Page:Swahili tales.djvu/201

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MOHAMMED THE LANGUID.
181

"Then they had told him, 'Carry this, your master, and go with him to the city of Nuhás, where his wife is.' And he said, 'I hear.' So they took him, 'Stoop down,' and he stooped down, and they took me and mounted me upon him. And they took me, 'This is a Marid, so while you are upon him do not invoke the name of Almighty God, for if you invoke the name of Almighty God he will melt away, for he is a Marid.' And I said, 'I will make no invocation.'

"And he said to me, 'Hold yourself on well upon me.' And I held on tightly. When I had got hold, he flew and went up with me, I being upon him. And he rose, till from the world where I was as I looked to the earth I saw it no more, I saw the air only. So we went and heard the praises of the angels in heaven, and he went up furiously.

"Then as we went up, I saw a youth of most fair form, with a turban made of a green shawl, carrying a fiery missile. And he called to me by my name, 'Mohammed the Languid!' When he called me, I answered him. And he said to me, 'Invoke the name of Almighty God, or if you do not invoke it, I will strike you with a missile.' And I invoked it.

"As I invoked it the Jin let go of me, and I went off his back. Immediately the youth, when he let go of me, struck him with the missile which he carried in his hand, and he melted away like lead.

"So I was coming on my way till I reached the earth. And I fell into the sea. As I fell I saw a fishing vessel. When they saw me, they came and picked me up, and took me on board their vessel. And they took out some fish for me, and broiled them for me, and I ate. And when I had eaten I found myself a little better. And it was so in speaking with me in their language, we did not understand