over, they felt it very cold, so that they could not endure that cold. They danced till four o'clock was passed, and they all fell asleep under the date-tree. The lad was sitting down, and a slave of his got up and said to him, "Master, go to sleep, I say." And he said, "How shall I go to sleep, when I was sent to watch the date-tree?" And he said, "Now it is four o'clock, and the cocks are crowing. What is it then that will come now near the date-tree? neither man nor bird dare, nor could come." The lad said, "I cannot go and sleep." And he said, "Go and sleep, it is getting light, too." And he said, "You are right, I will go and sleep." And he went and slept.
When a little space had passed, a bird came down and ate the dates, without leaving even one. And it flew off and went away. And when it was light, one of their chief servants looked at the date-tree—there were no dates. And he went running to his master's son, and found him asleep. And he woke him, "Young master! young master!" And he woke up, and said, "What do you want?" And he said, "Your father sent you to watch the date-tree, and you have not watched it, and the dates have been all eaten by some bird." And he said, "Speak the truth." And he said, "These words are the truth; get up yourself and look." The lad got up; and when he arrived near the date-tree he saw there were no dates. And he stood staring. "When I go and tell my father, am I to tell him, 'The dates have been eaten by people?' am I to say, 'The dates have been eaten by birds?' or am I to say, 'A great rain fell yesterday in the night and a great storm blew?' am I to tell him, 'The dates have all fallen off?' He will say to me, 'Go and gather them up and bring me that I may see what have been beaten off by the storm and the rain,' and there on the ground there
