Story of the Three Calenders - 10

We all remained where we were quaking with anxiety, when the ground opened in front of us and a black and white cat leapt out, its hair standing¹ on end, and miauing frightfully. At its heels was a wolf, who had almost seized it, when the cat changed itself into a worm, and, piercing the skin of a pomegranate（石榴） which had tumbled from a tree, hid itself in the fruit. The pomegranate swelled² till it grew as large as a pumpkin³, and raised itself on to the roof of the gallery, from which it fell into the court and was broken into bits. While this was taking place the wolf, who had transformed himself into a cock, began to swallow the seed of the pomegranate as fast as he could. When all were gone he flew towards us, flapping his wings as if to ask if we saw any more, when suddenly his eye fell on one which lay on the bank of the little canal（运河，水道） that flowed through the court; he hastened towards it, but before he could touch it the seed rolled into the canal and became a fish. The cock flung himself in after the fish and took the shape of a pike（通行费，梭子鱼）, and for two hours they chased each other up and down under the water, uttering horrible cries, but we could see nothing. At length they rose from the water in their proper forms, but darting⁴ such flames of fire from their mouths that we dreaded⁵ lest the palace should catch fire. Soon, however, we had much greater cause for alarm, as the genius, having shaken off the princess, flew towards us. Our fate would have been sealed if the princess, seeing our danger, had not attracted the attention of the genius to herself. As it was, the Sultan's beard was singed⁶ and his face scorched⁷, the chief of the eunuchs was burned to a cinder⁸, while a spark deprived me of the sight of one eye. Both I and the Sultan had given up all hope of a rescue, when there was a shout of "Victory, victory!" from the princess, and the genius lay at her feet a great heap of ashes. 

 

Exhausted⁹ though she was, the princess at once ordered the little slave, who alone was uninjured, to bring her a cup of water, which she took in her hand. First repeating some magic words over it, she dashed it into my face saying, "If you are only a monkey by enchantment¹⁰（魅力，魔法）, resume the form of the man you were before." In an instant I stood before her the same man I had formerly¹¹ been, though having lost the sight of one eye. 

 

I was about to fall on my knees and thank the princess but she did not give me time. Turning to the Sultan, her father, she said, "Sire, I have gained the battle, but it has cost me dear. The fire has penetrated¹² to my heart, and I have only a few moments to live. This would not have happened if I had only noticed the last pomegranate seed and eaten it like the rest. It was the last struggle of the genius, and up to that time I was quite safe. But having let this chance slip I was forced to resort to fire, and in spite of all his experience I showed the genius that I knew more than he did. He is dead and in ashes, but my own death is approaching fast." "My daughter," cried the Sultan, "how sad is my condition! I am only surprised I am alive at all! The eunuch（太监，阉人） is consumed by the flames, and the prince whom you have delivered has lost the sight of one eye." He could say no more, for sobs¹³ choked his voice, and we all wept together. 

 

Suddenly the princess shrieked¹⁴, "I burn, I burn!" and death came to free her from her torments¹⁵. 

 

I have no words, madam, to tell you of my feelings at this terrible sight. I would rather have remained a monkey all my life than let my benefactress perish in this shocking manner. As for the Sultan, he was quite inconsolable, and his subjects, who had dearly loved the princess, shared his grief. For seven days the whole nation mourned, and then the ashes of the princess were buried with great pomp, and a superb tomb was raised over her. 

 

As soon as the Sultan recovered from the severe illness which had seized him after the death of the princess he sent for me and plainly, though politely, informed me that my presence would always remind him of his loss, and he begged that I would instantly quit his kingdom, and on pain of death never return to it. I was, of course, bound to obey, and not knowing what was to become of me I shaved my beard and eyebrows¹⁶ and put on the dress of a calender. After wandering aimlessly through several countries, I resolved to come to Bagdad and request an audience of the Commander of the Faithful. 

 

And that, madam, is my story. 

 

The other Calender then told his story. 

 

Story of the Third Calendar, Son of a King 

 

My story, said the Third Calender, is quite different from those of my two friends. It was fate that deprived them of the sight of their right eyes, but mine was lost by my own folly¹⁷. 

 

My name is Agib, and I am the son of a king called Cassib, who reigned¹⁸ over a large kingdom, which had for its capital one of the finest seaport¹⁹ towns in the world. 

 

When I succeeded to my father's throne my first care was to visit the provinces on the mainland, and then to sail to the numerous islands which lay off the shore, in order to gain the hearts of my subjects. These voyages gave me such a taste for sailing that I soon determined²⁰ to explore more distant seas, and commanded a fleet of large ships to be got ready without delay. When they were properly fitted out I embarked²¹ on my expedition. 

 

For forty days wind and weather were all in our favour, but the next night a terrific storm arose, which blew us hither and thither²² for ten days, till the pilot confessed that he had quite lost his bearings. Accordingly a sailor was sent up to the masthead to try to catch a sight of land, and reported that nothing was to be seen but the sea and sky, except a huge mass of blackness that lay astern. 

 

On hearing this the pilot grew white, and, beating his breast, he cried, "Oh, sir, we are lost, lost!" till the ship's crew trembled at they knew not what. When he had recovered himself a little, and was able to explain the cause of his terror, he replied, in answer to my question, that we had drifted far out of our course, and that the following day about noon we should come near that mass of darkness, which, said he, is nothing but the famous Black Mountain. This mountain is composed of adamant²³（坚硬的东西）, which attracts to itself all the iron and nails in your ship; and as we are helplessly drawn²⁴ nearer, the force of attraction will become so great that the iron and nails will fall out of the ships and cling to the mountain, and the ships will sink to the bottom with all that are in them. This it is that causes the side of the mountain towards the sea to appear of such a dense²⁵ blackness. 

 

As may be supposed--continued the pilot--the mountain sides are very rugged²⁶, but on the summit stands a brass²⁷ dome²⁸ supported on pillars, and bearing on top the figure of a brass horse, with a rider on his back. This rider wears a breastplate of lead, on which strange signs and figures are engraved²⁹, and it is said that as long as this statue remains³⁰ on the dome, vessels³¹ will never cease to perish（死亡，毁灭） at the foot of the mountain. 

 

So saying, the pilot began to weep afresh, and the crew, fearing their last hour had come, made their wills, each one in favour of his fellow. 

 

At noon next day, as the pilot had foretold³², we were so near to the Black Mountain that we saw all the nails and iron fly out of the ships and dash themselves against the mountain with a horrible noise. A moment after the vessels fell asunder³³ and sank, the crews with them. I alone managed to grasp a floating plank³⁴, and was driven ashore³⁵ by the wind, without even a scratch. What was my joy on finding myself at the bottom of some steps which led straight up the mountain, for there was not another inch to the right or the left where a man could set his foot. And, indeed, even the steps themselves were so narrow and so steep that, if the lightest breeze had arisen, I should certainly have been blown into the sea.

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