Do not you now see the extent of the knowledge of Noosheerwân?
+He prophesied that there should be one unworthy man with me. It is
+this fellow. What have you taken?" said he, in an angry tone.
+"Nothing," said the man. "Search him," said the caliph. It was done,
+and the ring of Noosheerwân was found. This the caliph immediately
+took, and, entering the tomb, replaced it on the cold finger of the
+deceased monarch. When he returned, a terrible sound like that of loud
+thunder was heard.
+
+Hâroon came down from the mountain on which the tomb stood, and
+ordered the road to be made inaccessible to future curiosity. He
+searched for, and found, in the place described, the gold, the arms,
+and the jewels bequeathed to him by Noosheerwân, and sent them to
+Bagdad.
+
+Among the rich articles found was a golden crown, which had five
+sides, and was richly ornamented with precious stones. On every side a
+number of admirable lessons were written. The most remarkable were as
+follows:--
+
+    _First side._
+
+    "Give my regards to those who know themselves.
+
+    "Consider the end before you begin, and before you advance
+    provide a retreat.
+
+    "Give not unnecessary pain to any man, but study the
+    happiness of all.
+
+    "Ground not your dignity upon your power to hurt others."
+
+    _Second side._
+
+    "Take counsel before you commence any measure, and never
+    trust its execution to the inexperienced.
+
+    "Sacrifice your property for your life, and your life for
+    your religion.
+
+    "Spend your time in establishing a good name; and if you
+    desire fortune, learn contentment."
+
+    _Third side._
+
+    "Grieve not for that which is broken, stolen, burnt, or
+    lost.
+
+    "Never give orders in another man's house; and accustom
+    yourself to eat your bread at your own table.
+
+    "Make not yourself the captive of women."
+
+    _Fourth side._
+
+    "Take not a wife from a bad family, and seat not thyself
+    with those who have no shame.
+
+    "Keep thyself at a distance from those who are incorrigible
+    in bad habits, and hold no intercourse with that man who is
+    insensible to kindness.
+
+    "Covet not the goods of others.
+
+    "Be guarded with monarchs, for they are like fire which
+    blazeth but destroyeth.
+
+    "Be sensible to your own value; estimate justly the worth of
+    others; and war not with those who are far above thee in
+    fortune."
+
+    _Fifth side._
+
+    "Fear kings, women, and poets.
+
+    "Be envious of no man, and habituate not thyself to search
+    after the faults of others.
+
+    "Make it a habit to be happy, and avoid being out of temper,
+    or thy life will pass in misery.
+
+    "Respect and protect the females of thy family.
+
+    "Be not the slave of anger; and in thy contests always leave
+    open the door of conciliation.
+
+    "Never let your expenses exceed your income.
+
+    "Plant a young tree, or you cannot expect to cut down an old
+    one.
+
+    "Stretch your legs no further than the size of your carpet."
+
+The caliph Hâroon-oor-Rasheed was more pleased with the admirable
+maxims inscribed on this crown than with all the treasures he had
+found. "Write these precepts," he exclaimed, "in a book, that the
+faithful may eat of the fruit of wisdom." When he returned to Bagdad,
+he related to his favourite vizier, Jaffier Bermekee, and his other
+chief officers, all that had passed; and the shade of Noosheerwân was
+propitiated by the disgrace of Hoosein-ben-Sâhil (who had recommended
+despoiling his tomb), and the exemplary punishment of the servant who
+had committed the sacrilegious act of taking the ring from the finger
+of the departed monarch.
+
+
+
+
+AMEEN AND THE GHOOL.
+
+
+There is a dreadful place in Persia called the "Valley of the Angel of
+Death." That terrific minister of God's wrath, according to tradition,
+has resting-places upon the earth and his favourite abodes. He is
+surrounded by ghools, horrid beings who, when he takes away life,
+feast upon the carcasses.
+
+The natural shape of these monsters is terrible; but they can assume
+those of animals, such as cows or camels, or whatever they choose,
+often appearing to men as their relations or friends, and then they do
+not only transform their shapes, but their voices also are altered.
+The frightful screams and yells which are often heard amid these
+dreaded ravines are changed for the softest and most melodious notes.
+Unwary travellers, deluded by the appearance of friends, or captivated
+by the forms and charmed by the music of these demons, are allured
+from their path, and after feasting for a few hours on every luxury,
+are consigned to destruction.
+
+The number of these ghools has greatly decreased since the birth of
+the Prophet, and they have no power to hurt those who pronounce his
+name in sincerity of faith. These creatures are the very lowest of the
+supernatural world, and, besides being timid, are extremely stupid,
+and consequently often imposed upon by artful men.
+
+The natives of Isfahan, though not brave, are the most crafty and
+acute people upon earth, and often supply the want of courage by their
+address. An inhabitant of that city was once compelled to travel alone
+at night through this dreadful valley. He was a man of ready wit, and
+fond of adventures, and, though no lion, had great confidence in his
+cunning, which had brought him through a hundred scrapes and perils
+that would have embarrassed or destroyed your simple man of valour.
+
+This man, whose name was Ameen Beg, had heard many stories of the
+ghools of the "Valley of the Angel of Death," and thought it likely he
+might meet one. He prepared accordingly, by putting an egg and a lump
+of salt in his pocket. He had not gone far amidst the rocks, when he
+heard a voice crying, "Holloa, Ameen Beg Isfahânee! you are going the
+wrong road, you will lose yourself; come this way. I am your friend
+Kerreem Beg; I know your father, old Kerbela Beg, and the street in
+which you were born." Ameen knew well the power the ghools had of
+assuming the shape of any person they choose; and he also knew their
+skill as genealogists, and their knowledge of towns as well as
+families; he had therefore little doubt this was one of those
+creatures alluring him to destruction. He, however, determined to
+encounter him, and trust to his art for his escape.
+
+"Stop, my friend, till I come near you," was his reply. When Ameen
+came close to the ghool, he said, "You are not my friend Kerreem; you
+are a lying demon, but you are just the being I desired to meet. I
+have tried my strength against all the men and all the beasts which
+exist in the natural world, and I can find nothing that is a match for
+me. I came therefore to this valley in the hope of encountering a
+ghool, that I might prove my prowess upon him."
+
+The ghool, astonished at being addressed in this manner, looked keenly
+at him, and said, "Son of Adam, you do not appear so strong."
+"Appearances are deceitful," replied Ameen, "but I will give you a
+proof of my strength. There," said he, picking up a stone from a
+rivulet, "this contains a fluid; try if you can so squeeze it that it
+will flow out." The ghool took the stone, but, after a short attempt,
+returned it, saying, "The thing is impossible." "Quite easy," said the
+Isfahânee, taking the stone and placing it in the hand in which he had
+before put the egg. "Look there!" And the astonished ghool, while he
+heard what he took for the breaking of the stone, saw the liquid run
+from between Ameen's fingers, and this apparently without any effort.
+
+Ameen, aided by the darkness, placed the stone upon the ground while
+he picked up another of a darker hue. "This," said he, "I can see
+contains salt, as you will find if you can crumble it between your
+fingers;" but the ghool, looking at it, confessed he had neither
+knowledge to discover its qualities nor strength to break it. "Give it
+me," said his companion impatiently; and, having put it into the same
+hand with the piece of salt, he instantly gave the latter all crushed
+to the ghool, who, seeing it reduced to powder, tasted it, and
+remained in stupid astonishment at the skill and strength of this
+wonderful man. Neither was he without alarm lest his strength should
+be exerted against himself, and he saw no safety in resorting to the
+shape of a beast, for Ameen had warned him that if he commenced any
+such unfair dealing, he would instantly slay him; for ghools, though
+long-lived, are not immortal.
+
+Under such circumstances he thought his best plan was to conciliate
+the friendship of his new companion till he found an opportunity of
+destroying him.
+
+"Most wonderful man," he said, "will you honour my abode with your
+presence? it is quite at hand; there you will find every refreshment;
+and after a comfortable night's rest you can resume your journey."
+
+"I have no objection, friend ghool, to accept your offer; but, mark
+me, I am, in the first place, very passionate, and must not be
+provoked by any expressions which are in the least disrespectful; and,
+in the second, I am full of penetration, and can see through your
+designs as clearly as I saw into that hard stone in which I discovered
+salt. So take care you entertain none that are wicked, or you shall
+suffer."
+
+The ghool declared that the ear of his guest should be pained by no
+expression to which it did not befit his dignity to listen; and he
+swore by the head of his liege lord, the Angel of Death, that he would
+faithfully respect the rights of hospitality and friendship.
+
+Thus satisfied, Ameen followed the ghool through a number of crooked
+paths, rugged cliffs, and deep ravines, till they came to a large
+cave, which was dimly lighted. "Here," said the ghool, "I dwell, and
+here my friend will find all he can want for refreshment and repose."
+So saying, he led him to various apartments, in which were hoarded
+every species of grain, and all kinds of merchandise, plundered from
+travellers who had been deluded to this den, and of whose fate Ameen
+was too well informed by the bones over which he now and then
+stumbled, and by the putrid smell produced by some half-consumed
+carcasses.
+
+"This will be sufficient for your supper, I hope," said the ghool,
+taking up a large bag of rice; "a man of your prowess must have a
+tolerable appetite." "True," said Ameen, "but I ate a sheep and as
+much rice as you have there before I proceeded on my journey. I am,
+consequently, not hungry, but will take a little lest I offend your
+hospitality." "I must boil it for you," said the demon; "you do not
+eat grain and meat raw, as we do. Here is a kettle," said he, taking
+up one lying amongst the plundered property. "I will go and get wood
+for a fire, while you fetch water with that," pointing to a bag made
+of the hides of six oxen.
+
+Ameen waited till he saw his host leave the cave for the wood, and
+then with great difficulty he dragged the enormous bag to the bank of
+a dark stream, which issued from the rocks at the other end of the
+cavern, and, after being visible for a few yards, disappeared
+underground.
+
+"How shall I," thought Ameen, "prevent my weakness being discovered?
+This bag I could hardly manage when empty; when full, it would require
+twenty strong men to carry it; what shall I do? I shall certainly be
+eaten up by this cannibal ghool, who is now only kept in order by the
+impression of my great strength." After some minutes' reflection the
+Isfahânee thought of a scheme, and began digging a small channel from
+the stream towards the place where his supper was preparing.
+
+"What are you doing?" vociferated the ghool, as he advanced towards
+him; "I sent you for water to boil a little rice, and you have been an
+hour about it. Cannot you fill the bag and bring it away?" "Certainly
+I can," said Ameen; "if I were content, after all your kindness, to
+show my gratitude merely by feats of brute strength, I could lift your
+stream if you had a bag large enough to hold it. But here," said he,
+pointing to the channel he had begun,--"here is the commencement of a
+work in which the mind of a man is employed to lessen the labour of
+his body. This canal, small as it may appear, will carry a stream to
+the other end of the cave, in which I will construct a dam that you
+can open and shut at pleasure, and thereby save yourself infinite
+trouble in fetching water. But pray let me alone till it is finished,"
+and he began to dig. "Nonsense!" said the ghool, seizing the bag and
+filling it; "I will carry the water myself, and I advise you to leave
+off your canal, as you call it, and follow me, that you may eat your
+supper and go to sleep; you may finish this fine work, if you like it,
+to-morrow morning."
+
+Ameen congratulated himself on this escape, and was not slow in taking
+the advice of his host. After having ate heartily of the supper that
+was prepared, he went to repose on a bed made of the richest coverlets
+and pillows, which were taken from one of the store-rooms of plundered
+goods. The ghool, whose bed was also in the cave, had no sooner laid
+down than he fell into a sound sleep. The anxiety of Ameen's mind
+prevented him from following his example; he rose gently, and having
+stuffed a long pillow into the middle of his bed, to make it appear as
+if he was still there, he retired to a concealed place in the cavern
+to watch the proceedings of the ghool. The latter awoke a short time
+before daylight, and rising, went, without making any noise, towards
+Ameen's bed, where, not observing the least stir, he was satisfied
+that his guest was in a deep sleep; so he took up one of his
+walking-sticks, which was in size like the trunk of a tree, and struck
+a terrible blow at what he supposed to be Ameen's head. He smiled not
+to hear a groan, thinking he had deprived him of life; but to make
+sure of his work, he repeated the blow seven times. He then returned
+to rest, but had hardly settled himself to sleep, when Ameen, who had
+crept into the bed, raised his head above the clothes and exclaimed,
+"Friend ghool, what insect could it be that has disturbed me by its
+tapping? I counted the flap of its little wings seven times on the
+coverlet. These vermin are very annoying, for, though they cannot hurt
+a man, they disturb his rest!"
+
+The ghool's dismay on hearing Ameen speak at all was great, but that
+was increased to perfect fright when he heard him describe seven
+blows, any one of which would have felled an elephant, as seven flaps
+of an insect's wing. There was no safety, he thought, near so
+wonderful a man, and he soon afterwards arose and fled from the cave,
+leaving the Isfahânee its sole master.
+
+When Ameen found his host gone, he was at no loss to conjecture the
+cause, and immediately began to survey the treasures with which he was
+surrounded, and to contrive means for removing them to his home.
+
+After examining the contents of the cave, and arming himself with a
+matchlock, which had belonged to some victim of the ghool, he
+proceeded to survey the road. He had, however, only gone a short
+distance when he saw the ghool returning with a large club in his
+hand, and accompanied by a fox. Ameen's knowledge of the cunning
+animal instantly led him to suspect that it had undeceived his enemy,
+but his presence of mind did not forsake him. "Take that," said he to
+the fox, aiming a ball at him from his matchlock, and shooting him
+through the head,--"Take that for your not performing my orders. That
+brute," said he, "promised to bring me seven ghools, that I might
+chain them, and carry them to Isfahan, and here he has only brought
+you, who are already my slave." So saying, he advanced towards the
+ghool; but the latter had already taken to flight, and by the aid of
+his club bounded so rapidly over rocks and precipices that he was soon
+out of sight.
+
+Ameen having well marked the path from the cavern to the road, went
+to the nearest town and hired camels and mules to remove the property
+he had acquired. After making restitution to all who remained alive to
+prove their goods, he became, from what was unclaimed, a man of
+wealth, all of which was owing to that wit and art which ever overcome
+brute strength and courage.
+
+
+
+
+THE RELATIONS OF SSIDI KUR.
+
+
+Glorified Nangasuna Garbi! thou art radiant within and without; the
+holy vessel of sublimity, the fathomer of concealed thoughts, the
+second of instructors, I bow before thee. What wonderful adventures
+fell to the lot of Nangasuna, and to the peaceful wandering Chan, and
+how instructive and learned the Ssidi will be found, all this is
+developed in thirteen pleasing narratives.
+
+And I will first relate the origin of these tales:--
+
+In the central kingdom of India there once lived seven brothers, who
+were magicians; and one berren (a measure of distance) further dwelt
+two brothers, who were sons of a Chan. Now the eldest of these sons of
+the Chan betook himself to the magicians, that he might learn their
+art; but although he studied under them for seven years, yet the
+magicians taught him not the true key to magic.
+
+And once upon a time it happened that the youngest brother, going to
+bring food to the elder, peeped through the opening of the door, and
+obtained the key to magic. Thereupon, without delivering to the elder
+the food which he had brought for him, he returned home to the palace.
+Then said the younger son of the Chan to his brother, "That we have
+learned magic, let us keep to ourselves. We have in the stable a
+beautiful horse; take this horse, and ride not with him near the
+dwelling-place of the magicians, but sell the horse in their country,
+and bring back merchandise."
+
+And when he had said thus, he changed himself into a horse. But the
+elder son of the Chan heeded not the words of his brother, but said
+unto himself: "Full seven years have I studied magic, and as yet have
+learned nothing. Where, then, has my young brother found so beautiful
+a horse? and how can I refuse to ride thereon?"
+
+With these words he mounted, but the horse being impelled by the power
+of magic was not to be restrained, galloped away to the dwelling-place
+of the magicians, and could not be got from the door. "Well, then, I
+will sell the horse to the magicians." Thus thinking to himself, the
+elder called out to the magicians, "Saw ye ever a horse like unto
+this? My younger brother it was who found him." At these words the
+magicians communed with one another. "This is a magic horse; if magic
+grow at all common, there will be no wonderful art remaining. Let us,
+therefore, take this horse and slay him."
+
+The magicians paid the price demanded for the horse, and tied him in
+a stall; and that he might not escape out of their hands, they
+fastened him, ready for slaughter, by the head, by the tail, and by
+the feet. "Ah!" thought the horse to himself, "my elder brother
+hearkened not unto me, and therefore am I fallen into such hands. What
+form shall I assume?" While the horse was thus considering, he saw a
+fish swim by him in the water, and immediately he changed himself into
+a fish.
+
+But the seven magicians became seven herons, and pursued the fish, and
+were on the point of catching it, when it looked up and beheld a dove
+in the sky, and thereupon transformed itself into a dove. The seven
+magicians now became seven hawks, and followed the dove over mountains
+and rivers, and would certainly have seized upon it, but the dove,
+flying eastwards to the peaceful cave in the rock Gulumtschi,
+concealed itself in the bosom of Nangasuna Baktschi (the Instructor).
+Then the seven hawks became seven beggars, and drew nigh unto the rock
+Gulumtschi. "What may this import?" bethought the Baktschi to himself,
+"that this dove has fled hither pursued by seven hawks?" Thus
+thinking, the Baktschi said, "Wherefore, O dove, fliest thou hither in
+such alarm?" Then the dove related to him the cause of its flight, and
+spake afterwards as follows:--"At the entrance to the rock Gulumtschi
+stand seven beggars, and they will come to the Baktschi and say, 'We
+pray thee give us the rosary of the Baktschi?' Then will I transform
+myself into the Bumba of the rosary; let the Baktschi then vouchsafe
+to take this Bumba into his mouth and to cast the rosary from him."
+
+Hereupon the seven beggars drew nigh, and the Baktschi took the first
+bead into his mouth and the rest he cast from him. The beads which
+were cast away then became worms, and the seven beggars became fowls
+and ate up the worms. Then the Baktschi let the first bead fall from
+his mouth, and thereupon the first bead was transformed into a man
+with a sword in his hand. When the seven fowls were slain and become
+human corses, the Baktschi was troubled in his soul, and said these
+words, "Through my having preserved one single man have seven been
+slain. Of a verity this is not good."
+
+To these words the other replied, "I am the Son of a Chan. Since,
+therefore, through the preservation of my life, several others have
+lost their lives, I will, to cleanse me from my sins, and also to
+reward the Baktschi, execute whatsoever he shall command me." The
+Baktschi replied thereto, "Now, then, in the cold Forest of Death
+there abides Ssidi Kur; the upper part of his body is decked with
+gold, the lower is of brass, his head is covered with silver. Seize
+him and hold him fast. Whosoever finds this wonderful Ssidi Kur, him
+will I make for a thousand years a man upon the earth."
+
+Thus spake he, and the youth thereupon began these words: "The way
+which I must take, the food which I require, the means which I must
+employ, all these vouchsafe to make known unto me." To this the
+Baktschi replied, "It shall be as thou demandest. At the distance of a
+berren (a measure of distance) from this place you will come to a
+gloomy forest, through which you will find there runs only one narrow
+path. The place is full of spirits. When thou reachest the spirits,
+they will throng around you; then cry ye with a loud voice, 'Spirits,
+chu lu chu lu ssochi!' And when thou hast spoken these words, they
+will all be scattered like grain. When thou hast proceeded a little
+further, you will encounter a crowd of other spirits; then cry ye,
+'Spirits, chu lu chu lu ssosi!' And a little further on you will
+behold a crowd of child-spirits: say unto these, 'Child-spirits, Ri ra
+pa dra!' In the middle of this wood sits Ssidi Kur, beside an
+amiri-tree. When he beholds you, he will climb up it, but you must
+take the moon-axe, with furious gestures draw nigh unto the tree, and
+bid Ssidi Kur descend. To bring him away you will require this sack,
+which would hold a hundred men. To bind him fast this hundred fathoms
+of checkered rope will serve you. This inexhaustible cake will furnish
+thee with provender for thy journey. When thou hast got thy load upon
+thy back, wander then on without speaking, until thou art returned
+home again. Thy name is Son of the Chan; and since thou hast reached
+the peaceful rock Gulumtschi, thou shalt be called the peaceful
+wandering Son of the Chan."
+
+Thus spake the Baktschi, and showed him the way of expiation. When
+Ssidi Kur beheld his pursuer, he speedily climbed up the amiri-tree,
+but the Son of the Chan drew nigh unto the foot of the tree, and spake
+with threatening words: "My Baktschi is Nangasuna Garbi; mine axe is
+called the white moon; an inexhaustible cake is my provender. This
+sack, capable of holding a hundred men, will serve to carry thee away,
+this hundred fathoms of rope will serve to bind thee fast; I myself am
+the peaceful wandering Son of the Chan. Descend, or I will hew down
+the tree."
+
+Then spake Ssidi Kur, "Do not hew down the tree; I will descend from
+it."
+
+And when he had descended, the Son of the Chan thrust him into the
+sack, tied the sack fast with the rope, ate of the butter-cake, and
+wandered forth many days with his burden. At length Ssidi Kur said to
+the Son of the Chan, "Since our long journey is wearisome unto us, I
+will tell a story unto you, or do you relate one unto me."
+
+The Son of the Chan kept on his way, however, without speaking a word,
+and Ssidi began afresh, "If thou wilt tell a story, nod your head to
+me; if I shall relate one, then do you shake your head."
+
+But because the Son of the Chan shook his head from side to side,
+without uttering a word, Ssidi began the following tale:--
+
+
+THE ADVENTURES OF THE RICH YOUTH.
+
+"In former times there lived, in a great kingdom, a rich youth, a
+calculator, a mechanic, a painter, a physician, and a smith, and they
+all departed from their parents and went forth into a foreign land.
+When they at length arrived at the mouth of a great river, they
+planted, every one of them, a tree of life; and each of them,
+following one of the sources of the river, set forth to seek their
+fortunes. 'Here,' said they to one another,--'here will we meet again.
+Should, however, any one of us be missing, and his tree of life be
+withered, we will search for him in the place whither he went to.'
+
+"Thus they agreed, and separated one from another. And the rich youth
+found at the source of the stream, which he had followed, a
+pleasure-garden with a house, in the entrance to which were seated an
+old man and an old woman. 'Good youth,' exclaimed they both, 'whence
+comest thou--whither goest thou?' The youth replied, 'I come from a
+distant country, and am going to seek my fortune.' And the old couple
+said unto him, 'It is well thou hast come hither. We have a daughter,
+slender of shape and pleasant of behaviour. Take her, and be a son
+unto us!'
+
+"And when they had so spoken, the daughter made her appearance. And
+when the youth beheld her, he thought unto himself, 'It is well I left
+my father and my mother. This maiden is more beauteous than a daughter
+of the Tângâri (god-like spirits of the male and female sex). I will
+take the maiden and dwell here.' And the maiden said, 'Youth, it is
+well that thou earnest here.' Thereupon they conversed together, went
+together into the house, and lived peacefully and happily.
