CHAPTER I.
It is well known that the grand seignior amuses himself by going at night, in disguise, through streets of Constantinople; as the caliph Haroun Alraschid used formerly to do in Bagdad.
One moonlight night, accompanied by his grand vizier, he traversed several of the principal streets of the city without seeing anything remarkable.

At length, as they were passing a rope-maker's, the sultan recollected the Arabian story of Cogia-Hassan Alhabal, the rope-maker, and his two friends, Saad and Saadi, who differed so much in their opinion concerning the influence of fortune over human affairs.
"What is your opinion on this subject ?" said the grand seignior to his vizier.
"I am inclined, please your majesty," replied the vizier, "to think that success in the world depends more upon prudence than upon what is called luck, or fortune." "And I," said the sultan, "am persuaded that fortune does more for men than prudence.

Do you not every day hear of persons who are said to be fortunate or unfortunate?
How comes it that this opinion should prevail amongst men, if it be not justified by experience ?" "It is not for me to dispute with your majesty," replied the prudent vizier.
"Speak your mind freely; I desire and command it," said the sultan.
"Then I am of opinion," answered the vizier, "that people are often led to believe others fortunate, or unfortunate, merely because they only know the general outline of their histories; and are ignorant of the incidents and events in which they have shown prudence or imprudence.

I have heard, for instance, that there are at present, in this city, two men, who are remarkable for their good and bad fortune: one is called Murad the Unlucky, and the other Saladin the Lucky.

Now, I am inclined to think, if we could hear their stories, we should find that one is a prudent and the other an imprudent character." "Where do these men live ?" interrupted the sultan.