Kabanata Kabanata 21 · The Story of the Fair Circassians

. The Story of the Fair Circassians

‘We were born in Circassia of poor people, and my sister’s name is

Tezila and mine Dely. Having nothing but our beauty to help us in life,

we were carefully trained in all the accomplishments that give pleasure.

We were both quick to learn, and from our childhood could play all sorts

of instruments, could sing, and above all could dance. We were besides,

lively and merry, as in spite of our misfortunes we are to this day.

‘We were easily pleased and quite content with our lives at home, when

one morning the officials who had been sent to find wives for the

Sultan saw us, and were struck with our beauty. We had always expected

something of the sort, and were resigned to our lot, when we chanced to

see two young men enter our house. The elder, who was about twenty years

of age, had black hair and very bright eyes. The other could not have

been more than fifteen, and was so fair that he might easily have passed

for a girl.

‘They knocked at the door with a timid air and begged our parents to

give them shelter, as they had lost their way. After some hesitation

their request was granted, and they were invited into the room in which

we were. And if our parents’ hearts were touched by their beauty, our

own were not any harder, so that our departure for the palace, which had

been arranged for the next day, suddenly became intolerable to us.

‘Night came, and I awoke from my sleep to find the younger of the two

strangers sitting at my bedside and felt him take my hand.

‘“Fear nothing, lovely Dely,” he whispered, “from one who never knew

love till he saw you. My name,” he went on, “is Prince Delicate, and

I am the son of the king of the Isle of Black Marble. My friend, who

travels with me, is one of the richest nobles of my country, and the

secrets which he knows are the envy of the Sultan himself. And we left

our native country because my father wished me to marry a lady of great

beauty, but with one eye a trifle smaller than the other.”

‘My vanity was flattered at so speedy a conquest, and I was charmed with

the way the young man had declared his passion. I turned my eyes slowly

on him, and the look I gave him caused him almost to lose his senses.

He fell fainting forward, and I was unable to move till Tezila, who had

hastily put on a dress, ran to my assistance together with Thelamis, the

young noble of whom the Prince had spoken.

‘As soon as we were all ourselves again we began to bewail our fate, and

the journey that we were to take that very day to Constantinople. But we

felt a little comforted when Thelamis assured us that he and the prince

would follow in our steps, and would somehow contrive to speak to us.

Then they kissed our hands, and left the house by a side-way.

‘A few moments later our parents came to tell us that the escort had

arrived, and having taken farewell of them we mounted the camels,

and took our seats in a kind of box that was fixed to the side of the

animal. These boxes were large enough for us to sleep in comfortably,

and as there was a window in the upper part, we were able to see the

country through which we passed.

‘For several days we journeyed on, feeling sad and anxious as to what

might become of us, when one day as I was looking out of the window of

our room, I heard my name called, and beheld a beautifully dressed girl

jumping out of the box on the other side of our camel. One glance told

me that it was the prince, and my heart bounded with joy. It was, he

said, Thelamis’s idea to disguise him like this, and that he himself

had assumed the character of a slave-dealer who was taking this peerless

maiden as a present to the Sultan. Thelamis had also persuaded the

officer in charge of the caravan to let him hire the vacant box, so it

was easy for the prince to scramble out of his own window and approach

ours.

This ingenious trick enchanted us, but our agreeable conversation was

soon interrupted by the attendants, who perceived that the camel was

walking in a crooked manner and came to find out what was wrong. Luckily

they were slow in their movements, and the prince had just time to

get back to his own box and restore the balance, before the trick was

discovered.

‘But neither the prince nor his friend had any intention of allowing

us to enter the Sultan’s palace, though it was difficult to know how we

were to escape, and what was to become of us when once we had escaped.

At length, one day as we were drawing near Constantinople, we learned

from the prince that Thelamis had made acquaintance with a holy dervish

whom he had met on the road, and had informed him that we were his

sisters, who were being sold as slaves against his will. The good man

was interested in the story, and readily agreed to find us shelter if

we could manage to elude the watchfulness of our guards. The risk was

great, but it was our only chance.

