Oh then, said one of them, to satisfy you, we must acquaint you that we are all princesses, daughters of kings: we live here together in such a manner as you have seen; but at the end of every year we are obliged to be absent forty days upon indispensable duties, which we are not permitted to reveal; and afterwards we return again to this castle. Yesterday was the last of the year, and we must leave you this day, which is the cause of our grief. Before we depart we will leave you the keys of every thing, especially those belonging to the hundred doors, where you will find enough to satisfy your curiosity, and to sweeten your solitude during our absence: but for your own welfare, and our particular concern in you, we recommend unto you to forbear opening the golden door: for if you do we shall never see you again: and the fear of this augments our grief. We hope, nevertheless, that you will follow the advice we give you, as you tender your own quiet, and the happiness of your life; therefore take heed that you do not give way to indiscreet curiosity, for you will do yourself a considerable prejudice. We conjure you not to commit this fault, but to let us have the satisfaction of finding you here again after forty days. We would willingly carry the key of the golden door along with us; but that it would be an affront to a prince like you to question your discretion and modesty. --Scheherazade wished to go on; but she saw day appear, and stopped. The sultan being curious to know what the third calender would do when the forty ladies were gone, and had left him alone in the castle, deferred the hearing of it till next day. SIXTY-FIRST NIGHT. The officious Dinarzade being awake long before day, called to the sultaness; If you be not asleep, sister, consider that it is time to tell the remaining part of the story to our lord the sultan. Scheherazade, addressing herself to the sultan, said, Sir, your majesty may be pleased to know that the calender pursued his story thus: Madam, said he, this discourse of the fair princesses grieved me extremely. I omitted not to make them sensible how much their absence would afflict me. I thanked them for their good advice, and assured them that I would follow it, and willingly do what was much more difficult in order to secure the happiness of passing the rest of my days with ladies of such rare qualifications. We took leave of one another with much tenderness, and having embraced them all, they departed, and I was left alone in the castle.