The Princess of Deryabar

"There was onin a certain island," said the princess, "a great city called Deryabar, governed by a magnificent and virtuous sultan, who had no children. This was the only blessing he lacked to make him happywho had no children, which was the only blessing wanting to make him happy. He kept praying to HeavenHe continually addressed his prayers to Heaven, but Heaven only partially granted his requests, for his wife the queen, after a long waitthe queen his wife, after a long expectation, gave birth tobrought forth a daughter.

"I am that unfortunate princess; my father was more saddenedrather grieved than pleased at my birth. But; but he submitted to the will of God, and had me educated with the greatest care. Since he had no son, he was determined to teach me the art of ruling so I could takecaused me to be educated with all possible care, being resolved, since he had no son, to teach me the art of ruling, that I might supply his place after his death.

"There was, at the court of Deryabar, an orphan youth of good birth whom the sultan, my father, had befriended and educated according to his rank. He was very handsome and capable as well, and found ways to please my father, who came to regard him as a close friendHe was very handsome, and, not wanting ability, found means to please my father, who conceived a great friendship for him. All the courtiers perceived it, and guessed that the young man might in the end be my husband. With this in mind, they already saw him as heir to the crown. They paid court to him, and everyone tried to gain his favourIn this idea, and looking on him already as heir to the crown, they made their court to him, and every one endeavoured to gain his favour. He soon understood their intentions. Forgetting the difference between our ranks, he convinced himselfsaw into their designs, and forgetting the distance there was between our conditions, flattered himself with the hopes that my father was fond enough of him to prefer him overbefore all the princes in the world. He went furtherfarther. For when the sultan did not offer me to him as soon as he ; for the sultan not offering me to him as soon as he could have wished, he had the boldness to ask him for my handme of him. Whatever punishment his insolence deserved, my father was satisfied with telling him he had other plans forthoughts in relation to me. The youth was furiousincensed at this refusal. He; he resented the contempt, as if he had asked some girl of ordinary birthmaid of ordinary extraction, or as if his birth had been equal to mine. Nor did he stop here, but resolved to take revengebe revenged on the sultan, and with unparalleled ingratitude conspired against him. In short, he murdered him, and had himself proclaimed ruler of Deryabarcaused himself to be proclaimed sovereign of Deryabar. But the grand vizier, the sultan’s chief minister, came to take me away from the palace while the usurper was killing my father. He kept me safe in a friend’s house until a ship he had arranged was ready to sailThe grand vizier, however, while the usurper was butchering my father came to carry me away from the palace, and secured me in a friend's house, till a vessel he had provided was ready to sailExplanation: The grand vizier is the sultan’s chief minister. For children, “butchering” is softened to “killing”; the father’s murder and the princess’s escape remain.. I then left the island, accompanied only by a governess and that generous minister, who chose to follow his master’s daughter rather than submit to a tyrantattended only by a governess and that generous minister, who chose rather to follow his master's daughter than to submit to a tyrant.

"The grand vizier planned to takedesigned to carry me to the courts of the neighbouring sultans, to beg for their helpimplore their assistance, and urge them to avengeexcite them to revenge my father's death. But; but Heaven did not favour a planconcur in a resolution we thought so just. After only a few days at sea, a furious storm arose. Driven by the violent winds and waves, our vessel was dashed toWhen we had been but a few days at sea, there arose such a furious storm, that our vessel, carried away by the violence of the winds and waves, was dashed in pieces against a rock. My governess, the grand vizier, and all those accompanying meall that attended me, were swallowed up by the sea. I passed outI lost my senses. And; and whether I was thrown onto the shorewhether I was thrown upon the coast, or whether Heaven worked a miracle to save meHeaven wrought a miracle for my deliverance, I found myself on shore when I came towhen my senses returned.

"In my despair and horror I was about to take my own life, whenIn my despair and horror I was on the point of casting myself into the sea again; whenExplanation: For children, the method of suicide is omitted. The princess’s despair, her intention and the arrival that interrupts her remain. I heard behind me a loud noise of men and horsesa great noise of men and horses. I looked aroundI looked about to see what it might be, and sawespied several armed horsemen, among whom was one mounted on an Arabian warhorsean Arabian charger. He wore a garmentHe had on a garment embroidered with silver, a beltgirdle set with precious stones, and a crown of gold on his head. Even if his clothes had not convinced me that he was their leader, I would have known it from his grand bearingThough his habit had not convinced me that he was chief of the company, I should have judged it by the air of grandeur which appeared in his person. He was an extraordinarily well-built young man, and perfectly beautifulHe was a young man extraordinarily well shaped, and perfectly beautiful. Surprised to see a young lady alone in that place, he sent some of his officers to ask who I was. I answered only by weeping. The shore was covered with the wreckage of our ship. They concluded that I must be someone who had escaped from itThe shore being covered with the wreck of our ship, they concluded that I was certainly some person who had escaped from the vessel. This guess made the officers curious. They began to ask me a thousand questions, assuring meThis conjecture excited the curiosity of the officers, who began to ask me a thousand questions, with assurances that their master was a generous prince, and that I should receive protection at his court.

"The sultan, impatient to know who I was, grew tiredweary of waiting for his officers to returnthe return of his officers, and came closer to medrew near to me. He gazed at me intently. Seeing that I kept weeping and could not answer their questions, he forbade them to trouble me any more. Then he addressedon me very earnestly, and observing that I did not cease weeping, without being able to return an answer to their questions, he forbade them troubling me any more; and directing his discourse to me: 'Madam,' said he, 'I beg you to calm your overwhelming griefconjure you to moderate your excessive affliction. I can assure youI dare assure you that, if anything can ease your misfortunes your misfortunes are capable of receiving any relief, you willshall find it in my kingdomdominions. You will live with my mother the queen, who will try to ease your grief with her kindnessYou shall live with the queen my mother, who will endeavour by her kindness to ease your affliction. I do not yet knowknow not yet who you are, but I find I already take an interest in your welfare.'

