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"I WAS yesterday, great monarch, invited by a man of great position and
fortune to the wedding of one of his daughters. I did not fail to be at
his house by the appointed hour; and found a large company of the best
inhabitants of the city.
When the ceremony was over, the feast, which was very magnificent, was
served up. There was one dish dressed with garlic, which was so very
excellent that every one wished to try it. We remarked, however, that
one of the guests avoided eating any, although the dish stood directly
before him. We invited him to help himself to some, but he requested us
not to press him to touch it. 'I shall be very careful,’ said he, 'how
I touch a ragout dressed with garlic. I have not yet forgotten the
consequences to me the last time I tasted one.’ We inquired the cause
of the aversion he seemed to have to garlic; but the master of the
house called out, without giving him time to answer our inquiries: 'Is
it thus you honour my table? This ragout is delicious. Do not,
therefore, refuse to eat of it; you must do me that favour, like the
rest of the company.’ 'My master,’ replied his guest, who was a
merchant of Bagdad, 'I certainly will obey your commands if you insist;
but it must only be on condition that, after eating the ragout of
garlic, you will permit me to wash my hands forty times with alkali,
forty times with the ashes of the plant from which that substance is
procured, and as many times with soap. I hope you will not be offended
at this design, for it is in consequence of an oath I have taken, and
which I must not break, never to eat a ragout with garlic without
observing these ceremonies!'
"As the master of the house would not excuse the merchant from eating
some of the ragout, he ordered his servants to get ready some basins,
containing a solution of alkali, ashes of the same plant, and soap,
that the merchant might wash as often as he pleased. After giving these
orders, he said to the merchant: 'Come, now, do as we do, and eat;
neither the alkali, the ashes of the plant, nor the soap shall be
wanting.’
"Although the merchant was angry at the sort of compulsion to which he
was subjected, he put out his hand, and took a small quantity of the
ragout, which he put to his mouth with fear and trembling, and ate with
a repugnance that very much astonished us all. But we remarked with
still greater surprise that he had only four fingers, and no thumb. No
one had noticed this circumstance until now. The master of the house
then said: 'You seem to have lost your thumb; how did such an accident
happen? There must have been some singular circumstances connected with
it; and you will afford this company great pleasure if you will relate
them.' ‘It is not only on my right hand that I have no thumb,’ replied
the guest; ‘my left is also in the same state.' He held out his left
hand as he spoke. 'Nor is this all,’ he added; 'I have lost the great
toe from each of my feet. I have been maimed in this manner through a
most extraordinary adventure, which I have no objection to relate if
you will have the patience to listen to it. First of all, however,
permit me to wash my hands.' So saying, he rose from table; and after
washing his hands one hundred and twenty times, he related the
following story :—
"You must know, my masters, that my father lived at Bagdad, where I
also was born, and he was reckoned one of the richest merchants in that
city. But as he was a man much addicted to pleasure and dissipation, he
very much neglected his affairs; instead, therefore, of inheriting a
large fortune at his death, I found myself greatly embarrassed, and was
obliged to use the greatest economy to pay the debts he left behind
him. By dint of great attention and care, however, I at last discharged
them all, and my small fortune then began to assume a favourable
appearance.
"One morning, as I was opening my shop, a lady, mounted upon a mule,
accompanied by an eunuch, and followed by two slaves, came riding
towards my warehouse, and stopped in front of my door. The eunuch
assisted her to alight; he then said to her: 'I am afraid, lady, you
have arrived too soon; you see, there is no one yet come to the
bazaar.' She looked round, and finding that there was no other shop
open but mine, she requested permission to sit down till the other
merchants arrived. I replied that my shop was at her service.
"The lady entered my shop and sat down; and as she observed there was
no one to be seen in the bazaar except the eunuch and myself, she took
off her veil in order to enjoy the air. I had never seen any one so
beautiful, and to gaze upon her and to be passionately in love were
with me one and the same thing. I kept my eyes constantly fixed upon
her, and I thought she looked as if my admiration was not unpleasing to
her; nor did she put down her veil till the fear of the approach of
strangers obliged her to do so. After she had adjusted her veil, she
informed me that she had come with the intention of looking at some of
the finest and richest kinds of stuff, which she described to me, and
inquired whether I had any such wares. 'Alas! Lady,’ I said. 'I am but
a young merchant, and have not long begun business; I am not yet rich
enough to trade so largely; and it is a great mortification to me that
I have none of the things for which you came into the bazaar; but to
save you the trouble of going from shop to shop, let me, as soon as the
merchants come, go and get from them whatever you wish to see.' To this
she consented, and I began a conversation with her which lasted a long
time.
