Andrew Lang_Fairy Book 06 (25 page)

'I told my sister that I did not see exactly where the luck came
in, but Thelamis interrupted me rudely:

'"What!" he cried, "of course I shall make use of the pastilles,
and—" but here the officers arrived to lead us to the great
square where the execution was to take place—for Okimpare was
determined there should be no delay.

'The square was crowded with people of all ages and all ranks,
and in the middle a platform had been erected on which was the
scaffold, with the executioner, in a black mask, standing by. At
a sign from him I mounted first, and in a moment my head was
rolling at his feet. With a bound my sister and Thelamis were
beside me, and like lightning Thelamis seized the sabre from the
headsman, and cut off the head of the prince. And before the
multitude had recovered from their astonishment at these strange
proceedings, our bodies were joined to our right heads, and the
pastilles placed on our tongues. Then Thelamis led the prince to
the edge of the platform and presented him to the people, saying,
"Behold your lawful king."

'Shouts of joy rent the air at the sound of Thelamis's words, and
the noise reached Okimpare in the palace. Smitten with despair at
the news, she fell down unconscious on her balcony, and was
lifted up by the slaves and taken back to her own house.

'Meanwhile our happiness was all turned to sorrow. I had rushed
up to the prince to embrace him fondly, when he suddenly grew
pale and staggered.

'"I die faithful to you," he murmured, turning his eyes towards
me, "and I die a king!" and leaning his head on my shoulder he
expired quietly, for one of the arteries in his neck had been cut
through.

'Not knowing what I did I staggered towards the sabre which was
lying near me, with the intention of following my beloved prince
as speedily as possible. And when Thelamis seized my hand (but
only just in time), in my madness I turned the sabre upon him,
and he fell struck through the heart at my feet.'

The whole company were listening to the story with breathless
attention, when it became plain that Dely could go no further,
while Tezila had flung herself on a heap of cushions and hidden
her face. Zambac ordered her women to give them all the attention
possible, and desired they should be carried into her own rooms.

When the two sisters were in this condition, Ibrahim, who was a
very prudent young man, suggested to his parents that, as the two
Circassians were both unconscious, it would be an excellent
opportunity to search them and see if the talismans belonging to
the daughters of Siroco were concealed about their persons. But
the Bassa, shocked at the notion of treating his guests in so
inhospitable a manner, refused to do anything of the kind, adding
that the next day he hoped to persuade them to give the talismans
up of their own free will.

By this time it was nearly midnight and Neangir, who was standing
near the Jewess Sumi, drew out the portrait of Argentine, and
heard with delight that she was even more beautiful than her
picture. Everyone was waiting on tip-toe for the appearance of
the two watches, who were expected when the clock struck twelve
to come in search of Sumi, and that there might be no delay the
Bassa ordered all the doors to be flung wide open. It was done,
and there entered not the longed-for watches, but the page who
had been sent away in disgrace.

Then the Bassa arose in wrath. 'Azemi,' he said, 'did I not order
you to stand no more in my presence?'

'My lord,' replied Azemi, modestly, 'I was hidden outside the
door, listening to the tale of the two Circassians. And as I know
you are fond of stories, give me also leave to tell you one. I
promise you it shall not be long.'

'Speak on,' replied the Bassa, 'but take heed what you say.'

'My lord,' began Azemi, 'this morning I was walking in the town
when I noticed a man going in the same direction followed by a
slave. He entered a baker's shop, where he bought some bread
which he gave to the slave to carry. I watched him and saw that
he purchased many other kinds of provisions at other places, and
when the slave could carry no more his master commanded him to
return home and have supper ready at midnight.

'When left alone the man went up the street, and turning into a
jeweller's shop, brought out a watch that as far as I could see
was made of silver. He walked on a few steps, then stooped and
picked up a gold watch which lay at his feet. At this point I ran
up and told him that if he did not give me half its price I would
report him to the Cadi; he agreed, and conducting me to his house
produced four hundred sequins, which he said was my share, and
having got what I wanted I went away.

