Текст книги "The Storyteller's Daughter"

Автор книги: Кэмерон Доки

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Chapter 16

T H E T A L E O F T H E F I S H E R M A N , T H E P R I N C E , A N D T H E W A T E R

B E A R E R ' S D A U G H T E R

"Once, in a land much like our own, there lived a poor water bearer who had but one child, and that was a daughter. His wife had died in giving birth, and since the water bearer was too poor to remarry, father and daughter lived all alone, though they were not lonely. For such was their affection for one another, that even though it was not filled with fine things, to them their home seemed always full to overflowing.

"As the years went by, the child grew to be a young woman who possessed rich gifts in spite of her poor estate. And those gifts numbered four and were as follows: her kind heart, her beauty, her bravery, and her honesty.

"One day it happened that the prince of this land, who was something of a ne'er-do-well, interested more in looking like a prince than in acting like one, decided to elude his tutors and have a great adventure in the city which surrounded his palace. But, though he successfully managed to make his escape, it did not take long for him to lose his way once he had done so. For he did not know the city at all, being greatly sheltered and having only gone out previously with his servants and retainers to guide him.

"Being lost, he should have stood still and waited to be found. But, being foolish, he did not. Instead he began to wander. And so, after many hours he found himself in a rough portion of the city where things might have ended very badly for him indeed. For in his fine garments, with jewels flashing from almost every finger, it was not long before he was set upon by a band of thieves. They knocked him to the ground and dragged him into a nearby alley.

"But, having secured their prize, the thieves fell to doing what thieves often do, for they have no honor: They quarreled amongst themselves. Some of the band were all for cutting off the young man's fingers—

the better to obtain the rich jewels he wore. Others argued that it would be better to truss him up on a spit and suspend him over a pit of hot coals. In this way they could force him to reveal the name of his family and ransom him for more money than they had ever dreamed of.

"The prince had just reached the point where he was considering groveling in a very unprincelike manner when the thieves were interrupted. The water bearer and his daughter were making their way home and took a shortcut through the alley.

"Now, you might suppose, as the prince had, that a band of thieves would find little to fear from a water bearer who was not as young as he used to be, and his only child who was a daughter. But if you had supposed such a thing, you would have been as mistaken as the prince was, for in that rough place the Water bearer's strength was well known and commanded much respect. Had he not spent his life carrying burdens too heavy for others?

"And to the father's strength of body, there was added the daughter's bravery. She was quick as an eel and afraid of nothing.

“At the sight of the water bearer and his daughter, the thieves fled, leaving the prince alone. At first the prince feared he had met with ruffians much worse than the first, for who else could have put such desperate creatures to flight? But his fears were soon allayed when the water bearer and his daughter treated him with kindness. They took him to their home and tended to his wounds. The prince gazed about him in wonder, for never had he seen such a humble abode. Although it was clean, it had but one room, and that a small one. How could people of such goodness live in such surroundings?

"As the water bearer's daughter bound up his wounds, the prince could not help but notice her loveliness, and thus he spoke to her. Tell me how it is that a flower as beautiful as you can flourish in such a harsh and desperate place. Surely you belong in a well-tended garden.'

'"I have grown as I am exacdy where I was planted,' she replied. 'Is it not then the case that I am so because of my surroundings?'

"You are wise as well as beautiful, I see,' the prince said gallantly.

"And your mouth is as a honeycomb,' the girl answered honestly. 'What falls from it is sweet, but I fear the taste will not last long.'

'"Not so!' cried the prince, for like a bee, her words had stung him. He was unaccustomed to his flattery failing, and he had wanted to make a good impression upon the water bearer's daughter. 'If you knew my true identity, you would not say such a thing,' he went on, for it seemed to him that she must take him more seriously when she knew who he was.

'"Very well,' the girl said, not yet particularly impressed.'Who are you?'

'"I am Prince Khasib, and when my father dies I shall be king over all this land.'

"Upon hearing this news, the water bearer's daughter fell to her knees in astonishment. And her father, coming into the room just then, dropped his water skins so that their precious contents spilled out upon the floor—a thing he had not done once in all his years.

