"I see it," answered she.
"Well, in forty days the man who has sent you must make that hill vanish, and plant a beautiful garden in its place. That is the first thing. Now go, and tell him what I say."
So the old woman returned and told the head the sultan"s first condition.
"It is well," he replied; and said no more about it.
For thirty-nine days the head remained in its favourite corner. The old woman thought that the task set before him was beyond his powers, and that no more would be heard about the sultan"s daughter. But on the thirty-ninth evening after her visit to the palace, the head suddenly spoke.
"Good mother," he said, "you must go to-night to the bridge, and when you are there cry "Ali! Ali! Ali!" as loud as you can. A negro will appear before you, and you will tell him that he is to level the hill, and to make, in its place, the most beautiful garden that ever was seen."
"I will go at once," answered she.
It did not take her long to reach the bridge which led to the city, and she took up her position on the spot where she had first seen the head, and called loudly "Ali! Ali! Ali." In an instant a negro appeared before her, of such a huge size that the old woman was half frightened; but his voice was mild and gentle as he said: "What is it that you want?"
"Your master bids you level the hill that stands in front of the sultan"s palace and in its place to make the most beautiful garden in the world."
"Tell my master he shall be obeyed," replied Ali; "it shall be done this moment." And the old woman went home and gave Ali"s message to the head.
Meanwhile the sultan was in his palace waiting till the fortieth day should dawn, and wondering that not one spadeful of earth should have been dug out of the hill.
"If that old woman has been playing me a trick," thought he, "I will hang her! And I will put up a gallows to-morrow on the hill itself."
But when to-morrow came there was no hill, and when the sultan opened his eyes he could not imagine why the room was so much lighter than usual, and what was the reason of the sweet smell of flowers that filled the air.
"Can there be a fire?" he said to himself; "the sun never came in at this window before. I must get up and see." So he rose and looked out, and underneath him flowers from every part of the world were blooming, and creepers of every colour hung in chains from tree to tree.
Then he remembered. "Certainly that old woman"s son is a clever magician!" cried he; "I never met anyone as clever as that. What shall I give him to do next? Let me think. Ah! I know." And he sent for the old woman, who by the orders of the head, was waiting below.
"Your son has carried out my wishes very nicely," he said. "The garden is larger and better than that of any other king. But when I walk across it I shall need some place to rest on the other side. In forty days he must build me a palace, in which every room shall be filled with different furniture from a different country, and each more magnificent than any room that ever was seen." And having said this he turned round and went away.
"Oh! he will never be able to do that," thought she; "it is much more difficult than the hill." And she walked home slowly, with her head bent.
"Well, what am I to do next?" asked the head cheerfully. And the old woman told her story.
"Dear me! is that all? why it is child"s play," answered the head; and troubled no more about the palace for thirty-nine days. Then he told the old woman to go to the bridge and call for Ha.s.san.
"What do you want, old woman?" asked Ha.s.san, when he appeared, for he was not as polite as the others had been.
"Your master commands you to build the most magnificent palace that ever was seen," replied she; "and you are to place it on the borders of the new garden."
"He shall be obeyed," answered Ha.s.san. And when the sultan woke he saw, in the distance, a palace built of soft blue marble, resting on slender pillars of pure gold.
"That old woman"s son is certainly all-powerful," cried he; "what shall I bid him do now?" And after thinking some time he sent for the old woman, who was expecting the summons.
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE PRINCESS SEES THE MAGIC HEAD]
"The garden is wonderful, and the palace the finest in the world,"
said he, "so fine, that my servants would cut but a sorry figure in it. Let your son fill it with forty slaves whose beauty shall be unequalled, all exactly like each other, and of the same height."
This time the king thought he had invented something totally impossible, and was quite pleased with himself for his cleverness.
Thirty-nine days pa.s.sed, and at midnight on the night of the last the old woman was standing on the bridge.
"Bekir! Bekir! Bekir!" cried she. And a negro appeared, and inquired what she wanted.
"The head, your master, bids you find forty slaves of unequalled beauty, and of the same height, and place them in the sultan"s palace on the other side of the garden."
And when, on the morning of the fortieth day, the sultan went to the blue palace, and was received by the forty slaves, he nearly lost his wits from surprise.
"I will a.s.suredly give my daughter to the old woman"s son," thought he. "If I were to search all the world through I could never find a more powerful son-in-law."
And when the old woman entered his presence he informed her that he was ready to fulfil his promise, and she was to bid her son appear at the palace without delay.
This command did not at all please the old woman, though, of course, she made no objections to the sultan.
"All has gone well so far," she grumbled, when she told her story to the head, "but what do you suppose the sultan will say, when he sees his daughter"s husband?"
"Never mind what he says! Put me on a silver dish and carry me to the palace."
So it was done, though the old woman"s heart beat as she laid down the dish with the head upon it.
At the sight before him the king flew into a violent rage.
"I will never marry my daughter to such a monster," he cried. But the princess placed her hand gently on his arm.
"You have given your word, my father, and you cannot break it," said she.
"But, my child, it is impossible for you to marry such a being,"
exclaimed the sultan.
"Yes, I will marry him. He has a beautiful head, and I love him already."
So the marriage was celebrated, and great feasts were held in the palace, though the people wept tears to think of the sad fate of their beloved princess. But when the merry-making was done, and the young couple were alone, the head suddenly disappeared, or, rather, a body was added to it, and one of the handsomest young men that ever was seen stood before the princess.
"A wicked fairy enchanted me at my birth," he said, "and for the rest of the world I must always be a head only. But for you, and you only, I am a man like other men."
"And that is all I care about," said the princess.
[_Traditions populaires de toutes les nations (Asie Mineure)._]
_THE SISTER OF THE SUN_
A long time ago there lived a young prince whose favourite playfellow was the son of the gardener who lived in the grounds of the palace.