SSブログ
Prince Zeyn find maiden ブログトップ

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (1) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (1)

There was once a King of Balsora who was very rich and good, and much loved by all the people whom he ruled.

He had one son, whose name was Zeyn.

Gathering together all the wise men in his country, King Balsora asked them to find out what sort of a boy the young Prince would be.

So the wise men went out into the palace garden on a fine starlit night, and, looking up at the stars, said they could see wonderful things that would happen to Prince Zeyn.

" The stars say he will be very brave, " said one wise man.

" They tell me that he will have strange adventures, " said another.

" And he will live to very old, " added a third.

The young Prince grew up, and was taught everything that prince ought to know.

But when he was still quite young, his father King Balsora was taken very ill.

(1/11)
アラビアン・ナイトの物語です。

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (2) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (2)

Knowing that he was going to die, the King Balsora sent for Prince Zeyn.
" You will soon be the king of this country, " he said.
" And I hope you will be a good one. Do not listen to those who are always praising you, and try to find out a real truth before you punish any one. "

Prince Zeyn promised to remember his father's words, and afterwards the old king died.

At first, Zeyn was not a good king.
Being able to do whatever he liked, he spent most of his time in amusing himself and spending money.

His mother, a very wise queen, reminded him of his father's words, and he began to feel sorry that he was not a better king, whom his people could love as they had loved his father.

But his money was all spent, and not knowing where to get any more, he felt sad.

(2/12)  

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (3) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (3)

One night he had a wonderful dream.

He looked up and saw an old man standing beside his bed and smiling kindly down upon him.

" Oh, Zeyn, " said the old man, " joy comes after sorrow, and happiness after sadness. The time of your riches has come. Tomorrow morning, take an axe, and dig in your father's room. There you will find a great treasure. "

Now Zeyn did not believe this, but, feeling rather curious, he told the Queen his dream, and then, sending for an axe, shut himself up alone in his father's room.

He dug up the pavement until he was quite tired, but at last his axe struck against a white stone, which he lifted eagerly.

To his surprise, he found a door fastened with a padlock.
The axe soon broke this, and there, before the Prince, a marble staircase went down into the earth.

(3/12) 


Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (4) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (4)

Lighting a taper, Zeyn ran down, to find himself in a fine chamber with a crystal floor.
All round it were shelves, and on the shelves ten big urns.

Zeyn took off the lid of the first urn, and found it full of gold.
He then looked into the other urns, and behold, every one was full of gold.

He took a handful to the Queen, who was greatly astonished, and went with him to the room where the treasure was hidden.

In a corner the Queen saw another little urn, and inside it was nothing but a key.
" This must lead to another treasure, " they said, and looking round the room.

(4/12)


Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (5) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (5)

They found a lock in the middle of the wall, which the key just fitted.

When it was turned, this door opened, and showed a large hall in which stood eight shining diamond statues upon eight large gold pedestals.

But there was one more pedestal which had no statue, and above it lay a piece of white satin on which Zeyn read these words written by his father.

" My dear son, all these statue are for you. Go to Cairo and find an old slave of mine called Mobarec. He will show a place where you may find a ninth statue more beautiful than all the rest. "

(5/12)

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (6) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (6)

When he had read this, Zeyn set off to discover the ninth statue to fill the empty pedestal.

Going to Cairo, he soon found the old slave Mobarec, who was now one of the richest men in the city.

" I am the son of the King of Balsora, " said the Zeyn.

" And how shall I know that you are speaking the truth ? "said the old slave, looking straight into Zeyn's eyes.

" Because I can tell you my father had a secret room in which ten urns full of gold and eight diamond statues. I have come to you to ask where to find the ninth. "

" You are indeed the young Prince ! " cried the Mobarec.

(6/12)  

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (7) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (7)

The nest morning, Zeyn and Mobarec set out their search for the ninth statue.

The old man said that the Prince must be prepared to face many dangers, but as Zeyn was longing for adventures this did not frighten him.

After travelling for many days they came to some tall and waving palm trees, standing all around a lake of shining water.

A silver moon looked through the trees and everything was very silent.

" You will now need all your courage, " whispered Mobarec.
" We are near the dreadful place where the ninth statue is guarded. We shall have to cross this water. "

" But we have no boat, " answered Zeyn.

