THE VIZIER OF THE TWO-HORNED ALEXANDER

BY

FRANK R. STOCKTON

1899

PREFATORY NOTE

The story told in this book is based upon legendary history, and thestatements on which it is founded appear in the chronicles of Abou-djafarMohammed Tabari. This historian was the first Mussulman to write a generalhistory of the world. He was born in the year 244 of the Hejira(838-839 A.D.), and passed a great part of his life in Bagdad, where hestudied and taught theology and jurisprudence. His chronicles embrace thehistory of the world, according to his lights, from the creation to theyear 302 of the Hejira.

In these chronicles Tabari relates some of the startling experiences ofEl Khoudr, or El Kroudhr, then Vizier of that great monarch, theTwo-Horned Alexander, and these experiences furnish the motive forthose subsequent adventures which are now related in this book.

Some writers have confounded the Two-Horned Alexander with Alexander theGreat, but this is an inexcusable error. References in ancient historiesto the Two-Horned Alexander describe him as a great and powerfulpotentate, and place him in the time of Abraham. Mr. S. Baring-Gould, inhis "Legends of the Patriarchs and Prophets," states that, after a carefulexamination, he has come to the conclusion that some of the most generallyknown legends which have come down to us through the ages are based onincidents which occurred in the reign of this monarch.

The hero of this story now deems it safe to speak out plainly withoutfear of evil consequences to himself, and his confidence in our highcivilization is a compliment to the age.