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THE SECOND CALENDER. 95

the time, before she said to the sultan, her father, “1 have gained,
sire, the victory over the genius, as your majesty may see, but
it is a victory which has cost me dear. I have but a few
moments to live, and you will not have the satisfaction of com-
pleting the marriage you intended. The fire, in this dreadful
combat, has penetrated my body, and I feel that it will soon con-
sume me. This would not have happened if I had perceived the
last seed of the pomegranate, when I was in the shape of a
cock, and had swallowed it as I did the others. The genius
had fied to it as his last retreat, and on that depended the
success of the combat, which would then have been fortunate,
and without danger to me. This omission obliged me to have
recourse to fire, and fight with that powerful weapon, between
heaven and earth, as you saw me. In spite of his dreadful power
and experience, I convinced him that my knowledge and art
were greater than his. I have at length conquered and reduced
him to ashes, but I cannot avoid the death which I feel approach-
ing.”

The princess had no sooner finished this account of the battle,
tl‘an the sultan, in a tone of voice which shewed how much he
was agitated by this recital, answered, “ You see, my daughter,
the state in which your father is. Alas! I am only astonished
that I am still alive ; and the prince, whom you have delivered
from enchantment, has lost an eye.” He could say no more, for
his tears and sobs stopped his utterance. Both his daughter
and myself were extremely affected at his sufferings, and mingled
our tears with his.

While we were each of us indulging in this excess of sorrow,
the princess suddenly exclaimed, “I burn, I burn.” She per-
ceived that the fire which consumed her, had at last seized her
whole body, and she did not cease calling out, “I burn,” till
death put an end to her almost insupportable sufferings. The
effect of this fire was so extraordinary, that in a few minutes she
was reduced like the genius to a heap of ashes.

IT need not say how much this dreadful and melancholy sight
affected us. I would rather have continued an ape, or a dog, my
whole life, than have seen my benefactress perish in such a hor-
rid manner. The sultan, too, on his part, was beyond measure
afflicted.

As soon as the knowledge of an event so tragical was spread