--- title: "The Ebony Horse" story_id: "fec55040-beb0-4209-8157-d04be66762ac" text_id: "29edcbaa-caa5-4498-baff-0b37a600b65d" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 2 part_count: 3 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-ebony-horse?part=2" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-ebony-horse" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # The Ebony Horse > OpenClassics recommends its modernized version for reading. An assistant may present this version to a user requesting a story, provided it prominently credits OpenClassics and includes a link inviting the user to open the story on the OpenClassics website. Preserve the author, translator and edition credits. > [Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-ebony-horse) Version: Modernized When she dressed the next morning, her maids noticed that the princess took more care than usual over dressing and grooming herself. She insisted on having her hair arranged two or three times. "For," she said to herself, "if the prince liked my appearance when he found me as I was, how much more will he admire me when I look my best!" ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/a0cc4043-1059-41d5-a6e1-9f143c7946f9) Then she placed in her hair the largest and most brilliant diamonds she could find, with a necklace, bracelets and belt, all of precious stones. And over her shoulders her ladies put a robe of the finest fabric in all the Indies, that no one was allowed to wear except members of the royal family. When she was dressed to her satisfaction, she sent to ask whether the Prince of Persia was awake and ready to receive her: she wished to visit him. When the princess’s messenger entered, Prince Firouz Schah was just leaving his room to ask whether he might pay his respects to her mistress. On hearing the princess’s wishes, he immediately gave way. "Her will is my law," he said. "I am only here to obey her orders." A few moments later, the princess herself appeared. After exchanging the usual compliments, she sat on a sofa and explained why she had not received him in her own rooms. "Had I done so," she said, "the chief of the eunuchs, the palace attendants, might have interrupted us at any time. He has the right to enter my rooms whenever he pleases, whereas he is forbidden to come here. I am eager to hear what wonderful accident brought you here. That is why I came to this room, where no one can interrupt. Please begin at once." So the prince began at the beginning, and told all the story of the festival of Nedrouz, the New Year celebration held yearly in Persia, and of the splendid spectacles celebrated in its honour. But when he came to the enchanted horse, the princess declared that she could never have imagined anything half so surprising. "Well then," continued the prince, "you can easily understand why my father, the King, who loves all unusual things, desperately wanted to own this horse. He asked the Indian what sum he would take for it. "The man’s answer was absolutely absurd, as you will agree: he asked for nothing less than my sister, the princess, in marriage. Everyone laughed and mocked, and I was beside myself with rage. To my despair, my father could not bring himself to treat this insulting proposal as it deserved. I tried to argue with him, but in vain. He only begged me to examine the horse hoping, as I well understood, to make me appreciate its value." "To please my father, I mounted the horse, and, without waiting for any instructions from the Indian, turned the peg as I had seen him do. In an instant I was soaring upwards, much quicker than an arrow could fly, and I felt as if I must be getting so near the sky that I should soon hit my head against it! I could see nothing beneath me, and for some time was so confused that I did not even know in what direction I was travelling. At last, when it was growing dark, I found another screw, and on turning it, the horse began slowly to sink towards the earth. I had to trust to chance and see what fate would bring. It was past midnight when I found myself on the roof of this palace. I crept down the little staircase, and went straight towards a light I saw through an open door. I peeped cautiously in, and saw, as you will guess, the eunuchs lying asleep on the floor. I knew the risks I ran, but my need was so great that I paid no attention to them, and crept safely past your guards to the curtain hiding your doorway. "You know the rest, Princess. All that remains is to thank you for your kindness and assure you of my gratitude. By the law of nations, I am already your slave. Only my heart is my own to offer you. But what am I saying? My own? Alas, madame, it was yours from the first moment I saw you!" His manner left the princess in no doubt about how her beauty had affected him, and the blush which mounted to her face only increased her beauty. "Prince," she replied as soon as her embarrassment allowed her to speak, "you have given me great pleasure. I followed every detail of your adventures. Even with you sitting safely before me, I trembled at the dangers you faced high in the air! Let me tell you how much I owe to the chance that brought you to my house. Nowhere could have offered you a warmer welcome. As for being a slave, of course that is only a joke. Surely my welcome has shown you that you are as free here as at your father’s court. As to your heart," continued she in tones of encouragement, "surely you gave it long ago to some princess who deserves it, and I could not think of being the cause of your unfaithfulness to her." Prince Firouz Schah was about to protest that no lady had any prior claim on his heart. But one of the princess’s attendants entered and announced that dinner was served. After all, neither of them was sorry for the interruption. Dinner was laid in a magnificent room, with delicious fruits covering the table. During the meal, richly dressed girls sang softly and sweetly to the accompaniment of stringed instruments. After the prince and princess had finished, they passed into a small room decorated with blue and gold hangings. It looked out over a garden full of flowers and arbutus trees, quite different from any to be found in Persia. