Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/118

96 no son of Adam hath trodden before thee, and whither art thou bound?’ When Janshah heard his words, he wept sore at the memory of all he had suffered and his tears choked his speech. ‘O my son,’ said the old man, ‘leave weeping; for indeed thou makest my heart ache.’ So saying, he rose and set food before him and bade him eat. He ate and praised God the Most High, after which the old man besought him to tell him his history.

So Janshah related to him all that had befallen him, from first to last, at which he marvelled exceedingly. Then said the prince, ‘I prithee, tell me who is the lord of this valley and to whom doth this great castle belong?’ ‘O my son,’ answered the old man, ‘this valley and castle and all that is therein belong to the lord Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! As for me, my name is Sheikh Nesr, king of the birds; for thou must know that the lord Solomon committed this castle to my charge and taught me the language of birds and made me king over all the birds that be in the world; wherefore they all come hither once in every year, and I pass them in review. Then they depart; and this is why I dwell here.’ When Janshah heard this, he wept sore and said to the Sheikh, ‘O my father, how shall I do to win to my native land?’ ‘Know, o my son,’ replied Sheikh Nesr, ‘that thou art near the Mountain Caf; and there is no departing for thee from this place; but tarry with me here and eat and drink and divert thyself with viewing the apartments of this castle, till the birds come, when I will give thee in charge to one of them, and he will bring thee to thy native country.’

So Janshah abode with Sheikh Nesr in all delight of life, taking his pleasance in the valley and eating of its fruits and laughing and making merry with the old man, till the day appointed for the coming of the birds, when the Sheikh gave him the keys of the castle, bidding him amuse himself with exploring all its apartments and viewing what was