The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night Volume X Part 55

162. Of a King, his Son, and the Vizir Shemar (161).

*163. Of a Merchant and the Thieves.

*164. Of Abousir and Aboukir (162).

*165. Abdulak El Beri and Abdulak El Backari (163).

*166. Of Haroun al Raschid.

167. Of the Merchant Abul Ha.s.san al-Omani (164).

168. Of Imnil Echarib (168).

169. Of Moted Bila.

*170. Of Kamasi Zemuan (167).

*171. Of Abdulah Imni Fasil (168).

*172. The Story of Maroof (169).

IMITATIONS AND MISCELLANEOUS WORKS HAVING MORE OR LESS CONNECTION WITH THE NIGHTS.

The success of Galland's work led to the appearance of numerous works more or less resembling it, chiefly in England and France.

Similar imitations, though now less numerous, have continued to appear down to the present day.

The most important of the older works of this cla.s.s were published in French in the "Cabinet des Fees" (Amsterdam and Geneva, 1785-1793; 41 vols.); in English in "Tales of the East: comprising the most popular Romances of Oriental origin, and the best imitations by European authors, with new translations and additional tales never before published, to which is prefixed an introductory dissertation, containing an account of each work and of its author or translator. By Henry Weber, Esq." (Edinburgh, 1812, 3 vols.); and in German in "Tausand und ein Tag.

Morgenlandische Erzahlungen aus dem Persisch, Turkisch und Arabisch, nach Petis de la Croix, Galland, Cardonne, Chavis und Cazotte, dem Grafen Caylus, und Anderer. ubersetzt von F. H. von der Hagen" (Prenzlau, 1827-1837, 11 vols.). In the "Cabinet des Fees" I find a reference to an older collection of tales (partly Oriental) called the "Bibliotheque des Fees et des Genies," by the Abbe de la Porte, which I have not seen, but which is, in part, incorporated in the "Cabinet." It formed only 2 vols. 12mo, and was published in 1765.

The examination of these tales is difficult, for they comprise several cla.s.ses, not always clearly defined:--

1. Satires on The Nights themselves (e.g. the Tales of the Count of Hamilton).

2. Satires in an Oriental garb (e.g. Beckford's Vathek).

3. Moral tales in an Oriental garb (e.g. Mrs. Sheridan's Nourjahad).

4. Fantastic tales with nothing Oriental about them but the name (e.g. Stevenson's New Arabian Nights).

5. Imitations pure and simple (e.g. G. Meredith's Shaving of s.h.a.gpat).

6. Imitations more or less founded on genuine Oriental sources (e.g. the Tales of the Comte de Caylus).

7. Genuine Oriental Tales (e.g. Mille et une Jours, translated by Petis de la Croix).

Most of the tales belonging to Cla.s.s 7 and some of those belonging to Cla.s.s 6 have been treated of in previous sections.

The remaining tales and imitations will generally need only a very brief notice; sometimes only the t.i.tle and the indication of the cla.s.s to which they belong. We will begin with an enumeration of the Oriental contents of the Cabinet des Fees, adding W. i., ii. and iii. to show which are included in Weber's "Tales of the East":--

7-11. 1001 Nuits (W. 1).

12, 13. Les Aventures d'Abdalla (W. iii).

14, 15. 1001 Jours (Persian tales, W. ii.). 16. Histoire de la Sultane de Perse et des Visirs. Contes Turcs (Turkish tales, W. 3==our 251).

16. Les Voyages de Zulma dans le pays des Fees.

17, 18. Contes de Bidpai.

19. Contes Chinois, on les Aventures merveilleuses du Mandarin Fum-Hoam (W. iii.). 21, 22. Les Mille et un Quart d'Heures.

Contes Tartares (W. iii.).

22, 23. Les Sultanes de Guzerath, ou les Songes des hommes eveilles. Contes Moguls (W. iii.).

25. Nouveaux Contes Orientaux, par le Comte de Caylus (W. ii.).

29, 30. Les Contes des Genies (W. iii.).

30. Les Aventures de Zelouide et d'Amanzarifdine.

30. Contes Indiens par M. de Moncrif.

33. Nourjahad (W. ii.).

34. Contes de M. Pajon.

38-41. Les Veillees du Sultan Schahriar, &c. (Chavis and Cazotte; cf. antea, p. 419; W. i. ii.).

(Weber also includes, in his vol. ii. Nos. 21a, 22, 32 and 37, after Caussin de Perceval.)

