Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 06 (23 page)

'Sumi,' answered the Bassa, 'I owe you already the happiness of
my life; come with me then, and the sight of my unhappy sons will
tell you of our trouble better than any words of mine.'

The Bassa rose from his divan and drew aside the hangings leading
to a large hall, closely followed by Neangir and Sumi. There they
saw two young men, one about seventeen, and the other nineteen
years of age. The younger was seated before a table, his forehead
resting on his right hand, which he was watering with his tears.
He raised his head for a moment when his father entered, and
Neangir and Sumi both saw that this hand was of ebony.

The other young man was occupied busily in collecting coral beads
which were scattered all over the floor of the room, and as he
picked them up he placed them on the same table where his brother
was sitting. He had already gathered together ninety-eight beads,
and thought they were all there, when they suddenly rolled off
the table and he had to begin his work over again.

'Do you see,' whispered the Bassa, 'for three hours daily one
collects these coral beads, and for the same space of time the
other laments over his hand which has become black, and I am
wholly ignorant what is the cause of either misfortune.'

'Do not let us stay here,' said Sumi, 'our presence must add to
their grief. But permit me to fetch the Book of Spells, which I
feel sure will tell us not only the cause of their malady but
also its cure.'

The Bassa readily agreed to Sumi's proposal, but Neangir objected
strongly. 'If Sumi leaves us,' he said to his father, 'I shall
not see my beloved Argentine when she returns to-night with the
fair Aurora. And life is an eternity till I behold her.'

'Be comforted,' replied Sumi. 'I will be back before sunset; and
I leave you my adored Izaf as a pledge.'

Scarcely had the Jewess left Neangir, when the old female slave
entered the hall where the three Jews still remained carefully
guarded, followed by a man whose splendid dress prevented Neangir
from recognising at first as the person in whose house he had
dined two days before. But the woman he knew at once to be the
nurse of Zelida.

He started eagerly forward, but before he had time to speak the
slave turned to the soldier she was conducting. 'My lord,' she
said, 'those are the men; I have tracked them from the house of
the Cadi to this palace. They are the same; I am not mistaken,
strike and avenge yourself.'

As he listened the face of the stranger grew scarlet with anger.
He drew his sword and in another moment would have rushed on the
Jews, when Neangir and the slaves of the Bassa seized hold of
him.

'What are you doing?' cried Neangir. 'How dare you attack those
whom the Bassa has taken under his protection?'

'Ah, my son,' replied the soldier, 'the Bassa would withdraw his
protection if he knew that these wretches have robbed me of all I
have dearest in the world. He knows them as little as he knows
you.'

'But he knows me very well,' replied Neangir, 'for he has
recognised me as his son. Come with me now into his presence.'

The stranger bowed and passed through the curtain held back by
Neangir, whose surprise was great at seeing his father spring
forward and clasp the soldier in his arms.

'What! is it you, my dear Siroco?' cried he. 'I believed you had
been slain in that awful battle when the followers of the Prophet
were put to flight. But why do your eyes kindle with the flames
they shot forth on that fearful day? Calm yourself and tell me
what I can do to help you. See, I have found my son, let that be
a good omen for your happiness also.'

'I did not guess,' answered Siroco, 'that the son you have so
long mourned had come back to you. Some days since the Prophet
appeared to me in a dream, floating in a circle of light, and he
said to me, "Go to-morrow at sunset to the Galata Gate, and there
you will find a young man whom you must bring home with you. He
is the second son of your old friend the Bassa of the Sea, and
that you may make no mistake, put your fingers in his turban and
you will feel the plaque on which my name is engraved in seven
different languages."'

'I did as I was bid,' went on Siroco, 'and so charmed was I with
his face and manner that I caused him to fall in love with
Argentine, whose portrait I gave him. But at the moment when I
was rejoicing in the happiness before me, and looking forward to
the pleasure of restoring you your son, some drops of the elixir
of love were spilt on the table, and caused a thick vapour to
arise, which hid everything. When it had cleared away he was
gone. This morning my old slave informed me that she had
discovered the traitors who had stolen my daughters from me, and
I hastened hither to avenge them. But I place myself in your
hands, and will follow your counsel.'

