A magician comes to the court of the Caliph of Baghdad to demonstrate his invention - a mechanical flying horse. He refuses to sell it, but offers to let the Caliph's son, Prince Achmed, ride it.

Achmed soars into the sky, but can't find out how to make the horse descend until he's travelled far away. He lands on a magical isle ruled over by a beautiful bird-princess, falls in love with her and invites her to return with him to Baghdad.

Meanwhile the magician, who has been imprisoned by the Caliph, escapes by transforming himself into a bat. Arriving at the magical isle he tries to make off with the horse, but the princess and her bird-attendants pursue him and bring him back to earth.

Achmed and the princess fly to Baghdad on the horse, and are received with joy by the Caliph. The magician reappears, mounts the horse and vanishes into the sky forever.

Philip Kemp