‘That night, when the whole caravan was fast asleep, we raised the upper

part of our boxes and by the help of Thelamis climbed silently out. We

next went back some distance along the way we had come, then, striking

into another road, reached at last the retreat prepared for us by the

dervish. Here we found food and rest, and I need not say what happiness

it was to be free once more.

‘The dervish soon became a slave to our beauty, and the day after our

escape he proposed that we should allow him to conduct us to an inn

situated at a short distance, where we should find two Jews, owners of

precious talismans which did not really belong to them. “Try,” said the

dervish, “by some means to get possession of them.”

‘The inn, though not on the direct road to Constantinople, was a

favourite one with merchants, owing to the excellence of the food, and

on our arrival we discovered at least six or eight other people who had

stopped for refreshment. They greeted us politely, and we sat down to

table together.

‘In a short time the two men described by the dervish entered the room,

and at a sign from him my sister made room at her side for one, while I

did the same for the other.

‘Now the dervish had happened to mention that “their brother had

danced.” At the moment we paid no attention to this remark, but it came

back to our minds now, and we determined that they should dance also.

To accomplish this we used all our arts and very soon bent them to our

wills, so that they could refuse us nothing. At the end of the day we

remained possessors of the talismans and had left them to their fate,

while the prince and Thelamis fell more in love with us than ever, and

declared that we were more lovely than any women in the world.

‘The sun had set before we quitted the inn, and we had made no plans

as to where we should go next, so we readily consented to the prince’s

proposal that we should embark without delay for the Isle of Black

Marble. What a place it was! Rocks blacker than jet towered above its

shores and shed thick darkness over the country. Our sailors had not

been there before and were nearly as frightened as ourselves, but thanks

to Thelamis, who undertook to be our pilot, we landed safely on the

beach.

‘When we had left the coast behind us, with its walls of jet, we entered

a lovely country where the fields were greener, the streams clearer, and

the sun brighter than anywhere else. The people crowded round to welcome

their prince, whom they loved dearly, but they told him that the king

was still full of rage at his son’s refusal to marry his cousin the

Princess Okimpare, and also at his flight. Indeed, they all begged him

not to visit the capital, as his life would hardly be safe. So, much as

I should have enjoyed seeing the home of my beloved prince, I implored

him to listen to this wise advice and to let us all go to Thelamis’s

palace in the middle of a vast forest.

‘To my sister and myself, who had been brought up in a cottage, this

house of Thelamis’s seemed like fairyland. It was built of pink marble,

so highly polished that the flowers and streams surrounding it were

reflected as in a mirror. One set of rooms was furnished especially for

me in yellow silk and silver, to suit my black hair. Fresh dresses were

provided for us every day, and we had slaves to wait on us. Ah, why

could not this happiness have lasted for ever!

‘The peace of our lives was troubled by Thelamis’s jealousy of my

sister, as he could not endure to see her on friendly terms with the

prince, though knowing full well that his heart was mine. Every day we

had scenes of tender reproaches and of explanations, but Tezila’s

tears never failed to bring Thelamis to his knees, with prayers for

forgiveness.

‘We had been living in this way for some months when one day the news

came that the king had fallen dangerously ill. I begged the prince to

hurry at once to the Court, both to see his father and also to show

himself to the senators and nobles, but as his love for me was greater

than his desire of a crown, he hesitated as if foreseeing all that

afterwards happened. At last Tezila spoke to him so seriously in

Thelamis’s presence, that he determined to go, but promised that he

would return before night.

‘Night came but no prince, and Tezila, who had been the cause of his

departure, showed such signs of uneasiness that Thelamis’s jealousy was

at once awakened. As for me, I cannot tell what I suffered. Not being

able to sleep I rose from my bed and wandered into the forest, along the

road which he had taken so many hours before. Suddenly I heard in the

distance the sound of a horse’s hoofs, and in a few moments the prince

had flung himself down and was by my side. “Ah, how I adore you!” he

exclaimed; “Thelamis’s love will never equal mine.” The words were

hardly out of his mouth when I heard a slight noise behind, and before

we could turn round both our heads were rolling in front of us, while

the voice of Thelamis cried:

‘“Perjured wretches, answer me; and you, faithless Tezila, tell me why

you have betrayed me like this?”

