THE HISTORY OF THE OLD MAN AND THE TWO BLACK DOGS.
PRINCE of the Genii, you must know, that these two black dogs, which you see here, and myself, are three brothers. Our father left us, when he died, one thousand sequins each. With this sum we all embarked in the same calling; namely, as merchants. Soon after we had opened our warehouse, my eldest brother, who is now one of these dogs, resolved to travel, and carry on his business in foreign countries. With this view he sold all his goods, and bought such kind of merchandize as was adapted to the different lands he proposed visiting.
“He departed, and was absent a whole year. At the end of that time, a poor man who seemed to me to be asking charity, presented himself at my warehouse.—‘God help you,’ said I. ‘And you also,’ answered he: ‘is it possible you do not know me?’ On looking attentively at him, I recognized my brother. ‘Ah! my brother,’ I cried, embracing him, ‘how should I possibly know you in the state you are in?’ I made him come in directly, and enquired concerning his health and the success of his voyage. ‘Do not ask me;’ he replied, ‘you behold in me a token of my fate. To enter into a detail of all the misfortunes that I have suffered in the last year, and which have reduced me to the state you see, would only be to renew my affliction.’
“I instantly shut up my shop; and putting aside all my own affairs, I took him to the bath, and dressed him in the best apparel my wardrobe afforded. I examined the state of my business; and finding by my accounts, that I had just doubled my capital, and that I was now worth two thousand sequins, I presented him with half my fortune. ‘Let this, my brother,’ I said, ‘make you forget your losses.’ He joyfully accepted the thousand sequins; again settled his affairs; and we lived together as we had done before.
“Some time after this, my second brother, the other of these black dogs, wished also to dispose of his property. Both his elder brother and myself tried every means in our power to dissuade him from his intention, but in vain. He sold all, and with the money he bought such merchandize as he considered proper for his journey. He took his departure, and joined a caravan. At the end of a year he also returned, as destitute as his brother had been. I furnished him with clothes; and as I had gained another thousand sequins, I gave them to him. He directly bought a shop, and continued to carry on his business.
“One day both my brothers came to me, and proposed that I should make a voyage with them, for the purpose of traffic. At first I opposed their scheme. ‘You have travelled,’ said I, ‘and what have you gained?—Who will ensure that I shall be more fortunate than you?’ In vain did they use every argument they thought could induce me to try my fortune. I still refused to consent to their design. They returned, however, so often to the subject, that, after withstanding their solicitations for five years, I at length yielded.
“When it became necessary to prepare for the voyage, and we were consulting on the sort of merchandize to be bought, I discovered that they had consumed their capital, and that nothing remained of the thousand sequins I had given to each. I did not, however, reproach them. On the contrary, as my fortune had increased to six thousand sequins, I divided the half with them, saying, ‘We must, my brothers, risk only three thousand sequins, and endeavour to conceal the rest in some secure place; so that, if our voyage be not more successful than the ventures you have already made, we shall be able to console ourselves with what we have left, and resume our former profession. I will give one thousand sequins to each of you, and keep one thousand myself; and I will conceal the other three thousand in a corner of my house.’ We purchased our goods, embarked in a vessel, which we ourselves freighted, and set sail with a favourable wind. After sailing about a month, we arrived, without any accident, at a port, where we landed, and disposed of our merchandize with great advantage. I, in particular, sold mine so well, that I gained ten sequins for one. We then purchased the produce of the country we were in, in order to traffic with it in our own.
“About the time when we were ready to embark for our return, I accidentally met on the sea-shore a woman, very handsome, but poorly dressed. She accosted me by kissing my hand;—entreated me most earnestly to permit her to go with me, and besought me to take her for my wife. I pleaded many difficulties against such a plan; but at length she said so much to persuade me, urging that I ought not to regard her poverty, and assuring me I should be well satisfied with her conduct, that I was entirely overcome. I directly procured proper dresses for her; and when I had married her in due form, she embarked with me, and we set sail.
“During our voyage, I found my wife possessed of so many good qualities, that I loved her every day more and more. In the meantime my two brothers, who had not traded so advantageously as myself, and who were jealous of my prosperity, began to feel exceedingly envious. They even went so far as to conspire against my life; and one night, while my wife and I were asleep, they threw us into the sea.
