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a strait [channel] in the darkness and my head rubbed against the roof of the cave; and in this case I abode awhile, knowing not night from day, whilst anon the channel grew straiter and anon widened out; and whenas my breast was straitened and I was confounded at my case, sleep took me and I knew neither little nor much.
When I awoke and opened my eyes, I found myself [in the open air] and the raft moored to the bank of the stream, whilst about me were folk of the blacks of Hind. When they saw that I was awake, they came up to me, to question me; so I rose to them and saluted them. They bespoke me in a tongue I knew not, whilst I deemed myself in a dream, and for the excess of my joy, I was like to fly and my reason refused to obey me. Then there came to my mind the verses of the poet and I recited, saying:
Let destiny with loosened rein its course appointed fare And lie thou down to sleep by night, with heart devoid of care;
For ’twixt the closing of an eye and th’ opening thereof, God hath it in His power to change a case from foul to fair.
When they heard me speak in Arabic, one of them came up to me and saluting me [in that language], questioned me of my case. Quoth I, ‘What [manner
