第9章

They ceased not faring on till they came to the foothills of that mountain where they halted；and Hasan saw thereon a palace and asked Bahram，'What be yonder palace？'；whereto he answered；''Tis the abode of the Jann and Ghuls and Satans.' Then the Magian alighted and making Hasan also dismount from his dromedary kissed his head and said to him，'Bear me no ill will anent that I did with thee，for I will keep guard over thee in thine ascent to the palace；and I conjure thee not to trick and cheat me of aught thou shalt bring therefrom；and I and thou will share equally therein.' And Hasan replied，'To hear is to obey.'Then Bahram opened a bag and taking out a handmill and a sufficiency of wheat，ground the grain and kneaded three round cakes of the flour；after which he lighted a fire and baked the bannocks.

Then he took out the copper kettledrum and beat it with the broidered strap，whereupon up came the dromedaries.He chose out one and said，'Hearken，O my son，O Hasan，to what I am about to enjoin on thee；'and Hasan replied，''Tis well.' Bahram continued，'Lie down on this skin and I will sew thee up therein and lay thee on the ground；whereupon the Rakham birds[32]

will come to thee and carry thee up to the mountain-top.Take this knife with thee；and，when thou feelest that the birds have done flying and have set thee down，slit open therewith the skin and come forth.The vultures will then take fright at thee and fly away；whereupon do thou look down from the mountain head and speak to me，and I will tell thee what to do.' So he sewed him up in the skin，placing therein three cakes and a leathern bottle full of water，and withdrew to a distance.Presently a vulture pounced upon him and taking him up，flew away with him to the mountain-top and there set him down.As soon as Hasan felt himself on the ground，he slit the skin and coming forth，called out to the Magian，who hearing his speech rejoiced and danced for excess of joy，saying to him，'Look behind thee and tell me what thou seest.' Hasan looked and seeing many rotten bones and much wood，told Bahram，who said to him，'This be what we need and seek.Make six bundles of the wood and throw them down to me，for this is wherewithal we do alchemy.' So he threw him the six bundles and when he had gotten them into his power he said to Hasan，'O gallows bird，I have won my wish of thee；and now，if thou wilt，thou mayst abide on this mountain，or cast thyself down to the earth and perish.So saying，he left him[33] and went away，and Hasan exclaimed，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah，the Glorious，the Great！ This hound hath played the traitor with me.' And he sat bemoaning himself and reciting these couplets；'When God upon a man possessed of reasoning，Hearing and sight His will in aught to pass would bring；He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his wit，From him，as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling；

Till，His decrees fulfilled，He gives him back His wit，That therewithal he may receive admonishing.

So say thou not of aught that haps，'How happened it？' For Fate and fortune fixed do order everything.[34]'

--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-fourth Night； She pursued，It hath reached me，O auspicious King，that when the Magian sent Hasan to the mountain-top and made him throw down all he required he presently reviled him and left him and wended his ways and the youth exclaimed，'There is no Majesty and there is no Might save in Allah，the Glorious，the Great！ This damned hound hath played the traitor.' Then he rose to his feet and looked right and left，after which he walked on along the mountain top，in mind making certain of death.He fared on thus till he came to the counterslope of the mountain，along which he saw a dark-blue sea，dashing with billows clashing and yeasting waves each as it were a lofty mount.So he sat down and repeated what he might of the Koran and besought Allah the Most High to ease him of his troubles，or by death or by deliverance from such strait.Then he recited for himself the funeral-prayer[35]

and cast himself down into the main；but，the waves bore him up by Allah's grace，so that he reached the water unhurt，and the angel in whose charge is the sea watched over him，so that the billows bore him safe to land，by the decree of the Most High.

Thereupon he rejoiced and praised Almighty Allah and thanked Him；

after which he walked on in quest of something to eat，for stress of hunger，and came presently to the place where he had halted with the Magian，Bahram.Then he fared on awhile，till behold；he caught sight of a great palace，rising high in air，and knew it for that of which he had questioned the Persian and he had replied，'Therein dwelleth a foe，of mine.' Hasan said to himself，'By Allah，needs must I enter yonder palace；perchance relief awaiteth me there.' So coming to it and finding the gate open，he entered the vestibule，where he saw seated on a bench two girls like twin moons with a chess-cloth before them and they were at play.One of them raised her head to him and cried out for joy saying，'By Allah，here is a son of Adam，and methinks'tis he whom Bahram the Magian brought hither this year！'So Hasan hearing her words cast himself at their feet and wept with sore weeping and said，'Yes，O my ladies，by Allah，I am indeed that unhappy.'Then said the younger damsel to her elder sister；'Bear witness against me，[36] O my sister，that this is my brother by covenant of Allah and that I will die for his death and live for his life and joy for his joy and mourn for his mourning.'So saying，she rose and embraced him and kissed him and presently taking him by the hand and her sister with her，led him into the palace，where she did off his ragged clothes and brought him a suit of King's raiment wherewith she arrayed him.