"Their reactions both pleased and vexed Prince Khasib. Certainly it was wonderful to be so admired, but he had not wished to inspire fear. He wanted the water bearer's daughter to look upon him with favor, as he looked upon her.

"'Majesty,' the water bearer gasped. 'We are honored by your presence in our humble home. But this is too rough a place for one so fine as you. Let me send a messenger to the palace at once.'

"And so the prince agreed. But while the water bearer was out finding a boy to run to the palace, the prince plucked the jewel from his little finger and gave it to the water bearer's daughter with these words:

'"If ever you have need of me, bring this and come to the palace.'

"Sire, I will,' the girl replied, though in her heart she could not imagine when such a time might arise.

She was certain she would never see the handsome prince again.

"Now, I probably do not need to tell you (but I will do so anyway, for the story demands it) that things we cannot imagine often have a strange way of happening in spite of us. And so it was with the water bearer's daughter. Not long after this, on his way home from carrying water to the home of a rich courtier, the water bearer was seized and thrown into prison without a word of explanation. Nothing his daughter could do would secure his release. Indeed, his jailers hinted that he might not be allowed to live much longer. Strong and courageous though she was, the water bearer's daughter was soon close to despair.

"But before she could give way to it completely, she remembered the ring the prince had given her and his words at their parting. So she dressed herself in her finest garments and set out for the palace.

"Now, the distance from the home of a water bearer and his daughter to a princes palace is a great one.

So great, that by the time the water bearer's daughter had traveled it, her finest garments were covered with dust, and the hours allotted for audiences were nearly over. The palace guards took one look at her and turned her away.

'"Come back tomorrow.'

'"But I must see Prince Khasib as soon as possible,' the water bearer's daughter cried. 'See! I have his token. If ever I have need of him, he commanded I should bring this to the palace.' And with these words, she produced the ring and held it out.

"At this, the palace guards began to take her more seriously. Not because they believed a word she said, but because they felt sure the ring must have been stolen. They were just on the verge of hauling the water bearer's daughter off to prison too when, to the surprise of all, a court lady who happened to be passing by intervened.

"'Fools!' she exclaimed angrily. 'Can you not see that this girl speaks the truth.'1 Do you not recognize the Prince's mark?

"And upon close examination, her claim proved to be true. For on the inside of the band, so cunningly placed that only when you gazed into the jewel itself could you see it, was the official mark of Prince Khasib.

"At this, the guards began to be afraid that they would be the ones thrown into prison, and so they let the water bearer's daughter enter the palace at once. The court lady went so far as to escort her to the audience chamber, the water bearer's daughter expressing her appreciation for the lady's kindness the entire way.

“ ‘Think nothing of it,' the court lady said with a wave of her perfumed hand. 'But remember well this good deed that I have done you. Perhaps you may do one for me someday.'

"If ever it is within my power to do you good, I will,’ the water bearer's daughter promised. And with that, they reached the audience chamber. Here again the court lady exerted herself on the water bearer's daughter's behalf.

"Here is one who begs an audience with Prince Khasib,’ she cried in a loud voice. 'She comes bearing his token. Let her be heard.' With that, she moved forward, bringing the water bearer's daughter with her.

And so they came to Prince Khasib.

"Glad as he was to see the water bearer’s daughter once again, seeing the two women together was not so pleasing to Prince Khasib. For the token he had given to one had been a gift to him from the other. In truth, the ring he had bestowed upon the water bearer's daughter had not truly been his to give: It had been a gift to him from the fine court lady who wished to win his favor. In short, the situation had all the makings of a fine muddle.

"Nor was this all, for beneath his handsome countenance and gallant manners, there lived a darkness in the heart of Prince Khasib. It was he who was responsible for the water bearer's imprisonment. Until he gave the word, the water bearer would not be released. And all so that the prince could look upon the water bearer's daughter once more, to discover if she was as lovely as he remembered. And to impress upon her that her happiness was in his hands.

"But the water bearer's daughter knew nothing of this. And so she cast herself to the ground before Prince Khasib and said, 'Hear me, O great and shining Prince! I come as you have said I might, bearing your token, to beg for your help in my hour of greatest need.'

