ightful darkness forced him to stand still. Suddenly
the sky and earth were burning with a pale flame, a forked flash of
lightning shot over his head, and struck a hollow tree close by his
side. At the same time a pelting shower of rain streamed from the
clouds, and Ali fell to the ground, stunned by the tremendous
thunder-claps. Thus he lay for some time. At length all became calm,
and he arose; but what was his horror when he saw against the deep blue
moonlit sky, a monstrous black giant standing on the plain! The huge
head reached high in the air, and looked upon Ali with a large
sparkling eye. Ali was about to flee, but fear paralysed his feet.
Trembling, he again turned his face towards the formidable figure which
he fancied would crush him. How surprised and delighted was he on
discovering that the formidable monster was nothing but a large black
cloud, the last remnant of the thunderstorm, with an opening in the
centre, through which the moon was beaming! This discovery restored
his courage as quickly as he had before lost it. He now perceived that
the whole was nothing more than a natural phenomenon, such, doubtless,
as had often occurred in this narrow valley, and had given rise to the
superstition of the people. He now proceeded onwards with fresh
vigour, and it was not long before he crossed the bridge of the Tigris
with a light heart, delighted at having so fortunately completed his
adventure. But the black, Zelulu (for he it really was who amused
himself with deceiving the conceited youth), stared smiling after him
with his glowing eye, and then burst out into such loud laughter, that
the palms of the desert trembled. Then, shaking the mane of his
monstrous head, he folded up the large airy bulk of his body and
floated over the spring, where, forming himself into a pillar, he
suddenly rushed down with a tremendous howl. From this time he
determined to persecute the youth.

Ali, on his return, found his father's house in the greatest state of
confusion and distress. His father was not there, and when he asked
after him, an old slave said to him, "Unhappy son, at this moment the
executioner is perhaps inflicting the fatal wound on him." Ali stood
speechless and pale. The cause of the unhappy event was as follows:

Ibrahim bore an implacable hatred against Hussain, Cadi of Bagdad, and
the latter entertained a similar feeling in return; nay, people in the
city were wont to name Ibrahim and Huss