ather sent him to Mecca, to the
grave of the Prophet, to say his prayers and go through his religious
exercises on the spot, as required by custom and the commandment.
Before he departed, his father called him to his side and praised his
conduct, gave him good advice, provided him with money, and then said:

"One word more, my son Said. I am a man above sharing in the
superstitions of the rabble. I listen with pleasure to the stories of
fairies and sorcerers as an agreeable way of passing the time; still I
am far from believing, as so many ignorant people do, that these genii,
or whatever they may be, exert an influence on the lives and affairs of
mortals. But your mother, who has been dead these twelve years,
believed as devoutly in them as in the Koran; yes, she even confided to
me once, after I had pledged her not to reveal the fact to any one but
her child, that she herself from her birth up had had association with
a fairy. I laughed at her for entertaining such a notion; and yet I
must confess, Said, that certain things happened at your birth that
caused me great astonishment. It had rained and thundered the whole
day, and the sky was so black that nothing could be seen without a
light. But at four o'clock in the afternoon I was told that I was the
father of a little boy. I hastened to your mother's room to see and to
bless our first-born; but all her maids stood before the door, and in
response to my questions, answered that no one would be allowed in the
room at present, as Zemira (your mother) had ordered every body out of
her chamber because she wished to be alone. I knocked on the door, but
all in vain; it remained locked. While I waited somewhat indignantly,
before the door, the sky cleared more quickly than I had ever seen it
do before,--but the most wonderful thing about it was, that it was only
over our loved city of Balsora that the clear blue sky appeared, for
the black clouds rolled back, and lightning flashed on the outskirts of
this circle. While I was contemplating this spectacle curiously, my
wife's door flew open. I ordered the maids to wait outside, and entered
the chamber alone to ask your mother why she had locked herself in. As
I entered, such a stupefying odor of roses, pinks, and hyacinths
greeted me that I almost lost my senses. Your mother held you up to me,
at the same time pointing to a little silver whistle that was attached
to your neck by a golden chain as fine as silk. 'The good woman