Eastern Tales by Many Story Tellers   By: L. (Laura) Valentine (-1899)

EASTERN TALES

BY

MANY STORY TELLERS

COMPILED AND EDITED FROM ANCIENT AND MODERN AUTHORS BY

MRS. VALENTINE

Author of "Sea Fights and Land Battles," &c., &c., &c.

WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS

LONDON

FREDERICK WARNE & CO.

BEDFORD STREET, STRAND

PREFACE.

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In compiling this volume of Eastern Tales, the Editor has been careful to select only those best suited to youthful readers. They have been gathered from both ancient and modern, French, Italian, and English sources, and therefore offer great variety of style and subject.

In the stories taken from the Tales of the Genii, an omission of a few words has been made, to fit them for their place in this volume.

CONTENTS

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PAGE

JALALADDEEN OF BAGDAD 1

THE STORY OF HASCHEM 40

THE PANTOFLES 73

STORY OF THE PRINCE AND THE LIONS 78

THE CITY OF THE DEMONS 95

JUSSUF, THE MERCHANT OF BALSORA 104

THE SEVEN SLEEPERS 169

THE ENCHANTERS; OR, MISNAR, THE SULTAN OF INDIA 200

SADIK BEG 306

HALECHALBE AND THE UNKNOWN LADY 309

THE FOUR TALISMANS 341

THE STORY OF BOHETZAD; OR, THE LOST CHILD 366

URAD; OR, THE FAIR WANDERER 499

ALISCHAR AND SMARAGDINE 524

EASTERN TALES.

Jalaladdeen of Bagdad.

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Once upon a time there lived in the city of Bagdad a young man called Jalaladdeen. It was not his native place; but, in his early days, his father had taken up his abode there. He was, however, little acquainted with the town, in which he had grown up a sturdy youth; for his father inhabited a small house in one of the suburbs, and lived a very retired and frugal life. They managed their household affairs, and cultivated their small garden, without the aid of any domestics.

One day the father, feeling his end approaching, called for his son once more to his bed side before his death, and said to him, "Jalaladdeen, my dearest son, thou seest that I have arrived at the bourne of my earthly career: now I should joyously quit this life, were it not for the thought that I must leave thee here alone. After my death, thou wilt find that thou are not so poor as thou mayest have conceived, and that too with good reason, from our hitherto contracted habits of life. Nevertheless, guard against the impression that thou art in possession of inexhaustible riches. Reflect that a year has three hundred and sixty five days, and that the smallest expenditure, when it occurs daily, will in the end amount to no inconsiderable sum. Pay careful heed, therefore, to these my instructions, and be contented with the necessaries of life. Provide that which is indispensable to thy subsistence; but beware of purchasing superfluities. Man's wants increase daily, if he do not accustom himself in his early days to practise self denial. But shouldest thou ever be so unhappy as to neglect these my sincere cautions, and consequently fall into poverty, I have only this piece of advice left for thee: Take this rope, fasten it to the nail in yonder wall, and pull stoutly three times."