There was in days of yore a King in the land of Al-Hind, who
reigned over wide dominions (and praise be to Him who ruleth the
worlds material and spiritual!), but this Sultan had nor daughter
nor son. So once upon a time he took thought and said, "Glory to
Thee! no god is there save Thyself, O Lord; withal Thou hast not
vouchsafed to me a child either boy or girl." On the next day he
arose a-morn wholly clad in clothes of crimson hue,[FN#354]?And
Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and
ceased saying her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad,
"How sweet and tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Forty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the King
of Al-Hind arose a-morn wholly clad in clothes of crimson hue,
and the Wazir, coming into the Divan, found him in such case. So
he salam'd to him and blessed him with the blessing due to
Caliphs, and said to him, "O King of the Age, doth aught irk thee
that thou art robed in red?" whereto he replied, "O Wazir, I have
risen with my heart gript hard." Said the other, "Go into thy
treasury of moneys and jewels and turn over thy precious ores,
that thy sorrow be dispersed." But said the Sultan, "O Wazir,
verily all this world is a transitory, and naught remaineth to
any save to seek the face of Allah the Beneficent: withal the
like of me may never more escape from cark and care, seeing that
I have lived for this length of time and that I have not been
blessed with or son or daughter, for verily children are the
ornament of the world." Hereupon a wight dark of hue, which was a
Takrúri[FN#355] by birth, suddenly appeared before the Sultan and
standing between his hands said to him, "O King of the Age, I
have by me certain medicinal roots the bequeathal of my forbears
and I have heard that thou hast no issue; so an thou eat somewhat
thereof haply shall they gladden thy heart." "Where be these
simples?" cried the King, whereat the Takruri man drew forth a
bag and brought out from it somewhat that resembled a confection
and gave it to him with due injunctions. So when it was
night-time the Sultan ate somewhat of it and then slept with his
wife who, by the Omnipotence of Allah Almighty, conceived of him
that very time. Finding her pregnant the King was rejoiced
thereat and fell to distributing alms to the Fakirs and the
mesquin and the widows and the orphans, and this continued till
the days of his Queen's pregnancy were completed. Then she bare a
man-child fair of face and form, which event caused the King
perfect joy and complete; and on that day when the boy was named
Mahommed,[FN#356] Son of the Sultan, he scattered full half his
treasury amongst the lieges. Then he bade bring for the babe
wet-nurses who suckled him until milktime ended, when they weaned
him, after which he grew every day in strength and stature till
his age reached his sixth year. Hereupon his father appointed for
him a Divine to teach him reading and writing and the Koran and
all the sciences, which he mastered when his years numbered
twelve. And after this he took to mounting horses and learning to
shoot with shafts and to hit the mark, up to the time when he
became a knight who surpassed all other knights. Now one day of
the days Prince Mohammed rode off a-hunting, as was his wont,
when lo and behold! he beheld a fowl with green plumage wheeling
around him in circles and rocketing in the air and seeing this he
was desirous to bring it down with an arrow. But he found this
impossible so he ceased not following the quarry with intent to
catch it but again he failed and it flew away from his ken;
whereat he was sore vexed and he said to himself, "Needs must I
seize this bird," and he kept swerving to the right and the left
in order to catch sight of it but he saw it not. This endured
until the end of day when he returned to the city and sought his
father and his mother, and when they looked upon him they found
his case changed and they asked him concerning his condition, so
he related to them all about the bird and they said to him, "O
our son, O Mohammed, verily the creations of Allah be curious and
how many fowls are like unto this, nay even more wondrous." Cried
he, "Unless I catch her[FN#357] I will wholly give up eating."
