The Brown Fairy Book, part 2 · page 21 2101If you had a hundred lives you would not bring one out safe from this journey.”102But his words had no effect on the prince’s resolve.103“What object have you,” the old man asked, “in thus consuming your life?”104“I have an important piece of business to do, and only this journey makes it possible.105I must go; I pray you, ill God’s name, tell me the way.”106When the saint saw that the prince was not to be moved, he said: “Learn and know, O youth! that Waq of Qaf is in the Caucasus and is a dependency of it.107In it there are jins, demons, and peris.108You must go on along this road till it forks into three; take neither the right hand nor the left, but the middle path.109Follow this for a day and a night.110Then you will come to a column on which is a marble slab inscribed with Cufic characters.111Do what is written there; beware of disobedience.”112Then he gave his good wishes for the journey and his blessing, and the prince kissed his feet, said good-bye, and, with thanks to the Causer of Causes, took the road.113After a day and a night he saw the column rise in silent beauty to the heavens.114Everything was as the wise old man had said it would be, and the prince, who was skilled in all tongues, read the following Cufic inscription: “O travellers! be it known to you that this column has been set up with its tablet to give true directions about these roads.115If a man would pass his life in ease and pleasantness, let him take the right-hand path.116If he take the left, he will have some trouble, but he will reach his goal without much delay.117Woe to him who chooses the middle path! if he had a thousand lives he would not save one; it is very hazardous; it leads to the Caucasus, and is an endless road.118Beware of it!”119The prince read and bared his head and lifted his hands in supplication to Him who has no needs, and prayed, “O Friend of the traveller!120I, Thy servant, come to Thee for succour.121My purpose lies in the land of Qaf and my road is full of peril.122Lead me by it.”123Then he took a handful of earth and cast it on his collar, and said: “O earth! be thou my grave; and O vest! tee thou my winding-sheet!”124Then he took the middle road and went along it, day after day, with many a silent prayer, till he saw trees rise from the weary waste of sand.125They grew in a garden, and he went up to the gate and found it a slab of beautifully worked marble, and that near it there lay sleeping, with his head on a stone, a negro whose face was so black that it made darkness round him.126His upper lip, arched like an eyebrow, curved upwards to his nostrils and his lower hung down like a camel’s.127Four millstones formed his shield, and on a box-tree close by hung his giant sword.128His loin-cloth was fashioned of twelve skins of beasts, and was bound round his waist by a chain of which each link was as big as an elephant’s thigh.1 2← previousThe Brown Fairy Book, part 1next →The Brown Fairy Book, part 3↑ back to The Brown Fairy BookThis page in Markdown → https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/tales/pg3282/2/page/2/