Produced by Al Haines TALES OF THE CALIPH BY H. N. CRELLIN AUTHOR OF 'ROMANCES OF THE OLD SERAGLIO,' 'THE NAZARENES,' ETC. A NEW EDITION London CHATTO & WINDUS, PICCADILLY 1895 CONTENTS. THE CALIPH AND THE PIRATES The Arab Merchant's Story THE CALIPH AND THE BLIND FISHERMAN The History of the Blind Fisherman and his Brother THE CALIPH AND ABDURRAHMAN Abdurrahman's Story THE CALIPH AND THE FIRST JAR OF OINTMENT First Adventure: The Caliph and the Emir THE CALIPH AND THE FIRST JAR OF OINTMENT Second Adventure: The Caliph and Abou Hassan The Story of Murad Essed, the Unfortunate Merchant The Story of Abou Hassan, the Fortunate Merchant THE CALIPH AND THE SECOND JAR OF OINTMENT The Story of Hunoman THE CALIPH AND THE SLAVE MERCHANTS The Narrative of Sidi ibn Thalabi The Barber's Story THE CALIPH AND SIDI IBN THALABI--THE BANQUET The Story of Mubarek, as told by Abu 'Atahiyeh THE CALIPH AND THE MAGIC TUBE TALES OF THE CALIPH. That stories such as those in the "Arabian Nights," and fairy tales of every kind, should delight us all, men and women no less than boys and girls, is very natural. We find it charming to escape for a period, however brief, from all the familiar surroundings of modern life, and on opening a volume to pass at once into another region, where all is strange, and where the sceptical glances of science never intrude to banish magic and the supernatural. Emboldened by these reflections, we may forthwith commence the narration of certain noteworthy occurrences concerning the celebrated Caliph Haroun Alraschid. He was in the habit, as every one knows, of wandering very frequently through the town after nightfall in various disguises to see for himself that justice was done, and also, it may be confessed, by no means loth to encounter such adventures as he might meet with. Many of these have been already related, but others, no whit less interesting and extraordinary, remain still untold. Some of these adventures were very diverting and naturally pleasing, but others involved so many dangers and such hardships that it is indeed surprising that the Caliph should ever again have ventured on these nocturnal ramblings. An adventure of the latter and more serious description happened as follows, and may be entitled: The Caliph and the Pirates.