to his arm-pits, and he had two huge wings, and four arms; two of them like those of the sons of Adam, and two like the fore-legs of lions, with claws. He had hair upon his head like the tails of horses, and two eyes like two burning coals, and he had a third eye, in his forehead, like the eye of the lynx, from which there appeared sparks of fire. He was black and tall; and he was crying out: “Extolled be the perfection of my Lord, who hath appointed me this severe affliction and painful torture until the day of resurrection!” When the party beheld him, their reason fled from them, and they were stupefied at the sight of his form, and retreated in flight; and the Emeer Moosa said to the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad: ‘‘What is this?” He answered: “I know not what he is.” And the emeer said: “Draw near to him, and investigate his case: perhaps he will discover it, and perhaps thou wilt learn his history.” So the Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad drew near to him, and said to him: “O thou person, what is thy name, and what is thy nature, and what hath placed thee here in this manner?” And the person answered him: “As to me, I am an efreet of the genies, and my name is Dahish, and I am restrained here by the majesty of God.” Then the Emeer Moosa said: “O Sheikh Abd-Es-Samad, ask him what is the cause of his confinement in this pillar.” He therefore asked respecting that, and the efreet answered him: “Verily my story is wonderful; and it is this:
“There belonged to one of the sons of Iblees an idol of red carnelian, of which I was made guardian; and there used to worship it one of the Kings of the Sea, of great glory, leading, among his troops of the genies, a million warriors who smote with swords before him,and who answered his prayer in cases of difficulty. These genies who obeyed him were under my command and authority, following my words when I ordered
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