The Story of the Vizir Who Was Punished

There was once upon a time a king who had a son who was very fond of
hunting. He often allowed him to indulge in this pastime, but he had
ordered his grand-vizir always to go with him, and never to lose sight
of him. One day the huntsman roused a stag, and the prince, thinking
that the vizir was behind, gave chase, and rode so hard that he found
himself alone. He stopped, and having lost sight of it, he turned to
rejoin the vizir, who had not been careful enough to follow him. But
he lost his way. Whilst he was trying to find it, he saw on the side
of the road a beautiful lady who was crying bitterly. He drew his
horse's rein, and asked her who she was and what she was doing in this
place, and if she needed help. "I am the daughter of an Indian king,"
she answered, "and whilst riding in the country I fell asleep and
tumbled off. My horse has run away, and I do not know what has become
of him."

The young prince had pity on her, and offered to take her behind him,
which he did. As they passed by a ruined building the lady dismounted
and went in. The prince also dismounted and followed her. To his
great surprise, he heard her saying to some one inside, "Rejoice my
children; I am bringing you a nice fat youth." And other voices
replied, "Where is he, mamma, that we may eat him at once, as we are
very hungry?"

The prince at once saw the danger he was in. He now knew that the lady
who said she was the daughter of an Indian king was an ogress, who
lived in desolate places, and who by a thousand wiles surprised and
devoured passers-by. He was terrified, and threw himself on his horse.
The pretended princess appeared at this moment, and seeing that she had
lost her prey, she said to him, "Do not be afraid. What do you want?"

"I am lost," he answered, "and I am looking for the road."

"Keep straight on," said the ogress, "and you will find it."

The prince could hardly believe his ears, and rode off as hard as he
could. He found his way, and arrived safe and sound at his father's
house, where he told him of the danger he had run because of the
grand-vizir's carelessness. The king was very angry, and had him
strangled immediately.

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"Sire," went on the vizir to the Greek king, "to return to the
physician, Douban. If you do not take care, you will repent of having
trusted him. Who knows what this remedy, with which he has cured you,
may not in time have a bad effect on you?"

The Greek king was naturally very weak, and did not perceive the wicked
intention of his vizir, nor was he firm enough to keep to his first
resolution.

"Well, vizir," he said, "you are right. Perhaps he did come to take my
life. He might do it by the mere smell of one of his drugs. I must
see what can be done."

"The best means, sire, to put your life in security, is to send for him
at once, and to cut off his head directly he comes," said the vizir.

"I really think," replied the king, "that will be the best way."

He then ordered one of his ministers to fetch the physician, who came
at once.

"I have had you sent for," said the king, "in order to free myself from
you by taking your life."

The physician was beyond measure astonished when he heard he was to die.

"What crimes have I committed, your majesty?"

"I have learnt," replied the king, "that you are a spy, and intend to
kill me. But I will be first, and kill you. Strike," he added to an
executioner who was by, "and rid me of this assassin."

At this cruel order the physician threw himself on his knees. "Spare
my life," he cried, "and yours will be spared."

The fisherman stopped here to say to the Genie: "You see what passed
between the Greek king and the physician has just passed between us
two. The Greek king," he went on, "had no mercy on him, and the
executioner bound his eyes."

All those present begged for his life, but in vain.

The physician on his knees, and bound, said to the king: "At least let
me put my affairs in order, and leave my books to persons who will make
good use of them. There is one which I should like to present to your
majesty. It is very precious, and ought to be kept carefully in your
treasury. It contains many curious things the chief being that when
you cut off my head, if your majesty will turn to the sixth leaf, and
read the third line of the left-hand page, my head will answer all the
questions you like to ask it."

The king, eager to see such a wonderful thing, put off his execution to
the next day, and sent him under a strong guard to his house. There
the physician put his affairs in order, and the next day there was a
great crowd assembled in the hall to see his death, and the doings
after it. The physician went up to the foot of the throne with a large
book in his hand. He carried a basin, on which he spread the covering
of the book, and presenting it to the king, said: "Sire, take this
book, and when my head is cut off, let it be placed in the basin on the
covering of this book; as soon as it is there, the blood will cease to
flow. Then open the book, and my head will answer your questions.
But, sire, I implore your mercy, for I am innocent."

"Your prayers are useless, and if it were only to hear your head speak
when you are dead, you should die."

So saying, he took the book from the physician's hands, and ordered the
executioner to do his duty.

The head was so cleverly cut off that it fell into the basin, and
directly the blood ceased to flow. Then, to the great astonishment of
the king, the eyes opened, and the head said, "Your majesty, open the
book." The king did so, and finding that the first leaf stuck against
the second, he put his finger in his mouth, to turn it more easily. He
did the same thing till he reached the sixth page, and not seeing any
writing on it, "Physician," he said, "there is no writing."

"Turn over a few more pages," answered the head. The king went on
turning, still putting his finger in his mouth, till the poison in
which each page was dipped took effect. His sight failed him, and he
fell at the foot of his throne.

When the physician's head saw that the poison had taken effect, and
that the king had only a few more minutes to live, "Tyrant," it cried,
"see how cruelty and injustice are punished."

Scarcely had it uttered these words than the king died, and the head
lost also the little life that had remained in it.

That is the end of the story of the Greek king, and now let us return
to the fisherman and the Genie.
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The Story of the Fisherman (2)