天方夜谭英文故事：The Enchanted Horse

The people were rejoicing in Shiraz, Persia. They were happily celebrating the feast of the New Year. That day the Sultan had arranged for great fairs and festivals in the main square of the city. The Sultan sat on his throne and watched his subjects celebrating. 

 

 

Just then the crowd stopped amidst their actions and looked surprised. They saw a man riding a wooden horse that was decorated with silk and jewels as a real horse. The horse looked elegant and so did the young man riding it. The Sultan, too, was surprised to see him. The young man dismounted the horse, bowed to the Sultan and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty¹, I am an Indian, the owner of this horse that has magic powers. All I have to do is sit on it and tell where I want to be and in the blink of an eye, I am there." 

 

 

The crowd gasped² to hear the power of the special horse. The Sultan recovered after hearing this and then said, "Welcome, Indian. Now you'll have to prove that your words are true." 

 

 

"I'll go through any test you want me to prove it." 

 

 

"Alright," the Sultan ordered. "Go to the mountain to the east of my kingdom. Bring to me a leaf from the palm tree that stands there." 

 

 

The Indian bowed low and mounted the horse. Then he turned a tiny screw that was located in the horse's neck. And then the Indian was not to be seen as the horse had flown off. Just a few seconds later, the Indian appeared on the horseback at the city square. He dismounted the horse and placed the palm leaf in the Sultan's hand. 

 

 

The Sultan was convinced of the magical horse's power. He was now determined³ to possess it. So he said, "Dear Indian, what price do you ask for this enchanted⁴ horse of yours?" 

 

 

The Indian said, "Your Majesty, I got this magical animal in exchange for my one and only beautiful daughter. I gave my daughter to the man who created this horse. Then, my daughter told me that I would never give up this horse for anything but for something that equals its true value." 

 

 

The Sultan offered, "Go on, Indian. Tell me what you want in exchange. I have mansions⁵ full of jewels and gold. I have prosperous cities of which you can become the ruler." 

 

 

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but none of these do I desire. I think I can let you have the horse in exchange of your daughter's hand in marriage." 

 

 

The Sultan smiled while the crowd murmured in discussion. But this reply by the Indian angered Prince Firoz Shah. He was the Sultan's son, Prince of Shiraz. The Sultan was in deep thought for he thought this to be a worthy⁶ bargain. 

 

 

The Sultan addressed Prince Firoz. "Prince Firoz, why don't you ride the horse and see if it works well even with other riders on its back?" 

 

 

The Prince mounted the horse. Then the Indian instructed him how to operate the enchanted wooden horse. The Prince heard only that he had to turn a screw to start his ride. He did so and off he flew. The eager Prince had not heard how he was to stop the horse when required. 

 

 

As the Prince flew off on the enchanted horse's back, the Sultan and his subjects grew worried about if he would be able to come back safely. The Sultan waited for hours yet there was no sign of the Prince. Now the worried Sultan grew angry, too. Seeing his anger, the Indian explained, "Your Majesty, do not be angry. The young Prince was impatient and did not hear all the instructions. It is not my fault at all." 

 

 

"Do you think that he'll keep flying all the time? Will he never land back on earth?" the Sultan enquired⁷ angrily. 

 

 

"No, Your Majesty," the Indian said. "The Prince will come down to land if he would locate and turn the second screw on the horse's neck." 

 

 

"But he may land in the deep sea or a high mountain!" exclaimed the Sultan. 

 

 

"No, Your Majesty, it won't happen. The magical horse can sense danger and will never land in such places. He'll only go where he is instructed to go." 

 

 

The Sultan was not convinced by the Indian's reply. He called his guards and said, "Take him and put him into prison for ninety days. If the Prince returns safe and sound, he'll be freed or he would be killed as a punishment." 

 

 

Meanwhile Prince of Shiraz was flying riding on the enchanted horse. He felt very scared that he had not learnt the way to land the horse. By chance his eyes fell on the screw below the horse's ear. He turned the screw in the opposite direction and the horse started descending⁸. Soon the horse landed on the roof of a large palace. 

 

 

The Prince of Shiraz dismounted the horse. He saw a doorway⁹. He opened it stealthily and descended¹⁰ the steps that he saw. He soon reached a large hall. Many guards were sleeping there. They had kept their weapons by their side. 

