But after we had retired to rest and were sound asleep, my two sisters
arose and took me up, bed and all, and threw me into the sea. They did
the same with the young Prince, who, as he could not swim, sank and
was drowned, and Allah enrolled him in the noble army of martyrs. As
for me, would Heaven I had been drowned with him, but Allah deemed
that I should be of the saved, so when I awoke and found myself in the
sea and saw the ship making off like a flash of lightning, He threw in
my way a piece of timber, which I bestrided, and the waves tossed me
to and fro till they cast me upon an island coast, a high land and
an uninhabited. I landed and walked about the island the rest of the
night, and when morning dawned, I saw a rough track barely fit for
child of Adam to tread, leading to what proved a shallow ford
connecting island and mainland.
As soon as the sun had risen I spread my garments to dry in its
rays, and ate of the fruits of the island and drank of its waters.
Then I set out along the foot track and ceased not walking till I
reached the mainland. Now when there remained between me and the
city but a two hours' journey, behold, a great serpent, the bigness of
a date palm, came fleeing toward me in all haste, gliding along now to
the right, then to the left, till she was close upon me, whilst her
tongue lolled groundward a span long and swept the dust as she went.
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