+
+"Now, over the same country there reigned a mighty Chan. And once in
+the spring-time, when his servants went forth together to bathe, they
+found, near the mouth of the river, in the water, a pair of costly
+earrings, which belonged to the wife of the rich youth. Because,
+therefore, these jewels were so wondrously beautiful, they carried
+them to the Chan, who, being greatly surprised thereat, said unto his
+servants, 'Dwells there at the source of the river a woman such as
+these belong to? Go, and bring her unto me.'
+
+"The servants went accordingly, beheld the woman, and were amazed at
+the sight. 'This woman,' said they to one another, 'one would never
+tire of beholding.' But to the woman they said, 'Arise! and draw nigh
+with us unto the Chan.'
+
+"Hereupon the rich youth conducted his wife to the presence of the
+Chan; but the Chan, when he beheld her, exclaimed, 'This maiden is a
+Tângâri, compared with her, my wives are but ugly.'
+
+"Thus spake he, and he was so smitten with love of her, that he would
+not let her depart from his house. But as she remained true and
+faithful to the rich youth, the Chan said unto his servants, 'Remove
+this rich youth instantly out of my sight.'
+
+"At these commands the servants went forth, taking with them the rich
+youth, whom they led to the water, where they laid him in a pit by the
+side of the stream, covered him with a huge fragment of the rock, and
+thus slew him.
+
+"At length it happened that the other wanderers returned from all
+sides, each to his tree of life; and when the rich youth was missed,
+and they saw that his tree of life was withered, they sought him up
+the source of the river which he had followed, but found him not.
+Hereupon the reckoner discovered, by his calculations, that the rich
+youth was lying dead under a piece of the rock; but as they could by
+no means remove the stone, the smith took his hammer, smote the stone,
+and drew out the body. Then the physician mixed a life-inspiring
+draught, gave the same to the dead youth, and so restored him to life.
+
+"They now demanded of him whom they had recalled to life, 'In what
+manner wert thou slain?' He accordingly related unto them the
+circumstances; and they communed one with another, saying, 'Let us
+snatch this extraordinary beautiful woman from the Chan!' Thereupon
+the mechanic constructed a wooden gerudin, or wonderful bird, which,
+when moved upwards from within, ascended into the air; when moved
+downwards, descended into the earth; when moved sideways, flew
+sideways accordingly. When this was done, they painted it with
+different colours, so that it was pleasant to behold.
+
+"Then the rich youth seated himself within the wooden bird, flew
+through the air, and hovered over the roof of the royal mansion; and
+the Chan and his servants were astonished at the form of the bird, and
+said, 'A bird like unto this we never before saw or heard of.' And to
+his wife the Chan said, 'Go ye to the roof of the palace, and offer
+food of different kinds unto this strange bird.' When she went up to
+offer food, the bird descended, and the rich youth opened the door
+which was in the bird. Then said the wife of the Chan, full of joy, 'I
+had never hoped or thought to have seen thee again, yet now have I
+found thee once more. This has been accomplished by this wonderful
+bird.' After the youth had related to her all that had happened, he
+said unto her, 'Thou art now the wife of the Chan--but if your heart
+now yearns unto me, step thou into this wooden gerudin, and we will
+fly hence through the air, and for the future know care no more.'
+
+"After these words the wife said, 'To the first husband to whom
+destiny united me am I inclined more than ever.' Having thus spoken
+they entered into the wooden gerudin, and ascended into the sky. The
+Chan beheld this, and said, 'Because I sent thee up that thou mightest
+feed this beautiful bird, thou hast betaken thyself to the skies.'
+Thus spake he full of anger, and threw himself weeping on the ground.
+
+"The rich youth now turned the peg in the bird downwards, and
+descended upon the earth close to his companions. And when he stepped
+forth out of the bird, his companions asked him, 'Hast thou thoroughly
+accomplished all that thou didst desire?' Thereupon his wife also
+stepped forth, and all who beheld her became in love with her. 'You,
+my companions,' said the rich youth, 'have brought help unto me; you
+have awakened me from death; you have afforded me the means of once
+more finding my wife. Do not, I beseech you, rob me of my charmer once
+again.'
+
+"Thus spake he; and the calculator began with these words:--'Had I not
+discovered by my calculation where thou wert lying, thou wouldst never
+have recovered thy wife.'
+
+"'In vain,' said the smith, 'would the calculations have been, had I
+not drawn thee out of the rock. By means of the shattered rock it was
+that you obtained your wife. Then your wife belongs to me.'
+
+"'A body,' said the physician, 'was drawn from out of the shattered
+rock. That this body was restored to life, and recovered his former
+wife, it was my skill accomplished it. I, therefore, should take the
+wife.'
+
+"'But for the wooden bird,' said the mechanic, 'no one would ever have
+reached the wife. A numerous host attend upon the Chan; no one can
+approach the house wherein he resides. Through my wooden bird alone
+was the wife recovered. Let me, then, take her.'
+
+"'The wife,' said the painter, 'never would have carried food to a
+wooden bird; therefore it was only through my skill in painting that
+she was recovered; I, therefore, claim her.'
+
+"And when they had thus spoken, they drew their knives and slew one
+another."
+
+"Alas! poor woman!" exclaimed the son of the Chan; and Ssidi said,
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words:--Ssarwala missbrod
+jakzang!" Thus spake he, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's first tale treated of the adventures of the rich youth.
+
+
+THE ADVENTURES OF THE BEGGAR'S SON.
+
+When the Son of the Chan arrived as before at the cold Forest of
+Death, he exclaimed with threatening gestures at the foot of the
+amiri-tree, "Thou dead one, descend, or I will hew down the tree."
+Ssidi descended. The son of Chan placed him in the sack, bound the
+sack fast with the rope, ate of his provender, and journeyed forth
+with his burden. Then spake the dead one these words, "Since we have a
+long journey before us, do you relate a pleasant story by the way, or
+I will do so." But the Son of the Chan merely shook his head without
+speaking a word. Whereupon Ssidi commenced the following tale:--
+
+"A long time ago there was a mighty Chan who was ruler over a country
+full of market-places. At the source of the river which ran through it
+there was an immense marsh, and in this marsh there dwelt two
+crocodile-frogs, who would not allow the water to run out of the
+marsh. And because there came no water over their fields, every year
+did both the good and the bad have cause to mourn, until such times as
+a man had been given to the frogs for the pests to devour. And at
+length the lot fell upon the Chan himself to be an offering to them,
+and needful as he was to the welfare of the kingdom, denial availed
+him not; therefore father and son communed sorrowfully together,
+saying, 'Which of us two shall go?'
+
+"'I am an old man,' said the father, 'and shall leave no one to lament
+me. I will go, therefore. Do you remain here, my son, and reign
+according as it is appointed.'
+
+"'O Tângâri,' exclaimed the son, 'verily this is not as it should be!
+Thou hast brought me up with care, O my father! If the Chan and the
+wife of the Chan remain, what need is there of their son? I then will
+go, and be as a feast for the frogs.'
+
+"Thus spake he, and the people walked sorrowfully round about him, and
+then betook themselves back again. Now the son of the Chan had for his
+companion the son of a poor man, and he went to him and said, 'Walk ye
+according to the will of your parents, and remain at home in peace and
+safety. I am going, for the good of the kingdom, to serve as a
+sacrifice to the frogs.' At these words the son of the poor man said,
+weeping and lamenting, 'From my youth up, O Chan, thou hast carefully
+fostered me. I will go with thee, and share thy fate.'
+
+"Then they both arose and went unto the frogs; and on the verge of the
+marsh they heard the yellow frog and the blue frog conversing with one
+another. And the frogs said, 'If the son of the Chan and his companion
+did but know that if they only smote off our heads with the sword, and
+the son of the Chan consumed me, the yellow frog, and the son of the
+poor man consumed thee, the blue frog, they would both cast out from
+their mouths gold and brass, then would the country be no longer
+compelled to find food for frogs.'
+
+"Now, because the son of the Chan understood all sorts of languages,
+he comprehended the discourse of the frogs, and he and his companion
+smote the heads of the frogs with their swords; and when they had
+devoured the frogs, they threw out from their mouths gold and brass
+at their heart's pleasure. Then said the wanderers, 'The frogs are
+both slain--the course of the waters will be hemmed in no more. Let us
+then turn back unto our own country.' But the son of the Chan agreed
+not to this, and said, 'Let us not turn back into our own country,
+lest they say they are become spirits; therefore it is better that we
+journey further.'
+
+"As they thereupon were walking over a mountain, they came to a
+tavern, in which dwelt two women, beautiful to behold--mother and
+daughter. Then said they, 'We would buy strong liquor that we might
+drink.' The women replied, 'What have ye to give in exchange for
+strong liquor?' Thereupon each of them threw forth gold and brass, and
+the women found pleasure therein, admitted them into their dwelling,
+gave them liquor in abundance, until they became stupid and slept,
+took from them what they had, and then turned them out of doors.
+
+"Now when they awoke the son of the Chan and his companion travelled
+along a river and arrived in a wood, where they found some children
+quarrelling one with another. 'Wherefore,' inquired they, 'do you thus
+dispute?'
+
+"'We have,' said the children, 'found a cap in this wood, and every
+one desires to possess it.'
+
+"'Of what use is the cap?'
+
+"'The cap has this wonderful property, that whosoever places it on his
+head can be seen neither by the Tângâri, nor by men, nor by the
+Tschadkurrs' (evil spirits).
+
+"'Now go all of ye to the end of the forest and run hither, and I will
+in the meanwhile keep the cap, and give it to the first of you who
+reaches me.'
+
+"Thus spoke the son of the Chan; and the children ran, but they found
+not the cap, for it was upon the head of the Chan. 'Even now it was
+here,' said they, 'and now it is gone.' And after they had sought for
+it, but without finding it, they went away weeping.
+
+"And the son of the Chan and his companion travelled onwards, and at
+last they came to a forest in which they found a body of Tschadkurrs
+quarrelling one with another, and they said, 'Wherefore do ye thus
+quarrel one with another?'
+
+"'I,' exclaimed each of them, 'have made myself master of these
+boots.'
+
+"'Of what use are these boots?' inquired the son of the Chan.
+
+"'He who wears these boots,' replied the Tschadkurrs, 'is conveyed to
+any country wherein he wishes himself.'
+
+"'Now,' answered the son of the Chan, 'go all of you that way, and he
+who first runs hither shall obtain the boots.'
+
+"And the Tschadkurrs, when they heard these words, ran as they were
+told; but the son of the Chan had concealed the boots in the bosom of
+his companion, who had the cap upon his head. And the Tschadkurrs saw
+the boots no more; they sought them in vain, and went their way.
+
+"And when they were gone, the prince and his companion drew on each of
+them one of the boots, and they wished themselves near the place of
+election in a Chan's kingdom. They wished their journey, laid
+themselves down to sleep, and on their awaking in the morning they
+found themselves in the hollow of a tree, right in the centre of the
+imperial place of election. It was, moreover, a day for the assembling
+of the people, to throw a Baling (a sacred figure of dough or paste)
+under the guidance of the Tângâri. 'Upon whose head even the Baling
+falls, he shall be our Chan.' Thus spake they as they threw it up; but
+the tree caught the Baling of Destiny. 'What means this?' exclaimed
+they all with one accord. 'Shall we have a tree for our Chan?'
+
+"'Let us examine,' cried they one to another, 'whether the tree
+concealeth any stranger.' And when they approached the tree the son of
+the Chan and his companion stepped forth. But the people stood yet in
+doubt, and said one to another thus, 'Whosoever ruleth over the people
+of this land, this shall be decided to-morrow morning by what
+proceedeth from their mouths.' And when they had thus spoken, they all
+took their departure.
+
+"On the following morning some drank water, and what they threw from
+their mouths was white; others ate grass, and what they threw from
+their mouths was green. In short, one threw one thing, and another
+another thing. But because the son of the Chan and his companion cast
+out from their mouths gold and brass, the people cried, 'Let the one
+be Chan of this people--let the other be his minister.' Thus were they
+nominated Chan and minister! And the daughter of the former Chan was
+appointed the wife of the new Chan.
+
+"Now in the neighbourhood of the palace wherein the Chan dwelt was a
+lofty building, whither the wife of the Chan betook herself every day.
+'Wherefore,' thought the minister, 'does the wife of the Chan betake
+herself to this spot every day?' Thus thinking, he placed the
+wonderful cap upon his head, and followed the Chan's wife through the
+open doors, up one step after another, up to the roof. Here the wife
+of the Chan gathered together silken coverlets and pillows, made ready
+various drinks and delicate meats, and burnt for their perfume tapers
+and frankincense. The minister being concealed by his cap, which made
+him invisible, seated himself by the side of the Chan's wife, and
+looked around on every side.
+
+"Shortly afterwards a beautiful bird swept through the sky. The wife
+of the Chan received it with fragrance-giving tapers. The bird seated
+itself upon the roof and twittered with a pleasing voice; but out of
+the bird came Solangdu, the Son of the Tângâri, whose beauty was
+incomparable, and he laid himself on the silken coverlets and fed of
+the dainties prepared for him. Then spake the son of the Tângâri,
+'Thou hast passed this morning with the husband whom thy fate has
+allotted to thee. What thinkest thou of him?' The wife of the Chan
+answered, 'I know too little of the prince to speak of his good
+qualities or his defects.' Thus passed the day, and the wife of the
+Chan returned home again.
+
+"On the following day the minister followed the wife of the Chan as he
+had done before, and heard the son of the Tângâri say unto her,
+'To-morrow I will come like a bird of Paradise to see thine husband.'
+And the wife of the Chan said, 'Be it so.'
+
+"The day passed over, and the minister said to the Chan, 'In yonder
+palace lives Solangdu, the beauteous son of the Tângâri.' The minister
+then related all that he had witnessed, and said, 'To-morrow early the
+son of the Tângâri will seek thee, disguised like a bird of Paradise.
+I will seize the bird by the tail, and cast him into the fire; but you
+must smite him in pieces with the sword.'
+
+"On the following morning, the Chan and the wife of the Chan were
+seated together, when the son of the Tângâri, transformed into a bird
+of Paradise, appeared before them on the steps that led to the
+palace. The wife of the Chan greeted the bird with looks expressive of
+pleasure, but the minister, who had on his invisible-making cap,
+seized the bird suddenly by the tail, and cast him into the fire. And
+the Chan smote at him violently with his sword; but the wife of the
+Chan seized the hand of her husband, so that only the wings of the
+bird were scorched. 'Alas, poor bird!' exclaimed the wife of the Chan,
+as, half dead, it made its way, as well as it could, through the air.
+
+"On the next morning the wife of the Chan went as usual to the lofty
+building, and this time, too, did the minister follow her. She
+collected together, as usual, the silken pillows, but waited longer
+than she was wont, and sat watching with staring eyes. At length the
+bird approached with a very slow flight, and came down from the
+birdhouse covered with blood and wounds, and the wife of the Chan wept
+at the sight. 'Weep not,' said the son of the Tângâri; 'thine husband
+has a heavy hand. The fire has so scorched me that I can never come
+more.'
+
+"Thus spoke he, and the wife of the Chan replied, 'Do not say so, but
+come as you are wont to do, at least come on the day of the full
+moon.' Then the son of the Tângâri flew up to the sky again, and the
+wife of the Chan began from that time to love her husband with her
+whole heart.
+
+"Then the minister placed his wonderful cap upon his head, and,
+drawing near to a pagoda, he saw, through the crevice of the door, a
+man, who spread out a figure of an ass, rolled himself over and over
+upon the figure, thereupon took upon himself the form of an ass, and
+ran up and down braying like one. Then he began rolling afresh, and
+appeared in his human form. At last he folded up the paper, and placed
+it in the hand of a burchan (a Calmuc idol). And when the man came out
+the minister went in, procured the paper, and remembering the
+ill-treatment which he had formerly received, he went to the mother
+and daughter who had sold him the strong liquor, and said, with crafty
+words, 'I am come to you to reward you for your good deeds.' With
+these words he gave the women three pieces of gold; and the women
+asked him, saying, 'Thou art, indeed, an honest man, but where did you
+procure so much gold?' Then the minister answered, 'By merely rolling
+backwards and forwards over this paper did I procure this gold.' On
+hearing these words, the women said, 'Grant us that we too may roll
+upon it.' And they did so, and were changed into asses. And the
+minister brought the asses to the Chan, and the Chan said, 'Let them
+be employed in carrying stones and earth.'
+
+"Thus spake he, and for three years were these two asses compelled to
+carry stones and earth; and their backs were sore wounded, and
+covered with bruises. Then saw the Chan their eyes filled with tears,
+and he said to the minister, 'Torment the poor brutes no longer.'
+
+"Thereupon they rolled upon the paper, and after they had done so they
+were changed to two shrivelled women."
+
+"Poor creatures!" exclaimed the Son of the Chan. Ssidi replied, "Ruler
+of Destiny, thou hast spoken words: Ssarwala missdood jakzank!" Thus
+spoke he, and flew out of the sack through the air.
+
+And Ssidi's second relation treats of the adventures of the Poor Man's
+Son.
+
+
+THE ADVENTURES OF MASSANG.
+
+When the Son of the Chan arrived at the foot of the amiri-tree, and
+spoke as he had formerly done, Ssidi approached him, suffered himself
+to be placed in the sack, fastened with the rope, and carried away.
+Ssidi spoke as before, but the Son of the Chan shook his head,
+whereupon Ssidi began as follows:--
+
+"A long time ago there lived in a certain country a poor man, who had
+nothing in the world but one cow; and because there was no chance of
+the cow's calving, he was sore grieved, and said, 'If my cow does not
+have a calf, I shall have no more milk, and I must then die of hunger
+and thirst.'
+
+"But when a certain number of moons had passed, instead of the calf
+the poor man had looked for he found a man with horns, and with a long
+tail like a cow. And at the sight of this monster the owner of the
+beast was filled with vexation, and he lifted up his staff to kill
+him; but the horned man said, 'Kill me not, father, and your mercy
+shall be rewarded.'
+
+"And with these words he retreated into the depth of a forest, and
+there he found among the trees a man of sable hue. 'Who art thou?'
+inquired Massang the horned. 'I was born of the forest,' was the
+reply, 'and am called Iddar. I will follow thee whithersoever thou
+goest.'
+
+"And they journeyed forth together, and at last they reached a
+thickly-covered grassy plain, and there they beheld a green man. 'Who
+art thou?' inquired they. 'I was born of the grass,' replied the green
+man, 'and will bear thee company.'
+
+"Thereupon they all three journeyed forth together, until they came to
+a sedgy marsh, and there they found a white man. 'Who art thou?'
+inquired they. 'I was born of the sedges,' replied the white man, 'and
+will bear thee company.'
+
+"Thereupon they all four journeyed forth together, until they reached
+a desert country, where, in the very depths of the mountain, they
+found a hut; and because they found plenty both to eat and to drink in
+the hut, they abode there. Every day three of them went out hunting,
+and left the fourth in charge of the hut. On the first day, Iddar, the
+Son of the Forest, remained in the hut, and was busied preparing milk,
+and cooking meat for his companions, when a little old woman put up
+the ladder and came in at the door. 'Who's there?' exclaimed Iddar,
+and, upon looking round, he beheld an old woman about a span high, who
+carried on her back a little sack. 'Oh, what, there is somebody
+sitting there?' said the old woman, 'and you are cooking meat; let me,
+I beseech you, taste a little milk and a little meat.'
+
+"And though she merely tasted a little of each, the whole of the food
+disappeared. When the old woman thereupon took her departure, the Son
+of the Forest was ashamed that the food had disappeared, and he arose
+and looked out of the hut. And as he chanced to perceive two hoofs of
+a horse, he made with them a number of horse's footmarks around the
+dwelling, and shot an arrow into the court; and when the hunters
+returned home and inquired of him, 'Where is the milk and the fatted
+meat?' he answered them, saying, 'There came a hundred horsemen, who
+pressed their way into the house, and took the milk and the flesh, and
+they have beaten me almost to death. Go ye out, and look around.' And
+his companions went out when they heard these words, looked around,
+saw the prints of the horses' feet and the arrow which he himself had
+shot, and said, 'The words which he spoke are true.'
+
+"On the following day the Son of the Grass remained at home in the
+hut, and it befell him as it had befallen his companion on the
+previous day. But because he perceived the feet of two bullocks, he
+made with them the marks of the feet of many bullocks around the
+dwelling, and said to his companions, 'There came a hundred people
+with laden bullocks, and robbed me of the food I had prepared for
+you.'
+
+"Thus spake he falsely. On the third day the Son of the Sedges
+remained at home in the hut, and because he met with no better
+fortune, he made, with a couple of the feet of a mule, a number of
+prints of mules' feet around the dwelling, and said to his companions,
+'A hundred men with laden mules surrounded the house, and robbed me of
+the food I had prepared for you.'
+
+"Thus spake he falsely. On the following day Massang remained at home
+in the hut, and as he was sitting preparing milk and flesh for his
+companions, the little old woman stepped in as before and said, 'Oh,
+so there is somebody here this time? Let me, I pray you, taste a
+little of the milk and a little of the meat.' At these words Massang
+considered, 'Of a certainty this old woman has been here before. If I
+do what she requires of me, how do I know that there will be any
+left?' And having thus considered, he said to the old woman, 'Old
+woman, before thou tastest food, fetch me some water.' Thus spoke he,
+giving her a bucket, of which the bottom was drilled full of holes, to
+fetch water in. When the old woman was gone, Massang looked after her,
+and found that the span-high old woman, reaching now up to the skies,
+drew the bucket full of water again and again, but that none of the
+water remained in it. While she was thus occupied, Massang peeped into
+the little sack which she carried on her shoulders, and took out of it
+a coil of rope, an iron hammer, and a pair of iron pincers, and put in
+their place some very rotten cords, a wooden hammer, and wooden
+pincers.
+
+"He had scarcely done so before the old woman returned, saying, 'I
+cannot draw water in your bucket. If you will not give me a little of
+your food to taste, let us try our strength against each other.' Then
+the old woman drew forth the coil of rotten cords, and bound Massang
+with them, but Massang put forth his strength and burst the cords
+asunder. But when Massang had bound the old woman with her own coil,
+and deprived her of all power of motion, she said unto him, 'Herein
+thou hast gotten the victory; now let us pinch each other with the
+pincers.'
+
+"Whereupon Massang nipped hold of a piece of the old woman's flesh as
+big as one's head, and tore it forcibly from her. 'Indeed, youth,'
+cried the old woman, sighing, 'but thou hast gotten a hand of stone;
+now let us hammer away at each other!'
+
+"So saying, she smote Massang with the wooden hammer on his breast,
+but the hammer flew from the handle, and Massang was left without a
+wound. Then drew Massang the iron hammer out of the fire, and smote
+the old woman with it in such wise that she fled from the hut crying
+and wounded.
+
+"Shortly after this, the three companions returned home, and said to
+Massang, 'Now, Massang, thou hast surely had something to suffer?' But
+Massang replied, 'Ye are all cowardly fellows, and have uttered lies;
+I have paid off the old woman. Arise, and let us follow her!'