"The first of the matters that had weighed 0n Prince Khasib's mind was thus easily dispatched For, even streaked with dust and in despair, the water bearer's daughter was just as lovely as he had at first perceived.

'"What would you have me do? he asked, pleased to have her acknowledge her need of him so quickly

'Rise and tell me.'

"So the water bearer's daughter rose to her feet and said, 'My father has been imprisoned for a cause I cannot discover. I fear his life may be forfeit. I beg you to order his release, and so spare both his life and my own. For it is not possible that I should live without him.'

"Now, this was not precisely what Prince Khasib wished to hear. If she could not live without someone, it should be him. 'Yet surely he must die someday,' he countered.

"As God shall will it,' the water bearer's daughter acknowledged. 'But I greatly fear that what has befallen him is, instead, the will of man.'

'"If I might be so bold, Highness,' the court lady spoke up suddenly. ‘I may be able to suggest a way to determine whether the imprisonment of this maid's father be just or no.'

"At this, Prince Khasib perceived that he was growing more unhappy by the minute, for this interruption was not at all to his liking. It was hardly possible the court lady would have the best interests of the water bearer's daughter at heart. She was more likely to wish some mischief upon her. But Prince Khasib had no choice but to listen to what she had to say, for she had caught the attention of his courtiers.

"'Speak,' he commanded.

'"I would propose a test,' the court lady said. A trial of some sort. Command this maid to do a thing that all others before her have failed to accomplish. If she succeeds, you will know her cause is just.'

"At her words, a murmuring of appreciation filled the audience chamber, a counterbalance to the dread filling Prince Khasib's heart.

'"What might such a task be? he inquired.

"'Gracious!' the court lady exclaimed with a becoming blush. 'How should I know? Yet I have heard...'

Her voice trailed off, and in spite of himself, Prince Khasib leaned forward on his seat of ivory.

"'What?

'"I have heard of a treasure that rests at the bottom of the ocean,’ the court lady went on. 'A treasure so remarkable, only one who possesses both strength of body and purity of heart has even the slightest hope of finding it. Many have tried, but so far, all have failed. Surely this would be a fitting gift to bestow upon a prince to ransom the life of a much-loved father.'

"At these words, the swell of wonder from the courtiers within the audience chamber grew so great that Prince Khasib perceived an astonishing thing: His mind was already made up. For to refuse such a remarkable request would be unthinkable. And so he turned back to the water bearer's daughter and said,

'Find this treasure for me. When I hold it in my hand, I will have proof your cause is just and free your father. Not only that, on that day, I will make you my bride. For any who can find such a treasure must surely be a treasure herself and fit to be a prince's consort.'

"And with that, the prince smiled at the court lady. See what happens to all those who would try to outsmart me, he thought.

"But the water bearer's daughter hardly noticed the prince's offer to make her his bride. She was too filled with dismay at the task he had set her, for it seemed to her that it was impossible. She had never even seen the ocean, did not even know where it might be found. But she rallied her courage, for she was her father's only hope, and she knew she must be strong. So she bowed low before the prince and said,

'Majesty, may your will be done.'

"With her words, the day's audiences were over, and the water bearer's daughter returned home. There, she changed her finest garments for her most sensible clothes. Into a knapsack she placed a loaf of bread and some dried figs, which was all the food she had in the house. She filled one of her father's water skins and was just on the point of setting out when she heard a knock upon her door. Opening it, she discovered the court lady who had helped her get into the palace.

'"Forgive me,' the court lady said, casting her eyes down modestly. 'But, after you left the audience chamber, I had you followed. I feel responsible for the fact that you must undertake such an arduous quest, for had I not spoken—'

'"You must not blame yourself,' the water bearer's daughter interrupted swiftly. ‘I would do anything to save my father.'

"The court lady raised her eyes and gazed into those of the water bearer's daughter as if searching for something. After several moments, she said, 'You truly love him.'

'"With all my heart.'

"I am sorry for it,' the court lady said, taking them both by surprise. 'For your way must surely be difficult and long. You may fail. Your father may still die.'

'"I will not fail,’ the water bearer's daughter vowed. 'But worse than failing is not to try at all. For then there can be no hope of success.'