"I was not less delighted with her wit and understanding than I had
been with her personal charms. I was, however, at last compelled to
seek the stuffs she wanted. When she had decided upon those she wished
to have, I informed her that they came to five thousand drachms of
silver. I then made them up into a parcel, and gave them to the eunuch,
who put them under his arm. The lady immediately rose, took leave of
me, and went away. I followed her with my eyes until she had reached
the gate of the bazaar.
"When the lady was out of sight, I recollected that my love had caused
me to be guilty of a great fault. My beautiful visitor had so wholly
engrossed my attention that I had not only omitted taking the money for
the goods, but even neglected to inquire who she was, and where she
lived. This led me immediately to reflect that I was accountable for a
very large sum of money to several merchants, who would not, perhaps,
have the patience to wait. I then went and excused myself to them in
the best way I could, telling them I knew the lady very well. I
returned home as much in love as ever, although very much depressed at
the idea of the heavy debt I had incurred.
"I requested my creditors to wait a week for their money, which they
agreed to do. On the eighth morning they did not fail to come and
demand payment; but I again begged the favour of a little further
delay, and they kindly granted my request; but on the very next morning
I saw the lady coming along on the same mule, with the same persons
attending her.
"She came directly to my shop. She said: 'I have made you wait a little
for your money in payment for the stuffs which I had the other day, but
I have at last brought it you.' After this I had the happiness of a
long conversation with the lady.
"As soon as the merchants were come and had opened their shops, I took
the sum I owed to each of those from whom I had purchased the stuffs on
credit; and I had now no difficulty in getting from them other pieces
which the lady had desired to see. I carried back with me brocades
worth a thousand pieces of gold, all of which she took away with her;
and not only did she omit to pay for them, but never mentioned the
subject, or even informed me who she was or where she lived. I said to
myself: ‘She has certainly paid me a very large sum of money, but she
has left me responsible for a debt of much greater amount. Is it
possible she can intend to cheat me, and thus, by paying me for the
first quantity, has only enticed me to more certain ruin?'
"My love was not powerful enough to prevent me from making these
distressing reflections for one entire month. My fears kept increasing
from day to day, and time passed on without my having any intelligence
whatever of the lady. The merchants at last began to grow very
impatient, and in order to satisfy them I was going to sell off
everything I had; when, one morning, I saw the lady coming with exactly
the same attendants as before. ‘Take your weights,’ she said to me,
'and weigh the gold I have brought you.' These few words put an end to
all my fears.
"Before she began to count out the gold, she inquired if I was married.
I told her I was not, nor had I ever been. Thereupon she gave the gold
to the eunuch, and said to him: ' Come, let us have your assistance to
settle our affairs.' The eunuch could not help smiling; and taking me
aside he made me weigh the gold.
"While I was thus employed, the eunuch whispered the following words in
my ear: 'I have only to look at you to see that you are desperately in
love with my mistress; and I am surprised that you have not the courage
to declare your passion to her. She loves you, if possible, more than
you love her. Don't suppose that she wants any of your stuffs; she only
comes here out of affection for you. You have only to declare yourself,
and if you wish it, she will not hesitate even to marry you.' 'It is
true,' I replied, ‘that I felt emotions of love arise in my breast the
very first moment I beheld your lady. I am wholly her own, and shall
not fail to remember the good service you have done me.'
"When I had finished weighing the gold, and while I was putting it back
into the bag, the eunuch went to the lady, and said that I was very
well satisfied. This was the expression they had agreed upon between
themselves. The lady, who was seated, immediately rose and went away,
telling me first that she would send back the eunuch, and that I must
do exactly as he directed.
"I then went to all the merchants to whom I was indebted, and paid
them. After this I waited with the greatest impatience for the arrival
of the eunuch; but it was some days before he made his appearance. At
length he appeared.