The meeting on the sea shore.
“My wife proved to be a fairy; consequently, she possessed supernatural power. You may therefore imagine she was not hurt. As for me, I should certainly have perished but for her aid. I had hardly, however, fallen into the water before she took me up, and transported me to an island. As soon as it was day the fairy thus addressed me: ‘You may observe, my husband, that in saving your life, I have not badly rewarded the good you have done me. You must know that I am a fairy; I saw you upon the shore, when you were about to sail, and felt a great regard for you. I wished to try the goodness of your heart, and therefore I presented myself before you in the disguise you saw. You acted most generously; and I am delighted to find an opportunity of showing my gratitude. But I am angry with your brothers; nor shall I be satisfied till I have taken their lives.’
“I listened with astonishment to the words of the fairy, and thanked her, as well as I could, for the great obligation she had conferred on me. ‘But, lady,’ said I to her, ‘I must entreat you to pardon my brothers; for although I have the greatest reason to complain of their conduct, yet I am not so cruel as to wish their ruin.’ I related to her what I had done for each of them, and my story only increased her anger. ‘I must instantly fly after these ungrateful wretches,’ cried she, ‘and bring them to a just punishment; I will destroy their vessel, and sink them to the bottom of the sea.’ ‘No, beautiful lady,’ replied I, ‘for Heaven’s sake moderate your indignation, and do not execute so dreadful a design; remember they are still my brothers, and that we are bound to return good for evil.’
“I appeased the fairy by these words; and so soon as I had pronounced them, she transported me in an instant from the island, where we were, to the top of my own house, which was terraced. She then disappeared. I descended, opened the doors, and dug up the three thousand sequins which I had hidden. I afterwards repaired to my shop, opened it, and received the congratulations of the merchants in the neighbourhood on my safe return. When I went home I perceived these two black dogs, which came towards me, fawning. I could not imagine what this meant; but the fairy, who soon appeared, satisfied my curiosity. ‘My dear husband,’ said she, ‘be not surprised at seeing these two dogs in your house; they are your brothers.’ My blood ran cold on hearing this, and I inquired by what power they had been transformed into their present shape. ‘It is I,’ replied the fairy, ‘who have done it; at least it is one of my sisters, to whom I gave the commission; and she has also sunk their ship. You will lose the merchandize it contained, but I shall recompense you in some way; as to your brothers, I have condemned them to remain under this form for ten years, as a punishment for their perfidy.’ Then, after informing me where I might hear of her, she disappeared.
“The ten years are now completed, and I am travelling in search of her. As I was passing this way I met this merchant, and the good old man, who is leading his hind, and here I tarried. This, O Prince of the Genii, is my history; does it not appear to you most marvellous?” “Yes,” replied the Genie, “I confess it is wonderful, and therefore I remit the second third of the merchant’s punishment.”
When the second old man had finished his story the third began, by asking the Genie, as the others had done, if he would forgive the remaining third of the merchant’s crime, provided this third history surpassed the other two, in the singularity and marvellousness of its events: the Genie repeated his former promise.
“The third old man related his history to the Genie, but as it has not yet come to my knowledge, I cannot repeat it; but I know it was so much beyond the others, in the variety of wonderful adventures it contained, that the Genie was astonished. He had no sooner heard the conclusion than he said, ‘I grant thee the remaining third part of the merchant’s pardon; and he ought to be greatly obliged to you all for having, by telling your histories, freed him from his dangerous position; but for this aid he would not now have been in this world.’ Having said this, he disappeared, to the great joy of the whole party.
“The merchant did not omit to bestow many thanks upon his liberators. They rejoiced with him at his safety, and then bidding him adieu, each went his separate way. The merchant returned home to his wife and children, and spent the remainder of his days with them in peace. But, sir,” added Scheherazade, “however wonderful those tales which I have related to your Majesty may be, they are not equal to that of the fisherman.” Dinarzade, observing that the Sultan made no answer, said, “Since there is still some time, my sister, pray tell this history; the Sultan, I hope, will not object to it.” Shahriar consented to the proposal, and Scheherazade went on as follows:—
