Whilst the officers and soldiers who were to compose the army of Altoun-Khan, and who were dispersed in the towns of the kingdom, were on the march to assemble all together in the same place, the king spared nothing to receive his new guests well. He gave to each a separate palace with a large number of eunuchs, and a guard of two thou­sand men. Every day he had some fresh feast for their amusement, and gave all his attention to seeking what could give them pleasure.

Calaf, although occupied with many things, did not forget his old hostess; he remembered with pleasure the part she had played in his destiny; he sent for her to the palace and begged Tourandot to receive her among the persons of her suite.

The hope which Timurtasch and the Princess Elmaze entertained of remounting the throne of the Nogaïs Tartars, with the help of the King of China, made them insensibly forget their past mis­fortunes, and the beautiful prince to whom Touran­dot gave birth in due time overwhelmed them with joy. The birth of this child, who was named Prince of China, was celebrated in all the towns of this vast empire with public rejoicings.

They were still going on when the couriers sent by the officers who had orders to assemble the army announced that all the troops of the king­dom and even those of the Khan of Berlas had arrived at the tryst. Timurtasch, Calaf, and Alinguer immediately departed for the camp, where they found everything in readiness and seven hundred thousand men ready to march. They soon took the road to the enemy’s country, and finally they entered the territory of the Sultan of Carizma.

This prince, warned of their advance and their numbers by couriers sent him by the governors of his frontier, instead of being discouraged, prepared courageously to receive so large an enemy; instead even of intrenching himself he had the audacity to march towards them at the head of four hundred thousand men whom he had hastily got together. They met near Khokand and gave battle. On the side of the Chinese, Timurtasch commanded the right wing, Prince Alinguer the left, and Calaf was in the centre; on the other side the sultan entrusted the command of his right wing to the most skilful of his generals, opposed the Prince of Carizma to the Prince of the Nogaïs, and reserved to himself the left wing, in which was the flower of his cavalry.

The Khan of Berlas began the combat with the soldiers of his tribe, who, fighting like men who had the eyes of their leader upon them, soon made the right wing of the enemy give way, but the officer commanding it brought it into order again.

It was not thus with Timurtasch. The sultan broke his force through at the first onslaught, and the Chinese in disorder were ready to take flight, without the Khan of the Nogaïs being able to restrain them, when Calaf, informed of what was passing, left the care of the centre to an old Chinese general, and ran to the assistance of his father with some selected troops. In a short while the aspect of affairs changed; the left wing of the Carizmians was broken through in its turn; the ranks opened and were then easily broken; the whole wing was put to rout.

The sultan, who wished to conquer or die, made incredible efforts to rally his soldiers, but Timurtasch and Calaf did not give him time, and surrounded him on all sides, so that the Prince Alinguer, having also defeated the right wing, the victory declared itself for the Chinese.

There remained for the Sultan of Carizma only one course to pursue, and that was to make a passage through his enemies and to take refuge with some foreign prince; but this Prince, pre­ferring not to survive his defeat, rather than offer to the nations the spectacle of his head despoiled of all its diadems, threw himself blindly where he saw great carnage going on, and he did not cease fighting until, pierced with a thousand mortal wounds, he fell lifeless amongst the crowd of dead.

The Prince of Carizma, his son, met the same fate; two hundred thousand of their men were killed or made prisoners, the rest sought safety in flight. The Chinese also lost many men; but if the battle had been sanguinary it was decisive. Timurtasch, after having given thanks to Heaven for this happy success, sent an officer to Pekin to give details of it to the King of China; then he advanced into the sultan’s country and took possession of the town of Carizma.

He had it published in this capital that he wished to confiscate neither the riches nor the liberty of the Carizmians; that God having made him master of the throne of his enemy, he proposed preserving it; that henceforth all the countries which had been under the obedience of the sultan would recognise as their sovereign Prince Calaf his son.

The Carizmians, tired of the sway of their master, and persuaded that that of Calaf would be milder, submitted with a good grace, and pro­claimed as sultan the young prince, whose merits they knew.

Whilst the new Sultan of Carizma was taking all necessary measures to confirm his power, Timurtasch set out with a part of the Chinese troops, and returned with all possible speed to his territories. The Nogaïs Tartars received him like faithful subjects, charmed to see their legitimate sovereign again; but he did not content himself with remounting his throne: he declared war against the Circassians to revenge himself for the treachery they had shown to Prince Calaf. Instead of seeking to appease him by submission, these people formed in haste an army to resist him; he fought them, cut them almost to pieces, and had himself declared King of Circassia. After that, having returned to Carizma, he found there the princesses Elmaze and Tourandot, whom Altoun-Khan had had escorted to Carizma, with a large following.

Here ended the misfortunes of Prince Calaf, who attracted to himself the love and esteem of the Carizmians by his virtues. He reigned long and peaceably over them, and was always charmed with Tourandot. He had a second son by her, who was Sultan of Carizma after him; for Altoun-Khan had the Prince of China brought up and chose him as his successor.

Timurtasch and the princess his wife went to pass the rest of their days at Astrakan; and the Khan of Berlas, after having received from them and their son all the marks of gratitude that his generosity merited, retired to his tribe with the rest of his troops.

The nurse of the Princess of Cashmere having finished relating the story of Calaf, asked the women of Farrukhnaz what they thought of it. They all said it was very interesting, and that Calaf seemed to them a virtuous prince and a perfect lover.

‘For myself,’ said the princess, ‘I think him more vain than loving, a little thoughtless—in a word, what is called a young man.’

‘Well, my princess,’ said the nurse, ‘since Calaf does not yet satisfy your taste, I will, with your permission, relate to you the story of a King of Damascus and his vizir; perhaps it will please you better.’

‘Very willingly,’ replied Farrukhnaz. ‘My women love your stories too much for me not to give them the pleasure of hearing you. It is true you know how to paint agreeable portraits, but Sutlumemé,’ she added, ‘my dear Sutlumemé, it is in vain you paint men with the loveliest colours; their defects always appear through your painting.