The Arabian Nights II (30 page)

'Ala al-Din, pleasantly surprised at an apparition he so little expected in his despair, said, “Demon, save my life a second time, either by telling me where the palace is or by transporting it instantly back to where it was.” The demon replied, “What you demand of me is not in my power, for I am only the slave of the ring. You must address yourself to the slave of the lamp.” 'Ala al-Din said, “If this is so, then I command you by the power of the ring to transport me to the place where my palace is, wherever it may be, and to set me down under Princess Badr al-Budur's windows.” No sooner did he utter these words than the demon transported him to Africa, to the middle of a meadow, where his palace stood, at a little distance from a large city, and set him down exactly under the windows of Princess Badr al-Budur's apartment, where he left him. All this was done in an instant.

Despite the darkness of the night, 'Ala al-Din recognized very well his palace and Princess Badr al-Budur's apartment, but since it was late, and all was quiet in the palace, he retired at some distance and sat down at the foot of a tree. There, full of hope and reflecting on his good fortune in having been delivered from the danger of losing his life, which he owed to pure chance, he found himself in a much more peaceful state than when he was arrested and led before the king. He mused for some time on these agreeable thoughts, but as he had not slept for five or six days, he could not resist the drowsiness that came upon him and at last fell asleep where he was, at the foot of the tree.

The following day, as soon as the dawn began to break, 'Ala al-Din was pleasantly awakened by the warbling of the birds, not only those that had roosted in the tree under which he had spent the night, but also all those perched in the thick trees of his palace garden. When he cast his eye on that admirable edifice, he felt an inexpressible joy to be on the verge of being master of it again and possess once more his dear Princess Badr al-Budur. He got up and, approaching her apartment, walked for some time under her windows, in the expectation that she might be up and that he might be able to see her. During this time, he asked himself what was the cause of his misfortune, and after
deep reflection, he no longer doubted that it was caused by his having left the lamp out of his sight. He blamed himself for his negligence and the little care he took of it, to be a single moment without it. But what puzzled him most was that he could not imagine who was so jealous of his happiness. He would have soon guessed, had he known that he was in Africa, but the demon, the slave of the ring, had said nothing about it, nor had 'Ala al-Din asked him.

That morning Princess Badr al-Budur rose earlier than she had done ever since her abduction and transfer to Africa by the treachery of the African magician, whose sight she was forced to endure once a day, because he was now the master of the palace, but she had always treated him so harshly that he did not dare to reside in it. As she was dressing, one of her women, looking through the shutters, saw 'Ala al-Din and ran to inform her mistress. The princess, who could not believe the news, went immediately to the window and opened the shutters. The noise the princess made in opening the window made 'Ala al-Din raise his head, and when he recognized her, he saluted her very joyfully. The princess said to him, “In order not to lose any time, someone has already gone to open the secret door for you. Enter and come up.” Then she shut the window.

The secret door, which was just under the Princess's apartment, was opened, and 'Ala al-Din went up. It is impossible to express the joy of this husband and wife at seeing each other again, after a separation they thought would last forever. They embraced several times and showed all the marks of love and tenderness one can imagine, after such a sad and unexpected separation. After their embraces, which were mixed with tears of joy, they sat down, and 'Ala al-Din said, “For God's sake, Princess, before we talk of anything else, I beg of you, in your own interest and that of the king, your revered father, as well as mine in particular, to tell me what has become of the old lamp I had put on the cornice of the hall with the twenty-four windows, before I went hunting.” The princess replied, “Alas, dear husband, I strongly suspected that our misfortune came from that lamp, and what grieves me most is that I have been the cause of it.” 'Ala al-Din said, “Princess, do not blame yourself, since it is entirely my fault, for I ought to have taken better care in guarding it. Let us now think only of repairing the damage, and for a beginning, do me the favor of telling me what has happened and into whose hands it has fallen.”

