third,
and a fourth, and a fifth; and they ceased not to ascend by that ladder
to the top of the wall, one after another, until twelve men of them had
gone, acting as acted the first. Therefore the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad said:
"There is none for this affair but myself, and the experienced is not
like the inexperienced." But the Emeer Moosa said to him: "Thou shalt
not do that, nor will I allow thee to ascend to the top of this wall;
for shouldst thou die, thou wouldst be the cause of the death of us all,
and there would not remain of us one; since thou art the guide of the
party." The sheikh, however, replied: "Perhaps the object will be
accomplished by my means, through the will of God, whose name be
exalted!" And thereupon all the people agreed to his ascending.

[Illustration]

_And when they had ascended that mountain they saw a city than which
eyes had not beheld any greater._

Then Abd-Es-Samad arose, and, having said: "In the name of God, the
Compassionate, the Merciful!"--he ascended the ladder, repeating the
praises of God, and reciting the Verses of Safety, until he reached the
top of the wall; when he clapped his hands, and fixed his eyes. The
people therefore all called out to him, and said: "O Sheikh
Abd-Es-Samad, do not cast thyself down! If Abd-Es-Samad fall, we all
perish!" Then Abd-Es-Samad sat a long time repeating the praises of God,
and reciting the Verses of Safety; after which he rose with energy, and
called out with his loudest voice: "O Emeer, no harm shall befall you;
for God hath averted from me the effect of the artifice of the Devil."
So the emeer said to him: "What hast thou seen, O Sheikh?" He answered:
"When I reached the top of the wall I beheld ten damsels, like moons,
who made a sign with their hands, as though they would say: 'Come to
us!' And it seemed to me that beneath me was a sea of water; whereupon I
desired to cast myself down, as our companions did: but I beheld them
dead; so I withheld myself from them, and recited some words of the book
of God, whereupon He averted from me the influence of those damsels, and
they departed; therefore I cast not myself down. There is no doubt that
this is an enchantment which the people of this city contrived in order
to repel from it every one who should wish to obtain access to it."

He then walked along the wall till he came to the two towers of brass,
when he saw that they had gates of gold, without any sign of the means
of opening them.