"I received him in the most friendly manner, and made many inquiries
after the health of his mistress. He replied: 'You are certainly the
happiest lover in all the world: she is absolutely dying for love of
you. If she were able to follow her own inclinations, she would
instantly come to you, and gladly pass every moment of her future life
with you.’ 'From her noble air and manner,,’ I replied, 'I have
concluded she is a lady of great rank and consequence.' 'Your opinion
is quite correct,’ said the eunuch; 'she is the favourite of Zobeidé,
the sultana, who is strongly attached to her, and has brought her up
from her earliest infancy. Inspired with affection for you, she has
told her mistress that she has cast her eyes upon you, and has asked
the sultaness to consent to the match. Zobeidé has listened favourably,
but has requested in the first instance to see you, that she may judge
whether her favourite has made a good choice; and in case she approves
of you, she will herself bear the expenses of the wedding. The only
thing, therefore, you have to do is to go to the palace; and this was
the reason of my coming here. You must now tell me what you determine
to do.’ ‘My resolution is already taken,’ I replied; 'and I am ready to
follow you when and where you choose to conduct me.’ 'That is well,’
said the eunuch, 'but you must recollect that no man is permitted to
enter the apartments belonging to the ladies in the palace, and that
you can be introduced there only by such means as will keep your
presence a profound secret. The favourite has thought of a scheme by
which she may effect this; and you must on your part do everything to
facilitate it. But above all things you must be discreet, or your life
may be the forfeit.’
"I assured him that I would obey his directions exactly. ‘You must
then,’ he said, 'go this evening to the mosque which the lady Zobeidé
has caused to be built on the banks of the Tigris; and you must wait
there till we come to you.’ I agreed to do everything he wished, and
waited with the greatest impatience till the day was gone. When the
evening fell, I went to prayers at the appointed mosque, and remained
there till every one else had left.
"Almost immediately after prayers I saw a boat come to shore, rowed by
eunuchs. They landed and brought a great number of chests into the
mosque. Hereupon they all went away except one, whom I soon recognized
as the man who had accompanied the lady, and who had spoken with me
that very morning. Presently I saw the lady herself come in. I went up
to her, and was explaining to her that I was ready to obey all her
orders, when she said: 'We have no time to lose in conversation.’ She
opened one of the chests and ordered me to get in, adding: 'It is
absolutely necessary both for your safety and mine. Fear nothing, and
leave me to manage this affair.’ I had gone too far to recede;
therefore I did as she desired, and she immediately shut down the top
of the chest, and locked it. The eunuch who was in her confidence then
called the other eunuchs who had brought the chests, and ordered them
to carry the boxes back on board the boat. The lady and the eunuch then
embarked, and they began to row toward the apartments of Zobeidé.
"As I lay in the chest I had leisure to make the most serious
reflections; and I repented most heartily of having exposed myself to
the danger I was in. I gave vent to alternate prayers and regrets; but
both were now useless and out of season.
"The boat came ashore exactly before the gate of the caliph's palace.
The chests were all landed and carried to the ladies' apartment.
"Scarcely had they been placed on the ground, when I suddenly heard the
cry of 'The caliph! the caliph is coming!' I was almost ready to die on
the spot. Presently the caliph came in. 'What have you there in those
chests?' said he to the favourite. 'Commander of the Faithful,’ she
replied, 'they are some stuffs lately arrived, which Zobeidé my
mistress wished to inspect.’ ' Open them,’ said he, 'and let me see
them.’ She endeavoured to excuse herself by saying they were only fit
for females. 'Open them, I tell you,’ he answered; 'I command you!'
"It was then absolutely necessary that the favourite should obey. I
tremble, even now, every time I think of that dreadful moment. The
caliph seated himself, and the favourite, ordering all the chests to be
brought, opened them one after the other, and displayed the stuffs
before him. To prolong the business as much as possible, she pointed
out to him the peculiar beauties of each individual stuff, in the hope
that she might tire out his patience; but she did not succeed. At last
all the chests had been inspected except the one in which I lay.
'Come,' said the caliph, 'let us make haste and finish this business;
we have now only to see what is in yonder chest.' On hearing these
words, I knew not whether I was alive or dead; for I now lost all hope
of escaping the terrible danger I was in.
"When the favourite saw that the caliph was determined she should open
the chest in which I was concealed, she said: 'There are some things in
that chest which I cannot show, except in the presence of the sultana
my mistress.' 'Be it so,’ replied the caliph, 'I am content: let them
carry the chests in.' The eunuchs immediately took them up, and placed
them in Zobeidé's chamber, where I again began to breathe freely.