‘Then I understood what had happened, and that, in his rage, he had

mistaken me for my sister.

‘“Alas,” replied my head in weak tones, “I am not Tezila, but Dely,

whose life you have destroyed, as well as that of your friend.” At this

Thelamis paused and seemed to reflect for an instant.

‘“Be not frightened,” he said more quietly, “I can make you whole

again,” and laying a magic powder on our tongues he placed our heads

on our necks. In the twinkling of an eye our heads were joined to our

bodies without leaving so much as a scar; only that, blinded with rage

as he still was, Thelamis had placed my head on the prince’s body, and

his on mine!

‘I cannot describe to you how odd we both felt at this strange

transformation. We both instinctively put up our hands--he to feel his

hair, which was, of course, dressed like a woman’s, and I to raise the

turban which pressed heavily on my forehead. But we did not know what

had happened to us, for the night was still dark.

‘At this point Tezila appeared, followed by a troop of slaves bearing

flowers. It was only by the light of their torches that we understood

what had occurred. Indeed the first thought of both of us was that we

must have changed clothes.

‘Now in spite of what we may say, we all prefer our own bodies to those

of anybody else, so notwithstanding our love for each other, at first

we could not help feeling a little cross with Thelamis. However, so deep

was the prince’s passion for me, that very soon he began to congratulate

himself on the change. “My happiness is perfect,” he said; “my heart,

beautiful Dely, has always been yours, and now I have your head also.”

‘But though the prince made the best of it, Thelamis was much ashamed

of his stupidity. “I have,” he said hesitatingly, “two other pastilles

which have the same magic properties as those I used before. Let me cut

off your heads again, and that will put matters straight.” The proposal

sounded tempting, but was a little risky, and after consulting together

we decided to let things remain as they were. “Do not blame me then,”

continued Thelamis, “if you will not accept my offer. But take the two

pastilles, and if it ever happens that you are decapitated a second

time, make use of them in the way I have shown you, and each will get

back his own head.” So saying he presented us with the pastilles, and we

all returned to the castle.

‘However, the troubles caused by the unfortunate exchange were only just

beginning. My head, without thinking what it was doing, led the prince’s

body to my apartments. But my women, only looking at the dress, declared

I had mistaken the corridor, and called some slaves to conduct me to his

highness’s rooms. This was bad enough, but when--as it was still night

my servants began to undress me, I nearly fainted from surprise and

confusion, and no doubt the prince’s head was suffering in the same

manner at the other end of the castle!

‘By the next morning--you will easily guess that we slept but little--we

had grown partly accustomed to our strange situation, and when we looked

in the mirror, the prince had become brown-skinned and black-haired,

while my head was covered with his curly golden locks. And after that

first day, everyone in the palace had become so accustomed to the change

that they thought no more about it.

‘Some weeks after this, we heard that the king of the Isle of Black

Marble was dead. The prince’s head, which once was mine, was full of

ambitious desires, and he longed to ride straight to the capital and

proclaim himself king. But then came the question as to whether the

nobles would recognise the prince with a girl’s body, and indeed, when

we came to think of it, which was prince and which was girl?

‘At last, after much argument, my head carried the day and we set out;

but only to find that the king had declared the Princess Okimpare his

successor. The greater part of the senators and nobles openly professed

that they would much have preferred the rightful heir, but as they could

not recognise him either in the prince or me, they chose to consider us

as impostors and threw us into prison.

‘A few days later Tezila and Thelamis, who had followed us to the

capital, came to tell us that the new queen had accused us of high

treason, and had herself been present at our trial--which was conducted

without us. They had been in mortal terror as to what would be our

sentence, but by a piece of extraordinary luck we had been condemned to

be beheaded.

‘I told my sister that I did not see exactly where the luck came in, but

Thelamis interrupted me rudely:

‘“What!” he cried, “of course I shall make use of the pastilles, and--”

but here the officers arrived to lead us to the great square where the

execution was to take place--for Okimpare was determined there should be

no delay.