 

 

The Prince then saw a light at one end of the hall. As he reached the spot, he saw some curtains. Moving the curtains aside, he peeped in. His eyes met the most breathtaking scene of his life. A beautiful ivory skinned maiden¹¹ with long lustrous¹² hair and rosy¹³ red lips lay on a bed in deep sleep. Many of her maids were by her side. But all of them were dozing¹⁴. 

 

 

"Oh! She is so beautiful!" the Prince exclaimed. "Surely she must be the princess of this land," the Prince approached the bed. The sound of his steps woke up the maiden. She was very surprised to see young handsome man in her bedchamber in the middle of the night. 

 

 

"Do not fear," the Prince said. "1 am the Prince of Shiraz, Due to a chain of unbelievable events, 1 have been brought in your presence. I hereby seek your help and protection." 

 

 

The maiden spoke¹⁶, "I am the Princess of Bengal. You are now in my kingdom and you'll be treated as an honoured guest." 

 

 

Then the Princess summoned her chambermaids. They took the prince to the guest-room to refresh and rest himself. 

 

 

The Princess was very impressed by Prince Feroz and had fallen in love with him. 

 

 

The next morning the Princess of Bengal dressed in her most beautiful silk garments and the choicest of her precious jewels. Then she went to meet the Prince of Shiraz. They both sat down for breakfast. There the Prince of Shiraz told his strange story to the Princess of Bengal. In the most beautiful words, he declared his love for the Princess. The Princess was overwhelmed and she, too, confessed her love for the Prince. The Prince stayed as a royal guest there for sixty days and spent beautiful moments with his beloved.

 

 

After sixty days, he remembered that his father, the king of Persia would be waiting for him. So he went to the Princess of Bengal and said, "Dear, I must leave for Shiraz now. Let us go to your father, the King of Bengal. I will ask his permission to take you as my wife. Then we will reach Shiraz, take my father's permission and we will soon get married." 

 

 

So the Prince of Shiraz and the Princess of Bengal took the King of Bengal's permission. Then they mounted the enchanted horse and flew off to Shiraz. 

 

 

The Prince landed near a rest house at the outskirts¹⁷ of Shiraz. He made the Princess comfortable there. 

 

 

Then he went to his palace to meet the King of Persia. The Sultan, the courtiers and all the subject were delighted to see the Prince safe and healthy. After seeking the Sultan's permission, the Prince was happy. The Sultan ordered wedding preparations to be made. He declared that he himself would go to fetch the Princess of Bengal from the rest house to the palace next morning. 

 

 

The Sultan ordered the Indian to be released from prison. Then as the Indian left the prison, he had a plain mind. He wanted to take revenge. The Indian went to the rest house. There he addressed the guard, "Guards, the Sultan has sent me to fetch the Princess of Bengal." 

 

 

The Indian had the enchanted horse and he mounted the horse with the Princess and flew off. As he was flying, the Sultan who was strolling on the roof of his palace saw both of them. He called after them but to no avail. The Prince was informed about this and he felt sad and angry indeed. That night he dressed up as a wandering sage¹⁸ and left the city. He went in search of his beloved, the Princess of Bengal. 

 

 

The Indian soon flew and landed in a valley in Kashmir. When they stopped, the Princes of Bengal started calling for help. Hearing her calls, the Sultan of Kashmir came to her rescue. He had seen hunting in a nearby forest. On enquiry, the Princess of Bengal told all what had occurred and the Sultan of Kashmir heard attentively¹⁹. Soon the Sultan of Kashmir ordered his guards to put the Indian's life to an end. Thus the cruel Indian died. 

 

 

The Princess of Bengal then left with the Sultan of Kashmir to live in his palace. Next morning many maids came to the Princess. They said, "We've been sent to dress you up as a bride. Our Sultan wishes to marry you." 

 

 

The Princess of Bengal heard this and soon fainted. When she recovered, the Sultan informed her that the ceremony would take place before sunset. Now the Princess had a whole day to make her plan of escape. She decided²⁰ that she would act mad so that the Sultan would refuse to marry her. The Princess started talking nonsensically. Then she laughed and cried one after the other. The Sultan of Kashmir thought he would marry her a few days later when she would be better. But the Princess grew violent day by day. She now started throwing vases and cushions at anyone who entered her chamber¹⁵. None of the doctors in Kashmir could cure her. 

 

 

Now the Prince of Shiraz had reached Kashmir. He heard all about the Princess of Bengal and was happy beyond words to have found his lost beloved. He dressed as a doctor. Then he presented himself in the Sultan of Kashmir's court. He said, "Your Majesty, I am a learned doctor. I request your permission to offer my services. I will surely cure the Princess of Bengal's madness and then you can take her as your wife." 

