Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/237

207 How camest thou into this river and what manner of land is beyond yonder mountains, for never knew we any make his way thence to us?” Quoth I, “Who are ye and what is this place?” “O my brother,” answered he, “we are husbandmen and gardeners, who came out to water our fields and gardens and finding thee asleep on this raft, laid hold of it and made it fast by us, against thou shouldst awake at thy leisure. So tell us how thou camest hither?” “For God’s sake, O my lord,” rejoined I, “give me to eat, for I am starving; and after ask me what thou wilt.” So he hastened to fetch me food and I ate my fill, till I was refreshed and my life returned to me. Then I returned thanks to God the Most High, rejoicing in the happy issue of my toils, and told them all my adventures from first to last.

When I had made an end of my story, they consulted among themselves and said to each other, “We must carry him with us and present him to our King, that he may acquaint him with his adventures.” So they took me, together with the raft and its lading, and brought me to their King, telling him what had happened; whereupon he saluted me and bade me welcome. Then he questioned me of my condition and adventures, and I repeated to him my story, at which he marvelled exceedingly and gave me joy of my deliverance; after which I fetched from the raft great store of jewels and precious stones and ambergris and aloes-wood and presented them to the King, who accepted them and entreated me with the utmost honour, appointing me a lodging in his own palace. So I consorted with the chief of the islanders, and they paid me the utmost respect. Moreover, all the travellers and merchants who came to the place questioned me of the affairs of my native land and of the Khalif Haroun er Reshid and his rule there and I told them of him and of that for which he was renowned, and they praised him for this; whilst