Evening Tales

Once on a time a ruler who was the king of men, as well as the king of beasts, called his Vizier, Rustem, to whom he had confided the education of his only son, and said:

"Tell me, does my son follow your advice, and does he give promise of making a worthy successor of his father?"

"Though he is still youthful, the young prince bids fair to become the king of men," said Rustem; "your son is already fitted to rule both man and beast."

Never was a vizier so untruthful; never had a tutor so corrupted a young prince. He had implanted in his pupil's mind the vices which were his own. He had made him greedy, unjust, and impatient at the least contradiction. The Vizier had made the young prince believe that the people whom he was one day to govern were a lot of miserable cattle who were to be imposed on at the King's will.

It happened in those days that a merchant came to the King's palace, having for sale a collection of rich jewels. He had them of all kinds and all prices—diamonds, pearls, rubies, and emeralds—all heaped together in a beautiful casket of carved cedarwood. The Prince remained for hours admiring this marvellous collection of treasures.

"Ah," he exclaimed, "how I wish I had money enough to buy all that I see!"

"Prince," said the Vizier, "are you not the master? Command, and these treasures are yours."

"Well, then," said the Prince, "so be it;" and with that his slaves took possession of the casket and drove the poor merchant away from the palace.

The merchant, however, was not willing to submit to such an injustice. He went about making his charges and his complaints in the public places, until at last the matter became a scandal that could not be overlooked. So the powerful young Prince had him whipped with such severity that he expired not far from the palace.

The news of this terrible crime came speedily to the ears of the King, who became enraged with his son and with the perfidious Rustem. He drove them both from the palace. The tutor was banished from the court, and the young Prince was placed in a castle at some distance from his father's palace. Forgetting the irreparable injury he had caused, the Vizier one day went to see his former pupil. He fancied he would be received with open arms, as in the past; but what was his surprise to find himself loaded with reproaches. With a significant gesture the young Prince ordered his old tutor from his presence. The Vizier retired in confusion. It was night, and for a long time he wandered in the forest.

Vaguely walking about he fell in a pit that had been set as a trap for wild animals. What was his terror to find himself in the company of a Lion, a Monkey, and a Serpent, each of whom had fallen into the pit. When morning came the ex-vizier found himself in the midst of sad reflection. He was fearful that he would lose by hunger the life these beasts had left him, when, all of a sudden, he saw a man peering over the edge of the pitfall. Then the Vizier set up a terrible cry, and the traveller, touched with pity, threw him a rope so that he could escape from his perilous position.

The Monkey, nimbler than the Vizier, seized the rope and ran up it, much to the surprise of the traveller, who had expected a different visitor.

"You will not be sorry for this," said the Monkey, by way of apology. "I know how to be grateful for a service, and I know how to cherish a benefactor. To prove to you that I am in earnest, I will give you a piece of advice. Do not rescue the man whose voice you heard in the pitfall. He is a knave, and he will soon cause you to repent of your generosity. I live at the foot of the mountain yonder, where I hope to meet you some day and be of service to you. Farewell!"

The traveller was not much impressed with the words of the Monkey, but he allowed the creature to go its way, and threw the rope again into the pitfall in the hope of rescuing his fellow-man, whose voice he had heard.

In a moment he felt a considerable weight on the rope, and he thought that he was now rescuing the man, but, to his utter surprise, a terrible Lion came climbing up. His mane was shaggy, his teeth were white and cruel, and his claws were long and crooked. It seemed to the traveller that he would be compelled to drop this terrible creature back into the pitfall, but the Lion's voice reassured him.

"Do not be afraid," said the Lion. "You have won a protector whose services are not to be disdained. You have given me my life to-day and perhaps I may be able to save yours. Your fellow-man, who is still in the pitfall, will never be able to be of such service to you."

The traveller thereupon redoubled his efforts and drew the lion to the top.

"Friend," said the Lion, "my den is in this forest, opposite the mountain. Come and see me, and you will always be welcome."

There still remained two prisoners to deliver, and the rope was thrown back in the pit. The Serpent wound himself around it, and was drawn up.

"Generous friend," cried the Serpent, "I want to give you a piece of advice, and as advice is considered to be cheap, I have no idea that you will follow it. Serpents are considered to be wise. I have left in the bottom of this pitfall the most outrageous impostor the world has ever seen. Leave him to his fate if you do not wish to regret your kindness. You seem to be too kind, but on the faith of a serpent I will deliver you out of the first difficulty into which your good heart gets you. My house is all along the walls of the neighboring city."

But in spite of all this advice the traveller was too generous to permit his fellow-man to die in the pitfall, and for the fourth time he dropped the rope. The Vizier seized it and was saved. It is impossible to describe the joy of the Vizier at this turn of affairs. His expressions of gratitude were effusive. He embraced his deliverer and called him his saviour. He wanted to relate his history to the traveller, and, in doing so began to deceive his benefactor. He spoke only of the injustice of the King, and his discourse seemed to be so full of truth that the traveller was grateful that it had fallen to his lot to rescue so admirable a person.

