He arrived without any accident at the place of his
destination; and having finished his business, set out on his return.
On the fourth day of his journey he felt himself so incommoded by the
heat of the sun that he turned out of his road, in order to rest under
some trees by which there was a fountain. He alighted, and tying his
horse to a branch of the tree, sat down on its bank to eat some
biscuits and dates from his little store. When he had satisfied his
hunger he amused himself with throwing about the stones of the fruit
with considerable velocity. When he had finished his frugal repast he
washed his hands, his face, and his feet, and repeated a prayer, like
a good Mussulman.[3]
He was still on his knees, when he saw a genie,[4] white with age and
of an enormous stature, advancing toward him, with a scimitar in his
hand. As soon as he was close to him he said in a most terrible tone:
"Get up, that I may kill thee with this scimitar, as thou hast caused
the death of my son." He accompanied these words with a dreadful yell.
[Footnote 3: Mussulman signifies resigned, or "conformed to the divine
will." The Arabic word is Moslemuna, in the singular, Moslem; which
the Mohammedans take as a title peculiar to themselves. The Europeans
generally write and pronounce it Mussulman.--Sale's _Koran_, c. ii, p.
16. 4to, 1734.]
[Footnote 4: These tales are furnished throughout with a certain
imaginary machinery.
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