Now when morning dawned he mounted according to his custom and
again went forth to the chase; and presently he pushed into the
middle of the desert when suddenly he saw the bird flying in air
and he pushed his horse to speed beneath her and shot at her a
shaft with the intent to make her his prey, but again was unable
to kill the bird. He persisted in the chase from sunrise until
sundown when he was tired and his horse was aweary, so he turned
him round purposing a return city-wards, when behold, he was met
in the middle of the road by an elderly man who said to him, "O
son of the Sultan, in very sooth thou art fatigued and on like
wise is thy steed." The Prince replied, "Yes," and the Elder
asked him, "What is the cause thereof?" Accordingly he told him
all anent the bird and the Shaykh replied to him, "O my son, an
thou absent thyself and ride for a whole year in pursuit of
yonder fowl thou wilt never be able to take her; and, O my child,
where is this bird![FN#358] I will now inform thee that in a City
of the Islands hight of Camphor there is a garden wide of sides
wherein are many of such fowls and far fairer than this, and of
them some can sing and others can speak with human speech; but, O
my son, thou art unable to reach that city. However, if thou
leave this bird and seek another of the same kind, haply I can
show thee one and thou wilt not weary thyself any more." When
Mohammed, Son of the Sultan, heard these words from the Elder he
cried, "By Allah, 'tis not possible but that I travel to that
city." Hereupon he left the Shaykh and returned to his own home,
but his heart was engrossed with the Capital of the Camphor
Islands, and when he went in to his sire, his case was troubled.
The father asked him thereof and he related to him what the
oldster had said. "O my son," quoth the sire, "cast out this
accident from thy heart and weary not thy soul, inasmuch as whoso
would seek an object he cannot obtain, shall destroy his own life
for the sake thereof and furthermore he shall fail of his gain.
Better therefore thou set thy heart at rest[FN#359] and weary
thyself no more." Quoth the Son, "Walláhi, O my sire, verily my
heart is hung to yonder fowl and specially to the words of the
Elder; nor is it possible to me to sit at home until I shall have
reached the city of the Camphor Islands and I shall have gazed
upon the gardens wherein such fowls do wone." Quoth his father,
"But why, O my child, wouldst thou deprive us of looking upon
thee?" And quoth the son, "There is no help but that I
travel."?And Shahrazad was surprised by the dawn of day and fell
silent and ceased to say her permitted say. Then quoth her sister
Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O sister mine, and how
enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared
with that I should relate to you on the coming night an the King
suffer me to survive?" Now when it was the next night and that
was
The Four Hundred and Fifty-second Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Mohammed
the Son of the Sultan cried, "Needs must I travel, otherwise I
will slay myself." "There is no Majesty and there is no Might,"
quoth the father, "save in Allah the Glorious, the Great; and
saith the old saw, 'The chick is unsatisfied till the crow see it
and carry it off.'"[FN#360] Thereupon the King gave orders to get
ready provisions and other matters required for the Prince's
wayfare, and he sent with him an escort of friends and servants,
after which the youth took leave of his father and mother and he
with his many set forth seeking the Capital of the Camphor
Islands. He ceased not travelling for the space of an entire
month till he arrived at a place wherein three highways forked,
and he saw at the junction a huge rock whereon were written three
lines. Now the first read, "This is the road of safe chance," and
the second, "This is the way of repentance;" and the third, "This
is the path whereon whoso paceth shall return nevermore." When
the Prince perused these inscriptions he said to himself, "I will
tread the path whereon whoso paceth shall nevermore return." Then
he put his trust in Allah, and he travelled over that way for a
space of days a score, when suddenly he came upon a city deserted
and desolate, nor was there a single created thing therein and it
was utterly in ruins. So he alighted beside it and, as a flock of
sheep accompanied his suite, he bade slaughter five lambs and
commanded the cooks to prepare of them delicate dishes and to
roast one of them whole and entire. They did his bidding, and
when the meats were cooked he ordered the trays be spread in that
site and, as soon as all was done to his satisfaction, he
purposed sitting down to food, he and his host, when suddenly an
'Aun[FN#361] appeared coming from the ruined city. But when
Prince Mohammed beheld him he rose to him in honour saying,
"Welcome and fair welcome to him who of 'Auns is the head, and to
the brethren friend true-bred,[FN#362] and the Haunter of this
stead;" and he satisfied him with the eloquence of his tongue and
the elegance of his speech. Now this 'Aun had hair that overhung
either eye and fell upon his shoulders, so the Prince brought out
his scissors[FN#363] and trimmed his locks clearing them away
from his face, and he pared his nails which were like talons, and
finally let bathe his body with warm water. Then he served up to
him the barbecue of lamb which he caused to be roasted whole for
the use of the Jinni and bade place it upon the tray, so the
Haunter ate with the travellers and was cheered by the Prince's
kindness and said to him, "By Allah, O my lord Mohammed, O thou
Son of the Sultan, I was predestined to meet thee in this place
but now let me know what may be thy need." Accordingly the youth
informed him of the city of the Camphor Islands and of the garden
containing the fowls which he fared to seek, and of his design in
wayfaring thither to bring some of them away with him. But when
the 'Aun heard from him these words, he said to him, "O thou Son
of the Sultan, that site is a far cry for thee, nor canst thou
ever arrive thereat unless assisted, seeing that its distance
from this place be a march of two hundred years for a diligent
traveller. How then canst thou reach it and return from it?
