When Hatim awoke from his dream he felt his senses confounded, and got up with the intention of purifying himself in the fountain and repeating his sacred charm; but the magician having conjured up a monstrous demon, was ready to assail him with his diabolic arts. When Hatim found himself thus beset, his heart trembled within him: for, polluted as he was, he durst not utter the sacred charm, and otherwise how could he resist his enemy! The demon seized him thus irresolute, and carried him before the magician, who ordered him to be bound in chains and cast into a pit, over the mouth of which a large stone should be placed. The order was speedily executed; and when Hatim found himself thus incarcerated, he composed his thoughts, and poured out his soul in prayer before the Almighty Creator.
After he had passed seven days and nights in this dungeon, without tasting food or drinking water, the magician, expecting that he must ere now be subdued with hunger and thirst, sent some of his imps to examine his condition. But to these Hatim paid no regard, nor would he answer any of their inquiries. The magician, informed of this, said to them, “Return to Hatim, and tell him that if he will give me the muhra of the bear’s daughter, I shall set him at liberty.” On hearing this proposal, Hatim said to them, in reply, “Go and say to your master, that he shall have the muhra, provided he give me his daughter in marriage.” When this was communicated to the magician, his rage was beyond bounds; he assembled all his imps, and having led them to Hatim’s place of confinement, be ordered them to collect large stones, and dash them on Hatim’s head till he should die. The attendants accordingly procured as many stones as they could carry; and having bound Hatim in a conspicuous place, they began to execute the orders of their master, saying, “Now prepare for instant death, for your muhra shall no longer avail you; the magician has empowered us to crush your head to pieces.”—“Tell him,” said Hatim, “that I defy all his power, and by the aid of heaven, I will yet slay him.” Scarce had he done speaking, when a shower of stones was aimed at his head; but to the utter astonishment of the magician and his imps, when the stones came within a few yards of their mark, they diverged in all directions without taking the least effect. Thus the whole of the stones passed by Hatim, and lay in a heap on either side of him. The magician soon understood the cause of this, but his attendants could not believe what they had seen. “To convince yourselves,” said their master, “go and examine whether this man be alive or dead.” The imps, laying aside their missiles, went up to Hatim, and to their surprise found him untouched. When their astonishment had a little abated, they renewed their assault, but with no better success. After the heap of stones around Hatim had increased tenfold, they once more went up to him, in order to be assured that their senses did not deceive them; and on finding him still unhurt, they again resumed their attack, which they continued uninterruptedly for seven days. Hatim all along remained unhurt by their blows, but his frame was quite exhausted with hunger and thirst. At length he addressed them, saying, “Your efforts are in vain; you must ere now be convinced of the potency of my talisman, as the fire has not burnt me, nor do the stones which you now throw in the least hurt me. But my thirst is past enduring, and I am willing to give even the muhra to him who will carry me to the side of the fountain, and prove that he is worthy of so great a power. The muhra has many virtues; for instance, should the possessor of it desire to kill the magician and occupy his throne, he will be enabled to do so.” The imps, however, refused to listen to him, saying, “We have no will but that of our master, and your muhra can be of no use to us.”
One of the demons that stood nearest to Hatim intimated to him by signs that when the darkness of night should set in, he would take him to the fountain as he desired, with which arrangement Hatim expressed his satisfaction. When night arrived, the guards sunk in sleep, while the demon aforesaid, instigated with the desire of possessing the muhra, remained awake. At the hour of midnight, he softly stole from amidst his companions, and said to Hatim, “Now is your time, let me conduct you to the fountain.”—“Willingly,” replied Hatim; “but how is it possible for me to be released from my fetters?”—“Leave that to me,” said his guide, who on uttering some unearthly charm conjured up two monstrous demons, as it were, from the empty air. These speedily removed the stone which confined Hatim, and allowed him to come forth, when his guide conducted him to the wished-for spring.
As soon as Hatim arrived at the fountain, he devoutly began to perform his ablutions. Meanwhile the demon interrupted him, saying, “Now, young man, remember your promise, and give me the muhra, for on this condition I brought you hither.”—“Assuredly,” replied Hatim, “since you have done me so great a favor, I will make a proper requital.”—“And what return can you make,” said the demon, “except the fulfilment of your promise?”—“What will be of more value to you,” replied Hatim; “when I shall have slain this magician, Sam Ahmar, I will establish you as king in his stead.”—“I covet not royalty,” rejoined the demon, “I demand, and must have the muhra.”—“For whom do you ask it?” said Hatim. “For myself alone,” replied the demon. “Fiend,” said Hatim, “had you asked it of me in order to promote the service of the Almighty Creator, I should have given it to you. But your words now prove you to be unworthy of it.”—“The only God we acknowledge,” rejoined the demon, “is Iblis, the great preceptor of our sovereign Sam Ahmar.”—“Silence, blasphemer!” cried Hatim; “the God whom I adore is the creator of the universe; and were it not that you have lately served me in my need, I should at once treat you as you deserve.”—“Let us cease wrangling,” said the demon, “it is easy for me to deprive you of the muhra by main force; but if you give it of your own accord, I shall spare your life; otherwise, I shall drown you in this fountain.”—“Slave of Iblis,” rejoined Hatim, “begone and leave me; you are not fit to receive the muhra.”
