第44章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(19)

Then I fell asleep under the dome and saw in a dream one who said to me'O son of Khesib，when thou awakestdig under thy feet and thou wilt find a bow of brass and three leaden arrowsinscribed with talismanic characters. Take the bow and shoot the arrows at the horseman on the top of the dome and rid mankind of this great calamity. When thou shootest at himhe will fall into the sea and the horse will drop at thy feet： take it and bury it in the place of the bow. This donethe sea will swell and rise till it is level with the top of the mountainand there will appear on it a boat containing a man of brass （other than he whom thou shalt have thrown down）with an oar in his hands. He will come to theeand do thou embark with himbut beware of naming God. He will row with thee for the space of ten daystill he brings thee to a port of safetywhere thou shalt find those who will carry thee to thine own country： and all this shall be fulfilled to theeso thou pronounce not the name of God.'I started up from my sleep and hastening to do the bidding of the mysterious voicefound the bow and arrows and shot at the horseman and overthrew him；

whereupon he fell into the seawhilst the horse dropped at my feet and I took it and buried it. Then the sea grew troubled and rose till it reached the top of the mountain；nor had I long to wait before I saw a boat in the midst of the sea coming towards me. So I gave thanks to God： and when the boat came up to meI saw in it a man of brasswith a tablet of lead on his breast，inscribed with names and talismans；and I embarked without saying a word. The boatman rowed on with me for ten whole daystill I caught sight of islands and mountains and signs of safety；whereat I was beyond measure rejoiced and in the excess of my gladnessI called upon the name of the Almighty and exclaimed，'There is no god but God！God is most great！'When beholdthe boat turned over and cast me out into the seathen righted and sank beneath the water. NowI knew how to swimso I swam the whole day till nightfallwhen my arms and shoulders failed me for fatigueand I abode in mortal peril and made the profession of the Faith looking for nothing but death. Presently，the sea rosefor the greatness of the windand a wave like a great rampart took me and bearing me forwardcast me up on the landthat the will of God might be done. I clambered up the beach andputting off my clotheswrung them and spread them out to drythen lay down and slept all night. As soon as it was day，I put on my clothes and rose to look about me. Presently I came to a grove of trees and making a circuit round itfound that I was on a little islandsurrounded on all sides by the sea；whereupon I said to myself'No sooner do I escape from one peril than I fall into a worse.'But as I was pondering my case and wishing for deathI spied a ship afar off making towards me；so I climbed up into a tree and hid myself among the branches.

Presently the ship came to an anchorand ten slaves landed，bearing spadesand made for the middle of the islandwhere they dug till they uncovered a trapdoor and raised it. Then they returned to the ship and brought thence bread and flour and oil and honey and meat and carpets and all else that was needed to furnish one dwelling there；nor did they leave going back and forth till they had transferred to the underground dwelling all that was in the ship： after which they again repaired to the vessel and returnedladen with wearing apparel of the finest kind and in their midst a very old manwhom time had mauled till he was wasted and wornas he were a bone wrapped in a rag of blue cloththrough which the winds blew East and West. As says the poet of him：

Time makes us tremble ahhow piteously！For full of violence and might is he.

Once on a time I walked and was not tired： Now am I tiredyet have not walkedah me！

He held by the hand a youth cast in the mould of symmetry and perfectionso fair that his beauty might well be the subject of proverbs；for he was like a tender saplingravishing every heart with his beauty and seducing every wit with his amorous grace. It was of him the poet spokewhen he said：

Beauty they brought to liken it with him： But Beauty hung its head for shame and fear.

'O Beauty，'said they'dost thou know his like？'It answered，'Never have I seen his peer.'