However, the old saw saith, O my son, 'Good for good and the
beginner is worthier, and ill for ill and the beginner is
unworthier.'[FN#364] Now thou hast done to me a kindly deed and I
(Inshallah!) will requite thee with its match and will reward
thee with its mate; but let whatso is with thee of companions and
slaves and beasts and provisions abide in this site and we will
go together, I and thou, and I will win for thee thy wish even as
thou hast wrought by me a kindly work." Hereupon the Prince left
all that was with him in that place and the 'Aun said to him, "O
son of the Sultan, come mount upon my shoulders." The youth did
accordingly, after he had filled his ears with cotton, and the
'Aun rose from earth and towered in air and after the space of an
hour he descended again and the rider found himself in the
grounds about the capital of the Camphor Islands. So he
dismounted from the Jinni's shoulders and looked about that wady
where he espied pleasant spots and he descried trees and blooms
and rills and birds that trilled and shrilled with various notes.
Then quoth the 'Aun to him, "Go forth to yonder garden and thence
bring thy need;" so he walked thither and, finding the gates wide
open, he passed in and fell to solacing himself with looking to
the right and the left. Presently he saw bird-cages suspended and
in them were fowls of every kind, to each two, so he walked up to
them and whenever he noted a bird that pleased him he took it and
caged it till he had there six fowls and of all sorts twain. Then
he designed to leave the garden when suddenly a keeper met him
face to face at the door crying aloud, "A thief! a thief!" Hereat
all the other gardeners rushed up and seized him, together with
the cage, and carried him before the King, the owner of that
garden and lord of that city. They set him in the presence
saying, "Verily we found this young man stealing a cage wherein
be fowls and in good sooth he must be a thief." Quoth the Sultan,
"Who misled thee, O Youth, to enter my grounds and trespass
thereon and take of my birds?" Whereto the Prince returned no
reply. So the Sultan resumed, "By Allah, thou hast wilfully
wasted thy life, but, O Youngster, an it be thy desire to take my
birds and carry them away, do thou go and bring me from the
capital of the Isles of the Súdán[FN#365] bunches of grapes which
are clusters of diamonds and emeralds, when I will give thee over
and above these six fowls six other beside." So the Prince left
him and going to the 'Aun informed him of what had befallen him,
and the other cried, "'Tis easy, O Mohammed;" and mounting him
upon his shoulders flew with him for the space of two hours and
presently alighted. The youth saw himself in the lands
surrounding the capital of the Sudan Islands which he found more
beautiful than the fair region he had left; and he designed
forthright to approach the garden containing great clusters of
diamonds and emeralds, when he was confronted by a Lion in the
middle way. Now it was the wont of this beast yearly to visit
that city and to pounce upon everything he met of women as well
as of men; so seeing the Prince he charged down upon him,
designing to rend him limb from limb?And Shahrazad was surprised
by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying her
permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and
tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
should relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to
survive?" Now when it was the next night, and that was
The Four Hundred and Fifty-fifth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale, that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that the Lion
charged down upon Mohammed, Son of the Sultan, designing to rend
him in pieces, but he confronted him and unsheathing his scymitar
made it glitter in the sunshine[FN#366] and pressed him close and
bashed him with brand between his eyes so that the blade came
forth gleaming from between his thighs. Now by doom of Destiny
