Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/172

148 whereupon the Marids fell on him and binding him fast, dragged him off, abject and humiliated; whilst Gherib rejoiced in the capture of his enemy and repeated the following verses of the poet:

When Raadshah saw how Agib fared with his brother, he called for his charger and donning his harness and coat of arms, mounted and pricked out into the field. As soon as he drew near Gherib, he cried out to him, saying, ‘O vilest of Bedouin faggot-bearers, who art thou, that thou shouldst capture kings and warriors? Dismount and put thy hands behind thy back and kiss my feet and set my warriors free and go with me in chains to my kingdom, that I may pardon thee and make thee an elder in our country, so mayst thou eat a morsel of bread there.’ When Gherib heard this, he laughed till he fell backward and answered, saying, ‘O raging dog and scurvy wolf, thou shalt soon see against whom the shifts of Fate will turn!’ Then he cried out to Sehim to bring him the prisoners; so he brought them, and Gherib smote off their heads; whereupon Raadshah drove at him, with the onslaught of a lordly champion and a fierce warrior, and they wheeled and feinted and hewed at each other till nightfall, when the drums beat the retreat and the two Kings returned, each to his own place, where his people gave him joy of his safety. And the Muslims said to Gherib, ‘O King, it is not of thy wont to prolong a fight.’ ‘O folk,’ answered he, ‘I have done battle with many kings and champions; but never saw I a sturdier swordsman than this one. Had