Arabian Nights Entertainments (1706)/Volume 1/The Story of the Three Calenders
DInarzade according to Custom, did not forget to call the Sultaness when it was time, Madam, says she, I know not what’s the matter with me, but I know very well, that one of the Stories which you tell so agreeably, would be a great Relief against that Melancholy which eats me up. Scheherazade, without answering her, began immediately, and told the Sultan the following Story.
SIR, said she, in the Reign of Caliph Haroun Alrashid, there was at Bagdad, the Place of his Residence. a Porter, who, notwithstanding his mean and laborious Business, was a Fellow of Wit and good Humour. One Morning, as he was at the Place where he usually ply’d, with a great Basket waiting for Employment, a young handsome Lady, covered with a great Muslin Veil, came to him, and said with a pleasant Air, Hark ye, Porter, take your Basket and follow me. The Porter, charm’d with those few Words pronounc’d in agreeable a manner, took his Basket immediately, set it on his Head, and follow’d the Lady, saying, O happy Day, a Day of good Luck.
The Lady stopp’d presently before a Gate that was shut, and knock’d: A Christian with a venerable long white Beard, open’d the Gate, and she put Money into his Hand without speaking one Word; but the Christian, who knew what she wanted, went in and in a little time after, brought a large Jugg of excellent Wine. Take this Jugg, says the Lady to the Porter, and put it in your Basket. This being done, she commanded him to follow her, and as she went on, the Porter says still, O happy Day, this is a Day of agreeable Surprize and Joy.
The Lady stopp’d at a Fruit-Shop, where she bought several forts of Apples, Apricocks, Peaches, Quinces, Limons, Citrons, Oranges, Myrtles, sweet Basil, Lillies, Jessamin, and some other sorts of Flowers and Plants that smell well; she bid the Porter put all into his Basket and follow her: As she went by a Butcher’s Stall, she made him weigh her Twenty five Pound of his best Meat; which she order’d the Porter to put also into his Basket.
At another Shop, she took Capers, Cucumbers, and other Herbs preserv’d in Vinegar: At another Shop, she bought Pistachoes, Walnuts, Small Nuts, Almonds, Kernels of Pine-Apples, and such other Fruits; and of another, she bought all sorts of Confections. When the Porter had put all those things into his Basket, and perceiv’d that it grew full, my good Lady, says he, you ought to have given me Notice that you had so much Provision to carry, and then I wou’d have got a Horse, or rather a Camel to have carried them, for if you buy ever so little more, I shall not be able to carry it. The Lady laugh’d at the Fellow’s pleasant Humour, and order’d him still to follow her.
Then she went to a Druggist, where she furnish’d her self with all manner of sweet-scented Waters, Cloves, Musk, Pepper, Ginger, and a great Piece of Ambergreese, and several other Indian Spices; this quite fill’d the Porter’s Basket, and she order’d him to follow her. They walk’d till they came to a magnificent House, whose Front was adorn’d with fine Columns, and which had a Gate of Ivory. There they stopp’d, and the Lady knock’d softly.Here Scheherazade perceiving Day, broke off.
I must own, Sister, says Dinarzade, the Beginning of this Story has a great deal of Curiosity, I fancy the Sultan will not deprive himself of the Pleasure of hearing the rest of it; and indeed Schahriar was so far from ordering the Sultaness to be put to Death, that he long’d impatiently next Night, to know what passed in the fine House.
DInarzade being awak’d before Day, addressed the Sultaness thus: Sister, if you be awake, I would pray you to continue the History you began yesterday, and Scheherazade went on with it thus:
While the young Lady and the Porter staid for the opening of the Gate, the Porter had a thousand Thoughts; he wonder’d that such a fine Lady should come abroad to buy Provisions; he concluded she could not be a Slave, her Air was too noble for that, and therefore he thought she must needs be a Woman of Quality. Just as he was about to ask her some Questions upon that Head; another Lady came to open the Gate, and appear’d so beautiful to him that he was perfectly surpriz’d, or rather so much struck with her Charms, that he was like to have let his Basket tall, for he had never seen any Beauty that came near her.
The Lady who brought the Porter with her, perceiving his Disorder, and the Occasion of it, diverted her self with it, and took so much Pleasure to examine his Looks, that she forgot the Gate was open’d. Upon this the beautiful Lady says to her, Pray, Sister, come in, what do you stay for? don’t you see this poor Man so heavy loaded, that he is scarce able to stand under it.
When she enter’d with the Porter, the Lady who open’d the Gate shut it, and all Three after having gone thro’ a very fine Porch, came in to a spacious Court, encompass’d with an open Gallery, which had a Communication with several Apartments of a Floor, and extraordinary magnificent. There was at the further end of that Court a Sofa richly adorn’d with a Throne of Amber in the Middle of it, supported by four Columns of Ebony, enrich’d with Diamonds and Pearls of an extraordinary Size, and cover’d with a red Sattin, embroider’d with Indian Gold of admirable Workmanship, In the Middle of the Court there was a great Fountain, fac’d with white Marble, and full of clear Water, which fell into it abundantly, out of the Mouth of a Lion of Brass.
The Porter tho’ heavy loaden, could not but admire the Magnificence of this House, and the excellent Order that every thing was plac’d in, but that which particularly captivated his Attention, was a third Lady, who seem’d to be a greater Beauty than the Second, and was sat upon the Throne just now mentioned; she came down from it, as soon as she saw the two former Ladies, and advanc’d towards them: He judg’d by the Respect which the others shew’d her, that she was the Chief, in which he was not mistaken. This Lady was called Zobeide, she who open’d the Gate was call’d Safie, and Amine was the Name of her who went out to buy the Provisions.
