The Arabian Nights Entertainments, vol 1 | Page 4

Masoud, who climbed up his tree, and got over the garden wall
as he had come in.
These things having passed in the king of Tartary's sight, filled him
with a multitude of reflections. "How little reason had I," said he, "to
think that none was so unfortunate as myself? It is surely the
unavoidable fate of all husbands, since even the sultan my brother, who
is sovereign of so-many dominions, and the greatest prince of the earth,
could not escape. Such being the case, what a fool am I to kill myself
with grief? I am resolved that the remembrance of a misfortune so
common shall never more disturb my peace."
From that moment he forbore afflicting himself. He called for his
supper, ate with a better appetite than he had done since his leaving
Samarcand, and listened with some degree of pleasure to the agreeable
concert of vocal and instrumental music that was appointed to entertain
him while at table.
He continued after this very cheerful; and when he was informed that
the sultan was returning, went to meet him, and paid him his
compliments with great gaiety. Shier-ear at first took no notice of this

alteration. He politely expostulated with him for not bearing him
company, and without giving him time to reply, entertained him with
an account of the great number of deer and other game they had killed,
and the pleasure he had received in the chase. Shaw-zummaun heard
him with attention; and being now relieved from the melancholy which
had before depressed his spirits, and clouded his talents, took up the
conversation in his turn, and spoke a thousand agreeable and pleasant
things to the sultan.
Shier-ear, who expected to have found him in the same state as he had
left him, was overjoyed to see him so cheerful: "Dear brother," said he,
"I return thanks to heaven for the happy change it has wrought in you
during my absence. I am indeed extremely rejoiced. But I have a
request to make to you, and conjure you not to deny me."I can refuse
you nothing," replied the king of Tartary; "you may command
Shaw-zummaun as you please: speak, I am impatient to know what you
desire of me." "Ever since you came to my court," resumed Shier-ear,
"I have found you immersed in a deep melancholy, and I have in vain
attempted to remove it by different diversions. I imagined it might be
occasioned by your distance from your dominions, or that love might
have a great share in it; and that the queen of Samarcand, who, no
doubt, is an accomplished beauty, might be the cause. I do not know
whether I am mistaken in my conjecture; but I must own, that it was for
this very reason I would not importune you upon the subject, for fear of
making you uneasy. But without myself contributing anything towards
effecting the change, I find on my return that your mind is entirely
delivered from the black vapour which disturbed it. Pray do me the
favour to tell me why you were so melancholy, and wherefore you are
no longer so."
The king of Tartary continued for some time as if he had been
meditating and contriving what he should answer; but at last replied,
"You are my sultan and master; but excuse me, I beseech you, from
answering your question." "No, dear brother," said the sultan, "you
must answer me, I will take no denial." Shaw- zummaun, not being
able to withstand these pressing entreaties, replied, "Well then, brother,
I will satisfy you, since you command me ;" and having told him the

story of the queen of Samarcand's treachery "This," said he, "was the
cause of my grief; judge whether I had not sufficient reason for my
depression."
"O! my brother," said the sultan, (in a tone which shewed what interest
he took in the king of Tartary's affliction), "what a horrible event do
you tell me! I commend you for punishing the traitors who offered you
such an outrage. None can blame you for what you have done. It was
just; and for my part, had the case been mine, 1 should scarcely have
been so moderate. I could not have satisfied myself with the life of one
woman; I should have sacrificed a thousand to my fury. I now cease to
wonder at your melancholy. The cause was too afflicting and too
mortifying not to overwhelm you. O heaven! what a strange adventure!
Nor do I believe the like ever befell any man but yourself. But I must
bless God, who has comforted you; and since I doubt not but your
consolation is well-grounded, be so good as to inform me what it is,
and conceal nothing from me." Shaw-zummaun was not so