Hatim immediately on his arrival sought out the lover Naim, on whom he bestowed all the wealth which he had brought from fairy-land. The youth accepted the costly treasures with a profusion of thanks, after which, Hatim waited on Harith’s daughter and presented her with the Shahmuhra. The lady, on receiving this treasure, was filled with delight, and said to Hatim, “Now, peerless hero, I am yours.”—“Pardon me,” replied Hatim, “if I reject your offer; you know what anguish the youthful Naim has been suffering for years on your account; him therefore you shall accept as your husband.” The lady said, “I am entirely at your disposal.” The father and the lover were immediately sent for, and Hatim made them join hands as father and son. The marriage contract was drawn up and agreed to, the love-sick Naim was blessed in the possession of his mistress, and Hatim was pleased with what he had himself done. In the course of ten days, the Shahmuhra mysteriously disappeared from the lady’s hand, whereupon her grief and lamentation were excessive. Hatim earnestly endeavored to console her, saying, “Lady, you have in your possession such treasures of gold and jewels as will be amply sufficient for your posterity, even unto the seventh generation; why then should you not be content?”
Hatim shortly after took leave of his friends in Suri, and betook himself seriously to the attainment of the object of his journey, viz., the solution of Husn Banu’s second question. He travelled through many a stage without success, till at length he arrived on the banks of a large river. There he beheld a lofty mansion built of stone, over the door of which was written, “Do good and cast it into the river.” On seeing this motto, Hatim devoutly thanked the Ruler of events, and said, “I have now reached the object of my desire.” While he was in this contemplation a crowd of attendants issued forth, and conducted him into the house. There he beheld seated upon a throne a venerable man, whose age amounted to a hundred years. On Hatim’s entrance, the aged sire rose up and courteously received him; after which, he presented him with food and drink of various descriptions.
When Hatim had appeased his hunger and allayed his thirst, he said to his entertainer, “Venerable sir, pray what is the meaning of the motto which is written above your door?”—“Young stranger,” replied the aged man, “listen to my tale, which will explain it. In the prime of my life I was a daring robber, and lived by plundering my fellow-creatures. But every day, when I rested from my sinful avocation, I used to bake two large loaves, the ingredients of which I mixed with sweet-oil and sugar. Two such loaves I daily threw into the river, saying, ‘This I give away to propitiate the favor of heaven.’ A considerable period had thus passed, when one day I was seized with sickness so violent that my soul seemed to quit my body. Methought a man seized me by the hand, and pointing out to me the way to the infernal regions, said, ‘There is the place destined for thee.’ While he was on the point of hurling me into the midst of the condemned, two youths divinely fair in countenance and angelic in form came to my rescue. These were my guardian angels. They laid hold of me, one by each arm, and said, ‘We will not permit this man to be utterly destroyed in his wickedness; sinful as he has been, his future station is in paradise, and thither we will convey him.’
“They swiftly wafted me to the regions of the blessed, where an angel of exalted rank stood up and asked them, ‘Why have you brought this man? A hundred years of his life are yet to pass; but there is another of the same name whom you were commissioned to bring.’ The two angels who had carried me to the gates of paradise, again brought me back to my own house, and said to me at parting, ‘We are the two loaves[13] which you used to cast into the river for fishes to feed on, as a service acceptable to the Almighty.’ When I recovered from my trance, I rose up and fled for refuge into the threshold of divine mercy, exclaiming in the voice of supplication, ‘Gracious God! thou art merciful, and I am a sinful creature. I repent of all my evil deeds, which I committed in the depravity of my heart. To thy gates I flee for protection. Spare me, merciful Creator, and from thy secret stores of grace bestow upon me that which is meet for me.’