"I live in the adjoining village," said the deposed Vizier, "and I offer you a home there. You shall be made welcome."

The traveller thanked him heartily, but he had other ends in view. He was on his way to the Ganges to purchase merchandise, and he proceeded thither with that inward satisfaction that arises from the accomplishment of a good deed. On the shores of the Ganges, in India, the traveller entered into trade, and his fortunes prospered. He soon found himself possessed of a large sum of money, and he was filled with a desire to see his native country. He returned by the same road, and, after travelling for some time, he found himself once more in the forest where, on a former occasion, his rope had been of such assistance to the unfortunates who had fallen into the pit.

He remembered with pleasure the eloquent words of the grateful Rustem, and he regretted that he could not see his old friend. As for the three animals—the Monkey, the Lion, and the Snake—their remarks had made but little impression on his mind; he was only grateful to them for not having devoured him.

While he was thinking of these things the rich traveller found himself surrounded with enemies even more ferocious than the animals he had rescued. He found himself in the midst of a band of thieves. The robbers seized the traveller, compelled him to dismount from his horse, took possession of his treasures, and were preparing to take his life, when the captain of the band remarked that it would be a useless murder. But the thieves bound the traveller at the foot of a tree, and left him to die there of hunger.

The cries of the unfortunate traveller reached the ears of the big Monkey that had been rescued from the pitfall. His instinct recognized the voice of his deliverer, and he came to the rescue of the traveller. The Monkey seized the bonds in his strong teeth, and they soon fell apart, and it was not long before the traveller was free to go his way.

But the grateful Monkey took him to his home, where fresh fruits appeased his hunger, and cool and pure water quenched his thirst. To the Monkey the traveller related his sad adventure, and the recital touched the heart of the grateful animal.

The Monkey had lived in the forest so long that he was not only familiar with the habits of the robbers, but knew where their abode was. To that he made haste to go. He found the robbers asleep, with many treasures by their side. He seized bags of gold and silver and precious stones, together with a supply of rich apparel, and carried them to his benefactor.

Having recovered his hard-earned fortune, the traveller thanked the Monkey, and continued on his journey. He was astonished that such a creature could be so grateful, and reproached himself for never having thought of the animal. He was walking along in the midst of these reflections when he heard a terrible roaring, and a ferocious-looking Lion appeared before him. The traveller was seized with terror. He was so frightened that he leaned against a tree to keep from falling to the ground. To his surprise, the King of the Forest spoke to him thus:

"Good-day, my friend, my deliverer! It was you that saved my life. I want to show you my gratitude. Come into my cavern and take a few moments' rest."

The conduct of the Monkey had somewhat reconciled the traveller to the animals. Whatever fear he might have had in the presence of the Lion, the traveller hoped that the King of Beasts would not be less generous than the Monkey.

"I am happy to tell you," said the Lion, after having heard about the Monkey, "that gratitude ought to be the first virtue of beasts, since it is not that of man." At the same time the Lion thought to himself—"How can I show my gratitude to my dear deliverer, and what can I do for him so as not to appear inferior to the Monkey?"

He was filled with these reflections when they arrived at the cavern. The traveller was well taken care of by the Lion. He dined most sumptuously, drank of the best wines, and ate of the most delicious fruits. But while they were discussing the dessert, the same distressing thought came into the Lion's head—"What can I do to retain my dignity and pay the sacred debt I owe my deliverer?"

But he could not think of anything suitable, and the traveller observed it. So he said:

"What is the matter, my friend? You seem disconsolate."

"Nothing," said the Lion. "But you must promise me that you will not leave this place until I return."

"But why?" inquired the traveller.

"You will know later," responded the lion.

"Very well," said the traveller, "here I will remain."

The Lion bounded away, and he was soon in the middle of the forest, looking this way and that, to the right and to the left, in search of something marvellous to give to the traveller, when all of a sudden he saw the young Prince, the Vizier's pupil, who had been exiled, promenading in his castle grounds. On the Prince's head there was a turban, which was ornamented with a superb cluster of diamonds.

"That is the very thing," exclaimed the Lion, and with one bound he seized the Prince and strangled him. Thus was the jeweller avenged, and his diamonds were returned to him. The traveller, who had been robbed and beaten by order of the young Prince and his Vizier, was glad to get his jewels back, and he did not know how to be grateful enough to the Lion, of whom he had formerly been afraid.

The traveller then set out toward the city in hopes of finding his excellent friend Rustem. He hoped, indeed, to spend some time with this philosopher, whom he had rescued, and who had offered to share his house with his benefactor. With a happy heart and a light step the traveller went on his way, and the next morning at the break of day he reached the city where the former Vizier had taken up his abode. In spite of the early hour the streets were crowded, and the squares were filled with people. On all sides the populace spoke to each other in subdued tones, as if some dreadful calamity were pending.

