I hid myself behind a rock on
the beach and waited till the ship drew near, when I leaped on
board. I found her full of merchants and passengers, and one of them
cried, "O Captain, this ill-omened brute will bring us ill luck!"
And another said, "Turn this ill-omened beast out from among us."
The Captain said, "Let us kill it!" Another said, "Slay it with the
sword," a third, "Drown it," and a fourth, "Shoot it with an arrow."
But I sprang up and laid hold of the rais's skirt, and shed tears
which poured down my chops. The Captain took pity on me, and said,
"O merchants, this ape hath appealed to me for protection and I will
protect him. Henceforth he is under my charge, so let none do him
aught hurt or harm, otherwise there will be bad blood between us."
Then he entreated me kindly, and whatsoever he said I understood,
and ministered to his every want and served him as a servant, albeit
my tongue would not obey my wishes, so that he came to love me. The
vessel sailed on, the wind being fair, for the space of fifty days, at
the end of which we cast anchor under the walls of a great city
wherein was a world of people, especially learned men.
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