第49章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(24)
but our hearts forebode us that thou will not hearken to us；and this is the cause of our weeping'Tell me how the case stands，'said I；and they answered'Know that we are the daughters of kingswho have lived here together for years pastand once in every year we are absent for forty days；then we return and abide here for the rest of the yeareating and drinking and making merry. We are now about to depart according to our customand we fear lest thou disobey our injunctions in our absencein which case we shall never see thee again；but if thou do as we bid theeall will yet be well. Take these keys：they are those of the hundred apartments of the palaceeach of which contains what will suffice thee for a day's entertainment. Ninety-and-nine of these thou mayst open and take thy pleasure thereinbut beware lest thou open the hundredththat which has a door of red gold；
for therein is that which will bring about a separation between us and thee.'Quoth I'I will assuredly not open the hundredth doorif therein be separation from you.'Then one of them came up to me and embraced me and repeated the following verses：
If but the days once more our severed loves uniteIf but my eyes once more be gladdened by thy sight，Then shall the face of Time smile after many a frownAnd I will pardon Fate for all its past despite.
And I repeated the following：
When she drew near to bid farewellupon our parting dayWhilst on her heart the double stroke of love and longing smote，She wept pure pearlsand eke mine eyes did rain cornelians forth；And lothey all combined and made a necklace for her throat！
When I saw her weepingI said'By AllahI will never open the hundredth door！'Then they bade me farewell and departedleaving me alone in the palace. When the evening drew nearI opened the first door and found myself in an orchardfull of blooming treesladen with ripe fruitand the air resounded with the loud singing of birds and the ripple of running waters. The sight brought solace to my souland I entered and walked among the treesinhaling the odours of the flowers and listening to the warble of the birdsthat sang the praises of God the Onethe Almighty. I looked upon the applewhose colour is parcel red and parcel yellowas says the poet：
The apple in itself two colours doth uniteThe loved one's cheek of redand yellow of despite.
Then I looked upon the quince and inhaled its fragrance that puts musk and ambergris to shameeven as says the poet：
The quince contains all pleasant things that can delight mankind，Wherefore above all fruits that be its virtues are renowned.
Its taste is as the taste of wineits breath the scent of musk；Its hue is that of virgin goldits shape the full moon's round.
Thence I passed to the pearwhose taste surpasses rose-water and sugarand the plumwhose beauty delights the eyeas it were a polished ruby. When I had taken my fill of looking on the place，I went and locked the door again. Next dayI opened the second door and found myself in a great pleasaunceset with many palm-trees and watered by a running streamwhose borders were decked with bushes of rose and jessamine and henna and camomile and marjoram and sweetbriar and carpeted with narcissus and ox-eye and violets and lilies and gillyflowers. The breeze fluttered over all these sweet-smelling plants and scattered their scents right and leftpossessing me with complete delight.
I took my pleasure in the place awhileand my chagrin was somewhat lightened. Then I went out and locked the door and opening the third doorfound therein a great hall paved with vari-coloured marbles and other precious stones and hung with cages of sandal and aloes woodfull of singing-birdssuch as the thousand-voiced nightingale and the cushat and the blackbird and the turtle-dove and the Nubian warbler. My heart was ravished by the song of the birds and I forgot my cares and slept in the aviary till the morning. Then I opened the fourth door and saw a great hallwith forty cabinets ranged on either side. The doors of the latter stood open；so I entered and found them full of pearls and rubies and chrysolites and beryls and emeralds and corals and carbuncles and all manner of precious stones and jewels of gold and silversuch as the tongue fails to describe. I was amazed at what I saw and said in myself'Methinksif all the kings of the earth joined together they could not produce the like of these treasures！'And my heart dilated and I exclaimed'Now am I king of my timefor all these riches are mine by the favour of Godand I have forty young ladies under my handnor is there any with them but myself！'In shortI passed nine-and-thirty days after this fashion，exploring the riches of the placetill I had opened all the doorsexcept that which the princesses had charged me not to openbut my thoughts ran ever on this latter and Satan urged me，for my ruinto open itnor had I patience to forbear；though there remained but one day of the appointed time. So I opened the hundredth doorthat which was plated with red goldand was met by a perfumewhose like I had never before smelt and which was of so subtle and penetrating a qualitythat it invaded my head and I fell downas if intoxicatedand lay awhile unconscious.