“When my health was restored, I prepared the two loaves as formerly, and went with them to the side of the river, in order to cast them upon the waters. On the shore I found a hundred dinars, which I took up and carried with me to the village. I there caused it to be publicly proclaimed, that if any person had lost a sum of money, he should obtain the same from me. None came forward to claim the money; I therefore laid it aside, in hopes that the real owner of it might some day appear. Next day, when I went to the river-side, according to my usual mode, I threw my two loaves into the water; and another sum of a hundred dinars made its appearance on the shore. I took the money home with me. In the same way it happened to me for ten successive days. On the eve of the eleventh day, as I was asleep, a man appeared to me in the visions of the night, saying, ‘Servant of the Almighty, thy two loaves have pleaded thy cause in heaven, and the merciful Creator has forgiven thy sins. The dinars which thou receivest are for thy competency; what is not necessary for thine own support, bestow in charity upon the poor.’
“I awoke from my dream and betook myself to prayer, and rendered my thanks to the bountiful Giver. I have since built this mansion, on the door of which I have written the motto that has attracted your attention. Every day I receive the sum of a hundred dinars on the shore of the river; and I occupy myself in giving it away in charity, in feeding the hungry, the poor, and the helpless stranger. Nearly a hundred years of my life still remain, and this, young stranger, is my history.”
When Hatim heard this wonderful account of the aged man, he devoutly expressed his sense of the divine mercy. After having stayed a few days, he took leave of his venerable entertainer, and began to retrace his way to Shahabad. Having travelled a considerable distance he came to a desert, where he beheld underneath a tree two serpents in deadly contest: the one was black and loathsome, the other beautiful and graceful to view: but the black snake had the advantage in the struggle, and was on the point of killing the other. Hatim speedily approached, and raised a shout that terrified the black serpent, which let go its victim and fled. The serpent of beautiful color being quite powerless, remained beneath the tree, looking gratefully at Hatim. The latter observing this, addressed the white snake, saying, “Fear nothing from me, I will here watch over you till you are recovered.” In the course of a few hours the serpent began to move slowly round the tree, which being done it assumed the form of a beautiful young man.
Hatim stood wrapt in astonishment, when the youth addressing him, said, “My good friend, I am of the race of the genii, and the son of their king. The black snake which you saw is my father’s slave who bears deadly hatred towards me. To-day he happened to find the time fitting, and having transformed himself and me into serpents, he was about to slay me, when God the Supreme sent you to my relief.” On hearing this Hatim rejoined, “As you are now recovered, proceed to your abode without delay: as for me I have affairs of moment.” The genius replied, “My residence is not far hence; if you will deign to honor me with a visit, nothing could be more agreeable to me.” In short, the prince of the genii conducted Hatim to his troops, and under their convoy proceeded to his palace. There he rested for the night, reclined upon a throne, and was charmed with the most melodious music. Next day he was offered the richest treasures of gold and jewels, which he rejected, saying that such things had no value in his sight. As he was about to depart from this hospitable mansion, the genii caught the base slave who had attempted to kill the prince; and having dragged him to the place of execution, they put him to death in Hatim’s presence.
Hatim took his leave of the genii, and continued his journey till he arrived in Shahabad. He went straight to the caravanseraï, where he was joyfully received by Munir, the Syrian prince. Husn Banu’s people in the meantime conveyed to their mistress the news of Hatim’s arrival. She next day sent for him, and said, “Brave youth, this time you have been long absent; pray have you attained the object of your journey or not?”—“Praised be God,” said Hatim, “I have been quite successful.” He then detailed to Husn Banu all that he had witnessed since his departure, and particularly the history of the aged man on the banks of the river. When Husn Banu heard this wonderful adventure, she looked towards her nurse, who said, “The youth speaks truly: your second question is solved.”
Food and drink were then called for, of which Hatim and the prince of Syria partook; the former assuring the latter that through divine aid he would accomplish the solution of the remaining questions. Three days were spent in discharging the rites of hospitality, at the expiration of which Hatim waited upon Husn Banu, saying, “Now, fair lady, let me hear your third question, that I may endeavor to solve it.”—“There is a man,” replied Husn Banu, “who says from experience, ‘Injure no one; if you do, evil will befall you.’ Find out where that man lives, what injury he has done, and what evil has befallen him.”