PERSIAN FAIRY TALES

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The frontispiece

ALTEMUS' FAIRY TALE SERIES

The Cat and the Mouse
A Book of Persian
Fairy Tales

EDITED with an INTRODUCTION
By HARTWELL JAMES
WITH FORTY ILLUSTRATIONS
By JOHN R. NEILL

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PHILADELPHIA
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY

Introduction

Persia is rich in folk lore. For hundreds and hundreds of years the stories in this book, and many others as well, have been told to the wondering boys and girls of that country, who, as they hear them, picture their native land as one of roses and tulips, where beautiful fairies build their castles in the rosy morn, and black gnomes fly around in the darkness of midnight.

A land, too, where the sun gleams like a fire above the blue mountains, and the water lilies are mirrored in the deep lakes. A land where the eyes of the tigers gleam through the reeds by the riverside, and dark-eyed, sunburned people are quick to love and quick to hate.

The belief in the "Ghool," or "Old Man of the Desert," is still prevalent in Persia, which probably accounts for the popularity of the story of "The Son of the Soap Seller." The other stories selected for this volume are great favorites, but the story of "The Cat and the Mouse" is perhaps the most popular of all.

The frontispiece to this volume is a reduced facsimile of a whole page in a Persian book, showing both the pictures and the reading as they were published in Persia. The other illustrations for "The Cat and the Mouse" are copies of drawings by a Persian artist.

H. J.

Contents

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A flower

List of Illustrations

THE CAT AND THE MOUSE

A cat

A flower.

Persian Fairy Tales

The Cat and the Mouse

Showing how one may be lost in wonder at the story of the cat
and the mouse, when related with a clear and rolling
voice, as if from a pulpit.

ACCORDING to the decree of Heaven, there once lived in the Persian city of Kerman a cat like unto a dragon—a longsighted cat who hunted like a lion; a cat with fascinating eyes and long whiskers and sharp teeth. Its body was like a drum, its beautiful fur like ermine skin.

Nobody was happier than this cat, neither the newly-wedded bride, nor the hospitable master of the house when he looks round on the smiling faces of his guests.

Nobody was happier than this cat

This cat moved in the midst of friends, boon companions of the saucepan, the cup, and the milk jug of the court, and of the dinner table when the cloth is spread.

Perceiving the wine cellar open, one day, the cat ran gleefully into it to see if he could catch a mouse, and hid himself behind a wine jar. At that moment a mouse ran out of a hole in the wall, quickly climbed the jar, and putting his head into it, drank so long and so deeply that he became drunk, talked very stupidly, and fancied he was as bold as a lion.

"Now will you take off my head?"

"Where is the cat?" shouted he, "that I may off with his head. I would cut off his head as if on the battlefield. A cat in front of me would fare worse than any dog who might happen to cross my path."

The cat ground his teeth with rage while hearing this. Quicker than the eye could follow, he made a spring, seized the mouse in his claws, and said, "Oh, little mouse, now will you take off my head?"

"I am thy servant," replied the mouse; "forgive my sin. I was drunk. I am thy slave; a slave whose ear is pierced and on whose shoulder the yoke is."

"Tell fewer lies," replied the cat. "Was there ever such a liar? I heard all you said and you shall pay for your sin with your life. I will make your life less than that of a dead dog."

So the cat killed and ate the mouse; but afterwards, being sorry for what he had done, he ran to the Mosque, and passed his hands over his face, poured water on his hands, and anointed himself as he had seen the faithful do at the appointed hours of prayer.

Then he began to recite the beautiful chapter to Allah in the Holy Book of the Persians, and to make his confession in this wise:

"I have repented, and will not again tear the body of a mouse with my teeth. I will give bread to the deserving poor. Forgive my sin, O great Forgiver, for have I not come to Thee bowed down with sorrow?"

The cat had a rosary of beads

He repeated this so many times and with so much feeling that he really thought he meant it, and finally wept for grief.

A little mouse happened to be behind the pulpit, and overhearing the cat's vows, speedily carried the glad but surprising news to the other mice. Breathlessly he related how that the cat had become a true Mussulman; how that he had seen him in the Mosque weeping and lamenting, and saying:

"Oh, Creator of the world, put away my sin, for I have offended like a big fool." Then the mouse went on to describe how that the cat had a rosary of beads, and made pious reflections in the spirit of a true penitent.

The mice began to make merry when they heard this startling news, for they were exceedingly glad. Seven chosen mice, each the headman of the village, arose and gave thanks that the cat should at last have entered the fold of the true believers.

