100 THE ARABIAN NIGHTS.

find a brazen bow with three leaden arrows, manufactured under
certain constellations, in order to deliver mankind from many
evils, which continually menace them. Shoot these three arrows
at the statue ; the man will then fall into th« sea, and the horse
at your feet, which you must bury in the same spot from
whence you took the bow and arrows. This being finished, the
sea will begin to be agitated, and will rise as high as the foot of
the dome, at the top of the mountain. When it shall have
risen thus high, you will see a small vessel come towards the
shore with only one man in it, who holds an oar in each hand.
This man will be of brass, but different from the one that was
overthrown. Embark with him without pronouncing the name
of God, and let him conduct you. In ten days he will have car-
ried you into another sea, where you will find the means of
returning to your own country in safety ; provided, as I have
already told you, you forbear from mentioning the name of God
during the whole of your voyage.”

Such was the discourse of the old man. As soon as I was
awake, I got up, much consoled by this vision, and did not fail
doing as the old man had ordered me. I uncovered the bow and
the arrows, and shot them at the statue. With the third arrow
I overthrew the man, who fell into the sea, while the horse lay
at my feet. I buried it in the place where I found the bow and
arrows, and while I was doing this, the sea rose by degrees, till
it reached the foot of the dome on the summit of the mountain.
I perceived a vessel at a distance coming towards me. I offered
my benedictions to God at thus seeing my dream in every
respect proving a reality. The vessel at length approached the
land, and IJ saw in it a man made of brass, as had been described.
I embarked and took particular care not to pronounce the name
of God. I did not even utter asingle word. When I sat down,
the brazen figure began to row from the mountain. He con-
tinued doing so without intermission till the ninth day, when I
saw some islands, which made me hope I should soon be free
from every danger that 1 dreaded. The excess of my joy made
me forget the order that had been given me as a security,
«“ Blessed be God!” I cried out ; “ God be praised !”

I had hardly finished these words, when both the vessel and
brazen man sunk to the bottom. I remained in the water, and
swam during the rest of the day towards the nearest island.