'As it was the hour for attending on my lord I returned home and
accompanied you to the Cadi, where I heard the story of the three
Jews and learned the importance of the two watches I had left at
the stranger's. I hastened to his house, but he had gone out, and
I could only find the slave, whom I told that I was the bearer of
important news for his master. Believing me to be one of his
friends, he begged me to wait, and showed me into a room where I
saw the two watches lying on the table. I put them in my pocket,
leaving the four hundred sequins in place of the gold watch and
three gold pieces which I knew to be the price of the other. As
you know the watches never remain with the person who buys them,
this man may think himself very lucky to get back his money. I
have wound them both up, and at this instant Aurora and Argentine
are locked safely into my own room.'

Everybody was so delighted to hear this news that Azemi was
nearly stifled with their embraces, and Neangir could hardly be
prevented from running to break in the door, though he did not
even know where the page slept.

But the page begged to have the honour of fetching the ladies
himself, and soon returned leading them by the hand.

For some minutes all was a happy confusion, and Ibrahim took
advantage of it to fall on his knees before Aurora, and search in
the fifth fold of her dress for the missing coral bead. The Book
of Spells had told the truth; there it was, and as the chaplet
was now complete the young man's days of seeking were over.

In the midst of the general rejoicing Hassan alone bore a gloomy
face.

'Alas!' he said, 'everyone is happy but the miserable being you
see before you. I have lost the only consolation in my grief,
which was to feel that I had a brother in misfortune!'

'Be comforted,' replied the Bassa; 'sooner or later the dervish
who stole the pink bag is sure to be found.'

Supper was then served, and after they had all eaten of rare
fruits which seemed to them the most delicious in the whole
world, the Bassa ordered the flask containing the elixir of love
to be brought and the young people to drink of it. Then their
eyes shone with a new fire, and they swore to be true to each
other till death.

This ceremony was scarcely over when the clock struck one, and in
an instant Aurora and Argentine had vanished, and in the place
where they stood lay two watches. Silence fell upon all the
company—they had forgotten the enchantment; then the voice of
Azemi was heard asking if he might be allowed to take charge of
the watches till the next day, pledging his head to end their
enchantment. With the consent of Sumi, this was granted, and the
Bassa gave Azemi a purse containing a thousand sequins, as a
reward for the services he had already rendered to them. After
this everybody went to his own apartment.

Azemi had never possessed so much money before, and never closed
his eyes for joy the whole night long. Very early he got up and
went into the garden, thinking how he could break the enchantment
of the daughters of Siroco. Suddenly the soft tones of a woman
fell on his ear, and peeping through the bushes he saw Tezila,
who was arranging flowers in her sister's hair. The rustling of
the leaves caused Dely to start; she jumped up as if to fly, but
Azemi implored her to remain and begged her to tell him what
happened to them after the death of their lovers, and how they
had come to find the dervish.

'The punishment decreed to us by the Queen Okimpare,' answered
Dely, 'was that we were to dance and sing in the midst of our
sorrow, at a great fete which was to be held that very day for
all her people. This cruel command nearly turned our brains, and
we swore a solemn oath to make all lovers as wretched as we were
ourselves. In this design we succeeded so well that in a short
time the ladies of the capital came in a body to Okimpare, and
prayed her to banish us from the kingdom, before their lives were
made miserable for ever. She consented, and commanded us to be
placed on board a ship, with our slave Gouloucou.

'On the shore we saw an old man who was busily engaged in
drowning some little black pigs, talking to them all the while,
as if they could understand him.

'"Accursed race," said he, "it is you who have caused all the
misfortunes of him to whom I gave the magic bracelet. Perish all
of you!"

'We drew near from curiosity, and recognised in him the dervish
who had sheltered us on our first escape from the caravan.

'When the old man discovered who we were he was beside himself
with pleasure, and offered us a refuge in the cave where he
lived. We gladly accepted his offer, and to the cave we all went,
taking with us the last little pig, which he gave us as a
present.

'"The Bassa of the Sea," he added, "will pay you anything you
like to ask for it."

