# Arabian Nights Entertainments (1706)/Volume 2/The Story of the First Callender

The Thirty Seventh Night.
DInarzade, who alſo took a great deal of Pleaſure to hear the Sultaneſs’s Stories, ſays to her, about the Cloſe of the following Night, dear Siſter, if you be not aſleep, I conjure you to go on with the agreeable Story of the three Callenders.
Scheherazade demanded leave of the Sultan, and having obtain’d it: Sir, ſays ſhe, The three Callenders, the Califf, the Grand Viſier Giaſar, the Eunuch Meſrour and the Porter, were all in the middle of the Hall, ſat upon a foot Carpet in preſence of the three Ladies, who ſat upon a Soſa, and the Slaves ſtood ready to do whatever their Miſtreſſes ſhould command.
The Porter underſtanding that he might rid himſelf of his Danger, by telling his Hiſtory, ſpoke firſt, and ſaid, Madam, you know my Hiſtory already, and the Occaſion of my coming hither; ſo that what I have to ſay, will be very ſhort. My Lady, your Siſter there, call’d me this Morning, at the Place where I ply’d as Porter, to ſee if any body will employ me, that I might get Bread, I follow’d her to a Vintner’s, then to an Herb-woman’s, then to one that ſold Oranges, Lemons and Citrons then to a Grocer’s, next to a Confectioner’s, and a Druggiſt’s, with my Bas-​ket upon my Head as full as I was able to carry it; then I came hither where you had the Goodneſs to ſuffer me to continue till now, a Favour that I ſhall never forget. This, Madam, is my Hiſtory.
When the Porter had done, Zobeide ſays to him, go, march, let’s ſee you no more here. Madam, replies the Porter, I bed you to let me ſtay, it would not be juſt, after the reſt have had the Pleaſure to hear my Hiſtory, that I ſhould not alſo have the Satisſaction to hear yheirs. And having ſpoke thus, ſat him down at the End of the Soſa, glad at the Heart to have eſcap’d the Danger, that had frightned him fo much. After him one of the three Callenders directing his Speech to Zobeide, as the Principal of the three Ladies, and the Perſon that commanded him to ſpeak, begun his Story thus,
The Hiſtory of the firſt Callender, a King’s Son.
MADAM, in order to inform you how I loſt my Right Eye, and why I was obliged to put myſelf into a Callender’s Habit, I muſt tell you, that I am a King’s Son born, the King my Father had a Brother that reigned as he did, over a neighbouring Kingdom; and the Prince his Son and I were almoſt of an Age.
After I had learned my Exerciſes, and that the King my Father granted me ſuch Liberty as ſuited my Dignity, I went orderly every Year to ſee my Uncle, at whole Court I diverted my ſelf during a Month or two, and then returned again to my Father’s. Theſe ſeveral Journeys gave Occaſion of contracting a very firm and particular Friendſhip between the Prince my Couſin and my ſelf. The laſt time I ſaw him he receiv’d me with greater Demonftrations of Tenderneſs than he had done at any time before; and reſolving one Day to give mea Treat, he made great Preparations for that pupoſe, We continued a long time at Table, and after we had both ſupp’d very well; Couſin (ſays he) you will hardly be able to gueſs how I have been employ’d ſince your laſt Departure from hence, now about a Year paſt, I have had a great many Men at work to per-​fect a Deſign I have in my Mind; I have caus’d an Edifice to be built, which is now finiſhed, ſo as one may dwell in it: You will not be difpleas’d if I ſhew it you. But firſt you are to promiſe me upon Oath that you will keep my Secret, according to the Confidence repoſe in you.
The Love and Familiarity that was between us would not allow me to refuſe him any thing. I very readily took the Oath he required of me: Upon which he ſays to me, Stay here till I return, I will be with you in a Moment; and accordingly he came with a Lady in his Hand, of a ſingular Beauty, and magnificently apparall’d: He did not diſcover who ſhe was, neither did I think it was Manners in me to make inquiry. We ſat down again with this Lady at Table, where we continued ſome time, entertaining our ſelves with Diſcourſes upon indifferent Subjects; and now and then a full Glaſs to drink one another’s Health. After which the Prince ſaid, Couſin, we muſt looſe no time, therefore pray oblige me to take this Lady along with you, and conduct her to ſuch a Place, where you will ſee a Tomb newly built in form oſa Dome; you will eaſily know it, the Gate is open, go in there together, and tarry till I come, which will be very ſpecdily.