'Fate will favour us, I am sure,' said the Bassa, 'for this very
night I expect to secure both the silver and the gold watch. So
send at once and pray Zelida to join us.'

A rustling of silken stuffs drew their eyes to the door, and
Ibrahim and Hassan, whose daily penance had by this time been
performed, entered to embrace their brother. Neangir and Hassan,
who had also drunk of the elixir of love, could think of nothing
but the beautiful ladies who had captured their hearts, while the
spirits of Ibrahim had been cheered by the news that the daughter
of Moizes hoped to find in the Book of Spells some charm to
deliver him from collecting the magic beads.

It was some hours later that Sumi returned, bringing with her the
sacred book.

'See,' she said, beckoning to Hassan, 'your destiny is written
here.' And Hassan stooped and read these words in Hebrew. 'His
right hand has become black as ebony from touching the fat of an
impure animal, and will remain so till the last of its race is
drowned in the sea.'

'Alas!' sighed the unfortunate youth. 'It now comes back to my
memory. One day the slave of Zambac was making a cake. She warned
me not to touch, as the cake was mixed with lard, but I did not
heed her, and in an instant my hand became the ebony that it now
is.'

'Holy dervish!' exclaimed the Bassa, 'how true were your words!
My son has neglected the advice you gave him on presenting him
the bracelet, and he has been severely punished. But tell me, O
wise Sumi, where I can find the last of the accursed race who has
brought this doom on my son?'

'It is written here,' replied Sumi, turning over some leaves.
'The little black pig is in the pink bag carried by the two
Circassians.'

When he read this the Bassa sank on his cushions in despair.

'Ah,' he said, 'that is the bag that was offered me this morning
for three hundred sequins. Those must be the women who caused
Izif and Izouf to dance, and took from them the two talismans of
the daughters of Siroco. They only can break the spell that has
been cast on us. Let them be found and I will gladly give them
the half of my possessions. Idiot that I was to send them away!'

While the Bassa was bewailing his folly, Ibrahim in his turn had
opened the book, and blushed deeply as he read the words: 'The
chaplet of beads has been defiled by the game of "Odd and Even."
Its owner has tried to cheat by concealing one of the numbers.
Let the faithless Moslem seek for ever the missing bead.'

'O heaven,' cried Ibrahim, 'that unhappy day rises up before me.
I had cut the thread of the chaplet, while playing with Aurora.
Holding the ninety-nine beads in my hand she guessed "Odd," and
in order that she might lose I let one bead fall from my hand.
Since then I have sought it daily, but it never has been found.'

'Holy dervish!' cried the Bassa, 'how true were your words! From
the time that the sacred chaplet was no longer complete, my son
has borne the penalty. But may not the Book of Spells teach us
how to deliver Ibrahim also?'

'Listen,' said Sumi, 'this is what I find: "The coral bead lies
in the fifth fold of the dress of yellow brocade."' 'Ah, what
good fortune!' exclaimed the Bassa; 'we shall shortly see the
beautiful Aurora, and Ibrahim shall at once search in the fifth
fold of her yellow brocade. For it is she no doubt of whom the
book speaks.'

As the Jewess closed the Book of Moizes, Zelida appeared,
accompanied by a whole train of slaves and her old nurse. At her
entrance Hassan, beside himself with joy, flung himself on his
knees and kissed her hand.

'My lord,' he said to the Bassa, 'pardon me these transports. No
elixir of love was needed to inflame my heart! Let the marriage
rite make us speedily one.'

'My son, are you mad?' asked the Bassa. 'As long as the
misfortunes of your brothers last, shall you alone be happy? And
whoever heard of a bridegroom with a black hand? Wait yet a
little longer, till the black pig is drowned in the sea.'

'Yes! dear Hassan,' said Zelida, 'our happiness will be increased
tenfold when my sisters have regained their proper shapes. And
here is the elixir which I have brought with me, so that their
joy may equal ours.' And she held out the flask to the Bassa, who
had it closed in his presence.

