LI NUIT
by Unknown · from Les mille et une nuits - Tome premier
Adapted Version
Little one said, "Tell me a story!" Storyteller smiled. "Yes, little sister. I will tell of the Princess and Genie!"
Little one wanted more of the story. "Sister, please tell more," she said softly. Storyteller knew the story well. She looked at The Sultan. She began to speak her tale.
Then, loud cries came from the sky. They were very scary sounds. WHOOSH! The big Fire Genie appeared. It was all bright, hot fire. The brave Princess appeared too. She was also all fire. They fought high in the air. It was fire against fire.
The fires got bigger and bigger. They got hotter and hotter. ROAR! Thick, dark smoke rose very high. It was very black smoke. The smoke filled the air. We were very scared for the palace. The palace might burn down.
The Fire Genie moved very fast. It came close to us. Fire shot out from it. The Sultan felt very hot. He was very scared. His face felt hot. The Man was there too. His right eye got hurt. He could not see from it. It was a bad hurt.
The brave Princess helped us. She pushed the genie fire away. She was very strong in her fire form. The genie fire went back. She fought the genie hard. She won the big fight. The genie went away. It was like magic dust.
The Princess changed back. She was a kind lady again. She asked for some water. A Young Helper brought it quickly. She spoke magic words over the water. She threw water on The Man. He changed back to a man. But his right eye was still hurt.
The Princess then spoke to The Sultan. He was her dear father. "I won the fight," she said. "But it was very hard. I am very, very tired now."
"I feel very weak now," she said. "I have a secret to tell. I forgot one small magic seed. It was from a special fruit. The Fire Genie hid inside it. I did not eat the seed. My magic is very tired now."
"I made a small mistake. So I had to fight with fire. Very big fire magic. It made my magic go away. I won the fight. But my magic is gone for good."
Storyteller stopped her story. The bright sun came up. "The story ends here for tonight," she said. "I will tell more next night."
Storyteller stopped. The sun was peeking up! "Oh, no!" said Little one. "The story is not finished!" Storyteller winked. "I will tell you more next night!"
Original Story
LI NUIT.
Dinarzade, le lendemain, ne craignit pas d'interrompre le sommeil de la sultane: Si vous ne dormez pas, ma soeur, lui dit-elle, je vous prie de reprendre le fil de cette merveilleuse histoire que vous ne pûtes achever hier. Je suis curieuse d'entendre la suite de toutes ces métamorphoses. Scheherazade rappela dans sa mémoire l'endroit où elle en était demeurée, et puis, adressant la parole au sultan: Sire, dit-elle, le second calender continua de cette sorte son histoire:
«Le coq se jeta dans le canal et se changea en un brochet qui poursuivit le petit poisson. Ils furent l'un et l'autre deux heures entières sous l'eau, et nous ne savions ce qu'ils étaient devenus, lorsque nous entendîmes des cris horribles qui nous firent frémir. Peu de temps après nous vîmes le génie et la princesse tout en feu. Ils lancèrent l'un contre l'autre des flammes par la bouche jusqu'à ce qu'ils vinrent à se prendre corps à corps. Alors les deux feux s'augmentèrent et jetèrent une fumée épaisse et enflammée qui s'éleva fort haut. Nous craignîmes avec raison qu'elle n'embrasât tout le palais, mais nous eûmes bientôt un sujet de crainte beaucoup plus pressant, car le génie, s'étant débarrassé de la princesse, vint jusqu'à la galerie où nous étions et nous souffla des tourbillons de feu. C'était fait de nous si la princesse, accourant à notre secours, ne l'eût obligé par ses cris à s'éloigner et à se garder d'elle. Néanmoins, quelque diligence qu'elle fît, elle ne put empêcher que le sultan n'eût la barbe brûlée et le visage gâté, que le chef des eunuques ne fût étouffé et consumé sur-le-champ, et qu'une étincelle n'entrât dans mon oeil droit et ne me rendît borgne. Le sultan et moi nous nous attendions à périr; mais bientôt nous ouïmes crier; Victoire! victoire! et nous vîmes tout à coup paraître la princesse sous sa forme naturelle, et le génie réduit en un monceau de cendres.