the daughter of the Sultan was sitting at the latticed window of
her belvedere and was looking at her glass and solacing herself,
when her glance fell upon the King's son as he was smiting the
Lion. So she said to herself, "May thy hand never palsied grow
nor exult over thee any foe!" But the Prince after slaying the
Lion left the body and walked into the garden whose door had been
left open and therein he found that all the trees were of
precious metal bearing clusters like grapes of diamonds and
emeralds. So he went forwards and plucked from those trees six
bunches which he placed within a cage, when suddenly he was met
by the keeper who cried out, "A thief! a thief!" and when joined
by the other gardeners seized him and bore him before the Sultan
saying, "O my lord, I have come upon this youth who was
red-handed in robbing yonder clusters." The King would have slain
him forth-right, but suddenly there came to him a gathering of
the folk who cried, "O King of the Age, a gift of good
news!"[FN#367] Quoth he, "Wherefore?" and quoth they, "Verily the
Lion which was wont hither to come every year and to pounce upon
all that met him of men and of women and of maidens and of
children, we have found him in such a place clean slain and split
into twain." Now the Sultan's daughter was standing by the
lattice of the belvedere which was hard by the Divan of her sire
and was looking at the youth who stood before the King and was
awaiting to see how it would fare with him. But when the folk
came in and reported the death of the Lion, the Sultan threw
aside the affair of the youth of his joy and delight and fell to
asking, "Who was it slew the beast?" and to saying, "Walláhi! By
the rights of my forbears in this kingdom,[FN#368] let him who
killed the monster come before me and ask of me a boon which it
shall be given to him; nay, even if he demand of me a division of
all my good he shall receive that same." But when he had heard of
all present that the tidings were true then the city-folk
followed one another in a line and went in to the Sultan and one
of them said, "I have slain the Lion." Said the King, "And how
hast thou slain him; and in what manner hast thou been able to
prevail over and master him?" Then he spake with him
softly[FN#369] and proved him and at last so frightened him that
the man fell to the ground in his consternation; when they
carried him off and the King declared, "This wight lieth!" All
this and Mohammed, the Son of the Sultan, was still standing and
looking on and when he heard the man's claim he smiled. Suddenly
the King happening to glance at him saw the smile and was
astounded and said in his mind, "By Allah, this Youth is a
wondrous for he smileth he being in such case as this." But
behold, the King's daughter sent an eunuch to her father and he
delivered the message, when the King arose and went into his
Harem and asked her, "What is in thy mind and what is it thou
seekest?" She answered, "Is it thy desire to know who slew the
Lion that thou mayest largesse him?" and he rejoined, saying, "By
virtue of Him who created His servants and computeth their
numbers,[FN#370] when I know him and am certified of his truth my
first gift to him shall be to wed thee with him and he shall
become to me son-in-law were he in the farthest of lands."
Retorted she, "By Allah, O my father, none slew the Lion save the
young man who entered the garden and carried off the clusters of
gems, the youth whom thou art minded to slay." When he heard
these words from his daughter, the King returned to the Divan and
bade summon Mohammed the Son of the Sultan, and when they set him
between his hands he said to him, "O Youth, thou hast indemnity
from me and say me, art thou he who slew the Lion?" The other
answered, "O King, I am indeed young in years; how then shall I
prevail over a Lion and slaughter him, when, by Allah, in all my
born days I never met even with a hyena much less than a lion?
