bent down from his seat in selle and snatching it up, swiftlier
than the blinding leven, smote him therewith full on the flat of
the ribs, and he fell to the earth like a long-stemmed palm-tree.
So Sahim took him and pinioning him, haled him off with a rope,
and Gharib's horsemen fell on those of Jamrkan and slew fifty of
them: the rest fled; nor did they cease flying till they reached
their tribal camp and raised their voices in clamour; whereupon
all who were in the Castle came out to meet them and asked the
news. They told the tribe what had passed; and, when they heard
that their chief was a prisoner, they set out for the valley
vying one with other in their haste to deliver him. Now when King
Gharib had captured Jamrkan and had seen his braves take flight,
he dismounted and called for Jamrkan, who humbled himself before
him, saying, "I am under thy protection, O champion of the Age!"
Replied Gharib, "O dog of the Arabs, dost thou cut the road for
the servants of Almighty Allah, and fearest thou not the Lord of
the Worlds?" "O my master," asked Jamrkan, "and who is the Lord
of the Worlds?" "O dog," answered Gharib, "and what calamity dost
thou worship?" He said, "O my lord, I worship a god made of
dates[FN#11] kneaded with butter and honey, and at times I eat
him and make me another." When Gharib heard this, he laughed till
he fell backwards and said, "O miserable, there is none worship-
worth save Almighty Allah, who created thee and created all
things and provideth all creatures with daily bread, from whom
nothing is hid and He over all things is Omnipotent." Quoth
Jamrkan, "And where is this great god, that I may worship him?"
Quoth Gharib, "O fellow, know that this god's name is Allah--the
God--and it is He who fashioned the heavens and the earth and
garred the trees to grow and the waters to flow. He created wild
beasts and birds and Paradise and Hell-fire and veileth Himself