LX NUIT
by Unknown · from Les mille et une nuits - Tome premier
Adapted Version
Once, a happy prince lived in a big castle. He lived with many princesses. They were forty kind princesses. The Prince was very happy there. They all lived close. They had good times.
The Prince was happy each day. He had a good time. One whole year passed. They all played and laughed. It was a very happy time. The days were full of joy.
Then one morning came. The princesses came to him. They were very sad. They cried big tears. Their faces were wet. They hugged the Prince. "Goodbye, dear Prince," they said. "We must go now." The Prince felt sad.
The Prince saw their tears. He felt very sad for them. He did not know. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "Why must you leave me? Please tell me. Can I help you?"
The Princesses cried more. "Oh, dear Prince," they said. "We like you very much. You are a good friend. We are sad to go. We do not want to leave you."
One Princess spoke. "We are all princesses," she said. "We are daughters of kings. We must leave this castle. We have needed work to do. We must go for forty days. It is a long time. Then we will come back."
"The time is now," they said. "We must go today. This makes us very sad. We are so sad."
"We leave you many keys," they said. "There are many doors here. One hundred doors are in the castle. You can open them. You can look inside. This will help you. You will not be alone."
"But listen well," they told him. "Do not open one door. It is the golden door. It is a special door. If you open it, we won't come back. We will never see you again. Please do not open it. This is very needed."
"We hope you listen," they said. They gave him the golden key. The princesses then left. The Prince was all alone. He held the golden key. He looked at the golden door. It is good to listen to warnings.
Original Story
LX NUIT.
Dinarzade, sur la fin de la nuit suivante, ne manqua pas d'adresser ces paroles à la sultane: Si vous ne dormez pas, ma soeur, je vous prie de nous raconter la suite de la merveilleuse histoire du troisième calender. - Très-volontiers, répondit Scheherazade; voici de quelle manière le prince en reprit le fil:
«J'avais, dit-il, à peine achevé de m'habiller le lendemain, que les trente-neuf autres dames vinrent dans mon appartement, toutes parées autrement que le jour précédent. Elles me souhaitèrent le bonjour et me demandèrent des nouvelles de ma santé. Ensuite elles me conduisirent au bain, où elles me lavèrent elles-mêmes et me rendirent malgré moi tous les services dont on y a besoin, et lorsque j'en sortis, elles me firent prendre un autre habit, qui était encore plus magnifique que le premier.
«Nous passâmes la journée presque toujours à table, et quand l'heure de se coucher fut venue, elles me prièrent encore de choisir une d'entre elles pour me tenir compagnie. Enfin, madame, pour ne vous point ennuyer en répétant toujours la même chose, je vous dirai que je passai une année entière avec les quarante dames, en les recevant dans mon lit l'une après l'autre, et que pendant tout ce temps-là, cette vie voluptueuse ne fut point interrompue par le moindre chagrin.
«Au bout de l'année (rien ne pouvait me surprendre davantage), les quarante dames, au lieu de se présenter à moi avec leur gaieté ordinaire et de me demander comment je me portais, entrèrent un matin dans mon appartement, les joues baignées de pleurs. Elles vinrent m'embrasser tendrement l'une après l'autre, en me disant: «Adieu! cher prince, adieu! il faut que nous vous quittions.»
«Leurs larmes m'attendrirent; je les suppliai de me dire le sujet de leur affliction et de cette séparation dont elles me parlaient: «Au nom de Dieu, mes belles dames, ajoutai-je, apprenez-moi s'il est en mon pouvoir de vous consoler ou si mon secours vous est inutile!» Au lieu de me répondre précisément: «Plût à Dieu, dirent-elles, que nous ne vous eussions jamais vu ni connu! Plusieurs cavaliers, avant vous, nous ont fait l'honneur de nous visiter, mais pas un n'avait cette grâce, cette douceur, cet enjouement et ce mérite que vous avez. Nous ne savons comment nous pourrons vivre sans vous.» En achevant ces paroles, elles recommencèrent à pleurer amèrement. «Mes aimables dames, repris- je, de grâce, ne me faites pas languir davantage, dites-moi la cause de votre douleur. - Hélas! répondirent-elles, quel autre sujet serait capable de nous affliger, que la nécessité de nous séparer de vous? Peut-être ne vous reverrons-nous jamais! Si pourtant vous le vouliez bien et si vous aviez assez de pouvoir sur vous pour cela, il ne serait pas impossible de nous rejoindre. - Mesdames, repartis-je, je ne comprends rien à ce que vous dites; je vous prie de me parler plus clairement.»
