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SIXTH VOYAGE 179 |
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favourites, and courtiers. On his elephant's neck sits an officer, his golden lance in his hand, and behind him stands another bearing a pillar of gold, at the top of which is an emerald as long as my hand. A thousand men in cloth of gold, mounted upon richly caparisoned elephants, go before him, and as the procession moves onward the officer who guides his elephant cries aloud, " Behold the mighty monarch, the powerful and valiant Sultan of the Indies, whose palace is covered with a hundred thousand rubies, who possesses twenty thousand diamond crowns. Behold a monarch greater than Solomon and Mihrage in all their glory!"
' Then the one who stands behind the throne answers: " This king, so great and powerful, must die, must die, must die!"
' And the first takes up the chant again, " All praise to Him who lives for evermore."
' Further, my lord, in Serendib no judge is needed, for to the king himself his people come for justice.'
The Caliph was well satisfied with my report.
' From the king's letter,' said he, ' I judged that he was a wise man. It seems that he is worthy of his people, and his people of him.'
So saying he dismissed me with rich presents, and I returned in peace to my own house.
When Sindbad had done speaking his guests withdrew, Hindbad having first received a hundred sequins, but all returned next day to hear the story of the seventh voyage, Sindbad thus began. |
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