+
+"At these words they arose, followed her by the traces of her blood,
+and at length reached a gloomy pit in a rock. At the bottom of this
+pit there were ten double circular pillars, and on the ground lay the
+corpse of the old woman, among gold, brass, and armour, and other
+costly things. 'Will you three descend,' said Massang, 'and then pack
+together the costly things, and I will draw them up, or I will pack
+them, and you shall draw them out.' But the three companions said, 'We
+will not go down into the cavern, for of a verity the old woman is a
+Schumnu' (a witch). But Massang, without being dispirited, allowed
+himself to be let down into the cavern, and collected the valuables,
+which were then drawn forth by his companions. Then his companions
+spoke with one another, saying, 'If we draw forth Massang, he will
+surely take all these treasures to himself. It were better, then, that
+we should carry away these treasures, and leave Massang behind in the
+cavern!'
+
+"When Massang noticed that his three companions treated him thus
+ungratefully, he looked about the cavern in search of food, but
+between the pillars he found nothing but some pieces of bark.
+Thereupon Massang planted the bark in the earth, nourished it as best
+he might, and said, 'If I am a true Massang, then from this bark let
+there grow forth three great trees. If I am not, then shall I die here
+in this pit.'
+
+"After these enchanting words, he laid himself down, but from his
+having come in contact with the corse of the old woman, he slept for
+many years. When he awoke, he found three great trees which reached to
+the mouth of the pit. Joyfully clambered he up and betook himself to
+the hut, which was in the neighbourhood. But, because there was no
+longer any one to be found therein, he took his iron bow and his
+arrows, and set forth in search of his companions. These had built
+themselves houses and taken wives. 'Where are your husbands?' inquired
+Massang of their wives. 'Our husbands are gone to the chase,' replied
+they. Then Massang took arrow and bow, and set forth. His companions
+were returning from the chase with venison, and when they beheld
+Massang with arrow and bow, they cried, as with one accord, 'Thou art
+the well-skilled one! take thou our wives and property, we will now
+wander forth further!' At these words Massang said, 'Your behaviour
+was certainly not what it should have been; but I am going to reward
+my father--live on, therefore, as before.'
+
+"By the way Massang discovered a brook, and out of the brook arose a
+beautiful maiden. The maiden went her way, and flowers arose out of
+her footsteps. Massang followed the maiden until he arrived in heaven,
+and when he was come there, Churmusta Tângâri (the Protector of the
+Earth) said unto him, 'It is well that thou art come hither, Massang.
+We have daily to fight with the host of Schumnu (witches). To-morrow
+look around; after to-morrow be companion unto us.'
+
+"On the following day, when the white host were sore pressed by the
+black, Churmusta spake unto Massang: 'The white host are the host of
+the Tângâri, the black are the host of the Schumnu. To-day the Tângâri
+will be pressed by the Schumnu; draw, therefore, thy bow, and send an
+arrow into the eye of the leader of the black host.' Then Massang
+aimed at the eye of the leader of the black host, and smote him, so
+that he fled with a mighty cry. Then spake Churmusta to Massang, 'Thy
+deed is deserving of reward; henceforward dwell with us for ever.'
+But Massang replied, 'I go to reward my father.'
+
+"Hereupon Churmusta presented to Massang, Dschindamani, the
+wonder-stone of the Gods, and said unto him, 'By a narrow circuitous
+path you will reach the cave of the Schumnu. Go without fear or
+trembling therein. Knock at the door and say, "I am the human
+physician." They will then lead thee to the Schumnu Chan, that you may
+draw out the arrow from his eyes; then lay hands upon the arrow,
+scatter seven sorts of grain towards heaven, and drive the arrow yet
+deeper into his head.'
+
+"Thus spake Churmusta authoritatively, and Massang obeyed his
+commands; reached, without erring, the cavern of the Schumnu, and
+knocked at the door. 'What hast thou learned?' inquired the woman. 'I
+am a physician,' answered Massang; and he was conducted into the
+building. He examined the wound of the Chan, and laid hands upon the
+arrow. 'Already,' said the Chan, 'my wound feels better.' But Massang
+suddenly drove the arrow further into the head, scattered the seven
+grains towards heaven, and a chain fell clattering from heaven down to
+earth.
+
+"But while Massang was preparing to lay hands upon the chain, the
+Schumnu woman smote him with an iron hammer with such force, that from
+the blow there sprang forth seven stars."
+
+"Then," said the Son of the Chan, "he was not able to reward his
+father."
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood
+jonkzang." Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's third relation treats of the adventures of Massang.
+
+
+THE MAGICIAN WITH THE SWINE'S HEAD.
+
+When the Son of the Chan had, as before, seized upon Ssidi, and was
+carrying him away, Ssidi spoke as formerly, but the Son of the Chan
+shook his head, without uttering a word, and Ssidi began the following
+relation:--
+
+"A long while since there lived in a happy country a man and a woman.
+The man had many bad qualities, and cared for nothing but eating,
+drinking, and sleeping. At last his wife said unto him, 'By thy mode
+of life thou hast wasted all thine inheritance. Arise thee, then, from
+thy bed, and while I am in the fields, go you out and look about you!'
+
+"As he, therefore, according to these words, was looking about him, he
+saw a multitude of people pass behind the pagoda with their herds; and
+birds, foxes, and dogs crowding and noising together around a
+particular spot. Thither he went, and there found a bladder of butter;
+so he took it home and placed it upon the shelf. When his wife
+returned and saw the bladder of butter upon the shelf, she asked,
+'Where found you this bladder of butter?' To this he replied, 'I did
+according to your word, and found this.' Then said the woman 'Thou
+went out but for an instant, and hast already found thus much.'
+
+"Then the man determined to display his abilities, and said, 'Procure
+me then a horse, some clothes, and a bloodhound.' The wife provided
+them accordingly; and the man taking with him, besides these, his bow,
+cap, and mantle, seated himself on horseback, led the hound in a
+leash, and rode forth at random. After he had crossed over several
+rivers he espied a fox. 'Ah,' thought he, 'that would serve my wife
+for a cap.'
+
+"So saying, he pursued the fox, and when it fled into a hamster's
+hole, the man got off his horse, placed his bow, arrows, and clothes
+upon the saddle, fastened the bloodhound to the bridle, and covered
+the mouth of the hole with his cap. The next thing he did was to take
+a large stone, and hammer over the hole with it; this frightened the
+fox, which ran out and fled with the cap upon its head. The hound
+followed the fox, and drew the horse along with it, so that they both
+vanished in an instant, and the man was left without any clothes.
+
+"After he had turned back a long way, he reached the country of a
+mighty Chan, entered the Chan's stable, and concealed himself in a
+stack of hay, so that merely his eyes were left uncovered. Not long
+afterwards, the beloved of the Chan was walking out, and wishing to
+look at a favourite horse, she approached close to the hayrick, placed
+the talisman of life of the Chan's kingdom upon the ground, left it
+there, and returned back to the palace without recollecting it. The
+man saw the wonderful stone, but was too lazy to pick it up. At sunset
+the cows came by, and the stone was beaten into the ground. Some time
+afterwards a servant came and cleansed the place, and the wonderful
+stone was cast aside upon a heap.
+
+"On the following day the people were informed, by the beating of the
+kettledrums, that the beloved of the Chan had lost the wonderful
+stone. At the same time, all the magicians and soothsayers and
+interpreters of signs were summoned, and questioned upon the subject.
+On hearing this, the man in the hayrick crept out as far as his
+breast, and when the people thronged around him and asked, 'What hast
+thou learned?' he replied, 'I am a magician.' On hearing these words
+they exclaimed, 'Because the wondrous stone of the Chan is missing,
+all the magicians in the country are summoned to appear before him. Do
+you then draw nigh unto the Chan.' The man said, 'I have no clothes.'
+Hereupon the whole crowd hastened to the Chan, and announced unto him
+thus: 'In the hayrick there lieth a magician who has no clothes. This
+magician would draw nigh unto you, but he has nought to appear in.'
+The Chan said, 'Send unto him this robe of cloth, and let him
+approach.' It was done.
+
+"The man was fetched, and after he had bowed down to the Chan, he was
+asked what he needed for the performance of his magic charms. To this
+question he replied, 'For the performance of my magic charms, it is
+needful that I should have the head of a swine, some cloths of five
+colours, and some baling' (a sacred figure of dough or paste). When
+all these things were prepared, the magician deposited the swine's
+head at the foot of a tree, dressed it with the cloths of five
+colours, fastened on the large baling, and passed the whole of three
+nights in meditation. On the day appointed, all the people assembled,
+and the magician having put on a great durga (cloak), placed himself,
+with the swine's head in his hand, in the street. When they were all
+assembled together, the magician, showing the swine's head, said,
+'Here not and there not.' All were gladdened at hearing these words.
+'Because, therefore,' said the magician, 'the wonderful stone is not
+to be found among the people, we must seek for it elsewhere.'
+
+"With these words the magician, still holding the swine's head in his
+hand, drew nigh unto the palace, and the Chan and his attendants
+followed him, singing songs of rejoicing. When, at last, the magician
+arrived at the heap, he stood suddenly still, and exclaimed, 'There
+lies the wonderful stone.' Then, first removing some of the earth, he
+drew forth the stone, and cleansed it. 'Thou art a mighty magician,'
+joyfully exclaimed all who beheld it. 'Thou art the master of magic
+with the swine's head. Lift up thyself that thou mayest receive thy
+reward.' The Chan said, 'Thy reward shall be whatsoever thou wilt.'
+The magician, who thought only of the property he had lost, said,
+'Give unto me a horse, with saddle and bridle, a bow and arrows, a
+cap, a mantle, a hound, and a fox. Such things give unto me.' At these
+words the Chan exclaimed, 'Give him all that he desireth.' This was
+done, and the magician returned home with all that he desired, and
+with two elephants, one carrying meat, and the other butter.
+
+"His wife met him close to his dwelling, with brandy for him to drink,
+and said, 'Now, indeed, thou art become a mighty man.' Thereupon they
+went into the house, and when they had laid themselves down to sleep,
+the wife said to him, 'Where hast thou found so much flesh and so much
+butter?' Then her husband related to her circumstantially the whole
+affair, and she answered him saying, 'Verily, thou art a stupid ass.
+To-morrow I will go with a letter to the Chan.'
+
+"The wife accordingly wrote a letter, and in the letter were the
+following words:--'Because it was known unto me that the lost
+wondrous stone retained some evil influence over the Chan, I have, for
+the obviating of that influence, desired of him the dog and the fox.
+What I may receive for my reward depends upon the pleasure of the
+Chan.'
+
+"The Chan read the letter through, and sent costly presents to the
+magician. And the magician lived pleasantly and happily.
+
+"Now in a neighbouring country there dwelt seven Chans, brethren. Once
+upon a time they betook themselves, for pastime, to an extensive
+forest, and there they discovered a beauteous maiden with a buffalo,
+and they asked, 'What are you two doing here? Whence come you?' The
+maiden answered, 'I come from an eastern country, and am the daughter
+of a Chan. This buffalo accompanies me.' At these words these others
+replied, 'We are the seven brethren of a Chan, and have no wife. Wilt
+thou be our wife?'[1] The maiden answered, 'So be it.' But the maiden
+and the buffalo were two Mangusch (a species of evil spirit like the
+Schumnu), and were seeking out men whom they might devour. The male
+Mangusch was a buffalo, and the female, she who became wife to the
+brethren.
+
+    [1] It is in accordance with the customs of Thibet for a
+    woman of that country to have several husbands.
+
+"After the Mangusch had slain, yearly, one of the brethren of the
+Chan, there was only one remaining. And because he was suffering from
+a grievous sickness, the ministers consulted together and said, 'For
+the sickness of the other Chans we have tried all means of cure, and
+yet have found no help, neither do we in this case know what to
+advise. But the magician with the swine's head dwells only two
+mountains off from us, and he is held in great estimation; let us,
+without further delay, send for him to our assistance.'
+
+"Upon this four mounted messengers were despatched for the magician,
+and when they arrived at his dwelling, they made known to him the
+object of their mission. 'I will,' said the magician, 'consider of
+this matter in the course of the night, and will tell you in the
+morning what is to be done.'
+
+"During the night he related to his wife what was required of him, and
+his wife said, 'You are looked upon, up to this time, as a magician of
+extraordinary skill; but from this time there is an end to your
+reputation. However, it cannot be helped, so go you must.'
+
+"On the following morning the magician said to the messengers, 'During
+the night-time I have pondered upon this matter, and a good omen has
+presented itself to me in a dream. Let me not tarry any longer but
+ride forth to-day.' The magician, thereupon, equipped himself in a
+large cloak, bound his hair together on the crown of his head, carried
+in his left hand the rosary, and in his right the swine's head,
+enveloped in the cloths of five colours.
+
+"When in this guise he presented himself before the dwelling-place of
+the Chan, the two Mangusch were sorely frightened, and thought to
+themselves, 'This man has quite the appearance, quite the countenance,
+of a man of learning.' Then the magician, first placing a baling on
+the pillow of the bed, lifted up the swine's head, and muttered
+certain magic words.
+
+"The wife of the Chan seeing this discontinued tormenting the soul of
+the Chan, and fled in all haste out of the room. The Chan, by this
+conduct being freed from the pains of sickness, sank into a sound
+sleep. 'What is this?' exclaimed the magician, filled with affright.
+'The disease has grown worse, the sick man uttereth not a sound; the
+sick man hath departed.' Thus thinking, he cried, 'Chan, Chan!' But
+because the Chan uttered no sound, the magician seized the swine's
+head, vanished through the door, and entered the treasure-chamber. No
+sooner had he done so, than 'Thief, thief!' sounded in his ears, and
+the magician fled into the kitchen; but the cry of 'Stop that thief!
+stop that thief!' still followed him. Thus pursued the magician
+thought to himself, 'This night it is of no use to think of getting
+away, so I will, therefore, conceal myself in a corner of the stable.'
+Thus thinking, he opened the door, and there found a buffalo, that
+lay there as if wearied with a long journey. The magician took the
+swine's head, and struck the buffalo three times between the horns,
+whereupon the buffalo sprang up and fled like the wind.
+
+"But the magician followed after the buffalo, and when he approached
+the spot where he was, he heard the male Mangusch say to his female
+companion, 'Yonder magician knew that I was in the stable; with his
+frightful swine's head he struck me three blows--so that it was time
+for me to escape from him.' And the Chan's wife replied, 'I too am so
+afraid, because of his great knowledge, that I would not willingly
+return; for, of a certainty, things will go badly with us. To-morrow
+he will gather together the men with weapons and arms, and will say
+unto the women, "Bring hither firing;" when this is done he will say,
+"Lead the buffalo hither." And when thou appearest, he will say unto
+thee, "Put off the form thou hast assumed." And because all resistance
+would be useless, the people perceiving thy true shape will fall upon
+thee with swords, and spears, and stones; and when they have put thee
+to death, they will consume thee with fire. At last the magician will
+cause me to be dragged forth and consumed with fire. Oh, but I am sore
+afraid!'
+
+"When the magician heard these words, he said to himself, 'After this
+fashion may the thing be easily accomplished.' Upon this he betook
+himself, with the swine's head to the Chan, lifted up the baling,
+murmured his words of magic, and asked, 'How is it now with the
+sickness of the Chan?' And the Chan replied, 'Upon the arrival of the
+master of magic the sickness passed away, and I have slept soundly.'
+Then the magician spake as follows: 'To-morrow, then, give this
+command to thy ministers, that they collect the whole of the people
+together, and that the women be desired to bring firing with them.'
+
+"When, in obedience to these directions, there were two lofty piles of
+fagots gathered together, the magician said, 'Place my saddle upon the
+buffalo.' Then the magician rode upon the saddled buffalo three times
+around the assembled people, then removed the saddle from the buffalo,
+smote it three times with the swine's head, and said, 'Put off the
+form thou hast assumed.'
+
+"At these words the buffalo was transformed into a fearful ugly
+Mangusch. His eyes were bloodshot, his upper tusks descended to his
+breast, his bottom tusks reached up to his eyelashes, so that he was
+fearful to behold. When the people had hewed this Mangusch to pieces
+with sword and with arrow, with spear and with stone, and his body was
+consumed upon one of the piles of fagots, then said the magician,
+'Bring forth the wife of the Chan.' And with loud cries did the wife
+of the Chan come forth, and the magician smote her with the swine's
+head, and said, 'Appear in thine own form!' Immediately her long tusks
+and bloodshot eyes exhibited the terrific figure of a female Mangusch.
+
+"After the wife of the Chan had been cut in pieces, and consumed by
+fire, the magician mounted his horse; but the people bowed themselves
+before him, and strewed grain over him, presented him with gifts, and
+regaled him so on every side, that he was only enabled to reach the
+palace of the Chan on the following morning. Then spake the Chan, full
+of joy, to the magician, 'How can I reward you for the great deed that
+thou hast done?' And the magician answered, 'In our country there are
+but few nose-sticks for oxen to be found. Give me, I pray you, some of
+these nose-sticks.' Thus spake he, and the Chan had him conducted home
+with three sacks of nose-sticks, and seven elephants bearing meat and
+butter.
+
+"Near unto his dwelling his wife came with brandy to meet him; and
+when she beheld the elephants, she exclaimed, 'Now, indeed, thou art
+become a mighty man.' Then they betook themselves to their house, and
+at night-time the wife of the magician asked him, 'How camest thou to
+be presented with such gifts?' The magician replied, 'I have cured the
+sickness of the Chan, and consumed with fire two Mangusch.' At these
+words she replied, 'Verily, thou hast behaved very foolishly. After
+such a beneficial act, to desire nothing but nose-sticks for cattle!
+To-morrow I myself will go to the Chan.'
+
+"On the morrow the wife drew near unto the Chan, and presented unto
+him a letter from the magician, and in this letter stood the following
+words:--'Because the magician was aware that of the great evil of the
+Chan a lesser evil still remained behind, he desired of him the
+nose-sticks. What he is to receive as a reward depends upon the
+pleasure of the Chan.'
+
+"'He is right,' replied the Chan, and he summoned the magician, with
+his father and mother, and all his relations before him, and received
+them with every demonstration of honour. 'But for you I should have
+died; the kingdom would have been annihilated; the ministers and all
+the people consumed as the food of the Mangusch. I, therefore, will
+honour thee,' and he bestowed upon him proofs of his favour."
+
+"Both man and wife were intelligent," exclaimed the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny," replied Ssidi, "thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala
+missdood jakzang!" Thus spake he, and burst from the sack through the
+air.
+
+Ssidi's fourth relation treats of the Magician with the head of the
+Swine.
+
+
+THE HISTORY OF SUNSHINE AND HIS BROTHER.
+
+As the Chan's Son was journeying along as before, laden with Ssidi,
+Ssidi inquired of him as formerly who should tell a tale. But the Son
+of the Chan shook his head without speaking a word, and Ssidi began as
+follows:--
+
+"Many years ago Guchanasschang reigned over a certain happy land. This
+Chan had a wife and a son, whose name was Sunshine (Narrani Garral).
+Upon the death of his first wife the Chan married a second; and by her
+likewise he had a son, and the name of his second son was Moonshine
+(Ssarrani Garral). And when both these sons were grown up, the wife of
+the Chan thought to herself, 'So long as Sunshine, the elder brother,
+lives, Moonshine, the younger, will never be Chan over this land.'
+
+"Some time after this the wife of the Chan fell sick, and tossed and
+tumbled about on her bed from the seeming agony she endured. And the
+Chan inquired of her, 'What can be done for you, my noble spouse?' To
+these words the wife of the Chan replied, 'Even at the time I dwelt
+with my parents I was subject to this sickness. But now it is become
+past bearing. I know, indeed, but one way of removing it; and that way
+is so impracticable, that there is nothing left for me but to die.'
+Hereupon spake the Chan, 'Tell unto me this way of help, and though it
+should cost me half my kingdom thou shalt have it. Tell me what thou
+requirest.' Thus spake he, and his wife replied with the following
+words, 'If the heart of one of the Chan's sons were roasted in the fat
+of the Gunsa (a beast); but thou wilt not, of course, sacrifice
+Sunshine for this purpose; and I myself bare Moonshine, his heart I
+will not consume. So that there is now nothing left for me but to
+die.' The Chan replied, 'Of a surety Sunshine is my son, and
+inexpressibly dear unto me; but in order that I may not lose thee, I
+will to-morrow deliver him over to the Jargatschi' (the servants of
+Justice).
+
+"Moonshine overheard these words and hastened to his brother, and
+said, 'To-morrow they will murder thee.' When he had related all the
+circumstances, the brother replied, 'Since it is so, do you remain at
+home, honouring your father and mother. The time of my flight is
+come.' Then said Moonshine with a troubled heart, 'Alone I will not
+remain, but I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.'
+
+"Because the following day was appointed for the murder, the two
+brothers took a sack with baling-cakes from the altar, crept out at
+night, for it was the night of the full moon, from the palace, and
+journeyed on day and night through the mountainous country, until they
+at length arrived at the course of a dried-up river. Because their
+provender was finished, and the river afforded no water, Moonshine
+fell to the earth utterly exhausted. Then spake the elder brother,
+full of affliction, 'I will go and seek water; but do you watch an
+instant until I come down from the high places.'
+
+"After some vain attempts Sunshine returned, and found that his
+brother had departed this life. After he had with great tenderness
+covered the body of his brother with stones, he wandered over high
+mountains, and then arrived at the entrance of a cave. Within the cave
+sat an aged Arschi. 'Whence comest thou?' inquired the old man, 'thy
+countenance betokeneth deep affliction.' And when the youth had
+related all that had passed, the old man, taking with him the means of
+awakening the dead, went with the youth to the grave, and called
+Moonshine back to life. 'Will ye be unto me as sons?' Thus spake the
+old man, and the two young men became as sons unto him.
+
+"Not far from this place there reigned a mighty Chan of fearful power;
+and the time was approaching in this country when the fields were
+watered, but the crocodiles prevented this. The crocodiles frequented
+a marsh at the source of the river, and would not allow the water to
+stream forth until such times as a Son of the Tiger-year[2] had been
+offered to them as food. After a time it happened that when search
+had been made in vain for a Son of the Tiger-year, certain people drew
+nigh unto the Chan, and said, 'Near unto the source of the river
+dwelleth the old Arschi, and with him a Son of the Tiger-year. Thither
+led we our cattle to drink, and we saw him.'
+
+    [2] Among the Calmucs every year has its peculiar name, and
+    persons born in any year are called the children of that
+    year.
+
+"When he heard this, the Chan said, 'Go and fetch him.'
+
+"Accordingly the messengers were despatched for him, and when they
+arrived at the entrance of the cave, the Arschi himself came forth.
+'What is it that ye seek here?' inquired the aged Arschi. 'The Chan,'
+replied they, 'speaketh to thee thus: Thou hast a Son of the
+Tiger-year. My kingdom hath need of him: send him unto me.' But the
+Arschi said, 'Who could have told you so? who, indeed, would dwell
+with an old Arschi?'