Princess Badr al-Budur related to him how she had exchanged the old lamp for a new one (which she ordered to be brought, in order that he might see it), and how on the following night she had perceived the palace transported and how, in the morning, she had found herself in the unknown country, which, she was told, was Africa, a face she heard from the mouth of the traitor who had transported her there
by his magic art. 'Ala al-Din interrupted her, saying, “Princess, you have already informed me who the traitor is, by telling me that you and I are in Africa. He is the most perfidious of all men, but this is neither the time nor the place to give you a full account of his evil acts. I beg you only to tell me what he has done with the lamp and where he has put it.” The Princess replied, “He carries it carefully, wrapped up in his breast, and I can assure you of this, because he pulled it out before me and showed it to me as a trophy.” 'Ala al-Din said, “My princess, do not be displeased that I trouble you with so many questions. They are equally important both to you and to me. But to come to what most particularly concerns me, tell me, I entreat you, how such a wicked and perfidious man has been treating you?” The princess replied, “Ever since I have been here, he comes once every day to see me, and I am convinced that the little satisfaction he gets from his visits dissuades him from bothering me more often. All his talk with me has centered on persuading me to break the commitment I have pledged to you and to take him for a husband, by trying to make me believe that I ought not to entertain any hope of ever seeing you again, saying that you were dead and that my father the king had had your head cut off. He said, to justify himself, that you were ungrateful and that you owed your good fortune solely to him, adding a thousand other things, which I will not repeat. But as he received no answers from me but tears and agonized complaints, he was forced to retire with no more satisfaction than when he came. I have no doubt, however, that his intention is to allow me time to overcome my grief, expecting that I might later change my mind, and if I persisted in my resistance to him, to use violence in the end. But your presence, dear husband, has removed all my worries.”

'Ala al-Din interrupted her, saying, “I am confident that it is not in vain, since your worries are over, and I think that I have found the means of delivering you from your enemy and mine. But in order to do this, it is necessary for me to go to the city. I will return toward noon, and then I will acquaint you with my plan and what you shall do to contribute to its success, but I should caution you in advance not to be surprised, if you see me dressed in different clothes, and I ask you to give orders not to let me wait too long at the secret door, but to open it at the first knock.” The princess promised that he would be waited for at the door and that it would be opened promptly.

When 'Ala al-Din descended from the princess's apartment and went out through the same door, he looked around and saw a peasant on the road to the country. As the peasant had already gone beyond the palace and was at some distance, 'Ala al-Din hurried after him, and when he overtook him, he proposed to him to exchange their clothes, pressuring the peasant until he agreed. The exchange was
done behind a hedge, and when they parted, 'Ala al-Din took the road to the city. When he entered the gate, he took the street that led from it, and after crossing the most busy streets, he came to that part of the town where each sort of merchant and artisan had their particular street. He went into that of the druggists and, entering the largest and best-stocked shop, asked the druggist whether he had a certain powder 'Ala al-Din named.

The merchant, who judged 'Ala al-Din by his clothes and thought that he was poor and did not have enough money to pay him, told him that he had it, but that it was expensive. 'Ala al-Din, who guessed what the merchant was thinking, pulled out his purse and, showing him his gold coins, asked for half a dram of the powder. The merchant weighed it, wrapped it up, and, giving it to him, asked him for a piece of gold. 'Ala al-Din put the money in his hand, and without spending any more time in the city, except to eat something, returned to his palace. He did not wait at the secret door, for it was already open. When he went up to Princess Badr al-Budur's apartment, he said to her, “Princess, the aversion you feel for your abductor, as you have told me, may make it difficult for you to do what I am going to propose to you. But allow me to tell you that it is proper that you dissemble and even violate your feelings, if you wish to deliver yourself from his persecution and give the king, your father and my lord, the satisfaction of seeing you again.” 'Ala al-Din continued, “If you therefore wish to do what I propose, begin now by putting on one of your most beautiful suits, and when the African magician comes, do your best to give him the best reception possible, without affectation or strain and with an open countenance, yet in such a manner that if there remains any sign of affliction, he may think that it will go away with time. During the conversation, let him think that you are making efforts to forget me. In order that he may be the more fully convinced of your sincerity, invite him to have supper with you, and indicate to him that you will be pleased to taste some of the best wine of his country. He will not fail to go to fetch you some. During his absence, when the table is laid, put this powder into one of the cups similar to the one you are accustomed to drink out of and, setting it apart, ask the slave-girl who serves you your drink to bring it to you, full of wine, upon a signal you agree on with her. Ask her not to make a mistake. When the magician returns and you sit to eat, and when you have eaten and drunk as much as you please, let her bring you the cup with the powder, and change cups with him. He will think this favor to be so great that he will not refuse you and will even drink the cup empty, but no sooner will he have finished it, than you will see him fall backward. If you have any aversion to drinking from his cup, you may only pretend that you are drinking, without fear of being discovered, for
the effect of the powder is so quick that he will not have enough time to notice whether you are drinking or not.”