(7/12)
"

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (8) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (8)

" Wait a moment, " said Mobarec, " and a fairy boat belonging to the King of the Genii will appear. But, however strange it looks, be very careful not to make a sound. If you speak one word, we shall all go to the bottom and be drowned. "

Mobarec shaded his eyes and looks across the shining water.

Soon a little boat came into sight with an amber mast and a floating sail of blue satin.

In a moment they had crossed the lake, the only sound being the soft rush of oars in the water.

" We may speak now, " said Mobarec.
" We are on a beautiful island belonging to the King of the Genii. "

(8/12) 

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (9) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (9)

Very soon they came in front of an emerald castle with a golden gate, where several tall genii stood as guards.

DSC_0079.JPG

They were the fairies who lived on the island, and were tall and terrible to look at to those who did not understand them.

But Mobarec did ; so he took from under his robe two little square carpets, one for Zeyn, and one for himself.
These were magic carpets, and those who sat on them were quite safe.

" The king of the Genii will be here soon now, " said Mobarec.
" If he is angry with us for coming, he will look like a monster; but if he is pleased, he will be very handsome. "

There was a flash of lightning, a loud noise of thunder, and then all the island went dark.

Suddenly a big, fine-looking man stood before them, and began to smile.
" Welcome, Prince Zeyn, " he said.

(9/12) 

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (10) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (10)

" I loved your father, and whenever he came to see me, I gave him a diamond statue for his very own. It was I whom you saw in your dreams, and I promised your father to give you the ninth statue, which is the most beautiful of all. "

" But there is only one way to get it. You must search the world until you find a beautiful maiden who is not only clever but who has never in her life spoken an angry word or thought a wicked thought. When you have found her, bring her back here, to wait upon my Queen, and then I will give you the statue. "

" Zeyn promised to do all this, though he knew it would be a hard task; but he asked the King of Genii how he should know the maiden.

" Here is a magic mirror, " replied the King.
" Only the right maiden will be able to see her face in this. "

So Mobarec and Prince Zeyn went away into the world again to find a perfect maiden.

(10/12)


Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (11) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (11)

They gathered together all the beautiful girls in Cairo, but not one of them could see her own face in the mirror.

It grew dark and clouded whenever they looked into it.

They next went to Baghdad, where they made friends with an old man named Muezin, who told them that he knew the most perfect maiden in the world.

She lived with his father, who had once been a great man at the king's court, but who now spent all his time teaching his daughter to be clever and good.

Muezin took Prince Zeyn to see her, and when her father heard that he was the son of the King of Balsora, he was very pleased to see him, and at once allowed his daughter to look into the magic mirror.

The moment she did so, she saw her own lovely face in the shining glass, and every one standing round saw it too.

Zeyn had found the perfect maiden that he sought.

Now there was only one way for him to get the maiden, and that was to marry her.

Zeyn was quite ready to do this, for she was so good and beautiful that he already loved her.
Indeed, he found it very hard to keep his promise, and take her back to the King of the Genii.

(11/12)

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (12 完) [Prince Zeyn find maiden]

Prince Zeyn and the King of the Genii (12 完)

He thought he would rather have the perfect maiden than the ninth statue.

The king of magic island was very pleased with the maiden, and said she would be a beautiful slave for his Queen.

Then he turned to Prince Zeyn and said, " I am quite satisfied with all you have done. Go home now, and when you reach your palace at Balsora, go down at once into the room where the eight diamond statue are. There you will find the ninth statue, standing on its pedestal.

Prince Zeyn went sadly home with Mobarec, leaving his lovely bride behind him.

As soon as he reached the palace he told his mother all that had happened, and she was delighted to hear he would so soon have the ninth statue.

" Come my son, " she said, " let us both go down and look for the new treasure. "

Together they went through the stone door, and down the marble staircase.

They came to the diamond statues, and there Prince Zeyn stood still in surprise and delight.

For the ninth statue was not made of diamond or gold; it was the beautiful and perfect maiden whom he loved and whom he had been so sad to leave.

(12/12 完) 


Prince Zeyn find maiden ブログトップ

この広告は前回の更新から一定期間経過したブログに表示されています。更新すると自動で解除されます。