"As soon as the eunuchs who brought in the chests retired, the
favourite quickly opened that in which I was a prisoner. 'Come out,'
she cried; and, showing me a staircase which led to a chamber above,
she added: 'Go up, and wait for me there.'
"So soon as she was at liberty she came into the apartment in which I
waited, and made a thousand excuses for the alarm I had suffered. 'My
anxiety and fear,' she said, ‘quite equalled your own. I think few
persons in my position would have had the address and courage to
extricate themselves from so delicate a situation. All the love I felt
for you was required to sharpen my wits in that terrible dilemma, to
get out of such an embarrassment. But compose yourself now: there is
nothing more to fear.' After we had gratified ourselves some time with
mutual avowals of our affection, she said: 'You want repose; you are to
sleep here, and I will not fail to present you to my mistress Zobeidé
some time to-morrow. This is a very easy matter, as the caliph will be
absent.' Encouraged by this account, I slept with the greatest
tranquillity.
"The next morning the favourite of Zobeidé led me into a hall, where
everything was very magnificent. I had not been long there when twenty
female slaves, all dressed in rich and uniform habits, came out from
the cabinet of Zobeidé, and immediately ranged themselves before the
throne in two rows. They were followed by twenty other female slaves,
very young, and dressed exactly like the first, with this difference
only, that their dresses were much more splendid. Zobeidé, a lady of
very majestic aspect, appeared in the midst of the young slaves. She
was so loaded with precious stones and jewels that she could scarcely
walk. She went immediately and seated herself upon the throne. Her
favourite lady accompanied her.
"As soon as the caliph's consort was seated, the slaves who came in
first made a sign for me to approach. I advanced and prostrated myself
till my head touched the carpet which was under the feet of the
princess. She ordered me to rise, and honoured me so far as to ask my
name, and to inquire concerning my family and the state of my fortune.
In my answers to all these questions I gave her perfect satisfaction.
'I have great satisfaction,’ said she, 'in finding that my daughter
(for as such I shall ever regard her, after the care I have taken of
her education) has made such a choice. I entirely approve of it, and
agree to your marriage. I will myself give orders for the necessary
preparations. But for the next ten days before the ceremony can take
place I shall require my daughter's services; and during this time I
will speak to the caliph and obtain his consent; meanwhile you shall
remain here, and shall be well taken care of.'
"I spent those ten days in the ladies' apartments; and during the whole
time I was deprived of the pleasure of seeing the favourite, even for
one moment.
"Zobeidé in the meantime informed the caliph of the determination she
had taken to give her favourite in marriage; and the caliph not only
left her at liberty to act as she pleased in this matter, but even gave
a large sum of money to the favourite as his contribution towards
setting up her establishment. The appointed time at length came, and
Zobeidé had a proper contract of marriage prepared. Preparations for
the nuptials were made; musicians and dancers of both sexes were
ordered to hold themselves in readiness; and for nine days the greatest
joy and festivity reigned through the palace; the tenth was the day
appointed for the concluding ceremony of the marriage. The favourite
was led to a bath on one side, and I proceeded to one situate on the
other. In the evening I sat down to table, and the attendants served me
with all sorts of dishes and ragouts. Among other things, there was a
ragout made with garlic, similar to the dish of which you have now
forced me to eat. I found it so excellent that I hardly touched any
other food. But, unfortunately for me, when I rose from table I only
wiped my hands, instead of well washing them. This was a piece of
negligence of which I believe I had never before been guilty.
"As it was now night, a grand illumination was made in all the ladies'
apartments. The sweet tones of instruments of music resounded through
the building. The guests danced, and the palace re-echoed with
exclamations of joy and pleasure. My bride and I were led into a large
hall, and seated upon two thrones. The maidens who attended on the
bride changed her dress several times, according to the general
practice on these occasions.
"When all these ceremonies were finished, I approached my bride to
embrace her. But she forcibly repulsed me, and called out in the most
lamentable and violent manner; so much so, that the women all rushed
towards her, desirous of learning the reason of her screams. As for
myself, my astonishment was so great that I stood quite motionless.
