The Arabian Nights II (25 page)

'Ala al-Din's mother prostrated herself before the king's throne and retired. On her way home, she laughed within herself at her son's foolish imagination and said to herself, “Where will he find so many gold basins and such a quantity of colored glass to fill them? Will he go back to that subterranean place, the entrance to which is stopped up, and gather them from the trees? And where will he get all the slaves, such as the ones demanded by the king? All of this is beyond his reach, and I think that he will not be satisfied with my embassy.” When she came home, full of such thoughts that led her to believe that 'Ala al-Din's case was hopeless, she said to him, “Son, I advise you to give up all thought of marriage with Princess Badr al-Budur. The king received me very kindly, indeed, and I believe that he had good intentions toward you, but, if I am not mistaken, the grand vizier made him change his mind, as you will agree after you hear my account. After I reminded his majesty that three months had expired and begged him on your behalf to remember his promise, I noticed that he talked in a whisper for some time with his grand vizier, before he gave me the reply that I shall repeat to you.” She then gave her son an exact account of what the king had said and the conditions on which he consented to the marriage between him and the princess, his daughter. Then she said, “Son, he awaits your answer, but, between us,” she continued with a smile, “I believe that he will have to wait a long time.” 'Ala al-Din replied, “Not so long as you think, mother, and the king is mistaken to think that by these exorbitant demands he can prevent me from desiring Princess Badr al-Budur. I had expected even more insurmountable difficulties and thought that he would even set a much higher price on this incomparable princess, but now I am satisfied, and what he demands is little, compared to what I could have done for her in order to have her. But while I think of satisfying his demand, go and get us something for dinner, and leave the rest to me.”

As soon as 'Ala al-Din's mother went out to the market, 'Ala al-Din took the lamp and rubbed it, and in an instant the demon appeared before him and asked him in the usual terms what he wished, expressing his readiness to serve him. 'Ala al-Din said, “The king is giving me the princess, his daughter, in marriage, but first he demands of me forty large basins of heavy gold, full of the fruits I gathered from the garden from where I took the lamp that you are slave to. He also demands of me that these forty basins be carried by forty black slaves, led by forty white slaves, young, handsome, well-built, and richly dressed. Go, fetch me this present, as soon as possible, so that I may send it to the king, before the council adjourns.” The demon told him
that his command would be carried out forthwith and disappeared.

The demon returned a little while later with forty black slaves, each carrying on his head a large basin of twenty marks' gold, full of pearls, diamonds, rubies, and emeralds, all better chosen and larger and more beautiful than those presented to the king before, and each basin was covered with a silver cloth, embroidered with flowers of gold. All these slaves, as many black as white, and these gold basins virtually filled the entire house, which was very small, as well as the little court in front and the little garden in the back. The demon asked 'Ala al-Din whether he was satisfied and whether he had any other demands, and when 'Ala al-Din replied that he had none, the demon disappeared again.

When 'Ala al-Din's mother returned from the market and entered the house, she was greatly surprised to see so many people and such great riches. When she laid down the provisions she had brought, she was about to pull off her veil, but 'Ala al-Din stopped her, saying, “Mother, there is no time to lose. Before the king adjourns the council, you should return forthwith to the palace, and take with you this present as the dowry he demanded for Princess Badr al-Budur, so that he may judge, by my diligence and punctuality, my ardent zeal and sincerity to procure the honor of entering this alliance with him.” Without waiting for his mother to make a reply, 'Ala al-Din opened the street door and made the slaves file out, a white slave followed always by a black one carrying a gold basin on his head. When they all were out, and the mother followed the last black slave, 'Ala al-Din shut the door and sat calmly in his room, in the hope that the king, after receiving the present he required, would at last consent to receive him as his son-in-law.