‘The square was crowded with people of all ages and all ranks, and in

the middle a platform had been erected on which was the scaffold, with

the executioner, in a black mask, standing by. At a sign from him I

mounted first, and in a moment my head was rolling at his feet. With a

bound my sister and Thelamis were beside me, and like lightning Thelamis

seized the sabre from the headsman, and cut off the head of the prince.

And before the multitude had recovered from their astonishment at these

strange proceedings, our bodies were joined to our right heads, and the

pastilles placed on our tongues. Then Thelamis led the prince to the

edge of the platform and presented him to the people, saying, “Behold

your lawful king.”

‘Shouts of joy rent the air at the sound of Thelamis’s words, and the

noise reached Okimpare in the palace. Smitten with despair at the news,

she fell down unconscious on her balcony, and was lifted up by the

slaves and taken back to her own house.

‘Meanwhile our happiness was all turned to sorrow. I had rushed up

to the prince to embrace him fondly, when he suddenly grew pale and

staggered.

‘“I die faithful to you,” he murmured, turning his eyes towards me, “and

I die a king!” and leaning his head on my shoulder he expired quietly,

for one of the arteries in his neck had been cut through.

‘Not knowing what I did I staggered towards the sabre which was lying

near me, with the intention of following my beloved prince as speedily

as possible. And when Thelamis seized my hand (but only just in time),

in my madness I turned the sabre upon him, and he fell struck through

the heart at my feet.’

The whole company were listening to the story with breathless

attention, when it became plain that Dely could go no further, while

Tezila had flung herself on a heap of cushions and hidden her face.

Zambac ordered her women to give them all the attention possible, and

desired they should be carried into her own rooms.

When the two sisters were in this condition, Ibrahim, who was a very

prudent young man, suggested to his parents that, as the two Circassians

were both unconscious, it would be an excellent opportunity to search

them and see if the talismans belonging to the daughters of Siroco were

concealed about their persons. But the Bassa, shocked at the notion of

treating his guests in so inhospitable a manner, refused to do anything

of the kind, adding that the next day he hoped to persuade them to give

the talismans up of their own free will.

By this time it was nearly midnight and Neangir, who was standing near

the Jewess Sumi, drew out the portrait of Argentine, and heard with

delight that she was even more beautiful than her picture. Everyone

was waiting on tip-toe for the appearance of the two watches, who were

expected when the clock struck twelve to come in search of Sumi, and

that there might be no delay the Bassa ordered all the doors to be flung

wide open. It was done, and there entered not the longed-for watches,

but the page who had been sent away in disgrace.

Then the Bassa arose in wrath. ‘Azemi,’ he said, ‘did I not order you to

stand no more in my presence?’

‘My lord,’ replied Azemi, modestly, ‘I was hidden outside the door,

listening to the tale of the two Circassians. And as I know you are fond

of stories, give me also leave to tell you one. I promise you it shall

not be long.’

‘Speak on,’ replied the Bassa, ‘but take heed what you say.’

‘My lord,’ began Azemi, ‘this morning I was walking in the town when

I noticed a man going in the same direction followed by a slave. He

entered a baker’s shop, where he bought some bread which he gave to the

slave to carry. I watched him and saw that he purchased many other kinds

of provisions at other places, and when the slave could carry no

more his master commanded him to return home and have supper ready at

midnight.

‘When left alone the man went up the street, and turning into a

jeweller’s shop, brought out a watch that as far as I could see was made

of silver. He walked on a few steps, then stooped and picked up a gold

watch which lay at his feet. At this point I ran up and told him that

if he did not give me half its price I would report him to the Cadi; he

agreed, and conducting me to his house produced four hundred sequins,

which he said was my share, and having got what I wanted I went away.

