Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 7.djvu/97

79 thought and his tears ran down upon his cheeks, like a great rain. He slept awhile of the day, after which he awoke and sought food. So they set food before him and he ate till he had enough whilst the boat drove on with them they knew not whither. It drifted with them, night and day, at the winds’ and waves’ will, a great while, till their victual was spent and they knew not what to do and were reduced to the last extremity for hunger and thirst and weariness. At last they sighted an island afar off and the breezes drove them on, till they came thither and making the boat fast to the shore, landed. They left one in the boat, to guard it, and fared on into the island, where they found abundance of fruits of all kinds and ate of them, till they were satisfied.

Presently, they saw a man sitting among the trees, and he was of strange aspect, long-faced and white of beard and body. He called to one of the servants by his name, saying, ‘Eat not of those fruits, for they are not ripe; but come hither to me, that I may give thee to eat of these that are ripe.’ The man looked at him and thought that he was one of the shipwrecked folk, who had made his way to the island; so he rejoiced greatly at sight of him and went up to him, knowing not what was decreed to him in the secret purpose of God nor what was written on his forehead. But, when he drew near the stranger, he leapt upon his shoulders and twisting one of his legs about his neck, let the other hang down upon his back, saying, ‘Go on; for there is no escape for thee from me and thou art become my ass.’ Thereupon the man fell a-weeping and cried out to his fellows, saying, ‘Alas, my lord! Flee forth of this wood and save yourselves, for