"
"O youth," answered they, "we have not concealed this thing from
thee but in our concern for thee, lest what befell us before thee
and thou become like unto us." "It avails not," said I; "you must
tell me." "We give thee good advice," rejoined they; "do thou
take it and leave questioning us of our case, or thou wilt become
one-eyed like unto us." But I still persisted in my demand and
they said, "O youth, if this thing befall thee, we warn thee that
we will never again receive thee into our company nor let thee
abide with us." Then they took a ram and slaughtering it, skinned
it and gave me a knife, saying, "Lie down on the skin and we will
sew thee up in it and leave thee and go away. Presently there
will come to thee a bird called the roc[FN#44], that will catch
thee up in its claws and fly away with thee and set thee down on
a mountain. As soon as thou feelest it alight with thee, slit the
skin with the knife and come forth; whereupon the bird will take
fright at thee and fly away and leave thee. Then rise and fare on
half a day's journey, till thou comest to a palace rising high
into the air, builded of khelenj[FN#45] and aloes and sandal-wood
and plated with red gold, inlaid with all manner emeralds and
other jewels. There enter and thou wilt attain thy desire. We all
have been in that place, and this is the cause of the loss of our
right eyes and the reason why we blacken our faces.
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