Then the horse said, "Strap me up tight and with all your strength."

So Ali strapped him up as tight as he could, till the horse said, "Stop

now; mount me for a little to try me."

So Ali mounted and smacked him, and he soared up over the clouds. Then

he returned and said, "Now bring out another sack of grain, that I may

eat and be satisfied."

So he gave him another sack, and then he said, "Now fasten another sack

of grain on to me, lest I grow hungry in the way."

So Ali fastened on a sack of grain, and then the horse said, "Take a

crow-bar and dig there in the floor of the house."

So Ali dug there and found more precious stones, and he put them in

bags, and brought them and fastened them to the saddle.

Then the horse said, "Come on, Ali, mount me. We are going now, and

this advice I give you before we go. In the way we will meet with great

strife, so listen well, and do as I tell you."

Then Ali mounted and smacked him, and the horse soared up over the

clouds, higher and higher.

When they had gone a little way they met the Jin and a host of his

fellow demons, whom he had brought to feast on those eight people in his

house. One was taking an axe to chop up the meat, others carried

firewood and pots and water with which to cook the flesh.

When those demons saw them they called out, "Look, there is the flesh

going off."

The horse said to Ali, "Take the bottle of sun and break it." So Ali

broke it, and the sun shone on the demons and scorched them.

But they pursued them, crying, "Our meat is going away, our meat is

going away."

They ran after them, and as they came near the horse said, "Break the

bottle of rain." So Ali broke the bottle and rain poured on them, but

still they pursued.

Ali looked round and said, "They are coming." So the horse said, "Break

the bottle of needles."

Ali broke the bottle, and many got needles in their feet and could not

run quickly, but many escaped and came on swiftly, crying, "Hi there! Hi

there! our meat is escaping."

Then the horse said, "Break the bottle of hail." So Ali broke the

bottle, and the hail poured down on them, and knocked many of them over,

but they got up again and ran on.

The horse said, "Break the bottle of thorns." So Ali broke the bottle,

and the thorns got in their feet and delayed many of them, but the rest

came on. Ali called out, "There they come," and the horse said, "Break

the bottle of mud."

So he broke the bottle, and the demons went slipping and falling about

in the mud till they got across it, and still pursued them.

Then the horse said, "Break the bottle of sea." So Ali broke the bottle,

and the demons rushed into the sea, where many were drowned, and the

rest were unable to cross and turned back.

The horse flew across to the opposite side and alighted, and said to

Ali, "Let us rest here now that we have crossed safely."

Black Tales for White Children · 第 144 / 214 题