第42章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(17)

The princess pursued him and blew flames at himand the sparks from them both fell upon us；her sparks did us no hurtbut of his one lighted on my right eye and destroyed it；another fell on the King's face and scorched the lower part，burning away half his beard and making his under teeth drop out，and a third lighted on the eunuch's breast and set him on fire，so that he was consumed and died forthright. So we despaired of life and looked for nothing but death；but presently we heard a voice exclaiming'God is most great！He giveth aid and victory to the true believer and abandoneth him who denieth the religion of Mohammedthe Moon of the Faith！'And lothe King's daughter had burnt up the Afrit and he was become a heap of ashes！Then she came up to us and said'Bring me a cup of water.'They did so：and she spoke over the water words we understood not and sprinkled me with itsaying'By the virtue of the Truth and of the Most Great Name of Godreturn to thine original shape！'And immediately I shook and became a man as beforesave that I had lost my right eye. Then she cried out'The fire！The fire！O my fatherI have but an instant to livefor I am not used to fight with Jinn： had he been a manI had slain him long ago. I had no travail till the time when the pomegranate burst asunder and I overlooked the seed in which was the genie's life. Had I picked it uphe would have died at once；but as fate and destiny would have itI knew not of thisso that he came upon me unawares and there befell between us a sore strife under the earth and in the air and in the water：and as often as I opened on him a gate （of magic）he opened on me anothertill at last he opened on me the gate of fireand seldom does he on whom the gate of fire is opened escape alive. But Providence aided me against himso that I consumed him firstafter I had summoned him to embrace the faith of Islam. As for meI am a dead woman and may God supply my place to you！'Then she called upon God for help and ceased not to implore relief from the firetill presently a tongue of fierce flame broke out from her clothes and shot up to her breast and thence to her face. When it reached her faceshe wept and said'I testify that there is no god but God and that Mohammed is the apostle of God！'And we looked at her and beholdshe was a heap of ashes beside those of the genie. We mourned for her and I wished I had been in her placeso had I not seen the fair-faced one who had done me this good office reduced to ashes；but there is no averting the decree of God.

When the King saw what had befallen his daughterhe plucked out the rest of his beard and buffeted his face and rent his clothes；

and I did the likeand we both wept for her. Then came in the chamberlains and grandees and were amazed to find two heaps of ashes and the Sultan in a swoon. So they stood round him till he revived and told them what had happenedwhereat they were sore afflicted and the women and slave-girls shrieked aloud and kept up their lamentation for the space of seven days. Moreoverthe King bade build a great dome over his daughter's ashes and burn therein candles and lamps： but the Afrit's ashes they scattered to the windscommitting them to the malediction of God. The King was sickwell-nigh unto deathfor a month's spaceafter which health returned to him and His beard grew again. Then he sent for me and said to me'O youthverily we led the happiest of lives，safe from the vicissitudes of fortunetill thou camest to us，when troubles flocked upon us. O that we had never seen thee nor the ugly face of thee！For through our taking pity on theewe are come to this state of bereavement. I have loston thine accountfirstmy daughterwho was worth a hundred men；secondlyI have suffered what befell me by the fire and the loss of my teethand my eunuch also is dead. I do not indeed blame thee for aught of this；for all was decreed of God to us and to thee；and praised be He that my daughter delivered theethough at the cost of her own life！But nowO my sondepart from my city and let what has befallen us on thine account suffice.

Depart in peaceand if I see thee again I will kill thee.'And he cried out at me. So I went forth from his presenceknowing not whither I should goand hardly believing in my escape. And I recalled all that had befallen me from first to last and thanked God that it was my eye that I had lost and not my life. Before I left the townI entered the bath and shaved my head and put on a hair-cloth garment. Then I fared forth at a ventureand every day I recalled all the misfortunes that had befallen me and wept and repeated the following verses：

By the CompassionateI'm dazed and know not where I go. Griefs flock on me from every sideI know not whence they grow.

I will endure till patience'self less patient is than I： I will have patience till it please the Lord to end my woe.

A vanquished manwithout complaintmy doom I will endureAs the parched traveller in the waste endures the torrid glow.

I will endure till aloes'self confess that IindeedCan'gainst a bitt'rer thing abide than even it can show.

There is no bitt'rer thing；and yet if patience play me falseIt were to me a bitt'rer thing than all the restI trow.

The wrinkles graven on my heart would speak my hidden pain If through my breast the thought could pierce and read what lies below.

Were but my load on mountains laidthey'd crumble into dust；On fire it would be quenched outright；on wind'twould cease to blow.

Let who will say that life is sweet；to all there comes a day When they must needs a bitt'rer thing than aloes undergo.