in the sheep’s skin, held fast the knife which was given me; and after the young men had been at the trouble to sew the skin about me, they retired into the hall, and left me alone. The roc they spoke of soon arrived; he pounced upon me, took me in his talons and carried me up to the summit of the mountain.
As soon as I found myself on the ground, I cut the skin with the knife, and throwing it off, the roc at the sight of me flew away. This roc is a white bird of a monstrous size; his strength is such that he can lift up elephants from the plains, and carry them to the tops of mountains, where he feeds upon them.
Being impatient to reach the palace, I lost no time, but made so much haste that I got thither in half a day’s journey; and I must say that I found it surpassed the description they had given me of its magnificence.
Once again the coming day surprised Scheherazade in the midst of her story. But the sultan indicated that he would have the rest of it on the morning following. When he had departed the two women smiled at each other.
“How long,” inquired Dinarzade, “can you continue these wonderful tales?”
“For a thousand and one nights,” returned Scheherazade, “and then it is but the beginning of all I have heard and re-
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