While I was thus giving myself over to melancholy thoughts, the
tailor came in and said, "An old man, whom I do not know, brings
your hatchet and cords, which he found in his way as he tells me,
and says he understood from your comrades that you lodge here;
come out and speak to him, for he will deliver them to none but
yourself."

At these words I changed colour, and fell a trembling. While the
tailor was asking me the reason, my chamber-door opened, and the
old man, having no patience to stay, appeared to us with my
hatchet and cords. This was the genie, the ravisher of the fair
princess of the isle of Ebene, who had thus disguised himself,
after he had treated her with the utmost barbarity. "I am a
genie," said he, speaking to me, "son of the daughter of Eblis,
prince of genies: is not this your hatchet, and are not these
your cords?"

After the genie had put the question to me, he gave me no time to
answer, nor was it in my power, so much had his terrible aspect
disordered me. He grasped me by the middle, dragged me out of the
chamber, and mounting into the air, carried me up to the skies
with such swiftness, that I was not able to take notice of the
way he conveyed me. He descended again in like manner to the
earth, which on a sudden he caused to open with a stroke of his
foot, and sunk down at once, when I found myself in the enchanted
palace, before the fair princess of the isle of Ebene. But, alas!
what a spectacle was there! I saw what pierced me to the heart;
this poor princess was quite naked, weltering in her blood, and
laid upon the ground, more like one dead than alive, with her
cheeks bathed in tears.