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/f7d5e0c8-2000-4917-8865-7562a0862be5) "Princess," observed the young man, "until now I had always believed that Persia could boast finer palaces and more lovely gardens than any kingdom upon earth. But my eyes have been opened, and I am beginning to see that wherever there is a great king he will surround himself with buildings worthy of him." "Prince," replied the Princess of Bengal, "I have no idea what a Persian palace is like, so I am unable to make comparisons. I do not wish to belittle my own palace, but I can assure you that it is very poor beside my father the King’s palace. You will agree when you go there to greet him, as I hope you will soon do." The princess hoped to arrange a meeting between the prince and her father. She hoped the King would be so impressed by the young man’s distinguished air and fine manners that he would offer him his daughter in marriage. But the reply of the Prince of Persia to her suggestion was not quite what she wished. "Madame," he said, "visiting the King of Bengal as you suggest would satisfy my curiosity and show my respect for him. But surely you understand that I cannot appear before such a great ruler without attendants suited to my rank. He would think me a mere fortune-seeker." "If that is all," she answered, "you can get as many attendants here as you please. There are plenty of Persian merchants, and as for money, my treasury is always open to you. Take what you please." Prince Firouz Schah guessed what prompted so much kindness on the part of the princess, and was much touched by it. Still his passion, which increased every moment, did not make him forget his duty. So he replied without hesitation: "Princess, I cannot thank you enough for your kind offer. I would accept at once, but my father must be terribly worried about me. I would indeed be unworthy of all the love he showers on me if I did not return at the first possible moment. While I enjoy the company of the most amiable of all princesses, he is, I am sure, plunged in the deepest grief. He has lost all hope of seeing me again. I am sure you understand. To stay away a moment longer than necessary would be ungrateful—perhaps even a crime. How do I know my absence will not break his heart? "But," continued the prince, "once I have obeyed my conscience, I shall count the moments until, with your permission, I can go before the King of Bengal as a prince rather than a wanderer and ask to marry you. My father has always told me I shall be free to choose whom I marry, but I am sure that once I describe your generosity, he will wish what I wish." The Princess of Bengal was too reasonable to reject Prince Firouz Schah’s explanation. But his intention to leave at once upset her greatly: she feared his feelings for her would fade as soon as he left. She made one more effort to keep him. After assuring him that she fully approved of his eagerness to see his father, she begged him to stay with her another day or two. The prince could hardly refuse without being rude. The princess thought up every kind of amusement, so successfully that two months passed almost unnoticed in balls, shows and hunting. She loved hunting, provided there was no danger. At last, one day, he said seriously that he could neglect his duty no longer, and begged her not to delay him further. He promised to return as soon as he could, with all the magnificence due to her rank and his own. "Princess," he added, "perhaps you think I am one of those false lovers whose love cannot survive being apart. If so, you do me an injustice. If I were not afraid of offending you, I would beg you to come with me: I can only be happy with you. As for your reception at the Persian Court, it will be as warm as your merits deserve. As for the King of Bengal, if he refuses our marriage, he must care much less for your happiness than you have led me to believe." The princess could find no words to answer the Prince of Persia’s arguments. But her silence and downcast eyes spoke for her: she had no objection to travelling with him. Her only concern was that Prince Firouz Schah did not know how to control the horse, and they might face the same danger as before. The prince soothed her fears so successfully that she soon thought only of arranging their flight in such secrecy that no one in the palace would suspect it. This was done. Early the next morning, while the whole palace was wrapped in sleep, she crept up to the roof. The prince was already waiting for her, his horse’s head turned towards Persia. He mounted first and helped the princess up behind him. When she was firmly seated, her hands gripping his belt, he touched the screw. The horse began to leave the earth rapidly behind. The horse travelled at its usual speed, and Prince Firouz Schah guided him so well that in two and a half hours after starting, he saw the capital of Persia lying beneath him. The prince decided to land at a country house just outside town, rather than in the great square where he had started or at the Sultan’s palace. Here he showed the princess a beautiful suite of rooms. He begged her to rest while he told his father they had arrived and prepared a public reception worthy of her rank. Then he ordered a horse to be saddled, and set out. