The Story Of The Blind Baba-abdalla

: The Arabian Nights Entertainments

I was born, Commander of the Faithful, in Bagdad, and was left an

orphan while I was yet a very young man, for my parents died within a

few days of each other. I had inherited from them a small fortune,

which I worked hard night and day to increase, till at last I found

myself the owner of eighty camels. These I hired out to travelling

merchants, whom I frequently accompanied on their various journeys, and

always ret rned with large profits.



One day I was coming back from Balsora, whither I had taken a supply of

goods, intended for India, and halted at noon in a lonely place, which

promised rich pasture for my camels. I was resting in the shade under

a tree, when a dervish, going on foot towards Balsora, sat down by my

side, and I inquired whence he had come and to what place he was going.

We soon made friends, and after we had asked each other the usual

questions, we produced the food we had with us, and satisfied our

hunger.



While we were eating, the dervish happened to mention that in a spot

only a little way off from where we were sitting, there was hidden a

treasure so great that if my eighty camels were loaded till they could

carry no more, the hiding place would seem as full as if it had never

been touched.



At this news I became almost beside myself with joy and greed, and I

flung my arms round the neck of the dervish, exclaiming: "Good

dervish, I see plainly that the riches of this world are nothing to

you, therefore of what use is the knowledge of this treasure to you?

Alone and on foot, you could carry away a mere handful. But tell me

where it is, and I will load my eighty camels with it, and give you one

of them as a token of my gratitude."



Certainly my offer does not sound very magnificent, but it was great to

me, for at his words a wave of covetousness had swept over my heart,

and I almost felt as if the seventy-nine camels that were left were

nothing in comparison.



The dervish saw quite well what was passing in my mind, but he did not

show what he thought of my proposal.



"My brother," he answered quietly, "you know as well as I do, that you

are behaving unjustly. It was open to me to keep my secret, and to

reserve the treasure for myself. But the fact that I have told you of

its existence shows that I had confidence in you, and that I hoped to

earn your gratitude for ever, by making your fortune as well as mine.

But before I reveal to you the secret of the treasure, you must swear

that, after we have loaded the camels with as much as they can carry,

you will give half to me, and let us go our own ways. I think you will

see that this is fair, for if you present me with forty camels, I on my

side will give you the means of buying a thousand more."



I could not of course deny that what the dervish said was perfectly

reasonable, but, in spite of that, the thought that the dervish would

be as rich as I was unbearable to me. Still there was no use in

discussing the matter, and I had to accept his conditions or bewail to

the end of my life the loss of immense wealth. So I collected my

camels and we set out together under the guidance of the dervish.

After walking some time, we reached what looked like a valley, but with

such a narrow entrance that my camels could only pass one by one. The

little valley, or open space, was shut up by two mountains, whose sides

were formed of straight cliffs, which no human being could climb.



When we were exactly between these mountains the dervish stopped.



"Make your camels lie down in this open space," he said, "so that we

can easily load them; then we will go to the treasure."



I did what I was bid, and rejoined the dervish, whom I found trying to

kindle a fire out of some dry wood. As soon as it was alight, he threw

on it a handful of perfumes, and pronounced a few words that I did not

understand, and immediately a thick column of smoke rose high into the

air. He separated the smoke into two columns, and then I saw a rock,

which stood like a pillar between the two mountains, slowly open, and a

splendid palace appear within.



But, Commander of the Faithful, the love of gold had taken such

possession of my heart, that I could not even stop to examine the

riches, but fell upon the first pile of gold within my reach and began

to heap it into a sack that I had brought with me.



The dervish likewise set to work, but I soon noticed that he confined

himself to collecting precious stones, and I felt I should be wise to

follow his example. At length the camels were loaded with as much as

they could carry, and nothing remained but to seal up the treasure, and

go our ways.



Before, however, this was done, the dervish went up to a great golden

vase, beautifully chased, and took from it a small wooden box, which he

hid in the bosom of his dress, merely saying that it contained a

special kind of ointment. Then he once more kindled the fire, threw on

the perfume, and murmured the unknown spell, and the rock closed, and

stood whole as before.



The next thing was to divide the camels, and to charge them with the

treasure, after which we each took command of our own and marched out

of the valley, till we reached the place in the high road where the

routes diverge, and then we parted, the dervish going towards Balsora,

and I to Bagdad. We embraced each other tenderly, and I poured out my

gratitude for the honour he had done me, in singling me out for this

great wealth, and having said a hearty farewell we turned our backs,

and hastened after our camels.



I had hardly come up with mine when the demon of envy filled my soul.

"What does a dervish want with riches like that?" I said to myself.

"He alone has the secret of the treasure, and can always get as much as

he wants," and I halted my camels by the roadside, and ran back after

him.



I was a quick runner, and it did not take me very long to come up with

him. "My brother," I exclaimed, as soon as I could speak, "almost at

the moment of our leave-taking, a reflection occurred to me, which is

perhaps new to you. You are a dervish by profession, and live a very

quiet life, only caring to do good, and careless of the things of this

world. You do not realise the burden that you lay upon yourself, when

you gather into your hands such great wealth, besides the fact that no

one, who is not accustomed to camels from his birth, can ever manage

the stubborn beasts. If you are wise, you will not encumber yourself

with more than thirty, and you will find those trouble enough."



"You are right," replied the dervish, who understood me quite well, but

did not wish to fight the matter. "I confess I had not thought about

it. Choose any ten you like, and drive them before you."



I selected ten of the best camels, and we proceeded along the road, to

rejoin those I had left behind. I had got what I wanted, but I had

found the dervish so easy to deal with, that I rather regretted I had

not asked for ten more. I looked back. He had only gone a few paces,

and I called after him.



