landed to examine this dome, leaving me in the ship; and when
they drew near, behold, it was a huge Rukh's egg. They fell a-
beating it with stones, knowing not what it was, and presently
broke it open, whereupon much water ran out of it and the young
Rukh appeared within. So they pulled it forth of the shell and
cut its throat and took of it great store of meat. Now I was in
the ship and knew not what they did; but presently one of the
passengers came up to me and said, "O my lord, come and look at
the egg we thought to be a dome." So I looked and seeing the
merchants beating it with stones, called out to them, "Stop,
stop! do not meddle with that egg, or the bird Rukh will come out
and break our ship and destroy us."[FN#57] But they paid no heed
to me and gave not over smiting upon the egg, when behold, the
day grew dark and dun and the sun was hidden from us, as if some
great cloud had passed over the firmament.[FN#58] So we raised
our eyes and saw that what we took for a cloud was the Rukh
poised between us and the sun, and it was his wings that darkened
the day. When he came and saw his egg broken, he cried a loud
cry, whereupon his mate came flying up and they both began
circling about the ship, crying out at us with voices louder than
thunder. I called to the Rais and crew, "Put out to sea and seek
safety in flight, before we be all destroyed." So the merchants
came on board and we cast off and made haste from the island to
gain the open sea. When the Rukhs saw this, they flew off and we
crowded all sail on the ship, thinking to get out of their
country; but presently the two re-appeared and flew after us and
stood over us, each carrying in its claws a huge boulder which it
had brought from the mountains. As soon as the he-Rukh came up
with us, he let fall upon us the rock he held in his pounces; but
the master put about ship, so that the rock missed her by some