Before the table was cleared, I espied a standish, which I made a sign to have brought me; having got it, I wrote upon a large peach some verses expressive of my acknowledgment to the sultan; who having read them after I had presented the peach to him, was still more astonished.  When the things were removed, they brought him a particular liquor, of which he caused them to give me a glass.  I drank, and wrote upon the glass some new verses, which explained the state I was reduced to, after many sufferings.  The sultan read these likewise, and said, “A man that was capable of doing so much would be above the greatest of his species.”

The sultan caused to be brought to him a chessboard, and asked me by a sign if I understood that game, and would play with him?  I kissed the ground, and laying my hand upon my head, signified that I was ready to receive that honour.  He won the first game, but I won the second and third; and perceiving he was somewhat displeased at my success, I made a quatrain to satisfy him; in which I told him that two potent armies had been fighting furiously all day, but that they concluded a peace towards the evening, and passed the remaining part of the night very amicably together upon the field of battle.

So many circumstances appearing to the sultan beyond whatever had either been seen or known of the cleverness or sense of apes, he determined not to be the only witness of these prodigies himself, but having a daughter, called the Lady of Beauty, on whom the chief of the eunuchs, then present, waited; “Go,” said the sultan to him, “and bid your lady come hither:  I am desirous she should share my pleasure.”

The eunuch went, and immediately brought the princess, who had her face uncovered; but she had no sooner come into the room, than she put on her veil, and said to the sultan, “Sir, your majesty must needs have forgotten yourself; I am surprised that your majesty has sent for me to appear among men.”  “How, daughter!” said the sultan, “you do not know what you say:  there is no one here, but the little slave, the eunuch your governor, and myself, who have the liberty to see your face; and yet you lower your veil, and blame me for having sent for you.”  “Sir,” said the princess, “your majesty shall soon understand that I am not in the wrong.  That seeming ape is a young prince, son of a powerful sultan, and has been metamorphosed into an ape by enchantment.  A genie, son of the daughter of Eblis, has maliciously done him this wrong, after having cruelly taken away the life of the princess of the isle of Ebene.”

The sultan, astonished at this declaration, turned towards me, and speaking no more by signs, but in plain words, asked me, if what his daughter said was true?  Finding I could not speak, I put my hand to my head’ to signify that what the princess spoke was correct.  Upon this the sultan said again to his daughter, “How do you know that this prince has been transformed by enchantments into