Значение Дальнего Востока в экономике России

For fourteen days they voyaged, and then one day there was a strange tumult on board the ship. 

Said thought it might be a storm, and he hoped he might die. 

The ship tossed up and down, and at last a grating sound was heard. 
 
   Cries and groans on deck mingled with the raging of the storm. 
 
   At last all was quiet; 
   but at that moment water began to rise in the hold. 
 
   The convicts knocked on the partition door, but no one heeded them. 
 
   And as the water rose higher and higher, they put forth all their strength and burst its panels. 

Then they ran up the stairs, but could not see any one. 
 
   The crew had saved themselves in the ship’s boats. 
 
   This was a terrible time for these poor wretches, for the storm still raged, and the ship seemed likely to go to pieces any moment. 
 
   For some hours they sat on the deck, and made a meal from the odds and ends of food left by the crew; 
   then the storm rose with greater force, and the ship was shattered to pieces against the rocks. 

Said had bound himself to the mast. 
 
   The waves washed him backwards and forwards; 
   but he steered a course with his foot, and kept himself safe. 
 
   But for more than half an hour he was in greatest danger; 
   then all at once his whistle fell from his shirt, and he thought he would see if it would sound. 
 
   With one hand he clung to the mast, with the other he held it to his mouth, blew, and lo ! 
 
   a clear, sweet sound came forth, and instantly the storm ceased, and the waves were as still as if oil had been poured on the water. 
 
   Hardly had he had time to look around for any signs of land, when the mast beneath him began to move and change in a most wonderful manner; 
   and he was rather dismayed to find himself sitting astride a dolphin. 
 
   After a few minutes he recovered his nerve, and when he felt that the dolphin was swimming slowly and steadily he knew he owed his good fortune to the fairy and the whistle, and offered his heartfelt thanks aloud. 

His wonderful steed carried him swiftly through the waves, and when evening came he saw the land and a wide river, into which the dolphin swam, and slowly followed the course of the stream, and Said, remembering his instructions, drew out his whistle and blew it, and wished for a hearty meal. 
 
   The dolphin stopped, and on the water suddenly appeared a table as dry as if it had been standing a week or more in the sun, and it was spread with delicious food. 
 
   Said eat sparingly, for after his long imprisonment his appetite was not very good; 
   and when he had finished his meal, he returned thanks, and once more swam along the water of the river on the back of his strange steed. 

The sun was setting when Said saw in the far distance a large town, which from its appearance might have been Bagdad. 
 
   Any other place would have pleased him better; 
   however, he thought of the good fairy, and wondered where he would land. 
 
   The dolphin swam towards the shore, and round a small promontory. 
 
   The youth then noticed a fine country house, to which his wonderful steed steered his course. 
 
   On the flat roof some handsomely dressed men were standing and beckoning to him. 

The dolphin stopped by a landing stage which stretched out into the water. 
 
   Two servants carrying wands in their hands awaited Said, and begged him, in the name of their master, to enter. 
 
   Hardly had Said stepped on dry land than the dolphin disappeared like magic. 

The servants took Said to a chamber where he changed his clothes. 
 
   Then he was conducted to the lord of the Palace. 
 
   There were two men in splendid apparel with him. 

"Who are you, you strange young man ?" 
 
   the lord of the Palace asked him kindly. 
 
   "You bestrode that large fish and guided him right and left as well as the best rider would manage his horse." 

"My lord," answered Said, "I have had much misfortune during the last few weeks; 
   with your permission I will tell you all that happened to me." 

After Said had had some refreshment, he told the three men his adventures from the time he left his father’s house until his wonderful rescue from the shipwreck. 

"Where are the chain and the ring which the Caliph gave you ?" 
 
   asked the lord of the house. 

"Here in my bosom," said Said, as he drew them forth. 

"By the beard of the Prophet, it is my ring !" 
 
   cried the one of highest rank. 
 
   "Grand Vizier, we must embrace him, he is our deliverer." 

Said felt as if in a dream. 

"Pardon me, Protector of the Poor, for my blunt speech. 
 
   Are you truly Haroun al Raschid ?" 

"Haroun al Raschid, and your friend. 
 
   But from this moment your fortunes will mend. 
 
   Follow me to Bagdad; 
   you shall stay in my house, for you have proved the truth of your story." 

So Said went with the Caliph to Bagdad, and was given a splendid room in the Palace. 
 
   And both the Caliph’s brother and the Grand Vizier’s son recognised him as their brave brother-in-arms. 

On the next day Messour, the Chamberlain, came to Haroun and said: 

"Defender of the Faithful, may I ask a favour of you ?" 

"I must first hear what it is," said the Caliph. 

The Chamberlain said: 

"My worthy cousin Kalum Bey is standing without. 
 
   He is a respectable merchant in the Bazaar. 
 
   He has had a fuss with a man from Bassora whose son was my cousin’s assistant, and robbed him, and ran away, no one knows whither. 
 
   The father wants his son, and Kalum has not got him. 
 
   Kalum begs and prays that you will graciously interfere between him and the man from Bassora." 

"I will judge the case," answered the Caliph. 
 
   "In half an hour your cousin and his accuser may appear in the Hall of Justice." 

Messour withdrew with grateful thanks. 
 
   Haroun, however, called Said and said: 

"Your father is actually in this city, Said, and now I fortunately know all, I can be as wise as Solomon. 
 
