Dinarzade made no scruple to disturb the sultaness next morning, and
called to her, Sister, if you be not asleep, pray begin where you
left off that wonderful story last night: I am very desirous to know
what followed after all those metamorphoses. Scheherazade
recollected where she had stopped, and addressing her discourse to
the sultan, Sir, said she, the second calender continued his story
after this manner.
The cock jumped into the river and was turned into a pike, that
pursued the small fish; they continued both under water above two
hours, and we knew not what was become of them, but all on a sudden
we heard terrible cries, which made us tremble, and a little while
after we saw the genie and princess all in flames. They threw
flashes of fire out of their mouths at each other, till they came to
close quarters; then the two fires increased, with a thick burning
smoke, which mounted so high, that we had reason to fear it would
set the palace on fire. But we very soon had a more pressing
occasion of fear, for the genie having got loose from the princess,
came to the gallery where we stood, and blew flames of fire upon us.
We had all perished if the princess, running to out assistance, had
not by her cries forced him to retire, and defend himself against
her; yet, notwithstanding all her exertions, she could not hinder
the sultan’s beard from being burnt, and his face spoiled, the
chief of the eunuchs from being stifled, and burnt on the spot, and
a spark from entering my right eye, and making it blind. The sultan
and I expected nothing but death, when we heard a cry of Victory,
victory! and on a sudden the princess appeared in her natural shape,
but the genie was reduced to a heap of ashes.
The princess came near to us, that she might not lose time, called
for a cup-full of water, which the young slave, who had received no
damage, brought her. She took it, and after pronouncing some words
over it, threw it upon me, saying, if thou art become an ape by
enchantment, change thy shape, and take that of a man, which thou
hadst before. These words were hardly uttered, till I became a man
as I was before, one eye only excepted.
I was preparing myself to give thanks to the princess, but she
prevented me by addressing herself to her father, thus; Sir, I have
gained the victory over the genie, as your majesty may see; but it
is a victory that costs me dear; I have but a few minutes to live,
and you will not have the satisfaction to make the match you
intended; the fire has pierced me during the terrible combat, and I
find it consumes me by degrees. This would not have happened, had I
perceived the last of the pomegranate seeds, and swallowed it, as I
did the other when I was changed into a cock; the genie had fled
thither as to his last entrenchment, and upon that the success of
the combat depended, which would have been successful, and without
danger to me. This slip obliged me to have recourse to fire, and to
fight with those mighty arms as I did between heaven and earth, in
your presence: for, in spite of all his redoubtable art and
experience, I made the genie know that I understood more than he: I
have conquered and reduced him to ashes, but I cannot escape death,
which is approaching.
Here Scheherazade broke off the story of the second calender, and
said to the sultan, Sir, daylight appears, which forbids me to say
any more; but if your majesty thinks fit to let me live till to
morrow, you shall hear the end of this story. Schahriar consented,
and got up according to custom to take care of the affairs of his
empire.