Page:The book of wonder voyages (1919).djvu/186

 of their wings, one cannot hear other speak. From this country we come to another, the Land of Wild Beasts, where for roaring of lions, howling of wolves, laughing of hyenas, and crying of other beasts of prey, we shall hear naught. The next is the Land of the Jann, where our eyes are blinded by the fires, the sparks and smoke from their mouths, and our ears deafened by their groaning. And after this we come to a huge mountain and running river close to the Isles of Wak. And on the bank of the river is another mountain, called Mount Wak, named thus by reason of a tree that bears fruits like heads of the sons of Adam."

Then the old woman beat the kettledrums for departure, and the army set out. And they journeyed through the terrible lands she had spoken of until they came to the river, and set down their loads at the foot of the huge mountain. And the old woman set Hasan a couch of alabaster, inlaid with pearls and jewels and nuggets of red gold. And he sat down thereon, and bound his face with a kerchief that discovered naught of him but his eyes. And the old woman bade him watch the women as they went to bathe, to discover whether his wife were among them. And although the maids were beautiful to look upon, and one of them exceeding fair, reminding him much of her he had come to seek, yet was she not among them. And at the old dame's request he gave her a description of his wife, whereupon she made answer, "O Hasan, would to heaven I had never known thee! This woman is none other than