Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/226

198 sea in boats and ships, pass the night thus in their fear lest the apes should come down on them from the mountains.

I landed to visit the city, but meanwhile the ship set sail without me and I repented of having gone ashore, and calling to mind my companions and what had befallen me with the apes, first and last, sat down and fell a-weeping and lamenting. Presently one of the townsfolk accosted me and said to me, “O my lord, meseems thou art a stranger to these parts?” “Yes,” answered I, “I am indeed an unfortunate stranger, who came hither in a ship that cast anchor here, and I landed to visit the town; but when I would have gone on board again, I found they had sailed without me.” “Come,” said he, “and embark with us, for, if thou lie the night in the city, the apes will destroy thee.” “I hear and obey,” replied I and rising, straightway embarked with him in one of the boats, whereupon they put out to sea and anchoring a mile from the land, passed the night there. At daybreak, they rowed back to the city and landing, went each about his business. Thus they did every night, for if any tarried in the town by night the apes came down on him and killed him. As soon as it was day, the apes left the place and ate of the fruits of the gardens, then went back to the mountains and slept there till nightfall, when they again came down upon the city.

Now this place was in the farthest part of the country of the blacks, and one of the strangest things that befell me during my sojourn there was on this wise. One of those, in whose company I passed the night in the boat, said to me, “O my lord, thou art a stranger in these parts; hast thou any craft at which thou canst work?” “By Allah, O my brother,” replied I, “I have no trade nor know I any handicraft, for I was a merchant and a man of substance and had a ship of my own, laden with great store of goods and merchandise; but it foundered at sea and all were drowned but I, who saved myself on a piece of plank, that