+
+"Thus speaking he retired into his cave, closed the door after him,
+and concealed the youth in a stone chest, placed the lid on him, and
+cemented up the crevices with clay, as if it was from the distillation
+of arrack. But the messengers having broken down the door, thrust
+themselves into the cave, searched it, and then said, 'Since he whom
+we sought is not here, we are determined that nothing shall be left in
+the cave.' Thus speaking, they drew their swords; and the youth said,
+out of fear for the Arschi, 'Hurt not my father; I am here.'
+
+"And when the youth was come forth, the messengers took him with
+them; but the Arschi they left behind them weeping and sorrowing. When
+the youth entered into the palace of the Chan, the daughter of the
+Chan beheld him and loved him, and encircled his neck with her arms.
+But the attendants addressed the Chan, saying, 'To-day is the day
+appointed for the casting of the Son of the Tiger-year into the
+waters.' Upon this the Chan said, 'Let him then be cast into the
+waters!' But when they would have led him forth for that purpose, the
+daughter of the Chan spake and said, 'Cast him not into the waters, or
+cast me into the waters with him.'
+
+"And when the Chan heard these words, he was angered, and said,
+'Because this maiden careth so little for the welfare of the kingdom,
+over which I am Chan, let her be bound fast unto the Son of the
+Tiger-year, and let them be cast together into the waters.' And the
+attendants said, 'It shall be according as you have commanded.'
+
+"And when the youth was bound fast, and with the maiden cast into the
+waters, he cried out, 'Since I am the Son of the Tiger-year, it is
+certainly lawful for them to cast me into the waters; but why should
+this charming maiden die, who so loveth me?' But the maiden said,
+'Since I am but an unworthy creature, it is certainly lawful for them
+to cast me into the waters; but wherefore do they cast in this
+beauteous youth?'
+
+"Now the crocodiles heard these words, felt compassion, and placed
+the lovers once more upon the shore. And no sooner had this happened
+than the streams began to flow again. And when they were thus saved,
+the maiden said to the youth, 'Come with me, I pray you, unto the
+palace?' and he replied, 'When I have sought out my father Arschi,
+then will I come, and we will live together unsevered as man and
+wife.'
+
+"Accordingly the youth returned to the cave of the old Arschi, and
+knocked at the door. 'I am thy son,' said he. 'My son,' replied the
+old man, 'has the Chan taken and slain; therefore it is that I sit
+here and weep.' At these words the son replied, 'Of a verity I am thy
+son. The Chan indeed bade them cast me into the waters; but because
+the crocodiles devoured me not, I am returned unto you. Weep not, O my
+father!'
+
+"Arschi then opened the door, but he had suffered his beard and the
+hair of his head to grow, so that he looked like a dead man. Sunshine
+washed him therefore with milk and with water, and aroused him by
+tender words from his great sorrow.
+
+"Now when the maiden returned back again to the palace, the Chan and
+the whole people were exceedingly amazed. 'The crocodiles,' they
+exclaimed, 'have, contrary to their wont, felt compassion for this
+maiden and spared her. This is indeed a very wonder.' So the whole
+people passed around the maiden, bowing themselves down before her.
+But the Chan said, 'That the maiden is returned is indeed very good.
+But the Son of the Tiger-year is assuredly devoured.' At these words
+his daughter replied unto him, 'The Son of the Tiger-year assuredly is
+not devoured. On account of his goodness his life was spared him.'
+
+"And when she said this, all were more than ever surprised. 'Arise!'
+said the Chan to his ministers, 'lead this youth hither.' Agreeably to
+these commands, the ministers hastened to the cave of the aged Arschi.
+Both Arschi and the youth arose, and when they approached unto the
+dwelling of the Chan, the Chan said, 'For the mighty benefits which
+this youth has conferred upon us, and upon our dominions, we feel
+ourselves bound to go forth to meet him.'
+
+"Thus spake he, and he went forth to meet the youth, and led him into
+the interior of the palace, and placed him upon one of the seats
+appropriated to the nobles. 'O thou most wondrous youth!' he
+exclaimed, 'art thou indeed the son of Arschi?' The youth replied, 'I
+am the Son of a Chan. But because my stepmother, out of the love she
+bare to her own son, sought to slay me, I fled, and, accompanied by my
+younger brother, arrived at the cave of the aged Arschi.'
+
+"When the Son of the Chan related all this, the Chan loaded him with
+honours, and gave his daughters for wives unto the two brothers, and
+sent them, with many costly gifts and a good retinue, home to their
+own kingdom. Thither they went, drew nigh unto the palace, and wrote a
+letter as follows:--'To the Chan their father, the two brothers are
+returned back again.'
+
+"Now the father and mother had for many years bewailed the loss of
+both their sons, and their sorrows had rendered them so gloomy that
+they remained ever alone.
+
+"On receipt of this letter they sent forth a large body of people to
+meet their children. But because the wife of the Chan saw both the
+youths approaching with costly gifts and a goodly retinue, so great
+was her envy that she died."
+
+"She was very justly served!" exclaimed the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood
+jonkzang." Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's fifth relation treats of Sunshine and his brother.
+
+
+THE WONDERFUL MAN WHO OVERCAME THE CHAN.
+
+When the Son of the Chan had proceeded as formerly to seize the dead
+one, then spake he the threatening words, seized upon Ssidi, thrust
+him into the sack, tied the sack fast, ate of the butter-cakes, and
+journeyed forth with his burden. After Ssidi had as before asked who
+should tell the tale, and the Son of the Chan had replied by merely
+shaking his head, Ssidi began the following relation:--
+
+"A long, long time ago there lived in the land of Barschiss, a wild,
+high-spirited man, who would not allow any one to be above him. Then
+spake the Chan of the kingdom to him, full of displeasure, 'Away with
+thee, thou good-for-nothing one! Away with thee to some other
+kingdom!' Thus spake he, and the wild man departed forth out of the
+country.
+
+"On his journey he arrived about mid-day at a forest, where he found
+the body of a horse, which had been somehow killed, and he accordingly
+cut off its head, fastened it to his girdle, and climbed up a tree.
+
+"About midnight there assembled a host of Tschadkurrs (evil spirits)
+mounted upon horses of bark, wearing likewise caps of bark, and they
+placed themselves around the tree. Afterwards there assembled together
+other Tschadkurrs, mounted upon horses of paper, and having caps of
+paper on their heads, and they likewise placed themselves around the
+tree.
+
+"During the time that those who were assembled were partaking of
+various choice wines and liquors, the man peeped anxiously down from
+the tree, and as he was doing so, the horse's head fell down from his
+belt. The Tschadkurrs were thereby exceedingly alarmed; so much that
+they fled hither and thither uttering fearful cries.
+
+"On the following morning the man descended from the tree, and said,
+'This night there was in this spot many choice viands and liquors, and
+now they are all vanished.' And while he was thus speaking, he found a
+brandy flask, and as he was anxious for something to drink, he
+immediately applied the flask which he had found to his lips; when
+suddenly there sprang out of it meat and cakes and other delicacies
+fit for eating. 'This flask,' cried he, 'is of a surety a wishing
+flask, which will procure him who has it everything he desires. I will
+take the flask with me.'
+
+"And when he had thus spoken, he continued his journey until he met
+with a man holding a sword in his hand. 'Wherefore,' cried he, 'dost
+thou carry that sword in thine hand?' And the man answered, 'This
+sword is called Kreischwinger; and when I say to it, "Kreischwinger,
+thither goes a man who has taken such a thing from me, follow him and
+bring it back," Kreischwinger goes forth, kills the man, and brings my
+property back again.' To this the first replied, 'Out of this vessel
+springeth everything you desire; let us exchange.' So accordingly they
+made an exchange; and when the man went away with the flask, he who
+now owned the sword said, 'Kreischwinger, go forth now and bring me
+back my flask.' So the sword went forth, smote his former master dead,
+and brought the golden vessel back again.
+
+"When he had journeyed a little further, he met a man holding in his
+hand an iron hammer. 'Wherefore,' cried he, 'dost thou hold this
+hammer in thy hand?' To this question the other replied, 'When I
+strike the earth nine times with this hammer, there immediately arises
+a wall of iron, nine pillars high.' Then said the first, 'Let us make
+an exchange.' And when the exchange was made, he cried out,
+'Kreischwinger, go forth and bring me back my golden vessel!'
+
+"After Kreischwinger had slain the man, and brought back the golden
+vessel, the man journeyed on until he encountered another man,
+carrying in his bosom a sack, made of goatskin, and he asked him,
+'Wherefore keepest thou that sack?' To this question the other
+replied, 'This sack is a very wonderful thing. When you shake it, it
+rains heavily; and if you shake it very hard, it rains very heavily.'
+Hereupon the owner of the flask said, 'Let us change,' and they
+changed accordingly; and the sword went forth, slew the man, and
+returned back to its master with the golden vessel.
+
+"When the man found himself in the possession of all these wonderful
+things, he said unto himself, 'The Chan of my country is indeed a
+cruel man; nevertheless I will turn back unto my native land.' When
+he had thus considered, he turned back again, and concealed himself in
+the neighbourhood of the royal palace.
+
+"About midnight he struck the earth nine times with his iron hammer,
+and there arose an iron wall nine pillars high.
+
+"On the following morning the Chan arose, and said, 'During the night
+I have heard a mighty tock, tock at the back of the palace.' Thereupon
+the wife of the Chan looked out, and said, 'At the back of the palace
+there stands an iron wall nine pillars high.' Thus spake she; and the
+Chan replied, full of anger, 'The wild, high-spirited man has of a
+surety erected this iron wall; but we shall see whether he or I will
+be the conqueror.'
+
+"When he had spoken these words the Chan commanded all the people to
+take fuel and bellows, and make the iron wall red-hot on every side.
+Thereupon there was an immense fire kindled, and the Wonderful Man
+found himself, with his mother, within the wall of iron. He was
+himself upon the upper pillars, but his mother was on the eighth. And
+because the heat first reached the mother, she exclaimed unto her son,
+'The fires which the Chan has commanded the people to kindle will
+destroy the iron wall, and we shall both die.' The son replied, 'Have
+no fear, mother, for I can find means to prevent it.'
+
+"When he had spoken these words he shook the sack of goatskin, and
+there descended heavy rain and extinguished the fire. After that he
+shook the sack still more forcibly, and there arose around them a
+mighty sea, which carried away both the fuel and the bellows which the
+people had collected."
+
+"Thus, then, the Wonderful gained the mastery over the Chan,"
+exclaimed the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood jakzang!"
+Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's sixth relation treats of the Wonderful Man who
+overpowered the Chan.
+
+
+THE BIRD-MAN.
+
+When the Son of the Chan had done as formerly, spoken the threatening
+words, and carried off Ssidi, Ssidi asked him as before to tell a
+tale; but the Son of the Chan shook his head without speaking a word,
+and Ssidi began as follows:--
+
+"In times gone by there lived in a fair country the father of a
+family, whose three daughters had daily by turns to watch over the
+calves. Now it once happened, during the time that the eldest sister
+should have been watching the calves, that she fell asleep, and one of
+them was lost. When the maiden awoke and missed the calf, she arose
+and went forth to seek it, and wandered about until she reached a
+large house with a red door.
+
+"She went in, and then came to a golden door, next to that to a
+silver one, and last of all to a brazen door. After she had likewise
+opened this door she found, close to the entrance of it, a cage
+decorated with gold and all manner of costly jewels, and within it, on
+a perch, there stood a white bird.
+
+"'I have lost a calf,' said the maiden, 'and am come hither to seek
+it.' At these words the bird said, 'If thou wilt become my wife I will
+find the calf for you, but not without.' But the maiden said, 'That
+may not be; among men birds are looked upon but as wild creatures.
+Therefore I will not become your wife, even though, through refusing,
+I lose the calf for ever.' And when she had thus spoken she returned
+home again.
+
+"On the following day the second sister went forth to tend the calves,
+and she likewise lost one of them. And it happened unto her as it had
+done unto the eldest sister, and she too refused to become the wife of
+the bird.
+
+"At last the youngest sister went forth with the calves, and when she
+missed one she too wandered on until she reached the house wherein the
+bird resided. The bird said unto her likewise, 'If thou wilt become my
+wife, I will procure for thee the calf which thou hast lost.' 'Be it
+according to thy will.' Thus spake she, and became the wife of the
+bird.
+
+"After some time it happened that a mighty thirteen days' feast was
+held at a large pagoda in the neighbourhood, and upon this occasion a
+number of persons assembled together, amongst the rest the wife of the
+bird. And she was the foremost among the women; but among the men the
+most noticed was an armed man, who rode upon a white horse three times
+round the assemblage. And all who saw him exclaimed, 'He is the
+first.'
+
+"And when the woman returned home again the white bird demanded of
+her, 'Who were the foremost among the men and the women who were there
+assembled together?' Then said the woman, 'The foremost among the men
+was seated upon a white horse, but I knew him not. The foremost of the
+women was myself.'
+
+"And for eleven days did these things so fall out. But on the twelfth
+day, when the wife of the bird went to the assemblage, she sat herself
+down near an old woman. 'Who,' said the old woman, 'is the first in
+the assemblage this day?' To this question the wife of the bird
+replied, 'Among the men, the rider upon the white horse is beyond all
+comparison the foremost. Among the women, I myself am so. Would that I
+were bound unto this man, for my husband is numbered among wild
+creatures since he is nothing but a bird.'
+
+"Thus spake she, weeping, and the old woman replied as
+follows:--'Speak ye no more words like unto these. Amongst the
+assembled women thou art in all things the foremost. But the rider
+upon the white horse is thine own husband. To-morrow is the
+thirteenth day of the feast. Come not to-morrow unto the feast, but
+remain at home behind the door until thine husband opens his
+birdhouse, takes his steed from the stable, and rides to the feast.
+Take ye, then, the open birdhouse and burn it. And when thou hast done
+this thy husband will remain henceforth and for ever in his true
+form.'
+
+"The wife of the bird, thereupon, did as she had been told; and when
+the birdhouse was opened, and her husband had departed, she took the
+birdhouse and burnt it upon the hearth. When the sun bowed down
+towards the west the bird returned home, and said to his wife, 'What,
+art thou already returned?' and she said, 'I am already returned.'
+Then said her husband, 'Where is my birdhouse?' And the wife replied,
+'I have burnt it.' And he said, 'Barama, that is a pretty
+business--that birdhouse was my soul.'
+
+"And his wife was troubled, and said, 'What is now to be done?' To
+these words the bird replied, 'There is nothing can be done now,
+except you seat yourself behind the door, and there by day and night
+keep clattering a sword. But if the clattering sword ceases, the
+Tschadkurrs will carry me away. Seven days and seven nights must ye
+thus defend me from the Tschadkurrs and from the Tângâri.'
+
+"At these words the wife took the sword, propped open her eyelids
+with little sticks, and watched for the space of six nights. On the
+seventh night her eyelids closed for an instant, but in that instant
+the Tschadkurrs and Tângâri suddenly snatched her husband away.
+
+"Weeping bitterly, and despising all nourishment, the distracted wife
+ran about everywhere, crying unceasingly, 'Alas, my bird-husband!
+Alas, my bird-husband!'
+
+"When she had sought for him day and night without finding him, she
+heard from the top of a mountain the voice of her husband. Following
+the sound, she discovered that the voice proceeded from the river. She
+ran to the river, and then discovered her husband with a load of
+tattered boots upon his back. 'Oh! my heart is greatly rejoiced,' said
+the husband, 'at seeing thee once more. I am forced to draw water for
+the Tschadkurrs and the Tângâri, and have worn out all these boots in
+doing so. If thou wishest to have me once again, build me a new
+birdhouse, and dedicate it to my soul; then I shall come back again.'
+
+"With these words he vanished into the air. But the woman betook
+herself home to the house again, made a new birdhouse, and dedicated
+it to the soul of her husband. At length the bird-man appeared and
+perched himself on the roof of the house."
+
+"Truly, his wife was an excellent wife!" exclaimed the Son of the
+Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood
+jakzang!" Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's seventh relation treats of the Bird-man.
+
+
+THE PAINTER AND THE WOOD-CARVER.
+
+When the Son of the Chan had, as on all the former occasions, spoken
+the words of threatening, placed the dead one in the sack, and
+journeyed forth with him, Ssidi spake this time also as follows:--"The
+day is long, and the distant journey will tire us: do you relate a
+tale unto me, or I will relate one unto you." But the Son of the Chan
+shook his head without saying a word, and Ssidi began as follows:--
+
+"Many years ago there lived in the land of Gujassmunn a Chan, whose
+name was Gunisschang. This Chan, however, died, and his son Chamuk
+Sakiktschi was elected Chan in his place. Now there lived among the
+people of that country a painter and a wood-carver, who bore similar
+names, and were evilly disposed towards each other.
+
+"Once upon a time the painter, Gunga, drew nigh unto the Chan, and
+said unto him, 'Thy father hath been borne into the kingdom of the
+Tângâri, and hath said unto me, "Come unto me!" Thither I went, and
+found thy father in great power and splendour; and I have brought for
+you this letter from him.' With these words the painter delivered unto
+the Chan a forged letter, the contents of which were as follows:--
+
+"'This letter is addressed to my son Chamuk Sakiktschi.
+
+"'When I departed this life, I was borne to the kingdom of the
+Tângâri. An abundance of all things reigns in this land; but since I
+am desirous of erecting a pagoda, and there are no wood-carvers to be
+found here, do you despatch unto me Cunga, the wood-carver. The means
+by which he is to reach this place he may learn from the painter.'
+
+"After he had perused this letter, the Chan of Gujassmunn said, 'If my
+father has really been carried into the realms of the Tângâri, that
+would indeed be a good thing. Call hither the wood-carver.' The
+wood-carver was called, and appeared before the Chan, and the Chan
+said unto him, 'My father has been carried into the realms of the
+Tângâri. He is desirous of erecting a pagoda, and because there are no
+wood-carvers there he is desirous that you should be despatched unto
+him.'
+
+"With these words the Chan displayed the forged letter, and when he
+had read it, the wood-carver said unto himself, 'Of a surety Gunga,
+the painter, has played me this trick; but I will try if I cannot
+overreach him.'
+
+"Thus thinking, he inquired of the painter, 'By what means can I
+reach the kingdom of the Tângâri?'
+
+"To these words, the painter replied, 'When thou hast prepared all thy
+tools and implements of trade, then place thyself upon a pile of
+fagots, and when thou hast sung songs of rejoicing and set light to
+the pile of fagots, thus wilt thou be able to reach the kingdom of the
+Tângâri.' Thus spake he, and the seventh night from that time was
+appointed for the carver's setting forth on his journey.
+
+"When the wood-carver returned home unto his wife, he spake unto her
+these words:--'The painter hath conceived wickedness in his mind
+against me; yet I shall try means to overreach him.'
+
+"Accordingly he secretly contrived a subterranean passage, which
+reached from his own house into the middle of his field. Over the
+aperture in the field he placed a large stone, covered the stone with
+earth, and when the seventh night was come, the Chan said, 'This night
+let the wood-carver draw nigh unto the Chan, my father.' Thereupon,
+agreeably to the commands of the Chan, every one of the people brought
+out a handful of the fat of the Gunsa (a beast). A huge fire was
+kindled, and the wood-cutter, when he had sung the songs of rejoicing,
+escaped by the covered way he had made back to his own house.
+
+"Meanwhile the painter was greatly rejoiced, and pointed upwards with
+his finger, and said, 'There rideth the wood-carver up to heaven.'
+All who had been present, too, betook themselves home, thinking in
+their hearts, 'The wood-carver is dead, and gone up above to the
+Chan.'
+
+"The wood-carver remained concealed at home a whole month, and allowed
+no man to set eyes upon him, but washed his head in milk every day,
+and kept himself always in the shade. After that he put on a garment
+of white silk, and wrote a letter, in which stood the following
+words:--
+
+"'This letter is addressed to my son Chamuk Sakiktschi. That thou
+rulest the kingdom in peace; it is very good. Since thy wood-carver
+has completed his work, it is needful that he should be rewarded
+according to his deserts. Since, moreover, for the decoration of the
+pagoda, many coloured paintings are necessary, send unto me the
+painter, as thou hast already sent this man.'
+
+"The wood-carver then drew nigh unto the Chan with this letter.
+'What!' cried the Chan, 'art thou returned from the kingdom of the
+Tângâri?' The wood-carver handed the letter unto him, and said, 'I
+have, indeed, been in the kingdom of the Tângâri, and from it I am
+returned home again.'
+
+"The Chan was greatly rejoiced when he heard this, and rewarded the
+wood-carver with costly presents. 'Because the painter is now
+required,' said the Chan, 'for the painting of the pagoda, let him now
+be called before me.'
+
+"The painter drew nigh accordingly, and when he saw the wood-carver,
+fair, and in white-shining robes, and decorated with gifts, he said
+unto himself, 'Then he is not dead!' And the Chan handed over to the
+painter the forged letter, with the seal thereto, and said, 'Thou must
+go now.'
+
+"And when the seventh night from that time arrived, the people came
+forward as before with a contribution of the fat of the Gunsa; and in
+the midst of the field a pile of fagots was kindled. The painter
+seated himself in the midst of the fire, with his materials for
+painting, and a letter and gifts of honour for the Chan Gunisschang,
+and sang songs of rejoicing; and as the fire kept growing more and
+more intolerable, he lifted up his voice and uttered piercing cries;
+but the noise of the instruments overpowered his voice, and at length
+the fire consumed him."
+
+"He was properly rewarded!" exclaimed the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood jakzang!"
+Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's eighth relation treats of the Painter and the
+Wood-carver.
+
+
+THE STEALING OF THE HEART.
+
+When the Son of the Chan was, as formerly, carrying Ssidi away in the
+sack, Ssidi inquired of him as before; but the Son of the Chan shook
+his head without speaking a word, so Ssidi proceeded as follows:--
+
+"Many, many years ago there ruled over a certain kingdom a Chan named
+Guguluktschi. Upon the death of this Chan his son, who was of great
+reputation and worth, was elected Chan in his place.
+
+"One berren (a measure of distance) from the residence of the Chan
+dwelt a man, who had a daughter of wonderful abilities and
+extraordinary beauty. The son of the Chan was enamoured of this
+maiden, and visited her daily; until, at length, he fell sick of a
+grievous malady, and died, without the maiden being made aware of it.
+
+"One night, just as the moon was rising, the maiden heard a knocking
+at the door, and the face of the maiden was gladdened when she beheld
+the son of the Chan; and the maiden arose and went to meet him, and
+she led him in and placed arrack and cakes before him. 'Wife,' said
+the son of the Chan, 'come with me!'
+
+"The maiden followed, and they kept going further and further, until
+they arrived at the dwelling of the Chan, from which proceeded the
+sound of cymbals and kettledrums.
