The Oriental Story Book: A Collection of Tales

  CHAPTER V.

  When the storks heard this through their chasm in the wall, theybecame almost beside themselves with joy. They ran so quickly withtheir long feet to the door of the ruin, that the owl could scarcelykeep up with them. Thereupon spoke the Caliph to her: "Preserver of mylife and that of my friend, in token of our eternal thanks for whatthou hast done for us, take me as thy husband." Then he turned to theEast: three times they bowed their long necks towards the sun, whichwas even now rising above the mountains, and at the same momentexclaimed "MUTABOR!" In a twinkling they were restored, and in theexcessive joy of their newly-bestowed life, alternately laughing andweeping, were folded in each other's arms. But who can describe theirastonishment when they looked around? A beautiful woman, attired as aqueen, stood before them. Smiling, she gave the Caliph her hand, andsaid, "Know you your screech-owl no longer?" It was she; the Caliphwas in such transports at her beauty and pleasantness, as to cry out,that it was the most fortunate moment in his life, when he became astork.

  The three now proceeded together to Bagdad. The Caliph found in hisdress, not only the box of magic powder, but also his money-bag. Bymeans thereof, he purchased at the nearest village what was necessaryfor their journey, and accordingly they soon appeared before the gatesof the city. Here, however, the arrival of the Caliph excited greatastonishment. They had given out that he was dead, and the people weretherefore highly rejoiced to have again their beloved lord.

  So much the more, however, burned their hatred against the impostorMizra. They proceeded to the palace, and caught the old magician andhis son. The old man the Caliph sent to the same chamber in the ruin,which the princess, as a screech-owl, had inhabited, and there hadhim hung; unto the son, however, who understood nothing of hisfather's arts, he gave his choice,--to die, or snuff some of thepowder. Having chosen the latter, the Grand-Vizier presented him thebox. A hearty pinch, and the magic word of the Caliph converted himinto a stork. Chasid had him locked up in an iron cage, and hung inhis garden.

  Long and happily lived Caliph Chasid with his spouse, the Princess;his pleasantest hours were always those, when in the afternoon theVizier sought him; and whenever the Caliph was in a very good humor,he would let himself down so far, as to show Mansor how he looked,when a stork. He would gravely march along, with rigid feet, up anddown the chamber, make a clattering noise, wave his arms like wings,and show how, in vain, he had prostrated himself to the East, andcried out, MU--MU. To the Princess and her children, this imitationalways afforded great amusement: when, however, the Caliph clattered,and bowed, and cried out, too long, then the Vizier would threaten himthat he would disclose to his spouse what had been proposed outsidethe door of the Princess Screech-owl!

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  When Selim Baruch had finished his story, the merchants declaredthemselves delighted therewith. "Verily, the afternoon has passed awayfrom us without our having observed it!" exclaimed one of them,throwing back the covering of the tent: "the evening wind blows cool,we can still make a good distance on our journey." To this hiscompanions agreed; the tents were struck, and the Caravan proceeded onits way in the same order in which it had come up.

  They rode almost all the night long, for it was refreshing andstarry, whereas the day was sultry. At last they arrived at aconvenient stopping-place; here they pitched their tents, and composedthemselves to rest. To the stranger the merchants attended, as a mostvalued guest. One gave him cushions, a second covering, a thirdslaves; in a word, he was as well provided for as if he had been athome. The hottest hours of the day had already arrived, when theyawoke again, and they unanimously determined to wait for evening inthis place. After they had eaten together, they moved more closely toeach other, and the young merchant, turning to the oldest, addressedhim: "Selim Baruch yesterday made a pleasant afternoon for us; supposeAchmet, that you also tell us something, be it either from your longlife, which has known so many adventures, or even a pretty Maerchen."

  Upon these words Achmet was silent some time, as if he were in doubtwhether to tell this or that; at last he began to speak: "Dearfriends, on this our journey you have proved yourselves faithfulcompanions, and Selim also deserves my confidence; I will thereforeimpart to you something of my life, of which, under othercircumstances, I would speak reluctantly, and, indeed, not to any one:THE HISTORY OF THE SPECTRE SHIP."