The first white slave who went out of 'Ala al-Din's house made all the passersby who saw him stop, and before all eighty white and black slaves were out of the house, the street was crowded with people who rushed from all parts to see this magnificent and extraordinary spectacle. The dress of each slave was so rich, both in fabric and jewels, that those who were most knowledgeable valued each at more than a million. The extreme neatness and perfect fit of each dress; the good grace, noble air, and uniform and elegant shape of each slave; their stately march, at an equal distance from each other; the luster of their jewels, which were extremely large and set in a beautiful symmetry in their belts of heavy gold; and the glitter of the insignias of jewels in their hats, which were of a particular style, struck the crowds of spectators with such a great admiration that they never wearied of gazing at them and following them with their eyes, as far as possible. The streets were so crowded with people that everyone was forced to stay in place.

As the slaves had to pass through many streets, stretching through a great part of the city, people of all classes and backgrounds were able to see this delightful procession. When the first of the slaves arrived at the gate of the first court of the palace, the gatekeepers, who had arranged themselves in order as soon as they saw the procession approaching, took him for a king and approached him to kiss the hem of his robe, but the slave, instructed by the demon, stopped them and said gravely, “We are only slaves. Our master will appear at the proper time.”

Then this slave, followed by the rest, entered the second court, which was very spacious and in which the king's men always stood in order when the council was in session. Although the officers, who stood at the head of their troops, were magnificently dressed, they were eclipsed by the presence of the eighty slaves who carried 'Ala al-Din's present. Nothing in the king's palace seemed so beautiful and brilliant, and all the luster of his courtiers was nothing in comparison to what he saw at that moment.

As the king had been informed of the procession and the arrival of the slaves and had given orders to admit them, they were ushered into the audience hall, and they did so in good order, one part filing to the right and the other to the left. After they all had entered and had formed a great semicircle before the king's throne, the black slaves laid the basins on the carpet and all of them prostrated themselves, touching the carpet with their foreheads, and at the same time, the white slaves did the same. Then they all rose again, and the black slaves uncovered the basins, and they all stood with their arms crossed over their breasts, in great reverence.

Meanwhile, 'Ala al-Din's mother advanced to the foot of the throne and, after prostrating herself, said to the king, “My lord, my son 'Ala al-Din knows well that this present he sends to your majesty is very much below what Princess Badr al-Budur deserves; nevertheless, he hopes that your majesty will accept it and make it agreeable to the princess, with all the more confidence, since he has endeavored to meet the conditions that you were pleased to impose on him.”

The king was in no condition to pay any attention to the compliments of 'Ala al-Din's mother. For as soon as he saw the forty gold basins, full to the brim of the most brilliant, lustrous, and precious jewels one has ever seen, and saw the eighty slaves, who, both by the comeliness of their persons and the surprising richness and magnificence of their dress, appeared like so many kings, he was so struck that he could not recover from his admiration. So instead of responding to the compliments of 'Ala al-Din's mother, he spoke to the grand vizier, who could not, any more than the king, understand where such a great profusion of riches could come from. He said to the grand vizier
loudly, “Well, vizier, what do you think of him who sends me such a rich and extraordinary present, yet neither I nor you even know him? Do you think him unworthy of marrying my daughter Princess Badr al-Budur?” In spite of the grand vizier's envy and sadness to see a stranger preferred before his son to become the king's son-in-law, he did not dare to hide his sentiments. For it was too evident that 'Ala al-Din's present was more than enough to merit that he be received into such a high alliance; therefore, echoing the king's sentiments, he replied, “My lord, I am so far from thinking that the person who has made your majesty such a worthy present is unworthy of the honor you wish to do him, that I would dare to say that he merits even more, if I was not persuaded that there is no treasure in the world great enough to be put in balance with the princess, your majesty's daughter.” At these words the lords of the court, who were present at the council, applauded in agreement.