Being true to my Oath, I made no further Inquiry, but took the Lady by the Hand, and by the Directions which the Prince, my Couſin, had given me, I brought her to the Place, by the Light of the Moon, without miſſing one Step of the Way. We were ſcarcely got thither, till we ſaw the Prince following after, carrying a little Pitcher with Water, a Hatchet, and a little Bag with Plaiſter.
The Hatchet ſery’d him to break down the empty Sepulchre in the middle of the Tomb; he took away the Stones one after another, and laid them in a Corner: when all this was taken away, he digg’d up the Ground, where I ſaw a Trap-door under the Sepulchre, which he lift up, and underneath perceived the Head of a Stair-caſe leading into a Vault. Then my Couſin ſpeaking to the Lady, ſaid, Madam, it is by this Way, that we ar eto go to the Place I told you of: Upon which the Lady drew nigh, and went down, and the Prince began to follow after; but turning firſt to ​me, ſaid, my dear Couſin, I am infinitely oblig’d to you for the Trouble you have been at, I thank you. Adieu. I cried, dear Couſin, what is the meaning of this? Be content, replied he, you may return back the ſame way you came.
Scheherazade being come this length, ſaw Day appear, which hinder’d her to proceed any further. The Sultan got up, but long’d very much to know the Deſign of the Prince and his Lady, which ſeem’d as if they had a mind to bury themſelves alive, and impatiently waited for next Night, that he might be thoroughly inform’d of it.
The Thirty Eighth Night.
DInarzade a wak’d the Sultaneſs next Night as uſual, and pray’d her to continue the Hiſtory of the firſt Callender. Schahriar alſo ſignified to the Sultaneſs, that it would be very pleafing to him, ſhe reſum’d the Thread of her Diſcourſe as follows.
Madam, ſays the Callender to Zobeide, I could get nothing further from him, but was oblig’d to take leave of him; as I returned to my Uncle’s Palace, the Vapours of the Wine get up into my Head; however I got to my Apartment, and went to Bed. Next Morning, when I awak’d, I began to reflect upon what befel me the Night before, and after recollecting all the Circumſtances of ſuch a ſingular Adyenture, I ſancied it was nothing but a Dream. Being full of theſe Thoughts, I ſent to ſee if the Prince, my Couſin, was ready to receive a Viſit from me; but when they brought back word that he did not lye in his own Lodgings that Night, they knew not what was become of him, and were in much Trouble about it, I conceiv’d that the ſtrange Event of the Tomb was but too true. I was ſenſibly afflicted at it; and ſtealing away privately from my People, I went to the publick Burying-place, Where there was a vaſt Number of Tombs like that which I had feen: I ſpent the Day in viewing them one after another, but could not find that I ſought for; and thus I ſpent Four Days ſucceſſively in vain.
​You muſt know that all this while the King, my Uncle; was abſent, and had been a hunting for ſeveral Days, I grew weary of ſtaying for him; and having pray’d his Miniſters to make my Apology to him at his Return, I left his Palace, and ſet out towards my Father’s Court, from which I had never been ſo long abſent before. I left the Miniſters of the King my Uncle in great Trouble to think what was become of the Prince my Couſin; but becauſe of my Oath I had made to keep his Secret, I durſt nottell them any thing of what I had ſeen or knew, in order to make them eaſy.
I arriv’d at my Father’s Capitol, the uſual Place of his Reſidence, where, contrary to Cuſtom, I found a great Guard at the Gate of the Palace, who ſurrounded me as I enter’d. I ask’d the Reaſon, and the commanding Officer replied, Prince, the Army has proclaimed the Grand Viſier King, inſtead of your Father, who is dead; and I take you Prifoner in the Name of the new King. At theſe Words the Guards laid hold on me, and carried me before the Tyrant: I leave you to judge, Madam, how much I was ſurprized and grieved.
