The Story of the Young King of the Black Isles

 You must know, sire, that my father was Mahmoud, the king of this country, the Black Isles¹, so called from the four little mountains which were once islands, while the capital was the place where now the great lake lies. My story will tell you how these changes came about.

 

My father died when he was sixty-six, and I succeeded him. I married my cousin, whom I loved tenderly, and I thought she loved me too.

 

But one afternoon, when I was half asleep, and was being fanned by two of her maids, I heard one say to the other, "What a pity it is that our mistress no longer loves our master! I believe she would like to kill him if she could, for she is an enchantress."

 

I soon found by watching that they were right, and when I mortally wounded a favourite slave of hers for a great crime, she begged that she might build a palace in the garden, where she wept and bewailed him for two years.

 

At last I begged her to cease grieving for him, for although he could not speak or move, by her enchantments² she just kept him alive. She turned upon me in a rage, and said over me some magic words, and I instantly became as you see me now, half man and half marble.

 

Then this wicked enchantress changed the capital, which was a very populous³ and flourishing city, into the lake and desert plain you saw. The fish of four colours which are in it are the different races who lived in the town; the four hills are the four islands which give the name to my kingdom. All this the enchantress told me to add to my troubles. And this is not all. Every day she comes and beats me with a whip of buffalo⁴ hide.

 

When the young king had finished his sad story he burst once more into tears, and the Sultan was much moved.

 

"Tell me," he cried, "where is this wicked woman, and where is the miserable⁵ object of her affection, whom she just manages to keep alive?"

 

"Where she lives I do not know," answered the unhappy prince, "but she goes every day at sunrise to see if the slave can yet speak to her, after she has beaten me."

 

"Unfortunate king," said the Sultan, "I will do what I can to avenge⁶ you."

 

So he consulted with the young king over the best way to bring this about, and they agreed their plan should be put in effect the next day. The Sultan then rested, and the young king gave himself up to happy hopes of release. The next day the Sultan arose, and then went to the palace in the garden where the black slave was. He drew his sword and destroyed the little life that remained in him, and then threw the body down a well. He then lay down on the couch where the slave had been, and waited for the enchantress.

 

She went first to the young king, whom she beat with a hundred blows.

 

Then she came to the room where she thought her wounded slave was, but where the Sultan really lay.

 

She came near his couch and said, "Are you better to-day, my dear slave? Speak but one word to me."

 

"How can I be better," answered the Sultan, imitating the language of the Ethiopians, "when I can never sleep for the cries and groans⁷ of your husband?"

 

"What joy to hear you speak!" answered the queen. "Do you wish him to regain⁸ his proper shape?"

 

"Yes," said the Sultan; "hasten to set him at liberty, so that I may no longer hear his cries."

 

The queen at once went out and took a cup of water, and said over it some words that made it boil as if it were on the fire. Then she threw it over the prince, who at once regained⁹ his own form. He was filled with joy, but the enchantress said, "Hasten away from this place and never come back, lest I kill you."

 

So he hid himself to see the end of the Sultan's plan.

 

The enchantress went back to the Palace of Tears and said, "Now I have done what you wished."

 

"What you have done," said the Sultan, "is not enough to cure me. Every day at midnight all the people whom you have changed into fish lift their heads out of the lake and cry for vengeance¹⁰. Go quickly, and give them their proper shape."

 

The enchantress hurried away and said some words over the lake.

 

The fish then became men, women, and children, and the houses and shops were once more filled. The Sultan's suite¹¹, who had encamped by the lake, were not a little astonished to see themselves in the middle of a large and beautiful town.

 

As soon as she had disenchanted it the queen went back to the palace.

 

"Are you quite well now?" she said.

 

"Come near," said the Sultan. "Nearer still."

 

She obeyed. Then he sprang up, and with one blow of his sword he cut her in two.

 

Then he went and found the prince.

 

"Rejoice," he said, "your cruel enemy is dead."

 

The prince thanked him again and again.

 

"And now," said the Sultan. "I will go back to my capital, which I am glad to find is so near yours."

 

"So near mine!" said the King of the Black Isles.

 

"Do you know it is a whole year's journey from here? You came here in a few hours because it was enchanted¹². But I will accompany you on your journey."

 

"It will give me much pleasure if you will escort me," said the Sultan, "and as I have no children, I will make you my heir."

 

The Sultan and the prince set out together, the Sultan laden¹³ with rich presents from the King of the Black Isles.

 

The day after he reached his capital the Sultan assembled his court and told them all that had befallen him, and told them how he intended to adopt the young king as his heir.

 

Then he gave each man presents in proportion to his rank.

 

As for the fisherman, as he was the first cause of the deliverance of the young prince, the Sultan gave him much money, and made him and his family happy for the rest of their days.

 

1 isles   

岛( isle的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the geology of the British Isles 不列颠群岛的地质
• The boat left for the isles. 小船驶向那些小岛。

2 enchantments   

n.魅力( enchantment的名词复数 )；迷人之处；施魔法；着魔

参考例句：

• The high security vaults have enchantments placed on their doors. 防范最严密的金库在门上设有魔法。 来自互联网
• Place items here and pay a fee to receive random enchantments. 把物品放在这里并支付一定的费用可以使物品获得一个随机的附魔。 来自互联网

3 populous   

adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的

参考例句：

• London is the most populous area of Britain.伦敦是英国人口最稠密的地区。
• China is the most populous developing country in the world.中国是世界上人口最多的发展中国家。

4 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

5 miserable   

adj.悲惨的，痛苦的；可怜的，糟糕的

参考例句：

• It was miserable of you to make fun of him.你取笑他，这是可耻的。
• Her past life was miserable.她过去的生活很苦。

6 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

7 groans   

n.呻吟，叹息( groan的名词复数 )；呻吟般的声音v.呻吟( groan的第三人称单数 )；发牢骚；抱怨；受苦

参考例句：

• There were loud groans when he started to sing. 他刚开始歌唱时有人发出了很大的嘘声。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was a weird old house, full of creaks and groans. 这是所神秘而可怕的旧宅，到处嘎吱嘎吱作响。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

9 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

10 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

11 suite   

n.一套(家具)；套房；随从人员

参考例句：

• She has a suite of rooms in the hotel.她在那家旅馆有一套房间。
• That is a nice suite of furniture.那套家具很不错。

12 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

13 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。