Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/158

138 thy falling into his hands to that of thine escape from him; and after we will tell thee all that has passed between us and him, so thou mayst be on thy guard against him, if thou see him again.’

Hassan, finding himself thus kindly received, took heart of grace and his reason returned to him and he related to them all that had befallen him with the Magian from first to last. ‘Didst thou ask him of this palace?’ asked they. ‘Yes,’ answered Hassan. ‘But he said, “Name it not to me; for it belongs to devils and demons.”’ At this, the two damsels were mightily enraged and said, ‘Did the infidel style us devils and demons?’ And Hassan answered, ‘Yes.’ ‘By Allah,’ cried the younger sister, ‘I will assuredly put him to death after the foulest fashion and make him to lack the wind of the world!’ ‘And how,’ asked Hassan, ‘wilt thou get at him, to kill him, for he is a crafty magician?’ Quoth she, ‘He is in a garden by name El Meshid, and needs must I slay him before long.’

Then said her sister, ‘All that Hassan hath told us of this dog is true; but now tell him our history, that it may abide in his memory.’ So the younger said to him, ‘Know, O my brother, that we are the daughters of a king of the mightiest kings of the Jinn, having Marids to troops and guards and servants, and God the Most High blessed him with seven daughters by one wife; but such stiffneckedness got hold upon him and such jealousy and pride beyond compare that he would not give us in marriage to any one and summoning his viziers and officers, said to them, “Can ye tell me of any place inaccessible to men and Jinn and abounding in trees and fruits and streams?” And they said, “What wilt thou therewith, O king of the age?” Quoth he, “I desire to lodge my seven daughters there.” “O king,” answered they, “the place for them is the Castle of the Mountain of Clouds, built by one of the rebellious Jinn, who revolted