Page:Fairy tales from the Arabian nights.djvu/407

 and carry you up to the very sky. But let not that frighten you; he will come down again, and lay you on the top of a mountain. When you find yourself upon the ground, cut the skin with the knife, and throw it off. As soon as the roc sees you, he will fly away in fear, and leave you at liberty: do not stay, but walk on till you come to a prodigiously large castle, covered with plates of gold, large emeralds, and other precious stones. Go up to the gate, which always stands open, and walk in. We were in the castle as long as we have been here; we will tell you nothing of what we saw, or what befell us there; you will learn it yourself; all that we can inform you is that it has cost each of us his right eye, and the penance which you have been witness to is what we are obliged to do because we have been there. The history of each of us is so full of extraordinary adventures that a large volume would not contain them. But we must explain ourselves no further.'

When the gentlemen had ended, I wrapt myself in the sheep's skin, and held fast the knife which was given me; and after the young gentlemen had taken the trouble to sew the skin about me, they retired into the hall, and left me on the spot. The roc they spoke of was not long in coming; he fell upon me, took me in his talons like a sheep, and carried me up to the top of the mountain.

When I found myself upon the ground, I made use of the knife, cut the skin, and threw it off; the roc at the sight of me flew away. This roc is a white bird, of a monstrous size; his strength is so great that he can lift up elephants from the plains, and carry them to the tops of the mountains, where he feeds upon them.

Being impatient till I reached the castle, I lost no time, but made so much haste that I got thither in half a day's journey; and I must say that I found it surpass the description they had given me.

The gate being open, I entered into a court which was square, and so large that there was round it ninety-nine gates of wood of Sanders and aloes, with one of gold, without reckoning those of several magnificent staircases that led to the apartments above, besides many more which I could not see. The hundred doors I spoke of opened into gardens or store-houses full of riches, or into places which contained things wonderful to see.