12, 13. The Adventures of Abdallah, the Son of Hanif (Cla.s.s 5 or 6).

Originally published in 1713; attributed to M. de Bignon, a young Abbe. A series of romantic travels, in which Eastern and Western fiction is mixed; for instance, we have the story of the Nose- tree, which so far as I know has nothing Oriental about it.

16. The Voyages of Zulma in Fairy Land (Cla.s.s 4).

European fairy tales, with nothing Oriental about them but the names of persons and places. The work is unfinished.

17, 18. The Tales of Bidpai (translated by Galland) are Indian, and therefore need no further notice here.

19-23. Chinese, Tartarian and Mogul Tales (Cla.s.s 6).

Published in 1723, and later by Thomas Simon Gueulette.

Concerning these tales, Mr. Clouston remarks (in litt.): "Much of the groundwork of these clever imitations of the Arabian Nights has been, directly or indirectly, derived from Eastern sources; for instance, in the so-called Tartar tales, the adventures of the Young Calender find parallels, (1) in the well-known Bidpai tale of the Brahman, the Sharpers and the Goat (Kalila and Dimna, Panchatantra, Hitopadesa, &c.) and (2) in the worldwide story of the Farmer who outwitted the Six Men (Indian Antiquary, vol. 3) of which there are many versions current in Europe, such as the Norse tale of Big Peter and Little Peter, the Danish tale of Great Claus and Little Claus; the German tale (Grimm) of the Little Farmer; the Irish tale of Little Fairly (Samuel Lover's collection of Irish Fairy Legends and Stories); four Gaelic versions in Campbell's Popular Tales of the West Highlands; a Kaba'il version in Riviere's French collection (Contes populaires Kabylies); Uncle Capriano in Crane's recently published Italian Popular Tales; and a Latin mediaeval version (written probably in the I **1th century) in which the hero is called ?Unibos,'

because he had only one cow."

25. Oriental Tales (Cla.s.s 6).

Mr. Clouston observes, "Appeared in 1749,[FN#472] and on the t.i.tle page are said to have been translated from MSS. in the Royal French Library. The stories are, however, largely the composition of De Caylus himself, and those elements of them which are traceable to Asiatic sources have been considerably Frenchified."

Nevertheless they are not without interest, and are nearly all of obviously Oriental origin. One of the stories is a fantastic account of the Birth of Mahomet, including romantic travels largely borrowed from No. 132a. Another story is a version of that of the Seven Sleepers. Other noteworthy tales are the story of the Dervish Abounader, which resembles Nos. 193 and 216d; and the story of Naerdan and Guzulbec, which is a tale of magical illusions similar to that of Monia Emin, in the Turkish story of Jewad.

The Count de Caylus was the author of various European as well as Oriental fairy tales. Of his Oriental collection, Sir R. F.

Burton remarks:--"The stories are not Eastern but Western fairy tales proper, with kings and queens, giants and dwarfs, and fairies, good and bad. ?Barbets' act as body guard and army.

Written in good old style, and free language, such as, for instance, son petenlaire, with here and there a touch of salt humour, as in Rosanie ?Charmante reine (car on n'a jamais parle autrement a une reine, quel que laide qu'elle ait ete).'"

29, 30. Tales of the Genii (Cla.s.s 3).

Written in the middle of the last century by Rev. James Ridley, but purporting to be translated from the Persian of Horam, the son of Asmar, by Sir Charles Morell.

These tales have been reprinted many times; but it is very doubtful if they are based on any genuine Oriental sources. The amount of Oriental colouring may be guessed from the story of Urad, who having consented to become the bride of a Sultan on condition that he should dismiss all his concubines, and make her his sole queen (like Harald Harf.a.gr on his marriage with Ragnhilda), is presented to his loving subjects as their Sultana!

32. Adventures of Zeloide and Amanzarifdine. Indian Tales, by M.

de Moncrif (Cla.s.s 4). Ordinary European Fairy Tales, with the scene laid in the East.

33. Nourjahad, by Mrs. Sheridan (Cla.s.s 3).

An unworthy favourite is reformed by a course of practical moral lessons conveyed by the Sultan through supposed supernatural agencies. Mr. Clouston regards it as "one of the very best of the imitations of Eastern fiction. The plot is ingeniously conceived and well wrought out, and the interest never flags throughout."

34. Pajon's Oriental Tales (Cla.s.s 5). These demand no special notice.

In addition to the above, the following Oriental works are mentioned in the Cabinet des Fees, but not reprinted: