In the first number we have the sea and merely the vessel, not the voyages, of Sindbad.  Then the story of the Prince Kalender cannot be distinguished among the three tales of the royal mendicants.  The young prince and the young princess,—­there are many of them in these Arabian fairy tales, though we can guess at the particular one.  Finally, in the last number, the title mentions an event from the story of the third Prince Kalender, where the vessel (not of Sindbad) is wrecked upon a rock surmounted by a warrior of brass.  The Feast of Bagdad has no special place in any one of the stories.

The truth is, it is all a mirroring in tones of the charm and essence of these epic gems of the East.  It is not like the modern interlinear description, although it might be played during a reading on account of the general agreement of the color and spirit of the music.  But there is the sense and feeling of the story, das Maerchen, and the romance of adventure.  The brilliancy of harmony, the eccentricity and gaiety of rhythm seem symbolic and, in a subtle way, descriptive.  As in the subject, the stories themselves, there is a luxuriant imagery, but no sign of the element of reflection or even of emotion.

I.—­The opening motive, in big, broad rhythm, is clearly the Sea.  Some have called it the Sindbad motive.  But in essence these are not very different.  The Sea is here the very feeling and type of adventure,—­nay, Adventure itself.  It is a necessary part of fairy stories.  Here it begins and ends with its rocking theme, ever moving onward.  It comes in the story of the Prince Kalender.

The second of the main phrases is evidently the motive of the fairy tale itself, the feeling of “once upon a time,” the idea of story, that leads us to the events themselves.  It is a mere strumming of chords of the harp, with a vague line, lacking rhythm, as of musical prose.  For rhythm is the type of event, of happenings, of the adventure itself.  So the formless phrase is the introduction, the narrator, Maerchen in an Oriental dress as Scherezade.

The first number passes for the most part in a rocking of the motive of the sea, in various moods and movements:  Largo e maestoso, Allegro non troppo,—­tranquillo.  At one time even the theme of the story sings to the swaying of the sea.[A]

[Footnote A:  We remember how Sindbad was tempted after each fortunate escape from terrible dangers to embark once more, and how he tells the story of the seven voyages on seven successive days, amid luxury and feasting.]

II.—­In the tale of the Prince Kalender Scherezade, of course, begins the story as usual.  But the main thread is in itself another interwoven tale,—­Andantino Capriccioso, quasi recitando, with a solo in the bassoon dolce e espressivo,—­later poco piu mosso, in violins.[A] There is most of happenings here.  A very strident phrase that plays in the brass Allegro molto, may be some hobgoblin, or rather an evil jinn, that holds the princess captive and wrecks the hero’s vessel.  The sea, too, plays a tempestuous part at the same time with the impish mischief of the jinn.