"At these words, the court lady gestured to the two servants who had accompanied her. "Then take these, and may success follow.' The servants placed a basket and a roll of parchment at the water bearer's daughter's feet. Then they bowed low, and all three departed.

"Unrolling the parchment, the water bearer's daughter discovered a map like a jigsaw puzzle, showing how her own country fit into those around it until, at last, the land ended at a great ocean. The distance between where she would begin, and where she must end was so great, it made her bones ache just to study it. But taking careful note of the direction in which she needed to travel, she rolled the map up again and tucked it into her knapsack, saying to herself, There is no sense on dwelling on what cannot be altered.

"Opening the basket, she discovered a pair of shoes made of iron. They seemed a strange choice for such a long journey, but she supposed they had one virtue: They would not wear out. So she sat down upon the ground, removed her sandals, and slipped her feet into the iron shoes. They were so heavy, she could barely lift her feet to walk. But she said to herself, I am not afraid to work hard. Has not my father done so all his life? Besides, every step I take will bring me closer to the moment he is free once more.

"And so, shouldering her knapsack, the water bearer's daughter set off."

Chapter 17

H O W T H E W A T E R B E A R E R ' S D A U G H T E R F I N D S T H E F I S H E R M A N , T H E

T R E A S U R E , A N D H E R , H E A R T . A N D H O W T H E S T O R Y F I N D S I T S E N D . I N

T H A T O R D E R .

"How many days and nights, how the days and nights stretched out to weeks and the weeks to months and maybe even years, is not recorded in the cloth," Shahrazad's voice continued softly. "But this much I can tell you:

"The water bearer's daughter had walked so long, her hair had turned as white as a noonday sky. So far the heels and toes of her iron shoes were worn clean through so that the sand ran in one end and out the other, before she stood at last upon the shore of a vast and swirling blue-green ocean.

"But, though her heart rejoiced to reach her destination at last, it quailed also. For now that she was here, the water bearer's daughter realized several bitter things all at once: She did not know what form the treasure she was looking for might take, and there was no one she might ask, for she was quite alone. And she had remembered suddenly that she could not swim. How then could she hope to find a treasure at the bottom of the ocean?

"The bitterness of these things struck her with such force, her legs gave way and she fell to her knees, soaking her skirts with ocean foam. And there the water bearer's daughter might finally have given up hope when, through eyes grown dim with tears as salty as the great ocean itself, she beheld a sail dancing upon the horizon. The longer she watched, the larger it became, until she could clearly perceive a small boat with a single occupant.

"I can at least ask this fisherman, she thought. So she got to her feet and waited patiently upon the shore. But the longer she waited, the more concerned the water bearer's daughter became. For as she watched and waited, the wind came up and the sky grew crowded with clouds as fierce and dark as any she had seen. Without warning, a great needle of light shot down from the sky. It struck so near the boat, the water bearer's daughter swore she smelled scorched wood. With a shout, the fisherman threw himself overboard.

"The water bearer's daughter never even hesitated. Later, it seemed to her she simply moved, with no conscious thought at all. In spite of the fact that she could not swim a stroke, she kicked off what remained of her iron shoes and waded out into the thrashing water.

"It seethed about her, agitated as the brew of a witch's cauldron. After no more than a few struggling steps, the water bearer's daughter felt her feet slip, then leave the bottom. Still, she never faltered, her determination to save the fisherman as great as her need to save her father.

"One wave struck her. Then another. And another. Until the water bearers daughter's eyes stung with salt, her mouth choked with seawater. But still, she pushed against the waves with all her might, reaching out through the water. On the fourth wave, she felt something brush against her outstretched hands.

Something with fingers that reached to meet hers and clung having found them. Sobbing now, the water bearer's daughter held on with one hand, and with the other, reached back toward the shore.

"Again and again she reached. Each time, the strength of her determination brought the land a little closer. Until at last she felt the earth beneath her feet. A few more steps brought her out of the water. And with her, the fisherman, for it was his hand she held fast in her own. Together, they collapsed to the sand, and as they did so, the storm ended as abruptly as it had begun, and the sun shone down upon them, bright and strong.

