ES-SINDIBAD OF THE SEA 67

of this firewood, and make for ourselves rafts,
each to bear three men; after which we will
contrive a stratagem to kill him, and embark on
the rafts, and proceed over the sea to whatsoever
place God shall desire. Or we will remain in
this place until a ship shall pass by, when we
will embark in it. And if we be not able to
kill him, we will embark [on our rafts], and put
out to sea; and if we be drowned, we shall be ©
preserved from being roasted over the fire, and
from being slaughtered. If we escape, we escape ;
and if we be drowned, we die martyrs.” ‘To this
they all replied, “ By Allah, this is a right opinion ©
and a wise proceeding. And we agreed upon
this matter, and commenced the work. We re-
moved the pieces of wood out of the pavilion,
and constructed rafts, attached them to the sea-
shore, and stowed upon them some provisions ;
after which we returned to the pavilion.

And when it was evening, lo, the earth trembled
with us, and the black came in to us, like the
biting dog. He turned us over and felt us, one
after another, and, having taken one of us, did
with him as he had done with the others before
him. He ate him, and slept upon the mastabah,
and the noise from his throat was like thunder.
So thereupon we arose, and took two iron spits,