knoweth me not, I will make myself known to him. I am Sa'adan,
servant of King Gharib. Who is for jousting? Who is for fighting?
Let no faintheart come forth to me to-day nor weakling." And
there rushed upon him a Champion of the Infidels, as he were a
flame of fire, and drove at him, but Sa'adan charged home at him
and dealt him with his club a blow which broke his ribs and cast
him lifeless to the earth. Then he called out to his sons and
slaves, saying, "Light the bonfire, and whoso falleth of the
Kafirs do ye dress him and roast him well in the flame, then
bring him to me that I may break my fast on him!" So they kindled
a fire midmost the plain and laid thereon the slain, till he was
cooked, when they brought him to Sa'adan, who gnawed his flesh
and crunched his bones. When the Miscreants saw the Mountain-Ghul
do this deed they were Frighted with sore Wright, but Ajib cried
out to his men, saying, "Out on you! Fall upon the Ogre and hew
him in hunks with your scymitars!" So twenty-thousand men ran at
Sa'adan, whilst the footmen circled round him and rained upon him
darts and shafts so that he was wounded in four-and-twenty
places, and his blood ran down upon the earth, and he was alone.
Then the host of the Moslems crave at the heathenry, calling for
help upon the Lord of the three Worlds, and they ceased not from
fight and fray till the day came to an end, when they drew apart.
But the Infidels had captured Sa'adan, as he vere a drunken man
for loss of blood; and they bound him fast and set him by Gharib
who, seeing the Ghul a prisoner, said, "There is no Majesty and
there is no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! O
Sa'adan, what case is this?" "O my lord," replied Sa'adan, "it is
Allah (extolled and exalted be He!) who ordaineth joy and annoy
and there is no help but this and that betide." And Gharib
rejoined, "Thou speakest sooth, O Sa'adan!" But Ajib passed the