La princesse s'approcha de nous, et, pour ne pas perdre de temps, elle demanda une tasse pleine d'eau, qui lui fut apportée par le jeune esclave, à qui le feu n'avait fait aucun mal. Elle la prit, et après quelques paroles prononcées dessus, elle jeta l'eau sur moi en disant: «Si tu es singe par enchantement, change de figure et prends celle d'homme que tu avais auparavant.» À peine eut-elle achevé ces mots, que je redevins homme tel que j'étais avant ma métamorphose, à un oeil près.
«Je me préparais à remercier la princesse, mais elle ne m'en donna pas le temps. Elle s'adressa au sultan son père et lui dit: «Sire, j'ai remporté la victoire sur le génie, comme votre majesté le peut voir. Mais c'est une victoire qui me coûte cher: il me reste peu de moments à vivre, et vous n'aurez pas la satisfaction de faire le mariage que vous méditiez. Le feu m'a pénétrée dans ce combat terrible, et je sens qu'il me consume peu à peu. Cela ne serait point arrivé si je m'étais aperçu du dernier grain de la grenade et que je l'eusse avalé comme les autres lorsque j'étais changée en coq. Le génie s'y était réfugié comme en son dernier retranchement, et de là dépendait le succès du combat, qui aurait été heureux et sans danger pour moi. Cette faute m'a obligée de recourir au feu et de combattre avec ces puissantes armes, comme je l'ai fait entre le ciel et la terre et en votre présence. Malgré le pouvoir de son art redoutable et son expérience, j'ai fait connaître au génie que j'en savais plus que lui; je l'ai vaincu et réduit en cendres. Mais je ne puis échapper à la mort qui s'approche.»
Scheherazade interrompit en cet endroit l'histoire du second calender, et dit au sultan: Sire, le jour, qui paraît, m'avertit de n'en pas dire davantage; mais si votre majesté veut bien encore me laisser vivre jusqu'à demain, elle entendra la fin de cette histoire. Schahriar y consentit et se leva, suivant sa coutume, pour aller vaquer aux affaires de son empire.
Story DNA
Moral
Even great power and skill cannot always prevent the consequences of a single oversight.
Plot Summary
The second calender recounts witnessing a fierce magical battle where a princess, in various forms, fights a powerful genie. After an intense fiery combat that injures the sultan and blinds the calender, the princess defeats the genie, reducing him to ashes. She then restores the calender to human form. However, the princess reveals she is dying because she failed to consume the last grain of a pomegranate, where the genie had hidden, during an earlier transformation, forcing her to engage in a battle that ultimately consumed her life force, despite her victory.
Themes
Emotional Arc
fear to triumph to sorrow
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
This is an excerpt from 'The Arabian Nights' (One Thousand and One Nights), a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled during the Islamic Golden Age. The frame story involves Scheherazade telling tales to Sultan Shahriar to delay her execution.
Plot Beats (11)
- Dinarzade prompts Scheherazade to continue the story of the second calender.
- The calender recounts the coq (princess) transforming into a pike and pursuing the petit poisson (genie) underwater.
- Horrible cries are heard, and the genie and princess appear as beings of fire, battling fiercely.
- The two fires intensify, creating thick, flaming smoke that threatens the palace.
- The genie attacks the gallery, burning the sultan's beard, killing the chief eunuch, and blinding the calender in one eye.
- The princess intervenes, forcing the genie to retreat, and then defeats him, reducing him to ashes.
- The princess, in her natural form, asks for water and uses it to restore the calender to his human form, minus one eye.
- The princess explains to her father, the sultan, that her victory came at a great cost.