All danced and shouted, "Ah! Ah! Hu! Hu!" and drank red wine and white wine until they were very merry. Two rang bells, two played castanets, and two sang. One carried a tray behind his back laden with good things, so that all could help themselves; some smoked water-pipes; another acted like a clown; others played various tunes on different instruments of music.

A few days after the feast, the King of the mice said to them, "Oh, friends, all of you bring costly presents worthy of the cat!" Then the mice scattered in search of gifts, but soon returned, each bearing something worthy of presentation, even to a nobleman.

The mice began to make merry

One brought a bottle of wine; another a dish full of raisins; others came with salted nuts and melon seeds, lumps of cheese, basins of sugar-candy, pistachio nuts, little cakes iced with sugar, bottles of lemon juice, Indian shawls, hats, cloaks and many other things.

Discreetly they bore their gifts

Discreetly they bore their gifts before the King of the Cats. When in the royal presence, they made humble obeisances, touching their foreheads on the ground, and saluting him, said:

"Oh, master, liberator of the lives of all, we have brought gifts worthy of thy service. We beseech thee to deign to accept of them."

And they went forward trembling

Then the cat thought to himself, "I am rewarded for becoming a pious Mussulman. Though I have endured much hunger, yet this day finds me freely and amply provided for. Not for many days have I broken my fast. It is clear that Allah is appeased."

Then he turned to the mice, and bade them come nearer, calling them his friends. And they went forward trembling. So frightened were they that they were hardly aware of what they were doing. When they were close the cat made a sudden spring upon them.

Five mice he caught, each one the chief of a village; two with his front paws, two with his hind ones, and one in his mouth. The remaining mice barely escaped with their lives.

Picking up one of their murdered brothers, they quickly carried the sad news to the mice, saying: "Why do ye sit still, oh mice? Throw dust on your heads, oh young men, for the cruel cat has seized five of our unsuspecting companions with teeth and claws and has killed them."

Then for the space of five days they rent their clothes as do the mourners, and cast dust on their heads. Then they said: "We must go and tell our King all that has befallen the mice. We must not fail to tell him this calamity."

Whereupon they all rose up and went their way in deep sorrow; one beating the muffled drum, one tolling the bell; all had shawls around their necks; their tears the while running in little streams down their whiskers.

Five mice he caught

Arrived where the King was sitting on his throne, the mice paid homage to him, saying: "Master, we are subjects and thou art King. Behold the cat has treated us cruelly since he became a pious follower of Mahomet. Whereas, before his conversion he was wont to catch only one of us in a year, now that he is a sincere Mussulman his appetite has so increased that only five at a time will satisfy him."

Whereupon the King fell into such a violent rage that he resembled a saucepan boiling over. But to the deputation of mice he spoke very kindly, calling them his newly-arrived and welcome guests, and to comfort them vowed that he would give the cat such a chastisement that the news of it should circulate through the world.

Then, observing their grief, he commanded that the dead mouse should be buried with all pomp and ceremony. Accordingly they made lamentation for a whole week, as though it had been for one of royal degree; and having prepared delicious sweetmeats, they placed them in baskets and carried them with streaming eyes to the grave.

After the burial service, the King ordered the army to assemble on a given day on the great sandy plain that stretches as far as the eye can see around the city. Then he addressed them, saying:

The King was sitting on his throne

"Oh, men and soldiers, inasmuch as the cat has so cruelly ill-treated our countrymen, he being a heretic and an evil doer, and brutal in nature, we must now go to the city of Kerman and fight him."

So three hundred and thirty thousand mice went forth, armed with swords, guns, and spears; and with flags and pennons bravely flying. A passing Arab from the desert, skilfully balancing himself on the back of a swift-traveling camel by means of a long pole, spied the great army in motion, and was so overcome with astonishment that he lost his balance and fell off. Several regiments of mice were put out of action by his fall; but nothing daunted, the army pressed on.

When the army was ready for battle, the King again addressed them saying: "O young men, an ambassador must be sent to the cat, one who is able, discreet, and eloquent." Then they all shouted: "The King's orders shall be carried out! Upon our heads be it."

Now, there was present a learned and eloquent mouse, the ruler of a province, and he it was that the King commanded to go as an ambassador to the cat in the city of Kerman. Almost before his name was out of the King's mouth, he had jumped out of his place in the ranks, and, traveling swiftly as the winds of the desert, he went in boldly before the cat and said:

"As an ambassador from the King of the Mice am I come, bowed down with grief and fatigue. Know this, my master has determined to wage war, and is even now come with his army to take off your head."