‘As it was the hour for attending on my lord I returned home and

accompanied you to the Cadi, where I heard the story of the three

Jews and learned the importance of the two watches I had left at the

stranger’s. I hastened to his house, but he had gone out, and I could

only find the slave, whom I told that I was the bearer of important news

for his master. Believing me to be one of his friends, he begged me to

wait, and showed me into a room where I saw the two watches lying on

the table. I put them in my pocket, leaving the four hundred sequins

in place of the gold watch and three gold pieces which I knew to be the

price of the other. As you know the watches never remain with the person

who buys them, this man may think himself very lucky to get back

his money. I have wound them both up, and at this instant Aurora and

Argentine are locked safely into my own room.’

Everybody was so delighted to hear this news that Azemi was nearly

stifled with their embraces, and Neangir could hardly be prevented from

running to break in the door, though he did not even know where the page

slept.

But the page begged to have the honour of fetching the ladies himself,

and soon returned leading them by the hand.

For some minutes all was a happy confusion, and Ibrahim took advantage

of it to fall on his knees before Aurora, and search in the fifth fold

of her dress for the missing coral bead. The Book of Spells had told the

truth; there it was, and as the chaplet was now complete the young man’s

days of seeking were over.

In the midst of the general rejoicing Hassan alone bore a gloomy face.

‘Alas!’ he said, ‘everyone is happy but the miserable being you see

before you. I have lost the only consolation in my grief, which was to

feel that I had a brother in misfortune!’

‘Be comforted,’ replied the Bassa; ‘sooner or later the dervish who

stole the pink bag is sure to be found.’

Supper was then served, and after they had all eaten of rare fruits

which seemed to them the most delicious in the whole world, the Bassa

ordered the flask containing the elixir of love to be brought and the

young people to drink of it. Then their eyes shone with a new fire, and

they swore to be true to each other till death.

This ceremony was scarcely over when the clock struck one, and in an

instant Aurora and Argentine had vanished, and in the place where they

stood lay two watches. Silence fell upon all the company--they had

forgotten the enchantment; then the voice of Azemi was heard asking if

he might be allowed to take charge of the watches till the next day,

pledging his head to end their enchantment. With the consent of Sumi,

this was granted, and the Bassa gave Azemi a purse containing a thousand

sequins, as a reward for the services he had already rendered to them.

After this everybody went to his own apartment.

Azemi had never possessed so much money before, and never closed his

eyes for joy the whole night long. Very early he got up and went into

the garden, thinking how he could break the enchantment of the daughters

of Siroco. Suddenly the soft tones of a woman fell on his ear, and

peeping through the bushes he saw Tezila, who was arranging flowers in

her sister’s hair. The rustling of the leaves caused Dely to start; she

jumped up as if to fly, but Azemi implored her to remain and begged her

to tell him what happened to them after the death of their lovers, and

how they had come to find the dervish.

‘The punishment decreed to us by the Queen Okimpare,’ answered Dely,

‘was that we were to dance and sing in the midst of our sorrow, at a

great fete which was to be held that very day for all her people. This

cruel command nearly turned our brains, and we swore a solemn oath to

make all lovers as wretched as we were ourselves. In this design we

succeeded so well that in a short time the ladies of the capital came in

a body to Okimpare, and prayed her to banish us from the kingdom, before

their lives were made miserable for ever. She consented, and commanded

us to be placed on board a ship, with our slave Gouloucou.

‘On the shore we saw an old man who was busily engaged in drowning

some little black pigs, talking to them all the while, as if they could

understand him.

‘“Accursed race,” said he, “it is you who have caused all the

misfortunes of him to whom I gave the magic bracelet. Perish all of

you!”

‘We drew near from curiosity, and recognised in him the dervish who had

sheltered us on our first escape from the caravan.

‘When the old man discovered who we were he was beside himself with

pleasure, and offered us a refuge in the cave where he lived. We gladly

accepted his offer, and to the cave we all went, taking with us the last

little pig, which he gave us as a present.

‘“The Bassa of the Sea,” he added, “will pay you anything you like to

ask for it.”

‘Without asking why it was so precious I took the pig and placed it in

my work bag, where it has been ever since. Only yesterday we offered

it to the Bassa, who laughed at us, and this so enraged us against the

dervish that we cut off his beard when he was asleep, and now he dare

not show himself.’

