--- title: "The Princess of Deryabar" story_id: "1cf8d996-ebc0-4111-81e0-28ed7d9619d6" text_id: "cbd04ac6-472c-4037-aa6e-27c674f3fd1e" language: "en" version: "modern" part: 1 part_count: 1 url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-princess-of-deryabar" recommended_version: "modern" recommended_web_url: "https://www.openclassics.org/stories/the-princess-of-deryabar" web_invitation: "Read this illustrated story on OpenClassics" --- # The Princess of Deryabar > 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-princess-of-deryabar) Version: Modernized This tale comes from the Arabian Nights, a collection with Arab and Persian roots. The princess of Deryabar was raised to rule her father’s island kingdom. When a young man her father had cared for murders him and takes his throne, she flees by sea. But a storm and pirates bring new dangers. Now she tells the prince who rescued her what happened during her journey. **Content warning:** This story contains murder, shipwrecks, abduction and slavery. A character also wants to take her own life. "There was on 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 happy. He kept praying to Heaven, but Heaven only partially granted his requests, for his wife the queen, after a long wait, gave birth to a daughter. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/ac411407-6ad1-41de-b66f-24ba98943a89) "I am that unfortunate princess; my father was more saddened than pleased at my birth. 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 take 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 friend. 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 favour. He soon understood their intentions. Forgetting the difference between our ranks, he convinced himself that my father was fond enough of him to prefer him over all the princes in the world. He went further. For when the sultan did not offer me to him as soon as he wished, he had the boldness to ask him for my hand. Whatever punishment his insolence deserved, my father was satisfied with telling him he had other plans for me. The youth was furious at this refusal. He resented the contempt, as if he had asked some girl of ordinary birth, or as if his birth had been equal to mine. Nor did he stop here, but resolved to take revenge on the sultan, and with unparalleled ingratitude conspired against him. In short, he murdered him, and had himself proclaimed ruler 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 sail. 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 tyrant. "The grand vizier planned to take me to the courts of the neighbouring sultans, to beg for their help, and urge them to avenge my father's death. But Heaven did not favour a plan 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 to pieces against a rock. My governess, the grand vizier, and all those accompanying me, were swallowed up by the sea. I passed out. And whether I was thrown onto the shore, or whether Heaven worked a miracle to save me, I found myself on shore when I came to. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/2510a005-02de-4f25-9c18-931f921ef8ce) "In my despair and horror I was about to take my own life, when I heard behind me a loud noise of men and horses. I looked around to see what it might be, and saw several armed horsemen, among whom was one mounted on an Arabian warhorse. He wore a garment embroidered with silver, a belt 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 bearing. He was an extraordinarily well-built young man, 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 it. This guess made the officers curious. They began to ask me a thousand questions, assuring me that their master was a generous prince, and that I should receive protection at his court. ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/a2cdd1d9-e4f5-4ae5-b56f-f61fb87f4bcd) "The sultan, impatient to know who I was, grew tired of waiting for his officers to return, and came closer 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 addressed me: 'Madam,' said he, 'I beg you to calm your overwhelming grief. I can assure you that, if anything can ease your misfortunes, you will find it in my kingdom. You will live with my mother the queen, who will try to ease your grief with her kindness. I do not yet know 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 was. When I had finished 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 again. The queen seemed deeply moved by my suffering, and felt great affection for me. Meanwhile, her son the sultan fell desperately in love with me, and soon offered me his hand and his crown. I was so absorbed in thoughts of my misfortunes, that the prince, though so lovely a person, did not make as great an impression on me as he might have done at another time. Still, gratitude won out. I did not refuse to make him happy, and our wedding was celebrated 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 them. We only just escaped, for he had already entered the palace with some of his followers. But we managed to slip away to the coast, where we leaped into a fishing boat we had been lucky enough to find. For two days the winds drove us about. We did not know what would become of us. On the third day we saw a ship sailing towards us. We rejoiced at first, believing it was a merchant ship that might take us aboard. But imagine our horror 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 ship, where they immediately took off my veil. My youth and looks attracted them, and they all declared how much they were charmed at the sight of me. Instead of casting lots, each claimed first choice, and me as his right. The dispute grew heated. 