Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/265

233 ‘What is this?’ ‘I know not,’ answered he, whereupon quoth Mousa, ‘Draw near and question him; haply he will discover to thee his case.’ ‘God assain the Amir!’ replied the Sheikh. ‘Indeed, I am afraid of him;’ but the Amir rejoined, saying, ‘Fear not; he is hindered from thee or any other by that wherein he is.’

So Abdussemed drew near to the pillar and said to him who was therein, ‘O creature, what is thy name and what art thou and how camest thou here on this wise?’ ‘I am an Afrit of the Jinn,’ replied he, ‘by name Dahish, son of El Aamesh, and am confined here by way of punishment, by the judgment of the Almighty, till it please Him, to whom belong might and majesty, to release me.’ Then said Mousa, ‘Ask him why he is prisoned in this column.’ So the Sheikh asked him of this, and he replied, saying, ‘My story is strange and my case extraordinary, and it is on this wise. One of the sons of Iblis had an idol of red cornelian, whereof I was guardian, and there served it a king of the kings of the sea, a prince of great power and prowess, ruling over a thousand thousand warriors of the Jinn, who smote with swords before him and answered to his call in time of need. All these were under my commandment and did my bidding, being all rebels against Solomon, son of David, on whom be peace! And I used to enter the [hollow] belly of the idol and command and forbid them thence. Now this King’s daughter loved the idol and was frequent in prostration to it and assiduous in its service; and she was the fairest woman of her day, accomplished in beauty and grace and elegance. She was described unto Solomon and he sent to her father, saying, “Give me thy daughter to wife and break thine idol of cornelian and testify that there is no god but God and that I am His prophet. If thou do this, that which is ours shall be thine and thy debt shall be our debt; but, if thou refuse, make ready to answer the summons [of