+
+"'Chan, what is this?' she asked. The son of the Chan replied to these
+inquiries of the maiden, 'Do you not know that they are now
+celebrating the feast of my funeral?' Thus spake he; and the maiden
+replied, 'The feast of thy funeral! Has anything then befallen the
+Chan's son?' And the son of the Chan replied, 'He is departed. Thou
+wilt, however, bear a son unto him. And when the season is come, go
+into the stable of the elephant, and let him be born there. In the
+palace there will arise a contention betwixt my mother and her
+attendants, because of the wonderful stone of the kingdom. The
+wonderful stone lies under the table of sacrifice. After it has been
+discovered, do you and my mother reign over this kingdom until such
+time as my son comes of age.'
+
+"Thus spake he, and vanished into air. But his beloved fell, from very
+anguish, into a swoon. 'Chan! Chan!' exclaimed she sorrowfully, when
+she came to herself again. And because she felt that the time was
+come, she betook herself to the stable of the elephants, and there
+gave birth to a son.
+
+"On the following morning, when the keeper of the elephants entered
+the stable, he exclaimed, 'What! has a woman given birth to a son in
+the stable of the elephants? This never happened before. This may be
+an injury to the elephants.'
+
+"At these words the maiden said, 'Go unto the mother of the Chan, and
+say unto her, "Arise! something wonderful has taken place."'
+
+"When these words were told unto the mother of the Chan, then she
+arose and went unto the stable, and the maiden related unto her all
+that had happened, 'Wonderful!' said the mother of the Chan.
+'Otherwise the Chan had left no successors. Let us go together into
+the house.'
+
+"Thus speaking, she took the maiden with her into the house, and
+nursed her, and tended her carefully. And because her account of the
+wonderful stone was found correct, all the rest of her story was
+believed. So the mother of the Chan and his wife ruled over the
+kingdom.
+
+"Henceforth, too, it happened that every month, on the night of the
+full moon, the deceased Chan appeared to his wife, remained with her
+until morning dawned, and then vanished into air. And the wife
+recounted this to his mother, but his mother believed her not, and
+said, 'This is a mere invention. If it were true my son would, of a
+surety, show himself likewise unto me. If I am to believe your words,
+you must take care that mother and son meet one another.'
+
+"When the son of the Chan came on the night of the full moon, his wife
+said unto him, 'It is well that thou comest unto me on the night of
+every full moon, but it were yet better if thou camest every night.'
+And as she spake thus, with tears in her eyes, the son of the Chan
+replied, 'If thou hadst sufficient spirit to dare its accomplishment,
+thou mightest do what would bring me every night; but thou art young
+and cannot do it.' 'Then,' said she, 'if thou wilt but come every
+night, I will do all that is required of me, although I should thereby
+lose both flesh and bone.'
+
+"Thereupon the son of the Chan spake as follows: 'Then betake thyself
+on the night of the full moon a berren from this place to the iron old
+man, and give unto him arrack. A little further you will come unto two
+rams, to them you must offer batschimak cakes. A little further on you
+will perceive a host of men in coats of mail and other armour, and
+there you must share out meat and cakes. From thence you must proceed
+to a large black building, stained with blood; the skin of a man
+floats over it instead of a flag. Two aerliks (fiends) stand at the
+entrance. Present unto them both offerings of blood. Within the
+mansion thou wilt discover nine fearful exorcists, and nine hearts
+upon a throne. "Take me! take me!" will the eight old hearts exclaim;
+and the ninth heart will cry out, "Do not take me!" But leave the old
+hearts and take the fresh one, and run home with it without looking
+round.'
+
+"Much as the maiden was alarmed at the task which she had been
+enjoined to perform, she set forth on the night of the next full moon,
+divided the offerings, and entered the house. 'Take me not!' exclaimed
+the fresh heart; but the maiden seized the fresh heart and fled with
+it. The exorcists fled after her, and cried out to those who were
+watching, 'Stop the thief of the heart!' And the two aerliks (fiends)
+cried, 'We have received offerings of blood!' Then each of the armed
+men cried out, 'Stop the thief!' But the rams said, 'We have received
+batschimak cakes.' Then they called out to the iron old man, 'Stop the
+thief with the heart!' But the old man said, 'I have received arrack
+from her, and shall not stop her.'
+
+"Thereupon the maiden journeyed on without fear until she reached
+home; and she found upon entering the house the Chan's son, attired in
+festive garments. And the Chan's son drew nigh, and threw his arms
+about the neck of the maiden."
+
+"The maiden behaved well indeed!" exclaimed the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood jakzang."
+Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's ninth relation treats of the Stealing of the Heart.
+
+
+THE MAN AND HIS WIFE.
+
+When Ssidi had been captured as before, and was being carried away in
+the sack, he inquired, as he had always done, as to telling a tale;
+but the Son of the Chan shook his head without speaking a word.
+Whereupon Ssidi began the following relation:--
+
+"Many, many years since, there lived in the kingdom of Olmilsong two
+brothers, and they were both married. Now the elder brother and his
+wife were niggardly and envious, while the younger brother was of
+quite a different disposition.
+
+"Once upon a time the elder brother, who had contrived to gather
+together abundance of riches, gave a great feast, and invited many
+people to partake of it. When this was known, the younger thought to
+himself, 'Although my elder brother has hitherto not treated me very
+well, yet he will now, no doubt, since he has invited so many people
+to his feast, invite also me and my wife.' This he certainly expected,
+but yet he was not invited. 'Probably,' thought he, 'my brother will
+summon me to-morrow morning to the brandy-drinking.' Because, however,
+he was not even invited unto that, he grieved very sore, and said unto
+himself, 'This night, when my brother's wife has drunk the brandy, I
+will go unto the house and steal somewhat.'
+
+"When, however, he had glided into the treasure-chamber of his
+brother, there lay the wife of his brother near her husband; but
+presently she arose and went into the kitchen, and cooked meat and
+sweet food, and went out of the door with it. The concealed one did
+not venture at this moment to steal anything, but said unto himself,
+'Before I steal anything, I will just see what all this means.'
+
+"So saying, he went forth and followed the woman to a mountain where
+the dead were wont to be laid. On the top, upon a green mound, lay a
+beautiful ornamental tomb over the body of a dead man. This man had
+formerly been the lover of the woman. Even when afar off she called
+unto the dead man by name, and when she had come unto him she threw
+her arms about his neck; and the younger brother was nigh unto her,
+and saw all that she did.
+
+"The woman next handed the sweet food which she had prepared to the
+dead man, and because the teeth of the corse did not open, she
+separated them with a pair of brazen pincers, and pushed the food into
+his mouth. Suddenly the pincers bounced back from the teeth of the
+dead man, and snapped off the tip of the woman's nose; while, at the
+same time, the teeth of the dead man closed together and bit off the
+end of the woman's tongue. Upon this the woman took up the dish with
+the food and went back to her home.
+
+"The younger brother thereupon followed her home, and concealed
+himself in the treasure-chamber, and the wife laid herself down again
+by her husband. Presently the man began to move, when the wife
+immediately cried out, 'Woe is me! woe is me! was there ever such a
+man?' And the man said, 'What is the matter now?' The wife replied,
+'The point of my tongue, and the tip of my nose, both these thou hast
+bitten off. What can a woman do without these two things? To-morrow
+the Chan shall be made acquainted with this conduct.' Thus spake she,
+and the younger brother fled from the treasure-chamber without
+stealing anything.
+
+"On the following morning the woman presented herself before the Chan,
+and addressed him, saying, 'My husband has this night treated me
+shamefully. Whatsoever punishment may be awarded to him, I myself will
+see it inflicted.'
+
+"But the husband persisted in asserting, 'Of all this I know nothing!'
+Because the complaint of the wife seemed well-founded, and the man
+could not exculpate himself, the Chan said, 'Because of his evil
+deeds, let this man be burnt.'
+
+"When the younger brother heard what had befallen the elder, he went
+to see him. And after the younger one had related to him all the
+affair, he betook himself unto the Chan, saying, 'That the evildoer
+may be really discovered, let both the woman and her husband be
+summoned before you; I will clear up the mystery.'
+
+"When they were both present, the younger brother related the wife's
+visit to the dead man, and because the Chan would not give credence
+unto his story, he said: 'In the mouth of the dead man you will find
+the end of the woman's tongue; and the blood-soiled tip of her nose
+you will find in the pincers of brass. Send thither, and see if it be
+not so.'
+
+"Thus spake he, and people were sent to the place, and confirmed all
+that he had asserted. Upon this the Chan said, 'Since the matter
+stands thus, let the woman be placed upon the pile of fagots and
+consumed with fire.' And the woman was placed upon the pile of fagots
+and consumed with fire."
+
+"That served her right!" said the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood jakzang!"
+Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's tenth relation treats of the Man and his Wife.
+
+
+OF THE MAIDEN SSUWARANDARI.
+
+When the Son of the Chan was carrying off Ssidi, as formerly, Ssidi
+related the following tale:--
+
+"A long while ago, there was in the very centre of a certain kingdom
+an old pagoda, in which stood the image of Choschim Bodissadoh (a
+Mongolian idol), formed of clay. Near unto this pagoda stood a small
+house, in which a beautiful maiden resided with her aged parents. But
+at the mouth of the river, which ran thereby, dwelt a poor man, who
+maintained himself by selling fruit, which he carried in an ark upon
+the river.
+
+"Now it happened once, that as he was returning home he was benighted
+in the neighbourhood of the pagoda. He listened at the door of the
+house in which the two old people dwelt, and heard the old woman say
+unto her husband, 'We are both grown exceedingly old; could we now but
+provide for our daughter, it would be well.'
+
+"'That we have lived so long happily together,' said the old man, 'we
+are indebted to the talisman of our daughter. Let us, however, offer
+up sacrifice to Bodissadoh, and inquire of him to what condition we
+shall dedicate our daughter--to the spiritual or to the worldly.
+To-morrow, at the earliest dawn, we will therefore lay our offering
+before the Burchan.'
+
+"'Now know I what to do,' said the listener; so in the night-time he
+betook himself to the pagoda, made an opening in the back of the idol,
+and concealed himself therein. When on the following morning the two
+old people and the daughter drew nigh and made their offering, the
+father bowed himself to the earth and spake as follows:--
+
+"'Deified Bodissadoh! shall this maiden be devoted to a spiritual or
+worldly life? If she is to be devoted to a worldly life, vouchsafe to
+point out now or hereafter, in a dream or vision, to whom we shall
+give her to wife.'
+
+"Then he who was concealed in the image exclaimed, 'It is better that
+thy daughter be devoted to a worldly life. Therefore, give her to wife
+to the first man who presents himself at thy door in the morning.'
+
+"The old people were greatly rejoiced when they heard these words; and
+they bowed themselves again and again down to the earth, and walked
+around the idol.
+
+"On the following morning the man stepped out of the idol and knocked
+at the door of the aged couple. The old woman went out, and when she
+saw that it was a man, she turned back again, and said to her husband,
+'The words of the Burchan are fulfilled; the man has arrived.'
+
+"'Give him entrance!' said the old man. The man came in accordingly,
+and was welcomed with food and drink; and when they had told him all
+that the idol had said, he took the maiden with the talisman to wife.
+
+"When he was wandering forth and drew nigh unto his dwelling, he
+thought unto himself, 'I have with cunning obtained the daughter of
+the two old people. Now I will place the maiden in the ark, and
+conceal the ark in the sand.'
+
+"So he concealed the ark, and went and said unto the people, 'Though I
+have ever acted properly, still it has never availed me yet. I will
+therefore now seek to obtain liberal gifts through my prayers.' Thus
+spake he, and after repeating the Zoka-prayers (part of the Calmuc
+ritual), he obtained food and gifts, and said, 'To-morrow I will
+again wander around, repeat the appointed Zoka-prayers, and seek food
+again.'
+
+"In the meanwhile it happened that the son of the Chan and two of his
+companions, with bows and arrows in their hands, who were following a
+tiger, passed by unnoticed, and arrived at the sand-heap of the maiden
+Ssuwarandari. 'Let us shoot at that heap!' cried they. Thus spake
+they, and shot accordingly, and lost their arrows in the sand. As they
+were looking after the arrows, they found the ark, opened it, and drew
+out the maiden with the talisman.
+
+"'Who art thou, maiden?' inquired they. 'I am the daughter of Lu.' The
+Chan's son said, 'Come with me, and be my wife.' And the maiden said,
+'I cannot go unless another is placed in the ark instead of me.' So
+they all said, 'Let us put in the tiger.' And when the tiger was
+placed in the ark, the Chan's son took away with him the maiden, and
+the talisman with her.
+
+"In the meanwhile the beggar ended his prayers; and when he had done
+so, he thought unto himself, 'If I take the talisman, slay the maiden,
+and sell the talisman, of a surety I shall become rich indeed.' Thus
+thinking he drew nigh unto the sand-heap, drew forth the ark, carried
+it home with him, and said unto his wife, who he thought was within
+the ark, 'I shall pass this night in repeating the Zoka-prayers.' He
+threw off his upper garment. And when he had done so, he lifted off
+the cover of the ark, and said, 'Maiden, be not alarmed!' When he was
+thus speaking, he beheld the tiger.
+
+"When some persons went into the chamber on the following morning,
+they found a tiger with his tusks and claws covered with blood, and
+the body of the beggar torn into pieces.
+
+"And the wife of the Chan gave birth to three sons, and lived in the
+enjoyment of plenty of all things. But the ministers and the people
+murmured, and said, 'It was not well of the Chan that he drew forth
+his wife out of the earth. Although the wife of the Chan has given
+birth to the sons of the Chan, still she is but a low-born creature.'
+Thus spoke they, and the wife of the Chan received little joy
+therefrom. 'I have borne three sons,' said she, 'and yet am noways
+regarded; I will therefore return home to my parents.'
+
+"She left the palace on the night of the full moon, and reached the
+neighbourhood of her parents at noontide. Where there had formerly
+been nothing to be seen she saw a multitude of workmen busily
+employed, and among them a man having authority, who prepared meat and
+drink for them. 'Who art thou, maiden?' inquired this man. 'I come far
+from hence,' replied the wife of the Chan; 'but my parents formerly
+resided upon this mountain, and I have come hither to seek them.'
+
+"At these words the young man said, 'Thou art then their daughter?'
+and he received for answer, 'I am their daughter.'
+
+"'I am their son,' said he. 'I have been told that I had a sister
+older than myself. Art thou she? Sit thee down, partake of this meat
+and this drink, and we will then go together unto our parents.'
+
+"When the wife of the Chan arrived at the summit of the mountain, she
+found in the place where the old pagoda stood a number of splendid
+buildings, with golden towers full of bells. And the hut of her
+parents was changed into a lordly mansion. 'All this,' said her
+brother, 'belongs to us, since you took your departure. Our parents
+lived here in health and peace.'
+
+"In the palace there were horses and mules, and costly furniture in
+abundance. The father and mother were seated on rich pillows of silk,
+and gave their daughter welcome, saying, 'Thou art still well and
+happy. That thou hast returned home before we depart from this life is
+of a surety very good.'
+
+"After various inquiries had been made on both sides, relative to what
+had transpired during the separation of the parties, the old parents
+said, 'Let us make these things known unto the Chan and his
+ministers.'
+
+"So the Chan and his ministers were loaded with presents, and three
+nights afterwards they were welcomed with meat and drink of the best.
+But the Chan said, 'Ye have spoken falsely, the wife of the Chan had
+no parents.' Now the Chan departed with his retinue, and his wife
+said, 'I will stop one more night with my parents, and then I will
+return unto you.'
+
+"On the following morning the wife of the Chan found herself on a hard
+bed, without pillows or coverlets. 'What is this?' exclaimed she; 'was
+I not this night with my father and mother--and did I not retire to
+sleep on a bed of silk?'
+
+"And when she rose up she beheld the ruined hut of her parents. Her
+father and mother were dead, and their bones mouldered; their heads
+lay upon a stone. Weeping loudly, she said unto herself, 'I will now
+look after the pagoda.' But she saw nothing but the ruins of the
+pagoda and of the Burchan. 'A godly providence,' exclaimed she, 'has
+resuscitated my parents. Now since the Chan and the ministers will be
+pacified, I will return home again.'
+
+"On her arrival in the kingdom of her husband, the ministers and the
+people came forth to meet her, and walked around her. 'This wife of
+the Chan,' cried they, 'is descended from noble parents, has borne
+noble sons, and is herself welcome, pleasant, and charming.' Thus
+speaking, they accompanied the wife of the Chan to the palace."
+
+"Her merits must have been great." Thus spake the Son of the Chan.
+
+"Ruler of Destiny, thou hast spoken words! Ssarwala missdood
+jakzang!" Thus spake Ssidi, and burst from the sack through the air.
+
+Thus Ssidi's eleventh relation treats of the Maiden Ssuwarandari.
+
+
+
+
+THE TWO CATS.
+
+
+In former days there was an old woman, who lived in a hut more
+confined than the minds of the ignorant, and more dark than the tombs
+of misers. Her companion was a cat, from the mirror of whose
+imagination the appearance of bread had never been reflected, nor had
+she from friends or strangers ever heard its name. It was enough that
+she now and then scented a mouse, or observed the print of its feet on
+the floor; when, blessed by favouring stars or benignant fortune, one
+fell into her claws--
+
+    "She became like a beggar who discovers a treasure of gold;
+    Her cheeks glowed with rapture, and past grief was consumed
+            by present joy."
+
+This feast would last for a week or more; and while enjoying it she
+was wont to exclaim--
+
+    "Am I, O God, when I contemplate this, in a dream or awake?
+    Am I to experience such prosperity after such adversity?"
+
+But as the dwelling of the old woman was in general the mansion of
+famine to this cat, she was always complaining, and forming
+extravagant and fanciful schemes. One day, when reduced to extreme
+weakness, she, with much exertion, reached the top of the hut; when
+there she observed a cat stalking on the wall of a neighbour's house,
+which, like a fierce tiger, advanced with measured steps, and was so
+loaded with flesh that she could hardly raise her feet. The old
+woman's friend was amazed to see one of her own species so fat and
+sleek, and broke out into the following exclamation:--
+
+    "Your stately strides have brought you here at last; pray tell
+            me from whence you come?
+    From whence have you arrived with so lovely an appearance?
+    You look as if from the banquet of the Khan of Khatai.
+    Where have you acquired such a comeliness? and how came you by
+            that glorious strength?"
+
+The other answered, "I am the Sultan's crumb-eater. Each morning, when
+they spread the convivial table, I attend at the palace, and there
+exhibit my address and courage. From among the rich meats and
+wheat-cakes I cull a few choice morsels; I then retire and pass my
+time till next day in delightful indolence."
+
+The old dame's cat requested to know what rich meat was, and what
+taste wheat-cakes had? "As for me," she added, in a melancholy tone,
+"during my life I have neither eaten nor seen anything but the old
+woman's gruel and the flesh of mice." The other, smiling, said, "This
+accounts for the difficulty I find in distinguishing you from a
+spider. Your shape and stature is such as must make the whole
+generation of cats blush; and we must ever feel ashamed while you
+carry so miserable an appearance abroad.
+
+    You certainly have the ears and tail of a cat,
+    But in other respects you are a complete spider.
+
+Were you to see the Sultan's palace, and to smell his delicious
+viands, most undoubtedly those withered bones would be restored; you
+would receive new life; you would come from behind the curtain of
+invisibility into the plane of observation--
+
+    When the perfume of his beloved passes over the tomb of a lover,
+    Is it wonderful that his putrid bones should be re-animated?"
+
+The old woman's cat addressed the other in the most supplicating
+manner: "O my sister!" she exclaimed, "have I not the sacred claims of
+a neighbour upon you? are we not linked in the ties of kindred? What
+prevents your giving a proof of friendship, by taking me with you when
+next you visit the palace? Perhaps from your favour plenty may flow to
+me, and from your patronage I may attain dignity and honour.
+
+    Withdraw not from the friendship of the honourable;
+    Abandon not the support of the elect."
+
+The heart of the Sultan's crumb-eater was melted by this pathetic
+address; she promised her new friend should accompany her on the next
+visit to the palace. The latter, overjoyed, went down immediately from
+the terrace, and communicated every particular to the old woman, who
+addressed her with the following counsel:--
+
+"Be not deceived, my dearest friend, with the worldly language you
+have listened to; abandon not your corner of content, for the cup of
+the covetous is only to be filled by the dust of the grave, and the
+eye of cupidity and hope can only be closed by the needle of mortality
+and the thread of fate.
+
+    It is content that makes men rich;
+    Mark this, ye avaricious, who traverse the world:
+    He neither knows nor pays adoration to his God
+    Who is dissatisfied with his condition and fortune."
+
+But the expected feast had taken such possession of poor puss's
+imagination, that the medicinal counsel of the old woman was thrown
+away.
+
+    "The good advice of all the world is like wind in a cage,
+    Or water in a sieve, when bestowed on the headstrong."
+
+To conclude: next day, accompanied by her companion, the half-starved
+cat hobbled to the Sultan's palace. Before this unfortunate wretch
+came, as it is decreed that the covetous shall be disappointed, an
+extraordinary event had occurred, and, owing to her evil destiny, the
+water of disappointment was poured on the flame of her immature
+ambition. The case was this: a whole legion of cats had the day
+before surrounded the feast, and made so much noise that they
+disturbed the guests; and in consequence the Sultan had ordered that
+some archers armed with bows from Tartary should, on this day, be
+concealed, and that whatever cat advanced into the field of valour,
+covered with the shield of audacity, should, on eating the first
+morsel, be overtaken with their arrows. The old dame's puss was not
+aware of this order. The moment the flavour of the viands reached her,
+she flew like an eagle to the place of her prey.
+
+Scarcely had the weight of a mouthful been placed in the scale to
+balance her hunger, when a heart-dividing arrow pierced her breast.
+
+    A stream of blood rushed from the wound.
+    She fled, in dread of death, after having exclaimed,
+    "Should I escape from this terrific archer,
+    I will be satisfied with my mouse and the miserable hut
+            of my old mistress.
+    My soul rejects the honey if accompanied by the sting.
+    Content, with the most frugal fare, is preferable."
+
+
+
+
+LEGEND OF DHURRUMNATH.
+
+
+During the reign of a mighty rajah named Guddeh Sing, a celebrated,
+and as it is now supposed, deified priest, or hutteet, called
+Dhurrumnath, came, and in all the characteristic humility of his sect
+established a primitive and temporary resting-place within a few miles
+of the rajah's residence at Runn, near Mandavie. He was accompanied by
+his adopted son, Ghurreeb Nath.
+
+From this spot Dhurrumnath despatched his son to seek for charitable
+contributions from the inhabitants of the town. To this end Ghurreeb
+Nath made several visits; but being unsuccessful, and at the same time
+unwilling that his father should know of the want of liberality in the
+city, he at each visit purchased food out of some limited funds of his
+own. At length, his little hoard failing, on the sixth day he was
+obliged to confess the deceit he had practised.
+
+Dhurrumnath, on being acquainted with this, became extremely vexed,
+and vowed that from that day all the rajah's putteen cities should
+become desolate and ruined. The tradition goes on to state that in
+due time these cities were destroyed; Dhurrumnath, accompanied by his
+son, left the neighbourhood, and proceeded to Denodur. Finding it a
+desirable place, he determined on performing Tupseeah, or penance, for
+twelve years, and chose the form of standing on his head.