When 'Ala al-Din finished, the princess said, “I confess that I am forcing myself in consenting to make the magician the advances that I see to be necessary for me to make, but what can one not resolve to do against a cruel enemy! I will therefore follow your advice, since my peace, no less than yours, depends on it.” After 'Ala al-Din and the princess agreed on these measures, he took leave of her and went out to spend the rest of the day in the vicinity of the palace, waiting for the night to come before returning to the secret door.

Princess Badr al-Budur remained inconsolable since her separation not only from her dear husband, whom she loved and continued to love more out of inclination than duty, but also from her father the king, whom she cherished and who loved her tenderly, and she had, ever since that painful separation lived in great neglect of her person. She had even, one may say, forgot the neatness so becoming to persons of her sex, particularly after the first time the African magician visited her, and she found out from some of her women who recognized him that it was he who had taken the old lamp in exchange for a new one, an infamous ploy that rendered him abhorrent. But, the opportunity to wreak on him the vengeance he deserved, and to take it sooner than she dared hope for, made her resolve to acquiesce to 'Ala al-Din's request. Therefore, as soon as he was gone, she sat down at her dressing table and was groomed by her women in a most attractive style and dressed in the suit richest and most suitable to her purpose. She wore a belt of gold, set with the finest and largest diamonds, and a pearl necklace with six pearls on each side, so well proportioned to the one in the middle, which was the largest and the most valuable, so much so, that the greatest kings and queens would have considered themselves lucky to have a necklace of the size of two of the smallest of her pearls. Her bracelets, which were of diamonds intermixed with rubies, reinforced marvelously the richness of the belt and the necklace. When Princess Badr al-Budur was completely dressed, she looked in the mirror and, following her women's advice, made adjustments, and when she saw that she lacked no charm to flatter the foolish passion of the African magician, she sat down on the sofa, waiting for him to come.

The African magician soon came at the usual hour, and as soon as the princess saw him enter the hall with the twenty-four windows where she was waiting for him, she got up in all her beauty and charm and motioned him with her hand to the most prestigious place, where she wished him to sit, before sitting down herself. This was a mark of civility she had never shown him before. The African magician, dazzled more by the luster of the princess's eyes than the brilliance of the
jewels with which she was adorned, was very much surprised, and the majestic and gracious air with which she received him, so contrary to her former rebuffs, confounded him. At first, he wanted to sit at the end of the sofa, but as he saw that the princess was not going to sit down unless he sat where she wished, he complied.

When he was seated, the princess, to relieve him from his embarrassment, spoke first, looking at him in such a manner as to make him believe that he was no longer odious to her, as she had shown before. She said, “You are doubtlessly amazed to see me so much altered today from what I used to be, but you will no longer be surprised when I tell you that my temperament is so opposed to sadness and melancholy, to griefs and worries, that I strive to put them out of my mind as soon as possible, when I perceive that their subject is past. I have reflected on what you told me of 'Ala al-Din's fate, and from what I know of my father's temper, I am as convinced as you are that 'Ala al-Din could not escape the terrible effects of his rage. If I persist in mourning him all my life, all my tears will not bring him back. For this reason, after I have paid all the duties my love requires of me, even while he is in his grave, it seems to me that I ought to endeavor to find ways of consoling myself. These are the reasons behind the change you see in me. To cast off sadness entirely, I have resolved to make a beginning and, convinced that you very much wish to keep me company, I have ordered a supper to be prepared, but since I have only Chinese wines, and since I am in Africa, I have a desire to taste some of the wine produced here, and I believe that, if it exists, you will get some of the best.”