Magnet hight, on whose summit is a horseman of yellow laton seated
on a horse also of brass and bearing on his breast a tablet of lead.

Fifty days after this rider shall fall from his steed thy son will die
and his slayer will be he who shoots down the horseman, a Prince named

Ajib son of King Khazib."
My father grieved with exceeding grief to hear these words, but

reared me in tenderest fashion and educated me excellently well till
my fifteenth year was told. Ten days ago news came to him that the

horseman had fallen into the sea and he who shot him down was named
Ajib son of King Khazib." My father thereupon wept bitter tears at the

need of parting with me and became like one possessed of a Jinni.
However, being in mortal fear for me, he built me this place under the

earth, and stocking it with all required for the few days still
remaining, he brought me hither in a ship and left me here. Ten are

already past, and when the forty shall have gone by without danger
to me, he will come and take me away, for he hath done all this only

in fear of Prince Ajib. Such, then, is my story and the cause of my
loneliness."

When I heard his history I marveled and said in my mind, "I am the
Prince Ajib who hath done all this, but as Allah is with me I will

surely not slay him!" So said I to him: "O my lord, far from thee be
this hurt and harm and then, please Allah, thou shalt not suffer

cark nor care nor aught disquietude, for I will tarry with thee and
serve thee as a servant, and then wend my ways. And after having borne

thee company during the forty days, I will go with thee to thy home,
where thou shalt give me an escort of some of thy Mamelukes with

whom I may journey back to my own city, and the Almighty shall requite
thee for me." He was glad to hear these words, when I rose and lighted

a large wax candle and trimmed the lamps and the three lanterns, and I
set on meat and drink and sweetmeats. We ate and drank and sat talking

over various matters till the greater part of the night was gone, when
he lay down to rest and I covered him up and went to sleep myself.

Next morning I arose and warmed a little water, then lifted him
gently so as to awake him and brought him the warm water, wherewith he

washed his face, and said to me: "Heaven requite thee for me with
every blessing, O youth! By Allah, if I get quit of this danger and am

saved from him whose name is Ajib bin Khazib, I will make my father
reward thee and send thee home healthy and wealthy. And if I die, then

my blessing be upon thee." I answered, "May the day never dawn on
which evil shall betide thee, and may Allah make my last day before

thy last day!" Then I set before him somewhat of food and we ate,
and I got ready perfumes for fumigating the hall, wherewith he was

pleased. Moreover I made him a mankalah cloth; and we played and ate
sweetmeats and we played again and took our pleasure till nightfall,

when I rose and lighted the lamps, and set before him somewhat to eat,
and sat telling him stories till the hours of darkness were far spent.

Then he lay down to rest and I covered him up and rested also.
And thus I continued to do, O my lady, for days and nights, and

affection for him took root in my heart and my sorrow was eased, and I
said to myself: "The astrologers lied when they predicted that he

should be slain by Ajib bin Khazib. By Allah, I will not slay him."
I ceased not ministering to him and conversing and carousing with

him and telling him all manner tales for thirty-nine days. On the
fortieth night the youth rejoiced and said: "O my brother,

Alhamdolillah!- praise be to Allah- who hath preserved me from death,
and this is by thy blessing and the blessing of thy coming to me,

and I prayed God that He restore thee to thy native land. But now, O
my brother, I would thou warm me some water for the ghusl ablution and

do thou kindly bathe me and change my clothes." I replied, "With
love and gladness," and I heated water in plenty and carrying it in to

him, washed his body all over, the washing of health, with meal of
lupins, and rubbed him well and changed his clothes and spread him a

high bed whereon he lay down to rest, being drowsy after bathing.
Then said he, "O my brother, cut me up a watermelon, and sweeten

it with a little sugar candy." So I went to the storeroom and bringing
out a fine watermelon, I found there, set it on a platter and laid

it before him saying, "O my master, hast thou not a knife?" "Here it
is," answered he, "over my head upon the high shelf." So I got up in

haste and, and, taking the knife, drew it from its sheath, but my foot
slipped in stepping down and I fell heavily upon the youth holding

in my hand the knife, which hastened to fulfill what had been
written on the Day that decided the destinies of man, and buried

itself, as if planted, in the youth's heart. He died on the instant.
When I saw that he was slain and knew that I had slain him, mauger

myself I cried out with an exceeding loud and bitter cry and beat my
face and rent my raiment and said: "Verily we be Allah's and unto

Him we be returning, O Moslems! O folk fain of Allah! There remained
for this youth but one day of the forty dangerous days which the

astrologers and the learned had foretold for him, and the
predestined death of this beautiful one was to be at my hand. Would

Heaven I had not tried to cut the watermelon! What dire misfortune
is this I must bear, lief or loath? What a disaster! What an

affliction! O Allah mine, I implore thy pardon and declare to Thee
my innocence of his death. But what God willeth, let that come to

pass."
When I was certified that I had slain him, I arose and, ascending

the stairs, replaced the trapdoor and covered it with earth as before.
Then I looked out seaward and saw the ship cleaving the waters and

making for the island, wherefore I was afeard and said, "The moment
they come and see the youth done to death, they will know 'twas I

who slew him and will slay me without respite." So I climbed up into a
high tree and concealed myself among its leaves, and hardly had I done

so when the ship anchored and the slaves landed with the ancient
man, the youth's father, and made direct for the place, and when

they removed the earth they were surprised to see it soft. Then they
raised the trapdoor and went down and found the youth lying at full

length, clothed in fair new garments, with a face beaming after the
bath, and the knife deep in his heart. At the sight they shrieked

and wept and beat their faces, loudly cursing the murderer, whilst a
swoon came over the Sheikh so that the slaves deemed him dead,

unable to survive his son. At last they wrapped the slain youth in his
clothes and carried him up and laid him on the ground, covering him

with a shroud of silk.
Whilst they were making for the ship the old man revived, and,

gazing on his son who was stretched out, fell on the ground and
strewed dust over his head and smote his face and plucked out his

beard, and his weeping redoubled as he thought of his murdered son and
he swooned away once more. After a while a slave went and fetched a

strip of silk whereupon they lay the old man and sat down at his head.
All this took place and I was on the tree above them watching

everything that came to pass, and my heart became hoary before my head
waxed gray, for the hard lot which was mine, and for the distress

and anguish I had undergone, and I fell to reciting:
"How many a joy by Allah's will hath fled

With flight escaping sight of wisest head!
How many a sadness shall begin the day,

Yet grow right gladsome ere the day is sped!
How many a weal trips on the heels of ill,

Causing the mourner's heart with joy to thrill!"
But the old man, O my lady, ceased not from his swoon till near

sunset, when he came to himself and, looking upon his dead son, he
recalled what had happened, and how what he had dreaded had come to

pass, and he beat his face and head. Then he sobbed a single sob and
his soul fled his flesh. The slaves shrieked aloud, "Alas, our

lord!" and showered dust on their heads and redoubled their weeping
and wailing. Presently they carried their dead master to the ship side