Page:Swahili tales.djvu/291

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
SULTAN MAJNÚN.
271

there in the forest." And he said, "My son, what I tell you, obey me in." And he said, "All well, my master, I will obey you in all matters, my master, but in this one excuse me." And he said, "Go; but if you return from this journey you will go no more." And he said, "And I, father, if I am alive to return, my soul informs me that I shall go no more." And he said, "Very good, my son."

And he went into the forest and the wilderness, till he passed a great forest, and saw a very great hill, and there on the top of the hill a very large peak. And he saw a path going along till it came down to the bottom of the hill. And he said, "Well, my slaves, what is your advice?" And they said, "As what, master?" And he said, "The first advice now here where we are, I want for us to climb the great mountain until we reach the top of the peak, that we may see how the town lies, [whether] we have room to go forward. And they said, "Master, why we cannot climb up the mountain." And he said, "If you are afraid, the sun is set, let us sleep here until to-morrow." And they said, "Very good, master."

And they took their bumundas, and their cakes, and ate, and they took their ladus, and ate, and were filled, and they drank water and slept, and got a very good sleep. Not one remembered till in the morning the sun was getting hot, and they woke one another. "Come, get up, it is daylight. Let us make our plan while it is yet early."

And they said, "Come, master, we are awake, give us your plan." And he said to them, "The first plan is, let us cook some rice and eat." And he said, "Take and rub the stick to get fire, and cook some rice, and let us eat quickly." And they cooked some rice there, and when they had finished, they said to him, "Master, the rice is done." And he said, "If it is done, serve up."