CHAPTER III.
The enchanted ones wandered sorrowfully through the fields, notknowing, in their calamity, what they should first set about. To thecity they could not return, for the purpose of discovering themselves,for who would have believed a stork that he was the Caliph? or, if heshould find credit, would the inhabitants of Bagdad have been willingto have such a bird for their master? Thus, for several days, did theywander around, supporting themselves on the produce of the fields,which, however, on account of their long bills, they could not readilypick up. For eider-ducks and frogs they had no appetite, for theyfeared with such dainty morsels to ruin their stomachs. In thispitiable situation their only consolation was that they could fly, andaccordingly they often winged their way to the roofs of Bagdad, to seewhat was going on therein.
On the first day they observed great commotion and mourning in thestreets; but on the fourth after their transformation, they lighted bychance upon the royal palace, from which they saw, in the streetbeneath, a splendid procession. Drums and fifes sounded; on arichly-caparisoned steed was seated a man, in a scarlet mantleembroidered with gold, surrounded by gorgeously-attired attendants.Half Bagdad was running after him, crying, "Hail, Mizra! Lord ofBagdad!" All this the two storks beheld from the roof of the palace,and the Caliph Chasid exclaimed,--
"Perceivest thou now why I am enchanted, Grand-Vizier? This Mizra isthe son of my deadly enemy, the mighty sorcerer Kaschnur, who, in anevil hour, vowed revenge against me. Still I do not abandon all hope.Come with me, thou faithful companion of my misery; we will go to thegrave of the Prophet; perhaps in that holy spot the charm may bedissolved." They raised themselves from the roof of the palace, andflew in the direction of Medina.
In the use of their wings, however, they experienced some difficulty,for the two storks had, as yet, but little practice. "O Sire!"groaned out the Vizier, after a couple of hours; "with yourpermission, I can hold out no longer; you fly so rapidly! Besides, itis already evening, and we would do well to seek a shelter for thenight."
Chasid gave ear to the request of his attendant, and thereupon saw, inthe vale beneath, a ruin which appeared to promise safe lodgings; andthither, accordingly, they flew. The place where they had alighted forthe night, seemed formerly to have been a castle. Gorgeous columnsprojected from under the rubbish, and several chambers, which werestill in a state of tolerable preservation, testified to the formermagnificence of the mansion. Chasid and his companion went aroundthrough the corridor, to seek for themselves a dry resting-place;suddenly the stork Mansor paused. "Lord and master," he whisperedsoftly, "were it not foolish for a Grand-Vizier, still more for astork, to be alarmed at spectres, my mind is very uncomfortable; forhere, close at hand, sighs and groans are very plainly perceptible."The Caliph now in turn stood still, and quite distinctly heard a lowmoaning, which seemed to belong rather to a human being than a beast.Full of expectation, he essayed to proceed to the place whence theplaintive sounds issued: but the Vizier, seizing him by the wing withhis beak, entreated him fervently not to plunge them in new andunknown dangers. In vain! the Caliph, to whom a valiant heart beatbeneath his stork-wing, burst away with the loss of a feather, andhastened into a gloomy gallery. In a moment he reached a door, whichseemed only on the latch, and out of which he heard distinct sighs,accompanied by a low moaning. He pushed the door open with his bill,but stood, chained by amazement, upon the threshold. In the ruinousapartment, which was now but dimly lighted through a grated window, hesaw a huge screech-owl sitting on the floor. Big tears rolled downfrom her large round eyes, and with ardent voice she sent her criesforth from her crooked bill. As soon, however, as she espied theCaliph and his Vizier, who meanwhile had crept softly up behind, sheraised a loud cry of joy. She neatly wiped away the tears with herbrown-striped wing, and to the great astonishment of both, exclaimed,in good human Arabic,--
"Welcome to you, storks! you are to me a good omen of deliverance,for it was once prophesied to me that, through storks, a great pieceof good fortune is to fall to my lot."
When the Caliph recovered from his amazement, he bowed his long neck,brought his slender feet into an elegant position, and said:"Screech-owl, after your words, I venture to believe that I see in youa companion in misfortune. But, alas! this hope that through us thydeliverance will take place, is groundless. Thou wilt, thyself,realize our helplessness, when thou hearest our history."
The Screech-owl entreated him to impart it to her, and the Caliph,raising himself up, related what we already know.