Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/274

250 and wastes and deserts and haunters of the seas: so command us what thou wilt; for we are thy servants and slaves, and whoso possesseth this wand hath dominion over all our necks and we owe him obedience.’

When Hassan heard this, he rejoiced with an exceeding joy, he and his wife and the old woman, and he said to the Kings of the Jinn, ‘I desire of you that ye show me your tribes and hosts and armies.’ ‘O our lord,’ answered they, ‘if we show thee our hosts, we fear for thee and these who are with thee, for they are many in number and various in form and fashion and favour. Some of us are heads without bodies and others bodies without heads, and others again are in the likeness of wild animals and beasts of prey. However, if this be thy will, needs must we first show thee those of us who are like unto wild beasts. But, O our lord, what wouldst thou of us at this present?’ Quoth Hassan, ‘I would have you carry me forthwith to the city of Baghdad, me and my wife and this good woman.’

But they hung down their heads and were silent, whereupon quoth Hassan, ‘Why do ye not reply?’ And they said with one voice, ‘O our lord and ruler over us, we are of the covenant of Solomon son of David (on whom be peace!) and he made us swear that we would carry none of the sons of Adam on our backs; since which time we have carried no mortal on our backs or shoulders: but we will straightway harness the horses of the Jinn, that shall carry thee and thy company to thy country.’ ‘And how far are we from Baghdad?’ asked Hassan. Quoth they, ‘Seven years’ journey for a diligent horseman.’ Hassan marvelled at this and said to them, ‘Then how came I hither in less than a year?’ They answered, ‘God inclined the hearts of His pious servants to thee, else hadst thou never won hither nor set eyes on these regions. For the Sheikh Abdulcuddous, who mounted