This Rebel Viſier had entertained a mortal Hatred againſt me of a long time, upon this Occaſion. When I was a Stripling, I lov’d to ſhoot in a Croſs-bow; and being one Day upon the Terrace of the Palace with my Bow, a Bird happening to come by, I ſhot, but miſs’d him, and the Ball by Misfortune hit the Viſier, who was taking the Air upon the Terrace of his own Houſe, and put out one of his Eyes, As ſoon as I underſtood it, I not only ſent to make my Excuſe to him, but did it in Perſon: Yet he always reſented it, and, as Opportunity offer’d, made me ſenſible of it. But now, Madam, that he had me in his Power, he expreſs’d his Reſentments in a very barbarous Manner; for he came to me like a Mad-man, as ſoon as ever he ſaw me, and thruſting his Finger into my right Eye, pull’d it out himſelf; and ſo, Madam, I became blind of one Eye.
But the Uurper’s Cruelty did not ſtop here; he order’d me to be ſhut up in a Box, and commanded the Executioner to carry me into the Country to cut off my Head, and leave me to be deyour’d by the Birds of Prey. The Hang-​man and another, carried me thus ſhut up on Horſe-back into the Country, in order to execute the Uſurper’s barbarous Sentence; but by my Prayers and Tears, I moy’d the Executioner’s Compaſſion: Go, ſays he to me, get you ſpeedily out of the Kingdom, and take heed of ever returning to it, otherwiſe you will certainly meet your own Ruin, and will be the Cauſe of mine. I thank’d him for the Favour he did me; and as ſoon as I was left alone, I comforted my ſelf for the Loſs of my Eye, by conſidering that I had very narrowly eſcap’d a much greater Danger.
Being in ſucha Condition, I could not travel far at a time, I retir’d to remote Places while it was Day, and travell’d as far by Night as my Strength would allow me, At laſt I arriv’d in the Dominions of the King my Uncle, and came to his Capitol.
I gave him a long Detail of the tragical Cauſe of my Return, and of the ſad Condition he ſaw me in. Alas! cries he, was it not enough for me to have loſt my Son? but muſt I have alſo News of the Death of a Brother I lov’d ſo dearly, and ſee you alſo reduced to this deplorable Condition? he told me how uneaſie he was, that he could hear nothing of his Son, notwithſtanding all the Diligence and Enquiry he could make. At theſe Words the unfortunate Father burſt out into Tears, and was ſo much afflicted, that pitying his Grief, it was impoſſible for me to keep the Secret any longer; ſo that, notwithſtanding my Oath to her Prince my Couſin, I told the King his Father all that I knew.
His Majeſty liſten’d to me with ſome ſort of Comfort, and when I had done, Nephew, ſays he, what you tell me gives me ſome hope. I knew that my Son order’d that Tomb to be built, and I can gueſs pretty near at the Place, and with the Idea you ſtill haye of it, I ſancy we ſhall find it: But fince he order’d it to be built privately, and took your Oath to keep his Secret, I am of Opinion, that we ought to go in Queſt of it alone, without ſaying any thing. But he had another Reaſon for keeping the Matter ſeeret, which he did not then tell me, and an important Reaſon it was, as you will perceive by the Sequel of my Diſcourſe.
​We both of us diſguis’d our ſelves, and went out by a Door of the Garden which open’d into the Field, and ſoon found what we ſought for. I knew the Tomb, and was ſo much the more rejoyc’d at it, becauſe I had formerly ſought it a long time in vain. We enter’d, and found the Iron Trap pull d down upon the Entrance of the Stair-caſez we had much ado to raiſe it, becauſe the Prince had ſaſten’d it on the Inſide, with the Water and Morter formerly mention’d ; but at laſt we did get it up.
The King, my Uncle, went down firſt, I follow’d, and we went down about fifty Steps. When we came to the Foot of the Stairs, we found a Sort of Anti-chamber, full of a thick Smoak, and ill Scent, which obſcur’d the Lamp that gave a very fine Light.
