Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/107

 back to thee, and is now with thee beholding all thou doest, and hearing all thou sayest." But Fadel el Agheyli said to him, "' There be no strangers here save only this Sheykh and thee, thou man of contemplation." Then the Emir Abu Zeyd went to the diviner and he said, " Know that the sand is at all times forbidden, as is spoken by the Prophet, even though the diviners should speak sooth, 'take them as liars.' If, therefore, thou hast other knowledge than by the sand make it known to all here." And the diviner said, " Nay, that should be for thee rather." And he commanded that they should bring him a stone vessel, and wine, and oil, and honey and milk, and roasted flesh, a little of each. And they brought him all that he desired. Then he took from his wallet an image of gold with names inscribed thereon, and the names were names of wonder, and the image was in the form of a son of Adam. And he placed the image in the vessel and poured on it the wine and the oil, and the honey and the milk, and all those things of which we have spoken, and he made invocations with incense, and a smoke rose. And there came to him of the Jinns crowding around him. And the image began to speak to and salute the Arabs, and tell them the story which had been told by the sand. And he said, " Know that none other hath taken the mare, save Only he who is called Abu Zeyd Helali Salame, and he is with you in this place." And upon this the Emir sought through all the crowd, but found no man a stranger there save only Abu Zeyd and the