Twilight Land Part 23

"Well," quote Abdallah, when he had caught his breath from his amazement, "these are the most wonderful things that have happened to me in all of my life." And thereupon he fell to at the bread and cheese, and ate as only a hungry man can eat. When he had finished the last crumb he wiped his mouth with the napkin, and, stretching his arms, felt within him that he was like a new man.

Nevertheless, he was still lost in the woods, and now not even with his a.s.s for comrades.h.i.+p.

He had wandered for quite a little while before he bethought himself of the Genie. "What a fool am I," said he, "not to have asked him to help me while he was here." He pressed his finger upon the ring, and cried in a loud voice, "By the red Aldebaran, I command thee to come!"

Instantly the Genie stood before him--big, black, ugly, and grim. "What are my lord's commands?" said he.

"I command thee," said Abdallah the f.a.got-maker, who was not half so frightened at the sight of the monster this time as he had been before--"I command thee to help me out of this woods."

Hardly were the words out of his mouth when the Genie s.n.a.t.c.hed Abdallah up, and, flying swifter than the lightning, set him down in the middle of the highway on the outskirts of the forest before he had fairly caught his breath.

When he did gather his wits and looked about him, he knew very well where he was, and that he was upon the road that led to the city. At the sight his heart grew light within him, and off he stepped briskly for home again.

But the sun shone hot and the way was warm and dusty, and before Abdallah had gone very far the sweat was running down his face in streams. After a while he met a rich husband-man riding easily along on an ambling nag, and when Abdallah saw him he rapped his head with his knuckles. "Why did I not think to ask the Genie for a horse?" said he.

"I might just as well have ridden as to have walked, and that upon a horse a hundred times more beautiful than the one that that fellow rides."

He stepped into the thicket beside the way, where he might be out of sight, and there pressed the stone in his ring, and at his bidding the Genie stood before him.

"What are my lord's commands?" said he.

"I would like to have a n.o.ble horse to ride upon," said Abdallah--"a horse such as a king might use."

"To hear is to obey," said the Genie; and, stretching out his hand, there stood before Abdallah a magnificent Arab horse, with a saddle and bridle studded with precious stones, and with housings of gold. "Can I do aught to serve my lord further?" said the Genie.

"Not just now," said Abdallah; "if I have further use for you I will call you."

The Genie bowed his head and was gone like a flash, and Abdallah mounted his horse and rode off upon his way. But he had not gone far before he drew rein suddenly. "How foolish must I look," said he, "to be thus riding along the high-road upon this n.o.ble steed, and I myself clad in f.a.got-maker's rags." Thereupon he turned his horse into the thicket, and again summoned the Genie. "I should like," said he, "to have a suit of clothes fit for a king to wear."

"My lord shall have that which he desires," said the Genie. He stretched out his hand, and in an instant there lay across his arm raiment such as the eyes of man never saw before--stiff with pearls, and blazing with diamonds and rubies and emeralds and sapphires. The Genie himself aided Abdallah to dress, and when he looked down he felt, for the time, quite satisfied.

He rode a little farther. Then suddenly he bethought himself, "What a silly spectacle shall I cut in the town with no money in my purse and with such fine clothes upon my back." Once more the Genie was summoned.

"I should like," said the f.a.got-maker, "to have a box full of money."

The Genie stretched out his hand, and in it was a casket of mother-of-pearl inlaid with gold and full of money. "Has my lord any further commands for his servant?" asked he.

"No," answered Abdallah. "Stop--I have, too," he added. "Yes; I would like to have a young man to carry my money for me."

"He is here," said the Genie. And there stood a beautiful youth clad in clothes of silver tissue, and holding a milk-white horse by the bridle.

"Stay, Genie," said Abdallah. "Whilst thou art here thou mayest as well give me enough at once to last me a long time to come. Let me have eleven more caskets of money like this one, and eleven more slaves to carry the same."

"They are here," said the Genie; and as he spoke there stood eleven more youths before Abdallah, as like the first as so many pictures of the same person, and each youth bore in his hands a box like the one that the monster had given Abdallah. "Will my lord have anything further?"

asked the Genie.

"Let me think," said Abdallah. "Yes; I know the town well, and that should one so rich as I ride into it without guards he would be certain to be robbed before he had travelled a hundred paces. Let me have an escort of a hundred armed men."

"It shall be done," said the Genie, and, waving his hand, the road where they stood was instantly filled with armed men, with swords and helmets gleaming and flas.h.i.+ng in the sun, and all seated upon magnificently caparisoned horses. "Can I serve my lord further?" asked the Genie.

"No," said Abdallah the f.a.got-maker, in admiration, "I have nothing more to wish for in this world. Thou mayest go, Genie, and it will be long ere I will have to call thee again," and thereupon the Genie was gone like a flash.

The captain of Abdallah's troop--a bearded warrior clad in a superb suit of armor--rode up to the f.a.got-maker, and, leaping from his horse and bowing before him so that his forehead touched the dust, said, "Whither shall we ride, my lord?"

Abdallah smote his forehead with vexation. "If I live a thousand years,"

said he, "I will never learn wisdom." Thereupon, dismounting again, he pressed the ring and summoned the Genie. "I was mistaken," said he, "as to not wanting thee so soon. I would have thee build me in the city a magnificent palace, such as man never looked upon before, and let it be full from top to bottom with rich stuffs and treasures of all sorts. And let it have gardens and fountains and terraces fitting for such a place, and let it be meetly served with slaves, both men and women, the most beautiful that are to be found in all the world."

"Is there aught else that thou wouldst have?" asked the Genie.

The f.a.got-maker meditated a long time. "I can bethink myself of nothing more just now," said he.