«- Eh bien! dit l'une d'elles, pour vous satisfaire, nous vous dirons que nous sommes toutes princesses, filles de rois. Nous vivons ici ensemble avec l'agrément que vous avez vu, mais au bout de chaque année, nous sommes obligées de nous absenter pendant quarante jours pour des devoirs indispensables, ce qu'il ne nous est pas permis de révéler; après quoi nous revenons dans ce château. L'année finit hier, il faut que nous vous quittions aujourd'hui; c'est ce qui fait le sujet de notre affliction. Avant que de partir, nous vous laisserons les clefs de toutes choses, particulièrement celles des cent portes, où vous trouverez de quoi contenter votre curiosité et adoucir votre solitude pendant notre absence; mais pour votre bien et pour notre intérêt particulier, nous vous recommandons de vous abstenir d'ouvrir la porte d'or. Si vous l'ouvrez, nous ne vous reverrons jamais, et la crainte que nous en avons augmente notre douleur. Nous espérons que vous profiterez de l'avis que nous vous donnons. Il y va de votre repos et du bonheur de votre vie; prenez-y garde, si vous cédiez à votre indiscrète curiosité, vous vous feriez un tort considérable. Nous vous conjurons donc de ne pas commettre cette faute et de nous donner la consolation de vous retrouver ici dans quarante jours. Nous emporterions bien la clef de la porte d'or avec nous; mais ce serait faire une offense à un prince tel que vous, que de douter de sa discrétion et de sa retenue.»
Scheherazade voulait continuer, mais elle vit paraître le jour. Le sultan, curieux de savoir ce que ferait le calender seul dans le château, après le départ des quarante dames, remit au jour suivant à s'en éclaircir.
Story DNA
Moral
Unchecked curiosity and disobedience to a clear warning can lead to irreversible loss and regret.
Plot Summary
The Third Calender recounts a year of luxurious living with forty princesses in a grand castle. After a year of uninterrupted pleasure, the princesses, who are secretly royal, announce they must leave for forty days for undisclosed duties, appearing in tears at their departure. They entrust the prince with all the castle keys, but issue a strict warning: he must not open a specific golden door, as doing so would prevent their return. The story ends with the prince left alone, facing the temptation of the forbidden door.
Themes
Emotional Arc
pleasure to anxiety
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The framing device of Scheherazade telling stories to the Sultan is central to 'One Thousand and One Nights,' reflecting a tradition of oral storytelling and courtly entertainment.
Plot Beats (10)
- The Third Calender recounts his daily routine with the forty princesses, including bathing and dressing.
- He describes spending a full year in continuous pleasure and luxury with the princesses, taking a different one to his bed each night.
- One morning, the princesses enter his apartment in tears, embracing him and announcing their departure.
- The prince, moved by their sorrow, begs them to explain their affliction and the reason for their separation.
- The princesses lament their impending separation, praising the prince's unique charm and expressing their inability to live without him.
- They reveal they are all princesses, daughters of kings, who must leave the castle for forty days each year for indispensable, secret duties.
- They inform the prince that the year ended yesterday, and they must depart today.
- The princesses leave him all the keys to the castle, including those to a hundred doors, to occupy his curiosity during their absence.
- They issue a strict warning: he must not open the golden door, as doing so would mean they would never see him again.
- They express their hope that he will heed their advice for his own peace and happiness, entrusting him with the key to the golden door as a test of his discretion.
Characters
Dinarzade
Slender and graceful, with delicate features typical of a royal courtier. Her skin is likely fair, given her indoor life, with a soft, gentle complexion.
Attire: Wears a finely woven silk caftan or a two-piece ensemble of a long-sleeved tunic and wide trousers (sirwal), possibly in soft, muted colors like cream, rose, or sky blue, with subtle gold embroidery. Her attire is modest but refined, suitable for a lady-in-waiting in a sultan's court.
Wants: To hear the continuation of the stories, providing entertainment and distraction for herself and the Sultan, and to fulfill her duty to her sister.
Flaw: Her primary role is passive; she relies on others to provide the entertainment.
Her role is static; she consistently serves as the audience for Scheherazade.