The king did not hesitate any longer. He did not even think of finding out whether 'Ala al-Din possessed all the qualities appropriate to one who aspired to become his son-in-law. The sight alone of such immense riches and the diligence with which 'Ala al-Din satisfied the exorbitant demand he had imposed on him, without creating the slightest difficulty, easily convinced the king that 'Ala al-Din lacked nothing to render him as accomplished as the king wished. Therefore, to send 'Ala al-Din's mother back with all the satisfaction she could desire, he said to her, “Good woman, go and tell your son that I am waiting to receive him with open arms and to embrace him and that the sooner he comes to receive the princess, my daughter, from my hands, the greater pleasure he will do me.”

As soon as 'Ala al-Din's mother departed, with the joy that a woman of her condition must feel, to see her son elevated, beyond her expectation, to such a high state, the king terminated the audience for that day and, rising from his throne, ordered that the princess's eunuchs should come and carry the basins to their mistress's apartment, where he went to examine them with her at his leisure. This order was carried out immediately, under the supervision of the chief eunuch. The eighty slaves, black and white, were not forgotten. They were conducted into the palace, and a little while later, the king, having described to the princess the slaves' magnificent appearance, ordered that they be brought before her apartment, so that she might see for herself through the shutters and realize that far from exaggerating, he had in fact told her much less.

Meanwhile, 'Ala al-Din's mother got home and showed, by her demeanor, the good news that she brought for her son. She said to him, “Son, you have every reason to be pleased, for you have reached the attainment of your desires, contrary to the expectations you have
always heard me express. In order not to keep you too long in suspense, the king, with the approval of the whole court, has declared that you are worthy to possess Princess Badr al-Budur. He is waiting to embrace you and to conclude your marriage. You must now think of making some preparations for that meeting, so that you may live up to the high opinion he has formed of you, and after the wonders I have seen you do, I am convinced that nothing will be lacking. I must not forget to remind you again that the king waits for you impatiently; therefore, you must not lose any time in going to him.”

'Ala al-Din, pleased with this news and full of thoughts of the object that had enchanted him, said very little to his mother and retired to his room. He took the lamp, which had till then answered all his needs and wishes, and as soon as he rubbed it, the obedient demon appeared immediately, as usual. 'Ala al-Din said to him, “Demon, I have called you to help me bathe immediately, and afterwards provide me with the richest and most magnificent suit ever worn by a king.” No sooner had he finished speaking than the demon made him as invisible as himself and carried him to a bath of the finest and most beautiful marble of all kinds and all colors, where he was undressed, without seeing by whom, in a spacious and very clean hall. From the hall, he was led to the bath, which was of moderate heat, and there he was rubbed and washed with all sorts of scented water. After he passed through several chambers of different degrees of heat, he came out, completely different from what he had been before. His skin was fresh, white, and ruddy, and his body felt much lighter and more refreshed. When he returned to the hall, he did not find the suit he had taken off, for the demon had carefully replaced it with the one he had demanded, the magnificence of which amazed him. He got dressed, with the help of the demon, admiring each piece he put on, for everything was beyond anything he could have imagined. When he finished, the demon carried him back to his room and asked him whether he had any other command. 'Ala al-Din replied, “Yes, I want you to bring me, as soon as possible, a horse that surpasses in quality and beauty the best in the king's stables, with a saddle, housing, bridle, and other trappings worth a million dinars. I also want you to bring me at the same time twenty slaves, dressed as richly and smartly as those who carried the presents, to walk by my side and behind me, and twenty more like them to walk in two ranks before me. In addition, bring my mother six slave-girls to wait on her, each dressed at least as richly as the slave-girls of Princess Badr al-Budur, each carrying a complete suit as splendid and magnificent as that of a queen. I want also ten thousand pieces of gold, in ten purses. Go, and be quick.” As soon as 'Ala al-Din finished giving these orders, the demon disappeared and soon returned with the horse, the forty slaves, ten of whom each carried a
purse containing one thousand pieces of gold, and the six slave-girls, each carrying on her head a different suit for 'Ala al-Din's mother, wrapped up in a silver cloth, and he presented all of them to 'Ala al-Din.