Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 6.djvu/192

166 ‘How then shall we do with him?’ [sic] asked Siran. ‘Cast him into the Jihon,’ answered the other, ‘and he will be drowned and none will know who threw him in.’ And Siran bade the Marid take Gherib and cast him into the Jihon. So he carried him down to the river-bank, but it was grievous to him to drown him, wherefore he made a raft of wood and binding it with cords, pushed it and Gherib thereon out into the current, which carried it away.

Meanwhile, when Gherib’s people awoke in the morning and went in to do their service to their King, they found him not and seeing his rosary on the throne, awaited him awhile, but he came not. So they sought out the chamberlain and said to him, ‘Go into the harem and look for the King; for it is not his wont to tarry till this time.’ Accordingly, the chamberlain entered the harem and enquired for the King, but the women said, ‘We have not seen him since yesterday.’ So he returned and told the officers, who were confounded and said, ‘Let us see if he have gone to take his pleasure in the gardens.’ Then they went out and questioned the gardeners if they had seen the King, and they answered, ‘No;’ whereat they were sore concerned and searched all the gardens till the end of the day, when they returned, weeping. Moreover, the Marids sought for him all round the town, but returned after three days, without having come on any tidings of him. So the people donned black and made their complaint to the Lord of all Creatures, who doth what pleaseth Him.

Meanwhile, the current bore the raft along for five days, till it brought it to the salt sea, where the waves played with Gherib and his stomach, being troubled, threw up the henbane. Then he opened his eyes and finding himself in the midst of the sea, tossed about by the waves, said, ‘There is no power and no virtue but in God the Most High, the Supreme! I wonder who hath done this thing with me!’ Presently, as he lay, knowing not what to