The Pacha of Many Tales Part 34

"Khosh amedeid! you are welcome," said the pacha, as Menouni made his low obeisance. "Now let us have another story. I don't care how long it is, only let us have no more princesses to be married. That Babe-bi-bobu was enough to tire the patience of a dervish."

"Your sublime highness shall be obeyed," replied Menouni. "Would it please you to hear the story of Yussuf, the Water-Carrier?"

"Yes, that sounds better. You may proceed."

THE WATER-CARRIER.

May it please your highness, it so happened that the great Haroun Alraschid was one night seized with one of those fits of sleepless melancholy with which it had pleased Allah to temper his splendid destiny, and which fits are, indeed, the common lot of those who are raised by fortune above the ordinary fears and vicissitudes of life.

"I can't say that I ever have them," observed the pacha. "How is that, Mustapha?"

"Your highness has as undoubted a right to them as the great caliph,"

replied Mustapha, bowing, "but if I may venture to state my opinion,"

continued he, drawing down to the ear of the pacha, "you have discovered the remedy for them in the strong water of the _Giaour_."

"Very true," replied the pacha; "Haroun Alraschid, if I recollect right, was very strict in his observances of the precepts of the Koran. After all, he was but a pastek--a water-melon. You may proceed, Menouni."

The caliph, oppressed, as I before observed to your highness, with this fit of melancholy, despatched Mesrour for his chief vizier, Giaffar Bermuki, who, not unaccustomed to this nocturnal summons, speedily presented himself before the commander of the faithful. "Father of true believers! descendant of the Prophet!" said the minister, with a profound obeisance, "thy slave waits but to hear, and hears but to obey."

"Giaffar," replied the caliph, "I am overwhelmed with distressing inquietude, and would fain have thee devise some means for my relief.

Speak--what sayest thou?"

"Hasten, O my prince, to thy favourite garden of the Tierbar, where, gazing on the bright moon, and listening to the voice of the bul-bul, you will await in pleasing contemplation the return of the sun."

"Not so," replied the caliph.

"By the beard of the Prophet! the caliph was right, and that Giaffar was a fool. I never heard that staring at the moon was an amus.e.m.e.nt before," observed the pacha.

"Not so," urged the caliph. "My gardens, my palaces, and my possessions, are no more to me a source of pleasure."

"By the sword of the Prophet! now the caliph appears to be the fool,"

interrupted the pacha.

"Shall we then repair to the Hall of the Ancients, and pa.s.s the night in reviving the memory of the wise, whose sayings are stored therein?"

continued Giaffar.

"Counsel avails not," replied the caliph; "the records of the past will not suffice to banish the cares of the present."

"Then," said the vizier, "will the Light of the world seek refuge from his troubles in a disguise, and go forth with the humblest of his slaves to witness the condition of his people?"

"Thou hast said well," replied the caliph; "I will go with thee into the bazaar, and witness, unknown, the amus.e.m.e.nts of my people after the labours of the day."

Mesrour, the chief eunuch, was at hand, and hastened for the needful disguises. After having clad themselves as merchants of Moussul, and tinged their faces of an olive hue, the caliph, accompanied by Giaffar and Mesrour, the latter armed with a scimitar, issued forth from the secret door of the seraglio. Giaffar, who knew from experience the quarter likely to prove most fertile in adventure, led the caliph past the mosque of Zobeide, and crossing the Bridge of Boats over the Tigris, continued his way to that part of the city on the Mesopotamian side of the river, which was inhabited by the wine-sellers and others, who administered to the irregularities, as well as to the wants, of the good people of Bagdad. For a short time they wandered up and down without meeting anybody; but pa.s.sing through a narrow alley, their steps were arrested by the sound of a most potent pair of lungs, carolling forth a jovial song. The caliph waited awhile, in expectation of its ceasing; but he might apparently have waited until dawn of day, for verse was poured forth after verse; a small interval between them filled up by the musical gurgling of liquor from a bottle, and the gulps of the votary of Bacchus. At length, his patience being exhausted, the caliph ordered Mesrour to knock loudly at the singer's dwelling. Hearing the noise, the fellow opened the jalousie, and came out into the verandah above.

Looking down, and perceiving the three interrupters of his mirth, he bawled out--"What rascals are you that disturb an honest man at his devotions?--Begone!--fly!--away with you, sc.u.m of the earth!"

