mountain-top and there set him down. As soon as Hasan felt
himself on the ground, he slit the skin and coming forth, called
out to the Magian, who hearing his speech rejoiced and danced for
excess of joy, saying to him, "Look behind thee and tell me what
thou seest." Hasan looked and seeing many rotten bones and much
wood, told Bahram, who said to him, "This be what we need and
seek. Make six bundles of the wood and throw them down to me, for
this is wherewithal we do alchemy." So he threw him the six
bundles and when he had gotten them into his power he said to
Hasan, "O gallows bird, I have won my wish of thee; and now, if
thou wilt, thou mayst abide on this mountain, or cast thyself
down to the earth and perish. So saying, he left him[FN#33] and
went away, and Hasan exclaimed, "There is no Majesty and there is
no Might save in Allah, the Glorious, the Great! This hound hath
played the traitor with me." And he sat bemoaning himself and
reciting these couplets,

"When God upon a man possessed of reasoning, Hearing and sight
His will in aught to pass would bring,
He stops his ears and blinds his eyes and draws his wit, From
him, as one draws out the hairs to paste that cling;
Till, His decrees fulfilled, He gives him back His wit, That
therewithal he may receive admonishing.
So say thou not of aught that haps, 'How happened it?' For Fate
and fortune fixed do order everything.[FN#34]"

--And Shahrazad perceived the dawn of day and ceased to say her
permitted say.

When it was the Seven Hundred and Eighty-fourth Night,