Hatim accepted the gold and property which they thus pressed upon him, and bestowed the whole of it on the fakirs, and poor people of the city. He then took leave of the inhabitants, and set out his journey to Mazanderan. As he was journeying onwards, what does he see but a black snake in deadly contest with a weasel. He stood for some time looking on, while neither of the animals seemed to have the advantage. At length he shouted out, “Vile rep­tiles! what is the cause of this deadly contest between you?” The snake replied, “My opponent here has slain my father.” The weasel added, “Snakes are the natural food of my species, and therefore I killed his father, and will kill him also, that I may eat him.” Hatim addressed the weasel, saying, “If flesh be thy desire say the word, and I shall give it thee from off my own dody:” and to the snake he said. “If revenge be thy object, slay me instead of the weasel.” Both of them, on hearing this, ceased from their struggle. The weasel said to Hatim, “As you have offered me your flesh, give it me.”— “What part of me,” asked Hatim, “do your desire.”— “Your cheek,” replied the weasel.

Hatim seized a knife, and was about to cut off the flesh from his cheek, when the weasel cried aloud. “Desist, young man, I merely did this to try your firmness, and now I am convinced of your generosity. Immediately both of them assumed the appearance of men. When Hatim saw this, he asked them, “My good friends, what wonderful occurence is this?” The weasel replied, “We are both of us of the race of the genii, and I confess I have slain his father; but the reason is, that I fell des­perately in love with the old man’s daughter, and he refused his assent to our marriage. The brother, as you see, bears deadly hatred towards me, and I must kill him in salf-defence.” Hatim addressing the genii, recommended to them peace and amity on both sides, and proffered that each should marry the other’s sister. The genius that had been in the form of a weasel replied, “My father who is king of the genii, will never agree to such a proposal.”— “Let me be shewn to his presence,” requested Hatim, “and I may induce him to be satisfied.”— “Follow me, then,” said the genius, “and you shall soon be in my father’s court.’ After they had thus walked together for some distance, they arrived at a spacious city, where the prince told Hatim, “This is my father’s capital, I must part with you here, in order to proceed to my own residence but my attendants will take you by the hand, and conduct you to my father’s presence.”

Troops of genii approached Hatim accordingly, and ushered him before their sovereign, whose name was Mahyur. When his Majesty saw Hatim, he said to him, “Stranger of the race of Adam, what important affair has brought you into my capital?”— “I have come,” said he “for promoting peace and friendship.”— “How” rejoined the king, “can any of the human race act so friendly a part towards the genii; and what is the nature of this service with which you are to favour us?”— “You have a son,” continued Hatim; “may I ask whether you wish his life to be spared, or are resolved on his death?” “Truly,” replied Mahyur, “I have a son but what then?”— “If you love him,” said Hatim in return; follow my advice and his life may be saved; otherwise death will soon overtake him.”— “May the divine favour be upon you,” rejoined the king of the genii; “tell me what is the matter, that my son is in danger of his life?”— “He has slain the father of a certain youth by name Bahram,” said Hatim, “and the latter bears hatred towards him on that account, and will certainly slay him: to-day I saw them in deadly contest and your son’s life would have been short indeed had I not by main force parted them. Another day they will again meet, and the result will be fatal; but if you obey my directions, I may be the means of establishing peace between them, The case is this: your son is enamoured of Bahram’s sister, and has even slain her father because he refused his consent to their union; and on the other hand, Bahram is in love with your daughter. It is requisite then, in order to do away all grounds of hatred on either side, that you bestow your daughter on Bahram, and induce his sister to marry your son.”

Mahyur expressed the highest satisfaction with Hatim’s proposal; and accordingly summoned his son and Bahram into his presence where Hatim succeeded in making them friends. When each of the lovers was in possession of his mistress, Hatim went to take leave of Mahyur, who said to him at parting, “Brave sir! accept of something from us as a reward for your kindness.”— “I have never yet taken a reward,” replied Hatim, “for discharging the duties of humanity.”— “Generous Hatim!” rejoined the king of the genii, “accept from me this staff as a token of esteem; it may be of use to you. When you hold it erect in your hand, it becomes possessed of some rare qualities; for instance, if a serpent or scorpion sting you, their venom shall have no effect, and the fire shall have no power over you. If any one assail you with magic, turn round the staff, and the enchantment will be of no avail. In particular, the poison of the red dragon can have no power over you. Accept at the same time this talisman, and whenever you behold a serpent, whether red, or black, or green, or white, place the talisman in your mouth, and you will be safe. Again, when you come to a river, throw the staff into the water, and it will instantly become a boat.”