'"Thank you,' the fisherman said as soon as he was able. 'If not for your courage, my life would have been lost.'

'"Oh, surely not,' the water bearers daughter answered. 'For you are . . . '

"But here, a strange thing happened. Without warning, a great heaviness seized the water bearer's daughter in all her limbs, as if every step of her long journey had suddenly come to inhabit her body all at the same moment. Her vision darkened until she could not see the fisherman clearly, though he lay beside her. She blinked her eyes once, twice. The third time, her lids stayed closed, and she remembered nothing more.

"She awoke to a warm darkness. She pulled in a breath and found the air scented with smoke from a driftwood fire. She stirred and realized she was covered in a scratchy blanket from feet to chin.

"So you're awake at last,' the voice of the fisherman said. ‘That is good, for I feared I might have lost you.'

'"I am not lost,' the water bearer's daughter replied. And with this, she sat up and looked around her.

"She was in a small cottage made of wood, its roof thatched with the reeds that grew out of the great dunes bordering the ocean. There was a hole in the roof, and through it drifted the driftwood smoke.

Though another might have considered it small and poor, the water bearer's daughter could see that the cottage had been well kept, much like the home she shared with her father. And so she felt not scornful or afraid to awaken in a place she did not know, but comfortable and at home.

"Over a pot above the fire, the fisherman stirred something that made the water bearer's daughter's mouth water.

'"What are you making?' she inquired.

"'Seaweed soup,' the fisherman answered. 'It will help to make you strong once more.' So saying, he filled a bowl. As he leaned over the fire, its light played over his features, and the water bearer's daughter felt her breath catch as she beheld him clearly for the very first time.

"Never had she seen a man so ugly.

"His face was lined as if creased by the wind, pitted as if scarred by the salt in the seawater. With his gaze downcast, the water bearer's daughter could not see the color of his eyes. His hands were as wide across as one of her legs. But they cradled her bowl of soup as gently as if it were a bird's nest filled with hatchlings.

"There is kindness in him, she thought.

"And so, though her heart beat a little faster at his approach, she took the bowl of soup from him without spilling a drop, for her hands did not tremble. And she said to him, 'I thank you for your kindness.'

"At her words, the fisherman started. 'You are the first who has ever seen it,' he said, and he smiled.

When he did this, the water bearer's daughter discovered that it was possible to forget his great ugliness, for his kindness was the only thing she saw.

'"Eat your soup,' he said. 'Then, if you are not too weary, tell me how you have come to be in this place, for I think that you are far from home.'

'"I am, indeed,' the water bearer's daughter said, though this cottage reminds me of it.'

"At this, though he did not speak, the fisherman smiled once more. The water bearer’s daughter ate her soup, then told him of all that had lately befallen her.

'"I have heard of this treasure you seek,' the fisherman said when her tale was done. 'It may be that I can even show you where it lies. But seeking is not the same as finding. Many have come before you, and all have failed.'

"'I will not fail,' the water bearer's daughter answered firmly. 'I will succeed, for I must save my father.'

'"In the morning, we shall see,' the fisherman said. 'Sleep, now.' So saying, he took her empty bowl from her, then tucked her in once more. The water bearer's daughter was asleep by the time the blanket reached her chin.

"In the middle of the night, she awoke to find the fire had died down low. The fisherman sat beside it, weaving a great net, his eyes glowing bright as the coals.

"In the morning, her strength restored, the water bearer's daughter followed the fisherman down to the water. There they climbed into his boat, and the fisherman plied the oars. Today the sea was as smooth as honey. When they reached a spot in the ocean that looked the same as any other to the water bearer's daughter, the fisherman lifted the oars from the water.

'"The treasure that you seek is down below us. To find it, you must dive to the bottom.'

"Though she had never done such a thing before, the water bearers daughter rose. 'Then that is what I will do,’ she vowed.

'"Keep your head down,’ the fisherman advised. 'Reach with your arms for the bottom.'

'"I will,’ the water bearer's daughter said, and with no more ado, she dove over the side.