The cat roared out in reply, "Go tell your King to eat dust! I come not out of this city except at my good pleasure!" Then he sent messengers to bring up quickly some fighting and hunting cats from Khorassan—the land of the sun—to Kerman.

As soon as the cat's army was ready, the King of the Cats gave them marching orders, promising to come himself to the battle on the next day. The cats came out on horseback, each one like a hungry tiger. The mice also mounted their steeds, armed to the teeth, and boiling with rage. Shouting "Allah! Allah!" the armies fell upon each other with unsheathed swords.

The armies fell upon each other

So many cats and mice were killed that there was no room for the horses' feet. The cats fought valiantly, their fierce attacks carrying them through the first line of the mice, then through the second, and many Ameers and chiefs were killed. The mice, thinking the battle lost, turned to flee, crying out:

"Throw dust upon your heads, young men!"

But afterwards, rallying again, they faced their pursuers and attacked the right wing of the cat's army, shouting their battle cry of "Allah! Allah!"

In the thickest of the fray a mounted mouse speared the King of the Cats, so that he fell fainting to the ground. Before he could rise, the mouse leaped upon him and brought him captive to the King. So the cats were defeated on that day and sullenly retreated to the city of Kerman.

Having bound the cat, the mice beat him until he became unconscious. Then the plain echoed with the beating of tom-toms and shouts of joy. Then the King of the Mice seated himself on his throne and ordered the cat to be brought before him.

"Scoundrel!" he said to him, "Why hast thou eaten up my army? Hear now the King of the Mice." The cat hung his head in fear, and remained silent. After a few minutes, he said: "I am thy servant, even to death." Then the King replied:

So he mounted his elephant

"Carry this black-faced dog to the execution ground. I will come in person without delay to kill him in revenge for the blood of my slaughtered subjects."

So he mounted his elephant, and his guard marched proudly before him. The cat, with his hands tied together, stood weeping. Upon arriving at the execution grounds and discerning that the cat was not yet executed, the King said angrily to the hangman: "Why is it this prisoner is still alive? Hang him immediately!"

At that very moment a horseman came galloping furiously from the city and besought the King, saying: "Forgive this miserable cat; in future he will do us no harm." However, the King turned a deaf ear to his entreaties, ordering that the cat be killed at once. The mice hesitated, being unwilling, through fear, to carry out the order.

Of course, this made the King very angry. "O foolish mice!" he cried, "Ye will all take pity on the cat, in order that he may again make a sacrifice of you."

Directly the cat saw the horseman, his courage revived. With one bound he sprang from his place as does the tiger on his prey, burst his bonds asunder, and seized five unfortunate mice. The other mice, filled with dismay and terror, ran hither and thither, crying wildly:

"Allah! Allah! Shoot him! Cut off his head, as did Rastam his enemies on the day of battle!"

When the King of the Mice saw what, had happened, he fainted; whereupon the cat leaped on him, pulled off his crown, and placing the rope over his head, hanged him, so that he died immediately.

Then he darted here and there, seizing and slaying, and dashing mice to the earth, till the whole army of mice was routed, and there was none left to oppose him.

A flower.

THE SON OF THE SOAP SELLER

The son of the soap seller

The lion sprang upon the Princess

Persian Fairy Tales

The Son of the Soap Seller

Cleverly proving that a princess with a necklace can frustrate the
intentions of a Ghool, and that every king should have
near his person the owner of a crystal cup.

THERE once dwelt a poor but worthy man named Abdullah in Meshed, the Holy City, the place of pilgrimage, whose beautiful mosque with the golden dome is the glory of the kingdom of Persia. He barely managed to get a living by the sale of soap.

All day long, from sunrise to sunset, he tramped the city, crying out: "O brothers, buy my pure soap. There is none better in the city, as every one knows. Even the little babes would say so if they could but speak."

Still, if you looked closely at it, you would never guess it to be soap; it was black and coarse, and more like wood than anything else. If any unlucky pilgrim used it on his face or hands, it would make his skin burn like fire. But this did not often happen, for the people in Persia do not use much soap on themselves, or their clothes, and sand does very well for cleaning cooking pots and pans. So it was that there were many days when poor Abdullah did not sell enough to buy sufficient bread for himself and his little boy Ahmed.

At such times, the father would creep sadly into his wretched mud- built hovel, and bury his face in his hands, so that he might not see his son trying to keep back the tears caused by hunger. The little fellow, however, now ten years of age, would comfort his father by saying:

"Inshallah"—if God wills—"to-morrow you will sell more soap than you have done for weeks past." And the father, looking into the bright, open face of his boy, would take courage, and pray that this might be so.

