Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/150

130 they sailed on till dark, when the ship made fast to the shore for the night, and at sunrise, when they set sail again, Behram bade his slaves and servants bring him the chest in which was Hassan. They did so and he opened it and taking out the young man, made him smell to vinegar and blew a powder into his nostrils. Hassan sneezed and cast up the henbane; then, opening his eyes, he looked about him and found himself on board a ship in full sail, amiddleward the sea, and saw the Persian sitting by him; wherefore he knew that the accursed Magian had put a cheat on him and that he had fallen into the very peril of which his mother had bidden him beware. So he spoke the words, which whoso uttereth shall not be confounded, that is to say, ‘There is no power and no virtue save in God the Most High, the Supreme! Verily, we are God’s and to Him we return! O my God, be Thou gracious to me in Thine ordinance and give me patience to endure this Thine affliction, O Lord of all creatures!’

Then he turned to the Persian and bespoke him softly, saying, ‘O my father, what fashion is this and where is [the bond of] bread and salt and the oath thou sworest to me?’ But Behram looked at him and answered, ‘O dog, knoweth the like of me [the bond of] bread and salt? I have slain a thousand youths like thee, save one, and thou shalt make up the thousand.’ And he cried out at him and Hassan was silent, knowing that the arrow of fate had overtaken him.

Then the accursed wretch commanded to loose his bonds and they gave him a little water, whilst the Magian laughed and said, ‘By the Fire and the Light and the Shade and the Heat, methought not thou wouldst falfall [sic] into my toils! But the Fire gave me the victory over thee and helped me to lay hold upon thee, that I might accomplish my need and return and make thee a sacrifice