Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/105

87 at this hour?’ ‘This is their custom,’ answered the youth. ‘Every Saturday, all the apes in the island come hither, some from two and three days’ distance, and stand here till I awake from sleep and put forth my head from this window, when they kiss the ground before me and go about their affairs.’ So saying, he put his head out of the window; and when the apes saw him, they kissed the earth before him and went away.

Seif el Mulouk abode with the young man a whole month, at the end of which time he bade him farewell and departed, escorted by a company of nigh a hundred apes, which their king sent with him. They journeyed with him seven days, till they came to the limits of their island, when they took leave of him and returned to their places, while Seif fared on alone over hill and mountain and desert and plain, four months’ journey, one day anhungred and the next full of meat, now eating of the herbs of the earth and now of the fruits of the trees, till he repented him of having quitted the young man and was about to retrace his steps to him, when he saw somewhat black afar off and said in himself, ‘Is this a city or trees? I will not turn back till I see what it is.’ So he made towards it and when he drew near, he saw that it was a lofty palace. Now he who built it was Japhet son of Noah (on whom be peace!) and it is of this palace that God the Most High speaketh in His precious Book, whenas He saith, ‘And an abandoned well and a high-builded palace.’

Seif el Mulouk sat down at the gate and said in