blessed boons appear!"

They ceased not faring on till they came to the foothills of that
mountain where they halted; and Hasan saw thereon a palace and
asked Bahram, "What be yonder palace?"; whereto he answered,
"'Tis the abode of the Jann and Ghuls and Satans." Then the
Magian alighted and making Hasan also dismount from his dromedary
kissed his head and said to him, "Bear me no ill will anent that
I did with thee, for I will keep guard over thee in thine ascent
to the palace; and I conjure thee not to trick and cheat me of
aught thou shalt bring therefrom; and I and thou will share
equally therein." And Hasan replied, "To hear is to obey." Then
Bahram opened a bag and taking out a handmill and a sufficiency
of wheat, ground the grain and kneaded three round cakes of the
flour; after which he lighted a fire and baked the bannocks.
Then he took out the copper kettledrum and beat it with the
broidered strap, whereupon up came the dromedaries. He chose out
one and said, "Hearken, O my son, O Hasan, to what I am about to
enjoin on thee;" and Hasan replied, "'Tis well." Bahram
continued, "Lie down on this skin and I will sew thee up therein
and lay thee on the ground; whereupon the Rakham birds[FN#32]
will come to thee and carry thee up to the mountain-top. Take
this knife with thee; and, when thou feelest that the birds have
done flying and have set thee down, slit open therewith the skin
and come forth. The vultures will then take fright at thee and
fly away; whereupon do thou look down from the mountain head and
speak to me, and I will tell thee what to do." So he sewed him
up in the skin, placing therein three cakes and a leathern bottle
full of water, and withdrew to a distance. Presently a vulture
pounced upon him and taking him up, flew away with him to the