 

 

The Sultan of Kashmir said, "Respected sir, if you'll cure her, I'll give you all the wealth you'll ask for." 

 

 

Then the doctor, who is the Prince, requested to be left alone with the Princess of Bengal in her chamber. Once alone, the Prince of Shiraz revealed his true identity to the Princess of Bengal. Then they both devised a plan to escape the clutches of the Sultan of Kashmir.

 

 

After a few hours the Prince of Shiraz went to the Sultan and said, "Your Majesty, I've found out the cause of the Princess of Bengal's madness. When she rode the enchanted horse, some of its magical power entered her body. Tomorrow morning the enchanted horse must be placed in the city square. The princess shall sit on it. I will put some magical perfume on both of them and she'll be cured." 

 

 

Next morning, the Sultan of Kashmir, his courtiers and the people came to see the curing of the Princess. Soon the Princess of Bengal's arrival will be decked in precious jewels and silk robes. Then the Princess mounted the enchanted horse. The Prince, dressed as doctor, lit a coal fire. Then he put some perfumed powder in the coal. A cloud of smoke rose up. The doctor crossed his hand over his heart. He circled the horse thrice and uttered a magical chant. 

 

 

As the smoke grew thicker, the horse, the Princess and the doctor were not visible to the spectators at all. Then the Prince mounted the horse, turned the screw and instructed it to leave for Shiraz. In a second, they had taken flight. 

 

 

As the enchanted horse took flight, he called the Sultan of Kashmir and said, "Remember, dear Sultan, to marry a Princess, you first need her consent." 

 

 

Thus, the loving couple escaped the clutches of the Sultan of Kashmir. They soon reached Shiraz and were joined in marriage among great pomp and show that befits a royal marriage.  

1 majesty   

n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权

参考例句：

• The king had unspeakable majesty.国王有无法形容的威严。
• Your Majesty must make up your mind quickly!尊贵的陛下，您必须赶快做出决定！

2 gasped   

v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要

参考例句：

• She gasped at the wonderful view. 如此美景使她惊讶得屏住了呼吸。
• People gasped with admiration at the superb skill of the gymnasts. 体操运动员的高超技艺令人赞叹。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 enchanted   

adj. 被施魔法的，陶醉的，入迷的 动词enchant的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• She was enchanted by the flowers you sent her. 她非常喜欢你送给她的花。
• He was enchanted by the idea. 他为这个主意而欣喜若狂。

5 mansions   

n.宅第，公馆，大厦( mansion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Fifth Avenue was boarded up where the rich had deserted their mansions. 第五大道上的富翁们已经出去避暑，空出的宅第都已锁好了门窗，钉上了木板。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Oh, the mansions, the lights, the perfume, the loaded boudoirs and tables! 啊，那些高楼大厦、华灯、香水、藏金收银的闺房还有摆满山珍海味的餐桌！ 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

6 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

7 enquired   

打听( enquire的过去式和过去分词 )； 询问； 问问题； 查问

参考例句：

• He enquired for the book in a bookstore. 他在书店查询那本书。
• Fauchery jestingly enquired whether the Minister was coming too. 浮式瑞嘲笑着问部长是否也会来。

8 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

9 doorway   

n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径

参考例句：

• They huddled in the shop doorway to shelter from the rain.他们挤在商店门口躲雨。
• Mary suddenly appeared in the doorway.玛丽突然出现在门口。

10 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

11 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

12 lustrous   

adj.有光泽的；光辉的

参考例句：

• Mary has a head of thick,lustrous,wavy brown hair.玛丽有一头浓密、富有光泽的褐色鬈发。
• This mask definitely makes the skin fair and lustrous.这款面膜可以异常有用的使肌肤变亮和有光泽。

13 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

14 dozing   

v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡

参考例句：

• The economy shows no signs of faltering. 经济没有衰退的迹象。
• He never falters in his determination. 他的决心从不动摇。

15 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

16 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

17 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

18 sage   

n.圣人，哲人；adj.贤明的，明智的

参考例句：

• I was grateful for the old man's sage advice.我很感激那位老人贤明的忠告。
• The sage is the instructor of a hundred ages.这位哲人是百代之师。

19 attentively   

adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神

参考例句：

• She listened attentively while I poured out my problems. 我倾吐心中的烦恼时，她一直在注意听。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She listened attentively and set down every word he said. 她专心听着，把他说的话一字不漏地记下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。