While occupied with such forebodings, Hatim thought he heard a hollow roar, like the rushing waves in the distant ocean. He advanced in that direction, and at last arrived at the shore of a turbulent and foaming sea, whose farther extremity his eye could not discern. Hatim stood thoughtful upon the beach, and said to himself, “At last my earthly pilgrimage is at an end, for here is a sea, beyond which I cannot pass. Still He who ruleth all things can even here assist me.”
As Hatim was straining his sight across the watery expanse, he saw at a distance a small vessel struggling with the billows, and making for the shore; and great was his joy when he considered that his deliverance was at hand. When the vessel reached the sand at no great distance from where he stood, he quickly ran and stepped into it; but what was his surprise to find no living creature within. On a small table he saw two loaves and a fried fish; and as his hunger was excessive, he praised the Lord, and was about to eat. But, on further reflection, he considered that the victuals must belong to the pilot of the vessel, who could not be far off, perhaps had gone on shore unobserved; and “in such a case,” said Hatim, “it would be highly improper in me to eat what has been prepared for another: I will wait till his return, and share his hospitality, if such be his pleasure.”
While Hatim was thus waiting, a large dolphin raised his head above the water, and thus spoke: “O Hatim, these two loaves and the fried fish have been dressed for thee only; eat, then, and appease thy hunger.” When the dolphin had done speaking, he dived into his native element; and Hatim, without further delay, ate the loaves and the fish, after which he allayed his thirst from a jar of fresh water that stood in a corner of the vessel. Shortly after a favorable breeze sprung up, and Hatim having trimmed the sails, launched into the wide ocean. His greatest wish was to return to the city of Nida, and inform the inhabitants of the fate of his friend Jam; but then he knew not which way to steer, so he placed his reliance upon Providence, and allowed his bark to sail smoothly before the wind.
For the following seven days Hatim’s vessel continued to dart through the ocean; nor during that space did he taste any food, nor see aught but the heavens above and the roaring billows around. On the eighth day he beheld rising above the waters a mountain whose cliffs seemed to pierce the moon. In three days more he landed at the foot of the mountain; and in his ascent, was astonished on beholding streams of blood gushing from its rocks. He stood still to view this strange phenomenon, and said in his heart, “How wonderful the works of the Creator! Each rock and stone of this mountain discharges drops of blood; but who can explain to me the cause of it?”
In these reflections Hatim at length reached the summit, and there saw before him an extensive plain of blood-red hue, while the color of all the animals that frequented it was green. So intent was Hatim in the contemplation of those wonderful regions, that he completely forgot the pangs of hunger, and advanced several farasangs into the plain. At last he came to the brink of a sea, whose waters were blood, and whose billows, chasing each other to land, moistened the stars with their purple spray. On the red beach were numbers of birds, the brilliancy of whose azure plumage was dazzling to the sight. Here Hatim wandered along the shores of the blood-red sea for the space of a month, and having caught some of the birds, he struck fire from a flint, and dressed food for himself. At length he came to a narrow point of land, beyond which nothing was visible but the purple waves and across whose expanse none of the birds attempted it flight. Hatim began to despair of ever returning from these crimson shores. “Thou hast wandered here for a whole month,” said he to himself, “but all of no avail; and wert thou to advance for years along this blood-stained coast, thou wouldst see no termination. Here art thou destined to linger out thy life-time, for to return hence is beyond thy power. And, alas! thy friend Munir is left to perish in expectation of thee.”
But again, Hatim devoutly considered, “If God, the Great and Glorious, hath willed that I should return and that my friend should by my means attain the object of his wish, assuredly He will rescue me from this misery.” While occupied with these pious reflections, he saw at a great distance a black speck, which occasionally showed itself on the top of the billows. In a short time it approached nearer, and great was his delight when the object proved to be a boat. It touched the shore at his feet; and Hatim having offered up his gratitude to the Supreme, leaped into the vessel and put out to sea.
In this boat he found, as previously, two barley loaves and a fried fish, which he ate without scruple, while the vessel flew swift as an arrow through the waves of the crimson sea. On the seventh day after, he saw land; and in going ashore he found every object dyed with the same crimson hue as on the other side; while every rock and stone poured forth torrents of blood. Hatim trusted in God, and fearlessly began to penetrate into this new region. At a great distance he observed a brilliant spot in the horizon, to which he directed his course. The nearer he approached the more dazzling grew the light, till at length he could perceive that it was a lofty mountain of the purest silver. Forward he went, fatigued as he was; but by the time he thought himself within a few leagues of the silver mountain, he found that there intervened a wide ocean, whose waves were of the same brilliant hue. He stood upon the beach admiring the beauty of the prospect; and as his thirst was excessive, he dipped his right hand into the silver liquid, in order to taste of its contents, and instantly his hand was turned into silver.
Hatim with horror beheld his right hand converted into a mass of silver, and mourning over his hapless fate, he sat down upon the shore. Suddenly he saw a boat making towards him from the direction of the mountain. He raised his hands towards heaven, and gave praise to that Almighty Providence which had so frequently aided him in his distress. When the boat reached the shore, Hatim joyfully stepped into it, and found it supplied with a variety of the most delicious viands, also pure water wherewith to quench his thirst. Having refreshed his exhausted frame, he trimmed his sails, and steered his course towards the silver mountain. The vessel swiftly ploughed the waves without any aid from a pilot, while Hatim laid himself down and enjoyed a refreshing sleep.
When Hatim had first seen the silver mountain, he imagined that it was at no great distance from him; but this was owing to its extreme brilliancy and immense height, for it required several days and nights of swift sailing to reach its nearer shore. At length Hatim came to land, and began to explore the silver regions; but ever and anon he looked with sorrow at his right hand, now a useless burden to him. Onwards he journeyed for four days more, when he reached the foot of what he conceived to be the silver mountain. He then commenced his ascent; but he no sooner reached the summit of one mountain than another still higher presented itself to his view. For three days he thus toiled upwards: his food consisted of wild fowls, which he caught in the rocks, and sometimes fish of the hue of silver from the mountain streams, together with such fruit as those airy regions produced. On the fourth day, he observed that the rocks and stones which lined his path emitted brilliant rays of light, and were tinged with the colors of the rainbow. He stood admiring this beautiful sight, devoutly acknowledging the transcendent power and wisdom of Him who made the universe. On a more minute examination of these beautiful stones, he found that they were real jewels, such as diamonds, emeralds, and rubies.
Hatim could not resist the temptation of carrying off some of the jewels; he, therefore, filled his skirt with such of them as were most valuable, and thus laden, resumed his ascent. The higher he climbed the larger and more brilliant became the jewels scattered around him, so that he was constantly occupied in throwing away what he had previously gathered, and supplying their place with others more precious. At last he satisfied himself by filling his skirt with the largest jewels he had ever seen, and resolved to carry these back with him to his own country. “The greatest princes on earth,” said he, “possess not such jewels, nor could they buy them with all the wealth of their kingdoms; nay, they cannot have any idea even of their existence.”