From this Anti-chamber, we came into another, very large, ſupported by great Columns, and lighted by ſeveral branched Candleſticks, There was a Ciſternin the Middle, and Proviſions of ſeveral Sorts ſtanding on one Side of it; but we were very much ſurpriz’d to ſee no Body. Before us there appear’d an high Soſa, which we mounted by ſeveral Steps, and over this there appear’d a very large Bed, with the Curtains drawn cloſe. The King went up, and opening the Curtains, perceiv’d the Prince his Son, and the Lady, in Bed together, but burnt and chang’d toa Coal, as if they had been thrown into a great Fire, and taken out again before they were conſum’d.
But that which ſurpriz’d me moſt of all, was, that this Spectacle, which fil’d me with Horror, the King, my Uncle, inſtead of teſtifying his Sorrow to ſee the Prince, his Son, in ſuch a frightful Condition, ſpit on his Face, and ſays to him with an angry Air, This is the Puniſhment of this World, but that of the other will laſt to Eternity; and not content with this, he pull’d off his Sandal, and gave his Son a great Blow on the Cheek with it,
But, Sir, ſays Scheherazade, it is Day, I am ſorry your Majeſty’s Time will not allow you to hear me further: This Hiſtory appearing very ſtrange to the Sultan, he got up and reſolv’d to hear thereſt of it next Night.
The Thirty Ninth Night.
DInarzade being awake ſooner than ordinary, called her Sitter Scheherazade, My good Sultaneſs, ſaid ſhe, I pray you make an end of the Story of the firſt Callender, for I’m ready to die with Impatience till I know the Iſſue of it. Very well then, ſaid Scheherazade, You remember how the firſt Callender continu’d his Story to Zebeide; I cannot enough expreſs, Madam (ſaid he) how much I was aſtoniſh’d when I ſaw the King my Uncle, abuſe the Prince his Son thus after he was dead. Sir, ſaid I, whatever Grief this diſmal Sight is capable to impreſs upon me, I am forced to ſuſpend it on purpoſe to ask your Majeſty what Crime the Prince my Couſin may have committed, that his Corps ſhould deſerve this Sort of Treatment. Nephew, replied the King, I muſt tell you, that my Son (who is unworthy of that Name) lov’d his Siſter from his Inſancy, and ſo ſhe did him: I did not hinder their growing Love, becauſe I did not foreſee the pernicious Conſequence of it. This Tenderneſs encreas’d as they grew in Years, and came to ſuch a Head, that I dreaded the End of it at laſt. I applied ſuch Remedies as were in my Power; I not only gave my Son a ſevere Reprimand in private, laying before him the foulneſs of the Paſſion he was entertaining, and, the eternal Diſgrace he would bring upon my Family, if he perſiſted in ſuch criminal Courſes: but I alſo repreſented the ſame thing to my Daughter; and beſides, I ſhut her up ſo cloſe, that ſhe could have no Converſation with her Brother. But that unfortunate Creature had ſwallowed ſo much of the Poiſon, that all the Obſtacles which by my Prudence, I could lay in the way, ſerv’d only the more to inflame their Love.
My Son being perſuaded of his Siſter’s Conſtancy, on Pretence of building a Tomb, caus’d this ſubterraneous Habitation to be made, in hopes to find one Day or other, an Opportunity to poſſeſs himſelf of that Object which was the Cauſe of his Flame, and to bring her hither, He laid hold on the time of my Abſence, to enter by Force in-​to the Place of his Siſter’s Confinement: But that is a thing which my Honour would not ſuffer me to make publick. And after ſo damnable an Action, he came and inclos’d himſelf and her in this Place, which he has ſupplied, as you ſee, with all Sorts of Proviſions, that he might enjoy his deteftable Pleaſures for along Time, which ought to be a Subject of Horror toall the World: But God that would not ſuffer ſuchan Abomination, has juſtly puniſh’d them both. At theſe Words he melted into Tears, and I joined mine with his.
After a while, caſting his Eyes upon me, dear Nephew, cry’d he, embracing me, if I have loſt that unworthy Son, I ſhall happily find in you what will better ſupply his Place. And upon ſome other Reflecions he made on the doleful End of the Prince and Princeſs his Daughter, we both fell into a new Fit of weeping.
