Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/259

237 When he read this, he made sure of deliverance from trouble and reunion with those he loved. Then he went on a few steps and found himself alone in a wild and perilous desert, in which there was none to company with him; whereupon his heart sank within him for fear and loneliness and he trembled in every nerve, for that frightful place, and recited the following verses:

Then he walked on a few steps farther beside the river, till he came upon two little boys of the sons of the magicians, beside whom lay a wand of brass, graven with talismans, and a skull-cap of leather, made in three pieces and wroughten in steel with names and figures. The boys were disputing and beating one another, till the blood ran down between them; whilst each said, ‘None shall take the wand but I.’ Hassan interposed and parted them, saying, ‘What is the cause of this your contention?’ ‘O uncle,’ answered they, ‘be thou judge of our case, for God the Most High hath surely sent thee to do justice between us.’ ‘Tell me your case,’ said Hassan; ‘and I will judge between you.’ So one of them said to him, ‘We are brothers-german and our father was a mighty magician, who dwelt in a cavern in yonder mountain. He died and left us this cap and wand; and my brother says, “None shall have the wand but I,” whilst I say the like; so be thou judge between us and deliver us from each other.’ Quoth Hassan, ‘What is the difference between the wand and the cap and what is their value? The wand appears to be worth six farthings and the cap three.’