--- title: Opening, part 10 — The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient · full text with trees · page 2 description: Opening, part 10, «The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient» by Penrhyn Wingfield Coussens: the whole chapter, every sentence with its dependency tree and pragmatics. It begins: Suddenly, however, the Vizier remembered how strictly they had been warned not to laugh during their transformation. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/10/page/2/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [tales](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/) / [The Jade Story Book; Stories from the…](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/) / Opening, part 10 # Opening, part 10 · page 2 [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/10/) **2** The owl answered: “Oh, my Lord\![61](../../61/ "tree and pragmatics") I too feel sure of this, for in my earliest youth a wise woman foretold that a stork would bring me some great happiness, and I think I could tell you how we might save ourselves.”[62](../../62/ "tree and pragmatics") The Caliph was much surprised, and asked her what she meant.[63](../../63/ "tree and pragmatics") “The magician who has made us both miserable,” said she, “comes once a month to these ruins.[64](../../64/ "tree and pragmatics") Not far from this room is a large hall where he is in the habit of feasting with his companions.[65](../../65/ "tree and pragmatics") I have often watched them.[66](../../66/ "tree and pragmatics") They tell each other all about their evil deeds, and possibly the magic word which you have forgotten may be mentioned.”[67](../../67/ "tree and pragmatics") “Oh, dearest Princess!” exclaimed the Caliph.[68](../../68/ "tree and pragmatics") “Say, when does he come, and where is the hall?”[69](../../69/ "tree and pragmatics") The owl paused a moment and then said: “Do not think me unkind, but I can only grant your request on one condition.”[70](../../70/ "tree and pragmatics") “Speak, speak!” cried Chasid; “command, I will gladly do whatever you wish!”[71](../../71/ "tree and pragmatics") “Well,” replied the owl, “you see I should like to be free too; but this can only be if one of you will offer me his hand in marriage.”[72](../../72/ "tree and pragmatics") The storks seemed rather taken back by this suggestion, and the Caliph beckoned to his Vizier to retire and consult with him.[73](../../73/ "tree and pragmatics") When they were outside the door the Caliph said: “Grand Vizier, this is a tiresome business.[74](../../74/ "tree and pragmatics") However, you can take her.”[75](../../75/ "tree and pragmatics") “Indeed!” said the Vizier; “so that when I go home my wife may scratch my eyes out\![76](../../76/ "tree and pragmatics") Besides, I am an old man, and your Highness is still young and unmarried, and a far more suitable match for a young and lovely princess.”[77](../../77/ "tree and pragmatics") “That’s just where it is,” sighed the Caliph, whose wings drooped in a dejected manner; “how do I know she is young and lovely?[78](../../78/ "tree and pragmatics") I call it buying a pig in a poke.”[79](../../79/ "tree and pragmatics") They argued on for some time, but at length, when the Caliph saw plainly that his Vizier would rather remain a stork to the end of his days than marry the owl, he determined to fulfill the condition himself.[80](../../80/ "tree and pragmatics") The owl was delighted.[81](../../81/ "tree and pragmatics") She owned that they could not have arrived at a better time, as most probably the magicians would meet that very night.[82](../../82/ "tree and pragmatics") She then proceeded to lead the two storks to the chamber.[83](../../83/ "tree and pragmatics") They passed through a long dark passage till at length a bright ray of light shone before them through the chinks of a half-ruined wall.[84](../../84/ "tree and pragmatics") When they reached it the owl advised them to keep very quiet.[85](../../85/ "tree and pragmatics") Through the gap near which they stood they could with ease survey the whole of the large hall.[86](../../86/ "tree and pragmatics") It was adorned with splendid carved pillars; a number of colored lamps replaced the light of day.[87](../../87/ "tree and pragmatics") In the middle of the hall stood a round table covered with a variety of dishes, and about the table was a divan on which eight men were seated.[88](../../88/ "tree and pragmatics") In one of these bad men the two recognized the pedler who had sold the magic powder.[89](../../89/ "tree and pragmatics") The man next him begged him to relate all his latest doings, and amongst them he told the story of the Caliph and his Vizier.[90](../../90/ "tree and pragmatics") “And what kind of word did you give them?” asked another old sorcerer.[91](../../91/ "tree and pragmatics") “A very difficult Latin word; it is ‘Mutabor.’”[92](../../92/ "tree and pragmatics") V.[93](../../93/ "tree and pragmatics") As soon as the storks heard this they were nearly beside themselves with joy.[94](../../94/ "tree and pragmatics") They ran at such a pace to the door of the ruined castle that the owl could scarcely keep up with them.