Strona 373 z 1116

We thought to do a good deed by him before the face of

Allah,[FN#251] and to release him from enchantment, and now we

have brought this trouble and travail upon our heart." But I, O

my lady, was tongue tied and powerless to say a word to him.

Suddenly, ere we were ware of aught, the Ifrit yelled out from

under the flames and, coming up to us as we stood on the estrade,

blew fire in our faces. The damsel overtook him and breathed

blasts of fire at his face and the sparks from her and from him

rained down upon us, and her sparks did us no harm, but one of

his sparks alighted upon my eye and destroyed it making me a

monocular ape; and another fell on the King's face scorching the

lower half, burning off his beard and mustachios and causing his

under teeth to fall out; while a third alighted on the Castrato's

breast, killing him on the spot. So we despaired of life and made

sure of death when lo! a voice repeated the saying, "Allah is

most Highest! Allah is most Highest!