Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/160

136 strife and the battle swayed to and fro with a mighty clamour. Jest gave place to earnest and there was an end of parley, whilst long lives were cut short and trouble and confusion befell the unbelievers; for Gherib charged them, proclaiming the Unity of God, the Worshipful, the Exalted, and shore through necks and made heads roll in the dust; nor did the dark betide before nigh seventy thousand of the infidels were slain, and of the true believers over ten thousand Marids had fallen. Then the drums beat the retreat, and the two hosts drew apart. So Gherib and Muraash returned to their tents, after they had wiped their arms, and the evening mealevening-meal [sic] being set before them, they ate and gave each other joy of their safety. As for Bercan, he returned to his tent, grieving for the slaughter of his champions, and said to his officers, ‘If we abide here and do battle thus with them, we shall be cut off to the last man in three days’ time.’ Quoth they, ‘And how shall we do, O King?’ ‘We will fall upon them under cover of the night,’ said Bercan, ‘whilst they sleep, and not one of them shall be left to tell the tale. So take your arms and when I give the word of command, fall on your enemies as one man.’

Now there was amongst them a Marid named Jendel whose heart inclined to Islam; so, when he heard the infidels’ plot, he stole away from them and going in to King Muraash and King Gherib, told them what Bercan had devised; whereupon Muraash turned to Gherib and said to him, ‘O my brother, what shall we do?’ Quoth Gherib, ‘To-night we will fall upon the infidels and chase them into the mountains and deserts, if it be the will of the Omnipotent King.’ Then he summoned the captains of the Jinn and said to them, ‘Arm yourselves, you and your men, and as soon as it is dark, steal out of your tents on foot and hide among the mountains; and when ye see the enemy engaged among the tents, do ye fall upon them