The
Enchanted Head
Once
upon a time an old woman lived in a small cottage near the sea with her two
daughters. They were very poor, and the girls seldom left the house, as they
worked all day long making veils for the ladies to wear over their faces, and
every morning, when the veils were finished, the other took them over the
bridge and sold them in the city. Then she bought the food that they needed for
the day, and returned home to do her share of veil-making.
One
morning the old woman rose even earlier than usual, and set off for the city
with her wares. She was just crossing the bridge when, suddenly, she knocked up
against a human head, which she had never seen there before. The woman started
back in horror; but what was her surprise when the head spoke, exactly as if it
had a body joined on to it.
'Take
me with you, good mother!' it said imploringly; 'take me with you back to your
house.'
At
the sound of these words the poor woman nearly went mad with terror. Have that
horrible thing always at home? Never! never! And she turned and ran back as
fast as she could, not knowing that the head was jumping, dancing, and rolling
after her. But when she reached her own door it bounded in before her, and
stopped in front of the fire, begging and praying to be allowed to stay.
All
that day there was no food in the house, for the veils had not been sold, and
they had no money to buy anything with. So they all sat silent at their work,
inwardly cursing the head which was the cause of their misfortunes.
When
evening came, and there was no sign of supper, the head spoke, for the first
time that day:
'Good
mother, does no one ever eat here? During all the hours I have spent in your
house not a creature has touched anything.'
'No,'
answered the old woman, 'we are not eating anything.'
'And
why not, good mother?'
'Because
we have no money to buy any food.'
'Is
it your custom never to eat?'
'No,
for every morning I go into the city to sell my veils, and with the few
shillings I get for them I buy all we want. To-day I did not cross the bridge,
so of course I had nothing for food.'
'Then
I am the cause of your having gone hungry all day?' asked the head.
'Yes,
you are,' answered the old woman.
'Well,
then, I will give you money and plenty of it, if you will only do as I tell
you. In an hour, as the clock strikes twelve, you must be on the bridge at the
place where you met me. When you get there call out "Ahmed," three
times, as loud as you can. Then a negro will appear, and you must say to him:
"The head, your master, desires you to open the trunk, and to give me the
green purse which you will find in it."'
'Very
well, my lord,' said the old woman, 'I will set off at once for the bridge.'
And wrapping her veil round her she went out.
Midnight
was striking as she reached the spot where she had met the head so many hours
before.
'Ahmed!
Ahmed! Ahmed!' cried she, and immediately a huge negro, as tall as a giant,
stood on the bridge before her.
'What
do you want?' asked he.
'The
head, your master, desires you to open the trunk, and to give me the green
purse which you will find in it.'
'I
will be back in a moment, good mother,' said he. And three minutes later he
placed a purse full of sequins in the old woman's hand.
No
one can imagine the joy of the whole family at the sight of all this wealth.
The tiny, tumble-down cottage was rebuilt, the girls had new dresses, and their
mother ceased selling veils. It was such a new thing to them to have money to
spend, that they were not as careful as they might have been, and by-and-by
there was not a single coin left in the purse. When this happened their hearts
sank within them, and their faces fell.
'Have
you spent your fortune?' asked the head from its corner, when it saw how sad
they looked. 'Well, then, go at midnight, good mother, to the bridge, and call
out "Mahomet!" three times, as loud as you can. A negro will appear
in answer, and you must tell him to open the trunk, and to give you the red
purse which he will find there.'
The
old woman did not need twice telling, but set off at once for the bridge.
'Mahomet!
Mahomet! Mahomet!' cried she, with all her might; and in an instant a negro, still
larger than the last, stood before her.
'What
do you want?' asked he.
'The
head, your master, bids you open the trunk, and to give me the red purse which
you will find in it.'
'Very
well, good mother, I will do so,' answered the negro, and, the moment after he
had vanished, he reappeared with the purse in his hand.
This
time the money seemed so endless that the old woman built herself a new house,
and filled it with the most beautiful things that were to be found in the
shops. Her daughters were always wrapped in veils that looked as if they were
woven out of sunbeams, and their dresses shone with precious stones. The
neighbours wondered where all this sudden wealth had sprung from, but nobody
knew about the head.
'Good
mother,' said the head, one day, 'this morning you are to go to the city and
ask the sultan to give me his daughter for my bride.'
'Do
what?' asked the old woman in amazement. 'How can I tell the sultan that a head
without a body wishes to become his son-in-law? They will think that I am mad,
and I shall be hooted from the palace and stoned by the children.'
'Do
as I bid you,' replied the head; 'it is my will.'
The
old woman was afraid to say anything more, and, putting on her richest clothes,
started for the palace. The sultan granted her an audience at once, and, in a
trembling voice, she made her request.
'Are
you mad, old woman?' said the sultan, staring at her.
'The
wooer is powerful, O Sultan, and nothing is impossible to him.'
'Is
that true?'
'It
is, O Sultan; I swear it,' answered she.
'Then
let him show his power by doing three things, and I will give him my daughter.'
'Command,
O gracious prince,' said she.
'Do
you see that hill in front of the palace?' asked the sultan.
'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 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 Hassan.
'What
do you want, old woman?' asked Hassan, 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 Hassan. 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.
'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 passed, 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 assuredly 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 head 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 had 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)].
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