Zambac was filled with joy at the sight of Zelida, and embraced
her with delight. Then she led the way into the garden, and
invited all her friends to seat themselves under the thick
overhanging branches of a splendid jessamine tree. No sooner,
however, were they comfortably settled, than they were astonished
to hear a man's voice, speaking angrily on the other side of the
wall.

'Ungrateful girls!' it said, 'is this the way you treat me? Let
me hide myself for ever! This cave is no longer dark enough or
deep enough for me.'

A burst of laughter was the only answer, and the voice continued,
'What have I done to earn such contempt? Was this what you
promised me when I managed to get for you the talismans of
beauty? Is this the reward I have a right to expect when I have
bestowed on you the little black pig, who is certain to bring you
good luck?'

At these words the curiosity of the listeners passed all bounds,
and the Bassa commanded his slaves instantly to tear down the
wall. It was done, but the man was nowhere to be seen, and there
were only two girls of extraordinary beauty, who seemed quite at
their ease, and came dancing gaily on to the terrace. With them
was an old slave in whom the Bassa recognised Gouloucou, the
former guardian of Neangir.

Gouloucou shrank with fear when he saw the Bassa, as he expected
nothing less than death at his hands for allowing Neangir to be
snatched away. But the Bassa made him signs of forgiveness, and
asked him how he had escaped death when he had thrown himself
from the cliff. Gouloucou explained that he had been picked up by
a dervish who had cured his wounds, and had then given him as
slave to the two young ladies now before the company, and in
their service he had remained ever since.

'But,' said the Bassa, 'where is the little black pig of which
the voice spoke just now?'

'My lord,' answered one of the ladies, 'when at your command the
wall was thrown down, the man whom you heard speaking was so
frightened at the noise that he caught up the pig and ran away.'

'Let him be pursued instantly,' cried the Bassa; but the ladies
smiled.

'Do not be alarmed, my lord,' said one, 'he is sure to return.
Only give orders that the entrance to the cave shall be guarded,
so that when he is once in he shall not get out again.'

By this time night was falling and they all went back to the
palace, where coffee and fruits were served in a splendid
gallery, near the women's apartments. The Bassa then ordered the
three Jews to be brought before him, so that he might see whether
these were the two damsels who had forced them to dance at the
inn, but to his great vexation it was found that when their
guards had gone to knock down the wall the Jews had escaped.

At this news the Jewess Sumi turned pale, but glancing at the
Book of Spells her face brightened, and she said half aloud,
'There is no cause for disquiet; they will capture the dervish,'
while Hassan lamented loudly that as soon as fortune appeared on
one side she fled on the other!

On hearing this reflection one of the Bassa's pages broke into a
laugh. 'This fortune comes to us dancing my lord,' said he, 'and
the other leaves us on crutches. Do not be afraid. She will not
go very far.'

The Bassa, shocked at his impertinent interference, desired him
to leave the room and not to come back till he was sent for.

'My lord shall be obeyed,' said the page, 'but when I return, it
shall be in such good company that you will welcome me gladly.'
So saying, he went out.

When they were alone, Neangir turned to the fair strangers and
implored their help. 'My brothers and myself,' he cried, 'are
filled with love for three peerless maidens, two of whom are
under a cruel spell. If their fate happened to be in your hands,
would you not do all in your power to restore them to happiness
and liberty?'

But the young man's appeal only stirred the two ladies to anger.
'What,' exclaimed one, 'are the sorrows of lovers to us? Fate has
deprived us of our lovers, and if it depends on us the whole
world shall suffer as much as we do!'

This unexpected reply was heard with amazement by all present,
and the Bassa entreated the speaker to tell them her story.
Having obtained permission of her sister, she began:

'We were born in Circassia of poor people, and my sister's name
is Tezila and mine Dely. Having nothing but our beauty to help us
in life, we were carefully trained in all the accomplishments
that give pleasure. We were both quick to learn, and from our
childhood could play all sorts of instruments, could sing, and
above all could dance. We were besides, lively and merry, as in
spite of our misfortunes we are to this day.