'Without asking why it was so precious I took the pig and placed
it in my work bag, where it has been ever since. Only yesterday
we offered it to the Bassa, who laughed at us, and this so
enraged us against the dervish that we cut off his beard when he
was asleep, and now he dare not show himself.'

'Ah,' exclaimed the page, 'it is not fitting that such beauty
should waste itself in making other people miserable. Forget the
unhappy past and think only of the future. And accept, I pray
you, this watch, to mark the brighter hours in store.' So saying
he laid the watch upon her knee. Then he turned to Tezila. 'And
you fair maiden, permit me to offer you this other watch. True it
is only of silver, but it is all I have left to give. And I feel
quite sure that you must have somewhere a silver seal, that will
be exactly the thing to go with it.'

'Why, so you have,' cried Dely; 'fasten your silver seal to your
watch, and I will hang my gold one on to mine.'

The seals were produced, and, as Azemi had guessed, they were the
talismans which the two Circassians had taken from Izif and
Izouf, mounted in gold and silver. As quick as lightning the
watches slid from the hands of Tezila and her sister, and Aurora
and Argentine stood before them, each with her talisman on her
finger.

At first they seemed rather confused themselves at the change
which had taken place, and the sunlight which they had not seen
for so long, but when gradually they understood that their
enchantment had come to an end, they could find no words to
express their happiness.

The Circassians could with difficulty be comforted for the loss
of the talismans, but Aurora and Argentine entreated them to dry
their tears, as their father, Siroco, who was governor of
Alexandria, would not fail to reward them in any manner they
wished. This promise was soon confirmed by Siroco himself, who
came into the garden with the Bassa and his two sons, and was
speedily joined by the ladies of the family. Only Hassan was
absent. It was the hour in which he was condemned to bewail his
ebony hand.

To the surprise of all a noise was at this moment heard in a
corner of the terrace, and Hassan himself appeared surrounded by
slaves, clapping his hands and shouting with joy. 'I was weeping
as usual,' cried he, 'when all at once the tears refused to come
to my eyes, and on looking down at my hand I saw that its
blackness had vanished. And now, lovely Zelida, nothing prevents
me any longer from offering you the hand, when the heart has been
yours always.'

But though Hassan never thought of asking or caring what had
caused his cure, the others were by no means so indifferent. It
was quite clear that the little black pig must be dead—but how,
and when? To this the slaves answered that they had seen that
morning a man pursued by three others, and that he had taken
refuge in the cavern which they had been left to guard. Then, in
obedience to orders, they had rolled a stone over the entrance.

Piercing shrieks interrupted their story, and a man, whom the
Circassians saw to be the old dervish, rushed round the corner of
the terrace with the three Jews behind him. When the fugitive
beheld so many people collected together, he turned down another
path, but the slaves captured all four and brought them before
their master.

What was the surprise of the Bassa when he beheld in the old
dervish the man who had given the chaplet, the copper plaque, and
the bracelet to his three sons. 'Fear nothing, holy father,' he
said, 'you are safe with me. But tell us, how came you here?'

'My lord,' explained the dervish, 'when my beard was cut off
during my sleep by the two Circassians, I was ashamed to appear
before the eyes of men, and fled, bearing with me the pink silk
bag. In the night these three men fell in with me, and we passed
some time in conversation, but at dawn, when it was light enough
to see each other's faces, one of them exclaimed that I was the
dervish travelling with the two Circassians who had stolen the
talismans from the Jews. I jumped up and tried to fly to my cave,
but they were too quick for me, and just as we reached your
garden they snatched the bag which contained the little black pig
and flung it into the sea. By this act, which delivers your son,
I would pray you to forgive them for any wrongs they may have
done you—nay more, that you will recompense them for it.' The
Bassa granted the holy man's request, and seeing that the two
Jews had fallen victims to the charms of the Circassian ladies,
gave his consent to their union, which was fixed to take place at
the same time as that of Izaf with the wise Sumi. The Cadi was
sent for, and the Jews exchanged the hats of their race for the
turbans of the followers of the Prophet. Then, after so many
misfortunes, the Bassa's three sons entreated their father to
delay their happiness no longer, and the six marriages were
performed by the Cadi at the hour of noon.