The curiosity of the traveller was excited, and he approached a group, and listened. Some one was relating that the young Prince, who had been exiled from the court, had been found bleeding and dead in the park of the castle. It was thought that the murder of the Prince was the work of some thief who desired to get possession of the beautiful jewels that the young man wore.

Having his curiosity satisfied, the traveller made his way to the house of his friend, the philosopher Rustem, where he was received with open arms. According to the wishes of his friend, the traveller related all the particulars of his journey, which were even more wonderful than are related here. He told, in short, his whole history. He told Rustem of all his troubles—how he had been rescued by a Monkey, and how he was met by a terrible Lion, who was rejoiced to see him, and who had given a sumptuous feast in his honor; and who, thinking this not enough, had presented him with a magnificent cluster of diamonds.

After relating this extraordinary adventure, the traveller made bold to exhibit to Rustem the beautiful diadem, who regarded it with a greedy and knowing look, and who made many exclamations of surprise and admiration. The worthy traveller did not foresee the troubles that this unfortunate diadem was to cause him. He did not know that it had been the cause of the death of the son of the King.

Meanwhile, Rustem was thinking to himself, "I recognize these diamonds. They belonged to my young master. What a reward must be in store for the one who will inform the monarch of the murderer of his child!"

Night came, and the traveller was fast asleep. The cluster of diamonds was lying on a table. The cowardly Vizier seized it and ran to the palace. The ingrate, cowardly as he was, would not hesitate to sacrifice his benefactor, provided he could recover his lost power.

"Here is the property of the son whom you have so rigorously punished. Do you recognize these diamonds? I have in my power the assassin who had possession of this diadem."

The unfortunate King wept on seeing the familiar ornament which his favorite son had worn. He kissed it, and pressed it to his heart as if it had been his favorite child.

"Let the murderer be brought before me," he exclaimed, "and he shall be thrown into the darkest dungeon."

The unfortunate traveller, who was ignorant of the crime of which he was accused, was brought before the King with trouble and confusion imprinted on his features. He saw the perfidious Rustem in the crowd that surrounded him, and, remembering the wise counsels of the Monkey and the Serpent, suspected that he had been made the victim of this treacherous person.

"I deserve," he said, sadly, "the cruel lot that is in store for me."

The King, mistaking the true meaning of these words, thought that the prisoner had been frightened into making a confession. He was thereupon condemned to be burned in the public square.

Fortunately, as this punishment was to be witnessed by the whole populace, it was postponed until after the funeral of the young Prince. The poor traveller was cast into the dungeon set apart for the condemned. It was dark and clammy, and on entering it he bade farewell to life and happiness.

A friend, however, was watching over the poor traveller. It was the Serpent he had delivered from the pitfall. Cautiously he crawled along the damp walls and under the doors, and avoided the observation of the jailers. The traveller recognized him at once.

"Fear nothing," said the Serpent, "I come to deliver you."

"How can you do that, my friend?" asked the traveller.

"I have promised to redeem you from the results of your own generosity, and I am faithful to my promise. You refused to believe that man is the most ungrateful of the animals, and that he returns evil for good. You have forgotten the good advice given you by the Lion and the Monkey. However, let us forget that. I will be more cunning than the vile wretch who is seeking your ruin."

"What must be done?" the traveller asked.

"Take this herb. It alone has virtue to cure the poison with which I have inoculated the King's favorite wife. The monarch has now become a victim of the keenest grief, and you alone can appease it. He will soon forget the crime of which you are accused. He who can make himself useful is always innocent. Advertise your talents; that is the way to success. Apply the herb I have given you, and you will perform miracles. Farewell! time presses. Here comes the King to visit you."

The traveller took the advice of the Serpent, and it soon became known at the court that he had an infallible remedy for all sorts of poisons, and he was taken from the dungeon and carried to the palace, and to the apartment of the Queen. This estimable lady was sick and pale, and it was apparent that she was dying little by little.

The first application of the herb revived the dying Queen, and when the remedy was applied the second time the gracious lady found herself fully recovered.

"Your Majesty," said the traveller, "the Queen will never feel again the cruel pains that she has suffered, and her life is hereafter safe; but I am on the eve of terminating mine—a fate that I have not deserved. You are too just to punish an innocent person, and I am not the murderer of your son. That monster, Rustem, had contaminated the Prince's youth, and it was through his corrupt counsels that the young Prince was dragged into disgrace. You will know this villain better when I prove to you that he is the most ungrateful of human beings."

Then the traveller related to the King the adventure in the pitfall and all that followed. Convinced that the traveller was telling the truth, the King ordered that the ingrate Rustem should suffer all the tortures that had been reserved for the man who was a prisoner.

This perfidious creature, Rustem, was ignorant of all that had taken place at the palace, and was waiting with impatience for the success of his treasonable plots. He was aroused from his vain dreams of greatness, seized, and hurried off to his doom.