Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 3.djvu/216

196 the treasurer followed him. Now there was in this wood a terrible lion, foul of face, with eyes that cast forth sparks; his look was grim and his aspect struck terror into men’s souls. He heard the noise made by the horse and came out to see what was to do. Presently the treasurer turned and saw the lion making towards him; but found no way of escape, nor had he his sword with him. So he said in himself, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme! This stress is come upon me because of Amjed and Asaad; and indeed this journey was unblest from the first!’ Meanwhile Amjed and Asaad were grievously oppressed by the heat and grew sore athirst, so that their tongues hung out and they cried for succour; but none came to their relief and they said, ‘Would God we were dead and at peace from this torment! But we know not whither the treasurer’s horse hath fled, that he has gone and left us bound. If he would but come back and kill us, it were easier to us than to suffer this torture.’ ‘O my brother,’ said Asaad, ‘be patient and the relief of God (blessed and exalted be He) will surely come to us; for the horse ran not away save of His favour towards us, and nought irks us but this thirst.’ So saying, he stretched himself and strained right and left, till he burst his bonds; then he unbound his brother and taking up the Amir’s sword, said, ‘By Allah, we will not go hence, till we know what is come of him!’ So they followed the track, till it led them to the wood and they said to one another, ‘Of a surety, the horse and the treasurer have not overgone this wood.’ Quoth Asaad, ‘Stay thou here, whilst I enter the wood and search it.’ ‘I will not let thee go in alone,’ answered Amjed. ‘We will both go in; so if we escape, we shall escape together, and if we perish, we shall perish together.’ So they entered both and found the lion standing over the treasurer, who lay like a sparrow in his grip, calling upon God for