However, O King of the Age, an thou largesse me with these
clusters of gems and give them to me in free gift, I will wend my
ways, and if not my luck will be with Allah!" Rejoined the King,
"O Youth, speak thou sooth and fear not!" Here he fell to
soothing him with words and solacing him and gentling him, after
which he threatened him with his hand, but Mohammed the Son of
the Sultan raised his neave swiftlier than the lightning and
smote the King and caused him swoon. Now there was none present
in the Divan save Mohammed and the Monarch, who after an hour
came to himself and said, "By Allah, thou art he who slew the
Lion!" Hereupon he robed him with a robe of honour and, summoning
the Kazi, bade tie the marriage-tie with his daughter; but quoth
the young man, "O King of the Age, I have a counsel to consult,
after which I will return to thee." Quoth the King, "Right rede
is this same and a matter not to blame." Accordingly the Prince
repaired to the 'Aun in the place where he had left him and
related to him all that had betided himself, and of his intended
marriage with the King's daughter, whereupon said the Jinni,
"Condition with him that if thou take her to wife thou shalt
carry her along with thee to thine own country." The youth did
his bidding and returned to the King who said, "There is no harm
in that," and the marriage-knot was duly knotted. Then the
bridegroom was led in procession to his bride with whom he
remained a full month of thirty days, after which he craved leave
to fare for his own motherland.?And Shahrazad was surprised by
the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased to say her permitted
say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet is thy story, O
sister mine, and how enjoyable and delectable!" Quoth she, "And
where is this compared with that I should relate to you on the
coming night an the King suffer me to survive?" Now when it was
the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Fifty-seventh Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that Mohammed
Son of the Sultan craved leave to return to his own motherland,
when his father-in-law gave him an hundred clusters of the
diamantine and smaragdine grapes, after which he farewelled the
King and taking his bride fared without the city. Here he found
expecting him the 'Aun, who, after causing them to fill their
ears with cotton, shouldered him, together with his wife, and
then flew with them through the firmament for two hours or so and
alighted with them near the capital of the Camphor Islands.
Presently Mohammed the Son of the Sultan took four clusters of
the emeralds and diamonds, and going in to the King laid them
before him and drew him back. The Sultan gazed upon them and
marvelled and cried, "Walláhi! doubtless this youth be a Magician
for that he hath covered a space of three hundred years in
three[FN#371] of coming and going, and this is amongst the
greatest of marvels." Presently he resumed, saying, "O Youth,
hast thou reached the city of the Sudan?" and the other replied,
"I have." The King continued, "What is its description and its
foundation and how are its gardens and its rills?" So he informed
him of all things required of him and the Sultan cried, "By
Allah, O Youth, thou deservest all thou askest of me." "I ask for
nothing," said the Prince, "save the birds," and the King, "O
Youth, there is with us in our town a Vulture which cometh every
year from behind Mount Káf and pounceth upon the sons of this
city and beareth them away and eateth them on the heads of the
hills. Now an thou canst master this monster-fowl and slay that
same I have a daughter whom I will marry to thee." Quoth the
Prince, "I have need of taking counsel;" and returned to the 'Aun
to inform him thereof when behold, the Vulture made its
appearance. But as soon as the Jinni espied it, he flew and made
for it, and caught it up; then, smiting it with a single stroke
of his hand, he cut it in two and presently he returned and
settled down upon the ground. Then, after a while, he went back
to Mohammed, the Son of the Sultan, and said to him, "Hie thee to
the King and report to him the slaughter of the Vulture." So he
went and entering the presence reported what had taken place,
whereupon the Sultan with his lords of the land mounted[FN#372]
their horses, and, going to the place, found the monster killed,
and cut into two halves. Anon the King returned, and leading
Prince Mohammed with him bade knit the marriage-knot with his
daughter and caused him to pay her the first visit. He tarried
beside her for a full-told month after which he asked leave to
travel and to seek the city of his first spouse, carrying with
him the second. Hereupon the King his father-in-law presented to
him ten cages, each containing four birds of vari-coloured coats
and farewelled him. After which he fared forth and left the city,
and outside it he found the 'Aun awaiting him and the Jinni
salam'd to the Prince and congratulated him in what he had won of
gifts and prizes. Then he arose high in air, bearing Mohammed and
his two brides and all that was with them, and he winged his way
for an hour or so until he alighted once more at the ruined city.
