Amongst the rest, some officers came on hoard, desiring to speak with the merchants, in the name of the sultan. The merchants appearing, one of the officers told them, The sultan, our master, hath commanded us to acquaint you, that he is glad of your safe arrival, and prays you to take the trouble, every one of you, to write some lines upon this roll of paper: and that his design by this may be understood, you must know that we had a prime vizier, who, besides a great capacity to manage affairs, understood writing to the highest perfection. This minister is lately dead, at which the sultan is very much troubled: and since he can never behold his writing without admiration, he has made a solemn vow, not to give the place to any man but to him who can write as well as he did. Many people have presented their writings; but, to this day, nobody in all this empire, has been judged worthy to supply the vizier’s place. Those merchants that believed they could write well enough to pretend to this high dignity, wrote one after another what they thought fit. After they had done, I advanced, and look the roll out of the gentleman’s hand; but all the people, especially the merchants, cried out, He will tear it, or throw it into the sea; till they saw how properly I held the roll, and made a sign that I would write in my turn: then they were of another opinion, and their fear turned into admiration. However, since they had never seen an ape that could write, nor could be persuaded that I was more ingenious than other apes, they offered to snatch the roll out of my hand; but the captain took my part once more. Let him alone, said he; suffer him to write. If he only scribbles the paper, I promise you that I will punish him upon the spot; if, on the contrary, he writes well, as I hope he will, because I never saw an ape so clever and ingenious, and so quick of apprehension, I do declare that I will own him as my son. I had one that had not half the wit that he has. Perceiving that nobody opposed my design, I took the pen, and wrote six sorts of hands used among the Arabians, and each specimen contained an extemporary distich or quatrain in praise of the sultan. My writing did not only excel that of the merchants, but, I venture to say, they had not before seen any such fair writing in that country. When I had done, the officers took the roll, and carried it to the sultan. Thus far was Scheherazade come in her story, when day-light appeared. Sir, said she to Schahriar, if I had time to continue, I would give your majesty an account of things far more surprising than what I have already told. The sultan, who had resolved to hear the end of the story, got up without saying a word. FORTY-NINTH NIGHT.