- She reveals that she is dying because she failed to swallow the last grain of the pomegranate, where the genie had taken refuge, during her transformation into a coq.
- This oversight forced her to fight with fire, which ultimately consumed her, despite her victory.
- Scheherazade interrupts her story as day breaks, promising to continue the next night.
Characters
Dinarzade
Slender and graceful, with delicate features typical of a young woman from the Arabian Peninsula. Her height is average for her region, and she moves with a quiet elegance.
Attire: Wears a flowing, richly embroidered silk dress (likely a thobe or similar garment) in soft, muted colors like rose or lavender, possibly with gold thread details. Her attire is comfortable for sleeping but still reflects her royal status.
Wants: To hear the continuation of Scheherazade's stories, driven by genuine interest and perhaps a desire to keep her sister alive.
Flaw: Her gentle nature might make her seem less assertive, though her persistence in asking for stories shows a quiet strength.
Remains a consistent character, serving as the audience and prompt for the stories, showing no significant personal transformation within this excerpt.
Curious, persistent, loyal, and gentle. She genuinely enjoys her sister's stories and acts as a catalyst for their continuation.
Scheherazade
A woman of striking beauty, with a graceful and poised demeanor, reflecting her intelligence and resilience. Her build is slender but not frail, capable of enduring long nights of storytelling.
Attire: Wears luxurious, flowing silk robes (like a richly embroidered caftan or abaya) in deep jewel tones such as sapphire blue or emerald green, possibly with intricate gold or silver thread embroidery. Her attire is elegant and regal, befitting her role as the Sultan's wife and a woman of high intellect.
Wants: To survive the Sultan's decree by captivating him with stories, and by extension, to save other women from his wrath.
Flaw: The constant pressure of needing to tell a new, engaging story each night to avoid execution.
Through her nightly storytelling, she gradually softens the Sultan's heart and changes his perspective, ultimately saving her own life and potentially many others.
Intelligent, resourceful, courageous, eloquent, and patient. She uses her wit and storytelling prowess to survive.
Schahriar
A powerful and imposing figure, likely with a strong build befitting a ruler. His face, though now 'gâté' (marred) by fire, would still convey authority and a certain sternness. His height would be above average, commanding presence.
Attire: Wears opulent, flowing robes (like a thobe or dishdasha) made of rich silks and brocades, likely in deep, regal colors like crimson or royal purple, adorned with gold embroidery and possibly precious jewels. He would wear a jeweled turban or a crown. After the fire, his clothes might be slightly singed or disheveled from the ordeal.
Wants: Initially, to punish women for perceived infidelity by marrying and executing them. Later, to be entertained and perhaps find solace or wisdom in Scheherazade's stories.
Flaw: His initial rage and distrust of women, which led to his cruel decree. He is also vulnerable to the magical attacks of the genie and princess.
Begins as a tyrannical ruler driven by vengeance. Through Scheherazade's stories, he slowly begins to soften, learning compassion and wisdom, ultimately abandoning his cruel decree.
Initially cruel and vengeful, but also capable of being captivated and swayed by compelling narratives. He is accustomed to absolute power and obedience.
The Princess
A beautiful and formidable young woman, possessing both human grace and magical power. Her form is fluid, capable of shifting between human and various animal/elemental shapes. In her human form, she would be slender and agile.
Attire: In her human form, she would wear practical yet regal attire, perhaps a fitted silk tunic and trousers (like a sirwal) that allow for movement, in colors like deep blue or purple, possibly with subtle magical symbols embroidered. During battle, she is described as 'tout en feu', so her clothing would be consumed or transformed.
Wants: To defeat the genie and protect her father and his court, even at the cost of her own life.
Flaw: Her fatal flaw was missing the last grain of the pomegranate, which led to her own demise. Her immense power comes with a great cost.
She achieves victory over the genie but sacrifices her own life in the process, fulfilling her destiny as a protector.
Courageous, powerful, self-sacrificing, and determined. She is willing to face immense danger to protect her father and others.
