第35章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(10)

So I shaved off my beard and eyebrows and donning a Calender's habit，left the townwithout being known of anyand made for this cityin the hope that perhaps some one would bring me to the presence of the Commander of the Faithful and Vicar of the Lord of the Two Worldsthat I might relate to him my story and lay my case before him. I arrived here today and was standingperplexed where I should gowhen I saw this second Calender；so I saluted himsaying 'I am a stranger，'and he replied'And I also am a stranger.'Presently up came our comradethis other Calender，and saluted ussaying'I am a stranger.'We also are strangers，'answered we；and we walked on togethertill darkness overtook usand destiny led us to your house. Thisthenis my history and the manner of the loss of my right eye and the shaving of my beard and eyebrows.'They all marvelled at his storyand the Khalif said to Jaafer'By AllahI never heard or saw the like of what happened to this Calender.'Then the mistress of the house said to the Calender'Begone about thy business.'But he answered'I will not budge till I hear the others'stories.'Then came forth the second Calender and kissing the earthsaid'O my ladyI was not born blind of one eyeand my story is a marvellous one；were it graven with needles on the corners of the eyeit would serve as a warning to those that can profit by example.

The Second Calender's Story.

I am a kingson of a king. My father taught me to read and writeand I got the Koran by heartaccording to the seven readingsand read all manner of books under the guidance of learned professors；I studied the science of the stars and the sayings of poets and applied myself to all branches of knowledge，till I surpassed all the folk of my time. In particularmy skill in handwriting excelled that of all the scribesand my fame was noised abroad in all countries and at the courts of all the kings. Amongst othersthe King of Ind heard of me and sent to my father to seek mewith gifts and presents such as befit kings.

So my father fitted out six ships for meand we put to sea and sailed for a whole monthtill we reached the land. Then we brought out the horses that were with us in the shipstogether with ten camels laden with presents for the King of Ind. and set out inlandbut had not gone farbefore there arose a great dustthat grew till it covered the whole country. After awhile it lifted and discovered fifty steel-clad horsemenas they were fierce lionswhom we soon found to be Arab highwaymen. When they saw that we were but a small company and had with us ten laden camelsthey drove at us with levelled spears. We signed to them with our fingers to do us no hindrancefor that we were ambassadors to the mighty King of Ind；but they replied （in the same manner） that they were not in his dominions nor under his rule. Then they set on us and slew some of my attendants and put the rest to flight；and I also fledafter I had gotten a sore wound whilst the Arabs were taken up with the baggage. I knew not whither to turnbeing reduced from high to low estate；so I fled forth at a venture till I came to the top of a mountainwhere I took shelter for the night in a cavern. On the morrowI continued my journey and fared on thus for a whole monthtill I reached a safe and pleasant city. The winter had passed away from it with its cold and the spring was come with its roses；its flowers were blowing and its streams welling and its birds warbling. As says the poetdescribing the city in question：

A townwherein who dwells is free from all affray；Security and peace are masters there alway.

Like Paradise itselfit seemethfor its folkWith all its beauties rare decked out in bright array.

I was both glad and sorry to reach the cityglad for that I was weary with my journey and pale for weakness and anxietyand grieved to enter it in such sorry case. HoweverI went in，knowing not whither to betake meand fared on till I came to a tailor sitting in his shop. I saluted himand he returned my salute and bade me a kindly welcomeand seeing me to be a stranger and noting marks of gentle breeding on meenquired how I came thither. I told him all that had befallen me；and he was concerned for me and said'O my sondo not discover thyself to anyfor the King of this city is the chief of thy father's foes and hath a mortal feud against him.'Then he set meat and drink before meand I ate and he with meand we talked together till nightfallwhen he lodged me in a chamber beside his ownand brought me a bed and coverlet. I abode with him three daysat the end of which time he said to me'Dost thou know any craft by which thou mayst earn thy living？'I replied'I am a doctor of the law and a man of learninga scribea grammariana poeta mathematician and a skilled penman.'Quoth he'Thy trade is not in demand in this country nor are there in this city any who understand science or writing or aught but money-getting.'By Allah，'said I'I know nought but what I have told thee！'And he said'Gird thy middle and take axe and cord and go and cut firewood in the desert for thy livingtill God send thee relief，and tell none who thou artor they will kill thee.'Then he bought me an axe and a cord and gave me in charge to certain woodcutters；with whom I went out into the desert and cut wood all day and carried home a load on my head. I sold it for half a dinarwith part of which I bought victual and laid up the rest.

On this wise I lived a whole yearat the end of which time I went out one day into the desertaccording to my wontand straying from my companionshappened on a tract full of trees and running streamsin which there was abundance of firewood；so I entered and coming on the gnarled stump of a great treedug round it with my axe and cleared the earth away from it.