Produced by Al Haines
London
CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY
1895
THE CALIPH AND THE PIRATES
The Arab Merchant's Story
THE CALIPH AND THE BLIND FISHERMAN
The History of the Blind Fisherman and his Brother
THE CALIPH AND ABDURRAHMAN
Abdurrahman's Story
THE CALIPH AND THE FIRST JAR OF OINTMENT
First Adventure: The Caliph and the Emir
THE CALIPH AND THE FIRST JAR OF OINTMENT
Second Adventure: The Caliph and Abou Hassan
The Story of Murad Essed, the Unfortunate Merchant
The Story of Abou Hassan, the Fortunate Merchant
THE CALIPH AND THE SECOND JAR OF OINTMENT
The Story of Hunoman
THE CALIPH AND THE SLAVE MERCHANTS
The Narrative of Sidi ibn Thalabi
The Barber's Story
THE CALIPH AND SIDI IBN THALABI—THE BANQUET
The Story of Mubarek, as told by Abu 'Atahiyeh
That stories such as those in the "Arabian Nights," and fairy tales ofevery kind, should delight us all, men and women no less than boys andgirls, is very natural. We find it charming to escape for a period,however brief, from all the familiar surroundings of modern life, andon opening a volume to pass at once into another region, where all isstrange, and where the sceptical glances of science never intrude tobanish magic and the supernatural.
Emboldened by these reflections, we may forthwith commence thenarration of certain noteworthy occurrences concerning the celebratedCaliph Haroun Alraschid. He was in the habit, as every one knows, ofwandering very frequently through the town after nightfall in variousdisguises to see for himself that justice was done, and also, it may beconfessed, by no means loth to encounter such adventures as he mightmeet with. Many of these have been already related, but others, nowhit less interesting and extraordinary, remain still untold.
Some of these adventures were very diverting and naturally pleasing,but others involved so many dangers and such hardships that it isindeed surprising that the Caliph should ever again have ventured onthese nocturnal ramblings.
An adventure of the latter and more serious description happened asfollows, and may be entitled:
The Caliph and the Pirates.
The Caliph, being on a tour of inspection through the various provincesof his empire, chanced on a certain occasion to be stopping at Bussora.And one evening, disguised, as was his wont, as a merchant, and, asusual, accompanied only by his faithful Grand Vizier, Giafer, hestrolled through the bazaars silent and observant. Meeting withnothing worthy of arresting his particular attention, he wandered onuntil he came at length to some very narrow and mean lanes near thewaterside. In one of these, and when passing the door of a lowcaravanserai, or public-house, frequented chiefly by sailors, theynoticed some men approaching, who were carrying gr