[95](../../95/ "tree and pragmatics") When they reached it the Caliph turned to the owl, and said with much feeling: “Deliverer of my friend and myself, as a proof of my eternal gratitude, accept me as your husband.”[96](../../96/ "tree and pragmatics") Then he turned towards the east.[97](../../97/ "tree and pragmatics") Three times the storks bowed their long necks to the sun, which was just rising over the mountains.[98](../../98/ "tree and pragmatics") “Mutabor!” they both cried, and in an instant they were once more transformed.[99](../../99/ "tree and pragmatics") In the rapture of their newly given lives master and servant fell laughing and weeping into each other’s arms.[100](../../100/ "tree and pragmatics") Who shall describe their surprise when they at last turned round and beheld standing before them a beautiful lady exquisitely dressed\![101](../../101/ "tree and pragmatics") With a smile she held out her hand to the Caliph, and asked: “Do you not recognize your screech owl?”[102](../../102/ "tree and pragmatics") It was she\![103](../../103/ "tree and pragmatics") The Caliph was so enchanted by her grace and beauty that he declared being turned into a stork had been the best piece of luck which had ever befallen him.[104](../../104/ "tree and pragmatics") The three set out at once for Bagdad.[105](../../105/ "tree and pragmatics") Fortunately, the Caliph found not only the box with the magic powder, but also his purse in his girdle; he was, therefore, able to buy in the nearest village all they required for their journey, and so at last they reached the gates of Bagdad.[106](../../106/ "tree and pragmatics") Here the Caliph’s arrival created the greatest sensation.[107](../../107/ "tree and pragmatics") He had been quite given up for dead, and the people were greatly rejoiced to see their beloved ruler again.[108](../../108/ "tree and pragmatics") Their rage with the usurper Mirza, however, was great in proportion.[109](../../109/ "tree and pragmatics") They marched in force to the palace and took the old magician and his son prisoners.[110](../../110/ "tree and pragmatics") The Caliph sent the magician to the room where the princess had lived as an owl, and there had him hanged.[111](../../111/ "tree and pragmatics") As the son, however, knew nothing of his father’s acts, the Caliph gave him his choice between death and a pinch of the magic snuff.[112](../../112/ "tree and pragmatics") When he chose the latter the Grand Vizier handed him the box.[113](../../113/ "tree and pragmatics") One good pinch, and the magic word transformed him to a stork.[114](../../114/ "tree and pragmatics") The Caliph ordered him to be confined in an iron cage, and placed in the palace gardens.[115](../../115/ "tree and pragmatics") Caliph Chasid lived long and happily with his wife, the princess.[116](../../116/ "tree and pragmatics") His merriest time was when the Grand Vizier visited him in the afternoon; and when the Caliph was in particularly high spirits he would condescend to mimic the Vizier’s appearance when he was a stork.[117](../../117/ "tree and pragmatics") He would strut gravely, and with well-stiffened legs, up and down the room, chattering, and showing how he had vainly bowed to the east and cried “Mu—mu——” The Caliphess and her children were always much entertained by this performance; when the Caliph went on nodding and bowing, and calling “Mu—mu——” too long, the Vizier would threaten laughingly to tell the Caliphess the subject of the discussion carried on one night outside the door of Princess Screech Owl.[118](../../118/ "tree and pragmatics") PRINCE AHMED[119](../../119/ "tree and pragmatics") There was a sultan of India, who, after a long reign, had reached a good old age.[120](../../120/ "tree and pragmatics") He had three sons and one niece, the chief ornaments of his court.[121](../../121/ "tree and pragmatics") The eldest son was called Houssain, the second Ali, the youngest Ahmed.[122](../../122/ "tree and pragmatics") The name of his niece, their cousin, was Nouronnihar.[123](../../123/ "tree and pragmatics") This niece, the daughter of a favorite brother who had died young, had been brought up in the palace from her childhood, and was remarkable for her wit and beauty.[124](../../124/ "tree and pragmatics") The sultan, on her arriving at the proper age, was consulting about a neighboring prince with whom she might form an alliance, when he found that all the three princes, his sons, loved their cousin, and wished to marry her.[125](../../125/ "tree and pragmatics") This discovery caused him great grief—not from any disappointment of his own plans for his niece, but from the discord which this mutual passion for their cousin would cause to his sons.[126](../../126/ "tree and pragmatics") [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/10/) **2** - ← previous: [page 1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/10/) - next →: [Opening, part 11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/11/) - ↑ back to [The Jade Story Book; Stories from the Orient](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg65965/)