Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 9.djvu/166

144 still in danger of calamities, even as saith of him one of the poets:

Wherefore we will not expose ourselves to peril.” “O folk,” answered I, “I have no authority over you; so I will take my brothers and go to the city.” But my brothers said to me, “We also fear this thing and will not go with thee.” Quoth I, “I am resolved to go thither; and I put my trust in God and accept whatsoever He shall decree to me. Do ye therefore await me, whilst I go thither and return to you.”

Then I left them and walked on till I came to the gate of the place and saw it a city rare of building and magnificent of proportion, with lofty walls and strong-builded towers and palaces soaring high into the air. Its gates were of Chinese iron, curiously gilded and graven on such wise as confounded the wit. I entered the gateway and saw there a stone bench, whereon sat a man, with a chain of brass on his arm, to which hung fourteen keys; wherefore I knew him to be the porter of the city and that it had fourteen gates. So I drew near him and said to him, “Peace be on thee!” But he returned not my greeting and I saluted him a second and a third time; but he made me no reply. So I laid my hand on his shoulder and said to him, “O man, why dost thou not return my greeting? Art thou asleep or deaf or other than a Muslim, that thou refusest to return the salutation?” But he answered me not neither stirred; so I considered him and saw that he was stone. Quoth I, “Strange! This is a stone wroughten in the likeness of a man and wanting nothing but speech!”

Then I left him and entering the city, saw a man standing in the road. I went up to him and examined him and found him stone. Presently, I met an old woman