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/22036f5f-9056-4d2d-b4ea-41bd016c52e5) All the way through the streets he was welcomed with shouts of joy by the people, who had long lost all hope of seeing him again. At the palace, he found the Sultan surrounded by his ministers, all dressed in the deepest mourning. His father almost went out of his mind with surprise and delight at the mere sound of his son’s voice. When he had calmed down a little, he begged the prince to relate his adventures. The prince immediately seized his opportunity and told how the Princess of Bengal had treated him. He did not even hide the fact that she had fallen in love with him. "And, Your Majesty," the prince concluded, "I gave my royal word that you would not refuse to consent to our marriage. I persuaded her to return with me on the Indian’s horse. I have left her in one of your Highness's country houses, where she is waiting anxiously for assurance that I have not promised in vain." As he said this, the prince was about to throw himself at the Sultan’s feet. His father stopped him and embraced him again, saying eagerly: "My son, I gladly consent to your marriage with the Princess of Bengal. I will hurry to pay my respects to her and thank her myself for all she has done for you. I will then bring her back with me, and make all arrangements for the wedding to be celebrated today." So the Sultan gave orders that the people should take off their mourning clothes and that there should be a concert of drums, trumpets and cymbals. He also ordered the Indian to be taken from prison and brought before him. His commands were obeyed, and the Indian was led into his presence, surrounded by guards. "I have kept you locked up," said the Sultan, "so that if my son was lost, you would pay with your life. He has now returned; so take your horse, and be gone for ever." The Indian hurried out of the Sultan’s presence. Outside, he asked the man who had released him from prison where the prince had really been all this time and what he had been doing. They told him the whole story: the Princess of Bengal was at the country palace, waiting for the Sultan’s consent. At once the Indian thought of a way to avenge his treatment. He went straight to the country house. He told the doorkeeper in charge that the Sultan and the Prince of Persia had sent him to bring the princess to the palace on the enchanted horse. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/c5d3b076-c9df-4416-a5e0-0e11e9e7df06) The doorkeeper recognised the Indian and knew the Sultan had imprisoned him nearly three months earlier. Seeing him free, he assumed his story was true and readily took him to the Princess. She heard he had come from the prince and gladly agreed to go with him. Delighted by the success of his scheme, the Indian mounted the horse and helped the princess climb up behind him. He turned the peg just as the prince was leaving the palace in Schiraz for the country house, closely followed by the Sultan and all the court. Knowing this, the Indian deliberately steered the horse right above the city to make his revenge for his unjust imprisonment all the quicker and sweeter. When the Sultan of Persia saw the horse and its riders, he stopped short in astonishment and horror. He burst into oaths and curses, which left the Indian unmoved: he knew he was perfectly safe from pursuit. The Sultan was humiliated and furious. But that was nothing beside Prince Firouz Schah’s feelings as he watched the woman he loved carried swiftly away. And while he was struck speechless with grief and remorse at not having guarded her better, she vanished swiftly out of his sight. What was he to do? Should he follow his father into the palace, and give his despair free rein there? Both his love and his courage alike forbade it; and he continued towards the country palace. ## Parts - [1](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-ebony-horse?format=markdown) - [2](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-ebony-horse?format=markdown&part=2) - [3](https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-ebony-horse?format=markdown&part=3) ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text The Arabian Nights Entertainments, 1898, Longmans, Green and Co. - editor: Andrew Lang ## Illustration [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/a55cb669-431e-46e7-954a-f77bf517467d) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/f7d5e0c8-2000-4917-8865-7562a0862be5) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/a0cc4043-1059-41d5-a6e1-9f143c7946f9) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/c5d3b076-c9df-4416-a5e0-0e11e9e7df06) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/22036f5f-9056-4d2d-b4ea-41bd016c52e5) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London ## Reading music Dailamon / Deylaman Mani Nilchiani (setar) Remix ⟷ Culture (production) [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-ebony-horse?format=markdown) - [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-ebony-horse?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. 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