"O brothers, buy my pure soap"

But the days went on and things became blacker and blacker, when one day an adventure befell little Ahmed. He was on his way to school, and as the sun was very hot, he sought the shelter of the big plane-trees that lined the banks of the stream flowing down the center of the principal street.

Things became blacker and blacker.

Women were filling their water jugs, or washing clothes; a string of camels were drinking; several donkeys were rolling playfully over and over in the water, and some dyers were wringing out newly-dyed garments, causing waves of many colors to flow past.

Just as Ahmed had stopped to look, a dervish, leading a fine lion by a chain, and some runners with curious hats and coats rushed past, shouting:

Leading a fine lion by a chain.

"Make way for the King! Turn your faces to the wall!" And there was the great King, seated on a beautiful Arabian horse, surrounded by soldiers. Then there passed a palanquin borne on the backs of four mules.

The party stopped just opposite to Ahmed, and from the palanquin there alighted a lady closely veiled, evidently wishing to inspect some beautiful Meshed silver work. Before she could reach the shop, a great tumult arose among the people. The lion had broken his chain and was madly leaping here and there, tearing and rending and dashing people to the ground. Women fainted, men fled, little children stood still and cried pitifully, some jumped into the stream; the frightened horses dashed madly through the crowd. All was terror and confusion.

Then with a roar the lion sprang upon the princess, and bore her to the ground; but ere he could tear her to pieces, Ahmed had sprang forward, seized a piece of iron, one end of which was red hot, from the shop of a blacksmith, and thrust it furiously into the face of the lion. With a cry of pain and rage the lion left the princess and bounded off to the bazaars, where he did great damage.

As soon as the princess had recovered from her fright, she beckoned to Ahmed to come near, and removing her veil, told him he was a brave little fellow, and ordered one of her servants to give him a purse of gold. Ahmed had never seen anyone so beautiful, and was so lost in wonder, that before he could find words of thanks, the party had passed on.

They set forth on their journey.

But when the money was spent, Ahmed and his father began to be in want again. A Jewish pedlar having told him how much better trade was in the capital, they determined to set forth to that city, though the way was long and full of danger. "Better to die in the desert, than in the heart of a great city," said Ahmed.

So they set forth on their journey, sometimes climbing up winding paths among the mountains, at other times traversing the desert, footsore, and weary almost to death, often hungry and thirsty, tormented by the thought that they would fall into the hands of the man-stealing robbers who haunted this great pilgrim road.

On account of the intense heat and the cruel robbers, they traveled by night. In every shadow cast by the moon upon the ground, they thought they saw a robber on his big horse. During the day they slept at wayside inns, and in return for little services rendered by Ahmed to the muleteers, they would give him a handful of rice or bread, or a few dried fruits which kept them from starvation.

So it went on until one night, when searching for the bridge that crosses the Salt River, the sky became suddenly overcast, the rain fell in torrents, and soon the river was in flood. There was nothing to be done but to sit down and wait until the moon should rise. The fierce wind buffeted them, the rain drenched them; they had lost their way, and were at the mercy of wild beasts.

The rain fell in torrents.

Once, when the wind dropped for a little, out of the darkness came a groan. "Keep still as death, my son," said the father to Ahmed, "for it is the Old Man of the Desert."

Now Ahmed had never before heard of the Old Man of the Desert, and therefore knew no fear, so despite his father's warning, he got up and went in the direction from whence came the groans. As he reached the spot, the moon came out from behind a bank of clouds, and Ahmed saw a poor dervish lying on the sand. He had a leopard skin thrown over his shoulders; by his side lay a big stick studded with sharp nails, and a basin made of the outer skin of a pumpkin in which he collected alms.

"For the sake of the Prophet," he moaned when he saw Ahmed, "give me a drink of water." And Ahmed, filling his pitcher from the river gave him to drink, though the water was somewhat salty.

The water revived the dervish, and he said: "I am Ali, the dervish, and am known throughout Persia. Two months ago I left Mazandaran to go to Meshed. But yesterday the fever seized me. This is the third attack, and, as you know, it is always fatal.

"Stay with me, my son, in this dark hour when I shall pass through the valley of the shadow of death. And when my soul shall have crossed the Bridge of Death, take this little leather bag hanging round my neck, and therein you shall find a tiny cup, cut from a crystal, which if used rightly, shall lift thee to great power and wealth.

"Give me a drink of water."