Hatim having taken the talisman and the staff, bade adieu to the king of the genii, and proceeded on his journey to Mazanderan. As he was advancing day and night, he arrived at the banks of a large river. While standing upon the shore he beheld the waves rising to the clouds, and by their buffeting lashing the stars of heaven. He looked in all directions for a place where he might cross; and when he was in this consideration, he recollected the staff presented to him by Mahyur the king of the genii. He immediately seized it in his right hand, and threw it amidst the billows whereupon the staff was changed into a boat, in which he embarked and began to make his way across. After he had sailed about half way, a huge nihang espied him, and ran off with himself and his boat. Hatim resigned his soul to the will of fate, and was waiting the result with patience, till at length after they had traversed the deep for the space of seven farasangs, his feet rested on firm ground. There he opened his eyes, and was surprised on hearing the nihang address him in eloquent language, thus: “Oh, Hatim! I have brought thee into this place that thou mightest render me justice.” Hatim said, “What justice do you require?” To this the nihang replied, “The crab* has unlawfully deprived me of my place of residence; my wish is that you will put me in possession of what is my right.” Hatim rejoined, “Is it possible that the crab is more powerful than you?” To this the nihang replied “Sluggish as he may appear, he is able to crush me into pieces between his claws; at present he is abroad somewhere in quest of food and I have in the meantime brought you hither.”

Hatim humbly placed his reliance on his Creator, well aware that of himself he could do nothing; when, lo! the crab, which was of immense size, made his appearance, whereupon the nihang immediately fled. The crab slowly approached; and when he saw the flight of the nihang, he raised such a noise as shook the earth, so that Hatim him­self was terrified, and devoutly prayed that Providence might deliver him from the evil that threatened him. He speedily took in his hand the charmed staff presented to him by Mahyur, on beholding which, the crab remained still where he was. Hatim then addressed the monstrous animal, saying, “Know you not that the oppressor shall fall by his own deceit; why then do you injure the nihang? Is there not room sufficient for both of you in this river, that you should forcibly take possession of another’s residence?” To this the crab replied, “The nihang and I are of the same genus, what then has one of the human race to say in any contention that may take place between us!— “There is some truth in your statement,” said Hatim, “but all creatures have their being from God, who delighteth in justice and punisheth the oppressor: if you fear him then, injure not a fellow creature.”— “Well,” replied the crab, “at present I shall quit this place, rather than argue the point with you; but I shall meet the nihang on some future day, when you are not at hand to lend your aid.”— “Assuredly you are a mischievous animal,” rejoined Hatim; “but if you value your own life, abandon this place for ever.” The crab, on hearing this, rushed upon Hatim, and was about to seize him in his claws; but he struck him such a blow with the charmed staff of the genius that his attack was rendered fruitless. The monstrous animal turned round and fled, and the nihang taking courage began to pursue him, whereupon Hatim called out to the latter. “Desist, for to pursue him now is cowardly, as his weapons are powerless; he will never hereafter annoy you, and if you oppress him I shall put an end to your days.”

In short. Hatim having settled the plea between the two inhabitants of the deep, threw down his staff, in which (being turned into a boat) he embarked, and having reached the opposite shore of the water, he continued his journey to Mazanderan. At length he arrived in that extensive wilderness, and reclining in the shade of a tree he began to consider what would be the best way of procuring the pariru. When the darkness of night had fallen around him, several of the birds in question that had been abroad in search of food came and perched upon the tree, and thus began to converse among themselves: “Our solitary abode is visited by name Hatim ben Tai; the object of his journey is to relieve the distressed: what then are we to do?” All of them concurred in saying, “Hatim is a man of the noblest disposition, he must not therefore leave us in disappointment.” Having come to this resolution, the animals assembled in a body around Hatim, and in humble posture began to embrace his feet. When he saw their wonderful form he was highly astonished; for each of them resembled an angel in beauty of countenance. Fascinated with the charms of their fairy faces, he could not avoid exclaiming, “Gracious heaven! how inscrutable are thy decrees, who hast formed such creatures with bodies like those of birds, and countenances fair as the Huris of paradise.”

Meanwhile the animals, addressing Hatim in sweet flowing language, said to him, “Oh, Hatim! may the fame of your generosity be enternal, you have subjected yourself to toils and perils for the sake of others. We know the cause of your journey hither: a certain youth has become enamoured of the magician’s daughter; the father gives his consent on certain conditions, one of which is, that he may have a pair of our species, and you, regardless of danger, have come hither on that account.”— “You say truly,” replied Hatim, “and if you will allow me to take a pair of your young, it will be doing me the highest favour; and it will also promote the suit of the desparing love.” The animals deliberated among themselves, saying, “Those of us that are fully grown cannot be expected to go with this man: who is it then among us that will present him with a pair of young ones; it will be a service acceptable to God.”

Here one of the pariru birds said to Hatim: “Lo, I myself will give you a pair of my own young, for the sake of that Being who bestoweth all things; accept them, and take them with you wherever you please.” Hatim joyfully received the young birds; and having passed the night in that desert, he early next morning took leave of these wonderful creatures, and began to retrace his way to the capital of the magician. In the course of time, after he had traversed mountains and desert innumerable, he arrived at the spot where the young soldier still lingered; and having presented to him the pariru birds, he said, “Rejoice, my friend, for here you see what will fulfil one of the magician’s condi­tions.” When the youth beheld the birds, he prostrated himself in ecstacy at Hatim’s feet, saying, “My generous benefactor! let us now proceed with these beautiful birds and present them to the magician,” Both of them set out accordingly, and by the way Hatim related to his friend the occurrences of his journey, and the situation of the desert of Mazanderan; and having handed to him the pariru birds, he desired him to go himself and deliver them to Musahhir, and mention nothing of having been assisted in procuring them.