Curious, patient, attentive, and loyal. She acts as a gentle prompt for the stories, showing a keen interest in the narratives.
Scheherazade
Elegant and poised, with a commanding yet graceful presence. Her build is slender but strong, reflecting her intellectual and emotional resilience. Her skin is likely fair, indicative of her royal status.
Attire: Wears a magnificent, flowing silk caftan or a richly embroidered two-piece ensemble (qamis and sirwal) in deep jewel tones like sapphire blue, emerald green, or ruby red. The fabric is likely brocade or damask, with intricate gold or silver thread embroidery depicting floral or geometric patterns. She might wear delicate gold jewelry, such as a necklace or earrings.
Wants: To survive by captivating the Sultan with her stories, thereby preventing her own execution and ultimately saving other women in the kingdom.
Flaw: Her life is constantly at risk, dependent on her ability to maintain the Sultan's interest.
She is in the process of transforming the Sultan's heart and mind through her narratives, evolving from a potential victim to a powerful influencer.
Intelligent, resourceful, captivating, eloquent, and determined. She possesses immense courage and a quick wit.
The Third Calender (Prince)
A man of noble bearing, likely tall and well-proportioned, with a physique that suggests both refinement and a capacity for adventure. His skin tone would be consistent with someone from the Arabian Peninsula, perhaps olive or sun-kissed.
Attire: Wears magnificent attire, described as 'more magnificent than the first.' This would be a finely tailored silk caftan or a tunic and trousers (sirwal) ensemble, possibly in rich colors like deep crimson or royal purple, adorned with gold embroidery and perhaps a jeweled belt. His clothing is luxurious, indicating his royal status and the opulence of his surroundings.
Wants: Initially, to enjoy the luxurious life offered by the forty ladies. Later, his motivation shifts to understanding their mystery and, despite warnings, satisfying his curiosity.
Flaw: His fatal flaw is his insatiable curiosity and inability to resist temptation, leading him to disregard explicit warnings.
He begins in a state of blissful ignorance and pleasure, then faces a test of his discretion, which he fails, leading to potential regret and separation.
Charming, curious, pleasure-seeking, somewhat naive, and ultimately regretful. He is easily swayed by beauty and comfort but also possesses a strong sense of honor.
The Forty Ladies (Princesses)
A group of beautiful women, each with distinct features but sharing a common elegance and grace. Their builds are slender and refined, befitting princesses. Their skin tones would vary but generally be fair or olive, reflecting their royal upbringing.
Attire: They wear magnificent and varied attire, changing daily. These are likely luxurious silk caftans, elaborate two-piece ensembles (qamis and sirwal), or finely draped dresses in a kaleidoscope of rich colors (emerald, sapphire, amethyst, gold). The fabrics would be brocade, damask, or fine silk, heavily embroidered with gold or silver thread, pearls, and precious stones. Their clothing is opulent and constantly renewed.
Wants: To fulfill their annual obligation, which requires them to leave the castle for forty days, and to protect the Prince from the consequences of opening the golden door.
Flaw: They are bound by an unbreakable, mysterious obligation that causes them great sorrow and forces them to leave the Prince.
They appear as providers of pleasure and mystery, then become figures of sorrow and warning, leaving the Prince to his fate.
Charming, affectionate, mysterious, sorrowful, and bound by an unknown obligation. They are initially joyful and welcoming, then deeply distressed by their impending departure.
Locations
The Prince's Apartment
A lavish private chamber within a grand Arabian palace, where the prince resides. It is spacious enough to host forty ladies and is furnished with opulent textiles and cushions, reflecting a life of luxury.
Mood: Voluptuous, comfortable, initially joyful, later melancholic
The prince spends a year in luxurious solitude with the forty princesses, and later, they bid him a tearful farewell here.
The Palace Bathhouse (Hammam)
A luxurious Arabian bathhouse, likely featuring multiple chambers for different temperatures, with marble surfaces and intricate tilework. Steam and water would be central to its function.
Mood: Relaxing, intimate, service-oriented
The prince is ceremonially bathed by the forty ladies.
The Palace (General)
A vast and magnificent Arabian palace, implied to be isolated, containing numerous rooms and a hundred doors, one of which is golden and forbidden. It is a place of both luxury and mystery.
Mood: Luxurious, mysterious, foreboding due to the forbidden door
The prince spends a year here with the princesses, and is left alone with access to all but one forbidden door.