"Truly, charitable sir," replied Giaffar in a humble tone, "we are distressed merchants, strangers in this city, who have lost our way, and fear to be seized by the watch--perhaps carried before the cadi. We beseech thee, therefore, to admit us within thy doors, and Allah will reward thy humanity."

"Admit you within my doors!--not I, indeed. What, you wish to get into my house to gormandise and swill at my expense. Go--go!"

The caliph laughed heartily at this reply; and then called out to the man, "Indeed we are merchants, and seek but for shelter till the hour of prayer."

"Tell me, then," replied the man, "and mind you tell me the truth. Have you eaten and drunk your fill for the night?"

"Thanks and praise be to Allah, we have supped long since, and heartily," returned the caliph.

"Since that is the case, you may come up; but recollect it is upon one condition, that you bind yourselves not to open your lips whatever you may see me do; no matter whether it please you or not."

"What you desire is so reasonable," called out the caliph, "that we should be ignorant as Yaboos, if we did not at once comply."

The man gave one more scrutinising glance at the pretended merchants; and then, as if satisfied, descended and opened his door. The caliph and his attendants followed him up to his room, where they found a table laid out for supper, on which was a large pitcher of wine, half a roasted kid, a bottle of rakee, preserves, confections, and various kinds of fruit; odoriferous flowers were also on the table, and the lighting up of the room was brilliant. The host, immediately on their entering, tossed off a b.u.mper of wine, as if to make up for the time he had lost, and pointing to a corner, bade the intruders to sit down there, and not to disturb him any more. He commenced his solitary feast; and after another b.u.mper of wine, as if tired of his own company, he gruffly demanded, "Where do you fellows come from, and whither are you going?"

"Sir," replied Giaffar, who had been whispering with the caliph, "we are merchants of Moussul, who have been to an entertainment at the country seat of a khan of Bagdad. We feasted well, and left our friend just as the day closed in. Whereupon we lost our way, and found ourselves in this street; hearing the musical accents of your voice, we exclaimed, 'Are not those notes delightful?--one who has so sweet a voice, must be equally sweet in disposition. Let us entreat the hospitality of our brother for the remainder of the night, and in the morning we will depart in peace.'"

"I do not believe a word that you have said, you ill-looking thief. You are spies or thieves, who would profit by getting into people's houses at unseasonable hours. You, barrel-stomach, you with whiskers like a bear," continued he, to the vizier, "hang me if ever I saw such a rascally face as yours; and you, you black-faced n.i.g.g.e.r, keep the whites of your eyes off my supper-table, or by Allah I'll send you all to Jehanum. I see you are longing to put your fingers on the kid; but if you do, I've a bone-softener, which, by the blessed Prophet, shall break every bone in your three skins." So saying, the man, taking a large cudgel from the corner of the room, laid it by the dish of kid, into which he then plunged his fingers, and commenced eating heartily.

"Giaffar," said the caliph, in an under tone, "contrive to find out who this ferocious animal may be, and how he contrives to live so merrily?"

"In the name of Allah, let us leave him alone," replied Giaffar, in a fright, "for should he strike us on the head with that cudgel, we should be despatched without any one being the wiser."

"Pis.h.!.+ fear nothing," replied the caliph. "Ask him boldly his name and trade."

"Oh, my commander," replied Giaffar, "to hear is but to obey; yet do I quake most grievously at the threats of this villainous fellow. I entreat thee that I may defer the questions until wine shall have softened down his temper."

"Thou cowardly vizier. Must I then interrogate him myself?" replied the caliph.

"Allah forbid," replied Giaffar; "I will myself encounter the wrath of this least of dogs--may his grave he defiled."

During this parley, their host, who had become more good-humoured in his cups, cast his eyes upon them.

"What in the name of s.h.i.+tan, are you chaps prating and chatting about?"

inquired he.

Giaffar, perceiving him in a more favourable mood, seized the occasion to speak. "Most amiable and charitable sir," replied he, "we were talking of your great liberality and kindness in thus permitting us to intrude upon your revels. We only request, in the name of friends.h.i.+p, the name and profession of so worthy a Mussulman, that we may remember him in our prayers."

"Why, thou impudent old porpus; did you not promise to ask no questions?

In the name of friends.h.i.+p! Truly it is of long standing."

"Still I pray Allah that it may increase. Have we not sat a considerable time in your blessed presence--have you not given us refuge? All we now ask is the name and profession of one so amiable and so kind-hearted?"