"The Two Kings and the Two Labyrinths" is a short story by Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges, first published in June 1939. It deals with a number of Borgesian themes: labyrinths, supposed obscure folk tales, Arabia, and Islam. This is one of the shorter short stories in world literature. A Babylonian king orders his subjects to build him a labyrinth "so confused and so subtle that the most prudent men would not venture to enter it, and those who did would lose their way." When an Arab king visited his court, the king of Babylonia told him to enter the labyrinth in order to mock him. The... Arab king finally managed to get out and told the Babylonian that in his land he had another labyrinth, and Allah willing, he would see that someday the king of Babylonia made its acquaintance." The Arab king returned to his land, and launched an extremely successful attack on the Babylonians, finally capturing the Babylonian King. The Arab tied him on a camel and led him into the desert.
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