The Oriental Story Book: A Collection of Tales Page 4

  CHAPTER II.

  Scarcely, on the next morning, had the Caliph Chasid breakfasted anddressed himself, when the Grand-Vizier appeared, to accompany him, ashe had commanded, on his walk. The Caliph placed the box with themagic powder in his girdle, and having commanded his train to remainbehind, set out, all alone with Mansor, upon their expedition. Theywent at first through the extensive gardens of the Caliph, but lookedaround in vain for some living thing, in order to make their strangeexperiment. The Vizier finally proposed to go farther on, to a pond,where he had often before seen many storks, which, by their gravebehavior and clattering, had always excited his attention. The Caliphapproved of the proposition of his Vizier, and went with him to thepond. When they reached it they saw a stork walking gravely to andfro, seeking for frogs, and now and then clattering at somethingbefore her. Presently they saw, too, another stork hovering far up inthe air.

  "I will wager my beard, most worthy sire," exclaimed the Grand-Vizier,"that these two long-feet are even now carrying on a fine conversationwith one another. How would it be, if we should become storks?"

  "Well spoken!" answered the Caliph. "But first, we will consider howwe may become men again.--Right! Three times bow to the East, andexclaim 'MUTABOR!' then will I be Caliph once more, and thou Vizier.Only, for the sake of Heaven, laugh not, or we are lost!"

  While the Caliph was thus speaking, he saw the other stork hoveringover their heads, and sinking slowly to the ground. He drew the boxquickly out of his girdle, and took a good pinch; then he presented itto the Grand-Vizier, who also snuffed some of the powder, and bothexclaimed "MUTABOR!" Immediately their legs shrivelled away and becameslender and red; the handsome yellow slippers of the Caliph and hiscompanion became misshapen stork's feet; their arms turned to wings;the neck extended up from the shoulders, and was an ell long; theirbeards had vanished, and their whole bodies were covered with softfeathers.

  "You have a beautiful beak, my lord Grand-Vizier," exclaimed theCaliph after long astonishment. "By the beard of the Prophet, in mywhole life I have not seen any thing like it!"

  "Most humble thanks!" responded the Vizier, as he bowed. "But if Idared venture it, I might assert that your Highness looks almost ashandsome when a stork, as when a Caliph. But suppose, if it bepleasing to you, that we observe and listen to our comrades, to see,if we actually understand Storkish."

  Meanwhile the other stork reached the earth. He cleaned his feet withhis bill, smoothed his feathers, and moved towards the first. Both thenew birds, thereupon, made haste to draw near, and to theirastonishment, heard the following conversation.

  "Good-morning, Madam Long-legs; already, so early, upon the pond?"

  "Fine thanks, beloved Clatter-beak. I have brought me a littlebreakfast. Would you like, perhaps, the quarter of an eider-duck, or alittle frog's thigh?"

  "My best thanks, but this morning I have little appetite. I come tothe pond for a very different reason. I have to dance to-day beforethe guests of my father, and I wish to practise a little in private."

  Immediately, thereupon, the young lady-stork stepped, in greatexcitement, over the plain. The Caliph and Mansor looked on her inamazement. When, however, she stood in a picturesque attitude upon onefoot, and, at the same time, gracefully moved her wings like a fan,the two could contain themselves no longer; a loud laugh broke forthfrom their bills. The Caliph was the first to recover himself. "Thatwere once a joke," said he, "which gold could not have purchased.Pity! that the stupid birds should have been driven away by ourlaughter; otherwise they would certainly even yet have been singing."

  But already it occurred to the Grand-Vizier that, during theirmetamorphosis, laughter was prohibited; he shared his anxiety on thishead with the Caliph. "By Mecca and Medina! that were a sorry jest, ifI am to remain a stork. Bethink thyself, then, of the foolish word,for I can recall it not."

  "Three times must we bow ourselves to the East, and at the same timesay, Mu--mu--mu--"

  They turned to the East, and bowed so low that their beaks almosttouched the earth. But, O misery! that magic word had escaped them;and though the Caliph prostrated himself again and again, though atthe same time the Vizier earnestly cried "Mu--mu--," all recollectionthereof had vanished, and poor Chasid and his Vizier were to remainstorks.