Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 5.djvu/80

60 with the inhaled breath.” Quoth Beloukiya, “Are there greater serpents than you in Hell?” And they said, “We are cast out with the expired breath but by reason of our smallness; for in Hell every serpent is so great, that, were the biggest of us to pass over its nose, it would not be ware of us.” “Ye sing the praises of God,” said Beloukiya, “and invoke blessings on Mohammed, whom God bless and preserve! Whence know ye of Mohammed?” “O Beloukiya,” answered they, “the name of Mohammed is written on the gates of Paradise; and but for him, God had not created Paradise nor heaven nor hell nor earth for He made all things that be, solely on his account, and hath coupled his name with His own in every place: wherefore we love Mohammed, whom God bless and preserve!”

The serpent’s converse did but inflame Beloukiya’s love for Mohammed and yearning for his sight; so he took leave of them and making his way to the sea-shore, found there a ship lying at anchor, in which he embarked and sailed till he came to another island. Here he landed and walking about, found there serpents, great and small, none knoweth their number save God the Most High and amongst them a white serpent, more brilliant than crystal, seated in a golden charger borne on the back of another serpent as big as an elephant. Now this was none other than myself; so, when I saw Beloukiya, I saluted him and he returned my salutation, and I said to him, “Who and what art thou and whither goest thou?” “I am of the children of Israel,” answered he; “my name is Beloukiya, and I am a wanderer for the love of Mohammed, whose description I have read in the revealed scriptures and of whom I go in quest. But what art thou and what are these serpents about thee?” Quoth I, “I am the Queen of the Serpents; and when thou foregatherest with Mohammed (whom God bless and preserve),