Here he found the Prince's suite of learned men, together with
the bât-beasts and their loads[FN#373] and everything other even
as he had left it. So they sat down to take their rest when the
'Aun said, "O Mohammed, O Son of the Sultan, I have been
predestined to thee in this site whither thou wast fated to come;
but I have another and a further covenant to keep wherewith I
would charge thee." "What is that?" quoth he, and quoth the 'Aun,
"Verily thou shalt not depart this place until thou shalt have
laved me and shrouded me and graved[FN#374] me in the ground;"
and so saying he shrieked a loud shriek and his soul fled his
flesh. This was grievous to the son of the King and he and his
men arose and washed him and shrouded him and having prayed over
him buried him in the earth. After this the Prince turned him to
travel, so they laded the loads and he and his set forth
intending for their families and native land. They journeyed
during the space of thirty days till they reached the fork of the
highway whereat stood the great rock, and here they found tents
and pavilions and a host nor did they know what this mighty many
might mean. Now the father, when his son left him, suffered from
straitness of breast and was sore perplexed as to his affair and
he wot not what to do; so he bade make ready his army and
commanded the lords of the land to prepare for the march and all
set out seeking his son and determined to find tidings of him.
Nor did they cease faring till they reached the place where the
road forked into three and on the first rock they saw written the
three lines?"This is the road of safe chance;" and "This is the
way of repentance;" and "This is the path whereon whoso paceth
shall return nevermore." But when the father read it he was posed
and perplext as to the matter and he cried, "Would Heaven I knew
by which road of these three my son Mohammed may have travelled;"
and as he was brooding over this difficulty?And Shahrazad was
surprised by the dawn of day and fell silent and ceased saying
her permitted say. Then quoth her sister Dunyazad, "How sweet and
tasteful is thy tale, O sister mine, and how enjoyable and
delectable!" Quoth she, "And where is this compared with that I
should relate to you on the coming night an the King suffer me to
survive?" Now when it was the next night and that was
The Four Hundred and Fifty-ninth Night,
Dunyazad said to her, "Allah upon thee, O my sister, an thou be
other than sleepy, finish for us thy tale that we may cut short
the watching of this our latter night!" She replied, "With love
and good will!" It hath reached me, O auspicious King, the
director, the right-guiding, lord of the rede which is benefiting
and of deeds fair-seeming and worthy celebrating, that as the
Sultan was brooding over this difficulty lo and behold! his son
Mohammed appeared before him by the path which showed written,
"This is the path whereon whoso passeth shall nevermore return."
But when the King saw him, and face confronted face, he arose and
met him and salam'd to him giving him joy of his safety; and the
Prince told him all that had befallen him from beginning to
end?how he had not reached those places save by the All-might of
Allah, and how he had succeeded in winning his wish by meeting
with the 'Aun. So they nighted in that site and when it was
morning they resumed their march, all in gladness and happiness
for that the Sultan had recovered his son Mohammed. They ceased
not faring a while until they drew near their native city when
the bearers of good tidings ran forward announcing the arrival of
the Sultan and his son and, hereupon the houses were decorated in
honour of the Prince's safe return and crowds came out to meet
them till such time as all had entered the city-walls, after
which their joys increased and their annoy fell from them. And
this is the whole of the tale told by the first Larrikin. Now
when the Sultan heard it he marvelled at what had befallen the
chief adventurer therein, when the second Larrikin spoke saying
"I have by me a tale, a marvel of marvels, and which is a delight
to the hearer and a diversion to the reader and to the reciter."
Quoth the Sovran, "What may that be, O Shaykh?" and the man fell
to relating the