"I thanked the young sultan for his kindness and accepted his generous offer. To show that I was not unworthy of his generosity, I told him who I wasgoodness to me, accepted his obliging offer; and to convince him that I was not unworthy of them, told him my condition. When I had finished speakingWhen I had done speaking, the prince assured me that he was deeply concerned at my misfortunes. He then took me to his palace and introduced me to his mother the queen, to whom I had to tell my misfortunes all over againconducted me to his palace, and presented me to the queen his mother, to whom I was obliged again to repeat my misfortunes. The queen seemed deeply moved by my sufferingvery sensible of my trouble, and felt greatconceived extreme affection for me. Meanwhile, her son the sultanOn the other hand, the sultan her son fell desperately in love with me, and soon offered me his hand and his crown. I was so absorbed in thoughts of my misfortunestaken up with the thoughts of my calamities, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not make as great an impression on medid not make so great an impression on me as he might have done at another time. Still, gratitude won out. IHowever, gratitude prevailing, I did not refuse to make him happy, and our wedding was celebratednuptials were concluded with all imaginable splendour.

"While the people were absorbed in celebrating their sovereign’s wedding, a neighbouring prince, his enemy, landed on the island by night with a large army. He took my husband’s subjects by surprise and killed themtaken up with the celebration of their sovereign's nuptials, a neighbouring prince, his enemy, made a descent by night on the island with a great number of troops and surprised and cut to pieces my husband's subjectsExplanation: For children, “cut to pieces” is softened. The surprise attack and the killing of the sultan’s subjects remain.. We only just escapedWe escaped very narrowly, for he had already entered the palace with some of his followers. But; but we managed to slip away to the coast, where we leaped into a fishing boat we had been lucky enough to findwe found means to slip away and to get to the sea-coast, where we threw ourselves into a fishing-boat which we had the good fortune to meet with. For two days the winds drove us about. We did not know what would become of usTwo days we were driven about by the winds, without knowing what would become of us. On the third day we saw a ship sailing towards usThe third day we espied a vessel making toward us under sail. We rejoiced at first, believing it was a merchant ship that might take us aboardbelieving it had been a merchant-ship which might take us aboard. But imagine our horror when, as it drew near, we saw; but what was our consternation, when, as it drew near, we saw ten or twelve armed pirates appear on the deck. Five or six of them leaped aboard our boat, seized us, tied up the prince, and took us onto their shipHaving boarded, five or six of them leaped into our boat, seized us, bound the prince, and conveyed us into their ship, where they immediately took off my veil. My youth and looks attracted themMy youth and features touched them, and they all declared how much they were charmed at the sight of me. Instead of casting lots, each claimed first choice of them claimed the preference, and me as his right. The dispute grew heated. They came to blowswarm, they came to blows, and fought like madmen. The deck was soon covered with dead bodies, and all but one were killed. The last pirate, who now held me captive alone, said:they were all killed but one, who, being left sole possessor of me, said: 'You are mine. I will take you to Grand Cairo and hand you over to a friend of mineI will carry you to Grand Cairo, to deliver you to a friend of mine, to whom I have promised a beautiful slave. But who,' added he, looking at the sultanlooking upon the sultan, my husband, 'is that man? What is he to youWhat relation does he bear to you? Are you relatedallied by blood or love?' 'Sir,' answered I, 'he is my husband.' 'If so,' replied the pirate, 'in pity I must rid myself of him: it would cause him too much griefit would be too great an affliction to him to see you given to someone elsedisposed of to another.' After saying this, he picked up the unfortunate prince, who was tied upHaving spoken these words, he took up the unhappy prince, who was bound, and threw him into the sea, despite all my effortsnotwithstanding all my endeavours to prevent him.

"I gave a dreadful scream when I saw what he had done. I would certainly have taken my own life too, but the pirate held me backI shrieked in a dreadful manner at the sight of what he had done, and had certainly cast myself into the sea also, but that the pirate held meExplanation: For children, the method of suicide is omitted. The princess’s intention after her husband’s death, and the pirate holding her back, remain.. He saw what I intended and bound me with cords to the mainmast. Then he hoisted sail, headed towards land and reached the shoremy design, and therefore bound me with cords to the main-mast, then hoisting sail, made toward the land, and got ashore. He unbound me and led me to a little town, where he bought camels, tents, and slaves, and then set out for Grand Cairo, intending, as he kept saying, to givedesigning, as he still said, to present me to his friend, according to his promise.

"We had been on the road for several days when, as we were crossing this plain yesterday, we saw the dark-skinned man who lived in this castleWe had been several days upon the road, when, as we were crossing this plain yesterday, we descried the black who inhabited this castleExplanation: For children, the demeaning racial noun used to name the man is replaced by a description of him as a person. His appearance, enormous size and actions remain.. At a distance we took him for a tower, and when he came near, we could scarcely believe he was a manwhen near us, could scarcely believe him to be a man. He drew his huge curved swordhis huge cimeter, and ordered the pirate to surrendersummoned the pirate to yield himself prisoner, with all his slaves and the lady he was escortingthe lady he was conducting. You know the end of this dreadful adventure and can foresee what would have been my fate if you, generous prince, had not come to rescue mehad you, generous prince, not come to my deliverance."