The Arabian Nights | Page 6

the usual hour arrived the grand-vizir conducted Scheherazade to the palace, and
left her alone with the Sultan, who bade her raise her veil and was amazed at her beauty.
But seeing her eyes full of tears, he asked what was the matter. "Sire," replied

Scheherazade, "I have a sister who loves me as tenderly as I love her. Grant me the
favour of allowing her to sleep this night in the same room, as it is the last we shall be
together." Schahriar consented to Scheherazade's petition and Dinarzade was sent for.
An hour before daybreak Dinarzade awoke, and exclaimed, as she had promised, "My
dear sister, if you are not asleep, tell me I pray you, before the sun rises, one of your
charming stories. It is the last time that I shall have the pleasure of hearing you."
Scheherazade did not answer her sister, but turned to the Sultan. "Will your highness
permit me to do as my sister asks?" said she.
"Willingly," he answered. So Scheherazade began.

The Story of the Merchant and the Genius
Sire, there was once upon a time a merchant who possessed great wealth, in land and
merchandise, as well as in ready money. He was obliged from time to time to take
journeys to arrange his affairs. One day, having to go a long way from home, he mounted
his horse, taking with him a small wallet in which he had put a few biscuits and dates,
because he had to pass through the desert where no food was to be got. He arrived
without any mishap, and, having finished his business, set out on his return. On the fourth
day of his journey, the heat of the sun being very great, he turned out of his road to rest
under some trees. He found at the foot of a large walnut-tree a fountain of clear and
running water. He dismounted, fastened his horse to a branch of the tree, and sat by the
fountain, after having taken from his wallet some of his dates and biscuits. When he had
finished this frugal meal he washed his face and hands in the fountain.
When he was thus employed he saw an enormous genius, white with rage, coming
towards him, with a scimitar in his hand.
"Arise," he cried in a terrible voice, "and let me kill you as you have killed my son!"
As he uttered these words he gave a frightful yell. The merchant, quite as much terrified
at the hideous face of the monster as at his words, answered him tremblingly, "Alas, good
sir, what can I have done to you to deserve death?"
"I shall kill you," repeated the genius, "as you have killed my son."
"But," said the merchant, "How can I have killed your son? I do not know him, and I
have never even seen him."
"When you arrived here did you not sit down on the ground?" asked the genius, "and did
you not take some dates from your wallet, and whilst eating them did not you throw the
stones about?"
"Yes," said the merchant, "I certainly did so."

"Then," said the genius, "I tell you you have killed my son, for whilst you were throwing
about the stones, my son passed by, and one of them struck him in the eye and killed him.
So I shall kill you."
"Ah, sir, forgive me!" cried the merchant.
"I will have no mercy on you," answered the genius.
"But I killed your son quite unintentionally, so I implore you to spare my life."
"No," said the genius, "I shall kill you as you killed my son," and so saying, he seized the
merchant by the arm, threw him on the ground, and lifted his sabre to cut off his head.
The merchant, protesting his innocence, bewailed his wife and children, and tried
pitifully to avert his fate. The genius, with his raised scimitar, waited till he had finished,
but was not in the least touched.
Scheherazade, at this point, seeing that it was day, and knowing that the Sultan always
rose very early to attend the council, stopped speaking.
"Indeed, sister," said Dinarzade, "this is a wonderful story."
"The rest is still more wonderful," replied Scheherazade, "and you would say so, if the
sultan would allow me to live another day, and would give me leave to tell it to you the
next night."
Schahriar, who had been listening to Scheherazade with pleasure, said to himself, "I will
wait till to-morrow; I can always have her killed when I have heard the end of her story."
All this time the grand-vizir was in a terrible state of anxiety. But he was much delighted
when he saw the Sultan enter the council-chamber without giving the terrible command