and refreshment. It was carpeted with
flowers--roses, tulips, and clover; it had lovely lawns, and amongst
them running water. This choicest place of earth filled him with
wonder. There was a tree such as he had never seen before; its
branches were alike, but it bore flowers and fruit of a thousand
kinds. Near it a reservoir had been fashioned of four sorts of
stone--touchstone, pure stone, marble, and loadstone. In and out of it
flowed water like attar. The prince felt sure this must be the place
of the Simurgh; he dismounted, turned his horse loose to graze, ate
some of the food Jamila had given him, drank of the stream and lay
down to sleep.

He was still dozing when he was aroused by the neighing and pawing of
his horse. When he could see clearly he made out a mountain-like
dragon whose heavy breast crushed the stones beneath it into putty. He
remembered the Thousand Names of God and took the bow of Salih from
its case and three arrows from their quiver. He bound the dagger of
Timus firmly to his waist and hung the Scorpion of Solomon round his
neck. Then he set an arrow on the string and released it with such
force that it went in at the monster's eye right up to the notch. The
dragon writhed on itself, and belched forth an evil vapour, and beat
the ground with its head till the earth quaked. Then the prince took a
second arrow and shot into its throat. It drew in its breath and would
have sucked the prince into its maw, but when he was within striking
distance he drew his sword and, having committed himself to God,
struck a mighty blow which cut the creature's neck down to the gullet.
The foul vapour of the beast and horror at its strangeness now
overcame the prince, and he fainted. When he came to himself he found
that he was drenched in the gore of the dead monster. He rose and
thanked God for his deliverance.

The nest of the Simurgh was in the wonderful tree above him, and in it
were young birds; the parents were away searching for food. They
always told the children, before they left them, not to put their
heads out of the nest; but, to-day, at the noise of the fight below,
they looked down and so saw the whole affair. By the time the dragon
had been killed they were very hungry and set up a clamour for food.
The prince therefore cut up the dragon and fed them with it, bit by
bit, till they had eaten the whole. He then washed himself and lay
down to rest, and he was still asleep when the Simurgh came home.