was brought to us. And verily, Kai, I saw there every sort of meat
and every sort of liquor that I have ever seen elsewhere; but the
meat and the liquor were better served there than I have ever seen
them in any other place.

"Until the repast was half over, neither the man nor any one of the
damsels spoke a single word to me; but when the man perceived that it
would be more agreeable to me to converse than to eat any more, he
began to inquire of me who I was. I said I was glad to find that
there was some one who would discourse with me, and that it was not
considered so great a crime at that Court for people to hold converse
together. 'Chieftain,' said the man, 'we would have talked to thee
sooner, but we feared to disturb thee during thy repast; now,
however, we will discourse.' Then I told the man who I was, and what
was the cause of my journey; and said that I was seeking whether any
one was superior to me, or whether I could gain the mastery over all.
The man looked upon me, and he smiled and said, 'If I did not fear to
distress thee too much, I would show thee that which thou seekest.'
Upon this I became anxious and sorrowful, and when the man perceived
it, he said, 'If thou wouldest rather that I should show thee thy
disadvantage than thine advantage, I will do so. Sleep here to-
night, and in the morning arise early, and take the road upwards
through the valley until thou reachest the wood through which thou
camest hither. A little way within the wood thou wilt meet with a
road branching off to the right, by which thou must proceed, until
thou comest to a large sheltered glade with a mound in the centre.
And thou wilt see a black man of great stature on the top of the
mound. He is not smaller in size than two of the men of this world.
He has but one foot; and one eye in the middle of his forehead. And
he has a club of iron, and it is certain that there are no two men in