第41章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(16)

Then said he to his daughter'Whence knewest thou that he was enchanted？'O my father，'answered she'there was with mein my childhoodan old woman who was skilled in magic and taught me its rules and practice；and I became skilled therein and committed to memory a hundred and seventy magical formulasby the least of which I could transport the stones of thy？behind the mountain Caf and make its site an abyss of the sea and its people fishes swimming in its midst.'O my daughter，'said her father'I conjure theeby my lifeto disenchant this young manthat I may make him my Vizierfor he is a right pleasant and ingenious youth.'With all my heart，'replied sheand taking a knifeon which were engraved Hebrew charactersdrew therewith a circle in the midst of the hall and wrote there in names and talismans and muttered words and charmssome of which we understood and others not. Presently the world darkened upon usand the Afrit presented himself before us in his own shape and aspectwith hands like pitchforks legs like masts and eyes like flames of fire. We were affrighted at himbut the princess said to him'An ill welcome to theeO dog！'Whereupon he took the form of a lion and said to her'O traitressthou hast broken thy compact with me！Did we not swear that neither of us should molest the other？'O accursed one，'answered she'how could there be a compact between me and the like of thee？'

'Then，'said he'take what thou hast brought on thyself.'And opening his mouthrushed upon her： but she made haste and plucked a hair from her head and waved it in the airmuttering the while；and it at once became a sharp swordwith which she smote the lion and cut him in two. His head became a scorpion，whereupon the princess transformed herself into a great serpent and fell upon the scorpion and there befell a sore battle between them. Presently the scorpion changed to an eagleand the serpent at once became a griffinwhich pursued the eagle a long while，till the latter became a black cat. Thereupon the griffin became a piebald wolf and they fought long and soretill the cat finding itself beatenchanged into a worm and crept into a pomegranate which lay beside the fountain in the midst of the hall whereupon the pomegranate swelled till it was as big as a watermelon. The wolf ran to seize itbut it rose into the air and falling on the pavementbroke in piecesand all the seeds fell out and rolled hither and thithertill the floor was covered with them. Then the wolf shook itself and became a cock，which fell to picking up the seedstill they were all gone，except one thatby the decree of Fatehad rolled to the side of the basin and lay hidden there. The cock began to crow and clap its wings and signed to us with his beakas who should say，'Are there any grains left？'But we understood him not；and he gave such a cry that we thought the palace would fall on us.

Then he ran about all over the halltill he saw the remaining pomegranate-seedand rushed to pick it upbut it sprang into the midst of the water and became a fishwhich sank to the bottom of the basin. Thereupon the cock became big fish and plunged in after the other；and we saw nothing of them for a timebut heard a loud crying and screaming and trembled.

Presently the Afrit rose out of the wateras he were one great flamewith fire and smoke issuing from his mouth and eyes and nostrils. Immediately afterthe princess rose alsolike a great coal of fireand they fought till they were wrapped in flames and the hall was filled with smoke. As for uswe were well-nigh suffocated and hid ourselves and would have plunged into the waterfearing lest we be burnt up and destroyed： and the King said'There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High，the Supreme！We are God's and to Him we return！Would God I had not urged my daughter to attempt the delivery of this ape，whereby I have imposed on her this fearful labour with yonder accursed Afritagainst whom all the other Afrits in the world could not prevail！And would we had never seen this apemay God's blessing not be on him nor on the hour of his coming！We thought to do him a kindness for the love of Godby freeing him from this enchantmentand lowe have brought this terrible travail upon ourselves！'But my tongue was tied and I could not say a word to him. Suddenlythe Afrit roared out from under the flames and coming up to usas we stood on the daisblew fire in our faces.