Page:The Celebrated Romance of the Stealing of the Mare.djvu/120

And cast thee forth to the flames to be a fuel for burning.
Resolved am 1 on this, so be not thou of the stiff- necked.
By this and by that I swear, even by the valley of Barhut/'
And the image rose in its place, and it called out clear to the people,
" Peace be to ye, O people, and peace to Agheyli Jaber.
Listen awhile, O Fadel. The tale of thy mare i» a wonder.
This was its cause and reason, — the ancient Lady Ghanimeh,
She the mother of Amer, who went to the Helali.
She came in the early morn, and found them sitting in council,
Appealed to Selame's honour, his, Abu Zeyd the Hejazi,
His the lion, the dealer of blows, of wrongs the avenger.
She asked of him the grey mare, and he vowed to do her bidding,
Promised before them all, the great ones there with the least ones.
And they heard him speak. And to him is life less dear than honour.
And she said she would wait his coming with the mare, among the camp-fires.
And Abu Zeyd arose and dight him for the journey,