Page:Researches respecting the Book of Sindibad and Portuguese Folk-Tales.djvu/56

another." Thus they journeyed on all the night, and at day-dawn they sighted a very high mountain, and the magician said, "Do you see that mountain? it is there where we have to go." They arrived at the foot of the mountain before long, when the magician told the young man to dismount, and said to him, "Now you must fire a shot at the belly of your horse." The lad, very much frightened, replied, "Oh! Sir, that is just what I shall not do!" "Well, then," rejoined the magician, "I must fire the shot at you instead." The lad, full of fear and terror, fired at the horse. The magician took out the entrails of the horse, filled a bag with them, and then told the lad to get inside the empty belly of the horse, and he put in several bags as well. He then took out a book and commenced to read, and the horse began to ascend the mount until the lad reached the top. The lad came out of the horse, while the magician from the foot of the mount cried out to the boy, "What do you see?" "I see much gold, much silver, many brilliants, many precious stones, and many bones," replied the lad. "Well, then, fill all the bags you have with all those riches," said the magician, "and send the horse down here with them, and I shall send the horse back for you." The lad did as he was told, took out the bags from the horse's belly, filled them with all the richest things that were strewed there, and sent the horse laden with the bags down the hill to his master. When the magician had got the horse safe at the bottom of the hill, he started off with it, leaving the lad quite alone on the top of the mountain. The moment the boy found himself forsaken he commeneed to cry, and to seek for some herbs to eat, as he felt very hungry. When he had rambled about for some time, he found a little herb which grew very luxuriantly, and had very large roots, which made it very difficult for him to root up. But when he had succeeded in rooting up some, he found in the hole which was left a massive iron ring of great size and thickness. The lad, curious to know