We went up the ſame Stairs again, and departed at laſt from that diſmal Place, We let down again the Trap-Door, and cover’d it with Earth and ſuch other Materials as the Tomb was built of, on purpoſe to hide, as much as lay in our Power, ſo terrible an Effect of the Wrath of God.
We had not been very long got back to the Palace, unperceiv’d by any one, but we heard a confuſed Noiſe of Trumpets, Drums, and other Inſtruments of War: We ſoon underſtood by the thick Cloud of Duſt, which almoſt darkned the Air, that it was the Arrival of a formidable Army. And it prov’d to be the ſame Viſier that had dethron’d my Father, and uſurped his Throne, who with a vaſt Number of Troops, was come alſo to poſſeſs himſelf of that of the King my Uncle.
That Prince, who then had only his uſual Guards about him, could not refit ſo many Enemies; they inveſted the City, and the Gates being open’d to them without any Reſiſtance, they very ſoon became Maſters of the City, and broke into the Palace where the King my Uncle was, who defended himſelf till he was kill’d, and ſold his Life at a dear Rate: For my part, I fought as well as I could for a while, but ſeeing we were forc’d to ſubmit to a ſuperior Power, I thought on my Retreat and Safety, which I had ​the good Fortune to effect by ſome back Ways, and got to onr the King’s Servants, on whoſe Fidelity I could depend.
Being thus ſurrounded with Sorrows and perſecuted by Fortune, I had Recourſe to a Stratagem, which was the only Means left me to ſave my Life; I cauſed my Beard and Eye-brows to be ſhay’d, and putting on a Callender’s Habit, I paſs’d, unknown by any, out of the City: After that, by degrees, I found it eaſy to get out of my Uncle’s Kingdom, by taking the By-roads.
I avoided paſſing through Towns, until I was got into the Empire of the mighty Governor of the Muſſelmen, the glorious and renown’d Califf Haroun Alraſhid, when I thought my ſelf out of Danger, and conſidering what I was to do, I reſolv’d to come to Bagdad, intending to throw my ſelf at that Monarch’s Feet, whoſe Generofity is every where applauded. I ſhall move him to Compaſſion, ſaid I to my ſelf, by the Relation of my ſurprizing Misfortunes, and without doubt he will take pity on ſuch an unfortunate Prince, and not ſuffer me to implore his Aſſiſtance in vain.
In ſhort, after a Journey of ſeveral Months, I arrived Yeſterday at the Gate of this City into which I enter’d about the Dusk of the Evening, and ſtanding ſtill a little while to revive my Spirits, and to conſider on which Hand I was to turn, this other Callender you ſee here next to me, came alſo along; he ſaluted me, and I him: You appear, ſaid I, to be a Stranger as I am: You are not miſtaken, replied he. He had no ſooner return’d this Anſwer, but this third Callender you ſee there overtook us. He ſaluted us, and told us, he was a Stranger new!y come to Bagdad; ſo that as Brethren we join’d together, reſolving not to ſeparate from one another.
Mean while it was late, and we knew not where to ſeek a Lodging in the City where we had no Acquaintance, or had never been before. But good Fortune having brought us before your Gate, we made bold to knock, when you receiv’d us with ſo much Kindneſs, that we are incapable to return you ſuitable Thanks. This, Madam, (ſaid he) is in Obedience to your Commands, the Account I am to ​give you why I loſt my right Eye, wherefore my Beard and Eye-browe are ſhav’d, and how I came to be with you at this preſent Time.
’Tis enough, ſays Zobeide, you may retire to what Place vou think fit. The Callender made his Excuſe, and beg’d the Ladies Leave to ſtay till he had heard the Relations of his two Comrades, whom I cannot (ſays he) leave with Honour; and till he might alſo hear thole of the three other Perſons that were in Company.
Here Scheherazade ſaid to the Sultan, Sir, The Day-light which ſee, prevents me from going on with the Story of the ſecond Callender; but if your Majeſty will hear it to-morrow, you will find as much Satisſaction in that, as in this Story, of the firſt. To which the Sultan gave Conſent, and fo got up, in order to go to Council