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: 'You are mine. I will take you to Grand Cairo and hand you over to a friend of mine, to whom I have promised a beautiful slave. But who,' added he, looking at the sultan, my husband, 'is that man? What is he to you? Are you related 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 grief to see you given to someone else.' After saying this, he picked up the unfortunate prince, who was tied up, and threw him into the sea, despite all my efforts 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 back. He saw what I intended and bound me with cords to the mainmast. Then he hoisted sail, headed towards land and reached the shore. 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 give 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 castle. At a distance we took him for a tower, and when he came near, we could scarcely believe he was a man. He drew his huge curved sword, and ordered the pirate to surrender, with all his slaves and the lady he was escorting. 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 me." ![Illustration](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/3ab89fb6-3ebb-4585-bdb3-f7946d47838d) ## Modernization notes - taken 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 subjects → 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 them: For children, “cut to pieces” is softened. The surprise attack and the killing of the sultan’s subjects remain. - In my despair and horror I was on the point of casting myself into the sea again; when → In my despair and horror I was about to take my own life, when: For children, the method of suicide is omitted. The princess’s despair, her intention and the arrival that interrupts her remain. - We had been several days upon the road, when, as we were crossing this plain yesterday, we descried the black who inhabited this castle → 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 castle: 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. - The 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 sail → 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 sail: 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 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 me → 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 back: For children, the method of suicide is omitted. The princess’s intention after her husband’s death, and the pirate holding her back, remain. ## Presented text (with modernization) © OpenClassics.org — All rights reserved. ## Original text The Arabian Nights: Their Best-known Tales, 1909, Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York - editor: Kate Douglas Wiggin - editor: Nora A. Smith ## Illustration [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/ac411407-6ad1-41de-b66f-24ba98943a89) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/2510a005-02de-4f25-9c18-931f921ef8ce) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/a2cdd1d9-e4f5-4ae5-b56f-f61fb87f4bcd) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London [Edmund Dulac](https://www.openclassics.org/api/illustrations/3ab89fb6-3ebb-4585-bdb3-f7946d47838d) — Stories from the Arabian Nights, 1907, Hodder & Stoughton, London ## Reading music Lamma bada yatathanna Bassam Jalgha (oud) Hassane Slaibi (flute) Remix ⟷ Culture (production) [CC BY-NC-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) ## Quiz ### What does a monsoon involve? - Rain that must fall continuously all year - A wave caused by an earthquake - A seasonal change in wind direction (Correct answer) A monsoon is a seasonal change in wind direction. Its name comes from an Arabic word meaning season, and it can bring dry weather as well as rain. [nesdis.noaa.gov — what monsoon](https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/about/k-12-education/severe-weather/what-monsoon) ### For Northern Hemisphere sailors, what can the Pole Star's height above the horizon reveal? - Approximate latitude (Correct answer) - The ship's weight - The water's depth Sailors in the Northern Hemisphere could use the Pole Star to navigate. Its height above the horizon gives an approximate measure of latitude. [rmg.co.uk — ursa minor little bear polaris](https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/space-astronomy/ursa-minor-little-bear-polaris) ### How much water must a floating ship displace? - Water weighing half as much - Water weighing as much as the ship's total weight (Correct answer) - Water weighing exactly ten times as much A ship floats by displacing water. To stay afloat, it must push aside water whose weight equals its own total weight. [oceanservice.noaa.gov — dyw boat building](https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/dyw-boat-building.html) ### Which navigation tool can still give a direction when clouds hide the stars? - A star chart used alone - A sundial in darkness - A compass (Correct answer) A compass can work when clouds hide the stars. Its magnetised needle responds to Earth's magnetic field, giving navigators a direction to follow. [rmg.co.uk — true north magnetic north whats difference](https://www.rmg.co.uk/stories/maritime-history/true-north-magnetic-north-whats-difference) ### Did the Silk Roads include sea routes? - No, only roads across land - Yes, ships also carried goods and ideas (Correct answer) - No, only routes through mountain tunnels The Silk Roads also crossed the sea. Ships carried goods and helped spread ideas and religions between distant Asian ports. [unesco.org — about silk roads](https://www.unesco.org/en/silk-roads/about-silk-roads) ## Other languages - [Français](https://www.openclassics.org/fr/stories/the-princess-of-deryabar?format=markdown) - [简体中文](https://www.openclassics.org/zh/stories/the-princess-of-deryabar?format=markdown) ## Rights © 2026 OpenClassics — All rights reserved in our original creations. [Rights](https://www.openclassics.org/information/terms)