This man had passed all his days and many of his nights in rearing and
tending horses. Cais, on the other hand, chose as rider of Dahir a groom
of the tribe of Abs, much better trained and experienced in his
profession than was the Dibyanian. When the two contestants had mounted
their horses King Cais gave this parting instruction to his groom: "Do
not let the reins hang too loosely in managing Dahir; if you see him
flag, stand up in your stirrups, and press his flanks gently with your
legs. Do not urge him too much, or you will break his spirit." Hadifah
heard this advice and repeated it, word for word, to his rider.

Antar began to laugh. "By the faith of an Arab," he said to Hadifah,
"you will be beaten. Are words so scarce that you are obliged to use
exactly those of Cais? But as a matter of fact Cais is a king, the son
of a king; he ought always to be imitated by others, and since you have
followed, word by word, his speech, it is a proof that your horse will
follow his in the desert."

At these words the heart of Hadifah swelled with rage and indignation,
and he swore with an oath that he would not let his horse run that day,
but that he wished the race to take place at sunrise, next morning. This
delay was indispensable to him in preparing the act of perfidy which he
meditated, for he had no sooner seen Dahir than he was speechless with
astonishment at the beauty and perfections of the horse.

The judges had already dismounted and the horsemen of the various tribes
were preparing to return home, when Shidoub began to cry out with a loud
voice, "Tribes of Abs, of Adnan, of Fazarah and of Dibyan, and all here
present attend to me for an instant, and listen to words which shall be
repeated from generation to generation." All the warriors stood
motionless. "Speak on," they cried, "what is your will? Perhaps there