ES-SINDIBAD OF THE SEA 133

squeezed my throat, so that the world became
black before my face, and I was unconscious of my
existence, falling upon the ground in a fit, like
one dead. He then raised his legs, and beat me
upon my back and my shoulders; and I suffered
violent pain; whereupon I rose with him. He
still kept his seat upon my shoulders, and I had
become fatigued with bearing him ; and he made
a sign to me that I should go in among the trees,
to the best of the fruits. When I disobeyed him,
he inflicted upon me, with his feet, blows more
violent than those of whips; and he ceased not to
direct me with his hand to every place to which
he desired to go, and to that place I went with
him. If I loitered, or went leisurely, he beat me ;
and I was as a captive to him. We went into
the midst of the island, among the trees, and he
descended not from my shoulders by night nor by
day: when he desired to sleep, he would wind his
legs round my neck, and sleep a little, and then
he would arise and beat me, whereupon I would
arise with him quickly, unable to disobey him
by reason of the severity of that which I suffered
from him ; and I blamed myself for having taken
him up, and having had pity on him. I continued
with him in this condition, enduring the most
violent fatigue, and said within myself, “I did a