Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/278

254 O my mother?’ asked he. And she answered, ‘Strike the earth with the wand.’ He did so and immediately the seven kings presented themselves and saluted him, kissing the ground before him and saying, ‘Fear not neither grieve.’ Hassan rejoiced at their words and answered them, saying, ‘Well said, O princes of the Jinn and the Afrits! This is your time.’ Quoth they, ‘Get ye up to the mountain-top, thou and thy company, and leave us to deal with them, for we know that you are in the right and they in the wrong and God will aid us against them.’ So Hassan and his wife and children and the old woman dismounted and dismissing the horses, ascended the flank of the mountain.

Presently up came Queen Nour el Huda, with troops right and left, and the captains went round about among the troops and ranged them in battle array. Then the two hosts charged down upon one another and clashed together with a mighty shock, the brave pressed forward and the coward fled and the Jinn cast flames of fire from their mouths, whilst the smoke of them rose up to the confines of the sky and the two armies appeared and disappeared. The champions fought and heads flew from bodies and the blood ran in streams, nor did the sword leave to play and the blood to flow and the fire of the battle to rage, till the dark night came, when the two armies drew apart and alighting, kindled fires and rested upon the field.

Therewith the seven kings went up to Hassan and kissed the ground before him. He thanked them and prayed God to give them the victory and asked them how they had fared with the queen’s troops. Quoth they, ‘They will withstand us but three days, for we had the better of them to-day, taking two thousand of them prisoners and slaying of them much people, whose number may not be told. So take comfort and be of good cheer.’