ES-SINDIBAD OF THE SEA 105

when my wife fell sick, and she remained so
a few days, and died. So the greater number
of the people assembled to console me, and
to console her family for her death; and the
King also came to console me for the loss of
her, as was their custom. They then brought
for her a woman to wash her, and they washed
her, and decked her with the richest of her
apparel, and ornaments of gold, and necklaces
and jewels. And when they had attired my
wife, and put her in the bier, and carried her
and gone with her to that mountain, and lifted
up the stone from the mouth of the pit, and
cast her into it, all my companions, and the
family of my wife, advanced to bid me farewell
and to console me for the loss of my life. I
was crying out among them, “I am a foreigner,
and am unable to endure your custom!” But
they would not hear what I said, nor pay any
regard to my words. ‘They laid hold upon me
and bound me by force, tying with me seven
cakes of bread and a jug of sweet water, accord-
ing to their custom, and let me down into that
pit. And, lo, it was a great cavern beneath that
mountain. They said to me, “Loose thyself
from the ropes.” But I would not loose myself.
So they threw the ropes down upon me, and