“ Your name is already famous in the world for everything noble and generous; and your history shall serve as an example to future ages. But if the love of gold and jewels take possession of your heart, farewell your present success and future fame!”—“May I ask,” said Hatim, “whose gold and jewels have I ever coveted?”—“O Hatim,” returned the demons, “see you those jewels which you have carried away from the lower mountain; can you say that they are your own?”—“If they be not mine,” replied Hatim, “they belong to no one else. ”

“ Having rested there during the night, Hatim next morning took leave of his host and departed. After journeying for some days, he arrived on the shore of a lake surrounded with shady trees and brimful of clear water. When he was wrapt in admiration of this scene, a nymph of more than mortal beauty, perfect from head to foot, gracefully arose from the water. Hatim, dazzled with her splendor, covered his eyes, and the nymph seizing him by the hand hurried him into the deep. ”

“ Where would be the humanity of making us linger in this world, when the Supreme decree hath called him hence? May God forbid that the deceit of Satan (on whom be curses) should so far mislead us as to forget our only beloved lord, and attach ourselves to another. Without him, our life would henceforth be an intolerable burden. Why then should we not accompany our best beloved? Why not burn on the same pile, that our ashes may mingle with his, while our souls wing their flight to the regions of the blessed?”
Thus spoke the widow of the chief, regardless of Hatim’s earnest entreaties. ”

“ Hatim felt for the misery of every living creature; he therefore lifted the dog in his arms, and carried it with him, in order to restore it with food and drink as soon as he could procure any. He had not long proceeded when he beheld a village at some distance before him, and thither he bent his steps. On his arrival the people presented him with a barley loaf and some curdled milk, the whole of which he gave to the dog. The exhausted animal, thus satisfied with food and drink, fawned on Hatim, as if expressing its sense of his kindness, and then lay down at his feet. ”

“ Hatim found himself for some time sinking rapidly, till at last his feet rested on firm ground. He then opened his eyes, and to his astonishment beheld around him a most beautiful and extensive garden. Here the nymph of the lake shortly after quitted her hold of his hand, and vanished from his sight. Hatim walked a considerable way through the garden, when, lo! thousands of beautiful women approached him from every quarter, each of whom tried to win him with her attractions, and endeavored to pierce his heart with the arrows of her loving glances. ”

“ After several days had thus passed, he approached the skirts of a desert. It was then drawing towards evening, and Hatim, observing a tree on the confines of the wilderness, halted underneath it, and began to look around him on all sides. On a sudden, a voice that betokened the deepest sorrow reached his ear. His heart glowed with pity; and he said in his own mind, “Oh, Hatim! dost thou think it proper that a fellow-creature overwhelmed in distress should be thus left to sigh and lament, without thy inquiring into the cause of his sorrows?” ”

“ On the eighth night, as he fell asleep, an old man appeared to him in a dream, and said, “Brave Hatim, be of good cheer; this beautiful fairy has more than one lover that laments her treachery: but you must first bring your friend hither, and then cause him to take the talisman given you by the bear’s daughter, and steep it in a goblet full of pure water. This draught will then ferment into a sherbet, and you must contrive that the queen shall drink of it, which, God willing, will be the means of restoring her affection.” ”

“ Be you assured, oh, Hatim! that it is not in the power of one man to slay another; but in whatever way a man’s fate is decreed, by that means only he loses his life.” Hatim, on hearing this, asked the angel of death, “Tell me truly what fate is ordained for me?” The aged man replied, “Suffice it to say that more than half your life-time is yet to pass.”—“But,” rejoined Hatim, “may I not learn from you the whole truth?”—“Know, then,” replied the king of terrors, “that when you have attained the age of two hundred years, you shall fall by the hand of Omnipotence. ”

“ May I hope that my afflictions will bring forth the fruit of joy, and that you will reward my pains with the pleasure of your society, for without you I would sooner die than live.” The damsels in attendance all supported Hatim’s suit, and said, “Our gracious sovereign, this is the renowned prince of Arabia; happy for you was the day when he came here. He loves you sincerely; leave him not to despair. Think not of your father’s death, for he was a magician who delighted in cruelty and oppression. Well has it been for mankind that this brave youth has rid the world of such a monster.” ”

“ Hatim, however, came to his assistance, and warned the king of the magicians, saying, “Your arts are of no effect upon this youth, for he has a talisman more potent than the muhra of the red serpent; you must therefore fulfil what you have promised him.” The magician, thus surpassed in his art, embraced the young soldier as a sign of friendship, and having made the necessary preparations, gave him his daughter in marriage, and with the utmost suavity said to him, “Now, my son, you are to consider all my wealth as your own, for I have no other male heir on whom to bestow it.” ”

“ Husn Banu having summoned him to her presence, said, “Well, stranger, why do you refuse gold? Gold is a thing which in times of difficulty people find useful; it converts the pale countenance to red.” The prince replied, “When I came hither, I left much treasure and gold behind me. I am Prince of Kharzim; thy portrait has driven me mad, and my ardent desire to see thy face has sent me hither.” Husn Banu held down her head, and after some time said, “Young man, abandon such vain ideas; if you were the zephyr itself, you should not have wafted your breath over my ringlets.” ”

“ His words were unheeded by his shattered host; and seeing them thus quit the field, he uttered one of his spells and blew his breath after them, when every man was changed into a green tree. Thus left alone, Sam Ahmar, by means of some incantation, was furnished with a pair of wings, and soared aloft into the air. Hatim was not prepared for this stratagem of the enemy: he stood in astonishment as he beheld the magician darting through the clouds, anxiously expecting another display of his powerful art. ”

