Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/73

55 the city.’ ‘How many days’ journey hence?’ asked the King; and the fisherman said, ‘O my lord Sultan, half an hour’s journey.’ At this the King was astonished and ordering the troops to mount, set out at once, followed by his suite and preceded by the fisherman, who began to curse the Afrit. They rode on over the mountain and descended into a wide plain, that they had never before set eyes on, whereat they were all amazed. Then they fared on till they came to the lake lying between the four hills and saw the fish therein of four colours, red and white and yellow and blue. The King stood and wondered and said to his attendants, ‘Has any one of you ever seen this lake before?’ But they answered, ‘Never did we set eyes on it in all our lives, O King of the age.’ Then he questioned those stricken in years, and they made him the same answer. Quoth he, ‘By Allah, I will not return to my capital nor sit down on my chair of estate till I know the secret of this pond and its fish!’ Then he ordered his people to encamp at the foot of the hills and called his Vizier, who was a man of learning and experience, sagacious and skilful in business, and said to him, ‘I mean to go forth alone to-night and enquire into the matter of the lake and these fish: wherefore do thou sit down at the door of my pavilion and tell the amirs and viziers and chamberlains and officers and all who ask after me that the Sultan is ailing and hath ordered thee to admit no one, and do thou acquaint none with my purpose.’ The Vizier dared not oppose his design; so the King disguised himself and girt on his sword and going forth privily, took a path that led over one of the hills and fared on all that night and the next day, till the heat overcame him and he paused to rest. Then he set out again and fared on the rest of that day and all the next night, till on the morning of the second day, he caught sight of some black thing in the distance, whereat he rejoiced and said, ‘Belike I shall