The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, vol 6 | Page 8

reason of the

leg-ropes; so they cry out at them and butt at them and kick them,
which we hearing, know that the stallions have dismounted; so we run
out and shout at them, whereupon they are startled and return in fear to
the sea. Then the mares conceive by them and bear colts and fillies
worth a mint of money, nor is their like to be found on earth's face.
This is the time of the coming forth of the sea-stallions; and Inshallah! I
will bear thee to King Mihrjan"--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of
day and ceased to say her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Fortieth Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that the
Syce[FN#11] said to Sindbad the Seaman, "I will bear thee to King
Mihrjan and show thee our country. And know that hadst thou not
happened on us thou hadst perished miserably and none had known of
thee: but I will be the means of the saving of thy life and of thy return
to thine own land." I called down blessings on him and thanked him for
his kindness and courtesy; and, while we were yet talking, behold, the
stallion came up out of the sea; and, giving a great cry, sprang upon the
mare and covered her. When he had done his will of her, he dismounted
and would have carried her away with him, but could not by reason of
the tether. She kicked and cried out at him, whereupon the groom took
a sword and target[FN#12] and ran out of the underground saloon,
smiting the buckler with the blade and calling to his company, who
came up shouting and brandishing spears; and the stallion took fright at
them and plunging into the sea, like a buffalo, disappeared under the
waves.[FN#13] After this we sat awhile, till the rest of the grooms
came up, each leading a mare, and seeing me with their fellow-Syce,
questioned me of my case and I repeated my story to them. Thereupon
they drew near me and spreading the table, ate and invited me to eat; so
I ate with them, after which they took horse and mounting me on one of
the mares, set out with me and fared on without ceasing, till we came to
the capital city of King Mihrjan, and going in to him acquainted him
with my story. Then he sent for me, and when they set me before him
and salams had been exchanged, he gave me a cordial welcome and
wishing me long life bade me tell him my tale. So I related to him all
that I had seen and all that had befallen me from first to last, whereat he

marvelled and said to me, "By Allah, O my son, thou hast indeed been
miraculously preserved! Were not the term of thy life a long one, thou
hadst not escaped from these straits; but praised by Allah for safety!"
Then he spoke cheerily to me and entreated me with kindness and
consideration: moreover, he made me his agent for the port and
registrar of all ships that entered the harbour. I attended him regularly,
to receive his commandments, and he favoured me and did me all
manner of kindness and invested me with costly and splendid robes.
Indeed, I was high in credit with him, as an intercessor for the folk and
an intermediary between them and him, when they wanted aught of him.
I abode thus a great while and, as often as I passed through the city to
the port, I questioned the merchants and travellers and sailors of the
city of Baghdad; so haply I might hear of an occasion to return to my
native land, but could find none who knew it or knew any who resorted
thither. At this I was chagrined, for I was weary of long strangerhood;
and my disappointment endured for a time till one day, going in to
King Mihrjan, I found him with a company of Indians. I saluted them
and they returned my salam; and politely welcomed me and asked me
of my country.--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased
saying her permitted say.
When it was the Five Hundred and Forty-first Night,
She continued, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that Sindbad the
Seaman said:--When they asked me of my country I questioned them of
theirs and they told me that they were of various castes, some being
called Shakiriyah[FN#14] who are the noblest of their castes and
neither oppress nor offer violence to any, and others Brahmans, a folk
who abstain from wine, but live in delight and solace and merriment
and own camels and horses and cattle. Moreover, they told me that the
people of