Hereupon the demon began to assail Hatim with enchantment; but the latter pronounced the sacred charm, whose potency made his adversary tremble through every joint. He instantly fled from Hatim’s presence, and took shelter in the midst of his friends, where he lay down and feigned sleep, that no one might know what he had done, as he dreaded the vengeance of his master should the truth be known.
Hatim, now freed from the power of his enemies, passed the night in meditation and prayer beside the fountain. When the morning dawned, and the sentinels opened their drowsy eyes, they one after another went to visit their charge, but no trace of Hatim could they find.
Their terror was beyond description, for what answer could they return to their formidable master when he should call them to account? “Assuredly,” said they, one to another, “he will not this day leave one of us alive.” At length they put ashes on their heads, and with trembling steps presented themselves before the magician, saying, “Alas! mighty sir, the young man under our charge has made his escape.”
Their master calmly consulted his books, and soon discovered the real state of affairs; viz., that one of the sentinels, whose name was Sarmak, had in the course of the night released Hatim from prison, and conveyed him to the brink of the fountain. The magician was highly enraged, and said to the guilty sentinel, “Faithless wretch! how durst thou thus release thy prisoner? Thy life shall answer for it; prepare for instant death.” Sarmak considered that now, as he had no hope of mercy from his master, his best plan would be to fly to Hatim and implore his protection.
With the speed of lightning Sarmak fled from the presence of the magician, and having reached the fountain where Hatim sat, he prostrated himself at his feet, and said, “Noble sir, my life is about to be sacrificed on your account; save me, as I never harmed you. I have been truly unfortunate; on the one hand, you gave me not the muhra, and for serving you my life is in danger.”—“Make yourself easy on that score, Sarmak,” replied Hatim; “you will find that I have both the will and the power to return your kindness.” When the magician discovered that his servant had fled to Hatim, he instantly began to assail them both with his deadliest art. The effect was soon perceptible on Sarmak, who exclaimed, “Help me, brave Hatim, I burn”; and a flame issued from the crown of his head. Hatim pronounced the words of his awful spell, and instantly the flame that burnt his companion became cool as the breath of a zephyr. Sarmak, respectfully approaching his deliverer, said, “Valiant sir, henceforth I am entirely yours.” Hatim tendered him his hand, and both of them proceeded towards the magician’s capital. Meanwhile Sam Ahmar discovered their intentions; and having assembled all his subjects who were fit for battle, he led them forth into the plain without the city, and began to put in practice all his spells. As Hatim and his companion were approaching this formidable array, on a sudden the sky was overcast with black clouds, the lightning flashed forth in streams, and the thunder began to bellow. “Brave Hatim,” said Sarmak, “have a care of yourself; this is caused by the art of your enemy.” Hatim uttered the sacred charm, and having blown with his breath towards the clouds, the storm withdrew, and all was serene.
The magician, thus foiled, again resumed his task. Stones of vast dimensions were seen to rise from the earth; and having ascended to an immense height in the sky, they began a swift descent towards the spot where Hatim stood. This shower of rocks must have crushed Hatim to pieces, as he had not observed its approach; but Sarmak exclaimed, “Hatim, beware! here is another specimen of the enchanter’s power.” Again he repeated the divine spell, and breathed towards the stones as they descended, when, lo! their course was altered; and having passed directly through the thickest of the magician’s army, they swept to the ground four thousand of his bravest men. One of the stones almost struck the head of the king; but seeing its course, he pronounced a spell and blew it aside with his breath. Amidst this consternation, Hatim and his companion advanced, whilst their enemies, terrified, said to one another, “Let us save ourselves. This man is too powerful for us to oppose.” When the magician beheld the near approach of his adversary, he once more exerted his skill. In the twinkling of an eye, dragons of the most terrible aspect were seen to rush from all quarters towards the devoted Hatim. He again uttered the sacred charm of the immortal Khizr, when all the dragons bore their furious onset against the magician’s host; and so terrible was the slaughter, that of his whole army scarce three thousand now survived, while full twenty thousand lay dead on the plain.