The Genie
A terrifying and powerful magical entity, capable of shapeshifting into various forms, including a rooster, a pike, and a being of pure fire. In its fiery form, it is a swirling mass of intense flames and thick, smoky darkness.
Attire: None, as it is a magical creature that transforms into elemental or animal forms. When described as 'tout en feu', it is its very being that is the 'clothing'.
Wants: To defeat the princess and likely to cause chaos or harm, as is often the nature of such genies.
Flaw: Its reliance on the last grain of the pomegranate for its ultimate survival, which the princess eventually discovers.
Serves as the primary magical antagonist, ultimately defeated and reduced to ashes by the princess.
Malevolent, powerful, cunning, and destructive. It is a formidable magical opponent.
The Second Calender
A man who has endured significant hardship, now missing an eye. His build would be average, but his experiences would have etched lines of weariness and resilience onto his face. He is likely of Arabian descent.
Attire: Likely wears the simple, somewhat worn robes of a traveler or a dervish (calender), perhaps a plain thobe in earthy tones, reflecting his wandering life and lack of material possessions. His clothing might show signs of the recent fiery attack, such as singed edges.
Wants: To survive his magical predicament and return to his human form, and to tell his incredible story.
Flaw: His vulnerability to powerful magic, as evidenced by his transformation into a monkey and the loss of his eye.
He is transformed from a monkey back into a human, though he loses an eye in the process, marking his survival and the cost of his ordeal.
Resilient, observant (even with one eye), grateful, and a survivor. He is a witness to extraordinary magical events.
The Young Slave
A young man, likely slender and agile due to his role in service. He is described as having been unharmed by the fire, suggesting a certain resilience or perhaps a minor magical protection.
Attire: Wears the simple but clean attire of a palace servant, perhaps a plain cotton tunic and trousers (sirwal) in a neutral color like white or light brown, possibly with a sash at the waist.
Wants: To fulfill his duties as a palace servant.
Flaw: His position as a slave means he has little agency or power.
A static character who performs a single action, showing no personal change.
Obedient, efficient, and perhaps a little bewildered by the magical events, but remains focused on his duties.
The Chief of the Eunuchs
Likely an older man, given his position of authority within the palace. His build might be stout or frail, depending on his age, but his presence would command respect among the servants. He is described as being 'étouffé et consumé sur-le-champ' by the fire.
Attire: Wears the distinctive, formal robes of a high-ranking palace official, likely a richly woven silk caftan in a dark, authoritative color like deep green or maroon, possibly with subtle gold trim. He might wear a small, embroidered cap or a modest turban.
Wants: To serve the Sultan and maintain order within the palace.
Flaw: His physical vulnerability to the magical attack, leading to his immediate demise.
A static character who is killed during the magical battle, serving as a casualty to highlight the danger.
Loyal, dutiful, and responsible, given his position of trust within the palace.
Locations
Palace Gallery
An elevated open-sided walkway or balcony within a grand Arabian palace, likely overlooking a courtyard or a larger hall. The architecture would feature intricate geometric patterns, possibly muqarnas vaults, and polished stone or marble surfaces. The air would be filled with the acrid smell of smoke and the intense heat of magical fire.
Mood: Terrifying, chaotic, dangerous, filled with the raw power of magical combat.
The climax of the battle between the princess and the genie, resulting in the genie's defeat and the princess's fatal injury, as well as injuries to the observers.
Palace Canal
A man-made water channel, likely part of a larger garden or courtyard within the Arabian palace complex. The water would be clear, possibly fed by a fountain, and bordered by manicured stone edges or lush, tropical Arabian plants like date palms and fragrant jasmine. The surface would reflect the surrounding palace architecture or sky.
Mood: Initially serene, then tense and mysterious as the magical chase unfolds beneath the surface.
The initial phase of the magical battle, where the genie (as a pike) pursues the princess (as a small fish) underwater.