'What can possibly have happened to you?' the women said to my bride:
'inform us, that we may help you.' Then she cried: 'Take away,
instantly take from my sight, that infamous man!' 'Alas! Madam,’ I
exclaimed, 'how can I possibly have incurred your anger ' 'You are a
villain,’ said she, in the greatest rage. 'You have eaten garlic, and
have not washed your hands. Do you think I will suffer a man who can be
guilty of so dirty and so filthy a negligence to approach me? Lay him
on the ground,’ she added, speaking to the women, 'and bring me a
whip.’ They immediately threw me down; and while some held me by the
arms, and others by the feet, my wife beat me without the least mercy
as long as she had any strength. She then said to the females: 'Take
him before an officer of the police, and let him have that hand cut off
with which he fed himself with the garlic ragout.’
"But now every one of the women present, who had seen me already so
severely punished, pitied me very much when they heard the favourite
talk of having my hand cut off. 'My dear sister and my good lady,’ said
they to her, 'do not carry your resentment so far. We entreat you not
to take further notice of the fault he has committed, but to pardon
him.’ 'I am not yet satisfied,’ she cried; 'I wish to teach him how to
behave, and require that he should bear such lasting marks of his ill
breeding, that he will never forget, so long as he lives, having eaten
garlic without remembering to wash his hands after it.' They were not
discouraged by this refusal. They threw themselves at her feet, and
cried: 'My good lady, in the name of Allah, moderate your anger, and
grant us the favour we ask of you.’ She did not answer them a single
word; but got up, and, after abusing me again, went out of the
apartment. All the women followed her, and left me quite alone in the
greatest possible affliction.
"I remained ten days, seeing no one except an old slave who brought me
some food. I asked her for some information concerning my bride. 'She
is very ill,’ she said, ‘from grief at your usage of her. Why did you
not take care to wash your hands after eating of that diabolical
ragout?'
"One day the old slave said to me: 'Your bride is cured: she is gone to
the bath; and she told me that she intended to come and visit you
to-morrow. Therefore endeavour to accommodate yourself to her humour.’
"My wife came to see me the next day; and she immediately said to me:
'You must think me very good to come and see you again, after the
offence you have given me; but I cannot bring myself to be reconciled
to you till I have punished you as you deserve for not washing your
hands after having eaten the ragout with garlic.’ When she had said
this she called to the women, who entered, and laid me down upon the
ground according to her orders; and after they had bound me, she took a
razor, and with her own hands cut off my two thumbs and two great toes.
One of the women immediately applied a certain root to stop the
bleeding; but this did not prevent me from fainting.
"When I had recovered from my fainting fit, they gave me some wine to
recruit my strength and spirits. 'Ah! Lady,’ I then said to my wife,
'if it should ever fall to my lot again to partake of a ragout with
garlic, I swear to you that instead of washing my hands once, I will
wash them one hundred and twenty times; with alkali, with the ashes of
the plant from which alkali is made, and with soap.’ ‘Then,’ replied my
wife, 'on this condition I will forget what has passed, and live with
you as your wife.’
"This is the reason," continued the merchant of Bagdad, addressing
himself to all the company, " why I refused to eat of the garlic ragout
which was served up just now.
"The women not only applied the root to my wounds, as I have told you,
to stop the blood, but they also put some balsam of Mecca to them,
which was certainly unadulterated, since it came from the caliph's own
store. By the virtue of this excellent balsam I was perfectly cured in
a very few days. At the end of a year my wife fell sick; and in a few
days she died.
"I should certainly have married again, and continued to live in the
most honourable manner at Bagdad; but the desire I felt to see the
world put other thoughts in my head. I attached myself to a caravan,
and travelled into Persia. From thence I took the road to Samarcand,
and at last came and established myself in this city."
"'This, O king!' said the purveyor to the Sultan of Casgar, 'is the
history which the merchant of Bagdad related to the company at the
house where I was yesterday.' 'Truly it comprises some very
extraordinary details,’ replied the sultan; 'but yet it is not to be
compared to the story of my little hunchback.' The Jewish physician
then prostrated himself before the sultan; and, on rising, said to him:
'If your majesty will have the goodness to listen to me, I flatter
myself that you will be very well satisfied with the history I shall
have the honour to relate.' 'Speak,’ said the sultan; ‘but if thy story
be not more wonderful than that of the hunchback, do not hope I shall
suffer thee to live’"
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