"Each morning when you rise, place a drop of pure water in the cup, and look intently therein, and should any danger threaten you or those near and dear to you, it will be made manifest. And if—" but here his strength failed him, his head fell back, and he passed away. Ahmed found the bag and the beautifully cut crystal, just as the dervish had said, and returning to his father, told him all that had happened.

Ahmed did as the dervish had directed him for several mornings, but seeing nothing in the crystal, he dropped the practice. There came a day, however, when they were overtaken by a dreadful dust storm. From across the wide stretch of sand, the wind raged, the sky and sun were blotted out, the air was laden with dust, and the small pebbles and stones carried in the wind cut them until they cried with pain. Shelter there was none.

In fear and pain they ran here and there, and when after several hours of misery, the storm had passed, they could not see each other. They were lost in the cruel desert, with no food, and worse still, no water. Sobbing in despair, Ahmed straggled on. He went like one in a dream. Time after time he fell tripping over rocks and bushes, but he pressed onward. Then came a time when he could go no further, and he lay down to die.

They ran here and there

For a long time he slept, and then he was awakened by being shaken. Looking up, he saw an old man smiling and saying: "Why, it's little Ahmed, the son of Abdullah, the Soap Seller. Don't you know me, Ahmed? I am your uncle. Don't cry because you have lost your way. Come, take my hand and we will soon find your father."

Now Ahmed wondered why he had never seen or even heard his father speak of this particular uncle, but he took the old man's hand, and together they set forth. Mile after mile they went, but no trace of his father could be found. Then he sat down crying, and said: "I am so tired, I can go no further." And the old man replied: "Sleep, my son, while I keep watch."

"Sleep, my son, while I keep watch"

But just as Ahmed was closing his eyes, the old man turned, and Ahmed saw that he had thin legs like those of a sheep. "The Ghool! the Ghool!" he shrieked, and fainted. Then this wicked ogre of the desert began to open Ahmed's coat in order to suck his blood.

But another cry answered that of the boy, and then appeared on the scene a beautiful young woman, carrying in her harid a necklace of gold and silver beads. Casting but one glance at the beads, the old man flew swifter than the wild sheep of the mountains, for the sight of metal rendered him powerless to do harm.

A beautiful young woman appeared

Of course, it was the princess whose life Ahmed had saved in Meshed. The King, her father, happened to be returning from a pilgrimage, and to give a fright to her servants, she had scampered off the track, and thus had found Ahmed. At her request, Ahmed became one of the King's followers, and together with his father, whom they found the next day, they journeyed to the capital.

Some three days' march from the capital, in the mountains near Kazveen, there lived the Old Man of the Mountains, or as he is generally known, the King of the Assassins, with his followers. So great was his power that he had but to say the word and any of his men would throw themselves from the topmost crags to the valleys beneath and be dashed to pieces, or at his bidding, they would travel forth to the most distant parts of the world in order to kill any persons, however great they might be.

When he heard that the King of Persia was collecting an army to destroy both him and his tribe, he became very angry, and said to one of his followers: "Go, rid me of the King of Persia;" and the mart-took bread and water and a sharp dagger, and went.

Now after his narrow escape from the Old Man of the Desert, Ahmed took pains every morning to place a drop of water in the crystal cup and look therein. Nothing appeared until one morning he saw in the bead of water a vision of the King asleep, and standing by him a robber with an uplifted dagger, about to strike. Hurrying to the King's presence, he warned him of the danger, but the King only laughed, for he trusted his guards.

Every morning Ahmed looked in the cup

Nevertheless, Ahmed determined to keep watch. Darkness came, and the guards slept. The palace was silent. The hours slipped by, and Ahmed, weary with much waiting was about to retire, when he perceived a dark shadow creeping into that part of the palace where the King slept.

The figure noiselessly made its way to the very threshold of the King's room, when Ahmed sprang upon it, at the same time giving the alarm. The whole palace was aroused and the murdered secured.

Ahmed sprang upon the figure

When the messenger did not return, the Old Man of the Mountains sent a second, and then a third, and finally the most daring and skilful of all his followers; but thanks to Ahmed's crystal cup, all attempts upon the life of the King failed.

"Ask for anything within reason"

Then the King sent for Ahmed, and said: "Ask for anything in reason, and it shall be given thee." And though he was trembling in every limb, Ahmed replied: "Neither wealth nor power does thy slave desire, save the hand of thy daughter."

"If she loves you, it shall be so," replied the King, and she did love him; they were married, and Ahmed became the King's Prime Minister.