Vietnam or Thailand ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
Updated: June 5, 2025
Scarcely had the head spoken these words, when the king fell down dead, and the head itself lost what life it had. Sir, continues Scheherazade, such was the end of the Grecian king, and the physician Douban; I must return now to the story of the fisherman and the genie; but it is not worth while to begin it now, for it is day.
Then he tried to get out by cunning. "If you will take off the cover," he said, "I will repay you." "No," answered the fisherman, "if I trust myself to you I am afraid you will treat me as a certain Greek king treated the physician Douban. Listen, and I will tell you." The Story of the Greek King and the Physician Douban In the country of Zouman, in Persia, there lived a Greek king.
The Vizier answered, "If thou sleepest, awake. I mean the physician Douban." "Out on thee!" said the King.
"This is an affair in which thy aid can scarce be sufficient, Anna," said the Emperor; "it would have been well if you and I could have borne him into the open air by our joint strength, for there is little wisdom in showing the secrets of this prison-house to those to whom they are not yet known; nevertheless, go, my child, and at a short distance from the head of the staircase which we descended, thou wilt find Edward, the bold and trusty Varangian, who on your communicating to him my orders, will come hither and render his assistance; and see that you send also the experienced leech, Douban."
Scarcely had the head spoken these words, when the king fell down dead, and the head itself lost what life it had. As soon as the fisherman had concluded the history of the Greek king and his physician Douban, he made the application to the genie, whom he still kept shut up in the vessel.
Thou and I are like King Younan's Vizier and the physician Douban. 'Who are they, asked the Afrit, 'and what is their story? Then said the fisherman, 'Know, O Afrit, that Story of the Physician Douban.
"I am told," replied Younan, "that thou art a spy and comest to kill me, but I will kill thee first." Then he cried out to his swordbearer, saying, "Strike off the head of this traitor and rid us of his mischief!" "Spare me," said Douban; "so may God spare thee; and kill me not, lest God kill thee!"
When the Grecian king, says the fisherman to the genie, had finished the story of the parrot; and you, vizier, adds he, because of the hatred you bear to the physician Douban, who never did you any hurt, you would have me cut him off; but I will take care of that, for fear I should repent it, as the husband did the killing of his parrot.
At that instant the smoke ascended, and the genie having resumed his form, the first thing he did was to kick the vessel into the sea. This action alarmed the fisherman. "Genie," said he, "will not you keep the oath you just now made? And must I say to you, as the physician Douban said to the Grecian king, suffer me to live, and God will prolong your days."
Now he had among his viziers one who was forbidding of aspect, sordid, avaricious and envious: a man of ill omen, naturally inclined to malevolence: and when he saw the esteem in which the King held Douban and the favours he bestowed on him, he envied him and plotted evil against him; for, as says the byword, "Nobody is free from envy" and again "Tyranny is latent in the soul: weakness hides it and strength reveals it."
Word Of The Day
Others Looking