The Genie turned to the captain of the troop and said some words to him in a strange tongue, and then in a moment was gone. The captain gave the order to march, and away they all rode with Abdallah in the midst. "Who would have thought," said he, looking around him, with the heart within him swelling with pride as though it would burst--"who would have thought that only this morning I was a poor f.a.got-maker, lost in the woods and half starved to death? Surely there is nothing left for me to wish for in this world!"

Abdallah was talking of something he knew nothing of.

Never before was such a sight seen in that country, as Abdallah and his troop rode through the gates and into the streets of the city.

But dazzling and beautiful as were those who rode attendant upon him, Abdallah the f.a.got-maker surpa.s.sed them all as the moon dims the l.u.s.tre of the stars. The people crowded around shouting with wonder, and Abdallah, in the fulness of his delight, gave orders to the slaves who bore the caskets of money to open them and to throw the gold to the people. So, with those in the streets scrambling and fighting for the money and shouting and cheering, and others gazing down at the spectacle from the windows and house-tops, the f.a.got-maker and his troop rode slowly along through the town.

Now it chanced that their way led along past the royal palace, and the princess, hearing all the shouting and the hubbub, looked over the edge of the balcony and down into the street. At the same moment Abdallah chanced to look up, and their eyes met. Thereupon the f.a.got-maker's heart crumbled away within him, for she was the most beautiful princess in all the world. Her eyes were as black as night, her hair like threads of fine silk, her neck like alabaster, and her lips and her cheeks as soft and as red as rose-leaves. When she saw that Abdallah was looking at her she dropped the curtain of the balcony and was gone, and the f.a.got-maker rode away, sighing like a furnace.

So, by-and-by, he came to his palace, which was built all of marble as white as snow, and which was surrounded with gardens, shaded by flowering trees, and cooled by the plas.h.i.+ng of fountains. From the gateway to the door of the palace a carpet of cloth-of-gold had been spread for him to walk upon, and crowds of slaves stood waiting to receive him. But for all these glories Abdallah cared nothing; he hardly looked about him, but, going straight to his room, pressed his ring and summoned the Genie.

"What is it that my lord would have?" asked the monster.

"Oh, Genie!" said poor Abdallah, "I would have the princess for my wife, for without her I am like to die."

"My lord's commands," said the Genie, "shall be executed if I have to tear down the city to do so. But perhaps this behest is not so hard to fulfil. First of all, my lord will have to have an amba.s.sador to send to the king."

"Very well," said Abdallah with a sigh; "let me have an amba.s.sador or whatever may be necessary. Only make haste, Genie, in thy doings."

"I shall lose no time," said the Genie; and in a moment was gone.

The king was sitting in council with all of the greatest lords of the land gathered about him, for the Emperor of India had declared war against him, and he and they were in debate, discussing how the country was to be saved. Just then Abdallah's amba.s.sador arrived, and when he and his train entered the council-chamber all stood up to receive him, for the least of those attendant upon him was more magnificently attired than the king himself, and was bedecked with such jewels as the royal treasury could not match.

Kneeling before the king, the amba.s.sador touched the ground with his forehead. Then, still kneeling, he unrolled a scroll, written in letters of gold, and from it read the message asking for the princess to wife for the Lord Abdallah.

When he had ended, the king sat for a while stroking his beard and meditating. But before he spoke the oldest lord of the council arose and said: "O sire! If this Lord Abdallah who asks for the princess for his wife can send such a magnificent company in the train of his amba.s.sador, may it not be that he may be able also to help you in your war against the Emperor of India?"

"True!" said the king. Then turning to the amba.s.sador: "Tell your master," said he, "that if he will furnish me with an army of one hundred thousand men, to aid me in the war against the Emperor of India, he shall have my daughter for his wife."

"Sire," said the amba.s.sador, "I will answer now for my master, and the answer shall be this: That he will help you with an army, not of one hundred thousand, but of two hundred thousand men. And if to-morrow you will be pleased to ride forth to the plain that lieth to the south of the city, my Lord Abdallah will meet you there with his army." Then, once more bowing, he withdrew from the council-chamber, leaving all them that were there amazed at what had happened.

So the next day the king and all his court rode out to the place appointed. As they drew near they saw that the whole face of the plain was covered with a mighty host, drawn up in troops and squadrons. As the king rode towards this vast army, Abdallah met him, surrounded by his generals. He dismounted and would have kneeled, but the king would not permit him, but, raising him, kissed him upon the cheek, calling him son. Then the king and Abdallah rode down before the ranks and the whole army waved their swords, and the flas.h.i.+ng of the sunlight on the blades was like lightning, and they shouted, and the noise was like the pealing of thunder.

Before Abdallah marched off to the wars he and the princess were married, and for a whole fortnight nothing was heard but the sound of rejoicing. The city was illuminated from end to end, and all of the fountains ran with wine instead of water. And of all those who rejoiced, none was so happy as the princess, for never had she seen one whom she thought so grand and n.o.ble and handsome as her husband. After the fortnight had pa.s.sed and gone, the army marched away to the wars with Abdallah at its head.

Victory after victory followed, for in every engagement the Emperor of India's troops were driven from the field. In two months' time the war was over and Abdallah marched back again--the greatest general in the world. But it was no longer as Abdallah that he was known, but as the Emperor of India, for the former emperor had been killed in the war, and Abdallah had set the crown upon his own head.

The little taste that he had had of conquest had given him an appet.i.te for more, so that with the armies the Genie provided him he conquered all the neighboring countries and brought them under his rule. So he became the greatest emperor in all the world; kings and princes kneeled before him, and he, Abdallah, the f.a.got-maker, looking about him, could say: "No one in all the world is so great as I!"