   You shall hide behind this curtain until I call you; 
   and you, Grand Vizier, send some one directly to fetch that careless and incompetent magistrate." 

Each did as he was bid. 
 
   Said’s heart beat fast as with feeble steps his dear old father, pale and agitated, entered the Hall. 
 
   Kalum Bey’s nasty sly smile, however, made him so furious that he would willingly have knocked him down. 

There were a good many people in the Hall, for the Caliph wished them to hear justice done. 
 
   After silence was proclaimed the Grand Vizier asked who it was who wished for the Caliph’s interference. 

Kalum Bey stepped forward, and with an easy air stated his grievance. 
 
   He described Said as a thieving, untrustworthy rascal, and said he did not know what had become of him. 

Then it was Benezar’s turn. 
 
   He declared his son to be a noble-minded, trustworthy youth, and said it was impossible he should have fallen so low as to steal. 

"I hope, Kalum Bey," said Haroun, "you have, as was your duty, notified the theft to the police." 

"Certainly," laughed Kalum. 
 
   "I took Said myself to the police magistrate." 

"Bring the magistrate here," said the Caliph. 

The magistrate came forward and acknowledged hearing the case. 

"Did you allow the young man to speak for himself, and did he confess the theft ?" 
 
   asked Haroun. 

"No, he said he would explain to no one but yourself," answered the magistrate. 

"But I do not remember seeing him," said Haroun. 
 
   "Surely, my lord, I am not to send a pack of rascals every day to trouble your ear with their stories !" 
 
   "You know that my ears are always ready to listen," answered Haroun, "but perhaps the testimony as to the theft was so clear that it was not necessary to grant his request. 
 
   Did you have witnesses to prove that this gold which Said stole really belonged to you, Kalum ?" 

"Witnesses ?" 
 
   said Kalum. 
 
   "No, I had no witnesses one piece of gold is as much like another as egg to egg." 

"Then how did you know the money belonged to you ?" 

"By the purse it was in," answered Kalum readily. 
 
   "Have you got the purse with you now ?" 
 
   asked the Caliph. 
 
   The merchant drew it forth. 

Then the Grand Vizier cried with a loud voice: 
   "By the beard of the Prophet, that purse is not yours, false liar ! 
 
   It belongs to me; 
   and I gave it, filled with gold pieces, to the brave young man who saved my life !" 

"Can you swear that ?" 
 
   asked the Caliph. 

"As solemnly as I hope to enter Paradise," answered the Grand Vizier. 

"Well, well," said Haroun. 
 
   "Then you judged falsely, magistrate. 
 
   Why did you believe this purse belonged to the merchant ?" 

"He swore it did," answered the magistrate, trembling. 

"So you swore falsely," thundered the Caliph to the merchant, who was shivering with fear. 

"Allah, Allah !" 
 
   he cried; 
   "I will not say anything against the Grand Vizier, he is a worthy man; 
   but oh ! 
 
   the purse was my property, and the dishonest Said stole it. 
 
   I would give a thousand gold pieces if he were here." 

"What have you done with Said ?" 
 
   asked the Caliph. 

"I sent him to a desert island," said the magistrate. 

"Then he did commit the crime ?" 

The magistrate turned white. 
 
   Then he said at last: 

"So far as I know — yes." 

"You know nothing about it," said the Caliph in a dreadful voice, "so we will ask him ourselves. 
 
   Come here, Said; 
   and you, Kalum Bey, pay down those thousand gold pieces, for he is here as you wished." 

Kalum and the magistrate thought to have seen a ghost. 
 
   They bowed their heads and cried: 

"Mercy, mercy !" 

Benezar, however, overcome with joy, threw himself into the arms of his long-lost son. 

With stern dignity the Caliph said: 

"Magistrate, this is Said. 
 
   Did he confess his guilt ?" 

"No, no," groaned the magistrate. 
 
   "I had only Kalum’s word for it. 
 
   He is a respectable man." 

"Did I not make you a judge so that you should deal justice ?" 
 
   cried Haroun al Raschid in a rage. 
 
   "For ten years I banish you to a desert island in the middle of the sea; 
   there you can think over all your injustice. 
 
   And as for you, you wretched little man, who saved a dying man simply to make him your slave, you shall pay, as already stated, a thousand gold pieces, because you said you would if Said were here as a witness to your kind heartedness." 

Kalum rejoiced to get out of this unpleasant business so well, and made an attempt to thank the good Caliph. 

But Haroun continued: 

"As for your false oath about the hundred gold pieces, you shall have one hundred strokes on the soles of your feet. 
 
   And further, Said shall decide if he will confiscate your house and business, or if he will be contented to receive instead ten gold pieces for every day he served in your shop."??????+++&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& 

"Let the wretch go, great lord !" 
 
   cried Said. 
 
   "I wish f@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@or nothing that ever belonged to him." 

"No," answered Haroun. 
 
   "I intend you to have recompense, so I shall choose the ten gold pieces a day for yo:::::::::::::::u, and you must reckon how many days you were in his service. 
 
   Now take the wretches away !" 

The guar»»»»ds removed them, and the Caliph led Benezar and Said into another large room. 
 
   Here he told Benezar how Said had saved his life. 
 
   The Caliph invited Benezar to stay with him for a while, Said to remain too, and the invitation was joyfully accepted. 
 
   And Said ever afterwards lived like a prince in a beautiful palace the Caliph had built for him, and to which Benezar brought all his belongings.