The story of the first calender seemed very strange to the whole company, but especially to the caliph, who, though the slaves stood by with their scimitars in their hands, could not forbear whispering to the vizier, Many stories have I heard, but never any thing that came near the story of the calender.  Whilst he was saying this, the second calender began, addressing himself to Zobeide.

           Thestory of the second calender, A king’s
                              son.

Madam, said he, to obey your command, and to show you by what strange accident I became blind of the right eye, I must of necessity give you the whole account of my life.

I was scarcely past my infancy, when the king my father (for you must know, madam, I am a prince by birth) perceived that I was endowed with a great deal of sense, and spared nothing to improve it.  He employed all the men in his dominions, who excelled in sciences and arts, to be constantly about me.

No sooner had I learned to read and write, than I learned the alcoran from the beginning to the end by heart; that admirable book, which contains the foundation, the precepts, and the rules of our religion; and, that I might be thoroughly instructed in it, I read the works of the most approved authors by whose commentaries it had been explained.  I added to this study that of all the traditions collected from the mouth of our prophet by the great men that were contemporary with him.  I was not satisfied with the knowledge alone of all that had any relation to our religion, but made also a particular search into our histories.  I made myself perfect in polite learning, in the works of the poets, and in versification.  I applied myself to geography, to chronology, and to speak our Arabian language in its purity; not forgetting, in the mean time, all such exercises as were proper for a prince to understand.  But one thing I was mightily in love with, and succeeded in to admiration, was, to form the characters of our Arabian language, wherein I surpassed all the writing-masters of our kingdom, that had acquired the greatest reputation.

Fame did me more honour than I deserved, for she had not only spread the renown of my parts through all the dominions of the king my father, but carried it as far as the Indian court, whose potent monarch, desirous to see me, sent an embassador, with rich presents, to demand me of my father, who was extremely glad of this embassy for several reasons; for he was persuaded that nothing could be more commendable in a prince of my age, than to travel and see foreign courts; and, besides, he was very glad to gain the friendship of the Indian sultan.  I departed with the embassador, but with no great retinue, because of the length and difficulty of the journey.

When we had travelled about a month, we discovered at a distance a great cloud of dust, and under that we saw very soon fifty horsemen well armed, that were robbers, coming towards us at full gallop.