The Arabian Nights Entertainments, vol 3 | Page 4

had heard her speak. One of them replied, "Sire,
we have neither seen her open her lips, nor heard her speak any more
than your majesty has; we have rendered her our services in the bath;
we have dressed her head, put on her clothes, and waited upon her in
her chamber; but she has never opened her lips, so much as to say, that
is well, or I like this. We have often asked her, "Madam, do you want
anything? Is there anything you wish for? Do but ask, and command
us," but we have never been able to draw a word from her. We cannot
tell whether her sorrow proceeds from pride, sorrow, stupidity, or
dumbness."
The king was more astonished at hearing this than he had been before:
however, believing the slave might have some cause of sorrow, he was
willing to endeavour to divert and amuse her. Accordingly he
appointed a very splendid assembly, which all the ladies of the court
attended; and those who were skilful in playing upon musical
instruments performed their parts, while others sung or danced, or did
both together: they played at all sorts of games, which much diverted
the king. The fair slave was the only person who took no pleasure in
these attempts to amuse her; she never moved from her place, but
remained with her eyes fixed on the ground with so much indifference,

that all the ladies were not less surprised than the king. After the
assembly was over, every one retired to her apartment; and the king
was left alone with the fair slave.
The next morning the king of Persia rose more pleased than he had
been with all the women he had seen before, and more enamoured with
the fair slave than ever. Indeed, he soon made it appear, by resolving
henceforth to attach himself to her alone; and performed his resolution.
On the same day he dismissed all his other women, giving every one of
them their jewels, and other valuables, besides a considerable fortune,
with free leave to marry whom they thought fit; and only kept the
matrons and a few other elderly women to wait upon the fair slave.
However, for a whole year together, she never afforded him the
pleasure of one single word; yet the king continued his assiduities to
please her, and to give her the most signal proofs of sincere love.
After the expiration of the year, the king sitting one day by his mistress,
protested to her that his love, instead of being diminished, grew every
day more violent. "My queen," said he, "I cannot divine what your
thoughts are; but nothing is more true, and I swear to you, that having
the happiness of possessing you, there remains nothing for me to desire.
I esteem my kingdom, great as it is, less than an atom, when I have the
pleasure of beholding you, and of telling you a thousand times that I
adore you. I desire not that my words alone should oblige you to
believe me. Surely you can no longer doubt of my devotion to you after
the sacrifice which I have made to your beauty of so many women,
whom I before kept in my palace. You may remember it is about a year
since I sent them all away; and I as little repent of it now, as I did the
moment of their departure; and I never shall repent. Nothing would be
wanting to complete my happiness and crown my joy, would you but
speak one single word to me, by which I might be assured that you
thought yourself at all obliged. But how can you speak to me if you are
dumb? and alas! I feel but too apprehensive that this is the case. How
can I doubt, since you still torment me with silence, after having for a
whole year in vain supplicated you to speak? If it is possible for me to
obtain of you that consolation, may heaven at least grant me the
blessing of a son by you, to succeed me. I every day find myself
growing old, and I begin already to want one to assist me in bearing the
weight of my crown. Still I cannot conceal the desire I have of hearing

you speak; for something within me tells me you are not dumb: and I
beseech, I conjure you, dear madam, to break through this long silence,
and speak but one word to me; after that I care not how soon I die."
At this discourse the fair slave, who, according to her usual custom,
had hearkened to the king with downcast eyes, and had given him cause
to believe not only that she was dumb, but that she had never laughed,