The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night — Volume 05

To Doctor George Bird.
My Dear Bird, This is not a strictly medical work, although in places treating of subjects which may modestly be called hygienic. I inscribe it to you because your knowledge of Egypt will enable you to appreciate its finer touches; and for another and a yet more cogent reason, namely, that you are one of my best and oldest friends.
Ever yours sincerely,
Richard F. Burton
Athenæum Club, October 20, 1885.
When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty-eighth Night,
When it was the Three Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
When it was the Three Hundred and Sixtieth Night,
When it was the Three Hundred and Sixty-first Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that quoth the Prince, When day shall break, do thou array them against me and say to them: 'This man is a suitor to me for my daughter's hand, on condition that he shall do battle single-handed against you all; for he pretendeth that he will overcome you and put you to the rout, and indeed that ye cannot prevail against him.' After which, leave me to do battle with them: if they slay me, then is thy secret surer guarded and thine honour the better warded; and if I overcome them and see their backs, then is it the like of me a King should covet to his son-in-law. So the King approved of his opinion and accepted his proposition, despite his awe at the boldness of his speech and amaze at the pretensions of the Prince to meet in fight his whole host, such as he had described to him, being at heart assured that he would perish in the fray and so he should be quit of him and freed from the fear of dishonour. Thereupon he called the eunuch and bade him go to his Wazir without stay and delay and command him to assemble the whole of the army and cause them don their arms and armour and mount their steeds. So the eunuch carried the King's order to the Minister, who straightaway summoned the Captains of the host and the Lords of the realm and bade them don their harness of derring-do and mount horse and sally forth in battle array. Such was their case; but as regards the King, he sat a long while conversing with the young Prince, being pleased with his wise speech and good sense and fine breeding. And when it was day-break he returned to his palace and, seating himself on his throne, commanded his merry men to mount and bade them saddle one of the best of the royal steeds with handsome selle and housings and trappings and bring it to the Prince. But the youth said, O King, I will not mount horse, till I come in view of the troops and review them. Be it as thou wilt, replied the King. Then the two repaired to the parade-ground, where the troops were drawn up, and the young Prince looked upon them and noted their great number; after which the King cried out to them, saying, Ho, all ye men, there is come to me a youth who seeketh my daughter in marriage; and in very sooth never have I seen a goodlier than he; no, nor a stouter of heart nor a doughtier of arm, for he pretendeth that he can overcome you, single-handed, and force you to flight and that, were ye an hundred thousand in number, yet for him would ye be but few. Now when he chargeth down on you, do ye receive him upon point of pike and sharp of sabre; for, indeed, he hath undertaken a mighty matter. Then quoth the King to the Prince, Up, O my son, and do thy devoir on them. Answered he, O King, thou dealest not justly and fairly by me: how shall I go forth against them, seeing that I am afoot and the men be mounted? The King retorted, I bade thee mount, and thou refusedst; but choose thou which of my horses thou wilt. Then he said, Not one of thy horses pleaseth me, and I will ride none but that on which I came. Asked the King, And where is thy horse? Atop of thy palace. In what part of my palace? On the roof. Now when the King heard these words, he cried, Out on thee! this is the first sign thou hast given of madness. How can the horse be on the roof? But we shall at once see if thou speak the truth or lies. Then he turned to one of his chief officers and said to him, Go to my palace and bring me what thou findest on the roof. So all the people marvelled at the young Prince's words, saying one to other, How can a horse come down the steps from the roof? Verily this is a thing whose like we never heard. In the meantime the King's messenger repaired to the palace and mounting to the roof, found the horse standing there and never had he looked on a handsomer; but when he drew near and examined it, he saw that it was made of ebony and ivory. Now the officer was accompanied by other high officers, who also looked on and they laughed to one another, saying, Was it of the like of this horse that the youth spake? We cannot deem him other than mad; however, we shall soon see the truth of his case. —And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.