‘Ah,’ exclaimed the page, ‘it is not fitting that such beauty should

waste itself in making other people miserable. Forget the unhappy past

and think only of the future. And accept, I pray you, this watch, to

mark the brighter hours in store.’ So saying he laid the watch upon her

knee. Then he turned to Tezila. ‘And you fair maiden, permit me to offer

you this other watch. True it is only of silver, but it is all I have

left to give. And I feel quite sure that you must have somewhere a

silver seal, that will be exactly the thing to go with it.’

‘Why, so you have,’ cried Dely; ‘fasten your silver seal to your watch,

and I will hang my gold one on to mine.’

The seals were produced, and, as Azemi had guessed, they were the

talismans which the two Circassians had taken from Izif and Izouf,

mounted in gold and silver. As quick as lightning the watches slid

from the hands of Tezila and her sister, and Aurora and Argentine stood

before them, each with her talisman on her finger.

At first they seemed rather confused themselves at the change which had

taken place, and the sunlight which they had not seen for so long, but

when gradually they understood that their enchantment had come to an

end, they could find no words to express their happiness.

The Circassians could with difficulty be comforted for the loss of the

talismans, but Aurora and Argentine entreated them to dry their tears,

as their father, Siroco, who was governor of Alexandria, would not

fail to reward them in any manner they wished. This promise was soon

confirmed by Siroco himself, who came into the garden with the Bassa and

his two sons, and was speedily joined by the ladies of the family. Only

Hassan was absent. It was the hour in which he was condemned to bewail

his ebony hand.

To the surprise of all a noise was at this moment heard in a corner of

the terrace, and Hassan himself appeared surrounded by slaves, clapping

his hands and shouting with joy. ‘I was weeping as usual,’ cried he,

‘when all at once the tears refused to come to my eyes, and on looking

down at my hand I saw that its blackness had vanished. And now, lovely

Zelida, nothing prevents me any longer from offering you the hand, when

the heart has been yours always.’

But though Hassan never thought of asking or caring what had caused his

cure, the others were by no means so indifferent. It was quite clear

that the little black pig must be dead--but how, and when? To this the

slaves answered that they had seen that morning a man pursued by three

others, and that he had taken refuge in the cavern which they had been

left to guard. Then, in obedience to orders, they had rolled a stone

over the entrance.

Piercing shrieks interrupted their story, and a man, whom the

Circassians saw to be the old dervish, rushed round the corner of the

terrace with the three Jews behind him. When the fugitive beheld so many

people collected together, he turned down another path, but the slaves

captured all four and brought them before their master.

What was the surprise of the Bassa when he beheld in the old dervish the

man who had given the chaplet, the copper plaque, and the bracelet to

his three sons. ‘Fear nothing, holy father,’ he said, ‘you are safe with

me. But tell us, how came you here?’

‘My lord,’ explained the dervish, ‘when my beard was cut off during my

sleep by the two Circassians, I was ashamed to appear before the eyes

of men, and fled, bearing with me the pink silk bag. In the night these

three men fell in with me, and we passed some time in conversation, but

at dawn, when it was light enough to see each other’s faces, one of them

exclaimed that I was the dervish travelling with the two Circassians who

had stolen the talismans from the Jews. I jumped up and tried to fly

to my cave, but they were too quick for me, and just as we reached your

garden they snatched the bag which contained the little black pig and

flung it into the sea. By this act, which delivers your son, I would

pray you to forgive them for any wrongs they may have done you--nay

more, that you will recompense them for it.’ The Bassa granted the holy

man’s request, and seeing that the two Jews had fallen victims to the

charms of the Circassian ladies, gave his consent to their union, which

was fixed to take place at the same time as that of Izaf with the wise

Sumi. The Cadi was sent for, and the Jews exchanged the hats of their

race for the turbans of the followers of the Prophet. Then, after so

many misfortunes, the Bassa’s three sons entreated their father to delay

their happiness no longer, and the six marriages were performed by the

Cadi at the hour of noon.

[Cabinet des Fees.]