"My brother," I said, "I am unwilling to part from you without pointing

out what I think you scarcely grasp, that large experience of

camel-driving is necessary to anybody who intends to keep together a

troop of thirty. In your own interest, I feel sure you would be much

happier if you entrusted ten more of them to me, for with my practice

it is all one to me if I take two or a hundred."



As before, the dervish made no difficulties, and I drove off my ten

camels in triumph, only leaving him with twenty for his share. I had

now sixty, and anyone might have imagined that I should be content.



But, Commander of the Faithful, there is a proverb that says, "the more

one has, the more one wants." So it was with me. I could not rest as

long as one solitary camel remained to the dervish; and returning to

him I redoubled my prayers and embraces, and promises of eternal

gratitude, till the last twenty were in my hands.



"Make a good use of them, my brother," said the holy man. "Remember

riches sometimes have wings if we keep them for ourselves, and the poor

are at our gates expressly that we may help them."



My eyes were so blinded by gold, that I paid no heed to his wise

counsel, and only looked about for something else to grasp. Suddenly I

remembered the little box of ointment that the dervish had hidden, and

which most likely contained a treasure more precious than all the rest.

Giving him one last embrace, I observed accidentally, "What are you

going to do with that little box of ointment? It seems hardly worth

taking with you; you might as well let me have it. And really, a

dervish who has given up the world has no need of ointment!"



Oh, if he had only refused my request! But then, supposing he had, I

should have got possession of it by force, so great was the madness

that had laid hold upon me. However, far from refusing it, the dervish

at once held it out, saying gracefully, "Take it, my friend, and if

there is anything else I can do to make you happy you must let me know."



Directly the box was in my hands I wrenched off the cover. "As you are

so kind," I said, "tell me, I pray you, what are the virtues of this

ointment?"



"They are most curious and interesting," replied the dervish. "If you

apply a little of it to your left eye you will behold in an instant all

the treasures hidden in the bowels of the earth. But beware lest you

touch your right eye with it, or your sight will be destroyed for ever."



His words excited my curiosity to the highest pitch. "Make trial on

me, I implore you," I cried, holding out the box to the dervish. "You

will know how to do it better than I! I am burning with impatience to

test its charms."



The dervish took the box I had extended to him, and, bidding me shut my

left eye, touched it gently with the ointment. When I opened it again

I saw spread out, as it were before me, treasures of every kind and

without number. But as all this time I had been obliged to keep my

right eye closed, which was very fatiguing, I begged the dervish to

apply the ointment to that eye also.



"If you insist upon it I will do it," answered the dervish, "but you

must remember what I told you just now--that if it touches your right

eye you will become blind on the spot."



Unluckily, in spite of my having proved the truth of the dervish's

words in so many instances, I was firmly convinced that he was now

keeping concealed from me some hidden and precious virtue of the

ointment. So I turned a deaf ear to all he said.



"My brother," I replied smiling, "I see you are joking. It is not

natural that the same ointment should have two such exactly opposite

effects."



"It is true all the same," answered the dervish, "and it would be well

for you if you believed my word."



But I would not believe, and, dazzled by the greed of avarice, I

thought that if one eye could show me riches, the other might teach me

how to get possession of them. And I continued to press the dervish to

anoint my right eye, but this he resolutely declined to do.



"After having conferred such benefits on you," said he, "I am loth

indeed to work you such evil. Think what it is to be blind, and do not

force me to do what you will repent as long as you live."



It was of no use. "My brother," I said firmly, "pray say no more, but

do what I ask. You have most generously responded to my wishes up to

this time, do not spoil my recollection of you for a thing of such

little consequence. Let what will happen I take it on my own head, and

will never reproach you."



"Since you are determined upon it," he answered with a sigh, "there is

no use talking," and taking the ointment he laid some on my right eye,

which was tight shut. When I tried to open it heavy clouds of darkness

floated before me. I was as blind as you see me now!



"Miserable dervish!" I shrieked, "so it is true after all! Into what

a bottomless pit has my lust after gold plunged me. Ah, now that my

eyes are closed they are really opened. I know that all my sufferings

are caused by myself alone! But, good brother, you, who are so kind

and charitable, and know the secrets of such vast learning, have you

nothing that will give me back my sight?"



"Unhappy man," replied the dervish, "it is not my fault that this has

befallen you, but it is a just chastisement. The blindness of your

heart has wrought the blindness of your body. Yes, I have secrets;

that you have seen in the short time that we have known each other.

But I have none that will give you back your sight. You have proved

yourself unworthy of the riches that were given you. Now they have

passed into my hands, whence they will flow into the hands of others

less greedy and ungrateful than you."



The dervish said no more and left me, speechless with shame and

confusion, and so wretched that I stood rooted to the spot, while he

collected the eighty camels and proceeded on his way to Balsora. It

was in vain that I entreated him not to leave me, but at least to take

me within reach of the first passing caravan. He was deaf to my

prayers and cries, and I should soon have been dead of hunger and

misery if some merchants had not come along the track the following day

and kindly brought me back to Bagdad.



From a rich man I had in one moment become a beggar; and up to this

time I have lived solely on the alms that have been bestowed on me.

But, in order to expiate the sin of avarice, which was my undoing, I

oblige each passer-by to give me a blow.



This, Commander of the Faithful, is my story.



When the blind man had ended the Caliph addressed him: "Baba-Abdalla,

truly your sin is great, but you have suffered enough. Henceforth

repent in private, for I will see that enough money is given you day by

day for all your wants."



At these words Baba-Abdalla flung himself at the Caliph's feet, and

prayed that honour and happiness might be his portion for ever.