what have you brought for us?' and they told the whole
story of the fight, and of how they were alive only by the favour of the
young man under the tree, and of his cutting up the dragon and of their
eating it. The mother-bird then remarked, 'Truly, father! you were about
to do a strange thing, and a terrible sin has been averted from you.'
Then the Simurgh flew off to a distance with the great stone and dropped
it. It sank down to the very middle of the earth.

Coming back, the Simurgh saw that a little sunshine fell upon the prince
through the leaves, and it spread its wings and shaded him till he woke.
When he got up he salaamed to it, who returned his greeting with joy and
gratitude, and caressed him and said: 'O youth, tell me true! who are
you, and where are you going? And how did you cross that pitiless desert
where never yet foot of man had trod?' The prince told his story from
beginning to end, and finished by saying: 'Now it is my heart's wish
that you should help me to get to Waq of the Caucasus. Perhaps, by your
favour, I shall accomplish my task and avenge my brothers.' In reply the
Simurgh.' first blessed the deliverer of his children, and then went on:
'What you have done no child of man has ever done before; you assuredly
have a claim on all my help, for every year up till now that dragon has
come here and has destroyed my nestlings, and I have never been able to
find who was the murderer and to avenge myself. By God's grace you have
removed my children's powerful foe. I regard you as a child of my
own. Stay with me; I will give you everything you desire, and I will
establish a city here for you, and will furnish it with every requisite;
I will give you the land of the Caucasus, and will make its princes
subject to you. Give up the journey to Waq, it is full of risk, and the
jins there will certainly kill you.' But nothing could move the prince,
and seeing this the bird went on: 'Well, so be it! When you wish to set
forth you must go into the plain and take seven head of deer, and must
make water-tight bags of their hides and keep their flesh in seven
portions. Seven seas lie on our way--I will carry you over them; but
if I have not food and drink we shall fall into the sea and be drowned.
When I ask for it you must put food and water into my mouth. So we shall
make the journey safely.'

The prince did all as he was told, then they took flight; they crossed
the seven seas, and at each one the prince fed