Zobeide says to the two Ladies, when the came them, Sisters, don’t you see that this honest Man is like to sink under his Burden, why don’t you ease him of it? Then Amine and Safie took the Basket, the one before and the other behind, and Zobeide also lent her Hand and all Three together set it on the Ground. They empty’d it, and when they had done; the beautiful Amine, took out Money and paid the Porter liberally. Day-light appearing, Scheherazade was oblig’d to keep silence; but Schahriar having a great Desire to hear the rest of the Story, he order’d the Sultaness to go on with it next Night.
NExt Morning Dinarzade being awak’d by her Impatience to hear the rest of the Story, says to the Sultaness, for the sake of Heaven, Sister, if you be not asleep give us an Account what the Ladies did with the Provisions bought by Amine; you shall quickly hear it, says Schehazade, if you listen to my Story, which she resum’d as follows.
The Porter very well satisfy’d with the Money he had receiv’d, was to have taken up his Basket and be gone; but he could not tell how to think on’t. Do what he could, he found himself stopp’d by the Pleasure of seeing Three such Beauties, who appear’d to him equally charming; for Amine having now laid aside her Veil, was as handsome as either of ’em. That which surpriz’d him most, was, that he saw never a Man about the House, yet most of the Provisions he brought in, as the dry Fruits and several sorts of Cakes and Confections, were fit chiefly for those who could drink and make merry.
Zobeide thought at first, that the Porter staid only to take his Breath, but perceiving that he said too long. What d’ye wait for, says she, are you not well enough paid? and turning to Amine, says, Sister, give him something more, that he may depart satisfied. Madam, replies the Porter, it is not that which stays me, I am over and above paid: I am sensible that I am unmannerly to stay longer than I ought, but I hope you will be so good as to pardon me if I tell you, that I am astonish’d to see that there’s no Man with three Ladies of such extraordinary Beauty, and you know, that a Company of Women without Men, is as melancholy a thing, as a Company of Men without Women: To this he added several very pleasant things to prove what he said, and did not forget the Bagdad Proverb, That one is never well at Table, except there be four in Company; and so concluded, that since there were but Three they had need of a Fourth.
The Ladies fella laughing at the Porter’s Discourse; after which Zobeide says to him very gravely, Friend, you are a little too bold, and tho’ you don’t deserve that I should enter into Particulars with you, yet I am willing to tell you that we are three Sisters, who do our Business so secretly, that no body knows any thing of it. We have too great Reason to be cautious of acquainting indiscreet Persons with them and a good Author that we have read, says, Keep your Secret, and don’t reveal it to any body. He that reveals it, is no longer Master of it. If your own Breast can’t keep your Secret, how do you think that another Person will keep it.
My Ladies, replies the Porter, by your very Air, I judg’d at first that you were Persons of extraordinary Merit, and I conceive that I am not mistaken; tho’ Fortune has not given me Wealth enough to raise me above my mean Profession, yet I have not sail’d to cultivate my Mind as much as I could, by reading Books of Science and History; and allow me, it you please, to tell you, that I have also read in another Author, a Maxim which I have always happily practis’d: We don’t conceal our Secret, says he, but from such Persons as are known to all the World to want Discretion, and would abuse the Confidence we put in them; but we make no scruple to discover them to prudent Persons, because we know they can keep them. A Secret with me is as sure as if it were in a Closet, whose Key is lost and the Door seal’d up.
Zobeide perceiv’d that the Porter did not want Sense, but conceiving that he had a mind to have a share in their Treat, she replies to him, smiling, you know that we are about to have a Treat, and you know also that we have been at considerable Expence, and it is not just that you should have a share of it, without contributing towards it. The beautiful Safie seconded her Sister, and says to the Porter, Friend, have you never heard that which is commonly said, If you bring any thing with you, you shall be welcome; but if you bring nothing, you must get you gone with nothing.
The Porter notwithstanding his Rhetorick, must in all probability have retir’d in Confusion, if Amine had not taken his part, and said to Zobeide and Safie, my dear Sisters, I conjure you to let him stay with us; I need not tell you that he will divert us, you see well enough he is capable of that: I must needs tell you, that without he had been very wiling, as well as nimble, and hardy enough to follow me, I could not have done so much Business in so little time, besides, should I repeat to you all the obliging Expressions, he had to me by the way, you would not be surpriz’d at my, protecting him.
Art those Words of Amine, the Porter was so much transported with Joy, that he fell on his Knees, kiss’d the Ground at the Feet of that charming Person, and raising himself up, says, most beautiful Lady, you began my good Fortune to-day, and now you compleat it by this generous Action, I cannot enough testify my Acknowledgment for it. As to what remains, my Ladies, adds be, addressing himself to all the three Sisters, since you do me so great Honour, don’t think that I will abuse it, or look upon my self as a Person that deserves it. No, I shall always look upon myself as one of your most humble Slaves. When he had spoke these Words, he would have return’d the Money he had receiv’d, but the grave Zeboide ordered him to keep it. That which we have once given, says she, to reward those who have served us, we never take again.Here Day began to dawn, which put Scheherazade to silence.
Dinarzade, who listen’d with a great deal of Attention, was much troubled at it, but had this Comfort however, that the Sultan who was as curious as she to know what pass’d betwixt the three beautiful Ladies and the Porter, order’d the Sultaness to go on with the rest of the Story next Night, and rose up to go about his Business,
The End of the First Volume