and holla’d to them. They feared to draw
near, knowing that the island was inhabited by a Ghul[FN#443]
who ate Adamites, and would have sheered off; but
we ran down to the marge of the sea and made signs
to them, with our turband-ends and shouted to them,
whereupon one of the sailors, who was sharp of sight,
said to the rest, “Harkye, comrades, I see these
men formed lke ourselves, for they have not the fashion
of Ghuls.’ So they made for us, little
by little, till they drew near us in the dinghy[FN#444]
and were certified that we were indeed human beings,
when they saluted us and we returned their salam and
gave them the glad tidings of the slaying of the accursed,
wherefore they thanked us. Then we carried to
the ship all that was in the cave of stuffs and sheep
and treasure, together with a viaticum of the island-fruits,
such as should serve us days and months, and embarking,
sailed on with a fair breeze three days; at the end
of which the wind veered round against us and the
air became exceeding dark; nor had an hour passed
before the wind drave the craft on to a rock, where
it broke up and its planks were torn asunder.[FN#445]
However, the Great God decreed that I should lay hold
of one of the planks, which I bestrode, and it bore
me along two days, for the wind had fallen fair again,
and I paddled with my feet awhile, till Allah the
Most High brought me safe ashore and I landed and
came to this city, where I found myself a stranger,
solitary, friendless, not knowing what to do; for hunger
was sore upon me and I was in great tribulation.
Thereupon I, O my brother, hid myself and pulling
off this my tunic, carried it to the market, saying
in my mind, ’I will sell it and live on its
price, till Allah accomplish to me whatso he will
accomplish.’ Then I took the tunic in my
hand and cried it for sale, and the folk were looking
at it and bidding for it, when, O my brother, thou
camest by and seeing me commandedst me to the palace;
but thy pages arrested and thrust me into the prison
and there I abode till thou bethoughtest thee of me
and badst bring me before thee. So now I have
told thee what befel me, and Alhamdolillah—Glorified
be God—for reunion!” Much marvelled
the two Kings at Sa’id’s tale and Taj al-Muluk
having made ready a goodly dwelling for Sayf al-Muluk
and his Wazir, Daulat Khatun used to visit the Prince
there and thank him for his favours and talk with
him. One day, he met her and said to her, “O
my lady, where is the promise thou madest me, in the
palace of Japhet son of Noah, saying, ’Were I
with my people, I would make shift to bring thee to
thy desire?’” And Sa’id said to
her, “O Princess, I crave thine aid to enable
him to win his will.” Answered she, “Yea,
verily; I will do my endeavour for him, that he may
attain his aim, if it please Allah Almighty.”
And she turned to Sayf al-Muluk and said to him, “Be
of good cheer and keep thine eyes cool and clear.”
Then she rose and going in to her mother, said to her,
“Come with me forthright and let us purify ourselves