The Arabian Nights Entertainments, vol 1 | Page 9

vizier obeyed; the sultan lay
with her, and, putting her next morning into his hands in order to be
strangled, commanded him to get another next night. Whatever
reluctance the vizier had to put such orders in execution, as he owed
blind obedience to the sultan his master, he was forced to submit. He
brought him then the daughter of a subaltern, whom he also cut off the
next day. After her, he brought a citizen's daughter; and, in a word,
there was every day a maid married, and a wife murdered.
The rumour of this unparalleled barbarity occasioned a general
consternation in the city, where there was nothing but crying and
lamentation. Here a father in tears, and inconsolable for the loss of his
daughter; and there tender mothers, dreading lest theirs should have the
same fate, making the air to resound beforehand with their groans; so
that, instead of the commendations and blessings which the sultan had
hitherto received from his subjects, their mouths were now filled with
imprecations against him.
The grand vizier, who, as has been already said, was the executioner of
this horrid injustice against his will, had two daughters, the eldest
called Scheherazade, and the youngest Dinarzade: the latter was a lady
of very great merit; but the elder had courage, wit, and penetration,
infinitely above her sex; she had read abundance, and had such a
prodigious memory that she never forgot any thing. She had
successfully applied herself to philosophy, physic, history, and the

liberal arts, and for verse exceeded, the best poets of her times; besides
this, she was a perfect beauty, and all her fine qualifications were
crowned by solid virtue.
The vizier passionately loved a daughter so worthy of his tender
affection; and one day, as they were discoursing together, she says to
him, Father, I have one favour to beg of you, and must humbly pray
you to grant it me. I will not refuse it, answered he, provided it be just
and reasonable. For the justice of it, says she, there can be no question,
and you may judge of it by the motive which obliges me to demand it
of you. I have a design to stop the course of that barbarity which the
sultan exercises upon the families of this city. I would dispel those
unjust fears which so many mothers have of losing their daughters in
such a fatal manner. Your design, daughter, replies the vizier, is very
commendable; but the disease you would remedy seems to be incurable;
how do you pretend to effect it? Father, says Scheherazade, since by
your means the sultan makes every day a new marriage, I conjure you,
by the tender affection you bear to me, to procure me the honour of his
bed. The vizier could not hear this without horror. O heavens! replies
he, in a passion, have you lost your senses, daughter, that you make
such a dangerous request to me? You know the sultan has sworn by his
soul that he will never lie above one night with the same woman, and to
order her to be killed the next morning; and would you that I should
propose you to him? Pray consider well to what your indiscreet zeal
will expose you. Yes, dear father, replies the virtuous daughter, I know
the risk I run; but that does not frighten me. If I perish, my death will
be glorious; and if I succeed, I shall do my country an important piece
of service. No, no, says the vizier, whatever you can represent to
engage me to let you throw yourself into that horrible danger, do not
you think that ever I will agree to it. When the sultan shall order me to
strike my poignard into your heart, alas! I must obey him; and what a
dismal employment is that for a father? Ah! if you do not fear death,
yet at least be afraid of occasioning me the mortal grief of seeing my
hand stained with your blood. Once more, father, says Scheherazade,
grant me the favour I beg. Your stubbornness, replies the vizier, will
make me angry; why will you run headlong to your ruin? They that do
not foresee the end of a dangerous enterprise can never bring it to a
happy issue. I am afraid the same thing will happen to you that

happened to the ass, which was well, and could not keep itself so. What
misfortune befel the ass? replies Scheherazade. I will tell you, says the
vizier, if you will hear me.

Fable.

The Ox, the Ass, and the Labourer.

A very rich merchant had several country-houses, where he had
abundance of cattle of all sorts. He went with his wife and family to
one of those