"Down, down, down she went, through water so smooth it felt like silk, always keeping her head aimed downward and reaching with her arms for the bottom. Her heartbeats began to pound in her ears. Then at last, she saw what she was searching for. The sand at the bottom of the ocean was white and pure as milk, but whiter still were the bones resting on top of it.

"These are the ones who came before me and failed, the water bearer's daughter thought. Scattered among the bones was a treasure such as she had never dreamed of: Jewels of every size and shape. Gold coins too numerous to count. Surely something here would ransom her father. The question was, what?

"Just when the water bearer's daughter thought her breath would last no longer, she caught a dazzle from the corner of her eye. A ruby, big as her fist, nestled in the right eye socket of a half-buried skull. She snatched it up, then shot toward the surface, breaking through the water at the last possible moment, desperately pulling breath into her lungs. She felt the fisherman reach down and lift her up into the boat.

"'Well?' he said after giving her a chance to catch her breath. 'What have you found?"

"The water bearers daughter opened her hand to reveal the ruby. To her horror and dismay, the fisherman snatched it from her and heaved it back into the ocean.

"'You will not save your father with that,' he said. You must try again tomorrow.'

"With that, he spoke not another word, but rowed them back to shore. That night, much was as it had been the night before. The water beater's daughter awakened just once, in the dead of night. She saw the fisherman sitting by the fire, weaving a great net by the fireside, his eyes glowing bright as the coals.

"Now began a series of days when the exact same thing happened. The fisherman fished while the water bearer's daughter dove. But each time she retrieved what she hoped was the treasure she sought, the fisherman would declare it useless and throw it back into the sea once more.

"As the days passed, the water bearer's daughter grew more and more desperate. The rich jewels adorning the bottom of the ocean began to lose their shine. Though they might be valuable, they were not precious. And within the water bearer's daughter's heart was a growing certainty that the only thing that could ransom her father was a treasure beyond price. But she did not yet see what it was.

"She began staying beneath the waves longer and longer, pushing herself to the limits of her breath before she made her choice. Until finally the day came when she brought up nothing at all. For she had left her choice too late. To choose would be to drown. On that day, after he had lifted her into the boat, the fisherman said nothing at all. But that night, when the water bearer's daughter awoke in the dead of night, the fisherman said, 'Have you ever wondered how all those bones came to be at the bottom of the ocean?*

"'Never,' answered the water bearer's daughter. 'For surely it is obvious. They are the bones of those who tried before me.'

'"Tried and failed,' the fisherman reminded her. 'Do you know why?'

"Before today, the water bearer's daughter might not have had an answer. But now she thought she understood, and so she replied, 'The day came when they could not choose, and so they drowned.'

'"That is so,' the fisherman said with a nod. 'But that is not all. They did not know how to look, trust-ing only the eyes of the mind. But the treasure you seek will never be found that way.'

'"How, then?* the water bearer's daughter asked.

'"With the eyes of the heart,' the fisherman replied. 'They alone will show you the treasure you seek. If you fail in this, you will suffer the same fate as all the others.'

'"I will not fail,' the water bearer's daughter said, just as she had that first morning.

'"We shall see,' the fisherman replied. 'Sleep now. One way or the other, tomorrow will be your last dive.'

"The following morning found the fisherman and the water bearer's daughter in the fisherman's small boat once more. The fisherman fished. The water bearer's daughter dove over the side. But even though she did so again and again, she could find nothing she thought might ransom her father, for now all seemed changed. Nothing looked as it had before.

"Although she had thought all the rest of the night about the fisherman's words, the water bearer's daughter had not been able to find the hidden meaning in them. How did one see with the heart and not the mind? The more times she dove, the more frustrated the water bearer's daughter became. And now, a terrible fear seized her for the very first time.

"She was going to fail, as all the others before her had. Both she and her father would die.

"Late in the day, she lay in the boat, gathering up her breath for one last dive. All through the long hours, the fisherman had remained silent. But he spoke now. 'You should trust yourself more. You already have the gift to see as you need to, you just don't recognize it.'

'"How can I have a gift and not recognize it?* the water bearer's daughter asked, her tone waspish.

And by the way, I tire of you talking in riddles, she thought. But out of gratitude for all he had done for her, she did not say this aloud.