+
+On commencing to carry out this determination, he dismissed his son,
+who established his Doonee in the jungles, about twenty miles to the
+north-west of Bhooj. After Dhurrumnath had remained Tupseeah for
+twelve years, he was visited by all the angels from heaven, who
+besought him to rise; to which he replied, that if he did so, the
+portion of the country on which his sight would first rest would
+become barren: if villages, they would disappear; if woods or fields,
+they would equally be destroyed. The angels then told him to turn his
+head to the north-east, where flowed the sea. Upon this he resumed his
+natural position, and, turning his head in the direction he was told,
+opened his eyes, when immediately the sea disappeared, the stately
+ships became wrecks, and their crews were destroyed, leaving nothing
+behind but a barren, unbroken desert, known as the Runn.
+
+Dhurrumnath, too pure to remain on the earth, partook of an immediate
+and glorious immortality, being at once absorbed into the spiritual
+nature of the creating, the finishing, the indivisible, all-pervading
+Brum.
+
+This self-imposed penance of Dhurrumnath has shed a halo of sanctity
+around the hill of Denodur, and was doubtless the occasion of its
+having been selected as a fitting site for a Jogie establishment, the
+members of which, it is probable, were originally the attendants on a
+small temple that had been erected, and which still remains, on the
+highest point of the hill, on the spot where the holy Dhurrumnath is
+said to have performed his painful Tupseeah.
+
+
+
+
+THE TRAVELLER'S ADVENTURE.
+
+
+It is related that a man, mounted upon a camel, in the course of
+travelling arrived at a place where others from the same caravan had
+lighted a fire before proceeding on their journey. The fan-like wind,
+breathing on the embers, had produced a flame; and the sparks, flying
+over the jungle, the dry wood had become ignited, and the whole plain
+glowed like a bed of tulips.
+
+In the midst of this was an enormous snake, which, encircled by the
+flames, possessed no means of escape, and was about to be broiled like
+a fish, or kabobed like a partridge for the table. Blood oozed from
+its poison-charged eyes; and, seeing the man and the camel, it thus
+supplicated for assistance--
+
+    "What if in kindness thou vouchsafe me thy pity;
+    Loosen the knot with which my affairs are entangled."
+
+Now the traveller was a good man, and one who feared God. When he
+heard the complaint of the snake, and saw its pitiable condition, he
+reasoned thus with himself: "This snake is, indeed, the enemy of man,
+but being in trouble and perplexity, it would be most commendable in
+me to drop the seed of compassion, the fruit of which is prosperity in
+this world, and exaltation in the next." Thus convinced, he fastened
+one of his saddle-bags to the end of his spear, and extended it to the
+snake, which, delighted at escape, entered the bag, and was rescued
+from the flames. The man then opening the mouth of the bag, addressed
+it thus: "Depart whither thou wilt, but forget not to offer up
+thanksgiving for thy preservation; henceforth seek the corner of
+retirement, and cease to afflict mankind, for they who do so are
+dishonest in this world and the next--
+
+    Fear God--distress no one;
+    This indeed is true salvation."
+
+The snake replied, "O young man, hold thy peace, for truly I will not
+depart until I have wounded both thee and this camel."
+
+The man cried out, "But how is this? Have I not rendered thee a
+benefit? Why, then, is such to be my recompense?
+
+    On my part there was faithfulness,
+    Why then this injustice upon thine?"
+
+The snake said, "True, thou hast shown mercy, but it was to an
+unworthy object; thou knowest me to be an agent of injury to mankind,
+consequently, when thou savedst me from destruction, thou subjectedst
+thyself to the same rule that applies to the punishment due for an
+evil act committed against a worthy object.
+
+"Again, between the snake and man there is a long-standing enmity, and
+they who employ foresight hold it as a maxim of wisdom to bruise the
+head of an enemy; to thy security my destruction was necessary, but,
+in showing mercy, thou hast forfeited vigilance. It is now necessary
+that I should wound thee, that others may learn by thy example."
+
+The man cried, "O snake, call but in the counsel of justice; in what
+creed is it written, or what practice declares, that evil should be
+returned for good, or that the pleasure of conferring benefits should
+be returned by injury and affliction?"
+
+The snake replied, "Such is the practice amongst men. I act according
+to thy own decree; the same commodity of retribution I have purchased
+from thee I also sell.
+
+    Buy for one moment that which thou sell'st for years."
+
+In vain did the traveller entreat, the snake ever replying, "I do but
+treat thee after the manner of men." This the man denied. "But," said
+he, "let us call witnesses: if thou prove thy assertion, I will yield
+to thy will." The snake, looking round, saw a cow grazing at a
+distance, and said, "Come, we will ask this cow the rights of the
+question." When they came up to the cow, the snake, opening its
+mouth, said, "O cow, what is the recompense for benefits received?"
+
+The cow said, "If thou ask me after the manner of men, the return of
+good is always evil. For instance, I was for a long time in the
+service of a farmer; yearly I brought forth a calf; I supplied his
+house with milk and ghee; his sustenance, and the life of his
+children, depended upon me. When I became old, and no longer produced
+young, he ceased to shelter me, and thrust me forth to die in a
+jungle. After finding forage, and roaming at my ease, I grew fat, and
+my old master, seeing my plump condition, yesterday brought with him a
+butcher, to whom he has sold me, and to-day is appointed for my
+slaughter."
+
+The snake said, "Thou hast heard the cow; prepare to die quickly." The
+man cried, "It is not lawful to decide a case on the evidence of one
+witness, let us then call another." The snake looked about and saw a
+tree, leafless and bare, flinging up its wild branches to the sky.
+"Let us," said it, "appeal to this tree." They proceeded together to
+the tree; and the snake, opening its mouth, said, "O tree, what is the
+recompense for good?"
+
+The tree said, "Amongst men, for benefits are returned evil and
+injury. I will give you a proof of what I assert. I am a tree which,
+though growing on one leg in this sad waste, was once flourishing and
+green, performing service to every one. When any of the human race,
+overcome with heat and travel, came this way, they rested beneath my
+shade, and slept beneath my branches; when the weight of repose
+abandoned their eyelids, they cast up their eyes to me, and said to
+each other, 'Yon twig would do well for an arrow; that branch would
+serve for a plough; and from the trunk of this tree what beautiful
+planks might be made!' If they had an axe or a saw, they selected my
+branches, and carried them away. Thus they to whom I gave ease and
+rest rewarded me only with pain and affliction.
+
+    Whilst my care overshadows him in perplexity,
+    He meditates only how best to root me up."
+
+"Well," said the snake, "here are two witnesses; therefore, form thy
+resolution, for I must wound thee." The man said, "True; but the love
+of life is powerful, and while strength remains, it is difficult to
+root the love of it from the heart. Call but one more witness, and
+then I pledge myself to submit to his decree." Now it so wonderfully
+happened that a fox, who had been standing by, had heard all the
+argument, and now came forward. The snake on seeing it exclaimed,
+"Behold this fox, let us ask it." But before the man could speak the
+fox cried out, "Dost thou not know that the recompense for good is
+always evil? But what good hast thou done in behalf of this snake, to
+render thee worthy of punishment?" The man related his story. The fox
+replied, "Thou seemest an intelligent person, why then dost thou tell
+me an untruth?
+
+    How can it be proper for him that is wise to speak falsely?
+    How can it become an intelligent man to state an untruth?"
+
+The snake said, "The man speaks truly, for behold the bag in which he
+rescued me." The fox, putting on the garb of astonishment, said, "How
+can I believe this thing? How could a large snake such as thou be
+contained in so small a space?" The snake said, "If thou doubt me, I
+will again enter the bag to prove it." The fox said, "Truly if I saw
+thee there, I could believe it, and afterwards settle the dispute
+between thee and this man." On this the traveller opened the bag, and
+the snake, annoyed at the disbelief of the fox, entered it; which
+observing, the fox cried out, "O young man, when thou hast caught
+thine enemy, show him no quarter.
+
+    When an enemy is vanquished, and in thy power,
+    It is the maxim of the wise to show him no mercy."
+
+The traveller took the hint of the fox, fastened the mouth of the bag,
+and, dashing it against a stone, destroyed the snake, and thus saved
+mankind from the evil effects of its wicked propensities.
+
+
+
+
+THE SEVEN STAGES OF ROOSTEM.
+
+
+Persia was at peace, and prosperous; but its king, Ky-Kâoos, could
+never remain at rest. A favourite singer gave him one day an animated
+account of the beauties of the neighbouring kingdom of Mazenderan: its
+ever-blooming roses, its melodious nightingales, its verdant plains,
+its mountains shaded with lofty trees, and adorned to their summits
+with flowers which perfumed the air, its clear murmuring rivulets,
+and, above all, its lovely damsels and valiant warriors.
+
+All these were described to the sovereign in such glowing colours that
+he quite lost his reason, and declared he should never be happy till
+his power extended over a country so favoured by Nature. It was in
+vain that his wisest ministers and most attached nobles dissuaded him
+from so hazardous an enterprise as that of invading a region which
+had, besides other defenders, a number of Deevs, or demons, who,
+acting under their renowned chief, Deev-e-Seffeed, or the White Demon,
+had hitherto defeated all enemies.
+
+Ky-Kâoos would not listen to his nobles, who in despair sent for old
+Zâl, the father of Roostem, and prince of Seestan. Zâl came, and used
+all his efforts, but in vain; the monarch was involved in clouds of
+pride, and closed a discussion he had with Zâl by exclaiming, "The
+Creator of the world is my friend; the chief of the Deevs is my prey."
+This impious boasting satisfied Zâl he could do no good; and he even
+refused to become regent of Persia in the absence of Ky-Kâoos, but
+promised to aid with his counsel.
+
+The king departed to anticipated conquest; but the prince of
+Mazenderan summoned his forces, and, above all, the Deev-e-Seffeed and
+his band. They came at his call: a great battle ensued, in which the
+Persians were completely defeated. Ky-Kâoos was made prisoner, and
+confined in a strong fortress under the guard of a hundred Deevs,
+commanded by Arjeng, who was instructed to ask the Persian monarch
+every morning how he liked the roses, nightingales, flowers, trees,
+verdant meadows, shady mountains, clear streams, beautiful damsels,
+and valiant warriors of Mazenderan.
+
+The news of this disaster soon spread over Persia, and notwithstanding
+the disgust of old Zâl at the headstrong folly of his monarch, he was
+deeply afflicted at the tale of his misfortune and disgrace. He sent
+for Roostem, to whom he said, "Go, my son, and with thy single arm,
+and thy good horse, Reksh, release our sovereign." Roostem instantly
+obeyed. There were two roads, but he chose the nearest, though it was
+reported to be by far the most difficult and dangerous.
+
+Fatigued with his first day's journey, Roostem lay down to sleep,
+having turned Reksh loose to graze in a neighbouring meadow, where he
+was attacked by a furious lion; but this wonderful horse, after a
+short contest, struck his antagonist to the ground with a blow from
+his fore-hoof, and completed the victory by seizing the throat of the
+royal animal with his teeth. When Roostem awoke, he was surprised and
+enraged. He desired Reksh never again to attempt, unaided, such an
+encounter. "Hadst thou been slain," asked he of the intelligent brute,
+"how should I have accomplished my enterprise?"
+
+At the second stage Roostem had nearly died of thirst, but his prayers
+to the Almighty were heard. A fawn appeared, as if to be his guide;
+and following it, he was conducted to a clear fountain, where, after
+regaling on the flesh of a wild ass, which he had killed with his bow,
+he lay down to sleep. In the middle of the night a monstrous serpent,
+seventy yards in length, came out of its hiding-place, and made at the
+hero, who was awaked by the neighing of Reksh; but the serpent had
+crept back to its hiding-place, and Roostem, seeing no danger, abused
+his faithful horse for disturbing his repose. Another attempt of the
+serpent was defeated in the same way; but as the monster had again
+concealed itself, Roostem lost all patience with Reksh, whom he
+threatened to put to death if he again awaked him by any such
+unseasonable noises. The faithful steed, fearing his master's rage,
+but strong in his attachment, instead of neighing when the serpent
+again made his appearance, sprang upon it, and commenced a furious
+contest. Roostem, hearing the noise, started up and joined in the
+combat. The serpent darted at him, but he avoided it, and, while his
+noble horse seized their enemy by the back, the hero cut off its head
+with his sword.
+
+When the serpent was slain, Roostem contemplated its enormous size
+with amazement, and, with that piety which always distinguished him,
+returned thanks to the Almighty for his miraculous escape.
+
+Next day, as Roostem sat by a fountain, he saw a beautiful damsel
+regaling herself with wine. He approached her, accepted her invitation
+to partake of the beverage, and clasped her in his arms as if she had
+been an angel. It happened, in the course of their conversation, that
+the Persian hero mentioned the name of the great God he adored. At the
+sound of that sacred word the fair features and shape of the female
+changed, and she became black, ugly, and deformed. The astonished
+Roostem seized her, and after binding her hands, bid her declare who
+she was. "I am a sorceress," was the reply, "and have been employed
+by the evil spirit Aharman for thy destruction; but save my life, and
+I am powerful to do thee service." "I make no compact with the devil
+or his agents," said the hero, and cut her in twain. He again poured
+forth his soul in thanksgiving to God for his deliverance.
+
+On his fourth stage Roostem lost his way. While wandering about he
+came to a clear rivulet, on the banks of which he lay down to take
+some repose, having first turned Reksh loose into a field of grain. A
+gardener who had charge of it came and awoke the hero, telling him in
+an insolent tone that he would soon suffer for his temerity, as the
+field in which his horse was feeding belonged to a pehloovân, or
+warrior, called Oulâd. Roostem, always irascible, but particularly so
+when disturbed in his slumbers, jumped up, tore off the gardener's
+ears, and gave him a blow with his fist that broke his nose and teeth.
+"Take these marks of my temper to your master," he said, "and tell him
+to come here, and he shall have a similar welcome."
+
+Oulâd, when informed of what had passed, was excited to fury, and
+prepared to assail the Persian hero, who, expecting him, had put on
+his armour and mounted Reksh. His appearance so dismayed Oulâd that he
+dared not venture on the combat till he had summoned his adherents.
+They all fell upon Roostem at once; but the base-born caitiffs were
+scattered like chaff before the wind; many were slain, others fled,
+among whom was their chief. Him Roostem came up with at the fifth
+stage, and having thrown his noose over him, took him prisoner. Oulâd,
+in order to save his life, not only gave him full information of the
+place where his sovereign was confined, and of the strength of the
+Deev-e-Seffeed, but offered to give the hero every aid in the
+accomplishment of his perilous enterprise. This offer was accepted,
+and he proved a most useful auxiliary.
+
+On the sixth day they saw in the distance the city of Mazenderan, near
+which the Deev-e-Seffeed resided. Two chieftains, with numerous
+attendants, met them; and one had the audacity to ride up to Roostem,
+and seize him by the belt. That chief's fury at this insolence was
+unbounded; he disdained, however, to use his arms against such an
+enemy, but, seizing the miscreant's head, wrenched it from the body,
+and hurled it at his companions, who fled in terror and dismay at this
+terrible proof of the hero's prowess.
+
+Roostem proceeded, after this action, with his guide to the castle
+where the king was confined. The Deevs who guarded it were asleep, and
+Ky-Kâoos was found in a solitary cell, chained to the ground. He
+recognised Roostem, and bursting into tears, pressed his deliverer to
+his bosom. Roostem immediately began to knock off his chains. The
+noise occasioned by this awoke the Deevs, whose leader, Beedâr-Reng,
+advanced to seize Roostem; but the appearance and threats of the
+latter so overawed him that he consented to purchase his own safety by
+the instant release of the Persian king and all his followers.
+
+After this achievement Roostem proceeded to the last and greatest of
+his labours, the attack of the Deev-e-Seffeed. Oulâd told him that the
+Deevs watched and feasted during the night, but slept during the heat
+of the day, hating (according to our narrator) the sunbeams. Roostem,
+as he advanced, saw an immense army drawn out; he thought it better,
+before he attacked them, to refresh himself by some repose. Having
+laid himself down, he soon fell into a sound sleep, and at daylight he
+awoke quite refreshed. As soon as the sun became warm, he rushed into
+the camp. The heavy blows of his mace soon awoke the surprised and
+slumbering guards of the Deev-e-Seffeed; they collected in myriads,
+hoping to impede his progress, but all in vain. The rout became
+general, and none escaped but those who fled from the field of battle.
+
+When this army was dispersed, Roostem went in search of the
+Deev-e-Seffeed, who, ignorant of the fate of his followers, slumbered
+in the recess of a cavern, the entrance to which looked so dark and
+gloomy that the Persian hero hesitated whether he should advance; but
+the noise of his approach had roused his enemy, who came forth,
+clothed in complete armour. His appearance was terrible; but Roostem,
+recommending his soul to God, struck a desperate blow, which separated
+the leg of the Deev from his body. This would on common occasions have
+terminated the contest, but far different was the result on the
+present. Irritated to madness by the loss of a limb, the monster
+seized his enemy in his arms, and endeavoured to throw him down. The
+struggle was for some time doubtful; but Roostem, collecting all his
+strength, by a wondrous effort dashed his foe to the ground, and
+seizing him by one of the horns, unsheathed his dagger and stabbed him
+to the heart. The Deev-e-Seffeed instantly expired; and Roostem, on
+looking round to the entrance of the cavern, from whence the moment
+before he had seen numberless Deevs issuing to the aid of their lord,
+perceived they were all dead. Oulâd, who stood at a prudent distance
+from the scene of combat, now advanced and informed the hero that the
+lives of all the Deevs depended upon that of their chief. When he was
+slain, the spell which created and preserved this band was broken, and
+they all expired.
+
+Roostem found little difficulty after these seven days of toil, of
+danger, and of glory, in compelling Mazenderan to submit to Persia.
+The king of the country was slain, and Oulâd was appointed its
+governor as a reward for his fidelity.
+
+The success of his arms had raised Ky-Kâoos to the very plenitude of
+power; not only men, but Deevs, obeyed his mandates. The latter he
+employed in building palaces of crystal, emeralds, and rubies, till at
+last they became quite tired of their toil and abject condition. They
+sought, therefore, to destroy him; and to effect this they consulted
+with the devil, who, to forward the object, instructed a Deev, called
+Dizjkheem, to go to Ky-Kâoos and raise in his mind a passion for
+astronomy, and to promise him a nearer view of the celestial bodies
+than had ever yet been enjoyed by mortal eyes. The Deev fulfilled his
+commission with such success that the king became quite wild with a
+desire to attain perfection in this sublime science. The devil then
+instructed Dizjkheem to train some young vultures to carry a throne
+upwards; this was done by placing spears round the throne, on the
+points of which pieces of flesh were fixed in view of the vultures,
+who were fastened at the bottom. These voracious birds, in their
+efforts to reach the meat, raised the throne.
+
+Though he mounted rapidly for a short time, the vultures became
+exhausted, and finding their efforts to reach the meat hopeless,
+discontinued them; this altered the direction and equilibrium of the
+machine, and it tossed to and fro. Ky-Kâoos would have been cast
+headlong and killed had he not clung to it. The vultures, not being
+able to disengage themselves, flew an immense way, and at last landed
+the affrighted monarch in one of the woods of China. Armies marched in
+every direction to discover and release the sovereign, who, it was
+believed, had again fallen into the hands of Deevs. He was at last
+found and restored to his capital. Roostem, we are told, upbraided his
+folly, saying--
+
+    "Have you managed your affairs so well on earth
+    That you must needs try your hand in those of heaven?"
+
+
+
+
+THE MAN WHO NEVER LAUGHED.
+
+
+There was a man, of those possessed of houses and riches, who had
+wealth and servants and slaves and other possessions; and he departed
+from the world to receive the mercy of God (whose name be exalted!),
+leaving a young son. And when the son grew up, he took to eating and
+drinking, and the hearing of instruments of music and songs, and was
+liberal and gave gifts, and expended the riches that his father had
+left to him until all the wealth had gone. He then betook himself to
+the sale of the male black slaves, and the female slaves, and other
+possessions, and expended all that he had of his father's wealth and
+other things, and became so poor that he worked with the labourers. In
+this state he remained for a period of years. While he was sitting one
+day beneath a wall, waiting to see who would hire him, lo! a man of
+comely countenance and apparel drew near to him and saluted him. So
+the youth said to him, "O uncle, hast thou known me before now?" The
+man answered him, "I have not known thee, O my son, at all; but I see
+the traces of affluence upon thee, though thou art in this condition."
+The young man replied, "O uncle, what fate and destiny have ordained
+hath come to pass. But hast thou, O uncle, O comely-faced, any
+business in which to employ me?" The man said to him, "O my son, I
+desire to employ thee in an easy business." The youth asked, "And what
+is it, O uncle?" And the man answered him, "I have with me ten sheykhs
+in one abode, and we have no one to perform our wants. Thou shalt
+receive from us, of food and clothing, what will suffice thee, and
+shalt serve us, and thou shalt receive of us thy portion of benefits
+and money. Perhaps, also, God will restore to thee thine affluence by
+our means." The youth therefore replied, "I hear and obey." The sheykh
+then said to him, "I have a condition to impose upon thee." "And what
+is thy condition, O uncle?" asked the youth. He answered him, "O my
+son, it is that thou keep our secret with respect to the things that
+thou shalt see us do; and when thou seest us weep, that thou ask us
+not respecting the cause of our weeping." And the young man replied,
+"Well, O uncle."
+
+So the sheykh said to him, "O my son, come with us, relying on the
+blessing of God (whose name be exalted!)." And the young man followed
+the sheykh until the latter conducted him to the bath; after which he
+sent a man, who brought him a comely garment of linen, and he clad
+him with it, and went with him to his abode and his associates. And
+when the young man entered, he found it to be a high mansion, with
+lofty angles, ample, with chambers facing one another, and saloons;
+and in each saloon was a fountain of water, and birds were warbling
+over it, and there were windows overlooking, on every side, a
+beautiful garden within the mansion. The sheykh conducted him into one
+of the chambers, and he found it decorated with coloured marbles, and
+its ceiling ornamented with blue and brilliant gold, and it was spread
+with carpets of silk; and he found in it ten sheykhs sitting facing
+one another, wearing the garments of mourning, weeping, and wailing.
+So the young man wondered at their case, and was about to question the
+sheykh who had brought him, but he remembered the condition, and
+therefore withheld his tongue. Then the sheykh committed to the young
+man a chest, containing thirty thousand pieces of gold, saying to him,
+"O my son, expend upon us out of this chest, and upon thyself,
+according to what is just, and be thou faithful, and take care of that
+wherewith I have intrusted thee." And the young man replied, "I hear
+and obey." He continued to expend upon them for a period of days and
+nights, after which one of them died; whereupon his companions took
+him, and washed him and shrouded him, and buried him in a garden
+behind the mansion. And death ceased not to take of them one after
+another, until there remained only the sheykh who had hired the young
+man. So he remained with the young man in that mansion, and there was
+not with them a third; and they remained thus for a period of years.