“ In the midst of the assembly was a constellation of beautiful damsels, some enchanting the heart with their melodious song, and others occupied in the graceful movements of the dance. In another part of the plain were fires, and all the utensils of cookery employed in dressing food.
At length Hatim mingled with the joyful throng, and began to ask one of them what was the cause of such pleasure and mirth. “Stranger,” said they, “our city is every year visited by a formidable dragon, which on the occasion transforms himself into a human shape. ”

“ In fact, he became more frantic and more enamoured of the beautiful fairy than the youth whose cause he had undertaken. Hatim thus spent three days and nights, forgetful of his friend, and regardless of food and drink. On the fourth night a feverish sleep overpowered his eyelids, and in his confused slumbers he heard a voice exclaiming, “Oh, Hatim! arise and know thyself; hast thou not devoted thy life to the service of thy Creator, and wilt thou now permit thyself to be guilty of a breach of trust?” ”

“ On his arrival among them, he asked one of them, “Tell me, my friend, what is the cause of this uproar which I hear?”—“The daughter of our chief is dead,” replied the man, “and they are insisting that her husband shall consent to be buried alive with her, a measure which he does not seem to relish: this, stranger, is the cause of the tumult which you now witness.”—“Worthy sir,” resumed Hatim, “is it your custom too, to bury the living with the dead? I see this unfortunate man is anything but compliant; surely you will not cast him alive into the tomb. ”

“ I will therefore remain here, happen what will.”—“And what,” said the fairies, “may be your business with our gracious queen? You are a poor man, and she is sovereign of the fairy realms.”—“Have you never heard,” replied Hatim, “of a fairy’s being in love with one of the human race, or of a man’s being enamoured of a fairy?”—“In truth,” rejoined the fairies, “you seem to be weary of your own life, to utter such language in our presence.”—“You may judge,” said Hatim, “how little I care for my life by my venturing hither.” ”

“ Why have you washed your hands of life by journeying hither?” Hatim listened to the voice of the parrot, and was about to enter the house, when he happened to cast his eyes on the inscription over the door, which ran thus: “Know, O mortal, that thou canst not escape hence with life. This is the enchanted palace of the renowned Kaiumarath, who, when hunting in these regions, found a diamond weighing fifty ounces. He showed this superb diamond to his courtiers and attendants, and asked them if they could produce another to match it. They declared that the world did not contain its fellow. ”

“ On hearing this strange circumstance, Hatim concluded that the dragon must be one of the genii. He said to them, “Is it not madness in you to mimic joy at your own destruction?”—“How can we act otherwise?” they replied; “who is the man that can deliver us from our calamity?”—“Be of good cheer,” returned Hatim, “this night I will endeavor, by the aid of heaven, to rid you forever of your evil.” When the people heard this promise, hopeless as it was, they informed their king and grandees of the stranger’s presence. ”

“ From its trunk flowed a liquid white as milk and sweet as honey. She caught the drops in her vial as they fell, and when it was filled she carefully sealed it up, and began to retrace her steps from the dreary abode. Meanwhile a host of demons, many thousand in number, who acted as guards of the tree of naudar, observed the beautiful fairy as she was returning, and immediately pursued her. Husnapari increased her speed, and fled swiftly as the bird that flies for its life. ”

“ When the magician discovered that his servant had fled to Hatim, he instantly began to assail them both with his deadliest art. The effect was soon perceptible on Sarmak, who exclaimed, “Help me, brave Hatim, I burn”; and a flame issued from the crown of his head. Hatim pronounced the words of his awful spell, and instantly the flame that burnt his companion became cool as the breath of a zephyr. Sarmak, respectfully approaching his deliverer, said, “Valiant sir, henceforth I am entirely yours.” Hatim tendered him his hand, and both of them proceeded towards the magician’s capital. ”

“ Hatim remained for about a month with the fairy queen and her lover. At the end of this period, the queen confirmed her promise, having sworn by the seal of Sulaiman to visit the youth soon. Having then bid adieu to Hatim and her lover, she ordered some of her fairies to conduct them to the mouth of the well. The fairies seized the mortals by the hand, and in the twinkling of an eye they found themselves at the mouth of the well. The guides then vanished into the deep, and Hatim presented the young man to his fond parents. ”

“ As to your late master, Sam Ahmar, he has made his escape from before the brave Hatim, and now he holds communion with Kamlak, chief of enchanters. But tell me,” continued Sarmak, “what were your thoughts when thus transformed, and what did you feel when you stood under the appearance of trees?”—“In the first place,” said they, “as we were about to fly, we felt all at once our feet cleave to the earth, so that we had not the power of moving; then a most painful sensation seized our whole bodies; but now, blessings upon Hatim, we are again ourselves. ”

“ The celebration of the marriage completed, Hatim took leave of Munir and Husn Banu; and having, agreeably to his promise, sent the diamond to the prince of Katan, he started for Yemen. When he entered the boundaries of his native land, the whole country was one scene of joy. “Hatim,” said the people, “after so long an absence, has returned to his own country.” At length Hatim reached the capital of Yemen, and was affectionately received by his father and mother. His arrival was hailed with universal joy and every house resounded with music and mirth. ”

“ Hatim began to stroke the animal with his hands, and was meditating on the power and wisdom of the Almighty, who created the countless myriads of creatures that fill the universe, each with some characteristic in form and color peculiar to itself, when his hand passing over the head of the dog, he felt some hard substance resembling a horn. ”

“ What, then, can be more heinous than to slay the sick with your own hands? The shedding of the innocent blood of so many thousands is a deed most revolting to humanity; nay, it is a sin for human eyes to look upon you.”
Hatim having thus spoken, rose up and fled into the desert. He halted not for the whole of that night, nor next day till sunset, when he thought himself far enough removed from the accursed city. Having slackened his pace a little, he continued to proceed leisurely till the following day, when the pangs of hunger quite overpowered him. ”