第43章 THE PORTER AND THE THREE LADIES OF BAGHDAD.(18)

Then I journeyed through many lands and citiesintending for the Abode of Peace Baghdadin the hope that I might get speech of the Commander of the Faithful and tell him all that had befallen me. I arrived here this night and found my brotherthis first Calenderstanding perplexed；so I saluted him and entered into converse with him. Presently up came our brotherthis third Calenderand said to us'Peace be on you！I am a stranger.'We also are strangers，'answered we'and have come hither this blessed night.'So we all three walked on togethernone of us knowing the others'storytill chance brought us to this door and we came in to you. Thisthenis my story and the manner of the shaving of my face and the loss of my eye.'Quoth the mistress of the house'Thy story is indeed a rare one： and now begone about thy business.'But he replied'I will not stir till I hear the others'stories.'Then came forward the third Calender and said'O illustrious ladymy history is not like that of these my comradesbut still stranger and more marvellousin thatwhilst destiny and fore-ordained fate overcame them unawaresI with mine own hand drew fate and affliction upon myselfas thou shalt presently hear. Know that Story of the Third Calender.

I also am a kingthe son of a kingand my name is Agibson of Khesib. My father diedand I took the kingdom after him and ruled my subjects with justice and beneficence. My capital city stood on the shore of a wide spreading seaon which I had fifty merchant ships and fifty smaller vessels for pleasure and a hundred and fifty cruisers equipped for war；and near at hand were many great islands in the midst of the ocean. Now I loved to sail the sea and had a mind to visit the islands aforesaid so I took ship with a month's victual and set out and took my pleasure in the islands and returned to my capital Thenbeing minded to make a longer voyage upon the oceanI fitted out half a score ships with provision for two months and sailed twenty daystill one night the wind blew contrary and the sea rose against us with great billows；the waves clashed together and there fell on us a great darkness. So we gave ourselves up for lost and I said'He who perils himself is not to be commendedthough he come off safe.'Then we prayed to God and besought Himbut the wind ceased not to rage and the waves to clash togethertill daybreakwhen the wind fellthe sea became calm and the sun shone out. Presently we sighted an islandwhere we landed and cooked food and ate and rested two days. Then we set out again and sailed other twenty dayswithout seeing land；but the currents carried us out of our true courseso that the captain lost his reckoning and finding himself in strange watersbade the watch go up to the mast-head and look out. So he climbed the mast and looked out and said 'O captainI see nothing to right and left save sky and waterbut ahead I see something looming afar off in the midst of the seanow black and now white.'When the captain heard the look-out's wordshe cast his turban on the deck and plucked out his beard and buffeted his face and said'Kingwe are all dead mennot one of us can be saved.'We all wept for his weeping and I said to him'O captaintell us what it is the look-out saw.'O my lord，'answered he'know that we lost our way on the night of the storm and since then we have gone astray one-and-twenty days and there is no wind to bring us back to our true course. To-morrowby the end of the daywe shall come to a mountain of black stonecalled loadstonefor thither the currents bear us perforce. As soon as we come within a certain distanceall the nails in the ships will fly out and fasten to the mountainand the ships will open and fall to piecesfor that God the Most High has gifted the loadstone with a secret virtueby reason whereof all iron is attracted to it；and on this mountain is much ironhow much God only knowsfrom the many ships that have been wrecked there from old time. On its summit there stands a dome of brassraised on ten columns and on the top of the dome are a horse and horseman of the same metal.

The latter holds in his hand a brazen lance and on his breast is a tablet of leadgraven with names and talismans： andO King，it is nought but this horseman that causeth the folk to perish，nor will the charm be broken till he fall from his horse.'Then he wept sore and we all made sure of death and each took leave of his comrade and charged him with his last wishesin case he should be saved. That night we slept notand in the morningwe sighted the loadstone mountaintowards which the currents carried us with irresistible force. When the ships came within a certain distancethey opened and the nails started out and all the iron in them sought the loadstone and clove to it；so that by the end of the daywe were all struggling in the sea round the mountain. Some of us were savedbut the most part drownedand even those who escaped knew not one of the otherbeing stupefied by the raging wind and the buffeting of the waves. As for meGod preserved me that I might suffer that which He willed to me of trouble and torment and afflictionfor I got on a plank from one of the ships andthe wind driving it ashoreI happened on a pathway leading to the topas it were a stair hewn out of the rock. So I called upon the name of God the Most High and besought His succour and clinging to the stepsaddressed myself to climb up little by little. And God stilled the wind and aided me in my ascentso that I reached the summit in safety. There I found nothing but the dome；so I enteredmightily rejoiced at my escapeand made my ablutions and prayed a two-bow prayer in gratitude to God for my preservation.