+Then the sheykh fell sick; and when the young man despaired of his
+life, he addressed him with courtesy, and was grieved for him, and
+said to him, "O uncle, I have served you, and not failed in your
+service one hour for a period of twelve years, but have acted
+faithfully to you, and served you according to my power and ability."
+The sheykh replied, "Yes, O my son, thou hast served us until these
+sheykhs have been taken unto God (to whom be ascribed might and
+glory!), and we must inevitably die." And the young man said, "O my
+master, thou art in a state of peril, and I desire of thee that thou
+inform me what hath been the cause of your weeping, and the
+continuance of your wailing and your mourning and your sorrow." He
+replied, "O my son, thou hast no concern with that, and require me not
+to do what I am unable; for I have begged God (whose name be exalted!)
+not to afflict any one with my affliction. Now if thou desire to be
+safe from that into which we have fallen, open not that door," and he
+pointed to it with his hand, and cautioned him against it; "and if
+thou desire that what hath befallen us should befall thee, open it,
+and thou wilt know the cause of that which thou hast beheld in our
+conduct; but thou wilt repent, when repentance will not avail thee."
+Then the illness increased upon the sheykh, and he died; and the young
+man washed him with his own hands, and shrouded him, and buried him by
+his companions.
+
+He remained in that place, possessing it and all the treasure; but
+notwithstanding this, he was uneasy, reflecting upon the conduct of
+the sheykhs. And while he was meditating one day upon the words of the
+sheykh, and his charge to him not to open the door, it occurred to his
+mind that he might look at it. So he went in that direction, and
+searched until he saw an elegant door, over which the spider had woven
+its webs, and upon it were four locks of steel. When he beheld it, he
+remembered how the sheykh had cautioned him, and he departed from it.
+His soul desired him to open the door, and he restrained it during a
+period of seven days; but on the eighth day his soul overcame him, and
+he said, "I must open that door, and see what will happen to me in
+consequence; for nothing will repel what God (whose name be exalted!)
+decreeth and predestineth, and no event will happen but by His will."
+Accordingly he arose and opened the door, after he had broken the
+locks. And when he had opened the door he saw a narrow passage, along
+which he walked for the space of three hours; and lo! he came forth
+upon the bank of a great river. At this the young man wondered. And
+he walked along the bank, looking to the right and left; and behold! a
+great eagle descended from the sky, and taking up the young man with
+its talons, it flew with him, between heaven and earth, until it
+conveyed him to an island in the midst of the sea. There it threw him
+down, and departed from him.
+
+So the young man was perplexed at his case, not knowing whither to go;
+but while he was sitting one day, lo! the sail of a vessel appeared to
+him upon the sea, like the star in the sky; wherefore the heart of the
+young man became intent upon the vessel, in the hope that his escape
+might be effected in it. He continued looking at it until it came near
+unto him; and when it arrived, he beheld a bark of ivory and ebony,
+the oars of which were of sandal-wood and aloes-wood, and the whole of
+it was encased with plates of brilliant gold. There were also in it
+ten damsels, virgins, like moons. When the damsels saw him, they
+landed to him from the bark, and kissed his hands, saying to him,
+"Thou art the king, the bridegroom." Then there advanced to him a
+damsel who was like the shining sun in the clear sky, having in her
+hand a kerchief of silk, in which were a royal robe, and a crown of
+gold set with varieties of jacinths. Having advanced to him, she clad
+him and crowned him; after which the damsels carried him in their
+arms to the bark, and he found in it varieties of carpets of silk of
+divers colours. They then spread the sails, and proceeded over the
+depths of the sea.
+
+"Now when I proceeded with them," says the young man, "I felt sure
+that this was a dream, and knew not whither they were going with me.
+And when they came in sight of the land, I beheld it filled with
+troops, the number of which none knew but God (whose perfection be
+extolled, and whose name be exalted!) clad in coats of mail. They
+brought forward to me five marked horses, with saddles of gold, set
+with varieties of pearls and precious stones; and I took a horse from
+among these and mounted it. The four others proceeded with me; and
+when I mounted, the ensigns and banners were set up over my head, the
+drums and the cymbals were beaten, and the troops disposed themselves
+in two divisions, right and left. I wavered in opinion as to whether I
+were asleep or awake, and ceased not to advance, not believing in the
+reality of my stately procession, but imagining that it was the result
+of confused dreams, until we came in sight of a verdant meadow, in
+which were palaces and gardens, and trees and rivers and flowers, and
+birds proclaiming the perfection of God, the One, the Omnipotent. And
+now there came forth an army from among those palaces and gardens,
+like the torrent when it poureth down, until it filled the meadow.
+When the troops drew near to me, they hailed, and lo! a king advanced
+from among them, riding alone, preceded by some of his chief officers
+walking."
+
+The king, on approaching the young man, alighted from his courser; and
+the young man, seeing him do so, alighted also; and they saluted each
+other with the most courteous salutation. Then they mounted their
+horses again, and the king said to the young man, "Accompany us; for
+thou art my guest." So the young man proceeded with him, and they
+conversed together, while the stately trains in orderly disposition
+went on before them to the palace of the king, where they alighted,
+and all of them entered, together with the king and the young man, the
+young man's hand being in the hand of the king, who thereupon seated
+him on the throne of gold and seated himself beside him. When the king
+removed the litham from his face, lo! this supposed king was a damsel,
+like the shining sun in the clear sky, a lady of beauty and
+loveliness, and elegance and perfection, and conceit and amorous
+dissimulation. The young man beheld vast affluence and great
+prosperity, and wondered at the beauty and loveliness of the damsel.
+Then the damsel said to him, "Know, O king, that I am the queen of
+this land, and all these troops that thou hast seen, including every
+one, whether of cavalry or infantry, are women. There are not among
+them any men. The men among us, in this land, till and sow and reap,
+employing themselves in the cultivation of the land, and the building
+and repairing of the towns, and in attending to the affairs of the
+people, by the pursuit of every kind of art and trade; but as to the
+women, they are the governors and magistrates and soldiers." And the
+young man wondered at this extremely. And while they were thus
+conversing, the vizier entered; and lo! she was a grey-haired old
+woman, having a numerous retinue, of venerable and dignified
+appearance; and the queen said to her, "Bring to us the Kádee and the
+witnesses." So the old woman went for that purpose. And the queen
+turned towards the young man, conversing with him and cheering him,
+and dispelling his fear by kind words; and, addressing him
+courteously, she said to him, "Art thou content for me to be thy
+wife?" And thereupon he arose and kissed the ground before her; but
+she forbade him; and he replied, "O my mistress, I am less than the
+servants who serve thee." She then said to him, "Seest thou not these
+servants and soldiers and wealth and treasures and hoards?" He
+answered her, "Yes." And she said to him, "All these are at thy
+disposal; thou shalt make use of them, and give and bestow as seemeth
+fit to thee." Then she pointed to a closed door, and said to him, "All
+these things thou shalt dispose of; but this door thou shalt not open;
+for if thou open it, thou wilt repent, when repentance will not avail
+thee." Her words were not ended when the vizier, with the Kádee and
+the witnesses, entered, and all of them were old women, with their
+hair spreading over their shoulders, and of venerable and dignified
+appearance. When they came before the queen, she ordered them to
+perform the ceremony of the marriage-contract. So they married her to
+the young man. And she prepared the banquets and collected the troops;
+and when they had eaten and drunk, the young man took her as his wife.
+And he resided with her seven years, passing the most delightful,
+comfortable, and agreeable life.
+
+But he meditated one day upon opening the door, and said, "Were it not
+that there are within it great treasures, better than what I have
+seen, she had not prohibited me from opening it." He then arose and
+opened the door, and lo! within it was the bird that had carried him
+from the shore of the great river, and deposited him upon the island.
+When the bird beheld him, it said to him, "No welcome to a face that
+will never be happy!" So, when he saw it and heard its words, he fled
+from it; but it followed him and carried him off, and flew with him
+between heaven and earth for the space of an hour, and at length
+deposited him in the place from which it had carried him away; after
+which it disappeared. He thereupon sat in that place, and, returning
+to his reason, he reflected upon what he had seen of affluence and
+glory and honour, and the riding of the troops before him, and
+commanding and forbidding; and he wept and wailed. He remained upon
+the shore of the great river, where that bird had put him, for the
+space of two months, wishing that he might return to his wife; but
+while he was one night awake, mourning and meditating, some one spoke
+(and he heard his voice, but saw not his person), calling out, "How
+great were the delights! Far, far from thee is the return of what is
+passed! And how many therefore will be the sighs!" So when the young
+man heard it, he despaired of meeting again that queen, and of the
+return to him of the affluence in which he had been living. He then
+entered the mansion where the sheykhs had resided, and knew that they
+had experienced the like of that which had happened unto him, and that
+this was the cause of their weeping and their mourning; wherefore he
+excused them. Grief and anxiety came upon the young man, and he
+entered his chamber, and ceased not to weep and moan, relinquishing
+food and drink and pleasant scents and laughter, until he died; and he
+was buried by the side of the sheykhs.
+
+
+
+
+THE FOX AND THE WOLF.
+
+
+A fox and a wolf inhabited the same den, resorting thither together,
+and thus they remained a long time. But the wolf oppressed the fox;
+and it so happened that the fox counselled the wolf to assume
+benignity, and to abandon wickedness, saying to him, "If thou
+persevere in thine arrogance, probably God will give power over thee
+to a son of Adam; for he is possessed of stratagems, and artifice, and
+guile; he captureth the birds from the sky, and the fish from the sea,
+and cutteth the mountains and transporteth them; and all this he
+accomplisheth through his stratagems. Betake thyself, therefore, to
+the practice of equity, and relinquish evil and oppression; for it
+will be more pleasant to thy taste." The wolf, however, received not
+his advice; on the contrary, he returned him a rough reply, saying to
+him, "Thou hast no right to speak on matters of magnitude and
+importance." He then gave the fox such a blow that he fell down
+senseless; and when he recovered, he smiled in the wolf's face,
+apologising for his shameful words, and recited these two verses:--
+
+    "If I have been faulty in my affection for you, and committed
+            a deed of a shameful nature,
+    I repent of my offence, and your clemency will extend to the
+            evildoer who craveth forgiveness."
+
+So the wolf accepted his apology, and ceased from ill-treating him,
+but said to him, "Speak not of that which concerneth thee not, lest
+thou hear that which will not please thee." The fox replied, "I hear
+and obey. I will abstain from that which pleaseth thee not; for the
+sage hath said, 'Offer not information on a subject respecting which
+thou art not questioned; and reply not to words when thou art not
+invited; leave what concerneth thee not, to attend to that which
+_doth_ concern thee; and lavish not advice upon the evil, for they
+will recompense thee for it with evil.'"
+
+When the wolf heard these words of the fox, he smiled in his face; but
+he meditated upon employing some artifice against him, and said, "I
+must strive to effect the destruction of this fox." As to the fox,
+however, he bore patiently the injurious conduct of the wolf, saying
+within himself, "Verily, insolence and calumny occasion destruction,
+and betray one into perplexity; for it hath been said, 'He who is
+insolent suffereth injury, and he who is ignorant repenteth, and he
+who feareth is safe: moderation is one of the qualities of the noble,
+and good manners are the noblest gain.' It is advisable to behave
+with dissimulation towards this tyrant, and he will inevitably be
+overthrown." He then said to the wolf, "Verily the Lord pardoneth and
+becometh propitious unto His servant when he hath sinned; and I am a
+weak slave, and have committed a transgression in offering thee
+advice. Had I foreknown the pain that I have suffered from thy blow, I
+had known that the elephant could not withstand nor endure it; but I
+will not complain of the pain of that blow, on account of the
+happiness that hath resulted unto me from it; for, if it had a severe
+effect upon me, its result was happiness; and the sage hath said, 'The
+beating inflicted by the preceptor is at first extremely grievous; but
+in the end it is sweeter than clarified honey!'" So the wolf said, "I
+forgive thine offence, and cancel thy fault; but beware of my power,
+and confess thyself my slave; for thou hast experienced my severity
+unto him who showeth me hostility." The fox, therefore, prostrated
+himself before him, saying to him, "May God prolong thy life, and
+mayest thou not cease to subdue him who opposeth thee!" And he
+continued to fear the wolf, and to dissemble towards him.
+
+After this the fox went one day to a vineyard, and saw in its wall a
+breach; but he suspected it, saying unto himself, "There must be some
+cause for this breach, and it hath been said, 'Whoso seeth a hole in
+the ground, and doth not shun it, and be cautious of advancing to it
+boldly, exposeth himself to danger and destruction.' It is well known
+that some men make a figure of the fox in the vineyard, and even put
+before it grapes in plates, in order that a fox may see it, and
+advance to it, and fall into destruction. Verily I regard this breach
+as a snare; and it hath been said, 'Caution is the half of
+cleverness.' Caution requireth me to examine this breach, and to see
+if I can find there anything that may lead to perdition. Covetousness
+doth not induce me to throw myself into destruction." He then
+approached it, and, going round about examining it warily, beheld it;
+and lo! there was a deep pit, which the owner of the vineyard had dug
+to catch in it the wild beasts that despoiled the vines; and he
+observed over it a slight covering. So he drew back from it, and said,
+"Praise be to God that I regarded it with caution! I hope that my
+enemy, the wolf, who hath made my life miserable, may fall into it, so
+that I alone may enjoy absolute power over the vineyard, and live in
+it securely." Then, shaking his head, and uttering a loud laugh, he
+merrily sang these verses--
+
+    "Would that I beheld at the present moment in this well a wolf,
+    Who hath long afflicted my heart, and made me drink bitterness
+            perforce!
+    Would that my life might be spared, and that the wolf might meet
+            his death!
+    Then the vineyard would be free from his presence, and I should
+            find in it my spoil."
+
+Having finished his song, he hurried away until he came to the wolf,
+when he said to him, "Verily God hath smoothed for thee the way to the
+vineyard without fatigue. This hath happened through thy good fortune.
+Mayest thou enjoy, therefore, that to which God hath granted thee
+access, in smoothing thy way to that plunder and that abundant
+sustenance without any difficulty!" So the wolf said to the fox, "What
+is the proof of that which thou hast declared?" The fox answered, "I
+went to the vineyard, and found that its owner had died; and I entered
+the garden, and beheld the fruits shining upon the trees."
+
+So the wolf doubted not the words of the fox, and in his eagerness he
+arose and went to the breach. His cupidity had deceived him with vain
+hopes, and the fox stopped and fell down behind him as one dead,
+applying this verse as a proverb suited to the case--
+
+    "Dost thou covet an interview with Leyla? It is covetousness
+            that causeth the loss of men's heads."
+
+When the wolf came to the breach, the fox said to him, "Enter the
+vineyard; for thou art spared the trouble of breaking down the wall of
+the garden, and it remaineth for God to complete the benefit." So the
+wolf walked forward, desiring to enter the vineyard, and when he came
+to the middle of the covering of the hole, he fell into it; whereupon
+the fox was violently excited by happiness and joy, his anxiety and
+grief ceased, and in merry tones he sang these verses--
+
+    "Fortune hath compassionated my case, and felt pity for the length
+            of my torment,
+    And granted me what I desired, and removed that which I dreaded.
+    I will, therefore, forgive its offences committed in former times;
+    Even the injustice it hath shown in the turning of my hair grey.
+    There is no escape for the wolf from utter annihilation;
+    And the vineyard is for me alone, and I have no stupid partner."
+
+He then looked into the pit, and beheld the wolf weeping in his
+repentance and sorrow for himself, and the fox wept with him. So the
+wolf raised his head towards him, and said, "Is it from thy compassion
+for me that thou hast wept, O Abu-l-Hoseyn?" "No," answered the fox,
+"by him who cast thee into this pit; but I weep for the length of thy
+past life, and in my regret at thy not having fallen into this pit
+before the present day. Hadst thou fallen into it before I met with
+thee, I had experienced refreshment and ease. But thou hast been
+spared to the expiration of thy decreed term and known period." The
+wolf, however, said to him, "Go, O evildoer, to my mother, and
+acquaint her with that which hath happened to me; perhaps she will
+contrive some means for my deliverance." But the fox replied, "The
+excess of thy covetousness and eager desire has entrapped thee into
+destruction, since thou hast fallen into a pit from which thou wilt
+never be saved. Knowest thou not, O ignorant wolf, that the author of
+the proverb saith, 'He who thinks not of results will not be secure
+from perils?'" "O Abu-l-Hoseyn!" rejoined the wolf, "thou wast wont to
+manifest an affection for me, and to desire my friendship, and fear
+the greatness of my power. Be not, then, rancorous towards me for that
+which I have done unto thee; for he who hath one in his power, and yet
+forgiveth, will receive a recompense from God, and the poet hath
+said--
+
+    "'Sow good, even on an unworthy soil; for it will not be
+            fruitless wherever it is sown.
+    Verily, good, though it remained long buried, none will
+            reap but him who sowed it.'"
+
+"O most ignorant of the beasts of prey!" said the fox, "and most
+stupid of the wild beasts of the regions of the earth, hast thou
+forgotten thy haughtiness, and insolence, and pride, and thy
+disregarding the rights of companionship, and thy refusing to be
+advised by the saying of the poet?--
+
+    "'Tyrannise not, if thou hast the power to do so; for the
+            tyrannical is in danger of revenge,
+    Thine eye will sleep while the oppressed, wakeful, will call
+            down curses on thee, and God's eye sleepeth not.'"
+
+"O Abu-l-Hoseyn!" exclaimed the wolf, "be not angry with me for my
+former offences, for forgiveness is required of the generous, and kind
+conduct is among the best means of enriching one's-self. How
+excellent is the saying of the poet--
+
+    "'Haste to do good when thou art able; for at every season thou
+            hast not the power.'"
+
+He continued to abase himself to the fox, and said to him, "Perhaps
+thou canst find some means of delivering me from destruction." But the
+fox replied, "O artful, guileful, treacherous wolf! hope not for
+deliverance; for this is the recompense of thy base conduct, and a
+just retaliation." Then, shaking his jaws with laughing, he recited
+these two verses--
+
+    "No longer attempt to beguile me; for thou wilt not attain
+            thy object.
+    What thou seekest from me is impossible. Thou hast sown,
+            and reap, then, vexation."
+
+"O gentle one among the beasts of prey!" resumed the wolf, "thou art
+in my estimation more faithful than to leave me in this pit." He then
+shed tears, and repeated this couplet--
+
+    "O thou whose favours to me have been many, and whose gifts have
+            been more than can be numbered!
+    No misfortune hath ever yet befallen me but I have found thee
+            ready to aid me in it."
+
+The fox replied, "O stupid enemy, how art thou reduced to humility,
+submissiveness, abjectness, and obsequiousness, after thy disdain,
+pride, tyranny, and haughtiness! I kept company with thee through fear
+of thine oppression, and flattered thee without a hope of
+conciliating thy kindness; but now terror hath affected thee, and
+punishment hath overtaken thee." And he recited these two verses--
+
+    "O thou who seekest to beguile! thou hast fallen in thy base
+            intention.
+    Taste, then, the pain of shameful calamity, and be with other
+            wolves cut off."
+
+The wolf still entreated him, saying, "O gentle one! speak not with
+the tongue of enmity, nor look with its eye; but fulfil the covenant
+of fellowship with me before the time for discovering a remedy shall
+have passed. Arise and procure for me a rope, and tie one end of it to
+a tree, and let down to me its other end, that I may lay hold of it.
+Perhaps I may so escape from my present predicament, and I will give
+thee all the treasures that I possess." The fox, however, replied,
+"Thou hast prolonged a conversation that will not procure thy
+liberation. Hope not, therefore, for thy escape through my means; but
+reflect upon thy former wicked conduct, and the perfidy and artifice
+which thou thoughtest to employ against me, and how near thou art to
+being stoned. Know that thy soul is about to quit the world, and to
+perish and depart from it: then wilt thou be reduced to destruction,
+and an evil abode is it to which thou goest!" "O Abu-l-Hoseyn!"
+rejoined the wolf, "be ready in returning to friendship, and be not so
+rancorous. Know that he who delivereth a soul from destruction hath
+saved it alive, and he who saveth a soul alive is as if he had saved
+the lives of all mankind. Follow not a course of evil, for the wise
+abhor it; and there is no evil more manifest than my being in this
+pit, drinking the suffocating pains of death, and looking upon
+destruction, when thou art able to deliver me from the misery into
+which I have fallen." But the fox exclaimed, "O thou barbarous,
+hard-hearted wretch! I compare thee, with respect to the fairness of
+thy professions and the baseness of thine intention, to the falcon
+with the partridge." "And what," asked the wolf, "is the story of the
+falcon and the partridge?"
+
+The fox answered, "I entered a vineyard one day to eat of its grapes,
+and while I was there, I beheld a falcon pounce upon a partridge; but
+when he had captured him, the partridge escaped from him and entered
+his nest, and concealed himself in it; whereupon the falcon followed
+him, calling out to him, 'O idiot! I saw thee in the desert hungry,
+and, feeling compassion for thee, I gathered for thee some grain, and
+took hold of thee that thou mightest eat; but thou fleddest from me,
+and I see no reason for thy flight unless it be to mortify. Show
+thyself, then, and take the grain that I have brought thee and eat it,
+and may it be light and wholesome to thee.' So when the partridge
+heard these words of the falcon, he believed him and came forth to
+him; and the falcon stuck his talons into him, and got possession of
+him. The partridge therefore said to him, 'Is this that of which thou
+saidst that thou hadst brought for me from the desert, and of which
+thou saidst to me, "Eat it, and may it be light and wholesome to
+thee?" Thou hast lied unto me; and may God make that which thou eatest
+of my flesh to be a mortal poison in thy stomach!' And when he had
+eaten it, his feathers fell off, and his strength failed, and he
+forthwith died."
+
+The fox then continued, "Know, O wolf, that he who diggeth a pit for
+his brother soon falleth into it himself; and thou behavedst with
+perfidy to me first." "Cease," replied the wolf, "from addressing me
+with this discourse, and propounding fables, and mention not unto me
+my former base actions. It is enough for me to be in this miserable
+state, since I have fallen into a calamity for which the enemy would
+pity me, much more the true friend. Consider some stratagem by means
+of which I may save myself, and so assist me. If the doing this
+occasion thee trouble, thou knowest that the true friend endureth for
+his own true friend the severest labour, and will suffer destruction
+in obtaining his deliverance; and it hath been said, 'An affectionate
+friend is even better than a brother.' If thou procure means for my
+escape, I will collect for thee such things as shall be a store for
+thee against the time of want, and then I will teach thee
+extraordinary stratagems by which thou shalt make the plenteous
+vineyards accessible, and shalt strip the fruitful trees: so be happy
+and cheerful." But the fox said, laughing as he spoke, "How excellent
+is that which the learned have said of him who is excessively ignorant
+like thee!" "And what have the learned said?" asked the wolf. The fox
+answered, "The learned have observed that the rude in body and in
+disposition is far from intelligence, and nigh unto ignorance; for
+thine assertion, O perfidious idiot! that the true friend undergoeth
+trouble for the deliverance of his own true friend is just as thou
+hast said; but acquaint me, with thine ignorance and thy paucity of
+sense, how I should bear sincere friendship towards thee with thy
+treachery. Hast thou considered me a true friend unto thee when I am
+an enemy who rejoiceth in thy misfortune? These words are more severe
+than the piercing of arrows, if thou understand. And as to thy saying
+that thou wilt give me such things as will be a store for me against
+the time of want, and will teach me stratagems by which I shall obtain
+access to the plenteous vineyards and strip the fruitful trees--how is
+it, O guileful traitor! that thou knowest not a stratagem by means of
+which to save thyself from destruction? How far, then, art thou from
+profiting thyself, and how far am I from receiving thine advice? If
+thou know of stratagems, employ them to save thyself from this
+predicament from which I pray God to make thine escape far distant.
+See, then, O idiot! if thou know any stratagem, and save thyself by
+its means from slaughter, before thou lavish instruction upon another.
+But thou art like a man whom a disease attacked, and to whom there
+came a man suffering from the same disease to cure him, saying to him,
+'Shall I cure thee of thy disease?' The first man, therefore, said to
+the other, 'Why hast thou not begun by curing thyself?' So he left him
+and went his way. And thou, O wolf, art in the same case. Remain,
+then, in thy place, and endure that which hath befallen thee."
+
+Now when the wolf heard these words of the fox, he knew that he had no
+kindly feeling for him; so he wept for himself, and said, "I have been
+careless of myself; but if God deliver me from this affliction, I will
+assuredly repent of my overbearing conduct unto him that is weaker
+than I; and I will certainly wear wool, and ascend the mountains,
+commemorating the praises of God (whose name be exalted!) and fearing
+His punishment; and I will separate myself from all the other wild
+beasts, and verily I will feed the warriors in defence of the religion
+and the poor." Then he wept and lamented; and thereupon the heart of
+the fox was moved with tenderness for him. On hearing his humble
+expressions, and the words which indicated his repenting of arrogance
+and pride, he was affected with compassion for him, and, leaping with
+joy, placed himself at the brink of the pit, and sat upon his
+hind-legs and hung down his tail into the cavity. Upon this the wolf
+arose, and stretched forth his paw towards the fox's tail, and pulled
+him down to him; so the fox was with him in the pit. The wolf then
+said to him, "O fox of little compassion! wherefore didst thou rejoice
+in my misfortune? Now thou hast become my companion, and in my power.
+Thou hast fallen into the pit with me, and punishment hath quickly
+overtaken thee. The sages have said, 'If any one of you reproach his
+brother for deriving his nourishment from miserable means, he shall
+experience the same necessity,' and how excellent is the saying of the
+poet--
+
+    "'When fortune throweth itself heavily upon some, and encampeth
+            by the side of others,
+    Say to those who rejoice over us, "Awake: the rejoicers over us
+            shall suffer as _we_ have done."'
+
+"I must now," he continued, "hasten thy slaughter, before thou
+beholdest mine." So the fox said within himself, "I have fallen into
+the snare with this tyrant, and my present case requireth the
+employment of artifice and frauds. It hath been said that the woman
+maketh her ornaments for the day of festivity; and, in a proverb, 'I
+have not reserved thee, O my tear, but for the time of my difficulty!'
+and if I employ not some stratagem in the affair of this tyrannical
+wild beast, I perish inevitably. How good is the saying of the poet--
+
+    "'Support thyself by guile; for thou livest in an age whose sons
+            are like the lions of the forest;
+    And brandish around the spear of artifice, that the mill of
+            subsistence may revolve;
+    And pluck the fruits; or if they be beyond thy reach, then
+            content thyself with herbage.'"
+
+He then said to the wolf, "Hasten not to kill me, lest thou repent, O
+courageous wild beast, endowed with might and excessive fortitude! If
+thou delay, and consider what I am about to tell thee, thou wilt know
+the desire that I formed; and if thou hasten to kill me, there will be
+no profit to thee in thy doing so, but we shall die here together." So
+the wolf said, "O thou wily deceiver! how is it that thou hopest to
+effect my safety and thine own, that thou askest me to give thee a
+delay? Acquaint me with the desire that thou formedst." The fox
+replied, "As to the desire that I formed, it was such as requireth
+thee to recompense me for it well, since, when I heard thy promises,
+and thy confession of thy past conduct, and thy regret at not having
+before repented and done good; and when I heard thy vows to abstain
+from injurious conduct to thy companions and others, and to relinquish
+the eating of the grapes and all other fruits, and to impose upon
+thyself the obligation of humility, and to clip thy claws and break
+thy dog-teeth, and to wear wool and offer sacrifice to God (whose
+name be exalted!) if He delivered thee from thy present state, I was
+affected with compassion for thee, though I was before longing for thy
+destruction. So when I heard thy profession of repentance, and what
+thou vowedst to do if God delivered thee, I felt constrained to save
+thee from thy present predicament. I therefore hung down my tail that
+thou mightest catch hold of it and make thine escape. But thou wouldst
+not relinquish thy habit of severity and violence, nor desire escape
+and safety for thyself by gentleness. On the contrary, thou didst pull
+me in such a way that I thought my soul had departed, so I became a
+companion with thee of the abode of destruction and death; and nothing
+will effect the escape of myself and thee but one plan. If thou
+approve of this plan that I have to propose, we shall both save
+ourselves; and after that, it will be incumbent on thee to fulfil that
+which thou hast vowed to do, and I will be thy companion." So the wolf
+said, "And what is thy proposal that I am to accept?" The fox
+answered, "That thou raise thyself upright; then I will place myself
+upon thy head, that I may approach the surface of the earth, and when
+I am upon its surface I will go forth and bring thee something of
+which to take hold, and after that thou wilt deliver thyself." But the
+wolf replied, "I put no confidence in thy words; for the sages have
+said, 'He who confideth when he should hate is in error'; and it hath
+been said, 'He who confideth in the faithless is deceived, and he who
+maketh trial of the trier will repent.' How excellent also is the
+saying of the poet--
+
+    "'Let not your opinion be otherwise than evil; for ill opinion
+            is among the strongest of intellectual qualities.
+    Nothing casteth a man into a place of danger like the practice
+            of good, and a fair opinion!'
+
+"And the saying of another--
+
+    "'Always hold an evil opinion, and so be safe.
+    Whoso liveth vigilantly, his calamities will be few.
+    Meet the enemy with a smiling and an open face; but raise for him
+            an army in the heart to combat him.'
+
+"And that of another--
+
+    "'The most bitter of thine enemies is the nearest whom thou
+            trustest in: beware then of men, and associate with
+            them wilily.
+    Thy favourable opinion of fortune is a weakness: think evil of
+            it, therefore, and regard it with apprehension!'"
+
+"Verily," rejoined the fox, "an evil opinion is not commendable in
+every case; but a fair opinion is among the characteristics of
+excellence, and its result is escape from terrors. It is befitting, O
+wolf, that thou employ some stratagem for thine escape from the
+present predicament; and it will be better for us both to escape than
+to die. Relinquish, therefore, thine evil opinion and thy malevolence;
+for if thou think favourably of me, I shall not fail to do one of two
+things; either I shall bring thee something of which to lay hold, and
+thou wilt escape from thy present situation, or I shall act
+perfidiously towards thee, and save myself and leave thee; but this
+is a thing that cannot be, for I am not secured from meeting with some
+such affliction as that which thou hast met with, and that would be
+the punishment of perfidy. It hath been said in a proverb, 'Fidelity
+is good, and perfidy is base.' It is fit, then, that thou trust in me,
+for I have not been ignorant of misfortunes. Delay not, therefore, to
+contrive our escape, for the affair is too strait for thee to prolong
+thy discourse upon it."
+
+The wolf then said, "Verily, notwithstanding my little confidence in
+thy fidelity, I knew what was in thy heart, that thou desiredst my
+deliverance when thou wast convinced of my repentance; and I said
+within myself, 'If he be veracious in that which he asserteth, he hath
+made amends for his wickedness; and if he be false, he will be
+recompensed by his Lord.' So now I accept thy proposal to me, and if
+thou act perfidiously towards me, thy perfidy will be the means of thy
+destruction." Then the wolf raised himself upright in the pit, and
+took the fox upon his shoulders, so that his head reached the surface
+of the ground. The fox thereupon sprang from the wolf's shoulders, and
+found himself upon the face of the earth, when he fell down senseless.
+The wolf now said to him, "O my friend! forget not my case, nor delay
+my deliverance."
+
+The fox, however, uttered a loud laugh, and replied, "O thou deceived!
+it was nothing but my jesting with thee and deriding thee that
+entrapped me into thy power; for when I heard thy profession of
+repentance, joy excited me, and I was moved with delight, and danced,
+and my tail hung down into the pit; so thou didst pull me, and I fell
+by thee. Then God (whose name be exalted!) delivered me from thy hand.
+Wherefore, then, should I not aid in thy destruction when thou art of
+the associates of the devil? Know that I dreamt yesterday that I was
+dancing at thy wedding, and I related the dream to an interpreter, who
+said to me, 'Thou wilt fall into a frightful danger, and escape from
+it.' So I knew that my falling into thy power and my escape was the
+interpretation of my dream. Thou, too, knowest, O deceived idiot! that
+I am thine enemy. How, then, dost thou hope, with thy little sense and
+thine ignorance, that I will deliver thee, when thou hast heard what
+rude language I used? And how shall I endeavour to deliver thee, when
+the learned have said that by the death of the sinner are produced
+ease to mankind and purgation of the earth? Did I not fear that I
+should suffer, by fidelity to thee, such affliction as would be
+greater than that which may result from perfidy, I would consider upon
+means for thy deliverance." So when the wolf heard the words of the
+fox, he bit his paw in repentance. He then spoke softly to him, but
+obtained nothing thereby. With a low voice he said to him, "Verily,
+you tribe of foxes are the sweetest of people in tongue, and the most
+pleasant in jesting, and this is jesting in thee; but every time is
+not convenient for sport and joking." "O idiot!" replied the fox,
+"jesting hath a limit which its employer transgresseth not. Think not
+that God will give thee possession of me after He hath delivered me
+from thy power." The wolf then said to him, "Thou art one in whom it
+is proper to desire my liberation, on account of the former
+brotherhood and friendship that subsisted between us; and if thou
+deliver me, I will certainly recompense thee well." But the fox
+replied, "The sages have said, 'Take not as thy brother the ignorant
+and wicked, for he will disgrace thee, and not honour thee; and take
+not as thy brother the liar, for if good proceed from thee he will
+hide it, and if evil proceed from thee he will publish it!' And the
+sages have said, 'For everything there is a stratagem, excepting
+death; and everything may be rectified excepting the corruption of the
+very essence; and everything may be repelled excepting destiny.' And
+as to the recompense which thou assertest that I deserve of thee, I
+compare thee, in thy recompensing, to the serpent fleeing from the
+Háwee, when a man saw her in a state of terror, and said to her, 'What
+is the matter with thee, O serpent?' She answered, 'I have fled from
+the Háwee, for he seeketh me; and if thou deliver me from him, and
+conceal me with thee, I will recompense thee well, and do thee every
+kindness.' So the man took her, to obtain the reward, and eager for
+the recompense, and put her into his pocket; and when the Háwee had
+passed and gone his way, and what she feared had quitted her, the man
+said to her, 'Where is the recompense, for I have saved thee from that
+which thou fearedst and didst dread?' The serpent answered him, 'Tell
+me in what member I shall bite thee; for thou knowest that we exceed
+not this recompense.' She then inflicted upon him a bite, from which
+he died. And thee, O idiot!" continued the fox, "I compare to that
+serpent with that man. Hast thou not heard the saying of the poet?--
+
+    "'Trust not a person in whose heart thou hast made anger to
+            dwell, nor think his anger hath ceased.
+    Verily, the vipers, though smooth to the touch, show graceful
+            motions, and hide mortal poison.'"
+
+"O eloquent and comely-faced animal!" rejoined the wolf, "be not
+ignorant of my condition, and of the fear with which mankind regard
+me. Thou knowest that I assault the strong places, and strip the
+vines. Do, therefore, what I have commanded thee, and attend to me as
+the slave attendeth to his master." "O ignorant idiot! who seekest
+what is vain," exclaimed the fox, "verily I wonder at thy stupidity,
+and at the roughness of thy manner, in thine ordering me to serve thee
+and to stand before thee as though I were a slave. But thou shalt
+soon see what will befall thee, by the splitting of thy head with
+stones, and the breaking of thy treacherous dog-teeth."
+
+The fox then stationed himself upon a mound overlooking the vineyard,
+and cried out incessantly to the people of the vineyard until they
+perceived him and came quickly to him. He remained steady before them
+until they drew near unto him, and unto the pit in which was the wolf,
+and then he fled. So the owners of the vineyard looked into the pit,
+and when they beheld the wolf in it, they instantly pelted him with
+heavy stones, and continued throwing stones and pieces of wood upon
+him, and piercing him with the points of spears, until they killed
+him, when they departed. Then the fox returned to the pit, and
+standing over the place of the wolf's slaughter, saw him dead;
+whereupon he shook his head in the excess of his joy, and recited
+these verses--
+
+    "Fate removed the wolf's soul, and it was snatched away.
+    Far distant from happiness be his soul that hath perished.
+    How long hast thou striven, Abos Tirhán, to destroy me!
+    But now have burning calamities befallen thee.
+    Thou hast fallen into a pit into which none shall descend
+            without finding in it the blasts of death."
+
+After this the fox remained in the vineyard alone, and in security,
+fearing no mischief.
+
+
+
+
+THE SHEPHERD AND THE JOGIE.
+
+
+It is related that during the reign of a king of Cutch, named Lakeh, a
+Jogie lived, who was a wise man, and wonderfully skilled in the
+preparation of herbs. For years he had been occupied in searching for
+a peculiar kind of grass, the roots of which should be burnt, and a
+man be thrown into the flames. The body so burnt would become gold,
+and any of the members might be removed without the body sustaining
+any loss, as the parts so taken would always be self-restored.
+
+It so occurred that this Jogie, whilst following a flock of goats,
+observed one amongst them eating of the grass he was so anxious to
+procure. He immediately rooted it up, and desired the shepherd who was
+near to assist him in procuring firewood. When he had collected the
+wood and kindled a flame, into which the grass was thrown, the Jogie,
+wishing to render the shepherd the victim of his avarice, desired him,
+under some pretence, to make a few circuits round the fire. The man,
+however, suspecting foul play, watched his opportunity, and, seizing
+the Jogie himself, he threw him into the fire and left him to be
+consumed. Next day, on returning to the spot, great was his surprise
+to behold the golden figure of a man lying amongst the embers. He
+immediately chopped off one of the limbs and hid it. The next day he
+returned to take another, when his astonishment was yet greater to see
+that a fresh limb had replaced the one already taken. In short, the
+shepherd soon became wealthy, and revealed the secret of his riches to
+the king, Lakeh, who, by the same means, accumulated so much gold that
+every day he was in the habit of giving one lac and twenty-five
+thousand rupees in alms to fakirs.
+
+
+
+
+THE PERFIDIOUS VIZIER.
+
+
+A king of former times had an only son, whom he contracted in marriage
+to the daughter of another king. But the damsel, who was endowed with
+great beauty, had a cousin who had sought her in marriage, and had
+been rejected; wherefore he sent great presents to the vizier of the
+king just mentioned, requesting him to employ some stratagem by which
+to destroy his master's son, or to induce him to relinquish the
+damsel. The vizier consented. Then the father of the damsel sent to
+the king's son, inviting him to come and introduce himself to his
+daughter, to take her as his wife; and the father of the young man
+sent him with the treacherous vizier, attended by a thousand horsemen,
+and provided with rich presents. When they were proceeding over the
+desert, the vizier remembered that there was near unto them a spring
+of water called Ez-zahra, and that whosoever drank of it, if he were a
+man, became a woman. He therefore ordered the troops to alight near
+it, and induced the prince to go thither with him. When they arrived
+at the spring, the king's son dismounted from his courser, and washed
+his hands, and drank; and lo! he became a woman; whereupon he cried
+out and wept until he fainted. The vizier asked him what had befallen
+him, so the young man informed him; and on hearing his words, the
+vizier affected to be grieved for him, and wept. The king's son then
+sent the vizier back to his father to inform him of this event,
+determining not to proceed nor to return until his affliction should
+be removed from him, or until he should die.
+
+He remained by the fountain during a period of three days and nights,
+neither eating nor drinking, and on the fourth night there came to him
+a horseman with a crown upon his head, appearing like one of the sons
+of the kings. This horseman said to him, "Who brought you, O young
+man, unto this place?" So the young man told him his story; and when
+the horseman heard it, he pitied him, and said to him, "The vizier of
+thy father is the person who hath thrown thee into this calamity; for
+no one of mankind knoweth of this spring excepting one man." Then the
+horseman ordered him to mount with him. He therefore mounted; and the
+horseman said to him, "Come with me to my abode: for thou art my guest
+this night." The young man replied, "Inform me who thou art before I
+go with thee." And the horseman said, "I am the son of a king of the
+Jinn, and thou art son of a king of mankind. And now, be of good heart
+and cheerful eye on account of that which shall dispel thine anxiety
+and thy grief, for it is unto me easy."
+
+So the young man proceeded with him from the commencement of the day,
+forsaking his troops and soldiers (whom the vizier had left at their
+halting-place), and ceased not to travel on with his conductor until
+midnight, when the son of the king of the Jinn said to him, "Knowest
+thou what space we have traversed during this period?" The young man
+answered him, "I know not." The son of the king of the Jinn said, "We
+have traversed a space of a year's journey to him who travelleth with
+diligence." So the young man wondered thereat, and asked, "How shall I
+return to my family?" The other answered, "This is not thine affair.
+It is my affair; and when thou shalt have recovered from thy
+misfortune, thou shalt return to thy family in less time than the
+twinkling of an eye, for to accomplish that will be to me easy." The
+young man, on hearing these words from the Jinnee, almost flew with
+excessive delight. He thought that the event was a result of confused
+dreams, and said, "Extolled be the perfection of him who is able to
+restore the wretched, and render him prosperous!" They ceased not to
+proceed until morning, when they arrived at a verdant, bright land,
+with tall trees, and warbling birds, and gardens of surpassing beauty,
+and fair palaces; and thereupon the son of the king of the Jinn
+alighted from his courser, commanding the young man also to dismount.
+He therefore dismounted, and the Jinnee took him by the hand, and they
+entered one of the palaces, where the young man beheld an exalted king
+and a sultan of great dignity, and he remained with them that day,
+eating and drinking, until the approach of night. Then the son of the
+king of the Jinn arose and mounted with him, and they went forth, and
+proceeded during the night with diligence until the morning. And lo!
+they came to a black land, not inhabited, abounding with black rocks
+and stones, as though it were a part of hell; whereupon the son of the
+king of men said to the Jinnee, "What is the name of this land?" And
+he answered, "It is called the Dusky Land, and belongeth to one of the
+kings of the Jinn, whose name is Zu-l-Jenáheyn. None of the kings can
+attack him, nor doth any one enter his territory unless by his
+permission, so stop in thy place while I ask his permission."
+Accordingly the young man stopped, and the Jinn was absent from him
+for a while, and then returned to him; and they ceased not to proceed
+until they came to a spring flowing from black mountains. The Jinnee
+said to the young man, "Alight." He therefore alighted from his
+courser, and the Jinnee said to him, "Drink of this spring."
+
+The young prince drank of it, and immediately became again a man, as
+he was at first, by the power of God (whose name be exalted!), whereat
+he rejoiced with great joy, not to be exceeded. And he said to the
+Jinn, "O my brother, what is the name of this spring?" The Jinnee
+answered, "It is called the Spring of the Women: no woman drinketh of
+it but she becometh a man; therefore praise God, and thank Him for thy
+restoration, and mount thy courser." So the king's son prostrated
+himself, thanking God (whose name be exalted!). Then he mounted, and
+they journeyed with diligence during the rest of the day until they
+had returned to the land of the Jinnee, and the young man passed the
+night in his abode in the most comfortable manner; after which they
+ate and drank until the next night, when the son of the king of the
+Jinn said to him, "Dost thou desire to return to thy family this
+night?" The young man answered, "Yes." So the son of the king of the
+Jinn called one of his father's slaves, whose name was Rájiz, and said
+to him, "Take this young man hence, and carry him upon thy shoulders,
+and let not the dawn overtake him before he is with his father-in-law
+and his wife." The slave replied, "I hear and obey, and with feelings
+of love and honour will I do it." Then the slave absented himself for
+a while, and approached in the form of an 'Efreet. And when the young
+man saw him his reason fled, and he was stupefied; but the son of the
+king of the Jinn said to him, "No harm shall befall thee. Mount thy
+courser. Ascend upon his shoulders." The young man then mounted upon
+the slave's shoulders, and the son of the king of the Jinn said to
+him, "Close thine eyes." So he closed his eyes, and the slave flew
+with him between heaven and earth, and ceased not to fly along with
+him while the young man was unconscious, and the last third of the
+night came not before he was on the top of the palace of his
+father-in-law. Then the 'Efreet said to him, "Alight." He therefore
+alighted. And the 'Efreet said to him, "Open thine eyes; for this is
+the palace of thy father-in-law and his daughter." Then he left him
+and departed. And as soon as the day shone, and the alarm of the young
+man subsided, he descended from the roof of the palace; and when his
+father-in-law beheld him, he rose to him and met him, wondering at
+seeing him descend from the top of the palace, and he said to him, "We
+see other men come through the doors, but thou comest down from the
+sky." The young man replied, "What God (whose perfection be extolled,
+and whose name be exalted!) desired hath happened." And when the sun
+rose, his father-in-law ordered his vizier to prepare great banquets,
+and the wedding was celebrated; the young man remained there two
+months, and then departed with his wife to the city of his father. But
+as to the cousin of the damsel, he perished by reason of his jealousy
+and envy.
+
+
+    Printed by T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty,
+              _at the Edinburgh University Press_.
+
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Note
+
+Minor punctuation errors have been repaired.
+
+Archaic and variable spelling, e.g. corse and corpse, is preserved as
+printed where there was no predominance of one form over the other.
+
+"The Relations of Ssidi Kur" contains phrasing at the end of each
+story, beginning with the word 'Ssarwala,' which is similar but not
+identical each time it occurs. While two seemingly typographic errors
+have been amended for consistency, the phrases are otherwise preserved
+as printed in each case.
+
+The following amendments have been made, for consistency:
+
+    Page 21--El-Yeman amended to El-Yemen--"... and while he was
+    proceeding over the deserts of El-Yemen ..."
+
+    Page 58--jackzang amended to jakzang--"... thou hast spoken
+    words:--Ssarwala missbrod jakzang! ..."
+
+    Page 88--Swarwala amended to Ssarwala--"Ssarwala missdood
+    jakzang!"
+
+    Page 115--aerlic amended to aerliks--"And the two aerliks
+    (fiends) cried, ..."
+
+    Page 118--evil-doer amended to evildoer--"... That the
+    evildoer may be really discovered, ..."
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Folk-Lore and Legends: Oriental, by 
+Charles John Tibbitts
+
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